All news – Page 6805
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France copes with greatest air traffic levels as delays creep up
Average flight delays in France increased by a minute, to 16.1min, last year, as the country experienced the biggest jump in air traffic for 10 years, according to its civil aviation authority, the DGAC. Compared with 9.4% a year earlier, 10.1% of flights were delayed during the year by more ...
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Aerospatiale Matra faces $300m charge
Chris Jasper/LONDON The new Aerospatiale Matra will take a charge of $300 million in its 1999 accounts as a result of a failed hedging strategy designed to protect it against fluctuations in value of the US dollar. The timing of the hit nevertheless represents something of a victory for ...
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BWA is to begin fleet renewal with 737-300 operating lease
Max Kingsley-Jones/LONDONBritish World Airlines expects to begin replacing its BAC One-Elevens later this year, as it moves to standardise on a two-type fleet of Boeing 737-300s and British Aerospace ATPs (above). The UK independent airline plans to introduce its first 737-300, a second-hand aircraft on operating lease, by the middle ...
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Sting in the tail
After years of economic woes, at least one of Brazil's airlines could disappear by the end of the year. For the survivors, however, long term prospects look brighter Brian Homewood/RIO DE JANEIROBrazilian airlines have survived major financial troubles over the past 15 years, but officials and analysts fear that ...
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Virtual solution
A new type of orbit could help avoid signal interference between spacecraft in low, medium and geostationary earth orbits Tim Furniss/LONDON A NEW WASHINGTON-based company is urging the US Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to make compulsory the use of "virtual geostationary orbits" (VGSOs). This would avoid anticipated future ...
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Trainers' market
Demand for training is fuelling growth among independent simulator centres Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC Training is a competency close to the core of most airlines, an expensive necessity that is not willingly outsourced. But increasingly the tools of pilot training - commercial flight simulators - are becoming commodities to which ...
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Airbus offers model mix to El Al
Arie Egozi/TEL AVIV Airbus is offering El Al up to 10 A330/A340s as the Israeli national carrier finalises its long-haul fleet renewal plans. A Boeing offer of various widebody twinjets is also being studied, and the airline expects to finalise its selection within the next two months. The Airbus ...
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FAA to increase limit for ageing aircraft checks
The US Federal Aviation Administration has issued a notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) that would extend the mandate for "ageing" aircraft inspections to newer transport category aircraft. The inspection programme was created after a 1988 accident in which the top of an Aloha Airlines Boeing 737 ripped off during ...
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Cirrus resumes SR20 assembly despite demonstrator crash
Dave Higdon/WICHITA Cirrus Design has resumed production of the SR20 single-engined four-seat business aircraft, as the investigation continues into the crash of the first demonstrator. The first production SR20 crashed on 23 March, killing Cirrus Design's chief test pilot, Scott Anderson (Flight International, 31 March-6 April). Despite the crash, ...
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LoPresti's SwiftFury prototype makes first flight
The prototype SwiftFury made its first flight earlier this month, after LoPresti Speed Merchants founder and president Roy LoPresti secured the rights to the design of the two-seat sports aircraft earlier this year. The SwiftFury is based on Globe Aircraft's Globe Swift design of the 1940s. In the late ...
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Cessna tackles 172R and 172S stabilisers
Cessna Aircraft has issued its third mandatory service bulletin in less than a month, requiring a new round of inspections of 172R Skyhawks and 172S Skyhawk SP singles delivered during the past two years. The latest bulletin requires the inspection of the aircraft's vertical stabiliser aft spar, and rivets ...
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Lynton plans revamp
Lynton Group aims to have restructuring plans in place next month, following its latest acquisition in the general aviation market. It has become "a major equity partner" in Stratford, Connecticut-based corporate jet charter and management company Premier Aviation. Lynton has not released purchase details. Premier is the fourth acquisition ...
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Embraer revels in record year
Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC Brazilian regional aircraft manufacturer Embraer says 1998 was the most successful year in its history, after a record net profit of $103 million for the 12 months, compared with a loss of $29.6 million in 1997. Embraer says the improvement stemmed from a 75% increase in ...
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Telescope tested for Shuttle launch
The Chandra X-Ray Observatory, formerly the Advanced X-Ray AstroPhysics Facility, is in final testing at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, in preparation for its launch aboard the Space Shuttle STS93/Columbia on 9 July. The Chandra is the third of NASA's "great observatories", after the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory ...
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Airports
Abu Dhabi Airport has started an extension that will increase passenger capacity to 7.2 million per year. The work is to be completed in 2007. Bordeaux Airport is being expanded to enable annual passenger throughput to rise from the current 1.5 million a year to around five million. Work has ...
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Air Foyle consortium takes controlling stake in CityJet
Chris Jasper/LONDON A consortium led by UK cargo carrier Air Foyle has purchased a controlling stake in Irish independent airline CityJet for a sum in excess of Ir£5 million ($6.8 million). Sources close to the deal say that it should stabilise Dublin-based CityJet and allow it develop its ...
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Air Namibia to slash workforce
Air Namibia plans to lay off between 100 and 150 employees - up to 30% of its workforce - by the end of this month as part of a restructuring plan that will cost up to N$10 million ($1.6 million), but which should ultimately reverse the downward trend in its ...
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Big profits at FiatAvio
FiatAvio, the aerospace division of the Italian conglomerate, saw net profits more than quadruple to L152 billion ($85 million) last year against L34 billion 1997, with turnover rising 8% to L2,635 billion. Overall, says Turin-based Fiat, the division "performed exceptionally well" last year, with its operating margin up from ...
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Surrey Satellite wins E-SAT contract
Tim Furniss/LONDON Surrey Satellite Technology (SSTL) is to build the spacecraft buses for six E-SAT low earth orbiting data messaging satellites under a contract with California-based DBS Industries. The contract is part of a $47 million deal, which includes two launches of three E-SAT satellites each by the German-Russian ...
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Stringent technology export rules may leave Loral with $130m bill
Space Systems Loral has been forced to delay shipment of the Chinasat 8 communications satellite for launch aboard a Chinese Long March 3B because of new rules on the export of US space technology. China's state satellite operator could go elsewhere for the satellite, with European companies Matra Marconi ...