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Aviation History
2001
2001 - 3738.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT AOC SUSPENSION Australia stops Solomon from flying Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has suspended the air operators certificate (AOC) of Solomon Airlines, the national carrier of the Solomon Islands which oper ated a single Australian- registered Boeing 737-300. "The risk to aviation safety is too great to allow passenger car rying flights to continue in the period until a final decision is made as to whether [it] should be cancelled," CASA said in suspending Solomon's AOC. On 7 August, Solomon Airlines was asked to show cause why its AOC should not be suspended or cancelled, and undertakings were given by the airline to restructure its organisa tion and safety systems. CASA says further audits have given it reason to believe the company is continuing to display inadequate corporate management, control or supervi sion. "Management has demonstrated an inability to con trol the structure and processes of the organisation. As part of the first "show cause" process a new structure was agreed with CASA. That structure has not been implemented," says CASA. CASA has criticised Solomon's emergency proce dures training and checking programme, quality assurance and failing to ensure that requir ed CASA approvals were held. CAPACITY GUY NORRIS / PALM SPRINGS At least one major US carrier will not survive, say analysts Regional feeder airlines also at risk as experts warn capacity will have to fall 10% more ther, by another 5% to 10%." There are concerns that several of the US majors with limited finan cial liquidity, such as Continental Airlines with its large leased fleet, may find survival difficult. "There are questions over the liquidity of the majors, will one go bankrupt?" says Credit Suisse First Boston aero space and defence group managing director Pierre Chao. He adds that the outcome will directly affect related hub feeders. Atlantic Coast and Skywest, tied to United and Delta are "safest". However, Mesa Air, through its America West and Major airlines, particularly in the USA, may have to cut capacity by up to another 10% in the next few months, say analysts who warn of uncertain knock-on effects to the regional airline industry and the potential collapse of "one or more" of the big nine US major carriers. Speaking at the Palm Springs, California, Speednews regional con ference, Walsh Aviation president John Walsh said the difference between traffic (revenue passenger km) and capacity is too high. The sums would suggest that the air lines need to reduce capacity fur- REDEPLOYMENT Northwest Airlink to transform regional arm into all-jet fleet Northwest Airlink is reorganising its regional aircraft fleet, transform ing its wholly owned subsidiary Express I into an all-jet operation and re-allocating all of its remaining Saab 340 turboprops to partner Mesaba Airlines. The moves comes at a critical time as the two feeder carriers vie for Northwest's next batch of 75 Bombardier CRJ440s. Express I plans to transfer 11 of its Memphis-based 340Bs to Mesaba by the end of next year, subject to reaching a deal with lessor Saab. The carrier now operates 23 turboprops, with the remainder comprising older 340As due to come off lease by early 2003. This will increase Mesaba's Saab turboprop fleet to 85, including 61 340Bs on long-term leases out to 2014, and will leave the carrier operat ing Northwest Airlink's shorter routes. Mesaba, in an effort to secure at least half of Northwest's new CRJ440s (a lower capacity CRJ200 deriv ative) due for delivery from 2002, has dropped the rate it charges North west by 10% between October and the end of the year. The carrier lost out on Northwest's initial buy of 54 CRJ200s, all earmarked for Express I. US Airways affiliations is "more at risk", he says. Growth rates over the fourth quarter and possibly well into 2002 for the US regionals, traditionally in double digits is forecast to be between zero and "minus 5%", says Walsh and AvStat Associates president Douglas Abbey. The direct effects include acceler ation of turboprop retirements, and a raft of route changes with some majors, including Delta and United, substituting mainline air craft with regional jets to maintain a presence on routes that they would otherwise have been forced to abandon. Since the attacks, Abbey says 28 new regional US routes have been added, more than 48 routes have been replacements for the majors, four supplements to the majors and six carrier substitu tions. Some 65, however, have been dropped while 18 have transi tioned from turboprop to turbofan aircrafts. • US Airways pilots have offered to raise the scope clause ceiling on regional jets operated on the air line's network from 70 to 189 in return for job security. The carrier has grounded 111 of its older Fokker 100s, Boeing 737-200s and MD-80s since 11 September and has transferred services to smaller US Airways Express regional jets and turboprops. LEASING IN BRIE IL-18 'EXPLODES' An llyushin 11-18 crashed near Moscow on 19 November killing all 18 passengers and nine crew. The turboprop was on a charter flight from Khatanga in the Russian north via Novosibirsk to Moscow Domodedovo. The air craft broke up before hitting the ground, scattering wreckage over an area of 3.5km2. Witnesses said the aircraft was on fire before it hit the ground. First leased Boeing 737-800 takes to Turkish Sky Turkish charter carrier Sky Airlines has taken delivery of its first Boeing 737-800 on lease from GATX Capital. According to chair man Talha Gorgulu, the Antalya, Turkey-based airline is utilising the aircraft to upgrade its fleet which currently consists of two 737-400s. Sky, owned by holiday firm Kayi Tour, operates services to various European destinations including France, Germany and the UK. 10 27 NOVEMBER - 3 DECEMBER 2001 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.fliqhtinternational.com
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