A thorough FAA inspection of AirTran Airlines, formerly ValuJet, found 19 enforcement actions that could result in fines but "no evidence of systemic safety problems." The agency was "very satisfied with the results" of its National Aviation Safety Inspection Program (NASIP) audit, said FAA spokeswoman Alison Duquette. "All of the items we cited were either fixed or are being fixed." The inspection included senior FAA inspectors and members of the new Certification Standardization&Evaluation Team.
AAR Cooper Aviation named J.P. Hoyer VP-finance and administration. Advanced Aerodynamics&Structures appointed Arthur Ruff VP- manufacturing. Aviation Facilities Co. promoted Daniel Ungerleider to treasurer. Airwork Miami named Keith Forcinito director-turboshaft engines for the Allison 250 and Twin Pac programs. BFGoodrich Aerospace-JcAIR Test Systems named Chris Allen manager- airline sales, the Americas.
Mesa Airlines will begin flying its 50-seat Canadair regional jets under the US Airways Express banner between Huntsville and Washington three times a day, beginning May 1. Mesa's aircraft will replace US Airways' 32-seat turboprops. Rep. Bud Cramer (D-Ala.) applauded the agreement as "a win for everybody....It's a very competitive process to get this kind of upgraded service." Approximately 100,000 passengers fly to and from Huntsville and the Washington, D.C., area annually.
The Sabre Group and Abacus International Holdings have entered a joint venture agreement in which Sabre technology will convert Abacus's system in 16 countries to a new product called Abacus Powered By Sabre. Sabre Travel Information Network President Eric Speck said the joint venture has two components - an equity investment in which Abacus's former shareholders own 65% and Sabre owns 35%, and an agreement to use Sabre's technology platform in operating the new Abacus system.
Six A319 and three A320-200 aircraft ordered by US Airways in October 1997, reported in a Feb. 25 DAILY tabulation as being acquired on leases from GECAS, instead will be owned by US Airways. The airline acquired the 1999 delivery positions from GECAS.
Senate Judiciary antitrust subcommittee, chaired by Mike Dewine (R-Ohio), will hold a hearing March 24 to examine international aviation agreements and antitrust immunity. Senate Dirksen, Room 226, 2 p.m.
Korean Air and Asiana Airlines will be permitted to set air fares on domestic routes for the first time under a Korean government decision last week. Korea's Ministry of Construction and Transportation also may allow carriers to determine fares on international routes, Korean Air confirmed. The law revisions, expected by mid-year, also will require carriers to notify passengers of price changes 20 days in advance through the media and by other means. Although most countries have liberalized air fare pricing, Korea has kept decision-making in government hands.
Air Transport Association of Canada named Cliff Mackay president and chief executive. Travel Industry Association of America appointed Raymond Lutz senior VP-marketing and member programs.
U.S. and French negotiators made "very substantial progress" last week in bilateral talks in Paris, a DOT spokesman said, and the two sides have scheduled a technical meeting March 9 in Washington. They have not scheduled another round of formal negotiations, however. A U.S. government official said substantial work remains but the technical meeting is a sign of progress.
Finnair has acquired a new 757-200ER from International Lease Finance Corp. in and eight-year lease beginning in April 1999. The aircraft, powered by Pratt&Whitney 2040 engines, is the fifth 757 Finnair has leased from ILFC.
Seventy-five percent of travel agencies victimized by ticket-stock theft go out of business after being dunned by airlines and collection agencies, Barbara Pisa, a former travel agency owner, told a House hearing last week.
US Airways, close to a widebody aircraft purchase, has ruled out the Boeing 777, sources tell the Charlotte Observer. After months of evaluation, the airline has narrowed its choice to the 767-300/400 and the Airbus A330.
Summary of U.S. Major Carriers Domestic Traffic September 1997 Revenue Average Revenue Passengers Length of Passenger Enplaned % Travel Miles % (000) Change (miles) (000) Change Alaska 930 (1.37) 826 768,858 (0.31) America West 1,312 (8.86) 880 1,155,125 (4.83)
Polar urged DOT to withhold action on KLM's request for authority to code share with Northwest between Amsterdam and Bergen, Norway (DAILY, Feb. 17), until the Dutch government lifts an "arbitrarily selective ban" on Polar's operations of 747F aircraft at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport. Polar said the ban is a "direct violation" of U.S.-Netherlands open-skies agreement provisions requiring Dutch acceptance of U.S. aircraft airworthiness certifications by FAA.
