Sierra Expressway Airlines has added a daily nonstop flight between Sacramento and the Monterey peninsula to its schedule. The carrier operates Jetstream Super 31 aircraft.
Aer Lingus plans to open Chicago as a U.S. gateway on May 1 with the launch of twice-weekly service to Ireland as part of its 1996 transatlantic route development plans. It will add a third weekly flight on June 2. Flights will operate to Dublin, with continuing service to Shannon. In addition to opening the Chicago O'Hare gateway, Aer Lingus plans to boost flights in its rapidly developing Boston market and add "significant" overall capacity to the U.S.-Ireland market.
Delta Connection affiliate Business Express has appointed former American Eagle President Robert Martens as its new chairman and chief executive, the carrier announced yesterday. The company said Martens, who left Eagle in mid-summer (DAILY, July 24 and Aug.
Delta, continuing to whittle away at operating costs, has signed a deal with Precision Industries to outsource procurement and management of its ground support equipment spare parts inventory. Delta says the agreement should save $400,000 per year. The move affects 14 employees in Atlanta, who will be reassigned to existing vacancies in their job categories.
Minneapolis-based Great Lakes Aviation reported a net profit of $49,000, or a penny per share, for the quarter ended Sept. 30 on total revenues of $24.2 million. By comparison, for the Sept. 30, 1994, quarter the carrier reported a net loss of $307,000, or four cents per share, on total revenues of $18.4 million. Great Lakes last month sold 10 of its landing and takeoff slots at Chicago O'Hare Airport for $3.85 million, "for which the gain will be recognized over the following 12-month period," the carrier said.
Jetz said it has acquired 19 hushkit-equipped 737-200s from Lufthansa for delivery between May 1996 and December 1997. Jetz, which was formed specifically to acquire Lufthansa's remaining 737-200 fleet, said it will lease or sell the aircraft. For more information, call 305-274-7277.
Shares of Boeing and McDonnell Douglas ballooned yesterday on Wall Street after The Wall Street Journal reported that the two companies might merge. But the stocks fell slightly in the late afternoon as it became clear that the report was premature and traders began to think a less ambitious deal - or no deal at all - might instead be in the offing. Finance and industry sources told The DAILY yesterday that talks have occurred, but MDC also has talked with Northrop Grumman and Loral on a variety of topics and scenarios.
National Tour Association Executive VP Jim Host will chair the Traveler Safety Team envisioned by the recent White House Conference on Travel and Tourism. A 17-member board, to be chosen during the coming month, will represent all industry segments, law enforcement, mayors, national media and the public. Merrett Stierheim, Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau president and CEO, will be a member, Commerce Under Secretary Greg Farmer said yesterday in Miami.
All Nippon Airways' international passenger volume rose 24.1% in September to 199,748 passengers. The carrier's domestic traffic was up 7.3% to 1.9 million for the month. The domestic load factor rose to 60% from 57.9% in September a year ago, but the international load factor declined to 73.8% from 79.3%
Reflectone Inc. reported operating income of $2.4 million for the third quarter, compared with an operating loss of $1.7 million during the same 1994 quarter. Net income was $1.3 million compared with a net loss of $2 million. Revenues jumped 64% to $25.3 million from $15.5 million.
Great Lakes Aviation's operating results for the quarter and nine months ended Sept. 30 contain some statistical oddities that could give new meaning to the term "model of consistency" as it might apply to Great Lakes. The rapidly expanding carrier's yield - revenue per revenue passenger mile - was identical, to the tenth of a penny, for the 1995 and 1994 nine-month periods (31.3 cents).
Transport Canada has certificated the Canadair Jet, which uses the Flight Dynamics HGS 2100 Head-Up Guidance System, for Cat IIIA flight operations, Bombardier announced. So equipped, the Canadair Jet can be hand-flown to Cat. IIIa limits of 50-foot decision height and 700-foot runway visual range, Bombardier said. Certification by the Joint Airworthiness Authorities in Europe and the U.S. FAA are expected to follow shortly, the manufacturer said.
Abacus Distribution Systems has opened a representative office in Beijing. The Singapore-based computer reservations system company recently signed a CRS cooperation agreement with the Civil Aviation Administration of China. The Abacus Beijing office is located at the Kunlun Hotel in the eastern part of the Chinese capital and will be responsible for local coordination, service support and business development.
Budget Rent A Car has upgraded its participation status in the Worldspan computer reservations system to AccessPlus. The upgrade will give Worldspan subscribers greater access to the rental car company's internal database for direct bookings and enable them to receive instant confirmation numbers through the CRS prior to ending a booking transaction. Budget went online in AccessPlus Nov. 6.
CODE-SHARING REGIONAL CARRIER SCHEDULES ANNOUNCED OR IMPLEMENTED OCTOBER 1995 Domestic City-Pairs ------------------------------------------------------- Carriers Added Dropped New Shared From Major To Major Alaska Alns Horizon Alns Boise-San Jose Portland-Sun Valley America West Desert Sun Phoenix-Montrose, Colo. Mesa Phoenix-Telluride, Colo. American Alns
America West's board of directors and Chairman and Chief Executive William Franke have signed a three-year extension of his employment contract, through Dec. 31, 1998. Richard Kraemer, chairman of the Compensation Committee, said, "The board believes that the agreement ensures stability and continuity during this critical period in the carrier's development." Franke became chairman in September 1992 and was elected chief executive in December 1993. By staying on, he will lead the company's strategic growth plan.
Federal Bar Association's Transportation Law Section will hold its annual counsel's reception from 6 to 8 p.m. Dec. 4 at the Rayburn House Office Building, Room 2167, in Washington, D.C. Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.), the House aviation subcommittee's ranking minority member, has been invited to present the section's Transportation Lawyer of the Year Award to David Heymsfeld, minority staff director, House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. DOT general counsel and agency chief counsels are expected to attend.
FAA's $475 million wide area augmentation system (WAAS) is in trouble again because the Defense Department has renewed its reservations about whether enhancements of Global Positioning System accuracy should be permitted and, if so, whether they should be encrypted. WAAS is to be a network of 24 to 36 ground stations that will offer GPS satellite signals the integrity to enable aircraft to use them for primary navigation.
American's Allied Pilots Association Furlough Committee plans to publish an anthology of jokes and true stories about airline flight crews, with all proceeds to go to the Furloughed Pilot Loan Fund. American has 534 pilots on furlough and has lent $465,000 to them, interest-free. Revenue from the book will be given pilots' families in the form of grants. APA Director of Communications Gregg Overman said the association welcomes contributions from anyone in the industry. Call 1-800-323-1470, ext. 255, to contribute a story.
Mexicargo has requested authority from DOT to operate charter all-cargo flights between the U.S. and Mexico. The new carrier asked for approval by Dec. 1 and said it intends to begin serving the U.S. as soon as it receives approval. It plans initially to operate a 727-225 freighter leased from Joda Partnership, and it hopes to lease more aircraft in the future. Mexicargo has entered into a maintenance agreement with Mexicana Airlines. (Docket OST-95-825)
Air Canada's systemwide passenger traffic increased 11.1% last month on 7.4% more capacity, pushing its load factor up 2.1 percentage points to 64.2%. Air Canada said its domestic traffic rose 11.1% on 7% more capacity, and its international traffic also rose 11.1%, but on 7.8% more capacity. Through the first 10 months of this year, systemwide passenger traffic was up 11.4% on 2% more capacity, boosting the load factor six points to 70.8%.
