Capital Express Service from Singapore Airlines connects Singapore, Canberra and Wellington

• New service to bring international flights to Canberra

• First to link Canberra with Wellington

Singapore Airlines is to introduce services to both Canberra and Wellington with the launch of a new ‘Capital Express’ route. The new flights from Singapore will connect the capitals of both Australia and New Zealand. Subject to regulatory approvals, flights will be operated four times per week from 20 September 2016 on a Singapore-Canberra-Wellington routing. Return flights will be on a Wellington-Canberra-Singapore routing.

Flights will be operated with 266-seat retrofitted Boeing 777-200s fitted with 38 Business Class seats and 228 Economy Class seats. Singapore Airlines will be the first airline with flights between Canberra and Wellington. It will also be the first airline to operate regularly scheduled international services to and from Canberra.

“This new service linking Singapore, Canberra and Wellington reflects the close ties between the three countries,” said Singapore Airlines CEO Goh Choon Phong. “We are excited about the prospects for our new ‘Capital Express’ route, which we are confident will appeal to leisure, government and corporate travellers. We are especially pleased to be bringing more convenient travel options to customers with Canberra’s first regularly scheduled international flights and the first non-stop links between the capitals of Australia and New Zealand.”

The new Canberra services will add to Singapore Airlines’ already extensive Australia network, which currently includes flights between Singapore and Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. Subsidiary SilkAir also serves Cairns and Darwin, while a wide-ranging partnership with Virgin Australia extends Singapore Airlines’ Australia network to another 40 codeshare destinations.

Singapore Airlines’ new Wellington services will complement existing services between Singapore and both Auckland and Christchurch. Singapore Airlines also has an extensive partnership with Air New Zealand.

Flight Schedules*

Flight Number	SQ291	SQ291
Routing	Singapore-Canberra	Canberra-Wellington
Days of Operation	Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday, Sunday	Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday
Time of Departure	23:00	09:50
Time of Arrival	08:35+1	15:05

Flight Number	SQ292	SQ292
Routing	Wellington-Canberra	Canberra-Singapore
Days of Operation	Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday	Monday, Wednesday, Friday, Sunday
Time of Departure	20:15	23:30
Time of Arrival	22:05	05:50+1

*All times stated are local based on a launch date of 20 September 2016. Timings will change soon after due to daylight savings in Australia and New Zealand.

Interested?

Flights will be available for booking on a progressive basis through the Singapore Airlines website, call centres and travel agents in the coming weeks.

posted from Bloggeroid

Golden Equator Consulting helps SMEs, startups progress to success

Golden Equator Consulting (GE Consulting), a business consultancy, has launched their Singapore operations to cater to SMEs and startups around the region. “...These businesses are crying out for strategic and execution partners that are able to shortcut the growth process, so that they can focus on the important parts of running their business,” commented Sharon Chong, CEO, GE Consulting.

The company features consultancy on all aspects of running a business, from advice on business strategy and sales positioning, financial support, to working on marketing, technology, HR and legal requirements. It is partnered with an independent asset management and private equity investment firm, Golden Equator Capital, giving it access to a wide network of investors and sources of funding.

SMEs today account for more than 96% of all enterprises in ASEAN with 170,000 located in Singapore alone*. “We see Singapore as a hotbed for tech startups due to the financial capital, government support and investment, infrastructure, stability, and a safe and transparent place to do business, with the added security of IP protection,” said Chong, observing that more than 170,000 SMEs account for over 99% of all businesses in Singapore**. 

GE Consulting’s projects include Campore, a retail and distribution company for international brands in Cambodia. Campore branched out with GE Consulting into the retail sphere via Central Mall, a department store. GE Consulting also helped the company secure distribution deals with international brands, including the sole distributorship of Vertu phones in Cambodia.

GE Consulting is also working with Eunoia, billed as the world’s first food and beverage (F&B) technology ecosystem that connects both new and legacy solutions with F&B merchants. This allows F&B merchants to select the best front-of-house and back-of-house technology solutions for their brand, and have them integrated into one consolidated platform and centralised dashboard for easy management. The company will be launched in Singapore and later regionally.

Singapore-based YOLO, another GE Consulting customer, works on the concept that healthy food should actually taste good. The company is the brainchild of Asia Apprentice finalist Alexis Bauduin, who is also Director, GE Consulting.

*Department of Statistics, Singapore
**ASEAN SME Policy Index, 2014

New Air China rules for flights departing from Beijing

Air China passengers departing from Beijing are advised to reach the airport early. Air China has changed the check-in closing time for domestic flights at Terminal 3, Beijing Capital International Airport. Prior to August 20, 2015, passengers were allowed to check in 30 minutes before departure. Since August 20 passengers have to check in at least 45 minutes before departure.

The check-in closing time for international flights is 60 minutes prior to departure.

Additional time should also be factored in for checked baggage inspections. According to the airline, the following items are not accepted in checked baggage on flights departing from Beijing Capital International Airport. Items in the following list suspected to be present during the security check, will require the passenger's baggage* to be opened for inspection, after which the items will be confiscated:

(1) Bullets, ammunition, weapons, knives, crossbows, and other arms and dummies
(2) Items of an explosive nature
(3) Inflammable, explosive, toxic, corrosive and radioactive materials
(4) Lithium batteries, mobile chargers, lighters and matches
(5) Other prohibited items specified by the state

The airline has also updated its rules on lighters and matches on its flights departing from all airports. Passengers are not allowed to carry either item with them on Air China flights, whether in carry-on baggage or in checked-in luggage. The rule applies whether passengers purchase Air China tickets from the official website, via a distributor or through retail agents.

*Baggage may not be loaded onto a flight if it is delayed because of inspection procedures.