British Airways traffic rose 3% last month, compared with April 1995, while capacity increased 6.5%. The carrier flew 4.99 billion revenue passenger miles on capacity of 7.1 billion available seat miles, resulting in a 2.4 percentage point drop in the passenger load factor to 70.3%. The number of passengers carried by the airline fell 1.2% to 2.64 million. Year-over- year comparisons were impacted negatively by the early Easter holiday, which boosted traffic last April but was spread over March and April this year.
U.S. Major and National Carriers Interest Expenses Fourth Quarter 1995 % Of Total Operating Systemwide Expenses America West $ 13,136,120 3.48 American 122,037,000 2.99 Continental 42,767,000 3.70 Delta 66,500,000 2.32
American's Allied Pilots Association union is upset because it says the company told its pilots that Sabre's performance no longer will count toward their profit-sharing pay once the technology unit is transferred from American to parent company AMR. The issue surfaced last week in contract negotiations, the pilots say.
Southwest passengers who rent a car from Dollar Rent A Car through June 30 will receive a long-distance calling card good for 25 minutes of free calling. The occasion is Southwest's 25th birthday.
U.S. global, major and national carriers accounted for 85% of all jet airline hiring in 1995, says the Future Aviation Professionals of America, and will continue to offer the majority of new jobs for pilots who want to fly large jets in the next decade. Five years from now, United and Delta will retire more pilots than other U.S. carriers - 1,514 at United and 1,098 at Delta.
Urging DOT to begin passenger talks with Japan immediately, Delta charged that United's "desperate battle" to prevent such negotiations is an attempt to "preserve its monopolistic position in Japan." In a filing to DOT last week, Delta said United's reply to Continental Micronesia's bid for U.S.- Japan authority included several erroneous statements about Delta's positions. "United continues a drum beat of distortions in a quest to maintain United's dominant position over U.S.
Grimes Aerospace signed an agreement with DAC International under which DAC will market SunVu 3-inch airline transportation instrument (ATI) liquid crystal display cockpit systems. Grimes's 3ATI, in flight testing on Boeing, Douglas and Saab aircraft, provides a plug-in replacement for electromechanical indicators.
Pratt&Whitney's PW4090 turbofan engine, in development as a 90,000- pounds-thrust powerplant for heavier Boeing 777s, has completed successfully its FAA model test "under the most rigorous conditions ever attempted," the company reported. Model testing included 750 simulated cycles at maximum temperature and more than 60 hours of running under conditions designed to induce high-vibration stress, P&W said. Engine certification is scheduled at the end of June, and 777 flight tests will follow.
Traffic for the Mesa Air Group increased 23.1% in April on an 8.5% jump in capacity as the carrier flew 110.9 million revenue passenger miles on 199.3 million available seat miles. Load factor for the period was up 6.6 percentage points to 55.7%. The carrier flew 532,400 passengers, an increase of 10.1% over April 1995 levels. For the first four months, Mesa's traffic was up 26.8% on a 10% increase in capacity. Load factor gained 7.3 points to 55.3%.
Belgian carrier Sabena told its employees it may have to lay off as many as 1,700 airline workers or cut salaries by 15% to stem losses and generate profits through 2000. Former Swissair executive Paul Reutlinger, who became Sabena's chief executive in February, told a workers council meeting that under the current operating plan, the airline would lose 3 billion Belgian francs (US$95.27 million) in 1998 and as much as BF3.4 billion (US$107.97 million) by 2000.
AirTran Airways will begin operating June 19 from its Orlando base to Piedmont Triad Airport, Greensboro, N.C., offering daily nonstop 737 service with introductory fares of $49 one way. The fares are good for travel June 20 through Sept. 3 and must be purchased by May 31. Last week, Northwest launched three-times-daily flights to Greensboro from its Detroit hub, using 100-seat DC-9s.
