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Aviation History
1996
1996 - 0859.PDF
Mm TRANSPORT United awaits permission for DC-10 freighter flights between the USA and Asia United plans to launch all-cargo service to Asia GRAHAM WARWICK/ATLANTA UNITED AIRLINES plans to launch an all-cargo ser vice between the USA and Asia, using four McDonnell Douglas DC-10-30 freighters. Approval is being sought for six flights a week in both directions between Tokyo, Osaka, Taipei and Manila and New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and San Fanscisco. Services are scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter. United expects a quick approval as rights to operate the services were acquired from Pan American World Airways in 1986, but never used. The airline now carries cargo between the USA and Asia in the belly holds of passenger aircraft, but says it is turning away business in both directions. The DC-10 freighters will either be leased or converted from passenger aircraft now in service with United. The airline already operates four passenger DC-10-30s which were convert ed from freighters. United's Worldwide Cargo division says that it has no plans presently to expand its all-cargo service beyond Asia. Northwest Airlines is the only other US carrier to operate both passenger and cargo aircraft, fly ing eight Boeing 747 freighters between the USA and Asia. Japan Airlines and Nippon Cargo Airlines also operate all-freight services across the Pacific, as do FedEx and UPS. United's move comes as the USA and Japan have agreed a new cargo bilateral which will allow additional flights by both US and Japanese carriers. UPS, which has announced plans for a $400 million hub in Taipei, will get 12 additional weekly flights to Asia via Kansai. United World Cargo.vice-pres- ident James Hartigan says the DC-10s will add only about 3% more capacity to a market that is growing faster than 7% a year. J El Aland American agree codeshare EL AL AND American Airlines have agreed a codeshare on several of the Israeli airline's ser vices to the USA. A letter of intent was signed in early April and the aim is to have the agreement work ing by 1 November. Three weekly Tel Aviv-Newark flights and two weekly Chicago ser vices will be codeshared. Dov Koniak, El Al's commercial vice-president, says that the origi nal plan was also to operate code- shared flights to New York Kennedy, but a gate shortage pre vented implementation. The Israeli flag carrier had also held talks with Continental Airlines. • Reno adds to MD-90s NEVADA-BASED Reno Air plans to add a third Mc Donnell Douglas MD-90 to its fleet in 1997, having inaugurated services with its first two MD-90s on 4 April. Final negotiations over the third twinjet were under way on 2 April as Reno introduced its "Orange County Flyer" service to John Wayne Airport, California. The airline doubled its daily services from Orange County to 14 as a result of its MD-90 acquisition which enabled it to grab additional slots at the noise-sensitive airport. Reno, which started in 1992 with one MD-80 and 150 staff, now operates 24 MD-80s and two MD- 90s and has 1,600 employees. Q IAE strives to cut 20% from V2500 operating costs INTERNATIONAL AERO X Engines (IAE) is working to cut the operating cost of its V2SO0 powerplant by more than 20%, as part of the company's short-term development plans The move is primarily in response to growing pressure from US carriers to drive down costs, says IAE president Barry Ecclestone. He reveals that a pro gramme was initiated in 1995 and that it was hoped to achieve at least a 20% cost reduction within the next 12 -18 months. Measures have included trying to increase the time on-wing of individual engine components, repairing rather than replacing parts, and also extending their ser vice lives. Attention has been focused mainly on parts in the the V2500's hot section, such as the combus tion chamber, high-pressure and low-pressure turbines. The life- extension programme has not entailed any changes to the engine's bill of material. A total of 214 V2500-powered Airbus A320/32 Is and McDonnell Douglas (MDC) MD-90-30s has been delivered since the engine's entry into service in mid-1989. A V2500A1 fitted to an Air 2000 A3 20 has achieved the highest on- wing time of 16,300h to date. In the longer-term, IAE is con tinuing to look at further develop ing the V2500 series beyond the existing 105-150kN (23,500- 33,0001b)-thrust range for new aircraft applications, according to Ecclestone. Development of a 150-156kN growth derivative is being consid ered for a future 200-seat passen ger aircraft aimed at beating the Boeing 757. Suitable new air frames would include an MDC proposed MD-XX, a possible fur ther A3 21 stretch or A310 shrink. Ecclestone adds that the com pany is continuing to look at offer ing a V2500 growth engine to allow it compete against the -CFM56 on a 275-285t higher- gross weight version of the Airbus A340, providing that there is "a sound business case for it." He rules out developing an engine for any airframe that goes beyond a 300t maximum take-off weight, such as the proposed A340-400. That aircraft would need an engine rated at more than 178kN and a larger 1.8-1.9m- wide fan. J FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 10 - 16 April 1996 11
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