All Ops & safety articles – Page 1255
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News
Where's the glue
The major alliance groups are each taking different approaches as they try to balance the need for IT integration against potential divorce. When United Airlines' chairman Gerald Greenwald announced the planned alliance with Delta Air Lines, he pointed to IT as one of the major hurdles that would determine ...
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French pilots kick up fuss
A further reduction in costs is the key to Air France's partial privatisation later this year, but pilots are strongly resisting cuts in their salary. A strike over a 15per cent cut in pilots' pay started 1 June and is costing the carrier FFr100 million (US$16.7 million) a day, ...
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Emirates turns down Star for its own global network plans
Doug Cameron/Dubai Emirates has turned down an offer to join the Star Alliance, the Dubai-based flag carrier opting instead to develop its own global network following an order for up to 12 ultra long haul aircraft. A decision between the Airbus Industrie A340-500 and Boeing 777-200X - for six firm ...
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Successful first live-fire test for DIRCM
Northrop Grumman says its AAQ-24(V) Directed Infrared Countermeasures (DIRCM) system successfully defeated a variety of ground-to-air missiles during its first live-fire test. The US defence contractor, GEC-Marconi and British Aerospace Systems Equipment are developing the DIRCM for the UK Ministry of Defence and the US Special Operations Command to ...
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Courting trouble
By the time that the European courts actually got round to ruling on the Air France state aid issue, it is a fair bet that few people remembered that the case was still pending. It is, after all, four years since the European Commission waved through approval for the French ...
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Qantas embarks on European charter routes from Heathrow
Ian Sheppard/LONDON Qantas has started operating Boeing 747-400 charter flights in Europe by leasing its aircraft to other carriers during layover at London Heathrow Airport. Qantas pilots and cabin crew will operate five trips to Barcelona and four to Istanbul, flying P&O cruise passengers to and from the ...
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Taiwan curbs CAL growth
Taiwan's decision to ban new aircraft orders by China Airlines is viewed by industry insiders as designed more for public consumption than any real advance in air safety. Citing the fatal February crash of a CAL jet at Taipei's international airport, the Ministry of Transportation and Communications has temporarily ...
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Open for business
The success of Hong Kong's Chek Lap Kok, due to open on 6 July, will depend on keeping costs down Paul Lewis/HONG KONG Hong Kong's new international airport makes its operational debut on 6 July - the culmination of a remarkable eight-year undertaking. The $20 billion infrastructure investment was initiated ...
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Built for the future
Recession has not curbed enthusiasm for Kuala Lumpur's new airport Nicholas Ionides/Kuala Lumpur The backers of Malaysia's new gateway airport at Sepang, south of Kuala Lumpur, boast that the massive facility has been built for the future. Boarding bridges have been designed to handle large new-generation aircraft such ...
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Love lost in Dallas brawl
US regional airline Continental Express has begun flying from Dallas/Love Field, becoming the latest carrier to join a surge of interest in the city's downtown airport despite legal attempts to stop the growth. The airport has become a hotbed of controversy, with lawsuits and countersuits flying across Texas. In ...
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Swissair moves to reduce fuel bill
Swissair is aiming to save SFr14 million ($10 million) a year and boost its environmentally-friendly image by cutting fuel consumption by 3%. It plans to achieve the reduction by reducing aircraft operating weights and improving operating procedures. Studies conducted jointly by Swissair flight operations and US company Flight Sciences ...
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UK ATC undergoes audit on safety
David Learmount/LONDON The UK's AIR traffic control (ATC) system is to undergo a Government-ordered safety audit following a parliamentary committee's probe into the service (Flight International, 20-26 May). National Air Traffic Services (NATS)chief Bill Semple has welcomed the audit, calling it a "belt and braces exercise" and stated ...
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Alliances: three forgotten factors
Stop. Wait. Listen. Think. The whole world is alliance-mad. The fanatical alliance worshippers of this world might think this is heresy, but a fundamental question needs to be asked. Is the crazy web of continuously changing alliance relationships actually going to produce workable results? Alliance-building is basically an egotistical ...
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US alliances face scrutiny
The US General Accounting Office has planted serious seeds for concern in politicians' minds by claiming that proposed US domestic alliances could mean a reduction in competitive service to almost 101 million American passengers. The GAO highlights the Delta Air Lines/United Airlines partnership as especially worrying because of its ...
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American and BA compromise to break alliance deadlock
Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES American Airlines has guaranteed not to fully implement its proposed alliance with British Airways until 14 slots have been made available to enable other airlines to begin new daily services between the US and London Heathrow. The US airline believes the compromise could help break ...
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US airports face review
If major US airports thought they were immune from the Department of Transportation's surge of interest in anti-competitive behaviour, they can think again. DOT secretary Rodney Slater is establishing a taskforce with airports in mind. Details of what the taskforce will be looking at are not yet clear, although ...
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Greece stars again
Greek airspace has been "red starred" by the International Federation of Airline Pilots Associations (IFALPA), meaning that pilots are warned to maintain "an increased state of awareness" under Greek air traffic control (ATC). IFALPA proposed "black star" (critically deficient) status to its April general meeting but suspended judgement pending an ...
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Do-it-yourself weighing machine approvedTEXT: Ian Sheppard/LondonBritish Aerospace Regional Aircraft has dispatched the first raw material
A weighing device that uses aircraft landing gear struts as scales has won US Federal Aviation Administration approval. The weight and balance system (WBS) is made by Dallas, Texas-based Trinity Airweighs. It can measure the weight and centre of gravity (CG) of an aircraft without the need for traditional ...
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Aer Lingus is to lose Team
With the disposal of an unprofitable non-core subsidiary finally on the horizon, Aer Lingus now has to confront the bigger questions of ownership and alliances. At presstime the management of the Irish flag carrier had still not convinced the 1,550 strong workforce of its unprofitable aircraft maintenance arm, Team, ...