Horizon Air's contract with Bombardier for 25 firm, 15 conditional and 30 option Dash 8s is the centerpiece of a plan to simplify its turboprop fleet from three aircraft types to one in the next two years. The deal, "conservatively" valued by the manufacturer at US$270 million, could be worth much more if the carrier opts to convert from the 37-passenger 200 series to the more expensive 50-passenger 300 series (DAILY, Aug. 29).
Mesa Air Group said yesterday it plans to consolidate some of its maintenance and flight operations under its corporate umbrella. Mesa also is studying whether to move its headquarters from Farmington, N.M., to handle anticipated growth, with Albuquerque, Dallas/Fort Worth, St. Louis, Memphis and Denver as candidates.
FAA yesterday returned ValuJet's air carrier operating certificate and DOT tentatively found it economically fit to resume service. The carrier still faces a seven-day period at DOT for comments - such as those already filed by the Association of Flight Attendants - and if the department considers any of them valid, the carrier will have four days to reply, according to John Coleman, director of the Office of Aviation Analysis.
Montrose Capital Corp. is seeking investors to join the bidding for Midway Airlines and expand the carrier's service at Raleigh/Durham, N.C. Midway is the airport's largest operator, with 38 daily flights. It says it has several prospective investors, including Donald Burr, the founder of People Express Airlines, which tried to offer rock-bottom fares in the Northeast in the early 1980s. Burr reportedly wants to move Midway to New York (DAILY, Aug. 23).
Anyone wondering how well Delta is competing with Southwest at Salt Lake City, where Southwest took over Morris Air's operations, has only to ask Bob Coggin, Delta executive VP-marketing. "We're kicking their butt," Coggin said in Boston, where he was touting the soon-to-be-started low-fare Delta Express service that will compete with Southwest at Providence, R.I.
SAS launched a sale yesterday on roundtrip travel from the U.S. to several Scandinavian cities. Fares are as low as $650 from Seattle, and the sale also covers travel from Chicago and Newark. The deal is part of a 50th anniversary fare sale in honor of the airline's 1946 beginnings. Each passenger receives a "Visit Scandinavia Air Pass," good for two free additional flights within Scandinavia.
Ransome Airlines founder J. Dawson Ransome has been named an "Elder Statesman of Aviation" by the National Aeronautic Association, one of seven people to receive the award for 1996. Under his direction, Ransome Airlines used two Volpar turboprops in code-sharing service with several airlines, including Allegheny Airlines (which pioneered the practice), Delta and Pan Am.
DOT has made final its show cause order tentatively allocating American 3.5 weekly U.S.-Peru frequencies, effective Nov. 1, for nonstop service between Dallas/Fort Worth and Lima (DAILY, Aug. 24). Originally applying for Miami-Lima service, American amended its application to combine 3.5 frequencies currently used for its Miami-Lima daily widebody service with the 3.5 frequencies in the new proceeding, to offer daily Dallas/Fort Worth-Lima narrowbody nonstops. (Docket OST-96-1104)
David Schaffer, majority counsel for the House aviation subcommittee, discusses pending aviation legislation during a studio interview on this week's Aviation News Today, to be broadcast on Washington's NewsChannel 8 on Sunday from 12:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Summary of U.S. Major Carriers Domestic Traffic February 1996 Revenue Average Revenue Passengers Length of Passenger Enplaned % Travel Miles Carriers (000) Change (Miles) (000) Alaska 750 27.38 794 595,596 America West 1,352 15.85 804 1,086,595 American 4,775 (3.30) 1,124 5,368,763
By a narrow margin, Delta Connection Comair's flight attendants this week voted to be represented by the Teamsters union, the union reported and the National Mediation Board (NMB) confirmed. The attendant group is the sixth to throw in its lot with the Teamsters, after Northwest, Sun Country, Reeve, Great Lakes and Chautauqua. Of 333 eligible voters, 168 voted for the Teamsters and one for the Association of Flight Attendants, an NMB official said.
Rolls-Royce's operating profit for the first half of 1996 jumped to 96 million pounds from 64 million pounds during the same period a year earlier, "reflecting a significant increase from aerospace activities," the company reported yesterday. It attributed some 19 million pounds of the increase to its acquisition of Allison Engine Co., which contributed only three months to first half 1995 results.
