FAA has accepted another revision of first-article test plans for the Enhanced Terminal Voice Switch program, submitted by developer Denro after the agency threatened the company with termination of its contract.
American Eagle's July traffic fell 3.3% to 232.7 million revenue passenger miles, while capacity decreased three times as much for a load factor gain of 4.9 percentage points to 62.4%. Available seat miles totaled 372.6 million. Eagle said the drop in traffic resulted from its decision to close its Nashville operation by Sept. 4. If Nashville is excluded from the figures, traffic rose 8.5% on a 0.3% gain in capacity.
A New York federal judge who heard Virgin Atlantic's antitrust lawsuit against British Airways has agreed, at USAir's request, to consider USAir's suit against American and BA over their proposed alliance. Judge Miriam Goldman Cedarbaum will hear the case in the Southern District of New York. In the suit, USAir charges BA with breach of contract and claims the proposed partnership would limit competition in the U.S.-U.K. market (DAILY, July 31).
USAir Express affiliate CCAIR flew nearly 13.5 million revenue passenger miles last month, a 17.3% increase over July 1995's totals. Capacity for the month rose 2.4% over the same time last year to about 27.4 million available seat miles. As a result, the load factor grew 6.3 percentage points to 49.2% from 42.9% a year ago. For the first seven months, capacity fell 0.4% to 180.9 million ASMs; traffic was up 10.9% to 87.4 million RPMs; boardings increased 3.4% to 466,643 from 451,406, and the load factor rose 4.9 percentage points from 43.4% to 48.3%.
...Risley stated: "To assume one would simply ignore a letter from a U.S. senator is simply not a reasonable assumption as I certainly understand the overwhelming power of the position and would never voluntarily choose to suffer the consequences of ignoring you. I have recently been experiencing the wrath of those consequences. In addition, a simple call to our offices would have prompted a response." Mesa has experienced a number of problems out of Denver this summer, many beyond its control, such as late deliveries of its new de Havilland Dash 8-200 fleet.
U.S. Attorney in Miami has ordered the DOT Office of Inspector General (DOTIG) in Fort Lauderdale to investigate allegations by TPI International Airways that FAA, DOT and DOD used false statements and false documents to shut the small cargo carrier down in August 1990 and force it into bankruptcy. The carrier is asking to appear before a grand jury to present its evidence in the case, which involves at least 11 government employees. Ironically, the DOTIG in Washington has withheld documents TPI insists would bolster its case.
Commutair is said to be interested in acquiring not only Business Express, but also fellow USAir Express carrier Chautauqua. The latter, with hubs at Indianapolis and Pittsburgh, will be sold by its insurance-company owner or taken public by 1998 (DAILY, April 5). Business Express has slots at New York Kennedy and LaGuardia and at Washington National, plus 37 Saab 340s. Chautauqua also operates Saabs as well as Jetstream 31s and would provide a linkup from the Midwest to New England. American and Delta also are interested in BizEx.
U.S. and Colombian officials will meet Aug. 19-20 in Miami in another attempt to resolve the dispute that is imperiling the bilateral aviation agreement between the two countries. After four fruitless days of talks in Washington last month, Colombia still was threatening to renounce the bilateral if DOT imposed its threatened sanctions curtailing service to the U.S. by one or more Colombian carriers.
Largest Passenger-Carrying U.S. Regional Airlines First Quarter 1996 Passenger Passengers % Of Miles % Of Rank Airline Carried Total (000) Total ------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 Simmons 1,369,320 9.5 298,897 9.0
BE Aerospace is displaying its latest cabin interior products in a 40-foot tractor trailer whose interior resembles an aircraft cabin. The mobile display unit, complete with sidewalls, overhead bins, lighting, seats galleys and inflight entertainment, is on a six-month, 24-city tour. The company said the unit brings a "wide array" of its latest products directly to potential airline customers.
Will Ris of American and Scott Yohe of Delta will debate international aviation issues, especially American's proposed alliance with British Airways, in an Aviation News Today studio interview to be broadcast Sunday from 12:30 a.m. to 1 a.m. and from 1:30 p.m. to 2 p.m. on NewsChannel 8 in Washington.
Lockheed Martin and Hughes (U.K.) submitted bids to carry out the U.K. Civil Aviation Authority's New Scottish Center air traffic management project in Prestwick, Scotland. Lockheed Martin said its team is 85% European, comprising Siemens, Frequentis, IBM-UK, GEC Marconi, EDS-UK and construction firm PFI Bovis. Hughes's U.K. unit is supported by Hughes Canada for ATC development, John Laing Construction Ltd. Hayden Facilities Mgt. Ltd and Hambros Bank Lit. as financial adviser.
