With Airbus poised to select landing gear vendors for the A380, Messier-Dowty says it will be satisfied with any share of the work it will receive on the world's largest airliner project. The French landing gear specialist, whose products have been on every Airbus plane ever assembled, vows not to over-extend itself for a share of the A380, Messier-Dowty spokesman Fran-cois Roudier explains.
DOT Inspector General on Monday will release its report on major carriers' 12-month implementation of their customer service plans, expected to show mixed results. Commerce Committee Chairman Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) has scheduled a hearing on customer service plans at 9 a.m. Tuesday, 253 Russell.
DOT, in a settlement with Delta over failure to stow collapsible wheelchairs in passenger compartments, yesterday assessed the carrier with a $25,000 civil penalty, of which $10,000 will be used toward the purchase of 10 hydraulic lift-boarding chairs, beyond those it already planned to acquire. The carrier will pay $15,000 in compromise penalties. A passenger charged that his wheelchair was damaged and he suffered "minor injuries" during the March 25, 2000, New York LaGuardia-Fort Lauderdale flight (DAILY, July 5, 2000).
A top DOT official in the Clinton administration said before leaving office that there are no current plans to use GPS and its augmentations for sole-means navigation. Gene Conti, former assistant secretary for policy and civilian co-chair of the Interagency GPS Executive Board, said GPS will not be approved for sole means navigation anytime soon. The DOT radio-navigation office reported to Conti.
Low-fare Irish carrier Ryanair reported a net profit of EUR21.3 million (US$19.8 million) in its fiscal third quarter, up 42% from the comparable 1999 period. The results include a one-time profit from the sale of Equant shares. Revenues increased 28% to EUR114.9 million ($106.8 million). CEO Michael O'Leary attributed the revenue increase to strong growth in traffic and ancillary sales, plus the ability of its web site, Ryanair.com, to boost traffic even during weak winter months. Operating costs rose 29%, less than the rise in traffic, O'Leary reported.
Delta this week unveiled a program to offer transportation subsidies to its 2,500 Boston-based employees. Beginning April 1, Delta will cover the full monthly fee for employees choosing Logan Express bus service and will pay full fees for employees commuting from most zones on the Massachusetts Bay Transit Authority system.
Jet Acquisitions Group, a new group of investors, unveiled its intentions to bid nearly $1 billion for TWA, more than double the price American has offered. The Scottsdale, Ariz.-based group will propose the elimination of TWA's current debt, retention of all current employees and future expansion of the carrier. Jet Acquisitions Group vowed to preserve TWA as an independent airline. The firm was previously involved with bankruptcy filings by Continental and America West.
United and Alaska Airlines are cutting back on power consumption at their California maintenance centers to help contain rising energy costs triggered by utility companies' struggle to meet energy demands.
DOT, independent of Justice, could free up slots to bring "competitive choice" from low-fare carriers to Washington National, and AirTran intends to ask DOT to do so, CEO Joe Leonard yesterday told a Senate panel. "DOT has the authority to open the gates to competition," he said, stating that AirTran will file complaints against United, American, US Airways and TWA "to proactively force divestiture of slots without regard to what DOJ says on antitrust issues" on consolidation.
AIRCRAFT TRANSACTIONS FOR NOV 24 - NOV 28, 2000 Seller/ New Type / Previous Operator Owner Engine Operator Aerolineas Khalifa AIFS Airbus Argentinas Airways A310-300/ PW4152 Canadian Biman Pegasus Douglas Airlines Bangladesh Aviation DC-10-30ER/
Frontier Airlines reported $10.3 million in net income for the third quarter 2000 ended Dec. 31, a 232.3% increase from the same 1999 period. Frontier said it marked the 11th consecutive quarter of profitability. Revenues were $114.2 million, up 54.4%. Expenses were $99.6 million, up from $70 million in the same 1999 quarter. Operating income was $14.7 million, compared with $4.0 million last year. Fuel costs rose 43.5% to $1.22 per gallon.
The growth of online travel booking web sites should not be hampered by efforts of travel agents who are trying to stop a lower-cost alternative, according to a new study from the Progressive Policy Institute (PPI). The paper,"Revenge of the Disin-termediated," concludes that brick-and-mortar middleman industries are causing consumers to pay more than $15 billion annually for goods and services by blocking the development of web businesses that could save consumers money.
