Nonstop Traffic Analysis U.S. - Latin America/Caribbean Roundtrip Operations 12 Months Ended June 1998 Top Ten Nonstop Carriers U.S. - Latin America/Caribbean Onboard Percent Code Departures Passengers Of Total 1 American AA 94,292 11,319,580 30.0% 2 Continental CO 38,157 3,404,408 9.0%
Pegasus Aviation said it has closed a $667 million lease securitization involving a portfolio of 25 jet transports valued at nearly $700 million. Proceeds will be used primarily to refinance existing debt associated with the portfolio, said Bob Brown, senior VP. The Boeing and Douglas aircraft, leased to operators in the Americas and Europe, have an average age of nine years.
FlightSafety Boeing Training International issued what it called the "industry's first-ever single source of maintenance training for current and out-of-production Boeing and Douglas aircraft." The catalog is available in CD-ROM or at www.flightsafetyboeing.com. It contains 463 start dates for technical training in 17 cities worldwide. Wake Smith, president, said, "Never before have Boeing and Douglas operators, maintenance providers and repair stations had one-stop shopping for high-quality technical training."
A survey by Air Travel Card of corporate travel decision-makers shows that the number of overseas business trips is on the rise, with more than 60% of companies surveyed saying their employees travel internationally. Four hundred travel managers, chief executives and others who oversee travel programs at U.S. corporations were asked about their company's travel, and 35% said they expect the majority of their traveling employees will take at least 10 business trips this year.
Malaysia Airlines will put 10 A330s, one 737-300F, one 747-300 Combi and two 747-400 Combis up for sale as part of a plan to scale down operations (DAILY, Jan. 5). Talks with a Brazilian carrier to lease the A330s fell through because the carrier did not have funds for the initial outlay, and two other attempts to lease the aircraft also failed. Sources declined to identify the three airlines.
DOT approved United's request for a two-year exemption to provide scheduled combination service between points in the U.S. and Windhoek, Namibia, via points in Germany. The carrier intends to operate the service under its code-share agreement with Lufthansa, which operates Frankfurt-Windhoek flights. United told DOT that the carriers plan to begin the code-share service - the first service to Namibia by a U.S. carrier - soon after grant of the exemption.
Northwest awarded a $45.6 million contract to BAE Automated Systems to provide baggage handling systems for the new midfield terminal at Wayne County Detroit Metropolitan Airport. The new terminal is scheduled to open in late 2001. BAE will provide a conveyor sortation system similar to its systems at several other airports.
DOT granted exemptions from high-density airport regulations at Chicago O'Hare for summer season slots to Singapore Airlines and Polish carrier LOT. Singapore Airlines was granted two O'Hare slots, effective March 28-Oct. 30, to enable it to continue operating the second of its two weekly all-cargo roundtrips as part of a Singapore-Taipei-Anchorage-Chicago-New York Kennedy-Brussels-Mumbai-Singapore round-the-world routing. It received slots from FAA for one weekly roundtrip. DOT granted LOT's request for four O'Hare slots, effective May 17-Sept.
United said yesterday that its online booking site, United Connection, reached more than $200 million in online ticket sales in 1998, a 63% increase from the previous year and more than other Internet-based travel planning products. The company recorded more than $22 million in sales in February, which includes flights with United and more than 500 other carriers.
United told DOT it does not object on the merits to America West's application for authority to carry Air China's code on flights within the U.S. but asked the department to impose restrictions consistently on exclusivity provisions in code-share deals between U.S. and Asian carriers. It said that the America West-Air China deal bars cooperation by either party with an airline not yet designated in the market, and that DOT ruled out a similar provision in last year's Northwest-Air China agreement on grounds that it would limit competition.
Kitty Hawk said Friday it has acquired Pacific Aviation Logistics' 40% interest in American International Cargo, a general partnership in which Kitty Hawk held a 60% interest. AIC provides scheduled service between Los Angeles and the Hawaiian Islands and weekly through Melbourne, Hong Kong and other Pacific locations. Its 1998 revenues were $63 million.
