Airline and general aviation industry groups yesterday fired opening salvos at each other in the looming battle over air traffic control user fees, with the airlines unveiling a list of principles that would see GA paying for a larger share of the ATC system.
The president of Venezuela's civil aviation institute (INAC) expects FAA to re-examine Venezuela's status in the International Aviation Safety Assessment (IASA) program before March 30, the date when INAC would begin to restrict inbound flights by U.S. carriers (DAILY, Feb. 28).
The U.S. Transportation Dept. is taking proposals from carriers interested in flying essential air service to Pierre, S.D., and Adak, Atka and Nikolski, Alaska, for two years. The term would start July 1 for all the communities. Alaska Airlines' subsidized service connects Adak with Anchorage twice weekly, while Peninsula Airways operates subsidized EAS to connect Atka and Nikolski to Dutch Harbor.
FAA is investigating an ATC system shutdown in the New York en route center that caused more than 700 flight delays Tuesday. The center's HOST system was off line for about an hour, and controllers switched to the backup, known as DARC. Preliminary inquiries reveal that data from a flight plan was continuously looping, overloading and shutting down the HOST system.
Shuttle America on June 8 will begin code sharing with Air Canada on the Washington Dulles-Halifax, Nova Scotia, flights that Shuttle America operates as a United Express carrier [OST-2005-22989].
Ernesto Asbun, president of troubled Bolivian carrier Lloyd Aereo Boliviano (LAB), last Friday missed a hearing that he was to attend under subpoena, resulting in the postponement of the meeting and renewed calls from pilots for more government intervention.
Labor negotiations at Aerolineas Argentinas (DAILY, Feb. 18) are not progressing despite the best efforts of management, the pilots union and government mediators, leading analysts to wonder whether wildcat strikes are on the horizon. The pilots union last week rejected an AR proposal that includes 20% "non-compensatory" salary increases for pilots and co-pilots and equivalent raises for flight engineers. The unions have been demanding a 45% increase in wages and benefits.
GOL amended its order deal with Boeing to add two 737s, bringing the airline's total number of planes on full order to 76. Options for additional aircraft fell from 36 to 34. GOL currently flies 43 737s and expects to fly 53 by yearend.
The Civil Air Navigation Services Organization (CANSO) added its first member group from Japan, the Air Traffic Control Association of Japan. ATCA-Japan, based at Tokyo Haneda Airport, was established in 1986 as a foundation for research and international cooperation in air traffic management.
Delta plans to add 44 short-haul flights to its New York Kennedy schedule this summer to 15 new regional destinations, many of which are within 425 miles of the airport, as it works to boost feed for its international flights.
Malaysia Airlines is evaluating the possibility of joining the SkyTeam alliance after abandoning plans in December 2000 to become part of any global partnership.
By Steve Lott, Aviation Daily Creeping along a taxiway waiting to take off rates as one of the most frustrating travel experiences for airline passengers and crew alike, but a new data analysis shows the taxi delays are not only inconvenient but also represent a significant operational cost to carriers.
Aeromexico applied to the U.S. Transportation Dept. for exemptions to fly the La Paz, Mexico-Los Angeles and Monterrey, Mexico-Las Vegas routes. The carrier would operate two weekly nonstop flights on the routes, competing with Aerocalifornia on La Paz-Los Angeles and Aviacsa on Monterrey-Las Vegas [OST-2006-24083]. The carrier already holds authority for the routes from Mexico's civil aviation department.
Airport operator Fraport Group yesterday reported a 17.4% jump in net profit for 2005, and predicted another "noticeable increase" in profit for 2006. Net profit was EUR161.5 million ($192 million), with earnings before interest, taxes and other items up 6.1% to EUR547.5 million. Revenue grew 4.6% to EUR2.1 billion, the first time Fraport's revenue has topped EUR2 billion.
EasyJet plans to grow capacity from Bristol by about 10% this summer after basing its ninth plane at the airport. The airline converted its Bristol service to an all-Airbus operation last year. Starting July 21 EasyJet will launch three weekly flights to Krakaw and La Rochelle and a daily flight to Toulouse. EasyJet's three weekly flights to Marseille and Rijecka are slated to start the following day.
Northwest won tentative approval from its pilots' union to fly at least 90 aircraft with 76 seats at a reduced pay scale, of which 45 could be operated by a wholly owned subsidiary, a move management desperately wanted to stay competitive with other airlines.
Northwest's members of the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) yesterday delivered a split decision on management's $190 million concession proposal. In separate voting by classification, Northwest's proposal was accepted by the 7,677-member customer service and reservations staff and the 18-member plant protection group. A similar proposal was rejected by the 5,632-member Equipment Service and Stock Clerks and the 42-member Flight Simulator Technicians and Simulator Support Specialists.
