Dragonair Suspends Phuket Flights


January 6, 2005

Hong Kong's Dragonair said on Thursday it will temporarily suspend its services to Phuket in Thailand amid weak demand on the route following the Asian tsunami.

Dragonair will temporarily suspend its three times weekly weekly services to Phuket from January 8 until the end of the month.

"The airline has taken the decision due to the severe drop in demand on the route after the Asian tsunami," Dragonair said in a statement. Services will be resumed when appropriate.

Dragonair will continue flights up until January 8 for those still needing to trace family members and for those returning to Hong Kong.

On December 26 a tsunami swept across South Asian coastlines, and has now claimed the lives of about 145,000 people, including 9 people from Hong Kong. About 62 Hong Kong residents, including 34 in Thailand, are still missing, the government said.

(Reuters)

http://www.dragonair.com/icms/images/eng//homepage/dragonair_logo.gif

British Airways To Suspend Saudi Flights


January 11, 2005

British Airways said on Tuesday it would suspend flights to Saudi Arabia in March due to reduced demand.

BA, which has been flying between Britain and Saudi Arabia since the 1930s, said the services to Jeddah and Riyadh would cease.

"The routes don't currently make a profitable contribution to our business and we are unable to sustain them while this remains the case," BA director of commercial planning Robert Boyle said in a statement.

The change will also affect some BA services to Kuwait, currently a stopover for Saudi Arabia.

British Airways, which is cutting costs to combat lower fares and high fuel prices, wants to focus on more profitable routes. Last month, it won rights to fly seven new weekly return flights to India, one of its most profitable services.

Low-cost rivals Ryanair and easyJet have been expanding rapidly and driving down fares on short-haul European routes.

BA axed 13,000 jobs as part of a major cost-cutting drive to ensure it survived the industry downturn following the September 2001 attacks in the United States, but was frustrated last year by strike threats, disruption to flights and record oil prices.

(Reuters)

http://www.britishairways.com/cms/global/images/logos/logo.gif

Air China suspends twice weekly beijing-phuket flight.

JAA suspend TPE - HKG service from 17FEB05


JAA (http://skyscrapercity.com/editpost.php?do=editpost&p=2962502)

http://www.jaa.com.tw/images/jaabanner.gif

It's a shame BA is suspending Saudi :(.

January 19, 2005

Indonesian-based budget airline AWAir abruptly cancelled its maiden flight to Singapore on Wednesday after the city-state rejected its flight plans, citing failure to file proper documents with Singapore authorities.

AWAir, a unit of Malaysia's AirAsia, transferred nearly 300 passengers to another airline after Singapore authorities said it would take several days at least for the paperwork to be approved.

Singapore, Asia's sixth-biggest air hub, is seeking a slice of the fast-growing low-cost airline market, constructing a new terminal dedicated to budget airlines and positioning itself as Southeast Asia's key hub for short-haul flights.

A record 30.35 million passengers passed through Singapore's Changi Airport last year, a 23.1 percent rise over 2003, data from the airport showed on Wednesday.

The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) said it was reviewing documents received from AWAir late on Tuesday but said it would "take at least days" before approval could be granted.

AWAir said it had submitted "all relevant operational, regulatory and safety compliance documents" to CAAS on December 15 to obtain the landing rights in Singapore.

The Indonesian airline's president-director, Sendjaja Widjaja, said Singapore's regulator sought new documents at the last minute on Tuesday, and that those documents had been delivered to CAAS on Tuesday evening.

The airline began selling one-way flights from Jakarta to Singapore for as little as SGD$20 (USD$12) on January 6. Widjaja said it was too early to say what costs AWAir would incur from the delay.

Singapore budget carrier Valuair also cancelled its maiden fight to Jakarta last year after Indonesian authorities denied it landing rights, forcing the airline to transfer passengers to another carrier.

The Singapore government, which controls flag carrier Singapore Airlines, also has equity in two budget airlines. Its state investment agency, Temasek Holdings, holds 19 percent of Qantas' JetStar Asia and 11 percent of Tiger Airways, set up with the founder of Irish discount carrier Ryanair.

(Reuters)

Monday 24th January, 2005 (UPI)

Brazil's 4th largest airline cut more flights Monday fueling speculation the troubled carrier may close soon close its doors.

Viacao Aerea Sao Paulo, VASP, said in a statement it was operating under normal parameters Monday, but would soon begin canceling flight less than 50 percent booked.

It also said it had yet to pay all of its employees' salaries for the months of December.

http://www.vasp.com.br/br/imagens/img_aviao.jpg

That's sad about VASP. It is one of Brazil's oldest carriers. They used to have a huge international network with flights to Europe, the US, Japan and even North Africa.

LOS ANGELES - US Airways said Monday it and its affiliates canceled 1,800 flights over the weekend due to severe winter weather.

The airline said it expects to resume a full flight schedule by Tuesday.

http://www.usairways.com/images/ushome/header_homepage.gif

January 19, 2005

Indonesian-based budget airline AWAir abruptly cancelled its maiden flight to Singapore on Wednesday after the city-state rejected its flight plans, citing failure to file proper documents with Singapore authorities. (Reuters)

AWAir To Seek Compensation From Singapore

February 8, 2005

AWAir, a unit of Malaysia's budget carrier AirAsia, will seek compensation from the Singapore government for blocking the Indonesia-based airline's flights to the city-state from Jakarta, AirAsia said on Tuesday.

"We have suffered financial loss and should be compensated. We are looking at all possible avenues," AirAsia's executive director, Kamaruddin Meranum, said.

He did not rule out the possibility of legal action. "We have not gone to that stage yet," he added.

AWAir has dropped plans for flights between Indonesia and Singapore after failing to secure landing rights from the wealthy city-state.

AWAir was last month forced to cancel its maiden flight to Singapore when the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) rejected its application for landing rights.

Passengers who had made bookings for the route were either put on other flights or reimbursed.

The cancellation came nearly two months after the airline's first application to the CAAS on December 15. CAAS had also asked the airline to provide additional documents.

Kamaruddin said the airline complied, but has not received any formal reply from the CAAS after three weeks. "I strongly feel this is a case of protectionism by the Singapore government," he said.

In Singapore, CAAS officials were not immediately available for comment.

Singapore, Asia's sixth-biggest air hub, seeks a slice of the region's fast-growing low-cost carrier market and is building a new terminal dedicated to budget airlines to position itself as Southeast Asia's hub for short-haul flights.

Singapore budget carrier Valuair also cancelled its maiden fight to Jakarta last year after Indonesian authorities denied it landing rights, forcing the airline to transfer passengers to another carrier.

The Singapore government, which controls flag carrier Singapore Airlines, also has equity in two budget airlines. Its state investment agency, Temasek Holdings, holds 19 percent of Qantas Airways' JetStar Asia and 11 percent of Tiger Airways, set up with the founder of Irish discount carrier Ryanair.

(Reuters)

Silkair drops flights to Krabi

Singapore Airlines’ leisure carrier, SilkAir, has axed its twice weekly services from Singapore to Padang in Indonesia and to Krabi in Thailand.

The cancellations will take effect from February 23 and March 1 respectively.

The airline claimed the decision to suspend services was taken following a strategic review of SilkAir’s network operations.

Although Padang services are expected to resume on May 1, Krabi services have been axed indefinitely.

SilkAir serves Phuket and Chiang Mai in Thailand as well as Balikpapan, Manado in Sulawesi, Medan, Solo City, Palembang and the island of Lombok in Indonesia.

8 February 2005http://www.silkair.com/mbe/main/images/nav_logo.gif

Alitalia Cancels 141 Flights Over Thursday Strike

February 9, 2005

Italy's flag carrier Alitalia will cancel 141 flights on Thursday, most of them on international routes, due to a four hour strike by cabin crew and ground staff seeking improved working conditions.

The strike will begin at 12:30 pm (1130 GMT), and a total of 66 national flights will be canceled, Alitalia said in a statement. It did not say how many flights would be delayed.

A representative for the union SULT said the strike would involve roughly 1,000 Alitalia flight attendants and more than 3,000 ground staff at airports throughout the country.

While Alitalia was expected to be the hardest hit by the action, other airlines could face long delays on Thursday due to strikes by ground staff, the representative said.

SULT cabin crews are upset over increases in their working hours as well as job cuts at Alitalia, while ground crews are seeking greater contractual guarantees on a national level.

(Reuters)
http://www.alitalia.com/Images/splash_logo_tcm9-1681.gif

BOG-CCS-LHR from BA flew for the last time last sunday

:cry::badnews:

Thai Airways International clarifies Adjustment and Cancellation of Domestic and International Flights

14 February 2005


Thai Airways International recently clarified the adjustment and cancellation of its domestic and international flight schedule effective 15 January 2005 onwards on various routes, namely Taipei-Hong Kong-Phuket-Bangkok, Bangkok-Phuket-Singapore and Bangkok-Hat Yai-Singapore.

