New rules by the Joint Aviation Authorities set to take effect in June 1999 threaten European access to U.S. flight training organizations, said James Coyne, president of the National Air Transportation Association. The rules require a non-JAA flight training organization to locate an office in the country issuing airman certificates. Coyne said the rules "directly target" U.S.
U.S. and French negotiators begin their fifth round of bilateral talks today in Paris. No bilateral is in effect and airline schedules are arranged twice yearly on the basis of comity and reciprocity. The U.S. prefers a four-year transition to open skies, but France has countered with more gradual liberalization that falls short of that goal. The last round was a cordial one, but officials familiar with the talks assume France is in no hurry to open its market, preferring to give Air France time to become more competitive. The U.S.
American is changing its tack, agreeing with a growing number of motions to grant all pending U.S.-Japan applications proposing service in 1998 and abandoning its original support for an expedited proceeding that would settle non-incumbent allocations in one comprehensive phase. All of American's services would be launched this year, including seven weekly Chicago-Tokyo flights by May 1 under interim authority, and seven flights each for New York-Tokyo, Boston-Tokyo, and Dallas/Fort Worth-Osaka by Nov. 1.
United is improving the air quality on its aircraft by installing air recirculation filters that meet True High Efficiency Particulate Air (HEPA) standards. HEPA filtration removes at least 99.97% of all air particles 0.3 microns in size, including dust mite debris and many bacteria. The upgrades will take about six months and cost roughly $425,000. United's A- 319s and A320s already have True HEPA filters.
Continental will stretch the legs of its new 737-700s on flights from Newark to San Jose, Costa Rica, when service begins July 7, subject to Costa Rican government approval. The route is 1,215 miles long, and the flight will take roughly five hours. American Express Travel said the lowest fare is $540 roundtrip plus $50 tax. San Jose is the airline's 11th Latin American city.
American last served Chicago Midway Airport in 1991 while also flying to O'Hare, following earlier Midway operations in the 1970s. In reporting American's new Dallas/Fort Worth-Midway service, The DAILY incorrectly said the carrier had never served the smaller airport (DAILY, Feb. 23).
The filing deadline for comments on the completed American- LanChile antitrust immunity application is March 13, and replies are due March 24. Incorrect dates were printed Feb. 24 in The DAILY.
From host nation Singapore to small providers from throughout the world, overhaul and maintenance are a center of attention this week at Asian Aerospace '98. Philip Yeo, chairman of the Economic Development Board and thus responsible for shaping industry and jobs growth in Singapore, said the island nation's future in aerospace rests firmly in maintenance, repair and overhaul rather than aircraft manufacturing. "It is not glamorous. It is not sexy. But someone has to fix your plane," Yeo told Aviation Week's Show News.
Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) said the recent life-saving use of a heart defribillator on an aircraft illustrates the importance of a bill (S.1584) he and Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) introduced last month to make the device standard airline equipment. A 52-year-old man suffered a heart attack last week when boarding an American flight from Dallas to Mexico City. American has installed the devices on overwater flights and, like Delta and United, plans to install them fleetwide.
Bombardier has received commitments for six additional Canadair Regional Jets from European carriers. France's Air Littoral has ordered five series 100s in an order worth $100 million. Deliveries will begin this year and run through 1999. To speed the integration of these aircraft, Air Littoral will lease out three of the five this year before operating them directly in 1999. The newly ordered aircraft will be put to use for partner Lufthansa. Slovenia's Adria Airways has signed a deal to purchase a third 200LR regional jet for delivery in November.
United is taking issue with European Commission positions on Narita slots and American's reaction to a new London Heathrow opportunity for United (DAILY, Feb. 23). "The EC's suggestion that it is somehow unfair that U.S. carriers have five times as many slots in Japan as European carriers is betrayed by the facts," an airline spokesman said yesterday. The slot imbalance is the result of higher demand for travel to the U.S. than from Japan to Europe, he said. Redistribution is an EC issue because U.S.
More than 100 protesters marched at Taipei's domestic Sungshan Airport last week to demand relocation of the airport. Citing the possibility of an accident similar to the Feb. 16 crash of a China Airlines A300-600R at Chiang Kai-shek International Airport, the protesters demanded that the airport be moved from its current downtown location. The protest was led by two city councilors - Chen Yung-deh of the ruling Nationalist Party and Yang Chen-hsiung, a member of the opposition New Party.
