Air France quits Monrovia

[crew1990]

After the announcement of Emirates quitting Conakry, a second good news for SN in west Africa is that Air France will stop her CDG-ROB flight.

[B.Inventive]

So this has nothing to do with Ebola?

[crew1990]

Nope, nothing to do, they wasńt make any profit on that route so they stopped it.

Here is the link, sorry this is in French.

http://www.air-journal.fr/2014-04-09-ai ... 03623.html

[quixoticguide]

That's good news for SN.

[globetrotter]

There is no mention of EK quitting CKY any where online not even at other discussion boards or blogs other than EK website itself, is the suspension temporary?

[RoMax]

There is no mention of EK quitting CKY any where online not even at other discussion boards or blogs other than EK website itself, is the suspension temporary?

I just saw this, here they seem to indicate it's only temporary:
http://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/ ... a-outbreak

[globetrotter]

Thanks, airlineroute.net have picked it up too now, seems temporary then.

[EBAW_flyer]

Not really "good news for SN", they should also get out of there!
I guess Air France has very reliable information, probably better than SN...

[RoMax]

Not really "good news for SN", they should also get out of there!
I guess Air France has very reliable information, probably better than SN...

The Monrovia-AF thing has nothing to do with Ebola, it's the Conakry-EK thing that's about Ebola.

Monrovia will be ended in June by AF because of financial reasons. ROB was a relative new route for AF (lasted for a few years) and they were never able to become strong enough on this route to compete with BA and SN. Probably one of the only very few routes were SN (together with BA in this case) is strong enough to keep AF out of the market.
Also note that ROB is connected with the US by Delta (in combination with Accra) so that already reduces the number of transfer pax for AF through CDG.

Regarding CKY and wether it's a good choice or not to continue flying to that city at this moment...well of course it's a risk, but it's not like SN is the only one taking that risk. And seriously I doubt AF is that much better informed as SN. I believe AF is even still flying to CKY as well, even while on of their aircraft was put in quarantine in CDG (though it was a false alarm).

[LJ]

Monrovia will be ended in June by AF because of financial reasons. ROB was a relative new route for AF (lasted for a few years) and they were never able to become strong enough on this route to compete with BA and SN.

It was also strange that this route was flown by AF as the rumours were that KL would do this flight (unlike AF, KL had experience flying to ROB). However, it went to AF. I wonder what will happen with Freetown as AF flew CDG-ROB-FNA-CDG. I reckon FNA will be axed as well.

[rwandan-flyer]

I reckon FNA will be axed as well.

AF will add a 3rd weekly service to FNA.

Also note that ROB is connected with the US by Delta (in combination with Accra) so that already reduces the number of transfer pax for AF through CDG.

Kenya Airways provides 3 flights a week from Nairobi and the airline provides good connecting to and from Asia (Mumbai, Canton or Dubai,). Flight time is about the same one via CDG and NBO.

[Passenger]

Air France ends flights to Monrovia as from 16th June 2014:

http://www.frontpageafricaonline.com/in ... ir-june-16

In the comments on that article, Cyrus L Gray, Chief Operating Officer at International Management Corporation (IMC), disagrees that it's competition from Kenya Airways and British Airways that forced Air France out:

"...The assertion that competition from Kenya Airways etc may have influenced Air France departure from the Liberian Market is pretty weak. Cross Atlantic carriers coming into Liberia are driven mostly by projections of growth over the long term, cost of calling the particular airport and aviation safety and security. Liberian officials are not good at connecting the dots. Maybe a small reminder may help. Just about two years ago Air France Flight 752 crash landed at RIA on approach when one of the wheels entered a pot hole on the runway. The cost of retrieving and repairing that aircraft was stated as half a million US dollars. Liberian officials claimed no responsibility since according to a Ministry of Transport official the Pilot should have known that the hole was on the runway. According to the official, all pilots into RIA know the hole. RIA today is no better than 2 years ago in all the important ways. Secondly, realistic economic projection for Liberia is gloomy to say the least. International carriers will not wait forever for signs of improvement. while the government continue to play GUESS with the development of the International Airport, an enabler that is a proven profit center, massive job creator and necessary hallmark of any serious country..."