News Desk

When Broken Down, Boeing’s Tally Comprised Orders for 248 737-700s/bbj1s, 535 737-800s/bbj2s, 67 737-900/bbj3s, One 747-8i, 24 747-8fs, Three 767-300ers, 33 767-300fs, 11 777-200ers, Nine 777-200lrs, 97 777-300ers, 26 777fs, and Despite Its Program Delays, 288 787-8s and 81 787-9s. At Current List Prices, the 1423 Aircraft Are Valued at a Us$173bn (a$197bn).

“Clearly, We’ve Had Our Share of Challenges During the Past Year,” Boeing Commercial Airplanes Ceo, Scott Carson, Said, Referring to the 787 Delays in a Statement. “but Our Customers Understand the Issues and Market Acceptance of Our Products and Services Has Been Nothing Short of Remarkable. ” Despite Many Commentators Predicting 2007 Wouldn’t Reach the Heady Heights of Previous Years, Most Analysts Believe 2008 Will See a Comparative Downturn in Sales as Backlogs for Popular Models Such as the 777, 787 and 737 Lines Now Stretch Well Into Mid Next Decade.

“if It Were a Combined Market Total of 1000 to 1200 for the Two Major Manufacturers, I’d Think That Would Kind of Be a Normal Year, and I Think Both of Us Would Be Pretty Happy, and We Would Compete Vigorously for Our Share of That,” Carson Said.

Boeing Delivered 441 Commercial Airliners to Customers in 2007, Comprising 330 737s, 16 747s, 12 767s and 83 777s.

Faa Concern Over 787 ‘hacking’ Vulnerability the Us Faa Has Expressed Concern Over the Potential Vulnerability of the Boeing 787’s Flight Control System to Hackers.

The 787’s in-flight Passenger Internet Access System is Linked to Its Flight Control System Rather Than Being a Stand-alone, Isolated System. The Faa Claims This Leaves the Aircraft’s Flight Controls Open to Be Hacked Into by Resourceful Passengers During Flight.

The Design “Allows New Kinds of Passenger Connectivity to Previously Isolated Data Networks Connected to Systems That Perform Functions Required for the Safe Operation of the Airplane,” According to an Faa Report. “Because of This New Passenger Connectivity, the Proposed Data-network Design and Integration May Result in Security Vulnerabilities From Intentional or Unintentional Corruption of Data and Systems Critical to the Safety and Maintenance of the Airplane. ” Boeing Has Downplayed the Report, Telling the ‘wired. Com’ Website That the Passenger Network and the Flight Control System Do Not Fully Connect, Just That There is a Link Between the Two. The Manufacturer Said There Were Software and Hardware Based Solutions to Prevent Hacking, and That These Will Be Fully Tested as Part of the Aircraft’s Development.

Further Delays for 787 the 787 Program Will Be Delayed by a Further Three Months Due to Ongoing Supplier Issues, Boeing Has Announced.

In a Statement on January 16, Boeing Said Instead of March, the Aircraft’s First Flight Will Now Not Occur Until June, and That There Would Be No Airline Deliveries in 2008. This Now Pushes the Program Back to a Total of About Nine Months Behind Schedule Compared to the Original Plan Boeing Had Hoped to Meet When the Aircraft Was Rolled Out Last July.

“the Fundamental Design and Technologies of the 787 Remain Sound,” Said the President and Ceo of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, Scott Carson, in the Statement. “However, We Continue to Be Challenged by Start-up Issues in Our Factory and in Our Extended Global Supply-chain. ” “Our Revised Schedule is Based Upon Updated Assessments From the 787 Management Team of the Progress We Have Made and the Lessons We Have Learned to Date. This Includes Our Experience on the Factory Floor Completing Production Work on the Airplane That Was Originally Intended to Be Done by Our Suppliers. ” Unfortunately for Early Airline Customers, Boeing is Yet to Determine What Its Revised Delivery Schedule Will Be, Although It Acknowledged That It Would Not Deliver 109 Aircraft by the End of 2009 as It Had Hoped When It Announced the Previous Delay Last October.

“We Are Deeply Disappointed by What This Delay Means for Our Customers, and We Are Committed to Working Closely With Them as We Assess the Impact on Our Delivery Schedules,” Carson Said.

Perhaps Because Airlines Are Waiting for Notification From Boeing of the Revised Delivery Dates for Their Aircraft, Reaction From Customers Has Again Been Relatively Restrained. Qantas Says It Will Study Options to Mitigate Any Capacity Issues It and Low Cost Offshoot Jetstar, Which Will Take the First 15 of 65 787s the Airline Has Ordered, May Experience. “We Will Look at a Range of Options Including Revised Retirement Dates for Some of Our Aircraft, Re-allocating Existing Capacity and Potential Schedule Adjustments,” Qantas Ceo Geoff Dixon Said in a Statement. “We Will Be Discussing the Issue of Liquidated Damages With Boeing in the Coming Weeks. ” “We Have to Look for Alternatives Now,” Air India Managing Director and Chairman, V Thulasidas Said. “Further Delays Have Now Created Difficulties. We Are in Talks for Compensation and Boeing is Willing to Give Us the Compensation. ” Lead Customer Ana, Which Was Originally Scheduled to Take Delivery of Its First 787s in May, Hasn’t Issued Any Formal Statements Regarding the Delays. However, an Airline Spokesman Reportedly Said the Airline Would Not Be Seeking Compensation From Boeing.

Lessor Ilfc, the Largest 787 Customer With 74 Aircraft on Order, Said It Was Waiting to Hear From Boeing About the Impact the Latest Delay Would Have on Its Deliveries. “Given an Additional Three Month Delay, I Do Suspect the First Three Months or Indeed the First Half of Our 2010 Deliveries May Be Impacted,” Ilfc Coo John Plueger Said. “We Have Not Heard (From Boeing) and We Won’t Hear Probably Until the End of Next Month as to Our Specific Deliveries. ” This Latest Delay Will Hurt Boeing, Not Only From a Credibility Point of View but Also Financially. The Company Has Invested Heavily in the 787, as Have Many of Its Suppliers, but With Deliveries Now Delayed by at Least Nine Months, the Anticipated Cash Flow That Was to Have Started Flowing With Those Aircraft Will Also Shift to the Right. Boeing’s Stock Price Has Also Been Hit Hard – Down Some 27 Per Cent Since the Major Slip Was Announced in October.

Airbus Wins Delivery Race but Falls Short in Orders Airbus Has Again Delivered More Airliners Than Boeing but Has Fallen Short for the Second Year Running in Its Bid to Outsell Its Main Rival.

Airbus Delivered 453 Airliners in 2007, 19 More Than It Did in 2006, and 12 More Than Boeing’s 2007 Total of 441. A Breakdown of Airbus’s Deliveries (With Boeing’s Comparable Model in Brackets) Saw 17 A318s, 105 A319s, 194 A320s and 51 A321s Delivered, Giving a Total for the A320 Family Range of 367 (330 737s). A Total of 68 A330s (12 767s) and 11 A340s (83 777s) Were Delivered Comprising 42 A330-200s and 26 -300s, Two A340-300s, One -500, and Eight -600s. Additionally, the Final Six A300-600rs Were Delivered, as Was the First A380 (16 747s – All Freighters).

On the Sales Side, Although Airbus Sold a Greater Number of Airliners Than Boeing Last Year, the All Important Net Figure Which Includes Cancellations and Conversions Was Lower. Boeing’s Record Total of 1423 Gross and 1413 Net Sales Was Eclipsed by Airbus Which Recorded 1458 Orders; However This Number Was Substantially Tempered by a Large Number of Confirmations for the Latest Iteration of the A350, the Xwb, by Airlines Which Had Already Ordered the Aircraft in Its Previous Guises.

However, Airbus’s Net Tally of 1341 Orders Was Still the Second Highest in History, and is Comprised of 13 A318s, 185 A319s (248 737-700/bbj1s), 676 A320s (535 737-800/bbj2s) and 40 A321s (67 737-900/bbj3s) for a Total of 914 A320 Family Airliners (850 737s). Airbus Also Sold 198 A330s and 23 A340s Comprising 85 A330-200s, 66 -200f Freighters, 47 A330-300s, Eight A340-300s, Seven -500s and Eight -600s, and Took an Impressive 290 Orders for the All-new A350 Including 111 A350-800s, 139 -900s and 40 -1000s (Three 767-300ers, 33 767-300fs, 288 787-8s and 81 787-9s, 11 777-200ers, Nine 777-200lrs, 97 777-300ers, and 26 777fs). With Deliveries Finally Getting Underway for the A380 Last Year, Interest From Airlines Also Returned, With 33 Orders Placed (One 747-8i, 24 747-8f Freighters).

Quickstep Gets a Quick Start

Australian Composite Component Manufacturer Quickstep Holdings Ltd Has Commenced Production of Composite Parts for an Unnamed Customer at Its Fremantle Facility in Western Australia.

The Company Says It Has Responsibility for All Aspects of the Production Engineering, Tooling, Manufacture and Inspection of the Components, and Expects Parts Will Be Certificated by Casa by June This Year Before Being Installed in the Aircraft.

“Our Fremantle Headquarters Are Being Re-engineered Into a World-class Aerospace Manufacturing Facility and We Are Now Officially Open for Business – Representing a Major Achievement for the Company,” Quickstep’s Managing Director Nick Noble Said. “It Has Necessarily Been a Lengthy Procedure to Prepare Quickstep for Aerospace Manufacturing, So We Are Delighted to Have Our First Production Contract Underway in Australia, and Will Now Look Towards Further Enhancing Our Fremantle Facility to Build a Full Scale Aerospace Manufacturing Operation Before the End of 2008. ” Quickstep Raised About $17 Million in Capital Late Last Year So It Could Invest in State-of-the-art Composite Manufacturing and Tooling Equipment, as Well as a Catia Computer Aided Design (Cad) System and a Leica Laser Tracker.

Quickstep Has Also Recruited Three Senior Production Staff From Airbus in the Uk to Oversee Its Production Ramp Up and to Help Develop New Manufacturing Capabilities.

Boeing Briefs 787

Progress There Has Been No Change to the Amended 787 Program Timetable Issued in October, Boeing Commercial Airplanes Head Scott Carson and New 787 Program Head Pat Shanahan Told a Media and Investment Analyst Briefing on December 11, With the Airframer Confident of a First Flight by the End of the First Quarter in 2008, First Delivery to Launch Customer Ana in November, and 109 Deliveries by the End of 2009.

After a Glittering Rollout in July, Boeing Was Forced to Initially Delay the Aircraft’s First Flight to October, Then to December, Before Finally Admitting in Mid October That Supplier Problems and Component Shortages Had Caused a Six Month Delay to the Program.

Shanahan Said He Had Reviewed the Entire Program Since Taking Over From Mike Bair in October, and Had Met With All the Key Global Partners Involved in the Program. He Said He Has Reorganised Boeing’s Own Development, Supplier Management, Final Assembly and Operations Departments, and Had Sent Emissaries Out to Initiate Similar Reorganisations Within Some of the Key Suppliers. “When You Add It All Up, I Believe We Have Made Considerable Progress,” Shanahan Said. “I Am Confident We Have the Right Leaders and Partners. ” Shanahan Said the 787-8 Design Was Now “100 Per Cent Complete”, and That All Certification Requirements Have Been Agreed Upon With the Us Faa. The First Prototype Aircraft, Ln1 Has Been Largely Re-assembled Although Fastener Availability Continues to Be a Problem; However Boeing Expects to Have Fully Completed the Aircraft and Be Ready for Power-on by the End of January. The Two Static Test Airframes (Zy997 & Zy998) Are Now in Final Assembly, While Development Aircraft Ln2 to Ln6 Are All Expected to Arrive in the Final Assembly Hall Between Late December and Late February and Are Scheduled to Be Flying by the End of June. The Major Components for the First Customer Aircraft, Ln7, Are Due to Arrive for Final Assembly at Everett in March, While Major Component Work Has Already Commenced for Ln14 at Alenia in Italy.

“There’s No Doubt Our Ramp-up is Aggressive but Throughout This Effort We Have Not Found Any Fundamental Flaws in Our Production System Design That Would Lead Me to Believe It’s Not Do-able,” He Said. “the Key Will Be Our Ability, and That of Our Partners, to Work Through the Front-end Production Issues and Meet the Component Delivery Schedules Into Final Assembly. ” Shanahan Added That Boeing Has Not Seen a Repeat of the Major Structure Joint Gaps That Were Seen on Ln1 When It Was First Assembled Prior to Its July Rollout, and That the Amount of ‘travelled’ Work, or Work That Should Have Been Done at Supplier Factories but Has Had to Be Performed by Boeing, Has Decreased. “That’s Where We Have Been Making Most of the Progress,” He Said. “I’m Confident We Have the Processes in Place and We Are Starting to Turn the Corner There. ” Interestingly, While Carson Said Resources From Other Programs Had Been Deployed to the 787 and He Stressed That the 747-8 Program Was Fully Staffed, There Was No Mention of the 777f Freighter Program Which is Also Thought to Have Given Up Some of Its Engineering and Flight Test Personnel. Following the October Delay Announcement, Customers and Analysts Alike Raised Concerns Over the Potential Clash Between the 777f and the Delayed 787 Flight Test Programs Late Next Year, and That Boeing Didn’t Have Sufficient Resources to Conduct Both Campaigns Concurrently.

On December 13 Boeing Announced It is Getting Set to Commence Production of the 777f Early in the New Year After Reporting That 90 Per Cent of the Aircraft’s Design Work Has Been Completed. The Manufacturer Says That Component Manufacturing Has Already Commenced at Its Various Suppliers, and That It is on Track to Deliver the First Aircraft to Air France Late Next Year.

Engine Alliance Powered A380 Certified

the Engine Alliance Gp7200 Powered Airbus A380 Has Been Granted Joint Type Certification by the European Aviation Safety Agency (Easa) and Federal Aviation Administration (Faa).

The Gp7200 Powered A380 Has Been Ordered by the Aircraft’s Largest Customer to Date, Emirates, Which Has 58 on Order, the First of Which is Scheduled for Delivery in Mid 2008 and to Enter Service Next August.

“This Double Seal of Approval Represents Another Key Milestone for the A380 Program,” A380 Program Head Mario Heinen Said in a Statement. “Following the Acceptance for the External Noise Values of the Aircraft, the Certification is the Final Stamp of Approval for the Gp7200 Powered A380. It Confirms the Engine Alliance Powered A380 is Now Also Ready to Enter Service With First Operators Next Year. ” the Ea Certification Comes 12 Months After the Rolls-royce Trent 900 Powered A380 Was Certified.

