Airports in the U.K. would have to establish "challenging short- and long-term targets" for increasing the percentage of trips to and from the airport made on public transit under draft guidance published this week by the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions. The guidance also would require airports to come up with "a set of performance indicators which can be used to monitor whether the strategy is delivering its targets and stated objectives," DETR said.
U.S. Major Carriers Domestic Share of Service Fourth Quarter 1998 Total Revenue Departures Alaska 39,385 America West 50,378 American 167,280 Continental 101,553 Delta 229,841 Northwest 136,455 Southwest 204,586 TWA 68,162
Global alliances will play a role in Asian economic recovery, Shelley Longmuir, United senior VP for international, regulatory and governmental affairs, told the American Chamber of Commerce yesterday in Japan. Asia is "in the midst of becoming one of the world's most open regional markets for aviations," she said, paving the way for efficiencies that flow from growing alliances in a deregulated international market.
London City Airport has announced the "welcome return start for a much-requested route" - Jersey - with the Flemish airline VLM. The Jersey service will begin April 26 and will be operated daily Monday through Friday. According to VLM's marketing and sales manager U.K., Titus Johnson, the timings are specifically targeted to enable a two-way flow between the island and Europe, with London City at the hub of a network of services which also includes Antwerp, Rotterdam, Luxembourg and Dusseldorf-Express-MGB.
InVision Technologies received an $18.9 million FAA contract for 21 CTX 5500 DS explosives detection systems, the company said. "This order represents the first purchase of EDS made by the FAA using funds allocated to improve aviation security as part of the...fiscal 1999 budget," the company said. InVision expects to complete shipments by Sept. 30. The order brings FAA's CT 5000 series purchases to 90 systems during the past four years.
Boeing's 717 transport is exceeding fuel burn performance targets by as much as 5% in flight tests, the company said yesterday. Jim Phillips, VP and program manager, attributed the performance to more efficient engine operations and reduced airframe drag. The improved performance could mean savings equivalent to 5% at cruise and 2.5% during climb, he said. This would yield abut 3% fuel savings on a flight of 300 to 500 nautical miles and a saving of 4% at 1,000 nautical miles, he said. The 717 is powered by two BMW Rolls-Royce engines.
Allan McArtor, president and chief executive officer of Legend Airlines, discusses airline competition in a speech featured on this week's Aviation News Today, to be broadcast Sunday at 12:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. on Washington's News Channel 8.
US Airways Shuttle pilots, represented by their own unit of the Air Line Pilots Association, have ratified an interim agreement that will increase pay and benefits while Shuttle and mainline pilots complete the integration process. Shuttle pilots will receive higher pay as they work their way up toward parity with mainline pilots, and they will receive no-furlough protection and improved retirement benefits.
Sen. James Inhofe (R-Okla.), a licensed commercial pilot, charged FAA with abusing its emergency revocation power and introduced with seven cosponsors a bill that would give a certificate holder the option of requesting a hearing before the National Transportation Safety Board within 48 hours of revocation to determine whether a true emergency exists. The bill, introduced last week as Congress recessed until mid-April, is this year's version of a familiar issue on Capitol Hill. It would require NTSB to decide within five days of a request whether an emergency exists.
With votes being counted yesterday, US Airways' fleet service workers were believed to have ratified their first contract agreement, according to International Association of Machinists spokesman Jim Sprang. The contract includes a 13.7% pay raise in the first year for top-paid workers, job protection for full-time and part-time workers in case of a merger, and a ban on subcontracting, limited after five years to cities with no more than 28 weekly flights, according to a story in the Charlotte Observer.
All Nippon Airways applied to Japan's Ministry of Transport yesterday to expand the number of code-share destinations it offers with alliance partner United. The carriers intend to add Osaka-Seoul, operated by ANA 767-300s, and Tokyo-Seoul, using a United-operated 747-400, both beginning May 15 if approved. ANA also filed to suspend June 9 its existing Osaka-Los Angeles code- share flight, which is operated by United.
