All Ops & safety articles – Page 1204
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News
SAS board approves A330/A340 purchase
The SAS board has finally approved the Scandinavian flag carrier's long-awaited purchase of four A330-300s and six A340-300s to replace Boeing 767-300ERs on long-haul routes. The airline's selection of the Airbus types over the rival 777-200ER was revealed by Flight International in January, although the order was delayed until internal ...
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No failures revealed on 767, says NTSB
Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC Analysis of sounds on the cockpit voice recorder (CVR) of the crashed EgyptAir flight 990 has yielded no evidence of an explosion or mechanical failure, says the US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB). Investigators are unable to provide an explanation for what appears to have ...
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Bad weather blamed for Air Açores ATP crash in Azores
Bad weather appears to have played a part in a SATA Air Açores accident in the Azores Islands on 11 December. The British Aerospace ATP (CS-TGM) crashed into the steep-sided Pico de Esperanca at about 1,100ft (330m) altitude on the island of Sao Jorge, killing all 31 passengers and ...
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Where to build
Vital decisions have yet to be made on A3XX assembly Andrew Doyle/HAMBURG Julian Moxon/TOULOUSE The location for final assembly of the A3XX remains the only major technical decision for the consortium following the 8 December decision to go ahead with a limited commercial offer to the airlines. The original ...
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Study claims NTSB is 'stretched to limit'
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) is "stretched to the limit", says a study published by independent consultancy Rand. Rand was referring particularly to a shortage of personnel. NTSB chairman Jim Hall has accused the US Office of Management and Budget of risking "the safety of the American people" ...
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Single-engine IFR push hots up in Europe as UK reviews policy
The commercial operation of single-engine instrument flight rules (IFR) in Europe, so far stalled by UK opposition, is back on the agenda again, according to the Single Engine Turbine Alliance (SETA). The Joint Aviation Authorities is about to set up a working group to prepare a notice of proposed ...
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Family rivalry
For decades, Cathay Pacific has dominated the skies over Hong Kong, unchallenged by local airline competition. That could soon change Andrzej Jeziorski/HONG KONG Hong Kong's skies are still clearly divided as far as the region's indigenous airlines are concerned and are dominated by well-established long-haul giant Cathay Pacific Airways. Cathay ...
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In the front seat
Flight International samples Airbus' new flight desk technology for the A3XX Peter Henley/TOULOUSEAirbus Industrie has built up vast experience in the design and production of fly-by-wire commercial aircraft. A bedrock philosophy behind the consortium's ever-expanding family has been to achieve maximum commonality between cockpits. This means pilots can fly ...
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Marketplace
Air Seychelles has signed a 10-year lease deal with ILFC for a General Electric CF6-80C2-powered Boeing 767-300ER, for delivery in April 2001. Swiss charter carrier Edelweiss Air has agreed to lease a new Airbus A330-200 from CIT Group from the fourth quarter of 2000. The Rolls-Royce Trent 772B-powered A330-200 is ...
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Settling in
The problems that have plagued Hong Kong's new Chek Lap Kok Airport are being resolved Andrzej Jeziorski/HONG KONGThe new Hong Kong International Airport (HKIA) has been surrounded by controversy from the outset. A disastrous opening period, high airport charges, slow traffic growth and simmering worries about weather phenomena have threatened ...
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SMA to increase take-off power of MR200 engine
Societe de Motorisations Aeronautiques (SMA) has pushed back certification of its MR200 diesel powerplant by about five months to enhance the engine's take-off power from 110kW (150hp) to 170kW. "We want to give the engine extra power for take-off to increase the aircraft's performance," says Luc Pelon, SMA's vice-president, ...
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Crossair gears up for ATM-2000+
Andrew Doyle/SAO JOSE DOS CAMPOS Crossair aims to become the first regional airline to have aircraft compliant with Europe's future communications, navigation and surveillance/air traffic management (CNS/ATM) operating environment when it begins taking delivery of a fleet of 15 Embraer ERJ-145s in February. The carrier says it decided ...
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New PETAL partners will join in 2001
Swissair, Northwest Airlines and Honeywell (formerly AlliedSignal) are to join Europe's Preliminary Eurocontrol Test of Air/Ground Data Link (PETAL II) programme in 2001. PETAL II is Europe's groundbreaking validation of air-ground data links in operational air traffic control. The three-phase programme involves air traffic controllers and aircraft crew communicating ...
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Canadian falls to Air Canada
Brian Dunn/MONTREAL Air Canada has gained control of Canadian Airlines, but faces the hurdle of new regulations being enforced by the government and the Parliamentary transport committee. Montreal-based Air Canada said on 8 December that more than 50% of Canadian's shares have been tendered under its C$92 million ($62.5 ...
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Airbus closes on Hong Kong sales
Andrzej Jeziorski/SINGAPORE Hong Kong's two passenger airlines are on the verge of placing new aircraft orders as business picks up in the Asian market. Industry sources say Cathay Pacific Airways is close to placing a new order for at least three Rolls-Royce Trent-powered Airbus A330-300s and is looking ...
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Europe may go it alone on environment
David Learmount/LONDON The European Commission (EC) has threatened to enforce its own environmental standards for the aviation industry if the international community fails to agree action. The new EC document Air Transport and the Environment was released almost unnoticed on 1 December by Transport Commissioner Loyola de Palacio and ...
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BBJ simulator arrives
FlightSafety Boeing Training International plans to provide "comprehensive" flight training for Boeing Business Jet (BBJ) customers from July, after delivery of a Level D next-generation Boeing 737 simulator to its Atlanta base next April. The company has begun building a 3,065m² (33,000ft²) flight training centre at London Luton Airport, where ...
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Athens hub draws BA interest
Julian Moxon/PARIS British Airways is targeting Olympic Airways as a possible oneworld partner as part of a strategy aimed at developing the new Athens Spata airport as a major regional hub. The UK airline, which, through its consultancy arm Speedwing, has a contract to restructure Olympic in preparation ...
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Finnair focuses on cost reduction target
Finnair is continuing its aggressive programme to reduce costs with a deal to sell a 60% stake in Finnair Gateway Restaurants to Gourmet Nova. The deal follows hard on the heels of the sale of tour operator Fintours, to the Thomson Travel Group, as it offloads non-core activities. Chief ...
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Next-generation datalink held up
Efforts by the US Federal Aviation Administration to develop and deploy the next-generation digital air-to-ground communications system could be delayed by budget cuts, US aviation agency officials have warned. For now, controller pilot datalink communications (CPDLC), a key element of the FAA's "free flight" programme, remains on track despite ...