Briefs

Royal Brunei Airlines (RB) has signed a pact with Beijing Longway International Travel Service for direct charter flights connecting Brunei to Xi’an, China.
RB will operate a weekly flight to and from Bandar Seri Begawan to Xi’an from January 21, 2017 to January 13, 2018.
The airline first commenced scheduled services to China with flights to Beijing in 1993, followed by Shanghai in 2002. Ever since, it has been operating flights between the countries to develop tourism to Brunei from the world’s largest market.
The announcement was made at a press conference in Xi’an, China on December 12. 
“We are delighted to partner with Beijing Longway for these flights from and to Xi’an to boost tourism traffic between Brunei and China,” Brett McDougall, RB’s executive general manager in sales and marketing, said. 
“Xi’an, a city in Central China most famous for having the largest mosque in China and for the Terracotta Warriors, will enhance RB’s route network and provide more choices to our customers,” McDougall added. — Borneo Bulletin

PCD expects at least
2,000 kip IPO issue price
Phousy Construction and Development Plc (PCD) signed a memorandum of understanding with Lanexang Securities to appoint them as lead-underwriter for its initial public offering (IPO). 
The agreement was signed by PCDs chairman of the board of directors, Sithong Phommachith and Lanexang Securities’ director general, Nalinh Silavongsith.
The signing ceremony took place in Vientiane last week in the presence |of representatives from the concerned sector. 
“The cost of the IPO will be defined precisely once the committee approves the company’s proposal with each share expected to trade for between 2,500-2,800 kip once listed,” Sithong said. 
With its capacity, standards and other qualifications, Sithong said PCD expected to raise at least 300 billion kip from this mobilisation. 
The mobilised funds will be used to purchase machinery and equipment for construction works and research and development purposes. The company will also use funds as turnover capital for construction works and the company’s business operations. –Vientiane Times

Garuda kicks off 
Jakarta-Mumbai flight
 Garuda Indonesia launched the Jakarta-Mumbai route on Monday as part of the national carrier’s strategy to strengthen air connectivity with India.
The new route is part of the airline’s overdue expansion plan to Asia, particularly to Mumbai, India. “We are optimistic Mumbai is a promising market for us,” Garuda Indonesia president director M Arif Wibowo said at a welcoming ceremony at Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport in Mumbai late on Monday. 
Garuda Indonesia will serve the Jakarta-Mumbai flight via Bangkok three times a week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. It will depart from Jakarta at 12.55pm and arrive in Mumbai at 8.30pm local time with a stopover in Bangkok.
Meanwhile, the flight from Mumbai will depart at 11.20pm local time and land in Jakarta at 10.05am. –The Jakarta Post

Bechtel conducts research on
Long Thanh Airport project
Leaders from Bechtel in the United States went to Vietnam’s southern province of Dong Nai on December 12 to research the Long Thanh International Airport mega-project.
Bechtel’s representatives said it would like to study the investment, construction and operation of the project besides the investment for developing economic zones nearby the airport.
Representatives of Dong Nai province said the Long Thanh airport is among Vietnam’s key projects and expects Bechtel, which has experience in planning, construction and operation of airports, to research and take part in the project’s investment, especially in consulting the development planning for economic zones nearby the airport.
Representatives of Dong Nai province said relevant authorities are organising a competition to choose designs for the Long Thanh International Airport and collect public feedback for the construction. After the process, auction for the project’s pre-feasible research will be conducted.
The project is due to break ground by 2019 and put the first phrase into operation by 2025. – Viet Nam News