All Airframers articles – Page 1609

  • News

    Alfa purchase gives Fiat control of Italy's aero-engine business

    1996-08-14T00:00:00Z

    Julian Moxon/PARIS FIAT HAS acquired the bulk of Alfa Romeo Avio, in a move, which consolidates virtually all of Italy's aero-engine industry within the giant automotive group. The move follows a decision by Italian state-owned aerospace group Finmeccanica to sell its 77.5% stake in the Alfa ...

  • News

    Powering ahead

    1996-08-14T00:00:00Z

    Matra Marconi Space has introduced a new high-power satellite bus, the Eurostar 3000. Tim Furniss/LONDON MATRA MARCONI SPACE (MMS) has introduced a new spacecraft bus, the Eurostar 3000, designed to play a leading role in the rapidly emerging Global Information Infrastructure (GII), delivering broadband multimedia, advanced hand-held ...

  • News

    Aiming for the top

    1996-08-14T00:00:00Z

    Phillipine Airlines is being revamped in a determined effort to polish its tarnished image Paul Lewis/MANILA For many years Phillipine Airlines (PAL) had the reputation of being a carrier with a problem. A series of soap-opera-type shareholder battles for control, a geriatric fleet of aircraft, poor punctuality ...

  • News

    New chairman aims to begin rapid shake-up plan at BWIA

    1996-08-14T00:00:00Z

    Max Kingsley-Jones/LONDON NEW BWIA International chief executive Gilles Filiatreault is to present to a meeting of the main board on 16 August a new strategy for the Caribbean carrier, just 11 days after his appointment was made public. BWIA announced the elevation of the former ...

  • News

    Air Nostrum plans for expansion

    1996-08-14T00:00:00Z

    AIR NOSTRUM may acquire a small fleet of regional-jet aircraft to enable it to expand its European network. The Spanish regional carrier, based in Valencia, flies seven leased Fokker 50s on a network of scheduled routes, within mainland Spain and to the Balearic Islands. Two more Fokker 50s ...

  • News

    Airbuses can now predict windshear

    1996-08-14T00:00:00Z

    AIRBUS INDUSTRIE claims that it is the first manufacturer to deliver aircraft direct from the production line equipped with predictive windshear warning systems. Two A340s recently delivered to Spanish flag carrier Iberia are fitted with AlliedSignal's forward-looking windshear-detection system. A rival system is offered by Rockwell's Collins Air ...

  • News

    Business Express attracts interest, despite bankruptcy

    1996-08-14T00:00:00Z

    SAAB AIRCRAFT, which forced Business Express into bankruptcy court early this year over a $20 million debt, "-has been approached by parties interested in taking over the regional airline", says Michael Magnusson, Saab's senior US-based sales executive. "We are confident that someone will take it over. A couple ...

  • News

    Delta launches low-cost Express from Florida base

    1996-08-14T00:00:00Z

    Karen Walker/ATLANTA DELTA AIRLINES has entered the low-fare market with the launch of Delta Express, a single-class service providing non-stop flights between Florida and cities in the mid-western and north-eastern USA. Services, using a dedicated fleet of 25 Boeing 737-200s, will begin on 1 October ...

  • News

    Cathay profits, despite tough half-year

    1996-08-14T00:00:00Z

    CATHAY PACIFIC Airways produced a respectable rise in profits over the first half of the year, despite restrained growth and some pressure on costs. Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering (HAECO), the Hong Kong carrier's sister company within the Swire Group, saw profits dip again, however. Financial analysts are ...

  • News

    KLM suffers setback as costs increase

    1996-08-14T00:00:00Z

    KLM has worried financial markets with an unexpectedly poor set of first-quarter figures, revealing a steep rise in costs and further bad news from its cargo operations. Attention has focused on a drop in the Dutch carrier's operating profits, which slumped by half over the quarter to the end of ...

  • News

    Indian courts resolve Skyline leasing wrangle

    1996-08-14T00:00:00Z

    Andrew Chuter/LONDON US LEASING COMPANY PLM International has failed in a legal action to have Indian carrier Skyline NEPC, return two Boeing 737-200s, which it has on lease. The Bombay court has ordered the airline to pay arrears, which have accrued from non-payment of leases since late ...

  • News

    United to dedicate fleet to shuttle division

    1996-08-14T00:00:00Z

    SHUTTLE BY UNITED, THE US airline's low-cost division set up in October 1994, will operate a dedicated fleet of 45 Boeing 737s from next March. The division's 23 134-seat 737-300s and 22 116-seat 737-500s will have new interior layouts, with galleys replaced by eight economy seats and new galley equipment. ...

  • News

    ValuJet remains in profit despite FAA's grounding

    1996-08-14T00:00:00Z

    Kevin O'Toole/LONDONRamon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC VALUJET HAS ended the first half-year in good financial shape, despite its grounding, and appears confident of resuming operations on 23 August. Although the airline was grounded by the US Federal Aviation Administration shortly after the Florida crash on 11 May, ...

  • News

    Engines should be treated separately

    1996-08-14T00:00:00Z

    Sir - Recent news suggests that civil organisations do not seem to share their safety-related views. I was amazed to find that an airline could conduct the same maintenance task, simultaneously, on both engines of a twin without a test before flight. Surely, if there is a need, for example, ...

  • News

    Macau has recorded 400,000

    1996-08-07T00:00:00Z

    Sir - I refer to the article about Macau International Airport, "Slow start" (Flight International, 5-11 June, P26). Macau InternationalAirport was officially opened on 8 December, 1995, and one could not expect to see a lot of aircraft on the runway - especially when a ceremony for about ...

  • News

    Jordan signs F-16 lease with USAF

    1996-08-07T00:00:00Z

    JORDAN HAS signed an agreement to lease 16 ex-US Air Force Lockheed Martin F-16A/Bs from the USA, which will pay for the bulk of the $220 million deal. Most of the funds will go towards structural and engine upgrades for the aircraft, which have 25% of their 4,000h lives remaining. ...

  • News

    SAS ends Saab 2000 order drought

    1996-08-07T00:00:00Z

    Max Kingsley-Jones/LONDONRamon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC SAS COMMUTER has ordered up to six Saab 2000s, which ends the aircraft's two-year new-customer drought. This comes as Saab concludes a three-week sales tour of the aircraft in the USA, where it is still seeking its first airline customer for the 50-seat ...

  • News

    Aviastar Asia opens up for Tu-204 business

    1996-08-07T00:00:00Z

    AVIASTAR ASIA (AAC), a new joint venture involving Russian aircraft-production company Aviastar and several South-East Asian financial institutions, opened its office in Taipei on 24 July. The consortium will provide leasing, financial and technical support for the Tupolev Tu-204, which is assembled in Ulyanovsk. AAC is planning to ...

  • News

    Merpati leases A310s for use on services to Australia

    1996-08-07T00:00:00Z

    MERPATI NUSANTARA Airlines is to introduce its first widebodied aircraft, on services to Australia. The Jakarta-based airline is adding three Airbus A310-300s on lease, as part of its network expansion to new destinations in Asia and Australia. The first A310, believed to be an ex-Kuwait Airways aircraft, is ...

  • News

    Lufthansa introduces the A319

    1996-08-07T00:00:00Z

    LUFTHANSA HAS PUT THE FIRST of 20 Airbus A319-100s on to its European network, making it the third operator of all three Airbus single-aisle models. The 126-seat aircraft is mainly being operated on scheduled services from Frankfurt to Vienna and Istanbul, and on domestic routes. The new type, which will ...