All air transport news – Page 2118

  • News

    'Technical challenges' delay Boeing JSF demonstrator

    2000-03-07T00:00:00Z

    Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC First flight of Boeing's X-32B short take-off and vertical-landing (STOVL) Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) concept demonstrator has been delayed by "technical challenges" in the integration of the propulsion system with the flight-control software. The first flight, due in the third quarter, has slipped to later in the ...

  • News

    Hawaiian twinjets

    2000-03-07T00:00:00Z

    Hawaiian Airlines has confirmed its planned order for 13 Boeing 717s and taken rights to purchase another seven of the twinjets. Deliveries will begin in February 2001 and conclude by the end of the year. The 123-seaters will replace 15 McDonnell Douglas DC-9s. Orders for 717s total 143. Source: Flight ...

  • News

    Sumitomo assists

    2000-03-07T00:00:00Z

    Flight International's sister on-line service, Air Transport Intelligence, reports that Japanese engineering firm Sumitomo Precision Products will assist Hamilton Sundstrand in developing and producing the air conditioning package for the Embraer RJ-170/190 regional jet family. Sumitomo will be responsible for the system's heat exchanger, the condenser and the high-pressure water ...

  • News

    What's so special?

    2000-03-01T00:00:00Z

    Passenger service levels are back on the agenda, with major airlines on both sides of the Atlantic under customer pressure to raise their game. But that may be only a symptom of a deeper need for airlines to look again at what differentiates their product. What is the difference ...

  • News

    China eases limits on Hong Kong carriers

    2000-03-01T00:00:00Z

    Hong Kong and its rulers in Beijing have negotiated an air services "arrangement" that allows for a major increase in flights to and from the former UK colony and the Chinese mainland. The accord was signed in Beijing on 2 February and took immediate effect. Hong Kong's secretary for ...

  • News

    Threat to single cargo platform

    2000-03-01T00:00:00Z

    A three-year initiative aimed at developing a seamless, door-to-door system for conventional air cargo could be in jeopardy if a meeting in Los Angeles on 24 February votes as expected. At stake are plans by the International Air Transport Association's special interest group, Cargo 2000, to create a ...

  • News

    Fairchild leads charge for 100-seater market

    2000-03-01T00:00:00Z

    The 100-seat airliner market debate was freshly stirred at Asian Aerospace 2000 as the regional aircraft manufacturers showed themselves to be ever more confident about their prospects in this controversial sector. In a far cry from two years ago, when the regional manufacturers insisted that they would not risk ...

  • News

    Continental doubles order for regionals

    2000-03-01T00:00:00Z

    US regional Continental Express opened Asian Aerospace 2000 with a new order for 100 Embraer regional jets, doubling the number of small jets it has on firm order. The $1.8 billion deal takes Continental Express' total confirmed orders for ERJ-145s and 135s to 200. It will continue to take ...

  • News

    Avensa flights suspended

    2000-03-01T00:00:00Z

    Avensa's financial condition has forced it to suspend all flights to Europe. The Venezuelan airline returned its two McDonnell Douglas DC-10s to their lessor in early February. By some accounts the lessor seized them, but Avensa insists it returned the jets as their leases expired. Either way, this is ...

  • News

    BA underscores its African presence

    2000-03-01T00:00:00Z

    ROGER MAKINGS JOHANNESBURG British Airways and its oneworld alliance could be about to strengthen its challenge in sub-Saharan African, following the UK carrier's decision to buy into regional partner Comair. BA plans to take an 18% stake, worth around R168 million ($28 million) in Johannesburg-based Comair, which signed as a ...

  • News

    Taiwan/Philippines heal rift with new air agreement

    2000-03-01T00:00:00Z

    NICHOLAS IONIDES ATI SINGAPORE Scheduled flights between Taiwan and the Philippines were restored last month after the two sides forged a tentative agreement on new air services. It ends a dispute lasting more than four months. The agreement was signed on 28 January in Manila, allowing for flights to ...

  • News

    Routes, Asia/Africa

    2000-03-01T00:00:00Z

    Oneworld links American Airlines and Cathay Pacific Airways have applied for US Department of Transportation approval for a wide-ranging codesharing agreement. The air services arrangement between the USA and Hong Kong does not allow codesharing but the oneworld alliance partners say they expect a new accord finalised in April ...

  • News

    Raising the meal ticket

    2000-03-01T00:00:00Z

    DENNIS BLANK ORLANDO After a lean few years in which US majors slashed catering costs, feeding passengers is back on the menu in the hope that a decent meal will win back customers Spending on onboard food service by the major US carriers is up and the trend is expected ...

  • News

    Out of the blue

    2000-03-01T00:00:00Z

    CAROLE SHIFRIN NEW YORK New York's new start-up carrier gets off the ground, boasting an impressive management team, some attention-grabbing innovations and a sizeable sum of money. Does it also have staying power? David Neeleman, the 40-year-old founder and chief executive of JetBlue Airways, exudes confidence that the newest low-fare ...

  • News

    Routes, Europe

    2000-03-01T00:00:00Z

    Eight more for Ryanair Low-cost airline Ryanair has announced eight new services from this summer - seven from Stansted and one from Prestwick. The Stansted routes include twice-daily services to Hamburg and Nimes and a daily connection to Perpignan from June. The following month will see a significant increase ...

  • News

    Virgin's Brisbane choice revives terminal debate

    2000-03-01T00:00:00Z

    Virgin Australia's selection of Brisbane as its operations centre raises questions about the airline's strategy and revives the debate over airport terminal access. Brisbane is the smallest of Australia's three big cities and it handles the smallest share of their air traffic. Statistics show that 51% of all domestic ...

  • News

    In Brief, Europe

    2000-03-01T00:00:00Z

    Low-cost boost Most business travellers in the UK cite cost as the most important consideration when choosing an airline. The findings, in a recent survey by Barclaycard, a UK credit card company, provide evidence of a growing trend to the use of low-cost carriers. For the first time, two ...

  • News

    Behind the headlines

    2000-03-01T00:00:00Z

    The first batch of European airline results are in for the December quarter. Chris Tarry of Commerzbank looks at what they really tell investors. From a stock market perspective, there can be little doubt that airlines are out of favour. After a recovery in sentiment in the last two months ...

  • News

    Maverick in Brazil

    2000-03-01T00:00:00Z

    BRIAN HOMEWOOD RIO DE JANEIRO TAM has grown out of its regional status to become Brazil's second biggest airline. Its chief executive wants greater competition, although not an open skies deal with the USA. Every weekday morning between 06.00 and 07.00, TAM president Rolim Amaro can be found on ...

  • News

    American gives more room to stretch

    2000-03-01T00:00:00Z

    KAREN WALKER WASHINGTON DC In a move designed to steal more high yield market share and publicly address growing dissatisfaction among passengers with US airline service, American Airlines will increase leg room in the economy cabin across its entire fleet. Even if the percentage of business travellers who switch ...