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Aviation History
2002
2002 - 1849.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT STRATEGY ALEXANDER CAMPBELL / STOCKHOLM SAS regional jet purchase hinges on new pibt deal Cutting crew costs key says flag carrier, which hopes to decide on purchase by August Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) is to acquire a regional jet type for intro duction by 2005, but only if the carrier can thrash out a new cost- cutting pilot deal. SAS chief executive Jorgen Lin- degaard says the airline is talking to Bombardier and Embraer, and wants to be in a position to decide on a purchase by the end of August. He says that unless the pilots' unions agree to a new contract cut ting crew costs on regional jets and turboprops, there will be no region al jet order. "We have a definite intention to go for regional jets, but we won't unless we have a clear pic ture of the costs involved," he says. SAS regional jets would operate alongside SAS Commuter's Dash 8 Q400s At present all SAS pilots are on the same contract, regardless of air craft type, but he believes this is unsustainable. "We have come to the time when we have to differen tiate between flying a regional jet and turboprop and intercontinen tal," Lindegaard says. "It's not a question of reducing salaries - well, it might be for some pilots - but our younger pilots could fly the regional jets." The regional jets would operate alongside the 24 Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 turboprops of regional arm SAS Commuter "to open a substan tial number of new routes", says Lindegaard. "There is room for turboprop and jet operations in Scandinavia. Regional jets are very suitable for some thinner routes." Lindegaard says SAS wants to acquire "large regional jets" and that aircraft now available are too small. "We need a supplier to guar antee the increase in size we need to get unit costs down," he says. SEE FLIGHT INTERVIEW P21 TRAFFIC GROWTH Beirut braces for tourists Beirut Airport is preparing for its busiest summer in decades, with more than three times the usual number of flights scheduled from the Middle East. The boost in traffic comes as Gulf Arabs begin to return in large numbers to Lebanon for vacations - the city had been a popular destination before the civil war which began in 1975. "We normally have around 15 flights each week connecting Beirut with Riyadh, Jeddah and other Saudi cities," says a Lebanese civil aviation official. "This summer it will be close to 50 and other Gulf services will be up to around 21 a week instead of the usual seven." ORDERS Airbus secures further Chinese MoUs for A320 Airbus has succeeded in securing more commitments in China for A320 family aircraft, following its April sale of 20 twinjets to China Eastern Airlines. Industry sources in China say China Northwest Airlines has won Civil Aviation Administration of China approval to acquire 10 A320s to replace BAe 146s. China Southwest Airlines has also signed a letter of intent to acquire as many asl2A319s. The sources say the deals remain subject to additional government approvals before they can be con firmed. The China Eastern agree ment confirmed in April has been fully approved, however. Airbus announced at February's Asian Aerospace air show in Sing apore that it had secured several memoranda of understanding or expressions of interest from Chinese carriers covering sales of around 70 aircraft, that were still awaiting government go-ahead. The manufacturer had been in talks with Chinese airlines for some time on a major combined order which was expected to be placed late last year. However, the government has indicated that orders will be made individually for carriers throughout this year. ROUTES • Canadian low-cost carrier CanJet began operations on 20 June with four Boeing 737-200s, linking Toronto, Halifax in Nova Scotia and St John's in Newfoundland. Montreal and Ottawa will be added on 27 June and Moncton in New Brunswick on 4 July. • US Airways Express carrier Piedmont Airlines will begin four daily flights between Washington National and Toronto, Canada, on 7 July, adding a fifth daily flight on 4 August. • Croatian carrier Trade Air has started passenger flights between the eastern Croatian town Osijek and coastal airports in Pula, Split and Zadar using Let 410s. • SilkAirwill launch direct non stop services between Singapore and Macau on 2 July. • Air Canada has begun daily Toronto-Dublin flights, with onward service to Shannon, Ireland. Meanwhile, its no-frills carrier Tango Service has started daily flights between London in Ontario and Halifax, in Nova Scotia, and London and Vancouver via Calgary. • From January, Midwest Express Airlines will become Midwest Airlines. The carrier says it is los ing revenues as "Express" is associated with regional airlines. Regional subsidiary Skyway Airlines will become Midwest Connect. • AirBosnahas introduced four weekly flights from Sarajevo and Banja Luka to Belgrade, with connections to Ljubljana in Slovenia and Dubrovnik in Croatia without air craft change. • US Airways has applied for approval for a daily service to Nassau in the Bahamas from Washington National beginning in November. Meanwhile, the airline is finalis ing agreements to co-operate with three small Caribbean air lines as it steps up flights to the region from its US hubs. The US carrier's new GoCaribbean mar keting initiative is built around associate carrier agreements with Antigua-based Caribbean Star, Winair of St Maarten and Nevis Express • SN Brussels Airlines has started twice weekly services between Brussels and Freetown, Sierra Leone, with an Airbus A330 wet-leased from Birdy Airlines. www.fliqhtinternational.com FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 25 JUNE - 1 JULY 2002 11
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