Southwest's May traffic rose 15.1% to 3.2 billion revenue passenger miles, and capacity increased 10.7% to 4.4 billion available seat miles, compared with year-earlier levels. The load factor grew 2.8 percentage points to 72.5%. Passenger boardings totaled nearly 5 million, up 6.4%. For the year to date, the carrier reported 14.3 billion RPMs and 21 billion ASMs, boosting the load factor 3.5 points to 67.9%. Boardings were up 8.6% to 22.7 million.
House Transportation appropriations subcommittee Chairman Frank Wolf (R- Va.) says he is in his last term as head of the panel. The declaration came despite a House Republican Conference six-year limit for committee leaders that does not apply to subcommittee leaders. Wolf has talked of leading the Appropriations foreign operations subcommittee in the next Congress.
Sabena and parent company Switzerland's SAirGroup are holding talks with U.S. companies "just in case," a member of the Belgian airline company's supervisory board said Friday in Brussels. Swissair and Sabena, together with Delta, are members of the Atlantic Excellence alliance. But Delta currently is in talks with Air France (DAILY, June 4). Swissair said in March it has no intention of entering an alliance with Air France. The French company is in the final stages of choosing a U.S. partner with whom it plans to build a global network.
US Airways' May traffic fell 1.2% while capacity increased 4.5%. The load factor declined 4.1 percentage points to 71.3%. International traffic was up by 14.6% on an 8.6% capacity increase, with the load factor climbing 4.5 points to 86.2%. Through May, traffic was up 0.3% and capacity 3.4%, driving down the load factor 2.2 points to 69.9%.
ADB named Richard Croft regional sales manager-West Coast. AeroCentury re-elected Toni Perazzo and Maurice Averay to the board. Mercury Air Group appointed Wayne Lovett corporate secretary and Mike McWilliams general manager-Mercury Air Center at Peachtree-DeKalb Airport. Pegasus Aviation named Troy Tollen VP-marketing. Rolls-Royce promoted Michael Ryan to executive VP-government business, North America. Unicapital named Wayne Lippman president of its Big Ticket Division.
Express Airlines I appointed Lance McMillan manager-line standards. LanChile named Daniel Jones director-investor relations. US Airways named Bruce Ashby senior VP-corporate development, George Taylor senior VP-planning and Donna Paladini director-customer advocacy. Vanguard appointed Jeff Brookhart director-stations.
AirLiance Materials introduced the first phase of an electronic commerce system designed to speed and simplify the acquisition and delivery of parts to airlines, maintenance organizations, aircraft operators and related customers.
Continental's fleet and service workers again rejected representation by the International Association of Machinists, the carrier said Friday. Citing a vote held Friday by the National Mediation Board, Continental said the IAM received 2,259 votes from 7,808 eligible voters. The carrier said it is "committed to continuing the major improvements in pay, benefits and working conditions for all of our employee groups, both union and non-union. Our employees have spoken, and we respect their decision."
TWA's revenue passenger miles rose 2.8% systemwide in May as domestic traffic gained 7.4% from May 1998. International RPMs fell 16%. Capacity grew 0.4% overall, with a 4.6% increase in domestic flying and an 18.3% drop in international seats. The resulting load factors were 76.3% systemwide, up 1.8 percentage points; 82.5% domestic, up 1.9 points, and 82.5% international, up 2.3 points. Year-to-date traffic results reflect similar changes. Systemwide RPMs rose 0.4% - up 4.1% domestically and down 16.7% internationally.
Summary of U.S. Major Carriers Domestic Revenues and Expenses Fourth Quarter 1998 Total Operating % Passenger Freight Revenues Change Revenues Revenues Alaska 350,172,000 6.56 295,931,000 14,209,000 America West 485,249,197 4.65 451,970,913 5,567,252 American 2,677,465,000 (1.62) 2,425,324,000 40,844,000
The House Appropriations Committee tomorrow will mark up the transportation money bill approved by its subcommittee that boosts spending by $600 million over the Senate Appropriations measure, including increases in FAA spending accounts.
