News Desk

“the 747-8 is a Perfect Complement to Our Fleet in the 400-seat Category and Environmental Initiatives,”

Said Lufthansa’s Nico Buchholz, Senior Vice President Corporate Fleet. “environmental Protection and Sustainability, Under-pinned by Investment in Innovation, Are Integral Ele-ments of Our Corporate Strat-egy. The 747-8 Represents the Essence of This Strategy and Closes a Capacity Gap Regard-ing Aircraft Size Between Our 300 and 550-seat Aircraft in Our Future Fleet. ” at the Same Time Lufthansa Also Ordered an Additional Seven A340-600s the 747-8i Will Be Stretched 5. 6m From the 747-400, and Will Provide 467 Seats in a Nominal Three-class Configuration With a Range of 8000nm (14,815km). Boeing Promises That It Will Have 28 Per Cent Greater Cargo Volume and 10 Percent Lower Seat-mile Costs Compared to the 747-400. The 747-8 Program Draws on a Number of Technologies Used on the 787, Including the General Electric Genx Engine and a Number of Cabin Enhancements.

A380 Wraps Up Proving Flights

Airbus’s Msn002 A380 Development Aircraft Has Completed a Series of Route Proving Flights Which Covered Some 69,120nm (128,000km) in 152 Flying Hours Over 18 Days Following Its Return to Toulouse on November 30. Airbus Consequently Expected the Aircraft to Receive Certification in Mid December.

Msn002 Made Several Trips From Toulouse to Destinations in China, Hong Kong, South Korea, Singapore and Japan and Return Before Embarking on Its Final Round-the-world Leg to Johannesburg, Over the South Pole to Sydney, Then to Vancouver Before Return-ing Over the North Pole to Toulouse.

The A380 Was Well Received During the Sydney Leg of Its Proving Flights on November 28/29, With Crowds and the Media Enthusiastically Embracing the Aircraft’s Second Visit to the City. The Aircraft Success-fully Docked at Gate 55 at the International Terminal, the Gate Which Will Be Used by Singapore Airlines A380s When They Commence Flights to Sydney Next October.

With Flight Testing Now Complete, Airbus is Confi-dent That the A380 Will Be Certified on Time, and That First Deliveries Will Be on Schedule. “by December 13, We Expect to Receive the Airworthiness Certificate From Both Regulators, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the European Aviation Safety Agency,” the Director of Airbus’s A380 Marketing Division, Keith Stonestreet, Told Gulf News Following a Visit to Toulouse by Emirates Engineering Auditors. “we Are Now Confident on Delivering the A380 Superjumbo as Per the New Dates. ” Meanwhile, Us Lessor Ilfc Has Deferred Its Order for 10 A380s Until 2013, and Has Changed Its Order for Five A380 Freighters to Passenger Variants. Ilfc’s Move Means Three of the Original Four Customers for the A380f Have Cancelled or Switched Their Orders to Passenger Aircraft; the Others Being Emirates and Fedex. Only Ups With Its Order for 10 Freighters Remains on the Books, but With Such a Limited Requirement, Specula-tion That Airbus May Defer the Development of the Freighter is Gathering Pace Amongst Industry Observers. Also, Virgin Atlantic’s Sir Richard Branson Has Refused to Rule Out His Airline Cancel-ling Its Order for Six A380s. Sir Richard Told Media in the Uk on November 21 That Although He Still Thought the A380 Was “a Very Good Plane,” He Said “i Can’t Rule Out Cancelling A380s. ” in Better News for Airbus, the Emirates Team of Engi-neers That Visited Toulouse to Audit the A380 Program Returned Home Satisfied That the Wiring and Industrial Issues That Have Afflicted the Aircraft’s Manufacturing Program Are Now in Hand and That It is Unlikely There Will Be Any Further Delays to the A380 Delivery Timetable. “they Entered Prepared to Be Shocked,” Emirates President Tim Clark Told the Chicago Tribune on December 1. Instead, “they Found Some Semblance of Order,” He Said, Adding That Airbus Now Had a “fighting Chance” of Sticking to the Revised Schedule.

Airbus Ups 20 Year Forecast

Airbus Has Released Its an-nual 20 Year Market Forecast, Significantly Raising Its Projec-tions From That of Only Two Years Ago.

The Manufacturer Pre-dicts a Worldwide Market for 22,700 New Jet Airliners Comprising 21,900 Passenger Aircraft and 800 Freighters Valued at Us$2. 6 Trillion (a$3. 3tn) by 2025, Significant-ly Up on Its 2004 Forecast of 17,300 Aircraft and Us$1. 9tn (a$2. 4bn). Airbus Attributes This Increase to Rapid Growth in the Emerging Markets of India, China, Russia and Thealthough Still Important, the Market for 30 to 60 Seat Airliners Has “reached Maturity”, and That It Expects the 61 to 120 Seat Market to Show the Most Growth Through to 2026.

Looking at Jets Only, Between 2007 and 2026, Embraer is Forecasting De-mand for 1400 30-to-60 Seat Aircraft, 2600 61-to-90 Seaters, and 3500 91-to-120 Seat Airlin-ers, for a Total of 7500 Aircraft in the Sub-120 Seat Regional Jet Airliner Category. Broken Down Further, Embraer Ex-pects 3050 of These Aircraft to Be Ordered in the Next Decade, With the Remaining 4450 Being Required in the 2017 to 2026 Timeframe.

Of the Forecast Total, Which It Values at Us$220bn (a$286bn), Embraer Expects 3850 Regional Jets or 51 Per Cent to Go to the North American Market, 17 Per Cent to Europe, Nine Per Cent to China, and Five Per Cent or 385 Aircraft to Be Placed in the Asia Pacific Region.

Embraer Has a Spread of Models Throughout the Above Market Segments With Its Strong Selling 170, 175, 190 and 195 Models (See Feature From Page 28) Expected to Capture Up to 60 Per Cent of the Forecast Market During This Period.

787 Overweight but Performance Better Than Expected

Boeing’s 787 Program Head Mike Bair Has Told Media That the 787 is Currently Tracking to Be About 2. 5 Tonnes Over Its Specified Weight and That the Company Has Embarked on a “further Part Optimisation and Material Substitution” Program in Order to Trim the Excess Weight.

“we Know Exactly Where We Have to Go to Take Weight Out of the Airplane,” He Said. “for the Most, It’s Just Optimising the Part Design to Be a Little More Weight Efficient Than the First Pass Through the Design Yielded. ” This Optimisation Will Not Be Without Cost, With an Expected Additional Us$600m (a$784m) to Be Spent by Boeing Over the Next Two Years, on Top of the Ad-ditional Us$335m (a$438m) It Committed Last Year.

However, Bair Did Say That the Aircraft’s Economic Performance Was Looking Like Coming in Between Two to Three Percentage Points Better Than Expected Due to Further Efficiencies Being Found in the 787’s Maintenance Require-ments, and Therefore Overall Operating Costs.

