News from FlightGlobal – Page 2329

  • News

    Routes

    1998-10-21T00:00:00Z

    Augsburg Airways is to operate two new services from 1 November as part of its franchise deal with Lufthansa. The airline will now from Hof to Bayreuth, and from Frankfurt to London City Airport. Air New Zealand and Air Canada have announced their implementation of a codeshare agreement on routes ...

  • News

    United prepares recession plan

    1998-10-21T00:00:00Z

    Graham Warwick/CHICAGO United Airlines plans to use its remaining Boeing 727s and older 737s as a buffer against recession, as it draws up strategies to stay profitable during the next economic downturn. "We don't know when, but the recession will come," predicts senior vice-president planning Rono Dutta, adding: ...

  • News

    US Airways selects 'hybrid' PW4000 for A330

    1998-10-21T00:00:00Z

    US Airways has become the first airline to select Pratt & Whitney's "hybrid" PW4000 turbofan. The US airline has ordered the 73,000lb-thrust (324kN) PW4173 to power some of the 30 Airbus A330-300s it has on order and option. The airline, which has firm orders for seven A330s and options ...

  • News

    Air Afrique takes privatised route to clear debts

    1998-10-21T00:00:00Z

    Air Afrique is moving ahead with a privatisation plan from which the debt-ridden carrier hopes to emerge with 49% of the shares held privately, leaving the state owners of the Cote-d'Ivoire-based airline with the remainder. Ministers of the 11 former French colonies in West Africa, which own the bulk ...

  • News

    Getting ready for recession

    1998-10-21T00:00:00Z

    Graham Warwick/CHICAGO United Airlines is drawing up plans to stay profitable through the next industry downturn, despite being unsure exactly when it will happen. In fact, the carrier seems to regard a recession as necessary if airline stock prices are ever to achieve their full potential again. As ...

  • News

    Deutsche Bank to acquire Boullioun

    1998-10-21T00:00:00Z

    Deutsche Bank has agreed to purchase US aircraft leasing company Boullioun Aviation Services from Sumitomo Trust & Banking in a deal valued at around $120 million. The acquisition should be completed by year-end, following regulatory approval and other agreements. The Bellevue, Washington-based company was set up in 1986 by ...

  • News

    FAA examines insulation rules after MD-11 crash

    1998-10-21T00:00:00Z

    Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC Within six months, the US Federal Aviation Administration is to produce a tougher burn test specification for aircraft internal insulation blankets. The action results partly from investigations into the 2 September crash of a Swissair Boeing MD-11 off Nova Scotia. Although the cause of the fatal ...

  • News

    Troubled PAL searches for wealthy investor

    1998-10-21T00:00:00Z

    Paul Lewis/SINGAPORE Philippine Airlines (PAL) is in a race against time to convince Cathay Pacific Airways and other potential new investors to support the financially stricken national carrier ahead of submitting a rescue plan to the country's Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) on 21 November. Cathay Pacific, along with Northwest Airlines ...

  • News

    Boeing targets year end for assessment of 747 stretch

    1998-10-14T00:00:00Z

    Guy Norris/LOS ANGELES Boeing expects to complete windtunnel tests of a stretched, 500-seater 747 by the end of the year and, pending the successful conclusion of business case studies and sufficient customer commitments, says it could launch the aircraft by mid-1999. Boeing, which celebrated 30 years of 747 assembly earlier ...

  • News

    SA Airlink will move on Kalahari Express deal

    1998-10-14T00:00:00Z

    South African regional airline SA Airlink has reached an agreement with Namibian state holding company TransNamib on taking a large stake in start-up Kalahari Express Airlines. The agreement still needs to be ratified by both boards. Trans Namib rescued the airline in June after the original shareholders failed to ...

  • News

    Airports

    1998-10-14T00:00:00Z

    -Brussels' South Charleroi Airport opened its new terminal on 10 October. A decision to extend the runway to 3,000m (10,000ft) is expected next month. -Ownership of Brussels Airport changed on 1 October. The joint venture between private enterprise Brussels Airport Terminal Company, which ran the landside operation, and the government's ...

  • News

    Boeing faces tough delivery target

    1998-10-14T00:00:00Z

    Boeing's efforts to stretch production capacity has left it facing the challenge of delivering up to 182 aircraft over the last three months of the year if it is to meet its predicted delivery tally of 550 aircraft in 1998. According to third quarter delivery figures released by the ...

  • News

    Mega-merger consolidates UK holiday airlines

    1998-10-14T00:00:00Z

    Günter Endres/LONDON Plans by tour operators Thomas Cook and the Carlson Leisure Group to merge are set to lead to a further consolidation of UK charter operators. The deal, which is still subject to regulatory approval, could spell the end of the Caledonian Airways name and propel Thomas ...

  • News

    Russia and USA sign to commit to safety

    1998-10-14T00:00:00Z

    Russia and the USA have signed two agreements aimed at improving aviation safety relations between the two countries. The deals were signed last month by US State Secretary Madeleine Albright and her Russian counterpart, Yevgeni Primakov (who has subsequently become prime minister). The main part of the first ...

  • News

    Japan delays American partnership plans

    1998-10-14T00:00:00Z

    Paul Lewis/SINGAPORE Japan Airlines (JAL) has delayed the start of its planned code-share partnership with American Airlines and is putting on hold any consideration of joining a wider global alliance until its bilateral arrangement with the US carrier is implemented. The Japanese airline had intended in early September ...

  • News

    Marketplace

    1998-10-14T00:00:00Z

    -India's Jet Airways has taken delivery of two Boeing 737-800s. The leased aircraft will replace one 737-400 and one 737-500. -Indian airline Bengal Air is adding two more British Aerospace 748-2Bs for a late October start. -Cargo airline Atlas Air has purchased Cargolux International's three Boeing 747-200 freighters, but will ...

  • News

    Air Liberte attacks French business market

    1998-10-14T00:00:00Z

    Air Liberte president Marc Rochet, has confirmed that the airline has submitted a "statement of interest" with its major shareholders, British Airways and the Bolloré group, for the purchase of French independent carrier AOM. "We're not saying we'll end up buying it-but we're certainly interested to find out more ...

  • News

    Skyways buys up express route in Scandinavia

    1998-10-14T00:00:00Z

    SAS and its regional associate, Skyways, in which it owns a 25% stake, are fighting back against Norwegian intruder Braathens in the Swedish market, with the purchase of two domestic carriers. Having nipped in the bud the ambitions of Gothenburg start-up CityAirline by taking it over before it was ...

  • News

    Solid succeeds Icelandair service

    1998-10-14T00:00:00Z

    New Luxembourg airline Solid'air is to plug the gap which will be left by the planned withdrawal next January of Icelandair's long-standing operations out of the Grand Duchy. Solid'air is working towards a 12 December start, putting together a regular schedule to destinations in Florida and the Caribbean. ...

  • News

    Southern crosses out plans for Japan launch but stays afloat

    1998-10-14T00:00:00Z

    Andrew Mollet/TOKYO Southern Cross has scrapped plans to launch a new airline in Japan, becoming the latest casualty in the country's attempt to open up domestic competition to start-up carriers. The airline was set up in August 1997 with joint investment by 32 major firms in Okinawa province. ...