Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association asked the FBI to reduce the size of restricted areas at the TWA Flight 800 crash scene and over land areas involved in recovery operations because of their importance to general aviation. The TWA 800 airspace is over water along nearly 50 miles of the south shore of Long Island, "an important VFR low-altitude flyway necessary to transit around the Long Island Class C airspace area," said Melissa Bailey, AOPA director of airspace and systems standards.
The Internet is more hype than reality, for the time being at least, in its influence on worldwide travel distribution systems, computer reservations system and software development executives said in white papers collected by Travel Technology Association of Pittsburgh.
Gore Commission likely will include fewer than 10 members to begin with, administration sources said yesterday. Membership, to be announced soon, is likely to include DOT Secretary Federico Pena, FBI Director Louis Freeh, CIA Chief John Deutch, NTSB Chairman Jim Hall and Victoria Cummock, president of Families of Pan Am 103/Lockerbie.
Florida West Airlines is seeking renewal of its authority to operate all- cargo service between Miami and a point or points in Uruguay and to integrate this authority with its other exemption and certificate authority. Although it is not currently operating regularly in the market, Florida West said it intends to reinstate the service. (Docket OST-96- 1411)
United and Boeing have agreed on a $2.5 billion order for 747, 757 and 777 aircraft to replace older 747s and DC-10s. A United spokeswoman said the carrier likely will reveal details of the deal within a week, including the number of each aircraft type and whether the orders are conversions of options taken previously. United said May 1 it had 267 aircraft on option, including 34 777s, but the spokeswoman said yesterday those numbers are about to be restated. United currently operates 12 777s.
Emirates has equipped its fleet with inflight telephones and fax machines. The carrier said it was the first airline in the world to introduce satellite telecommunications on Airbus aircraft, in 1993. Emirates operates two 777s and 16 Airbus aircraft. The 777s, which it acquired in June and July, are equipped with in-seat phones, one fax machine and two cordless phones. Emirates charges $7 a minute for inflight calls.
Kiwi said yesterday revenue passenger miles in July increased 20% to 108.2 million, while capacity declined by 1% to 194.8 million available seat miles owing to a reduction in flights that began in late June. The carrier operated 11 of its 727s in July, compared with 15 in the same month a year ago. Jerry Murphy, president, said that "even though we flew fewer flights, we did better than last year." The performance "reflects the deep support we get from travel professionals," he said. Kiwi's load factor rose 7.7 points to 55.5% from 47.8%.
Canadian Airlines International reported a 2.5% increase in traffic in July from the same 1995 month and a 1.5% drop in capacity. For the first seven months of the year, traffic was up 8.8% and capacity 3.4%. In July, the carrier posted 1.655 billion revenue passenger miles on 2.1 billion available seat miles. The load factor for July was 78.8%, up 3.1 percentage points.
Europe's Joint Aviation Authorities certified yesterday the first engine produced by the BMW Rolls-Royce joint venture - the 14,750 pounds thrust BR710, on schedule five years after launch of the core BR700 development program, and a little less than four years after the launch of the -710 version.
United, Lufthansa and SAS have asked DOT to approve a coordination agreement expanding the antitrust-immunized United/Lufthansa alliance to include SAS. The carrier also moved to consolidate the pending United/SAS application for antitrust immunity, which was nearing a decision. In support of its request, the carrier cited "departmental precedent in the Delta/Swissair/Sabena/Austrian proceeding and...the interest of the department and all parties in administrative efficiency." Currently, United and Lufthansa have separate alliances with SAS.
Valujet experienced 59 unscheduled landings between Jan. 1 and May 18, when it cut operations in half, according to documents submitted yesterday to DOT by the Association of Flight Attendants, which represents attendants at the carrier. Southwest, with 7.9 times as many departures during the period, had 27 such landings and United, with 8.3 times the number, had 63, AFA said. To match the ValuJet rate, Southwest would have had to experience 466 unscheduled landings and United 490, the union said.
