The House Ways and Means Committee unanimously approved legislation yesterday reinstating aviation excise taxes through Sept. 30, approving the measure adopted by the Senate Finance Committee last week (DAILY, Feb. 6). Ways and Means Chairman Rep. Bill Archer (R-Texas) is pressing both houses of Congress to pass the legislation by March 1. A House staff member did not know when the full chamber would vote on the legislation, but noted that Congress is off next week on recess.
The coming reform of European air traffic management will be feeble because European nations refused to pool their sovereignty over their national airspace, seven international associations of airlines and operators, including the International Air Transport Association (IATA) and the Association of European Airlines (AEA), said in a joint statement.
Lufthansa's executive board has named a group of airline leaders to the board of directors of its passenger operations division, separated last week from its maintenance, catering and other units, and from the direct oversight of parent company executives (DAILY, Feb. 6). Frederick Reid will take control of marketing and network management and be the spokesman for the management board. Stefan Pichler will be responsible for sales. Karl-Friedrich Rausch, head of Lufthansa CityLine, will be head of the product and services division.
TWA's board elected Gerald Gitner chairman and chief executive yesterday, succeeding Jeffrey Erickson. Gitner was vice chairman and has been acting CEO, and the board asked him to become chairman early in the search process. The Machinists recently gave him a "no confidence" vote (DAILY, Feb. 4).
Evergreen Helicopters, based in McMinneville, Ore., beat out two bids by Kaman Corp. for the third in a series of U.S. Military Sealift Command (MSC) vertical replenishment (VERTREP) demonstrations. Evergreen won a $4.5 million contract last week to use two Sikorsky SH-3s to demonstrate the feasibility of resupplying U.S. Navy ships at sea, MSC said. The helicopters will be deployed in the Mediterranean aboard the USNS Saturn. MSC is trying to determine if commercial resupply can be a permanent solution for the Navy.
Ryanair claims it will undercut competitors' prices by half in new service to Paris and Brussels, by serving the French and Belgian capitals through nearby regional airports instead of Roissy and Zaventem. The Dublin-based airline will launch three daily 737-200 services to Beauvais and Charleroi, 70 kilometers north of Paris and 60 kilometers south of Brussels, respectively. It said it has negotiated reduced taxi and bus fares to link the airports with Paris and Brussels.
Rohr said the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority has authorized its overhaul and repair facility in Prestwick, Scotland, to begin delivering certified products to European airlines.
Air Force units began to resume flight operations off the East Coast and Gulf Coast following a suspension of operations in the wake of incidents involving a violation of separation standards between civilian and military aircraft. The events began last week when two Air National Guard F-16s off the New Jersey coast came unusually close to a Nations Air 727, one within 1,000 feet, enough to set off the 727's traffic alert and collision avoidance system warning and reportedly prompt the captain to put the aircraft into a steep evasive dive.
United said signs of flexibility by Japanese authorities warrant the approval of extra service by Japan Airlines to Kona, warning in a DOT filing against sanctions that might abort productive negotiations between the U.S. and Japan. Northwest, which filed a complaint against Japan last year after the denial of beyond rights from Tokyo, urges measured sanctions. Informal bilateral talks are to take place in Washington early next month; an earlier round in Tokyo produced little more than an airing of views and agreement to meet again.
Peninsula Airways of Anchorage has taken delivery of the first of two Saab 340Bs with a newly certified gravel kit and larger cargo hold. Saab said the 340B is the "first aircraft of its kind to operate in Alaska."
The Clinton administration's proposal for $300 million in user fees to help fund the fiscal 1998 FAA budget prejudges the outcome of the process set up by Congress to determine FAA financial needs and the best way to met those needs, general aviation groups said last week. "This administration is determined to impose destructive new fees on the aviation industry before finding any evidence that they are needed," said Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association President Phil Boyer.
Preliminary plans by FAA to modify the Washington-Baltimore Class B airspace would "compress airspace available for transiting aircraft, forcing them even closer to urbanizing communities and adjacent waters," according to the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. The Class B airspace surrounds Washington National, Baltimore-Washington and Dulles airports.
