U.S. National Carriers Traffic July, 7 Months 1995 July July % 1995 1994 Change Alaska Revenue Passenger Miles (000) 881,000 788,000 11.8 Available Seat Miles (000) 1,346,000 1,167,000 15.3 Load Factor (%) 65.5 67.5
TWA is offering an introductory fare on its new nonstops, beginning in October, from St. Louis to Reno/Tahoe and Jackson, Miss. The fares to Reno, good for service from beyond St. Louis, are $99 and $149 each way, depending on the origin. Fares to Jackson range from $89 to $129 each way. Both are based on a roundtrip purchase. Tickets must be bought by Sept. 1, and all travel must be completed by Feb. 15, 1996.
American has appointed Tommy McFall, director of the National Transportation Safety Board's regional office in Arlington, as managing director-safety and environment, effective Oct. 1. McFall will replace John Feil, who is taking advantage of American's early-out retirement program. McFall worked for Feil in 1986 as manager of flight safety.
Association of Professional Flight Attendants says its contract negotiations with American are in the home stretch, and it expects an arbitration decision in four to six weeks.Decisions will be made on 14 outstanding issues, including a retroactive signing bonus, the five-hour day, preferential bidding, contract duration, vacation accrual and retiree health benefits.APFA also will be "out in force" to promote its bid to represent flight attendants at the four American Eagle carriers, which currently are represented by three unions.
Aerolineas Argentinas drops to fourth on the list of Latin America's largest airlines with LanChile's acquisition of a 57% interest in Ladeco.The LanChile/Ladeco combination is now the third largest entity in the region, behind the Aeromexico/Mexicana combination, which may be broken up during the next few years, and Brazil's Varig.
USAir is cutting fares in more than 7,500 markets in the U.S., Canada and the Caribbean by up to 58%. As with other carriers offering fall fare specials, tickets must be purchased by Sept. 1 and travel completed by Dec. 15. USAir said tickets can be purchased in some markets until Sept. 15.
Air Canada plans to begin nonstop service between Toronto and Las Vegas Oct. 29 with five flights a week. The airline will operate the service with Boeing 767s configured for two classes of service. To promote the new route, Air Canada will offer double Aeroplan miles until Dec. 15. The carrier said its flights will be the only scheduled, nonstop service from Canada to Las Vegas.
Canadian Holidays, the charter and package tour subsidiary of struggling Canadian Airlines International, has been approached by potential investors interested in purchasing the operation. Canadian Holidays stressed that a firm offer has not been made.
Northwest is offering fall fares it says are as much as 50% lower than its regular excursion fare, with benefits as well for its AirCares charity program partners. Tickets must be purchased by Sept. 1 for travel between Sept. 16 and Dec. 14. Sale fares include a $398 roundtrip between Los Angles and New York, 49% lower than current fares, and $358 between San Francisco and Orlando. Northwest will donate $1 for each ticket sold, up to $500,000, to five charitable organizations.
South African Airways is urging DOT to accept a South African government proposal increasing the number of frequencies available in the U.S.-South Africa market. In comments on the U.S.-South Africa Allocation Proceeding, SAA said the new direct service opportunities, offered by South Africa in the most recent round of U.S.-South Africa talks, would satisfy the needs of U.S. carriers seeking access to the market and resolve DOT's USAfrica uncertainties.
UPS plans to give its full-time, non-management employees the opportunity to make a personal investment in the company by purchasing stock, beginning Oct. 2. UPS currently limits employee stock ownership to managers and supervisors. UPS Chairman and Chief Executive Kent Nelson said, "Today, more than ever before, we are calling on our people at all levels to take direct responsibility for the customer's satisfaction." UPS allowed managers to buy stock beginning in 1945 and has more than 28,000 active manager-owners.
Delta, Swissair and Singapore Airlines, partners in the six-year-old Global Excellence Alliance, have formed what they say is the aviation industry's largest independent buying consortium. DSS World Sourcing AG, owned jointly by the three airlines and based in Zurich, will source a variety of items, including flight amenities, beverages, duty-free stationery, uniforms, and office and computer equipment.
