Flight Dynamics said a recent order from Southwest pushed its head-up guidance system sales over the 1,000 mark. Since initial orders by Alaska in 1987, 14 airlines have ordered the systems.
Swissair will launch service between Newark and Basel Dec. 17 with code-share partner Delta. Swissair is offering an introductory $298 roundtrip fare, plus taxes, for economy travel through Jan. 31.
Boeing has completeBoeing has completed a contract to build four C-32A executive jets (757s) for transporting government officials. The aircraft will replace Air Force C-137s (707s) used for this purpose since the 1950s.
The scheduled completion date of the new Nankan Airport, to be built in the offshore Matsu Island group, will be brought forward by a year, placing the new completion date before the end of 2001, according to Lin Feng-chang, Taiwan's minister of transportation and communications. The new airport will cover an area of 94 acres, more than three times the size of Matsu's current Peikan Airport, and will have a 5,000-foot runway. Lin also said a plan to expand Peikan will be implemented before yearend, with completion in two years.
Kansas City, Mo.-based Vanguard Airlines flew 21% more traffic in October on the same capacity as October last year, which pushed the load factor up 11 percentage points to 61.7%, the highest October load factor in the company's history. The carrier reported 56.1 million revenue passenger miles and 91 million available seat miles. Passengers boarded jumped 45% to 121,856. Year-to-date RPMs decreased 11% on 22% fewer ASMs, compared with the first 10 months last year, boosting the load factor 8 points. Passengers boarded increased 13%.
Air Methods posted third quarter revenue of $12.7 million, up 16%, and a net loss of $188,000, down from net income of $583,000 the year before. For the first nine months, revenue rose 39% to $36.8 million, and net income remained flat at $1 million.
SimuFlight Training International said it will acquire up to 10 new full-flight FAA Level D simulators and add 10 simulator bays to its Dallas/Fort Worth Airport training center. SimuFlite plans to add at least five new aircraft training programs by mid-2001. Models under consideration include Cessna, Gulfstream and Raytheon products. Selections will be announced later this year.
Mandarin Airlines and Formosa Airlines are in merger talks that could produce results by early next year, according to Taipei's United Evening News. Mandarin, a wholly owned subsidiary of China Airlines, operates three aircraft on routes connecting Taiwan to Canada and Australia, while Formosa, in which CAL holds a 40% stake, operates a 16-plane fleet on domestic routes. A CAL spokesman said a possible merger between Mandarin and Formosa was discussed at a CAL board meeting last week, but no decision was reached.
Merrill Lynch is optimistic that Cathay Pacific's management is handling the Asian economic crisis well and that the airline will be well-positioned when traffic in the region comes back. The investment house raised its ratings of the airline for both the intermediate and long term. "Although yields are still under a lot of pressure, management's cost cut efforts should position the airline well for a cyclical upturn," said analyst Wendy Wong in the report.
FedEx asked DOT for an amended certificate for U.S.-France service to "reissue the route description...to conform to the liberalized...authority" available under the U.S.-France bilateral to FedEx as the incumbent U.S. flag cargo carrier. The agreement enables FedEx to operate scheduled all-cargo service from any points in the U.S. to any points in France either directly or via intermediate points, and to and from points behind the U.S. to points beyond France subject to fifth-freedom limitations.
Amadeus began Amadeus Application Programming Interface, enabling travel service providers, agencies and third-party software houses worldwide to connect with the Amadeus system. API simplifies integration of the Amadeus system with the business logic of customers' proprietary applications, such as customized front-office systems or booking engines for cruise and tour companies.
Airbus and Fokker Aircraft Operating Costs Second Quarter 1998 Dollars Per Block Hour A320-100/200 America West Northwest United Average Crew Cost $608 $608 $635 $551 Fuel&Oil 384 437 428 420
Canadian Airlines and MTU Munich, with assistance of the British Columbia government, yesterday launched MTU Maintenance Canada, which will be responsible for Vancouver-based maintenance and repair of the carrier's aircraft engines. Canadian Airlines holds 30% of the venture, MTU Munich 70%. The government will contribute $19.5 million in loans. The new company will use existing infrastructure at the airline's Vancouver Operations Center and will operate at the outset with more than 200 employees.
