FRQTFLR
Member
- Joined
- Nov 30, 2001
- Posts
- 8
Yes, I know these are both good investments in our airline, but I know they will use the loss of income against us during negotiations...a little frustrating!
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ALASKA AIRLINES FLEET
WILL GET NEW GROUND-SAFETY ALERT SYSTEM
SEATTLE -- Alaska Airlines today became the first U.S. commercial airline to acquire a new safety system designed by Honeywell International to reduce runway incursions and other airport ground safety risks. All 108 of Alaska’s Boeing 737 and MD80 aircraft will be equipped with the Runway Awareness and Advisory System (RAAS).
"Honeywell's new RAAS provides an additional margin of safety to help reduce runway incursions, one of the main Federal Aviation Administration and National Transportation Safety Board initiatives," said Kevin Finan, Alaska's vice president for flight operations. "This is a very important advancement in safety that we will incorporate on the Alaska Airlines fleet."
The RAAS technology employs a Global Positioning System (GPS) and an internal runway database to monitor the airplane’s location on or near the runway. Aural (voice) advisories provide call-outs that address critical operational events, such as the aircraft approaching a runway in-air or on-ground. Other aural advisories include aircraft aligned on a runway for takeoff or taxi and an inadvertent takeoff attempt from a taxiway.
Sarah Dalton, Alaska’s director, airspace and technology, said the new RAAS technology would be installed starting this fall with completion next year.
Alaska and its sister carrier, Horizon Air, together serve 80 cities in Alaska, the Lower 48, Canada and Mexico. For reservations visit www.alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines Newsroom on the Internet at http://newsroom.alaskaair.com.
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ALASKA AIRLINES TO ADD LEATHER SEATS
AND INCREASE CAPACITY ON ITS 737 AIRCRAFT
SEATTLE -- Alaska Airlines will install six additional seats to increase capacity on its 737-400s and will upgrade its airplane cabins with all-leather seats on its Boeing 737-400, -700 and -900 aircraft.
"It makes sense to add seating capacity and to upgrade to leather seats in view of both the intense airline competition for passengers and the ongoing pressure to reduce costs that exist in the industry today," said Tom Romary, Alaska’s vice president of marketing.
"Low fares are driving demand and we need the increased capacity to better serve our customers. We also want to make sure that Alaska continues to be a preferred carrier," he said. Although the initial cost of leather is higher, Romary said the long-term payback is greater in terms of customer preference, lower maintenance expense, easier cleaning, and longer life. A typical cloth seat cover lasts about three years, whereas a leather cover can last ten years or more. To make space for the additional seats, rear closets are going to be removed and the six seats will be added in their place.
Alaska’s fleet includes 40 Boeing 737-400s. The net effect will be 240 additional seats, resulting in a 1.7 percent overall increase in capacity for the airline.
The new leather seat design will mirror Alaska’s existing seat motif, which is inspired by the art of the native peoples of Alaska, Coastal North America, the Southwest and Mexico.
Alaska is the nation's ninth largest carrier. Alaska and its sister carrier Horizon Air together serve 80 cities in Alaska, the Lower 48, Canada and Mexico.
For reservations visit http://www.alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines Newsroom on the Internet at http://newsroom.alaskaair.com.
