All air transport news – Page 2292

  • News

    Airbus seeks A3XX commitments

    1998-05-20T00:00:00Z

    Max Kingsley-Jones/TOULOUSE Airbus Industrie says it is to start seeking launch commitments from airlines for the A3XX large aircraft early next year. One of the key potential customers, British Airways, has already indicated a requirement for up to 23 aircraft. Jurgen Thomas, senior vice-president of Airbus Industrie's large ...

  • News

    Air China forges US link

    1998-05-20T00:00:00Z

    Northwest Airlines, Continental Airlines, Alaska Airlines and America West Airlines have formed a strategic alliance with Air China, representing the first deal of its kind entered into by a Chinese carrier. The move ends speculation, for now, of a potential agreement between Northwest and Cathay Pacific and establishes further ...

  • News

    A320 demand triggers production increase

    1998-05-20T00:00:00Z

    Max Kingsley-Jones/TOULOUSE Airbus Industrie is to boost production rates of its single-aisle family further over the next 18 months in the face of continuing high demand for the aircraft. A decision to produce a further four A320 family aircraft a month, plus any future widebody increases, will take the consortium's ...

  • News

    Aer Lingus extends its Airbus fleet at the expense of 737s

    1998-05-20T00:00:00Z

    Max Kingsley-Jones/LONDON Aer Lingus has taken a step closer to operating an all-Airbus fleet with its decision to order six A320s to add to its orders for the larger A321 and its fleet of five A330s. The new aircraft will result in its Boeing 737 fleet being further reduced. ...

  • News

    AlliedSignal APU cleared for use on A320 family

    1998-05-20T00:00:00Z

    AlliedSignal has received US Federal Aviation Administration approval to produce its 131-9(A) auxiliary power unit (APU) for the Airbus Industrie A320 family. Programme manager Lee Jacobs says that deliveries of the 131-9(A) are scheduled to begin in September. "We have firm orders for close to 50 aircraft and ...

  • News

    BAe prepares to launch upgraded Avro variant

    1998-05-20T00:00:00Z

    Julian Moxon/PARIS British Aerospace Regional Aircraft is preparing to launch a re-engined, upgraded "RJX" version of the Avro RJ with 15% lower direct operating costs, reductions in weight and up to 20% less maintenance costs. The company, which is in the process of a divorce with Aero International ...

  • News

    Palestinian expands with Boeing 727-200 acquisition

    1998-05-20T00:00:00Z

    Palestinian Airlines has acquired an ex-Istanbul Airlines Boeing 727-200Adv in a deal arranged by UK consultancy Gamit. The 20-year-old aircraft will be introduced following overhaul in Shannon, joining a fleet of two Fokker 50s and a leased 727-100. The airline, which was set up in 1996, operates regional services from ...

  • News

    BMW Rolls-Royce plans for higher pressure ratio core

    1998-05-20T00:00:00Z

    Andrzej Jeziorski/MUNICH BMW Rolls-Royce is examining the development of a new high pressure (HP) compressor for its BR700 engine family, which will allow it to produce lighter engines at the top of the family's thrust range. Under an agreement with shareholder Rolls-Royce, the company is restricted to the ...

  • News

    Taxiing A320 collides with inflight 767

    1998-05-20T00:00:00Z

    An Egyptair Airbus Industrie A320 taxiing at Cairo airport had more than 1m sliced off its tail fin by an Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 767-300ER which had just taken off in an incident which saw both aircraft come close to a major accident. The 767 (ET-AKW) was able to return for ...

  • News

    BA goes to FLS for maintenance deals

    1998-05-20T00:00:00Z

    British Airways and its low-cost subsidiary Go have agreed major maintenance contracts with FLS Aerospace. The move comes as BA retrenches its maintenance operation after several years of attempting to turn it into a standalone profit centre. The five-year Go contract is a ground-breaking deal for both sides, with ...

