Transwede Airways, which now operates as a Swedish domestic carrier, did not file to renew its U.S. authority. DOT noted in its order terminating the rights of foreign carriers that did not file family support plans (DAILY, June 1) that Transwede "currently has no homeland authority to serve the United States." The carrier allowed its U.S. foreign air carrier permit to expire on March 15.
Sun Country Airlines launched commercial service from Minneapolis/St. Paul yesterday, challenging Northwest in its leading business markets. Sun Country Airlines launched commercial service from Minneapolis/St. Paul yesterday, challenging Northwest in its leading business markets. The 16-year-old charter airline added competition five days after National Airlines began commercial service from Las Vegas to Los Angeles and Chicago.
The U.S. added Greece, Portugal, Singapore and Uruguay to the Visa Waiver Pilot Program, which allows tourists to visit the U.S. without obtaining visas. The decision was made recently by the Justice Department in cooperation with the State Department. New participants were chosen partly because of the low refusal rate for residents of those countries who applied for U.S. tourist visas. The countries have agreed not to require visas for Americans entering their countries. Tourists must limit their stay to 90 days, have a valid passport and roundtrip plane ticket.
Creditors of grounded carrier AeroPeru yesterday were expected to approve a plan by Continental Airlines to reorganize the Peruvian carrier and allow it to return to the air, according to Bob Booth, president of Latin American consultancy Aviation Management Services. Continental could end up with 49% of AeroPeru's equity in return for a cash injection, aircraft, other services and an 80% reduction in AeroPeru's debt. Reports from Lima peg Continental's infusion at between $30 million and $45 million, which could give it 70% equity.
World Fuel Services Corp. reported net income of $3.5 million for the fourth quarter ended March 31, compared with net income of $3.8 million in the same previous quarter. Revenue for the quarter totaled $183 million, down from $200.8 million. For the year, net income was $15.1 million, down from $15.9 million. Revenue fell to $744.2 million from $801.8 million.
Aer Lingus wants DOT to waive wet-lease disclosure requirements becoming effective July 13 for its wet-lease service that continues through Oct. 31. "Revising operating procedures and computer programs" for this wet-lease would "impose an undue burden and expense" on it, the carrier said. DOT's new rules require that carriers disclose to consumers, in schedules, oral and written notices and advertising, the corporate identity of the wet-
Summary of U.S. Major Carriers Domestic Traffic December 1998 Revenue Average Revenue Passengers Length of Passenger Enplaned % Travel Miles % (000) Change (Miles) (000) Change Alaska 1,025 2.83 846 867,817 4.51 America West 1,397 (1.89) 931 1,300,618 4.33
DOT granted East Line Airlines an initial one-year exemption to operate foreign charter combination service between the Russian Federation and the U.S., and other charters.
BAA Plc is talking to a number of airports around the world in a bid to expand its international operations, but it is not prepared to reveal details at this stage, according to Chief Executive John Egan, who announced the group's financial results for the year ended March 31. Operating profit for the period was up 15.5% to #605 million and profit before tax rose 7.5% to #516 million. U.K. traffic increased 7.6% to 112.5 million passengers.
FAA and the union responsible for maintaining the U.S. air traffic control system are in contract negotiations with the help of a mediator after failing to agree on a pay raise. "We believe that we are far apart in light of the fairly substantial 13% nationwide pay raise that was negotiated for air traffic controllers," said Mike Fanfalone, president of Professional Airways System Specialists (PASS). Asked how much of an increase PASS is asking, Fanfalone said that "the zero percent that FAA is offering for half of our technical workers is not acceptable.
FAA said yesterday it plans to fine Spirit Airlines $86,000 for allegedly failing to conduct an inspection on a DC-9 within the time prescribed by an airworthiness directive. Spirit, based in Detroit, has 30 days to respond.
IATA Director General Pierre Jeanniot told IATA's annual general meeting yesterday in Rio de Janeiro that "we must deplore the totally preventable ATC crisis" that we face in Europe.
