Las Vegas-based startup carrier National Airlines, with its DOT show cause order in hand and its FAA operations certification in process, is ready to begin service in April, President, Chairman and Chief Executive Michael Conway said Friday. Conway, America West co-founder and former VP and controller at Continental, said National will take delivery of the first of its projected fleet of 40 757s this week. The airline has its vendors in place and has developed its own yield management system, which will make way for a more sophisticated system as the airline grows.
FAA - In Federal Register dated Jan. 29...Issued an airworthiness directive on certain Embraer EMB-145 aircraft concerning use of the autopilot below 1,500 feet...Issued an AD on Douglas DC-8 aircraft concerning pressurization anomalies...Superseded an AD on Allison AE 3007A engines concerning reprogramming the full authority digital engine control... -- In FR dated Feb. 1...Proposed to supersede an AD on Boeing 737-200C aircraft concerning inspections of the fuselage in the lower lobe cargo compartment.
Dick Gordon, longtime acting director of Flight Standards Services at FAA, is retiring at the end of this month. Gordon has been deputy director since the recent appointment of Nick Lacey as director. His departure leaves several senior officials at FAA, including Lacey, with no field experience.
Clinton administration's proposal to turn FAA into a performance-based organization and boost competition in the U.S. airway system, is scheduled to go to Capitol Hill today. The plan, outlined by DOT Secretary Rodney Slater in a Wings Club speech last week (DAILY, Feb. 4), already has drawn comments and concerns. Jeff Shane, former DOT assistant secretary for aviation policy and currently an attorney with Wilmer Cutler&Pickering, Washington, told The DAILY he is encouraged that Slater addressed matters critical to the near-term status of aviation.
Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and Philippine Airlines (PAL), both weakened considerably by Asia's economic woes, have agreed to code share on regional routes, starting this month. Malaysia is one of several markets PAL abandoned last year. PAL's code will appear on 11 weekly MAS flights between Kuala Lumpur, Kota Kinabalu and Kuching and the Philippine cities of Manila and Cebu. MAS said the accord is PAL's first with a foreign airline since it restarted operations after last year's labor troubles.
Ansett Australia will lease two Boeing 747-400s from Singapore Airlines this year, after expiration of the leases of two SIA-owned 747-300s the Australian carrier currently operates. The move reflects economic reasons and Ansett's desire to counter Qantas's new fleet refurbishment.
Despite reported progress in FAA-Air Line Pilots Association negotiations on land and hold short operations, ALPA plans a LAHSO leaflet campaign beginning Feb. 17 at Boston, Charlotte, Miami, Chicago O'Hare, Philadelphia and St. Louis. ALPA has set a deadline of Feb. 19 to reach an agreement with FAA or call for a LAHSO embargo.
Helicopter Association International named John MacFarlane, Southern Airways of Texas, recipient of its Certified Flight Instructor Award; Thomas Craig, Evergreen Helicopters, Helicopter Maintenance Award; David Anderson, Rocky Mountain Helicopters, Aviation Repair Specialist Award; Thomas Robertson, Rocky Mountain Helicopters, Aviation Maintenance Technician Award; Matthew Zuccaro, Zuccaro Industries, Community Service Award; Michelle North, Rocky Mountain Helicopters, Joe Mashman Safety Award; Wesley Pearson, chief pilot for City of Lakewood, Calif., Law Enforcement Aw
The United Flight Center in Denver has received its Type 142 certificate from FAA, permitting the school to offer customers simulator-only flight training for pilots and engineers. The school offers simulator-only type ratings and recurrency training on most Boeing and Douglas aircraft, and on Airbus narrowbody aircraft.
U.S. domestic growth will be concentrated on the East Coast this year, and Northwest, Southwest and Alaska can expect "almost no impact on their operations," according to Merrill Lynch analysts. United and US Airways, expanding at Washington Dulles, "should see the most pressure on air fares and load factors." Above-average revenue growth is expected at Delta and Alaska.
Saying his bill "is not a vendetta against the airlines," Senate Commerce Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) joined aviation subcommittee member Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) Friday in announcing plans to introduce the Airline Passenger Fairness Act, a bill they said would establish basic rights for airline passengers. Another subcommittee member, Richard Bryan (R-Nev.), became a cosponsor.
