Raytheon was awarded a $3.6 million Sensis contract for a surface movement radar and air traffic controller display subsystem for the FAA's airport surface detection equipment program. The program is aimed at reducing runway incursions.
America West yesterday announced plans to significantly restructure its Las Vegas hub schedule, beginning April 1. The carrier will retime eight of its late-night flights to allow more passengers to arrive or depart from the airport earlier in the evening or in the morning. "This schedule change is the result of growth in customer demand for our day flights to and from Las Vegas," said Senior VP-Marketing and Sales Mike Smith.
Alaska Airlines said it has become the first U.S. airline to enable customers to check in for flights using wireless handheld devices, such as web-enabled cell phones and Palm Pilots. The wireless capability is being used in Seattle by a "select group of flyers," but access to the carrier's wireless check-in service will be expanded to other airports and customers in the coming weeks. Starting last September, Alaska offered a service to retrieve flight information, flight schedules and frequent flyer information using wireless devices.
While Mexico's new Fox administration addresses the breakup of holding group Cintra and subsequent disposition of its two main assets, AeroMexico and Mexicana, expected in two months, Cintra CEO Juan Diaz Canedo said last week that both airlines will continue to operate normally. Airfares will be not increased, except for the 6.5% annual adjustment for inflation, and marketing plans include more than $400,000 for advertising, the same amount as last year.
Aerospace Industries Association President John Douglass said that the group endorses ICAO's call for a new noise standard that will require new airlines to be at least 10 decibels quieter, beginning in 2006. He said the new standard is necessary to achieve consensus on a single global standard for all aircraft. The new Chapter 4 standards were recommended to ICAO by its Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection made up of officials from 18 countries.
Frontier Airlines will cease its single daily operation to Bloomington-Normal, Ill., April 1. Frontier President Sam Addoms said that over the last year operating results have dropped to levels that makes the route unprofitable. Frontier began serving Bloomington-Normal Jan. 6, 1997 and the station employs about 27 part and full time people. Frontier Airlines will launch its new EarlyReturns Frequent Flyer Program Feb. 1 in partnership with Continental, Midwest Express and Virgin Atlantic.
DOT told U.S. carriers that they may apply for the two U.S.-Israel third-country code-share designations available immediately, as well as for a third designation that becomes available April 1, 2002, which may be exercised earlier if both countries agree. A fourth becomes available April 1, 2003, for which DOT will seek applications later. The code-share rights, agreed to this month under a memorandum of consultations, expire March 31, 2004.
ICAO President Assad Kotaite said an agreement has been reached on a new air route structure over the North Pole that will "considerably cut" distances on flights linking North America and Europe to the Asia/Pacific region. The accord was announced at the conclusion of the fourth meeting in Paris of an ICAO steering group set up in 1998.
Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), a member of the Senate Commerce Committee, is rounding up support for a bill he plans to introduce in the Senate in a week or two that would streamline the environmental review process for building runways, a Brownback spokesman said yesterday. A parallel move may occur in the House Transportation Committee.
Atlantic Coast Airlines yesterday posted fourth quarter revenues of $128.3 million, up 41.1% from the comparable 1999 period, and expenses of $131.6 million, up 63.8%. Net income totaled $10.4 million, excluding non-recurrent charges. ACA reported a one-time charge of $12.2 million, however, for the early retirement of its 21 remaining leased 19-seat turboprop aircraft, which led to a net loss of $1.8 million. Revenue per available seat mile climbed 3.7% to 19.7 cents and cost per ASM was up 21.6% to 20.8 cents.
Brazilian domestic no-frills, low-fare Gol Airlines, patterned after Southwest and using state-of-the-art Boeing 373-700s (DAILY, Jan. 8), started flying in Brazil this week. The newest Latin startup, which is named Gol (goal) to appeal to soccer-mad Brazilians, said load factor increased to 50% from 30% in the first week of operations.
John Clark was named director of the Office of Aviation Safety at the National Transportation Safety Board, succeeding Bernard Loeb, who retired. Clark most recently was deputy director of NTSB's Office of Research and Engineering.
DHL Worldwide Express's registration as a foreign freight forwarder, approved by DOT, has evoked separate complaints by UPS and FedEx, which charge the company with being effectively owned by a foreign entity -- Deutsche Post. UPS said the DOT staff action did not consider the "serious public policy questions" raised by permitting Deutsche Post, "the German national postal monopoly owned and controlled by the German government," to gain "unfettered access" to the U.S. domestic market -- in effect, cabotage.
Lufthansa Technik said it has acquired Composite International of Tulsa and is setting up a new workshop to service aircraft components in Shenzen, China. Composite International, with two autoclaves, is able to do complete repairs and overhauls of structural components.
The unexpected death of Atlas Air's founder and CEO Michael Chowdry this week has left some Wall Street analysts concerned over the company's short-term strategy in the absence of its aggressive leader. Chowdry was believed to be in deep negotiations with Airbus to purchase its A380 freighter and also was evaluating options for a medium-range freighter, but any imminent order may now be on hold due to the company's loss. "Chowdry was a visionary who knew his aircraft and knew what he wanted," said ING Barings analyst Ray Neidl.
To compound its financial troubles, Brazil's VASP may soon be excluded from the Fiscal Rehabilitation Program (REFIS), which aids private enterprises with federal taxes, social security and other fiscal contributions. The move was requested by the National Social Security Administration (INSS), which says the carrier allegedly failed to pay contributions amounting to an average $4 million per month.
Air Traffic Control Association has changed the date and place of its Dublin meeting. The date has been changed to July 17-20 from July 8-12, and the site has been changed to the Burlington Hotel from the Conrad Hotel.
The initial public offering launched by BWIA in December on the Trinidad&Tobago stock exchange was a success "in spite of the holiday season and the state of stock markets worldwide," according to DAILY affiliate AvNews Latin America&Caribbean. The carrier sold 7,237,056 shares, raising $9.04 million. A total of 24% of the share subscription came from Barbados. CEO Conrad Aleong said, "BWIA is now a regional carrier in ownership as well as services," adding that BWIA will follow up with an IPO on the New York stock market next year.
Regional Airline Academy in Deland, Fla., has expanded its facilities to increase classroom and administration size. The expansion has tripled the size of the training facility.
Comair will begin offering one daily Cincinnati-Providence nonstop on April 1 and two daily nonstop roundtrips between Fort Lauderdale and Tallahassee Jan. 31. Service on both routes will be aboard Canadair Regional Jets.
Delta's board, at its regular meeting in Atlanta yesterday, declared a cash dividend of 2.5 cents per common share. The dividend is payable March 1 to shareowners of record Feb. 7. Delta's board also set April 26 as its annual shareholders meeting, to be held in Salt Lake City.
Northwest, citing the "opportunities presented by the fast-growing market for air cargo," said it is incorporating its cargo division as a wholly owned subsidiary called Northwest Airlines Cargo Inc. Mickey Foret, who will be chairman and CEO of the new unit in addition to his jobs as executive VP and chief financial officer of NWA Inc., said cargo is expected to generate $1 billion in revenue this year. "The international air cargo market is expected to double in the next 10 years," he said. Northwest has the largest freighter operation among U.S.
