Air France's traffic grew 18.6% in June compared with year-earlier levels, to 5.1 billion revenue passenger kilometers, while capacity increased 8.9% to 6.4 billion available seat kilometers. The passenger load factor for the month was 78.9%, up 6.5 percentage points. The number of freight ton kilometers increased 12.7% to 417 million.
Trying to call customers' attention to the address of its new World Wide Web site, Reno Air is painting the address on the side of a new MD-90 dubbed The Silicon Valley Flyer. Leasing the aircraft from McDonnell Douglas, the carrier will take delivery early next month and use it mainly on flights between Orange County and San Jose, Calif. Reno already operates two leased MD-90s on the route. The site, at http://www.renoair.com, offers information on flights and destinations, tour packages, cargo products, travel awards programs and company financial news.
Canadian Airlines International has added Alamo Rent A Car as a participant in its frequent flyer program. As of Aug. 1, Alamo renters will be able to earn 500 Canadian frequent flier miles, with double points to renters who reserve a vehicle and travel between Aug. 1 and Dec. 31.
International Lease Finance Corp. has leased two new A340-300s to Air France, four new 757s to Finnair and a new 737-300 to Frontier. Air France will take delivery in March and May 1997, Finnair in late 1997 and early 1998, and Frontier next April.
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Gulfstream International Airlines will upgrade service between Tallahassee and Tampa Aug. 1 with the 36-seat Shorts 360 and is offering introductory fares of $69. Gulfstream acquired six Shorts this year for service in Florida and to the Bahamas. It has painted one of the aircraft hot pink with purple and turquoise stripes and another cobalt blue and yellow with a dancing dolphin on the fuselage. The liveries are advertising for Sandal's resorts and Grand Bahama Island.
Douglas Aircraft Co. reported that FedEx has ordered another MD-11 freighter, this one for delivery in November. The package carrier is taking delivery of four MD-11s this year and will be operating 21 of them by January. The freighters can carry up to 202,100 pounds and fly 4,200 nautical miles nonstop with a full payload. Douglas also reported that it has rolled out the first MD-11 fuselage built in Long Beach. The fuselages had been produced in San Diego by Convair, which decided to end production last December.
Patrick McCann, staff director for the Senate Appropriations transportation subcommittee, will join The Wexler Group Sept. 3 as principal and senior director. McCann has been a majority staffer on the committee for 13 years, the last eight in his current position. He will replace Will Ris, recently named VP of government affairs for American.
Delta earned a record $328 million in the June quarter, but a $273 million restructuring charge left it with net earnings of just $161 million, down 35.9% from $251 million in the June quarter of 1995. Because of the healthy operating environment, Delta jettisoned its high-profile campaign to reduce its unit cost to 7.5 cents per available seat mile. "In today's strong traffic and revenue environment, focusing solely on costs based on somewhat dated assumptions would limit our profitability," said Chairman Ronald Allen.
Continental Express President David Siegel, returning with other Continental executives from meetings in Brazil with Embraer, says the fleet modernization competition between the EMB-145 and the Canadair Regional Jet is not over. Continental is negotiating for 15- to 17-year leases of 25 firm-order aircraft and a large number of options, possibly as many as 100, Siegel told The DAILY Friday. The carrier wants to lock into a large number of options at favorable lease rates, giving it more flexibility in replacing some turboprops.
Rolls-Royce is withdrawing from the large steam power generation business, which accounted for #280 million of its turnover and 2,500 of its employees last year.
DOT Secretary Federico Pena telephoned TWA President and Chief Executive Jeffrey Erickson last week to express his concerns about reports of poor treatment of victims's relatives following the crash of TWA Flight 800. House Transportation Committee Chairman Bud Shuster (R-Pa.) said Friday the committee will move legislation that "clearly defines the interaction between the victims' families with the involved airline and government agencies."
Air Lines has opened its second reservations center in Florida, this one in Cape Coral. The airline employs 60 agents there and plans to hire 100 more by the beginning of winter. It employs 250 agents at its center in Dania, Fla.
Apollo's LeisureShopper product has signed up Hamilton Miller Hudson&Fayne, which offers tour packages to Denver, Detroit and Flint, Mich., as its latest online tour vendor. Apollo sees "great revenue potential" in the leisure market, said Lynne Rosenbaum, Apollo senior VP of marketing and sales.
Senate Commerce Committee Chairman Larry Pressler (R-S.D.) said he was troubled that FAA did not "transport immediately" an emergency National Transportation Safety Board team to the site of the TWA Flight 800 crash last week. Pressler said he also was disturbed by the administration's "recent decision to de-post" the Athens airport, from which the TWA 747 had come to the U.S. immediately before its fatal flight out of New York Kennedy Airport, bound for Paris.
Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Wendell Ford (D-Ky.) told FAA last week that making airline safety information available to consumers would be "extremely helpful." DOT Secretary Federico Pena said such a requirement could have a chilling effect on the government's drive to persuade the industry to share safety information in an attempt to identify trends and prevent future accidents. The senators asked FAA for its recommendations within 120 days.
Airlines Reporting Corp. said total travel agents sales processed for June increased 7% from June 1995 to $6.384 billion. Domestic fares were up 12% and international fares 10% for the month, while domestic commissions rose 3% to $2.014 billion and international commissions 5% to $1.398 billion.
U.S. and U.K. officials agreed to meet again July 30 and 31 in Washington after making some progress during talks Thursday and Friday in London. The two countries are addressing a potential open skies agreement, which would advance the prospective alliance between American and British Airways.
Aviation Security Advisory Committee, meeting last Thursday, asked industry to review and analyze "current levels of security countermeasures with the expectation to increase the requirements," according to the National Air Transportation Association.NATA warned members that the ValuJet, Delta and TWA accidents may prompt FAA to "respond to perceived shortcomings in the safety of U.S. aviation."Rep. James Oberstar (D-Minn.) and DOT Assistant Secretary Mortimer Downey attended the meeting.
India's state-owned Directorate-General of Civil Aviation announced requirements for airlines operating in Indian airspace during the monsoon season, from July to October. DGCA acted following a study finding that 60% of aviation-related mishaps in India occurred in bad weather during the rainy months. The guidelines cover landing approaches and diversion criteria in bad weather; hazard markings for airport charts, and operating standards for aircraft brakes, windshield equipment and sensor systems.
National Air Transportation Association published its 1996 NATA Compensation Survey, which details wages, salaries and benefits for a variety of positions. Cost is $99 for members, $150 for non-members.
