Emirates has officially revealed many changes to its route network for the Summer 2011 season with capacity expansion both in Levant and Southeast Asia regions.
The main highlights are as follows:
KUL - frequencies increased from triple daily B 773ERs to 25 weekly B 773ERs aka 20% capacity increase or 2912 extra weekly seats round trip.
BKK - capacity increased with 2 daily A 380s + 2 daily B 773s versus 1 daily A 380 + 3 daily B 773s aka 2142 extra weekly seats on a round trip basis or 10% capacity increase.
DAM - capacity increased from double daily A 332s to 9 weekly A 332s + 2 weekly B 773s + 3 weekly B 772s i.e. 826 extra weekly seats on a round trip basis or 12% capacity increase.
AMM - capacity increased from 8 weekly A 332s + weekly A 343 + 2 weekly B 772s + 3 weekly B 773s to 2 weekly B 773s + 6 weekly B 772s + 6 weekly A 332s.
The states of Qatar and Syria this week concluded signing a new broader bilateral accord that gives further access to Qatar Airways into the Syrian market. The main highlights of it are as follows :
- frequencies to DAM can be increased to triple daily.
- new daily flights to ALP can be flown.
- open skies to all other Syrian cities.
- open skies for freighter flights to all Syrian cities.
Currently, QR operates double daily services to DAM with A 320s with departures at 1230pm and midnight from DOH.
Sri Lankan Airlines has officially announced that it shall be increasing frequencies to Karachi, Pakistan from the on set of the IATA Winter 2010 timetable. UL will be operating an additional 4th weekly nonstop service using an Airbus A 320 due to high load factors over the past few months which has spurned this decision in KHI's favor.
Malaysia Airlines will be launching new 3 weekly nonstop flights to RUH-Riyadh, Saudi Arabia effective Dec 17th 2010. MH will be operating a 290 seater two class configured Boeing 777-200ER for this new service.
Flight schedule is as follows:
MH 152 Dep KUL 2005 Arr RUH 2340
MH 153 Dep RUH 0110 Arr KUL 1400
MAS also operates 4 weekly B 772ERs to JED nonstop + 2 weekly DMM flights with an A 332.
Air France has officially announced that it shall be launching new flights to Phnom Penh (PNH), Cambodia from the on set of the Summer 2011 season i.e. March 28th. AF will be operating 3 weekly flights via Bangkok using an A 340-300. However, from May 9th onwards, capacity shall be increased to a B 772ER for this route. BKK will continue to be served on a daily nonstop basis using a B 772ER with 4 of out 7 weekly flights being a terminator service.
American Airlines has officially confirmed that it shall be launching new nonstop flights to PVG-Shanghai from its secondary LAX-Los Angeles hub effective April 5th 2011. AA will be operating the service on a daily basis using a Boeing 777-200ER.
Aeroflot has officially announced few changes to its long haul network for Summer 2011. The main highlights are as follows: HAN - frequencies increased from 3 weekly B 763ERs to 4 weekly A 333s. LCA - frequencies increased to double daily nonstop services.
US Airways has officially announced seasonal capacity increases for its European network for the peak summer season. For SU11, the main highlights are as follows:
CLT / FCO - capacity increased from May 3rd from daily B 762ER to daily A 333.
PHL / BCN - capacity increased from May 3rd from daily B 762ER to daily A 332.
Turkish Airlines has officially confirmed that it will be significantly increasing capacity to YYZ-Toronto from Dec 27th 2010 onwards. Currently, it operates a 250 seater A 330-200 on the 3 weekly IST-YYZ service however after Christmas due to averaging a very high load factor on this sector, a larger 349 seater Boeing 777-300ER shall be used to fly this route. This translates into a 40% increase in capacity by TK on the Toronto route.
Egypt Air has officially announced that it will be increasing capacity to both Bangkok and Guangzhou, China from Dec 15th 2010 onwards in a significant manner. Currently, MS operates a CAI-BKK-CAN flight using a B 772ER however the latest changes announced make both cities receive dedicated terminator services. Capacity to BKK is increased to a daily nonstop terminator flight operated with a B 772ER where as CAN also receives a nonstop service from CAI with a B 772ER but 4 times per week only.
SAS has officially confirmed that it shall be launching 2 new long haul routes from the on set of the Summer 2011 time table. The main highlights are as follows:
CPH / PVG - new 5 weekly nonstop services to be operated using an A 343.
OSL / EWR - new daily nonstop services to be flown using an A 333.
Emirates has officially announced that it is seriously pondering to further place an order for 30 additional Airbus A 380s as it sees a requirement of 120 such aircraft over the next decade as part of its fleet plan. It did not originally place this order because of space constraints at the current DXB airport however this shall not be the case with the new JXB-Jebel Ali Airport which EK and other carriers hope to move to within the next 6 years.
British Airways has officially confirmed that it will be reducing capacity to NRT-Tokyo, Japan from the on set of the IATA Summer 2011 timetable. Currently, it operates a daily nonstop flight using a Boeing 747-400 on the LHR-NRT sector however from end March a smaller Boeing 777-300ER will be used to fly this sector which shall have its latest on board F and J class seat product.
Iberia has officially announced that it shall be adjusting capacity to the Americas for the Summer 2011 season with the main highlights are as follows:
MAD/IAD - all flights suspended.
BCN/MIA - new 3 weekly nonstop flights to be flown using an A 343.
MAD/LAX - new 3 weekly nonstop flights to be flown using an A 343 which shall be increased to 4 times per week effective June 27th using the same aircraft type.
Oman Air has officially confirmed that it is not going ahead with a planned increase of upgrading flights to CDG-Paris from 4 to 5 weekly A 333s from Nov 1st but instead will increase capacity to Cairo, Egypt effective Dec 18th onwards. Flights to CAI are currently flown on a daily basis using a B 737-800 which shall later on see from Dec 18th two weekly A 333s + 5 weekly B 738s aka 15% increase in capacity.
Royal Brunei has officially announced that it shall be launching new nonstop flights to Melbourne, Australia effective March 29th 2011. BI will be operating 4 times per week from its BWN hub using a Boeing 777-200ER. In addition, the airline too confirmed that it will be reducing frequencies to Perth which is currently flown 4 times per week using an A 320. The new winter schedule calls for a 3 weekly nonstop service but operated with a larger B 772ER.
Korean Air has officially announced that it will be increasing frequencies on its services to Singapore from Nov 22nd 2010 onwards. Services shall be increased from daily to 11 times per week nonstop using a B 773A daily + 3 weekly B 744s + weekly A 333.
