Cathay Pacific has revealed major capacity and frequency cuts across its long haul and medium haul network effective June onwards. This is due to the economic recession plaguing the economy worldwide which has negatively effected its flight load factors and overall revenue. Its cargo department is seen to have taken the biggest hit during this crisis. The main highlights of CX's cut backs are as follows:

SYD - frequencies reduced from 4 to 3 flights daily.

BAH/RUH - frequencies increased from 5 weekly to daily flights effective August using a B 772A.

FRA - frequencies reduced from 10 weekly to daily nonstop flights using a B 744.

SIN - frequencies reduced from 42 to 32 weekly flights.

BKK - frequencies reduced from 35 to 31 weekly flights.

CDG - frequencies to be reduced from double daily to 10 weekly nonstop flights i.e. daily B 744 + 3 weekly A 343.

SPK - frequencies increased from 4 weekly to daily nonstop flights using a B 744.

ICN - frequencies reduced from 5 to 4 daily flights.

HKG/TPE/NRT - capacity to be reduced from daily B 744 to daily A 333.

HKG/BOM/DXB - capacity to be reduced from daily B 744 to daily A 333.

DPS - frequencies to be increased from daily to 11 weekly flights from July.

Delta Airlines has officially confirmed that it will be suspending its daily flights to KWI-Kuwait from its Atlanta hub effective June 30th 2009. It will from July onwards code share with KLM via AMS on their own AMS-KWI flight. Currently, DL flies ATL-KWI nonstop using a B 777-200ER four times a week.

Malaysia Airlines has revealed on the GDS that it will be reducing capacity to BOM-Mumbai, India from July onwards due to lower than fore casted demand between July-October. Currently, it flies a daily B 772ER on this sector, however from June 1st, it will be flying 6 times a week using a B 772ER + weekly A 332.

MH also confirmed that it will be reducing capacity to AMS-Amsterdam from June 1st from a daily Boeing 747-400 to a daily Boeing 777-200ER. Lastly, capacity to EWR-Newark via ARN-Stockholm has been increased from 3 weekly B 772ERs to 3 weekly B 744s from June 3rd.

Thai Airways has officially announced that it will be launching new 5 weekly nonstop flights to Oslo, Norway from June 15th 09 using an Airbus A 340-500. TG will be code sharing with SAS on this route as OSL is a Star Alliance hub. Year round traffic between Norway and Thailand is high especially between October and April. TG has also announced further changes to its long haul flight schedule for the peak summer season effective June 1st. They are as follows:

MUC - capacity reduced from daily B 744 to daily A 346.

LAX - frequencies increased from 4 weekly to daily nonstop flights using an A 345.

LHR - capacity increased from daily A 346 + daily B 744 to double daily B 744.

Singapore Airlines has officially announced that it will be increasing capacity to HKG-Hong Kong from July 9th 2009 by introducing the Airbus A 380 on this route on a daily basis. As a result, SQ's SIN-HKG operation will be flown using an A 380 daily + double daily B 772ER + double daily B 773ER.

SWISS has officially confirmed that will be reducing its flights to USA from September 6th onwards to cope with traditional low season demand and cut costs during the lean season. The main highlights are as follows:

ORD - frequencies reduced to 6 weekly A 332s.

MIA - frequencies reduced to 5 weekly A 332s.

LAX - frequencies reduced to 6 weekly A 343s.

BOS - frequencies reduced to 6 weekly A 332s.

Korean Air has revealed few changes to its worldwide route network on the GDS for the IATA Winter 09-10 season in terms of capacity and frequency. The main highlights are as follows:

AKL - frequencies increase from 5 weekly to daily nonstop flights using a B 772ER.

SYD - capacity increased from a daily A 332 to a daily B 744.

BKK - frequencies increased from double daily to 17 weekly nonstop flights using a B 773A.

AMS - capacity reduced from 3 weekly B 772ERs to 3 weekly A 332s.

PRG - capacity increased from 3 weekly A 332s to 3 weekly B 772ERs.

VIE/ZRH - capacity reduced from 3 weekly B 744s to 3 weekly A 333s.

Jet Airways of India has revealed on the GDS that it will be launching new daily nonstop flights to Riyadh and Jeddah from its Mumbai hub effective June 14th 09. Both flights will be flown nonstop using a Boeing 737-800. The flight timings are as follows:

9W 524 Dep BOM 1930 - Arr RUH 2105
9W 523 Dep RUH 2205 - Arr BOM 0430+1

9W 522 Dep BOM 1900 - Arr JED 2130
9W 521 Dep JED 2230 - Arr BOM 0610+1

Comments:

An excellent move by 9W to finally tap the lucurative India-Saudia market. But one cannot understand why a B 738 is being used especially on the BOM-JED route?! The A 332 is the ideal aircraft (capacity wise) to meet the demands of the passenger and cargo market segments on this route as there is high density demand year round considering that 9W will connect via BOM passengers bound to DEL, MAA, HYD, COK, TRV, CCU and BLR.