World Airways' relationship with Malaysian Air System, supposedly a factor in the Korean government's delay of World's planned route changes out of Seoul, also is drawing fire from competitors who seek U.S.-Philippine cargo authority. Their argument, as described by DOT, is that World "would offer relatively little capacity to the U.S.-Philippine cargo market, and much of that would be operated for the benefit of Malaysian Air System."
Worldspan has asked DOT not to change computer reservations system regulations piecemeal at the same time it re-evaluates the rules comprehensively. Responding to DOT's proposal to make two changes to guard against display bias - changes that do not apply to Worldspan and would not require it to change its display algorithms - Worldspan said it is concerned by any "bit-by-bit" revisions during DOT's larger analysis.
France was crippled by strikes Friday, but with a new twist. Unions walked out to commemorate the first anniversary of last year's strike, which protested government welfare reform. This year's 48-hour shutdown, called by unions USPTN, SNPNAC, SPNL and SPIT, protested job cuts and government privatization efforts. A pilot strike halted 60% of Air France Group's flights, and French journalists also walked out, leaving newsstands bare.
AirTran Airways began operating flights last week from Toledo Express Airport to Orlando six days a week, with one-way fares between $89 and $189. AirTran said it is operating the only nonstop flights in the market, and its highest fare is 55% less than the lowest unrestricted one-way fare currently being offered. It operates the flights with 126-seat 737-200s.
BE Aerospace won a $130 million contract from United to supply B/E 2000M individual passenger entertainment systems for the airline's Boeing 777, 747-400 and 767-300 fleets. BEA will install the systems on 54 of United's 94 widebody aircraft, starting in February.
America West launched daily service between Miami and Las Vegas Friday and between Miami and Phoenix on Saturday. The carrier will operate two daily flights on Saturdays to Phoenix and serve both markets with A320s configured for 12 seats in first class and 138 in economy. Introductory fares start at $298 roundtrip from Las Vegas and $318 roundtrip from Phoenix. Miami is America West's fourth Florida destination.
Summary of U.S. Major Carriers Domestic Traffic May 1996 Revenue Average Revenue Passengers Length of Passenger Enplaned % Travel Miles Carriers (000) Change (Miles) (000) Alaska 933 26.08 816 760,997 America West 1,505 5.60 830 1,248,952 American 5,505 (0.34) 1,123 6,181,557
Paradise Island Airlines will give away all 700 seats it offers today, the first day of new service between Fort Myers/Naples and Fort Lauderdale and Fort Myers/Naples and Miami. The carrier will operate eight nonstop flights a day to Fort Lauderdale and six to Miami with 50-seat Dash 7 aircraft. Normal fares are $69 one way. On Dec. 19, Paradise will inaugurate service from Fort Myers/Naples to Key West for $99 each way.
Numerous parties have filed objections to DOT's notice of proposed rulemaking on passenger-manifest rules, asking that the proposal to be modified or dropped outright. The proposal would require airlines and travel agents to collect and verify passport numbers, passport-issuing country codes and contact names and telephone numbers from passengers traveling to or from the U.S. The intention is to improve security and the flow of information to relatives after a crash or terrorist incident.
..Where did they go? Only two of 1983's top 10 regionals exist today - Henson, now Piedmont, and Air Wisconsin, under new ownership. The others: No. 1 Mid Pacific, bankrupt; No. 2 Britt, to Continental; No. 3 PBA, bankrupt; No. 4 Air Wisconsin, to senior partner United and split up; No. 5 Empire, to Piedmont, later merged with USAir; No. 6 Henson, to Piedmont; No. 7 Metro, to American; No. 8 Mississippi Valley, to Air Wisconsin; No. 9 Prinair, bankrupt; No. 10 Ransome, to Pan Am.
Air Express International has acquired Muller Air Freight and its associated companies. Muller, headquartered at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, had eight offices in The Netherlands staffed by 140 employees.
