Tower Air logged a 33.5% jump in traffic, a 16.1% increase in capacity, and a load factor gain of 9.7 percentage points in September, compared with September 1996. It flew 351 million revenue passenger miles with a 75% load factor, compared with 263 million RPMs and 65.3% a year earlier. Capacity rose from 403 million available seat miles to 468 million. Total block hours were up 8.8%, to 3,479 from 3,197. Year-to-date traffic was down 3.5% to 264 million RPMs, and capacity fell by the same percentage, to 342 million ASMs.
- In Federal Register dated Oct. 6...Proposed an airworthiness directive on Shorts 360 aircraft to require inspections for corrosion or wear of the top and bottom decks of the left and right stub wings...Proposed an AD on certain Pilatus PC-12 aircraft to require inspection of the aileron tie-rod jam nuts. - In FR Oct. 8...Issued an AD on Boeing 737 aircraft to prevent use of pressure washing within the wheel well...Superseded an AD on Hiller UH-12 series helicopters concerning the main rotor outboard tension-torsion bar pin. - In FR dated Oct.
Atlantic Southeast Airlines' Air Line Pilots Association unit voted overwhelmingly Friday to authorize a strike if their contract talks with management fail. A strike could begin as early as Thanksgiving if the National Mediation Board determines the negotiations have reached an impasse and releases both sides for a 30-day cooling-off period.
Pacific Island Aviation gave DOT 90-day notice that it will suspend service to Rota in the Northern Mariana Islands on Jan. 1 because of passenger facility charges there. The commuter airline, which provides scheduled service to Guam, Tinian, Rota and Saipan and code shares with Northwest, said it is not a certified carrier under the Federal Aviation Act and does not receive compensation for its Rota service.
Airbus Industrie signed a preliminary agreement to keep Miami as the home of its North American training center. Jim Duncan, VP for technical training at the center, said the company scouted other locations, but the city and county "put together a competitive package that helps us meet our needs well into the future." Miami has been the site of the center for 10 years. A new training center will be built near Miami Airport, with completion scheduled in about a year.
Mercury Air Group plans to build a fixed-base operation at Burbank Glendale Pasadena Airport designed in a 1930s Hollywood-style art deco. Mercury's FBO division, Mercury Air Centers, has won approval to begin construction of the $5 million, 16-acre flagship facility "with extraordinary amenities" at the airport, where it has operated for 18 years.
World Airways reported a 7% increase in block hours for September 1997 over September 1996, mainly from shifting its business mix from scheduled service toward wet-lease operations. Average September 1997 daily utilization was 8.9 block hours, compared with 8.4 last year. Year-to-date block hours increased 12%, to 35,067 from 31,344, and average daily utilization was 9.7 block hours in 1997, consistent with 1996.
United has "totally changed directions" in its treatment of regional aviation, according to one source in the commuter community. After years of squeezing regionals for every penny, giving them little incentive to treat United's passengers well, the parent is building longer-term goodwill, as seen in its recent offer to pay Atlantic Coast's RJ costs before a pilot deal is final.
FedEx withdrew without further comment its objection to an emergency exemption for Fine Air, waiving the 45-day minimum fitness review period as Fine works to relaunch operations. FedEx had asked for a review of at least five days, so the withdrawal is moot since DOT did not act on the request and FedEx's proposed review-and-comment period has passed.
In a slot-exemption proposal that dwarfs all others or granted in recent years, American Eagle commuter Simmons Airlines has applied for 60 slots at Chicago O'Hare, saying it must protect its position against United Express, the recipient of 48 slots since 1994.
Appleton, Wis.-based United Express affiliate Air Wisconsin posted a 13.5% increase in revenue passenger miles last month to 50.1 million. Capacity climbed 4.5% to 78.4 million available seat miles, allowing the load factor to rise 5.1 percentage points to 64%. Passenger boardings swelled 9.6% to 154,340.
SAS September traffic rose 3% to 1.9 billion revenue passenger kilometers and climbed 4% for nine months. The load factor was 68.3% for the month and 65.6% so far this year. Cargo volume rose 12% in September and 13% for 1997.
Gemini Air Cargo asked DOT for exemption authority to begin scheduled cargo service linking Los Angeles and Honolulu with Sydney and Melbourne via Nadi, Fiji. The carrier asked for a shortened answer period in order to begin service Nov. 1.
American is offering golfers a frequent flyer miles deal - 5,000 miles when they enroll at a three-day program with the Nicklaus/Flick golf school, part of Jack Nicklaus's Golden Bear Golf Inc. Enrollment is worth 15,000 miles with attendance before May 31, 1998. A one-day faults&cures clinic earns 1,000 miles, as do joining The Leading Golf Courses of America, a network of 500 courses in North America, and using a first-time membership before April 30, 1998. Customers earn 100 miles each time they play on an LGCA course.
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association reconfirmed its support of the Wide Area Augmentation System and the Global Positioning System despite doubts about DOT's plan to phase out Loran C and rely solely on WAAS and GPS. AOPA also said the cost of the WAAS program should be shared by other users. Phil Boyer, AOPA president, recently told the House Transportation aviation subcommittee that while AOPA shares Congress's concerns about WAAS cost overruns, the satellite-based system is needed for smaller airports.
- Orally approved initial two-year exemption authority for Air Transat A.T. to conduct scheduled foreign combination service between any points in the U.S. and Canada ...Orally approved initial one-year exemption authority for Aero Rentas de Coahuila to conduct charter passenger service between the U.S. and Mexico...Approved a Mitsubishi Heavy Industries charter using a HeavyLift Volga Dnepr An-124-100 for a one-way flight carrying the fuselage and a tail section for Dash 8-400 aircraft on a Kansai-Anchorage- Toronto routing Oct.
Frontier reported a 56.3% increase in its September traffic to 85.8 million revenue passenger miles, compared with 54.9 million in the same 1996 month. Capacity rose 54.4%, raising the load factor 1.9 percentage points. Year- to-date RPMs rose 28.9% and capacity 31.9%, depressing the load factor 1.2 points.
