BAA reported that its seven U.K. airports handled 8.2 million passengers in December, a drop of 6.4% from last year. While December's results were an improvement over the previous two months, most of December's progress was attributed to strong holiday traffic. The transatlantic routes and other long haul markets showed the strongest recovery from the post Sept. 11 fall, the company said. North Atlantic traffic was down by 13.0%, while other long-haul traffic fell by 6.0%.
Midway's flight attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants, filed for mediation on Friday. The union and management had reached an agreement on 75% of the contract before Midway shut down in September, and AFA said the company now wants to renegotiate the already agreed upon portions of the contract. Pay, benefits and scheduling remain on the table.
Fernando Salazar, former president of Lloyd Aereo Boliviano (LAB) last week blamed the Canhedo brothers for illegal conduct and mismanagement leading to LAB's recent crisis, according to reports from Bolivia. Wagner and Ulises Canhedo, owners of Brazil's VASP, are facing prosecution in Bolivia for embezzlement at LAB, VASP's former subsidiary (DAILY, Jan. 9). The Bolivian attorney general declared there is ample evidence to indict the Canhedos, and legal and diplomatic efforts are underway to extradite them from Brazil.
United this quarter plans to resume the use of eight gates at Denver Airport's A Concourse that it had abandoned in September. The carrier had pulled flights back to the B Concourse, but within the next 30 to 60 days, the carrier will move Air Wisconsin's Express regional jet operation to the A Concourse gates.
Star alliance member BMI British Midland has launched substantial efforts to protect its headquarters base at East Midlands Airport by setting up its own low-fare airline. The move is seen by many as a defensive measure against rival Go Fly, which has announced plans in December to set up a third base at the airport. BMI is following a pattern initiated by British Airways and KLM, both having launched their own low-fare operations Go and Buzz. Go, meanwhile, was sold in a management buyout.
Controversial AeroContinente Chile, grounded last year for alleged money-laundering charges that were eventually thrown out of court, is headed for new troubles on the government and labor fronts. Chile's civil aviation authorities (DGAC) decreed the carrier would have to suspend operations by today unless it pays back charges for landing, radio navigation aids and radar services.
Qantas yesterday signed a deal with two separate maintenance unions that will allow the carrier to go ahead with a planned one-year pay freeze. The agreement was signed with the Australian Manufacturing Workers Union and the Australian Workers Union, both of which had threatened labor action. The deal includes a 12-month wage "pause" until June 30 and after the freeze, future pay increases for the next 18 months will depend on "productivity improvements."
Continental plans to furlough an additional 100 pilots, starting in March, according to its pilots union. The Air Line Pilots Association said the new furloughs are in addition to the 826 Continental and Continental Express pilots currently furloughed.
America West has started testing mobile, handheld devices that allow airport customer service agents to expedite passenger flow and the check-in process. The "Roving Gate Agent" project started just before the December holidays at Phoenix Airport, and will be tested through the end of the month. Because of a newly implemented wireless network, America West's customer service representatives at Phoenix hub are able to attach a small monitor/printer device to their belts.
Teamsters union has voted unanimously to ask pilots at Gulfstream International Airlines whether they want to strike the carrier, which serves Florida and the Bahamas. The Teamsters are sending strike ballots to about 200 pilots at Gulfstream. The primary disagreement "involves wages," says Ray Benning, director of the Teamsters' airline division. Contract talks have been underway since April 2000, and the NMB has been involved since July 2001. Gulfstream serves as a regional carrier for Continental, which has ownership rights in the smaller carrier.
The U.S. Defense Department's 2002 appropriations, signed yesterday by President Bush, states that none of the funds appropriated for DOT or any other agency for fiscal 2002 "shall be available for the position of Under Secretary of Transportation for Policy or the position of Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs." DOT Secretary Norman Mineta had sought a change of title and reporting responsibilities for the position of associate deputy secretary, for which Jeffrey Shane has been nominated.
