News Desk

The Decision May Have Been Prompted in Part by Qantas’s Recent Announcement That It Was Planning to Defer Delivery on Four A380s During the Second Half of 2009. Airbus Previously Announced Cutbacks on the A320 Line From October While Production on Its Widebody A330/a340 Line Will Be Maintained at 8. 5 Per Month Rather Than Increased as Was Planned. Despite This, the Company Says It Expects to Deliver the Same Number of Aircraft This Year as Last Year, When It Delivered 483 Aircraft.

Boeing Records Smaller Profit, Faces “unprecedented Challenges” the Boeing Company Has Recorded a 50 Per Cent Fall in Income for the First Quarter and Reduced Its Outlook for Its Earnings This Year Due to the Poor Commercial Aircraft Market.

For the Three Months to March 31, the Company Recorded a Profit of Us$600m (a$830m), With the Company Affected by Charges Relating to Lower Delivery Price Escalation Forecasts (Due to Lower Increases in Raw Material Costs) for Its Commercial Aircraft, as Well as Pending Reductions in 777 Production. Nevertheless, Consolidated Revenue Was Up by Three Per Cent to Us$16. 5bn (a$22. 8bn).

Commercial Airplanes Performed Relatively Poorly, With Earnings Down by 58 Per Cent to Us$417m (a$577m), Even Though Revenues Were Five Per Cent Higher at Us$8. 55bn (a$11. 8bn). Earnings From Integrated Defense Systems Were Down by 18 Per Cent to Us$709m (a$981m), With Profits From Military Aircraft and Network and Space Systems Down, While Earnings From Global Support and Services Was Up Slightly.

“the Expanded Global Economic Downturn is Presenting Unprecedented Challenges in Our Commercial Airplane Markets,” Said Boeing Chairman and Ceo Jim Mcnerney. “we Believe We Are Better Positioned Than Most Companies to Withstand the Ongoing Pressures of This Economy, and We Are Not Hesitating to Take Necessary Actions to Preserve Our Financial Strength and Maintain Our Ability to Invest and Grow for the Long Term. Performance Across the Overwhelming Majority of Our Programs Remains Solid, and We Are Making Progress Toward Our Milestones on the 787 and Other Important Programs. ” in Its Outlook, the Company Said That It Expects Revenue for the Year to Fall to Between Us$68-$69bn (a$94-95bn), Reflecting Challenging Commercial and Defence Markets. The Company Also Noted That It Expects Its Commercial Financing Unit, Boeing Capital Corporation, to Increase Its Portfolio as It Assists Customers to Continue to Take Delivery of Aircraft on Order.

Boeing Completes 25% of 747-8i Design

Boeing Has Completed 25 Per Cent of the Design Work on the 747-8 Intercontinental, and Also Completed Wing Assembly on the First 747-8 Freighter.

Given the Experience Already Gained on the 747-8f, the Focus of the Engineering Work Completed So Far on the Intercontinental Has Been the Fuselage and Interior Design. The Latter Includes a Number of Elements From the 787, Such as Curved, Upswept Architecture and New Lighting Systems.

“the 747 Family Has Been a Favourite Among Passengers,” Said Michael Teal, 747-8 Chief Project Engineer. “the 747-8 Intercontinental Will Build on the Memorable Experiences They’ve Had on a 747. The Moment Passengers Step Aboard a 747-8 Intercontinental, They Will Know It’s a Brand New Airplane and Enjoy a More Relaxing Flying Experience. ” the 747-8i is Now Expected to Enter Service in the Fourth Quarter of 2011 With Launch Customer Lufthansa, Which Ordered 20 in December 2006.

Boeing Also Announced on April 21 That It Had Completed Assembly of the Wing Set for the First 747-8f. The Freighter is Expected to Enter Service With Launch Customer Cargolux in 2010.

Boeing Storing Aircraft Boeing Has Been Forced to Park a Number of Aircraft at Airports Around Seattle as Customers Delay and Switch Delivery Positions for 737s and 777s, According to a Report by the Seattle Times.

The Newspaper Reports There Are Four 737s Currently Parked at Boeing Field, While Two Other 737s at Renton Being Prepared for Lease to Flydubai Instead of Original Customer Chinese Airline Okay Airways. At Everett, Air France’s Second 777 Freighter Sits in All White Colours With the Aircraft Not Expected to Reach the Customer Until 2010 at the Earliest. Two Other 777s Are Being Stored in Arizona as They Have Note Been Accepted by Customer China Southern Airlines. The Manufacturer is Also Storing Two 747-400erfs – Including the Last 747-400 to Be Built – Which Are Expected to Be Delivered to Kuwaiti Cargo Carrier Loadair in September.

