United has asked its Air Line Pilots Association unit to modify its letter of agreement regarding regional jet flying, but some pilots want restrictions to be included in any new agreement to prevent expansion at the expense of ALPA. Pilots in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Chicago domiciles said they want changes to the current RJ agreement to be part of a collective bargaining agreement. Pilots in San Francisco and other domiciles have stipulated that a new agreement must result in United's complete ownership and control of its regional feeders.
An FAA official has assured American pilots that the agency would "pursue a vigorous enforcement strategy" on pilot rest rules, Richard LaVoy, Allied Pilots Association president, said yesterday. The Air Line Pilots Association earlier called for FAA to enforce rules on preventing pilot fatigue, particularly for reserve pilots. LaVoy said, "This is a very positive move on the part of the FAA.
FAA yesterday issued an airworthiness directive on all Boeing 737s requiring operators to check for cracks in part of the power control unit (PCU) valve system. The AD affects the worldwide fleet of 3,059 737s. The agency earlier ordered inspections of older Boeing 727s to determine if electrical arcing had burned a hole in conduits carrying fuel pump wiring through fuel tanks. Both conditions are thought to have caused fatal crashes.
Canada Industrial Relations board has certified the Air Line Pilots Association, International as the new collective bargaining agent for the pilots and flight engineers of charter and scheduled passenger carrier Air Transat, based at Montreal Mirabel Airport.
AeroMexico's revenue passenger kilometers for April rose 9.5% and available seat kilometers increased 11%. The airline's passenger total grew 9.4% to 692,392. Year-to-date traffic was up 12.1% and capacity 13.5%. Freight volume in April was down 21.3% to 6.28 million freight ton kilometers and for the year-to-date fell 15.7%.
Woodward Governor Co. said its Aircraft Engine Systems group was selected by Pratt&Whitney Canada to supply the fuel pump on the PW200, PT6C and PT6-9 families of turboshaft engines used in a variety of helicopter applications.
Qantas and Ansett Australia have launched a joint protest against the government's acceptance of recommendation to open up Australian domestic routes to foreign carriers. A report prepared by Australia's Productivity Commission (APC) concludes that Australia should sign open-skies agreements with its bilateral partners. Qantas Chief Executive James Strong and Ansett Executive Chairman Rod Eddington, normally industry rivals, have taken a common stand: It would be disaster for Australian carriers if Transport Minister John Anderson accepts APC's proposal.
The U.S. and the U.K. are ready to "move forward" on two key issues likely to be discussed at talks in mid-June, according to an industry official.U.S. carrier access to London Heathrow, including a definition of that access, and prospects for the American-British Airways alliance are part of the "multitude of issues" the two sides will address on the way to U.S.- U.K. open skies, he told The DAILY.
Great Lakes Aviation has secured DOT permission to suspend its Essential Air Service at Terre Haute, Ind., at the end of its 90-day notice period June 1. DOT last week called for proposals from carriers interested in providing replacement service at Terre Haute without subsidy, saying it would make four Chicago O'Hare slot exemptions available for the replacement carrier. (Docket OST-1999-5174)
Alaska Air Group elected Byron Mallott, executive director of the Alaska Permanent Fund; Patricia Stonesifer, president of Gates Learning Foundation, and Richard Wien, chairman of Florcraft, to the board. Comair Holdings Chairman David Mueller was named Airline Executive of the Year for 1999 by Regional Airline World magazine. Continental elected Kirbyjon Caldwell to the board. Flight Time named Michael Finney VP-operations and planning. Frontier appointed Kevin Gornik city manager-Portland, Ore.
The French government decided Friday to drop plans to reorganize traffic within the Paris airport system. French Transport Minister Jean-Claude Gayssot initially considered forcing all long-haul flights to depart and arrive from Paris Charles de Gaulle airport, while Orly would have been used specifically for service less than 5,000 kilometers. The plan was fiercely opposed by smaller French airlines, which claimed that having to set up operations in both airports would have jeopardized their profitability.
