ANSETT AUSTRALIA INAUGURATES NEW MELBOURNE SERVICE

Ansett Australia last night launched its inaugural non-stop service between Hong Kong and Melbourne, a route on which the award-winning airline will operate four Boeing 767-300 services weekly.

An official ceremony was held at the Chek Lap Kok airport last night, with Australian Consul General, Bill Tweddell, present to inaugurate the first flight, following the traditional Chinese pig carving ceremony.

General Manager Ansett International, Garry Kingshott, who was in Hong Kong for the launch, sees the introduction of the new service as an inevitable part of the international carrier’s expansion plans in the Asian region.

“The outbound market from Hong Kong is seeking a direct connection to the southern states of Australia, and it was logical to use Melbourne as the hub for oncarriage to Tasmania and South Australia,” Mr Kingshott said.

Jeff Naylor, Vice President - North Asia, added "the new service is expected to replicate the success of our introduction six years ago of the non stop Hong Kong-Sydney service, which now operates daily.

"With Ansett servicing the two commercial centres of Australia, Sydney and Melbourne, we expect this to be particularly attractive to business travellers," he said.

Non stop flights will depart Hong Kong on Wednesday, Friday and Saturday at 9.15pm, arriving in Melbourne the following day at 9.25am. Sunday’s departure time will be 6.35pm, arriving in Melbourne at 6.45am.

Ansett Australia has been serving Asia since 1993. The airline currently operates flights between Australia and four international destinations: Bali, Fiji, Hong Kong, and Osaka including daily flights between Hong Kong and Sydney. Ansett Australia is wholly owned by Air New Zealand.