News Desk

“the Cseries Aircraft Will Benefit From the Latest Technological Advancements, Including Increased Use of Composites and Alumini Um Lithium in Structures; a Next Generation Engine – the Pratt & Whitney Geared Turbofan; and the Very Latest in System Technologies, Such as Fly-by-wire, and Fourth Generation Aerodynamics,” Said Pierre Beaudoin, President and Chief Operating Officer of Bombardier Aerospace.

”together, These Advancements Will Produce Up to 20 Per Cent Better Fuel Burn and Up to 15 Per Cent Improved Cash Operating Costs Versus Current in-production Aircraft of Similar Size. ” the Development Cost of the Aircraft Will Be Us$2. 5bn (a$2. 7bn), Which Will Be Financed by Bombardier and the Canadian and Quebec Provincial Governments.

The Manufacturer is Still Studying Where the Aircraft May Be Assembled. The Company Will Investigate Final Assembly in the Us Due to Currency Considerations, but It Does Favour Keeping Final Assembly at Its Mirabel, Canada Facility.

At the Singapore Airshow, International Lease Finance Corporation Chief Steven Udvar-hazy Said That He Would Be Interested in Buying the Cseries. He Said That the Current Delay by Both Boeing and Airbus in Developing a New Generation Narrowbody Could Open the Window for the Cseries. He Even Went on to Say That Ilfc Could Co-launch the Aircraft With an Airline Customer.

Northwest Airlines Has Previously Expressed Interest in the Type to Replace Its Large Fleet of Ageing Douglas Dc-9s. Lufthansa and Qatar Airways Have Also Expressed Interest in the Cseries and Bombardier Has Already Been in Discussions With These Airlines, With Qatar Already Talking About a Possible Order for 20.

The Cseries Could Also Be Targeted at Qantas, Skywest, Alliance Airlines and National Jet Systems to Replace Fokker 100s, Boeing 717s and Bae-146s Currently in Service at These Airlines.

The Cseries Has Had a Protracted Gestation, With Bombardier Having Previously Deferred a Launch Decision in 2005. If It is Launched This Year, It Would Be Expected to Enter Service in 2013.

Bombardier Sees a Market of Up to 5900 Aircraft in the 110-140 Seat Segment, With a Value of Us$250 Billion (a$271bn). It Hopes That the Cseries Will Be Able to Capture at Least 50 Per Cent of This Market.

No New Development for 777 – Carson

Boeing Commercial Airplanes President Scott Carson Has Told Analysts That the Company is Not Working on Any Major Developments to the 777 to Compete With the A350-1000.

Carson Said in the Briefing on February 6 That the Airframer Was Looking at a “two Tiered” Strategy Against the A350, Which Included the Development of the 310-seat 787-10 and a “refreshed” 777-300er With 350 Seats. This Could Involve Upgrades to the Engines and Airframe.

Carson Said That the Yet-to-be-launched 787-10 “is a Good Product Against the [777]-200, 200er Class Airframe. The 777-300er is a Little Bigger and the 777-200lr Has a Little More Legs So They Could Well Co-exist. That Will Be Part of the Product and Market Studies We Continue to Refine. ” He Went on to Say That Any New Aircraft in the Class of the 777-300er Would Feature an All Composite Airframe Like the 787 but Was at Least 10 Years Away.

A Number of Airlines and Lessors Have Been Pushing Boeing to Develop an All-composite Version of the 777 as a Competitor to the A350-1000. Others Are Also Pushing for a Firm Timetable on the 787-10 Which Has Not Been Launched Yet. Qantas’s John Borghetti Recently Said That the Airline Was Considering Buying A350-1000s if Boeing Does Not Launch the 787-10 Soon.

Boeing to Suspend 787-3? ‘flightblogger’ is Reporting That a Source From Boeing Says That the Airframer is Considering Suspending Design Work on the Shorter Range 787-3 to Focus on Getting the 787-8 and -9 Models Back on Track.

The Source is Quoted as Saying the Development of the -3 Has Been Delayed, as “being Developed Simultaneously With the -9 . . . Was Really Stretching the Company’s Resources. This Will Free Up People to Work on the Much More Popular -9 Variant. ” the 787-3 is a Shorter Range Variant of the -8 Which Was Designed Predominately for the Japanese Domestic Market. The -3 Has Only Been Ordered by Ana and Japan Air Lines With Orders of 30 and 13 for the Type Respectively.

Boeing is Due to Update Customers Soon on the Expected Delivery Dates of 787s in the Next Few Months. The Company Insisted Recently That the Program is on Track to Achieve Its First Flight in July This Year With Deliveries to Start in Early 2009.

Airbus Expects Orders to Slow

Airbus Has Said That After a Stellar Run of Record Orders From 2005-2007 That It Expects Sales to Drop by 50 Per Cent This Year.

“the Years 2005, 2006 and 2007 Were the Peak Years in Terms of Orders and We Now Are Ramping Up Production, as is Boeing. We Would See 2010, 2011 and 2012 as Peak Years in Terms of Production,” Airbus’s Coo Customers John Leahy Said.

Airbus Expects to Book Sales of 100 A350 Xwbs and 30 A380s This Year. Leahy Says That the Manufacturer Has Had Discussions With Singapore Airlines Which Could Result in Orders for Up to 15 More A380s and Additional A350s. Singapore Airlines Currently Has Firm Orders for 20 A350s.

Airbus Says That the Company Expects the A350 to Be on Time. Leahy Says That the Company “learnt Some Lessons From the A380 and 787” and is Confident That the Program Will Not Face Any Delays Which Would Affect Its Entry Into Service.

Separately, Pratt & Whitney is Pushing Airbus to Consider the Engine Alliance Gp7000 to Power the A350-1000, Which Currently Only Has Rolls-royce’s Trent Xwb Engine Available. Airbus Has Been Pushing Ge to Develop a Larger Version of Its Genx Engine as an Alternative for the A350-1000. So Far Though, Ge Has Resisted as the Aircraft Competes With the 777-300er for Which It is the Exclusive Engine Provider With Its Ge90.

Embraer Plans to Deliver Up to 200 Aircraft This Year, Compared to 169 in 2007.

Commercial Briefs

Airbus Has Begun Winding Down Its Fleet of Five Test A380s, With Three Aircraft Scheduled for Refurbishment and Delivery to Customers in the Next Few Years. Airbus Intends to Retain One or Two Aircraft for Ongoing Demonstration and Development Work. All Five Aircraft Will Have Changes Made to Their Wiring Harness System to Harmonise It With Production Aircraft.

Boeing Started Assembly of Its Second 787 Flight Test Aircraft on February 15. The Company Says That There Are Now 21 787s in Various Stages of Production.

Airbus Recorded Sales of 238 Aircraft in January. These Include 210 A320 Family Aircraft, 10 A330s and 18 A350s. The Company Also Delivered 31 A320 Family Aircraft, Five A330s and One A380 in the Same Month.

United Technologies, Parent Company of Hamilton Sundstrand, Has Opened Discussions With Boeing About Payment for Its Completed Work on the 787. The Company Has Spent Over Us$200m (a$221m) on Development Work for the 787.

Singapore Airlines Has Confirmed the Selection of the Rolls-royce Trent 900 to Power Its Follow-on Order for Nine Airbus A380s. The Contract Also Includes a Totalcare Long Term Services Agreement.

Easa Has Approved Airbus’s Cross Crew Qualification (Ccq) Training Program for the A380. This Means That Pilots Familiar With the Cockpits From Other Airbus Models, Including the A320 Family, Can Qualify to Fly the A380 With Only 13 Days of Training. All Airbus Current Production Aircraft Have a Similar Cockpit Layout.

Saab Aircraft Leasing Reported a Strong Year in 2007 With 18 Saab 340s and 2000s Aircraft Placed During the Year.

Rolls-royce Has Announced That It is Establishing Its First University Technology Centre at Pusan National University in Busan, South Korea. The Utc Will Undertake Research and Development Into Heat Exchangers Which May Improve Engine Efficiency.

The Sukhoi Superjet 100 Has Passed Its First Engine Run With the Engine on the Wing. The Ground Test of the Snecma/npo Saturn Sam146 Took Place at Sukhoi’s Novosibirsk Facility on February 20.

Airbus Has Selected Thales Over Honeywell and Rockwell Collins to Supply the Avionics and Navigation Systems for the A350 Under a €2bn (a$2. 9bn) 20-year Contract.

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Has Shipped the First Aft Fuselage Panel for the Boeing 777f Freighter to Everett From the Company’s Hiroshima Machinery Works in Hiroshima Prefecture.

Boeing Has Selected Germany’s Telair International to Provide the Cargo-handling System for the Boeing 747-8f Freighter. Telair Will Provide Systems for the Main Deck and Lower Hold of the 747-8f, as Well as the Lower Hold of the 747-8 Intercontinental Passenger Variant.

Sales Boeing Garuda Indonesia Has Ordered 10 Boeing 777-300ers Which Will Be Delivered From 2010. This Represents a Conversion of an Order From the Early 1990s for Six 777-200s Which Was Never Fulfilled. Lionair Has Ordered an Additional 56 Boeing 737-900ers. This Brings the Total Order for 737s From the Indonesian Carrier to 178, Plus 50 Options.

Continental Airlines Has Ordered Eight Boeing 777-200ers and 19 737-800s. Spain’s Air Europa Has Ordered Eight Boeing 787-8s and Has Taken Purchase Rights on an Additional Eight. The Order Was Placed Last Year and Was Previously Attributed to an Unidentified Customer on Boeing’s 2007 Order Tally. Germany’s Deucalion Capital Vii Ltd Has Ordered Eight Boeing 777f Freighters. The Aircraft Were Previously Ordered by Iceland’s Avion Group but the Order Was Transferred to Deucalion in December Last Year and Appears on Boeing’s 2007 Order Tally.

Embraer Virgin Blue Has Signed a Contract to Exercise Four Purchase Rights for Embraer E-190 Jets and to Convert Another Three E-190 Purchase Rights Into Options. Embraer Has Sold One E-190 to Air Moldova.

Air France Affiliate Regional Has Ordered One Embraer E-190 and One E-170.

Egyptair Has Ordered Six Embraer E-170s. Jetscape, an Aircraft Management and Leasing Company Based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, Has Ordered 10 Embraer E-190s.

Universal Airlines

Airbus Austria’s Niki Has Ordered Nine Airbus A320 Family Airliners.

The Faroe Islands’s Air Atlantic Has Ordered One and Taken an Option on One Airbus A319. Brazil’s Tam Linhas aéreas Has Ordered 22 A350s, Four A330-200s, and 20 A320 Family Airliners. Tam is the Final Customer for the Original Pre-xwb Iteration of the A350 to Re-confirm Their Order for the New Version. Taca Has Ordered 12 Airbus A320s and Three A319s.

Hamburg International Has Ordered Two Airbus A319s.

Taiwan’s China Airlines Has Ordered 14 Airbus A350-900s and Taken Options on a Further Six Aircraft. Korean Air Lines Has Ordered an Additional Three Airbus A380s, on Top of the Five It Ordered in 2003. Kal’s First A380 Will Enter Service in 2010. Firm A380 Orders Now Stand at 192. Latin American Company Synergy Aerospace Has Ordered 10 Airbus A350-800s With Options on a Further 10. Synergy is a Shareholder in Various Airlines in Brazil, Colombia and Ecuador.

Baa Jet Management of Hong Kong Has Ordered One Airbus A350 Prestige Vip Configured Airliner on Behalf of a Private Asian Client. The Aircraft Will Be Operated by Baa.

Us Investment Fund Matlinpatterson Global Advisers Llc Has Ordered Six Airbus A330-200f Freighters. The Aircraft Will Be Leased to Subsidiary Companies Such as Varig Logistica and Global Aero Logistics. Bank of China Aviation (Formerly Sale) Has Ordered Five A330 Freighters.

Atr Air Vanuatu Has Ordered One Atr 72-500. Air Tahiti Also Ordered One Atr 72-500. Both Aircraft Will Be Equipped for 120 Minute Etops.

Lao Airlines Has Ordered One Atr 72-500. Finland’s Finncomm Airlines Has Converted Options It Was Holding for Five Atr 72-500s Into Firm Orders.

Military Terms of Reference for Air Combat Review Released Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon Released an Outline on February 19 of How the New Government’s Long Awaited Anticipated Air Combat Review Will Be Structured.

The Review Will Be Conducted in Two Parts. The First Will Assess Australia’s Air Combat Capability Requirements Between 2010 and 2015. It Will Comprise a Review of the Decision to Retire the F-111c From 2010 and Compare the Options for Replacing the F-111c and Review the Decision to Acquire the ‘bridging’ F/a-18f Super Hornet Capability.

The Second Part of the Review Has a Longer Term Focus and Will Consider Trends in the Asia Pacific Region Out to 2045. This Will Review the Capabilities of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Against Other Fifth Generation Combat Aircraft, and Will Include a Re-examination of the Case for Acquiring F-22a Raptors. Public Submissions Will Be Considered in This Part of the Review, With the Deadline for Submissions Being March 28.

The Committee Will Then Present a Full and Classified Report to the Defence Minister No Later Than April 30. An Unclassified Executive Summary of the Report Will Be Released to the Public After It Has Been Considered by the Government.

The Review is to Be Led by Neil Orme From the Department of Defence. The Steering Group Which Will Oversee the Review Will Be Comprised of Officials From the Treasury, Finance, Prime Minister and Cabinet Departments, and Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Geoff Shepherd and Defence Capability Executive Head Vice Admiral Matt Tripovich From the Adf.

