Recently assured funding for critical aviation weather services apparently is only temporary (DAILY, April 25). The Commerce Department, parent agency of the National Weather Service, announced earlier it will reprogram funding to maintain the number of meteorologists at the Aviation Weather Center, the National Hurricane Center and the Storm Prediction Center. The funding will continue only through Sept. 30, the end of the government's fiscal year.
Canadian Airlines International conducted a cyber auction for frequent flyer members during the past week, offering trips to places in Canada, the U.S. and Europe. The 3 million members of the Canadian Plus program can bid on business and economy tickets, and Canadian will donate the winners' points to the Canadian Plus Foundation, the airline's charity. The foundation, in turn, will distribute the points to non-profit groups that provide travel assistance to sick or terminally ill children.
Tarom Airlines said an upcoming meeting it expects between Romanian and U.S. officials and an already positive aviation relationship argue in favor of renewing the carrier's authority to New York and Chicago. A DOT spokesman said Romania has not yet suggested a meeting, and United and Northwest object to a blanket renewal because Romania has not approved their third-country code shares into that country (DAILY, March 28).
Jack Driscoll, executive director of Los Angeles Airport, will discuss LAX expansion plans and this week's decision by the Los Angeles City Council to return $31 million to the Department of Airports on Aviation News Today, to air Sunday on Washington's NewsChannel 8 from 12:30 a.m.-1 a.m. and from 1:30 p.m.-2 p.m.
Delta has begun to roll out its new transatlantic business class service and is searching for the most comfortable seats. Robert Coggin, executive VP-marketing, said the carrier is "suiting up for the race. Our goal is for Delta to lead the industry in customer service and innovative products within two years."
The House this week passed 414-7 legislation (H.R.1271) to authorize spending for FAA research, engineering and development through fiscal 2000. The bill authorizes $217.4 million in fiscal 1998 - a 4.3% increase over the fiscal 1997 appropriated level - $224 million in fiscal 1999 and $231 million in fiscal 2000. The House approved a modified version of the bill reported out by the Science Committee (House Report 105-61) and adopted two amendments on the floor. One, sponsored by Rep.
Regional airlines, less exposed to disruptive passengers than carriers with longer flights, are not immune to the problem. Regional Airline Association President Walt Coleman, speaking at the International Conference on Disruptive Airline Passengers in Washington this week, said of the 2,100 regional aircraft flying in the U.S., about 500 have nine seats or fewer, 650 are in the 10- to 15-seat category with no flight attendants, and 900 have a single attendant.
Comair and Airways Corporation intend establish a code-sharing relationship connecting the 23 points AirTran serves with Comair's 10-city Florida network hubbing at Orlando.
Lufthansa and its regional Italian partner Air Dolomiti are launching new code-sharing services from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport to Genoa and Verona. The daily frequency to Verona started yesterday, while the two daily flights to Genoa will commence on May 12. Both will be operated with Air Dolomiti's newly acquired ATR 42-500 aircraft. No other carrier is currently serving these routes. Air France and French regional carrier Air Littoral have both tried their luck on Paris-Verona but eventually abandoned the service.
Airlines must draft clear "zero tolerance" policies that deal with disruptive passengers and support employees who take legal action against passengers for physical abuse or threats to other passengers, according to many panelists participating in a conference on disruptive passengers. Sponsored by the Air Line Pilots Association, the conference was prompted by increasing assaults on airline crew, although there is some question about exactly how many assaults occur.
Cargo and flower consolidator Aerofloral filed in support of American International Airways' application for scheduled all-cargo flights between Miami and Quito/Guayaquil, Ecuador, reallocating three frequencies held by Millon. "Whether or not Millon Air ultimately is successful in resuming operations and returning to the Ecuadorian market, there is an immediate need for the services AIA could perform," Aerofloral said. Three U.S.
Airline Industry Stock Trends Closed Closed Exchange 3/31/97 3/31/97 Majors Alaska Air Group NYSE $ 24.875 $ 25.625 AMR NYSE 93.000 82.500 America West (Class B) NYSE 15.325 15.625 Continental (Class B) 1 NYSE 31.750 31.875 Delta NYSE 92.125 84.125
The Senate Appropriation Committee's version of the supplemental appropriations bill (S.672), approved by the panel Wednesday, includes a provision directing FAA to exempt general aviation operations from its newly developed overflight fee. Key House legislators and the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association have argued that GA should be spared for reasons of safety and reciprocity (DAILY, April 25).
