Lufthansa

Lufthansa has officially confirmed that due to security related fears expressed by its cabin crew union, it will be suspending flights to Karachi effective immediately but will continue to fly to Lahore via a technical stop in Muscat. LH will continue to use the A 300-600R (AB6) on the FRA-LHE route via MCT until May 29th at least. Its cabin crew used to overnight at the Pearl Continental Hotel in LHE but now will deplane in Muscat.

It also officially confirmed that due to changing market conditions in the Middle East, it will be undertaking a major reshuffling of its key GCC routes effective this summer. The main highlights are as follows :

i. 3 weekly FRA/KWI/DMM and 3 weekly FRA/DXB/AUH will be replaced by 3 weekly FRA-DMM-AUH operated by an A 333. LH will not have 5th freedom traffic rights on the DMM-AUH-DMM sector.

ii. FRA-KWI will now become a daily A 333 operated terminator flight.

iii. FRA-DXB-MCT once a week is suspended but the 3 weekly A 333 operated flight from FRA to MCT via DOH is maintained.

Analysis:

This does not come across as a surprise what so ever as the recent twin bomb blasts in LHE really frightened the LH cabin crew who took a combined decision not to stay in the city until the law and order situation improves. In any case, LH should look at now concentrating its long term strategy in PAK around LHE and forget KHI as its fruitless for them competing against EY/QR/EK on EU/UK/USA/YYZ routes. From LHE is where a vast majority of Pakistan's immigrant population residing in the West hails from and the city sees higher yield revenue per seat than KHI for most carriers due to lack of competition compared to KHI.

Therefore, if this problem continues with its cabin crew, LH should seriously consider routing its LHE bound flights via a Middle East city that allows it also to carry lucrative 5th freedom traffic on the Middle East-Lahore route which will also provide it with an additional source of revenue.

Turkish Airlines

Turkish Airlines announced recently that in order to cater for the peak summer season traffic to its home base and Europe, it will be flying an additional 4th weekly flight to ICN-Seoul nonstop from IST between 28th June and 17th September. All 4 weekly flights operated by TK will be flown using an Airbus A 340-300.

Air Asia X

Air Asia X of Malaysia (the long haul low cost airline) has officially confirmed that it has placed an order for 10 additional Airbus A 330-300s with Airbus earlier on in the week. All of its A 333s will seat 392 passengers in an all economy class layout. This new order brings the total number of A 333s ordered by the airline to 25.

air algerie

Air Algerie has confirmed that due to high demand in the summer peak season, it will be increasing its nonstop flights from its ALG hub to YUL-Montreal from 2 to 3 weekly flights operated by the Airbus A 330-200.

Qantas

Qantas of Australia will be launching a new long haul route to EZE-Buenos Aires, Argentina nonstop from its Sydney hub. QF will fly the route 3 times a week using a Boeing 747-400 on Mon/Wed/Sat. Besides this, the airline also revealed that it will definitely not be ordering the Boeing 747-800 nor the Boeing 777 range of aero planes in the long term as its requirements revolve around the A 350 and B 787 programs.

EL AL Israel

EL AL of Israel has confirmed via a message to its share holders and to a message mentioned on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange last week that it has placed an additional order for 4 new Boeing 777-200ERs directly from Boeing to cater for future expansion especially on USA routes.

GMG Airlines

GMG Airlines of Bangladesh has revealed in a statement to the media that it has confirmed placing an order for 6 new wide bodied aircraft from Boeing last week. The order consists of 3 Boeing 777-300ERs + 3 Boeing 787-900s.

In order to account for a stop gap capacity measure, the airline is seeking to lease few Boeing 767-300ERs to expand its international operations. Its main competitor i.e. Biman Bangladesh revealed that it signed a MOU with Boeing for 4 B 773ERs + 4 B 788s also last week.

Saudia Airlines

Saudia Airlines has officially released its scheduled for Summer 2008 which sees major changes come into effect from mid June 2008 onwards. During the peak season, SV has confirmed that it will be wet leasing many Boeing 757-200s to cover up a capacity shortfall on many routes. Few months ago, the airline released a similar schedule which included the adjustments needed to compensate for the retirement of many B 747s. The main highlights of SV's summer operation are as follows :

From JED :

KHI - 9 weekly B 772As
HYD - 2 weekly B 772As
ISB - 2 weekly B 772As

LHE - 2 weekly B 743s
BOM - 3 weekly B 743s
ADD/NBO - 2 weekly B 772As
AMM - 5 weekly B 757s + 2 weekly B 772As
BEY - 2 weekly B 772As + 2 weekly B 757s
CMN - 2 weekly B 772ERs
MAA - 2 weekly B 772As
DAM - 4 weekly B 772As + 5 weekly B 757s
FRA - 2 weekly B 772ERs
GVA/MAN - weekly B 772ER
IST - 5 weekly B 772As
CGK - 6 weekly B 743s
KRT - 5 weekly B 747s
KUL - 5 weekly B 772ERs
JNB - 2 weekly B 772ERs
CDG - 3 weekly B 772ERs
SAH - 4 weekly B 747s

