Atlanta officials will begin cashing in on tourism before the summer Olympic games get under way by offering three programs highlighting the culture and arts of the American South. AT&T will sponsor Southern Crossroads, an outdoor festival in Centennial Olympic Park. The 17-day celebration will include songs, dance, music, crafts and food beginning July 18, the day before the opening ceremony. Entertainment and activities will be presented daily from noon until midnight.
DOT has granted Target Airways a certificate to operate scheduled interstate and overseas service. Based in Reno, Nev., the carrier, operating as Great American Airways, initially plans to operate once-weekly service between Salt Lake City and Wendover, Utah, using a 133-seat MD-87 (DAILY, Nov. 9, 1995). The service grows out of an agreement between the carrier and Stateline Properties, Inc., which has hotel and casino interests in Wendover. As part of a public charter program organized and marketed by Stateline, Target has operated regular charter flights to Wendover.
U.K. competition and consumer affairs ministry has blocked the proposed acquisition of Belfast City Airport by Belfast International Airport. The Monopolies and Mergers Commission concluded that the proposed purchase from Shorts would reduce competition, leading to higher airport charges and less airline competition.
Continental is putting together a World Wide Web page that will go online at the end of the first quarter.Users will be able to make a reservation or buy a ticket later in the year.Other plans for making it more convenient to book the airline: expansion of electronic ticketing to Canada, Latin America and Europe later this year, and expanding E-Ticket machines by the end of the first quarter to airports generating 90% of its passenger enplanements. (See related story following Page 54 of the hard copy of this issue.)
Summary of U.S. Major Carriers Domestic Revenues and Expenses Second Quarter 1995 (In Dollars) Total Operating % Passenger Carrier Revenues Change Revenues America West 397,925,807 9.82 369,173,025 American 2,794,066,000 2.37 2,386,614,000 Continental 1,086,798,000 8.17 961,508,000
Fine Airlines, rebutting at DOT the latest charges against it by the government of Peru, welcomed indications of a possible negotiated solution of the dispute. Last month, DOT extended through Jan. 25 its deadline for taking action on Fine's complaint against Peru, which charges that the all- cargo carrier transported arms to Ecuador during the Ecuador-Peru border war early last year and has banned Fine from operating in its territory.
A decent piece of toast will soon be available on British Airways flights, the carrier says. BA engineers have finally figured out how to brown bread properly inflight and brew a superior cup of cappuccino. The improved toast is possible with an inflight safety device that retains smoke if the bread starts to burn. BA said it is testing several prototypes. Toast and cappuccino will be available to passengers on all 90 of the carrier's long- haul aircraft by next year, the airline says, starting in first class.
Boeing's contract offer to the Seattle Professional Engineering Employees Association (SPEEA), tentatively approved last week, would give engineers and technical employees a lump-sum payment - 5% of their gross earnings through Oct. 3 - shortly after signing. The contract provides for base wage increases of 4% in the first year, 4% in the second year, 4.5% in the third year and 5% in the fourth year of the two contracts. All employees represented by the union are guaranteed to receive a portion of the raises. Ratification ballots will be counted Jan. 22 (DAILY, Jan.
Radical changes in airline distribution systems begun in 1995 promise to alter the way the industry does business in 1996. Ticketless travel, Internet booking sites and unyielding commission caps will become more widespread as airlines continue the assault on traditional booking systems to cut operating costs. The newest wrinkle - a call by some airlines to reduce computer reservations system fees in light of new technology - could shake distribution to its foundations.
BAA plc announced it has signed a non-binding letter of intent with the operator of Naples Capodichino Airport for possible purchase of a controlling equity stake in the Italian airport operator. The letter of intent, signed with the shareholders of GESAC, the airport operating company, "represents a cautious first step for BAA in mainland Europe following the success of its operations in Pittsburgh and Indianapolis and its plans to take part in the sale of the Australian airports," BAA said.
America West's traffic rose 10.4% in December compared with December 1994. Capacity for the month was up 3.7% and the load factor climbed 4.0 percentage points to 66.1%. Passenger volume rose 7.9%. For 1995, its traffic was up 8.8% on 7.5% more capacity. Load factor gained 0.8 points to 68.5%. It carried 7.5% more passengers than in 1994. Dec 95 Dec 94 12 Mths 95 12 Mths 94 RPMs 1,077,371,000 975,634,000 13,312,742,000 12,232,916,000
Southern Air Transport has applied for renewal of its authority to operate all-cargo service between points in the U.S. and Arica, Antofagasta, and Santiago, Chile. The carrier also seeks authority to continue operating the service via the intermediate and beyond points Bogota and Cali, Colombia; Caracas, Venezuela; Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, Brazil; Buenos Aires and Cordoba, Argentina; Montevideo, Uruguay; Asuncion, Paraguay; La Paz, Bolivia; Lima, Peru; Quito and Guayaquil, Ecuador; Panama City, Panama, and Mexico City, Guadalajara and Monterrey, Mexico.
