Minnesota should make new and existing gates at Minneapolis/St. Paul Airport available to new and expanding carriers, suggests Minnesota Planning, a state agency charged with developing long-range plans for the state. An agency report recommends the Metropolitan Airports Commission reserve two-thirds of 12 new gates for new and growing carriers other than Northwest and limit the number of long-term contracts in the leases now being negotiated at three concourses.
Minneapolis-based Sun Country Airlines has completed the reconfiguration of its DC-10s, increasing passenger leg room. The airline removed 20 seats from its four DC-10s, enlarging the space for each seat by three inches or more. Seat pitch ranges from 31 to 35 inches. The pitch on Sun Country's 11 727s ranges from 31 to 32 inches.
Washington Dulles Airport will average more than one new flight every day over the next 60 days.United's ramp-up will reach 117 daily flights in May, from 73 in December. It and Atlantic Coast will have 362 daily departures, up 19% since December. US Airways and regional partners will have 124 daily flights by May, up from 52 in December.
FAA will consider this summer issuing travelers advisories on specific countries that are lagging in their work on making their air traffic control computers capable of Year 2000 operations, Administrator Jane Garvey told the Senate Appropriations transportation subcommittee yesterday. Testifying on FAA's $10.1 billion fiscal 2000 budget request, Garvey responded in detail for the first time in congressional testimony about what the agency is doing in two major Y2K areas of concern - compliance in international operations and by individual U.S. airports.
A new poll shows that passengers would support higher passenger facility charges if they are used to reduce congestion and enable new airline competition at airports, House aviation leaders and Airports Council International-North America officials told reporters yesterday. House Transportation Committee Chairman Bud Shuster (R-Pa.) said his passenger bill of rights is a short-term Band-Aid for some passenger concerns, but the long-term solution is H.R.1000 or AIR-21, his comprehensive FAA authorization that includes a doubling of the current $3 ceiling on PFCs.
United will start service from Chicago and Washington Dulles to St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands, in October. The carrier will offer year-round service on Saturdays and Sundays with 757s, except during summer, when flights from Chicago will use an A320.
House Transportation Committee Chairman Bud Shuster (R-Pa.) will appear before the House Rules Committee today to seek clearance to offer on the House floor tomorrow an amendment to the House Budget Committee's federal budget resolution. Shuster's amendment would earmark for aviation $15 billion, the projected surplus from aviation trust funds over five years.
U.K.-based Suckling Airways will start London City-Glasgow services Monday and Dundee flights on April 12. The airline, a newcomer to London City, is taking over the Glasgow service from KLM uk and will introduce the Fairchild Dornier 328 aircraft on the route, flying four times daily, Monday to Friday. Suckling, an independent airline based in Cambridge, was founded 13 years ago.
Air traffic on commercial carriers is expected to continue growing briskly over the next decade both on domestic and international routes, but regional airlines will grow even faster, FAA predicts. FAA, in material issued in advance of its annual forecast conference today, said it expects domestic air travelers to increase 2.4% this year over 1998 and 3.4% a year through 2010, when 828 million domestic passengers a year will be carried by U.S. commercial airlines. FAA said the number of passengers on U.S. and foreign flag carriers traveling to or from the U.S.
The National Mediation Board has released British Airways' International Association of Machinists unit, which represents about 1,800 BA employees, into a 30-day cooling-off period. IAM said the airline declined a proffer of arbitration earlier this month. The cooling-off period ends at 12:01 a.m. EDT on April 17, after which the union may strike. IAM and BA have been in talks since the union's contract became amendable at the end of December 1997. BA presented a set of proposals on Jan.
The U.K. Civil Aviation Authority will manage an independent study to determine the readiness of National Air Traffic Services and U.K. airlines, airports and travel companies for Year 2000 operations, CAA said yesterday. The study, to be done by AEA Technology Consulting, will produce a progress report by April 21 and a final report by June 30. Doug Andrew, CAA group director economic regulation, said the agency is trying to be sure that the Y2K date change does not cause "material disruption to the U.K.'s aviation industry."
