RESOURCES Contact: Wet-A-Line Tours, 5592 Cool Springs Rd., Gainesville, GA 30506; call 888-295-4665 or visit www.wetaline.com. Their Brazilian activities are operated as Amazon Castaway Tours.

Location/Access: The northern Brazil rivers that we fished are tributaries to the Rio Negro, and are located in the states of Amazonas or Roraima, the latter being the northernmost state in Brazil. American anglers fly from Miami direct to Manaus. Depending on where you will be fishing, you either board the Santana I in Manaus, or take a 90-minute chartered flight to Barcelos to meet the boat upriver.

Season: The season is essentially from mid-October until mid-April, although it can be questionable at either end of this period.

Cost: The cost for a week is $3,950, which is all-inclusive from Manaus; airfare to/from Manaus, tips, visa fees, and incidentals are separate.

General Info: The Santana I fishes the Rio Negro and its tributaries, moving as necessary to access better fishing areas. The luxurious yacht has private staterooms with their own baths, and even has a jacuzzi and sauna. It is richly appointed, with a bar and air conditioned dining room. The staff is excellent, as is the food and service. The fishing boats are new 17-foot Bass Trackers. The Santana I also provides laundry service, and carries Pflueger rods and reels, plus the appropriate lures for those who need to travel light.

RESOURCES America's 25 Hottest Fishing Spots Where to Go: Down Mexico Way Where to Go: Serious Fish Camps Jungle Fish The Little Country That Didn't Roosters Rule in Zihua Big Brazilian Bass The Outer Banks in Winter Charging the Chandeleurs South Padre Untied Soft Sounds at Anticosti Laguna Madre Shuffle Mexican Two-Step Stalking Bears in Caribou Country Glorious Desolation Strength in Numbers

The Quest for the World-Record Peacock Bass by Ken Schultz

Stalking this colorful predator in the remote blackwater rivers of the Amazon jungle.

As our boat whisks up the Rio Preto, Rick Schair wraps his left wrist with 3-inch-wide flexible stick-on bandage tape. His right thumb and forefinger are covered with white surgical tape, he’s wearing a lower back brace, and his left hand is adorned with a thin sun-protecting glove that he’s snatched from my tackle box.

Finished with battle preparations, he’s talking nonstop, saying for the third time how terrific this dark black, flooded-deep-into-the-trees water in northwestern Brazil looks.

"Ken, I’m psyched," he says. "This is where the record lives. Am I right? There’s a world-record peacock bass here. Antonio’s caught ’em bigger than the record. Haven’t you Antonio? Sixteen kilos, 19 kilos, right?"

A local Indian native who speaks Portuguese, Antonio is smiling. The exuberance of Schair and the mention of kilograms tells him that the subject is muy grande tucunaré--very big peacock bass. Schair puts his left arm around Antonio and jerks him close with a hug.

Moments later Antonio points to a flooded peninsula, and the boat slows to a halt. Before the bow-mounted electric motor can be lowered, Schair makes a 120-foot-long cast, quickly commencing a ripping, water-churning retrieve intended to challenge the largest beast swimming in the morass of flooded trees, which is called an igapó.

High-Water Hunting Schair is always in motion, forever talking, continuously hustling. From October through March his Georgia-based agency, Wet-A-Line Tours, brings American anglers with a penchant for pectoral-finned peacocks to remote places in Brazil. Several times a season he accompanies a group. This was his second visit of the 2002-2003 campaign with the Santana riverboat fleet.

The first occurred in early October, when the Santana I fished the Madeira River, a major tributary to the Rio Negro downriver from the bustling hub city of Manaus. The blackwater Rio Negro, the fourth largest river in the world, and its tributaries are fabled for giant tucunaré, including the 27-pound all-tackle world record caught in 1994.

But on this trip, fishing on the Rio Negro is subpar because of unseasonal rainfall in the headwater regions of northwestern Brazil, eastern Colombia, and southern Venezuela that has raised the river above normal. That is bad for peacock bass fishing, because these and other species disperse into the waist-deep inundated rain forest, the igapó, which is virtually impenetrable for casting. Anglers are forced to use noisy lures along flooded perimeters, hoping to draw an aggressive fish to the commotion.

Schair’s response to the high water has been to seek a place not as affected by headwater rainfall. He hopes to find it on the Preto, which flows south-southeasterly out of the eastern region of Pico Da Neblina National Park, a remote area of Amazonas bisected by the equator and still populated by indigenous people. Schair has led 14 of his customers, half of them repeat visitors, to the Preto, paired off in seven boats that earlier rode out of a thick fog to a small village, Campino do Rio Preto, which cannot be found on even detailed maps.

