Delta will reveal today the names of the 15 cities - mainly in Florida and the Northeast - it plans to serve with its new low-cost operation, beginning in October. One clue is that Delta will announce the service, and give it a name, in Orlando, where Southwest has been spreading low fares. Five of the destinations will be in Florida, a Delta source said, and Boston is a very safe bet. Southwest will start service to nearby Providence, R.I., also in October.
USAir's scheduled traffic increased 6.7% in July to 3.6 billion revenue passenger miles and available seat miles fell 7.2%, boosting the load factor five percentage points to 72.7%. USAir's average length of haul for scheduled operations increased 2.6% to 714.1 miles. RPMs decreased 0.4% for the first seven months to 22.3 billion, while ASMs fell 2.6% to 4.9 billion. July 96 July 95 7 Mths 96 7 Mths 95 RPMs 3,573,759,000 3,349,176,000 22,327,176,000 22,414,316,000
India's civil aviation ministry will permit the country's 12 private domestic carriers to lease or buy widebody, double-aisle aircraft. Widebodies currently are limited to the state-owned airlines, Indian Airlines and Air-India, which operate Airbus A300s and A310s. The ministry's decision follows hectic lobbying by the private airlines, whose executives say sagging profitability led them toward fuel-efficient widebodies in preference to the "fuel-guzzling" 737-200s most of them operate.
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Larry Pressler (R-S.D.) called on Vice President Gore to put a representative of small community air service interests on the Aviation Safety and Security Commission. "Expensive new security measures could unintentionally lead to a further erosion of air service in our small communities, and therefore I believe it is imperative the voice of small communities be heard on your commission," Pressler told Gore in a letter.
Burlington Air Express said second quarter revenues increased 6% to $363.4 million and operating profits rose 13% to $16.3 million. For the first six months, revenues were up 7% to $715.4 million and operating profit gained 11% to $25 million. The company said it continued to expand overseas during the first half, with acquisitions in Italy and Hong Kong.
Aeromexpress requested an exemption permitting it to operate scheduled all- cargo service between Leon, Mexico, and Los Angeles, and between Villahermosa, Mexico, and Houston. Proposing to begin the Villahermosa- Houston service Aug. 14 and the Leon-Los Angeles service two days later, the carrier asked DOT to act on its application no later than Aug. 12. If it wins authority, Aeromexpress initially proposes to provide Boeing 727 all-cargo service on Wednesdays between Villahermosa and Houston and on Fridays between Leon and Los Angeles. (Docket OST-96-1623)
ValuJet does not consider Delta's low-fare initiative a direct competitive threat to its operations, which it hopes to resume midmonth with service to five cities from Atlanta. President Lewis Jordan said from what he hears the Delta operation will be fought in Southwest markets, not from an Atlanta base. When ValuJet does come back, it will retain its "fun and friendly airline" slogan instead of switching to a new image, he said.
Sabre Travel Information Network and IBM have agreed to develop jointly a Lotus Notes automated travel booking application based on Sabre Business Travel Solutions software. The Sabre BTS planner application, to be used by travel managers, will include expense reporting functions. The Lotus Notes automated booking implementation will be delivered to customers via Domino, and users will be able to access the product through a Notes client or Web browser.
Delta claims to be the first airline to provide an inflight power source for customers with laptop computers. The EmPower In-Seat Power Supply system, developed by Olin Aerospace Co., will be available to passengers in first class on the carrier's Spirit of Delta 767 during a six-month test.
Aviation-Related Bills Introduced In Congress July 8-August 2 - S.1960 - introduced July 16 by Sen. Olympia Snowe (R-Maine) - a bill to require the DOT secretary to reorganize FAA to ensure that the administration carries out only safety-related functions, and for other purposes. Referred to the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee.
FBI agents searched SabreTech's facility at Miami International Airport yesterday in connection with the May 11 crash of a ValuJet DC-9 in the Florida Everglades. The company said only, "We are aware that a search warrant was executed today at our Miami facility. The company is continuing to cooperate fully with authorities." One report, by ABC affiliate WPLG, said workers were told to go home while authorities searched for possible evidence of a crime.
