Alii Palau Airlines, the new airline company set to provide direct flights from Singapore to Palau, will be targeting high-end customers from Singapore, Asia, Europe, and the Americas, according to their CFO Akansksha Johri, aka “AJ,” who is in Palau this week with directors and Chief Operating Officer Navin Shrestha of the airline company.
The company announced plans to commence flights to Palau this summer, but CFO AJ said the schedule had been pushed to September.
“We initially were going to use Myanmar Airlines, but due to sanctions against Myanmar, we felt it was not right to use the airline, so we are going to use a different airline,” said CFO “AJ” Johri. The aircraft to be employed is an A319, a luxury jet with 32 business class seats and 18 economy seats.
The aircraft is said to be uniquely positioned, capable of 9 hours of non-stop flight. This added Johri, will allow for future expansion to Korea and Japan.
Meanwhile, the airline has received a license to fly twice a week, but they are awaiting the scheduling of slots on the Palau and Singapore sides.
“We evaluate a destination, how they are doing, how they cater to environmentally conscious customers, development, safety and quality of service, and Palau has all of that,” Johri said of their evaluation of Palau as a destination.
“Palau offers a very niche destination,” said Johri, which does not compromise the quality of service. “We don’t think Palau will let Singaporeans down.”
The Alii Palau Airlines business model also leverages the high quality of Singapore Changi Airport as a positive tool for attracting customers from destinations such as Europe, the Middle East, and America to Palau via Singapore Changi Airport. “Customers flying prefer fewer stops, and if it was any other airport, customers might not come, but if they transit through Changi airport, they will not object to it due to the beauty, ease, safety, and quality of the Changi Airport.
The Alii Palau Airline CEO Navin Shrestha will be based in their Palau, Yuns Tours, located at Palasia Hotel, basement level.