News from FlightGlobal – Page 2155
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Virgin 'will join' alliance
Chris Jasper/CHICAGO Virgin Atlantic Air-ways says it is now inevitable that it will link up with a global alliance. Chairman Richard Branson has revealed the UK carrier has been approached by three major groupings. Sources at Virgin confirm that the UK carrier has entered a dialogue with at least one ...
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Brazil's airlines snub VASP idea
Brazilian airline VASP says the country's other three major carriers have snubbed its proposal to create a single holding company. An offer from Brazil's development bank to finance a merger between the struggling airlines also continues to be rejected. At the start of the month, Varig, Transbrasil and TAM Brazil ...
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Impulse plans float to fund regional jets
Paul Phelan/CAIRNS Impulse Airlines aims to expand into regional jets and is to fund its growth with a share flotation, following its severing of links with Ansett Australia last month. Impulse, based in Newcastle, New South Wales, operates feeder and hub-bypass services. It is preparing to raise funds ...
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Airbus wraps up Chinese package
A package of orders for 28 Airbus aircraft for Chinese carriers was announced by French president Jacques Chirac in late October, while hosting a visit by China's president Jiang Zemin. Although Chirac revealed that the deal includes eight A340-500/600s, 10 A318s and 10 A319s, details such as the identity ...
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City Bird suspends Kinshasa service
City Bird has suspended its weekly services between Brussels and Congolese capital Kinshasa after local authorities levied a $1 million landing charge at the airport. There have also apparently been threats that City Bird's Boeing 767-300ER may be blown up or seized if it lands at Kinshasa. City Bird ...
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El Al compromises with A330/777 deal
Arie Egozi/TEL AVIV Airbus Industrie is set to conclude its first sale to El Al following the Israeli national airline's decision to split its medium-capacity fleet replacement order between the European consortium and Boeing. El Al is to acquire a mix of aircraft and has ordered three Boeing ...
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Eurowings discusses RJ-X launch order
Jens Flottau/DORTMUND Eurowings is in negotiations with British Aerospace to become launch customer for its updated Avro RJ-X model, with which it would replace its ageing BAe 146s. The airline is discussing an order for up to six examples. The RJ-X is BAe's planned, re-engined, AlliedSignal AS977-powered development ...
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Namibia boosts cargo with 747 Combi
Air Namibia has taken delivery of the General Electric CF6-80C2-powered Boeing 747-400 Combi ordered earlier this year. The Namibian flag carrier will use the aircraft to replace its 747SP, providing increased cargo capacity to enable it to "serve the transport requirements of the Namibian fishing industry", says the airline. The ...
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Kalahari Express services up and away
Namibian regional carrier Kalahari Express began operations on 31 October from its Windhoek base. The Air Namibia subsidiary has acquired two ex-Ansett Australia F28 Mk3000s, with the second to be delivered by the end of the year. The initial network includes services to Cape Town and Victoria Falls, Zimbabwe. ...
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Milan transfer gets the green light
European transport commissioner Loyola de Palacio has given the go-ahead for the stepped transfer of services from Milan Linate Airport to the city's new Malpensa hub. The transfer is to be completed by 15 January, with only Milan-Rome shuttle flights remaining at Linate. The forced move is conditional, however, ...
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Nationwide's long-haul plans are scuppered by licence rejection
Hilka Birns/CAPE TOWN Plans by South African regional carrier Nationwide to launch long-haul services have been frustrated by the South African civil aviation authority's rejection of its application for a temporary international air transport licence. Nationwide planned to launch a weekly service, with Virgin Atlantic, between Cape Town ...
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Routes
United Airlines will begin daily services between Los Angeles and Paris Charles de Gaulle next April using Boeing 777s. Sabena is introducing daily services from Brussels to Washington this month using Airbus A330-300s The airline has also upgraded its flights between London City Airport to Brussels, replacing de Havilland Dash ...
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Sobelair management and pilots face fraud charges
Herman De Wulf/BRUSSELS The former chief executive, members of the management and pilots of Sabena's charter airline Sobelair face charges of forgery and fraud following a five-year investigation by the country's authorities. Retired former chief executive Pierre Jonnart, 27 Sobelair captains and management members face charges of falsifying flight ...
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Workshop
UK spares specialist Airinmar has signed a two-year agreement with British Aerospace Asset Management, to support its fleet of more than 240 BAe 146/RJs, ATPs and Jetstreams. Airinmar will manage the exchange, test, overhaul and repair of parts removed from BAe Asset Management's aircraft undergoing maintenance and refurbishment between leases. ...
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Arkia eyes Nigeria bid
Arkia, Israel's largest privately owned airline, is planning to bid for a stake in Nigeria Airways when the state-owned carrier is partially privatised. "We are operating in Nigeria and it is our intention to be there when the government offers the shares of the national carrier," says Arkia executive ...
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Pilot scope clauses 'threaten' regionals
Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES Intractable "scope clauses", increasing overcapacity, low returns and high development costs could soon hit the booming regional airline business, suppliers are warned. Failure to ease constraints on operations by pilot scope clause agreements with US majors is seen as the biggest threat to growth, with American Eagle ...
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Connecting East Africa
Kenya Airways has shown how to succeed, but its East African regional rivals are struggling Michael Wakabi/KAMPALA A shareholders' meeting on 26 November could pose ominous implications for the East African air industry. The stockholders control African Joint Air Services Agreement (AJAS), the holding company behind SA Alliance, the ...
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FlightSafety Boeing picks Luton for first European training unit
Max Kingsley-Jones/LUTON FlightSafety Boeing Training International (FSBTI) has rethought its European strategy, deciding to set up small training centres across Europe rather than one major hub near London Heathrow. The change of plan comes as the company initiates the development of a £44 million ($73.5 million) training centre, which ...
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Thai closes on privatisation
Jens Flottau/TOKYOThai Airways International chief executive Thamnoon Wanglee says a decision on the privatisation of the carrier will be taken next March or April, with the choice of investor determining whether the carrier remains within the Star Alliance. Wanglee confirms that British Airways and Qantas have made approaches on behalf ...
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SAirGroup earmarks cash for stakes in THY and TAP
Andrew Doyle/MUNICH SAirGroup is setting aside SFr500 million ($335 million) for its planned acquisition of equity stakes in THY Turkish Airlines and TAP Air Portugal next year. It is also close to finalising its new US airline alliance strategy. The Swiss company plans to bid for a 20% equity ...