American Eagle carrier Simmons Airlines was the nation's largest regional airline in terms of passenger enplanements in the first quarter, according to an industry survey by the Regional Airline Association. Simmons boarded 1.4 million passengers during the period, or about 9.5% of all regional airline passengers. Delta Connection carrier Comair with 1.1 million passengers, Mesa with one million, Continental Express with 889,111 and Alaska Airlines Connection carrier Horizon Air with 863,996 rounded out the top five for the quarter.
Comair will upgrade one of its three daily roundtrips between South Bend, Ind., and Cincinnati Sept. 9 when it substitutes a Canadair Regional Jet for a smaller aircraft. On the same date, the Delta Connection carrier will boost jet service to four flights a day between Omaha and Cincinnati, also using RJs.
Mesa Air Group's traffic rose 3.8% in July to 118.2 million revenue passenger miles on 5% less capacity. The load factor rose five percentage points to 58.6% The capacity drop was the result of returning to the manufacturer six Dash 8-300s that had been used in Denver markets and postponed deliveries of new Dash 8-200s, Mesa said. Mesa faulted Bombardier for the delays but said the two companies are working on a new schedule based on the resolving "production delays." July 1996 July 1995 7 Months 1996 7 Months 1995
Air South, taken over by investment bank Hambrecht&Quist (DAILY, July 29), has appointed several key executives. John Affeltranger was named senior VP-operations. He previously worked as executive VP of aviation consulting firm The Pointe Group. Usto Shulz, new VP-maintenance, was VP and general manager of Morris Air. William Crowell, who will be director- quality assurance, most recently held a similar position at American Trans Air. Jerry Fedor, founder of JP Aero, was named director-maintenance. He worked in maintenance operations at USAir for 32 years.
Revenue passenger kilometers carried by International Air Transport Association member airlines increased 9% in June and for the first six months of 1996, IATA reported yesterday. Capacity increased by 7% for each of the two periods, bumping the load factor up by two percentage points to 73% for June and almost that much for the year to date, to 69%, compared with the same periods a year earlier. Cargo traffic increased 6% in June and 4% for the six months, improving throughout the period but still much lower than forecasts made last year, according to IATA.
Air Canada has launched two daily flights between Toronto and Kansas City with 50-seat Canadair CL-65 jets. The service is Kansas City's first nonstop international service since 1979, the carrier said. Air Canada is offering triple bonus miles to its frequent flyer members, and to those belonging to United's Mileage Plus and Continental OnePass programs through Oct. 15. John Solomon, director of aviation for Kansas City, said, "The Kansas City Aviation Department has worked many years in our integral role in negotiating the open skies agreement between the U.S.
Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) introduced legislation (S.2023) last week to require airlines to give ticket-buying passengers written information on FAA inspections and safety compliance when the passengers ask for it.
AlliedSignal Aerospace said it will buy LORI Inc.'s heat transfer business from the Nordam Group for an undisclosed amount. LORI repairs and overhauls heat exchangers and other environmental control components for commercial transport aircraft. It also has developed a manufacturing capability for heat transfer cores. AlliedSignal said the acquisition will open new markets for its aircraft repair and overhaul business and aftermarket sales. LORI's hush kit and Prism product lines will be transferred to other Nordam divisions.
State-owned Airport Authority of India has shortlisted four bidders, all foreign companies, for establishing and operating duty-free shops in designated spaces at the country's five international airports. The finalists, Weitnauer of Switzerland, Duty Free Shoppers of Hong Kong, Lions City Hotels of Singapore and AER Rianta of Bahrain, were selected among 12 organizations that submitted price bids last December.
American Trans Air and the Teamsters union reached tentative agreement on a new four-year contract for pilots and flight engineers. The deal will go to the rank and file for ratification in the next six weeks. The contract is the first for the cockpit crew, and Don Treichler, Teamsters business agent, said it "assures a quality of life for our pilot and flight engineer members while still providing the company with the flexibility needed to meet ATA's diverse flying requirements."
Northwest Airlink affiliate Mesaba Airlines flew 40.9 million revenue passenger miles in July, a 39.2% increase from 29.4 million in July 1995, while available seat miles grew 23.1% to nearly 73.2 million from 59.4 million. As a result, the load factor jumped 6.5 percentage points to 56% from 49.5%. The carrier enplaned 179,500 passengers, up 32.8% from 135,200. Mesaba, with hubs in Minneapolis/St. Paul and at Detroit Metro, recently announced plans to begin service to Appleton, Wis., and Rockford, Ill., from Detroit on Oct. 1.
The simmering dispute over FAA's International Aviation Safety Assessment Program boiled over this week, halting all air service yesterday between the U.S. and Venezuela. Moises Orozco, Venezuela's transport minister, met yesterday with DOT Secretary Federico Pena and later with State Department officials, and another Orozco-Pena meeting was scheduled today. The safety assessment program also threatens the aviation bilateral between the U.S. and Colombia, which, like Venezuela, faces FAA sanctions because of its safety oversight.
