Home Blog Page 6223

Cushman & Wakefield : Office Availability Rate to Rise and Rent to Drop Further throughout 2021

By
Laotian Times
-

Retail Market Rebounded with 30% Sales Increment in February

 

Highlights of Office Market:

  • Citywide rents down 24.4% from the last peak in 1Q 2019
  • Negative net absorption of 900,000 sq. ft.
  • Availability at record high of 14% since 2Q 2004
  • Forecast rents to decline further till the end of 2022

Highlights of Retail Market:

  • Local demand drove retail sales up by 30% Y-o-Y in February
  • Short-term leases improved high street occupancy
  • Rent adjustment will continue throughout 1H 2021
  • Forecast gradual recovery mainly driven by F&B sectors

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 12 April 2021 – While office and retail rental performance went in the same downward direction, retail sales picked up gradually from the already-bottomed baseline since 4Q 2020. Retail sales rose by 30% in February 2021, whereas office rental was driven down further by 17.6% in 1Q 2021 Y-o-Y as a result of the downsizing trend since 2020. Yet, the market has been active with large occupiers shopping around for more cost-effective office space as alternatives.

Table 1 – Hong Kong Office Rents Comparison

Table 2 – Rental Forecast till End of 2022

Table 3 – Retail Sales Comparison

Table 4 – Retail Rental Value Comparison

Source: Cushman & Wakefield Research

Office Market – Post-Pandemic Downsizing Trend Will Persist throughout 2021

With larger occupiers, mainly MNCs, surrendering office space throughout the pandemic period, overall office space availability rate reached 14% in 1Q 2021, a record-breaking high since 2Q 2004. Citywide rents down 24.4% from the last peak in Q1 2019, and Greater Central rental dropped by 29.1% from the last peak values recorded in 1Q 2019 (Table 1).

Negative net absorption in 1Q was up to a record high of 900,000 sq. ft. With volume of available space on the rise but demand currently mild and slow in picking up the pace, decline in overall office rental was the inevitable result. Rental decrease was the most severe in the Greater Central submarket with -21.4% Y-o-Y. Hong Kong South rental value dropped by 10.3% Y-o-Y in 1Q 2021, the lowest percentage drop among all submarkets.

Mr. Keith Hemshall, Cushman & Wakefield’s Executive Director & Head of Office Services, Hong Kong, commented, “Although we see positive sentiment in Hong Kong building up gradually with vaccination in place, occupiers remained cautious and are still in the process of shopping for more cost-effective office options with favourable lease terms. We expect this downsizing process will continue for a few more quarters, thus driving availability rate further upward till end of 2022. Yet, we are glad that we rarely come across occupiers who are forfeiting the Hong Kong market for good. They are mainly driven by more stringent cost-cut measures as a result of the pandemic turmoil.”

Office space being surrendered amounted to 724,000 sq. ft. in Q1 2021 was mainly come from MNCs across the sectors of Consumer Products, Manufacturing & Sourcing (34%), Banking and Finance (23%) and Professional Services & Real Estate (21%). Three notable cases include VF Regional, DBS and IPG Mediabrands.

Mr. John Siu, Cushman & Wakefield’s Managing Director, Hong Kong, commented, “With record high negative net absorption, any new supply coming up in the market is likely to drive further rental decline. The nine projects in three non-core submarkets totalling 4.2 million sq. ft. due for completion in 2022 will probably attract pre-commitments later this year from large occupiers who are looking for cost effective alternatives for consolidation. Looking forward, we expect office rents will continue to adjust downward until the end of 2022 (Table 2).”

Retail Market – Gradual Recovery in 2021 Driven by Local Demand

With minimal leisure and business travellers’ influx in 1Q 2021, local retail consumption has facilitated mild sales recovery. 30% Y-o-Y retail sales increment was recorded in February 2021 mainly driven by Jewellery & Watches (114.1%) and Fashion & Accessories (89.4%) sectors. The encouraging growth was mainly driven by low-baseline effect, the festive season in February and the increase in purchasing services for overseas’ buyers (Table 3).

Retail space occupancy level also gradually improved in 1Q with landlords taking up more short-term leases after an extended vacant period. Yet, these short-term leases did not help halt rental decline. Rent declined by 35% Y-o-Y in Causeway Bay and 30.5% Y-o-Y in Central in 1Q 2021. All key retail districts experienced double digit rental drop as compared to the same period last year (Table 4).

