Qantas posted a 13.6% rise in operating profit to AUD$478 million (US$282.3 million) for the year that ended June 20, despite a withdrawal from some Asian routes and depressed yields on others. Net profit increased 20.7% to AUD$305 million ($180 million). Qantas Chairman Gary Pemberton cited the airline's swift alterations of its Asian routes as the chief reason for the improved results. "The timely rationalization of our Asian services, together with the reallocation of capacity to stronger routes, has reduced the adverse impact during the year," he said.
Lockheed L1011 and McDonnell Douglan MD-11 Systemwide Aircraft Utilization Per Day First Quarter 1998 L1011-1/200 Delta Number of Aircraft Operated 28 Total Fleet Operations Departures 93 Block Hours 277 Flight Hours 234
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association General Counsel John Yodice said Friday that communities in Florida and New Mexico are attempting to regulate federal airspace and that AOPA is challenging their ordinances. A Coral Gables ordinance established a minimum 1,000-foot altitude for aircraft overflying the city and prohibited stunt flying and flight training over the city.
American launched a new round of "BreakAAway fares" for weekend travel between Aug. 29 and Nov. 17 in selected markets in the 48 contiguous states and Canada. Fares cover outbound trips on Saturday and return trips the following Monday or Tuesday. Lower, off-peak fares are available for Saturday travel after 2 p.m. local time, except that all transcontinental flights are priced off-peak. Off-peak roundtrip fares range from $88 to $298, depending on the distance of the flight. Tickets are available through Sept. 30. A seven-day advance purchase is required.
Airports and air carriers will be required to enhance security measures that have been in a heightened state since 1995, FAA said Friday following U.S. missile strikes against points in Afghanistan and Sudan. The increase in security is based on information from law enforcement and intelligence agencies, FAA said, but the measures are not meant to indicate that U.S. airlines or airports "are targets to specific threats." In an order issued Thursday night and formalized Friday with a special federal aviation regulation, FAA prohibited U.S.
Approved, subject to FAA-approved routings, a Lockheed Martin Astrospace charter using a Volga-Dnepr Airlines An-124-100 for a one-way flight carrying a Telesat satellite weighing 81,647 kilograms to its launching site on a Moffett Field-Baykonur routing Aug. 21-22...Approved, subject to FAA-approved routings, an Air Sea Broker charter using an Air Foyle An-
Detroit-based Spirit Airlines flew 97 million revenue passenger miles in July, up 82.6%, while available seat miles rose 56.6% to 113 million. The airline's load factor increased to 85.6% from 79.7%. So far this year, traffic jumped 81% and capacity 76.4%. Spirit placed its second MD-80 into service in July and will add two more in the current quarter. The new aircraft will be used on service to Florida. On Sept.
Ryanair's net profit for the quarter ended June 30 rocketed 65% over the year-earlier period, to 7.1 million Irish pounds (US$9.9 million), while operating revenues shot up 40% to IR 57.8 million ($80.6 million). Passenger volume grew more than one fifth to 1.2 million. Earnings per share increased 39%. Ryanair attributed the good results to the expansion of its low-fare/no-frills operation from its base at London Stansted Airport to a network of destinations in Europe.
DOT lifted its stay on an order issued four months ago (DAILY, April 21) and made final the revocation of Millon Air's domestic all-cargo certificate. DOT said it has "received no further fitness information from Millon" since the carrier asked DOT to rescind its revocation order. Millon asked for 60 additional days to complete investment arrangements, and DOT pointed out that "Millon was actually afforded almost 120 days from the initial revocation." The carrier's foreign certificates will be handled in a separate order.
United Cargo said it has joined the U.S. Air Force Air Mobility Command "World Team," which includes Emery, Northwest, US Airways, American, Continental, Evergreen, Southern and UPS. The Air Force uses the World Team to send supplies and parts from military depots in the U.S. to military installations abroad. Mark Hussey, a United accounts manager, said the move will provide United with at least $1.5 million in annual commissions plus additional cargo revenue. "Revenues in Asia have gone down and all opportunities for additional revenue are welcome," Hussey said.
Skymark Airlines, the first new Japanese airline in 35 years, took delivery of a 767-300ER from International Lease Finance Corp. Skymark's 767, the first of two GE-powered aircraft, also is the first 767 to receive type certification by the Japanese Civil Aviation Bureau. Boeing said the certification is part of a new Japanese law designed to certify its aircraft for export to Japan. With the type certification, Japan now has a process that more closely resembles the way the FAA and the JAA of Europe certify jetliners, Boeing said.
