EuroAirport, the tri-national airport in southeastern France serving Basel, Mulhouse and Freibourg, is further clamping down on nighttime flights of Chapter II aircraft. Starting April 1, the airport imposed tighter restrictions by replacing its previous five-hour ban of midnight-to-5 a.m. for Chapter II aircraft with a new one starting at 10 p.m. and lasting until 6 a.m. The new rules complement higher landing fees imposed last month for noisy aircraft as the airport prepares to lock out all Chapter II airplanes by 2002.
DOT yesterday issued its fifth air fare report, this one listing average prices paid by consumers in the top 1,000 city-pair markets for the third quarter of 1997 and another 149 city-pairs that have been in the top 1,000 during previous quarters. The report consists primarily of tables listing the city-pair prices and a selected highlight of pricing patterns.
B/E Aerospace yesterday agreed to purchase Aircraft Modular Products (AMP) for $118 million. Miami-based AMP is the leading cabin interior maker for business aircraft, with a 60% market share.
Sabena cabin staff will serve business-class passengers and Virgin Express staff will serve in economy class when the two Belgian carriers launch three-flights-daily 737 service between Brussels and London Stansted Airport (DAILY, April 13). The carriers plan to offer three daily flights with a Boeing 737 configured for two classes of service. Business passengers will be served by Sabena staff, while economy travelers will be served by Virgin Express.
Delta is offering discounts on spring fares for travel April 25-June 17 to Europe; April 13-June 11 to Mexico, Central and South America and India, and April 13-June 11 to Korea. Travel must be completed by June 24 and tickets must be purchased by April 18.
DOT's expedited schedule for new opportunities under the U.S.-France bilateral sets this Friday as a deadline to apply for rights available in 1998, including combination, cargo and code-share opportunities that become more expansive under the term of the agreement (DAILY, April 7). The department will address remaining opportunities at a later unspecified time, it said in its order served yesterday. Answers are due April 22 and replies to answers April 24. The 1998 opportunities include:
Europe's Joint Aviation Authorities has recommended type validation of Boeing's 737-800, the final hurdle before certification. The approval comes one month after FAA certification. Launch customer Hapag-Lloyd of Germany is scheduled to take the first 737-800 this month. The charter airline will use the 160- to 189-seat aircraft to replace its -400s and -500s.
American Trans Air reported a 0.6% rise in systemwide traffic and a 3.8% increase in capacity in March over the same month last year. Block hours flown grew 17.5% to 13,773. ATA reported 886.7 million revenue passenger miles and 1.190 billion available seat miles. Charter service RPMs were down 23.1% to 388.6 million and ASMs declined 17.9% to 560 million. Block hours flown decreased 19.9% to 4,970.
Hawaiian Airlines spent $63.4 million last year to lease and maintain 10 DC-10s. The aircraft are leased from and maintained by American, which has the option next year to cancel the agreement on 180 days' notice. Hawaiian, which began code sharing with American last month, buys all of its fuel through Northwest.
U.S. major airlines are expected to begin this week reporting improved first quarter earnings due to a continued robust domestic economy and fuel prices as much as 30% lower than a year ago. The two carriers reporting earnings this week, American and Continental, will turn in significantly higher operating profits, analysts said, but the real story of the first quarter may be the better-than-expected results of smaller major airlines. America West and Alaska Airlines will be "bigger surprises this year," said Sam Buttrick, PaineWebber analyst.
DOT granted United and Lufthansa blanket authority of indefinite duration for the carriers' code-share arrangement, which "would include economic authority held by the carriers and that which the carriers may hold by subsequent action of the Department." This action enables the carriers to expand their code-share operations, giving them flexibility to add third- country beyond points without seeking prior DOT approval. The carriers must notify DOT 30 days before beginning code-share service to a new market.
U.S. Major Carriers Systemwide Share of Service Fourth Quarter 1997 Total Revenue Departures Alaska 39,672 America West 52,223 American 198,613 Continental 112,176 Delta 243,356 Northwest 145,341 Southwest 199,385 TWA 70,861
Without baggage sizing boxes or customer service personnel at all boarding areas in North America to make sure passengers do not carry on excess bags, United's crackdown on the number and size of carry-on bags is unenforceable, according to United flight attendants. "It's a concern," said Bobbie Pilkington, spokeswoman for the Association of Flight Attendants at United. She said the carrier is promising to enforce a policy that has always been in place, but management has not said how it will handle passengers who refuse to comply.
LanChile complained to DOT of the "tag-team" filings by American-LanChile opponents whose only purpose, the carrier said, is to delay action on its application for antitrust immunity with American. United, Delta and Continental are trying to buy time to implement code-share and other agreements with VARIG, Aeroperu, Aeromexico and VASP, LanChile said. "Enough is enough," the carrier said. March 24 filings by the Regional Business Partnership in Newark and Aeromexico, "surely at the behest of interested U.S.
America West traffic for March decreased 8.6% on 1.1% more capacity, forcing the load factor down 7.3 percentage points to 68.5%. Although traffic has fallen 8.7% during the first quarter, the airline said its revenue and yield performance have made up the difference. "While our load factors are lower year-over-year, our restructured revenue strategy continues to produce sharply improved yields," said Chairman William Franke. America West carried 440,000 fewer passengers in the first quarter than a year earlier.
American Trans Air and Pleasant Holidays last week observed their fifth year of partnership by adding service from San Diego to Hawaii starting May 16. The agreement gives San Diego its only scheduled nonstop flights to Hawaii, the airline said. American Trans Air and Pleasant also are enhancing onboard services and amenities on all flights from Los Angeles, San Francisco and San Diego with new interior decor, Hawaiian theme uniforms and exterior paint linking their logos.
DOT issued an order tentatively finding WestJet Express fit to provide interstate charter combination service and proposed issuing the startup carrier certificate authority. WestJet, not related to Canadian carrier WestJet Airlines, plans to provide charter passenger service primarily in the western U.S., beginning operations with a single leased 89-seat DC-9- 21. It plans to add as many as three aircraft to its fleet if demand warrants.
Douglas unit of Boeing faces a delay in the rollout of its 100-seat 717, probably the only aircraft in the former Douglas lineup that has a chance of remaining in production. The rollout was scheduled next month with first flight in June. Douglas officials are not commenting on the nature of the delay. ILFC chief Steve Hazy told USA Today his board is becoming skeptical about Boeing's recovery, "and so about the 717."
A U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge has ruled that Sun Jet International Airlines must have a plan to emerge from bankruptcy by May 4 or lose its government operating certificate. Sun Jet filed for bankruptcy protection last June and has $8 million in unsecured debt.
Legend Airlines signed a Dallas Love Field lease last week to construct an executive terminal with six gates. Legend is scheduled to begin service in the fourth quarter of this year.
Air France asked DOT to grant expeditiously its application for an exemption to operate service between Atlanta and Paris. The exemption requested, and quick action on it, is provided for in the U.S.-France aviation agreement initialed April 8. The carrier wants to begin service this summer.
The Transport Workers Union announced opposition to DOT's proposed guidelines on predatory practices, saying it fears that they would undermine the ability of unionized carriers to react quickly to nonunion competition. The Air Line Pilots Association reacted similarly (DAILY, April 8).