Mr. Kevin Lam, Cushman & Wakefield’s Executive Director, Head of Retail Services, Hong Kong, said, “Despite the prolonged pandemic challenges, the new F&B food hall trend took off nicely and attracted quite some attention over the past six months. Local sentiment has become more positive with vaccination in place and strategic promotions by shopping mall landlords and retailers. Looking ahead, we expect retail rental will stabilize for the rest of the year and have a mild increment thereafter.”

Online purchase has become an acute trend during the pandemic with 91.3% and 56.5% yearly growth in January and February respectively. Online retail sales of HKD4.17 billion was recorded in the first two months of 1Q 2021.

Please click HERE to download the event photo and PowerPoint.

Photo Caption

From Left to Right: Mr Kevin Lam, Cushman & Wakefield’s Executive Director, Head of Retail Services, Hong Kong, Mr John Siu, Cushman & Wakefield’s Managing Director, Hong Kong and Mr Keith Hemshall, Cushman & Wakefield’s Executive Director, Head of Office Services, Hong Kong

About Cushman & Wakefield

Cushman & Wakefield (NYSE: CWK) is a leading global real estate services firm that delivers exceptional value for real estate occupiers and owners. Cushman & Wakefield is among the largest real estate services firms with approximately 50,000 employees in over 400 offices and 60 countries. Across Greater China, 22 offices are servicing the local market. The company won four of the top awards in the Euromoney Survey 2017, 2018 and 2020 in the categories of Overall, Agency Letting/Sales, Valuation and Research in China. In 2020, the firm had revenue of $7.8 billion across core services of property, facilities and project management, leasing, capital markets, valuation and other services. To learn more, visit www.cushmanwakefield.com.hk or follow us on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/company/cushman-&-wakefield-greater-china).

Binance Launches Stock Tokens with German-Swiss CM-Equity AG and Digital Asset AG

By
Laotian Times
-

MUNICH, GERMANY – EQS Newswire – 12 April 2021 – Binance, the global blockchain company behind the world’s largest digital asset exchange, today announces the launch of zero commission tradable stock tokens to broaden access across traditional capital and cryptocurrency in cooperation with CM-Equity AG, a licensed investment firm in Germany, and Swiss-based Digital Assets AG, an asset tokenization platform. Each digital token represents one share of equity stock and is fully backed by a depository portfolio of underlying securities that represents the outstanding tokens. Users will be able to trade fractional tokens.

The first stock tokens announced will be of Tesla, the largest automaker by market capitalization, and their minimum trade size is one-hundredth of a stock token, representing the same fraction of a Tesla share. Stock tokens are priced and settled in Binance USD (“BUSD”), a regulated stablecoin pegged to the U.S. dollar and issued by Paxos Trust Company.

Stock tokens enable greater financial participation by fractionalizing a highly sought-after asset class of publicly-tradable equities into more affordable units. Holders of stock tokens qualify for capital returns on the underlying equity, including potential dividends and stock splits, as they would from holding traditional shares.

Binance users who are knowledgeable about crypto’s fractional properties can now diversify into equity assets using a digital currency and platform they are familiar with. Conventional investors can access equities in smaller quantities as well as gain exposure to the fast-growing crypto market through the largest and most liquid digital asset exchange. In Q1 2021 Binance recorded growth of 260% and 346% in traded volume and users respectively, while the total market value of cryptocurrencies recently surpassed $2 trillion, indicating accelerated adoption.

“Binance serves many users around the world and we are very pleased to be able to help them participate in the equity market. Stock tokens demonstrate how we can democratize value transfer more seamlessly, reduce friction and costs to accessibility, without compromising on compliance or security. Through connecting traditional and crypto markets, we are building another technological bridge for a more inclusive financial future,” said Changpeng “CZ” Zhao, CEO of Binance.

“We are a team of people-focused entrepreneurs, capital market specialists, software engineers and financial regulatory experts. Our combined expertise is behind the launch of our stock tokens. CM-Equity AG and Digital Assets AG, as the engineers of the product, are pleased to pioneer an innovative experience on the Binance platform. This new kind of token combines different asset classes that are offered in one single marketplace for instant settlement in a compliant, scalable and sound format.” said Michael Kott, CEO of CM-Equity AG.