The Program is on Track for the First Large Components of the Aircraft to Be Delivered to Seattle From February Next Year, With Final Assembly Being Conducted Through the Northern Summer Prior to an August 2007 First Flight. First Deliveries to Japan’s Ana Are Currently Scheduled for May 2008.

Boeing Currently Holds Firm Orders for 458 787s From 36 Customers, the Most Success-ful Startup Program in the Company’s History.

Commercial Briefs

• Airbus and Pratt & Whitney Are Reportedly Discussing the Possibility of Offering the A320 With a Revolutionary Geared Turbofan. The Geared Turbofan, Which Offers Fuel Savings of Between Five and 12 Per Cent, is Widely Touted as the Breakthrough Technology Which Would Allow Development of the Next Generation of Narrow-bodied Airliners. Flight Testing Could Begin in 2010 With Service Entry a Year Later, but the A320’s Wing Would Require a Substantial Redesign to Accom-modate the Larger Diameter Engines.

• an Early Boeing 777-200 Formerly Operated by British Airways and Algeria’s Khalifa Airways is to Become the First 777 to Be Broken Down to Components. The Aircraft Was the 19th 777 Produced.

• Airbus Has Reportedly Said It Will Boost Production of Its A320 Family of Airliners From 30 to 36 Aircraft Per Month to Meet Strong Demand for Its Hot-selling Single-aisle Twinjet. The A320 is Manufactured at Toulouse While the A318, A319 and A321 Are Assembled in Hamburg.

• Airbus Completed the 3000th Set of Wings for an A320 Family Aircraft at Its Broughton, Uk, Facility on November 8. The First Set Was Delivered in April 1986, the 500th Set in December 1994, the 1000th Set in April 1999, and the 2000th Set in April 2003, Indicating the Rapid Acceleration in Production in Recent Years for the Twinjet Family.

• Boeing Has Switched 777 Production to a Moving Assembly Line. The New Line Moves at a Rate of Four Cen-timetres Per Minute, Allowing Greater Production Efficiencies and Productivity, and Quality Improvements to Be Intro-duced to the Aircraft. • Embraer Has Announced Its Worldwide Erj-145 Re-gional Jet Fleet of Nearly 1000 Aircraft Recently Logged Its 10 Millionth Flight Hour. The Milestone Was Achieved Over 8. 5 Million Cycles, With the Oldest Aircraft Having Racked Up More Than 20,000 Cycles Since Delivery.

• Embraer Delivered Its 200th E-jet on December 4, an E-190 for Copa Airlines.

• to November 30, Airbus Had Sold 635 Commercial Airliners in 2006, Compared to Boeing’s 823.

Military

F-35 Gets First Pass Approval

the F-35 Lightning Ii Joint Strike Fighter Has Been Given ‘first Pass Approval’ by the Federal Government to Replace the Raaf’s F-111s and F/a-18s in the Strike and Fighter Roles Next Decade.

First Pass Approval Essentially Means the F-35 is Currently Meeting the Adf’s Requirements for Air 6000 Phases 1 & 2, and Indicates the Govern-ment Will Likely Commit an Additional $150 Million to the Aircraft’s Production Sustainment and Follow-on Development (Psfd) Stage, Which Defence Minister Dr Brendan Nelson Planned to Sign Mid December. “i Plan to Sign the Psfd Memorandum of Understanding (Mou) in December, Once Final Admin-istrative Arrangements Are in Place,” He Said in a State-ment. “signing This Mou Will Open Up Billions of Dollars of Opportunities for Australian Industry. Twenty Australian Companies Have Already Won Work Estimated at Us$90 Million. ” as Part of Psfd, Govern-ment and the Adf Will Also Be Given Inside Access to the Project During Arguably Its Most Critical Phases. With the First F-35’s Maiden Flight Imminent at Press Time and Much of Its Design and Development Work to Be Conducted During the Next Two to Three Years, Ideally the Adf Will Then Be in a Posi-tion to Make a Final Decision on Whether to Purchase the Aircraft When the Project is Due to Go Through Its ‘second Pass’ Approval Stage in Mid to Late 2008.

In the Meantime, Dr Nelson Has Instructed the Adf to Keep Abreast of the Development of Alternatives Should the F-35 Experience Significant Delays or Cost Blowouts. “to Cover Against Potential Delays That Can Occur With Projects of This Scope, the Government is Looking at Cost Effective Options to Ensure Australia Maintains Air Superiority Dur-ing the Transition Period. ”

Nelson Dumps Hornet Alr-2002b

in a Widely Anticipated Move, Defence Minister Dr Brendan Nelson Has an-nounced the Scrapping of Plans to Integrate the Bae Systems Australia Alr-2002b Radar Warning Receiver (Rwr) Onto the Raaf’s Upgraded F/a-18a/b Fleet.

The Move Comes After Ongoing Difficulties in Integrating the Locally Developed System Onto the Hornet Under Phase 2. 3 of the Hornet Upgrade Program. The System Was Initially Designed for the F-111 but Was Subsequently Dropped. Then in Its Alr-2002a Variant It Has Been Adapted for Slower Flying Helicopters and Transport Aircraft.

“the Radar Warning Per-formance Characteristics of a Fighter Are Far More Demand-ing Than Those of Transport and Rotary Winged Aircraft Because It’s Not Only Part of Their Defensive Capability but It’s Also Part of Their Offensive Capability,” the Defence Materiel Organisation’s Director General Aerospace Combat Systems, Air Commodore Roy Mcphail, Told Australian Aviation in Our September Issue, Perhaps Hinting That the Alr-2002 Hadn’t Made a Successful Transition to the Hornet and at the Future Direction Phase 2. 3 May Take.

“a Radar Warner is an Essential Part of a Fighter’s Ca-pability,” He Added. “you Can Get Away With Some Platforms Without a Radar Warner but You Just Have to Deploy Them Differently and Not Put Them in Harm’s Way, but That Doesn’t Make Sense on a Fighter. They Not Only Have to Know There’s a Threat Out There, but They Also Have to Know Where It is, What It is, and What It’s Doing. So It’s Much More Demanding Compared to Other Platforms. ” Dr Nelson Indicated That the Adf Will Revert to Raytheon’s Alr-67(V)3 Rwr System, Which is Thought to Have Been Preferred by the Raaf All Along Due to Its Lower Risk, Having Already Been Successfully Integrated With Us Navy Hornets and Super Hornets.

However, in What Seems to Be an Extraordinarily Drawn Out Process, He Added, “the Alr-67(V)3 Will Be Progressively Fitted to the F/a-18 From 2008 With Full Operational Capability (Foc) Achieved in 2011. ” This Statement Suggests That, Either There is Still Some Integration Work to Be Done on the Sys-tem, or That There is Already a High Demand on the System’s Current Production Rates.

As for the Alr-2002, Dr Nelson Said the Adf Will Continue to Add to the $94 Million It Has Committed to Date for Development of the System for Its Helicopters and Transports.