5000th Airbus Delivered to Qantas

Airbus Has Delivered Its 5000th Airliner, 33 Years After Its First Airliner, an A300b2, Was Delivered in May 1974.

The 5000th Aircraft, an A330-200 for Qantas, Was Delivered at a Ceremony in Toulouse on December 13; a Milestone Which Came Just 27 Months After Its 4000th Airliner Was Delivered in September 2005. Other Delivery Milestones for Airbus Include the 3000th Aircraft Delivered in 2002, the 2000th in 1999, and the 1000th in 1993, Reflecting the Huge Ramp Up in Production Rates in the Past Half Decade.

“Not Only Does It Require a Vision, but It Also Requires a Strong Commitment to Invest in the Long Term. This Was the Basis to the Airbus Success,” Airbus President and Ceo Tom Enders Said in a Statement. “and Today, I Want to Assure Our Customers, Our Employees, Our Suppliers and Shareholders, and All Our Other Stakeholders, That We Are Committed to Building on This Success for the Future by Ensuring the Competitiveness of Our Company and Its Products to the Benefit of All. ” Airbus Plans to Ramp Up Production to 54 Aircraft Per Month by 2010, Comprising 40 A320 Family Aircraft, 10 A330/a340s, and Four A380s.

Regional Airliner Demand to Grow – Report

a Forecast International Report Has Predicted the Market for Regional Airliners to Grow in the Next Decade.

The Report Says 3800 Regional Aircraft Will Be Delivered From 2007 to 2016, Comprising 2539 Regional Jets and 1261 Turboprops. The Total Value of the Market is Estimated at Us$99. 7bn (a$116bn).

While the Market for Regional Jets is Expected to Continue, It’s in Turboprops Where the Real Growth is Expected. “Atr and Bombardier Stayed in the Regional Turboprop Business While Many of Their Competitors Were Dropping Out, and They Are Now Reaping the Rewards of Their Perseverance,” Forecast International Senior Aerospace Analyst Raymond Jaworowski Said.

With Regional Jets, Forecast International Says Demand is Currently Focused on the 70 to 90 Seat Market Which is Well Catered for by Bombardier With Its Crj Line and Embraer’s E-jets, While New Entrants in This and the Larger 90 to 130 Seat Class Are Expected From Bombardier, Mitsubishi and China’s Avic1 in the Next Decade.

Geared Turbofan Powers Up

Pratt & Whitney Has Successfully Tested Its First Geared Turbo Fan (Gtf) Engine at Its Florida Test Facility.

The Tests, Conducted in Late November, Culminated in the Engine Reaching Its Full Power of 30,000lb (133. 4kn) Thrust, With P&w Saying the Engine Was “Performing Flawlessly”. The Gtf Has Been Selected to Power the Mitsubishi Regional Jet and Bombardier’s C-series, Both of Which Are Expected to Launch in 2008 and Be Available From 2013/14.

Larger Versions of the Gtf Are Planned for the Single-aisled Successor to Boeing’s 737 and Airbus A320 Series of Airliners.

Boeing to Lauch 737 Successor in 2009? Boeing Commercial Airplanes Head, Scott Carson, Has Given the Clearest Indication Yet That a 737 Successor is on the Way.

Speaking to the ‘financial Times’s’ Ft. Com, Carson Said Such a Program Could Be Launched Within 18 Months, Allowing for a Service Entry in 2015. He Said That Boeing Had Been Actively Sounding Out Its Customers on Their Demands for a New Aircraft in the 130-to-210 Seat Class.

“There Will Be a New Narrowbody,” He Said, Adding, “the Question is How Far Down in Passenger Count Do You Go. ” Carson is No Doubt Conscious of Efforts by Bombardier and Embraer to Muscle in on the Bottom End of the Narrowbody Market With Their C-series and E-190/195 Offerings Respectively.

For Boeing, and Despite the 737’s Continuing Success, It May Be Timely to Launch the New Aircraft Earlier Rather Than Later and Take Advantage of Rival Airbus’s Position in Its Own Product Cycle. As Happened With the 787, Airbus Was Caught in the Midst of Its A380 Development and Was Unable to Immediately Respond With a Competitive A350. Move Ahead to the 2009-2012 Period, and Airbus Will Again Be in Full Swing Trying to Get Its A350 to Market, and Thus is Unlikely to Be Able to Immediately Commit Engineering Resources to Developing a New Single-aisled Design Successor to Its A320 Family.

Carson Also Revealed Boeing Would Look at Launching a New Widebodied Jet, Most Likely to Replace the 777 Line, by 2012 for a 2020 Service Entry.

A318 Approved for Hud Airbus’s A318 Has Become the First Airbus Airliner to Be Approved to Use a Heads-up Display (Hud).

The European Aviation Safety Agency (Easa) Approved the Use of the Thales D-huds on Pw6000-powered A318s in Late November, and Airbus Says It Expects the Remaining Members of the A320 Family to Receive Approval Next Year, While Certification for the A330, A340 and A380 is Expected to Follow.

The Hud System Comprises a Projector, System Controls, and a Glass Plate or ‘combiner’ Which Can Be Stowed Into the Overhead Console. Its Use Will Allow for Better Situational Awareness for Crews Operating Into Difficult Airfields or in Bad Weather.

All Stops Pulled Out to Meet New 787 Schedule Boeing Has Reportedly Pulled Out All Stops in an Effort to Meet Its Revised 787 Program Schedule.

Amidst Reports That the Program Has Slipped a Further Three Weeks Due to Ongoing Component Delivery Difficulties, Boeing Has Reportedly Brought in Additional Workers From Other Programs and Cancelled Leave for Most of Its Program Engineering Workforce Over the Christmas and New Year Holiday Period.

Power on, the Next Significant Milestone in the Program, is Due by the End of January, While First Flight is Currently Scheduled to Occur Before the End of March. New 787 Program Head Pat Shanahan Told a Media Hook-up in December That Power on is Critical “Because We Can Then Retire Risk Around the Integration of the Airplane, Our Schedule Becomes Much More Predictable Once We Get the Power on Because the Airplane is Finally in the State That Our Factory Was Designed for. ” More Recently, a Company Spokesman Told ‘flight International’ That Boeing is “Doing Everything We Can to Meet” the Milestones.

Airbus Plays A330 Freighter Card for Usaf Tanker Bid Airbus Has Said It Will Assemble the A330f Freighter at Mobile in the Us State of Alabama if It Wins the Usaf Kc-x Tanker Competition With the A330-based Kc-30.

The 11th Hour Announcement, Made Just Three Weeks Before the Kc-x Winner is Due to Be Revealed on January 30, Seems Designed to Garner Political Support for the Kc-30, but Will Also Allow Airbus to Move as Much Work as Possible Out of the ‘euro Zone’. Eads Ceo Louis Gallois Had Previously Stated That Airbus Would Be Looking to Move Manufacturing Work Out of Europe Due to the Us Dollar’s Poor Exchange Rate With the Euro, and Such an Operation in Alabama May Better Position Eads for Future Military Contracts.

The Move May Also Have Benefits for the Usaf, in That the Cost of Establishing the Kc-30 Assembly Facility Will Be Amortised Across Many More Airframes Than the 179 Tankers, Thus Reducing the Cost of Each Aircraft.

The Kc-30 Will Use Many Elements Being Developed for the A330f, Including the Latter Aircraft’s Freight Door and Handling System, and Heavier Gauge Floor Panels.

As Many as 30 A330fs a Years Could Be Manufactured at Mobile. Airbus Had Sold 66 A330fs According to Its Last Update on November 30, and Forecasts a Market for Up to 300 Aircraft. To What Extent the Aircraft Would Be Manufactured in Mobile Remains to Be Seen – the Line Could Be a Mirror of the Final Assembly Line in Place in Toulouse With Components Flown in on A300-600st Beluga Aircraft, or It May Just Be a Completion Centre for ‘green’ Airframes Flown in From Toulouse.

Swiss Company Ruag Has Revealed Plans to Re-commence Manufacture of the Dornier 228 Turboprop at the Former Dornier Factory in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany. The Company Says the 19-seat Regional Aircraft Would Be Relaunched With Modern Digital Avionics and Cockpit Displays, and a New and Quieter Five-bladed Propeller. While Planned Production Figures Have Not Yet Been Determined, Ruah Hopes to Start Work on the First Aircraft by Late 2009, With First Deliveries in 2010.

China’s Avic I Commercial Aircraft Company Rolled Out the First Arj21-700 Regional Jet on December 21. Resembling the Dc-9, the 90-seat Arj21 is Due to Make Its First Flight in March. Avic I Says It is Negotiating With Bombardier on Developing the Larger 105-seat Arj21-900.

China Has Also Announced Plans to Partially Merge Its State-owned Avic I and Avic Ii Companies as It Strives to Develop Its Own Larger Midsize and Widebodied Airliners for Its Booming Market. The Companies Reportedly Already Have a Single-aisled 150-200 Seater and a Twin-aisled 200-300 Seater on the Drawing Board.

Airbus Says Its A330 Models Equipped With Ge Cf6, P&w Pw4000 and Rolls-royce Trent 700 Engines Were Approved for 180 Minute Etops Under the New Faa Etops Rules in November. It Says the A330 is the First Aircraft to Be Certified Under the New Rules Which May Provide Operational Approval to Conduct Etops Up to 207 Minutes.

December 20 Marked a Major Milestone in Commercial Aviation History – the 50th Anniversary of the First Flight of the Boeing 707. The First 707 Made Two Flights on That Day in 1957; the First a Seven Minute Flight From Renton to Boeing Field Which Was Interrupted by Adverse Weather, and the Second a 71 Minute Test Flight.

The Sukhoi Superjet Regional Airliner Has Had Its First Flight Pushed Back by Several Months After Delays in the Aircraft’s Engine Flight Test Program. After Its Rollout of September 26, Sukhoi Had Hoped to Fly the Aircraft Before the End of 2007, but This Could Now Slip to Mid 2008 Due to Delays in Integrating an Sam146 Test Engine Onto an Il-76 Testbed.

Embraer Made a Strong Comeback in the Final Quarter of 2007, Delivering 45 Erjs and E-jets Out of a Total of 130 Deliveries for the Year. The Brazilian Manufacturer Delivered Seven Erj-145s, 11 E-170s, 34 E-175s, 68 E-190s and 10 E-195s in 2007, and Plans to Deliver Between 195 and 200 Aircraft in 2008.

Sales

Lot Polish Airlines Has Ordered 12 Embraer E-175 Jets and Has Taken Two Options and an Additional 10 Purchase Rights.

Swiss Charter Company Privatair Has Converted an Option It Was Holding for a 787-8 Into a Firm Order. The Company Has Two 787s on Firm Order as Well as One Remaining Purchase Right.

Fiji’s Air Pacific Has Converted Options It Was Holding for Three 787-9s Into Firm Orders, and Has Taken Three Additional Purchase Rights. The New Aircraft Are in Addition to the Five 787-9s the Airline Ordered in 2006. The Order Was Previously Attributed to an Unidentified Customer on Boeing’s 2007 Order Tally.

Tam Linhas a Reas of Brazil Has Firmed Up Its Order for 22 A350 Xwbs and for Four Additional A330-200s. The Airline Has Also Signed for an Additional 20 A320 Family Aircraft.

Bahrain’s Gulf Air Today Has Signed a Contract for 16 787s With Purchase Rights on an Additional Eight.

Airliner Sales Records Tumble With a Month to Go! It’s Official – 2005’s Record Large Airliner Total Tally Has Been Beaten in 2007, With Nearly a Month of the Year Still to Go.

Airbus Released Its Sales Numbers to the End of November Last Week, and Revealed It Has 1204 Firm Orders on Its Books to Date, While Boeing’s Tally, Which Was Updated on December 11, Showed a Total of 1146 Net Orders (Including Cancellations). Airbus Has Yet to Factor Its Cancellations Into Its Tally, Something It Usually Does When It Announces Its Year-end Total, Which is Expected in Early January.

Both Companies Are Reportedly Working Hard to Finalise Sales Campaigns Underway Before the Christmas Holiday Period, With Airbus in Particular Keen to Wrap Up as Many of the Mous and Commitments It Announced Out of November’s Dubai Airshow.

However, Analysts Are Predicting This Year to Be the Peak of Airliner Orders, as Debt Costs Rise, Traffic Forecasts Weaken, and Slot Availability for Some Types is Pushed Out Into the Middle of Next Decade.

“the Peak of the Business Cycle is Over, and We Are Still Us$190bn (a$221bn) in Debt,” Iata Director General, Giovanni Bisignani, Said in a Recent Statement. “So We Could Be Headed for a Downturn With Little Cash in the Bank to Cushion the Fall. ” Although Many of the Us ‘majors’ Are Yet to Announce Their Previously Predicted Major Fleet Replacement Requirements, These May Now Be Pushed Back. “With 35 Percent of the (Us) Fleet Over 25 Years Old, the Impact of High Fuel Prices is Greater Than in Other Regions,” Iata Said. “Moreover, the Region is the Centre of the Credit Crunch. ”

Taiwan’s China Airlines Has Signed a Letter of Intent With Airbus to Buy 14 A350-900s and to Take an Option on an Additional Six.

Lessor Awas Has Ordered 31 Boeing 737-800s.

Lessor Gecas Has Ordered 53 Boeing 737-800s and Two Boeing 777-300ers. The Order Was Previously Attributed to an Unidentified Customer on Boeing’s Order Tally.

Lessor Babcock & Brown Aircraft Management (Bbam) Has Ordered 20 Boeing 737-800s. The Order Was Attributed to an Unidentified Customer on Boeing’s Order Tally.

Finnair Has Ordered One Airbus A330-300.

Saudi Arabian Airlines Has Signed a Contract With Airbus for 22 A320s and Options for a Further Eight. This Order is Confirmation of the Mou Signed at November’s Dubai Airshow.

Libyan Airlines Has Signed a Contract for Four Airbus A350-800s, Four A330-200s and Seven A320s, Firming Up an Mou Signed in June.

Libya’s Afriqiyah Airways Has Signed a Contract for Six Airbus A350-800s for Delivery From 2017.