  • News

    Marketplace

    1998-05-20T00:00:00Z

    -British Airways has wet-leased a Boeing 737-300 from Air Atlanta Icelandic for its 1998 summer season. The aircraft is based at London Gatwick and will be operated on services to Gothenburg in Sweden. -Monarch Airlines is wet-leasing a Boeing MD-11 from World Airways for its 1998 summer season to operate ...

  • News

    Qantas confirms plans for three more 747-400s

    1998-05-20T00:00:00Z

    Paul Phelan/CAIRNS Qantas has finalised its short term fleet plans, confirming it will acquire three Boeing 747-400s from Asian carriers "in the very near future", and ruling out acquiring any new type in the next three years. Chief executive James Strong says the purchase will be additional to ...

  • News

    SIA deal confirmed

    1998-05-20T00:00:00Z

    Singapore Airlines (SIA) has confirmed its long-expected deal for up to 10 Airbus A340-500s in a $2 billion purchase. The airline selected the Airbus over the Boeing 777-200X to operate direct services between Singapore and the US West Coast. The airline will place firm orders for five aircraft for delivery ...

  • News

    Air New Zealand sells 747 Classics to Virgin

    1998-05-20T00:00:00Z

    Air New Zealand (ANZ) has sold its five Boeing 747-200s to Virgin Atlantic Airways as as part of its fleet modernisation programme. The five 16-17 year old Rolls-Royce RB211-524D4-powered 747s will join Virgin between March 1999 and January 2001. The UK carrier operates six older Pratt & Whitney JT9D-powered ...

  • News

    Workshop

    1998-05-20T00:00:00Z

    -GE Engine Services has signed a 10- year contract, potentially worth as much as $1 billion, with Continental Airlines to overhaul CFM International CFM56 engines powering the carrier's Boeing 737s, and the CF6s which power its Boeing 767s and McDonnell Douglas DC-10s. -Royal Nepal Airlines has awarded Beijing-based Aircraft Maintenance ...

  • News

    Lufthansa Cargo returns to profit

    1998-05-20T00:00:00Z

    Lufthansa Cargo has successfully turned its business around, with the announcement of a DM194 million ($110 million) pre-tax profit for 1997. The company recorded the profit on a turnover of DM3.9 billion for regular business. Including income from the sale of its stake in Luxembourg's Cargolux, the company beat the ...

  • News

    Public offering cuts down Forstmann's

    1998-05-20T00:00:00Z

    Gulfstream Aerospace has announced a $775 million public offering that will reduce investment firm Forstmann Little's remaining stake in the Canadian business aircraft manufacturer to less than 25%. Forstmann, its affiliates and Gulfstream management, hold 43.2% of the company, and will own 25.3% after the stock sale. New ...

  • News

    Global Hawk flies second mission

    1998-05-20T00:00:00Z

    THE Global Hawk reconnaissance unmanned air vehicle has flown for a second time at Edwards AFB, California, performing what the company describes as a "text book" mission lasting 2h 24min. The aircraft reached 41,000ft (12,500m) during the sortie, which also included the successful hand-off of command and control via ...

  • News

    Kaman may join fray for South African maritime helicopter

    1998-05-20T00:00:00Z

    Douglas Barrie/LONDON Julian Moxon/PARIS A South African technical evaluation team has visited US helicopter manufacturer Kaman to be briefed on the SH-2G Super Seasprite maritime helicopter, despite only Eurocopter and GKN Westland having been shortlisted to meet its naval helicopter requirement. The visit in early May was carried ...

  • News

    RMAF receives first upgraded Fulcrums

    1998-05-20T00:00:00Z

    MIG MAPO's joint venture Aerospace Technology Systems (ATSC) service company has completed a Phase III and IV avionics and weapons upgrade of the Royal Malaysian Air Force's (RMAF) first two MAPO MiG-29N Fulcrum fighters. The improvements are focused on upgrading the fighters' weapons control systems, allowing for the integration ...