Around the industry
TWA contract awarded to Airbus Industrie
Trans World Airlines will buy up to 40 Airbus Industrie jetliners for more than
$3.6 billion. TWA said it has placed firm orders for 20 A330-300 wide-body
aircraft, with options to buy 20 more of the twin-engine planes. TWA, the nation s
eight largest airline, also says it plans to buy narrow-bodied planes in the future.
American to purchase Fokkers
American Airlines is to purchase 75 Fokker 100 fanjets with options for 75 more,
for delivery starting in 1991. American’s FlOOs will seat 95 passengers in a dual
class configuration, with eight in first class and 87 in coach. The aircraft will be
powered by two uprated Tay 650 fanjet Rolls Royce engines. The first 11 FlOOs
will be delivered in 1991, with 24 in
1992, 29 in 1993, and at least 11 in
1994. Option aircraft would be
scheduled for the period 1994-1998.
USAir has 20 FlOOs on order with
options for an additional 20 and will
be the first U.S.-based carrier to
operate the new Fokker when
USAir’s first FlOO is delivered in
June 1989. The FlOO was introduced
into service in April 1988 by Swis
sair and has also been ordered by
Braniff, Wardair, Inter-Canadian, International Lease Finance Corp., KLM, GPA
Fokker 100 Ltd., TAT, Air Europe, and Air Gabon.
Aviall and Braniff FlOOs
Aviall, a Ryder System Aviation company, was awarded a three-year maintenance
agreement by Braniff to overhaul and maintain Rolls-Royce MK650-15 Tay
engines which will power Braniff’s fleet of Fokkers. Braniff has ordered 12 FlOOs
for delivery at the rate of one each month beginning later this year.
American orders TCAS II
Allied-Signal Aerospace Company’s Bendbc/King TCAS II (Traffic Alert and Col
lision Avoidance System) has been selected by American Airlines for its entire
fleet. The systems, worth more than $100 million, will be installed between late
1989 and the end of 1991.
Eye on the competition
American inaugurated three lAD-RDU nonstop jet roundtrips on February 17
replacing its American Eagle commuter affiliate. On April 2, American inaugu
rated three RDU-MYR nonstop jet roundtrips, also replacing commuter service.
Piedmont serves DCA-RDU with three nonstop roundtrips and competes with
American for MYR traffic through BWI and CLT.
Continental discontinued its two CLE-FNT nonstop jet roundtrips, while its
commuter affiliate, Britt, recently increased service from one to four nonstop
roundtrips. Additionally, Continental reduced its CLE- LAN jet service from three
to one nonstop roundtrip, while Britt continues service with three nonstop
roundtrips. Piedmont offers three nonstop roundtrips each in the DAY-FNT and
DAY-LAN markets.
USAir’s regional carriers
from page 1
is time to bring all of the elements of
USAir Group under one name—USAir
Express.”
More than 100 communities will
receive USAir Express service with
fi-equent daily flights linking them to
major hubs. Flights are operated with
aircraft specifically sized to local
market demands,which range in
capacity from 19 to 50 seats.
Four of the regional airlines that will
operate USAir Express service are
subsidiaries of USAir Group. They are
Suburban Ah-lines, Pennsylvania
Airlines, Henson Aviation, and
Jetstream International. Independent
regional airlines operating under con
tract with USAir are Air Kentucky,
Chautauqua Airlines and Crown
Airways. CCAir and Brockway
operate under Piedmont.
Collectively, these nine carriers
boarded approximately sbc million
passengers in 1988, an estimated 60
percent of which connected to USAir
and Piedmont flights at the various
connecting hubs.
Piedmont, U.K. try
new entry program
Piedmont Airlines is working with
Her Majesty’s Immigration Service in
a pilot program that began March 29
to determine ways to expedite entry
into the United Kingdom by permit
ting airline passengers to pre-dear
immigration formalities prior to
departure from the United States.
During the one-week trial period,
U.S. citizens departing on Piedmont’s
daily Charlotte-London flight were in
spected by U.K. immigration officials
at the departure gate and received a
U.K. entry stamp in their passports.
On arrival at London’s Gatwick
airport, pre-cleared passengers
presented their stamped passports to
inspectors and were free to depart the
clearance area without additional
immigration procedures.
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