Raytheon Co.'s operating performance will be strong once it has assimilated its 1997 acquisitions of Texas Instruments' and Hughes's defense businesses, but the company's debt protection measures will be "under pressure" until assimilation is complete, according to Moody's Investors Service. The acquisitions, for about $3 billion and $9.5 billion, respectively, make Raytheon the top U.S.
Airport officials are scheduled to tell European Commission competition authorities today that they share an interest in competition but oppose conditions the EC is proposing for airline alliances. The commission's DG 4 competition directorate, is holding hearings today and tomorrow in Brussels on the United-Lufthansa-SAS alliance, and witnesses will include airport officials, airline officials and labor leaders.
Theodore Forstmann, Gulfstream Aerospace chairman since 1993, also will become chief executive, the company said last week. The change is part of a new management structure designed for the next phase of Gulfstream's growth. Other appointments are Bill Boisture, who moves to president and chief operating officer from executive VP, and Chris Davis, who will add the duties of chief administrative officer to his responsibilites as executive VP and chief financial officer.
Association of Flight Attendants said Friday that a federal arbitrator ordered US Airways to stop cutting benefits of flight attendants on disability and return thousands of dollars in benefits. US Airways reduced the amount of disability benefits by deducting the cost of living awards flight attendants received annually from Social Security. US Airways was not immediately available for comment.
Austrian Airlines, which joined the US Airways frequent flyer program Dec. 1, carried 3.13 million scheduled passengers in the January-October period this year, up 15.1% from the same 10 months last year. Charter passengers were flat at 667,458.
Arinc, which now provides airline and airport communications services, said it is teaming with Sky Media to provide live video and radio news and entertainment services to airline passengers. The alliance combines Arinc's experience in air/ground voice and data communications with the satellite broadcast experience of Sky Media. The service initially will comprise live brand-name television and radio programming and will begin next year with two major U.S. airlines. Sky Media satellite broadcast technology currently is on 450 aircraft of three major U.S.
Air Force is looking for sources for its Joint Precision Approach and Landing System (JPALS), the military version of the Local Area Augmentation System. The Air Force wants to capitalize on research and development performed to date and ensure interoperability between military and civil operations while mitigating risks to the military landing environment. About two years ago, the military rejected an offer to join the civil program.
The House Democratic leadership announced Friday the appointment of seven Democrats to fill House Appropriations Committee vacancies, at least one of whom likely will wind up on the transportation subcommittee. Six of those selected filled vacancies created by retirements. The seventh spot represents an improvement in the party ratio for the Democrats, who picked up five House seats in the November elections.
NationAir, supplier of aviation insurance, named Jeff Bauer executive VP and general counsel; John Weber branch manager of the Minnesota office, and Ann Thickey branch manager of the Arizona office.
FAA - In Federal Register dated Dec. 7...Published its policy on the air carrier voluntary Flight Operational Quality Assurance program; information use for enforcement purposes.
Signature Flight Support selected Dean Anderson and George Andrews for the Technical Services Department and promoted Phil Doherty to general manager-Albany, N.Y., operations.
U.S. Major Carriers Atlantic Share of Service Third Quarter 1998 Total Revenue Departures American 6,600 Continental 3,447 Delta 7,453 Northwest 2,201 TWA 2,002 United 5,019 US Airways 1,659 Total 28,381 Average Number of
American has asked DOT to deny Air France's request for Chicago O'Hare slots for service to Paris Charles de Gaulle "unless the government of France ensures that the [1999 summer season] slots American has requested are made available at Paris Orly Airport for American's new proposed daily service from Los Angeles." France's Airport Coordination Paris has told American that "Orly's total annual limitation of 250,000 movements had been reached for 1999, and that no slots could be allocated for American's Los Angeles-Paris flights." American said the U.S.
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) said many tower lighting systems are monitored by computers, and it is concerned about "any kind of glitch that would prevent the computer from alerting a human about a lighting failure." Marty Shuey, AOPA VP-air traffic control, addressed a Federal Communications Commission forum in Washington on ways Year 2000-related computer problems might disrupt antenna lighting. The forum was attended by representatives of the communications, electric power and aviation industries.
Recent FAA-sponsored tests show that new Loran antennas are immune to precipitation static interference. FAA Flight Safety's long-standing concern over potential loss of Loran signals in aircraft flying on instruments has been a major deterrent to accepting Loran for non-precision approaches. The new antennas are said to remove a major obstacle to Loran acceptance for IFR flight.
The European Union and Switzerland, after more than four years of talks, have reached a global agreement. The accord, announced at the EU summit of Vienna on Friday, includes air transport as well as other items, such as road transport, agriculture and immigration rules. The Swiss gained full access to the EU's air transport market, including fifth and seventh freedoms, which means that Swissair, for instance, will be allowed to pick up passengers in Brussels and fly them to Stockholm.
Delta is offering special fares from Daytona Beach during the Daytona 500 weekend. Passengers must originate from Daytona Beach Feb. 11-13 and return Feb. 14-15. Sample roundtrip fares are $98 to Atlanta, $158 to Tucson and $198 to Portland or Seattle, Wash.
Just when airlines thought jet fuel prices could not go lower, they fell 14% for the week ending Dec. 7, according to BT Alex.Brown.Prices plunged to 33 cents per gallon. At 36 cents on average during the last two weeks, prices have dropped 33% from last year's 53 cents.
International scheduled and charter freight traffic is expected to grow an average of 5.3% a year between 1998 and 2002, according to the latest IATA Freight Forecast. The change represents a 2.2-point reduction from last year's five-year forecast. "While prospects for world freight traffic growth in 1998 remain subdued, there is evidence of a recovery in 1999 and beyond for all regions, including the Asia/Pacific," IATA said. Growth is expected to be strongest in 2000 at 6.3%, declining marginally in 2001 and 2002.
Weak unit revenue and yield performance in October and November is expected offset fuel benefits, however. Merrill Lynch expects domestic unit revenues to be down 1-2% in November. But one ray of hope is emerging for carriers in the middle of a sluggish quarter. With Northwest's traffic returning post-strike, analysts expect airlines to raise fares soon, something that has not happened universally all year.
