Asia's gradual easing of international travel curbs is proving a welcome relief for the region's hard-hit tourism operators slowly opening up to visitors from around the world - with one giant exception.China, previously the world's largest outbound tourism market, is keeping international air capacity at just 2 percent of pre-pandemic levels and has yet to relax tight travel restrictions as it sticks to zero tolerance for COVID-19.That has left a US$255 billion annual spending

Air travel is said to be the safest mode of transportation compared to trains, cars and motorcycles; therefore, it is highly publicised when a crash occurs. The world has recorded numerous aviation disasters and mysteries since time immemorial – from the disappearance of Amelia Earhart in 1937, to hijacked American Airlines Flight 11 of the 9/11 (11 September) attacks, and to the unsolved mystery of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH370.Over the weekend, the world was once again shocked by

“I never believed the aviation industry could be hit this hard,” said Tony Fernandes, co-founder of AirAsia Group in an interview with news agency AFP back in July. Nearly all industries around the world have felt the pinch from the coronavirus pandemic – some more than others.

Hong Kong and Singapore on Thursday said they had agreed "in principle" to set up a bubble allowing residents to travel freely between the two financial hubs as long as they test negative for the coronavirus.The announcement is a rare moment of good news for a tourism industry battered by the pandemic and offers a glimpse into how places with less severe outbreaks might be able to safely restart some travel.The two cities released joint statements announcing the deal which they said

With millions around the world stuck at home due to the pandemic, "plane cafes" in Thailand are offering customers the chance to pretend they are in the sky - and the idea seems to have taken off.On board a retired commercial airplane in the coastal city of Pattaya, coffee drinkers make themselves comfy on first-class-style seats and pose for photos by the overhead lockers.Boarding passes in hand, some "passengers" even opt for a tour of the cockpit."With this cafe I

Ong Ye Kung, Singapore’s newly-appointed Minister for Transport, wrote on his Facebook page that “air connectivity is a vital organ of our small island state. It connects Singapore to the rest of the world.

Shuttered shops, idle production lines, grounded planes - the coronavirus pandemic has devastated several industries, not least the aviation and automobile sectors, but also retail and energy.Here is a recap of some major casualties, amid layoffs, bankruptcies and rescue plans: Crash LandingAmong the big-hitters in crisis in the air transport sector are two Latin American carriers, including the region's biggest airline LATAM, and Colombia's Avianca, both of which have file

Singapore Airlines (SIA) reported a first-quarter net loss of more than US$800 million Wednesday, the latest carrier to take a massive hit as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.Passenger traffic was reduced to almost zero in the three months to June, SIA said, leading to the Asian carrier's biggest-ever quarterly net loss of SGD1.12 billion (US$816.58 million).The numbers extended the flag-carrier's financial bloodletting after losing SGD732 million in the 2019 fourth quarter ende

AirAsia boss Tony Fernandes insisted Thursday the top budget carrier would emerge "stronger" from the coronavirus pandemic despite a warning about its future, and said the airline was hopeful of raising a sizeable cash injection.In an interview with AFP, the colourful chief executive said he never imagined the industry could face such a crisis, which has triggered massive layoffs worldwide and led to some carriers collapsing."I never believed the aviation industry could be hit

Washington on Wednesday ordered the suspension of all flights by Chinese airlines into and out of the United States (US) after Beijing failed to allow American carriers to resume services to China.The move adds to a growing set of tension points between the world's two biggest economies in the aftermath of the coronavirus crisis.The US action, which takes effect 16 June, but could be implemented sooner if President Donald Trump orders it, affects four Chinese civilian carriers, including