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Aviation History
2002
2002 - 2414.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT LOW COST CARRIERS MAX KINGSLEY-JONES AND JUSTIN WASTNAGE / LONDON Two more operators rush to join no-frills boom MyTravel will transfer two A320s from its charter airline for the low fare arm REPORT Pilots' group calls for EC to protect conditions and safety The European Cockpit Association (ECA) is to call on the European Com mission (EC) to safeguard safety standards and pilots' working conditions as the low cost carrier (LCC) segment grows in Europe. A report drawn up by the association's industrial sub-group will be presented to the EC in September and builds on a presentation given at the International Federation of Air Line Pilots' Associations conference in June. The ECA estimates that by 2010 one-third of all Europe's pilots will fly for LCCs. The association says that it is concerned that, unlike full service air lines, LCCs operate under various national authorities, and contracts have international re-location clauses. "A Hahn-based pilot working for Ryanair can be working under German labour laws one week and three months later be based in Dublin and working under Irish conditions," says ECA general secretary Giancarlo Crivella. "We encourage the growth of LCCs, but want to ensure that there are no loopholes left to be exploited," he says. The study shows that, on average, LCCs pilots fly 25% more and are paid 25% less than their flag carrier counterparts. The report also calls on the EC to guarantee that LCCs operating from hubs in several countries follow safety regulations as strictly as national airlines. Two more of Europe's established airlines are spinning off low fare divisions as they look to tap into the region's fastest growing sector. Regional airline Norwegian Air Shuttle is to offer a low fare arm on domestic routes with leased Boeing 737s, while leisure giant MyTravel Group has named Birmingham, UK, as the initial hub for its new low fare operation. Norwegian Air Shuttle has taken delivery of a 737-500 on interim lease from International Lease Finance (ILFC), with which it will launch low cost services from Oslo Gardermoen Airport on 1 Septem ber under the brand name "Norwegian". Longer term, six 148- seat 737-300s will be leased from Boeing Capital (one), GE Capital Aviation Services (three) and ILFC (two), between next month and November. The new arm will operate low- fare services from its Gardermoen hub initially to Bergen, Stavanger and Trondheim with more routes to be added as aircraft are delivered. Fares will be structured in a two geographic-zone system, priced around NKr 1,000 ($130) one-way, either in the north or the south of the country. The airline will retain its fleet of Fokker 50 turboprops for regional routes under the Norwegian Air Shuttle banner. Stig Willassen, administrative director of Norwegian, says there is huge public interest in the new car rier, following the near monopoly in the country's air transport cre ated by the merger of Norway's main carrier Braathens with Scan dinavian Airlines. "There is great frustration in Norway over steadily increasing prices," he says. Meanwhile MyTravelLite, the new low fare arm of the UK tour operator, will launch services from Birmingham on 1 October. Headed by former Ryanair marketing direc tor Tim Jeans, MyTravelLite will launch with two 180-seat Airbus A320s on services to Alicante, Belfast International, Beauvais (for Paris), Geneva and Malaga. One way fares will start at £19-29 ($30- 46), depending on the route. The A320s and their flightcrews are being transferred from the group's charter arm MyTravel Air ways. "We've taken the [MyTravel Airways'] highly efficient operation and created a high utilisation flying programme which delivers lower costs than either Easyjet or Go," says Jeans. MyTravel is tight-lipped on expansion plans, saying only that two more A320s will "proba bly be added" from mid-2003. MyTravel Group says that the low fare move has been prompted by the 15-20% annual growth that the sector is experiencing, against around 5% for its traditional busi ness, package holidays. DELIVERIES PAUL LEWIS / WASHINGTON DC Air Canada faces A34O500 delay Launch carrier to wait until early next year as Airbus carries out post-certification changes to cabin equipment Airbus has been forced to delay deliveries of the ultra-long-range A340-500 model to launch cus tomer Air Canada by up to five months, as it plans for last minute, "post-certification changes". Air Canada says delivery of the two aircraft ordered will slip from the scheduled November/Decem ber target to March next year. "We've been notified by Airbus the delivery of the aircraft would be delayed until 2003. This was not initiated by Air Canada, but is pro duction related," says the carrier. Airbus confirms deliveries to Air Canada have been delayed, but says certification remains on target for October: "Airbus wants to fine- tune changes to the cabin equip ment, post-certification and pre delivery. That process will bring us to an early 2003 delivery." The manufacturer declines to give details of the new schedule, saying the delivery date will be determined towards year-end. Airbus says the slip will not affect deliveries to other early A340-500 customers such as Emirates, which is due to receive its first aircraft in the second quarter of next year. Deliveries of the first A340-600s to launch customer Virgin Atlantic have been subject to delays of around a month, as the manufac turer battles to meet an ambitious timetable between certification and hand-over. Airbus sources say the company has learnt from this experience and is now structuring the -500's deliv ery plan accordingly, with a built- in buffer zone to cater for pre-deliv- ery modifications. Air Canada says its large fleet gives it "a certain amount of flexi bility" to absorb the delay, and that it is "working with Airbus to min imise disruptions". In late May, it announced deliveries of its three A340-600s had been deferred by 17 months to mid-2004. Airbus sources say the airline had also been seeking to postpone slightly the arrival of its -500s. 10 13-19 AUGUST 2002 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.fliqhtinternational.com
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