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."
TWA has introduced weekend fares that offer up to 70% for nonstop domestic flights in the contiguous 48 states to and from St. Louis. The special fares, based on miles flown, are available to domestic cities served by TWA and Trans World Express. Fares are non-refundable and require a one-day advance purchase. Travel from St. Louis must be on Saturdays and flights to St. Louis must be on Mondays or Tuesdays. There is a two-day minimum stay requirement and a maximum stay of three days. The last day to purchase tickets is Nov.
Boeing said about 120 people were treated Friday for exposure to nitric hydrofluoric acid, which led to the weekend closing of the Fabrication Division at its Auburn, Wash., facility. The striking Machinists Union said the "incident raises the most serious concerns about the safety and quality of work being performed by Boeing during the strike." An investigation was under way to determine the cause of the atmospheric release of the corrosive acid. Boeing said it worked with all appropriate agencies to prevent a repetition of this type of accident.
Only 16% of the Northwest Employee Stock Ownership Plan's 47,000 participants elected to participate in the company's secondary offering of Class A common shares. As a result, about 1.55 million shares of stock controlled by the ESOP will be sold in the offering, an amount slightly less than 26% of the 6.03 million ESOP shares eligible to be sold. The offering represents the first opportunity for ESOP participants to sell shares of stock issued under the August 1993 labor agreements that saved Northwest from bankruptcy.
Air Canada plans to launch nonstop jet service between Toronto and Philadelphia Jan. 8, operating four daily flights with Canadair CL-65 jets. To promote the route, Air Canada will offer triple Aeroplan, United Mileage Plus and Continental OnePass miles Jan. 8-March 22.
Greenwich Air Services was awarded a two-year contract by Sun Country Airlines to provide engine maintenance and field service for the charter carrier's Pratt&Whitney JT8D-217C engines. The contract is valued at more than $5 million.
The current system of bilateral negotiations, which treats international aviation as a transportation issue instead of a trade issue, will slow the growth of the industry, according to Tom Weidemeyer, UPS president. Speaking last week at the McGraw-Hill Chicago '95 aviation conference, Weidemeyer said that "when you put regulators from two different countries into a room, you are guaranteed that at the end of the day, you will have regulations, and regulations are not conducive to the notion of free trade.
EVA Air plans to start Taipei-Los Angeles-Panama service Dec. 13 with three flights a week. EVA will have traffic rights between Los Angeles and Panama. The service will be operated with 268-passenger 747-400 Combis configured for four classes of service. EVA's international route system comprises 25 destinations in Asia, Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the U.S.
Economic forces and the pull of technology will make international aviation "ripe for broadscale liberalization" in the 21st century, John Zeeman of the World Travel&Tourism Council said last week at McGraw-Hill's Chicago '95 aviation conference. "Increasingly, states will focus on the fact that bilateral air transport market restrictions have no place in today's globalizing economy," Zeeman said.
DOT is requiring Flagship Airlines, operating as American Eagle, to continue essential air service at Tuscaloosa, Ala., through Dec. 4 or until replacement service begins. The carrier announced plans on June 2 to halt operations at Tuscaloosa on Sept. 5, but DOT extended the carrier's obligation twice, each time by 30 days. Dropping the operation would leave Tuscaloosa without any air service, and Flagship's plan prompted stiff community opposition.
Fokker 60 Utility flew for the first time last week as part of a testing and certification program that will concentrate on the civil version ahead of military qualification. A type certificate is expected next May, following 400 hours of flight testing. Royal Netherlands Air Force is the launch customer.
Unisys Corp. said it has acquired the marketing rights to Computer Resources International's software solutions for "emerging areas of aircraft maintenance and engineering." The Denmark-based CRI product suite combines document management software that manages digitized information supplied by aircraft manufacturing with work flow planning tools and other "progress planning enhancements."
Kenneth Brody said he will resign as president and chairman of the U.S. Export-Import Bank, effective Dec. 31. Martin Kamarck, vice chairman and chief operating officer, will be acting president and chairman.
