- Granted orally an exemption to Heavylift-Volgadnepr to operate four cabotage cargo charter flight between Wilmington, Ohio, and Seattle, Wash., using Russian-registered Antonov 124 aircraft during the period July 23- Aug. 12, 1995, carrying GE90 engines and related parts for production of Boeing 777 aircraft...Granted orally an exemption to Northwest to operate combination service between points in the U.S.
Airport and Airway Trust Fund Balance Sheet As of May 31, 1995 ASSETS Undisbursed Balances: Available for Investment $ 559.69 TOTAL UNDISBURSED BALANCE (Cash in Account) Receivables: Interest Receivables $ 271,014,037.07 TOTAL RECEIVABLES Investments: U.S. Treasury Certificates of Indebtedness
FAA's international safety assessment program is controversial at the International Civil Aviation Organization, which evidently is not accustomed to excitement. Carol Carmody, U.S. representative to ICAO, joked in a speech last week that FAA's efforts have "made for a lot of sleepless afternoons" at ICAO.
Southwest has dedicated a new 737-300 to June Morris by painting her signature and the Morris Air logo on the cockpit. Chairman Herbert Kelleher said, "We wanted to celebrate the union of Southwest and Morris Air, along with recognizing June's extraordinary contributions to the travel industry, by dedicating in her name an aircraft that will fly throughout the Southwest system." Southwest acquired Morris Air in December 1993.
- In Federal Register dated July 21...Proposed an airworthiness directive on certain Raytheon Hawker 1000 and BAe 125-1000A aircraft to require inspection for damage to an electrical cable loom...Proposed an AD on Saab 340B aircraft to require inspection for cracking of the beams over the overwing emergency exits.
-- Ackerly Airport Advertising named Anne Bachman national account manager and Paul Gilman account manager-LaGuardia, MacArthur and Stewart airports. -- Cooper Aviation Industries appointed Lynda Harmison manager-inside sales for Cooper Express. -- Douglas Aircraft division of McDonnell Douglas named Bonnie Soodik VP- general manager, quality. -- Loral elected Arthur Simon to the board.
Although a number of U.S. carriers are lining up to operate scheduled combination service to South Africa, the same cannot be said for all-cargo operators. Federal Express, the only U.S. cargo carrier designated for the market, is working through an agent rather than operating flights into the country, said a FedEx spokeswoman. Demand is not great enough to justify regular widebody service, she said.
Senate Appropriations transportation subcommittee this week may propose some significant changes in the way FAA does business in order to save money in fiscal 1996 and future years. Moveover, the panel, which has almost $400 million less in outlays to allocate than its House counterpart, likely will push FAA to be more aggressive in recovering costs for services. Also expect to see more money for computer improvements at Chicago and four other en route centers.
DOT says it still expects a signature from Belgium, the only holdout among the nine European countries it targeted for open skies agreements, but the department declines to say when. More than a month has passed since the rapid-fire signings ended.
USAir has given up its attempts to negotiate concession agreements with labor, turning instead to conventional collective bargaining, because of impasses on key issues. "We still intend to achieve the labor cost savings we need, but it appears it will be by a more traditional route," Chairman Seth Schofield said Friday.
President Clinton yesterday signed into law the supplemental appropriations/rescissions bill (H.R.1944), instantly adding $2.1 billion to the aviation trust fund's uncommitted surplus. The 66% increase in the uncommitted balance, to about $5.3 billion, results from rescission of $2.1 billion in unused Airport Improvement Program contract authority, which accumulated due to the shortfall in AIP obligations compared to authorized levels.
Continental officials pleaded their case for Heathrow authority and against the pending aviation fuel tax in a meeting with DOT Secretary Federico Pena yesterday in Houston. "As one of the only U.S. carriers with no access to Heathrow, Continental is a logical candidate when new route opportunities are available between the U.S. and London," said Continental President Gordon Bethune, adding that "it is imperative that all carriers should have equal access to route authorities" granted by DOT.
British Airways has signed an agreement to participate in Worldspan Airline Source, the Atlanta-based computer reservations system's highest level of participation, Worldspan said yesterday. BA's transition, to be completed later this year, will provide subscribing travel agents with real-time, interactive connectivity with BA during bookings. Availability requests made by agents will be routed instantly to BA's database.