Binance will continue to respond to market demand in listing more stock tokens and features. Trading of stock tokens will follow traditional exchange hours, and is not available for residents in the U.S., mainland China, Turkey, and other restricted jurisdictions. Interested traders will be required to pass Know-Your-Customer and other relevant compliance measures.

File: Binance press release picture

About Binance Exchange

Binance is the world’s leading blockchain and cryptocurrency infrastructure provider with a financial product suite that includes the largest digital asset exchange by volume. Trusted by millions worldwide, the Binance platform is dedicated to increasing the freedom of money for users, and features an unmatched portfolio of crypto products and offerings, including: trading and finance, education, data and research, social good, investment and incubation, decentralization and infrastructure solutions, and more. For more information, visit: https://www.binance.com.

About CM-Equity

CM-Equity AG is a Germany based investment firm with multiple financial service licenses. The company offers Fintechs and Digital Asset Exchanges a regulatory compliant licence roof with an API-driven scalable infrastructure framework. The firm itself is a pioneer in digital asset management & brokerage and is trusted partner of the leading companies in Digital Asset World. For more information, visit: https://cm-equity.de/en/

About Digital Assets AG

Swiss based Digital Assets AG (www.digitalassets.ag) is the leading boutique firm focused on the design, structuring and the issuance of tokenized financial products. Digital Assets AG drives innovation in capital markets and builds bridges in between TradFi and DeFi with its partners such as FTX, Alameda, Bittrex and many others.

One New Case of Covid-19 Confirmed in Laos

By
Laotian Times
-
Laotian Times Covid-19 Update

The National Taskforce for Covid-19 Prevention and Control announced today that Laos has confirmed one new case of Covid-19.

Continue

AXA launches “Free Double Post-Vaccination Protection” Programme

By
Laotian Times
-
  • Eligible customers can enjoy additional hospital cash benefit against AEFI
  • No prior registration required and free protection up to HKD20,000

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach – 12 April 2021 – AXA Hong Kong and Macau (“AXA”) launches the “Free Double Post-Vaccination Protection” Programme (“Programme”) to provide free protection to customers against adverse event following immunisation (“AEFI”). From 1 April to 30 June 2021, eligible customers[1] will be offered additional hospital cash benefit with no prior registration required. This Programme applies to all COVID-19 vaccines approved by local health authorities in Hong Kong or Macau.

The hospital cash benefit of the Programme:

  • A one-off hospital cash benefit of HKD2,000 per day (confined in intensive care unit) and/ or HKD1,000 per day (confined in non-intensive care unit) for up to 10 days[2] will be payable to eligible customer who is confined in a hospital as a result of an AEFI within 14 days after receiving COVID-19 vaccines in Hong Kong or Macau.

At AXA, our Purpose is to “Act for human progress by protecting what matters”. Since early last year, we have been taking the lead in launching a series of intiaitves to support our customers and the community amid the pandemic, such as the first-in-market “Post-Vaccination Protection” Programme, being the first insurer to make “Benefits for Hospital Income (COVID-19)” a standard policy provision for Employee Benefits customers, the launch of the “Protect the Frontline” Programme and the “Support the SME” Programme.

We also understand the importance of maintaining a positive attitude during the unpredictable pandemic situation. Thus we launched “AXA BetterMe”, a holistic wellness platform for body and mind, last year to elevate the physical and mental health of our community and help everyone become a BetterMe. With this newly added “Free Double Post-Vaccination Protection” Programme, we hope to reassure our customers that AXA will always be their strong partner to protect them for a better future.

To learn more about the Programme, please contact AXA Customer Service Hotline (852) 2894 4679 (Hong Kong) / (853) 8799 3778 (Macau) during office hours (9am – 5pm, Monday to Friday), or visit www.axa.com.hk/en/axa-novel-coronavirus-outbreak.

Terms and Conditions apply. The above information is for reference only, please refer to the relevant Terms and Conditions for details.

[1] Eligible customers refer to all persons aged 65 or below who are either (a) insured under life and/or health insurance policies issued by AXA; and/or (b) members and their dependents who are insured under AXA employee benefits health insurance policies issued by AXA; who have received eligilble vaccines in Hong Kong or Macau between 1 April to 30 June 2021, both dates inclusive. For more details, please refer to the terms and conditions of the programme.

[2] If the confinement is more than 10 days and both ICU and non-ICU confinements are involved, the calculation of the amount of Hospital Cash Benefit payable will follow the sequence of confinement.