Schair gives village elders cans of gasoline and diesel fuel and an assortment of T-shirts and other clothing in return for permission to fish in the community’s area for the day. Although he possesses a government permit allowing him to be here, Schair makes the gesture out of goodwill and prudence, as other outfitters have been here before without seeking the community’s blessing, and villagers are said to be unhappy with them. To sweeten the pot, Schair offers to pay a few of the villagers to be in our bass boats, hopefully to point out preferred places for tucunaré.

Mugging the Woodchopper That is how Antonio has joined Schair, me, and our guide, Iggy, and why, after we have ridden about 10 miles upriver from the village, Antonio has selected this particular stretch of flooded timber.

For five days Schair has been casting Woodchoppers, which are 10-inch-long propellered surface plugs, for peacock bass. His wrists, fingertips, palm, and back are sore, but that is not apparent as he casts methodically. When the hooks of a lure get tangled he hands the affected rod to Iggy like a golfer giving his caddy a rejected club, then immediately casts a similar lure with a different rod. When Iggy is distracted by talking to Antonio, Schair gets impatient. "Pay attention to me, Iggy. We’re fishing."

Iggy, a.k.a. Agimilson da Silva, is one of the best peacock bass guides in Brazil, but he must be weary of guiding his demanding boss. I’ve been fishing with Iggy’s brother, Popcorn, a.k.a. Adilson, this week, and both are quiet, mild, and solid. But on the previous day, Schair hooked a big bass that got around trees and bushes, and Schair forced Iggy to jump into the sand-bottomed water to follow the taut 80-pound line through the maze until he managed to retrieve both the lure and the fish.

This isn’t quite as bad as it sounds, since many Brazilian guides voluntarily go into the water to retrieve a snagged lure, even in places where piranha are regularly caught. Schair retells the episode with a huge grin and disbelieving attitude.

"Iggy doesn’t like to go into the water like Popcorn. I practically had to push him out of the boat," he says, nudging Iggy, whose eyes are hidden behind dark sunglasses and who smiles but remains focused on the water ahead. It occurs to me that this type of fish-landing would disqualify Schair from an official world record, but even an unofficial one would probably be better to him than nothing.

We have barely cast for three minutes when Schair’s black-backed, orange-bellied Woodchopper lands inches from a row of shallow bushes and is pummeled. The fish digs furiously toward thick bushes, but Schair’s pool-cue-stiff 6-foot rod wins the tug-of-war, forcing the bass out into the open. The fish fights with a lot of mad streaking and hard pulling but eventually comes to the net Antonio has gleefully brandished.

"I told you," an exuberant Schair proclaims. "This is big-fish water." The peacock weighs 13 pounds on our fish-gripping scales. After I take photos of Schair, Schair and Iggy, Schair and Antonio, and a beaming Antonio (against whose slight frame the fish looks much larger), we resume casting. Thirteen pounds is big, all right, but less than half the size of what we’re looking for.

Several empty casts later we set rods down and scoot farther up the Preto.

How Big is Muy Grande? A few miles upriver Antonio gestures to another flooded sandy point. When the engine shuts off, toucans call raucously from the rain-forest canopy. A pair of boto dolphins--freshwater porpoises native to the Amazon region--surface and audibly expel air. The atmosphere is moist and fragrant but the heat is building. It is possible that we are right now exactly on the equator, or within a mile or two of it. Already our shirts are darkening with perspiration.

In a few minutes Schair and I have made nearly 20 casts, our Woodchoppers spewing spray 2 feet into the air and shattering the peace with a violent rip-rip-rip cadence that leaves a frothy bubble trail on the surface. The boat is about 140 feet from the trees, and although I’d prefer not to make such long casts, Schair is resigned, if not comfortable, with this.

You can’t set the hook as well at such distances and you can’t control the fish as well, which I have argued previously with Schair. He agrees in principle but maintains that his guides, which are the best I’ve seen in this part of the world, are adamant about staying far away from the edges and making long casts to avoid spooking fish, to avoid being hung in the trees too much, and to draw fish out from the cover where you have a better chance of landing them. As a result, peacock bass addicts like Schair use tuna-tough casting rods, high-speed-retrieve baitcasting reels, and 65- to 80-pound braided microfilament line that has no stretch. The quest for really big peacocks is about muscle, not finesse.

