Aeromexico Vacations, launched in 1992 by Aeromexico, says business rose 29% last year. It offers service on Aeromexico along with various hotel packages to Mexican destinations, as well as Colonial Cities Tours and Copper Canyon Adventure. Aeromexico Vacations also offers special honeymoon, golf and fishing vacations from all Aeromexico gateways.
Rep. Jon Christensen (R-Neb.) plans to introduce the Independent Contractor Tax Simplification Act, supported by the American Society of Travel Agents, to set new criteria for determining who is an independent contractor and who is an employee. ASTA said the bill would systematically set out the parameters that define employment, including the payment of commissions, purchasing products for resale, liabilities for non- performance, non-reimbursable expenses and contractual obligations.
FAA's plan to require operators of regional aircraft to adhere to the same standards as larger jet transports will cost hundreds of millions of dollars and reduce safety and payload, according to a report by Morten Beyer and Associates. The Beyer report specifically concerns 15- to 19- seat aircraft produced by U.S. manufacturers.
U.S. National Carriers Traffic May, 5 Months 1995 May May % 1995 1994 Change Alaska Revenue Passenger Miles (000) 675,000 577,000 17.0 Available Seat Miles (000) 1,130,000 945,000 19.6 Load Factor (%) 59.7 61.1
A "first-ever" symposium on fatigue in all types of transportation, which is expected to attract some of the nation's top sleep experts, will be held Nov. 1-2 at the Sheraton Premier Hotel, Tysons Corner, Va., under sponsorship of the National Transportation Safety Board and NASA Ames Research Center. The meeting, with "Managing Fatigue in Transportation: Promoting Safety and Productivity" as its theme, will explore how fatigue contributes to accidents and will feature the Fatigue Countermeasures Program, developed by scientists at Ames.
Qantas has created a new position, general counsel and group corporate secretary, as part of restructuring its secretariat and legal departments. The new post, which combines the carrier's most senior legal position with that of group company secretary, will be filled by Brett Johnson, effective July 3. The current head of legal affairs has been appointed country manager of Thailand, and the company secretary is leaving the airline after 25 years.
Striking down an earlier decision to raise a bridge loan worth US$110 million to finance its acquisition of Boeing aircraft, Air-India has decided to raise the full sum for final payment amounting to US$350 million, senior Air-India officials said last week in Bombay. India's national carrier already has floated a tender for the loan syndication, they added.
Although DOT decided not to recommend rulemaking to change the high- density rule following its HDR study, the department listed a number of changes that "could be made to improve the performance of the rule and/or simplify its implementation." Many of the changes would impact directly the current commuter service at the nation's four slot-controlled airports - Washington National, Chicago O'Hare and New York LaGuardia and Kennedy.
- Granted orally an exemption to Northwest renewing its authority to operate scheduled combination service between the U.S. and Abu Dhabi; Bombay and Delhi; Vienna; Athens; Prague; Nairobi; Jeddah and Dharan; Warsaw; Istanbul; Cairo; Kuwait; Karachi, Pakistan; Colombo, Sri Lanka; Lyon, Marseille, Nice, Strasbourg and Toulouse; Moscow and St. Petersburg, and Budapest. The service will be operated via Amsterdam under Northwest's code-share arrangement with KLM...Granted orally an exemption to Aviacion del Noroeste, S.A. de C.V.
Qantas has acquired a further 7.5% interest in marketing and code- sharing partner Air Pacific, increasing its stake in the Fiji-based airline to 17.5%. Qantas acquired an additional two million shares in Air Pacific from Japan-based Sea-Com Corp. for an undisclosed sum, the Australian airline said Friday. James Strong, Qantas's managing director, said the investment strengthened "well established commercial links" between the two airlines.
United is urging DOT to approve "only for a limited time" Aeroflot's application for renewed authority to operate to the U.S. and beyond. By limiting the renewal to 179 days, United said the department will give "the Russian Federation an opportunity to reconsider and correct its policy toward U.S. carriers." United remarked that Russia recently refused to renew the carrier's right "to offer code-share services between the U.S. and Moscow via Frankfurt" with Lufthansa.
FedEx said it has added service to nine new countries - eight in the former Soviet Union and Myanmar, formerly Burma, in Indo-China. New service to former Soviet Union countries, through FedEx's Global Service Participants, will go to Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Turkmenistan and Uzbekistan. FedEx announced in February the acquisition of China route authority from Evergreen International.
