AirTran Airways will increase service to Orlando Aug. 1 from several cities. It will offer two additional flights from Providence, R.I., bringing its service to six weekly flights; two more from Knoxville for a total of five; two more from Cincinnati for a total of six; two from Hartford, Conn., for a total of six; three more from Albany for a total of six, and three from Syracuse for a total of six. One-way fares range from $99 to $149 from Providence, Cincinnati, Albany and Syracuse, $89-$149 from Hartford and $59-$99 from Knoxville.
Southwest Airlines Chairman Herb Kelleher this week squashed rampant speculation that he is considering moving into expensive Denver Airport. Southwest has no intention of beginning service to Denver, and the rumor probably grew out of a recent visit by Denver Aviation Manager Jim DeLong, who was in Dallas for another purpose, Kelleher said Tuesday in Dallas at Southwest's first media day. Southwest will focus on broadening its presence in the Midwest, however.
Three Alaskan carriers have joined forces to oppose Alaska Island Air's (AIA) bid for an exemption from the 45 day review period to restart service after having its Part 135 certificate suspended by FAA. The agency had suspended the carrier's certificate for violating Federal Aviation Regulations.
SatoTravel has won its first corporate account with QUALCOMM Inc., San Diego. It will provide travel services to the company through a local travel office and its corporate call center in Arlington, Va. The travel company began seeking corporate accounts last year in response to shrinking military and government travel budgets.
United, which has taken delivery of three of the 777 twinjets it has on order from Boeing, will begin operating the aircraft daily in the Chicago- Paris and Newark-London markets next month. It also will add a second 777 flight each day between Chicago and Denver. The Newark-London Heathrow flight will continue to Amsterdam four days a week. United said 777 load factors have been 89.4% since it launched commercial service with the aircraft June 7.
The European Commission is continuing its analysis of the Swissair/Sabena investment deal as the Belgian carrier and its employees approach a break point in their negotiations on contract changes needed for the company cost-cutting plans. The investment agreement, by which Swissair would purchase 49.5% of Sabena, took months of negotiations involving the two airlines and the Belgian government, and it was submitted to the commission for clearance on May 12.
FAA Administrator David Hinson today will commission the first Voice Switching and Control System for operational use. The commissioning will take place at the Auburn, Wash., air route traffic control center.
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Larry Pressler (R-S.D.) became the 23rd senator to sign on to S.304, a measure to repeal the transportation fuel tax applicable to commercial aviation. Noting that South Dakota currently suffers from insufficient airline service, Pressler said the tax could lead cost-cutting airlines to target less productive routes and "make a bad situation in my state worse."
American yesterday offered - and other carriers were expected to follow its lead - to waive any reticketing service charge for passengers traveling to, from or within California who want to cancel or delay travel because of a threat attributed to the "Unabomber" targeting airlines flying from Los Angeles Airport. American said that because of security concerns, the waiver will be available to any passenger holding confirmed reservations until midnight July 7.
Helicopter Association International said it has available a free time- savings parts inventory module that interfaces automatically with its maintenance malfunction information reporting system. The inventory module, programmed in Microsoft FoxPro for Windows, maintains a "complete computerized record of an operations' parts inventory," HAI said.
Continental and its pilots, which have operated without a contract since 1983, reached a tentative agreement on a new contract yesterday, ending a two-year battle over wage increases. National Mediation Board Chairman Ernie DuBester announced the settlement, which is subject to ratification by union members. Mark Benton, secretary-treasurer of the Independent Association of Continental Pilots, said it would take effect July 1 and last two years, and it appears to provide a 20% wage increase over the two years.
After reviewing the Illinois Department of Transportation's (IDOT) roadway and airport access plan for the proposed Peotone Airport, the Air Transport Association has asked the state to answer a series of questions on the project, not all of them related to roadways and access. "How does the state plan to fund the proposed $1.9 million airport, in light of the position of 22 airlines that carry more than 95% of the nation's passengers and freight, that they do not intend to serve - or fund - the proposed Peotone Airport?" ATA asked.