About AXA Hong Kong and Macau

AXA Hong Kong and Macau is a member of the AXA Group, a leading global insurer with presence in 54 markets and serving 105 million customers worldwide. Our purpose is to act for human progress by protecting what matters.

As one of the most diversified insurers offering integrated solutions across Life, Health and General Insurance, our goal is to be the insurance and holistic wellness partner to the individuals, businesses and community we serve.

At the core of our service commitment is continuous product innovation and customer experience enrichment, which is achieved through actively listening to our customers and leveraging technology and digital transformation.

We embrace our responsibility to be a force for good to create shared value for our community. We are proud to be the first insurer in Hong Kong and Macau to address the important need of mental health through different products and services. For example, the Mind Charger function on our holistic wellness platform “AXA BetterMe”, which is available via our mobile app Emma by AXA, is open to not just our customers, but the community at large. We will continue to foster social progress through our product offerings and community investment to support the sustainable development of Hong Kong and Macau.

THIS PRESS RELEASE IS AVAILABLE ON AXA’S WEBSITE: AXA.COM.HK

IMPORTANT LEGAL INFORMATION AND CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS CONCERNING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements contained herein may be forward-looking statements including, but not limited to, statements that are predictions of or indicate future events, trends, plans or objectives. Undue reliance should not be placed on such statements because, by their nature, they are subject to known and unknown risks and uncertainties and can be affected by other factors that could cause AXA’s actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in the forward-looking statements. Please refer to Part 4 – “Risk factors and risk management” of AXA’s Universal Registration Document for the year ended December 31, 2019, for a description of certain important factors, risks and uncertainties that may affect AXA’s business, and/or results of operations. AXA undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any of these forward-looking statements, whether to reflect new information, future events or circumstances or otherwise, except as part of applicable regulatory or legal obligations.

Strongest first quarter ever: Preliminary results of Deutsche Post DHL Group above market expectations

By
Laotian Times
-

  • All divisions significantly increased EBIT in first quarter 2021; Group EBIT tripled to around EUR 1.9 billion
  • Free cash flow development continued positive trajectory and improved by more than EUR 1.4 billion to around EUR 1.0 billion
  • CEO Frank Appel: “The start into the new financial year was more dynamic than ever”


SINGAPORE – Media OutReach – 12 April 2021 – Deutsche Post DHL Group has today released preliminary results for the first quarter of 2021 and has raised the outlook for the current financial year. Preliminary operating profit (EBIT) for the first three months improved to around EUR 1.9 billion (Q1 2020: EUR 592 million). The positive development of the group’s businesses seen in the fourth quarter 2020 has continued well through the first quarter 2021. In the first three months of the year the B2C shipment volumes remained high in all networks while the recovery in the B2B business continued.

“The start to the new financial year was more dynamic than ever. It proves that we have successfully geared our business to the right growth drivers. One year into the pandemic we experienced in the first quarter 2021 a sustained momentum in e-commerce and a significant stabilization in global trade with increasing air- and sea-freight volumes. Consequently all divisions reported a significant jump in earnings above market expectations. Global trade continues to recover and vaccine distribution is in full swing which makes me very optimistic for the rest of 2021 and beyond,” said Frank Appel, CEO of Deutsche Post DHL Group.

All divisions optimally positioned for continuing e-commerce boom and growth in global trade

Express: The division reached an EBIT of around EUR 955 million in the first quarter 2021 compared to EUR 393 million in Q1 2020.

Global Forwarding, Freight: EBIT in Global Forwarding, Freight stood at around EUR 215 million in Q1 2021, clearly above previous year’s Q1 of EUR 73 million.

Supply Chain: EBIT at Supply Chain came in at around EUR 165 million in the first quarter 2021 compared to EUR 105 million in Q1 2020.

eCommerce Solutions: eCommerce Solutions recorded a first quarter 2021 EBIT of around EUR 115 million, clearly above last year’s Q1 result of EUR 6 million.

Post & Parcel Germany: EBIT in Post & Parcel Germany in Q1 2021 was around EUR 555 million (Q1 2020: EUR 334 million).

Earnings momentum mirrored in positive cash flow development and improved outlook


The continued positive business development is underpinned by a strong cash flow development; free cash flow amounted to around EUR 1.0 billion in the first quarter 2021. In Q1 2020 this figure was still negative at EUR -409 million.

