Airline Business articles from April 2003

Airline Business archives from April 2003

AirTran goes westwards.(AirTran Airways )
April 1, 2003... While many US major airlines retrench, low-fare AirTran Airways is pushing forward with substantial expansion, especially to airports in the west of the country. Orlando-based AirTran will begin new services this spring and summer from its...

Varig-TAM merger takes first steps.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Varig and TAM have already started their integration before deciding on its final form, and Brazil's new government has approved some of their initial steps. In response to the problem of Brazil's chronically overcrowded skies, the two...

Chile trades cabotage for 'precedent setting' deal.
April 1, 2003... Anxious to achieve liberalisation, Chile has given Uruguay cabotage rights on the end of international flights in order to secure its first open skies agreement in Latin America. "Precedent setting" is AvGroup chairman Bob Booth's reaction...

Network briefs.(Airline industry briefs)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Southward a bright spot Air traffic between the USA and the Caribbean/Latin America is poised to grow more strongly than in other regions, predicts IATA assistant director Francois Dormoy. Speaking at the Airline Business Network 2003...

United's employee ownership consigned to history.(United Airlines' Employee Stock Ownership Plan ceases to exist)
April 1, 2003... The United Airlines experiment in employee ownership ended much as it began nine years ago, in a desperate bid to save the failing carrier. The Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) ceased to exist in March when a bank trustee sold enough of...

US majors warn war could force 'nationalisation'.
April 1, 2003... The major US airlines renewed their pleas for federal aid in the lead-up to war with Iraq. But many in Congress believe that the industry's woes are of its own making. Warning that hostilities could lead to losses of $13 billion,...

Worldspan divestment raises cash.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The competitive dynamics of the Global Distribution System (GDS) industry took a potentially significant turn last month when Delta Air Lines, Northwest Airlines and American Airlines parent AMR agreed to sell their shares in Worldspan. ...

A different drum beat?(European airline market)
April 1, 2003... In the latest of a series of articles analysing the traffic outlook around the world, Chris Tarry of the CTAIRAconsultancy examines the European market. Europe's air market continues to run at two speeds. While the low-fares sector, led by...

Taiwan resumes airline sell-off.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The government-controlled foundation that owns Taiwan's China Airlines (CAL) has revived suspended efforts to privatise the national carrier and says a minority stake will be sold by the end of June. CAL is 71%-owned by the China Aviation...

New Zealand start-ups await clear policy signal.
April 1, 2003... As many as four new-entrant airlines hope to launch domestic flights in New Zealand once they have a clearer idea of where aviation policy is headed. Jump Airlines, one of these proposed carriers, shelved start-up plans in November after...

Star gets Chinese boost with Asiana membership.
April 1, 2003... TEXT: The Star Alliance has gained another member in Asia in the form of South Korea's Asiana Airlines, which has given the grouping a boost in improving access to mainland China. Asiana formally joined Star on 1 March and is the fifth...

Chinese carriers plan to tap growing cargo market.
April 1, 2003... A government-supported drive to develop China's airfreight industry is continuing with Air China spinning off its cargo division and preparing to expand it with additional freighters. Early in March the carrier formally launched Air China...

Air-India plans early retirement offer.
April 1, 2003... Air-India has secured government approval for the first voluntary retirement scheme in its history, while awaiting a report from consultants that could lead to staff numbers being cut further through the outsourcing of non-core activities. ...

Malaysia prepares formula for domestic flight competition.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Malaysia's government is putting the finishing touches to a "formula" for domestic competition that it hopes will ease the rivalry between state-owned Malaysia Airlines (MAS) and growing private carrier AirAsia. Transport minister Ling...

Tale of two continents.
April 1, 2003... Asian carriers are keeping their heads above water, but Europe is showing signs of slipping backwards, write Colin Baker and Nicholas Ionides. The last quarter of 2002 saw contrasting fortunes for Asian and European carriers, with the...

Aeroflot loses Soviet logo.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... In a move that goes much deeper than a routine rebranding, Aeroflot is to swap its old Soviet livery and hammer & sickle logo for a softer, more modern, Western-style design. The change is just part of what the airline plans to be a more...

EC approves BA-SN pact.(British Airways and SN Brussels)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The European Commission (EC) has given the go-ahead for a codesharing alliance between British Airways and SN Brussels, although the two may have to give up some slots to new entrants. The EC says the alliance "will be beneficial for...

