American Society of Travel Agents has compiled a Travel Specialization/Expertise Database, listing all of its members and the niche markets they serve. ASTA said nearly one-quarter of its members identify themselves as specialty travel agencies. The database will be updated monthly.
Hawaiian Airlines yesterday posted a $1.4 million net profit for the third quarter, down from $3.4 million a year ago. The carrier reported an operating profit for the sixth consecutive quarter - $4.6 million, versus $4.4 million in the year-ago period. Having restructured earlier this year, Hawaiian took a $2.4 million charge in the quarter for income taxes recorded during the period. Revenues rose 8.4% to $101.2 million, boosted by a 7.8% climb in yields. Expenses increased 8.7%, however.
Kiwi will wait until after today's election, and likely until Thursday, to announce where it will fly when it resumes scheduled service. "We want people to know we're back, but that won't happen with the election coverage," said a spokesman. The carrier, which filed Sept. 30 for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, received court approval last week to reorganize with funding from Wasatch International.
TWA Getaway Vacations is giving travel agents higher commissions and a month's worth of free travel for booking vacation packages through Feb. 28. For each passenger booked, the agent receives one point. When 30 points are accrued, the travel agent wins 30 days of unlimited positive space travel for one person on TWA, and 60 points earn positive space travel for 60 days for two people. The days of free travel continue to increase in 30-day increments, but the number of people who can use the free travel stays at two.
Responding quickly to newly negotiated rights providing 14 weekly frequencies for a fourth U.S. carrier to operate to Brazil (DAILY, Oct. 28), Continental filed for what it said will be the first nonstop Brazil service from Newark. The carrier wants to fly separate, daily nonstop routes to Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro from Newark Airport, using DC-10-30s on the routes.
USAir's traffic increased 10.3% in October compared with the same 1995 month to a total of 3.474 billion revenue passenger miles. Total available seat miles rose 6.7% to 4.965 billion, while the load factor grew 2.4 points to 69.9%. For the first 10 months, USAir's RPMs rose 1.5%, ASMs fell 4.3% and load factor was up 4.1 points to 68.7%. Scheduled service- only RPMs totaled 3.457 billion during October, up 11.2%, and ASMs rose 7.2% to 4.944 billion. International RPMs jumped 88.2% in October and 32.6% for 10 months.
A Korean Embassy official said there may be meetings this month between World Airways and the Korean transport ministry in Seoul. Man Hee Han, transportation attache at the country's Washington embassy, confirmed the Korean government had been asking for documentation on various matters before granting World the right to fly to points beyond Seoul; World maintains these are new requirements that violate the bilateral agreement (DAILY Nov. 4).
Aviation Daily Air Transport Stock Indicators, October 1995 - October 1996, Major Stock Value, Regionals Stock Value, Dow Jones Indusrial Average, Nationals Stock Value, All-Cargo Stock Value, Transportation Indexes (See Chart on page 214 on the hardcopy of this issue)
Allied Pilots Association, at a special board meeting scheduled Friday afternoon in a Chicago suburb, will decide whether to put its tentative contract agreement with American to a vote by members. If so, it will be the first to be voted on by the entire membership.
DOT's air travel consumer report for the top 10 U.S. carriers in September shows worse on-time performance, more mishandled baggage claims and more consumer complaints than in September 1995, although in all cases the rates were improved from August this year. On-time performance was 78.7%, better than 74.7% in August but down from 85.6% in September 1995. The mishandled baggage complaint rate was 4.51 per 1,000 passengers, lower than 5.13 in August and higher than 4.11 in September 1995.
British Airways has decided to set up a 100%-owned Indian subsidiary, World Network Services (WNS) Private Limited in Mumbai, to source software for its worldwide operations. China and South Africa also were contenders for BA's software hub, and BA sources said India was selected for its young, well-educated work force and its good support infrastructure.
United is restructuring is Mileage Plus frequent flyer program to show more preference to high-paying business travelers and add restrictions on Saver Awards, its "cheapest" free-ticket awards. Beginning Jan. 1, United will count miles earned on Lufthansa, Air Canada, SAS and Thai International paid tickets toward 1998 Mileage Plus Premier membership (25,000 paid miles annually), Premier Executive (50,000) or 100,000-mile memberships.
