Austrian Airlines

Austrian Airlines has revealed that it will be increasing capacity to DXB-Dubai from March 1st 09 by replacing 13 weekly A 320 operated flights with 6 weekly B 763ERs + daily A 320s due to strong demand being witnessed on this sector in all cabins. OS also announced that it be launching new 4 weekly nonstop flights to Amman, Jordan from its VIE hub effective 6th May 09 using an A 320 (with the new J class product).

KLM

KLM has confirmed that it is seeking to order dozens of large wide bodied long haul jets to fully replace its aging Boeing 747 and MD 11 fleet. It has ruled out ordering the Boeing 747-800 and is likely to order many Boeing 777-300ERs to replace its full pax B 744 versions. With regards to its MD 11 and B 744 Combi fleet replacement strategy, it is examining the B 772ER along with the Boeing 787-900 and A 350-900.

Qatar Airways

Qatar Airways has unveiled many capacity and frequency changes to its medium and long haul network for Summer 2009. The main highlights are as follows:

MNL - frequencies increased to double daily nonstop flights operated by a 2 class B 773ER + 2 class A 333.

DEL - capacity increased to daily B 777-200LR from 29th March; likely to be a same plane service DEL-DOH-IAH.

BKK - capacity increased to double daily B 773ERs effective 1st Sept 09.

CAI - capacity increased to daily B 777-200LR from 1st Oct 09.

SIN/CGK - capacity increased to daily B 773ER from March 30th.

JED - capacity increased to 5 weekly B 773ERs from 1st Aug 09.

Sri Lankan Airlines

Sri Lankan Airlines has officially confirmed that it will be restarting flights to FCO-Rome, Italy from December 3rd 2008 with 3 weekly nonstop flights flown from its Colombo hub using an Airbus A 340-300. As a result of this new FCO service, all flights from Dec 3rd onwards to Paris (CDG) will be flown via FCO. The new flights will be flown on WED/FRI/SUN only.

SIN-KWI open skies

The states of Singapore and Kuwait have officially signed an OPEN SKIES AGREEMENT between themselves allowing designated carriers of both states to fly unlimited times a week between SIN & KWI as well as carry 5th freedom traffic on certain designated routes.

British Airways

British Airways has announced that it will be suspending all its flights to Calcutta (CCU) and Dhaka (DAC) from the on set of the Summer 2009 timetable as it looks to cut back long haul capacity on low yielding routes that do not witness high premium loads. Other key short haul routes that will be suspended as well are LGW-ZRH, LGW-GVA and LGW-DUB.

Delta Airlines

Delta Airlines will be launching new daily nonstop flights from its Atlanta hub to Johannesburg, South Africa effective June 1st 2009 using a 2 class configured Boeing 777-200LR. As a result, the current flight routed via DKR-Dakar will be eliminated. Other new routes that DL will be launching from June 2009 are daily B 757-200 operated flights from Pittsburgh and Raleigh (North Carolina) to CDG-Paris.

Jet Airways India

Jet Airways of India has confirmed that it will be cancelling its Amritsar-London Heathrow nonstop flights from December 1st 08 onwards as a cost savings measure. The airline reportedly witnesses 70% plus load factors on t8hese flights but the yield doesnt meet expectations hence the suspension.

Asiana Airlines

Asiana Airlines is planning to increase its frequencies to New York JFK from 4 weekly to daily flights effective March 30th 2009. The new 3 weekly flights will be operated using a 3 class Boeing 777-200ER where as the remaining 4 will be flown using a Boeing 747-400 Combi. With regards to its ORD-Chicago route, it will be replacing B 747-400 Combi service on this route with a Boeing 777-200ER effective Nov 29th.

Air Canada

Air Canada will be increasing capacity on its Toronto-Frankfurt route from June 2009 by replacing its second daily Boeing 763ER operated flight (AC876) with the larger Airbus A 330-300. As a result, AC will be using a B 773ER + an A 333 for its double daily YYZ-FRA flights from that month onwards. AC also announced that it will be suspending its 2nd daily YVR-LHR route from April 2009 onwards as part of its long haul restructuring plan. However, to compensate for the loss in frequency, it will be increasing capacity on AC 854 from a daily A 333 to a daily B 773ER.

Lufthansa

Lufthansa has confirmed that due to lower forecast ed demand for this winter season on 3 key long haul routes, it will be reducing frequencies on them rather than waste money flying half empty planes. The 3 routes that will be witnessing cuts are Munich-Sao Paulo from 5 weekly to 3 weekly A 343s plus Munich-Beijing from daily to 5 weekly A 343s and lastly Frankfurt-Shanghai from 10 weekly to daily B 744s.