Mr. Kanok Abhiradee, THAI’s President, said that the flight adjustment between 15 January and 26 March 2005 is being implemented to cope with the decrease in passenger demand and adjust non-profitable routes to maximize the company’s profit, not to make way for Thai AirAsia to take over those routes since this depends on aviation rights which must be requested from the Air Transportation Department. In addition, the adjustment will be temporary and will be adjusted again for the Summer Schedule.

Mr. Santi Purivetkunakorn, THAI’s Vice President, Marketing Planning Department, said that THAI adjusted its flight schedule as follows:

The Bangkok – Phuket – Singapore and Bangkok – Hat Yai – Singapore routes have been cancelled until 26 March 2005 due the airline stated to lower demand in advanced bookings because of the tsunami.

The Taipei – Hong Kong – Phuket – Bangkok route was changed, removing the Phuket section, to be an operation with routing Taipei – Hong Kong – Bangkok 7 flights per week during 1-28 February 2005 and will be decreased to 4 flights per week during 1-26 March 2005. Due to an adjustment during Chinese New Year 2005, the Government of China launched a temporary direct flight from Mainland China to Taiwan, THAI said it experienced a decrease in passengers demand.http://www.thaiairways.com.tw/images/logo.gif

Alitalia Cancels 141 Flights Over Thursday Strike
February 9, 2005

Italy's flag carrier Alitalia will cancel 141 flights on Thursday, most of them on international routes, due to a four hour strike by cabin crew and ground staff seeking improved working conditions.

The strike will begin at 12:30 pm (1130 GMT), and a total of 66 national flights will be canceled, Alitalia said in a statement. It did not say how many flights would be delayed.

A representative for the union SULT said the strike would involve roughly 1,000 Alitalia flight attendants and more than 3,000 ground staff at airports throughout the country.

While Alitalia was expected to be the hardest hit by the action, other airlines could face long delays on Thursday due to strikes by ground staff, the representative said.

SULT cabin crews are upset over increases in their working hours as well as job cuts at Alitalia, while ground crews are seeking greater contractual guarantees on a national level.

(Reuters)http://www.alitalia.com/Images/splash_logo_tcm9-1681.gif

SilkAir to suspend services to Padang and Krabi
16 February 2005


With effect from 23 February 2005, SilkAir (MI) is suspending its twice-weekly service to Padang, Indonesia and will also suspend its current twice-weekly services to Krabi, Thailand from 1 March 2005.

The scheduled services to Padang will be suspended temporarily from 23 February 2005 to 30 April 2005. From 1 May 2005, the airline plans to resume its twice-weekly Padang services on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

The scheduled services from Singapore to Krabi and vv are being suspended indefinitely. The last scheduled SilkAir service to and out of Krabi will be on Monday, 28 February 2005.

The airline stated that any passengers who are booked and ticketed for travel on either of the above flights after the suspension dates will be offered a full refund or an alternative routing.http://www.silkair.com/mbe/main/images/nav_logo.gif

Air France suspends direct flights to Vietnam


HANOI, Feb 17 (AFP) - Air France will suspend direct flights from Paris to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City for six months to concentrate on more lucrative Chinese and Japanese routes, a company official said Thursday.

The airline would suspend its code-share contract with Vietnam Airlines for non-stop flights between France and Vietnam between March 26 and October 10, Truong Thi Hoang Thuy, Air France customer service and communications manager, said.

"Last summer, we saw a huge demand for our direct flights to Japan and China," Thuy said, adding that the company did not have enough planes to operate all the routes properly.

"We have decided that this summer, we will increase the number of
flights there, thus suspending our direct flights between Vietnam and France," she said.

In April 2004, Air France implemented a code-share agreement with national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines, to become the first Western carrier to operate non-stop flights to the two Vietnamese cities.

The two carriers have since operated 12 non-stop flights a week between France and Vietnam.

As from March 26, Air France would operate four flights a week linking Ho Chi Minh City and three linking Hanoi to Paris, with a stop-over in Bangkok.

Vietnam Airlines, which began direct flights to Paris from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City in 2003, would maintain seven connections a week, enjoying a de facto monopoly on the direct link.

© AFP http://www.skyteam.com/img/aboutSkyteam/logobig_af.gif

Air Sahara flights to Nepal suspended till March 14:

[Business India]: Kathmandu, Feb 19 : Indian private airline Air Sahara, which suspended its flights between Kathmandu and New Delhi Feb 8, will not resume them till March 14.

The flight suspension - coming after the political developments triggered by King Gyanendra's dismissal of the Sher Bahadur Deuba government - have given rise to fears that the airline was contemplating pulling out of the country.

Tourist arrivals are reported to be going down and hotels are reporting cancellations since the state of emergency announced Feb 1.

However, Air Sahara officials denied that the flight suspensions were because of the political developments or a fall in the number of tourists. They said the decision was taken due to operational snags, such as scarcity of aircraft and crew.

Air Sahara uses Boeing 737 for its Kathmandu-Delhi flights. It has been offering the cheapest fare among the three Indian airlines operating here.

Air Sahara had to delay its inaugural flight to Kathmandu, scheduled for Sep 1 last year, due to a spate of violence nationwide triggered by the killing of 12 Nepalese workers in Iraq.

It was also forced to turn its Kathmandu flight back to Delhi the day Gyanendra took over power as the Tribhuvan international airport here had been shut down.

Air Sahara officials told IANS the airline's Delhi-Kathmandu flights had resumed on Feb 3 but were suspended again for two days. They started again Feb 6-7 and were then suspended till March 14.

The other two Indian carriers, Indian Airlines and Jet Airways, are continuing their operations.

Jet Airways officials said that besides Feb 1, the airline had suspended its flights Feb 13 and 15 due to "internal matters".

"However, the decision was made well in advance and we had announced it about 10 days before the suspension," they said.http://www.airsahara.net/airsahara/images/smartdeal.jpg

Italian air strike halts flights
From correspondents in Rome
22feb05

A 24-hour strike at Italian carrier Alitalia has grounded 136 flights, causing widespread disruption and delays for international travellers.

The company initially cancelled 90 flights, including 12 intercontinental and 50 international routes, but the number grew due to widespread support for the strike, according to the Sult airline union.

Italy's three busiest airports, Rome's Fiumicino and Milan's Linate and Malpensa airports, were worst hit by the strike by flight attendants to back a call for better working conditions.

Bad weather in northern Italy also forced the cancellation of 11 flights, mainly from Bologna and Venice airports, but also in Milan.

Welfare Minister Roberto Maroni condemned the strike, saying the union had failed to take account of efforts by the Government and management at the state-controlled airline to bring the loss-making carrier to profitability.

Management-union talks which broke down at the weekend were due to resume tonight (AEDT), the union said.

Lufthansa says flights cancelled during Bush visit
FRANKFURT,

Feb 23 (Reuters) Deutsche Lufthansa may seek compensation after dozens of flights at Frankfurt airport had to be cancelled amid heightened security because of US President George W. Bush's visit to Germany today.

Lufthansa and its partners, including its regional airlines, scrapped 77 European flights, affecting some 5,000 passengers.

Also, 178 flights were delayed by about an hour on average, a spokesman for the carrier said. Lufthansa and its partners normally operate about 750 flights on a Wednesday in total.

Lufthansa said it was examining whether it would seek damages from German state-owned air traffic controllers Deutsche Flugsicherung (DFS) following the disruption.

The carrier said it could not yet say how much money it may seek.

Bush landed at Frankfurt at about 0845 GMT on his way to talks with German Chancellor Gerhard Schroeder on the second leg of a three-nation tour of Europe designed to patch up differences over the Iraq war.

Frankfurt airport operator Fraport said more than 100 flights had been scrapped at continental Europe's biggest passenger and air cargo hub.

''The problems are worse than feared,'' a Lufthansa spokesman said, adding that DFS told the airline only on Tuesday evening that it was increasing security precautions for the visit.

DFS said it changed the security arrangements again at the request of the transport ministry.

Spokesmen for DFS and Fraport said earlier that bad weather had caused a large part of the disruptions. The Lufthansa spokesman disputed this.

Gulf Air to terminate operations to Colombo, Casablanca

by Shirajiv Sirimane

Gulf Air , implementing changes to its network in Africa and Asia has decided to terminate operations to Casablanca and Colombo from March 25.

"However, our first commitment remains to our customers and steps are already in place to minimise any potential impact of this decision," Gulf Air's Vice President Network, Fareed Al Alawi, said. "Assistance will be provided to ensure seamless travel with minimal disruption when the change is implemented at the end of March.

