The Air Line Pilots Association is supporting the nomination of AFL-CIO Secretary/Treasurer Thomas Donahue for president. Donahue has supported the efforts of airline pilots in the past, most notably at Eastern, Continental and TWA, ALPA President Randy Babbitt said. "He represents the kind of progressive thinking that will be needed to face organized labor's many challenges."
Dutch government and the U.S. have signed the world's first bilateral air safety agreement, the Dutch said. The accord is geared to promoting the highest air safety standards through close collaboration between civil aviation authorities. Collaboration will focus on certification of airworthiness, environmental tests and flight simulator assessments.
Competition authorities of the European Commission this week approved a second tranche of public aid worth 5 billion French francs for state-owned flag carrier Air France. It is the second installment of a total capital increase of FF20 billion, authorized by Brussels last July, although subject to certain restrictions. The Commission said approval of the third tranche will depend on progress achieved regarding the restructuring plan struck with Air France when the subsidy initially was agreed.
Denro Inc. said its 100th small tower voice switch (STVS) will be installed at FAA's San Carlos, Calif., air traffic control tower in October. Denro has delivered 80 STVS systems through May and has another 67 on order, as well as options for 147. The system integrates air-to-ground and ground- to-ground communications.
Boeing 737 Systemwide Aircraft Utilization Per Day Fourth Quarter 1994 B737-300 America West Continental Delta Number of Aircraft Operated 33 58 13 Total Fleet Operations Departures 211 370 71 Block Hours 364 614 115
Express One has requested a waiver of the 45-day notice period required before the restart of air operations so it can begin service as soon as it gets authorization from FAA. The cargo and passenger carrier voluntarily grounded its fleet of 39 aircraft June 4 after an FAA investigation "disclosed serious safety concerns." Subsequently, FAA entered into a consent order with Express, imposing a $500,000 civil fine on the carrier and requiring it to take a series of steps (DAILY, June 19). The airline also has filed for bankruptcy protection.
Air South has retained former University of South Carolina and National Basketball Association star Alex English as a spokesman. English will address community and business groups and work as a consultant.
Air Macau is leasing two A320 and two A321 aircraft from International Lease Finance Co. The new regional carrier - and the first airline to be established in Macau - will take delivery of the A321s by the end of the year and the A320s in the first quarter of 1996. All are powered by IAE V2500 engines. Air Macau is 51% owned by Macau Aviation Services Co. Other shareholders include TAP Air Portugal and local interests.
Southwest recaptured low-cost leadership from ValuJet in the fourth quarter by attaining 6.27 cents per available seat mile, compared with 6.47 cents for the new entrant, according to Roberts, Roach&Associates.United's costs were highest - 10.64 cents per ASM, 70% higher than Southwest. Costs increased at ValuJet, American and Northwest.
Qantas will operate a third weekly flight between Sapporo, on Japan's northern island of Hokkaido, to Cairns and Brisbane, Australia, from Nov. 30, 1995, to March 28, 1996. The added service "is designed to cope with the demand for travel to Queensland and Australia from Hokkaido during the cold northern winter," said Paul Edwards, Qantas executive general manager- pricing, scheduling and yield.
The battle between Australia and Hong Kong continued to heat up, as the government of Australia took steps to limit Cathay Pacific's service to Australia. Beginning July 1, the carrier's Boeing 747-400 service between Hong Kong and Sydney will be limited to 164 passengers, about 40% of capacity, according to a Reuter report. The Australian government action is in response to Hong Kong's decision to restrict the capacity of Qantas's fifth-freedom service through Hong Kong to Singapore and Bangkok.
ValuJet's mechanics and related workers voted this week against representation by the International Brotherhood of Teamsters. The National Mediation Board said the union received 11 votes from the 31 eligible voters. The Association of Flight Attendants recently became the first union at the carrier (DAILY, June 2).
Northwest's new Pacific Operations Center (POC) in Japan required an investment of US$1.2 million, excluding the building, but will save the airline an estimated US$3.5 million a year, according to Murray Barrett, head of the POC. The assessment may be conservative. When the carrier built its Systems Operations Control center in Minneapolis in 1991, it cost US$6.7 million and was expected to save US$9 million. But it actually saved the airline US$18 million.
ValuJet Airlines plans to purchase four DC-9s for $18 million, including the cost of hushkitting and other modifications, from McDonnell Douglas and Paxford International. The aircraft, operated previously by Alitalia and Mexican charter carrier SAM, will be delivered in August, September, October and December. In an earlier acquisition, ValuJet expects delivery of three DC-9s in July and another in August, and after the newly announced purchase of four, it will have 36 of the aircraft in its fleet.
Wicat was selected by China Southern Airlines to provide computer-based training file servers and systems for delivery of Boeing 777 flight training courseware.
Air Travel Card interviews with 200 corporate travel decisionmakers in May found that 74% educate business travelers about safety and security. More than half said travel agencies also play a role through written materials or security alerts. The main security concerns of corporate employees traveling in the U.S. are property theft (32%), assault (27%) and lost or stolen travel documents (22%). Top international travel concerns are terrorism (24%) and cultural and custom differences (21%).
Delta plans to discontinue three weekly flights from Frankfurt to Delhi Nov. 30. On Dec. 2, it will expand its four weekly flights to daily service to Bombay from Frankfurt. The carrier operates 218-seat 767-300ER aircraft in the market. The flight to Delhi is being terminated because it requires a circuitous routing due to airspace restrictions over Afghanistan for U.S. carriers, Delta said, which disadvantages U.S. carriers in competing with foreign carriers.
Airlines are concerned about a plan to link Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) with San Francisco Airport, Air Transport Association President Carol Hallett told BART Board President Michael Bernick this week. Hallett said concerns about airport operations, airport security, environmental mitigation and airport and airline liability arose once BART opted for a plan to build a station under San Francisco's future international terminal. She also noted opposition from local public officials.
Officials representing airlines, manufacturers and trade associations met yesterday at the Air Transport Association as part of an attempt to eliminate duplication from their initiatives to solve the unapproved parts problem.The effort grew out of an international maintenance conference sponsored by FAA about 18 months ago.
Air Canada's transborder service with new, efficient Canadair Regional Jets will be a winner as the marketplace adjusts to open skies and a shakeout occurs as it evolves, according to Chairman, President and Chief Executive Hollis Harris. Speaking to the International Aviation Club in Washington, Harris said convenient nonstop services will win out over connecting flights, multistops and hubs.
Any FAA flight- and duty-time rulemaking that does not take into account the "unique nature" of smaller Part 135 operators will be opposed by the National Air Transportation Association. NATA Chairman James Coyne said his members are "extremely concerned with the impending FAA flight- and duty-time proposal," expected by midyear. "FAA claims that it is basing the new rule on scientific data, yet there is nothing scientific about severe economic hardship that forces an aviation business to cease operations," Coyne said.
Air New Zealand is marketing a holiday package to New Zealand through December 1995 in honor of Team New Zealand's recent victory in the America's Cup in San Diego. The carrier is offering North American passengers eight- and 15-day self-drive vacations that include roundtrip airfare from Los Angeles, hotel accommodations, car rental and a two-hour lunch cruise. Packages begin at $1,184 per person for eight days and $1,796 for 15 days. The eight-day trip tours the North Island of New Zealand, with stops in Auckland, Bay of Islands, Waitomo and Rotorua.
