AVIONEWS - World Aeronautical Press Agency
101,861 news found
CuriositiesHelicopter rescue may cost the earth to base-jumper Ben Gibson
Sydney, Australia - He will receive bills and a fine
He was rescued "Too much" times and the rescue helicopter service is planning to present the bill to the young Australian who is mad about the base-jumping. He was rescued for the umpteenth time by a... more
AirlinesAlitalia (3): Avia union's strike postponed till September 20
Rome, Italy - A union's autonomous choice related to "responsibility"
Avia union decided to postpone the 24 h Alitalia flight assistants strike till next week even if scheduled on tomorrow, September 13. The demonstration will be held so on September 20, Tuesday, though... more
Latest newsNew Zealand: A-4 and MB-339 sold to US company
Wellington, New Zealand - It would have been unveiled by Minister of Defence after deciding in 2001 to retire all the fix-winged aerial vehicles from service
New Zealand’s Administration decided to retire the Air Force’s fix-winged aircraft from service four years ago. Actually, it had been scheduled that all the A-4 Skyhawk attack(close support airplanes and... more
CuriositiesIsraeli former official "Trapped" on an El Al plane
London, United Kingdom - General Almog was flying to London to partecipate a fund-raising
Doron Almog, a retired Army General, arrived at London to partecipate a three days meeting destined to pick up funds in favour of an Israeli infant neurological institute, but some nationals advised to... more
Science and technologyBudapest Airport's privatization: workers strike has been averted
Budapest, Hungary - BUdapest Airport SPA granted its own dependants an annual 17% pay increase
Budapest Airport SPA that managing Budapest Airport, has averted workers strike by granting its own dependants an annual 17& pay increase and a three-years common contract and other advantages.Unions had... more
Press releaseFinmeccanica signed letter of intent with Hellenic Aerospace Industry for joint programmes
Rome, Italy - Around EUR 300 million over the next three years
"At the 70th Thessaloniki International Fair, Finmeccanica last Saturday signed a letter of intent with Hellenic Aerospace Industry (HAI) for the development of joint programmes in the aerospace and defence... more
Civil aviationScare aboard a Corsair flight
Paris, France - A Boeing was forced to change the route shortly after the takeoff
Passengers on a French plane en route from the Caribbean island of Guadeloupe to Paris, got scared last Saturday when the Corsair Boeing 747-400 has been forced to come back an hour from takeoff, French... more
Latest newsJSF: first flight tests for the AN/APG-81 radar
Washington, USA – Tested on a different platform, it will be installed on the F-35 prototype destined to the maiden flight soon
Northrop Grumman successfully performed the first flight tests of the radar system devoted to the Lockheed Martin F-35 JSF (Joint Strike Fighter) stealth multirole light fighter. The AN/APG-81 electronically... more
AirlinesNorthwest Airlines: no agreement with technical personnel on strike
Washington, USA – The carrier could hire workers temporary employed to face the operational gap
Northwest Airlines would intend to hire technicians temporarily employed since the AMFA (Airline Mechanics Fraternal Association) union-led protest started on last August 20. This decision comes while... more
AccidentsAnother Antonov crashed in Congo killing 13
Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo - The second accident involving an Antonov aircraft in less of a week in the DRC
An Antonov AN-26 plane by Congo’s Air Kasai carrier crashed last September 9 in neighbouring Brazzaville as it was flying from Boende Airport, Equator province, to Kinshasa. Aboard there were 13 people, i... more
Science and technologyBulgarian airports: passengers increased exceeding all expectations
Sophia, Bulgaria - More than 20% growth is expected to affect three Bulgarian airports
Sophia, Bourgas and Varna are growing and developing by exceeding all expectations. They boosted more than 20% respect to previous years. The feverish traffic is also creating difficulties considering... more
AirlinesFedex ordered six A-300/600
Toulouse, France - They are expected to be delivered in 2007
Federal Express has ordered six A-300/600 cargo version which will join the 47 planes making up its fleet. An Airbus statement clarified that all deliveries are expected to occur in 2007. Fedex has also... more
Science and technologyBritish airports used by CIA for anti-terrorism actions
London, United Kingdom - An UN's team to inspect the case
US intelligence services would have used some British airports as logistic base to transfer suspected terrorists to US prisons. UK "The Guardian" newspaper pubblished today anonimous declarations from... more
IndustryFinmeccanica: EUR 300m worth projects with Hellenic Aerospace
Thessaloniki, Greece - A letter of intent has been signed at the 70th Thessaloniki Exhibition
The letter of intent between Finmeccanica and Hellenic Aerospace has been signed by Finmeccanica’s Deputy President, Giuseppe Maresca, and by Hellenic’s Executive Director, Costas Karamanlis, in the pre... more
Latest newsC-17: production closed by 2008 because of lack of new orders
Washington, USA – Pentagon would not be able to face additional costs despite such a vehicle proves a major one today from an operational point of view
C-17 Globemaster III military airlifter’s assembly line could be closed by 2008 in case no new orders are gained by Boeing. Programme’s representatives appear particularly worried, also considering the... more
Science and technologyHurricane "Katrina": New Orleans Airport to reopen
New Orleans, USA - The air station restarted cargo operations yesterday
Passengers flights are expected to restart tomorrow after repairing the air station’s roof said airport’s director, Roy Williams. Only about 30 services among the daily 174 departures and arrivals wil... more
AirlinesIs Iberia thinking about the foundation of a low-cost carrier?