Representation will be retained in Colombo through the appointed General Sales Agent (GSA), and the office in Morocco will remain open until other measures are in place."

The withdrawal strategy is presently being finalised and full details will be discussed with personnel in both countries during the course of the next few days.

The tremendous contribution of everyone in these stations is recognised and appreciated by senior management and every effort is being made to ensure that all individuals affected by the decision are cared for appropriately.

This decision will allow the airline to re-allocate their assets more effectively, strengthening their network in key areas, either by increasing flight frequencies to key destinations or by assigning the aircraft for service on high demand sectors.

In a stronger position than it has been for many years, Gulf Air has announced plans to optimise performance across the business and its network to ensure that the airline meets its objectives for 2005

US Airways to eliminate some local flights

US Airways plans to eliminate 14 flights throughout its system, including a couple of flights at Orlando International Airport.

Beginning in May, the airline will operate one less daily departure between Orlando and West Palm Beach, as well as Fort Lauderdale and Orlando.

The company blames persistent and sustained high fuel costs as well as the weak revenue environment caused by industry overcapacity and low fares as playing significant roles in its decision.

Pending the outcome of the company's voluntary early out program and retirement decisions, US Airways says in a written release it does not foresee employee furloughs as a result of these actions at this time -- with the exception of certain eliminated international flights.

US Airways to cancel flights from Panama, El Salvador, Puerto Rico
2005-03-06 10:26:51

PANAMA CITY, March 5 (Xinhuanet) -- US Airways, a major US airline,announced Saturday it will cancel all its direct flights in May from Panama, El Salvador and Puerto Rico bound for Florida, a southeast state of the United States.

US Airways said in a statement released by the Panamanian press that the measure is part of a strategy to reduce expenses, which includes the return of 11 Boeing 737 airliners to their respectivelessors.

The Executive Vice President of Commercialization and Planning of US Airways Bruce Ashby said "it was necessary to act fast and remove some of our oldest airliners and the least profitable flights, which simply cannot continue."

The Virginia-Based US Airways, the seventh biggest in the US, was forced to cut its expenses due to competition in the market with high fuel costs.

Ernesto Orillac, president of the Panamanian Association of Tourism Operators, regretted the forthcoming closure of the airliners, in view of the potential benefits generated by a large number of arrivals.

Marco Nino de Guzman, president of the Airline Association of Panama, said the withdrawal of US Airways will lead to a decrease of future airline offers in the Central American country. Enditem

Phuket Air to dump Bangkok-London service

BANGKOK: Phuket Air will cancel its direct Bangkok-London service with effect from April 22, the Gazette has learned.

Reservations staff in Bangkok told the Gazette today that the London route is being dropped in favor of a new direct service from Bangkok to Amsterdam, which began on March 26.

The carrier started flying the Bangkok-London route just nine months ago. No member of senior management was available today to explain the reason behind the change.

Troubled Airline Suspends Manchester Flights

Caribbean airline BWIA suspended several flights to the Caribbean and Europe today, the latest effort to save the carrier from financial collapse.

The suspension of flights to Ireland and Manchester was effective immediately said Trinidad Public Administration Minister Lenny Saith. He did not say how long the flights would be suspended.

Trinidad’s government has bailed out BWIA repeatedly since the drop in travellers that followed the 9/11 attacks in the US and gave another £19 million this week.

Although tourism in the Caribbean has surged in recent months, regional airlines continue to struggle with increased insurance and security costs.

April 26, 2005

British Airways will close its Toronto call center by December, cutting about 200 jobs, as the growing popularity of online booking has reduced phone reservations, the airline said on Tuesday.

The airline said the number of calls handled at its North American call centers has fallen more than 25 percent over the last two years as customers prefer booking flights online.

British Airways said terms of its lease in Toronto will allow the company to leave with minimal exit costs while it consolidates its North American operations at call centers in New York and Jacksonville, Florida.

"With fewer people needed to manage the reduced number of calls, the combined occupancy of the centers has fallen to only 58 percent," the company said in a statement.

(Reuters)

WestJet to end flights to New York City
Can't secure gates at LaGuardia Twice daily flights will stop on July 4
Canadian Press
05 May 2005

CALGARY -- WestJet Airlines Ltd. will discontinue its twice-daily service to LaGuardia Airport and withdraw from the New York City market as of July 4, citing its inability to secure gates at the airport, the company announced yesterday.

WestJet began flying to LaGuardia on Sept. 28 and will continue to operate two flights every business day until July 4, the airline said.

As a result of the pullout, WestJet will begin a seasonal non-stop daily route between Toronto and Victoria that will run July 5 to Sept. 5.

"It is regrettable that WestJet has had to make this decision, but the inability to secure gates at LaGuardia has prevented us from growing the market into a viable route at this time," WestJet vice-president Sean Durfy said in a statement.

WestJet shares closed yesterday at $14.40, up 15 cents, on the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Air Jamaica flights to St. Lucia won't resume for at least six months, company chief says
By GUY ELLIS
3 June 2005

CASTRIES, St. Lucia (AP) - Air Jamaica will not resume flights to St. Lucia for at least another six months as the troubled carrier tries to cut costs to stay afloat, the company's chief executive said Thursday.

Air Jamaica suspended its service to St. Lucia, Barbados and Grenada in March. Flights have resumed to the other two islands but will remain suspended to St. Lucia for "at least six months including the summer period," Air Jamaica Executive Chairman Vin Lawrence said.

Lawrence said the Air Jamaica will close its two sales offices and its airport office in St. Lucia until flights to the island resume, leaving 20 people jobless.

Air Jamaica started flying to St. Lucia in 1997 and provided flights connecting the island to the United States.

The airline, like most Caribbean carriers, has been struggling to recover from massive losses caused by higher fuel and security costs and a drop in passengers following the Sept. 11 attacks in the United States.

Air Jamaica also recently cut several routes Bonaire, Antigua, Havana, London, Houston and Manchester, England as part of restructuring.

The government regained control of Air Jamaica in December and appointed a new board. It originally planned to sell the airline, but later said restructuring would keep it in government hands for several years.

The airline will receive US$30 million in annual subsidies, but will likely undergo more operational changes pending the findings of a report by Air Jamaica's interim board due later this month.

Olympic Strike Causes Flight Cancellations
June 23, 2005

Greek flag carrier Olympic Airlines said a surprise strike by its cabin crews on Thursday forced it to cancel 72 out of 117 scheduled flights, causing hardship for passengers.

Olympic said most of the flights were domestic, mainly to island destinations. Cancelled flights abroad included those to Paris, Milan, London, Sofia, Bucharest, Frankfurt, Vienna, Berlin and Manchester.

Olympic's employees union (OSPA) will join a 24 hour strike by private sector umbrella union GSEE on Friday, which means that only 54 flights will be possible out of Athens.

Greece is looking to sell Olympic as part of a state plan to sell off assets to raise funds to pay down public debt, one of the highest in the euro zone.

Olympic's pilots union (EXPA) blasted the strike action of cabin crew staff, saying it was "at least wrong if not suspect for its timing" in hurting the ailing carrier.

"It's impossible not to be angry at the way they chose to claim their rights... their extreme stance is sawing away the branch on which they and other Olympic employees are sitting."

Pilots will not be joining the planned strike on Friday.

(Reuters)

Alitalia cancels 59 flights
(AP)

17 July 2005


ROME — Alitalia has cancelled 59 flights for Monday because of a 24-hour strike by flight attendants.

The Italian flagship carrier said yesterday that the cancellations include 26 domestic and 33 international flights.

The walkout was called by Sult, one of several labour confederations representing the airline’s staff. Sult is negotiating details of a labour contract signed months ago.

Asiana suspends Sydney flight as strike hits international route
Time is GMT + 8 hours
Posted: 19-Jul-2005 15:26 hrs


Asiana Airlines cargo planes at Incheon Airport near Seoul on July 18. The South Korean carrier cancelled a Sydney flight Tuesday as a three-day-old pilots' strike began to hit international services. Three cargo flights were also scrapped, but a spokesman said other international passenger flights would go ahead as scheduled.