ValuJet suffered a $26.3 million operating loss and a $9.6 million net loss in the second quarter after taking a $31.6 million charge resulting from the crash of Flight 592 May 11 and a subsequent loss of revenue. Operating revenues dipped only to $81.2 million from $86.9 million in second quarter 1995, however. More one-time charges are being spread out to the third and fourth quarters, but the bulk has been accounted for and the company does not expect other charges extending into 1997.
Emirates passengers transiting Dubai, United Arab Emirates, will stay in a new 150-room airport hotel opening in September as part of an existing hotel. The facility will be managed by Airport Hotel LLC under Abela&Company LLC, with which Emirates has a contract for catering and related airline business. The hotel will be used exclusively by Emirates, which currently books with several hotels in Dubai. The facility has been customized to the airline's requirements and is staffed by Emirates reservations employees.
Lockheed L1011 and McDonnell Douglas MD-11 Systemwide Aircraft Utilization Per Day, First Quarter 1996 L1011-01-250 Delta TWA Total Number of Aircraft Operated 37 12 49 Total Fleet Operations Departures 126 29 154 Block Hours 365 97 462
Southwest recorded a 9.7% jump in revenue passenger miles in July from the same month a year earlier, but available seat miles rose 15.6% and the load factor dropped to 68.1% from 71.8%. For the first seven months, traffic was up 12.4% and capacity 13.8%. July 96 July 95 7 Mths 96 7 Mths 95 RPMs 2,393,921,981 2,182,449,038 15,040,376,495 13,380,777,804 ASMs 3,515,527,194 3,040,793,480 23,322,400,067 20,487,990,072
Travel management company Travel and Transport, Omaha, Neb., has opened a virtual travel office on the World Wide Web. Users can check on travel specials, make airline reservations and arrange for rental cars and hotel rooms. The Web site is at http://www.tandt.com or http ://www.travelandtransport.com. The company said it has received significant interest from clients who want it to set up an individual site for them, and it is testing this approach.
Air Transport Association Cargo Traffic May, 5 Months 1996 Revenue Ton-Miles (000) May May % 1996 1995 Change Domestic Freight 725,696 691,230 5.0 Mail 147,788 140,036 5.5 Total 873,484 831,266 5.1 International Freight 616,530 591,500 4.2 Mail 45,086 41,455 8.8
DOT temporarily reallocated to Continental Micronesia three U.S.- Philippines frequencies that had been allocated to United through March 1, 1997. Authorized for services on U.S. Route 2 of the U.S.-Philippines air services agreement of 1980, CMI had held the frequencies through Sept. 1, 1996. Based on revised plans, United will not need them for its three weekly U.S.-Japan-Philippines all-cargo services until March 1, 1997, DOT said.
In terms of percentage of population, Taiwanese were the most frequent visitors to the U.S. in 1995. Commerce Department statistics show that one in every 50 Taiwan residents visited the U.S. last year, the highest ratio of any country. The number of visits was 413,000, moving Taiwan into 10th place worldwide.
DOT has tentatively granted Air 4000 a certificate to operate scheduled interstate passenger service. Founded in October 1995, Air 4000 plans to operate low-cost service from its Myrtle Beach, S.C., base to Detroit, Philadelphia and Cleveland, using one 122-seat 737-200 aircraft. The carrier said it will offer off-peak fares as low as $79 and peak fares up to $139 (DAILY, Jan. 8). Air 4000 is an outgrowth of charter carrier Myrtle Beach Jet Express, which is supported by World Technology Systems LLC (WTS).
U.S. Major Carriers Latin Share of Service, First Quarter 1996 Total Revenue Departures Alaska 2,046 America West 1,246 American 22,735 Continental 7,371 Delta 3,060 United 4,061 USAir 1,406 Total 41,925 Average Number of
U.S. Major Carriers Domestic Share of Service, First Quarter 1996 Total Revenue Departures Alaska 34,508 America West 48,851 American 164,653 Continental 98,937 Delta 218,761 Northwest 133,448 Southwest 179,085 TWA 67,987 United 177,412
A "baseline" working group studying aviation safety and security issues that are expected to be considered by the Gore commission met yesterday at FAA to review an "action plan" previously released by the White House. Indications are that while the Gore commission will consider recommendations from the Aviation Security Advisory Committee (ASAC) once it has approved the baseline group's findings, it is likely to draw its members from a broader segment than the aviation industry.
