Airframers – Page 1618
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News
Falcon certification
Dassault Aviation has obtained French civil-aviation certification for its Falcon 900EX long-range business-jet. The French manufacturer expects to gain US certification later this month, leading to first customer deliveries in October. Sony's US arm is the launch customer for the aircraft. The 900EX, which is equipped with AlliedSignal TFE731-60 turbofan ...
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Turbocharged Pulsar model is introduced...
AERO DESIGNS HAS introduced a turbocharged version of its Pulsar entry-level kitplane. The Turbo Pulsar is powered by a turbocharged Rotax 914, giving a cruise speed of 150kt (280km/h) at 7,500ft (2,300m), rising to 160kt at 17,500ft. The normally aspirated, Rotax 912-powered Pulsar XP has a cruise speed of 130kt. ...
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P&W secures NASA engine deal
Guy Norris/LOSANGELES PRATT & WHITNEY has won a $27 million five-year engine-technology contract from the NASA Lewis Research Center as part of the agency's advanced subsonic-technology (AST) project. The AST project, which was launched in 1992, is designed to keep the US aerospace industry competitive by ...
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KLM renews growth effort in Europe with expanded fleet
Kevin O'Toole/LONDON KLM IS TO START A NEW wave of growth in its European operations, outlining plans for a $300 million short-haul fleet expansion and a new agreement with its pilots' union, which paves the way for greater use of wet-lease and codesharing with regional partners. ...
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FAA forced ValuJet cut in growth before crash
Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC US FEDERAL AVIATION Administration concern over the effect on ValuJet's safety of its rapid expansion forced the carrier to rein back planned growth almost four months before the McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 crash in Florida on 11 May, documents obtained through the Freedom of Information Act ...
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China plans 777 lease for US service
CHINA SOUTHERN Airlines is negotiating to lease three more Boeing 777-200IGWs (increased gross weight) from International Lease Finance to support its planned start-up passenger service to the USA. The Chinese carrier is understood to be discussing taking the three leased aircraft in 1997. The airline needs more long-range ...
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Engine-makers line up options for 747X
Guy Norris/LOS ANGLES GENERAL ELECTRIC and Pratt & Whitney expect to finalise by the end of the month their joint-venture plans for the new -500/600 growth versions of Boeing 747. The two manufacturers have "-quickly reached agreement on an engine configuration", but have yet to reach ...
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Former SNPE chief Bechat returns to Snecma to take over from Dufour
JEAN-PAUL BECHAT has become Snecma's new chairman and chief executive, replacing Bernard Dufour, who leaves after only two years, mainly because of deteriorating relations between the French aero-engine builder and General Electric, its 50-50 partner in CFM International. Bechat left Snecma two years ago, to become chairman and chief executive ...
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JAT wants to buy more aircraft
YUGOSLAV flag carrier JAT wants to acquire new aircraft as it tries to modernise its war-battered operations. It is reported in Belgrade newspapers that JAT plans to invest around $1 billion by 2000, to rejuvenate part of its fleet. JAT resumed international operations in 1994, with the lifting ...
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Airbus revises A340 development
Julian Moxon/TOULOUSE Andrew Doyle/VANCOUVER AIRLINES ARE PUSHING Airbus to study a 15,700km (8,500nm)-range derivative of the A340, combining the fuselage of the -300 with the wing and engines of the -600 "Super Stretch", as an alternative to the smaller, 14,800km- range, A340-8000. At a recent meeting ...
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Lufthansa pilots unhappy with aircraft maintenance
LUFTHANSA PILOTS are unhappy with the technical state of some of the aircraft they fly, according to an internal report leaked to the German press. The pilots complain that technical problems on aircraft are left unresolved because of "lack of parts, time pressure and lack of personnel". Although ...
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Fokker wins a reprieve with big KLM order
FOKKER HAS WON another year's reprieve, after gaining agreement from the Dutch bankruptcy court that it can keep assembly lines open for another year, to produce 15 more aircraft. The agreement removes the immediate threat of closure which has been looming for the bankrupt aircraft maker, but key ...
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Stretched 328 is revived by Fairchild acquisition
Andrzej Jeziorski/MUNICH Graham Warwick/Washington DC FAIRCHILD AIRCRAFT of the USA is planning to launch a stretched high-speed version of the 33-seat Dornier 328 turboprop in "a matter of weeks" after its acquisition of a majority stake in the German manufacturer. Mac Williams, Fairchild's president, says that ...
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Unijet to take control of Leisure International
TOUR OPERATOR Unijet is to take full control of Leisure International Airways, by acquiring the 60% equity stake held by the Air UK Group and parent company British Transport Holdings before 30 April, 1997. The move has been widely predicted following KLM's increased investment in Air UK, presaging ...
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SIA sells
Singapore Airlines (SIA) has completed the sale of two Boeing 747-200s to United Parcel Service for conversion into freighters. The two form part of SIA's sale of six surplus aircraft. The aircraft, including a fourth 747-200 for an unidentified US carrier, are due for delivery by September. SIA has sold ...
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Slow start
Six months after opening, Macau International Airport is struggling to generate business. Terence Hardeman and Brent Hannon/MACAU WITH FANFARE and speeches, the $1.1 billion Macau International Airport was officially opened in December 1995. Apart from the arrival of Dr Mario Soares, president of Portugal, and a Lockheed Martin ...
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European airlines return to profit but warn on delays
Kevin O'Toole/LONDON EUROPE'S AIRLINE industry has turned in its first profit since 1989, but any celebrations over the news were quickly tempered by stark warnings over the congestion and pending European legislation which the carriers believe could damage progress. The Association of European Airlines (AEA) reports ...
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A new Fulcrum for Russian industry
Alexander Velovich/MOSCOW IT IS EITHER a confederation of cripples, or the creation of a group which mirrors the scale advantages enjoyed by US aerospace goliath Lockheed Martin: only time will tell which is true of VPK MAPO. The creation of VPK MAPO (Military Industrial Complex - ...
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British Airways lines up multi-billion dollar deal
Max Kingsley-Jones/LONDON BRITISH AIRWAYS is expected soon to finalise a $2 billion order for around 20 Boeing aircraft, which could include a mix of 747-400s, 757s and some 777s. The deal will be the airline's first major order since 1991. BA declines to comment on the ...
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MAS profits recovery fails to impress
MALAYSIA AIRLINES (MAS) again saw profits leap for the 1995/6 financial year, but the extent of the improvement failed to impress market analysts, who had been hoping for more. The airline ended its financial year to March showing a 68% increase in net profits, to M$233 million ($93 ...