AVIONEWS - World Aeronautical Press Agency
101,119 news found

Science and technologyGECAS SALE OF 35% OF BLOCK OF SHARES TO BA CAUSES A PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION
ROME, Senator Lauro, of Forza Italia, asked a parliamentary question regarding Gecas sale of 35% of block of shares to BA in a private negotiation. Gecas is the company running business of Naples airport... more

AirlinesLUFTHANSA IMPROVES PROFITS THANKS TO HEDGING ON FUEL COSTS
GERMAN, Lufthansa reported high profits in the first six months of the year thanks to having bought fuel before the recent increase in oil prices. This allowed an 18% surge in earnings for that period.... more

DefenseNICOTRA: BAN F-104T FLIGHTS
ROME, After the crash of the F-104T near Grosseto, in which the aircraft crashed down not far from the beach, even if it was made crash voluntarily by pilots for a failure on the landing gear, head of... more

AccidentsAIRBUS CRASH: OVER 140 KILLED
BAHREIN, An Airbus aircraft owned by Gulf Air, Bahrein's national airline, has crashed in the sea few minutes after take off from Manama airport for its egyptian destination, Il Cairo. From the first... more

PeoplePARLIAMENTARY QUESTION OF SENATOR DOLAZZA ABOUT ADR COSTS FOR PASSENGERS
ROME, Senator Dolazza, of Lega Nord, sent a parliamentary question to italian government asking for explanations about the tribute of $1,5 each leaving passenger requested by Aeroporti di Roma for the... more

AccidentsIT WAS A SHORT CIRCUIT IN WIRING TO CAUSE THE EXPLOSION OF TWA 747 IN 1996
USA, According to Jim Hall, chairman of National Safety Transportation Board, it was an electric fault, probably a short circuit in wiring near a fuel tank to cause the explosion of TWA 747 killing 230... more

AirlinesLUFTHANSA SEARCHING FOR SMALL AIRLINES TO BUY
BERLIN, An official of Lufthansa declared the german airline intends to buy small carriers offering very low prices. Among them there should be the low cost airlines Ryanair, irish, and the british Virgin... more

AirlinesSWISSAIR DENIES TO BE INTERESTED IN MERGER WITH BRITISH
ROMA, A spokesman of Swissair denies the swiss company to be interested in a merger with British Airways. The unconfirmed report, appeared on some newspapers, was defined by the spokesman a lie. more

AccidentsGROSSETO: F104T MADE CRASH IN THE SEA, UNHURT THE TWO PILOTS
GROSSETO, An F104T used for training, unable to land because of a failure on the landing gear was voluntarily made crash in the sea yesterday morning in Marina di Alberese, near Grosseto, by the pilots... more

AccidentsUSA: SKIDIVER DIES DURING A COMPETITION
USA, Two men crashed together during a skydiving competition. This extreme sport is based on parachuting with special parachutes having time-lag device. One of them was killed, the other was hospitalized... more

IndustryFAIRCHILD DORNIER IS PLANNING NEW 728JET
GERMANY, Fairchild Dornier is working at plan of its new 728 JET in the production centre in Germany. GECAS has already 50 firm orders of this 70-seater aircraft, Lufhtansa has 50 firm orders. The first... more

AirlinesCIVIL AVIATION RECALLS AOM TO ORDER
PARIS, AOM, the french airline of Swissair group, was called to order by Civil Aviation because of many accidents which grounded several DC-10s giving a lot of problems to hundreds of passengers. AOM replied... more

AirlinesWESTJET AIRLINES ORDERS NEW GENERATION 737-700 AIRCRAFT
CALGARY, CANADA, Boards of Directors of canadian WestJet Airlines announced the purchase of six additional Next Generation 737-700 aircrafts. Moreover a flight simulator will be purchased from CAE Electronics.... more

AirlinesSABENA: HEAVY LOSSES IN THE FIRST HALF OF THE YEAR
BRUXELLES, Sabena, the belgian airline, had a debit of 83,6 millions of Euro in the first half of the year. Probably the heavy losses are mostly due to the rise of fuel's price. more

IndustryFRENCH AEROSPACE FIRMS WIN CONTRACT WITH GREECE
PARIS, French aerospace firms, Dessault Aviation, Thomson-CSF and anglo-french Matra-BAE, in a joint statement, won a contract to supply 15 Mirage 2000 to the greek military. The agreement involves also... more

AccidentsHELICOPTER CRASHES IN ENGLAND, COUPLE SERIOUSLY HURT
ENGLAND, An helicopter crashed yesterday in Kent region. The couple on board was seriously injured. The crash was probably due to an engine failure. The helicopter was a Hughes 500. more

SecurityFAA ORDERS AIRLINES TO ACCELLERATE ENGINE TESTS
USA, FAA, Federal Aviation Administration, ordered airlines to speed up inspections of some models of General Electric's aircraft engine. The engine tests will be made during scheduled maintenance checks.... more

