All air transport news – Page 2302
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Air Namibia switches from four engines to twinjet
Air Namibia has introduced a Boeing 767-300ER twinjet on its long haul services between Windhoek and London Heathrow, replacing a leased Boeing 747SP. The airline says that the move has enabled it to operate on a more cost-effective basis, and to introduce a first-class cabin for the first time. A ...
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CAL rethinks orders after crash
Brent Hannon/TAIPEI China Airlines (CAL) is considering deferring aircraft orders because of a 10-15% drop in load factors after one of its Airbus A300s crashed at Taipei in February, killing over 200 people. CAL is considering the deferral of two Airbus A300-600Rs due for delivery this year, say ...
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Air Canada expands fleet hushkit plans
Air Canada is to expand its hushkitting programme to keep its older and noisier aircraft in service beyond the USA's final Stage 3 noise compliance deadline of 31 December, 1999. The carrier will use the refurbished McDonnell Douglas (MDC) DC-9s to expand services to the USA. When the airline ...
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Russian regional tender fails to find a winner
The Russian Aviation Consortium (RAC) has declared that there will be no winner in its tender for delivery of 50 regional airliners for three Russian airlines. The deals will now be negotiated independently. Last year the RAC revealed that it was seeking bids from manufacturers to supply aircraft for ...
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Howmet breaks the mould with casting method
A revolutionary method for manufacturing superalloy components has been perfected by US company Howmet, a subsidiary of Thiokol, after it met the high vacuum requirement for casting with highly reactive metals present. The company has formed Howmet Metal Mould at its Whitehall, Michigan base, and says it is in ...
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Cade test cells
Cade Industries has received orders worth $7.5 million for its engine test equipment from Lufthansa, Eva Airways and Rolls-Royce. The Okemos, Michigan-based company is also installing engine test cells at General Electric's Cardiff, Wales engine overhaul plant for the GE90 and in Bangkok, for Thai Airways' R-R Trents. Source: ...
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Lockheed Martin gears up F-22 fuselage line
Lockheed Martin Tactical Aircraft Systems is gearing up production of the F-22 mid-fuselage manufacturing line - the largest and most complex of the new fighter assemblies. Five mid-fuselages are now in production at Fort Worth, Texas - only one of which is not for delivery this year - as the ...
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Go confirms routes and May launch
Go, the UK low fare spin-off of British Airways, has revealed its initial route network and confirmed plans to launch in late May with a simple fare pricing structure. Sales and marketing director David Magliano says that services will be launched on 22 May from London Stansted with three ...
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Edelweiss to replace MD-80s with A320s
Swiss charter operator Edelweiss Air has ordered three new Airbus A320s to replace its Boeing MD-80 fleet. The Zurich-based carrier, which operates three 162-seat MD-83s, two on operating lease from GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) and the third on financial lease from Credit Agricole, will take delivery of the ...
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Air Lanka orders A330-200s following Emirates stake
Air Lanka has placed orders for six Airbus A330-200s, after Emirates Airlines agreed to take a 40% stake in the Sri Lankan flag carrier. The Dubai based airline will manage Air Lanka for 10 years, says the Sri Lankan Public Enterprises Reform Commission (PERC). Emirates has also agreed to ...
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Let wins L- 420 certification
Let Kunovice has received type certification for its 19-seat L-420 from both the US Federal Aviation Administration and the Czech Civil Aviation Authority. Czech manufacturer Let claims that the certification will open doors to markets previously inaccessible to the company. The L-420, a derivative of the L-410 turboprop, features more ...
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Harbin agrees North American Y-12 sales deal
Harbin Aircraft Manufacturing (HAMC) of China has concluded a joint venture agreement to supply Y-12(IV) turboprop airframes to the Canadian Aerospace Group for modification, final completion, certification and sale to the North American market. The deal concluded in Beijing covers the supply of to 50 Y-12s over the next ...
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Alenia Spazio weighs up rival bidders
Alenia Spazio is considering rivals bids from Matra Marconi Space and the new French grouping of Alcatel/Aerospatiale and Thomson to form an alliance. The Italian space company is expected to decide and complete the deal by the end of the year. With the French grouping in place and Matra-Marconi ...
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Middle East Airlines prepares fleet strategy
Julian Moxon/BEIRUT Middle East Airlines (MEA) is to drop all long haul routes and consolidate its fleet around short and medium range Airbus types, as part of its plan to move into profit within three years. The airline is under new management appointed by its 99.9% owner, the ...
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Airbus in AE31X dilemma
Paul Lewis/SINGAPORE Airbus Industrie is looking for a collaborative programme to substitute for the AE31X to placate its Chinese aerospace industry joint venture partners in the regional jet project. The Chinese are increasingly irritated that the proposed 100-seat A319M5 derivative is gaining momentum as a quick fix alternative to compete ...
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Crossair and CityLine move closer to 728JET launch order
Andrzej Jeziorski/BASLE Crossair and Lufthansa CityLine have signed letters of intent (LoI) with Fairchild Dornier to continue work on the manufacturer's proposed 55-90 seat family of regional jets. Swiss-based Crossair may place a major launch order by the end of this year (Flight International, 25-31 March). According to ...
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US questionmark hangs over Swissair alliance
Kevin O'Toole/ZUrich Swissair's launch of the Qualifyer Group, an alliance with five other European carriers including Turkish Airlines (THY) and TAP Air Portugal, has run into questions over the lack of a transatlantic link. The grouping, unveiled with a fanfare in Zürich on 30 March, brings Swissair's European ...
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Shake-out time on the horizon for European low fare operators
Kevin O'Toole/LONDON Europe's low-cost airlines could be heading for a shake-out within the next year warns airline veteran British Midland (BM) chairman Sir Michael Bishop, highlighting a slowdown in growth and the prospect of a steep rise in airport charges. "Some of the special advantages that low cost carriers have ...
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Domestic upheavals
Brent Hannon/TAIPEI A series of fatal accidents has halted 11 years of rapid expansion by Taiwan's second-tier airlines, and an era of mergers and consolidation is at hand. The nine commercial airlines than once flew Taiwan's domestic skies will soon be cut to five, with further reductions likely. EVA Airways ...
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Hispano-Suiza takes new angle on gearbox
Ian Sheppard/PARIS Hispano-Suiza has carried out new extreme attitude tests on the BMW Rolls-Royce BR715 engine accessory/transfer gearbox assembly for the Boeing 717. The tests are designed to ensure that the aircraft can cope if it encounters an abrupt drop in air density. Jean-Luc Doublet, vice-president of Hispano ...