All air transport news – Page 2314
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News
Insurers counting on a rise in premiums by end of year
Chris Jasper/LONDON The aviation insurance industry is becoming convinced that the headlong fall in premiums may be poised to hit bottom or even begin a slow recovery, with the market's massive over-capacity also set to be reduced as part of the same process. Since premiums last hit a peak ...
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Cirrus SR20 demonstrator kills test pilot in prison crash
Dave Higdon/DULUTHNational Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) and Federal Aviation Administration investigators are examining the aileron control system as a possible cause of the crash on 23 March of the first production SR20 that killed Cirrus Design's chief test pilot. The aircraft left the assembly line on 20 March and was ...
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Japan identifies MD-11 autopilot defects after crash probe
Japan's Ministry of Transport (MoT) is expected to recommend to the US Federal Aviation Administration that improvements be made to the programming of Boeing's MD-11 autopilot system, according to Japan's Yomiuri Shimbun daily newspaper. This follows the investigation of a Japan Airlines (JAL) MD-11 incident over the Shima Peninisula ...
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FAA seeks clarification on NTSB 737 rudder recommendations
Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recommended that the US Federal Aviation Administration require all Boeing 737s to have a "reliably redundant" rudder system, following its investigation of the September 1994 fatal crash of a US Airways Boeing 737-300 near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. The ...
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Pan American eyes grounded Kiwi International
Charter specialist Pan American has moved to acquire US domestic carrier Kiwi International Airlines, which has been grounded by the US Federal Aviation Administration for "numerous" safety violations. Kiwi's three Boeing 727s were taken out of service a day after the US Department of Transportation (DoT) threatened to revoke ...
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BA gives Sheffield a boost
Andrew Doyle/SHEFFIELD Newly established Sheffield City airport in the UK has received a major boost with the decision by British Airways franchisee British Regional Airlines (BRAL)to launch a hub operation there later this year. The only scheduled flights at the airport, which opened in February 1998, are operated by KLM ...
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1,000 jets face retirement
Almost 1,000 jet airliners in fleet use could be retired from passenger operations between now and the end of 2000, according to predictions made by John Flynn, president of California-based leasing company Triton Aviation Services. The forecast, made at the recent Speednews suppliers conference in Los Angeles, predicts a ...
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Airbus and Messier-Dowty test fix for A330/A340 landing gear
Airbus Industrie and Messier Dowty are testing a fix for the main landing gear of the A340 long-range airliner, which, if successful, will enable the removal of operating restrictions on all A330s and A340s. The work follows the incident involving a Sabena A340 in August in which the right ...
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Pelangi signs for Fokker F28 expansion
Malaysian regional carrier Pelangi Airways is poised to begin jet operations with two Fokker F28s. It is to acquire the regional jets, with an additional option, under a $7 million contract signed with Singapore-based Transasian. According to Pelangi's general manager Zain Salahin, the aircraft are being acquired to serve ...
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SJ30-2 testbed and engines pass milestones
Sino Swearingen Aircraft's prototype SJ30-2 entry-level business jet passed the 300h flight test mark earlier this month. At the same time, new Williams Rolls FJ44-2A engines in the prototype broke 200 flight hours. The electronically controlled engines first flew in the prototype, SN/001, about 18 months ago. The company had ...
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Lockheed Martin offers modified ES-3 for export
Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DCLockheed Martin has approached the US Navy with a proposal to sell ES-3 Shadow electronic reconnaissance platforms as upgraded maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) on the international market. Meanwhile, the navy is preparing to move ahead with its own S-3B Viking improved sensors demonstration. The US Navy is expected ...
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Alitalia responds to BA's Italian strategy
Chris Jasper/LONDONAlitalia has begun a feasibility study into the launch of a regional carrier serving southern Italy in a move which counters British Airways plans to establish a franchise airline based on Rome and Palermo. The Italian flag carrier's study - which is to be completed by June - aims ...
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Claiming a crisis
Tim Furniss/LONDON One more failure and the space insurance business could go into the red Space industry insurers are nervously tallying up their accounts in the wake of 27 loss claims filed for satellite and launch failures last year. The business faces a crisis after meeting more than $1.7 ...
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Good business
Air Namibia plans to make its fortune by cutting costs, increasing income and building partnerships Stewart Penney/WINDHOEKA new managing director at Air Namibia is determined to reverse the carrier's flagging fortunes and prepare it for privatisation by aggressively attacking costs while increasing income and creating a series of alliances. The ...
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Asian lows
Asia's economic woes continue to trouble the region's airlines Andrzej Jeziorski/SINGAPOREAsia's airlines are wallowing in the depths of the region's economic crisis, with traffic and yields down and little evidence of any imminent recovery. The depth of the crisis was highlighted by Cathay Pacific Airways' recent revelation that it fell ...
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Spanair is first to order heavy A321 as it opts for Airbus fleet
Andrew Doyle/LONDONSpanair plans to launch a new high gross weight version of the Airbus A321 as part of its commitment for up to 45 Airbus narrowbodies to replace its ageing Boeing MD-80 fleet.The carrier - Spain's second largest after Iberia - has signed a memorandum of understanding covering 21 firm ...
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Routes
United Express carrier Atlantic Coast Airlines will begin twice daily services between Savannah, Georgia, and Chicago O'Hare in May, and four-times daily service between Columbia, South Carolina, and Washington Dulles on 25 May, using 50-seat Bombardier Canadair Regional Jets. United Airlines is introducing the Boeing 747-400 on to transatlantic ...
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Meet the family
Herman De Wulf/BRUSSELS Sabena of Belgium has begun its transition to an all-Airbus fleet, and is coming to grips with new procedures With the delivery of its first Airbus Industrie A321 on 2 March, Sabena began its conversion to an all-Airbus airline - the biggest re-equipment programme in ...
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Air Anatolia aims to phase out A300s to reduce costs
Air Anatolia plans to phase out its fleet of Airbus A300s by next year and replace them with a mix of smaller types to reduce operating costs. The Turkish charter airline's deputy chief executive, Ahmet Karaman, says it wants to phase out its four 19- to 22-year-old A300B2/ B4s ...
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Boeing's Renton production rate goes up to 32 a month
Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES Boeing's production recovery plan appears to be on track following the roll-out at Renton on 9 March of the first two Next Generation 737s, built at the record production rate of 24 a month. Added to the company's five-a-month rate for the 757 and the dwindling ...