Westinghouse Electric Corp. received a $5.4 million contract from Airborne Express for an air traffic control surveillance radar system at Wilmington, Ohio, in what the manufacturer said is the first sale of an ATC radar to a non-government customer. The purchase includes an ASR-9 airport surveillance radar and monopulse secondary surveillance radar, which will be installed by November. Wilmington is Airborne Express's headquarters and the hub of its overnight package delivery operations.
Sabre Travel Information Network has launched "Business Travel Solutions," a fully integrated suite of three PC-based modules for travel planning, travel expense reporting and pre-travel decision-making. Scheduled for field testing this year, the modules also may run stand-alone and are being developed to work in conjunction with other industry products. Sabre said it will partner with travel agencies, consulting and integration firms to market and operate Business Travel Solutions.
A detailed agenda for cooperative efforts in aviation between the U.S. and Russian governments was signed by Vice President Al Gore during a recent trip to Moscow. The memorandum of understanding, which falls short of being a bilateral airworthiness pact, is designed to make a future bilateral pact easier to reach. The June 30 MOU is a follow-on to a December agreement intended to "expedite efforts toward a bilateral airworthiness agreement (BAA) for the reciprocal acceptance of airworthiness certifications."
Aerovias de Mexico, parent company of Aeromexico, logged a net profit and broke even on an operating basis in the second quarter, the company reported. After suffering an operating loss of nearly 28.3 million new pesos (Np$) in the second quarter last year, Aeromexico trimmed that loss to Np$252,000 (US$40,419) in the June quarter of 1995 by cutting its payroll by 60 employees and reaching concession agreements with the remaining workers, and by reducing the size of its fleet to 51 aircraft from last year's 58.
Swissair said its traffic for the first six months of 1995 was 9.3% higher than that of the same period last year, on a 10.7% increase in intercontinental routes. The carrier transported 4,144,000 passengers in the first half of 1995, a 4.8% increase. Available ton kilometers were up 6.5%. The overall load factor was 68% and the seat load factor was 61.6%.
Not much escapes or is beneath the notice of Air Transport Association President Carol Hallett, who responded recently to a Chicago Tribune column by Joan Beck complaining about airline reservation and in-flight service, cramped seats, high fares - basically, everything between reservation and debarkation. Hallett described the column as "one long whine" and a disservice to thousands of industry employees, ending the letter with the advice, "Joan, get a life!"
American has asked DOT to renew its authority to serve Miami-Cancun. The carrier currently operates three times daily roundtrip service on the route, using Boeing 727 aircraft. (Docket OST-95-357)
Delta yesterday announced an end-of-summer sale, discounting by up to 40% regular advance purchase excursion fares on travel throughout the U.S. and Canada. Tickets must be bought by Aug. 9 for travel Aug. 13-Dec. 15. The fares, good in Delta/Delta Connection combination markets, require a 14-day advance purchase and a Saturday night stay. Continental said it is offering the same sale with the same dates and restrictions. Both carriers blacked out Nov. 19, 22 and 26.
China Airlines (CAL) has revised its projected 1995 pre-tax earnings upward to US$37.6 million. Previously, CAL projected that pre-tax earnings for the year would reach US$21.05 million. A CAL official said stronger-than- expected demand on the company's European routes will boost earnings. In addition, he said, CAL will report a large non-operating profit from the sale of shares in Far Eastern Air Transport Corp.
Air Afrique is seeking authority to serve Bamako, Mali, as an intermediate point on its Abidjan-Dakar-New York service. The carrier currently operates Airbus A310 service five times a week on the route. (OST-95-350)
DHL International said it will expand its air express operations to cover 26 cities in China by the end of the year in coordination with its joint venture partner Sinotrans.
FAA yesterday approved $325 million in passenger facility charges for an on-airport automated guideway transit (AGT) project at New York Kennedy Airport and $300 million for monorail and landside access projects at Newark Airport. The agency rejected, however, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey's plan to collect PFCs to finance part of an on-airport AGT system at New York LaGuardia.
DOT Secretary Federico Pena and FAA Administrator David Hinson are scheduled to testify at a Senate Commerce, Science&Transportation aviation subcommittee hearing on proposed FAA reform. Set for 2:30 p.m. Wednesday in Room 253 of the Russell Senate Office Building, the hearing will address proposals to privatize air traffic control or turn it over to a government corporation. The panel also will explore making FAA an independent agency.
