Mesaba Aviation parent AirTran Corp. announced the Jan. 20 declaration of a three cents per share cash divided to be paid holders of common stock as of Feb. 3.
Alaska Airlines has asked for renewal of its authority to operate scheduled combination service between Anchorage, on the one hand, and Petropavolovsk and Kamchatski, Russia, on the other. Gaining authority for the service initially Feb. 2, 1994, Alaska has been awaiting now-completed airport improvements in Russia to begin service. The carrier intends to begin May 1995 two weekly roundtrips on the route, using MD-80 aircraft. (Docket 49365)
Carl Schellenberg, FAA Western-Pacific regional administrator, has been named to head the FAA Office of System Capacity. He will work with industry to structure an FAA capacity agenda.
Senate Commerce Committee this week named members of the aviation subcommittee, completing the organization of aviation-related panels in Congress. Republican members are Sens. John McCain (Ariz.), chairman, and Larry Pressler (S.D.), Ted Stevens (Alaska), Slade Gorton (Wash.), Conrad Burns (Mont.), Trent Lott (Miss.), Kay Bailey Hutchison (Texas) and John Ashcroft (Mo.). Democrats are Sens. Wendell Ford (Ky.), ranking member, and James Exon (Neb.), Daniel Inouye (Hawaii), Richard Bryan (Nev.), Jay Rockefeller (W.Va.), John Breaux (La.) and Byron Dorgan (N.D.).
A lack of investor interest forced the Bulgarian Privatization Agency to suspend the planned privatization of Balkan Bulgarian Airlines, according to reports from Sofia. The agency called off the privatization almost two years to the day after it gave preliminary approval to the effort and more than a year after it had hoped to complete the process (DAILY, Dec. 23, 1993).
Archana Airways Ltd., New Delhi, India, has ordered two de Havilland Dash 8 Series 200 aircraft to be delivered in September and October. The carrier will become the first in India to operate the aircraft, designed for "hot- and-high" airfields. The carrier also is scheduled to take delivery of two Dash 8 series 300 aircraft in February and March.
Wicat said it was selected by United to provide 36 computer-based training workstations at locations around the nation. The workstations will provide maintenance training for the new 777 as well as for A320 and 747-400 courses already in use. Wicat also said it was selected by the Swiss Air Force to supply a delivery system for use with a new ab initio pilot training program being developed jointly by Swissair, British Aerospace Flying College and Wicat. Wicat said it also received a Swissair contract to provide 16 PC-based workstations.
Continental yesterday posted a preliminary fourth quarter net loss of $41.9 million and a full-year loss $131.8 million - excluding the effects of a yet-to-be-completed $400 million restructuring charge - and unveiled a corporate strategy intended to strengthen the company's balance sheet and return it to profitability this year. The board-approved "Go Forward Plan" compiles new and previously announced initiatives targeted at solidifying domestic hub operations, shrinking excess capacity and improving customer service.
Continental will pay a compromise penalty of $38,000 and distribute at least 60,000 discount travel coupons to passengers traveling between Florida and New York under terms of a consent order related to the airline's failure to disclose certain fuel surcharges in its fare advertising. DOT is taking the action as part of its new consumer initiative, called "Travelers First," said DOT Secretary Federico Pena. The consumer effort was announced Jan.
U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Burton Lifland approved all but $250,000 of Martin Shugrue's request for $4.5 million in compensation for his 56 months of work as Eastern's trustee. Shugrue, who ran the airline from April 1990 to January 1991, when it was closed down, and then oversaw its liquidation, already has received $2.295 million of the total, and recently requested an additional $2.2 million (DAILY, Jan. 24). Shugrue's request had been opposed by the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corp., the Eastern estate's largest creditor, and the Machinists union.
FAA is developing a mechanism enabling Airways Facilities to categorize and track costs associated with producing services, and to measure program performance. The effort is part of the 1993 Government Performance and Results Act, which mandates that each agency prepare and submit a report on program performance for the previous fiscal year to the President and Congress not later than March 31, 2000. Airway Facilities was selected as a pilot organization to begin compliance with the act.
