Kingfisher to abandon LHR routes, Considering grounding Long Haul Fleet

It’s time to look again at the ongoing comedy/tragedy that is Kingfisher Airlines.

Due to costs and a lack of crew, long haul routes are being sliced up, with one of the A330’s leased being retured to lessor, the London Heathrow service’s  is being cut from the 10th and 16th April from the look of the GDS’s.

In addition, there are more cuts internationally according to Airlineroute.net, with the domestic programme curtailed, as well as Bangkok, Kathmandu facing the axe too.

Staff have been striking due to the unpaid wages, and Kingfishers accounts are still frozen for non-payment of taxes. In addition, because of a lack of payment to the IATA clearing house, you won’t find Kingfisher fares through the interline services and booking engines at the moment.

Kingfisher has lost 4.44bn rupees (~ £57 Million give or take) during October to December with year, and yet to make a profit.  There are reports that some foriegn carriers are sniffing around to see if it’s worth investing in, but as the fall of Pan American showed – the moment you start closing routes and stop servicing destinations, you give away any advantage you had. An airline cannot operate without the routes, the fleet and the staff.

And Kingfisher is throwing all three of these in the air and hoping it can catch them.

I doubt Kingfisher can.