Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners reduced aircraft landing fees at Los Angeles and Ontario airports pending FAA approval, expected later this year. The new fees will be $1.83 per 1,000 pounds at LAX and $1.07 at ONT, down from $1.97 and $1.29, respectively. Under the new fees, a 747 landing at 630,000 pounds at LAX will pay $1,115 instead of $1,240.
Millon Air, which has not flown its previously held frequencies to Peru for much more than 90 days, "simply does not possess any U.S.-Peru frequencies to renew" according to normal DOT procedure, Fine Air Services told the department. Millon is trying to retain the frequencies as it works toward recertification by DOT as a fit carrier, though it has already lost such authority to Ecuador. Three additional U.S.-Peru frequencies are being held by DOT as it continues to monitor the U.S.-Peru market, a policy it set out in an order last year.
The Tupolev 204-120 jetliner powered by Rolls-Royce engines has won its first order, from Russian carrier KrasAir, Sirocco Aerospace International said yesterday in London. Sirocco, created in 1995 by Egyptian industrialist Ibrahim Kamel to launch aerospace products combining Western and Russian technology, said the 10 aircraft ordered by KrasAir are being assembled by Aviastar in Ulyanovsk and fitted with Honeywell and AlliedSignal avionics as well as RB211-535E4B engines.
The widening U.S.-Japan trade deficit underscores the need for the U.S. to insist on open skies, according to Northwest Chief Executive John Dasburg. The Commerce Department said yesterday the deficit was $25.7 billion in the first six months of 1997, up from $22.3 billion a year earlier. Dasburg said U.S. airlines are one of the few "bright spots," generating a $100 million surplus every week, and open skies likely would more than double that advantage over the next five years. Formal bilateral talks resume in Washington next week.
Lufthansa and other airlines handled by Lufthansa Ground Services have become the first carriers to relocate their check-in and ticketing facilities to the new check-in hall at London Heathrow Airport's Terminal 2. Averaging about 6,000 passengers on 27 flights per day, London is Lufthansa's largest airport operation outside Germany, and the airline's station manager, Dieter Stange, said the new facilities will provide larger waiting and circulation areas and make the check-in staff more visible to passengers.
American will begin Dec. 15 operating daily Miami-Denver nonstop service year-round, previously offered only during winter months, using MD Super 80 jets configured for 139 passengers. The carrier will resume three-times- weekly Miami-Eagle/Vail seasonal flights Dec. 20, using 188-seat 757 aircraft.
National Transportation Safety Board yesterday blamed SabreTech, ValuJet and FAA for the May 11, 1996 crash of a DC-9 into the Everglades, killing all aboard. Finding that the accident resulted from a fire in the aircraft's Class D cargo compartment after the actuation of one or more oxygen generators improperly carried as cargo, the board said ground support contractor SabreTech failed to properly prepare, package, identify and track unexpended chemical oxygen generators before presenting them to ValuJet for carriage.
Alaska Airlines is cutting its lowest fares 20%-50% this fall for travel between Alaska and the lower 48 states, Canada and Mexico. The offer is available until Dec. 10 to Alaska destinations except Prudhoe Bay.
Cathay Pacific will convert the Rolls-Royce RB211-524 engines powering its 747-400 aircraft to the upgraded G/H-T standard engine, which was certificated in May by the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority following an evolutionary development program incorporating technology from the Trent engine family. Rolls predicted a 2% improvement in fuel consumption for RB211-524G/H-T operators and said this fuel burn will be the best among engines available for the 747-400.
Formosa Airlines agreed to pay the equivalent of US$245,000 to the families of each of 16 people who died Aug. 10 in the crash of a Formosa Dornier 228 on the offshore island of Matsu. The airline made earlier payments of $14,000 to each family for funeral costs and consolation. The aircraft crashed making an approach at Tatao Airport, Matsu, on a flight from Taipei.
After numerous short-term extensions of authority for Air Jamaica to fly extrabilateral service to the U.S., cargo carrier Amerijet has moved for revocation of the exemption, saying it remains blocked from securing ground-handling facilities in Jamaica for its own operation. Air Jamaica argues it is an innocent bystander in a dispute between its home government and Amerijet. The service at risk consists of the use of aircraft flown for Air Jamaica under a wet-lease by Lineas Aereas Allegro, now set to expire Aug.
