NEW YORK, May 10 — United Continental Holdings Inc said yesterday it plans to cut certain transatlantic flights after the peak summer travel season ends as the strong US dollar weighs down international demand.

The Chicago-based carrier said in a statement it plans to halt service to Stockholm and Oslo from its Newark, New Jersey, hub between Sept 5 and May 4, 2016.

It also expects to suspend one of its two daily flights between Newark and Paris from Oct 25 through March 26, 2016, but use a larger aircraft, the Boeing Co 777-200, than it currently does on the flight that remains.

With foreign travelers’ spending power hurt by the strong dollar, US airlines have pleased investors recently by announcing capacity cuts so the supply of seats in certain markets does not exceed demand.

Winter flights in excess of demand have “led to poor financial results,” Andy Buchanan, United’s international planning managing director, said in the release.

“However, demand in these markets increases in summer and we continue to see opportunity to serve these markets profitably during the summer season.”

Delta Air Lines Inc  has said it will lower transatlantic capacity between zero and 2 per cent in the fourth quarter, while cutting service from Japan, Brazil and elsewhere by at least 15 per cent.

Last month, United lowered its forecast for capacity growth this year to between 1 per cent and 2 per cent versus 2014, down from earlier guidance of 1.5 per cent to 2.5 per cent.

It expects passenger unit revenue to drop between 4 per cent and 6 per cent in the current quarter in part because of the strong dollar.

United said it would implement the most recent flight changes into its schedule on May 9.

“We will contact customers with bookings for affected flights to either offer them alternative travel plans or provide refunds,” the release said.

Separately, United said yesterday it expects to take delivery of nine Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners between now and March 2016.

It expects to use the planes primarily on routes from its Houston hub to cities in South America and Europe, and to Los Angeles and Denver.

Placing some of these larger aircraft onto South American routes will allow it to move smaller Boeing 767-300ER aircraft onto transatlantic routes in the winter, where there is decreased demand, United added. — Reuters