DOT is granting regional carriers a waiver from filing a 45-day notice of intention to suspend service at FAA-designated non-hub communities where DOT has established Essential Air Service. The DOT decision expands criteria tentatively set in October 1994 for receiving a waiver (DAILY, Oct. 14, 1994). In the earlier decision, a waiver could be gained if the community would continue to receive scheduled jet aircraft service or scheduled service from two or more commuter carriers.
To Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.), last week's $955 million in FAA-Loral contracts to restructure elements of the former Advanced Automation System program show that FAA "can be fixed within its current, basic organizational structure." Oberstar opposes air traffic control corporatization and backs acquisition and personnel reforms at FAA.
Top 10 Passsenger Airports By Worldwide Region The Year 1994 Total % North America Code Passengers Change Chicago, Illinois ORD 66,435,252 2.1 Atlanta, Georgia ATL 54,090,579 13.9 Dallas/Fort Worth, Texas DFW 52,601,125 5.9 Los Angeles, California LAX 51,050,275 6.7 Denver, Colorado DEN 33,129,126 1.5 New York, New York JFK 28,799,275 7.5
Delta last week graduated a class of 227 flight attendants, a majority of whom are currently working for Delta in other capacities. Filling the positions from within the company will help Delta reach its Leadership 7.5 cost goals by reducing the overall number of jobs, said Harry Alger, executive VP-operations. The new flight attendants are needed because of code-sharing service - 80 will be placed in Boston, 25 in Miami/Fort Lauderdale and 122 in New York.
National Transportation Safety Board released last week its factual report on the fatal crash of an Air Transport International DC-8 Feb. 16 during takeoff on an attempted three-engine ferry flight from Kansas City. The board will study information contained in the report in determining a probable cause. The report shows the crew may have confused Fahrenheit and Celsius in computing the outdoors temperature at takeoff, resulting in too slow a liftoff speed.
U.K. airport management and development company, BAA plc, announced that Russell Walls has been appointed group finance director, replacing Nigel Ellis, who will retire from the board July 14. Walls was group finance director of Wellcome plc before it was acquired by Glaxo plc.
Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) introduced legislation (S.729) last week to provide for off-budget treatment of transportation trust funds - aviation, highway, inland waterways and harbor maintenance. The bill, co-sponsored by Senate Majority Whip Trent Lott (R-Miss.), is similar to House legislation (H.R.842) that has 147 co-sponsors.
International Air Transport Association member carriers should expect traffic to increase by 8.5% and capacity by 7% in 1995, according to Director General Pierre Jeanniot.Unit costs should decrease 1.5%. With freight traffic up 14% and passenger traffic 8% in 1994, the 1995 traffic projections should be reached, he said, but the question is whether carriers can hold down capacity.
Crew of a United 767 followed proper ETOPS (Extended-range Twin-engine Operations) procedures after shutting down one of the two engines last week, and the aircraft was never in danger before diverting to Bermuda on a flight from New York to Sao Paulo, an FAA official said Friday. A check with FAA headquarters in Washington showed that only 39 inflight shutdowns have occurred in the 33.8 million aircraft cycles ETOPS has been in use.
Western Pacific Airlines' first flight took off Friday from Colorado Springs Airport despite a court filing by Plane Purpose Promotions of Tampa seeking an injunction to stop the carrier from operating the aircraft. WestPAC is selling the exterior of its airplanes for advertising, and the first flight was a "flying billboard" for the Broadmoor Hotel.
Free flight will be easier to introduce when Display System Replacement workstations for air traffic controllers are in operation, and it will be impossible until then, according to FAA. "You cannot bring in AERA [automated enroute air traffic control] under the current system," says Pete Sweers, manager, advanced systems and facilities division. Airlines hope Loral can field DSR well ahead of FAA's target, 2000.
Atlantic Coast Airlines Inc., parent of United Express carrier Atlantic Coast Airlines, recorded a net loss of $3.2 million, 38 cents per share, for the first quarter of 1995, compared with an $8.4 million loss, or $1.22 per share, in the first quarter of 1994. Operating loss for the quarter was $2.8 million, down from $8.3 million, and total revenue decreased $3.4 million to $30.7 million. Operating expenses fell by $8.9 million, or 21%, to $33.5 million.
