Airframers – Page 1533
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Stretched 777 takes to the air
The first Boeing 777-300 had a "flawless" maiden flight from the company's Everett site on 16 October, completing the 4h 6min test mission at Boeing Field, Seattle, with no technical problems. Boeing 777 programme chief pilot Frank Santoni says: "We spent 4h shaking the aircraft down thoroughly. You ...
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Airbus aims at A320 production boost
Airbus Industrie chief operating officer Volker Von Tein has raised the possibility of an increase in the production rate of the A320 family from the planned 18 per month - but only if the consortium secures an order for 120 aircraft from US Airways. The current rate of ...
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Airbus to rule at German Britannia?
Britannia Airways is considering an all Airbus fleet to expand its new German charter market service. The carrier, which launches its operation with a flight from Berlin-Schonefeld on 3 November using a Boeing 767-300ER, could decide to switch to the European built aircraft by 1999. The foray into ...
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China Airlines begins fleet modernisation
China Airlines (CAL) is undertaking a fleet-modernisation programme, phasing out its older Boeing 747s from passenger operations, and closing on an order for ten long-range widebodies. Two of the carrier's three remaining Pratt & Whitney JT9D-powered Boeing 747- 200Bs will be removed from the fleet for conversion by ...
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American 777 decision holds key to engine-growth plans
American Airlines has been given until 3 November by Boeing to define its 777 fleet requirements as engine makers General Electric and Rolls-Royce study growth powerplants for the proposed long-range -200X and stretched -300X versions in response to a revised request for proposals from the US carrier. American ...
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Air Littoral cancels Bombardier CRJ options
Air Littoral has cancelled options for five Bombardier CanadairRegional Jets (CRJs) due to be delivered in 1998. The action follows a pilots' strike begun on 13 October and was still under way as Flight International went to press. The dispute, which has hit up to 60% of flights, ...
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Unions side with Boeing in Sabena order battle
Unions at Sabena have intervened in the fight between Boeing and Airbus to secure a contract to replace the carrier's Boeing 737-200 with a threat of industrial action if the airline decides in favour of the Airbus A319. The Belgian flag carrier is due to make a decision ...
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Volga-Dnepr leases Tu-204Cs
Volga-Dnepr is to take two Tupolev Tu-204C-120 freighters equipped with Rolls-Royce RB211-535E4B engines on lease in a deal about to be signed with the leasing company Sirocco Aerospace International. The Russian cargo airline is also spending nearly $30 million upgrading its Antonov An-124 fleet. Volga-Dnepr president Alexei Isaikin ...
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Tunisair is first Arab customer for A319
Tunis Air has signed a contract for seven A320-family aircraft. The four A320s and three A319s will make it the first customer for the smallest Airbus in both Africa and the Arab world. Tunis Air, which operates eight CFM International CFM56-powered A320s and one A300B4, will take its ...
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City Bird aims to raise new cash from public listing
City Bird, Belgium's low-cost start-up airline, aims to raise $40 million from a public listing to help fund ambitious expansion plans designed to make it the "major long-haul operator" from its base at Brussels Airport. The airline began operations in March with a Boeing MD-11, targeting long-haul scheduled ...
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Iberia Rises
Iberia's pre-tax profits grew by close to 25%over the first nine months of this year to reach Ptas20.7 billion ($138 million) and president Xavier de Irala predicts a pre-tax return of around Ptas8 billion for the full year. Despite the rise, Iberia saw a slight drop at operating level as ...
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Maintenance Directory
Fokker Aircraft Services specialises in airframe Ian Sheppard/londonDATA TABLES/Air Transport Intelligence Europe's maintenance industry has been faced with growing international competition and the need for consolidation, and has continued to take on board the new Joint Aviation Requirements, bringing it more into line with the USA. Many fixed-base operators ...
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SATIC studies A340 Beluga designs
An outsized cargo "Beluga" derivative of the Airbus A340 is being proposed by Super Airbus Transport International (SATIC) as an option for delivering A3XX subassemblies to the final assembly line. SATIC, the Aerospatiale/ Daimler-Benz Aerospace (Dasa) joint venture responsible for the design and manufacture of the original A300-600-based ...
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Midroc orders dash 8s
Ethiopia's Midroc Aviation has ordered two Bombardier de Havilland Dash 8-200B turboprops, and has an option for a third. The Pratt & Whitney Canada PW123D-powered aircraft, which are valued at around $26 million, will be operated as corporate shuttles in support of mining operations. Deliveries are scheduled for December 1997 ...
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Western Pacific files for Chapter 11 protection
Western Pacific Airlines confirmed the perilous state of the US low-cost carrier market with a filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on 6 October. The latest failure comes just weeks after the bankruptcy of Air South and follows a round of heavy losses throughout the low-cost sector, which ...
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CASA discusses role in Air Jet 70 programme
CASA Aircraft is in talks to join the Aero International (Regional) (AI(R)) Air Jet 70 regional-jet programme, in a move which could lead to the Spanish company becoming a full member of the regional-aircraft group, it emerged at the European Regions Airline Association meeting held in Baveno, Italy, on 9-10 ...
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ARIA covers Il-96M delay with leased 777s
Aeroflot-Russian International Airlines (ARIA) is to take two GE90-powered Boeing 777-200s on a seven-year lease from International Lease Finance. The aircraft will be delivered in 1998 and will initially give the airline capacity to cover for the expected delay to the delivery of the first of 17 Iluyshin Il-96Ms it ...
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Airtours denies plans for A330 but closes on fleet decision
Airtours International is close to deciding on an order for new long-haul aircraft from Airbus or Boeing, but the airline denies that it has any plans to introduce Airbus A330s in 1998. According to Mike Lee, managing director of the Manchester, UK-based charter airline, decisions will be made ...
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Air UK finalises order for five ATR 72-200's
Air UK has signed its long-expected deal with Aero International (Regional) for five ATR 72-200s. The contract, worth $70 million, includes a firm order for four aircraft and an option on a fifth (Flight International, 27 August-2 September). Deliveries of the ATRs to Stansted, UK-based Air UK, will ...
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Parts shortages slow down Boeing production
Boeing has halted production of the 747 and Next Generation 737 temporarily, to give suppliers time to make up parts shortages which have delayed deliveries. The company will deliver between five and ten fewer Next Generation 737s, and four or five fewer 747s, than planned this year. Production ...