All news – Page 6390
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Marketplace
Air Maldives is to acquire three secondhand Airbus A310-300s on three-year leases from Airbus. The first aircraft, an ex-Air Jamaica, Pratt & Whitney PW4000-powered example, will be delivered on 15 October, with others due for delivery at one-month intervals. Schreiner Airways has taken delivery of two ATR 72s on lease ...
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Airbus' A3XX economics target 'unachievable', says Boeing
Max Kingsley-Jones/LONDON Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC Boeing has dismissed Airbus Industrie's 15-20% cost saving target for the A3XX over the 747-400 as unachievable. The European consortium claims to be ahead of the targets, as its US rival focuses on cheaper 747-based growth derivatives rather than an all-new design to meet its ...
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Team spirit
Improved co-operation, communication and openness are the chosen military flight safety tools of the future David Learmount/LONDON Julian Moxon/PARIS Paul Phelan/CAIRNS In 1998, the Australian Defence Force, (ADF), which has about 450 aircraft, had a flying accident-free year throughout its services for the first time. That, however, according to ...
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Four bid for USAF C-130 avionics upgrade work
The US Air Force has formally launched the $4.2 billion avionics modernisation programme (AMP) to upgrade 510 Lockheed Martin C-130E/H transport and special operations aircraft, with the release of a draft request for proposals (RFP). Four system integrators have emerged to bid for the upgrade. They are soliciting teaming partners ...
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Seekers eyed for cruise interceptor
The US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has narrowed to three the competing terminal-guidance seekers for the miniature air-launched cruise missile interceptor (MALI) being developed under a 30-month technology demonstration. Two seekers - a radio frequency device and an infrared (IR) sensor - are under DARPA development. The ...
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S Africa approves plans for armed forces modernisation
Andrew Doyle/MUNICH Jonathan Rosenthal/JOHANNESBURG The South African cabinet has approved plans for a sweeping modernisation of the country's armed forces but slashed the initial cost by nearly one-third to R21.3 billion ($3.5 billion). The bulk of the savings has been achieved by trimming early purchases of Saab/British Aerospace ...
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Six bidders contend for RAF strategic tanker requirement
Stewart Penney/LONDON Six companies have been selected by the UK Ministry of Defence to submit outline proposals for the Royal Air Force's Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft requirement. The deal is potentially worth £9 billion ($14.6million) over 20 years and will be funded via a Private Finance Initiative. British ...
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Taiwan compensation
Taiwan is to pursue compensation from US engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney, after declaring that the 18 August crash of an air force Lockheed Martin F-16A was caused exclusively by engine failure. The Taiwanese aircraft are powered by the Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-220. Source: Flight International
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Su-27KUB begins naval operations tests
The Sukhoi Su-27KUB (Su-33UB) twin-seat naval fighter/trainer prototype has begun arrested landing and ski-jump take-off flight tests at Nitka in the Crimea. Facilities at Nitka include a representation of the deck of the Admiral Kuznetsov aircraft carrier, including a ski jump and a four-wire arresting gear. Tests are being flown ...
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X-33 tanks prepared for testing
The twin composite liquid hydrogen (LH) tanks of the Lockheed Martin X-33 advanced technology demonstrator for future single-stage-to-orbit vehicles will begin crucial pressure and stress testing at NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, this week. The two 2,080kg tanks, built by Alliant Techsystems, which each carry 110,000litres (29,000USgal) of LH ...
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Soyuz success
A Soyuz was launched from Plesetsk on 9 September, carrying the recoverable Foton 12 microgravity research spacecraft. The spacecraft carries 250kg (550lb) of experiments supplied by France, Germany and Sweden for the European Space Agency. The Foton recovery capsule, based on the Vostok capsule flown by Yuri Gagarin in April ...
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IAI conducts final EROS tests
Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) is conducting the final tests on its first earth resources observation satellite (EROS), which is scheduled for launch at the end of this year. The EROS programme, which also involves US company CST and Israel's Elop, is designed to allow the imaging of every point ...
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Japan cancels J-1
Japan is to cancel its expensive J-1 solid-propellant small satellite launcher, and plans to replace it with a version using US and Russian components. The Advanced Technology Proving Rocket will be powered by liquid-propellant engines. Its first flight is due in 2003. The first stage will incorporate the liquid-oxygen ...
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DC-9 age leads to calls for checks
Old Age is catching up with the McDonnell Douglas DC-9 fleet as the US Federal Aviation Administration issues directives on two electrical modifications and a revision on the safe life of structural components. Reporting incidents in which short-circuiting has caused "severe smoke and burn damage which could result in ...
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NTSB rejects ADS-B for cargo fleet TCAS
US cargo aircraft should be compelled to fit traffic and collision avoidance systems (TCAS) following two recent near collisions, the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has recommended to the Federal Aviation Administration. An alternative system favoured by the US Cargo Airline Association, automatic dependent surveillance - broadcast (ADS-B), ...
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Workshop
Norwegian low cost airline Color Air has signed a five-year engine support contract for its three Boeing 737-300s with Shannon Engine Support in Ireland. The deal for work on the CFM56s will be extended to cover five aircraft when the airline increases its fleet size next April. GE Engine Services ...
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Aerolineas Argentinas prepares to order new narrowbody fleet
Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC Aerolineas Argentinas expects to decide within the next year on acquiring a new standardised fleet of 40 or more narrowbody jets. The airline is currently leasing additional 737-200s. "We have had initial discussions with both Airbus and Boeing and we're analysing right now our fleet requirements for ...
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Air France to let the train take more of the strain
Air France and French train operator SNCF are strengthening their co-operation agreement linking the airline's services to Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG) with SNCF's TGV high-speed train network. The move reflects increasing interest in "plane-train" co-operation in Europe as major airlines concentrate on developing international alliances and higher yield ...
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Routes
Virgin Express will begin serving Berlin Schönefeld from Brussels, London (Stansted and Gatwick) and Rome from November. US Airways will add services between Manchester in the UK and Philadelphia next May. The airline also plans to add daily non-stop flights from its Charlotte hub to Paris and Frankfurt. Swissair has ...
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AirTran pins hopes of return to profit on introduction of 717
Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES AirTran Airways is poised to introduce the first of up to 100 117-seat Boeing 717s to support its efforts to become profitable this year for the first time since 1995, says chairman and chief executive Joe Leonard. The arrival of the 717 "will be ...