In light of the strong earnings momentum, guidance for 2021 is adjusted as follows:

Group EBIT for 2021 is now expected to be significantly above EUR 5.6 billion (previous forecast: more than EUR 5.6 billion). Equally, the result for the DHL divisions is now seen significantly above EUR 4.5 billion (previous forecast: more than EUR 4.5 billion). EBIT for the Post & Parcel Germany division is no longer expected at around EUR 1.6 billion but above EUR 1.6 billion. The expectation of a Group Functions EBIT of around EUR -0.4 billion remains unchanged. Full year 2021 Free Cash Flow is now expected to be significantly above EUR 2.3 billion (previous forecast: around EUR 2.3 billion).

The Group will introduce a revised detailed guidance with the comprehensive disclosure for Q1 2021 which will be published as planned on May 5, 2021.

Deutsche Post DHL Group

Deutsche Post DHL Group is the world’s leading logistic company. The Group connects people and markets and is an enabler of global trade. It aspires to be the first choice for customers, employees and investors worldwide. To this end, Deutsche Post DHL Group is focusing on growth in its profitable core logistics businesses and accelerating the digital transformation in all business divisions. The Group contributes to the world through sustainable business practices, corporate citizenship and environmental activities. By the year 2050, Deutsche Post DHL Group aims to achieve zero emissions logistics.

Deutsche Post DHL Group is home to two strong brands: DHL offers a comprehensive range of parcel and international express service, freight transport, and supply chain management services, as well as e-commerce logistics solutions. Deutsche Post is Europe’s leading postal and parcel service provider. Deutsche Post DHL Group employs approximately 570,000 people in over 220 countries and territories worldwide. The Group generated revenues of more than 66 billion Euros in 2020.

The logistics company for the world.

Fluxergy, Inc. Receives CE-IVD Marking for a One-Hour COVID-19 RT-PCR Test and Positions for European Market Entry

By
Laotian Times
-

IRVINE, CA. – News Aktuell – 12 April 2021 – Fluxergy, Inc., a medical diagnostic testing platform company with a detection technology solution capable of multimodality, announced today that it has obtained CE marking for its one-hour COVID-19 RT-PCR test, to use by healthcare professionals as an in vitro diagnostic (IVD) for the detection of SARS-CoV-2. The CE-mark will allow Fluxergy’s innovative testing platform to enter the European Union market and any other markets that accept CE-marking as valid regulatory approval.

The Fluxergy Diagnostic System: The Fluxergy Analyzer, which conducts the testing; the Fluxergy Card, a single-use test cartridge and its reagents; and the FluxergyWorks software, to manage the test data. The Fluxergy Test Kit COVID-19 is only available for purchase in the European Union market and any other markets that accept the CE-marking as valid regulatory approval. COURTESY: FLUXERGY, INC.

Fluxergy’s platform is an automated, sample-to-answer testing platform with multimodal capability allowing for a variety of assay types, such as molecular, immunochemistry, chemistry, and cytometry assays, to be run simultaneously on the same cartridge. This will give users the ability to run unique Point-of-Care (PoC) panels with the potential ability to do built-in reflex testing, among other capabilities. Potential environments for rapid testing applications include emergency rooms, outpatient procedures, urgent care, workplace screening, mobile and community level testing settings.

Fluxergy has made its platform available as Research Use Only (RUO) system for its partners, including University of California San Diego (San Diego, CA, USA) and Mass General Brigham (Boston, MA, USA), during the public health emergency. In December 2020, Fluxergy received dual ISO-13485:2016 and MDSAP certifications.

Last year, Fluxergy received a $30 million investment from John Tu, principal investor and Kingston Technology co-founder, to rapidly expand its capability to scale production of the Fluxergy Analyzer diagnostic testing system in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Fluxergy has now expanded manufacturing capabilities for its testing system to up to one million per month.

“Fluxergy is seeking commercial partnerships with healthcare providers and international go-to-market partners in Europe, Asia, and Australia”, states Fluxergy’s Chief Commercial Officer, Dr. Ali Tinazli, responsible for global sales.

Fluxergy’s potential for multimodality of its platform raises important questions: How will decentralized testing at the point-of-need become a key enabler for telemedicine? What platforms, technologies, and workflows do we need to be better prepared for the next pandemic? To what extent does telemedicine with the diagnostic data unlock new healthcare opportunities such as in preventive medicine?

