All news – Page 6824
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News
Duty free, a few facts
By 1995, global turnover of duty free had reached $21 billion. Europe accounts for half the total - over $13.4 billion a year. Duty free is more important to the UK than to any other European state - in 1995 over 25% of European Union (EU) turnover was in ...
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Shifts criticised
A proposal to allow European pilots to work 14-hour shifts twice-weekly on two-crew aircraft, included in the proposed pilots' flight time and duty limitations (FTDL) regulations, is described by the International Federation of Airline Pilots' Associations as a "recipe for disaster. The FTDL will now be controlled by the EC ...
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In need of a check-up
The systems onboard ageing aircraft in the USA are coming under closer scrutiny, raising the prospect of higher maintenance costs. In the USA, old aircraft don't die: they get hushkits and a new paint job. In stark contrast to their counterparts in Europe and Asia, US passengers routinely find ...
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Majors play the mating game
US carriers are again testing the water with a series of new acquisition proposals. Perhaps it has something to do with the season, but it is almost exactly a year since they last indulged in a frenzy of mating activity and the US majors are at it again. Only this ...
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Swissair/Delta could win SAA deal
Lufthansa, long considered the front runner in the race for a 30% stake in South African Airways (SAA), now appears to be facing a determined combined challenge from Swissair/Delta Air Lines. The German carrier launched an aggressive public relations exercise weeks ago announcing that, if successful, it would ...
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New addition for Embraer
Despite repeated earlier statements that the 70- and 90-seater markets seemed overcrowded, Embraer says it now plans to enter the fray after "considerable pressure" from customers to extend its regional jet family. But some still remain doubtful about the size of the market. Just days after the Brazilian manufacturer's ...
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UK-US phase in
Informal US-UK open skies talks between transport officials on 17-18 February will be followed by further talks in April, senior UK airline sources say. US officials are said to have accepted the principle of a phased open skies bilateral, favoured by British Airways and British Midland. That could start with ...
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Foreign ownership debate heats up
The debate in the USA over foreign ownership and control of airlines has come under a spotlight early in 1999 with airline and government officials discussing how a relaxation of the rules may occur. US Secretary of Transportation Rodney Slater stirred the controversy last year when he said the ...
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Gloves off for Orlando charters
A small airport that has managed to steal a large chunk of the foreign charter business from Orlando International Airport (OIA), including the largest tour operator Air Tours, has forced its larger competitor to lower landing fees and include more passenger-friendly facilities in a $2 billion expansion programme. ...
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Avionics on the front line
The move towards preventative maintenance has sparked a fierce battle between two major avionics vendors to supply the dominant operating system. Avionics manufacturers in the USA are poised on the threshold of a new technology that could have major implications for maintenance in the airline industry. But just as ...
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Europe's BIG 3
Lufthansa, Air France and Swissair have built their repair and overhaul facilities into some of the most competitive in the world, but profit margins remain slim. Europe cannot claim to be a world leader in many sectors, but when it comes to commercial aircraft and engine maintenance, it is ...
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Hong Kong to put airport chaos behind it
Hong Kong officials are hoping that the finger-pointing phase is finally over so they can turn their attention to boosting Chek Lap Kok airport as a gateway and hub. Three inquiries produced reports over who to blame for the mayhem that marked the new airport's opening last July. The ...
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News in Brief
Singapore signs - Singapore Airlines has signed the contract for up to 10 ultra-long-range Airbus A340-500s, confirming an earlier commitment. Deliveries will be completed by the middle of 2003. Transaer PIA contract - Irish charter airline Transaer has signed a five-year contract with Pakistan International (PIA) under which it ...
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Beijing tightens its belt
The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) may have escaped Beijing's directive that requires other agencies to divest their interests in the industries that they regulate, but aviation is not entirely unscathed by the latest belt tightening aimed at boosting China's weak economy and currency. Heading the list ...
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Sir Harry cites bad health as he resigns from Air Afrique
Sir Harry Tirvengadum has resigned as chairman of Cote d'Ivoire-based Air Afrique, citing health reasons, but amid claims that political pressure was brought to bear. Tirvengadum asked to be released from his contract as chairman of the troubled multinational carrier on 29 January, after just two years in ...
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Hush over Europe
The recent decision to refuse the registration in Europe of older aircraft fitted with hushkits from 1 April, has drawn the Commission into a war of words with the USA which says the new rules would harm its carriers. In retaliation, US legislators are planning to ban Concorde flights into ...
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Back to the future for Olympic
The encouraging noises that emanated from the management of Olympic Airways little more than 10 weeks ago have again faded as the the Greek carrier lost another managing director. The official line is that Theodore Tsakiridis resigned, but the speed of his departure bore the hallmarks of the political manoeuvring ...
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News in Brief
EasyJet seeks listing - UK low-cost carrier easyJet has announced that it intends to seek a listing on the London stock exchange and the US Nasdaq market early next year, to finance the purchase of the new aircraft it has on order. A spokesman also said that easyJet would drop ...
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Iberia joins oneworld alliance
Iberia is finally cleared to join the oneworld alliance, having tied up agreement with American Airlines and British Airways on their acquisition of small minority stakes in the Spanish flag-carrier. Iberia also now appears to be on course to finish off the year with its long-awaited privatisation. Iberia's ...
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Duty free set for a reprieve
The European Commission's heavily trailed February report into the likely impact of its push to abolish duty free, ultimately conceded little ground to those attempting to save this lucrative market. The international Duty-Free Confederation (IDFC) and the Airports Council International (ACI) are both calling for a five-year transition period to ...