Tag: Airline Industry

South Korea – Korean Air has appointed Jongheon Sim (Jong) as its new chief communications officer. Jong, a communicator and aviation industry veteran, will be handling the airline’s communication strategies and public relations. 

After working for the airline for 27 years in a variety of roles, including operations, communications, and external relations, Jong developed his communication skills. He became the airline’s managing director in December 2022 and became the deputy chief communications officer as well. He oversaw the airline’s social media and digital communications team before this assignment. 

He began his career in 1997 as a passenger business representative for Korean Air and went on to advance in airport operations in Incheon, Los Angeles, Seattle, and New York. In 2008, he took over as team head of airport operations in Seattle. In 2017, he moved to New York’s JFK airport, which is a major international hub for Korean Air, as general manager and head of the airport service team. 

Because of his background in international relations, Jong was assigned to work at the airline’s HRDC, where he was in charge of staff training before sending them abroad.

Singapore – A new report from Emplifi suggests that the airline industry in Asia has seen a dip in social media engagement despite the fact the industry itself seeing a year of growth. More specifically, the airline industry mostly have seen negative social media sentiment in X, formerly known as Twitter.

Across the world, the stress of air travel often leads passengers to seek rapid solutions via social media and X has been a critical source of real-time customer support for airlines. Interestingly, negative sentiment in public comments towards global airline brands on the platform has remained consistent, hovering between 32% and 26% between the peak of the pandemic in 2020 all the way into 2023. 

In Asia, while negative sentiment has remained around the 20% to 30% range for nearly three years, the more notable finding is that positive sentiment on public airline tweets has decreased for the first time since the pandemic. 

While airlines have implemented social care strategies, there has been limited progress in the post-pandemic era. Following the turbulence of COVID-19, 2021 witnessed global airlines achieving their best response rate to user queries, averaging 23% across platforms (Facebook, and Twitter). 

However, the percentage of questions answered on social media platforms has stagnated in 2023. On average, only 25% of public questions asked in the comments on a brand’s post receive responses, leaving a substantial 75% unanswered. 

In terms of most-mentioned airline brands, Air India (185,638 mentions) took the lead for 2023, garnering the highest number of mentions on X thus far while other Asia based airlines followed close behind: Qantas Airline (43,853 mentions), AirAsia (29,603 mentions), and Singapore Airlines (24,714 mentions). 

Zarnaz Arlia, chief marketing officer at Emplifi, said, “While brands recognize the importance of top-tier customer service, staying aligned with rapidly evolving expectations is a challenge. The airline industry, in particular, needs constant refinement of their social care strategy. Our analysis shows there’s room for improvement. By prioritizing customer care on social platforms, airlines not only meet customers where they are but also foster loyalty, encouraging advocacy and, in the end, driving profits.”

Singapore – Changi Airport has recently unveiled ‘The Courage to Dream – The Making of the Changi Airport Story’, an LKY100 commemorative exhibition to be held at Jewel Changi Airport from September 16 to 30.

With various interactive zones, the exhibition commemorates the visionary leadership, boldness and conviction of the late Mr. Lee Kuan Yew, showcasing how Mr. Lee and his team of leaders made Changi Airport possible and paved the way for its success.

Through untold stories illustrated in engaging displays, with rarely seen archival content, the exhibition gives visitors the opportunity to embark on a nostalgic voyage through time from the 1970s to present day, and even get a glimpse of the future of aviation.

There are six interactive zones in the exhibition, highlighting the journey of Changi Airport alongside Lee Kuan Yew’s leadership. The first zone talks about how Changi Airport was once smaller in scale and called Paya Lebar Airport, as the second and third zones showcase how Lee Kuan Yew made strides to improve the airport, eventually transitioning to Changi Airport in the fourth zone.

Lastly, the fifth and sixth zones focused on the improvements made to the airport which made it grow into the world’s most awarded airport, and even looking towards the airport’s future advancements, which was only made possible by the decisions of the past. 

Talking about the exhibition, Jayson Goh, executive vice president of airport management, Changi Airport Group, said, “Mr. Lee Kuan Yew’s bold decision to relocate Singapore’s airport from Paya Lebar to Changi marked a pivotal moment in aviation history.”

“To this day, we continue to be deeply grateful for the vision, courage and conviction demonstrated by Mr. Lee and our pioneering airport leaders, which paved the way for Changi Airport’s growth over the past decades and beyond. We hope to inspire and educate the community through these lesser-told stories, which highlight the values that made Changi Airport possible and still guide how we run the airport today,” he added. 