Both Airbus and Boeing Appear to Be Headed for a Third Successive Record Year of Airliner Orders. Boeing Has Revealed That as at November 30 It Was Holding 1144 Net Orders Year to Date Comprising 649 737s, 16 747s, 36 767s, 129 777s and 314 787s. Boeing Sold 1044 Airliners in 2006. For Airbus, Which Sold 824 Airliners Last Year and 1111 in 2005, an Even Bigger Year Appears on the Cards With Orders for Its Products Likely to Top 1300 for the Year. While Airbus’s Order Tally Hasn’t Been Updated Since October 31, at Which Time It Was Holding 1021 Orders, It Has Taken More Than 200 Firm Orders Since the Beginning of November’s Dubai Airshow.

Qantas Formally Has Converted Options for 20 Boeing 787-9s Into Firm Orders, Taking Its Firm 787 Order Tally to 65 Aircraft. Qantas Announced Its Intention to Firm Up the Options Back at the 787 Roll-out in July.

Indonesia’s Lion Air Has Ordered 22 Additional Boeing 737-900ers to Add to the 100 It Already Has on Order. This Order Was Previously Attributed to an Unidentified Customer on Boeing’s Order Tally.

Cathay Pacific Has Ordered Eight Further Airbus A330-300s. To Be Powered by Rolls-royce Trent 700 Engines, the New Order Takes Cathay’s A330-300 Fleet in Service or on Order to 40. With the 16 Operated by Subsidiary Dragonair, the Order Makes the Cathay Group the Largest A330-300 Customer in the World.

Airasia Has Ordered an Additional 25 Airbus A320s, Making the Malaysian Low Cost Carrier the Largest A320 Customer in the World With 175 Aircraft in Service or on Order.

Vietnam Airlines Has Ordered Five Atr 72-500s. The Aircraft Will Be Configured With 70 Seats and Will Replace Atr 72-200s in Service.

Malaysia Airlines Has Ordered 10 and Taken Options on a Further 10 Atr 72-500s for Its Firefly Subsidiary. Malaysia Also Signed an Mou for a Further 10 72-500s for Its Maswings Division.

Malaysia’s Berjaya Air Has Signed a Contract for Four Atr 72-500s, Confirming an Mou It Signed Earlier This Year.

China’s Kunpeng Airlines, a Joint Venture Between Shenzhen Airlines and Mesa Air Group, Ordered 100 Avic I Arj21-700 Regional Jets to Coincide With That Aircraft’s Rollout on December 21. First Delivery is Scheduled for 2010.

Qantas Firmed Up Its Order for 31 Boeing 737-800s on December 18.

Brazil’s Gol Linhas a Reas Has Ordered 40 Boeing 737s.

Lessor Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (Dae) Firmed Up Its Order for 100 Boeing Airliners It Announced at November’s Dubai Airshow. The Order Comprises 70 737s, 15 787s, 10 777-300ers and Five 747-8f Freighters.

Vietnam Airlines and Vietnam Aircraft Leasing Co Have Placed a Combined Order for 12 Boeing 787-8s. Vietnam Airlines Has Also Firmed Up Its Mou for 10 Airbus A350-900s and 20 A321s. Ten of the A321s Will Be for the Vietnam Aircraft Leasing Co.

South Korea’s Jeju Air Has Ordered Five Boeing 737-800s.

British Airways Has Firmed Up Its Order for 16 Boeing 787-9s and Eight 787-8s, and Has Taken Options and Purchase Rights for an Additional 28 787s. This Order Took Total 787 Orders Past the 787th Aircraft Mark to 790 Aircraft.

Tiger Airways Has Firmed Up the Remaining 20 of the 50 Airbus A320s It Signed an Mou for in June Last Year. The First 30 Were Contracted in October.

Philippines Based Cebu Pacific Has Converted Options It Was Holding on Four Atr 72-500s Into Firm Orders, and Has Taken a Further Four Options.

Libyan Airlines Has Converted Options It Was Holding for Two Bombardier Crj900 Nextgen Regional Jets Into Firm Orders.

Us Regional Carrier Republic Airways Has Converted Options It Was Holding for 11 Embraer E-175s Into Firm Orders. The Aircraft Will Be Operated by Republic Subsidiary Shuttle America for Delta Connection.

Kenyan Regional Airline Fly540 Has Signed an Mou for the Purchase of Eight Atr 72-500s. The Aircraft Will Be Fitted With 66-seat Interiors and Equipped With the Higher Rated Pw 127m Engines.

Lessor Awas Has Ordered 75 Airbus A320s. The Order Will Be Included on Airbus’s 2008 Order Tally.

Military

Bae Systems Buys Tenix Defence

Bae Systems Australia Has Announced It Will Acquire Tenix Defence for $775 Million, Thus Creating the Largest Local Defence Supplier to the Adf.

All Four Defence-related Divisions of Tenix Will Be Acquired by Bae, Comprising Tenix Land, Tenix Aerospace, Tenix Electronic Systems and Tenix Marine. The Purchase Also Includes Tenix’s Share in Its Joint Ventures With Lockheed Martin to Support Jorn and With Toll Logistics to Provide Warehousing and Distribution Management for the Adf.

Once Finalised, the New Entity Will Have More Than 5500 Employees at 50 Locations Nationally, and Annual Sales of More Than $1. 2 Billion. “I Think It’s Really Exciting for Us and for the Industrial Side of Things to Leverage Synergies and Deliver Great Value, Bae Systems Australia (Baes) Ceo Jim Mcdowell Told ‘australian Aviation’. “We’re Certainly Much Stronger Together Than as Separate Entities. ” “This Acquisition More Than Doubles Bae Systems’s Footprint in Australia, Making Us the Largest, in-county, Through-life Capability Provider to the Adf,” He Added. “It Will Significantly Enhance the Depth and Breadth of Our Capabilities in Australia, Adding a Major Naval Business to Our Portfolio While Significantly Increasing Our Land Capability. ” Mcdowell Was Also Enthusiastic About the Opportunities the New Expended Company Will Have in Aerospace in Australia. “in Aerospace and Electronic Systems We Are Quite Complementary, Particularly in Support and Sustainment,” He Explained. “in the Electronic Warfare Field, Where Bae Has Tended to Specialise in the Self Protection Area, Tenix Has Tended to Work More on Electronic Attack, So There Are Opportunities for Us There Too.

“Obviously We’re Looking at the Seahawk Midlife Upgrade Program Where Both Companies Already Have a Presence With That Aircraft. There Are Also Opportunities With C-130 Support and That Aircraft’s Ew Upgrade. And of Course There’s the P-3 Accord Where Tenix Has a Presence and There Are Opportunities in Upcoming Phases of That Aircraft’s Upgrade and Support Programs as Well. ” Separately, Mcdowell Also Confirmed That Baes Was in Talks With the Adf About the Possibility of Increasing Its Contractor Profile With the Raaf’s Hawk 127 Lead-in Fighter Aircraft as Part of an Effort to Increase That Aircraft’s Availability and Trainee Throughput. “I Understand Some Discussions Have Been Going on but I’ve Not Been Across These in Detail Due to Being Busy Putting This Deal Together. ”

Fourth Raaf C-17 Handed Over

the Raaf’s Fleet of Four C-17 Airlifters is Almost Complete Following the Handover Ceremony of the Fourth Aircraft at Boeing’s Long Beach Facility in Los Angeles on January 18.

The Fourth and Final Aircraft Was Handed Over Just Over Two Years After the Accelerated Project Was Announced and Less Than 22 Months After Contract Signature.

It and Aircraft Number Three, Which Was Handed Over Last Month, Will Each Stay in the Us for About Six Weeks While Their Self Protection Systems Are Installed and Tested. Aircraft Three is Due to Be Delivered to 36sqn at Raaf Amberley in February, While Number Four Will Follow in March.

The Aircraft is the 181st C-17 to Be Delivered, Including Four for the Raf, Two for the Canadian Forces, and 171 for the Usaf. Two More C-17s for the Raf, Two for Canada, and a Further 19 for the Usaf Are Currently Scheduled to Be Delivered Before Production Winds Down in Late 2009.

Army Tiger Arh Simulators Delivered Australian Aerospace Has Delivered the Tiger Arh Twin-domed Full Flight & Mission Simulator (Ffms) to the Dmo at a Ceremony at Oakey in Qld.

Acquired Under the Air 87 Arh Program, the Simulator is the World’s First Twin-domed Sim to Be Granted Fsd-1 Level 5 Accreditation – Equivalent to Europe’s Level D. Apart From the Ffms, Four Ground Training Devices Have Also Been Delivered as Part of the Greater Training System, While Two Cockpit Procedure Trainers (Cpt) Will Be Delivered by Early 2009.

“This Simulator is a Critical Component of the Training System for Army Pilots in Operating the Tiger Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter in the Demanding Land Battlespace Supporting Our Soldiers,” the Dmo’s Head of Helicopter Systems Division, Majgen Tony Fraser, Said. “the Level 5 Accreditation for the Initial Phase of the Simulator is an Excellent Achievement of a Difficult Task on the Way to a Full Day/night and Night Vision Device Simulator. ” “We Knew From the Beginning That the Program Was Going to Be Very Challenging Because the Tiger is a Very Complex Flying System to Simulate,” Said Outgoing Ceo of Australian Aerospace, Joseph Saporito. “but Thanks to Great Team Work and Team Spirit, We Have Achieved Our Goals and Today’s Handover Will Enable Army to Significantly Increase Its Training Capacity to Produce Aircrews Which Have Been Well Prepared for Their Tasks in a Safe and Efficient Manner. ” the Tiger Arh is Expected to Achieve Initial Operating Capability (Ioc) in Mid 2008.

First Contact for Eads Boom

Eads Military Has Successfully Made Contact Between Its New Air Refuelling Boom System (Arbs) and Another Aircraft in Flight.

The Prototype Arbs, Mounted on an A310 Testbed Successfully Made Contact With a Portuguese Air Force F-16 at an Altitude of 27,000ft Over Spain Earlier This Month. While No Fuel Was Transferred, Eads Reports the Contact, Which Was Performed by an Experienced Former Usaf Boom Operator, Went as Expected.

The Arbs is a Critical Component of the Raaf’s Five Forthcoming A330 Based Kc-30b Tankers, as Well as the Northrop Grumman/eads Kc-30 Being Pitched for the Usaf’s 179-aircraft Kc-x (Renamed Kc-45) Program Which is Due to Be Decided Early Next Year.

Although the Raaf’s First Kc-30b is Due to Be Delivered in Early 2009, Industry Sources Have Told ‘australian Aviation’ That It is Unlikely It Will Be Delivered With an Operational Boom, as Many Elements of the System’s Flight Envelope Are Yet to Be Tested and Certified. However, the Aircraft Will Have Operational Wing-tip Mounted Refuelling Pods Capable of Refuelling the Raaf’s F/a-18a/b Hornets.

Certification of the Boom is Expected to Follow in Late 2009 to Coincide With the Delivery of the Second and Third Aircraft and Ioc of the Capability.

F-35 Aa-1 Returns to Flight

the Lockheed Martin F-35 ‘aa-1′ Development Aircraft Finally Returned to the Air on December 7 After a More Than Seven Month Grounding Due to an Electrical Problem.

The Flight Was the First for the Aircraft Since May 3 When It Was Grounded After an Electrical System Failed Causing a Premature End to the Aircraft’s 19th Test Flight. Although the Aircraft Recovered Safely, a Thorough Inspection and Diagnostic Program Was Performed and Revealed a Momentary Electrical Drop-out Caused Its Flight Control Surfaces to Reset.

Also on December 7, the F-35 Program’s 737-300 Based Cooperative Avionics Test Bed (Catbird) Flew for the First Time Since Being Fitted Out in Fort Worth With an F-35 Mission Systems Suite.

The Highly Modified Catbird Has Been Developed to Provide a Flying Test Bed for the F-35’s Systems, and is Fitted With an F-35 Radome, Sensors in a Raised Spine and Other Fairings, and a Representative F-35 Cockpit in the Cabin.

Boeing Establishes Australian Industry Participation Office Boeing Has Established an Office of Australian Industry Capability (Oaic) Through Its Own Integrated Defence Systems Industrial Participation Organisation to Assist Australian Aerospace Companies to Identify Bid Opportunities Within Boeing’s Major Commercial and Defence Programs.

“the Establishment of the Oaic is in Direct Response to the Commonwealth’s New Defence and Industry Policy Statement,” Boeing Integrated Defence Systems’ Australia/new Zealand Industrial Participation Manager, Joel Gray, Said in a Statement. “We Expect the Oaic to Develop Opportunities for Australian Industry as Well as Bring Value to Our Global Customers. We Are Pleased to Continue Our Commitment to Australia and Its Industry by Being the First Us Prime Contractor to Establish Such an Office. ” Boeing Says the “Initial Focus Will Be on Suppliers Whose Capabilities Have Been Designated by the Defence Materiel Organisation (Dmo) as Export-ready and Important to Maintaining the Through-life-support Capability Necessary to Sustain the Australian Defence Force’s Aerospace Assets. ” “in Establishing the Oaic, Boeing is the First Major International Company to Formally Embrace Australia’s New Defence and Industry Policy Requirements, Which Seek to Ensure That Australian Industry Gets the Opportunity to Compete for Work Based on a Best Value for Money Basis,” the Director General, Industry Capability Branch of the Dmo, Dominic Zaal Added.

Despite the Initial Defence Focus, Opportunities With Boeing Commercial Airplanes Will Also Be Available Through the Oaic.

The Office is Located in Seattle, Washington.

Indian Carrier Deal at Risk the Deal India Signed With Russia to Refurbish the Former Russian Aircraft Carrier ‘admiral Gorshkov’ Appears to Be at Risk After Russian Officials Threatened to Give Back India’s Us$400m (a$460m) Deposit and Walk Away From the Deal.

With Delivery of the Carrier Already Running Two Years Behind Schedule, the Latest Troubles Reportedly Stem From Russia Grossly Under-estimating the Cost to Convert the 40,000 Tonne Carrier Which Had Been in Mothballs for Some Time, With Russia Recently Saying It Has Had to Revise Up Its Estimate for the Refit by Us$1. 2bn (a$1. 37bn). India is Reportedly Sticking Firm to the Amount Agreed in the Original Contract.

India Has Also Ordered 12 Mig-29k Fighters and Has Options on a Further 24 for the Carrier, Which Will Be Named Ins ‘vikramaditya’ in Indian Service. The First Batch of Mig-29s is Due to Be Delivered Early Next Year.

India Appears to Have Been Burned Badly on Recent Russian Armaments Deals, With the Cost of Developing Its Advanced Sukhoi Su-30mki Fighters Also Escalating Earlier This Decade.

