Singapore Airlines' regional wing cuts flight capacity

Singapore Airlines' regional wing cuts flight capacity

SINGAPORE, April 21 (AFP) - Singapore Airlines (SIA) regional arm
SilkAir said Monday it will cut its flights further next month
due to the impact of the SARS outbreak on the travel industry.
"In response to a further softening in air travel, due to the
spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS), SilkAir will
be reducing its flight frequencies in May 2003," SilkAir said in
a statement.
"Combined with the cancelled flights in April 2003, due to the
weak demand, the latest reductions will result in 35 fewer
frequencies a week, or a drop of 24.3 percent of capacity in
terms of available seat kilometres," it said.
The planned flight reductions will affect SilkAir's routes to
cities in Indonesia, China, Malaysia and Thailand.
Parent company SIA, one of Asia's most profitable airlines, has
slashed almost 20 percent of total capacity as travellers defer
plans for fear of contracting SARS.
It has also deferred new aircraft orders although deliveries of
previous orders will proceed as scheduled this year and next.
SIA and other major carriers in Asia including Hong Kong-based
Cathay Pacific and Australia's Qantas have been severely affected
by the SARS outbreak which has claimed more than 200 lives
worldwide out of at least 4,550 confirmed, probable or suspected
cases.
SARS is believed to have originated in southern China and
scientists have yet to find a treatment for the virus, which
cannot be treated by antibiotics used against ordinary pneumonia.
bh/rc/dv

Health-SARS-Singapore-air-SIA
AFP

GetAFP 2.10 -- APR 21, 2003 18:25:47 b