DOT has extended the deadline for action on Delta's complaint against the German government and Frankfurt/Main Airport, while the U.S. government and Delta pursue a resolution to the problem. On Dec. 29, 1993, Delta filed a complaint under the International Air Transportation Fair Competitive Practices Act of 1974 contending the German government and Frankfurt Airport had denied it the right to perform its own ground-handling at the airport and imposed unreasonable and burdensome rates and charges on it in violation of the U.S.-Germany aviation agreements.
Defense Department should retain control of the Global Positioning System for national security reasons but it should drop its current ability, called Selective Availability (SA), by which it can degrade the accuracy of GPS signals to civil users, according to a congressionally mandated report issued yesterday. The U.S. also should offer basic GPS free for all users to forestall foreign competition in a marketplace for GPS products that is "exploding," the report said.
Patricia Snyder has joined Washington law firm Dyer Ellis Joseph&Mills. She worked for the Civil Aeronautics Board for five years and was an attorney in DOT's Office of Assistant General Counsel for International Law, where she participated in international aviation negotiations. She chairs the Federal Bar Association's International Transportation Committee.
Western Pacific Airlines today begins service to Chicago Midway, Dallas/Fort Worth and Seattle from Colorado Springs, Colo. The carrier started operations April 28 with nonstop flights to Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Kansas City and Oklahoma City. On May 8, it inaugurated flights to San Francisco. WestPAC, which operates five 737-300s, said more service and aircraft are planned for this summer. As it acquires aircraft, it intends to expand to New York, Houston, Indianapolis, Omaha, Orange County, Portland, San Diego, St. Louis, San Jose and Wichita.
The board of SkyWest Inc., the holding company of Delta Connection carrier SkyWest Airlines, has declared a special dividend of 17 cents per common share for shareholders of record as of June 16. The dividend is payable July 3. This is the seventh consecutive special dividend declared and paid in addition to 13 consecutive annual dividends.
Air Transport Association has named John Motley executive VP-government affairs and public relations. He worked for the National Federation of Independent Business for 24 years, and is credited with helping to create the Small Business committees in the House and Senate. ATA also named Edward Merlis senior VP-federal affairs and airports and Guy Clough VP- policy and program development.
Air France, which is undergoing a restructuring program, said yesterday after a board meeting that it has reached agreement with Boeing on a major adjustment of its aircraft orders, including dropping a 747-400 freighter it was scheduled to receive in 1993 (DAILY, Jan. 26&May 18). In addition, it said Boeing will handle the resale of a 767-300 delivered in 1994 but not placed in service.
Qantas Airways plans to introduce a third weekly Sydney-Johannesburg flight on Nov. 6, subject to government approval, to keep pace with heavy demand. The service, operated with a Boeing 747, will continue to Harare, giving Qantas two flights per week from Australia to the capital of Zimbabwe. "Visitor numbers from South Africa to Australia have doubled in the two years since we resumed services to Johannesburg," said Geoff Dixon, Qantas Group executive general manager. Both of Qantas's current African services will become non-smoking flights on July 1.
Sabre Travel Information Network has added AT&T as a database server vendor for Sabre's TravelBase accounting and MIS system. Sabre will offer TravelBase customers AT&T's 3000 series servers, with use from one to 16 megahertz Pentium processors.
The European Union is preparing to send letters to six member countries that have initialed open skies pacts with the U.S. asking them not to sign the agreements. The letters are the first phase of a formal procedure that may lead to an EU Court of Justice action against the six - Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Belgium, Luxembourg and Austria. The countries will have one month to reply. The letters follow an earlier series of threats of legal action by EU Transport Commissioner Neil Kinnock if the six proceeded with the open skies talks.
U.S. Major Carriers Operating Revenue and Expenses The Year 1994 Operating Operating Revenues Expenses (000) (000) The Year 1994 America West $ 1,414,317 $ 1,267,940 American 14,951,125 14,039,542 Continental 4,798,183 4,884,445
Rolls-Royce said a Boeing 777 powered by its Trent 800 engine made its first flight May 26. The aircraft flew more than five hours, reaching an altitude to 33,000 feet and cruising at 420 miles per hour or Mach 0.6. Initial tests included slam engine acceleration and deceleration and engine relights. The first Trent-powered 777 will go to launch customer Thai Airways International in January. Rolls said the Trent 800 is the first engine to be cleared for flight at 90,000 pounds thrust. It was certificated last January, three months ahead of schedule, Rolls said.
