All Airframers articles – Page 1463
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Family planning
The early successes of regional jet upstart Fairchild Dornier are undoubtedly spurring a surge in excitement among the more established regional players. But perhaps before everyone rushes headlong into launching a raft of new aircraft in response to the market upswing, considerable thought needs to be given to the factors ...
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Delta III prepared for maiden launch
The first stage of the Boeing Delta III launch vehicle is erected at launch pad 17B at Cape Canaveral, Florida, in preparation for its maiden flight this year carrying the Hughes-built Galaxy X communications satellite. The Delta III stretched first stage uses a similar Rocketdyne RS-27A main engine as used ...
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Dassault details supersonic jet
Julian Moxon/PARIS Dassault Aviation has revealed key details of its planned supersonic business jet (SSBJ), which it says could be flying "by 2004". The manufacturer is still hesitant about the size of the potential market for SSBJs, but Dassault Aviation vice-president Bruno Revellin Falcoz insisted when a model of the ...
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New Embraer figures confirm recovery
Embraer has reported its third successive profitable quarter, confirming its recovery after eight years of losses. The Brazilian aircraft manufacturer saw a $19.9 million profit on sales of $230 million. "This shows that our recovery is definitely here to stay," says president Mauricio Botelho. Losses were $330 million in ...
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SIA warns of harder times to come as growth creeps up
Paul Lewis/SINGAPORE Singapore Airlines (SIA) has warned of a tougher year ahead in the face of falling passenger loads and anticipated erosion of yields, after announcing only a marginal growth of net profit for the 12 months ending 31 March. The airline turned in a net profit of S$1.03 billion ...
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CAL orders frozen
China Airlines (CAL) has been ordered by Taiwan's transport ministry not to order any new aircraft until it has improved its operations and safety standards. This move is the Taiwan Government's latest to force the carrier to upgrade its safety standards. CAL has suffered two major widebody accidents since April ...
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Single-aisle bonanza
Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES CFM International (CFMI) and arch rival International Aero Engines (IAE) are again heading for the record books. After an astonishingly successful year for both in 1997, the orders have continued and, by mid-1998, look as if they might already surpass significantly those of the previous year. ...
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Boeing warns on China hopes
Paul Lewis/BEIJING Boeing is sounding a warning that earlier expectations of a large new order for aircraft from China in June could be affected by a marked slowdown in local airline traffic growth and the knock-on effects from Asia's wider economic difficulties. The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) ...
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ATR forecasts revival in turboprop market
ATR is predicting a revival in regional turboprop sales within the next few years, as aircraft come up for replacement. "There is no way all the 30-seaters will be replaced with jets," believes Antoine Bouissou, president of the US arm, ATR Marketing. He calculates that some 450 30-seat turboprops ...
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US Airways may forge fresh alliance with British Airways
Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC US Airways could forge a new marketing alliance with British Airways as a result of the projected tie-ups by both carriers with American Airlines. The deal would go ahead only under certain conditions, says Stephen Wolf, head of US Airways Group. The prospect of a ...
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Sfim uses GPS to calibrate aircraft approach paths
Julian Moxon/PARIS French avionics specialist Sfim has developed a new low cost system to replace the optical equipment used for tracking aircraft flying runway approaches when calibrating runway landing equipment. Its Traki trajectography kit uses the satellite global positioning system (GPS) instead of a ground- based theodolite to ...
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Airbus plans laminar flow tests in bid to bring down fuel costs
Max Kingsley-Jones/TOULOUSE Airbus Industrie will launch a laminar flow technology flight test later this year as part of its probe into the potential cost and emission reductions resulting from a lessening in aircraft skin drag. The consortium is modifying the tailfin of the prototype A320-100 for tests due to begin ...
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Brazil and Canada plan subsidy accord for regional aircraft
Mediation of the regional aircraft subsidy dispute between Brazil and Canada has left both sides claiming victory. Special envoys appointed by the two governments have recommended means for resolving the dispute, but have not ruled on whether support provided to Bombardier and Embraer breaks international guidelines on subsidies. The trade ...
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Fairchild Dornier launches 728JET
US-German regional aircraft manufacturer Fairchild Dornier scored the show's most significant coup with the launch of its 528/728/928JET family and the confirmation of conditional orders for 165 aircraft. The announcement came alongside the launch of the 42/44-seat 428JETstretched version of the company's 328JET. Apart from confirmation by Lufthansa CityLine ...
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Fairchild Dornier aims 428JET at USA
Fairchild Dornier is aiming its new 42/44-seat 428JET primarily at the US regional airline market. President Jim Robinson says the launch of a stretched version of the 32/34-seat 328JET is intended to offset the commonality advantage Embraer enjoys in marketing its 37-seat RJ-135 to 50-seat RJ-145 operators. Continental Express ...
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Lufthansa eyes 747-400 freighter
Shahe Ouzounian/FRANKFURT Lufthansa Cargo says it will need to replace its fleet of Boeing 747-200Fs early in the next decade, with the 747-400 freighter the prime candidate, even though the German operator considers the aircraft "too expensive". Wilhelm Althen, chairman of the executive board, says that its fleet ...
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Air Wisconsin 328s start
Air Wisconsin has begun operations with its new fleet of Fairchild Dornier 328-120s on feeder services for United from its Denver hub. Earlier this year the airline took over the operations of Mountain Air Express, which had operated the 328s from Denver as the regional subsidiary of the now defunct ...
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China re-jig delays TrunkLiner and throws AE31X into limbo
Paul Lewis/BEIJING Max Kingsley-Jones/TOULOUSE The pending major shake-up of China's state-run aerospace industry is set to again delay the Boeing MD-90 TrunkLiner programme and prolong discussions with Airbus Industrie Asia on co-development of the AE31X regional jet. The new Chinese Government of premier Zhu Rongji has ordered a ...
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Canada 3000 loses business to Royal
Canada 3000, the Toronto-based charter airline, has lost the business of major customer Signature Vacations, which will switch to rival Royal Aviation this year. Signature, the Toronto-based subsidiary of UK tour operator First Choice (Air 2000's parent), has been a major customer for Canada 3000 since the carrier was launched ...
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P&W corrects PW4098 cracks and confirms 777-300 delay
Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES Paul Lewis/SEATTLE Pratt & Whitney estimates that corrections to cure cracked compressor stators in the PW4098 discovered in April will push deliveries of the first heavyweight Boeing 777-300 to Korean Air (KAL) back by almost three months, to December. "It's a cast part, and we've ...