Airline Business articles from July 2003

Airline Business archives from July 2003

Expansion David Field / Washington DC & Guy Norris / Los Angeles; AirTran joins airliner buying spree; Carrier's $4 billion deal for up to 110 Boeing aircraft confirms US low-fares sector's confidence in future growth.
July 8, 2003... AirTran Airways' massive order last week for up to 110 Boeing 737s and 717s again demonstrates the ascendancy of the US low-fares sector. The $4 billion deal includes 50 firm orders for the 737-700, plus 50 options, as well as 10 firm orders...

Start-up ; Air Vardar established to replace Avioimpex.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... Macedonian start-up Air Vardar has received its first Boeing MD-82 and aims to have four aircraft in service by the end of August. The airline - a joint venture between Mergimi travel agent owner Sabri Aliji and Swiss and German investors -...

Delivery; EVA Air receives first of 10 A330-200s to replace 767s.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... EVA Air has taken delivery of its first Airbus aircraft - one of 10 General Electric CF6-80E1A3-powered A330-200s it is acquiring through leases and direct purchases. The first aircraft is one of eight the Taiwanese airline is leasing from GE...

freighters; First leased 737-300s for TNT.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... TNT Express has introduced the first of two Boeing 737-300 freighters it is leasing from GE Capital Aviation Services for its European network. Based at TNT's hub in Liege, Belgium, the aircraft is being operated on night-time flights to...

International services ; Bangladesh liberalises.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... Bangladesh has taken its first steps towards allowing private carriers to operate international services, with its Cabinet giving "in-principle" approval for cross-border operations. Private carriers, led by the most successful domestic...

communications; Britannia and TCUK eye wireless systems.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... UKcharter airlines Britannia Airways and Thomas Cook Airlines UK (TCUK) are embracing web-based flight crew communications, with Britannia hoping to extend its system to wireless local area networks (WLANs) in aircraft cabins. Last year...

revival ; Gaza airport may reopen.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... The Palestinian Authority has asked Israel to allow it to re-open the international airport in the Gaza Strip and revive operations of Palestinian Airlines, grounded since late 2001, as part of last month's ceasefire agreement. The carrier...

Liberalisation Nicholas Ionides / Singapore; China makes first move towards open skies policy; Scheme would give foreign carriers access to Hainan in bid to boost tourism in region.
July 8, 2003... Chinese civil aviation authorities are working on a ground-breaking open skies policy for the southern island province of Hainan that would see foreign airlines given unlimited operating rights. Government sources in China say high-level...

Modifications ; JAL's 747 flightdeck upgrade gets certification.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... Boeing Commercial Airplane Services has completed US Federal Aviation Administration certification of a flightdeck modernisation programme for Japan Airlines' (JAL) Boeing 747 Classic fleets. The first equipped aircraft, a JAL-owned 747-300...

retirement; Adieu to final French Concorde.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... France's Concorde era came to a nostalgic end on 27 June, with the final touchdown of an Air France example at Toulouse Blagnac airport after 27 years of operation. The flight was the last museum delivery flight of an Air France Concorde...

Noise reduction Guy Norris / Los Angeles; Nozzle's approval opens new chapter for MD-80 ; With production and certification agreements in place, only the customers are missing.(Jet Engineering of California)
July 8, 2003... Jet Engineering of California has received US Federal Aviation Administration certification for an engine exhaust nozzle that will make Boeing MD-80 series twinjets compliant with International Civil Aviation Organisation Chapter 4 noise...

start-up nicholas ionides / singapore; United Myanmar plans launch.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... Myanmar is due to have its second international flag carrier in August, when United Myanmar Airlines expects to begin operations with two leased Boeing 737-400s. The carrier is a joint venture between state-owned domestic operator Myanma...

Expansion Nicholas Ionides / Singapore; A340-500 in frame for Brunei non-stop flights; Airbus seeks to place grounded aircraft originally destined for struggling Air Canada.
July 8, 2003... Royal Brunei Airlines is discussing a deal with Airbus for two A340-500s for new long-haul operations. Industry sources say negotiations are at an advanced stage. Royal Brunei declines to comment directly on its interest in the A340-500,...

