All air transport news – Page 2242
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News
SIA wants slice of China Airlines
Brent Hannon/TAIPEI Singapore Airlines (SIA) wants to buy an equity stake of up to 30% in China Airlines (CAL), but the Taiwanese flag carrier will insist upon taking an equal share of SIA in return, according to CAL vice-president-commercial Sandy Liu. SIA has indicated a willingness to consider the 30% ...
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BAe insures itself against lease portfolio losses
British Aerospace has finalised a novel plan to protect itself financially from any dramatic swings in the regional aircraft market, with the setting up of its "financial risk insurance programme" . BAe has a portfolio of some 600 aircraft, including BAe 146 regional jets and turboprops such as Jetstreams ...
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American and BA in accord on Iberia stake
American Airlines and British Airways, leaders of the oneworld alliance, have reached a tentative agreement with Iberia's state holding company to acquire jointly a 10% stake in the Spanish flag carrier as it is transferred into private ownership. The agreement, which signals the next likely move to bolster the new ...
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Boeing bullish on cargo expansion
Max Kingsley-Jones/LONDON Boeing continues to predict a near-doubling of the world's jet freighter fleet by 2017 despite a short term slowdown in growth in the Asian market because of the spread of the current economic crises. The company's biennial world air cargo forecast says 75% of the growth ...
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GKN Westland buys Dow-UT for $60m
GKN Westland Aerospace of the UK is buying Dow-United Technologies Composite Products in a cash deal worth $60.5 million. The transaction is expected to be completed by the end of the year. The US company, based in Wallingford, Connecticut, was formed by Dow Chemical and United Technologies in 1989 ...
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Winners and losers
Brent Hannon/MANILA New carriers launched since aviation was deregulated in the Philippines in late 1994 have enjoyed rapid growth as a result of the prolonged crisis at Philippine Airlines (PAL). The crisis, which came to a head with a pilots' strike in June this year and a two-week cessation ...
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Ilyushin sets target for Il-103 certification to emerge from shadows
Paul Duffy/MOSCOW Ilyushin expects to have the US Federal Aviation Administration shadow certification of its ll-103 single engined light piston upgraded to full certification by the end of this year. The Russian design bureau confirms that the MAK (Interstate Aviation Committee) Avia Register has certificated the aircraft's manufacturer, ...
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PT6A-42A certification
Pratt & Whitney Canada's PT6A-42A turboprop for the New Piper Malibu Meridian and Aero Vodochody Ae270 has received Transport Canada type certificate approval. The engine, thermodynamically rated at 1,029shp, first flew in late August with the maiden flight of the Meridien and first deliveries are due to begin in early ...
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Boeing tests 747-X trailing edge wedge
Boeing has begun flight tests of a trailing-edge wedge wing modification on a 747-400 as the first element of a potential package of changes that could be applied to future 747 derivatives. The modification consists of a triangular-shaped wedge on the lower surface of the wing trailing edge, and ...
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BA closes on RB211 'hybrid' retrofit deal
Andrew Doyle/SEATTLE Max Kingsley-Jones/LONDON British Airways is finalising a deal with Rolls-Royce to upgrade the engines on half of its 50-strong fleet of RB211-powered Boeing 747-400s, as it finalises a plan to phase out the remainder of its "classic" 747 variants within the next four years. The proposed contract, which ...
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British Midland to outline fleet expansion for long haul services
Max Kingsley-Jones/LONDON British Midland (BM) will this week outline plans to acquire a fleet of long-haul aircraft, as well as new deals for additional short-haul aircraft. In February, the UK airline unveiled plans for transatlantic services from London Heathrow in anticipation of a UK/US "open skies" accord, and ...
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US Airways takes first of up to 400 Airbuses
US Airways has begun operating its first of up to 400 Airbus Industrie A320 family aircraft, an A319. The airline selected the type for its future short-haul fleet, and holds firm orders for 124 aircraft and options on another 276. All the aircraft will be powered by CFM International CFM56-5 ...
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PAL resumes service as courts order aircraft to be returned
Brent Hannon/TAIPEI Philippine Airlines (PAL) was able to relaunch international flights on 29 October, following a US court decision ordering the US Exim bank to return its seized Boeing 747-400s to the struggling carrier. The airline has also received approval from Manila's Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to return ...
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SAA secures bilaterals ahead of sell-off
Hilka Birns/CAPE TOWN South African Airways (SAA) has secured bilateral agreements with Swissair and Singapore Airlines (SIA) and has extended its alliance with Lufthansa as part of its streamlining process ahead of privatisation. The airline is also negotiating similar alliances in the Middle East, North America, South America ...
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Engine problems delay first flight of X-33
Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES Development problems with the linear aerospike engine have forced Lockheed Martin to delay the first flight of the X-33 reusable launch vehicle (RLV) prototype by four months to December 1999. Longer range tests will now not be conducted until 2001. Despite the delay, Lockheed Martin says it ...
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Daewoo starts work on modified KT-1
Daewoo Heavy Industries (DHI) is to start development of the KOX forward air control (FAC) version of the KT-1 turboprop basic trainer in 1999, following successful completion of operational testing of the aircraft by the South Korean air force. The South Korean manufacturer plans to modify its fifth and ...
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Korean Air seeks 737 HUD in drive for safety
Marconi Electronic Systems and Flight Dynamics are competing to equip Korean Air's new Boeing 737-800 and -900 fleet with head-up displays (HUDs) as part of the airline's new safety drive. Sources close to the programmes say that such guidance systems could have prevented some of the incidents in which ...
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Samsung wins first order for licence-built Bell 427 helicopter
Seoul-based helicopter operator Heli Korea has placed the first firm order with Samsung for the Samsung-Bell SB427 eight-seat utility helicopter. Apart from this order for three aircraft, Samsung says that it has letters of intent (LoIs) covering 25 further potential sales, including five in China. Among possible Chinese customers ...
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Pegasus undergoes hypersonic test
An Orbital Sciences Pegasus XL booster originating from Cape Canaveral, Florida, was launched from its Lockheed L-1011 mother ship over the Atlantic on 22 October, carrying Brazil's SCD-2 commercial satellite into low earth orbit. The XL was also equipped with a NASA aerodynamics experiment, the Wing Glove, which was ...
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FLEETS
Long commitment The world's fourth-largest regional airline, Comair, has signed a 10-year agreement with Bombardier to acquire 50 more CRJs, comprising 30 CRJ-200s and 20 CRJ-700s. The deal includes a further 115 options. Wayout west America West has taken delivery of two more Airbus A320s, ...