China's Wuhan Airlines won a $20.8 million verdict against the Texas-based aircraft leasing company Air Alaska Inc. The leasing firm now is called World Pacific Air Lease Inc. The trial, which lasted two weeks, centered on a 1997 agreement under which Wuhan leased a 737 from Air Alaska. Wuhan paid escrow and other deposits in anticipation of acquiring the leased aircraft. When the contract terms were not honored, Wuhan filed a breach of contract claim. Fraud and compensatory damages were $10.4 million, with the same amount for punitive damages.
America West on Jan. 7 will add a fifth daily Phoenix-New York/Newark nonstop and a fourth Phoenix-Boston nonstop, using A320 aircraft. Mike Smith, senior VP-marketing and sales, said the new service "builds upon America West's position as the No. 1 airline from Phoenix to the Northeast." Also in January, the carrier will add a fourth daily Phoenix-Salt Lake City flight.
Indianapolis-based American Trans Air, principal subsidiary of Amtran, reported an 8.3% increase in systemwide traffic and 12% more capacity in October 1998, compared with the same month last year. The airline flew 724.4 million revenue passenger miles, a record, and 1.08 billion available seat miles. Block hours flown grew 14.1% to 12,710, while charter service RPMs dropped 13.8% to 263.7 million and ASMs were down 0.8% to 428.7 million. Passengers carried fell 5.7% to 119,771 while block ours flown declined 0.6% to 3,522.
Airbus and Fokker Systemwide Aircraft Utilization Per Day Second Quarter 1998 A320-100/200 America West Northwest United Total Number of Aircraft Operated 29 55 51 135 Total Fleet Operations
The cargo divisions of KLM and Alitalia are gearing up to sign a "master cooperation agreement," following their launch last month of joint cargo operations. The companies offer joint cargo services to 16 destinations in Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Latin America. The new partnership does not cover North Atlantic cargo services because of bilateral policy restrictions with KLM's U.S. alliance partner, Northwest.
Malev Hungarian Airlines will acquire Lockheed Martin Aircraft&Logistics Center's 50% interest in Aeroplex of Central Europe. The two companies jointly formed ACE in 1992 as an aircraft maintenance and engineering services facility in Hungary. "Lockheed Martin helped Malev successfully build the capabilities of Hungarian mechanics and engineers to support the company's fleet modernization," said Antal Pongraez, Malev chief executive.
Sabena Technics, Sabena's overhaul and maintenance division, has won a 150 million Belgian franc (US$4.2 million) contract from Lithuanian Airlines, its first from the Baltic carrier. The contract requires Sabena Technics to perform a D-check on the carrier's 737 and maintain its CFM56-3 and JT8D engines.
Boeing said it has developed a "sandwich gasket" for airplanes that eliminates the need for sealants and toxic materials and prevents corrosion. Mickey Williamson, a customer technology specialist for Boeing, said the gasket can be used for antennas and similar equipment. It consists of a double aluminum mesh with a fluorosilicone compound between the two screens. When pressure is applied, a waterproof seal is formed. The new gasket reduces the time to replace an antenna from up to four hours to half an hour, he said.
Economic pressure may force higher-than-expected aircraft retirements next year to comply with noise rules that take effect Dec. 31, 1999."Trijets, both widebodies and narrowbodies, will disappear from the marketplace," said one industry official, citing L-1011s, 727s and DC-10s, and American's decision to phase out the latter two types.
The operations of Taipei Air Cargo, an air cargo terminal located at the Chiang Kai-shek International Airport, will be transferred from Taiwan's Civil Aviation Administration to the private sector through an open tender, the CAA said. Bidding will be open to local and foreign firms or consortiums. To qualify, bidders must have paid-in capital of at least US$15 million.
British Airways yesterday posted a 60.4% jump in net profits to #162 million ($275 million) for the quarter that ended Sept. 30 as operating profits soared 30.3% to #262 million ($445 million). The airline, with a large Europe-Asia flight offering, logged a 1.6-percentage-point-rise in operating margin to 9.2%. Net profits for the first half of BA's fiscal year rose 9.5% to #347 million ($590 million) from #317 million, excluding one-time events. Revenue for the three-month period increased 8.7% to #2.44 billion ($4.15 billion).
LanChile's traffic for September grew 9.9% on 13.4% more capacity, which forced the passenger load factor down 1.9 percentage points to 60.9%. For the first nine months, traffic increased 13% and capacity 15.6%.
