Western Pacific Airlines has awarded a 10-year contract for maintenance to BF Goodrich Aerospace. The contract involves five maintenance divisions of BF Goodrich, and also involves purchasing, inventory management, engineering services, technical information and training and a "sizable investment" in spares, rotables and expendable inventories.
The future shape of USAfrica Airways operations still is being negotiated, USAfrica President Gregory Lewis told The DAILY. The carrier concluded last week an agreement in principle to sell all its stock and route authority to Tower Air. Lewis said it has not been determined whether USAfrica will be a separate entity controlled by Tower or will be merged with Tower, or whether he will play a role in the operation.
Summary of U.S. Major Carriers International Traffic June 1995 Revenue Average Revenue Passengers Length of Passenger Enplaned % Travel Miles Carriers (000) Change (Miles) (000) American 1,241 10.16 2,261 2,805,813 Atlantic 360 6.20 4,100 1,477,050 Latin 848 12.26 1,354 1,147,454
National Mediation Board will convene a meeting between Federal Express pilots and management today in Washington on training, reduction in force, filling vacancies and general provisions, four contract sections on which the Air Line Pilots Association and the company were able to reach conceptual understandings in their most recent round of negotiations. The pilots still are engaged in self-help following last year's impasse in negotiations.
Chris Nassenstein has jumped ship from Canadian Airlines to work for rival Air Canada. Nassenstein, most recently VP-maintenance and engineering at Canadian, replaces John Dickie Feb. 1 as Air Canada's VP-technical operations.
FAA and the Pentagon want to coordinate reporting on electromagnetic testing after discovering that a mysterious "wormhole" north of St. Louis, which was interfering with the civil Global Positioning System satellite signal, was caused by radiation/antenna pattern testing at a McDonnell Douglas plant.
- In Federal Register dated Dec. 29...Superseded an airworthiness directive on Piper PA28-140 aircraft concerning replacement of oil cooler hoses. - In FR dated Jan. 2...Issued special conditions on Fairchild SA227-CC/DC (C-26B) airplanes modified by Rockwell Collins.
Air 4000, Inc. has applied for an operating certificate to perform scheduled service between Myrtle Beach, S.C., and Detroit, Philadelphia and Cleveland. If approved, the potential new entrant, which will operate as Jet Express, plans to begin operations on or about March 1 with a single leased 122-seat 737-200. Air 4000 plans to offer point-to-point, low-fare service between Myrtle Beach and the three northern destinations, proposing off-peak fares as low as $79 and peak fares up to $139.
Carriers of the Orient Airlines Association earned $1.31 billion in after- tax net profits in 1994/95, up 308% from 1993/94 but short of the $1.5 billion the group earned in 1991/92. As of Oct. 1, the 16 OAA carriers operated 1,060 jets, with 349 more on order through 2001.
Nine regional airline stocks took a tumble in December, dropping an average of $1.20 per share to close the year at $10.48. Total market value for the nine issues was down $343.8 million to $2.147 billion. Seven stocks declined in value, led by market leader and Delta Connection carrier Comair, down a full $6.50 to $26.88 per share. Delta Connection Atlantic Southeast followed with a dip of $4.75 to $21.50, while Delta Connection SkyWest posted a more modest 88-cent decline to $12.88 per share.
TWA is seeking renewal of its certificate authority to operate scheduled combination service between New York and Moscow. Conceding that the authority is currently unused, the carrier said it "should nevertheless be renewed, consistent with the department's well-established policy on continuing dormant certificate rights." (Docket OST-95-984)
FlightSafety International said Embraer of Brazil has named it the official training company for the EMB-145 regional jetliner. FlightSafety Simulation will start soon on design and construction of a Level D simulator and other training equipment for the Embraer center in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The simulator will have the Vital ChromaView visual system and MultiView display. Brit Air has ordered a Level D full flight simulator for the Canadair RJ from FlightSafety Simulation, for use at its flight training center at Morlaix, France.
ValuJet is offering a systemwide two-for-one fare special for reservations made by Jan. 25. Travel must be completed by Feb. 14. Roundtrip purchase and Saturday night stay are not required.
