Originally Posted by
Skipness One Foxtrot
I'd be astonished to see Singapore at Ryanair Intl! The point about Emirates fails to remember just how exceptional Emirates are, first choice for UK long haul going East, B777s out of BHX/GLA/NCL/EDI over and a above the usual suspects pre COVID. Singapore would be a dramatic change of strategy. Air India really do seem to have gotten hold of a load of LHR slots, their 4 daily offering is now around 5 I think?
TATAs eyes are on more Tech to Tech shuttles however are tied down by the generally poor maintenance of the current Air India long haul fleet - they are looking at used 77w frames as an intermediary fleet uplift as the few 77L are withdrawn soon, and any further expansion to Europe seems a distant dream; that includes the resurrection of BHX capacity to match pre COVID19 levels any time soon.
Bear in mind they have lost two 77w frames to government use, have at least one 787 out of service - VT-ANT hasn’t flown for a year with a further three parked since the beginning of the year whilst several 77w frames also remain parked
TATAs focus must be to make a basket case profitable and quickly.
That means core routes ( hub to hub and alliance partnership priorities) over secondary to secondary routes to appease certain vocal political and ethnic groupings
A large part of the financial ignorance of Air India has been the result of placing political interests over basic commercial objectives for decades past.
As for Singapore I don’t see MAG group ever considering or sponsoring a transfer of this key long haul passenger route south. Different matter regarding freight through.
The Houston tag from Singapore hasn’t ever been particularly successful either via Moscow or Manchester in the movement of organic blobs through certainly had for pallets of all sorts .
One thing through is they do codeshare to a limited of beyond Houston destinations with United from homebase but not from Manchester.
I think this is a regulatory restriction from the US (7th and 8th freedoms
are not covered) by any of the relevant treaties