British Airways plans to launch daily nonstop service between Phoenix and London Gatwick next spring, making Sky Harbor Airport its 21st U.S. gateway. The service, which still is subject to government approval, will begin in April. "Through our code-share connections with USAir, we were able to test the water, and the strong results indicated that a direct service would be to our mutual benefit," said BA Chairman Colin Marshall. BA plans to use a DC-10-30 flight originating in San Diego, which it has not served in five years.
ValuJet will retain a considerable unit cost advantage over Delta even if the larger Atlanta-based airline achieves its 1997 unit cost goal of 7.5 cents per available seat mile. According to ValuJet CFO Stephen Nevin, Delta's 7.5 cents would translate to about 9.2 cents per ASM when adjusted for ValuJet's average stage length of 491 miles.
Two Republicans on the Senate Commerce aviation subcommittee expressed concerns yesterday over user fee measures in the FAA reform bill (S.1239) - provisions that were sharply criticized by representives of general aviation and aircraft manufacturers as well. Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) questioned charging GA users for complying with FAA regulations.
NTSB Bar Association will hold its annual aviation safety enforcement law seminar and reception Oct. 26 at the Capitol Holiday Inn. For more information call 202-331-1955.
Alamo Rent A Car will become a partner in British Airways' Executive Club Program Oct. 1 as part of its commitment to expand its worldwide service in 12 countries. Program members in the U.S. will receive 500 miles when renting from Alamo at any location worldwide and twice that number between Oct. 1 and Feb. 29. Rentals are not required to be in conjunction with a British Airways flight. Alamo has 200 locations worldwide, including 28 in the U.K.
Wayne County, Detroit Metropolitan Wayne County Airport and the Port of Seattle urged DOT to approve Northwest's application for new service to Rome. Proposing DC-10-30 service from Detroit, Northwest is competing with USAir and Delta, which have applied for service to Rome from Philadelphia and Atlanta, respectively. Under the U.S.-Italy bilateral, new service of as many as six weekly flights will be permitted beginning April 1, 1996.
Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, as part of its restructuring plan, announced this week several service improvements at its airports, including new roadway and terminal signage. Newark will now offer baggage carts in Terminals A and C, and Kennedy will get a new food court, seats and ceilings, and a coat of paint for its international arrivals building.
Dade County Board of Commissioners will meet Oct. 3 to discuss the proposed $900 million "Super A" expansion by American at Miami Airport. This month, five airlines - Delta, United, TWA, USAir and Air Canada - filed a lawsuit against the county in an effort to stop further planning or the sale of bonds to finance the expansion, claiming that it would benefit only American.
City and County of Denver extended its deadline until Nov. 10 for receiving proposals from private ranchers interested in providing and managing a "non-exclusive, first-class airport buffalo herd" on land adjacent to Denver Airport. "As we view ourselves as the 'gateway to the Rockies' and 'where the West begins' - live buffalo on DIA property would strongly enhance this image," the RFP said. Under the contract, the rancher would be able to sell buffalo meat and related products at up to three airport concession sites.
Top 25 Domestic City-Pair Markets O&D Passengers First Quarter 1995 1995 1994 Average Market Market Passenger Rank Rank City-Pair Per Day 1 1 Honolulu - Kahului 7,515 2 4 Chicago - New York 6,980 3 5 Los Angeles - New York 6,438
American Society of Travel Agents has added special programs for front-line agents at its World Travel Congress, to be held in Philadelphia Nov. 5-10, including educational sessions on "what's new in old Europe" and "marketing leisure travel to the upscale mature adult." The European Travel Commission will sponsor the seminar on Europe, with representatives of five leading European tavel destinations. The upscale adult session will be conducted by travel educator Marc Mancini and sponsored by Delta Queen Steamboat.
Federal Express and Staples have formed an alliance "designed to help small businesses maximize efficiency." Beginning in October, FedEx ShipSites will be installed in all 346 Staples office products superstores across the U.S. Customers will "be able to drop off FedEx packages, photocopy, fax and bind documents, and purchase office supplies under one roof," FedEx said. Staples will feature new, self-contained FedEx ShipSites that are "easy to use."
Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport Authority has cut costs 27% for a planned new airport in the state, reducing the overall pricetag to $105.5 million from $144.6 million. The projected carrier cost per enplaned passenger went down 35% to $9.91 in 1998 dollars, from the estimated $15.16 in the master plan.
