Cathay Pacific unimpressed by SIA’s low-cost gambit
01 Jun 2011
Cathay Pacific CEO John Slosar has said his airline was not looking to emulate Singapore International Airlines (SIA) in setting up a low cost operation. Instead, Slosar said, his airline would be more focused on growing the Cathay brand and look for growth from within.
"I don't see Cathay going in that direction very much at the moment,'' he told a National Aviation Press Club lunch in Sydney.
"Certainly, in Cathay's view, our real key goal is to build up our network and our passenger traffic through the Cathay brand.''
Late last month, Singapore Airlines announced plans to launch a long-haul, low-cost carrier, sometime in the next 12 months. Slosar said the idea was "interesting.''
According to industry observers, SIA's new venture would compete against other low-cost, long-haul carriers in the region such as Kuala Lumpur-based AirAsia X and Qantas Airways Ltd's Jetstar operations out of Singapore.
Qantas is also mulling launch of a new full-service, long-haul airline based in Asia, according to reports.