The Stored Aircraft Demonstrate That the Downturn in International Passenger and Cargo Traffic is Starting to Hit the Manufacturers as Customers Who Ordered Aircraft During the Strong Years Are Now Cutting Their Capacity to Deal With Lower Volumes.

Atr 72 Cleared for Aus

the Atr 72-500 Can Now Be Placed on the Australian Vh Civil Register After the 70-seat Turboprop Received Casa Certification.

Atr Elected to Complete the Paperwork Necessary to Place the Pw127 Powered Atr 72-500 (Certified as the Atr 72-212a) on the Australian Register to Smooth the Introduction Into Service of the Type for Any Future Local Operator. “by Completing the Certification Process, We Are Now Able to Offer Not Only a Real Family of Aircraft With Maximum Flexibility but Also a Streamlined Entry Into Service for Australian Operators,” Said Laurent Negre, Atr’s Sales Director for Australia and the South Pacific, Who Nominates Fly-in/fly-out Charter Operators as Possible Future Operators of the Type.

The Smaller Atr 42-500 Received Casa Certification in 2007 When a Single Example Was Placed Into Service by Now Defunct Macair.

Boeing to Cut 777 Production by Almost a Third

Boeing Has Announced That It Will Cut 777 Production Rates From June 2010, Which It Says Reflects the Requests of a Number of Customers to Delay Their 777 Deliveries.

The Seattle Based Manufacturer Will Cut Its 777 Production by Two Units to Five Per Month From June, and Will Also Maintain Its Current Levels of 767 and 747 Production, Instead of the Previously Planned Small Rate Increases. The Company Says That There Will Be No Change to the 737 Line.

“These Are Extremely Difficult Economic Times for Our Customers,” Said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and Ceo Scott Carson. “It’s Necessary to Adjust Our Production Plans to Align Supply With These Tough Market Conditions. We Are in Close Contact With Our Customers as We Continue to Monitor This Dynamic Business Environment. ” Despite Boeing Saying It Has No Plans to Cut 737 Production, a Number of Analysts and Boeing Suppliers Are Expecting the Company to Announce a Reduction in 737 Output From 2010, With Some Suggestion That the Rate May Be Reduced to as Low as 21 Per Month, Compared to the Current 31.

Commercial Briefs

Boeing Delivered Its 6000th Boeing 737 on April 16 to Norweigan Air Shuttle Which Has Leased the Aircraft From Ilfc. Boeing Still Has a Backlog of Over 2200 737s, Valued at Approximately Us$163bn (a$226bn) at List Prices, Meaning That a Replacement for the Venerable Aircraft is Some Way Off.

as of May 8, Boeing’s Orders and Cancellations Website Was Showing a Cancellation for 25 787s. The Airframer Has Not Yet Named Who Has Cancelled the Orders.

Commercial briefs

Boeing, Rolls-royce, Ruag Aerospace and Deharde Maschinenbau Have Entered Into a Collaborative Research Agreement on Open-fan/open Rotor Propulsion Technology for Future Commercial Airplanes. The Four Parties Are Expected to Conduct Tests of a Model Concept Open Rotor Aircraft in Early 2010 as Part of Ongoing Evaluations of Open Rotor Technology.

Rolls-royce Has Announced That It Will Partner With the University of Virginia and Virginia Tech to Create a Virtual Research and Technology Centre of Excellence. To Be Called the Commonwealth Center for Aerospace Propulsion Systems, It Will Focus on Developing Advanced Propulsion Technologies.

Airbus Has Announced Five Finalist Teams for Its ‘fly Your Ideas’ Competition for Tertiary Students to Develop Creative Ideas to Shape the Future of Aviation. The Five Teams, From Universities in Spain, the Czech Republic, Singapore, Usa and Australia’s University of Queensland Will Work on Presentations to Be Made to Airbus Ceo Tom Enders at the Paris Airshow on June 18 in Pursuit of the €30,000 (a$53,037) First Prize.

Bombardier Signed an Agreement With Lufthansa Flight Training and Lufthansa Technical Training on April 23, Making the Two Organisations the First Authorised Training Providers for the Cseries Aircraft. Lufthansa Has Ordered 30 110 Seat Cs100s for Operation by Its Swiss Subsidiary, and Its Two Training Organisations Will Provide Pilot, Cabin Crew and Technical Training for the Cseries in Europe.

Eads and Airbus Have Reached a Long-term Supplier Agreement for Titanium From Russian Company Vsmpo-avisma Corp. Under the Agreement, the Russian Company Will Supply Airbus and Other Eads Subsidiaries Until 2020, Making It the Biggest and Longest Term Supply Contract for the European Aerospace Giant.

