DOT is set to impose sanctions against Colombia after three days of talks in Washington failed to resolve a stalemate between the two sides. As in April talks (DAILY, April 29), the two sides remained deadlocked over the authority of U.S. carriers to exercise their rights under the existing U.S.-Colombia pact. At issue are actions by the Colombian government to keep American, Federal Express and Fine Air out of its markets.
A new airport check-in system introduced last week by American will be at the center of future plans to push passengers through airports quickly and painlessly. The system automates some flight functions that agents previously had to perform manually. Modules will be added in the future to allow other services visible to passengers, such as ticketless travel.
USAir Express will begin operating three daily nonstop flights between Huntsville, Ala., and Washington National on Aug. 18. PSA Airlines will operate the flights with 32-seat Dornier 328s. The service gives USAir and USAir Express seven daily flights at Huntsville, including four daily flights to USAir's Charlotte hub.
American Airlines Fly AAway Vacations is promoting an eco-adventure tour through Costa Rica for nature lovers. Participants will visit isolated beaches via mountain bike, view waterfowl and birds of prey while canoeing at Las Baulas Biological Reserve, snorkle off the Gulf of Papagayo, tour the Arenal Volcano and swim in the natural hot springs of Tabacon. The price begins at $1,158 per person for seven nights, excluding travel to Costa Rica but including bus transportation, three meals a day, entrance fees and bilingual guides, based on double occupancy.
National Transportation Safety Board has concluded that "many of the provisions" of FAA's proposed rules on flight and duty time will have a positive effect on aviation safety - despite the anticipated economic burden - because "flightcrew member fatigue poses a threat to aviation safety." The safety board also quashed one of the main arguments made by the Air Transport Association - that the notice of proposed rulemaking fails to address the effects of pilots commuting long distances to work, and that the impact of pilots' lifestyles on fatigue has not been assessed (
Century West Engineering named David Miller senior aviation planner. Dallas Airmotive appointed Brian Cunningham manager-project engineering; promoted Charles Praniewicz to manager-Pittsburgh Regional Turbine Shop, and appointed Lawrence Mustico manager-aircraft maintenance sales. Emery Worldwide promoted Timothy Strauss to VP-hub operations, Dayton, Ohio, and George Kopp to VP-accounting division, Scranton, Pa., and appointed John Colletti VP- controller Emery Worldwide Airlines.
Air Liberte is urging DOT to act on its bid to operate France-U.S. service. In an application filed in early April, the carrier maintained that "more than sufficient time has elapsed for the department to assess the issues framed by the pleadings in this matter." Air Liberte also requests reinstatement of the charter authority it held from 1990 to 1995. "The in- limbo status of Air Liberte's application has become an ever-increasing hindrance to the carrier's planning and other functions, hence its desire for greater certitude," said the French airline.
Australian International Pilots Association, which represents pilots and flight engineers at Qantas, told FAA that the agency's proposal to set 10 hours as the maximum duty day for a two-pilot crew is one hour too long. The association commented on FAA's proposed rules on flight and duty time limits because the Australian Civil Aviation Safety Authority has indicated it might endorse whatever changes are made in the U.S.
John Watson, longtime British Airways executive and chairman of SITA's board of directors, was ratified by the board as SITA director general, effective Aug. 1. He will succeed Claude Lalanne, who will remain as president of SITA Telecommunications Holdings and devote full time to developing its commercial business.
Although European Union transport ministers voted last week in favor of multilateral talks with the U.S., nothing substantive is envisioned until the fall, a U.S. official said, noting that the EU still must work out its positions on various issues. The U.S. will not start with "soft" issues and defer traffic until later, as the Europeans want, but EU Transport Commissioner Neil Kinnock's negotiating mandate still is an important step, the official added.
United's West Coast shuttle, which has withdrawn from four markets in which it could not compete with Southwest, has racked up an impressive performance on the remaining 14 routes that has surprised industry insiders. The markets dropped were Oakland-Seattle, Oakland-Ontario, Oakland-Burbank and Sacramento-San Diego.
