FAA solicited comment yesterday on a proposed Technical Standard Order specifying minimum operational performance standards for stand-alone airborne navigation equipment using the Global Positioning System (GPS) enhanced by the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS). In a Federal Register notice, the agency set April 16 as the deadline for comment.
Continental yesterday added to its string of superior traffic results with a record January load factor of 67.9%, up 3.1 percentage points from January 1998. Traffic increased 13.7% and capacity 8.5%. International traffic rose 15.1% on 11.9% more capacity. International capacity was 35.4% of the airline's systemwide total last month. January domestic traffic rose 13% on 6.7% more capacity. Continental Express traffic increased 37.6% on 19.3% more capacity, raising the load factor 7.3 points to a record.
The Air Transport Association is blasting the Clinton administration's budget proposal, saying it will impose heavy taxes on air travelers. "After a multi-billion dollar tax increase two years ago, the administration is now proposing to raise taxes on airline passengers by billions more," said ATA President and Chief Executive Carol Hallett. She said airline passengers "do not deserve the government dipping into their pockets yet again."
The 10 largest U.S. carriers posted poorer records in December and the year 1998, compared with November and calendar 1997, for on-time arrivals and mishandled-baggage, according to DOT's Air Travel Consumer Report; complaints were up for the year but down in December. The airlines reported an on-time arrivals record of 73.2% in December, lower than in November, 83.3%. For the year, the carriers achieved an on-time rate of 77.2%, slightly lower than 1997's 77.7%.
Malaysia Airlines has asked the transport ministry for permission to raise domestic fares by 20%, citing escalating overheads and declining revenue from the sector. The previous increase, for 16%, came in 1992. Transport Minister Ling Liong Sik denied this but indicated the government will consider the current increase if MAS makes a request. He added, however, that the current economic situation would have to be taken into account.
National Airlines, close to starting operations from Las Vegas, yesterday signed a five-year contract with Airline Automation for software related to a frequent flyer program, flight scheduling and reservations. AAI will provide e-ticket confirmations via fax, e-mail and regular mail.
US Airways' low-fare MetroJet service yesterday added 17 roundtrip flights between Washington Dulles and three new markets - Atlanta, Birmingham, Ala., and Raleigh/Durham, N.C. The new schedule will offer seven daily Dulles-Atlanta nonstops, three Dulles-Birmingham flights, four Dulles-Raleigh/Durham flights and three Raleigh/Durham-Orlando flights. Sample lowest advance purchase one-way fares are $77 Dulles-Atlanta, $59 Dulles-Raleigh/Durham and $85 Raleigh/Durham-Orlando.
British Airways traffic for January rose 9.5% on 10.7% more capacity, lowering the passenger load factor 0.6 percentage points to 63.6%. Premium traffic fell for the second straight month, down 1.1%, and showed a sharper decline within Europe than outside the continent. Non-premium traffic grew 11.3%. BA's intercontinental traffic rose 10.3% last month on 11.35 more capacity, while U.K./Europe traffic grew 5.2% on 8.1% more capacity.
Alaska Airlines, one of the few airlines with double-digit growth at the moment, posted an 11.6% increase in January traffic on 10% more capacity, which boosted the load factor 0.9 percentage points to 62.1%. Alaska carried 970,800 passengers last month, up 9%. Subsidiary Horizon Air reported a 27.5% traffic rise on 26.7% more capacity, leading the load factor to grow to 57.3% from 56.9%. Horizon carried 364,900 passengers in January, compared with 295,000 in January 1998.
The House yesterday overwhelmingly approved - by a 408-3 vote - a $10.1 billion FAA reauthorization bill for the balance of fiscal 1999. In a related development, the Senate Commerce Committee announced that its planned markup today of Chairman John McCain's multi-year reauthorization - the Air Transportation Improvement Act - has been postponed because McCain has the flu.
The National Mediation Board will investigate the results of the election at Northwest that wrested the right to represent the airline's more than 2,000 mechanics away from the International Association of Machinists (IAM) in favor of the Aircraft Mechanics Fraternal Association (AMFA). In a letter to Northwest yesterday, the NMB said its review of IAM's challenge to the election had turned up grounds for a field investigation. The inquiry will begin as soon as a mediator can schedule individual witnesses, NMB said.
British Midland had the best booking period in its history since it began a fare sale Jan. 14. On Sunday, the airline extended the sale by five days, until tomorrow. Originally, British Midland said it was discounting fares by $16 million across 300,000 seats systemwide. The method of describing the sale - in money rather than in percent discount - is a novel approach. The carrier has been receiving 800 calls an hour during its busiest periods.