Barcelona, Spain - It could be the solution to face the great competitiveness of the low-fare airlines in the country
Iberia is about to release its strategic plan 2006-2008 and it seems that the major Spanish airline intends to found, fully own of acquire stakes in a low-cost carrier. Iberia would so appear willing to... more
AccidentsCyprus: trainer fell headlong, both crew members died
Nicosia, Cyprus - It happened during a military exercise on last Saturday
A Pilatus PC-9 basic trainer belonging to Cypriot National Guard fell headlong during a military exercise on last Saturday. The aircraft, with two persons on board, would have started turning over Kolossi... more
Latest newsItalian Air Force: air defence on the alert on Saturday, September 10
Rome, Italy - Double interception South from Trento in the morning and North from Naples in the afternoon by the F-16s
Air defence on the alert in Italy on last Saturday. A Cessna flying from Olbia to Munich did not honour radio communication procedures with air traffic controllers on the ground and it was intercepted... more
AirlinesAlitalia (2): Alitalia Express bound for an operational transformation
Milan, Italy - Some MD-80s could be transferred to it replacing the ATRs, changing it in a sort of low-cost carrier headquartered in the North
Among the steps to be performed in order to contain the rising oil cost, the Italian national airline could change the role of Alitalia Express. The purpose would be the one of headquartering it in Milan... more
Weather forecastsAir shows and exhibitions in the second week of September
Rome, Italy - From today, on Monday 12 to next Sunday 18
Monday 12 - McIntyre Aero Club Fly in 05. Goondiwindi, Queensland, Australia. + 61 7 4677 5186 Wednesday 14 - Expeditionary Forces 2005. Prague, Czech Republic. + 44 (0)1628 604311 www.shephard.co.uk... more
Press releaseANSV: the Flight Recorders of the Tuninter ATR-72 which ditched off the coast of Palermo on the 6th of August 2005 have been downloaded
Rome, Italy - The Flight Recorders cases opening started at 10:30 in the morning and lasted until late in the afternoon
"Last Saturday, at the Agenzia Nazionale per la Sicurezza del Volo - Ansv, in the Flight Recorders, the Cockpit Voice Recorder-CVR and the Flight Data Recorder-FDR have been opened and the data contained... more
IndustryGeorgia Technical Applied Research Corp. awarded of a 15 USDm contract
Washington, Usa - For the MH-53M helicopter
Georgia Technical Applied Research Corp., Atlanta, Ga., is being awarded a $15,000,000 cost-plus fixed-fee contract to provide for Engineering Services for software simulation support for the Integrated... more
IndustryBoeing Wichita Development awarded of a near 39 USDm contract
Washington, Usa - For the VC-25A aircraft
Boeing Wichita Development, Wichita, Kan., is being awarded a $38,929,861 time and material contract modification. This effort is for scheduled depot level heavy maintenance on the VC-25A aircraft. There... more
IndustryBell-Boeing Joint Program Office awarded of a over 6 USDm contract
Washington, Usa - For the CV-22 Osprey
Bell-Boeing Joint Program Office, Patuxent River, Md., is being awarded $6,220,576 for delivery order 0053 under previously awarded firm-fixed-price contract (N00383-03-G-001B) for the procurement of fiscal... more
IndustryMcDonnell Douglas Corp. awarded of a near 7 USDm contract
Washington, Usa - For the F/A-18 A/B/C/D aircraft
McDonnell Douglas Corp., a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Co., St. Louis, Mo. is being awarded a $6,947,725 firm-fixed-priced order against a previously awarded Basic Ordering Agreement (N00019-03-G-0009)... more
AirlinesAlitalia: trade unions fear for new redundancies
Rome, Italy - They could consist of 1500 but measures to face the rising fuel cost should be considered during company Board of Directors meeting today
Alitalia Board of Directors is going to meet today, and new measures to face the rising fuel cost could be taken into account. The carrier would need to find about EUR 200m and it could affect jobs once... more
PeopleENAC: an analysis of air transport after the end of Summer season
Rome, Italy - A meeting with the major subjects of the sector to occur on next September 15
