Austrian to cancel flights to Mumbai in 2009

Austrian Airlines is to cease operating its service to the Indian city of Mumbai (Bombay) from 1 March 2009 onwards. As a result of drastic overcapacity between European airports and the city in southwestern India, the weakening Indian economy and the consequences of the crisis in European financial markets, it is no longer possible to operate this route profitably in the medium term.

The measure means that one more of the airline’s total of six Boeing 767 aircraft will no longer be deployed on long-haul routes. The question of how to use the aircraft freed up by the decision remains open at present.

This necessary capacity reduction on the Mumbai route can be compensated with minor medium-haul network adjustments, without any need for further reductions in staff numbers. Services from London City Airport, Luxembourg and Riga, as well as the long-haul destination of Chicago, have already been cancelled this year.

For more information, log on to Austrian.com.