Singapore Airlines announces capacity cut of 19.7%

Singapore airlines today said that in response to a further softening of demand due to the spread of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and, to a lesser extent, the war in Iraq, apart from the continuing weakness in the global economy, it is to further reduce flights in the coming weeks.

Combined with those announced in March and early April, the latest reductions will result in 199 fewer frequencies a week, or a 19.7 per cent of capacity in terms of available seat kilometers (ASKs).

The latest cuts include the suspension of services to Guangzhou from 14 April 2003, a reduction in services to Hong Kong to 14 per week and the suspension of the daily Singapore-Hong Kong-San Francisco service from 20 April 2003.

Services to North Asia

· All services to Guangzhou to be suspended from 14 April to 31 May 2003.

· Services to Hong Kong to be reduced to 14 per week from 20 April to 31 May 2003.

· Services to Shanghai to be cut from 21 to 14 per week from 14 April to 30 April 2003.

· Services to Beijing to be cut from 14 to seven per week from 14 April to 30 April 2003.

· Services to Taipei to be cut from 16 to 12 per week from 9 April to 31 May 2003.

· Services to Osaka to be cut from 16 to 15 per week from 15 April and then to 12 per week from 10 May until 31 May 2003.

Services to South-West Pacific

· Services to Melbourne to be cut from 17 to 14 per week from 1 May to 31 May 2003.

· Services to Sydney to be cut from 21 to 19 per week from 6 May to 31 May 2003.

· Services to Brisbane to be cut from 14 to 12 per week from 12 May to 31 May 2003.

· Services to Perth to be cut from 17 to 14 per week from 14 April to 31 May 2003.

Services to Europe

· Services to Amsterdam to be cut from five to four per week from 19 May to 31 May 2003.

· Services to Paris to be cut from seven to five per week from 4 May to 31 May 2003.

· Services to Frankfurt to be cut from 12 to 10 per week from 18 April to 31 May 2003.

· Services to Zurich to be cut from seven to five per week from 4 May to 31 May 2003.

· Services to Copenhagen to be cut from three to two per week from 5 May to 31 May 2003.

Services to the United States

Services to San Francisco to be cut from 10 to seven per week from 20 April to 31 May 2003. (The Singapore-Seoul-San Francisco service will increase from five to seven per week from 20 April 2003)

Services to South-East Asia

· Services to Kuala Lumpur to be cut from 42 to 35 per week from 14 April to 31 May 2003.

· Services to Penang to be cut from 21 to 14 per week from 7 April to 31 May 2003.

· Services to Jakarta to be cut from 35 to 28 per week from 14 April to 30 April 2003.

· Services to Surabaya to be cut from seven to six per week from 9 April to 31 May 2003.

· Services to Denpasar-Bali to be cut from 21 to 20 per week from 8 April until 31 May 2003.

· Services to Hanoi to be cut from four to three from 14 April to 31 May 2003.

· Services to Bandar Seri Begawan to be cut from seven to four per week from 10 April to 31 May 2003.

· Services to Bangkok to be cut from 36 to 29 per week from 14 April to 31 May 2003.

SIA said it will continue to monitor the situation and make adjustments to match capacity with demand where necessary.