Fleets – Page 941

  • News

    Airbus urges AE31X speed-up to compete with Boeing 717

    1998-02-04T00:00:00Z

    Paul Lewis/SINGAPORE Airbus Industrie and its Chinese and Singapore partners are discussing speeding up development of the proposed smaller AE316 member of the planned AE31X family of regional aircraft, in response to Boeing's relaunch of the former MD-95 twinjet as the 717-200. It is understood that Airbus Industrie Asia (AIA) ...

  • News

    Latin carriers link for A320 deal

    1998-02-04T00:00:00Z

    Three major Latin American carriers, TAM of Brazil, TACA Group of El Salvador and LanChile, are in final negotiations with Airbus Industrie to place a joint order for up to 130 A320-family aircraft. The deal should be concluded by March. LanChile confirms that it has already signed a letter ...

  • News

    Wexford agrees to acquire US regional

    1998-02-04T00:00:00Z

    US Airways Express carrier Chautauqua Airlines is to be acquired by US investment firm Wexford Aviation, which plans to place some of its recently ordered Embraer RJ-135 and RJ-145 regional jets with the Indianapolis-based airline. Greenwich, Connecticut-based Wexford has agreed to acquire 100% of privately held Chautauqua, which had ...

  • News

    American chooses GEC HUD

    1998-02-04T00:00:00Z

    Ian Sheppard/LONDON American Airlines has selected GEC-Marconi Avionics to supply its HUD 2022 head-up-display (HUDs) system for 75 new Boeing 737-800s the carrier has on order. The contract secures the UK company's place as a leading supplier of civil HUD systems for the Next Generation 737 family alongside ...

  • News

    Regional brinkmanship

    1998-02-04T00:00:00Z

    Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC Brazil and Canada have been brought to the brink of a trade war by a dispute between Bombardier and Embraer over alleged Government subsidies for regional-jet development and sales. Now, representatives of the two countries have until the end of February to resolve the dispute, which threatens ...

  • News

    Aircraft News

    1998-02-01T14:55:00Z

    Virgin Atlantic has ordered eight Airbus A340-600s with eight options, while Lufthansa has ordered 10 A340-600s. Swissair has ordered six A330-200s and one A321 for delivery in 1999 and 2000. Leisure International Airways has ordered two A330-200s. Olympic Airways has ordered two A340-300s, plus two options, for ...

  • News

    French stick over partner

    1998-02-01T00:00:00Z

    Doug Cameron Investment bankers are sharply split over Air France's ability to secure a strategic airline investor and Air France's advisers have retreated from supporting a trade sale after the collapse of its planned Alitalia agreement. Air France plans an equity issue of FFr18 billion (US$2.9 billion) in ...

  • News

    No more red China blues?

    1998-02-01T00:00:00Z

    Tom Ballantyne China's airlines are getting their first taste of capitalism as the country's carriers drastically slash their air fares and liberalisation hits the region. The Civil Aviation Administration of China has given its 27 CAAC-approved airlines the go-ahead to cut prices by up to 40 per cent ...

  • News

    Asia's crisis: a rude awakening

    1998-02-01T00:00:00Z

    Asia's financial crisis is now threatening to start another global airline recession. What goes up must come down. Of all people, participants in the aviation business should understand this most basic phenomenon. After all, the one certainty of every flight is that gravity will bring it down eventually. All that ...

  • News

    Higher US fares are hitting home

    1998-02-01T00:00:00Z

    As US domestic fares continue to rise, more business travellers are making concessions in order to obtain lower fares, or are switching to low-cost carriers. Report by Karen Walker. The New Year had barely been rung in when both American Express and the US Department of Transportation confirmed what most ...

  • News

    Asia's new era

    1998-02-01T00:00:00Z

    Asia's economic turmoil is going to accelerate long-term structural change as the carriers in the region respond to the challenges. Doug Cameron looks at the impact on aircraft renewal, funding, alliances and liberalisation. Asian executives must be wondering what other calamities fate can possibly have in store for them. ...

  • News

    Garuda in dire straits

    1998-02-01T00:00:00Z

    Tom Ballantyne Reeling from a freefall in its local currency which has blown up debt, Jakarta's state-owned flag carrier Garuda Indonesia may face bankruptcy unless it auctions off assets. The country's economic collapse, coupled with a string of accidents including a major crash last September in which 300 ...

  • News

    Iberia faces inquisition?

    1998-02-01T00:00:00Z

    Doug Cameron Iberia is courting trouble with the Spanish competition authorities after reaching agreement for a franchise deal with its main domestic competitor, Palma-based Air Europa. Iberia suffered capacity shortages during 1997 and was forced to wet lease a variety of aircraft, resulting in a fall in service ...

  • News

    Going Dutch on Italian job

    1998-02-01T00:00:00Z

    Doug Cameron Alitalia can breathe a sigh of relief after securing KLM as a European partner, as KLMlooks forward to its network being boosted. Alitalia rejected Swissair and Air France as possible partners and signed a memorandum of understanding for a broad-based alliance with KLMon 18 December. For ...

  • News

    Lufthansa say in SAA?

    1998-02-01T00:00:00Z

    Roger Makings Lufthansa is set to enter the fray for a stake in South African Airways' partial privatisation, due to be finalised by October this year. Lufthansa had consistently denied that it was interested in buying into SAA, saying acquisitions were 'not its style - we prefer to ...

  • News

    Cheap thrills with no frills

    1998-02-01T00:00:00Z

    Lois Jones Low-cost startups are beginning to looking extremely vulnerable as more majors launch low-cost subsidiaries, ignoring the argument that the independent players should instead be left to satisfy the demand for low fares in underserved markets. By Lois Jones. To your corners, please. To the left of the ring ...

  • News

    Fairchild Dornier flies 328JET

    1998-01-28T00:00:00Z

    Andrzej Jeziorski/MUNICH Fairchild Dornier flew its prototype 328JET for the first time on 20 January, bringing it a step closer to entering the emerging 30-seat regional-jet market. The aircraft took off at 11:16 local time from the company's Oberpfaffenhofen site near Munich, and was flown for nearly 2h over the ...

  • News

    Boeing 737-600 takes off

    1998-01-28T00:00:00Z

    Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES The Boeing 737-600 had a successful 2h 28min first flight from Renton on 22 January on a day when firm orders for Next Generation aircraft climbed to 811, with the sale of 59 more to launch-customer Southwest Airlines. The -600's take-off weight was a relatively light 50,395kg, ...

  • News

    Air New Zealand leases 737s to boost Australia services

    1998-01-28T00:00:00Z

    Air New Zealand (ANZ) is leasing three new Boeing 737-300s to enable it to boost capacity on services between New Zealand and Australia. The airline will increase frequencies with 26 new services weekly from Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington. Qantas is introducing 11 new flights on the trans-Tasman routes, using ...

  • News

    Blue Sky prepares for launch as PAL 737-300s are secured

    1998-01-28T00:00:00Z

    Max Kingsley-Jones/LONDON British Airways has secured a fleet of eight Boeing 737-300s to launch its low-fare subsidiary at London Stansted Airport. The airline, known as Operation Blue Sky, has also applied for its operating licence. The airline, which is believed to be aiming for a launch in April, has filed ...