WASHINGTON -- Pan American Airways has asked for Transportation
Department approval to begin service to the Dominican Republic this
summer, and has plans to bring the Pan Am name back to Latin
America as well as it seeks to capitalize on a recent deal to
acquire 24 of United's retired 727 aircraft.
The small Portsmouth, N.H.-based carrier will dismantle nine of
the aircraft for spare parts, but plans to use the other 15 for
international service.
Aside from the Dominican Republic service, which would begin
around July 1, other possibilities include Venezuela, Costa Rica,
the Cayman Islands and Mexico, said Dan Fortnam, the airline's vice
president of sales and marketing.
The carrier also is working on getting booking capability in the
CRSs, Fortnam said. There are no immediate plans, however, to join
ARC.
In February about 10% of the airline's bookings came from agents
-- the highest percentage the airline has yet seen, Fortnam said --
and the average commission came to about 10%. Pan Am has no
standard commission rate.