Varig will resume its nonstop flights between Miami and Manaus, Brazil, effective Jan. 19. The weekly flight will operate on Saturdays with a Boeing 737-800. The nonstop flight was temporarily suspended in the fall due to the drop in demand.
Hundreds of workers at Mexico's startup Azteca Airlines yesterday threatened to call a general strike unless they are paid about $150,000 in wages owed to them for seven months. Angel Celorio, head of the union directly concerned, said, "As a result of the aviation crisis after the events of Sept.
For the 12 months up to November, Singapore Airlines recorded 9% growth on traffic to Australia. SIA operates a total of 60 nonstop flights a week to Sydney, Melbourne, Perth, Adelaide and Brisbane. The carrier dropped its Darwin service last October. To help boost traffic on the route and tourist arrivals in Australia, SIA will jointly run a contest with the Australian Tourist Commission for all passengers traveling on the carrier's flights for a 100-day period from January 14-April 23.
Credit Lyonnais Securities recently closed a $730.5 million European Enhanced Equipment Trust Certificate issue for Delta. The transaction is structured in two classes, one worth $449.2 million and the second $281.3 million.
Boeing Commercial President Alan Mulally said his top salesman, Seddik Belyamani, 59, executive VP-sales, is retiring after 28 years with the company. Toby Bright, VP-business strategy&marketing, will succeed Belyamani. Nicole Piasecki, formerly VP sales, leasing companies, will succeed Bright.
After 10 months of managing Lima Jorge Chavez Airport, the private consortium Lima Airport Partners (LAP) has invested $4 million in the terminal's commercial and service areas, a four-kilometer-long system of runway lighting, plus emergency and transfer vehicles, and will soon start construction on a four-star hotel and a shopping center. After Sept. 11, additional insurance premiums for war and terrorism are being adjusted and security measures increased at the terminal.
Austrian Airlines plans to resume scheduled, nonstop service to Canada with flights to Toronto and Montreal, effective May 1. Service will be offered three days per week. As part of an agreement with Star partner Air Canada, Austrian also will offer code-share flights from Toronto and Montreal to other destinations in Canada and the U.S. The carrier had suspended its flights to Canada after Sept. 11. Service will be provided using Lauda Air's Boeing 767-300ERs.
Midway will begin service between Raleigh/Durham and three major markets Feb. 14. It will increase daily service to New York LaGuardia from two to three roundtrips and to Orlando and Fort Lauderdale and from one each to two.
Air Canada's Tango low-fare airline this spring will add several new destinations to its network. Effective April 1, daily Tango service will start on Regina/Saskatoon-Toronto and Thunder Bay-Toronto. Following the recent network addition of St. John's on Jan. 7, and with the addition new cities in April, the Tango network will offer service to 12 Canadian cities. Tango, starting June 17, will boost capacity on several routes to accommodate higher summer demand.
WestJet plans to add Tuesday and Thursday departures from Thompson to Winnipeg, starting Feb. 7, increasing the frequency on the route by 50%. The addition coincides with delivery of its fifth Boeing 737-700. WestJet also will add new nonstop Winnipeg-Sudbury service on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays, as well as nonstop Hamilton-Sault Ste. Marie.
European regionals experienced no growth in the third quarter, according to the European Regions Airline Association, which recorded a drop in September of -1.3%, the first monthly decrease since ERA began keeping statistics. Average passenger growth rate was 5.6% in the first nine months of 2001.
ALPA said yesterday that Stephen Crable, for the past six years chief of staff of the National Mediation Board, is joining its representation department March 11 as assistant director of representation. He will work with pilot negotiating teams and interface directly with airline managements and the NMB on behalf of pilots, ALPA President Duane Woerth said.
Frontier Airlines said that Ronald McClellan, who has held key posts with a number of airlines, including Vanguard, TWA, Continental and People Express, would be its new VP-maintenance and engineering. He succeeds Jon Bartram, who had the post in an interim role.
