Continental may begin using passenger survey information to improve customer service, not just for marketing. In-Flight Phone Corp. and CIC Research, which have been conducting generic surveys for a month on America West's and Continental's FlightLink system, are discussing a deal to tailor questions for Continental. Because the companies could turn around survey information in less than 24 hours, the carrier would be able to upgrade on the return leg a passenger who complains in the survey about the outbound leg.
Airbus Industrie's A321-200 made its first flight on Dec. 12, lasting four and one half hours. The aircraft was powered by IAE V2533-A5 engines. The A321-200 has a range of 2,700 nautical miles, about 350 more than the A321- 100, and can accommodate up to 220 single-class passengers. The launch order came from International Lease Finance Corp. Certification is expected in February.
American Society of Travel Agents officials have been meeting with airlines during the past month to discuss travel agent commission caps and related issues. ASTA President Mike Spinelli and Senior VP Joe Galloway have met with America West, American, Continental and Delta, and they plan to meet in January with United and Northwest. One of Spinelli's goals has been to "reopen dialogue" with all carriers, ASTA said.
SAS posted a 6% gain in revenue passenger kilometers in November and a 36% jump in freight ton kilometers. It flew 1.54 billion RPKs and 55.2 million FTKs for the month, and 18.4 billion RPKs and 450.1 million FTKs year-to- date. Traffic rose 5% in the first 11 months of 1996. SAS carried 1.65 million passengers in November, up 7%.
Air Canada appointed Marc Rosenberg VP-sales and product distribution, a new position. American International Freight named Debra Yates director- international development and Dennis Schmidt director-postal affairs, a new position. Federal Express promoted David Rebholz to senior VP-U.S. and Canada and William Fraine to senior VP-global sales, and named Terrance Nord VP- aircraft base maintenance and Michael Snyder VP-regional operations, U.S. eastern region.
- In Federal Register dated Dec. 6...Proposed an airworthiness directive on certain Jetstream 4101 aircraft concerning weight limitation placards. - In FR dated Dec. 10...Proposed an AD on Astra N22/24 aircraft to require inspecting the stub wing upper spar cap flanges...Proposed an AD on Astra N22/24 aircraft to require inspecting the horizontal stabilizer...Issued revisions to an NPRM on digital flight data recorder rules.
AAR Allen Group appointed Ami Zelcer president-AAR Technical Service Center. Dow-United Technologies Composite Products named Bruce Alspach president and chief executive. Greenwich Air Services named Michael Bucci senior VP- general counsel and secretary. Hughes Electronics elected John Weaver corporate executive VP and Roxanne Austin corporate senior VP.
European Union transport ministers reached agreement last week in Brussels on new carrier liability rules designed to enhance the 1929 Warsaw Convention. The new regulation is expected to enter into force in the first half of 1997, after a second reading at the European Parliament and a final confirmation by the EU Council of Ministers. The text lifts all compensation ceilings in a fatal accident if the airline is proven guilty of negligence.
Frontier Airlines' traffic increased 25.5% to 61.2 million revenue passenger miles in November. Traffic rose 45.5% and the load factor dropped to 52.7% from 61.1%.
Southwest Airlines gradually will experience the "brand-name preference" fallout that has stung other low-cost carriers after last summer's ValuJet crash, according to Goldman Sachs analyst Glenn Engel. "The deeper problem is a preference issue, and Southwest will have a problem with this," he said, as perceived higher-cost majors match the lowest fare and make brand preference more of a factor in the travel choice.
Khabarovsk Aviation Group defended its developing independence from Aeroflot in an answer to recommendations by U.S. airlines that it not be permitted to code-share with its former parent until their own code shares into Russia are permitted. KAG applied for combination authority to serve Seattle and San Francisco from Khabarovsk via Anchorage, a bid the U.S.
Pan Am will launch daily nonstop service between New York Kennedy and San Juan, Puerto Rico, on Jan. 5. Pan Am said it made 30,000 bookings for its twice-daily Miami-San Juan service between the time it was announced, Oct. 23, and the start of the service during the weekend. The carrier will offer daily A300 flights from New York with 24 seats in first class seats and 230 in economy. It also will operate one-stops from New York through Miami. Unrestricted economy-class fares start at $129 each way and do not require an advance purchase.