South Korea's Asiana Airlines cancelled a flight to Sydney as a three-day-old strike by pilots began to hit international services.
.
All three cargo flights by Asiana, the country's second-largest airline, were also scrapped Tuesday, but a spokesman said other international passenger services would go ahead as scheduled.
.
Domestic flights have already been disrupted by the labor dispute, which started on Sunday. Pilots are demanding fewer working hours, more holidays, better job security and an older retirement age.
.
"Negotiations with the union lasted until late Monday but the two sides failed to narrow differences," the Asiana spokesman told AFP. "They remain too wide apart."
.
Yoon Byung-In, senior executive vice president of Asiana, said it would do its utmost to keep international services intact.
.
"We give top priority to maintaining international passenger services. We'll operate all international passenger flights scheduled for the following week," Yoon told journalists.
.
Asiana has between 110 and 117 international passenger flights a day.
.
Yoon said domestic flights to the southern island of Jeju would also be retained by reducing other domestic flights.
.
Labor authorities said the government had no plans to intervene to break the strike, which has threatened to spread throughout the country's aviation industry.
.
Twenty-six union leaders of Korean Air walked out on Monday to press their demands for better working conditions and higher wages as a prelude to a full-fledged strike by other union members. — AFP

South Korea's Asiana Airlines cancelled a flight to Sydney as a three-day-old strike by pilots began to hit international services.
.
All three cargo flights by Asiana, the country's second-largest airline, were also scrapped Tuesday, but a spokesman said other international passenger services would go ahead as scheduled.
.
Domestic flights have already been disrupted by the labor dispute, which started on Sunday. Pilots are demanding fewer working hours, more holidays, better job security and an older retirement age.
.
"Negotiations with the union lasted until late Monday but the two sides failed to narrow differences," the Asiana spokesman told AFP. "They remain too wide apart."
.
Yoon Byung-In, senior executive vice president of Asiana, said it would do its utmost to keep international services intact.
.
"We give top priority to maintaining international passenger services. We'll operate all international passenger flights scheduled for the following week," Yoon told journalists.
.
Asiana has between 110 and 117 international passenger flights a day.
.
Yoon said domestic flights to the southern island of Jeju would also be retained by reducing other domestic flights.
.
Labor authorities said the government had no plans to intervene to break the strike, which has threatened to spread throughout the country's aviation industry.
.
Twenty-six union leaders of Korean Air walked out on Monday to press their demands for better working conditions and higher wages as a prelude to a full-fledged strike by other union members. — AFP
South Korea's Asiana Airlines cancelled a flight to Sydney as a three-day-old strike by pilots began to hit international services.
.
All three cargo flights by Asiana, the country's second-largest airline, were also scrapped Tuesday, but a spokesman said other international passenger services would go ahead as scheduled.
.
Domestic flights have already been disrupted by the labor dispute, which started on Sunday. Pilots are demanding fewer working hours, more holidays, better job security and an older retirement age.
.
"Negotiations with the union lasted until late Monday but the two sides failed to narrow differences," the Asiana spokesman told AFP. "They remain too wide apart."
.
Yoon Byung-In, senior executive vice president of Asiana, said it would do its utmost to keep international services intact.
.
"We give top priority to maintaining international passenger services. We'll operate all international passenger flights scheduled for the following week," Yoon told journalists.
.
Asiana has between 110 and 117 international passenger flights a day.
.
Yoon said domestic flights to the southern island of Jeju would also be retained by reducing other domestic flights.
.
Labor authorities said the government had no plans to intervene to break the strike, which has threatened to spread throughout the country's aviation industry.
.
Twenty-six union leaders of Korean Air walked out on Monday to press their demands for better working conditions and higher wages as a prelude to a full-fledged strike by other union members. — AFP
South Korea's Asiana Airlines cancelled a flight to Sydney as a three-day-old strike by pilots began to hit international services.
.
All three cargo flights by Asiana, the country's second-largest airline, were also scrapped Tuesday, but a spokesman said other international passenger services would go ahead as scheduled.
.
Domestic flights have already been disrupted by the labor dispute, which started on Sunday. Pilots are demanding fewer working hours, more holidays, better job security and an older retirement age.
.
"Negotiations with the union lasted until late Monday but the two sides failed to narrow differences," the Asiana spokesman told AFP. "They remain too wide apart."
.
Yoon Byung-In, senior executive vice president of Asiana, said it would do its utmost to keep international services intact.
.
"We give top priority to maintaining international passenger services. We'll operate all international passenger flights scheduled for the following week," Yoon told journalists.
.
Asiana has between 110 and 117 international passenger flights a day.
.
Yoon said domestic flights to the southern island of Jeju would also be retained by reducing other domestic flights.
.
Labor authorities said the government had no plans to intervene to break the strike, which has threatened to spread throughout the country's aviation industry.
.
Twenty-six union leaders of Korean Air walked out on Monday to press their demands for better working conditions and higher wages as a prelude to a full-fledged strike by other union members. — AFP

Dispute leads Air Canada to cancel Toronto-P.E.I. winter flights
Last Updated Mon, 18 Jul 2005 17:36:00 EDT
CBC News

Air Canada will cancel its direct Toronto-Charlottetown flights from October until next spring because the P.E.I. government provided subsidies to rival WestJet Airlines, the company said Monday.

Air Canada spokesperson Laura Cooke said advertisements will be placed in P.E.I. newspapers notifying people of the decision.

The move is the latest development in a three-month dispute between the airline and the provincial government. It began when the province enticed WestJet to launch a summer service to P.E.I., promising $500,000 in marketing and revenue incentives.

WestJet began operating flights on June 28, with the intention of ending the service on Sept. 15.

Cooke said the provincial government is disrupting the Prince Edward Island market by providing a subsidy to a competing carrier during the most lucrative period of the year.

"Generally, the returns generated during the summer have made up for the marginal returns during the winter months," she said.

"Because the market forces have been distorted, from a business perspective we can no longer justify offering a route during the leaner winter months," Cooke said.

The P.E.I. capital will continue to be served year-round by flights to Halifax and Montreal operated by Air Canada's Jazz subsidiary, and passengers can connect to Toronto from those airports. The direct Toronto-Charlottetown service will resume when business picks up in the spring, Cooke said.

Cooke said Air Canada held numerous discussions and meetings with P.E.I. officials, including Premier Pat Binns, before making the decision to cut the routes.

The airline said it has notified both Binns and federal Transport Minister Jean Lapierre of its decision.

Premier unfazed by cancellation

Binns held a news conference Monday to say Air Canada's action was "not the end of the world," noting that the airline would continue to operate direct year-round service between Charlottetown and Montreal.

"We provided a subsidy to them to initiate that Montreal service and its been so successful that they run three airplanes a day from Montreal and two in the wintertime," he said.

Binns said the province tried unsuccessfully to resolve the dispute in recent weeks.
P.E.I. Premier Pat Binns (File photo)

"We were not able to come to a satisfactory agreement," he said. "Air Canada wanted exclusivity in regard to advertising and they also ... wanted involvement or a veto in terms of additional carriers coming in the future."

Binns said the province will look to another airline to provide direct flights between Toronto and Charlottetown during the fall and winter.

Responding to Binns' comments, Cooke said the premier was misrepresenting Air Canada's position.

"We were not seeking a veto, but were rather recommending a competitive bidding process for new entrants in the market," she said. "It's not a truthful characterization of what we said."

Cooke also denied that Air Canada was looking for special treatment in advertising.

"We were seeking the same understanding as WestJet is receiving," she said. "We were not seeking exclusivity; we wanted precisely the same consideration."

Air Zimbabwe Suspends Flights Amid Fuel Crisis
July 21, 2005


National airline Air Zimbabwe has been forced to suspend some domestic and international flights as a fuel crisis bites, state media reported on Thursday.

The southern African nation is grappling with its worst fuel crisis in years with fuel stations remaining dry for weeks, forcing many urban commuters to walk to and from work.

The crisis has also hit production in the manufacturing sector and slowed annual tobacco deliveries.

"Some flights were suspended while some are operational as usual," the official Herald newspaper quoted Air Zimbabwe spokesman David Mwenga as saying. He did not give details on the suspended flights.

The Herald quoted an official at the carrier as saying the cancelled flights included those to the resort town of Victoria Falls, South Africa and London.

It said a London-bound flight was delayed on Wednesday for nearly seven hours as "officials ran around to find the scarce commodity". Airline officials were not immediately available for comment.

Zimbabwe requires 2.5 million litres of diesel and 2 million litres of fuel every day, but imports have been erratic since 1999 amid foreign currency shortages due to poor exports.

The fuel woes have exacerbated an economic crisis with food shortages, record unemployment and one of the highest rates of inflation in the world.

A spokesman for President Robert Mugabe has said the government was seeking credit lines from South African and Asian allies to revive the economy as Western donors withhold aid.

Mugabe, 81, in power since the former British colony gained independence in 1980, denies he has run down the economy.

He instead says it has been sabotaged by local and international opponents of his government's seizure of white-owned farms for redistribution to landless blacks.

(Reuters)

SAA Cancels Flights As Strike Starts
July 22, 2005

South African Airways (SAA) cancelled some domestic and international flights on Friday as ground staff began a strike over wages that caused chaos at major airports across the country.

"SAA has cancelled some of its domestic flights following industrial action by cabin crew and ground staff from early this morning," SAA spokeswoman Sarah Uys said in a statement.

Passengers were forced to wait for hours and many slept with baggage strewn across the floor as the national carrier attempted to get them on other airlines' flights.

