Boeing scheduled a meeting today with the striking Machinists union after the National Labor Relations Board filed a complaint Wednesday against some of the company's bargaining tactics with the union. The NLRB scheduled an unfair labor practices hearing Dec. 19 before an administrative law judge. The NLRB general counsel's office in Washington, D.C., also said it has "under active consideration" a request from its regional director in Seattle for a federal court injunction to compel Boeing to bargain in good faith.
Varig and Delta plan to expand their code-sharing service between New York and Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro to two flights a day - one daily roundtrip to each Brazilian city - on Dec. 1.
Southwest's October load factor dropped five percentage points from a year ago to 60%, but management said it was pleased with overall revenue production. Traffic increased 4% from a year ago on 12.7% more capacity, and the number of passengers boarded rose 1.9%. The average length of haul increased 2.2% to 514 miles, and the number of trips flown rose 9.6% to 60,810. "Our October traffic results were in line with expectations," said Gary Kelly, chief financial officer.
Air Micronesia, seeking to take advantage of new agreements between U.S. and Asian nations, has applied for authority to operate all-cargo service on a Guam-Manila-Hong Kong routing, with fifth-freedom rights between Manila and Hong Kong. The carrier proposes five weekly roundtrip flights on the route beginning in January 1996, using Boeing 727 aircraft. The carrier notes that the service is consistent with the new U.S.-Philippines bilateral and the U.S.-Hong Kong Memorandum of Understanding. (Docket OST- 95-764)
Delta's systemwide passenger traffic fell 1.1% last month on 0.2% more capacity, depressing the load factor 0.9 percentage points to 65.9%. Boardings declined 2.7%. Delta's domestic traffic was down 0.5% on 1.7% more capacity, and its international traffic 2.8% on 4.2% fewer available seat miles. Through the first 10 months of 1995, systemwide traffic declined 1.3% on 0.2% more capacity, causing the load factor to rise one point to 65.7%. Oct 95 Oct 94 10 Mths 95 10 Mths 94
U.S. National Carriers Operating Revenues and Expenses Second Quarter 1995 Operating Operating Revenues Expenses (000) (000) Second Quarter 1995 Alaska $ 298,588 $ 275,049 Aloha 53,707 57,782 American Trans Air 165,560 159,907
U.S. Major Carriers Operating Revenues and Expenses Second Quarter 1995 Operating Operating Revenues Expenses (000) (000) Second Quarter 1995 America West $ 402,075 $ 349,118 American 3,976,141 3,520,325 Continental 1,255,364 1,184,488
Aerolineas Latinas is seeking renewal of its existing Venezuela-U.S. authority. The carrier is permitted to operate charter and non-scheduled all-cargo services between Venezuela and the co-terminal points of Miami, New York and San Juan, Puerto Rico, via Port au Prince, Haiti. (Docket 46768&OST-95-783)
DOT has tentatively found LorAir fit to operate foreign charter service. The Torrance, Calif.-based carrier, which plans to establish an operations base at the Bullhead City Airport in Arizona, will provide charter service for sports teams traveling to away games in the U.S., Canada and Mexico, and ad hoc charter flights, using 737-200 aircraft. (Dockets OST-95-290&OST-95-702)
Canadian Airlines International and Malaysia Airlines have launched a code- sharing service between Kuala Lumpur and Vancouver, via Taipei, operating two flights a week with 747-400s. Canadian Airlines flies to Bangkok, Beijing, Hong Kong, Nagoya, Taipei and Tokyo and plans to inaugurate service to the Philippines and Vietnam in 1996.
Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) may offer an amendment to the Senate FAA reform bill (S.1239) that would drop user fees now proposed in the bill and instead order an independent audit of FAA's financial needs through 2002 and require a review of financing options for the agency.The Stevens measure also would refine personnel and procurement sections of S.1239. The Senate Commerce Committee, of which Stevens is a member, is scheduled to consider the FAA bill on Thursday.
DOT has tentatively found Air 21 fit to conduct scheduled interstate service. The carrier plans to introduce low-cost, low-fare scheduled service from its Fresno, Calif., base to Las Vegas, Los Angeles and San Francisco, using initially two leased Fokker F-28-4000 aircraft.
Vanguard Airlines said yesterday it is leasing two 737-300s from Aloha in place of two 737-400s it had agreed in principle to lease from Aloha. The aircraft, to be delivered this month and early in December, will increase Vanguard's fleet to seven aircraft and bring it into compliance with Stage 2 noise rules that become effective at the end of 1996, the carrier said.
