Airports and communities are expressing frustration that only one airport/community witness is being allowed to testify at Wednesday's Senate Commerce aviation subcommittee hearing on international aviation policy. They argue that limiting their interests to a single voice does not present a balanced view or adequately represent the varied positions of airports and communities.
About 40% of international travelers from Russia prefer to fly with foreign airlines and the number is growing, according to Russia's Department of Air Transport. It estimates that Russian carriers will lease 100 foreign-made aircraft by 2000. One reason: Russian manufacturers demand 100% up-front payment for new aircraft.
Delta is seeking renewal of its authority to operate scheduled combination services between Los Angeles and Tokyo and between Portland and Nagoya, Japan. The carrier proposes to offer six nonstop Los Angeles-Tokyo and seven nonstop Portland-Nagoya flights per week. It said it will continue to use MD-11 or other suitable aircraft from its fleet on both routes, as market conditions demand. (Dockets 50358&50359)
Granted orally an exemption to Federal Express to operate scheduled cargo service between Great Falls, Mont., and Edmonton and Calgary, Canada...Granted orally an exemption to Antigua and Barbuda Airways International, operating as Antigua Paradise Airways, to operate scheduled combination service between Antigua and Barbuda, on the one hand, and the following U.S. coterminal points: Atlanta, Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Miami, Newark, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and a point or points in Puerto Rico.
Bart Simpson is flying on startup carrier Western Pacific, but on the outside of the airplane. In what was described as a multi-million-dollar, joint-venture promotional program, Fox Broadcasting has become the second company to advertise on the exterior of WestPac aircraft. A 737-300 has been painted yellow with an ad for Fox's cartoon family, The Simpsons. Marge's blue hair covers the aircraft's tail.
American has joined United and Carnival in the bidding for additional frequencies to operate between Miami and Lima, Peru. The frequencies were made available in the new aviation agreement between the U.S. and Peru, struck this month, which boosts the number of weekly combination roundtrip frequencies for both countries' carriers from 21 to 31.5 (DAILY, May 8). The pact reserves seven of the new frequencies for cities other than Miami and Fort Lauderdale, Fla., however.
The arrival of a third Boeing 747-400 earlier this month will enable Philippine Airlines to introduce nonstop service between Manila and San Francisco tomorrow, according to the airline. Since it acquired its first two 747-400s in late 1993, PAL has been operating daily nonstop service between Manila and Los Angeles. The three weekly San Francisco flights will give PAL 10 nonstops a week to the U.S. West Coast. In addition to the third 747-400, PAL expects to take delivery this month of two more Airbus A300-B4s as part of its fleet renewal program.
USAir will begin new nonstop service to Seattle from its Charlotte and Philadelphia hubs June 11, with one daily roundtrip in each market for the peak summer and fall season. The carrier will offer the service on a Boeing 757. Also on June 11, USAir will begin using the seven additional frequencies it has received from DOT to operate nonstop service to Frankfurt from Philadelphia and Boston. USAir's current Charlotte- Frankfurt nonstop will become a one-stop. The carrier will continue to offer Frankfurt nonstops from Pittsburgh.
Flight operations, international reservations and other Delta systems have been moved to the Worldspan Data Center in Atlanta, fulfilling the first phase of last September's Worldspan-Delta agreement by which Worldspan was to plan, develop and operate the systems for the airline. The flight operations system was down for 44 minutes during the transfer, and the Deltamatic internal reservations system -- the largest system moved -- was down for 51 minutes.
General Aviation Manufacturers Association has published its 1995 General Aviation Statistical Databook, which contains information on domestic general aviation shipments, composition of the aircraft fleet, exports, aviation safety trends, and hours flown by type and primary use. To order the $10 databook, write to GAMA, 1400 K Street N.W., Suite 801, Washington, D.C. 20005-2485.
Infini Travel Information, the Japan-based computer reservations system company, switched its fare system from SITA Fareshare to SITA Airfare. SITA Airfare will be used for fare quotes not available in the Infini in- house fare system, which is still the primary system used by Infini subscribers for pricing itineraries originating from Japan, and for fare display and other supplementary information. Infini also offers subscribers the option of using Worldspan's fare system for fare display and itinerary pricing of TC1 fares.
U.S. negotiators will conduct separate negotiations this week in Washington with South Africa and China. The U.S. will be looking to liberalize its relationship with South Africa, which is "very restrictive" in the absence of a bilateral agreement, according to Paul Gretch, director of DOT's Office of International Aviation. South Africa will be seeking to expand the code-share arrangement between South African Airways and American. "We are willing to expand it" in return for more liberal relations, Gretch added.
