DOT has sent to Congress a proposal to extend the authorization for the Airport Improvement Program through fiscal 1997 and the authorizations for FAA research, development and engineering, facilities and equipment and operations through fiscal 1999. The proposal also would give DOT authority to enter into agreements with airport sponsors to implement innovative financing techniques. For fiscal 1997, FAA authorization levels provided in the bill are $1.35 billion for AIP, $1.789 billion for F&E, $195.7 million for R,E&D and $4.92 billion for operations.
More than 60% of 400 Part 135 on-demand air charter operators surveyed by the National Air Transportation Association indicated that FAA's proposed new rule on flight and duty times for commercial pilots will "force them into other vocations," NATA said.
Summary of U.S. National Carriers Systemwide Traffic August 1995 Revenue Average Revenue Passengers Length of Passenger Enplaned % Travel Miles Carriers (000) Change (Miles) (000) Alaska 1,102 11.77 861 949,167 Aloha 541 10.23 137 74,004
Frost Hanna Mergers Group will own 40% of Pan Am-The New Airline with consummation this summer of the merger agreement that will provide Pan Am with $10 million and make it a publicly traded company. The merger is subject to Pan Am obtaining an operating certificate, shareholder approval and registration of securities with the Securities and Exchange Commission (DAILY, March 15). Frost Hanna's business is completion of mergers with primarily private companies as a way of going public, and it provides additional financing.
The sale of $4.05 billion in pass-through certificates to an underwriters' syndicate by GPA Group has brightened prospects for the troubled aircraft leasing giant, according to Standard&Poor's and Moody's Investors Services. S&P said its ratings of GPA Group and related units remain on CreditWatch, but it revised implications "to positive from developing." It said completion of the securitization will "allow an upgrade of current ratings.
Taiwan has become Macau's third-largest source of tourists since new air routes opened early in December. A Macau tourism official said more than 500,000 arrivals from Taiwan are expected this year. There were 208,000 in 1995, a 15% increase over 1994.
Aero Costa Rica named Maria Escosa VP-sales and marketing. British Airways World Cargo retitled five VPs in North America as VP- sales: Richard Tams (West), based in Los Angeles; Roy Linkner (Southeast), based in Atlanta; Steve Earl (South), based in Miami; Brian Russell (Central), based in Chicago, and Mike Conley (Northeast), based in New York; Fiona Clohosey was named VP-service delivery for the Americas, a new position.
Dallas-based Dalfort Aviation is polling 4,000 Dallas-area travelers to assess interest in new long-haul airline service from Dallas Love Field, using aircraft with 56 seats or fewer. The aircraft size is required in order to get around a provision in the Wright Amendment limiting commercial service from the Dallas city airport.
Granted orally an exemption to Viacao Aerea Sao Paulo to serve Toronto, with local traffic rights, as a beyond point on Vasp's existing authority to operate scheduled combination service between any point or points in Brazil and New York...Granted orally an exemption to Romanian carrier Tarom renewing its authority to operate five weekly Bucharest-New York flights and two weekly Bucharest-Chicago flights. Both services are operated via the intermediate points Amsterdam and Timisoara.
FAA Administrator David Hinson said Friday he will announce creation of a free flight steering committee "almost immediately" but declined to say at what level FAA will participate. The committee is vital to beginning the free flight process, and the RTCA task force recommended last October that it be co-chaired by the FAA administrator and an airline executive officer. Robert Baker, executive VP-operations for American, and other members of the task force stressed Friday the importance of participation by all industry elements.
Summary of U.S. Major Carriers International Traffic August 1995 Revenue Average Revenue Passengers Length of Passenger Enplaned % Travel Miles Carriers (000) Change (Miles) (000) American 1,457 11.06 2,152 3,136,758 Atlantic 385 4.38 4,078 1,570,272
Emirates is co-sponsoring the Dubai World Cup horse race, contributing part of the $4 million in prize money and providing transportation to Dubai for jockeys, trainers and owners from around the world. Fourteen thoroughbred horses will participate in the March 27 race, billed as the world's richest.