Singapore-based Abacus Distribution Systems and Vietnam Airlines signed a joint venture agreement yesterday to establish a national marketing company to distribute the Abacus computer reservations system in Vietnam. The new company, Abacus Distribution Systems (Vietnam) Ltd., will provide the marketing expertise, technical training, servicing and support infrastructure in Vietnam. The parties will apply to the Vietnam State Committee for Cooperation and Investment for a business license.
Kiwi Vacations is offering golf packages at the PGA Resort&Spa in Palm Beach, the Grenelefe Golf&Tennis Resort near Orlando, and the Saddlebrook Resort in Tampa. Three-night packages, including a daily round of golf, airfare, accommodations and car rental, range from $514 in the low season to $1,020 in the high season. Kiwi International serves Newark, Chicago, Atlanta, Tampa, Orlando, West Palm Beach and San Juan.
Atlantic Coast said it has completed an agreement with the U.S. DOT and JSX Capital Corp., a British Aerospace subsidiary, under which the carrier will receive a capital infusion of $20 million from JSX (DAILY, Jan. 13).
European press is reporting that Saab Aircraft of Sweden may join the anticipated joint venture between British Aerospace unit Jetstream Aircraft and the Franco/Italian Avions de Transport Regional partnership. Daimler- Benz Aerospace, on the other hand, is "making a last-ditch effort to avoid being sidelined" by the European turboprop consortium, according to the London Evening Standard. Daimler-Benz Aerospace includes Dornier and money-losing Fokker and has offered BAe turboprop leadership in the venture in exchange for leadership in jets, the paper said.
AirTrain Corp., which intends to operate high-frequency service between Philadelphia and Pittsburgh at low fares, has received its first aircraft, a DC-9-31. The airplane will sit on the tarmac at Pittsburgh Airport for an undetermined time, however, because FAA certification is not complete and the carrier has no authority to fly.
TWA may have to amend its registration statement again, resubmitting it to the Securities and Exchange Commission and resoliciting creditor approval of its financial restructuring plan, if an expected agreement between the airline and its 10% noteholders significantly changes the conditions of the proposed debt-for-equity swap.Monday's scheduled vote on issuing new stock to complete the transaction also would have to be delayed. The TWA/noteholder agreement could come today.
United Chairman Gerald Greenwald, in a speech prepared for a California Travel Industry Association conference, said his carrier's survival and future success depend on travel to and within California, where its low- fare Shuttle by United product operates. He said United just completed its first six months as an employee-owned company, producing results that are forcing even skeptical Wall Street analysts to take a closer look at the impact the new ownership has on profit and performance.
FAA issued a final rule requiring public aircraft - aircraft used by government units to transport passengers - to comply with the safety regulations governing certification, maintenance and training required of civil aircraft. Public aircraft were exempt from many FAA regulations. Armed forces and intelligence agency aircraft will retain their public- aircraft status unless they are operated for a commercial purpose.
Charles Wagner, president of Lockheed-California Co. during development of the L-1011 and program director during development of the C-141 military transport, died Saturday at age 85 after a lengthy illness.
International Lease Finance Corp. yesterday said it sold $150 million in three-year, 8 l/8% senior, unsecured, non-callable notes maturing Jan. 15, 1998. It will use the proceeds to repay maturing commercial paper.
The executive committees of the Airports Council International-North America and the American Association of Airport Executives this week urged continuation of the current federal grant program for airports but adopted principles for a new program if the current one cannot be retained. The two groups support at least $1.7 billion in airport grant funds and removal of the aviation trust fund from the federal budget, but major changes under way in Congress and the Clinton administration may make both actions impossible.
Aerolineas Centrales De Colombia (ACES) has asked for authority to serve Barranquilla and Cartagena, Colombia, as intermediate traffic points on its scheduled combination flights between Miami and two locations in Colombia, Medellin and Bogota. ACES plans to operate three weekly frequencies with routing Medellin-Barranquilla-Miami-Barranquilla-Medellin, beginning March 1, using 727-200s.
British Airways has invited four advertising agencies to bid for its $95 million worldwide advertising account following an upheaval in management at Saatchi&Saatchi, which has handled the account for 11 years (DAILY, Jan. 13). The candidate firms are Saatchi&Saatchi, New Saatchi, J. Walter Thompson and Bartle Bogle&Hegarty.
