Programmes – Page 1182

  • News

    Zeppelin flies NT airship prototype

    1997-10-08T00:00:00Z

    Zeppelin Luftschifftechnik has begun flight testing a prototype of its Zeppelin NT new-technology rigid airship. The craft's 45min maiden flight took place on 18 September, with US test pilot Scott Dannecker at the controls. The prototype was flown from the Friedrichshafen exhibition grounds, where it was assembled, landing ...

  • News

    Airbus considers producing all AE31X airframe in China

    1997-10-08T00:00:00Z

    Airbus Industrie Asia (AIA) is discussing producing virtually the entire airframe structure for the planned AE31X family of regional aircraft in China, in an effort to reduce costs. AIA and its two joint-venture partners Aviation Industries of China (AVIC) and Singapore Technologies (STAe) have agreed that production costs ...

  • News

    Rolls-Royce replaces Trent 800 blades after fatigue failure

    1997-10-08T00:00:00Z

    Rolls-Royce says that the catastrophic Trent 800 engine failure on an Emirates Airlines Boeing 777-200 leaving Dubai on 16 September (Flight International, 24-30 September) was caused by fatigue failure of a first-stage high-pressure compressor (HPC1) blade. The company claims that it was aware of the problem with the ...

  • News

    UPS examines options for DC-8 and 747 replacements

    1997-10-08T00:00:00Z

    United Parcel Service (UPS) will make a decision on a long-term McDonnell Douglas DC-8-71/73 freighter replacement "within the next six months," according to Douglas Kuelpman, vice-president of UPS Airlines. Kuelpman says that the replacement "widebody regional freighter" (WRF) will be a used and converted aircraft model. ...

  • News

    The right product at the wrong time

    1997-10-08T00:00:00Z

    Sir - In your Comment "Missing the bus" (Flight International, 17-23 September), British Aerospace's reluctance over regional aircraft is defended. Besides the fact that most of it applies also to larger airliners, however, it would have been fair for BAe to have declared its reluctance to its partners ...

  • News

    Boeing struggles with Super Hornet wing-drop problem

    1997-10-08T00:00:00Z

    Boeing is examining modifying the wing on the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet in an attempt to solve a wing-drop problem, having exhausted options to resolve this with software changes. The problem is centred on what the company describes as "uncommanded sudden wing drops during manoeuvring flight" which have come ...

  • News

    Bombardier is foiled by Embraer 50-seat scoop

    1997-10-06T00:00:00Z

    Karen Walker Two regional jet manufacturers; two $1billion dollar contract announcements; and the same customer. But the atmosphere at each press conference yesterday could not have been more of a contrast. American Airlines' subsidiary AMR Eagle's decision to purchase its 50-seat regional jets from Embraer and ...

  • News

    Appointments

    1997-10-01T16:54:00Z

    Philip Chen will succeed Simon Heale as deputy managing director at Cathay Pacific Airways from mid-March. Heale takes up the position of finance director at Swire Pacific. Stanley Hui will replace Chen as Dragonair's chief executive from 1 February 1997, while Hui's role as chief operating officer of Air Hong ...

  • News

    Aircraft news

    1997-10-01T16:54:00Z

    Boeing has signed a deal with American Airlines, granting the US manufacturer sole supplier status for jet aircraft until 2018. As part of the deal American has placed firm orders for 12 B777s, four B767-300ERs, 12 B757-200s, and 75 B737-600/700/800s. The US carrier has also taken so-called purchase rights on ...

  • News

    Russian ties

    1997-10-01T16:39:00Z

    Airbus Industrie and the Russian Ministry of Economics have signed an agreement which envisages closer cooperation in areas such as joint projects, certification, R&D and production. The deal includes Airbus' assistance in obtaining JAA type certification for the Tu-204 and the establishment of a single Russian management organisation to liaise ...

  • News

    Saab sets its jet deadline

    1997-10-01T00:00:00Z

    Saab's days as a turboprop manufacturer are numbered, with the Swedish company working to an early 1998 deadline to join one of two regional jet programmes. Gert Schyborger, Saab Aircraft's president, confirms that the struggling 2000 programme will be the company's last turboprop venture and says he will ...

  • News

    Paris draws Blanc on sale

    1997-10-01T00:00:00Z

    It's a question of bad timing. Christian Blanc's departure as chairman of Air France has come at a fragile time, midway through the airline's restructuring process. Blanc resigned in September after the government ruled out selling off a majority stake in Air France. 'The captain has abandoned his ...

  • News

    Shanghai set for overseas

    1997-10-01T00:00:00Z

    Shanghai-based China Eastern Airlines is finally to face homegrown international competition from local rival Shanghai Airlines, just as the first example emerges of close cooperation among a group of provincial Chinese carriers. After years of lobbying Shanghai Airlines has won approval from Beijing to launch international flights and ...

  • News

    No-frills feel summer chill

    1997-10-01T00:00:00Z

    It may have been a red-hot summer season for the US major carriers, but the climate remained decidedly chilly for the low-cost startups. Air South is the latest to feel the cold draft of Chapter 11 bankruptcy and analysts believe there will be more casualties unless Washington intervenes. ...

  • News

    PAL calls for total US ban

    1997-10-01T00:00:00Z

    Philippine Airlines has called on Manila to suspend flights by US carriers into the Philippines, as a result of US Federal Aviation Administration restrictions which are causing major losses on trans-Pacific services. The appeal came within days of PAL announcing it was abandoning some flights to the key ...

  • News

    Gently down stream

    1997-10-01T00:00:00Z

    As with the engine manufacturers, consolidation among major airframe producers is likely to be followed closely by bold moves to secure dominance in the after sales market. Report by T Wakelee Smith and Jonathan Culley.It may be hard to believe. But with the recent absorption of McDonnell Douglas into ...

  • News

    Lateral thinkers

    1997-10-01T00:00:00Z

    In a bid to instill fresh ideas, more airlines are now recruiting managers from other countries. Lois Jones looks at the challenges faced by today's mobile managers, and talks to six top people who have switched countries. There are several ways to skin a cat, and several ways to save ...

  • News

    Italians go to the markets

    1997-10-01T00:00:00Z

    Italian charter carrier Air Europe is preparing for an initial public offering, while flag carrier Alitalia is still on the lookout for private investors. Air Europe is to float 35 per cent of its shares on the Milan stock exchange and in 'several markets abroad' by December this ...

  • News

    SIA prepares for stardom

    1997-10-01T00:00:00Z

    As the clock runs down on one of the oldest alliances in Asia, US and Taiwanese carriers are forging closer ties following the recent open skies deal between the two countries. The first sign that Singapore Airlines' Global Excellence alliance with Delta Air Lines and Swissair is starting ...

  • News

    Sydney syndrome

    1997-10-01T00:00:00Z

    As Australia's government prepared to launch the second phase of its airport privatisations in October, the difficulty of finding a buyer for Sydney remained a significant cloud on the horizon. By Tom Ballantyne.Three down, 15 to go and one odd man out. That constitutes a pretty good summary of where ...