Swissair has taken delivery of the first A319, leased from International Lease Finance Corp. The carrier is the launch customer with an order for 18 aircraft, configured to seat 116 passengers and powered by CFM56 engines.
World Airways Inc. suffered a first quarter net loss of $7.9 million, or 66 cents per share, compared with a first quarter 1995 net loss of $3.8 million, or 38 cents per share. Revenue climbed 77% to $71.5 million, up from $40.5 million, thanks to a 54% jump in block hours to 10,634. "Although we are disappointed with first quarter results, our core business performed well and we expect significant improvements in the quarter ahead as we manage factors that negatively impacted results," said Charles Pollard, president and chief executive.
Following a recent bid-rigging scandal, Taiwan's Ministry of Transportation and Communications announced award of a contract to a partnership of state- run Ret-Ser Engineering Agency and Kai Li Engineering Co. for interior construction of the second terminal at Taipei Chiang Kai-shek Airport. The reported winning bid was NT$5.96 billion, about US$218.3 million. Government planners had estimated the cost at NT$7 billion, or approximately US$256.4 million.
National Transportation Safety Board Chairman Jim Hall criticized FAA yesterday for not requiring airlines to install improved flight data recorders on their 737 aircraft, saying the installations could be accomplished without interfering with revenue service. The board issued an urgent recommendation Feb.
U.S. Major and National Carriers Maintenance Expenses Fourth Quarter 1995 % Of Total Operating Systemwide Expenses America West $ 34,884,667 9.25 American 339,322,000 8.33 Continental 134,191,000 11.60 Delta 248,125,000 8.66
DOT has granted Iberia an exemption to operate combination service between a point or points in Spain and Atlanta and to co-terminalize operation at Atlanta with its existing authority to serve Miami between July 13 and Aug. 27. The carrier plans to operate 23 scheduled roundtrips from Madrid, via Miami during the period. (Docket OST-96-1221)
Kellstrom Industries, which purchases and refurbishes, markets and distributes commercial jet engines and parts, said revenues for the first quarter increased 69% to $5.3 million and net income jumped 45% to $516,700.
Emirates will begin twice-weekly service between Dubai and Athens as of June 1. The new destination will be its 39th worldwide and 11th in Europe. On June 25, the carrier will start flying to Melbourne, Australia.
Competition from U.S. carriers in Asia saved Japanese consumers $530 million a year between 1989 and 1994, according to a study conducted by Mitsubishi Research Institute at the request of United.
Kiwi International Air Lines has named Kenneth McAdams VP-flight operations. McAdams has been flying 747s, most recently with Korean Air Lines, but spent most of his career at Pan Am, where he became the youngest chief pilot in the carrier's history and served as the personal pilot for founder Juan Trippe.
A repeal of the 4.3 cents per gallon fuel tax, currently being discussed in Washington as a possibility by Memorial Day, would save airlines $500 million to $550 million per year, according to Air Transport Association estimates.The bad news: The excise tax probably will be reinstated if there is a deal. Without it, airlines log $2.75 billion per year in extra revenue, or $2 billion per year after taxes, according to Brian Harris of Lehman Brothers.
American, one of the few major U.S. airlines without a corporate policy on assaults against flight attendants, is working with its union, the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, to draft one. The APFA said the company approached it for cooperation in creating a policy that will support the flight attendant through counseling, help in finding a lawyer, and set procedures on time off to pursue legal battles against what appears to be an increasing number of abusive incidents brought on by passengers.
Northwest has added enhancements to its "beach service" between Japan and Hawaii. The carrier will offer a greater selection of meals, more Japanese interpreters and more reading materials and inflight entertainment options in Japanese on some flights. The changes will be made in the main cabin of DC-10 and 747 flights from Tokyo and Osaka to Honolulu. Starting May 15, the additional amenities will be offered on service to Japan from Guam and Saipan, which include flights from Fukuoka and Nagoya.
Two low-cost airlines, Southwest and ValuJet, are among the five finalists in the transportation category of the Computerworld Smithsonian Awards for the information technology industry. The annual awards dinner will be held June 3 at the National Building Museum in Washington. The carriers are competing with CAE Electronics Ltd., General Motors OnStar and MTA Bridges and Tunnels.
Macau's newly opened airport is posing a strong challenge to Hong Kong in the race to become the entry point to mainland China for Taiwanese travelers. Reports in several of Taipei's leading daily newspapers say that as many as 60% of Taiwanese tour groups to mainland China in the last two months have selected Macau as the gateway. The reports say that roundtrip travel between Taiwan and China via Macau costs an average US$150 less than by way of Hong Kong.
New designer saris will be worn by 100 British Airways flight attendants working out of bases in India and Bangladesh - Delhi, Bombay, Madras and Dhaka. The six-meter-long pieces of fabric were created by two local designers. The carrier's saris were last redesigned eight years ago.
Mesaba Holdings has signed an amended service agreement with Northwest by which Northwest will buy all Mesaba's capacity at a predetermined rate and shift heavy maintenance costs for Dash 8 aircraft to Mesaba. The agreement, retroactive to Jan. 1, will be in effect until March 31, 1997. Mesaba said the pact enables both carriers to benefit from Mesaba's lower cost per available seat mile. A Northwest spokesman said the carrier will be able to control scheduling and pricing better through coordination with Mesaba.
Cathay Pacific has agreed to allow the Chinese government to take a larger stake in the carrier, although under the agreement, parent Swire Corp. still will have majority control of the company and manage it for the long run. The transaction calls for Cathay to issue about 573 million new shares to China International Trust and Investment Corp. (CITIC) to raise a total of HK$6.30 billion. CITIC's stake in Cathay Pacific would rise to 25% from 10%, while Swire's holding would shrink to 43.9% from 52.6%. Also as part of the transaction, China National Aviation Corp.
Hughes Aircraft, a subcontractor to Wilcox on the $475 million Wide Area Augmentation System contract being terminated by FAA, will take over as the prime contractor. FAA intends to enter a contract with Hughes on a single-source basis after it terminates the contract with Wilcox for the "convenience of the government" (DAILY, April 29).
Chairman Gerald Greenwald hinted at United's annual shareholder meeting in Chicago last week that he may retire when his five-year employment contract expires in July 1999. Greenwald, who will be 64 by then, was quoted by Reuters as saying that at that point, "I'm going to the mountains."
Amadeus has six new airline participants, two new hotels and nine new car rental companies. The new airlines using standard access are Aerosweet of Ukraine, Krasnoyarsk of Russia, Tame of Ecuador, Hemus Air of Bulgaria, Noman of Spain and World Airways.
Future Aviation Professionals of America will hold an airline career day for pilots May 31 at the Georgia International Convention Center, College Park, Ga. FAPA said recruiters from Delta, UPS, FedEx, Airborne Express, American Eagle, TWA and American Trans Air will participate.
Boeing Chairman Frank Shrontz reported yesterday first quarter sales of $4.3 billion and net earnings of $119 million, compared with sales of $5 billion and net earnings of $181 million the same quarter a year ago. Shrontz attributed the slide in earnings to fewer commercial aircraft deliveries - down to 40 from 59 - and a higher income tax rate. He said deliveries of all models were limited because of the 10-week Machinists strike in the fourth quarter of 1995.
