Mr. Li Dian Chun, CEO of Hong Kong Airlines accepting a token from Mr. Karam Chand, CEO of Royal Brunei Airlines

Mr. Tokuro Ambe, The First Secretary of Economics from the Embassy of Japan in Brunei Darussalam, Her Excellency Ms. Noriko Iki, Japanese Ambassador to Brunei Darussalam, Mr. Li Dian Chun, CEO of Hong Kong Airlines, Mr. Karam Chand, CEO of Royal Brunei Airlines, Mr Fu Fengsha, Charge’d Affairs of China Embassy and Dayah Hjh Airah Hj Abdullah, Director of Transport, Ministry of Communications

I’m kinda excited that Royal Brunei Airlines have a codeshare agreement with Hong Kong Airlines and this is one of the first of many connecting flights that will be favourable for both parties. This afternoon, Hong Kong Airlines and Royal Brunei Airlines signed on the dotted line where Hong Kong Airlines will be used connect flights exiting Hong Kong from in-coming flight from Brunei Darussalam.

So the first city outside Hong Kong that will be utlizing the codeshare will be Tokyo. Woohoo!! It is still not operating just yet and ti will be launched sometime in November but pre-sale will begin early September. So under the agreement, Hong Kong Airlines “HX” code will be placed on RB daily flights between HK and BSB.

Here’s the flight itinerary to Tokyo via HK.

BWN to HKG – Flight No. HX 1635/BI365 Departure 10:30am Arrival 13:35pm

HKG to Tokyo – HX 610/BI3403 Departure 15:30pm Arrival 20:55pm

Tokyo to HKG – HX611/BI3404 Departure 9:30am Arrival 13:30pm

HKG to BSB – HX610/BI3403 Departure 15:30pm Arrival 20:55pm

So far this is a pretty reasonable connection. With Hong Kong being an international hub, it does make economical sense to have connecting flights to other parts of Asia especially Japan. I traveled earlier this year to Taipei via HK. So hopefully there will be more connecting flights under Hong Kong Airlines which will be in the future stages.

Mr. Li Dian Chun, CEO of Hong Kong Airlines, said that, “The commencement of our codeshare partnership with RB is great news for the passengers of both airlines. It’s a win-win situation for both parties. This will give more choices for the passengers for traveling within Asia.”

He added that the influx of foreigners to HK has increased year by year and this will be a good opportunity for them to also flight to Brunei to experience a city with a beautiful culture.

Mr. Karam Chand, CEO of RB, shared that this is an important collaboration with Hong Kong Airlines as a codeshare partner. He believe that there is a great demand for passengers heading to Japan especially Tokyo. Passengers will benefit from this codeshare flight with better networks and of course, choices for passengers.

Good job for RB on making this possible and let’s hope for some good promotion along the way to lure in more passengers.

Mr. Li Dian Chun, CEO of Hong Kong Airlines is excited with the collaboration with RB

Mr. Karam Chand, CEO of RB speaking to the press

Mr. Li Dian Chun speaking to the press

The first official codeshare trip will be in November 2016

My last trip to HK was in March. Now with more routes through codeshare, who knows I will frequent HK more

 

Check the interview by Aljazeera’s The Stream on the Royal Brunei’s women pilot.

Captain Shari’ah Czarena, Senior First Officer Dk Nadiah and Senior First Officer Sariana being featured on Aljazeera’s The Stream two nights ago

What a milestone for our female pilots from Royal Brunei Airlines! They have already made headlines through social media and worldwide news after the viral picture of the Captain Shari’ah Czarena, Senior First Officer Dk Nadiah and Senior First Officer Sariana in the flight deck operating a Royal Brunei flight from Brunei to Jeddah during the Brunei National Day.

The image itself have reach to the masses and the millions because it’s such as a rare feat in other countries to have women pilots. The irony also came when the female pilots flew to Jeddah where the country doesn’t permit women to drive on the road.

The comments have been very positive and this is a good image and reputation for Royal Brunei Airlines to be acknowledged and also making an impact globally that yes, women should be given the opportunity to take the role as pilots.

According to statistics, the female commercial pilots are only made up of 5% worldwide. That’s pretty low.

It was awesome to know that the Brunei female pilots were given the platform at Aljeezra’s The Stream to share their experiences and also inspire others that there are opportunities to be like them.

