NTSB last week formalized recommendations to FAA on runway incursions that stem from a public meeting the board held June 13 to explore what it calls a growing safety issue for the traveling public. NTSB is recommending that FAA require a ground movement safety system that will prevent runway incursions at all airports with scheduled passenger service.
American Eagle is expanding regional jet service from Dallas/Fort Worth to Springfield/Branson, Mo. and Oklahoma City. The airline now offers RJ service on three of its nine daily flights to Springfield/Branson, operating Embraer ERJ-145s and ERJ-135s. Eagle now offers four daily ERJ-145 flights and five Super ATR turboprop flights to Oklahoma City.
U.S.-U.K. talks ended uneventfully last week, disappointing some who expected negotiations to yield a signed agreement."That was not going to happen," said a U.K. Embassy spokesman. The two sides worked on the text of "a very boring legal agreement" and exchanged ideas on phasing in liberalization at London Heathrow. The U.K. is standing firm on requiring antitrust immunity for British Airways with a U.S. carrier, he said.
The European Commission cleared the creation of Synavion, a joint venture between Siemens and Lufthansa on Friday. The new Frankfurt-based company will develop and sell information and communications services for airport operators and aircraft handling companies. "Sales of 30 million marks (US$14.5 million) are targeted for the company's first fiscal year," said Lufthansa's IT subsidiary Lufthansa Systems. The creation of Synavion "doesn't raise any competition concerns," the EC said.
The Interstate Aviation Committee, which investigates accidents in Russia and 11 former Soviet republics, issued a series of safety recommendations including the use of flight data recorder information to check the safety of airline and flight crew performance. The committee also address flying over mountainous terrain and in wind shear conditions.
Sabre unveiled what it claims is the industry's first satisfaction guarantee offered by a corporate travel management system. The guarantee covers both performance and satisfaction with the Sabre BTS system and service, and is available to new and existing BTS customers.
Iberia has teamed up with Spain's Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, oil company Repsol YPF and telecommunication group Telefonica to set up an e-procurement platform. The platform is intended for the purchase of "non-productive" goods and services with an annual total of 1 billion pesetas ($5.7 million). E-procurement can reduce costs by 10% to 20% for the goods concerned, Iberia said.
Northwest will add two Boeing 747-200 freighters to its fleet, strengthening its ability to capitalize on a recent deal with Japan Airlines and giving Boeing its first -200 conversion business of the year in the process. Northwest bought two ex-United 747s - both built in 1987 and powered by Pratt&Whitney JT9D engines. Boeing's Wichita, Kan. modification facility will convert the aircraft from all-passenger layouts. They are slated to enter service in March and June 2001.
National Air Traffic Controllers Association is in the planning phase of an anti-privatization campaign called "We Guide You Home." NATCA President Michael McNally says the union will "take the fight to the people who most care about their safe takeoffs and landings-passengers-AKA voters." Ads should begin appearing on CNN's airport network later this year.
The CEOs of British Airways and KLM, Rod Eddington and Leo van Wijk, have met with EU Competition Commissioner Mario Monti to discuss the proposed merger of the two airlines. Details of the meeting remained undisclosed, however, the talks seem to indicate that both parties are making serious efforts to implement their merger. A link-up is expected to face major regulatory barriers and potentially throws into question the two carriers' transatlantic partnerships with American and Northwest.
After years of legal battles, American said yesterday it would drop all lawsuits relating to air service from Dallas Love Field. American asked a Fort Worth Court of Appeals to reconsider its decision regarding opening Love Field to long-haul air service but said it will withdraw that motion and will not appeal the case to the Texas Supreme Court. American had fought to safeguard Dallas/Fort Worth airport as the only place in Dallas from which long-haul service could be flown.
British Airways' premium traffic grew 6.8% in June as its overall load factor climbed 0.6 percentage points to 75.9%. Total traffic fell 1.4%, less than the 2.6% drop in capacity. Most of the capacity cuts occurred on transatlantic and European routes, which fell 4.6 and 3.7 percentage points, respectively. BA said June's figures reflect air traffic control problems on June 17 and 18, and by the French ATC strike June 26.