Taiwan's Ministry of Transportation and Communications has granted EVA Airways and TransAsia Airways authority to provide passenger service between Taiwan and Macau, according to Taipei's International Community Radio Taipei. Both carriers are expected to begin service on the route before the end of this year. Macau Airlines said it intends to inaugurate service on its Macau-Kaohsiung-Taipei route on Nov. 9, the day Macau's airport opens.
Lufthansa plans to launch twice-weekly service to Tirana, Albania, from Frankfurt on Sept. 4 using Boeing 737 aircraft configured for two classes. Tirana will be the airline's 23rd destination in Eastern Europe and the third new city, after Odessa and Baku, added to its route network this year. Lufthansa said Albania is enjoying an economic upswing and has attracted a record number of international travelers, including more than 10,000 Germans in 1994, since opening its markets to foreign companies and investment.
Colorado's Jefferson County (Jeffco) Airport has issued proposed minimum standards to be met by any carrier seeking to initiate scheduled air service at the point, located between Denver and Boulder. Included are the assumption of the cost for required fire/crash/rescue equipment as well as its staffing and maintenance. The carrier also would have to pay for paving a parking lot and a secured ramp area capable of parking at least two aircraft.
DOT sees the Air Transport Association's call for a short-term fix for en route center computers as a welcome recognition of the need to act on air traffic control reform. "These are exactly the types of problems that we have been talking about for two years," a DOT official said. "Hopefully, ATA will now decide to engage in the discussion and help find a solution."
The opening date for Macau's first airport will be Nov. 9, and an announcement is expected in the next few days. The timing is related partly to the staging of the Macau Grand Prix annual motor race later that month - some of the cars are expected to be air-freighted into the new airport. The official opening ceremony is planned Dec. 8.
GP Express, operating as Continental Connection, has served DOT with a 90-day notice of its intention to terminate its essential air service at seven Nebraska communities. In a letter to DOT, GP Express President Dick Fontaine said the decision was prompted by existing and expected increases in operating expenses linked to government regulations. The Nebraska communities affected by the GP Express decision are Kearney, Hastings, McCook, Alliance, Chadron, Scottsbluff and North Platte.
Last week's 48-hour strike by cabin staff cost Air France 80 million French francs in lost revenue and extra costs of charter aircraft. The French flag carrier, which called the action "absurd and suicidal," said the charters enabled it to operate 70% of its medium- and long-haul scheduled services. The action by Syndicat National du Personnel Navigant Commercial, the cabin staff union, prompted a debate in the French Parliament, where deputies called for legislation on strikes at public- sector service providers.
USAir Express affiliate CommutAir, Plattsburgh, N.Y., is the first customer for a regional airline revenue management service its developer calls ReArm (regional airline revenue maximizer). CommutAir will be the first regional airline to automate its revenue management on an out- sourcing basis, according to a statement from ReArm, a division of College Park, Md.-based BehavHeuristics, Inc.
The European Commission will not make a decision on the regional aircraft joint venture among Aerospatiale, Alenia and British Aerospace "before the month of October at the earliest," said a commission source. The European Union's competition watchdog decided on July 25 to consider the case in the light of Article 85 of the European Union Treaty - regarding the prohibition of abusive dominant position on the market - instead of the 1989 Merger Regulation. A practical consequence of this decision is to extend the investigation's timetable.
Evans&Sutherland Computer Ltd., the English subsidiary of Evans&Sutherland Computer Corp., has received a contract from Airbus Industrie for visual systems for A320 and A330/A340 flight simulators. The company said the contract is its first as an independent supplier to the civil aviation simulation system market rather than as a subcontractor.
Airlines that operate in the U.S. are well on their way to meeting FAA's turn-of-the-century deadline for phasing in Stage 3 aircraft, according to the director of the agency's office of environment and energy, James Erickson. FAA will report formally to Congress next month, Erickson said yesterday at the 25th annual meeting of the National Organization to Insure a Sound Controlled Environment. He said 27.3% of today's fleet meets only Stage 2 standards and 66.3% satisfies Stage 3, compared with fleet-mix requirements of 25% and 55%, respectively.
National Transportation Safety Board is studying the 17-parameter flight data recorder of a USAir 737-400 that rolled to the right while on autopilot during an approach Tuesday to Richmond. The flightcrew disconnected the autopilot at about 1,700 feet and landed normally, a USAir spokesman said yesterday.
