Programmes – Page 1107
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News
ESA signs first Mars Express contract with Matra Marconi
Julian Moxon/PARIS The first contract for the European Space Agency's (ESA) 150 million euro ($161 million) Mars Express programme has been signed with prime contractor Matra Marconi Space. The 60 million euro contract was awarded despite the programme awaiting full approval, expected at the ESA ministerial meeting in ...
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Investors give ultimatum on Iridium performance
Iridium has been given a two-month deadline by its lenders to prove that it can meet revenue and subscriber targets. The Motorola-owned company has been told that it must have $4 million cash revenues, $30 million in accrued revenues and at least 52,000 customers by 31 May. Iridium had 3,000 ...
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Airbus aims to trim A3XX weight
Julian Moxon/PARIS The take-off weight of the Airbus Industrie A3XX will be reduced by 2-3t through the use of a new, high-pressure hydraulic system, if tests being carried out by Aerospatiale at Toulouse prove it to be economically and technically viable. "We have decided to go for a system ...
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Making a mark
Max Kingsley-Jones/DOHA Qatar Airways has restructured from a low-cost operator to a high-quality international carrier The Qatar government recognised that action was needed to ensure that its capital, Doha, was not isolated as the country's economy grew during the early 1990s. While the nation's shared flag carrier, Gulf ...
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Emirates' global vision
Max Kingsley-Jones/DUBAI Emirates had a handful of routes and aircraft when it began in 1985 - now it is a major force and is eyeing the A3XX The Past 14 years have been an exciting ride for Emirates. The airline has topped the growth tables for national carriers ...
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Emerging power
Max Kingsley-Jones/MUSCAT Oman Air is embarked on a programme of expansion and restructuring OMAN, on the Gulf's eastern side, rests in the shadows cast by the cosmopolitan regions to its west, such as Abu Dhabi, Bahrain and Dubai. The country has chosen not to follow its neighbours ...
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Gulf bites back
Max Kingsley-Jones/BAHRAIN Gulf Air is fighting back from financial crisis with a clear strategy for the future Gulf Air has been through considerable pain over the past four years. Losses mounted to over $130 million and debts rose to $1.5 billion during two financially disastrous years in the ...
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Canada bests Brazil in export tussle
Canada is claiming victory in its long dispute with Brazil over regional aircraft export subsidies, but the extent of its victory is unclear. A World Trade Oganisation (WTO) panel has ruled that Brazil's Proex export finance programme is an illegal subsidy and should be removed. Bombardier says Proex has ...
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News in brief
ProAir eyes public - Detroit-based ProAir plans to go public this year. The new entrant carrier is completing its final, $30 million, private placement and is planning an initial public offering. ProAir, which has received a fourth Boeing 737 and plans to add five this year, aims to add to ...
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THY awaits election, privatisation
THY Turkish Airlines is awaiting the country's national elections on 18 April with bated breath, as its future privatisation and relationship with Qualiflyer partner Swissair hang in the balance. The hope is that a strong coalition government will emerge with the political backing to implement a package of ...
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Brussels gears up to tackle aviation
The mass resignation of European Commissioners could hardly have been poorer timing for those in Brussels gearing up to tackle major issues in aviation. Brussels had planned to start the year running with initiatives spanning everything from alliances through to Eastern Europe and the environment. The Competition Directorate ...
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Malev restructures and hunts for partners
Hungarian flag carrier Malev is gearing up to join one of the global alliance groupings while pushing ahead with a restructuring programme. New chief Antal Pongracz is keeping its options open, but re-opening talks with British Airways, which broke off last May, will be high on his agenda. ...
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Three's a crowd
The narrowbody engine market has heated up since International Aero Engines snatched the market lead from CFM International on the A320. And a third competitor, Pratt & Whitney, is set to make the chase even more intense. Report by Karen Walker. A large banner hangs over workers at the CFM56 ...
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News in Brief
BA's pilot deal - BA has sealed a comprehensive agreement with pilots union BALPA, which provides pilots flying for its controversial long-haul charter arm AML and short-haul routes out of Gatwick with the same terms and conditions as BA mainline pilots. In return pilots have agreed to relax some flying ...
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CAL and EVA go Canadian
Taiwan is changing the face of its presence in Canada and in the process has added a second player. Now the question is whether Ottawa will do the same in Taipei. Before the latest update in the Taiwan-Canada bilateral, Mandarin Airlines, a subsidiary of China Airlines (CAL), was Taiwan's ...
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PIA takes action on fleet renewal
It was a decision years in the making, but Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) has taken action over its fleet renewal. The long-troubled state-owned carrier has signed a letter of intent with Hong Kong's Cathay Pacific Airways to lease all six of its Boeing 747-300s, to replace ageing 747-200s. ...
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Better times beckon for Asia
As Asian airlines start to report last year's results, the grip of the region's financial winter is clear. But a few hints of spring suggest the worst may be over, and this year could start a broader recovery. Thai Airways International released the most promising results. It reported ...
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Europe breaks ranks on noise
Europe's controversial action on hushkits could be just the start, as the region prepares to break international ranks to tighten up controls on noise and pollution. Europe's moves to suspend hushkitting have already caused one transatlantic row. But more controversy is in prospect as the European Commission (EC) prepares ...
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Fictitious aircraft
Some transactions that may fall short of criminal fraud can nevertheless result in heavy losses, court actions and deep unhappiness. When businessman Thor Tjontveit and his Dallas-based company Air Alaska (also trading as World Pacific Air Lease Inc) were ordered by a New York court to pay compensatory and ...
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Spanair in the works
Straddling the charter-schedule boundary, Spanair is making a name for itself in Europe while also trying to gain a foothold in the transatlantic market. This will be a pivotal year for Spanair, Spain's fast-growing, charter-cum-scheduled airline. Eleven years old this spring, Spanair started scheduled flights just five years ago, ...