Advanced Navigation&Positioning Corp. (ANPC) said its transponder landing System (TLS) set up at Subic Bay for FedEx last September has enabled the carrier to "maintain an uninterrupted daily schedule of flights" over the past six months. Landing at the airport can be difficult at times due to extreme weather conditions. TLS also works well in difficult geography and site-restricted areas, the company said.
Midwest Express is enhancing its existing Milwaukee-Hartford service beginning May 10 by upgrading its direct one-stop flights to nonstops. Midwest Express currently offers four nonstops between Milwaukee and Hartford and two one-stops via Philadelphia. It will discontinue Hartford-Philadelphia service.
Spectrum issues have forced FAA to delay soliciting offers on its Flight Information Services Data Link project from mid-March to the end of the month. Companies will have 30 days from the new release date to respond. The agency said that spectrum issues pertaining to assignment of FIS frequencies should be resolved by March 31.
American's Allied Pilots Association will host the semi-annual gathering of the oneworld alliance's Flight Crew Coalition today and tomorrow at its headquarters.APA will brief attendees on the evolution of its scope clause. The union says it is concerned about American's plans to outsource flying to its oneworld partners based on shifts of international flying away from the U.S. carrier.
International cargo traffic fell by 7.3% in January from the same month a year ago and total cargo traffic was down 5.7%, the Air Transport Association reported. Domestic traffic declined by 4.5%. ATA President Carol Hallett said the "ailing Asian economy has negatively impacted international growth for several months now and currently shows no sign of a quick recovery." She said mail declined by 9.4% through the system in the first month of the year, as domestic mail fell 9.1% and international mail 10.6%.
Continental asked DOT for exemption authority to provide scheduled service between points in the U.S. and points in Saudi Arabia under code share with Air France. The market is "presently dominated by foreign flag carriers," Continental said, and it wants to introduce competition on the route. The U.S.-Saudi Arabia bilateral does not provide for third-country code sharing and the government of Saudi Arabia has "refused" U.S. efforts to amend the bilateral to permit it, Continental noted, as well as "refused to allow U.S.
Nonstop Traffic Analysis U.S. - Far East/Australia Roundtrip Operations 12 Months Ended June 1998 Top Ten Nonstop Carriers U.S. - Far East/Australia Onboard Percent Code Departures Passengers Of Total 1 Japan Airlines JL 18,017 4,340,290 18.1% 2 Northwest NW 16,973 4,273,412 17.8%
House Transportation Committee Chairman Bud Shuster (R-Pa.) "most likely" will try to offer an amendment to the House Republican leadership's fiscal 2000 federal budget resolution that would earmark for aviation $15 billion, the projected surplus from aviation trust funds, a committee source said yesterday. Committee sources said the staff was working yesterday on drafting an amendment to the House Budget Committee-approved budget resolution that would seek to preserve $15 billion over five years, from 2000-2004, for aviation.
America West's flight attendants union is confident that the tentative contract deal it reached with the company early Saturday morning will be ratified. America West Association of Flight Attendants spokeswoman Deanna Clarkson said there is "no question in my mind" that the deal will pass muster. The company and union bargained an hour past the Friday midnight EST deadline, averting random strikes under an AFA Create Havoc Around Our System (CHAOS) campaign. Clarkson said the ratification vote will take place in early May.
Nonstop Traffic Analysis U.S. - Africa/Middle East Roundtrip Operations 12 Months Ended June 1998 Top Ten Nonstop Carriers U.S. - Africa/Middle East Onboard Percent Code Departures Passengers Of Total 1 El Al LY 1,373 479,920 26.8% 2 South African SA 1,321 270,697 15.1%
FAA has been denied a clean audit opinion because it cannot account for costs in its property and equipment accounts, which total about $12 billion, John Meche, DOT deputy assistant inspector general for financial, economic and information technology, told the House Government Reform subcommittee on government management, information and technology last week.
Debonair Airways, in partnership with leading European hotels, is offering short-break holidays with the launch of Eurostyle Vacations. Passengers can book air travel and two-nights' hotel accommodations - weekday or weekend - in "attractively priced" packages to a number of cities on Debonair's network, including Barcelona, Cologne/Dusseldorf, Madrid, Munich, Paris and Rome.
S.648 - introduced March 17 by Sen. John Kerry (D-Mass.) - to provide for the protection of employees providing air safety information. Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions.
