AVIONEWS - World Aeronautical Press Agency
101,730 news found

AirlinesContinental Airlines to inaugurate new connection to Tallahassee, in Florida
Tallahassee, Usa - From next May 1
Continental Airlines and the City of Tallahassee, Fla. yesterday announced the airline will inaugurate nonstop service May 1 linking the Florida capital with George Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston,... more

IndustryBoeing leader in the CIS market of foreign-made airplanes
Moscow, Russia - 87 aircraft out of 110 are Boeing
87 out of 110 foreign airplanes that operate in Russia are Boeing, as the head of the Russian Boeing branch Kravchenco claims. Boeing controls 79% of the market of foreign-made aircraft in Russia and the... more

AirlinesAir Canada pension plans
Toronto, Canada - Air Canada tries to change its employees' pension plans
Air Canada's restructuring continues discussing the pension plans question. The airline has a problem to finance the pension shortfall and wants to spread funding costs over ten years trying shifting investment... more

AirlinesAlitalia affair (2): Berlusconi's opinion
Rome, Italy - "The present situation is an inheritance from the past"
Council President, Silvio Berlusconi, entering Via del Plebiscito, has answered to those who asked him something about Alitalia situation stating that Government is at work on this matter and it is not... more

HelicoptersThe CH-149 combat ready soon again (2): specifications
Winnipeg, Canada - Technical problems due to fuel leaks are about to be definitively solved
Here follows CH-149 Cormorant's specifications: Description: The CH-149 Cormorant is a carrier helicopter able for SAR (Search and Rescue) and CombatSAR missions as well. It is a special version of... more

HelicoptersThe H-92 has been showed as an alternative for the new US President helicopter
Stratford, USA - The basic aim is safety
Sikorsky has showed its H-92 helicopter to US Government experts for a first appraisal on this company's proposal for the future new President helicopter. Sikorsky has so underlined that the new carrier... more

AirlinesAir Littoral liquidation: a new turn-up
Paris, France - The take-over by the Duménil group failed, too
A new turn-up in the Air Littoral matter. It seemed that the sale operation for the regional French carrier, in liquidation at Montpellier’s court for a EUR 63m outstanding debt, had been concluded (see A... more

AirlinesAlitalia affair (3): Trade Unions announce a general strike
Rome, Italy - Work abstention is scheduled for March 5
Trade Unions have announced a general strike against air sector crisis, but also against the reorganization plan which has been put forward by Alitalia carrier and on which an agreement appears difficult... more

AirlinesProfit rise for Thai Airways International
Bangkok, Thailand - Quarterly net profit rise but company's shares lost value
Thai Airways International posted a 24 percent rise in quarterly net profit. The airline reported a first-quarter net gain of USD 111.7 m for the three months ended December 31, compared with a USD 89.9... more

Civil aviationAvoid taxiing errors
Washington, Usa - T-NASA suite helps pilots but it still doesn't solve all the troubles
Taxiing correctly is one of the biggest problem an airport has to face with. Big delays and even accidents can be caused by incorrect taxiing manoeuvres but still there is not a solution which can solve... more

HelicoptersUS-101: more room aboard for the US President
Washington, USA - Lockheed Martin members are convinced with regard to it
On the occasion of US-101 promotion for Marine Corps, Lockheed Martin has supported its candidate for the competition aimed to produce the new US President helicopter (see for details AVIONEWS). This helicopter... more

AirlinesPassenger traffic rose for Singapore Airlines
Singapore - In January passenger load rose but cargo load fell
Singapore Airlines said it filled 79.3 percent of seat during January, 2.7 percentage points more from the same period last year. Cargo load factor fell 4.1 percentage points, hit by a drop in exports... more

Science and technologyFrankfurt airport waits a new runway
Frankfurt, Germany - Fraport operator intends to bring a new runway into service in 2007
Fraport operator intends to bring to Frankfurt airport a new runway into service in 2007. Focus weekly magazine estimates that the runway may not be complete until 2009, especially because there is a Ticona... more

