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Aviation History
1988
1988 - 0207.PDF
Switzerland, and the Scan dinavian countries by co operating with Air France. Air France has increased its share in Air Inter's capital from 25 per cent to 36-5 per cent by buying from the French Railways' (SNCF) stake. "This is not an element of alliance strategy," says Jacques Friedmann. "It is simply the flag carrier's response to UTA's purchases of shares on the Paris Bourse [Stock Exchange] in the domestic airline," he says. UTA has now increased its holdings in Air Inter from 15 per cent to more than 28 per cent, and Air France is deter mined to bar the route to further inroads. "Air France does not intend to let another carrier take over France's domestic airline and control the domestic market for its own ends," says Friedmann. South East Asian carriers currently pose less of a threat to European airlines than major American carriers, says Friedmann. American carriers, seeking in some case to compensate for the disappointing results now projected for operations on their domestic routes in the USA, or wishing to devote some of their profits to paving the way for new international routes, have launched re newed offensives on Europe, says Friedmann. Although Air France resisted their efforts in 1986 and succeeded in main taining its share of traffic between France and the USA at 40 per cent, despite a drop in its share of capacity to 33 • 5 per cent, the battle continued in 1987, particularly with the arrival of American Airlines (AA) and Continental Air lines on the Paris-New York route, in addition to Pan Am and TWA. "We are holding our own," says Friedmann. Overall in 1987, Air France passenger traffic went up by 14-6 per cent while seat capacity rose by 7 • 5 per cent. The outcome of this was a marked increase in the seat- load factor, which reached the record figure of 69 • 5 per cent. Cargo traffic developed at a rate of 9-8 per cent. "The 1987 results confirm the good financial health of Air France," says Jacques Friedmann, "a major advan tage for the company in view of the current liberalisation of air transport, particularly in Europe, in anticipation of the single Market in 1993." A310 tail tears SINGAPORE Airbus Industrie is examining a Singapore Airlines Airbus A310 that suffered tail damage en route to the Philip pines. None of the 182 passen gers was hurt. Flight SQ 82 suffered a sudden "shudder" about half way into the two-hour flight, followed by steady vibrations in the rear of the aircraft, the airline says. When the vibrations were felt in the cockpit the captain turned back. A large gash in the leading edge of the stabiliser was discovered On landing. The captain reported normal performance in the aircraft's handling after the "bang" and vibration. An investigation is being conducted, but initial indications suggest a bird strike. US fares drop LOS ANGELES A new fare war has started on America's highly competitive west coast routes after a long period of rising and stable fares Flight, August 29, 1987, page 6). Continental Airlines cut its fares by 15-20 per cent and Northwest, United, and Delta soon matched the cuts, reports Norman Lynn. American Airlines was unusu ally slow to react, maintaining that it was studying the changes and that "this is too complicated to make a quick decision". Continental says that the fares have been cut to stimu late travel in the slow winter season. "We're trying to generate additional traffic so more passengers will be able to fly", says Continental's marketing vice-president, Kay Hoffman. Coast to coast fares with some restrictions have dropped to as low as $119 one way. A one-way ticket from the west coast to Milwaukee was cut by 40 per cent from $325 to $195. • Transatlantic fare levels have also dropped, with cutprice carrier Virgin Atlan tic charging £88 or $88 one way fares from the UK and USA respectively. ADP wins Soviet job PARIS Aeruports de Paris (ADP), the Paris airport facility, has won a contract for the preliminary design and programming of a new terminal at Simferopol Airport, 100km from Yalta, on the Black Sea, the first such Western deal in the Soviet Union. The project provides for three sections of the new terminal—two for inter national traffic, and the third for national traffic. The scheme is aimed at expanding airport facilities to handle the ever-increasing traffic in the Crimea and the Black Sea region, which is expected to go up from 2 million passengers annually to 5 million passengers in a couple of years. United is just one of the majors in the faros war AIR TRANSPORT MARKET PLACE Toa Domestic Airlines (TDA) of Japan is buying two more used Airbus A300-B4s, one each from Varig and Cruzeiro. The two aircraft, both powered by General Electric CF6-50C2Rs, will be delivered in March and December 1989. TDA will then have 15 A300s, including nine -B2s and six -B4s. Northwest Airlines has ordered three Boeing 757- 200s, for delivery this year starting in August. Northwest has already ordered 30 757s, of which 28 have now been delivered. The three -200s, which will be powered by Pratt & Whitney PW2037 engines, will accommodate 184 passengers in first and economy classes. Canadian Airlines has ordered two Boeing 767-200 Extended Range aircraft, and taken options on a further eight. The order increases the airline's commitment to eight firm orders and 16 options on the 767-300ER. Air Europe has completed a leasing deal for five Boeing 757'-200s and five 737-400s. The deal, with Mercantile Credit, also includes the lease of three Rolls-Royce RB.211-535E4 engines and two General Electric/Snecma CFM56-3C engines. The equipment facility totals $355 million, of which $335 million is for the aircraft. Colombian carrier Satena has ordered three Casa- Nusantara C-212s. One is a -200 variant, and the other two are -300s. Satena already operates five 212-200s, and will become the first carrier to use the -300 in its 26-seat configuration, which allows a quick change to cargo oper ations within a few minutes. Skytrader has sold out its first-year production of the 1400 Commuterliner. The latest order for four of the 19-seat aircraft comes from Las Vegas-based air tour and charter company Lang Aire. Chicago-based commuter Simmons Airlines has converted its four options on Aerospatiale/Aeritalia ATR72s, to four firm orders for ATR42s for delivery in 1989. FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL, 30 January 1988 7
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