Europe throttles back on environmental legislation.
April 1, 2003... The European Commission (EC) has made it clear that the industry downturn is likely to push back the timetable for any tightening of environmental legislation. This is a change of tune since the immediate aftermath of 11 September. Then,...

Virgin seeks French entry in wake of Air Lib collapse.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Virgin and French shipping group CMA CGM are interested in taking over assets of failed Air Lib to set up a new carrier in France operating from Paris Orly airport. Virgin Group head Richard Branson, Virgin Express managing director Neil...

BA places faith in Domodedovo.(British Airways)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... British Airways has become the largest international carrier to abandon Sheremetyevo Airport, Moscow's main overseas gateway, in favour of newly modernised Domodedovo. It will switch its two daily flights from London to the Russian capital on 1...

In brief.(Ryanair relaunches routes; Association of European Airlines releases reports)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Ryanair plots buzz relaunch Ryanair says it has signed contracts with enough buzz pilots to relaunch 13 of the carrier's 24 routes from 1 May. The Irish low-fares carrier bought buzz in January and threatened to close the airline down if...

In brief.(airlines)
April 1, 2003... EasyJet gives up on DBA EasyJet has decided not to exercise its option to buy Germany's DBA from British Airways. The move was widely anticipated after the German pilots union Vereinigung Cockpit resisted efforts to impose the easyJet...

In brief.(Alitalia in discussions with Meridiana; European Commission asks for comments on a paper)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... Alitalia talks to Meridiana Alitalia's efforts to develop a partnership with a low-cost carrier rather than set up its own operation have taken a step forward with the start of exclusive alliance talks with Meridiana. For now, it has...

Swiss forced to retrench.
April 1, 2003... Swiss is cutting 20 aircraft and 700 jobs as its ambitious attempt to maintain Zurich's position as an intercontinental hub comes under pressure. Some 17 regional aircraft, two Boeing/McDonnell Douglas MD-83s and one Airbus A321 will be...

The simple life.(British Airways continues to borrow from the simplicity of the low-cost model)(Company Profile)
April 1, 2003... IT has come to take a central strategic role at British Airways as the carrier continues to borrow from the simplicity of the low-cost model A year ago BA unveiled a brave new strategy designed to cut through the layers of complexity built...

Growth in sight?
April 1, 2003... Air-India and Indian Airways are stagnating and must grow to survive. They lost a real opportunity for change when their proposed privatisation schemes faltered in 2001, but is it too late now to try again? Air-India managing director JN...

Alliance maker.
April 1, 2003... Juan Emilio Posada is overseeing the integration of three airlines that may become a Latin American model Midway through its integration, the Summa alliance represents the biggest voluntary consolidation of Latin American airlines in modern...

Price promise.
April 1, 2003... An increasing number of low-fare carriers are using innovative service features to bring something more to their brand than simply cheap tickets As the very name suggests, the low-fares carriers live or die by the price of their tickets....

Transparent skies.(airline industry)
April 1, 2003... A study by Murdoch University in Perth, Australia, led by Ivy Isack, Greg Tower and Rebecca Tan, shows just how transparent the airline industry is in making voluntary disclosures in relation to key social issues. The airline sector is...

Lufthansa adds all-business service.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... After the successful introduction of an all-business class transatlantic operation last June, Lufthansa is expanding the concept with a further two routes. Although Lufthansa will not release detailed figures for its 10-month-old...

In brief.(airline industry)(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... FAA's gloomy forecast The FAA, in its latest annual 10-year rolling forecast, predicts that domestic US and international boardings will not reach pre-11 September levels until 2005. Total international passenger numbers to and from the...

EC sets out negotiating position on open skies.(European Commission)
April 1, 2003... The European Commission (EC) has set out its opening negotiating position as it seeks to gain the right to sign international aviation treaties on behalf of the European Union (EU). The EC is calling for a mandate to negotiate on all issues...

Man in the middle.
April 1, 2003... In Washington, the outcome of the political process is usually seen as a balancing of interests, which are represented by often-competing groups arguing their case to a Congress whose members cannot pretend to be impartial. Such a process,...

