Tuesday's Route Development Briefs

Czech Airlines Modifies Bratislava Network

Czech Airlines is to increase capacity to two destinations from its new Bratislava base this winter, although three other routes face the axe. The carrier will increase links to Amsterdam from four to six a week and to Paris CDG from five to eight a week from October 30, but flights to Barcelona, Brussels and Rome, the latter route actually closing earlier this week.

---

Flybe Cuts UK Domestic Routes

UK low-fare carrier Flybe is to cancel its services from Belfast City to Doncaster Sheffield and Liverpool John Lennon this winter and has closed reservations for the two routes from October 30. The airline had offered four flights per week to Doncaster Sheffield and up to three a day to Liverpool, handling 23,000 and 75,000 O&D passengers in the past year. Flybe was the sole carrier on the Doncaster Sheffield route, but faced strong competition to Liverpool from Ryanair, although the Irish budget carrier has also dropped its flights on this route. easyJet also provides services between Belfast and Liverpool with up to six flights per day from Belfast International Airport.

---

Sichuan Airlines Boosts Links to Saipan

Sichuan Airlines is to increase the number of flights it offers to Saipan, the largest of the United States Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands (CNMI), a chain of 15 tropical islands belonging to the Marianas archipelago in the western Pacific Ocean. The Chinese carrier is to double frequencies on the Chengdu – Shanghai Pu Dong – Saipan route from two to four flights per week from October 30, increasing its Saipan schedule between Chengdu and Saipan to six flights a week – it also offers a twice weekly flight via Guangzhou. An estimated 32,000 O&D passengers travelled between China and Saipan in the past year.

---

Alitalia Outlines Revised Libyan Plans

Alitalia is to relaunch services between Rome Fiumicino and Tripoli before the end of the year, joining the growing number of European airlines offering links to the Libyan capital. The Italian flag carrier plans to offer five flights per week on the route from November 2 using an Airbus A320. An estimated 97,000 O&D passengers travelled between Libya in the past year with around 24,000 using the Alitalia flight prior to its suspension earlier this year due to the political instability in the country.

---

RusLine Adds Krasnador – Munich Link

Russian regional carrier RusLine is to launch a new weekly service to Munich from Krasnador. The flight will commence on January 7, 2012 and will be operated by a Bombardier CRJ200. The airline also plans to resume its flights to the Bavarian city from Volgograd with an increased frequency this winter. This summer RusLine offered a weekly flight on the route but suspended services at the start of this month. It now plans to provide a twice weekly schedule from December 3, again using a CRJ200.