Air Force Chief Air Marshal Geoff Shepherd Was Philosophical About the Review’s Outcome, Telling the Global Air Power Conference in Singapore on February 18, “i Am Confident That These Rational Men in Power Will Take a Rational Decision. We Are Confident That Will Be the Case When the Facts Are Put to Them. ” Australia Will Face at Least a a$400 Million Bill if It Cancels the Super Hornet Order. However, “if the Advice Comes to Me From the Review That the Super Hornet is Not Up to the Job, I Would Have No Hesitation in Cancelling It,” Fitzgibbon Told Fairfax Radio Network on February 19. “It is True There Would Be Enormous Financial Penalties . . . If We Were to Cancel That Project. ” Fabrication Work Commenced on Structural Components for the First Raaf F/a-18f at Gkn’s New York Facility Earlier This Month.

Australia to Request Permission to Request F-22 Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon Has Confirmed He Will Write to the Us Government and Congress Asking to Remove Restrictions on the Export of the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor Fighter, Allowing It to Be Considered as an Option in Australia’s Air Combat Review.

Minister Fitzgibbon Said on February 23 During Us Defense Secretary Robert Gates’s Visit to Canberra That He Would Write to the Us Congressman Who’s Amendments to Budget Bills Blocks the Export of the F-22.

Representative Dave “obey’s Amendment Expressly Prohibits the Us Department of Defense From ‘approving or Licensing’ the Raptor for Export, and Has Been Retained in All Subsequent Us Defense Budgets Up to and Including the Current Fiscal Year 2009 Proposed Budget,” Reports Today’s Edition of Weekly Diar. Com E-newsletter.

“the Australian Government Doesn’t Have Any View About Whether the F-22 Should Be or Should Not Be Part of the Mix,” Fitzgibbon Told Journalists. “but We Do Want the Opportunity to Consider the F-22 in the Air Combat Capability Review. ” Secretary Gates Told Journalists That the Us Had No Objection in Principle to Australia Buying the F-22, but He Was Unsure How Such a Sale Could Be Cleared.

“Because We Have Not Had the Ability to Sell the F-22, to Be Honest I Haven’t Delved Into All the Reasons for That – What the Complications Would Be, the Questions About Whether a New Design Would Be Required for Export,” Secretary Gates Told Journalists During His Australian Visit.

However, “I Would Have to Say, Quite Honestly, I Am Not Optimistic About That Prospect,” Gates Told Sky News in an Interview.

Last Week Chief of Defence Force Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston Told a Senate Estimates Hearing That He Believed the Government Was Considering the F-22 as a Replacement for the Current Order for 24 F/a-18f Super Hornets, Rather Than to Supplement or Replace the Planned F-35 Jsf Buy.

“It Comes Back to the Question of Whether You Go for One Multirole Platform to Satisfy All Your Needs, or Whether You Go for a Mix,” Acm Houston Told Senate Estimates on February 20. “if We Bought Some F-22s, We’d Probably End Up With Some F-35s. I Guess That’s What the New Government Wants Us to Have a Look at. I Think Nobody is Suggesting F-22 or F-35. ” Nonetheless, Acm Houston Said “There is 100 Per Cent Support for the Super Hornet in the Defence Force at the Moment. ” New White Paper Commissioned Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon Announced on February 22 That He is Commissioning a New Defence White Paper Which Will Be Accompanied by a Number of Other Reviews.

“the White Paper is a Vital Planning Document That Will Form the Foundation of Our Future Defence Capabilities,” Said Minister Fitzgibbon. “the White Paper Will Help the Government Make Fully Informed and Cost Effective Decisions About the Military Capabilities We Need to Defend Australia and to Promote Our Interests.

The Paper Will Be Produced by the Department of Defence and Headed by Michael Pezzullo, the Current Deputy Secretary Strategy, Coordination and Governance. Pezzullo Assumed the Role of Principal Author of the Paper From February 25.

The Minister Has Also Appointed a Ministerial Advisory Panel, Whose Members Include Professor Ross Babbage, Currently an External Strategic Affairs Consultant, Major General Peter Abigail (Retd) and Dr Mark Thomson.

The Public Will Be Invited to Make Comment About the White Paper at a Later Date. Minister Fitzgibbon Said That More Details About a Community Consultative Panel and the Submissions Process Will Be Announced in the Future.

It is Widely Expected That the White Paper Will Draw on the Government’s Recently Announced Air Combat Review (See Above) as Part of the Drafting Process.

Chinooks Back to Afghanistan a Detachment of Personnel and Two Ch-47d Chinooks From Army’s C Sqn Have Been Officially Farewelled as They Prepare to Deploy Back to Afghanistan to Support Australian and Nato Forces There.

The Deployment is Returning to Afghanistan After an Eight Month Layoff During Which Time the Aircraft Received a Major Servicing and Engine Upgrades, and the Unit’s Personnel Were Able to Rest and Reconstitute.

The Detachment Will Be Based in the Southern Province of Kandahar and Will Be Engaged in Troop Transport, Heavy Lift Support and Medical Evacuation Work.

Boeing Awarded Epx Contract Boeing Will Refine Its Concept for the Epx Airborne Intelligence Aircraft to Replace the Us Navy’s Fleet of Ep-3e Aeries Signals Intelligence (Sigint) Aircraft Under a Newly Awarded Us Navy Contract.

Just as the Ep-3e is a Development of the P-3c Orion, Boeing’s Proposal is Likely to Be Based on the Orion’s Successor, the 737-800 Airliner Based P-8a Poseidon.

Formal Proposals for the Epx Are Expected to Be Released in 2010, With Selection of the Successful Platform Expected a Year or Two After This. Following a System Design and Development Program, Service Entry for Up to 40 Epx Aircraft Should Follow in 2017.

Jsf Alternate Engine Cancelled for Third Year Running for the Third Year Running, the Pentagon Has Omitted Funding for the Ge/rolls-royce F136 Alternate Engine for the F-35 Jsf Program From Its Budget.

The F136, the Alternate Engine to Pratt & Whitney’s F135 for the F-35, Has Been Cancelled by the Pentagon Two Times Previously, Only for Funding to Be Reinstated by Congress.

The F136 Was Planned to Offer a Competitor to the F135 So as to Provide Prospective Operators With a Competitive Tender Process for Aircraft Build Lots, as Well as a Hedge Against a Design Flaw With One of the Engines Which May Result in a Fleet-wide Grounding. The Usaf Was Hurt by a Series of Engine Failures With Its P&w F100 Engines Fitted to Early F-15s and F-16s in the 1970s Resulting in Several Aircraft Losses. The Problems With the F100 Were Finally Being Overcome When the Rival Ge F110 Was Funded for the Later Build F-16c/d.

Proponents of the F136 Point Out That, Because the F135 is Further Along Its Development Path, It Will Be Less Adaptable for Later Developments of the F-35 Should That Aircraft’s Capability Be Increased or Its Designed Weight Blow Out, Particularly in the F-35b Stovl Version. They Say the F136 is a More Advanced Design With Better Airflow Characteristics, and Uses Superior Materials. With the Uk a Major Partner in the Jsf Program and Likely to Order a Rolls-royce Powered Variant to Support Its Own Industrial Base, There Are Also Political Issues at Stake.

While Development of a Second Engine is Initially More Costly, About Us$1. 5bn (a$1. 7bn), It is Envisaged That Longer Term Savings Will Be Realised Over the Life of the Program Through Competitive Tendering Between the Two Engine Teams for Work.

Initial Kc-30b Flight

Tests Complete

Eads Says It Has Completed the First Phase of Flight Testing of the First Airbus A330 Based Kc-30b Tanker Transport.

The Aircraft Has Completed 63 Flights in the Past Three Months for a Total of 202 Flight Hours. Eads Says the Aircraft Was Despatched on All Flights With 100 Per Cent Reliability, and That the Flight Test Campaign Met All Test Objectives. The Aircraft Has Displayed No Adverse Buffet, Flutter or Aerodynamic Effects From the Modifications Made to the Aircraft Which Include the Wing Refuelling Pods, Centreline Arbs Boom, and a Plethora of Antennae and Other Discreet Additions to the Fuselage. Raaf Crews Based With the Program Office Near Madrid Participated in Elements of the Flight Test Program.

The Aircraft is Due to Be Delivered to the Raaf Next March.

Meanwhile, the Raaf is Planning a Farewell Function for All Current and Former Personnel Who Have Had an Association With the Boeing 707 Transport for June 28. The Raaf’s Last Operational 707, A20-624 ‘richmond Town’, Will Be Retired at Raaf Base Richmond on June 30, Ending the Type’s 29 Year Service History. For More Details on the ‘end of an Era’ Function Visit Www. Defence. Gov. Au/raaf/b707farewell

C-5 Re-engine Program Scaled Back

the Usaf Program to Re-engine Its Fleet of C-5a/b Galaxy Transports Has Been Scaled Back by More Than 50 Per Cent Due to Cost and Schedule Overruns.

The C-5 Reliability Enhancement and Re-engining Program (Rerp) Was to Have Comprised 115 C-5as and C-5bs, However Now Only 52 C-5bs Which Are Between 15 and 20 Years Younger Than the a Models Will Be Upgraded, While the a Models Will Be Retired to the Amarc ‘boneyard’ in Arizona. The Scale Back Will Save the Usaf About Us$10bn (a$11bn).

Under the Rerp Upgrade the C-5b’s Ge Tf39 Engines Will Be Replaced With More Powerful and Economical Ge Cf6-80c2s (Designated F138-100 in Military Service), and Fitted With New Digital Cockpit Avionics.

The Reduction of 60 Airframes From the Upgrade Program Opens the Door for the Boeing C-17 Line to Receive Additional Orders to Make Up the Expected Shortfall in Strategic Airlift.

Boeing & Agustawestland Team Up for Hats Boeing Australia and Agustawestland Signed an Mou at the Singapore Airshow to Jointly Propose the Aw109 Luh to the Adf for Its Air 9000 Phase 7 Helicopter Aircrew Training System (Hats).

“as the Most Advanced Military Light Twin Helicopter for Both Basic and Advanced Training Purposes, the High Performance Fully Equipped Shippable Aw109 Luh Covers a Large Number of Land Based as Well as Sea Based Operational Applications, So Favouring an Effective Operational Conversion Training for Aircrew Transitioning to Other Operational Helicopter Systems,” Said Agustawestland International Business Unit Senior Vice President Giacomo Saponaro During the Mou Signing Ceremony on February 21.

“it’s About Changing the Shape of Rotary Wing Training in Australia,” Boeing Australia President David Withers Told ‘aa’ at Singapore. “Together With Agustawestland’s Rotorcraft Design and Manufacturing Expertise, and Boeing Australia’s Extensive Services Capabilities, We Offer a Highly Successful, Low Risk Solution for the Air 9000 Phase 7 Program. ” Another Likely Hats Contender is Eurocopter’s Ec 635 (a Militarised Ec 135).

An Rft for Hats Will Be Issued Late This Year With a First Pass Approval on the Chosen Solution Expected During the Last Quarter of 2009.

Seasprite Won’t Enter Service Until 2011 at Best the Adf Has Confirmed That, Even if It Survives a Review Currently Being Undertaken by Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon, Navy’s Troubled Seasprite Helicopter Will Not Enter Service Until 2011 at the Earliest, and Could Slip Further if Technical Problems Persist.

“we Fully Expect That When We Get the Aircraft Flying, Given Our History to This Point, We Will Probably Identify Additional Issues With That Tactical System Which Will Require Rectification,” Major General Tony Fraser Said Appearing Before the Senate Estimates Committee. “so That Drives a Schedule Issue as to How Long It May Take Us, and Our Expectation as to How Long It May Take Us to Bring Our Aircraft Into Service. ” Minister Fitzgibbon Has Previously Said That He Does Not Believe That the Program “has Ever Been Viable,” Leading to Strong Speculation That the Project May Be Cancelled and a New Tender for Naval Helicopters Be Called. Seasprite Faces Axe…again Word Out of Last Week’s Pac 08 Naval Exposition and Sea Power Conference in Sydney Suggests the Navy’s Ailing Seasprite Program is Again Facing the Axe, This Time One Wielded by New Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon.

The Minister Identified Seasprite as One of Two Examples of Troubled Programs Currently Under Review During a January 29 Media Doorstop. Industry Officials Later Confirmed That Both Sikorsky and Eurocopter Were Asked in Mid January to Prepare Proposals for 27 Helicopters to Replace the Seasprite, as Well as the Navy’s Seahawk Under Air 9000 Phase 8. A Decision on Whether to Perform a Mid-life Upgrade or Replace the Seahawks Was Due This Year.

Sikorsky Has Proposed a Mixed Fleet of Proven Mh-60r ‘romeo’ Asw/asuw and Mh-60s ‘sierra’ Transport Helicopters Based on the Proven Seahawk and Black Hawk Airframes Respectively but With Advanced Lockheed Martin Cockpits and Upgraded Engines and Drive Trains. Both Types Are in Service With the Us Navy. The Fact That the Sierras Have Been Proposed Suggests Navy’s Mrh-90s, Themselves Intended to Replace the Sea King From 2010, May Subsequently Be Returned to Army.

Eurocopter, Despite Having the Advantage of Incumbency With the Similar Mrh-90 Helicopter Entering Service With Both Army and Navy, May Ultimately Be at a Disadvantage Due to the Timing of the Rfp, as It May Not Be Able to Offer an Operational Naval Nfh-90 Capability in the Relatively Short Time Frame Required Due to Extensive Delays in Getting That Program Going in Europe.

Eleven Seasprites Were Acquired in 1997 to Equip the Ran’s Anzac Class Frigates, and Were Due to Have Entered Service by 2001; However Ongoing Certification Issues Have Seen the Aircraft Grounded Since 2006. A Remediation Program Proposed by Prime Contractor Kaman Last Year Would See These Aircraft Enter Service in 2011 at the Earliest, and Not Achieve a Full Operational Capability Until 2014.

