Under a new rule, FAA will have to respond within six months to complaints by aviation businesses against airport operators. Some complaints have taken years and millions of dollars to resolve. National Air Transportation Association says the change will be a "good test" of FAA personnel reform, because the agency will have to "quickly increase the Office of Airports staff to meet the new deadlines."
Paradise Island Airlines has joined the Airlines Reporting Corp. The carrier operates to Paradise Island in the Bahamas from Fort Lauderdale, Miami and Palm Beach. In November, it begins service from Fort Lauderdale and Miami to Fort Myers, and in December from Fort Lauderdale and Orlando to Key West.
Virgin Atlantic Chairman Richard Branson said last week that Japan Airlines may be considering an alliance with British Airways. But Virgin also alleged that this potential partnership would further hurt competition by piggy-backing on the proposed American/BA pact. Industry observers disagree with Branson, commenting that any potential alliance will be evaluated on its own merits. Virgin spokesman Will Whitehorn told The DAILY that Branson "was told by a Japanese government official when he was in Japan last week [Oct.
American and British Airways are countering claims by Virgin Atlantic and others that the two allied carriers would have a great majority of slots during lucrative prime hours at London Heathrow. In data obtained by The Daily, American asserts that the two carriers would have only 40% of airport slots. Virgin Chairman Richard Branson recently said American and BA would hold 80% of peak slots.
Western Pacific's latest logo shows Durango on one side and Purgatory Ski Resort on the other Western Pacific's latest logo jet shows the town of Durango on one side of the airplane and Purgatory Ski Resort, the sponsor of the jet, on the other. Westpac's affiliate Mountain Air Express expects to start service this winter to Colorado ski destinations. Westpac said Durango-La Plata County Airport expects 100,000 inbound seats this winter, 54% more than last year.
Rep. Mac Collins (R-Ga.), who supports replacement of the ticket tax with a user fee system, will chair an informal task force on transportation tax issues formed recently by House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Bill Archer (R-Texas).Archer says the task force will help determine in the next several months whether the current transportation tax system "represents a fair, consistent, or coherent national policy." Other task force members are Reps.
U.S. lodging industry had its most successful year in 1995, reporting $72 billion in sales, according to a profile issued by the American Hotel&Motel Association. The U.S. had 3.5 million rooms available in 1995 at 46,000 properties. Tourism in general accounted for $421.5 billion in sales for the year.
Airport and Airway Trust Fund - Income Statement October 1, 1995 - August 31, 1996 Current Month RECEIPTS (Revenues) Revenues: Excise Taxes (Transferred from General Fund): Liquid Fuel other than Gas $ 208,963,000.00 Transportation by Air, Seats, Berths, etc. 29,423,000.00 Use of International Travel Facilities 11,779,000.00
America West appointed Roger Steenbergen station manager-Atlanta, Tony Grantham hub director-Columbus, Ohio, and David Cahill station manager-Seattle. Delta named five to positions at Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky Airport: Kathy Lang, sales manager; Brian Rohlf, general manager; Ken Elder, manager-B Concourse East; Rudy Cordell, manager B Concourse West, and Rich Cordell, manager A Concourse. El Al Israel Airlines appointed Simon Van Buren manager-ground operations at the carrier's New York Kennedy terminal.
General Electric and Malaysia Airlines have agreed to form a joint venture establishing an Asian "center of excellence" in engine overhaul at MAS's facility at Subang, Malaysia, the U.S. company said. The carrier will bring a new facility and a trained work force to the venture, while GE will contribute technology, manufacturing processes and management expertise, GE said. Operations are expected to begin next January. The venture will specialize in CFM56 and PW4000 engines and APS 2000 auxiliary power units.
United has chosen Fallon McElligott of Minneapolis and Young&Rubicam of New York to form a strategic partnership to design and implement its $120 million annual advertising account. Fallon will focus on North America and the New York firm on intercontinental operations. The two agencies replace Leo Burnett, which has worked on the carrier's ad campaign for the past 30 years and coined the phrase "friendly skies."
