All air transport news – Page 2394
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News
Air France leaps into profit
Air France has posted its first profits since 1989, although the upbeat results from the mainline airline were tainted by deepening losses at its strike-hit sister company, domestic carrier Air France Europe. The profits at Air France mark a successful end to the three-year restructuring programme which was ...
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Deutsche BA losses leaked in report
A secret auditors' report detailing Deutsche BA's debts and losses has revealed that the company would have gone bankrupt last year, but for a cash bail-out from British Airways. The report, compiled by Ernst & Young, was leaked to the German press. It states that the five-year-old company's ...
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Dasa and Lagardere stand firm
The deal between Lagardère and Daimler-Benz Aerospace (Dasa) to form a major space and missiles alliance is "irreversible" and will stand regardless of the outcome of the bidding for Thomson-CSF, says Noel Forgeard, Lagardère director-general. Announcement of the Dasa deal on 7 May was clearly timed to strengthen ...
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Maintenance warning
Lufthansa Technik chairman Wolfgang Mayrhuber has repeated warnings over plans by Boeing to enter the maintenance market, criticising airframe and engine manufacturers who become "both the supplier and competitor of its customers". Technik's 1996 sales rose by 16%, to more than DM3 billion ($1.8 billion), and pre-tax profits totalled DM62 ...
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End of an era
The demise of the BAe/AI(R) Jetstream 41 commuter airliner represents another step in the (often involuntary) rationalisation of the regional-turboprop market. It also, however, raises serious questions about the future of the lower end of regional-airline operations. There can be little surprise in British Aerospace's decision to cease ...
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USAoffers to switch two USAF JSTARS to NATO operations
NATO OFFICIALS have been briefed on the USA's "Fast Track" offer to provide two Northrop Grumman E-8 Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS) aircraft off the US Air Force production line for the Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) programme. The two E-8s would be paid for by the USA. ...
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Time to stop dreaming
The general-aviation industry in the USA is putting its money where its mouth has been for a long time. It is sponsoring a television-advertising campaign in an effort to revitalise the US pilot population and to reverse a decade-long decline in the number of people learning to fly for pleasure. ...
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Collins advances Pro Line 21
ROCKWELL-COLLINS has embarked on the next step in development of its Pro Line 21 integrated avionics for business and regional aircraft. The US company is testing prototypes of an advanced processing architecture and is evaluating new human-computer interface concepts in a working cockpit mock-up. Pro Line ...
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IAI mates first Galaxy airframe sections
ISRAEL AIRCRAFT Industries (IAI) planned to complete mating all airframe sections for the first Galaxy mid-sized business jet (pictured here in late April) by the end of May. The first flight is due in late 1997, with certification following a year later. IAI had transferred the first wing to the ...
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Bearing failures blamed on poor lubrication
The spate of Trent 700 engine shutdowns has been traced to insufficient lubrication of the driving-shaft locator ball-bearing in the Hispano Suiza-manufactured step-aside gearbox. This has resulted in premature fatigue and failure of the bearing, because of overheating. According to R-R, the problem resulted from a weakness in ...
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Cathay prepares to modify gearboxes on Trent 700s
Cathay Pacific and Dragonair are hoping that fitting modified engine-gearboxes to their Rolls-Royce Trent 700-powered Airbus Industrie A330-300s will clear the way for the grounded aircraft to return to service by early this week. Both carriers voluntarily grounded their 15 A330s on 24 May, following an inflight engine ...
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Broken link grounds Explorers
McDonnell Douglas Helicopter Systems (MDHS) Explorer helicopters have been grounded "until further notice" following the discovery of a broken adjustable collective drive-link. Subsequent tests have revealed the need for a redesign of the assembly. The company notified operators of the grounding order on the evening of 28 May, ...
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Prestwick seeks new work after J41 closure
British Aerospace has signalled its final exit from turboprop regional-aircraft production, with the announcement that it is to close the Jetstream 41 assembly line at Prestwick, Scotland. The move is being backed by a renewed drive to find replacement aerostructures work for the site. Production of the J41, ...
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Lockheed Martin tests joined-wing model
Lockheed Martin is flight-testing a scale model of a joined-wing tanker/transport being studied under its New Strategic Aircraft (NSA) project. Initial tests of the 1.98m-span radio-controlled model exhibited "excellent" flight characteristics and met or exceeded objectives, the company says. A joined-wing design would allow the aircraft to be equipped with ...
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Delays force Mesa to curtail Dash 8 order
MESA AIR GROUP has cancelled the remaining 13 of a 25-aircraft order for Bombardier de Havilland Dash 8-200 regional turboprops, citing delivery delays and technical problems. Options on a further 25 aircraft have been cancelled, but Mesa says that it will keep 12 Dash 8s already delivered. Bombardier ...
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United introduces virtual maintenance training
UNITED AIRLINES HAS introduced a "virtual-reality" training tool designed to improve the troubleshooting skills of Boeing 737 maintenance technicians. Wicat Systems' Maintenance Virtual Workplace is in- tended to reduce the incidence of component removals when no fault is found. The Virtual Workplace is a CD-ROM-based desktop training aid ...
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Room for three?
Aloha and Hawaiian Airlines have seen inter-island challengers come and go. Will Mahalo Air be any different? David Knibb reports. Any high frequency, short haul market of 9.2 million passengers a year is bound to attract attention, especially when only two airlines consistently serve it. But in the Hawaiian inter-island ...
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Aircraft news
Cathay Pacific Airways has placed orders for two Airbus A340-300s and one A330-300, due to be delivered in late 1998. Monarch Airlines has ordered two Airbus A321-200s and two A330-200s, with options on two more, for delivery in April 1999. Korean Air has ordered four more A330s, which ...
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Appointments
Thai Airways has appointed several new executive vice presidents, including Bhisit Kuslasayanon for commercial service, Payoon Puakpong for customer service, Saad Sobsatrasorn for operations, and Amnuay Chanya for finance and information. Meanwhile Sittipong Thanitayawong is the new senior vice president responsible for corporate planning and government relations. Frederick ...
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Greenwich time
General Electric will buy US engine overhaul specialist Greenwich Air Services for US$530 million, subject to shareholder approval. Source: Airline Business