Short Takes
Routes
June 10th 2014
Asiana Airlines will offer a second daily direct flight between Incheon and Hanoi effective May 15. Read More »
Sydney-Hong Kong flights will see an equipment downgrade starting September. The daily Qantas flight will be operated by a three-class B747-400 instead of a four-class A380 superjumbo.
Cathay Pacific announced Manchester and Zurich as new additions to its network. Manchester will receive daily four-class B777-300ER flights from December, while four-class B777-300ER services to Zurich will commence in March next year.
Since India lifted its ban on A380 operations in January several carriers have announced new superjumbo services to the subcontinent. Emirates is the latest to join the festivities with a new daily A380 route to Mumbai.
Lufthansa debuts its new premium economy class in December. The new service class will be inaugurated on the carrier’s B747-8 flights to Beijing, Hong Kong and Seoul.
Air Canada has received its first B787-8, part of a mixed 37-aircraft-strong B787-8/-9 order. Air Canada’s inaugural international flight on the Dreamliner will be on July 1 on the newly-established Toronto – Tokyo Haneda route.
Qatar Airways has announced London Heathrow and Paris as the first daily destinations for its A380 operations. The superjumbo will fly to the UK capital from June 17 before being deployed on the Paris route starting July 3.
Qatar Airways last week introduced its first-ever all business class service on an A319 aircraft, also on the London service, and is increasing capacity on the Doha-Seoul route. Starting September 2, a B777-300ER will replace the A330-200/-300 aircraft on the daily code-share service with Asiana Airlines. The airline is further adding capacity to its Doha-Jakarta route from June 4, then offering 18 flight frequencies per week between the cities.
Singapore Airlines will suspend services to Cairo and Riyadh from late September. The carrier cites weak performance in addition to mounting pressure from Gulf carrier competition.
