Delta reducing JFK-NRT frequency this winter

[FWAAA]

According to airlineroute.net, DL will be reducing its JFK-NRT flight to six times weekly this winter, from October 3 thru March 26, not flying on Wednesdays:

http://airlineroute.net/2015/09/11/dl-jfknrt-w15/

The same source earlier revealed that DL would reduce SEA-HKG to just two weekly nonstops while resuming NRT-HKG five times weekly:

http://airlineroute.net/2015/09/07/dl-hkg-w15/

When AA reduced its ORD-NRT flight to five times weekly, its joint venture partner JAL continued to fly daily, meaning that AA and JAL combined offered 12 weekly flights on that route. DL has no joint venture partner to pick up the slack on Wednesdays from JFK.

 

[robbedagain]

I suppose this is one of those brilliant strategic move

 

[Kev3188]

I'm just curious where that 777 flying'll be going...

 

[700UW]

Winter downtime is used to accomplish Heavy Maintenance on widebodies, that could be the case here.

 

[topDawg]

I'm just curious where that 777 flying'll be going...

Bay 5 in ATL or SIN...... 

 

[Kev3188]

I imagine so...

 

[topDawg]

I imagine so...

for the most part the 777 fleet gets its PSVs in the winter. They do a few during the summer but for the most part they also build some down time into the schedule to get them into the hangar in the winter.  

 

[robbedagain]

dawg  how long does the PSV take for the 777?

 

[topDawg]

dawg  how long does the PSV take for the 777?

depends on which PSV. 1-2 weeks are what is done in-house. 
 
The heavier checks take longer. 

 

[robbedagain]

Thanks

 

[eolesen]

Yep. We had an entire discussion around winter frequency reductions to fund MBV's last year.

IIRC, someone tried to make a big deal about another airline doing this on a few routes, and proselytize about this being a serious sign of major weakness in their network...

Here's how DL's drawdowns looked last winter:

 

[topDawg]

Yep. We had an entire discussion around winter frequency reductions to fund MBV's last year.

IIRC, someone tried to make a big deal about another airline doing this on a few routes, and proselytize about this being a serious sign of major weakness in their network...

Here's how DL's drawdowns looked last winter:

every airline pulls down utilization in the winter and every airline tries to do as much work in the hangar during the winter as they can.
 
But wouldn't shock me to see someone argue that. Very clear some point here have no idea how airline maintenance works.  

 

[jcw]

It's great to see folks in agreement that flying in the winter occurs for maintenance at every airline

 

[LD3]

Discussions have been civil lately....

 

[Kev3188]

It's nice, isn't it? Let's all try and keep it that way. This site is what we collectively make it...