Raaf Kc-30b in Tanker Tests the Raaf’s First Kc-30b Tanker Has Successfully Completed Initial Proximity Testing With Its Wing-mounted Hose and Drogue Refuelling Pods.

The Aircraft Deployed Both Hose Reels to Various Lengths to 27. 4m and at Different Altitudes From 10,000 to 35,000ft, and Each Time the Drogue Baskets Were Closed on by a Spanish Air Force Ef-18b Hornet. Contact Was Not Made During the First Test.

During the Same Flight, the Kc-30b Itself Also Closed on Eads’s A310 Advanced Refuelling Boom System (Arbs) Testbed to Test the Compatibility of the Boom With a Large Receiver Aircraft, but Again, No Contact Was Made.

The First Contacts Are Due to Be Performed Next Month, While the First Transfers or Fuel With Both Probe and Hose-and-drogue Equipped Receivers Will Commence Soon After.

Military Briefs

The Raaf’s Ap-3c Orion Detachment Based in the Middle East Logged Five Years of Continuous Deployment to the Area on January 28. Two Ap-3cs From 10 or 11sqns Based at Raaf Edinburgh Have Been Continuously Deployed in the Region, Logging More Than 12,000 Hours Flight Time. The Aircraft Have Been Engages in Maritime Surveillance, Overland Reconnaissance, Electronic and Signals Intelligence, and Oil Terminal Protection Work. Raytheon Australia Has Subcontracted Australian Company Micreo to Provide Components for the Alr-67(V)3 Radar Warning Receiver (Rwr). The Alr-67(V)3 is Standard Fit on All Usn and Raaf Super Hornets, as Well as a Retro-fit Option for ‘classic’ F/a-18a-d Hornets. The Raaf is Installing the System on Its F/a-18a/bs Under Phase 2. 3 of the Air 5376 Hornet Upgrade Program (Hug).

Hamilton Sundstrand Has Successfully Completed a Second Round Test of a 150lb Thrust (0. 7kn) Engine for the Planned 550km Range Jsow-er. Captive Air Carriage Tests Are Planned for Later This Year, While a Free Flight is Scheduled for 2009. The Raaf Has Ordered the Un-powered Agm-154 Jsow-c for Its F/a-18f Super Hornets.

The Pentagon Has Failed to Provide Any Funding for the Closure or Extension of the Usaf’s F-22 and C-17 Production Lines in Its Fy09 Budget Submissions, Thus Pushing Any Decision on the Future of These Programs Into the Next Presidential Administration.

India Has Signed an Loa With the Us Government for Six Lockheed Martin C-130j-30 Transports and Six Options.

France Has Signed an Fms Deal With the Us Army for the Lockheed Martin Hellfire Ii Air-to-surface Missile for Its Tiger Had Attack Helicopters.

Boeing Says It Has Successfully Tested and Handed Over the First of Six Wideband Global Satellite Communication (Wgs) Satellites to the Pentagon. Wgs-1 Was Launched Last November, and is the Us’s Highest Capacity Communications Satellite Offering a Quantum Leap in Communications Bandwidth. Australia is a Partner in the Wgs Program Under Joint Project 2008 Phase 4. In Return for Funding the Sixth Wgs Satellite, the Adf Will Also Gain Access to the Other Five as Part of Its Global Networked Communications Capabilities.

The Raaf’s Third C-17a Globemaster Iii Airlifter Arrived at Its Home Base at Raaf Amberley on February 11. The Aircraft Was Handed Over in December and Received a Final Electronic Warfare Equipment Fit-out Before the Journey Home.

Army’s Boeing/insitu Scan Eagle Uav Capability Recently Logged Its 10,000th Operational Hour, Just 14 Months After Entering Service in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The Us’s Composite Engineering Has Announced a Successful Test Flight of Its Bqm-167x Supersonic Aerial Target System at the Us Navy’s Pt Mugu Range Northwest of Los Angeles.

The Usn’s Fleet of T-45 Goshawk Trainers Has Logged 800,000 Hours of Service. Adapted From Bae’s Hawk Trainer for Carrier Operations, the First T-45a Entered Service in 1993, and the Aircraft is Still in Limited Production With Boeing.

The First Us Air Force Has Lost Its First Us$1 Billion Plus B-2a Spirit Bomber in an Accident. One of Four B-2s Deployed to Guam’s Andersen Air Force Base as Part of the Us Pacific Command’s Continuous Bomber Presence There Crashed on Takeoff on February 23. The Two Pilots, From the Whiteman Afb’s 509th Bomb Wing, Ejected Safely.

Pilatus Has Flown the First Pc-21 Trainer for Singapore From Its Facility in Switzerland. The Pc-21 Will Be Delivered for the Republic of Singapore Air Force’s Basic Wings Course Which is Being Run by Lockheed Martin. Nineteen Pc-21s Will Be Based at Raaf Pearce Near Perth in Western Australia.

Northrop Grumman Has Unveiled a New Aesa Radar for Retrofit to F-16s and Other Military Aircraft. The Scalable Agile Beam Radar (Sabr) is Designed to Provide High Resolution Synthetic Aperture Imagery and Will Be Interoperable With Current Air-to-air and Air-to-ground Weapons.

Following a 15 Month Delay Attributed to Certification Issues, Boeing Has Delivered the First Kc-767 to Itochu Corp Which Will Then Be Leased to the Japanese Air Self Defence Force. The Jasdf Has Ordered Four Kc-767s.

The Usaf Has Returned the Last of Its F-15 Eagles Back to Full Flight Duties After a Number Were Grounded Due to Cracking in the Aircraft’s Longerons. Nine Aircraft With Longeron Cracks Remain Grounded and Will Either Be Retired or Have the Cracked Structures Replaced.

The Us Navy Has Announced That It Will Integrate the Northrop Grumman Mq-8b Fire Scout Uav on to Another Ship Platform Before Putting It Aboard the Littoral Combat Ships (Lcs).

The Raaf Has Commenced Its First Air Combat Officer (Aco) Course and Has Begun the Transition From the School of Air Navigation (San) to the School of Air Warfare (Saw). The Changes Will Take Into Account the Raaf’s Future Manning and Skills Requirements.

The First Boeing Australia Modified Wedgetail Aew&c Made Its First Post Modification Flight From Amberley on January 23. It Undertook a Series of Functional Tests to Verify the Airworthiness of Its Systems and Structures. The Aircraft is the Third Wedgetail to Fly, and Will Join the Us Based Test Program Before Being Delivered to the Raaf in Late 2009.

The Adf Employed Two C-130 Hercules Transports and Two Black Hawk Helicopters in Flood Hit Areas of Queensland in Late January to Assist With Relief Efforts in Areas Where Roads Had Been Cut or Damaged by the Flood Waters. The ‘northern Territory News’ Reports That a Mob of Wallabies Trapped Within the Boundaries of Raaf Base Tindal Near Katherine by a New Fence Has Forced the Raaf to Suspend Night Operations at the Base. The Suspension Comes After an Nt Health King Air Was Damaged on Landing After Hitting a Wallaby on the Runway at Tindal. The Base is Home to 75sqn and Its 16 F/a-18 Hornets.

Australian Customs Has Reportedly Selected Israeli Aircraft Industries (Iai) Division Malat to Provide a Heron 1 Uav for a Border Protection Trial Over the Northwest Western Australia Coast in April.

The Finnish Air Force Has Selected the Northrop Grumman Litening at Targeting Pod to Equip Its Fleet of F/a-18c/ds. The Litening at is in Service With a Portion of the Raaf’s F/a-18a/b Fleet.

Boeing Has Been Awarded a Us$73. 7m Contract for the System Design and Development (Sdd) for the Harpoon Block Iii Missile. The Block Iii Adds a Datalink to the Missile’s Gps Guidance Unit for Inflight Re-targeting.

South Korea is Reportedly Close to Confirming an Option to Acquire an Additional 21 Boeing F-15k Fighters as a Follow on Order to the 40 It Ordered in 2002.

The Uk’s Plan to Lease a Fleet of A330 Based Air Refuelling Tankers Under a Private Finance Initiative (Pfi) for the Raf Has Faltered Following the Credit Market Squeeze on Global Markets. A New Plan Has Been Proposed to Finance the Deal Through a Combination of Bank Debt and a Bond Issue.

Boeing and Lockheed Martin Have Announced They Will Team Together to Perform Studies and Develop Proposals for the Usaf’s Next Generation Bomber Program.

Rolls-royce and Turbomeca Have Extended Their Long Running Joint Venture to Build and Support the Adour Jet Engine for a Further 30 Years. The Adour is Used on Jaguar Strike Aircraft and Hawk Advanced Trainers and Has Been Chosen to Power Two European Ucav Development Programs, the Neuron and the Taranis.

Poland Has Grounded Its Fleet of 10 Eads Casa C-295 Transports Following the Crash of One of Its Aircraft on January 23 Which Resulted in the Death of 20 Passengers and Crew.

Airlines

Qantas Reports Record Profit Qantas Has Recorded Its Strongest Ever Half Year Net Profit of $618 Million and Has Shrugged Off Concerns About Excess Capacity Hurting Yields in the Second Half.

The Qantas Group Recorded Revenue of $8. 1 Billion for the Half With Profit Before Tax of $905 Million. The Increased Profit Was Driven by a 2. 2 Per Cent Increase in Yield and an Increase of 1. 8 Points Cent Increase in Load Factor to 82. 1 Per Cent.

Qantas Brands, the Segment Including Qantas Airways, Qantaslink and Qantas Defence Services, Recorded a Profit Before Tax (Pbt) of $830 Million, of Which Qds and Other Associate Companies Contributed $24 Million.

Jetstar, Whose Reports Included Contributions From Jetstar Asia, Pacific Airlines and Express Ground Handling, Recorded a Pbt for the Half of $113 Million, Up Significantly From Last Year’s Result of $25 Million. Load Factor for the Low Cost Carrier Was Down Slightly to 78. 6 Per Cent While Yield Reduced by 5. 6 Per Cent.

Qantas Freight Reported a Slightly Lower Profit of $53. 3 Million. This Was Attributed to the Entry of Toll Into the Domestic Night Freight Market.

Qantas Also Reported Its Loyalty Unit, Which Operates the Frequent Flyer Program, Produced a Profit of $62 Million on Revenue of $399 Million.

Ceo Geoff Dixon Talked Up the Prospects of Frequent Flyer, Saying, “it Has a Wide Network of Partners, More Than Five Million Members, and Attractive Redemptions. It Also Generates 60 Per Cent of Its Revenue Outside Qantas and Has Excellent Growth Prospects.

“it Will Be in a Position to Launch an Enhanced Program Mid This Year Including the Use of Points for Any Seat on Qantas and Jetstar, and Merchandise and Shopping Vouchers.

“we Will, if We Believe Such a Move Would Add Significant Value and Shareholders Agree, Be in a Position to Implement a New Ownership Structure for Qff by Late 2008. ” in Its Outlook for the Next Half, Qantas Was More Upbeat Than Its Rival Virgin Blue’s Assessment of the Domestic Market. Qantas Says That It Sees Strong Demand in the Australian and Most Other International Markets. The Carrier is Expecting the Full Year Profit to Increase by 40 Per Cent Compared to the Previous Year.

Qantas Chief Financial Officer Peter Gregg Also Highlighted the Airline’s Favourable Fuel Hedging Position for the Next Half, Saying, “we Have About 94 Per Cent of This Year’s Fuel Hedged at $74 a Barrel to June, With 25 Per Cent of Next Year’s Fuel Hedged at $82. ” Qantas Also Announced a Merging of Its Holidays and Business Travel Businesses With Jetset Travelworld. The Merger, Which Will Involve a Share Transfer, Will Result in Qantas Gaining a 58 Per Cent Interest in Jetset Travelworld, Which Will Remain Listed Separately and Will Continue to Trade Under Their Respective Brands. The Transaction is Likely to Be Completed by April.

Virgin Blue Profit Down, Expects Tough Second Half Virgin Blue Has Announced That Its First Half Profit for the 2007/08 Financial Year is Down 8. 8 Per Cent and That It Expects a Further Fall in the Second Half of the Year.

Virgin Recorded a Net Profit of $113. 3 Million, Down on the Previous Year’s Profit of $124. 3 Million. The Result Was Dragged Down by Costs for New Initiatives and the Increased Price of Fuel. Revenue for the Half Was Up by 8. 1 Per Cent to $1. 2 Billion.

“the Result Was Achieved Against a Backdrop of Record Fuel Costs, Aggressive Competition and a Period in Which We Continued to Invest in Major Initiatives to Add Long Term Future Value,” Said Chief Executive Brett Godfrey.

Virgin Also Said in a Statement to the Australian Securities Exchange That It Expects the Second Half Profit to Be Lower, Mostly Due to High Fuel Prices and Overcapacity in the Australian Market, Which Would Put Pressure on Yields. Costs Associated With the Expansion of Pacific Blue’s Domestic New Zealand Operation to Regional Ports Will Also Bear on Results in the Next Half.

Virgin Blue Used the Profit Announcement to Make a Number of Announcements, Including the Launch of Its Premium Economy Seats Which Went on Sale on February 20.

The Airline Also Announced That It Has Signed an Interline Deal With Thai Airways. Virgin Blue Also Has Other Interline Agreements With Vietnam Airlines and Aerolineas Argentinas.

Virgin Will Also Be Revealing the Product and Selling First Tickets for Its V Australia Services to the United States in March. V Australia is Planning to Launch Flights to the United States With 10 Services Per Week From Later This Year.

