Japan Airlines upgraded its group revenue forecast Friday, highlighting gains on the sale of shareholdings, but lowered its group profit outlook for the period ending March 31 due to higher fuel prices. JAL expects revenue 20 billion yen higher than originally forecast and an expected operating profit of 47 billion yen, 7 billion more than forecast in June 1999.
LOT Polish Airlines' suspension of long-haul Warsaw-Bangkok service and its lack of charters to Australia, particularly for the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, has drawn ire from Poles in the Asia/Pacific region. A web site -- www.geocities.com/polishairlineslot -- even urges restoration of service to the region. The carrier earlier ended service to Delhi, Singapore and Beijing.
DOT granted Delta's request for broad U.S.-Chile authority, consistent with the U.S.-Chile open-skies accord. Intermediate and beyond rights are limited by U.S. agreements with and Delta's authority to serve the countries involved. (Docket OST-00-7233)
Continental will fly between Newark and Aruba, subject to government approval, starting Dec. 14. The nonstop service will operate four times a week with Boeing 737-700s.
America West "is not running a good airline," according to PaineWebber analyst Sam Buttrick. The airline posted disappointing first quarter results last week largely due to operational mishaps, resulting in ongoing delays and canceled flights. "America West's wounds are of its own design, and our confidence remains reasonably high that management has implemented the requisite operational changes to achieve a more reasonable level of reliability," he added.
The partial privatization of Thai Airways International will be completed by November at the latest, according to Thai President Thamnoon Wanglee, who said the successful strategic partner would secure the initial 10% by then. The exercise will see Thai selling 400 million shares -- 100 million new shares and 300 million held by the government through the Ministry of Finance, to both the public and chosen strategic partner.
Ayuntamiento de Madrid, the local authority of the Spanish capital city, spoke out in favor of an extension of Madrid Barajas airport during a meeting last week. Plans by airport authority Aerpuertos Espanoles y Navegacion Aerea (AENA) include the construction of a fourth and fifth runway. Current capacity is expected to be fully saturated by 2004. Barajas' third runway opened in 1998.
Frontier and its Air Line Pilots Association unit reached a first tentative agreement Friday on a five year contract. The two sides negotiated for more than eight months. The deal will go to the membership ratification.
Northwest flight attendants union executive board will decide today when the rank and file will vote on a new tentative contract offer reached last Thursday. "We hope they [flight attendants] will be happy," said Billie Davenport, president of the Teamsters Local 2000, which represents the cabin crew. The new package is an improvement over the last and addresses pay, work rules and retirement, which were major sources of disappointment that caused rejection of the last tentative offer. "There have been improvements all the way around," she said.
Kitty Hawk's board ousted its Chairman and Chief Executive Tom Christopher on Friday following a devastating announcement earlier in the month that its expenses have skyrocketed and the company unlikely will make its May interest payment on senior secured notes without selling assets. Christopher will remain a member of the airline's board but its current president, Tilmon Reeves, was named interim chairman and CEO until the board elects a successor. In addition, Dan Garner and Richard Wadsworth resigned from the board in the past two weeks.
Atlantic Coast Airlines isn't taking chances it will face a pilot shortage when Atlantic Coast Jet is launched for Delta in June. ACA, which promised Delta its AC Jet unit would begin with some experienced ACA crew, is training pilots to fill in the ranks when ACA crew move over, says Chairman and Chief Executive Kerry Skeen. There is no limit on how many pilots could move to AC Jet, but since the companies will remain separate they will not switch back and forth.
The Internet will be available in more than 50% of U.S. households for the first time this year, bringing gains in online travel bookings, said Forrester Research Senior Analyst Henry Harteveldt.He told The DAILY that 13 million households will buy personal leisure travel over the Internet this year and consumers will spend $5 billion for business and $12 billion for leisure on the web.
American, vying to serve Turkey under third-country code share with Swissair, wants DOT to maximize the carriers serving that market as well as the U.S.-South Africa market. DOT must decide among proposals from American/Swissair, Delta/Air France, Northwest/KLM and United/Lufthansa for three opportunities available under open skies with Turkey.
Aerospace Industries Association President John Douglass says one reason the U.S. filed a complaint with ICAO over the EU hushkit ban is that the issue "cannot be solved bilaterally." Douglass said the "days are long gone" when the U.S. and Europe "can decide for the rest of the world. We are building distrust and problems across international borders."
BFGoodrich elected Jack Carmola president, Engine and Safety systems Group; Michael Piscatella president, Electronic Systems Group; John Grisik president, Landing systems Group, and Bud Wetzler president, Aerostructures and Aviation Services Group.
Rosenbluth International promoted Ron DiLeo to senior VP of the North American region and Wendy Gonzales was promoted to VP-business development for the Eastern U.S. region.
Air cargo operators soon will form strategic alliances with other cargo operators in a fashion similar to the passenger market, predicts consultants Morten Beyer&Agnew. Star Alliance and oneworld "could offer the framework for global cargo networks in the near future," MBA says.
