The Air Line Pilots Association on Friday criticized part of the TSA's preliminary Federal Flight Deck Officer (FFDO) program recommendations, which would require pilots to carry pistols in a lock box when they are out of the cockpit.
Frontier expanded its new, simplified fare structure to all domestic routes, and introduced the new fares last week on services out of its Denver hub. Frontier will cut its highest-level business fares by as much as 44%, and its lowest available walk-up fares nearly 70% (DAILY, Feb. 6). The new structure has six fares, caps all fares at $499 one way, excluding passenger facility, security or segment fees, depending on length of haul. The fares can be booked each way and no roundtrip purchase is required.
U.S. airlines' first-quarter losses are expected to reach $2.4 billion, $400 million worse than a year ago, according to JP Morgan. For the full year, analyst Jamie Baker predicts $5.2 billion in losses, compared with nearly $7 billion for 2002, but the Iraq situation may change estimates. Continental won't reach quarterly profitability this year, he says, though Northwest might.
Varig and TAM management executives, meeting daily to work out the details of their merger, concluded they must cut as many as 71 domestic frequencies at Sao Paulo's Congonhas Airport alone to avoid duplication.
Pratt & Whitney completed the next step in certifying its new high-compressor ring case design for the 94-inch PW4000 fan engine after finishing FAA FAR 25 flight testing. The new ring case comprises a series of one-piece rings that replace the original case, which had two to four segments around the circumference of the compressor. P&W developed the case to prevent compressor surges during takeoff.
Austrian Airlines posted a EUR41.4 million (US$44.77 million) operating profit in 2002 thanks to a successful restructuring program. "We have laid the basis for a recovery and have got back our confidence," said Austrian CEO Vagn Sorensen. Revenue rose 5.2% to EUR2.2 billion (US$2.3 billion), and profits recovered from 2001's EUR164 million (US$177 million) net loss to reach EUR42.6 million (US$46 million) for 2002.
Cost-cutting, capacity adjustments and strong growth on the Asian market are boosting Finnair's results, as the company saw a 13% increase in fourth-quarter 2002 sales to EUR429.5 million (US$450 million). From October to December, the Finnish airline notched profits of EUR6.2 million (US$6.7 million), compared with a EUR13 million (US$14 million) loss a year earlier.
Declining passenger loads forced three of the four Taiwanese domestic airlines to reduce flights next month as a cost-cutting measure. TransAsia Airways will reduce its Taipei-Kaohsiung run from the 13 daily to eight, while Uni Airways will stop its Taipei-Tainan service. Far Eastern Air Transport will suspend flights indefinitely between Kaohsiung and Makung and Kaohsiung and Kinmen.
Japan Airlines and American signed a deal to expand their code-share partnership this spring to flights on the Tokyo-Los Angeles route, and they plan to increase frequencies between Tokyo and Dallas/Fort Worth. On the Tokyo-LAX route, JAL will add its code on AA's daily one-way flights, in effect boosting JAL's own weekly total of 16 flights to 30 one-way frequencies per week. The airlines already code share on Tokyo-DFW, but AA will increase flights from 22 to 24 per week, starting in April.
Lockheed Martin has signed a five-year contract with United to provide a comprehensive fleet operations planning system that is expected to cut costs and reduce delays, the aerospace company said, adding it is close to signing similar contracts with three more airlines in the first quarter.
FAA Administrator Marion Blakey yesterday pledged to let operators question field inspectors' decisions -- "even to Washington, if necessary" -- as part of an effort to make regulation and certification offices directly accountable for their actions. "One thing that we've heard over and over is that we need to be more consistent with our customers," Blakey told Aero Club members in Washington, D.C. "You can get one answer from one FAA office or region and another from another."
AirTran this week launched an advertising campaign titled "Go. There's nothing stopping you." to show the carrier's efforts to break down the barriers that keep consumers from traveling. The Go campaign includes television, radio, magazine, newspaper, outdoor and digital advertising. Developed by the airline's agency of record, Cramer-Krasselt of Chicago, the campaign will run through the end of the year at a cost of $23 million. -SL
Alaska Airlines yesterday applied for authority to provide non-stop service between Los Angeles and Guadalajara, Mexico, offering one daily flight with a 138-seat Boeing 737-400. The U.S.-Mexico air agreement allows two U.S. carriers to operate flights between LAX and Guadalajara. "Cutbacks by other domestic carriers have provided a window of opportunity for Alaska Airlines to enter the market," the airline said. -SL
Eclipse Aviation selected the Pratt & Whitney Canada PW610F turbofan to power its twin-engine Eclipse 500 after dropping the original supplier Williams International. Eclipse said the PW610F would increase the cruising speed of the -500 from 355 knots to 375 knots. The 610F is rated at 900 pounds of thrust at sea level.
Last week, in rare clear weather, Ecuadorian mountain climbers discovered the frozen remains of 59 passengers of a Saeta four-engine Vickers Viscount, lost since Aug. 15, 1976. It apparently crashed against the side of the country's highest mountain, snow-capped Chimborazo, just 600 feet below the summit. There are plans to declare the crash site a sanctuary.
Rolls-Royce signed a $160 million service agreement with Dragonair to maintain the Trent 700 engines powering five of the carrier's Airbus A330s. The contract is based on agreed rates per flying hour. Engine service will be performed at Hong Kong Aero Engine Services Ltd., a joint venture of Rolls, Singapore Airlines Engineering Co. and Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Co. Ltd. -LR
Despite worldwide uncertainty, Qantas posted a profit of A$352.5 million (US$210.3 million) for the first six months ended Dec. 31, up 129.64% from the year before. Revenue totaled A$5.9 billion (US$3.5 billion), up 9.3%. Passenger revenue was up 10.8%, with capacity growing 9.4% and yield 1.2%.
With an aggressive growth plan to more than double its fleet by 2012, Emirates is close to finalizing an order for more Airbus A380s that could be announced mid-year, possibly joined by some orders for Boeing 777-300ERs and some more long-range A340s. Managing Director Maurice Flanagan told The DAILY this week that the airline will report "the best year we've ever had" after it closes its fiscal year on March 31. Flanagan confirmed full-year profits are ahead of Emirates' own expectations and there are no signs of growth slowing down.
FAA formally took delivery of the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) after finishing final contractor checks, Raytheon reports. The Contractor Acceptance and Inspection (CAI) was completed successfully seven weeks ahead of schedule, Raytheon executives said. Final approval, though necessary, was a formality after WAAS completed key stability tests in recent months.
The Ministry of Transport (MOT) in Bangkok allegedly threatened to fire 40 Thai Airways International pilots for complaining that poor conditions at the Krabi, Nakhon Si Thammarat and Mae Hong Son airports were a safety hazard to aircraft and passengers. Deputy Transport Minister Pichet Sathirachawal said the pilots exaggerated, and he has asked Thai Airways President Kanok Abhiradee to investigate the pilots' actions.
American yesterday became the latest U.S. major airline to announce new service to Columbus, in attempt to take advantage of the gap left by America West, which will soon close its hub at the airport.
Continental plans to consolidate its two Houston reservations facilities at its new North Houston Center but said no employees who currently work at the Richmond Ave. office will lose jobs.
Midwest Express is dropping Northwest as its domestic frequent-flyer partner this spring, deciding yesterday to sign a deal with American. Midwest passengers couldn't accrue miles on domestic Northwest flights, but will on AA flights when the link starts June 1. Midwest is dropping Virgin Atlantic as its international partner May 28.
