Delta is allowing all staff to come to work in business casual attire every day, as recommended by an employee task force. The policy, which extends to employee travel, reflects "the more casual dress being worn by our customers," Chief Executive Leo Mullin told employees. Restrictions remain, however - among them, no jeans and "no visible body piercing."
Nav Canada is replacing the instrument landing system on Runway 08R at Vancouver with a new, high-tech ILS. Travel levels at the airport increased 14% in the first six months of 1998. The new ILS is to be installed by Aug. 31.
Estimates of the economic damaged caused by stalled cargo operations at Hong Kong's new airport increased last week as the primary cargo operator extended its moratorium on full operations there. Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Ltd. said it was adopting a four-phase plan resulting in full operations at its new SuperTerminal 1 by the end of August. A spokesman for the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) said the resulting loss of income could amount to HK$4.6 billion (US$594 million), if the phased program goes as planned.
Advanced Aerodynamics&Structures appointed Robert Blair flight test operations pilot on the Jetcruzer 500 and Stratocruzer 1250 aircraft certification programs. BFGoodrich Aerospace-JcAIR Test Systems named Jack Kelsh manager-OEM sales. Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University President Steven Sliwa will retire at yearend to pursue other business interests. Marc Fruchter Aviation appointed Erwin Jenschke VP-operations.
Atlas Air said it will provide 747-400 freighter services, including the aircraft, crew, maintenance and insurance, for Cargolux Airlines. Cargolux operates five 747-400 freighters and has ordered more. Atlas will take delivery of its first 747-400 on July 28. Four more will follow this year, four next year and one in 2000.
United is developing a profile program for its most frequent, "1K," travelers that will put more information about the individual passenger in the hands of customer service representatives. A team of employees from United's airport services planning, customer relations, marketing and information services groups has created a way to show the top customers' most recent 10 flights on a computer screen when they check in.
City of Dallas told DOT that as the owner of Love Field, it is caught in the crossfire between opposing interests." In an answer to Legend's application for certification, the city asked DOT to take its commitments into account as DOT decides on certification.
Tower Air eked out a $500,000 net profit in the second quarter, down sharply from earnings of $3.6 million in the same year-earlier period. For the first half of 1998, Tower posted an operating loss of $5.4 million. The net loss for the first six months was $6.8 million, compared with a deficit of $1.8 million in last year's first half. The results for the Boeing 747 carrier came a week after the resignation of President and VP-Operations Terry Hallcom (DAILY, July, 8).
This week's Senate Appropriations Committee markup of the transportation appropriations bill ratified decisions made by the panel's aviation subcommittee, generating concern from DOT Secretary Rodney Slater over funding for the Airport Improvement Program, Year 2000 upgrades, Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) and the Office of the Secretary of Transportation's office, in addition to the possible veto threat over projected labor agreements (DAILY, July 15).
Express Airlines I, a Memphis-based, wholly owned subsidiary of Northwest, reported a 26.8% decline in traffic on 30.9% less capacity in June 1998 from June last year, which pushed the load factor up 3.7 percentage points. Express I flew 32.8 million revenue passenger miles and nearly 49 million available seat miles, creating a 66.9% load factor. June 1998 June 1997 6 Months 1998 6 Months 1997 RPMs 32,761,000 44,748,000 170,413,000 235,883,000
Air Canada launched daily nonstop service this week from Toronto to San Jose, using 112-passenger A319 aircraft, with double frequent flyer miles in Air Canada's or United's frequent flyer programs through Sept. 13.
Canadian Airlines is adding three daily Las Vegas-Vancouver nonstops, starting at $114 roundtrip for midweek travel. Customers can receive double frequent flyer miles from code-share partner American through Aug. 31.
Better Homes and Gardens real estate service will become a Delta frequent flyer miles partner, offering customers the chance to earn up to 125,000 miles for purchasing houses through the company. A purchase of $50,000-$99,999 is worth 12,500 miles, and a $250,00-$299,000 house is worth 50,000 miles. Customers who buy and sell a house using the program may qualify for two mileage awards.
