All Nippon Airways has completed a 21 billion yen (US$236 million) sale- lease back transaction involving three Boeing 747s and six 767-200s, the airline said Friday. It will continue operating the airplanes for up to three years. "With the increasing severity of the used aircraft market, the present time was judged best for the sale," ANA said. The Japanese carrier operates a fleet of 120 aircraft, 42 of which are leased. In the fiscal year that ended Friday, ANA took delivery of five 767-300s and three Airbus A320-200s.
Anyone who invested $100 in Southwest on Dec. 31, 1989, would have been better served to sell the shares at the end of 1993 than to hang on to them until the end of last year. The value of that $100 investment was $710.16 at the end of 1993, compared with $318.74 at the end of 1994. The share price peaked at $39 in the first quarter of 1994 and slid to $15.50 in the fourth quarter.
Associated Air Freight named George Frey VP-service. Bombardier Aerospace Group appointed Peter Reynolds director-flight test operations, a new position. DPI Labs named Dave Alderman director-sales and product support. Comsat appointed Chris Leber chairman of Skyways Alliance. Elsinore LP promoted William Ashworth to senior VP-systems integration. Greiner named Leslie Sagar project manager and assistant to Gene Faulkner, deputy division director-air transportation, Texas and Western operations.
FAA has certified for the first time an aircraft designed and built in China. The Y-12 Harbin seats 19 and can be imported and operated in the U.S., said Anthony Broderick, assistant administrator for regulation and certification.
American has sold frequent traveler miles to more than 150 companies since introducing its AAdvantage Incentive Miles program in November. Daniel Flamberg, director-marketing for Dial-A-Mattress, said the company underestimated the allure of miles in changing buying patterns. "Using AAdvantage Incentive Miles got us new, high-end business at a very competitive price. We added more than $150,000 in incremental business at a cost of $2,400." Companies must purchase at least $1,200 in mile vouchers to enter the program.
DOT continues to study its options in dealing with Japan, an official said.Japan said it will not allow any new services by U.S. carriers - even those clearly permitted under existing agreements - until it begins talks with the U.S. The first casualty of the action appears to be United's Osaka- Seoul service, slated to begin June 7.
National Transportation Safety Board last week asked FAA Administrator David Hinson to limit some of Air Transport International's (ATI's) flight activities and conduct an in-depth inspection of the carrier. The board at the same time questioned the competency of ATI's principal operations inspector (POI). NTSB called for FAA to examine its oversight of ATI by the agency's Little Rock and Denver flight standards district offices (FSDS) and to limit the operation of ATI's engine-out ferry flights to test flight crews trained in three-engine procedures.
ValuJet has contracted FlightSafety International to conduct its crew resource management training. FlightSafety will offer training at the carrier's Atlanta base for pilots, and new hires will train at its Miami center.
International Air Carrier Association general assembly confirmed Marcel Pisters, former deputy secretary general of the Association of European Airlines, as IACA's new director general.
Air Canada has secured a new US$207 million credit line from a group of Canadian and international banks which it intends to use to pay off partially an existing US$400 million Euro Note Issuance Facility that matures in December 1996. The balance of the US$400 million note will be paid off with funds from operations, the carrier said. "This [new] facility enables Air Canada to level out its debt repayment schedule," said Rob Peterson, the airline's senior VP-finance and chief financial officer.
KLM has sold its holdings in three hotels to Golden Tulip International B.V., the hotel management company in which the Dutch airline has a 25% stake, KLM said Friday. Two of the hotels - the Golden Tulip Barbizon in Hoofddorp, and the Golden Tulip Barbizon Center in Amsterdam - were wholly owned by KLM. The third, the Golden Tulip Barbizon Palace, Amsterdam, was 33% owned by the airline. All three hotels were being managed by Golden Tulip International. Terms of the transactions were not revealed.
Rep. Jim Lightfoot (R-Iowa) plans to introduce his FAA reform legislation tomorrow. He invited representatives of the National Aviation Associations Coalition to the meeting to encourage industry support for the initiative.
