Asia-Pacific carrier schedules are shrinking fast as the coronavirus crisis continues to take its toll on travel demand.
Japan’s All Nippon Airways (ANA) announced further reductions to international capacity today, the third update in three days. The latest reductions affect routes to Frankfurt, Chicago, New York, Los Angeles, Bangkok, Ho Chi Minh City and Hong Kong.
This now means that 3,983 flights serving 72 different routes are affected by cancellations or reductions. The carrier had originally planned to serve a total of 4,653 flights on 72 routes from 29 March until 24 April.
Compatriot Japan Air Lines (JAL) announced further cuts on 1 April, and will reduce some 85% of its international services throughout the month. Among the major changes to its schedules are flights to the Americas, where it will now operate only 25% of its planned schedule, compared with 46% at the last update on 30 March.
Korean Air will also pare down services, with flights to London and Paris down to twice weekly versus thrice weekly at the previous update.
Meanwhile, Air New Zealand announced today that it is reducing domestic capacity to 95% of pre-coronavirus levels, leaving flights only to ferry essential workers – the only people allowed to travel during the country’s lockdown – and transport cargo.
Chief revenue officer Cam Wallace said on social media that demand had collapsed 99%.
“The revise Air New Zealand domestic schedule is heavily reliant on cargo,” he said in a post on Twitter today.
“Yesterday we carried 163 pax (thank you to those essential workers) and 44 crew re-positioning. We should have good loads in the belly but we expect pax to be very well spread out in the cabin.”
The carrier has also agreed an ad-hoc charter process with the New Zealand government, whereby it can arrange a domestic flight within a few hours.
