All news – Page 6819

  • News

    Airbus prepares 8000

    1998-03-04T16:44:00Z

    Airbus expects to deliver the first A340-8000 in the second quarter of this year, following the conclusion of a 20h flight test programme which began with the maiden flight from Toulouse on 19 December, 1997. The A340-200 derivative has increased weights and two additional fuel tanks in the aft cargo ...

  • News

    TCAS commitment

    1998-03-04T16:43:00Z

    FedEx has selected Honeywell's TCAS 2000 for its voluntary programme to install traffic alert and collision avoidance systems in 334 jet-powered freighters, with 95% of the fleet to be equipped within four years. Automatic dependent surveillance- broadcast features will be added when available. Source: Flight International

  • News

    Boeing prepares to step up 737/747 production rates

    1998-03-04T16:41:00Z

    Assembly rate increases on Boeing's Next Generation 737 and 747-400 are to go ahead, with the US manufacturer confident that its production problems are under control. Output of 737s will double in number to 14 a month in April, and 747-400 production will increase from four to five a month ...

  • News

    Air Namibia replaces costly 747 with 767-300ER

    1998-03-04T16:39:00Z

    Chris Yates/MANCHESTER South-west African carrier Air Namibia has decided to replace its ageing Boeing 747SP with a 767-300ER. The airline had been expected to opt for the Airbus A340, but a last-minute offer saw a switch to the Boeing aircraft. The ex-Challenge Air aircraft is due to enter ...

  • News

    British Midland applies for transatlantic routes

    1998-03-04T16:36:00Z

    David Learmount/LONDON British Midland (BM) has filed bids to launch a series of transatlantic services from London Heathrow, starting what it says will be a market development programme lasting between five and seven years. The carrier says that it has made its move in anticipation of a UK/US "open ...

  • News

    Revised US airspace upgrade concentrates on ground work

    1998-03-04T16:32:00Z

    Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC The first phase of the revised modernisation plan for the US National Airspace System (NAS) is to concentrate on ground infrastructure improvements. "There will be little impact on avionics equipment," says a senior Federal Aviation Administration official, indicating that features such as automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast and ...

  • News

    Marketplace

    1998-03-04T16:29:00Z

    -Pearljet of Australia has purchased a second British Aerospace Jetstream 41 from BAe Asset Management - Turboprops (AMT), to be based at Brisbane. -O'Connor Airlines of Mount Gambier, Australia, has become the first customer in the Asia- Pacific region for the British Aerospace Jetstream 32EP enhanced performance aircraft, leasing two ...

  • News

    GE aims to expand oriental engine support ventures

    1998-03-04T16:06:00Z

    General Electric Engine Services is focusing efforts on firming up planned new engine-overhaul joint ventures in China and the Philippines, following the recent start of its partnership with EVA Airways in Taiwan. GE has confirmed that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Xiamen Aviation Industrial to ...

  • News

    PW8000 launch will not dent V2500 sales, says IAE chief

    1998-03-04T16:04:00Z

    International Aero Engines (IAE) president Barry Eccleston claims that market prospects for the V2500 turbofan will not be badly affected by Pratt & Whitney's launch of the directly competing PW8000, and adds that the engine family may even benefit from the development. The obvious threat to the V2500 posed ...

  • News

    Fairchild Dornier examines 728JET partners

    1998-03-04T16:01:00Z

    Principal risk-sharing partners in Fairchild Dornier's proposed new 728JET family of regional aircraft should be known by the end of the month. The main design configuration is expected to be frozen by May. The company's regional and business aircraft president Earl Robinson says that a total of 17 competing ...

  • News

    China/Pakistan signal intent to resume FC-1 development work

    1998-03-04T15:59:00Z

    China and Pakistan have signed a letter of intent (LOI) covering development of the FC-1 light fighter, breaking a long hiatus in the programme's progress. The single seat Chengdu FC-1, effectively a successor to the Super-7 programme, is intended for the air forces of both countries. Pakistan is understood ...

  • News

    Royal Saudi Air Force selects F-16C/Ds but waits for go-ahead

    1998-03-04T15:57:00Z

    The Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) has decided to replace its Northrop F-5 and RF-5 fleet with Lockheed Martin F-16C/Ds. All that remains to be determined is when the programme go-ahead is given, says Bob Elrod, vice-president of F-16 programmes with Lockheed Martin. The RSAF has a requirement for ...

  • News

    Pierson warns on A3XX costs

    1998-03-04T15:55:00Z

    Airbus president Jean Pierson has warned that the A3XX 550-650 seat airliner should not be launched until the consortium is satisfied that the programme can meet its promised target of delivering significantly better economics than those offered by the Boeing 747. Speaking at his last official press conference before ...

  • News

    Pan Am suspends airline operation

    1998-03-04T15:49:00Z

    Pan American World Airways filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on 26 February and "temporarily" ceased operations while the parent company seeks debtor-in-possession financing. The company is in default on aircraft lease payments of around $4 million and failed to make a $3.3 million security payment to Airline Reporting, which ...

  • News

    USA prepares to select winner JASSM contest

    1998-03-04T15:48:00Z

    Boeing and Lockheed Martin are to submit best and final offers for the US Department of Defense's $3 billion joint air to surface standoff missile (JASSM) by mid-March. Selection is expected in April. The Boeing JASSM design has an airframe originally developed for the classified Have Slick programme. Just ...

  • News

    ATR and BAe aim to keep AI(R) link despite sales break-up

    1998-03-04T15:45:00Z

    Kevin O'Toole/LONDON ATR and British Aerospace Regional Aircraft are studying ways to retain a loose alliance under the Aero International (Regional) banner, after taking the decision to disentangle the sales and marketing of their respective product lines. A decision was taken at the end of January that the ...

  • News

    Boeing lines up Japanese AWACS

    1998-03-04T15:43:00Z

    Boeing has completed flight and mission system testing of the first two of four (number one, far left; number two, far right) Airborne Early Warning and Control System (AWACS) 767s for Japan at Seattle, and is preparing for an 11 March delivery date.   Source: Flight International

  • News

    BAe develops EF2000 range extension modification kit

    1998-03-04T15:42:00Z

    British Aerospace is working on an airframe modification kit for the Eurofighter EF2000 combat aircraft which will significantly increase its combat radius in the strike role. The company is developing upper fuselage conformal fuel tanks, as well as larger underwing tanks, which would give the aircraft an unrefuelled combat ...

  • News

    BA allies with Finnair

    1998-03-04T15:40:00Z

    British Airways agreed an alliance deal with Finnair on 27 February which will initially see codesharing between London, Helsinki and Swedish capital Stockholm. Deutsche BA and the Finnish airline will also codeshare. The deal came at the end of a busy week for the UK carrier, which started with ...

  • News

    Airbus examines A319 shrink

    1998-03-04T15:36:00Z

    Max Kingsley-Jones/SINGAPORE Airbus Industrie is working on a secret study into a 100-sear A319 which could provide the consortium with a quick response to the recent Boeing decision to launch the rival 717. The studies centre around a five frame "shrink" of the A319 fuselage, which would bring ...