About halfway back to the boat Schair’s plug is mugged by a huge tucunaré. The strike is explosive, stunning, and violent, sounding like a cinder block dropped into the water from 15 feet in the air. Unlike many peacock bass hooked in high-water conditions, which strike, miss, and don’t come back, this fish followed and nailed the plug.

Schair’s drag is as tight as it can be, but the peacock pulls line off anyway in a furious attempt to get back to the igapó. It does not succeed, and once the captured fish comes into the boat, Schair jubilantly kisses Iggy on both cheeks. Antonio has an ear-to-ear smile, and we’ve all whooped so loudly that the toucans and macaws and parrots and monkeys and dolphins are silent and still.

The fish weighs 22 pounds on a reliable scale. It is a spectacular specimen, with a prominent hump on its head, three dark vertical bars on its flanks, a tail wider than a dessert plate, and a mouth large enough to stuff with a cantaloupe. It has a black eyespot with yellow specks on its tail, a devilishly red eye, bright orange lower gill covers, and a golden-orange body cast. After a few photos Iggy cradles it horizontally in the water. The big dude needs no reviving, disappearing with a mighty splashing swirl.

While Schair wipes sweat from his brow and I put new film in my camera, Iggy takes the Woodchopper and tweaks the angle of the propeller with his fingers. He spins the prop to see that it moves properly, checks the first few inches of line, then tosses the plug into the water. Schair immediately reels up and fires another long cast toward the igapó.

"Got to be a bigger one here," he says.

<a href=www.sun-sentinel.com>Sun-Sentinel.com Travel Columnist : Thomas Swick Published April 27, 2003

"Well, I won't be going to France this year, not after the way they behaved toward this country. And no trips to Germany or Russia, either."

"No big sacrifice. There's a huge world beyond those three malcontents. Italy for example -- they supported us."

"Are you suffering from amnesia? They fought against us in World War II, with that fascist Mussolini."

"Of course. Well, how about Spain -- the glories of El Greco, Cervantes, Almodóvar?"

"The horrors of Franco. Besides, I haven't forgiven Spain for 1492, when they kicked out all the Jews."

"And Muslims."

"There you go."

"You seem to have overlooked Greece -- birthplace of Plato and democracy."

"Land of Papandreou and anti-Americanism."

"And neutral Switzerland?"

"Full of smug bankers who've never come clean about what happened to Jewish fortunes after the war."

"There's always Eastern Europe -- the Polish mountains, the beautiful islands of Croatia ..."

"The old anti-Semitism."

"Alright, forget the Continent. Go to England -- `that green and pleasant land,' our staunch ally, cradle of our mother tongue."

"With its brutal history of imperialism?!?"

"Ireland then."

"And support the IRA?"

"I've got it! Iceland."

"Three-fourths of the population would like to see the return of whale hunts. And they eat puffin."

"Perhaps you should look at another part of the globe. What about Asia?"

"Asia's got SARS."

"Africa?"

"Repression AND disease."

"Australia? You can't say anything bad about Australia."

"Unless you're an aborigine."

"New Zealand has the Maori problem."

"Now you're getting it."

"I take it you're not crazy about South America."

"Unrest in Bolivia, crime in Brazil, economic crisis in Argentina, guerrillas in Colombia, kidnappings in Guyana, demonstrations in Venezuela -- what's not to dislike?"

"There's always the Caribbean."

"Ah, yes -- Cuba. Why don't I just defy our government and travel illegally to a country ruled by a megalomaniac dictator whose response to the war in Iraq was a crackdown on dissidents?"

"I was thinking of someplace a little less political, say, St. Martin?"

"Half French."

"Jamaica?"

"Formerly British."

"What about Mexico? Mexico is a cheap, colorful, gracious country."

"That brazenly puts down peasant rebellions in Chiapas."

"I suppose you don't like Canada now because they didn't support our intervention."

"Bingo! Plus, they have SARS and French-speakers."

"Well, it looks as though you're going to have to stay in the United States. Nothing wrong with that. You know, this year Louisiana is celebrating the 200th anniversary of its purchase from the ..."

"French!"

"The Gulf coast of Mississippi has gumbo as good as in New Orleans -- and gambling."

"And the horrific legacy of slavery."

"New England is lovely in the summer."

"If somehow you can put out of your mind the slaughter of American Indians, the burning of `witches,' the mistreatment of non-Anglo immigrants."

"Chicago. Everybody likes Chicago, a living museum of American architecture."

