All Ops & safety articles – Page 1285

  • News

    Air China to go for IPO

    1997-12-01T00:00:00Z

    Air China is pressing ahead with plans for its own initial public offering despite the postponement of the listing by the CAAC's commercial arm, China National Aviation Corporation. Air China aims to shrug off its state control and partially privatise within two years. 'We'll float by 1999 at the ...

  • News

    Born again airlines

    1997-12-01T00:00:00Z

    Karen Walker. Those low-fare, low-cost US airlines still standing as the year draws to a close may well wish to take a bow. In sharp contrast to the US majors, for them 1997 will have been a year of survival rather than profitability. For the low-cost airlines that are ...

  • News

    Spain adds to civil war?

    1997-12-01T00:00:00Z

    Spanish rivals Air Europa and Spanair are set to extend their domestic battle to the international arena as both carriers launch services to the US and link up with US majors. Palma-based Spanair was due to launch its first scheduled operation to the US on 20 November, flying from ...

  • News

    Jet propelled into action

    1997-12-01T00:00:00Z

    India's second biggest domestic airline, Jet Airways, is shedding long-time equity partners and forging links with new allies, as well as gearing up to take on rivals Air India and Indian Airlines on international services. It's all change as far as Jet's partners are concerned. Middle East operators Gulf ...

  • News

    ICAO grasps global safety-oversight

    1997-11-26T00:00:00Z

    Members of the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) have endorsed a wide-ranging plan set of recommendations to expand its Safety Oversight Programme (SOP) and give it policing powers for the first time. During a landmark conference on 10-12 November in Montreal, attended by 148 of the 185 member ...

  • News

    No frills

    1997-11-26T00:00:00Z

    No sooner had British Airways announced plans to set up its own low-cost operation at London Stansted, than the howls of protest began from the existing no-frills carriers. Their complaint (writ large in whole page newspaper advertisements) is that the BA intends to put them out of business by fair ...

  • News

    FBI passes TWA crash investigation to NTSB

    1997-11-26T00:00:00Z

    Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has closed its 16-month criminal probe into the crash of Trans World Airlines Flight 800, saying that it revealed no evidence of a criminal act. As a result, the investigation of the loss of the TWA Boeing 747-100 ...

  • News

    Bridge building in Baku

    1997-11-26T00:00:00Z

    Andrew Chuter/BAKU The terminal at Baku's Bina Airport stands like a monument to the collapse of the Soviet Union's writ in Azerbaijan in 1991.The building has lain uncompleted and virtually in ruin, the funds required to complete the project having dried up several years ago with the retreat of ...

  • News

    Unions approve United Express jet operations

    1997-11-26T00:00:00Z

    United Airlines' pilot unions have cleared the way for Atlantic Coast Airlines (ACA) to launch United Express services with its Bombardier Canadair Regional Jets (CRJ). The regional airline began a United Express regional-jet service between Washington's Dulles International to two Florida points, Nashville and Raleigh-Durham, in late November. ...

  • News

    American plans to choose HUD soon

    1997-11-26T00:00:00Z

    American Airlines expects an "imminent" response to its request for proposals (RFP) from head-up-display (HUD) system manufacturers. The move follows the Delta Air Lines selection of a Flight Dynamics head-up-guidance system (HGS) for its Boeing Next Generation 737 fleet. The RFP covers HUD installations for 75 Next Generation 737s ...

  • News

    US Airways completes delayed shuttle purchase

    1997-11-26T00:00:00Z

    US Airways, having sealed its long-awaited pilot deal, is pressing on with the acquisition of the former Trump Shuttle operation, which flies under the group's colours on the US East Coast. US Airways had expressed interest in acquiring the remainder of the shuttle service when it came up ...

  • News

    BA clouds skies for UK low-fare airlines

    1997-11-26T00:00:00Z

    British Airways' confirmation that it will launch its own low-cost airline next year at London Stansted airport has provoked immediate protests from the UK's existing "no-frills" carriers easyJet, Ryanair and Debonair. The new airline, which is yet to be named but is being referred to internally as "Operation Blue ...

  • News

    Airlines may link on African ATC problems

    1997-11-26T00:00:00Z

    Long-haul carriers could soon become involved in modernising Africa's dilapidated air-traffic-control (ATC) infrastructure, following a call by South African Airways (SAA) for airlines regularly flying in African airspace to take a more pro-active safety role. At the same time, South Africa has reported success in improving ground communications ...

  • News

    Air Namibia maintains plans to replace its 747SP, despite heavy financial losses

    1997-11-26T00:00:00Z

    Despite suffering heavy financial losses, Air Namibia has pledged to go ahead with replacing its ageing Boeing 747SP, but may downgrade its ambition to acquire a new-generation aircraft. The airline had been considering acquiring a new aircraft such as the Boeing 777 or Airbus Industrie A340, but is ...

  • News

    Polar resurrects 747 freighter

    1997-11-26T00:00:00Z

    Polar Air Cargo will put into service in December a Boeing 747-200 freighter which was written off by its insurers a year ago after a mercury spill was found in its cargo bay. The 1979-build 747-200F was being operated by Southern Air Transport when, during routine maintenance in ...

  • News

    737-700 undergoes preparation for last JAA test

    1997-11-26T00:00:00Z

    Boeing is preparing the Next Generation 737-700 for its final test for the European Joint Aviation Authorities (JAA), with certification now anticipated by the end of December. The aircraft has also had a boost from a major deal with Argentina's LAPA. Boeing says that the aircraft passed the ...

  • News

    Germany questions A3XX site

    1997-11-26T00:00:00Z

    Andrzej Jeziorski/MUNICH Germany's bids for the final assembly of the proposed Airbus A3XX large airliner have become entangled in political arguments over the preferred site for the work. Daimler-Benz Aerospace Airbus (Dasa Airbus) has put forward its Hamburg-Finkenwerder plant as a prime German candidate, competing against ...

  • News

    Sirocco enters Lufthansa Tu-204 talks

    1997-11-26T00:00:00Z

    Sirocco Aerospace International is negotiating with Lufthansa Cargo to lease between eight and ten Tupolev Tu-204-120C freighters. A deal which could see the aircraft introduced on Lufthansa's intra-European routes during 1999 is possible in the first half of 1998. Sirocco will not comment on the negotiations. Sirocco already ...

  • News

    Boeing considers enhancing 777-200X/300X performance

    1997-11-26T00:00:00Z

    Boeing is considering range and lift enhancements to the proposed 777-200X/300X to improve field performance. Programme officials are seeking at the same time to stretch pre-launch funding and allow more time to firm up potential customer support. The company is studying design refinements to the 777 in an effort ...

  • News

    Swissair's offer stops Gemini from closing LTU MD-11 deal

    1997-11-26T00:00:00Z

    A last-minute offer from Swissair for LTU's fleet of four Boeing MD-11s has blocked Gemini Air Cargo's attempt to acquire the aircraft for use as freighters. William Stockbridge, president of US supplemental cargo carrier Gemini, says that his failure to secure the aircraft is "very disappointing". On 17 ...