Adf Signs Scaneagle Uav Lease Deal

the Australian Army Has Reportedly Signed a $16. 6 Million Lease Deal With Boeing Australia for the Supply of an Unspecified Number of Scaneagle Uav Systems.

An Initial Six Month Lease Reportedly Has Been Signed and Will Run Until June 30 2007.

The Scaneagle Air Vehicle Weighs 20kg, is 1. 2m Long, Has a 3m Wingspan, and Has an Endurance of 15 or More Hours at Up to 16,000ft With a 3kg Inertially Stabilised Eo/ir Sensor or a Com-munications Relay Payload. A Complete Scaneagle System Comprises Three Air Vehicles, Two Land Rover Sized Vehi-cles, and a Catapult Launcher. The System Has Been in Service With the Us Marines in Iraq and the Us Naval Expeditionary Strike Group on Ships and Oil Terminals in the Persian Gulf Since Early 2005, and Recently Logged More Than 20,000 Combat Flight Hours.

“significant Challenges Ahead” for A400m

Eads Has Completed a Two Month Review of Its A400m Military Airlifter Program and Has Said That, While the Program is Currently on Track, “significant Challenges” Lie Ahead.

The Challenges Fall Prima-rily in the Areas of Planned Engine Modifications, Mission System Maturity, Electrical System Design, and Industrial and Final Assembly Processes, in Order for the Program to Move Forward on Schedule. “the Review Team Has Proposed Detailed Mitigating Actions to Comply With the Delivery Schedule Committed to Customers,” an Eads Statement Reads. “these Actions Were Endorsed by the Ceos of Eads and the Board of Directors. ”

Next Us Carrier Contract Awarded

Northrop Grumman Has Been Awarded a Us$24. 6m (a$34. 3m) Contract to Begin Design and Planning Work on the First of the Us Navy’s Next Class of Aircraft Carrier.

Numbered Cvn-79, the Ship Will Be the First of a New Class and Will Incorporate All of the Transitional Improve-ments Being Incorporated in the Cvn-77 George H Bush Which Will Be Launched Next Year and Cvn-78 Which is Due to Enter Service in 2012. These Include a New Flightdeck Layout, Electro-mag-netic Catapults and Arrestor Gear, Improved Weapons Systems, Increased Electrical Power Capacity, a Redundant Fibre-optic Communications ‘backbone’, and With the Introduction of Many New Technologies, a Reduced Crew Size.

Construction of Cvn-79 is Due to Start in 2012 With Delivery Due in 2019.

First Operational Usaf Cv-22 Delivered

the Usaf Took Delivery of Its First of 50 Bell-boeing Cv-22 Ospreys at a Ceremony at Its Special Operations Base at Hulbert Field in Florida on November 16.

Configured for Special Op-erations Work With Terrain Fol-lowing Radar, Flir Turret and Other Features That Will Allow It to Fly Close to the Ground and in All Weather Conditions, the Cv-22 Will Replace the Mh-53 as the Usaf’s Primary Special Forces Insertion Aircraft.

Military Briefs

• Uk Defence Development Organisation Qinetiq Has Successfully Completed the World’s First Flight Demonstra-tion of a System Capable of Controlling and Autonomously Organising Multiple Unmanned Air Vehicles. The Trial Was Conducted to Support the Concept of Using a Package of Self-organising Uavs Under the Control of an Operator Flying in Qinetiq’s Bac 1-11 Testbed.

• Raytheon Has Successfully Demonstrated a New Vari-ant of Harm (High-speed Anti-radiation Missile), Dubbed ‘hdam’ for Harm Destruction of Enemy Air Defence Attack Module. The New Variant Adds an Ins/ Gps Capability to the Harm, Greatly Improving Its Accuracy if a Radar System Which It is Attacking Shuts Down Before the Missile Hits. • Eads Casa and Indonesian Aerospace (Iae) Have Signed a Licensing Agreement for Assembly of the C-212-400 Light Military Transport. Final Assembly of the Aircraft Will Be Per-formed at Iae’s Facilities in Bandung.

• Malaysia Has Signed a Contract for Eight Alenia Aermacchi Mb-339cm Jet Trainers. The First is Due to Be Delivered in February 2008.

• Tenix Defence Has Launched the First of Two Offshore Patrol Vessels (Opvs) for the Royal New Zealand Navy at Its Williamstown, Victoria Docks. The 8500 Tonne Multi-purpose Opvs Will Carry Helicopters and Amphibious Landing Craft.

• Indonesia Has Signed a Deal With Russia for the Provision of Eight Sukhoi Su-30mk Fighters, Four Mil Mi-171 Heli-copters, and Two Submarines, According to Reports.

• Boeing’s Australian Subsidi-ary Hawker De Havilland Has Won a Follow-on Contract to Produce Composite Wing Flaps for the Lockheed Martin C-130j Hercules. The 9m Long Components Are Produced at Hdh’s Bankstown Plant, With the Current Contract Extended From 2009 to at Least 2014.

• Australia’s Defence Science and Technology Organisation (Dsto) and the Usaf Have Signed the Hypersonic International Flight Research Experimentation (Hifire) Agreement to Conduct Joint Research Into Hypersonic Flight.

Airlines Qantas Takeover Bid Imminent

as Aa Went to Print, It Appeared That a Consortium of Private Equity Firms and Financial Institutions Was in the Final Stages of Preparing a Formal Takeover Bid for Qantas Airways.

Speculation of a Takeover Bid Started in Mid November and Led to a Significant Jump in Qantas’s Share Price. It Was Subsequently Revealed That a Consortium Led by Macquarie Bank and Us Private Equity Firm Texas Pacific Group Had Held Informal Discussions With Senior Management at the Airline About Launching a Takeover Bid. Allco Finance Group, Pacific Equity Partners, Australian Super and Canadian Investment Firm Onex Corporation Have Also Been Linked to the Bid. The Latest Reports Seem to Indicate That Macquarie, Allco and Australian Super Would Take a Combined 50 Per Cent Stake, While Texas Pacific, Onex and Other Foreign Institu-tions Would Hold 49 Per Cent Between Them. The Remaining One Per Cent Would Go to Senior Qantas Management, Including Ceo Geoff Dixon and Cfo Peter Gregg.

Talk of a Takeover Involv-ing Texas Pacific Has Ignited Debate About the Identity of Qantas, and Has Prompted Calls for the Government to Block Any Excessive Foreign Investment in Qantas. Prime Minister John Howard Has Indicated That He Would Not Introduce Special Legislation to Block the Bid, but That Qantas Would Have to Remain Majority Australian Owned and Would Also Have to Meet the Existing Conditions of the Qantas Sale Act, Which Limits Foreign Investment in the Airline to 49 Per Cent, and Any Single Foreign Investor to Just 25 Per Cent.

