CPH-R From Denmark, joined May 2001, 5745 posts, RR: 4 Posted (9 years 9 months 2 weeks 2 days 19 hours ago) and read 3118 times:
Just read this at my usual news portal. Apparently, the ruling council in Iraq have given SK, along with 4 others, permission to fly cargo & passengers to and from Basra.
The other 4 are: Gulf Air, Royal Jordanian, Emirates, Qatar Airways and LOT. Strange choice in my opinion, since both KLM, BA, VS and LH have been eager to start flights to/from Iraq.
Amir From Syria, joined Dec 1999, 1254 posts, RR: 13 Reply 4, posted (9 years 9 months 2 weeks 2 days 16 hours ago) and read 2928 times:
I hope SAS will utilize their traffic rights soon!
After all, all the Airlines granted rights to Basra are pro US countries! what a coinsidence.....
Basra does have a good potentail of traffic. In the past it hardly had any international flights but now with the Situation in Irak and the closed Airport in Baghdad it makes sense to tap the Iraqi potential from Basra. After all it is still easier to travel from let's say Baghdad to Basra by road transportation than driving all the way to AMM (Jordan). At least you don't have to cross the border to catch your flight.
CPH-R From Denmark, joined May 2001, 5745 posts, RR: 4 Reply 5, posted (9 years 9 months 2 weeks 2 days 15 hours ago) and read 2860 times:
I doubt that they'll start it soon, since there's still some unrest there. What I'm concerned about - what type will they be using? Perhaps adding it to a flight to/from Turkey?
I'll bet that they'll be giving some good offers for IAD-CPH-Basra flights pretty soon.
Jaws707 From United States of America, joined Aug 2001, 708 posts, RR: 1 Reply 6, posted (9 years 9 months 2 weeks 2 days 15 hours ago) and read 2801 times:
Would an aircraft in their fleet like the Md-80 series, 737 series, or A321 have the range to do the flight? Maybe if they decided to hold onto a 767 for a while longer that can be used, but I imagine that using an A333 on that route would be overkill and kind of wasting the planes potential.
TransSwede From United States of America, joined Sep 2001, 993 posts, RR: 0 Reply 7, posted (9 years 9 months 2 weeks 2 days 15 hours ago) and read 2780 times:
One of the left-over 767's would probably be best for this route...
Sk945 From Sweden, joined May 2002, 432 posts, RR: 0 Reply 8, posted (9 years 9 months 2 weeks 2 days 14 hours ago) and read 2783 times:
SAS have said earlier that if or even they start traffic to Iraq. - They would use a aircraft for 2x weekly flights to Iraq and then the aircraft will be used to open CPH-JNB with a 3-4 weekly flight. Rumors - but high valued such.
GOT From Sweden, joined Dec 2000, 1912 posts, RR: 1 Reply 10, posted (9 years 9 months 2 weeks 2 days 13 hours ago) and read 2701 times:
I doubt that one of the 767's will be used for this route, since the last a/c should be leaving this fall, October?
The most likely candidate I'd say is the A321. According to Great Cricle Mapper, CPH-BSR is 2430mi and the range of the A321 is 3000mi. The 737NG and MD-80/90 all have too short range for this operation, and the A330/A340 seems like an overkill, to me at least.
OTOH, SK945's reasoning is interesting, would be great to see new services to both JNB and BSR.
According to Swedish TV4, SAS would like to start the flights as early as late August, though I personally doubt that would be possible.
GOT
Just like birdwatching - without having to be so damned quiet!
Codeshare From Poland, joined Sep 2002, 1854 posts, RR: 1 Reply 11, posted (9 years 9 months 2 weeks 2 days 13 hours ago) and read 2675 times:
What?
I don't know what LOT's going to be doing there, possibly no US airline would want to fly there, because of the security.
I think the Beirut service might be extended to Basra. (so a 737 I guess)
On the other hand they won't start flying there immediately.
And what about the exact route - over Saudi, Jordan, Syria or Iraq??
How much A is there is Airliners Net ? 0 or nothing ?
DoorsToManual From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 13, posted (9 years 9 months 2 weeks 2 days 13 hours ago) and read 2621 times:
I guess these flights will mostly comprise of armed forces personnel, diplomats, construction-related company employees etc. etc. plus some VFR, I doubt there will be many tourists at this early stage.
DoorsToManual From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 17, posted (9 years 9 months 2 weeks 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 2519 times:
As I stated above, it'll be mostly business-related traffic (according to a friend at BA).
As the country has to be rebuilt, the coalition authority is contracting out various jobs (water, piping, education, roads & other related stuff). Employees from such countries will need to have some form of transport, hence the airline services resuming.
Then there's all the diplomatic and UN personnel, not to mention the petroleum company employees. Cargo loads should be great.
UN_B732 From United States of America, joined Jul 2001, 4286 posts, RR: 5 Reply 18, posted (9 years 9 months 2 weeks 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 2510 times:
The 737NG can fly more than 2470 miles! ALl of those US transcons on the 73Gs.
-UN
Danny From Poland, joined Apr 2002, 3482 posts, RR: 2 Reply 19, posted (9 years 9 months 2 weeks 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 2476 times:
"What?
I don't know what LOT's going to be doing there, possibly no US airline would want to fly there, because of the security."
