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Aviation History
2000
2000 - 1848.PDF
Grupo Taca threatened by El Salvador's rating drop GRUPO TACA may be forced to move its operating certifi cate to Costa Rica in an attempt to protect its alliance with American Airlines, which is threatened by the US Federal Aviation Administrat ion decision to downgrade El Sal vador's safety rating to Category 2. The FAA action could pose a serious threat to Grupo Taca, which has its headquarters in San Salvador and is overseen by the local regulatory authority. The Category 2 rating freezes the Central American carrier's services to the USA at the current level and could undermine its codesharing partnership with American. One option under urgent con sideration is to put Taca under the oversight authority of Costa Rica, where its 10% owner and partner LACS A is registered. "We have other operating possibilities and have prepared ourselves for differ ent scenarios," says TACA com mercial director Claudia Arenas. Costa Rica is rated as Category 2, but is widely expected to be up graded to Category 1 soon.TACAfc other participating home nations Guatamala, Honduras and Nicar agua are all classified as Category 2, leaving Panama as the only other country in the region with a Categ ory 1 rating. Panama is no longer involved with TACA, however. San Salvador is TACA's main base and under the country's open skies agreement with the USA, it serves nine US gateways including Dallas, Los Angeles, New York and Washington. TACA has applied for US anti-trust immunity for a full alliance with American and hopes to widen this to other oneworld partners. The FAAs action is drawing crit icism as it has not conducted a for mal inspection visit since mid- 1999. It is understood to have requested a new assessment earlier this year, but was told it would be "more appropriate" to come after an International Civil Aviation Organisation visit this month. The US authority instead drop ped its request and rerated El Salv ador Category 2. The FAA declined to give a reason for its action other than that the country was deficient in one or more areas covering legal, technical, personnel, enforcement or proper documentation. TACA also faces problems with start-up operation TACA Peru, which is seeking to fly from Lima to Miami. The FAA is expected to downgrade Peru back to Category 2 and has stalled on applications by Lan Peru and Aero Continente to launch services to the USA. • China Eastern targets long-hauls and regionals CHINA EASTERN Airlines is poised to order five Airbus A340-500/-600s and has begun talks with manufacturers on a pos sible regional jet order. Industry sources in China tell Flight International's sister on-line news service Air Transport Intelligence that the Chinese Government's State Planning and Development Committee granted approval for the Airbus purchase in May, after go-ahead from the Civil Aviation Administration of China. China Eastern is close to finalising an order from Airbus for deliveries between 2003 and 2005. The sources say the airline plans to take most of the five as stretched A340-600s, although a decision depends on the results of a route study. The airline is considering establishing a second US hub in an East Coast city, possibly New York, which would require the addition al range offered by the A340-500. Airbus confirms talks with China Eastern on an order for these types, China Eastern already operates earlier versions of the A 340 but declines further comment. The airline is also understood to be in talks with Bombardier, Embraer and Fairchild Dornier on a regional jet order for domestic routes in eastern China. China Eastern is interested in building a feeder operation and began to develop the market with the wet lease in June of two ATR 72 s from China Xinjiang Airlines. All three regional aircraft manu facturers have secured sales in China, with Bombardier selling Canadair CRJ200s to Shandong Airlines, Fairchild Dornier win ning a 328JET order from Hainan Airlines and Embraer recently signing a letter of intent with Sichuan Airlines for five ERJ- 145s. China Eastern agreed last year to lease four A340-600s from International Lease Finance and to • buy four more A340-500s from Airbus. This plan was suspended when the Chinese Government imposed a new tax on operating' leases. Airline pressure is forcing the government to reconsider the tax, say the sources. • MARKETPLACE ++ Italian regional Air Dolomiti has ordered three ATR42-500S with an option on a further four. The aircraft will be delivered in the fourth quarter. ++ United Airlines has placed orders for 10 addition al International Aero Engines V2500-powered Airbus A320 fam ily aircraft - five A319s and five A320s - for delivery from 2002. ++ Air Inter Cameroon has acquired an ex-Sabena Boeing 737-200QC from European Avia tion, in a deal arranged by Air- stream International Group. ++ Sabena has abandoned plans to lease two Airbus A340-200s to Algerian carrier Khalifa, which is now expected to lease three A300B4 freighters from Aviation Sales. ++ RegionAir. the Singa pore-based charter carrier and wet- lease operator, has leased two Airbus A310s from ILFC and a third from GATX. One aircraft is to be wet-leased to Vietnam Airlines and the other two are going to an Indonesian start-up called Awair International, according to Flight International's sister on-line ser vice Air Transport Intelligence (ATI). ++ Arkia Israeli Airlines is seek ing buyers for three aircraft, two Boeing 737-200 Advs and a 727- 200Adv which is due back from lease in September from Sabre Airways. Fortis has been appoint ed to remarket the aircraft. ++ FINOVA Capital has appoint ed Cabot Aviation to remarket three Swissair/SAS Boeing MD- 81s and two MD-83s (one ex-Bel Air and the other leased to American Airlines). The aircraft have been returned from lease. ++ China Airlines subsidiary Mandarin Airlines will receive the first of three Boeing 737-800s early next year on five-year leases from International Lease Finance. ++ BAE Systems Asset Man agement has placed two former buzz BAE 146-300s on long-term lease with Aer Lingus. with the first delivered in May and the sec ond arriving in late June. Germany"s WDL has purchased a Series 200 from BAE, while Qantas has received a 146-200 on long-term lease from the lessor. FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 20 - 26 June 2000 11
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