As Air Transport Association members, airlines have voiced their opposition to registered traveler programs, but at the airport level, the view is different, according to participants at a recent conference sponsored by the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE)
Africa's air safety has again come under scrutiny with the May 5 crash of Kenya Airways Flight 507 near Douala, Cameroon. IATA reported 2006 as the safest aviation year on record, with a world average hull loss rate of 0.65 per 1 million departures, or 1 accident per 1.5 million flights of Western-built aircraft. Africa, however, had 4.31 accidents per 1 million flights -- the second-highest world average accident rate, next to Russia.
The Transportation Security Administration's proposed modifications to passenger checkpoint screening standard operating procedures -- and its methods for evaluating and documenting them -- could be improved, says a new report from the Government Accountability Office.
A group of Dominican and Spanish airlines and investors are in the final stage of incorporating international carrier Air Dominicana with initial equity of $10 million, according to press reports in Madrid and Santo Domingo. Juan Jose Hidalgo, president of Spain's Globalia hotel and travel group and one of the founding shareholders is said to be on a shortlist to become president of the incorporated carrier. -LZ
The average domestic, short-haul economy fare in Latin America and the Caribbean rose 2.7% in 2006 from 2005, while the international, long-haul fare was up 4.4%, according to American Express Business Travel's 2006 LAC Airfares Index. Argentina saw the highest domestic fare increase --up 18.2% -- to an average of $133.17, followed by Brazil, up 11.6% to $175.75, and Chile, up 10.4% to $272.75. In Mexico, where low-fare competition is on the rise, average short-haul fares were down nearly 5%.
Atlas yesterday reported a net profit of $6.2 million for the first quarter, a major achievement compared to the $3.7 million loss the cargo carrier reported for the same period last year. Driving the turnaround were the highest first-quarter revenues in the company's history. The $353.6 million revenue total was up from last year's $332.2 million. CEO William Flynn noted these were "robust results during a traditionally slow period of the year in air cargo demand, as well as a quarter with some sluggishness in key trade lanes."
Raleigh/Durham Airport Authority's strong financial position, strong operating margins and minimal debt needs through the next 10 years have led credit agency Fitch to upgrade $155 million in airport revenue bonds to AA-; it also upgraded $622 million in outstanding airport revenue bonds to 'AA-' from 'A+'.
The U.S. government appears to be backing away from its attempts to pin down Chinese negotiators on a firm timetable for full open skies between the two nations, but in return the U.S. wants to push the Chinese to grant many more flight frequencies.
The registered traveler (RT) program has been designed not only to maintain airport security, but also to enhance the travel experience for passengers by getting them through checkpoints quicker, said John Martinez, director of the Transportation Security Administration's RT program office, in remarks at an American Association of Airport Executives conference in Baltimore yesterday.
Northwest subsidiary Compass last week applied for an exemption to operate U.S.-Canada services. The carrier plans to use its Embraer 175s, which it will begin to take delivery of in the third quarter, on "a variety of U.S.-Canada transborder routes" [OST-2007-28132]. Compass operated its first flight, between Washington Dulles and Minneapolis, on May 2, only days after winning a certificate for domestic service on April 28.
Eurocontrol member states have reconfirmed that one minute will remain the optimum target for average en route ATC delays. At a recent meeting in Brussels, Eurocontrol's Provisional Council noted that delays have risen for three consecutive years, and that an average of one minute for flow management delays should remain the performance target through 2013. This goal is "considered to be the optimum performance and is achievable," Eurocontrol Director General Victor Aguado said.
Sabre Airline Solutions has found that fuel, customer loyalty and government regulations top the list of airlines' concerns in 2007, with fuel far outweighing the rest. Of 197 respondents from 101 airlines surveyed by the unit of Sabre Holdings, fuel costs were the top challenge to profitability, cited by 94%. Second was government regulations (79%), followed by customer loyalty (75%), security concerns (58%), labor contracts (55%), alliances (50%), new entrants (42%), airline mergers (34%), and airline bankruptcies 34%.
Alcoa executives responsible for the company's $3 billion per year aerospace business say they agree with Morgan Stanley analysts that the upturn in the commercial jet market is likely to extend until 2010 or 2011. This prediction is more positive than its original prediction that the upturn will end in 2008 or 2009, partly due to a growing economic rationale for fleet replacement -- the need for greater fuel efficiency.
The consortium attempting to take over Qantas says it is considering a second push to gain the ownership stake it needs, after its first effort fell short of the required threshold.
LAN and Lan Express continue to lead all rivals for market share in Chile, but more interesting movements are happening elsewhere in the ranks -- Aerolineas del Sur (ADS) is gaining on Chilean-owned Sky on domestic routes on which they compete. First-quarter statistics published by Chile's civil aviation board (JAC) show the Marsans Group and Aerolineas Argentinas affiliate grabbing 15.8% of market share on routes served only by the two carriers, while Sky's share fell from 20% to 18.9%. ADS picked up the difference.
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority hopes to have a registered traveler program in place at Dulles and National airports by early fall, said Rochelle Cameron, manager of MWAA's administration department at the American Association of Airport Executives' RT conference yesterday. The authority is in the middle of a request for proposal for an RT service provider.
India signed an agreement with MITRE Corp. for consultancy on the design of area navigation routes over Mumbai and Delhi. MITRE is offering its design tool TARGETS (Terminal Area Route Generation, Evaluation, and Traffic Simulation), which is used across the U.S to design new arrival and departure routes and procedures. It offers a unique combination of capabilities for RNAV procedure design, flyability assessment and ATC service provision, and operator evaluation and familiarization of these procedures through simulation.
The Transportation Security Administration needs to move quickly to make technology available that will speed the registered traveler process, said Reggie Baumgardner, airport security manager at Indianapolis International Airport at the American Association of Airport Executives' RT conference yesterday. "Airports need that technology so that passengers can get their money's worth, and part of that is getting the technology out there," he said. "From our standpoint, that technology is mired in government gobblygook, stuck in a test facility in Atlantic City."
