FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1997
1997 - 0295.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT Turkey discusses THY fleet-renewal order MAX KINGSLEY-JONES/LONDON TURKISH prime minister Neemettin Erbakan is dis cussing a potential order with Airbus and Boeing for up to 50 air craft worth about $4 billion, for operation by the country's national carrier THY Turkish Airlines. Bids are being discussed from Airbus and Boeing for aircraft to replace THY's fleet of 14 Airbus A310s, and 30 leased Boeing 737- 400s and -500s. The types being evaluated include die Airbus A320 family and A33O-20O, the next- generation Boeing 737 (-600/700/ 800), and 777. Airbus has con firmed tJiat it is discussing the sale of aircraft in the 737 category. THY introduced the A310 in die mid-1980s, and now operates a fleet of seven -200s and seven longer-range -300s. The airline's 737 fleet was acquired in 1991-4, with all 30 aircraft (28 -400s and two -500s) on operating lease from GPA/General Electric Capital Aviation Services and International Lease Finance. The airline's long- haul fleet is relatively young, con sisting of four Airbus A340-300s, with a fifth on order. Both Airbus's managing director Jean Pierson and Boeing Com mercial's president Ron Woodard are understood to have visited Istanbul recently for meetings with the prime minister. The negotia tions for the order include some form of trade off-set, with the pro duction of components locally bv Turkish Aerospace Industries being discussed. • Germany clears Cityline HUGS for manual Category Ilia landings ANDRZEJ JEZIORSKI/MUNICH THE GERMAN federal avia tion agency LBA has granted Lufthansa CityLine operational approval to make manual Category Ilia instrument landings with the head-up guidance system (HUGS) fitted in the carrier's Canadair Regional Jets (CRJs). CityLine is the first carrier in Germany to receive this clearance for its Flight Dynamics-built HUGS, which the airline says is a cost-effective alternative to auto matic-landing systems. The company adds that the sys tem has the added advantage of keeping the pilot in the loop and increasing situational awareness during landing. "For die first time in the history of technical advancement in avia tion, the pilot is not degraded fur ther into the position of an observer of automatic sequenced Germany has cleared the way for CityLine to land with HUGS events," according to CityLine senior CRJ training captain Raim- und Neuhold. The system presents all neces sary information for a safe landing on a holographic display focused at infinity in the pilot's line of sight, keeping the symbology as near as possible to that in the primary flight display. According to Flight Dynamics president John Desmond, the HUGS is cheaper to install than an automatic-landing system because it eliminates the need for the expensive flight-control systems which automatic landing requires. The system is also being used on CRJs by Brit'Air in France, by Lauda Air and Tyrolean Airways in Austria andseveral Boeing737,727 and de Havilland Dash 8 operators in the USA. Horizon also had the system — cleared to Cat II only—fitted to its Fairchild Dornier 328 turboprop fleet, but decided to return the air craft in 1996. Flight Dynamics now says that it is likely that Mountain Air Express will buy die HUGS for its new 328 fleet, in which case the company will continue working towards Cat Ilia certification on the aircraft. 3 Start-up AirAsia muscles into Malaysia market START-UP CARRIER AirAsia has taken advantage of a grow ing 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 lease wide- body aircraft and open up new routes to central and southern Asia and China. The carrier has just taken delivery of its second Boeing 737-300 on a five-year lease from General Electric Capital. It is now looking to take a third 737-300 as early as July and is ask ing leasing companies to provide details on the availability of a Boeing 747-200. Much of this hinges on Government approval to expand its existing limited network beyond Thailand and Taiwan. The airline has reportedly applied to fly to Cebu in the Philippines, Shanghai in China, India and Indonesia. It is also tar geting central Asian destinations and, eventually, Europe. MAS at die same time is facing growing consumer and political criticism of its on-time perfor mance and standard of service. While chairman and 32% owner Tajudin Ramli has been grappling to restructure the airline and cut costs, staff morale has been under mined by a shortage of cabin and cockpit crew. In die meantime, a second start up carrier has emerged in Malaysia in the form of TransPacific Air. The charter airline is already oper ating a 737-500 on lease from Mexico and is planning to acquire anodier-300 shortly Q NEWS IN BRIEF • BRUSSELS BAN ILLEGAL The Court of Appeal in Belgium has nullified the ruling of a lower court, made in July 1996, which prohibit ed the overflying of certain Brussels suburbs at night. • MAYAN STARTS WITH ATRs Guatemalan start-up carrier Mayan World Airlines is to begin operations in February with two used AI(R) ATR42s between Guatemala City and Flores, nearTikal. FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 12 - 18 February 1997 17
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
