Two new members will join Mesa's Board -- former special assistant in the Bush Administration Carlos Bonilla and retired J.P. Morgan Managing Director Richard Thayer. Bonilla is senior VP of The Washington Group. His tenure with the Bush Administration included assisting the President on a variety of transportation and pension issues. Thayer's positions at J.P. Morgan included managing director- Global Syndicated Finance and managing director-Global Transportation Group.
A sudden work stoppage by maintenance union UPSA forced Lan Argentina to cancel four domestic departures from Aeroparque Airport in Buenos Aires last Thursday, causing delays that stranded and inconvenienced some 500 passengers. Management called the action "both excessive and unjustified inasmuch as it pretends to make a collective protest out of two employees fired as incompetent." The airline set up an emergency phone number for passengers and cargo customers jeopardized by the resulting delays. -LZ
FAA last week upgraded Venezuela's safety rating from Category 2 to Category 1, ending Venezuela's threat to restrict U.S. carriers if the rating was not lifted. The upgrade follows an FAA safety audit of INAC, Venezuela's civil aviation authority. Cat 1 means Venezuela has been found to license and oversee air carriers in accordance with ICAO standards.
The first of a new breed of air taxis today is slated to roll out ambitious plans to launch on-demand air carrier service sold on a per-seat basis using the Eclipse 500 very light jet. DayJet executives will join local representatives in Tallahassee, Fla., to announce the region where DayJet will operate and other details of the air taxi service. DayJet in early 2002 under the working name of Jetson Systems and signed a contract for 239 Eclipse 500 jets with options for another 70.
The U.S. Transportation Dept.'s Office of Inspector General will hold its annual fraud prevention conference April 25-27in Orlando. DOT Secretary Norman Mineta and Acting IG Todd Zinser are slated to speak at the event. The conference is aimed at ensuring that federally funded transport projects are kept free from fraud. Federal and state investigators, auditors, project managers and prosecutors will discuss recent fraud investigations involving highway, transit and airport projects.
Named Crystal Knotek senior VP-ground operations to replace Robert Isom, who left Northwest for another position. The airline also named Chris Collette VP-finance and staffing to replace VP-Customer Service Planning Glenn Woythaler, who is leaving Northwest, and tapped Tim Rainey as senior VP-flight and inflight operations.
Aer Lingus last week introduced its first fuel surcharge on long-haul flights to the U.S. and Middle East. The carrier will boost ticket prices by $40 each way, for travel booked from May 15. Aer Lingus said its fuel cost rose by EUR33.1 million (US$40.9 million) in 2005, while transatlantic fares fell by nearly 5% during the same period.
To list an event, please send information in calendar format to Ingrid Lee at [email protected] APRIL 19 -- Wings Club Luncheon featuring Barry Eccleston, President & CEO Airbus North America, Yale Club, New York City, 212-867-1770, email:[email protected]. APRIL 24-26 -- ATCA/FAA/NASA Technical Symposium & Golf Outing, Atlantic City, 703-299-2430, Fax 703-299-2437, email [email protected]
Awarded its Customer Service Legend Award to Carolynn Hoey, Seattle-based reservations sales agent; Bill Morgan, Seattle-based captain and pilot instructor evaluator; Jay Perry, Cordova, Alaska-based ramp service agent; Agota Fisher, Los Angeles-based flight attendant; Mary Shaffer, Seattle-based administrative assistant; Camille DeMoss, Anchorage, Alaska-based customer service agent; Millison Fambles, Seattle-based first officer; Luci Abbrederis, Seattle-based flight attendant; Tada Yotsuuye, Seattle-based inspector; Betsy Barajas, Phoenix-based reservations supervisor; a
Horizon Air received FAA approval to use new Category II landing minimums at Boise Airport, allowing Horizon to use its Head-up Guidance System to land in lower visibility than previously allowed. Pilots landing on Boise's Cat II-designated runway in aircraft with HGS need only 1,200 feet of runway visibility, compared with 1,800 feet for airlines without HGS. Horizon estimates this new approach will let it land an average of 42 more flights a year in Boise that otherwise would have been diverted due to poor weather, mainly fog.
Air Berlin's stock will be traded at the Frankfurt stock exchange on May 5 for the first time, the airline revealed as it launched the road show Friday for its initial public offering.
Air Canada plans to save 31,700 kilograms of fuel this year by cutting the amount of potable water carried on its Embraer 175s by 20 liters. The potable water system on the 175 was factory programmed to accept 90 liters, while the airline's CRJs carries 38 liters. Even though the 175 flies some longer routes, the airline determined that 70 liters "would suffice." The water is used in the galley and lavatories.
Officials at Phuket Airlines are confident the European Union ban on its operations will be lifted after a new safety audit, just in time for the carrier's rebranding and resumption of international flights. Phuket Airlines CEO Patana Tareekes described the ban as unfair against a small airline. "We have done our best to improve maintenance of the aircraft and enhance safety. Phuket is ready for the EU safety audit and would appreciate if the agency could clear our name," said Patana.
Orlando Airport has registered its 20,000th member in the Clear Registered Traveler program operated by Verified Identity Pass, Inc; the airport is also approaching the milestone of 100,000 passenger verifications since its beginning in July 2005. Verified ID has signed a deal to bring Clear to Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky Airport in June. The Transportation Security Administration has confirmed that it will be ready to support the registered traveler program nationwide by June 20, said a spokeswoman.
The Transportation Security Administration announced plans yesterday to expand its Registered Traveler program to 10 to 20 airports, starting this summer, but it will delay a full national rollout until 2007. TSA said late last year that it planned to launch a nationwide public-private, fee-based program on June 20 that would expedite security checks for previously vetted trusted travelers (DAILY, Nov. 4, 2005). TSA has been overseeing a Registered Traveler pilot project in Florida at Orlando Airport since last summer.
Continental yesterday defended its strategy of boosting both domestic and international capacity, citing healthy revenue performance in the first quarter and early indications of strong second and third quarters.
Nav Canada reported this week that traffic was essentially flat in February, compared with last year, although it is still ahead 2.7% for the fiscal year to date. In each of the first five months of the fiscal year, Nav Canada saw traffic improvements. The company's fiscal year runs through Aug. 31. Traffic is measured in weighted charging units for en route, terminal and oceanic ATC services.
Brazilian carrier TAM in the coming months will launch flights to London after winning approval from the country's recently installed civil aviation agency, ANAC. London is the carrier's second Europe destination, as TAM operates two daily flights from Paris to Sao Paulo and a Saturday service to Recife, both with Airbus A330s. On May 30, TAM will inaugurate daily service on the Sao Paulo-New York route with its A330 aircraft. Two days later, on June 1, daily A320 flights between Manaus and Miami will start. TAM currently flies Sao Paulo-Miami 13 times per week.
