AMR Combs said yesterday that Customs services are available for international arrivals on the ramp of its executive terminal at the Palm Springs Regional Airport, Calif. While the facility is not a designated international airport, business aircraft operators can call ahead to the fixed-base operator to make arrangements for Customs and Immigration services for a "modest user fee." The service eliminates extra border stops for traffic from Canada or Mexico when advance arrangements are made, the company said.
U.S. Major Carriers Systemwide Share of Service Second Quarter 1996 Total Revenue Departures Alaska 39,412 America West 51,827 American 198,427 Continental 111,075 Delta 235,981 Northwest 147,591 Southwest 187,656 TWA 72,247
SAS took delivery yesterday of its first McDonnell Douglas MD-90 aircraft. It will receive six before yearend and two more in 1997. SAS, which operates 28 DC-9s and 71 MD-80s, has options on six more MD-90s, powered by IAE V2500 engines.
PointCast Inc. and Northwest are giving away two million WorldPerks bonus miles in an Internet sweepstakes. Internet users who visit PointCast's home page can enter the contest by filling out a form and downloading the PointCast software. The Get PointCast and Win Northwest Miles Sweepstakes will continue through Nov. 22. Eleven entry forms will be drawn as winners; one will win one million miles and 10 will win 100,000 miles each. The home page is found at http://www.pointcast.com.
The 1997 issue of The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association's Airport Guide lists more than 7,200 public and private-use landing facilities. All airport listings include information such as runway length, width, surface, lighting and alignment. Obstructions, non-standard traffic patterns, extensive flight training activities and other safety items are categorized in bold-face type. The directory also provides location information, including bearing and distance from nearby radio navigation aids, and latitude/longitude references.
Northrop Grumman said it introduced its AMS-2100R airspace management system in Vladivostok, Russia, as part of a demonstration by Primoraerocontrol, the state regional enterprise of Primorski Krai. Primoraerocontrol has been working with the Japanese to improve efficiency and safety in Vladivostok.
Hughes Aircraft said its Guardian system, modular software that runs on commercially obtainable computers and offers tools to air traffic controllers, is available. Hughes is under contract to install Guardian in the ATC systems of Belgium, Canada, China, Indonesia and Saudi Arabia. Guardian is a mid-level system that expands on the basic functions of TraView, an off-the-shelf radar and flight data processing and display system. It provides an integrated system that includes display of aircraft in areas not under radar coverage.
TWA put domestic fares on sale yesterday for three days, offering savings of up to 55%, and extended its 44%-off sale on international tickets through Friday. It also added Athens to the cities eligible for the savings, but Honolulu and San Juan are not included. The tickets can be used internationally until March 13, and the domestic sale is for travel between Oct. 30 and Dec. 18 and requires a 14-day advance purchase. International tickets do not require an advance. Minimum-stay requirements differ in Las Vegas, Steamboat Springs and Reno/Tahoe.
Raytheon Electronic Systems was selected by the Estonian Air Navigation Service to supply a monopulse secondary surveillance radar for the capital city, Tallinn. The contract is valued at $1.8 million.
AAR Corp. has received a contract from Polar Air Cargo for maintenance and overhaul of landing gear and flap carriage assemblies on 12 Boeing 747 aircraft at AAR's Miami facility.
AirTran Airways will add a flight on Saturdays and Sundays to Greenville- Spartanburg, N.C., from Orlando, beginning Jan. 11. It currently offers daily nonstop flights in the market for as little as $69 one way. AirTran has been serving the market for one year.
United will introduce next week its new Connoisseur Class seats, installed on a 747 flying from Chicago to Hong Kong. The wider seats have an adjustable headrest, lumbar support system, padded leg rest, adjustable reading light attached to the seat, and controls on top of the armrest. Two 777s will have the seats by March, and all flights to Latin America and in Atlantic markets will be equipped by the end of 1997. Aircraft in Pacific markets will get the seats by the end of 1998, when a total of 81 747s, 767s and 777s will be equipped.
United and Air Canada have applied jointly at DOT for an exemption to code share between San Francisco and Montreal. The flights will be operated by Air Canada via Toronto. United, which already holds authority to operate San Francisco-Toronto service, wants to integrate that authority. United said it may wish to combine San Francisco-Montreal services with services to third countries beyond Montreal for which it is authorized to serve.
