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Aviation History
1983
1983 - 0167.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT US domestic fuel prices drop United States airlines paid an average 95-9 cents a US gallon for fuel on their domes tic routes in November 1982, according to a recent report by the US Civil Aeronautics Board. This is down 6 per cent from November 1981's prices. The average price for a US gallon of fuel in international service during November was $1-07, also down 6 per cent from November 1981. Major US carriers averaged 95-6 cents a gallon domestically for scheduled and non-scheduled services, while the nationals averaged 96-5 cents a gallon. The large regionals averaged $1 a gallon and the smaller regionals $1 • 1 per gal. According to the CAB, US carriers' entire domestic oper ations cost $632 million in November for 660 million gal of fuel. Averaging the figures for November 1982's sched uled and non-scheduled inter national operations, the , majors paid $1 • 06 per gallon, the nationals $1-09 and the 'medium regionals $1-07. US » carriers overall spent $145-6 million for 136 • 7 million gal ' of fuel on international oper- t ations. r MEA to serve New York The US Civil Aeronautics 'Board has granted Middle < East Airlines authority to operate between Lebanon and * New York via Paris, but has not granted the carrier fifth- freedom rights between Paris i and New York. Middle East Airlines, 70 per •* cent owned by Lebanese t nationals and 30 per cent by the French, says it f will operate three round-trip Boeing 747 flights a week from March. But an MEA > spokesman says "we will increase service as conditions permit". The CAB says that the new air agreement between Lebanon and the United States is intended "to encourage a rapid resumption of air services" between the two countries. FLIGHT International, 2.9 January 1983 British airline liveries are strongly in evidence at Toulouse Airport as passengers board the BAe 146 used for route-proving trials during one of the trips. British Air Ferries carried out the operation, using its own crews 146 route- proving completed The British Aerospace 146 has now completed oper ational route-proving, one of the final stages of the UK certification requirements. To satisfy the UK Civil Aviation Authority the aircraft had to fly, for an agreed period, an intensive schedule fully repre sentative of normal airline operations. The flights had to be made by regular airline crews; British Air Ferries of Southend undertook the task. Flights in the UK were made from Southend, Prest- wick, Manchester Woodford, Liverpool, Bristol Filton, Hum, Hatfield, Luton, and Jersey. Overseas destinations included Munich, Dusseldorf, Beauvais, and Toulouse. Observers from the CAA were carried on all flights. The schedule took place over 21 days broken briefly by the Christmas period. A total of 175hr and 151 sectors were flown in 40 trips. BAF says that it found the aircraft to be about 6 per cent more fuel-efficient than it had expected. Another strong feature, according to BAF sales manager Mike Kay, was that the 146 proved "amazingly quick" on domes tic turn-rounds where customs and immigration clearance was not involved. Kay said that BAF performed turn-rounds in times as low as 7min. BAF thinks the aircraft is ideal for its long-term leasing business in hot-and-high conditions, and is currently talking to interested com panies in Libya and Africa. But although several UK tour operators have asked BAF if they can charter space on a 146 this summer, the airline has not found enough busi ness to keep an aircraft fully utilised on UK and European charter work. China Airlines can overfly Vietnam TAIPEI China Airlines is now being allowed to fly through Viet namese airspace on its Taipei- Hong Kong-Bangkok service. From 1975 until this month the airline had been forced to make a dog-leg over the South China Sea on the Hong Kong- Bangkok sector. The airline estimates that the new route will save it about $4-5 million a year in fuel costs, as well as cutting 80min off the previous flying time. The direct route was reopened on New Year's Day by China Airlines' first Boeing 767, flying its first service with the airline. To date China Airlines has had load factors of more than 90 per cent in the type. China Airlines hopes to begin a service to Europe this year. Although no European destination has yet been agreed, the aviation authority of one of the en-route desti nation countries has accepted the carrier's plan. China Airlines is expecting a net loss of about $20 million for 1982, compared with a $19 million loss for the previous year. The airline attributes this entirely to low fares; it achieves 85 per cent average load factors on its US services, and 75 per cent aver ages on its regional routes. Normally this level would easily be enough to make a profit, but the airline dare not raise its fares, because of competition. Short hauls... Air Malta reported a M£851,000 (£1-2 million) net profit during 1982 compared with a £2 • 1 million profit in 1981. Chairman Albert Mizzi said that economic conditions in the countries to which the carrier was operating had continued to worsen and this had affected Air Malta's passenger loads and yields. Continental Airlines has applied to the US Civil Aeronautics Board to begin scheduled services from Houston and Dallas/Fort Worth to Bogota and Buenos Aires. The US airline is to reintroduce its inflight lounge on all its DC-10 aircraft in February. Thelounge located directly behind the aircraft's first class section, will comprise a 10ft L-shaped bar, two coffe tables, a sofa, two fixed stools, and four "easy chairs". The lounge, nick named "the pub", was first offered by Continental between 1972 and 1977.
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