The leading airline at most major U.S. airports lost market share during the 1991-98 period, an analysis of enplaned passenger data by The DAILY reveals. Although major airports still are dominated by a single airline in most cases, competition from Southwest, new entrants and the mercuric expansion of regional airlines has diluted their share. Market share leaders in 1991 at 15 major hub airports showed a decline in percentage over the seven years. Shares at 11 airports showed gains by the leading airline, but three of the gains were negligible.
Sabena traffic for February rose 31.2% to 1.1 billion revenue passenger kilometers. The airline's passenger total increased 24.4% for the month, to 629,000, and is up 21.6% year to date.
Northwest is giving WorldPerks members discounts until April 9 on new nonstop service to Oslo, which begins May 1. Travelers can exchange $250 and 10,000 WorldPerks miles, or 25,000 WorldPerks miles with no cash, for a Minneapolis/St. Paul-Oslo roundtrip ticket. The latter is a 50% reduction in the number of miles normally needed to travel to Norway during peak period. Travel must take place May 1-June 16.
Congress should revoke law that allows the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to spend airport revenue on non-airport projects, New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani said last week in a letter to Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.). Giuliani believes the port authority has neglected Kennedy and LaGuardia airports, funneling money to other systems such as PATH commuter trains linking New Jersey to Manhattan.
Northwest flight attendants plan to hand out pamphlets at four airports today warning that "corporate greed is eroding customer service and threatening good jobs" at the carrier. Flight attendants, represented by the Teamsters, will hand out pamphlets at San Francisco, Seattle/Tacoma, Chicago O'Hare and Honolulu. Northwest flight attendants have been trying to reach a contract agreement for three years, the union said.
Lufthansa IT Services yesterday purchased a minority stake in New York-based aviation consultants Simat, Helliesen&Eichner Inc. (SH&E) for an undisclosed sum. The move is intended to broaden the consulting abilities of both companies and strengthen Lufthansa IT's growing North American presence. Lufthansa IT, separate from the airline, gains two seats on SH&E's nine-member board. For SH&E, with 100 employees, the connection with Lufthansa IT and its 1,300 workers is a step up.
Carol Carmody, former U.S. representative to ICAO, was presented this week with FAA's highest honor, the administrator's award for extraordinary service, even though she was a State Department employee during her term in Montreal. "We always felt she was part of our FAA family," said Assistant Administrator David Traynham.
American Eagle launched nonstop regional jet service from Dallas/Fort Worth to Knoxville, offering three daily roundtrip flights. On July 1 the carrier will initiate three daily RJ nonstops from Greenville/Spartanburg to Chicago O'Hare and two from Greenville/Spartanburg to Dallas/Fort Worth. It will add a third daily flight to DFW later this year.
Delta asked DOT for an exemption to engage in scheduled foreign combination service between points in the U.S. and Baku, Azerbaijan, and Tashkent, Uzbekistan, launching U.S.-flag service to the two countries, "which are relatively thin markets that otherwise receive only very limited service." The U.S.-Uzbekistan open-skies agreement was completed in 1998. Delta plans to serve Baku under code share with Austrian Airlines, and the carriers separately submitted a 30-day notice of their intention to start the service under their alliance agreement.
Axon Airlines of Greece has leased two 737-700 aircraft from Bavaria International Aircraft Leasing Co. Axon, a new carrier based in Athens, plans to begin scheduled service within Europe this summer and have five aircraft in its fleet by yearend, according to Managing Director Haris Koutas.
China was confident enough this week about its Year 2000 systems testing to pledge that the country's air traffic control systems are Y2K compliant and any remaining issues will be solved by June 30. Y2K "will not affect air traffic control or passenger safety in China," the government said. The statement came this week as members of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) met with officials from 12 countries in Beijing. Eighty organizations were present.
Delta has introduced electronic mail offers at its SkyLinks web site. Customers can register at www.delta-air.com/email/index.html to receive automatic e-mail notification on Wednesdays of special fares available for travel the next weekend from their area. Tickets purchased through the web site are discounted, and Delta SkyMiles members who use it will earn 1,000 bonus miles for each roundtrip booked and flown by June 30.
DaimlerChrysler is flying a corporate A320 between Stuttgart and Detroit.The aircraft, configured with 52 seats, operates the route four times a week. It will be replaced in November by a similarly configured A319, which will make possible nonstop flights.
