REGIONAL AVIATION NEWS :: JUNE 16, 2008

CommutAir Dodges Bullet 
Despite earlier, erroneous reports by Regional Aviation News that CommutAir was facing massive capacity cuts resulting from this week’s detailing of Continental’s cuts, according to the airline, the carrier is not facing overall capacity cuts this fall, owing to redeployment of its aircraft to...

US Ex to Grow 
Bucking the trend, US Airways Express will grow in the next two quarters but cutbacks will begin in September. Increasing again next year. During the second and third quarters, Express carriers will grow between seven and nine percent and between nine and 11 percent, respectively. The fourth quarter will see...

NTSB Continues Drumbeat Against Regional Pilots
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is urging the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to take steps to manage pilot fatigue and used three regional accidents and incidents to make its point as it cited fatigue as a factor in two non-fatal regional jet mishaps in 2007 and one incident earlier...

SkyWest Drops XJT Buyout
The execution of a new capacity purchase agreement between Continental and ExpressJet Holdings effectively precludes SkyWest's continued pursuit of its offer to acquire all of the outstanding shares of...

Premium Travelers Migrating to Biz Av
Two weeks after the Travel Industry Association quantified how the commercial airline hassle factor is driving passengers to avoid 41 million trips annually, the Stanford Transportation Group (STG), a leading U.S.-based aviation consultancy, completed an analysis that indicates that business aviation has...

RAA Blasts DOT’s ‘Modest Proposal
DOT’s continued pursuit of airport congestion pricing schemes is “unconscionable, inconceivable and mind boggling” at a time when skyrocketing fuel costs have cut airline schedules by up to 20 percent and reports have some 100 U.S. communities losing all service by year’s end...

Sukhoi Gets Financing, Alenia Gets Partner on Interiors
As part of the 12th Saint-Petersburg International Economic Forum, State Corporation ‘Bank for Development and Foreign Economic Affairs (Vnesheconombank)’ and Sukhoi Company signed two credit agreements totaling $61 million and 34 million Euros for a period of eight years. In addition, Alenia and...

Another EAS Carrier Exits
Even as reporters continue to call Essential Airline Service a gold mine for those who serve under this troubled DOT policy, Island Air said it is quitting the Midwest Essential Air Services contract in favor of adding additional inter-island service in the wake of the Aloha liquidation. The routes it is...

Narrow-Body Replacement Won’t Come Until 2019
Airlines are not interested in a paltry 12-15 percent improvement in operating costs for the next generation narrow-bodies, according to Boeing, but are telling manufacturers they want 20 percent. Both Embraer and Bombardier are expecting the 15 percent improvement in operating costs for the C...

Review: Alaska Airlines' Colorful History Published
Character & Characters: The Spirit of Alaska Airlines was recently released as the 25th and latest book by the dean of airline biographies, Robert J. Serling. The book includes a chapter on the acquisition of Horizon Airlines which had its own character in Founder Milt Koult. The contest to buy Horizon...

Pax Rate Airports
Philadelphia International, Chicago Midway International and Dallas Love Field rank tops in overall passenger satisfaction in a newly released J.D. Power and Associates 2008 North America Airport Satisfaction Study(SM), which said larger airports, with delays and cancellations from weather and air traffic...

ATA Leads Fuel Coalition
The Air Transport Association of America (ATA) is launching a broad coalition effort urging Congress to immediately find bipartisan solutions to the worldwide surge in oil prices and decline in the U.S. economy. ATA is joined by key industries, labor and consumer groups in this initiative. In a letter sent...

People
Crowley to Air Tran Board Geoffrey T. Crowley, who helped found Air Wisconsin Airlines Corporation and who was once president and CEO of the airline, has been elected to the Air Tran board of directors, effective immediately. Crowley is now president of Northshore Leasing of Appleton, Wisc. but, as president...

Quick Takes – Mesa, Horizon
Hoke Leaves Mesa Chief Financial Officer William Hoke has resigned from Mesa Air Group to pursue another career opportunity, according to Mesa’s latest SEC filing posted Friday. The resignation was accepted on May 23, 2008 and became effective last Friday. Michael J. Lotz, the company’s current...