News from FlightGlobal – Page 2180
-
News
China Southern begins merger talks with Air China
Chris Jasper/SHANGHAI China Southern Airlines has confirmed that it has held talks with flag carrier Air China over a possible merger that would bring together two of the country's three biggest airlines. China Southern says that its parent, Southern Airlines Group, has held preliminary talks with Air China which ...
-
News
Mesa's preference for 35-seat regional jet favours Embraer
Paul Lewis/WASHINGTONMesa Air Group wants early delivery of a new 50-seat regional jet. It has an additional requirement for a smaller complementary aircraft, giving the Embraer RJ-145 the edge over the competing Bombardier Canadair Regional Jet CRJ-200. Phoenix, Arizona-based Mesa plans soon to announce the acquisition of up 40 new ...
-
News
BM widens the field for Fokker replacement
British Midland (BM) is widening its evaluation of 100-seat aircraft to replace its Fokker 70/100 and warns that, with the increasing number of new types becoming available, Boeing will have to make a "very attractive offer" to win the UK carrier's order for its 717 twinjet. The airline has ...
-
News
Routes
Japan Airlines (JAL) plans to codeshare with Iberia on Amsterdam-Madrid and Amsterdam-Barcelona routes from October. JAL and KLM co-operate on the Amsterdam-Spain routes, but this would end if the JAL/Iberia link is confirmed. Continental Airlines launched the first non-stop connection between Cleveland, USA, and London Gatwick, UK, on 1 July, ...
-
News
Carriers put transpolar plans on ice
Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC North American carriers are being forced to shelve plans for new non-stop direct services between US and Asian destinations as infrastructural and political problems delay the opening of transpolar routes . Trial flights over the North Pole have stopped only 12 months after the inaugural ...
-
News
EasyJet gains Gatwick foothold
EasyJet is to begin its first services from London Gatwick this year. London Luton-based low-fares carrier easyJet has been seeking to gain access to the capital's other airports - Heathrow, Gatwick and Stansted - and will use its Gatwick slots to launch daily scheduled services to Geneva for the winter ...
-
News
Aerospatiale Matra tanker deal sparks Raytheon exclusivity row
Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC Aerospatiale Matra's partnership with Lockheed Martin on an air-to-air refuelling aircraft based on an Airbus Industrie aircraft violates an exclusive agreement between Raytheon and Airbus to develop and market a militarised Airbus A310-300, Raytheon officials claim. In April, Raytheon Systems and Airbus teamed on the ...
-
News
Free flight
The UK's new air traffic services supremo believes privatisation is the way forward for ATC David Learmount/LONDON Airlines are condemned to face serious air traffic control delay in European airspace for the foreseeable future unless there is a revolution in how policy decisions governing the continent's air traffic services ...
-
News
Holding on
Mexico's aviation industry is battling regulations as well as competitors Roberto Mena/MEXICO CITY Despite significant advances in the past four years, Mexico's commercial aviation industry is struggling. Not only does it face intense competition from the onslaught of international carriers following deregulation, but government regulators seem determined to crush it. ...
-
News
Exclusion zone
The unusual became the unprecedented last week when Boeing, having launched its original 777 programme giving airlines the choice of three competing engines, decided it would revert to a single exclusive supplier for a new variant of the aircraft, to the exclusion of the two rival powerplant manufacturers. This is ...
-
News
Aeroel enters the jet age with two 737s
Private Israeli airline Aeroel Airways is expanding operations with its first jet aircraft. The seven-year-old Tel Aviv- based carrier has purchased two Boeing 737-200Advs from El Al for a combined cost of $13 million. The first aircraft will enter service with Aeroel before the end of July, with the ...
-
News
Iberia takes A321 for European services
Iberia has introduced the first of 19 Airbus A321-200s on to its European network. The 186-seat CFM International CFM56-5-powered aircraft will supplement the airline's 24 A320s and were ordered as part of a $2.6 billion deal last year for up to 76 A320 family aircraft. The airline placed firm orders ...
-
News
Workshop
Air France Industries has concluded a seven-year agreement with Airtours International for the provision of full component repair and exchanges services to support the Airbus Industrie A320 and A321 fleet of aircraft operating within the Airtours Group. The fleet comprises 24 aircraft flying throughout Europe, North America and Canada. This ...
-
News
Philippines start-up ready to go
Paul Phelan/MANILA A new Philippines-based charter carrier plans to begin services at the end of this month with two McDonnell Douglas DC-10s. Intercontinental Pacific Airways (IPAI) aims to start operating a passenger and freight charter network from the former US Clark AB, about 85km (50 miles) north of the ...
-
News
African Star licence continues, despite troubles
Hilka Birns/JOHANNESBURG South Africa's Department of Transport (DoT) is continuing to process the licence application of African Star, despite the start-up's chief executive facing charges of contravening the country's Customs & Excise Act. Investigators refuse to comment on the case, but sources say that the diversion of duty-free ...
-
News
Germany's DFS eyes Euro ATC liberalisation and NATS tie-up
Andrew Doyle/LANGEN German air traffic services provider Deutsche Flugsicherung (DFS)is interested in forming a strategic alliance with the UK's National Air Traffic Services (NATS), as part of efforts to kick-start the rationalisation of Europe's fragmented air traffic control (ATC) infrastructure. "We think that, in the longer term, we ...
-
News
Aeromexico and Mexicana join rival alliance groupings
Chris Jasper/LONDON Roberto Mena/MEXICO CITY Mexicana Airlines has become the tenth airline to sign with the Star Alliance, while the country's second major carrier, Aeromexico, is set to become a founder member of the Delta Air Lines/Air France global alliance, likely to be launched later this year. Mexicana will ...
-
News
SAirGroup to buy stake in TAP rival Portugalia
TAP Air Portugal and regional rival Portugalia are set to work together for the first time after SAirGroup's deal to take a 42% stake in the latter from majority owner Grupo Espirito Santo. The Swiss company already has a deal to buy 20% of TAP from the Portuguese Government, although ...
-
News
Austrian checks on alliance options after Franco-US deal
Andrew Doyle/MUNICH Austrian Airlines may ditch its Qualiflyer alliance partners in favour of a rival grouping - partly due to the recent Air France-Delta Air Lines tie-up and partly as a knock-on effect of an Austrian Government block on plans by Qualiflyer leader SAirGroup to increase its share in the ...
-
News
CityBird threatens Sabena
The dispute between Belgian independent CityBird and its shareholder Sabena has reached a new low, with CityBird planning to file a complaint with the European Commission against what it says is unfair competition. The move follows a row between the carriers over whether CityBird should have notified Sabena about plans ...