Braathens of Norway has taken delivery of the first of three 737-700s it is leasing from International Lease Finance Corp. The carrier also is buying six more directly from Boeing. Deliveries are scheduled over the next three years. The carrier also operates 737-400s and 500s.
Air France and Delta filed applications with DOT for services enabled by the new U.S.-French bilateral, and the department already has approved a pending application by Tower Air for services beyond Paris to Tel Aviv and Cairo. DOT is moving rapidly to grant services available in 1998 (DAILY, April 15).
American Chairman and Chief Executive Robert Crandall announced his retirement yesterday, effective May 20, and the industry legend has made plans to sail across the Atlantic Ocean in his new sailboat. Crandall, 62, will be succeeded by President Don Carty, who will retain the presidency and hold all three top titles at AMR Corp. Crandall will end a 25-year career at American, during which he is credited with developing computer reservations system and frequent flyer programs, and refining the hub-and- spoke network system that has given U.S.
British Midland asked DOT for approval of its expanded code share with American. The U.K. carrier currently holds authority to place American's code on its flights beyond London Heathrow to Amsterdam, Brussels, Glasgow, Paris, Nice, Frankfurt, Belfast, Edinburgh, Leeds, Teesside and Zurich. Now it wants to add selected flights between Heathrow and Manchester, starting this month. These will be a continuation of American flights between Heathrow and New York, Boston, Chicago, Miami and Los Angeles. The code-share flights to Manchester will be blind-sector.
British Airways said yesterday it will retire all eight of its DC-10s next year and replace them on Gatwick long-haul routes with two new 777s that it ordered yesterday and six 767s already in service or on order. The 767s were intended originally to operate from Heathrow. BA yesterday also announced orders for six 757s that will replace the six 767s at Heathrow. The carrier said orders for four 747-400s will replaced with three more 777s. All newly ordered aircraft will be delivered next year.
Documents from US Airways' suit against British Airways over the end of the carriers' alliance could wind up in the American-BA antitrust immunity proceeding. John Coleman, director of DOT's Office of Aviation Analysis, wrote to BA last week that US Airways representatives informed his office recently that some of the material is relevant to the American-BA case.
Northwest's pilots are not the carrier's only union frustrated about the pace of contract negotiations. Flight attendants, mechanics, ground crew, clerical personnel and agents have been in negotiations with the carrier for as long as 20 months with little or no progress.
Crediting on-time performance and reliability improvements, TWA said it canceled 5,413 fewer flights in 1997 than in 1996. The airline completed 98% of flights and moved from 10th place in on-time performance in 1996 to second in 1997.
U.S. Major Carriers Pacific Share of Service Fourth Quarter 1997 Total Revenue Departures American 519 Delta 705 Northwest 6,218 United 6,255 Total 13,697 Average Number of Seats Per Departure American 234 Delta 250
Virgin Express is offering a promotional fare of #29 (US$49) for its May 17 launch of previously announced Brussels-London Stansted service. The carrier will operate three daily roundtrips on weekdays and a lower level of service on weekends.
Delta applied at DOT for a two-year or indefinite-duration exemption to serve Harare, Zimbabwe, under code share with Swissair. Contingent on approval of the exemption, the carrier gave DOT a 30-day notice of its intention to operate the service under its previously approved blanket code-share authority with the Swiss carrier. The government of Zimbabwe told Delta that it would authorize the service, the carrier said, arguing that the service would further African aviation initiative policy objectives announced last October by DOT Secretary Rodney Slater.
Coast Guard has successfully concluded a series of "Eurofix" tests, which send Differential Global Positioning System (DGPS) corrections on Loran-C radionavigation signals, according to Megapulse Inc., which was contracted to provide the modulator and support services for the test (DAILY, April 1). Test requirements included determination of position accuracy, range and message integrity. The tests also included text message transmission and a measure of the effect on Loran-C navigation receivers. Preliminary results indicate a 24-hour accuracy of three meters.
Air Aruba is placing one of its two aircraft back in service after a comprehensive maintenance review and revision of its recordkeeping practices. The airline, which operates MD-88s, expects its second aircraft to re-enter service in three to four weeks.