Many airlines have focused too strongly on web sites for cargo bookings, according to Julian Keeling, president of Consolidators International. He questioned booking on the Internet, "when you go to actually pick up the freight and it is not there because the airline could not carry it at the last minute and a cargo representative never bothered to tell you about that minor problem."
Proposition RJ Coalition, issuing a study last week about the potential of regional jets, hopes to move the issue of unencumbered RJ deployment "from the back burner to front and center dialogue" throughout the industry. Daytona Beach Airport became the 15th paid member last week. "There's nothing secretive here," a coalition spokesman said. "This is just an issue more and more people care about."
National Aeronautic Association selected Athley Gamber to receive the Katharine Wright Award. National Association of State Aviation Officials elected John Eagerton, Alabama Department of Aeronautics, secretary. National Business Aviation Association awarded Kyle Tomesh, Monica Babcock, Billy Ireland, Joshua Berry and Edgar Grigalis aviation-related scholarships.
Stanford Telecommunications was awarded a five-year contract valued at $100 million to provide engineering support to the FAA's telecommunications integrated product team. The team is responsible for providing the communications infrastructure for the agency.
Aviation Week&Space Technology's May 31 issue names six companies as the best-managed of the global aerospace industry for 1999. The winning companies are: Delta Air Lines, best-managed major airline; Ryanair Holdings plc, best-managed national airline; Comair Holdings Inc., best-managed regional airline; British Aerospace plc, best-managed large aerospace company; Smiths Industries plc, best-managed medium-sized aerospace company, and UMECO plc, best-managed small aerospace company.
Hyannis, Mass.-based Cape Air, which will celebrate its tenth anniversary in October, continues to grow within its niche after posting seven consecutive years of profitability. With little debt, the airline has annual revenue of $30 million, said founder and President Dan Wolf. He started the company with two Cessna 402s serving the Provincetown-Boston route abandoned by Provincetown-Boston Airlines. Today, Cape Air and Nantucket Airlines fly 16 routes, most of them connecting Cape Cod to other Massachusetts communities.
Coast Guard last week achieved full operational capability of the Maritime Differential Global Positioning System. "The network now meets the high standards for accuracy, integrity, reliability, availability and coverage required for harbor entrance and approach phases of maritime navigation," it said. The Coast Guard now is beginning to expand DGPS into the continental U.S. as the Nationwide DGPS. It said the full NDGPS should be installed by Dec. 31, 2002, and will provide single navigational coverage for the continental U.S. and portions of Alaska.
Senate Commerce aviation subcommittee Chairman Slade Gorton (R-Wash.) told a Senate transportation appropriations subcommittee hearing that his group is working on a voluntary approach with the airlines on passenger rights. Ranking aviation subcommittee Democrat Jay Rockefeller (W.Va.) is involved as well. "I am dubious that formal legislation will do anything but make the situation worse," Gorton said.
-- Approved, subject to FAA-approved routings, a Far East Maritime Agency charter using an Aeroflot Il-62 for one roundtrip carrying 162 passengers (Pacific fishing crews) and general cargo on a Vladivostok-Anchorage-
DOT made good on its threat to terminate the authority of foreign carriers that have not filed family support plans with DOT and NTSB, required under the Foreign Air Carrier Family Support Act. The department terminated foreign air carrier permits and exemptions held by 33 carriers based in North and South America and Europe, stating that it "had received information from the carriers' representatives or their homeland governments that the majority of them were no longer in business."
Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), chairman of the Senate Appropriations transportation subcommittee, who Thursday dropped passenger rights provisions in the fiscal 2000 transportation legislation, said he had so many airline representatives visit him, his office "felt like it was a chalet at the Paris Air Show."
Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) last week introduced the Safe and Friendly Skies Act of 1999, which would increase the civil penalty for unruly passengers from $1,100 to $25,000. Reid cited a sharp increase in unruly behavior by airline passengers despite increased instances of civil penalties imposed by the FAA.