The chairmen of the Senate Finance Committee and the House Ways and Means Committee urged the Treasury Department this week to waive semi-monthly tax payments for the commercial aviation fuel tax during the fourth quarter this year while Congress considers budget reconciliation legislation. The statement, from Congress's two key tax legislators, suggests that airlines are in a good position to win continued exemption from the 4.3 cents-per- gallon tax when the budget reconciliation law is adopted this fall.
Continental has expanded electronic ticketing to 86 cities and is making it available through selected travel agents for the first time. Agents may sell E-Tickets for trips originating in Houston, Dallas/Fort Worth, New Orleans and San Antonio. By early next year, it wants to offer the service nationwide.
Vacation Express, an Atlanta tour operator, will conduct direct charter flights to Cancun from Richmond, Jacksonville, Louisville, Cincinnati, San Antonio and Oklahoma City. The company will launch the service with kick- off shows in each of the cities during October. Hosts of the shows will be Vacation Express President Kevin Hernandez and hoteliers from Mexico and the Caribbean. Travel agents are invited to attend.
Air France will halt its twice-weekly service between Paris and Taipei, effective Oct. 31, leaving EVA Airways as the only carrier offering direct flights between Taiwan and France. A spokesman for the carrier said the decision was based on estimates that traffic on the route will drop during the winter season, and on high costs at Chiang Kai-shek Airport in Taipei. Air France will continue to operate weekly all-cargo service on the route and will consider restoring passenger flights for the 1996 summer season.
Teledyne Controls said it has developed its Telelink data link unit for digital messaging between business/commuter aircraft and ground net works. The unit provides for integration with flight management systems, digital communications with air traffic control, flight planning, weather services, GPS-based position reporting, delivery of flight papers, aircraft reporting, custom messaging and telephone links.
National Air Transportation Association and the Aviation Research Group announced development of the NATA General Aviation Business Barometers, a system designed to track general aviation business activity. The barometer will report aviation fuel sales for Jet-A and Avgas, charter sales in revenue and flight hours, flight training instruction hours and maintenance sales. Each major area will have an index, and its data will be compiled in a general business activity index. Data also will be collected from the nine FAA regions.
Top 25 Domestic City-Pair Markets Under 750 Miles O&D Passengers First Quarter 1995 Short Total Average Haul Markets Non-Stop Passengers Rank Rank City-Pair Mileage Per Day 1 1 Hononlulu - Kahului 100 7,515 2 2 Chicago - New York 723 6,980
United launched a major campaign against Japan yesterday for its refusal to allow the carrier to operate service beyond Osaka to Seoul, Korea. In separate events in the U.S. and Australia, three senior airline officials, including President Gerald Greenwald, gave speeches assailing Japan's intransigence. Simultaneously, United released a study detailing the value of U.S.-Japan fifth-freedom rights and submitted a legal filing to DOT, urging the department to deny Japan Airlines' request for increased U.S. service.
Amadeus India is opening new offices in Madras and Bangalore in response to demand from Indian travel agencies. Amadeus entered the Indian market in September 1994 with the establishment of Amadeus India in New Delhi. In the past year, Amadeus India has automated 188 travel agencies with 240 locations and introduced Indian Hotel Reservation Services. Currently, more than 230 travel agencies are awaiting the installation of Amadeus terminals.
China is becoming more sophisticated about exercising the economic power inherent in aircraft orders, making more small deals rather than fewer big ones in order to maximize leverage, Boeing President Philip Condit told the Aero Club of Washington yesterday. Sometimes the Chinese expect Boeing to be more helpful than it can be with government-to-government problems - in China, a company the size of Boeing "would have a lot of influence with the government."
British Midland confirmed it has placed an order for two additional Fokker 70s for delivery in winter 1996-97. Two years ago, British Midland placed an order for five 74-seat Fokker 70s and four 106-seat Fokker 100s to replace its fleet of Douglas DC-9s. The decision to order two more Fokker 70s comes following successful trials and positive customer feedback, particularly on key regional routes where the Fokker 70s have been operated since April, the airline said.
In a preview of a policy statement the Association of European Airline plans to issue in coming weeks, Kees Veenstra, AEA deputy director general, called yesterday for movement to create a free-trade environment in the transatlantic market. Such a transformation cannot happen overnight and would take a great deal of effort, however, Veenstra said in a speech to an international aviation conference in Washington sponsored by Global Aviation Associates. He called for a cooled-down approach to air transport relations between Europe and the U.S.
