All Systems & interiors articles – Page 798
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News
Gloves off for Orlando charters
A small airport that has managed to steal a large chunk of the foreign charter business from Orlando International Airport (OIA), including the largest tour operator Air Tours, has forced its larger competitor to lower landing fees and include more passenger-friendly facilities in a $2 billion expansion programme. ...
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In need of a check-up
The systems onboard ageing aircraft in the USA are coming under closer scrutiny, raising the prospect of higher maintenance costs. In the USA, old aircraft don't die: they get hushkits and a new paint job. In stark contrast to their counterparts in Europe and Asia, US passengers routinely find ...
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Swissair/Delta could win SAA deal
Lufthansa, long considered the front runner in the race for a 30% stake in South African Airways (SAA), now appears to be facing a determined combined challenge from Swissair/Delta Air Lines. The German carrier launched an aggressive public relations exercise weeks ago announcing that, if successful, it would ...
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Foreign ownership debate heats up
The debate in the USA over foreign ownership and control of airlines has come under a spotlight early in 1999 with airline and government officials discussing how a relaxation of the rules may occur. US Secretary of Transportation Rodney Slater stirred the controversy last year when he said the ...
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Defending duty free
Duty free sales within Europe appear to have won a reprieve. But how hard will airlines be hit if duty free is eventually abolished? To bureaucrats, the abolition of duty free must have looked a simple matter when it was mooted. The European Union (EU) decided in 1991 to ...
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Majors play the mating game
US carriers are again testing the water with a series of new acquisition proposals. Perhaps it has something to do with the season, but it is almost exactly a year since they last indulged in a frenzy of mating activity and the US majors are at it again. Only this ...
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Third Party Pressure
The third party maintenance, repair and overhaul business will consolidate further as the dominant companies seek greater economies of scale and airlines turn their attention back to improving costs. If you were asked to name the landmarks of the aircraft maintenance and overhaul industry over the past year, you ...
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Eurocontrol plans air traffic management role for pilots
Julian Moxon/BRETIGNY Researchers at Eurocontrol's Bretigny centre in France have embarked on a programme aimed at giving pilots flying in crowded airspace limited involvement in air traffic management (ATM). The hope is that controller workload can be reduced, or at least stabilised, as air traffic continues to increase. ...
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New short haul airline planned to boost Gulf regional links
Max Kingsley-Jones/BAHRAIN Plans have emerged for a new regional airline in the Gulf which would operate an intensive network of short haul services between major cities in the region. The impetus for the airline has come from business interests in the Bahrain and other Gulf states. Local sources ...
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PIA: Turning It around
Paul Lewis/KARACHI PIA's decision to enlist the help of the US-owned Sabre Group was a brave move in Pakistan's politically fickle environment. The airline contends that its decision, endorsed at the highest political level, is central to turning the national carrier around and one which it is convinced will pay ...
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Delta swallows Atlantic as US regional
Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC The US regional airline industry is poised to undergo further consolidation following Delta Air Lines' announced acquisition of partner carrier Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA). Delta's $700 million purchase of ASA Holdings will boost its share of traffic in the south-eastern USA, and consolidate an already dominant position ...
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NASA awards cockpit contract
Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC NASA has awarded Avidyne and AvroTec a contract to develop a low-cost glass cockpit for general aviation aircraft. Team members Lancair and Raytheon will handle aircraft certification issues, and both AlliedSignal and Rockwell Collins will help with symbology development. The "highway in the sky" contract ...
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Bombardier increases production
Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON Bombardier Aerospace, buoyed by a record $1.3 billion sale of Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) 200LRs to Northwest Airlines, is increasing production of the 50-seat aircraft to eight a month. The US carrier, based in Minneapolis, has announced a firm order for 54 CRJ-200LRs and has taken options on ...
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FAA faces criticism over GPS report
A storm of criticism has followed publication of the US John Hopkins University (JHU) report on future navigation systems, particularly Global Positioning System (GPS) satellite navigation. The University concluded that GPS could be a safe "sole means" guidance system, including for precision approaches (Flight International, 10-16 February). Experts have ...
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Mergers
– Miami-based cargo carrier Fine Air has agreed to buy fellow freight specialist Arrow Air, also of Miami, for $115 million. Both airlines provide scheduled and ACMI services, with Fine Air generating $116 million in revenues during its last financial year and Arrow, a subsidiary of International Air Leases (itself ...
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Workshop
FLS Aerospace has signed a General Terms Agreement with GE Capital Aviation Services to undertake heavy maintenance on the leasing giant's fleet of aircraft at the start or end of a lease. The deal, renewable yearly, covers all aircraft types that FLS is approved to overhaul. Initially the contract covers ...
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Embraer reveals additions to regional jet family
Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC Embraer has unveiled plans for 70 and 90-seat additions to its family of regional jets. The surprise move is designed to signal to potential customers and risk-sharing partners the Brazilian manufacturer's firm intent to compete in this market. The company has announced the "pre-launch" of ...
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Alliance becomes SA Alliance
Michael Wakabi/Kampala Alliance Air has acquired a Boeing 767-200ER on a three-year renewable lease from shareholder South African Airways (SAA), replacing the ageing 747SP the Uganda-based carrier has operated for the past four years. The two airlines also started a codesharing agreement with effect from 6 February. ...
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Decibel count raised in US-EU hushkit battle
Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC A transatlantic war of words over European Commission plans to place serious restrictions on hushkitted commercial aircraft operating in Western Europe has reached new levels following the European Parliament's endorsement of the legislation. The European Union's anti-noise rule is opposed by the Clinton Administration and ...
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Help sought to bolster Belize with national carrier
As part of a programme to boost the economy of Belize, the Central American country's recently elected government is seeking a European carrier to help set up a national airline. Belize does not have a home-grown international operator, and the only major carriers serving the country include American Airlines, ...