Legend Airlines has asked FAA to place its operating certificate on inactive status. Legend CEO Allan McArtor said the company continues to seek outside investors and only two aircraft remain on the property, both of them under control of the lessors. Legend Funding Group, which weeks ago promised a $20 million loan to help the bankrupt carrier restart operations, still has not come through with the money, McArtor said.
AMERICAN HUB PROFILE DALLAS/FORT WORTH ORIGIN AND DESTINATIONS SEGMENT SUMMARY AND TOP NONSTOP MARKETS Origination and Destination Data YE 2Q00 YE 2Q95 Dallas/Fort Worth Total (All Carriers) O&D Passengers 20,321,930 16,421,710 23.8% Passengers Per 27,838 22,495 Day Each Way
Part of the Sabena flight crews temporarily went on a wild strike yesterday, a day before an extraordinary shareholder meeting that will decide on the future of the Belgian national carrier. Starting in the early morning, some 140 pilots refused to fly their aircraft and left several thousand passengers stranded at Brussels Airport and elsewhere. Sabena was forced to cancel 57 flights and operated only 24, as planned, until 1 p.m., when the pilots returned to work. Delays continued to hamper operations until 4 p.m.
The Alitalia board failed to ratify the appointment of Francesco Mengozzi as the new CEO following opposition by the carrier's employees, according to industry sources. The decision was postponed until tomorrow. Mengozzi was nominated by the carrier's largest shareholder, the Italian treasury, and was supposed to succeed Domenico Cempella, who resigned last week. Employees, who hold a 20.4% stake in the airline, demanded that Cempella be reinstated.
Xelus, which turned heads by winning British Airways Engineering as a customer last fall (DAILY, Nov. 9), is in deep negotiations with several other major carriers and hopes to announce deals in the first half of this year, a top executive at the company said.
Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N. Y.) yesterday called for the Justice Department's antitrust division to issue a nine-month moratorium on the mega-mergers proposed by United and American. The interval is to give Justice time to study the situation and determine where the industry is going instead of simply approving each merger alone, Schumer said at a hearing of the Senate Judiciary antitrust subcommittee. He won approval from a panel comprising non-merger airline CEOs Leo Mullin, Delta; Gordon Bethune, Continental; William Franke, America West, and Joe Leonard, AirTran.
Thai Airways selected BFGoodrich to provide landing gear overhaul services to its fleet of Boeing 737-400s. Work is scheduled to begin this month and should be completed in November 2003. The contract is estimated to be worth more than $1 million.
National Mediation Board has told American that it will begin meeting separately with negotiating teams for management and the Association of Professional Flight Attendants later this week in Dallas. NMB will meet with American on Thursday and APFA Friday to determine the status of each party's position on outstanding issues. Mediator Linda Puchala said she will resume mediated discussions in the near future.
AIRCRAFT TRANSACTIONS FOR NOV 22 - NOV 24, 2000 Seller/ New Type / Previous Operator Owner Engine Operator Airbus America State Airbus A319 West Street Bank V2529-A5 &Trust Airbus United United Airbus Airlines Airlines A320-200/
Aerospan.com confirmed it has entered an e-marketplace deal with Singapore Technologies Aerospace (ST Aero) and that transactions are "actively being conducted and remain ongoing." Under the agreement, the private marketplace of ST Aero, called JuzClickSource, has been connected with the Aerospan system. JuzClickSource went live Dec. 13 and shortly afterward the integration with Aerospan was complete and operational.
TRAFFIC DATA FOR JANUARY 2001 RPMs Change ASMs Change In From In From Load Airline Billions 1/01 Billions 1/01 Factor Alaska 0.89 +1.4% 1.50 +4.5% 59.2% American 8.74 +3.0% 13.45 +0.9% 65.0% Continental 4.90 +4.2% 7.29 +5.4% 67.1%
Mexican Secretary of Transportation Pedro Cerisola said last week that the sale of the Cintra holding company and disposition of its major assets, AeroMexico and Mexicana, should occur before establishing a long-term civil aviation policy. "Thus we would avoid risky uncertainty about the future of Mexico's most important holding group -- how to sell it, who will manage it, who will operate the airlines," he said.
Pilots at Atlantic Coast Airlines and ACJet yesterday ratified a four-and-a-half-year contract. The deal includes industry-leading pay rates, improvements in retirement benefits and enhanced career opportunities. The pilots are represented by the Air Line Pilots Association.
