FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1999
1999 - 0075.PDF
JAL forms new links with oneworld partners ANDRZEJ JEZIORSKI/SINGAPORE PAUL LEWIS/WASHINGTON DC JAPAN AIRLINES (JAL) has entered into a new partnership with British Airways and is deepen ing its ties with American Airlines in a move bringing it a step nearer to possible future membership of the oneworld alliance. JAL remains coy about its mem bership ambitions, however. "For the moment, we are not entering oneworld. We are exploring bilat eral codesharing, and we are study ing the global alliance concept," says the carrier. The bilateral alliance with BA will begin on 1 April with a merger of the companies' frequent flier schemes, and introducing code- sharing from late summer on daily services between London Heath row and Osaka's Kansai Inter national. Both arrangements require government approval. Up to now BAhas not operated a mileage award programme in Japan, awarding its Executive Club members All Nippon Airways (ANA) miles instead. This BA/ANA relationship will end on 31 March, and BA will establish its own frequent flier scheme in Japan. JAL and American, which already have an operating frequent flier link, have now applied to the US Department of Transportation (DoT) for approval to begin code- sharing on flights between the USA and Japan, and beyond, from 10 May. Codeshare approval is being sought under the provisions of 1998 amendments to the US- Japanese bilateral agreement. The two carriers initially plan to operate joint services on JAL routes from Tokyo to Osaka and Nagoya in Japan and Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Los Angeles, New York and San Francisco in the US and Singapore and Bangkok. In addition, JAL will codeshare on American's routes between Tokyo and Chicago, Dallas, San Jose and Seattle, as well as between Osaka and Dallas and on domestic services between Chicago, Dallas and Los Angeles. American also wants to share its code on JAL domestic services, and on routes from the USA to Bangkok and Singapore via Tokyo. More codeshares are planned later in 1999, including between Japan and Hawaii, Guam/Saipan, beyond Japan to Asia and beyond the USA to Canada and South America. JAL will also codeshare on new American flights from Tokyo to Boston and New York when they begin. Despite these new agreements and existing co-operation with other oneworld airlines such as Canadian Airlines, Cathay Pacific Airways and Qantas, JAL has maintained a cautious approach to full alliance membership. The air line says it is worried about the costs of joining and the implica tions alliance membership could have on existing partnerships with non-oneworld carriers. Meanwhile, oneworld partner Canadian Airlines has concluded a marketing pact with Alaska Airlines and affiliate Horizon xAir, which already has a similar deal with American Airlines. From 1 April, the deal involves codeshar ing and frequent flier programmes. Canadian, which has unveiled a rebranding programme which includes a new logo, new uniforms, and the dropping of the "International" from its name, says the deal with Alaska expands its presence in key West Coast mar kets while strengthening traffic flow through the Vancouver hub. The "international" element has been eliminated in an move to pro mote Canadian's domestic services, which are second in passenger numbers to Air Canada. The makeover comes despite the airline being in the red, with a loss of C$40 million ($26 million) expected for 1998. This comes after the first profit in more than a decade was recorded in 1997. • 737 rudder safety checks planned THE US FEDERAL Aviation Administration plans to issue an airworthiness directive (AD) requiring mandatory inspections for potential valve cracks in some Boeing 737 rudder power control units (PCUs). The FAA has also issued a directive covering the Rolls-Royce Allison AE3007 affecting Embraer RJ-145s and Cessna Citation X business jets. The 737 AD would apply to -100 up to -500 series models - 2,900 aircraft worldwide. The inspection on each aircraft will take lh, at an estimated cost of about $60 per aircraft. The tests would be have to be completed within 30 days or four months, depending on the model. The AD would mandate tests on the PCU to detect cracks in a joint in the servo valve that regulates the intake of hydraulic fluid to the unit. Cracks have been discovered in PCU valve assembly components. The ADs result from unexplained accidents involving a US Airways 737-300 in September 1994, and a United Airlines 737-200 in March 1991. In both cases, an uncom- manded rudder hard-over is sus pected, but not proven, as the cause of the accidents. Meanwhile, the FAA has issued an AD requiring preflight engine run-ups and inspections for the R-R Allison AE3007A and AE3007C-powered ERJ-145s and Citation Xs during extreme cold weather. The AD is designed to prevent inflight engine shutdowns due to loss of engine oil. It affects 120 twin-engined Citation Xs and ERJ-145s. The agency found that starting these engines in very cold temper atures can cause the starter shaft o-ring seal to allow oil to leak from the engine's accessory gearbox. The FAAsays the AD is an inter im measure pending possible addi tional rulemaking. Allison says that a simple, inexpensive fix has been devised that will be the subject of a pending service bulletin. The com pany advisory may then be man dated by another FAA AD. • Channel F27 crashes on approach THE CHANNEL EXPRESS Fokker F27 Mk 600 freighter (G- CHNL) which crashed approaching the airport at Guernsey in the Channel Islands, appears to have hit the ground with a nose- up attitude and little forward speed. Both pilots were killed. The occurred at 17.10 on 12 January at the end of a newspaper flight from London Luton to Guernsey, when the aircraft was on approach to runway 27. The F27 came down about 500m (1,640ft) from the threshold. Conditions were gusty with possi ble windshear, and witnesses report an increase in engine power just before the aircraft entered a flat, curving descent to impact. FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 20 - 26 January 1999 13
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
