All Airframers articles – Page 1539

  • News

    Sun is set to sell majority in Air Belgium

    1997-04-23T00:00:00Z

    Sun International of Belgium is to sell its majority share in troubled charter airline Air Belgium. Talks are being held with undisclosed interests. Group chief executive Marc Vanmoerkerke says that a deal will be signed by June. Sun International owns 65% of Air Belgium shares. The remaining 35% ...

  • News

    Aeroflot plans to create a regional-hub network

    1997-04-23T00:00:00Z

    Aeroflot-Russian International Airlines is considering setting up a series of regional hubs in an attempt to break the dominance of Sheremetyevo Airport at Moscow in its network. The widening of its domestic-flights network in Russia and the CIS are two major factors in Aeroflot's strategy to improve efficiency. ...

  • News

    Singapore Airlines outlines initial 777 plans

    1997-04-23T00:00:00Z

    Singapore Airlines (SIA) plans to use its initial Boeing 777-200 twinjets, due for delivery this year, to increase capacity on Airbus A310 routes and to add flight frequencies on services which are now operated with larger Boeing 747s. The first aircraft is scheduled to be handed over by Boeing in ...

  • News

    Iberia closes in on major order to replace ageing Boeing 727s

    1997-04-23T00:00:00Z

    Iberia is evaluating Boeing and Airbus narrowbody types as it moves towards placing an order later this year for at least 28 aircraft, to replace its fleet of ageing 155-seat Boeing 727-200s. The Spanish flag carrier says that the order will be divided between aircraft in the 200-seat ...

  • News

    Airbus sets deadline for engine decision on A340-500/600

    1997-04-23T00:00:00Z

    Airbus Industrie is targeting the end of April for a final decision on a new engine for the A340-500/600 growth derivatives, clearing the way for the programme to be officially launched at the Paris air show in June. The European consortium is in talks with Rolls-Royce and Pratt ...

  • News

    Indian Airlines puts A300s up for sale

    1997-04-23T00:00:00Z

    A global tender for the sale of three Airbus A300s has been floated by Indian Airlines as plans to renew and expand its fleet gain pace. The carrier plans to phase out all ten of its A300s within the next two or three years. The three aircraft now ...

  • News

    777-300 assembly

    1997-04-23T00:00:00Z

    The first main wing spar for the initial Boeing 777-300 was "loaded" into the automated drilling and fastening machine at the company's Everett plant on 7 April, marking the start of major assembly. Boeing had expected to start major assembly in March, but still expects to roll out the aircraft ...

  • News

    American Eagle returns to AI(R) with order for 12 ATR 72-210s

    1997-04-23T00:00:00Z

    European regional airline consortium Aero International (Regional) (AI(R)) has signed with AMR subsidiary American Eagle for the purchase of 12 ATR 72-210A turboprops. The deal is seen as being of significance since it represents the return to favour of the type in North America following a slump in ...

  • News

    Gap widens between Airbus and AVIC on A318/AE100 direction

    1997-04-23T00:00:00Z

    Clear differences have begun to emerge between Airbus Industrie and Aviation Industries of China (AVIC) over the longer-term direction of the proposed A318/AE100 programme, with the European consortium pressing for the development of a smaller, rather than larger, aircraft. Negotiators from Airbus subsidiary joint venture, Airbus Industrie Asia ...

  • News

    Continental will choose DC-10 replacement soon

    1997-04-23T00:00:00Z

    CONTINENTAL Airlines says that it could enter a long-term sole-supplier pact with Boeing in the process of picking an aircraft to replace the airline's ageing fleet of 27 McDonnell Douglas DC-10 passenger aircraft. Gordon Bethune, Continental's chairman and chief executive, says that he is initially seeking 40 aircraft ...

  • News

    Weight of the world

    1997-04-16T00:00:00Z

    Until 1993, the world of freighter wet-leasing was an obscure one. This relatively minor niche in the air-transport business had few participants, most of them well-established, specialist all-cargo carriers. In 1993, however, Michael Chowdry, chairman and chief executive of Atlas Air, entered the scene with a "lone flyer" ...

  • News

    Explosive progress

    1997-04-16T00:00:00Z

    On 5 May, 1987, a British Aerospace 146-200QT "Quiet Trader" freighter operating between Prestwick in the UK and a hub at Nuremburg, Germany, launched the European freight operations of Australia's TNT Transport group, which now trades as TNT Express Worldwide. In the ten years since then the company has established ...

  • News

    Saab discusses South Pacific venture

    1997-04-16T00:00:00Z

    Saab Aircraft is discussing the setting up of a new South Pacific airline operation, in response to what it believes are unfounded complaints over the unreliability of the Saab 2000 being operated by state-owned Air Marshall Islands (AMI). Saab blames the AMI problems on inadequate spares support and ...

  • News

    Order boom forces Boeing to raise production rates

    1997-04-16T00:00:00Z

    Boeing is planning another increase in production rates as it prepares to keep pace with a surging orderbook and growing delivery backlog, now moving towards 1,500 aircraft. New urgency was injected into the company's continuous assessment of production rates by the Delta Air Lines order in March for ...

  • News

    JAL renews attack on costs

    1997-04-16T00:00:00Z

    Japan Airlines (JAL) is stepping up efforts to cut costs and restructure the company, including the shedding of 2,000 jobs, as the group once again faces a return to losses. The airline's newly unveiled medium-range plan for the five years through to March 2002 also calls for a ...

  • News

    Atlas closes on freighter order decision-

    1997-04-16T00:00:00Z

    Atlas Air, the world's largest Boeing 747 freighter operator, is close to deciding whether to order an unspecified number of 747-400 freighters. According to Michael Chowdry, chairman and chief executive officer, the 747-400F is seen as "the next step" for the US contract cargo operator. Atlas Air is ...

  • News

    Chinese airlines lease more Airbuses

    1997-04-16T00:00:00Z

    General Electric Capital Aviation (GECAS) has signed lease agreements with two Chinese airlines to supply additional Airbus Industrie A320s, to supplement the large number ordered by China in 1996. China Northwest Airlines and Zhejiang Airlines have each signed letters of intent with GECAS for two more A320s. The ...

  • News

    East African Alliance merger moves ahead

    1997-04-16T00:00:00Z

    Criticism has begun to emerge over the proposed merger of the national flag carriers of Tanzania and Uganda into Alliance, the joint-venture carrier led by South African Airways (SAA). Alliance is pressing ahead with plans for fleet and network expansion, however. Ministers from Tanzania and Uganda agreed "in ...

  • News

    Jersey European may add larger aircraft to cope with expansion

    1997-04-16T00:00:00Z

    JERSEY EUROPEAN Airways is considering options for the expansion of its fleet, which could see the airline introduce new larger aircraft in 1998. The regional airline, which flies 12 British Aerospace 146s, four Fokker F27s and two Shorts 360s, has experienced 25% annual growth over the past six ...

  • News

    Transaero will lease intrim 767s and 737s

    1997-04-16T00:00:00Z

    Russia's privately owned Transaero plans to add three Boeing 767-200ERs and six 737-400s to its fleet during 1997, in an effort to boost capacity until deliveries of next-generation Boeing 737s commence in 1999. The first of the leased aircraft, a 767 and three 737s, are due to join ...