14SEP edition

A new landmark bilateral deal has been signed this week between the UAE and Philippines further opening up both markets to be exploited especially by the 2 dominant UAE carriers. The main highlights of this new agreement is as follows:

• Open skies accord signed between UAE and Philippines for all points except Manila.
• With regards to Manila, a total of 56 flights between the two countries can be operated per week.
• Both Emirates and Etihad Airways are allowed to increase their current double daily B777 operated services to MNL to 4 times daily each respectively maximum.

Both PAL and Cebu Pacific are the designated carriers from the Philippines and have already officially confirmed their intentions to launch nonstop MNL-UAE flights from W13 using their newly ordered A333IGWs.


Thai Airways has officially revealed many capacity changes for its medium and long haul route network for the upcoming IATA W12 season of which the main highlights are as follows:

ISB - frequencies increased from 3 to 4 weekly flights

KHI - frequencies increased from 4 to 5 weekly flights

BRU - frequencies increased from 3 to 4 weekly flights using a B773ER effective 13FEB

CDG - frequencies reduced from 10 weekly B773ERs to a daily A380

MUC - capacity reduced from daily B744 to daily B773ER

FRA - frequencies reduced from double daily to 12 weekly i.e. daily A380 + 5 weekly B773ER

MAD - capacity reduced from 3 weekly B744 to 3 weekly B772ER

MXP - capacity increased from 3 weekly A346 to 3 weekly B744

BNE - frequencies increased from 5 weekly to daily


Emirates has officially announced that it shall be launching new nonstop flights to ALG-Algiers, Algeria effective 01MAR 2013 as the carrier looks to further increase its presence in the high yielding African markets and connect Chinese, Japanese and Korean traders in particular with convenient one stop flight options via its Dubai hub to all corners of the largely un-tapped continent. EK will be operating a daily Airbus A 330-200 on the DXB-ALH sector departing DXB at 0845 and arriving back by 0055 the next day. The top markets on the ALG route relevant for EK are DOH, DXB, PEK, JED, MED, AMM, BEY, MCT, MNL and CGK respectively. In addition, EK also announced the following capacity increases for its IATA W12 schedule:

JED - frequencies increased from 18 weekly to triple daily effective 28OCT i.e. daily A332 + double daily A380

SEZ - frequencies increased from 11 to 13 weekly

AMM - frequencies increased to double daily flights using a B777

MRU - frequencies increased from 11 weekly to double daily


Qantas Airways has officially announced that it has signed a landmark 10 year commercial alliance agreement with its former arch-rival i.e. Emirates that will come into effect 31MAR 2013 i.e. on set of the IATA S13 season.

The main highlights of this alliance are as follows:

• Current QF-BA joint venture on the Kangaroo route i.e. LHR-Australia is terminated and the new route via DXB shall be called "The Falcon Route" (naming it after the UAE's national bird)
  
• QF will suspend its double daily SIN-LHR A380 service and re-route all of its LHR bound flights via DXB using an A380
• QF will operate new daily nonstop A380 service between SYD and MEL to DXB each respectively and onwards to LHR with 5th freedom traffic rights on the DXB-LHR sector
• The two QF DXB-LHR flights will depart DXB at 0110/0200 and arrive into LHR at 0540/0630 respectively where as the return flights will depart LHR at 2130/2230 arriving into DXB at 0730/0830 local time
• QF will suspend its current daily service to FRA and instead shall code share on all of EK's operated flights to Europe via DXB
  
• QF will suspend code sharing with AF out of SIN as well as with CX out of HKG to Europe respectively
• Both EK and QF to code share on all UAE-Australia-UAE flights + DXB-LHR-DXB

Philippine Airlines CEO officially announced last week plans for its Toronto bound flights as well as a reallocation of its Vancouver capacity from the upcoming IATA W12 season onwards. The main highlights were as follows:

MNL/YYZ - new 3 weekly nonstop flights to be launched effective 28NOV 2012 using a B77W

MNL/YVR - reduced to 4 weekly flights operated as nonstop terminator service with no extension to LAS

In addition, PAL placed its largest ever order on record for 54 Airbus aircraft that will be the cornerstone of its short and medium haul fleet for the next 15 years. The breakdown of this US$ 7 billion order was as follows:

10 A 330-300IGWs (capable of operating MNL-RUH-MNL nonstop in both directions) + 44 Airbus A 321NEOs


Cathay Pacific has officially announced that it shall be launching new nonstop flights to HYD-Hyderabad, India effective 01DEC 2012. CX will be operating 4 weekly flights using an Airbus A 330-300 and shall be targeting traffic bound to China, Japan, LAX, SYD, MEL, SFO, ICN and TPE primarily. The flight schedule is as follows:

Days of operations: WED FRI SAT SUN

CX 649 Dep HKG 2235 Arr HYD 0205
CX 648 Dep HYD 0335 Arr HKG 1100

 
Qatar Airways has officially announced that it will be launching new nonstop flights to ORD-Chicago effective 10APR 2012. Daily services will be launched from the get go using a Boeing 777-300ER. The flight schedule is as follows:

QR 991 Dep DOH 0915 Arr ORD 1550
QR 992 Dep ORD 2130 Arr DOH 1900+1

In addition, QR further revealed more changes to its IATA W12 schedule of which the main highlights are as follows:

ICN - capacity increased from daily B772LR to daily B773ER

WAW - new 4 weekly nonstop flights to be launched effective 05DEC using an A320

PER - capacity increased from 01DEC onwards from daily B772LR to daily B773ER


Egypt Air has officially announced that it shall be re-launching services to KIX-Osaka, Japan effective 01DEC 2012 as the carrier looks to regain its presence in markets it had suspended in 2011 due to the political unrest in the country. MS will operate twice weekly nonstop flights from its CAI hub using an Airbus A340-200. The flight schedule is as follows:

Days: THU/SAT

MS 962 Dep CAI 2330 Arr KIX 1745+1
MS 963 Dep KIX 2315 Arr CAI 0600+1


Qantas of Australia has officially announced that due to its heavy losses incurred in 2011 on its international routes solely totaling US$ 450 million it has canceled a previously confirmed order for 35 new Boeing 787-900s with the American manufacturer. Boeing and Qantas have a long business relationship and both sides agreed to help each other out during a time of crisis as Boeing too requires B789 slots being freed for current clients due to the aircraft sales popularity versus the -800 version.