Aeroflot's board has approved a plan to build a new terminal at Moscow Sheremetyevo Airport serving the domestic and international flights of flag carrier Aeroflot and its partners. Aeroflot and the Sheremetyevo authority will share about 70-75% of this project, and the rest will be owned by foreign investors. A tender is expected to be announced in about two months. The cost of the terminal development -- Sheremetyevo-3 -- is estimated at $250-300 million in a business plan prepared by airline specialists with the help of the McKinsey consulting group.
National Transportation Safety Board recommended that FAA require all newly certificated commercial airplanes to meet evacuation demonstration requirements regardless of the number of passenger seats. The board said that FAA now does not evaluate the emergency evacuation capabilities of aircraft with fewer than 44 passenger seats. "In the interest of providing one level of safety, all passenger-carrying commercial airplanes and air carriers should be required to demonstrate emergency evacuation capabilities," it said.
US Airways' Air Line Pilots Association Master Executive Council last week passed a resolution objecting to the way management is executing its letter of agreement (LOA) on minimizing the impact of the growth and early retirement program. "This LOA was negotiated in our last contract to lessen the impact of growth and...early retirement...on the company's operations," spokesman Roy Freundlich said in a recorded message to pilots.
With the entry of British Midland and Mexicana into the group, the Star Alliance wants to establish London Heathrow Airport as the Chicago of Europe with the strongest alliances competing head to head, British Midland Chairman Michael Bishop said. British Midland will join Star on July 1 and was welcomed to the alliance at a meeting Vienna/Austria alongside Mexicana, which also joins next month. Star carriers will hold a combined 27% of the slots at Heathrow, while oneworld has 48%.
The oneworld alliance is expanding its management team this month as managing partner Peter Buecking made the first level of appointments. The oneworld central management company also plans to move into its offices, in downtown Vancouver, as it adds new staff.
Two of the largest Internet research firms, Media Metrix and Jupiter Communications, plan to merge in a deal worth roughly $400 million in stock to boost their joint standing as the top Internet measurement and information provider. The merged company, which will be called Jupiter Media Metrix and have a combined market value in excess of $1 billion, will keep its individual brands to "stand on their own merits and remain distinct," said Jupiter CEO Gene DeRose. "The two companies are diverse yet complimentary," he added.
Consolidation in the aviation industry is the "logical next step" in the evolution of airlines, but Delta Chief Marketing Officer Fred Reid said yesterday that the airline also is happy with the status quo.
Lufthansa will take the lead among the Star Alliance members in the privatization of Star-carrier Thai Airways International. Lufthansa's Chairman and CEO Jurgen Weber said at the alliance's meeting in Vienna/Austria that he hoped the privatization process will be finalized early next year. Lufthansa could distribute part of the stake to other Star carriers, such as SAS, which was interested in investing, Weber said.
New Jet Aircraft Deliveries For January 2000 Last 12 Months Carrier # Type Engine Delivery Air Canada 1 A330-300 TRENT 772B-60 2 Air France 1 777-200ER GE90-90B 6 Air Portugal 1 A319 CFM56-5B5/P 6
Swissjet, a Florida-based startup seeking DOT certification for charter operations, needs to provide stock offering information and a schedule of availability of funding sufficient to pass the department's financial fitness test, DOT said. The carrier's "lack of supporting documentation for its financing plan leaves its application materially deficient." Swissjet must "adequately substantiate" its financing plan within 30 days; if it does not resolve these issues, the department said it could dismiss the application.
Varig CEO Ozires Silva said the company's division into three entities will pave the way for greater future participation by foreign investors. The structure will offer "a clearer corporate image and open the doors of the group to foreign capital," he said. But Silva opposes raising the 20% equity limit now imposed on foreign capital in domestic airlines.
National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Jim Hall told FAA and industry officials yesterday in Washington that they cannot allow the rapid growth forecast for aviation to result in safety lapses on the nation's airports. Hall, addressing FAA's Runway Safety National Summit, said, "We cannot allow the quest for increased capacity to compromise safety" of the traveling public.
DOT Inspector General released an interim report noting progress in airline customer service but identified several areas needing improvement. At the same time, Air Transport Association members said yesterday they are meeting or exceeding the 12-point customer service plans implemented in December. ATA airlines are committed to improving service efforts, ATA President Carol Hallett said, adding, "We have no end date in mind." Spending on training and service will exceed $3 billion over the next several years, ATA said.
CSA Czech Airlines is in discussions with the SkyTeam alliance about becoming a member of the group within the next year, airline officials said, but a Delta spokesman told The DAILY that the carrier is not a founding partner. "We are talking to a number of carriers," the spokesman said. "They are a good, strong carrier and they would give us great coverage into Eastern Europe, but at this point, there is nothing to the rumor that they are joining soon."
Worldspan has signed an agreement with Skyservice Airlines to provide services for startup Roots Air, including inventory and reservations management, ticketing and check-in. Roots Air is scheduled to launch U.S.-Canada service later this year.
Legend Airlines is asking a Texas court for the right to take the deposition of an American employee who breached Legend's system and obtained sensitive pricing and information. Legend also wants to depose her supervisor and her department head. "American's response to us has been woefully inadequate," Legend CEO Allan McArtor said yesterday.
Atlantic Southeast Airlines is leasing gates at Legend's Executive Terminal at Dallas Love Field to inaugurate service to Atlanta July 1. Legend offered rival American gate space in its terminal, since American faces a deadline on gates leased from Continental, but Legend CEO Allan McArtor said American did not respond to the offer. Legend already has a frequent flyer agreement with Delta, and ASA flies as a Delta Connection carrier. "We have some capacity we don't require right now," McArtor told The DAILY.
American has no intention of using a third airport in the Chicago area because it would mean higher average costs than at its O'Hare base with no ability to recoup these costs through higher fares, American VP Bob Baker told the House Judiciary Committee last Friday.
Swissair's refurbishment of its long-haul fleet is complete, bringing a new seat and service to its first-class cabin. The seat and ottoman combination, which convert into a 201-centimeter flat bed, have been installed in 15 Boeing MD-11s and nine Airbus A330s. A similar product will be included in nine A340s that will be added to Swissair's long-haul fleet in 2002.
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) said yesterday he has not decided whether he will try to get a House cut in funding for the Justice Department's Antitrust Division restored in the Senate.
DOT granted Air Caribbean authority for service between Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, and Orlando, via intermediate points Antigua, Barbados, Granada, St. Kitts and St. Lucia. Air Caribbean received a separate exemption for Georgetown, Guyana-Miami service via Port of Spain. (Dockets OST-00-7475, 7474)
Delta and Royal Air Maroc signed a marketing alliance yesterday as the Moroccan carrier has decided to end its relationship with TWA. Delta-RAM plan to code share this fall. RAM will end its relationship with TWA, effective Oct. 1.
Flight attendants from US Airways and United, both represented by the Association of Flight Attendants, will hold talks tomorrow on the proposed merger of their two companies, a source close to the talks told the DAILY.The two sides will discuss seniority and other issues. United's AFA Master Executive Council has already met with CEO Jim Goodwin to talk about the deal.
Mitigating runway incursions through human factors-inspired actions means a combination of new initiatives, such as training and technological programs, and modifying existing practices, such as departure clearance procedures. That's the bottom line on a set of 30 recommendations presented yesterday by a human factors group at the FAA's National Runway Safety Summit in Washington.
