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.
Austrian Airlines and regional affiliate Tyrolean Airways asked DOT for authority to code share with alliance partner Delta on all Tyrolean flights within and beyond Austria in conjunction with alliance services between the U.S. and Austria. Requesting an exemption to display Delta's code on such flights, Tyrolean noted that DOT approved similar service by Swissair regional partner Crossair under Swissair/Delta alliance arrangements. The authority would be effective through April 30, 1999, the day the Delta- Austrian code-share authority expires.
Emirates is adding nonstop service between its domestic capital, Abu Dhabi, and Sanaa, Yemen. The four-times-weekly flights will begin Oct. 26, using A310-300s. Half the frequencies will begin in Dubai, stopping in Abu Dhabi. On Oct. 28, Emirates will start service to Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, via Nairobi, Kenya.
Days after announcing it would operate a full complement of flights despite last week's Chapter 11 filing, Western Pacific will introduce major changes in its schedule, including elimination of service to Colorado Springs, where the carrier was started. The change will require relocating 90 Westpac employees, but the reservations center and headquarters will remain in Colorado Springs. The carrier will offer all employees affected by the changes new positions in Denver or Colorado Springs, said Chief Executive Robert Peiser.
Air U.K., a wholly owned subsidiary of KLM based at London Stansted, has placed firm orders for four ATR 72-200 aircraft and an option for one more, Aero International (Regional) reported. The aircraft will be delivered from December 1997 to March 1998. Value of the deal was placed at $70 million. Total ATRs ordered has reached 555 to 95 operators worldwide.
Midwest Express reported a 15.9% increase in traffic for September 1997 over September 1996, with a 10.5% increase in capacity and a 2.8- percentage-point increase in load factor. The carrier flew 117.1 million revenue passenger miles, compared with 101 million a year earlier. Capacity was up to 188.5 million available seat miles from 170.5 million, and the load factor grew from 59.3% to 62.1%. Year-to-date traffic rose 12.7% to 1.1 billion RPMs and capacity 13.3% to 1.6 billion ASMs. The load factor dropped to 64% from 64.4%.
Attempts in Congress to limit foreign repair stations' work on U.S. aircraft are aimed more at preserving U.S. jobs than improving safety, the Association of European Airlines complained to European Union Transport Commissioner Neil Kinnock. AEA said its members are "highly irritated" by attempts to portray European mechanics as unprofessional.
Fortis Aviation said it delivered the first of three former MEA 747-200 Combis to American International Airways. Fortis said MEA is replacing the 747s with Airbus Industie aircraft. AIA plans to convert the 747s for freighter service. It is to take delivery of the second and third aircraft in January, bringing its 747 fleet to 11.
DOT approved a one-year exemption for South African Airways to serve Germany as an intermediate point on scheduled all-cargo service between Johannesburg and New York, enabling it to operate fifth-freedom Frankfurt- New York service. SAA asked for emergency exemption to begin property and mail operations Oct. 10. The U.S.-South Africa bilateral entitles South Africa to select up to four intermediate points, with traffic rights, for all-cargo service. SAA operates to the U.S.
Northwest and Jet Airways signed a marketing agreement by which the Indian carrier will feed Northwest from 18 cities. Jet Airways has a similar agreement with Northwest partner KLM, and the U.S.-Dutch teammates began code-share service to Delhi and Mumbai Oct. 1. Northwest and Jet Airways will coordinate schedules at Delhi and Mumbai and airport services at Mumbai, and single-point check-in and seamless baggage check-in will begin at Delhi Dec. 1. Frequent flyer programs also will be linked. Jet Airways operates 737s and has six 737-800s on order.
DOT approved a one-year initial exemption for Spanair to operate service between Madrid and Washington Dulles. The Spanish carrier plans to begin nonstops in mid-November and "continue on a year-round basis, with possible seasonal variations." It will operate four weekly flights in each direction through the end of March 1998, using two leased 767-300ER aircraft configured for 269 seats in two classes. SAS, which owns 49% of Spanair, will provide heavy airframe and engine maintenance at its Copenhagen base or under SAS-Spanair technical supervision.
Stage 3 Transition Progress Report U.S. Major, National And Cargo Carriers, And Major Foreign Airlines Status As Of Dec. 31, 1996 Majors Base******* Operator Level Stage 2 Stage 3 Alaska Airlines 32 8 66 America West 33 23 81 American 174 78 564
DOT issued a consent order assessing Thai Airways $20,000 in compromise civil penalties for conducting 22 flights without authority. Between Dec. 1, 1996, and Jan. 13, 1997, Thai operated flights on a Bangkok-Osaka-Los Angeles routing without DOT authority to stop in Osaka. Thai, which filed Jan.
Involuntary deportations appear to be an increasing problem for airlines, according to the Flight Safety Foundation, citing several instances in which unescorted deportees disrupted flights or upset regular passengers. In one case in May, a United captain refused to accept 40 deportees. In another, the Spanish government acknowledged slipping tranquilizers into the drinking water of 103 deportees before they boarded an aircraft.
Reno Air has completed a private placement of preferred stock worth $35 million. The airline will use the net proceeds, $33.3 million, to increase its working capital and, possibly, acquire aircraft, engines and enhanced data processing and analysis systems. The airline currently operates 208 daily flights to 24 cities.
American thinks last week's congressional revision of the Wright Amendment, permitting more competition in Dallas, is "a step backward," according to an internal communique.The company believes the action, which would enable startup Legend Airlines to operate, could "siphon passengers away from DFW Airport to Dallas Love Field." Chairman Robert Crandall is promising that "whatever happens, American will do whatever it must to remain competitive."