Flights to African cities including Lusaka in Zambia and Nairobi in Kenya were also cancelled but the airline said so far no flights to more distant destinations were affected.

Union spokesman Leon Grobler of the United Association of South Africa (UASA) said the union was trying to facilitate a meeting with SAA management, and added that the strike would continue until an agreement was reached.

"We will strike over the weekend. It's impossible to call off the strike at this stage when there is no reasonable offer on the table," Grobler said.

SAA cabin crew and ground staff went on strike from early on Friday after unions and management failed to reach agreement on wages at a final meeting on Thursday.

UASA is demanding an eight percent annual wage increase while SAA is offering five percent.

The union gave the airline notice that it intended to go on strike from Wednesday, but the action was delayed by further negotiations.

Local media reported that passengers waited in queues of up to 200 metres (yards) at Johannesburg Airport while at Cape Town some passengers took to sleeping on their luggage on the airport floor. All outbound SAA fights from Durban were cancelled, South African Press Association reported.

"We have been waiting here since 7 o'clock this morning. The flight was supposed to leave at 9am but it hasn't gone yet," Emily Schwarz, a member of a British school netball team, said at Cape Town airport shortly before noon.

"I am quite annoyed because we have a game tomorrow (in Durban) and now it doesn't even look like we will get there until tomorrow. Does this happen often?"

The Australian national rugby team -- in South Africa to play the Springboks in the final game of the Mandela Charity Cup on Saturday -- had to charter a special flight from Cape Town to Johannesburg for the game due to the extensive delays.

But others said they understood the SAA staff action.

"It is quite annoying to have to stand here in queues but you can sympathize with the union... the company has just reported big profits," Manie Wessels said while waiting for a flight to Johannesburg.

UASA argues that SAA can afford an eight percent raise after it disclosed a ZAR966 million rand (USD$146.2 million) net profit for the 2004/05 financial year earlier this month. It suffered a ZAR8.6 billion (USD$1.3 billion) loss the previous period.

SAA said contingency plans were in place to minimize disruption, but passengers were advised to make alternative travel arrangements, Uys added.

(Reuters)

Air France cancels flights from Abidjan over security

Abidjan, Cote d`Ivoire, 07/25 - Air France on Sunday cancelled all its flights from Abidjan because of security reasons, industry sources said in the Ivorian economic capital Monday.

The move followed fighting Saturday night in southern Cote d`Ivoire and tension in Abidjan.

Moise Sassou, head of Air France Public Relations Department, told PANA flights would resume Monday, with a plane expected from Paris take stranded passengers in Abidjan.

The Ivorian Defence and Security Forces reported fighting late Saturday between government forces and unidentified gunmen in Anyama, 22-km from Abidjan, resulting in nine deaths, including five gendarmes.

Olympic Air To Cancel 50 Flights Due To Strike
July 25, 2005

Greek flag carrier Olympic Airlines will cancel 50 flights on Tuesday because of a 24 hour strike as part of industrial action called by main trade union body GSEE against proposed government reforms.

Olympic Airlines said on Monday it would fly to one domestic destination and one international on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, parliament will debate reforms proposed by the New Democracy government intended to create more jobs and boost competitiveness.

The proposed bill aims to introduce more flexible working hours and cheaper overtime pay. Unions said the proposed changes will trim workers' pay.

Athens' transport system will ground to a halt on Tuesday as workers join in GSEE's strike.

Public utility employees and bank workers will stay away from work while civil servants will hold a four hour work stoppage in the morning.

GSEE will also stage a protest rally outside Parliament.

Athens' determination to push through politically difficult reforms comes after Prime Minister Costas Karamanlis easily won a parliamentary confidence vote last month.

(Reuters)

Gulf Air suspends Mumbai flights
28 July 2005


Due to the exceptional weather conditions impacting the Mumbai area and in particular the disruption this has caused at Mumbai airport, Gulf Air has been advised by the local Indian Civil Aviation Authorities to suspend all flights from and into the airport until further notice.

The airline has no aircraft stranded in Mumbai and flights to other Indian cities are operating as normal.

No time line has been given as to when services can be resumed.

Japan airlines to halt flights to Northern Marianas

Japan Airlines has announced it will suspend flights to the Northern Marianas capital, Saipan, because of low profitability.

The Northern Marianas counts on Japan for 70 per cent of its visitors

A local study has shown that 2,800 people stand to lose their jobs once the flight suspension takes effect in October.

The study says the tourism-based economy of the Northern Marianas stands to lose $US144 million in economic output due to the anticipated changes.

More routes suspended


Japan Airlines also plans to suspend flights to Guam, Honolulu, Hong Kong and Seoul, and reduce the frequency of flights to Hawaii.

The carrier has posted heavy losses in recent months.

It has suffered from high fuel costs and from a series of incidents highlighting safety problems, leading the airline's chairman to stand down in May.

ABC Asia Pacific TV / Radio Australia

Air Canada cancels some flights
Last Updated Sun, 31 Jul 2005 16:55:07 EDT
CBC News

http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/pix/airport050731.jpg

Air Canada is cancelling some flights because its pilots have reached the limit of their monthly flying time, spokeswoman Laura Cooke told CBC Newsworld on Sunday.

"We do apologize," she said.
Cancellations force passengers to switch flights.

But "today should be the end of it" because the airline starts a new block of time – the August quota – at midnight, she said.

It's not clear exactly how many flights or passengers are affected.

Cooke blamed the problem on a 70 per cent increase in cancelled flights in July because of the weather.

* FROM JULY 2, 2005: Foggy days bring delays at Halifax airport

When a flight is cancelled or delayed, the pilot may still be on duty, sitting in the plane and eating up his flying time.

It's even worse if a pilot is held over in one city, because then the airline may have to find a replacement for him at his intended destination for his next flight.

Air Canada had 177 flights cancelled in Halifax in July, and electrical storms in Manitoba and the northest U.S. raised the total, Cooke said.

The airline has reserve pilots, but they also "have reached their max," she said.

Cooke said the airline started calling customers several days ago and the "vast majority" were able to take a different flight on their scheduled day of travel.

International flights protected

Flights to and from Toronto, the airline's hub, are the most affected.

Air Canada is protecting its international flights because there may only be one a day to some destinations.

But for frequently served city pairs, like Toronto-Vancouver, it is consolidating flights.

The airline is looking at compensation on a case-by-case basis, Cooke said.

Under their contract, pilots can fly 84 hours a month. Government rules allow slightly more flying time each month.

British Airways cancels cargo flights to Zambia
Wed Aug 3, 2005 5:11 PM GMT

LUSAKA (Reuters) - British Airways has suspended cargo flights to Zambia due to high jet fuel costs, it said on Wednesday in a move analysts said would hurt exporters who earn millions of dollars for the African country every year.

The airline's decision prompted Zambian President Levy Mwanawasa to order energy officials to look at ways of reducing jet fuel costs, which in Zambia are now at 78 cents per litre or almost twice as much as neighbouring countries.

"The decision (to withdraw the cargo flight) was reached last week, and flights will be stopped on August 8," British Airways spokesman George Makulu told Reuters.

The airline will continue to run direct passenger service between Lusaka and London.

Officials said British Airways' decision to scrap cargo flights would leave Zambian exporters of cut flowers and fresh vegetables without a direct route to get produce to European markets.

British Airways was the only direct cargo link between Europe and Zambia, and exporters will now be forced to turn to more time-consuming transhipment routes through South Africa.

Treasury data indicates that Zambia earned $60 million from exports of vegetables and roses in 2004, mostly to Europe. Thousands of Zambians earn a living by working on large commercial vegetable farms.

Mwanawasa said separately at a news conference that Zambia could not afford to lose the cargo link.

"I have been informed that there is a task force to look into the problems of the price of jet fuel. I think this is not necessary because we know what the problem is ... I am directing the ministry of energy to quickly find a solution," he said.

Last week, aviation industry sources said a Kenyan Airways passenger flight expected in Zambia was forced to land in Malawi to refuel due to a shortage of jet fuel in the country.

North America Air to quit Hawaii

North American Airlines Inc., which last November began passenger service from Oakland, Calif., to Hawaii, will halt that service at the end of the month.

The subsidiary of World Air Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: WLDA) said Monday it is losing money on the service and will concentrate on charter flights now.

"We have appreciated the customer support for our Hawaii service," said Robb Binns, senior vice president for planning at World Air Holdings, "but this is a very competitive market that has not proven to be profitable."

Binns said it is in the best interest of the business to allocate the aircraft and crews for charter service, including charters for the U.S. military.

Customers affected by the discontinuance, which is effective Sept. 1, may contact North American at 888-287-5113 for assistance.

The pullout by North America is a windfall for Aloha Airlines, the only other carrier with regular scheduled service to Hawaii from Oakland International Airport.