Aircraft.(Brief Article)
April 1, 2003... The low-cost boom apart, there are few signs of a quick upturn in the world's mainline aircraft markets. With jet storage figures at record levels and values still depressed, attention is turning to the issue of oversupply. Meanwhile, Boeing...

Low-fare competitions.
April 1, 2003... competitions The ultra-competitive narrowbody market is being commanded by low-fare airline deals, with Airbus and Boeing focusing on refinements of their A320 and 737 families rather than major overhauls Apart from a handful of...

Lost values.(aircraft markets)
April 1, 2003... Aircraft markets were less volatile last year, but recovery in airliner values remains a distant prospect, especially with new jets now available at bargain prices It may have come as small comfort to stressed fleet owners, but aircraft...

Fresh hope for fleet expansion.
April 1, 2003... Air-India and Indian Airlines last placed sizeable orders for new aircraft more than 10 years ago. Over the past decade they have considered fleet modernisation and expansion on several occasions, only to see growth deferred, mostly because of...

Latent promise.(Cendant Corp.)
April 1, 2003... When USservices giant Cendant first bought the Galileo distribution system, it seemed a deal full of potential. Almost two years later, the synergies have yet to materialise and some question Galileo's ability to adapt in a constantly changing...

Executive appointments.
April 1, 2003... Atlas Air Struggling Atlas ousts top executives The dismissal of four top executives could mark a radical change of direction for US freighter leasing company Atlas Air, which also owns scheduled cargo airline Polar Air Cargo. ...

aircraft renewal Nicholas Ionides / Singapore; ANA nears fleet revamp decision; Bombardier believed to be ahead of Embraer in fight for the Japanese airline's expected large regional order.(All Nippon Airways)(Brief Article)
April 29, 2003... All Nippon Airways (ANA) is close to finalising the second phase of its domestic fleet revamp plan and is expected to place orders for 70-seat regional jets and large turboprops. Bombardier and Embraer have been battling for the regional...

Evaluation Nicholas Ionides / Singapore; A340-600 and 777-300ER contest ANZ long-haul role; New Zealand carrier expected to conclude widebody evaluation later this year.
April 29, 2003... Air New Zealand (ANZ) is evaluating the Airbus A340-600 and Boeing 777-300ER as potential Boeing 747-400 replacements. Industry sources say the evaluation is expected to be completed in the third quarter of this year with orders possible...

Fleet renewal Maria Wagland / Dublin; Aer Lingus pares options to A320/737-800 choice ; Talks with suppliers begin as narrowbody replacement evaluation moves into final stages.
April 29, 2003... Aer Lingus says it has narrowed down its short-haul fleet renewal evaluation to the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737-800, and is in talks with suppliers about a deal for up to 30 aircraft, with deliveries starting from 2004. Since the beginning...

Dispute Vladimir Karnozov / Moscow; Aeroflot contests court ruling over Il-96 leases.(Brief Article)
April 29, 2003... Aeroflot is disputing a Moscow court ruling that it cannot renegotiate a lease agreement with Ilyushin-Finance (IFC) for six new Ilyushin Il-96-300s. IFC sought a court ruling on the deal after Aeroflot refused to accept the final text of...

joint venture; Airbus has grand designs on Moscow engineering centre growth.(Brief Article)
April 29, 2003... Airbus expects its recently opened engineering centre in Moscow to be employing 50 people by year-end. The office, a joint venture with Russia's Kaskol group, opened in late March and employs 25 people. The first group of Russian engineers...

Navigation systems Max Kingsley-Jones / Toulouse; Airbus readies display to help pilots taxi in safety; Airport navigation system will eventually be standard on all manufacturer's products.
April 29, 2003... Airbus plans to begin testing an airport ground manoeuvring map display on its A340 development aircraft later this year. The display may become standard in the A380. The navigation system, which has the project name "Taxi Driver", is...

Start-up; Ireland's Jetmagic uncorks European regional operation.(Brief Article)
April 29, 2003... Irish regional airline Jetmagic is due to launch operations from Cork this week operating Embraer ERJs. The airline has taken delivery of an ERJ-145 leased from Swiss International Air Lines (left), which will be operated alongside smaller...

Delivery; Rwandair relaunches with Boeing 737-500 on lease.(Brief Article)
April 29, 2003... Revamped Rwandan national carrier Rwandair Express has introduced an ex-Maersk Air Boeing 737-500 on a one-year wet lease from UK-based Aircraft Marketing Services. The aircraft arrived at Kigali International Airport on 10 April, and,...

