All Ops & safety articles – Page 1342
-
News
Bearing failures blamed on poor lubrication
The spate of Trent 700 engine shutdowns has been traced to insufficient lubrication of the driving-shaft locator ball-bearing in the Hispano Suiza-manufactured step-aside gearbox. This has resulted in premature fatigue and failure of the bearing, because of overheating. According to R-R, the problem resulted from a weakness in ...
-
News
Time to stop dreaming
The general-aviation industry in the USA is putting its money where its mouth has been for a long time. It is sponsoring a television-advertising campaign in an effort to revitalise the US pilot population and to reverse a decade-long decline in the number of people learning to fly for pleasure. ...
-
News
End of an era
The demise of the BAe/AI(R) Jetstream 41 commuter airliner represents another step in the (often involuntary) rationalisation of the regional-turboprop market. It also, however, raises serious questions about the future of the lower end of regional-airline operations. There can be little surprise in British Aerospace's decision to cease ...
-
News
United introduces virtual maintenance training
UNITED AIRLINES HAS introduced a "virtual-reality" training tool designed to improve the troubleshooting skills of Boeing 737 maintenance technicians. Wicat Systems' Maintenance Virtual Workplace is in- tended to reduce the incidence of component removals when no fault is found. The Virtual Workplace is a CD-ROM-based desktop training aid ...
-
News
Lessons from the jump seat
Sir - It may be true that there is no place for the flight engineer on the flightdeck of modern aircraft, but recent history suggests that another pair of eyes and ears in the jump seat might make a contribution to safety. It is interesting to note the ...
-
News
New Labour, new taxes?
New Labour, new taxes? If the opinion polls are correct the United Kingdom could have its first Labour government in 18 years by early May. The new administration, led by Prime Minister Tony Blair with Gordon Brown as Finance Minister, would be very different from its predecessors. ...
-
News
Lessons have yet to be absorbed
Sir - Capt Raby complains about the JAA's demand for higher academic standards to improve airmanship. You cannot produce airmanship with theoretical knowledge. It has to do with a insight gained from situations previously experienced. While theoretical knowledge is good for analysing a problem, you cannot fly an ...
-
News
BA fuels Air Algerie spat
Air Algérie hasn't exactly received the warmest welcome back to Paris/Charles de Gaulle since it resumed flights from the airport in April, with British Airways leading a 34-airline protest against security arrangements at the French airport. The UK carrier is concerned about sharing a baggage conveyor with Air ...
-
News
Cathay axes offshore plan
Plans by Hong Kong flag carrier Cathay Pacific to cut labour costs by setting up a cabin crew base in Bangkok have had to be abandoned following complaints by attendants that the rostering system was unworkable. The move is a body blow to a longer term scheme to ...
-
News
Bidders line up for Iberia
European and US airlines are lining up to take a stake in Iberia as only two carriers remain in the fray for part of the Spanish flag carrier's former holding in Aerolineas Argentinas. A senior source at Iberia has disclosed that Air France, American Airlines, British Airways, Continental ...
-
News
Bonn settles on share bill
The final hurdle to the full privatisation of Lufthansa should be cleared by early September, when the framework to ensure the carrier remains in majority German ownership finally comes into effect. State-owned bank Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (KfW) currently holds the government's 37.5 per cent stake, but intends to ...
-
News
Star bursts on to scene
United Airlines and Lufthansa have moved alliance building into a new era with the launch in mid-May of the five carrier Star Alliance, which attempts to present the passenger with a more uniform product while retaining individual brands. At presstime, details were scarce but the carriers were keen ...
-
News
Proceed with care
If a single US airline were to be picked out for its sheer likeability, then that airline would have to be Southwest Airlines. This darling of the industry consistently puts smiles on the faces of its employees, its passengers, bankers, analysts, shareholders, and even former Department of Transportation inspector general ...
-
News
US opens up centre
Sceptics could be forgiven for questioning the true 'open' nature ofthe new US open skies agreements with six Central American countries since carriers from two of the countries are prohibited from flying to the US. Costa Rica, El Salvador, Honduras, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Panama each signed open skies ...
-
News
Direct links see change
They've done it by sea, and now Taiwan is searching for ways to ease its self-imposed ban on direct air links with the People's Republic of China. In an historic but short voyage in late April, the first ships carried cargo directly across the straits. Each side has ...
-
News
Who dares follow Crandall's path?
Somewhat ruefully, a speaker at AvMan's recent CEO conference for Latin American and Caribbean airlines remarked that it now seems as if all roads lead to Bob Crandall, American Airlines' president and chief executive officer. There is a wide gulf, however, between those who eagerly hope to tread that path ...
-
News
Malay duo to share routes
Malaysia's second international carrier AirAsia is planning a rapid expansion programme but this is unlikely to trouble incumbent Malaysia Airlines after the two carriers agreed to avoid competition. Operating as Pacific Eagle, the carrier is set to launch services to Shanghai in China - alongside MAS - and ...
-
News
Europe is set to expand
The European Commission is drawing up legislation for the aviation sector to match US antitrust laws, as the first stage in expanding the European aviation market to the east nears completion. Commercial aviation is one of the few industry sectors in which Brussels suffers from 'split competence'. The ...
-
News
Financial results
Company Period Net US$ mil Comp period Sales US$ mil % change Aer Lingus Y Dec 31 51.2 24.2 1,225 -4.0 AMR Corp 1Q Mar 31 152.0 157.0 4,006 2.4 Austrian Airlines Y Dec 31 19.8 30.4 1,228 8.8 China Eastern Airlines ...