The National Mediation Board on Friday threw out a challenge by Midway Airlines that attempted to overturn a representation election at the airline by the Association of Flight Attendants (AFA). Joyce Sothoron, a flight attendant, said, "We won fair and square. Now it's time for the airline to sit down with flight attendants and bargain seriously." NMB's ruling certified AFA as the official bargaining representative for Midway cabin crew. Of 107 eligible voters, 82 cast votes for AFA.
Regional airline executives believe the next round of pilot contract talks will raise caps on regional jet growth at the majors. Atlantic Southeast Chairman George Pickett Jr. said last week he is confident that Delta will not put restrictions on the number of RJs a regional affiliate can acquire. Atlantic Coast Senior VP-Finance Paul Tate said United's pilot scope clause probably will "evolve over time" to ease the current RJ cap, and SkyWest is banking on it to increase its United Express flying.
American wants to use its seven weekly U.S.-Russia frequencies, granted for own-aircraft Chicago-Moscow service, for code-share flights with Finnair to Moscow and St. Petersburg. DOT granted American an exemption for service between points in the U.S. and Riga, Latvia, and Tallinn, Estonia, via Helsinki, and approved various reciprocal code sharing by American and Finnair, but deferred action on St. Petersburg service.
Rolls-Royce expanded repair and overhaul support for its AE3007 engines by opening a test and rework center at Rolls-Royce, East Kilbride, Scotland. The new facility is the third - and the first in Europe, after existing bases in Montreal, Canada and Sao Paulo, Brazil - certified to handle the engine, which powers Embraer RJ145, RJ135 and Citation X aircraft. East Kilbride already has test and rework capability for the Rolls-Royce AE2100 powerplant for Saab 2000 and Lockheed Martin C-130J aircraft.
Sun Country flight attendants have reached a tentative agreement on their first contract. Under the deal, the airline's nearly 400 Teamster-represented cabin crew will gain "long overdue" wage increases and defined duty time limits, said Glenn Wisser, Sun Country flight attendant. Sun Country spokeswoman Lori Barghini said ballots will be mailed Feb. 10 and are due back Feb. 26. She said the ratification vote results should be announced by March 1.
Daystar Airways d/b/a Nevis Express applied for a DOT certificate to operate scheduled interstate combination service. The airline, based in Charlestown, Nevis, West Indies, is a U.S. carrier organized under the laws of Alaska and holds an FAA operating certificate. It wants to arrange interline agreements with carriers serving St. Kitts, which requires DOT economic authority. Daystar was formed by owner Allen Haddadi to provide scheduled service between Nevis and St. Kitts, which comprise the Federation of Nevis and St. Kitts.
Travel agent commission cuts, smart regional jet financing and attractive interest rates helped Atlantic Coast Airlines - one of the nation's fastest growing and most successful regional carriers - lower its unit costs 18% year over year, ACA Senior VP-Finance and Chief Financial Officer Paul Tate said. Tate, addressing airline financial analysts and executives at the Robinson-Humphrey Regional Airline Conference this week in New York, said ACA financed its first 15 RJs using low-cost lease and debt structure.
AirTran yesterday posted another quarterly loss, this time $30.5 million in the fourth quarter, including a $27.5 million charge to write off its Boeing 737 fleet. The net loss for 1998 was $40.7 million. Both quarterly and annual deficits were improvements over earlier losses. Fourth quarter revenue jumped 50.3% to $105.7 million, and revenue more than doubled last year, to $439 million from $211 million in 1997. AirTran currently operates 10 Boeing 737s, and five of them will leave the fleet during the third and fourth quarters.
FAA ordered U.S. operators to provide shielding and separation of fuel system wiring from adjacent wiring and installation of flame arrestors and pressure relief valves in the fuel vent systems of 1,140 737s at an estimated cost of $24 million, or $21,180 per airplane. Some 2,780 737s are in the worldwide fleet. The agency said its order includes all electrical circuits associated with the control or indication of the fuel quantity on the airplane. It turned down requests to withdraw or delay the rule pending further testing.
