The National Air Transportation Association is asking Congress to repeal the upcoming commercial aviation fuel tax and expand pending repeal legislation (S.304, H.R.752) to cover aviation gasoline used by commercial operators. In a letter to Senate Finance Committee Chairman Bob Packwood (R-Ore.), NATA President James Coyne said the commercial avgas portion of the tax would only generate about $500,000 a year "but would cause irreparable damage to what are entirely small businesses."
Transportation Systems Inc. that specializes in transportation to major sporting events in the U.S., has received letters of intent worth an estimated $3.2 million from the official tour operators of Russia, France and Holland for travel services related to the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. The agreements cover hotel accommodations, transportation and miscellaneous services. U.S. Transportation Systems Chairman and Chief Executive Michael Margolies said the company is working with 23 other international tour operators in an attempt to secure similar contracts.
Travel agents trying to reduce their dependence on airlines are learning how to seek out niche markets and become specialists in areas ranging from trips for senior citizens to adventure travel. The American Society of Travel Agents, offering Certified Specialist programs to teach agents how to conduct niche marketing, says specialty tours such as adventure travel and ecotourism are huge profit centers waiting to be tapped. They account for 10% of all tourism.
Air South's Reservations Center, after one year in business, has grown from 27 employees to 167 full and part-time workers. The Columbia, S.C.-based carrier said it routinely handles 10,000 calls a day. Rhonda McDade, director-reservations, said, "I believe we truly reflect Air South's growth."
McDonnell Douglas Corp. reported improved net earnings and record operating earnings for the second quarter and first half of 1995, no thanks to its commercial transport aircraft business. Increased deliveries among MD-11, MD-90 and MD-80 aircraft were the main factor in company-wide revenue growth - to $3.922 billion for the quarter and $7.255 billion for the half, up from $3.250 billion and $6.203 billion, respectively, in the same periods of 1994.
Telephone company Bell Atlantic plans to expand InfoTravel, its interactive yellow pages, to seven Marriott and Hilton hotels in Washington, D.C., according to Air Travel Card. The system provides information on hotels, restaurants and travel-related services, and it can dial telephone numbers or print local maps for hotel guests. Air Travel Card said the new service, which has been available since last spring in Atlanta and Santa Clara, Calif., will have 100 Washington advertisers and promote 30 area attractions.
Egyptair has ordered three A340-200 transports and taken options on two more, Airbus Industrie said yesterday. Delivery of the long-range aircraft, each powered by four CFM56-5C3 engines, will begin at the end of 1996. The aircraft will seat 260 passengers in three service classes, and Airbus Industrie said Egyptair plans to use them to open up nonstop routes from Cairo - for example, to Japan, Australia and the U.S. West Coast.
U.S. National Carriers Traffic June, 6 Months 1995 June June % 1995 1994 Change Alaska Revenue Passenger Miles (000) 808,000 695,000 16.3 Available Seat Miles (000) 1,277,000 1,095,000 16.6 Load Factor (%) 63.3 63.5
Southwest will release its second quarter net earnings early next week that Chairman Herb Kelleher reportedly said are "very strong," according to Reuter, which could not be confirmed with Southwest. Reuter said Kelleher would not comment on analysts' estimates the airline would earn 36 cents a share.
The U.K. enjoyed a major increase in the number of people taking air holidays for the year ended March 1995. More than 17 million passengers, representing 13.2% growth over the previous year, paid an average of 358 per holiday compared with 352 the year before, according to a report issued by the U.K.'s Civil Aviation Authority. These and other statistics on Air Travel Organisers' Licensing are provided in ATOL Business, published twice yearly by the CAA.
Sen. Wendell Ford (D-Ky.) introduced legislation (S.1037) last week providing that the requirement that U.S. government travel be on U.S. carriers excludes travel on any aircraft that is not owned or leased and operated by a U.S. person. The bill would overturn a Dec. 29, 1994, ruling by the U.S. Comptroller General that code sharing does not violate the Fly America Act - a U.S. carrier can submit a bid for government travel to the General Services Administration for an international route, even if the actual travel will be on a foreign airline.
Lucas Aerospace Cargo Systems, Jamestown, N.D., will continue producing 747 and 767 cargo handling systems, 737 leading edge rib assemblies and 747 cart lifts through 2001 under an extension of its current contracts with Boeing. It will continue to deliver the cargo systems and leading edge rib assemblies to Boeing on a just-in-time basis. Lucas Aerospace said the value of the extension "could exceed $150 million," and Managing Director Frank Turner said it "demonstrates our commitment to Boeing as an extremely important customer."