Embraer Delivered 32 Commercial Aircraft During the First Quarter of 2009, Comprised of One Erj-145, Five E-170s, Three E-175s, 17 E-190s and Six E-195s. The Brazilian Manufacturer Also Delivered Eight Executive Jets, Comprised of Six Phenom 100s and Two Legacy 600s.

Boeing Delivered the 777th Production 777 to Air France on April 10. The 777-300er Features a New Livery Which Will Be Rolled Out Across the Air France Fleet.

Airbus Delivered 116 Aircraft for the Quarter Ending March 31, Comprised of 101 A320 Family Aircraft, Six A330-200s, Seven A330-300s and Two A340-600s. Over the Same Period, the Airline Took Gross Orders for 22 Aircraft, but Cancellations of 14 A320s Left It With a Net Order Gain of Only Eight Aircraft, Worth Us$1. 8bn (a$2. 48bn) at List Prices.

Alenia Aeronautica Has Formally Completed Its Acquisition of a 25 Per Cent Stake in Russia’s Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Company, Worth Us$180m (a$248m). Alenia is a Key Partner of Sukhoi in the Development, Marketing and Support of the Superjet.

Rolls-royce Announced on April 8 That Saudi Arabian Airlines Had Selected the Trent 700ep Engine and an Associated Long Term Service Agreement to Power Up to 12 Airbus A330s It Has on Order. According to Rr, the 700ep Reduces Fuel Burn Over the Baseline Trent 700 by 1. 3 Per Cent on the A330.

Sales

Turkish Airlines Has Ordered Five Boeing 777-300ers.

Kingfisher Airlines Has Firmed an Order for Five Airbus A350-800s. Kingfisher Placed the Order for the Pre-xwb A350, but Did Not Commit to the New Design Until Late April.

the Harbin Embraer Aircraft Industry Company Has Announced That Hainan Airlines Has Trimmed Its August 2006 Contract for an Original Firm Order of 50 Locally Assembled Erj-145 Regional Jets to Just 25 Aircraft. The Airline Has Taken Delivery of 12 Erj-145s to Date.

Gulf Air Has Converted Options for Eight Boeing 787-8s Into Firm Orders. It is the First Firm Order for the 787 in 2009, Which Has So Far Experienced 32 Cancellations.

Military

Australia to Assist on Poseidon Upgrade

the Australian Government Has Signed a Memorandum of Understanding to Jointly Develop Upgrades to the Poseidon With the Us Navy.

Defence Minister Joel Fitzgibbon Made the Announcement on May 5, Noting That Defence Will Collaborate in Spiral 1, the First Tranche of Improvements to the Poseidon. “through Participation in the P-8a Spiral One Cooperative Development Program, Defence Seeks to Gain Information on the P-8a to Support Acquisition and Through Life Support Decisions, Provide Opportunities for Australian Industry, and Influence the Direction on P-8a Improvements,” the Minister Said.

The Recent Defence White Paper Has Reaffirmed Australia’s Plan to Purchase Eight New Maritime Patrol Aircraft to Replace the 18 Ap-3c Orions Operated by the Raaf, With the P-8a the Most Likely Candidate. Under Project Air7000 Phase 2, the Aircraft Would Be Expected to Enter Service in 2018, and Will Be Supplemented by Up to Seven High Altitude Long Endurance Uavs Which Are to Be Acquired Under Project Air7000 Phase 1.

The First Boeing P-8a Poseidon Test Aircraft, Designated T-1, Made Its First Flight on April 25 From Boeing’s Renton Plant Near Seattle and Landed at Boeing Field After a Three and Half Hour Flight Which Conducted a Number Tests, Including Engine Accelerations and Decelerations, Autopilot Flight Modes, and Auxiliary Power Unit Shutdowns and Re-starts, and Reached an Altitude of 25,000ft.

The Usn Plans to Acquire 108 P-8s to Replace P-3c Orions, With Ioc Planned for 2013.

Us Discussing Myp for Jsf

the Us Government Has Held High Level Discussions With Some of the Eight Partner Nations in the Joint Strike Fighter on Multi-year Procurement of the Aircraft, Allowing Lower Production Costs.

According to a Report From ‘reuters’, International Partner Nations Could Gain Some Cost Reduction on Their F-35s by Agreeing to Minimum Three Year Contracts, Possibly Before Us Congress Approves Its Own Myp Contract, Which Could Come in 2014. Acting Program Head Wade Knudson Said That High Level Discussions Had Already Taken Place, but Did Not Disclose With Which Nations the Talks Had Been With. Those Discussions Are Unlikely to Have Included the Netherlands, Which Has Postponed a Decision on a Jsf Purchase Until 2012, After a General Election, for Political Reasons.

