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Aviation History
1986
1986 - 1441.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT Competition to increase in Japan *TOKYO The Japanese Council for ^Transport Policy recently submitted a final report call ing for further deregulation of 'Japan's aviation industry by Transport Minister Hiroshi Mitsuzuka. Although the report calls for enhanced competition among airlines, it does not recommend complete freedom for airlines to set their fares, expand their current routes, and establish new ones. Complete deregulation in the style of the United States is said not to be appropriate in Japan, because of the limited airport capacities and the gross imbalance of com petitive power among airlines. The final report urges the Ministry to promote com petition in domestic services by creating "double-track" and "triple-track" (two- or three-airline) routes. But it also says that only major routes and some minor routes with a certain number of passengers annually should be made double- or triple-track. It is planned to set 700,000 as the minimum number of annual passengers for double- track routes, and one million as the limit for triple-track ones. Those routes linking the nation's seven major airports—Sapporo, Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Fukuoka, Kagoshima, and Naha— should also be made double- track if they have more than 300,000 passengers annually, the report says. In line with the council's recommendations, the Minis try will allow Japan Air Lines to operate one flight a week from June 20 and two flights a week from October 1 on the Haneida-Kagoshima route, which is currently served by All Nippon and Toa Domestic Airlines. The Ministry will also grant JAL permission to operate two flights a week on the Nagoya-Fukuoka route and the Haneda-Komatsu route, both now monopolised by ANA. Full-scale competition in domestic services in Japan is not expected before 1993, when the construction work Competition seems set to increase between JAL, ANA, and TDA on domestic routes to expand Haneda Airport and the new Kansai Inter national Airport will have been completed. Until then, the nation's major airports are already operating at full capacity, leaving little room for extended competition. Marseille Airport changes name MARIGNANE Marseilles airport has changed its name from Marseille-Marignane to Marseille-Provence, in keep ing with the growth of its international traffic and the area it serves, reports Gilbert Sedbon. Marseille-Provence ranks second after Paris among France's 27 international and regional airports. It handled more than 4-5 million passengers and 128,000 flight movements in 1985, compared with one million passengers and fewer than 37,000 move ments in 1960, and is the gate way to the Mediterranean and Africa, the Middle East, the Far East, and the French West Indies. It boasts the lowest charges in France. France's regional and inter national airports generally had a very good year in 1985, with a 4-5 per cent traffic increase and a total of 56-6 million passengers arriving and departing. Marseille- Provence, with 4-49 million passengers in 1985 (+5-6 per cent) leads the five provincial airports which broke through the million-passenger mark. It is followed by Nice Cote d'Azur, Lyons, Toulouse, and Bordeaux. Marseille-Provence airport now handles 19 airlines, including 12 foreign flag car riers serving 63 destinations. The new ATR42 commuter airliner used by Air France on regional flights to Barcelona, Frankfurt, Milan, and Turin is boosting regional air transport and establishing Marseilles as a major gate in southern France. For pilots and civil aviation authorities, as well as control lers, the 50-year-old Mar seilles Airport retains its old name of Marseille- Marignane. Canadian hub saves El Al money MIRABEL El Al Israel Airlines has organised a hubbing operation at Montreal's Mirabel Airport which makes its North Ameri can services much more effi cient, saving millions of dollars a year. Once feeder services from Miami had proved to be a success, El Al extended its Mirabel hubbing scheme, with smaller airliners feeding its twice-weekly 747 service which passes through Mirabel each way on its Tel Aviv- Toronto route. After landing at Mirabel, El Al passengers for Miami, Chicago, and Boston transfer directly, using airport transports, on to three waiting 737s operated by Nordair and Quebecair. Within 40min of the 747's landing, the 737s have taken off. A reverse operation is applied when the 747 calls at Mirabel on the way back to Tel Aviv. The system is proving such a success that under-used Mirabel is using the operation as an example to show other airlines what they could achieve by using the airport. El Al spokesman Nachman Klieman declined to release exact figures for savings from the hubbing system, but said that it amounts to "a consid erable sum of money". Manchester 737 inquest scheduled MANCHESTER The coroner's inquest into the deaths of 55 British Airtours Boeing 737 passengers at Manchester last August will open in the city's Town Hall on September 8. It is expected to last at least three weeks. The coroner will be Leonard Gorodkin, who conducted the inquest into the 1979 Manchester Woolworths department store fire. He intends to examine each of the 55 deaths individually. Mr Gorodkin has been consulting experts in aircraft furnishing materials, fire-safety equip ment and procedures, engine design, maintenance, and aviation medicine. The inquest will be held in public, and is expected to assume the dimensions of a public inquiry. The report of the official accident inquiry, which is in the hands of the Accidents Investigation Branch, is expected towards the end of the year. FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL, 28 June 1986
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