Change in leadership of the $1 billion Standard Terminal Automation Replacement System (STARS) program does not mean FAA has changed its basic plan to maximize the use of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) procurement of hardware and software for the national airspace system, according to George Donohue, the agency's assistant administrator for research and acquisitions. Last week, FAA removed Joanne Kansier as integrated product team leader for STARS. Kansier ran into difficulties insisting that the program remain totally COTS, according to industry insiders (DAILY, Nov.
TWA's systemwide passenger traffic fell 0.3% in October on 4.7% less capacity, causing its load factor to increase 2.8 percentage points to 64%. The number of passengers boarded rose 5%. TWA's domestic traffic was up 1.5% on like growth in capacity, but its international traffic declined 4.3% on 18.7% less capacity. Through the first 10 months, TWA's systemwide traffic fell 0.3% on 3.7% less capacity, lifting the load factor 2.2 points to 66.2%. Oct 95 Oct 94 10 Mths 95 10 Mths 94
With an 89.4% record in September, Southwest scored the best on-time record among the majors for the fourth month in a row. Overall, the 10 largest U.S. carriers posted an 85.6% on-time arrival record for the month, a big improvement over August's 79.9%, according to DOT's Air Travel Consumer Report. As in August, Continental was runner-up with 88.5% and USAir ranked third at 87.2%. Delta placed last with 80.8%. The data continue to include delays caused by mechanical problems as DOT considers whether to exclude them once again.
United's flight attendants will picket UAL management's scheduled meeting today with analysts and investors at Chicago O'Hare Airport. The flight attendants, represented by the Association of Flight Attendants, plan to picket the meeting in support of their upcoming contract negotiations. Their contract becomes amendable in March, and they are not participants in the United employee stock ownership plan.
KLM Cargo is scheduled today to launch twice-weekly 747 freighter service between Amsterdam and Penang, Malaysia. The flight will operate via Dubai, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta on Tuesdays, and via Dubai, Kuala Lumpur and Singapore on Thursdays. KLM Cargo said the service is the result of the cargo open skies agreement signed recently by Dutch and Malaysian authorities.
The Air Line Pilots Association local at Federal Express is balloting its members on whether to conduct limited strikes and job actions when a 30-day cooling-off period expires at midnight Nov. 24, a union spokesman said yesterday. The balloting, conducted by a third party, will guide union leadership at the package carrier, he said.
Martha Moloney, a longtime aviation aide to Sen. Wendell Ford (D-Ky.), died Nov. 4 after a long battle with cancer. Moloney, 48, joined Ford's staff in 1977 and most recently served as his executive assistant. A memorial service will be held today at 2 p.m. at the Old Presbyterian Meeting House, 316 South Royal Street, Alexandria, Va.
ValuJet's October load factor increased 2.6 percentage points from the same month last year, to 64.2%, as its traffic gained 154% on 144% more capacity. "We are pleased to report such a strong load factor during a traditionally slow month in the airline industry," said Chairman Robert Priddy. Through the first 10 months of this year, ValuJet's traffic rose 189% on 164% more capacity, increasing the load factor 6.2 points to 70%. Oct 95 Oct 94 10 Mths 95 10 Mths 94
British Airways' first half net earnings increased 24.2% to 323 million pounds (US$510 million) on the strength of strong demand for both passenger and cargo services driven by the "buoyant" worldwide economic climate. BA's first half operating profit was 523 million pounds (US$826.3 million) and its pre-tax profit was 430 million pounds (US$679.4 million) on revenue of 4.03 billion pounds (US$6.37 billion).
El Al will become the only carrier offering nonstop weekly flights to Tel Aviv from Miami, Chicago and Los Angeles next year. The carrier will inaugurate flights from Los Angeles in the spring and from Miami and Chicago in the summer. It will add a second weekly nonstop from Los Angeles to Tel Aviv because of extremely high bookings, said Leon Hasdai, VP and general manager-North America. It also will launch direct service from San Francisco to Tel Aviv via New York Kennedy.
DOT has denied Aeroflot's application for expanded U.S. operating rights. The carrier had applied for authority to operate between Russia, via intermediate points, to Miami and beyond to Lima, Peru, as well as Russia- Honolulu-Oakland, Calif., service (DAILY, Sept. 26). The State of Hawaii and the Port of Oakland, arguing that the flights would yield new price and service options in the U.S.-Russia market, backed Aeroflot's requests.
Hawaiian Airlines yesterday reported net earnings of $4.8 million, or 48 cents per share, and an operating profit of $5.9 million for the third quarter. The airline said the results amount to its best September quarter in nine years, and Chairman Bruce Nobles said they reflect its continued efforts to improve its financial position. He added, however, that "the biggest challenge facing the company remains our need for working capital."
