DOT issued an order yesterday requiring British Airways to submit additional documents and information in the American-British Airways antitrust immunity and alliance proceeding.
U.S. Carriers Rental Expense Fourth Quarter 1997 Major Carriers % Of Total Rental Operating Expenses Alaska 44,905,000 13.66 America West 78,845,058 18.15 American 266,679,000 7.34 Continental 181,192,000 11.93 Delta 233,203,000 7.42
Continental yesterday announced an order by its Continental Express regional subsidiary for 25 Embraer ERJ-135 regional jets. The order for the 37-seat aircraft advances Continental Express's plan for an all-jet fleet within five years. The transaction, at a list price of $12.6 million per aircraft, is valued at $315 million.
Gulfstream Aerospace introduced Gulfstream Management Service, which it described as an "innovative new service designed to simplify aircraft ownership by offering day-to-day flight operations and maintenance services" to purchasers of its products. Gulfstream teamed with Chrysler Pentastar Aviation to provide the turnkey aircraft operations service.
Warning of domestic airline alliances that could become mergers in all but name, key House Democratic aviation leaders called for major airlines to halt their plans voluntarily until DOT can examine their implications for competition. Ranking House Transportation Committee member James Oberstar (D-Minn.), ranking Transportation aviation subcommittee member William Lipinski (D-Ill.) and subcommittee member Peter DeFazio (D-Ore.) described an aviation industry with ever-fewer options for travelers. They were joined by Rep.
Aeroflot Russian International Airlines has taken delivery of its first 737-400, one of 10 Boeing airplanes it has on order. All are scheduled to be delivered by next February. Aeroflot's 737-400s will seat 131 passengers in two classes.
United has introduced its first-ever fare sale for travel to and from Japan. The carrier will offer Los Angeles-Tokyo roundtrips between May 19 and July 31 for as little as $675. Other roundtrip fares include Chicago- Tokyo for $875 and Washington, D.C.-Osaka for $960. Travel must be completed by July 31.
Continental's April traffic rose 16.6% on 12.1% more available seat miles, boosting the load factor 2.8 percentage points to 73.2%. Domestic traffic increased 11.4% on 6.1% more capacity, which lifted the load factor 3.5 points to 74.1%. International traffic grew 29.4% and ASMs 26.6%, which led to a 71.3% load factor, up 1.6 points. Continental's international flying grew to 32.8% of total capacity in April, compared with 28.8% a year ago. Continental Express traffic jumped 36.5% in April on 27.3% more capacity, forcing the load factor up 4 points to 59.7%.
Canadian airlines must seek government policy changes allowing them to fly more routes and compete in international markets, Air Canada Chief Executive Lamar Durrett told the carrier's shareholders this week in New Brunswick. "As we seek to build Air Canada into a truly global airline, it remains a matter of serious concern that the full extent of our international expansion continues to be hostage to needed changes in government policy," Durrett said.
U.S. Carriers Commission Expense Fourth Quarter 1997 Major Carriers % Of Total Commission Operating Expenses Alaska 22,822,000 6.94 America West 35,885,243 8.26 American 284,346,000 7.82 Continental 105,561,000 6.95 Delta 234,707,000 7.47
BMW Rolls-Royce BR715 engine has successfully completed its 150-hour endurance test run on a testbed in Dahlewitz, Germany, near Berlin. The engine is the sole powerplant for the 100-seat Boeing 717.
SunJet will offer new service to Fort Lauderdale from New York Kennedy and Long Island MacArthur Airport in Islip, beginning June 30. Fares start at $79 one way.
Southwest has opened nine gates at St. Louis Lambert Airport's East Terminal, the second phase of its $97.5 million facility there. The final phase will open in December.
Northwest and its Air Line Pilots Association unit this week entered a 10- day stretch of talks scheduled to end May 14 under the auspices of National Mediation Board member Jack Kane. The parties are discussing work rules and scope. The pilot union negotiating committee has tentatively agreed to 16 of 29 sections of the contract. Pilots, upset over the slow pace of negotiations, are conducting informational picketing this week in Honolulu.
The 10 largest U.S. carriers posted an on-time arrivals rate of 75.9% in March, an improvement over the 75.4% for February but lower than the 78.1% for March 1997. US Airways, with 82.5%, regained the first-place ranking it held in December and January, while American was second, 78.6%, and Southwest third, 76.7%. Northwest was eighth, 72.9%, TWA ninth, 70.5%, and America West 10th, 67.9%.
CityLink Airlines asked DOT for an exemption from dormancy provisions to give it six more months to start operations. The new entrant, found fit a year ago to operate scheduled combination service from Gary, Ind., told DOT that it "has for the past year been actively working to close the financing arrangement it had completed prior to the issuance of its certificate on May 8, 1997." Since the carrier has not obtained aircraft, FAA could not complete its review and CityLink's application at FAA is no longer active.
Sabena is turning to a new network of shuttle bus services across the Benelux region to bring more passengers to Brussels Airport International (BAI) and strengthen its hub-and-spoke system there. If successful, the strategy could siphon away customers in the southern Netherlands from Schiphol Airport. Starting May 11, Sabena will operate seven daily roundtrips by bus between Zaventem, where BAI is located, and the southern Dutch city of Eindhoven.
A scheduling conflict will keep FAA Administrator Jane Garvey from a Loran strategy meeting today with the Coast Guard commandant, according to the agency. Monte Belger, acting deputy administrator, will sit in for Garvey at the meeting, which is described as "informational." FAA still is studying whether the satellite-based Global Positioning System needs a terrestrial backup like Loran.
A new standard by the National Institute of Standards and Technology regarding ticket printers threatens to ground all aviation fuel trucks, said the National Air Transportation Association. The provision, mandating ticket printers on all aviation fuel trucks by Jan. 1, was intended initially to resolve problems in the liquefied petroleum gas industry, said NATA President James Coyne.
British Airways said yesterday it will delay until Aug. 1 from June 1 its planned launch of daily nonstop Denver-London Gatwick service. BA said it still is waiting for DOT approval of the route, allowed under the Bermuda 2 air pact but caught up in the dispute over US Airways' Charlotte-Gatwick proposal.
Atlantic Coast Airlines (ACA), which operates in the eastern U.S. as United Express, reported a 107.2% leap in traffic and a 61.4% jump in capacity last month, compared with the same month last year, causing the load factor to climb 13.5 percentage points. The carrier posted 66.1 million revenue passenger miles, 108.2 million available seat miles and a 61.1% load factor. Passengers enplaned climbed 61.7% to 207,430.
FAA said it will introduce computer-based training (CBT) for security screeners at the nation's busiest airports. Administrator Jane Garvey said CBT is a "module" of the Screener Proficiency Evaluation System the agency is developing to select, train, evaluate and monitor the performance of screeners. She said airlines will be able to use the module to test and select candidates with the greatest potential for the job. CBT will ensure standardized training while reducing overall training time, she said.
Simat, Helliesen&Eichner (SH&E) and Aviation Management Services (AvMan) have formed an alliance to serve the aviation needs of the Latin American and Caribbean region. AvMan-SH&E, based in Miami, will offer more than either firm has offered separately. AvMan founder Bob Booth will be chairman of the joint firm, with SH&E's Don Garvett as managing director.
Boeing 777-300, described by the company as the "longest commercial jetliner in aviation history" - 242 feet, four inches - has earned its type certification and received approval for 180-minute extended-range, twin- engine operations. Boeing said this "marks the first time any airplane manufacturer has received both approvals on the same day." The type certification came from the FAA and the European Joint Aviation Authorities. Launch customer Cathay Pacific will take delivery this month.
