Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Air Safety Foundation received two $10,000 grants, one from the Michigan Bureau of Aeronautics and the other from the Ford Motor Company, to conduct aviation seminars in Michigan. American Society of Travel Agents' National Officer Nominating Committee has chosen candidates for president: Pat Gagnon, Aquarius Travel, Cambridge, Mass.; Bernice Rosmarin, Stratton Travel, Franklin Lakes, N.J., and Mike Spinelli, Merrimac Travel Service, Lowell, Mass.
Moody's Investors Service raised its ratings on Delta Friday, one day after Standard&Poor's took the same action. Moody's move affects about $8.1 billion worth of debt, while S&P covered $7.4 billion. Moody's cited better fundamentals in the airline industry and concessions granted Delta in the labor agreement ratified last week by its pilots union (DAILY, April 24). The changes will help Delta reduce costs, pay down debt and improve profitability, Moody's said.
Mesa Air Group is planning to acquire eight jets within 12 months but is no longer considering the Fokker 70 because of the manufacturer's bankruptcy status. Mesa is looking at the Canadair RJ, the EMB-145 and AI(R) regional jets, or possibly used Fokker 100s.
Nations Air intends to inject more low-fare service in the already saturated Northeast-Orlando market by beginning operations June 14 from Boston, Pittsburgh and Philadelphia. Nations Air said it will offer $69 one-way fares that do not require a Saturday night stay or advance purchase. The carrier is using a newly acquired 173-seat 727-200 for the service.
Aerospatiale has opened a regional office in Kuala Lumpur headed by Franois Jouenne to further develop ties with Malaysian industry and clients, and to serve the neighboring Philippines, Indonesia and Brunei. It said the Asia/Pacific region represents more than 20% of its export sales of $7 billion. Aerospatiale also has offices in Hong Kong, Beijing, Tokyo, Singapore, Seoul and Bangkok.
USAir's new management has named Bruce Ashby VP-financial planning and analysis, effective today. Ashby worked as VP-marketing development for Delta since last June, and before that was VP-financial planning and analysis at United. A USAir spokesman said Julie Roberts, who has had the responsibility of the position, will become a vice president reporting to Chairman Stephen Wolf.
Federal Communications Commission's notice of proposed rulemaking to drop some individual radio licensing requirements and associated fees for domestic aircraft radios does not include aviation ground radios (DAILY, April 19). In addition, the proposed ruling does not apply to stations that must be licensed under other rules and statutes. Commercial aviation radios and ground stations fall under this category and would thus be exempt from the proposed rule, according to ARINC.
Southwest has changed the name of its frequent flyer program to Rapid Rewards from Company Club to reflect its goal of getting rewards to customers as fast as possible. Members can earn a free roundtrip ticket by flying eight roundtrips within 12 consecutive months. Joyce Rogge, VP- advertising and promotions, said members receive rewards about three times as fast as at other airlines; based on an average trip length of 521 miles, it takes only 8,400 miles to earn a free trip.
Air Express International said first quarter net income increased 20% to $6.1 million and revenues rose 15% to $93.1 million. Operating profit jumped 24% to $10.7 million. Dennis Dolan, chief financial officer, said integration of Radix and other companies acquired in 1995 resulted in "strong gains in operating profit and net income."
Top 15 U.S. Domestic Cities By Region Ranked By Average Fare The Year 1995 Avg Fare Avg Yield Psgrs Trip Number of Rank City ($) (cts) Per Day Length Segments 1 Cincinnati 196 22.5 4,838 872 1.3 2 Minneapolis/St. Paul 185 18.7 13,505 989 1.3 3 Detroit 149 17.1 16,745 874 1.3
Recent informal talks between the U.S. and Hungary went very well, according to Paul Gretch, director of DOT's Office of International Aviation. The two sides talked about open skies and the question seems to be when, not whether. The U.S. believes "sooner is better than later," said Gretch, and the U.S. has invited Hungary to the U.S. for formal negotiations.