Knudson, Who Was Speaking at a Conference Organised by the Us Navy League, Said That Good Progress Was Being Made in the Testing and Initial Low Rate Production of the F-35. He Also Said That the First Flight of the Short Takeoff Vertical Landing (Stovl) F-35b in That Configuration is Expected to Take Place in September. The Aircraft Recently Completed Hover Pit Testing, and is Planned to Resume Conventional Flying During the Northern Summer.

Australia Has Committed to Fielding a Fleet of Up to 100 F-35s as the Nation’s Frontline Strike/fighter Aircraft, and Could Gain Significant Benefit From Any Early Myp Agreement, but There Have Been No Indications Yet That Australia Has Been Involved in the Talks to Take Early Production Aircraft.

Rockwell Collins Demonstrates Damage-tolerant Uas Rockwell Collins Has Test Flown a Subscale Replica F/a-18 Hornet Unmanned Aerial System Featuring New Damage Tolerance Software Which Aims to Maintain Control of the Uas’s in the Event of Damage to Major Parts of the Aircraft.

Rockwell Collins Posted a Video on Its Website of the Trial Flight, Which Saw 60 Per Cent of a Wing Ejected, Simulating Battle Damage to the Uas. The Aircraft’s Flight Control Software Was Able to Quickly Keep the Aircraft Flying in a Stable Configuration. The Software Was Temporarily Disabled, Showing the Model Aircraft Becoming Very Unstable, Before It Was Enabled Again and the Aircraft Was Able to Land.

Rockwell Says That It is Planning to Continue Trials of the Software on Both the Subscale Hornet and an Operational Uas, Including Testing It in a Simulated Combat Zone to Provide More Realistic Aircraft Damage. The Work is Being Conducted Under a Contract With the Us Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

“This Next Phase of the Damage Tolerance Program Will Demonstrate That Technology Exists to Reliably Control Uas Operating Under the Most Challenging Conditions Such as Extreme Damage, Upset or Failure,” Said Darpa Program Manager James Mccormick.

Integration of Such Software in Uas’s Would Allow for Greater Rates of Survivability in Combat Zones, and Could Also Assist in Better Integration in Civil Airspace.

Kc-30a Hooks Up to French Kc-135f the Raaf’s First Airbus A330 Based Kc-30a Tanker Has Further Validated Its Capabilities by Successfully Receiving Fuel From a French Air Force Kc-135f Tanker During Flight Testing in Europe.

Two Flights Comprising 20 Hook-ups Were Conducted During the Tests, Revalidating the Kc-30’s Flight Control Laws as a Receiver Aircraft and Its Ability to Successfully Operate With Us and Coalition Tankers, After Previously Conducting Nearly 80 Dry Hook-ups Behind Eads’s A310 Concept Demonstrator Aircraft Last Year.

Airbus Military Also Announced in Early May That It Had Completed Boom Flutter Tests on the Kc-30a, Which Were Aimed at Checking Boom and Aircraft Behaviour by Inducting Vibrations on the Boom Ruddervators.

The First of Five Kc-30as is Due to Be Delivered to the Raaf Later This Year.

Eads Faces Huge A400m Delay Penalties

Eads May Be Forced to Pay Up to €1. 4bn (a$2. 5bn) in Penalties to Development Partner Nations Over Delays to Its Troubled A400m Military Airlifter Program, According to the Company’s Annual Report.

The Company is Still Negotiating With Seven Partner and Customer Nations on a Forward Path for the Aircraft, Development of Which Has Been Delayed More Than Three Years Due to Engine Integration Issues and an Underestimation of the Program’s Engineering Requirements. While the 2003 Development Agreement Between the Partner Nations Opens the Door for Penalty Payments to Be Made, and the Agreement Says the Program Can Only Be Cancelled if All Partners Are in Unanimous Agreement, Individual Nations Can Cancel Aircraft if They Are More Than 10 Months Late.

Despite Earlier Threats From Germany and the Uk to Cancel Their Orders for 60 and 25 Aircraft, They Joined France, Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg and Turkey in Agreeing in March on a Moratorium on Cancelling Their Orders. A Complete Cancellation of the Project Will Mean Eads Will Have to Pay Back €5. 7bn (a$10. 3bn) in Development Payments and Advances to the Partner Nations.

Airbus Ceo Tom Enders Told a Spanish Newspaper on April 16 That Up to 40,000 Jobs Were at Risk if the A400m is Cancelled. Enders Called on Governments to Look Beyond Delivery Delays and Focus on the Investment to Protect Jobs. “You Can’t Just Look at the Plane as a Product,” He Said.

Raytheon Licenses Killerbee Raytheon Announced on May 2 That It Has Licensed the Rights to the Technology and Name of the Killerbee Unmanned Aircraft From Northrop Grumman.