Boeing 727 And 737 Domestic Aircraft Utilization Per Day Third Quarter 1994 B727-200 American Continental Number of Aircraft Operated 71 48 Total Fleet Operations Departures 293 196 Block Hours 622 433 Flight Hours 513 354
Senate Budget Committee members Slade Gorton (R-Wash.) and Christopher Bond (R-Mo.) have written committee Chairman Pete Domenici (R-N.M.), urging him to assume in the fiscal 1996 budget resolution a repeal of the jet fuel tax. Domenici has begun developing budget assumptions to be considered in several weeks. Assumption in the budget that the tax will be repealed would make it easier for the Senate Finance Committee to propose continuation of the industry's exemption, which expires Oct. 1.
Continental has lowered transatlantic fares to Paris, London, Madrid and Frankfurt through April 10. The price is good for travel through Dec. 14 and does not require an advance purchase. Fares for travel between April 24 and May 31 are almost all $100 lower than prices charged the rest of the year. The highest one-way sale fares are San Diego-Madrid, $419, and Cleveland-London, $379. The lowest are $249 for Newark-Frankfurt/London.
Northwest launched a summer fares sale Friday that was quickly matched by most major carriers. Northwest said its fares cut up to 40% from regular fares for domestic travel, and offer discounts in many markets to Canada and some to Mexico and the Caribbean. The fares are available for sale until April 7 for travel May 1-Sept. 14. Some examples from its Minneapolis/St. Paul hub are $278 roundtrip to Boston, $358 to Los Angeles and $238 to New York.
- In Federal Register dated March 27...Revised an airworthiness directive on Fairchild SA226/227 aircraft concerning Simmonds-Precision pitch trim actuators. - In FR dated March 28...Issued an AD on Textron Lycoming 360, 540, 541, 720 series engines requiring inspection for unapproved parts. - In FR dated March 29...Proposed requiring commuter carriers that conduct operations under Part 135 to conduct operations under Part 121.
Tower Air has completed an agreement to provide three aircraft to Air India for the transport of pilgrims during the 1995 Hadj this spring. The Hadj flights will operate during a 75-day period beginning in April. Tower Air also will provide four aircraft to Garuda Indonesia in conjunction with the Hadj.
Increased competition, while desirable, is not enough by itself to maintain a healthy European aviation industry, according to Pierre Jeanniot, director general of the International Air Transport Association.
British Airways Sunday will launch daily, nonstop 747 service between Seattle and London Heathrow. The 373-seat 747 will replace a 767 used in the market. The change is being made in response to increasing demand.
Delta and Iberia upgraded their respective connectivity levels in the Infini computer reservations system yesterday. Delta upgraded to Direct Sell using EDIFACT, while Iberia upgraded to Direct Sell. Infini's EDI Direct Sell product adheres to the UN/ECE and IATA-approved standards, according to Japan-based Infini Travel Information Inc. During the booking process at the Direct Sell level, the Infini system interfaces with the participating carrier's system on a real-time basis and results in the immediate decrement of the carrier's seat inventory.
The American Society of Travel Agents (ASTA) says the Justice Department is conducting a "careful review" of airlines' caps on travel agent commissions to determine whether the airlines are guilty of price fixing or collusion, which was requested by ASTA earlier this month.
British Airways and other airlines hosted in BA's Speedwing reservations system, including British Midland and Air Jamaica, have converted to Galileo's GlobalFares system from SITA's Fareshare. Another five airlines - Swissair, Austrian, Qantas, Air New Zealand and South African Airways - are in the development phase of linking to GlobalFares.
...Eagle pilots complain that local-level managers are perfectly capable, but are not allowed to manage. All decisions, they say, are made in Fort Worth, including crew and route scheduling. Management does not want pilots in management positions, they say, and "managers keep their doors closed and are not line-qualified." A top-level and highly confidential AMR investigation of the Eagle system, following last year's two fatal accidents, apparently echoed those sentiments, particularly faulting local-level pilot and maintenance management.