Cargo Brendan Sobie / Singapore; ST Aero prepares for 747-400SF conversions.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... Singapore Technologies Aerospace (ST Aero) expects to begin Boeing 747-400 Special Freighter (SF) conversions by 2006 despite Boeing selecting rival Taikoo (Xiamen) Aircraft Engineering (TAECO) as the initial conversion centre. ST Aero...

Dispute rainer uphoff / madrid; Spanish unions slam 'safety' law.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... Spanish airline employees claim that a recently approved Spanish aviation safety law contravenes modern safety practices and is about controlling industrial action. The professional associations representing pilots, air traffic controllers and...

Fleet renewal ; First TAME A320 cleared for landing.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... Ecuador's state-owned carrier TAME is poised to introduce its first Airbus A320, having received government clearance to go ahead with a lease deal for two aircraft. TAME finalised its fleet renewal plan in May 2002 and agreed an...

Retirements Max Kingsley-Jones / London; Widebodies go for scrap as demand evaporates; First second-generation aircraft to be broken up as owners struggle to redeem value.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... The continuing slump in demand for secondhand aircraft is forcing owners to take the drastic step of breaking up relatively young widebodies to salvage the scrap value from the airframes. According to the Airclaims Case database, over 200...

workshop.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... n Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance Engineering is undertaking a heavy maintenance check on a Cebu Pacific Air Boeing 757-200. Goodrich's Singapore-based repair facility has become the first independent maintenance provider to begin Rolls-Royce...

low-cost carriers; SkyEurope aims high for EU entry.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... Slovakian low-cost carrier SkyEurope aims to establish bases across central Europe in a bid to become the region's leading leisure carrier ahead of entry into the European Union in 2005. The Bratislava-based airline took delivery of its...

PARTNERSHIP; Harrods brings one-stop shop dream closer with interiors move.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... Harrods Aviation has joined forces with cabin interiors specialist MacCarthy Interiors to offer refurbishment and support services for business jets. This is the first foray into the cabin interiors market for the UK's largest fixed base...

TESTING; SJ30-2 set to fly again.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... Sino Swearingen Aircraft says it expects to resume flight testing this week of its SJ30-2 light business jet. The decision comes less than three months after the first production prototype crashed while undergoing flutter testing, killing chief...

in brief.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... BBJ2 COMPLETION Jet Aviation has delivered a VIP-configured Boeing Business Jet 2. The aircraft was completed at the company's Basle, Switzerland facility and includes seating for up to 31 passengers and eight crew, says Jet Aviation. Two...

contract; Air Canada pilots give thumbs up to pay and job cut package.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... Air Canada has achieved its goal of cutting C$1.1 billion ($813 million) in annual labour costs after its pilots ratified the last and biggest concession package. The Air Canada Pilots Association (ACPA) says its members voted 87% in...

In brief.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... Embraer loan Embraer has secured a $200 million loan to buy 170/190 produc- tion components and parts. The seven-year syndicated loan is led by Sumitomo Mitsui Banking and was co-arranged by ABN Amro Bank, Credit Lyonnais and Societe...

cargo Murdo Morrison / Moscow; Fast-growing East Line considers airline's future.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... East Line Group, operator of Moscow's fast-expanding second airport, Domodedovo, is considering the future of its airline, East Line Airlines, as it focuses on ambitious plans for its airport services business. The largely cargo carrier...

Acquisition Graham Warwick / Washington DC; Carlyle and Finmeccanica in cut-price FiatAvio deal; Purchase to boost investment firm's bid for stake in smaller European engine companies.
July 8, 2003... US investment firm Carlyle Group and Italian state holding company Finmeccanica have agreed to acquire engine manufacturer FiatAvio for c1.5 billion ($1.7 billion), down from the original asking price of c1.6 billion. The deal has boosted the...

People.(Christopher Bowers is expected to be named the new trustee for troubled carrier Hawaiian Airlines )(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... n Former United Airlines executive Christopher Bowers is expected to be named the new trustee for troubled carrier Hawaiian Airlines after the resignation in June of John Monahan after only 22 days in the role. Monahan, a former Liberty House...

Restructuring; Russia backs one-company idea.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... The Russian government is supporting a National Reserve Bank (NRB) proposal to create a single national aviation corporation - but not in the timeframe the bank suggests. NRB, which owns 45% of Ilyushin-Finance and has stakes in the...

