Control tower at Pittsburgh lost power Wednesday for six minutes. Dale Gourley, president of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association local at the airport, said he had to use a pay telephone to ask controllers in Ohio to keep aircraft on hold. The trouble began when a tree fell on a power wire. A backup generator was available, but it also experienced power supply problems.
Istanbul Airlines has awarded a contract to Pemco World Air Services to install Federal Express heavyweight Stage 3 hushkits on two Boeing 727- 200s. The work will be performed at Pemco's facility in Copenhagen.
Delta will open on March 25 its second reservations center located on a college campus and employing college students, this one at Weber State University, Ogden, Utah. Students will be trained for six weeks, mainly on handling flight information calls and contacting customers to tell them of schedule changes. Delta intends to hire 70 students initially and may employ as many as 200. The carrier operates a similar center at Clayton State College, Morrow, Ga.
Aero International (Regional) has formalized its North American sales and marketing staff. The new company brings together the staffs of ATR Marketing Inc., Avro International Aerospace and Jetstream Aircraft. As previously reported, Alain Brodin, former president of ATR Marketing Inc., is now president-sales North America. Tom Keough, formerly of Jetstream, is VP-sales and Alan Stiley, also from Jetstream, is VP-technical sales and marketing.
The European Commission formally approved the Spanish state injection of 87 billion pesetas ($707 million) into Iberia Airlines, given tentative approval in December by Neil Kinnock, the European Union's commissioner for transport (DAILY, Dec. 15). The action drew criticism from the U.K. government, which opposes subsidies for money-losing state-owned carriers. The approval "threatens to undermine all our efforts to establish fair competition in the [European] Community aviation market," said British Transport Secretary George Young.
Bombardier will seek Extended Overwater Operations (ETOPS) certification for the Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ), permitting it to be flown up to 180 minutes from a suitable airport under two-engine cruise conditions. Without ETOPS authority, the twinjet is limited to only 90 minutes. Among existing CRJ customers, Delta Connection Comair could benefit. For example, Cincinnati-Bermuda is 1,212 miles with an overwater stretch of about 120 minutes. Delta currently offers one daily roundtrip in the market.
Worldspan is opening an office in Glasgow this month to support its new customers in Scotland. The computer reservations system said its customer locations in Scotland grew to more than 250 during the past year, and it now automates more than half of Scotland's travel agency marketplace.
Saab Aircraft won orders for 36 Saab 340s and 2000s during 1995 compared with just six in the previous year, the manufacturer reported. The improvement in deliveries was almost as dramatic - 35 Saab regional airliners were delivered compared with just 12 in 1994, Saab said.
United Express affiliate Atlantic Coast Airlines has established a home page on the Internet's World Wide Web, the regional announced. The home page, called The Express Lane to the Friendly Skies, can be accessed at http://www.AtlanticCoast.com. The page will contain information on ACA's corporate background; reservation information; aircraft descriptions; business travel conveniences; route network; safety and training; home field - Dulles Airport, and the United Airlines partnership.
Continental is banking on strong performance at its Cleveland hub this summer, beefing up the schedule by 26% over last summer and beginning new nonstop jet service to Dallas/Fort Worth, Norfolk, Providence and Raleigh/Durham. In addition, Continental Express will begin serving Kalamazoo, Mich., and South Bend, Ind. The airline most likely will use 737 aircraft in the new schedule, a spokeswoman said. Continental takes delivery this year of three more 737s and two 757s.
USAir begins offering VIP Miles today to corporations that want to buy miles as incentives or rewards to employees or clients. They can be purchased at two cents a mile, packaged in booklets of 10 certificates, valid for 12 months. The minimum order is 50,000 miles.
U.S. Major Carriers Operating Revenues and Expenses Third Quarter 1995 Operating Operating Revenues Expenses (000) (000) Third Quarter 1995 America West $ 411,926 $ 357,766 American 4,095,758 3,616,867 Continental 1,270,186 1,173,187 Delta 3,281,426 2,896,506 Federal Express 2,422,627 2,294,465
U.S. National Carriers Operating and Net Profit 9 Months 1995 Operating Net Profit/Loss Profit/Loss (000) (000) 9 Months 1995 Alaska $ 65,178 $ 23,976 Aloha (5,844) (3,808) American Trans Air 23,177 10,204 Carnival 8,173 5,501 Hawaiian (931) (3,924)
Delta filed a complaint yesterday with DOT against American and its affiliated computer reservations system, Sabre, alleging violations of antidiscrimination provisions of the department's CRS rules. Delta accused Sabre of imposing a discriminatory CRS transaction fee on most but not all carriers, beginning yesterday. Delta complained that it is among carriers required to pay the fee, while Southwest is among the select few that are exempt.