United has been approved to operate its second daily Chicago-London Heathrow flight on a year-round basis. The carrier initially received approval from the U.K. Department of Transportation for this summer only. Both flights will operate to Heathrow using 292-seat, three-class Boeing 777s starting Sept. 1. The move adds 17% more capacity on the route from the current flights, which operate with one 777 and one 206-seat 767. "As early as last year, we were limited by the U.K.
Great Lakes Aviation said it has reached a tentative deal with its pilots, represented by the Teamsters union. The jointly announced agreement is contingent on a ratification vote by the pilots. Douglas Voss, Great Lakes president, said the accord resulted from 15 months of effort and is a "fair and equitable agreement for the company and the pilots alike." The airline, a United Express carrier in some markets, serves 48 points in 11 states.
U.S. National Carriers Traffic July, 7 Months 1997 July July % 1997 1996 Change American Trans Air Revenue Passenger Miles (000) 954,666 996,630 -4.2 Available Seat Miles (000) 1,322,852 1,365,719 -3.1 Load Factor (%) 72.2 73.0
Taiwan's EVA Airways and Indonesian regional Merpati Nusantara Airlines have finalized an agreement to expand passenger and cargo service to Bali. EVA introduces nonstop three-times-weekly flights between Taipei and Denpasar today, using 212-seat 767-200s. The service supplements twice- weekly flights to Bali via Kaohsiung. Merpati operates jet service to several South Pacific destinations from Bali, as well as to Surabaya and Jakarta, also served by EVA.
India's Supreme Court found private domestic airline Skyline NEPC guilty of more than $2 million in lease rental defaults and ordered it to return two 737-200 aircraft to the lessor, U.S.-based PLM Transport. The Chennai- based (formerly Madras) carrier also must return a Pratt&Whitney engine. The action follows what court officials described as more than a year's legal battle between PLM and Skyline NEPC in which the airline admitted default and submitted a payment schedule but reneged soon after.
Hughes Aircraft Co. filed damage claims of $266 million with the federal court in Canberra, Australia, against Airservices Australia in the loss of The Australian Advanced Air Traffic System (TAAATS) contract in February 1994. The company said the suit is based on a court finding, published June 30, that Airservices Australia was guilty of a breach of contract and violated the Trade Practices Act when it awarded the contract to Thomson CSF.
Japan Airlines parent JAL Group is opening as many as 100 European-style eateries and cafes in Japan. The new "J-Spot" restaurants will produce mass quantities of international dishes, but they will not serve airline food.
Indian Airlines will extend its biweekly Calcutta-Yangon flight onward to Singapore. The state-owned domestic carrier already operates two Calcutta- Singapore nonstop flights per week.
Qantas began increased service this week to Beijing and Shanghai from Sydney, adding its third and fourth weekly frequencies. The flights, like the current service, stop in Shanghai before reaching Beijing. The new overnight flights depart Sydney Thursday and Sunday, and current service leaves Tuesday and Friday. The increase gives Qantas more Australia-China service than any other airline. A year ago, Qantas became the first Australian airline to operate nonstop to Shanghai.
Arinc has begun operations of its new Airline Operations Center Network for eight major U.S.-based airlines, saying it will reduce operating costs, decrease flight delays and boost safety by providing a single integrated source of information. "This will help increase collaboration between airspace users and the FAA," it said. The private intranet connects airline operations centers with FAA via the Volpe Transportation Center in Cambridge, Mass.
Softer-than-expected loads from Hong Kong and Japan caused Canadian Airlines' traffic to drop 5.2% in July on 2.1% less capacity, depressing the load factor 2.4 percentage points to 74.4%. International traffic fell 6.1% on 1.9% lower capacity, causing the international load factor to drop 3.4 points to 77%. Domestic traffic declined 6.5% on 2.6% less capacity. "Our focus this year remains on improving yield and profitability, not capacity," said Doug Carty, chief financial officer.
Ketchikan Air Service (KAS), together with Southeast Aviation and Taquan Air Service, has asked DOT to transfer its certificate to Southeast. KAS and Taquan want to separate their now-combined operations, including future service options, and reduce liability for losses. Because the financial risks are distinct for each business, Taquan, as parent company, will be responsible only for financial debts but otherwise be unaffected by Southeast's fortunes. "Southeast could change, move or even cease operations without any impact" on Taquan, the filing said.
New York-based United States Travel Agent Registry selected vendors for key elements of its project to develop a new, non-profit computer reservations and settlement system owned and operated by travel agents. USTAR will start briefing interested parties on a construction and implementation schedule in October.
