Portugal, which controls Macau, and China, which will control it beginning in 1999, have approved the five-year aviation agreement signed recently by Macau and Taiwan, opening the way for what amounts to direct flights between Taiwan and the Chinese mainland. Air Macau will launch service Dec. 8 between Taipei and Beijing, via Macau. On Jan. 12 it will begin daily flights between Kaohsiung and Xiamen, also via Macau. In each case, the carrier will have to change flight numbers while the aircraft is on the ground at Macau.
U.S. airlines hired 442 airline maintenance technicians in October and 7,744 during the past 12 months. National airlines hired most during the year, 845, with American International Airways highest among them at 134. AIA is one of a few cargo and passenger charter airlines owned by the Kalitta Companies. Of the majors, United hired 201 and Airborne 154.
Conference on the fiscal 1996 Commerce-Justice-State appropriations bill (H.R.2076) agreed to $2 million for the U.S. Travel and Tourism Administration, a spending level that could require an immediate shutdown of the agency. The House bill called for $2 million for the agency, while the Senate bill provided $12 million. The Clinton administration requested $16 million.
USAfrica expects to announce today that Delaware bankruptcy court will approve its plans to secure commitment letters with Smith Management and Tower for $15 million, USAfrica President Gregory Lewis told The DAILY. Combined with assets remaining in USAfrica's estate, the fund will enable the carrier to resume service early next year. The agreement will preserve USAfrica's alliance with Continental for Boeing 747 service between Newark and Johannesburg.
Western Pacific Airlines will offer vacation packages with its air logo partner, the Broadmoor Resort in Colorado Springs. Packages are available for as low as $179 per person for a two-night trip from Phoenix, Las Vegas, Wichita and Oklahoma City. Packages include air fare and hotel accommodations, with options for a hot air balloon ride, spa use and golf outings.
U.S. District Court in Atlanta has denied an emergency request for a preliminary injunction brought by the Air Line Pilots Association and dismissed ALPA's lawsuit against Atlantic Southeast Airlines that sought to prohibit the carrier from operating the BAe 146. ASA put the jets in service Friday in operations to Chattanooga, Columbus, Ga., Asheville, N.C., Fort Walton Beach and Panama City. In February, it will use the aircraft at Myrtle Beach. ASA operates four of the aircraft.
Pratt&Whitney is folding together its engine aftermarket operations to offer airline customers a fleet management program. P&W acted nearly half a year after rival General Electric made the same move, creating a business approaching $2 billion in sales.
In Federal Register dated Nov. 22...Superseded an airworthiness directive on Bell 206 helicopters concerning the engine power-out warning sensor...Superseded an AD on Robinson R22 helicopters concerning inspection for slippage of the tail rotor drive...Proposed to supersede an AD on Boeing 737-200 aircraft concerning fail-safe straps on the engine inlet attach ring.
Federal Express Friday continued to say operations were proceeding normally after the sixth day of self-help measures pilots. The Air Line Pilots Association said, however, that measures implemented by the union - refusing overtime and alerting the public that package service could be disrupted - are having an increasing impact on operations. ALPA said that unofficially, IBM and Motorola have dropped their FedEx contracts, but FedEx said the report was false. ALPA said loads are down, apparently because of the pilot actions.
Alitalia's latest cost-cutting program may end the discounts the carrier offers to politicians (20% to 50%), priests (25%) and journalists (30%), according to Italian daily Corriere della Sera.
Boeing 727 and 737 Systemwide Aircraft Utilization Per Day Second Quarter 1995 B727-200 American Continental Delta Number of Aircraft Operated 80 47 134 Total Fleet Operations Departures 305 165 655 Block Hours 686 419 1,146
Kiwi International Air Lines has selected Travel Impressions, Farmingdale, N.Y., to sell Kiwi Vacations. Travel Impressions will sell only Florida packages initially. Prices begin at $305 for travel from Atlanta and a three-night stay in the Tampa/St. Petersburg area. Kiwi's packages formerly were sold by Concord Vacations.
Airlines began the short-term winter fare sales season Friday. Northwest is advertising up to 25% off the regular low fare for travel throughout the U.S. and Canada. Tickets must be purchased by Dec. 6 for travel Dec. 14- Jan. 7. TWA said it is offering savings of up to 35% from St. Louis, and up to 25% from other hubs and Hawaii. The tariffs are valid for travel Dec. 8-Jan. 7. Tickets must be purchased by Dec. 6. USAir reduced prices in 12,000 U.S. and Canadian markets for travel Dec. 14-Jan. 7, with a Dec. 6 purchase deadline.
Total orders for Rolls-Royce Tay 650 engines for the Fokker 100 and Tay 620s for the Fokker 70 now total 357. Rolls's volume was boosted by a recent order by Transportes Aereos Regionais of Brazil for eight Fokker 100s and another order, from a customer not identified by Fokker, for six F100s. Fokker said the lead engines on the F100 now have accumulated more than 17,000 hours and 15,000 flights, and that individual engines have remained on the wing for more than 10,000 flights.
American is increasing its marketing efforts targeted at gays and lesbians. A new employee group - Gay&Lesbian Employees at AMR (GLEAM) - is creating local chapters and the carrier has appointed a sales manager-gay and lesbian community. The Association of Professional Flight Attendants, in its Skyword magazine, said corporate America has begun to recognize that gays and lesbians are largely mobile and upscale.
Sen. Mark Hatfield (R-Ore.), chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee and its transportation subcom-mittee, Friday announced his retirement from Congress at the end of the 104th Congress (DAILY, Nov. 28). Hatfield, a five-term senator, likely will be replaced as chairman of the full committee by Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska).
America West has reduced fares at Detroit to introduce new service at Detroit Metro Airport to Phoenix and Las Vegas. The tickets must be purchased by Jan. 18 for travel Feb. 15 through March 31. America West will offer two daily departures to Phoenix and one to Las Vegas. The lowest fares are available on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays, and require a Saturday night stay. Fares are even lower for late evening flights. The roundtrip fare to both cities will be $278.
