U.S.-based Atlas Air applied to DOT to operate a new wet-lease for China Airlines through Jan. 13, 1999, on Taiwan-Miami routes. Atlas has flown other service since 1993 for China Airlines, whose pending application for the Taiwan-Miami cargo route was submitted with the understanding that it could serve it only through a wet-lease with an approved carrier. Atlas would conduct the Miami service with a 747 freighter with frequencies to be set according to demand. The 747, for this and other routes, is to be delivered to Atlas by March 4.
Summary Of U.S. National Carriers Systemwide Traffic, September 1996 Revenue Average Revenue Passengers Length of Passenger Enplaned % Travel Miles Carriers (000) Change (Miles) (000) American Trans Air 351 24.57 1,845 647,809 Carnival 113 (18.89) 1,271 143,699 Hawaiian 471 25.47 645 303,629
United's Association of Flight Attendants (AFA) unit, echoing earlier action by the carrier's pilots, will stop participating in company task forces and committees to protest "a lack of progress in contract negotiations." After five months of direct bargaining, "we are nowhere," and the company is "stonewalling," AFA said. Top United executives received $16 million in bonuses as three employee groups rejected contracts, AFA noted. The union said its leaders are withdrawing from company task teams, and it is asking the rank-and-file to do the same.
A British Airways spokesman denied a London Sunday Observer report that to secure approval of its American Airlines alliance, it was preparing to give up London Heathrow slots without compensation in deference to European Union objections to a slot sale. If BA decides to give up slots, it still expects to receive "fair market value" for them, the spokesman said.
National Air Traffic Controllers Association (NATCA) has won its first election to represent non-federal employees in Wisconsin. The Central Wisconsin Airport Tower, with employees hired by Midwest ATC Services, voted to join the union last week. NATCA delegates who attended the 1996 union convention in September decided to add other groups of employees, including contract controllers, FAA engineers and other safety-related workers. NATCA represents 14,000 federally employed controllers.
Domestic cargo declined 2.9% in December - the first time since March - while international cargo rose 15.6% for an overall increase of 5.6% for the month, the Air Transport Association reported. ATA attributed the domestic decline to increased jet fuel prices late in the year. In some cases, companies used ground transportation to move goods, taking volume away from air carriers, ATA said. For the year, overall cargo traffic gained 4.2%, with domestic cargo up 2.4% and international cargo up 6.5%, ATA said.
Answering a motion by Japan Airlines to strike a recent filing on JAL's Atlanta cargo application, Federal Express pledged to "press vigorously for the resolution" of the "longstanding controversy" over beyond rights for U.S. carriers from Tokyo before the start of the carrier's summer flight schedule. In an escalating volley, JAL faulted FedEx for "almost unalloyed invective" regarding bilateral issues and positions taken by the Japanese carrier (DAILY, Feb. 18).
Delta Connection carrier Comair will introduce service to Baltimore/Washington, Little Rock, Ark., and Syracuse, N.Y., from Cincinnati, starting April 6. Baltimore will receive two daily nonstops, and two will go to Little Rock and Syracuse. On the same day, Comair will add frequencies to Manchester, N.H., and Myrtle Beach, S.C., and upgrade to jet aircraft on flights to Asheville, N.C.; Cleveland, Ohio; Detroit, Mich.; Fort Wayne, Ind., and Huntsville, Ala. All new and added flights will be operated with the 50-seat Canadair Regional Jet.
American edged out all other airlines as the favorite airline of Internet users, according to The 1996 Web Airline Summary Report, produced by CIC Research. CIC conducts the Net Traveler Survey on the World Wide Web. CIC said American was the favorite of 13.5% of respondents, followed by Delta at 13.1%; United 11%; Southwest and USAir 6.9%; Northwest 6.4%; British Airways 4.6%; Alaska Airlines 4.2%; Continental 4.1%, and TWA 3.1%. The 10 carriers accounted for 74% of the 14,355 survey respondents.
DOT Secretary Rodney Slater will speak at the 15th annual Travel and Tourism Industry Unity Dinner, hosted by the Travel and Tourism Government Affairs Council, March 5 at the Washington Hilton Hotel&Towers. For more information, call 202-408-9600.
