Continental Express pilots have ratified their first contract with the company. The Independent Association of Continental Pilots said 56% of the 600 pilots represented voted for the contract, which will become amendable Oct. 1, 1997. Last month, Continental pilots signed their first collective bargaining contract since 1983.
USAir will begin serving St. Croix from Baltimore/Washington Feb. 14 with a brief stop in St. Thomas. St. Croix brings to nine the number of island and resort destinations in the Caribbean served by USAir. USAir Express flies to five destinations in the Bahamas.
Federal Express packages can now be tracked on CompuServe. Members of the information service can obtain quick updates on the status of their shipment and proof of delivery, as well as download or order free FedEx software, check service availability to a specific destination, talk to FedEx via E-Mail and read about the latest FedEx services and locations.
Deciding it needs more time to study the issues, United has put off until mid-November a decision on whether to pursue the acquisition of USAir. When United first confirmed on Oct. 2 that it was in talks with USAir, it said it expected to take about a month to reach a decision, and many observers had been expecting news as early as tomorrow's UAL board meeting. Yesterday, however, UAL Chief Financial Officer Douglas Hacker said United decided it needs more time.
Taiwan's Yeu Tyan industrial group, parent of car maker Yeu Tyan Machinery Manufacturing Company, proposes to spend US$24 million to set up a facility to build six- to eight-passenger airplanes in Taiwan. Taipei's Commercial Times quoted a Yeu Tyan official as saying that Advanced Aerodynamics&Structures, a U.S. company founded by the group, will contribute one-third of the required capital.
Canadian Airlines International plans to suspend its Shanghai service with the implementation of its winter schedule on Oct. 29, only a year after the carrier re-entered the market after a five-year absence. Canadian attributed the decision to weak loads and "very high" crewing costs. "We reintroduced service a year ago thinking it would catch on faster," a spokeswoman said yesterday. Canadian, which flies to Shanghai via Beijing as a continuation of its twice-weekly Vancouver-Beijing service, will continue with the Beijing route.
DOT has given tentative approval to Custom Air Transport for a certificate to operate scheduled cargo service. The company, based in Boynton Beach, Fla., intends to operate flights between Detroit and two points, Kansas City and Cleveland, mainly carrying automotive parts. It will use a leased 727-200 freighter. It also intends to operate in domestic and foreign charter markets under contract to shippers. Custom has secured a $2 million loan from Trans-American Aeronautical Corp., provided that it raises at least $500,000 in additional startup capital.
Singapore-based Abacus Distribution System has signed a computer reservations system agreement with the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) that will enable Chinese travel agents to book on foreign carriers participating in Abacus. In addition to establishing a communications link between Abacus and the CAAC's Management Information System arm (MIS/CAAC), the agreement appoints Abacus to sign participating carrier agreements with international carriers on behalf of MIS/CAAC. The agreement was signed after two years of negotiations.
Canadian Airlines International has reached tentative concession agreements totaling C$18 million per year with three more of its union groups, bringing total proposed contract-related savings to C$59 million per year. The new tentative agreements, with the Canadian Auto Workers, Canadian Airline Simulator Technologists and Canadian Air Line Dispatchers Association, cover about 3,000 employees and are subject to rank-and-file ratification.
Southwest has unveiled its $500,000 Certified Emergency EvacuationTrainer to train flight attendants on evacuation commands and procedures. The cabin trainer, built by Safety Training Systems, Tulsa, is the only one used by a major domestic carrier that can closely simulate roll, pitch and yaw. The trainer is positioned on hydraulic lifts at actual aircraft height from the ground, and has a wing attached to a real 737 fuselage for practicing overwing evacuations.
JetTrain Corp., formerly known as AirTrain Corp., has asked DOT for another extension, until Dec. 31, to begin operations before its certificate is subject to dormancy rules. The would-be startup carrier, which intends to operate short-haul service on the East Coast, received an extension until Oct. 24 to start service but has encountered "unforeseeable delays" in submitting its operations manuals and training program documentation to FAA.
Excess production equipment at General Dynamics Corp.'s Convair facility in San Diego, Calif., which produced major structural portions of transport aircraft until the aerospace industry contraction, will be put on the auction block Nov.
CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT Chicago '95 brings together leading experts from the financial community, top government management and labor safety experts, futurists and analysts prognosticating on airline operations in the 21st century, airport experts on who will build them and why, experts on the next century's international and domestic policy issues, and the senior managers of airline companies that are giving the majors a run for their money. All these and much more.
AOPA Expo '95 attracted a record of nearly 9,000 participants despite poor weather Friday night and Saturday that likely deterred one-day visitors over the weekend, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association said this week. "Despite horrendous East Coast weather on our big weekend day and the effects of an early hotel room sell-out, our first AOPA Expo in the Northeast since 1969 was an immense success," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. Attendance for the three-day event in Atlantic City reached 8,921.
Apollo Travel Services has deployed QuikTix and Best Buy Quote for use by its subscribers. QuikTix, for U.S.-based travel agencies, was developed jointly by Apollo and QuikTix Corp. The product, which builds on the Electronic Ticket Delivery Network (ETDN) concept, enables Apollo agents to deliver tickets anywhere in the U.S. via a variety of delivery options, including same-day courier, overnight express and airport pickup services. Best Buy Quote for both domestic and international itineraries will be available beginning Nov. 1.
Great Lakes Aviation, operating as the Midway Connection, will begin nonstop service to Charleston, S.C., from Raleigh/Durham Nov. 15, offering three daily roundtrips to Charleston, with one-stop service between Charleston and Norfolk. The carrier will operate 19-seat Beech 1900s in the markets.
Airborne Express promoted three executives at its Seattle headquarters. Tom Nelson was elevated to senior VP-field services, responsible for management of operations in the western U.S., Alaska and Hawaii. He was VP-field services. Mike Heilman was promoted to VP-quality and business analysis from director-quality and business analysis. Charlie Ogle was promoted to general manager-ocean services from director-ocean services.
The Association of Flight Attendants has sued ValuJet in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia for what it claims are illegal firings of flight attendants who were union supporters. AFA said as many as 40 attendants were fired over the past several months, including a union representative who was terminated nine days after reporting an alleged safety violation to FAA.
***U.S. Major and National Carriers Interest Expenses*** Second Quarter 1995 % Of Total Operating Systemwide Expenses America West $ 15,579,832 4.46 American 143,784,000 4.08 Continental 46,853,000 3.96 Delta 65,894,000 2.31
Atlas Air posted a third quarter net profit of $5.6 million, or 32 cents per share, on operating revenues of $47.8 million. In the same quarter last year, Atlas Air's net earnings were $4.2 million, or 28 cents per share, on revenues of $34.3 million. The company's operating expenses rose 27.4% to $34.9 million in this year's quarter, and its operating profit jumped to $12.9 million from $6.9 million a year ago.
Air South boarded 76,667 passengers, flew 27.5 million revenue passenger miles and achieved a load factor of 48.4% in September, the startup carrier said. "The combination of slow traffic industry-wide and the reduction in aircraft available to fly from seven to six leaves us with an admirable performance for the month of September," said VP-Marketing Tom Volz. Air South said its yield reached 17.25 cents per revenue passenger mile.
Radisson Hotels Worldwide has entered into a marketing partnership with the LatinPass frequent flyer program. Under the agreement, 500 miles will be awarded to LatinPass members who stay at any of Radisson's 300 properties worldwide. "Due to Radisson's rapid expansion in key business destinations throughout Latin America, its marketing and operational programs mesh perfectly with LatinPass and are expected to generate mutually increased growth," said Eduardo Gallardo, LatinPass's program director.
Lider Taxi Aero of Brazil has taken delivery of two of six Beechjet 400A aircraft on order from Raytheon Aircraft. It will use the light jets to replace older aircraft in its charter operations. The remaining four aircraft will be delivered this fall, according to Raytheon, a subsidiary of Raytheon Co., Wichita, Kan.
***U.S. Major Carriers Traffic*** September, 9 Months 1995 (000) September September % 1995 1994 Change America West Revenue Passenger Miles 1,053,480 912,936 15.4 Available Seat Miles 1,630,649 1,504,517 8.4 Load Factor (%) 64.6 60.7 American
