Airframers – Page 1535

  • News

    R-R considers scaled-down Trent 800 for new Boeings

    1997-05-14T00:00:00Z

    Rolls-Royce is considering development of another scaled-down version the Trent 800 engine to power the recently launched stretched Boeing 767-400 and the proposed "simple stretch" 747-400 increased gross weight (IGW) aircraft. "We've the core opportunity to do a new engine for that in a timescale that will satisfy ...

  • News

    Tupolev confirms Iranian production talks

    1997-05-14T00:00:00Z

    Tupolev is holding talks with Iranian officials over manufacturing its Tu-204 and Tu-334 twinjets in Iran, according to sources within the Russian aircraft-design bureau. According to Tupolev, however, suggestions by some Iranian officials that talks have been successfully concluded are premature. They say that negotiations are still in ...

  • News

    US Airways cuts out loss-making routes

    1997-05-14T00:00:00Z

    US AIRWAYS is eliminating unprofitable routes and grounding 22 aircraft in what could be the first step towards shrinking the nation's sixth-largest airline to a regional carrier. Stephen Wolf, the airline's chairman, has also warned that unless he has concessions from labour unions before 30 September, he will ...

  • News

    China Eastern beats its 1996 profits forecast

    1997-05-14T00:00:00Z

    China Eastern Airlines managed to post better-than-forecast profits for 1996, providing some good news in the wake of its February listing on the Hong Kong and New York stock exchanges. In its prospectus for the flotation (the first by a Chinese carrier), China Eastern had warned that declining ...

  • News

    City Bird boss hunts for new investors

    1997-05-14T00:00:00Z

    Belgian entrepreneur Victor Hasson is seeking new investors for the recently launched City Bird long-haul airline, to reduce the controlling 58%share held by his City Hotels group. Hasson launched the City Bird concept in 1996, after selling control of EuroBelgian Airlines (EBA), the low-fare European carrier now operating ...

  • News

    Malev boosts share sale

    1997-05-14T00:00:00Z

    The Hungarian Government is to sell off another 39%of Malev as the privatisation of the flag carrier goes into its second phase. Alitalia, which acquired 30%of Malev in the initial privatisation four years ago, may also have to sell its stake. The sale to Alitalia, and of another ...

  • News

    Brazil and Canada battle over aircraft support

    1997-05-14T00:00:00Z

    A trade dispute is building up between Brazil and Canada over the level of state support going to their rival regional-jet manufacturers, Embraer and Bombardier. The dispute began in June 1996 with allegations from Canada that sales finance being provided by Brazil's PROEXexport agency for the Embraer EMB-145 ...

  • News

    US Government resists Thai bid to buy Popeye

    1997-05-14T00:00:00Z

    The Royal Thai Air Force (RTAF) wants to purchase the Lockheed Martin/Rafael AGM-142 Popeye air-to-surface missile (ASM) for its Lockheed Martin F-16A/B and McDonnell Douglas F/18C/D fighters, but it is facing resistance from the US Government. According to US Government sources, Washington has asked Thailand to defer any ...

  • News

    US carriers enjoy profits hike

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    Overall profits from the major US airline groups continued to forge ahead in the first quarter of 1997, shrugging aside the hike in fuel costs and re-imposition of the 10% federal ticket tax in early March. The leading airlines made a combined profit of over $750 million, more ...

  • News

    Maersk steers Estonian Air to profits in 1999 as traffic rises

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    Estonian Air, now managed by Denmark's Maersk Air following 1996's privatisation, is forecasting proÌts by 1999 on the back of a steady increase in passenger traffic, helped by its new Western-built aircraft ßeet and the development of regional routes from the Estonian capital, Tallinn. Borge Thornbech, who was ...

  • News

    Finmeccanica heads for new direction as president goes

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    Italy's state-owned aerospace and defence group, Finmeccanica, is poised for yet another sharp change in direction after the resignation of its long-time president Fabiano Fabiani. The move is expected to end attempts to privatise the whole group and lead to the sale or merger of individual businesses such ...

  • News

    Canadian pair plan shake-ups

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    Canada's regional carriers face a shake-up following a decision by the country's two largest airlines to consider restructuring their domestic operations. Air Canada set the ball rolling by announcing a review of operations which could lead to a restructuring of four regional carriers - Air BC, Air Ontario, ...

  • News

    Slow domestic market makes ANA look abroad for growth

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    All Nippon Airways (ANA) has announced plans for a large-scale expansion of its international operations over the next five years, as the carrier faces the prospect of slower growth and increased competition at home. Under ANA's mid-term 1997-2001 corporate plan, international operations will be expanded from 30% to ...

  • News

    Cathay's mixed fleet cuts costs of crews

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    Cathay Pacific Airways claims that mixed-fleet flying on its Airbus Industrie A330s and A340s has yielded crew-cost savings of up to 25%. The Hong Kong-based airline is a world leader in two-engine/four-engine mixed-fleet flying. Capt John Bent, Cathay's flying training manager (policy), says that, following the initial costs ...

  • News

    Two UK freight carriers prepare for widebodies

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    HeavyLift Cargo Airlines, and Hunting Cargo are working towards the introduction of widebodied freighters later this year to meet possible express-parcels carriers' requirements and their own needs. HeavyLift is finalising plans to introduce two Airbus A300B4 freighters this year, while Hunting says that it is considering the acquisition ...

  • News

    First Ilyushin Il-96T is rolled out at Voronezh

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    The first series production version of the Pratt & Whitney PW2000-powered Ilyushin Il-96, a-96T freighter, was rolled out at the VASO plant in Voronezh on 26 April. The Russian prime minister, Victor Chernomyrdin, attended the ceremony, stressing the political significance of the event. Twenty of the PW2337-powered aircraft ...

  • News

    Lufthansa 747 'Classic' digital cockpit retrofit is certificated

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    The first Boeing 747 "Classic" to be retrofitted with a digital cockpit has been certificated by the German civil aviation authority. The aircraft, an ex-United Airlines 747SPbelonging to the Brunei royal family, was modified by Lufthansa Technik in Hamburg, Germany (Flight International, 26 June-2 July, 1996). It has ...

  • News

    MEA expands Airbus fleet as 747s are sold

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    Middle East Airlines (MEA) is planning a major expansion of its Airbus Industrie fleet following the sale of its three ageing Boeing 747s. The three Boeing 747-200 Combis, delivered new to the airline in 1975, have been sold to the US freight airline American International Airways (AIA) for ...

  • News

    R-R will speed up Trent 8100

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    Rolls-Royce has reached agreement with Boeing to advance the development and certification of its planned 445kN (100,000lb)-thrust Trent 8100 growth engine by nine months, allowing the powerplant to enter service on the proposed 777-200X and -300X derivatives by 2001. The revised Trent 8100 schedule is contained in a ...

  • News

    Breath of fresh AI(R)

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    When Aero International (Regional) (AI(R)) was formed in January 1996 from the regional-aircraft businesses of Aerospatiale of France, Alenia of Italy and British Aerospace, its declared policy was to manufacture and market a family of complementary regional aircraft. That family now includes the Jetstream 41 turboprop (with 29-30 seats), the ...