Services Mary Kirby / Washington DC & Alexander Campbell / London; Carriers aim to re-enter Baghdad.(Brief Article)
April 29, 2003... Airlines around the world are preparing to reopen scheduled services to Baghdad as soon as their governments will allow it. In Europe, British Airways is preparing to restart services to Baghdad International Airport (formerly Saddam...

Cargo; Bedek begins conversions.(The Bedek division of Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI))(Brief Article)
April 29, 2003... The Bedek division of Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) has opened its Boeing 737-300/400 passenger-to-freighter (PTF) conversion line. Work has begun on the first two 737s and the division expects to receive its US Federal Aviation...

aircraft replacement Murdo Morrison / London; CSA closes in on widebody choice and rethinks on 170 for short hauls.(Brief Article)
April 29, 2003... CSA will finalise its widebody fleet renewal plans in the next two months and re-evaluate the Embraer 170 for its regional needs. The Czech flag carrier is studying the Airbus A330 and Boeing 767 to replace its two Airbus A310-300s between...

dispute Nicholas Ionides / Singapore; Dragonair fights Cathay Pacific China licence.(Brief Article)
April 29, 2003... Hong Kong's Dragonair is considering legal action to prevent Cathay Pacific Airways operating competing services to mainland China. On 17 April Cathay took a step towards launching services to Beijing, Shanghai and Xiamen after a 13-year...

development Brendan Sobie / Singapore; MHI to lead on Japan's regional jet ; Kawasaki absent from research programme which could lead to development of indigenous aircraft later this decade.(Mitsubishi Heavy Industries)
April 29, 2003... Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) is poised to lead a regional jet research and development project jointly funded by the Japanese government and local aerospace firms. The five-year, [acute accent]50 billion ($420 million) R&D project...

fleet renewal; Tough times hold up Jet's Embraer 175s.(Brief Article)
April 29, 2003... Jet Airways has delayed its planned acquisition of Embraer 175 regional jets by a year due to domestic trading conditions. The carrier, India's largest privately owned airline, signed a letter of intent at last year's Farnborough air show...

scrap; 737 Classics broken up.(Brief Article)
April 29, 2003... US spares supplier The Memphis Group has begun the first large-scale scrapping of the Boeing 737 Classic, as it parts out some ex-US Airways aircraft. The company has started breaking a 14-year-old 737-300 and a 15-year-old -400 and says...

Order; Dash 8 programme resurgence continues.(Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 program )(Brief Article)
April 29, 2003... A revival of the Bombardier Dash 8 Q400 programme is under way following Flybe's order for 17 aircraft, plus 20 options, and a letter of intent (LoI) from Canadian start-up Regional Airlines Holdings (Regco) for up to 25 aircraft. The...

SARS; Governments plan rescue mission for Asian airlines.(Brief Article)
April 29, 2003... Asian governments have begun offering assistance to airlines in a bid to contain losses caused by the sharp drop in demand due to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak. Taiwan was the first to announce cuts to airport user...

Expansion Vladimir karnozov / moscow; Volga-Dnepr advances 747-400F acquisition plan.(Brief Article)
April 29, 2003... Russian carrier Volga-Dnepr Airlines is moving forward with plans to acquire Boeing 747 freighters, and is negotiating a deal with Boeing to take two new 747-400 freighters. Volga-Dnepr chairman Aleksei Isaikin says this will be the first...

overhaul; Entertaining maintenance.(Rockwell Collins Aviation Services' in-flight entertainment (IFE) maintenance base)(Brief Article)
April 29, 2003... Rockwell Collins Aviation Services has developed what it claims is the world's largest in-flight entertainment (IFE) maintenance base, at Paris Charles de Gaulle airport. The base was set up primarily to support Air France, but handles...

SINGLE-ENGINE TURBOPROPS; Pacific Aerospace near to 750XL certification.(Brief Article)
April 29, 2003... New Zealand's Pacific Aerospace (PAC) is nearing the end of the certification process for its PAC 750XL single-engine turboprop after several months' delay. The Hamilton-based manufacturer has completed its flight-test programme and documents...

funding; Adam secures investment for business aircraft family.(Brief Article)
April 29, 2003... Adam Aircraft has secured private investment to fund its A500 all-composite, centreline-thrust piston twin through certification and into production and its A700 twinjet through to first flight. The second prototype of the A500 is in flight...