AirlinesAlitalia affair: Unione Piloti intervenes
Rome, Italy - This Trade Union commentates the board of directors of yesterday
Unione Piloti intervenes on Alitalia's board of directors of yesterday by which, in its opinion, nothing would be solved. This Trade Union proves disappointed for the carrier behaviour because this one... more

AirlinesNumbers rising also for Dragonair
Hong Kong, China - In January passenger numbers rose
Dragonair's passenger numbers rose by 18.7 in January from the same month last year. The airline carried in January 333,488 people and in this month its cargo operations rose by 4.2 percent year-on... more

AirlinesPassenger traffic rose for Austrian Airlines group
Vienna, Austria - Registered data belong to last January
Austrian Airlines affirmed that group passenger traffic rose 3.8 percent in January from the same period of last year. The Austrian Airlines group carried about 606,000 passengers in January and it filled... more

AirlinesAffairs are going better for China Eastern Airlines
Shanghai, China - In January passenger numbers rose
China Eastern Airlines (CEA) said passenger numbers rose in January by about a third from the same period of last year. The airline, which was hit by SARS virus in 2003, carried 1,36 million passengers... more

AccidentsMonte Lupone accident (2): trial postponed to 16th June
Latina, Italy - For defect of notification
As already published today on AVIONEWS, the trial against the people in charge of air rescue at Ciampino airport Riccardo Manduzio, Marco Florissi and Maurizio Cappellano, with the charge of interrupting... more

CuriositiesManufacturing a helicopter? The Web and an old truck engine are sufficient
Hanoi, Vietnam - A Vietnamese farmer would have succeeded in it but authorities have confiscated his chopper
A Vietnamese farmer would have succeeded in manufacturing a helicopter by himself by using notions found on the internet. Nevertheless, authorities have prevent this brave 'engineer' from carry on his... more

PeopleStrike in Paris: severe hardships at Orly
Paris, France - Volareweb announces schedule of guaranteed flights
The strike called by Parisian flight controllers for 17th, 18th and 19th February has been causing severe hardships, especially at the Paris-Orly airport, where all long-range flights are guaranteed, while... more

Science and technologyOffended reporter following Israelian President Moshe Katzav
Tel Aviv, Israel - Offensive security checks at the airport stopped one of the most famous Arabian journalist in Israel
Yesterday, one of the most famous Arabian journalist in Israel, Lufti Mashur, has been stopped by Tel Aviv airport's security agents while he was following the President Moshe Katzav leaving for Paris.... more

Latest newsNorthrop Grumman to develop F/A-18G's electronic warfare systems
New York, USA - This new Hornet's version to replace the EA-6B Prowler
Waiting for replacing the outdated EA-6B Prowler, US Navy has decided to assign to Northrop Grumman the task of producing jamming systems for the new electronic warfare version of F/A-18, the F/A-18G,... more

Government actsParliamentary question: "Unavailability for commercial reasons of information on insufficient airline safety standards"
Rome, Italy - Presented to the European Parliament by Erik Meijer (European United Left)
Written question E-0035/04 by Erik Meijer (GUE/NGL) to the European Commission (07 January 2004). Subject: Unavailability for commercial reasons of information on insufficient airline safety standards. "1.... more

Government actsParliamentary question: "Urgent adoption of a directive on aircraft safety imposing stringent and uniform checks"
Rome, Italy - Presented to the European Parliament by Mario Borghezio (non-attached)
Written question E-0021/04 by Mario Borghezio (NI) to the European Commission (06 January 2004). Subject: Urgent adoption of a directive on aircraft safety imposing stringent and uniform checks. "A proposal... more

Government actsParliamentary question: "Flight safety checks"
Rome, Italy - Presented to the European Parliament by Raffaele Costa (European People's Party)
Written question P-0075/04 by Raffaele Costa (PPE-DE) to the European Commission (09 January 2004). Subject: Flight safety checks. "The European Union - via the European Parliament, the Commission and... more

