All air transport news – Page 2272

  • News

    South Africa may delay Gripen or Hawk order

    1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

    South Africa is considering delaying a pending order for either Saab/British Aerospace Gripen fighters or BAe Hawk lead-in fighter trainers, as it struggles to fund a planned R30 billion ($4.9 billion) defence modernisation programme. The proposed R10.9 billion order for 28 Gripen fighters is the most expensive procurement contained ...

  • News

    Strategic stretch

    1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

    More than a long-range niche filler, Boeing's 767-400ER promises to bring new life to the entire big twin family Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES Boeing's big twinjet strategy takes another important step forward on 26 August when the 767-400ER is officially rolled out of the company's Everett assembly site in ...

  • News

    Commercial Aircraft Directory: Part 1

    1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

    The past 12 months has seen a regional jet boom, with sales flourishing and new models brought to market Andrew Doyle/MUNICH Max Kingsley-Jones/LONDONThe regional aircraft sector has been dominated in the past year by jet product launches, namely the Fairchild Aerospace 428JET and 528/728/928JETfamily, Embraer RJ-170/190 and Airbus A318. Product ...

  • News

    US export changes hit Canada

    1999-08-18T00:00:00Z

    Canadian industry is struggling to cope with changes to US export controls which have curtailed its access to US technology and markets. The special status previously accorded to Canadian companies has been removed following changes to US International Trade in Arms Regulations (ITARs). As a result, US companies now ...

  • News

    Industry holds WTO compliance talks

    1999-08-18T00:00:00Z

    The Canadian Government has begun talks with industry on how to restructure the Technology Partnerships Canada (TPC) programme to make it compliant with World Trade Organisation (WTO) regulations on export subsidies. Industry minister John Manley threw down the gauntlet to Brazil at Aerospace North America by stressing that Canada ...

  • News

    Boeing focuses on longer-range 757-200

    1999-08-18T00:00:00Z

    Guy Norris/SEATTLE As pressure builds on Boeing to inject new life into the 757 programme, the company is focusing studies of a longer-range 757-200X on a group of six key scheduled and charter operators. It believes the variant could enter service after 2003. Major changes to the current 757-200 would ...

  • News

    A300 autopilot checks ordered after approach yaws

    1999-08-18T00:00:00Z

    Uncommanded rudder inputs on final approach traced to a faulty Airbus A300-600 autopilot have caused the US Federal Aviation Administration to issue an airworthiness directive (AD) requiring autopilot checks on the entire A300B, A310 and A300-600 fleet. The unidentified incident is still under investigation by the French civil aviation ...

  • News

    AlliedSignal powers up AS900 turbofan

    1999-08-18T00:00:00Z

    AlliedSignal plans to begin flight tests of its new generation AS900 regional and corporate jet turbofan in January 2000 following the successful start of initial runs at its Phoenix, Arizona, test site. The first run, on 30 July, marked the start of an initial three-phase test period which will establish ...

  • News

    Malaysia launches audio/video on demand, plans e-mail service

    1999-08-18T00:00:00Z

    Malaysia Airlines (MAS) launched audio- and video-on-demand (A/VOD) capability on one of its Boeing 777s this month. It is the first stage of a programme that will see the airline's entire 777 and Boeing 747-400 fleet equipped with the latest in-flight entertainment (IFE) feature. A/VOD, which allows passengers to ...

  • News

    Matsushita prepares for deliveries of System 3000

    1999-08-18T00:00:00Z

    In-flight entertainment (IFE) system supplier Matsushita will be ready to deliver its new interactive IFE hardware - the System 3000 - early next year. The first phase of the fully interactive system designed for widebody aircraft will be available in the first quarter, with full system functionality in the ...

  • News

    Maverick first flight

    1999-08-18T00:00:00Z

    Maverick Air's Twinjet 1500 business kit-build aircraft made its first flight this month, with performance of the five-seater "better than expected", says Maverick owner and president Bob Bornhofen. By mid-August, the General Electric T58-powered aircraft had clocked up 15h in ground tests and 1h of flight tests as part of ...

  • News

    Aviat 110 debuts at Oshkosh

    1999-08-18T00:00:00Z

    Aviat Aircraft's resurrected Monocoupe 110 Special appeared at this year's Experimental Aircraft Association convention at Oshkosh, Wisconsin, just days after its first flight. Initial flight results exceed expectations, says Aviat. The original Monocoupe was a 1932 two-seat racing design built around a 110-140kW (145-185hp) radial engine, while the 1999 version ...

  • News

    P&WC extends Fairchild deal to cover 428JET

    1999-08-18T00:00:00Z

    Paul Lewis/OBERPFAFFENHOFEN Fairchild Aerospace has reached a risk-sharing agreement with Pratt & Whitney Canada to fit the PW308B engine to the stretch 428JET and expects to decide shortly on its remaining systems, structural suppliers and proposed final assembly by Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI). Fairchild struck an agreement with ...

  • News

    Boeing tackles 777 power problems

    1999-08-18T00:00:00Z

    Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES Boeing is working on an urgent redesign of the variable speed constant frequency (VSCF) generators on the 777 after a number of failures caused damage to engine mounted gearboxes. The VSCF problem is receiving maximum priority as it directly affects extended range twin operations (ETOPS) just as ...

  • News

    Airbus focuses on A330 shrink in search for 200-seater

    1999-08-18T00:00:00Z

    Paul Lewis and Max Kingsley-Jones/LONDON Airbus Industrie's search for a new 200-seat widebody jet is focusing on a further shrink of the A330 as a possible alternative to earlier studies of updating the A300/A310 family or developing an all new design. Internal attention is now focused on an ...

  • News

    KLM uk restructures as low-cost plans emerge

    1999-08-18T00:00:00Z

    KLM uk is reorganising its network and fleet deployment as it prepares to take on European rivals with a low-cost division. The London Stansted-based subsidiary of Dutch carrier KLM says it will begin dropping six domestic and international routes from September, to enable it to boost capacity on services ...

  • News

    BAe talks to Embraer

    1999-08-18T00:00:00Z

    British Aerospace has reaffirmed its interest in Brazilian manufacturer Embraer following press speculation over a possible deal. BAe says it is "talking to Embraer, as are a number of other companies". Source: Flight International

  • News

    Colour change for Caledonian

    1999-08-18T00:00:00Z

    Max Kingsley-Jones/LONDON Flying Colours will begin absorbing its sister charter carrier Caledonian Airways in November, with the two airlines to officially become one next summer. A rebranding of the entire Thomas Cook travel group, which owns Flying Colours, is expected to be revealed early next month. The merger ...

  • News

    737 shortage puts brakes on MetroJet subsidiary

    1999-08-18T00:00:00Z

    US Airways has decided to slow the growth rate of its low-cost MetroJet operation until after next summer because of a shortage of Boeing 737-200s. MetroJet operates 41 118-seat 737-200s and serves 23 cities with 230 daily departures. By October, the airline will add two 737s, and serve 24 ...

  • News

    Marketplace

    1999-08-18T00:00:00Z

    Fairchild Aerospace has delivered the first two 328JETs to launch customer Skyway Airlines. Skyway has five aircraft on firm order with 10 options. It will put the 32-seat regional jet into revenue service following completion of pilot training in San Antonio, Texas. Continental Airlines has revised its fleet retirement plan, ...