Aeroflot-Russian International Airlines Co. has ordered 20 Il-96M aircraft, powered by Pratt&Whitney engines and using avionics from Rockwell Collins, according to Tass. Albert Mikhailov, director general of the Voronezh Aircraft Factory, told the Russian news agency that the order is valued at $1.5 billion, about half the price of equivalent Western aircraft. "We offered serious competition to world-known Boeing and Douglas firms, which were eager to put their planes on the Russian market," Mikhailov said.
The Aviation Rulemaking Advisory Committee, set to expire in 1995 after four years in existence, has been extended by FAA for two years, until February 1997. ARAC is credited with providing a forum in which industry can advise FAA and make recommendations to it on a wide range of rulemaking issues.
Jacksonville air route traffic control center has 20 goats in residence on its nine fenced-in acres, "brought in to keep down the foliage in the area because it is extremely difficult to keep mowed." Their water and feed troughs are surplus lavatory materials from an aborted project at the facility. "If they reproduce or cause problems, their lease will be terminated," FAA says.
Aero Technology promoted P.J. Mayes to general manager. Associated Air Freight named Jose Cosio district manager- Miami. Beck, DeCorso, Barrera&Oh named Bryan Daly an associate. BTI Americas named Lora Ellis director-affiliate sales. Garrett Aviation Services named Charles Trujillo regional sales manager- Europe. Intelsat elected Tetsuo Hashimoto, Japan, and John Stanton, Australia, chairman and vice chairman.
USAir intends to support a new aviation maintenance program at Fayetteville, N.C., Technical Community College, providing more than $250,000 in parts for 727s, 737s, DC-9s and F28s, plus training courseware and maintenance manuals to support the donated parts. The parts are surplus, and USAir will phase the 727 out of its fleet during the year.
USAir Group and Hawaiian Airlines stock prices moved dramatically in different directions Friday on speculation that USAir is interested in acquiring Hawaiian, TWA or both. A USAir spokesman called the reports "unfounded." USAir's stock price declined about 10% to slightly more than $12 per share, while the price of Hawaiian's stock, which resumed trading Wednesday after an 18-month hiatus due to its Chapter 11 bankruptcy, zoomed up 6 1/8, or 83% to $13.50 per share before trading was halted by the American Stock Exchange.
The carriers conducting sightseeing air tours of the Grand Canyon say they should not be included in an FAA plan to upgrade many small aircraft to comply with Part 121 safety standards, a move they believe would be "neither appropriate nor justified." A so-called white paper developed by Twin Otter International's Alan Stephen - former president of tour operator Scenic Airlines - concluded that requiring the upgrade for 10- to 19-seat Grand Canyon air tour aircraft would render the aircraft "completely uneconomic, resulting in eventual replacement with smaller aircraft
The government of Australia yesterday launched the oft-delayed privatization of flag-carrier Qantas with the pricing of its 75% stake in the airline. Finance Minister Kim Beazley said institutional investors will be offered shares in the airline for A$1.80 to $2.10, and retail investors will be able to invest in the carrier for A$2 to $2.10 per share for a minimum of 1,000 shares. The final prices will be based on demand and will be announced July 31. The retail offer becomes effective July 3 and will close July 21.
An Asian partner will "most likely" join any program to build a 90- to 120-passenger regional jet by the Alenia/Aerospatiale/British Aerospace joint venture, according to Avro International Aerospace Chief Executive Michael Donovan, speaking with DAILY affiliate Show News. BAe will contribute the Avro RJ regional jet line to the new venture, but a newer aircraft eventually will be needed, too.
Air France is offering a special summer sale fare of $599 roundtrip - which is 26% off the lowest published fare currently available - on its flights from New York Kennedy and Newark to Paris, subject to government approval. Travel to Nice, Bordeaux, Strasbourg and other cities in France is available on Air France or Air Inter for $70 roundtrip when purchased with the New York-Paris fare. Tickets must be bought no later than June 30 for departure July 5-Aug. 22 and return July 19-Sept. 22. The $599 fare is for travel Monday-Thursday.
FAA Administrator David Hinson and Netherlands Director General of Civilian Aviation Jan Weck have accepted the terms of what was called the world's first bilateral aviation safety agreement at a meeting in Amsterdam (DAILY, June 22). FAA described the pact as a "new type of agreement designed to promote the highest standards of aviation safety by increasing cooperation." When it is signed, it will form a regulatory partnership improving efficiency and expanding each nation's ability to respond to changes in the international aviation industry, the agency said.
