SITA says the first Electronic Travel Authority may be operational worldwide by July. ETA will replace the paper visa, providing immediate electronic authorization for business or tourist passengers entering nations that require a visa. The system already is operational in Australia. Airlines confirm the ETA electronically during check-in.
Delta is receiving better marks from its domestic business travelers in its monthly customer satisfaction polls. The carrier improved in November in all 10 categories for business travelers, including seat comfort, employee politeness, check-in and reservations. Delta surveys 1,200 customers, half domestic and half international, each month.
Boeing announced last week plans to produce 40 aircraft per month by the end of 1997. The company now produces 22.5 aircraft each month. Boeing's record production rate was 39.5 aircraft per month in 1992. The company plans to increase 737 production, now at 8.5 per month, to 21 by the end of next year. A second 737 production line, now closed, will be reopened to produce the new-generation 737 aircraft. Thus far, Boeing has received announced orders for 645 aircraft, including 406 737s valued at $47.3 billion.
Standard&Poor's placed ValuJet's corporate credit rating and $150 million of senior notes on CreditWatch with negative implications after FAA denied the carrier's expansion plans last week (DAILY, Dec. 20). When ValuJet resumed operations in September after being grounded for 104 days, it was allowed to use only 15 of its original 51 aircraft. S&P commented that if FAA holds back ValuJet's growth, the airline's unit costs "will likely remain high" and it will lose incremental revenues.
Tension flows and ebbs in America West's 12 tips to travelers for the holiday season. After advising passengers to refuse packages from strangers, report to the police immediately anyone who asks them to carry packages, leave gifts unwrapped because of extra security, not joke with security officials and pay attention to safety briefings that could save their lives, tip No. 10 is to "relax during your trip."
United and Air New Zealand formally filed at DOT for authority to implement a code-sharing arrangement announced earlier this month (DAILY, Dec. 4). To enable marketing and sales by March 1 and code shares by April 7, the carriers have asked for statements of authorization to be granted by Jan. 6. United flights bearing the NZ code will operate Sydney-Los Angeles and Auckland to Los Angeles, Honolulu, Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.
The German regional airline, Lufthansa Cityline, has ordered three additional Canadair regional jets, to be delivered in March 1997 and during the following year. The equipment will replace Cityline's three Fokker 50 turboprop aircraft and bring its total fleet of Canadair Jets to 31. The rest of the carrier's fleet consists of 15 Avro RJ85 jets.
The Machinists union has been cleared to campaign by direct mail, using the Independent Federation of Flight Attendants' membership list, to TWA flight attendants for a representational election. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit vacated a temporary stay of use of the list. The Machinists said the National Mediation Board will conduct the election in January.
Orally approved a wet lease of LanChile aircraft to Aerotransportes Mas de Cargo for scheduled all-cargo service between the coterminal points of Mexico City and Cancun, and Miami; and between Mexico City and Los Angeles...Orally approved a Gemini Air Cargo exemption to operate scheduled cargo service between Hong Kong and New York; Columbus, Ohio; Chicago; San Francisco, and Los Angeles...Approved a Rock-It Cargo charter using two HeavyLift Volga Dnepr An-124-100s carrying 20,000 pounds of stage and lighting equipment on Brunei-Cairns, Australia-Nandi, and Fiji-Honolul
An FAA statement that it is investigating the structural integrity of some cargo conversions of 727 aircraft was welcomed by the Air Transport Association (DAILY, Dec. 18). ATA President Carol Hallett said the FAA investigation of potential discrepancies in cargo conversions "should not be interpreted that the FAA will be taking a particular course of action." While recent FAA investigations showed there are potential problems with FAA-approved installation practices and designs in the conversions, it is too soon to reach conclusions, Hallett said.
