SabreTech, supplier of maintenance services to ValuJet at Miami, announced its intention to start offering its repair and overhaul services to airlines in Orlando, the company said. The firm said it has signed a 10- year lease to expand its aircraft maintenance and modification business to the city and will begin operations there in late August or early September. The company will create 500 aviation-related jobs over the next five years, it said.
Embraer logged 90 flights during its month-long sales tour of the U.S. of the new 50-passenger EMB-145 regional jet during May and early June. The aircraft accumulated about 130 flight hours during its visits to 13 cities and carried more than 1,600 passengers. In total, it operated 90 individual flights with an average block time of 80 minutes and an average flight time of 59 minutes. Average fuel burn was 2,535 per flight hour, which equated to 378 gallons per trip and 384 gallons per hour.
Era Aviation expanded service for the summer season. Era, an Alaska Airlines commuter affiliate, will operate two daily flights to Cordova from Anchorage during the week, a fifth weekday flight will be added to Kodiak from Anchorage and the carrier will operate six daily flights between Homer and Anchorage. Flights also will be added from Anchorage to Kenai, Valdez and Iliamna.
DOT has approved the application of Brazilian carrier Vasp to wet-lease a DC-10 to Ecuatoriana de Aviacion for scheduled combination service between Ecuador and Miami and New York. Service to Miami is scheduled to begin June 27 and could be expanded to New York in the future (DAILY, June 16). Ecuatoriana cannot operate on its own to the U.S. because of restrictions imposed on Ecuadoran carriers by FAA, which has questioned safety oversight standards of civil aviation authorities in Ecuador. (Docket OST-96-1450)
The Armed Services Board of Contract Appeals (ASBCA) has denied a $28 million breach-of-contract claim against the Air Force by TPI International Airways, a decision that could push the small Brunswick, Ga., cargo carrier toward liquidation. The airline plans to seek reconsideration of the ruling.
Atlantic Coast Airlines will be allowed to convert firm orders for Jetstream 41 aircraft to options without penalty under an agreement between the carrier and J41 marketing organization Aero International (Regional) (AIR), ACA announced. ACA said the agreement "reflects circumstances that did not exist at the time of the original order, including the availability of a limited number of used J41 aircraft and more favorable aircraft financing alternatives."
Wheeling and dealing rages as the competition for a potentially huge order of high-performance regional aircraft by Continental comes down to the wire. Proposals for the Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ), EMB-145 regional jet and Saab 2000 high-speed turboprop are expected to be presented to the Continental board next week. "Big Continental" management is said to favor the CRJ, while Continental Express management is believed to lean toward the 145. Initial order will be for 12, but that could grow to a reported 100 units. Lease proposals have been very creative.
McDonnell Douglas opened a commercial aircraft marketing office in Sydney, Australia, in what it described as an attempt to "compete head-to-head with other aircraft manufacturers as airlines in the South Pacific expand or replace their fleets." Thomas Epperson, with McDonnell Douglas for more than 30 years, heads the office as VP of commercial marketing, South Pacific operations.
British Airways signed a marketing alliance with Aerovias DAP of Chile that will give its passengers direct scheduled-service access to the Falkland Islands from the U.K. The accord will enable passengers to fly from London to Santiago on BA and connect with Aerovias DAP flights to Mount Pleasant Airport on the Falklands. Until now, the only way to reach the islands from Britain has been with the Royal Air Force or by boat. Aerovias DAP operates 727 service to the islands.
Rep. Jim Traficant (D-Ohio) has strong, if obscure, criticism of DOT's and FAA's handling of the ValuJet matter, as evidenced by the June 19 Congressional Record. "Beam me up, Mr. Speaker," Traficant said, concluding a brief floor statement faulting officials for proclaiming the airline's safety weeks before they shut it down. "It is evident after this soap opera that the only call the flying public can make is to Ghostbusters, because the FAA is out to lunch with a bunch and the DOT has gone for soup with the group. Think about it."
Gerald FitzGerald will resign as the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's director of aviation Aug. 1 to become president of Parsons Brinkerhoff's new aviation business unit. The new division will offer comprehensive planning, design, construction management, program management, privatization, and operations and maintenance services for airports worldwide.
Summary of U.S. Major Carriers Domestic Traffic December 1995 Revenue Average Revenue Passengers Length of Passenger Enplaned % Travel Miles Carriers (000) Change (Miles) (000) America West 1,356 6.92 780 1,057,988 American 5,144 (8.47) 1,121 5,767,763
GE Aircraft Engines and Russia's Rybinsk Motors have agreed to form Rybinsk-GE Aviation Motors to make aircraft engines and aeroderivatives in Russia, the first definitive agreement to emerge between the two companies since GE named the company its strategic partner in Russia last year. The CT7 turboprop and turboshaft engines probably will be among the first products of the partnership, DAILY affiliate Aerospace Propulsion reported (DAILY, June 9, 1995).
