CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT Chicago '95 brings together leading experts from the financial community, top government management and labor safety experts, futurists and analysts prognosticating on airline operations in the 21st century, airport experts on who will build them and why, experts on the next century's international and domestic policy issues, and the senior managers of airline companies that are giving the majors a run for their money. All these and much more.
AOPA Expo '95 attracted a record of nearly 9,000 participants despite poor weather Friday night and Saturday that likely deterred one-day visitors over the weekend, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association said this week. "Despite horrendous East Coast weather on our big weekend day and the effects of an early hotel room sell-out, our first AOPA Expo in the Northeast since 1969 was an immense success," said AOPA President Phil Boyer. Attendance for the three-day event in Atlantic City reached 8,921.
Apollo Travel Services has deployed QuikTix and Best Buy Quote for use by its subscribers. QuikTix, for U.S.-based travel agencies, was developed jointly by Apollo and QuikTix Corp. The product, which builds on the Electronic Ticket Delivery Network (ETDN) concept, enables Apollo agents to deliver tickets anywhere in the U.S. via a variety of delivery options, including same-day courier, overnight express and airport pickup services. Best Buy Quote for both domestic and international itineraries will be available beginning Nov. 1.
Great Lakes Aviation, operating as the Midway Connection, will begin nonstop service to Charleston, S.C., from Raleigh/Durham Nov. 15, offering three daily roundtrips to Charleston, with one-stop service between Charleston and Norfolk. The carrier will operate 19-seat Beech 1900s in the markets.
Airborne Express promoted three executives at its Seattle headquarters. Tom Nelson was elevated to senior VP-field services, responsible for management of operations in the western U.S., Alaska and Hawaii. He was VP-field services. Mike Heilman was promoted to VP-quality and business analysis from director-quality and business analysis. Charlie Ogle was promoted to general manager-ocean services from director-ocean services.
The Association of Flight Attendants has sued ValuJet in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Georgia for what it claims are illegal firings of flight attendants who were union supporters. AFA said as many as 40 attendants were fired over the past several months, including a union representative who was terminated nine days after reporting an alleged safety violation to FAA.
***U.S. Major and National Carriers Interest Expenses*** Second Quarter 1995 % Of Total Operating Systemwide Expenses America West $ 15,579,832 4.46 American 143,784,000 4.08 Continental 46,853,000 3.96 Delta 65,894,000 2.31
Atlas Air posted a third quarter net profit of $5.6 million, or 32 cents per share, on operating revenues of $47.8 million. In the same quarter last year, Atlas Air's net earnings were $4.2 million, or 28 cents per share, on revenues of $34.3 million. The company's operating expenses rose 27.4% to $34.9 million in this year's quarter, and its operating profit jumped to $12.9 million from $6.9 million a year ago.
Air South boarded 76,667 passengers, flew 27.5 million revenue passenger miles and achieved a load factor of 48.4% in September, the startup carrier said. "The combination of slow traffic industry-wide and the reduction in aircraft available to fly from seven to six leaves us with an admirable performance for the month of September," said VP-Marketing Tom Volz. Air South said its yield reached 17.25 cents per revenue passenger mile.
Radisson Hotels Worldwide has entered into a marketing partnership with the LatinPass frequent flyer program. Under the agreement, 500 miles will be awarded to LatinPass members who stay at any of Radisson's 300 properties worldwide. "Due to Radisson's rapid expansion in key business destinations throughout Latin America, its marketing and operational programs mesh perfectly with LatinPass and are expected to generate mutually increased growth," said Eduardo Gallardo, LatinPass's program director.
Lider Taxi Aero of Brazil has taken delivery of two of six Beechjet 400A aircraft on order from Raytheon Aircraft. It will use the light jets to replace older aircraft in its charter operations. The remaining four aircraft will be delivered this fall, according to Raytheon, a subsidiary of Raytheon Co., Wichita, Kan.