The Carrier Also Announced That It Has Ordered an Additional Four Embraer 190s and Placed Options on Another Three Aircraft. “our First Three Embraer 170 Jets Are Now in Service in Australia, and Most Recently We Introduced the Aircraft to the Key Sydney-canberra Route Linking Our Major Gateway City to the National Capital. The Aircraft is Proving Very Popular With Our Guests and Team, and is Quickly Attracting a Growing Australian Fan Base. ” Virgin Also Said That It is Reviewing Ways to Increase Shareholder Value and That the Board Had Engaged Goldman Sachs Jb Were to Advise It. This Could Lead to a Partial Sale of the Velocity Rewards Program and Other Non-core Areas of the Business in Time.

Rex and Qantaslink

Announce More Suspensions & Delays Both Qantaslink and Regional Express Have Announced Further Changes to Their Schedules as a Result of the Current Pilot Shortage.

Rex Announced on February 8 That It Will Suspend Melbourne-griffith Services Effective February 25, Postpone the Reintroduction of Maryborough-brisbane Flights From March 16 to September “at the Earliest” and Delay Sydney-cooma Services by a Few Weeks From May 19 to June 6.

Qantaslink Announced That There Would Be Some Changes. It Also Announced That It is Temporarily Suspending All Flights to and From Newcastle

“no Airline in the World Can Withstand a 60 Per Cent Annual Attrition Rate of Its Pilot Strength Without Catastrophic Damage and the Fact That We Have Only Suspended Six Per Cent of Our Services is a Testimony to the Dedication and Sacrifices of Our Staff and the Rapidity of Management’s Response to This Severe Crisis,” Rex Chief Pilot Chris Hine Said in a Statement.

Australia-us Open Skies Set to Propel V Australia

the Governments of Australia and the United States Struck an Open Skies Agreement on February 14, Paving the Way for Virgin Blue’s V Australia Subsidiary to Start Services Later This Year.

The Agreement Will Remove Restrictions on Capacity, Frequency, Pricing and Which Cities the Airlines From Each Country Can Fly to. It is Also Likely to Increase Cooperative Marketing and Codesharing Between Australian and Us Airlines.

“the United States is Australia’s Third Largest Aviation Market and This Agreement Removes Restrictions on Australian and Us Airlines Starting Services and Routes Between the Two Countries and Beyond to Third Countries,” Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Anthony Albanese Said in Announcing the New Agreement on February 15. “the New Agreement Will Provide Great Opportunities for Increasing Trade and Commercial Links Between Australia and the United States. ” the New Agreement Has Removed the Biggest Hurdle for the Launch of V Australia Later This Year. The New Airline Plans to Fly 10 Times Weekly Across the Pacific Later This Year With a Fleet of Boeing 777-300ers.

“this is Tremendously Exciting for Our Team and Opens a Whole New Range of Possibilities for Us and for the Travelling Public,” Said Virgin Blue Ceo Brett Godfrey.

“After Eight Years We Believe We’ve Proven Our Ability Through Virgin Blue to Stimulate Change and Innovation to the Benefit of Air Travellers, Tourism and the Economy and V Australia Will Again Be a Catalyst for Change, This Time in the Arena of International Long Haul Aviation. ” Qantas Also Welcomed the Agreement. “It Brings New Opportunities for Growth and Competition,” Chief Executive Geoff Dixon Said. “importantly, It Will Assist the Further Development of Australia’s Aviation Industry, as Well as Help Increase Trade and Tourism With a Major Economic Partner. ” Qantas Stands to Benefit From the Agreement by Being Able to Increase the Number of Cities It Serves Both Directly and via Codeshare Partners. It Will Also Open the Way for Its Subsidiary Jetstar to Increase Services to Hawaii and Serve Other Destinations in the United States.

The New Agreement Could Also Open the Way for More Direct Services From Other Us Airlines, Such as Continental, Delta and Northwest.

Singapore Airlines, Which Has Been Trying to Get Access to the Pacific Route for Some Years, Dismissed the New Agreement as Being Anti-competitive. Sia Spokesperson Stephen Forshaw Told the Abc, “the Australia-us Route is Already Under-served. There’s a Lot of Demand That Can’t Be Met and as a Result, Airfares Are Far Higher Than They Should Be. ” He Also Said That the Airline Would Continue to Lobby the Current Australian Government for Access to the Route. “we’re Not Giving Up, We’re Not Going Away. ”

Aust Pilots Caught Up in Hong Kong Airlines Management Turmoil a Group of 11 Australian Pilots Has Been Sacked From Hong Kong Airlines as the Loss Making Carrier Grapples With Its Merger With Hong Kong Express.

Rodney Sundstrom, One of the First Officers Who Has Been Stood Down From the Company, Says That They Were Terminated After Two of the Management Pilots Who Had Hired the Group of Australian Pilots Were Sacked and Another Stood Down. It is Claimed That the New Management Which Was Brought in Then Hired Another Group of Local Pilots to Take the Place of the Expatriates.

The Airline’s Chief Executive, David Lui, is Quoted in the ‘south China Morning Post’ as Saying That the Pilots Did Not Have Suitable Experience. “we Still Want to Speed Up Our Growth, and Laying Off Less Suitable Pilots is One of the Steps to Take,” He Said.

Sundstrom Disputes This Reasoning, Claiming That a Number of the Sacked Pilots Had Over 4000 Flying Hours Including Over 500 Hours on Turbine Aircraft. “within the Group Was an Ex Qantas 747-400 Second Officer, a Bbj First Officer With 2500hrs on Type, a Couple of Bizjet Drivers, Q400 First Officers, Two Dornier 328 Captains and the Rest Were Metro, Dash 8, King Air and Conquest Drivers. Hong Kong Airlines Kept Other Fos With Similar and in Some Cases Less Time Than What We Had. ” Hong Kong Airlines and Hong Kong Express Have Recently Agreed to Merge Parts of Their Operations. Both Airlines (Profiled in the Current Edition of ‘australian Aviation’) Are Part Owned by China’s Hna Group, Which Also Owns Hainan Airlines.

Jetstar Launches Baggage Free Fares

Jetstar Has Launched a New Fare Product Called ‘jetsaver Light’, Which Will Offer the Lowest Fares for Passengers Only Carrying Hand Luggage.

Jetstar’s Ceo Alan Joyce Launched the New Product on February 12 at the ‘business 3000′ Conference. “many of Our Customers Want the Choice to Travel for Leisure or Work With No Checked-in Baggage, and as Our Airline Achieves Real Cost Savings Through This Decision, We Believe a Lower Air Fare Should Be Passed Back as the Trade-off,” He Said.

‘jetsaver Light’ Fares Will Have a $10 Discount for Domestic Flights and a $20 Discount for International Flights Compared to the Available ‘jetsaver’ Fare. The Fare Will Initially Only Be Available to Australia and New Zealand Point of Sale Customers and Will Not Be Available on Flights to Japan and the United States.

To Celebrate the Launch, Jetstar Offered 10,000 Seats at One Cent on Routes Including Sydney-avalon, Brisbane-newcastle and Melbourne-hobart. This Sale Spurred Tiger Into Launching a 100,000 Seat Sale Across Most of Its Network for $9. 95, “including Baggage. ” Jetstar’s Jetsaver Light Represents the First Step of an Australian Carrier to ‘unbundle’ Its Product. Ryanair and Other European Low Cost Carriers Already Charging for Checked Baggage and Using Check-in.

Virgin Blue Calls for Flexibility in Sydney’s Curfew Virgin Blue Ceo Brett Godfrey Has Criticised the Way the 11. 00pm Curfew at Sydney Airport is Enforced After Virgin and a Number of Other Airlines Were Forced to Cancel Flights Due to Storms at the Airport on February 6.

Virgin Blue Cancelled a Number of Flights as a Result of the Storms, Leaving About 600 Passengers Unable to Depart. Although It Sought Out Accommodation for Most of the Passengers, a Shortage of Hotel Rooms in Sydney Meant Around 220 People Could Not Be Accommodated. A Number Were Then Left With Little Choice but to Stay at Sydney Airport Overnight Until the Flights Could Leave in the Morning.

Godfrey Was Critical of the Strict Enforcement of the Curfew in Media Reports on February 8. “Guidelines Are Guidelines but When Does Common Sense Kick in?” He Said in ‘the Australian’. “We Like to See the Rights of Local Airport Residents Maintained but the Application of the Guidelines for Dispensations Must Be More Flexible in Such Extraordinary Circumstances. ” During an Interview With Sydney’s Radio 2ue, Godfrey Suggested That a Possible Solution May Be to Allow Some Flights to Go Shortly After the Curfew Following Storms and Other Unforeseen Events, With Airlines Undertaking to Re-schedule Their Flights to Earlier Departures on Another Night to Compensate.

Both Virgin Blue and Jetstar Were Affected by a Number of Storms at Night. Jetstar Received Major Media Criticism for Its Handling of a Number of Cancelled Flights Which Prompted an Investigation by Consumer Affairs Victoria.

Qantas Creates 2000 New Jobs at Lower Pay

Qantas Has Struck an Agreement With Its Flight Attendants Union Which Will Allow the Company to Employ Up to 2000 Long Haul Flight Attendants at Lower Pay Than Existing Long Haul Staff.

The New Flight Attendants Will Be Hired Through a Separate Subsidiary Called Qantas Cabin Crew Australia Pty Limited Under a Separate Enterprise Bargaining Agreement With the International Division of the Flight Attendants Association of Australia (Faaa).

“the Competitive Terms and Conditions Negotiated Under the Eba Have Enabled Us to Create These New Positions,” Said Qantas Ceo Geoff Dixon.

Dixon Hailed the New Agreement, Which Will Cut Cabin Crew Pay by Up to 25 Per Cent and Increase the Number of Hours Worked in a Roster Period as “groundbreaking”. He Also Signalled That It Would Set a Benchmark for Other Labour Negotiations.

At Its Recent Profit Announcement, Dixon Noted That Qantas Had Concluded Agreements With 40 Per Cent of Its Unions, Including a Recent Agreement Covering Aircraft Engineers.

Cabin Crew Employed by Qcca Will Be Based in Sydney and Melbourne and Fly on Long Haul Routes. The Company is Currently Processing Applications and Expects to Make Up to 900 Appointments by the End of the Year.

The Qantas Move to Establish a New Operation Follows a Similar Action by Subsidiary Jetstar, Which Recently Set Up ‘team Jetstar’ to Hire Cabin Crew on More Flexible Terms Than Its Existing Cabin Crew Eba.

In the Agreement With the Faaa, Qantas Has Also Committed to Retain a 25 Per Cent Cap on the Number of Flight Attendants It Hires From Overseas Bases. Qantas Currently Has Cabin Crew Based in London and Bangkok, as Well as Australian Bases.

Af-klm to Inject $4. 4bn Into Alitalia Air France-klm Has Announced That It Will Make a Us$4. 4bn (a$4. 77bn) Injection Into Alitalia if It is Successful in Its Bid for the Italian Airline.

“if We Get a Deal With the Italian Government, Then We Will Make a General Offer for Alitalia. And if It Works Out, We Will De-list It,” Said Leo Van-wijk, the Vice Chairman of Air France-klm.

Air France-klm Has Been Seeking to Take Full Control of the Troubled Italian Airline and Has Been Chosen as the Preferred Bidder by the Italian Government for a 49 Per Cent Stake in Alitalia. Air France is Keen to Eventually Take Over the Whole of the Airline.

There Are Currently Two Other Consortia Bidding for Alitalia, Including One Involving Rival Airline Air One. That Consortium Had Challenged the Exclusivity of Talks the Government Has Been Holding With Air France-klm, but Has Had Its Challenge Rejected by the Administrative Court of Lazio.

Phoenix to Rise From the Ashes of O’connor?

The Resurrection of South Australia’s O’connor Airlines Looms, Probably in a New Guise, Following the Purchase of All the Assets of the Failed O’connor Group, Including Its Airline Operator’s Certificate, by Mount Gambier Businessman Adrian De Bruin.

The Purchase of the Aoc – After Negotiations With Another Buyer Fell Through – Gave Him the Option of Re-establishing a Commercial Passenger Service Similar to That Operated by the Former O‘connor Airlines Business, De Bruin Said.

Mr De Bruin, Cashed Up From the Sale of His 30 Per Cent Stake in Listed Timber Company Auspine to Forestry Giant Gunns for $115 Million. It is Believed That He Paid $2. 4 Million for the Assets of the Failed Regional Airline and, Approximately $250,000 for the Aoc.

However, He Did Not Commit to Resuming Air Services on the Mount Gambier-adelaide and Mount Gambier-melbourne Routes and Services Linking Adelaide With Whyalla, Port Augusta and Mildura in Victoria.

Airline Founder and Former Owner Leigh O’connor Told Australian Aviation De Bruin Would Need an Aviation Expert to Establish a New Airline.

When Asked if He Would Be Likely to Assist in the New Airline, O’connor Said, “who Knows? Let‘s Wait Until the Dust Settles and See Where It All Leads. ’’

The Assets Include Two Airworthy 19-passenger Jetstreams, and a Grounded Jetstream and Grounded Cessna Conquest, as Well as a Cessna 210 and Two Cessna 150s, and an Aircraft Engineering and Maintenance Base at Mount Gambier Airport, Which De Bruin Said Would Be “revitalised‘’ and Would Concentrate on Gaining External Work.

The New Owner Also Bought the O’connor Airlines Commercial Headquarters in Mount Gambier, a Warehouse and a Travel Agency, Which Continued to Operate After the Airline Went Into Administration in November and Ceased Operations in December, With Debts of $4-$5 Million.