Some legislators are asking FAA to take a second look at the airworthiness of ATR aircraft. The House Appropriations Committee Wednesday approved an amendment to the fiscal 1997 transportation appropriations committee report that directs FAA to review the airworthiness of ATR aircraft and submit a report by Dec. 1. Rep. David Obey (D-Wis.) offered the amendment citing concerns about the safety of the aircraft in icing conditions following the crash of a Simmons ATR 72 Oct. 31, 1994, near Roselawn, Ind.
Eliot Brenner, a Treasury Department speechwriter, has been tapped to replace Sandra Allen as FAA assistant administrator for public affairs. Allen left the agency in March.
Carl Albert, head of Fairchild Aircraft which now controls German firm Dornier, wants to develop a 50-seat version of the normally 30- to 33- passenger Do-328 high-speed turboprop and expects to corral the German government as a risk-sharing partner in the effort. Fairchild, which has an 80% stake in the venture that owns Dornier Luftfahrt GmbH, also plans to move some Metro product development work to Dornier's Oberpfaffenhofen facility (DAILY, June 14).
Sharp contrasts in FAA enforcement practices are highlighted by the shutdown this week of ValuJet and that in August 1990 of another Georgia- based carrier, TPI International Airways. ValuJet is being charged $2 million to cover FAA enforcement costs, while being encouraged to return to service upon meeting agency requirements. TPI, a small cargo carrier, was relieved of its operating specifications and not told why for 14 months.
The U.K. Civil Aviation Authority this week announced that it will impose certain frequency limitations and application procedures on passenger charter flights operated to and from the U.K. by fifth-freedom carriers. The number of fifth-freedom flights operated by any single foreign carrier in any one season will be limited to 10, except for flights permitted under European Commission legislation or other international agreements.
Boeing is increasing 737 production rates for the third time in six months, aiming to roll 17 of the aircraft off the Seattle-area production line every month by the beginning of 1998. Little more than a year ago, the company expected production of all five of its jetliner models to total 17.5 per month through at least 1997. But buoyant demand led Boeing to hike its rates in December for the first time in three years, from 20 per month then to 24 per month by early 1997.
European low-cost startup Virgin Express plans to move out of Belgium and into the rest of Europe this summer. On Sept. 2, the carrier will launch new daily flights, including service between Rome and Madrid. The route will be flown with a new 737-300 that Virgin will receive in August. Currently, the carrier is flying under its old name, EuroBelgian Airlines, but it will formally switch to the new name with the service additions. The introductory fare in the new market will be $77 with a regular one-way fare starting at $90.
Mesa Air Group has named Leman Wright, a long-time maintenance executive, to the newly created position of VP-powerplant systems. Wright was VP-maintenance for Liberty Express - formerly Crown Airways - a USAir Express division of Mesa Air Group based in Dubois, Penn. Wright's new responsibilities include coordination with all power plant vendors for Mesa's six airline divisions and overseeing directly Desert Turbine Services, Mesa's engine overhaul division.
Aero Club of Washington's luncheon honoring the Boeing 777 certification team has been postponed because of an unforeseen conflict with congressional hearings. A new date has not been set.
Delta said it has redeemed almost all of its $800 million in 3.23% Convertible Subordinated Notes due June 15, 2003. The notes have been converted to about 10.1 million shares of common stock. Delta announced May 15 that it would redeem the notes June 15. The conversion will cut $46 million annually from Delta's interest expense and result in the transfer of $626 million from long-term debt to equity, the carrier said.
The National Air Transportation Association estimates that FAA's proposed flight and duty time rules could cost on-demand air charter companies as much as $1.97 billion, bringing "financial ruin" to its segment of the industry. After studying the proposal for five months, NATA said charter pilots would lose $617 million in pay as they will be forced to switch to an hourly pay rate or job sharing. Increased costs and lost revenues would combine for a loss of $6.5 billion to implement the rules, NATA said.
Air Canada has started twice-weekly code-share service with Swissair between Calgary and Zurich. Operated with an Air Canada Boeing 767s on a Vancouver-Calgary-Zurich routing, the service offers the only direct flight from Western Canada to Switzerland. "This is further indication of Air Canada's strong commitment to provide Canadian travelers with the best in air transportation - more European destinations and better schedules than anyone has ever offered," Graham Edwards, general manager-passenger sales, said yesterday.
