Newark Airport plans to open a new six-level, 3,200-space parking garage on April 7. The garage, near AirTrain Newark Station E, will join a four-level, 3,400-space parking structure across from Terminal C that has been opening in stages since last July. The two structures, financed by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey and built at a cost of $250 million, bring the total number of parking spaces at Newark to nearly 19,000.
FAA is considering requiring planes with 10-19 seats to install lockable doors between the cockpit and the cabin, but wants industry feedback before issuing any rules. The input will be considered as part of a larger plan to enhance security on smaller commercial aircraft, the agency said. FAA wants input on the feasibility of putting doors on these planes -- many of which come with no cockpit doors -- as well as alternatives to adding doors and suggestions for other security improvements.
Hawaiian Airlines reported a $10.2 million fourth quarter net loss, down from a $20.4 million loss in the same 2000 period. Unusual fourth quarter items include a special $22.3 million credit associated with the federal grants and $3.2 million in merger-related expenses. The airline for the year posted a $5.1 million profit for full-year 2001 compared with a $18.6 million loss the year before. "Although the final quarter numbers reflect the profound effects of the Sept.
Spirit Airlines signed a deal with PROS Revenue Management to create a custom-configured system for the carrier. "PROS is a key partner to help Spirit reach and exceed important financial benchmarks," said Tom Anderson, senior VP-marketing.
Chile's top air transport official yesterday in Santiago called on Latin American governments to liberalize aviation trade rules -- a proposal mostly met by stony silence from a host of aviation officials gathered at the event. Javier Etcheberry, Chile's minister of transport, opened a private session of Latin American transport ministers by urging governments to embrace open skies.
Association of European Airlines Traffic February 2002 February 2002 Passenger Data % % Pts. RPKs Change ASKs Change Load Change Region (Mil) 02/01 (Mil) 02/01 Factor 02/01 SHORTHAUL Europe 8,154.2 -9.7 13,439.9 -15.4 60.7 3.9 North Africa 413.4 -16.8 591.0 -17.3 69.9 0.5
American named Gerard Arpey, 43, president and chief operating officer of the airline, putting him in line to eventually succeed CEO Don Carty. Arpey was previously executive VP-operations. Arpey joined AA in 1982 and was chief financial officer from 1995-1999. The news came just a few weeks after Vice Chairman Bob Baker retired.
Southwest next month is planning to its expanded maintenance center at Dallas Love Field, comprising a 90,000-square-foot office and support building and a two-aircraft hangar bay. The office portion of the hangar is on track to be completed by May 15, with the first group of employees slotted to move into the building as early as May 17. The completed aircraft ramp surrounding the facility should be available June 1. Coating of the hangar floor will start May 16 and will be cured by June 28, with the completed floor available by July 1.
JetBlue will install in-aircraft cameras in its fleet of 24 Airbus 320s -- slated to grow to 34 by yearend -- over the next few months, giving pilots a view of activity in the cabin. The carrier received FAA approval for the security enhancement plan, and FAA reviewed the system installed on the first aircraft last week, with a second expected this week. JetBlue announced plans to retrofit its aircraft with four in-cabin cameras when it began cockpit door upgrades (DAILY, Oct. 16, 2001).
Vietnam Airlines will lease two Boeing 777-200ERs, which will be delivered in March next year. Both aircraft will be deployed on the Hanoi-Paris and Ho Chi Minh-Paris routes, replacing the 767-300ER. Both services are operated three times a week each via Dubai. With the delivery of the 777s, the flights to Paris will be operated nonstop and the Ho Chi Minh service will be increased to four frequencies a week. VN also has four -200ERs on order, placed last May.
Cathay Pacific Airways plans to reinstate several flights to North America and Jakarta that were suspended late last year. Starting June 1, Cathay Pacific's service to Los Angeles will increase from seven to 10 flights a week. The airline's service to Vancouver will grow from 11 to 14 flights, beginning July 1; at the same time, San Francisco will switch equipment from an Airbus A340-300 to a higher-capacity Boeing 747-400. Also starting July 1, Jakarta will get back two flights a week, resulting in the resumption of a daily nonstop service.
Pilot scope issues probably will not make it to the Senate floor this session, Sam Whitehorn, senior counsel for the Senate Commerce Committee said last week.Despite urgings from the Regional Airline Association and carriers that see scope as the major roadblock to growth, it's not an issue lawmakers are willing to tackle during an election year. A congressional solution has to be "pro-public, not pro-management or pro-pilot," he said.