-- Approved a one-year exemption renewal for China Southern to conduct scheduled foreign combination service between Guangzhou and Los Angeles...Approved a two-year exemption renewal for TWA to provide scheduled foreign combination service between New York and Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic...Approved a two-year exemption renewal for Northwest to provide scheduled foreign combination service between Minneapolis/St.
This could be Markup Week on Capitol Hill, with as many as three aviation bills going through Congress. The House Transportation Committee is scheduled to re-mark AIR-21 as Chairman Bud Shuster (R-Pa.) seeks to reduce the $89 billion, five-year authorization to a level more palatable to House Republicans. Senate Appropriations transportation subcommittee may mark up its fiscal 2000 appropriations bill tomorrow. The House Appropriations transportation subcommittee tentatively will mark up its money bill this week.
Federal Communications Commission, at the request of FAA and ARINC, last week approved use of 112-118 MHz for differential Global Positioning System corrections and use of hand-held transmitters on frequencies in the Aeronautical Enroute Service. "The effect of these amendments would increase aircraft and airport safety and facilitate the efficient use of the aeronautical radio spectrum," FCC said.
Northwest and Airlink partner Mesaba have placed a new regional jet in service between Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport and Memphis. The 69- seat Avro RJ85 offers a 16-seat first class, wide seats, roomy overhead bins with a built-in handrail for ease of storing baggage and boarding the aircraft.
Increasing the current maximum passenger facility charge (PFC) from $3 to $7 would generate about $1.63 billion more for large airports but would turn away passengers, particularly non-business travel, according to a General Accounting Office report to Congress. The higher fee would eliminate an annual $1.5 billion funding difference that GAO said it identified between large airports' planned development costs and available funding.
China Eastern Airlines (CEA) has become the first carrier in China to install quick access recorders (QARs) in its 57 aircraft to monitor pilot performance. The fleet comprises five Airbus A340-300s, 10 A300-600s, two A320-200s, 13 Boeing MD-82s, six MD-11/11Fs, four MD-90s, 10 Fokker 100s and seven Chinese Y-7s. Initiated by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), the move aims to make pilots more conscious of their performance and enhance safety, but it drawn protests from the pilots.
Airbus and Fokker Aircraft Operating Costs Fourth Quarter 1998 Dollars Per Block Hour A320-100/200 America West Northwest United Average Crew Cost $341 $606 $767 $598 Fuel&Oil 367 403 588 461
U.S.-U.K. formal negotiations will occur in mid-June and build on an already outlined three-phase plan for a transition to open skies, an industry source told The DAILY.
Delta's Air Line Pilots Association negotiating committee is hoping that a meeting with management Wednesday on Boeing 777 pay, rules and working conditions will result in a counter offer to a proposal ALPA made two weeks ago. Delta failed to come up with a counter proposal at a May 18 meeting and said its April offer stands. Members are voting on a proposal to ground the aircraft unless an agreement is reached within six months after the 777 goes into operation.
-- In Federal Register dated May 17...Issued an airworthiness directive on Bombardier Regional Jet and Challenger aircraft requiring inspection of the cable harness of the integrated drive generator in the right engine nacelle...Proposed an AD on several Learjet models to require inspection of the electrical wire leads of the horizontal stabilizer anti-ice system.
FAA Administrator Jane Garvey said Friday that the agency "will move out" with a regulation on child safety seats, but that at this point, FAA will rely on airlines to curb complaints concerning the overhead stowage of carry-on luggage. FAA also is working "a lot" with NASA on Stage 4 noise standards. "We are going to have to tackle it head-on," but it's "going to be very challenging," Garvey said in a speech at the National Press Club in Washington.
FAA Administrator Jane Garvey told a National Press Club audience Friday that 72 years ago Charles Lindbergh flew alone 3,600 miles to Paris and "the only extras he had on the flight were four sandwiches and a bottle of water. In that respect, not much has changed. Except you cannot count on the sandwiches."
