Delta plans by Jan 1 to recall 56 mechanics in 14 cities who were among the 650 it laid off as part of Leadership 7.5 cost-cutting efforts. A review of the re-engineering efforts concludes that the recall will reduce flight delays.
KLM's pre-tax earnings, boosted in part by the revaluation of the Northwest preferred stock it had previously written down, increased 10.2% in the September quarter to 398 million guilders ($251.9 million) as its gain from holdings in other companies rose to 83 million guilders from 24 million guilders in the same 1994 period. KLM's operating profit declined 12.6% to 333 million guilders (US$210.8 million), and its net earnings, impacted by a 95 million guilder tax charge, declined 14.7% to 302 million guilders (US$191.1 million).
Tom Schick, senior VP-airplane support at Boeing Commercial, has been named executive VP and deputy to President Tom Woodard, Boeing Commercial announced yesterday. He will share responsibility with Woodard on internal day-to-day management, and Woodard will continue to concentrate on external requirements. Dan Heidte, VP and general manager of the Wichita Division, was named to the new position of senior VP-airplane components. He will be responsible for buying and producing parts and components used in all Boeing airplanes.
After concentrating for a year on liberalizing U.S.-Europe aviation relations, DOT Secretary Federico Pena yesterday announced a shift in focus to Asia on the eve of his 17-day trip to eight Asian countries. "Now, while our work with Europe continues, I have turned our sights on Asia, the fastest growing aviation market in the world," Pena said in a speech to the International Law Section of the District of Columbia Bar Association and the Federal Bar Association's Transportation Law Section. Unlike the European initiative in which the U.S.
Atlanta-based The Network Connection has signed an agreement with Kollsman, Merrimack, N.H., to establish the TNCI AirView system as the "inflight entertainment standard" for airlines. The Network Connection produces the Cheetah Video Server multimedia delivery system, which has been adapted for inflight use.
Senate Commerce Committee is scheduled to hold confirmation hearings 9:30 a.m. Friday for Charles Hunnicutt as assistant secretary for aviation and international affairs and Nancy McFadden as DOT general counsel.
Lufthansa has amended the terms of its Miles&More frequent flyer program, giving members three years instead of two to claim awards. The new rule applies to all miles credited to members since Jan. 1, 1993, the airline said. Frequent flyers also can earn extra miles in special campaigns.
Air South is selling $24 "real last chance saver fares" until Jan. 31 good for travel on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. The price is good up to the day before departure. The fares are good for one-way flights between any two cities Air South serves. They will be sold until Jan. 7.
American and Qantas will begin code sharing on Qantas flights from Los Angeles to Auckland and Melbourne on Nov. 15, their anniversary of trans- Pacific code sharing. The carriers code share on 24 weekly Qantas flights between Sydney and Los Angeles, and on American flights from Los Angeles to Boston, Chicago, New York and Washington Dulles.
U.S. Customs Service has been awarded Hammer Awards for excellence in passenger operations, carrier security and automated entry. The awards, part of Vice President Al Gore's National Performance Review, are intended to replace the proverbial $600 government-issue hammer.
Northwest will begin Detroit-Colorado Springs service March 2 with two daily nonstop flights. The carrier already offers three daily flights from its Minneapolis hub to the Colorado city. It will use 146-seat 727s in the market.
Senate yesterday passed by an 87-to-10 vote the conference report (House Report 104-286) on the fiscal 1996 DOT appropriations bill (H.R.2002), clearing the measure for the President. Although some appropriations bills could face a veto, President Clinton has said he intends to sign H.R.2002 (DAILY, Oct. 31).
USAir will lease six aircraft it previously removed from service to four carriers. New Colorado carrier Jet Aspen will sublease two BAe 146-200s for service beginning Dec. 15. Another BAe 146 will go to London-based Flightline. Air 21, a new carrier based in Fresno, Calif., already has taken one F28 and will take a second today. BahamasAir will lease a 737- 200. USAir said all four operators have been offered training and technical support, but agreements have not been reached in all cases.