The Intentions of the Bidders if They Are Success-ful is Not Yet Clear as They Have Yet to Launch a Formal Bid. Nevertheless, There Are Concerns That Qantas May Be Broken Up and Some of Its Assets Sold Off. Unions Representing Qantas Staff Also Fear That a Takeover May Lead to Further Cost Cutting and Outsourcing of Heavy Maintenance.

Analysts Expect the Bid Could Be Worth Between $10- 11 Billion, With a Rumoured Bid Price of Between $5. 40 and $5. 70 a Share. Some Sources Say That the Qantas Board Would Only Be Willing to Accept a Bid of $6 Per Share, Which May Be Too High for the Investors to Make an Adequate Return on the Invest-ment. Some Also Fear That as the Buyout Would Mostly Be Funded Through Debt That This May Affect the Airline’s Credit Rating, Which Could Impact Its $20 Billion Fleet Acquisition Plan.

The Higher Share Price Fol-lows Qantas’s Announcement on December 1 of a Profit Upgrade, the Airline Saying It Was Expecting an Increase in Gross Profit of Between 25-30 Per Cent to Between $839 Million and $872 Million for Fy06/07. The Increase Has Been Attributed to Strong Trading Conditions and Lower Fuel Prices.

At the Same Time as Giving the Profit Guidance, Qantas Released Its Group Traffic Figures for October, Which Showed a Seven Per Cent Increase in Rpks on the Previous Year. Domestic Yield Rose Two Per Cent While International Yield Rose 7. 9 Per Cent. Revenue Load Factor Was 80. 7 Per Cent.

Toll to Keep Stake in Virgin Blue

Toll Holdings Has an-nounced That It Will Keep Its 62 Per Cent Stake in Virgin Blue Which It Inherited When It Took Over Patrick Corporation in 2005.

Toll Conducted a Review of Its Stake Earlier in 2006, and Has Concluded That the Airline Investment Presents “further Value Enhancement to Toll Shareholders”, Mostly Due to a Number of Changes to Its Strategy. Toll Was Originally Expected to Sell a Large Part of the Stake in Virgin Blue Back to Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group After It Com-pleted Its Takeover of Patrick Corporation.

Toll Ceo Paul Little Said, “the Introduction of an Active Fuel Hedging Program, the Velocity Frequent Flyer Program, Live Inflight Tv, Redeveloped Customer Lounges and Extensions of Self-service Customer Offerings Are All Hav-ing a Positive Impact on the Business. ” a Number of These Came Out of the ‘new World Carrier’ Business Model Which Virgin Has Adopted to Increase the Company’s Returns.

Toll Also Appears to Be Keen to Extract Some Synergy With Its Existing Freight Businesses by Establishing an Air Freight Operation With Virgin Blue. Earlier This Year Virgin Blue Ceo Brett Godfrey Said That the Airline Was Looking at Ways to Increase Its Freighter Capac-ity. Toll Currently Buys Space on Qantas and Australian Air Express Flights and Has Been Examining an Alternative, Which Could Include Virgin Blue Acquiring 737 Freighters or Quick Change Aircraft.

Air Nz Cuts Tasman Services After Qantas Deal Denied

Following Its Failure to Gain Clearance From the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission for Its Proposed Alliance With Qantas, Air New Zealand Has Followed Through on Threats to Slash Its Trans- Tasman Services.

The Proposed Deal Was Designed to Reduce Overcapac-ity on the Tasman and Save Each Airline About $20 Million a Year and Would Have Seen Each Airline Codeshare on Many of the Other’s Services Rather Than Running Half-empty Head-to-head Flights. However, the Accc Found That the Deal Would Have Been Uncompetitive and Would Have Given the Two Airlines an 80 Per Cent Marketshare on the Route.

Air New Zealand Says It Will Cut Its Capacity on the Tasman by 11 Per Cent Start-ing in April, Saying There is Insufficient Demand to Sustain Its Current Schedules.

From Wellington, Air Nz Will Reduce Its Number of Services to Sydney by 15 Per Cent From 12 to 10 Per Week, and to Melbourne From Seven to Five Per Week.

From Dunedin, Low-cost Offshoot Freedom Air Will Reduce Its Services to Sydney From Three to Two Per Week, and Its Single Weekly Service to the Gold Coast Will Be Can-celled. Freedom Services From Palmerston North to Brisbane Will Be Also Be Cut, From Four to Three Per Week, While Its Flights From Christchurch to the Gold Coast Will Drop From Four to Three Per Week.

Mainline Services From Christchurch to Sydney Will Also Be Cut, From 14 to 13 Per Week, While Many Auckland to Sydney Services Will See Some Boeing 767s and 777s Replaced by Airbus A320s, Reducing Seat Capacity by 11 Per Cent.

“the Tasman is One of the Most Brutal Aviation Markets in the World and All Carriers Struggle to Make an Adequate Return on Their Investment,” Air Nz Group General Manager, Short Haul Airline, Norm Thompson Said. “unfortunately, Not Even the Low Airfares Generated by Significant Excess Capacity and Competition Have Driven Enough Customer Demand From These Four Centres to Maintain the Status Quo Schedule on a Year-on-year Basis. For Example, Air New Zealand Load Factors Out of Wellington Over the Low Demand Season Averaged Only Around 63 Per Cent, Which is Commercially Unsustainable. ” “more Changes on the Tasman Are Likely Now Air New Zealand Has Trimmed Its Presence,” Stated Peter Harbison of the Centre for Asia Pacific Aviation. “qantas Could Shift More Operations to Its Low Cost Jetstar Unit, While Pacific Blue Could Seize the Opportunity to Boost Its Presence. ”

Us Airways’s Delta Takeover Bid

a Takeover Bid by Us Airways for Delta Air Lines, Which is Currently in Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection, Has Been Met With a Cool Response From Delta’s Management.

Us Airways, Which Merged With America West Airlines in 2005, Launched a Surprise Us$8bn (a$10. 5bn) Merger With Delta Air Lines Which Would Take Effect When Delta Emerges From Chapter 11 Bankruptcy Protection Next Year. Under the Proposal, Delta’s Creditors Would Receive Us$4bn (a$5. 23bn) in Cash and Another Roughly Us$4bn (a$5bn) in Us Airways Stock Based on Current Trading Values.

A Merger Between the Two Airlines Would Make It the World’s Largest, and the Com-bined Carrier Would Control a Large Portion of the Us Domestic Market. Us Airways Has Stated That in Order to Clear the Deal With Competi-tion Authorities It Would Sur-render a Number of Landing and Takeoff Slots and Gates at Major Airports Including New York’s Laguardia. Low Cost Carriers Air Tran, Southwest and Jetblue Have All Expressed Interest in Purchasing These Slots and Gates if the Deal is Approved.