U.S.-Colombia relations are at a serious impasse after negotiators from the two countries failed to resolve a number of contentious issues. Talks broke up last Thursday night, with Colombian officials contemplating abrogation of the existing agreement.
American and China Airlines reached a cooperative services agreement that will include code sharing and frequent flyer cooperation. American will place its designator code on CAL service between Taipei and two U.S. points, Los Angeles and San Francisco. CAL will place its code on selected American service between Los Angeles and Dallas/Fort Worth and New York Kennedy, and between San Francisco and DFW and Kennedy. CAL and Continental reached a code-share agreement early this year (DAILY, Jan. 30).
Cincinnati-based Comair Holdings reported net earnings of $60 million for fiscal 1996, a 104.8% increase from 1995 levels. The carrier's fiscal year ended March 31. The surge in earnings came on a 28.4% jump in total revenues to $463.9 million. Net income for the January-to-March quarter ballooned 223.2% from the same quarter in 1995 to $16.24 million.
Southwest plans today to launch a service that will enable computer users to book travel on the airline over the Internet. The new service will let people buy a ticket with a credit card.
FAA Administrator David Hinson said Friday the agency has terminated its $475 million contract with Wilcox for the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS) for the "convenience of the government." He said FAA will announce a new WAAS effort this week. Sticking with Wilcox would have resulted in a 10-month delay and a $100 million cost overrun, Hinson said.
Pan Am has elected Phillip Frost, chairman and chief executive of pharmaceutical manufacturer IVAX Corp., vice chairman of the board. Pan Am's board will have nine or 11 members after the reverse merger with Frost Hanna Mergers Group is completed. It now has five members.
Aviall said Friday it has completed an agreement to sell its Miami-based accessory services repair station to Curtiss-Wright Flight Systems of New Jersey. Aviall Chairman Robert Lambert said Aviall is now "focused on our worldwide parts distribution services, which serve the airline, regional airline and general aviation markets, and the electronic database service unit Inventory Locator Service, which serves buyers and sellers of aviation and commercial marine parts worldwide."
Air South's board has given President Rod Brandt the additional title of chief executive. Clif Haley, who continues as chairman, said the board's action coincides with the completion of Air South's new hub-bypass route system of jet service in the Northeast and Midwest.
Hamilton Standard and Malaysia Airline System are operating a new Hamilton Standard customer support center as a joint venture in Langkawi, Malaysia. Brendan Curran, general manger, said the facility provides Asia/Pacific customers with overhaul and repair services for environmental control systems. Nood Amiruddin, MAS director of engineering and a director of the joint venture, said the carrier is "continually searching for joint ventures that make sense for the airline and for Malaysia."
Dial Corp. of Phoenix is moving ahead with plans to spin off Greyhound of Canada into an independent company to be owned mainly by Canadian nationals. Majority ownership of Greyhound of Canada by the U.S. firm has been one of the impediments to starting Greyhound Air, since Canadian law limits foreign ownership of its airlines.
AlliedSignal said it has received orders valued at more than $1 billion from GE Capital Aviation Services, Singapore Airlines and Malaysia Airlines to supply equipment for Boeing 777s, 747s and 737s. The GECAS order, announced earlier this year, is for auxiliary power units, wheels, brakes and avionics for up to 254 737s, valued at $700 million.
Avitas appointed Jose De La Fuente executive VP-marketing for Latin America and the Caribbean. Campbell Aviation Group appointed Patrick Swift, formerly of Midway Airlines, research director. FlightSafety International named Bill Lewandowski manager-Training Systems Division. Raytheon Corporate Jets appointed Ian Atkinson manager-Hawker Service Center, a new facility in Chester, North Wales.
Issued an AD on Eurocopter SA-365N series helicopters requiring inspection ofthe door jettison systems. Superseded an AD on Boeing 757s with certain Abex spoiler valves in certain actuators concerning inspection for correct installation. Revised an AD on certain Saab 340 series aircraft concerning the auto-ignition system. Proposed to supersede an AD on certain Piper PA series aircraft concerning cracked main gear side brace studs.
