New Regional Aircraft Deliveries June 1997 Last 12 Months Carrier No. Type Engines Delivery Abu Dhabi Aviation 1 DHC-8-200 PW123D 1 Central Mountain Air 2 Beech 1900D PT6A-67D 3 Comair Inc. 3 Canadair RJ CF34-3A1 16
Canadian Airlines, planting seeds for future traffic growth, honored 17 small Canadian businesses with awards and free travel. More than 75% of Small Business International Expansion Program award recipients want to develop new business ties in the Asia/Pacific region, where Canadian has 100 weekly flights.
KLM estimates that 6,000 passengers per day would miss connections - and others would begin avoiding Amsterdam altogether - under the Dutch government's proposal to curtail Schiphol Airport operations due to noise protests. The limits are proposed for Oct. 1 and a decision could be finalized within a week.
Balkan Bulgarian Airlines (BBA) asked DOT to renew until March 31, 1998, and amend its authority to operate charters for Sanko Busan Ltd. between Koror, Palau, and Guam and Saipan. The carrier wants to fly "no more than 175 charters," and perhaps significantly fewer due to the "unpredictable nature of the fishing industry" during the effective period. It asked DOT to add Jayapura and Manado, Indonesia, as co-terminal points with Koror to enable it to carry additional cargo between Koror and Guam or Saipan.
American discounted requests by its opponents for more information on its proposed Latin American alliances, saying their inquiries are clear attempts to derail the American/TACA code share through interminable delay. American recently supplied additional information on American/TACA as requested by DOT, but Continental, Delta and United told DOT the response was cursory. The carriers also asked DOT to review the relationship between the proposed American-LanChile code share and other American agreements with Iberia and Aerolineas Argentinas.
Air Madagascar signed a contract in Toulouse for three used ATR 42-320s, Aero International (Regional) reported. First delivery took place Sept. 12. Air Madagascar's current 10-aircraft fleet includes one 747-200 and three 737s, with which it serves 10 countries, including three in Europe. Air Madagascar will use the ATRs on its domestic network, "one of the most dense in the world, as it includes no less than 40 destinations within to the "Big Island" of Madagascar, AI(R) said.
Gulfstream International will begin Tampa-Nassau service as the Continental Connection, effective Nov. 1. The carrier will operate four weekly flights in the market. On the same date, Gulfstream will begin Continental Connection service twice daily between Fort Lauderdale and Key West and once daily between Orlando and Gainesville. Miami Springs, Fla.-based Gulfstream operates in partnership with Continental and United, serving nine Florida cities and five destinations in the Bahamas with 150 flights per day.
CCAIR has retained Barlow Partners L.P. in an additional capacity "as strategic advisor in connection with merger and acquisition opportunities." The Barlow partnership includes Virgin Express CEO and former Continental Express CEO Jonathan Ornstein and owns 6.6% of the US Airways Express carrier. The irrepressible Ornstein has long wanted to acquire a domestic regional-airline operation, and it is speculated that CCAIR may be his vehicle. CCAIR stock, normally around $2 and below, this month has been over $3 with a 52-week high of $3.46.
The French government yesterday appointed Jean Cyril Spinetta, former chairman of Air Inter and an opponent of air transport liberalization, to be the new head of Air France. When he resigned in 1993 from the top job at Air Inter, later renamed Air France Europe, Spinetta said he opposed the deregulation of the French air transport market imposed by the European Commission and the right-wing government of Edouard Balladur. He also opposed the full integration of Air France and Air Inter, which was completed Sept. 12.
Swissair regional subsidiary Crossair has reached an agreement with Banner Aerospace subsidiary DAC International, Austin, Texas, and Universal Avionics Systems, Tucson, Ariz., to retrofit its Saab 340 aircraft with the UNS-1K Global Positioning System-based flight management system. Universal Avionics manufactures the system; DAC International has an alliance partnership with Universal for sales worldwide to airlines, government and military programs.
Delta applied to DOT for authority to operate daily service to Grand Cayman Island from its Atlanta hub. The flight would provide a new nonstop gateway for travelers to the Cayman Islands and give travelers and shippers better access to the U.S., Canada and Europe via Atlanta, Delta VP Mark Drusch said. The airline hopes to launch service Dec. 7. In a separate filing, Delta notified DOT that it discontinued code-share service with Aeromexico between Dallas/Fort Worth and Ixtapa/Zihuatanejo, Mexico, on Sept. 1.
Aero International (Regional) still is looking for partners to combine on the AI(R)JET 70-seater regional jet in the face of what - to date - is a rejection of the project by partner British Aerospace because of a $1.2 billion development cost (DAI LY, June 20). Sweden's Saab and Brazil's Embraer are still high on the list. BAe has essentially bowed out of the program, citing the recent success of the RJ85 and RJ100 quadjet programs - both are now profitable - as well as the projected development cost of $1.2 billion. A decision is still expected by yearend...