Taipei,Taiwan – Interpublic Group agency DeVries Global has announced its appointment as low-cost carrier Scoot’s public relations agency for Taiwan.

In this partnership, DeVries Global is tasked with strengthening Scoot’s local resonance with consumers following the pandemic. 

Fortified by the agency’s extensive industry experience and data capabilities, the agency’s scope focuses on building media relations to strengthen demand for inbound and outbound flights, as well as consumer initiatives to create awareness and to reiterate the airline’s position as an innovative and relatable low-cost carrier.

Commenting on the partnership, Vivian Liu, managing director at DeVries Global Taipei, said, “We are proud to partner with such a well-loved brand – a future-forward leader that operates with fun, value and discovery at its core. Our team has crafted inspired, innovative programs to bring about a new chapter for Scoot”.

Meanwhile, Agatha Yap, director of marketing and new revenue at Scoot, mentioned, “At Scoot, we believe that travel connects people, destinations, and cultures. We look forward to our partnership with DeVries Global, especially as we ramp up awareness by creatively telling the Scoot story to local audiences in Taiwan.”

This appointment follows Scoot’s partnerships with other agencies, with global communications agency BCW being tapped as Scoot’s PR partner in their home base of Singapore, as well as brand and customer agency VMLY&R and Omnicom Advertising Group-owned network PHD being appointed to conceive creative strategies for the airline and to handle global media planning and buying respectively.

Manila, Philippines –  Flag carrier Philippine Airlines (PAL) has partnered up with Philippine Blockchain Week to create limited edition digital collectibles that pay tribute to PAL history while showcasing the airline’s dedication to embracing the future.

These digital collectibles mark the first time for Philippine Airlines to enter the blockchain industry, with these digital collectibles possessing customer benefits as well as access to the Philippine Blockchain Week event.  

Each PAL collectible, which consists of eight distinct images created by artist Trace Orozco and produced on the Ethereum blockchain network, is a well crafted work of art aimed at discerning collectors. Each collectible has artwork in addition to being encoded with $1,500 worth of consumable Mabuhay Miles that can be redeemed at the owner’s discretion.

Upon purchase collectors would also receive a Philippine Blockchain Week VVIP ticket every year for the next three years, granting them premium access to global thought leaders in a currently emerging technological landscape.

In a statement from Philippine Blockchain Week, they said, “As Philippine Airlines continues to soar to greater heights by growing its global network of nonstop flights, so does Philippine Blockchain Week work to elevate Philippine society by motivating Filipinos to embrace the infinite possibilities of Web3 and beyond.”

Singapore – Singapore Airlines and Indonesian airline Garuda Airlines have bared plans to enter into a joint venture arrangement that would deepen the cooperation between the two carriers, increase passenger capacity between Singapore and Indonesia, and offer customers more travel options between the two countries.

Said joint venture expands on the previous memorandum of understanding between the two airlines on November 2021.

Through the expanded joint venture, Garuda Indonesia and Singapore Airlines are allowed to potentially coordinate schedules between Singapore and Indonesia, offering customers more seamless flight connectivity between the two countries and beyond. 

Moreover, the carriers will also explore the implementation of new initiatives, including joint fare products and an alignment of corporate programmes to enhance the value proposition to customers.

Irfan Setiaputra, president and chief executive officer at Garuda Indonesia, said, “With the existence of more than a decade of collaboration between these two national flag carriers, this joint venture agreement, as a further milestone of the partnership expansion initiative, will certainly strengthen the commitment between the two carriers simultaneously, delivering a seamless and valuable flying experience to both our customers across the globe.”

He added, “The joint venture agreement is also a part of our effort to improve our company’s performance through our network strategy by optimising our network through partnership with our strategic airline partners, especially Singapore Airlines. With this initiative, both airlines agreed to further explore more advantages for both our customers, allowing them to enjoy various flight schedules with enhanced value services within the networks of Garuda Indonesia and Singapore Airlines.”

Meanwhile, Goh Choon Phong, chief executive officer at Singapore Airlines, said: “This joint venture will be a win-win arrangement that elevates the long-standing partnership between Garuda Indonesia and Singapore Airlines. It reflects our firm commitment to grow the aviation markets in Indonesia and Singapore, facilitating a greater level of business and people connections and promoting both countries as regional tourism destinations. Our customers will also enjoy even more benefits, including an improved level of network connectivity, enhanced travel convenience, and additional fare options.”

