THAI AIRASIA TO BEGIN INDIAN FLIGHTS
The Thailand division of AirAsia will launch its first services into India with non-stop flights this December. Effective December 1st, the low-cost operator will launch a five-times weekly service from Bangkok to Delhi, and a once-weekly service to Kolkata. It will compete on the Delhi sector with Indian carriers, Air India and Jet Airways, which operate a daily rotation, as well as Kingfisher Airlines which operates six-weekly flights. Thai Airways International operates a double daily service and Cathay Pacific operates a daily extension of its Hong Kong originating service. IATA BSP data (Airport IS) shows that over 417,000 have flown this sector between July 2009-2010 with Thai Airways International having a 37% share of this market.
On the Kolkata service, Thai AirAsia will compete with a daily Jet Airways and Kingfisher service as well as six-weekly Thai Airways International and a thrice-weekly Air India Express flight. The route has seen over 237,000 O+D passengers travel between July 2009 and 2010.
AirAsia currently serves India from Kuala Lumpur to seven destinations in India, with its widebody services for AirAsia X serving Delhi and Mumbai. AirAsia also serves Chennai from its base in Penang.
EL AL RAMPS UP MUMBAI CAPACITY
Israeli national carrier, El Al will increase existing capacity to Mumbai. Effective November 1st, the Tel Aviv based carrier will add a fourth weekly service. The move would appear to make sense, as although EL Al is the only non-stop operator on the route, it has just a 47% share of the O+D market of 37,000 annual passengers, with Turkish Airlines having a 27% share routing passengers via Istanbul Ataturk.
MALAYSIA AIRLINES TO BEGIN RIYADH SERVICE
Malaysia Airlines is set to launch a new service to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with a new thrice-weekly service from Kuala Lumpur. The route will be operated with widebody B777-200 aircraft, competing with Saudi Arabian Airlines which operates a twice-daily rotation. Saudi Arabian currently has a 59% share of the O+D market of 88,000 annual passengers, with Etihad and Emirates accounting for 10% and 9% of this traffic respectively
SHENZHEN INCREASE FOR AIR ASIA
For the coming winter season, effective October 31st, Air Asia will inaugurate a third-daily service from its main operating base in Kuala Lumpur to Shenzhen, China. The extra daily service will be operated with A320 equipment. Air Asia is the only carrier operating the route, and combined with Air Asia X widebody services to Guangzhou, Tianjin and Hangzhou will become the seventh destination in China served by the Air Asia group from Kuala Lumpur.
SKYMARK ADDS NAGASAKI ROUTE
Regional operator, Skymark Airlines will launch new non-stop service from Kobe to Nagasaki. The new route will begin December 16th and will be operated four-times weekly with B737-800 equipment.
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