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Aviation History
1998
1998 - 3291.PDF
KLM reveals plans for cargo alliance MAX KINGSLEY-JONES/LONDON 'LM HAS REVEALED a ree-stage plan that will lead to the setting up of a standalone cargo airline early in the next decade in a joint venture with its alliance partners, Alitalia and Northwest Airlines. The plan is part of the recently finalised link between KLM and Alitalia, which resulted in the Italian airline becoming a full mem ber of the KLM/Northwest alliance (Flight International, 2-8 December). The idea was disclosed by KLM's director of corporate strategy and planning, Just Kerck hoff, during the recent Institute of Economic Affairs annual air trans port conference in London. The two airlines have already begun to integrate cargo opera tions and Kerckhoff says that".. .in 1999, KLM and Alitalia will begin full joint operations of their all- cargo fleets". This will see KLM's two Boeing 747-200SUD freighters pooled with Alitalia's three 747-200Fs (including one on a long-term wet lease from Atlas Air). Cargo operations are being focused on KLM's hub at Amsterdam Schiphol Airport and the new cargo hub being set up at Milan Malpensa Airport. Kerckhoff says phase two, which will not begin before 2000, will KLM joint cargo venture with Alitalia and Northwest could take off during 2000 involve the development of a full cargo joint venture between Alitalia and KLM "and additional partners". This could include alliance partner Northwest, which already has a major all-cargo oper ation with seven 747-200Fs. This stage will see the combina tion of die two airlines' entire cargo operations and handling, including their combi and belly-cargo busi nesses. Both carriers operate wide- body combis - KLM has eight 747-200/300 and 14 -400 combis, while Alitalia operates one 747-200 and five Boeing MD-11 combis. Although planning of the diird phase of the cargo venture is under way, there is no definite timescale for the final stage. This will involve the creation ofa standalone cargo company jointly owned by KLM, Alitalia, Northwest and possibly other partners, says Kerckhoff. "This will be a separate operation, with its own employees and so on," he adds. At this stage, the company will look at all aspects of the integrated cargo business, including hub development, route network and fleet planning/ replacement. This integration programme represents die first formalised plan to be undertaken on cargo by a global alliance grouping, and is likely to encourage rival alliances to follow. Star partners United Air lines, Varig and Lufthansa, along with future allies All Nippon Airways and Singapore Airlines, have all-cargo divisions that between them operate 40 full freighters, but no plans to integrate operations have been revealed. J Oneworld infrastructure begins to take shape PAUL LEWIS/WASHINGTON DC AIRLINE EFFORTS to estab lish working arrangements for the recently unveiled oneworld alliance are intensifying, with the first meeting of chief executives from the five founding members and the proposed creation ofa new common ground-handling opera tion in Europe. The heads of American Airlines, British Airways, Canadian Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways and Qantas met last week in Europe in the first ofa series of planned quarterly get- togethers. The meeting, believed to have been held in Madrid, focused on the progress and direc tion of oneworld since it was for mally unveiled in London on 21 September. Top of the agenda is a BA pro posal to establish a new common ground-handling company in Europe, tentatively named Casandra. The suggested franchise operation is being targeted initially at Paris Charles de Gaulle Airport and will be followed possibly by Amsterdam and Frankfurt. Airline sources say the initiative has met difficulties. American wants job guarantees, and the French authorities want American to transfer its five daily Paris ser vices from Orly to Charles de Gaulle. "The plan is, if we move to Charles de Gaulle, the jobs would stay," says the US carrier. Casandra is viewed as a pilot concept that will be limited initial ly to Europe, but which could be developed elsewhere. "We are working to see where we can get synergy, with the main focus on customer service, and ground han dling is key to that/' says a oneworld airline executive The five carriers have estab lished a large number of joint working groups to bring individual member operations into align ment, ahead of finalising detailed working arrangements in early 1999. Work includes interfacing ticketing and reservation systems, airport signage, check-in areas, common lounge access and stan dardising frequent flier plans. • ROUTES ++ Royal Brunei Airlines gives "the regional economic situation" as its reason for "temporarily" sus pending scheduled services between Bandar Seri Begawan in Brunei and Osaka, Japan. ++ Northwest Airlines is to double its seasonal frequency between Tokyo, Japan and Anchorage, Alaska, by operating two weekly McDonnell Douglas DC-10 flights. ++ Royal Air Maroc is to start twice weekly non-stop scheduled Boeing 737-500 services between London Heathrow and Marrakesh. ++ Jersey European Airways wi II operate three daily services between Paris and Glasgow from 28 March for Air France. FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 9 - 15 December 1998 9
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