questioni coreane : KE vs OZ vs ministero trasporti

[landingFCO]

Articolo di una decina di giorni fa, molto interessante sulle dinamiche che portano all'assegnazione dei diritti di volo per le 2 compagnie della R.O.K. (Republic Of Korea). Pare in generale che KE abbia dei vantaggi per le rotte long haul mentre OZ sul network medio/regionale. Ma le regole da parte coreana (ministero) sembra saranno meno restrittive in futuro in modo da consentire maggiori libertà e a evitare parzialmente conflittualità abbastanza usuali tra le 2 compagnie.


Airlines, Gov't Clash Over Routes

By Kim Rahn
Staff Reporter




For airlines, the right to use air routes is directly related to profits. This right is strictly regulated and governed through aviation agreements between countries.

As a result, fierce conflicts among airlines over routes take place, especially when bilateral agreements allow only one carrier from each country to use routes.

Taipei, Shanghai, Istanbul, and Paris are among the destinations for which South Korea's two national flag carriers _ Korean Air and Asiana Airlines _ have clashed in order to obtain operation rights for the past few years.

The aviation authorities often come under attack for having no clear standards for selecting airlines for routes.

The problem came to a head last month as Korean Air sought to operate charter flights to Yangon in Myanmar.

On May 2, the carrier applied to the Ministry of Construction and Transportation to operate charter flights to Yangon from May through October.

The ministry, however, refused permission for the operation on May 23, just one day before the first charter flight was scheduled to depart. The ministry complained that Korean Air started reserving seats on the flight before it had received approval.

``That disapproval was very exceptional. In almost all cases, airlines begin reserving seats before getting approval because both customers and airlines need to schedule in advance. It would be too late to begin accepting reservations after the approval, as the application for charter flights is monthly,'' a Korean Air official said.

On the verge of canceling the May 24 flight for 300 customers, the carrier applied to the ministry again on the morning of the day of departure. The ministry then permitted the operation for May, and later for June.

Angry over the ministry's late approval, Korean Air claimed the ministry is helping Asiana Airlines win rights to the route. A few days before the decision, both Korean Air and Asiana applied for a regular operation to Yangon.

But the ministry claimed Korean Air's charter operation to Yangon is an attempt by the carrier to preempt the right to the route, citing a similar situation involving the route to Istanbul, Turkey.

Asiana has provided service to Istanbul through code-sharing operations with Turkish Airlines since 1998 after it closed its own operation to the city. Since 2003, Korean Air has asked the ministry to give it rights to the route, without success.

Ahead of new aviation talks with Turkey in March this year, Korean Air operated charter flights to Istanbul, promoting the flights with heavy advertising. The carrier finally obtained the right, while Asiana, which had to stop code-sharing, WAS FURIOUS.

When the route to Taipei was reopened in 2004 after 12 years of suspension, the ministry distributed nine regular flights per week to each airline.

Korean Air, which hoped to have 14 flights as it did before the suspension, opposed the decision and filed suits against the ministry. Asiana, which hoped for 11 flights, also criticized the government for not following an aviation policy that gives the carrier priority on short-haul routes.

In distributing routes, the ministry follows guidelines for international aviation policy. Introduced in 1999, the guidelines have been criticized for containing ambiguities and for not reflecting the current market. Currently, budget carriers are starting operations while Asiana has grown into a major airline.

According to the guidelines, the ministry distributes routes to Korean Air and Asiana Airlines at a ratio of six to four. Korean Air is given priority for long-haul routes, while Asiana enjoys priority for short-haul routes. When there is a big gap between the two airlines in the number of flights to a particular destination, the airline with the lesser number has priority in adding more flights.

The ministry said it would set up new guidelines to reduce the conflicts between the two airlines over rights to routes.

- THE KOREA TIMES -


Ricordo che una delle ultime contese, che viene appena citata nell'articolo, è stata nella primavera scorsa quella dei voli su Parigi. Asiana voleva subentrare anche lei sulla rotta CDG-ICN (coperta da AF e KE) già da quest'estate ma problemi di reciprocità con la Francia (2 grandi compagnie coreane contro una sola francese, e non solo questo....) hanno impedito ad OZ l'assegnazione dei diritti necessari per operare sulla rotta in questione (almeno per il momento). Ovviamente OZ non ha gradito, come non è stata contenta neanche della recente assegnazione turca a KE e conseguente cancellazione forzata dell'accordo di c/s con TK (sui voli di quest'ultima).


Ciao

[skyrobbie]

Scenario interessante....sono due grossi vettori, oZ poi ha intenzione di espandere la sua rete di collegamenti internazionali...
magari ci fossero due realtà simili in Italia....