Hollis Harris, who retired as chairman and CEO of Air Canada in August, is back in the airline business. A former president and chief operating officer at Delta and chairman, president and CEO at Continental, Harris is chairman and CEO of CalJet Airlines, which has just applied at DOT to start MD-80 scheduled service in February from Long Beach to San Francisco, Sacramento, Las Vegas, Dallas/Fort Worth, Atlanta and Chicago Midway.
American's managing director-international affairs, Robert Britton, has been named managing director-corporate communications. He succeeds Timothy Doke, who has taken a job with Brinker International in Dallas.
A Tokyo ticket agency expects to intensify Japanese airline competition with a plan, announced Monday, to start new domestic air service within three years. The firm, H.I.S. Co. Ltd., would be the first new entrant in Japan in more than 40 years. H.I.S., which sells discounted tickets to a wide array of travelers, intends to establish a company in Tokyo next month to begin building an airline. The company intends to raise between 100 million and 200 million yen ($900,000-$1.8 million) and take a stake as great as 70% in the new operation.
Continental launched a leisure fare sale for the fall and winter that applies to domestic travel, and flights to Latin America and the Caribbean. The fares range from $89 to $219 each way in the U.S. Tickets must be purchased 14 days in advance and require a roundtrip purchase and a Saturday night stay. Tickets must be purchased by Oct. 24. TWA said it matched in competing markets with discounts of up to 50% off the 21-day advance purchase fares for domestic flights and flights to Toronto and San Juan. The tickets are good for travel through Feb. 13.
Air Canada and Lufthansa will start twice-daily code-share service Oct. 27 from Toronto to Frankfurt, with each carrier operating one daily flight. The initial code-share agreement was signed in March, and on June 15 the carriers began cooperative service between Frankfurt and two points in Canada, Calgary and Vancouver. The airlines also have begun sharing frequent flyer programs and airport business lounges.
American Trans Air's traffic increased 0.6% in September to 647.7 million revenue passenger miles, up from 644 million in September 1995. Available seat miles rose 6.8% during the month to 1.011 billion, and the load factor declined 4 percentage points to 64%. The carrier transported 6.3% more passengers during the month, for a total of 358,703. RPMs rose 6.9% in the first nine months to 7.5 billion, ASMs increased 10.8% to 10.7 billion and the load factor decreased 2.5 points to 69.9%.
Virgin Atlantic has launched London-Johannesburg flights with A340 aircraft and is promoting the importance of cargo as much as passenger service in the market. British exports to South Africa increased 30% last year and imports to the U.K. from South Africa grew 15%. Virgin's A340 will offer 90 cubic meters for cargo, or 15 tons per flight. The carrier is operating the service three times weekly and plans to increase it to six times per week next spring.
Rolls-Royce said yesterday it has signed an agreement with Marubeni Corp. of Japan under which the companies will cooperate to enhance sales opportunities for Rolls's engines, especially in the Asia/Pacific region. Joint activities will concentrate on the Trent engine program, in which Marubeni will become a risk- and revenue-sharing partner. Rolls said it already has achieved a major position in the Asia/Pacific market, where the Trent has captured nearly 50% of sales.
FlightSafety International will become part of Berkshire Hathaway through a merger of FSI into a wholly owned subsidiary, the two companies announced yesterday. FSI said its board unanimously approved the merger agreement, which is to close late this year or early in 1997.
Yesterday's shutdown of Kiwi International Air Lines ends a painful life for the startup carrier and may boost the fortunes of Continental, since both airlines shared a hub at Newark. Kiwi, which declared Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection Sept. 30, had just celebrated its fourth year of operation. A New Jersey court yesterday considered plans, including one by investor Victor Kiam, to keep the airline afloat.
The Air Line Pilots Association unit at Sun Country Airlines has sued the carrier in Hennepin County District Court for allegedly violating Minnesota child care leave and whistleblower laws. The suit was brought on behalf of a first officer who was suspended for 30 days after calling in sick to care for her ill daughter. ALPA said the first officer determined that she was unfit to fly due to excessive fatigue and concern for her daughter's health.
Air France likely will announce today its plans to code share with two U.S. carriers - Delta and Continental. Continental said last week it was wrapping up talks with Air France, and sources say Delta has been negotiating with the French carrier for weeks. Air France may sign additional U.S. alliances to maximize the traffic flow behind its eight U.S. gateways.