Raytheon this week rolled out the Premier I entry-level business jet, featuring an all-composite, six-passenger cabin and a swept metal wing. The aircraft will be certificated for single-crew operation. Raytheon said it has 120 firm orders for the twinjet, which has a range of 1,500 nautical miles and a Mach 0.8 cruise speed. Four aircraft have been assigned to the flight test program. FAA is expected to certify the aircraft next summer, followed by European Joint Aviation Authorities certification.
DOT today plans to tell carriers that have not filed passenger manifest disaster plans that after missing a filing deadline they risk sanctions starting Oct. 1. The list includes TACA, Olympic, FedEx and Emery Worldwide. A new rule requires carriers flying to and from the U.S. with larger than 60-seat aircraft to inform DOT how they will notify family members in the event of a crash.
FDX Corp. said yesterday it is "comfortable" with a First Call consensus earnings estimate of 96 cents per share for its first quarter ending Aug. 31. FDX said earnings for the same period last year were 86 cents per share, excluding the impact of the UPS strike of about 25 cents per share. FDX, which will report earnings the week of Sept. 21, said its expansion plans for Asia are on hold pending resolution of the area's economic difficulties.
Great Lakes Aviation has agreed to increase its tangible assets to $4 million on or before Sept. 10 by raising $2.5 million of additional equity capital with the sale of common stock in a private placement to two individuals. The issue would raise assets called for by NASDAQ's small-cap minimum requirement. In coming up with the minimum by that deadline, Great Lakes will avert a de-listing by NASDAQ and the application of penny-stock rules that would make trading through brokers more difficult.
Virgin Atlantic is offering a $999 roundtrip fare from the U.S. to Johannesburg, South Africa, via London Heathrow. The fare is valid from New York Kennedy, Newark and Boston from Sept. 8-Dec. 11. The roundtrip fare from Los Angeles or San Francisco is $1,499. The fares do not include $55 in taxes and surcharges.
British Airways will issue soccer-style "yellow cards" to passengers who disrupt flights, warning that if the ill-advised actions continue, the passenger will be arrested when the airplane lands. BA will implement the new system worldwide Sept. 1 to curb what it said has been a 400% increase in violent incidents globally in the past three years. BA specifically is targeting drunk and abusive passengers and those who break its worldwide smoking ban.
Airbus and Fokker Aircraft Operating Costs First Quarter 1998 Dollars Per Block Hour A320-100/200 America West Northwest United Average Crew Cost $342 $592 $741 $583 Fuel&Oil 418 474 495 467
CityFlyer Express, a British Airways franchisee, will take on its first four engineering apprentices next month, with plans to hire them after their first year of study. Citing an increasing shortage of engineers in the industry, the London Gatwick-based airline looks to building its own engineering team, which currently comprises 95 members, as its fleet and route network expand. To cope with the growth, CityFlyer also will open a new aircraft hanger at Gatwick, due for completion at the end of November.
The European Civil Aviation Conference (ECAC) has signed memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with its counterparts in Africa and Latin America covering cooperation and the exchange of information. Representatives of ECAC recently attended African Civil Aviation Commission and Latin American Civil Aviation Commission assemblies, during which the MOUs were agreed and signed. Areas of cooperation will include safety, security, environment and air traffic management.
TACA International Airlines applied for an emergency exemption to provide scheduled foreign combination service on a Miami-Belize City-Miami routing for a period of 150 days beginning Sept. 1. The carrier said it needs "this limited-duration authority to facilitate its aircraft maintenance schedule and fleet substitutions over the coming several months." Noting that Belize is an intermediate point on its San Salvador-Miami service route, TACA said it will not permanently position aircraft in Miami for dedicated Belize service.
A third international meeting devoted to aviation safety information sharing is scheduled Nov. 3-5 in Long Beach. Sponsored by United, the conference will explore ways to facilitate future information sharing to enhance airline safety. Albert Prest, VP-operations of the Air Transport Association and chairman of the Global Analysis and Information Network (GAIN) steering committee, said the conference is expected to increase worldwide knowledge of and participation in GAIN.
Arinc has signed a contract to be Atlas Air's global data link service provider when Atlas receives its first satcom-equipped 747-400. Atlas plans to take delivery of 10 data-link-equipped 747-400s over the coming year, Arinc said.
