around
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Following is a chart showing the financial results for
the third quarter of 1987 for major carriers:
airline
yield
net profit (loss)
revenues
American
10.78®
$87.1 million
$ 2.0 billion
Della
12.02C
$59.1 million
$ 1.6 billion
Northwest
10.94C
$87.3 million
$ 1.4 billion
Pan Am
9.79C
$52.1 million
$871.9 million
Piedmont
17.304
$33.9 milllion
$583.2 million
Texas Air*
N/A
($72.8 million)
$ 2.2 billion
TWA
10.19C
$57.1 million
$ 1.2 billion
United
10.50C
$84.0 million
$ 2.3 billion
USAir/PSA
15.17c
$71.8 million
$790.8 million
2
•includes Continental and Eastern
* * *
Aviation Daily reported that United captured 17.5 per
cent of the majors' third-quarter revenues and 17.8 per
cent of the major's operating profit. However, Piedmont/
USAir remained number one in bottom line results for
the second consecutive three-month period with $91
million, or 17.6 percent, of an adjusted $517.8 million net
profit reported by carriers with such profits. The $91 mil
lion figure excludes $14.7 million that USAir reported in
its earnings as its 55.5 percent equity share in Piedmont
earnings. Piedmont's yield of 17.30 cents was the highest
among the majors followed by USAir which reported a
yield of 15.17 cents.
* * *
America West is opening a remote check-in facility at
a subway station three miles from Oakland Airport in
California. Aviation Daily reported that passengers will
be able to check baggage and receive seat assignments
before taking a shuttle bus to the terminal, and arriving
passengers can pick up baggage at the remote facility.
* * *
American filed a lawsuit against Texas Air on October
15 charging that Tfexas Air has illegally induced travel
agents to break Sabre computer reservations system
contracts.
* * *
Boeing has shipped its first 737-400 airframe from
Wichita, where it was produced and assembled, to Ren
ton, near Seattle. The aircraft is scheduled to be rolled
out in January. Piedmont is the launch customer for the
twinjet which will be the most modern passenger plane
in the world when it rolls off the production line. Pied
mont has 25 737-400S on order and options on 30 more.
The first delivery is scheduled for September 1988.
* * *
The Department of Transportation reported that con
sumer complaints against the airline industry fell dra
matically during September. Complaints in September
totaled 5,611, a 23 percent drop from the previous month.
It was I he first time since January 1987 that complaints
to the DOT, which are logged by telephone and mail, took
a downward turn.
♦ « »
Airlines have converted to three-letter telegraphic
designators, replacing the previous two-letter system.
The change affects operational personnel primarily in
the air traffic control, aeronautical, telecommunications
and meterological services. Piedmont’s designator is PAI:
USAir's is USA.
* * >K
Continental is discontinuing service to RDU and CUT
on November 30. In December, the airline plans to begin
nonstop service to Mexico from EWR, DCA, and CLE plus
increase service to Mexico from lAH.
*
Delta will retire the DC - 10s in its fleet by next fall and
the DC-8s by 1989.
* * *
Boeing reported nine-month net earnings of $339 mil
lion, down from $474 million for the same period of 1986.
« « «
Aviation Daily reports that American, Continental,
and Pan Am have filed applications at DOT for the Seat-
tle/Portland-lbkyo/Osaka authority now held by United.
In addition. Delta, while not applying for the authority,
has asked to intervene in the case as an interested party.
« « *
People who purchase any one of seven models of Nikon
cameras until January 31 can buy a half-price Pan Am
fare with the purchase of one full-fare ticket. The offer is
limited to two certificates per household, and certificates
must be post-marked by the end of February and tickets
used by December 15, 1988.
s
Diane Blank (second from left) receives
an award from Dennis O’Madigan,
director-security, £tnd Steve Barth (sec
ond from right) is given a similar plaque
by Paul Gannon, manager-security. With
them is JFK Station Manager Frank Aus
tin. Agent Anne Brower was also
presented an award. Blank also received
a $500 check from Crimewatchers.
Alert agents catch crook
Because of three alert JFK employees, an
embezzler who had stolen over $28,000 from
Piedmont is now behind bars.