Indian Media Says the Carrier Dispute May Affect Russia’s Rosoboronexport Agency’s Bid to Supply the Mig-35 to Fulfil the Iaf’s Requirement for 126 New Fighters, as Well as a Pending Order for New Russian-supplied Submarines.

Permanent F-15 Groundings?

The Usaf May Be Forced to Ground Almost 200 F-15a-d Fighters After 40 Per Cent of Its Fleet Was Found to Have Fatigue Cracking in the Forward Fuselage.

The Investigation Follows the Crash of a Missouri Ang F-15c on November 2 and Subsequent Temporary Grounding of the Entire F-15 Fleet for Inspections. It Was Subsequently Found That the Crashed Aircraft’s Forward Fuselage Had Separated Following a 7g Manoeuvre. The Pilot Successfully Ejected From the Aircraft.

Subsequent Non-destructive Ultrasonic Inspections of the Fleet Found Fatigue Cracking in One or More of the Four Main Longerons Which Join the Forward Fuselage to the Main Fuselage in Most Aircraft Built Between 1978 and 1985. The Cracks Were Found on F-15a, B, C and D Models Based at Various Locations, So the Usaf Suspects the Cracking May Have Been Due to a Manufacturing Fault at Mcdonnell Douglas’s (Now Boeing’s) St Louis Factory.

The Usaf Cleared 60 Per Cent of Its Fleet to Return to Unrestricted Flight on January 9, but About 180 Jets Have Remained Grounded for Further Checks.

“We’re Going Over Each and Every Aircraft to Make a Determination,” the Commander of Air Combat Command, General John Corley, Told Us Media on January 10. “We Will Take Some F-15s Out of the Inventory. It Just Doesn’t Make Sense to Spend the Time and Money if It Won’t Be Worth It for Some Aircraft. ” Indeed, Corley and Others Within the Usaf Have Used the F-15’s Grounding as an Opportunity to Lobby for the Extension of the F-22 Raptor Production Line. “This Isn’t Just About One Pilot in One Aircraft With One Bad Part,” He Said. “I Have a Fleet That is 100 Per Cent Fatigued, and 40 Per Cent of That Has Bad Parts. The Long Term Future of the F-15 is in Question. ”

Military Briefs

Hmas ‘adelaide’ Was Decommissioned at Garden Island Near Fremantle on January 19. The ‘adelaide’ Was Australia’s First of Six ‘oliver Hazard Perry’ Class Guided Missile Frigates (Ffgs), Entering Service in 1980 After Being Built in the Us, and She is Due to Be Sunk as an Artificial Reef and Dive Wreck Off the Nsw Central Coast. One Other Ffg, Hmas ‘canberra’ Was Decommissioned Last Year, While the Remaining Four Ships of the Class, Hma Ships ‘newcastle’, ‘sydney’, ‘melbourne’ and ‘darwin’ Are Being Upgraded With Vertical Launch System Cells, Essm and Sm2 Missiles, and Enhanced Combat Systems.

The Indian Air Force (Iaf) Has Reportedly Refused Requests by Eads and Saab Officials to Extend the June 9 Deadline to Submit Their Industry Offset Proposals as Part of the Iaf’s 126-aircraft Medium Multirole Combat Aircraft (Mmrca) Requirement. Eads Has Submitted the Eurofighter Typhoon While Saab is Pushing Its Jas-39c/d Gripen.

Canada Has Signed a C$1. 4bn (a$1. 55bn) Contract With Lockheed Martin for 17 C-130j Hercules Transports to Replace Its Ageing Cc-130e Models. The Contract Requires Lockheed Martin to Invest a Similar Amount in Canada, While a Long Term Support Contract is Expected to Be Signed in 2009. The New Aircraft Will Be Delivered From 2010, and Canada’s Existing Cc-130h Tanker/transports Will Be Upgraded and Retained.

The Uk Mod is Reportedly Considering Deploying Its New Astor Isr Aircraft to Afghanistan to Support Nato Operations There. Although the Bombardier Global Express-based Astors Are Not Yet Fully Operational, the Raf is Confident the Aircraft Can Be Integrated With Nato Isr Systems Including Usaf Jstars Aircraft.

The First Tranche 2 Eurofighter Made Its Maiden Flight at Eads’s Manching Facility in Germany on January 16. The Aircraft is the First to Be Built to the Tranche 2 Production Standard and the Lot 8 Capability Standard. Production Tranche 2 Aircraft Will Have More Capable Mission Computers With Higher Processing and Memory Capabilities, and Greater Integration of Aircraft Avionics, Sensors, and Electronic Warfare Systems.

The German Ministry of Defence Has Ordered Four Bombardier Global 5000 Business Jets for Vip Transport and Medical Evacuation Duties.

The Pentagon Has Requested Funding for an Additional Four F-22 Raptors for the Usaf as Part of Its Fy08 Budget Allocation. If Approved, the Additional Aircraft Will Take Total F-22 Production to 187 and Perhaps More Importantly, Will Maintain Lockheed Martin’s F-22 Production Line in Georgia Into the Next Presidential Administration.

The Swiss Government Has Formally Invited Boeing (F/a-18e/f), Dassault (Rafale), Eads (Eurofighter) and Gripen International (Saab Gripen) to Submit Formal Offers for a Requirement to Replace the Swiss Air Force’s F-5e/f Fighters.

Thales Australia Has Launched an Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance (Isr) Business to Be Based in Canberra.

The 17 Ex Rnzaf a-4k Skyhawks Which Have Been in Storage at Safeair’s Blenheim Facility Since Being Retired in 2002 Have Been Covered in a Protective Latex ‘spraylat’ Coating and Moved Out Into the Open to Make Room for the Rnzaf’s C-130 Upgrade Program. A Former a-4 Technician Estimates the Cost in Regenerating the Aircraft is Nz$2-3m (a$1. 78-2. 66m) Each, More He Says Than the Aircraft Are Worth. The Us State Dept Has Refused to Sign Off on the Sale of the Jets to a Us Buyer Since 2005.

The Winner of the Usaf’s Kc-x Program to Replace Its Oldest Kc-135 Tankers Will Be Designated the Kc-45 in Usaf Service. The Decision Between Northrop Grumman/eads Kc-30 and Boeing’s Kc-767 Has Slipped Several Months Into Early Next Year, as Pentagon Officials Seek to Close Any Possible Loopholes in the Rft Which May Cause the Losing Bidder to Appeal.

Nh Industries Will Pay the Finnish Government More Than 20m (a$33. 4m) in Contractual Penalties for the Late Delivery of Its 20 Nh 90 Helicopters. The First Helicopter is Not Due to Be Delivered Until Early 2008, While Under the Original Contract the Final Nh90 Was to Have Been Delivered Last October. Consequently, Finland Has Been Forced to Upgrade and Extend Its Ageing Fleet of Mil Mi-8 Troop Helicopters.

Boeing Has Commenced Fuselage Construction Work for the First P-8a Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft for the Us Navy. The Fuselage of the 787-800 Based P-8a Will Be Manufactured at Spirit Aerosystems in Wichita, Kansas, Then Shipped by Rail to Boeing’s Everett Facility Where It Will Be Assembled on a New Itar-compliant Production Line.

The Usaf’s First Three Squadrons of F-22 Raptors of the 1st Tfw Based at Langley Afb in Virginia Have Achieved Full Operational Capability (Foc), Two Years After Achieving Ioc.

The Pentagon Has Signed a Us$7. 4bn (a$8. 57bn) Contract With Sikorsky for Between 537 and 800 New Uh-60m and Hh-60m Helicopters for the Us Army, and Mh-60r and Mh-60s Helicopters for the Us Navy. The New Build Aircraft Will Replace Uh-60a/l Black Hawks, Sh-60b/f Seahawks, and Ch-46 Sea Knights.

The Troubled Lockheed Martin Vh-71 Presidential Helicopter Program Has Reportedly Narrowly Averted Being Cancelled. Reports From Washington Indicate the Pentagon Had Recommended That the Us$11bn (a$12. 7bn) Program (for Just 24 Aircraft!) Be Cancelled and Re-bid, However the White House Has Decided to Persist With the Aircraft. The Vh-71 is Based on the Agustawestland Eh 101 but Has Been Substantially Redesigned for the Presidential Vip Role.

Israeli Aircraft Industries is Reportedly Developing an Unmanned Version of Its Gulfstream G550-based Conformal Airborne Early Warning (Caew) Aircraft. The Caew Recently Entered Service With the Israeli Air Force. Boeing Has Proposed an Optionally-manned Variant of the G550 for Its Us Navy Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (Bams) Submission.

Romania Has Ordered Seven Alenia C-27j Transports as Well as a Comprehensive Training, Logistics and Support Package.

Thales Australia Has Signed a $100 Million Contract With Australian Aerospace to Provide Aircraft Equipment and Spares as Well as Ground Mission Management Systems and Spares for the Adf’s 42 Mrh 90 Helicopters Being Built in Brisbane. Under the Contract, Thales Australia Will Provide Avionics, Internal Secure Communications, Identification Systems, Navigation, and Tactical Systems for the Mrh90s, and Will Integrate the Topowl Night Vision Helmet With the Aircraft.

Raytheon and the Usaf Have Successfully Flight Tested an Air-to-air Missile’s Capability to Shoot Down a Ballistic Missile While in Its Boost Phase. The Network Centric Airborne Defense Element (Ncade) Missile Defence System is Based on an Aim-9x Airframe Equipped With a Special Seeker Head. The Aam Was Fired at a Target Missile From a Usaf F-16 Over the White Sands Range and Successfully Intercepted and Destroyed the Target.

Boeing Has Successfully Demonstrated an Autonomous Air-to-air Refuelling Capability for Uavs. The Test Involved a Learjet Equipped to Fly as a Uav Which Successfully Formed Up With a Kc-135 and Positioned Itself in Seven Different Air Refuelling Contact Positions Behind the Tanker. The System Successfully Held the Lear in Contact With the Tanker for More Than 20 Minutes.

The Uae Has Ordered Three Refurbished Former Us Navy E-2c Hawkeye Aew&c Aircraft.

The Uk Has Signed a 130m (a$300m) Contract With Boeing and the Usaf for a Sixth C-17 Transport. The Raf Has Four C-17s in Service and a Fifth Due to Be Delivered Early Next Year.

India Has Reportedly Scrapped a Deal to Buy 197 Eurocopter as 350b3 Squirrel Helicopters and Issue a New Rfp to Replace Its Fleet of Cheetahs (Alouette) Due to Allegations of Corruption Between Eurocopter and Indian Government Officials.

Boeing Has Been Awarded a Us$45m (a$51. 3m) Contract to Upgrade the Avionics Software on the Usaf’s Fleet of 67 B-1b Lancer Bombers.

Cae Has Been Awarded a $180 Million Contract to Provide Mrh 90 Helicopter Training Systems and Services to the Adf. Under the Contract Cae Will Provide Two Mrh 90 Full-flight and Mission Simulators (Ffmss), Training Facilities, and Engineering and Support Services. The Ffmss Are Due to Be Delivered in 2012 and Will Be Based at Oakey and Townsville.

Saudi Arabia Has Ordered Three Eads A330 Mrtts for Air Refuelling and Transport Duties. Saudi Arabia is the Fourth Customer for the A330 Tanker After Australia, the Uk, and the Uae.

Eads Has Dismissed German Media Reports That the A400m Airlifter May Be Delayed Further Than the Current Six to 12 Months. Eads Ceo Louis Gallois Said Eads Has Done “No New Evaluations” on the Project Since It Announced a Delay Several Months Ago, and That the Aircraft Was on Track for a July First Flight.

The Us Marine Corps Says the 10 Mv-22 Osprey Tiltrotors Currently Deployed to Iraq Have Flown More Than 1639 Hours, Have Carried 6826 Passengers and More Than 300,000kg of Cargo Since Arriving in October, and That the Aircraft Were Gradually Stepping Up Flying Combat Support Missions Into Insurgent Strongholds. The Aircraft Are Based at Al Asad, About 200km West of Baghdad.

The Us Navy Has Been Forced to Ground as Many as 39 of Its P-3cs Over Concerns of Possible Structural Failures Due to Fatigue in the Wings.

The P&w F117 Engines Installed on About 160 Usaf, Raf, Canadian and Raaf C-17 Airlifters Recently Achieved a Milestone of Five Million Operational Hours. The F117 is a Development of the Commercial Pw2000 as Used on the Boeing 757 Airliner.

The New Zealand Government Has Allocated Nz$129m (a$113m) to Upgrade Facilities at Ohakea and Other Bases in Preparation for the Arrival of New Nh 90 and a 109 Helicopters and Upgraded P-3k Orions and C-130h Hercules in the Next Few Years.

The Uk Has Ordered 10 General Atomics Mq-9b Reaper Uavs and Associated Sensors, Ground Segments and Support Equipment. Most of the Aircraft Are Expected to Be Delivered Straight to Units Deployed in Afghanistan.

Boeing and Northrop Grumman Have Both Submitted Their Final Bids (Kc-767 and Kc-30 Respectively) to the Usaf for the Kc-45a (Formerly Kc-x) Tanker Competition to Replace 179 Kc-135s. The Decision is Currently Due to Be Announced on January 30.

The Usaf’s Edwards Based 452nd Flight Test Squadron Commenced Development Flight Testing of the New Rq-4 Global Hawk Block 30 in December. The Block 30 is the Signals/communications Intelligence (Sigint/commint) Variant of the Global Hawk Uav.

Boeing and India’s Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (Hal) Have Signed a 10 Year Mou to Cooperate on the Marketing and Development of Boeing’s Military Products in the Region.

India Has Banned Its Su-30mki Pilots From Using Their Aircraft’s Niip Bars Radars When They Attend the Red Flag Exercises in the Us in August. India and Russia Are Concerned That the Radars’ Capabilities Will Be Compromised if the Frequencies They Use Can Be Determined and Counters Developed. Indian Su-30s Which Deployed to Raf Waddington for Exercises in 2007 Were Also Banned From Using Their Radars.

The Italian Air Force Has Grounded Its 70 Amx Light Strike Fighters Indefinitely Due to Concerns Over the Type’s High Accident Rate. Twelve Amxs Have Been Lost in Accidents Since Entering Service in 1989.

Two Australian Army Pilots Have Recently Completed a Four Month French Military Pilot Course on the Tiger Helicopter at the French Army Le Luc Base. The Two Pilots, Captains Paul Donaldson and Hamish Felton-taylor, Undertook the Training in France After Delays in Australia’s Own Instructor Training Program for the Tiger.