Atlantic Coast Airlines and Daytona Beach, Fla.-based Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University are developing a program designed to help certain qualified Embry-Riddle graduates to hire on as pilots with ACA. The agreement setting up the program, dubbed a new Hire Bridge Program, sets criteria for selection, establishes course and minimum flight experience requirements and confers preferred hiring status for aeronautical science graduates at the university's residential campuses.
American Trans Air reported a 1.7% decrease in total traffic to 1 billion revenue passenger miles and a slight increase in the scheduled-service load factor for August 1997, compared with August 1996. Available seat miles declined 5.2% to 1.31 billion, and total block hours flown rose 0.8% to 13,984. In scheduled service, traffic fell 6.7% to 518.2 million RPMs and capacity 12.4% to 668.7 million ASMs, lifting the load factor 4.7 percentage points to 77.5%.
United yesterday lowered travel agent commissions for domestic and international fares to 8%, a move the airline said will save $80 million to $100 million annually. The action drew an immediate rebuke from the American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA). The cut to 8% from 10%, which United said was needed to reduce its costs, was not matched by Southwest, which has pledged to keep commissions at 10% through 2000. Other major U.S. airlines were evaluating United's move late yesterday. The commission change took effect this morning.
America West's billion-dollar Airbus Industrie aircraft order for A319s and A320s followed an agreement between the airline and its pilots guaranteeing that there will be no labor squabbling when a new jet type enters the fleet. The airline's Air Line Pilots Association unit agreed this week to waive a provision in its contract that entitles it to renegotiate pay and work rules when the airline brings in new aircraft. ALPA has agreed that it will not seek new pay and work rules if the airline guarantees that America West pilots will fly the new models.
Trying to steer the legislative agenda next year away from passenger facility charge increases, the airline industry has proposed an overhaul of the Airport Improvement Program that would fund the program at $2 billion a year; eliminate entitlements for the largest airports; focus money on federal mandates, airfield capacity enhancement and noise mitigation; redefine the classification of airports and change the basis for entitlements. The current authorization for AIP grants expires in little more than a year.
FAA yesterday ordered emergency procedures it said will "ensure" that center fuel tanks of Boeing 767 aircraft are operated with enough fuel to prevent ignition of fuel vapors. A fuel tank explosion is a possible cause of the fatal crash of a TWA 747 off Long Island in July 1996. In an airworthiness directive, the agency ordered 767 operators not to operate center fuel tank pumps with less than 1,000 pounds of fuel in the tank. The agency took the action after receiving a report that a fuel pump failed due to damage to an impeller unit.
Midwest Express said yesterday it plans to acquire through Dolphin Trade&Finance Ltd. eight MD-80s currently operated by Japan Air System. Final negotiations are under way, and deliveries are expected to begin in December and continue through 1999. After refurbishment, including installation of Midwest Express two-by-two leather seating, the first aircraft will enter scheduled service in mid-1998, said Chairman Timothy Hoeksema. He said no new routes are being announced at this time.
Vanguard Airlines is offering any travel agent who books 10 roundtrip tickets on the airline by Dec. 15 a free roundtrip pass to any city in its system. Travel agents are responsible for about 40% of all bookings on Vanguard, said Robert Spane, chairman, chief executive and president.
Delta is offering a $99 one-way introductory fare for its new nonstop service to Orlando, and a $109 one-way fare to Fort Lauderdale from Long Island McArthur Airport. Delta Express flights will depart twice daily to both destinations Oct. 1-Dec. 12. Tickets must be purchased by Oct. 31.
U.S. Carriers Maintenance Expense Second Quarter 1997 % Of Total Maintenance Operating Expenses Majors Alaska $ 28,207,000 8.66 America West 49,422,571 11.49 American 465,400,000 12.99 Continental 158,528,000 11.64
FedEx and Florida West International Airways defended their route-transfer proposal against charges by Fine Air that the authority in question, FWIA service to Colombia, is no longer theirs to trade. Fine told DOT this month that FWIA's certificate authority has expired, and it faulted the carrier for not adequately seeking Colombian government renewal of the rights. FWIA plans to sell its route to FedEx.
Air Jamaica Senior VP William Rodgers said yesterday the exemption authority being revoked Friday by DOT (DAILY, Sept. 17 ) will not affect his airline's operations because it has not been used since June 15, when the carrier launched its Montego Bay hub. The authority is for service from Barbados to New York and Atlanta - the latter never flown - via intermediate points. Air Jamaica continues to fly Jamaica-New York via the Eastern Caribbean.
