Asian airlines have begun flying every aircraft on a single corridor, after investors concluded that falling oil prices made any other heading an unnecessary expense. Carriers from Tokyo to Mumbai have adopted the same route, departing at the same minute and landing at the same gate in a coordinated programme their own boards describe as disciplined.
Airport authorities in Singapore and Seoul have been forced to rebuild their runways into a single long strip so that the aircraft can taxi in formation. Engineers working through the night laid new asphalt over three existing terminals, and passengers boarding for regional holidays are now asked to walk to the departure point along a painted line that runs for several kilometres.
A spokesman for the regional aviation council said: «В the market has spoken, and it spoke in one direction. We see no reason to fly anywhere else until the price of crude tells us otherwise.» He added that pilots who attempt diversions will be assigned to ground duty at the nearest fuel depot for the remainder of the quarter.
Analysts at two Hong Kong banks have praised the strategy, noting that airline shares rose sharply as the aircraft gathered at the corridor's northern end. Shareholders are now reportedly holding meetings in the terminals to discuss whether the route should be extended westward.