Memphis, Tenn.-based Express Airlines I posted a 6.4-percentage-point increase in load factor to 59.5% last month, as capacity dropped 28% to 49.5 million available seat miles and traffic declined 19.3% to 29.5 million revenue passenger miles, compared with September 1996. Express Airlines I is transferring its Minneapolis/St. Paul hub to affiliate Northwest Airlink carrier Mesaba - separate figures are provided below for the carrier's Memphis hub. (SYSTEM) Sept. 1997 Sept. 1996 9 Mths 1997 9 Mths 1996
AAR Corp. said it will design and build cargo loading systems for FedEx's 11 new Airbus A300-F4-605R freighter aircraft. Delivery of the systems is to begin next April and continue into 2000. AAR said it worked closely with FedEx to develop a custom system and can now provide cargo loading systems for the A300B4, A300F4-600R and A310-200.
Regional Airline Association six-month figures for enplanements, revenue passenger miles and other traffic categories are shown on the facing page. The tables were developed by AvStat Associates of Washington, D.C.
U.S.-French talks ended a day ahead of schedule Thursday but on a surprisingly positive note, given fears among some from the U.S. that France's new socialist government would clamp down on liberalization after a long summer of inactive negotiations. Instead, sources said, both sides seemed confident they are back on track toward an agreement and willing to resolve outstanding issues, but they do not seem to be headed directly to open skies. The two sides will meet again soon, probably in early December.
Delta Connection affiliate Comair posted a 31% increase in net earnings for its second fiscal quarter ended Sept. 30 to $24.5 million, or 55 cents per share, from $18.5 million, or 42 cents per share, in second quarter 1996. Operating revenues totaled $162.9 million, an increase of 18.4% from $137.5 million posted in the second quarter 1996. For the first six months, net profit rose 22.7% to $49.7 million, or $1.12 per share from $40.5 million, or 91 cents per share.
Skyway Airlines pilots will conduct informational picketing today from 8 a.m. to noon near the airline's ticketing facilities at Milwaukee Mitchell Airport. The pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, also will conduct informational picketing on Monday. Skyway is a subsidiary of Midwest Express.
Air Canada traffic for September jumped 14.2% to 2.2 billion revenue passenger miles. Capacity rose 15.3% and the load factor declined 0.7 percentage points to 73.1%. In a change from past months, the carrier's domestic traffic increased 12.4% and the load factor 4.5%, while international traffic gained 15.2% on 20.1% more capacity, causing the load factor to drop 3 points to 71.1%. The airline's year-to-date traffic rose 10.6%.
Albert Randall, FAA assistant chief counsel for legislation, who helped shape nearly all FAA-related legislation during the past two decades, has joined the law firm of Baker, Donelson, Bearman&Caldwell, Washington, D.C.
Hawaiian Airlines reported 295.9 million revenue passenger miles in September, 2.6% less than September 1996 traffic. Capacity dropped 4.9%, from 429.6 million available seat miles to 408.5 million, increasing the load factor 1.7 percentage points. Year-to-date RPMs went up 10.7% and ASMs 8%, resulting in a load factor rise of 1.9 points. Cargo traffic rose 8.7% in September, from 3.865 million ton miles to 4.201 million.
The travel agent community was surprised and some small carriers were pleased by America West's petition to DOT this week accusing computer reservations systems and travel agents of generating bogus charges. America West is asking DOT to allow fees to be charged only for actual travel, to prevent what it terms "abusive" bookings, and to enable carriers to bar CRS vendors from condoning passive bookings (DAILY, Oct. 16).
Raytheon yesterday reported record third quarter income of $211.2 million on record sales of $3.4 billion, compared with earnings of $210 million and sales of $3.03 billion the same quarter a year ago. Operating income was $419.6 million, up from $273.1 million. Raytheon Aircraft, which builds jet, turboprop and piston-powered aircraft, reported record third quarter sales and operating income of $594 million, up 19%, and $61 million, up 85%.