"Shameless glorifier of American gangsters."

"The hearty Wild West."

"The hapless Cherokee and Shoshone."

"California! Home of movie stars and computer wonks."

"Founded by culturally insensitive missionaries."

"Then forget it. Just stay home."

"Like this place is faultless!"

"I hate to say this, but short of suicide ..."

"No, there's one last option."

"Yes?"

"Circumnavigation."

Travel Editor Thomas Swick can be reached at tswick@sun-sentinel.com.

<a href=www.daily.umn.edu>The Minnesota Daily April 2, 2003 By Mary Stegmeir

Geoff Ziezulewicz Kristin Charles always thought studying abroad during college was an opportunity she couldn’t pass up.

But now the first-year student is rethinking her decision to enroll in a May session program in Paris.

“My dad does not want me to go,” Charles said, adding that her family is worried about her safety in France, a nation opposed to U.S. military action in Iraq.

“I am highly confused. I don’t even know if I am going to end up going or not, but I really want to.”

Charles is not the only student unsure of what to expect when studying overseas during the war. Although no University May session or summer study abroad pro

grams have been canceled because of the war, the conflict in Iraq has created new safety concerns for U.S. students studying in other countries.

“I don’t think there is anyone who is not thinking about it,” said Jenny Huang, who will be studying physics in Italy and Switzerland during the May session.

“The worry is definitely there, but I don’t know how much it is affecting people,” she said.

Huang predicted her classmates on the trip might act more cautiously and try not to reveal their nationalities.

Officials from Global Campus, the University office that organizes study abroad trips, suggest that study abroad students blend into the local cultures during the war.

Students are also told to stay away from political demonstrations and tune into current events, Global Campus director Al Balkcum said.

Balkcum said all study abroad students receive general safety precautions for times of political or social unrest during their program orientations regardless of whether the United States is at war.

“Safety is our number one priority,” Balkcum said. “It always has been and always will be.”

He added that all students are in contact with on-site staff members, and each program has a contingency plan in place if student safety is compromised.

“I’m not concerned about the physical safety of any of our students right now (because of) the war,” he said.

“We have not gotten reports from students about anything serious, and we’ve been in touch with every single student that is abroad this semester,” Balkcum said.

Balkcum said the information his office has received from students indicates that feelings of anti-Americanism abroad do not necessarily translate into a dislike of U.S. citizens.

“The reports that we have been getting is that even in countries where there is a significant amount of anti-Americanism, it’s not directed at American students, or even at American tourists,” Balkcum said. “It’s pretty much directed at the U.S. administration. It does seem, from most accounts that we’ve got, that most people are making that distinction.”

Between 650 and 700 University students are currently studying abroad in Global Campus programs. Two hundred and fifty students are signed up for May session courses overseas, and summer enrollment appears to be on track.

No one has dropped out of any of the programs because of concerns about the war, Balkcum said.

A view from the East

Three University students studying in Middle Eastern countries say they have had mixed experiences since the war began.

Cynthia Salminen, an international relations junior studying in the United Arab Emirates, said she does not have many concerns about being overseas.

She said that because thousands of Europeans and Americans live in the Dubai, the locals “don’t look at me twice because I am American.”

“In general I feel much safer here than walking around on the streets of the United States,” she said.

Salminen said she has not seen any anti-American demonstrations or protests.

Alicia Sins, a global studies junior studying in Istanbul, Turkey, said she also feels comfortable in her surroundings.

“I don’t perceive a threat to myself,” she said. “But I understand that there is a chance of something happening. This is a very unstable part of the world.”

Sins said she has been advised which sections of Istanbul are more dangerous for Americans, and she tries to be less conspicuous and dress accordingly when she goes to those areas.

She registered with the U.S. consular warden system, a network used to keep authorities in contact with American citizens in case of emergency.

The demonstrations in Istanbul have been aimed at the U.S. government, not the American people, Sins said.

“I have not been threatened in any way,” she said.

Yasmina Raya, a first-year student in Cairo, Egypt, said her experience has been strikingly different than those in Istanbul and Dubai.

“Things are really bad here,” she said.

The weekly demonstrations at her university have been growing, and protesters have been hurt in clashes between students and the police, Raya said.

“I avoid the protests because it is so dangerous for Americans,” she said. “I also don’t speak English in front of people I don’t know.”

Raya, who is originally from Egypt, said despite her familiarity with the country’s culture, she has contacted the U.S. embassy as a precaution.

