All Systems & interiors articles – Page 862

  • News

    A340 switches: re-active or pro-active reaction?

    1997-02-26T00:00:00Z

    Sir - In the article "Airbus fits switch guards after A340 hydraulic incident" (Flight International, 12-18 February, P16), Airbus Industrie describes the move to install guards as part of its "pro-active" stance on cockpit safety. If that stance were really pro-active, would not the A340 switch guards have ...

  • News

    Manx Airlines selects EMB-145

    1997-02-26T00:00:00Z

    Manx Airlines has finalised its long-awaited regional-jet order with a contract for up to five Embraer EMB-145s, the first of which will be delivered in June for operation on the airline's British Airways Express franchise services. The airline selected the Brazilian regional jet after a three-way fight involving ...

  • News

    Falcon 20-B retrofit

    1997-02-19T17:29:00Z

    Garrett Aviation and AlliedSignal have formed an exclusive partnership under which the latter will continue to market the TFE731 engine retrofit to CF700-powered Falcon 20 operators. Garrett will put its own Falcon 20s into the programme, retrofit and refurbish them, and offer the re-engined -20Bs for sale to non-Falcon 20 ...

  • News

    Spare a thought

    1997-02-19T00:00:00Z

    Airlines in Europe are becoming increasingly reliant on third-party component support services. Maintaining a comprehensive spare-parts inventory for a modern airline is an expensive business, particularly for a small- or medium-sized operator. Many expensive components may be languishing in storage, under-used but held in case an unforeseen failure grounds an ...

  • News

    Fly by net

    1997-02-19T00:00:00Z

    The AeroNet, SITA's latest data-communications system, could be the aviation industry's answer to the Internet. Long established as a provider of data communications for the aviation industry, SITA recently had a self-contained, high-performance data network grafted on to its support structure. Called the AeroNet, it is aimed at eradicating paper ...

  • News

    Ethiopian nears decision on new fleet

    1997-02-19T00:00:00Z

    Ethiopian Airlines is studying proposals from Boeing and Airbus Industrie for its fleet-renewal programme, and is expected to be ready to place an order for narrow- and widebodied aircraft before the end of the year. "Most of the background work has been finalised. My expectation is that we ...

  • News

    SITA: Dedicated to communicating

    1997-02-19T00:00:00Z

    From the start, airlines could not be efficient without good contactability. The need for better company communications, over developing long routes, gave birth in 1949 to SITA (once known as the Societe Internationale de Telecommunications Aeronautiques) - a non-profit-making co-operative, among major airlines - to provide self-managed communications. It has ...

  • News

    Gore Commission pushes for user fees

    1997-02-19T00:00:00Z

    The White House Commission on Aviation Safety and Security, being led by vice-president Al Gore, has come out in favour of replacing the US ticket tax with user charges as the best way to fund the new satellite-based National Airspace System (NAS), which it says should be brought in seven ...

  • News

    Universal dual-system satnav nears approval

    1997-02-19T00:00:00Z

    Universal Avionics is on track to win certification of the first satellite-navigation (satnav) receiver capable of using both the US global-positioning system (GPS)and Russian Glonass navigation constellations. The company, best known for its UNS-1 range of flight-management systems, is using a combined GPS/Glonass receiver-processor board provided by US ...

  • News

    Aeronet: Development of a network

    1997-02-19T00:00:00Z

    SITA's AeroNet is a centrally managed data network capable of handling and routeing high volumes of complex - and often commercially sensitive - digital data streams from sophisticated applications. It might be compared with the newest databus in civil aircraft - where a point-to-point bus system, such as the Arinc ...

  • News

    Boeing kicks off flight tests of next-generation 737 family

    1997-02-19T00:00:00Z

    Boeing's flight-test programme for its next-generation 737 family began smoothly on 9 February, with the 737-700 having a problem-free maiden flight from Renton, Washington. The flight marks the start of an eight-month test effort for the 737-700 which will include 1,200h of flying. Certification is planned in September, ...

  • News

    Airbus suffers setback as GE walks away from A340-600

    1997-02-19T00:00:00Z

    Airbus Industrie has suffered a setback in its efforts to launch the proposed A340-500/600 growth derivatives in time for a 2001 service-entry date, after exclusive discussions with General Electric over the aircraft's powerplant were abandoned this month. The collapse of talks with GE, which began in April 1996, ...

  • News

    BAe flies its first converted A300B4 freighter

    1997-02-19T00:00:00Z

    British Aerospace's Filton, UK-based division, BAe Aviation Services, flew its first converted Airbus A300B4 freighter on 23 January, and hopes to be able to secure approval from the US Federal Aviation Administration and UK Civil Aviation Authority approval by the end of March. The conversion of the first ...

  • News

    Turkey signs up for further 30 Cougars

    1997-02-19T00:00:00Z

    The Turkish Government has signed a contract for the purchase of 30 Eurocopter Cougar Mk1s, coupled with an agreement on local production. The contract, worth Fr2.5 billion ($434 million), covers ten AS532-ULs for the Turkish army, complementing the 20 ordered at the end of 1993, plus 20 AS532-ALs ...

  • News

    KLM to upgrade 747-200/300s

    1997-02-19T00:00:00Z

    KLM is to carry out a $53 million upgrade of its Boeing 747-200/300s and keep the aircraft in service well into the next century. KLM is the first airline to commit to an extensive cockpit upgrade of so-called 747 'Classics'. The package includes a major cockpit upgrade, aimed ...

  • News

    Maintenance Directory Part 1, The Americas

    1997-02-19T00:00:00Z

    MAINTENANCE AND overhaul companies in North and South America are benefiting from the return to profitability of the region's airlines. While cost-cutting measures such as outsourcing main- tenance have slipped down the airlines' priority lists as profits have soared, overhaul companies say that business has improved since the recession's end. ...

  • News

    Lufthansa revamps its management

    1997-02-12T00:00:00Z

    Lufthansa is restructuring its passenger operations from 1 April, in a move to cut management costs. Subject to supervisory board approval, the company is to incorporate marketing, network management, operations, cockpit and, cabin crew and ground stations into an independent passenger division, effectively separating the running of the ...

  • News

    Flying high in the USA

    1997-02-12T00:00:00Z

    There seems to be no stopping the US airline industry. Passenger traffic has set new highs throughout the past year and there are few signs of the growth slowing down. Profits have been spectacular. On almost any measure, the year-end results from the US majors are the best ...

  • News

    Start-up AirAsia muscles into Malaysia market

    1997-02-12T00:00:00Z

    Start-up carrier AirAsia has taken advantage of a growing barrage of criticism against Malaysia Airlines (MAS) to announce that it intends to expand its embryonic aircraft fleet and route network. Three months after first taking to the air as Malaysia's second scheduled international carrier, AirAsia is looking to ...

  • News

    Resolving African ATS difficulties

    1997-02-12T00:00:00Z

    Sir - The editorial "Outside control" (Flight International, 8-14 January) raises important issues. Contrary to some assertions, the situation in large areas of the African continent is mainly stable, with air-traffic services (ATS) being provided to a satisfactory level for today's operations. There remain, however, flight ...