Miami-based Gulfstream International will open a secondary hub at Birmingham, effective Nov. 1. The carrier, operating 19-passenger Beech 1900s, plans four daily nonstop roundtrips to Columbus, Ga., and Mobile, Ala.; three daily one-stops to New Orleans, and one weekend one-stop roundtrip to Tallahassee. Also planned are three daily one-stop roundtrips between Mobile and New Orleans and one weekend nonstop roundtrip between Mobile and Tallahassee.
New Regional Aircraft Orders And Options June 1995 Firm Orders Options Carrier No. Type No. Type Engines AMR Eagle 25 Saab 340B Plus - - CT7B-9A Bangkok Airways 3 AA ATR 72 - - PW127B Brasil Cent 15 Cessna 208B - - PT6A-114A Croatia Airways 1 AA ATR 42-300 - - PW120
Eric Speck, VP-product development for Sabre Travel Information Network (STIN), has been named VP for Sabre Europe. He will take over operational responsibilities for marketing and supporting the Sabre computer reservations system in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Speck succeeds David Collier, who is leaving Sabre for a new position with a U.K.-based corporation, STIN said. Speck is also a director of Fantasia Travel Information Network, which markets Sabre in Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Rim.
Saab Aircraft of America has sharply increased its market assertiveness with the recent hiring of three top regional airline specialists. From ATR Marketing, Saab has tapped Sales Director John Sterne as a director-regional airline sales. Al Smolinski, marketing director for Jetstream Aircraft, Is the new VP-marketing support. In addition, Saab in the spring hired Mike Miller away from Rolls-Royce to serve as director of fleet planning. "We are being aggressive in the marketplace," a spokesman confirmed.
Despite some industry opposition, Simmons is urging DOT to promptly grant its request for six international slots at Chicago O'Hare Airport. Simmons, an American Eagle carrier, applied for exemption from the High Density Rule in early August for the slots at the slot-controlled airport to inaugurate Chicago-London, Ontario Service (DAILY, Aug. 7). "The standards for securing the requested relief are unambiguously stated in the Federal Aviation Administration Authorization Act of 1994 and have been duly met by Simmons," said Simmons.
DOT last week officially adopted regulations for "upgraded" basic essential air service and dropped rules setting out procedures for retroactive establishment of final subsidy rates and establishing a three- member panel and special procedures for handling appeals of EAS determinations. The rule changes were adopted in the Aug. 22 Federal Register as part of a package of amendments to aviation economic rules aimed at eliminating obsolete provisions and correcting outdated organizational and statutory references.
Singapore Airlines (SIA) took delivery this week of its fourth 747-400 freighter and plans to use it Sunday to launch cargo service to New York Kennedy via Dubai and Brussels. The new service is part of SIA Cargo's network expansion plan. "New York, the largest and most important gateway to the U.S. eastern seaboard, will serve as SIA Cargo's third bridge to USA after Los Angeles and San Francisco," said Huang Cheng Eng, director of cargo. With the addition of New York, SIA's 747-400 freighters will serve 22 destinations.
The U.S. government should move quickly to ratify Montreal Protocol 4, which would facilitate the use of electronic documentation for international air cargo shipments, in order to improve the efficiency and reduce the cost of air cargo movements, the International Chamber of Commerce said.
Delta plans to reconfigure its MD-11s to add Business Class seats that could increase revenue $29 million per year, and it will consolidate its 14 reservations sales offices in Western Europe into offices in London and Frankfurt by June 1996. The MD-11s, used in transatlantic service, will get eight more Business Class seats, for a total of 40. The net gain per aircraft will be two seats, to 267, because six coach seats will be removed. The pitch in Business Class will increase to 44 or 45 inches from 42 inches.
Swissair is looking at placing some of its pilots with other carriers as a way of alleviating a pilot surplus. For a number of reasons, including its decision to phase out its Fokker 100s and switch operations involving aircraft with 100 or fewer seats to its Crossair subsidiary, Swissair may find itself with as many as 200 unneeded pilots.
Delta expects to save money and mechanics' time by purchasing two towbar- less tractors like those used in Europe and Japan for its Atlanta maintenance facility.After a two-month study of aircraft movements at the facility, it found that its current process for positioning aircraft costs $2.4 million a year in fuel.Delta is negotiating the purchase of two AES Krauss-Maffei tractors that provide single-operator, high-speed towing and will free up 80 mechanic hours per day for maintenance duties.
David Stempler, the International Airline Passengers Association (IAPA) executive director who urged passengers last fall not to travel on airplanes with 30 passenger seats or fewer, has left the organization. IAPA has been acquired by an English firm and all Washington, D.C., activities are being moved to Europe. Stempler drew the ire of the regional airlines because of his public statements and the validity of his safety statistics.
