US Airways' 6,000 fleet service workers and baggage handlers, represented by the International Association of Machinists, have ratified their contract by a 3-1 majority (DAILY, April 1). The deal provides a 12.3% pay increase in the first year and gives the carrier the right to increase its use of part-time workers from 28% to 35% of its work force.
Air France has introduced a Boeing 777 on its Washington-Paris route, replacing a 747. The twin-engine widebody leaves Washington Dulles Airport daily at 6:50 p.m. and arrives at Paris Charles de Gaulle the following morning. The return flight leaves Paris at 1:15 p.m. and arrives at Dulles at 3:40 p.m. the same day. Air France plans a second daily nonstop in the market beginning May 16. The aircraft, a 747, will leave Dulles at 10:45 p.m. and arrive at de Gaulle at 11:15 a.m. The return flight will leave Paris at 4:30 p.m. and arrive at Dulles at 7:10 p.m.
Fokker F28 aircraft are vulnerable to lightning strikes and FAA should require that they be modified for increased protection, the National Transportation Safety Board recommended. The board cited a US Airways F28 that experienced a dual hydraulic system failure after it was struck by lightning Feb. 26, 1998. The crew made an emergency landing at Birmingham, Ala. Three main landing gear tires failed and the aircraft left the runway, but none of the 87 passengers was injured.
American reported a 3% increase in system-wide traffic to 9.5 billion revenue passenger miles during March on 13.3 billion available seat miles capacity, 1.9% more than the year-earlier month. The load factor was 71.3%, up 0.7 percentage points. Passenger boardings grew 0.3% to 7,022,852. Domestic RPMs climbed 1.3% to 6.5 billion and ASMs 0.2% to 9.1 billion, growing the load factor 0.8 points to 71.1%. International RPMs were up 6.7% to 3 billion on 5.8% more ASMs, 4.2 billion, boosting the load factor 0.6 points to 71.8%.
Aviation Industry Stock Performance, March 1999 Aviation Industry Stock Performance March 1999 Closed Closed Monthly Change Symbol 3/31/99 2/26/99 ($) (%) Alaska Air Group ALK 47.500 50.688 (3.188) (6.3) America West (Class B) AWA 19.063 17.000 2.063 12.1
Midwest Express flight attendants are voting on representation by the Association of Flight Attendants, which will hold open houses in Milwaukee and Omaha this week and next to explain membership benefits. The National Mediation Board will count votes April 29.
Rockwell Collins has acquired 100% ownership of Flight Dynamics, a Rockwell-Kaiser Aerospace joint venture that became a market leader in head-up guidance systems. Its equipment is certificated and operating on more than 500 business, regional, airline and military aircraft, and the company has orders for 1,000 more systems.
US Airways is launching its Charlotte-London Gatwick service with a $298 introductory roundtrip fare to travelers who begin their trip in Charlotte. The fare is available through April 7 for travel on Mondays through Thursdays during the June 12-30 period. It applies only to roundtrip travel that includes a Saturday night stay. The airline also is offering special fares to Gatwick from other U.S. points, including $796 from Los Angeles and $554 from Tampa. Tickets from points outside Charlotte are available through April 21 for travel June 12-July 31.
Salary is important to cabin crew in labor negotiations, but a survey by the Association of Flight Attendants indicates that scheduling is the contract area that needs improving most. AFA surveyed members at all carriers where it is the representative.
DOT enforcement of the Air Carrier Access Act is so "grossly inadequate" that the law needs to be changed to give disabled people the use of private right of action and provisions for attorneys' fees and damages, according to a report by the National Council on Disability. DOT has yet to file a single amicus brief on an ACAA case, the report says.
Asia/Pacific-based distribution system Abacus has started visiting travel agencies to verify that all its products will operate correctly after the Year 2000 date change. The company's Y2K Verification Assessment Team will visit about 200 travel agencies this month in Australia, Brunei, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore and Taiwan. In May and June it will visit agencies in Bangladesh, Cambodia, Nepal, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam.
Airbus is considering high hydraulic pressure for its proposed 555-seat A3XX. The consortium says increasing pressure from 3,000 psi to 5,000 psi would save 1.5 tons of weight. The A3XX would be the first modern subsonic transport with a high-pressure system, like those in widespread use in military aircraft. Concorde uses a 4,000-psi system.
Former House Transportation aviation subcommittee member Jon Fox (R-Pa.) filed a statement of candidacy with the Federal Election Commission, keeping open the option to run for his old House seat next year. Fox, who represented one of the most competitive two-party congressional districts, would have to survive a Republican primary as well as the general election to return to the House.
Air New Zealand Engineering Services (ANZES) and software giant SAP, with help from consultants Ernst&Young, have modified SAP's basic R/3 business-running package for airline maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO). E&Y reported that ANZES, whose new system went live on March 28, now can apply enterprise resource planning (ERP) principles - tracking revenues and costs and managing assets and productivity in all facets of a business - to the full MRO life-cycle, from planning a repair or modification to inspection and signoff.
Between 1978 and 1998, U.S. airline traffic increased 120% but 400 smaller cities experienced declines in air service and 180 more lost all service, according to information supplied to Rep. Peter DeFazio (D-Ore)., a member of the House Transportation aviation subcommittee, by Morten Beyer&Agnew.
When Congress returns next week from its spring recess, it will be entering the most critical period of the year for aviation funding and decision-making. Between mid-April and the end of May, it faces decisions on:
