Air India cancel Hong Kong

[LUNN]

When did they drop HKG? plans to return there from 2 July have also been shelved, they were to fly an A319 all the way there from Delhi twice weekly, previously used A332 and 777.

[CathayPacific]

Not surprising. How is AI supposed to compete with CX/KA with twice weekly A319 on HKG-DEL when CX flies twice daily on HKG-DEL (some via BKK) and HKG-BOM (some via BKK) with 777/333/343/744, once daily on HKG-MAA and HKG-BLR with 333 and 4/weekly on HKG-CCU on 320? Even the previous schedule of 5/weekly HKG-DEL on A310 would not be competitive, especially for premium paying business travellers.

It either restarts HKG with meaningful frequencies or doesn't serve HKG at all. Previously, its HKG-ICN and HKG-KIX extension of the DEL flight were popular to the locals as the flights are dirt cheap for vacationers to Korea and western Japan, but now that LCCs such as Jin Air, Hong Kong Express and Peach are entering the market of those two routes with better frequency, better reliability and better service at the same price, AI would even lose out on those 5th rights markets.

[LUNN]

HKG has been resumed now, it was just temporary suspension due to pilot strike other such suspensions included Seoul and Osaka both resumed, New York, Frankfurt both resuming or resumed and Toronto pending resumption.

AI also looking at relaunching former destinations Rome, Tashkent, Nairobi besides the much touted Syney and Melbourne, plus a selection of new ones Milan, Madrid, Barcelona, Almaty, Dushanbe and Ho Chi Minh City.

[Foxtrot]

Originally Posted by LUNN

HKG has been resumed now, it was just temporary suspension due to pilot strike other such suspensions included Seoul and Osaka both resumed, New York, Frankfurt both resuming or resumed and Toronto pending resumption.

AI also looking at relaunching former destinations Rome, Tashkent, Nairobi besides the much touted Syney and Melbourne, plus a selection of new ones Milan, Madrid, Barcelona, Almaty, Dushanbe and Ho Chi Minh City.

AI is all talk and no walk, a bunch of failures, one after the other. I'll be honest, either the govt. should do away with the "flag" carrier or let it be privatized. AI can't get it's act together, it couldn't even get accepted into Star, even after Star gave it what, two years or so? I'll be amazed if even a third of those destinations are launched by the Always Inept carrier. And all those billions that have been poured into the ailing airline, gone to waste. This is a carrier whose "senior officials" say the 77L is a fuel guzzler, what a joke. Meanwhile its pilots and cabin crew are always on strike, it can't pay them their salaries etc. A few of my relatives had the unfortunate circumstance of flying AI as it was the only last-minute choice from SIN to BOM, it was the worst experience they had. It's safe to say they won't be flying it again anytime soon.

[LUNN]

Well they have to fly the 787s some where.

[LUNN]

More places being looked at former markets Birmingham, Manchester, Moscow, Accra, Dar Es Salam, Lagos, Cairo, Tel Aviv and new ones Manila, Amman, Boston.

[AA 1818]

Originally Posted by Foxtrot

AI is all talk and no walk, a bunch of failures, one after the other. I'll be honest, either the govt. should do away with the "flag" carrier or let it be privatized. AI can't get it's act together, it couldn't even get accepted into Star, even after Star gave it what, two years or so? I'll be amazed if even a third of those destinations are launched by the Always Inept carrier. And all those billions that have been poured into the ailing airline, gone to waste. This is a carrier whose "senior officials" say the 77L is a fuel guzzler, what a joke. Meanwhile its pilots and cabin crew are always on strike, it can't pay them their salaries etc. A few of my relatives had the unfortunate circumstance of flying AI as it was the only last-minute choice from SIN to BOM, it was the worst experience they had. It's safe to say they won't be flying it again anytime soon.

I agree with you wholly on the privatization of the airline. At every other opportunity to do so, either the government, or the airline, comes up with another excuse, as to why they should remain a state owned carrier.

At the time, when merged with Indian, I always wondered if the entire carrier could be floated via an IPO, and it seemed as if that was going to happen (at least via releases by the Indian government), and then - nothing. Now, the problems are so deep seeded, that despite possessing the best fleet in the Sub-Continent, and with great access to it's home market - it still cannot be broken away from it's horribly inept and corrupt management. Yes, the pilots are seeming always striking, but it always amazes me as to how little they really demand, and their frank and usual response from AI management.

As for new routes, well, I partly agree with you here. It's mostly talk, talk, and more talk, and very little and slow if any actions are taken, but I have to hope that now, they will have little or no excuses for their lack of actions. They have the newly developed DEL, and so there is ample access to a 'world hub'. But, the 787 will allow them access to other airports and routes that they have always argued that they did not have the aircraft, or the efficencies to start. ATQ is one that I hope sees expansion. LHR, MAN, and YYZ could all do well, if served directly from ATQ. It's always very disheartening to see that so many passengers leave ATQ then continue east to DEL then back west to MAN, or LHR. With the loss of BMI, their only direct link to the U.K. has also been lost. It's a great time to enter that market.

CCU, MAA, TRV, CCJ, COK, BLR, AMD, GOI, and HYD should all now, no longer be ignored. How much longer must they be deprived, at the hands of a cumbersome hub at DEL, or is some cases BOM.

[LUNN]

Johannesburg also said to be on the resumption list.