Strategy – Page 1003

  • News

    Air Liberte attacks French business market

    1998-10-14T00:00:00Z

    Air Liberte president Marc Rochet, has confirmed that the airline has submitted a "statement of interest" with its major shareholders, British Airways and the Bolloré group, for the purchase of French independent carrier AOM. "We're not saying we'll end up buying it-but we're certainly interested to find out more ...

  • News

    Skyways buys up express route in Scandinavia

    1998-10-14T00:00:00Z

    SAS and its regional associate, Skyways, in which it owns a 25% stake, are fighting back against Norwegian intruder Braathens in the Swedish market, with the purchase of two domestic carriers. Having nipped in the bud the ambitions of Gothenburg start-up CityAirline by taking it over before it was ...

  • News

    Solid succeeds Icelandair service

    1998-10-14T00:00:00Z

    New Luxembourg airline Solid'air is to plug the gap which will be left by the planned withdrawal next January of Icelandair's long-standing operations out of the Grand Duchy. Solid'air is working towards a 12 December start, putting together a regular schedule to destinations in Florida and the Caribbean. ...

  • News

    SIA closes in on Star status

    1998-10-14T00:00:00Z

    Singapore Airlines (SIA) is about to take a step closer to becoming a full member of the Star Alliance by concluding a bilateral partnership with SAS, as part of a wider move by the group's five members to consolidate coverage of the Asia-Pacific region. Founding Star airline SAS is ...

  • News

    R-R plans joint European repair venture

    1998-10-14T00:00:00Z

    Paul Lewis/SINGAPORE Rolls-Royce is in discussions with Swissair and Lufthansa to form a new tripartite engine repair and overhaul facility in Europe as plans to establish a similar joint venture with Singapore Airlines (SIA) have slowed in the face of Asia's economic crisis. The UK engine manufacturer is understood to ...

  • News

    EC and Italy reach last-gasp airports agreement

    1998-10-14T00:00:00Z

    The European Commission and the Italian Government have reached a last-minute agreement on a traffic distribution system between Milan's two airports at Linate and Malpensa, where a new hub is to open on 25 October. The deal, agreed in principle, followed a day of intense negotiations on 8 October ...

  • News

    Airports

    1998-10-07T00:00:00Z

    -Saudi Arabia's Presidency of Civil Aviation has invited bids from Saudi Arabian companies and Saudi Arabian foreign joint ventures for the operation and maintenance of 24 domestic airports. The tender covers all airports except Riyadh and Jeddah. -Lufthansa's supervisory board has cleared plans for the airline to take a stake ...

  • News

    FAA free flight programme to retain existing ground navaids

    1998-10-07T00:00:00Z

    Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC A new airspace system modernisation plan drawn up by the US Federal Aviation Administration will retain at least one-third of the existing ground-based navigation and landing aids beyond 2015. The plan, expected to be released within a month, also foresees the introduction of automatic dependent ...

  • News

    German operator goes solo

    1998-10-07T00:00:00Z

    Andrzej Jeziorski/Munich German tour operator Frosch Touristik International (FTI) is to found its own airline. Operations are due to get under way early next year with a fleet of three Airbus A320s. The name of the airline and its home base remain to be announced. According to FTI ...

  • News

    MTU/Snecma sign Asia deals

    1998-10-07T00:00:00Z

    MTU and Snecma Services have signed separate initial agreements with China Southern Airlines and China Southwest Airlines respectively, to establish engine overhaul and maintenance joint ventures in Asia. Under a memorandum of understanding (MoU) between MTU of Germany and Guangzhou-based China Southern, a feasibility study is to be conducted ...

  • News

    DHL standardises on A300B4 freighters for European services

    1998-10-07T00:00:00Z

    Herman de Wulf/BRUSSELS DHL International is standardising on the Airbus A300B4 freighter for its European operations and says it will need more than the 14 aircraft it has already agreed to acquire. The European arm of DHL has its main hub in Brussels handling some 250t of freight a night. ...

  • News

    EVA pursues options to fill business void

    1998-10-07T00:00:00Z

    Brent Hannon/TAIPEI EVA Airways has been talking to oneworld and the Star Alliance and hopes to join one of the alliances as soon as it decides which is most suitable, says president and vice-chairman Frank Hsu. Meanwhile, the airline is boosting its cargo business to fill the void left ...

  • News

    GPA reborn after signing Texas deal

    1998-10-07T00:00:00Z

    GPA is set to re-emerge under a new name as a small independent lessor later this year following a deal with US venture capital partnership Texas Pacific to acquire up to a 47.7% shareholding in the Irish lessor. The deal comes three months after a memorandum of understanding was ...

  • News

    Marketplace

    1998-10-07T00:00:00Z

    -Pan American has added a fourth Boeing 727-200 to its fleet to expand charter operations. The airline is now examining the possibility of resuming scheduled operations next year. -Qantas has found a buyer for its fleet of four 16/17-year-old Airbus A300B4s - the A300 freighter leasing company Pinnacle Air Cargo ...

  • News

    Routes

    1998-10-07T00:00:00Z

    -Korean Air and Air France have signed a codeshare deal on flights between Paris and Seoul. The two carriers now operate six weekly flights, of which five will be codeshare services. -All Nippon Airways is seeking permission to open a new non-stop daily service from Tokyo to San Francisco, using ...

  • News

    Southern Air ceases operations

    1998-10-07T00:00:00Z

    Financially troubled US cargo carrier Southern Air Transport (SAT), which has been up for sale for some time, ceased operations on 25 September. The airline plans to liquidate assets as it contemplates filing for bankruptcy protection from creditors. The end came after first Fine Air Services, and then Kitty ...

  • News

    Falling shares delay privatisation plans

    1998-10-07T00:00:00Z

    The turmoil in the world's stock markets is finally starting to catch up with the airline industry. Tumbling share prices have forced the Austrian Government to delay plans to reduce its holdings in Austrian Airlines (AUA) with a Sch800 million ($68 million) capital increase. The decision places a question ...

  • News

    Bear markets

    1998-10-07T00:00:00Z

    With the bears now firmly in control of every stock market in the world, any sane government thinking of selling off its state-owned airline should be reaching for the telephone to inform its financial advisors to put away the sale prospectus until the bulls are back in control of share ...

  • News

    Growing pains

    1998-10-07T00:00:00Z

    Emma Kelly/LONDONThe in-flight entertainment (IFE) industry is growing up. But it has had to. The IFE industry today is showing the first signs of realism and credibility - much improved characteristics than the over-promises and disappointments that have plagued the industry in recent years. After years of considerable effort, interactive ...

  • News

    AOM sale progresses

    1998-10-07T00:00:00Z

    The first phase in the sale of France's largest independent airline AOM was completed on 2 October, with the receipt by major shareholder Credit Lyonnais of bids from interested purchasers. Several European airlines are known to have been invited to tender for the carrier, including Air France, British Airways, Iberia, ...