Chilean carrier Ladeco has received renewed DOT authority to operate scheduled combination service between Santiago, Chile, and Los Angeles. The service is operated via Mexico City, with local traffic rights in both directions between Mexico City and Los Angeles (DAILY, Jan. 24). (Docket OST-96-1017)
Air Asia Co. and Boeing are near an agreement to cooperate in helicopter maintenance in Taiwan, according to Taiwanese newspaper reports. A formal accord be signed this month. Air Asia already signed helicopter maintenance agreements with Bell Helicopter Textron and Sikorsky Aircraft, and it has become the first Taiwanese company licensed to perform maintenance on the S-70C helicopter.
TWA, which did not know a year ago whether it would survive, signaled its return as a competitive factor in the airline industry yesterday by ordering 20 new 757s and taking options on 20 more. The carrier said in December it hoped to replace its L-1011s with 757s (DAILY, Dec. 12, 1995), and in yesterday's announcement it said it will use the new aircraft to replace 14 of the Lockheed trijets. Only last month, Chief Financial Officer Robert Peiser told an industry conference that a year ago, he was not sure TWA would be flying today (DAILY, Jan. 22).
DOT has approved Northwest's application for authority to operate between the U.S. and Bucharest, Romania, via Amsterdam. Beginning April 9, Northwest will put its code on eight 737-300 roundtrips a week between Bucharest and Amsterdam operated by code-share partner KLM. The service will increase to 10 per week in July (DAILY, Dec. 22, 1995). DOT also has renewed Northwest's authority to operate between the U.S.
Asia will overtake the U.S. this year as Israel Aircraft Industries' main market despite growing sales in North America, IAI corporate marketing VP Menashe Broder said last week at the Singapore Air Show. "Although the Israeli government and military is our most important customer, it is not the largest," Broder says. "IAI's exports reached $1.2 billion in 1995, out of a turnover of $1.5 billion. We expect that Asia will equal and surpass our U.S. volume of new orders, both in the military and commercial sales."
United and American's efforts to block construction of a proposed airport near Peotone violate antitrust laws, 10 mayors from O'Hare-area communities allege. The mayors told members of Congress this month that the two airlines are "waging a massive and expensive campaign to block construction of a new regional South Suburban Airport," and they called on the Justice Department and Congress to investigate the issue. In a letter to Illinois Reps.
DOT has granted American a two-year renewal of its authority to operate scheduled service between Chicago and Birmingham, England. The carrier has operated daily nonstop service in the market since May 1995, using 215-seat 767-200ER aircraft. (Docket OST-95-927) Separately, Continental received a two-year renewal of its rights to operate scheduled combination service between Newark and Manchester, England. The carrier is operating daily nonstop 757-200 service (DAILY, Jan. 5). (Docket OST-95-982)
Wanted: A good, high-paying job in the private sector of the travel industry. Greg Farmer, undersecretary of commerce for travel and tourism, who will be out of a job April 12 when the U.S. Travel and Tourism Administration closes, has turned down public sector offers and is hoping for work in Florida. His second choice is Washington, D.C.
DOT has approved in part Faucett's application for renewal of its authority to conduct wet-lease operations on behalf of APA International Airlines on APA's U.S.-Dominican Republic scheduled combination routes. Faucett asked that its authority be extended until June 9, 1996, but DOT limited the renewal to April 10, keeping the remainder of the term pending.
U.S. troops in Bosnia will hand out teddy bears and other stuffed animals tomorrow to Bosnian children. SatoTravel organized Operation Bear Lift, in which the gifts were collected by groups in Hawaii and transported in cargo space donated by Northwest.
China Airlines and EVA Airways are offering discounts of up to $73 to overseas Chinese living returning to vote in Taiwan's presidential elections. The discounts are valid for travel March 1-23.
Airlines at Miami Airport are worried that their fees may increase in order to finance development of a competing airport at the former Homestead Air Force Base. The airlines told the Dade County Board of Commissioners that terms in the recent lease and redevelopment agreement with Homestead Air Base Developers Inc. (HABDI) provide funding for the new airport from Miami's 1954 Trust Agreement.