Although It Has Publicly Stated That It Will Review the Us Airways Offer, Delta Has Said It is Focusing on Emerging From Bankruptcy Protection Early Next Year as a Stand-alone Entity, “not as a Merged, Acquired, or Otherwise Consolidated Airline. ” “we Are Very Comfortable That When (the Creditors) Understand What Delta’s Standalone Plan Will Provide, They Will See Significant Value There,” Airline Spokesman Michael Freitag Told Us Media on November 17.

However, Observers Believe Delta Executives Will Have Their Work Cut Out Convincing Creditors of the Value in Going It Alone, With Us Air’s Offer Likely to Raise Their Expecta-tions of the Airline’s Worth and Near Term Performance.

Virgin Atlantic Trials Fuel Saving Measures

Virgin Atlantic Was Due to Begin in December Trialing Having Its Aircraft Towed to the Runway in Order to Reduce the Amount of Fuel Used. The Trials Will Take Place With the Airline’s 747-400s at London’s Heathrow and Gatwick Airports, and Will Also Involve Airport Operator Baa and Airways Organisation Nats.

The 747-400s Will Be Towed Closer to the Runway Before the Engines Are Started. Virgin Will Also Trial a ‘starting Grid’ Holding Area Close to the Runway Where the Engines Can Be Started 10 Minutes Before Takeoff. The Trial is Expected to Show That by Towing Aircraft to a Starting Grid That Less Fuel Will Be Used on the Ground, Therefore Creating Fewer Greenhouse Gas Emis-sions, Not to Mention Fuel Bill Savings.

Virgin Atlantic is Also in Talks With Airports Around the World About Expanding the Trial. Jill Brady From Virgin Said, “once We Have Exam-ined the Results of the Test Trials, We Will Be Able to Look at Creating Centres of Excel-lence at the Busiest Airports Around the World, Airports Which Share Virgin Atlantic’s Goal of Reducing Fuel Burn and Co2 Emissions Both on the Ground and in the Air. ” the Trial Comes as the Eu Debates Whether to Include Airlines as Part of a Carbon Trading Scheme. Many of Europe’s Airlines and the United States Are Opposed to the Trading Scheme and Cite That All Air Travel Only Contributes to Three Per Cent of Total Global Emissions. Virgin Atlantic’s Chairman Sir Richard Branson Has Also Recently Pledged to Use the Profits From His Transport Businesses to Fight Global Warming.

Qantas’s Japanese Shuffle

Qantas Will Switch Services From Cairns to Nagoya and Osaka From Mid 2007 From Qantas Mainline to Jetstar International Because of Jetstar’s Much Lower Cost Base, Making It More Suited for the Largely Leisure Orientated Services.

Jetstar A330-200s Will Operate Six Times a Week Between Cairns and Nagoya From August 2 and Four Times a Week Between Cairns and Osaka From September 8, as Well as the Recently Announced Osaka-brisbane- Sydney Services, Which Commence on March 25.

Under the Revised Timetable the Qantas Group Will Offer 55 Services a Week to Japan, on Top of Seasonal Cairns- Sapporo Flights.

Qantas’s Current 767-300 Nagoya and Osaka Services Are Operated by Cairns Based Australian Airlines Staff Under the Qantas Brand. The Australian Airlines Cairns Base Crews Will Be Deployed Elsewhere on the Qantas Network.

Airline Briefs

• Airnorth Has Confirmed It is Acquiring One Embraer 170 to Expand Its Charter and Rpt Services Throughout Australia’s North and North-west and East Timor. The Aircraft Will Be Leased Through Gecas and is Scheduled to Enter Service in October 2007. The Embraer is an Ex-hong Kong Express Machine.

• Ozjet Will Commence Services Between Perth and Derby From This February. The Services Will Be Operated by the Airline’s 737-200 in a 108-seat, All Economy Layout.

• Hawaiian Airlines and Virgin Blue Have Activated a New in-terline Agreement That Allows Passengers Flying Virgin Blue Flights to Sydney to Connect With Hawaiian’s Daily Flight to Honolul.

• North Queensland Regional Airline Airtrans Has Been Sold to the Wild Family’s Group of Airlines – Which Includes Queensland Regional Airlines, Inland Pacific Air, Airlines Png and Corporate Air Services. The Airline Has Al-ready Commenced Expanding, Swapping a Nine-seat Cessna 404 for a 36-seat Dash 8-200 for Its Cairns to Cooktown Service From November 24.

• British Airways Has Unveiled a £100m (a$247m) Overhaul to Club World (Business Class) Featuring 25 Per Cent Wider, Two Metre Long Lie-flat Beds, a New in-flight Entertainment System, and in-seat Laptop Storage Bins and Data Points. Ba’s Fleet of Boeing 747s and 777s Will Be Retrofitted With the New Seats Over the Next 18 Months.

• Emirates Has Delayed the Commencement of Flights to Adelaide for Another Two Years Due to a Lack of Avail-able Aircraft.

• Cathay Pacific is Adding Two Additional A330 Services a Week Between Hong Kong and Cairns, Taking Its Weekly Schedule on the Route to Six Flights.

Airports • Brisbane Airport Has Released Its Draft Environmental Impact Statement and Major Development Plan for Its Planned New Parallel Run-way for Public Comment. The Release Concludes an 18 Month Study Into the Economic, Environmental and Social Impacts of the Proposed Runway Expansion to Cope With Future Traffic and Airport Growth. The Detailed Report May Be Viewed at Www. Newparallelrunway. Com. Au.

General Aviation

Cirrus Update

Cirrus Design Ceo Alan Klapmeier Offered More Clues Into the Upcoming Cirrus Jet at the Aopa Expo in Palm Springs, California, in November, but He Smiled as He Held Back Real Details, Reports Jeffrey Decker.

“we Don’t Want to Disap-point,” He Said. “we’re Not Going to Talk About Specifica-tions. We’re Not Going to Talk About Dates. You’re Never Sure About Dates. ” He Did Say That the Jet is Not Something You’ll See on a Corporate Ramp. It’s Aimed at Expanding Personal Flight, and Will Feature a Surprisingly Low Takeoff Thrust of Less Than 1900lb (8. 5kn). “it’s More of an Sr-22 With a Single Engine Turbofan as Opposed to a Vlj or a Small Business Jet,” He Said. “as a Personal Jet, It’s Designed to Be Easier for Me to Fly. . . I Want to Fly It in and Out of Grass Runways. Don’t Take That as a Promise, but, You Know, It Would Be Kind of Cool if You Could. ” Very Few Details Have Been Released About the Single Engine Jet, Except That It is Be-ing Designed, and Klapmeier Was Careful Not to Reveal Too Much as He Opened Up More Than Ever Before. “the Project is Moving Along Well. There Won’t Be Any Pictures or Specifications for Quite Some Time. But What We Will Do is Gradually Release Informa-tion Through Most of Next Summer. We’re Having a Lot of Fun. ” Part of Their Effort Involves Securing Financial Backing, and He’s Pushing Innovative Savings and Investment Plans to Find Support. “we Ended Up With This Compromise of Huge (Investments) but Refundable. It’s Gone Over Quite Well. ” Meanwhile, Cirrus Design Has Revealed That It is Still Strongly Considering Adding Jet Fuel Burning Diesel Engines to Its Piston Aircraft Range.