Paul Reutlinger, Sabena's new president and chief executive, has trimmed its management committee to eight officers from 12, a Sabena spokeswoman said yesterday. Among new appointees is Peter Ramel, executive VP-finance, who replaces Gery Daeninck, formerly chief operating officer. Daeninck stepped down late last month with four other top officers, including Pierre Godfroid, chairman, president and chief executive (DAILY, Feb. 28). Sabena promoted Paul Swysen to executive VP-operations, replacing Raymond Aelvoet, who also resigned.
Rep. Jim Lightfoot (R-Iowa), a principal sponsor of the House-passed FAA reform bill (H.R.2276), said this week he is drafting legislation to implement "linked financing," a concept for funding FAA proposed by the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. Lightfoot said he hopes a select panel on innovative funding mechanisms that would be established by H.R.2276 will consider linked financing in its review.
Fairchild Aircraft this week announced a "new commitment" to selling and leasing used Metro aircraft in addition to new Metro 23s and their government counterpart C-26s. The manufacturer said that in some areas of the world, "the economy, rate structure, and consumer demand... simply cannot financially support the operation of a new Metro 23. In such cases, a previously owned Metro can be the solution.
American will upgrade the aircraft on its Miami-Vancouver service to a 767-200 from a 757 June 16. The carrier announced earlier that it will launch flights from Miami and New York to Vancouver May 1.
Air and road transport talks between the European Union and non-member Switzerland, key to gaining full access to the EU aviation market for Swissair, have made little progress during the year since they were launched officially, a diplomat told DAILY affiliate Aviation Europe last week during an EU transport minister's meeting in Brussels. So far, Bern has made very few concessions on the EU's objective - extended truck transit rights through Switzerland - but is asking nevertheless for liberalization in the air, including cabotage on EU domestic routes.
LatinPass has signed a multi-year contract with GoldenWare Travel Technologies to become the first distribution partner for electronic travel desk (ETD), an electronic periodical providing airline flight timetables and hotel and car rental listings. GoldenWare will mail ETD to its members free every two months, beginning in May.
Paul Karos, managing director of equity research at CS First Boston, is leaving the firm and his role as an airline analyst to become equity product manager and head of institutional sales at Piper Jaffray Inc.
Airlines Reporting Corp. (ARC) is advising travel agents in Dallas to take extra security precautions in light of three burglaries in a week in the area. The theft of ticket stock in Dallas follows similar attacks on several agencies in Chicago a few weeks ago. In an effort to warn agencies, ARC has begun offering a new service - a list of all recently reported burglaries by location on computer reservations system screens. ARC suggests that agents remove ticket stock from printers while their offices are unattended and place excess stock in a safe deposit box.
USAir has reduced fares by as much as 50% to Pensacola, Fort Walton Beach, Panama City and more than 50 U.S. destinations, beginning May 1. The fares require a 21-day advance purchase. USAir will be going up against ValuJet's new low-fare service at Fort Walton Beach, which also begins May 1. The Pittsburgh-Fort Walton Beach fare will be $178, for example, USAir said.
FAA will announce today what it terms a "major step forward in implementing free flight," a concept intended to improve air traffic flow management by allowing pilots to choose their own routes where possible and file the most efficient, economical flight plans.
...Dornier was aggressive in the 50-airplane Mesaba competition and, according to one source, did well to get as close as it did. He conceded that Saab's ability to offer the 20 used aircraft at much lower lease rates - something Dornier could not do - won the day. Loss of the order further affects Dornier because he said an order of such scope would have made the company much more attractive to a potential buyer. Risk-sharing partner Daewoo Heavy Industries of South Korea still is believed to be the most likely 51% investor in Dornier.
Dragonair has raised nearly HK$660,000 (US$85,400) for Project Orbis, the non-profit group that helps patients with sight problems and trains doctors and nurses in developing countries. In a campaign launched last September, Dragonair asks passengers to donate unwanted foreign currency or coins to the venture.
Air Inter Europe, taking over Air France's domestic and European network, plans to develop service from French airports to London. Expanding beyond Air France Group's current service from Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport, Air Inter Europe will launch a three-times-daily route from Paris Orly to London Heathrow on April 1. The carrier plans to serve Heathrow twice a day from Lyon, Strasbourg and Toulouse, and once a day from Nice.
