LIPZ From Austria, joined Jun 2006, 1075 posts, RR: 0 Posted (3 years 10 months 1 day 22 hours ago) and read 5361 times:
Cathay Pacific to launch new service to Jeddah, its second destination in Saudi Arabia
22 July 2009
Cathay Pacific Airways today announced that it will launch flights to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia’s second major commercial city, with effect from 25 October. The four-times-weekly service will operate through Dubai on the way to and from Hong Kong.
The new service, to be operated by an Airbus A330-300 aircraft in a two-class configuration, will increase the airline’s presence in the increasingly important Middle Eastern market, connecting business and leisure passengers to Cathay Pacific’s extensive international network through the Hong Kong hub.
Aviationbuff From India, joined Mar 2008, 1424 posts, RR: 3 Reply 2, posted (3 years 10 months 1 day 21 hours ago) and read 5316 times:
Good to hear, I have always wondered why CX does not fly to Jeddah.
I feel that instead of DXB they should have opted for KWI, BAH or DOH. I personally feel that DXB is over served. CX has their own planners who knows much more than me and probably DXB suits them more.
Directorguy From Egypt, joined Jul 2008, 1569 posts, RR: 12 Reply 4, posted (3 years 10 months 1 day 19 hours ago) and read 5153 times:
Great news.
I think CX served Dhahran in the past-not sure though.
Asian airlines in particular have expanded in that part of the world, and have raised their profile. DXB has been a secondary focus city for SQ and CX since the 1970s, and it's amazing how DXB has managed to retain this. I agree when people say that DXB is overserved though.
Hardiwv From Brazil, joined Oct 2004, 8780 posts, RR: 52 Reply 5, posted (3 years 10 months 1 day 18 hours ago) and read 5032 times:
Quoting Aviationbuff (Reply 2): I feel that instead of DXB they should have opted for KWI, BAH or DOH.
I agree, is SQ still operating JED-DXB-SIN?
I have been to JED and was not impressed with airport facilities as compared to RUH or DMM. JED also has some good corporate traffic because it houses the Islamic Development Bank.
I imagine CX will get a follow of feed from places in South Asia and Indonesia onwards to JED.
CX Flyboy From Hong Kong, joined Dec 1999, 6338 posts, RR: 56 Reply 6, posted (3 years 10 months 1 day 5 hours ago) and read 4763 times:
Cathay does very well out of RUH which is why they are going daily there soon. JED is just a natural extension of our route network given the strength of the Middle East especially at the moment compared to elsewhere. It is one of the shining areas in a sea of low revenue. Cathay have long been looking at expanding their Middle East network and a number of options looked at. Don't be surprised if there is more expansion once the economy all settles down.
Babybus From United Kingdom, joined Dec 2003, 3512 posts, RR: 6 Reply 7, posted (3 years 10 months 1 day 4 hours ago) and read 4706 times:
I know from experience the RUH-HKG is impossible to get on with staff tickets.
There must have been a political issue that CX hasn't started JED-HKG till now. It's about 10 years overdue. All good things come to those that wait, it seems.
and with that..cabin crew, seats for landing please.
Fly2CHC From , joined Dec 1969, posts, RR: Reply 8, posted (3 years 10 months 1 day 4 hours ago) and read 4661 times:
Quoting Hardiwv (Reply 1): Would CX have 5th freedom rights Jeddah-DXB?
I doubt they would have the 5th Freedom rights, and therefore it probably doesn't matter where the intermediary stop is. They probably selected Dubai due to the economies of scale having quite a few crew already slipping there.
Directorguy From Egypt, joined Jul 2008, 1569 posts, RR: 12 Reply 9, posted (3 years 10 months 1 day 2 hours ago) and read 4559 times:
Quoting CX Flyboy (Reply 6): Cathay does very well out of RUH which is why they are going daily there soon. JED is just a natural extension of our route network given the strength of the Middle East especially at the moment compared to elsewhere. It is one of the shining areas in a sea of low revenue. Cathay have long been looking at expanding their Middle East network and a number of options looked at. Don't be surprised if there is more expansion once the economy all settles down.
I have no doubt that CX, thanks to its A330s, will be able to access smaller markets that SQ can't. The large cities like AUH, DOH, KWI could come online, and maybe BEY, MCT, DMM.
I wonder if GF will make any moves to joining ow because that would change a lot for CX.
