News Articles April 6, 2010

• April 06, 2010
  
  

  Quick summary of today’s news articles (Full text of articles follows):

  - American Airlines is transferring 200 Tulsa-based maintenance operations
  coordinators to Fort Worth over two years, the company said Monday.

  - American Airlines Inc. said Monday its traffic increased 2.5 percent in
  March over the same month in 2009, despite a 0.7 percent decline in its
  flying capacity.

  - Pratt & Whitney Canada has awarded Distributor and Designated Overhaul
  Facility authorization to Covington Aircraft Engines Inc. located in
  Okmulgee, Okla., for the repair and overhaul of the P&WC PT6A engine
  series.

  OK AEROSPACE INDUSTRY

  AA moving jobs to Texas
  By D.R. STEWART, Staff Writer
  Tulsa World
  4/6/2010

  American Airlines is transferring 200 Tulsa-based maintenance operations
  coordinators to Fort Worth over two years, the company said Monday.

  American executives said the company is consolidating employees of the
  Tulsa-based Maintenance Operations Center, which oversees aircraft
  maintenance at line or overnight maintenance stations, with the Fort
  Worth-based Systems Operations Center. The SOC dispatches aircraft to
  airports or line maintenance stations where they are needed, company
  officials said.

  “It’s difficult having the MOC in Tulsa and the SOC in Fort Worth,” said
  American spokesman Tim Wagner. “As part of our efforts to improve on-time
  performance and customer service, we want to have the SOC and the MOC in
  the same location.

  “For customers, it’s a very positive move.“

  In the last several years, American’s on-time performance has been below
  the industry average, Department of Transportation statistics show.
  American’s percentage of on-time flights improved in January to 79.75
  percent, ranking it ninth among 18 carriers. The industry average on-time
  performance in January was 78.69 percent, DOT said.

  Wagner said American executives have considered the move for several years.
  Many U.S. airlines colocate their SOCs and MOCS, Wagner said.

  American’s line maintenance station at Dallas-Fort Worth International
  Airport is the largest in its system, he said.

  Mayor Dewey Bartlett said American is streamlining aircraft tracking
  operations by relocating MOC employees to Fort Worth.

  “Despite this move, American Airlines continues to oper

  ate its maintenance operations in Tulsa and employ about 7,000 people,“
  Bartlett said. “While we dislike losing these 200 jobs, we support American
  Airlines in becoming more efficient, just as we would support any Tulsa
  business that is taking action to become more competitive in the market.

  “The city of Tulsa management team is very familiar with their operations,
  and we meet with American executives on a regular basis. It’s our goal to
  maintain a good working relationship with American, and retaining Tulsa’s
  largest employer is a top priority.“

  Mike Neal, president and CEO of the Tulsa Metro Chamber, said he is
  disappointed with American’s decision.

  “The chamber’s economic development division is in discussions with AA
  leadership on a regular basis, and quite frankly, we are extremely
  disappointed Tulsa was not afforded the opportunity to compete for this
  merged division of work,” Neal said.

  “The city of Tulsa, Tulsa County voters and the state of Oklahoma have made
  tremendous investments throughout the last seven years to sustain and grow
  jobs at American Airlines.

  “This isn’t typical of the chamber’s relationship with AA, and we are
  seeking answers as to why Tulsa was eliminated from consideration,” Neal
  said.

  While the chamber wasn’t notified of American’s decision until late
  afternoon, Mike Bunney, Bartlett’s director of economic development, was
  advised about the plan earlier in the day. Bunney said American executives
  told him the Tulsa MOC employees would be offered relocation options.

  American’s Wagner said American’s Tulsa employees were advised of the
  proposed moves in meetings recently and throughout the day Monday.

  “When you make a decision like this, we want to involve employees so they
  can help us make the decision, help us implement the changes,” Wagner said.
  “We gave a heads-up to the MOC, SOC managers today and employees at both
  Fort Worth and the Tulsa M&E Center.

  “It makes sense from an operational perspective with our largest line
  maintenance station at DFW. If a part breaks at DFW, it has relatively
  little to do with (Tulsa) base maintenance.“

  American employs about 7,000 people in Tulsa, including 6,000 mechanics and
  related work groups at it Tulsa Maintenance & Engineering Center, the
  largest in the world.

  American Airlines reports March traffic increase
  By TERRY MAXON
  The Dallas Morning News
  4/6/2010

  American Airlines Inc. said Monday its traffic increased 2.5 percent in
  March over the same month in 2009, despite a 0.7 percent decline in its
  flying capacity.

  The carrier said its load factor, or percentage of seats filled, jumped 2.6
  percentage points to 81.7 percent.

  Its international routes showed the biggest increases in passenger traffic:
  1.8 percent on North American routes, 2.5 percent across the Atlantic, 4.3
  percent to Latin American and 6.1 percent across the Pacific.

  American’s regional affiliate, American Eagle, said its traffic climbed 3.3
  percent over March 2009, with capacity up a little bit more, 3.4 percent.
  Its load factor was down slightly, to 71.88 percent compared with 71.93
  percent a year earlier.

  Pratt & Whitney Canada Appoints Covington Aircraft Designated Overhaul
  Facility for PT6A Engine Series
  Market Wacth
  4/6/2010

  LONGUEUIL, QUEBEC—Pratt & Whitney Canada has awarded Distributor and
  Designated Overhaul Facility authorization to Covington Aircraft Engines
  Inc. for the repair and overhaul of the P&WC PT6A engine series. P&WC is a
  United Technologies Corp. company.

  Covington, based in Okmulgee, Oklahoma, was formerly a P&WC Agricultural
  Service Centre for PT6A engines used in agricultural applications. As a
  DDOF, it will now expand its service offering to cover a wider range of
  PT6A engines across other markets.

  “Over the course of our 16-year relationship, Covington has built a solid
  reputation for outstanding customer service in the agricultural market,
  which we are confident it will establish in other markets,” said Raffaele
  Virgili, Vice President, Customer Service at Pratt &Whitney Canada.
  “Today’s announcement is part of Pratt &Whitney Canada’s continuing effort
  to enhance the support services we provide our engine customers.“

  P&WC’s goal is to go the extra mile to keep its customers flying. It now
  counts more than 10,000 operators around the world, with new-generation
  engines, green technology, and unmatched support. Customers can rely on
  more than 30 company-owned and designated service facilities, a 24/7
  Customer First Centre for expert and rapid assistance, and an extensive
  parts distribution network to deliver unmatched frontline service.

  In addition, the company has field support representatives on all
  continents, mobile repair teams available around the clock, and the largest
  pool of P&WC rental and exchange engines in the industry.

  Pratt & Whitney Canada, based in Longueuil, Quebec, is a world leader in
  the design, manufacture and service of aircraft engines powering business,
  general aviation and regional aircraft and helicopters. The company also
  manufactures auxiliary power units and industrial gas turbines. United
  Technologies, based in Hartford, Conn., United States, is a diversified
  company providing high technology products and services to the global
  aerospace and building industries.