SkyWest Airlines has implemented a new graphical crew scheduling system, Maestro, system manufacturer SBS International reported. SkyWest began training on the system last month, SBS said. Maestro "creates, monitors and maintains daily airline crew schedules, including trip rerouting and assignment," SBS said. The system "performs accurate trip and crew legality checks in real time as individual flights are posted, and enhances crew utilization by offering a wide range of alternatives for recovery whenever abnormal conditions arise," the company said.
TWA intends to increase and upgrade its international service this spring and make efficiency improvements at its St. Louis hub. On March 2, it will upgrade its New York Kennedy-Rome flights to daily 747 service, up from five 747 and two 767-300 flights. In the New York-Athens market, it will increase service from three weekly 767-300 flights to five. On March 17, it will upgrade daily New York-Madrid service from 767s to 747s, with continuing flights to Barcelona, currently served through Lisbon.
Air Canada yesterday named Lamar Durrett president and chief executive. Durrett, executive VP-corporate services and chief administrative officer, is a longtime protege of Hollis Harris, current Air Canada chairman, president and chief executive officer. The appointment positions Durrett eventually to replace Harris, who will retain the chairman's title. Harris's contract expires in February 1997, but Air Canada's board has asked him to stay on after that time, a spokeswoman said. The appointment takes effect May 14, the date of the carrier's annual general meeting.
Air Jamaica has started twice-weekly freighter service to Miami from Kingston and Montego Bay, using a DC-8 with 13 pallets and four compartments for bulk freight. With the new service, the carrier is offering 190,000 pounds of lift each way between Jamaica and Miami two days a week. Currently it offers 100,000 pounds a day.
With the expiration this week of the court-ordered "cooling-off period" shielding ailing Dutch aircraft manufacturer Fokker from its creditors, the company said the next step probably is formal bankruptcy protection, regardless of whether and how soon a rescue takeover can be staged.
Boeing 757 and 777 Systemwide Aircraft Utilization Per Day Third Quarter 1995 B757-200 America West American Continental Number of Aircraft Operated 14 87 15 Total Fleet Operations Departures 60 261 41 Block Hours 178 913 187
Pearson Development Corp. (PDC) attorneys last week began their case in a Toronto court seeking C$523 million to C$662 million in damages from the Canadian government for cancellation of a Toronto Pearson terminal redevelopment/privatization contract. The consortium filed a claim in March 1994 after Prime Minister Jean Chretien killed a deal approved by the previous government for redevelopment of Terminals 1 and 2.
Hainan Airlines of China has signed a letter of intent to purchase 10 Metro 23s from Fairchild Aircraft, boosting its Metro fleet to 12. Hainan joins Asia Pacific Airlines of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, which has ordered four Metro 23s, as recent Fairchild customers (DAILY, Feb. 16). Hainan, which launched commercial service in May 1993 and took delivery of its first Metro 23 in September 1994, offers scheduled flights to 18 cities and is developing feeder traffic to and from secondary cities within China.
United will expand its service between Los Angeles and Kona and Maui June 6. The carrier said the new flights, coupled with its new second daily nonstop to Tokyo, show its commitment to Los Angeles. United left the Los Angeles-Kona market in 1989. Flights to Maui will increase from one a day to two. Both will be operated with 757-200 aircraft.
Delta may be within two months of a ratification vote on its tentative contract agreement with the Air Line Pilots Association - including reduced pay in some 737 markets facing low-fare competition - but a similar proposal at American has not gone far. A National Mediation Board mediator, who met last week with American's Allied Pilots Association and this week with the company, will determine when to schedule joint meetings.
Northwest and KLM are distributing travel booking software to "Gold" and "Preferred" WorldPerks members, providing them with information about products and services offered by the carriers. The software, WorldNetwork, uses CompuServe's online service and taps into the Worldspan reservations system.
American Society of Travel Agents officials have met with Hawaii Gov. Benjamin Cayetano to discuss their concerns about commission caps and the state's excise tax on agents' airline commissions. Hawaiian agents have been severely affected by the caps, given they usually profit from relatively higher-priced flights from the mainland. Hawaii also is the only state that taxes agents' commissions at 4%.