Airport and Airway Trust Fund Balance Sheet As of June 30, 1995 Current Month ASSETS Undisbursed Balances: Available for Investment $ 1,184.87 TOTAL UNDISBURSED BALANCE (Cash in Account) Receivables: Interest Receivables $ 0.00 TOTAL RECEIVABLES
Air Jamaica has appointed Jose Lorenzo VP-sales in charge of North America. He will also be responsible for airport operations in all seven of Air Jamaica's gateway cities. Prior to joining Air Jamaica, he was president of American Sales&Management Organization, responsible for all Avensa/Servivensa operations in North America.
Royal Jordanian Airline has named Motassem Kilani director-air services at New York Kennedy. He succeeds Omar Ismail, who has transferred to Karachi, where he is now area director for Pakistan. He was director-traffic procedures and systems for Royal Jordanian in Amman, and he was the airline's representative to the International Air Transport Association.
Miami-based Gulfstream International Airlines has named Tony Gattone senior VP-marketing and sales. He spent 38 years at United in operations, sales and marketing positions. Gulfstream said Gattone will focus on a planned route expansion into northern Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia, and Caribbean points. He also will oversee relations with major carriers.
Flight demonstrations show that advanced-technology surveillance, communications and display systems can increase safety as well as capacity in ground operations at major airports, NASA reported. The agency's Langley Research Center equipped its 737 research aircraft with a high- speed data link from Arinc and its own moving map display for tests at the FAA Tech Center, Atlantic City, N.J. An air traffic controller sent taxi routes and hold instructions to the aircraft, and these were displayed for the cockpit crew on the moving map.
The Lufthansa Group's profit for the first half of 1995 increased 40% from the first six months of 1994 to 189 million Deutschmarks (US$128 million). The strong earnings were achieved despite the strength of the Deutschmark relative to other currencies, which helped depress passenger and cargo yields and otherwise resulted in foreign exchange losses.
Air Transport Association staff has been working on concepts for FAA reform, which it plans to present to the ATA board in September. The association views financing as the single most important issue in FAA reform.
Department of Labor has issued a proposed rule that would allow the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp. to be a clearinghouse of sorts to locate workers who are due pension benefits from employers who terminate their pension plans. The PBGC currently has a program to locate people in plans that terminate without sufficient assets to pay benefits, and the new program would extend that activity, beginning in 1996, to plans that are fully funded. The corporation said it expects a final rule in December.
A Japan Ministry of Transport advisory panel has tentatively recommended 3.65 trillion yen - about US$38 billion - in airport infrastructure investment over the next five years. The ministry will consider the final proposal, which would increase funding by 14.4% over the current five-year program, in preparing a draft to be endorsed by the cabinet next year. The advisory panel proposed beginning construction of a third airport for Tokyo, expansion of the Kansai Airport and modernization of the Nagoya Airport.
Swissair has been approached about helping to create a Palestinian airline, according to U.S. officials in Switzerland. Swissair's role would be to help obtain two 30-seat aircraft, plus maintenance and training.
Delta has created a wholly owned subsidiary, Delta Staffing Services Inc., to provide temporary clerical and administrative support services beginning this fall, initially in Atlanta. Delta normally contracts with temporary agencies for such services. It expects to reduce costs by dealing with the subsidiary, which may sell its services to other companies in the future.
DOT has awarded applicant requests in full for third-, fourth- and fifth- freedom combination service in the U.S.-Germany market for the upcoming winter season. Of the 267 third- and fourth-freedom frequencies available, DOT granted Delta 115, United 63, American 49, USAir 14, Northwest 10, TWA seven and Continental seven, leaving two unallocated. Delta received 92 and United 28 fifth-freedom frequencies, leaving 28 weekly frequencies unallocated. (Docket OST-95-334)
