Worldspan is providing Leisure Planet, an international travel information and technology company based in Cape Town, South Africa, an engine to expand its online booking capabilities. Integration of Worldspan's Power Shopper will enable Leisure Planet's customers to enter desired travel dates and origin/destination information when shopping for low fares throughout the world.
Ethiopian Airlines Enterprise applied at DOT for a foreign air carrier permit to provide combination service between Addis Ababa and Washington Dulles, making one scheduled intermediate non-traffic stop in Rome, and separately applied for an exemption to serve the route. The 100% state- owned carrier wants to operate twice-weekly Addis Ababa-Washington service beginning June 4, using leased 767-300 and A340-300 aircraft, increasing flights to three times weekly if demand warrants.
America West Holdings, including America West Airlines and The Leisure Company (TLC) tour package subsidiary, reported record first quarter 1998 net income of $25.1 million, an 80.1% jump from the $13.9 million recorded in the first quarter of 1997. Diluted earnings per share were 53 cents, up 76.7% from 30 cents last year. Operating revenues totaled $483.2 million, a 1.7% increase, and operating expenses fell 1.8% to $433.8 million. Operating income went up 47.6% to $49.4 million.
U.S. concerns about pending European Commission action on alliances include its narrow focus on capacity, examining issues such as computer reservations systems for "individual alliances" instead of all, and the possibility it may try to force certain sixth-freedom operations to the U.S., according to DOT Assistant Secretary Charles Hunnicutt.
American asked DOT to designate San Jose, Calif., the final movable gateway available for London Gatwick service (DAILY, April 8). The carrier wants to begin daily nonstop service on the route April 15, 1999, with 207-seat 767-300ER aircraft.
More than 20 public relations firms showed up yesterday at Air Transport Association headquarters as ATA kicked off competition for the Aviation Safety Alliance account. ASA, being created by ATA and aviation manufacturers to promote aviation safety, is expected to begin operations late in June.
In what is seen as a significant portent for Indian employees of foreign companies in India, the Mumbai High Court has upheld the rights of such workers to form their own labor union. A recent ruling from the court has allowed Indian-born flight attendants working for British Airways to form their own union, separate from the carrier's sole management-recognized Federation of the Employees of British Airways (FEBA), BA said Monday.
Lufthansa ordered 10 Airbus A340-600s, becoming one of the launch customers for the aircraft, which has a range of 7,500 nautical miles. In Lufthansa configuration, the stretched aircraft, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent engines, will carry 330 passengers in three classes. It will be used on routes to Asia and the Americas when deliveries begin in early 2003. The German flag carrier operates 16 A340s and is Airbus's largest airline customer. Lufthansa also is Airbus's largest A340 operator, with 30 of the models on order.
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Associations (AOPA) and the Canadian Owners and Pilots Association (COPA) have joined efforts to provide aviation services to Canadian pilots. Common issues such as global air traffic control modernization, certification standards and environmental issues "make it more important then ever for AOPA and COPA to cooperate and share information," the two organizations said. AOPA said it has upgraded its services for Canadian pilots, who now have toll-free access to AOPA's hotline.
Federal Express pilots' union is looking for a new negotiating committee. The pilots recently rejected a contract offer approved by the union leadership, which is trying to resume negotiations with management. But a new committee will take about five weeks to finalize, a union spokesman said, putting off negotiations until the summer.
Millon Air asked DOT to rescind its order revoking the carrier's interstate and foreign scheduled and charter service certificates for reason of dormancy and dismissing its application to restart service (DAILY, April 10). The carrier wants its economic authority restored and asked DOT for 60 days "to complete a transaction of the company to new owners," with whom Millon is negotiating the purchase of its stock.
International Civil Aviation Organization's Committee on Aviation Environmental Protection (CAEP) reached agreement on stricter noise and emissions standards at a three-day meeting this month in Montreal, including a 16% reduction in the levels of nitrogen oxides currently allowed aircraft engines. The third meeting of CAEP, in December 1995, was unable to reach a consensus on NOx. This fourth meeting also called for a speedy implementation of CNS/ATM modernization as the U.S. had urged.
Swissair will begin operating nonstop MD-11 San Francisco-Zurich service May 27 and is offering an introductory fare of $598 roundtrip through June 24. The fare, which must be booked by June 15, is valid any day but requires a Saturday night stay, with a 30-day maximum stay. Flights will operate each way five times weekly, leaving San Francisco Sunday and Tuesday through Friday.
The Scheduled Air Transport Association, a group formed by Japan's scheduled air carriers, has filed an application at the Transport Ministry requesting a reduction in landing/navaid fees at domestic airports. Fuji Takao, transport minister, told the press his ministry will begin to study the feasibility of reducing fees to about one-third of current levels. The association said the three majors, Japan Airlines, All Nippon Airways and Japan Air System, paid about $2.5 billion in navaid fees in fiscal 1996, taking 24% of total income that year.
BFGoodrich's operating income increased by 80% to $54.2 million in the first quarter while sales rose 23% to $937.7 million. Net income declined to $52.6 million from $93.9 million in the 1997 quarter, which included after-tax earnings of $64 million from discontinued operations. BFGoodrich Aerospace had operating income of $87.9 million on sales of $685.3 million, up from $55 million and $541.5 million a year earlier.
Delta's unaudited net income was $195 million for the quarter ended March 31, up from $189 million for the same period last year. Chief Executive Leo Mullin said business fundamentals remained solid, driven by passenger demand across the network and low fuel prices. Mullin credited positive results to careful management of operating expenses and system revenues that were roughly in line with the company's expectations. But income per common share was $2.57 basic and $2.45 diluted, down from $2.99 and $2.89, excluding restructuring and other non-recurring charges.
Northwest's Air Line Pilots Association unit is balking at yet more concessions requests from management. The union says Northwest is asking pilots to give up job security protections and remove limitations on code sharing that protect pilot jobs. Strike ballots were mailed April 15.
NASA Ames is building a full-scale air traffic control tower simulator it says will provide, under "realistic airport conditions and configurations," a facility that will test ways to combat potential air and runway traffic problems at commercial airports. The facility will be able to simulate any airport in the world, Ames officials say.
The head of Irish no-frills carrier Ryanair has called for an "urgent review" of the country's airport management agency, Aer Rianta, with an eye to ending its monopolistic grip on Ireland's airport sector. In an April 17 address to Ireland's banking community, Michael O'Leary, Ryanair's chief executive, said, "The best solution, and one the Irish government should consider, is the introduction of competition at our airports.
The Association of Flight Attendants object to FAA's proposal to use data analysis and subscale tests instead of full-scale evacuation demonstrations for passenger airplane certification.
British Airways said it took delivery of its first aircraft, a Boeing 777, fitted with an enhanced ground proximity warning system. BA is spending $33.7 million to install 279 of the new computers on its fleet.
U.S. Major Carriers Traffic March, 3 Months 1998 (000) March March % 1998 1997 Change Alaska Revenue Passenger Miles 929,000 893,000 4.0 Available Seat Miles 1,371,000 1,262,000 8.6 Load Factor (%) 67.8 70.8 America West
Canadian Airlines reported a 3.8% decline in systemwide traffic and a 2.9% increase in capacity for March 1998 from the same month last year, which caused the load factor to fall 4.8 percentage points. Canadian reported 1.356 million revenue passenger miles and 2.005 million available seat miles, creating a 67.6% load factor. Domestically, the carrier saw an 8.4% drop in traffic to 401 million RPMs and an 8.3% decline in capacity to 588 million ASMs, pushing the load factor down 0.1 points to 68.2%.
