Birmingham, England-based Community Express Airlines, a small regional carrier in which U.S. airline company Mesa Air Group holds a large minority stake, last week launched service to London Gatwick Airport from both Birmingham and East Midlands, England. Mesa, a non-U.K. company and thereby prohibited by English law from holding a controlling interest in a British-licensed company, holds a 44% share of Community Express. Bob Dynan, president of Mesa's Liberty Express division, and W.
Express I Airlines Dec. 1 took delivery of one Saab 340A aircraft from The CIT Group. Lease term of the aircraft, formerly on lease to Comair Airlines, is 12 months.
Fairchild Aircraft has promoted Don Jenkins to VP-regional sales, South Pacific. Jenkins, who for four years has been Fairchild's VP- customer support, will be responsible for all sales in the South Pacific, including Australia and New Zealand. Fairchild manufactures the Metro 23.
Following President Clinton's veto this week of a budget reconciliation bill that included a further two-year airline exemption from the fuel tax, the airline industry says it will push to keep the measure in whatever budget bill is approved by Congress and the administration. The administration continues to oppose extension of the industry's exemption, which expired on Oct. 1. ATA President Carol Hallett said the industry's return to profitability this year "has been the result of painful cuts and layoffs.
Conquest Airlines is launching new fare programs in both its Texas and Midwest markets, including a one-way youth fare of $69 from 9:05 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. between any two cities on its system. The youth fare, available to anyone between the ages of 12 and 22, is effective immediately. Also effective immediately, Conquest will offer companion fares on any flight in Texas that departs during the same hours. Passengers paying the full fare can bring a companion along for only the airport passenger facilitiy charge.
Boeing 747 Systemwide Aircraft Utilzation Per Day Second Quarter 1995 B747-100 Northwest TWA United Number of Aircraft Operated 23 9 18 Total Fleet Operations Departures 36 12 25 Block Hours 259 73 149 Flight Hours 242 67 139
Negotiations between Atlantic Southeast Airlines and the Association of Flight Attendants will be assisted from now on by the National Mediation Board. Negotiations on a collective bargaining agreement have been under way since June 1, and AFA said yesterday it is "tired of the company's stalling tactics." AFA National President Patricia Friend said, "We're going to get a contract by the time of the Olympics, and if it takes mediation to do it, we're ready." The AFA, which represents 325 flight attendants at ASA, says staffing, pay and work rules are inadequate.
Nakanihon Airline Service Co. Ltd. of Japan has ordered a third Fokker 50, to be delivered this week, Fokker said. The aircraft, like the regional's other two 50s, will be configured for 56 seats. Nakanihon is 80% owned by Meitetsu group and 20% by All Nippon Airways.
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia-based Pelangi Air has signed a contract with Bombardier Regional Aircraft to buy six Dash 8s - four 37-passenger Series 200s and two 50-passenger series 300s. Value of the deal was estimated at US$75 million. Deliveries will begin in the second quarter of 1996. On Nov. 29, Saeaga Airlines, another Malaysian carrier, an-nounced the purchase of two Dash 8s - one Series 200 and one Series 3-00 - and one 50- pas-senger Canadair Regional Jet, in a deal valued at about US$49 million (DAILY, Dec. 1).
Citing "insufficient passenger loads" on its Buffalo-Boston flights, Business Express said it will suspend the service, effective Jan. 1. The carrier currently offers three daily nonstops between the two cities. The Delta Connection and Northwest Airlink partner said it will continue to offer two daily nonstops between Buffalo and New York Kennedy Airport.
Lufthansa has elevated an American, Frederick Reid, to be executive VP of its passenger division, effective Jan. 1. Friedel Roedig will fill a new post as managing director of the carrier's 23 alliances and cooperation agreements.
DOT has tentatively selected Peninsula Airways to provide subsidized essential air service at Atka and Umnak Island (Nikolski), Alaska for a two year through Nov. 30, 1997, at an annual rate of $279,057. Peninsula will operate two roundtrips per week over a Dutch Harbor-Nikolski-Atka-Dutch Harbor routing, using nine-seat Grumman APT-6 aircraft. One Nikolski stop each week would be a flagstop.