Depending on FAA airworthiness action, Boeing expects to adopt its next- generation 737's rudder power control unit (PCU) approach as the long-term solution to a jamming problem addressed so far by repetitive - and some say unnecessary - inspections ordered by the agency. Engineers changed the secondary slide in the next-generation 737's PCU dual servo valve long before National Transportation Safety Board tests suggested that extreme cold could jam the 737 slide, stopping or even reversing rudder motion.
Condor Flugdienst has ordered six A320s from Airbus Industrie for delivery in the first half of 1998. The German charter carrier's 168-passenger aircraft will be powered by CFM International engines.
Stalin's Aviation Gulag: A Memoir of Andrei Tupolev and the Purge Era, by L.L. Kerber. Available in English for the first time, the book is a sympathetic memoir of Tupolev's life and work. Smithsonian Institution Press; $45.00 cloth. To order call 800-782-4612.
Lufthansa CityLine, launch customer for the Canadair Regional Jet, has ordered three more plus three options, Bombardier said Friday. The firm- order aircraft, valued at $70 million, will be delivered in March 1997 and January and February 1998.
General Electric Engine Services received a $100 million contract from United to overhaul and repair CF6-6 engines on its DC-10-10 fleet during the period the aircraft are transitioned to Federal Express. GE also performs engine maintenance for FedEx.
Russian carrier Baikal Airlines, based in Irkutsk, filed a suit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Connecticut against Empire Capital Corp., Stamford, Conn., charging breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty, conversion, theft of funds and breach of the Connecticut Unfair Trade Practices Act. Baikal claims that Empire, an investment banking firm that buys and leases commercial aircraft, faxed it a proposed letter of intent in May for the acquisition of a 1986 757-200.
Japan does not support "the U.S. version of open skies" and believes it is "not really open," a Japanese official told The DAILY last week. Japan backs liberalization but wants "equal opportunity for Japanese carriers," including access to the "huge domestic American market," the official said. Another pitfall: the open skies concept "does not consider the capacity limitations of various key airports which international carriers would like to serve," including Tokyo Narita, Kansai and slot-constrained U.S. airports.
President Clinton has nominated Federal Highway Administrator Rodney Slater to be DOT secretary. Slater, a longtime political supporter of Clinton from Arkansas, served in a variety of state government executive positions and was chairman of the Arkansas State Highway Commission before coming to Washington. Slater, who does not appear to have any professional experience with air transportation, worked on the presidential transition team following Clinton's first presidential victory before taking over the Federal Highways post in 1993.
Kiwi, which still expects to resume scheduled service after the holidays and is flying charters in the meantime, has as its newest customer ValuJet, the airline it blamed for creating the conditions that forced it into bankruptcy. ValuJet, back in limited operation, hired Kiwi and two other carriers to fly charters to points it offered but cannot serve.
- In Federal Register dated Dec. 13...Issued special conditions on Gulfstream G1159A aircraft modified by Chrysler Pentastar to include a head-up display...Proposed an AD on Dornier 328-100 aircraft to require a check of the clearance between certain wing-to-fuselage braces.
U.S. Major Carriers Operating and Net Profit Nine Months 1996 Operating Net Profit/Loss Profit/Loss (000) (000) Nine Months 1996 Alaska $ 87,272 $ 45,298 America West 43,257 (3,563) American 1,115,880 488,604 Continental 302,948 272,927
IATA said Friday it is concerned about what it called rumors that point to a doubling of user charges at the new Chek Lap Kok Airport in Hong Kong. If the rumors are confirmed, IATA estimates the charges could amount to about US$150 for a family of four departing from Hong Kong. IATA Director General Pierre Jeanniot said he recently met with the airport authority to express airline concern about the possible fee increases, adding that he also raised the question of the sale of the old Kai Tak Airport.
The National Aviation Associations Coalition offered a list of qualities it hopes to see in the next FAA administrator, a slot that came one small step closer to being filled now that President Clinton has nominated Federal Highway Administrator Rodney Slater to be DOT Secretary.
