Delta Connection affiliate Atlantic Southeast flew 82.8 million revenue passenger miles last month, a 22.5% increase from May 1995's 67.6 million. Capacity grew 7.3% to 154.7 million available seat miles from 144.2 million, however. As a result, the load factor increased 6.6 percentage points to 53.4% from 46.9% in the prior period. Passenger boardings rose 25.4%. May 1996 May 1995 5 Mths 1996 5 Mths 1995 RPMs 82,822,005 67,607,940 360,033,455 301,077,522
French regional Brit Air launched Paris-Southampton, England, service June 1 under a fran-chise contract with Air France, an unusual arrangement in French air transport. Brit Air has a second agreement, with Air France Europe, to operate service between Paris and Rennes, and this "should foreshadow more" franchise deals, Air France said. Franchising is considered a consequence of the liberalization of air transport in France and in Europe, as Air France does not own smaller regional aircraft and does not plan to buy any.
Mesa Air Group flew 114.3 million revenue passenger miles in May, a 13.4% increase from May 1995. Capacity failed to keep pace, rising 3.2% to 203.2 million available seat miles from 196.9 million in the prior May. As a result, the load factor jumped 5.1 percentage points to 56.3% from 51.2%. Passenger enplanements were up 2.6% to 552,412 from 538,270. Mesa Air Group comprises six different airline divisions flying to 166 cities in 31 states with 174 aircraft. May 1996 May 1995 5 Mths 1996 5 Mths 1995
Southwest flew 2.28 billion revenue passenger miles in May, a 15.3% increase from May 1995. Available seat miles rose 12.9% to 3.45 billion, and the load factor was up 1.3 percentage points to 66% from 64.7%. May 96 May 95 5 Mths 96 5 Mths 95 RPMs 2,276,617,608 1,974,989,182 19,772,501,000 17,632,055,000 ASMs 3,448,215,490 3,054,009,504 16,399,031,291 14,455,000,968 LoadFtr% 66.0 64.7 62.5 62.8
Fuel Cost and Consumption U.S. Majors, Nationals and Large Regionals May 1995 - April 1996 Total Total Cost Gallons (Dollars) 1995 May Domestic 1,049,428,697 571,715,017 International 365,774,207 221,487,650 System Total 1,415,202,904 793,202,667
After years of study, Southwest is making its move into the Northeast and has decided on Providence, R.I., as its second Eastern Seaboard destination. The carrier will offer its low-fare, short-hop flights Oct. 27 from T.F. Green Airport to yet-to-be-named destinations. Southwest declined yesterday to say where or to how many points it will fly or how many aircraft it will put into the market, but did say six aircraft will be available for new service. It will have one gate and occasionally will use a second in the new terminal at T.F.
San Antonio, Texas-based Fairchild Aircraft has completed a transaction giving it a four-fifths share of Dornier Luftfahrt GmbH, with Daimler-Benz Aerospace retaining the other one-fifth of the Do 228 and 328 aircraft manufacturer, Fairchild announced (DAILY, May 31). A Daimler-Benz Aerospace official said management of Dornier Luftfahrt was transferred to Fairchild Wednesday. No price was announced, the official told The DAILY.
Continental's traffic rose 4.2% in May to 3.5 billion revenue passenger miles from 3.3 billion in May 1995, while capacity rose 1% to 5.1 billion available seat miles. The load factor rose 2.1 points to 67.9%, its highest May load factor ever. For the year to date, traffic was up 2.3%, ASMs fell 6.1% and the load factor was up 5.6 points. May 96 May 95 5 Mths 96 5 Mths 95 RPMs 3,459,293,000 3,320,178,000 16,660,445,000 16,283,362,000
Alaska Airlines' May traffic shot up 22.3% to 825 million revenue passenger miles from 675 million RPMs in May 1995, and capacity grew 12.4% to 1.27 billion available seat miles. The load factor was 65%, a 5.3 percentage point increase from May 1995 levels. The airline flew 995,000 passengers last month, 26.1% more than in May last year. For the first five months, traffic roe 19.2% on 10.4% more capacity, boosting the load factor 4.6 points to 62.5%. The airline carried 4.52 million passengers during the period, up 23.4%.
Pan Am-The New Airline has chosen New York-based Dom Camera Associates to place its advertising. Pan Am, anticipating a July startup to New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Miami, has an estimated initial advertising budget of $5 million. The original Pan Am was one of the company's first major accounts.
