Delta and Austrian Airlines have received final approval for a code- share/blocked-space agreement for flights between Vienna and Warsaw. Austrian operates the route with 80-seat Fokker F70s, and Delta will buy blocks of seats, beginning April 1. Starting May 7, Delta will operate daily New York-Warsaw one-stop service via Berlin, replacing flights it discontinued to Warsaw via Frankfurt.
Summary of U.S. Major Carriers Domestic Revenues and Expenses Third Quarter 1996 (In Dollars) Total Operating % Passenger Carrier Revenues Change Revenues Alaska 371,598,000 10.58 319,841,000 America West 417,212,702 2.48 385,290,557 American 2,620,101,000 (4.90) 2,392,971,000
United shares the frustration of its Association of Flight Attendants unit that contract negotiations are proceeding slowly, Chairman Gerald Greenwald said. As the union prepared for picketing at a handful of airports - it has been one year since the contract became amendable (DAILY, Feb. 27) - Greenwald said the current contract includes provisions for paid holidays, cost of living adjustments, reserve override and ground pay "that are not available for flight attendants from any other U.S. carrier."
Hawaiian Airlines announced that Paul Casey will take over for Bruce Nobles as president and chief executive. John Adams remains chairman. Casey, a former executive with Pan Am and Continental, most recently was president and chief executive of the Hawaiian Visitors and Convention Bureau. Casey takes the helm after Hawaiian's lengthy restructuring, a process that included a Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing, the addition of several new investors and a revamped lease agreement with partner American for Hawaiian's DC-10 fleet.
FlightSafety International appointed Mike King manager-FlightSafety Sabreliner Training Center in St. Louis, Mo.; Don Seile manager-helicopter training in Lafayette, La., and John Springstead manager-FlightSafety Learning Center at Le Bourget Airport, Paris.
In an effort to understand better its employees - many of whom say they are fed up with the company's corporate culture - United has hired a mediation specialist as senior VP of people. William Hobgood, an attorney specializing in mediation and arbitration, spent 14 years with the Federal Mediation and Conciliation Service and was assistant secretary of labor for labor-management relations during the Carter Administration.
All Nippon Airways carried a record 39.39 million passengers in 1996 as the Japanese economy recovered and the carrier grew its international operations more than 20%. The number of international passengers rose 23.5% to 2.59 million, while international revenue passenger kilometers increased 21.9% and capacity 19.8% to 22.2 billion available seat kilometers. ANA and its subsidiaries kept their lead in Japan, flying more than 50% of all domestic passengers. ANA carried 36.8 million passengers, up 3%. Domestic traffic rose 5.3%, while capacity increased 3.4%.
Received notifications for a Scand-America Tours charter using an Air Atlantic-Icelandic L-1011 on a Bergen-Trondheim-Gander-Fort Lauderdale- Miami-Gander-Trondheim-Bergen routing Feb.
Continental Express flew more than 64 million revenue passenger miles in January, 17.8% more than in January 1996. Capacity rose 23.2% to 148.1 million available seat miles, and the load factor dropped about two percentage points to 43.2%. The number of passengers gained nearly 14% to 287,719 from 252,397 in January 1996.
Monarch Airlines has ordered two Airbus A330-200 aircraft powered by Rolls- Royce engines and two A321-200s powered by IAE engines. Deliveries will begin in the spring of 1999. Monarch gets a leased A321 this April.
Flying Colours of Britain has taken delivery of its first Boeing 757 and the 235-seat aircraft will make its first flight March 6 from Manchester to the Canary Islands. Three more 757s are to be delivered and in service by early May and will use to fly tours to destinations in Greece, Spain and Florida.
Arinc will hold its second annual electronic document symposium, intended for airlines, leasing companies, government agencies, associations and manufacturers, April 7-9 at the Omni Rosen Hotel, Orlando, Fla. Information is available at 410-266-4103 or [email protected].