Directorguy From Egypt, joined Jul 2008, 1569 posts, RR: 12 Reply 11, posted (3 years 10 months 1 day ago) and read 4475 times:
Quoting Pe@rson (Reply 10): SQ now have 8 330s with 11 more on order.
But they've been assigned very specific routes so far. Only regional Asia and some Australian flights get the A333s. Their Middle East routes are pure 777s-too big for many cities. Unless SQ has plans to use the A333 on M.E. routes, which would change a lot.
777way From Pakistan, joined Dec 2005, 5155 posts, RR: 4 Reply 16, posted (3 years 10 months 17 hours ago) and read 4186 times:
Quoting Colts001 (Reply 15): Because airlines don't want there crew to stay there overnight. In most cases they have crew based out of DXB who do the short turn around
Nonsense, last year or so CX were flying HKG-RUH-BAH-HKG on atleast one flight.
Francoflier From France, joined Oct 2001, 3195 posts, RR: 10 Reply 17, posted (3 years 10 months 17 hours ago) and read 4136 times:
Quoting Colts001 (Reply 15): In most cases they have crew based out of DXB who do the short turn around.
Crews (cockpit and cabin) actually operate from HK, then have a layover in DXB after which they operate the RUH flights. There are no based crews in DXB.
Quoting 777way (Reply 16): Nonsense, last year or so CX were flying HKG-RUH-BAH-HKG on atleast one flight.
This flight creates a lot of problems for crews laying over in RUH, especially female cabin crew who find themselves confined to the hotel perimeter for a few days. RUH going daily will mean shorter layovers and partly solve the problem.
It probably was one of the factors that led the JED flight to operate via DXB, but there is also the fact that since DXB is an already well served port it will be easy to rotate crews on that short turnover from DXB, and it is much less risky business wise than launching a direct flight from HK.
Looks like I picked the wrong week to quit posting...
Huaiwei From Singapore, joined Oct 2008, 1086 posts, RR: 1 Reply 18, posted (3 years 10 months 16 hours ago) and read 4099 times:
Quoting Directorguy (Reply 11): But they've been assigned very specific routes so far. Only regional Asia and some Australian flights get the A333s. Their Middle East routes are pure 777s-too big for many cities. Unless SQ has plans to use the A333 on M.E. routes, which would change a lot.
From where did you conclude that the SIN-Middle Eastern market is too small to support 777 services?
It's huaiwei...not huawei. I have nothing to do with the PRC! :)
Behramjee From Canada, joined Aug 2003, 4438 posts, RR: 43 Reply 19, posted (3 years 10 months 12 hours ago) and read 4011 times:
To/from JED, Cathay's target market will be labor traffic bound to MNL and CEB business/leisure/political traffic bound to HKG itself (O&D) 6th freedom traffic headed towards PEK-PVG-NRT-KIX-ICN-MNL-TPE-SGN.
These were the pax stats for June 2008-09 versus June 08-08
HKG-JED-HKG = 5000 pax in 08-09 vs 7200 pax in 07-08.........O&D market
NRT-JED-NRT = 1720 pax in 08-09 vs 2700 pax in 07-08
PEK-JED-PEK = 3400 pax in 08-09 vs 3600 pax in 07-08
PVG-JED-PVG = 4000 pax in 08-09 vs 4300 pax in 07-08
ICN-JED-ICN = 1800 pax in 08-09 vs 1700 pax in 07-08
MNL-JED-MNL = 121,000 in 08-09 vs 144,000 in 07-08
Ojas From India, joined Mar 2008, 2785 posts, RR: 23 Reply 20, posted (3 years 10 months 12 hours ago) and read 4005 times:
Quoting 777way (Reply 16): Nonsense, last year or so CX were flying HKG-RUH-BAH-HKG on atleast one flight.
Exactly and at this routing the crew did HKG-RUH-BAH and there would be a crew change in BAH which would continue to HKG. There are many countries where airlines try to avoid crew layovers and Saudi Arabia is one of them.
As far as Indian carriers go, none of them have layovers in Saudi even if it means they have to do 5.5 hrs flight turnarounds for example CCJ - JED.
[Edited 2009-07-23 14:23:51]
A lion does not concern himself with the opinions of the sheep
SurfandSnow From United States of America, joined Jan 2009, 2588 posts, RR: 31 Reply 21, posted (3 years 10 months 11 hours ago) and read 3977 times:
Quoting Ojas (Reply 20): There are many countries where airlines try to avoid crew layovers and Saudi Arabia is one of them.
