Air 21 will expand into the Pacific Northwest June 17, offering single- plane through service from San Francisco to Seattle, Wash.; Eugene, Ore., and Redmond/Bend, Ore., targeting the latter two points because they "represent additional medium-density cities lacking low-fare jet service." Introductory fares will begin at $49 one way. The Fokker F28 operator currently serves San Francisco, Los Angeles, Salt Lake City, Colorado Springs, Fresno, Grand Junction, Las Vegas and Palm Springs.
The Palestinian National Authority, created to govern areas given up by Israel as part of the Middle East peace process, has ordered two used Fokker 50 transports from Fokker Aviation, one of the surviving elements of the bankrupt Dutch aircraft manufacturer. The airplanes will be delivered in June and July for operations from Gaza Airport, scheduled to be opened next month, by the newly established Palestinian Airlines, formation of which was among the top priorities of the Palestinian government, according to Fokker.
Pemco World Air Services announced a contract from Viva Air of Spain for maintenance of a Boeing 737-300 aircraft, including a 7C maintenance check, overhaul of the main landing gear, and stripping and painting. The company will carry out the work at its facility in Dothan, Ala.
Professional Pilots Federation, which opposes mandatory retirement of pilots at age 60, hopes DOT Secretary Federico Pena's call this week for airlines to hire more seasoned pilots means he will rethink the Age 60 Rule. "If the secretary wants to achieve his goal of 'zero accidents,' he cannot continue to ignore the experience and expertise of our senior pilots merely because of an unsubstantiated and artificially government-imposed age limit." Pena decided in December to continue the forced retirement of pilots who reach 60.
Internet World Wide Web users participating in a travel survey over the past year have chosen Delta as their favorite airline. The survey, sponsored by CIC Research, the Association of Business Travel of Hong Kong, the Pacific Asia Travel Association and TEN-IO, also ranks the favorite airport, destination, hotel and rental car company. The "Webbie" awards are given to the travel companies ranked first in their categories by more than 17,500 opinions from 81 countries. The purpose of the survey is to monitor the travel choices and demographics of Web users.
Fortis Aviation said it has sold two Fokker F28 aircraft, currently owned by Ghana Airways, to East West Helicopter, Harrison, Ohio. The F28s, the last in Ghana Airways' fleet, were manufactured in 1974 and delivered new to the carrier. One has been flown for 15,000 hours and the other for 12,500 hours. East West Helicopter, and aircraft trading and helicopter management company, has no immediate plans for the aircraft, Fortis said. Fortis still has an International Capital Equipment F28-4000 for sale.
Seattle-based Corporate VAT Management has launched a refund assistance program for travel agencies. The program is designed to help agencies find clients with the greatest potential to receive refunds of the European value added tax and set up processes to deliver refund assistance. The company has developed Auto VAT, a Windows-based software product that automates the preparation of VAT refund applications and the tracking of expenses. CVM estimates U.S. companies can reduce European travel expenses by as much as $800 million a year.
Virgin Atlantic says it might use the new A340s it is acquiring for services in the Caribbean, where it "is exploring some exciting opportunities." The carrier, which does not currently serve the region, is in talks about an alliance with BWIA International Airways and Air Jamaica.
Courtyard by Marriott was voted the nation's favorite hotel chain by Frequent Flyer magazine readers. Courtyard, Marriott's moderately priced product, was designed to accommodate the business traveler.
DOT officials said yesterday that ValuJet was not authorized to transport oxygen generators that National Transportation Safety Board investigators say were on Flight 592 last Saturday and may have played a role in the crash. The carrier is not authorized to transport hazardous materials of any kind, and the oxygen generators are classified as hazardous, government officials said in a background briefing for reporters. While FAA was unwilling to confirm that the canisters were on the flight, NTSB said they were in the cargo hold.
International Airlines Travel Agent Network (IATAN) will expand its accreditation, endorsement and other programs to agencies that sell only cruises. IATAN President Mike Maino said cruise-only agencies constitute a growing segment of the travel market. IATAN will begin processing requests for applications by June 15. The accreditation requirements for cruise- oriented agencies include a minimum of two years in business, a business bank account, annual sales of at least $250,000 and proof of a valid errors and omissions policy with at least $1 million coverage.
MCI and the American Society of Travel Agents are offering ASTA members a prepaid calling card showing their agency's logos to sell or give away to clients. MCI is sponsoring a sweepstakes for travel agents who accept the cards. Prizes include roundtrip airfare, hotel accommodations and registration at ASTA's 1996 World Travel Congress in Bangkok.
