Cincinnati- and Orlando-based Delta Connection Comair logged 134.9 million revenue passenger miles in July, a 28.5% increase from the same month one year ago. Capacity did not keep pace, rising 16.2% to 228.9 million available sweat miles from 197.1 million. The load factor rose 5.6 percentage points to 58.9% from 53.3%. Passenger enplanements increased 25.5% to 412,524 from 328,742.
Continental Express flew nearly 86 million revenue passenger miles last month, a 20.9% increase from July 1995's 71.1 million RPMs. Capacity was up 17.1% to 158.1 million available seat miles from nearly 135 million. As a result, the load factor climbed 1.7 percentage points to 54.4% from 52.7%. The number of passengers boarded rose 12.6% to 382,781. July 1996 July 1995 --------------------------------
Mountain Air Cargo parent company Air Transportation Holding Company reported net earnings of $405,000, or 14 cents per share, for its fiscal 1997 first quarter ended June 30, 1996. In the comparable 1996 fiscal quarter, the carrier reported net earnings of $520,000, or 17 cents per share. Last year's first quarter figure included a $263,000 gain on disposal of company aircraft that increased net earnings five cents per share.
KLM's July traffic rose 5% to 764 million revenue ton kilometers, up from 727 million in July 1995. Available ton kilometers rose 8% to 1.049 billion from 973.7 million. The load factor for the month fell 1.9 percentage points to 72.8%. Passenger traffic rose 7% to 4.7 billion revenue passenger kilometers and capacity gained 8% to 5.876 billion. KLM said cargo traffic to the Middle East and Southern Asia showed strong growth after it introduced more 767 equipment into the markets.
Continental Express has awarded a three-year, exclusive contract to Atlantic Turbines Inc. to perform all external repair and overhaul on the regional's PW100 turboprop engines. Atlantic Turbines is a fixed-wing repair and overhaul subsidiary of CHC Helicopter Corp. of St. John's, Newfoundland. In a statement, CHC Helicopter described Continental as "the world's largest independent operator of PW100 engines." The deal calls for two option years.
Regional airline traffic grew nearly twice as fast as capacity in July, according to a sampling of 14 of the largest carriers. Traffic, as measured in revenue passenger miles, was up an average 9.2%; capacity, as measured in available seat miles, rose an average 4.9%. American Eagle's four units logged 3.3% lower traffic and 10.9% less capacity. [Individually, Eagle carrier Flagship - with the demise of the Nashville hub - saw traffic decline 26.4% while capacity was down 30.2%. Wings West was off 8.1% and 10.7%; Executive was down 3.3% and 4.7%.
China Airlines has entered into a joint venture agreement with Jardin Airport Services Ltd. (JASL), under which CAL will acquire a 15% stake in Jardin Air Terminal Services (JATS). JASL will hold 80% of the shares of JATS and an unnamed partner the remaining 5%. The agreement was signed Wednesday in Hong Kong by CAL VP Michael Lo and JASL representative Wang Gui Xiang. The partners have agreed to invest a total of NT$250 million (US$32.05 million) in JATS, which will begin operations in April 1998 with the opening of Hong Kong's new Chek Lap Kok Airport.
Fairchild Dornier is contemplating a new marketing tool that would put the 30-passenger Do 328 high-speed turboprop into the hands of regional airlines for extended periods of operational evaluation. The company is considering placing an aircraft on the certificate of wholly owned Fairchild subsidiary Merlin Express, a Metro cargo and charter operator. Merlin would then wet-lease the aircraft to carriers for a month or so to be operated in scheduled service. The aircraft has been well received by passengers of other U.S. customers - Horizon, PSA and Lone Star.
SkyWest boarded 1.5 million passengers in the first seven months of the year, a 25.5% increase from the same 1995 period (DAILY, Aug. 14). July 1996 July 1995 7 Months 1996 7 Months 1995 --------------------------------------------------------------------- RPMs 64,449,482 53,819,156 407,332,075 299,905,154 ASMs 120,588,780 111,104,051 781,201,097 641,849,891 LF (%) 53.4 48.4 52.1 46.7
Calgary-based WestJet Airlines has launched a daily flight between Calgary and Saskatoon, two daily flights between Vancouver and Kelowna and a daily flight between Victoria and Kelowna. The service is made possible by a 737-200 the carrier received this week, its fourth. The low-fare airline, which started service in February, said its service in six Canadian markets has had great success. It recorded 80% load factors in July, carrying about 250,000 passengers.
