U.S.-Japan negotiators made progress last week toward all the chief objectives of the U.S., State Department Assistant Secretary Alan Larson told reporters Friday, but there still is a long way to go before an acceptable agreement will be in sight. Larson said he was focusing on a completing a "good agreement" rather than meeting a deadline. But asked whether negotiations would continue past Federal Express's hoped-for Jan. 1 launch of beyond service to China, he said he would be "very troubled" if they required "even half of that." Asked if the U.S.
Boeing Chairman and Chief Executive Phil Condit said the company is "making significant progress" on recovering from considerable aircraft production problems that led to a third quarter net loss of $696 million. Although Condit admitted the company needed to take "drastic action," including shutting down 737 and 747 production lines for a month, he said it was "not a broad-based problem." The 757, 767 and 777 lines have been affected little by recent supplier delays and production issues.
FAA and Italy's Ente Nationale Di Assistenza Al Volvo (ENAV) conducted test flights using U.S. and Italian satellite test beds, a step toward what FAA called a "seamless, satellite-based worldwide air navigation system." The tests, Oct. 20-22 at Ciampino Airport near Rome, were intended to show the capabilities of the U.S. Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) in European airspace. An FAA 727 used signals from the U.S. National Satellite Test Bed (NSTB) and Italy's Mediterranean Test Bed (MTB).
U.S. justifications in the move to restrict work on U.S.-built aircraft at foreign repair stations are "bogus," Jurgen Weber, chairman and chief executive of Lufthansa, said last week in Brussels at the European Aviation Club. "I smell a rat when U.S. legislators propose a so-called 'Aircraft Repair Station Safety Act' to allegedly protect the safety of U.S. airline passengers," said Weber, whose company offers extensive maintenance services. Under the legislation, FAA would certify foreign repair stations only if U.S.
Orally approved a two-year, initial open-skies authority for TACA de Honduras, to conduct via wet-lease scheduled foreign combination service from points behind Honduras, via Honduras and intermediate points, to points in the U.S. and beyond; scheduled all-cargo services between the U.S. and any points; charter foreign combination service between any points in Honduras and any points in the U.S.
Transavia is increasing service between Amsterdam and London Gatwick to as many as six flights a day in its winter timetable, which began yesterday. The first flight of the day leaves Gatwick at 7:05 a.m., and a late-night flight has been added on Sundays. Extra flights leave Amsterdam Thursdays and Fridays at 6 p.m., aimed at more convenient return times for business travelers, and the carrier is adding a flight on Sundays at 8:30 p.m. Transavia will serve the route mainly with a 148-seat 737-300 aircraft but may use a 757-200 on weekends.
Sen. Strom Thurmond (R-S.C.) is proposing to change a 111-year-old law and permit foreign flag cruise lines to carry passengers between U.S. cities. Cruise line cabotage could be a fly-cruise boon and it is supported by the American Society of Travel Agents, which stated that cruise lines are the largest private-sector purchaser of airline tickets. One motivation for the change: there is only one U.S.-registered cruise line.
Association of Flight Attendants will conduct a conference Nov. 13 on airline carry-on baggage policies and safety and security issues. Flight attendants have said that carry-on policies often are not enforced, and that excess carry-on baggage can cause injuries and delays in boarding and departures. The conference, "Carry-On Bags: An Everyday Risk," will be held at The Madison Hotel in Washington, D.C. Speakers will include airline crew members, aviation accident investigators, medical and security personnel and government and industry representatives.
Regional Airport Authority of Louisville and Jefferson County (Ky.) announced the retirement of Airport General Manager Robert Michael, effective July 2, 1998.
Virgin Express, which is expected to post surging profits today, will give its 500 employees $4 million in stock - $8,000 per person - when it goes public next month. "We think new airlines need to be progressive," said Chief Executive Jonathan Ornstein.
US Airways' tentative pilot agreement may not yield any near-term financial gain, according to Sam Buttrick, PaineWebber analyst. It is "unlikely" that the deal will lower the airline's cost structure next year, he said, and due to wage increases at other airlines he is unsure that the "parity- plus-1%" compensation agreement amounts to anything more than "a wage freeze."
Delta appointed Sophie Gaeta director-civic and promotional affairs and named Senior VP Tom Slocum to the Children's Miracle Network board of governors.
U.S. and Chilean negotiators meet in Washington today and tomorrow for open-skies talks. Peru is the only other South American country scheduled for open-skies discussions, Nov. 5-7 in Lima.
Fares cited in an Oct. 22 report on Delta's weekend escape promotion are samples and are not available at all times. Destinations are announced weekly.
Swiss World Airways of Geneva extended its call for capital through last week after raising 42 million Swiss francs in an offering Jean-Charles Simon, the company's manager, said already was a "success." Simon did not specify what portion of the initial response came from private investors. The project to launch an international airline serving transatlantic routes was begun this year, after Swiss flag carrier Swissair decided to concentrate its long-haul operations in Zurich.
