Austria joined the "Schengen Group" - European Union countries that have abolished border checks for passengers traveling among them. Austria's membership became effective last week. Other Schengen members that have abolished border checks include Germany, France, Portugal, Spain and the Benelux countries. Their decision required the reorganization of passenger flows at airports.
Worldspan has introduced a booking incentive for travel agents that increases Productivity Pricing credits awarded for tours. Retroactive to Nov. 1, Worldspan is awarding five credits for tour bookings that contain one to five passengers and 10 credits for bookings with six or more passengers.
American Eagle operator Simmons rejected United arguments against the American commuter's application for a 60-slot exemption for operations from Chicago O'Hare. Simmons said United opposes the bid because Simmons is an American corporate affiliate, because American dropped certain services it launched with 100-seat aircraft from O'Hare earlier this decade, and because United Express commuters plan to file a competing application.
Northwest is relaxing advance purchase requirements on special fares for travel Dec. 28-Jan. 5, and Dec. 18, 24, 25, 31 and Jan. 1. Some restrictions apply. Roundtrip fares start at $272 between Minneapolis and New York and $184 between Detroit and Washington.
TWA posted a 1.6% November traffic gain to 1.7 billion revenue passenger miles on 9% less capacity - 2.8 billion available seat miles - which boosted load factor 6.8 percentage points to 65.6%. It boarded more passengers in November - 1.83 million - than in any November in seven years. TWA's load factor was its highest November figure since deregulation in 1978. Domestic traffic increased 10.6% on 2.5% less capacity, which raised the load factor 7.7 points to 65.2%.
National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Jim Hall announced yesterday the appointments of Peter Goeiz as NTSB managing director and Jamie Finch to succeed Goeiz as head of the Office of Government, Public and Family Affairs.
DOT Deputy Assistant Secretary Mark Gerchick told attendees of an International Air Service Seminar in Washington sponsored by the Airports Council International that moving forward with China could be the most intriguing aviation development in the Asia/Pacific region.
Aerolitoral Airlines of Mexico placed an order for six used Saab 340B aircraft for operation on expansion routes. The carrier is wholly owned by Cintra, the holding company for Aeromexico and Mexicana. The first two 340Bs configured for 33 seats, are now in delivery.
Aeronautica Venezolana, operating under the name Aerovenca, applied at DOT for one-year exemption authority to conduct non-scheduled and charter foreign all-cargo operations between points in Venezuela and Miami. The Venezuelan charter carrier, which flies between Venezuela and points in South America, wants to operate "approximately two weekly non-scheduled roundtrip all-cargo flights" and charter flights using DC-8 or 747 aircraft wet-leased from a U.S. or foreign Category 1 carrier, beginning Jan. 15. (Docket OST-97-3195)
American airlines and Aspen Mountain Air/Lone Star have expanded their code-sharing agreement to include service between Dallas/Fort Worth Airport and Del Rio, Texas, and Chihuahua, Mexico. The code-share service offers two flights daily except Saturday between DFW and Chihuahua, and two daily flights Monday through Thursday and one Sunday and Friday between DFW and Rio. All services are operated with the Dornier 328 turboprop.
Aeromexico traffic for October increased 15.2% on 4.3% more capacity. The number of passengers carried rose 11.8% to 648,000. Year-to-date traffic has grown 13.3% on 3.5% more capacity.
In an order allowing suspension of service at Worcester, Mass., by Continental Express, DOT said the department is precluded from providing subsidy support to Worcester because of its location 50 miles from large- hub Boston Logan and 65 miles from medium-hub Bradley International in Hartford, Conn. Continental Express told DOT it will terminate its Worcester-Newark service Sept. 4, but subsequently amended its suspension date to Jan. 7, 1998.
American Eagle's four carriers achieved a load factor of 59.5% in November, 2.6 percentage points higher than November 1996, as traffic rose 2.4% to 205.2 million revenue passenger miles, while capacity declined 2% to 345.1 million available seat miles. Nov. 1997 Nov. 1996 11 Mths 1997 11 Mths 1996 RPMs 205,184,000 200,405,000 2,337,742,000 2,376,006,000 SMs 345,070,000 352,023,000 3,854,507,000 4,065,246,000
Eight regional airline stocks averaged a gain of only 31 cents per share during November. Market value of the issues declined $59.9 million to $3.2 billion, however. United Express Atlantic Coast, which during the month gained approval to operate its new fleet of Canadair Jets in the United livery, led all gainers as its stock jumped $2.25 per share, or 10.6%, to close at $23.38. It was followed by Delta Connection Atlantic Southeast, up $1.75, or 6.3%, to $29.63 per share.
Honeywell Space and Aviation Control Counsel John Leshinski said the company was "quite surprised" to learn the European Commission will provide 140 million French francs (US$23.6 million) in subsidies to Airbus to finance new flight control systems by two Honeywell competitors - Sextant Avionique of France and Smiths Industries of the U.K. In announcing the subsidy, an EC spokesman said, "The project will enable Airbus, temporarily outpaced by the new navigation system of Boeing's 747s and 777s, to reduce its dependency toward U.S.
Finnair Chairman Antti Potila said yesterday in Helsinki that he will retire at the end of 1998. "I just want to take advantage of an offer to retire at the age of 60," said Potila, who has chaired the carrier's board since 1986. He said he is the longest-standing chief executive among major European airline heads.
Continental, which lost out to American in the Aerolineas Argentinas equity competition, has reached an agreement with CINTRA, the Mexican holding company that controls Aeromexico, Mexicana and AeroPeru, to take a 30% stake in the Peruvian airline, according to DAILY affiliate Aviation-Latin America&Caribbean, which quoted local Peruvian sources. The arrangement still is subject to a number of regulatory approvals.
Business Travel Contractors Corp. (BTCC) this week criticized a statement by United Chairman and Chief Executive Gerald Greenwald that small carriers are spreading negative perceptions about the state of the airline industry, and that there is no need for new regulations in commercial aviation (DAILY, Nov. 19). Greenwald made his comments to the Economic Strategy Institute last month in Washington. He accused some carriers of nurturing the perception that the big carriers are price gouging, keeping out competition, and not serving small markets.
United is introducing a free Internet-based travel planner that enables users to book travel online with more than 500 airlines, 45 car rental companies and 30,000 hotels worldwide. With the United Connection program, travlers can check airline schedules, shop for low fares, purchase tickets, select seats, and research and reserve hotel rooms and rental cars. Available at http://www.ual.com, it also offers frequent flyer incentives of 500 bonus miles - and a maximum of 1,000 per trip - for every one-way ticket booked on United through the web by June 30.
Airbus A330-200 yesterday made its first flight with Pratt&Whitney PW4168 engines. The aircraft also is being tested with General Electric CF6-80E1 and Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines. Certifications are planned next March, June and December, respectively.
Continental, Continental Express and EVA Airways applied at DOT for combination-service code sharing on points linking Taiwan, the U.S. and Panama. The carriers asked for swift approval, so they can prepare to start the code share on March 29, 1998.
