All air transport news – Page 2319

  • News

    SEC clears PAL to resume 737 payments

    1999-03-10T00:00:00Z

    Andrzej Jeziorski/SINGAPORE The Philippine Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has approved the resumption of payments by debt-ridden Philippine Airlines (PAL) on four leased Boeing 737-300s. Monthly payments of $220,000 for each aircraft will restart to Airplanes Finance, GE Capital Aviation Services and the GPA Group. The go-ahead staves off ...

  • News

    Routes

    1999-03-10T00:00:00Z

    · Air Jamaica is launching nonstop services between Montego Bay and London on 1 June, using an Airbus A340-300 which is due for delivery soon. · Samara Airport, Samara Airlines and Uzbekistan Khavo Yillury, the Uzbek flag carrier, have signed an agreement to market alternative air routes ...

  • News

    Bombardier and Embraer subsidies 'were illegal'

    1999-03-10T00:00:00Z

    The World Trade Organisation (WTO) is poised to rule that rival regional aircraft manufacturers Bombardier of Canada and Embraer of Brazil both benefited from illegal subsidy payments, according to Canadian newspaper reports. If the ruling is confirmed, it could ultimately benefit Bombardier, since it received smaller subsidies and would ...

  • News

    News in Brief

    1999-03-10T00:00:00Z

    Air Afrique plan The principal owners of Ivory Coast-based Air Afrique - 11 national governments, plus Air France - have agreed a partial privatisation plan for the carrier. A successor to former chairman Sir Harry Tirvengadum awaits appointment. The plan would see state involvement in Air Afrique cut from ...

  • News

    Alleged rule bending stymies BA plans to start Italian airline

    1999-03-10T00:00:00Z

    Chris Jasper/LONDON Paul Phelan/CAIRNS Secret British Airways plans to establish a franchised airline in Italy have been hit by allegations that Australian regional carrier National Jet Systems (NJS), which had aimed to launch the service, has been trying to circumvent European regulations to gain an air operators certificate ...

  • News

    Technology transfer hits Boeing AEW bid

    1999-03-10T00:00:00Z

    Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC Peter La Franchi/CANBERRA Boeing has been unable to give the required guarantee of technology releasability in its bid to supply Australia with airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft. Boeing and Northrop Grumman, supplier of the MESA phased-array radar to be carried by the 737-based ...

  • News

    Lockheed Martin sees red hot future for laser manufacturing

    1999-03-10T00:00:00Z

    Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC Lockheed Martin has begun making prototype parts using a laser direct manufacturing process that it believes could eventually be used to produce complete wing and fuselage structures as single pieces. Under Project Lightspeed, the company has set up a research facility on the factory floor at ...

  • News

    News in Brief

    1999-03-10T00:00:00Z

    Special operations Honeywell has won a $3.2 million US Army contract for 55 shipsets of Primus 700 colour weather radars to equip Boeing MH-47 and Sikorsky MH-60 special operations helicopters. Power generation AlliedSignal is to supply the power generation and distribution system for Bell/ Agusta ...

  • News

    Python 4 upgrade team formed

    1999-03-10T00:00:00Z

    Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC Lockheed Martin and Rafael have formally joined forces to modernise the Israeli-developed Python 4 air-to-air missile. But workshare issues will not be finalised until the US and Israeli governments work out export control and other technical issues, according to Lockheed Martin's David Lundquist. In September, ...

  • News

    On the offensive

    1999-03-10T00:00:00Z

    Guy Norris/LONG BEACH Boeing's campaign to secure the future of the 717 is going into overdrive Boeing's efforts to establish the 717-200 in the marketplace were boosted on 24 February with the first flight of the premier production example, P-1, at its Long Beach division in California. Even ...

  • News

    FAA settles on leasing plan for ATC update

    1999-03-03T00:00:00Z

    Paul Lewis /WASHINGTON DC The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is planning to lease new communications, navigation, surveillance/air traffic management (CNS/ATM) equipment from industry to finally modernise its oceanic control centres. "We've looked for and settled on a new solution," says Nancy Graham, FAA's oceanic and offshore acting integrator product ...

  • News

    Arab carriers move to cut London costs

    1999-03-03T00:00:00Z

    A consortium of Arab airlines expects to save about $5 million a year in handling costs at London airports because of a deal between the Arab Air Carriers Organisation (ACCO) and Air France Servisair (AFSL). The deal allows member airlines serving Heathrow and Gatwick to sign up with the ...

  • News

    BWIA signs 737-800 lease deal with ILFC, plans share offering

    1999-03-03T00:00:00Z

    Max Kingsley-Jones/London BWIA International Airways has selected Boeing's Next Generation 737 to upgrade its fleet and replace its BoeingMD-80s. The carrier has concluded a deal with International Lease Finance (ILFC) for six aircraft. The Caribbean carrier has selected the 737 over the Airbus A320, and its deal with ...

  • News

    City Bird orders 747-400Fs

    1999-03-03T00:00:00Z

    Herman De Wulf/BRUSSELS City Bird, the Belgian low-cost long-haul airline, is undertaking a major expansion of its all-cargo operations which will see it introducing two new Boeing 747-400 freighters next year. The Brussels-based airline confirms that it has placed orders with Boeing for two 747-400Fs for delivery in ...

  • News

    717 beats performance targets as production version flies

    1999-03-03T00:00:00Z

    Guy Norris/Los Angeles MaxKingsley-Jones/London Boeing has revealed that its 717 twinjet is bettering its performance targets by up to 5%, as the first production example, "P-1", made its maiden flight from Long Beach, California on 24 February. Boeing's just-released performance details of the baseline 717 reveal it is ...

  • News

    Mooney's Eagle spreads its wings

    1999-03-03T00:00:00Z

    Mooney Aircraft has delivered the first M20S Eagle, less than six months after the single-engined aircraft was unveiled. The four-seat Teledyne Continental IO-550-powered Eagle, which won US Federal Aviation Authority certification in early February, is a derivative of the popular M20R Ovation, offering the same extended-length fuselage and powerplant - ...

  • News

    Air France and Lufthansa poised for A318 launch commitments

    1999-03-03T00:00:00Z

    Max Kingsley-Jones/LONDON Airbus Industrie is aiming to launch its A318 twinjet by the end of the month, with European flag carriers Air France and Lufthansa being prime targets to boost the new 100-seater's commitments beyond the 100 mark. Subject to a commercial launch at Farnborough last September, Airbus ...

  • News

    Airbus focuses A3XX efforts on alliance groups

    1999-03-03T00:00:00Z

    Andrew Doyle/MUNICH Airbus Industrie predicts that the world's four main airline alliance groupings will absorb almost three quarters of all A3XX-sized aircraft delivered by 2020, with most going to just two - oneworld and Star Alliance. Moves by the major alliances to combine their networks and improve asset ...

  • News

    Bell to decide on major facelift for 412

    1999-03-03T00:00:00Z

    Bell expects to decide soon whether to launch an improved Model 412Plus helicopter in partnership with Agusta, while at the same time committing to a North American final assembly line for the all new Italian-led AB139 development. The Fort Worth-based company is considering a major design revamp of ...

  • News

    Manufacturers are on a high over sales prospects

    1999-03-03T00:00:00Z

    Helicopter manufacturers are projecting increased deliveries this year, based on their order backlogs. Eurocopter has benefited from a strong US market, says president Patrick Gavin. The company delivered 216 commercial helicopters last year, up from 211 in 1997, and booked orders for 272. These include 32 upgraded versions of ...