Malaysia – The global head of marketing of Malaysia Airlines, Waikuan Wong, will now have a more dedicated focus on the airline’s flagship airline business. Wong takes in a new role with the official position, Head of Airlines Global Marketing. The announcement was made via a LinkedIn post by Wong.

In the new role, she will be responsible for the direct channel commercial and overall marketing for Malaysia Airlines, Firefly, and Maswings of Malaysia Aviation Group’s businesses. 

Wong was previously the airline’s global head of marketing, where she handled its branding, strategic partnership, and overall digital commercial and revenue performance, amongst others.

Prior to joining Malaysia Airlines, Wong was also the senior vice president of group marketing at the leisure, travel and tourism company Themed Attractions Resorts & Hotels Sdn. Bhd. She also held the assistant VP of branding role at Maybank for about three years.

Wong will also be speaking at MARKETECH APAC’s upcoming ‘What’s NEXT 2023: Marketing in Asia Pacific’ conference, where she will be discussing about how CMOs build a ‘dream team’.

New Delhi, India – India’s flag carrier airline Air India has appointed Ronit Baugh as its new lead of corporate communications.  Baugh made the announcement through a public LinkedIn post on January 9. 

In his new role, Baugh will be bringing his experiences as a communications specialist in various sectors, as well as his expertise in devising communication strategies, driving campaigns, and leadership.

“It thrills me to be joining the global airline at a time when it stands on the cusp of transformational change. As a communicator, it is this story of what is, arguably, one of the most challenging turnarounds in aviation history, that I am most excited to tell,” the post read.

Prior to joining Air India, Baugh was head of corporate communications at airline Jet Airways. He also held the communications and public affairs lead for India at the Oxford University Press.

Air India has also previously appointed Campbell Wilson as its chief executive officer and managing director in May last year.

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – MHholidays, the tour operating arm of Malaysia Airlines, has launched a new product, “Trips and Tours”, an offering of a wide selection of activities, attractions, and experiences in addition to the existing flights and hotel packages.

The new product features more than 40,000 selections of travel experiences worldwide. These include trips, concerts, attractions, museums, and excursions across 1,000 international and domestic cities within and beyond the airline’s network. 

“Trips and Tours” is in support of the Malaysian government’s initiative of reviving domestic travel and tourism sectors. Through the government’s “Green Travel Bubble Initiative”, there are now over 100 new activities and attractions on offer across 12 domestic cities Malaysia Airlines flies to.

“The introduction of Trips and Tours further builds on MHholidays’ aim of making travel seamless by providing an all-in-one travel booking experience leveraging technology. Currently, MHholidays packages are only available for MH operated flights, and we are working towards expanding it to include Firefly codeshare flights in 2021. In line with our Fly Malaysia campaign, the MHholidays’ Trips and Tours highlights the amazing attractions we have across our nation while playing our part to support the revival of domestic tourism travel by curating safe, secure, and amazing experiences for all our customers,” said Malaysia Airlines’ Group Chief Marketing and Customer Experience Officer Lau Yin May.

The product is now on offer on the MHholidays’ official website or through Malaysia Airlines’ official mobile, available on download at the Google Play Store or at the App Store.

Manila, Philippines – Amid ongoing restrictions for COVID-19 travel,  Airline AirAsia in the Philippines has procured additional assistance for faster contract tracing, announcing its adoption of the Traze contact tracing app. 

The app is developed by the country’s Department of Transportation (DOTr) and will now be required for use among AirAsia passengers. 

“We laud this effort from the DOTr as it is aligned with AirAsia’s objective to continuously improve the layers of safety for the health and wellbeing of all guests and employees. We expect 100% compliance and cooperation from all our stakeholders to ensure the success of this contact tracing efforts,” stated AirAsia CEO Ricky Isla.

The implementation of the app use will start on November 28 this year, and requires users to secure installation of the app before entering airport premises.

Upon downloading the Traze app, users will register on the app as an ‘individual’. Upon entering needed information, the account is activated and a personal QR code is generated. This QR code is then used for scanning by airport authorities and other designated places. 

For users that don’t have mobile devices, they can secure their QR code by approaching the Malasakit Helpdesk at their respective airports. 

The recent move is in line with AirAsia’s stringent measures in making air travel secure in compliance with national and aviation travel restrictions.