Belgium International Travel has chosen Amadeus Global Travel Distribution System as its exclusive computerized reservations system. BIT travel agencies will be connected to Amadeus by the end of summer.
DOT has proposed that large certificated U.S. airlines participating in international and domestic code-share arrangements report both the ticketing and operating airlines' data in their quarterly passenger origin- destination survey reports. In a notice of proposed rulemaking to be published in today's Federal Register, the department said the information is needed to assess accurately the effects of code-sharing alliances.
World Airways has adopted SHARES, Shared Airline Reservation System, as its in-house computer reservations system for reservations and ticketing, to be implemented this month in conjunction with the launch of its code-sharing alliance with Continental, which also uses SHARES. World said the system will provide seamless connections for its international passengers coming from Israel, Ireland and South Africa connecting at Newark to Continental. SHARES is owned by Electronic Data Systems.
U.S. officials will be "primarily listening" when they sit down today with their U.K. counterparts in Paris, a senior U.S. official said. "It's in the court of the British," the official stated. "They have a clear idea of what we require." Some in the industry are confident that the U.K. indeed knows what is required, and this week's talks will begin a speedy process toward an open skies regime that facilitates the American-British Airways alliance.
Correction: A suit filed in federal court by a Federal Express pilot who had exhausted his Freedom of Information Act appeals to obtain NASA documents on flight and duty time research was funded by the Independent Pilots Association at UPS, not UPS itself, as reported June 20 in The DAILY.
Reno Air has filed a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission to offer three million shares of its common stock. The company also plans to issue an additional underwriter's allotment of 450,000 shares. Reno's common stock trades on the NASDAQ and the Pacific Stock Exchange. Proceeds of the offering will be added to the company's general funds to increase liquidity and may be used for capital expenditures, including the funding of down payments or deposits on aircraft orders, the carrier said.
Business Express still is up for grabs with at least three parties continuing to develop reorganization plans for the Delta Connection/Northwest Airlink carrier, currently operating under Chapter 11 bankruptcy court protection. Former Continental Express Chief Executive Jonathan Ornstein has expressed interest, although sources close to the situation say that, "He wants it for a song." USAir Express Commutair "is still in the hunt," The DAILY is told, and BizEx Chief Executive Bob Martens continues to seek a partnership with his former employer - AMR Corp.
Regional airline load factors are on the rise. Average load factor for 14 carriers sampled by The DAILY was up by an average of 3.2 percentage points in May to 53.3%. Eleven of 14 carriers sampled by The DAILY filled more than 50% percent of their seats during May, while one - AMR Eagle - reported that 61.3% of its seats were filled. Flagship Airlines, one of four wholly owned Eagle carriers, set a new May load-factor record of 63.2%. Eagle carrier Simmons also posted a May record.
Frank Salizzoni, president and chief operating officer of USAir and USAir Group from 1994 until April, has been appointed interim president and chief executive of H&R Block.
Delta, which is trying to develop its maintenance services as a source of revenue, will contract out to Pratt&Whitney's newly created fleet management business unit for repair and replacement of critical spare engine parts under a materials management program lasting up to 10 years, P&W's top after-markets executive told DAILY affiliate Aerospace Propulsion. The carrier, which operates one of the world's largest P&W fleets, will continue to maintain its PW2000s and PW4000s itself.
Mesaba Holdings yesterday issued a request for proposals on a high- performance 50-passenger regional aircraft. Recipients are believed to be Bombardier for the Canadair Regional Jet, Embraer for the EMB-145 jet and Saab for the 2000 turboprop. Proposals are due by the end of the month.
TWA moved yesterday to replace two top officers who were instrumental in returning the carrier to health after a brush with bankruptcy that almost put it out of business. The St. Louis-based carrier said Robert Peiser, chief financial officer, and Mark Coleman, senior VP-marketing, are leaving the company. A spokesman for TWA said action to replace the two officers was taken unanimously Tuesday by the carrier's board of directors.
