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Aviation History
1996
1996 - 0415.PDF
Mk MbJMk WMJI J/k &A4BbJM^^P^Mfe|Wpk New conflict looms at Air Inter GILBERT SEDBON/PARIS FAILURE TO AGREE on a new contract for pilots at Air Inter Europe is pulling the finan cially struggling domestic and regional wing of the Air France Group towards a new crisis. Passenger traffic fell by 7% in 1995, to 15.7 million, largely be cause of tougher competition from other French and European air lines, and the growing influence of the French TGV high-speed rail network. Load factors also declined, from 66.7% to 64%, and the expansion of the domestic mar ket failed to reach expectations. The net result is that financial results shortly to be published are likely to show a loss of Fr500 mil lion ($98.5 million), compared to a Fr21 million ($4.15 million) profit posted in 1994. Air Inter Europe general man ager Jean-Pierre Courcol has denounced the 1971 pilot and cabin-crew accord which expired on 1 February, following failure to reach agreement on a 15% produc tivity gain. Air France Group chairman Christian Blanc has dis missed union demands for time off in exchange for a salary cut, but promises to continue working towards integrating Air Inter Europe and Air France pilots to eliminate differentials. In the absence of a new work agreement, the pilots have reverted to the previous 1971 accord, and have until 1 April, 1997, when Air Inter Europe becomes Air France Europe, to reach a new pact. It remains an uneasy truce, how ever, with the pilots unions bracing themselves for another round of strikes following 1995's confronta tions. "It is a declaration of war," says their spokesman Jean-Claude Tromeur. • Romancing the UK, Air Jamaica fashion RED CARPETS on the tarmac, onboard fashion shows by cabin crew and Mumm's Cordon Rouge champagne in economy class are the ploys which the new Air Jamaica intends to use to woo the UK traveller when the carrier re-introduces a London-Montego Bay-Kingston link on 30 March after an absence often years. The three weekly flights will be operated with its newly delivered Airbus A310-300s, fitted out with 18 fully reclining business-class sleeperettes at 1.52m seat pitch and 180 economy-seats at 810mm pitch. Air Jamaica hopes to add a fourth flight in the peak northern summer season and a fifth for the winter schedule, provided that it can obtain suitable slots at London's Heathrow Airport. Under the UK/- Jamaica bilateral, Air Jamaica is allowed to fly from Prestwick, Scotland, but it wants to change its second point of entry to Manchester. Talks between the two Governments have broken down, but are expected to resume soon. The airline is discussing a code- share with British Midland to attract passengers to the new ser vice from other parts of Europe. This is one element in an intensive European marketing campaign, says vice-president for marketing William Rogers. Its own direct schedules from Frankfurt, Milan, Zurich and Paris to Jamaica could Air Jamaica hopes to entice custom with champagne be introduced in 1997/8. The "new" Air Jamaica was pri vatised on 15 November, 1994, with 70% of the shares owned by a group of Jamaican businessmen, headed by chairman Gordon "Butch" Stewart. Over the next eight months, its fleet of five Airbus A300s and four Boeing 727- 200s will be replaced by six new A310-300sandsixA320-200s. • Honeywell predicts Pegasus boom MORE THAN 700 Boeing 757/767s and McDonnell Douglas MD-90/MD-1 Is could be retrofitted with Honeywell's newly developed Pegasus flight-manage ment system (FMS), according to the company. The Pegasus FMS has 25 times the throughput capacity and up to 16 times more memory than that of the existing systems and will allow the upgraded aircraft to take adv antage of developments in commu nication, navigation, surveillance/ air-traffic-management systems. Honeywell marketing vice-pres ident Tom Goodman says: "We expect the entire MD-11 fleet of around 160 aircraft to be retrofit ted. Some MD-90s, probably fewer than 100, will also be retrofitted, and the rest will be equipped on the production line. For the 757/767, we believe that 500 or more will be retrofitted, depending on the air lines and how they operate." The FMS will be certified on a 767 in the fourth quarter of 1997, followed almost immediately after wards by the 757. "We have also offered the Pegasus to Airbus and they're looking at what they want to do," adds Schwanz. • MDC has confirmed its selection of Honeywell's Versatile Integrated Avionics (VIA 2000) system for the MD-95. The system will integrate the flat-panel display electronics and software, FMS, digital air-data acquisition and central aural-warn ing system and will enable aircraft condition monitoring. • WINTER OPERATIONS TRAINING COURSE CD-ROM FINNAIH Flight Operations Marketing, P.O. Box 15, mail drop HEL-OQ/48 01053 Finnair, FINLAND tel: +358 O 818.4611 or 4612 telefax +358 O 818.4600 sita: HEL OQ AY See page 43 for more information M7/W/7/V7 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 21 - 27 February 1996 11
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