Dragonair opens first Indonesia route Cathay Pacific subsidiary Dragonair will start a twice-weekly service from Hong Kong to Denpasar, Bali from April 27. The service will run Airbus A330-300s to complement parent Cathay’s existing daily Boeing 777 service. Denpasar will be Dragonair’s first destination in Indonesia, & its fifteenth within the last twelve months. The move brings Dragonair much closer to Cathay’s traditional turf & away from its old low-cost regional image. The carrier is also upgrading its inflight entertainment offering with a new on-demand entertainment system, called StudioKA. Dragonair CEO Patrick Yeung said the move is part of the carrier’s plan to “further expand our presence in Asia.” Although the route duplication with Cathay may seem inconsistent, it could be a first indicator the two carriers are becoming more closely allied. Alternatively, it could herald a longer-term plan for Cathay to pull out of “stopover” destinations such as Denpasar for its long-haul routes. This would open the way for Dragonair scheduled flights without any brand erosion. Such a move would cement Dragonair’s reputation as the group’s full-service carrier of choice from its existing second-tier cities in China (Dalian, Nanjing, Wenzhou, Wuhan, Zhengzhou) to other medium-haul destinations in Southeast Asia. These routes are becoming increasingly significant as tourist feeders into Southeast Asia—such as to Bali, Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar & Indonesia. Contact Us To make a reservation on any Dragonair or Cathay Pacific flight, in any cabin, worldwide, please contact Paul on 020 8891 3169, or email [email protected] to discuss your requirements. #CallPaul
Posted on: Fri, 14 Mar 2014 18:00:54 +0000