Alitalia will increase its daily frequency from Brussels to Rome and Milan from three to four when its 1998 summer season begins March 29. The carrier said the new flights will boost its Brussels-Rome and Brussels- Milan capacity about 22%.
Air traffic controllers in India, who began a go-slow protest Nov. 1, threatened to add periodic work stoppages Friday if their demands for higher wages are not met by then. The slowdown has caused flight delays of up to three hours, and the controllers' proposed "direct action" would stop work totally for four one-hour periods per day.
The first not-for-profit computer reservations system will cost $50 million to build, and airlines and other travel suppliers are being asked to fund most of the project initially. But United States Travel Agent Registry's Genesis CRS system will reduce airline distribution costs more than 50% and eliminate costly practices that do not generate revenue, said USTAR President and Chief Executive Bruce Bishins.
U.S. Regional Carriers Traffic October, 10 Months 1997 October October % 1997 1996 Change Air Wisconsin Revenue Passenger Miles (000) 49,214 44,913 9.6 Available Seat Miles (000) 79,075 75,863 4.2 Load Factor (%) 62.2 59.2
Bruce Landsberg is the executive director of the Air Safety Foundation, an independent organization established in 1950 by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. He is not the executive director of AOPA itself, as reported Nov. 17.
Tropic Communications changed its name to Tropic Air Cargo. The company completed acquisition of R.A. Logistics and plans to develop the air freight operations of its wholly owned subsidiaries, B. Airways Inc. and B. Airways Air Cargo. It has moved its headquarters from Columbus, Ohio, to Miami.
Aviation Sales Co. said third quarter operating revenues increased 58.4% to $65.2 million and net income jumped 236% to $4.3 million. For nine months, operating revenues were up 54.6% to $174.5 million and net income grew to $11.3 million from $5.3 million. The company said it entered into a marketing agreement with Republic Financial Corp. of Denver, which acquired 30 737s recently from Continental. Aviation Sales will dismantle the aircraft at its facility in Ardmore, Okla., and manage their consignment.
Flight attendants at the four American Eagle carriers may consider following in the steps of the Eagles' Air Line Pilots Association units and negotiate a single contract, industry sources told The DAILY. Flight attendants at Executive, Wings West, Flagship and Simmons all are represented by the Association of Flight Attendants, but their contracts were negotiated separately and come up for amendment at different times. AFA spokeswoman Jane Goodman said AFA's goal is to negotiate a single contract.
Polar Air Cargo signed a $8 million, 10-year contract to use Unisys's Virtual Integration Suite, beginning at the end of the first quarter of 1998. The system provides tracking, customs, rating, invoicing, electronic data interchange, messaging, management reporting and accounting functions.
Senators and representatives from states that would be served under American Eagle/Simmons's proposed 60-slot exemption at Chicago O'Hare Airport wrote DOT Secretary Rodney Slater supporting the carrier, calling attention to Simmons's new plans to use regional jets (see related story to follow). The group included Sens. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.) and Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) and Rep. Zach Wamp (R-Tenn.), who wrote Slater last week in support of Simmons's O'Hare-Chattanooga application. In the Nov.
FAA Administrator Jane Garvey said yesterday that despite the billions of dollars the agency is spending to modernize the air traffic control system, "right now, we have a list of projects rather than a plan." She told the fall meeting of the Regional Airline Association in Washington, D.C., that while a "significant amount of work has already been done on modernizing the air traffic control system...significant issues remain." Garvey said she is "not sure there is a consensus yet" on what should be done to modernize the ATC system.
Japan Airlines and Canadian Airlines are developing a marketing alliance based on a reciprocal frequent flyer agreement. In the first phase, beginning in January, the two carriers will allow each airline's frequent flyer program members to redeem awards on the other. During the second phase, starting in the fall of 1998, members will be able to accumulate mileage on each carrier. By next year, JAL also expects to allow Canadian Plus members to gather miles on JAL's domestic routes. JAL is the first Asian carrier to join Canadian's frequent flyer program.
FAA plans to fine cargo carrier Transcolombiana de Carga $495,000 and Mesa Airlines $75,000 for what the agency described as operating flights under unsafe conditions. FAA said Mesa flew 75 flights on a Beech 1900D with an improperly secured outboard weight assembly. It said the Colombian carrier operated a DC-8-51 over the weight limit during 66 flights to and from the U.S. Excess weight ranged from 269 pounds to 36,733 pounds, FAA said.
