News from FlightGlobal – Page 2258

  • News

    Boeing completes 717-200 tests as certification nears

    1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

    Boeing is "on track" to achieve certification of the 717-200 on 1 September after completion of the flight test programme at its Yuma test site in Arizona. This will allow deliveries to begin next month to launch customer AirTran Airways, which has begun training crews. The 717 is set to ...

  • News

    Canadian gets three-month deadline

    1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

    Brian Dunn/MONTREAL Canadian Airlines has been given three months to find a financial lifeline, with Ottawa suspending competition rules for 90 days from 13 August to help the ailing carrier find a saviour. The Calgary-based airline seems unlikely to emerge from the period in its current form. Ottawa's move ...

  • News

    Iridium seeks rescue package as it files for bankruptcy

    1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

    Tim Furniss/LONDON Mobile satellite communications company Iridium is striving to put together a financial rescue plan after filing for bankruptcy protection from its creditors on 13 August. As the Motorola-led company works on the plan, fellow start-up mobile satellite communications (satcom) company ICO Global Communications is feeling the "Iridium ...

  • News

    Mergers

    1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

    Ground services provider Worldwide Flight Services of the USA is to buy Miami Aircraft Support for $66.4 million, giving it a presence at a total of 82 airports. Worldwide was previously owned by American Airlines parent AMR, but was bought by private investors in March. US third-party maintenance provider Aviation ...

  • News

    Sun glimmers

    1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

    The closure of South African domestic carrier Sun Air is in doubt, with employees and trades unions lobbying Pretoria in a bid to save it, and a takeover by South African Airways (SAA) - which planned to close it - dependent on the write-off of a R25 million ($4 million) ...

  • News

    Share sale helps Qantas profit rise

    1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

    Australia's Qantas has reported a pre-tax profit of A$662.5 million ($432 million) for its financial year to 20 June, up by 38.6% on the previous 12 months. Turnover rose by A$320 million - or 3.9% - to A$8.45 billion, while net profit was up by 38%, to A$420.9 million, buoyed ...

  • News

    Embraer chooses Latecoere to supply fuselage for new jet

    1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

    Andrzej Jeziorski/TAIPEI Embraer has chosen Latecoere to manufacture fuselage components for the ERJ-170/190 , making it one of the first major suppliers to be signed up for the new regional aircraft family. Although the selection of the French structures specialist has not been announced formally, sources close to the ...

  • News

    Marketplace

    1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

    Finnair will cease its Saab 340 services from October, with the cancellation of wet-lease operations, as it concentrates on services with its fleet of nine ATR 72s. China Airlines has grounded its four remaining Airbus A300B4s and is offering them for sale. The airline is still searching for buyers for ...

  • News

    Green Light for JetBlue

    1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

    The US Department of Transportation has tentatively approved JetBlue Airways' request to start low-cost, high-frequency scheduled services. The New York Kennedy-based carrier will launch services next January with Airbus A320s. Source: Flight International

  • News

    PAL's rebuilding links it to Emirates

    1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

    Philippine Airlines (PAL) is offering flights to Dubai for the first time in 15 months after signing a codeshare agreement with Emirates. The move comes as the airline seeks to expand its links with other carriers. From 1 September, PAL will offer seats on each of Emirates' thrice weekly ...

  • News

    AeroPeru goes into liquidation after final rescue efforts fail

    1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

    Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC Final hopes of finding a new financial backer for AeroPeru have been extinguished as creditors rejected four last-ditch rescue proposals and initiated moves to liquidate the grounded national carrier. "The creditors met to consider four proposals, none of which were acceptable-The creditors were obliged to ...

  • News

    Routes

    1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

    Virgin Express is launching daily services from Berlin to Rome Fiumicino and Brussels in November. Delta Air Lines will discontinue services to St Croix in the US Virgin Islands on 1 December to make more seats available to St Thomas passengers. Channel Islands-based Aurigny Air Services has applied to begin ...

  • News

    KLM-Continental row hits Wings alliance

    1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

    Chris Jasper/LONDON The planned launch of the so-called Wings alliance is in doubt after a disagreement between Dutch flag carrier KLM and Continental Airlines of the USA - two of the four major airlines that had been expected to launch the grouping this year. Sources close to the pair ...

  • News

    Strategic stretch

    1999-08-25T00:00:00Z

    More than a long-range niche filler, Boeing's 767-400ER promises to bring new life to the entire big twin family Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES Boeing's big twinjet strategy takes another important step forward on 26 August when the 767-400ER is officially rolled out of the company's Everett assembly site in ...

  • News

    Boeing focuses on longer-range 757-200

    1999-08-18T00:00:00Z

    Guy Norris/SEATTLE As pressure builds on Boeing to inject new life into the 757 programme, the company is focusing studies of a longer-range 757-200X on a group of six key scheduled and charter operators. It believes the variant could enter service after 2003. Major changes to the current 757-200 would ...

  • News

    Sun sets on Sun Air

    1999-08-18T00:00:00Z

    South African domestic carrier Sun Air has become a casualty of the country's air fares price war and weak currency (Flight International, 11-17 August). The top-end carrier ceased operations on 13 August and is to be put into liquidation by shareholders Comair and South African Airways. SAA agreed to ...

  • News

    Association broadcasts live TV plan

    1999-08-18T00:00:00Z

    The World Airline Entertainment Association's (WAEA) technical committee will turn its attentions to live broadcast satellite service once it completes the specification for the in-flight use of digital versatile disk (DVD) next month. With several airlines interested in offering passengers live television services, the WAEA is keen to resolve ...

  • News

    Malaysia launches audio/video on demand, plans e-mail service

    1999-08-18T00:00:00Z

    Malaysia Airlines (MAS) launched audio- and video-on-demand (A/VOD) capability on one of its Boeing 777s this month. It is the first stage of a programme that will see the airline's entire 777 and Boeing 747-400 fleet equipped with the latest in-flight entertainment (IFE) feature. A/VOD, which allows passengers to ...

  • News

    Matsushita prepares for deliveries of System 3000

    1999-08-18T00:00:00Z

    In-flight entertainment (IFE) system supplier Matsushita will be ready to deliver its new interactive IFE hardware - the System 3000 - early next year. The first phase of the fully interactive system designed for widebody aircraft will be available in the first quarter, with full system functionality in the ...

  • News

    Boeing tackles 777 power problems

    1999-08-18T00:00:00Z

    Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES Boeing is working on an urgent redesign of the variable speed constant frequency (VSCF) generators on the 777 after a number of failures caused damage to engine mounted gearboxes. The VSCF problem is receiving maximum priority as it directly affects extended range twin operations (ETOPS) just as ...