TWA has promoted Michael Palumbo to chief financial officer and senior VP from VP and treasurer, effective immediately. Palumbo replaces Edward Soule, who has resigned.
FAA issued a final rule Friday on civil penalties for inflation as determined by cost-of-living adjustments. The first adjustment may not exceed 10% of the previous penalty, the agency said, and any increased penalties "apply only to violations that occur after the date on which the increase takes effect."
Kiwi International Air Lines leaped its last restructuring hurdle Friday - getting approval to have its flights listed on computer reservations systems - before it resumes scheduled passenger service in January. The airline was forced into court to secure those listings after three of four CRS vendors, Sabre, Galileo and System One, wanted payment of balances owed prior to Kiwi's Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing. "Unfortunately, we can't do that under bankruptcy rules," said Kiwi spokesman Rob Kulat.
SAS plans to reduce the commissions and bonuses it pays travel agents in Scandinavia for traffic within the region, beginning April 1, as its customers become increasingly able to book their own tickets. Evaluating the agents' pay structure, the airline said its aim is to compensate them "according to the task performed," depending on the nature of the product sold and "the competitive situation on the market."
United will attempt to fill more than 1,000 flight attendant positions in 1997 for North American routes. Although it continues to seek flight attendants who speak a language in addition to English to serve foreign customers, it told employees Friday that it will consider for a limited time candidates who speak only English.
Air Line Pilots Association said last week it supports a proposed FAA rule to require that flight attendants be proficient in English. The FAA Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee has decided to draw up rules requiring flight attendants to be able to read, speak and communicate clearly in English, a rule that exists now for pilots, air traffic controllers, dispatchers, mechanics and airport security personnel. ALPA said that English is necessary for flight attendants for effective crew resource management.
U.S. Major Carriers Operating and Net Profit Third Quarter 1996 Operating Net Profit/Loss Profit/Loss (000) (000) Third Quarter 1996 Alaska $ 53,101 $ 31,558 America West (53,143) (45,706) American 443,741 207,405 Continental 24,876 17,655
Korean Air Lines (KAL) and Asiana have applied for exemptions to serve new U.S. points as U.S. industry and government officials keep trying to resolve differences over operations by World Airways and Gemini Air Cargo in Korea (DAILY, Dec. 17). DOT Deputy Assistant Secretary for Aviation and International Affairs Mark Gerchick said last Thursday that government efforts have continued at the embassy level, and Gemini Air Cargo President and Chief Executive William Stockbridge returned last week from meetings in Seoul with government officials.
Although the FBI appeared ready to pay for part of the costs of investigating the crash of TWA Flight 800, Attorney General Janet Reno denied permission for the agency to do so, according to Jim Hall, chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board. Instead, the safety board will have to dip into some of its fourth-quarter Salary&Expense appropriation to pay for ongoing costs connected with continued scallop trawling and mockup of the fuselage wreckage, Hall said in a letter to Sen. Mark Hatfield (R-Ore.), chairman of the transportation subcommittee.
Daimler-Benz Aerospace AG has completed development of a surface movement guidance and control system for airport authorities. The routing system, created by the Daimler-Benz Airport Systems subsidiary in Friedrichshafen, enables a control tower to calculate the most favorable taxiway for landing aircraft by analyzing taxiing direction values and current hold instructions for all route sections. The system can handle single or multiple route generation functions simultaneously.
Mexicana has leased two Boeing 757s from International Lease Finance Corp. ILFC said the two aircraft have been delivered, and it is negotiating the lease of a third for delivery next year.
Interactive Flight Technologies has appointed Brian Barents to its board. Barents is a former president and chief executive of Learjet, and currently is a management consultant to the Pritzker Organization. The statement from IFT said, "His responsibilities include the negotiations for the formation of a large U.S.-based aerospace company, and he will serve as the president and chief executive officer of this new corporation."
Mesaba Airlines will begin offering daily direct service to Kenora, Ontario, May 22 from Minneapolis/St. Paul. The Northwest Airlink flights, with 30-seat Saab 340s, will stop in Ely, Minn.
National Transportation Safety Board said Friday that 444 people died in air carrier accidents through November, the highest total since 639 people were killed in all of 1985. In 1995, there were 67 fatalities from air carrier accidents. Most of the fatalities through the first 11 months of the year, 343, occurred in scheduled Part 121 operations, a gigantic jump from the six fatalities in this category through November of 1995. There were 38 fatalities in non-scheduled Part 121 accidents, up from two the year before.
Aerolineas Centrales de Colombia has signed a contract to buy up to eight A320s, Airbus said. The contract covers four firm orders plus options. The first two aircraft are to be delivered in November 1997 and the third and fourth in July and October 1998.
International Civil Aviation Organization and Flight Safety Foundation are distributing worldwide a training aid developed by Boeing in an attempt to help pilots avoid situations that can result in controlled flight into terrain. The foundation says CFIT accidents are "the leading cause of commercial aviation fatalities," accounting for 80% of deaths between 1979 and 1991. There were four CFIT accidents in 1995 involving Western-built jet transports.
Lufthansa has ordered an additional A340 from Airbus Industrie, bringing its total to 18 and making it the largest A340 customer. The A340-300 will be delivered in the first half of 1998.
As United prepares to negotiate mid-term wage adjustments with salaried employees and its management group, aiming at provisions similar to the ones it reached tentatively with its Machinists and Air Line Pilots Association units, President and Chief Operating Officer John Edwardson told employees he predicts payouts would be made next year.
FAA issued an emergency airworthiness directive on 747-200 aircraft with Pratt&Whitney engines, requiring inspections to detect broken sealant common to the lower horizontal clevis of the inboard and outboard strut midspar fittings, and of the fasteners. FAA said the action is intended to detect and correct cracking and fracturing, which could result in separation of the engine and strut from the airplane.
