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United continues international network shifts and drops service to Accra in Ghana

United is moving international capacity around its largest hubs in what appears to be an effort to maximise its network now that a crucial passenger service system cutover is complete. The IT system cutover allows United and Continental, whose merger is now complete, to fully utilise the combined networks and properly cross-fleet to operate optimal-sized aircraft in United’s markets. One of the more prominent changes is the elimination of flights from United’s Washington Dulles hub to Accra, which was the carrier’s first point in Africa when the route was launched in 2010. Other changes include the seasonal elimination of flights from Washington to Moscow and from Newark to Rome.

The changes will support an overall revised capacity forecast for United this year. The carrier has refined its 2012 capacity guidance from an overall decrease of 0.5% to 1.5%, compared with a previous estimate of between growth of 0.5% and a drop of 0.5%. United’s international capacity is now projected to grow this year by 0.3% to 1.3%, but some of that will be driven by new long-haul flights from Washington Dulles to Doha beginning in May, followed by Dulles to Manchester and Dublin.

Slots continue to make news in the US, first at New York and change comes to SFO

The US aviation landscape is again being affected by the scarcity of capacity in two of the nation’s important metro areas. Last week the FAA gave its blessing to the slot swap between Delta and US Airways at New York’s LaGuardia and Washington’s Reagan.

Delta slot deal approved as US Airways reports profits

The US Department of Transportation approved the long-fought Delta/US Airways slot deal even as US Airways was saying during its earnings call it expected approval any day. The airline reported a net profit of USD92 million in the second quarter, a dramatic decline from the USD279 million it reported in 2Q2010.

Rising jet fuel price spells more challenges for ultra long-haul flights

The recent spike in oil prices could spell more trouble for ultra long-haul routes, which airlines have struggled to maintain due to poor operating economics and the recent global economic downturn. Singapore Airlines (SIA) this week decided to again cut its non-stop all-business class Singapore-Los Angeles operation from seven to five weekly frequencies.

How consolidation has changed the US airline industry; more to come - US Airways' Doug Parker

Judging from press reports, the greatest insight during the US Airways Media Day last week was something US Airways Chair Doug Parker has been saying for years - there is probably one more big merger move left in this round of US airline consolidation. But there were two greater nuggets during the event - the fact that the world remains unconvinced that the US airline industry has really changed and those changes mean the need for more infrastructure may be completely overstated.

Now it’s about fuel – again

In 2007-2008 the airlines most feared the rising cost of fuel and, especially in the US, used the expense to dramatically cut service, scale back operations, retire aircraft and reduce capacity. But the positive effects of those actions were almost immediately negated by the recession, which brought a whole new set of problems.