I set my alarm for the 2am segment but it was delayed until 3:30am but it was worth the wake. It must be a surreal feeling for all of them to be featured on an international news on The Stream #AJStream and the comments have been commendable and positive.

Good job also to the hosts of the segment from The Stream – Femi Oke and Malika Bilal. Let’s not forget to mention Azhani Abu Daniel, Head of Corporate Communications of Royal Brunei, who made the shot featured on the Royal Brunei’s Facebook page and also currently in London, organizing the interview sessions for the trio.

Girl power

Captain Czarena

Some of her personal shots being featured

The other female pilots being interviewed

Loving the host for The Stream

Azhani Abu Daniel (2nd from right) with the famous trio

 

Students from KB being educated on activities during the Science Week at KBSentral

Something to look forward to Sentral Shopping Centre (KBSentral) as they are having science week which features mini interactive exhibits from the Oil and Gas Discovery Centre such as Finger Tingler, Link and Unlink, T or Tree, Balancing Nails, Jacobs Ladder and Einstein Head.

There will be some science demonstration as well today at KBSentral. It’s good to see so many activities happening at KBSentral. Keep it up!! You can follow their Facebook for updates.

It was also good to know that all eight of KBSentral eateries have been given Grade A for their cleanliness. The award was given last week from the Kuala Belait and Seria Municipal Board. I have to say that it’s never an easy feat to achieve Grade A status. Kudos to the eateries and also to the management of KBSentral for maintaining the cleanliness and standards.

Many reasons to shop at KBSentral. 3 cars and 1 house to be won.

 

Download SnapFeed app on your smartphones and check out the latest deals in Brunei and also get rewarded from respective merchants such as BurgerKing, KFC and Sushi Tei to name a few and also check out the new movie listings as well.

 

His Majesty Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu’izzaddin Waddaulah, the Sultan and Yang Di-Pertuan of Brunei Darussalam (3rd R) speaking with Captain Sharifah Czarena Surainy Syed Hashim (L), as former Deputy Chairman of Royal Brunei Dermot Mannion (2nd L) and Deputy Chief Operating Officer Captain Khalidkhan Hj Asmakhan (2nd R) look. It was His Majesty’s visit to the newly refurbished Brunei International Airport last year. Image courtesy of Zaim Kasmat of The Brunei Times.

Mr. Dermot Mannion have served in Royal Brunei Airlines for 5 years and he has definitely shifted the play field of Royal Brunei Airlines through restructuring and rebranding. It’s sad to know that he won’t be continuing his journey in Royal Brunei Airlines. Image courtesy of breakingnewstravel.com

After five years of service as Deputy Chairman of Royal Brunei Airlines (RB), Mr. Dermot Mannion has announced he will shortly depart from Brunei, on completion of his term of office. The Board of RB has expressed gratitude to Mr. Mannion for his service and in particular, has commended the successful completion of the restructuring and rebranding of RB in recent years.

Mr. Mannion will now be succeeded in the capacity of CEO by Mr. Karam Chand who was previously Chief Commercial and Planning Officer at RB. Mr. Chand holds an MSc in Air Transport Management from Cranfield University and has over twenty years’ experience at various flag carrier airlines and Virgin Australia.

Stated Mr. Mannion: ‘I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the Board and to our staff for their loyalty and support during my tenure at RB. I would also like to congratulate Karam on his appointment and I extend my sincere best wishes to him and to RB for the future.’

Mr Chand stated “I am honoured and humbled by the appointment and for the trust and faith the Board has placed in me. We have tremendous opportunities ahead of us and with the strong legacy left by Dermot we are in a good position to fly the flag higher. I am grateful to Dermot for his support and guidance over the last three and half years. We wish him well in whatever he chooses as his next challenge”. Text courtesy of Royal Brunei Airlines.

Dermot with the winners of the talent competition for the in-house employees of RB last December. A very much loved leader in the company.

Dermot congratulating Sabre (formerly known as Abacus) for their 25 years in service last September. He even sang a number for the audience.

Dermot with the chairman of Royal Brunei Airlines, YB Dato Paduka Hj Bahrin bin Abdullah, during the signing agreement for the new Airbus A320neo aircraft. The signing took place in May 2014.

