Frontier Airlines is the first airline to sign a new operating agreement and terminal building lease at El Paso, Texas. El Paso, which says it has not increased its landing fees in 20 years, wanted to hike the fees 327% because it no longer receives subsidies from non-aeronautical sources that have kept costs low for the carriers (DAILY, Dec. 13). A spokeswoman said the landing fees have been 32 cents per 1,000 pounds gross landed weight, the city passed an ordinance to raise them to $1.21, and the settlement with Frontier is for $1.17.
The City of Houston and the Greater Houston Partnership urged DOT to approve China Airlines' bid to operate scheduled combination service between Taipei, Taiwan, and Houston, via San Francisco. The carrier proposes code-share service in which it would operate between Taipei and San Francisco and Continental would fly the San Francisco-Houston segments (DAILY, Feb. 14).
United has introduced a buffet-style gourmet cart dinner service for passengers in first class on flights from Miami to Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paulo, Belo Horizonte, Buenos Aires and Santiago, offering regional selections such as stuffed squid and baby lamb chops with chorizo sausage.
DOT Secretary Federico Pena said Friday that FAA has reassessed Manila Airport and found that its security procedures meet international standards. An FAA team visited the facility Jan. 29-Feb. 2 to re-evaluate security after determining in an Aug. 8 inspection that the airport did not administer and maintain effective security measures. The new findings clear the airport of its adverse rating, and airlines can drop the required warning to ticket buyers.
AirTran Airways will move into Richmond, Va., March 28 with flights to Orlando at fares as low as $69 one way. The carrier will operate nonstop flights six days a week with 737 aircraft. Orlando is the eighth-largest destination from Richmond.
America West has started a World Wide Web site that will enable users to book flights directly by the end of the year. In the first phase of the service, which went online last week, users can access information on products and services, advertising and marketing programs, cargo and travel agents, news releases and company history. Flight schedules will be available by summer. In the second phase, to be completed by fall, the site will be interactive, enabling users to check flight arrival and departure times and their personal FlightFund account information.
TWA is offering discounts on weekend fares for travel from St. Louis in 16 domestic markets until May 14. The fares require a one-day advance purchase, and the deadline is March 8. Travel must begin on a Saturday and end on a Monday or Tuesday. Sample roundtrip fares range from $99 to Nashville, Wichita, Sioux Falls, Cincinnati, Moline and Jackson, Miss., to $149 to Sacramento, Reno and Ontario, Calif.
While fatigue has proved to be a factor in highway, rail and marine accidents, the finding does not apply to the airline cockpit, according to former National Transportation Safety Board member and current Delta executive John Lauber. "They are different worlds entirely, the tasks are much different," said Lauber, an opponent of FAA's proposed flight- and duty-time rule for commercial pilots.
Aerovias de Mexico (Aeromexico) sharply narrowed its fourth quarter loss last year to 130 million pesos (US$17.11 million at US$1=7.6 pesos), down from 2.68 billion pesos (US$352.63 million) lost in fourth quarter 1994. For the year, Aeromexico lost 173 million pesos (US$22.76 million), compared with a 3.43 billion peso (US$451.32 million) loss in 1994. The per-share loss for the year was 0.020 pesos, compared with 8.96 pesos for 1994. Aeromexico pegged its success to a 4% drop in costs and a 1% uptick in revenues.
The U.S. agreed Friday to schedule another round of cargo talks with Japan after Japan withdrew a threat to scrap last year's stopgap agreement unless the two sides reached a cargo deal by their March 31 target. "We were deeply disturbed by the linkage and protested it strongly," a senior administration official said. The threat, putting at risk the deal on beyond-Japan frequencies that enabled Federal Express to open its transshipment facility at Subic Bay, was included in a proposal put forward Wednesday night by Japan.
Aerolineas Argentinas has added a fifth weekly nonstop flight between New York Kennedy Airport and Buenos Aires. With two flights per week operating via Miami, the carrier offers daily flights in the New York-Buenos Aires market.
International passengers arriving at Atlanta can claim their bags from two new carousels in the North Terminal dedicated entirely to international flights. Delta is constructing an international-only baggage carousel in the South Terminal, to be operational by the end of the month.
Despite a projected debt level of $188 per enplaned passenger by 2004, Moody's confirmed Miami Airport's Aa rating on outstanding debt. Debt is estimated to rise 137% from the current $79 to finance Miami's $3.4 billion improvement plan, which includes American's Super A concourse.
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FAA canceled a news conference last week at which it planned to announce implementation of a Free Flight steering task force. A meeting of the task force scheduled this Wednesday also was canceled. Opposition by the chief counsel's office was described by a Free Flight proponent as an "overzealous interpretation" of the Federal Advisory Committee Act "by lawyers who seem determined to find ways not to get something done."
KLM plans to operate a fourth weekly flight between Seoul and Amsterdam this summer using a 747 combi. The extra flight is possible under a new aviation agreement completed last week by the Dutch and South Korean governments, KLM said. The accord will allow KLM to increase Korea- Europe capacity sharply, and the carrier estimates that demand in the market will grow 25% to 30% this year. Further negotiations will take place in September with an eye toward accommodating more growth in the market, KLM said.
Swissair launched five-times-a-week service between Newark and Zurich Friday and will increase the frequency to daily as of March 31. Including service between Zurich and New York Kennedy Airport, Swissair will have 21 weekly flights to the New York area.
BWIA Airways International has fired President and Chief Operating Officer Ed Wegel, the second top executive it has dropped this year. Michael Stanfield of Loebs Partners, the lead U.S. financial institution that took the carrier private last year, will replace him with the title of interim chief executive. Stanfield will hold the post four months while the carrier searches for someone to fill the slot vacated earlier by Edward Acker.