Dornier Luftfahrt shareholder tally to move 80% of the company into a joint-venture company called Fairchild Aircraft Holding was approved by a vote of 968,601 to 1.5, according to European press reports (related story, P. RA3). By taking the joint-venture route instead of an outright sale to Fairchild Aircraft, Daimler-Benz Aerospace (DASA) sidestepped a veto by some members of the Dornier family on a technicality.
After about two years, the U.S. has made a breakthrough in its attempt to gain access for business jets at Tokyo Narita Airport. Japanese officials informed the U.S. last week that Japan will allow 14 new slots a week for business jets at Narita, FAA Administrator David Hinson said yesterday at the American Bar Association's Forum on Air&Space. It is "a terrific concession for Japan" and a great gain for the U.S., he said.
Recurrent training for mechanics2 will figure in the next series of National Transportation Safety Board recommendations to FAA growing out of its investigation into the crash May 11 of ValuJet 592.
Northwest's traffic increased 10.6% in May to 5.80 billion revenue passenger miles from 5.24 billion in May 1995 on 7.2% more capacity. Available seat miles totaled 7.86 billion, compared with 7.34 billion in May 1995. Load factor for the month rose 2.3 percentage points to 73.8%. The traffic increase was split between gains of 15.7% in international RPMs and 6.7% in domestic RPMs. For the first five months, traffic was up 11.6% to 26.7 billion RPMs, and ASMs rose 7.9% to 37.55 billion.
Alaska Air Group subsidiary Horizon Air flew 69 million revenue passengger miles last month, up 2.9% from May 1995. Capacity fell 0.8% to 121 million available seat miles from 122 million in May a year ago. The load factor increased 2.2 percentage points to 57.1% from 54.9% in the comparable 1995 month. For the first five months, RPMs totaled 344 million, up 8.2%; capacity reached 589 million ASMs, up 5%; load factor was 58.4%, up 1.6 points, and boardings stood at 1,507,700, up 2.6%.
Delta is offering two fare specials to Gainesville, Fla., from 28 cities - a three-day advance purchase business saver roundtrip fare, and a seven-day advance purchase companion roundtrip fare. The latter requires one passenger to buy a ticket seven days in advance to receive a free companion ticket. Both fare specials require a stay of at least one day.
Aloha Airgroup Inc. reported a first quarter operating profit of $4.3 million, the best first quarter in its 50-year history. The carrier also said it won a state contract for interisland travel. Aloha generated net income of $2 million on operating revenues of $64.8 million for the three- month period that ended March 31. The gain compares with a first quarter 1995 operating loss of $925,000 and a net loss of $972,000 on revenues of $57.7 million. Stronger yields, more traffic and sharp cost reductions accounted for the change.
American's traffic grew 3.4% last month, compared with May 1995, while capacity sank 0.4%. The load factor increased 2.5 percentage points to 67.7%, and boardings were up 0.2%. Traffic in the first five months rose 2.9%, compared with the same period in 1995, although capacity was flat. The load factor climbed 1.8 points to 66.4%, and passengers boarded shrank 1.7%. May 96 May 95 5 Mths 96 5 Mths 95 RPMs 8,736,535,000 8,452,496,000 41,823,110,000 40,650,378,000
Flight attendants at Aer Lingus ended a one-day strike Tuesday after managers agreed to hold talks with the union about the carrier's blocked- space agreement with Delta, which allows Delta flight attendants to work some of Aer Lingus's flights. "Aer Lingus are committed to working speedily to find a solution to this issue which is commercially acceptable," the carrier said.
United and Air Canada have applied for immunity for their alliance from U.S. antitrust laws. The application was filed late Tuesday, at the closing of the comment period on DOT's show cause order tentatively awarding immunity to American and Canadian International Airlines, and United and Air Canada cited that tentative order in their argument for similar treatment.
Finnair and Lithuanian Airlines have established a marketing alliance providing for cooperation on flights between Helsinki and Vilnius and beyond both home bases. The carriers will work closely on ground- handling and conduct joint route planning, but they will not exchange equity. "The most significant immediate result of the cooperation will be an increase in the number of flights between Helsinki and Vilnius," said Bo Long, general manager of Finnair for the Americas.
U.K.-based charter carrier Leisure International Airways has ordered four A321-200 aircraft. It will take delivery of the first aircraft next spring, followed by one per year through 2000. The aircraft will be configured for 220 passengers in a single class of service.
Several new but relatively minor user fees and a conditional reduction in aviation excise taxes are among proposals expected to be adopted at today's House Transportation Committee markup of the FAA bill (H.R.3539). Three user fees - for overflights, airport obstruction review and general aviation licensing - would raise $50 million. The tax "trigger" provides that if airport grant funding falls below the authorization, excise taxes in the following year would be reduced by the dollar amount of that difference.
