Asian airlines prepare for further turmoil from Iraq war<\/p>\n
Agence France-Presse, Hong Kong<\/p>\n
Asian airlines are preparing to suspend flights and divert
\naircraft from Middle East routes as they brace for turbulence
\nfrom a U.S.-led war against Iraq.<\/p>\n
The carriers are still recovering from the global economic
\ndownturn in 2001 and the fallout from the Sept. 11 terrorist
\nattacks. Again, they find themselves on the verge of a potential
\ncrisis.<\/p>\n
Asia-Pacific airlines plan to divert their aircraft from
\nairspace near the Iraq combat zone and flights to some Middle
\nEast destinations have been or will be suspended.<\/p>\n
But more importantly, they are also fretting that a war will
\ndampen overall demand for travel, even in areas distant from the
\nlooming war.<\/p>\n
Australian flag carrier Qantas said Tuesday it was expanding
\nplans to force staff to take leave over the coming months in
\nresponse to a fall off in demand because of the conflict. The
\nmove is equivalent to reducing staff numbers by 2,500 out of a
\ntotal of 37,000.<\/p>\n
Qantas Airways chief executive Geoff Dixon said the company is
\nconsidering permanent staff cuts if passenger volumes fall more
\nthan expected.<\/p>\n
\"More and more people are showing a reluctance to travel in
\nthe existing environment,\" he said in a memo to staff.<\/p>\n
Qantas bookings from Japan and Britain have been particularly
\nhard hit and Dixon has warned total passenger volumes could fall
\n15-20 percent during the war.<\/p>\n
From Thursday Thai Airways will suspend its services to Kuwait
\nand Bahrain, although three other Middle East destinations are so
\nfar unaffected. The airline has also seen a rush of booking
\ncancellations in other services.<\/p>\n
\"Thai has experienced passenger flight cancellations for
\nflights to be operated within the next two weeks at approximately
\n10 percent,\" the airline's commercial executive vice president
\nTasnai Sudasna said in a statement.<\/p>\n
Thai executives also said Asian business is also being hurt by
\na mysterious and deadly atypical pneumonia blamed for the deaths
\nof at least six people.<\/p>\n
Korean Air said it will suspend flights to Dubai and Cairo
\nwhen war breaks out. It has also decided to suspend 29 flights to
\nSan Francisco, Honololu, Chicago and New York until the end of
\nMay.<\/p>\n
\"If the situation gets worse, we will work out stronger
\nmeasures for cost reduction and restructuring,\" a Korean Air
\nofficial said.<\/p>\n
Asia's largest carrier Japan Airlines (JAL) said last week it
\nwas reducing flights to Indonesia and France in the next two
\nmonths in response to a drop in demand.<\/p>\n
\"We have decided to change plans as demand for some
\ninternational flights has slackened due to weakening sentiment
\nover the economy and the Iraq situation,\" JAL said.<\/p>\n
China's largest carrier Air China suspended flights to Kuwait
\non February 16, citing concerns about mounting tensions in the
\nGulf.<\/p>\n
\"I don't know when the flights will be resumed,\" said one of
\nthe airline's ticket sales agents in Beijing.<\/p>\n
Air India announced Tuesday it is canceling 22 weekly flights
\nto Bahrain, Kuwait and Damam in Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n
The Indian civil aviation ministry estimated this would cost
\nthe airline about 1.1 billion rupees (US$22.9 million) in lost
\nrevenue, though it did not specify a timeframe. Avoiding Iraqi
\nairspace for all Air India's west-bound flights is expected to
\nadd 90 minutes to flight times and add over $20 million to fuel
\nbills.<\/p>\n
Other regional airlines, including Singapore Airlines and Hong
\nKong's Cathay Pacific are continuing normal flights for now but
\nsaid they have plans to ensure their flight paths would avoid any
\npotential conflict zone.<\/p>\n
Cathay Pacific spokeswoman Maria Yu said the airline may
\ncancel flights to Dubai, Riyadh and Bahrain once a war starts.<\/p>\n
Flag carrier Garuda Indonesia said it may reduce its flights
\nto Europe once conflict starts.<\/p>\n
\"If the load-factor drops to between 30 and 40 percent, what
\nwould be the use to continue the service (to Europe)?\" Garuda
\npresident director, Indra Setiawan, was quoted by the state
\nAntara news agency as saying last week.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/asian-airlines-prepare-for-further-turmoil-from-iraq-war-1447899208",
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