Singapore Airport Terminals Service, a subsidiary of Singapore Airlines, said it is building a $300 million airfreight terminal at Singapore Changi International Airport. The complex is to be completed in late 2000. The building contract was awarded to Eng Lim Construction of Singapore. The cargo handling system contract went to a Mitsubishi consortium.
Airbus Industrie broke ground on a 100,000-square-foot training facility in Miami Springs, Fla., concluding a campaign by Miami-Dade County to keep Airbus in the area. Airbus's current training facility there generates about $30 million a year for the local economy. John Lauber, VP-training and human factors for Airbus Service Co., said, "We considered a number of prospective sites in Florida and Virginia."
A small contingent of striking workers from the Dublin location of low-cost Irish carrier Ryanair plans to demonstrate today in Brussels with other European Union airline worker representatives, mostly baggage handlers, against allegedly low pay and Ryanair's refusal to accept unionization. Ryanair said it pays its workers more than the industy average in Ireland and will continue to negotiate with them individually until a majority votes for representation.
Singapore Airlines will begin three weekly flights to Newark via Amsterdam and add service to London and Frankfurt at the end of March. The carrier will fly 17 weekly flights to London, up from 14, and increase Frankfurt from seven to 10 flights as part of an 8% boost in capacity ton kilometers. The rate is slower than in the past, when SIA grew 10% annually. Capacity will increase 9.2% to the Americas, 8.8% to Europe, 15.6% to the Southwest Pacific, 9.2% to West Asia/Africa and 25% to North Asia. Capacity to Southeast Asia will fall 2.5%.
Aviation Industries Corp. has entered into an agreement with AIBC Investment Service Corp. to raise $5 million to expand now-bankrupt Sun Jet International Airlines. Earlier this month, the bankruptcy court in Tampa approved Aviation Industries' debtor-in-possession financing for Sun Jet. The charter airline could return to the air in 90 days. Aviation Industries intends to add aircraft and employees once the reorganization plan, due in court by March 20, is approved.
The China Airlines A300-600R accident Feb. 16 in Taipei, which killed 196 people onboard and five on the ground, is the 14th fatal accident for Southeast Asian carriers during the past 10 months, leading air safety specialists in Japan to question why major accidents occurred in Southeast Asian carriers so frequently. One theory is that, along with quick economic growth in the area, the SE Asian carriers expanded their fleets and services, leaving infrastructure insufficient. SE Asian carrier accidents:
American is stepping up pressure for a proceeding on renewal of Northwest- KLM antitrust immunity, criticizing Northwest for failing to take into account its proposed partnership with Continental and making a faulty comparison between commuter cases and this one.
Summary of U.S. Major Carriers Domestic Traffic September 1997 Revenue Average Revenue Passengers Length of Passenger Enplaned % Travel Miles % Carriers (000) Change (Miles) (000) Change Alaska 930 (1.37) 826 768,858 (0.31) America West 1,312 (8.86) 880 1,155,125 (4.83)
Despite a challenge by the Transport Workers Union, the Association of Flight Attendants is gaining ground in its campaign to organize Delta flight attendants. Phones at the new AFA Atlanta headquarters have been "ringing off the hook" with flight attendants supporting the union since the organizing campaign was announced last week, AFA General Counsel David Borer said.
The Directors General of Eurocontrol and the Romania Civil Aviation Authority signed a formal agreement last week in Maastricht, The Netherlands, to continue the upgrade of air traffic control facilities in the Eastern European country.
Polar Air Cargo asked DOT for a seventh exemption from the deadline to start scheduled U.S.-Philippines cargo service. While the carrier hopes to begin service March 29 to coincide with the start of its summer schedule, it requested an additional 60-day extension, until May 5, due to delays in reaching agreement with the Philippine Air Transport Office. (Docket OST- 97-2265)
Taipei and Seoul have agreed in principle to restore direct air links, cut when Seoul switched diplomatic recognition to Beijing in 1992, according to an aide to President-elect Kim Dae-jung. Legislator Sohn Sai-il said he and another Kim aide, Sul Hoon, reached the agreement last week during a visit to Taipei. During their stay in Taipei, the two officials met with Taiwan President Lee Teng-hui and a number of other high ranking government officials.
FAA's briefing on its Local Area Augmentation System development method and acquisition program will take place April 3. The DAILY Feb. 19 gave an incorrect date.
