Wirraway
19th Feb 2004, 02:46
Thurs "The Australian"
Heathrow slots put Qantas on course for London
By Steve Creedy, Aviation writer
February 19, 2004
QANTAS has applied to boost flights on the Kangaroo Route by a third as it takes advantage of its $47 million deal to buy prized landing slots at London's Heathrow.
Qantas already flies 21 services per week between Australia and London via Singapore and Bangkok and has asked the International Air Services Commission to expand its operations to 28 services per week.
The application says the airline plans to operate an additional three services from November and add the remaining four over the following 12 months.
The Heathrow coup gave Qantas an extra two landing and take-off slots a day and the potential to offer an additional 14 services a week.
But the IASC said yesterday the additional seven flights would take out the full allocation available on the route to Australian carriers.
The highly sought-after slots were bought from European carrier FlyBe and are in premium landing/take-off times.
The move comes as more details emerged about the airline's plans to return to China and India as part of international growth in a rebounding market.
Qantas is seeking 2135 of the 8500 seats available per week from Sydney-Melbourne-Brisbane and Perth to China in order to operate daily services to Shanghai.
It plans to introduce three services per week between Sydney and Shanghai from the end of November using Airbus A330 or Boeing 767-300 aircraft.
The remaining four flights are to be phased in by November next year.
The carrier also wants the option to use low-cost international offshoot Australian Airlines on what proved a difficult route for making money when it abandoned it in 2001.
"Qantas states that although there are no current plans for the allocation to be used by Australian Airlines, it is seeking the flexibility to do so," the commission said.
IASC also revealed that Qantas was seeking the entire 2100-seat per week Australian allocation to India for its three weekly Boeing 747 jumbo jets between Sydney and Mumbai.
The airline told IASC it intended to add another two services as early as April 2005.
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Heathrow slots put Qantas on course for London
By Steve Creedy, Aviation writer
February 19, 2004
QANTAS has applied to boost flights on the Kangaroo Route by a third as it takes advantage of its $47 million deal to buy prized landing slots at London's Heathrow.
Qantas already flies 21 services per week between Australia and London via Singapore and Bangkok and has asked the International Air Services Commission to expand its operations to 28 services per week.
The application says the airline plans to operate an additional three services from November and add the remaining four over the following 12 months.
The Heathrow coup gave Qantas an extra two landing and take-off slots a day and the potential to offer an additional 14 services a week.
But the IASC said yesterday the additional seven flights would take out the full allocation available on the route to Australian carriers.
The highly sought-after slots were bought from European carrier FlyBe and are in premium landing/take-off times.
The move comes as more details emerged about the airline's plans to return to China and India as part of international growth in a rebounding market.
Qantas is seeking 2135 of the 8500 seats available per week from Sydney-Melbourne-Brisbane and Perth to China in order to operate daily services to Shanghai.
It plans to introduce three services per week between Sydney and Shanghai from the end of November using Airbus A330 or Boeing 767-300 aircraft.
The remaining four flights are to be phased in by November next year.
The carrier also wants the option to use low-cost international offshoot Australian Airlines on what proved a difficult route for making money when it abandoned it in 2001.
"Qantas states that although there are no current plans for the allocation to be used by Australian Airlines, it is seeking the flexibility to do so," the commission said.
IASC also revealed that Qantas was seeking the entire 2100-seat per week Australian allocation to India for its three weekly Boeing 747 jumbo jets between Sydney and Mumbai.
The airline told IASC it intended to add another two services as early as April 2005.
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