All Systems & Interiors news – Page 865

  • News

    JAL spins off new domestic subsidiary

    1997-03-19T00:00:00Z

    Japan Airlines (JAL) has announced that its planned new domestic subsidiary carrier, JALEXPRESS, will be formally incorporated from 1 April and begin operations in 1998. The new 100% JAL-owned airline is being established to compete with Japan's proliferating number of planned low-cost start-up carriers, following partial liberalisation of ...

  • News

    Indonesia is ready to cancel F-16 purchase

    1997-03-19T00:00:00Z

    The Indonesian Government is poised to cancel buying nine Lockheed Martin F-16A/Bs, originally ordered by Pakistan, in an effort to distance itself from the growing scandal surrounding foreign financial donations to US President Clinton's re-election campaign. According to informed sources, President Suharto is keen to distance Indonesia from ...

  • News

    Ultra-led team to study advanced control systems

    1997-03-19T00:00:00Z

    A research project aimed at developing advanced control systems for large-aircraft landing gear has been launched by Ultra Electronics, in conjunction with Messier-Dowty and British Aerospace Airbus. The 30-month UK Government-sponsored research programme will cover areas such as active bogie trimming, damping control, steering control and intelligent gear-sequencing. ...

  • News

    Blended- bodies: not the right mix?

    1997-03-12T15:54:00Z

    Sir - Although I am a life-long flying-wing fanatic, I do not see how blended-body airliners can work. The aerodynamic advantages are real, and avionics - fly-by-wire - cure the stability snags, but there is still pressurisation. The standard 0.55bar (8lb/in2) represents a lot of pressure on the 280m2 (3,000ft2) ...

  • News

    Embraer seeks Paris show launchfor new 37-seat regional turbofan

    1997-03-12T00:00:00Z

    Embraer has confirmed its intentions to develop a family of small regional jets which would include new 37- and 70-seat aircraft on either side of its EMB-145 50-seater. The Brazilian aircraft manufacturer hopes to be able officially to launch the 37-seater, which will be known as the EMB-135, ...

  • News

    Airbus outlines business case for launching its large airliner

    1997-03-12T00:00:00Z

    Airbus Industrie is building a business case for launching the A3XX based on prospects of winning around 650 orders for the programme over the next 20 years, says John Leahy senior vice-president Commercial. The comments came as Airbus and Boeing used the release of long-range forecasts to justify ...

  • News

    Boeing finalises 767-400ERX

    1997-03-12T00:00:00Z

    Boeing expects to begin the second phase of windtunnel testing of the 767-400ERX "within the next couple of months" as it works towards a planned May 2000 service-entry for the aircraft, according to programme manager John Quinlivan. Quinlivan also confirms that the company "-has held discussions "with airlines ...

  • News

    Chicken or egg?

    1997-03-12T00:00:00Z

    AIRBUS INDUSTRIE MAKES A compelling case for a developing market for a very large airliner - not least that its rival, Boeing, obviously thought it worthwhile spending so long trying to convince the airlines to launch its own big airliner, the 747-500/ 600. No matter how compelling the manufacturer's case, ...

  • News

    Safety seeds

    1997-03-12T00:00:00Z

    In October 1996, when Capt Tore Granaas heard the news of a third Boeing 757 crash in Latin America in less than a year, he felt that something had to be done. The Latin American/Caribbean area as a whole does not have a good safety reputation. There are ...

  • News

    Water world

    1997-03-05T00:00:00Z

    This image of the 3,160km-diameter Europa, taken at a distance of 677,00km, highlights the colour variation of the predominantly water-ice crust. It has been speculated that an ocean lies beneath the crust. Dark brown areas consist of material from the interior brought to the surface by meteorite impacts. The bright ...

  • News

    In search of the new jet age

    1997-03-05T00:00:00Z

    Time was when the regional-aircraft industry was focused on who would win the battle to build a family of 70- to 120-seat jet-powered aircraft. Strategists toiled to demonstrate how such a family would sit beneath the fleets of the majors. Much has changed since then. Now, the focus ...

  • News

    IPTN focuses on higher capacity for N2130 regional family

    1997-03-05T00:00:00Z

    IPTN has dropped plans to develop a shortened, 80-seat, version of the planned N2130 short-haul jet-airliner and instead opted for a larger-aircraft family with six-abreast seating for between 104 and 132 passengers. The Indonesian manufacturer had intended building three different sizes of N2130, seating 80, 100 and 130 ...

  • News

    Lufthansa Cityline

    1997-03-05T00:00:00Z

    Lufthansa is fighting hub congestion by offering an increasing number of direct city-to-city flights, both within Germany and to destinations in Europe, avoiding its hubs at Frankfurt and Munich. Flying 320 flights daily to European centres on routes for which traffic is too light for a 100-seat aircraft is the ...

  • News

    NTSB urges accelerated 737 rudder programme

    1997-03-05T00:00:00Z

    The Boeing 737 series no longer complies with the "intent of the [original US Federal Aviation Administration] certification requirements", the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has alleged in a recommendation to the FAA. The Board urges acceleration of a rudder-system modification programme now under way on the aircraft following ...

  • News

    Why the customer must still be king

    1997-03-01T00:00:00Z

    Survival is key for airlines but their main focus should be on the passenger. British Airways' chief executive Bob Ayling was recently asked what he would do to change the aeronautical world were he given the power to do so. His answer went along these lines: 'It's flattering to be ...

  • News

    El Al tackles weekend trip

    1997-03-01T00:00:00Z

    The Israeli government is coming under fierce pressure to lift the ban on flag carrier El Al's operations on the Sabbath. The limitation of a six-day operation is blamed for $50 million of the airline's $120 million loss in 1996 and contributed to last year's shelving of its planned privatisation. ...

  • News

    Exim weighs up Brazil aid

    1997-03-01T00:00:00Z

    US Eximbank is evaluating how to respond to a request to support US-made components and avionics slated for installation in Brazilian-built EMB.145s. If it decides to proceed, this will be the first time Eximbank has supported the export of US-made aircraft parts separate from export of an aircraft. ...

  • News

    Euro agents' work cut out

    1997-03-01T00:00:00Z

    European travel agents need to start convincing airlines of their worth. The decisions by alliance partners Lufthansa and SAS, as well as KLM, to slash their agents' commissions are expected to trigger Europe-wide cuts, following the trend set by US carriers. KLM plans to lower domestic commissions from ...

  • News

    Surviving the customer

    1997-03-01T00:00:00Z

    Innovation has always been difficult in the airline business. The basic airline product is uniform throughout the industry, and any incremental change by one carrier is usually taken up by its competitors quickly - if it is successful. To survive and stay ahead of their competitors, airlines are constantly looking ...

  • News

    Alitalia in for a rough ride

    1997-03-01T00:00:00Z

    The European Commission has asked Alitalia to reassess its proposed restructuring plan and even then looks set to rule that the carrier's planned injection is state aid. It will also be looking at Alitalia's linkup with Air France, while both carriers suffer further industrial unrest. The revelation that ...