Sales Graham Warwick / Washington DC ; Gulfstream believes worst is over; Despite eight order cancellations, manufacturer remains upbeat, but rival Cessna forecasts 'flat to lower' deliveries.
April 29, 2003... Gulfstream had eight business jet orders cancelled in the first quarter, mainly by customers unable to finance their purchases, but it believes the worst of the economic downturn may be over. Despite the cancellations, Gulfstream "did okay on...

Block charter; Skyjet unveils Learjet Class to rival Marquis Jet Partners' offering.(Brief Article)
April 29, 2003... Charter broker Bombardier Skyjet has launched a US membership programme offering customers block hours in Bombardier Learjet 60 mid-size business jets. The Premier Fleet Plus-Learjet Class programme is designed to compete with Marquis Jet...

Restructuring Pino Modola / Genoa; Alitalia chief urges privatisation.(Brief Article)
April 29, 2003... Alitalia has unveiled its latest cost-cutting plan, including a 6-7% reduction in flights and a similar cut in staff numbers. About 1,200-1,400 staff are expected to be shed and senior management changes are likely in the near term. The...

Acquisition Christina Mackenzie / Paris; Labinal plugs in Boeing's electrical wiring business; Agreement will establish Snecma Group unit as major supplier to US manufacturer.(Brief Article)
April 29, 2003... Snecma Group company Labinal has bought the electrical wiring activities of Texas-based Boeing Corinth, which produces around 39% of the wiring for the USmanufacturer's commercial aircraft. Snecma chief executive Jean-Paul Bechat says the move...

Results; Major US carriers sink deeper into the red.(Brief Article)
April 29, 2003... The severe financial slump at US airlines continued in the first quarter of 2003 as majors lost well over $2.5 billion combined for the three-month period ending 31 March. American Airlines, struggling to stave off bankruptcy, led the way...

business.(Personnel)(Brief Article)
April 29, 2003... n Goodrich has appointed Marshall Larsen as chief executive.Formerly chief operating officer, he will replace David Burner as chief executive immediately and as chairman in October. Swiss International Air Lines has proposed Jan Audun Reinas,...

Flight testing; Cessna CJ3 light jet takes off.(Brief Article)
April 29, 2003... Cessna has begun flight testing the Citation CJ3 light business jet. The 1.7h first flight on 17April evaluated stability and control, engine operating characteristics and slow-speed handling qualities. It is powered by uprated Williams...

BLOCK CHARTER justin wastnage / london; Aviace holds off Jet Club start-up; Launch of block charter scheme delayed to end of next year due to engine-related slip in Eclipse 500 programme.(Brief Article)
April 29, 2003... TEXT: Aviace has put its block charter jet club on hold in response to the engine-related delays to the Eclipse 500 personal jet programme. The Aviace jet club concept, a mix between fractional ownership and air taxi chartering, is to be...

Wrong approach.(International law relating to aircraft noise must be used to terminate an unfortunate German/Swiss dispute.)(Brief Article)
April 29, 2003... International law relating to aircraft noise has recently been clarified. It must be used to terminate an unfortunate German/Swiss dispute A dispute about aircraft noise on the main approach to Zurich airport, Switzerland, is going to be...

Position tracking; USArmy accelerates Blue Force deployment.(Blue Force Tracking-Aviation (BFT-A) system)(Brief Article)
April 29, 2003... The US Army has accelerated deployment of its new Blue Force Tracking-Aviation (BFT-A) system, equipping more than 300 helicopters in the past six months, shaving 18 months off the original schedule. The system has allowed commanders in Iraq to...

contracts.(Brief Article)
April 29, 2003... n Under a $2.2 million contract, Microvision is to build two helmet-mounted full-colour displays for flight demonstration of the US Army's helicopter Virtual Cockpit Optimisation Programme in 2004. Sikorsky has received a US Army contract to...

Surveillance Paul Lewis / Washington DC; USN Navair Commandto migrate Hairy Buffalo ; Network-centric warfare system in C-130 will demonstrate roll-on/roll-off capability.(Brief Article)
April 29, 2003... The US Navy's Navair Command plans to migrate its Hairy Buffalo network-centric warfare flying laboratory, including fibre-optic backbone, to a Lockheed Martin C-130 testbed by September, with the aim of demonstrating a rapid roll-on/roll-off...

