FAA yesterday issued a suspected unapproved parts notice on some 275 Pratt & Whitney JT8D No. 6 bearing struts overhauled by Florida's Cadmar Aerospace from November 1997 to September 1998. Problems included improper inspections and incomplete overhauls. Any parts covered by the notice should be removed from service or spares stocks immediately. About 20 of the suspect bearings have been returned to Cadmar for rework or re-inspection, FAA said.
Goodrich reported a fourth quarter net loss of $54 million, including a special $127 million charge due to troubles facing the airline industry. Excluding special charges, it posted a $73 million profit. "Aftermarket sales to our airline customers, although down in the fourth quarter, were stronger than expected," said CEO David Burner. "This decline was more than offset by contributions from recently acquired businesses, strong military sales, and expected deliveries to our commercial transport OE customers." The company's revenue was up 10% year over year
Northwest Hub Profile Detroit Origin and Destinations, Segment Summary and Top Nonstop Markets Origination and Destination Data 12 Months 12 Months Ended June Ended June 2001 1997 Detroit Total (All Carriers) O&D Passengers 14,618,550 12,880,050 13.5% Passengers Per 20,025 17,644 Day Each Way
Delta Air Transport and Virgin Express said yesterday that they would continue their merger talks. "It is expected that a final decision will be made by the end of February," Virgin Express. The board of SN Airholding, which represents Belgian investors in DAT, approved the talks and confirmed that it would inject funds in the carrier, starting in February.
Robert Crandall, former chairman and CEO of American, has been named a senior adviser to AirTV. Crandall retired as CEO of American in 1998. AirTV is developing an aircraft broadband network of four high-capacity S-band satellites to provide real-time TV, audio, Internet, e-mail and flight information services.
Atlantic Coast Airlines Holdings yesterday reported a $1 million fourth quarter net loss, including special gains and charges, and the airline now has a plan to operate an all-jet fleet by 2004. Separately, ACA revealed it will sign a corporate shuttle deal with an unidentified company this week and dedicate two new Fairchild 328JETs to the service.
Orbitz last week topped $1 billion in gross sales and now has 4 million registered users, according to CEO Jeff Katz. He told The DAILY that the company remains on track to become profitable in the second half of the year. He noted that business travel has "picked up" this month and 90% of its customers now participate in its customer care program.
Negotiators from Brazil and Canada will meet in New York on Feb. 8 to try to resolve for good the six-year dispute over their respective desires to encourage exports of Embraer and Bombardier. Brazil strengthened its position through this week's World Trade Organization ruling, which said that the Canadian government violated WTO subsidy rules by granting Bombardier low-interest loans to secure a $1.68 billion order from Air Wisconsin.
Olympic Airways is quickly running out of cash as a government-imposed deadline for the divestiture of a 51% stake in the airline is moving in, sources close to the airline said.
FAA officials have made several improvements to the Air Transport Oversight System (ATOS) in recent months and are cautiously optimistic that they can expand it to all Part 121 carriers within five years. Impetus for the changes came largely from a six-month review of ATOS done last year in which program leaders sought feedback from both inside and outside FAA. The general conclusion: while ATOS was working well, improving several key areas would make the system even more useful and flexible.
Delta reported that more than 4.2 million tickets were purchased through its web site in 2001, representing a 60% jump in ticket sales over the previous year. As a result, the airline sold 10% of its total tickets through its own site generating $1.1 billion in revenue. Total Delta online ticket sales, including Delta.com, MYOBTravel and all other online travel agencies, amounted to 20% of the airline's total ticket sales -- up from 13% in 2000.
US Airways and its pilots union are debating why three pilots had run-ins at a Philadelphia Airport security checkpoint, one leading to job termination or suspension by the airline, and two ending in arrests. The carrier's Air Line Pilots Association unit maintains that the specific checkpoint's procedures are "intolerable" and that agents "overreacted" to pilot statements. The airline believes that "inappropriate" behavior by the pilots touched off each event and said its disciplinary action was justified.
Expedia recently opened a new office in Ft. Lauderdale to focus on "travel supplier relations" in Florida and the Caribbean, working with local suppliers on promotions and product content. Laura Wilde, Expedia's regional manager of the southeast, will head the Ft. Lauderdale office. Before working at Expedia, Wilde served as director of worldwide tour operations at Silversea Cruises.
Boeing yesterday revealed that Japan Aircraft Industries (JAI) and Japan Aircraft Development Corp. (JADC) signed a deal to do research and development for the Sonic Cruiser. JAI includes Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Fuji Heavy Industries. JADC will focus on composites. The JAI deal is the first of a series expected this year as Boeing forms its Cruiser supplier team.
American Trans Air has signed a deal with Datalex to provide the airline with its BookIt! Consumer online booking engine. Datalex also will install the Datalex BookIt! Fares software to provide a link for the distribution of air fares to consolidators, agencies and online portals. The three main reasons for choosing Datalex decision were a non-transaction based pricing model, "out-of-the-box" feature set and "taking control of our own product and its future," said Bob Ellison, ATA director e-business and network services.
Edelweiss Air this spring, in conjunction with Swiss tour operators Kuoni and TUI Suisse, plan to start seasonal nonstop service from Zurich to Orlando Sanford. The charter flights will operate every Saturday between May 4 and Oct. 26 using Airbus A330-200s. The program is expected to bring about 8,000 Swiss passengers through the airport over the six-month period.
ARINC and RQuest Development Corp. introduced what they called an advanced cockpit security system for commercial transports that creates a "safe zone" for flight crews. The system permits crewmembers to open the cockpit door and move about with safety, they said. The security system has several components --- a bullet-resistant cockpit door with a secondary webbed door, a retractable security curtain barrier allow access to lavatories and galley, and bullet-resistant seat backs for pilots. It is "designed for rapid overnight installation."
All Nippon Airways plans to introduce new sleeper seats in its business class, starting April 2 on its daily Tokyo-London service. The new seats have a full recline and 65 inches of legroom, and eventually will be introduced to ANA's U.S. and other European services. ANA's Boeing 747-400 flights to New York and Los Angeles will feature the new seats later this year.
PerkinElmer's Detection Systems division gave a $7 million contract to LaBarge, Inc. to incorporate electronic components into PerkinElmer's "higher-level" checked baggage X-ray scanners. LaBarge produces the components for PerkinElmer under a separate, $3.5 million deal.
FAA proposed civil penalties totaling more $1 million against American Eagle and its affiliate, Eagle Aviation Services, for violations of regulations on transporting hazardous materials. DOT seeks $900,000 in penalties against Eagle for accepting and transporting an oxygen generator as cargo aboard a passenger aircraft in September 2000.
Air Tahiti Nui in March plans to begin a fourth nonstop weekly flight between Los Angeles and Papeete. The new Wednesday frequency will begin March 13 and will supplement Air Tahiti Nui's flights on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The flight is operated with an Airbus A340. Starting this spring, Air Tahiti Nui will begin offering three classes of service on all flights.
Arthur Lucas has been named senior VP-engineering at Pratt& Whitney. Lucas, most recently senior VP-research and engineering at Bell Helicopter, succeeds David Crow, who is retiring.
Northwest Hub Profile Minneapolis/St. Paul Origin and Destinations, Segment Summary and Top Nonstop Markets Origination and Destination Data 12 Months 12 Months Ended June Ended June 2001 1997 Minneapolis Total (All Carriers) O&D Passengers 14,339,620 11,360,600 26.2% Passengers Per 19,643 15,562 Day Each Way
