All Airframers articles – Page 1457

  • News

    KLM's alpine deal

    1998-11-18T11:27:00Z

    KLM has signed a partnership deal with new Austrian airline Air Alps Aviation, due to begin operations in mid-1999, with two 31-seat Fairchild Dornier 328. Air Alps, 49% owned by Air Engiadina, will serve Amsterdam Schipol three times daily from Salzburg and Innsbruck. Source: Flight International

  • News

    ERJ-135 prototype testing forges ahead

    1998-11-18T00:00:00Z

    The two Embraer RJ-135 prototypes in flight test have accumulated some 235h of testing and demonstration flights. The second aircraft, which joined the programme on 24 September, is a conversion of the second pre-series ERJ-145 and is being used for system testing. The first aircraft, which is being used to ...

  • News

    Boeing aims to fund F/A-18 active array work for the US Navy

    1998-11-18T00:00:00Z

    Boeing plans to co-fund initial development of an active-array radar for the F/A-18E/F, in the absence of US Navy funding. The move will bridge the gap until the navy can find funding and "...get the radar into the fleet as early as possible," says Paul Summers, manager F/A-18 new product ...

  • News

    FAA gives Luscombe interim certificate for Spartan 185

    1998-11-18T00:00:00Z

    The US Federal Aviation Administration has awarded Luscombe Aircraft an airworthiness certificate for its Spartan 185 preproduction model 11E. The ticket falls short of full approval, however, and is "for sales and marketing purposes", says Luscombe. The Oklahoma-based company is still targeting April 1999 as the earliest date for ...

  • News

    American thinks again on 1999 expansion plans

    1998-11-18T00:00:00Z

    The weakening international economy has caused American Airlines to rethink its growth programme for 1999, with proposals for certain new routes being dropped and aircraft retirements increased. The US major is to retire eight McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10s and two Boeing 727-200s several years earlier than planned, bringing its total ...

  • News

    BAe backs Australian EF2000 development push

    1998-11-18T00:00:00Z

    Peter La Franchi/CANBERRA British Aerospace has unveiled in Australia plans for the relocation of major software development activities linked to the Eurofighter EF2000 Typhoon as part of the creation of a new Military Aircraft Systems group to be based in Melbourne, Victoria. The company is attempting to sell the ...

  • News

    Airbus may ditch A3XX thrust reversers to slow down costs

    1998-11-18T00:00:00Z

    Andrew Doyle/LONDON Airbus Industrie is discussing with airlines a plan to remove the thrust reversers from its A3XX ultra-high capacity airliner design as part of efforts to further reduce the aircraft's direct operating costs. Airlines have generally reacted favourably towards the idea of dropping the system from the outboard engines ...

  • News

    A330s head for Brazil after currency hiccup

    1998-11-18T00:00:00Z

    Joe Sims/MIAMI TAM expects to take delivery of its first two Airbus A330s by the end of the month after a delay of over a month caused by a currency crisis in Brazil. The carrier, based in Sao Paulo, had been due to receive its first of five Pratt & ...

  • News

    More airlines sign up for used ATR 42s and 72s

    1998-11-18T00:00:00Z

    Julian Moxon/PARIS The recently formed Asset Management arm of Franco-Italian regional aircraft manufacturer ATR has signed new contracts placing 23 used ATR 42s and 72s with nine airlines. The organisation predicts that it will have placed around 50 used aircraft by the end of the year, by which time "-we ...

  • News

    SAirGroup buys 49% of LTU and eyes full access to EU market

    1998-11-18T00:00:00Z

    Andrew Doyle/DÜSSELDORF SAirGroup has finally completed its long-awaited acquisition of a 49.9% stake in German tour operator LTU as the latest step in its plans for a major expansion of its operations in the European leisure travel market. The deal comes as senior executives at the Swissair parent are expressing ...

  • News

    Litton flight tests gyro retrofit on Boeing 727

    1998-11-18T00:00:00Z

    Litton Aero Products is flight testing its LTR-97 fibre optic gyro-based system on a Boeing 727-200 as a strap-down replacement for potentially thousands of aircraft equipped with older electro-mechanical, vertical and directional gyros. The market, estimated to be for around 5,000 systems, includes McDonnell Douglas DC-8s, DC-9s and MD-80s, ...

  • News

    Lufthansa objections to Aeroflot 737 services resolved

    1998-11-18T00:00:00Z

    A dispute over Aeroflot's use of its new Boeing 737-400s, which are not registered in Russia or the European Union, on services to Germany has been resolved. A ban on the operations had been implemented in early October, after an objection was made by Lufthansa. The Bermudan registered Boeings ...

  • News

    Britannia 737 deal heralds regional return

    1998-11-18T00:00:00Z

    Max Kingsley-Jones/LONDON Britannia Airways has confirmed its move back to the sub-200-seat market after an eight year break, with a deal for up to 10 Boeing 737-800s. The move will enable the UK charter carrier to increase services from UK regional airports and boost its Scandinavian operations. Britannia has ...

  • News

    767 instrument system mystery failure traced to battery faults

    1998-11-18T00:00:00Z

    David Learmount/LONDON AN Almost total failure of a Boeing 767's electronic flight instrument system (EFIS) during a transatlantic flight has been attributed to battery installation faults, according to a US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) report. The 28 May, 1996, Martinair Holland 767-300ER flight from Amsterdam Schiphol to ...

  • News

    First 777 for private operator

    1998-11-18T00:00:00Z

    Boeing has completed work on the first private 777. The aircraft, a -200ER powered by General Electric GE90s, has a VIP interior and is expected to be operated by Mid East Jet. Although Boeing declines to confirm the identity of the owner, Mid East Jet is the most likely ...

  • News

    Amakusa takes Dash 8 for island link

    1998-11-18T00:00:00Z

    Amakusa Airlines, a new Japanese regional carrier, is to start operations with a recently ordered Bombardier de Havilland Dash 8, according to Bombardier Aerospace. Delivery of the 39-seat Dash 8-100 will take place next October, but the airline does not plan to launch revenue services until early 2000. Amakusa ...

  • News

    BA realigns fleet after pre-tax profits fall

    1998-11-18T00:00:00Z

    British Airways is reacting to disappointing first half results and an impending economic downturn by realigning its fleet and route network. Pre-tax profits for the airline dropped 10.5% to £385 million ($639 million) for the first six months to 30 September as a downturn in the world economy and ...

  • News

    Winnipeg consortium launches Canada's first scheduled cargo operation

    1998-11-18T00:00:00Z

    Canada's first scheduled widebody cargo flights are being launched by Winnport Logistics, a consortium of 43 transportation companies. The Winnipeg, Manitoba-based consortium has leased a Boeing 747 freighter from Evergreen International Airlines, and will operate three flights a week between Winnipeg and the Chinese cities of Nanjing and Shenzhen. ...

  • News

    Tupolev carries on with cryogenic fuel research

    1998-11-18T00:00:00Z

    Tupolev is continuing research on cryogenic fuel tanks for its Tu-204 and Tu-334 twinjet airliners. It is also researching an innovative design of a twin-turboprop Tu-136 transport, with the layout determined by cryogenic fuel considerations. It is planned to conduct aerodynamic tests of the Tu-136 model in the TsAGI ...

  • News

    Common theme

    1998-11-18T00:00:00Z

    Graham Warwick WASHINGTON DC Can airlines agree to buy a standard aircraft, in the hope of reducing costs, or will each continue to demand hundreds of custom changes that set its aircraft apart from any other carrier's? That is the question facing an airline task force which is to ...