InVision Technologies said it has obtained FAA certification for its next-generation CTX 9000 DSi explosives detection system. The EDS was "unconditionally certified at a baggage throughput rate of 542 bags per hour, making it the fastest certified EDS in the world," the company said. "Now that the CTX 9000 DSi has passed certification tests, we expect that the FAA will purchase several machines for installation and operational testing at airports in the U.S.," said Sergio Magistri, president.
Recent reports that Boeing is again considering a very large aircraft in response to Airbus Industrie's proposed A3XX program are being challenged by an investment firm. Lehman Brothers Aerospace&Defense Research says Boeing is not likely to offer "a very large aircraft in the over-500 passenger category" but will be forced to respond to the A3XX, and that response could be costly to its shareholders.
US Airways has chosen the Sony Trans Com P@ssport in-seat video system for its transatlantic fleet of new Airbus widebody aircraft. Every seat in the seven A330-300s joining the fleet in 2000 will have the state-of-the-art entertainment system and personal video screen. Passengers will be able to select from a library of movies and audio programs.
Jet fuel and aviation gas consumed in the U.S. during fiscal 1997 totaled 19.2 billion gallons, with domestic carriers using 71% of jet fuel, or 13.4 billion gallons, and international using 4.8 billion. General aviation used just 1.5%, or 642 million gallons, according to the National Business Aviation Association.
Major European hub airports are using 93% of their terminal capacity, according to Salomon Smith Barney, with Madrid, Amsterdam, Frankfurt and Dusseldorf all at 100% or more of design levels.London Heathrow and Gatwick, Paris Charles de Gaulle, Zurich and Munich are at 97% or more.
American will increase service to 12 markets from the West Coast this summer, including international flights to Paris and Tokyo. The carrier will begin Boeing 777 service from San Jose and Seattle to Tokyo Narita. The previously announced Los Angeles-Paris service will begin June 1. In total, the airline will begin seven new nonstop routes and add service to 12 destinations. American will add 20 flights, with the first to start May 1.
Las Vegas-based National Airlines is conducting routine safety checks with FAA in preparation for its first flight May 27. The startup has acquired two 757-200s for its first service from Las Vegas to Los Angeles and Chicago Midway. "We're currently going through the final phase of FAA certification, which includes monitored proving runs and cabin crew evacuation checks," said Chief Executive Michael Conway in an interview. "This is all routine, and we've done our planning, so we expect it to go smoothly."
The European Union Council of Industry Ministers will adopt the European Commission's proposed hushkit regulation today in Luxembourg, but it will delay the rule's entry into force until May 1, 2000. The decision represents a partial victory for the U.S. in its hushkit dispute with the EU - Europe will start phasing out hushkitted aircraft next year instead of on April 1, 1999, as intended originally, a top EC official said yesterday. "We're not very proud of this," the official said.
Air Canada and Mexicana yesterday formed a code-share and marketing partnership between Canada and Latin America, effective May 13. Seats will go on sale May 6. The carriers will link hubs in Montreal, Toronto and Mexico City, with plans in July to put Air Canada's code on Mexicana's flights to Guadalajara, Cancun, Acapulco and Puerto Vallarta and Mexicana's code on Air Canada service to Winnipeg, Quebec City, Vancouver and Calgary. They also plan to link their frequent flyer programs.
Tower Air said a flight attendant was fired for refusing a direct order from the company's VP-operations to work on a legal extension of a flight. The Association of Flight Attendants, which represents Tower's cabin crew, claims the airline fired Tower AFA President Jason Weber for taking a stand against forced overtime. "This is a clear-cut case of retaliation and we won't stand for it," AFA International President Patricia Friend said. "For an airline teetering so close to the financial abyss, a major fight with one of its unions is a bad fight to pick."
U.S. National, Regional and Cargo Carriers Advertising Expense Fourth Quarter 1998 National Carriers % Of Total Advertising Operating Expenses AirTran Airlines 2,805,347 2.15 Aloha 1,772,840 3.31 American Trans Air 3,120,966 1.62 Frontier 1,221,804 2.52
Comair yesterday reported fiscal fourth quarter net income of $32.4 million and record fiscal 1999 profits of $132.9 million. Revenues for the March quarter grew 15.5% to $191.9 million. For the year ended March 31, Comair's revenue reached $763.3 million, up 17.2%. The company had an operating margin last year of 26.7% and carried 6.4 million passengers, about the same number as Air China and Finnair. The load factor rose to 59.2% from 57.8%, and the breakeven load factor was 44%.
