All air transport news – Page 2247

  • News

    Boeing restructuring prompts more changes

    1998-10-21T00:00:00Z

     Boeing senior vice-president Larry Clarkson is to retire following the recent restructuring of the Boeing Commercial Airplane Group (BCAG) and the disappearance of Boeing Enterprises, of which he was president. Boeing Enterprises, which includes Boeing Business Jets, FlightSafety Boeing Training International and Boeing Modification and Engineering Services, is being ...

  • News

    Troubled PAL searches for wealthy investor

    1998-10-21T00:00:00Z

    Paul Lewis/SINGAPORE Philippine Airlines (PAL) is in a race against time to convince Cathay Pacific Airways and other potential new investors to support the financially stricken national carrier ahead of submitting a rescue plan to the country's Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) on 21 November. Cathay Pacific, along with Northwest Airlines ...

  • News

    EC aims to double the money for European research work

    1998-10-21T00:00:00Z

    Julian Moxon/PARIS The European Commission (EC) has proposed a near doubling of the money available for aerospace research and technology in the four-year period starting next year. The ECU900 million ($1.08 billion) spending plan, contained in its Fifth Framework programme for Europe-wide research and technology, represents a long-awaited ...

  • News

    Boeing targets year end for assessment of 747 stretch

    1998-10-14T00:00:00Z

    Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES Boeing expects to complete windtunnel tests of a stretched, 500-seater 747 by the end of the year and, pending the successful conclusion of business case studies and sufficient customer commitments, says it could launch the aircraft by mid-1999. Boeing, which celebrated 30 years of 747 assembly earlier ...

  • News

    SA Airlink will move on Kalahari Express deal

    1998-10-14T00:00:00Z

    South African regional airline SA Airlink has reached an agreement with Namibian state holding company TransNamib on taking a large stake in start-up Kalahari Express Airlines. The agreement still needs to be ratified by both boards. Trans Namib rescued the airline in June after the original shareholders failed to ...

  • News

    Boeing faces tough delivery target

    1998-10-14T00:00:00Z

    Boeing's efforts to stretch production capacity has left it facing the challenge of delivering up to 182 aircraft over the last three months of the year if it is to meet its predicted delivery tally of 550 aircraft in 1998. According to third quarter delivery figures released by the ...

  • News

    Mega-merger consolidates UK holiday airlines

    1998-10-14T00:00:00Z

    Günter Endres/LONDON Plans by tour operators Thomas Cook and the Carlson Leisure Group to merge are set to lead to a further consolidation of UK charter operators. The deal, which is still subject to regulatory approval, could spell the end of the Caledonian Airways name and propel Thomas ...

  • News

    Japan delays American partnership plans

    1998-10-14T00:00:00Z

    Paul Lewis/SINGAPORE Japan Airlines (JAL) has delayed the start of its planned code-share partnership with American Airlines and is putting on hold any consideration of joining a wider global alliance until its bilateral arrangement with the US carrier is implemented. The Japanese airline had intended in early September ...

  • News

    Marketplace

    1998-10-14T00:00:00Z

    -India's Jet Airways has taken delivery of two Boeing 737-800s. The leased aircraft will replace one 737-400 and one 737-500. -Indian airline Bengal Air is adding two more British Aerospace 748-2Bs for a late October start. -Cargo airline Atlas Air has purchased Cargolux International's three Boeing 747-200 freighters, but will ...

  • News

    Solid succeeds Icelandair service

    1998-10-14T00:00:00Z

    New Luxembourg airline Solid'air is to plug the gap which will be left by the planned withdrawal next January of Icelandair's long-standing operations out of the Grand Duchy. Solid'air is working towards a 12 December start, putting together a regular schedule to destinations in Florida and the Caribbean. ...

  • News

    Southern crosses out plans for Japan launch but stays afloat

    1998-10-14T00:00:00Z

    Andrew Mollet/TOKYO Southern Cross has scrapped plans to launch a new airline in Japan, becoming the latest casualty in the country's attempt to open up domestic competition to start-up carriers. The airline was set up in August 1997 with joint investment by 32 major firms in Okinawa province. ...

  • News

    SIA closes in on Star status

    1998-10-14T00:00:00Z

    Singapore Airlines (SIA) is about to take a step closer to becoming a full member of the Star Alliance by concluding a bilateral partnership with SAS, as part of a wider move by the group's five members to consolidate coverage of the Asia-Pacific region. Founding Star airline SAS is ...

  • News

    Virgin to grow single-aisle fleet

    1998-10-14T00:00:00Z

    Günter Endres/LONDON Virgin Atlantic is to boost its Airbus A320 fleet in the next few months to accommodate the expansion of its European scheduled and charter flights. Initial expansion is expected later this year, with the opening of the London Heathrow-Moscow service, followed by the start of the new ...

  • News

    'Intranet in the sky' is planned

    1998-10-14T00:00:00Z

    Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC Two European airlines are leading the drive to link aircraft on the ground and in the air with the airline's "intranet" information technology systems. Lufthansa charter affiliate Condor and Swissair plan demonstrations of systems to allow Internet-style exchanges of information with aircraft using low-power datalinks ...

  • News

    Southern African airlines struggle to survive as profits plunge

    1998-10-14T00:00:00Z

    By Hilka Birns/CAPE TOWN Dangerously low profit margins are threatening the future of airlines in Southern Africa as low yields from domestic services and excessive levies imposed by government-owned monopolies take their toll, according to the Airline Association of Southern Africa (AASA). Airlines in the region are reporting ...

  • News

    Finmeccanica first half losses slashed

    1998-10-14T00:00:00Z

    Finmeccanica has slashed its losses in the first six months of the year and is hoping for further improvements during the remainder of 1998 as it lowers operating costs and undertakes heavy restructuring of its business. The Italian aerospace and defence giant reported a loss of L568 billion ($351 ...

  • News

    Boeing completes reshuffle

    1998-10-14T00:00:00Z

    Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES Boeing has made sweeping changes to its management in the wake of the structural changes announced in early September providing for three new Commercial Airplane business units. Under newly appointed Boeing Commercial Airplane Group president Alan Mulally, the company is divided into three main units. ...

  • News

    US Army saves the Outrider as Navy VTOL UAV

    1998-10-14T00:00:00Z

    Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC The US Department of Defense Joint Requirements Oversight Council has agreed to let the US Navy and the US Marine Corps switch to a vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned air vehicle (UAV), while allowing the US Army to procure the Alliant Techsystems Outrider UAV. ...

  • News

    Space rescue

    1998-10-14T00:00:00Z

    Tim Furniss/LONDON On 26 September, 92 days after being lost in deep space, the European Space Agency (ESA)/NASA Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) began sending back images of the sun again. The spacecraft's remarkable rescue owes much of its success to the initial location work completed by the large radio ...

  • News

    Boeing nears ILFC 717 deal

    1998-10-14T00:00:00Z

    Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES Boeing and International Lease Finance (ILFC) are close to agreeing a contract for orders involving up to 100 717-200s. Boeing hopes the deal will provide the programme with its long-awaited sales breakthrough for the type since the similarly sized initial launch order from AirTran Airlines in ...