News from FlightGlobal – Page 2301
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News
SAA chief receives death threat following corruption clean-up
Hilka Birns/CAPE TOWN Dave Birch/LONDON Efforts by South African Airways' recently appointed chief executive Coleman Andrews to wipe out corruption in the airline could lead to a violent backlash. Meanwhile, SAA has dismissed concerns that corruption within its maintenance division is affecting safety. Andrews and his cargo manager ...
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South Pacific Forum pushes for unified flight information region
Andrzej Jeziorski/SINGAPORE The 16-nation South Pacific Forum is working on a concept study aimed at establishing a single flight information region (FIR) - and hopes to present a final report to aviation ministers in June. The decision to complete the study was taken at a meeting of member ...
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Strike prompts Finns to eye private ATC
The Finnish Government is looking to privatise its air traffic control (ATC) system in response to a five-week strike that has crippled the service. Finland is examining other privatised - or corporatised - ATC systems. It may subcontract some services as an interim measure. Senior managers have been ...
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CHC takes 25% stake in Norway's HSG
Canada's CHC Helicopter has acquired a 25% stake in Norwegian operator Helicopter Services Group (HSG). Stavanger-based HSG is the parent company of North Sea operators Helikopter Service and Bond Helicopters, Australia's Lloyd Helicopter Service and South Africa's Court Air Holdings. It also owns stakes in Germany's Wiking Helikopter Services ...
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News in Brief
Air Afrique plan The principal owners of Ivory Coast-based Air Afrique - 11 national governments, plus Air France - have agreed a partial privatisation plan for the carrier. A successor to former chairman Sir Harry Tirvengadum awaits appointment. The plan would see state involvement in Air Afrique cut from ...
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Alleged rule bending stymies BA plans to start Italian airline
Chris Jasper/LONDON Paul Phelan/CAIRNS Secret British Airways plans to establish a franchised airline in Italy have been hit by allegations that Australian regional carrier National Jet Systems (NJS), which had aimed to launch the service, has been trying to circumvent European regulations to gain an air operators certificate ...
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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 ...