MAJOR BOOST IN FREQUENCIES FOR SUMMER SCHEDULE

New timetable sees airline offering more flights than at any other time in its history

Dragonair has announced increases in frequencies throughout its network in its summer timetable, boosting the number of flights it operates from 173 to a maximum of 205 a week - an all-time high for the airline.

Mainland China sees the biggest rise in services, with Shanghai and Beijing at the top of the list.

“Summer is always a busier season for us, and this year we are expecting demand to our mainland destinations to be the strongest it’s ever been,” said James Yeung, Dragonair’s General Manager, Commercial. “Much of the traffic is business-related, ahead of China’s anticipated entry into the World Trade Organisation later this year.”

The summer timetable covers the period March 25 to October 27, 2001. Flights to Shanghai will increase from 40 a week to 46 a week up until 31 May, and then rise to 48 a week for the remainder of the schedule. Services to Beijing will jump to 32 a week, up from 27. From 1 June this will rise to 37 a week.

The mid-season increase follows the addition of a new Airbus A330 to Dragonair’s fleet in May. Another new A330 is due to enter service in July.

In addition to Shanghai and Beijing, seven other mainland cities will see more flights, as well as Kaohsiung in Taiwan.

Kaohsiung 4 times a day (up from 3 a day)*

Hangzhou 9 a week (up from 7)

Fuzhou 9 a week (up from 7)

Nanjing 8 a week (up from 7)

Qingdao 5 a week (up from 4)

Changsha 3 a week (up from 2)

Chongqing 3 a week (up from 2)

Wuhan 2 a week (up from 1)



* Except Saturday

Dragonair is a Hong Kong-based airline, operating a fleet of five A330-300s, three A321s and six A320s in addition to a Boeing 747-200 freighter. It will double its fleet by the end of 2005. The airline’s passenger network covers 27 destinations across the Asia-Pacific region, while its cargo network connects the markets of Europe, the Middle East and China.