The Italian Army Took Delivery of Its First of 60 Nh 90 Helicopters on December 30. The Nh 90 Received Italian Type Certification in November, and is Scheduled to Enter Service in Late 2009.

The Pentagon is Expected to Announce Later This Week Whether It Will Persist With a Program to Re-engine and Upgrade the Cockpits of Up to 100 C-5a/b Galaxy Airlifters. The Program Was Supposed to Have Cost Us$83 Million Per Aircraft but Reportedly Has Blown Out to Us$120 Million, Prompting a Mandatory Review of the Program. One Option May Be to Cut Back the Program to Upgrade Only the 50 1980s Build C-5bs Remaining in the Fleet, and Retire the Older C-5as, Leaving Open the Possibility of Further Orders for the Boeing C-17.

The Us Navy Has Started Flight Testing the First Two of Four Development Vh-71 (Eh 101) Helicopters for the Marine One Presidential Flight Replacement Program. Meanwhile, a Report in the ‘wall Street Journal’ Has Suggested the Program Could Be Cancelled and Awarded Instead to the Sikorsky H-92 Following Schedule Slips, Engineering Challenges and Cost Blowouts on the Program.

The Canadian Government Has Reportedly Been Advised by Sikorsky That Delivery of the First of 28 Ch-148 Cyclones (H-92s) to Replace Sea Kings Could Be Delayed by Up to 30 Months. Canadian Officials Have Threatened to Invoke a Penalty Clause in the Program Which Could See Sikorsky Liable for Up to C$36m (a$40m) in Penalty Payments.

Sukhoi Has Commenced Full Rate Production of the Su-34 ‘fullback’ Strike Aircraft for the Russian Air Force. As Many as 20 Aircraft Per Year Will Be Manufactured, With the First Regiment of 24 Aircraft Due to Enter Service in 2010.

Airlines

Virgin Blue and Skywest to Codeshare

Virgin Blue and Skywest Have Announced They Will Establish a Codeshare Partnership to Take Effect From February 4.

The Agreement Will See Additional Destinations in the West Added to Virgin Blue’s Network Including Port Hedland, Kalgoorlie/boulder, and Kununurra, While Skywest Passengers Will Have Seamless Access to Virgin Blue’s Extensive Australian Network.

“Skywest is Pleased to Partner With Virgin Blue to Further Grow the Eastern States Market and to Build Exposure of Skywest’s Wa Destinations,” Skywest Ceo Paul Daff Said in a Statement.

“Skywest and Virgin Blue Already Work Together via Skywest’s Participation in Virgin Blue’s Loyalty Program Velocity, and the Codeshare Agreement is a Strengthening of Cooperation Between Our Two Airlines,” Virgin Ceo Brett Godfrey Added. “Increasing Our Codeshare Partnerships is Part of Virgin Blue’s New World Carrier Strategy to Give Especially Corporate Travellers More Benefits and More Options Through an Enhanced Network to Our Guests. This New Arrangement Also Increases Our Footprint in Regional Wa While at the Same Time Strengthening Ties With a Quality Wa Based Airline. ”

Struggling O’connor Airlines Closes Up South Australian Regional O’connor Airlines Folded on December 14 After Receivers Failed to Secure a Buyer for the Ailing Airline.

The Airline Was Placed Into Receivership on November 21 With Debts of at Least $4 Million After Struggling in Recent Months Following the Grounding of Its Cessna 441s and One of Its Jetstream 32s. Despite Receivers Mcgrathnicol Claiming They Had at Least 10 Possible Buyers Interested in Taking O’connors on, It Emerged Last Week That None of These Were Interested in Maintaining the Airline as a Going Concern.

“Ongoing Trading Losses, Declining Customer Support, Flightcrew Shortages and Significant Aircraft Maintenance Issues Also Contributed to the Decision to Immediately Cease Operations,” Mcgrathnicol’s San Davies Said in a Statement. “the Sale Will Now Progress on the Break-up of the Company’s Assets. ” O’connor Started Operations in 1973, and at Its Peak in 2006 Operated Up to 40 Flights Per Week Between Mount Gambier, Adelaide, Port Augusta and Mildura. At Close of Business on Friday, the Airline Had 35 Employees.

Jetcraft Calls in the Administrators

Queensland Based Jetcraft Has Been Placed in Voluntary Administration in an Effort to Stablise the Business After Mounting Losses in Recent Months.

“It is With Deep Regret That I Announce That Jetcraft Has Today Been Placed in ‘voluntary Administration’,” Ceo Danny Foster Wrote in a December 12 Post on the Pprune Website. “Ian (Foster, Jetcraft Chairman) Has Taken This Action in Order to Stabilise the Business, Restructure It and Ensure a Fair and Equitable Result for All Stakeholders. ” the Action Was Taken After the Company Recently Lost a Large Fly-in Fly-out (Fifo) Mining Contract (on Which It Would Have Operated an Atr 42) and Had Its Fleet of Cessna 441s Parked After Casa Grounded All 441s That Have Flown More Than 22,500 Hours. The Airline Operates Two Atr 42-300fs, Metros and Cessna Caravans on Priority Air Freight Services for Toll, Fifo and Charter Services, as Well as the Jetline Mro Facility in Brisbane and Line Facilities in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.

The Company is Continuing to Trade Under Administration, With Jetcraft’s Management Hoping to Be Able to Restructure the Business in Order to Make It More Viable.

“Over the Past 12 Months Jetcraft Has Faced More Than Its Fair Share of Commercial Adversity, Starting With the Failure of a Large Client and Ending With the Grounding of Our C441 Fleet,” Danny Foster Wrote on Pprune. “Coupled With Our Long Term Diet of Low Fat Revenue, These Setbacks Have Been Too Much for the Company to Bear. This is a Bloody Shame – but I Am Very Sure That Jetcraft Will Emerge Stronger From This Process and Will Keep Operating for Another 17 Years. ” Jonathon Macleod of Macleod Partners Has Been Appointed the Administrator of Jetcraft.

Qantas Revises Up Profit Forecast Qantas Ceo Geoff Dixon Has Said the Qantas Group’s Pre-tax Profit for 2007/08 is Expected to Be 40 Per Cent Higher Than That Achieved in 2006/07.

The Revised Profit Forecast Comes on the Back of Continuing Strong Growth in the First Five Months of the Year to November 30.

“Since (June 30) Qantas’s Operating Businesses Have Continued to Perform Strongly, With the Results for the First Five Months of 2007/08 Above Forecast and the Forward Booking Profile Also Remaining Robust,” Dixon Said in a Statement. “This Outlook Remains Subject to No Significant Deterioration in Operating Conditions Including Fuel Prices and Currency Exchange Rates. ” the Revised Estimate Should Take the Operating Profit Close to $1. 5 Billion, a Significant Improvement on the Impressive $1. 032 Billion Recorded Last Year, Especially in the Face of Increased Competition Both Internationally and Domestically, and Rising Fuel Costs.

Shares in the Airline Rose Nearly Five Per Cent, and Broke the $6 Barrier Following the Announcement.

The Upgrade Came 12 Months After the Failed Airline Partners Australia Private Equity Bid, Which Valued the Airline at $5. 45 Per Share, Was First Announced.

Jetstar to Ramp Up at Avalon

Jetstar Has Announced Plans to Boost Services to and From Melbourne Avalon by as Much as 40 Per Cent.

The Airline Says It Will Add 8500 Extra Seats a Week Between Avalon and Sydney, Brisbane and Perth From April and Will Base a Second A320 at the Airport From July.

“the Jetstar/avalon Combination is Really Working and Reinforces Our Successful Two Airports and Future Growth Strategy Within Melbourne Since Our May 2004 Start-up,” Jetstar Ceo Alan Joyce Said. “Our Strong Performing Melbourne Avalon-sydney Service is to Grow From April Next Year Into a High Frequency Daily Service, Continuing to Offer Both Peak Morning and Evening Flights Whilst Also Supported by Additional Day Services. Jetstar Proposes to Serve the Route at Least 60 Times Weekly Which Will Prove Increasingly Attractive to Ever-growing Numbers of Leisure and Business Travellers Using Melbourne Avalon Airport. ” the Airport, Which is Owned by Transport Company Linfox, Will Receive a $4 Million Makeover in 2008, Adding Extra Car Parking Spaces, New Retail Outlets, and Increasing the Size of the Arrivals Hall by 50 Per Cent.

Singapore’s A380 “100 Per Cent Reliable” to Date Singapore Airlines Ceo Chew Choong Seng Has Said the First A380 to Enter Service Has Been 100 Per Cent Reliable to Date Since Entering Service on the Singapore to Sydney Route on October 26.

Speaking at the Star Alliance Agm in Beijing, Mr Chew Said the A380’s Program Delay Had Given Airbus Sufficient Time to Get the Aircraft Right From Day One. “the Extra Time Was Put to Good Use,” He Said. “They Used It to Debug the Aircraft. ” the Aircraft Has Been Logging 14 Hours Each Day on the Return Sq221/220 Services to and From Sydney, With a Two Hour Turnaround in Sydney, and Has Achieved an 80 Per Cent Load Factor Over the First Six Weeks of Operations. “in Seat/mile Terms We Are Achieving Overall a 20 Per Cent Better Fuel Burn Than Our 747-400s. ” Singapore Airlines Has Also Reportedly Been Actively Sounding Out the New Australian Government Over Its Previously Shelved Bid to Operate on the Pacific Between Australia and the Us, With Mr Chew Again Raising the Prospect of Bidding for Traffic Rights on the Route. “It is Australia That Has Been Quite Protectionist About Rights Beyond Australia, When in Actual Fact Qantas Does Fly Beyond Singapore and Enjoy Traffic Rights Beyond Singapore,” Mr Chew Said. “There Should Be Equality of Opportunities. They Are a Very Worthy Competitor but I Think Sometimes Qantas Can Be a Lot More Confident in Their Ability to Compete and Not Resort to Seeking. . . Support From the Central Government. ” the Airline Was “Developing a Strong Relationship With the New Government, Not Just on a Single Issue,” According to Airline Spokesman Stephen Foreshaw. “We Are Encouraged to Hear Ministers Talk About the Need to Make the Economy More Competitive and Work Towards Further Deregulation. Protecting Qantas From Competition on the Trans-pacific Route is Something That Costs Consumers Directly and Does Not Serve Australia’s National Interest. ” When in Opposition, Labor’s Former Transport Spokesman Martin Ferguson Had Previously Supported the Howard Government’s Stance on Not Allowing Singapore Onto the Route.

Jetstar to Boost Darwin Services Jetstar Ceo Alan Joyce Has Offered to Commence Daytime Services From Darwin to the Southern Capitals if That City’s Airport Receives an Upgrade.

Speaking in Darwin on December 6, Joyce Said the Airline Was Willing to Expand Its Services From the City in Response to Tiger’s Entry Into the Market From Its Base of Melbourne, but Only if the Airport is Expended to Be Able to Handle the Increase in Capacity. “We Will Be Doing Capacity Growth in Darwin – the Level of Capacity Growth is Dependent on the Infrastructure Being in Place,” He Told Media. “the Growth That We’re Talking About is a Lot More Substantial Than the Airport Has Had in the Past. ” “With Tiger, With Virgin, With Qantas and Jetstar Adding All the Capacity. . . The Airport Hasn’t Been Growing as Fast as the Airlines and Going Forward as It Needs to Match This Growth,” He Added. “We Need to Have Up to Five Gates for Departures. ” Meanwhile, Jetstar Has Commenced Twice Daily Services Between Sydney and Brisbane, Adding to the Single Daily A330 Flight It Offers From Brisbane to Sydney as an Extension of Its Sydney-osaka-brisbane Service.

“Jetstar’s Growth on the Sydney-brisbane Route, Which Currently Carries Over 4 Million Passengers Annually, Will Complement Qantas’s Existing High Levels of Frequency on This Important Domestic Market,” Alan Joyce Said in a Statement. “Jetstar Now Connects Australia’s Three Largest State Capitals of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane – Achieved in Melbourne Through One of Our Two Domestic Airport Operations – at Melbourne Airport and Melbourne Avalon Airport. ” Qantas Engineering Strike Action Threatened Qantas Engineers Who Threatened Strike Action and Overtime Bans for January 10 Have Put Their Plans on Hold for 48 Hours Following “Productive” Eleventh Hour Talks With Airline Management.

Unions Representing Up to 1700 Engineers Are Demanding a Five Per Cent Per Year Pay Rise but the Airline is Only Offering Three Per Cent. Strike Action Had Originally Been Threatened Over the Christmas/new Year Period but Was Put Off Until This Week.

In Response, Qantas Reportedly Sounded Out Overseas Workers and Former Employees About Possibly Forming a Strike-breaking Workforce, but Officially Has Maintained That the Planned Four Hour Rolling Stoppages Are “Low Level” and Are Unlikely to “Disrupt Flight Schedules”.

Fuel Surcharges Up

Virgin Blue, Qantas International and Jetstar International Have All Announced Increases in Their Fuel Surcharges to Help Offset Rising Fuel Costs.

Virgin Blue Announced That, From February 1, It Will Increase Its Fuel Surcharge on All Domestic Flights From $19 to $24 Per Sector, and on All Pacific Blue and Polynesian Blue Flights From $35 to $45 Per Sector.

Qantas Has Also Announced That, While It Will Hold Its Domestic Surcharges at Their Present Levels, Its International Surcharges Would Rise Across the Board. From January 17, Surcharges to the Uk and Europe Will Rise From $185 to $210; to the Us, Canada and South America From $145 to $165; to Asia and Hawaii to $120 From $105, and to New Zealand Would Rise From $60 to $70.

Similarly, Jetstar Said It Would Maintain Its Domestic Surcharges for Now, but Would Increase Its International Surcharges From $45 to $55 for Trans-tasman Services, and to $108 From $98 for Services to Asia and Honolulu.

Never One to Miss an Opportunity to Take a Shot at Its Competitors, Newcomer Tiger Airways Quickly Announced That It Would Not Increase Its Fuel Surcharge, “Because It Doesn’t Have One”! “Fuel is a Cost of Doing Business in Aviation So When You Book With Tiger We Don’t Add It on Top,” Tiger Airways Australia Md Chris Ward Said in a Statement. “the Everyday Traveller Just Wants to Know How Much It Will Cost to Get to Their Destination Not What the World Price of Aviation Fuel is Doing. To Do Otherwise is Just Muddying the Waters. ” Another Big Cat for Australian Skies Brisbane Based Sky Air World Has Announced It Will Form a Joint Venture With Indonesia’s Lion Air to Establish Lion Air Australia From Late This Year.