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Granted orally an exemption to Athabaska Airways to operate scheduled combination service between Regina, Canada, and Williston, N.D...Granted orally an exemption to Ansett New Zealand Ltd.
An aviation consultant says Ed Beauvais, president of Western Pacific Airlines, which inaugurated service Friday, toyed last year with naming the company "BudJet," to convey the idea of low fares. Considering that Western Pacific is negotiating with the Adolph Coors brewery for advertising space on the sides of its airplanes, a Bud reference probably would not have been a good move.
The Belgian government said Friday it has lifted the major obstacle to the prospective strategic investment in Sabena by Swissair. Government ministers agreed to drop a disputed proposal to reduce Sabena's social services costs by 650 Belgian francs per year, deciding instead to assume the cost of special pension benefits for Sabena's flight personnel. Established in 1969 to compensate for the early retirement age imposed on pilots and crew, the early pension phase has been paid for through a special fund that costs Sabena 320-350 million francs per year.
U.S. negotiators will be looking for more capacity when they begin talks with Peru today in Washington, according to Paul Gretch, director of DOT's Office of International Aviation. United, which just entered the market, seeks a daily frequency. Continental wants to start service from Houston, and American, the main carrier in the market, is looking for more frequencies.
Government of Bermuda is slated to take over control of most Bermuda Airport operations June 1 from the U.S. Navy. The transfer is the first major step toward full withdrawal by Sept. 1 from the Naval Air Station there. Bermuda's Department of Airport Operations, which will manage the airport, has contracts with several companies to provide management and operational services.
The Association of Flight Attendants this week will issue the results of a study it commissioned showing that child safety seats will save lives on aircraft and that current FAA policy, which does not require their use, is detrimental to the public interest. AFA will publicize the study at 8:45 a.m. May 3 at the National Press Club, where it also will kick off an information campaign to educate the public on what it called a serious safety concern. Scheduled to participate are Rep.
Nine investors and partnerships interested in bidding for 50.1% of Ecuatoriana de Aviacion have been approved by the pre-qualification committee appointed by the government of Ecuador, and offering memorandums are being distributed to them. A bid and a five-year business plan will be due from each in 45 days for evaluation by privatizers, who will be advised by a consulting consortium led by Prudential.
Shuttle by United is offering reduced fares on flights to San Francisco and Oakland, with double frequent flyer miles on selected flights. One-way advance-purchase fares from Oakland are as low as $29 to Burbank and Los Angeles and $49 to Seattle. Fares start at $44 between San Francisco and Portland and $59 between San Francisco and Seattle.
National Air Traffic Controllers Association will hand out mail-back cards to Congress at about 50 airports May 8, "alerting the public to concerns that controllers have about the safety of the air traffic control system, including old equipment and short-staffing." NATCA believes FAA needs 1,500 more controllers.
Continental has awarded a contract to Pemco World Air Services for modification and maintenance work on 11 737-100/200/300 aircraft. Four aircraft will undergo heavy maintenance and modifications, and the other seven will receive minor modifications and interior refurbishment, according to Matthew Gold, chairman of Pemco parent Precision Standard.
Reno Air yesterday reported a first quarter net loss of $3.2 million, or 39 cents per share, and an operating loss of $2.9 million. Both losses are substantially smaller than those of a year ago, when Reno lost $6.1 million net, or 77 cents per share, and $6.2 million on operations. "We are very encouraged by the first quarter results and the improvement over the first quarter of 1994," said Reno Air President Robert Reding.
Delta Connection affiliate Comair expects to report earnings per share of approximately 26 cents for the quarter ended March 31, 1995, a decline froom the 28 cents logged in the comparable quarter one year ago. Earnings per share for the fiscal year ended March 31, 1995, are expected to be $1.45 compared with $1.33 in fiscal 1994. The regional's full financial results for the quarter are due to be released shortly. Comair said its board had approved a cash dividend of eight cents per share payable May 17 to shareholders of record on May 8.