AccidentsCESSNA CRASHES IN SWISS ALPS, RESCUERS ARE TRYING TO FIND IT
SWITZERLAND, Rescuers are currently trying to find a Cessna 340, with five people on board, crashed yesterday in the Swiss Alps. Rescue operation was initially hindered by bad weather. The aircraft took... more

AccidentsCHILE: RECOVERED AIRCRAFT MISSING TWO WEEKS AGO
SANTIAGO, A military aircraft, missing two weeks ago, has been recovered the other day. No survivors among the passengers. The aircraft, a Casa T-212, was missing on the 6th of August while flying in very... more

AccidentsBRITISH BOEING FORCED TO LAND FOR A COUPLE HAVING A VIOLENT FIGHT
LONDON, A 747 Boeing of British Airways flying to Los Angeles was forced to land at Chicago airport because of a couple having a violent fight on board. As soon as the couple came to blows the commanding... more

AccidentsNORTHWEST COMMANDING PILOT DIES OF HEART ATTACK DURING FLIGHT
MINNEAPOLIS, A commanding pilot of Northwest Airlines died last night of heart-attack during a flight from Los Angeles to Minneapolis. The co-pilot landed the plane without incident. Thomas Christianson... more

Science and technologyFRANKFURTER CRITICIZING MALPENSA AIRPORT CONDITIONS
BERLIN, The german newspaper "Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung" deeply criticized the conditions of Malpensa, one of the airports of Milan. The main point regards take off and landing rights. Alitalia will... more

AirlinesALITALIA INCREASING FARES AND DELETING SOME ROUTES FOR OIL RISE
ROME, Alitalia decided to take measures after the new rise of oil. International tickets will be increased of 3% starting from September and routes with Sidney, Nairobi, Addis Abeba and Bangkok will be... more

AirlinesAIR FRANCE BANS SMOKING ON ALL FLIGHTS FROM NOVEMBER
PARIS, Air France decided to extend no-smoking policy, already in force on North American, Caribbean and Indian Ocean long-haul routes, to its entire network from November. The french airline will be... more

IndustryROLSS-ROYCE SEEKING GOVERNMENT SUPPORT ON ENGINE FOR A3XX
LONDON, Rolls-Royce is likely to seek government support to develop its engine Trent 900 to power super-jumbo A3XX. Those supports would cover a third of the engine's costs. The engine maker said it will... more

AirlinesUNITED AIRLINES TO ORDER NEW AIRBUS AIRCRAFT
FRANCE, United Airlines placed a firm order for 12 new Airbus aircraft, six A319 and six A320, exercising options from its 1998 purchase agreement. Deliveries are slated for 2002. more

IndustryNEIL ARMSTRONG NAMED CHAIRMAN OF EDO
NEW YORK, Neil Armstrong, who became the first man to walk on the moon, was named chairman of EDO Corp. Armstrong was chairman of AIL Technology, which mergered with EDO. more

AccidentsROMANIA STOPS MILITARY TRAINING FLIGHTS AFTER CRASH
BUCHAREST, Romania suspended military training flights after a reconnaisance aircraft crashed. The plane, Ilyushin type, crashed on landing at a military base in eastern Romania. Unhurt the four-member... more

IndustryROLLS-ROYCE WINS CONTRACT WITH AMERICAN AIRLINES AND AMERICAN EAGLE
USA, Rolls-Royce won engine orders, worth a total of $200 million, to power aircraft ordered by American Airways and American Eagle. The english company will provide Trent 800 engines for six Boeing 777s... more

DefenseBOEING JSF ACCOMPLISHED 100 MISSIONS DURING FOURTH SIMULATION
USA, The Boeing Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) succesfully completed its fourth full-mission simulation, flying approximately 100 simulated air-to-air and air-to-ground missions in a seven day period. more

IndustryBOEING SIGNED STRATEGIC COOPERATION AGREEMENT WITH TWO RUSSIAN COMPANIES
SEATTLE, Boeing recently signed strategic cooperation agreement with two russian companies. They are Ilyushin Aviation Complex and Verkhnaya Salda Metallurgical Production, titanium producer. more

IndustryNEW BOEING NEXT GENERATION 737-900 TOOK ITS MAIDEN FLIGHT
SEATTLE, The newest Boeing Next generation 737-900 took yesterday its maiden flight. It is painted in red, white and blue Boeing livery, and will be delivered to launch customer Alaska Airlines in April... more

AirlinesALASKA AIRLINES GROUNDS 18 BOEING MD-80
ALASKA, Alaska Airlines is grounding up to 18 Boeing MD-80 for inspecting the jackscrew implicated in last January's crash, in which 88 people have been killed. The airline reported to FAA (Federal Aviation... more