Charlotte, N.C.-based USAir affiliate CCAIR earned a net profit of $320,762, or four cents per share, for the three months ended Sept. 30, a decline of 15.3% from $378,694, or five cents per share, for the comparable 1995 quarter. Revenues increased 7.0% to $17.4 million from $16.2 million.
Atlanta-based Northwest Airlink affiliate Express Airlines I posted last month a 20.6% increase in traffic to 39.4 million revenue passenger miles from 32.7 million in October 1995, while capacity increased 6.6% to 71.6 million available seat miles from 67.1 million. That combination boosted the load factor 6.4 percentage points to 55.1% from 48.7% in October 1995. Enplanements were up 18% to 156,171 from 132,313. Oct. 1996 Oct. 1995 10 Mths 1996 10 Mths 1995
Delta Express said it boarded 154,624 passengers and achieved a 90.5% on- time rate in its first month of operations, exceeding Delta's expectations. The low-fare, high-frequency unit's 62 daily nonstop flights posted an average load factor of 78.5%. Delta Express VP W.E. Skip Barnette said, "Our advance bookings are strong, and we are on track to exceed our earlier forecasts." Delta Express used its 737-200s 12.1 hours per day during the month, compared with nine hours for the 737s in the rest of Delta's fleet.
Rockwell said it has signed an agreement to form a joint venture with Chinese partners to design, develop and build commercial Global Positioning System navigation receivers. The limited liability firm, Shanghai Rockwell Collins Navigation and Communications Equipment Co., expects activities to begin as soon as a business license is approved. It will provide handheld, maritime and commercial vehicle equipment to the Chinese market.
Regional airline longevity? Of the top 50 regional airlines in 1983, 42% filed for bankruptcy or are otherwise out of business and 50% merged with or were acquired by other airlines. Only 8% are still under the same ownership, and they are all under the marketing control of a major carrier.
World Trade Organization apparently will not look into Brazil's PROEX export finance program, as requested by the Canadian government, at least at this time, The DAILY has learned. Canada, at the urging of Bombardier, had claimed that the PROEX interest-rate buy-down was on the order of 3.8% and in violation of WTO rules. The complaint came after Continental Express ordered 25 new EMB-145 regional jets with options for an additional 175. The competition was the Canadair Regional Jet produced by Bombardier (DAILY, Oct. 4).
General Aviation Manufacturers Association elected Edward Bolen to be president, succeeding Edward Stimpson, now vice chairman. Bolen, previously senior VP and general counsel, immediately assumed responsibility for day-to-day operations, freeing Stimpson to focus on special projects. "GAMA has been working toward this transition for well over a year, and I think it is something both Ed Bolen and Ed Stimpson are really looking forward to," said newly elected GAMA Chairman and Gulfstream Aerospace President Fred Breidenbach.
USAir officially notified DOT that it plans to change its name to US Airways Inc. and the parent company's name to US Airways Group Inc. on or before Jan. 15. Subsidiaries and partners doing business as USAir Express will file separately to operate as US Airways Express. (Docket OST-96- 1945) $end 267 DOT Chooses UPS, Polar Air Cargo For Philippines Cargo Service
United is opposing an application by American and Continental to code share with China Air Lines from the U.S. to Thailand via Taiwan unless United's own code-share with Thai Airways through Taipei is permitted by the Republic of China. The CAL code-share plans combination service by that flag carrier and American from Miami and Chicago. Taiwan's Civil Aeronautics Administration denied the United/Thai routing Oct. 30. In a letter from Taiwan's transportation ministry to those carriers, acting Director General Chang Juo-cheng said Taiwan's bilaterals with the U.S.
The European Commission has sent a "statement of objection" to British Airways expressing concern about its proposed alliance with American. A European Commission official declined comment on the contents of the letter but confirmed that the alliance is the only recipient thus far of such a notice. Receipt of the statement suggests the alliance is more likely to undergo a competition investigation by the commission, although BA is likely to reply that EC has no jurisdiction over a transatlantic matter that falls under the bilateral authority of the U.S. and U.K.