As Raytheon Co. approaches its December deadline to complete software development for the Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS), the company estimates that it is eight days behind schedule. The program is being managed in "inchstones" rather than milestones, said Michael Hoeffler, the company's manager-transportation systems. Raytheon is holding at minus eight days and trying to get the delay down to zero, he said.
Taca Group carrier Aviateca will begin daily nonstop service Nov. 1 between Guatemala City and Dallas/Fort Worth. The Guatemalan airline will operate 737-300s on the route.
Eastwind Airlines, dropping contracted reservations operations by Dakotah Reservation Services, Aurora, Colo., will open its own reservations center Nov. 19 at Orlando Airport's Airside Commerce Park.
Association of Flight Attendants recount of last week's vote ratifying the United flight attendants contract affirmed the approval by the same 51%-46% margin as the original ballot count. AFA conducted the recount yesterday at its headquarters in Washington, at the request of attendants who questioned the original results. A rank-and-file United flight attendant and an AFA attorney were present at the first count and AFA staff was present at the recount, said spokeswoman Jill Gallagher. "The result is the same. The contract passed," she said.
FAA's new appropriations bill shows that user fees are unnecessary, according to Phil Boyer, president of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Congress provided $9.07 billion for FAA activities for fiscal year 1998, an increase of 9% and $666 million more than the administration requested, and Boyer said this "has put the lie to the administration claim that FAA needs user fees to meet all its funding needs.
Tunisair ordered seven A320s and three A319s, making it the first A319 customer in both Africa and the Arab world, Airbus said. The carrier has been an Airbus customer since 1980 and currently operates eight A320s and one A300. The first A319 is to be delivered next summer.
Primac Air has received Canadian government approval to operate nonstop cargo and charter flights between the U.S. and Canada. The Part 135 carrier operates two Cessna 402s configured for six seats and two Cessna 310s with four seats. Primac, one of a few woman-owned airlines, operates as Primac Air Courier Service and Primac Air Charter Service from New York area airports.
Donna Rosato, a reporter for USA Today, will discuss the role of the Internet in the air travel industry on Aviation News Today, to air Sunday on Washington's Newschannel 8 at 12:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
National Air Transportation Association has criticized FAA moves to require changes to operating manuals for more than 100 aircraft models with pneumatic deicing boots and unpowered roll control autopilot systems. NATA argued that airworthiness directives are intended "to correct specific products with unsafe conditions," not "to address the operation of airplanes during icing conditions."
Western Pacific Airlines, filing this month for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, reported a 45% jump in traffic and a 52.5% gain in capacity for September 1997 over September 1996, reducing the load factor 2.6 percentage points to 50%. Westpac flew 171 million revenue passenger miles, compared with 118 million a year earlier, and capacity rose from 225 million available seat miles to 342 million. Year-to-date RPMs were up 34.8% and ASMs 32.3%, and the load factor gained 1.1 points.
Sabena unions' preference for Boeing aircraft notwithstanding (DAILY, Oct. 15), a large measure of the carrier's choice between Boeing and Airbus narrowbodies lies outside Belgium.Swissair, which owns 41.5% of Sabena, opted earlier for Airbus aircraft, and Switzerland, a European Union non- member, has been trying to prove its European credentials.
Sun Country Airlines selected AeroThrust Corp. for a three-year, $23 million contract with two one-year options to maintain the JT8D-17 engines that power its 10 727-200 aircraft. Sun Country also operates nine DC-10s.
A recent opinion poll shows the public supports Northwest's position that the U.S. should push for an open-skies agreement with Japan, Northwest Senior VP Ben Hirst told reporters yesterday in Washington. Hirst spoke amid reports that despite obstacles, the U.S. and Japan are lurching toward a bilateral setting out regulated expansion instead of following the pattern of 25 open-skies agreements the U.S. has signed elsewhere.
Maytag Aircraft Corp. was awarded air terminal and ground-handling service contracts by the U.S. Air Force Air Mobility Command. The contracts, valued at $11.5 million, run from Jan. 1 to Sept. 30, 1998, with four one- year options. Officials of the Mercury Air Group subsidiary said it is Air Mobility Command's largest provider of contracted air terminal services at 18 locations worldwide.