Clarification: Swissair has appointed a new general manager-marketing for North America, not a new general manager for North America as stated in a headline May 26 in The DAILY.
FAA yesterday awarded full 180-minute, extended-range twin-engine operations (ETOPS) certification at service entry of the Pratt&Whitney- powered Boeing 777 and to United. ETOPS is generally granted in stages based on the operating experience of the airframe/engine combination and the airline. Grant of the full 180-minute diversion capability was unprecedented, although Anthony Broderick, FAA associate administrator for certification, said on several occasions that Boeing was on track to receive the full authority.
DOT Deputy Inspector General Mario Lauro is scheduling briefings from various New York modal administrations, including FAA officials, regarding recent and past power outages that have caused aircraft delays and diversions.Lauro will use the results of the briefings to decide whether to conduct an audit.
USAir Express has resumed daily nonstop seasonal flights between New York LaGuardia and Martha's Vineyard and Nantucket, and will begin flights to Hyannis on Cape Cod June 11. The carrier will offer two daily flights with 37-seat de Havilland Dash 8s to Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard, with a third offered from LaGuardia on Friday evenings and to LaGuardia on Monday mornings. It will offer four daily roundtrips to Cape Cod with 19-seat Beech 1900Ds. USAir Express also operates to the cape and islands from Boston.
The City of Chicago has filed at DOT in support of Western Pacific's request that the department reconsider its decision to deny the airline an exemption from the slot rules to provide service between Colorado Springs and Chicago O'Hare (DAILY, April 25). The city argued that DOT's decision is inconsistent with the language and intent of the 1994 legislation that set up criteria for exemptions from the slot rules.
As part of its new inflight service from June 1, India's national carrier Air India will serve free alcoholic beverages to economy-class passengers on India-Europe, India-U.K.-U.S. and India-Far East routes. The service, introduced to attract passengers after the lull in business following the plague scare last year, will be extended to other sectors gradually, an Air India spokesman said yesterday in Bombay. Air India also said it will accept all major international credit cards for inflight duty-free shopping.
Pilots at United Express carrier WestAir began informational picketing at Seattle, San Francisco and Fresno airports yesterday. The pilots, represented by the Air Line Pilots Association, are protesting "deplorable" working conditions at WestAir and seeking better pay and job protection. The pilots said parent Mesa Air Group has replaced WestAir aircraft and crews with those from other Mesa divisions, forcing them to relocate and work for lower salaries. Pilots and management have been negotiating a contract for two years. The picketing will not affect flights.
Air South will launch new service June 17 from Columbia, S.C., to Tampa Bay, its fifth nonstop destination. The carrier also flies to Atlanta, Jacksonville, Myrtle Beach and Raleigh/Durham. Air South said that before it began operating a year ago, there was no nonstop jet service from Columbia to Florida. It will offer fares as low as $20 one way.
Southwest Airlines yesterday began 737 operations using head-up guidance systems (HGS) from Flight Dynamics on 20 aircraft after receiving FAA approval to use HGS in Category 2 weather. The carrier sees a competitive advantage in HGS as it continues to expand outside its traditional operating area and and into cities such as Sacramento, Salt Lake City, Portland and Seattle. "We want to assure that we can maintain our high- frequency operation with a minimum of schedule disruption," said Chairman Herb Kelleher.
DMS Travel Group, New York, is offering corporate clients two-way communication via the Internet e-mail system, enabling DMS to communicate with users of any system.
Viking International Airlines, operating as Eagle Airlines, is asking DOT for renewal of its authority to operate combination charter services between points in the U.S. and destinations in Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean. Providing charter service since 1993, the carrier filed a Chapter 11 proceeding Aug. 12, 1994, and is currently putting together a reorganization plan. The carrier's fleet includes MD-82, Convair 600F and DC-9-10 aircraft. (Docket 48863)
The U.S. concluded separate talks with South Africa and China last week without reaching new agreements with either. Progress was reported after three days of talks with South Africa, according to a DOT spokesman, who added the parties planned to talk again but set no dates for negotiations. The two countries are operating without a bilateral. In the talks with China, however, the two sides made no plans to meet again. The U.S. wants China to recognize U.S. rights to operate additional combination and cargo frequencies to that country.