Air Transport Association has lost its protest to the decision by the Environmental Protection Agency's comptroller general to select, under a small business set-aside, a firm to prepare within a four-week period a report on the potential that more stringent nitrogen oxide requirements will degrade the fuel economy of current and future engine designs. ATA argued, among other things, that the contract could not be performed within four weeks, particularly by a small-business concern.
Delta's Air Line Pilots Association unit is asking members what they want in their next contract. The negotiating committee is sending out interim contract surveys so it can begin priortizing issues for "Contract 2000" negotiations. The committee has given Delta its latest proposal for flying new-generation 737 aircraft on order. It expects a counterproposal soon.
United requested a two-year renewal of its exemption to operate scheduled service between the U.S. and Almaty, Kiev, Minsk, Tashkent, Tallinn, Vilnius, Asmara, Dar Es Salaam, Malta, Tunis and Thessaloniki via points in Germany under its code share with Lufthansa. The current authority expires Oct. 11, 1998, and the carrier asked DOT to amend the exemption to allow operation of the services via points in other countries, such as Denmark, Norway and Sweden, enabling it to code share with SAS under blanket authority held jointly by the two carriers.
RTCA will deliver its FAA-requested review of the National Airspace System plan within days, Margaret Jenny, US Airways director of business and operations analysis and co-chair of the RTCA Free Flight Select Committee, told the Senate Commerce aviation subcommittee Thursday.The most important feature of Free Flight Phase 1 is not its functions but how they will be developed and implemented - in collaboration with users and with commitments to deploy specific, if initially limited, capabilities, she said.
Vanguard Airlines, determined to shake off the ValuJet image weighing on all small carriers, is banking its future on a niche within a niche - the "cost-conscious business traveler," according to Rocky Spane, who joined the carrier last July as its third president and chief executive in as many years. Boxed into no-win leisure service, the Kansas City-based carrier has struggled to stay afloat during its three-year life span and now hopes the lucrative business segment will help it turn the corner.
Qantas has become the first airline outside Japan to be authorized to perform line maintenance on Japanese-registered aircraft. The Australian carrier was awarded certification by the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau and Japan Airlines. Qantas will perform pre-flight certification and engineering release of Japanese aircraft operating to Sydney. JAL, which signed a code share with Qantas in April 1997, provides technical assistance to Qantas in Nagoya, Fukuoka and Sapporo.
Austrian Airlines named Dan Gaico marketing manager for North America. Frontier appointed Anne Laboon city manager-Boston and Geoffry Morneau city manager-New York LaGuardia. Mexicana appointed Alicia Quintero district sales manager-New York sales office and its Los Angeles Technical Committee named Jorge Winney vice chairman of the Management Council for 1998. Polar Air Cargo appointed Michael Bell chief financial officer.
British Airways plugged one of its last remaining holes in Europe by linking Friday with Finnair. The carriers signed a code-sharing and marketing alliance linking London and Manchester with Helsinki and Stockholm, effective next month. A reciprocal frequent flyer agreement is part of the alliance. Last month, BA signed a code-share alliance with Poland's LOT and is seeking approval for a link with Iberia. BA's move enables it and future partner American to compete on a more level basis with other alliances in Scandinavia.
Hispano-Suiza S.A. was selected by Rolls-Royce to supply the accessory gearbox for Rolls's new Trent 500 engine, in development to power Airbus's A340-500/600 derivatives. The French company will deliver its first Trent 500 development gearbox to Rolls-Royce by February 1999. Engine certification is scheduled for December 2000 and entry into service during the first quarter of 2002.
Continental Express pilots hope for a tentative contract agreement Wednesday. Last week, only scope and two economic issues were open and the Independent Association of Continental Pilots predicted a resolution soon. IACP President Len Nikolai said he expects a scope provision for Express pilots similar to the mainline pilots'. Both contracts will be signed at the same time.
- Approved an Apple Vacations West charter using an Allegro MD-83, 727 or DC-9 for 11 roundtrips carrying 165 passengers on a San Francisco-Cancun- San Francisco routing June 14-Aug. 23...Approved an Apple Vacations West charter using an Allegro MD-83, 727 or DC-9 for 11 roundtrips carrying 165 passengers on a San Francisco-Montego Bay-San Francisco routing June 14- Aug.