Burlington Air Express's second quarter operating profit fell 30.6% to $14.4 million from last year's record $20.8 million but still qualified as the second largest quarterly profit in the company's history. The carrier's total revenue for the quarter increased 13.1% to nearly $342 million. The cargo express and global logistics company attributed the quarter's profits to volume growth, primarily international, combined with efficient utilization of domestic fleet capacity.
IATA reported that the average load factor for its carriers in June was 71%, a one-point increase from year-ago totals. The June total brought the average load factor for the first half of the year to 67%, the same as for the same period last year. The group also reported a "healthy growth rate" for freight traffic of 10% for June and 13% for the first six months.
Taiwan's TransAsia Airlines will inaugurate regularly scheduled service between Taipei and Surabaya on Oct. 5. A company spokesman said A320 aircraft will serve the new route. TransAsia currently operates two A320s, and an A321 is scheduled to be delivered before the end of this year.
George Howard, president of the Airports Council International-North America, will be leaving the post Dec. 31. "I came to ACI-NA for two years and I've stayed for six," Howard said. "I'm very pleased to have been part of the coalition that achieved the PFC and Stage 2 phaseout and now to be a part of the coalition for FAA reform, including adequate funding for airports and airways. I hope to continue to play an active role in the aviation industry."
Airlines of Britain Holdings, the parent company of British Midland, Manx Airlines and Loganair, has appointed Stewart John as non-executive director of the group. John, who worked from 1980 until 1994 in Hong Kong as engineering director of Cathay Pacific Airways, currently is VP of the Royal Aeronautical Society and president of the International Federation of Airworthiness. He also is non-executive director of Rolls-Royce and British Aerospace subsidiaries Newall Aerospace and Lucas Asia Pacific.
Senate Commerce Committee is expected to act at its next business meeting on the nominations of Robert Francis and John Goglia to be members of the National Transportation Safety Board. Francis, whose term would end Dec. 31, 1999, would fill the seat previously held by John Lauber. Goglia, whose term would end Dec. 31, 1998, would fill the vacancy left by Susan Coughlin.
Standard&Poor's last week put GPA Group and related units on CreditWatch with "developing" implications, meaning the ratings may be raised or lowered. The action affects about $2.25 billion of debt. GPA Group, which has a corporate credit rating of B, is exploring a securitization of up to two-thirds of its fleet of 335 leased aircraft to refinance bank and other debt.
Continental is petitioning DOT to reconsider its decision denying the carrier an immediate exemption to begin serving the Newark-Bogota-Lima market on an interim basis. As part of its order establishing the U.S.- Lima Combination Service Proceeding, DOT decided not to allot on a temporary basis frequencies for gateways other than Miami/Fort Lauderdale (DAILY, July 19). American also asked to operate immediate service between Lima and DFW.
- Granted orally an exemption to Heavylift-Volgadnepr to operate four cabotage cargo charter flight between Wilmington, Ohio, and Seattle, Wash., using Russian-registered Antonov 124 aircraft during the period July 23- Aug. 12, 1995, carrying GE90 engines and related parts for production of Boeing 777 aircraft...Granted orally an exemption to Northwest to operate combination service between points in the U.S.
-- Ackerly Airport Advertising named Anne Bachman national account manager and Paul Gilman account manager-LaGuardia, MacArthur and Stewart airports. -- Cooper Aviation Industries appointed Lynda Harmison manager-inside sales for Cooper Express. -- Douglas Aircraft division of McDonnell Douglas named Bonnie Soodik VP- general manager, quality. -- Loral elected Arthur Simon to the board.
Aeromexico has applied for renewal of its authority to operate scheduled combination service between Tijuana, Mexico, and Las Vegas. (Docket OST- 95-351)
A decision by the owners of Ansett Australia to hold on to their stakes in the airline would seem to have eliminated, at least for now, Air New Zealand's chances of buying into the Australian market through Ansett. But ANZ, which had been negotiating to buy up to 50% of Qantas's primary domestic competitor, remains optimistic that a deal can be done. "Despite recent statements by Ansett's owners, Air New Zealand still regards acquisition of an interest in Ansett as a live issue," a spokeswoman told The DAILY.