For more information, contact Richard Laermer (+1-212-741-5106 X216; fluxergy@RLMpr.com) and visit www.fluxergy.com.

Disclaimer

The Fluxergy Test Kit COVID-19 is only available for purchase in the European Union market and any other markets that accept the CE-marking as valid regulatory approval.

Vientiane Capital Issues Eight Rules for Lao New Year Celebrations

By
Laotian Times
-
Laos Issues Eight Regulations for Lao New Year

Authorities in Vientiane Capital have issued eight rules for residents to follow during the Lao New Year period.

Continue

Qatar Airways Launches Ferry Transfer Service from Shenzhen Shekou to Hong Kong International Airport

By
Laotian Times
-

Qatar Airways introduces Upstream Check-in Service in Shenzhen starting from 15 April 2021 to offer greater connectivity in the Greater Bay Area

Local passengers will have the option to utilise the 30-minutes-long ferry service to fly out of Hong Kong; “Asia’s World City” to over 80 destinations in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas


SHENZHEN & HONG KONG SAR, CHINA – Media OutReach – 12 April 2021 – Qatar Airways today announced the sea-to-air ferry transfer service from Shenzhen Shekou Port to the SkyPier in the airside of Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) starting from 15 April 2021, providing passengers in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA), one of the world’s most dynamic mega-regions, convenient access to the airline’s global network from “Asia’s World City”.

Partnering with Airport Authority Hong Kong, the introduction of the Upstream Check-in Service will allow Qatar Airways customers in Shenzhen greater flexibility and enhanced travel options to the world from Hong Kong, where the airline operates daily direct service to Doha with its modern and fuel-efficient Airbus A350-900 aircraft that features 36 lie-flat seats in Business Class and 247 seats in Economy Class.

Qatar Airways customers can purchase their ferry tickets from SkyLink or the port’s website. Passengers utilising the 30-minutes-long ferry service will be provided with boarding passes and baggage check-through service to their final destinations at the Shenzhen Shekou terminal, where they will also clear their customs and immigration. Upon arrival at SkyPier, customers can proceed directly to their Qatar Airways boarding gate, or enjoy the award-winning duty-free shopping experience and fine-dining options at HKIA before continuing a seamless and hassle-free onward journey with the airline to more than 80 destinations in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and the Americas.

Mr. Thomas Scruby, Qatar Airways Vice President of Sales for Australasia & North Asia, said: “The introduction of ferry transfer service will boost our footprint in the Greater Bay Area by providing our Southern Chinese customers more flexible flying options via HKIA. We know connectivity within the region and to the wider world is critical for the success of the GBA. Therefore, we are excited to do our part to build the infrastructure necessary to make it easier and smoother for local customers to travel despite the disruption caused by the pandemic around the world.”

“We are confident in the market’s demand and our commitment to the region remains resolute. The next phase of our partnership with Airport Authority Hong Kong will see the ferry transfer service to be further expanded to other key GBA metropolis such as Macau and Dongguan once government restrictions are lifted, allowing even more customers in the region to enjoy the world-class experience that Qatar Airways has to offer.”

Premium customers opting for the ferry transfer service can continue to enjoy the luxurious on-ground experience at the Plaza Premium Lounge, conveniently located near Gate 1 at the South Departures Hall in Hong Kong International Airport. Passengers will be able to take advantage of the well-furnished environment with comfortable seating, shower rooms, contactless food ordering service, highspeed Wi-Fi and international TV channels. Privilege Club Gold members and above as well as selected oneworld frequent flyers also enjoy access to The Wing located near Gates 1 – 4, the industry-renowned lounge operated by Cathay Pacific, where guests can recharge, relax, and catch up with work before boarding their Qatar Airways flights.

The Greater Bay area is home to many of the nation’s leading universities and academic institutions; the ferry transfer service will also provide more travel choices to the area’s students wishing to complete their higher-education or exchange programs abroad. International students will be able to enroll in Qatar Airways Student Club and enjoy a wide range of benefits throughout their educational journey, such as special fares, extra baggage allowances, the flexibility to change the dates of their flight, complimentary Super Wi-Fi onboard, and more. For information about Student Club, visit: https://www.qatarairways.com/en/student-club.html

In addition to the highest safety standards, passengers flying with Qatar Airways will enjoy an even greater range of thoughtfully designed onboard experiences, including locally inspired menus, multi-language entertainment programs within the airline’s award-winning IFE system, as well as Cantonese and Mandarin-speaking staff service both onboard and at the airline’s five-star hub Hamad International Airport (HIA).

