NASA study shows that large metropolitan areas can create their own thunderstorms. Buildings and paved surfaces that replace trees and foliage absorb heat during the day, creating a thermal dome with low air pressure that pulls in cool air. The result is an upward airflow that pushes up hot air to trigger thunderstorms, NASA says.
U.S Carriers Systemwide Market Share at Leading U.S. Airports U.S. Major, National and Commuter* Carriers The Year 1998 Atlanta Enplaned Percent Passengers Marketshare Delta 26,020,220 77.91 AirTran Airways 1,855,209 5.56
Alitalia asked DOT for an exemption from slot restrictions at Chicago O'Hare Airport during the summer season to operate five weekly roundtrips between Chicago and Rome Fiumicino, beginning June 1. The carrier said it was forced to discontinue long-established service in the market late last year due to fleet restrictions in the European Commission's financial restructuring plan for the carrier.
Kiwi International Air Lines said FAA refused Friday to reconsider its decision to pull the airline's certificate or to let the airline return to service. In its meeting Friday, Kiwi said it "offered to do whatever it takes to satisfy the agency." The carrier has requested an immediate hearing with the National Transportation Safety Board, the only body that can hear a Kiwi appeal.
Financial agreements to pay for an air traffic management system for Georgia, formerly the Republic of Georgia, include the first U.S. Export-Import Bank loan guarantee based on the commitment of incremental revenues from air traffic overflight fees, Northrop Grumman said Friday. The turnkey project also will provide emergency power equipment, spare parts, training and documentation.
Taiwan's Ministry of Transportation ordered domestic carrier Asia Pacific Airlines to suspend operations after more than 80% of the carrier's employees walked off the job to protest the company's failure to pay wages owed them. Employees said they have not been paid since February and the company has failed to present a viable plan for payment. Earlier this month, the Taiwan Civil Aeronautics Administration threatened to shut down the carrier because of its growing load of debt.
Fedex Pilots Association leadership wants to raise the union's dues. "Obviously, the past FPA was a beer-quality service provider financed at beer prices," FPA President Mike Weiland told pilots in a recorded message. "We intend...to provide champagne-quality services to our members." Weiland said the union still can deliver "an industry-leading contract at a dues structure significantly less than that paid by other pilots at any of the other majors."
Garvey said FAA will give the Shelby panel "in about a week" an implementation schedule for the Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS), which was to have been deployed by the end of March at Washington Reagan Airport. "We're not going to make it," she said.
DOT - Approved a statement of authorization for South African Airways to operate, on behalf of Chapman Freeborne Air Marketing, 13 one-way all-cargo flights between Vitoria, Spain, and New York April 2-June 25...Approved a two-year exemption renewal for US Airways to operate scheduled Charlotte-London Gatwick foreign combination service...Approved a statement of authorization for ALM 1997 Airline N.V. d/b/a Air ALM to display Air Aruba's designator code on Aruba-Curacao-Atlanta-Aruba-Curacao flights through Oct.
Standard&Poor's revised its credit outlook for AMR Corp. and American Airlines to stable from positive, citing lost revenue and added cost resulting from the carrier's pilot sickout, as well as AMR's recent share repurchases. "Little risk is seen of a downgrade, based on AMR's solid competitive position and financial profile," S&P said. About $8.7 billion in debt was affected.
European Union transport ministers may decide to postpone the phasing out of hushkitted Stage 3 aircraft in the EU when they meet today, the spokeswoman for EU Transport Commissioner Neil Kinnock said Friday in Brussels. The EU member nations "are a bit wobbly on the issue," she said. DOT Secretary Rodney Slater toured Europe last week in an attempt to persuade individual transport ministers to curb the ban.
FAA Administrator Jane Garvey ran into contrasting receptions in Capitol Hill appearances last week.Senate Appropriations transportation subcommittee chairman Richard Shelby (R-Ala.) said FAA's budget request is "generous," and the question isn't whether the agency is spending enough, but whether it is spending wisely. Two days later, the Senate Commerce aviation subcommittee's ranking Democrat, Jay Rockefeller (W.Va.), suggested repeatedly that FAA should ask for more money. "Why don't you put us on the spot and go for what you need?" he asked Garvey at one point.
Columbia Air Services, Groton, Conn., received FAA approval to operate Part 135 charter service under the name Columbia Air, LLC. Columbia will operate at Groton-New London Airport, initially using a Piper Cheyenne II twin-engine turboprop aircraft.
Air Canada will launch daily nonstop service between Calgary and Chicago on May 17 and Toronto and San Diego on June 21. It is offering introductory fares until April 5 for travel through July 18 from Calgary and Edmonton to Chicago and beyond to 30 U.S. destinations, including New Orleans and Charlotte. The introductory fares start at $379 roundtrip. The carrier will offer double bonus miles in its frequent flyer program and Star Alliance partner United's between May 17 and July 17.
Varig totally revamped its administrative board last week as one of several steps to improve its long-term health. But reports of Varig's demise have been greatly exaggerated, according to Carlos Muzzio, director of North America and Caribbean. Difficulties in the U.S.-Brazil market had limited effect because the U.S. accounted for only 7.9% of Varig's total revenue in 1998. International traffic dropped 45% since the start of 1999, but the bulk of Varig's business - the Mercosur region of South America - is booming.
National Air Transportation Association named the Farmingdale, N.Y., Flight Standards District Office the first recipient of NATA's FAA Customer Service Excellence Award and Brent Shiner, manager of Hayward Executive Airport, Calif., recipient of the NATA Airport Executive Partnership Award.
Universal Avionics promoted Ken Wise to director-quality and reliability and named Frank Hummel general manager-research, development and engineering division.
Raytheon Aircraft Co., in a realignment of its sales and marketing departments, named Ted Farid VP-worldwide jet sales, Bradley Hatt VP-worldwide Beech sales, Mike Scheidt VP-airline program, Jim Link VP-global sales, Tom Bertels VP-marketing, John Thomas director-flight management and Kent Barnes director-commercial contracts.
