United and Midway were scrambling yesterday to accommodate passengers in their code-share operations with Great Lakes Aviation, which suspended operations Saturday under FAA pressure. Great Lakes said it plans to resume at least some of its 500 daily flights Thursday. FAA cited improperly trained maintenance personnel as one reason for the grounding. The action came soon after FAA hired the carrier's director of training, The DAILY was told. Great Lakes operated code-share agreements as United Express and Midway Connection.
Emirates will launch three weekly A300-600 flights June 2 from Dubai to Baku, Azerbaijan, its first destination in the Commonwealth of Independent States.
MCI still was trying yesterday to figure out what happened Saturday to some of its equipment during a one-hour power outage at the Oberlin, Ohio, air route traffic control center, which interrupted communications with local air traffic control facilities and en route centers, according to FAA. The outage affected airspace in parts of Pennsylvania, Ohio, West Virginia, Michigan, Indiana and New York and major airports hit with delays were Cleveland, Detroit and Pittsburgh airports.
American Society of Travel Agents is conducting seminars on how to negotiate computer reservations system contracts. The first is to be held Thursday at the Key Bridge Marriott in Arlington, Va. Jeffrey Miller, attorney and ASTA member, conducts the seminar. Seminars follow in Atlanta May 28, Chicago June 3 and Los Angeles June 14.
The net profit of City Hotels NV, owner of Belgian low-cost startup CityBird, surged from 20.8 million Belgian francs (about US$600,000) in 1995 to BEF729 million ($20.8 million) last year, mainly from the BEF789 million ($22.5 million) sale of the company's original new entrant, two- year-old EuroBelgian, to Virgin Atlantic. Virgin operates the acquisition as Virgin Express and limits service to routes within Europe. CityBird, launched March 27 by City Hotels, offers charter and scheduled service across the Atlantic.
Western Pacific Airlines is offering introductory fares for new Denver service by itself and affiliate Mountain Air Express on tickets purchased by June 4. Special fares also are available for Colorado Springs for travel May 25-Nov. 24. The carriers begin serving Denver June 29. Roundtrip fares during off-peak days - Tuesday through Thursday - include $118 to Grand Junction, $124 to Aspen, $144 to Albuquerque and $236 to Washington Dulles and Newark.
U.S. Major Carriers Traffic April, 4 Months 1997 (000) April April % 1997 1996 Change Alaska Revenue Passenger Miles 823,000 778,000 5.8 Available Seat Miles 1,215,000 1,196,000 1.6 Load Factor (%) 67.7 65.1 America West
Canadian Airlines traffic decreased 0.8% in April, but domestic traffic rose 2.2% and the carrier reported load factor gains throughout the country. Overall, the load factor gained 3.0 percentage points, reaching 71.5%. The domestic load factor increased 1.7 points to 66.7% as capacity was down slightly. The load factor gained most on the western and eastern shuttle routes. International capacity dropped 7.4% as the airline redeployed aircraft to Asia from Europe, and the reduction in capacity was offset by improved yields, the carrier said.
National Transportation Safety Board will consider updating its "most wanted" list of safety recommendations today at a meeting at 9:30 a.m. in the board room on the fifth floor of 490 L'Enfant Plaza, Washington, D.C.
Recent increases in Russian overflight fees are out of line, Western airlines told Russian air traffic control officials last week at the second Russian-American Aviation Conference in Annapolis, Md. Bob Buley of Northwest said the increases - 29%, imposed April 1 - "may well have the effect of driving Northwest Airlines and others away from that airspace." Other airline representatives agreed.
Northwest is offering fare promotions on Travelocity, the World Wide Web travel site owned by The Sabre Group. Until June 16, anyone who buys a Northwest electronic ticket through the Northwest site at www.nwa.com or the Travelocity site at www.travelocity.com will receive a $99 roundtrip companion award for use on the next Northwest trip. The fare is good on domestic travel or to Canada. Travel must be completed between June 17 and Feb. 12, 1998.