Acquisition Kieran Daly / London; Teledyne bags Spirent unit to plug data gaps ; Avionics company hopes move will propel it into burgeoning EFB market.
July 8, 2003... Teledyne Technologies is acquiring Spirent's Aviation Information Solutions (AIS) business to plug the gaps in its line of flight data acquisition and processing products and launch it into the burgeoning electronic flight bag (EFB) market. ...

TENDER; Ecuador joins VIP aircraft trend.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... The Ecuadorian air force has issued a request for proposals (RFP) for a presidential transport aircraft to replace its British Aerospace BAe 748 twin turboprop. This is the latest in a wave of presidential aircraft replacement proposals to...

MERGER justin wastnage / london; ExecuJet expected to roll its Swiss and Scandinavian fleets into one.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... Business aircraft services company ExecuJet is studying a merger of its Danish and Swiss operations into a single European unit. The board is expected to approve a plan to bring the fleet and some operations of Copenhagen-based ExecuJet...

OFFSHORE Justin Wastnage / London; Streamlined Schreiner to expand its mid-sized fleet; Dutch operator to focus on oil and gas businesses in bid to return to profitability.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... Netherlands offshore helicopter operator Schreiner Aviation Group is to upgrade its mid-size helicopter fleet this year as it sheds non-core businesses in an effort to return to profitability. The company pledges to invest up to c13 million...

STRATEGY; OurJet books name change.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... Start-up UK charter operator OurJet is to change its name to Bookajet as it attempts to improve aircraft utilisation. The Farnborough-based operator says "negative feedback" on its name has hampered growth since it acquired three aircraft from...

Cover story Graham Warwick / WashingtonDC; Coast Guard C-130Js set for initial transport role; Extra funding required to convert aircraft for intended long-range maritime mission.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... The US Coast Guard will become the latest operator of the Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules next month, when it formally accepts delivery of the first four of six aircraft on order. The aircraft - the fourth of which will be the 100th C-130J off...

contracts.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... n Alliant Techsystems has received a $222.6 million, 63-month USNavy contract for system development and demonstration of the AGM-88E AARGM advanced anti-radiation guided missile, a HARMhigh-speed anti-radiation missile retrofitted with...

Training; Cubic wins air combat contract.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... Cubic Defense Applications is to develop the next generation of instrumented air-combat training system for the US military. Cubic, teamed with IDT Metric Systems, beat a Boeing/BVR Systems team to win the 10-year, $525 million contract to...

Milestone Stewart Penney / Manching; Eurofighter accepted for service entry; Germany and UK first partners to receive aircraft, with initial versions primarily intended to be used for air defence.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... Dual ceremonies on 30 June at EADS Germany's Manching site and BAE Systems' Warton factory marked the award of Eurofighter Typhoon type acceptance and entry into service of the multirole fighter. Type acceptance is the formal...

Technology ; BAE Systems develops fly-by-wire flight controls for Sikorsky H-92.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... BAE Systems' US arm is developing a fly-by-wire flight-control system for Sikorsky's H-92 Superhawk, a version of the S-92 with uprated engines and other improvements and the basis of the company's offering for the VXX US presidential...

Cruise missiles PaulLewis / Washington DC; Lockheed Martin airs JASSM fear; Company warns AGM-158 programme could run into "catastrophe" unless US government funding cuts are reversed.
July 8, 2003... Lockheed Martin is warning of a possible "catastrophe" for the AGM-158 JASSM cruise missile programme unless funding cut by the US House of Representatives is restored. Meanwhile, senior US defence officials are quietly considering the MBDA...

procurement Brendan Sobie / Singapore; South Korea faced with key helicopter decisions.
July 8, 2003... South Korea's ministry of national defence (MND) is preparing to open a planning office for its proposed (KMH) indigenous multipurpose helicopter ahead of key procurement decisions that could involve several helicopter types. Industry...

collaboration; UK-US missile workshare takes off.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... Following an agreement in May between the UK and US governments to share work on missile defence, BAE Systems and Lockheed Martin have signed a memorandum of understanding to collaborate on ballistic missile defence. The companies will...

modificationSBrendan Sobie / Singapore; Malaysia looks at avionics upgrades.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... Malaysia is considering glass cockpit upgrades for its RSKMiG-29 fighters and just-acquired ex-Royal New Zealand Air Force Aermacchi MB339CB trainers. The upgrades would improve the commonality of the Royal Malaysia Air Force's diverse...

rotorcraft; PZL-Swidnik set to re-engine SW-4 helicopter.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... PZL-Swidnik is to re-engine the SW-4 light helicopter with Polish-built Pratt & Whitney Canada turboshafts in place of Rolls-Royce 250-C20Rs. The Polish manufacturer is also set to receive the go-ahead to deliver the first two of 40 SW-4s...

