Air 21 has chosen Rolls-Royce Canada to perform maintenance on the Spey Mk. 555-15 engines powering its Fokker 28 aircraft. The three-year maintenance contract is valued at about $10 million, according to Rolls. Air 21 currently operates scheduled service from its Fresno, Calif., base to Palm Springs, Los Angeles, and San Francisco. The new-entrant carrier owns four F28s and has options for eight more.
Frontier Airlines, which began operations in July 1994, said traffic rose 164% in December to 60.7 million revenue passenger miles. Capacity increased 117% to 100 million available seat miles, resulting in a load factor jump to 60.7% in December 1995 from 49.8% in December 1994. Traffic for July-December 1995 rose 185% from the same half-year in 1994. Passenger enplanements were up 148%. December 1995 December 1994 6 Months 1995 6 Months 1994 RPMs 60,652,000 22,951,000 224,826,000 78,936,000
Airways Corp. of New Zealand has selected ARINC as the data link service provider for its FANS 1 communications system. The contract will expedite air/ground communications in the Auckland Flight Information Region for the final phase of Airways' upgrade to an automated oceanic air traffic control system. The FANS 1 communication service is scheduled to be operational in time for the integration of Airways' equipment in April.
Newly appointed Transportation Minister Kamei Yoshiyuki announced last Friday plans to form as soon as possible a study group with government representatives and local communities to accelerate plans for a third Tokyo airport. Last fall, the Aviation Council, an advisory group to the transport minister, proposed construction of the facility in its report for the Seventh Airport/Airway Five-Year Program (1996-2000). To be built offshore, the airport is expected to be completed within 15 to 20 years.
Japan and Singapore, during three days of bilateral talks that concluded Saturday in Tokyo, agreed to increase traffic between the two countries. The accord permits carriers from each country to operate three additional Japan-Singapore services, using Boeing 747 aircraft. In addition, each side may operate up five additional weekly frequencies between the countries in joint services with third-country carriers. Japan is allowed to operate three weekly flights beyond Singapore to India, while Singapore can fly three weekly frequencies beyond Japan to Canada.
Krasnoyarsk Airlines, operating as KrasAir, applied for renewal of its authority to operate combination service between Russia and the U.S. The carrier received an exemption last year for scheduled service between Russia and New York, Miami, Los Angeles and San Francisco (DAILY, Jan. 17, 1995). A former division of Aeroflot, KrasAir is 51% owned by the Russian state, 44% by employees and 5% by an investment fund. It operates 50 Russian-made aircraft and two DC-10-30s leased from Douglas Aircraft. (Docket OST-95-523)
American will lead off tomorrow a two-week parade in which many U.S. airlines will divulge how profitable they were in the fourth quarter of 1995, and for the year.Northwest will follow on Thursday, USAir next Monday, Continental and United on Tuesday, Delta and Southwest on Thursday and America West the following Monday.TWA says that because of its financial restructuring it will wait and issue audited results late in February.
Delta is moving into Las Vegas this spring from six cities. On April 1, it will begin nonstop daily flights from Kansas City, New York Kennedy and Orlando to Las Vegas, and on May 1 from Boston, Calgary and New Orleans. Flights depart and arrive at all six cities in late evening or early morning.
The Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority, which operates Dulles and National airports, is urging DOT to renew Lufthansa's authority to provide scheduled combination service between Frankfurt and Washington, and beyond Washington on a blind-sector basis to and from Mexico City. Operated under Lufthansa's code-share arrangement with United, the daily service "has benefited the traveling and shipping public and has afforded the Washington region with competitive service options," said MWAA.
All Nippon Airways President Seiji Fukatsu will address the International Aviation Club's monthly luncheon on Jan. 18 in Washington. Lunch costs $35 per person and begins at 12:30 p.m. at the Capital Hilton Hotel, 16th&K Sts., N.W.
Fernando Pinto, president and chief executive of wholly owned subsidiary Rio-Sul, has been named president and CEO of Varig, according to DAILY affiliate Aviation-Latin America&Caribbean. Pinto succeeds Carlos Willy Engels.
