All air transport news – Page 2352
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News
Proteus aims to reach new high
Scaled Composites, manufacturer of the Proteus high-altitude long operation aircraft, plans later this month to expand the flight envelope to altitudes above 35,000ft (10,700m) and speeds up to 175kt (320km/h) indicated airspeed (or Mach 0.55) as part of its goal of achieving "loiter" operations at 64,000ft. Proteus, which was ...
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Growing pains
Emma Kelly/LONDONThe in-flight entertainment (IFE) industry is growing up. But it has had to. The IFE industry today is showing the first signs of realism and credibility - much improved characteristics than the over-promises and disappointments that have plagued the industry in recent years. After years of considerable effort, interactive ...
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Proteus market predicted to fly
Guy Norris/MOJAVE Wyman-Gordon is predicting an estimated market for up to 1,000 of the unconventional Proteus high-altitude, long operation (HALO) aircraft being built by its subsidiary Scaled Composites. The US investment company hopes to begin proof-of-concept trials as early as 2000. The prediction, from Wyman-Gordon's chairman and chief ...
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Airbus may move wing production to China
Paul Lewis/SINGAPORE Airbus Industrie is proposing to transfer part of its A320 aircraft series wing production to China, in a move intended to compensate for the recent demise of the Sino-European AE31X regional jet programme and to counter a similar offer of 717 wing work from Boeing. The European consortium ...
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Philippine Airlines reprieved by union deal
Grounded Philippine Airlines (PAL)has won a reprieve from a final shutdown, following a "yes" vote by ground staff to accept a government-brokered last-ditch deal to revive the ailing carrier financially . The 6,500-strong PAL Employees Association voted on 2 October by a two-to-one margin to accept the deal reached ...
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Fairchild Dornier admits doubts over Crossair 728JET order
Andrzej Jeziorski/MUNICH Fairchild Dornier has admitted that doubts are growing over Crossair's commitment to the new 728JET family of regional aircraft, as a result of recent configuration decisions which have gone against the Swiss airline's wishes. Crossair and Lufthansa CityLine each signed a letter of intent earlier this year to ...
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Corrosion detector fishes for faults in the field
Researchers at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, and the University of Alaska's Fishery Technology Center are developing ultra-sensitive magnetic field detectors which are already finding applications in the aircraft maintenance business, even though the technology was originally aimed at improving efficiency in the fishing industry. Known as Superconducting Quantum ...
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New materials for GE fan blades
Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC Dow-United Technologies Composites Products is to develop jet-engine fan blades for General Electric, using an improved carbonfibre material. The blades will be produced using Dow-UT's advanced resin transfer moulding (AdvRTM) process, but employing the company's new Uni-Hybrid composite. Dow-UT says the new material is more ...
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Japan and USA join for ejection seat
Japan and the USA have launched a co-operative programme to develop improvements for the ACES II ejection seat. The objectives are to expand the seat's accommodation range, prevent limb-fail injuries and increase high-speed stability. The Boeing (formerly McDonnell Douglas) ACES II seat is used in Japan Air Self-Defence Force ...
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Advanced propulsion under development
French engine and systems manufacturer Snecma has signed a partnership agreement with national research agency Onera, under which the two state-owned entities will develop advanced propulsion technologies. The deal, which aims to formalise the long-term, relationship between the two, will lead to more specific ties on advanced metallic materials ...
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Lockheed Martin switches tactics
Far from throwing in the towel after the US Government counted out its merger with Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin is back in the acquisition ring with a very different prize in its sights. The agreement to acquire US satellite communications service provider Comsat, hard on the heels of forming ...
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First for latest 737
KLM has ordered four Boeing 737-900s for delivery in 2001, becoming the first European customer for Boeing's latest 737 model. SAS has converted recently ordered 737-600s into a minimum of 12 CFM56-7-powered 737-700s and 737-800s. Source: Airline Business
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Routes
Renewed efforts to step up cooperation between Caribbean carriers could start with the joint handling, purchasing and wet leasing of cargo aircraft. The aim is to improve efficiency in one of the most fragmented air transport markets. US regional carrier Aspen Mountain Air is to restructure its route system ...
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Bombardier muscles into 90-seat battle
Bombardier expects to launch a 90-seat regional jet in the next 12 months. The plan not only edges the Canadian manufacturer into the territory of Airbus Industrie and Boeing, but also throws down the gauntlet to Fairchild Dornier, which has its own 90-seat jet ambitions. Bombardier admits that its ...
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FLEET
Varig has signed for four Boeing 777-200s, 10 737-800s, four 737-700s, six 767-300ERs and has placed options for another four 777-200s and 11 737-700s. Another 777 customer is American Airlines, with 15 more 777-200ERs for delivery from March 2000. Package delivery company UPS has ordered 30 Airbus A300F4-600Rs, plus ...
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Eagle eyes all-jet fleet
American Airlines regional subsidiary American Eagle is planning to become an all-jet operation - a declaration that will put pressure on other US regionals to follow suit. American Eagle confirmed at the UK's Farnborough air show in September that it is to buy 75 Embraer RJ-135 37-seat jets. The ...
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Lease for SALE
Dubai-based Emirates has converted one option for an Airbus A330-200, adding to the 16 Rolls-Royce Trent 700-powered A330s it already has on order. The previously announced order for six A340-500s, and options for 10 more, was signed on 8 September. The airline has also said it will lease Singapore Aircraft ...
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Asians climb out of currency crisis
Two of the flag carriers worst hit by the Asian currency collapse - Philippine Airlines and Indonesia's Garuda - have taken vital steps back from the abyss. PAL has resolved key labour problems while Garuda has renegotiated crippling US-dollar aircraft leases and gained government approval to increase domestic fares. ...
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The rouble plays Russian roulette
First it was the crisis in South East Asia. Now it is meltdown in Russia's financial system that is spreading panic in global markets. The lesson from Asia is that what may start with currency collapse swiftly and inevitably translates into damage for the real economy of production, output and ...
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A question of ownership
For all their advantages, global alliances can go only so far while the issue of foreign ownership remains unresolved US and UK negotiators sit down this month to thrash out a new open skies bilateral. They will face a barrage of pressure from anxious onlookers keen to see their interests ...