Attendance of commercial and civic observers at bilateral talks needlessly complicates the negotiators' task, United's Cyril Murphy told The DAILY last week. Chicago Aviation Commissioner Mary Rose Loney and the Midwest- Asia Aviation Coalition's Ronald Gidwitz observed U.S.-Japan talks with about 80 others - including United officials - and Loney said the practice gives negotiators and other government officials a much clearer picture of aviation and business community needs. Murphy noted that observers are not permitted in other venues, such as U.S.
The contract being voted on by Independent Pilots Association members is not UPS's "last offer," a company spokeswoman said Friday, even though that is how the union says UPS described it. The pilots believe the National Mediation Board is favoring UPS when it says it is likely to recess talks into 1998 - past the Christmas season - if the pilots vote down the current offer. Asked to comment, the board says it and parties to disputes sometimes have different perspectives on the board's duties.
Prodded by an order from Congress, DOT has agreed to review the merits of extending Loran-C navigation services beyond 2000. DOT and the Coast Guard, which operate the system, had been deaf to industry insistence that Loran-C will be needed despite the advent of the Global Positioning System. The 1996 Federal Radionavigation Plan calls for decommissioning Loran-C in 2000, surprising many industry groups, including users of the navigation system outside aviation.
Western Pacific, targeting the hearts and minds of Denver travelers, elicited feedback from travel agents by appealing to their stomachs. The airline provided a large pizza to each Denver agency in which at least five agents responded to a recent survey.
British Airways filed to expand its code share with America West. The U.K. carrier, which offers code-share service to Albuquerque, Burbank, Las Vegas, Long Beach, Oakland, Ontario, Orange Country, San Jose and Tucson via Phoenix, proposes combination service between points in the U.K. and Columbus, Ohio. BA seeks authority by Oct. 1 so it can launch service by Nov. 1. The Columbus code share was part of an earlier 45-city application, but DOT limited approval to the nine for which the carrier had firm plans.
The European Environmental Bureau (EEB), in a new policy statement to European Union members, says Europe's problem with increasing noise pollution from aircraft stems in part from the absence of a tax on aircraft fuels, and noise abatement measures should be funded by such a tax. In its "Memorandum to the Luxembourg Presidency and the EU Member States," the EEB says that, despite lower noise emissions per aircraft movement, overall noise pollution is rising because of steadily increasing flights.
KLM and Dutch partner Schreiner Aviation Group BV signed a letter of intent last week confirming Schreiner's takeover of KLM's 51% interest in KLM ERA Helicopters. The value of transaction remains confidential. Rowan Companies of the U.S. controls the remaining 49% of shares in KLM ERA, which Schreiner says it is prepared to buy as well. KLM said worldwide consolidation in the helicopter industry prompted the sale. The new company will operate under the name Northsea Helicopters BV.
FAA ordered that the 77 Airbus A300-600s and A310s in the U.S. registry be modified so the flight crew can disconnect the autopilot by applying direct force to the control column, regardless of its mode and the altitude of the airplane. FAA says the order is intended to prevent an out-of-trim condition which "could severely reduce controllability of the airplane."
FAA has hired Frederick Roder, who was instrumental in pioneering CT 5000 explosives detection for InVision, as new technical adviser security. He was president and founder of Imatron Federal Systems, now a wholly owned subsidiary of InVision.
British Airways will change its inflight entertainment programming to reflect its new global image and revised values. BA already spends 25% of its movie budget on language dubbing and offers 12 foreign-language radio productions each month.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit upheld last week a $2.4 million negligence judgment against Lufthansa for continuing a flight to Frankfurt even though a passenger suffered a heart attack within three hours of leaving Miami.
DOT's short-term extension of Air Jamaica's authority to operate to points in the U.S. is based on a flurry of diplomatic activity that advanced Amerijet's chances to set up ground-handling in Kingston, Jamaica. Part of the problem concerned difficulty in securing customs facilities, which Amerijet said it needed to provide effective cargo service.
Summary of U.S. Major Carriers International Traffic February 1997 Revenue Average Revenue Passengers Length of Passenger Enplaned % Travel Miles Carriers (000) Change (Miles) (000) Alaska 72 24.07 1,109 80,322 Latin 72 24.07 1,109 80,322
Delta and Continental focused on Continental's status and the absence of a U.S.-France aviation agreement in new DOT filings in their competition for the third U.S. third-country code-share designation to Egypt, after United and Northwest. Delta, which would serve Egypt with Swissair from Zurich, said Continental's application to code share on Air France flights from Paris is "fatally deficient" without a bilateral or existing Continental- Air France service.
General Electric said the average share price that will be used in completing its merger today with Greenwich Air Services is $64.70. The amount is based on a 10-day stock valuation period from Aug. 15 through Aug. 28, as specified in the merger pact, GE said. Greenwich stockholders will receive 0.4791 shares of GE common stock for each share of Greenwich. If the merger occurs when expected, the deadline to elect to receive $31 in cash for each share of Greenwich stock held, instead of GE stock, will be 5 p.m. Aug. 29.
Continental, which in 1994 leased space in the old Braniff terminal at Dallas Love Field saying it would need the space for offices, recently erected displays and signage clearly indicating the facility will be used by Continental Express. The commuter partner has been acquiring Embraer 145 regional jets, which meet Wright Amendment criteria limiting Love Field long-haul service to aircraft with fewer than 56 seats.
Summary of U.S. Major Carriers Domestic Traffic March 1997 Revenue Average Revenue Passengers Length of Passenger Enplaned % Travel Miles Carriers (000) Change (Miles) (000) Alaska 962 3.78 829 797,785 America West 1,686 6.91 877 1,479,188
It is "increasingly unlikely" that US Airways' pilots will have enough time to educate themselves and vote on a tentative contract agreement - not yet in sight - before the Sept. 30 milestone in the airline's Airbus Industrie aircraft order, the head of the carrier's Air Line Pilots Association unit said Friday. Jon Bryan, Master Executive Council chairman, described Sept.
EVA Airways' profits will increase at least 5% during the first year of its newly negotiated code-share alliance with Continental (DAILY, Aug. 27), according to the Taiwan carrier's president, Richard Huang.
- In Federal Register dated Aug. 22...Proposed an airworthiness directive on Piper PA-31 series aircraft to require replacing the lower wing splice plate. - In FR dated Aug. 25...Issued an AD on Pratt&Whitney Canada PW100 series engines to require inspection of the two gas generator case drain ports...Proposed an AD on certain Aerospatiale ATR 42 aircraft to require removing certain landing gear attachment pins...Proposed an AD on certain British Aerospace ATP aircraft to require inspection of the flap drive torque tubes in the wing root area.
