Cathay Pacific Consolidates Middle East Network

As Philippine Carriers Dumped Capacity

7 February 2014

Cathay Pacific is consolidating its operations in the Middle East this year by reducing capacity between 10% and cutting services to Jeddah and Abu Dhabi prompted by capacity dumping of Philippine-based carriers to the gulf region and simultaneous expansion by Gulf carriers to the Philippines beginning fourth quarter of last year. 

Filipino migrant workers comprises majority of Cathay Pacific's traffic serving the Middle East-Philippines market, which lately has seen 70% increase in UAE - Philippines capacity as Philippine Carriers launched long-haul flights and Emirates and Etihad adding capacity by adding nearby Clark airport to its network.

Summer 2013
Route	Weekly Frequency	Segments per Frequency	Weekly Segments
Hong Kong-Abu Dhabi-Riyadh-Hong Kong	1	3	3
Hong Kong-Bahrain-Riyadh-Hong Kong	2	3	6
Hong Kong-Dubai-Hong Kong	7	2	14
Hong Kong-Dubai-Jeddah-Dubai-Hong Kong	7	4	28
Hong Kong-Riyadh-Abu Dhabi-Hong Kong	2	3	6
Hong Kong-Riyadh-Bahrain-Hong Kong	2	3	6
Total	21	n/a	63
Summer 2014
Route	Weekly Frequency	Segments per Frequency	Weekly Segments
Hong Kong-Dubai-Bahrain-Dubai-Hong Kong	7	4	28
Hong Kong-Riyadh-Hong Kong	5	2	10
Hong Kong-Dubai-Hong Kong	7	2	14
Total	19	n/a	52

Source: CAPA - Centre for Aviation, Cathay Pacific and OAG 

Cathay catered to the largest market between the Philippines and the Middle East capturing about 20% of Manila- Dubai traffic. The Manila-Dubai route comprised about one-fifth of all Philippines-Middle East passengers. The second-largest route was from Manila to Riyadh, home to millions of overseas Filipino workers.

The Saudi Arabia - Philippines market has likewise grown by over 60% last quarter due to the re-introduction of Philippine Airlines (PAL) flight to Dam mam,Riyadh, and by this year Jeddah. 

The second wave of Middle East expansion by PAL and its subsidiary PAL Express,  as well as low cost carrier Cebu Pacific to Qatar and Saudi Arabia is expected this summer season.

Philippine Airlines is expected to become the largest  Asian carrier between Asia and the Middle East by the end of 2014 after it will add three more destinations before the end of the year.

At the start of the 2014 however, the pack is still headed by Garuda Indonesia with Cathay Pacific slipping to third place. Cathay was the second-largest Asian carrier between Asia and the Middle East at the start of 2013 before PAL built up a sizeable Middle East network.