News from FlightGlobal – Page 2385

  • News

    Indonesian gloom forces Sempati Air to retrench

    1998-03-11T00:00:00Z

    Sempati Air Transport has axed all international routes, laid off nearly 60% of its staff and reduced its fleet to just five Boeing 737-200s as Indonesia's deepening economic crisis threatens many of the country's smaller carriers with bankruptcy. Privately owned Sempati cut around 1,000 of its 1,700-strong workforce from ...

  • News

    UPS develops people carrying package for charter companies

    1998-03-11T00:00:00Z

    UPS aims to double the number of weekend charter passengers it carried last year under contract to US cruise lines, tour operators and professional sports organisations. The carrier, better known for transporting parcels than people, is conducting charter flights with five Boeing 727-100 freighters, modified to accept a quick ...

  • News

    European airline trio shows profit turnaround

    1998-03-11T00:00:00Z

    Kevin O'Toole/LONDON After eight years of wavering finances, punctuated by some spectacular losses, Alitalia's turnaround has begun to take shape with a solid profits performance in 1997. The news comes as part of a series of better results for European airlines, including Swissair and Sabena. Alitalia, which a ...

  • News

    Reno pins hopes on new boss

    1998-03-11T00:00:00Z

    Reno Air has become the latest of the US low fares airlines to undergo a management shake-up, appointing a new chief executive to help steer the struggling carrier back to profits. The Reno board says that it decided that the carrier "would benefit from a change in leadership", especially ...

  • News

    Global Hawk air vehicle finally spreads its wings

    1998-03-11T00:00:00Z

    The Teledyne Ryan Aeronautical Global Hawk unmanned air vehicle (UAV) flew for the first time at Edwards AFB, California, on 28 February despite several small anomalies which shortened the inaugural flight. The Global Hawk, a high altitude long endurance (HALE) UAV, flew for 56min, although the initial mission was planned ...

  • News

    FAA backs phased free flight

    1998-03-11T00:00:00Z

    Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC US government industry advisory body RTCA has "strongly endorsed" phased modernisation of the National Airspace System (NAS), and has recommended sites for the initial deployment of the air traffic management systems that will form most of the "Free Flight Phase 1" effort. The RTCA's Free ...

  • News

    Korean Air links with GE Capital to set up deal for 737-800s

    1998-03-11T00:00:00Z

    Paul Lewis/SINGAPORE Korean Air (KAL) has reached an initial agreement with General Electric Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) and Boeing to begin rolling over its narrowbodied jet fleet with new Boeing 737-800s as part of a wider $640 million move to revive the cash-strapped carrier. The South Korean national ...

  • News

    NATCO markets KLM simulator capacity

    1998-03-11T00:00:00Z

    Graham Warwick/WASHINGTON DC Northwest Airlines and KLM have expanded their alliance to include marketing of training on the Netherlands carrier's flight simulator fleet through Northwest Aerospace Training (NATCO). The agreement provides third-party customers with access to a total of 32 simulators and flight training devices owned by NATCO and ...

  • News

    AEA in delays row with Eurocontrol

    1998-03-11T00:00:00Z

    European air traffic control (ATC) organisation Eurocontrol has hit back at claims by the Association of European Airlines (AEA) that ATC strategies have failed, causing delays to rise to a "critical level". Eurocontrol says that the AEA's criticisms are "inaccurate, misleading and unsubstantiated". It claims the implication that Eurocontrol ...

  • News

    Air France nears decision on replacement for 737-200

    1998-03-11T00:00:00Z

    Julian Moxon/PARIS Air France expects to decide between the Boeing 737 and Airbus A320 families to replace its 737-200s by the end of June. A deal for up to 30 aircraft is expected. According to fleet planning director Pierre Vellay, the airline is undertaking a five-year, Fr40 billion ...

  • News

    American Eagle ERJ-145 rolls out

    1998-03-11T00:00:00Z

     The first of up to 67 Embraer RJ-145LRs for American Eagle Airlines is rolling down the assembly line in Sao José dos Campos, Brazil. The deal, signed at last June's Paris air show, includes 42 firm orders and 25 options. The LR version has increased weights, more powerful engines ...

  • News

    ANA steps closer to Star Alliance

    1998-03-11T00:00:00Z

    Andrzej Jeziorski/MUNICH GERMAN flag carrier Lufthansa and All Nippon Airways (ANA)have signed a codeshare agreement in a first step towards full Star Alliance membership for the Japanese carrier. ANA is already in advanced talks about a similar agreement with Star Alliance partner United Airlines. While Lufthansa is not ...

  • News

    American and JAL agree codeshare deal

    1998-03-04T16:49:00Z

    Ramon Lopez/WASHINGTON DC American Airlines and Japan Airlines (JAL) have agreed to codeshare on services between the USA and Japan and other key routes beyond their respective gateways. The strategic alliance, which has been on the stocks for some time, was triggered by the recent US/Japan open skies ...

  • News

    Boeing prepares to step up 737/747 production rates

    1998-03-04T16:41:00Z

    Assembly rate increases on Boeing's Next Generation 737 and 747-400 are to go ahead, with the US manufacturer confident that its production problems are under control. Output of 737s will double in number to 14 a month in April, and 747-400 production will increase from four to five a month ...

  • News

    Air Namibia replaces costly 747 with 767-300ER

    1998-03-04T16:39:00Z

    Chris Yates/MANCHESTER South-west African carrier Air Namibia has decided to replace its ageing Boeing 747SP with a 767-300ER. The airline had been expected to opt for the Airbus A340, but a last-minute offer saw a switch to the Boeing aircraft. The ex-Challenge Air aircraft is due to enter ...

  • News

    British Midland applies for transatlantic routes

    1998-03-04T16:36:00Z

    David Learmount/LONDON British Midland (BM) has filed bids to launch a series of transatlantic services from London Heathrow, starting what it says will be a market development programme lasting between five and seven years. The carrier says that it has made its move in anticipation of a UK/US "open ...

  • News

    Marketplace

    1998-03-04T16:29:00Z

    -Pearljet of Australia has purchased a second British Aerospace Jetstream 41 from BAe Asset Management - Turboprops (AMT), to be based at Brisbane. -O'Connor Airlines of Mount Gambier, Australia, has become the first customer in the Asia- Pacific region for the British Aerospace Jetstream 32EP enhanced performance aircraft, leasing two ...

  • News

    GE aims to expand oriental engine support ventures

    1998-03-04T16:06:00Z

    General Electric Engine Services is focusing efforts on firming up planned new engine-overhaul joint ventures in China and the Philippines, following the recent start of its partnership with EVA Airways in Taiwan. GE has confirmed that it has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Xiamen Aviation Industrial to ...

  • News

    Fairchild Dornier examines 728JET partners

    1998-03-04T16:01:00Z

    Principal risk-sharing partners in Fairchild Dornier's proposed new 728JET family of regional aircraft should be known by the end of the month. The main design configuration is expected to be frozen by May. The company's regional and business aircraft president Earl Robinson says that a total of 17 competing ...

  • News

    Pierson warns on A3XX costs

    1998-03-04T15:55:00Z

    Airbus president Jean Pierson has warned that the A3XX 550-650 seat airliner should not be launched until the consortium is satisfied that the programme can meet its promised target of delivering significantly better economics than those offered by the Boeing 747. Speaking at his last official press conference before ...