All Nippon Airways Cancels Dreamliner Flights Through May

Volume 6, Issue 10, March 7, 2013

Intelligence All Nippon Airways Cancels Dreamliner Flights Through May   CANCELED FLIGHTS: ANA has canceled 3,600 flights since the Dreamliner was grounded Jan. 16. © Illuminativisual Due to the worldwide grounding of the Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, All Nippon Airways suspended its planned 787 fleets until at least the end of May. ANA made numerous changes to its domestic and international schedule, cancelling 1,714 flights in April and May, including services during Golden Week, one of Japan's busiest holiday seasons. Suspended Dreamliner routes include Tokyo Narita (NRT)-Seattle (SEA), Tokyo Narita-San José (SJC), Kansai (MCI)-Seoul (ICN) and Nagoya (NKM)-Seoul. The airline says Dreamliner service between Tokyo Haneda (HND) and Frankfurt (FRA) will operate with a different type of aircraft. ANA plans to resume the Tokyo Narita-Seattle and Nagoya-Seoul routes June 1 but has not yet determined dates to relaunch the Narita-San José and Kansai-Seoul routes. ANA is currently offering alternate flights to passengers booked for travel June 1-Aug. 31. The airline is Boeing's biggest single customer for its troubled aircraft, operating 17 of the 50 Dreamliners introduced into service. ANA cancelled 3,600 flights that would have carried almost 168,000 passengers since the aircraft was grounded Jan. 16 due to the risk of battery fires. ANA management met earlier last week with Boeing CEO Ray Conner, who is currently visiting Tokyo to explain Boeing's proposal for fixing the 787's lithium-ion batteries to Japanese transport regulators and airlines. Has the Dreamliner grounding affected your travel plans? Email us. Please include your full name with your email.

News Korean Air Launches New Service   Korean Air will add Sunday service between Incheon Airport (ICN) in Seoul and McCarran International Airport (LAS) in Las Vegas beginning in May. The carrier will operate the route on a twin-engine Boeing 777 jet with 261 seats. Korean Air currently offers service between Seoul and Las Vegas Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Westin Debuts In Chennai, India   Starwood Hotels and Resorts opened the Westin Chennai Velachery, the brand's sixth property in India and the first of seven new Westin hotels expected to open this year across Asia Pacific. Located near Chennai International Airport (MAA) in the city's business district, the property includes 215 guestrooms, three restaurants, more than 1,170 square metres of meeting space, a fitness facility and a spa. Malindo Airways Set To Launch   Malindo Airways, a low-cost carrier partly owned by Indonesia's Lion Air, plans to launch its first flights in mid-March using a fleet of 12 Boeing 737 aircraft based at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KUL). The carrier will initially operate flights connecting Kuala Lumpur to domestic destinations, including Kota Kinabalu (BKI) and Kuching (KCH), and expects to add international routes in May to destinations in Australia, China and Japan. Swiss-Belhotel Opens 4-Star Hotel In Wuxi, China   Swiss-Belhotel International will open its first property in Wuxi, China, later this month. Located in the Wuxi Liyuan Economic Development Zone, approximately six kilometres from the city centre, the Swiss-Belhotel Liyuan Wuxi features 202 guestrooms, nine private dining rooms, two meeting areas and a bar. Hong Kong-based Swiss-Belhotel operates more than 110 hotels in Asia Pacific and the Middle East. Etihad Airways Upgrades Melbourne Flights   Etihad Airways will increase capacity on its daily flights between Abu Dhabi (AUH) and Melbourne (MEL) Dec. 1. The airline will replace the current Airbus A340 fleet with new Boeing 777-300ER aircraft. Featuring a three-class configuration with 328 seats, the new aircraft will add 252 more seats per week, a 12.3 percent increase. Etihad Airways served more than 580,000 passengers on the Abu Dhabi-Melbourne route, including 162,111 last year, since it launched in March 2009.

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