Raytheon Says That Under the Terms of Its Agreement, It Will Submit the Killerbee for the Us Navy and Marine Corps’ Small Tactical Uas and Tier Ii Competition. “We’re Competing for Stuas Tier Ii but That is Only the Beginning,” Said Bob Francois, Raytheon Missile Systems Advanced Programs Vice President. “Raytheon Has Rights to Produce, Improve and Sell Killerbee Iv and Our Plan is to Continuously Mature the System and Tailor It to Meet the Needs of Allied Warfighters Around the Globe. ” the Killerbee is a Small Tactical Uav Which Features a Blended Wing Body Design and Has a Common System for Air or Sea Launch. Raytheon Says That the Design Also Allows for a Variety of Payloads to Be Carried and Additional Capabilities to Be Added.

Northrop Grumman Purchased the Rights to the Killerbee From Swift Engineering in Late March and Will Continue to Market the System Under the New Bat Designation. Both Raytheon and Northrop Grumman Will Continue to Independently Develop and Market Smaller and Larger Versions of the Killerbee and Bat Systems.

Ec and Lm to Bid Armed Scout 645 for Us Arh Program Eurocopter and Lockheed Martin Announced on May 4 That They Will Partner to Develop an Armed Version of the Ec145 to Bid for the Us Army’s Armed Reconnaissance Helicopter (Arh) Project to Replace Ageing Bell Oh-58d Kiowa Warriors.

American Eurocopter Would Manufacture the Armed Scout 645 Helicopter at Its Columbus, Mississippi, Plant Where It Currently Manufactures the Uh-72a Lakota Luh, While Lockheed Martin’s Missiles and Fire Control Division Would Responsible for the Integration of the Armed Scout 645’s Targeting and Weapons Systems.

The Us Army Has Yet to Issue a Rfp for Its New Arh Competition After the Original Contract, Awarded to Bell in July 2005, Was Cancelled Due to Cost Blowouts and Delays. Bell Says It Will Wait for the Army to Issue an Arh Program Rfp Before Evaluating Whether to Compete for the New Contract.

Raaf Finds Missing Canberra Bomber the Adf Has Identified What It Believes is the Wreckage of a Canberra Bomber Which Was Shot Down During the Vietnam War.

An Adf Investigation Team Deployed to the Site on April 15, Which is in the Quang Nam Province of Vietnam Near the Laotian Border, Finding a Number of Military Artefacts. However, No Human Remains Have Been Discovered at the Site.

The Canberra Disappeared on November 3 1970 While Returning to Base From a Bombing Mission, Crewed by Flying Officer Michael Herbert and Pilot Officer Robert Carver. The Two Airmen Are the Last Two Adf Members Missing in Vietnam.

“These Brave Airmen Gave Their Lives in the Service of Their Nation, and Locating the Crash Site is an Important Step in Accounting for Them,” Said Defence Science and Personnel Minister Warren Snowdon. “Relatives of the Two Crewmen Have Been Advised of the Discovery, and Air Force Will Continue to Keep Them Updated. ”

Super Hornets Gather Pace

Production of the Raaf’s First of 24 F/a-18f Super Hornets is Gaining Pace, With Northrop Grumman Delivering Major Sections of the Jet to Boeing’s F/a-18 Production Centre in St Louis, Missouri During April.

The Aircraft’s Centre/aft Fuselage Section, Twin Vertical Tails and All Associated Subsystems Were Shipped for Mating With the Forward Fuselage Section and Final Assembly at St Louis on April 2. “This Delivery Continues the F/a-18 Industry Team’s Outstanding Record of Performance,” Said Michelle Scarpella, Director of F/a-18 Programs at Northrop Grumman Aerospace Systems. “Each of the More Than 380 F/a-18e/f Super Hornet Deliveries Has Been on Time or Ahead of Schedule. ” Australia ’s First Super Hornets Will Be Delivered From Early Next Year.

Lockmart Denies Jsf Security Breach Lockheed Martin Says That There Has Been No Security Breach on the Joint Strike Fighter Program, Following a Report in the Wall Street Journal Claiming That Hackers Had Accessed Sensitive Information on the Aircraft.

According to the ‘wsj’, Lockheed Martin Faced a Number of Cyber-attacks During 2007 and 2008, With Many Attacks Traced Back to Computers in China. The Article Also Claimed That Sensitive Data on the F-35 Had Been Stolen, Which Lm Denies.

“the Article in ‘wall Street Journal’ Was Incorrect in Its Representation of Successful Cyber Attacks on the F-35 Program,” a Lockheed Martin Spokesman Said. “to Our Knowledge, There Has Never Been Any Classified Information Breech. Like the Government, We Have Attacks on Our Systems Continually and Have Stringent Measures in Place to Detect and Stop Attacks. ” Other Reports From Us Officials Claim That the Breach Saw Only “low-level” Unclassified Data Stolen, Rather Than Any Sensitive Information. Lm and the Us Defense Department Say That Their Networks Are Continually Probed for Any Possible Cyber Security Breach, and That So Far No Classified Data Had Been Stolen. The Chinese Government Has Also Denied Any Link With the Attacks on Lm’s Network.