Taiwan and Hong Kong, still blocked by Chinese opposition from signing the new aviation agreement initialed in December, adopted a fourth extension of the current agreement, this time for 30 days beyond the Jan. 29 expiration. The new agreement is subject to approval by the Sino-British Joint Liaison Group, which administers Hong Kong's transition to Chinese rule in 1997, and Chinese members of the JLG have refused so far to endorse the pact, saying Cathay Pacific Airways had not been authorized to negotiate it on behalf of Hong Kong.
Mercury Air Group, Inc. has made a $25 million public offering of 7 3/4% convertible subordinated debentures due Feb. 1 2006. Proceeds will be used to pay off the outstanding balance on the company's revolving line of credit, and for other purposes.
Emirates faces setbacks in its two new Asia/Pacific routes. The carrier was not able to get Vietnam-Singapore traffic rights from Vietnam, so it operates that sector blind. By contrast, Vietnam Airlines has full traffic rights from Dubai for its Europe flights. Emirates' Australia start-up has been delayed, possibly until May. Other plans for the region involve service to Kuala Lumpur, possibly from winter 1996, and to Japan in a deal with Japan Airlines. Emirates hopes for a Japan launch next year, when it gets its first Boeing 777B.
DOT has granted Mexicana authority to operate scheduled service between Durango and Chicago; Zacatecas and Ontario, Calif.; Leon and San Antonio, and Morelia and Ontario. "Although Mexicana's designations to operate these services continue in full force in two of these markets, due to an administrative oversight timely renewal applications were not filed with the department to extend Mexicana's authority beyond January 20, 1996 [the deadline]," said Mexicana.
TWA is a new airline partner of Hilton Hotels' HHonors guest reward program. Members of TWA's Frequent Flight Bonus program can earn 500 miles for qualifying stays at business rates at more than 220 Hilton hotels. HHonors members can earn HHonors points and TWA miles for their stays, plus an additional 250 HHonors partner bonus points for each TWA flight taken in conjunction with a stay.
DOT is prohibiting SkyWest from terminating essential air service at Page, Ariz., through April 17 or until a replacement carrier begins service. SkyWest had filed its intent to stop the service Dec. 19, 1995, asking to be allowed to suspend the service effective Feb. 1, less than the usual 90 days. However, noting that SkyWest was the only carrier serving the market, DOT is requiring the carrier to maintain its 10 nonstop and one-stop roundtrips per week between Page and Phoenix, while the department requests proposals for replacement service.
Airlines in China recorded 1.2 million hours of flight time in 1995 with zero accidents, according to Boeing. This is the first time in eight years - when the industry was much smaller - that China's carriers reached this milestone, according to the company.
Delta Chairman Ron Allen, admitting that the carrier has cut too deeply in some areas and made changes too quickly in others to meet financial goals, yesterday gave employee morale a shot in the arm by restoring the 5% wage cut made three years ago by non-contract employees. Some employees also will receive a lump-sum payment this month from the profit sharing plan, and the plan still has the potential of an additional 5% lump-sum payment at the end of the fiscal year - June 30 - if Delta achieves a full profit performance level of 10%.
The U.S. and Germany said yesterday they have reached a framework for an open skies aviation agreement. DOT Secretary Federico Pena, terming Germany "a critically important aviation partner, the second largest market in Europe for U.S. carriers," said the framework "can lead to an agreement that will represent a major step forward and dramatically expand service for consumers in both nations." The two countries are scheduled to begin formal negotiations Feb. 22 in Washington to work out the specifics on the agreement, said a U.S. official.
FAA has granted full certification to Saab's 340BPlus extended wing tip program, the Swedish manufacturer reported. Transport Canada certified the extended wings late last year and they were installed on two 340BPlusses operated by Canadian Regional affiliate Calm Air (DAILY, Dec. 15).
KLM and partner Northwest will add frequencies this summer between Amsterdam and three U.S. destinations - Minneapolis/St. Paul, San Francisco and Memphis. San Francisco will receive daily service, up from three flights per week, operated by KLM. The carrier will offer two flights per day from Minneapolis, up from eight per week, and it will increase service to Memphis in June from four times a week to daily. Northwest will use one of its aircraft to operate New York flights this summer, replacing a KLM jet.