Aer Lingus

Aer Lingus of Ireland will be increasing its flights to ORD-Chicago from its Dublin hub starting March 31st 09. From that date onwards, frequencies will be lifted from daily to 10 weekly flights with the 3 additional flights being flown from DUB via Shannon using an A 332 on TUE/THU/SAT.

Eva Air

Eva Air will be returning to France with 3 weekly nonstop flights being flown from its TPE hub to CDG using a Boeing 777-300ER effectiven Jan 21st 09. Flights will operate on WED/FRI/SUN and the flight schedule is as follows:

BR 087 Dep TPE 2355 Arr CDG 0635+1
BR 088 Dep CDG 1120 Arr TPE 0700+1

Emirates

As previously mentioned in an email sent out 2 weeks ago concerning Emirates's 2009 expansion plans, I revealed that flights to Athens, Greece will be increased from daily to double daily. This has now been officially confirmed by EK as ATH will be served double daily nonstop from DXB using a B 773ER + A 332 each respectively effective March 1st 09. The new daily flight's schedule using an A 332 is as follows:

EK 103 Dep DXB 1730 Arr ATH 2050
EK 104 Dep ATH 2220 Arr DXB 0435+1

In addition, EK has also confirmed that its flights to LCA-Larnaca, Cyprus will be increased from 5 weekly to daily effective December 1st 08 using a mixture of 3 class configured Boeing 777-200/300 aircraft. All LCA bound flights continue onwards to Malta.

Gulf Air

Gulf Air's CEO has officially announced its European expansion plans for 2009 provided the cost of fuel remains steady at acceptable levels. Mr Bjorn Naf revealed to an Arab newspaper that the six new cities to be launched by GF are Rome, Milan, Moscow, Warsaw, Amsterdam and Munich. No mention of expansion to the Far East or Africa were cited in the newspaper report.

Jet Airways India

Jet Airways has been playing around with its North American schedules for the past week with many changes taking place and some decisions being reversed. Apart from the SFO suspension, JFK's capacity was going to be increased from a daily A 332 to a daily B 773ER. But this has changed and for the Winter 08-09 season, its BRU hub operations will be adjusted as follows:

DEL/BRU/YYZ - same plane daily service using an A 332 which means that capacity on the DEL-BRU route has been reduced from a daily B 773ER to an A 332.

BOM/BRU/EWR - daily flights using a B 773ER.

MAA/BRU/JFK - same plane daily flights using an A 332.

BLR/BRU - daily terminator flights using an A 332.

Analysis:

By looking at the above mentioned changes, one can make out that 9W now has 3 Boeing 777-300ERs idle as a result of SFO being suspended (2 aircraft used) + DEL-BRU capacity reduced (1 aircraft being used). One hopes that these aircraft get used on selective India-Middle East flights that can generate good yield as well as high demand on a year round basis. With 3 B 77Ws, 9W can fly the following Middle East routes easily:

2 aircraft can be used for : double daily BOM/DXB + double daily DEL/DXB
1 aircraft can be used for : 4 weekly DEL-JED + 3 weekly BOM-JED

Singapore Airlines

Singapore Airlines will be reducing capacity on its daily SIN-HKG-SFO route from January 12th 2009. Currently, SQ uses a B 744 on this sector but that will be downgraded to a Boeing 777-300ER. Its second daily SIN-ICN-SFO flight will also continue to operate using a B 773ER.

Thai Airways

Thai Airways has announced that it will be reducing capacity to DME-Moscow during the upcoming Winter 08-09 season. Currently, flights are flown 4 times a week using a 2 class B 777-200ER but from Oct 27th, the aircraft will be an Airbus A 340-600 which seats 40 passengers fewer than TG's B 772ERs.

British Airways

British Airways will be reducing capacity to ORD-Chicago for Summer 2009 along the same lines of YYZ-Toronto by having no B 747 jumbo service to the city. BA's triple daily flights to ORD from LHR during the Summer 09 season will now be served double daily using a B 772ER + a daily B 763ER.

Air France

Air France has announced that it will be suspending its daily Heathrow-Los Angeles flight for the Winter 08-09 season and will be replacing it with a daily LHR-JFK flight from the on set of the Summer 09 peak season. AF uses a B 772ER for this service and for the new JFK-LHR flight, the operational costs and marketing/sales will be split equally between itself and Delta Airlines.