Northwest has discounted fares up to 50% off regular excursion tariffs to most of its destinations in the U.S. and Canada and to Mexico City toward the end of the year. The fares require a 21-day advance purchase, must be bought by Oct. 17, and are good for travel Nov. 3 through Jan. 20. Continental announced it has matched the fares, as well as sales by other carriers to Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean. Those tickets must be purchased by Oct. 16.
Granted orally an exemption to American to operate scheduled combination services between Los Angeles and Melbourne, Australia, via Auckland, New Zealand, under a code-sharing agreement with Qantas. American also received permission to integrate its authority to serve Germany on Route 137 with its authority to serve Kuwait on Route 602 to engage in scheduled cargo service between the U.S. and Kuwait, via Frankfurt (without local traffic rights).
Hawaiian Airlines plans to install CD-ROM video systems on aircraft used for its interisland flights that will provide real-time flight data, destination information and inflight entertainment. The carrier has signed an agreement with a partnership of Canadian Marconi Company and ASI Technologies of Australia to install and maintain the systems on its DC-9s at no cost to the airline. The systems will be paid for by revenue generated through limited advertising integrated into the programming.
Cathay Pacific named Ian Callender VP-USA&Latin America, succeeding Jake Olver, who was named country manager-Italy and Switzerland. George Clay, a former Federal Reserve bank president and TWA chief executive in Kansas City, died Oct. 11.
Lufthansa next month will begin testing a new baggage handling system featuring chip-card technology in place of traditional baggage tags. On the chip cards, which are about the size of a credit card, will be stored essential data such as passenger name, flight number, destination and baggage number. The card will be programmed for the entire flight when the passenger checks in, and the card will be attached to the suitcase. The aim of the new technology, developed by Daimler-Benz Aerospace, is faster baggage identification at international hubs.
Messier-Bugatti has signed an accord with Airbus Industrie to set up operations in Airbus's facilities in Beijing when they open next year. The new office will take care of customers China Eastern, China Northern, China Northwest, Sichuan Airlines and Air Macau, which use Messier-Bugatti wheels and carbon brakes on their Airbus aircraft. Other airlines, including China Eastern, Korean Air, Qantas, Indian Airlines, Pakistan International, Cathay Pacific and Indonesian Airlines, have contracted with Messier- Bugatti for repair and maintenance services.
GE Aircraft Engines (GEAE) agreed to sell its engine controls manufacturing and service business to Lockheed Martin, a deal that will re-unite the controls design and manufacturing operations separated two years ago when then-Martin Marietta bought General Electric's Aerospace units. Neither side would say last week how much the deal is worth, in part because talks continue. GE has signed a memorandum of understanding with Lockheed Martin outlining the sale, but the companies still have to work out a definitive agreement and the deal has to pass regulatory muster.
Northwest is adding more flights to the South and Southwest from its Detroit and Minneapolis hubs this winter. In December, it will fly additional daily nonstops to Orlando and Tampa from Detroit for $139 roundtrip on 757s to Orlando and 727s to Tampa. It also will add a flight to Las Vegas from Detroit with A320s. From Minneapolis, it will add a flight to Phoenix using 757s.
Western Pacific Airlines last week filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission a registration statement for an initial public offering of three million shares of common stock. The size of the offering could increase to 3.45 million shares if the underwriters exercise their over-allotment option. Western Pacific is offering 2.5 million shares, and certain stockholders are offering 500,000. At a maximum price per share of $17, the IPO stands to gross $58.65 million if the full over-allotment option is exercised.
Bombardier Aerospace Group-North America named Sextant Avionique France a major participant to supply an avionics suite for the new de Havilland Dash 8 Series 400 turboprop, Bombardier and Sextant Avionique announced. Paris-based Sextant Avionique, as prime contractor, will be in charge of design integration and manufacture of the avionics package that will handle all key functions, including flight control, display, radio, navigation communications, instrumentation, primary references, weather radar and centralized maintenance.
Gulfstream International announced that until Dec. 15 it would charge only $99 roundtrip between any two of the 13 Florida cities on the regional's route system, and $129 roundtrip between those Florida cities and Gulfstream's six Bahamas destinations.
Mesa Air Group unit FloridaGulf, a USAir Express operator, competes with Continental Express in the New Orleans-Shreveport market. Based on the $129 one-way, walk-up fare quoted by USAir for today, the per- passenger-revenue-mile yield is 43 cents. In the monopoly Kansas City- Hays, Kan., market, served by another Mesa unit - USAir Express Air Midwest - the yield is $1.16 per RPM based on a $314 walk-up fare. There is no public-transportation alternative in the Kansas City-Denver I-70 corridor of small farm towns and wheat fields.
