American and Aero California began reciprocal code sharing yesterday between the U.S. and Mexico. Aero California, headquartered in La Paz on the Baja California peninsula, initially will carry American's "AA" designator code on its service between Los Angeles and Calliacan, Durango, Hermosillo, La Paz and Torreon, and between Tucson and Hermosillo. With U.S. and Mexican governments' approval, code sharing will expand to additional Aero California services between the U.S. and Mexico. The code share will enable American to offer service to 26 destinations in Mexico.
European airlines and airports must stop quarreling over landing charges and get on with boosting their image and views vis-a-vis the public and Europe's policy-makers, said Jean Fleury, incoming chairman of Airports Council International World (ACI Europe). He said carriers "must stop fighting the airports. If we are to achieve anything of substance in the next two years, it should be to encourage a greater dialogue between these two sectors of the industry.
Washington Consulting Group has filed a protest with FAA challenging the award of the $1 billion-plus National Airspace System Implementation Support Contract (NISC II) to Lockheed Martin (DAILY, Nov. 21). FAA said it has confidence in the validity of its selection process. FAA's Office of Dispute Resolution will adjudicate the protest, filed Monday by WCG. Lockheed Martin said its lawyers are reviewing the basis of the protest.
Operating leases account for 21% of the worldwide airline fleet and the percentage probably will rise a few points, according to Ken Holden, GE Capital Aviation Services' senior VP-business development.In 1996, 214 airlines leased all aircraft, up from 46 in 1986, and 218 airlines had mixed leased/owned fleets, up from 140 in 1986.
U.S. Major Carriers Advertising Expense, Third Quarter 1997 % Of Total Passenger Advertising Revenues Alaska $ 5,747,000 1.55 Domestic 5,530,000 1.55 Latin 217,000 1.55 America West 9,188,553 2.13
National Civil Aviation Review Commission cited differences between providing services and policy-making/regulation as it recommended that federal air traffic services be provided by a Performance Based Organization (PBO). "Conceptually, the PBO is suited to an organization that is providing a service to customers or users," the commission said in its report, published last week (DAILY, Dec. 12).
Emirates added a fourth weekly flight between Dubai and Melbourne this week. It operates all four flights with 777s via Singapore and shares codes with Qantas. It launched service on the route in June 1996, and the expansion increases passenger capacity 22% and cargo capacity 25%. Load factors have averaged 70%.
Aerospace Industries Association sees signs that European industry intends to slow down U.S. moves to improve competitiveness rather than speed up their own, AIA President Don Fuqua said yesterday in Washington at the association's annual yearend review and forecast. "That approach seems to be: 'If we can't move faster, let's make the U.S.
U.S.-Japan aviation negotiators are inches away from settling the Tokyo Narita slot problem, sources said yesterday, by temporarily reassigning unused Federal Express slots to memorandum of understanding (MOU) carriers until the airport's second runway is built.Important details in other areas await resolution, but a Narita compromise would virtually assure that the U.S. and Japan will complete a revised bilateral by early next year, possibly after a session around the third week in January.
U.S. National, Regional and Cargo Carriers Advertising Expense, Third Quarter 1997 % Of Total Advertising Operating Expenses National Carriers American Trans Air $ 2,130,034 1.08 Carnival 131,244 0.15 Hawaiian 2,559,460 2.56 Midwest Express 1,937,633 2.80
BAA Plc's airports in Britain handled 7.6 million passengers last month, 6.4% more than in November 1996. BAA said charter traffic for its seven airports - Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Southampton - grew 10.1%, while North Atlantic services expanded 8.9%. Compared with November a year ago, European scheduled traffic rose 5.4% and other long-haul routes racked up growth of 5.6%. Cargo tonnage for the BAA airports increased more than 10% for the fourth month in a row.
British Aerospace Plc and Kazanah National Berhad of Malaysia have agreed to become partners in the aerospace industry. Under the agreement, Malaysia and British Aerospace will work together to develop Malaysia's capability to design and manufacture aerospace products. Malaysia hopes to gain access to aerospace technologies and develop the technical skills and intellectual property needed to compete for international aerospace work and future aircraft programs.
