Autonomous airport authorities and a cooperative approach to airspace management are among recommendations from a May 12-23 International Civil Aviation Organization meeting on problems of safety, regularity and efficiency of flights in African airspace. The meeting, conducted in Nigeria, was attended by 350 people from 55 states from the Africa-Indian Ocean region and elsewhere.
Teledyne Controls said it has completed the design requirements for the next generation of air-to-ground communication systems. The company said it will deliver a communications management unit (CMU) for certification and first installations to Boeing and McDonnell Douglas for Saudi-ordered 747-400s and MD-90/MD-11 aircraft in late 1997 and for Braathens 737- 600/700 aircraft in the first quarter of 1998.
U.S. and New Zealand are holding open skies talks in Washington today and Thursday.U.S. officials have long planned to include New Zealand in its Asian open skies initiative but have waited for a new government there to prepare for the deal.
Indamer Co. Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai-based regional distributor of Raytheon Aircraft Co., has filed a lawsuit in the supreme court at Colombo, Sri Lanka, against the Sri Lankan government for reneging on an aircraft purchase deal, Indamer sources said last week.
Midway Airlines Corp. and Corporate Express Airlines will begin offering code-sharing services June 1 from Midway's Raleigh/Durham base. Nashville-based Corporate Express will operate code-sharing flights to Raleigh/Durham from Nashville and Jacksonville, with connections to Midway's flights to 12 destinations. Corporate Express uses BAe Super Jetstream 32 aircraft and Midway operates F100s and A320s.
TAP Air Portugal, after three months of talks, signed a wage agreement last week with 10 unions representing 5,500 ground workers. TAP, which employs 7,500 people, granted its ground staff a 3.5% raise. All ground staff unions signed the deal, "which has not happened since May 1993," the airline said.
Returns from United's survey of employee attitudes and perceptions about the company are in, and the verdict is that more employees distrust senior management now than in 1995. The finding is likely to influence upcoming local meetings between management and employees intended to find ways to improve employee satisfaction and, in the process, customer satisfaction. Reacting to the survey results, United promised to "redouble" its efforts to change the corporate culture.
Allied Pilots Association President James Sovich narrowly lost re- election, and his successor will be determined in a runoff election between two other American captains - past president Rich LaVoy from New York and Chuck Griffin from Chicago. Sovich received 1,811 votes, LaVoy 1,824 and Griffin 1,831. Sovich led the APA through tumultuous contract negotiations with American that culminated in a brief strike Feb. 15.
Banner Aerospace posted earnings of $7.5 million for fiscal year 1997, an increase of 375% from net income of $1.6 million the previous year. Fourth quarter net income was $2.9 million, up from $49,000. Net sales for the year increased 35% to a record $389.1 million, while sales for the March quarter were up 28% to a record $113.7 million. The company attributed the results to the health of the airline industry.
Poland's largest aeronautics group, PZL Mielec S.A. of Lublin, has won an $80 million contract to provide 24 small transport aircraft to the Venezuelan army. Delivery of the Skytruck airplanes will take place by the end of 1998. Venezuela will use the aircraft, which can carry either cargo or 18 passengers, to combat drug trafficking.
Boeing notified airlines last week that it plans to issue a service bulletin calling for inspection of 747 center wing tanks. The National Transportation Safety Board has issued four recommendations on transport aircraft fuel tanks, and Boeing said it "has been determined that the center wing tank was involved" in the crash last summer of TWA Flight 800, a 747. The company said "no definitive conclusion has been drawn about the cause of the explosion," however.
Orally renewed an exemption for Lineas Aereas Allegro to fly scheduled combination service between San Jose del Cabo, Mexico, and San Francisco, and Cancun and Orlando, and to conduct passenger charters between Mexico and the U.S through May 16, 1998...Received an application to permit Air Atlanta to operate five roundtrip U.K.-Florida flights using a 747-200 for Airtours International Airways...Dismissed at request of applicant a Virgin Atlantic charter to be flown by Air Foyle/Antonov Design Bureau, carrying a replacement CF6 engine and tools, plus ancillary equipment, u
Qantas has finalized plans to spend A$550 million (US$430 million) during the next three years to refurbish the interiors of all 99 of its aircraft. Qantas will put new, high-technology seating in first, business and economy class and all seats will have personal interactive video systems. The domestic fleet will be reconfigured starting in October, and international upgrades will debut next April.
