Programmes – Page 1223
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News
DHL signs MoU with Airbus for A300 freighters
DHL Airways has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Airbus Industrie for the acquisition of seven used A300B4 freighters for its US express-parcels network, and could later add additional aircraft for its European operations. The airline will take delivery of the seven aircraft, which are General Electric ...
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Latest bid to rescue Fokker fades away
Prospects of a viable rescue plan for Fokker have further evaporated after an apparent break-down in relations between Malaysia's state-investment group Khazanah Nasional and the bankrupt Dutch aircraft manufacturer's receivers. Khazanah had been discussing taking a 39% stake in a revived Fokker, by joining a DFl1.1 million ($640 ...
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Atlas closes on freighter order decision-
Atlas Air, the world's largest Boeing 747 freighter operator, is close to deciding whether to order an unspecified number of 747-400 freighters. According to Michael Chowdry, chairman and chief executive officer, the 747-400F is seen as "the next step" for the US contract cargo operator. Atlas Air is ...
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Order boom forces Boeing to raise production rates
Boeing is planning another increase in production rates as it prepares to keep pace with a surging orderbook and growing delivery backlog, now moving towards 1,500 aircraft. New urgency was injected into the company's continuous assessment of production rates by the Delta Air Lines order in March for ...
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Chinese airlines lease more Airbuses
General Electric Capital Aviation (GECAS) has signed lease agreements with two Chinese airlines to supply additional Airbus Industrie A320s, to supplement the large number ordered by China in 1996. China Northwest Airlines and Zhejiang Airlines have each signed letters of intent with GECAS for two more A320s. The ...
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Finnair signs fresh pacts to strengthen Stockholm hub
Finnish flag-carrier Finnair has signed co-operative deals with Braathens Safe, Transwede and Maersk Air, as part of plans to strengthen its presence at Stockholm, Scandinavia's main hub, in neighbouring Sweden. The deals, which include increased codesharing and links on frequent-flier programmes, follow signs of weakening in Finnair's long-standing ...
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PIA prepares for $1 billion fleet renewal
Pakistan International Airlines (PIA) is gearing up to order $1 billion worth of new aircraft, as part of plans to replace 21 ageing widebody and turboprop aircraft in its fleet by 2000. The move comes as the carrier enters the throes of a major restructuring, with the Pakistan ...
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Saudi Arabia talks to Russia and China about new missile
Saudi Arabia has approached China and Russia for a possible replacement for its ageing Chinese-made CSS-2 surface-to-surface missiles (SSMs), raising fears in Washington that the move could undermine Western non-proliferation efforts. The Saudi defence minister, Prince Khalid bin Sultan, has held talks on the subject in both Moscow ...
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SIA is first to order FANS-A upgrade for Airbus A340s
Singapore Airlines (SIA)has become the first customer for the Airbus future-air-navigation system-A (FANS-A), with a commitment to install it on its fleet of long-haul A340-300s. Airbus aims to gain certification of FANS-A equipment on the A330/340 in April 1998, with ßight trials using its A340 testbed due to ...
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R-R, Boeing to draw up -524HT test plans
Rolls-Royce has signed a memorandum of understanding with Boeing covering the formulation of a flight-test schedule for the RB.211-524HT "hybrid" turbofan, although the timing of the programme remains uncertain as the UK manufacturer works to locate a suitable testbed aircraft. The -524HT, which uses the core of the ...
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Jersey European may add larger aircraft to cope with expansion
JERSEY EUROPEAN Airways is considering options for the expansion of its fleet, which could see the airline introduce new larger aircraft in 1998. The regional airline, which flies 12 British Aerospace 146s, four Fokker F27s and two Shorts 360s, has experienced 25% annual growth over the past six ...
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Saab signs up to A3XX
Saab has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Airbus to join the study phase of the A3XX programme, and is understood to be interested in taking a risk-sharing stake of around 5%in the project. Airbus has also signed an MoU with Finland's Finavitec, to add to deals with Belairbus ...
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Delta JT8D fan finding
Failure of inspection techniques at manufacture, assembly and in service were responsible for the Pratt & Whitney JT8D-200 fan-hub failure which killed two passengers on a Delta Air Lines McDonnell Douglas MD-88 in July 1996, according to findings from a US National Transportation Safety Board hearing. A minor flaw caused ...
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USA signs Singapore in open-skies push
The USA has continued its push for new open-skies deals with the signing of its new aviation agreement with Singapore, which is the first fully liberalised pact within the key Asia Pacific region. "The signing of this agreement-represents an important step toward ending restrictions on aviation services in ...
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IAE studies latest V2530-A5 failure
International Aero Engines (IAE) is working to determine the cause of a third incident of high-pressure compressor (HPC) damage occurring to a V2530-A5 turbofan operated by Lufthansa on its Airbus A321 fleet. The latest discovery followed an engine stall and rejected take-off on 25 March. HPC blade damage ...
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BGTlooks to pilot low-cost fly-by-wire for Tu-204
German systems house Bodenseewerk Gerätetech-nik (BGT)has launched a feasibility study with Tupolev over fitting future versions of the Tu-204 twinjet with its low-cost, advanced, digital fly-by-wire (FBW)flight-control-system (FCS) technology. The contract with Tupolev comes as BGT steps up efforts to secure applications for its FBW technology, which it plans to ...
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NASA names its Hyper-X team
NASA has awarded a $33.4 million contract to a team led by MicroCraft to build four experimental aircraft which will be used to demonstrate hypersonic propulsion technologies as part of the Hyper-X project. The other team members joining Tullahoma, Tennessee-based MicroCraft are Boeing North American, GASL and Accurate ...
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Ill fated ambitions
The Romaero Rombac BAC One-Eleven programme is rooted in former Romanian leader Nicolae Ceausescu's ambitions to make Romania independent of the Soviet Union. As a maverick among the former Communist Bloc leaders, Ceausescu had refused to take part in the 1968 Soviet invasion of Czechoslovakia, and later exploited initially good ...
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Painting by numbers
BUILDING L-64 AT Marietta is not a paint shop, although it is here that F-22s will be finished before being towed across the road for radar cross-section verification ready for first flight. Each F-22 is expected to spend about 20 days in this building, where the elaborate, ...
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FAA demands an inspection of...
Following in-flight separation of a large section of a Delta Air Lines Boeing 767 wing-flap, more than 200 of the type worldwide have to undergo emergency inspection. The event occurred on a 27 March approach to Dallas/Forth Worth (DFW) Airport, Texas, and the pilots reported no problems countering the resulting ...