Naval systems Paul Lewis / Washington DC; Submarine-launched UAV idea revived ; Lockheed Martin wins contract for in-depth research of its recoverable multi-purpose air vehicle concept.(Brief Article)
April 29, 2003... Lockheed Martin Skunk Works has received a Defence Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) contract to study in more detailits concept for a submarine-launched and recovered multipurpose air vehicle (MPAV) capable of carrying weapons or...

reorganisation Brendan Sobie / Singapore; Philippine air force plans for modernisation suffer setback.(Brief Article)
April 29, 2003... The Philippine air force has cancelled plans to acquire four Lockheed Martin C-130Ks and is again delaying other new aircraft procurements. But the service is finally moving ahead with plans to reactivate parked aircraft and is hoping...

Upgrade Stewart Penney /Venegono; Aermacchi looks at S211 developments.(Brief Article)
April 29, 2003... Aermacchi is reviewing options for upgrading the S211 jet-powered basic trainer, making it more competitive against the latest generation of turboprop-powered trainers. Aermacchi acquired the S211 when it took over SIAIMarchetti in 1997, but...

share benefits.(Pan-European leisure travel groups are increasingly looking for ways to share aircraft, flight crews and buying power)
April 29, 2003... Pan-European leisure travel groups are increasingly looking for ways to share aircraft, flightcrew and buying power across their airline subsidiaries mark pilling / london For a leisure travel group such as TUI, which has airline...

australasia; Responding to demand ; emma kelly / perth.
April 29, 2003... Despite the downturn, war in Iraq and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome causing crisis in the industry, Australian and New Zealand airlines are continuing with plans to boost their maintenance facilities and capabilities. Virgin Blue has...

trouble ahead.(trends in Asian maintenance, repair, and overhaul shops)
April 29, 2003... Asian maintenance operations continue to expand, but could airline capacity cuts and economic uncertainty caused by the spread of SARS stunt their ambitions? Brendan Sobie / Singapore Maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) shops in...

Instruction; New standard launched for flight schools.(Brief Article)
April 29, 2003... Newly formed European Pilot Institute (EPI) last week launched a standardised training programme for European flight schools at the Aero 2003 air show in Friedrichshafen, Germany. The European Pilot Project is aimed at assisting all flight...

humanitarian aid Brendan Sobie / Singapore; L-1011 hospital to fly again; Memphis organisation aims to base TriStar in Cambodia after year-long grounding.(Brief Article)
April 29, 2003... A humanitarian organisation has purchased a hospital-configured Lockheed L-1011 that it plans to base at a newly reopened airport in Cambodia alongside a fleet of L-100s. The L-100 is the civil version of the C-130 Hercules. Global Flying...

Development ; Utva starts on trainer modification.(Utva Aircraft Industry is creating a structural modification programme )(Brief Article)
April 29, 2003... Serbia's sole aircraft manufacturer, Utva Aircraft Industry, has started work on a structural modification programme for Balkan flight schools using its UTVA-75 (formally Ut-75A21) two-seat trainer. Seven aircraft belonging to the civilian...

Air Transport Max Kingsley-Jones / london; Airbus touts Air Canada A340s; As troubled carrier delays delivery, manufacturer reveals higher-weight -500 option to close 777-200LR range gap.
April 29, 2003... Airbus is seeking new customers for Air Canada's first two A340-500s because the launch operator is unlikely to take delivery of the aircraft as scheduled due to its financial woes. Emirates and South African Airways (SAA) are seen as the lead...

Defence ; AMC poised for A400M engine choice.(Brief Article)
April 29, 2003... Airbus Military (AMC) plans to announce its A400M engine selection this week after Europrop International (EPI) was given a final chance to improve the financial terms of its proposal by the manufacturer's 25 April deadline. "The decision...

air transport; Airbus A330 to debut in China.(Brief Article)
April 29, 2003... Airbus has scored its first sale of widebody A330s in the fast-growing China market as part of a bulk deal involving 30 aircraft for five airlines. An agreement was signed in Beijing on 25 April covering four A330s, 16 A319s and 10 A320s, to be...