While the airline industry as a whole yesterday generally supported the approach to FAA financing reform embodied in the Senate FAA reform bill (S.1239), low-fare carriers Southwest and America West expressed concern with the possible competitive impact of per-use air traffic control user fees on their segment of the airline industry. At a Senate Commerce aviation subcommittee hearing, the Air Transport Association spoke favorably about the bill, as it had done with the House bill (DAILY, Oct. 12), and cited no objections to any provisions in the Senate measure.
National Mediation Board will count ballots Nov. 14 for union representation of flight attendants at the four American Eagle carriers. Ballots will be mailed Oct. 17. Flight Attendants at Executive, Simmons, Flagship and WingsWest are represented by three unions - the Association of Professional Flight Attendants, the Association of Flight Attendants and the Transport Workers Union. AFA and APFA are the only unions listed on the ballot because the TWU requested it not be placed on the ballot, but it could be written in.
BWIA International Airways has established a separate package tour division and has contracted with Cambridge, Mass.-based Globetrotters to be the exclusive operator for its product line. The new division, called BWIA Vacations, will launch its 1996 tour product this month, with introductory offers available until Dec. 20. A brochure will be distributed to travel agents next week, and the program will be supported by a series of seminars and sales blitzes, complemented by consumer and trade advertising.
Canadian tour operator Fun Sun Tours has become a subscriber of the Worldspan computer reservations system. All of Fun Sun Tours' Canadian locations are now online with the Worldspan mainframe and are fully operational.
Fort Worth, Texas-based Lone Star Airlines will add a third flight to Roswell, N.M., from Dallas/Fort Worth Oct. 29, a change that will result in adjustments in flight times for its two daily flights to Ruidoso, N.M., the carrier said. The carrier also Oct. 29 will terminate service to El Paso from both Roswell and Ruidoso due to what it termed low passenger loads. Separately, the carrier announced that it would offer as many as seven daily flights to Aspen, Colo., from Dallas Fort Worth when it begins service to the popular ski resort Dec. 15.
Richard Fontaine has rejoined Great Lakes Aviation as senior VP- marketing. Fontaine, a 28-year aviation veteran, was chief operating officer of Great Lakes when he left to join GP Express Airlines in 1993, where his last position was president and chief operating officer. Fontaine is known for his scheduling expertise.
FAA Administrator David Hinson yesterday announced the creation of a nationally coordinated program to identify unapproved parts and keep them out of airline inventories. The new unit will be somewhat burdensome and costly, acknowledged Nicholas Sabatini, chairman of a task force, which recommended the national program. Sabatini, who also is Eastern Region Flight Standards Division manager, said "industry wanted us to take the lead on this issue," and it "recognizes" there are costs involved.
United has been designated by the Republican National Committee as the official airline of the 1996 Republican National Convention, to be held in San Diego in August. The Democratic National Committee in April selected United as the official airline of the 1996 Democratic National Convention, to be held in Chicago. United will provide enhanced reservations and airport services, reduced fares for delegates and special services, including an employee ambassador for each state delegation.
Bombardier continues to line up new global partners for the new 50- passenger Dash 8-400 high-speed turboprop, often to the surprise of company insiders. The latest selection was French avionics manufacturer Sextant Avionique to produce the avionics suite. Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries had already been selected to build the fuselage and empennage and ABEX NWL Aerospace, Kalamazoo, Mich., will supply hydraulics. Although these companies are described as "major participants," they are, in fact, risk-sharing partners, The DAILY has learned.
DRS Inc., Milwaukee, Wis., has signed a consignment stock agreement with Delta Connection affiliate Business Express under which DRS will provide worldwide marketing for Business Express' Beech 1900 surplus inventory. For information, call Max Dermond, president, 414-355-7770.
TAM-Transportes Aereos Regionais, Brazil's leading regional airline, would have a hard time getting along with the U.S. Association of Flight Attendants (AFA). Its founder and president, Capt. Rolim Adolfo Amaro, will not retain flight attendants beyond age 25. Some European regionals have similar policies. At Vienna-based Lauda Air, the age limit is 35. The up side is that flight attendants' experience in customer relations makes them well qualified for dealing with the public in other airline capacities - at TAM the customer reigns supreme.
Delta Connection Atlantic Southeast flew 63.3 million revenue passenger miles last month, an 8% decline from September 1994. Capacity dropped 2.4% to 139.8 million available seat miles from 143.2 million, causing the load factor to decrease 2.8 percentage points to 45.3% from 48.1%. Enplanements were off 7.1% to 254,486 from 274,018. Sept. 95 Sept. 94 9 Mths 95 9 Mths 94 RPMs 63,325,053 68,842,856 568,740,876 582,273,001
