FAA approved flight trials in four cargo jets of Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) despite the opposition of many pilots who fly freighter aircraft. Steve Alterman, president of the Cargo Airline Association, said FAA has issued a supplemental type certificate and a letter of authorization for ADS-B equipment in four UPS 727-100s. Approval to install it in four FedEx and four Airborne jets is expected to follow.
Approved a two-year exemption renewal for Amerijet International to provide scheduled combination service between Miami and Fort Lauderdale and the Turks and Caicos Islands...Approved a one-year initial exemption for 812971 Ontario Inc.
NTSB late Friday issued a letter sent to FAA Administrator Jane Garvey expressing disappointment with lack of action on 737 rudder problems. The board recommended several actions, including modifying the standby rudder system so that its actuator can be used as a second rudder actuator.
America West is offering sale fares to Anchorage through April 21 for travel May 2-Sept. 10, starting at $199 each way based on a roundtrip purchase. Sample one-way fares include Los Angeles-Anchorage $199; Denver-Anchorage $229 and Boston-Anchorage $249.
Aviation Sales Co. promoted Barbara Guy to president-Kratz-Wilde Machine Company; Jerry Horton to president and general manager-Aircraft Interior Design, and Roger Morley to VP-European Purchasing of Aviation Sales Distribution Co., and hired Laura DeCespedes as VP-human resources.
Delta's Air Line Pilots Association leadership has endorsed a plan of action on regional jet flying that includes asking management for a commitment that all Delta Shuttle service will be operated by Delta seniority-list pilots. Delta announced it will expand Shuttle flying from Washington, D.C., to Boston using two Delta 727s and a Comair regional jet.
China Southern Airlines and its subsidiaries lost 544 million renminbi (US$65.7 million) during 1998 as competition and foreign exchange losses increased and yields dropped. The group of Chinese carriers, led by China Southern, posted a 7.6% decline in revenue to RMB 11.8 billion ($1.4 billion). It attributed two-thirds of its loss, RMB 366 million, to foreign exchange losses. As the only Chinese airline listed on the New York Stock Exchange, the company will publish financial results regularly.
While federal agencies with unspent funding to correct Year 2000 computer problems face the risk of having unspent prior-year money diverted to help pay for an emergency supplemental, FAA is unlikely to be tapped for Y2K funds, congressional sources said Friday. In fact, sources noted, FAA is in the comfortable position of having received more than six times the amount it requested for Y2K compliance for two years.
International Lease Finance Corp. has raised $100 million through the sale of senior unsecured notes underwritten by Merrill Lynch, PaineWebber and Prudential Securities. ILFC, with a portfolio of 390 aircraft worth $17 billion, will use the funds for additional aircraft acquisition.
Air Caledonie International (AirCalin) is offering an unusual New Year's Eve package on Dec. 31. After you celebrate the arrival of 2000 in Noumea, New Caledonia, the airline will fly you across the international date line to Papeete, Tahiti. The flight will arrive at 8:45 p.m. on Dec. 31, in time to celebrate the new year again.
Mexicana appointed Virginia Barclay reservations manager-U.S. and Canada; Jennifer Jenks manager-advertising and sales promotion, U.S. and Canada, and Ivan Parrilla general manager-Puerto Rico.
Midway Airlines reported a 2.2% gain in traffic on 1.3% more capacity for March, and the load factor grew 0.6 percentage points to 67.8%. Midway flew 92.3 million revenue passenger miles and 136.2 million available seat miles. Passengers flown increased 5.5% to 181,200. Year-to-date RPMs climbed 2.8% and ASMs 0.7%, boosting the load factor 1.3 points. Enplanements were up 6.7%.
San Diego Aerospace Museum added Oleg Antonov, glider designer, Charles Kaman, founder of rotor-wing manufacturer Kaman Corp., and Louise Thaden, the fourth woman to earn a transport pilot license in 1926 and winner of the first All Women's Air Derby, to the International Aerospace Hall of Fame.
FAA has approved FASTboot de-icers developed by BFGoodrich's Ice Protection Systems Division for de Havilland Dash 8 100/200/300 and Embraer 120 aircraft. FASTboot versions for the Saab 340 and 2000 aircraft were approved earlier by FAA and made available in January.
GoodSmith&Co. has formed Piedmont Aviation Capital Services LLC (PACS), an aviation financial unit. The Long Beach investment banking company will provide customer acquisition financing and other services in support of the Airliner Sales Division of Piedmont Aviation Services, which is headquartered in Winston-Salem, N.C.
Delta pulled out of its code share with Korean Air following the April 15 crash of an MD-11 freighter after takeoff from Shanghai. The accident is the latest setback for Korean Air and the second time in eight months that a Delta code-share partner has had an MD-11 crash. Last September, a Swissair MD-11 plowed into the waters off Nova Scotia. Delta said its decision to suspend the four-year marketing relationship was based on Korean Air's "operational incidents," including last week's crash.
-- In Federal Register dated April 12...Issued an airworthiness directive on Dornier 328 aircraft requiring lubrication of the engine control push-pull cables...Issued an AD on Boeing 747 aircraft requiring leak tests of the lavatory drain system...Superseded an AD on certain Aerospatiale ATR 42 series aircraft concerning inspection of the main landing gear...Issued an AD on Boeing 747 aircraft requiring replacing the auxiliary power unit fuel boost pump.
DOT, rejecting arguments made by environmental groups, made final last year's tentative decision (DAILY, March 18, 1998) authorizing Hawaiian to serve Maui-Tokyo, and allocated seven weekly frequencies for the service, which Hawaiian plans to begin in January. The Sierra Club Parties argued that the service requires a final environmental impact statement (DAILY, May 6, 1998), and FAA's record of decision on that statement has been appealed to the courts.
Democrats in Utah are optimistic about picking up a House seat because Jim Matheson, son of the late governor Scott Matheson, has declared he will seek the Democratic nomination to run against House Transportation aviation subcommittee member Merrill Cook, a Republican who represents the Second District (Salt Lake City). Cook, voted into Congress in 1996 on his seventh try for elective office, has had internal party and staff problems.
-- S.722 - introduced March 25 by Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.) - a bill to provide for the immediate application of certain orders relating to the amendment, modification, suspension or revocation of certificates under Chapter 447 of Title 49, U S. Code. Referred to the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.
Mexicana asked DOT for an exemption to provide scheduled service between Chihuahua, Mexico, and El Paso, Texas, for at least two years. The carrier plans to begin code-share service on the route with Aerolitoral immediately after DOT approves its request. Aerolitoral holds authority for the service, which it operates with Metro III/Merlin aircraft. The carriers applied jointly for authority to code share on a Monterrey-San Antonio routing, for which Mexicana holds permit authority, as well as Chihuahua-El Paso.
UNI Airways of Taiwan purchased one 37-passenger de Havilland Dash 8 Q200 aircraft and took an option for an additional unit. The EVA Airways subsidiary will use the Q200 between Taiwan and Matsu Island. The aircraft will be equipped with performance options to operate on Matsu's short runway.