Not surprising. While living in Bahrain (just across the causeway from Saudi Arabia), I met quite a few Saudis who likened life in the country to "jail". I was a bit shocked to hear this, but I guess it may not be far from the truth. Still though, the country is an integral part of the world economy, and I am sure CX will do very will with its new service to JED. Perhaps n/s flights are not too far off. After all, if DL can find a way to keep its crews safe in LOS, then I believe anything must be possible...
Flying in the middle seat of coach is much better than not flying at all!
Directorguy From Egypt, joined Jul 2008, 1569 posts, RR: 12 Reply 22, posted (3 years 10 months 2 hours ago) and read 3864 times:
Quoting Huaiwei (Reply 18): From where did you conclude that the SIN-Middle Eastern market is too small to support 777 services?
I just don't see SQ (or CX) 777s in places like MCT, BEY, DAM, DMM-hence m suggestion that these are all better suited for A330s.
Quoting SurfandSnow (Reply 21): Not surprising. While living in Bahrain (just across the causeway from Saudi Arabia), I met quite a few Saudis who likened life in the country to "jail". I was a bit shocked to hear this, but I guess it may not be far from the truth. Still though, the country is an integral part of the world economy, and I am sure CX will do very will with its new service to JED. Perhaps n/s flights are not too far off. After all, if DL can find a way to keep its crews safe in LOS, then I believe anything must be possible...
Indeed. With Bahrain a mere hour away, tons of Saudis used to go to Bahrain.
I really don't see why there would be security issues in JED. Yes, foreign women are harrassed from time to time because of the way they dress-but sensible clothing easily remedies that. Hotels in the KSA are pretty safe, and its a far cry from certain African nations and of course countries like India/Pakistan/Jakarta which have hotels blowing up with alarming regularity. Saudi Arabia is like any other country, really.
SW733 From United States of America, joined Feb 2004, 6072 posts, RR: 10 Reply 23, posted (3 years 10 months 1 hour ago) and read 3798 times:
I am curious - who is this marketed towards? Sure, you have Indonesia/Malaysia, but connecting via HKG is a pain when you can connect via SIN. There are Chinese Muslims, but not a lot of them. So is it mostly business? Just curious...I wish them all the best!
Lutfi From China, joined Sep 2000, 696 posts, RR: 1 Reply 24, posted (3 years 10 months ago) and read 3764 times:
It will be marketed to the huge population of "guest workers" in Saudi, many from Indonesia & Phillipines. More accurately, it will marketed to the labour supply companies that ship these people around
25 Francoflier: How is connecting via HKG worse than through SIN?
26 Babybus: Who operated this route? I've looked on Amadeus and the archives of SV and can't find any reference to a direct flight anywhere.
27 Behramjee: All transit traffic carried by EK/QR primarily via KIX/DOH/DXB.
28 Cloudyapple: Dhahran was served 1983-1988, not in the 70s.
29 Cloudyapple: Depends where you are connecting from/to really. If you are going to Borneo, Indonesia, Malaysia and Australia then Singapore might be the better cho
30 Huaiwei: All of these are obvious niche destinations, except perhaps for BEY, although MH almost considered canning it too.
31 Red Panda: Wondering how the crew pattern is like. Taking crew rest onboard during the layover period? How?! r panda
32 Ojas: HKG - DXB -- crew alights at DXB and a new set of crew boards the flight. This crew does DXB - JED - DXB and then alights at DXB. A new set of crew b
Sponsor Message: 
From Austria, joined Jun 2006, 1075 posts, 
From Brazil, joined Oct 2004, 8780 posts, 
From India, joined Mar 2008, 1424 posts, 
From Canada, joined Aug 2003, 4438 posts, 
From Egypt, joined Jul 2008, 1569 posts, 
From Hong Kong, joined Dec 1999, 6338 posts, 
From United Kingdom, joined Dec 2003, 3512 posts, 
From , joined Dec 1969, posts, 
From Pakistan, joined Dec 2005, 5155 posts, 
From United States of America, joined Dec 2005, 906 posts, 
From France, joined Oct 2001, 3195 posts, 
From Singapore, joined Oct 2008, 1086 posts, 
From China, joined Sep 2000, 696 posts, 
Printer friendly format 
