BA considering cancelling more African routes
Back to Forum- This topic has 37 replies, 20 voices, and was last updated 2 Jun 2016
at 17:30 by MarkivJ.
-
- Author
- Posts
- Skip to last reply Create Topic
-
Speedbird189ParticipantLagos and Abuja may be axed within the following months as management at BA evaluate the strength and economics of both routes.
What with Freetown and Montovia being indefinitely suspended, Uganda et al left behind and the possibility of the cancellation of the Cairo route, I ask this. What has BA done so badly in Africa?
Brussels Airlines can do it, so can Air France – even Lufthansa have a relatively decent route network around Africa. Yet BA is decreasing its routes, not exploiting potential hotspots with the ‘long-and-thin’ 787.
Seriously, what has gone wrong? Some years back, BA were the dominant European carrier in Africa. This is clearly no longer the case. What will happen to the slots freed at LHR? There will be a lot!
28 May 2016
at 21:19
Speedbird1994ParticipantI can see Cairo going, or being reduced to A321 worldwide, the security situation in Egypt must be having an impact. But I really can’t imagine Lagos going, I thought that was one of BA’s most profitable routes? Not so sure about Abuja, but I always thought Lagos was a top earner!
28 May 2016
at 22:19
SimonS1ParticipantI spend two weeks a month in Africa, averaging about 120 flights a year, and it’s well over a year since I had to touch a BA flight.
For anything East and Southern, Emirates now has all the business. Twice a day to Nairobi, 4x to Johannesburg etc. Connections from UK regions so it works well. If travelling J the proposition is also miles ahead.
For West Africa, LH has much better prices via Frankfurt. Occasionally KLM too.
28 May 2016
at 22:28
canuckladParticipantAnd their only competitive on US routes because of their near cartel like agreement with AA. As I’ve said before, IAGs bank balance can thank AA more than they can thank their flagship carrier.
If the rumours are true,then IMO to turn your back on Africa is short term laziness which unfortunately for BA will come back to haunt them in the long term.
29 May 2016
at 09:50
CathayLoyalist2Participant..I think you can sum BA in three words “short term thinking”. Anyone have any idea what BA’s overall strategy is and do you think it is to be achieved purely by cost cutting?
29 May 2016
at 11:02
AnthonyDunnParticipantBut as has been stated so many times, BA/IAG is managed and its strategy is run by bean counters rather than by anyone who has an understanding of longer-term strategy. As such, IAG management appears (witness the annual Capital Markets Day presentation each November) fixated with regaining their investment grade credit rating and increasing their dividends payments to shareholders. These are the principal determinants underpinning their behaviour. The staff are simply to be treated as a cost – and one which has to be constrained and paired back.
It is perfectly reasonable to criticise this fixation, in which case those critics should be open and honest and say that they, as I do, question the entire Anglo-American construct of shareholder-based capitalism with its total focus on the short-term. As with so many issues posted on this forum, it is impossible to divorce and detach it from the underlying political economy.
29 May 2016
at 11:20
AndrewinHKParticipantIf Africa routes don’t make money ofcourse you should pull them. United just announced it will cancel its only Africa route between Lagos and Houston. I doubt BA will cancel Lagos or Abuja, Cairo maybe will see a smaller aircraft but BA have increased service to Nairobi when VS exited the route, they are increasing capacity to Johannesburg with increased a380 rotations and Cape Town with new Gatwick service. EK has pulled some frequencies to African cities, if the demand slips you have to respond.
@canukland I also think that describing the Tranatlantic routes as being like a cartel is a little misleading. The London to US and Canada market has so much competition, London is served directly by AA, UA, AC, TS, BA, DL, VS, WJA, DG and I am probably forgetting some others, yes alliances exist but they exist on all major city pairs, few have disrupters and low cost long haul connectivity like London has with the US and Canada.
29 May 2016
at 12:47
Speedbird189ParticipantSome Nigerian sources have near-confirmed the cancellation of Lagos and Abuja, the economy is falling and it’s very likely that the routes will be cancelled. Other airlines have also pulled out.
There are many news stories around at the moment regarding this.
29 May 2016
at 13:12
SimonS1Participant@AndrewinHK – which frequencies is EK cancelling then? I only ever seem to see increases. In fact they have just announced Cape Town is going 3x daily and baggage allowance 46kg in economy before any status allowances.
29 May 2016
at 13:32
FlightlevelParticipantAbuja & Lagos won’be cancelled in the near future they are probably the airline’s heaviest flights & management has to adjust types & schedules on routes like Cairo, since BA does make money, AF & LH hardly do?
29 May 2016
at 14:10
AndrewinHKParticipant@speedbird189 I am still skeptical on both routes being cancelled, we all know how unreliable Nigerian sources tend to be. Also who else has pulled out on London to Lagos, it is still served 3x daily by VS, Arik and BA?
@simonS1 I perhaps slightly misspoke regarding EK, however they planned service increase to Abuja and cancelled it, they also planned to open Bamako and cancelled it.
Air China have also cancelled service to Addis Ababa after only 6 months of operating. Africa is struggling with USD strength and low oil prices, but BA has been operating to Nigeria for a very long time, and they still use the 747, so it seems pretty drastic to cancel, perhaps down gauge it to a 777 or reduce frequency.
29 May 2016
at 14:28
rfergusonParticipantI can’t imagine either getting the chop – especially LOS. I would think BA would first retime/reduce aircraft type/frequency etc. It would be almost a first going from a consistently full daily High J 747 to axing the route.
I know there was some confusion in the media the other week as whilst Willie W was talking about some ‘IAG routes’ being cut they jumped on BA cutting Nigeria etc. But what was being referred to was IB.
29 May 2016
at 14:51
U.K.andcairoParticipantWhat about Cai? It’s a route I use a lot, it seems to really vary with how busy it is, either rammed and they are offering you money to get off or fairly empty. Was a 787 operating in the future, but come October the 321 is back.
29 May 2016
at 19:55 -
AuthorPosts