The New Airline Will Initially Be Equipped With Six Boeing 737-900er Airliners and Operate Sectors From Australian Cities to Destinations in Indonesia Such as Jakarta, Bali and Surabaya, Linking Up With Lion Air’s Network to Other Asian Ports. The Airline Will Also Operate Australian Domestic Routes That Are Economical for the Aircraft.

Sky Air World Ceo David Charlton Told ‘aa’ That He Was Very Excited About the Prospect of Establishing Regular Passenger Transport (Rpt) Services After Commencing Operations in April 2007 With an Embraer E-170, Initially With Solomon Airlines and Then on Various Corporate and Government Charter Missions. “We’ll Have 51 Per Cent and Lion Air 49 Per Cent. It’s a Great Opportunity for Us and I Think for Lion Air as Well,” He Said. “They Were Looking to Expand and We Made Them a Great Offer. It’s a Good Airline With a Great Operations Team, and I Think We’ll Be Bringing the Right Aircraft in for the Routes We Want to Operate. ” Sky Air World is Also Expecting to Take Delivery of Its First of Three E-190s in February, as Well as Two Erj-145s Around Midyear.

Lion Air Australia Will Operate With Business, Premium Economy and Standard Economy Seating Options, and Although No Routes Have Been Announced as Yet, Charlton Said It’s Unlikely He’ll Be Initially Be Directly Competing Against Many of the Established Players. “the -900er Opens Up So Many Possibilities That No One Else Are Currently Operating at the Moment,” He Said. “We Hope to Make Some Announcements on Our Routes, Our Australian Base, and Some Firmer Dates When We Submit Our Aoc Application in a Couple of Months. ” Lion Air Has 122 737-900ers on Order, and the First Six for the Australian Operation Will Be Equipped With Auxiliary Fuel Tanks Which Will Allow Then to Fly 6000km Missions With About 180 Passengers in Three Classes.

Singapore Takes Second A380, Bogs First

Singapore Airlines Has Taken Delivery of Its Second A380 a Week Ahead of Schedule.

The Aircraft, Production Number Msn005 and Registered 9v-skb, Arrived in Singapore on January 12, and is Expected to Enter Service on the Singapore to Sydney Route This Week.

Meanwhile, Singapore’s First A380, Which Entered Service on October 28, Missed Its First Service on January 10, Although It Appears Through No Fault of Its Own, After a Tug Towing It From Its Gate at the New Changi Terminal 3 Suffered a Hydraulic Failure. The Tug Disconnected Itself From the Aircraft Which Was Yet to Start Engines, and the Aircraft Rolled Off the Ramp Onto Damp Grass, Sinking Up to Its Axles on Its Outboard Starboard Bogie.

Passengers Were Unloaded and Put on Alternate Flights to Sydney and Other Australian Destinations, While the Aircraft Was De-fuelled and Towed Off the Grass for an Inspection. It Returned to Service the Following Day.

The A380 Has Conducted 130 Revenue Flights and Flown More Than 950 Hours Since Entering Service Without Dropping a Mission Due to a Technical Fault.

To Coincide With the Arrival of the Second A380, Singapore Has Announced It Will Increase Its Services to Sydney From Three to Four Per Day From April.

The Flights, to Be Conducted by New Boeing 777-300ers, Will Initially Operate Three Times a Week Before Ramping Up to a Daily Service From June. Sq233 Will Depart Singapore at 0700 and Arrive in Sydney at 1620, Conduct a Quick Turnaround, and Then Return to Singapore at 1735 as Sq234, Arriving at 2350.

The New 777s Will Feature Singapore’s New Business and Economy Class Products, as Well as the Latest Iteration of the Krisworld Ife System.

Airline Briefs

Qantaslink Has Announced It Will Partner With Alliance Airlines to Increase Its Capacity in Western Australia. The Agreement With Alliance Will See a Daily Weekday Fokker 100 Service Operate From Perth to Port Hedland and Karratha. The Arrangement is Also Seen Within Industry as a Hedge Against Further Industrial Unrest and Crew Shortages Within National Jet, Which Operates Qantaslink’s Fleet of Boeing 717s.

Qantas Says It Will Increase Its Mainline Services From Sydney to Honolulu From Three to Four Per Week From April 5 to Add to the Five Weekly Jetstar Services It Operates. The Increase is in Response to Increased Demand for Travel to Honolulu Due to the Weaker Us Dollar. The New Service Will Be Operated by 767-300ers and Will Depart Sydney on Saturday Evenings at 7. 45pm With the Return Leg Leaving Honolulu at 10. 50am Saturdays.

Skywest Will Add an Extra Flight From Perth to Esperance on Sundays From February 10.

Tiger Airways Australia Commenced Operations From Melbourne to Hobart on January 15, and to Newcastle on January 18, Marking the 10th and 11th Destinations on the New Carrier’s Australian Network.

Skyairworld Has Put Tickets for Its New Brisbane to Honiara Services on Sale. The Services, Which Will Operate Five Days Per Week, Are Scheduled to Commence on March 3 Following the Delivery of Its First of Three Embraer 190s.

Indonesia’s Lion Air Says It Plans to Order Additional Boeing 737-900ers, Over and Above the 122 It Already Has in Service or on Order, to Accommodate Its Growth Plans in the Region Including Those Announced Last Week Into Australia. The Airline Says the Deal Will Be Announced at February’s Singapore Airshow.

Hawaiian Airlines Reportedly May Be Forced to Cancel an Order It Placed Last Year for Six Airbus A330-200s and Six A350-800s After the Airline Failed to Reach an Agreement With Its Pilot Union on New Work Conditions to Operate the New Aircraft. The Airline is Facing a Looming Deadline From Airbus and Rolls-royce by Which It Has to Confirm the Order or Lose Its Production Slots.

Northwest Airlines Says It is Giving “Serious Consideration” to Approaches Made by Delta Air Lines to Negotiate for a Possible Merger of the Two Us Majors. Airline Management Reportedly Told Its Employees That “Doing Nothing Could Be Our Worst Alternative. ” Northwest, Delta, Continental and American Airlines Have All Raised Their Domestic Fuel Surcharges by About Us$20 (a$24).

Etihad Reported Huge Passenger Growth in 2007, Recording 4. 6 Million Passengers Compared to Just 2. 8 Million in 2006. The Airline Grew Its Fleet From 24 to 37 Aircraft Last Year, and Added Nine New Destinations to Its Network.

Thai Airways International Says It Intends to Lease 20 Airbus A321s and 14 Boeing 787s From 2012.

Gulf Air Has Confirmed That It is Negotiating With Airbus and Boeing for Eight A320s and Up to 24 787s Respectively.

New Low Cost Carrier Tiger Airways Has Upped the Ante on Check-in Times by Stating That Check-in Desks Will Close “Without Exception 45 Minutes Prior to Departure. ” Jetstar Has Previously Come Under Criticism in the Media for Closing Its Check-ins 30 Minutes Prior to Departure, So It Will Be Interesting to See How Tiger’s Even Stricter Policy is Reported.

Tiger is Already Looking to Establish a Second Base in Australia After Launching From Melbourne Last Month. The Airline Says a Strong Response to Its Launch Means It Will Need to Establish a Second Base for Its Expending Fleet of A320s. The Gold Coast, Adelaide, Darwin and Perth Are Thought to Be Leading Candidates.

The British House of Lords Science and Technology Committee Has Called for Leg Room on Airliners to Be Increased by at Least 5cm to Allow a Seat Pitch of at Least 71. 6cm (28. 2in). The Committee Says Some Seat Pitches Don’t Allow Passengers to Brace Themselves in Emergency Situations, and That the Minimum Seat Pitch Should Be Regulated by Aviation Authorities.

Air China and Shanghai Airlines Have Formally Been Inducted Into the Star Alliance Group of Airlines at a Ceremony in Beijing. The New Airlines Have Added 40 New Destinations to Star’s Network of 19 Airlines.

Air India is Set to Become a Member of Star Alliance After Being Accepted by the Group’s Board. The Airline is Expected to Join the Network in Late 2008.

Us President George Bush Has Signed a Law Raising the Mandatory Retirement Age for Commercial Airline Pilots in the Us From 60 to 65 Years.

Qantas Was a Sponsor of the Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care’s (Dadhc) ‘don’t Dis My Ability’ Campaign Which Celebrated the International Day of People With a Disability on December 3.

Air New Zealand Has Been Named the Best Airline to the South Pacific, Australia, and New Zealand for 2007 by the Us’s ‘business Traveller’ Magazine.

Qantas Has Announced It Will Add a Second Weekly Service Between Sydney and Queenstown From September 24 Next Year to Meet Growing Demand for Travel to the Popular Adventure Tourism and Skiing Centre.

Airasia X Says Passenger Numbers Between Kuala Lumpur and the Gold Coast Have Exceeded Expectations During the Airline Service’s First Month of Operation. The Airline Commenced Services to the Gold Coast on November 3, and Says That From December 6 Through to Early January, All Its Flights Are Sold Out.

Qatar Airways Ceo Akbar Al Baker Says the Airline Has Cancelled Options It Was Holding for Six Airbus A340-600igws and Will Phase Out the Four A340-600s Already in Service, the First of Which Was Only Delivered Last September, in Favour of Boeing 777-300ers.

Emirates Commenced Services Between Dubai and Houston on December 3 Using New 266-seat Boeing 777-200lrs. Houston Becomes Emirates’s Second Us Destination After New York, and Will Cater for the Oil Industry Traffic Travelling Between the Two Countries.

Qantas Says It Will Increase Its Services to Canberra From Sydney and Melbourne From March 2008. The Airline Will Add 15 Extra Flights Per Week From Sydney and 11 From Melbourne, All Using 737-400s, Seen as a Counter to Virgin Blue’s Return to the Sydney-canberra Sector From February and the Introduction of Its Embraer E-jets.

Tiger Airways Carried Its Four Millionth Passenger on December 20, Just Three Years After Commencing Operations.

The Full Bench of the Australian Industrial Relation Commission Has Ruled That the Australian and International Pilots Association (Aipa) Can Represent All Pilots Who Fly With Qantas, Qantaslink and Jetstar. Aipa Says Qantas Had Said Separate Unions Should Represent Pilots From Each of Its Group Operating Divisions.

Singapore Airlines’s Plan to Take a Stake in China Eastern Airlines Has Fallen Through After China Eastern Shareholders Voted to Reject the Deal. The Rejection Came After Air China and Cathay Pacific Both Made Last Minute Bids to Better the Price Offered Made by Singapore.

Qantas Has Applied to the International Air Services Commission for an Additional Three Weekly Services Between Melbourne and Hong Kong.

Ozjet Has Applied to the International Air Services Commission to Operate Rpt Services Totalling 306 Seats Per Week Between Perth and Bali on Its Own Aoc. Ozjet Currently Operates to Bali Under a Commercial Charter Agreement With Indojet Asia P/l.

Australia and the Us Are Due to Start Talks on an Open Skies Agreement in Mid February With the Goal of Opening Up the Trans-pacific Route. The Move Could See More Us Carriers Operate to Australia via Asia, and Clear Virgin Blue Offshoot V Australia to Commence Operations by the End of 2008.

Virgin Blue and V Australia Have Chosen Amadeus Customer Management and E-commerce Systems to Support Their Operations With Distribution, E-ticketing and Interline Products.

Russian Carrier Transaero Commenced Operations to Australia From Moscow on Christmas Day. The Airline Will Operate a Fortnightly Charter Service via Hong Kong Using 767-300s.

Singapore Airlines Will Reportedly Take Delivery of Its Second A380 Next Week, Two Weeks Ahead of Schedule. Singapore’s Third A380 is Due by the End of February, and the Airline Plans to Extend Its Current Sydney to Singapore Service on to London From Early March.

The Boards of Indian Carriers Kingfisher Airlines and Deccan Aviation Have Reportedly Decided to Merge the Two Companies. Kingfisher Parent Ub Group Already Holds 46 Per Cent of Deccan. The Two Brands Will Remain Separate After the Merger, With Kingfisher Becoming the Full-service Carrier.

Emirates Has Reportedly Notified the Government of Sri Lanka That It Will Not Be Renewing Its Shareholder’s Agreement in Srilanka Airlines After March 31. Emirates Owns 43. 6 Per Cent of Srilanka Stock but Analysts Predict This Will Soon Be Sold Off.

Aeroflot Has Withdrawn the Tupolev Tu-134 From Mainline Service After More Than 40 Years of Service. The Final Flight From Kaliningrad to Moscow Sheremetyevo Operated on December 31. Aeroflot’s 14 Remaining Tu-134s Will Be Offered Subsidiary Carriers.

United Airlines Says It Has Raised Its Fares Across the Board to Compensate for Higher Fuel Prices.

Toll Holdings Has Indicated a Sell-off of Its 63 Per Cent Stake in Virgin Blue is Unlikely in the Near Term. “if We Wanted to Sell It to Investors Who Have a Really Short Term Outlook We’d Probably Have a Real Lack of Interest at the Moment Given People Are Looking for Negatives,” Toll Chief Financial Officer Neil Chatfield Told the ‘australian Financial Review’. “We’d Have to Sell at a Discount, Which Doesn’t Make Any Sense. ” Tiger Airways Commenced Services to Adelaide From Melbourne on January 10, the Ninth Port in Its Growing Australian Network. The Airline Will Initially Operate Two Services a Day Between the Cities.

Us Major Delta Air Lines Will Reportedly Seek Merger Talks With United and Northwest.

British Airways Will Establish a Premium Airline to Operate Between European Cities and New York City. Called Open Skies, the Airline Will Operate Up to Six Winglet-equipped 757s With an 82-seat Layout and a Stylised Ba Livery From June.

Environment

Virgin Atlantic Fast-tracks Bio-fuel Trial

Virgin Atlantic Has Brought Forward Its Planned Trial of a Bio-fuel Powered 747 by 10 Months and Plans Now to Conduct the Trial in February Instead of December.

The Airline Says It Will Conduct a Trial Flight Between London Heathrow and Amsterdam, a Modest 230nm Sector Without Passengers, Although It Hasn’t Announced Whether the Bio-fuel Will Be Derived From Soy Beans or Algae. The Algae Formula is Reported to Be 150 Per Cent More Efficient Than the Soy Bean Derivation.

