Alaska Airlines traffic for April rose 5.7% on 1.6% more capacity, which pushed load factor up 2.6 percentage points to 67.7%. For the first four months, Alaska's load factor grew 4.2 points to 66%. It carried 985,000 passengers last month, up 4.1%. Subsidiary Horizon Air's April traffic fell 1.5% on 2.3% less capacity. April 97 April 96 4 Mths 97 4 Mths 96 RPMs 823,000,000 778,000,000 3,165,000,000 2,904,000,000 ASMs 1,215,000,000 1,196,000,000 4,797,000,000 4,696,000,000
Embraer, demonstrating progress since its privatization in 1994, reported revenues of $414.6 million in 1996, a 14% increase over the $362.2 million it reported the previous year. Embraer lost $40 million in 1996, down 87% from $306.7 million in 1995. The number of employees shrank from 6,087 to 3,849 and the time needed to manufacture an EMB-120, 15 months at the time of privatization, is down to eight months.
Lakewood, Colo.-based Aviation Professionals has hired Bill Bottoms to the newly created position of senior VP and chief operating officer. The firm provides airline professionals on a contract basis to aviation companies.
UPS and the Independent Pilots Association return to the bargaining table today under the supervision of National Mediation Board member Maggie Jacobsen. The pilots counted their strike authorization ballots yesterday, which they decided to mail to members after the company asked the NMB to release it from mediation, and results were to be posted after 7 p.m. yesterday.
Officials at FAA, DOT, the National Transportation Safety Board and the White House are distressed over remarks made recently by NTSB Member John Goglia, who was quoted by The Miami Herald as saying that all passengers and crew of ValuJet Flight 592 almost certainly died from toxic fumes while airborne. Goglia, who led the investigation into the May 1996 crash, declined an interview with The DAILY.
Transportes Aereos Regulares, Rio Branco, Brazil, took delivery of two de Havilland Dash 8Q Series 200B combination passenger/freight aircraft and ordered two more for delivery later this year. The four aircraft are valued at $48 million.
Six candidates are competing to manage Europort Vatry, a former NATO air base 90 miles east of Paris that will offer air, rail and road transportation to destinations across Europe. The Marne Regional Council, project manager of construction, said it is preparing to delegate the management of Europort Vatry complex operations and development, and it will select a private-sector operator in 1998.
Australia's new domestic business class by Ansett and Qantas was deliberately revealed to the public over several months. In 1992, after Qantas caught Ansett off guard with a business-class offering, the action was a financial failure. This year, Qantas wanted "to tell everyone as early and often as we could to make it very, very clear," said Wally Mariani, senior VP.
World Airways recorded a net profit of $5 million in the first quarter, up from a loss of $7.9 million in the first quarter of 1996. Revenues jumped 20% to $78.7 million and block hours flown grew by the same percentage. Expenses for flight operations and fuel declined year-over-year despite World's increase in fleet size to an average of 13.4 aircraft during the quarter, compared with 10.9 a year earlier.
Walter Clark was elected chairman and chief executive of Air Transportation Holding Co., succeeding his father, David Clark, who died April 18. Hugh Bingham, former senior VP, will be president and chief operating officer.
With eight of the top 10 airlines worldwide considering fleet refurbishment during the next five years, BE Aerospace could benefit to the tune of $1.6 billion in future contracts, according to JSA Research analyst Peter Armend. BEA holds 50% of the market in aircraft seating, 90% in beverage makers, 50% in galley ovens and appliances, and a strong position in galley structures.
Society of Automotive Engineers' newly formed Aircraft Seat Committee will meet May 20-22 in Denver to exchange technical information and expertise on dynamic seats, child restraints, passenger and crew restraints, and other subjects. Representatives from England, France, Germany and Canada are expected. For more information, call Elizabeth Demoratz at 412-776-4841, ext. 7292.
FAA said Friday it has placed a $12.2 million order for trace explosives detection equipment from Thermedics Detection, Barringer Instruments and Ion Track Instruments for placement at the nation's busiest airports. The money comes from $144 million Congress allocated in FAA's fiscal 1977 budget for the purpose. Cathal Flynn, FAA associate administrator for civil aviation security, said the rapid analyzers have "high detection probabilities with low false alarm rates and allow for rapid baggage screening.
British Airways Chief Executive Bob Ayling will address the American Society of Travel Agents 1997 World Travel Congress in Glasgow, Scotland, Sept. 7-12. BA will offer special rates to delegates attending the conference.
Canada's Greyhound Air will add a seventh 727 to its fleet this summer as it introduces daily direct scheduled service between Toronto, Calgary and Vancouver. The service, operated by Kelowna Flightcraft, begins June 26.
American posted a 3.2% traffic increase in April on 1% more capacity, which pushed the load factor up 1.5 percentage points to 69.4%. International operations boosted the airline's figures, as Atlantic traffic rose 9.6% and Latin America traffic 7.5%. Pacific traffic fell 5.3% on 0.6% more capacity, however, which lowered the Pacific load factor 4.1 points to 67.3%. The Atlantic load factor jumped 6.5 points to 82.4% and the Latin America load factor reached 63.6%, up 2.4 points.
Mesa Airlines carried 0.9% more traffic in April, increasing to 112 million revenue passenger miles from 110.9 million. Capacity during the month rose 2%, to 203.2 million available seat miles from 199.3 million, and the load factor decreased 0.6 percentage points to 55.1%. The Farmington, N.M.- based regional carried 545,734 passengers during the month, a 2.5% increase. For the year to date, Mesa reported a 2.1% decrease in RPMs to 440.1 million, a 1.1% decrease in ASMs to 803.7 million, and a load factor drop of 0.5 points to 54.8%.
Qantas is evaluating how to expand its Pacific market share by improving its North American code-share relationships. The carrier is "very pleased" with traffic figures generated by partner American, but is less thrilled with trends from its US Airways relationship since that carrier has retrenched from the U.S. West Coast. "We're looking at more markets and ways to generate revenue and profits, and an expansion could be made as long as it didn't hurt our partners," said Wally Mariani, senior VP-the Americas.
The Sabre Group appointed James Murphy to the new position of VP and treasurer, a post President and Chief Executive Michael Durham said will be "pivotal" for the company. John Stow, former president and CEO of AMR Corp.'s Encompass, will succeed Murphy as VP-North America sales and service in the Sabre Travel Information Network division.
America West Friday condemned statements made by the Teamsters, the union representing its mechanics, which implied that the carrier is unsafe (DAILY, May 2). America West VP-Maintenance and Engineering Frank Tucci said the carrier gives safety top priority and "meets or exceeds every FAA required safety standard, practice, policy and procedure." In the allegations, the union made an obvious tie to its contract negotiations with the company. Greg Garger, America West VP-labor relations, said, "It is labor negotiations by media.