ValuJet plans to suspend its newly launched Washington Dulles-Montreal service July 11 for lack of traffic. "Whether we were affected by cultural, currency or language differences, we clearly were not able to generate enough business to operate profitably in this market," President Lewis Jordan said yesterday. ValuJet flies two daily roundtrips, and customers holding confirmed reservations after July 11 can receive a refund or fly on Air Canada or USAir, which serve Montreal from Washington National.
Nielsen AIR, a joint effort launched this year by Nielsen Media Research and AIR Marketing Services, Inc., will soon make available to airports, advertisers and airlines the results of a passenger survey on airport and inflight advertising. The company surveyed 3,000 passengers and visitors at Chicago O'Hare, Dallas/Fort Worth, Newark, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Portland and 14 other major U.S. airports.
America West will invest $5 million in the Arizona Diamondbacks major league baseball team, taking a 5% equity stake in the AZPB Limited Partnership, the owner of the baseball franchise. The airline has signed a 10-year marketing agreement under which it will become the team's official airline, providing all charter services when the club starts playing in 1998, other travel purchases, aircraft advertising and exclusive airline sponsorship in all media. America West said each party is expected to reap $20 million from the joint venture.
Taiwan's Civil Aeronautics Administration, ignoring complaints from the island's domestic airlines, says it will implement a system of special landing fees at nearly all Taiwan airports on Aug. 1. The fee, varying according to the size of the aircraft, will be about US$368 for a Boeing 747. A CAA spokesman said the more than US$19.5 million the new tax is expected to generate every year will be used to combat noise pollution near the airports.
Air Canada is offering an introductory fare of US$99 roundtrip to publicize the launch of its daily Montreal-Atlanta service Tuesday, July 4. The coach fare, which is available until July 17 with a three-day advance purchase, is good for travel until Sept. 30. The fare requires a minimum stay of one Saturday night and allows a stay of 30 days. Members of Air Canada's Aeroplan frequent flyer program and partner Continental's OnePass program will receive triple mileage on Air Canada flights in the Montreal- Atlanta market until Aug. 31.
Frontier Airlines will launch service from Denver to Chicago Midway, Kansas City, Phoenix and Salt Lake City in August. The new flights, part of Frontier's efforts to fill gaps left by the termination of Continental service, will be operated with 108-seat 737-200s. President Sam Addoms said Frontier will add service to other high-density markets as it takes on additional aircraft. Startup dates and fares will be announced in the future.
Alaska Airlines has appointed Dennis Hamel staff VP-employee services, as of July 1, in charge of recruitment, training, employee benefits and employee relations. He replaces Timothy Metcalf, who is leaving the company as the carrier continues to realign responsibilities in the division to focus on employee services.
Air Transport Association, in cooperation with the American Association of Airport Executives, has produced 30-second television ads on the impact of the federal aviation fuel tax and the airline industry's celebration of flying 10 billion passengers. The videos are running this month on the CNN Airport Network. Airlines were exempted from the 4.3-cents-per-gallon tax during its first two years but will have to pay it Oct. 1 unless Congress approves further relief.
Boeing 747 Systemwide Aircraft Utilization Per Day Fourth Quarter 1994 B747-100 Continental Northwest TWA Number of Aircraft Operated 2 23 9 Total Fleet Operations Departures 2 38 13 Block Hours 18 272 88
British Airways estimates that its 747 fleet will use 50,000 fewer metric tons of fuel a year, saving $12.1 million, through use of the Automatic Dependence Surveillance (ADS) system, otherwise known as the Future Air Navigation System. With other associated benefits, the carrier believes it can save $32.23 million a year with ADS.
Delta will provide new amenity kits and lavatory products for international first- and business-class passengers this year. The new kits will include Essential Elements aromatherapy, natural body care products. First-class passengers, beginning this fall, will receive a reusable case that includes a "disctraveler" storage case, document organizer, tie/scarf case and a sports pack, as well as lotions, lip balm, facial mist, in-seat exercise book, slipper socks and eye shades.
