LONDON STANSTED Ryanair will cut its operational London Stansted fleet from 40 737s this summer to just 24 for winter 2009-10. This 40% reduction will reducen weekly flights by 30%. Chief executive Michael O'Leary denies the cuts are in response to faltering demand, blaming the move on the UK's air passenger duty tax which "is merely putting a stranglehold on demand in this country". The aircraft involved will be redeployed to lower-cost European airports.
Source: Flight International
US airlines are working to get their operations back into gear after a global computer outage forced some carriers to halt all departures overnight.
Virgin Atlantic will drop its Shanghai service this winter after 25 years as it further cuts its Asia-Pacific network amid the longer flying times necessitated by not being able to overfly Russia.
Southwest Airlines and Archer Aviation have signed a memorandum of understanding to create air taxi networks in and around cities in California served by the carrier.
