All air transport news – Page 2283
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Mexicana to be 'Starlet'
David knibb/ SEATTLE Mexicana is due to launch a new tier of membership within the Star Alliance if, as expected, it signs up as a member of the global grouping this month. According to sources within Star, while the Mexican carrier will behave externally as any other partner, internally ...
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WestJet plans to go public
WestJet, Canada's only successful start-up airline, plans to raise capital and broaden its ownership base with an initial public offering (IPO). The Calgary-based carrier has lodged its draft prospectus with securities commissions in each of Canada's provinces and hopes to launch its IPO in the next few months. ...
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French gamble on growth
Are Air France's fortunes looking up? Strong fourth quarter performance partially compensated for the pilots strike of mid-1998, limiting the damage to a 11% drop in profits. Higher load factors, meanwhile, have been aided by transatlantic codeshares and the its expanding Charles de Gaulle hub. The carrier has ...
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Lack of interest stalls sell-offs
Despite renewed efforts at privatisation, airline sell-offs in the eastern Europe continue to be dogged by a lack of political will and scant interest from Western foreign investors. The Romanian Government is to begin searching for investors to buy a majority stake in its national carrier Tarom. ...
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UK cargo's agenda
As US-UK passenger talks begin, UK cargo carriers are pressurising the USA to include their demands on wetleasing rules in any new bilateral. The British Cargo Alliance (BCAA) points out that US cargo carriers "have a large and profitable business" leasing freighters to airlines such as British Airways - ...
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SAA bid offers no alliance tie
When it first began, the contest to take a 20% stake in South African Airways (SAA) had seemed like a straight choice between the rival global alliances. Yet, as a decision nears, it seems that the contest is leaning in favour of a bid which does not require the carrier ...
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Family matters
Report by Kevin O'toole and Karen Walker IN PARIS The launch of a new family of regional jets and a flurry of orders from European carriers took much of the limelight at the Paris air show. Four regional jet contenders, as well as Airbus and Boeing, now offer 100-seater jets. ...
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surfing for value
Nancy Schwartz and Michael Zea at Mercer Management Consulting in Washington DC Many airlines have begun using the Internet to market and distribute their products, but few have yet made a success of the medium. Internet-related market value has exploded over the past few years, especially in the USA, so ...
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FAA scrutinises repair stations
Rules governing maintenance of US-registered transport aircraft at foreign repair shops are to be tightened, the US Federal Aviation Administration says. The move will affect 525 foreign repair stations. The action follows criticism of the FAA's oversight of repair shops following the May 1996 crash of a ValuJet McDonnell ...
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African Express takes on international routes
Kenyan start-up African Express Airlines (AEA) has begun to bite into Kenya Airways' domestic market, and has taken its first step into international services with a flight to the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The Nairobi-based carrier began scheduled operations two months ago, after winning licences to fly Nairobi-Mombasa. AEA ...
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Ansett cuts services
Ansett Australia has reduced its British Aerospace 146 services in the Northern Territory and the northwest region of Western Australia, handing over under-performing routes to independent Darwin-based regional carrier Air North. Air North has acquired two Embraer EMB-120 Brasilias to operate 30 services a week on Ansett's behalf. "As ...
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Air Madagascar receives first new 767-300ER on lease
Air Madagascar has taken delivery of its first new Boeing 767-300ER, on lease from GE Capital Aviation Services. The General Electric CF6-80C2-powered 228-seat aircraft, which is the first 767 to be equipped with an in-flight entertainment system that was installed and certificated during aircraft production, is expected to replace a ...
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Airtours introduces Airbus A330-200
Airtours International has become the second UK charter airline to introduce the Airbus A330-200, with the delivery of the first of four Rolls-Royce Trent 700-powered examples. The 363-seaters will be operated on long haul routes to the USA, the Caribbean, Mexico, Australia and Asia. The UK airline division of tour ...
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Europeans boost Chinese industry with component work
Airbus Industrie and BMW Rolls-Royce (BMW R-R) are boosting relations with China's aerospace industry by handing out subcontracts to Chinese manufacturers. The move will see Aviation Industries of China (AVIC) participating in the new Airbus A318 development programme. Airbus, which has partnerships with Shenyang Aircraft and Xian Aircraft, ...
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Regional wars
Access to the US market is critical if Embraer, Bombardier and Fairchild are to see any payback Paul Lewis/PARIS The fight for the 70/100-seat regional jet market early in the 21st century has already begun with an opening exchange of fire between Fairchild Aerospace and Embraer. Also manoeuvring into ...
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Airbus expects bigger share of corporate business with A319CJ
Max Kingsley-Jones/PARISAirbus Industrie is gearing up to take a bigger slice of the business jet market with its A319 Corporate Jetliner (ACJ), as the first one is prepared for service with UK sales and leasing company Twinjet. Airbus vice-president, commercial operations, Paul Mason says that 14 commitments have been made ...
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The big numbers
Airbus and Boeing continue to dispute the sales prospects for large airliners Max Kingsley-Jones/PARIS Airbus Industrie and Boeing renewed their long-term debate over the size and timing of demand for very large capacity aircraft at the Paris air show by releasing their market forecasts for the next 20 years. ...
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French fillip
The task now is to create European alliances to counter the USA Julian Moxon/PARIS The first Paris air show since he took power in June 1997 gave French prime minister Lionel Jospin a prime opportunity for self-congratulation. Within only a few months of assuming office, Jospin and his ...
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VulcanAir 'moves forward' with Partenavia line
VulcanAir has begun revamping the former Partenavia aircraft line, which it acquired last year, in an effort to drive up sales and stamp its identity on the twin-engined models. "This is a natural evolution of the product. Partenavia had done nothing with the aircraft for some time and then ...
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LanChile picks A340 for expansion
Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC LanChile has selected the Airbus Industrie A340 over the competing Boeing 777 and is set to announce an agreement for up to 21 aircraft, including options. The deal is a major expansion of the carrier's long haul capability and another significant South American sale for the European ...