All air transport news – Page 2405
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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 ...
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Marketplace
++ Australia's biggest independently-owned regional carrier, Brisbane-based Flightwest Airlines, will buy at least four 19-seat British Aerospace Jetstream 32EP (enhanced performance) to replace Raytheon Beech King Airs on routes to remote-areas. The airline has also upgraded several regional routes formerly flown by Embraer EMB-120 Brasilias, with the acquisition of a ...
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Malaysia leases 737s to India's Jet Airways
Malaysia Airlines (MAS) is reducing its operating fleet of Boeing 737s further by leasing five aircraft to Jet Airways of India. MAS also says it will take delivery of all eight 777 and 747s scheduled for delivery this year. The Malaysian national carrier has reached an agreement to dry-lease ...
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China Southern fails to impress
Financial markets have given a lukewarm welcome to China Southern Airlines' first full set of results, the carrier listed in Hong Kong and New York a year ago. Despite a headline profit improvement, there are concerns over static domestic traffic and plans to lay off capacity. Although the airline's bottom-line ...
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FAA approves cargo 747 conversion fix
Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES GATX-Airlog is preparing to "re-enter" the Boeing 747 freighter conversion market after the USFederal Aviation Administration approved company-developed service bulletins (SBs) which will finally allow operators to revive the prospects of several grounded 747Fs. The event marks a major breakthrough for Airlog, which has been ...
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UK industry league reshapes
Kevin O'Toole/London While attention focuses on the place of the UK's major aerospace players within Europe, the second tier of companies have been busy with their own restructuring further down the home league. With most of the annual results now in, there are clear shifts in the UK ...
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Boeing in Russia
Boeing Commercial Airplane Group has signed a five year contract, worth up to $200 million, with Russia's Verkhnaya Salda Metallurgi-cal Production Association (VSPMO) for the supply of titanium milled products, beginning in early 1999. The VSPMO is already working on a two year contract to supply titanium ingots to Boeing, ...
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Aircraft News
United Airlines has ordered 20 Airbus A320s and 10 A319s for delivery in 2000-1. Business Express has ordered 20 Embraer RJ.135s plus 40 options, with deliveries starting in October 1999. SkyWest has ordered 20 EMB.120s plus 40 options, for delivery from March 1998. Trans States has ordered two ERJ.145s. ...
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Suppliers
Sabre and Abacus are to form a computer reservations joint venture for Asia-Pacific. Rolls-Royce is setting up a Singapore-based Trent engine overhaul joint venture with Singapore Airlines Engineering Co and Hong Kong Aero Engine Service Ltd (HAESL). British Airways is to equip 100 long-haul aircraft with the Rockwell ...
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Eagle's O'Hares RJs
American Eagle will launch its first regional jet service on 15 May between Chicago's O'Hare International and Cleveland and Cincinnati in Ohio and Milwaukee, Wisconsin. The regional affiliate of American Airlines will replace turboprop aircraft now used to cover the routes with the 50-seat Embraer RJ-145. The airline will take ...
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Ilyushin freighter efficiency fails to impress Aeroflot director
Alexander Velovich/MOSCOW The head of Aeroflot has warned that the airline will not increase its orders for the Ilyushin II-96T freighter because the aircraft will not offer competitive operating economics. Speaking at a special gathering of Russia's Federal Aviation Service to review air cargo operations, Valery Okulov, Aeroflot general ...
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ILFC negotiates with Airbus and Boeing for 100-seaters
Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES Leasing giant International Lease Finance (ILFC) has confirmed negotiations with Airbus Industrie and Boeing over a possible purchase of the 100-seat A319M5 and 717-200. "The 717 is under review by ILFC, as is the A319M5. We're talking, we're considering, but I can't give you any ...
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Tupolev tests end
The US Tupolev Tu-144LL experimental supersonic flight test programme has been completed, with the modified version of Russia's supersonic transport logging almost 39h during 19 fights. Source: Flight International
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European partners agree principles for unity
Europe's four largest aerospace and defence companies have agreed in principle to merging all their assets to form a single, unified aerospace and defence company and have set down guidelines for the merger in a report to the French, German, Spanish and UK governments. The four Airbus partners, Aerospatiale, ...