Kiwi will wait until after today's election, and likely until Thursday, to announce where it will fly when it resumes scheduled service. "We want people to know we're back, but that won't happen with the election coverage," said a spokesman. The carrier, which filed Sept. 30 for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, received court approval last week to reorganize with funding from Wasatch International.
The Indian government's new air agreement with Hong Kong, signed last month, is expected to set in motion a series of mutually acceptable arrangements anticipating Hong Kong's amalgamation with the People's Republic of China next year, Indian civil aviation ministry officials said. While the new pact does not entail an increase in flight frequencies by Hong Kong-designated carriers serving India, it sorts out two related issues: it empowers a joint liaison forum of the Hong Kong administration with representatives from the U.K.
United said the 100,000-square-foot Denver Flight Center it is building at Denver Stapleton Airport will have 10 full-flight simulator bays, space for fixed-base simulators, ground-training classrooms and offices for simulator maintenance (DAILY, Oct. 30). The facility also will house a subsidiary, UAL Services, and will "allow us to expand flight training of our own flight officers and will support increased pilot training by United personnel for dozens of other national and international carriers," said Bill Traub, VP in charge of the center.
IATA Director General Pierre Jeanniot forecast yesterday a record $5.5 billion in profits for IATA members in 1996, up 6% from 1995's record of $5.2 billion but down significantly from the $6 billion Jeanniot projected in April. World jet fuel prices began to rise in April and have remained higher than last year's ever since. European airlines and other carriers flying from Europe have implemented fuel surcharges recently, and IATA members called an emergency meeting in Geneva Nov. 13 to discuss an industry-wide approach to fuel price swings.
Rolls-Royce agreed to supply the Trent 900 engine, the latest and largest version of its Trent series high-bypass turbofan, for both proposed variants of Airbus Industrie's high-capacity A3XX, the manufacturers reported yesterday. Rolls said the engine will be aimed initially at the first A3XX, a 555-passenger aircraft with a range of up to 8,500 nautical miles.
World Airways is asking DOT to block authority requests by Delta, Korean Air Lines and Gemini Air Cargo until its own problems with the Korean government are resolved. World says the Korean transport ministry is keeping the carrier from adding routes authorized under the U.S.-Korean bilateral. The problems started last spring, according to World, when it notified Korea of its plans to operate extra flights between the U.S. and the Pacific via Seoul.
British International, the U.K. division of Newfoundland-based CHC Helicopter Corp., has acquired Veritair Ltd., a helicopter operator based in Cardiff, Wales. British International, headquartered in Aberdeen, Scotland, provides helicopter service for the North Sea offshore market. CHC operates more than 200 helicopters worldwide.
Airline Industry Stocks Trends Closed Closed Exchange 10/31/96 9/30/96 Majors Alaska Air Group NYSE $ 22.000 $ 21.370 AMR NYSE 84.000 79.620 America West (Class B) NYSE 11.500 11.750 Continental (Class B) 1 NYSE 25.120 22.370 Delta NYSE 70.870 72.000
All Nippon Airways posted last week a 33% gain in net income to 8.4 billion yen (US$76 million) for the six months that ended Sept. 30. Revenues rose 5.1% to Y450.7 billion ($4.1 billion) and operating profit 0.8% to Y23.2 billion ($209 million). The figures would have been higher if the Japanese economy had not been slow to recover.
A study commissioned by American to assess the economic impact of its Miami hub and assist with future planning at the facility has concluded that the carrier is responsible for $3.9 billion a year in local personal income to the Metropolitan Dade County area. The study, conducted by National Economic Research Associates, Cambridge, Mass., found that passengers arriving in Miami on American or American Eagle spend more than $2.8 billion a year.
Rohr said it has completed a sale of common stock valued at $48 million by direct contribution to its two principal defined benefit pension plans for employees. The contribution brings the plans to a fully funded status, the company said, while strengthening the balance sheet by "increasing equity and reducing our pension liability."
Collins Avionics, in what it called a "major advance in integrated avionics systems," is marketing is Flight2 Systems. The company said this family of avionics systems provides a "new generation of pilot-oriented flight deck integration." Functions include flight communication, navigation, positioning, display, flight management and multimode radar.
