Alaska Airlines to Launch Seattle – Kansas City
Alaska Airlines is to compete directly with Frontier Airlines and Southwest Airlines when it inaugurates passenger services between Seattle and Kansas City next year. The carrier will introduce a daily Boeing 737-800 flight between the two cities from March 12, 2012, increasing seat capacity by almost two thirds. In the past year an estimated 173,000 O&D passengers travelled on the route but there is a clear need for additional capacity. Only 52 per cent of these passengers travelled directly between the two cities, the rest connecting via other US hubs and the arrival of Alaska Airlines will provide an additional option for passengers. Frontier currently dominates the market with a 32 per cent share of the traffic (including the passengers that flew with Midwest Airlines prior to its merger) and provides five weekly services. Southwest Airlines offers a daily schedule which accounted for around 20 per cent of the total traffic during the past 12 months. Traffic has increased by around 4.2 per cent during the past year, although yields have slipped slightly as average one-way fares have falled from $127 to $125.
Aerolineas Set to Return to Cancun
Aerolineas Argentinas is expected to resume flights to Cancun this winter with a once weekly link. The airline’s latest GDS inventory shows that one of its four weekly Buenos Aires – Mexico City flights will make a stop in Cancun from November 13, although the service is not currently available for booking. The flight is scheduled to be operated by an Airbus A340-300. There are currently no direct flights between Cancun and Buenos Aires, although an estimated 8,000 O&D passengers travelled between the two cities in the past year. Aerolineas Argentinas currently accounts for a 19 per cent share of this traffic via its current Mexico City service. During this period around 354,000 O&D passengers flew between Mexico and Argentina with Aerolineas Argentinas accounting for approximately 7.5 per cent of this traffic. Aeromexico, which offers up to ten flights per week on the Buenos Aires – Mexico City dominates the market with a 26.6 per cent share of the traffic.
Delta Makes Cuts at Memphis
The latest update to Delta Air Lines’ Northern Winter schedule confirms speculation that the airline is to reduce its activities at Memphis. With effect from January 4, 2012 the US major will cancel seven routes and reduce schedules in six other markets, reducing daily services from 164 to 149. The routes to close comprise Baltimore, Grand Rapids, Gulfport, Mobile, Panama City / Northwest Florida, Seattle and Wichita. All these markets are served on a daily basis, with more than one daily rotation also offered to Baltimore and Mobile. Delta Air Lines is the only operator on all seven of these routes so passengers will be forced to seek alternative flights via other hub airports. Service reductions will take place on routes Cleveland, Huntsville, Newark and Shreveport, which will now be served daily rather than twice daily, while Jacksonville and Philadelphia will be flown twice a day rather than three times daily at present. Delta Air Lines revealed earlier this year that it would cut capacity at Memphis International Airport to streamline its business and make its operation more efficient. It has blamed fuel price volatility and the need to retire some of its 50-seat regional jets from service as the primary reasons behind the cut-backs. The airline is by far the largest operator at the US airport with almost 85,000 seats available every day, 81.0 per cent of the total seat capacity. Its network reduction could present an opportunity for a new entrant to fly from Memphis.
Alaska Airlines to Offer Seasonal Palm Springs – San Jose Link
Alaska Airlines is to introduce a seasonal link between Palm Springs and San Jose, California from February 17, 2012. The daily flight will originate in Portland, Oregon and will operate throughout the year except for a four month period between June 3 and October 4. The carrier already offers links from both cities to destinations across the US. There are currently no direct links between Palm Springs and San Jose, although an estimated 2,500 O&D passengers travelled in the past year on the indirect flights of United Airlines via Los Angeles and US Airways via Phoenix.
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