Holiday Inn has launched Convenience Courts, a new service that gives guests more meal options in a food-court-like atmosphere. The hotel chain is operating the food courts at three properties and will make the concept available to all franchises on a turnkey basis.
Sony Trans Com is marketing a Sony Video Walkman system to airlines "that want to offer passengers a wider selection of movies without hard-wiring aircraft." Battery-powered units for individual passengers, weighing about three pounds, provide a high-resolution four-inch color LCD screen, stereo hi-fi sound and a range of videotape functions, including easy stopping and starting, still frames and slow motion.
Traffic carried by Canadian Airlines International increased 5.7% last month, compared with the same 1995 month, on a 5% gain in capacity. The carrier flew 1.22 billion revenue passenger miles on capacity of 1.78 billion available seat miles. The load factor rose 0.5 percentage points to 68.5%. For the first four months of the year, Canadian's traffic grew 10.7%, compared with the same 1995 period, on a 6.1% gain in capacity. The load factor was up 2.8 percentage points to 67.2%.
Mesaba reported that April was its eighth consecutive month of record- breaking passenger traffic. The airline carried 149,000 passengers during the month, a 33% increase from last April's 112,000. Revenue passenger miles were up 33.3% to 32.7 million from 24.5 million, and available seat miles gained 13.2% to 63.9 million from 56.5 million. The load factor rose 7.7 percentage points to 51.1%. Mesaba intends to put the first two of its 50 Saab 340s on order into service June 1.
U.S. Major Carriers Systemwide Share of Service Fourth Quarter 1995 Total Revenue Departures Share America West 50,398 3.7 American 200,961 14.6 Continental 111,184 8.1 Delta 234,511 17.1 Northwest 143,321 10.4 Southwest 182,830 13.3
ValuJet's stock, after falling more than four points Monday, rebounded yesterday, closing up 1.3 points at $15. On Monday, Gruntal Investment Research lowered its rating of ValuJet from "outperform" to "neutral," and Standard&Poor's placed the carrier's double "B" corporate credit rating and double "B" minus senior unsecured rating on CreditWatch with negative implications.
Government ministers representing the four Airbus Industrie nations expressed support in principle this week for corporatization of the consortium's statutes and the development of a very large aircraft for its product line. The ministers did not adopt a specific plan or timetable for these measures, but the Airbus supervisory board will receive a working document on them in July.
FAA, citing discrepancies in training, testing and flight attendant qualification, has suspended the operating certificate of HCL Aviation, Inc., operating as AV Atlantic. Based in Savannah, Ga., the carrier operates charter flights and subservice for other airlines, using Boeing 727s. The suspension will last until the carrier proves its flight attendants are appropriately trained, tested and qualified, the agency said.
Honeywell and Rockwell Collins reported technical standard order approvals of avionics equipment for business aircraft. Honeywell's FMZ-2000 flight management system will be available for Falcon 2000 aircraft, while Collins will be able to provide its RTU-4200 series radio tuning unit for the Gulfstream IV, Falcon 900EX, Falcon 50 and the Citation X. The FMZ-2000 can be linked with a Global Positioning System receiver to combine satellite navigation with data from other sensor systems.
Continental seeks authority to operate combination service between Houston and Mexican points Vera Cruz and Mazatlan, operating four weekly 737 nonstop roundtrips to Vera Cruz and three to Mazatlan, beginning Dec. 12.
Delta Connection carrier Comair flew 126.1 million revenue passenger miles in April, up 36.6% from 92.3 million in April 1995. Available seat miles totaled 223.8 million, up 21.7% from 183.9 million. Load factor was up 6.2 percentage points to 56.4% from 50.2%. Passenger boardings increased 30.1% to 392,388. For the first four months of the year, Comair's traffic was up 37.5% to 467 million RPMs over the same period last year. ASMs rose 18.5% to 843.4 million for a load factor increase of 7.7 points to 55.4% from 47.7%.
Continental told DOT it does not support Federal Express's call for punitive actions against Taiwanese carriers as redress for Taiwan's refusal to to allow the cargo carrier to handle its own inbound and outbound air express and air freight shipments at Chiang Kai-shek Airport (CKS) at Taipei, Taiwan (DAILY, April 25). Filing its complaint against Taiwan, FedEx said the U.S.-Taiwan air agreement signed in 1980 guarantees the self-handling right.
Tower Air will offer introductory fares on new service between Miami and San Juan, Puerto Rico, beginning June 18. The carrier will offer $59 one- way fares in coach and $119 in business class on its daily 747 flights through June 25. After that date, tickets will cost $109 in economy and $169 in business. Tower's fares do not require an advance purchase or a Saturday night stay.
