Lockheed Martin Air Traffic Management won a contract from the Air Traffic Management Bureau of East China for the Pudong Primary Radar Automation System. The contract, from a unit of the Civil Aviation Administration of China, calls for installation of air traffic control systems at Hongqiao and the Pudong airports.
The US Airways Air Line Pilots Association unit Master Executive Council will meet this evening to discuss a provision in the union's contract that limits the carrier's ability to form code-share alliances. US Airways ALPA spokesman Roy Freundlich said once the MEC meets it will be in a better position to discuss the carrier's agreement to code share to Japan with American and United. Under the terms of the pilots' new five-year contract, US Airways "cannot just go and code share indiscriminately," he said.
London Stansted-based AB Airlines will sell shares on the London Stock Exchange for the first time in April or May in an attempt to raise money for fleet and route expansion. The carrier, which has steadily added service from London Gatwick, announced that Gatwick will be its hub. "Despite strong competition, AB Airlines has secured a number of valuable slots at what is now one of the world's top 10 airports," the airline said. The carrier will target niche routes from Gatwick not served by major airlines.
Lufthansa will fly to Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina, and Amman, Jordan, as part of its newly released summer schedule. The new weekday flight to Sarajevo from Munich and three-times-weekly Frankfurt-Amman service will begin March 29. The carrier will add frequencies on other routes and increase code-share service in the U.S. with Star Alliance partner United and Washington-based Atlantic Coast Airlines, operating as United Express. The summer timetable, through Oct. 24, lists 294 destinations in 91 countries.
Pilots looking for work had a good year in 1997 - 11,936 were hired, according to AIR Inc. Major carriers employed the most pilots, 3,854, followed by nationals with 3,194. Other jet operators hired 1,946 and non-jet operators hired 1,762. AIR Inc. projects an even better 1998, at 13,750 hirings. In January, 1,146 found employment.
U.S. Major Carriers Traffic January 1998 (000) January January % 1998 1997 Change Alaska Revenue Passenger Miles 767,000 722,000 6.2 Available Seat Miles 1,253,000 1,205,000 4.0 Load Factor (%) 61.2 59.9
China Airlines of Taiwan suffered its second fatal A300 landing accident in four years Monday, at Taipei Chiang Kai-Shek Airport. All 196 people aboard and several people on the ground were killed when the aircraft crashed in fog hundreds of yards short of the runway. The National Transportation Safety Board denied yesterday that the flight data and cockpit voice recorders were on the way to the U.S., saying it had not heard from Taiwan aviation or airline officials.
Iberia Chairman Xabier de Irala, although "preoccupied" by the Asian crisis, said his airline is concentrating on the Latin American market. In an interview with French business daily La Tribune, de Irala said, "If European airlines suffer long-lasting overcapacity on Asian routes, they will be tempted to turn to other zones, where Iberia has a strong position." The Spanish airline, which last year signed a letter of intent to create an alliance with British Airways and American, is placing a strong emphasis on the Latin American market.
United says it will take "appropriate action" against a flight attendant who, in a conversation with David Letterman on his television show last Thursday, described United passengers as "the enemy." A United spokesman refused to comment on what form the action would take.
Air cargo grew 10.1% in December and the same amount for 1997, "another strong year for the airline cargo industry," said Air Transport Association President Carol Hallett. Freight and express traffic was up 12.3% in December and 11% for the year. Domestic freight and express grew 8.4% and international 16.4% for December and 5.7% and 16.9% for the year. Mail continued to be disappointing, declining 1% in December domestically and 1.9% on international routes.
American will code share with Hawaiian Airlines on interisland flights, beginning March 2. Hawaiian will place the "AA" designator code on flights connecting in Honolulu with American's flights to and from the mainland. Flights under the code share operate to and from Hilo and Kona on Hawaii; Lihue on Kauai and Lanai, Molokai and Kahului on Maui. American's frequent flyer passengers will be able to accrue mileage on the interisland flights.
China National Aviation Corp., Dragonair's major shareholder, is financially healthy and positioned well to play a role in the restructuring of China's aviation industry, according to a report from Salomon Smith Barney. CNAC owns 43.3% of Dragonair, but the Hong Kong-based airline generates 88% of the company's pretax earnings. CNAC Beijing, CNAC's parent, began in aviation more than 50 years ago, and its board has had a long-term relationship with Beijing's Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC).
Continental Micronesia filed last week against Airbus Transport International of France, which wants to operate charter cargo service between France and the U.S. via intermediate and beyond points. Continental Micronesia has thus far been unable to receive French approval for new service between Guam and Noumea, New Caledonia, authorized by DOT last October. The U.S. carrier said it was surprised that Airbus Transport would seek expedited authority for comprehensive charter service when France has delayed action on Continental Micronesia's application.
DOT issued interim awards of seven frequencies each to American, Continental and Delta for U.S.-Tokyo service, as proposed in its Feb. 3 notice. American will fly from Chicago, Continental from Newark and/or Houston, and Delta from Atlanta. It dismissed Continental and Delta requests for interim frequencies beyond those levels. Continental can choose to allocate its seven frequencies between its two hubs; it wanted seven for both.
Summary of U.S. Major Carriers International Traffic August 1997 Revenue Average Revenue Passengers Length of Passenger Enplaned % Travel Miles % (000) Change (miles) (000) Change Alaska 47 (3.52) 1,071 50,468 (1.95)
Barry Valentine, who stepped down recently as FAA acting deputy administrator, introducing himself to new members of the Aero Club of Washington board, on which he sits, identified himself as "Barry Valentine, recovering ex-FAA official."
New York state legislators are calling on the state to spend as much as $50 million annually to build high-speed intercity rail service in response to what they consider high air fares. Among the candidate routes are Albany- New York and Albany-Buffalo via Syracuse and Rochester.
Hawaiian Airlines cried foul over the TWA-Delta Japan code-share application (DAILY, Feb. 12). TWA-Delta filed one day after DOT's Feb. 10 deadline, and Hawaiian said its own code-share talks were derailed when DOT rejected its request for a 20-day deadline extension on Japan filings. If the department considers TWA-Delta, Hawaiian will continue its code-share talks and expect DOT to review a Hawaiian application as well.
United has integrated the Computer Assisted Passenger Screening (CAPS) program into its Apollo reservations system. CAPS automatically profiles customers as they check in at domestic locations. It determines which passengers will be subjected to further security screening - for explosives in baggage, for example - and it selects a predetermined number of people for random screening.
TradeWinds Airlines flew its first charter passenger flight Sunday - from Boston to Montego Bay and back to Boston - after 16 years as a cargo operator. The airline leased a 345-seat L-1011 from Interlease Aviation Group in Illinois and plans to lease a second L-1011 in about two months, said President and Chief Operating Officer Larry Scheevel. TradeWinds took advantage of the widebody passenger aircraft's availability to expand the company and invested about $350,000 in preoperational costs, he said.
