China Southern Airlines flight suspended over COVID-19 cases
>> China Southern Airlines’ flight from Dhaka to Guangzhou was suspended for 4 weeks, after 17 passengers on board were tested positive for COVID-19, reports China Daily. China’s aviation regulator issued its first international flight ‘circuit-breaker’ directive on Sunday, suspending flights between Bangladesh and Guangzhou city.
China Eastern partners with Trip.com Group to launch a new airline
>> China Eastern Airlines and several partners including Tripcom Group plan to launch a new airline in Hainan, as they eye growing air traffic to China’s southernmost island province amid Beijing’s plan to turn it into a free trade hub. China Eastern will own a majority 51% share in the new carrier, while 14% will be held by a unit of Trip.com Group, China’s largest online travel agency.
Chinese court blacklists Hainan Airlines for unpaid $48.6 million debt
>> Hainan Airlines Holding, which runs the flagship carrier of the southern Chinese island getaway of Hainan, was added to the country’s list of dishonest debtors after failing to make good on a USD 48.6 million debt. Parent firm HNA Group has run up debts of USD94 billion by 2017. As of early 2018, it had sold over USD42.4 billion of sideline business assets to help with its liquidity crisis.
Fosun-invested customized travel agency Shijiebang goes under
>> Shijiebang, a customized travel company once backed by Fosun International and Yahoo's co-founder Jerry Yang, has gone bust under the sustained impact of COVID-19, but the pandemic was just a catalyst for the closing of Shijiebang, as the global crisis exposed its internal problems.
Indonesia plans travel bubble with China, Japan, and Australia
>> The Indonesian government says it is currently drawing up plans for a so-called “travel bubble” with four Asia Pacific countries including China, Japan, South Korea and Australia, as part of efforts to revive the country’s tourism sector, despite the number of COVID-19 cases continuing to climb in the archipelago nation. Indonesian officials are also planning to offer packages for “in-city tourism” ladened with strict health protocols, as part of an effort to revive domestic tourism.
Shanghai Disneyland ticket sales surpass 100,000 in one-month recovery
>> Shanghai Disneyland ticket sales on China's online travel agency Trip.com Group have surpassed 100,000 since online booking resumed on May 8, ranking first among all global tourist attractions on the platform over the past month. The sales volume of related Disneyland group tours and travel products also continue to rise, according to a report the group sent to the Global Times.
Hong Kong Disneyland Reopening on June 18
>> Disney has announced that Hong Kong Disneyland will be reopening to the public on June 18. As with all other Disney Parks reopenings, limited capacity and increased health and safety measures will be in place. As Hong Kong Disneyland becomes the second Disney park to reopen, the rest of the Disney parks around the world continues to believe in magic and prepare for their own reopening moments.