Avianca CEO Gustavo Lenis, in an open letter, explained why Colombian enterprises are not competitive at the world level. First, he said, "some governmental provisions that complicate business management in our country and increase operation costs." Second, he said, Colombia's economic and public order situation, plus higher taxes, have hampered financial results for the last few years.
A recent conference in Paris on the Global Aviation Information Network (GAIN) showed that the industry is "thinking the concept over," Chris Hart, FAA safety chief said yesterday. "We are seeing a two-step process," Hart said. "The first step is individual airlines, manufacturers and governments getting comfortable with collecting information and using it for their own purposes." But step two is the "real target, which is systematic sharing" of the information, Hart said.
Dave Hacker, from Silver Spring, Md., became the second winner of the One Million Miles Bonus promotion featured by LatinPass, the frequent flyer consortium of Latin American airlines. Although he had six months to complete this, Hacker needed only a week to spend $3,000, including flights on US Airways, Aeropostal, Avianca, Aces, TACA Peru, Copa, Aviateca, TACA and Lacsa, plus stays at associated hotels. The first winner won in March.
Regional aircraft are increasingly available on the used market, according to data from BACK Aviation.There were 356 aircraft available for sale or lease in June, versus 332 in January and 273 in July 1999. Nineteen-seat turboprops continue to be the most available.
CFM International installed its CFM56-7 engine on the first Boeing 737-900. Rollout of the aircraft is scheduled for July 23 at Boeing's Renton facility. The engine is the exclusive powerplant for the 737-600/700/800/900 and the Boeing Business Jet. First flight is scheduled for August. Following a 381-hour flight test program and certification, Alaska Airlines will take delivery in April 2001. The 737-900 can carry between 177 and 189 passengers and has a range of about 2,745 nautical miles.
The European Union signed a civil aviation cooperation agreement with India on June 28 in Lisbon in an attempt to develop the position of European aerospace manufacturers on the Indian market. The EU-India Civil Aviation Project will encourage closer ties between European aerospace and regulatory authorities and the Indian authorities, aerospace industry and operators, "aiming at increasing Indian awareness of the EU practices," said the EC.
NTSB concluded its investigation into the crash that killed pilot John Kennedy Jr., his wife Carolyn Bessette Kennedy and her sister Lauren Bessette, saying the probable cause with the pilot's failure to maintain control of the Piper aircraft over water at night due to spatial disorientation.
Used Regional Aircraft Deliveries January 2000 Carrier # Type Engine Previous Operator Used Regional Aircraft Deliveries February 2000 Carrier # Type Engine Previous Operator Air Baltic 1 Avro RJ-70 LF507-1F National Jet
Japan Airlines and Japan Air System unveiled plans yesterday to form a cost-saving alliance to reduce passenger handling and airport costs across their domestic systems. The two agreed to begin joint development of self check-in machines at off-airport passenger terminals including subway, monorail and rail stations in major Japanese cities. The two will install the new kiosks in spring 2001 and the cooperation will help save development costs of software and hardware.
An audit of Alaska Airlines found that the carrier needs to take actions to improve employee morale by better communications. That was one of the conclusions of a safety assessment team headed by Jack Enders, former manager of aviation search research for NASA and past president of the Flight Safety Foundation, and Bill Hendricks, former director of accident investigation for both the FAA and the NTSB. Enders said effective communication was the "areas most wanting" at the airline.
The 138 aircraft and helicopters of Argentina's air force will continue to be maintained and modernized at their plant in Cordoba, according to the new five-year contract between the Argentine government and Lockheed Martin. Plans also include relaunching the IA-63 Pampa aircraft by building 12 units. The relaunched aircraft is set to debut at the Farnborough Air Show on July 24. The new contract will create 150 direct and 1,250 indirect jobs.
