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Aviation History
1991
1991 - 1520.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT Alisarda takes on Meridiana name Italian airline Alisarda is to align its identity with a Span ish sister operator to form "the largest private airline in south ern Europe". From 1 September, Alisarda becomes Meridiana, the same name as the Spanish group formed to take control of charter operators Lineas Aereas Canar- ias, Universair and Euravia. Sardinia-based Alisarda was founded by the Aga Khan (spiri tual leader of the Ismaili Muslim community) in 1963 to serve the Costa Smeralda. FIMPAR, the Aga Khan's financial group, owns 13% of Alisarda and IFINT (the Agnelli family company) a further 20%. Another important shareholder is Cariplo, Italy's third-largest bank. Alisarda and FIMPAR also have a 25% stake in the Spanish operation, which flies McDonnell Douglas MD-83s and Boeing 737s. Today, Alisarda has an all-jet fleet linking Rome, Milan, Turin, Nice, Bologna, Palermo, Cagliari, Catania, Verona, Olbia and Pisa. International services extend to Paris, Geneva, Zurich, Frankfurt and Munich. The air line expects to carry over 2 million passengers this year in a fleet comprising five McDonnell Douglas DC-9-51s and six MD-82s. In 1986, Alisarda and Alitalia subsidiary ATI each took a 50% share in Avionova, a new regional airline. Alisarda now plans to set up a Florence hub to serve many of its current international destina tions as well as London Gatwick. From September, Spain's Meridi ana is authorised to operate scheduled services to European destinations. The two companies have or dered BAe 146s. Having ordered four new 146-200 aircraft for delivery in 1993, with options taken on a further four, Alisarda has started 146 operations with three interim lease aircraft. Some of the options may be converted to Series 300s. The Spanish air line ordered four 146s and took options on ten in April. • Pakistan's cabinet has ap proved the founding of a private airline by the Aga Khan Fund for Economic Development. D European airlines still struggling with Gulf War downturn effects European airline passenger traffic is failing to recover from Gulf war effects as the carriers had predicted, according to May traffic reports from Asso ciation of European Airlines (AEA) member carriers. Results show that European traffic, week by week during May, was down respectively 8%, 8%, 6% and 7% compared with the same weeks in 1990 — virtually no change from April, when traffic was about 7.5% down. "The market has settled into a rut," says the AEA: "The recov ery we had hoped for is not happening. The two lines are coming together, but much more slowly than forecast." The AEA had expected European traffic to recover to 1990 levels by May or June. AEA member British Airways now forecasts recovery by September, but re ports that its high-yield traffic has reduced more than low- yield. An International Air Trans port Association survey of busi ness travellers during March and April showed that 34% of Euro peans and 32% of Americans reduced international travel dur ing the Gulf crisis. The main k factors in their decisions were company travel policy, the reces sion and a reduced company^ travel budget. Meanwhile, the European Re gional Airlines Association re- r ports that its 1990 passenger traffic showed an 18% increase on 1989 and that its member airlines' average aircraft has in creased in size from a 32-seater to 38 seats. Load factors remained stable because seats offered increased by 18%. • Euroworld rises from Air Europe ashes Former Air Europe Express staff have been granted a route licence by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) to op erate a service between London- Gatwick and Guernsey. On 24 May, the ex-Air Europe Express Shorts 360 G-BMHX which was impounded at Guern sey following the collapse of Air Europe, was rolled out in the colours of new airline Eu roworld. The carrier had been awarded an Air Operations Cer tificate by the CAA in May. It has been formed by former Air Europe Express and Connec- tair (acquired by Air Europe in 1988) staff with Robert Wright as chairman, Brad Burgess man aging director, Chris Simpson financial director and Jim Bond operations director. The day after the roll-out, Like a phoenix, Euroworld is born out of defunct Air Europe Express Euroworld was awarded a route licence to operate alongside Jer sey European Airways, which had been serving the route since Air Europe's collapse in March. Euroworld plans to start serv ices in July and has also applied for licences to operate other former Air Europe Express routes, including Antwerp. The new airline has also announced its intention to introduce an ATR-42 to its fleet in April 1992. Three other Shorts 360s are due to join G-BMHY as services build up. • EDINBURGH RADAR The UK Civil Aviation Au thority has selected a Thom- son-CSF ground-movement radar for Edinburgh Airport in Scotland. London Heathrow already has an op erational Thomson-CSF sys tem and Stansted is scheduled to receive the radar. The French system beat Racal's ground-movement-radar rival. NEWS IN BRIEF 747 REPLACEMENT Boeing has reportedly been asked to consider building a new 650-passenger aircraft by United Airlines. The carrier says it would like to intro duce the long-range four engi- ned aircraft in 1997, Airbus is considering a similar project. MD-80 FOR LOT LOT Polish Airlines is to pur chase nine MD-80 twin jets from McDonnell Douglas in a deal worth $350 million. A letter of intent has been signed by the two parties for the delivery of six MD-83s and three MD-87s. The first aircraft are scheduled to be delivered early next year and the rest by the end of 1993. 24 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 12 - 18 June, 1991
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