South African Airways (SAA) has cancelled its codeshare arrangement with Nigeria Airways between Lagos and New York after suffering a R54 million ($4.9 million) loss on the route. The service, launched in February 2001, involved SAA supplying a Boeing 747-300 and the flightdeck crew, while a joint SAA and Nigerian crew provided on-board service. The decision effectively leaves SAA without hubs in West and East Africa, and the airline says it is talking to Air Senegal about establishing a hub at Dakar and replacing its flights to Lagos. SN Brussels Airlines is to codeshare on VLM's Brussels-London City route. Air Canada is to add two destinations and nine new routes to its Tango low-fares network. Air Canada will also introduce twice-weekly Edmonton-Honolulu and weekly Edmonton-Maui Boeing 767 services in December. Emirates will introduce three-times weekly non-stop services from Dubai to Casablanca at the end of March. Singapore Airlines will start a three-times weekly service to Las Vegas via Hong Kong in August using a Boeing 777-200ER. The airline will also restore its thrice weekly Singapore-Amsterdam-Chicago services in May. The route was suspended in January. Hawaiian Airlines has begun daily Seattle-Maui service using the Boeing 767-300ER. Continental Airlines will launch daily Houston-Amsterdam service on 1 May, using the Boeing 767-400ER. Israeli regional airline Israir is to expand into long-haul operations with the introduction of charter flights from Tel Aviv to New York, beginning on 1 July using a Boeing 747-200. City Airline will launch twice daily flights between Gothenburg and London Gatwick in April with an Embraer ERJ. Rheintalflug will replace fellow Austrian Airlines group carrier Lauda Air on services between Vienna and Manchester next month. KLM uk has replaced the Fokker 50 operating its Leeds Bradford-Amsterdam route with a Fokker 100, which is operated three times daily.
Source: Flight International
