NASA Langley Research Center is working with a consortium led by TRW that is preparing to flight-demonstrate a weather-piercing camera, capable of seeing through fog, smoke and clouds. The camera will enable safe landings, takeoffs and taxi maneuvers at any terminal in the country, "not just the three dozen or so major airports that have costly systems to aid in low-visibility approach and landings," NASA says.
Taiwan-based EVA Air and the Management Information system of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) have signed an agreement to allow single-point check-in for Taiwan-China passengers transiting Hong Kong or Macau. The move, effective in mid-July, will enable EVA to issue boarding passes at the departure point and avoid a second check-in and other transit inconveniences in either Hong Kong or Macau, where most passengers must now transit.
International Civil Aviation Organization Council will convene an a conference of directors general of civil aviation Nov. 10-12 in Montreal to review ICAO's Safety Oversight Program and to consider expanding the program. The council has agreed in principle to expand the program, including the concept of safety oversight audits, according to Assad Kotaite, council president. Other issues that will come up are the organizational and financial implications of expanding the program, he said.
Delta's Engine Maintenance Department has reduced the time to rebuild JT8D- 219 engines to 30.6 days from the industry average of 50 to 60 days. In the three months ending May 31, Delta's shop turned out 193 engines when the plan called for 171, a 12% increase in production, which Delta says "already leads the industry for turn times."
United, Northwest and Polar Air Cargo have received Russian overflight frequencies that became useful after FAA lifted a ban on flying through Afghanistan's Wahkan Corridor earlier this year. United will get 14 weekly frequencies - seven in each direction - for daily service between the U.S. and India via London, and Northwest eight - six for U.S.-Delhi and two for occasional service between the U.S. and Mumbai, depending on weather routing.
DOT issued a show-cause order granting antitrust immunity to United Airlines and Air Canada, withholding immunity for certain passengers in Chicago/San Francisco-Toronto markets, third-country services and all-cargo flights. The department also requested additional data on the Star Alliance, which partners United, Air Canada, Lufthansa, SAS, Thai Airways and, starting October, Varig.
State-owned domestic carrier Indian Airlines, which also serves the Persian Gulf region, has been named "Airline of the Year for Cargo in 1996" by the Sharjah Export Promotion Council and the Free Trade Zone Authority in the United Arab Emirates, IA officials said Friday. The award recognizes IA's "outstanding performance" in carrying cargo on scheduled passenger flights during the year.
The board of directors of All Nippon Airways has elected Kichisaburo Nomura president and chief executive, replacing Seiji Fukatsu, who led ANA the past four years. Nomura, 63, has spent 38 years with ANA, most recently as Senior Managing Director and General Manager Eastern Japan. Ryogo Inoue and Hiroshi Sakabe, both career ANA staff, were named senior VPs. The board named Kazuo Keneko to the newly created post of senior director and general manager-Asia and Oceania. Keneko will be based in Beijing.
Air South began selling "get away today" fares Friday by dropping advance purchase requirements and lowering tariffs on tickets purchased by July 9. Travel must occur by Dec. 31. The airline does not require roundtrip purchase or an overnight stay. The carrier serves Columbia, Greenville/Spartanburg, Myrtle Beach, Atlanta, Norfolk/Virginia Beach, Chicago Midway, New York Kennedy, Jacksonville, Miami and Charleston, S.C.
U.S. Customs Service said it is taking steps to improve compliance with regulations covering air manifests. A Customs survey recently found that only 47.2% of manifests properly include all required air waybills, 37.6% include all required shippers export declarations (SEDs), 59.7% correctly note exemptions for shipments not requiring SEDs, and 48.4% include required copies of in-bound documents. The survey also found problems with the Customs Service's internal procedures for processing, control and storage of manifests.
SH&E promoted Laurence Michaels to VP, Eliot Lees to director- marketing and Christopher Whittle to senior consultant, and named Mark Diamond a consultant in its Boston office.
Vanguard Airlines will offer patriotic $17.76 fares on July 4 - Independence Day - for every seat on every nonstop flight. Tickets must be booked between 6 p.m. today and 6 p.m. Sunday. Robert Spane, Vanguard's new chairman, chief executive and president, said, "We will take you from 'sea to shining sea' for about what it costs you to fill up the gas tank in your car."
First 737-800 will roll out today from Boeing's Renton, Wash., facility. The aircraft, first of three flight-test airplanes, will go to Hapag-Lloyd of Germany. At 129 feet, six inches, it is the longest 737 built.
Excite Travel by City.Net, the World Wide Web travel site operated by Excite Inc., is reaching more of its target market than other Internet travel providers, according to PC Meter, a company that measures Internet traffic. Excite said its site reaches 3.1% of individuals reviewing travel sites on the Internet, compared with its closest competitor, Sabre's Travelocity, which captures 1.8% of the market.
Fire And Air: A Life On The Edge by Patty Wagstaff. Tells the life story of the three-time U.S. National Aerobatic Champion and top-ranked female pilot. Chicago Review Press; $24.95 hardcover. For more information, call Kathy Mirkin, 312-337-0747.
White House has sent to the Senate the nomination of George Donohue as deputy FAA administrator, but the Senate will not be able to act on it until after the Independence Day recess. Some at FAA fear the recent controversies surrounding the Wide Area Augmentation System and Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System could have a negative impact on Donahue's confirmation.
Swissair has taken results from a frequent flyer survey and revamped the way it feeds passengers. After passengers expressed a desire for fresher inflight meals, the airline became the first to introduce organically grown food in all classes of service. By 2000, Swissair wants 90% of its inflight food to be organically grown.
