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View Full Version : Cathay Pacific Mulls Route Cuts - Report


Gerald A
19th May 2008, 07:14 AM
May 18, 2008

Cathay Pacific Airways, Hong Kong's dominant airline, is considering cutting its money-losing routes because of high fuel prices, the South China Morning Post said on Saturday, citing the airline's CEO as warning in an internal newsletter.

"We will have to make sure that our fleet is flying the most suitable and economic routes for each of our aircraft types," the newspaper quoted Chief Executive Tony Tyler as saying in CX World.

"This will mean to allocate capacity to our strongest and most profitable markets, and to reduce or eliminate routes that are draining cash," Tyler said.

The airline was studying profit dynamics of all destinations and no decision would be made until August on any route reduction, the newspaper cited the carrier's Chief Operating Officer John Slosar as saying.

Cathay had to pay about 60 percent more in average jet fuel cost per tonne in the first 4 months of 2008, against the level last year, Tyler said, adding that fuel costs account for 30 percent of the carrier's operating costs.

Cathay Pacific's shares have fallen 19 percent so far this year, underperforming an 8 percent drop in the broader Hang Seng Index.

Oil prices surged to a record high near USD$128 a barrel on Friday as a bullish price forecast from investment bank Goldman Sachs drowned out an offer of more supply from OPEC kingpin Saudi Arabia.

(Reuters)



Gerald