Northwest Airlink partner Mesaba has a unique relationship with Northwest that should not be altered, and Mesaba's separate structure is one reason for its growth potential, according to Merrill Lynch. In initiating coverage of Mesaba Holding, the investment firm noted that the regional airline has earnings growth potential of 35% in 1999 and 20% next year. "At current price levels, the stock appears attractive," said Merrill Lynch analysts Candace Browning and Michael Linenberg.
Alaska Airlines asked DOT for an exemption to engage in scheduled foreign combination service between three West Coast-Mexico city-pairs. The carrier wants to provide the only U.S. carrier-operated nonstops between Los Angeles and Manzanillo; Seattle and Puerto Vallarta, and Seattle and Los Cabos, starting service around Oct. 25 with Stage 3 aircraft. No carrier operates the proposed Seattle services nonstop, and Alaska plans to operate two weekly roundtrips in each city-pair.
Association of Flight Attendants filed at the National Mediation Board to hold a representational election for Pro Air's flights attendants, among whom there is a "strong showing of interest," according to a union spokesman. The carrier operates the only scheduled flights at Detroit City Airport, and it has contracts with Chrysler and General Motors to fly their employees.
Allied Pilots Association said Friday that FAA presented it with a "long- awaited" timetable for enforcement of current safety regulations mandating adequate rest for reserve and standby pilots at all U.S. airlines. The union, representing American's pilots, said FAA Administrator Jane Garvey plans to publish its enforcement intent of rest rules in the Federal Register this week, and airlines will have 120 days to comply.
Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-N.J.) and Rep. Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) will introduce in the Senate and House the Safe Travel for Animals Act, which would hold airlines accountable to ensure that pets are treated humanely on flights. The bill has three main provisions: -- Improve airline accountability by increasing from $2,500 to $5,000 the civil penalties that the Agriculture Department can impose for incidents on airlines that cause injury, loss or death of animals;
Aircraft MRO market - maintenance, repair and overhaul services - is growing increasingly competitive, according to Lufthansa Technik.Board Chairman Wolfgang Mayrhuber said major aircraft, engine and component manufacturers are "muscling in." LHT signed up 31 new airline customers last year and now works with 230 carriers.
IATA members, as part of a global strategy to halve the accident rate by 2004, agreed at last week's annual meeting in Rio that all new members will have to demonstrate that they operate on an existing set of recognized international operational quality standards or their equivalent.
The first Boeing 717-200 production-configured airplane, painted in the colors of launch customer AirTran Airways, has successfully completed a 10-day simulated airline program. Known as the Pre-Aircraft Certification Airline Simulated Operation, the program was used to demonstrate the 717's operational performance and its ground support capabilities.
National Airlines is introducing a frequent flyer program, National Comps, but is first promoting membership via the Internet. Those registering online before the program is launched nationwide will receive bonus mileage. The week-old Las Vegas-based airline soon will introduce an online booking capability.
On-time arrivals in April at 29 airports reporting ranged from 83.1% at Minneapolis/St. Paul to 64.6% at Chicago O'Hare, according to DOT's Air Travel Consumer Report. Second-best was Salt Lake City, at 81.9%, while Newark was next to last at 69.9%.
Delta plans to complete installation of automatic external defibrillators and enhanced emergency medical kits on its entire fleet of 584 aircraft by June 30, six months ahead of schedule.
Tower Air flew 12.1% more revenue passenger miles in May, compared with the year-ago month. Capacity increased 4.1% and passenger boardings jumped 26.3%. The load grew 5.2 percentage points to 73.3%, driven mainly by stronger traffic to Tel Aviv and in domestic markets. Block hours flown in May declined 9.6%, attributable to the discontinuation of a Middle East charter and reduced cargo operations. Five-month RPMs were up 11.1%. capacity 7.1% and boardings 26.7%. The load factor was up 2.7 points to 75.5%.
Washington Democrat Deborah Senn, the state insurance commissioner, is considered a threat to unseat Senate aviation subcommittee Chairman Slade Gorton (R-Wash.), who is up for re-election next year.
