Briefs

U.S. regionals will receive part of a $3 billion government aid package under appropriation bills recently approved by both chambers of Congress. Although not yet reconciled into final form, the bills indicate that the funds will be paid as re-imbursement for extraordinary expenses, such as security costs...

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• U.S. regionals will receive part of a $3 billion government aid package under appropriation bills recently approved by both chambers of Congress. Although not yet reconciled into final form, the bills indicate that the funds will be paid as re-imbursement for extraordinary expenses, such as security costs and war risk insurance. The House of Representatives appropriations bill includes $3.2 billion in aid, while the Senate's legislation calls for $3.5 billion. Amounts must be reconciled, and the legislation must be signed by President Bush, who has made it clear he believes the totals are excessive. Additionally, the House proposal calls for an all-cash package, while the Senate bill contains a mix of direct cash aid and a suspension of some taxes.
• Bombardier's Dash 8 Series 100 has become the first Western-built regional aircraft to obtain Russian civil registration, according to a company report. The newly registered aircraft is being operated by Sakhalin Air Transport in support of oil and gas development on Sakhalin Island in the Russian Far East. It currently serves as a passenger transport for Exxon Neftegas, the operator of the Sakhalin-1 oil and gas project and is based at Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk on Sakhalin Island. Certification of the aircraft was obtained from the Interstate Aviation Committee of the Commonwealth of Independent States in 1997.
• Horizon Air will become the first airline to offer nonstop service from Santa Barbara to the Pacific Northwest, with new CRJ-700 jet service to Santa Barbara from Seattle and one daily nonstop from Portland starting July 1. Currently, Seattle is the fourth largest market served from Santa Barbara and the only one in the airport's top six destinations without nonstop service, according to airport officials. Portland is the 13th largest travel market from Santa Barbara. "It's hard to believe that until now there hasn't been an easier way to get from Seattle or Portland to Santa Barbara," said Patrick Zachwieja, Horizon's vice president of marketing and planning. "These new nonstops will make it much more convenient for our customers from throughout the Northwest, western Canada and the state of Alaska to travel to Santa Barbara."
• Bombardier has launched what it calls the world's first "occupied hours" business jet charter program. The program is designed for Europe, with customers using its Skyjet and Flexjet programs paying by the hour. There are no positioning costs and since it is on a contract basis, customers are not charged if they are put into a "hold" pattern or have to go around. Unlike fractional ownership schemes in Europe, customers buy guaranteed flying hours rather than a physical share of an aircraft. As such, the costs involved with membership can be treated as a travel expense rather than a capital cost that would appear on the balance sheet.
• British-based Eastern Airways has taken oven seven former British Airways routes: Southampton to Newcastle - four times daily; Southampton to Aberdeen - twice daily (via Newcastle); Southampton to Leeds Bradford - three times daily; Leeds Bradford to Isle of Man - twice daily; Newcastle to Birmingham - four times daily; and Stansted to Manchester - three times daily. Eastern Airways is mirroring the schedules previously offered by British Airways CitiExpress and is introducing more BAE Jetstream 41s into the fleet. These are now sporting Eastern's distinctive red, white and blue livery. The fleet has been expanded by a additional Embraer ERJ-135, which has debuted on the Southampton-Newcastle route.
• The new Austrian regional carrier Styrian Spirit has launched CRJ services from its hub in Graz to Stuttgart. It plans to add Duesseldorf, Frankfurt and Munich to its route structure and to charge fares ranging up to 40 percent less than those of Austrian Airlines or Lufthansa.
• UK-based Skyways Aviation has arranged the acquisition of two ERJ-145s for Chautauqua Airlines to addto that airlines' fleet of over 65 ERJ-145s. The aircraft were purchased from Axon Airlines of Greece, with Barclays Bank providing financing. They will be flown to Embraer Aircraft Maintenance Services in Nashville, Tenn., to undergo conversion to the longer range ERJ-145LR model along with the necessary work package for Federal Aviation Administration registration. Skyways Aviation will also assist in the acquisition of additional ERJs.
• Alitalia Express, the wholly owned subsidiary of Italian flag carrier Alitalia, has taken delivery of its sixth ATR 72-500, bringing its total ATR fleet to 10 aircraft (4 ATR 72-210s and 6 ATR 72-500s). The 66-seat next generation ATR 72-500 will mainly feed the airports of Malpensa (Milano) and Fiumicino (Rome). ATR said that this aircraft is the first regional aircraft in Europe to come off the production line with the reinforced cockpit door installed. ATR launched its Cockpit Security Enhancement Program in 2002. The Federal Aviation Administration requires all U.S. operators to be equipped before April 9, 2003. In Europe this requirement is not yet compulsory. To date, 655 ATRs have been delivered to100 airlines in 70 countries.
• Atlantic Express will obtain an Embraer EMB120 Brasilia cargo aircraft from German carrier Air Omega under a 12-month exclusive contract. Atlantic Express, based in Coventry, England, is a sister company to Atlantic Airlines. It took the EMB120 to supplement its existing fleet of Metro, Cessna 406 and Citation aircraft. The EMB120 has a large cargo door and a payload of 7,300 pounds.
• William Hynett has been appointed chief executive of B-N Group, the manufacturer of Britten-Norman Islander and Trislander aircraft. The company announced late last year that it has committed to the construction of 24 new Islanders and has reopened the production line for the 18-seat single-pilot Trislander.