Birmingham, Ala., Airport continues to be popular with passengers; the airport has set passenger boarding records in seven of the past nine years, including 1995. Boardings reached 2.5 million in 1995, an 11.7% increase over 1994 passenger totals. Birmingham Airport Authority Executive Director James Brough said the Olympics in Atlanta 1996 should make another busy year.
Delta's customers will be able to book their own flights this year on a system called VoiceView TalkShop that connects to customers' computers and telephones. Delta in February will begin using VoiceView technology that makes computer and telephone use possible together on a standard telephone line. VoiceView will be used by Delta to give customers flight information and direct dialing to reservations offices. The system was developed by Radish Communications Systems, Boulder, Colo.
Two Cessna Citation business jet accidents at the end of the year in which four pilots were killed were the only fatal accidents in 1995 involving U.S.-registered, turbine-powered, fixed-wing corporate aircraft, according to Robert E. Breiling Associates of Boca Raton, Fla. Both accidents occurred on approach during positioning flights less than 24 hours apart. One Citation, owned by Iowa Packing Co., was operating under an IFR clearance and making a VOR/DME approach to the Eagle Rivers, Wis., airport on Dec. 30 when it crashed short of the runway.
American said yesterday it has signed an agreement with Qantas Airways to increase the scope of its 1989 code-sharing arrangement with the Australian airline. Under the amended agreement, 19 additional American flights will carry Qantas codes each week in two new markets - Dallas/Fort Worth and Miami, two of American's largest hubs - from Los Angeles. At Los Angeles, the new code-share service will connect with Qantas flights headed for Sydney and Melbourne. Code sharing to Dallas/Fort Worth starts Feb. 1, and joint service to Miami will begin later in the month.
Southwest's traffic grew 13.9% last month compared with December 1994. Capacity for the month was up 10.9% while the number of passengers carried by the airline rose 11%. Load factor for the month was up 1.7 percentage points to 63.8%. The winter holidays gave Southwest a big boost, pushing the load factor to some of its highest levels for December since the early 1980s. January bookings "look strong and suggest, at this point, we should easily exceed January 1995's load factor," said Gary Kelly, Southwest's chief financial officer.
Southwest will inaugurate service to Orlando April 7 from seven cities - Fort Lauderdale, Baltimore/Washington, New Orleans, Nashville, Indianapolis, Columbus and St. Louis. It will operate one daily flight to all cities except Fort Lauderdale, which will receive five, and Baltimore/Washington, which will get two. In May, nonstops will be added to Louisville and Birmingham, giving Southwest 20 daily nonstop flights from Orlando.
American Trans Air has signed a contract with Gulf Aircraft Maintenance Co. for heavy maintenance, aging aircraft modifications, corrosion prevention and component overhaul on a Lockheed L-1011.
America West is offering Effortless Ticketing, an electronic ticketing option, in all domestic markets through its own reservations department and at airport ticket counters. The system will be available through all computer reservations systems by the second quarter of this year. America West said baggage still can be checked either at the curb or ticket counter.
Northwest's traffic increased 9.2% last month compared with December 1994 on 5.6% more capacity. The load factor grew 2.3 percentage points, to 65.9%. The systemwide traffic surge was propelled by 3.2% domestic and 18.7% international increases. For the year, the carrier's traffic was up 8.0% over 1994 on a 2.9% increase in capacity. Domestic revenue passenger miles rose 7.7% and international RPMs increased 8.5%. The passenger load factor grew 3.4 points for the year to a record 71.5%.
American's traffic gained 0.4% in December over the year-earlier level on a 0.1% decrease in capacity. Load factor for the month grew 0.4 percentage points to 64.1%. The number of passengers fell 6.5%. For 1995, American's traffic was up 3.1% on 1.3% more capacity, compared with 1994. While domestic traffic inched up only 0.6%, international traffic grew a robust 9.2%. Latin America rose 12.8%, the Atlantic 6.7% and the Pacific 3.3%. Domestic capacity was down 1.9%, but the carrier added capacity in all international markets.
Alaska Airlines last week transported what it believes is the first U.S. "cyber-traveler," between Oakland and Portland. The passenger booked ticketless passage through Alaska's new electronic reservations system on the World Wide Web.
Boeing reached tentative agreement Friday on two four-year collective bargaining contracts with the Seattle Professional Engineering Employees Association (SPEEA), which represents 22,000 engineers and technical workers. "We think the negotiating teams have lifted offers that address the needs of our members," SPEEA Executive Director Charles Bofferding said. "However, the final analysis resides with the members." SPEEA and Boeing began contract negotiations 11 months ago. The final days of talks focused on wages and compensation issues.
