(Trinidad Guardian) Caribbean Airlines yesterday remained non-committal on whether it was withdrawing its London service from next year. However, it admitted to reviewing its options on the type of aircraft being used to fly the route.
In a press release, in response to recent media reports the airline will pull out of London and return its Boeing 767 fleet to its lessor early next year in a cost-cutting measure, the airline assured its customers that as of now, it continued to service the route.
It added, however, that it had been conducting a detailed review of its network profitability and after intense consultations with Lufthansa Consulting and ICF International (formerly SH&E), two of the world’s leading aviation consultants, certain strategic initiatives were recommended consistent with the current competitive environment.
CAL said the issue was not primarily the profitability of the London route but the operations cost of the Boeing 767 aircraft, which affected other prime routes. It said any decision to stop using the Boeing 767s would favourably impact its profitability in direct and overhead costs by reducing the number of fleet types and the unique support resources required for each. However, it said, arrangements were still in the process of being finalised.
CAL said whatever the outcome of the deliberations, its intention would be to implement alternative network solutions to ensure connectivity to/from London for customers. In this regard, CAL said it would communicate the final decision on the route in a timely fashion to the public.
