Intelsat appointed Benjamin Katcoff director-human resources and announced the resignation of Bruno d'Avanzo, executive VP and chief operating officer.
Air South and Hambrecht&Quist have agreed on a package of investments that will give the investment banking firm a controlling interest in the carrier. Air South, based in Columbia, S.C., has named John Tague president and chief executive, replacing Rod Brandt, effective immediately. At the same time, the carrier said it cut service in some markets to improve its on-time performance. Tague will become chairman Sept. 15, succeeding Clif Haley, who will remain on the board.
One of the nation's major unions is expected to begin passing out pamphlets at 24 airports late this week, supporting efforts by Controllers United to return former PATCO members to work and calling on the Clinton administration to hire more than the 500 new controllers it plans to add this year. The union also will support separation of aviation safety and aviation promotion within DOT. It will give passengers a toll-free number to call their representative in Congress.
Faced with a decline in foreign tourism during the past year, India's Directorate-General of Civil Aviation issued new guidelines for tour operators and will consider proposals for operating charter flights for inbound tourists. The decision follows strong lobbying by India's Tourism Department for opening the country's airports, including the five international airports, to tour charters, DGCA officials said.
DOT last Friday issued a proposal developed in consultation with the Interior Department on new and modified flight-free zones and corridors for Grand Canyon National Park. DOT said the proposal would increase flight- free areas by 87%. The notice also proposed flight-free periods within the cap and/or a cap on commercial sightseeing air tours. President Clinton has directed that a final rule be issued by yearend. National Air Transportation Association President James Coyne called on FAA Administrator David Hinson to intercede to protect aviation interests.
Granted orally to Royal Aviation, operating as Royal and/or Conifair, an exemption to conduct charter combination service between a point or points in Canada and a point or points in the U.S., and other charters...Granted orally to Fine Airlines an exemption for two years to provide scheduled all-cargo service between Miami, on the one hand, and Vitoria, Madrid and Valencia, Spain, on the other...Granted to Japan Airlines a sua sponte exemption permitting JAL to operate up to seven weekly combination frequencies between Sendai, Japan, and Honolulu, Hawaii, through Sept.
Kiwi International Air Lines posted a $1 million net profit for the second quarter, at the same time announcing it has received FAA clearance to begin returning grounded aircraft to service. Two aircraft will begin flying again immediately, serving as spares and to operate charters, and two more should return to the schedule in early August, when the carrier takes delivery of another aircraft, its 16th. Kiwi has been operating with 11 aircraft.
Bellview Airlines, based in Lagos, Nigeria, is a new member of the GETS Marketing Co., with responsibility for distribution of GETS automation products throughout Nigeria. GETS is a global distribution system that provides information management to travel companies.
2Like virtually all carriers, Delta is opposed to any effort to establish industry safety rankings, as may be proposed this week in a bill sponsored by Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.). "Safety should not be a competition," VP- Government Affairs Scott Yohe said in an employee newsline. "It is a requirement." Yohe said publishing a ranking would be counterproductive and create the wrong kinds of incentives for self-disclosure and self- audit.
Gulfstream International Airlines has been awarded a "substantial portion" of Florida's contracts for state and local government travel, effective Aug. 1. Gulfstream will be the exclusive carrier for government employees between Tallahassee and Tampa and Key West; between Key West and Miami, Orlando and Tampa; and between Miami and Tampa and Orlando. Gulfstream will upgrade aircraft soon at Tallahassee to the 36-seat Shorts 360 from 19-seaters. Florida awards transportation contracts annually.
Aerovias de Mexico (Aeromexico) reported a second quarter net profit of $10 million, down considerably from net earnings of $98 million reported in the comparable 1995 quarter. The latter earnings were boosted, however, by a reduction of 600 workers, a decrease in the carrier's fleet and a stronger Mexican peso. Operating revenues increased 8%, to more than $22.7 million from $17.9 million in the same quarter last year. Most of the increase was due to a 10.5% gain in passenger revenues, said the carrier.
Delta and United have joined Continental in objecting to American's bid for code-share service with the TACA Group. American and the TACA Group - Aviateca, Compania Panamena de Aviacion, Lineas Aereas Costarricenses, Nicaraguense de Aviacion, TACA de Honduras S.A., and TACA International Airlines - signed an alliance agreement last month proposing to launch code-share services between the U.S. and Central America and other cooperative programs, beginning Nov. 1 (DAILY, June 28).
Lufthansa has taken delivery of the first of 20 Airbus Industrie A319s it has on order. Four more are to be delivered this year and all 20 by the end of 1998. They will serve the same routes as Lufthansa's 33 A320s and 15 A321s, and five more of the latter are yet to be delivered. The carrier's A319s will seat 126 passengers in a variable business- and economy-class configuration.
FlightSafety International appointed Al Krusz Gulfstream director- maintenance training and Harry Houckes manager-FlightSafety Savannah Learning Center.
Availability of good used aircraft has dried up, and potential purchasers have to pay higher prices or try to "resurrect" equipment put in storage years ago, according to Avmark Inc. The big question is the disposition of the ValuJet DC-9 fleet, Avmark says. If the carrier resumes service with 15 aircraft, the other 36 might be available for short-term lease or sale.
Singapore International Airlines and Tata Consultancy Services of the Mumbai-based Tata Group of Companies have formed a joint-venture company to develop and maintain computer software systems in India. The joint-venture agreement, based on a memorandum of understanding dating from November 1994, was signed by TCS Deputy Chairman F.C. Kohli and SIA Director of Management Services Cheong Kai Mun.