Government actsParliamentary question: "Noise from aircraft at Eleftherios Venizelos airport of Athens (Greece)"
Rome, Italy - Presented to the European Parliament by Alexandros Alavanos (group of the European united left)
Written question E-4061/03 by Alexandros Alavanos (GUE/NGL) to the European Commission (22 December 2003). Subject: Noise from aircraft at Eleftherios Venizelos airport. "The noise caused by aircraft... more

Civil aviationBacterium on a Turin-Paris flight
Turin, Italy - Legionella pneumophila bacterium found during a control
Yesterday the Legionnaires' disease bacterium has been found on an airplane at the airport of Turin bound to Paris. Legionella pneumophila organism cause lung infection, sometimes even bad pneumonia and... more

Government actsParliamentary question: "Standardised use of the European flag on aircraft of EU airlines"
Rome, Italy - Presented to the European Parliament by Salvador Garriga Polledo (European people's party)
Written question E-4018/03 by Salvador Garriga Polledo (PPE-DE) to the European Commission (17 December 2003). Subject: Standardised use of the European flag on aircraft of EU airlines. "The circumstance... more

PeopleStrike and a sit-in for Alitalia's employees
Rome, Italy - They are folding their arms from 10 am to 6 pm, a sit-in in front of the Treasury
Alitalia's employees are protesting today against the air company reorganization plan with a strike from 10 am to 6pm and a sit-in in front of the Treasury building in via XX Settembre in Rome. The protest,... more

HelicoptersNew Dutch Apaches in Afghanistan
Amsterdam, Holland - Parliament would be willing to give a green light for sending further six helicopters to the area
Dutch international military effort for area stabilization missions is increasing. Parliament is willing to authorize the sending of further AH-64 Apache attack helicopters to Afghanistan and it seems... more

PeopleActivists protest about Nato radar
Budapest, Hungary - Greenpeace and other conservation groups against a radar provided by Alenia
In these days on mount Mecsek on a protected nature reserve in the southern Hungary, Greenpeace and other conservation groups are protesting against a NATO radar. The radar station will be provide by Alenia,... more

AccidentsMonte Lupone accident: air rescue to court today
Latina, Italy - Captain Poggiali died in the plane crash
The people in charge of air rescue at Ciampino airport Riccardo Manduzio, Marco Florissi and Maurizio Cappellano, will be trialled today, at Rome's Court-house, with the charge of interrupting the research... more

IndustryLockheed Martin on the top for production agreements in 2003
Washington, USA - The 2003 fiscal report on USA defence spending has been published
The USA defence spending fiscal report has been recently published by US Department of Defense concerning companies which had been able to sign defence sector agreements with the best financing amount.... more

PeopleBritish pilots exasperated by security measures
London, UK - They are meeting today in the USA
A delegation of British civil pilots is meeting today in the USA to discuss the hardships caused by the tightening of anti-terrorism safety measures. Pilots are exasperated by the obligations imposed by... more

HelicoptersThe CH-149 combat ready soon again
Winnipeg, Canada - Technical problems due to fuel leaks are about to be definitively solved
After causing some worries for technicians and crews (see for details AVIONEWS), the CH-149 Cormorant (a specific EH-101 version) could start flying soon again in order to perform all the assigned tasks.... more

DefenseUS Air Force's priorities according to Secretary James G. Roche
Washington, USA - Special operations, close-air support and battlefield management
US Air Force Secretary, Dr. James G. Roche, has recently pointed out the USAF operative requirements consisting of men and means during the next years. In his opinion, the effectiveness of three kinds... more

IndustryNorthwest Florida Management awarded of a near 7 USDm contract
Washington, Usa - For the F-16 aircraft
Northwest Florida Management, Fort Walton Beach, Fla., is being awarded a $6,806,318 fixed-price, incentive-fee with award-fee contract to provide for F-16 aircraft flight line maintenance for 14 each... more

IndustryRaytheon Space & Airborne Systems awarded of a over 9 USDm contract
Washington, Usa - For the F/A-18 E/F aircraft
Raytheon Space & Airborne Systems, El Segundo, Calif., is being awarded a $9,650,784 firm-fixed-price contract for purchase of AN/APG-73 radar receivers (spares) used on F/A-18 E/F aircraft. Work will... more

