Northwest filed an emergency motion in an appeals court yesterday to stay DOT's order that the major provide support services to enable Northwest Airlink commuters Mesaba and Express I to fly to Essential Air Service communities. The filing, in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia, repeated arguments DOT turned aside when the carrier petitioned it directly: Northwest has been denied due process, and DOT is making factual errors because it does not fully understand how to apply the law to the carrier's commuter contracts.
Top U.S. Gateways For Nonstop Travel To/From Africa/Middle East The Year 1997 % Change % Change Departures 97 vs. 96 Passengers 97 vs. 96 1 New York, Kennedy 5,704 -5.6% 1,323,020 -7.5% 2 New York, Newark 332 -2.9% 123,682 18.7% 3 Miami 390 15.7% 94,018 22.6%
C-S Aviation Services, acting as manager for PG-Aircraft Holdings, said it has reached a long-term lease agreement with TNT for four A300B4 freighters. TNT will add the aircraft to its European Express Center hub operations at Liege Airport, Belgium.
Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.) yesterday introduced a bill limiting the amount of money airlines can collect for selling international routes to what they paid for them. They could receive nothing if they acquired them for free, as is customary in a typical DOT route proceeding.
AlliedSignal said it is launching full-scale development of a new turbofan engine series for regional and business aircraft. The AS900 series will be designed with a thrust range from 4,000 to 9,000 pounds. The new engine is scheduled for FAA certification in the first quarter of 2001.
United is altering some of its domestic and Latin American routes to reflect growth initiatives and unprofitable operations. It will inaugurate the only nonstop service between Chicago and Buenos Aires, begin nonstops between Washington Dulles and San Jose, Calif., and launch Shuttle By United service on the San Jose-Los Angeles route. It will cancel Chicago-
The total value of the world's regional aviation transport aircraft market will be worth approximately $54 billion during the next 10 years, according to Forecast International/DMS, the Newtown, Conn.-based market research company. Sales of regional jets will continue to overtake propeller-based aircraft.
Bombardier Chairman Laurent Beaudoin said the company, which announced Tuesday at the Farnborough Air Show that it is developing a 90-seat regional jet, believes the 90-seat segment is the "next logical step" in its regional jet array and we believe it offers great potential" (DAILY, Sept. 9). The company's plans call for a 128-inch cross section with five- abreast seating and a new wing with underslung engines - much like the Fairchild Dornier 728 family.
TWA's traffic for August dropped 11.7% on 10.5% less capacity, which reduced the load factor 1.1 percentage points to 74.8%. The airline continues to show capacity declines because of earlier replacement of 747s and L-1011s with 767s and 757s. Year-to-date traffic dipped 0.3% on 4.6% less capacity, boosting the load factor 3.1 percentage points to 74.8%. Domestic traffic increased 4% year-to-date on 1.8% more capacity, forcing the load factor up 4 points to 73.8%. Aug 98 Aug 97 8 Mths 98 8 Mths 97
AlliedSignal said three Latin American airlines selected its enhanced ground proximity warning system, auxiliary power unit and flight data and cockpit voice recorders for A320 series aircraft in a deal valued at more than $100 million. The airlines are LanChile, the TACA Group of El Salvador and TAM of Brazil.
Donald Koranda was named president and chief executive of the National Aeronautic Association. He has been VP-training of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Air Safety Foundation.
Swissair will launch six-times-weekly nonstop service Dec. 17 between Newark and Euroairport Basel-Mulhouse-Freiburg on a code share with Delta. The carrier plans A310-300 service initially and plans to switch to an A330 in September 1999.
Top 25 U.S. Gateways For Nonstop Travel To/From South America/Caribbean The Year 1997 % Change % Change Departures 97 vs. 96 Passengers 97 vs. 96 1 Miami 144,175 -1.3% 11,736,218 2.0% 2 New York, Kennedy 30,928 -0.7% 4,126,317 4.0% 3 Los Angeles 36,936 -1.0% 3,578,994 -1.8%
Top 25 South America/Caribbean Gateways For Nonstop Travel To/From the U.S. The Year 1997 % Change % Change Departures 97 vs. 96 Passengers 97 vs. 96 1 Mexico City 47,261 0.9% 3,964,700 4.2% 2 Cancun 29,150 3.0% 3,225,365 5.7% 3 Sao Paulo 12,799 8.5% 1,963,703 11.2%
Messier-Bugatti, citing increasing demand in the U.S. market, said it will build a plant in Covington, Ky., to manufacture carbon disks for Airbus and Boeing aircraft brakes. The new, wholly owned unit will be called A-Carb. The $30 million project is expected to be completed within 18 months.
Northwest expressed surprise yesterday as DOT prepared to file suit to force Mesaba back in the air and Northwest itself to provide essential services to support the regional carrier. Northwest Airlink commuter Express Airlines I reached a separate agreement with DOT under which it will draw up plans to relaunch service.
American Eagle, which ordered 75 more regional jets this week, has 130 on order and holds options for 167 more.Even if it replaces all its turboprops, its size could grow by 50% within six years if it exercises all the options. Eagle currently operates 207 aircraft and will receive 30 more EMJ-145 regional jets in the next 15 months.
Delta posted a 3.5% increase in August traffic on 2.8% more capacity, which raised the load factor to 77.5% from 77%. Domestic traffic rose 1.4% on 0.5% less capacity, raising the load factor 1.4 percentage points to 77%. International traffic grew 10.7% on 14.5% more capacity, depressing the load factor 2.8 points to 79.2%. In the first eight months of 1998, Delta's traffic has risen 3.1% on 2.1% more capacity, as the airline has chosen to increase international available seat miles while lowering domestic capacity 0.4%.
International Civil Aviation Organization launched its Year 2000 web site, www.icao.int/y2k, which will describe ICAO Y2K programs and provide periodic updates on the status of Y2K compliance in global air transport.
American and AMR Corp. announced new responsibilities for several executives. Robert Baker, executive VP-operations, will add purchasing, corporate real estate, cargo, safety and security to his current duties, which include flight operations, maintenance and engineering, the system operations control center and operations planning. Dan Garton, president of American Eagle since 1995, will become senior VP-customer services, reporting directly to Chairman Donald Carty. Peter Bowler, VP-passenger sales for American, will succeed Garton.