Administrator Sam Davies of Mcgrath Nicol Said That, as a Result of the Sales, the Commonwealth Bank and Its Finance Subsidiary Cbfc Would Recoup Their Secured $1. 7 Million Debts and the 35 Employees of the Airline Would Receive Their Full Entitlements.

However, All Other Creditors, Including Service Providers and Stranded Passengers, Are Unsecured and Will Get Only About 5c in the Dollar.

Mr Davies Said the Airline’s Founder Leigh O’connor and Wife Sally, Who Were Directors of the O’connor Group of Companies, Had Agreed to Participate in a Deed of Company Arrangement, Contributing $110,000 to the Doca Deal, Which Was Accepted by Creditors on February 21.

Qld Awards Contracts to Qantaslink & Macair

Transport Queensland Has Renewed Its Contracts With Qantaslink and Macair to Operate a Number of Intrastate Air Routes in Western and Far Northern Queensland.

Qantaslink Will Continue to Operate From Brisbane to Longreach, Barcaldine, Blackall, Charleville and Roma as Well as From Cairns to Weipa and Horn Island. A Number of These Routes Will Be Flown by 72-seat Q400s. “These State-of-the-art Aircraft Will Join Our High Performance 50-seat Dash 8-q300s and 36-seat Dash 8-q200s, Ensuring Regional Queensland Communities Have Access to the Best Available Aircraft,” Said Narendra Kumar, Qantas Group General Manager Regional Airline.

Macair Was Awarded the Majority of Routes Under the Qconnect Program From Brisbane, Townsville and Cairns to Regional Centres Including Oakey, Charleville, Thargomindah and Mt Isa. The Routes Will Be Operated by a Combination of Atr 42 and Saab 340b Aircraft as the Airline Phases Out Its Metroliners. Macair Managing Director Randal Macfarlane Said, “these Routes Are Technically Challenging for Both Machinery and People, and Being Awarded This Contract Again is Testament to Dedication and Professionalism of Our Staff, Whom Have Successfully Operated These Services Over the Past Seven Years. ” the Awarding of the Cairns-horn Island Route to Qantaslink is a Blow to Brisbane-based Skyairworld Which Had Tendered for the Route. It Had Hoped to Fly It Using Its E-170 and Had Previously Done a Demonstration Flight for a Number of Transport Queensland Officials.

The Contracts Are Awarded for a Term of Five Years Separately, Macair Says It Will Add Another Three Weekly Flights Between Brisbane and Moranbah From March 3. The Flights Will Be Operated With a Saab 340b Which Has Been Freed Up Due to the Introduction of the Atr 42.

Regional Pacific Increases Flights From Mt Isa Regional Pacific Airlines Has Received Casa Approval to Fly 10 New Weekly Flights From Cairns and Townsville to Mt Isa.

Country Manager Anthony Sandford Said Gaining Approval for the Routes Enabled Regional Pacific to Fill an Important Gap in the Current Market.

“our Airline is Expanding and We Have a Strong Community Focus Which Will See Us Develop Initiatives Including Community Involvement and Sponsorship in Both Mt Isa and Townsville and Also Increase Our Level of Activity Here in Cairns. We’re About Delivering Reliable Services to Residents, the Business Community and the Tourism Segments Within These Destinations,” He Said.

The New Flights Will Be Operated With a 30-seat Emb-120 Turboprop.

Macair, Which Also Flies on the Same Routes, Has Responded by Offering Double Qantas Frequent Flyer Points on Its Services on These Routes.

Strong Growth in 2007 Set to Slow in 2008 – Iata Iata Has Released Figures Showing That International Passenger Traffic Increased by 7. 4 Per Cent in 2007, but It Expects a Slow Down This Year as Fuel Prices and Global Economic Slowdown Take Their Toll.

“strong Passenger Traffic Growth of 7. 4 Per Cent Was a Key Component of the Industry’s Us$5. 6bn (a$6. 2bn) Profit in 2007 — the First Black Number Since 2000,” Said Giovanni Bisignani, Iata’s Director General and Ceo. “but It Wasn’t All Good News. Freight Slowed to 4. 3 Per Cent, Below the 4. 6 Per Cent Recorded in 2006. It Was Also Below the 7. 5 Per Cent at Which Global Trade Expanded, Highlighting a Competitiveness Issue With Shipping. ” Fastest Growing Carriers Were in the Middle East, Where There Was an 18. 1 Per Cent Increase in Passenger Demand. Latin America Also Recorded an 8. 4 Per Cent Growth in Demand, Followed Closely by Africa, Whose Airlines Recorded an Eight Per Cent Increase in Passenger Demand. Asia Pacific Was in Line With the Average at 7. 3 Per Cent While Europe and North America Recorded 5. 3 Per Cent and 5. 5 Per Cent Respectively.

Regional Figures for Freight Showed That the Middle East Was Again Experiencing the Largest Growth With 10. 1 Per Cent Increase in Demand. This Was Significantly Down, Though, Compared to 2006 When the Region’s Freight Demand Increased by 16. 1 Per Cent. Asia Pacific Saw Freight Demand Grow by 6. 5 Per Cent.

While the Figures Paint a Good Picture for the Airlines, the Year Ahead Will Hold Significant Challenges for Both Passenger and Freight Carriers. Bisignani Highlighted the Current High Fuel Prices and Uncertainty Over the Us Economy as a Challenge for the Airlines. “in a Tough Business Environment the Mantra Remains the Same Efficiency Everywhere is Everything,” He Said.

Airline Briefs

Qantas Executive General Manager John Borghetti Has Ruled Out the Airline Ordering Boeing’s 777 and 747-8i in an Interview With ‘aviation Week & Space Technology’. Borghetti Said That the Airline Was More Interested in a Stretched 787-10, but Could Order A350xwb’s if Boeing Delays the Launch of the -10.

Virgin Blue Operated Its First ‘capital Jet’ Canberra-sydney Service on February 4. Virgin Now Flies Eight Times a Day Between the Two Cities With Its Embraer E-170s. The Airline Was Also Planning to Start a Daily Canberra-gold Coast Service From March 4, Also Flown by E-170s.

Virgin Blue Has Offered 10,000 Seats for Only One Cent on Seats on the New Sydney-albury and Sydney-port Macquarie Route. Operated by E-170s, Sydney-albury Started on February 4 and Sydney-port Macquarie Started on February 5. Separately, Hawaiian Airlines Will Codeshare on Virgin Blue’s New Services to Albury, Port Macquarie and Canberra From Sydney.

Aeropelican Announced That It Will Commence Flights Between Newcastle and Tamworth From February 12. The Airline Will Operate Two Daily Services on Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays.

Airasia X Started Flying Between Kuala Lumpur and Hangzhou on February 4. The Airline Released Introductory Fares of Rm199 ($a69) One Way on the New Route. The Airline Also Reports That Its First Route From the Kuala Lumpur to the Gold Coast is Performing Strongly.

Singapore Airlines Says It Will Operate the A380 on One of Its Daily London-singapore Services From March 18. The Airline is Due to Take Delivery of Its Third A380 in Early March.

Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (Bitre) International Passenger Data for the 12 Months Ending November 2007 Showed That Over 22. 6 Million Passengers Passed Through Australian Airports, an Increase of Six Per Cent Over the Previous Year. The Busiest Route Remains Sydney-auckland, Which Accounted for 5. 4 Per Cent of All Passengers. Singapore-brisbane, Which Was the Eighth Busiest Route Suffered a Decline of Three Per Cent, While Los Angeles-sydney Saw Passengers Decline by 5. 2 Per Cent on the Previous Year.

Ozjet Has Applied to the International Air Services Commission for Allocation of Unlimited Capacity to New Zealand. Ozjet is Proposing to Serve Palmerston North From Sydney and Brisbane Using a 737-300. Freedom Air Used to Serve These Routes, but It Has Been Droppepd Since Freedom Was Absorbed Back in to Air New Zealand.

Bitre’s Domestic Airfare Index Shows a General Decline in Discount and Full Economy Fares. The Discount Airfare Index for February 2008 Was at 78. 4, Compared to 86. 9 for the Previous Year and the Full Economy Index Was 87. 2, a Decline of 22. 6 Points on the Same Time Last Year. Business Airfares Remained Steady While Restricted Economy Fares Increased by 1. 9 Points to 97. 8.

Airasia X Has Announced That Japan’s Orix Corporation and Bahraini Investment Fund Manara Consortium Have Each Taken 10 Per Cent Stakes in the Company. Both Companies Will Each Be Able to Appoint a Director to the Airasia X Board.

Tiger Airways Launched Its Melbourne-canberra Service on February 14 and Launched a Fare Sale on the Route on the Same Day for $19. 95 One Way. Tiger Now Flies a Daily Return Service on the Route. Tiger Also Announced That It Will Begin Flights Three Times a Week From Melbourne to Alice Springs on March 1.

Bitre on Time Performance Figures for December 2007 Show That for the Month the Industry Measured 77. 1 Per Cent on Time Departures and 75. 2 Per Cent in Terms of Arrivals and 1. 5 Per Cent of Flights Were Cancelled. This Was Down Slightly on November 2007, Which Recorded on Time Departures at 79. 9 Per Cent and Arrivals at 77. 4 Per Cent and 1. 4 Per Cent of Flights Being Cancelled.

Emirates Will Invest in Radio Frequency Identification (Rfid) Technology to Trace Baggage at London Heathrow, Dubai International and Hong Kong Airports. Over Half a Million Bags Will Be Tagged With Rfid Over a Six Month Trial Period at These Airports.

Singapore Airlines Was Forced to Delay One of Its Singapore-sydney-sydney Flights Last Week After the A380 Which Was Due to Operate the Services Suffered Problems With One of Its Fuel Pumps. The Flight Was Substituted With a 747-400, Resulting in Approximately 70 Passengers Having to Be Accommodated on a Later Flight.

Air Tahiti Nui Has Announced That It Will Start a Seasonal Sydney-new York Service via Papeete. The Service Will Depart From Sydney on Friday Morning and Only Make a One Hour Stop in Papeete Before Flying on to New York. The Service Will Only Operate Between June 6 and October 10 This Year.

Skywest Has Increased Its Fuel Surcharge From March 1. The Surcharge on Turboprop Routes Will Increase to $27 and Jet Routes Will Be $29. Credit Card Surcharges Will Also Increase to $3 Per Sector.

Air New Zealand Says It Will Reduce Its Domestic Air Fares by as Much as 30 Per Cent to Compete Against Newcomer Pacific Blue and a Resurgent Qantas With Its Cityflyer Product. The Airline Says It Will Drop Its Smart Saver Fares by Between Nine and 27 Per Cent and Its Full Fares by Up to 30 Per Cent on Some Routes.

Jetstar Says It May Be Forced to Delay the Introduction of Services to Europe Due to Ongoing Delays With the Boeing 787. Jetstar is to Receive the First 15 of at Least 65 787s for the Qantas Group From August This Year, but This Has Now Been Pushed Back to at Least the Second Quarter of 2009.

Virgin Blue Has Been Named Asia Pacific’s Low Cost Airline of the Year in the Budgie$ Best in Class Awards Announced Last Week.

A380 Msn014 Destined for Qantas Had Its First Flight at Toulouse on January 25. Msn014 Will Be the Second A380 Delivered to Qantas After It Receives Its New Wiring Harness. Qantas’s First A380 and the First to Be Equipped With the New Harness During Manufacture, Msn026 is Currently Undergoing Final Assembly in Toulouse.

British Airways Will Commence a Premium Service Between London City Airport (Lcy) and New York’s Jfk Next Year Using Airbus A318s Configured With 32 Lie-flat Business Class Seats. The A318 Was Certified Last Year for Steep Approaches Required to Operate Into and Out of Lcy.

Air Pacific Says It Will Increase Its Services Between Nadi and the Us West Coast From to Six Weekly Services From June.

Hawaiian Airlines Has Been Given the All Clear to Negotiate a Final Contract With Airbus and With Rolls-royce for Six Airbus A350s and Six A330s After It Reached Agreement With Its Pilots Union Over a New Pay Deal.

Air India Has Announced It Will Terminate Its Codeshare Agreements With a Number of Non-star Alliance Airlines by December 2009 as It Prepares to Join the Star Alliance.

Sas Claims That It Has Found That the Majority of Ssv Valves Fitted in the Undercarriages of Its Recently Retired Bombardier Dash 8-q400 Fleet Have Been Found to Be Defective. The Q400s Were Retired in October After Three Separate Accidents Involving Failure of the Landing Gear.

Airports

Auckland Airport Figures Up, Takeover Still Unresolved Auckland International Airport Limited (Aial) Has Reported a Marginal Increase in Passengers for December 2007 but is Still Waiting on Acceptances for the Partial Takeover Offer From the Canadian Pension Plan Investment Board.

For December, the Airport Handled 615,207 International Passengers and 518,727 Domestic Passengers, Indicating Increases of One Per Cent and 16. 7 Respectively on December 2006. The Total Number of Aircraft Movements for the Month Was Also Up by 4. 9 Per Cent to 13,871.

The Strong Growth Helped Propel Aial to a Higher Second Half Profit of Nz$

In Its Latest Update on the Partial Takeover by Cppib, Aial Said That It Had Received

Aial Has Been Involved in a Partial Takeover Battle for Some Time and Had Previously Been Approached by Dubai Aerospace Enterprise to Take a Stake in the Airport Operator. Aial Had Also Been in Talks With an Unnamed Third Party but These Have Been Terminated, According to the Company.

Regional Airstrips Get Funding for Safety Upgrades Transport Minister Anthony Albanese Has Announced That a Number of Regional Airstrips Will Receive Grants Totalling $1 Million for a Series of Upgrades Designed to Improve Their Safety.