In what is shaping up as a power struggle between investment partners, KLM has threatened Northwest with legal action if its board adopts a proposed shareholder rights plan. The plan, apparently intended to prevent any one party from gaining too big a stake in Northwest or exerting too much influence over the company, could affect KLM's ability to exercise an option to purchase up to 5.27 million shares of Northwest common stock in August 1998.
Burlington Air Express said third quarter revenues increased 17% to $365.8 million from $311.9 million, but operating profit skidded to $17.4 million from $22.2 million. The dropoff was precipitated by domestic profit declining from $13.8 million for the quarter to $8.8 million, while international profit remained essentially flat at $8.7 million. For the first nine months, revenues rose to $1.03 billion from $875.7 million, as operating profit dropped to $39.9 million from $52 million.
Information on Aloha Airlines and sister carrier Island Air is now available on the World Wide Web. Users can find data on reservations, schedules, destinations and aircraft types. Users accessing the information, found at http://www.alohaair.com/aloha-air/, can enter a sweepstakes to win Kliban Cat T-shirts.
A FedEx pilot is suing the company in a federal court in Memphis under the Age Discrimination in Employment Act because FAA regulations force him to stop flying at age 60. The suit is supported by the Professional Pilots Federation, a group of pilots who organized for the specific reason of forcing repeal of the age 60 rule. The PPF said the suit was filed after FAA did not comment on the pilot's request for an exemption from the rule.
San Francisco Airport and its tenant airlines signed a memorandum of understanding yesterday for a $2.4 billion Master Plan (MP) construction program. The agreement for development on projects until the year 2000 includes provisions for airlines' responsibility regarding soil and groundwater remediation. In return, the airport has agreed to limit airline landing fees and terminal rent to $125 million a year through fiscal 2000.
USAir Express carrier Jetstream International Airlines is changing its name today to PSA Airlines, the namesake of a California carrier that USAir acquired in 1988. Keith Houk, VP of USAir Express and USAir Shuttle, said, "We want to preserve the names and memories of the great local service airlines that came together to make up today's USAir." Jetstream President Dick Pfenning said the name change coincides with the modernization of the carrier's entire fleet to "cabin class" aircraft, upgrading from 19-seat Jetstream 31s to 32-seat Dornier 328s.
Japan Airlines said yesterday it will launch the stretched Boeing 777-300 with an order for five airplanes, valued at $800 million. JAL also was a launch customer for the 777-200 with an order for 10 and options on 10 more. The first of the 777-200s, slated to go into service next spring on domestic routes, will have 377 seats in economy and 12 in first class. The first of the 777-300s, which are 10 meters longer than the -200, will go into service in 1998. Seating on the -300 can be increased to 480-520 seats in two classes on domestic routes, JAL said.
Amadeus Global Travel Distribution and Woodside Travel Trust, a $17.4 billion travel management company, have signed a strategic partnership agreement under which Amadeus becomes a preferred provider of distribution system services to Woodside. The agreement also contains provisions for creating joint marketing efforts.
Swissair plans to launch Zurich-Newark service and resume flights to Rio de Janeiro during the 1995-96 winter travel season. Nonstop scheduled service to Newark, realizing a longstanding company goal of a late-evening connection between metropolitan New York and Switzerland, will be launched in March with an Airbus A310 configured for two classes of service. Swissair will operate the service five days per week initially, expanding it to daily frequency by the beginning of April.
Singapore Airlines plans to begin weekly 747-400 freighter service to Chicago on Thursday. The flight will operate from Singapore to Chicago O'Hare via Taipei and Anchorage, and will return to Singapore via Los Angeles, Anchorage and Seoul. The major cargo carried on the new route is expected to garments and electronic parts. With the addition of the new service, SIA Cargo will serve 25 freighter destinations.
