November 18 Airline News
A Daily Look at the Airline Industry and the Nation’s Top Seven U.S. Airlines
Prepared by Chip Munn – Courtesy of www.chipsplace.com
United Airlines Reveals Look & Feel of New Low-Fare Service
DENVER (PRNewswire-FirstCall) - After weeks of anticipation, United today unveiled Ted, in the form of an Airbus A320, as the first aircraft in the company's new low-fare fleet. Ted's debut in its new Denver hub officially put a "face" to the much-talked-about name.
Complete Story:
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/031118/cgtu057_1.html
Delta's Song Unit To Add Capacity, Destinations In 2004
Song's growth next year will take place mainly in New York
NEW YORK (Dow Jones) - Delta Air Lines Inc.’s low-cost airline unit, called Song, will add capacity and destinations in the spring, Song Chief Executive John Selvaggio said.
Complete Story: http://biz.yahoo.com/djus/031118/1737001619_2.html
US Airways, Alabama promote each other in ads
Company to become the "Official Airline of Alabama Tourism"
TUSCALOOSA (AP) - Visitors to the US Airways Web site will find information promoting Alabama tourism. Tourists reading Alabama tourism brochures will find promotional information about US Airways.
Complete Story: http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20031118/APN/311180973&cachetime=5
Asheville airport, US Airways negotiating daily flights to New York
The airport's governing board approved a plan to offer US Airways $100,000 in waived fees and cash plus $200,000 in advertising
ASHEVILLE (Citizen-Times) - Asheville airport, US Airways negotiating daily flights to New York.
Complete Story: http://cgi.citizen-times.com/cgi-bin/story/buncombe_news/45208
With 44 gates, 87 regional jets and a fleet that will include at least 25 Airbus jets, ACA will operate more than 325 daily departures from Dulles
DULLES (PRNewswire-FirstCall) - Atlantic Coast Airlines, the Dulles, VA-based carrier (ACA) announced it has entered into agreements to acquire 25 Airbus A320-family aircraft, with options for additional aircraft. These efficient, passenger-friendly aircraft will form the backbone of the fleet for the company's low-fare airline. The first of these aircraft will arrive in September 2004 and will be ready for revenue service as early as November 2004.
Complete Story:
http://biz.yahoo.com/prnews/031118/nytu214_1.html
New day at Comair
Key player in Delta network forced to compete
CINCINNATTI (Post) - With parent Delta Air Lines Inc. struggling to return to profitability, regional jet pioneer Comair Inc. finds itself figuring more prominently into a key role.
Complete Story: http://www.cincypost.com/2003/11/17/comair111703.html
Lufthansa CEO Says Merger Possible
Merger could be along the lines of the planned takeover of KLM by Air France
FRANKFURT (Air Wise News) - The head of Lufthansa said in remarks published on Sunday that he could envisage taking the German airline into a merger and rejected talk of major strategic changes at its troubled tourism unit.
Complete Story: http://news.airwise.com/stories/2003/11/1069062326.html
US Airways Tidbits
Holiday Schedule
ARLINGTON (theHub.com) - US Airways has its holiday schedule baked and ready to go as Thanksgiving Day quickly approaches. About 90 percent of regularly scheduled flights will operate on Thanksgiving Day and 85 percent on Friday. To meet extra demand on Saturday, the schedule will be adjusted to include about 6 percent more flights than usual. Traditionally, the heaviest travel days during the holiday period are the Sunday after Thanksgiving and the Wednesday before.
"We’ve made these scheduling adjustments based on customer demand and past travel patterns, which are fairly predictable," said Vice President Planning and Scheduling Dan McDonald. Demand to leisure destinations, including Europe and the Caribbean, is up slightly as compared to the Thanksgiving period for last year. Overall during the month of November, US Airways has operated about 3,288 daily flights, down slightly from last year’s schedule.
ALPA MEC CODE-A-PHONE UPDATE - November 18, 2003
This is Jack Stephan with a US Airways MEC update for Tuesday, November 18th, with two new items.
Item 1. US Airways has notified ALPA that they have made a deposit to the Pilots Defined Contribution Escrow Account on November 17, 2003, in the amount of $62,675,251.05. This represents the qualified contributions for active service from April 2003 through September 2003. Future contributions will be made on a monthly basis.
As a reminder, the reason that we have an escrow account is that the DC plan is being funded via this account pending the resolution to the efforts to restore our DB plan. We are still working diligently to pass H.R. 2719, the Air Line Pension Act of 2003 to restore the Pilots' defined benefit pension and will keep you informed of our progress.
Item 2. Your Central Air Safety Committee is advising a safety alert to all pilots that the LGA KORRY TWO ARRIVAL contains an altitude restriction found only in the J8 NOTAMs section of the flight release paperwork. It reads as follows:
SPC MSG NBR 2868
SUBJECT- LGA KORRY TWO ARRIVAL
REFERENCE
UAR 04/030 LGA KORRY TWO ARRIVAL ) ENO.KORRY2)
ADD:
CROSS SMYRNA ) ENO ) VORTAC AT OR ABOVE FL240
Until such time that the Arrival page is updated, please continue to check the NOTAMs.
If you have any questions about this safety alert, please do not hesitate to contact your Central Air Safety Committee Chairman Steve Skupien who is listed in the gray pages of US AIRWAVES.