Embraer Launches Kc-390

Embraer Launched the Kc-390 Tactical Transport on April 15 at the Latin American Aero and Defence Exposition.

Launched After a Commitment – Albeit Not a Formal Order – From the Brazilian Air Force (Fab), the Fly-by-wire, Twin-turbofan Aircraft is Expected to Make Its First Flight in 2012, With Entry Into Service in 2015. The Aircraft’s Basic Design Features a High T-tail, Rear Cargo Loading Ramp and Wing Mounted Hose/drogue Refuelling Pods. It Will Be Assembled at Embraer’s Gaviao Peixoto Plant, Where It Currently Produces Its Phenom Line of Business Jets.

“the Launch of the Kc-390 Program is a New Landmark in the Historical Strategic Partnership Between the Brazilian Air Force and Embraer,” Said Frederico Fleury Curado, Embraer President and Ceo. “we Are Convinced That the Development of the Kc-390 Will Result in an Effective Cargo and Tanker Aircraft for the Fab and Shall Also Become Another Successful Export Platform for Both Embraer and Brazil. ” Although the Brazilian Manufacturer Has Yet to Release Performance Details of the Aircraft, It is Expected That the Kc-390 Will Compete Against the Lockheed Martin C-130j. Although It Has Been Developed to Meet a Fab Requirement and is Considered a “sovereign Program”, It is Expected That Export Orders Will Be a Major Target for the Program.

Embraer Has Been Working on a Military Transport Aircraft Since 2007, and Had Originally Pursued a Heavily Modified Design Based Around the E-190 Passenger Aircraft but Later Found It Unworkable, Warranting the Development of the New Aircraft.

Airbus Integrated Eads Mtad

Airbus Announced on April 15 That It Had Integrated the Former Military Transport Aircraft Division of Its Parent Company Eads Into Its Airbus Military Unit.

Based in Seville, Spain, Airbus Military Will Now Assume Control of All Eads Military Transport Aircraft From the A330 Multirole Tanker Transport to the Cn-235 and Cn-295. As a Result, Airbus Military Will Become Its Own Profit Centre Within Airbus’s Structure, With Domingo Ureña Appointed to Oversee the Business.

“building Civil and Military Aircraft Under One Roof Supports Our Airbus Vision 2020 to Be a Top-performing Enterprise. The Integration Strengthens Our Military Business by Providing the Right Capabilities and Structures to Address the Program Challenges Ahead, Particularly Those of the A400m,” Said Airbus President and Ceo Tom Enders. “we Warmly Welcome Our New Colleagues With Their Unique Military Expertise to Become Part of the Airbus Family. ” One of Ureña’s Key Tasks Will Be to Get the Troubled A400m Program, Which Faces the Possibility of Cancellations From Early Next Year, Back on Track.

Wedgetail Demonstrates Control of Scaneagle

Boeing Says That It Has Successfully Completed a Mission Where a Raaf Wedgetail Aircraft Was Able to Control a Scaneagle Uav.

The Company Undertook the Trial on March 16, With the Wedgetail and Scaneagle Both Flying Over Washington State. Using the Company’s Uas Battle Management Software, Operators on the Wedgetail Were Able to Relay Commands via Uhf Satellite Link and Ground Station Relays to Control the Uav.

“Our Standards Based Uas Command/control System, Which is Based on Commercial Off-the-shelf Architecture, Allowed Us to Integrate Uas Control Into Existing Battle-management Software,” Said Pierce Lutter, Boeing Associate Technical Fellow for Unmanned Vehicle Control Systems. “This Would Have Been a Major Event Even if We Had Accomplished It in a Laboratory Using Surrogates, but We Used Currently Fielded Platforms and Systems in a Real-world Setting to Demonstrate a New Level of Command-and-control Capability for Warfighters. ” Boeing Says It Plans to Conduct a Similar Demonstration in Early May From an Aircraft Based at Raaf Williamtown, Which Will Take Control of a Scaneagle Launched From Woomera, Over 1700km Away.

Separately, Boeing Announced on April 13 That Scaneagles Had Logged Over 150,000 Service Hours in Support of Us and Allied Forced in Iraq and Afghanistan. Scaneagles Have Been Deployed in the Middle East Conflicts Since 2004.

Textron Takeover Bid to See It Sell Bell? Speculation is Growing That Cessna and Bell Helicopters Parent Company Textron Could Soon Face a Takeover Bid as the Company Struggles With the Fallout of the Global Recession, With the Helicopter Arm Likely to Be Sold Off to a Us Buyer.