Fairchild Corp. needs to integrate Kaynar Technologies Inc. into its operation quickly in order to cut costs in its continuing operations before worldwide economic forces put pressure on its revenues, Moody's Investors Service said yesterday. Fairchild had an operating ratio of 6.1% during the year that ended June 30, 1998, and fastener manufacturer KTI, Fairchild's $267 million acquisition (DAILY, Jan. 6), attained 15.6% in calendar 1998.
American's frequent flyer program offers customers the opportunity to redeem miles or a combination of cash and miles for customized American vacation packages. Customers may claim an air travel award in conjunction with a vacation package.
FAA airports veteran Ellis Ohnstad died March 18 after a brief illness. He held various positions during his 22 years at FAA, and after being promoted to the Senior Executive Service in 1997 was manager of the airports financial assistance division until his death.
Air Canada and All Nippon Airways yesterday announced a reciprocal frequent flyer program that will begin April 1. The alliance will enable members of each airline's frequent flyer program to earn and redeem miles on Air Canada and ANA flights. "This is an extremely positive development for Air Canada, for Star Alliance and for our frequent flyers," said VP-Marketing Rupert Duchesne. Air Canada and ANA signed an alliance partnership agreement in 1994 and have since worked on schedule coordination and joint marketing.
DOT has amended the statement of authorization for American and American Eagle to display the Qantas designator code on American Eagle's domestic flights between Los Angeles and San Diego, carrying Qantas Australia-U.S. traffic. The amended authority is in effect indefinitely, subject to conditions applicable to authority approving American/Qantas code-share operations.
Spanair announced yesterday in Madrid firm orders for 21 Airbus single-aisle aircraft, plus 12 reconfirmable orders and 12 options for a total of 45. The 33 firm and reconfirmable aircraft comprise seven A319s, 17 A320s and nine A321s. Spanair became a launch customer for the new 93-metric-ton version of the A321. Deliveries are to begin in September 2000 and continue through 2005, replacing MD-80s.
Allan McArtor, president and chief executive officer of Legend Airlines, will speak Thursday at a luncheon meeting of the Aero Club of Washington, scheduled for noon at the Capital Hilton, Washington.
DOT Secretary Rodney Slater is meeting today through Friday in Europe with transport ministers and industry leaders from the European Commission, Germany, France, Belgium, and the U.K. Today he is scheduled to be in Germany, where he will discuss "beyond open skies" liberalization and meet with DaimlerChrysler, Lufthansa and other aerospace officials.
The Sabre Group has released a feature to track and report unused electronic tickets. The feature is free to Sabre agencies and is available in six markets - the U.S., Canada, New Zealand, Australia, Germany and the U.K.
DOT renewed exemptions for Polar Air Cargo, enabling the carrier to continue providing, for two years, scheduled cargo service between Anchorage and Oslo, Norway, and between Miami and Caracas, Venezuela, and beyond to Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Brazil. Polar may integrate the two exemptions with its existing certificate and exemption authority. (Dockets OST-97-2390, 2352)
Delta has acquired a total of 91% of Atlantic Southeast Airlines stock. Delta's tender offer to purchase all outstanding shares of common ASA Holdings, Inc. stock for $34.00 in cash expired at midnight EST Standard Time Friday. A company spokeswoman said Delta acquired 88% of outstanding shares during the tender offer. Payment for shares validly tendered and not withdrawn is expected to be made by Harris Trust Company of New York acting as depositary for the offer, in accordance with the offer's terms.
Lynxs has completed a new cargo facility for Emery at Sacramento's Mather Airport. The warehouse and office space will handle Emery's West Coast service and include airside access to the airport's cargo aircraft parking ramp.
Norway's Braathens named Arne Jensen chief executive, replacing Erik Braathen, who led the airline for more than a decade. Jensen was managing director of Norway's largest television station. The year-long succession process will not alter the Braathen family's 38% holding in Norway's biggest domestic airline.
U.K. Transport Minister John Reid yesterday denounced "scaremongering" on the government's public-private partnership plan for National Air Traffic Services and said the proposal does not involve "an old-style privatization." The plan, by which 51% of the Civil Aviation Authority subsidiary would be sold to the public and the government would retain golden-share veto power on vital questions, will create a "true partnership," Reid said at a conference in London. The government does not intend to "simply sell half of NATS and then just forget about it," he said.
