20SEP edition

Website: http://airline-news.blogspot.com

Lufthansa has officially announced that they have placed the largest ever order by a legacy European airline (in terms of $ value) as the German carrier finally revealed its highly anticipated wide body aircraft replacement order. LH signed up for 34 Boeing 777-900Xs + 25 Airbus A350-900s worth a combined total of US$ 19 billion.

The B779s will be replacing LH’s entire fleet of B744s and A346s by 2020 where as the A359s will be replacing its A343 fleet from 2016 onwards and the A333s during the next decade. The initial routes identified by LH for these aircraft are as follows:

A 359 – FRA/YVR and FRA/SSG

B 779 – FRA/BKK (2 class high density)

B 779 – MUC/PVG and FRA/PVG (3 class)

Philippine Airlines has officially announced that it will be launching new nonstop flights to LHR-London Heathrow from its Manila hub effective 04NOV13 onwards as the carrier looks to embark on a major EU expansion as its ban has been lifted after a security/safety audit being passed. PR will be operating 5 weekly nonstop services to LHR using a B777-300ER which are expected to go daily from June 2014. Flights will be arriving into LHR at 1415 and departing back at 1705. In other EU related news, PAL confirmed that it has secured obtaining bilateral rights to fly double daily flights into Italy effective Summer 2014 i.e. daily to Rome and Milan each respectively. These two cities are expected to be operated as a triangular service 4 times per week as MNL-FCO-MXP-MNL using a B777-300ER.

With regards to its fleet expansion drive, PAL’s Chairman revealed that the carrier will be dry leasing 10 additional aircraft to cater for robust North American and European expansion. Four B773ERs + 6 A343s shall be dry leased into the fleet next year and to cater for replacements from 2020 onwards, the carrier shall be obtaining 10 A350-900s + 10 B777-900Xs.

Emirates has officially announced that it shall be launching 3 new destinations from Dec13 onwards as the carrier continues to aggressively expand its route network in under served niche markets. The main highlights are as follows:

TPE – new daily nonstop flights to be launched from FEB14 using a B773ER

KBL – new daily nonstop flights to be launched from DEC13 using an A345

BOS – new daily nonstop flights to be launched from MAR14 using a B772LR

Qatar Airways has officially announced today details of its route network expansion plans for the upcoming IATA W13 season of which the main highlights are as follows:

JKT - frequencies increased from 11 weekly to double daily using a B773ER

ISB - frequencies increased from 4 weekly to daily (3 weekly A320 + 4 weekly A332)

RGN - frequencies increased from 3 weekly to daily nonstop using an A319LR
DXB - frequencies increased from 11 to 13 daily flights
BAH - frequencies increased from 6 to 7 daily flights
DME - frequencies increased from 10 to 12 weekly
BEG/SOF/ESB/OTP - all shall receive an extra weekly service

Delta Airlines announced that it has placed a major order with Airbus totaling US$ 6 billion for the purchase of 40 new jets from the European manufacturer. The breakdown of the order was as follows:

10 A330-300IGWs of which majority shall be based at SEA for trans-pacific nonstop flying seating 293 pax in a 3 class layout i.e. 34J + 32P + 227Y.

30 A321-200s which will seat 190 passengers in a 3 class configuration i.e. 20J + 22P + 148Y

Etihad Airways has officially announced capacity increases to its Indian subcontinent route network for the upcoming IATA W13 season of which the main highlights are as follows:

DEL – frequencies increased from daily to double daily i.e. daily A332 + daily A320

BOM – frequencies increased from daily to double daily i.e. daily A346 + daily A320. Both the additional 

DEL and BOM services depart AUH at 1530 and arrive back by 2355

MAA – capacity increased from daily A320 to daily A321 (174 seater)

KTM – frequencies increased from daily to double daily using an A320 for both flights

China Southern Airlines has revealed that due to the ever growing popularity of its nonstop Guangzhou (CAN) – London Heathrow service, it shall be increasing its presence on this route effective 27OCT13 onwards. The current 5 weekly nonstop flights operated by a B787-800 shall be increased to a daily nonstop service using the same aircraft type offering quick connections in both directions via CAN to Australia in particular.

Ethiopian Airlines has officially announced that it is extremely pleased with the performance economics that the Boeing 787-800 has brought to the airline and has attributed this as a key aspect to their strong financial performance in 2013. As a result, ET decided to place an order for 8 additional B788s bringing the total number of units ordered to 13 by the East African airline! As far as its route network for the IATA W13 season is concerned, ET announced many changes to its medium and long haul network of which the main highlights are as follows:

SIN – new 3 weekly flights to be launched via BKK using a B763ER effective 17DEC13

COO/ABJ – frequencies and capacity increased from 3 weekly B738s to 4 weekly B757s

BKO/DKR – capacity increased from 4 weekly B757s to 4 weekly B763ERs

HKG – all 3 weekly flights to be operated nonstop using a B763ER instead of via BKK

DEL/HGH – frequencies reduced from 5 to 4 weekly

NIM/OUA – new 4 weekly service using a B757

Alitalia has officially announced that it shall be launching adjusting its services to NRT-Tokyo for the Summer 2014 season of which the main highlights are as follows:

VCE – new nonstop VCE/NRT nonstop flights to be launched using a B772ER

MXP – frequencies increased from 4 to 5 weekly nonstop using a B772ER

FCO – frequencies reduced from 10 weekly to daily nonstop using a B772ER

Air India has officially announced that if it does not hear any positive feedback from Star Alliance by the end of September 2013, it will stall all further attempts to join this alliance group and instead focus its resources to joining One World instead. The carrier is very keen to be part of a large alliance group which would enable it to realize higher yields, revenue and feeder service on board its long haul and domestic route network in particular.

Comments:

Finally AI is thinking sensibly as One World is ideal for them (I am looking at this from their perspective only) as they can code share with:

AA on all their India-USA flights
BA on all their UK-India flights
QF on their new daily DEL-MEL/SYD flights
CX on all their HKG-India flights
JL on all their NRT-India flights
QR on all their DOH-India flights + via DOH to Africa/Europe/Middle East

India-UK is the biggest market in Europe for which a BA-AI JV partnership would be a serious threat to all the direct and in-direct carriers. On the Aussie route, AI/QF can code share on domestic Australia and trans-tasman to boost feed. On the trans-pacific front, AI via HKG or NRT can code share to YVR, LAX and SFO with JL/CX rather than spend reckless amounts of money operating its own services.

British Airways has revealed major expansion plans for its long haul route network for the IATA S14 season as the carrier looks to take opportunities in niche markets that can generate good S/F and yields at the same time. The main highlights are as follows:

AUS – new daily nonstop flights to be operated using a B787

ACC – frequencies increased from daily to 10 weekly nonstop i.e. daily B744 + 3 weekly B763ER

SEA – frequencies increased from 10 to 11 weekly nonstop using a B744

TLV – frequencies reduced from triple daily to double daily

EBB – frequencies increased from 3 to 4 weekly

ICN – frequencies increased from 6 weekly to daily

JNB – frequencies reduced from 17 weekly to double daily