Tower Air's scheduled-service traffic jumped 34.7% to 318 million revenue passenger miles in December, and 30.3% to 3.6 billion RPMs for the year. Available seat miles increased 32.3% in December and 29.5% for the year. Load factors were 71% in December, up 1.4 percentage points from December 1994, and 74.7% for the year. Dec 95 Dec 94 12 Mths 95 12 Mths 94 RPMs 318,000,000 236,000,000 3,596,000,000 2,759,000,000 ASMs 448,000,000 339,000,000 4,811,000,000 3,716,000,000
Rep. William Clinger (R-Pa.), chairman of the House Government Reform and Oversight Committee, said he will retire at the end of the current Congress. He was ranking Republican of the House aviation subcommittee from 1989 through 1994.
American welcomed news from Colombian officials that alcohol found in the remains of the captain of Flight 965, which crashed last month near Cali, was the product of a natural body chemical process and did not come from consumption. Bob Baker, executive VP-operations, said American regrets that premature and incomplete forensic test data were leaked to the press.
America West has reduced fares from snow-plagued eastern cities Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, New York, Newark, Philadelphia and Washington, D.C., to Los Angeles, Phoenix, Tucson and Las Vegas. Tickets must be purchased by Jan. 19 for travel through Feb. 29. The "sunsational" fares range from $234 roundtrip between Boston and Las Vegas to $332 between Philadelphia and Las Vegas.
Air Atlantic has asked for authority to operate nonscheduled combination service between points in Canada and points in the U.S. In its application, the Canadian carrier noted that the charter services it proposes "are wholly consistent with the terms of the 1995 [U.S.-Canada] agreement." It plans to operate transborder charter service using 77- passenger BAe-146 aircraft, offering sports team charters as well as flights to "sun spots." Air Atlantic currently operates scheduled and unscheduled services within Canada.
Kiwi International Air Lines is shrinking its ranks, beefing up marketing and trying to cut its cost per available seat mile by 10% to ensure its long-term survival. The airline studied costs and operations for the past few months to come up with the new plan, called Beyond Tomorrow, which also is designed to increase revenues by 20%. The largest savings, $3 million annually, will come from cutting 60 jobs from the work force, spread throughout the system except for flight crews, and reducing about a dozen salaries, including those of pilots.
Servicios Avensa (Servivensa) has asked DOT to renew its authority to operate scheduled combination service between Venezuela and New York, via Aruba. The carrier currently operates daily nonstop Caracas-New York service, using Boeing 727 aircraft. Servivensa is a wholly owned subsidiary of Aerovias Venezolanas (Avensa). (Docket OST-96-992)
British Airways opened up bidding to five aircraft manufacturers with news yesterday that it is in the market for as many as 60 regional jets in an order that could be worth $1 billion. BA said Airbus Industrie, Avro, Boeing, Fokker and McDonnell Douglas are contenders for the order. The airplanes would be used on regional routes in the U.K. and in Europe by BA and its subsidiaries and alliance partners, such as British Airways Regional and Deutsche BA. The new aircraft would replace 36 737-200s BA acquired in 1983 and 1984, and they might provide additional capacity.
Capital Cargo International Airlines has asked DOT for authority to accept bookings and payment for cargo charter flights beginning Feb. 15. The carrier said it has satisfied all major preconditions for certification, except for completion of FAA Part 121 certification, which it expects to finish early in February. Capital Cargo said it would establish an escrow account for payments made to it for cargo transportation to occur after the effective date of its certification. (Docket OST-96-985)
Substantial investments in dual taxiways, runways and access roads will be needed to compensate for lost gates resulting from the design of American's proposed superconcourse at Miami Airport, according to airlines challenging the upgrade in a lawsuit (DAILY, Oct. 6, 1995).
Federal Express Corp. said last week's snowstorms in the eastern U.S. may have cost it as much as $20 million in lost revenues, and its operating profits for the third quarter, which ends Feb. 29, will be "significantly below" Wall Street estimates. FedEx blamed the shortfall on the latest storm, several earlier storms and continuing sluggishness of its international business. The company noted that the storm closed 18 airports in the Northeast, a region that accounts for 25% to 30% of its worldwide package volume.
Maverick Airways has asked DOT for permission to withdraw its application for a certificate to operate scheduled service. The would-be startup carrier said it has restructured its financing plan, changing it substantially from the one in its pending application, and it plans to submit a revised application. Maverick had planned to operate to Rocky Mountain resort and business destinations, targeting communities where regional service has been reduced or eliminated.
Eighth annual Greater Washington Aviation Open golf tournament is scheduled May 6 at the Manor Country Club. Proceeds benefit charity. For more information, contact Paul Bollinger by fax, 610-975-6700.