“probably Everybody Who’s Ever Considered Making an Aviation Diesel, We’ve Talked to,” Said Cirrus’s Klapmeier. “particularly for the European Markets, the Diesels Are Interesting. We’re Always Looking at That. We’ll Try Not to Announce Things Before They’re Done. ”

Casa to Delegate Class 2 Medicals?

Casa Says It is Now Undertaking a “detailed Examination” of a Proposal to Delegate Management of Private and Student Pilot Licence Medicals to Authorised Designated Aviation Medical Examiners (Dames) Follow-ing Industry Consultation.

Delegating Class 2 Medical Certification to Dames Was Supported by 82 Per Cent of Respondents to a Survey That Was Part of a Discussion Paper on Private Pilot Medicals Released Last June, Casa Said. Retaining the Existing System Where Casa Issues Certificated Medicals Received Little Support.

“about 10 Per Cent of Designated Aviation Medical Examiners Took Part in the Survey,” a Casa Statement Reads. “doctors Indicated That if Casa is to Delegate Class 2 Medical Management a Number of Issues Need to Be Carefully Reviewed. These Include Liability and Medical Insurance Costs and the Need for a Central Database of Medical Records That Can Be Accessed by Doctors. ” Casa Says a Decision on Delegating Class 2 Medicals Will Be Made in 2007. The Regulator Says It is Also Pro-posing to Cut Its Medical Fee From $130 to $75 as Part of the Next Round of Changes to Casa Cost Recovery Charges.

Ngp Update

Cessna Revealed More Plans for Its Next Generation Piston (Ngp) Family at the Aopa Expo in Palm Springs in California, Writes Jeffrey Decker. The Sleek, Four-seat Proof-of-concept Aircraft That Began Its 40 Hours of Flight Tests This Northern Summer is Almost Entirely Made of Composite Materials.

“that Doesn’t Necessarily Mean We’re Committed to Going to Composites With It,” Said Ceo and President Jack Pelton. He Stressed That the Test Aircraft is Not a Prototype, but a Changing Tool to Develop a New Group of Pistons.

The Ngp Will Likely Bring the First Diesel Engine Into a Cessna Aircraft. Diesels Won’t Be in the First Models, but Pelton Said Eventual Use is One of the Design and Testing Considerations. He Isn’t Saying What Engine is on the Proof-of-concept, but Cessna Has Started Looking at Diesels on Its Other Aircraft and in Its Labs. “we’ve Flight Tested the 1. 7 Litre Thielert and Now We’re Beginning to Flight Test the 2 Litre. We Are Actively Advocating to Anybody Who Builds Engines to Please Build a Higher Horsepower Vari-ant Diesel or Alternative Fuel Engine,” He Said.

Cessna Isn’t Releasing Performance Goals or Speci-fications. “we Aren’t Chasing a Single Parameter. We Want to Make Sure It’s Consistent With Our Tradition Here at Cessna, That We Offer the Best Combination of Safety, Speed, Range, Useful Load, Comfort and Price,” Pelton Said. The Flight Testing Has Satisfied Initial Structural Requirements, Aerodynamic Performance, Engine Cooling Requirements and Proven Balanced and Simple Handling Characteris-tics. “we Have a Whole Host of System Integration and New Technologies That We’re Looking at,” He Added.

When They’re Released, Pelton Said the Existing Piston Cessnas Won’t Be Discontin-ued. “when We Brought Up Numerous Citations We Let the Market Dictate What Happens Relative to a Prior Model Becoming Obsolete. ”

General Aviation Briefs

• Airservices Australia Will Sponsor Four Flight Training Scholarships for Women Wishing to Obtain a Private or Commercial Pilot’s Licence.

• the Beechcraft Bonanza Turns 60 in 2007 and Raytheon Has Released a Luxurious Special Anniversary Package for the 2007 Model of the Aircraft. The Bonanza is the Only Aircraft to Have Remained in Continuous Production for 60 Years.

• Cessna Has Announced That All Its 2007 Model Year 172, 182 and 206 Light Singles Will Be Equipped With a Garmin Gfc 700 Automatic Flight Control (Afcs) and Flight Director (Fd) System, Wide Area Augmentation System (Waas), Garmin Safetaxi and Garmin Flitecharts as Standard Equipment, and That the Garmin Chartview Powered by Jeppesen Will Be Optional.

• Cirrus Has Been Granted Sup-plemental Type Certification (Stc) for Its Cirrus Turbo High Performance Version of the Sr22.

Business Aviation

Further Delays to Eclipse Vlj

Eclipse Has Announced That the Eclipse 500 Very Light Jet Has Been Further Delayed Due to “quality Escapes” High-lighted by the Faa During Certificate of Airworthiness Trials of the First Production Aircraft.

The Problems Are Believed to Be Largely Administrative and Relating to the Flight Test-ing Process.

Despite This Latest Setback, Eclipse Expected to Deliver 10 Aircraft by the End of 2006 and 515 in 2007. The Compa-ny Has Not Set a Firm Date for the Delivery of Its First Eclipse 500. The Jet, Which Has Been Ordered in Large Numbers in the Us, Has Already Experi-enced a Number of Delays to Its Program. Recently, Eclipse Was Forced to Temporarily Ground Its Five Jets After Find-ing Rear Wing-spar Attach-point and Windscreen Cracks in One of the Aircraft.

Grob Spn Crashes on Test Flight

Grob Aerospace’s Spn Business Jet Program Has Suffered a Significant Setback After the Crash of the Second Prototype While on a Test Flight in Germany.

The Crash, Which Occurred on November 29, Resulted in the Death of Grob’s Chief Pilot Captain Gérard Guillaumaud, the Aircraft’s Sole Occupant. Guillaumaud Had Flown Over 260 Hours on the Two Spn Aircraft.

Despite the Crash, Grob Remains Committed to the Spn. At This Stage, the Manu-facturer Has Not Ruled Out Any Possible Delays to the Project, Which is Currently Scheduled to Enter Service in the Fourth Quarter of 2007.

Better Late Than Never

After a Nearly 10 Year Proc-ess, Raytheon Has Received Faa Type Certification for Its Hawker 4000 Super-midsize Business Jet.

Faa Certification Came Five Years Later Than Originally Planned for the All-composite Eight-passenger Jet, Which Was Originally Known as the Hawker Horizon. Raytheon Holds 74 Orders for the Type, With First Deliveries Expected in the First Quarter of 2007. Production Will Increase to 30 a Year From 2008.

Foxjet Returns

Almost 30 Years Ago It Inaugurated the Very Light Jet Concept Before Its Plans Were Shelved, Writes Jeffrey Decker. Now the Foxjet is Back, and is Suddenly Due to Be One of the First Vljs to Market.

