BMW Rolls-Royce said Friday that the BR715 engine it is building for the Boeing 717-200 has received official recommendation for certification from the European Joint Aviation Authorities at a thrust rating of 18,500 -21,000 pounds. FAA approval is expected in September for the only engine to be offered on the twinjet. Guenter Kappler, Boeing engineering director, said the engine has growth potential of as much as 23,000 pounds. Boeing's Long Beach Division said the 717 will make its first flight this week "provided the airplane is ready."
Belgian low-cost carrier CityBird ended the second quarter 1998 with a substantially lower loss than in the first three months, leading management to predict improved results for the full year, although it did not guarantee a taxable profit. CityBird generated a consolidated net loss of 112 million Belgian francs (US$3 million) on revenues of BEF1.06 billion ($29.7 million) for the quarter ending June 30, well below the BEF314 million deficit it recorded on revenues of BEF439 million ($12.2 million) in the previous three-month period.
Summary of U.S. Major Carriers Domestic Traffic First Quarter 1998 Revenue Average Revenue Passengers Length of Passenger Enplaned % Travel Miles % (000) Change (Miles) (000) Change Alaska 2,644 4.12 837 2,212,466 6.02
Summary of U.S. Major Carriers International Traffic First Quarter 1998 Revenue Average Revenue Passengers Length of Passenger Enplaned % Travel Miles % (000) Change (Miles) (000) Change Alaska 219 (5.00) 1,128 246,955 (3.22)
Boeing said it has sent nearly 700 turbulence education and training aids to its commercial airplane customers worldwide. David Williams, chief pilot flight standards and safety, Boeing Long Beach Division, said the aids include an illustrated manual and a 26-minute video. The aids were developed to give pilots and other aviation professionals better knowledge of weather conditions and provide tips on how to avoid turbulence. In cases where turbulence is unavoidable, they describe how to minimize risk.
Forecasts based on current European accident rates and expected increases in air traffic project a major accident "every three days near 2005," says Flight Safety Foundation. FSF cited a Eurocontrol survey finding that only 21% of European aviation interests ranked safety more important than reduced delays, lower costs, increased capacity and routing flexibility - perhaps reflecting an assumption that European safety is excellent.
Dragonair has increased service from Hong Kong to Shanghai to four daily flights to meet increasing demand. The airline is offering a weekend promotion on the route through Nov. 30 for HK$3,480 (US$449), which includes roundtrip air fare, two nights in Shanghai, sightseeing and transfers.
House members returning from summer recess next week will confront a hold on H.R. 2748, the Airline Service Improvement Act, placed by House Judiciary Chairman Henry Hyde (R-Ill.). The bill includes provisions for slot exemptions at high-density airports, which Hyde opposes, and a series of studies to validate DOT's proposed airline competition policy. The bill also contains language calling on DOT and the Justice Department to avoid unnecessary duplication of effort as they review competition issues.
U.S. aerospace companies with investments in Russia are keeping a stiff upper lip as the Russian economy crumbles. Rockwell Collins, with avionics on the Il-96 transport, sees no effect on the production rate and cites U.S. Export-Import Bank support for Aeroflot's order. Il-96 enginemaker Pratt&Whitney says it never expected quick profits from Russian programs. Teal Group analyst Richard Aboulafia says Il-96 and Tu-204 investors "may never see a return."
A study of the cost structures of American and Southwest reveals that if American operated at Southwest's efficiency, it would save $3.5 billion annually. The study, by aviation consultants Morten Beyer&Agnew, shows that American's fares in markets where the two airlines compete are 38% lower than in non-head-to-head markets.
Lufthansa Cargo reported that it returned a profit of $20.7 million in the first half of 1998, an increase of $2.4 million from the same period last year. Revenues rose 2.7% to $996.3 million. The first half was strongly influenced by rising German exports, the carrier said. Average yield per ton kilometer fell slightly, while yield per paid ton rose 2.6%.
AirLiance Materials appointed Gwen Loquercio controller. Brown&Root Services Co. appointed Keith Chapman director-aviation services in its Management and Engineering Services division.
Rolls-Royce reported that its first half sales increased 7% to $4.7 billion and before-tax profit grew 16% to $221 million. The order book jumped 28% to $16.4 billion. Chairman Ralph Robins said the company "achieved a record order intake during this period. In civil aerospace, we sustained our market share with a strong performance across the product range. Our defense businesses continued to perform well, benefiting from the broad range of mature and new products that we offer."
