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.
Japan Airlines and All Nippon Airways joined Lufthansa, SAS and Air France in appealing to DOT for 1999 summer season Chicago O'Hare slots after being turned down by FAA. JAL asked DOT for slot exemptions to operate five weekly Chicago O'Hare-Osaka Kansai nonstop roundtrips during the summer season. JAL said the service, which it plans to start May 1, 1999, will restore direct Chicago-Osaka service, noting that on Oct. 24, United canceled the daily nonstop it had been operating since July 4. ANA wants slots to begin daily O'Hare-Tokyo nonstops April 4.
FAA and the Joint Aviation Authorities are at odds over whether an FAA--proposed new rule on limiting damage from bird ingestion by turbofan engines has, as the JAA believes, a "lower design minimum than the current rule." FAA said it does not plan to incorporate JAA's proposal into the new rule.
American created Bonanza Acquisitions to handle the purchase of Reno Air for tax reasons. But the name has little to due with aviation and comes from American's internal code name for the acquisition - the television show Bonanza, set on a ranch near Reno, Nev.
Frontier reported a 30% increase in traffic on 23% more capacity in November 1998 compared with the same month last year, pushing the load factor up 2.9 percentage points to 48.1%. Frontier flew 94.9 million revenue passenger miles and 197.2 million available seat miles. Passenger volume grew 23.3% to 107,027. For the first 11 months, Frontier flew 35.5% more RPMs, 31.3% more ASMs and 14.6% more passengers. The load factor was up 1.8 points.
All Nippon Airways and SAS have signed a cooperation agreement that covers common use of airport lounges and frequent flyer programs, starting early next year. They plan joint flights between Japan and Scandinavia in the near future.
DOT - Approved a two-year exemption renewal and indefinite-duration allocation of three U.S.-Russia all-cargo frequencies for Evergreen International Airlines to operate scheduled foreign cargo service between Anchorage, Alaska, and Khabarovsk, Petropavlovsk, Vladivostok and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russian Federation, and beyond to Hong Kong without local traffic rights between Russia and Hong Kong...Approved a two-year exemption renewal for UPS to operate scheduled foreign cargo service between Anchorage, Alaska, and Manila, Philippines, via Seoul, South Korea, and Taipei, Tai
Tower Air will ferry people on the annual Hadj religious pilgrimage to Mecca under a contract with Air-India valued at more than $20 million. The contract covers four Boeing 747s to be used during the 1999-2001 period. Flights for the upcoming Hadj begin in the middle of February and continue through the end of April. Tower has flown Hadj charters since 1992.
Mercury Air Group announced the opening of its new fixed-base operation at Charleston International Airport in South Carolina, its 15th FBO in a coast-to-coast network.
Lufthansa and KG Allgemeine Leasing have linked to form a new aircraft leasing subsidiary - German Operating Aircraft Leasing (GOAL). KGAL has financed 220 aircraft and Lufthansa has remarketed more than 300. GOAL will acquire used aircraft from Lufthansa for remarketing on an operating-lease basis.
Delta Connection carrier SkyWest will end its feeder service with Delta in Los Angeles, effective April 4, the carriers said Friday. Delta said both sides arrived at the decision after "lengthy discussions." SkyWest earlier this year signed an agreement with United for a West Coast partnership that includes Los Angeles. "It was a mutual decision based on discussions we have held this year," said Delta spokesman Todd Clay. Delta, a minority stockholder in SkyWest, said its agreement with SkyWest is unchanged. SkyWest could not be reached for comment.
Utah-based SkyWest Airlines, the nation's fifth largest regional carrier, reported a 43.3% jump in traffic on 36% more capacity for November 1998 from the same month last year, boosting the load factor 2.7 percentage points to 52.5%. SkyWest flew 84.2 million revenue passenger miles and 160.4 million available seat miles. Passengers flown were up 65.7% to 420,718. Year-to-date RPMs rose 24.5% on 14.4% more ASMs from the same 11-month period last year, increasing the load factor 4.5 points. Passengers flown grew 51.5%.
TWA and the International Association of Machinists (IAM) have moved forward during their 11-day mediation session that ended Friday, according to airline spokesman Jim Brown. But no contracts were approved for the union, which represents passenger service employees, mechanics and flight attendants. The two sides, squaring off in a lengthy negotiation throughout this year, expect to return to the bargaining table after the holidays.
U.S. Major Carriers Latin Share of Service Third Quarter 1998 Total Revenue Departures Alaska 1,656 America West 882 American 24,846 Continental 11,879 Delta 3,521 United 4,990 US Airways 1,725 Total 49,499 Average Number of
Detroit-based Spirit Airlines saw a 108.6% jump in traffic on a 132.8% gain in capacity for November 1998 over the same month last year, which depressed the load factor 8.2 percentage points to 70.8%. Spirit flew 120.9 million revenue passenger miles and 170.8 million available seat miles. Passengers flown jumped 78.9% to 134,766. Year-to-date, Spirit flew 79.2% more RPMs and 80.6% more ASMs, which pushed the load factor down 0.6 points. Passengers flown grew 78.8%.
US Airways unit of the Air Line Pilots Association has elected Chris Beebe chairman of its Master Executive Council. Craig Skinner was elected vice chair and Philip Osterhus secretary/treasurer.
DOT extended for a fourth - and final - time, through Jan. 4, 1999, the period for taking action on United's complaint against the European Commission and the national authorities of Germany, Denmark, Norway and Sweden. DOT may extend the action deadline up to 180 days from receipt of the complaint, which United filed July 8. DOT rules require the department to "approve, deny, dismiss or set a complaint for hearing, or institute other procedures proposing remedial action" by Jan. 4.
