News from FlightGlobal – Page 2478
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News
ValuJet struggles to fly back into profits
VALUJET REPORTS a net loss of nearly $21 million for the fourth quarter of 1996, its first since restarting operations after the three months' grounding which was imposed in the wake of the Florida crash. The airline warns that there will be more red ink to come in the first ...
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Transaero chooses Boeing and Ilyushin
Transaero's fleet plans over the next ten to 15 years will centre on acquiring a mix of Western and Russian types, including the Boeing 767, next-generation Boeing 737 (-600/ 700/800), and Ilyushin Il-96M, the carrier has announced. The Moscow-based airline expects to introduce the first of the new aircraft "within ...
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Regionals split from British Midland
Airlines of Britain Holdings (ABH), which owns British Midland (BM),has split off its regional airlines into a separate grouping, in a move designed to free the operations to increase their franchise links with British Airways as BM moves closer to Lufthansa. The bulk of ABH's regional operations, which ...
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Lawmakers vote to renew US ticket tax
THE US HOUSE of Representatives has voted to renew the 10%ticket tax through to the end of the 1997 fiscal year in September, and the US Senate is expected to follow suit. The tax, which finances US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) operations, expired again at the end of ...
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Puel revamps Aerospatiale's loss-making maintenance arm
Henri-Paul Puel, the new president of Sogerma has set about a major re-organisation of the loss-making maintenance arm of Aerospatiale, partly blaming poor recent performance on a series of misjudged deals struck before his arrival. The action follows a disappointing year for Sogerma, which saw its net losses ...
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Chinese negotiate for ATR 42/72 production
Aviation Industries of China (AVIC) says that talks are proceeding well with Aero International (Regional) AI(R) over the possible setting up of licensed production of the AI(R) ATR 42 and ATR 72 regional turboprops in China. AVIC vice-minister and executive vice-president, Wang Ang, says that the talks are ...
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BA Levant deal
British Airways has resurrected its franchise arrangement with its erstwhile UK rival British Mediterranean, for the routes from London to Beirut, Damascus and Amman. The carrier will also launch new BA routes to Tbilisi and Alexandria. Source: Airline Business
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BA quits USAir
The three British Airways directors on the board of USAir have resigned, paving the way for the UK carrier to sell its stake in its erstwhile US partner Source: Airline Business
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Foreign feat
After completing a probationary period of charter flights, Taiwan's Far Eastern Air Transport plans to launch its first international scheduled services to Guam, with other Asian destinations to follow. The country's largest domestic carrier, which is controlled by China Airlines and the American International Group, is also seeking stock market ...
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Finnair merits a mention
Your February feature on SAS included comments such as an SAS executive talking of 'a bunch of competitors snapping at SAS' heels'. I was surprised to find mention of smaller competitors at Stockholm, such as Braathens Safe, but no mention of Finnair. We established Arlanda as our second ...
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Aircraft news
Emirates has ordered 16 Airbus A330-200s, with options on a further seven, with deliveries of the Trent 700-powered aircraft starting in 1999. Dragonair has ordered one A330-300, scheduled for delivery in late 1998. Croatia Airlines has ordered six A319s, with deliveries commencing in early 1998. ...
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Why the customer must still be king
Survival is key for airlines but their main focus should be on the passenger. British Airways' chief executive Bob Ayling was recently asked what he would do to change the aeronautical world were he given the power to do so. His answer went along these lines: 'It's flattering to be ...
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El Al tackles weekend trip
The Israeli government is coming under fierce pressure to lift the ban on flag carrier El Al's operations on the Sabbath. The limitation of a six-day operation is blamed for $50 million of the airline's $120 million loss in 1996 and contributed to last year's shelving of its planned privatisation. ...
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Euro agents' work cut out
European travel agents need to start convincing airlines of their worth. The decisions by alliance partners Lufthansa and SAS, as well as KLM, to slash their agents' commissions are expected to trigger Europe-wide cuts, following the trend set by US carriers. KLM plans to lower domestic commissions from ...
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United target on legal front
Low-fare carriers in the US are avidly watching how a predatory pricing complaint against United Airlines by one of their number, Frontier Airlines, pans out. A win for the minnow could encourage other no-frills operators to follow suit. Denver-based Frontier has asked the Department of Justice to investigate ...
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Indian policy is a let down
India's revised civil aviation policy has led to charges of protectionism after it failed to set an investment limit for foreign airlines and airports in Indian carriers. The strategy is being viewed as another setback for Singapore Airlines' planned joint venture with Tata Industries, which remains on hold in the ...
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Surviving the customer
Innovation has always been difficult in the airline business. The basic airline product is uniform throughout the industry, and any incremental change by one carrier is usually taken up by its competitors quickly - if it is successful. To survive and stay ahead of their competitors, airlines are constantly looking ...
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Startups slot into Japan
Japan's incumbent carriers are bracing for their first tussle with new competition in four decades, though analysts doubt that air travellers' expectations of dramatically reduced fares will be met. The incumbents are also facing a battle for the 40 new slots that will be created at Tokyo/Haneda when ...
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Competition rules, ok?
The buy/sell slot rules in the US are premised on the simple proposition that the market is better at determining the efficient use of a scarce resource than is an administrative or bureaucratic entity. Competition rules, however, are a different matter and properly the province of governments. To ...