“This Fuel Has Never Been in the Air Before on a Commercial Plane, Although It’s Been Tested in Engines on the Ground in Altitude Conditions,” a Virgin Atlantic Spokesman Told Uk Media. “It’s a Sustainable Fuel, So You Don’t Have to Knock Down Forests to Get It. ” the Trial Will Use a Blend of Jet-a Fuel and the Bio-fuel Similar to That Trialled by the Usaf on B-52 Bombers and C-17 Transports, and is Being Conducted in Conjunction With Boeing and Ge.

Airbus Has Developed a New Two-coat Aircraft Painting Process Which It Says Uses Less Paint, Requires Less Time to Apply, Reduces Drying Time, Extends the Life of an Aircraft’s Paint Coat, and Helps to Reduce Aircraft Cleaning. The First Aircraft Painted Using the New Process Was the 5000th Airbus Airliner to Be Delivered, an A330-200 for Qantas. Airbus Says Qantas Will Help Conduct an in-service Evaluation With Airbus to Fully Quantify the Benefits of the Painting Process.

Cathay Pacific and Subsidiary Dragonair Have Launched Their ‘fly Greener’ Voluntary Carbon Offset Scheme, the First Airline in Asia to Announce Such a Scheme.

Airports

Sydney Airport Announces 2007 Results Sydney Airport Owner Southern Cross Holdings Has Announced a Nine Per Cent Increase in Earnings for the 2007 Calendar Year and a Pre-ebitda Profit of $608. 6 Million.

The Airport, Which Has Brought Its Reporting Period Into Line With That of Parent Company Macquarie Airports, Says the Earnings Growth Exceeded Its Traffic Growth of 6. 4 Per Cent for the Year, While Expenses Were Up 12. 8 Per Cent Over the Previous Year.

“the Result Was Driven by the Recovery in International Traffic, Which Was Sustained Through the Year and Delivery of Some Important Aeronautical and Commercial Initiatives,” the Global Airport Fund’s Ceo, Kerrie Mather, Told Aap. “This Progress Will Continue in 2008. ”

Hobart Airport Has Been Sold by the Tasmanian State Government to the Tasmanian Gateway Consortium, Comprised of Macquarie Global Infrastructure Fund, Macquarie Capital Group and the Retirement Benefits Fund Board. The Sale Has Seen the Privatisation of the Last Airport in Australian State or Federal Government Hands.

Brisbane Airport Has Reported That the Number of People Now Working on the Airport Has Surpassed 25,000, Comprising 16,000 People Directly Employed by Airport Tenants, and as Many as 10,000 Contractors Working on Infrastructure Projects on the Airport.

Big Upgrade for Canberra

Canberra International Airport Has Announced a Comprehensive $250 Million Upgrade of Its Terminal and Car Parking Facilities, as Well as Road Access to the Airport.

The Airport Says It Will Add an Upstairs Departures Concourse to the Terminal, a Doubling of Its Check-in Counters From 16 to 32, a Trebling of Its Luggage Carousels, an Additional 1300 Car Parking Spaces, and a Quadrupling of Its Lounge Space to 6000sq M.

“Our New Terminal is Designed to Achieve Two Key Objectives,” Airport Ceo Stephen Byron Said. “Firstly, to Cater for Future Growth and Secondly, to Make Canberra the Most Modern, User-friendly, Internationally Capable Airport in Australia. ” Byron Said the Airport Has Already Lengthened Its Main Runway, and Will Have Badly Needed Improvements to Its Road Access Thanks to Grants by the Act and Commonwealth Governments. “These Were the Final Pieces of an Infrastructure Jigsaw That Cleared the Way for Us to Invest in a Terminal Which We Believe Will Be the Best of Its Kind in Australia. ” Work is Expected to Commence Next Year and Be Complete by 2011.

In the Shorter Term, Qantas Says It Will Spend $10 Million Upgrading Its Current Facilities Starting Next February. The Airline Says It Will Expand Its Check-in Facilities, Add an Extra Security Lane, Expand Its Baggage Handling System, Expand and Upgrade Its Qantas Club Lounge, and Install an Extra Aerobridge to Its Terminal.

Newcastle Cracks a Million Newcastle Airport Has Announced That It Has Recorded More Than One Million Passengers Using Its Facilities in a Calendar Year for the First Time.

The Milestone Was Achieved Just Three Days Before the End of 2007, With a Passenger Who Arrived Off a Qantaslink Flight From Brisbane at 11. 15am on December 28 Being Selected as the Lucky Person. The Airport Had Previously Forecast Passenger Numbers of 950,000 for 2007, So Beating This Milestone by Five Per Cent is a Great Result.

“This is a Momentous Occasion for Newcastle Airport,” Airport Ceo Paul Hughes Said in a Statement. “It Was Only Five Years Ago, in 2002, That Passenger Throughput Was 209,555. This Milestone Demonstrates a High Level of Confidence the Airlines Have in the Airport, and the Region, and is an Encouraging Recognition of the Airport’s Accomplishments During the Year. ” the Millionth Passenger Was Presented With Complimentary Qantaslink Tickets, and Other Passengers From the Flight Were Invited to Participate in a Celebration at the Airport.

Clarification in December 17’s Edition of ‘australian Aviation Express’, We Incorrectly Stated That Hobart Airport Was the Last State or Federally Owned Airport to Be Sold Off.

What We Should Have Said Was That Hobart Was the Last State or Federally Owned Capital City Airport to Be Sold Off.

Many Thanks to the Staff at Cairns and Mackay Airports Which Are Both Owned by Their Respective State-owned Port Authorities for Bringing This Oversight to Our Attention.

Singapore’s Civil Aviation Authority is Reportedly Looking to Expand Its Asset Portfolio Through Its Offshore Investment Subsidiary, Changi Airport International (Cai), by Taking Stakes in Up to 15 Airports Including Seven in China in the Next Three Years. The Body Will Reportedly Be Corporatised Later This Year, Giving It Increased Flexibility to Compete With Other Airport Owners.

Airport Briefs

Work on Melbourne Airport’s $330 Million 25,000sqm T2 International Terminal Redevelopment Has Commenced After the Federal Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government, Anthony Albanese Formally Launched Construction.

Road Works Designed to Improve Access to Canberra International Airport Commenced Along Pialligo Road on December 13. When Complete, the Duplicated Road Will Help Free Up Peak Traffic to and From the Airport and Around the Surrounding Nursery Businesses at Pialligo.

The Western Australian Government Has Called Upon the Federal Government to Help Fund a Badly Needed Upgrade to Perth Airport’s Domestic Terminal Facilities. Already Stretched During Peak Times, the Wa Minister for Planning and Infrastructure Alannah Mactiernan Says the Airport Will Be Unable to Handle Projected Growth by 2012.

Sydney’s T2 Terminal Recorded Use by More Than One Million Passengers in a Month for the First Time in October. T2 is Used by Virgin Blue, Jetstar, Rex, Qantaslink and Aeropelican.

Singapore Changi Airport’s New Terminal 3 is Scheduled to Open on January 9 With Sq001 Scheduled to Be the First Arriving Flight and Sq218 the First to Depart From the New State-of-the-art Terminal.

General Aviation

Boomerang Granted Certification

the Dw200 Whitney Boomerang Trainer, Designed and Built by Dean-wilson Aviation in Queensland, Has Been Granted Far 23 Type Certification by Casa.

The Two-seat Trainer Achieved the Milestone on December 17 After Several Years’ Development and Millions of Dollars of Investment. The Boomerang is Being Promoted as a Viable and Economical Replacement for Fleets of Ageing Cessna 150 and Piper Tomahawk Trainers, as Well as a Practical Alternative for Touring.

The First Customer Boomerang, Registered Vh-kmb, Was Delivered a Few Days Later to Minovation Flying Training at Jandakot Airport in Perth by Dean-wilson Aviation Chairman, Steve Wilson.

Eads Socata Upgrades Tbm850

Eads Socata Has Revealed an Upgrade for All 2008 Tbm850s in the Form of a Garmin Equipped ‘glass’ Cockpit and Enhanced Cabin Features.

The New Garmin G1000 System Features Large Lcd Screens Displaying Primary Flight, Navigation, Weather, Traffic, Ground Proximity and Technical Information, Thus Reducing Pilot Workload and Easing Maintenance.

The Fuel Capacity of the Aircraft Has Been Increased by 11 Gallons Giving an Increase in Range of 80nm. The Latest Tbm Also Features an Upgraded Dual-zone Environmental Global Air Control System, and a Redesigned Interior Layout Which Features Additional Space and Comfort Thanks to 5cm Increase in Interior Width and a 2cm Improvement in Cabin Height, as Well as the Use of Lighter Materials Giving the Aircraft an Additional 50kg of Useful Load.

Liberty Aerospace and China’s Anyang Angel Aero Science and Technology Development Company (3a) Have Announced the Launch of a 600 Aircraft Manufacturing Agreement for the Liberty Xl-2 to Be Used for Flying Training in China. The Aircraft Will Be Built in 3a’s New Purpose-built Factory at the Anyang Airport in Henan Which Will Be Ultimately Capable of Building 100 Xl-2s Per Year.

King Air B200gt Certified

by Faa the Hawker Beechcraft King Air B200gt Has Been Certified by the Faa, Just Seven Months After It Was Announced at May’s Ebace Convention in Geneva.

The B200gt Features a 305kt Max Cruise Speed, 20kt Faster Than Earlier B200 Variants, as Well as a Much Improved Climb Rate. The Aircraft Uses Two P&w Pt6a-52 Engines Designed Specifically for It Which Were Derived by Mating the Turbine Section of the King Air B350’s Pt6a-60a to the B200’s Pt6a-42 Gearbox, Giving an 850shp Flat Rating Which is Held to a Much Higher Altitude Than Previous Models.

Eclipse Tops 100

Eclipse Aviation Has Claimed the Title of the Fastest General Aviation Jet Aircraft Manufacturer in History to Produce Its First 100 Aircraft by Building 104 Eclipse 500 Vljs Since December 31 2006.

The Manufacturer Says Its Mark “Eclipses” That of the Previous Record of 100 Aircraft Built in 18 Months Held by Cessna’s Citation 550.

“We’re Transforming How Jets Are Built, and How People Travel,” Eclipse Aviation President and Ceo Vern Raburn Said in a Statement. “the Reality is That We Have Created a New Aircraft Category and Are Bringing a New Breed of Jet to Market at a Rate Never Before Seen in General Aviation. ”

Javelin Suspended

Atg Has Suspended Development of the Javelin High Performance Business Jet and Military Jet Trainer After Failing to Secure Additional Investment Funding. The Manufacturer is Believed to Be Seeking Additional Support From a Potential Strategic Partner, Rumoured to Be Israel’s Iai.

Directories Now Online Australian Aviation Has Now Published Its Annual Flying Training Directory and Helicopter Operators Directory on Its Website, Making Freely Available the Wealth of Material These Two Listings Contain on the Flying Training and Helicopter Sectors in Australia. Visit Www. Ausaviation. Com. Au/directories/index. Htm to Have a Look.

General Aviation Briefs

Queensland’s Seabird Aviation Australia Reports That It is Studying Configuring Its Seeker Sb7l-360 Airborne Observation Aircraft With Two Forward Passenger Seats and a Third Centrally-aft Positioned Pilot’s Seat for Joy Flight Operators. The Aircraft Would Be Designated the Sight-seer.

Cessna Has Announced That the Locations of Its Us Reassembly Facilities for the Cessna 162 Skycatcher Will Be Eagle Aviation in West Columbia, South Carolina; Yingling Aviation in Wichita, Kansas; and Southwest Platinum Aviation in North Las Vegas, Nevada. Cessna Says the Facilities Will Reassemble Aircraft Built at Shenyang Aircraft Corporation in China and Conduct Acceptance Test Flights Prior to Delivery.

Colorado-based Adam Aircraft Has Laid Off More Than 300 Workers or Nearly 40 Per Cent of Its Workforce as It Struggles to Overcome Financial Problems Caused by Delays in the Certification of Its A700 Very Light Jet.

The Robinson Helicopter Company Announced It Has Delivered Its 8000th Helicopter, a Green Robinson R44 Raven Ii to Christchurch Based Skysales Aviation.

Business Aviation

Industry Media is Reporting That the Sale of Sino-swearingen Aircraft to Texas Based Action Aviation Investors Will Be Complete by the End of January, Meaning the Future of the Sj30 Business Jet Will Be Assured.

A Regular Airline Service Between Australia and the Antarctic is Now a Reality Following the Successful Touch Down on December 10 of Skytraders’s Airbus A319lr on the New 4000m Wilkins Ice Runway. The Airlink Began Regular Operations Between Hobart and Wilkins on December 13, and Will Be Used to Support the Australian Antarctic Division During the Summer Months.

Snecma Has Commenced the Test Campaign of Its Silvercrest Core Engine Demonstrator at Its Villaroche Test Facility in France. Snecma Says the Silvercrest Engine Family, Rated at Between 9500lb (42. 3kn) and 12,000lb (53. 4kn) of Thrust, Will Incorporate Advanced Design Features and New Levels of Efficiency for Super-midsize to Large Business Jets.

Embraer Has Announced That Cleveland, Ohio Based Flight Options Has Signed a Us$746m (a$852m) Contract to Buy 100 Phenom 300 Light Jet Aircraft, and Has Placed Options for an Additional 50 Aircraft.

Security

The Us Department of Homeland Security (Dhs) Has Started Collecting Fingerprints From All 10 Fingers for Incoming International Travellers at Washington Dulles International Airport. The Change Will Be Rolled Out Across All of the Us’s Major International Airports in the Coming Months.

Airport Security a Waste – Report Researchers in the Us Have Found That Many Airport Security Measures – Dramatically Increased Since the 9/11 Attacks in 2001 – Do Little to Make Flying Safer.

Basically Confirming What Many Frequent Travellers Had Already Suspected, the Research Conducted by the Harvard School of Public Health Found That X-raying Hand Luggage and Passengers Does Not Prevent Hijackings, and That Forcing Passengers to Remove Shoes or Confiscating Items is More Trouble Than It’s Worth.

The Us Transportation Security Administration (Tsa) Admitted to the Research Team That It Had Rushed New Measures in to Place Without Adequately Testing Them, and That of the Estimated 13 Million Items Confiscated From Passengers in the Us Each Year, Most Were Cigarette Lighters.

Air Safety

Ba 777 Lands Short at Heathrow

Investigators Are Still Trying to Find What Caused a British Airways 777-200er to Strike the Ground Approximately 300m Short of the Runway 27l Threshold at Busy London Heathrow Airport on January 17.