What I feel: It’s truly sad to know that a capable leader such as Mr. Dermot is leaving Brunei and our national air carrier Royal Brunei Airlines. So far he is the longest service leader compared to the past few CEOs of Royal Brunei Airlines. I have had a few dialogues with him and I am amazed by his humble character. I’m pretty sure that the senior management and the associates of the company will miss his company. He has turned RB into one of the strong brands in the country and guess what? Even their online presence is strong on social media as they were being recognized last year for being in the social trend.

I remember when Royal Brunei had to restructure which involved cutting cost here and there. It was a pretty challenging period for RB then and I was thinking to myself if RB will have the resilience to climb back up. Slowly it did and thanks to Dermot and his team as well as the chairmanship of YB Dato Paduka Hj Bahrin. It’s a great reminder for those who doesn’t have a vision, do follow those who have and Dermot is one of them. Thank you for your contribution to the Brunei economy and the community. I wish you the best in your future journey.

Dermot at the launching of the rebranded Royal Skies in September 2014.

The launching of the Dreamliner B787 back in October 2013. It suddenly became a reality that the Dreamliner is physically in Brunei Darussalam.

Dermot launching the Dreamliner service to Kuala Lumpur at Vistana Hotel back in May 2013

Dermot played an important role in rebranding the image and corporate culture of Royal Brunei Airlines. One of them is the logo.

He also saw a potential in signing superstar Wu Chun as the brand ambassador for Royal Brunei Airlines. The dividends have surely paid off.

One of the core values that Royal Brunei Airlines incorporated in their rebranding process – “Happyness”

The new uniforms of the cabin crew of Royal Brunei Airlines.

 

Standard Chartered Bank Brunei officially announced the launch of the Standard Chartered Cup 2016 indoor football tournament yesterday at a press conference at their Priority Banking Centre in Gadong. The Standard Chartered Cup 2016 in a local 5 aside indoor football tournament (futsal) and the tournament is planned to kick off in early April.

Marilyn Graeme, Head of Corporate Affairs, Brand & Marketing said:

“Standard Chartered Bank has been the main sponsor for Liverpool FC since 2009 and together the partnership has greatly benefitted both parties. The SC Cup tournament will give teams the opportunity of a once-in-a-lifetime experience to win a trip to Anfield to watch a home game in executive box seats as well as receive a coaching session with an LFC Legend at the LFC Academy.

The SC Cup aims not only to engage the large football loving community here as well as Liverpool FC fans in Brunei, we also look forward to contributing towards a charitable cause through 100 percent donation of the registration fees that will be collected. We would like to thank our generous partners, Royal Brunei as well as the Ministry of Culture, Youth & Sports and the National Football Association for their kind support.”

Last year, Standard Chartered hosted SC Trophy which saw winning team, Matahari FC, winning the local tournament to represent Brunei in the regional stage against Malaysia and Thailand. Press release from SCB Brunei.

NFABD Futsal standing committee chairman Rosdin Hj Abd Aziz, SCB Brunei Head of Corporate Affairs Marilyn Graeme and NFABD Fustal standing committee deputy chairman Bujang Hj Japar during the press conference at the SCB’s Priority Banking Centre in Gadong yesterday

Marilyn delivering some exciting news for football fans

The local media during the press conference

Matahari FC team members – winners of the Standard Chartered Trophy 2015 local tournament in February 2015 – received their kits from CEO of SCB. Rino Donosepoetro. They represented Brunei in the regional tournament but failed to win the tournament. The winner then won the trip to Anfield. This time round the winners of the Standard Chartered Cup 2016 indoor football tournament in Brunei will guarantee a passage straight to Anfield. Awesome news!!! Image courtesy of SCB Facebook Page.

SC Cup 2016 Local tournament

The local tournament will see 24 teams participating. It will kick off on 4 April with the finals taking place on 9 April. Teams can register for a place by visiting Standard Chartered’s Brunei’s website at www.sc.com/bn. Participants must be Brunei citizens or permanent residents, be over 18 years of age and not be professional or semi-professional players. Each registered team cannot have more than two (2) players who are also participating in the 2015/2016 national futsal leagues.

The grand prize

All seven (7) team members of the winning team from the Tournament will receive flights (return economy class) to and from Brunei Darussalam to the United Kingdom, transfers during the itinerary, accommodation for the duration of the trip, tickets to a Liverpool FC match at Anfield, training session at the Liverpool FC Academy (itinerary subject to change depending on final confirmation of flights and activities and availability). Participants should be able to travel to the United Kingdom between 4 May to 9 May 2016 in order to receive the grand prize.

