Reno Air has applied for an operating certificate authorizing it to fly between any point in the U.S. and any point in Canada. Requesting an effective period of five years, Reno acknowledged that the certificate will be subject to the two- and three-year phase-in periods for service to Vancouver, Montreal and Toronto. Grant of the authority to Reno "will maximize the use of U.S. rights under the new U.S.-Canada Air Transport Agreement and enhance Reno Air's operating flexibility," the carrier said.
Kiwi International Air Lines is offering free travel in 1996 to passengers who fly between Dec. 1 and Dec. 17. Passengers will receive a form on the flight to fill out, attach to their boarding pass and receipt and mail in to Kiwi. The carrier will mail flight certificates to eligible passengers.
National Transportation Safety Board said yesterday the safety of commuter air carriers in Alaska could be improved by a better low-altitude instrument flight rules system that would reduce the number of fatal accidents caused by VFR flight into instrument conditions. Commuter pilot fatigue also is a "detriment to safety," the board said at a public meeting in Washington, where it gave the results of investigations into accidents, surveys of commercial pilots and operators, and public forums it convened in Alaska.
U.S. Major Carriers Pacific Share of Service Second Quarter 1995 Total Revenue Departures American 521 Delta 1,059 Northwest 5,741 United 5,574 Total 12,895 Average Number of Seats Per Departure American 244 Delta 253
The airport community should "publicly rebuke and isolate" Los Angeles Airport so airports in general "do not all get punished for the sins of Mayor [Richard] Riordan and his associates in Southern California," Air Transport Association President Carol Hallett said yesterday.
Lufthansa Group's revenues rose nearly 5% for the first nine months of 1995. Lufthansa said profits were higher than for the same 1994 period despite high currency exchange losses. "If currency rates had not spoiled our business performance, the higher output we achieved would have been reflected in a super result," Jurgen Weber, chairman of Lufthansa's executive board, said after announcing the results on Nov. 27. Turnover at the Lufthansa Group increased 4.7% to 14.2 billion Deutschmarks (US$10.2 billion, at current exchange rates of about DM1.4 per U.S.
USAir's plans to join forces with another airline, ranging from simple cooperation all the way up to an all-out merger, may be on the back burner for now but are not likely to stay there. Speaking yesterday to reporters following USAir Group Inc.'s annual stockholders meeting, Chairman Seth Schofield said the carrier has no bids before it and no scheduled talks with any suitor. He added, however, that he fully expects discussions on various options - not necessarily with American or United - as USAir positions itself for the long term.
Gulfstream International has taken delivery of two new Shorts 360 turbojets. One of the 36-seat airplanes will replace the 19-seat Beech 1990 on flights from Miami to Orlando and Key West today, and the other will operate to Tampa and Nassau in December. Gulfstream, a United code- sharing partner, will add three more Shorts 360s by mid summer.
Canadian Airlines International, stepping up competition for high-yield traffic, will introduce state-of-the-art business centers at its domestic airport locations in January. The new Empress Lounge Business Centers will offer individual workstations with personal computers, laser printers, fax machines, photocopiers and telecommunications lines for computers. At Calgary, Toronto and Vancouver, it will launch a pilot project offering Canadian Shuttle gateside business centers, beginning in December.
Northwest and United Parcel Service are seeking authority to operate new U.S.-Philippines all-cargo service. Northwest has applied to operate cargo flights between Anchorage and Manila, via Tokyo, and from Singapore to Manila, and beyond to Anchorage, via Tokyo. The carrier proposes operating a 747 all-cargo freighter on the service. Similarly, UPS wants to fly nonstop service between Anchorage and Manila, via intermediate points Seoul, Korea, and Taipei, Taiwan, and beyond points Singapore; Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia; Taipei and Seoul.
Carnival Air Lines introduced a FunPass frequent flyer program based on points for routes rather than miles flown. Passengers can earn free air tickets for six transcontinental or 10 short-haul roundtrips. Other premiums are upgrades, half-price companion coupons, phone cards, restaurant discounts, hotel rooms and Carnival Cruise Line discounts.
