David Smith, former president of American Eurocopter Corp., currently is a consultant to the company. Smith was indicted a year ago - and acquitted in May - on conspiracy charges in connection with a 1993 AEC helicopter sale to Israel. The company, which pled guilty to fraud and other charges and agreed to pay nearly $25 million in fines and penalties, backed Smith in his defense.
Sanders named Rance Walleston director-business development for the Sanders Surveillance Systems Division; Eugene Dempsey director-sourcing and John Windyka director-business development for the Microwave Electronics Division.
The Air Carrier Association of America (ACAA) said it is skeptical of the impartiality of the organizers of the Airline Competition Committee, especially Tim Hannegan of The Wexler Group, which represents American. The carrier has been accused of anticompetitive behavior.
Several persons who attended a Federal Radionavigation Plan (FRP) meeting last week in Washington believe DOT lost an opportunity to dispel confusion among users and in industry about what they termed "unrealistic" termination and implementation dates for a number of systems, particularly now that FAA has expressed doubts about whether the Global Positioning System can be the sole means of navigation.
Southwest Research Institute named Janice Olvera director-Avionics and Support Systems Department in the Aerospace Electronics and Training Systems Division.
KLM requested authority to place Northwest's code on flights between Amsterdam and Bergen, Norway, under a code share. KLM, which owns a 30% stake in Norwegian carrier Braathens, will begin operating daily service June 1 (DAILY, Feb. 10). It asked DOT to expedite the request so that Northwest may begin offering the Bergen service.
DOT revoked TriStar Airlines' operating certificate under dormancy provisions, stating that it has not conducted service since about Jan. 24, 1997, when it ceased all operations. (Docket OST-95-293)
Northwest is offering reduced fares in all five of the Minnesota communities that take part in the carrier's experimental Fly Local program, launched in April 1997. Fly Local was a six-month test program to stimulate traffic at local airports by lowering fares in the communities of Bemidji, Brainerd, Hibbing, Grand Rapids and St. Cloud. Northwest extended the fares for 10 months to give residents the maximum opportunity to use them. Bemidji, Brainerd and St. Cloud generated an average traffic gain of 81% year-over-year from local markets to the Twin Cities.
Northrop Grumman Commercial Aircraft Division named Gary Brown to the additional posiiton of site manager of the Milledgeville, Ga., composites facility; Bill McKenna VP, IPT leader and site manager of the Aircraft Door Center, Perry, Ga., and Mark Tucker VP-IPT leader and site manager of the CAD facility, Hawthorne, Calif.
TWA reported a net loss of $110.8 million during 1997, including a loss of $31.2 million in the fourth quarter. The airline posted large fourth quarter gains, however, showing an operating profit of $0.5 million, an improvement of $232.9 million over the year-ago fourth quarter loss of $232.4 million. TWA finished the year with $237.8 million in cash, up from $181.6 million a year ago. It was the second time in nine years that the airline posted an operating profit in the fourth quarter.
Mergers are very much on the minds of Air Line Pilots Association units at some of the major airlines in the wake of the Northwest-Continental code share alliance. The United unit's Master Executive Council Scenarios Committee has been analyzing industry consolidations that might arise from the deal. The Delta unit's MEC has authorized a committee to study the financial, legal and analytical aspects of a consolidation.
Orally approved an initial one-year exemption for LAPA to conduct foreign charter combination service between Argentina and the U.S...Orally approved a one-year exemption renewal for Aeromexico to conduct scheduled combination service between Cozumel, Mexico, and Miami...Approved a two- year authority renewal for Fine Air to conduct scheduled and non-scheduled cargo service for Turks Air under a wet-lease arrangement...Approved six cargo charter roundtrips by Atlas Air between points in the U.S. and points in Brazil Feb.
Summary of U.S. National Carriers Systemwide Traffic August 1997 Revenue Average Revenue Passengers Length of Passenger Enplaned % Travel Miles % (000) Change (Miles) (000) Change American Trans Air 499 (6.95) 2,032 1,013,206 (2.87)
-- In Federal Register dated Feb. 6...Issued an airworthiness directive on British Aerospace 748 aircraft requiring inspection of the gust locks of the flight control system...Superseded an AD on Fokker F28 aircraft concerning failures of the emergency direct current alternating current bus power supply...Issued an AD on Eurocopter SA-365/366 helicopters requiring inspection of the main gearbox magnetic plug.
LanChile's 1997 profits leaped 68% to $64.1 million from $38 million the year earlier. The result includes a $3.3 million charge related to aircraft returns and other items. The airline will issue complete audited results in early March.
National Transportation Safety Board member John Goglia is among people being mentioned as a potential FAA deputy administrator. His nomination is urged by members of Congress and some industry officials, who point to his operational and technical background. Other names in circulation are John Fearnsides, senior VP and general manager of Mitre; John Kern, senior VP- operations and safety at Northwest, and Robert Baker, executive VP- operations at American. George Donohue, the original nominee, withdrew and plans to leave the agency (DAILY, Feb. 10).
Skymark Airlines, the Japanese low-fare startup airline formed by a travel agent organization, has applied for a business license to start service. Skymark intends to begin Tokyo-Fukuoka service Sept. 13 using 309-seat 767- 300s leased from a U.S. firm. The route is one of the most heavily traveled in the world. Skymark has $10.6 million in initial capital. Five other Japanese startups are waiting in the wings.
WestJet Airlines will begin service to Winnipeg from Calgary on March 20. The Canadian 737 carrier will provide connecting service to Edmonton, Vancouver and other points in Canada. WestJet, two years old next week, cited Greyhound Airlines' failure and the rise in air fares in Winnipeg as reasons to consider the service.
Europe's major airlines say they want rapid passage and implementation of the European Union's draft directive on airport charges. "We want the legislation to be introduced in a strong, effective way and not watered down to a meaningless document, as happened with the EU's ground-handling directive," said Sefik Yuksel, general manager for trade affairs at the Association of European Airlines.