SITA said Airbus Industrie selected it to install the Airbus Representative Communication System (ARCS), the 85-site system that will enable the European aircraft manufacturing consortium to communicate with its customer support executives. Under the six-year contract, Airbus representatives will be able to transmit technical data using a message system designed for ease of use and lower international communications costs, Sita said.
U.S. Major Carriers Domestic Share of Service, Third Quarter 1995 Total Revenue Departures America West 49,836 American 177,550 Continental 106,772 Delta 226,071 Northwest 138,123 Southwest 178,631 TWA 69,691 United 185,825 USAir 189,620
Delta Connection Comair will begin nonstop jet service between Greenville/Spartanburg, S.C., and Newark on April 1, offering three nonstops a day on the route with the 50-seat Canadair Jet. Continental itself will increase its flights in the market from one to three per day on April 7, and it also will offer one daily flight from Greenville to Atlanta, using 737s on both routes. Continental will offer an introductory fare of $89 one way with a seven-day advance purchase from Newark, and $119 one way from Atlanta.
Pratt&Whitney and Aviation Industries of China's Chengdu Engine Co. said yesterday they will form a joint venture to produce components for commercial aircraft engines. The new company, Chengdu Aerotech Manufacturing Co., is the first joint venture in China's aviation manufacturing industry, according to Pratt, which will have a controlling interest. The $22 million company will produce engine components and parts to serve domestic and world airline customers.
Cathay Pacific ruled the lucrative Taiwan-Hong Kong service in 1995, carrying 53% of all travelers flying between the two areas. China Airlines won a 38% share of the market, with Thai Airways, Garuda International, Japan Asia Airways, Singapore Airlines and British Asia Airways competing for the remaining 9%. More than 5.5 million passengers traveled between Taiwan and Hong Kong in 1995. Yields on Hong Kong-Taipei and Hong Kong- Kaohsiung routes reportedly are the highest international routes worldwide.
Banner Aerospace reported net income of $62,000 for the quarter ended Dec. 31, the third of its fiscal year, compared with $1.6 million for the same period a year earlier. Sales were $72 million, 32% above the year-ago $54.5 million. Its net income was down due to costs in the relocation of the warehouse operations of Burbank Aircraft Supply and Adams Industries to new facilities in Salt Lake City.
National Air Carrier Association, saying FAA has "proposed the most revolutionary changes to cockpit crewmember flight, duty and request requirements in the history of aviation," is asking the agency for more time to comment on the proposed new rule. The current comment deadline is March 19 and NACA wants it extended 120 days.
Frontier Airlines Inc. reported a $3.6 million loss, or 66 cents per share, on revenues of $17.2 million during the December quarter. Revenues were up 74% over the same quarter last year, which is the third in the carrier's fiscal year, but the net loss was 125% larger. The loss included expenses linked to new service in six major markets, two leased 737-300s and a $571,000 non-recurring lease expense paid to replace a 737-200 undergoing maintenance.
Comair has established a site on the World Wide Web, at http://fly- comair.com. Users can find information on Comair's weekend traveler program, updated flight schedules, route maps, airport maps, financial data, photographs of the Comair fleet and press releases.
U.S. Major Carriers Latin Share of Service Third Quarter 1995 Total Revenue Departures America West 612 American 23,414 Continental 6,461 Delta 2,633 United 4,271 USAir 1,676 Total 39,067 Average Number of Seats Per Departure
KLM's traffic rose 6% last month, to 637.3 million revenue ton kilometers, on a 13% increase in capacity, to 947.7 million available ton kilometers. The load factor was 67.2%, a decline of 4.2 percentage points from January 1995. Passenger traffic grew 6% on 9% more capacity, and cargo traffic gained 8% on an 18% rise in capacity.
Continental has applied for authority to operate one weekly flight between Newark and Guatemala City, Guatemala, via San Salvador, El Salvador, using 757-200 aircraft. The carrier asked for local traffic rights between Guatemala City and San Salvador and wants to combine the new authority with its other exemption and certificate authority. It plans to begin the service on June 6 and asked DOT to act on its application by Feb. 19.
Canadian Airlines International President and Chief Executive Kevin Jenkins, under increasing pressure to turn the airline's financial performance around, promises a "vast improvement" in 1996. "There has been a lot of talk and a lot of projections, now it is time to perform," he said in a speech to Canadian business leaders.