United and KLM, the two largest shareholders of computer reservations system giant Galileo International Inc., and minority shareholder US Airways said yesterday they will sell shares in the CRS worth about $1.8 billion based on current market value. United will sell 17.5 million shares and gain $900 million from the transactions. Its holding would drop to 15% from 31.9% and its representation on the Galileo board would be two seats instead of three. KLM will sell all of its 10,639,200 shares in Galileo, a 10.2% stake.
The chairman of the Senate Special Committee on the Year 2000 Technology Problem said yesterday he still is concerned about individual airports' ability to handle computer-controlled functions, and he urged additional end-to-end testing, although FAA has no plans to do so. "I think they do need to do some more end-to-end testing," Robert Bennett (R-Utah) told The DAILY.
United will begin showing passengers a video May 1 as part of its campaign to improve awareness of its ambition to improve on-time performance. United, which began rolling out a campaign to employees recently, has been near the bottom of the industry in on-time statistics.
The government of Malaysia has given the green light to Air Asia, the No. 2 designated national carrier, to operate international nonstops from Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport, near Kuala Lumpur. Air Asia will have to move its operations to outlying Kuala Lumpur International Airport, however, if the Cabinet approves Malaysia Airports Berhad request to close Abdul Aziz to commercial traffic Oct. 1. Abdul Aziz is 25 kilometers from Kuala Lumpur, while Kuala Lumpur International is 65 km away.
U.S. Carriers Interest Expense Fourth Quarter 1998 % Of Total Systemwide Operating Expenses Alaska 2,541,000 0.74 America West 7,814,637 1.69 American -- -- Continental 32,248,000 1.91 Delta 32,931,000 1.03
The Community of Savannah, Ga./Hilton Head, S.C., added its bid to those of communities and carriers vying for Chicago O'Hare slot exemptions that will be available when American Eagle terminates service June 1 to Shreveport, La., and Montgomery, Ala. (DAILY, April 15). The community, which received three O'Hare slots on an experimental basis (DAILY, March 18), seeks two additional slots to support three daily roundtrips. (Docket OST-98-3603)
SAS conducted sale/leaseback transactions on 26 aircraft last year, including 24 DC-9s as it phases out that fleet by next year and takes delivery of 737-600s.SAS Commuter will receive the first of 17 de Havilland Q400 70-seat turboprops in October as it replaces the rest of its short-haul fleet. SAS is considering 70-seat jets and more conversions of orders to larger 737 versions.
Atlantic Coast Airlines (ACA), operating as United Express, filed a joint application with the Mobile Airport Authority and another with Charleston County, S.C., Aviation Authority for Chicago O'Hare slots. The regional carrier's action takes it another step away from United, which has continued to raise legal and policy questions concerning the holding of slots by communities (DAILY, April 22).
IATA said yesterday it has not decided whether Year 2000 computer issues will curtail flight availability nor has it determined there will be inconveniences. In response to reports about Y2K technical and operational changes, IATA said each entity or airline will make its own decision.
FAA yesterday opened "without endorsement" a docket (29547) on the Air Transport Association's request for 207-minute extended-range twin-engine operations (ETOPS) and asked for comments. But the agency also said it "found it appropriate" to release for discussion a proposed policy letter allowing 207-minute ETOPS authority.
Sabena is seeking 350 million Belgian francs (US$9.2 million) in damages from CityBird for an alleged breach of contract, CityBird said yesterday in Brussels. The low-cost Belgian airline said it was notified Monday that Sabena launched arbitration procedures that day, threatening to terminate all of the carriers' commercial agreements. Following an agreement signed in October 1997, Sabena took an 11.2% stake in CityBird and leased two MD-11 aircraft from the small airline.
Reserve Bank of India said foreign airlines will no longer be required to obtain prior approval from the bank to conduct business in India through local agents. They still must obtain permission from India's director general of civil aviation for online operations, however. The policy, which takes effect immediately, applies only to carriers whose offline service headquarters are in countries that have air agreements with India, RBI officials added.