“the Australian Government’s $1 Million Funding Will Boost Airstrip Safety and Help Provide Year-round All-weather Access for the Royal Flying Doctors and Other Services Through Upgrades of Fencing, Lighting and the Resurfacing of Runways,” the Minister Said.

“We Are Determined to Help Remote and Regional Australians Get Access to Basic Services That Many Urban Australians Take for Granted. ” a Number of the Projects Also Involve State and Local Government Funding. The Majority of Works Include Fencing, Lighting Repairs and Runway and Taxiway Sealing.

Perth Airport Grows on the Back of Resources Boom Westralia Airports Corporation, the Operator of Perth International Airport, Has Reported a Strong Second Half of 2007 With Passenger Numbers Up by 13 Per Cent.

During the First Half of the 2007/08 Financial Year, More Than 4. 5 Million Passengers Were Recorded Through the Airport, an Increase of More Than 500,000 Compared to the Same Period Last Year.

Wac’s Ceo Brad Geatches Attributed the Strong Result to the Current Resources Boom in Wa. “the Increased Wealth Provided Through Western Australia’s Sustained Economic Growth is Driving Business and Consumer Demand for Aviation Services,” He Said. “airlines Have Responded by Providing More Capacity on Domestic and International Routes, With Qantas, Emirates and Tiger Airlines Each Adding to the International Capacity on Perth Routes. ” the Airport’s Record Number of Passengers Has Strengthened Calls for Major Investment to Increase the Capacity of Both the International and Domestic Terminals. In Recent Months Wac Has Increased the Number of Parking Bays Available at Both Terminal Precincts While Qantas Will Soon Start on a $50 Million Upgrade of Its Terminal.

International Airports Grew in 2007 the Airports Council International Has Released Figures Which Show That the World’s Airports Increased Their Passenger Throughput by 5. 6 Per Cent in 2007, With Cargo Growing by 3 Per Cent.

“international Traffic Has Been the Constant Driver for Passenger and Freight Traffic Expansion This Year, With Passenger Traffic Peaking in March and November and Freight in August, and Both Finishing on a More Subdued Note in December,” Said the Director General of Aci, Robert Aaronson. “it is Not Surprising to See the Sobering Impact of Factors as Diverse as Volatile Financial Markets, Slowing World Economies and the Cost of Fuel. “nonetheless, Consumer Demand Remains Firm in Many Regions, Which Means That Capacity and Congestion Are Still Key Concerns as We Seek to Ensure Service Excellence for the Over Four Billion Passengers Who Pass Through World’s Airports Each Year. ” in Its Press Release, the Aci Highlighted That While Passenger Figures Were Consistent With Forecasts From the Previous Year, Freight Performed Below the Forecast by Three Points. The Airport Figures Correspond With Recent Iata Figures Which Show That Airfreight Growth Has Slowed Over the Last Year.

Airport Briefs

Brisbane Airport Will Be a Centrepiece of the Queensland Government’s Australia’s Trade Coast (Atc) Project. The Atc Will Take in a Number of Precincts Around the Airport and the Port of Brisbane and is Aimed at Increasing Investment in the Region and Transforming It Into a Major Centre for International Trade.

Gold Coast Airport Handled 3. 9 Million Passengers in 2007, an Increase of 7. 7 Per Cent. The Growth Was Attributed to the Start of Flights by Tiger and Airasia X as Well as an Increase in Services by Jetstar and Virgin Blue.

Sydney Airport Has Started Interior Construction Work of Its $500 Million Upgrade of the International Terminal. The Airport Has Also Announced That It Will Undertake a Major Development Plan for the Construction of a Larger Safety Area at the Western End of the East-west Runway. This Opens the Way for Public Consultation and Will Require Ministerial Approval for the Project to Go Ahead.

Singapore’s Changi Airport Has Signed a Contract for the Upgrading of Terminal 1 at the Airport. The Upgrade is Estimated to Cost S$500 Million (a$391m), Starting in May This Year and Due for Completion in 2011.

Environment

Boeing & Airbus Both Fly

Alternative Fuels Boeing’s Long Awaited Flight of a Virgin Atlantic Boeing 747 Powered Partially by Biofuel Has Been Beaten by Airbus’s Flight of an A380 Which Was Partially Powered by Synthetic Fuel.

Airbus Made a Flight on February X of an A380 Testbed From Filton in the Uk to Toulouse With a Synthetic Fuel Supplied by Shell Which Was Refined From Natural Gas Which Powered the Aircraft’s Rolls Royce Trent 900 Engines. Airbus Announced the Gtl Program at Last October’s Dubai Airshow in Conjunction With Shell, Qatar Airways and Rolls-royce.

“Gtl Could Be Available at Certain Locations to Make It a Practical and Viable Drop-in Alternative Fuel for Commercial Aviation in the Short Term,” an Airbus Statement Read. “Gtl Has Attractive Characteristics for Local Air Quality, as Well as Some Benefits in Terms of Aircraft Fuel Burn Relative to Existing Jet Fuel. Testing Gtl Today Will Support Future Second Generation Bio-fuels, but Which Are Not Presently Available in Sufficient Commercial Quantities. Airbus Will Study Viable Second Generation Bio-fuels When They Become Available. ”

Boeing Then Made Its Long Mooted Biofuel Test Flight Aboard a Virgin Atlantic 747-400 From London Heathrow to Amsterdam Schiphol on February 24. The Aircraft Had One of Its Ge Cf6 Engines Powered by a Mix of Jetfuel and 20 Per Cent Biofuel, Which Was Refined From Babassu and Coconut Oils and Was Supplied by Imperium Renewables.

“two Years Ago People Said It Was Also Impossible for a Biofuel Flight to Take Place,” Virgin Atlantic Chairman Sir Richard Branson Told Media. “what We Have Proved is Biofuel Can Be Used for a Flight Today. ”

Boeing Had Previously Hoped to Make the Flight Using a Biofuel Derived From Algae, as This Was Seen as More Sustainable Than Other Biofuels as It Would Not Compete Directly With Food Crops or Cause Deforestation. However, It is Believed That the Technology to Create Fuel From This Source is Still Being Developed.

Boeing is Also Planning Another Flight Later This Year in Conjunction With Rolls-royce. This Will Involve an Air New Zealand 747-400 Also Flying on a Jetfuel/biofuel Mix.

Airbus Successfully Tests Fuel Cell Airbus Has Test Flown an A320 With a Hydrogen Powered Fuel Cell to Power a Number of Electrical Systems.

The Fuel Cell Produced 20kw Which Powered the Backup Hydraulic System, Electric Motor Pump and Also the Ailerons. The Cell Was Also Tested at High and Zero G Conditions to Validate the Robustness of the System.

“fuel Cells Offer Tremendous Potential Environmental Benefits and Operational Savings”, Said Patrick Gavin, Airbus Executive Vice President Engineering.

Fuel Cells Do Not Produce Emissions, and the Only Waste Product is Pure Water, Which Can Be Put Back in to the Aircraft’s Drinking Water or Waste Systems.

It is Hoped That Fuel Cells May Be Developed to Power All Systems on Aircraft. They Could Eventually Replace Existing Turbine Auxiliary Power Units on Future Airliners.

General Aviation

Fal Furio Flies

New Zealand Light Aircraft Manufacturer Falcomposite’s Furio Composite Two-seat Made Its First Flight From Auckland’s Ardmore Airport on February 6.

The First Test Flight Lasted Approximately 45 Minutes and Saw the Aircraft Perform a Number of Handling and Stalling Tests, Reaching Speeds of Up to 198kt. According to Falcomposite’s Giovanni Nustrini, the Aircraft, “outperformed Our Expectations. ”

The Furio is a Two-seater Carbon Fibre Aerobatic Kit Aircraft Designed and Built in New Zealand. The Kit Itself Comes With Less Than 30 Pieces and the Time to Fully Assembly Including Systems is Said to Be Under 1000 Hours. The Basic Kit Costs Nz$150,000 (a$130,852) With an Additional Completion Kit Including Brakes, Landing Gear, Fuel Systems and Electrical Loom is Available for Nz$19,500 (a$17,011).

The First Furio Kit is Due to Ship in May This Year, and the Company Has Already Sold 10 Production Slots. When Production Ramps Up in September This Year, the Company Hopes to Produce Three to Four Kits Per Month.

Flightpath Tv to Take Off ‘australian Aviation’ Has Committed to a Media Alliance With Flightpathtv, an Aviation Television Series Planning to Take Off Around Australia and New Zealand in Mid 2008.

With a Six Month Series Planned, Flightpathtv Aims to Be Quickly Established as the Premier Aviation Magazine Show on Television and the Web. Each Half Hour Show Will Take Viewers Around the World and Behind the Scenes at Major Airshows and Events, Meeting Famous Pilots and Profiling Some of Aviation’s Greatest Aircraft.

Filmed in High Definition Wide-screen and With All Segments Available as Downloads on Line, Flightpathtv Aims to Be Informative and Entertaining Whether You Are a Hard-core Enthusiast or Have Just a Passing Interest in Flying.

Flightpath Tv Will Initially Screen in Prime Time on the Aurora Channel on Foxtel/austar in Australia and Sky Tv in New Zealand, With Multiple Reruns Each Week.

Record Deliveries

From Ga Manufacturers the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (Gama) Has Announced That Its Members Delivered a Record 4272 Aircraft in 2007.

Gama, Which Represents the Makers of Light Aircraft and Business Jets, Revealed That Billings for the Year Were Also Up Substantially to Us$21. 9bn (a$24. 3bn). This Was Attributed to Strong Demand for Ga Aircraft Outside of North America.

Piston Engine Aircraft Represented the Majority of Aircraft Shipped With Over 2675 Delivered Over the Year. This Was Followed by Business Jets With 1138 Delivered and the Remaining 459 Aircraft Representing Turboprops.

Separately, Gama Has Called on the Us Federal Aviation Administration to Modernise the Air Traffic Control System in the Country to Accommodate Growth in Aviation and Alleviate Airline Congestion.

Adam Aircraft Bankrupt

Failing to Secure Adequate Investment Funding, Adam Aircraft Suspended Operations on February 11 and Entered Chapter 7 Bankruptcy Four Days Later.

Adam Has Been Under a Cloud Since the Start of the Year When It Laid Off 800 Employees and Sought to Cut Other Costs. The Manufacturer Had Also Been Working With Citibank to Secure at Least Between Us$75m (a$82. 5m) and Us$150m (a$165m) in Long Term Financing. At Least Us$25m (a$27. 5m) Was Needed by the End of January, Ceo John Wolf Wrote in a Letter to Shareholders. Wolf Had Become Ceo in August After the Company Board Replaced Former Ceo Rick Adam.

In 2006 the Company Raised Us$93m (a$102m), and in Last June Morgan Stanley Was Lead Arranger in Raising a Further Us$105m (a$115. 5m), Which Went Towards Accelerating Production of the Adam A500 Piston and Certification of the A700 Jet, Planned for Late 2008. Fifteen A500s Had Been Manufactured and Seven Were Delivered at Us$1. 2m (a$1. 32m) Each. Observers Note De-prioritising the Piston Twin Might Have Turned the Us$2. 5m (a$2. 75m) A700’s Early Start Into an Early Lead in the Emerging Vlj Market.

Three Air Taxi Start-ups Dependent on Their A700 Orders Haven’t Commented on Their Revised Plans. Magnum Jets Has 101 on Order and Aimed to Start Service This Year. The Hainan, China Based Ameritech Aerospace Ordered 50, and Nexusjets of Monaco Ordered 96.

“all Three Companies Still Look Forward to Using the Adam A700 if at All Possible and Still Hold Out for a ‘white Knight’ Scenario,” Said Joe Leader of the Air Taxi Association.

New Aircraft on Offer for Alpha Deposits Us Light Aircraft Manufacturer Liberty Aerospace and Local Manufacturer Dean-wilson Aviation Have Both Offered to Honour Deposits Placed for the Alpha Range of Aircraft as Deposits on Their Liberty Xl2 and Boomerang Aircraft Respectively.

In a Statement, Liberty Said That Its Scheme Will Allow Those Who Have Ordered and Paid Deposits on an Alpha Aircraft to Use Up to Us$10,000 of Their Deposit on a New Xl2. This Means That No Further Payments on the Xl2 Would Be Required Until Delivery.

Dean Wilson is Also Offering to Honour Up to $10,000 as a Deposit on a New Boomerang. The Boomerang Received Certification Last Year and is Expected to Have Its First Delivery Soon.

New Zealand-based Alpha Went in to Liquidation Earlier This Year as a Result of Production Problems. Pricewaterhouse Coopers Were Appointed Liquidators in January This Year and Have Begun to Sell the Assets of Alpha.

Amsa Fleet Comes in for Criticism the Australian Maritime Safety Authority’s (Amsa) Fleet of Dornier 328 Search and Rescue Aircraft Has Come Under Criticism From the Media Due to a Number of Incidents With Them in the Last Year.

According to a Report in ‘the Australian’, the Fleet of Dorniers, Operated by Aerorescue Pty Ltd, Suffered 12 Mid-air Incidents in 2007 Including Four Engine Shutdowns. On New Year’s Day This Year, the Perth Based Aircraft Was Grounded and Could Not Respond to a Call for Assistance, Resulting in Having to Charter Another Aircraft.

Amsa Has Admitted That There Have Been Some “technical Issues” With the Fleet but That These Have Been “expeditiously Resolved. ” the Dorniers Are Based in Darwin, Perth, Melbourne, Cairns and Brisbane and Are Equipped With Forward Looking Infrared and Search Radar. The Aircraft Were Procured in a $200 Million Contract Signed in 2004 Between Amsa and Aerorescue, a Subsidiary of the Paspaley Group, Which Also Owns Pearl Aviation.