Bosnia's Banja Luka regional airport reopened to civil air traffic yesterday after a four-year shutdown due to the civil war. NATO authorities operating in the region said they are preparing to reopen soon Bosnia's two other regional airports, at Mostar and Tuzla.
Negotiators tried some horse-trading over code shares at last week's bilateral talks in San Francisco, sources said. Japan is interested in code sharing to the U.S. interior but was told by the U.S. the price would be some third-country code sharing to Japan. The response: a need for further study. The Japanese said they could accept sharply limited same- country code-sharing between gateways, but they did not elaborate on the limits.
United Express affiliate Atlantic Coast Airlines and senior partner United reached an agreement yesterday that clears the way for the regional to operate Canadair jets under the United Express label, Atlantic Coast announced. The regional said it will add RJs Nov. 20 to its existing service between Washington Dulles and Raleigh/Durham, N.C., and launch RJ service Nov. 22 from Dulles to Fort Myers and Jacksonville, Fla., and Nashville, Tenn.
United Chairman Gerald Greenwald echoed American Chairman Robert Crandall yesterday, saying there is no need for new regulations in commercial aviation and that smaller carriers are responsible for spreading negative perceptions about the state of affairs in a healthy industry. Speaking to the Economic Strategy Institute, Greenwald insisted that government meddling in a highly competitive industry will disrupt service in some markets and create an artificial government safety net for startup airlines.
The Netherlands' northern region, Noord Holland, is asking the national government for money to develop a light rail link between Amsterdam Schiphol Airport and the nearby city of Haarlem. Noord Holland authorities said the project will cost "several hundred million guilders" and complement a NLG 460 million project, financed entirely by the region, to construct bus lanes around the airport.
Delta said yesterday it will increase its service to and from Latin America, stepping up the pressure on rivals American, United and Continental for market share in the fast-growing region. "Delta is ready to make it a true four-horse race among U.S. carriers," said Rudi Forster, general manager, Latin American business unit.
Wooed by sweeteners ranging from free simulators and maintenance training to new aircraft-leasing arrangements, Sabena said yesterday it will renew its fleet with 34 aircraft from Airbus Industrie's A320 family. The order, Sabena's largest ever, ended a year-long battle between Boeing and Airbus to replace the Belgian flag carrier's 737s. Sabena will receive the aircraft between 1999 and 2002, exercise an option to buy two A330-200s for delivery in October 1999 and February 2000, and take an option for two additional A330-200s.
Comair reported an 18.7% increase in traffic and an 8.9% rise in capacity in October, which increased its load factor 8.9 percentage points over that of October 1996, to 62.6%. The Delta Connection carrier's revenue passenger miles went up from 139.1 million to 165.0 million as available seat miles grew from 241.9 million to 263.6 million. Year-to-date RPMs totaled 1.095 billion, an 18.5% increase, and ASMs went up 10.3% to 1.765 billion, causing a 7.4 point gain in the load factor.
Debonair Airways is launching daily BAe 146-200 service to Nice, its eighth European route from London Luton Airport, with introductory fares of #39 one way or #78 roundtrip. Regular fares start at #69 one way and #98 roundtrip. Debonair recently began code-share service with Italian independent AZZURRAair on London Luton-Milan Bergamo with same-plane service to Rome Ciampino.
Sabena said it will divulge a "historic decision" today, and several Belgian airline industry sources expect it to be the selection of Airbus aircraft to replace its 12 aging Boeing 737-200s. Personnel of maintenance subsidiary Sabena Technics opposed Airbus initially, favoring Boeing's new- generation 737s, because they feared that choosing the European aircraft would decrease their workload and jeopardize jobs (DAILY, Oct. 15). But Sabena's parent company, Swissair, and partner airlines Austrian and TAP Air Portugal are Europeanizing their fleets gradually.
Brazil has implemented a fivefold increase in its international passenger departure tax. As of yesterday, travelers pay $90 to leave the country, up from $18.
Summary of U.S. Major Carriers Domestic Traffic Second Quarter 1997 Revenue Average Revenue Passengers Length of Passenger Enplaned % Travel Miles Carriers (000) Change (Miles) (000) Alaska 2,917 3.65 827 2,412,049 America West 4,582 2.22 884 4,051,732
