Recession arrives in airline industry ?

[euroflyer]

According to German media reports today Lufthansa has already stored 4 medium-haul aircraft due to the current economic situation.

The planes stored so far are A300-600 which are used typically for medium-haul flights (like Moscow) or European and domestic routes with high demand (sometime FRA-Rome, FRA-Athens, FRA-TXL, etcetera). Reports continue to say 3 A340-300 should be parked soon as well and further planes, long-haul and short-haul are to follow.

No information so far however on what routes might be affected. I would assume the A300-600 will be replaced by A321 / A320 on those routes.

Source: http://www.tagesschau.de/wirtschaft/lufthansa320.html

Anyone with more information or with similar steps to report from other airlines?

PS: If somewhere, especially inside the LH family of companies, some long-haul planes are needed, those A340-300's could be an opportunity ??

[itami]

Anyone with more information or with similar steps to report from other airlines?

Cathay Pacific Airways announced measures to fight the global business turndown by scaling back capacity growth and grounding two freighters. It also offers unpaid leave to pilots and flight attendants and requests a two-year delay in the completion of a new cargo terminal at Hong Kong International.

[LX-LGX]

Airlines knew what was coming: they've recieved a first warning from IATA on 4th August 2008: "Freight Volumes Contract and Passenger Growth Hits Five-Year Low".

Repeated on 30th September: "Traffic Slowdown Continues - Asia Leads August Decline".

Repeated on 24th October: "Alarming Drop for September International Traffic".

Repeated on 27th November: "Traffic Decline Continues - Second Month of Global Contraction".

Source: IATA: http://www.iata.org/pressroom/pr/