Short Takes
February 3rd 2015
CODESHARES: Qatar Airways has added its ‘QR’ code on four additional Bangkok Airways routes from Bangkok, two from Phuket and one from Singapore. Read More » South African Airways will add its ‘SA’ designator on 10 additional routes operated by Etihad Airways from Abu Dhabi, including Seoul (Jan 21), Bangalore, Chennai, Delhi, Dublin, Hyderabad, Mumbai, Thiruvananthapuram (all Feb 1) and Beijing, Nagoya, Narita (Feb 6).
FUEL: Virgin Atlantic has selected ExxonMobil’s new mobile Jet Oil 387 for its B787-9 Dreamliners. “As we upgrade our fleet and incorporate our new B787-9 Dreamliners into it, we will continue to ExxonMobil lubricant solutions to meet both current and future needs,” said Shehan Fernando, fleet technical manager and head of Virgin Atlantic’s design organisation.
MANUFACTURERS: Boeing posted a net income of $5.45 billion in 2014, up 19% from a net profit of $4.59 billion a year earlier. It delivered a record 723 commercial aircraft in 2014, up 12% year-over-year, and current projections predict it will deliver 750-755 commercial aircraft in 2015. Its total commercial backlog at the end of 2014 stood at 5,800 aircraft valued at $440 billion at list prices.
ROUTES: Air Busan will launch a third daily A320 service on the Busan – Osaka route from March 29. All Nippon Airways (ANA) will replace the B787-8 with the larger B787-9 on the Narita – Munich route from June 1. Emirates will replace the B777-300ER with the A380 on one of its two daily Dubai – Dusseldorf departures from July 1, repeating the same move on the Dubai – Madrid route from August 1. Etihad Airways has adjusted the frequency for its Abu Dhabi – Madrid launch (from March 30) from daily to four-weekly A330-200 operations, and it has cancelled plans to launch a thrice-weekly Abu Dhabi – Algiers service from June 17. HK Express will add a thrice-weekly Hong Kong – Siem Reap A320 service from October 1. Jeju Air will launch a thrice-weekly Taegu – Beijing B737-800 service from February 13 and, effective March 29, it will increase frequency on the Seoul – Saipan B737-800 route from daily to twice-daily. Subject to government approval, starting March 29, Jet Airways will launch three new daily B737-800 services from Ahmedabad, Mangalore and Pune to Abu Dhabi. From March 29, Korean Air will replace the 291-seat B777-300ER with the smaller 218-seat A330-200 on its thrice-weekly Seoul – Los Angeles – Sao Paulo route. The carrier has also indefinitely suspended the Seoul – Nairobi A330-200 route. Starting February 15, Malindo Air will launch a four-weekly Johor Bahru – Kerteh, and thrice-weekly Johor Bahru – Kuantan ATR72 service. Oman Air will launch a new daily Muscat – Singapore – Kuala Lumpur A330-300 service from March 29, replacing thereto non-stop services to the Malaysian capital. Effective May 1, the Omani flag carrier will reduce frequency on the Muscat – Zurich A330-200 route from five- to four-weekly. From February 3, Philippine Airlines will reduce frequency on the Manila – Honolulu route from daily to five-weekly and operate the A330-300 instead of the A340-300. The carrier has also decreased frequency on the Manila – Sydney A330-300 route from daily to five-weekly. SAUDIA will increase frequency on the Jeddah – Guangzhou B777-200ER route from weekly to twice-weekly effective March 29. Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) will launch a five-weekly A330/340 Stockholm – Hong Kong service starting September 10. Singapore Airlines will expedite the replacement of the B777-200ER with the larger B777-300ER on the daily Singapore – Amsterdam route from May 8 to March 19. SriLankan Airlines has tentatively scheduled the last A340-300 service for October 14 on the Colombo – Riyadh route, ending over 20 years of A340 operations at the airline. Effective March 29, THAI will make several schedule adjustments: The Bangkok – Changsha A320 service will be increased from four-weekly to daily; Bangkok – Chengdu from five-weekly to daily and operated by the B777-200ER instead of the A330-300; Bangkok – Copenhagen B747-400 operations will be upgauged from daily to nine-weekly; and the Bangkok – Heathrow route (TG910/1) will finally be operated by the A380 from July 1. India’s Vistara will add a daily Delhi – Goa A320 route from February 20, and a twice-daily Delhi – Hyderabad A320 service from March 1, all operated with business, premium economy and economy seating.
