All air transport news – Page 2347
-
News
Asian woes force Cathay to withdraw 747 Classic fleet
Paul Lewis/SINGAPORE Cathay Pacific Airways is to begin phasing out of service all six of its Boeing 747-300s within 12 months and is close to finalising a deal to dispose of a further two 747-200s, as the Hong Kong carrier continues to cut capacity in the face of a ...
-
News
Troubled Fairlines has to stop scheduled services
French business class airline Fairlines has run into fresh financial problems after being forced to stop payments on its leased aircraft. The carrier has terminated its scheduled routes from Paris. The airline, which started operations at the beginning of the year, has been trying to replace its scheduled services ...
-
News
Fokker 100s enable Gill Airways to expand Air France franchise
Gill Airways has agreed with Air France to a major expansion of its franchise programme next year, following its deal to acquire its first jet fleet with the lease of three Fokker 100s. The independent UK regional airline, based in Newcastle, has signed a deal with debis AirFinance, arranged ...
-
News
Kendell picks Canadair Regional Jet to take over Ansett routes
Paul Phelan/CAIRNS Australian regional airline Kendell has selected the Bombardier Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) over Embraer's RJ-145 and placed an order for up to 24 aircraft. Meanwhile, Adelaide-based National Jet Systems (NJS) is about to introduce the first of up to four ERJ-145s. The Ansett-owned regional has placed firm orders ...
-
News
Marketplace
-Detroit-based ProAir will add a third Boeing 737-400 in December, leased from Boullioun. The secondhand aircraft will be used to increase frequencies and for expansion. -US regional Trans States Airlines has exercised six options for the 50-seat Embraer RJ-145. Its original contract, signed in February, included nine firm orders and ...
-
News
EVA considers Myanma buy-out
Paul Lewis/SINGAPORE EVA Airways of Taiwan is in discussions to invest in and take over the operations of Myanmar Airways International (MAI) from the carrier's Brunei-backed Singapore joint venture partner Highsonic Enterprises. Senior sources within the Taiwanese airline confirm that a team has been dispatched to MAI to ...
-
News
PAL lays out revamp plans
Brent Hannon/MANILA Philippine Airlines (PAL) will reduce its fleet to 13 aircraft and become a strictly domestic airline unless it can find an investor willing to take a 40% stake. If it finds an backer, it would keep 22 aircraft and fly overseas routes, says PAL senior vice-president of ...
-
News
Domestics ignore international opening
The Philippines' three domestic airlines do not plan to fly overseas despite the vacuum left by Philippine Airlines (PAL), which discontinued its international routes at the end of September. All three have permits to fly internationally, but are deterred by poor business prospects. "The Asian economic crunch and the ...
-
News
Engine surges trigger directives from FAA
Uncommanded engine acceleration and the risk of engine shutdown has prompted an emergency airworthiness directive (AD) requiring a software upgrade for the CFM International CFM56-7B engine's electronic engine control (EEC), says the US Federal Aviation Administration. The engines are fitted to the Next Generation Boeing 737 family. Also required within ...
-
News
Boeing builds profits and 737s as 747 slips
Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC Boeing is to reduce the production rate of the 747-400 from five to three and a half aircraft a month by the second quarter of next year in the face of a continuing soft market, particularly in the Asia region. Company chairman Phil Condit warns that ...
-
News
Snecma snaps up stake in Sabena company
Sabena is to spin off the engine repair and maintenance business of Sabena Technics into an independent business and sell a 50% stake to French engine builder Snecma. The new operation will be based at the Zaventem, Brussels, engine facilities run by the Belgian airline. The partners plan to ...
-
News
Modifications delay Japan's XF-2 prototypes
The Japanese Technology Research Development Institute (TRDI) is working on a series of modifications to its four XF-2A/B flight test prototypes, causing further delays to the flight test schedule. Work includes structural reinforcement to the aircraft's wing-tip for rolling pull-out manoeuvres and the reshaping and positioning of underwing missile pylons ...
-
News
Australian reforms
Paul Phelan/CAIRNS "It is an uncertain market, because there are various people at different levels of desperation as a consequence of their position," warned Qantas managing director James Strong, explaining the impact of the Asian downturn even on carriers indirectly affected. The comment, made in August at the same conference ...
-
News
Transition Planning
Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC The US Federal Aviation Administration has produced a new blueprint for modernisation of the country's airspace system, but industry remains far from convinced that the document represents a firm timetable for the introduction of new technologies. Manufacturers have been researching the new communications, navigation, surveillance and air ...
-
News
Big ideas
Julian Moxon/NOORDWIJKERHOUT To a travelling public that sees the occasionally horrific television images of the aftermath of a major air disaster, the idea that they might one day fly on an aircraft capable of carrying up to 1,000 passengers is likely to bring the inevitable thought - what if it ...
-
News
ANA becomes the ninth Star Alliance member
All Nippon Airways (ANA) has finally thrown its hat into the Star Alliance ring to become the ninth full member, adding further pressure to flag carrier Japan Airlines (JAL) to commit to the rival oneworld partnership. Airline president Kichisaburo Nomura announced ANA's intention to join Star during a gathering ...
-
News
China moves in on subcontracting consolation prize
Paul Lewis/SINGAPORE Airbus Industrie is moving ahead with plans to subcontract A320 component manufacturing to China as the first step towards transferring a full wing production capability. At the same time, Boeing has linked its offer on 717 wing work to reaching a settlement with China over the stillborn ...
-
News
More delays hit new UK control centres
David Learmount/LONDON The UK National Air Traffic Services (NATS) is facing further delays to the opening of its new Scottish air traffic control centre (SCATCC) because contract negotiations with the Lockheed Martin-led consortium Sky Solutions have dragged on for at least a year longer than expected. The revelation comes as ...
-
News
Long Beach rethink
The introduction of a second final assembly line for the Boeing Next Generation 737 family at the former Douglas Aircraft plant in Long Beach, California, has been delayed by three months, amid a review which could see the plan abandoned. The new line, which would initially produce specialised 737 variants ...
-
News
Century seeks $48m to fund low-cost twin jet development
Century Aerospace has transformed its Century Jet from a single-engined aircraft to a twin and has replaced the Williams/Rolls FJ44-1 powerplant with "the more advanced" Williams FJ33-1, for which the newly titled Century Jet 100 has become the launch aircraft. According to Albuquerque, New Mexico-based Century: "The Century Jet ...