AccidentsEmergency landing for a Taca’s Airbus 300
El Salvador, San Salvador - An hydraulic system trouble forced an Airbus to an emergency landing
A Salvadorean Airbus 300 belonging to Taca Airline and flying from Nicaragua to San Francisco (Usa) made an emergency landing in the San Salvador’s airport. The airplane flew over the airport for about a... more

PeopleBomb on the flight Ancona-Roma: notice of judicial investigation for the two artificers and a physician
Ancona, Italy - The mystery starts to clear up
The investigation into the case of the bomb found onboard an Atr operated by Alitalia leaving from Ancona to Rome, has come to an end. Three people are being investigated: two artificers, Giuseppe Cocci... more

AirlinesAirlines complain: "Single Sky" aviation plan is not good enough
Europe - Despite improvements, there is still a lot of work to do for the "Single Sky" project
Airlines are not satisfied by the final product regarding the "Single European Sky". Single Sky regulations are a good signal but not good enough to let the system working a treat. Airlines complain especially... more

PeopleFAA Commercial Space Office is developing Crew Safety Guidelines for RLVs
Usa - Public safety requires regulations
The FAA’s Office of Commercial Space Transportation (AST) is developing crew safety guidelines for Reusable Launch Vehicles (RLVs). Existing regulations meets only minimal requirements such as crew r... more

AerospaceThe two American robots are still working on Mars
Washington, Usa – Spirit and Opportunity go ahead on the Mars’s surface exploration
The two American robots Spirit and Opportunity, landed on Mars respectively on 4th and 24th of January, are still working on the planet’s surface. Nasa scientists that are following missions on Mars r... more

PeopleEurocontrol wins ATC Maastricht 2004 Award with its tactical control system
Maastricht, Netherlands - Enhanced Tactical Flow Management System (ETFMS) allowed Eurocontrol to win an important prize.
Eurocontrol, the European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation, won the 2004 ATC Maastricht Jane’s Award for its Enhanced Tactical Flow Management System (ETFMS). The ETFMS introduced on February 2... more

AirlinesRyanair cuts costs
London, United Kingdom - Passengers carrying luggage by themselves and new airplanes to save money
Ryanair, Irish national-flag airline, is developing new ideas to cuts costs on flights facing, in the first 3 months of the 2004, its only historical loss. Ryanair started buying new airplanes without... more

DefenseF-117A retirement Proposal Expected to draw Hill Scrutiny
Usa – U.S. Air Force continues its policy of plane’s retirement
U.S. Air force is continuing in reducing its air fleet. In the near future a five Lockheed Martin F-117A Nighthawk retirement proposal is expected to draw Hill Scrutiny. Retired F-117A will be replaced... more

HelicoptersOld but useful tanks to extend the Marines helicopter fuel reserve
Washington, USA - This solution was already tested during the Desert Storm
263rd Squadron's CH-46 Sea Knight Marines helicopters will have an extended internal fuel capability thanks to a solution which could apparently seem voted to lower costs but it appears an effective one.... more

DefenseRaytheon participates to the production of the Joint Common Missile
Washington, USA - This company wants to propose again the success of Tow and replace Hellfire
Raytheon will partecipate to the production of the Joint Common Missile (JCM), a guided air-to-surface rocket which has to be studied in order to replace US Army's AGM-114 Hellfire missiles thanks to a... more

AerospaceBoeing tests orbital introduction for the new US defence satellite system
Washington, USA - This system will have to defend the United States and their allies against several missile threats
Boeing has successfully completed the launch of a multi-staged spacecraft able to carry the new satellite defence system called DSP (Defense Support Program). Such a system will have to be able to defend... more

CuriositiesHornet on Ebay for the highest bidder
Washington, USA - An F/A-18A for 'merely' USD 1m
A US Navy acrobatic squad F/A-18A Hornet (the Blue Angel) is being sold on the well known bidding provider on line site, Ebay. The company which has put it up for sale, Landa and Associates, states it... more