Compania Panamena de Aviacion S.A. is seeking a two-year renewal, beginning June 6, of its authority to operate combination service between Panama City, Panama, and San Juan, Puerto Rico, via Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The carrier plans to continue to offer daily service on the route, using Boeing 737-200 aircraft. (Docket 43853)
Latest estimate of when FAA will have drawn the aviation trust fund down to an unobligated balance of zero has slipped more than a month, to the November-December period, according to Administrator David Hinson.The balance stood at $5.1 billion at the beginning of the year, and the agency has been drawing down about $500 million a month.Hinson says a recent budget rescission put $650 million back into the fund.
American launched service last week from Vancouver to Miami and New York. The carrier is offering introductory fares of $270 to New York and $286 to Miami through May 8 for travel through June 20.
Passenger traffic of the world's airlines increased 10% in the first quarter, compared with the same period in 1995, on an 8% increase in capacity, according to the International Air Transport Association. The load factor for the period was 67%, and freight traffic increased 2%. Passenger traffic for March was up 12% on 8% more capacity, with a load factor of 70%, and freight traffic gained 1%. "These figures show an excellent quarter and a good omen for the summer season," said IATA Director General Pierre Jeanniot.
Western Pacific generated a 55.2% load factor in April, the carrier said Friday. Because the carrier began flying April 28, 1995, year-over-year comparisons are not available for April but will be calculated from May onward. WestPac flew 126,100 passengers 104 million revenue passenger miles for the month, on capacity of 188.75 million available seat miles. For the first four months of the year, the carrier hauled 534,000 passengers 436.2 million RPMs on capacity of 754.5 million ASMs.
ValuJet's traffic increased 50% last month compared with April 1995, but capacity rose 81% and the load factor tumbled 12.8 percentage points, to 61.8% from 74.6%. The carrier said last year's loads were exceptional and this year's numbers reflect more aggressive pricing and an earlier Easter holiday. For the first four months of the year, ValuJet's traffic increased 64% over the same period last year, but on 85% more capacity. The load factor was down 7.6 points to 59%. April 96 April 95 4 Mths 96 4 Mths 95
Comparison of old and new aircraft by MBA Associates finds that it is "better to hold the old and eschew the new, in terms of operating costs in comparable missions, current investment required, and particularly cash flow and profit in the future as the airline pays off its investment. Not to mention the certainty that 1,000 perfectly good, cheap Stage 2 aircraft would fall into the hands of the growing horde of hungry, low-cost upstarts."
DOT invited interested parties to respond to American's complaint against Avianca and the government of Colombia. American charges that Colombia is refusing to honor the carrier's permit authorizing nonstop service between New York Kennedy and Bogota, with continuing service to Quito, Ecuador. American is urging DOT to retaliate by holding up authority for Avianca to serve the New York-Bogota market. The complaint follows unsuccessful talks between the U.S. and Colombia last month in Washington (DAILY, April 29).
In-Flight Phone Corp. was granted a supplemental type certificate for installation of FlightLink on an America West A320. In the first use of FlightLink on a fly-by-wire aircraft, IFPC is equipping all 20 of the carrier's A320s with the system.
Latin America, Europe and North America account for 66% of airport approach accidents, according to a Flight Safety Foundation study, most likely because of the high level of commercial air carrier activity in these regions. Lowest rate of approach accidents is in North America, four per million movements, compared with 32 per million in Latin American
U.S. Major and National Carriers Food Expenses Fourth Quarter 1995 Cost Per Systemwide Passenger America West $ 9,165,277 $ 2.18 American 162,443,000 8.46 Continental 31,681,000 3.76 Delta 77,752,000 3.56 Northwest 59,054,000 4.87
British Midland has signed up Royal Brunei as its 14th code-share partner. The accord allows British Midland to collect passengers in the U.K. and transfer them to Royal Brunei flights at London Heathrow for travel to the United Arab Emirates and the Far East. British Midland passengers flying from Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Leeds Bradford and Teesside can connect to Royal Brunei service to Dubai, Singapore and Bandar Seri Begawan. The airlines will check baggage and assign seats for one another under the pact, effective immediately.
United has created McDonald's Magical Radio, an inflight audio channel for children, in conjunction with McDonald's and Kid Rhino. The program will broadcast through Aug. 31 on all United flights with audio programming. Headsets and McDonald's Fun Time magazines will be distributed free to children - and parents who request them.
