Major airlines are poised to slash air fares on certain routes starting on March 1 to cope with the decline in travelers and drum up business for the off-season from March to June.

Singapore Airlines will cut the round-trip ticket prices for flights from Taipei to Singapore by NT$2,500 to NT$12,000 starting on March 1.

Executives of the air carrier said the company's profits for the months from April to December last year tumbled by 33 percent from the corresponding period a year earlier as a result of global economic downturn.

The airline will also reduce the fares for flights to Europe by an average of about 20 percent. The lowest price will be slashed to NT$32,000 from NT$40,000.

The fares for air routes in Southeast Asia will come down by 10 to 20 percent.

To mark the 10th anniversary of the company's mileage incentive program for "KrisFlyer" members, frequent flyers will be able to get one free ticket for a flight to a Southeast Asian city if they purchase a European route ticket before the end of April.

China Airlines, Taiwan's largest air carrier, said the company will slash air fares on various routes by 10 to 20 percent during the March-June period to reflect the fall in oil and operating costs.

The new price for Taipei-Amsterdam flight will be reduced to NT$30,000.

The price reduction can be even deeper if customers join group tours or take advantage of the various promotion campaigns to purchase the tickets via the Internet. EVA Airways plans similar price cuts. Its lowest ticket price for the Taipei-Paris flight will be shaved to NT$25,500.

Officials at the Consumers Foundation welcomed the air carriers' latest decision to lower ticket prices in the wake of oil price reductions.

But they pointed out the ticket prices do not include fuel surcharges and airport tax. They suggested consumers make a comparison of such extra costs when choosing different airlines.