India will privatize Indian Airlines by March 31, 2001, by selling 51% of its equity. A block of 26% will be sold to a "strategic" investor, although it will not be available to foreign airlines. Minister Arun Jaitley of the Cabinet Committee on Disinvestment approved the sale this week, overturning an earlier policy of selling only minority stakes. Another 25% of Indian Airlines will go to financial institutions, employees, the public, non-resident Indians and overseas corporate bodies.
Korean Air has taken delivery of its first Boeing 737-800 from GE Capital Aviation Services. The carrier will receive seven more this year out of an order for 22 plus five options.
At the end of last week, the first aircraft -- a Boeing 747 freighter -- landed on the 3,860 meter runway of Europort Vatry, a brand new French airport. Surprisingly, there were no demonstrations, no complaints by local residents, whereas any kind of airport development project in Europe now faces systematic and fierce opposition. The explanation is straightforward: Europort Vatry lies in the middle of nowhere.
French Transport Minister Jean-Claude Gayssot is expected to inform his European colleagues today at a meeting of the 38-member European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) in Brussels about plans to reduce air traffic congestion in France. ECAC's ministers are scheduled to renew the convention which set up Eurocontrol, the European air traffic control organization. Gayssot claims his plans "fit totally in a group of projects coordinated at European level." Due to the country's central location, air traffic congestion in France impacts traffic well beyond its borders.
An FAA investment analysis of the Wide Area Augmentation System raises the question of why the agency is pouring more than $2 billion into the troubled air traffic program when the report concludes that airlines are "much less enthusiastic" about WAAS than they are about the Local Area Augmentation System and that elements of general aviation "will resist a phase-down of navaids to the BBN [basic backup network] level, and resent Loran-C discontinuance." The report says that for airline aircraft equipped with flight management systems, WAAS "will not provide substantia
Northwest asked DOT for authority to display Air China's designator code on Detroit-Shanghai nonstops. Northwest plans to begin twice-weekly service on the route April 6, using the two frequencies it was awarded for 2000 U.S.-China services. The code-share partners want to begin advertising the flights immediately and requested expedited approval. (Docket OST-00-6819)
Washington Dulles-based Atlantic Coast Airlines, which is establishing a subsidiary, Atlantic Coast Jet, under the Delta Connection program, reported a fourth quarter 1999 net income of $6 million, down 22.7% from $7.7 million in the same 1998 period. Total operating expenses climbed 22.5% to $80.4 million and total operating revenues grew 16.6% to $90.9 million. Operating income fell 14.7% to $10.6 million.
Washington Aviation Group has negotiated agreements to represent in Washington, D.C., the Airline Suppliers Association and the Aircraft Electronics Association.
Northwest is offering an alternative to Super Bowl weekend for travelers from U.S. cities. The carrier's Escape to Europe fare of $260 roundtrip is available on its web site for travel Thursday or Friday to London, Frankfurt or Paris from Buffalo, Dallas, Detroit, Indianapolis, Jacksonville, Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul. Seattle, Tampa and Washington, with return travel Monday through Wednesday.
Gulfstream GATX Leasing Co. delivered its first aircraft, a Gulfstream IV-SP. The company, which describes itself as the first short-term operating lease program for long-range, large-cabin business jets, is a joint venture between Gulfstream Aerospace Corp. and GATX Capital. The G-IV is the first of six aircraft being placed into a short-term operating lease fleet. The second aircraft, a G-V, will be delivered early in the third quarter with subsequent deliveries, all G-Vs, through 2002.
U.S. airlines up and down the East Coast canceled well over 3,000 flights during the last two days following an unexpected blizzard that dumped more than a foot of snow in some areas. US Airways tallied its canceled flights "in the hundreds" on Tuesday and several hundred more yesterday. The carrier did not operate from Raleigh/Durham, Richmond, Baltimore/Washington, Washington National, Washington Dulles, Philadelphia, Myrtle Beach, Newark and New York LaGuardia. It resumed normal operations from most airports yesterday.
Legend Airlines plans to launch five daily roundtrips between Dallas Love Field and Los Angeles and four between Dallas and Washington Dulles on Feb. 29. A daily roundtrip to Las Vegas will follow March 9. At the same time, the Dallas-based startup airline launched a multi-million dollar advertising campaign and began taking reservations for the service with McDonnell Douglas DC-9s configured for 56 first-class seats.