Improvements in American's business- and first-class products will be paid for in part by its frequent flyers, starting Feb. 1. In its magazine for frequent flyer club members, American said it will charge more miles for business and first class in some European markets. Spokesman Bill Dreslin said the increase results from "the investment we're making in our international product. We're spending over $400 million on new business- and first-class seats with new interiors." First-class passengers on new 777s will get sleeper seats.
Sen. Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), chairman of the Senate Appropriations transportation subcommittee, discusses DOT appropriations bills on Aviation News Today, to air Sunday on Washington's NewsChannel 8 at 12:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
The number of Germans traveling to the Asia/Pacific region is expected to increase, a study shows, possibly helping alleviate the current economic downturn. The Pacific Asia Travel Association (PATA) estimates that 63 million of Germany's 81 million people will travel. PATA called the German people the world's largest tourist-generating and -spending market, driven partially by high incomes, a large number of paid holidays, the declining cost of travel and a strong desire to travel abroad.
Traffic for 16 of the nation's largest regional airlines increased an average of 37.6% during June. That number is skewed, however, because United Express Great Lakes itself was up 238.7% because of the new routes inherited at the Denver hub from former United Express Mesa. Great Lakes' capacity outdid traffic, jumping 254.4%, a 15.7-point spread. The number also is skewed because Great Lakes was virtually shut down by FAA in June 1997. Two carriers that currently are adding jets to their fleets both produced traffic boosts above 70%.
House Appropriations transportation subcommittee yesterday marked up a fiscal 1999 appropriations bill including $9.478 billion for FAA. The Airport Improvement Program would get $1.8 billion, $100 million more than this year's enacted level and the Clinton administration's fiscal 1999 request. Total FAA funding would be $376 million higher than this year's level, up 4%.
Asia/Pacific carriers continue to divest widebodies, and several non-Asian carriers have needed the lift. In April alone, the titles of 10 widebodies were transferred to new operators, including three DC-10-30s from Thai Airways to Northwest, a former Asiana 767-300ER to Delta, a 767 from Vietnam Airlines to CityBird, a 747-200 from Air New Zealand to Airtours and a Korean Air 747-200 to Aerolineas Argentinas.
Farmington, N.M.-based Mesa Air Group reported a 30.3% decline in traffic last month to 88.5 million revenue passenger miles and a 29.2% drop in capacity to 153.9 million available seat miles, compared with June last year, depressing the load factor 0.9 percentage points to 57.5% The number of passengers carried declined 49.2% to 309,703. Mesa Air Lines and WestAir earlier this year ceased operating as United Express carriers, Mesa in Denver and WestAir on the West Coast. June 1998 June 1997 6 Months 1998 6 Months 1997
DOT Inspector General found that FAA exceeded congressionally established internal reprogramming thresholds in fiscal 1997 by $8.7 million for three budget line items. FAA also made "assessments" in reprogramming actions in fiscal 1997 and 1998 and charged at least $2 million to the wrong appropriation, the IG told Congress. FAA permitted employees to work during fiscal 1998 on a Research, Engineering&Development program that did not receive fiscal 1998 funding, the IG said.
National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Jim Hall said yesterday he was gratified that Rep. James Traficant's (D-Ohio) report on the TWA 800 crash endorsed NTSB findings that the evidence pointed to an explosion of the center fuel tank, and that Traficant agreed "the inquiry has been thorough and forthcoming." Traficant, who fielded rumors that federal agencies ignored evidence or engaged in a coverup, compiled his report for the House Transportation aviation subcommittee.
Great Lakes Aviation notified DOT that it plans to terminate its Essential Air Service, operated as United Express, at Pellston, Sault Ste. Marie and Alpena, Mich., effective Sept. 9. The carrier, which provides Pellston with its only service to Chicago O'Hare, said slot constraints at O'Hare limit its ability to compete "both in terms of frequency of flights as well as quality of service" with Mesaba, operating as Northwest Airlink, which provides 10 daily round-trips to Northwest hubs. Great Lakes said Mesaba's service - four roundtrips to Minneapolis/St.
