Kenmore Air Harbor, a seaplane operation in Kenmore, Wash., celebrates this year its 50th anniversary of offering adventure getaways in the northwestern U.S. and flying to fishing and boating destinations along Canada's Inside Passage to Alaska. Kenmore operates a fleet of 22 seaplanes, departing from Lake Union in downtown Seattle and the northern tip of Lake Washington in Kenmore.
Amtrak has chosen Novus to design its Internet booking and payment system, to be completed by December. Initially, the system will involve a World Wide Web page and booking engine, but the booking and payment functions for travel agents, and an enhanced pricing and rating system, will come later. Tickets can be picked up at the station or travel agency or can be delivered to homes. The Novus solution is based on the same core technology as the system used by VIA Rail, Lufthansa and British Midland.
U.S. District Judge Joan Lenard has postponed until Oct. 15 the July 8 trial on a lawsuit filed by five tenant airlines over American's planned Super A expansion at Miami Airport. A different judge in March gave Dade County and American the green light to issue bonds and move ahead with planning for the Super A Terminal; that judge dismissed part of the plaintiffs' suit which sought to stop the co-defendants from entering into the agreement for the terminal and issuing bonds and assessing fees associated with the Super A plan.
Runzheimer International predicts business travel costs will rise 4.7% in 1997, attributable in large part to increased spending on rental cars. Spending on air travel will go up 4%, lodging 7.5%, car rentals 8.5%, meals 5% and ground transportation 4%, the company predicts. But by the end of 1997, competition among new services such as automation of reservations, ticketless travel and hotel productivity improvements will spark an overall decline in costs, Runzheimer said.
Virgin Atlantic Airways Chairman Richard Branson, who used his airline's inaugural London-Washinton Dulles flight yesterday to highlight his opposition to the proposed American/British Airways alliance, is taking his message to congressional leaders, DOT and the Justice Department today.
Citing lack of reciprocity from Russia, Federal Express asked DOT to reject applications filed last week by Heavylift-VolgaDnepr to operate one-way fifth-freedom An-124 cargo charter flights tomorrow and July 3 between Houston and El Yopal, Colombia, to carry outsized cargo shipments of drilling cranes and related equipment.
Russian President Boris Yeltsin has ordered major changes in his nation's civil aviation affairs, including development of a code of aviation regulations and performance standards for airlines, airports and civil aviation personnel. The code is to be submitted to the legislature by Nov. 1, according to a June 13 decree signed by Yeltsin.
Garuda Indonesia announced yesterday a $1.6 billion order for six 777-200s and 17 737-300s/500s. It also reserved the right to acquire six 747-400 options, Boeing said. The 737s will be delivered between 1997 and 1999 and the 777s between 2000 and 2002. The 737s will be powered by CFM56 engines. Garuda has not yet selected powerplants for the 777s. Boeing President Ron Woodard said Garuda is the 10th Asian airline to order the 777 and the 21st worldwide. This brings total 777 orders to 274, he said.
Swissair has named Bernhard Mueggler general manager-northeast region, U.S. Mueggler, to be based in Boston, will be responsible for Swissair's sales, marketing, administrative and operational activities throughout the New England states. Mueggler joined Swissair in 1979.
Summary of U.S. Major Carriers International Traffic Fourth Quarter 1995 Revenue Average Revenue Passengers Length of Passenger Enplaned % Travel Miles Carriers (000) Change (Miles) (000) American 3,564 5.40 2,184 7,782,436 Atlantic 889 8.57 4,130 3,671,361
The U.S. hopes to clear immediate issues when it meets with Japan Thursday and Friday in Washington. Those issues are securing Los Angeles-Tokyo services for United, which is operating on short term now; beyond-Japan services to Jakarta for Northwest and United, and several cargo routes for Federal Express. Once these issues are cleared away, the U.S. is "anxious" to begin broader talks looking to liberalize the U.S.-Japan regime, said a DOT official.
American International Airways has asked DOT to amend its existing exemption by adding Guam as a co-terminal point on its Honolulu-Melbourne- Jakarta all-cargo service. Initially, AIA proposes operating once-weekly Boeing 747 service on a Honolulu-Guam-Melbourne-Jakarta-Honolulu routing, with service starting June 29. Pointing to the proposed June 29 startup date, the carrier requested expeditious treatment of its application. (Docket OST-96-1378)
LIAT ordered three 50-passenger Dash 8s from Bombardier valued at US$43 million. The aircraft will be used mainly in the southern part of its network. The aircraft are to be delivered this summer, giving LIAT an all- Bombardier fleet of 18 de Havillands of various sizes.
Aviation Capital Group said a subsidiary, ACG FS Partners, has purchased three 727-200s and three spare engines from PNC Leasing Corp. The equipment remains on lease to American, which took delivery new in 1980.
America West plans to add flights to new cities - Acapulco and Cleveland. Acapulco-Phoenix daily flights begin Nov. 22, and two flights a day from Phoenix to Cleveland and one from Las Vegas to Cleveland will start Jan. 9. In addition, the carrier will begin operating one daily flight between Columbus and Los Angeles Sept. 5, and two flights a day between Seattle and Santa Ana Oct. 4. "We continue to move forward with our strategic growth plan," said John Garel, senior VP-marketing and sales.
All Nippon Airways and Air Canada have applied at the Japanese Ministry of Transport to operate code-share service between Osaka Kansai Airport and Vancouver, beginning Aug. 1. The carriers plan to offer daily flights on the route, using Air Canada-operated 284-seat Airbus A340s.
FAA Administrator David Hinson yesterday denied allegations of political motivation in the grounding of ValuJet, saying the decision to bring its operations to a halt preceded a June 17 White House meeting at which DOT and FAA officials briefed Chief of Staff Leon Panetta and others on the decision.
A TWA 747-100 that was delivered in May 1970 and has served continuously since then has surpassed 100,000 flight hours, according to Avmark. "This is the first transport aircraft to have exceeded 100,000 hours and is probably the first aircraft of any kind to have achieved such a record," Avmark says. A Northwest DC-9-10 has completed well over 100,000 flights, Avmark notes.
Jet Vacations Inc., Air France's tour partner, has named Graham Hotchkiss chief executive, succeeding Allen Stolz. Hotchkiss will retain his position of director of advertising and communications for Air France in the U.S. He is based in New York. Jet Vacations promotes air and land packages to Europe in conjunction with Air France and other carriers, and is planning to redesign the product this winter to put more emphasis on its core business - Air/Plus France and Flexi-Plan France.
Infini Travel Information, the computer reservations system owned by All Nippon Airways and Abacus, has implemented its Locator Back function at Lufthansa. The system gives travel agents an added assurance that the airline has processed the passenger name record.
World Airways has been accepted into the International Air Transport Association. IATA's board of governors will vote on ratification of World's membership at its Nov. 3 meeting.
Sabena has introduced a "Summer Breeze" fare offer for service between New York Kennedy Airport and Brussels until Sept. 15. Travelers who book on Flight 542 from New York and return on Flight 547 from Brussels will get $699 roundtrip economy fare and one week's Avis car rental.
