All aerospace news – Page 1804
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757s face axe as BA tackles falling yields
Chris Jasper/LONDON Andrew Doyle/MUNICH British Airways plans to replace Boeing 757s operating from its London Heathrow hub with smaller Boeing 737s and possibly Airbus A320s as part of a strategy to tackle its crisis of falling yields on short-haul routes. The move represents a U-turn in BA's strategy at ...
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IAI signs with Boeing for work on MD-11 freighter conversions
Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) has concluded an arrangement with Boeing which will see it become a freighter conversion and upgrade specialist on the Boeing MD-11 tri-jet. The deal between Boeing and the Tel Aviv-based Bedek division of IAI includes a subcontract to carry out 40 MD-11 freighter conversions, at ...
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New Greek ATC system faces summer challenge
The recently rebuilt and much delayed Greek air traffic control (ATC) centre is facing a major challenge this summer, as controllers adjust to new digital equipment, while coping with the demands of restructured airspace during the Kosovo crisis. The Greek Government has been slow to provide enough personnel to ...
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Workshop
Pegasus Aviation has ordered 23 additional FedEx Aviation Services (FEASI)Boeing 727 Stage 3 hushkits, bringing its total order to 44 kits. United Airlines recently exercised options for 16 kits, bringing its orders to 75. Santa Barbara Aerospace (SBA) is to re-engine all four of its Boeing 727-200Adv freighters to BFGoodrich's ...
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ANZ may block Ansett plan
Chris Jasper/AUCKLANDAir New Zealand (ANZ) has indicated that it is giving serious consideration to a possible move to block Singapore Airline's (SIA) plan to take a 50% stake in Ansett Australia. The company has rejected suggestions that it has insufficient funds to mount the operation. Ansett is jointly owned by ...
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Hurel-Dubois records strongest performance
French thrust reverser and nacelle manufacturer Hurel-Dubois has posted its strongest performance since the company was formed in 1947. A 34% increase in sales, to Fr1.34 billion ($.21 billion) and a 61% jump in net profits, to Fr 52.6 million ($8.4million), came after a restructuring effort in 1998. ...
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Interactive makes connection in latest IFE industry shake-up
In-flight entertainment (IFE) system supplier Interactive Flight Technologies (IFT) is aiming to complete its purchase of fellow IFE hardware manufacturer, the Network Connection (TNCi) on 15 May. The move is the latest stage in the shake-up of the IFE hardware supplier industry, which has seen the departure of some players ...
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Thai prepares for sale of stake
Chris Jasper/SYDNEY The sale of a stake in Thai Airways International to an airline investor is to take place next April, with a holding of around 15% to be sold off, the carrier's president, Thamnoon Wanglee, has revealed. Thai's planned privatisation has suffered a series of delays and the April ...
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F-22 concerns US Congress
Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC US Congressional concern over progress with development of software for the Lockheed Martin/Boeing F-22 prompted Boeing to bring its flying testbed (FTB) to Washington DC in late April. Programme officials say the757-based FTB is a key "risk reducer" in development of the sensor-fused, integrated avionics for the ...
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NASA flies 'intelligent' flight control system at Dryden
NASA is refining an on-line, self learning "intelligent" flight control system (IFCS), following flight tests of a preliminary version at Dryden Flight Research Center, Edwards AFB, California, on the agency's Boeing F-15 Eagle testbed. The smart software is being developed to enable pilots to land safely damaged aircraft that would ...
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USN eyes role change for CH-60S utility helicopter
Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC Sikorsky is designing an airborne mine countermeasures (AMCM) version of the US Navy's new CH-60S utility helicopter and has begun modifying a prototype machine to conduct aerial towing demonstrations. The Navy's prototype YCH-60 helicopter is being fitted with a swivel-tow coupling, mounted to the aft underside ...
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Putting the family to work
Andrew Doyle/MUNICH Max Kingsley-Jones/STOCKHOLM Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC Guy Norris/LOS ANGELESWhen Boeing began to study a replacement for its successful 737-300/400/500 "Classic" family of narrowbody twinjets in the early 1990s, it faced difficult decisions. Airbus Industrie was on the scene with its technologically advanced fly-by-wire A320 family, but many of Boeing's ...
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UK police forces line up for Eurocopter EC135
McAlpine Helicopters has delivered a Eurocopter EC135 to the Chiltern air support unit (ASU), which combines the Thames Valley, Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire police forces. This marks the fourth delivery of the twin-engined helicopter by McAlpine to UK police in the last six months. The Oxford Airport-based Eurocopter distributor and completion ...
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Cirrus SR20 stays on course for delivery
Cirrus Design has flown the second production SR20 light aircraft. The first aircraft crashed during a test flight on 23 March, killing the pilot. Duluth, Minnesota-based Cirrus plans tests to confirm that the production SR20 matches the certification prototypes. The aircraft will also be used as a maintenance testbed. ...
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Honeywell puts Primus Epic on the Horizon
Honeywell has integrated the first third-party module into its Primus Epic avionics system for the Raytheon Hawker Horizon business jet. The Epic system will be responsible for utilities control, requiring Honeywell to integrate modules supplied by vendors into the modular avionics unit (MAU) which forms the heart of its ...
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USA takes up Sextant state support issue with EU
The USA IS to seek "consultations" with the European Union (EU) over the French Government's funding support of Sextant Avionique for development of a new flight management system (FMS) for Airbus aircraft. If the talks fail to resolve the dispute, the US Government plans to ask the World Trade ...
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Star lines up recruits as Singapore delays entry into alliance
Chris Jasper/SYDNEYAir China, Mexicana, British Midland and Emirates are all being lined up for possible membership of the Star Alliance, while Singapore Airlines (SIA) has delayed signing up to the global grouping until at least October. Thai Airways International president Thamnoon Wanglee, speaking exclusively to Flight International, detailed Star's recruitment ...
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US Eximbank moves to repossess PAL 747s
Andrzej Jeziorski/SINGAPORE The US Eximbank, a major creditor of Philippine Airlines (PAL), has initiated moves to repossess the airline's four Boeing 747-400s on which it holds liens. The move puts PAL in danger of collapse unless the government backs down on its earlier promises of non-intervention and bails ...
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Hyper-X test on track for July
Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES The first hypersonic X-43A test vehicle, designed to demonstrate the use of an airframe-integrated scramjet (supersonic ramjet), is expected to be delivered to NASA in July. The 3.6m (11ft)-long X-43A forms the core of NASA's Hyper-X programme. This is aimed at proving the use of air-breathing ...
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Internet at work
Internet ordering has spread to aircraft parts Paul Seidenman/SAN FRANCISCOIf current industry trends hold, the Internet will become a major factor in aircraft parts sales and inventory management. That is the consensus of parts suppliers and re-sellers, many of which have web sites on line or in the planning stage. ...