Associated Global Systems named Ben Basden district manager, Jim Sparks international operations and Larry Huffman sales manager at its new Salt Lake City station.
FAA officials, anticipating a National Transportation Safety Board meeting March 23 and 24 on the probable cause of the crash of a USAir 737 near Pittsburgh, said last week that the agency's actions since the Sept. 8, 1994, accident "fixed all possible scenarios." Believing the board will recommend a sweeping overhaul of the rudder control system on all 737s, FAA officials said rudder controls on next-generation 737s meet current, not original, certification standards.
Air Canada posted a 0.3% rise in systemwide traffic and 2.3% less capacity for February 1999 compared with the same 1998 month, causing the load factor to gain 1.8 percentage points to 66.7%. Air Canada flew 1.6 billion revenue passenger miles and 2.3 billion available seat miles. Domestic RPMs declined 0.2% to 558 million and ASMs dropped 1.7% to 821 million, increasing the load factor 1.1 points to 68%. International RPMs rose 0.6% to 996 million on 2.6% fewer ASMs, 1.5 billion, boosting the load factor 2.1 points to 66%.
Land and hold short operations (LAHSO), which were to take effect Friday at some airports, were delayed until April 15 at a meeting last week in Washington between FAA, Air Transport Association and the Air Line Pilots Association. Jeff Griffith, FAA program director for air traffic operations, said meeting participants found some issues that "were not closed out yet," and the delay was not due to new concerns raised by pilots.
DHL Airways and the Postal Service announced forming a "strategic alliance" that will provide additional international air express options for U.S.-based shippers. The initial stage of the alliance will extend the Postal Service's international delivery capabilities to provide a two-day, guaranteed trackable express document from 11 U.S. cities to Western Europe. The Priority Mail Global Guaranteed product will be available in mid-April, with DHL providing transportation and delivery.
British Airways is close to signing a franchise deal in Rome with a new carrier operating BAe 146 regional jets, sources tell The DAILY. BA signed its 10th franchise agreement last week, with Dutch Jetstream 31 operator BASE Regional Airlines.
Current 100-seat projects by Airbus and Boeing will be eclipsed in fuel efficiency and operating economics when the Bombardier BRJ-X and the Fairchild Dornier 928 arrive, according to Morten Beyer&Agnew. "Heavy, heavy discounting" by Airbus and Boeing "could be the tool required to gain market penetration prior to the arrival of the lightweight, super-efficient 100-seaters," MBA says.
Passenger-rights bills are being eyed as vehicles for legislation that didn't make it last session. At last week's House aviation subcommittee hearing, Rep. William Lipinski (D-Ill.) raised the possibility that a passenger bill of rights could be "improved" by his carry-on bag-legislation, taken to hearing but not passed in the 105th Congress. Lipinski's office said he plans to reintroduce the measure this session.
Northwest asked DOT to renew for at least two years its exemption to provide nonstop scheduled combination service between Minneapolis/St. Paul and Acapulco, which it wants to serve during the winter season. The carrier said its request is consistent with the 1999 U.S.-Mexico agreement, under which the U.S. may designate two carriers to serve any U.S.-Mexico city-pair.
Hotel Electronic Distribution Network Association board elected Michelle Woodley, VP-distribution marketing of Swissotel, to a second term as president. Caryl Helsel was elected VP, Audrey Mattly treasurer and Ann Warnecke secretary.
H.R. 1052 - introduced March 10 by Rep. John Duncan Jr. (R-Tenn.) - a bill to amend Title 49, U.S. Code, relating to civil penalties for unruly passengers of air carriers. Transportation and Infastrcture.
Approved an initial one-year exemption for Polyot Airlines to engage in charter foreign cargo service between the Russian Federation and the U.S., and other charters...Approved a two-year exemption renewal for CityBird to conduct scheduled foreign combination service between Brussels and points in the U.S., and charters...Approved a GWV Travel charter using an Allegro MD-83 or 727 for 48 roundtrips carrying 165 passengers on a Boston-Cancun/Cozumel-Boston routing Dec. 25, 1999-June 5, 2000...Approved an Airline Brokers Co.
Northwest and its Transportation Communications Union reached a tentative agreement Friday on a new four-year contract. TCU represents Northwest's customer service agents and supervisory personnel in Canada. The pact is subject to ratification by the rank-and-file and, if passed, will be up for amendment in 2003.
Air Transport Association Cargo Traffic November 1998 Revenue Ton Miles (000) November November % 1998 1997 Change Domestic Freight 757,537 772,590 (1.9) Mail 140,197 163,115 (14.1) Total 897,734 935,705 (4.1) International
House Transportation Committee Chairman Bud Shuster (R-Pa.) isn't persuaded by airline arguments that a passenger-rights bill would cost them money. Shuster told the aviation subcommittee a total of 16 provisions in three House and Senate bills would not cost the airlines anything. He jokingly suggested a combination of those provisions might be a good place to start.
