All Airframers articles – Page 1628
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News
Jet Airways widens routes with new 737s
INDEPENDENT INDIAN carrier Jet Airways is expanding its fleet and sphere of influence. It has signed an agreement with Boeing for the lease of two 737-400s, which will bring its all-Boeing fleet to six 737-400s and four 737-300s. The new aircraft are due to join the fleet ...
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Thai takes off with first Trent-powered 777
BOEING HAS HANDED OVER the first Rolls-Royce Trent 800-powered 777 to Thai Airways International. Thai's first aircraft, a -200, will enter scheduled service in June on routes from Bangkok to Hong Kong and Seoul. The airline has 14 of the 777s on order, including eight -200s and six stretched -300s. ...
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GE to sanction new growth plan for GE90
Guy Norris/LOSANGELES GENERAL ELECTRIC is set to sanction a revised growth plan for the GE90 turbofan by the end of this month, by agreeing to develop an engine capable of being in service at thrust levels up to 445kN (100,000lb) by 1999. The engine will be capable ...
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FedEx selects AAR
Federal Express has selected AAR to supply cargo-loading systems for some of the US carrier's Airbus A310-200 freighter fleet. Deliveries of the system, which includes a Teflon-impregnated coating to reduce friction, are scheduled to begin immediately. Source: Flight International
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Aer Lingus continues cost drive despite recovery
Kevin O'Toole/LONDON Signs of recovery at Aer Lingus have been accompanied by stern warnings from management that the airline will continue its "remorseless" drive to keep down costs. The Irish flag carrier, which made heavy losses three years ago, posted a relatively respectable IR£15 million ($24 million) net profit for ...
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Atlas Air to sell shares
US cargo carrier Atlas Air plans to sell 3 million shares to help pay for six Boeing 747-200s to be purchased from Thai Airways International. The sale will reduce chairman Michael Chowdry's stake by 6.7%, to 63.5%. Source: Flight International
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Zambia hit by new air service withdrawal
AIR SERVICES TO Zambia have been hit again, this time by the withdrawal of Air France, a long-time supporter of services between France and Zambia. The airline made its last weekly Paris-Lusaka flight on 27 March, further damaging the southern African nation's tourist-dominated economy. Air France's withdrawal leaves ...
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United plans to launch all-cargo service to Asia
Graham Warwick/ATLANTA United Airlines plans to launch an all-cargo service between the USA and Asia, using four McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 freighters. Approval is being sought for six flights a week in both directions between Tokyo, Osaka, Taipei and Manila and New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and San ...
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Asia Pacific space booms with three satellite orders
Tim Furniss/LONDON THE ASIA PACIFIC region's space-communications business has taken a big stride with the award of $440 million-worth of contracts to build three satellites. Singapore and Taiwan have awarded a $240 million deal to Matra Marconi Space (MMS) to build the ST-1 communications satellite ...
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Sparring begins over Thomson-CSF sell-off
Gilbert Sedbon/PARIS THE LAGARDERE GROUP, the powerful holding company for missiles and satellites builder Matra, has launched an offensive to acquire defence-electronics giant Thomson-CSF. Speaking during a presentation on 1996 profit forecasts for the media and aerospace group, chairman Jean-Luc Lagardere said that the privatisation ...
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Regionals continue to grow in USA
Kevin O'Toole/LONDON WHILE THE MAJOR US carriers continue to make the most of the present business recovery, beneath the surface the second tier of national and regional airline groups are in the throes of making major changes. Perhaps the most visible evidence of these changes ...
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Europe
Poland is likely to be the first former Warsaw Pact nation to buy Western combat aircraft, with US and European manufacturers offering their wares. MAPO-MiG has also been offering licence-production. A defence ministry commission reported in February that co-operation with Saab in producing the JAS39 Gripen would be the best ...
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Going up market
Russia's Orient Avia is getting the best out of its Ilyushin Il-62 airliners. Paul Duffy/MOSCOW THE COMMONLY HELD belief that Russian and ex-Soviet civil aircraft are not able to achieve the high utilisation levels of Western airliners has been challenged by the experience of Orient ...
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Wake up and join the real world
Sir - At last an accident investigation board, the UK AAIB, has had the courage and professionalism to speak its true mind. The crash of the Boeing 737 freighter at Coventry in December 1994 was contributed to by the likely fatigue of the crew. Crew members, had been on duty ...
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Gemini leases converted DC-10s
TWO OF SIX ex-Lufthansa McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30s acquired by Gemini Air Cargo from Potomac Financial Group have been converted to freighters by Aeronavali of Italy and leased to Swissair and British Airways. The newly established US cargo carrier, based in Reston, Virginia, says that it will place a ...
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Heavier Tu-204-200 has maiden flight at Kazan
THE FIRST TUPOLEV Tu-204-200 to be produced at the Kazan Aircraft Production Factory had its maiden flight on 21 March. The Perm PS-90A-engined aircraft, to be redesignated by Kazan as the Tu-214, has an increased maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 110t, up from the 98t of the Tu-204-100. ...
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Sultan of Brunei adds to fleet with first A340-8000
Paul Lewis/SINGAPORE THE SULTAN OF BRUNEI has ordered the first ultra-long-range Airbus A340-8000 to add to his growing VIP fleet of personal jet-powered airliners. It is understood that the aircraft is scheduled for delivery in 1997 and that it will be the first long-haul -8000 ...
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MD-90 orders
Japan Air Systems (JAS) HAS ordered six McDonnell Douglas MD-90, taking its total firm orders to 16. The Japanese carrier also took an additional option. JAS received its first MD-90 in December 1995 and plans to begin services with three of the type later this month. The airline will take ...
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Comair acquires low-fare Spirit
COMAIR HOLDINGS, parent company of US regional Comair, has agreed to buy low-fare carrier Spirit Airlines. Eastpointe, Michigan-based Spirit flies ten McDonnell Douglas DC-9s and will be operated separately from Comair, which is a Delta Connection carrier. Spirit is a charter airline, which is expanding into low-fare scheduled ...
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Gulf Air boss calls for action
Gunter Endres/LONDON THE NEW HEAD of Gulf Air, Sheikh Ahmed bin Saif al-Nahyan, has reacted swiftly to the severity of the airline's $159 million loss in 1995 by convening an extraordinary shareholders' meeting to seek agreement on measures designed to bring the multi-national carrier back to profitability. ...