Transportation Secretary Rodney Slater and Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt yesterday established a National Park Overflights Working Group to "develop a plan to ensure the preservation of the natural quiet in the nation's parks." The group is to exist for 100 days following its initial meeting, scheduled for May 20-21, and to produce a final report on what Slater termed a "rulemaking document" within that time.
Six pilot and flight engineers unions called for a four-day strike at Air France yesterday, which threatens to cancel any 1997 profits. Both Air France and its regional unit Air France Europe will be affected. Hard- liners have recently taken over the running of Syndicat National des Pilotes de Ligne (SNPL), the union that represents 80% of Air France's pilots. They are calling for a group-wide strike for the first time in three years.
Cape Air will add daily nonstops between Providence, R.I., and Nantucket Island June 18. It is charging $89 one way, $149 roundtrip and $129 for a same-day roundtrip.
Nice-Riviera Airport's annual revenues increased 8.4% in 1996, from 390.6 million French francs (US$68.5 million) in 1995 to FF423.5 million ($74 million), while passenger traffic rose at a rate nearly as high. Revenue from landing fees, marking fees and aircraft fees grew 10.1%, 19.2% and 17.9%, respectively. The net profit at the Mediterranean seaside airport - France's largest outside the Paris region - gained 62%, from FF38.1 million ($6.7 million) to FF61.7 million ($10.8 million). Passenger traffic jumped 7.5% to 6,603,975, overtaking Marseilles and Geneva.
Boeing 737 Systemwide Aircraft Utilization Per Day Fourth Quarter 1996 B737-300 America West Continental Delta Number of Aircraft Operated 40 65 13 Total Fleet Operations Departures 249 279 71 Block Hours 477 690 129 Flight Hours 400 586 107
U.S. and Saudi Arabian officials meet today and tomorrow in Washington to discuss revising the bilateral agreement. The Saudis requested the meeting to explore expanding service opportunities.
The House passed the disaster assistance supplemental appropriations bill (H.R.1469) by a 244 to 178 vote last week, sending the bill to a conference with the Senate, which completed action on its version (S.672) the week before. During House floor consideration, an amendment was adopted to provide $300,000 to Monroe County, Mich., as reimbursement for costs incurred in connection with the crash of Comair Flight 3272.
Delta Chairman Ron Allen's scheduled meeting with All Nippon President Seiji Fukatsu during Allen's upcoming Asia trip looks less than critical. Both Allen and Fukatsu said last week they will leave their jobs.
LanChile, expanding at a 30% annual rate, is nearing an alliance with a major U.S. carrier and is talking with Boeing to acquire more long-haul aircraft. The 68-year-old carrier, one of the most profitable in South America, is "in discussions with Boeing now," said Alexandre de Gunten, VP- North America, Central America and Asia. The widebody acquisition is expected to be completed by the end of July, according to a source close to the deal. LanChile will take delivery of its 11th 767 shortly and will have 18 737s, for a total of 29 aircraft by yearend.
Panama's DHL Aero Expreso asked DOT for wider authority under the new open skies agreement. The carrier, whose status as a Panamanian flag was challenged by U.S. competitors before it received its original authority, is permitted Panama-Miami operations. It started service Nov. 7, 1996, with a 727-200. Under the open skies exemption, DHL Aero Expreso plans to fly additional service between Panama and Miami via Costa Rica, starting around June 2. (Docket OST-96-1035)
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association named Karl Kerscher regional representative for Illinois, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri and Wisconsin. American Association of Airport Executives elected Peter Drahn, director of Dane County, Wis., Regional Airport, chairman for 1997-98.
American applied for an exemption permitting combination service between Dallas/Fort Worth and Caracas, Venezuela. It plans to start flying nonstop on the route beginning Sept. 3, using 188-seat 757s. The only current nonstop service between the U.S. and Caracas is flown from Miami and New York.
