WestJet orders 10 B739MAXs

WestJet has disclosed that it has placed an order for 10 Boeing 737-900MAXs as part of an upgrade option that it already had on a previously announced purchase for 30 B738MAXs.

WS's B739s are expected to seat 185 passengers approximately in a 2 class layout (W+Y only) and would be used on high density routes from YYZ to YVR, YYC, Caribbean and Florida. This aircraft can fly 6.5 hours nonstop hence can cover all of their current routes.

Link: https://www.westjet.com/assets/wj-web/documents/en/about-us/financialReports/WestJet2016Q4-MDA.pdf go to page 28

Finnair announces major Asia expansion

Finnair has officially announced that it will be re-configuring some of its Airbus A350-900s into a high density configuration which will be better suited to its long haul Asian destinations that primarily see greater leisure demand versus premium.

Currently, AY's A359s seat 297 pax in a 2 class layout i.e. 46J + 251Y. However, the new high density configuration will have 32J (flat beds) + 304Y giving a total of 336 seats i.e. +13% on board capacity. The initial routes destined for these HD aircraft are Bangkok, Seoul and Beijing. 

In addition to the above, AY also revealed the below mentioned changes to long haul route network:

HKG - frequencies increased from daily to 10 weekly

NRT - frequencies increased from daily to 11 weekly during S17 season only

SIN - frequencies increased from 5 weekly to daily flights using an A359

KIX - capacity increased from daily A333 to daily A359

GOI (Goa, India) - new 2 weekly seasonal flights using an A333 effective 29NOV operated nonstop from HEL

BKK - frequencies increased from double daily to 16 weekly

DEL - frequencies increased from 5 to 6 weekly using an A333

ICN - capacity increased from daily A333 to daily A359

  

Emirates announces new services to Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Emirates has officially announced a new long haul destination in Southeast Asia namely Phnom Penh in Cambodia. The new service shall be launched effective 01JUL17 on a daily basis using a Boeing 777-300ER operated via RGN-Rangoon with full 5th freedom traffic rights.

As a result of the above, its current Hanoi (Vietnam) flights operated via RGN shall become a daily nonstop terminator service using a 2 class 427 seater Boeing 777-300ER offering excellent 2 way connections to Europe via Dubai. 

Air Canada increases Tel Aviv

Air Canada has officially announced that it will be increasing its presence in Tel Aviv, Israel as the carrier looks to ward off any momentum its competitor Air Transat can gain in this market segment.

AC will first boost YYZ-TLV capacity from a daily B788 (251 seats) to a daily B789 (298 seats) effective 27MAR17. Secondly, it will launch new twice weekly Montreal (YUL) - Tel Aviv nonstop flights effective 22JUN17 using a 292 seater A330-300.

P2P demand between Canada and TLV has indeed increased in 2016 versus 2015 which was as follows:

YYZ - 133,000 versus 121,000
YUL - 47,000 versus 40,000
YVR - 20,000 versus 15,000
YYC - 10,000 versus 6,000
YOW - 6,000 versus 4,000

AC also gets useful feed from the U.S. East Coast (BOS NYC PHL IAD) via YYZ for its TLV bound service for which it will also get on its new YUL service along with ORD too as the two way connections are very convenient.  

Malindo increases Dhaka-Kuala Lumpur

Malaysia's third largest airline i.e. Malindo Airways has officially announced that due to rising demand between Malaysia and Bangladesh for labor plus leisure movement, it shall be increasing its presence on the DAC-KUL sector effective 01MAR17.

Currently, OD operates double daily nonstop services using a B738, however effective 01MAR onwards these shall be further increased to triple daily nonstop using the same aircraft type.

In 2016, P2P demand between DAC and KUL rose to be 745,000 passengers versus 670,000 the year prior. It is the biggest market segment between the Indian Subcontinent and Southeast Asia.

The 3 daily flights are scheduled as follows:

Dep KUL 1020/2010/2200 - Arr DAC 1210/2200/2350
Dep DAC 0050/1250/2300 - KUL 0450/0640/1840

KLM announces Mauritius

KLM has officially announced that it will be adding a new long haul route effective 30OCT17 as the carrier looks into tapping niche holiday destinations popular with EU travelers.

The new route is Mauritius-Amsterdam nonstop operated 3 times per week using a Boeing 787-9 with the below mentioned schedule:

Days: 1/4/6

KL 501 Dep AMS 1720 Arr MRU 0735+1
KL 5020 Dep MRU 0945 Arr AMS 1835

Comments:

Excellent move by KLM as currently, the EU-MRU market is dominated by EK mainly via DXB with their double daily A380 service.

Demand in 2016 to/from EU to MRU was good especially to London and Paris which were as follows:

CDG/ORY - 370,000
LHR/LGW - 224,000
FRA - 75,000
GVA - 42,000
MUC - 39,000
MXP - 38,000
ZRH - 32,000
FCO - 28,000
VIE - 26,000
MAN - 26,000
NCE - 21,000
BHX - 19,000
DUS - 18,000
AMS - 17,000
BRU - 15,000