Airbus disputes Boeing Chairman Frank Shrontz's assertion that the 777A/B holds 70% of new orders in its category. Airbus says its A330/A340 family has a 45% market share, the Douglas MD-11 30% and the 777 25%, based on firm orders. Since October 1990, when the 777 was launched, the 777 has 144 firm orders and the A330/A340 has 100, giving Boeing a 59% share. Airbus says it sold 30 A340s last year against none for the 777.
The House passed 238-193 last week its budget resolution (H.Con.Res.67), which assumes a seven-year reduction from current law of $22.6 billion in transportation spending. The Senate will resume work today on its version of the budget, which assumes a transportation cutback from current law of $51.5 billion over seven years. On Friday, the Senate rejected 99-0 an amendment to adopt President Clinton's proposed budget.
Northwest named Tom Schreier VP-finance and assistant treasurer in charge of all capital-raising activities. Lufthansa Cargo appointed Thomas Betenia general manager-cargo, USA southeast region. Atlantic Coast Airlines named Michael Davis senior VP-customer service. Southern Air Transport appointed Stephen Van Gordon senior VP- technical services, and named Michael Vogt director of sales for the Pacific Rim Region. Emery Worldwide named Hugh Cutler VP-international services.
- In Federal Register dated May 12...Issued an airworthiness directive (AD) on certain Airbus A300, A300-600 and A310 aircraft requiring inspection for cracks between certain ribs...Issued an AD on certain Boeing 737- 300/400/500 aircraft requiring replacement of the horizontal stabilizer trim electric actuator...Issued an AD on certain Bombardier CL-600 aircraft requiring inspection for proper operation of the uplock latch of the air- driven generator...Issued an AD on certain McDonnell Douglas MD-11 aircraft requiring an electrically controlled slat system...Issued an AD
China Airlines has doubled the number of weekly flights between Taipei and Kuala Lumpur with the addition of a daily nonstop on May 16. Previously, CAL operated seven weekly flights in the market, via Hong Kong.
DOT officials pressed its reorganization plan while pointing out potential traps in the Republican budget resolutions during a Federal Bar Association forum this week featuring current and former DOT officials. The plan, which shrinks DOT from 10 to three operating agencies and removes air traffic control from a smaller FAA, will make it easier to link transportation modes into a seamless network, better serve DOT's state and local customers, eliminate duplication and save $2.5 billion a year, said DOT Deputy Secretary Mortimer Downey.
FAA's new philosophy of relying on integrated product teams (IPTs) to focus its resources on product development and delivery has "rather significant gaps," the General Accounting Office told the House Science technology subcommittee this week. FAA has established 14 IPTs for elements of air traffic control (DAILY, May 12).
Standard&Poor's yesterday assigned a preliminary A- rating to Southwest's $400 million unsecured debt securities, for which it recently filed a Rule 415 shelf registration with the Securities and Exchange Commission. S&P said its rating reflects Southwest's "extremely" strong positions in the markets it serves, very low operating cost structure, and consistent profitability in a difficult industry environment.
Iberia's March passenger traffic increased nearly 1.1% from a year ago to 1.85 billion revenue passenger kilometers. The number of passengers boarded rose 1.9% to 1.18 million, and the Spanish airline's cargo traffic was up 16.3% to 58.4 million freight ton kilometers. Through the first three months of this year, Iberia's passenger traffic increased 1.9% to 5.2 billion RPKs, and the number of passengers boarded rose 1.3% to 9.1 million. Cargo traffic increased 17.5% to 153.7 million FTKs.
Lufthansa, which consolidated its U.S. management structure a couple of years ago from five regions into two, yesterday combined the two regions into one. Uwe Hinrichs, who was VP of the former Eastern region, was named VP-USA. The consolidation follows the appointment of Rolf Hoehn, formerly VP-Central and Western USA, to the new worldwide sales and distribution division, where he will be VP-global sports marketing. In his new position, Hinrichs will oversee all passenger and operational activities at the carrier's 10 U.S. gateways.
DOT officials believe adoption of the spending levels in the Senate Budget Committee's budget plan could mean a 20% cut in FAA's operations funding and virtual elimination of grant programs. Although the greatest cuts - $3.7 billion a year in savings from the unlikely privatization of air traffic control - do not kick in until fiscal 1997, programs would have to be pared back in fiscal 1996 to keep out-year obligations in line.
AMR Chairman Robert Crandall said yesterday that he is encouraged with recent developments in the airline company's ongoing talks with its labor unions, and AMR Airline Group President Donald Carty said he expects agreements with the three unions by the third quarter. AMR, the parent company of American, is seeking $750 million a year in labor cost savings.
With U.S.-Japan aviation relations continuing to deteriorate, Frederick Smith, Federal Express president and CEO, paid a call on DOT Secretary Federico Pena yesterday, according to an industry source. FedEx has been urging DOT to take action to force Japan to allow the carrier to operate fifth-freedom service from Japan.