New European 100-passenger jet built in conjunction with Korea and China appears more and more in doubt, according to analysts and knowledgeable industry sources. Both Aerospatiale and Fokker have been talking to the two Asian countries, but sources say the market cannot take another 100-seater, with Avro, Boeing, Fokker and McDonnell Douglas already in the picture. "What the airlines can pay and what the manufacturers must charge are far apart," said one industry source, opining that what the market really wants is in the 75-passenger category.
Kiwi will offer $89 one-way fares to all its destinations, except on the Newark-West Palm Beach route, through Dec. 16. Tickets must be purchased at least two days prior to departure and travel must take place by Dec. 16.
British Airways has named Tony Fortnam VP-government and industry affairs in Washington, D.C., effective Dec. 16. Fortnam was counselor for transport and the environment at the British Embassy in Washington. He replaces Mark Dunkerley, who is now BA's country manager for the Czech Republic and Slovakia in Prague.
For the third consecutive year, American International Airways will provide the Postal Service with air transportation and ground-handling services for second-day mail among 31 cities during the holidays. The $36 million contract begins Dec. 9. AIA will deploy 34 aircraft to handle the 13-day assignment.
Wisconsin is safe for travelers and everyone else. Runzheimer International reports that FBI data show Wausau, Eau Claire, Appleton- Oshkosh-Neenah and Sheboygan are the U.S. metropolitan areas with the lowest violent crimes. Wausau has the lowest assault and rape rate and is second lowest in burglary, third lowest in car theft, fourth lowest in murder and ninth lowest in property crime. Other cities with low violent crime rates are Bangor, Maine; Provo, Utah, and Bismarck, N.D.
British Airways World Cargo received a contract to handle cargo at New York for its alliance partner Qantas Airways. Qantas operates three weekly 747 freighters wet-leased from Evergreen Airways.
FAA, reacting to an air traffic controller union representative's assertion that the agency and the union will approach Congress for more money, yesterday denied it will seek a further $24 million in appropriations to pay for increased staffing at seven busy air traffic control facilities (DAILY, Dec. 6). Monte Belger, FAA associate administrator for air traffic services, rebutted a statement by Kevin Haggerty of the National Air Traffic Controllers Association that FAA and NATCA will visit Capitol Hill next week in an attempt to get the extra appropriations.
Delta and its Air Line Pilots Association unit's negotiating committee have reached a tentative agreement on the proposal to increase flying in the 100-seat market, and on the scope clause. The 100-seat initiative will allow Delta to pay pilots less for flying in less lucrative markets, gaining efficiencies that will enable it to keep flying routes that it might have had to hand over to a Delta Connection carrier or abandon altogether.
American Express will reveal its 1996 trends and forecasts for business travel Dec. 12. This year's report predicts that all segments of business travel spending will grow. The report has an expanded section on group travel that analyzes conventions, meetings and incentive travel, and includes a special technology update on trends in electronic ticketing and hotel check-in.
The Greater Miami Convention&Visitors Bureau (GMCVB), anticipating record travel to the city and its beaches by yearend, unveiled aggressive promotions for 1996. Already under way are plans to beef up investments in tourism by shifting resources made available by staff reductions and program cuts to direct advertising. The GMCVB will work with its sales and public relations officers in key markets through travel trade shows, familiarization tours, consumer promotions and media missions.
FAA and a number of government and industry partners will use the occasion of the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta to demonstrate the capabilities of satellite navigation, data link and other technologies for helicopter operators. The agency yesterday announced its plans for handling security and air traffic in the Atlanta area from July 15 through Aug. 9. FAA will spend about $2 million on temporary duty personnel, overtime, security enhancements and installation and operation of four mobile air traffic control towers.
Standard&Poor's is keeping GPA Group on CreditWatch with "developing" implications, the company said. The aircraft lessor's credit rating may be raised or lowered following GPA's filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission of a $4.5 billion aircraft lease securitization. S&P released the statement after GPA announced this week that it has filed to sell 230 leased aircraft, two-thirds of its fleet, to a newly formed group that would sell lease-backed notes to the public.