Helicopter procurement Brendan Sobie /Singapore ; Mitsubishi begins search for successor to UH-60; Japanese manufacturer's options include tie-up with Sikorsky to build the S-92.
July 8, 2003... Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has launched a study to evaluate possible successors to its UH-60J helicopter programme. Japan is expected to seek a UH-60 replacement in the second half of this decade and Kawasaki Heavy Industries (KHI)...

Aerodynamics; Colour tool; Michael Phelan /london.(computational fluid dynamics)
July 8, 2003... Just as computer-aided design software has pervaded today's aircraft structures design offices, computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is gaining the respect of aerodynamicists for its ability to speed up aerofoil selection. While useful for...

strategy ; The consultant's view; Michael Phelan / Paris.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... Dassault Systemes is partnered by IBM in distributing its PLM suite of software around the world. Marty Phillips, IBM partner, aerospace and defence industry, says the suite helps design offices to focus on their product strategy as much as it...

screen; test.
July 8, 2003... Computer-aided design of aircraft is taking on a new dimension with Dassault's 7X business jet with supplies connected through a "virtual plateau" Michael Phelan / Paris Computer-aided design software has been around for more than two...

Reusable reality.(Industry Overview)
July 8, 2003... Routine access to space has proved elusive. As the cost becomes clear questions are being asked about the need to make spacecraft truly reusable. Graham Warwick / WashingtonDC Spaceflight is substantially younger than flight itself -...

TRADE BODY; Aerohawk reactivates AOPA branch in Malaysia.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... Malaysian aerial advertising company Aerohawk has reactivated the country's Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) in an effort to represent and promote Malaysia's growing general aviation sector. A Malaysian branch of AOPA was...

SAFETY; Australia to check R22 rotor blades.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... Australia's Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) has issued an urgent airworthiness directive (AD) requiring inspections for cracked main rotor blades on Robinson R22 helicopters. The AD follows a preliminary investigation by the...

CERTIFICATION kate sarsfield / london; Diamond diesel earns European instrument flight rules approval.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... Diamond Aircraft has received European instrument flight rules certification for its DA40TDI light single-engined aircraft as it prepares to break ground on a 10,900m2 (120,000ft2) composites facility at its base in Wiener Neustadt, Austria....

ACQUISITION Brendan Sobie / singapore; Enstrom captures Indonesian deal ; Financing concerns overcome as manufacturer beats off Eurocopter and Schweizer in police helicopter contest.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... Indonesia's police force plans to acquire 18 Enstrom 480B helicopters and two Raytheon Beechcraft 1900D turboprops to bolster its patrol capabilities. The 480B outscored the Eurocopter EC120 and Schweizer 333 in a competition that...

Air Transport David Kaminski-Morrow / London; Baghdad services to restart.(Baghdad International Airport)(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... Baghdad International Airport could be ready to receive commercial passenger flights later this month, but with severely limited ground services. Washington DC-based SkyLink Air and Logistic Support is managing the airport under a $2.5...

Briefing.
July 8, 2003... BAE/Finmeccanica set up Eurosystems co-operation BAE Systems' and Finmeccanica's defence electronics divisions are to be brought together in a joint venture. Eurosystems will have a central strategic co-ordination committee and three...

Defence Stewart Penney / Manching; Ministers urge Eurofighter cost cut; With Tranche 2 talks under way, partner nations call for speedy agreement to make "whole enterprise leaner".(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... European defence ministers are calling for Eurofighter Typhoon cost cuts of up to 20% in negotiations for Tranche 2 aircraft development. The partner nations - Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK - signed an agreement earlier this year...

