Canadian Airlines will begin two daily Vancouver-San Diego flights Dec. 17 as one of several winter-schedule moves. Canadian will expand its Eastern and Western Shuttles beginning Oct. 26. In the West, it will increase Calgary-Edmonton service to 47 daily flights, Vancouver-Calgary to 34 and Vancouver-Edmonton to 16. In the East, Toronto-Ottawa will increase to 38 daily frequencies and the 36 Toronto-Montreal flights will be rescheduled to on-the-hour departures in both directions.
United Airline's flight attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants, voted 51% to 46% in favor of accepting management's latest contract offer, and union leaders said the narrow victory, which came late Thursday, is a clear message to United that all is not right with the world. Three percent of votes were invalid, and 17,271 of United's 19,000 flight attendants cast ballots. United spokesman Tony Molinaro said the airline plans to meet with AFA. "A 46% 'no' vote is an issue that does warrant some discussion and action," he said.
KLM and Northwest have experienced a steady rise in alliance revenue per available seat mile. On hub-to-hub alliance flights, RASM has risen to 7.2 cents in March from 6.2 cents in 1994. Working on an expanded alliance (DAILY, Sept. 30), the carriers are exploring joint aircraft purchasing.
KLM is experimenting with a touch-screen kiosk in a Dutch post office at which patrons can book and pay for tickets. The passenger still must take a credit card receipt to a ticket office to receive the final ticket, however. Development work continues.
Independent Association of Continental Pilots' board has rejected Continental's latest contract offer. IACP predicted the outcome last week because the offer did not come close to the union's salary request. The National Mediation Board has asked IACP to postpone a strike vote for one month. IACP has agreed to go back into negotiations with Continental Oct. 20, and the board will reconsider the offer Nov. 1.
Public authorities controlling Frankfurt Airport last week gave the airport approval to raise capital on private markets so it can bid for stakes in other domestic airports. Frankfurt, Germany's largest airport, is eager to participate in the approaching privatization of the municipal airports of Berlin, Hannover, Hamburg and other German cities. Frankfurt has been held back from jumping into the privatization fray by its board of owners - the City of Frankfurt, the regional government of Hesse and the German government.
Delta has organized 22 domestic and international airlines into a two-day summit on globalization, occurring today and tomorrow in New York. The Atlanta-based carrier wants to explore how globalization is affecting airlines. Delta will host 18 international airlines and its four Delta Connection regional carriers, and has invited former code-share partner Aeroflot and prospective partners National Airlines of Chile and LAPA of Argentina.
Air UK and KLM will offer regional service between London City Airport and Manchester during the winter season, flying four times per day on weekdays and once daily on weekends.
One reason FAA should go ahead with the Wide Area Augmentation System is to retain the U.S. lead in technology, Bradford Parkinson, WAAS proponent and Stanford University professor, told the House Transportation aviation subcommittee last week (DAILY, Oct. 2). Japan and Europe are working on similar systems. Parkinson cited a study finding more than three million GPS users worldwide. Japan accounts for one million, largely in cars.
American asked DOT for an exemption code share with Iberia on U.S.-Spain and beyond service, beginning Dec. 1. American wants to serve Madrid and San Juan from New York and Chicago and seeks extrabilateral authority for beyond service. Iberia affiliates Aviaco and Air Nostrum will file separate applications for intra-Spain flights.
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, told Friday's Business Travel Contractors Corporation conference that airline competition legislation he is drawing up "loosens the noose of federal restrictions we find ourselves in. It does not re-regulate the system. It simply extends the benefits of airline deregulation." Congress was in recess and McCain addressed the BTCC summit, held in Washington, over a video link from Arizona.
Saab said it has become the first aircraft manufacturer to use a new Japanese law to apply for type certification for its products in the country. It filed for certification Oct. 1 with authorities in Tokyo for its Saab 340 and Saab 2000 regional aircraft. Aside from streamlining import procedures into Japan for the aircraft, the Linkoping, Sweden-based aircraft maker said it expects to strengthen its market position in Japan next year, when the first Saab 2000 will be delivered there.
The Metropolitan Nashville Authority "strongly urges" DOT and the State Department to approve Mexico's request for double-designation rights between Nashville and Mexico City. In a Sept. 8 diplomatic note, Mexico asked for double designation for 10 U.S.-Mexico city-pairs. Traffic between Nashville and Mexico City has doubled in the past five years, and Nashville wants to expand service opportunities to Mexico to replace service lost when American shut down its hub there.
America West filed for extraordinary-circumstances exemptions to expand its Phoenix-O'Hare and Columbus-LaGuardia service in what a spokeswoman termed DOT's "single best opportunity to provide low-fare service from the Midwest and East Coast to the West Coast." America West is the first major carrier to join new entrants in the current round of slot exemption filings, spurring debate on airline competition. (See related story to follow.)
Western Pacific has reached a tentative agreement with Denver Airport to pay its rent by the end of October. The carrier has not paid since it moved to DIA June 29 because of a disagreement over the terms of its lease. DIA claims Westpac owes $4 million, and airport spokesman Chuck Cannon said the carrier agreed to submit a payment plan Wednesday, make a substantial payment Oct. 15 and bring its account current Oct. 31.
Parts shortages are forcing Boeing to suspend production of its 747 and final assembly of its new-generation 737 aircraft until suppliers can catch up with the company's rapid increase in deliveries, Ron Woodard, president, said Friday. The company also revealed that it will have to change the design of the new 737 series' horizontal stabilizer, delaying the airplane's certification.
Raytheon Co. received Justice Department approval last week for its takeover of Hughes Aircraft Co. While the primary reason for consolidation relates to the defense industry, it has significant implications for the air traffic control business. This merger and the pending combination of Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman will mean that the only two major contractors for air traffic control worldwide will be U.S. companies. The purchase of Hughes is valued at $9.5 billion.
Vanguard Airlines set Oct. 10 as the date of its rights offering. It intends to give shareholders, at no cost, non-transferable rights to buy common stock, par value $0.001 per share. Each right will allow the purchase of one share at $0.50 per share.
