Northwest is looking at folding Express I into Mesaba as one possible strategy to grow the carrier, Mesaba CEO Paul Foley said. He told analysts, however, that a more likely scenario would be to bring 44-seat RJs into Mesaba's fleet.
British Airways expects to report a disappointing loss when it reveals financial results today. Although BA has hedged more of its fuel requirements than many European carriers, it still will be affected by rising prices and a drop in overall traffic. One bright spot is the carrier's business traffic, which appears to be improving.
Even if the FAA received all the money in the aviation trust fund this fiscal year, it would have a shortfall of $700 million, DOT Inspector General Kenneth Mead testified last week. In a combined hearing of the Senate Budget Committee and transportation appropriations subcommittee, he said the fiscal 2000 approach to fund FAA entirely from the trust fund "is only a short-term approach" because projected expenses exceed revenues generated through excise taxes.
IATA and the Universal Federation of Travel Agents Associations announced an expanded training program for the travel industry. The two groups, which have trained nearly 200,000 people over the past 25 years, are introducing a program that adds two management-focused diplomas designed for owners, managers and senior travel consultants.
FAA Friday ordered airlines to reinspect the already reworked power control units on the aileron/elevator and rudder of some Boeing 737s to ensure they contain no chips from chrome plating. The chips could contaminate the hydraulic fluid in the PCUs and reduce control of the airplane, the agency said. FAA said that if the reworked PCU manifold cylinder bores contain chrome plating, airlines must either replace the cylinder bores with oversize bores or with steel sleeves. FAA estimates its order will affect 1,091 aircraft of U.S. registry.
The Mexican government will not rescue TAESA Airlines and insists it clean up its financial position before resuming operations, Mexican Transport Secretary Carlos Ruiz-Sacristan stated said last week. In the aftermath of a TAESA DC-9 crash in November, which killed 18 people, civil aviation authorities grounded the carrier and demanded a long list of security and financial requirements that it has not met, sources said.
Airline Marketing and Management 4th edition, by Stephen Shaw -- demonstrates the ways in which principles of marketing and management can be applied to the airline industry. Ashgate Publishing Co.: $59.95. To order, call 800-535-9544.
British Airways mainline traffic was down 5.5% in January on 1.3% less capacity as holiday and millennium traffic that plummeted between Dec. 27 and Jan. 3 has been slow to rebound. The airline further warned that "trading conditions continue to be challenging." Passenger load factor was down 2.7 percentage points in January to 60.9%. BA's premium traffic rose 5.2%, with all brands "performing strongly." Non-premium traffic fell 7.1%.
Deborah McElroy will become the new president of the Regional Airline Association, effective March 31, succeeding Walter Coleman, who will retire. McElroy, now VP of RAA, has been with the association since 1987. She has been active in development of RAA positions on policy and regulatory issues. She also serves on several working groups of the Aviation Rulemaking Advisory committee.
The Portuguese government's approval of Swissair parent SAirGroup to buy 34% of TAP Air Portugal gives Swissair a stake in 11 carriers, with a 12th - Turkish Airlines - expected soon. The speed is not by accident. SAirGroup announced a preliminary agreement to buy into TAP as soon as April 1999, but talks dragged.
Delta unveiled a voluntary employee plan Friday to offer home computers, software and Internet connections to its employees at a minimal cost in conjunction with San Francisco-based PeoplePC Inc. The move will pave the way to achieve a completely "wired work force," with every Delta employee having the ability to connect to the company electronically. The Delta/PeoplePC program provides everything necessary to provide employees with a home computer system, and candidates Delta is evaluating include Compaq, Hewlett-Packard, IBM or Toshiba.
Approved a Sun Coast Vacations charter using an Allegro MD-83 or 727 for two roundtrips carrying 172 passengers on Philadelphia-Nassau-Philadelphia and Detroit-Nassau-Detroit routings Feb.
Several aviation groups are asking the Senate leadership to "break the budget policy impasse" between House and Senate conferees on the FAA reauthorization bill. In letters to Majority Leader Trent Lott and Minority Leader Thomas Daschle, the groups said that "our entire community -- carriers, airline and general aviation pilots, manufacturers and airports -- have all come together in support of the revised budget treatment contained in AIR-21. We need budgetary reforms set forth in AIR-21 to ensure a long-term, predictable funding stream for the FAA."
CHARTS: U.S. Regional Analysis - Northeast Region Carrier Ranking, Passenger Flows, Airport Activity and Trends Top 15 Carriers Serving Northeast Region Ranked By O&D Passengers Northeast % of Northeast Region O&D Region Passengers Per Carrier Passengers Total Day Each Way 1 US Airways 40,525,460 26.8% 55,514
Top 50 Northeast Airports, Ranked By O&D Passengers % of Annual O&D Region Average Airport Passengers Total Yield 1 New York, LaGuardia 19,780,470 12.8% 18.88 2 New York, Newark 19,777,940 12.8% 14.72 3 Boston 19,051,120 12.3% 14.72 4 Baltimore 13,098,390 8.5% 11.66
President Clinton began his remarks to the U.S. Conference of Mayors in Washington last week by saying that he is committed to "improving commercial airline traffic this year because in a year I'll be on it." Clinton said he asks "every person who comes to see me" about delays and cancellations.