Western Data Systems, Calabasas, Calif., has signed a $9 million multi-year contract to provide McDonnell Douglas with Enterprise Resource Planning software products. WDS also will develop product enhancements and support implementation at McDonnell Douglas Aerospace in St. Louis. Products include Compass-CONTRACT, an integrated manufacturing, procurement and cost-management system, and a new engineering workbench, CompassBOM, which graphically depicts and manages bill of materials construction.
Martinair Holland will begin all-cargo service once a week Aug. 6 to Atlanta Hartsfield Airport from Amsterdam. The Sunday MD-11 flight, the first to the airport, will also serve Mexico City and Los Angeles. Martinair's VP-Americas Lucien Schroder said Atlanta's strategic air cargo location and distribution system will enable the carrier to "expand our service to the entire U.S." Martinair plans to increase service in November. Hartsfield experienced 20% growth in international cargo volume during the first five months of this year.
Deadline for submission to British Airways' Tourism for Tomorrow Awards - to recognize tourism projects sensitive to natural and cultural environments - is 12 days away. BA said it has received entries for projects ranging from a tropical ecology village in the Philippines to rejuvenation of the U.K. canal system. Kuoni, a tour operator in Kenya, has entered an anti-animal-harassment project in the Masai Mara Reserve that not only ensures protection of rhinos but also supports visitor education programs.
Three U.S. charity organizations have amassed enough SkyMiles in one month to qualify for "eight round-trips to the moon and back," Delta said. The carrier said last month its SkyMiles members could donate their miles in increments of 5,000 to any of the charities - CARE, Make-A-Wish Foundation and United Way of America. Delta made an initial donation of 100,000 miles to each charity and is matching one mile for every five donated.
Delta and Austrian Airlines hosted a media splash in Vienna to celebrate their first year of code sharing. The companies said that the alliance has been a success, carrying about 110,000 passengers in the New York Kennedy- Vienna market during the year. Austrian says it cut its losses on the route 75% and is negotiating with Delta for code sharing to Eastern Europe.
TWA has received the approval it needs from holders of its 8% notes to amend the Pledge and Security Agreement securing the notes. The amendment is a condition to implementing the prepackaged plan of reorganization TWA filed with the bankruptcy court in St. Louis on June 30.
Noting new opportunities for U.S.-Peru service provided by the new aviation pact between the two countries, DOT is reactivating and expanding the scope of the Miami-Lima Service Proceeding and renaming it the U.S.-Lima Combination Service Proceeding. The department will consider in this proceeding only the 15 additional weekly frequencies available immediately under the amended agreement - eight frequencies for Miami/Fort Lauderdale service and seven for services at other U.S. gateways.
Island Air, sister company to Aloha Airlines, has put a second 37-seat de Havilland Dash 8 into service in the Honolulu-Kapalua/West Maui and Honolulu-Lanai markets. It now has a fleet of two Dash 8s and eight 18- passenger Dash 6 Twin Otters.
USAir and America West announced yesterday they will offer reduced fall fares for tickets purchased by July 24 for travel between Sept. 5 and Oct. 31. USAir said it is offering between $20 and $100 off the roundtrip excursion fare in 200 transcontinental markets. A Saturday stay is required. America West said the fares are good throughout its system. The biggest saving is in the Chicago-Los Cabos market, which will be $172 less during off-peak hours than the previous excursion fare. Both carriers offer additional savings for night flights.
Worldwide scheduled passenger traffic will increase more than 6% this year, 7% in 1996 and 7% in 1997, according an International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) forecast issued yesterday. Traffic growth will vary by region, with Asia/Pacific carriers logging the highest rates. Asia/Pacific traffic rose 12% last year and is expected to increase 9.5% this year, and 9% in 1996 and 1997. North American carrier traffic growth will be 5.5% this year, 5.5% next year and 5.7% in 1997.
Air South is offering a "Fly 3 Get 1 Free" and "Fly 4 Get 1 More" promotion until Aug. 6 to attract families on summer vacations. Three people flying together will be able to add a fourth for free, and four flying together will be able to get two additional free tickets.
The U.S. government has a duty to assist U.S. airlines in competition with foreign airlines and must gain a better understanding of how foreign and domestic airline markets work, Air Transportation Association President Carol Hallett said yesterday. In a speech to the International Aviation Club, Hallett said the government must end the "deplorable" practice of using the availability of foreign operating rights to generate support among U.S. carriers on domestic political issues.
American Airlines was chosen the airline with the best "Cellars in the Sky" by Business Traveler International for the fourth time in six years. A panel of 24 judges tasted wines from 29 airlines.