Finnair will inaugurate service this summer between Lappeenranta, in eastern Finland, to St. Petersburg, via Helsinki. The flight will operate five times a week from April 1 until the end of October, said Finnair.
Northwest is offering double WorldPerks miles to members who live in the U.S., Canada or Europe for flights within the U.S., to and from Canada, and between the U.S. and Europe. Travel must be completed by March 14. Double miles are good on purchased, published fares.
The newly formed Air Carrier Association of America, which wants to represent carriers that believe their interests differ from those of the Air Transport Association, will hold its kickoff meeting 1:30 p.m. Wednesday at the ANA Hotel, 2401 M St. N.W., in Washington. Carriers attending will be Arrow Air, AirTran Airways, Carnival Air Lines, Frontier, Spirit, Sun Jet International, Laker Airways, Reno Air and ValuJet.
Air transport officials of the Republic of Georgia are optimistic that the number of passengers passing through Georgian airports will grow significantly by 2000. During the political instability of 1992 and 1993, passengers declined about 70%, compared with 1990. Currently, the air transportation sector uses less than 40% of its 1990 capacity. Official statistics show a gradual increase in passengers through 1996, and Georgian government projections through the end of the decade show greater improvement.
Delta Express will begin carrying cargo on all flights today. It tested the service with mail in December to determine whether carrying cargo would prevent it from making 30-minute turnarounds. "Even with the influx of mail, we were still able to meet our strict on-time operation requirements. That gave us the confidence to go ahead and accept freight," said Express VP Skip Barnette.
While most carriers have tried in recent years to market to families through low fares, Midwest Express, the plush airline, is targeting Cadillac drivers. Cadillac dealers of Southeast Wisconsin have purchased tickets for a giveaway during an annual auto show that features the airline in ads for five weeks. The carrier said it not only gets the media exposure, it made some incremental revenue from the ticket sales.
- In Federal Register dated Feb. 14...Issued an airworthiness directive on Boeing 737 aircraft requiring modification of the aileron centering spring...Proposed an AD on Jetstream 4101 aircraft to require inspection for cracks on Frame 179...Proposed an AD on Piaggio P-180 aircraft to require inspecting the baggage compartment for stringer bypass duct damage...Proposed an AD on British Aerospace BAC-111-200/400 aircraft to require inspection for cracking of the lugs of the engine mount beams.
Aviation-Related Bills Introduced In Congress January 7-February 13 - H.R.4 - introduced Jan. 7 by Rep. Bud Shuster (R-Pa.) - a bill to provide off-budget treatment for the highway trust fund, the airport and airway trust fund, the inland waterways trust fund, and the harbor maintenance trust fund. Referred to the committees on Transportation and Infrastructure and Budget.
Reno Air flight attendants have shown enough interest in union representation by the Teamsters to call for an election. The airline employs about 500 flight attendants, and the Teamsters claim that about 150 of them depend on welfare assistance. They must pay for health insurance and do not have a retirement plan. And while some flight attendants earn $10,000 a year, the Teamsters said President Robert Reding told an employee meeting that "'if anyone is underpaid here, it's me.'" The union said Reding's salary is $150,000 a year.
Allied Pilots Association was not close to accepting a settlement proposal in the final hours of supermediation that ended in a strike at midnight Feb. 14, APA President Jim Sovitch told union members Thursday. That proposal called for a 6.5% wage increase between August 1997 and August 1999 and added restrictions on regional-partner flying of regional jets. Cecil Ewell, American's VP-flight and chief pilot, has sent pilots an outline of the mediator's hypothetical settlement proposal, which the company believes the rank-and-file can accept.
American Association of Airport Executives has established a separate organization, the U.S. Contract Tower Association (USCTA), to promote the enhancement and funding of FAA's contract tower program. AAAE Executive VP Spencer Dickerson will be USCTA executive director, and the group will have help on Washington strategy issues from Linda Daschle of Baker, Donelson; Patrick McCann of The Wexler Group and Larry Barnett of AB Management Associates.