Groen Brothers Aviation, Salt Lake City, said the Shanghai Energy and Chemicals Corp. (SECC) "asked for and received" an option to buy 300 more gyroplanes for use in air taxi operations. Hank Perry, a Groen marketing official, said his company currently has a $50 million SECC order for 200 three-passenger Hawk III gyroplanes. The option gives SECC the right to add, for about $220 million, 100 Hawk IIIs, 100 five-passenger Hawk Vs and 100 eight-passenger Hawk VIIIs. Perry said Groen Brothers expects FAA certification for the Hawk III within two years.
FAA said Friday that an "adjustment" in its regulations permits airline passengers to carry self-defense spray devices only in checked bags. Under the new rule, a passenger may carry one such device, weighing four ounces or less and containing not more than 2% tear gas, in a checked bag. FAA said passengers who violate the rule by bringing the sprays into the cabin face penalties up to $25,000 or five years in prison.
Vanguard is offering discounts for Labor Day holiday travel. Tickets must be purchased by Saturday for travel on Sept. 1-2, 5-6, and 8-9. One-way fares include $39 Atlanta-Myrtle Beach; $59 Atlanta-Kansas City and $79 Dallas/Fort Worth-Denver.
DOT issued a notice orally granting renewal of Aeromexico's authority to operate code-share service with Austrian Airlines between Mexico City and New York for 179 days, through Feb. 16, 1999. The department noted that American opposed the renewal, urging DOT not to allow a Mexican carrier to expand its U.S.
National Air Transportation Association expressed concern about an FAA proposal to require next-generation terrain avoidance equipment in most turbine-powered aircraft (DAILY, Aug. 28). NATA said the on-demand air charter industry is "particularly interested in examining the FAA's cost analysis, how the current time line was determined and whether equipment will be widely available in the near future," President James Coyne said. Technical standards for production of the warning systems are only in the draft phase, he added.
Air Transport Association named James Coon director-federal affairs. National Association of Flight Instructors added Bill Kershner, Marvin Easter and the late Joe Vorbeck to the Flight Instructor Hall of Fame, maintained at the Experimental Aircraft Association's Air Adventure Museum, Oshkosh, Wis. The Royal Aeronautical Society named Ian Sheppard publications manager. Society of Automotive Engineers named Charles Franklin manager- corporate public relations.
Singapore Aircraft Leasing Enterprise said it placed orders with Airbus for two more A320s, bringing its total number of Airbus aircraft on order to 16, including one A321. SALE, which began taking A320s in January, now has three in operation with America West and one with Irish charter carrier Transaer.
U.S. jet fuel prices have averaged 40.1 cents per gallon during the past two weeks, 31% below the 58.2-cent average a year ago, according to BT Alex Brown analyst Susan Donofrio. Recent trades have been even better, in the 39-cent range.
Summary of U.S. National Carriers Systemwide Traffic March 1998 Revenue Average Revenue Passengers Length of Passenger Enplaned % Travel Miles % (000) Change (Miles) (000) Change AirTran Airlines 263 1.15 562 147,727 17.44
Delineation between "regional" and "major" carriers will increasingly disappear as labor-cost differentials between the two groups are eliminated and more small jets come on line, says The Boyd Group/ASRC in its latest airport forecast issued this week. The economic advantage for majors to farm out routes to regional partners will decline, and majors will bring most of those operations under their own roofs. "Some regionals will be purchased, some integrated into the major and some current regionals will simply be dropped," the report says.
America West will begin expanding service at its Columbus, Ohio, hub Oct. 25 by increasing daily flights from 29 to 37. The additional service will be facilitated by the introduction of Mesa Airlines' America West Express jet service, which will initially assign four 50-seat Canadair Regional Jets to the Columbus operation. America West will add frequencies between Columbus and Baltimore, Philadelphia, Boston, New York LaGuardia, and Chicago Midway. Columbus-
Mesa Air Group has agreed to an $8 million settlement in class-action suits brought against the company and certain former and current officers and directors alleging publicly misleading financial statements and statements in a June 1993 public offering. The company said it believes it has "meritorious defenses against the plaintiffs' allegations," but agreed to the settlement to avoid protracted litigation.
