News from FlightGlobal – Page 2215
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News
On the offensive
Guy Norris/LONG BEACH Boeing's campaign to secure the future of the 717 is going into overdrive Boeing's efforts to establish the 717-200 in the marketplace were boosted on 24 February with the first flight of the premier production example, P-1, at its Long Beach division in California. Even ...
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Rotary's Roton test vehicle aims for orbital flights late next year
Guy Norris/MOJAVE Rotary Rocket plans to begin test flights of the Roton atmospheric test vehicle (ATV) by the end of next month, with first orbital flights scheduled for the final quarter of 2000. Details of the test schedule were revealed at the roll-out of the Roton ATV from the ...
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FAA settles on leasing plan for ATC update
Paul Lewis /WASHINGTON DC The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is planning to lease new communications, navigation, surveillance/air traffic management (CNS/ATM) equipment from industry to finally modernise its oceanic control centres. "We've looked for and settled on a new solution," says Nancy Graham, FAA's oceanic and offshore acting integrator product ...
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ANA to launch restructuring programme
All Nippon Airways (ANA) has announced a radical three-year corporate restructuring plan, following the suspension of dividend payments to its shareholders for the first time in 30 years. The plan includes the consolidation of high-revenue international routes from Tokyo Narita and the suspension or reduction of services on non-profitable ...
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Airports
* A new regional airport is under development at Pajalai in the Lapland region of northern Sweden, which will open with a single paved 1,420m (4,655ft) runway equipped with an initial NDB approach. This will be followed by an eventual global positioning system procedure. The airport is due to be ...
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Arab carriers move to cut London costs
A consortium of Arab airlines expects to save about $5 million a year in handling costs at London airports because of a deal between the Arab Air Carriers Organisation (ACCO) and Air France Servisair (AFSL). The deal allows member airlines serving Heathrow and Gatwick to sign up with the ...
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BWIA signs 737-800 lease deal with ILFC, plans share offering
Max Kingsley-Jones/London BWIA International Airways has selected Boeing's Next Generation 737 to upgrade its fleet and replace its BoeingMD-80s. The carrier has concluded a deal with International Lease Finance (ILFC) for six aircraft. The Caribbean carrier has selected the 737 over the Airbus A320, and its deal with ...
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Tu-154 crashes as China flags ATC plans
China Southwest Air lines has grounded its fleet of four remaining Tupolev Tu-154Ms after one crashed on 24 February, killing all 61 people on board. The aircraft, descending towards its destination at Wenzhou, dived steeply into the ground with no time for an emergency call from the pilots. The ...
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City Bird orders 747-400Fs
Herman De Wulf/BRUSSELS City Bird, the Belgian low-cost long-haul airline, is undertaking a major expansion of its all-cargo operations which will see it introducing two new Boeing 747-400 freighters next year. The Brussels-based airline confirms that it has placed orders with Boeing for two 747-400Fs for delivery in ...
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717 beats performance targets as production version flies
Guy Norris/Los Angeles MaxKingsley-Jones/London Boeing has revealed that its 717 twinjet is bettering its performance targets by up to 5%, as the first production example, "P-1", made its maiden flight from Long Beach, California on 24 February. Boeing's just-released performance details of the baseline 717 reveal it is ...
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Air France and Lufthansa poised for A318 launch commitments
Max Kingsley-Jones/LONDON Airbus Industrie is aiming to launch its A318 twinjet by the end of the month, with European flag carriers Air France and Lufthansa being prime targets to boost the new 100-seater's commitments beyond the 100 mark. Subject to a commercial launch at Farnborough last September, Airbus ...
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Airbus focuses A3XX efforts on alliance groups
Andrew Doyle/MUNICH Airbus Industrie predicts that the world's four main airline alliance groupings will absorb almost three quarters of all A3XX-sized aircraft delivered by 2020, with most going to just two - oneworld and Star Alliance. Moves by the major alliances to combine their networks and improve asset ...
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Iberia will scrap Aviaco brand when pilots agree to merger
Max Kingsley-Jones/MADRID Iberia is planning to absorb its Aviaco domestic subsidiary at the earliest opportunity, but will not take any action until pilots at the two airlines resolve union issues. Details of the move emerged as the Spanish flag carrier revealed a 117.5% increase in net profit last ...
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Mergers
* Lufthansa subsidiary GlobeGround has agreed to buy US-based Hudson General in a move that should end a take-over battle for the airport services provider. The GlobeGround offer tops earlier bids from Ranger Aerospace, Ogden and a group of Hudson managers. GlobeGround - which already owns 49% of Hudson affiliate ...
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Sabena in the black as European traffic takes off
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 ...
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Indian Airlines drops fleet renewal plans
State-owned Indian Airlines has shelved plans to replace its fleet of 11 ageing Airbus A300B2/B4s and 12 Boeing 737-200s, opting instead to pursue a refurbishment programme. The programme, which will include an interior refit, will allow the aircraft to be operated for "several more years", according to Indian Airlines. ...
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KLM to order 747s
KLM is poised to order four Boeing 747-400s. It already operates 19 of the type, of which 14 are combi-configured. KLM aims to standardise a longhaul, widebody fleet which includes 747 Classics, MD-11s and 767-300ERs. Source: Flight International
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Embraer wins order for a LOT of ERJ-145s
LOT Polish Airlines is to acquire up to 12 Embraer ERJ-145 regional jets as part of a major restructuring plan which is aimed at reversing three consecutive years of losses. The carrier will use its new fleet of 50-seaters, replacing Boeing 737s, to boost frequencies on low-density routes to ...
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Control snags hit Metrojet 737
A Metrojet Boeing 737-200 suffered a sudden unexplained roll in the cruise at 33,000ft (10,000m). The 737, operated by the US Airways' low-fare subsidiary, made a safe precautionary landing and the US National Transportation Safety Board is investigating. The in-flight incident follows changes to the 737 rudder system, prompted ...
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Marketplace
*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 ...