Travel warnings

Global Campus does not offer any programs in countries with U.S. State Department travel warnings. If University officials determine students in a study abroad program are in danger at any time, they will cancel the program and bring the students back to Minnesota.

One month after Sins arrived in Turkey, the United States issued a travel warning, but she did not leave.

“I think the schools who removed their students acted prematurely,” she said. “The fact that I am so near the conflict will only enrich the experience that I leave with.”

In its more than 20-year history, Global Campus has only canceled programs at two locations, Balkcum said.

A program in Morocco was cut short during the first gulf war in 1991. This year, spring semester, May session and summer programs in Venezuela have been canceled because of political unrest.

Earlier this year, another student exchange organization associated with Global Campus canceled a spring semester program in Jordan.

Balkcum, a seasoned traveler with an office wall crammed full of framed photos from exotic locations, said the war should not keep students from following through with study abroad plans.

“I would travel now,” he said. “Obviously, I’m not going to go to the Middle East right now, but I don’t have a fear of travel.

“I consider travel to be something that I need to be cautious about, but not avoid,” Balkcum said.

He said studying in another country helps students gain a more complete world perspective.

“I think the more awareness that students can have of the rest of the world — the way the rest of the world views us, the way the rest of the world thinks — the better off we all are,” he said.

“Maybe it will help us avoid getting in a situation like this in the future.”

Mary Stegmeir welcomes comments at mstegmeir@mndaily.com

Geoff Ziezulewicz welcomes comments at gziezulewicz@mndaily.com

<a href=www.travs.com>read Wednesday Mar 26, 2003 March 26, 2003

Ray Winder Field, Little Rock – While Travs fans are weathering the change between cold and warm, rainy and dry, the Anaheim Angels are honing their skills in the sunshine and 70 degree comfort of Arizona. The 2003 season marks the third year of the affiliation between the Travs and Angels. Baseball fans in Central Arkansas were able to watch Anaheim’s 2002 post-season heroes come through Little Rock before they hit the bigtime. That Travs fans were able to watch the 2002 World Series and say that they saw Francisco Rodriguez, John Lackey, Brendan Donnelly and Chone Figgins playing at Ray Winder Field in a Travs uniform proves that the Angels’ affiliation is beneficial.

Here, we’ll take a look at the ex-Travs that made an impact with the 2002 Anaheim Angels and see how they shape up for the 2003 season.

Ex-Travs Make Impact In Post-Season

Francisco Rodriguez made it from the Ray Winder Field pitcher’s mound to a starring role in the World Series in just four months. The 20-year old native of Venezuela joined the 2002 Travs pitching staff and became a Texas League All-Star by striking out 61 batters in 42 innings and picking up 9 saves. He went on to pitch well in Class AAA with Salt Lake and was called up to the Angels for a 5-game audition in late September. Frankie wowed the big club by racking up 13 strikeouts in 5.2 scoreless innings and was placed on the post-season roster. In 11 post-season games, Rodriguez set a Major League record with 5 wins. As a relief specialist, he allowed only 10 hits in 18.2 innings, struck out 28 batters against just 5 walks. With an electrifying fastball and slider, he earned the moniker “K-Rod” and became a hero in his home country. Francisco’s offseason was interrupted by the civil unrest in Venezuela; his winter league season was cancelled and his family was harassed. However, he has pitched very well in spring training compiling a 2.25 ERA over 8 appearances. In 12 innings, Frankie has allowed just 6 hits and 3 walks while striking out 16 batters.

A model of determination and perseverance, Brendan Donnelly pitched for 14 different minor league teams in 11 seasons before reaching the Majors in 2002. After the Angels signed him in 2001 as a minor league free agent, he began the season in the Arkansas bullpen. With the Travs, his 13th team, Donnelly shined with a 4-1 record, 2.41 ERA and 12 saves and was named to the Texas League All-Star Game. Donnelly was promoted to Class AAA after the all-star game and pitched effectively for Salt Lake in the second half of the 2001 season. He appeared in 46 games out of the Angels’ bullpen in 2002 and impressed with a 2.17 ERA and 54 strikeouts in 49.2 innings. Donnelly was virtually unhittable in the World Series as he held the Giants to one hit in 7.2 scoreless innings. Brendan suffered from a mild shoulder strain in early March, but he has recovered and is pitching well in 6 appearances. Brendan has allowed just 3 hits and 1 run in 6.1 innings with 1 walk and 6 strikeouts.

