Egyptair increases Mumbai service

An Egyptair Airbus A321 

by Vinay Bhaskara

Troubled Star Alliance member Egyptair is adding one additional flight per week between Cairo and
Mumbai from 27th October 2013, bringing the services to five times per week. Egyptair Flight 968 will operate Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Saturday departing Cairo at 23:05 and arriving at Mumbai at 07:55 the next day. The return, Egyptair Flight 969, will operate Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday departing at 09:10 from Mumbai and arriving at 12:40 pm at Cairo. All flights operate with Boeing 737-800 aircraft seating 144 passengers (24J / 120 Y)

Egyptair is struggling under the weight of demand weakness at home thanks to a poor economy and declining tourism due to the 2011 Arab Spring, and the events that have ensued since. Since June 2011, the carrier has lost more than US $950 million and seen revenue decline sharply. But they have made good business connecting passengers over their growing hub at Cairo Airport, and India has been one of few strong points from an origin and demand (O&D point of view). 

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Egypt Air Boeing 737-800 SU-GCR makes emergency landing in Mumbai after false fire alarm

An Egypt Air Boeing 737-800 registration SU-GCR performing flight MS-968 from Cairo, Egypt to Mumbai CSIA, India, with 121 passengers and 7 crew, was on approach to land. At 07:25 (01:55Z) the pilots declared a full emergency after receiving a fire warning in the cargo hold.

The flight landed normally two minutes later and taxied to the gate. Passengers disembarked normally, and all cargo was removed and the plane inspected. The alarm was found to be false.

Full emergency conditions were withdrawn at Mumbai Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport at 08:07 (02:37Z).

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Singapore Airlines cuts capacity to India Thailand USA Europe, increases Middle East

Singapore Airlines is making further adjustments to its route network, primarily cutting back flights to various destinations in India, Thailand, Europe, and USA, while increasing capacities to the middle east.

The changes, will take place progressively from now and will apply for the rest of the Northern Winter schedule (i.e. till end-March 2009), and will most likely continue in to the Summer schedule.

India
Hyderabad-Singapore services SQ439 and SQ438 will be reduced from four to three times weekly, with the suspension of the Saturday service from 21 February. Service will operate on Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays.

New Delhi-Singapore services SQ405 and SQ406 will be reduced from a six times weekly service, to five times weekly service, from 10 March to 24 March 2009, as flights on Tuesdays during this period will be suspended.

Mumbai-Singapore services SQ421 and SQ422 will be progressively reduced from five to four times weekly services, starting 27 February 2009. Flights on Fridays will be suspended.

Thailand
Bangkok-Singapore services SQ972 and SQ975 will be suspended from 2 February until the end of the Northern Winter Schedule bringing Singapore Airlines capacity to 25 flights weekly.

USA
Newark-Singapore and Los Angeles-Singapore non-stop services performed by the Airbus A340-500; frequency will reduce by two flights to five weekly flights on each route. The Tuesday and Wednesday services, will be suspended.

Ironically, Thai Airways, who has been unable to find a buyer for its suspended A340-500 aircraft, is resuming Bangkok-USA non-stop services.

Europe
United Kingdom
London Heathrow-Singapore services SQ308 and SQ319 will be suspended on Mondays and Thursdays between 9 and 23 March 2009. Total frequency on the Singapore-London route will reduce from 21 to 19 flights per week.

Switzerland
Zurich-Singapore services SQ342 and SQ341 will be reduced from daily to five times weekly, from 9 March 2009. Total frequency on the Singapore-Zurich route will reduce from 14 to 12 flights per week.

Middle East
Kuwait and Abu Dhabi
Singapore Airlines will commence four times weekly services to Kuwait, via Abu Dhabi, from 15 March 2009, with the introduction of SQ458 and SQ457 on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays. Singapore Airlines will continue its existing three times weekly service to Abu Dhabi. With the addition of the Kuwait service, Abu Dhabi will become a daily service.

Egypt
Cairo-Singapore services SQ492 and SQ493 will increase from thrice weekly to four times a week from 12 March. The Cairo flights will operate via Dubai, thus increasing frequency between Singapore and Dubai to 16 per week.

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Singapore Airlines adds Kuwait, increases Abu Dhabi, Cairo frequencies

Singapore Airlines will begin a four-times-weekly service to Kuwait from 15 March 2009. Flying via Abu Dhabi, the service will operate on Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday, using Boeing 777-200 aircraft.

As a consequence of the introduction of this service, Singapore Airlines will now fly between Singapore and Abu Dhabi daily, up from the existing three times weekly service.

From 12 March 2009, Singapore Airlines will increase flights between Singapore and Cairo from three times a week to four. All these flights will operate via Dubai.

The addition of Kuwait to the Singapore Airlines network comes after the conclusion and signing of a broad Open Skies Agreement between Singapore and Kuwait last month. Kuwait will be Singapore Airlines’ 68th destination, across 36 countries.

The addition of these flights brings Singapore Airlines’ frequency between Dubai and Singapore to 21 times weekly, of which 17 flights operate beyond to Istanbul, Cairo, Moscow and Riyadh. Service between Singapore and Abu Dhabi will operate daily, with the existing three flights continuing on to Jeddah, and the four new flights going on to Kuwait.

For more details visit the Singapore Airlines website.

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