12APR edition

Cathay Pacific has officially announced that it will be launching new nonstop flights to MAN-Manchester, UK effective 08DEC14 as the carrier looks to tap into the mass demand that exists between the Northern UK region and Hong Kong. CX revealed that flights will be operated 4 times per week using a B777-300ER using the below mentioned schedule:

Days: 1/3/5/7

CX 357 Dep HKG 0100 Arr MAN 0620

CX 358 Dep MAN 1200 Arr HKG 0755

Comments:

In 2013, over 100,000 O&D passengers flew between MAN and HKG along with an additional 400,000 to Thailand + mainland China and Australia. CX’s main competitors on this route will come from EK, EY, QR, LH and KLM who also offer competitive one stop service options to a majority of destinations in the Austral-Asia region. With regards to SQ, CX will have a competitive advantage as it will be offering one stop flight options to MAN versus 2 stop for SQ who operate via MUC to MAN. Demand for CX’s new MAN service is expected to boom from the get go and one should not be surprised to see it become daily from IATA S15 onwards. 

Turkish Airlines has announced many capacity changes to its long haul route network for the IATA S14 season of which the main highlights are as follows:

ISB – capacity increased from 4 weekly B738s to 4 weekly A332s effective 22JUN

KTM – frequencies increased from 4 weekly to daily nonstop flights using an A332 effective 31MAY

LHE – capacity increased from 3 weekly B738s to 3 weekly A332s effective 24JUN

LOS – capacity increased from daily B739ER to daily A332 effective 26MAY

NBO – frequencies increased from daily to 11 weekly nonstop effective 16JUN using a B739ER

CMB – frequencies increased from 4 to 5 weekly via MLE using an A332

CAN – capacity increased from daily A343 to daily B773ER

ICN – capacity increased from AUG with all 11 weekly nonstop flights operated by an A333IGW

KUL – frequencies increased from 4 weekly to daily nonstop effective 28APR

IKA – frequencies increased from triple daily to 4 times daily

Etihad Airways has officially announced many capacity changes to its route network for the current IATA S14 season of which the main highlights are as follows:

ATH – frequencies increased from daily to 10 weekly nonstop flights i.e. from daily A320 to daily A332 + 3 weekly A320 effective 02JUL

DME – frequencies increased in a major manner gradually i.e. from daily A320 to double daily A320 effective 01JUN followed by a further increase to triple daily A320s from 01OCT

CTU – frequencies increased from 5 weekly to daily nonstop using an A332

HYD – capacity increased from daily A320 to daily A332 effective 15JUL

MLE - capacity increased from daily A320 to daily A332 effective 01OCT

MAN – capacity increased from daily A332 + daily B773ER to double daily B773ER effective 02JUN

HKT – new daily nonstop service to be launched effective 26OCT using an A332

Qatar Airways has officially revealed many capacity and frequency changes to its route network for the IATA S14 season of which the main highlights are as follows:

ATH – capacity increased to daily A332 + daily A321

MEL – capacity increased from daily B772LR to daily B773ER

CDG – capacity increased from triple daily A346s to daily B773ER + double daily A346s

DME – capacity increased from double daily A320 to daily B787 + daily A320

PEK – capacity increased from daily A332 to daily B773ER

JIB – new 3 weekly nonstop service from May using an A320

SHJ – frequencies increased from double to triple daily A320s

MED – frequencies increased from 5 weekly to daily A320s

ELQ – frequencies increased from 4 to 8 weekly A320s

HND – new nonstop daily flights using a B787

ANA of Japan has announced that it has placed a major order for 70 aircraft with Boeing and Airbus as part of its fleet renewal plan for the 2020-30 decade. The breakup of the order is as follows:

14 Boeing 787-900s

20 Boeing 777-900Xs

6 Boeing 777-300ERs

23 Airbus A321-200NEOs

7 Airbus A320-200NEOs

The B779s ordered are to replace the 6 domestic 514 seater B773As along with to replace some high volume long haul routes currently flown by the B773ERs which has a 18% capacity reduction versus the B779. The 30 A320/321NEOs will be replacing 18 current A320s + 12 B737-700s. 

Kenya Airways has announced many capacity increases across its route network for the IATA S14 season of which the main highlights are as follows:

LAD – frequencies increased from 2 to 3 weekly services using a B738

LOS – capacity increased to a daily B777-300ER

CAN – capacity increased to daily nonstop using a B773ER which will be a same plane service to Lagos from August 

DXB – frequencies increased from 01AUG from daily to double daily nonstop i.e. daily B772ER + daily B738

DAR – frequencies increased from 4 to 5 times daily using an E90

JNB – capacity increased from triple daily B738 to daily B787 + double daily B787

ABV – new 4 weekly nonstop flights to be launched from 03JUN using a B737-700

Ethiopian Airlines have revealed many capacity changes to its medium and long haul route network for the IATA S14 season of which the main highlights are as follows:

KAN – new 4 weekly flights to be launched from May using a B757-200 operated via ENU

LHR – frequencies increased from 6 weekly to daily nonstop flights using a B787

NBO – frequencies increased from double daily to 4 times daily using a B738

ACC – capacity increased from daily B763ER to daily B787

LBV – frequencies increased from 5 weekly to daily nonstop flights using a B738

FIH/BZV - capacity increased from daily B763ER to daily B787

DLA/SSG - capacity increased from daily B763ER to daily B787

Emirates has officially revealed many capacity changes to its medium and long haul route network for the IATA S14 and W14 seasons respectively of which the main highlights are as follows:

DFW – capacity increased from daily B772LR to daily A380 effective 01OCT

ATH – frequencies increased from daily to double daily effective 01AUG i.e. daily A332 + daily B773ER

ORD – new daily nonstop flights to be launched effective 05AUG using a B772LR

AMM – frequencies increased from double to triple daily flights using a mixture of B772s and A332s

OSL – new daily nonstop flights to be launched using a B773ER effective 02SEP

KBP – frequencies reduced from daily A345 to 4 weekly A345s operated nonstop

PVG – capacity increased to daily A380 + daily B773ER

NBO – capacity increased from double daily A345 to daily B773A + daily A345

Finnair has officially announced that it will be the first scheduled European carrier to be operating flights into Phuket and Krabi, Thailand from Nov 2014 onwards as the carrier looks to take advantage of high volume traffic from Europe to these two destinations who currently have to transit via BKK or fly one stop direct on Air Berlin/Etihad, Qatar Airways and Emirates. AY’s schedule is as follows:

HKT – 3 weekly nonstop flights using an A343 effective 14DEC

KBV – 2 weekly nonstop flights using an A343

BKK – frequencies increased from double daily to 17 weekly nonstop effective 30DEC