Italian National Civil Aviation Agency (ENAC) will gather together with the major subjects in the air transport sector on next Thursday, September 15, to analyse the situation following the end of Summer... more
AirlinesLufthansa and El Al prove closer thanks to Swiss International Airlines
Frankfurt, Germany - A code-share agreement is possible by January 2006
Lufthansa and El Al could implement a code-share agreement, currently under analysis, starting in January 2006. Such a possibility would be a plausible one when considering the fact that the Israeli airline... more
Science and technologyLas Cruces International Airport to receive USD 603,000 by US Air Force to repair damaged strip
Washington, USA - Plane carrying equipment for Bush's visit made a drill on runway
The US Air Force would have offered over USD 603,000 to repair runway at Las Cruces Airport which was damaged by an airplane carrying equipments for President Bush’s visit. A C-17 cargo plane with on b... more
AirlinesStar Alliance launched "upgrade award"
Stockholm, Sweden - Some carriers have already it but the other ones later
Star Alliance has become the first alliance to offer Frequent Flyer Programme (FFP) upgrade redemption option across the alliance, rather than on individual carrier basis. This brings travelling in either... more
AirlinesUS Airways-America West merge carrier's Board of Directors has been appointed
Washington, USA - The operation is expected to be completed within October
US Airways and America West Holdings Corp. have selected the 13 board members who will lead the airline after the two companies merge. The board will be chaired by Doug Parker, 43, Chief Executive of America... more
IndustryBoeing: bound for a plea-bargaining, worth USD 500m
Seattle, USA - Story stemmed from a well known industrial spying matter damaging Lockheed Martin
Boeing is about to resort to a plea-bargaining worth USD 500m with US Justice Department. "Wall Street Journal" stated it, citing well informed sources. This matter stemmed from an industrial spying operation... more
Science and technologyAncona-Pescara operational unity: the solution to face tourism crisis
Ancona, Italy - The Italian Marche region's air station would have reported a lowering passenger traffic with -11,600 units
The Ancona-Falconara Airport’s strategical choice to create an operational unity with Pescara Airport (see for details AVIONEWS) is additionally remarkably spurred by the delicate Marche region tourism c... more
AirlinesMalaysia Airlines forced to increase fuel surcharge too
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia - Operating costs continue to growth due to the oil
Malaysia Airlines unveiled today its intention to boost by 14% the fuel surcharge and to ask Government for authorizing additional changes as oil price continue to lift. Malaysian carrier’s surcharge n... more
Science and technologyBudapest Airport's privatization (2): workers to be on a war footing towards strike
Budapest, Hungary - Meeting between unions and airport's operator has been unproductive
Budapest Airport risks to cancel all departures and arrivals in case of a great partecipation to the strike threatened by union trades said the airport’s spokesperson, Ibolya Forika: "The entire airport r... more
AirlinesTransavia.com to inaugurate new Rome-Rotterdam route
Rome, Italy - Dutch airline to launch other new destinations from Rotterdam
Transavia Airlines is about ot launch four new routes from its Rotterdam base: starting from October 31 2005, carrier will operate daily connections bound for Rome-Fiumicino with Boeing 737-400 airplanes.... more
DefenseA new success for the Patriot PAC-3 missile
Washington, USA – A test to evaluate the guided rocket's anti-ballistic missile capabilities has been positively accomplished
A new test launch for the Lockheed Martin Patriot PAC-3 has been performed in the United States. A surface-to-air guided rocket hit and destroyed a same-type missile properly modified in order to simulate... more
PeopleIndia: Airbus thinks about a pilot training centre
New Dheli, India - The project is likely to be started by the end of this month
Airbus intends to build a pilot training centre in India and it has already sent some experts to the Asian country, in order to appraise which site can prove the best one for its construction. Also a structure... more
