American Airlines

American Airlines has officially confirmed that it will be increasing on its trans-atlantic routes to BRU-Brussels, CDG-Paris and LHR-London Heathrow from May 1st 09. The main highlights are as follows:

BOS/LHR - frequencies increased to triple daily nonstop flights from double daily.

BOS/CDG - new daily nonstop flights to be flown for the summer season only using a B 763ER. This new flight allows excellent connections with its interline partners such as GF/EY/EK/QR as the flight arrives into CDG at 735am and departs at 130pm on the same day.

ORD/BRU - capacity increased from daily B 763ER to daily B 772ER.

Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines has confirmed that it will be starting new flights to KWI-Kuwait which will be flown via AUH-Abu Dhabi using a B 772A four times a week. This will be in effect from March 15th and SQ will not have 5th freedom rights on the AUH-KWI-AUH sector. With regards to Cairo, all nonstop flights will be suspended and instead, the route will be flown via Dubai 4 times a week using a B 772A.

Delta Airlines

Delta Airlines has officially confirmed that it will be launching new flights to Sydney, Australia and Sao Paulo, Brazil both flown nonstop from LAX from next year. SYD will be flown daily from ATL via LAX nonstop using a B 772LR effective July 1st 09. With regards to GRU, it will also be flown nonstop from LAX but only 3 times a week using a B 763ER. DL also revealed that as a result of its merger with NW, it will be adjusting capacity to NRT from June 09. Instead of A 332s being used for PDX, HNL and Guam to NRT, a B 763ER instead will be deployed. Lastly, a new daily nonstop flight from JFK to NRT will be launched using a B 772ER.

As far as its European schedules for summer 09 is concerned, DL will be launching new 6 weekly Detroit-Rome nonstop flights using an A 330-300 effective June 4th 09.

Emirates

Emirates will be initiating another round of major expansion plans for Summer 2009 and Winter 09-10 that will be officially unveiled to the public in a few weeks. The main highlights are as follows:

For Summer 09 effective March 29th:

CMB - frequencies increased to 15 times a week.

HKG - capacity increased to daily B 773 via BKK + daily B 772ER nonstop from daily B
773 via BKK + daily A 332 nonstop.

KIX - capacity increased from daily A 345 to daily B 772LR.

DAR - capacity increased from daily A 332 to daily B 773ER.

DOH - frequencies increased from 4 daily to 32 weekly.

BEY - frequencies increased from double daily to 17 weekly flights.

TRV - frequencies increased from 8 to 10 times a week.

DAM - frequencies increased from 11 weekly to double daily.

MUC - capacity reduced to daily A 332s + daily A 343s from daily B 773ERs + daily A 343s.

THR - frequencies increased from 19 times a week to triple daily i.e. double daily A 332s + daily B 773ER.

CMN - capacity increased from daily A 343 to daily B 773ER.

PER - capacity increased to daily B 773ER + daily A 345 from daily B 772LR + daily A 345.

MLE - frequencies increased from 9 to 11 times a week.

AMM - frequencies increased from 12 weekly to double daily.

SAH - frequencies increased from 6 weekly to daily.

TIP - capacity increased to daily terminator flights using an A 332.

TUN - capacity increased to daily terminator flights using an A 332.

KWI - frequencies increased from 26 weekly to 4 daily flights.

JNB - 3rd daily nonstop flight reinstated.


For Winter 09/10, effective Dec 1st:

TRV - frequencies increased from 10 to 12 times a week effective Dec 1st..

MAA - frequencies increased from 19 weekly to triple daily effective Dec 1st.

AMD - frequencies increased from 8 weekly to double daily.

FCO - capacity increased from daily B 773ER to daily A 380s effective Dec 1st.

ACC/ABJ - capacity increased from daily A 343 to daily B 773ER effective Dec 1st..

NBO - frequencies increased to double daily from 12 weekly effective Dec 1st.

CCU - frequencies increased from daily to 11 weekly effective Dec 1st.

SYD - frequencies increased to triple daily effective Dec 1st i.e. daily A 380 + daily B 773ER via BKK + daily A 345 effective Dec 1st.

