All Safety News – Page 1281
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Interactive makes connection in latest IFE industry shake-up
In-flight entertainment (IFE) system supplier Interactive Flight Technologies (IFT) is aiming to complete its purchase of fellow IFE hardware manufacturer, the Network Connection (TNCi) on 15 May. The move is the latest stage in the shake-up of the IFE hardware supplier industry, which has seen the departure of some players ...
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Whistleblowing
When an airline makes a mistake affecting safety, there are normally others in the industry who know it has taken place, but they say nothing. If the error was unintentional and appears to be a one-off, the reaction of industry peers is usually: "There but for the grace of God ...
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Putting the family to work
Andrew Doyle/MUNICH Max Kingsley-Jones/STOCKHOLM Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC Guy Norris/LOS ANGELESWhen Boeing began to study a replacement for its successful 737-300/400/500 "Classic" family of narrowbody twinjets in the early 1990s, it faced difficult decisions. Airbus Industrie was on the scene with its technologically advanced fly-by-wire A320 family, but many of Boeing's ...
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USA takes up Sextant state support issue with EU
The USA IS to seek "consultations" with the European Union (EU) over the French Government's funding support of Sextant Avionique for development of a new flight management system (FMS) for Airbus aircraft. If the talks fail to resolve the dispute, the US Government plans to ask the World Trade ...
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SAir reconsiders TAP stake after pilot rise
SAirGroup is reconsidering whether to go ahead with its planned purchase of a 20% stake in TAP Air Portugal after a tribunal court recommended that the Portuguese national airline's pilots be awarded a 95% pay increase. The Swiss company is also negotiating to take a large minority stake in privately ...
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Airlines push Airbus to speed up plans for A3XX freighter
Andrew Doyle/TOULOUSE Airbus Industrie is accelerating development of the freighter version of its proposed A3XX ultra-high capacity airliner, in response to strong demand from potential operators. The consortium has also revised the design of the cargo variant, to carry an increased payload of 150t over 10,545km (5,700nm) following ...
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Manufacturers' perspective
Production, reliability and certification issues have dominated the 737's debut Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES Between them, Boeing and CFM International faced the fastest ramp-up in production and delivery of any commercial airliner with the 737NG. Since delivery of the first aircraft to Southwest Airlines in December 1997, some 250 examples ...
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Fairchild wraps up 328JET testing and confirms stretch plans
Andrew Doyle/OBERPFAFFENHOFEN Fairchild Aerospace has almost completed flight-testing its 328JET30-seater and expects to receive certification from the European Joint Aviation Authorities and the US Federal Aviation Administration by 1 July. First deliveries to US carrier Skyways will take place that month. Meanwhile, the US company claims to have ...
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Boeing maintains 717 campaign
Andrew Doyle/MUNICH Boeing aims to boost sales of its 717 regional jet by taking a role in maintenance support and certificating a "Lite" version that could cut airport and navigation charges for airlines. The move comes as Greek flag carrier Olympic signs as the type's first European airline operator. Its ...
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FAA cracks the whip on US Classic 737 bulkheads
The US Federal Aviation Administration has ordered US operators to inspect 500 of their Classic Boeing 737s for fatigue cracks in aft pressure bulkheads. An airworthiness directive (AD) requires operators of early model 737s to perform either electronic or visual inspections. The emergency order stems from the discovery of ...
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Airbus' Japan sales drive pays off with Mitsubishi contract
Andrzej Jeziorski/TOKYO Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has secured its first airframe components subcontract on an Airbus Industrie programme as the European manufacturer steps up its sales efforts in Japan. The contract, awarded to Mitsubishi via Airbus partner British Aerospace, covers production of an A319/A320 wing root component, the shroud ...
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Delta-ALPA skirmish may start scope clause battle
Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC Delta Air Lines and the Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA) have locked legal horns over the use of Comair regional jets on the new Boston-Washington DC shuttle in what could be the opening shots of a much wider battle over pilot scope clauses. ALPA is ...
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Vantage work set to resume
Dave Higdon/ST LOUISThe Vantage single-engined jet will be heavier and use a more powerful engine when VisionAire begins certification testing of the first production prototype towards the end of this year. The St Louis, Missouri-based company plans to resume development of the aircraft after a lengthy design review is published ...
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EC bows to US pressure on hushkits
The European Commission (EC) has formally approved a ban on the European operation of aircraft fitted with hushkits, but in a last-minute concession to the USA has postponed the regulation's implementation by a year, until 1 May, 2000. As part of the compromise deal thrashed out in the past ...
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Shorter story
Smaller may not always be better, but for Embraer it is a route to further success Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DCIt seems a simple, sensible approach: take a proven airframe, shorten the fuselage to produce a smaller aircraft, leave the rest unchanged, and avoid the time and cost of developing a new ...
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The big squeeze
European regional aviation is coming under pressure, and airlines are pessimistic about future expansion Chris Jasper/LONDONOn the face of it, the story of regional aviation in Europe is one of unparalleled success. The sector was the first in Europe to be liberalised, with the 50 and 70-seat markets freed to ...
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Scope for change
Pressure is mounting for the reform of regional airline pilot scope clauses Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC The simmering debate over regional airline pilot scope clauses is slowly coming to the boil. With most labour agreements due for renewal from next year, pressure is building from a range of sectors - airlines, ...
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Eurofighter passes test milestones
Eurofighter has explored about 90% of the flight envelope of its initial operating capability (IOC) baseline configuration. Tests are pushing ahead, with the aim of the four Eurofighter partners receiving IOC air-defence configured aircraft in 2002. DaimlerChrysler Aerospace's DA5 aircraft is flying with the FCS 2B/1 software that gives Eurofighter ...
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Lufthansa signals end to Asian malaise
Andrew Doyle/FRANKFURT Lufthansa has revealed that Asian passenger traffic is expected to recover fully by the end of this year, but warns that over-capacity on transatlantic routes is still hurting yields. Despite unveiling record DM2.5 billion ($1.26 billion) pre-tax profits for last year - up 42% on 1997 ...
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Disquieting move
US strong-arm tactics, of which the threatened ban on Concorde flights to the USA was the most visible sign, have forced the European Union (EU) to climb down from its deadline for implementing the ban on operating hushkitted aircraft in EU airspace. The prospect for another trade war with the ...