John Lackey came to Little Rock in April 2001 as the ace of the Travs’ pitching staff. Just 18 months later he was the Angels’ winning pitcher in the 7th game of the World Series. A former college quarterback and the Angels’ 1999 second-round pick, Lackey led the Travs to a 2001 first-half division title with a 9-7 record and 3.46 ERA in 18 starts. Lackey started the 2002 season with Class AAA Salt Lake and won his last 7 decisions before getting the call to Anaheim. He solidified a spot in the Angels’ starting rotation with a 9-4 record and 3.66 ERA in 18 starts. In 5 postseason games, Lackey won twice including a 4-hit, 1-run performance in the 7th game of the World Series becoming just the second rookie, and first in 93 years, to start and win the World Series’ 7th game. John is 1-1, 4.85 ERA in 4 spring games. He has pitched 13 innings and allowed 15 hits with 4 walks and 9 strikeouts. Lackey will be the opening day starting pitcher for the Angels on Sunday, March 31 against the Texas Rangers.

Chone Figgins began his career as the Rockies’ 1997 4th-round pick and was traded to the Angels in July 2001. He came to Arkansas shortly thereafter and batted .268 with 21 runs scored in 39 games. Figgins was instrumental in the Travs’ 2001 Texas League Championship run batting .350 with 5 runs scored in 5 post-season games. Starting the 2002 season with Salt Lake, Chone broke out for his best pro season with a .305 average, 29 stolen bases and 100 runs scored. His 19 triples led the Pacific Coast League and set an all-time Salt Lake record. Figgins was called up to Anaheim for September and made his presence felt as a pinch runner in the postseason. He was used in 6 postseason games and scored 4 runs, including the game winner in the Angels’ game 5 clincher in the ALCS. The Angels have given him a chance to compete for the final roster spot this spring, and Chone has been tearing up Cactus League pitching with a .318 average, 7 steals and 9 runs scored in 18 games.

The Cards dealt Adam Kennedy, their 1997 first-round pick, to the Angels right before the 2000 season for Jim Edmonds. Before St. Louis traded Kennedy, he played 52 games with the 1998 Travs and batted .278 with 6 HR and 24 RBI. In 2002, Kennedy established himself as one of the premier second basemen in the American League as he made just 11 errors and batted .312, 7 HR and 52 RBI. Kennedy was named the MVP of the 2002 American League Championship Series after hitting .357 in 4 games. Kennedy made baseball history in the Halos’ ALCS game 5 clincher by launching 3 home runs in the Halos’ 13-5 win over the Twins. AK has struggled this spring hitting .184 in 15 games.

Tomorrow we’ll take a look at the ex-Travs that might make up the Class AAA roster at Salt Lake City. In the meantime, remember that Travs opening day is Thursday, April 3 at 7:10 vs. Wichita. It’s time to Think Baseball!!!

Please call 664-1555 or visit www.travs.com for game information.

<a href=news.ft.com>By Kevin Done, Aerospace Correspondent Published: March 25 2003 22:25 | Last Updated: March 25 2003 22:25

British Airways and Lufthansa, two of the top three European airlines, are cutting capacity, in particular on North American routes, in response to falling demand for air travel triggered by the war.

In further retrenchment in the European airline industry Swiss, Switzerland's national carrier, said on Tuesday that it was halving its firm order for 60 regional jets from Embraer, the Brazilian aircraft maker, to only 30 with first deliveries pushed back to next year.

It is also seeking to delay the delivery of five Airbus A340-300s from 2004.

BA is expected to announce on Wednesday a capacity reduction of close to 5 per cent initially until the end of April with a cut in daily frequencies to New York, to both JFK and Newark airports, and to Chicago.

It is expected to reinstate a daily service to Tel Aviv, however, after suspending its former twice daily service to Israel last week. The move will leave Kuwait as the only one of BA's Middle East destinations to which service remains suspended.

Lufthansa, the German flag carrier, said that it was cutting capacity on intercontinental routes mainly to North and South America and to Asia and would take seven aircraft out of service from its long-haul fleet.

The group is cutting one daily frequency from Frankfurt to each of New York, Boston and Los Angeles while individual flights will be scrapped to Phoenix and Dallas and smaller aircraft used to Philadelphia.

Frequencies to Caracas, Venezuela, will be halved from six to three a week, while capacity is being cut to Nagoya and Osaka in Japan and to Seoul, South Korea. Lufthansa had already moved in February to cut capacity on short-haul routes in Europe with 31 aircraft taken out of service in addition to the 17 removed by its regional airline partners.