Atlantic Coast Airlines, a United Express affiliate, flew 41.7 million revenue passenger miles last month, an 18.7% increase from August 1996, as capacity grew 7.9% to 74.3 million available seat miles. As a result, the load factor swelled 5.1 percentage points to 56.1%. Enplanements were up 16.4% to 165,344. Aug. 1997 Aug. 1996 8 Mths 1997 8 Mths 1996 RPMs 41,715,000 35,146,000 259,856,000 236,129,000 ASMs 74,321,000 68,904,000 544,672,000 506,119,000
ITI said it signed an agreement with the Malat Division of Israel Aircraft Industries to establish a commercial unmanned aerial vehicles company. The company will have "exclusive rights" to engage in commercial, civil and para-military services and applications based on UAV technology developed by IAI. ITI will invest the necessary funds to develop the commercial UAV system and build the marketing infrastructure. Anya Eldan, ITI president, said UAV is expected to generate yearly revenues of $100 million within 10 years, including sales and service contracts.
New Aircraft Orders and Options June 1997 Last 12 Months Firm Orders Options Orders Options Carrier # Type # Type Engines Del Dates # Type # Type American 7 777-200IGW - TBA 99-00 75 737-800 - American 12 757-200 -
Air France and its regional unit Air France Europe are scheduled to formalize their merger today in Paris at simultaneous meetings of their boards of directors. Since April 1, Air France Europe, formerly Air Inter, was managed by Air France within the framework of a management/lease agreement. Until today, both companies were controlled by a state holding company - Groupe France. The merger implies that the new group, which will be controlled directly by the French state, will appoint a new board.
Mahalo Air ceased operations last week after missing an insurance payment and President Mike Yocum says the Honolulu-based carrier needs $1.5 million to return to scheduled service. Yocum said there are two potential investors, one of which is a foreign corporation. If and when the investment is made, Mahalo plans to resume a reduced schedule with three of its seven ATR 42 aircraft. Yocum also said the company, which is in Chapter 11, is looking into applying for a $1 million loan from the state's Department of Business, Economics Development and Tourism.
British Airways has applied to Britain's Civil Aviation Authority to wet- lease Qantas's 747s, which sit idle for long periods during the day at London Heathrow between flights to Asia. Current CAA regulations prohibit BA from doing so, but the airline wants to know if there is any wiggle room to allow it to add medium- or short-haul flights.
The Star Alliance marketing arrangement among United, Lufthansa, SAS, Air Canada, Thai and Varig soon will offer a "Round the World Fare" for sale worldwide. The ticket, valid for 600 destinations in 108 countries, will be priced in three categories depending on class of service and distance traveled. Trips of 20,000 miles or less will cost the least, with 10%-15% increases for trips of 20,000-32,000 miles and 20%-25% increases for trips of 38,000 miles or more. The fares will remain steady throughout the year, regardless of the season.
Delta reported traffic of 9.3 billion revenue passenger miles in August, up 2.8% from August 1996 even though the year-ago data were swelled by the Atlanta Olympics. August capacity increased 3.8%, lowering the load factor 0.76 percentage points to 77%. Domestic traffic increased 3.3% and international rose 0.8%. Delta said domestic yields still are negatively affected by year-over-year excise tax comparisons and aggressive pricing by low-cost airlines. Aug 97 Aug 96 8 Mths 97 8 Mths 96
UPS has asked a U.S. District Court judge in Louisville, Ky., to dismiss a case brought against the company by the Independent Pilots Association (IPA), claiming the court does not have jurisdiction over a matter that should have gone through grievance procedures (DAILY, Sept. 11). Tony Coleman, attorney for UPS, said that the court will interpret the collective bargaining agreement between UPS and IPA to determine whether the complaint should go through grievance. Coleman said the judge will rule on the matter before Sept.
Mesa Air Group says senior partner United has decreased its average connecting fare received at the Denver hub by approximately 20%. That, combined with a substantial increase in operating costs at the new Denver airport, is resulting in serious operating losses and negative cash flows at Denver.
New Regional Aircraft Orders And Options June 1997 Firm Orders Options Carrier No. Type No. Type Engines Air Caledonie 1 AA ATR 42-320 - - PW121 Air Dolomiti 1 AA ATR 42-500 - - PW127E Air Dolomiti 3 AA ATR 72-210 - - PW124E Air Guadeloupe 2 Do 228-212 - - TPE331-5A
The European Union's plan to eliminate duty-free sales by mid-1999 will make many regional carriers and routes uneconomical and depress airport capacity investments during a period of air travel growth, according to European airport operators, charter and low-cost airlines and transport unions. "There can be no doubt that the future construction of additional essential airport capacity - new terminals, runways and other infrastructure - will be in jeopardy," Willi Hermsen, president of Airports Council International-Europe, told reporters yesterday in Brussels.