Citicorp sold a 747-200 with General Electric engines to Atlas Air and an MD-83 with Pratt&Whitney engines to Finova Capital Ltd. Both aircraft remain on lease, the 747 to Philippine Airlines and the MD-83 to Spanair.
Alitalia is transferring more of its long-haul responsibilities to Alitalia Team, formerly the regional airline Avianova. Alitalia Team, which now has 22 aircraft, will operate all of Alitalia's 767s, and the parent airline is exploring how to enlarge Team further.
Members of Citizens for Reliable and Safe Highways (CRASH), lobbying Congress last week for a campaign to reduce trucking-related fatalities, said the annual death toll in truck-related crashes is 28 times that of airline crashes. Yet the White House had a special commission "working night and day" on airline safety, the organization complained.
The National Mediation Board (NMB) has assigned veteran airline mediator Harry Bickford to oversee talks between Continental and the Independent Association of Continental Pilots (IACP). The carrier and the union filed jointly last week for NMB's assistance (DAILY, May 20). The IACP contract becomes amendable July 1, and both sides have agreed that the pilots are underpaid compared with the rest of the industry. Bickford, who recently mediated talks between American and its Allied Pilots Association, helped Continental and the IACP reach a settlement two years ago.
United's new "Rising" slogan will replace the "Friendly Skies" theme - but possibly not forever. Chairman Gerald Greenwald says "Friendly Skies" may make an encore - in fact, research shows the single biggest image issue among United employees is their desire to keep United "Friendly."
- In Federal Register dated May 19...Proposed an airworthiness directive on Robinson R22 helicopters with a Lycoming O-360-J2A engine to require replacing the carburetor. - In FR dated May 20...Issued an AD on Bell 412 series helicopters requiring a maximum accumulated retirement index number for certain main rotor masts and plates...Proposed an AD on Bell 47 series helicopters to require a safety washer kit for the stabilizer bar damper link.
A group of 20 countries and the European Union presented a demarche to the State Department Friday asking that FAA's new overflight fees be deferred until the U.S. has met its obligations to provide adequate consultation and a detailed explanation of how the fees were determined. The demarche, a diplomatic note signaling serious intent, was signed by officials from the embassies of Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, the U.K.
Nations Air applied for an exemption to operate scheduled combination service between Miami and Maracaibo, Venezuela, using a 142-seat 727-200 from its existing fleet. Daily service would start June 1. Nations Air said it would be the only U.S. carrier operating nonstop or direct service on the route. One Venezuelan airline operates the route, but it cannot expand its service because Venezuela is rated Category 2 by the FAA. (Docket OST-97-2551)
Boeing PART Page, which went on the World Wide Web last November, has generated more than 150,000 transactions, and volume is expected to grow to half a million by its first anniversary. More than 200 customers are using the site to order spare parts, get price quotes and check on shipments. Potential user base is about 750 airlines and maintenance firms.
Boeing 747, Systemwide Aircraft Utilization Per Day, Fourth Quarter 1996, B747-100, B747-200, B747-400 Boeing 747 Systemwide Aircraft Utilization Per Day Fourth Quarter 1996 B747-100 Northwest TWA Number of Aircraft Operated 396 186 Total Fleet Operations Departures 1,588 757 Block Hours 3,708 1,737
AirTran Airways applied to DOT Friday for service to slot-controlled New York LaGuardia Airport, a subject of recent hearings on barriers to entry (DAILY, May 14). AirTran wants to operate two daily roundtrips from Toledo/Akron, Bloomington/Moline/Quad Cities and Knoxville. None of the points has nonstop or direct service to LaGuardia, the carrier said.
