American International Airways (AIA), a subsidiary of Kitty Hawk Inc., asked DOT to reissue its certificates in the name of Kitty Hawk International d/b/a American International Airways. On Feb. 12, DOT orally granted AIA's request to trade under the name Kitty Hawk International; the cargo carrier also has obtained FAA's consent to do so for about the next 12 months until its FAA manuals can be republished with the new name.
Cintra, the company that owns Mexicana and AeroMexico, posted a fourth quarter turnaround, reporting a net profit of 669 million pesos (US$68.6 million). The company lost Ps2.6 million ($264,000) in the fourth quarter of 1997. For full-year 1998, Cintra's profit was Ps409 million ($41.9 million), down more than 80%. Operating revenue last year was Ps22.2 billion ($2.27 billion), up marginally over 1997. Cintra did not break down the results by airline, but Mexicana and AeroMexico are nearly identical in size, both in terms of traffic and employees.
TWA is offering deep discounts on fares from Washington Reagan to St. Louis that the company says are part of its regular new fare structure. Walkup fares are $199 one way, a 70% discount. A 14-day advance purchase fare has dropped from $399 roundtrip to $119 each way with no roundtrip purchase required. A seven-day advance fare is $159 one way with no roundtrip purchase required, down from $630 roundtrip. A 21-day advance purchase one-way fare is $99.
Northern Airlines withdrew its application for DOT certification. A spokesman for the startup told The DAILY that it was unable to secure its financing and thought it best to refile when its financing package is complete. The Syracuse, N.Y.-based startup carrier filed in late 1997, intending to serve medium-sized communities and major metropolitan areas from Syracuse, using Fokker F28-4000s (DAILY, Nov. 4, 1997). (Docket OST-97-3075)
Anglo-French Concorde prototype made its first flight 30 years ago yesterday, taking off from the Aerospatiale airfield in Toulouse. The Concorde airliner, powered by four Rolls-Royce-Snecma Olympus 593 engines, has since logged more than 900,000 flying hours, two-thirds of them above the speed of sound. The 600,000 supersonic hours amount to more than the total flown by the fighter fleet in the western world. The record for a transatlantic crossing stands at two hours, 52 minutes, 59 seconds, at an average speed of about 1,300 miles per hour.
Continental Express, Continental's regional subsidiary, launched nonstop Charleston-Houston service using the 50-passenger Embraer ERJ-145. The once-daily service complements Continental's current Charleston-Houston flights, which stop in Atlanta.
US Airways is offering $49 one-way introductory fares on its hourly Washington Dulles-New York LaGuardia service. A roundtrip purchase with a Saturday night stay is required, and customers must purchase tickets by Friday for travel by March 31. The unrestricted walkup fare is $159 one way. US Airways will offer seven jet flights daily in the market, and US Airways Express will double its Dash 8 service from four flights per day to eight.
Reno Air, acquired by American in December, is expanding its service from Los Angeles to San Francisco and San Jose. Effective April 19, Reno will add one daily roundtrip to San Francisco for a total of nine from Los Angeles, and one daily roundtrip to San Jose for a total of eight. Reno is offering triple miles on flights between San Francisco and Los Angeles, San Jose and Orange County, and San Jose and Los Angeles.
American is expanding its code share with Iberia by placing the AA code on Iberia's daily New York-Barcelona service, which will begin March 28. The carriers began code sharing last May.
America West has appointed C.A Howlett senior VP-public affairs. Howlett will continue to be responsible for federal, state and local government relations, congressional and legislative affairs and community service for the holding company, the airline and America West's leisure travel subsidiary, The Leisure Company. Howlett has been with America West since 1995 as VP-public affairs.
TWA's 83.2% reported on-time rate for February means the company has reached one of its major goals for 1999, and as a reward each of about 22,000 employees will receive a $100 bonus. TWA spokesman Jim Brown said the on-time rate was the company's highest for any February since DOT began reporting performance. TWA's completion rate for February was 98.6%.
Aer Lingus will debut its nonstop service from Dublin to Los Angeles on May 28 with specials aimed at attracting families. The Los Angeles family fare of $1,999 covers roundtrip travel for a family of four and is less expensive than the $698-per-person introductory fare. Aer Lingus will operate an A330-200 on the route, which continues to Shannon three times a week.
AlliedSignal said its new 331-600 auxiliary power unit has been selected for two growth versions of the Airbus A340. The contract is expected to generate more than $1 billion in original equipment, aftermarket parts, repairs and overhaul services. The first 331-600 engine to test will be this May with entry into service in 2002.
Continental wants to operate U.S.-Mexico code-share service with Northwest and Alaska. Continental applied for exemption authority to code share with Northwest between Detroit and Cancun, Cozumel, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Puerto Vallarta and Mexico City; Memphis and Cancun; Minneapolis/St. Paul and Acapulco, Cancun, Cozumel, Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Puerto Vallarta and San Jose del Cabo, and between Tampa and Cancun.
Air Transport Association (ATA), on behalf of four airlines and supported by pilots unions and industry, is expected to request within two weeks that FAA increase by 15% the maximum flying time from an airport, currently 180 minutes, that carriers may operate Boeing's 777 twin-engine transport. Requests are expected to follow that carriers also be allowed to operate Airbus's A330 twin 207 minutes from a landing site. This summer, FAA is expected to get a request to allow 180-minute extended twin-engine operations (ETOPS) for the next-generation Boeing 737s.
Malaysia Airlines has moved up the launch date of its new service from Kuala Lumpur to Manchester, U.K. MAS began flying yesterday, after originally planning to start July 1. The new route operates with 777s three times a week, and flights in both directions include a stop in Munich. Service to Manchester, MAS's 112th destination, is in addition to 14 weekly flights from Kuala Lumpur to London.