Atlantic Coast Airlines is having ongoing discussions with Fairchild Dornier both in the U.S. and in Germany after the manufacturer's insolvency filing, said ACA spokesman Rick DeLisi. ACA operates 33 328JETs, has 32 on firm order of which 10 are planned for delivery this year, and 80 options. "The whole thing remains uncertain right now," he said. "We expect to get a handle on what their expectations are within the next few weeks but we're optimistic that they're doing the right thing to move toward greater financial strength."
A consortium of three German banks is expected to clear up to around EUR100 million in bridge financing to regional aircraft manufacturer Fairchild Dornier this week, after the company yesterday filed for insolvency, the German equivalent of Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The funds should be sufficient for FD to continue normal operations in its core business for the next three months. During this time, the company would need to strike a deal with a strategic investor.
Continental in March achieved profitability for the first time since Sept. 11, according to preliminary data, but the carrier still expects to post a "significant loss" for the first quarter. Lower year-over-year yields, offset by relatively higher load factors, resulted in an estimated unit revenue drop of 6-8% in March, compared with the same month last year. The drop was less than February's RASM decline of 11%.
The battle to regain business jet access to Washington National Airport penetrated the White House last week when Signature Flight Support President Beth Haskins met with one of President Bush's advisers to discuss the situation. According to DAILY affiliate The Weekly of Business Aviation, DCA has been a prestigious and profitable base for Signature for years, but except for limited fuel sales to government aircraft, the facility has sat largely empty since the Sept. 11 attacks.
An independent safety audit team brought in by Alaska Airlines said the carrier has made major strides since the January 2000 crash of Flight 261 (DAILY, Feb. 2, 2000), the most significant of several events that triggered the overview. In the third of three reports, the team said Alaska has addressed 167 of 175 recommendations made in the first report, which wrapped up in June 2000. Alaska said the other eight are being reviewed by the carrier's safety department, created in response to one recommendation.
Two of Southwest's Boeing 737-200s -- N67 and N68 -- named the Rollin King and Winning Spirit have been taken out of schedule service and slotted for retirement. As a result, the names of the aircraft will be transferred to two new 737-700s scheduled for delivery in April -- N417 (Rollin King) and N418 (Winning Spirit).
All Nippon Airways last week received approval from Japan's Ministry of Land Transport and Infrastructure to add its code to Asiana-operated flights between Tokyo Narita, Nagoya, Fukuoka and Seoul. At the same time, Asiana will code-share on ANA airline Air Japan-operated flights among Tokyo, Osaka Kansai and Seoul. The code share will begin April 18. ANA and Asiana will expand their existing code share to 91 roundtrip flights per week on a total of five routes. Korea is Japan's largest market in Asia, according to ANA President Chan Bup Park.
Finnair will increase weekly frequencies from Helsinki to New York to seven as of next week. The airline had cut flights to five a week following the Sept. 11 events, but said that demand has picked up to previous levels.
British Airways over the weekend started a second daily flight from London to Houston. The airline will operate a direct flight from Houston to Washington Dulles with continuing service to London Heathrow. The new flight will be operated with a Boeing 747-400. The flight is in addition to BA's existing nonstop from Houston to London Gatwick.
Hong Kong International Airport will levy a HK$13 (US$1.73) airport security surcharge on departing passengers starting May 1. The fee is being introduced to make up for a shortfall in costs for aviation security at the airport, according to Hong Kong Airport Authority (HKAA) CEO David Pang. HKAA is recovering only half the actual cost of about HK$26 per passenger.
Suggested FAA fines of more than $1.3 million for a series of production and quality control problems at Boeing in recent years (DAILY, March 28) could be dwarfed by yet-to-be-released penalties for two similar issues. FAA hasn't decided on penalties for production snafus that led to the delivery of as many as 3,000 Boeing planes with non-conforming cockpit drip shields, environmental ducts or fuel tank doors in the late 1990s (DAILY, Nov. 30, 1999). Some 767s also were delivered with improperly tightened vertical stabilizer bolts.
Hawaiian, less than two weeks after its failed merger attempt with Aloha, is facing a change in leadership. Robert Zoller, president and COO, will leave the airline April 15 "to pursue professional opportunities outside the company." Paul Casey, vice chairman and CEO, will add president to his duties. Norman Davies, VP-safety and security, will become executive VP-operations. Zoller, who came to Hawaiian in December 1999 from AirTran, where he was senior VP-maintenance and engineering, become COO in January 2001.
