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."
Ukiah, Calif.-based Community Air, Inc. last week raised $35 million through a debt restructuring, ensuring the startup's June launch. Community Air, still in the preoperational stage, is conducting final work and check rides with FAA, Chief Executive John Mayginnes told The DAILY. Although the carrier has not yet received its DOT certificate, Mayginnes is confident the airline will get off the ground about June 10.
Lockheed Martin Air Traffic Management, Harris Information Systems Division and Sensis Corp. Friday formed a team to work with the Cargo Airline Association on the CAA's Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) program. The three companies will provide ground-based technologies including an air traffic management system. The efforts are expected to culminate in an operational evaluation of three ADS-B link technologies by July.
United's customers are happier with the airline's in-flight service, an internal survey shows. During the first quarter, 57% of flyers who take 11 or more trips each year rated United's North American flight attendants as among the best or better than most other airlines. International flight attendants saw a 63% positive rating and Shuttle flight attendants received a 46% positive rating.
BT Alex. Brown and Hambrecht on Friday both downgraded United regional partner Atlantic Coast Airlines' rating from strong buy to buy. BT Alex. Brown analyst Susan Donofrio said a higher ratio of leisure to business travel is cutting away yields. ACA also is having trouble transferring to United's new software system, resulting in an excess number of seats set aside for frequent flyers.
Used Jet Aircraft Deliveries January 1999 Carrier # Type Engines Previous Operator African Airlines Intl. 1 727-200 JT8D-9 Air Dabia Air Belgium 1 737-300QC CFM56-3B2 Air Tours Air France 1 777-200ER GE90-90B Air France Air Guadeloupe 1 737-200 Adv JT8D-15 Islandsflug
Airlines Reporting Corp. reported a 7% jump in total travel agent sales for April 1999 compared to April 1998, to $6.3 billion. Domestic fares rose 10% to $3.9 billion and international fares 2% to $1.8 billion. Domestic commissions gained 4% to $253.5 million while international commissions remained even at $248 million. Average weekly sales per agency location jumped 4% to $34,336. At the end of April, electronic tickets processed through ARC accounted for 30.43% of the total volume.
Airlines have threatened to reduce services to Manila and Cebu or bypass the cities in response to higher airport charges levied by the Philippines Air Transportation Office (ATO). Charges have gone up more than two-fold, depending on type of aircraft. Overnight aircraft parking, previously US$125, has shot up to $420-$810, while landing charges rose from $188 to $315-$415. Airlines said they would not pay the new rates because they received no notice of the increase. One airline official said the increase came as a shock.
DOT granted Polar Air Cargo a second waiver, until Aug. 18, of the dormancy condition on its scheduled all-cargo exemption authority for U.S.-Argentina service (DAILY, Nov. 18, 1998). Polar discontinued the service Aug. 23, 1998, and told DOT that it plans to resume service in the market "when it is able to offer a more competitive pattern of service." (Docket OST-06-1022)
New Jet Aircraft Deliveries January 1999 Carrier # Type Engines Last 12 Months Delivery Air France 1 777-200ER GE90-90B 3 Alitalia 1 A321-100 CFM56-5B2 3 American 2 757-200 RB211-535E4B 6 American 2 777-200ER TRENT 892 0
Airbus and Fokker Systemwide Aircraft Utilization Per Day Fourth Quarter 1998 A320-100/200 America West Northwest United Total Number of Aircraft Operated 31 61 51 142 Total Fleet Operations Departures 141 242 168 551
Sabre and China's largest carrier, China Southern, have begun work upgrading the operations control center and other systems at the airline's hub at Guangzhou Baiyun Airport. Sabre's $10 million contract calls for the company to develop a range of year-2000-compliant systems for the carrier. China Southern developed the project with Sabre to create the first System Operations Control (SOC) center in China. The project is expected to be completed during the fourth quarter.
FAA has awarded a supplemental type certificate for the long-range auxiliary fuel tank system for the Boeing Business Jet. The STC went to PATS Inc., Columbia, Md., which can accommodate various combinations of forward and aft fuel tanks, adding more than 3,800 gallons of fuel. After delivery in Seattle, the BBJs are sent to PATS for fuel tank installation. A BBJ with the PATS nine-tank fuel system recently flew nearly 14 hours and traveled more than 6,250 nautical miles.
Airbus Training Center, Miami Springs, Fla., named Larry Rockliff VP. Alpha Flying appointed William Johnson Pilatus PC-12 aircraft sales specialist. Associated Global Systems appointed Chris Preisler regional service manager-Rocky Mountain region. Associated Travel named David Buskirk president. Aviation Management Consulting Group named Edward Noyallis, airport manager of the Kansas City Downtown Airport, recipient of the first General Aviation Service Industry MVP Award.
DOT invited U.S. carriers to apply for 14 additional U.S.-France frequencies available in April 2000 for scheduled combination service. Carriers should file applications by June 14, specifying markets to be served, including full routing of the flights and the number of frequencies to be used, as well as aircraft type, capacity and availability for the proposed services. Answers will be due June 24, with replies due July 1. The frequencies become available at the beginning of the summer season in 2000, normally the last week in March.
Emirates will stop service June 1 between Hong Kong and Manila after the Filipino government unexpectedly withdrew the airline's landing rights. Emirates has been operating a Boeing 777 on the route four times per week. The rehabilitation plan for Philippine Airlines includes clauses asking the government to improve its competitive situation by limiting the operating permits of other airlines.
National Business Aviation Association selected Donald Engen to receive the 1999 NBAA Award For Meritorious Service to Aviation and Paul Stevens recipient of the 1999 NBAA John P. Doswell Award; appointed John Balsiger regional representative for the Midwest Region and Paul Smith regional representative for the Southwest Region. Ohio Aerospace Institute named Jake Breland VP-operations. The International Air Cargo Association selected Ram Menen, Emirates senior general manager of cargo, to chair the President's Council.
Northwest talks with its flight attendants, represented by Teamsters, were recessed last week by the National Mediation Board. Discussions are scheduled to resume June 8-9. Teamsters General President James Hoffa has instructed the union to seek a release from mediation if a tentative deal is not reached by then. The union said talks were recessed when it was apparent to the NMB that the two sides were further apart on wage issues than previously thought. Negotiations have been ongoing for three years.
European airlines have "significantly improved their economic and financial performance since market liberalization and generated new jobs", according to the European Commission in a report unveiled May 21 in Brussels. European Union employment in the air transport industry -airlines, airports, ground handling and maintenance - grew from 435,000 people in 1988 to 489,000 in 1996. In addition, the number of airlines operating scheduled service jumped from 132 in 1992 to 164 in 1998. Many entered and left the market.