Las Vegas-based TriStar Airlines has signed a letter of intent with Aspen-based and community-owned air services company Peak International to provide nonstop jet service to Aspen this winter from Los Angeles and Dallas. TriStar would operate five weekly flights in both markets with its BAe 146s, beginning Dec. 14. Schedules have not been finalized. Peak separately is planning to serve Aspen from Denver as Aspen Mountain Airways, pending government approval.
Atlantic Southeast Airlines, College Park, Ga., long the industry leader in operating and net profit margins, has seen those margins trend downward during the last four quarters, despite the fact those margins are significantly higher than those of most other regionals. From the June 1993 through the June 1994 quarters, the carrier's operating profits averaged 29.5% of operating revenues. In the September 1994 through June 1995 quarters, that average fell to 23.6%.
U.S. Major Carriers Domestic Share of Service First Quarter 1995 Total Revenue Departures America West 46,177 American 179,846 Continental 113,450 Delta 226,661 Northwest 128,574 Southwest 164,240 TWA 63,134 United 176,926 USAir 213,433
Boeing will increase its support for training of South African Airways cadet pilots, with the eventual aim of setting up a flight training school in South Africa. Ron Woodard, president of Boeing Commercial Airplane Group, announced the expansion during a recent visit to South Africa, addressing SAA's second-ever intake of cadet pilots, who currently get most of their training in Australia. He said the most promising student will be invited to visit Boeing in Seattle.
Hawaiian Airlines will increase service between Honolulu and Portland Nov. 9, adding one weekly flight for a total of five. It uses 304-seat DC-10 aircraft in the market, with 34 first-class seats and 270 in economy.
All Nippon Airways appointed Yoji Ohashi senior VP and general manager for the Americas, based in New York. Ohashi, previously VP and general manger Narita Airport in Tokyo, is a member of the ANA board. He succeeds Yoshinobu Nishikawa, who has returned to Tokyo to be chairman and president of Infini Travel Information, the computer reservations system subsidiary of ANA.
Lone Star Airlines is considering seasonal service between Dallas Love Field and Aspen, Colo., becoming the latest of a growing number of carriers focusing on the lucrative ski resort. The carrier would fly Dornier 328s on the route, in competition with TriStar Airlines' BAe 146 quadjets. TriStar has teamed with Peak International, an Aspen-based community-owned air service company, to provide the service from Dallas and Los Angeles. TriStar President Don Martin was the president of the former Aspen Airways, now Air Wisconsin (See story below).
TWA is the fifth airline to lend its name to a sporting arena following its selection as the sponsor for the next 20 years of the St. Louis Rams football stadium, which will be named Trans World Dome. The sponsorship will cost TWA $1.3 million a year for the 66,000-seat stadium. TWA will paint one of its aircraft in Rams blue and gold and award free tickets after the Rams' first touchdown of every game, when it also will promote its destinations.
Aviateca has applied to DOT for renewal of its authority to provide service between points in Guatemala and the U.S. The Guatemala City-based carrier wants to continue to operate service to Miami; the co-terminal points New Orleans, Houston and Dallas/Fort Worth via Cancun and Merida, Mexico; and San Juan, Puerto Rico, via Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. The carrier also seeks continued authority to operate charter flights to the U.S. Aviateca operates 737-200 and -300 aircraft. (Docket 46582&OST-95-486)
Sabena has ordered 23 Avro RJ85s in the single largest order ever placed with Avro International Aerospace, the British Aerospace Regional Jet subsidiary. The Belgian airline's preference for the Avro over the Fokker 70 after a year of study was no surprise, given that this summer, new Sabena shareholder Swissair decided to phase out its Fokker 100s and ordered 12 RJ100s, plus 12 options, for its Crossair subsidiary (DAILY, Aug. 14). Crossair is taking over small-jet operations from Swissair.
Aer Lingus Group has agreed to sell its Copthorne Hotel Group to Hong Kong- based CDL Hotels International for 219 million Irish pounds. With the closing of the transaction, expected within a few weeks, Aer Lingus will achieve a major target of its "Strategy for the Future" and likely will make the European Commission more amenable to approving payment of the third and final 50 million pound tranche of state aid due to the carrier at the end of the year.
U.S. Major Carriers Systemwide Share of Service First Quarter 1995 Total Revenue Departures America West 46,551 American 209,295 Continental 122,028 Delta 238,950 Northwest 135,676 Southwest 164,240 TWA 65,346 United 190,081 USAir 215,728
Seiji Fukatsu, president and chief executive of All Nippon Airways, has been named chairman of Abacus Distribution Systems for a two-year term. He will take over today from Pengiran Dato Paduka Hj Tengah bin Pengiran Dato Paduka Hj Metassim, managing director of Royal Brunei Airlines. ANA owns 12.91% of the Abacus computer reservations system. Other equity holders are Cathay Pacific, China Airlines, EVA Airways, Garuda Indonesia, Dragonair, Malaysia Airlines, Philippine Airlines, Royal Brunei, SilkAir, Singapore Airlines and the Worldspan CRS.
