Boeing 767 Systemwide Aircraft Utilization Per Day First Quarter 1996 B767-200 -------------------------- American Delta TWA Number of Aircraft Operated 30 15 12 Total Fleet Operations Departures 53 59 29
American Trans Air's traffic fell 0.2% in July to 996.6 million revenue passenger miles from 998 million on 6.5% more capacity. Available seat miles totaled 1.366 billion, up from 1.282 billion last July, producing a 4.9-point drop in load factor to 73%. The carrier's scheduled service RPMs grew 8.9% to 538 million on 20.7% more capacity, for a load factor drop of 7.6 points to 69.8%. For the first seven months of the year, RPMs rose 8% overall to 5.790 billion and ASMs 11.2% to 8.308 billion, depressing the load factor 2.1 points to 69.7%.
Denro said it received a contract to provide three small-tower voice switch communications systems to the Civil Aviation Department of Thailand. The systems will be installed at Nan, Udorn and Ubon airports in December.
Tom Appleton will soon be selling...amphibians? The de Havilland Aircraft chief salesman for regional turboprops turned chief salesman for the Canadair Regional Jet and then chief salesman for both when Canadair parent Bombardier acquired de Havilland-the centerpiece in the controversial debate over regional jet versus turboprop-is to become president of the Amphibian Aircraft Division of Bombardier, which produces the CL-415 water bomber. Competition to replace him as Bombardier Regional Aircraft Division executive vice president could be interesting.
American's political action committee has contributed more to federal candidates and committees in this election cycle than the next three largest passenger airlines combined. According to the most recent reports, American's PAC gave $339,559, United's $134,550, Northwest's $85,900 and Delta's $83,250.
Aviation journalists David Field, USA Today, and Kristin Krause, Traffic World, will discuss security issues on this week's Aviation News Today. The program will air Sunday on Washington's NewsChannel 8 from 12:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Western Pacific Airways has extended the purchase deadline for its Super Summer Saver fares to Monday for travel completed by Feb. 13. The carrier said matching airlines are offering the fares only at night or at specific times, while its reduced fares are available on every flight. Examples of the fare savings are Colorado Springs-Indianapolis for $138 and Atlanta- Phoenix for $238, both roundtrip.
Vice President Gore confirmed yesterday that members of the Airline Safety and Security Commission include William Coleman, former DOT secretary; Victoria Cummock, president of Families of Pan Am 103; John Deutch, CIA director; Louis Freeh, FBI director; Jim Hall, NTSB chairman; retired Air Force Gen. John Loh, former commander, Air Combat Command, and Federico Pena, DOT secretary (DAILY, Aug. 15). Members will be added as the commission "moves to address long-term security, safety and air traffic control issues," Gore's office said.
The loss of the worldwide Omega meteorological network, with more than 200 stations, will mean more expensive and therefore less frequent and accurate upper wind measurements, according to Dr. Erkki Jatila, director general of the Finnish Meteorological Institute. Jatila, who has been involved in global weather programs conducted by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), said it will be "too difficult for many countries to maintain the current level of their radiosonde operations if a complete cessation of Omega actually happens so soon."
Philippine Airlines requested an exemption to operate scheduled combination service between the Philippines, on the one hand, and Chicago and Newark, on the other, plus a waiver of the 60-day notice requirement to enable it to launch the Newark service Sept. 15. Noting that the U.S.-Philippines aviation agreement permits PAL to operate to the U.S. points via intermediate points, the carrier asked for all exemption authority needed to operate its proposed Newark service via Vancouver, with full fifth- freedom traffic rights between Vancouver and Newark.
Continental, Delta and United will be the preferred airline suppliers for the American Automobile Association in 1997-1998. The two-year agreement takes effect Jan. 1, 1997. AAA has about 5,000 travel agents.
America West is seeking renewal for one year of its exemption to operate scheduled combination service between Phoenix and Mazatlan, Mexico. The carrier currently operates roundtrip service on the route, using Boeing 737-300 aircraft. (Docket OST-95-736)
Alamo Rent A Car's new express check-in service - Quicksilver - uses self- service kiosks to check in customers in less than 30 seconds. Customers with a reservation insert a credit card to receive the rental contract and in the near future will be able to choose car type and color. The kiosks, available at many major cities in the U.S., will be installed at 90 locations in North America, and at London Heathrow and Frankfurt airports. Although the express service is free of charge to corporate customers, leisure travelers must pay a $50 annual fee.
Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association asked the FBI to reduce the size of restricted areas at the TWA Flight 800 crash scene and over land areas involved in recovery operations because of their importance to general aviation. The TWA 800 airspace is over water along nearly 50 miles of the south shore of Long Island, "an important VFR low-altitude flyway necessary to transit around the Long Island Class C airspace area," said Melissa Bailey, AOPA director of airspace and systems standards.
The Internet is more hype than reality, for the time being at least, in its influence on worldwide travel distribution systems, computer reservations system and software development executives said in white papers collected by Travel Technology Association of Pittsburgh.
Gore Commission likely will include fewer than 10 members to begin with, administration sources said yesterday. Membership, to be announced soon, is likely to include DOT Secretary Federico Pena, FBI Director Louis Freeh, CIA Chief John Deutch, NTSB Chairman Jim Hall and Victoria Cummock, president of Families of Pan Am 103/Lockerbie.
Florida West Airlines is seeking renewal of its authority to operate all- cargo service between Miami and a point or points in Uruguay and to integrate this authority with its other exemption and certificate authority. Although it is not currently operating regularly in the market, Florida West said it intends to reinstate the service. (Docket OST-96- 1411)
United and Boeing have agreed on a $2.5 billion order for 747, 757 and 777 aircraft to replace older 747s and DC-10s. A United spokeswoman said the carrier likely will reveal details of the deal within a week, including the number of each aircraft type and whether the orders are conversions of options taken previously. United said May 1 it had 267 aircraft on option, including 34 777s, but the spokeswoman said yesterday those numbers are about to be restated. United currently operates 12 777s.
Emirates has equipped its fleet with inflight telephones and fax machines. The carrier said it was the first airline in the world to introduce satellite telecommunications on Airbus aircraft, in 1993. Emirates operates two 777s and 16 Airbus aircraft. The 777s, which it acquired in June and July, are equipped with in-seat phones, one fax machine and two cordless phones. Emirates charges $7 a minute for inflight calls.
Kiwi said yesterday revenue passenger miles in July increased 20% to 108.2 million, while capacity declined by 1% to 194.8 million available seat miles owing to a reduction in flights that began in late June. The carrier operated 11 of its 727s in July, compared with 15 in the same month a year ago. Jerry Murphy, president, said that "even though we flew fewer flights, we did better than last year." The performance "reflects the deep support we get from travel professionals," he said. Kiwi's load factor rose 7.7 points to 55.5% from 47.8%.
Canadian Airlines International reported a 2.5% increase in traffic in July from the same 1995 month and a 1.5% drop in capacity. For the first seven months of the year, traffic was up 8.8% and capacity 3.4%. In July, the carrier posted 1.655 billion revenue passenger miles on 2.1 billion available seat miles. The load factor for July was 78.8%, up 3.1 percentage points.
Europe's Joint Aviation Authorities certified yesterday the first engine produced by the BMW Rolls-Royce joint venture - the 14,750 pounds thrust BR710, on schedule five years after launch of the core BR700 development program, and a little less than four years after the launch of the -710 version.
United, Lufthansa and SAS have asked DOT to approve a coordination agreement expanding the antitrust-immunized United/Lufthansa alliance to include SAS. The carrier also moved to consolidate the pending United/SAS application for antitrust immunity, which was nearing a decision. In support of its request, the carrier cited "departmental precedent in the Delta/Swissair/Sabena/Austrian proceeding and...the interest of the department and all parties in administrative efficiency." Currently, United and Lufthansa have separate alliances with SAS.
Valujet experienced 59 unscheduled landings between Jan. 1 and May 18, when it cut operations in half, according to documents submitted yesterday to DOT by the Association of Flight Attendants, which represents attendants at the carrier. Southwest, with 7.9 times as many departures during the period, had 27 such landings and United, with 8.3 times the number, had 63, AFA said. To match the ValuJet rate, Southwest would have had to experience 466 unscheduled landings and United 490, the union said.
