News from FlightGlobal – Page 2304
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Carrier of controversy
Jet Airways has surmounted every obstacle to become India's dominant private carrier and pose a serious challenge to rival Indian Airlines. But its rise has been dogged by political controversy. When India opened competition in the domestic airline market about eight years ago, local entrepreneurs rushed to launch airlines. ...
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Air Namibia shapes up for privatisation
Despite Air Namibia's flagging fortunes, the airline's new managing director, Jaafar Ahmad, is confident that he can restructure and recapitalise the airline ready for privatisation within five years. The Namibian Government brought in the Malaysian-born financier as acting managing director and chief executive of Air Namibia last November, demoting ...
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Engine makers press for 777X exclusivity
General Electric and Pratt & Whitney are pressing Boeing for an exclusivity deal to power the proposed 777-200X/300X long range derivatives, as repeated demand for increased levels of thrust progressively drive up development costs. The two powerplant suppliers, along with Rolls-Royce, are briefing airlines on 110-114,000lb (490-507kN) thrust engine growth ...
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New short haul airline planned to boost Gulf regional links
Max Kingsley-Jones/BAHRAIN Plans have emerged for a new regional airline in the Gulf which would operate an intensive network of short haul services between major cities in the region. The impetus for the airline has come from business interests in the Bahrain and other Gulf states. Local sources ...
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Qatar begins fleet roll-over with A320
Qatar Airways has begun its short haul fleet update, with the delivery of the first of four new Airbus A320s leased from Singapore Aircraft Leasing Enterprise. The International Aero Engines V2500-powered aircraft are replacing four ageing Boeing 727-200s on regional services from Doha, begining with flights to Abu Dhabi on ...
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BWIA confirms regional launch
BWIA International Airways has confirmed plans to launch a regional airline, with newly created "BWee Express" set to launch operations on 1 March operating two new Bombardier Dash 8-300s. BWee Express will operate a regional network in the South and Eastern Caribbean, intially serving Grenada, Barbados, and St. Lucia. ...
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Eurocontrol warns of French and Swiss ATM disruptions
Eurocontrol is warning operators of "severe disruption" to the French and Swiss air traffic management (ATM) systems at the end of February due to the latest version of Europe's air traffic services route network (ARN) being implemented. The revised route network, which will be introduced on 25 February, will ...
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FAA faces criticism over GPS report
A storm of criticism has followed publication of the US John Hopkins University (JHU) report on future navigation systems, particularly Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite navigation. The University concluded that GPS could be a safe "sole means" guidance system, including for precision approaches (Flight International, 10-16 February). Experts have ...
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Mexicana has first Phoenix
Mexicana is to take delivery of its first International Aero Engines V2500-A1 upgraded with the "Phoenix Kit" later this month. It is the first of 30 that will be upgraded for use on the airline's Airbus A320s. The improved engine uses technology developed for the higher thrust -A5 version, produced ...
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BAe AMT grows Latin Jetstream fleet
British Aerospace Asset Management - Turboprops (AMT) is targeting Aerolitoral, a Mexican-based regional operator, as the next major Latin American customer for Jetstream J32EPs coming off lease from airlines in the USA. The move, which the airframe manufacturer hopes could result in up to 26 Jetstreams replacing the airline's ...
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Kitty Hawk beats 727F weight limit
US cargo carrier Kitty Hawk says the US Federal Aviation Administration has approved its alternative means of compliance on an FAA airworthiness directive (AD). The directive imposes severe payload limits on Boeing 727s that were converted into freighters by a number of third-party maintenance organisations. The AD affects ...
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Loan freeze stalls Turkish start-up
Turkish start-up Park Express has been forced to delay its launch by up to a year as a result of the changing political and financial situation in the country. The airline, being set up by the major Turkish conglomerate Park Holdings, had planned to start operations last December, serving ...
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Russia's AT traffic down again in 1998
Paul Duffy/MOSCOW Russia's air traffic fell by 11% to 22.4 million passengers during 1998, while revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) fell by 9.7% to 55.475 billion. The Russian Federal Aviation Service's [FAS] annual report reveals the eighth successive year of falling air traffic. While traffic had been showing a ...
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Workshop
FLS Aerospace has signed a General Terms Agreement with GE Capital Aviation Services to undertake heavy maintenance on the leasing giant's fleet of aircraft at the start or end of a lease. The deal, renewable yearly, covers all aircraft types that FLS is approved to overhaul. Initially the contract covers ...
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Delta swallows Atlantic as US regional
Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC The US regional airline industry is poised to undergo further consolidation following Delta Air Lines' announced acquisition of partner carrier Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA). Delta's $700 million purchase of ASA Holdings will boost its share of traffic in the south-eastern USA, and consolidate an already dominant position ...
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Air France/Iberia share deals successful
Shares in Air France began trading on 22 February and were expected to rise by up to 10% following an over-subscribed partial privatisation which is described by consultants to the offering as "a big success". British Airways (BA) and American Airlines have meanwhile agreed the terms of their long-awaited ...
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Trans World still making a loss after a decade
Trans World Airlines (TWA) says that it remains pledged to slimming down its operations after sustaining a tenth successive net loss in 1998. The company ended the year $120.5 million in the red and lost $79.1 million net in the last quarter alone. The St Louis, Missouri-based carrier blames ...
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Changing times
Paul Lewis/KARACHI Pakistan's national carrier must reform radically to survive Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has embarked on an ambitious programme of reform to revitalise its finances, its fleet and its services in the face of mounting competition from rival carriers in the domestic and international markets. It is the most ...
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Launch timing of A3XX hit by market turn
Airbus Industrie has confirmed a delay in its launch timing for the 480- 660-seat A3XX programme, saying "- the market is not ready for it yet". Airbus' A3XX timetable had called for a "substantial programme decision" to be taken early in 1999, to enable it to launch the project's industrialisation ...
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Bombardier increases production
Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON Bombardier Aerospace, buoyed by a record $1.3 billion sale of Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) 200LRs to Northwest Airlines, is increasing production of the 50-seat aircraft to eight a month. The US carrier, based in Minneapolis, has announced a firm order for 54 CRJ-200LRs and has taken options on ...