All Ops & safety articles – Page 1239
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New Greek ATC system faces summer challenge
The recently rebuilt and much delayed Greek air traffic control (ATC) centre is facing a major challenge this summer, as controllers adjust to new digital equipment, while coping with the demands of restructured airspace during the Kosovo crisis. The Greek Government has been slow to provide enough personnel to ...
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Safety audit seals China Eastern/Qantas deal
Paul Phelan/CAIRNS Qantas and China Eastern Airlines have finalised their partnership deal which will see the two airlines launching codeshare operations from mid-year. The conclusion of the deal, which had been planned to take effect at the end of March, is understood to have come after the Chinese ...
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New European safety body keeps to schedule
The new European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is on schedule to start operations in 2001 or 2002, despite disagreements on several key aspects of the organisation. Although it is being formed on the initiative of the European Union (EU), EASA will not be a European Commission (EC) agency. Instead, ...
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Three sign deal to develop commercial turbulence sensor
United Airlines, Allied-Signal Aerospace and Coherent Technologies (CTI) have signed agreements to develop a turbulence sensor for use in commercial aircraft. Turbulence is the leading cause of injury in non-fatal airline accidents. AlliedSignal has agreed to explore combining an enhanced version of its weather radar with CTI's infrared radar. ...
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Interactive makes connection in latest IFE industry shake-up
In-flight entertainment (IFE) system supplier Interactive Flight Technologies (IFT) is aiming to complete its purchase of fellow IFE hardware manufacturer, the Network Connection (TNCi) on 15 May. The move is the latest stage in the shake-up of the IFE hardware supplier industry, which has seen the departure of some players ...
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USA takes up Sextant state support issue with EU
The USA IS to seek "consultations" with the European Union (EU) over the French Government's funding support of Sextant Avionique for development of a new flight management system (FMS) for Airbus aircraft. If the talks fail to resolve the dispute, the US Government plans to ask the World Trade ...
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Europe's RVSM plan gets the go-ahead
Emma Kelly/LONDON Eurocontrol's Provisional Council has approved the master plan for the introduction of reduced vertical separation minima (RVSM) in Europe, paving the way for capacity improvements in the continent's airspace in 2002. The RVSM plan calls for the introduction of six more levels between flight level 290 ...
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Putting the family to work
Andrew Doyle/MUNICH Max Kingsley-Jones/STOCKHOLM Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC Guy Norris/LOS ANGELESWhen Boeing began to study a replacement for its successful 737-300/400/500 "Classic" family of narrowbody twinjets in the early 1990s, it faced difficult decisions. Airbus Industrie was on the scene with its technologically advanced fly-by-wire A320 family, but many of Boeing's ...
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UK probes MAS 'low fuel' landings
David Learmount/LONDON Andrzej Jeziorski/SINGAPORE The UK's Department of Environment, Transport and the Regions (DETR) is investigating serious safety breaches involving Malaysia Airlines' (MAS) operations into London Heathrow. The DETR declines to name the airline, but Flight International understands from government and industry sources that on several occasions MAS has ...
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Manufacturers' perspective
Production, reliability and certification issues have dominated the 737's debut Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES Between them, Boeing and CFM International faced the fastest ramp-up in production and delivery of any commercial airliner with the 737NG. Since delivery of the first aircraft to Southwest Airlines in December 1997, some 250 examples ...
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Routes
Delta Air Lines has terminated its codeshare with Aer Lingus across the Atlantic following a decision by the Irish carrier to recommend to the Dublin government that it approve an alliance with American Airlines and British Airways. Air Canada and Mexicana have formed a code-share and marketing partnership between Canada ...
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Whistleblowing
When an airline makes a mistake affecting safety, there are normally others in the industry who know it has taken place, but they say nothing. If the error was unintentional and appears to be a one-off, the reaction of industry peers is usually: "There but for the grace of God ...
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Workshop
Pegasus Aviation has ordered 23 additional FedEx Aviation Services (FEASI)Boeing 727 Stage 3 hushkits, bringing its total order to 44 kits. United Airlines recently exercised options for 16 kits, bringing its orders to 75. Santa Barbara Aerospace (SBA) is to re-engine all four of its Boeing 727-200Adv freighters to BFGoodrich's ...
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Fairchild wraps up 328JET testing and confirms stretch plans
Andrew Doyle/OBERPFAFFENHOFEN Fairchild Aerospace has almost completed flight-testing its 328JET30-seater and expects to receive certification from the European Joint Aviation Authorities and the US Federal Aviation Administration by 1 July. First deliveries to US carrier Skyways will take place that month. Meanwhile, the US company claims to have ...
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Boeing maintains 717 campaign
Andrew Doyle/MUNICH Boeing aims to boost sales of its 717 regional jet by taking a role in maintenance support and certificating a "Lite" version that could cut airport and navigation charges for airlines. The move comes as Greek flag carrier Olympic signs as the type's first European airline operator. Its ...
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FAA cracks the whip on US Classic 737 bulkheads
The US Federal Aviation Administration has ordered US operators to inspect 500 of their Classic Boeing 737s for fatigue cracks in aft pressure bulkheads. An airworthiness directive (AD) requires operators of early model 737s to perform either electronic or visual inspections. The emergency order stems from the discovery of ...
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Rockwell Collins makes Boeing comeback on 767
Boeing has chosen Rockwell Collins to provide the flightdeck liquid crystal displays (LCDs) for the 767-400ER. This is a significant victory for Collins in its battle to regain Boeing flightdeck display market share from Honeywell. "In a sense it is a comeback for us," says Steve Piller, vice-president Boeing ...
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Airbus' Japan sales drive pays off with Mitsubishi contract
Andrzej Jeziorski/TOKYO Mitsubishi Heavy Industries has secured its first airframe components subcontract on an Airbus Industrie programme as the European manufacturer steps up its sales efforts in Japan. The contract, awarded to Mitsubishi via Airbus partner British Aerospace, covers production of an A319/A320 wing root component, the shroud ...
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Chinese airlines post big losses
Chris Jasper/LONDONChina Eastern Airlines has become the second of the country's big three operators to reveal disappointing financial results for last year. The Shanghai-based carrier reported a net loss of 632 million yuan ($76 million) for the year, compared with a profit of 332 million yuan in 1997. The result ...
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All the rage
Prevention of 'air rage' incidents is better than cure, according to IATA David Learmount/LONDON The problem of disruptive passengers is so complex that the world's airlines are struggling to agree on remedies. There is consensus on one thing, however - prevention is better than cure. The International Air ...