News from FlightGlobal – Page 2463

  • News

    Regional realities

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    If industry forecasts are to be believed, air traffic in the Asia-Pacific region is set to triple over the next 20 years. Eager to cash in on this expected boom in aviation travel are several Asian start-up carriers. How many will be able to overcome the political, financial, regulatory and ...

  • News

    Sharing the loads

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    The utilisation by major carriers of regional airlines with low cost bases to operate low-volume, short-haul feeder services is a concept that has been established in North America since the 1980s, but has only recently caught on in Europe. British Airways was the first European carrier to conclude a franchise ...

  • News

    France's revolution

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    The announcement on 18 February by French regional airline Brit Air that it was to place the launch order for the 70-seat Series 700 version of the highly successful 50-seat Bombardier Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) served only to confirm the revolution taking place in France's regional-airline industry. In ...

  • News

    US air-traffic-control fees draw foreign fire

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    NEW USER FEES which cover flights through US-controlled airspace which neither take off from or land in the USA have raised a storm of protest from foreign airlines. The fees, to be assessed against commercial and general-aviation aircraft, were authorised by US Congress in 1996. The US Federal ...

  • News

    US carriers enjoy profits hike

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    Overall profits from the major US airline groups continued to forge ahead in the first quarter of 1997, shrugging aside the hike in fuel costs and re-imposition of the 10% federal ticket tax in early March. The leading airlines made a combined profit of over $750 million, more ...

  • News

    Maersk steers Estonian Air to profits in 1999 as traffic rises

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    Estonian Air, now managed by Denmark's Maersk Air following 1996's privatisation, is forecasting proÌts by 1999 on the back of a steady increase in passenger traffic, helped by its new Western-built aircraft ßeet and the development of regional routes from the Estonian capital, Tallinn. Borge Thornbech, who was ...

  • News

    Gulf Air funding finally agreed as losses start to fall

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    Gulf Air says that its state shareholders have agreed to $200 million in fresh funding, ending months of boardroom negotiations over shoring up the carrier's crisis-hit finances. The deal was finally struck at a board meeting held in Doha, Qatar, in April. Chief executive Shaikh Ahmed bin Saif ...

  • News

    MAS targets Pelangi takeover

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    Malaysia Airlines (MAS) is planning to take complete control of struggling third-tier operator Pelangi Air, absorbing its route network and aircraft. Under a proposal now before Pelangi's shareholders for approval, MAS would take a stake of to 70% in the local carrier. MAS' controlling parent company, Malaysian Helicopter ...

  • News

    South Africa draws up shortlist for Sun Air

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    South Africa has drawn up a shortlist of potential bidders for Sun Air in the first phase of the regional airline's privatisation. The list includes Air France, Malaysian Airlines (MAS), Virgin Atlantic and South African domestic carrier Comair, which acts as a British Airways franchise operator. Alongside the ...

  • News

    Canadian pair plan shake-ups

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    Canada's regional carriers face a shake-up following a decision by the country's two largest airlines to consider restructuring their domestic operations. Air Canada set the ball rolling by announcing a review of operations which could lead to a restructuring of four regional carriers - Air BC, Air Ontario, ...

  • News

    Slow domestic market makes ANA look abroad for growth

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    All Nippon Airways (ANA) has announced plans for a large-scale expansion of its international operations over the next five years, as the carrier faces the prospect of slower growth and increased competition at home. Under ANA's mid-term 1997-2001 corporate plan, international operations will be expanded from 30% to ...

  • News

    Cathay's mixed fleet cuts costs of crews

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    Cathay Pacific Airways claims that mixed-fleet flying on its Airbus Industrie A330s and A340s has yielded crew-cost savings of up to 25%. The Hong Kong-based airline is a world leader in two-engine/four-engine mixed-fleet flying. Capt John Bent, Cathay's flying training manager (policy), says that, following the initial costs ...

  • News

    Two UK freight carriers prepare for widebodies

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    HeavyLift Cargo Airlines, and Hunting Cargo are working towards the introduction of widebodied freighters later this year to meet possible express-parcels carriers' requirements and their own needs. HeavyLift is finalising plans to introduce two Airbus A300B4 freighters this year, while Hunting says that it is considering the acquisition ...

  • News

    First Ilyushin Il-96T is rolled out at Voronezh

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    The first series production version of the Pratt & Whitney PW2000-powered Ilyushin Il-96, a-96T freighter, was rolled out at the VASO plant in Voronezh on 26 April. The Russian prime minister, Victor Chernomyrdin, attended the ceremony, stressing the political significance of the event. Twenty of the PW2337-powered aircraft ...

  • News

    Lufthansa 747 'Classic' digital cockpit retrofit is certificated

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    The first Boeing 747 "Classic" to be retrofitted with a digital cockpit has been certificated by the German civil aviation authority. The aircraft, an ex-United Airlines 747SPbelonging to the Brunei royal family, was modified by Lufthansa Technik in Hamburg, Germany (Flight International, 26 June-2 July, 1996). It has ...

  • News

    MEA expands Airbus fleet as 747s are sold

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    Middle East Airlines (MEA) is planning a major expansion of its Airbus Industrie fleet following the sale of its three ageing Boeing 747s. The three Boeing 747-200 Combis, delivered new to the airline in 1975, have been sold to the US freight airline American International Airways (AIA) for ...

  • News

    R-R will speed up Trent 8100

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    Rolls-Royce has reached agreement with Boeing to advance the development and certification of its planned 445kN (100,000lb)-thrust Trent 8100 growth engine by nine months, allowing the powerplant to enter service on the proposed 777-200X and -300X derivatives by 2001. The revised Trent 8100 schedule is contained in a ...

  • News

    Financial results

    1997-05-01T00:00:00Z

    Company Period Net US$ mil Comp period Sales US$ mil % change Cathay Pacific Y Dec 31 492.5 385.0 4,187 6.3 China Airlines* Y Dec 31 46.6 45.0 1,887 ...

  • News

    India equity ban is shaky

    1997-05-01T00:00:00Z

    The only consolation the world's air transport industry can take from New Delhi's decision to bar foreign carriers from investing in India's airlines is that the country finally has a firm policy in place. The problem is that the imminent collapse of the government could soon open up the whole ...

  • News

    Battle of wills

    1997-05-01T00:00:00Z

    Washington has changed tactics on Japan. When President Clinton wrote to Prime Minister Hashimoto last September to urge that Japan and the US replace their contentious bilateral with a new open skies agreement, that represented a change of thinking in Washington. For eight years the administrations had insisted on Tokyo's ...