April 1981
volume 32, number 2
News about Piedmont. The Up-And-Coming Airline.
49,50,51 records for us and counting
Piedmont carried 570,918 pas
sengers 257.6 million revenue pas
senger miles in March. Both were
record performances. Added to re-
cord-breaking performances in
January and February, the people
of Piedmont have now improved
on the previous year's traffic per
formance for 51 consecutive
months.
For the entire first quarter. Pied
mont boarded 1.463,000 pas
sengers, a 21.6 percent increase
from the first quarter of 1980.
Revenue passenger miles totaled
656.3 million, an increase of 36.2
percent over a year ago.
The last month when traffic
slumped from a year earlier was
December 1976. The reason for
that slump was a strike against a
major carrier in December 1975,
which inflated Piedmont’s traffic
for that month.
During March, Piedmont estab
lished new records in passengers
boarded, capacity (available seat
miles), and traffic (revenue pas
senger miles) as well as load
factor. The load factor of 57.6
percent for March was the highest
ever for the month. Executive Vice
President W.R. Howard said, "We
are particularly pleased that our
growth in passengers has con
tinued to be even greater than our
growth in capacity. We are grow
ing and profiting at a time when
much of the rest of the airline
industiy is reporting declining
figures."
Howard attributed the first-
quarter growth to Piedmont's
route expansion program, public
acceptance of Piedmont's new air
craft and services, and improved
flying weather compared to the
first quarter of 1980. Piedmont
was virtually grounded for three
days in early March a year ago.
Passenger load factor for the
first three months was 52.7 per
cent, or 6.7 percentage points
higher than a year ago.
The first quarter is traditionally
weakest for Piedmont. In 1980, the
Compaiiy had a net loss of $5.1
million for that quarter a year ago.
Financial data will not be available
until late April for the first quarter
of 1981, but Piedmont expects to
substantially improve its financial
performance of a year ago.
Win
'Jtxj'll Wish \M2 Ftew Ev^rywi^
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President Tom Davis was treat
ed to a surprise birthday party on
March 20 given by employees of
the Central Reservations Office.
Following a tour of the office,
Davis was guest of honor at a
buffet catered by employees.
Phyllis Highsmith (left), manager—
reservations sales, and Agent
Piedmont 's on-time performance is one of the best in the industry. One area deserving
credit is Airline Operations Control Center, located in Winston Salem, ivhich keeps a
close eye on the more than 500 flights which take off every day in Piedmont's system.
The center follows each flight, recording any delays, and works with other employees
when a problem occurs to ensure continued good on-time performance. AOCC
employees are (I to rj Roland Yount. Frank Perry. Ira Everhart (standing), Jess Miller,
and Douglas Shell.
Piedmont to have
world's largest 737 fleet
Happy Birthday, Tom Davis!
Elizabeth Church, presented
Davis with a birthday card
signed by each of the approxi
mately 400 CRO employees.
During a special ceremony,
Davis awarded a plaque to
Church who has recently been
named the 1980 Agent of the Year
from CRO.
Piedmont has concluded agree
ments with the Boeing Company
for delivery of 18 additional
B-737(200) aircraft in 1982 and
1983. The additions to Piedmont’s
fleet, added to two aircraft already
on order, will make Piedmont the
operator of the world's largest
B-737 fleet.
Executive Vice President Bill
Howard told the North Carolina
Security Traders that the $250
million order for eight firm deliver
ies and 10 options was the largest
ever placed by Piedmont both in
terms of units and dollar value.
"This important commitment to
Piedmont’s future," Howard said,
“will give us the ability to absorb
more growth in the major markets
we have entered since deregula
tion, and also to continue our pro
gram of selective route expansion."
By the end of 1983, as the result
of this order. Piedmont will operate
a total of 62 B-737’s.
The B-737 has proved to be an
ideal aircraft for Piedmont's route
system. It has the range to link any
two points on Piedmont’s system.
and the flexibility to serve the me
dium-sized communities so impor
tant to Piedmont's growth.
As of the end of March, Piedmont
operated 40 B-737s, six B-727
trijets, and six YS-11 turboprops.
on the inside
General Aviation expands
at Norfolk. Details, page 2.
We're phlying to philly!
Photographs, page 3.
Nashville celebrates its
first anniversary this
month. Story, page 5.
Picture yourself on a
Hawaiian cruise or
basking in the sun on
Portugal's Algarve Coast.
More dreamy vacations,
page 6.
People doing things and
going places. See page 7
for what and where.
For the record, page 8.