Airframers – Page 1577
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News
Boeing kicks off flight tests of next-generation 737 family
Boeing's flight-test programme for its next-generation 737 family began smoothly on 9 February, with the 737-700 having a problem-free maiden flight from Renton, Washington. The flight marks the start of an eight-month test effort for the 737-700 which will include 1,200h of flying. Certification is planned in September, ...
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Trent 777 IGW remains 'on target'
Boeing and Rolls-Royce are confident that certification of the Trent 890-powered 777-200 Increased Gross Weight (IGW) version of the Boeing twinjet is "on target" to be completed by the end of March, despite a rescheduling of testing because of some late changes in engine configuration. The release of ...
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BAe flies its first converted A300B4 freighter
British Aerospace's Filton, UK-based division, BAe Aviation Services, flew its first converted Airbus A300B4 freighter on 23 January, and hopes to be able to secure approval from the US Federal Aviation Administration and UK Civil Aviation Authority approval by the end of March. The conversion of the first ...
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BMed resurrects BA franchise agreement
BRITISH Mediterranean Airways (BMed) has struck a new agreement with British Airways to operate as a franchise partner on routes between London Heathrow and the Middle East as from April. The two airlines originally agreed to a link for their 1996/7 winter schedules, but the plans were later ...
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CFMI gears up for bumper year
CFM International (CFMI) is stepping up production of CFM56 engines in response to record orders placed during 1996 for 1,280 powerplants valued at $5.5 billion. CFMI president Gerard Laviec says that the company had planned for only "about 700 orders" for the year. As a result of the ...
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Ethiopian nears decision on new fleet
Ethiopian Airlines is studying proposals from Boeing and Airbus Industrie for its fleet-renewal programme, and is expected to be ready to place an order for narrow- and widebodied aircraft before the end of the year. "Most of the background work has been finalised. My expectation is that we ...
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Rescued Kiwi takes expansion slowly
Kiwi International Airlines, which re-introduced scheduled passenger services to four US cities at the end of January, plans a gradual expansion of its fleet and destinations over the next three months. Kiwi was forced to suspend all scheduled services in October 1996 after filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy ...
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RAC sets up Tu-204 leasing-
The Russian Aviation Consortium (RAC) has set up a leasing company to help in its efforts to place the Tupolev Tu-204 with Russian airlines. Certification of the Tu-204Ccargo version and increased-take-off-weight Tu-214 are also now expected in March. The new Moscow Aviation International (MAIC) leasing company has guaranteed ...
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Fly by net
The AeroNet, SITA's latest data-communications system, could be the aviation industry's answer to the Internet. Long established as a provider of data communications for the aviation industry, SITA recently had a self-contained, high-performance data network grafted on to its support structure. Called the AeroNet, it is aimed at eradicating paper ...
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Spare a thought
Airlines in Europe are becoming increasingly reliant on third-party component support services. Maintaining a comprehensive spare-parts inventory for a modern airline is an expensive business, particularly for a small- or medium-sized operator. Many expensive components may be languishing in storage, under-used but held in case an unforeseen failure grounds an ...
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Flying high in the USA
There seems to be no stopping the US airline industry. Passenger traffic has set new highs throughout the past year and there are few signs of the growth slowing down. Profits have been spectacular. On almost any measure, the year-end results from the US majors are the best ...
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CIS reports worst-ever airline accident rate
A MASSIVE deterioration in freight airline safety in the CIS countries has given the region its worst fatal airline-accident rate in history, according to figures released by the Interstate Aviation Committee (MAK). Ten of the year's 13 fatal accidents involved CIS-registered freighters. MAK says that this gives a fatal-accident rate ...
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Myanmar shelves A320-lease plans
Myanmar Airways International has scrapped plans to lease two Airbus Industrie A320s and instead extended an interim lease agreement with Malaysia Airlines (MAS)for two Boeing 737-400s. In late 1996, the Singapore-Myanmar joint-venture carrier signed a letter of intent with Airbus to lease two A320s for five years. The ...
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Workshop
++ MTU has received a five-year contract from Qantas to support the General Electric CF6-50C2s which power the airline's fleet of Airbus A300B4s. ++ Sabena Technics has signed a long-term contract with Biman Bangladesh Airlines to provide maintenance support for the airline's fleet of two Airbus A310-300s. Sabena Technics will ...
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Air Niugini finalises order for Dash 8s
The planned order by Air Niugini of Papua New Guinea (PNG) for two Bombardier de Havilland Dash 8-200s is to be finalised, after delays during final contract negotiations. The airline has been negotiating the order with Bombardier for some months to replace its fleet of de Havilland Dash ...
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Bidders jostle for SilkAir order
SilkAir of Singapore has begun evaluating formal proposals submitted by competing airframe and engine manufacturers for a replacement fleet of up to ten narrowbody passenger jets. The Singapore Airlines-owned regional carrier is looking for a new family of 100- and 150-seat aircraft to replace its fleet of Boeing ...
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Turkey discusses THY fleet-renewal order
Turkish prime minister Neemettin Erbakan is discussing a potential order with Airbus and Boeing for up to 50 aircraft worth about $4 billion, for operation by the country's national carrier THY Turkish Airlines. Bids are being discussed from Airbus and Boeing for aircraft to replace THY's fleet of ...
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BAe is poised to make decision on JSF partner
British Aerospace, a loser in the initial Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) shortlist, will decide shortly whether to join forces with Boeing or Lockheed Martin, the US aerospace firms selected by the Pentagon to continue development of the next-generation tactical aircraft. BAe had been teamed with McDonnell Douglas (MDC) ...
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Boeing opens the subcontractor door wider for Northrop Grumman
Boeing has decided to subcontract production of passenger and cargo doors for its 737, 757 and 767 airliners, despite union efforts to persuade the company to retain the work in-house. The manufacturer says that the move is a cost-cutting measure. Its introduction follows a two-year study. Northrop Grumman ...
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AI(R) founders will have to bid for Air Jet work
The three founders of Europe's Aero International (Regional)(AIR(R)) will, in principle, have to bid for work on the proposed new Air Jet regional programme alongside other potential risk-sharing partners, says chief executive Patrick Gavin. He says that Aerospatiale, Alenia and British Aerospace were invited to the bidding conference ...