I'll tell you - since Lufthansa will not be allowed to fly to Iraq due to political reasons LOT who has codeshares with LH and is joining Star Alliance would take STAR passengers via Warsaw to Iraq. It is very important to STAR since they don't want to give whole stake to BA and One World.
TransSwede From United States of America, joined Sep 2001, 993 posts, RR: 0 Reply 20, posted (9 years 9 months 2 weeks 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 2456 times:
Since both SAS and LOT (soon) are in the Star Alliance, I guess Basra can become a new Star Alliance hub!
MadViking From Canada, joined Jul 2003, 178 posts, RR: 0 Reply 21, posted (9 years 9 months 2 weeks 2 days 12 hours ago) and read 2441 times:
GOT, I didn't understand what you meant by, "SK945s reasoning is interesting?" Hope they aren't suspending the route!
Though it may sound overkill, a A330/340 type may be beneficial. The route will carry high yield business traffic building commercial opportunities in a region that has been isolated for years. Also, the 330/340s cargo capacity can exploit any freight demand the route will require. As mentioned above, if 2 frequencies are conducted a week, both J and Y classes should be able to hold their own. This is not a destination that expects daily services. And also, as mentioned before, if JNB is in the cards the "big bus" is more than likely to share the route. Just enough time to make a quick sortie to BSR before returning home for the long haul again to JoBerg! I can almost bet the belly will be full of cargo on each mission, something that would be a missed opportunity with a 737 or 321.
I not up to date with SAS's big bus deliveries. Are any scheduled in the near future? Based on the world market getting one would be easy!
TransSwede From United States of America, joined Sep 2001, 993 posts, RR: 0 Reply 22, posted (9 years 9 months 2 weeks 2 days 11 hours ago) and read 2425 times:
The problem with sharing an aircraft between Basrah and JNB is that it really requires two aircraft for daily flights to JNB from Europe. And SAS doesn't exactly have a lot of surplus aircraft...
(That is, if they do what every other airline seems to do and park all day in JNB, only flying night flights there and back)
Sk945 From Sweden, joined May 2002, 432 posts, RR: 0 Reply 23, posted (9 years 9 months 2 weeks 2 days 11 hours ago) and read 2421 times:
SAS will receive one more A333 in april 2004, but it still aint enough if they would like to keep the current longhault flights and also open new ones. So either they keep one or two B767 for a while - or they will drop some other routes.
TransSwede From United States of America, joined Sep 2001, 993 posts, RR: 0 Reply 24, posted (9 years 9 months 2 weeks 2 days 11 hours ago) and read 2418 times:
MadViking,
The only remaining Airbus widebody left on order is coming this winter, and that's an A330-300. But that is replacing the last 767 on U.S. routes, I believe. (Which will complete SAS long-haul fleet renewal: 7 A340, 4 A330)
SAS does have options for several more A330/340's, but they have not ordered any yet. I wouldn't mind seeng them lease/buy some A330-200's soon, with all the rumored new routes (Basrah, Baghdad, JNB, Shanghai, SFO), they sure will need new aircrafts soon.
25 DoorsToManual: The BA service is planned for 2 x weekly via Kuwait with a 777.
26 Copenhagenboy: I think they will keep some 767, why not use it to Bashra and then eg 3 times a week OSL-EWR? I really don't think they will use the same plane to J'h
27 MadViking: If the last 330 delivery is going to replace the 767 to IAD and changing options to orders is not in the cards, then maybe dropping a few frequencies
28 Trintocan: Yes, I heard about BA, they announced their new services to Basra this evening on the news. It seems strange that Basra is being started before Baghda
29 LOT767-300ER: Maybe I should clear up LOT From what Ive just heard on the local news here in Warsaw was that LOT will be flying in to support its troops with sort o
30 Sk945: Madviking, I hardly see that ARN-ORD will be the first to go. OSL-EWR will go from daily to 3/w and ARN-EWR from daily to 4/w from Oct 26th. So one A3
31 Jaws707: The changes to the ARN-EWR, and OSL-EWR routes, are those seasonal or permanent? I would imagine they are seasonal and if they are SAS might need an a
32 Gordonsmall: I can't see SAS using A330-300 equipment to JNB, more likely to be A340. The great circle route CPH-JNB is about 5000 miles, take into account airways
33 Jarek: Hi, according to LOT spokesman (on www.gazeta.pl), LOT is planning to start the flights to Basra as an extension of twice a week connection to Beirut.
34 Sk945: Well, now its ready, SAS starts flights to Basra on August 29th SK961 Dept CPH 0620 Arr Basra 1330, Aircraft: 767 SK962 Dept Basra 1500 Arr CPH 1835,
35 Birka340: Why departure 6:20AM? No possibilities for inbound connecting passengers to catch this flight. Is this due slot restrictions at CPH or BSR? Is BSR air
36 Jaws707: In response to the last post, I read somewhere that Basra is very limited in what it can do, and that the airport can only handle 1 flight per day so
37 Birka340: Regarding connecting psgrs. Maybe its better with a hotel overnight on the outbound instead of homebound flight. With this schedule the late CPH-EWR
38 CPH-R: The problem with overnight stays at BSR, where the hell are you going to find a crew that would be willing to stay in Basra overnight? Remember, unlik
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