DEFENCEGrahamWarwick / WashingtonDC; USAF targets 2h strike capability; Unmanned hypersonic weapon system capable of deployment from conventional runway could be operational by 2025.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... The US Air Force wants to develop the capability to strike anywhere in the world within 2h from a conventional runway in the continental USA (CONUS). Development of an unmanned hypersonic weapon system that could be operational by 2025 is...

spaceflight Brendan Sobie / Singapore; Japan's space ambitions suffer as high-speed demonstrator crashes.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... Japan's fledgling space programme was set back last week by the crash of a model unmanned spaceplane in Sweden after its parachute recovery system failed to fully activate. The National Aerospace Laboratory (NAL) says the High Speed Flight...

Air Transport; Regionals win concessions.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... Regional airlines have won several key victories in their battle with the European Commission to limit compensation and assistance packages to passengers on cancelled flights. Despite changes to liability for connecting flights and a nine-month...

Air Transport; Airbus acts to cut A380 cash call risk.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... Major cost savings demanded by Airbus chief executive Noel Forgeard will be used to ensure the company does not have to call on shareholders for additional A380 funding if production rates fall markedly next year. Forgeard unexpectedly...

Air Transport Justin Wastnage / London; Military concerns cloud Single Sky; Sovereignty-based amendments could scupper project.
July 8, 2003... Long-standing European plans to unify airspace regulation are facing a potentially crippling delay after the European Parliament last week rejected military airspace changes demanded by several countries as part of the Single European Sky (SES)...

Business Aviation; Legacy sale cancelled as Indigo faces struggle.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... Embraer has confirmed that its deal with Indigo for up to 75 ERJ-135 Legacy jets has been quietly cancelled as a result of the start-up charter carrier's financial difficulties and after only two of the corporate jets had been delivered. ...

in brief.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... training needs Cessna's training partner FlightSafety International will need to add eight simulators as the Citation CJ3, Sovereign and Mustang business jets enter service over the next three years, says the manufacturer.FlightSafety...

Order Graham Warwick / Washington DC; Commercial debut for AAlchemy.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... Thales Training & Simulation has selected Quantum3D's AAlchemy image generator for an Airbus A320 full-flight simulator ordered by Iberia Airlines. This will be the first commercial airline flight training application of the US company's...

launch; Pegasus carries Orbimage 3.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... Orbital Sciences air-launched a Pegasus XL booster from its Lockheed L-1011 Tristar carrier aircraft over the Pacific Ocean on 26 June, carrying Orbital Imaging's Orbimage 3 high-resolution commercial remote-sensing satellite. The mission was...

in brief.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... moon mission India's proposed Rp3.5 billion ($75.5 million)mission to the moon involves putting a spacecraft into lunar orbit to enable high-resolution remote sensing of the moon in visible, X-ray and low-energy gamma-ray regions of the...

Exploration; Japan to join forces with ESA for Bepi Columbo mission to Mercury.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... Japan is to invest $114 million in co-operating with the European Space Agency to develop and launch the Bepi Columbo mission to Mercury, which will include an orbiter and separate lander. The craft are scheduled to be launched on two Starsem...

visual systems Karen Walker / Frankfurt; Six more customers get into EP-1000CT picture; Asian airline buys full-flight simulator while North American client orders upgrades.
July 8, 2003... Evans & Sutherland (E&S) has signed contracts for six more of its new EP-1000CT visual systems, one for a new full-flight simulator (FFS) and five for upgrades on installed machines. The US manufacturer says it will soon be able to reveal...

columbia Tim Furniss / London & Graham Warwick / Washington DC; NASA targets Shuttle in-orbit fixes; Agency hopes development of inspection and repair methods will pave way for spacecraft to return to flight.
July 8, 2003... NASA engineers will report this month on potential methods of on-orbit inspection and repair of the Space Shuttle orbiter thermal-protection system (TPS). The Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) has recommended that a capability to...

Remote medicine michael phelan / london; Tempus device adds medical care to Connexion offering ; System transmits patient's vital signs while maintaining two-way voice communication.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... UK telemedicine specialist Remote Diagnostic Technologies (RDT) hopes to use Boeing's Connexion broadband communications system to improve the quality of in-flight emergency medical care following trials on a British Airways aircraft earlier...

Power supply; Qinetiq in fuel cell/battery hybrid study.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... UK research company Qinetiq is pushing on with its fuel cell/battery hybrid work in the hope that the technology will become a common source of electrical power for aerospace applications. The principal advantage of fuel cells over...

