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Aviation History
1976
1976 - 0007.PDF
FLIGHT International, w/e 3 January 1976 the British about our plans and British Airways did not ask us to cut our rates." Air France will begin Concorde operations with a reason able quantity of spares, says Martin. He expects no prob lem if the aircraft proves as reliable in service as aircraft 203 did during last summer's endurance trials. The cost of spares is high due to the small numbers of aircraft being built, and there is a risk that some vendors might decide that the supply of spares is not economic. "But we hope more orders will be generated," says Martin, "thus solving the spares problem." Following the first group of Concorde crews, who were trained earlier this year for the endurance flights, a second group for commercial service has started training on the simulator at Toulouse. The new team was expected to start flight training late last month or at the beginning of January. BRITISH AIRWAYS TURNS 180° ON BELFAST FARES BRITISH AIRWAYS will apply to the Civil Aviation Authority for permission to introduce a new London- Belfast excursion fare. The full economy fare on the route was raised to £44 return on November 1, and the non availability of an excursion fare has been a cause of considerable annoyance among local residents. Announcing the forthcoming application in Belfast last month, British Airways managing director Mr Henry Marking denied '14- Airliner market Air Inter is seen as likely to sign up for Airbus Industrie A300s very shortly. The airline now requires only three aircraft (instead of four as had been earlier suggested) and it is reported that Air Inter will take two new-produc tion A300B2s and one refurbished development aircraft • Air New England, having recently cancelled its order for the Short SD3-30, is considered by VFW-Fokker as a good prospect for the VFW 614 Q The French regional carrier Air Rouergue has ordered a Fokker-VFW F.27-500 with cargo door and pallet system. It will be delivered in December 1977, an indication of the length of the F.27 waiting list P Alitalia and manufacturer Aeritalia are displaying very little enthusiasm for the A300. Before the flag carrier's selection of leased Boeing 727s to replace DC-8-43s and Caravelles the European aircraft had been suggested as a solution to Italian airline and airframe- building problems. The 727 agreement will strengthen the Boeing connection in Italy; Aeritalia has advertised in the USA for American engineers of Italian origin, as the pro posed 7X7 programme will require skills not found in a small industry Q The British Aircraft Corporation is com peting with Boeing and McDonnell Douglas for an Olympic Airways order. BAC is offering five One-Eleven 500s D The Canadair North Star operated by Turks Air (see Flight for July 10, page 61) has been withdrawn from service at Miami, leaving the Canadian National Research Council as the world's last operator of the type. Next Tuesday, January 6, Lufthansa celebrates the 50th anniversary of its formation, when Aero Lloyd and Junkers Luftverkehr were forced into merger by the German Government. The airline started operations three months later, when this Dornier Komet III inaugurated a Berlin- Zurich service out the Scottish, Cambrian and Channel Island identities. This was announced almost simultaneously with the appearance of a White Paper promising greater political autonomy to Scotland and Wales. "The best we can do for the people of Scotland and Wales is to provide them with the most reasonable and economic service possible," com ments Marking. "I believe that they are more concerned with this than their particular names or livery." The decision to end the local identities would lead to greater flexibility and higher utilisation of both aircraft and crews. that the airline has been influenced by diminishing returns following recent steep increases on domestic routes. Marking hopes that the new fare, offering a saving of up to £14 on the regular return, will be available from April 1. It will not apply in July, August or September, and the minimum stay will be six days. The new fare, if permitted, will not mark the end of "common rating" (the policy of equal tariffs on the UK trunks from London to Glasgow, Edinburgh and Belfast) as a common full economy fare will still apply. But, says Marking, the airlines have a "special duty of obligation" to the people of Ulster, arising from the lack of other links with London and the difficult political situation. Marking reaffirms that British Airways will not abandon the practice of systematic overbooking. The legal problem raised by the recent House of Lords decision would be countered by amended conditions of carriage. The idea of a financial penalty for no-show passengers has been examined and rejected as unworkable, he said. British Airways Regional Division has decided to phase US CERTIFICATION FOR VFW 614 THE VFW-FOKKER 614 short-haul 40-seat twin-jet has been awarded a Federal Aviation Administration type certificate. Two prototypes were used during flight testing and the FAA required only a handful of changes before the certificate was granted. The prototypes have completed over 2,500hr flying; production is well advanced, with the seventh airframe under construction at Lemwerder. The VFW 614 first entered service last October with Danish carrier Cimber Air. Forword C. Wiser joins Pan Am on January 1 as president and chief operating officer. Previously president of TWA, Wiser has served with Northeast and American as well as holding positions in the manufacturing industry. British Midland Airways now operates its Viscount fleet in "passenger cum freight" configuration on the Gatwick- Belfast and East Midlands-Belfast/Dublin/Amsterdam routes. Maximum cargo capacity is a guaranteed 2,000kg and a reservation system is available.
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