Still rapidly expanding Gulfstream International Airlines logged a 67.9% increase in traffic last month, flying 9.7 million revenue passenger miles, compared with 5.8 million in July 1995. Available seat miles rose more quickly - 90% to 19.5 million available seat miles from 10.2 million. As a result, the load factor dropped more than 6.6 percentage points to 50.1% from 56.7%. Passenger boardings rose 63.4 % to 51,527 from 31,526. July 1996 July 1995 7 Months 1996 7 Months 1995
Boeing 767 Systemwide Aircraft Utilization Per Day First Quarter 1996 B767-200 -------------------------- American Delta TWA Number of Aircraft Operated 30 15 12 Total Fleet Operations Departures 53 59 29
American Trans Air's traffic fell 0.2% in July to 996.6 million revenue passenger miles from 998 million on 6.5% more capacity. Available seat miles totaled 1.366 billion, up from 1.282 billion last July, producing a 4.9-point drop in load factor to 73%. The carrier's scheduled service RPMs grew 8.9% to 538 million on 20.7% more capacity, for a load factor drop of 7.6 points to 69.8%. For the first seven months of the year, RPMs rose 8% overall to 5.790 billion and ASMs 11.2% to 8.308 billion, depressing the load factor 2.1 points to 69.7%.
Denro said it received a contract to provide three small-tower voice switch communications systems to the Civil Aviation Department of Thailand. The systems will be installed at Nan, Udorn and Ubon airports in December.
Tom Appleton will soon be selling...amphibians? The de Havilland Aircraft chief salesman for regional turboprops turned chief salesman for the Canadair Regional Jet and then chief salesman for both when Canadair parent Bombardier acquired de Havilland-the centerpiece in the controversial debate over regional jet versus turboprop-is to become president of the Amphibian Aircraft Division of Bombardier, which produces the CL-415 water bomber. Competition to replace him as Bombardier Regional Aircraft Division executive vice president could be interesting.
American's political action committee has contributed more to federal candidates and committees in this election cycle than the next three largest passenger airlines combined. According to the most recent reports, American's PAC gave $339,559, United's $134,550, Northwest's $85,900 and Delta's $83,250.
Aviation journalists David Field, USA Today, and Kristin Krause, Traffic World, will discuss security issues on this week's Aviation News Today. The program will air Sunday on Washington's NewsChannel 8 from 12:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m.
Western Pacific Airways has extended the purchase deadline for its Super Summer Saver fares to Monday for travel completed by Feb. 13. The carrier said matching airlines are offering the fares only at night or at specific times, while its reduced fares are available on every flight. Examples of the fare savings are Colorado Springs-Indianapolis for $138 and Atlanta- Phoenix for $238, both roundtrip.
Vice President Gore confirmed yesterday that members of the Airline Safety and Security Commission include William Coleman, former DOT secretary; Victoria Cummock, president of Families of Pan Am 103; John Deutch, CIA director; Louis Freeh, FBI director; Jim Hall, NTSB chairman; retired Air Force Gen. John Loh, former commander, Air Combat Command, and Federico Pena, DOT secretary (DAILY, Aug. 15). Members will be added as the commission "moves to address long-term security, safety and air traffic control issues," Gore's office said.
The loss of the worldwide Omega meteorological network, with more than 200 stations, will mean more expensive and therefore less frequent and accurate upper wind measurements, according to Dr. Erkki Jatila, director general of the Finnish Meteorological Institute. Jatila, who has been involved in global weather programs conducted by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), said it will be "too difficult for many countries to maintain the current level of their radiosonde operations if a complete cessation of Omega actually happens so soon."
Philippine Airlines requested an exemption to operate scheduled combination service between the Philippines, on the one hand, and Chicago and Newark, on the other, plus a waiver of the 60-day notice requirement to enable it to launch the Newark service Sept. 15. Noting that the U.S.-Philippines aviation agreement permits PAL to operate to the U.S. points via intermediate points, the carrier asked for all exemption authority needed to operate its proposed Newark service via Vancouver, with full fifth- freedom traffic rights between Vancouver and Newark.
Continental, Delta and United will be the preferred airline suppliers for the American Automobile Association in 1997-1998. The two-year agreement takes effect Jan. 1, 1997. AAA has about 5,000 travel agents.
America West is seeking renewal for one year of its exemption to operate scheduled combination service between Phoenix and Mazatlan, Mexico. The carrier currently operates roundtrip service on the route, using Boeing 737-300 aircraft. (Docket OST-95-736)
Alamo Rent A Car's new express check-in service - Quicksilver - uses self- service kiosks to check in customers in less than 30 seconds. Customers with a reservation insert a credit card to receive the rental contract and in the near future will be able to choose car type and color. The kiosks, available at many major cities in the U.S., will be installed at 90 locations in North America, and at London Heathrow and Frankfurt airports. Although the express service is free of charge to corporate customers, leisure travelers must pay a $50 annual fee.