Florida is becoming the epicenter of a shakeout among Southwest, ValuJet and Delta. Southwest will overfly 11% of ValuJet's system, directly or indirectly, by yearend, calculates Steve Lewins of Gruntal Investment Research. Lewins thinks Delta will deploy its 25 lower-cost 737-200s "as a shield" to defend its Orlando operation but keep them out of Atlanta, where more capacity could damage yields.
FAA said it has earmarked "four to five programs" as tests of the new acquisition system it plans to present to Congress April 1, George Donohue, FAA associate administrator for research and acquisition, said yesterday (DAILY, Feb. 22). Donohue said he could not name the programs until he has met with Monte Belger, associate administrator for air traffic services. The programs "will test all aspects of this new acquisition system," Donohue said. "We are asking for a complete review of this new acquisition system within three years.
Western Pacific has issued a request for proposals on a fleet of new 30-passenger-class regional aircraft and is toying with the idea of operating its new regional network as a separate entity. It initially said it would contract the service out. Among the aircraft in the chase are the ATR 42-500, Dornier 328, Embraer Brasilia and the Saab 340BPlus.
Canadian Airlines International plans to serve Rome this summer from Montreal Dorval Airport. The new flights, which start June 15, will be operated with a 767 twice weekly through Sept. 15 under an agreement with Alitalia.
Delta Connection Comair will match Continental's $89 introductory fare on its new service between Greenville/Spartanburg, S.C., and Newark. Comair announced Feb. 7 that it would launch three daily Canadair Regional Jet roundtrips in the market April 1. Two days later, Continental said it would offer a third 737 trip between the two cities - with the $89 introductory fare. An undaunted Comair, citing its strong GSP customer base, said it would look for more point-to-point Regional Jet routes, such as the new Nashville-Toronto route that it will begin March 1.
Airlines Reporting Corp. said total travel agent sales processed in January were up 2% over the same month in 1995, to $4.614 billion. Domestic and international fares rose 10%. Domestic commissions fell 3% to $297 million, while international commissions were up 8% to $171 million. ARC notes that the 10% ticket tax and the $6 international departure tax expired at the end of December, and the January 1995 total sales figure includes the taxes, whereas January 1996 does not.
Sonderborg, Denmark-based Cimber Air has ordered three ATR 42-500 aircraft, boosting the company's fleet of ATR 42s to seven, Aero International (Regional) announced. The first aircraft will be delivered at the end of March, with the second in April and the third in early 1997, the aircraft manufacturing consortium said. Cimber Air operates on behalf of Lufthansa on domestic German routes and has a close relationship with SAS operating at Copenhagen.
ValuJet has chosen Mobile, Ala., and Fort Walton Beach, Fla., as its newest southern destinations from Atlanta in return for monthly cash payments and more than $2 million in marketing. The carrier has been courted for its low-fare service by several Florida destinations, including Pensacola and Panama City (DAILY, Feb. 12). It may announce more new cities in mid- March. A Mobile airport official said the airport has agreed to pay ValuJet about $700,000 over three years in monthly payments as an incentive for high-frequency, low-fare service.
Atlantic Coast earned a company record net profit of $12.9 million, or $1.44 per share, in 1995 after losing more than $25.1 million, or $3.67 per share, in the previous year. For the fourth quarter, the United Express affiliate posted a net profit of slightly more than $5 million, or 56 cents per share, after losing $2.7 million, or 40 cents per share, in the quarter ended Dec. 31, 1994.
Gruntal Investment Research said Aviall is undergoing "what appears to be a serious financial situation," and it reiterated its "underperform" rating of the company. "We suggest current liabilities of the remaining company may exceed current assets and current working capital may be negative," Gruntal said. Completing the sale of Aviall's engine overhaul business may take all of 1996, which "underscores our wariness," Gruntal said.
Moody's said it assigned a Prime-1 short-term rating to DFS Deutsche Flugsicherung, the government-owned provider of civilian and military air navigation services in Germany, in relation to its 500 million Deutschmark commercial paper program. Moody's based the rating on the constitutional obligation of the government to provide air navigation services in German airspace, the legal status of its 100% ownership of DFS and its implicit support of the company. It cited a pricing mechanism that mandates full recovery of ATC costs through fees.
Spirit Airlines will offer new nonstop flights from Detroit Metro Airport to Boston Logan April 15, coinciding with income tax day. Fares begin at $69 each way and do not require an advance purchase.