From RUH :

BEY - 4 weekly B 772As
ISB - 2 weekly B 772As
KHI - 3 weekly B 772As
BOM - 4 weekly B 743s

DEL - 3 weekly B 772As
DAC - daily B 743s
DXB - 11 weekly B 772As + 4 weekly B 744s + 6 weekly MD90s

KRT - 2 weekly B 743s
COK - 2 weekly B 772As
LHR - 4 weekly B 772ERs
MNL - 4 weekly B 747s

Delta Airlines

Delta Airlines has announced that in order to cater for the peak summer season traffic to Dubai, it will be increasing frequencies on its popular Atlanta-Dubai route from 4 to 6 times a week effective May 23rd 08. All flights will be flown nonstop using a Boeing 777-200ER. It will revert back to the usual 4 times a week service from the second week of October.

Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways has revealed a lot of interesting capacity and frequency changes with regards to its Summer 2008 timetable. The main highlights are as follows :

LHE - frequencies increased from 2 to 4 weekly flights using 2 weekly AB6s + weekly A 333 + weekly A 332.

ISB - frequencies increased from 2 to 4 weekly flights using 2 weekly A 320s + 2 weekly A 333s.

MXP - frequencies increased from 4 to 6 weekly flights using 4 weekly A 333s + 2 weekly A 332s.

LOS - frequencies increased from 3 to 4 weekly flights eff March 30th using 3 weekly A 332s + weekly A 333.

GVA/EWR - frequencies increased from 5 to 6 weekly flights using 2 weekly A 333s + 4 weekly A 332s. However, from the on set of the Winter 08-09 timetable, this route will be further increased to daily service.

BEY - frequencies increased from daily to double daily i.e. 11 weekly A 321s + 2 weekly A 332s + weekly A 333.

JNB - frequencies increased from 4 weekly to daily i.e. 3 weekly terminator flights + 4 weekly flights that continue onwards to CPT.

IST - frequencies increased from 5 to 6 times a week.

BAH - increased from 40 times a week to 6 times daily i.e. 42 weekly.

Gulf Air

Gulf Air has officially confirmed signing an order for 16 Boeing 787s with Boeing on Friday in Washington DC. Whilst making the announcement, GF's CEO Mr Kooheji also revealed its wish to restart flights to 2 suspended destinations within a year's time i.e. DUB-Dublin and SIN-Singapore. Other announcements made were that the airline is keenly looking at the prospect of returning to USA and confirming the increase of summer seasonal flights to KUL-Kuala Lumpur from 4 weekly to daily between July 4th and September 13th 2008.

Korean Air

Korean Air will be launching a new long haul route to Europe this summer with the addition of MUC-Munich to its ever expanding network. Three weekly nonstop flights using a B 772ER will be flown between ICN and MUC effective June 1st 08.

Air France

Air France is increasing its frequencies to JED-Jeddah, Saudi Arabia from March 30th 08. The service will become a 5 weekly operation with all flights being flown nonstop using the A 319LR. Besides increasing JED, the French national airline is also increasing flights to Kinshasa, Congo to 4 times a week effective mid June.

United Airlines

United Airlines will be upgrading capacity on its popular IAD-PEK route by replacing the daily nonstop B 772ER operated flight with the larger B 744 effective 14th March 08.

Iberia

Iberia of Spain has confirmed its earlier intentions of raising the number of weekly flights flown from its MAD hub to both BOS and IAD for the upcoming summer peak season. Flights to BOS, will rise from 4 to 6 times a week using an A 343 where as flights to IAD will increase from 3 to 5 times a week also using an A 343.

Emirates

Emirates has officially confirmed that it will be increasing its frequencies to MEL-Melbourne, Australia with the launch of a third daily flight effective February 2nd 2009. This new flight will be flown nonstop from its DXB hub using an A 345. The 2 daily flights are flown as one daily nonstop with an A 345 + one daily B 773A routed via SIN.

Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines has revealed that due to high load factors on its nonstop flights from SIN to EWR and LAX, it will be reconfiguring its 4 A 340-500s to an all business class layout seating 100 passengers. It will thus offer business class only flights on these 2 routes with EWR starting in June and LAX by Sept.

SAS

SAS has officially confirmed that it will be launching new flights to DEL-Delhi, India from the on set of the Winter 08-09 timetable with 3 weekly frequencies on offer from its CPH hub to DEL using an A 340-300. Service begins from Oct 27th 08.

Japan Airlines

Japan Airlines has decided to upgrade capacity on its popular nonstop Tokyo-Delhi route by replacing the B 777-200ER with the larger Boeing 747-400. The main reason for this upgrade is due to JAL recording increasing load factors in its premium cabins on this sector. This change will come into effect from Aug 1st 08 and all daily flights will see nonstop B 744 service.

Air China

Air China has reportedly being named the "unidentified" airline that has placed an order for 15 new Boeing 777-300ERs with Boeing few months ago. These new aircraft will be used in due course to fully replace CA's fleet of B 747s.