USAir and El Salvadoran carrier TACA have quietly signed a letter of intent and are currently looking at ways to cooperate, USAir officials confirmed last week. Daniel Brock, the U.S. carrier's VP-marketing services, declined to go into detail other than to say the two carriers are looking at cooperative scheduling. "We're very impressed with TACA," Brock said. One source at last week's International Airline CEO Conference in Miami said the two airlines have discussed code sharing, but the statement could not be confirmed. USAir is the only U.S.
Air Canada will inaugurate nonstop service to code-sharing partner United's Denver hub from Toronto and Vancouver Oct. 29. Air Canada will operate two daily flights in both markets with A320 aircraft configured for economy- class and business-class service. The flights, the only nonstops on both routes, go on sale June 7. Under the expanded code-share alliance between the carriers announced earlier this week, Air Canada's code also will appear on United flights from Denver to Calgary (DAILY, June 1).
Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee yesterday approved a draft notice of proposed rulemaking to allow operators to fly certain single- engine aircraft under Part 135 in instrument flight rule conditions. The draft NPRM, developed at the request of FAA, will be sent to the FAA for action. The proposal, which primarily affects Cessna Caravan, Pilatus PC- 12 and TBM 700 operators, stipulates reliability standards and equipment requirements for single-engine aircraft operation in IFR conditions.
New Regional Aircraft Orders And Options March 1995 Firm Orders Options Carrier No. Type No. Type Engines Avianova 1 AA ATR 72 - - PW127B National Jet 1 DHC-8-300 1 DHC-8-300 PW123 Orders - Last 12 Months - Options Carrier Delivery Dates No. Type No. Type
A number of flights departing Taiwan's Chiang Kai-shek Airport this week were delayed when workers at the Grand Hotel's airport restaurant refused to wash dishes to be used for onboard meals by China Airlines and Cathay Pacific Airways. The workers were protesting an agreement between the two airlines to set up their own restaurant to provide onboard meals.
Innsbruck, Austria, regional carrier Tyrolean Airways took delivery of the first of three Fokker 70 aircraft it had on firm order. The airline will use the aircraft to serve routes between Vienna, Zagreb and Innsbruck. The second aircraft, scheduled for delivery in July, will serve routes between Salzburg, Frankfurt and Zurich. The third aircraft is scheduled for delivery this August.
Frontier Airlines has promoted Jeffrey Truax to the newly created position of director-pricing and scheduling from manager-pricing. Before joining Frontier, Truax had similar roles at Mesa, America West, NPA Airlines and Aspen Airways.
DOT issued a proposal yesterday to exclude mechanical delays and cancellations from on-time data in its Air Travel Consumer Report. At the same time, the department issued delayed reports for the first three months of the year. In those reports, which include mechanical delays, the average on-time performance for all reporting carriers was 77.3%, with Delta ranking first in January with 78.9%, Northwest in February with 82% and Continental in March at 83.1%.
The Senate ultimately approved a modified version of the "sense of the Senate" resolution on essential air service, effectively gutting the measure (DAILY, May 26). The original proposed amendment to the budget resolution, sponsored by Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.), stated the sense of the Senate that essential air service program receive a sufficient level of funding to continue to provide air service to small rural communities that qualify for assistance.
U.S. Major Carriers Productivity In RPMs And ASMs Per Employee Fourth Quarter 1994 Revenue Available Passenger Seat Miles Miles Airline (000) (000) America West 2,872,281 4,621,311 American 25,034,788 38,236,441 Continental 9,596,794 15,813,914
FAA Eastern Region yesterday took over Bermuda airspace from the U.S. Naval Air Station on the island which is closing down (DAILY, May 4). FAA also hired six former Navy controllers who will work at the New York Center and will be responsible for the new airspace. The airspace covers a 180- nautical mile radius at all altitudes surrounding Bermuda.
Cargo traffic carried by U.S. airlines grew by 7.4% in April from the same month last year, the Air Transport Association said. ATA considers the increase disappointing, given recent double-digit increases. Total cargo traffic - mail and freight - was up 16.7% in January, 11.1% in February and 9.1% in March.
Southwest is offering $22 fares from Seattle to Oakland and San Jose through June 22. Tickets must be purchased at least one day in advance, and seats are limited.
The U.S. is considering a number of options for dealing with the current aviation stalemate with Japan, said a DOT official.One possibility is imposing restrictions on cargo carrier Nippon Cargo Airlines, but the U.S. is exploring other avenues, some of which do not include sanctions, the official said.