Antigua-based aircraft leasing company Caribjet has demanded $20 million in compensation from Air-India as arbitration proceedings between the two companies began this week in the London Court of International Justice, AI officials said yesterday. AI had wet-leased three aircraft - two L-1011s and an A310 - from Caribjet but had prematurely terminated its lease in September 1996 on the grounds that the aircraft were unsafe. Caribjet maintains the termination was politically motivated.
Alitalia yesterday selected KLM as its major European alliance partner, altering the strength and reach of several carriers in Europe, and possibly in the U.S. Top Italian government official Andrea Monorchio said, "Alitalia's partner will be KLM," as he left a board meeting of the Italian airline's parent, state holding company Istituto di Ricostruzione Industriale, last night in Rome. Alitalia chose KLM over Swissair and Air France in the contest for partners in southern Europe.
Locus Inc. announced the launch of a new version of its Loran receiver that will offer users a single, combined Global Positioning System/Loran unit that "promises redundant, yet completely independent, radionavigation capabilities." Locus President Linn Roth said the company decided to buck DOT policy on Loran and develop the receiver "because of the substantial new interest in Loran in the United States and a growing market for the technology internationally."
DOT allocated three U.S.-South Africa all-cargo frequencies to Polar Air Cargo and approved an initial two-year exemption for Polar to provide scheduled foreign cargo service between the U.S. and points in The Netherlands, Egypt, Ethiopia, Uganda, Kenya, Zimbabwe and South Africa. The carrier said its 747 freighter service, which it plans to begin in April, will be "the only scheduled flights to the African continent by an American all-cargo carrier." DOT noted that service beyond Egypt is extrabilateral but consistent with the state of U.S.-Egypt aviation relations.
Arinc introduced its Fraud Prevention web site, which hosts reference information aimed at members of the air transport industry's fraud prevention community. The site is password-protected for subscriber-only access to fraud alerts, industry bulletins, directives, handbooks and message formats for services related to fraud prevention.
American Chairman Robert Crandall called on the U.S. government again yesterday to understand the airline business better and realize that it is highly competitive and needs no further regulation to force competition. In a speech before the Wings Club in New York, Crandall echoed a speech he gave last month in Washington (DAILY, Nov. 14), when he chided DOT for helping low-fare airlines at the expense of established carriers.
Finnair announced termination of its global agreement with Diners Club International last week, but in a sudden turnaround it announced renewal a day later. Termination reflected the airline's dissatisfaction with Diners Club commissions on so-called "lodged card" transactions - the accounts that companies maintain with travel agents. If the termination had not been reversed, travelers would not be able to use the Diners Club credit card to buy Finnair tickets at the airline's ticket offices or from travel agents.
Delta asked DOT to renew, for two years, the mail portion of its exemption to conduct scheduled foreign combination service between the U.S. and London. Delta held the authority under its code-share arrangement with Virgin Atlantic. The carriers ended passenger and general code sharing, but Delta is "in the process of establishing a limited code-share agreement" to continue offering scheduled "transportation of mail only on certain U.S.-London routes." (Docket OST-95-926)
Air France has named Gogo Worldwide Vacations the new tour operator for Air France Holidays, effective April 1. The company was chosen for its buying power within Europe, its international network and its range of products. Rail Europe, the current supplier, will handle bookings through March 31.
FAA said this week it has proposed fining Delta $100,000 for "operating an aircraft with an inoperative first class coat closet door." The closet houses emergency equipment, and because the door "could not be secured and was sealed shut," it "prevented access to the emergency equipment," FAA said. Delta flew the 757 with the inoperative door on 68 flights, FAA said.
US Airways is introducing its premium transatlantic Envoy Class service on flights between Philadelphia and Frankfurt, Madrid, Munich, Paris and Rome and between Pittsburgh and Frankfurt. The service offers sleeper-type reclining seats and extra legroom between rows, first-class dining with a choice of four entrees, optional express meal service, a snacking station, champagne and a variety of premium wines, and other amenities. Each seat is equipped with Airfone service and a fax/modem hookup.
United and Lufthansa will consolidate ticket offices in downtown San Francisco to United's 101 Howard Street location. Lufthansa, which has served SFO since 1960, already has joint ticket offices with United in Houston and Miami and plans to consolidate facilities in Atlanta.