BKK - frequencies increased from triple daily to 4 daily flights using a B 777-300 (ER and non ER versions) for all flights effective Dec 1st.

DOH - frequencies increased from 32 weekly to 5 daily effective Dec 1st.

CCJ - frequencies increased from 6 weekly to 11 weekly effective Dec 1st.

Continental Airlines

Continental Airlines has officially confirmed that it will be launching new daily summer seasonal flights only from its Cleveland hub to London Heathrow effective May 2nd. CO will be using a 2 class configured Boeing 757-200 for this sector which has the new business class in-flight product. The flight timings are as follows:

Operations: May 2 - Sept 27

CO 66 Dep CLE 2025 Arr LHR 0915+1

CO 67 Dep LHR 1140 Arr CLE 1530

Lufthansa

Lufthansa has released further adjustments to its Summer 2009 schedule (effective June) across its long haul route network. The main highlights are as follows:

FRA/LAX - capacity reduced from double daily B 744s to daily A 346 + daily B 744.

FRA/DTW - capacity reduced from daily B 744s to daily A 333s.

FRA/CCS - capacity increased from daily A 343 to daily A 346.

FRA/MAA - capacity reduced from daily B 744s to daily A 343s.

FRA/IKA - capacity increased from daily A 343 to daily A 346.

FRA/JED - frequencies increased to daily flights.

FRA/RUH - frequencies increased to daily flights.

FRA/MCT - frequencies increased to daily flights i.e. 4 times via BAH + 3 times via AUH.

FRA/LOS-ACC - maintains daily A 346 services.

FRA/DOH - flown via RUH daily

FRA/GYD (Baku) - frequencies increased from 3 to 4 weekly flights using an A 333.

FRA/ADD - gets 3 weekly nonstop flights which are extended to Sanaa (SAH).

FRA/PVG - frequencies increased from daily to 10 weekly flights all flown nonstop using B
744s daily + 3 weekly A 343.

FRA/BOS - capacity increased to daily B 744 + 2 weekly A 333 + 5 weekly A 343.

MUC/EWR - capacity increased from daily A 333 to daily A 346.

MUC/BOM - frequencies increased from 5 weekly to daily nonstop flights using an A 333.

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines has announced the destinations that its fleet of ex 9W B 773ERs will be used on. They are London Heathrow, Hong Kong and Singapore only. To SIN, 3 of the 4 weekly flights will be flown using the B 773ER where as the fourth flight will see an A 332. To HKG, all 4 weekly flights will get the capacity upgrade from an A 343 to a B 773ER. Lastly, with regards to Heathrow, it will see a daily B 773ER being used on TK 1979/1980.

Kenya Airways

Kenya Airways has released details of its network wide expansion which come into effect from March 29th for the IATA Summer 09 season. The main highlights are as follows:

LOS - frequencies increased from 11 weekly to double daily.

CDG - frequencies increased from 3 to 4 times a week.

BKK - frequencies increased from 6 weekly to daily.

ADD - frequencies increased from 5 to 7 weekly flights i.e. on some days its double!

KGL - frequencies increased from double daily to triple daily.

DKR - frequencies increased from 3 to 5 times a week.

Swiss

Swiss has revealed that if its financial health improves during 2009, then it plans to launch new nonstop flights to Abu Dhabi, Beijing and San Francisco. AUH will see an A 332 and nonstop flights from ZRH where as PEK and SFO will see flights operated also nonstop but using an A 340-300.

Comments:

I would suggest that LX seriously look at launching flights to IAH before PEK. IAH-ZRH can easily be flown with an A 332 nonstop and has a lot of potential due to it being a CO hub + LX serves all the major oil markets in Africa and the Middle East nonstop from ZRH.

Oman Air

Oman Air has officially confirmed that it will be suspending its daily flights to London Gatwick Airport and instead fly into London Heathrow from January 15th onwards. WY will use an A 310-300 initially for the daily nonstop MCT-LHR flights until its new fleet of A 332s gets delivered. Its new flight timings as follows:

WY 911 Dep MCT 1255 Arr LHR 1740
WY 912 Dep LHR 2130 Arr MCT 0900+1