Science and technologyTHE ONE- BILLIONTH PASSENGER LANDING AT JFK IS ITALIAN
NEW YORK, The billionth passenger landing at JFK airport of New York is an italian man. His name is Vincenzo Maglione, from Milan, who just arrived this morning in New York for an holiday with his... more

AirlinesDELIVERED TO CHINA EASTERN AIRLINES FIRST A319
FRANCE, The first A319 was delivered today to the China Eastern Airlines. Other ten units of this plane, going to replace MD82s, will be delivered over the next three years. more

IndustryBOEING ANNOUNCED TO BUY DATA SUPPLIER CONTINENTAL GRAPHICS
SEATTLE, Boeing announced yesterday it will buy Continental Graphics, a digital information provider specialising in illustrated parts catalogues and maintenance documents for the aviation industry. The... more

AirlinesSOUTHWEST AIRLINES FIRES PILOTS OF PLANE THAT SLID OFF RUNWAY OF BURBANK AIRPORT
BURBANK, CALIFORNIA, Southwest Airlines fired the pilot and co-pilot of 737 jetliner that skidded off a runway during a landing at Burbank airport in march. Company officials declined to discuss the reason... more

IndustryTHOMSON WINS NOD TO SUPPLY SIMULATORS FOR TIGER HELICOPTER
PARIS, Thomson Training & Simulation won the nod to supply simulators and training equipment for aircrews on the franco-german Tiger helicopter. The work is worth up to 300 million euros, 276.8 USD. more

DefenseRAF WILL UPGRADE ITS JETS
LONDON, An all-party committee of MPs called for the Ministry of Defence decided to upgrade RAF aircraft patrolling the no-fly zones over Iraq. The hight temperature in the Gulf has significant effects... more

PeopleFAA PRPOSED $1.24M FINE AGAINST BOEING
USA, FAA proposed yesterday to fine Boeing $1.24 million. The american industry would be guilty for control violations and failing to report cracks on 737s. Boeing said safety was never compromised. more

AccidentsEMERGENCY LANDING AT PALMA DE MAJORCA
PALMA DE MAJORCA, An aircraft of the french carrier Aom Minerve was forced to make an emergency landing at Palma de Majorca's airport because of a problem with undercarriage. No passenger was damaged. more

AccidentsCHARTER FLIGHT FORCED TO MAKE EMERGENCY LANDING IN SPAIN
MADRID, A charter flight of the spanish carrier Spanair, flying to Edinburgh, was forced to make an emergency landing shortly after taking off from the airport of Madrid-Barajas. The plane, a Md-83,... more

DefenseITALIAN AIR FORCE ACCEPTS FIRST THREE C-130J
ROME, The italian Minister of Defense, Sergio Mattarella, has formally accepted the first three of 22 Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules it has on order. Lockheed Martin has signed a contract with the italian... more

AirlinesAMERICAN EAGLE ORDERS 6 REGIONAL JETS FROM EMBRAER
USA, American Eagle has exrcised options for six regional jets from Embraer. The carrier will be allowed to choose between the 37-seat and 50 seat models. more

AirlinesAMERICAN AIRLINES ORDERS 9 BOEING JETLINERS
USA, American Airlines ordered 9 Boeing jetliners, 6 of 777 family and three 737-800s. The planes willl go towards fleet replacement and supporting modest growth. more

PeopleUKRAINA PLANS TO MODERNISE TU-144 AND YAK-42
KIEV, Ukraine plans to modernise hundreds of Soviet-made Tupolev Tu-134 and Yakovlev Yak-42 passenger planes. The aircrafts will be equipped with ukrainian-made aviation engines. more

Science and technologyECLIPSE MAKES ITS DEBUT AT OSHKOSH
OSHKOSH, A small american firm, Eclipse, made its debut at Oshkosh with a cheaply executive jet. Only 830.000 USD for a pressurized six seats jet with Williams turbofan EJ 22 engine, wth a thrust of 7000... more

AirlinesAIR ALGERIE WELCOMED ITS FIRST BOEING NEXT-GENERATION 737 JETLINER
SEATTLE, Air Algerie, the flag carrier of Algeria, welcomed today its first Boeing Next-Generation 737-800. Other six aircrafts of this type have been ordered with three 737-600 to renew its air fleet.... more

IndustryIS TURBO-DIESEL ENGINE FUTURE IN AVIATION ?
OSHKOSH, USA, Pursuing the research of diesel engine for aviation, which should eliminate lead pollution due to avio fuel 100LL, are featuring in Oshkosh the french SMA with diesel engine SR 305 installed... more

AirlinesNEW EMAIL SERVICE IN FLIGHT FOR CATHAY PACIFIC AND TENZIG
ROME, Cathay Pacific Airways and Tenzig Communications, global internet provider, will launch soon a new email service and intranet aboard the airline's entire fleet. The service will start in 2001. more