Materials Brendan Sobie / Singapore; IHI sparks off coatings technique...(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... Japan's Ishikawajima-Harima Heavy Industries (IHI) and Mitsubishi Electric are trying to interest major engine manufacturers in a metal coating and build-up technique they have jointly developed for use in turbine engines. Micro spark...

Propulsion; ...as R-R heads engine materials research team.(Brief Article)
July 8, 2003... Rolls-Royce is to lead a [pounds sterling]4.7 million ($7.8 million) research programme to develop advanced, affordable, lighter and more capable aerospace materials. The Advanced Aero-engine Materials programme - run in collaboration with...

Down with dogma.
July 8, 2003... Eurofighter Typhoon has entered service, but both suppliers and partner governments must show more flexibility and pragmatism So after nearly 20 years of development, Eurofighter has entered service. Well done. But the work for the...

spaceflight ; Digitising the Shuttle; graham warwick / washington dc.
July 8, 2003... When the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB) releases its report later this month, its recommendations could include a boost to a programme under way to improve sustaining engineering of the Space Shuttle by creating digital models of...

air service agreements; Cathay's place in Hong Kong.
July 8, 2003... The letter from Peter Lok (Flight International, 24-30 June) contains mistakes and misrepresentations. Cathay Pacific is a Hong Kong airline according to definitions in Hong Kong law and bilateral air service agreements. Its two largest...

maintenance; Air France and Delta to boost third-party work.(Brief Article)
July 29, 2003... Air France and Delta Air Lines are planning to set up maintenance centres of excellence on both sides of the Atlantic to attract more third-party maintenance work and maximise the benefits of their alliance. Air France Industries (AFI) and...

Cargo Brendan Sobie / Singapore; ATR discusses Asian projects.(Brief Article)
July 29, 2003... ATR is in talks with several Asian carriers interested in operating ATR freighters and could use Asian maintenance companies for cargo conversions. ATR Eastern Support president Christophe Clarenc says "a few projects are being studied"...

airports.(includes numerous international airport briefs)(Brief Article)
July 29, 2003... n The proposed construction of a third Paris airport, 120km (75 miles) north of the city centre, has been dropped following a parliamentary report that cites exorbitant costs, environmental nuisance and "uncertain" advantages. The decision...

Expansion David Learmount / London; Tu-204C firmly in Atlantic's sights.(Atlantic Airlines plans freighter acquisition following European certification)(Brief Article)
July 29, 2003... Atlantic Airlines is looking to add up to six Rolls-Royce RB211-powered Tupolev Tu-204-120C freighters if European certification is achieved next year. Russell Ladkin, managing director of the Coventry, UK-based freight carrier, says the...

Walk-out causes long delays.(Heathrow employees walk out after British Airways announces computerized swipe card system to track employee hours)(Brief Article)
July 29, 2003... British Airways check-in staff and baggage handlers at London Heathrow walked out at 16.00 on 18 July, afterthe airline announced it would introduce a computerised swipe card system to track employees' working hours. The unofficial strike...

Industrial relations Alexander Campbell / London; Heathrow wildcat strike shakes confidence in BA; Labour relations issues must be resolved quickly, industry analysts warn flag carrier.(British Airways PLC faces wildcat strike with ground staff at Heathrow)
July 29, 2003... Analysts are warning that British Airways must resolve quickly and decisively the labour relations issues that came to a head with its London Heathrow hub grinding to a halt last week, or risk more employee unrest and a longer-term commercial...

retirement; Aeroflot bids Il-62 farewell.(Brief Article)
July 29, 2003... Aeroflot has completed the phase-out of its Ilyushin Il-62s after flying the airliner for 36 years. The airline's last 10 Il-62s have been removed from service since the start of the year. Two have been broken up and eight sold to charter...

Expansion; Karthango doubles 737 fleet.(Brief Article)
July 29, 2003... Tunisian charter carrier Karthago Airlines is doubling its Boeing 737 fleet by acquiring two -300s on lease from Ansett Worldwide. The airline, which launched operations last year with two 737-300s leased from Ansett Worldwide, has added a...

Launch; Wind Jet breezes in with A320s.(Brief Article)
July 29, 2003... Italian low-cost start-up Wind Jet has taken delivery of two Airbus A320s on medium-term lease from Ansett Worldwide. Based in Catania, Sicily, Wind Jet will operate the two International Aero Engines V2500-A1-powered aircraft, which were...