Atlantic Aviation promoted Frank DeNisio to modification operations manager and appointed Raul Leal manager-international sales, both in the Aircraft Services Division.
ValuJet plans to submit to FAA by Thursday the last of its documentation for resuming flight operations, and it says it is "still hopeful for restarting in the early part of August." The grounded carrier intends to resume service with 15 aircraft initially after demonstrating to FAA that it is in full compliance with federal aviation regulations.
Members of the Gore Commission, chartered last Thursday by President Clinton, will be chosen for expertise - on security, technology, finance and other disciplines - rather than as representatives of airlines, airports and other interest groups in the usual "parliament," a government official said. It will have a much longer lifespan than the advertised 45 days - its initial report on immediate safety issues will be due within that period, but after that it will look into safety oversight and modernization of air traffic control.
American appointed Frank Morogiello managing director-commercial sales, replacing James Marsicano, who was named VP of the Sabre Interactive Group recently. Morogiello was managing director of field corporate programs and special sales.
United Auto Workers voted to stop work at Pemco Aeroplex in Birmingham, Ala., and at Hayes Targets in Leeds, Ala., according to Matthew Gold, chairman of Pemco parent Precision Standard. Gold said production work and shipments at the two facilities will continue under contingency plans already in place. "The company believes that it has made a very equitable proposal under the circumstances and regrets the union's decision not to recommend it to its membership," he said.
Southwest's second quarter net income jumped 42.9% to $85.3 million, skyrocketing beyond record profits of $59.7 million posted in 1995. Operating income was up 37.5% to $142.2 million. Operating revenues rose to $910.3 million from $738.2 million and operating expenses to $768.1 million from $634.8 million. The carrier's unit costs were up in the second quarter, driven largely by an increase in the price of jet fuel and the implementation of the jet fuel tax, which added $8 million to expenses. Unit costs are expected to continue rising in the third quarter.
Express Airlines I, which published its traffic figures last week for the first time on the PRNewswire, enplaned nearly 20% more passengers for 1996 through June - 865,318 - than in the same 1995 period, and advance bookings are strong, Chairman Michael Brady said. It has been speculated that the carrier is burnishing its image as negotiations with senior partner Northwest toward a new marketing agreement continue (DAILY, July 19).
Air Malta has ordered three RJ85s to be operated by the carrier's new Italian airline venture AZZURRAair, Aero International (Regional) announced (DAILY, July 12). AZZURRAair, based in Bergamo Airport, Milan, willl take delivery of the first two aircraft in November and December and begin services shortly thereafter to Cologne, Geneva, Rome and Zurich. The third aircraft will be delivered in April 1997.
Northwest Airlink affiliate Mesaba Holdings earned a record net income of $3 million, or 23 cents per share, for its fiscal first quarter, ended June 30. The figure was 113.1% higher than the net for the comparable quarter last year, $1.4 million, or 14 cents per share. Operating revenues dropped 5% to 42.4 million from $44.6 million. Results for the 1995 quarter, however, included the operations of the company's jet carrier subsidiary, Airtran Airways, which was spun off to shareholders in September 1995.
Users of USAir's World Wide Web site can sign up for weekly electronic notifications of discounted "E-Savers" fares. Every Wednesday, registrants will receive a list of markets in which USAir discounts travel that starts the following Saturday with a return on the next Sunday, Monday or Tuesday. The fares are being offered initially only to Boston, Philadelphia and Pittsburgh, but USAir will expand them to other markets later.
The Transport Repair and Maintenance Division of BFGoodrich Aerospace said it will perform heavy maintenance checks on seven Frontier 737s from September through February. Tramco says it is the largest independent repair station in North America, working on more than 350 aircraft per year at its facility in Everett, Wash.
Pan Am has applied for an exemption to advertise, list schedules, accept reservations, accept payment and issue tickets for proposed services before it receives its certificate. The carrier asked that the exemption be granted at the same time as a show cause order approving its certificate, and that it be made effective on that date. "With the substantial expenses that it is incurring...Pan Am must start now with the initial promotional and selling efforts to attract traffic to its beginning services," the would-be carrier said.
Rep. Jim Oberstar (D-Minn.), ranking member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, will discuss aviation security and FAA reauthorization in an interview on Aviation News Today, to be broadcast Sunday from 12:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. on Washington NewsChannel 8.
FAA and Wilcox have agreed on a means to resolve the protest the company lodged after the agency terminated its $475 million Wide Area Augmentation System contract last spring (DAILY, April 29). The protest, the first under FAA's new acquisition rules, will be watched closely by industry. The Office of Dispute Resolution will select a third party, perhaps as early as today, to be a special master and make recommendations on the disposition of the protest.
U.S. Major Carriers Productivity Measures In Revenues and Expenses Per Employee First Quarter 1996 in Dollars Total Total Operating Operating Revenues Expenses Airline (000) (000) Alaska 284,364 287,617 America West 416,097 381,779
Continental will be the first U.S. airline customer for the next- generation 737-800 derivative under the carrier's long-awaited agreement with Boeing to restructure its 1993 order of 43 aircraft. As the basis for a new five-year flexible growth plan, Continental will take on many more 737s in an attempt to enhance profitability and drop acquisition of 767s, an aircraft that does not now fit into Continental's long-term growth plans (DAILY, June 12).
Midwest Express's three newly ordered DC-9-32s will be delivered in the second, third and fourth quarters of 1997 and satisfy the carrier's jet aircraft expansion needs through the end of that year, according to Midwest Express Holdings Chief Executive Timothy Hoeksema. The company acquired two of the DC-9s and agreed to buy the third, and all three "are in excellent condition - well maintained and very low cycle," Hoeksema said.
Saab Aircraft is quietly touring a number of North American regional airlines with a Saab 2000 wet-leased from Swiss regional Crossair, the launch customer for the 50-passenger high-speed turboprop. The tour has been more focused than the first sales tour two years ago, targeting those carriers with large fleets of turboprops due for replacement in the not too distant future, carriers that have been eyeing regional jets with that in mind. The tour also is targeting carriers that have short-field and hot- and-high requirements that cannot be filled with a jet.
Dornier has been working for about two years on a turbofan-powered, 50- passenger stretch of the Do 328, The DAILY has learned (DAILY, July 19). According to sources familiar with the program, such an aircraft could use either the GE CF34 or the Allison AE3007. A larger wing would be required, but use of a turbofan would eliminate the need to move the nacelles outward on the wing for propeller clearance and would not require a larger rudder. The aircraft would have about the same field performance and fuel burn as a turboprop and cruise at around 380 knots.
Only three of 15 regional airlines reported that load factors in June fell below 50%. Four members of the sampling topped 60%. The 15 carriers averaged 54.7%, compared with 53.2% in June 1995. United Express Air Wisconsin topped the sampling at 64%, up from 61.5% in June 1995.
Atlas Air reported yesterday that its net earnings for the June quarter jumped to $10 million from $3.9 million during the same quarter last year. Operating profit more than doubled to $22.7 million from $10 million. Due to a doubling in fleet size, revenues increased 89% to $72.6 million, from $38.4 million. Atlas said it has signed Fast Air of Chile as a new customer. Fast Air is an all-cargo airline that owns part of LanChile.
