Route rundown: MXP-BOM, MLA-SEN, CEB-SZX

Nigel Mayes RAM18 resized.jpgNigel Mayes is the senior vice president, consulting & product development at ASM. Nigel has more than 15 years’ experience in route development and is responsible for product development at ASM.

The sister company to Routes, ASM is the world‘s leading route development consultancy and has supported the creation of new air services since 1993.


Route 1: Milan Malpensa – Mumbai

Air italy rundown.jpg

Data

Carrier Air italy logo.jpg
Aircraft Airbus A330-200
Frequency Five weekly
Start date 30 October 2018
Distance 6,528 km
O&D traffic demand (2017) 39,690
Growth % YOY -47.8%
Average one-way fare $ (2017) $434.13

Insight

Air Italy is adding a fourth new international destination to be served from its Milan Malpensa hub. The five times weekly service to Mumbai, to be operated by Airbus A330-200 aircraft, will be the only non-stop flight from Italy. It follows announcements of new routes from Milan Malpensa to New York and Miami starting in June 2018 and to Bangkok starting from September 2018. The Mumbai service will be well supported by Qatar’s operations in Milan, with the Gulf carrier able to send the Mumbai traffic on Air Italy and relieve capacity to feed other markets. Air Italy’s fleet currently comprises of eight Boeing 737 NG and three 767-300, but it will be progressively renewed with three 737 MAX-8 and five Airbus A32-200s joining during 2018 and with the retirement of the 767-300s by the end of the year. The Indian community is large in Italy, with about 170,000 mainly residing in the north of the country. Alitalia and Air India fly to Delhi from Rome and Milan.


Route 2: Malta – London Southend

file-357568.jpg

Image: Kurt Arrigo / Air Malta

Data

Carrier air-malta-3070-km.png
Aircraft Airbus A320
Frequency Three weekly
Start date 4 May 2018
Distance 2,076 km
O&D traffic demand (2017) 713,422 (from London)
Growth % YOY 3.9%
Average one-way fare $ (2017) $109.07

Insight

Air Malta is introducing Malta – London Southend three weekly, alongside a twice weekly Malta – Cagliari – London Southend service and a twice weekly Malta – Catania – London Southend service. The carrier said the routes were "another step forward in the strategy to connect Mediterranean regions with the rest of Europe". To help operate the schedule, it is leasing in its tenth aircraft this summer. Ten year ago Air Malta served Birmingham, Glasgow, Gatwick, Heathrow, Stansted and Manchester. However, it has consolidated its operations to double daily Heathrow flights and a six weekly Gatwick service, avoiding London competition from Ryanair at Luton and Stansted.


Route 3: Cebu – Shenzhen

AirAsia Airbus A320

Data

Carrier

AirAsia

Aircraft

Airbus A320

Frequency

Daily

Start date

9 May 2018

Distance

1,750 km

O&D traffic demand (2017)

196

Growth % YOY

158.9%

Average one-way fare $ (2017)

$223.78

Insight

Philippines AirAsia will operate direct flights between Cebu and Shenzhen starting on 9 May. It comes as the carrier strengthens its network out of Manila due to capacity constraints in the Ninoy Aquino International Airport. It will be the airline’s fist destination in China.

Source: Sabre Market Intelligence