Richard Hirst, Northwest Airlines' senior VP for corporate affairs, will discuss aviation excise taxes, the National Civil Aviation Review Commission and U.S.-Japan aviation issues on this week's Aviation News Today, to air Sunday on Washington's NewsChannel 8 at 12:30 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.
Northwest yesterday ended a three-year code share with Korea's Asiana Airlines, effective Oct. 30. The move is part of Northwest's "refinement" of its alliance strategy. Asiana believes the alliance "no longer aligns" with its corporate objectives, said Patrick Khoury, Asiana general manager- marketing and sales.
Great Lakes Aviation by Monday had restored service to all cities in its current business plan, the company reported. The Spencer, Iowa-based regional shut down voluntarily in May under FAA pressure. The regional also said its load factor for August jumped 8.2 percentage points as traffic dropped 37.3% to 17.3 million revenue passenger miles and capacity plummeted 47% to 32.5 million available seat miles.
Bombardier has quietly offered SAS Commuter an updated 50-passenger Dash 8- 300X, which, for commonality, would be equipped with the same Sextant Avionique glass cockpit as the 72- to 76-seat Dash 8-400s ordered by the company. SAS Commuter already is equipped with the 375-knot Saab 2000 50- seater, but there have been no indications that Bombardier would upgrade the -300X with the -400's PW150A turboprops to bring the speed up to the -400's projected 350-knot cruise speed. PW123 engines from the -300 were used to upgrade the Dash 8-100 to the -200.
FAA issued special conditions for the optional thrust reversers on the Embraer EMB-145 regional jet. The conditions include additional safety standards that will ensure that the thrust reversers meet "a level of safety equivalent to that established by the airworthiness standards of Part 25 of the Federal Aviation Regulations." For more information, call Colin Fender in FAA's Flight Test and Systems Branch at 425-227-2191.
Mercury Air Group reported this week that revenues for its fiscal year ended June 30 increased 24% to a record $279.4 million from $225.4 million the previous fiscal year. Net income declined, however, by 6.4% to $4.8 million due to a pre-tax charge of $1.5 million in the fourth quarter, which Mercury attributed primarily to the bankruptcy filing of customer Sun Jet International. For the fourth quarter, revenue rose 4.6% to a record $63.6 million, while net income fell by 56.3% to $518,000.
United filed against the proposed American-LanChile agreement, asking DOT to conduct an investigation of the deal "in conjunction with the many proposed alliances between American and other Latin American carriers" already pending before DOT. United said American's strategy in applying for Latin American alliances is to bar other U.S. carriers from forming similar pacts.
CCAIR traffic dropped 2.9% to 13.1 million revenue passenger miles last month, compared with the same 1996 month. Available seat miles plummeted 14.7% to 24.1 million available seat miles, driving load factor up 6.6 percentage points to 54.5%.
A group of aviation consumer advocates is petitioning DOT to cease distribution of its new quarterly domestic fare report, describing it as a "seriously flawed" document that shows the department has "little understanding of the process airlines actually use in establishing fares and marketing tickets." The group said that if consumers use the report as an aid to choosing service, "they are likely to make bad choices." Petitioners include product-rating agency J.D Power Associates, the Ralph Nader-affiliated Aviation Consumer Action Project, Douglas Frechtling of Georg
Amsterdam Schiphol Airport announced drastic measures yesterday to reduce traffic and noise. Dutch carriers KLM, Martinair and Transavia estimated they will lose "several hundred million guilders" because of the changes. The airport, which said earlier it will limit nighttime traffic, said yesterday it will shut down two of its four runways at peak periods and increase landing fees 50%, beginning Nov. 1, a KLM spokesman said.
SAirGroup plans to extend Swissair's cooperation with TAP Air Portugal and AOM, France's former colonial long-haul operator at Paris Orly. Swissair, which coordinates a limited number of scheduled services with the two parties, will increase them in two new accords. The agreements also extend SAirGroup's marketing relationship with TAP and AOM to include services by its SAirLogistics and SAirRelations units. The TAP agreement calls for closer coordination of timetables and code-share flights between Switzerland and Portugal.
Ralph Nader and Wesley Smith have asked Boeing Chairman Philip Condit for assurances that the company's quality control will remain high as its production rate increases (DAILY, Aug. 18, Aug. 29). Nader and Smith, authors of Collision Course: The Truth About Airline Safety, wrote Condit Sept. 5 citing press reports that Boeing is increasing production 35%. "Could we please have your assurance in some detail that the pace of production has not impacted Boeing's quality control?" they asked.
Atlantic Southeast posted a 4.5% increase in traffic to 81.1 million revenue passenger miles last month, as capacity inched up 0.6% to 155.9 million available seat miles. The resulting load factor - 52% - was 1.9 percentage points higher than the one recorded in August 1996. Aug. 1997 Aug. 1996 8 Mths 1997 8 Mths 1996 RPMs 81,122,772 77,594,333 610,285,547 591,036,210 ASMs 155,866,908 154,958,862 1,206,293,912 1,193,766,014