American Eagle, scaling back its Nashville operation and winnowing its fleet to two aircraft types - Saabs and ATRs - hopes the moves will help make it more efficient and improve its long-term profitability. Eagle took delivery this week of its 115th Saab 340, and the 400th of the model overall, at a handover ceremony here.
Airline customers are willing to spend more time in longer lines in the interest of safety, but are much less inclined to foot the bill for security improvements, according to a new American Society of Travel Agents survey. When ASTA asked members whether their clients would be willing to spend more time at the airport to go through increased security prior to departure, 65.2% said yes, 26.9% said their clients are split, and 7.9% said no.
Computer replacements at three busy air traffic control centers criticized by the American Automobile Association as having high equipment failure rates are 10 months ahead of schedule, FAA said yesterday (DAILY, Aug. 28). AAA said the centers in New York, Chicago and Fort Worth have the worst equipment failure records in the nation. FAA said Administrator David Hinson ordered accelerated computer replacements 18 months ago. The agency said fewer than 3% of all delays are due to service interruptions.
New noise limits proposed yesterday by the U.K. Department of Transport for London's Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted airports call for reducing daytime aircraft noise by 3 dBA to 94 dBA and nighttime noise by 2 dBA to 87 dBA. British Airways, which flies a 90% Chapter 3 fleet at Heathrow, said the government has set limits that most 747 operators will be unable to meet, even affecting the most modern Chapter 3 747-400s on the production line.
American and its pilots "have realized most of the benefits of the code- sharing partnership" with partner Canadian Airlines International, the U.S. carrier's president, Donald Carty, said in a letter to Allied Pilots Association members. Trying to use American's transborder business as a bargaining element in contract negotiations with the pilots, Carty said American has increased service to Canada by 42 weekly roundtrips, or 416 block hours for its pilots, since the U.S. and Canada signed their open skies bilateral 18 months ago.
Delta is increasing staff at its Weber State University reservations center, where it employs college students to handle non-sales calls. The practice frees more experienced reservations agents for other duties. Delta has increased the number of positions to 134 from 73, with plans to have 200 students working by the center's first anniversary in March. Delta has a similar center for students in Atlanta. At Weber, the students call passengers about delayed or canceled flights and assist in reservations. The center processes about 3,000 calls a day.
Eastern Airlines is sending a cease-and-desist order to New Eastern Airlines demanding it stop using the Eastern trademark name. A reorganized company, Eastern continues to exist as an entity with a number of multimillion dollar deals, but it does not fly airplanes, a company official said.
Kiwi International Air Lines has hinted it could announce new markets next month - when it turns four years old - and new programs. To celebrate the anniversary, the carrier is giving travel agents an extra 4% commission, for a total of 14%, on all tickets issued in September. Travel must originate by Sept. 30. Kiwi President Jerry Murphy said, "Four years ago, Kiwi made a very conscious decision to work with travel agents at a time when the major carriers began to eschew the traditional distribution system.
Eastwind Airlines inaugurates service to Orlando today from its Trenton base, becoming the 40th scheduled airline to serve the Florida vacation spot, and one of many flying 737s from the Northeast. In inaugural ceremonies today in Orlando, it will introduce its mascot, a bee.
Swissair yesterday purchased a 51% share in Airlogo Ltd., a Swiss company that offers logistical solutions for airline inflight service and catering. The purchase price was not disclosed. Leading Swiss freight and logistics firm Kuhne&Nagel holds 25% of Airlogo, and German inflight services firm Gunter ACS owns the remaining 24%. Swissair and regional subsidiary Crossair were among the first airlines to use Airlogo's software.
Summary of U.S. National Carriers Systemwide Traffic January 1996 Revenue Average Revenue Passengers Length of Passenger Enplaned % Travel Miles Carriers (000) Change (Miles) (000) American Trans Air 398 3.78 1,785 710,706 Carnival 198 28.97 1,208 239,010
Horizon Air ordered a record 25 firm and 15 conditional de Havilland Dash 8 aircraft and took 30 options, Bombardier Regional Aircraft Division said yesterday. The firm portion of the order is valued at $270 million. Deliveries begin in February.