The closing date for registrations is 25 March. To find out more about the Standard Chartered Cup, visit www.sc.com/bn or follow the bank’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/StandardCharteredBN. Press release from SCB Brunei.

What I think:  This is an awesome opportunity whether you are not a Liverpool supporter or not. Just to be sponsored all the way to the UK and experience a Premier League club are chances of a lifetime. Thanks to Standard Chartered Bank and Royal Brunei Airlines with the support of the MCYS and NFABD, this is made possible for the residents of Brunei Darussalam. The other great news is that the winners of the futsal team don’t have to play other winning countries to get that passage to Anfield. Just as long as you win the Standard Chartered Cup 2016 indoor football tournament, seven of you will earn the right to fly to the UK. Should the winning team couldn’t fly, then the runners-up will be given the opportunity.

 

Burger King – Buy 1 Free 1. Limited time only 😀

 

When will the time I carry this solid trophy legitimately as a gold winner?

Brenda Chang, Financial Controller of RBA Golf Club, Asmadi bin Haji Alimustapha, General Manager of RBA Golf Club, Mr. Andrew Young, Deputy General Manager, Operations Management Division of Baiduri Bank cum President of the Organizing Committee of Baiduri Masters 2015, Mr. Pierre Imhof, CEO of Baiduri Bank, Mr. Albert Lau, CEO of QAF Group, Mr. Roger Fletcher, General Manager of QAF Motor Group, Reggie See, General Manager of Brunei Press and Hazizah Osman, Deputy General Manager of Brunei Press

Consecutive run of 20 years is a milestone on its own. Baiduri Bank Group has been running their Corporate Social Responsibility programme for a very long time and the biggest avenue is the Baiduri Masters. This year it will be a bigger edition with a few interesting mix in terms of categories. The Hole-in-One prizes are amazing too as usual.

There will be a team category and very ideal for Corporate teams to be involved in the Baiduri Masters while swinging for a good cause. A new car introduced by QAF Motors will also be featured in one of the holes – BMW 218i Active Tourer and it’s not officially launched yet in Brunei. So it’s pretty cool for the new BMW model being one of the hole-in-one prizes. Awesome!!!

The golf tournament will take place on May 1-3 and May 8-10 at the usual venue, Royal Brunei Airlines Golf Club (RBAGC). The 20th Baiduri Masters Charity Golf Tournament, it will be played on format system 36 (stroke play) and the challenge trophy will be decided on gross. So who will be the person to be wearing the Green Jacket in this year’s edition of Baiduri Masters?

Baiduri Bank Group gave their deepest appreciation to their strategic partners – the QAF Group of Companies notably QAF Motor Group and Brunei Press who have been their longest strategic partners. This morning witnessed a signing ceremony among partners for the upcoming event at QAF Centre.

The three luxurious cars will be the Porsche Panemera (Hole 2), BMW 218 Active Tourer (Hole 14) and MINI One (Hole 5) and all of these can be won at the 20th edition of the Baiduri Masters. The registration forms will be available pretty soon (hopefully by this week).

Wanna win a Porsche Panemera? Just get a hole in one effort on Hole 2 at Baiduri Masters 2015 LD

The new BMW 218 Active Tourer will be one of the prizes for hole in one. Awesome!!!

During the press conference for Baiduri Masters 2015

The media taking questions to the organizers and partners

What is Baiduri Bank’s intention for the Baiduri Masters? The intention has never change and it’s to raise funds where it will be channelled to a number of charities and welfare bodies. They believe in supporting programmes that offer educational opportunities and assistance to children with special needs. Registration fee is BND 120 for adults and BND 60 for juniors. For team, it will be additional BND 25 per person (x4). The fee is inclusive of green fees, buggy, buffet breakfast and lunch.

So who are qualified to be in the Team? It is open to all amateur golfers in a team of 4 players with a valid handicap or club verified handicap (which ever is lower) of 18 and below for men, and 24 and below for ladies.

The charitable bodies will be Pusat Ehsan, Child Development Center, Yayasan Kanak Kanak Kanser (YASKA), SMARTER Brunei, Learning Ladders Society, Paediatric Department, RIPAS and Special Education Unit, Ministry of Education.