Fukuoka-based Skymark Airlines has selected a Kagoshima-Tokyo route as its next low-cost challenge to the country's major carriers. Owned by one of Japan's largest travel agencies, Skymark was in the vanguard of discount airlines that sprung up when Japan began deregulating domestic air routes. But it soon found how easily new entrants can be tripped up in a country with so many travel options (AW&ST July 19, 1999, p. 43).
Midway Airlines, a niche operator that expanded rapidly as the economy slowed, is halving its workforce and reducing its fleet by 17 aircraft after filing for protection under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. Raleigh-Durham-based Midway is discontinuing service to nine destinations this month. President and CEO Robert Ferguson said the carrier will focus on traditionally profitable routes that should aid its rebound. Officials said Midway has assets totalling $318 million, and liabilities of $232 million.
The FAA expected to notify South Korea that Korean Air and Asiana Airlines will be barred from expanding services to the U.S. because of failures in South Korea's safety oversight system. The carriers are being swept up in an action aimed at South Korea's Civil Aviation Bureau. ``This may be a good opportunity for the KCAB to work with international experts to strengthen its aviation safety programs,'' Korean Air said, noting that it has had no safety problems since a string of losses in 1999 prompted a top-to-bottom management shakeup.
NASA's Space Launch Initiative is only three months old, but it's already drawn a caution flag from the General Accounting Office. A GAO space specialist, Allen Li, warns that SLI managers awarded their first batch of contracts without adequate cost estimates in hand. As a result, there was no way to judge how reasonable the contractors' proposals were, or to set adequate reserves for the program.
Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based InspecTech Aero Service Inc. has received orders for smart cabin windows from Bell Helicopter/Textron factory subsidiary Edwards&Associates.
Lufthansa German Airlines plans to seek board approval next month for an Airbus A380 aircraft order. The carrier has not disclosed the quantity, but 10 firm orders are likely, according to industry sources. Chairman and CEO Jurgen Weber said the airline could use 5-6 A380s on its trunk routes right now. Citing anticipated seat-mile cost improvements, he added, ``Lufthansa cannot afford not to order the A380.'' The airline also is completing plans to retire its remaining eight Boeing 747-200s and replace them with new 747-400s.
China Southern Airlines' overhaul affiliate, Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance Engineering Co. (Gameco), has used line maintenance and component overhauls to sustain a 7.6% growth rate for the first half of 2001. It reported a 7.8% year-on-year revenue increase for fiscal 2000. ``Despite severe competition [that] leads to slashing of its repair prices and [rise] in maintenance costs, the company is still operating profitably,'' a company official said. Profits for the first half of 2001 were 41.6 million yuan ($5 million), off 1.26% from last year because of price cutting.
Paul A. Haney has become deputy executive director for public and community relations of the Los Angeles World Airports. He was director of corporate news and information and director of ethics and corporate compliance programs for the Lockheed Martin Corp.
AIR TRAFFIC CONTROL UPGRADES FOR INCREASING AIRCRAFT ARRIVALS at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport will provide an added benefit for American Airlines when the airline receives a new product in September. Northrop Grumman Logicon's OnTime will blend data from airport radars and the FAA's arrival-planning automation to give the airline's ramp controllers a much more accurate picture of aircraft ETAs than they have today.
US Airways intends to add 50-69-seat regional jets to its mainline hub operations; reduce frequency and increase the size of aircraft it flies to Florida; replace some mainline jets with regional affiliates' 50-seat RJs at big East Coast airports; reduce costs of its MetroJet service, or start phasing it out; strengthen east-west flying and join a global airline alliance. The carrier plans to slip Airbus deliveries for two years, starting in 2003.
Arianespace's V143 launch, using an Ariane 44L booster, was rescheduled to Aug. 30. The six-day delay results from the need to complete further checks on the Intelsat 902 spacecraft, according to company officials.
Boeing warns employees traveling to the capital around the time of the World Bank's annual meeting, Sept. 29-30, to brace for big-time trouble from protestors. The company's security consultants say the morning-line odds are that ``hard-line anarchist, Marxist, Trotskyite and environmental factions'' will put on a nasty show. ``Police have indications that some radical protestors will use Molotov cocktails against the police,'' an e-mail circulating at Boeing warns.
Hans Messelink (see photo) has been named general manager of Terminal 4 at New York John F. Kennedy International Airport. He was executive vice president of Schiphol International Airport in Amsterdam. Messelink succeeds Alain Maca, who is now with Hudson General parent company GlobeGround.
The International Civil Aviation Organization and Singapore last week inaugurated a joint aviation training program for developing ICAO-member countries. ICAO will administer the program, and Singapore Aviation Academy will provide instruction for courses focusing on flight safety, navigation systems and civil aviation management.
Fresh from a blistering pace of space launches from its Eastern Range in Florida, the Air Force wants to hear from industry what else it can do to upgrade launch facilities. The service is soliciting input from companies and government organizations interested in commercial space activities on ``future development of launch bases and ranges and policies that would have the potential of impacting the international competitiveness of the U.S. space launch industry,'' according to an Aug. 16 Federal Register notice.
NASA has selected four teams to transition technology derived from the agency's Advanced General Aviation Transportation Experiments initiative into the five-year, $69-million Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) research and development program. The teams comprise Maryland Advanced Development Laboratory, North Carolina-Upper Great Plains laboratory, Southeast SATS Lab led by Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and Virginia Lab Research Alliance.
Paul Edwards has been named director of the new London office of Los Angeles-based Quarterdeck Investment Partners. He was vice president-strategic development at Smiths Group Aerospace.
Space Systems/Loral will build two satellites to provide leased transponder and network communications services to the Spanish ministry of defense and U.S. government agencies.
Adria Airways has ordered Zonal Drying System from CTT Systems AB for their fleet of CRJ 200 aircraft. Installations will begin next month at the airline's Slovenia facilities.
James Hoblyn (see photo) has been named London-based managing director of Bombardier Aerospace's Flexjet Europe Ltd. He was vice president-marketing and programs for Bombardier Aero- space Business Aircraft.
Malaysia has called off plans to build a $3-billion regional international airport to serve the upper Malaysian peninsula. Initially designated for a site near Penang, the project was later moved to Kuala Muda. Work was to start in 2003 and be completed in 2009. It was to replace the existing Penang airport, which is used heavily by tourists.
While pilot hiring slowed in July, it is expected to proceed at a brisk pace for the remainder of the year, according to Air Inc. The Atlanta-based airline career consultant says 1,178 new pilots were hired in July--329 by the majors, 346 by national carriers, 153 by jet operators, 101 by fractionals and 180 by nonjet operators and 69 by other types of operators. Pilots on furlough for the month totaled 818, compared with 551 in June. Air Inc. predicts a 16,500-pilot hiring requirement this year, which while strong, is not expected to match last year's levels.
Ian C. Aitken has been appointed president for corporate aircraft and John W. Gill vice president-human resources of Rolls-Royce North America Inc., Chantilly, Va. Aitken will remain executive vice president-airlines for the Americas. Gill was vice president-people and organization services for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics.
THE FLIGHT SAFETY FOUNDATION (FSF) HAS LAUNCHED an international study to identify fatigue and other factors that can affect flight crew performance during ultra-long-range (URL) flights. A workshop group is assembling data that could lead to recommendations that ensure URL missions are flown at a level of safety at least equal to or higher than that of the airlines. Issues include trip scheduling and personal strategies for sleeping, eating and exercising. Two business jets--the Gulfstream V and Bombardier Global Express--are capable of flying more than 6,000 naut. mi.