A Sharp Rise in Textron’s Share Price on April 6 Has Been Linked to Rumours of a Possible Buyout of the Diversified Industrial Company, Which Also Manufactures Golf Carts and Other Products. Reports on April 9 Quoting Kuwaiti Media Sources Pointed to an Unnamed Middle Eastern Company Expressing Interest in Taking Over Textron in Order to Gain Control of Cessna, the Profitable General and Business Aviation Subsidiary. However, It is Understood That Any Deal May Mean the Divesture of Bell Helicopter, as It Would Be Expected That a Foreign Company Would Not Be Allowed to Take Over the Division Which Supplies a Number of Sensitive Helicopter Platforms for the Us Military. Companies Including Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Have Been Listed by Analysts as Possible Buyers, While a Takeover From Rival Sikorsky is Unlikely Due to Competition Concerns.

Military Briefs

the Pentagon Has Cut Funding for the Ge/rolls-royce F136 Alternate Engine for the F-35 Lightning Ii Joint Strike Fighter From the 2010 Defense Budget. The Engine Has Had Its Funding Cut Numerous Times Under the Bush Administration but Has Been Rescued by Congress, Which Approved Us$465m (a$616m) for the Program in Fy2009.

Us Special Operations Command Plans to Purchase 20 Boeing A106t Hummingbird Uass (Now Designated as the Ymq-18a) to Serve as Strike and Reconnaissance Aircraft Between 2012 and 2017.

the Royal Air Force Has Surpassed the 5000 Hour Milestone on Its Fleet of Six Boeing C-17 Globemaster Iii Airlifters.

the French Army Will Upgrade a Number of Its Eurocopter Tiger Hap Attack Helicopters to Allow Them to Be Deployed for Combat Operations in Afghanistan. The Enhancements Include Air Particle Separators, Rotor Blade Protection, Ballistics Protection, Rotor Blade Protection and Secure Communications Equipment.

a German Tiger Uht Attack Helicopter Reportedly Suffered a Rotor Head Failure on April 24 While Conducting Engine Tests at the Joint Attack Helicopter School at Le Luc Army Base in France. As a Consequence All German and French Tigers Have Been Grounded Pending an Outcome of an Inspection of All Rotors. There Has Been No Indication as to Whether the Australian Army’s Tiger Fleet Has Been Similarly Affected.

Bae Systems Has Been Awarded a £574m (a$1. 2bn) Contract to Support the Raf’s Fleet of Harrier Gr. 7/gr. 9 Strike Aircraft Until 2018.

an Indonesian Air Force (Tni-au) F27 Reportedly Crashed at Bandung on April 27 Killing 24 Crew and Trainee Parachutists on Board. The Aircraft Reportedly Crashed Into a Hangar While Trying to Land During Heavy Rain.

the Fourth Prototype Sukhoi Su-35 Crashed During High Speed Taxi Tests on April 27. The Su-35 is an Advanced Single-seat Fighter Development of the Su-30mki. The Pilot Ejected Safely.

the Planned Future Lynx Currently Under Development for the Royal Navy and British Army Has Been Redesignated as the Aw159 Lynx Wildcat. The Aw159 is a Major Development of the Current Lynx Which Will Incorporate New Advanced Sensors and Avionics, New Engines, and an Enhanced Airframe. First Flight of the Prototype Wildcat is Due Later This Year, With Service Entry From 2011.

Raytheon Conducted the First Control Test Vehicle Test Flight of Its Gbu-53/b Sdb Ii From a Usaf F-15e at the Eglin Afb Range in Florida in April. The Weapon Successfully Deployed Its Wings and Performed a Series of Pre-programmed Manoeuvres Before Flying to a Pre-designated Position.

a French Defence Official Has Told Us Media That France Has a Requirement for 14 New Aerial Refuelling Tankers to Replace Its Ageing Kc-135fs.

Northrop Grumman Has Completed Delivery of 41 Refurbished F-5n and Three F-5f Tiger Iis to the Us Navy for Use as Adversary Training Aircraft. The F-5s Were Acquired From Switzerland.

India Suffered the First Loss of One of Its Sukhoi Su-30mki Multirole Fighters on April 30. One Crew Member Was Killed and the Other Seriously Injured. The Iaf Has Grounded Its Fleet of Su-30s Pending an Investigation Into the Accident.

Alenia is Reportedly in Discussions With Northrop Grumman With a View to Partnering on the Us Army C-27j Jca Program After Failing to Agree to Terms With Boeing Late Last Year.

