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Aviation History
1981
1981 - 0057.PDF
FLIGHT International, 10 January 1981 51 Boeing adds Avianca and Alaska International to 767 orderbook BOEING has announced orders for five more twin-aisle 767 airliners and options on another six from Colombian flag carrier Avianca and US airline Alaska International Air. Value of the firm orders is put at $200 million, including spares. The sales take the 767 customer list to 15 and the order total to 166, plus 135 options. Avianca has ordered three 767s, two to be delivered in September 1983 and one the following November, and holds options on another four, for delivery in mid-1984. The aircraft, fitted with 222 seats, will be used on regional South American routes and on services to the USA. The Colom bian carrier has yet to announce a choice of engine. Alaska International has ordered two 767s, which it will receive in December 1983, and has taken options on two more, for delivery a year later. Lawrence leaves Braniff BRANIFF INTERNATIONAL chair man and chief executive Harding Lawrence has resigned. Lawrence, 60, gives no reason for ending his 15- year association with Braniff, beyond stating that he has "been in the avia tion business for a long time" and that he feels it is "time for a change." He plans to spend more time with his family and adds that he is available to serve Braniff "if needed." A suc cessor has not been appointed as we go to press but the name of John Casey, Braniff vice-chairman and group vice president, has been men tioned. Braniff denies that Lawrence's resignation is connected with merger talks with Eastern Air Lines, although there is a hint that his departure was prompted by Braniff's bank, which is also believed to have instigated mer ger discussions. Lawrence has been closely associated with Braniff's aggressive routerexpansion policy in 1977 and 1978. This was undermined by recession and heavy fuel-price in creases, leading to an $82 million loss in 1979 and a loss of nearly $52 mil lion in the first nine months of 1980. • The US Justice Department is against the renewed merger attempt between trunk carriers Continental Airlines and Western Airlines. The last merger attempt (which petered out in 1979 when the US Civil Aero nautics Board indicated that it would turn down the merger application) was also opposed by the department which has filed comments with a CAB law judge suggesting that the merger would have an anti-competitive effect on airline markets served through Denver and Salt Lake City. In all, 128 routes are cited as being likely to suffer reduced competition. A UNC Resources bid for Western Airlines has complicated the issue. Pratt & Whitney's JT9D-7R4D has been chosen to power Alaska Inter national's aircraft. The US carrier is currently a specialist all-cargo Her cules operator, with considerable in volvement in oil support operations in North Alaska. The new 767s are apparently all-passenger aircraft and will be used on services from Alaskan points to Seattle and San Francisco. • Israeli flag carrier El Al is reported to have ordered four Boeing 767s for delivery in 1983 and 1984. The re ports, emanating from Tel Aviv, have yet to be confirmed by Boeing but it is known that the final obstacle to an El Al 767 order has been removed with the signing of a two-year labour agreement. The new employment con tract covers additional redundancies and lower wage increases to help pull the airjine out of heavy financial losses. • Aerovias del Cesar Caravelle HK- 1810 exploded and crashed seven minutes after taking-off from Rio- hacha, Colombia, on December 21; all 70 people on board died. The aircraft captain reported some mechanical problems shortly after take off, but eyewitness reports state that the air craft exploded while airborne. Colom bian authorities say that an explosion in the aeroplane's rear lavatory caused it to crash, but as the Caravelle was carrying fireworks it has not been determined whether the ignition of these may have played a part. Airline sources report that they had received an anonymous telephone call moments after the crash, saying a bomb had been placed on board. The Colombian Government grounded all four Cara- velles operating in the country. Aero spatiale officials have been called in to help with the inquiry. The wreckage of the aircraft is spread over a large' area of rocky ground. Israel shoots down two Syrian MiGs ISRAELI combat aircraft returning from a bombing raid against southern Lebanon shot down two Syrian MiG- 21s on December 31. The Soviet-built fighters intercepted the Israeli aircraft (type unknown) as they returned from bombing Palestinian guerrilla positions near Tyre and Nabatiyet Ett Tahta. The MiGs were destroyed in Lebanese airspace, about five miles west of the northern Israeli town of Metulla. No parachutes were observed. The interception was the first Israeli-Syrian air clash since August 25 last year when a MiG-21 was shot down over southern Lebanon. On June 27, 1979, in the first such dogfight, five Syrian MiGs were intercepted. On these past occasions, the Israelis have used F-15s and Kfirs to provide top cover for F-4 fighter-bombers. E-2C Hawkeye airborne early warning aircraft, capable of detecting aircraft taking off from Syrian bases, vec tored fighters on to the interceptors. • The pilot and the only passenger died when BN-2A Mark III Trislander VH-EGU crashed during bad weather near Tumit, New South Wales, on December 16. An Australian Transport Ministry spokesman says the pilot was unable to obtain radar assistance to clear high ground in the Snowy Moun tain area, but does not say this lack of help caused the crash. The aircraft was flying from Sydney to Melbourne. D There were no injuries when an Aerolineas Territoriales de Colombia Boeing 707 HK-2410X crashed on landing at El Dorado Airport on December 20. The aircraft burned out. • Two Malaysian Air Charter Shorts Sky vans (9M-AXN and 9M-AQG) col lided while taxiing at Penang on December 18. • British Caledonian Airways BAG One-Eleven G-ASJI swung off the run way on landing at Amsterdam on December 16, and stopped in a ploughed field; there were no serious injuries. The nets around the first new series Transall CI 60 (airframe no 201), seen in this rollout picture, protect personnel during pressurisation tests Accidents
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