Asiana Cuts Flights As Strike Continues
August 7, 2005

South Korean airline, Asiana, said on Sunday it would cancel more international flights as a pilots' strike dragged on into its 22nd day.

The strike by the union that represents about 65 percent of Asiana's 839 pilots has cost the company KRW152 billion won (USD$150.3 million) so far, the company said in a statement.

"During the July 17 to August 7 period, 450,000 passengers have been affected, with 38,000 tonnes of cargo shipments delayed," the statement said.

"International routes to some European countries and Japan are to be affected this month following a cut on July 29 in flight services to Los Angeles, New York and some Chinese cities," it added.

The union is seeking better perks, work conditions and a greater say in management decisions, while the airline has said it will not make any concession on the pilots' demand to participate as observers in meetings of board of directors.

The government has threatened to step in if a solution cannot be found this weekend.

The strike came during the busy summer travel season, and seriously challenges Asiana, which has seen many of its passengers take flights on routes duplicated by its larger domestic rival Korean Air.

(Reuters)

BA Cancels All London Heathrow Flights
August 11, 2005

British Airways has cancelled all flights in and out of London's Heathrow Airport until late on Friday after a series of wildcat strikes stranded thousands of passengers during the peak travel season.

BA Chief Executive Rod Eddington said there would be no flights until 1700 GMT on Friday at the earliest after ground staff walked out, causing chaos at Heathrow.

"This unprecedented move is a result of the crippling operational impact of unofficial industrial action," he said in a statement.

At least 20,000 people were stranded on Thursday after some 120 BA flights at Heathrow were cancelled.

And Eddington said 100 planes and 1,000 pilots and cabin crew were stuck in the wrong places around the world after baggage handlers, loaders and bus drivers walked out in sympathy with workers at Heathrow caterer Gate Gourmet, which is caught up in a row with management.

The airline said it had booked "a few thousand" hotel rooms for passengers but some faced the prospect of spending the night at the airport.

Airport staff handed out free bottles of water and engineers erected large marquees on the forecourt so that people would have somewhere to shelter.

Around 100,000 passengers fly daily with the airline during August.

"We've planned this holiday for 18 months and we're going to a wedding. We've saved long and hard for it. I'm gutted," said Ian Thompson, 51, who was trying to catch a flight to Los Angeles.

BA said it was contacting passengers to warn them about the situation before their flights.

Hundreds of flights operated by British Airways, Europe's third-largest airline, left London earlier on Thursday without meals on board for passengers due to the catering dispute.

Passengers were provided with food bags or vouchers at the airport before boarding flights.

The disruption at Heathrow intensified after BA suspended check-ins for its passengers at Terminals One and Four as a result of the dispute at Gate Gourmet.

That dispute had worsened on Wednesday when Gate Gourmet sacked around 350 workers who went on strike over the company's decision to hire seasonal workers, unions said.

A Transport & General Workers Union spokeswoman said the union was seeking further talks with Gate Gourmet and wanted to see the workers reinstated.

Gate Gourmet was not available for comment.

However, a company statement on Wednesday said the strike action, following more than 30 meetings between management and the union, had put the jobs of 2,000 of its workers at Heathrow under threat.

"These actions not only jeopardize the livelihoods of our entire workforce at Heathrow but also the services of major airlines and their customers," Managing Director Eric Born said in a statement.

He added: "If we don't change, the company will not survive and there will be no future. We now have to take control of this situation swiftly, which may lead to restructuring to avoid the total collapse of the company."

(Reuters)

70,000 stranded as British Airways cancels flights over labor dispute


Friday, August 12, 2005 1:25 PM CDT

LONDON (AP) - At least 70,000 travelers were stranded Friday after British Airways canceled all flights to and from Heathrow Airport because of an industrial dispute, an airline spokesman said.

With almost 100 BA aircraft and 1,000 pilots and cabin crew out of position around the world because of the strike, Heathrow management warned that disruption at one of the world's busiest international airport could last for days.

Problems for British Airways' flights started Thursday after baggage handlers and other ground staff joined an industrial dispute between the airline's caterer, Gate Gourmet, and its work force.

Overnight, about 1,000 people slept at Heathrow's terminals on floors and in seating areas, said BA spokesman Tony Cane. He said the airline had been able to put up about 4,000 others in hotels near the airport, the airline's main hub, although most of the stranded travelers had opted to return home.

Cane said about 500 BA flights had to be canceled - 250 in and another 250 out of Heathrow. The suspension would last until 1 p.m. EDT on Friday at the earliest, he said.

"We've requested that staff come back to work and we're now waiting to be advised of their plans," Cane said.

Qantas and Sri Lankan Airlines, which use BA ground staff, also canceled their flights from Heathrow Friday.

BA appealed to customers booked on Friday's flights not to come to Heathrow but to check on their status online or by calling the airline.

Other airlines, including Ireland's Aer Lingus, said they were taking overflow passengers from BA on their flights.

Heathrow's managing director, Mick Temple, said there would be "significant disruption" for several days to BA flights.

Allen Sing, an American businessman from Hong Kong, said he had already checked in for a flight Thursday when he was told no meals would be provided inflight and he was given a voucher to buy food at the airport.

"Eventually when it became clear all flights were going to be canceled, I wanted to return to my hotel but was told that if I left the airport I might not see my checked baggage ever again," Sing said. "I've been rebooked on another airline, but I still don't know how to retrieve my baggage."

He said he would be shopping for new clothes. He also said the phone number provided by BA for inquiries was constantly busy.

All BA flights from Heathrow were canceled and arriving flights were diverted to other British airports as the dispute escalated on Thursday.

A union representing Gate Gourmet, which provides onboard meals for British Airways flights, said the company had fired 800 workers on Wednesday. The company said only 667 workers had been dismissed.

British Airways' workers, including baggage handlers and loaders represented by the same union - the Transport and General Workers union - stopped work in sympathy with the fired catering staff.

Later Thursday, another union representing British Airways check-in staff advised their members to stop work for health and safety reasons after disgruntled passengers took out their frustrations on staff.

British Airways chief executive Rod Eddington said in a statement Thursday that nearly 100 aircraft and 1,000 pilots and cabin crew were left "in the wrong places around the world" because of the dispute.

"It is a huge disappointment to us that we have become embroiled in someone else's dispute."

Gate Gourmet, which is owned by the U.S. company Texas Pacific Group, claimed that workers staged an unofficial strike, but the Transport and General Workers Union accused managers of deliberately provoking the dispute.

Thailand's Phuket Airlines to cut routes, flights after French ban - report
08.31.2005, 03:24 AM

BANGKOK (AFX) - Phuket Airlines, which was among five carriers banned from French airspace yesterday over safety concerns, is to cut most of its scheduled routes and lease out the bulk of its fleet in a bid to survive, the Bangkok Post reported.

The airline will cut costs, including its charter flights, founder and president Vikrom Aisiri said.

Vikrom said that charters had brought the privately-owned carrier major problems, including the impounding of one of its Boeing 747-300s in South Korea amid a row over maintenance and service fees.

'It's too troublesome,' he was quoted as saying. 'We learned our lessons in a very hard way and (we) don't want to get involved anymore.'

Phuket Airlines, which said earlier this week that it employs 600 staff and operates 16 aircraft, has lost 500 mln baht and shed one third of its workforce, or 300 people, since April, the Nation said.

Vikrom, who is also a Thai senator, said the airline will lease all nine Boeing 747-300s and several of its smaller aircraft including a Boeing 737 and two S-11 propeller aircraft to other airlines.

The 'wet lease' deal means Phuket Airlines supplies the aircraft, cockpit and cabin crew and engineers, while the aircraft will be repainted in the other airlines' livery.

Phuket Airlines vice-president Chawanit Chiamcharoenvut said yesterday that while his company is not sure why it had been banned by France, it will try to improve its safety and maintenance standards

Thailand's Phuket Airlines to cut routes, flights after French ban - report
08.31.2005, 03:24 AM


Phuket Airlines has demanded official clarification from authorities in France and the United Kingdom of why it is prohibited from flying to the European countries.

Airline senior vice president Kanin Phuvasiten, in a letter to the Direction Generale de l'Aviation Civile (DGAC) of France, summed up Phuket Air's concern: "How could an airline with no track record of air casualty, nor any known cases of a near mishap in its history, be branded as unsafe while many more airlines with past history of flight disaster are not," Mr Kanin asked in the letter.

France last Monday published a list of six airlines prohibited from its airports and airspace.

Phuket Airlines entered the French list on June 4. Also banned were Air Koryo of North Korea; Air St Thomas of the US Virgin Islands; International Air Services of Liberia, and Linhas Aereas de Mocambique and Transairways, both from Mozambique.