Balkan Bulgarian Airlines applied for an exemption to operate scheduled combination service between Sofia, Bulgaria, and Chicago via Belgrade, Yugoslavia, with local traffic rights between Belgrade and Chicago. Last year, DOT renewed an exemption for Sofia-Detroit/New York service via Malta, and amended the carrier's authority to permit serving Bucharest, Romania, as an intermediate point with local traffic rights. It would start serving Sofia-Chicago June 20, flying each Friday on a Sofia- Belgrade-Chicago routing and nonstop Chicago-Sofia on the return flight.
Air South donated $10,000 in airfare to Project Rebuild, which is restoring St. Johns Baptist Church in Barnwell, S.C. The airline expects to carry more than 100 volunteers from the Northeast to the city during the next two months.
Boeing confirmed yesterday that Aeroflot Russian International Airlines has ordered 10 737-400s valued at $440 million with deliveries to begin next April and be completed by February 1999 (DAILY, April 21). Valery Okulov, acting general director, said, "Our objective is to make Aeroflot more competitive in the international and the domestic marketplaces." The aircraft will hold 131 passengers in two classes.
The return of the 10% ticket tax will alter second quarter results of most U.S. airlines.Lehman Brothers projects that only Southwest, United and US Airways will post improved year-over-year earnings.Last year, the ticket tax was dormant during the entire second quarter.
Federal Express asked DOT to deny Japan Airlines' application to renew expanded scheduled all-cargo service between the U.S. and Japan under the terms of the 1996 Memorandum of Understanding. FedEx continues to protest the denial of beyond-Japan rights it says are granted to it under the 1952 bilateral, the subject of ongoing disagreement between the U.S. and Japan. "Federal Express submits that it is now both necessary and appropriate for the U.S. government to make it clear to the government of Japan that the U.S.
Disaster assistance funding bill (H.R.1469) awaiting House action includes $40 million in FAA facilities and equipment funding for explosives detection equipment and $20.2 million for the National Transportation Safety Board's TWA 800 accident investigation. The bill, which helps pay for recovery from recent floods, tornadoes and other natural disasters, also includes $3.1 million to reimburse Metropolitan Dade County, Fla., for costs associated with recovery of ValuJet 592 last May.
India's Foreign Investment Promotion Board (FIPB) has approved four proposals from non-resident Indian sources for investing in the equity of domestic Indian airline companies, FIPB officials said this week. This is the first batch of proposals cleared following the federal government's announcement earlier this year of a new policy for foreign investment in the sector.
Western Pacific, along with affiliate Mountain Air Express (MAX), will begin serving Denver Airport June 29 "to cities across the United States," while continuing its presence at nearby Colorado Springs (DAILY, March 28). It also intends to develop a business-class product over the next several months but plans to keep fares low. Westpac will operate an average of 45 daily departures from Denver and MAX more than 20. Combined flight schedules will rise to 70 flights to 26 cities on Aug. 1.
Kellstrom Industries, which purchases and remarkets commercial jet engine parts, said revenues for the March quarter jumped 212% to $16.5 million and net income rose 221% to $1.7 million. It attributed some of the increase to acquisition of International Aircraft Support.
Amadeus Global Travel Distribution is offering Private Label, a customized booking engine for World Wide Web sites. The technology enables airlines and travel agents to customize their reservations systems for booking on the Web.
Air Asia and the Taiwan Sugar Corp. have inked an agreement to enter into a joint venture to set up an aircraft maintenance center in southern Taiwan. Chen You-ming, president of Air Asia, said the complex will provide employment for 3,000 workers and generate annual revenues of at least US$145 million once it is fully operational in the year 2000. Chen said that much of the business the center expects to conduct will consist of converting older passenger aircraft into cargo carriers.
Five international carriers - Continental, American, KLM, Air France and British Airways - are involved in "intense negotiations" to acquire between 5% and 10% of Iberia, according to Felix Ortega, Iberia's manager- international relations. One U.S. and one European airline are likely to emerge as victors and alliance partners, and a decision should be announced in a month. Iberia is banking on its new non-government executives, new investors and leadership from the investors to enable it to compete.