Qatar Airways continues to expand its network of destinations, offering more flights to international destinations than any other airline. By the middle of summer 2021, Qatar Airways’ plans to rebuild its network to more than 140 destinations including 23 in Africa, 14 in the Americas, 43 in Asia-Pacific, 43 in Europe and 19 in Middle East. Many cities will be served with a strong schedule with daily or more frequencies.

Qatar Airways has become the first global airline in the world to achieve the prestigious 5-Star COVID-19 Airline Safety Rating by international air transport rating organisation, Skytrax. This follows HIA’s recent success as the first airport in the Middle East and Asia to be awarded a Skytrax 5-Star COVID-19 Airport Safety Rating. These recognitions provide assurance to passengers across the world that airline health and safety standards are subject to the highest possible standards of professional, independent scrutiny and assessment. For full details of all the measures that have been implemented onboard and in HIA, please visit qatarairways.com/safety.

A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was named ‘World’s Best Airline’ by the 2019 World Airline Awards, managed by the international air transport rating organisation Skytrax. It was also named ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’, ‘World’s Best Business Class’, and ‘Best Business Class Seat’, in recognition of its ground-breaking Business Class experience, Qsuite. Qsuite is available on flights to more than 45 destinations including Johannesburg, Frankfurt, New York and Singapore.

About Qatar Airways:

A multiple award-winning airline, Qatar Airways was named ‘World’s Best Airline’ by the 2019 World Airline Awards, managed by international air transport rating organisation Skytrax. It was also named ‘Best Airline in the Middle East’, ‘World’s Best Business Class’ and ‘Best Business Class Seat’, in recognition of its ground-breaking Business Class experience, Qsuite. Qatar Airways is the only airline to have been awarded the coveted “Skytrax Airline of the Year” title, which is recognised as the pinnacle of excellence in the airline industry, five times.

Hamad International Airport (HIA), the airline’s home and hub, was recently ranked “Third Best Airport in the World”, among 550 airports worldwide, by the SKYTRAX World Airport Awards 2020. Rising from fourth position in 2019 to third in 2020, HIA has been steadily rising in the ‘World’s Best Airports’ rankings since the start of its operations in 2014. In addition, HIA was voted the ‘Best Airport in the Middle East’ for the sixth year in a row and ‘Best Staff Service in the Middle East’ for the fifth year in a row.

Qsuite, a patented Qatar Airways product, features the industry’s first-ever double bed in Business Class, as well as privacy panels that stow away, allowing passengers in adjoining seats to create their own private room, a first of its kind in the industry.

Qatar Airways was the first Gulf carrier to join global airline alliance oneworld, enabling its passengers to benefit from more than 1,000 airports in more than 160 countries, with 14,250 daily departures.

Oryx One, Qatar Airways’ in-flight entertainment system offers passengers up to 4,000 entertainment options from the latest blockbuster movies, TV box sets, music, games and much more. Passengers flying on Qatar Airways flights served by its B787, B777, A350, A380, A319 and select A320 and A330 aircraft can also stay in touch with their friends and family around the world by using the award-winning airline’s on-board Wi-Fi and GSM service.

Qatar Airways proudly supports a range of exciting international and local initiatives dedicated to enriching the global community that it serves. Qatar Airways, the official FIFA partner, is the official sponsor of many top-level sporting events, including the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM, reflecting the values of sports as a means of bringing people together, something at the core of the airline’s own brand message – Going Places Together.

Qatar Airways Cargo, one of the world’s leading international air cargo carriers, serves more than 60 freighter destinations worldwide via its world-class Doha hub and also delivers freight in the belly-hold of passenger aircraft to an extensive global network. The Qatar Airways Cargo fleet includes two Boeing 747-8 freighters and 24 Boeing 777 freighters.

Qatar Executive is the private jet charter division of Qatar Airways Group. Luxury jet services are available for worldwide charter on board the operator’s wholly-owned business jet fleet. Qatar Executive is the launch customer for Gulfstream’s G700, the world’s first commercial service operator of the Gulfstream G500 and largest commercial operator of the G650ER worldwide. Qatar Executive’s service portfolio also includes aircraft management, maintenance and Fixed Based Operator services.

1...6,2226,2236,224...6,660Page 6,223 of 6,660