None of the airlines on the list were involved in recent crashes.

"Even more perplexing is the fact that Phuket Airlines was granted an approval to fly to France on March 23 by the Department of the French Civil Aviation," continued Mr Kanin's letter, dated Aug 30.

"Consequently astonishing also is the fact such a negative judgement be passed, when not a single Phuket Airlines flight ever flew to France, and no warning was ever released against our airline from your side," Mr Kanin said.

In its published statement, DGAC maintained its list was based on reports indicating the airlines' failures to confirm with the standards established by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) in the framework of so-called Safety Assessments of Foreign Aircraft.

Officials of DGAC could not be reached for comment, and the French Embassy in Bangkok was unable to clarify the matter.

Mr Kanin said the Thai airline is taking a similar case to the UK Civil Aviation Authorities which has since April banned it from flying there for safety reasons.

Chawanit Chiamcharoenvut, executive vice president of Phuket Airlines, said yesterday the airline stands ready to have their aircraft safety audited by authorities before taking off for any foreign country. But for now, the airline has no plans to fly scheduled intercontinental flights.

BOONSONG KOSITCHOTETHANA

ALITALIA CANCELLED 29 FLIGHTS


(AGI) - Rome, Sep 6 - At 12am, 29 flights had already been cancelled by Alitalia following today's strike of flight attendants, sources of the independent trade union Sult said. According to a statement issued by the trade union "dozens of flights are late or blocked waiting for crew members". Sult is surprised by the airline's attitude which earlier today announced that "no flights had been cancelled due to the strike". "Such statements show no respect and we prefer to ignore them: indeed, we knew that the strike would be successful and we were right".
-
061437 SET 05

Northwest To Suspend Its Nonstop New York-Tokyo Service
7 September 2005

MINNEAPOLIS (Dow Jones)--Northwest Airlines Corp. (NWAC) will indefinitely suspend its daily nonstop flight from New York's John F. Kennedy Airport to Tokyo's Narita Airport due to the record-high cost of jet fuel.

Northwest's New York-Tokyo service will be discontinued beginning Oct. 2. The airline will continue to offer single connecting service from New York area airports to Tokyo through its Detroit and Minneapolis/St. Paul hubs.

During the month of August, the flights between New York-JFK Airport and Tokyo-Narita Airport accounted for about 2% of Northwest's total capacity and 8% of its Pacific capacity.

The Boeing 747-400 aircraft that flew the New York-Tokyo direct route will be redeployed to operate Northwest's Los Angeles-Tokyo service.

As the Wall Street Journal reported, jet-fuel prices have risen faster than crude-oil prices recently amid strong demand and tight supply. In the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, supplies could be pinched further in the U.S., where Gulf Coast refineries have been hobbled by the storm.

Earlier Wednesday, Northwest said it tentatively plans to resume talks with striking mechanics on Thursday. The airline's announcement came one day after it told the union it would begin hiring replacement workers later this month.

A Northwest spokeswoman said the route suspension is due to high fuel costs and is unrelated to the strike. The company has no plans to suspend other services at this time.

Myanmar Airways International suspends New Delhi flights
Last Updated 08/09/2005, 12:26:15



Burma's national airline will suspend its direct flight to India's capital, New Delhi, from September 15 because passengers have dwindled in the off-season.

Myanmar Airways International is unable say when flights will resume but says it will organise for those passengers who already have bookings to travel on other airlines.

The New Delhi flight, which runs three times a week, is the only direct link between the neighboring countries.

This is a corrected version of a story which ran on September 7 that called the country's national airline Burma Airways International, instead of Myanmar Airways International.

Northwest suspends its Seattle-Bangalore flight
LALIT K. JHA


NEW YORK, OCTOBER 28: Two days before the scheduled launch of its much-awaited flight between Seattle and Bangalore, Northwest Airlines has announced its ‘‘indefinite suspension’’. A spokesperson told The Indian Express on Friday that Northwest’s recent decision to reduce its level of flying because of spiraling fuel prices is behind the move.

The daily Seattle-Amsterdam-Bangalore flight was scheduled to be launched on October 30. The airline had been building up promotional offers and carrying on the campaign for the past several months.

Of late the airline has been running into deep financial crisis. It has filed for bankruptcy, and is also having a tough time in running and maintaining its fleet of aircraft because of indefinite strike by its mechanics. The airline’s spokesperson, however, said the other Northwest flights to New Delhi and Mumbai would continue as usual.

Because of its financial crisis, the airline has also reduced a number of domestic flights. Among the international flights, it has suspended for a six months, Minneapolis-London flight and reduced the frequency of Detroit-Paris flight from seven to five days a week.

It is believed that a large number of passengers had booked for the flight to Bangalore as the airline had launched an intensive publicity campaign and promotional offer for past several months.

‘‘We apologise for any inconvenience this action has caused our passengers. Northwest is contacting customers to arrange alternate travel arrangements,’’ she said. The official had no idea when the new dates would be announced. As of now, it has been suspended indefinitely.

The official asserted that they viewed India as an emerging market and was eying to get a share of it. ‘‘Northwest remains committed to India,’’ she said.

Northwest, through its JV with KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, has provided service to India since October 1997, and currently offers daily flights from 16 North American gateway cities to Mumbai and New Delhi, via Amsterdam. Early this month, Northwest had entered into a marketing agreement with Jet Airways.

Meanwhile, Continental Airlines said it was going ahead with its plan to launch the first non-stop New York-New Delhi flight on November 1.

Kazakhs Stop Flights To Turkey
November 17, 2005

Kazakh flagship carrier Air Astana said on Thursday it had suspended flights to Turkey after a Turkish court ordered the impounding of all arriving Kazakh planes to secure repayment of a Kazakh government debt.

The Turkish court on Wednesday ordered the arrest of "all Kazakh planes arriving at Turkey airports or making transit landings there in a bid to cover the debt of some USD$8 million incurred by Kazakhstan's National Bank to Turkish citizen Turgut Tirali," Air Astana said in a statement.

Kazakhstan's central bank declined to comment.

Air Astana, 51 percent owned by the Kazakh government and 49 percent by Britain's BAE Systems, operates the Almaty-Istanbul flight jointly with Turkish Airlines.

Air Astana said it had suspended Thursday's flight, originally scheduled for 0825 local time (0225 GMT), "until further notice later on".

"We now hope for a display of goodwill in a bid to avoid an international scandal," said Air Astana spokesman Azat Bekturov. "We ourselves are very puzzled."

(Reuters)

PAL suspends Riyadh flights

MANILA – Philippine Airlines will suspend flights to Riyadh on March 2, 2006 as it rationalizes operations amid a massive oversupply of airline seats in the Middle East market that has caused its persistent losses in the region.

The decision to suspend the three-times-weekly service to the Saudi capital was taken after a long, careful review and comes after many years of the company sustaining unviable operations in the Middle East as a public service to the Filipino community there, PAL said.

The recent series of increases that raised aviation fuel prices to record highs in the world market has added to the burden of maintaining the Riyadh operation – a liability other heavily subsidized airlines do not share, it added.

However, PAL will continue to serve the needs of travelers to the region, particularly Filipino workers, via existing code-share partnerships with Emirates and Qatar Airways. PAL is also in talks with other Middle Eastern carriers to expand and enhance the coverage of its code-share network.

The Riyadh service suspension is not expected to impact Filipino workers generally given that PAL’s three weekly flights account for less than 4% of the total number of airline seats available on the Philippines-Middle East routes.

Six national carriers from the various Arab Gulf states already operate a total of 43 flights weekly between Manila, Cebu and nine points in the region. In addition, five East Asian carriers serve the Gulf market from the Philippines with 33 flights weekly via their hubs.

In all, these airlines operate 76 flights per week between the Philippines and the Middle East, with a deployed capacity of over 1.12 million seats a year. However, the traffic in this sector is not much over half a million passengers annually, the vast majority of them Filipino workers.

The gross overcapacity has led to cut-throat marketing practices, with state-owned Arab Gulf carriers driving fares way below commercially viable levels in an effort to force out competition, not only in the Middle East market but also on the onward sector to Europe.

Over the last three years, four European carriers that used to operate direct flights between Manila and European capitals have either stopped or reduced service – British Airways in 2002, Swiss International in April 2004, Air France in November 2004 and Lufthansa in April 2005.

PAL likewise felt the market pressure as far back as the late 1990s but chose to endure and absorb the losses to carry out its mandate of serving the Filipino community in the region.

However, the flag carrier could only hold out for so long. In June 1998, it was forced to discontinue service to Dubai and Jeddah, and in August 2001, to Dammam.

PAL’s departure from Riyadh closes a colorful chapter of service to the Middle East, an era that spanned 27 years and, at its peak from the mid-1980s to early 1990s, covered seven points in four countries.

