Delta is expanding its self-service check-in and accelerated screening lines to stimulate lagging business traffic and reduce the "hassle factor" at airports, CEO Leo Mullin said last week. Delta has 300 self-service check-in kiosks at 70 airports, but by the end of the year plans to have 400 in 80 locations. The airline also offers accelerated screening lines for frequent flyers at 20 airports.
MTU Aero Engines will build the high-pressure compressor (HPC) for Pratt & Whitney's PW6000 small turbofan. The German manufacturer anticipates a 32-month development schedule for the compressor, which would mean entry into service by 2005. MTU hopes to win certification in 2004. The decision by P&W and Airbus is a major breakthrough for MTU, which wants to expand its technology and product base.
FAA wants to fine American $536,000, claiming the airline violated rules for cargo acceptance and screening, cargo-screener training and record-keeping. Special agents uncovered the alleged violations during inspections in October 2000 at eight U.S. airports.
United's May unit revenue was down only 3-4% from last year's figures, beating the industry average for the second month, said CEO Jack Creighton. This is an improvement from first quarter unit revenue, which was down 11% from the previous year.
With talks about to begin between Continental and its pilots on a new contract, the airline has floated the idea of extending the current contract instead. The Air Line Pilots Association Master Executive Council for Continental has agreed to discuss an extension with the carrier, MEC spokesman James Moody told The DAILY.
FAA will install a new radar display system in about 15 small airports later this year, the agency said last week. The systems are known as ARTS IE and STARS LITE, and are low-cost versions of the Automated Radar Terminal System and Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System. Other airports also will be able to purchase the systems.
Qatar Airways on June 15 planned to start daily flights to Male, the capital of Maldives and a major tourist destination. Currently, the airline operates to Male three times per week with Airbus A330s. The carrier started flying the route on Dec. 18, 2001, and has carried more than 2,500 passengers since the launch. Qatar plans to fly to more than 50 points and increase its fleet to more than 25 aircraft by 2004.
American on Friday operated its last two Boeing 717 revenue flights, with both aircraft ending their service in St. Louis. AA still has several 717s parked in St. Louis and Kansas City, but all will be ferried to Victorville, Calif., in the near future. The former TWA aircraft are fairly new, most having logged fewer than 3,000 hours.
Vanguard on July 8 begins a second daily Pittsburgh-Kansas City nonstop, departing Kansas City at 3:10 p.m. and Pittsburgh at 7 p.m. The new nonstop will complement current service that departs Pittsburgh at 8:10 a.m. and Kansas City at 7:25 p.m.
New York jet fuel spot prices ended last week at $0.65 per gallon, down 0.4% from the beginning of the week and down 18.6% from a year ago, reports Deutsche Banc Alex. Brown.
Despite interest from global alliances, it's unlikely that major Chinese carriers -- Air China, China Southern Airlines or China Eastern Airlines -- will join one any time soon, according to government officials who say local industry priorities have to be sorted out first. A senior official at the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) said global alliances see China as a lucrative market for themselves, but don't say how much or how Chinese carriers could benefit by joining these alliances.
The European Commission wrote to Belgian Transport Minister Isabelle Durant asking for an explanation on Belgium's new aircraft noise rules, a European Union source said. Belgium's new rules, due to take effect in July 2003, ban certain types of aircraft -- including hush-kitted aircraft -- from operating at Belgian airports between 11 p.m. and 6 a.m. This decision does not take into account the new EU legislation that defused the hushkit dispute between the EU and the United States, said the source. The U.S.
The two recent Chinese air crashes -- an Air China Boeing 767-200 on May 15 in Busan and a China Northern Airlines MD90 in Dalian three weeks later -- have prompted the Chinese government to take another look at its initial grouping of airlines in its consolidation exercise, officials say.
The National Business Aviation Association last week expressed its disappointment at further delays to a DOT rule that would open up Washington National Airport to general aviation. At a meeting with GA groups, the DOT announced that it would delay implementation of draft plans that have been developed. DOT will hold another meeting in mid-June to inform the GA community of its progress.
AIR, Inc., reported last week that there were 485 new vacancies for U.S. pilots in May, compared to 7,257 pilots on furlough. Major airlines hired 38 pilots in May, with three carriers expected to hire over the next several months. Eight national carriers hired 138 pilots in May, jet operators hired 95, and non-jet operators hired 99. AIR, Inc., predicts that 6,000 new jobs will be created this year.
20 years ago June 16, 1982 -- House aviation subcommittee Chairman Norman Mineta (D-Calif.) wrote a five-page letter to AOPA rebutting an AOPA newsletter article, including statements that he advocated taking slots from general aviation and giving them to commercial carriers. "Nothing could be further from the truth," he said. 10 years ago
Japan Airlines plans to cancel another Tokyo to Delhi roundtrip flight as a result of the current political situation between India and Pakistan. JAL normally operates twice weekly on the route, on Thursday and Sunday. The canceled was scheduled to depart on Sunday and return to Tokyo on June 17. Any further cancellations after June 17 "will be decided according to the situation," the airline said. JAL canceled a flight on June 13 for the same reason.
Kenya Airways recently took delivery of a Boeing 737-700 with winglets. The Nairobi-based carrier now operates an all-Boeing fleet and is the first African airline to operate a 737-700 with the blended winglets.
British Airways will install the Connexion by Boeing hardware on board a Boeing 747-400 for a trial of broadband Internet access. The services will be available to passengers in First, Club World and World Traveller Plus for a three-month trial. According to Boeing, 75% of business passengers travel with laptops and are "extremely or very interested" in having Internet and e-mail account access in flight. If BA were to opt for the Connexion system permanently, the airline would be Boeing's second European customer.
Pam Am, based in Portsmouth, N.H., last week started operating four flights between the U.S. and the Dominican Republic on routes from Boston to Santo Domingo, New York-Punta Cana and Santiago, and Miami-Santiago. All service will be daily except New York-Punta Cana, which will operate four times a week. Frequencies to Santiago will use the new Cibao Airport on the central/eastern region of the island. Boeing 727-200 will be used in all routes.
JetBlue this week will kick off its frequent flyer program -- "TrueBlue" -- that will be based on points rather than miles flown. According to information on the airline's web site, the number of points earned by passengers depends on the length of the JetBlue flight. For example, a short flight from New York Kennedy to Buffalo would earn two points, a trip from JFK to New Orleans would earn four points and a long-haul transcontinental flight would earn six points.