Employees worried about safety in light of staff shortages were told by an FAA manager to "shut up or quit," the Professional Airways Systems Specialists union (PASS) said yesterday. An FAA spokesman said, "This indiscretion is being addressed at the highest levels of the agency." Jack Johnson, PASS president, said the incident happened at the Jacksonville air route traffic control center when six radar data processing technicians expressed concerns arising from reduced staff levels.
Douglas Aircraft said the first nose structure for its MD-95 series aircraft has been completed at its Huntington Beach, Calif., facility, where employees will provide parts for the next three noses. The aerospace division of Korean Air Lines in Pusan, Korea, has begun assembly of the second nose and will build all others. The second nose is scheduled to be completed next May.
U.S. Major and National Carriers Commission Expenses Third Quarter 1996 % Of Total Passenger Systemwide Revenues Alaska $ 5,781,000 1.74 Domestic 5,560,000 1.74 Latin 221,000 1.74 America West 10,186,804 2.59
Air Canada said it launched "a new offensive in the North American marketplace" yesterday with the delivery of the first of 35 A319s on order. The carrier will operate its A319s in 112-seat, two-class configuration alongside its 132-seat A320s. President Lamar Durrett said, "Just as our open skies routes between Canada and the U.S. are growing and developing, the A319 is making its entrance. The timing couldn't be better." The carrier will receive about two aircraft per month through June 1998, replacing its DC-9 fleet.
The chief executives of Air Transport Association member airlines, along with President Clinton and Vice President Gore, announced yesterday that U.S. carriers will voluntarily begin next year installation of fire detection systems in cargo holds that currently are not so equipped. In addition, airlines will "continue to work with the FAA to develop environmentally, technically and operationally safe fire containment and suppression systems," ATA said.
Charter cargo operator Millon Air has notified DOT of its intention to resume service and wants permission to contract wet-leases until it regains authority to operate with its own aircraft. The filing comes shortly after the department rejected Millon's application for expanded Brazil service and determined the company had effectively ceased operations (DAILY, Dec. 11).
FAA plans in 1999 a two-year demonstration of the support systems for free flight, according to George Donohue, associate administrator for research and acquisitions. Donohue, who testified in a closed session at the White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security, said he stressed to the commissioners the need to fund the "full-up free flight evaluation," called Halaska because it will be conducted in the airspace between Hawaii and Alaska.
FAA and Raytheon are meeting daily in an effort to avoid what could be a schedule slip in the $1.5 billion Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS) program. According to multiple sources, the program has veered into trouble because of differences between the agency and the contractor regarding interpretation of high-level functional specifications.
Federal District Court Judge Catherine Perry has ruled that the National Mediation Board's (NMB) election process is the right forum to decide whether TWA's flight attendants should be represented by the Independent Federation of Flight Attendants or the Machinists union. The ruling is the result of a lawsuit filed by incumbent IFFA against the IAM for organizing activity. NMB is reviewing whether there is a sufficient showing of interest by the flight attendants for an election but has not yet authorized one, an NMB spokeswoman said.
A two-hour strike yesterday by Lufthansa's white-collar DAG union forced the cancellation of 92 domestic flights, the airline said, and no timeframe is evident for the resolution of labor difficulties. Talks between Lufthansa and the DAG, which represents pilots and flight attendants, broke off Monday over the length of the contract and benefits (DAILY, Dec. 12).
Europe's airports generated nearly $16 billion in revenues in 1995, according to a study by Airports Council International-Europe. Nearly one- third of the amount was reinvested in new facilities, according to the trade group. In a new analysis announced Dec. 11, ACI-Europe said total airport revenues for its member airports grew 9.8% in 1995 from the previous year, while total airport investments was up 5.5% to $4.4 billion.
National Transportation Safety Board this week said the probable cause of the inflight activation of the ground spoilers on a ValuJet DC-9 while in flight was the fault of the flightcrew. The Jan. 7 accident caused minor injuries to five persons aboard and substantial damage to the aircraft.