***U.S. Major Carriers Traffic*** September, 9 Months 1995 (000) September September % 1995 1994 Change America West Revenue Passenger Miles 1,053,480 912,936 15.4 Available Seat Miles 1,630,649 1,504,517 8.4 Load Factor (%) 64.6 60.7 American
The systemwide traffic of the nine U.S. major passenger airlines rose 0.6% last month to 41.16 billion revenue passenger miles on 0.5% more capacity, increasing the load factor 0.1 percentage points to 66.6%. September is not usually a booming traffic month, and this year there were fewer and less dramatic fare sales to stimulate traffic. Also, Continental, as a result of the demise of Continental Lite, and TWA and USAir have been cutting back capacity and withdrawing from markets in the struggle for profits.
DOT, which awarded 1996 Vancouver authority recently, invited U.S. carriers yesterday to apply for the new service to Montreal provided for in the second year of the U.S.-Canada bilateral agreement, signed Feb. 24. As in the first year, the U.S. may designate six carriers for 1996 Montreal services, each operating up to two daily roundtrip flights from one or two U.S. cities. Carriers that received approval for Montreal service in the first year can apply for the right to expand those operations in the second year. The authority becomes available Feb. 24, 1996.
Worldspan has issued its mainframe-based Hotel Source hotel and resort booking system to subscribers worldwide. Radisson Hotels Worldwide is the first hotel company to offer its products through the system, which went online Oct. 19. All information available through Radisson's 800 reservations number, including rates, rate rules, availability and services, is now accessible through Hotel Source.
America West appointed Scott Davis VP-planning. He joins the carrier from AMR Corp., where he worked for five years developing and implementing airline turnaround transactions.
Shuttle By United has cut fares to as low as $19 for travel in the Los Angeles and Bay areas, matching the promotion started by Southwest (DAILY, Oct. 23). Tickets must be purchased by Nov. 7 for travel Nov. 10 through April 5. The lowest fares require a 21-day advance purchase.
Singapore Airlines, which has one of the youngest jet aircraft fleets in the international airline industry, has leased a DC-8-73 freighter from Southern Air Transport.SIA said the aircraft will give it additional cargo capacity feed from emerging markets in India and China to support its longer-haul Europe and U.S. routes.
Transportes Aeromar has applied for renewal of its existing U.S.-Mexico service and an amendment adding scheduled Guadalajara/Puerta Vallarta, Mexico-San Antonio service to its operations. It proposes five daily roundtrips on the Guadalajara-San Antonio route and two weekly roundtrips between Puerta Vallarta and San Antonio.
Saudi Arabia's defense and aviation minister, Prince Sultan bin Abdul Aziz, may sign a long-awaited $7.5 billion jetliner deal with Boeing and McDonnell Douglas this week during an official visit to Washington, according to published reports in Riyadh. "It is his first official visit to Washington in 10 years, and I don't think he wants to be received only as defense minister," wire services quoted a Riyadh diplomat as saying on Monday.
Singapore Airlines parent SIA Group yesterday (Tuesday local time) reported an operating profit of S$527.8 million (US$371.7 million) and an after-tax profit of S$522.7 million (US$368.1 million) for the first half of its current fiscal year. Figures for the six-month period ended Sept. 30 were up 10.5% and 13.5%, respectively, from the same period last year. Singapore Airlines also posted improved first-half results, but its profits did not increase as much as its parent company's.
The Air Line Pilots Association at FedEx could reject arbitration with the company and send both sides into a 30-day cooling-off period, moving FedEx closer to a strike before the upcoming holiday season. The pilots union gave the company a deadline of 5 p.m. yesterday to accept arbitration and five working days to commit to completing the arbitration process (DAILY, Oct. 23). FedEx has responded, but not to ALPA.
USAir has expanded the number of cities it offers A4Coach - first-class service at coach prices on transcontinental flights - to include Albuquerque, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, Phoenix, San Diego, Seattle, San Francisco and Orange County. The fares in first class are available from those cities to more than 140 destinations in the East. A4Coach reduces the cost of flying in first class by as much as $150 each way.
Sierra Expressway Airlines plans to begin four daily roundtrips Monday through Friday, with additional weekend flights, to South Lake Tahoe from Oakland Dec. 15, offering $49 and $59 one-way fares. Dan Brumlik, chief marketing officer, said, "Crawling along on Highway 50 or the Interstate ruins your vacation before it begins. Our fares are low enough that we expect our Tahoe connection to become one of our most popular year-round destinations." All flights feature a ticketless system.
