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Aviation History
1999
1999 - 1536.PDF
Mm TRANSPORT MARKETPLACE ++ Airbus Industrie received its first firm contract for the new 107- seat A318 in April, when an undis closed customer placed orders for 57 A320 family aircraft, including 30A318S, 14 A319s, three A320s and 10 A321s. ++ COPA Airlines of Panama has taken delivery of the first of 12 Boeing 737-700s it has on order, or will lease. The first air craft, leased from Tombo Aviation Services, features the carrier's new colours, introduced after Continental Airlines took a 49% stake in the carrier. COPA holds firm orders for eight 737-700s, and three more will be leased - one from Tombo and two from GECAS. ++ Brussels International Airlines has taken an ex-Onur Air Airbus A321-100 on five-year lease from International Lease Finance. The International Aero Engines V2500-powered aircraft will be operated by Red Air on Medi terranean charterflights. ++ Trans- avia has placed orders forfour new Boeing 737-800s, two of which will be delivered next year, with the othertwo due in 2002. The deal will boost the airline's 737-800 fleet to 12, and the four additional -800s will replace Transavia's four oldest Boeing 737-300s. ++ Northwest Airlines' cargo division has ac quired a ninth Boeing 747-200 freighter, which will be put into ser vice on transpacific routes in September. ++ Great Western Aviation has acquired an ex- WestAir Commuter Embraer EMB- 120RT Brasilia from Dana Commercial Credit in a deal arranged by Northstar Aviation Services. ++ CIT Group has taken delivery of a new Airbus A320 from Airbus and placed it on lease with China Northwest Airlines. CIT has also acquired an Icelandair Boeing 737-400 from Wing Aerospace 5. ++ Orders for five more Embraer RJ-145S, along with five options, have boosted the British Regional Airlines (BRAL) deal forthe 49-seaterto 25 aircraft. Ten ERJ-145S are operated by BRAL and five of the 10 outstanding orders will be delivered over the next nine months, with the last five due by 2002. China Airlines awaits approval to wrap up 747400F contract BRENT HANNON/TAIPEI CHINA AIRLINES (CAL) is preparing to conclude a deal with Boeing for 12 747-400 freighters, but is awaiting Tai wanese Government approval before it finalises the order. "We will replace our whole freighter fleet with the one aircraft type," says die airline, adding that fleet commonality is die reason for the purchase. Taiwan's Ministry of Transportation and Communi cations must clear the purchase before the contract can be signed. CAL's passenger fleet includes 12 Pratt & Whitney PW4000- powered 747-400s, while its cargo services are operated by 10 Boeing 747-200 freighters, six on leases. The 747 Classics will be phased out as the new -400 freighters arrive. CAL president Sandy Liu has pursued an aggressive fleet ratio nalisation programme since becoming acting president in November. He became president officially in April. Six Airbus A300B4-200s and two 747SPs have been retired so far. The expansion of the freighter fleet follows rival EVA Air's deal in May for three 747-400Fs (Flight International, 12-18 May). EVA ordered the 747s rather than con vert its last three passenger MD-11 s to freighters. CAL's strong first quarter was the catalyst for the freighter order. In the first three months of this year, it enjoyed a cargo load factor of 8 3. S %, while its passenger load factor was 71.3%. CAL predicts 1999 revenue of $1.89 billion and pre-tax profits of $52 million. The airline made a pre-tax loss of $89 million last year. CAL's operating income rose by 17 % in the first quarter, compared with the same period last year, while pre-tax profit was $24 mil lion. Low fuel prices and interest rates, a gradual recovery in Asian economies, and an increase in pas senger yields and cargo tariffs are cited as the reasons for recovery. • US authorities diverge on safety priorities THE US NATIONAL Trans portation Safety Board (NTSB) has published a list of safe ty policy priorities which differs dramatically from one which was recently released by the US Federal Aviation Administration. The NTSB's "most wanted list" also includes priority recommen dations for other transport modes, but the aviation demands include: • better flight data recorders; • use of "the latest human fatigue research" to create "new, meaning ful time and duty-hour regulations and educational materials"; • prevention of runway incursion accidents (also listed by the FAA); • revision of icing regulations, based on recent research into icing weather conditions. Development of onboard systems to detect and protect against freezing drizzle; • drawing up design and opera tional modifications to reduce the potential for explosive fuel/air mix tures in fuel tanks. The FAA's target list includes terrain avoidance warning systems, a more rigorous compulsory tur bine engine inspection regime, runway incursion accidents, ap proach and landing accidents and weather-related accidents (Flight International, 22-28 April, 1998). The FAA and NTSB say the dif ferences arise because the FAA has a strategic remit, while the NTSB's task is more tactical in nature. • Western Express expands Fokker F27 freighter fleet WESTERN EXPRESS AIRLINES (West-Ex) has boosted its Fokker F2 7 freighter fleet with the acquisition of a Mk400 from Farnair Europe. The aircraft joins two F27s and a Fairchild Metro. It will enable the Vancouver- based Canadian cargo carrier to expand the route network it operates for Canadian express packages specialist Purolator Courier. 12 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 2 - 8 June 1999
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