All aerospace news – Page 1858
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IATA approves millennium bug plan
Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC The International Air Transport Association (IATA), which estimates that the so-called "millennium bug" will cost the airline industry $1.6 billion, has won approval from airlines for a plan to ensure that airlines, airports, air traffic control providers and manufacturers work together to minimise the effect of ...
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GPA plans to shed GE Capital
Kevin O'Toole/LONDON GPA could re-emerge from the shadow of GE Capital, with plans to buy out of the agreements signed five years ago when the US finance giant stepped in to rescue the Irish leasing company from near collapse. A memorandum of understanding has been agreed between the ...
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Surprise share plan changes UK's air traffic control chart
David Learmount/LONDON Privatisation of the UK air traffic control (ATC) system has been put back on the political agenda, with the year-old Labour Government mooting the sale of 51% of the Civil Aviation Authority's National Air Traffic Services (NATS). ATC privatisation has been a running issue within UK ...
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Carriers push Airbus on LCDs
Paul Lewis/SINGAPOREAirbus Industrie is being pressed by major international carriers to offer a choice of new liquid crystal display (LCD) systems in the cockpits of future aircraft, as the consortium narrows the final selection of vendors to Rockwell Collins and Sextant Avionique. The European consortium plans to fit its A320/A330/A340 ...
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Star Alliance members join forces for spare parts pact
Air Canada, Lufthansa and United Airlines, three founder members of the Star Alliance, have joined forces to buy and sell aircraft materials in the secondary spare parts market. The new joint venture company, AirLiance Materials, is expected to start operations later this year. It has appointed David Sisson as ...
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DARPA and Frontier develop long endurance UAV rotorcraft
The Pentagon's Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has teamed with Frontier Systems to flight test a revolutionary unmanned helicopter that can stay airborne for as long as 62h and achieve an unrefuelled maximum range of 8,550km (4,600nm). The newly revealed long endurance unmanned helicopter and the rival Boeing ...
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On the prowl
General Atomics flew the Prowler II unmanned air vehicle (UAV) for the first time on 4 June. Reaching an altitude of 7,500ft (2,300m), the UAV flew for over 30min at 80kt (150km/h). The improved Prowler tactical UAV has an endurance of up to 20h. Plans call for the Prowler II, ...
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Canada may replace Germany for NATO project
Technical problems that have dogged development of the Daimler-Benz Aerospace (Dasa) Seamos vertical take-off and landing unmanned air vehicle (VTOL UAV) could force Project Group 35 of the NATO Naval Armaments Group to drop Germany from the Maritime UAV International Technology Demonstrator Programme (ITDP). Other nations involved include the ...
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IAI wraps up US Shavit deal
Tim Furniss/LONDON Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) has formalised an agreement with Coleman Research in the USA to develop a commercial version of the Shavit launcher. The new booster, called the LK-1, will operate from Spaceport Florida's Cape Canaveral site or from Wallops Island, Virginia. The LK-1 will ...
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PAL fights for survival as pilots are sacked and flights slashed
Paul Lewis/SINGAPORE Philippine Airlines (PAL) is drawing up survival plans for a massive shrinkage of its international and domestic operations, after sacking 600 pilots involved in a week-long strike that has brought the national carrier close to financial ruin. Pilots were protesting over plans to force redundancies among older ...
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717 faces new problems before planned September flight
Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES Boeing revealed several last minute aircraft and engine modifications to the 717-200 regional aircraft on the eve of its planned roll-out on 10 June. Despite the problems, the company still hopes to achieve a first flight for the aircraft in early September, according to programme manager ...
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Costa Rican start-up chooses A300 freighter
Costa Rican start-up carrier JHM Cargo Airlines has leased seven Airbus A300B4 freighters from C-S Aviation Services (CSAS) for all-cargo operations to begin by the end of June. The carrier plans to start with twice-daily services between San Jose and Miami, Florida, says general manager Capt Roberto Escalante. The ...
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MetroJet takes on Southwest
Ramon Lopez/BALTIMORE US Airways launched its low-cost MetroJet operation at Baltimore/Washington International Airport on 1 June, leaving industry analysts waiting to see whether Southwest Airlines drops its already low ticket price to protect its market share. MetroJet's initial fares match those of Southwest, but that could change if ...
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GE inspects CF6-80E1s after A330-200 oil leak problem
General Electric has asked airlines to inspect all CF6-80E1 engines after Canada 3000's first Airbus A330-200 was forced to make a precautionary diversion on its inaugural flight. The diversion followed the discovery of an oil leak in the number four bearing area. GE says the aircrew, who were flying from ...
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Transaero begins fleet upgrade
Paul Duffy/MOSCOW Transaero has begun its fleet upgrade programme with the recent delivery of the Russian airline's first Boeing 767-300ER and 737-700 on lease. The 767, leased from International Lease Finance, has entered service on the private airline's Moscow-Tel Aviv service, and will be used on shorter routes ...
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Workshop
AAR Aircraft Component Services, based in Amsterdam, has been awarded a five-year contract extension by Binter Canarias, Iberia's regional operator, for the repair of components for its nine ATR 72s. FLS Aerospace has secured a deal with Indian Airlines to conduct a C check on an A320. A further six ...
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BAe Regional revamps support
Kevin O'Toole/LONDON Mike O'Callaghan, brought in to head British Aerospace Regional Aircraft earlier this year, is looking at a major expansion of the unit's customer service and technical operations. BAe Regional has sales of around £460 million ($766 million), but around 80% comes from the Avro RJ regional ...
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Hydraulic loss spoils Global Hawk UAV test
Teledyne Ryan Aeronautical (TRA) is investigating a hydraulic failure which marred the otherwise successful third flight of the Global Hawk unmanned air vehicle (UAV). The aircraft lost hydraulic pressure on approach to the runway at Edwards AFB, California, after the 5h 22min flight on 30 May. The landing gear ...
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Four plan to bid for Japan's T-3 contract
At least four Japanese companies are expected to put in bids by mid-June for a replacement of the Japan Air Self-Defence Force's (JASDF) Fuji T-3 primary trainers. The 50 T-3s in operation are to be phased out over five years, beginning in 2000. Fuji Heavy Industries is proposing a ...
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Multi-role machine
Peter Gray/SINGAPORE Eurocopter has brought two completely new turbine helicopters to the market in the past two years: the light single-engined EC120 and the light twin-engined EC135. Before putting pen to drawing board to design a new light twin, Eurocopter asked operators what they wanted. Later, during development, ...