Fuel Cost and Consumption U.S. Majors, Nationals and Regional December 1998 to November 1999 Total Total Cost Cents Per Gallons (Dollars) Gallon 1998 December Domestic 1,200,968,572 534,304,706 44.489 International 408,025,921 196,477,935 48.153
The Air Corporation Employees Union (ACEU), which represents more than 17,000 of the roughly 22,000 employees of Indian Airlines (IA), has strongly protested the government's decision to divest up to 51% of the state-owned carrier, ACEU officials said yesterday. "The privatization is a precursor to increased contractualization of labor and to eventual downsizing," a senior ACEU official said.
The government of Jordan plans to sell off 49% of national flag carrier Royal Jordanian Airlines (RJA) to foreign investors. The sale, through the Ministry of Finance, will be to a strategic carrier partner or a consortium led by an airline, with the necessary expertise in management, experience and funds. The carrier also plans to sell five of its non-core businesses -- catering, engineering, duty free, training and engine shop activities -- to foreign investors. According to a senior official of the ministry, Maulod Akhbari, both exercises must be completed by Dec.
Grupo TACA's cargo operations plan for this year calls for full utilization of its fleet of five Airbus 300 freighters, consolidation of its Central American services and early expansion into South America from Miami and via Panama. Announced last week by Chief Executive Federico Bloch, the plan includes opening new gateways, such as Houston and enlarging warehouse facilities in several stations.
Aeropuertos Espanoles y Navegacion Aerea (AENA), the Spanish airport and air traffic authority, is prohibiting the loudest aircraft from operating at Madrid's Barajas airport between midnight and 6 a.m. AENA announced yesterday in Madrid that airline companies have 60 days to adapt their operations to the new measure. Barajas, where traffic has been growing by more than 8% per year since 1994, is facing strong protest from local residents. Demonstrators protested dressed in their pajamas in an effort to stress the fact that their sleep was disrupted.
JetBlue, due to launch service next week from New York, reached $1 million in confirmed sales Tuesday."That's a lot of tickets for just Buffalo and Fort Lauderdale," said spokesman Gareth Edmonson-Jones. JetBlue sold 10,020 segments from 11,500 phone calls and electronic bookings. Twenty percent of sales came from all Internet sources.
U.S. negotiators' primary objective in U.K. bilateral talks is to restore Pittsburgh-London service, a U.S. industry representative told The DAILY. "Equally imperative," he said, British Midland's first transatlantic routes and for two additional U.S. carriers to gain access to Heathrow. U.S.-U.K. talks will restart Friday.
Leisure travel costs increased less than $1 in January as air fares and car rental rates dropped slightly, the American Automobile Association said. Combined national average costs for air fares, lodging and car rentals was $382.81, up 77 cents from December. National average cost of a roundtrip leisure airline ticket was $212.76, down $1.09.
Aircraft leasing company AeroCentury reported revenues of $7.4 million and net income of $1.4 million for 1999, up from revenues of $3.8 million and net income of $1.2 million the previous year. For the quarter, the company reported revenues of $2.5 million, up from $1 million, and net income of $304,510, up from $274,200. AeroCentury specializes in leasing used regional aircraft and engines. Neal Crispin, chairman, said aircraft acquired in 1999 are all leased to regional airlines in the U.S., Europe and Latin America.
House and Senate negotiators reopened the FAA reauthorization conference yesterday amid a feeling that nothing has changed since the conferees broke up in disagreement last November over ways to shield increased FAA funding from appropriations cuts.
A new on-board avionics applications that provides real-time graphic aviation weather information to pilots made its debut on a FedEx MD-11 revenue flight. The flight crew said that initial evaluations proved the new system, Aviation Weather Information (AWIN), was a success. AWIN was developed under an agreement with the NASA Aviation Safety program to provide more and better weather information to pilots along national and northern and western Pacific routes.
Atlanta-based AIR, Inc. has signed a one-year renewable agreement with Island Air, a de Havilland Dash-8 operator, and sister company Aloha Airlines to conduct up to 20 pilot applicant interviews per month at AIR, Inc. headquarters. AIR, Inc. will administer simulator evaluations and cognitive skills testing to applicants, and Island Air will conduct interviews.