Cathay Pacific Airways completed the first stage of its nine-year, $9 billion spending spree on new aircraft begun in 1994. This week, the carrier takes delivery of an A340-300, bringing the fleet to 60 aircraft, all widebodies. Cathay will spend $6 billion through 1999 for the delivery of seven 777-300s, one A330-300 and six A340-300s. The carrier, with an average fleet age of six years, has options to buy another 29 aircraft. Cathay said it carried 10.99 million passengers in 1996, up 5.8% and another record.
United's Air Line Pilots Association leaders will hold a special meeting tomorrow to update members on the union's strategy to deal further with management over mid-term wage adjustments in the employee stock ownership plan. Portions of the meeting will be closed to non-members. United's labor problems mounted last week as its negotiations with the Association of Flight Attendants ended after only four of the scheduled five days.
Delta says its revamped spring schedule, effective April 6, will build on the strength of its major hubs. It will offer nonstop service to 111 destinations from its Atlanta Hartsfield base with 587 daily flights, plus 216 daily departures with nonstop flights to 71 destinations at its second largest hub, Cincinnati. At Atlanta, Delta will add nonstop service to San Jose and frequencies to Baltimore, Cincinnati, Dallas/Fort Worth, Miami, Orange County, Salt Lake City and San Francisco.
National Transportation Safety Board yesterday spread the blame for the wheels-up landing last Feb. 19 of a Continental DC-9 at Houston Intercontinental Airport. The aircraft slid 6,850 feet before coming to rest in grass, and no serious injuries occurred.
McDonnell Douglas DC-10 Systemwide Aircraft Utilization Per Day Third Quarter 1996 DC-10-10 American United Total Number of Aircraft Operated 15 26 41 Total Fleet Operations Departures 36 75 111 Block Hours 158 224 382
Machinists union members have elected Thomas Buffenbarger, general VP, to replace George Kourpias as international president when he retires July 1. Don Wharton was re-elected general secretary treasurer, and seven general VPs were elected.
International Aviation Club plans to hold its monthly luncheon Feb. 18 at The University Club, 1800 K St., N.W. in Washington. Guest speaker is Jean-Claude Baumgarten, Air France chief executive officer, industry affairs. Lunch will be served at 12:30 p.m.
United is improving employee attendance through its PRIDE program - program of recognition and incentives for dependable employees. Employees achieved a 4.8% improvement in dependability - refraining from taking sick leave - in December over December 1995. The fourth PRIDE period runs from Sept. 1, 1996, through Feb. 28, 1997. For the first four months of that period, dependability gained 6.2%. If the improvement stays above 5% for the entire six months, one employee with a perfect attendance record will win $25,000 and 35 will receive $5,000 each.
Goa will impose an entry tax of 300 rupees (about US$8.50) on foreign nationals entering the state through its airports. The Indian coastal state, a former Portuguese colony that depends heavily on tourism for its revenues, is the first Indian state to levy such a tax.
Swissair will set up Charter-Leisure AG, a 100%-owned long-haul charter subsidiary, in the second half of 1997. Charter-Leisure will employ 200 people and operate two of Swissair's A310 aircraft, which the parent will replace in 1998 with A330-200s. Swissair and its pilot union, Aeropers, agreed on a plan to cut cockpit staff costs: the subsidiary will recruit pilots from Swissair, pay them less but advance them to the rank of captain in fewer years of service.
Struggling Vanguard Airlines is "a financial Vietnam" for investment firm Hambrecht&Quist, according to Mike Boyd, president of Aviation Systems Research. "The bottom line for both companies is that the airline has to learn how to fly people for a profit."
FAA, in a change of mind, will not require display of the certificate holder's name on the outside of Part 135 aircraft, according to a proposed amendment published in The Federal Register. The change follows a petition filed by the National Air Transportation Association signed by more than 50 charter firms.
