All Fleets articles – Page 943

  • News

    Sabena in the black as European traffic takes off

    1999-03-03T00:00:00Z

    Herman De Wulf/BRUSSELS Belgian flag carrier Sabena attributes its first net profit in 40 years to sustained growth in Europe, with the airline's low exposure in Asia shielding it from the full impact of the economic downturn there. The airline made a net profit of BFr703 million ($20 ...

  • News

    International plans for Israir

    1999-03-03T00:00:00Z

    Arie Egozi/TEL AVIV Domestic Israeli airline hopes to break into the charter business with a "flexible approach" to luring customers Israir, a small Israeli domestic airline, is preparing to go international. After years of operating domestic flights, mainly on the Tel-Aviv-Eilat holiday route, Israir is bracing for its ...

  • News

    Maintaining training

    1999-03-03T00:00:00Z

    Andrew Doyle/FRANKFURT The introduction of new European regulations and the growing power of simulation technology were the hot topics at the Flight International-sponsored Aviation Maintenance Training Conference held on 15-16 February As pressure increases on aircraft maintenance firms to step up the quality of their work at less ...

  • News

    Marketplace

    1999-03-03T00:00:00Z

    *Sabena has contracted to lease a three-year-old ex-Malaysia Airlines, Pratt & Whitney PW4000-powered Airbus A330-300 in April on a six-year-lease from International Lease Finance (ILFC). Sabena operates three General Electric CF6-powered A330-300s on lease from Airbus, and will also add three new PW4000-powered A330-200s from ILFC from August. *The ...

  • News

    Europe's BIG 3

    1999-03-01T00:00:00Z

    Lufthansa, Air France and Swissair have built their repair and overhaul facilities into some of the most competitive in the world, but profit margins remain slim. Europe cannot claim to be a world leader in many sectors, but when it comes to commercial aircraft and engine maintenance, it is ...

  • News

    New addition for Embraer

    1999-03-01T00:00:00Z

    Despite repeated earlier statements that the 70- and 90-seater markets seemed overcrowded, Embraer says it now plans to enter the fray after "considerable pressure" from customers to extend its regional jet family. But some still remain doubtful about the size of the market. Just days after the Brazilian manufacturer's ...

  • News

    Air Namibia shapes up for privatisation

    1999-03-01T00:00:00Z

    Despite Air Namibia's flagging fortunes, the airline's new managing director, Jaafar Ahmad, is confident that he can restructure and recapitalise the airline ready for privatisation within five years. The Namibian Government brought in the Malaysian-born financier as acting managing director and chief executive of Air Namibia last November, demoting ...

  • News

    Asia faces fallout

    1999-03-01T00:00:00Z

    The Asian downturn has led to overcapacity in the maintenance market, but there is no sign that the major carriers will let go of their in-house operations. When Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering (HAECO) cut 8% of its workforce at the end of last year, it was seen as an indication ...

  • News

    Beijing tightens its belt

    1999-03-01T00:00:00Z

    The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) may have escaped Beijing's directive that requires other agencies to divest their interests in the industries that they regulate, but aviation is not entirely unscathed by the latest belt tightening aimed at boosting China's weak economy and currency. Heading the list ...

  • News

    News in Brief

    1999-03-01T00:00:00Z

    Singapore signs - Singapore Airlines has signed the contract for up to 10 ultra-long-range Airbus A340-500s, confirming an earlier commitment. Deliveries will be completed by the middle of 2003. Transaer PIA contract - Irish charter airline Transaer has signed a five-year contract with Pakistan International (PIA) under which it ...

  • News

    News in Brief

    1999-03-01T00:00:00Z

    EasyJet seeks listing - UK low-cost carrier easyJet has announced that it intends to seek a listing on the London stock exchange and the US Nasdaq market early next year, to finance the purchase of the new aircraft it has on order. A spokesman also said that easyJet would drop ...

  • News

    Low cost or bust

    1999-03-01T00:00:00Z

    Europe's low-cost experiment is in full flow, but are there casualties waiting? Ever since the low-cost formula began to take root in Europe a couple of years ago, industry observers have been waiting keenly for the first start-up to fail. Even the low-cost pioneers themselves have expressed surprise that ...

  • News

    Carrier of controversy

    1999-03-01T00:00:00Z

    Jet Airways has surmounted every obstacle to become India's dominant private carrier and pose a serious challenge to rival Indian Airlines. But its rise has been dogged by political controversy. When India opened competition in the domestic airline market about eight years ago, local entrepreneurs rushed to launch airlines. ...

  • News

    Managing or flying?

    1999-03-01T00:00:00Z

    It may be desirable to include pilots in airline management, but how far is it economic? Organisation of cockpit crews must rank among the airline industry's most sensitive management issues. And central to that debate is the question over the extent to which pilots themselves should be involved in ...

  • News

    Russia's AT traffic down again in 1998

    1999-02-24T00:00:00Z

    Paul Duffy/MOSCOW Russia's air traffic fell by 11% to 22.4 million passengers during 1998, while revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) fell by 9.7% to 55.475 billion. The Russian Federal Aviation Service's [FAS] annual report reveals the eighth successive year of falling air traffic. While traffic had been showing a ...

  • News

    Launch timing of A3XX hit by market turn

    1999-02-24T00:00:00Z

    Airbus Industrie has confirmed a delay in its launch timing for the 480- 660-seat A3XX programme, saying "- the market is not ready for it yet". Airbus' A3XX timetable had called for a "substantial programme decision" to be taken early in 1999, to enable it to launch the project's industrialisation ...

  • News

    Qatar begins fleet roll-over with A320

    1999-02-24T00:00:00Z

    Qatar Airways has begun its short haul fleet update, with the delivery of the first of four new Airbus A320s leased from Singapore Aircraft Leasing Enterprise. The International Aero Engines V2500-powered aircraft are replacing four ageing Boeing 727-200s on regional services from Doha, begining with flights to Abu Dhabi on ...

  • News

    Kitty Hawk beats 727F weight limit

    1999-02-24T00:00:00Z

    US cargo carrier Kitty Hawk says the US Federal Aviation Administration has approved its alternative means of compliance on an FAA airworthiness directive (AD). The directive imposes severe payload limits on Boeing 727s that were converted into freighters by a number of third-party maintenance organisations. The AD affects ...

  • News

    Engine makers press for 777X exclusivity

    1999-02-24T00:00:00Z

    General Electric and Pratt & Whitney are pressing Boeing for an exclusivity deal to power the proposed 777-200X/300X long range derivatives, as repeated demand for increased levels of thrust progressively drive up development costs. The two powerplant suppliers, along with Rolls-Royce, are briefing airlines on 110-114,000lb (490-507kN) thrust engine growth ...

  • News

    Bombardier increases production

    1999-02-24T00:00:00Z

    Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON Bombardier Aerospace, buoyed by a record $1.3 billion sale of Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) 200LRs to Northwest Airlines, is increasing production of the 50-seat aircraft to eight a month. The US carrier, based in Minneapolis, has announced a firm order for 54 CRJ-200LRs and has taken options on ...