Commercial Aircraft Sales

The move also results in reduced downtimes and productivity gains of up to 20%andcomes from real world operational experience. The Brasilia’s A Check inspection interval increases from 300 to 400 flight hours, C Check from 3000 to 4000 hours and structural inspections from 16,000 to 20,000 cycles.

The improvements result from the work of a Maintenance Review Board comprising representatives of all the Brasilia’s operators, the manufacturer and various airworthiness authorities.

Dasa, Bae & Saab Announce Job Cuts:

Deutsche Aerospace (DASA), British Aerospace and Saab have all announced major job shedding, the DASA move affecting a massive 10,300 workers.

DASA’s enormous cut includes the closing of six sites between 1994 and the end of 1996 and adds to the nearly 6000 jobs slashed previously from an original workforce of 86,000. The German company’s Aircraft Group is the most heavily affected with 6514 jobs to go along with the closure of the Airbus sites at Lemwerder (an aircraft service centre which only began commercial aircraft maintenance activities this September) and the Munich-Neuaubing production facility.

The moves stem from continuing losses and turnover below expectations, a situation not helped by revelations that the new Dornier 328 33 passenger regional turboprop has exceeded its original development cost estimates by 25% to about $US600m because of “big changes” in the programme, including the need to shed some weight from the aircraft. The first Dornier 328 to enter service was handed over to Swiss launch customer Air Engiadina in late October. The orderbook stands at 33 firm and 44 options from 11 customers.

Meanwhile, BAe’s Jetstream Aircraft subsidiary at Prestwick, Scotland, is to lose 630 of its 2500 workers as a result of a severe drop off in orders. The Prestwick facility is capable of producing up to 100 aircraft a year but worldwide orders for aircraft in the various Jetstream models’ market segments have reached only about 90 so far this year between all the manufacturers.

The 19 seat market (in which the successful Jetstream 31 competes) has all but dried up and there is currently no order backlog for the aircraft with nearly 400 delivered. The 29 seat Jetstream 41 has a backlog of only 13 aircraft and the completely 64 seat ATP/J61 a backlog of eight.

Saab, too, has been forced to impose redundancies on 500 personnel throughout its various civil and military divisions. Of these, 300 will be office workers and the remainder from the workshop floor. The redundancies are part of a long term plan to achieve profitability in Saab’s commercial aircraft operations division and to maintain it in the military area. Saab says the ongoing recession continues to effect the commercial market with reduced sales and downgraded forecasts.

 Europe to Combine Atc Programmes:

The European Commission (EC) has launched a major initiative to combine all of Europe’s air traffic control (ATC) research and development programmes.

The European Coherent Approach to Research and Development in Air Traffic Management (ECARDA) aims to unify the work being undertaken by three different directorates within the EC and the package involves Eurocontrol (which is attempting to integrate the existing ATC system), the European Space Agency and assorted research institutions.

ECARDA aims to createa global approach to solving the problems of European ATC and its proposals have been accepted by the EC andare hoped to be approved by the end of the year. The first phase of the plan involves introducing immediate ATC improvements based on existing systems and the second phase envisages a system based on satellite navigation and air to ground datalinks.

It is based on the guidelines issued by the International Civil Aviation Organisation’s Future Air Navigation Systems (FANS), but adapted for Europe. The concept would initially apply only to desert and oceanic areas but would become a secondary European navigation system by the end of the decade and the primary system early next century.

Boeing Layoffs Reduced:

In what is a sort of back handed bit of good news, Boeing has announced it will not be laying off as many workers this year as it had previously thought.

The company originally planned to re- duce its employment level by 23,000 in 1993 but it is now putting off ‘only’ 18,000, good news for 5000 workers, at least for the moment. However, reduced production levels will mean more job losses at Boeing next year.

 Turbulence Dislodged 747 Engine:

Extreme turbulence has been blamed for the separation of an engine from an Evergreen International Airlines Boeing 747-100F last March.

The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) investigation into the incident has concluded that extreme turbulence caused the break up of an engine pylon which was already weakened by a fatigue crack. Very high lateral loads were mainly responsible. The NTSB has recommended Boeing strengthen the pylon structure of the 747 and notes that the existing programme to strengthen the aircraft’s (the failures of which has caused two 747 crashes) and other pylon structural modifications does not improve its lateral loading strength.

Avro Saga Drags On:

British Aerospace’s proposed joint venture with Taiwan Aerospace (TAC)- the establishment of Avro International to develop and market the BAe 146/RJ line and the proposed RJ-X-isonce again under threat with the possibility that the whole deal will have to be renegotiated. The deal has been officially “close to finalisation” (refer p5 Oct 93 AA) for some time while specific details have been worked out, but now TAC officials have been quoted as saying that some of the terms already agreed to are no longer acceptable.

There is the suggestion of a lack of firm leadership at TAC since the withdrawal of chairman Earl Ho from many of the negotiations due to ill health (he has also tendered his resignation) and the talks have bogged down in the mire of financial and legal issues. BA managers have complained that they are talking to TAC people who are either not authorised or qualified to make decisions.

Asenior Taiwanese official who supports the project has been reported as saying: “The people at TAC now in charge of the talks don’t even know what a Mach number The agreement signed last January expired in August, theoretically allowing the other party to start talks with other parties. BAe has meanwhile confirmed it has been talking to Indonesia about the manufacture of the various Jetstream turboprop models in that country as well as the 146/RJ family and its developments.

This could well be a ploy designed to strengthen its negotiating position with Taiwan, but some observers are convinced that BAe wants to reduce its consistently unprofitable commercial aircraft activities by selling design rights outright or by entering into partnerships. The successful 125 corporate jet line has already been sold to Raytheon, Beechcraft’s parent company.