Alaska Airlines will inaugurate nonstop service between Portland and Spokane Jan. 7, and will add a second daily flight Jan. 21. The carrier also will increase flying from Seattle to Phoenix, Los Angeles and Anchorage, and between Portland and San Jose and San Francisco and Palm Springs. The Portland-Spokane flights, when added to those of sister carrier Horizon Air, enable customers to choose flights virtually every hour from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Alaska and Horizon Air are offering free roundtrip tickets until Jan. 18 to every fare-paying passenger boarding in Seattle or Portland who is traveling to or through Spokane, San Jose, Oakland, San Francisco and Sacramento. Any available fare qualifies for the free ticket, which can be used Jan. 19 through May 22 or given to one of three designated charities.
TWA's December traffic grew 1.2% on 1.1% fewer available seat miles. International capacity was down 8.1% from the December 1994 level. The load factor was 62.2%, up 1.4 percentage points. TWA carried 2.2% more passengers systemwide but 4.2% fewer on international flights. For the year, traffic was flat, compared with 1994, on a 3.3% capacity decrease, lifting the load factor 2.1 points to 65.7. TWA flew 3% more passengers in 1995 than in 1994. Dec 95 Dec 94 12 Mths 95 12 Mths 94
New Regional Aircraft Orders And Options Firm Orders Options Carrier No. Type No. Type Engines Air Express 1 Beech 1900D - - PT6A-67D Crossair 5 Saab 2000 - - AB2100A Ethopian Airlines 5 Fokker 50 - - PW127B Great China 1 DHC-8-300 - - PW123 Orca Air 2 Metro 23E 4 Metro 23B TPE331-12UA-701G
Western Pacific is dropping Wichita from its route network on Jan. 31. On Jan. 8, the carrier is beginning service to Atlanta, and on Feb. 1 to San Antonio, Nashville and San Jose. WestPac has been operating one flight a day to Wichita.
Financial blockbuster 1995 will be a tough act to follow, but Wall Street is banking that U.S. airlines will be able to make gains this year by doing more of what they did last year - keeping costs and capacity in check and air fares up. "This is going to be a good year, not a great year, but a good year" predicts Helane Becker, an analyst for Smith Barney. "1995 was a great year," she says.
Hilton Hotels and Resorts has joined Northwest's WorldPerks program. Members of the frequent flyer club can earn 500 miles when staying at any of Hilton's 200 U.S. hotels. From Feb. 1 through May 15, hotel guests will receive 1,500 miles for each business-rate stay charged to an American Express card. Northwest said Conrad International Hotels, in exotic foreign locations, also has joined WorldPerks.
Boeing Commercial President Ron Woodard predicted yesterday that the company will sell more aircraft this year than last. He said Boeing recaptured the lead for aircraft orders in 1995 by a wide margin over Airbus Industrie, which slid from No. 1 in 1994 to third place, behind Douglas Aircraft. Boeing received 346 orders in 1995, valued at $31.2 billion, for a 69.7% market share, Woodard said. Douglas received 114 orders, while Airbus Industrie received 106. "Our goal is to increase order volume in 1996 over 1995," Woodard said.
Northwest yesterday announced May 1 as the starting date for its newly authorized service between Detroit and Beijing, the first nonstops between the U.S. and China. The carrier will operate three roundtrip flights per week in the market, using Boeing 747-400 aircraft. The Dec. 23 aviation agreement between the U.S. and China cleared the way for the service (DAILY, Jan. 2), and Northwest President and CEO John Dasburg said the carrier is "grateful to U.S.
U.S. Virgin Islands has launched an advertising campaign to attract tourists. The theme uses humor to set the islands apart from others in the Caribbean. Major hotels on the islands begin offering discounted rates this month, and USAir will begin daily service from Baltimore to St. Croix Feb. 14. American, Delta and Prestige Airlines already offer direct service.
DOT has extended through Jan. 29 the obligation of SkyWest Airlines to provide essential air service at Ely, Nev. The carrier filed its 90-day notice of intent to suspend the service last Aug. 1 but was held in the market through Dec. 28 as DOT sought replacement service. Late last year, it selected Alpine Air to replace SkyWest on the service beginning Feb. 1, requiring SkyWest to maintain the service until that time.
USAir Express is adding a seventh daily flight from Tallahassee to Orlando, an eighth daily flight to Miami and new service - two daily flights - to West Palm Beach. It also will operate five daily roundtrips between Tallahassee and Charlotte, replacing four jet flights. USAir said the changes at Tallahassee, all effective Feb. 14, are part of its continuing effort to right-size itself and improve profitability. Piedmont Airlines will operate the Charlotte and Orlando services and FloridaGulf the Miami and West Palm Beach services.