Duff&Phelps Credit Rating assigned an "A-" to Southwest Airlines' new issuance of $100 million, 30-year debentures priced to yield 7.405%. DCR also reaffirmed the "A" rating on Southwest's senior secured securities, which include equipment trust certificates and equipment pass-through certificates, and an "A" rating on its existing senior unsecured debt. The rating company said Southwest's credit strength comes from strong market share in its city-pairs, low costs, "excellent customer service and a strong management team."
FAA has prohibited use of some AlliedSignal GPS flight management systems on non-precision approaches because of reports of flight course deviations. FAA said the deviations were caused by "erroneous information provided by the GPS flight management system." The models involved are GNS-XLS or GNS- XL units. FAA said flight and bench tests duplicated the deviation "within the GPS flight management software while it is used in a previously published non-precision approach situation.
The U.S.-Canada open transborder agreement entered its third year last week, ending restrictions on U.S. entry at Montreal and Vancouver. Year three, the final transition, leaves Toronto as the only Canadian city protected from unlimited competition by U.S. carriers. Third-year additions to U.S. incumbents at Toronto are Continental from Newark, Delta from Atlanta, Midway from Raleigh/Durham and Northwest from Minneapolis/St. Paul.
FAA's projected financial need of $59.8 billion between fiscal 1997 and 2002 is generally reasonable assuming a "status quo operating environment," but the agency faces both opportunities for potential savings and challenges of additional requirements, Coopers&Lybrand said in its assessment issued Friday. Savings could be achieved in a number of areas, such as labor costs, closure and consolidation of facilities, organizational consolidation, productivity gains and management reforms, Coopers said.
Moody's has assigned an Aa3 rating to the debt of Nav Canada for its proposed revenue bond issue, "which may be as high as C$750 million." Proceeds from an initial C$750 million bond offering in 1996 were used to reduce outstanding debt, and Moody's said the current offering will be used for the same purpose. Nav Canada, the not-for-profit, non-share company that owns and operates Canadian civil air navigation services, secures and supports its debt solely by the revenue stream from these services, Moody's said.
Delta Express promises air tickets, accommodations and admission to attractions at Sea World in Orlando for its one millionth passenger, expected in a few weeks. The low-fare Delta unit has been operating about six months.
Rich International Airways cleared a major hurdle in its effort to restart as a charter operator, receiving its air carrier certificate from FAA after successfully revalidating its ability to meet agency operating standards. The carrier has been accused of numerous safety and maintenance violations, and it filed for bankruptcy last year (DAILY, Dec. 18). Rich still awaits authorization from DOT to restart. A department spokesman said DOT is awaiting more information from the carrier. Concerns include whether Rich will have adequate financial resources.
The administration should appoint members of the National Civil Aviation Review Commission as soon as possible, the chairmen and ranking Democrats on the Senate Commerce Committee and its aviation panel told President Clinton Friday. The legislators said they expect congressional leadership to "move forward in concert with the Administration in making its own appointments," but the leadership has waited for the administration to move first so congressional appointees "can provide any needed balance in the composition of the Commission."
FAA is scheduling two days this year for its annual Commercial Aviation Forecast Conference, to be held March 5-6 at the Mayflower Hotel in Washington. Acting FAA Administrator Barry Valentine will kick off the conference. This year's theme is "Growth Strategies for the 21st Century." George Donohue, associate administrator for research and acquisition, will speak on efforts to modernize the air traffic control system.
Air Freight Association has changed its name to the Cargo Airline Association. It represents the industry on noise and emissions, tax policy, airline security and other issues.
The Senate approved by voice vote Thursday night legislation (H.R.668) to reinstate the aviation excise taxes through Sept. 30 and transfer about $1.2 billion in taxes collected last year to the aviation trust fund. The action clears the way for signature by President Clinton, who received the bill officially late Friday. The taxes will take effect on air transportation sold seven days after the legislation is signed into law.