When the the Foxjet 600 Debuted in 1977 It Was Poised to Pioneer the New Class. Development Stopped When the Us Government Decided Not to Allow Civil Use of the Williams Engine. Millennium Aerospace Corporation Acquired Foxjet International on May 11 2006 From Tony Fox and Updated the Design to Produce the Foxjet Ii. Revealed on November 8 at the Aopa Expo in Palm Springs, California, Millenium Says It Already Has 51 Sales Deposits From Individuals and 50 From Air Taxi Operators. The Jet Sells for Us$1. 7m (a$2. 2m). It’s 3. 15m Tall and is 9. 35m Long – Slightly Larger Than Its Predecessor. The Foxjet Ii Has a New Black Paint Job From the Porche Design Studio, but the Years of Work and Us$3m of Capital Invested 30 Years Ago Left Little Need for Change.

Fox and His 19-person Team Left What Millenium’s Project Development Officer Bob Swanson Called a “mind Bog-gling” Amount of Drawings and Records. “the Electronics, Landing Gear, All of This Has Already Been Pre-certified,” He Said, “we’re Not Going to Change Very Much at All in the Basic Aircraft. ” Use of Carbon Fibre in the Fuselage and Wings is the Biggest Change. Maximum Takeoff Weight is 2155kg. Empty Weight is 917kg and Full Weight is 645kg. The Top Cruise Rate is 400kt and the Climb Rate is 3400ft/min.

More Than Us$1m in Deposits Were Taken by 1982. Learjet Designer Bill Lear Was to Own the First One. Certification Was Within Reach When the Us Government Refused to Allow Civil Use of the Williams Turbofan Engine Used in Cruise Missiles. The Project Stalled and Fox Resumed Building Commercial Waste Compactors.

Both Engines on the Foxjet Ii Have 1300lb (5. 8kn) of Thrust, Up From the Original’s 840lb (3. 7kn). Swanson They Chose at the Nbaa Convention in October. “until We Sign Contracts We Won’t Release Names,” He Said. “you Will Be the Second to Know. We Will Be the First to Know. ” an All-glass Avionics System Will Be Included in the Stand-ard Package, but the Model Hasn’t Been Named Yet.

Prototypes Will Be Built in Early 2007 in Los Angeles, and Swanson Said the Manu-facturing Facility Will Be Likely Be in Mississippi.

Certification is Expected in 2008.

Business Aviation Briefs

• Cessna Delivered Its First Citation Mustang Light Busi-ness Jet on November 22. The First Aircraft Was Delivered to Mustang Management Group Based in Fresno, California. It Will Be Leased to Cessna for 10 Months as a Demonstrator Before Being Used for Flight Training.

• Boeing Has Delivered Its 100th ‘green’ 737 Airframe to Boeing Business Jets.

• Piper Has Selected the Williams Fj44-3ap Turbofan to Power Its Piperjet Which It Announced at Nbaa in September.

• Cessna Has Delivered Its 100th Citation Sovereign, to a Canada Based Company.

Cargo • Australian Air Express Has Released a Tender for Three Ad-ditional 737 Freighters to Take Its Planned Fleet to Seven.

• a Shorts Belfast is Report-edly Being Overhauled at Southend in the Uk in Preparation for a Flight to Australia to Join Its Sistership in Heavylift Australia’s Fleet. It Has Been in Open Storage at Southend Since 1999, but Has Recently Seen Much Work Including the Refitting of Its Rolls-royce Tyne Turboprops and Preliminary Engine Runs. Reports Also Suggest Heavylift Australia Has Also Acquired a Canadair Cl-44 Super Guppy Which is Currently Stored at Bournemouth-hurn in the Uk.

Finance A380 Delays Lead to Eads Losses

Airbus’s Sole Shareholder, Eads, Has Reported a Third Quarter Loss of €195m (a$326m) to September 30 2006 on the Back of Further Delays to the A380 Program, a Reversal on Its €279m Profit for the Same Period the Previ-ous Year.

At Airbus Itself, the Reversal of Fortune Was Even More Keenly Felt, With a Loss of €350m (a$586m) Being Recorded in the Third Quarter, a Massive €760m (a$1. 3bn) Turnaround on the Same Pe-riod Last Year, Despite Revenues Rising 14 Per Cent to €5. 42bn (a$9. 07bn).

Eads Has Placed the Blame for the Losses Firmly on the Shoulders of the A380 Program. “. . . The Struggle to Reverse the A380 Problems Imposes a Severe Burden on Our Financial Performance. This, Together With the (Us) Dollar Devaluation, Requires Drastic Measures to Remain Competitive. Therefore the Power8 Program in Airbus and Structural Streamlining of the Group Has Top Priority. ” for the Nine Months Ending September, Airbus’s Operating Profit Slumped 38 Per Cent From €1. 85bn to €1. 14bn (a$1. 9bn) Compared to the Previous Year.

Rex 1q Profit Up

Regional Express Has Posted a First Quarter Rise in Net Profit to $5. 7 Million, Up 46 Per Cent, and Has Conse-quently Revised Upwards Its Profit Forecast for the Current Financial Year by 20 Per Cent.

The Airline Said Passenger Numbers Were Up 20 Per Cent for the Quarter, With Load Factor Improving From 65 to 68 Per Cent and Passenger Revenue Up 22. 3 Per Cent. Costs Increased 8. 5 Per Cent Due to Higher Fuel and Staffing Costs.

Security Us Approves Registered Traveller Program

the Us Transportation Security Administration Has Given the Green Light for Its Long Touted Registered Traveller Program.

The Program Will Allow Individuals to Voluntarily Submit to a Background Check and Receive an Rt Card, Allowing Faster Access Through Security Checkpoints at Us Airports. Passengers Wishing to Take Part Will Have to Pay a Us$28 (a$36) Fee to the Tsa for a Background Check. They Will Also Have to Provide Some Biographical Details and Biometric Data. In Addition, Passengers Will Also Pay Fees to the Companies Administer-ing the Program.

A Trial of the Rt Program Has Been Running at Orlando Airport. The Program Will Now Be Extended to Four Additional Airports, Including New York Jfk. A National Rollout of the Program Will Occur From 2007, With 15 to 20 Airports Expected to Be Added Initally, With More in Following Years.

Maintenance & Support Qantas to Review Maintenance Ops

Qantas Has Announced It Will Conduct a Major 12 Month Review on Whether to Commit to in-house Engineer-ing and Maintenance for Its Current, Expanded and Forthcoming Fleets of Airbus A330, A380 and Boeing 737, 747 and 787 Airliners.

After Its Recent Closure of Operations in Sydney, Qantas Consolidated Its Heavy Mainte-nance Services at Avalon Near Melbourne and at Brisbane, While Also Sending Several Aircraft Offshore for Deep Maintenance Work.