USAir has reduced fares to Bermuda, St. Croix, St. Thomas and St. Maarten from the U.S. Tickets must be purchased by Aug. 19 for travel until Feb. 13. The fares require a 14-day advance purchase and a Saturday night stay. USAir said the lowest fares, available on off-peak days, include Charlotte- Bermuda for $238 roundtrip; Baltimore-St. Croix, $258, and Philadelphia-St. Thomas, $258.
Lockheed Martin is "in the business to stay," President and Chief Executive Norman Augustine said yesterday in response to concerns among U.K. officials about whether the company is a serious contender for their $300 million New Scottish Center air traffic control program. In an interviewed yesterday with McGraw-Hill Aviation Week Group editors, Augustine said Lockheed Martin's takeover of Loral Corp. makes the company pre-eminent in ATC. U.K.
Apollo Partners Program is marketing four new products and services for commission tracking, data management, foreign currency transactions and noise-reducing enclosures for printers. The commission service tracks hotel and rental car commissions. The data management system, ClientBASE software by Third Party Solutions, is a Windows program that follows data on leisure travelers for target marketing.
Hawaiian Airlines expects to generate at least $25 million under agreements with a group of investors who will purchase newly issued shares of common stock in connection with a rights offering Hawaiian recently delayed because of market uncertainties. The Securities and Exchange Commission on Aug. 1 declared the company's registration statement for 12.1 million share of common stock effective, to be made available in rights and investor offerings.
Rate of increase in the number of U.S. citizens who travel has outpaced the rate of population growth in the past 10 years, according to the Travel Industry Association. Total travel volume gained 45% between 1985 and 1995, while the U.S. population grew 10%. The statistics have led TIA to conclude that travel is "a staple of the American way of life."
Interlease Aviation Corp. said yesterday it will acquire five of United's 737-200s, which will be operated by Philippine Air Lines. The aircraft are being acquired with the assistance of Aries Financial Corp. and Lehman Aviation. Interlease currently has four 737-200s on lease. Aries is a commercial aircraft finance and brokerage and Lehman Aviation is an aircraft brokerage and consulting firm.
Sino Swearingen Aircraft Co. named Jack Braly president and chief executive. Braly was VP and general manager of Rockwell's North American Aircraft Modification Division.
Sabre Decision Technologies said its GSE Advisor recently was purchased by USAir. The carrier will support its GSE-related maintenance repair operations using SDT's system. It will enable the carrier to manage, track and control maintenance costs related to all ground support equipment operations, SDT said.
Despite worldwide airline use of Omega radionavigation, the State Department has begun formal termination of bilateral agreements with member nations of the International Omega Technical Committee. DOT supports the move, saying it has no further use for the system. Airlines rely on it for wind measurements as they try to optimize aircraft routings.
Sabre Group Holdings will pursue acquisitions, including Travelocity co- founder Worldview, and alliances with large travel agency chains and information system outsourcers as it develops its independent business, the former AMR unit said in last week's initial public offering registration at the Securities and Exchange Commission (DAILY, Aug. 9).
Continental has asked DOT for certificate authority to operate scheduled combination service between Cleveland and London. Noting that its proposal offers the only nonstop service between Cleveland and any point in the European Community, the carrier maintains the "service can be achieved without negotiating with the U.K. for additional route rights since the U.S.
Amadeus Global Travel Distribution supports implementation of IATA's Travel Industry Designator Service, which gives standard identification codes to non-IATA travel agents who use a computer reservations system. The service, which has operated on a trial basis, now is in use worldwide, except in the U.S.
LTU International Airways is offering reductions of up to 37% on early bookings for winter travel between the U.S. and Germany. The "Save" fares are available for flights between Nov. 1 and March 31 on service to Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Munich, Hamburg, Berlin and Stuttgart from seven of the carrier's eight U.S. gateway cities. From New York, travel must be completed by Dec. 20. Roundtrip fares to Germany are $398 from Florida and New York and $548 from Los Angeles. LTU operates from Fort Myers, Orlando, Miami, Tampa and Daytona Beach.
