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Aviation History
1984
1984 - 0006.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT Western is healthier LOS ANGELES Western Airlines is back on the road to recovery and now looks unlikely to become a casualty of airline deregu lation, according to our US West Coast correspondent. Connections at Western's International Los Angeles hub have increased to 364 from 114 six months ago. Its passenger boardings are second largest at LAX, just behind those of United Air Lines. Daily departures have increased from 58 to 70 and Western is hoping for 75 daily departures this month. Despite a 3 per cent drop in capacity from 1982 Western expects November revenues to have increased 9 per cent. The airline's healthier image is largely due to the work of new president Lawrence Lee, who joined Western's Board following the resignation of chairman Neil Bergt in April 1983. Bergt himself did a vast amount to pull the airline out of the red but he resigned last year after his plan to merge Western with Wien Air Alaska was stopped by a US Federal Government require ment that Bergt separate himself from his cargo carrier Alaska International, because his empire was beginning to tread into anti-trust territory. Western has significantly reduced its labour and late last year most of the airline's 10,517 employees took over two seats on Western's Board together with 32 per cent ownership of common stock, in return for a 10-18 per cent paycut. The "Partnership Plan" is expected to save Western $42 million this year. With productivity and labour costs greatly improved West ern has been able to refinance its debt with two offerings of notes, stocks and warrants which brought in $155 million. Western, which has lost about $190 million since 1980, is pleased with its turnaround. Boosted by the upsurge of visitors to Los Angeles for the Olympic Games, 1984 will be the "springboard back to prosperity" for the carrier, Lee says. •fmiimmlSm Miami-based Airlift, an all~DC-8 operator, has recently supplemented its fleet with this DC-8-61 leased from Capitol. Here it is taking off from Ontario International Airport, California, which will be a relief airport for LAX during the 1984 Olympic Games Chinese to build ATR42 doors? NAPLES The Chinese aerospace indus try looks set to be awarded the contract for the construction of doors for the Aeri- talia/Aerospatiale ATR42. The speculation follows a 14-man Chinese delegation visit to Aeritalia's head office in Naples last month to discuss the possibility of shar ing construction work on the aircraft. The delegation from the Chinese Aerospace Tech nology Import Export Corporation (CATIC) was led by the country's deputy minister for foreign trade. Talks have already taken place between Franco-Italian Avions de Transport Regional and Chinese manufacturer, the Xian Aircraft Corporation (see Flight, December 10, page 1512). The doors on the McDon nell DC-9 Super 80 are already produced in China and the materials technology involved should not produce any problems for the Chinese. Aeritalia denies that such a co-production agreement would ensure the purchase by CAAC of the ATR42. Instead it says that it is offer ing the work as "gesture of goodwill". Atlanta business wants more International flights at Hartsfield WASHINGTON D.C. The Atlanta Chamber of Commerce has a delegation here charged with obtaining additional international air services for their city's airport, reports our Wash ington correspondent. The delegation, headed by Chamber of Commerce execu tive vice-president Gerald Bartels, made presentations this week to officials at the State Department, the Department of Transpor tation, and the Civil Aero nautics Board, stressing the international air traffic potential of Atlanta. The delegation would like to see new routes linking Atlanta with Paris, Frankfurt, Rome, and the Scandinavian countries. "We would like to see Delta operate the routes, but if Delta isn't interested we would be happy to support any other carrier that applies," Bartels said after his meeting with CAB member Jim Smith. "Our citizens want better air service to more European points," Bartels said. "They would like to be able to fly there without having to make a stop in New York first." NEWS SCAN Overseas National Airways has changed its name to National Airlines. The logo on its 38-aircraft fleet will be repainted accord ingly. ONA bought the rights to the name "National" from Pan American, which acquired the original National in 1980 and merged it into its own operations. New Braniff has unveiled its first Boeing 727-200. Painted in a new navy blue, silver, burgundy, and white design, the aircraft should fly on March 1, when the airline is scheduled to begin commer cial service. The new logo and paint scheme was designed by Robert L. Periman, senior communications planner at Boeing. Insurance brokers Wigham Poland Aviation have handled a record $52 million payout for the loss of the Avianca Boeing 747 which crashed in Madrid on Novem ber 27, killing 183 people. The London-based brokers settled the claim within five days of the disaster. El Al Israel Airlines has begun operating fortnightly flights from Switzerland to the Dominican Republic. Under a six-month agree ment, the Israeli flag carrier will fly a Boeing 707 from Tel Aviv to Zurich and will then fly on to Santo Domingo on behalf of Dominican airline Dominair. 6 FLIGHT International, 7 January 1984
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