All news – Page 6518
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Herculean task
The European Commission's air transport liberalisation programme can justly claim to have succeeded with its legal framework to allow airline competition. To critical observers, the results can be clearly seen through improved attitudes to the passenger and to quality of service, aircraft condition and operational efficiency. The architects ...
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New York's New Air aims for new year start with Airbuses
Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC New Air, which plans to launch low-fare services from New York Kennedy International in January, has ordered 25 Airbus Industrie A320 family aircraft worth an estimated $1 billion. The new US entrant also holds 25 options and 25 purchase rights on A320 family aircraft, with ...
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Varig shakes up aircraft plans as economy bites
Paul Lewis/RIO DE JANEIRO Varig has dropped plans to lease two new Boeing 777s and is negotiating with the manufacturer to reschedule deliveries of other newly ordered aircraft. The airline is also planning to restructure further its ancillary operations in the face of Brazil's recent economic difficulties. The Brazilian flag ...
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African Star ships in aircraft as it claims licence approval
Hilka Birns/CAPE TOWN South Africa's first independent and majority black-owned international airline, African Star, may have jumped the gun by announcing that the government has granted it an international air service licence. According to sources at the country's transport department, Pretoria's Air Services Licensing Council has given only ...
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European airlines call for ATC rethink
Emma Kelly/LONDON The Association of European Airlines (AEA) has called for a radical rethink on European air traffic control (ATC), after the latest capacity and delay predictions. European air navigation organisation Eurocontrol had originally targeted accommodating 8% more traffic this year, compared with the previous year, with a ...
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Boeing 717 set for European tour
Boeing is studying the possible demonstration of the 717-200 at London City Airport during its forthcoming European tour with the second production aircraft, P-2, immediately following the Paris air show in June. Following an initial series of flight demonstrations at the show, P-2 will perform customer demonstration flights at ...
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Cargolux takes stock exchange route for fleet recapitalisation
Freight airline Cargolux plans to go to the stock exchange later this year, with the aim of raising $100-$150 million to help fund the expansion of its fleet from seven to 12 Boeing 747-400Fs by 2002. The Luxembourg carrier's vice-president for strategy, Lucien Schummer, says the cash will be raised ...
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$5 billion war chest for Kosovo brings defence industry boom
Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC The Clinton Administration's $5.1 billion request for extra defence spending to support the air war in Yugoslavia could become only a down payment to the long term cost of the conflict. The supplemental spending is needed for US air operations until 30 September since the air war ...
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Finalists face Paris industry awards showdown
A panel of independent aerospace industry experts has selected the finalists for this year's Flight International Aerospace Industry Awards. The judges considered a record number of entries in the 11 categories. The winners will be announced at a gala dinner on 14 June during the Paris air show. Finalists ...
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Italy lifts ban on air strikes as campaign targets government
The Italian Government has lifted operating restraints on Italian air force strike aircraft, allowing them to take part in the NATO air war against Yugoslavia, after almost a month of debate over whether to allow such action. The restrictions on the air force, which has previously only been operational ...
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Humbled Korean Air stages management upheaval
Andrzej Jeziorski/SINGAPORE After the latest of a string of air safety disasters, Korean Air (KAL) is undergoing a management shake-up in an attempt to convince politicians, passengers and partners that it is turning over a new leaf. Chairman and founder Cho Choong-Hoon has resigned, "taking the entire responsibility ...
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Alliance attacks US pilot scope clauses
Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC Pilot contract scope clauses, which limit the number of regional jets US airlines can operate, are to come under attack from a widely based alliance to be unveiled at the US Regional Airlines Association meeting in Phoenix, Arizona, in May. The "Proposition RJ" alliance plans to lobby ...
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Subduing the shunto
With crisis gripping Japan's airlines, even the trade unions are unwilling to fight cost-cutting measures Andrzej Jeziorski/TOKYO Springtime in Japan is traditionally marked not only by the flowering of cherry blossom, but by the stirrings of industrial unrest. This year's strike season, known locally as "shunto", should be well under ...
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US majors beat expectations
Chris Jasper/LONDON Most large US carriers have reported a stronger-than-expected performance for the first quarter of this year on the back of strong domestic demand and improving international markets. Bad winter weather took its toll, but while several airlines posted poorer results than for the same period last year, ...
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Greece to make fighter move
Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC Greece is expected to decide shortly which route to take on its planned short-term and long-term fighter purchases. A key ministerial meeting planned for earlier in April, but delayed by the Kosovo crisis and NATO's 50th anniversary summit, is expected by the end of April. ...
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Tactical laser weapon could be available in two years
Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC Boeing believes that successful proof-of-concept testing could lead to US military testing of a helicopter-borne airborne tactical laser (ATL) within two years. The optimism is fuelled by preliminary testing of a new high-energy chemical laser designed specifically for directed-energy tactical weapons applications. The device is ...
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Stealthy JASSM fails in first flight test
The first flight test of the stealthy Lockheed Martin Joint Air-to-Surface Stand-off Missile (JASSM) ended in failure because of an apparent electrical problem, according to US Air Force officials. The 8 April unpowered test flight at White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico, was terminated after the missile's wings and ...
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Trishul test
India's defence research and development organisation test fired the Trishul short range surface to air missile against a Nishant unmanned air vehicle target on 16 April. Source: Flight International
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Dutch eye F-16 replacement
Gert Kromhout/RIJNSBURG The Netherlands has launched a formal requirement study for a new fighter to replace its Lockheed Martin F-16MLUs between 2010 and 2025. The study will take into account expected long-term developments in the use of air power, and assess the potential of cruise missiles, armed helicopters ...
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Denel proposes advanced Darter derivatives
Paul Lewis/RIO DE JANEIRO Denel plans soon to begin guided testing of the Kentron A-Darter air-to-air missile (AAM), while pursuing derivative naval and AAM developments of its SAHV-3 surface-to-air missile system. The South African manufacturer is pushing ahead with work on the A-Darter, with the help of technology ...