Systems & interiors – Page 779
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Light and powerful
It may be slower than its competitors, but the power of Bell's 427 light twin turbine, simplicity of operation and overall comfort impressed Flight International's test pilot Peter Gray/MIRABEL Beginning with a clean sheet of paper, a list of desired design criteria and a rigid purchase price goal, Bell Helicopter ...
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Spoiling tactics
When Boeing concluded its recent trade-in deal with Singapore Airlines (SIA) for 10 more 777s in exchange for a guarantee to buy and remarket its entire A340 fleet, the move seemed as capricious as it was masterful. But, with arch rival Airbus Industrie putting the finishing touches to a ...
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South Africa to levy 'safety' fee
Doug Birch/LONDON Foreign airlines flying to South Africa will have to pay fees totalling almost $3 million over the next 18 months as a contribution to an "aviation safety charge", according to the South African Civil Aviation Authority. The fees replace a fuel levy implemented in January by ...
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Airbus plans to thwart Boeing's SIA deal
Andrew Doyle/MUNICH Airbus Industrie has drawn up a confidential business plan aimed at frustrating Boeing's efforts to remarket 17 A340-300s it is to acquire from Singapore Airlines (SIA)as part of a recent 777 deal. The consortium declines to comment on the plan, but a source familiar with its contents says: ...
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NASA Messenger mission will map Mercury
NASA plans to return to Mercury, after an absence of more than 30 years, when its Messenger spacecraft reaches the innermost planet in 2008. The Messenger mission to map Mercury is one of two new projects selected for NASA's "quicker, cheaper" Discovery programme (Flight International, 21-27 July). The other ...
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Airbus expects Asian order bonanza after recovery
Andrzej Jeziorski/SINGAPOREAirbus Industrie is predicting that Asia's airlines will order 4,300 passenger aircraft worth $450 billion over the next two decades as the Far East renews its economic growth. Adam Brown, Airbus vice-president, forecasting and strategic planning, says signs of recovery in the Asia-Pacific market will appear by the second ...
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Jetphone hangs up on airline market
Emma Kelly/LONDON In-flight telephone service provider Jetphone will cease operations on 31 December following a lack of demand by airline passengers for in-flight telephony. Jetphone is in discussions with its airline customers on service cessation, which will leave Europe without a terrestrial flight telecommunication system (TFTS) service provider following ...
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Japan medical
MD Helicopters has delivered an air medical Explorer to Japanese distributor Tomen Aerospace for use by Aero Asahi, which will operate the helicopter for a hospital as part of a government-supported trial. Air Methods provided the interior for the helicopter. Colorado-based Air Methods believes the trial, the first air medical ...
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Routes
American Airlines will begin seasonal daily services to Los Cabos, Mexico, from Chicago O'Hare on 1 November, using Boeing MD-80s. The airline will also launch three daily Boeing 727 flights between Miami and Tampa on the same day, replacing services provided by regional partner American Eagle, which will reduce its ...
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Air Wisconsin aims to trade turboprops for regional jets
Paul Lewis/WASHINGTON DC Air Wisconsin wants to trade in its Fairchild Dornier 328 turboprops for new 32/44-seat regional jets, while playing down interest in the British Aerospace Avro RJ-X in the face of United Airlines' scope clause restrictions. The United Express carrier is evaluating the newly certificated Embraer RJ-135 ...
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Safety surprises
A relatively safe first half of 1999 included some landmark events in airline flight safety David Learmount/LONDON An airline industry-feared rise in air transport accidents is not happening. A marked flight safety improvement has occurred in the first half of this year, compared with the same period last year, despite ...
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Taking on the dollar
Jack Sellsby/LONDON When the euro was introduced at the start of this year, it became a huge source of new currency financing almost overnight, although the airlines were not the quickest of the corporates to take advantage. But like any other industry on the lookout for fresh, plentiful finance ...
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Control freaks
It often takes a crisis to unite an industry and push participants into much-needed action. A crisis is exactly what Europe's air traffic control system is facing this summer, and Eurocontrol, Europe's air navigation organisation, freely admits it. The signs are already there. Last summer's system performance was poor, ...
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Eurocontrol delays steps to taking regulatory powers
Emma Kelly/BRUSSELS Eurocontrol's Council has delayed until October a decision on whether to approve plans to consider granting the air navigation organisation regulatory powers to force member states to make urgent air traffic management (ATM) improvements. The move comes as Europe's air traffic control (ATC) system is facing a summer ...
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LanPeru hovers as AeroPeru searches for cash
LanPeru seeks to expand rapidly its new domestic operation, with international services to Miami and the surrounding region on its agenda. The airline could face delay, however, as AeroPeru, the bankrupt national carrier that is LanPeru's direct competitor, is given another 60-day extension by creditors to find financial backers. ...
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Boeing is considering 'shrunk' 767-400ER for long range role
Guy Norris/SEATTLE Boeing is considering a possible shrink of the 767-400ER as an alternative to meeting the long range requirement of the proposed 767-300ERX with discrete upgrades from the stretched twin-aisle development. The move would be a subtle but distinct change in direction for the 767 programme and ...
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Atlantic seeks to end limit on regionals jets
Atlantic Coast Airlines (ACA) is pressing United Airlines for unlimited use of regional jets under 50 seats as it places a conditional order with Fairchild Aerospace for up to 110 328/428JETs to replace British Aerospace Jetstream 32 and Jetstream 41 turboprops. The United Express carrier wants to phase out ...
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Star Alliance pursues French and German rail options
Julian Moxon/PARIS French railway company SNCF is considering a move that could see it become the first "non-airline" member of the Star Alliance - although it has not yet dismissed alternative options which could see it do a "train/plane" deal with a single airline, or open its route network ...
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Final A3XX decisions loom for Airbus
Julian Moxon/TOULOUSE Airbus Industrie is to take decisions on the final assembly site and technology content of the A3XX in November in preparation for a possible commercial campaign from next January. The European consortium will decide which technologies to use in the 550-seat aircraft to achieve the desired 15% reduction ...
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US AOPA warns on safety after Loran delays
The US Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) has warned that general aviation safety will be seriously undermined by any further delay in the decision on the continuation of the Loran-C navigation system and any plans to bring forward the shut down of Loran-C transmitters in the USA. AOPA ...