Approved a renewal for an indefinite duration, which World Airways had requested for three years, for World to conduct a long-term cargo service wet-lease for STAF between the U.S. and Argentina using an MD-11...Approved a renewal for an indefinite duration, which Tower Air had requested for one year, for Tower to conduct a long-term cargo service wet-lease for LanChile between the U.S.
Varig, which offered 2,800 low-fare seats when it launched a late-night effort to attract Brazil's lower middle class, now offers 15,000 low-fare seats daily. The program developed Varig's yield management capabilities and now encompasses 40% of capacity of all flights.
Continental asked DOT for a certificate to provide scheduled foreign combination service to Buenos Aires from Houston and Newark, using DC-10- 30s in the fleet or 777s on order. The carrier wants at least seven U.S.- Argentina frequencies and the right to combine them with existing service. United, requesting Chicago-Buenos Aires rights, previously told DOT it plans to use its route integration authority to operate the service (DAILY, April 24). Continental noted, however, that United's integration authority is contingent on a DOT selection proceeding.
Kansas City-based Vanguard Airlines reported a 13% drop in traffic and 25% decline in capacity for April 1998 over April last year, which boosted the load factor 10 percentage points. Vanguard posted 58.4 million revenue passenger miles and 86.2 million available seat miles, resulting in a 67.8% load factor. Vanguard reported a 23% decline in RPMs and a 31% drop in ASMs for the first quarter of this year, compared with the same period last year, which created a 7-point rise in the load factor.
Lockheed Martin Aircraft&Logistics Centers and AAR Airframe&Accessories Group have formed an alliance to provide fleet support to operators of L- 1011 aircraft. The two companies said teaming enables them to provide a "complete range" of maintenance services, rotable and expendable parts supply, inventory management services and component repair and overhaul.
U.S. Carriers Interest Expense Fourth Quarter 1997 Major Carriers % Of Total Interest Operating Expenses Alaska 4,855,000 1.48 America West 9,200,086 2.12 American 29,315,000 0.81 Continental 25,185,000 1.66 Delta 41,627,000 1.32
Collins FMS-800 flight management system for the Army's C-12 and the Air Force's KC-10 and C-9 aircraft have received technical standard order approvals by FAA. The FMS-800 is the first military FMS to receive the TSO, Collins said.
- In Federal Register dated May 1...Proposed an airworthiness directive on certain British Aerospace ATP aircraft to require inspecting the main landing gear...Proposed to supersede an AD on Pratt&Whitney JT8D engines concerning inspections of a fuel nozzle. - In FR dated May 4...Issued an AD on Shorts 330/360 aircraft with certain fire extinguishers requiring new covers.
Brazil's 19 domestic and regional carriers flew 10 billion revenue passenger miles in 1997, according to Varig Chief Executive Fernando Pinto. The country has the seventh largest aviation market in the world, with Varig and subsidiary jet carriers Rio Sul and Nordeste garnering nearly a 50% market share.
Boeing engineers have completed 25% of all product definition releases for the new 767-400ER, launched by an order from Delta for 21 on April 28, 1997. The aircraft's fuselage is 21 feet longer and its wingspan 14.5 feet longer than the 767-300ER's. Passenger capacity is increased by 15% to 245 seats in three classes. John Quinlivan, program manger, said completing the releases enables Boeing factories and suppliers to begin fabricating tooling and parts assemblies.
Canadian Airlines lost C$62.3 million (US$43.3 million) in the first quarter, as the carrier cited an ice storm in Eastern Canada that paralyzed traffic in February and part of March. The loss comes a year after the carrier lost C$85.5 million in the first quarter of 1997. Last year, Canadian began a restructuring plan and earned its first profit in nearly 10 years. "The cost elements of our plan have been successfully completed," said Chief Executive Kevin Benson.
Northwest traffic for April grew 4.5% on 0.6% more capacity, boosting the load factor 2.8 percentage points to 74.2%. The airline's international traffic increased 5.7% despite the Asian economic crunch. International capacity gained 3.3%, lifting the load factor 1.8 points to 75.2%. Domestic traffic increased 3.7% on 1.2% less capacity, which forced the load factor up 3.5 points to 73.6%. Northwest's international cargo ton miles fell 6.5% to 102 million, and domestic cargo traffic dropped 7.6% to 63 million ton miles.
Northwest's management wants to replace the international relief captain who is part of the crew on flights of eight or more hours with an international relief officer, an entry-level employee not qualified for takeoffs or landings, the carrier's Air Line Pilots Association unit claims. The change would eliminate 100 captain jobs on 747-400s, 747s and A320s, ALPA says.
Argentina's LAPA wants to offer service to Atlanta, possibly via a code share, "and you can only imagine who the code share partner would be," said Andy Deutsch, chief executive of LAPA, at a recent conference. If signed, the alliance would be Delta's fourth in Latin America in the past year.
International carriers will add 41 new Europe-U.S. daily nonstops this summer, according to an analysis by Airline/Aircraft Projects. In a departure from the past, this year's additions are primarily hub-to-spoke. "In past years, most of the additions across the Atlantic were hub-to-hub," said Craig Jenks, president of Airline/Aircraft Projects. This summer, 28 of the 41 new flights "do not feature strong partner presence and instead require aggressive competition against incumbents," the company reported.
Finnair will purchase seats on Delta's daily New York-Stockholm-Helsinki route, beginning June 1, and Delta will buy seats on Finnair's service between Helsinki and Stockholm.
Covering all bases, American filed with DOT to amend its certificate to permit operations from Dallas Love Field beyond the restrictions currently in place. Dallas/Fort Worth Airport-based American is a litigant with Fort Worth in arguing that the scope of interstate traffic from Love Field should not be expanded from current limits, but if Dallas ultimately permits other carriers to operate outside those limits, American wants to retain the right to compete from Love.
Airwork appointed Dale Hamilton regional sales manager for Alabama, Georgia and Mississippi and Paul Gay regional PT6 sales manager for West Virginia, Virginia and North Carolina.
Capitals of nine states have no scheduled air services, according to Morten Beyer&Agnew. The cities are Annapolis, Md.; Olympia, Wash.; Frankfort, Ky.; Salem, Ore.; Carson City, Nev.; Dover, Del.; Concord, N.H.; Montpelier, Vt., and Jefferson City, Mo.