Of 9,606 commercial aviation complaints filed at DOT in 1998, 1,001 were about foreign airlines, up from 882 in 1997.British Airways accounted for 79 complaints, Air France and Air Jamaica 71 each, KLM 58 and Lufthansa 44. United and Northwest each drew more than 1,100. Tour operators were the subject of 300 complaints, 181 of them against Sunjet International Sales.
U.S. National Carriers Productivity, In RPMs And ASMs Per Employee Third Quarter 1998 Revenue Available Passenger Seat Miles Miles Total (000) (000) Employees AirTran Airlines 842,580 1,447,916 2,489 Aloha 198,147 313,022 2,265 American Trans Air 2,624,813 3,607,022 5,065
Messier Services will repair and overhaul Ansett Australia's narrowbody fleet of 22 737 and 11 A320 aircraft under a US$5 million contract. The Messier-Bugatti unit, formed last July, said the contract is its first to provide comprehensive service for an airline's entire single-aisle fleet.
US Airways' first A320 aircraft was scheduled to enter service today on Philadelphia-Los Angeles daily service. The airline expects to receive 10 more 142-seat A320s this year. US Airways began flying 120-seat A319s last November. US Airways launched MetroJet service yesterday from Raleigh/Durham to Orlando and Washington Dulles.
United Shuttle's departure performance has improved 10 to 15 percentage points since a Nov. 1 change to keep specific aircraft on the same routes during the entire day. "Closed-loop" flying has enabled the airline to better battle the consistent bad weather that plagues operations from San Francisco Airport. "Instead of flying all of our Shuttle planes to all of our Shuttle cities, we recently began flying 70% of the departures in a closed loop between San Francisco and Los Angeles all day," said Amos Kazzaz, VP-United Shuttle, in an internal communique.
The global oneworld alliance among American, British Airways, Canadian, Cathay Pacific and Qantas began officially Monday, with service and connections to 632 destinations in nearly 140 countries. The tally will rise when Finnair joins later this year. The five carriers are training more than 200,000 staff members worldwide. Oneworld coordinators have produced a magazine featuring employees from all five carriers, a special Quick Reference Guide for customer service and an Airport Transfer Guide for passengers.
Virgin Atlantic has moved to the new Terminal 1 at New York Kennedy Airport. The carrier expects to open a larger business lounge and drive-through check-in for business passengers this summer at the terminal, where it has a 10-year commitment. It operates two daily flights to London from JFK, with a third starting this spring.
After submitting five applications over eight years to become Thailand's second designated flag carrier, Bangkok Airways (BKKA) lost out to startup Angel Airlines. Three private carriers submitted bids, the third being SK Air, previously known as Kampuchea Airlines. SK Air, which operates domestic services with 737-200s, is restricted to routes not operated by Thai Airways International, however.
The government of Thailand, bucking the country's financial crisis and other obstacles, has given the go-ahead for construction of the New Bangkok International Airport (NBIA) in Nong Ngu Hao district. Construction is set to start later this year, with completion slated for the first quarter of 2005. The new facility will replace the current airport in Don Muang, used by 83 carriers.
Reeling from heavy losses, South Korea's two major carriers, Korean Air (KAL) and Asiana Airlines, are eager to resume service on the lucrative Seoul-Taipei route. The two carriers, together with China Airlines and EVA Airways, suspended flights between Korea and Taiwan in September 1992 after the Korean government severed diplomatic ties with Taipei in favor of Beijing. Before relations turned sour, KAL and Asiana operated 40 flights per week on the route.
US Airways today will introduce its first Airbus A320 into service on long-haul flights between Philadelphia and Los Angeles. The 142-seat A320 is the first of 11 scheduled for delivery this year; the first A319 entered service in November.
America West yesterday followed other major U.S. airlines and lowered its international travel agent commission structure to an 8% base and a maximum $100 for roundtrip tickets and $50 for one-way. The move is effective immediately. The airline's only international service is to Canada and Mexico. Tickets purchased in Canada on America West for travel outside the country also will earn an 8% base, with a C$140/C$70 roundtrip/one-way maximum and minimum.
AccessAir is scheduled to begin flying today, serving Los Angeles and New York LaGuardia with scheduled nonstop and direct flights from its base in Des Moines, via Moline (Quad Cities) and Peoria, Ill. The carrier received FAA operating specifications and certification and DOT approval on Monday. Roger Ferguson, president and chief executive, said the carrier has developed "the most complete and detailed set of procedures ever created by a new-entrant airline." Its pilots, flight attendants, mechanics and managers participated in writing its manuals.