AirlinesFinnair: demand and load factors up
Stockholm, Sweden - The traffic increased by 7.0% compared to August last year
Finnair scheduled traffic increased by 7.0% compared to August last year. Passenger load factor was at record levels in 71.4%, up 2.7 percentage points. Number of passengers carried was 599,700, up 7.9%. Finnair... more
PeopleLondon to give the green light to air ticket tax
London, United Kingdom - Great Britain to back France
French Finance Minister, Thierry Breton, at ECOFIN’s preliminary encounter, said to have gained Great Britain’s support over his project to tax air tickets to finance the fight against poverty in underdeveloped cou... more
Science and technologyBaghdad Airport closed (3): flights risk to restart without checks on passengers and baggage
Baghdad, Iraq - A warning signal called by Global Strategies Group which moaned about the lack of qualification for Iraqi personnel
Iraqi forces would have entered the airport at Ministry of Transport’s order but the British firm responsible for security activities would not intend to ask its members for leaving the area. It is dangerous t... more
Science and technologyBudapest Airport: legal proceedings not stop privatization
Budapest, Hungary - Hungarian Government appealed against Budapest work tribunal's sentence
There are new the developments in the situation of Budapest Airport privatization (see for details AVIONEWS), after Government appealed against Budapest work tribunal’s sentence which cancelled the privatization’s ten... more
Fair and showsChirac: no flights for six weeks
Paris, France - Orders set by military doctors after the problem affecting his vision and recently found
French President, Jacques Chirac, will not allowed to fly for at least six weeks. These are the orders put forward by doctors from the French military hospital where he had been committed to in recent... more
IndustryAirborne radars: lighter, smaller, high-powered
Brussels, Belgium - Exigencies put forward by the air forces, most of all the NATO's ones, with a European market worth over USD 5bn by 2014
European airborne military radar market will be worth around USD 5.44bn between 2005 and 2014. Analysts’ forecasts talk about a significant growth in the sector due to the need to adapt to operational e... more
IndustryFinmeccanica: US Coast Guard to use the Italian Group's radar system
Rome, Italy - It was the Seaspray 7500E radar fitting the HC-130H patrol aircraft
It is the last version of radar developed by the Selex Sensors and Airborne Systems -a company owned by Finmeccanica Group-the Seaspray 7500E radar system. It will be used by US Coast Guard’s patroller p... more
AirlinesAmerican Airlines operated flights at risk: now it could pay USD 1m of indemnity
Washington, USA - A FAA's inspector denounced the carrier accused to have compromised passengers' safety
American Airlines has been accused to have compromised passengers’ safety permitting that one of its McDonnell Douglas MD-82 flew with a faulty fuel tank: that occurred two years ago. Civil action taken a... more
Civil aviationATR-42 Italy First: operational activities started again for one of the two aircraft
Pantelleria, Italy - The turboprop which suffered for problem on one of its two engines is instead still grounded
One of the two Italy First’s ATR-42 commercial regional airplanes forced to stay on the ground for repairing activities following two different failures which affected their operational lifecycle starting l... more
MiscellaneousHurricane "Katrina": Russian Ilyushin landed in Arkansas
Washington, USA - Meanwhile IPA's pilot placed themself at disposal
The two Russian cargo planes loaded with humanitarian aid for New Orleans affected people, arrived yesterday at Little Rock, Arkansas. Aboard the first airplane there were 121 tents up to a total weight... more
Civil aviationUSA: special courses against hijacking for flying personnel
Washington, USA - Effectiveness must still be assessed but competent authorities ensured that significant results will be shown
US TSA (Transportation Security Administration) is expected to ensure the implementation of a series of security measures in the US air transport sector, with reference in particular to airlines personnel... more