Taiwan's nine international and domestic airlines have agreed to ban smoking on nearly all flights, beginning in July. The only exception, according to the agreement, will be China Airlines' flights between Taiwan and Japan. A CAL spokesman said that the majority of passengers on its Taiwan-Japan routes are smokers and that they have strongly protested the proposed smoking ban. EVA Airways has taken the extra step of announcing that it will no longer sell duty-free cigarettes aboard aircraft flying international and domestic routes.
FAA, ordered by Congress to in the 1978 Airline Deregulation Act to make sure safety was not compromised after the former Civil Aeronautics Board was abolished, again has postponed a proposed rulemaking to codify certification and operations specifications for commercial aviation. The agency will extend until June 1, 1996, a special federal aviation regulation (SFAR) it first issued May 28, 1985, which established the requirements. FAA intends to fold SFAR 38-2 into a new Part 119.
Commerce Secretary Ronald Brown, Defense Secretary William Perry and NASA Administrator Daniel Goldin have signed an agreement to combine the nation's military and civil weather satellite programs into a single system in a move expected to save taxpayers up to $300 million through 1999 with additional savings thereafter. The new program, stemming from Vice President Al Gore's National Performance Review, will "result in a major reduction of acquisition, operational and facilities costs," said James Baker, under secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere.
Fokker Aircraft and its unions have agreed to 945 job reductions as part of the aircraft maker's effort to become more competitive through restructuring. Fokker, controlled by Daimler-Benz Aerospace, continues to negotiate with its worker groups with a view to cutting another 615 jobs by the end of the year, making a total of 1,560 reductions this year. Fokker hopes to eliminate another 200 positions through outsourcing next year, achieving total reductions of 1,760 - its previously announced target - by the end of 1996.
American Bar Association's Air&Space Law Forum said Sen. Larry Pressler (R-S.D.), chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee, will speak at its annual meeting and conference June 22 in Washington. Edward Beauvais, chairman, president and chief executive of Western Pacific Airlines, will be the luncheon speaker. The meeting, to be held June 22-23 at the J.W. Marriott Hotel, will include discussions on airport rates and charges, ticketless travel, global alliances and antitrust law. For more information, call 312-988-5658.
American's rapid expansion into Latin America, a frequent target of criticism from Latin carriers and governments, has benefited not only American, but also the Latin carriers with which it competes, American Chairman Robert Crandall said yesterday in Miami. Speaking to an audience composed largely of top Latin American and Caribbean airline executives and managers at the Third Annual International Airline CEO Conference, Crandall said there are many misconceptions in the market about American's past activities and future aspirations.
National Transportation Safety Board yesterday called for a national standard for all air tour operators and for a database on air tour operations, saying that lack of such a database "precludes effective evaluation of the accident rate...on the traditional basis of flight hours, cycles and passengers carried." These recommendations were among 10 the board advocated following a special investigation of the air tour industry last year.
FFV AvioComp Netherlands BV took over responsibility for maintaining the KLM Cityhopper (KLC) Saab 340B fleet yesterday. FFV, which also maintains aircraft for Air UK and Air France at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport, is replacing KLM subsidiary KLM ERA Helicopters in conducting routine maintenance activities on the 340s, which KLC uses for short-haul regional service. The spinoff of the maintenance is part of KLM's plans to transfer all the activities of its helicopter subsidiary to other parties, according to KLM.
FAA has scheduled two more public meetings this month on the agency's proposed rule to upgrade commuter operations and certification standards. A meeting will be held at 9 a.m. June 14 at McCormick Place, East Building, 2301 South Lake Shore Drive in Chicago. Another will be held at 9 a.m. June 21 at the Hacienda Hotel, 3950 Las Vegas Blvd. South in Las Vegas, Nev. Direct requests to present a statement or questions regarding logistics to Linda Williams, FAA Office of Rulemaking, telephone 202-267- 9685, fax 202-267-5075.
Demand for Mexico-Europe service and a lack of aircraft by Aeromexico has prompted Delta and Aeromexico to sign an agreement for third-country code sharing to Madrid and Paris through the U.S. The service will begin July 1, assuming it is approved by the U.S., French and Spanish governments, and will consist of Aeromexico flights from Mexico City to New York and Atlanta that connect to Delta flights to Madrid and Paris. France and Spain, however, have resisted that type of code sharing in the past.
