Jetstar Asia to launch China flights

       The Singapore-based budget carrier Jetstar Asia announced yesterday it would expand capacity and planned to begin flights to mainland China in December.
       "Mainland China has immense potential for Jetstar's low-fare offering and the broader Jetstar group network destinations," said chief executive Chong Phit Lian.
       "China is a clear focus of future growth and with our expanding fleet in 2010,we are in the stage of actively assessing future potential growth," she said.
       As well as aiming to expand into China,Jetstar will from October increase flights to Manila from seven to 10 per week,and will also run three daily trips instead of the current two to Bangkok from next month.
       And from December the firm will resume its flights to Phuket, a route it terminated in March last year partly due to escalating oil prices.
       Jetstar Asia said it would take delivery of three Airbus A320 jets over the next 12 months, which will boost its fleet capacity by 46%.
       Meanwhile, Malaysian low-cost carrier AirAsia said yesterday it would launch its seventh route into mainland China in October as part of its regional expansion despite the economic slump.
       "AirAsia will be the first airline to fly direct from Kuala Lumpur to Chengdu,the capital city of Sichuan province in southwestern China, with four weekly flights from October 20," it said in a statement.
       The carrier said the new route would be operated by its long-haul affiliate AirAsia X.
       AirAsia already flies to Shenzhen,Guangzhou, Guilin and Haikou in the southern region, Hangzhou in the east and Tianjin in the north.
       It also has flights to Hong Kong and Macau.