By using someone else’s credit card num
ber, Robert Valentin had purchased tickets
worth more than $28,000 over a 12-month
period. He had even joined Piedmont’s fre
quent flyer program and was a member of
the Presidential Suite. Piedmont had been
tracking him for months. Paul Gannon,
manager-security, contacted the Secret Ser
vice and found that they too were working on
a case against Valentin who was using the
credit card for other merchandise.
“We found out that Valentin had made
three reservations for June 5 from Newark to
Orlando,” Gannon said. “But we decided to
cover all three New York airports in case he
switched locations.’’
At JFK, Valentin’s luck ran out. When he
signed in at the Presidential Suite at JFK, an
alert agent, Diane Blank, recognized his
name from the message sent by Gannon. Su
pervisor Steve Barth and Agent Anne Brower
joined her to keep an eye on the suspect.
They contacted the airport security who
soon picked up Valentin who readily con
fessed. And in federal court on August 24,
Valentin pleaded guilty and is awaiting
sentencing.
“We at Piedmont are very proud of the ex
cellent work peformed by these JFK employ
ees,” Gannon said.
GAG wins major Beech award
Piedmont’s General Aviation Group re
ceived the Walter H. Beech Award for the
highest total dollar sales from Beech Aircraft
Corporation at the company’s annual sales
conference in New Orleans on September 28.
It is the fourth time in the past five years
that Piedmont has won the prestigious award.
Five general aviation employees received
Million Dollar Sales Awards. Randy Groom,
Jeff Broos, and Danny Culler, all based in
Winston-Salem, and Gary Bannister and
Bud Hylton, Roanoke and Norfolk sales
representatives respectively, received this
award at the conference. In addition, Ban
nister was named to the Beech Legion of
Honor for record sales of the new Beechjet.
Prior to the conference in New Orleans,
Rob Wells, general manager-Beechcraft sales,
INT, was named the Bendix/King 1986 Man
of the Year, the highest personal award pre
sented by Bendix/King Avionics. Under his
leadership. Piedmont has sold two Beechjets
with Bendix King Efis Digital Flite Control
and the first domestically-based King Air
300 for aircraft sales inventory. Piedmont has
purchased all its Barons and Bonanzas from
Beech and installed King equipment at
GAG’s Winston-Salem facility.
The entire sales staff of Air Service, Inc., a
wholly owned subsidiary of Piedmont Avia
tion which is located at GSO, also received
awards for outstanding performance at the
Beech Aircraft sales conference.
Ken Horvath, sales manager, was chosen
from among sales people from 56 Beechcraft
centers nationwide as the Professional Sales
Manager of the Year. George Johnson, a sales
representative, was named to the Beech Le
gion of Honor for having sold the most new
Beech King Airs nationwide and to the Circle
of Excellence for new aircraft sales in excess
of $9 million. Gary Hunter, a sales represen
tative, also received a Circle of Excellence
Award for sales in excess of $4 million.
on December 8
number of departures: 1,346
miles flown daily: 487,056
ASMs: 57,268,491
number of aircraft in fleet: 180
average aircraft hop: 361.9 miles
number of airports served: 95
daily block time flown: 1,619 hours
17 minutes
next schedule change: January 6
traffic
October
First Ten Months
passengers
revenue passenger miles
available seat miles
load factor
2,223.033
1.0 billion
1.7 billion
59.56%
20.984,581
9.4 billion
15.6 billion
60.46%
12.1%
+ 12.1%
-I- 8.5%
-t-1.93 pts.
+ 9.1%
+ 14.2%
-K 9.2%
+ 2.60 pts.
Piedmont set new records for the month of October in passengers boarded and RPMs.
The following stations set new boarding records in October: BHM, CUT, CMH. GSP, IND. PVD. ITH. TYS.
YOW. RIC. TLH. and ORH.
Our seven reseruations centers answered 2,892,111 calls in October.
cargo
U.S. Mail
Air Freight
Air Express
TOTAL
2.546,480
4,775,026
64,111
7,385.617
October
+ 43.7%
+ 97.5%
+ 24.5%
+ 74.1%
First Ten Months
21.047.148
32.323,841
576,083
53,947,072
+ 27.8%
+ 75.1%
+ 17.0%
+ 52.3%
Piedmont carried the most air freight and total ton miles in October than during any month in the Com
pany's history.
Piedmonitor • November 1987