Capitalizing on its roots in commercial and military aviation and the automobile market, Saab Aircraft Leasing (SAL), formerly Saab Aircraft Finance Group, and Saab Cars USA Inc., are launching a $1 million cross-branding campaign to boost the fortunes of both segments. Automobiles will be displayed in airports used by Saab aircraft operators, and the automotive side will tout the benefits it has received from Saab Aircraft.
United Express Atlantic Coast Airlines yesterday began Canadair Regional Jet service between Chicago O'Hare and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pa., with three roundtrips daily. The new service uses so-called "exemption slots" at O'Hare, designed to provide longer-haul jet service to markets that are considered underserved. Also yesterday, ACA initiated turboprop service between Wilkes-Barre and its Washington Dulles hub using 19-seat Jetstream 32 aircraft.
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association has assigned members as "monitors/activists" at nearly 500 airports across the nation. The new AOPA Airport Support Network "extends member involvement in AOPA aircraft defense through the U.S.," said President Phil Boyer. The network monitors airport issues, reports problems to AOPA and fosters local airport support groups and pilot activism for airport defense, Boyer said. The program aims to assign a monitor for each of 5,000 U.S. public-use airports.
Continental Express and its pilots' union will resume contract negotiations Monday and Tuesday in Washington under the auspices of the National Mediation Board.Union leadership is asking pilots to show solidarity and let the company know they are committed to a contract that gives industry parity.The union also wants to tell management that it has the pilots' support to take job action when "the NMB ultimately releases the Continental Express pilot group to self-help."
US Airways began daily nonstop Pittsburgh-Paris roundtrips yesterday, serving the route with two-class 767 aircraft fed from more than 70 mainline and regional points. Paris is the carrier's second European destination, after Frankfurt, from Pittsburgh. The airline serves Paris and six other European cities from Philadelphia.
Continental Express yesterday began Houston-Greenville/Spartanburg service with two roundtrips daily using new 50-seat EMB-145 ExpressJets. The carrier is expanding its jet operations rapidly as it continues taking delivery of the new aircraft. It recently exercised an option for 25 additional 145s, which takes its total firm orders to 75, plus 125 options. The airline also has firm orders for 25 of the smaller 37-seat ERJ-135s, plus 75 options.
Augsburg Airways is continuing to gain traffic and improve its financial performance, but it fears that its "moderate plans for further growth" may be threatened by the failure to establish a Joint Aviation Authorities pilot license for the European Union.
Paralyzed veteran Gerald Kelly filed a complaint against Continental, charging the carrier with discrimination under the Air Carrier Access Act for refusal by a flight attendant to stow Kelly's folding wheelchair in a designated cabin storage area, forcing Kelly to stow it in the cargo compartment.
DHL Worldwide Express said yesterday it won an $83.4 million contract to transport small packages internationally for most U.S. government agencies, including the Defense Department, for up to three years beginning today. DHL Chairman Patrick Foley said the company has handled sensitive government shipments for more than 20 years.
Pilots at Federal Express turned out in record numbers at a recent FedEx Pilots Association domicile meeting to learn the status of contract negotiations and hear Martin Levitt, author of Confessions of a Union Buster, speak on solidarity.
Using Chicago O'Hare takeoff and landing slots awarded in April by DOT, American Eagle inaugurated what it said is the only nonstop service between O'Hare and Duluth Airport. It offers three daily roundtrips using 50-passenger ERJ-145 regional jets.
Antonov Design Bureau and Volga-Dnepr J.S. Cargo Airline received quick approvals from DOT for emergency exemptions to transport materials, using An-124-100 aircraft capable of carrying outsize loads not able to be handled by any commercially available aircraft, required by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and other federal agencies to quickly carry out relief efforts in the wake of the havoc wreaked by Hurricane Georges in the Caribbean.
European Union transport ministers will meet today in Luxembourg to consider plans to shift Milan service from Linate Airport to Malpensa, in dispute between Italy and the European Commission, and multilateral aviation talks with the U.S.
AirTran Holdings' remarks about the impact of predatory practices on its profits precipitated Standard&Poor's revision of its outlook from stable to negative, AirTran Chief Financial Officer Richard Schroeter said yesterday. S&P changed the outlook in the wake of statements by President and Chief Executive Officer Joseph Corr that AirTran lost its chances for a profitable quarter and year because of aggressive practices by competitors (DAILY, Sept. 21).
As top government aviation officials prepared to release today a new inspection plan for aging aircraft systems, FAA yesterday ordered shielding and separation of electrical wiring in the fuel quantity indication system (FQIS) of all older Boeing 747s. Both actions resulted from the TWA 800 crash investigation. Today, DOT Secretary Rodney Slater and FAA Administrator Jane Garvey will announce FAA's new aging aircraft systems plan, comprising both short- and long-term actions to address the safety and reliability of commercial aircraft systems.
"There is no provision in the oneworld alliance agreement for special promotion of American/British Airways transatlantic services," the carriers told DOT in a joint response to the department's notice requiring detailed information on the five-carrier alliance. Use of the U.S.-U.K. services by oneworld partners' passengers after the American-BA alliance is approved "will create significant benefits for consumers originating in a third country," the prospective partners said.
Air Canada and Air New Zealand will launch code share service Oct. 8, jointly offering three-times-weekly service between Vancouver and Auckland via Honolulu. Seats go on sale today. Future plans call for daily service between Toronto and Auckland via Los Angeles. Air Canada will operate the Vancouver-Honolulu leg aboard Boeing 767 aircraft. Both carriers offer one-stop check-in and baggage ticketing, and reciprocal frequent flyer programs and airport lounge arrangements. Both carriers operate out of Terminal 2 at Los Angeles Airport.
Microsoft Expedia, the Internet travel site, is taking advantage of customers' willingness to book flights online and expects to reach $1 billion in revenue in 2001, five years after startup. Celebrating its second birthday next week, Expedia is on a pace to gross $350 million in 1998, according to Dhiren Fonseca, group product manager for Microsoft. Addressing the Interline Sales Marketing Conference in Fort Lauderdale this week, Fonseca said Expedia is booking three tickets a minute, or $4 million each week.
New Aircraft Orders And Options, June 1998 New Aircraft Orders And Options June 1998 Last 12 Months Firm Orders Options Orders Options Carrier # Type # Type Engines Del. Dates # Type # Type Air France 16 A319 - CFM56-5 99-02 3 A319 - Air France - 20 A319/
Arrow Air said it is the first cargo carrier in Miami to receive an FAA award for carriers which have at least 25% of their maintenance staff participate in the Aviation Technical Training. Arrow said more than 70% of its staff participated this year.
National Air Transportation Association yesterday praised authorization of a study of the adequacy of the U.S. airport network but joined the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association in opposing proposed order-to-land authority in a Senate measure. NATA President James Coyne said an amendment by Sen. Conrad Burns (R-Mont.) to the FAA reauthorization bill directs the General Accounting Office to prepare a study of the national airport network and its ability to meet air transportation needs over the next 15 years. The study will include remote airports and relievers.