“these Aircraft Will Pro-gressively Replace the Airline’s 767 and 747 Aircraft, Which Have Been the Mainstays of Our Long Haul Fleet for Many Years,” Qantas Ceo, Geoff Dixon Said Referring to the A330, A380 and 787. “the Changing Face and Econom-ics of Maintenance Repair Operations (Mro) Around the World Compel Us to Consider How and Where These Aircraft Will Be Maintained. Scale and Efficiency Are Now the Hallmarks of the Mros That Are Increasingly Being Middle East.

While Both Airbus and Boeing Predict Similar Overall Numbers for the Period, They Diverge Somewhat on How These Are Broken Down Into the Main Categories of Airliners. For Example, Airbus Predicts a Market for 1665 Aircraft in the 400-plus Seat or ‘very Large’ Category (Including Large Freighters), of Which It Expects Its New A380 to Take at Least Half Against Boeing’s Recently Revised but Smaller 747. In Contrast, Boeing Thinks Just 990 Aircraft Will Be Required, Making the A380 at Best, a Marginal Proposition for Airbus if It Captures Half of That Market.

Airbus Predicts 70 Per Cent or 15,300 of the Total Deliver-ies Will Comprise Single-aisle Airliners of Between 100 and 220 Seats, Most of Which Will Go to Emerging Markets. Both Airbus and Boeing Are Currently Selling Large Num-bers of Their A320 Family and 737ng Airliners, and Have or Are in the Process of Ramping Up Production Beyond 30 Aircraft Per Month. However, Both Aircraft Are Also Due to Be Replaced With New Types in the Next Decade, With the 737’s Replacement Arguably More Urgent.

In the Other Categories, Airbus Sees Global Demand for 3868 Aircraft in the Twin-aisle 220 to 300 Seat Category, and 1800 New Aircraft in the Inter-mediate Twin-aisle Category Covering 300 to 400-seats.

Upsize Me – Embraer Forecasts 20 Year Regional Jet Market

Brazilian Regional Jet Manufacturer Embraer Has Forecast Regional Jet Airliners Will Grow in Size Over the Next 20 Years.

Echoing Recent Trends of Airlines Opting for Larger and More Efficient and Flexible Regional Jet and Turboprop Airliners, Embraer Says That, Used to Maintain Aircraft From an Increasing Number of Large International Airlines. ” “the Review is About Trying to Create Conditions for the Necessary Investment to Bring the Maintenance of the A330 Aircraft Fleet, Which Will Soon Number Around 20, Into Australia,” He Added. “we Need to Decide by the Second Half of 2007 Whether to Bring the A330s, Which Are Currently Being Main-tained in the Philippines (by Lufthansa Technik), Onshore to Brisbane. ” the Review Will Also Look at Whether Qantas Will Continue to Provide Line Maintenance for Client Airlines in Australia, and May Even Include the Possibility of Establishing a Third Party on-shore Mro Organisation That Would Take Other Airlines’ Aircraft for Deep Maintenance.

Dixon Says He Has Met With Union Leaders to Discuss the Review. “we Assured the Unions That They, Along With Our People, Will Be Widely Consulted. We Will Seek Their Input on What Changes Are Required to Provide Qantas With a World Class Competitive Capability. ” the Announcement of a Review Came Soon After Qantas’s Decision to Keep 737 Maintenance at Tullamarine Airport in Melbourne, Involv-ing Retaining 460 Jobs.

Maintenance & Support Briefs • Australia and the Us Have Signed a New Agreement Which Will Make It Easier to Trade Aircraft Parts Between the Two Countries.

Air Safety

Transair (& Bse) Grounded

Brisbane Based Regional Airline Transair Has Requested Cancelling Its Air Operator’s Certificate After the Civil Aviation Safety Authority (Casa) Suspended Its Aoc for Five Days in Late November, Effectively Suspending Nsw Regional Big Sky Express.

A Casa Statement Noted That the Initial Decision to Suspend the Carrier’s Aoc Was Made as It “has Reason to Believe the Operator Had Engaged, May Be Engaging and Was Likely to Engage in Conduct Constituting, Con-tributing to or Resulting in a Serious and Imminent Risk to Air Safety”. Transair’s Holding Company, Lessbrook Pty Ltd, Was Notified of the Suspen-sion on Monday November 27. Transair Operated on Behalf of Aero-tropics the Metro Which Crashed While on Approach to Lockhart River in 2005, Killing 13.

With Its Aoc Having Been Cancelled, It Looks Unlikely That Transair Will Fly Again. At the Time of Writing, Transair/ Lessbrook Was Still Trading but Looks Likely to Enter Voluntary Administration as It Can No Longer Fly Its Aircraft. Transair Operated Aircraft on Behalf Big Sky Express.

Letters Anzac Ships

There Was an Article in the ‘debrief ’ Section of the November Issue of Your Magazine Which I Believe Requires a Response.

In a Reference to the Deliv-ery of the 10th Anzac Frigate, Hmas Perth, the Column Said the Ships Were Not Delivered on Schedule or on Budget, and the Last Ships Were Commis-sioned Around Two Years Late.

That is Wrong. Tenix Defence Delivered 10 Ships Over 10 Years. The Original Contract Window for Perth’s Delivery in 1989 Was Sep 04- Mar 05. In January 2001 This Was Amended to March 31 2006. There Was a Subsequent Amendment and the Ship Was Delivered to Contract in June 2006.

The Last Two Ships, Toowoomba and Perth, Were in Fact Ready for Delivery About Three Months Ahead of Schedule.

This Was a Fixed Price Contract, for $7 Billion in Cur-rent Dollars, So Any Suggestion of a Cost Blow-out is Equally Erroneous.

Liam Bathgate Manager Public Affairs Tenix Defence

People

• Boeing Australia Has Appointed David Withers as Its New Managing Director to Replace David Gray Who Has Retired. Withers is a Former Qantas Senior Avionics Engineer, and Joined Boeing Earlier This Year From Smiths Aerospace Wh

ere He Was Managing Director of Its Asia Pacific Businesses.

• Charter Startup Skyairworld Has Appointed Rick Howell as Head of Flight Operations and Peter Bulley Check and Training Manager.

• Mark Kopp, Brother of Former Long Time Australian Aviation Contributor Dr Carlo Kopp, and Illustrator of a Number of Australian Aviation Magazine Front Covers in the Early 1980s, Has Passed Away After a Long Battle With a Brain Tumour. Our Condolences to the Kopp Family.

Events

New Nz Trade Show

New Zealand Will Host an International Aviation Trade Expo in October 2007. Organisers Say They Expect Over 200 Exhibitors to Take Part in the Three Day Avex Event to Be Held Near Hamilton.

Details of the New Show Can Be Found at Www. Avex.

Online the March 2007 Edition of the Magazine Will Be Available to Australian Aviation Online Users by 1700 Eastern Time on Friday February 2.

The Australian Aviation Online Service is Free of Charge to All Aa Subscribers, Please Email Us at Mail@ Ausaviation. Com. Au for Your Log-in Details.