Robinson Breaks Its Own Record Robinson Helicopters Says It Delivered a Record Number of New Robinson R44 and R22 Helicopters in 2007 and in Doing So Broke Its Own Record Set in 2005.

The California Based Company Says It Delivered 823 New Helicopters in 2007, 17 More Than the Previous Record of 806 It Set in 2005. Robinson Also Broke the Production Record for a Single Helicopter Model by Producing 664 R44s, Beating the 563 R44s It Built in 2005.

Team Topsecret to Take on Reno Air Race a ‘topsecret’ Has Been Kept in

General Aviation Briefs

Schofields Flying Club Has Relocated to 60 Birch Street, Bankstown Airport.

Bell Helicopter Has Announced That It Received Orders for 365 New Helicopters in 2007. This Represents a 26 Per Cent Increase on the Previous Year’s Orders.

Britten-norman Has Purchased Six Bn2b-20 Islanders From Surveillance Australia. The Aircraft Will Be Refurbished by the Manufacturer Before Being on-sold. One Has Already Been Sold to Aero-tropics Air Services.

Scouts Australia Took to the Skies Over Sydney on February 22 as Part of the Centenary Celebrations for Scouts Australia New South Wales. The Flyover Consisted of Four Scouts Nsw Aircraft.

Asia Pacific Aerospace of Brisbane Has Ordered Eight Heli-lynx 350fx2 Modification Kits for the Eurocopter as 350 Series Helicopters. The Kit Includes Honeywell Lts101-700d2 Engines.

Business Aviation

Cessna Launches Large Cabin Bizjet

Cessna Launched the Citation Columbus Large Cabin Bizjet in Washington on February 6.

The Columbus Will Feature a 2. 09m Cabin Diameter With a 1. 86m Floor to Roof Height, Making It the First Citation With Stand-up Room. Total Cabin Length is 11. 1 Metres. The Aircraft Will Have a Range of Over 4000nm (7408km), Making It Possible to Fly Sectors Such as Sydney-singapore and London-dubai.

The Columbus Will Also Feature a Rockwell Collins Pro Line Fusion Avionics System. This Will Feature Four 38cm Lcd Displays Which Are Able to Provide Synthetic Visual Display, Maps, Charts and More. The System Can Also Be Integrated With a Heads-up Display (Hud). It Will Be Powered by Two Pratt & Whitney Canada 810 Turbofans, Which Were Chosen Over Rival Offerings From Ge, Honeywell and Rolls-royce.

The Development of the Columbus is Budgeted to Cost the Company Us$775m (a$852m). This is Substantially Lower Than Expected for an Aircraft of Its Size and Has Been Offset by Transferring More of the Development Costs to Project Partners. These Include Spirit Aerosystems, Which Will Build the Fuselage and Empennage.

The Base Price for the Columbus Will Be Us$27m (a$29. 7m) at 2008 Prices.

Cessna Already Has Commitments for Approximately 70 Aircraft Which Were Gained While the Program Was Still Being Defined. It Hopes That These Commitments Can Be Converted to Orders Now That the Type Has Been Launched. Cessna Goes Large Cessna Has Confirmed That It Will Develop a Larger Version of Its Popular Citation Series of Business Jets.

“I’m Ecstatic to Announce We Are Extending the Citation Line Upward and Grateful for the Patience of the Customers Who Have Urged Cessna to Add a Large Cabin Citation, Including Many Who Are Planning to Move Up From Their Existing Citation Business Jets,” Said Jack Pelton, Chairman, President and Ceo of Cessna. “We Have Invested a Great Deal of Time in Evaluating This Concept to Determine a Solid Business Case and Involved Customers Very Early in This Program. We’re Confident Our Efforts Will Result in an Aircraft That is Right for the Marketplace. ” the Company Had Foreshadowed Its Move in to This Larger Market After Unveiling a Proof-of-concept Mockup at the 2006 Nbaa Conference and Conducting a Number of Scoping Studies.

Details of the New Citation Are Expected to Be Released on February 6 at a Press Conference to Be Held in Washington Dc.

Separately, Cessna Has Also Announced That It Delivered a Record 387 Business Aircraft During 2007. It Also Delivered 80 Turboprop and 807 Piston Engined Aircraft for the Year.

Hawker Beechcraft Reports Proft, Gains Certification for Hawker 750 Hawker Beechcraft Has Reported an Operating Profit of Us$148. 3m (a$164. 4m) for the Nine Months Ending December 2007, Its First Since the Business Was Separated From Raytheon.

“Hawker Beechcraft Has Had a Terrific First Nine Months With Tremendous Customer Response to Our New Product Introductions, as is Evident by Our Unprecedented Growth in Bookings and Record Backlog,” Said Chief Executive Officer Jim Schuster. “International Markets Continue to Expand, With Approximately 60 Per Cent of Our Backlog Coming From International Customers. ” Reflecting the Strong Sales From Overseas Customers, the Company Also Announced a Reorganisation of Its Sales Offices in the Australia, Asia, Middle East and African Regions. The Company Appointed Dan Keady as Divisional Vice President of Sales for the ‘aamea’ Region From the Singapore Office. Supporting Him in This Role Will Be Jason Liao Who Was Appointed Regional Vice President for China and Southeast Asia While Jeff Anastas, Allan Stanton and Brett Carlson Are Regional Sales Directors for India, Africa, Middle East and Australia, Respectively.

The Appointments Do Not Affect Hawker Beechcraft’s Existing Arrangements With Australian Distributor Hawker Pacific. “ as Far as Our Relationship With Hawker Pacific Goes, the Hawker Beechcraft Appointments and Growth in the Region Do Not Affect Our Continued Relationship With Hawker Pacific at All,” Said a Hawker Beechcraft Spokesman. “they Are Still Our Partner and That Will Not Change. The Region is Growing and Hbc Needs a Stronger Presence to Support This Growth. ” Meanwhile, the Manufacturer Has Also Received Certification for Its Hawker 750 Business Jet From the Us Federal Aviation Administration. Deliveries Are Scheduled to Begin in the First Quarter of This Year.

Diamond Aircraft Has Announced That Its D-jet Will Be Built at London, Ontario in Canada.

Aeromil Pacific Will Be Demonstrating the Cessna Citation Sovereign Across Australia Between February 25 and 29.

Business Aviation Briefs

Embraer Delivered 36 Legacy 600 Business Jets in 2007, an Increase of 33 Per Cent on the Previous Year. The Legacy 600 is Based on the Airframe of the Erj-145 Regional Jet and Can Seat Up to 16 Passengers.

Bell to Cut Jetranger From 2010 Bell Helicopters Has Announced That It Will End Production of Its Iconic 206b3 Jetranger, as Well as the 427, 430 and 210 (Bell205/uh-1h Upgrade), in a Move to Streamline Its Product Range and Better Meet Customer Demand.

Bell’s Ceo Dick Millman Stated, “our Most Recent Analysis of the Marketplace Has Indicated an Increased Demand for Our 407 and 412 Commercial Helicopters, Along With Our Outstanding New 429 Model. We Are Fully Booked on These Models Until 2010. Consequently, We Are Both Significantly Increasing Our Overall Capacity – and Eliminating Production of Some Lower Volume Products. At the Same Time We Are Continuing to Provide Our Number One Rated Customer Support. We Know That This is the Best Path Forward to Meet Our Customers’ Needs. ” With the Cuts to These Models, Bell Will Be Able to Increase Production on Its 412, 407 and 429 Models, Although the Company Has Not Stated the Extent of This Ramp-up.

Business Aviation Briefs

Grob Aerospace Has Been Chosen to Develop the Primary and Secondary Structures of the All-composite Structure and Cooperate on the Systems Integration of the Newly Named Bombardier Learjet 85 (Formerly the Nxt). The Lear 85 Will Have a High Cruise Speed of Mach 0. 82 and Range of Up to 3000nm.

Gulfstream Has Announced That the Faa Has Certificated Its Enhanced Vision Ii and Synthetic Primary Flight Display Modifications for the G350, G450, G500 and G550 Aircraft.

Finance

Sia Records Flat Profit in 4th Quarter Singapore Airlines Has Reported a Net Profit for the Fourth Quarter of 2007 of S$590m (a$466m), a Flat Result Compared to the Same Period in the Previous Year.

The Net Bottom Line Overshadowed the Strength of Sia During the Quarter, as the Previous Year’s Profit Had Been Inflated by a Sizeable Profit on the Sale of Sia’s Stake in Singapore Aircraft Leasing Enterprise (Sale) to the Bank of China. Indeed Operating Profit for the Quarter Was Up by 50 Per Cent to S$513m (a$404m) on Revenues of S$4. 2bn (a$3. 3bn).

Costs Increased by 7. 5 Per Cent During the Quarter. This Was Driven Mostly by the Increased Cost of Fuel, Which Represented 36. 9 Per Cent of Total Costs for the Sia Group.

The Latest Results Have Put the Airline on Track to Record a Strong Profit for the 2007/08 Financial Year. In the Period From April to December 2007, Sia Group Recorded an Operating Profit of S$1. 65bn (a$1. 3bn) on Revenues of S$10. 2bn (a$8. 04bn).

Sia Said That It Expects to Perform Well in the Next Quarter on the Back of Strong Forward Bookings. But the Airline Has Also Warned That These Bookings Could Be Affected by the Current Financial Uncertainty in the United States and Any Further Increases in the Price of Fuel.

Jetstar Asia, Tiger Record Losses Singaporean Carriers Jetstar Asia and Tiger Airways Have Both Posted Losses for the Financial Year Ending March 2007.

Tiger’s Singaporean Operation Recorded a Loss of S$14m (a$11m) According to Reports Submitted to the Singapore Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority. This Compares to a Loss of S$37m (a$29m) in the Previous Year.

Jetstar Asia Fared Slightly Worse, Recording a Loss of S$14. 5m (a$11. 4m) for the Year. Still, This Was a Vast Improvement on the Loss of S$47m (a$37m) in the Previous Year.

Analysts Expect That Both Carriers Will Fare Better This Year. Tiger’s Results Are Likely to Be Boosted by Its Australian Operation. Jetstar Asia’s Ceo Chong Phit Lian Has Said in Other Reports That the Company Was Running Cashflow Positive in 2007.

Separately, Jetstar Asia Commenced a Daily Service Between Singapore and Macau on February 4.

Macquarie Airports Takes Off Macquarie Airports, Which is the Main Shareholder in Sydney Airport, Has Announced Its Full Year Net Profit Increased by 84. 2 Per Cent to $1. 06 Billion for the 2007 Calendar Year.

The Massive Profit Growth Has Been Attributed to Gains on the Sale of Stakes in Rome and Birmingham Airports. The Company Also Noted Strong Performance of Its Airports in Australia and Europe Which Have Benefited From the Growth of Low Cost Carriers.

Map Owns Majority Stakes in Airports in Sydney, Bristol, Copenhagen and Brussels. The Company Also Recently Acquired a Stake in Japan Air Terminal, Despite Attempts by the Japanese Government to Block the Sale.

The Airport Owner Has Signalled That It Intends to Make a Number of Acquisitions in the Coming Year, Despite the Current Credit Crisis. Map Has Approximately Us$1 Billion in Cash Available for Any Upcoming Purchases, Which Could Focus on Airports in the United States, France or Portugal.

Us Airlines Report Yearly Profits, Quarterly Losses a Number of Major Us Carriers Have Reported Strong Year End Profits, but the Shine Has Been Taken Off With a Number Also Posting Losses for the Fourth Quarter of 2007.

Carriers Reporting Full Year Profits Include American (Us$504m – a$557m) United (Us$695m – a$769m), Southwest (Us$645m – a$713m) and Jetblue (Us$41m – a$45m). Delta Recorded a Profit of Us$1. 8bn (a$1. 99bn) Due to Gains on Exiting Bankruptcy While Northwest’s Us$2. 2bn (a$2. 43bn) Profit Was Also Distorted by Reorganisation Items.

The Losses Reported During the Fourth Quarter Include American (Us$69m – a$76m), United (Us$64m – a$70. 8m), Delta (Us$105m – a$116m), Northwest (Us$8m – a$8. 8m), Air Tran (Us$2. 2m – a$2. 43m) and Jetblue (Us$4m – a$4. 42m). The Losses Have Been Blamed on High Fuel Prices and the Competitive Marketplace. During the Period, Attempts by American and United to Raise Fuel Surcharges Were Abandoned After Competing Airlines Failed to Follow Suit.

Even Southwest Has Found the Quarter Challenging, With Ceo Gary Kelley Admitting Recently That the Carrier Only Made Its Us$111m (a$122. 7m) Profit During the Period Due to Its Favourable Fuel Hedging Position. Continental Was Also Profitable in the Quarter, Reporting a Profit of Us$71m (a$78. 5m).

Given the Fears of a Recession in the Us, a Number of Carriers Have Scaled Back Their Growth Plans. Frontier and Jetblue Have Announced That They Will Sell Aircraft and/or Forego Deliveries, While Southwest Has Cut Back Its Plans for the Year and Will Only Increase Capacity by Five Per Cent, Compared to Previous Plans of 10 Per Cent Growth This Year.

The Results Come During a Period of Increasing Speculation That This Year Will See Further Consolidation in the Us Airline Industry. Delta Has Foreshadowed a Merger and Has Publicly Stated That the Airline is Examining Possible Mergers With United and Northwest.

Security

Woman Attempts Hijacking in New Zealand a 33 Year Old Somali Woman Attempted a Hijacking of an Air National Jetstream 32 Flight From Blenheim to Christchurch on February 8.

