All air transport news – Page 2504

  • News

    Slow domestic market makes ANA look abroad for growth

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    All Nippon Airways (ANA) has announced plans for a large-scale expansion of its international operations over the next five years, as the carrier faces the prospect of slower growth and increased competition at home. Under ANA's mid-term 1997-2001 corporate plan, international operations will be expanded from 30% to ...

  • News

    Sabena finally phases out DC-10s

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    Sabena phased out the last of its McDonnell Douglas DC-10s on 27 April, with one of two of the type leased from Lufthansa completing a service between Brussels and Chicago on 27 April. Sabena operated five of its own DC-10-30CFs from the early 1970s, but these were disposed of several ...

  • News

    Cathay's mixed fleet cuts costs of crews

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    Cathay Pacific Airways claims that mixed-fleet flying on its Airbus Industrie A330s and A340s has yielded crew-cost savings of up to 25%. The Hong Kong-based airline is a world leader in two-engine/four-engine mixed-fleet flying. Capt John Bent, Cathay's flying training manager (policy), says that, following the initial costs ...

  • News

    Two UK freight carriers prepare for widebodies

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    HeavyLift Cargo Airlines, and Hunting Cargo are working towards the introduction of widebodied freighters later this year to meet possible express-parcels carriers' requirements and their own needs. HeavyLift is finalising plans to introduce two Airbus A300B4 freighters this year, while Hunting says that it is considering the acquisition ...

  • News

    First Ilyushin Il-96T is rolled out at Voronezh

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    The first series production version of the Pratt & Whitney PW2000-powered Ilyushin Il-96, a-96T freighter, was rolled out at the VASO plant in Voronezh on 26 April. The Russian prime minister, Victor Chernomyrdin, attended the ceremony, stressing the political significance of the event. Twenty of the PW2337-powered aircraft ...

  • News

    Lufthansa 747 'Classic' digital cockpit retrofit is certificated

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    The first Boeing 747 "Classic" to be retrofitted with a digital cockpit has been certificated by the German civil aviation authority. The aircraft, an ex-United Airlines 747SPbelonging to the Brunei royal family, was modified by Lufthansa Technik in Hamburg, Germany (Flight International, 26 June-2 July, 1996). It has ...

  • News

    MEA expands Airbus fleet as 747s are sold

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    Middle East Airlines (MEA) is planning a major expansion of its Airbus Industrie fleet following the sale of its three ageing Boeing 747s. The three Boeing 747-200 Combis, delivered new to the airline in 1975, have been sold to the US freight airline American International Airways (AIA) for ...

  • News

    R-R will speed up Trent 8100

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    Rolls-Royce has reached agreement with Boeing to advance the development and certification of its planned 445kN (100,000lb)-thrust Trent 8100 growth engine by nine months, allowing the powerplant to enter service on the proposed 777-200X and -300X derivatives by 2001. The revised Trent 8100 schedule is contained in a ...

  • News

    Breath of fresh AI(R)

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    When Aero International (Regional) (AI(R)) was formed in January 1996 from the regional-aircraft businesses of Aerospatiale of France, Alenia of Italy and British Aerospace, its declared policy was to manufacture and market a family of complementary regional aircraft. That family now includes the Jetstream 41 turboprop (with 29-30 seats), the ...

  • News

    Sharing the loads

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    The utilisation by major carriers of regional airlines with low cost bases to operate low-volume, short-haul feeder services is a concept that has been established in North America since the 1980s, but has only recently caught on in Europe. British Airways was the first European carrier to conclude a franchise ...

  • News

    France's revolution

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    The announcement on 18 February by French regional airline Brit Air that it was to place the launch order for the 70-seat Series 700 version of the highly successful 50-seat Bombardier Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) served only to confirm the revolution taking place in France's regional-airline industry. In ...

  • News

    Regional jets find a home

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    LABOUR TURMOIL and strike threats spawned by the introduction of new-generation "regional jets" have diverted attention away from an evolution that is taking place in both the airline and aircraft manufacturing industries. This is the opinion of aircraft manufacturers, airline-industry pundits and air-carrier officials who say that the ...

  • News

    Historic manufacturers return

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    Two famous names from German aviation history staged a comeback at the Aero '97 show, with the presentation of new prototypes from Zeppelin and Junkers. The general-aviation show, in Friedrichshafen, Germany, from 23-27 April, featured the public debut of the Zeppelin New Technology (NT) airship, the LZ N07. ...

  • News

    FAA re-issues Teledyne crankshaft AD

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    A PROPOSED airworthiness directive (AD) requiring replacement of the crankshafts in some 10,000 Teledyne Continental 360-and 520-series piston engines has resurfaced, with the US Federal Aviation Administration citing an abnormally high failure rate. The original July 1993 notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) was strenuously opposed by the US ...

  • News

    Orenda picks engine site in Nova Scotia

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    Orenda Aerospace has selected Truro, Nova Scotia, as the site for an engine manufacturing and aircraft remanufacturing plant. The Canadian company which will produce the OE-600-series vee-8 piston engine will be known as Orenda Recip, and it will be the first private aerospace company at Debert Airport, a former Canadian ...

  • News

    Bombardier

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    Canada's Bombardier Business Aircraft has set up a new sales organisation, headed by John Lawson, president of sales. Peter Edwards becomes senior vice-president of international sales and Bill Monroe, based in Wichita, Kansas, is appointed vice-president, US Learjet sales. Source: Flight International

  • News

    BMW R-R offers loan deal to help Tupolev

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    BMW ROLLS-ROYCE is preparing to loan some of its BR710 engines to Tupolev to help kick-start the Russian firm's twin-engined Tu-334 programme. Günter Kappler, the German engine-maker's engineering director, says that the company will loan at least two engines, in a programme similar to that for the R-R-engined ...

  • News

    Stage 3 testing starts

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    Burbank Aeronautical II (BACII) has begun flight testing its Stage 3 hushkit for the Pratt &Whitney JT3D-powered Boeing 707. The tests should finish in August, with US Federal Aviation Administration certification expected in September. Source: Flight International

  • News

    Boeing looks at new 737 stretch to combat A321

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    Boeing is studying development of a larger stretched variant of the new-generation 737 twinjet, to compete more effectively in the 180-200-seat class against the Airbus A321. Boeing has refused to comment officially on the proposed 737-900X growth derivative, which was only revealed as a study to suppliers at ...

  • News

    GE-PW alliance gets lifeline from move on 747-400 IGW

    1997-05-07T00:00:00Z

    Boeing is considering speeding up studies of the proposed 747-400IGW "simple stretch" providing fresh impetus for the General Electric/Pratt & Whitney Engine Alliance which appeared to be on the verge of dissolution following P&W's separate bid to power the Airbus A3XX with the PW4000. "We're now doing study ...