All air transport news – Page 2168
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Brazilians refute merger speculation
Brian Homewood RIO DE JANEIRO Brazil's four major airlines have described reports that they are considering merging into two as "mere speculation". But the Brazilian airline industry remains awash with rumours that Varig, Vasp, Transbrasil and Tam could join forces. Varig says that company president Fernando Pinto, who went on ...
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Passenger seat restraint
Kevin O'Toole Continuing fall-out from Asia's economic crisis reverberated around markets last year as is clear from the latest passenger airline rankings. But it is concerns over falling yields rather than traffic that are now taking centre stage. Last year posed something of a test of resolve for airline ...
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Commercial Aircraft Directory: Part 2
Boeing and Airbus keep the new airliner developments flowing as the Russian industry struggles due to lack of funding Max Kingsley-Jones/LONDON While Airbus Industrie has busied itself with the detailed definition of its new A3XX and launched production of the A340-500/600, Boeing has been quietly introducing major derivatives. ...
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Comsat shareholders give thumbs up to merger
Shareholders in US satellite communications service provider Comsat have approved its proposed merger with Lockheed Martin, removing one barrier to the complex deal. Regulatory approval and legislation are still needed before the merger can go ahead, but the move has been helped by a recent US Senate vote to deregulate ...
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Fokker cash will finally flow to ordinary creditors
The trustees of bankrupt aircraft manufacturer Fokker expect to make initial payments to ordinary creditors in September - more than nine months later than originally planned - following settlement of a legal dispute with the Dutch tax authorities. Trustees have also reached agreement with American Airlines and US Airways ...
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Tree planting role planned for C-130
Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC Lockheed Martin Aeronautical Systems hopes to demonstrate a new environmentally friendly application for the C-130 military transport as a potential airborne reforestation platform. The US aerospace firm, with Boston-based Aerial Forestation (AFI), is researching development of a C-130 to drop large numbers of tree seedlings. ...
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US Airways Express seeks up to 400 small regional jets
Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC US Airways Express has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for up to 100 small regional jets and options for up to 300 larger aircraft for its subsidiary and affiliate regional operators. The RFP specifies a firm requirement for an initial 100 regional jets seating ...
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Rafael to help build missile plant for Singapore
Israeli weapons specialist Rafael will help Singapore build a missile assembly plant as part of a deal to sell the country its Spike and NT-Danti-tank missiles. The Singapore army has selected the Spike while the air force is evaluating both missiles for use with its combat helicopters, including recently ...
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New fuel
NASA's Glenn Research Center has made the first step towards developing new rocket fuels that could revolutionise propulsion technology. Researchers immersed liquid hydrogen in liquid helium, forming tiny hydrogen ice particles, in studies designed to develop atomic fuels from the energy of the chemical recombination of atoms into molecules. Source: ...
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Bombardier searches for BRJ-X engine and steps up CRJ output
Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC Bombardier has formally initiated the competition to power the planned BRJ-X regional aircraft family with the release of a request for proposals (RFP). It will also increase production of the Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) Series 200 after another order from Atlantic Coast Airlines (ACA). Montreal-based ...
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Fairchild could produce freighter version of 328JET
Paul Lewis/OBERPFAFFENHOFEN Fairchild Aerospace proposes to develop a freighter version of its new 328JET, while undertaking range performance improvements of the recently certificated regional aircraft. "There is a proposal for an all-cargo version of the 328JET," says Stanley Deal, Fairchild vice-president 228/328/428 series. He declines to identify the interested ...
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African nations to finance CNS/ATM system
Michael Wakabi/KAMPALA Twenty-one African countries are to invest jointly in a communications, navigation and surveillance/air traffic management (CNS/ATM) system to manage their upper airspace. A memorandum of commitment is expected to be endorsed by members of the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA) in October, with ...
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Il-96-300 widebody deliveries resume after three-year hiatus
Production of the Ilyushin Il-96-300 widebody at the Vorenezh plant is running at a trickle. Moscow-based Domodedovo Airlines recently took delivery of its third Il-96-300 - the first example of the type to be delivered from the factory since February 1996. Just 10 examples of the four-engined, Aviadvigatel PS-90-powered jet ...
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Surge problems prompted P&W switch at CAL
Brent Hannon and Andrzej Jeziorski/TAIPEI Continuing surge problems with its Pratt & Whitney PW4056-powered aircraft contributed to China Airlines' (CAL) decision to choose General Electric as the engine supplier for its latest aircraft orders. "Engine surge is still a problem. We can live with it, but we are ...
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Community Air fails to find backer for PC-12 operations
US start-up Community Air may soon be forced to cancel the purchase of up to 32 10-seat Pilatus PC-12 single-engined turboprops, worth over $90 million, because of the airline's failure to secure $35 million in financing. California-based Community Air, which planned to begin flying in June with four PC-12s, ...
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DHL Airways takes first A300B4 F
DHL Airways, the US arm of express package specialist DHL, has taken delivery of the first of six Airbus A300B4 freighters following conversion and major overhaul by British Aerospace Airbus. The freight carrier has acquired the ex-Thai Airways International aircraft from Airbus, and has options for a further 10 conversions. ...
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Freighter funding due soon
The US Exim bank is expected to release by the end of the year long-awaited funding for an initial batch of three Ilyushin Il-96T widebody freighters being acquired by Aeroflot. The Pratt & Whitney PW2000-powered aircraft received US Federal Aviation Administration certification in June, but the aircraft have not ...
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MAPO plans diversification through Tu-334
Russian manufacturer MAPO plans to join a consortium of companies to produce the Tupolev Tu-334 medium commercial transport. The consortium is being formed by the Tupolev design bureau, the Aviant production plant of Kiev, Ukraine and MAPO. According to MAPO general director and general designer, Nickolay Nikitin, the three ...
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Too late
Iridium's project for a constellation of satellites providing a global telephone service seemed to have real credibility in the late 1980s/early 1990s. Unfortunately, as is often the case with pioneering high technology, high investment schemes, it took too long to materialise, rendering the company a legend even before its own ...
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Boeing completes 717-200 tests as certification nears
Boeing is "on track" to achieve certification of the 717-200 on 1 September after completion of the flight test programme at its Yuma test site in Arizona. This will allow deliveries to begin next month to launch customer AirTran Airways, which has begun training crews. The 717 is set to ...