DOT granted Haiti International Airline a one-year initial exemption to conduct, "only by wet-leasing aircraft from a duly authorized and properly supervised U.S. or foreign air carrier," scheduled foreign combination service between Port-au-Prince and Miami and New York/Newark, and charters.
Sabena begins daily Brussels-Newark service today using 297-seat MD-11 aircraft in a two-class configuration. Newark is the third new international destination this year for Sabena, which has announced new service to Montreal and Sao Paulo. On June 1, Sabena's flights become non- smoking worldwide.
A consensus among Sun Jet International Airlines' unsecured creditors committee members indicates a preference for a bankruptcy bailout plan submitted by former Sun Jet founder Thomas Kolfenbach, according to the committee's attorney, James Foster of Akerman, Senterfitt&Edison, P.A. Foster wrote committee members urging them to accept both Kolfenbach's plan and a plan submitted by Aviation Industries Corp., and express a preference for Kolfenbach, in ballots the committee must send to the bankruptcy court.
Northwest Chief Executive John Dasburg called on Congress to hold hearings to examine whether the Airline Deregulation Act should be changed "or even replaced with new regulatory legislation," given DOT's proposed predatory activity guidelines (DAILY, April 7). DOT proposes taking enforcement action if major carriers defending hubs against new entrants take extraordinary losses judged to be out of proportion to a reasonable competitive strategy. Dasburg said the guidelines go far beyond the rules imposed by antitrust laws.
TWA is talking with Boeing about acquiring 24 new MD-83 aircraft, the carrier disclosed in a 10K filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. If the deal goes through, it could extend the MD-80 production line for months beyond the planned mid-1999 suspension. Boeing currently is building about four MD-80s a month. TWA told SEC that if it reaches an agreement with Boeing, it expects the aircraft to be delivered in 1999. TWA ordered 15 new MD-83s in 1996, and it said it has taken delivery of seven and expects to receive six this year and two in 1999.
Sabre Group has introduced Sabre Net Platform, the industry's first Internet solution for small and remote-access travel agencies in the U.S. and Canada. The company said the system can reduce the cost of a connection to the Sabre computer by 40%, is easily installed and offers competitive pricing to travel professionals who use their own hardware.
Reno Air has appointed Steven Rossum senior VP, general counsel and corporate secretary. Rossum succeeds Bob Rowen, who is leaving the company. Rossum will be responsible for Reno's legal activities and government and regulatory affairs.
Confirmation of success in acceptance tests at the U.K.'s new Swanwick en route air traffic control center, expected within weeks, will deflect the most disruptive recommendations of a parliamentary committee that criticized ATC modernization delays last week, U.K. government officials who support the program believe. Lockheed Martin Corp., developer at Swanwick, has told the U.K.
DOT Inspector General will begin April 27 to conduct audits of Year 2000 computer problems at FAA headquarters and at selected air carriers, aircraft manufacturers, component manufacturers, repair stations and industry associations. The audit will focus on supplementary aircraft equipment and on parts that have not been certified by manufacturers as Y2K compliant.
FAA is working "diligently" on a new pay and reclassification system for air traffic controllers, according to FAA sources. The issue is part of broader talks with the National Air Traffic Controllers Association on a new national labor agreement. One of the issues still open is how to fund a new pay structure.
DOT gave interim approval for a United-Mexicana code share on scheduled flights between Mexico City and Miami for 179 days, deferring action on the original request for a one-year approval. United had been code sharing on the route with Aeromexico. Code-share partners American and Aero California filed in opposition, saying Mexico will feel no pressure to sign a liberal code-sharing agreement with the U.S. if its major carriers continue to receive favorable treatment. DOT granted the code share for the short term, citing unresolved bilateral code-share concerns.
U.S. Major Carriers Latin Share of Service Fourth Quarter 1997 Total Revenue Departures Alaska 2,170 America West 1,565 American 24,051 Continental 9,402 Delta 2,427 United 4,105 US Airways 1,461 Total 45,181
