30 Years Ago Sept. 23, 1976 -- "Deregulation is the 'in thing' today and something is about to happen," Sen. James Pearson (R-Kan.) told a meeting of airport operators. He asked airlines to work with Congress, so eventual changes would be reasonable and fair to both airlines and consumers. 20 Years Ago
Airlines can expect to pay $70.50 per aircraft, and Canadian passengers will pay US$5 per ticket, beginning Nov. 24, under a revised U.S. Dept. of Agriculture policy revoking traveler exemptions from inspection fees.
Mesaba executives, discussing proposed labor reductions with employees, warn that "our failure to finalize labor reductions already has proved costly." Earlier this summer, Mesaba was awarded a ground-handling contract from Northwest covering 17 new stations that would have brought $10 million a year in revenues, they say. "But due to the uncertainty of our future, Northwest backed away from Mesaba and is rebidding these stations to other ground-handling vendors."
You can now register online for AVIATION WEEK events. Go to www.aviationweek.com/conferences or contact Lydia Janow, 212-904-3225 or 800-240-7645 ext. 5 (U.S. and Canada only) SEPT. 19-21 -- MRO Asia, Xiamen, China OCT. 24-26 -- MRO Europe, Amsterdam NOV. 13-15 -- Aerospace & Defense Programs, Phoenix
Colgan Air asked the U.S. Transportation Dept. to vacate a decision earlier this year awarding essential air service at Bradford, Pa., and Jamestown, N.Y., to RegionsAir, questioning the carrier's fitness to operate in the markets.
Tapped Thomas Chapman to become VP-congressional and federal affairs, effective Oct. 16, to succeed Rosemary Murray, who is leaving the work force after 37 years in the airline industry.
Fares may fall in certain Chilean markets as GOL's inaugural flight to Chile, a service that will fly from Sao Paulo to Santiago, starting Sept. 24, looms on the horizon.
To list an event, send information in calendar format to Ingrid Lee at [email protected] (Bold type indicates new calendar listing.) SEPT. 12 -- European Aviation Club luncheon featuring Wolfgang Mayrhuber, chairman and CEO, Lufthansa and AEA chairman for 2006, Hotel Bristol Stephanie, Brussels, 32 2 373 09 13, email: [email protected].
Despite three years of government-funded research and development, there is no public policy consensus on equipping commercial aircraft with technology to protect them from shoulder-fired, surface-to-air missiles, a former top Transportation Security Administration official says.
Mexican domestic Aeromar before yearend will take delivery of two more 48-seat ATR 42-500s to bolster its current fleet of 16 aircraft for some 120 daily flights on 25 routes. "In October, we will launch an aggressive campaign to advertise ticket sales on the Internet," said CEO Ami Lindenberg. "While no discounts are involved to avoid jeopardizing travel agencies, sales on the Internet will feature lower fares on specific routes and flight hours."
OnAir has no plans to offer its inflight cell phone and data service in the U.S. due to regulatory, certification and technical complications, reports CEO George Cooper. "We are not clear when the environment will change," he told The DAILY in Miami at the World Airline Entertainment Association conference. He also noted that U.S. travelers in general are "more hostile" toward inflight cell phone use than passengers in other regions. The service will be launched in Europe next year.
National Guard troops tapped to help with security at six California airports will be deployed for other duties, according to the office Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R). The guardsmen cost the state more than $4 million, which it expects will be reimbursed by TSA.
FAA last week approved the relocation of the Panama City, Fla., Airport to a new site. The FAA record of decision is the "most significant milestone to date" in the effort to relocate the airport, said Joseph Tannehill, chair of the local airport authority. The authority is now eligible for Airport Improvement Program funds to assist the relocation. The proposed site is on 4,000 acres of land that has been donated by the St. Joe Co.
The Registered Traveler program has room for up to five vendors -- at 20% market share each -- to operate profitably in the U.S., says Verified ID CEO Steven Brill. "It sounds crazy, but the more competitors we get, the better off we all are. The more competitors that are out there, the more they help spread the RT network and make the registered traveler card more valuable," he said.
The CEO of Mexico's civil aviation dept. advised legacy carriers Mexicana and Aeromexico to cut their operational costs and ensure their long-term viability. "Any carrier may go broke, and if it follows an unprofitable business model, the longer it keeps flying, the greater is such unpalatable possibility for its management," Gilberto Lopez Meyer told El Financiero while pointing to Mexico's major carriers.
BMI's low-fare arm Bmibaby is pulling service from Durham Tees Valley Airport after adding a second plane there earlier this year, according to the airport. The carrier plans to end flights Oct. 29 and Nov. 6, the airport said, calling the airline's decision "confusing" after Bmibaby doubled its capacity from Durham Tees Valley in April.
Jetstar and Pakistan Airlines yesterday became the launch customers for the new DigEplayer XT portable inflight entertainment systems, and the manufacturer already has several more customers in the wings as it prepares for significant growth in the next year.
ITA Software this week won a significant deal from Air Canada after the airline chose the technology company to help develop a new reservations system that is expected to be more efficient and flexible than its legacy system.