Sen. Mark Hatfield (R-Ore.), chairman of the Appropriations Committee and its transportation subcommittee, is expected to announce as early as this week that he will retire from the Senate at the end of the current Congress. Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) is the probable successor as chairman of the full committee. Hatfield has served in the Senate since 1967 and is seventh in seniority.
Bankers Trust subsidiary BT Securities Corp. has hired Vivian Lee as VP and senior equity analyst covering transportation. Lee has been an airline analyst for NatWest Securities, and, prior to that, at Smith Barney.
Airbus Industrie said yesterday it has launched the A330-200, a long-range version of its newest twin-engine widebody. Development costs are estimated at $450 million. Airbus in September launched a longer-range version of its four-engine A340. Both versions were launched without orders from customers. The A330-200, which will carry 256 passengers in three classes over 6,400 nautical miles or 293 passengers in two classes in regional operations, is expected to be service-ready in spring 1998.
Delta Connection carrier Atlantic Southeast's fleet and passenger service workers will remain unionless. Counting ballots yesterday from a representation election sought by the Teamsters, the National Mediation Board found only 205 votes for the union out of 636 eligible voters.
Seattle Professional Engineering Employees Association (SPEEA), which represents 22,000 engineers and technical workers at Boeing, has made a commitment to its striking Machinists colleagues that in its own current contract negotiations, it will not accept conditions that led the IAM to walk out. Members of the Machinists union voted last week to reject a contract proposal agreed to by Boeing and union leaders (DAILY, Nov. 27).
Federal Express and Evergreen are objecting to the show cause order tentatively awarding the 16 available all-cargo frequencies in the U.S.- Russia market. In November, DOT tentatively allotted eight flights to Polar Air Cargo, four to Evergreen and four to Federal Express (DAILY, Nov. 8).
Jet Aspen has asked DOT for permission to begin advertising and accepting reservations for its proposed operations before it receives its certificate, so it can operate the services in the winter ski season. The carrier, which applied for an operating certificate two months ago (DAILY, Sept. 29), said it plans to begin Jan. 24 offering nonstop service to the skiing communities of Aspen and Telluride, Colo., from Los Angeles, Dallas/Fort Worth, Phoenix and Houston.
Despite the recommendation to award more than $7 million to airlines at Los Angeles Airport, City officials are praising DOT Administrative Law Judge Burton Kolko's recommended decision (DAILY, Nov. 27). Kolko found that only some of the costs contained in the $2.06-per-1,000-pounds landing fee were unreasonable, and he awarded a refund to the airlines based on funds used to pay for fire and police services, airport debt service and undisputed errors in airport accounting.
BE Aerospace's Seating Products Division has captured $33 million in new business from Japan Airlines, Singapore Airlines and United. JAL has signed a letter of intent to purchase seats for 44 747 and MD-11 aircraft. Deliveries of the shipsets, beginning in May, will take two years. Singapore has purchased seats for 17 A340s, with deliveries starting this month. BE Aerospace also will supply seats for United's new Premier Connoisseur Class on 20 747s.
Western Pacific Airlines and Colorado-based tour company Mountain Vacations Inc. have formed a company to market vacation packages, called WestPac Vacation Packs. MVI specializes in selling travel to skiing destinations.
Frontier Airlines appointed Rula Fakhouri city manager at its new station in Los Angeles and Al Hepner city manager at San Francisco. The carrier launched service this month from its Denver hub to the two California points.
Dutch carrier Martinair has been selected to receive the bronze award from the Hospitality Sales&Marketing Association for airline advertising in 1994. The Dutch carrier also was one of five airlines selected recently to receive the Distinguished Airline Award from Alrod International.
Fokker said yesterday that Brazilian regional carrier Transportes Aereos Regionais (TAM) has ordered eight F100s jetliners and 10 F50 propjets. Also, an undisclosed customer has ordered six F100s, the Dutch manufacturer said. The contract was signed in Sao Paulo in the presence of Fokker's new owner, Manfred Bischoff, chairman of the management board of Daimler-Benz Aerospace. With the latest orders, TAM will increase its F100 fleet to 23 by the end of the first quarter of 1996.
