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Aviation History
1997
1997 - 0495.PDF
Lufthansa and SAS extend partnership to cargo flights ANDRZEJ JEZIORSKI/MUNICH LUFTHANSA CARGO and SAS Cargo have prepared a plan to extend the Lufthansa/SAS strategic partnership — which has to date concentrated on passenger operations — into die cargo field. From the end of March, the air lines' cargo sales teams will offer both companies' products and ser vices. Integration of marketing activities and co-operation in prod uct development will follow. Aircraft operations will be co ordinated, widi shared freight ca pacity aboard Lufthansa and SAS cargo aircraft. The partners plan to integrate freight handling by the end of 2000. Lufthansa Canro is also plan ning to extend co-operation with odier Lufthansa strategic partners. Since late 1996, the German com pany has been running joint cargo operations with United Airlines between Paris and San Francisco, chosen as "test markets". Lufthansa Cargo says that it is now trying to extend this into other North American and European markets. Talks on cargo co-opera tion began early in die Lufthansa/ United partnership, but have taken time to bear fruit, partly because of differences in the companies' cargo philosophies. For instance, United offers only belly-freight capacity, while Lufthansa Cargo also oper ates dedicated freighters. Lufthansa Cargo hopes, too, to expand its joint cargo operations with Singapore Airlines into Shar- jah, and to develop a Bangkok hub with Thai International. 3 Alitalia and Honeywell/Racal to run Aero-I satcoms trial KlERAN DALY/LONDON ALITALIA IS TO RUN a sin gle-aircraft trial of new-gen eration satellite-communication (satcom) avionics intended to reduce call charges drastically. The Italian flag carrier has agreed with the Honeywell/Racal Avionics satcom team to put the Aero-I equipment on a McDonnell Douglas MD-80 once the newrser vice is implemented by Inmarsat— due later this year. It will be used primarily for passenger telephony. Alitalia is following Swissair and Meridiana to become the third European carrier to opt for satcom telephone systems in its narrow- body aircraft rather than using the terrestrial flight-telecommunica tions system (TFTS). The Aero-I service makes use of the spot-beam capability of the new Inmarsat-3 satellite constella tion to cut die capital costs of sat com avionics and to permit call charges which are expected to rival TFFSfees. Alitalia head of telecommunica tions infrastructure Bernardo Nicoletti says that, depending on the outcome of the trial, Alitalia will either implement the Aero-I throughout the narrowbody fleet, or use the existing, more expensive, Aero-H service. He is looking to equip up to 90 MD-80s and at least 40 Airbus narrowbodies in service or on order. Both he and Honeywell/Racal decline to confirm diat the Anglo- US team is the vendor, but those companies provided the satcoms for Alitalia's long-haul fleet and a source involved in the negotiations confirms that no switch of supplier is planned. J Eureka takes RNZAF Andovers FOUR EX-ROYAL NEW ZEALAND Air Force Hawker Siddeley Andover C.ls have been acquired by Eureka Aviation, a Zaireian-registered company. The airline acquired the aircraft and spares package for NZ$300,000 (S210,000). The Andovers, which had been in storage for a year, will be operated on passen ger and cargo contracts in central Africa. Air New Zealand in regional revamp AS A PART of a major cost-cut ting exercise dubbed "Project Save", Air New Zealand is believed to be considering consolidating its two wholly owned regional sub sidiaries and transferring some of their central management func tions to the parent company. Attention is focusing on "Air NZ Link"-branded subsidiaries Air Nelson and Eagle Airways, which compete with each other on some routes. Air Nelson has a fleet of Saab 340s, and both also operate Fairchild Metros. Air New- Zealand's other regional sub sidiary, Mount Cook Airline, in which it holds a 50% stake, seems likely to be left on its own. • NEWS IN BRIEF M NOMAN TAKE-OVER Air One has received approval from the Italian transport ministry to take over the routes and aircraft of defunct Italian airline Noman (Flight International, 22-28 January). The agree ment will not involve the out right purchase ofNoman, but rather the acquisition, the airline's scheduled arm. Air One will also lease the air line's two McDonnell Doug las DC-9-15s, its engineering division based at Rome- Ciampino Airport, and will take on the carrier's 76 employees. • ALI EXPRESS CREATED Ali Express has been formed by Alitalia to operate the AI(R) ATR 42s and 72s previ ously operated by Avianova. The turboprops are now being flown by low-cost divi sion Alitalia Team, which also operates ex-Avianova Fokker 70s as well as the parent com pany's Airbus A321s and Boeing 767s. The move is seen as a way to avoid the issue of introducing a single wage structure to the low- cost subsidiary. • FLS MAINTAINS BA FLS Aerospace has conclud ed an agreement with British Airways which will mean that the UK maintenance special ist will provide the airline with engineering services up to October 2000. The com pany will also re-open its Gatwick hangar, which will be available exclusively for BA Engineering. • TWA NAMES CHIEF Trans World Airlines (TWA) has named Gerald Gitner its chairman and chief execu tive, ending a four-month search for a replacement for Jeffrey Erickson. Gitner joined TWA's board in 1993 and has served as vice-chair man and acting chief execu tive since October. FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 26 February - 4 March 1997 21
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