It appears that negotiating joint aviation ventures with the Taiwanese is a difficult task. A 1991 agreement by which TAC would acquire 40% of McDonnell Douglas’ commercial aircraft activities came to naught.

Perhaps the ghosts of Sir Alliot Verdon Roe, Sir Roy Dobson, Sir Harry Broadhurst and Roy Chadwick have objected to their revered company’s name being applied to the project and have combined to put the mockers on it! .

PW4084 Completes First In-Flight Tests:

Pratt & Whitney’s most powerful member of the PW4000 family, the PW4084 has successfully undertakenits first inflight tests.

Notably, the PW4084’s flights were undertaken under the wing of one of aviation’s most historic airframes, the prototype Boeing 747, RA001. Officials said the engine performed well on its first flight with no problems.

The PW4084 is being developed for the Boeing 777 twinjet, and is due to be to 84,000lb thrust in April 1994. The first production PW4084s are currently under construction, with flight testing of these engines due to occur aboard the first 777 from June next year.

The 777 itself is due to be certificated in April 1995. The PW4000 family also powers versions of the 767, 747 and A330.

Caa Betters Profit Projections:

The Civil Aviation Authority has announced a pretax profit for 1992/93 of $50. 2m, somewhat above its planned target of $43. 3m.

In announcing the result the CAA’s General Manager, Corporate Finance, Mick Mayoh, pointed out the key purpose of the CAA was to minimise the costs of safe aviation, and not to maximise profits. Instead the CAA targets what is deemed as a reasonable return on assets and above that level passes the benefits of its financial performance onto the aviation industry. In the past the Authority has been quite successful in achieving this aim, reducing average air traffic service charges by 10% and 17% in consecutive years.

The CAA will be providing a dividend to the Government of $15. 8m out of the after tax profits of $22. 1m.

Boeing Profits Down:

Boeing’s profit suffered badly in the third quarter of 1993 following the reduction of production rates to cope with declining demand due to airlines cancelling orders or deferring deliveries.

The company’s net profit for the July/ September quarter was $US940m, a 45% drop, while sales of airliners were down by about 20% to under $US4bn. September quarter deliveries totalled 67 airliners including eight 747s, compared with 109 (including 16 747s) in the same quarter of 1992.

Further cuts in the production rate of the 737 to 10 per month are expected, while the 747 rate will reduce from five to three per month early next year. New orders for the first nine months of 1993 totalled 142 aircraft worth $US9. 8bn, compared with 158 The US National Transportation Safety Board has still not given the all clear for the autopilot systems aboard Boeing 757 and 767 twinjets. To date there have been 29 incidents where the autopilot has behaved unpredictably. Whilst these incidents have not led to an actual crash the NTSB fears the problem could become a contributing factor if not resolved. It is still not known whether or not an autopilot malfunction caused a United 767 to depart the runway at Frankfurt recently. Boeing and Collins are working on the problem whilst all operators, including Qantas and Ansett, have checked their 767 systems in accordance with NTSB and FAA guidelines.

757 aircraft ($US11. 5bn) for the equivalent 1993 period. Boeing airliner deliveries for the whole of 1993 are now expected to reach 334 units, 112 fewer than in 1992.

Qantas Engine Sets New Standard:

A General Electric CF6-80C2 turbofan engine from one of Qantas’ 767- 300s has set an industry record forthe most flights ‘on the wing’, that is without a visit to the workshop for maintenance or overhaul.

The engine recorded 4533 cycles during its 4. 5 years helping propel the 767, with obvious financial benefits for the airline. More benefits come from the certification of GE powered 767s for 180 minute extended twin operations (ETOPS), enabling Qantas to fly the aircraft on long haul overwater routes to Honolulu, North America and Asia.

Qantas’ engineering and maintenance team has also achieved another plus with a major turnaround of its on time performance with the RAAF Boeing 707 maintenance contract. Of the 37 Boeing 707 overhauls performed by the airline up to the end of 1992, only seven aircraft were delivered on time. A review was instigated to improve the situation, and all three of the 707s overhauled by Qantas so far this year have been delivered on schedule.

 Boeing Increases China Presence:

Boeing is substantially increasing its presence in China by nearly doubling the number of airline support offices it has in the country by year’s end.

The manufacturer now has offices in 13 Chinese cities, six more than at the start of the year. Twelve Chinese airlines are now operating more than 150 Boeing jetliners from the 737-500 up to the 747-400. That number will increase to more than 200 next year and in 1995 China Southern will become the first Chinese airline to operate the 777 widebody twinjet.

Boeing expects to train over 800 Chinese pilots and maintenance staff this year, twice as many as in 1992.

BA Defines New Generation Large Aircraft:

British Airways has outlined its vision of the next generation large airliner, emphasising the six major problems it thinks need to be overcome if the aircraft is to be a commercial success.

They are environmental acceptability, lifetime cost, reliability and durability, turnaround time, airfield and terminal compatibility and passenger acceptability. Compared to the Boeing 747-400, a new airliner should be quieter, less costly, more reliable and longer lived and have similar airfield performance, noise classification, wake turbulence separation and runway occupancy time, the airline says.

BA puts emphasis on the maintainability of any new large airliner, citing no major maintenance for ten years, no corrosion inspection for life, better systems reliability and redundancy, 100% accurate fault analysis and datalink systems integration as being desirable features. It also calls for a fast 105 minute turnaround time, this in turn implying the capability to perform an engine change in 30 minutes, wheel changes without jacks, the elimination of special test equipment and the removal of small, easily damaged aerials and other pro-tuberances.