All air transport news – Page 2408

  • News

    Gap widens between Airbus and AVIC on A318/AE100 direction

    1997-04-23T00:00:00Z

    Clear differences have begun to emerge between Airbus Industrie and Aviation Industries of China (AVIC) over the longer-term direction of the proposed A318/AE100 programme, with the European consortium pressing for the development of a smaller, rather than larger, aircraft. Negotiators from Airbus subsidiary joint venture, Airbus Industrie Asia ...

  • News

    Aeroflot plans to create a regional-hub network

    1997-04-23T00:00:00Z

    Aeroflot-Russian International Airlines is considering setting up a series of regional hubs in an attempt to break the dominance of Sheremetyevo Airport at Moscow in its network. The widening of its domestic-flights network in Russia and the CIS are two major factors in Aeroflot's strategy to improve efficiency. ...

  • News

    BA is first to pick Roll-Rolls 'hybrid'

    1997-04-23T00:00:00Z

    British Airways has become the first airline to select the Rolls-Royce RB.211-524HT "hybrid" engine, having signed a letter of intent (LoI) with the UK manufacturer specifying the powerplant for 14 Boeing 747-400s, ordered in September 1996. The engine deal will be worth more than $500 million to R-R, ...

  • News

    Weight of the world

    1997-04-16T00:00:00Z

    Until 1993, the world of freighter wet-leasing was an obscure one. This relatively minor niche in the air-transport business had few participants, most of them well-established, specialist all-cargo carriers. In 1993, however, Michael Chowdry, chairman and chief executive of Atlas Air, entered the scene with a "lone flyer" ...

  • News

    Explosive progress

    1997-04-16T00:00:00Z

    On 5 May, 1987, a British Aerospace 146-200QT "Quiet Trader" freighter operating between Prestwick in the UK and a hub at Nuremburg, Germany, launched the European freight operations of Australia's TNT Transport group, which now trades as TNT Express Worldwide. In the ten years since then the company has established ...

  • News

    Varig restructuring effort begins to pay dividends

    1997-04-16T00:00:00Z

    Varig's tough restructuring measures now appear to be bearing fruit, with the Brazilian carrier reporting an underlying profit for 1996 and looking for expansion this year backed by a fleet refurbishment and a new codeshare agreement with United Airlines. The Varig figures are complicated by the issue of ...

  • News

    Chile cleared to receive data on F-16 and F-18

    1997-04-16T00:00:00Z

    CHILE IS TO receive technical information on the Lockheed Martin F-16 and McDonnell Douglas (MDC) F-18, but the US Government remains undecided on whether it is willing to sell the aircraft to Chile. The move marks a shift of policy: the Carter Administration banned the sale of advanced ...

  • News

    -as Southern Air plans to treble 747-200F fleet

    1997-04-16T00:00:00Z

    Southern Air Transport (SAT) plans to add another six Boeing 747 freighters to its fleet over the next three years, but has not yet established from where the aircraft will be sourced. The US freight carrier, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary, operates a fleet of 15 Lockheed ...

  • News

    Transaero will lease intrim 767s and 737s

    1997-04-16T00:00:00Z

    Russia's privately owned Transaero plans to add three Boeing 767-200ERs and six 737-400s to its fleet during 1997, in an effort to boost capacity until deliveries of next-generation Boeing 737s commence in 1999. The first of the leased aircraft, a 767 and three 737s, are due to join ...

  • News

    East African Alliance merger moves ahead

    1997-04-16T00:00:00Z

    Criticism has begun to emerge over the proposed merger of the national flag carriers of Tanzania and Uganda into Alliance, the joint-venture carrier led by South African Airways (SAA). Alliance is pressing ahead with plans for fleet and network expansion, however. Ministers from Tanzania and Uganda agreed "in ...

  • News

    AMJ sells BAe 146s

    1997-04-16T00:00:00Z

    British Aerospace Asset Management-Jets (AMJ) has sold four more BAe 146s, as its campaign to cut the group's liabilities on its regional-jet fleet begins to gather momentum. Three BAe 146-200s on lease to Air Atlantic have been sold to the Canadian carrier for $21 million. It has also ...

  • News

    JAL renews attack on costs

    1997-04-16T00:00:00Z

    Japan Airlines (JAL) is stepping up efforts to cut costs and restructure the company, including the shedding of 2,000 jobs, as the group once again faces a return to losses. The airline's newly unveiled medium-range plan for the five years through to March 2002 also calls for a ...

  • News

    Russia approves guarantees for Moscow Aviation Tu-204s

    1997-04-16T00:00:00Z

    The Russian Government has authorised guarantees of $150 million for the manufacture of 20 Tupolev Tu-204s with Perm/Aviadvigatel PS-90A engines for Moscow Aviation International Leasing (MAIL). MAIL is an associate company of the consultancy headed by chess world master and entrepreneur Gary Kasparov. The consultancy's chief executive Peter ...

  • News

    Maintenance mistake threatened Transavia Boeing 737 flight

    1997-04-16T00:00:00Z

    A third-party-maintenance error came close to disabling a Transavia Airlines Boeing 737-300 in flight with 146 passengers on board, and could have resulted in a crash but for the quick action of the crew, say initial reports from German air-accident investigators. The incident is believed to be a one-off, but ...

  • News

    S Korea signs AI(R) JET deal

    1997-04-16T00:00:00Z

    Aero International (Regional)'s planned AI(R) JET 70 regional-aircraft development has been given a boost, with South Korea signing a preliminary agreement to join the programme, angling for a stake of up to 40%. The Korean Commercial-Aircraft Development Corporation (KCADC) and a team from AI(R), headed by chief executive ...

  • News

    DHL signs MoU with Airbus for A300 freighters

    1997-04-16T00:00:00Z

    DHL Airways has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Airbus Industrie for the acquisition of seven used A300B4 freighters for its US express-parcels network, and could later add additional aircraft for its European operations. The airline will take delivery of the seven aircraft, which are General Electric ...

  • News

    Latest bid to rescue Fokker fades away

    1997-04-16T00:00:00Z

    Prospects of a viable rescue plan for Fokker have further evaporated after an apparent break-down in relations between Malaysia's state-investment group Khazanah Nasional and the bankrupt Dutch aircraft manufacturer's receivers. Khazanah had been discussing taking a 39% stake in a revived Fokker, by joining a DFl1.1 million ($640 ...

  • News

    Saab discusses South Pacific venture

    1997-04-16T00:00:00Z

    Saab Aircraft is discussing the setting up of a new South Pacific airline operation, in response to what it believes are unfounded complaints over the unreliability of the Saab 2000 being operated by state-owned Air Marshall Islands (AMI). Saab blames the AMI problems on inadequate spares support and ...

  • News

    Atlas closes on freighter order decision-

    1997-04-16T00:00:00Z

    Atlas Air, the world's largest Boeing 747 freighter operator, is close to deciding whether to order an unspecified number of 747-400 freighters. According to Michael Chowdry, chairman and chief executive officer, the 747-400F is seen as "the next step" for the US contract cargo operator. Atlas Air is ...

  • News

    Order boom forces Boeing to raise production rates

    1997-04-16T00:00:00Z

    Boeing is planning another increase in production rates as it prepares to keep pace with a surging orderbook and growing delivery backlog, now moving towards 1,500 aircraft. New urgency was injected into the company's continuous assessment of production rates by the Delta Air Lines order in March for ...