From March 2, the PAL network will count 25 international destinations as well as 19 points in the Philippines.

台北＝シドニー路線を運休します
2006年1月18日

エバー航空は、下記のとおり運休いたします。

便名 区間 　　　　　　　　 運休期間
BR311 台北－シドニー 2006年3月26日より2006年冬季スケジュール終了まで
BR312 シドニー－台北 2006年3月26日より2006年冬季スケジュール終了まで

http://www.evaair.com/image/b2c/chinese/homepage/a_0_1.gif

EVA will be suspended the route btw TPE/SYD on March 26, 2006

JAL had been reduced the following int'l routes traffic as below

http://www.jal.com.hk/zhhk/common/img/jalmark_new.gif

預計收入驟減 日本航空公司再取消4條國際航線


　　日本航空公司19日決定從今年秋天開始陸續取消包括從日本關西機場飛往洛杉磯等4條航線。這是日航自去年10月取消從福岡到火奴魯魯等6條國際航線後又一次前所未有的大規模地取消國際航線。　　

　　這4條航線是：
從日本關西國際機場到美國的洛杉磯，每周7個航班；
從成田國際機場到美國的拉斯維加斯，每周3個航班；
從廣島到南韓的首爾，每周3個航班；
從石川縣的小松機場到南韓的首爾，每周4個航班。

　　另據報道，日航還在研究從明年3月下旬取消從關西國際機場到澳大利亞雪梨的國際航線，每周7個航班。

　　自去年來，日航班機經常出現一些有驚無險的事故，使得顧客對日航是望而生畏，乘客減少，加之航空汽油價格不斷上漲，日航國際航線基本是赤字經營。據日航統計，僅今年前3個月，該公司將減少470億日元的收入。

　　為扭轉虧損局面，日航打算今後將引進耗油量少的最新式的中小型客機取代部分耗油量的大型舊客機；開拓增加有發展前景的飛往中國的航線。此外，日航還在和該公司工會組織交涉，削減全體工作人員的10%的工資。

Phuket urges THAI to review flight plans
BOONSONG KOSITCHOTETHANA

Dismayed Phuket authorities have asked Thai Airways International (THAI) not to axe its direct flights from Australia to the island, fearing it would hurt the tourism industry's revival.

The local government and tourism operators are concerned about the flag carrier's decision to end its three scheduled flights a week linking Phuket, Sydney and Melbourne on Feb 1, following losses of 260 million baht since last April.

Suwalai Pinpradab, director of the Tourism Authority of Thailand's Region 4 Southern Office, said Australia had become a prime market for Phuket in the post-tsunami period. Australians are now the second largest arrivals group after South Koreans, surpassing those from Europe who normally top the list.

''In the aftermath of the tsunami, Australians have returned to Phuket at a much faster pace than the others, as they picked Phuket over their popular destination, Bali, for their holidays,'' she said.

One reason was the convenience of THAI's direct flights, she said.

Immigration Bureau figures showed that Australian arrivals at Phuket airport in the first 10 months of last year totalled 43,083, representing 10.41% of all international arrivals.

But THAI yesterday was firm on its decision to end the direct service.

''It is very difficult to continue (with the flights) in light of high costs, especially fuel prices, and the low cabin factor (occupancy). We cannot afford to shoulder all the financial burden by ourselves,'' said Vasing Kittikul, executive vice-president for the commercial department.

''Have the authorities, the local government and the tourism industry, ever thought about providing assistance to enable THAI to stay afloat?

''What about the TAT (Tourism Authority of Thailand) providing us with a cost subsidy, AoT (Airports of Thailand Plc) waiving Phuket's airport charges and the local tourism industry coming up with packages that help carriers?''

Mr Vasing insisted that the carrier had thoroughly considered all factors before arriving at the decision to stop the flights.

''These are the flights where we don't get passenger contributions from other (route) sectors. It's point-to-point traffic,'' he added.

James Batt, joint managing director of Laguna Resorts & Hotels, added :''If they can only fill a 747 jumbo jet at 65% or so, and need 70% (to break even), why on earth wouldn't they put on a smaller plane? They hardly need first class on that route, anyway.''

Ms Suwalai said that Phuket governor Udomsak Uswarangura would invite senior THAI executives to the province to talk about retaining the service.

Air NZ To Suspend Some US Flights
January 25, 2006

Air New Zealand said on Wednesday it would suspend its Christchurch-Los Angeles service during the off-peak season due to lack of passenger demand.

The airline said it would halt its twice weekly non-stop service between April and October but would maintain its daily services from Auckland.

Air NZ slimmed down to a no-frills domestic service in 2002, cut costs on its services to and from Australia, and is upgrading its long-haul fleet as part of a recovery from near-collapse in 2001.

The 82 percent government-owned company, hit by a sharp rise in fuel prices, announced last month that it would outsource its heavy maintenance engine work with the loss of 110 jobs.

(Reuters)

Garuda terminates KL-Jogjakarta service
By KANG SIEW LI


February 2 2006


INDONESIAN flag carrier Garuda Indonesia has terminated its direct flights between Kuala Lumpur and Jogjakarta in favour of a new service.

It has replaced the thrice-weekly direct flights with daily flights via Singapore.

Garuda Indonesia general manager for Malaysia, Ryanto A. Winarso, said the carrier started offering the new service from January 12 this year.

"For starters, we are using a Boeing 737-300, which consists of 16 business class and 94 economy class seats.

"But if the passenger traffic grows, we may change to the bigger B737-400," Ryanto told Business Times recently.

He said the carrier has studied the traffic from Kuala Lumpur to Jogjakarta and found it promising.

However, due to the limited aircraft available, it decided to combine flights of Kuala Lumpur and Singapore to offer daily flights to Jogjakarta.

Ryanto said the carrier has been enjoying a passenger load factor (the number of seats filled) of 85 per cent on the Kuala Lumpur-Jogjakarta sector and 60 per cent on the Jogjakarta-Kuala Lumpur sector.

"Currently, 60 per cent of the total passengers who fly from Kuala Lumpur to Jogjakarta are Indonesian workers, with 30 per cent leisure travellers and the rest business, student and those who visit friends and relatives.

"However, we hope to increase the number of business and leisure travellers on our flights soon," he added.

To attract Malaysians to Jogjakarta, Ryanto said the carrier plans to promote the city as a second alternative destination in Indonesia after Bali.

Jogjakarta is located in central Java and is home to a thriving handicrafts market, the Borobudur Buddhist temple, Prambanan Temple and Merapi Volcano, among others.

It is also popular among students from Malaysia who attend the Gajah Mada University.

Apart from Jogjakarta, Garuda Indonesia operates daily flights from Kuala Lumpur to Jakarta and thrice-weekly flights from Kuala Lumpur to Surabaya.

It also code-shares with Malaysia Airlines, which offers thrice-daily flights between Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta and 11 times a week between Kuala Lumpur and Surabaya.

Cathay Pacific postpones launch of service to Moscow, Manchester
15 February 2006


Cathay Pacific has postponed its planned launch of a three-times-weekly service to Moscow, onward to Manchester.

The Hong Kong-based airline announced in December 2005 that, subject to final government approval, flights would commence on 27 March 2006. However the airline is still awaiting the completion of regulatory formalities regarding Manchester, which is taking longer than originally anticipated.

Cathay Pacific stressed that it is continuing to work hard with its partners to resolve these issues and hopes to launch the service later in the year.

Cathay Pacific commenced a codeshare service from Hong Kong to Moscow, operated by Aeroflot – Russian Airlines, on 2 June 2004. The planned Cathay Pacific-operated service to Moscow and Manchester is also designed to be a codeshare service with partner Aeroflot.

Any passenger who made a confirmed booking to Manchester will be offered an alternative routing through London Heathrow. Passengers booked to Moscow will be able to travel on the airline's existing codeshare service operated by Aeroflot.

Philippine Airlines to suspend flights to Kuala Lumpur
01-14-2006, 17h18
KUALA LUMPUR (AFP)
http://content.answers.com/main/content/wp/en/thumb/9/97/300px-PAL2.jpg
A Philippine Airlines A330


Philippine Airlines will suspend its thrice-weekly service to the Malaysian capital next month.

"A circular was issued to inform of the flight suspension" which was "due to commercial considerations," a Kuala Lumpur-based airline official told the New Straits Times newspaper.

"I do not rule out the possibility of a low passenger volume on the route and that PAL (Philippine Airlines) is focusing more on profitable routes which are to the US," the official added.

The flag carrier's website says Manila-Kuala Lumpur flights will cease after February 12. Malaysia Airlines will continue flying the route.

Philippine Airlines suspended operations between Manila and Kuala Lumpur in 1998 for five years after suffering a collapse during the Asian financial crisis, the newspaper said.

The route was taken up again in October 2003.