Carnival Air Lines will hold trivia contests aboard its "super fun flights" between Miami and New York Kennedy, until Nov. 24. Passengers have the opportunity to win free flights, Carnival cruises, Club Med vacations, Avis car rentals and Carnival logo apparel. Carnival also offers a happy hour in the skies with two-for-one drink specials and a frequent flyer pet program.
Runzheimer International puts transportation, travel and living cost information on the Internet Runzheimer International has put transportation, travel and living cost information on the Internet at www.runzheimer.com.
American and British Airways are far behind the schedule they laid out last spring for developing their prospective strategic alliance, but BA hopes a U.K. government decision on how to review the carriers' proposals will lead to an early U.S.-U.K. agreement on open skies. When American and BA announced the alliance last spring, they wanted to secure government approvals by November and launch joint operations in April 1997 (DAILY, June 12). They will not come close. The U.S. will require that an open skies regime come out of current U.S.-U.K.
Aon Aviation named James Goulard manager-eastern region and Edward Nicholls manager-New York. Global Systems appointed Steve Wright director-supply chain management, a new position. Sino Swearingen Aircraft Co. named John Karamanian director-product support. Sundstrand appointed Ed Laprade president of subsidiary Sullair Corporation.
American has designated a special sales force to concentrate on the African-American market and build a philanthropic relationship with that segment of the public. The new sales and marketing group, the Urban and Community Relations Group, is headed by Lou Phillips, formerly regional sales manager for the mid-Atlantic states. Michael Gunn, senior VP- marketing, said the mission of the group is to secure incremental business and meet the airline's goal of being a good corporate citizen.
Granted orally an exemption to Tower Air for scheduled service between New York and Paris through Oct. 11, 1998...Granted orally an exemption to Transwede Leisure AB renewing its exemption to operate charter service between Sweden and Fort Lauderdale through Oct.
Delta is testing a process to improve customer service for passengers who will miss their connecting flights. Passengers are informed of their new travel arrangements at the connecting city while they are still en route to it, through a coordinated effort by the operations control center, airport customer service and flight control, using the Inconvenienced Passenger Rebooking System. Delta said the process is "very much in the formative stages," but initial customer response has been positive.
- In Federal Register dated Oct. 11...Proposed an airworthiness directive on Sikorsky S-64F helicopters to require inspection of the main gearbox...Proposed to supersede an AD on Sikorsky S-64E helicopters concerning inspections of the main gearbox. - In FR dated Oct. 15...Issued an AD on Piper PA31 and PA42 series aircraft to require inspecting for cracks around the inboard aileron hinge bracket...Superseded an AD on Piper PA23, PA31 and PA42 series aircraft
U.S. National Carriers Traffic, September, 9 Months 1996 U.S. National Carriers Traffic September, 9 Months 1996 September September % 1996 1995 Change American Trans Air Revenue Passenger Miles (000) 647,664 643,962 0.6 Available Seat Miles (000) 1,011,432 946,971 6.8
Some industry officials wince when FAA Administrator David Hinson links reducing accident rates to establishing a network of databases for sharing safety information. Many in the industry believe other ways must be found to cope with a hull loss every week or 10 days by 2015, the frequency projected if the accident rate stays the same as it is now.
System One Amadeus has transferred Theo Kruijssen to Houston to take over the position of director-business development. He previously worked in Madrid for Amadeus Marketing as manager of market development for North America. Kruijssen will pursue new business opportunities for the U.S.
An operations executive at American, noting Virgin Atlantic's inflight massages and manicures and Japan Airlines' bamboo sticks for foot massages, can't quite figure out Cathay Pacific's first-class perk - bath oil beads. "Guess you never know when someone wants to luxuriate in a lavatory sink," he said in his daily employee update.
