News from FlightGlobal – Page 2280

  • News

    Poland and Bulgaria prepare to privatise national carriers

    1999-06-02T00:00:00Z

    Andrew Doyle/MUNICH Plans by Poland and Bulgaria to sell off major stakes in their state-owned flag carriers are gathering pace. A strategic partner is being sought for LOT Polish Airlines, while Balkan Bulgarian Airlines is set to get a new majority shareholder. The Polish Government is preparing to ...

  • News

    Vnukovo acts to stem losses

    1999-06-02T00:00:00Z

    Vnukovo Airlines, Russia's second-largest airline in terms of passenger numbers, has changed its general director and several of its senior management following several years of heavy losses. The new general director is Vladimir Roubtsov. He was a senior official in the Soviet Ministry of Civil Aviation and was with ...

  • News

    Routes

    1999-06-02T00:00:00Z

    The USA has signed an open-skies agreement with the Gulf state of Bahrain and hopes to extend the agreement to the other three states that have shareholdings in Gulf Air. Discussions have begun with Oman, while an outline agreement was reached with the United Arab Emirates in April. There have ...

  • News

    Syrianair thinks over 747SP role as new A320 fleet expands

    1999-06-02T00:00:00Z

    Syrianair is considering the launch of new long-haul routes for its two Boeing 747SPs, as new Airbus A320s replace them on many services. The Damascus-based carrier has operated the 23-year-old, 320-seat 747s since they were delivered new in 1976. The airline ordered six 150-seat A320s in 1997 to update ...

  • News

    Chicago Express finalises fleet expansion plans

    1999-06-02T00:00:00Z

    Chicago Express is poised to decide on its fleet expansion strategy as the US regional airline moves to bolster its position at Chicago Midway Airport. The wholly owned subsidiary of American Trans Air's (ATA) parent AmTran Holdings uses its fleet of nine leased British Aerospace Jetstream 31s on feeder ...

  • News

    Aurigny introduces first Saab 340

    1999-06-02T00:00:00Z

    Aurigny Air Services has introduced the first of two Saab 340As for its new services to London Stansted and Amsterdam. The Channel Islands-based carrier will launch flights from Guernsey to Stansted on 4 June, while flights to Amsterdam will begin in July when the second Saab will have been delivered. ...

  • News

    L'Aeropostale plans express cargo network

    1999-06-02T00:00:00Z

    French company L'Aeropostale is discussing opening a new European express freight network in an alliance with subsidiaries of its two shareholders, La Poste and Air France. The firm is about to embark on a major expansion of its capacity, replacing its two Boeing 727s with three cargo-configured Airbus A300B4s ...

  • News

    China Airlines awaits approval to wrap up 747-400F contract

    1999-06-02T00:00:00Z

    Brent Hannon/TAIPEI China Airlines (CAL) is preparing to conclude a deal with Boeing for 12 747-400 freighters, but is awaiting Taiwanese Government approval before it finalises the order. "We will replace our whole freighter fleet with the one aircraft type," says the airline, adding that fleet commonality is ...

  • News

    Western Express expands Fokker F27 freighter fleet

    1999-06-02T00:00:00Z

    Western Express Airlines (West-Ex) has boosted its Fokker F27 freighter fleet with the acquisition of a Mk400 from Farnair Europe. The aircraft joins two F27s and a Fairchild Metro. It will enable the Vancouver-based Canadian cargo carrier to expand the route network it operates for Canadian express packages specialist Purolator ...

  • News

    Marketplace

    1999-06-02T00:00:00Z

    Airbus Industrie received its first firm contract for the new 107-seat A318 in April, when an undisclosed customer placed orders for 57 A320 family aircraft, including 30 A318s, 14 A319s, three A320s and 10 A321s. COPA Airlines of Panama has taken delivery of the first of 12 Boeing 737-700s it ...

  • News

    Shuttle war gathers pace

    1999-06-02T00:00:00Z

    Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC The air war over Washington DC has escalated with US Airways announcing plans to introduce new Airbus A320s. The move comes as it expands its lucrative shuttle operation in competition with Delta Air Lines and United Airlines. US Airways will replace 12 Boeing 727-200s operated ...

  • News

    Flightlease orders charter 767s

    1999-06-02T00:00:00Z

    Andrew Doyle/MUNICH SAirGroup has taken a step towards standardising the fleets of its charter airline affiliates on the Boeing 767-300ER after leasing subsidiary Flightlease placed an order for up to eight of the twinjets. The aircraft will be operated by Balair CTA, Sobelair, LTU and Air Europe, part of the ...

  • News

    France changes direction on Orly restrictions

    1999-06-02T00:00:00Z

    The French Government has bowed to pressure from airlines and employees to drop plans to limit the range of flights from Paris Orly - the capital's second international airport. Transport minister Jean-Paul Gayssot had wanted to cut the maximum distance airlines could fly from the airport to 5,000km (2,700nm), ...

  • News

    Aegean launches with Avros

    1999-06-02T00:00:00Z

    New Greek domestic carrier Aegean Airlines has launched scheduled services with its first two British Aerospace Avro RJ100s. The airline is operating from its Athens base to Thessaloniki, Chania, Heraklion and Rhodes and aims to add international destinations next year. Established air taxi operator Aegean Aviation decided to launch the ...

  • News

    Engine-makers submit 777X bids

    1999-06-02T00:00:00Z

    Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES General Electric, Pratt & Whitney and Rolls-Royce have submitted bids to Boeing covering the development of 115,000lb-thrust (510kN) engines to power the long-delayed, ultra-long range 777-200X and -300X derivatives. Details remain confidential, but GE is pushing for exclusivity, while its rivals are thought to be offering ...

  • News

    ALPA hits out at lobby group report

    1999-06-02T00:00:00Z

    A report from the Proposition RJ lobby group calling for a relaxation of current scope clauses has drawn a sharp response from the US Air Line Pilots Association (ALPA), marking the opening arguments in a growing debate over US carrier restrictions on the use of regional aircraft. Proposition RJ, ...

  • News

    COPA 737-700 sports new livery

    1999-06-02T00:00:00Z

    COPA Airlines has unveiled its new corporate livery to coincide with the delivery of its first Boeing 737-700 and ahead of the launch this month of its international codeshare alliance with Continental Airlines. The US carrier, which has acquired a 49% holding in the Panamanian airline, will codeshare with COPA ...

  • News

    BA to cut European short-haul routes

    1999-06-02T00:00:00Z

    Chris Jasper/LONDON British Airways is planning to axe 25% of its short-haul routes within Europe as part of a radical approach to a growing crisis centring on declining yields. The UK flag carrier saw pre-tax profits plunge more than 61% to £225 million ($360 million) for its financial year ...

  • News

    Taiwan investors get go-ahead to board K-1 reusable vehicle

    1999-06-02T00:00:00Z

    Andrzej Jeziorski /SINGAPORE The Taiwanese Ministry of Finance has given several Taiwanese banks the green light to invest in the Kistler Aerospace K-1 reusable launch vehicle. The ministry is understood to support the plan primarily because of commitments made by Kistler to offer parts supply contracts to Taiwanese ...

  • News

    UPS boosts II Morrow

    1999-06-02T00:00:00Z

    United Parcel Service (UPS) has committed new financial and management resources to its II Morrow subsidiary and changed the name of the Salem, Oregon-based company to UPS Aviation Technologies. The former II Morrow's Apollo brand avionics line has been expanded to a full-product system that includes new navigations/communications, a ...