The Aircraft, G-ymmm, a Regular Visitor to Sydney on Ba’s Daily Service From London via Singapore, Was on Final Approach to Heathrow After an Apparently Uneventful Flight From Beijing, When Its Engines Failed to Respond to Throttle Inputs to Increase Power Approximately Three Kilometres From Touch Down at an Altitude of 600 Feet.

Initial Reports Indicate the Aircraft Was Established on an Ils Approach When the Engines Failed to Respond to an Auto-throttle Input. The Copilot Who Was Flying the Aircraft at the Time Immediately Attempted to Advance the Throttles Manually, Also to No Affect, and the Aircraft Continued to Descend Below the Glideslope Before Landing Hard on the Wet Grass Just Inside the Airport’s Permitter Fence.

Aerial Images of the Accident Site Showed Two Distinct Main Gear Touch-down Points in the Grass and a Trail of Debris Leading Up to Where the Aircraft Came to Rest to the Right of the Runway Centreline Adjacent to the ‘piano Keys’. The Right Main Gear Appeared to Have Separated From the Aircraft, While the Left Mains Had Been Pushed Up Through the Left Wing’s Upper Surface and the Nose Gear Was Severely Compressed, Presumably Due to the High Rate of Descent at Impact. The Aircraft’s Apu Intake Door Was Open, Indicating the Pilots Had Possibly Attempted to Use Auxiliary Power During the Final Stages of the Descent, and Passengers and Observers on the Ground Reported an Unusual Buzzing or Whining Noise Shortly Before Impact, Indicating the Aircraft’s Wing Fairing Mounted Ram Air Turbine (Rat) May Have Also Been Deployed.

Fortunately, No Passengers or Crew Were Seriously Hurt, With Only a Dozen or So Minor Injuries Reported and One Person Kept in Hospital Overnight Due to Monitor a Minor Neck Injury.

The Accident is the First for the 777 Which Entered Service in 1995, and Judging by the Damage, Will Likely Result in the Type’s First Hull Loss.

The Australian Safety Transport Bureau (Atsb) Says Qantas Engineers Accidentally Filled a 747’s Oxygen Tanks With Nitrogen From a Mis-labelled Service Cart at Melbourne Airport Recently, and That the Airline Has Been Forced to Check the Emergency Oxygen Supplies of More Than 50 of Its Airliners.

Airservices Australia Has Commenced a Trial of an Aircraft Vhf Radio Safety Information Service at Wagga Wagga Airport. Airservices Says the New Unicom (Universal Communications Frequency) Service Will Provide General Weather Reports, Basic Air Traffic Information and Details About the Services and Facilities Available at Wagga to Enhance the Safety of Regular Passenger Services and General Aviation Aircraft. Under the Four Month Trial, Pilots Approaching Within About 20nm of Wagga Will Radio Their Position and Request Safety Information Using Ctaf Radio Channels. The Trial Will Be Extended to Dubbo on December 19, and It is Hoped to Be Rolled Out to Many Non-towered Airports Throughout Australia.

Qantas 747 Loses Power in Flight Near Bangkok a Qantas 747-400 en Route From London to Bangkok Lost All Main Electrical Power While on Descent Into Bangkok on January 8.

The Aircraft, Operating Qf2 and Carrying 344 Passengers, Reportedly Operated the Final 15 Minutes of Its Flight on Backup Battery Power Only After Water From a Galley Contaminated the Main Electrical Racks Shorting Out All of the Aircraft’s Ac Power Generators. The Backup Batteries Have a Capacity to Provide Basic Cockpit Instrumentation, Communications and Emergency Lighting for Between 60 and 90 Minutes. The Aircraft Landed Safely.

Qantas and the Atsb Have Confirmed an Investigation Into the Incident is Underway in Conjunction With Casa, Boeing and Thai Authorities.

Ozjet Scare on Norfolk Island Flight

an Ozjet Flight From Brisbane to Norfolk Island Was Forced to Divert to Noumea on December 28 After Bad Weather Prevented the Aircraft From Landing and a Wing Leading Edge Slat Failed to Retract Properly.

Passengers Told Media They Were Advised to Prepare for a Possible Ditching and to Assume the Crash Position on Landing in Noumea as a Precaution.

Sources Have Told ‘australian Aviation’ That the Aircraft, Vh-ozd, Was Carrying Spare Parts for Another Ozjet 737 Which Was Stranded on Norfolk Island, and That It Had Only Recently Returned to Service Following a Major ‘c Check’ Service During Which Structural Items Were Repaired.

Qantas Clears 747-400 Fleet After Power Failure Qantas Says All of Its 30 Boeing 747-400s Have Been Cleared After Safety Checks Were Completed Following the Loss of Power of a 747 on Approach to Bangkok Last Week.

The Aircraft Lost Electrical Power After All Four Generator Control Units (Gcu) Were Affected by Water Overflowing From a Galley. The Water Was Able to Seep Through a Crack in a Fibreglass Drip Tray Mounted Above the Gcu Racks, Shorting Out the Gcus Leaving the Aircraft With Between 30 and 90 Minutes of Reserve Battery Power to Run Emergency Lighting and Basic Cockpit Instrumentation.

Similar Cracks Were Reportedly Found in Six Other Qantas 747s, All of Which Were Immediately Repaired. The Aircraft Involved in the Incident “Was Subjected to Stringent Inspections and Testing in Bangkok Before Being Cleared to Fly,” According to Qantas Executive General Manager, John Borghetti.

He Added That All 30 747s Were Checked Before Being Cleared to Resume Operations. “as Always, Safety is Our Prime Concern. We Will Be Monitoring Every Development Closely and the Atsb’s Findings Will Be Made Public Once Its Investigation is Complete. ”

Air Safety Briefs

The Cabin Crew Attendant Who Unsuccessfully Tried to Save a Helios Airways 737-300 From Crashing Has Posthumously Been Given a Bravery Award From the Us Based Flight Safety Foundation. The Aircraft Crashed in August 2005 With the Loss of 121 Passengers and Crew Following the Failure of Its Pressurisation System. While the Tech Crew and Passengers Lost Consciousness Due to Hypoxia, Andreas Prodromou Struggled With the Aircraft’s Controls Shortly Before the Aircraft Crashed. He Was Observed by the Pilot of a Greek Air Force F-16 Fighter Sent Up to Investigate Why the Aircraft Wasn’t Responding to Atc Calls.

A Report Compiled by the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health Has Found That Pilots Are 40 Per Cent Less Likely to Cause an Aircraft Accident Than Two Decades Ago. The Report Says 558 Aircraft Accidents Between 1983 and 2002 Were Examined and That “Trends Indicate That Great Progress Has Been Made to Improve the Decision Making of Pilots and Coordination Between the Aircraft’s Crew Members. ” the Us Department of Transportation Has Implemented New Rules to Restrict the Carriage of Spare Lithium Batteries in Checked-in Luggage. The New Rules State That Passengers May Bring Laptop Computers, Digital Cameras, Mobile Phones and Other Equipment on Board or in Checked Luggage, but Only if Their Lithium Batteries Are Installed in the Items. Spare Batteries Can Only Be Carried if Wrapped in Their Original Packaging or in Separate Plastic Bags.

American Airlines Will Soon Have Three 767-200s in Its Fleet Equipped With Bae Systems Jeteye Anti-missile Systems. The New York Jfk-based Aircraft Which Primarily Operate on the Jfk-lax Route Will Have the Systems Installed Under a Contract With the Us Dept of Homeland Security.

Maintenance, Support & Training

John Holland Achieves Major Regulatory Approvals Melbourne’s John Holland Aviation Services Announced on January 21 That It Has Been Granted the Necessary Regulatory Approvals From Casa, Easa, and Other Authorities to Operate as an Mro.

The Organisation Commenced Operations in June Last Year Following the Acquisition of the Ansett Aviation Engineering Services Business. Regulatory Approvals Have Also Been Granted by the Australian Defence Force Technical Airworthiness Regulator (Adf Tar) and the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (Caas) Line Station Approval (Lsa).

“to Create a World-class Mro Service Provider, We’ve Focused Closely on Training Our People and Implementing Processes,” General Manager Tracy Eiffe Said. “We Will Continue to Be at the Forefront of Skills Training, Especially as a Centre for Aviation Excellence in the Servicing and Maintenance of the New A380s. ” the Company Now Provides Mro Services to the Adf, Virgin Blue, Jetstar, Ozjet, Qantas, Regional Express, Tiger Airways, Skytraders and Skywest.

Queensland Regional Macair Has Announced It Will Establish a New 3000sq M Maintenance Base at Townsville Airport and Hire Up to 16 More Engineering and Support Staff to Accommodate Its Expanded Charter and Rpt Services in Northern Queensland.

Students at South Australian High Schools Will Be Offered a Course in Flight Aerodynamics, Flight Navigation and Flight Safety as Part of a New Pilot Training Program at the Australian Science and Mathematics School (Asms) at Flinders University. The Introduction to Aviation Pathways Program Will Be Conducted at Adelaide Biplanes at Aldinga South of Adelaide, and Will Provide an Accelerated Pathway for Students Wanting to Go on and Attain a Restricted Pilot’s Licence.

Qantas Has Signed an Mou With Mas Aerospace Engineering (Mae) to Establish a Joint Venture Company to Provide Airframe Maintenance Services From Malaysia.

The New Company Will Target the Rapidly Growing Asia-pacific Mro Market and Will Perform Overflow Airframe Maintenance for the Qantas Group.

Air New Zealand Engineering Services Has Signed a Nz$45m (a$40m) Five-year Deal With Virgin Blue to Perform Heavy Maintenance on the Airline’s 737 Fleet, Extending an Arrangement That Has Been in Place for the Past Three Years.

96 Aircraft Maintenance Engineers Graduated From Brisbane’s Aviation Australia Campus in December, Achieving Their Institutional Certificate Iv in Aeroskills (Mechanical, Avionics and Structures). Aviation Australia Says as Many as 40 of the Graduates Have Already Been Offered Employment at Qantas’s Heavy Maintenance Facility at Brisbane Airport.

Interturbine Logistik Gmbh Has Been Appointed by Pilatus Aircraft as an Approved Supplier of Consumable Materials for the Pc-12 Aircraft.

The Us Faa Has Issued a Mandatory Ad for All Us Registered Dhc-4 Caribou Aircraft After Cracks Were Found in an Raaf Caribou Engine Mount During Heavy Maintenance Recently. The Cracks Were Found on Upper Engine Mount Bracket Assemblies on Six of the Raaf’s 14 Aircraft.

Maintenance, Support & Training Briefs

The Toll Dnata Airport Services (Tdas) Joint Venture Has Acquired Skystar’s Airport Handling Operations at Perth and Brisbane Airports, and Aerocare’s International Passenger Handling Operations at Sydney and Adelaide.

Cae Has Announced It Will Establish Its New Airasia Academy, Engineering and Cabin Crew Training Centre at Kuala Lumpur International Airport. The Company Says Kuala Lumpur Will Serve as Cae’s Regional Hub for Mpl and Airbus Oem Training.

Etihad Has Opened a New Aircraft Line-maintenance Facility at Its Home Base of Abu Dhabi Airport in the Uae.

Atc & Airspace

Thales Has Been Selected by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (Caas) to Provide a New Air Traffic Control System Singapore Changi Airport. The Contract, Valued at More Than S$300m, Will Provide a System With New Long Range Radar and Display Systems, and is Due to Enter Service in Two Stages in 2010 and 2012.

Qantas Was Forced to Postpone Three Flights Into Perth Airport on the Night of January 18 After It Was Revealed the Perth Control Tower Would Be Unmanned Due to Staff Shortages. The Flights, Qf583 From Sydney, Qf767 From Brisbane, and Qf573 From Sydney, Were Either Postponed or in the Case of Qf573, Diverted During a Three Hour Period From 11pm to 2am. An Airservices Spokesman Reportedly Said Three or Four Staff Members Had Called in Sick. All Flights Had Arrived by 2. 40am.

People

Thales Australia Has Appointed Chris Jenkins as Its New Managing Director to Replace Norman Gray, Who Has Resigned. Jenkins Was Previously Thales’s Vice President for Operations.

Vale Col Pay the Entire Team at ‘australian Aviation’ Was Very Saddened to Learn of the Death of Legendary Ag Pilot and Warbirder Col Pay.

Col Died on December 7 in an Accident on Lake Liddell in the Nsw Hunter Valley While Test Flying ‘water Scooping Skis’ Fitted to an Air Tractor 802 Fire Bomber. Col Pay Celebrated 50 Years as an Ag Pilot in 2007, and Was Profiled on Page 38 in the November Edition of the Magazine.

‘aa’ Extends Its Condolences to Col’s Family and Many Friends in the Aviation Community.

Jens Goennemann Has Been Announced as the New Ceo of Eurocopter Subsidiary, Australian Aerospace, From January. Goennemann Will Succeed Joseph Saporito Who Took Up the Position in 2002 and Who Will Be Moving to Eurocopter’s Headquarters in Marignane Near Marseilles as Executive Vice President – Commercial Programs.

Singapore Airlines Has Extended the Contract of Ceo Chew Choon Seng From June 2009 to December 2010.

Air New Zealand Has Appointed Stephen Jones as Gm-domestic Airline, and Glen Sowry as Gm-tasman Pacific Airline.

Terry Brown Has Been Appointed Manager Business Development for Asia Pacific Aerospace. Brown Was Previously General Manager Business Development for Boeing Australia.

Sherilyn Robinson Has Been Appointed to the Position of Sales and Marketing Manager, Australia, for Hawaiian Airlines. She Will Commence Work on February 4.

Lars Olofsson Has Been Appointed as General Manager Australia, New Zealand and Pacific for Scandinavian Airlines (Sas), Effective February 11.

Events

Citizens’ Park in Melbourne Will Be the Site of an Event to Celebrate 150 Years of Ballooning in Australia From 6am on February 1. The Event Will Be Held by the Yarra City Council and the Richmond Historical Society and Will Include a Hot Air Balloon Launch, the Unveiling of a Commemorative Plaque, a Free Community Breakfast, and Entertainment.

The 2008 Coffs Harbour Airshow Will Be Held on the Long Weekend of October 4, 5 and 6. The Event is Hosted by the Coffs Harbour and District Aero Club and Will Feature the Raaf Roulettes, Various Warbirds, as Well as Other Aerial and Static Displays.