Prajak Chamrasmechoi, VP-commercial for Thai Airways, and Tassanai Sudas Na Ayutthaya, the carrier's VP-human resources and administration, have emerged as the leading candidates in line to succeed Thai Airways President Thamnoon Wanglee when he retires in October. The two have been identified by the government and have strong backing of the politicians. Thai will announce Thamnoon's successor before the start of the airline's roadshow for international investors this month.
Xiamen Airlines leased four Boeing 737-300 aircraft from International Lease Finance Corp. for five years each. The aircraft, powered by CFM56-3C1 engines, are scheduled for delivery in August, November, December and March.
DOT Secretary Rodney Slater has ambitious aspirations for U.S.-U.K. aviation liberalization, likening the "great opportunity" to broaden the bilateral agreement to creating something on the order of the relationship between the two countries crafted by President Franklin Roosevelt and Prime Minister Winston Churchill.
In the strongest aviation safety move since the 1996 grounding of ValuJet, FAA on Friday proposed to suspend Alaska Airlines' authority to do heavy maintenance unless the carrier can demonstrate quickly that extensive record-keeping problems found during a recent audit have been addressed. If enacted, the proposal also would forbid Alaska from outsourcing any of its in-hangar maintenance, meaning the carrier's airworthy fleet would shrink naturally as planes needing scheduled work are grounded.
Brazil's Embraer opened a marketing office in Beijing and announced signing a letter of intent for the purchase of five 50-passenger ERJ-145's at $17 million each aircraft to China. The purchase is being made through China's Import-Export Corporation for Sichuan Airways. Brazilian media hailed Embraer's entry into the huge Chinese market.
British Airways introduced four more fare types on selected long-haul flights. The fares -- MultiCarrier, BA Flexible, Premium Business Saver and Premium Leisure Saver -- are available on flights from Heathrow to New York (Kennedy and Newark), San Francisco, Seattle, Vancouver, Cape Town, Johannesburg, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore and Tokyo as well as from Manchester to New York JFK. BA claims the premium leisure saver fare to Singapore is 35% cheaper than the fully refundable, flexible MultiCarrier ticket. Discounts on the New York flights range from four to 28%.
As Garuda Indonesia's 1999 financial figures trickle in, its president and CEO A. Abdulgani expects a profit of close to US$70 million, more than double its forecast of US$30 million. The airline will announce its results before the end of the month. Abdulgani said the result is a far cry from the US$200 million loss in 1998, pointing out that it is a big leap toward returning to normal operations. Abdulgani attributed the turnaround to the stringent measures taken, including the tight management of funds and deployment of aircraft.
WestJet released details of its summer schedule yesterday, featuring the addition of another Boeing 737, which will operate entirely in western Canada. The airline will increase daily flights to several cities, including Calgary, Vancouver and Winnipeg. WestJet also will boost Saskatoon capacity by 26% and add a Sunday night flight from Grande Prairie to Edmonton for the summer. The airline's total service has grown nearly 31% since March, said CEO Stephen Smith. WestJet currently operates fifteen 737s serving 14 cities.
Senate has confirmed three nominations for the board of the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority -- John Paul Hammerschmidt (Ark.) for a four-year term; Norman Mineta (Calif.) for six years, and Robert Clarke Brown (Ohio) for a term expiring Nov. 22, 2005.
After Emirates and Singapore Airlines, a third airline has publicly stated its interest in becoming a launch customer of the proposed Airbus A3XX. Air France said Friday that it could need about 10 aircraft of the type for its high-capacity markets. Air France President Jean-Cyril Spinetta said in a statement, "The A3XX...could constitute the appropriate solution for Air France...meeting our needs in terms of capacity for the projected growth in air traffic, but also in terms of range, operational efficiency, passenger comfort and environmental friendliness.
America West's fleet service workers, represented by the Transport Workers Union, ratified a five-year collective bargaining agreement last week. The fleet service work group includes more than 2,200 employees. The contract, tentatively agreed last month between the company and the TWU, was approved by a majority of 74% of the voting employees. "The contract addresses key issues raised by the work group, while allowing the airline to maintain its productivity and strategic cost advantage," said CEO William Franke.
Virgin Express placed an order for 11 Boeing 737-700s for delivery between July 2001 and April 2003. The airline has agreed to lease eight aircraft for a period of eight years from GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) and will be powered by CFM56-7B engines. Another three 737-700s will be leased for a period of eight years from International Lease Finance Corporation. The present Virgin Express fleet consists of 23 Boeing 737s -- including 13 737-300s and 10 -400s.
Legend Airlines plans to launch nonstop service to New York LaGuardia Sept. 6 from its Dallas Love Field base. The carrier will announce today that it will start the service to its fourth destination with four daily roundtrip flights "to meet the business traveler's needs." Legend said it is the first airline to offer service on the route since 1974.
American Eagle will start offering regional jet service between Dallas/Fort Worth and Springfield/Branson, Mo., on July 5. The airline will operate the 50-seat ERJ145 and the 37-seat ERJ135 on three of its nine daily flights. It will continue to operate the remaining six with a combination of Saab 340B and 66-seat Super ATR turboprops. Business Express/American Eagle last week launched seasonal nonstop service from Boston Logan to Nantucket, Mass., using Saab 340 aircraft.
Continental wants an exemption to serve Acapulco, Puerto Vallarta and San Jose del Cabo from New York/Newark, planning to start seasonal service Dec. 16. The carrier, which would offer weekly nonstops on Saturdays through April 28 from Newark to each Mexican city, using Boeing 737-300 aircraft, said it would be the first U.S. airline to serve the city-pairs nonstop. (Docket OST-00-7448)
IATA's new interline electronic ticketing system, designed to enable airlines across the globe to jump into the e-ticketing fray, is expected to go live by tomorrow. The DAILY understands that it will be launched in Sydney during the IATA annual general meeting June 4-6. The GlobaleT system, developed by IBM, is a neutral, globally available e-ticketing service with an integrated interline, e-ticketing capability. Small airlines will be allowed to join without heavy up-front costs, as would be required to set up their own system.
DOT has notified foreign air carriers that rules covering fair treatment of passengers with disabilities have been extended to foreign airlines. AIR-21 includes a provision -- proposed by the Clinton administration -- making foreign carriers flying to the U.S. subject to requirements of the Air Carrier Access Act (ACAA). Enacted in 1986, ACAA provides for protection of disabled passengers, requiring consistent treatment without discrimination. The rules, which had applied solely to domestic carriers, will be revised to include applicability to foreign carriers.
National Air Traffic Controllers Association has added more than 786 FAA traffic management coordinators to the union. This group works in concert with controllers to manage traffic flows at ATC facilities. NATCA said it has organized nearly 1,500 FAA employees since the year began. The union represents about 17,500 FAA employees, including 15,000 controllers, 1,200 engineers and other ATC specialists.