The Woman is Believed to Have Forced Her Way Into the Cockpit of the Aircraft Armed With Two Knives and Demanded to Be Flown to Australia. The Woman is Also Believed to Have Made a Bomb Threat to the Pilots.

Authorities Became Aware of the Situation at Approximately 7. 40am When the Pilots of the Jetstream Issued a Mayday Call Saying That the Woman Had Entered the Cockpit and Attacked the Pilots. She Was Subsequently Restrained and Removed From the Cockpit.

The Aircraft Landed at Christchurch at 8. 06am and Taxied to a Remote Bay. After the Engines Were Shut Down, Armed Police and Members of the Dog Squad Stormed the Aircraft and Arrested the Woman. An Army Team Was Also Sent in to Investigate the Bomb Threat but is Not Believed to Have Found Any Explosive Devices Onboard. The Airport’s Terminal Was Evacuated and Searched as an Added Precaution.

Both Pilots and One Passenger Were Injured in the Incident and Were Treated by Ambulance Crews at the Airport for Minor Cuts.

Maintenance, Support & Training

Qantas Reaches Agreement With Engineers After Lengthy Negotiations, Qantas Has Reached an Agreement With the Australian Licensed Aircraft Engineers Association (Alaea) on a New Enterprise Bargaining Agreement (Eba) for the Airline’s Engineers.

The New Four Year Agreement, Which is Still to Be Approved by a Formal Vote, Will Include an Annual Three Per Cent Pay Rise Backdated to January 2007 and an Increase in Superannuation Contributions to 10 Per Cent. Qantas Also Gained Extra Flexibility in the Number of Part Time, Casual and Fixed Term Engineering Staff It Can Hire.

“the Agreement Has Been the Subject of Intense Negotiations in Recent Weeks and Will Create a Foundation for Jobs Growth in Qantas, as Well as Providing a Solid Base for Aircraft Maintenance in Australia,” Qantas Group Ceo Geoff Dixon Said in a Statement. “it Will Also Provide Certainty Regarding Pay and Conditions Over a Four Year Period and Will Provide Qantas Engineering With the Workplace Cooperation, Flexibility, and Efficiencies It Needs to Meet Cost and Competitive Pressures. ” the Current Offer Falls Short of the Initial Demands of Alaea Which Had Asked for a Five Per Cent Pay Increase. It is Believed That the Union May Have Buckled to Qantas in Order to Secure Engineering Work on the A380 Which Had Been Out to Competitive Tender.

B-n Improving Customer Support Britten-norman Has Announced That It Will Establish a New Spare Parts and Service Network to Support Operators of the Islander, Trislander and Defender Aircraft.

The First Step in the Chain is the Appointment of a Regional Engineer to Be Based in Australia. Craig Bennet Has Been Appointed to This Role and Will Be Available for a Number of Roles Including Aircraft on Ground Situations.

“we Have Some 800 Aircraft in Operation Globally and It is Time That We Fully Recognised the Importance of Taking Care of Our Customers,” Said William Hynett, Ceo of the B-n Group.

By the End of the Year, B-n Will Have a Number of Parts Available for Quick Dispatch Around the World From Its Heathrow Warehouse. The Company is Hoping to Link This to a Web Portal Which Will Allow Customers to Order and Track Spares in Real Time.

Jetstar Asia Has Signed an Exclusive Memorandum of Understanding With Pratt & Whitney for Maintenance of Its A320s’ Iae V2500-a5 Engines. The Engines Will Be Maintained at the Christchurch Engine Centre, Which is a Joint Venture Between Pratt and Air New Zealand Engineering Services.

Air Safety

Yogyakarta Crash Pilot Charged Captain Marwoto Komar, the Captain of a Garuda Indonesia 737 Which Crashed on Landing in Yogyakarta Last Year, Has Been Charged With Manslaughter.

The 737-400 Overshot the Runway at Yogyakarta’s Adisutjipto Airport on March 7 2007. The Crash Resulted in the Deaths of 22 People Including Five Australians.

Indonesia’s National Transportation Safety Committee Found in Its Report on the Crash That Komar Had Been “fixated on Landing” and Ignored 15 Warnings From the Aircraft’s Ground Proximity Warning System (Gpws). The Captain Also Ignored Calls From His First Officer to Perform a Go-around Minutes Before the Crash.

The Garuda Pilots Association Has Condemned the Charges Against Komar, Claiming That It Will Prevent Other Pilots From Flying. Komar’s First Officer on the Flight, Gagam Saman Rahman, Has Also Defended the Captain, Claiming That the Pilots Did Everything “humanly Possible” to Safely Land the Aircraft.

717 Lands Hard in Darwin a Qantaslink Boeing 717 (Vh-nxe) Operated by National Jet Systems Experienced a Heavy Landing at Darwin International Airport on February 7.

The Aircraft Reportedly Entered a High Sink Rate on Finals and Came Down Heavily, Causing the Aft Fuselage to Wrinkle. No Passengers or Crew Were Injured in the Landing, and All Were Able to Disembark Normally.

Speculation Was Rife That the Aircraft Would Have to Be Written Off as a Result of the Damage, but Qantas Says That the Damage Will Be Repaired and the Aircraft Brought Back Into Service. Qantas Has Never Suffered a Hull Loss of a Jet Aircraft, and Its Last Crash, That of a Super Constellation, Was Recorded in 1960.

An Investigation of the Incident and the Circumstances Surrounding It is Being Undertaken by the Casa and the Australian Transportation Safety Bureau (Atsb). Boeing, National Jet and Qantas Are Taking Part in the Investigations.

Ge Probing 777 Ge90 Engine Shutdowns Ge is Investigating Three Separate Incidents Where Ge90-115b Powered 777-300ers Have Been Forced to Shut Down One of Its Engines.

The First Incident Occurred on December 12 When an Air France Aircraft Was Forced to Divert to Rome After an Engine Was Powered Down When the Crew Noticed Excessive Vibrations. Visual Inspections of the Engine Showed Excessive Wear in a Section of the Low Pressure Turbine Blade.

The Second Incident Also Involved the Diversion of an Air France 777 on January 25. One of the Aircraft’s Engines Was Shut Down After Its Transfer Gearbox Broke Out of Its Housing.

Gearbox Problems Also Forced a Singapore Airlines Flight on February 1 to Make an Unscheduled Landing in Frankfurt, Although Further Details of This Incident Have Not Been Released.

Qantas Flight Had Power

Before Landing an Interim Report by the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (Atsb) Has Noted That the Qantas 747 Which Lost Electrical Power While on Approach to Bangkok Airport Had One Electrical Circuit Working.

The Aircraft Lost Power to a Number of Systems After Water From a Leaking Galley Fell Through a Cracked Water Shield Over One of the Aircraft’s Ac Bus Systems. This Affected the Aircraft’s 1, 2 and 3 Ac Busses but Did Not Affect Its Number 4 Bus.

It Was Widely Reported That the Cockpit Also Lost Power, but the Report States That the Primary Pilot’s Display Was Still Functioning, Albeit in a Degraded Mode. The Loss of Power Did Result in the Autopilot and Autothrottle Disengaging and a Complete Loss of Power to the First Officer’s Displays.

Post Flight Inspections Found That the Ribbon Heater on One of the Galley Drains Was Inoperative and There Was a Split in the Hose From the Drain. It is Believed That Water Leaked From This Hose on to the Fibreglass Drip Shield Which Had Four Cracks in It Before Leaking Onto and Shorting Out the Three Electrical Busses.

The Incident Led Boeing to Issue a Multi Operator Message on January 11 to All Operators of the 747-400 to Inspect the Conditions of the Drip Shields. Boeing is Also Preparing a Service Bulletin on the Matter to Be Issued in May This Year.

Qantas Has Also Made a Change to Its Standing Orders for Flight and Cabin Crew That Any Accumulation of Water in the Galleys Must Be Treated and Reported.

Aircraft Flipped in Col Pay Accident the Atsb Has Released a Preliminary Report Into the Accident Which Killed Aviation Icon Col Pay on December 7.

The Report Reveals That Air Tractor at-802 Vh-lis Which Pay Was Flying Had Been in Contact With the Lake for About 36 Seconds Before It Crashed Into the Surface, Flipping the Aircraft and Causing It to Sink in Nine Metres of Water.

Pay Had Been Testing a Ski System for Picking Up Water in a Modified Air Tractor. The System Had Retractable Skis and Scoops Attached to the Landing Gear Which Were Designed to Allow the Aircraft to Skim Over the Lake and Scoop Up Water for Firefighting.

The Test Flight Had Been Approved by Casa With Certain Conditions.

The Atsb is Continuing Its Investigation Into the Fatal Accident, Focusing on the Water Collection System and the Survivability of the Accident.

Australia to Cooperate

With Indonesia on Air Safety Under a New Transport Safety Cooperation Agreement, the Australian Government Will Provide Training and Technical Assistance to Indonesian Authorities to Improve Air Safety.

In an Mou Between the Indonesian and Australian Governments, Australia Will Provide Almost $24 Million Over Three Years to Provide Training and Technical Assistance to Indonesian Aviation Authorities. In Air Transport, It Will Provide Training for Up to 40 Airworthiness Inspectors Each Year as Well as Provide Training and Mentoring to Indonesia’s Air Traffic Management Agency. The Mou Also Provides for Other Services in the Maritime Transport Sector.

Minister for Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Local Government Anthony Albanese Said, “it is Essential the Travelling Public of Both Countries Have Confidence That Transport Safety is a Priority and That Lessons From Previous Transport Accidents Are Being Acted Upon. Australia’s Assistance Will Complement the Substantial Efforts That the Government of the Republic of Indonesia Has Already Taken to Improve the Safety of Their Transport Services. ” Indonesia’s Air Safety Has Been Questioned in Recent Years With a Number of Airliner Accidents. The Eu Has Banned All Indonesian Airlines From European Airspace.

Air Safety Briefs

A Lloyd Aero Boliviano Boeing 727-200 With 151 Passengers on Board Made a Successful Forced Landing in a Field Near the Town of Trinidad, Bolivia, on February 1. The Flight Was Attempting to Land at the Airport in Trinidad and is Believed to Have Run Out of Fuel 3km Before the Airport.

A Light Aircraft and a Helicopter Collided in Mid Air 170km East of Carnarvon, Wa, on February 13 During a Feral Animal Culling Operation. The Pilot and Passenger of the Light Aircraft Died While the Helicopter Was Able to Land Safely. The Atsb is Investigating the Accident.

Bfgoodrich Has Ordered a Recall on Emergency Escape Slides for the A380 After It Was Found That the Explosive Used to Power the Top Slides Was Wearing Out Faster Than Expected. Due to the Size of the Slides Used on the Top Floor of the A380, These Require Explosive Canisters to Move the Slide Out Before It Inflates.

The British Airways Boeing 777-200er Which Landed Short at London’s Heathrow Airport in January This Year Had No Problem With Its Engines, and the Uk’s Air Accident Investigation Branch’s Investigation is Now Focusing on the Fuel Control System.

A Qantaslink Dash 8-q400 Performed an Emergency Landing at Rockhampton Airport on February 20 After Its Nosewheel Failed to Extend. The Q400, Which Had Operated a Flight From Gladstone, Was Forced to Circle for an Hour to Burn Off Fuel Before Making the Landing. There Were No Injuries and the Atsb is Investigating.

Atc & Airspace

Airservices Australia Came Under Media Scrutiny Last Week Over the Workloads Being Placed on Air Traffic Controllers Around the Country.

Adacel Has Delivered the First Phase of Its Tower Simulation System to the Us Faa.

Space

The Usa is Reportedly Considering Attempting a Shoot Down of a Reconnaissance Satellite Which Was Placed in Orbit Two Years Ago, From an Aegis Cruiser Equipped With Ballistic Missile Defence (Bmd) Capabilities. The Satellite Reportedly Malfunctioned Soon After Launch and Its Orbit Has Been Deteriorating Ever Since.

People

South African Airways Has Appointed Trent Malcolm as Sales Manager – Queensland and Dominique Friedrich as Sales Executive, Western Australia.

Ralph ‘skip’ Boyce Has Been Appointed as President of Boeing Southeast Asia. Boyce Succeeds Douglas Miller and Paula Walters, Who Headed Up Boeing’s Integrated Defense Systems (Ids) and the Company’s Malaysian Operations Respectively.

Helicopter Pioneer Frank Piasecki Died on February 11 in Philadelphia. Piasecki Designed the Tandem Rotor System Which is Used in the Ch-47 Chinook and Ch-46 Sea Knight Helicopters.

Billionaire Adventurer and Aviation Enthusiast Steve Fosset Has Been Declared Dead. Fosset Has Been Missing Since September 3 Last Year When the Light Aircraft He Was Flying in Disappeared. No Wreckage or Body Has Been Found in the Rugged Terrain Where It is Believed He Went Missing.

Hawker Beechcraft Has Appointed Russell Meyer as Its Director of New Product Development. Meyer Comes From Cessna, Where He Was Previously Involved in the Development of the Citation Mustang.

Airbus Has Appointed Harald Wilhelm to the Position of Chief Financial Officer to Replace Hans-peter Ring, Who Returned to His Position of Chief Financial Officer of the Eads Group in December.

Cargo

Aerologic, a New Joint Venture Between Lufthansa Cargo and Dhl Express, Has Announced That It Will Operate a Fleet of Eight 777 Freighters Based From Leipzig. Aerologic Plans to Start Operations in April Next Year and Will Fly Predominately to Asia From Its Hub at Leipzig on Behalf of Lufthansa Cargo and Dhl. By 2011-12, the Carrier Hopes to Increase Its Fleet to 11 777fs and Could Employ Up to 200 Pilots.