Cathay to scrap Moscow route

Cathay Pacific has confirmed that it will cease operating flights to Moscow this summer.

The current thrice-weekly service between Hong Kong and the Russian capital will be scrapped from 1 June 2015, with passengers booked on flights after this date being offered alternative arrangements.

Cathay said the decision was taken for “commercial reasons”.

“High operating costs have made it difficult to operate profitably on the route while the number of passengers travelling between Hong Kong and Russia has been declining,” it explained.

The cessation of the Moscow route will leave Cathay without any flights to Russia, but the airline said it would “maintain a presence in Moscow to coordinate sales activities”. It will also continue to work with its oneworld alliance partners in the country, including Russia’s S7 Airlines.

The airline is continuing to expand in Europe however, with Manchester having joined the airline’s network in December 2014 and new services to Zurich and Dusseldorf scheduled to commence on 29 March and 1 September 2015 respectively.

“Cathay Pacific remains committed to serving Europe and will continue to identify opportunities to strengthen its services to and from the continent,” the airline said.

sourced:traveldailymedia.com