France Has Ordered Five Ec725 Caracals From Eurocopter. The Ec725 is an Advanced Special Forces Version of the Super Puma.

the Israeli Defence Force/air Force is Reportedly Considering an Order for the Recently Unveiled F-15se Silent Eagle, Potentially in Place of a Proposed Order for the F-35 Lightning Ii Jsf. The Idf/af Already Operates Various Models of the F-15 Eagle.

the Raaf Utilised Two C-130s and Two C-17s to Conduct Medivac Missions Following an Explosion on Board the Asylum Seeker Carrying ‘siev 36′ Indonesian Fishing Vessel in the Vicinity of Ashmore Reef on April 16. The Aircraft Operated Flights From Truscott Airfield, Where Patients Were Transferred From an Offshore Platform by Helicopter, to Darwin or Perth for Treatment. A Subsequent C-17 Flight Ferried Six Burns Patients to Brisbane.

the Dassault Rafale Has Been Excluded From the Indian Air Force’s Us$12bn (a$16. 6bn) Fighter Contest, According to a Report Quoting a Senior Defence Ministry Official on April 16 Who Said That the Aircraft Did Not Meet All the User Requirements. The F/a-18e/f Super Hornet, F-16, Gripen, Mig-35 and Mig-29 Are All Understood to Be Still in Competition.

the Us Air Force Says That Its Next Jet Trainer Will Be Capable of Completing 9g Turns and Air-to-air Refuelling, Functions Lacking in the Current T-38 Talon Trainer. The Usaf is Currently Engaged With Manufacturers to Define the Requirements for a New Jet Trainer, Which is Expected to Start Replacing the Talon From 2017 and Provide a Smoother Transition to the F-35 and F-22.

Boeing Says One of Its Scaneagle Uavs Played an Important Role in Securing the Release of Us Freighter Captain Richard Phillips, Who Was Taken Hostage by Pirates in the Gulf of Aden. Operating From the Destroyer Uss ‘bainbridge’, a Scaneagle Controlled by Boeing Personnel Was Used to Provide Real Time Imagery of the Pirates and Phillips on Board a Lifeboat Before the Captors Were Killed by Navy Seal Snipers, Ending the Ordeal.

Boeing Defence Australia (Bda) Has Gained Approval From the National Association of Testing Authorities to Test Aircraft and a Range of Other Military Equipment and Commercial Platforms for Electromagnetic Environmental Effects (E3). Bda Has an E3 Testing Facility at Raaf Base Amberley, and Also Has Mobile Test Equipment, Which Are Used to Measure and Provide Empirical Results Regarding an Aircraft’s Electromagnetic Susceptibility to Certain Frequencies, Which Can Affect Flight-critical and Other Systems Within an Aircraft.

the Second Group of 103 of the Raaf’s Gap Year Cadets Graduated From Their 10 Week Induction Into the Air Force on April 8. The 2008 Intake of Gap Year Cadets Resulted in 18 Participants Joining the Raaf, While a Further Three Entered the Raaf’s Undergraduate Scheme.

the Spanish Government Says It is Unwilling to Cut Its Orders for the Airbus Military A400m Transport, Despite the Numerous Delays to the Aircraft’s Development.

Pratt & Whitney Has Announced That It Will Provide Its Ecopower Engine Wash Services for the F117 Engines on the Raaf’s Fleet of Four Boeing C-17 Globemaster Iiis. The Services Are Being Provided Under the Engine Repair and Overhaul Contract Administered by Boeing.

the New Zealand Government Says That It Plans to Retain Whenuapai as an Active Base for the Rnzaf, With the Government Allocating Nz$60m (a$48. 6m) for Essential Works. The Previous Clark Government Had Intended to Close the Base, Which Has Been Subject to a Campaign to Open It Up as a Secondary Airport for the Auckland Region.

Unmanned Vehicles Magazine is Reporting on Its Website That It Has Obtained Pictures of an Unidentified New Type of Uav Operating in Afghanistan. The Uav Appears to Have a Flying Wing Design, Similar to Boeing’s X-47b, as Well as Doors Which May Indicate a Strike Capability. An Unnamed Analyst Quoted by the Magazine Claims That It is Most Likely to Have Been Made by Either Lockheed Martin or Northrop Grumman.

Hawker-beechcraft Corporation Has Delivered Its First of 23 Special Mission King Air 350ers to the Us Air Force. Designated Mc-12w, the Aircraft Has Been Modified for Low Altitude Surveillance.

Northrop Grumman Celebrated the 50th Anniversary of the First Flight of the T-38 Talon Supersonic Trainer on April 10. Ng Produced 1187 Talons Between 1959 and 1971, With Nearly Half Still in Service With the Usaf, Navy and Nasa, as Well as Other Air Forces Around the World.

Airlines

Tiger to Fly Syd-adl

Tiger Airways Has Announced That It Will Start Services From Its Second Hub at Adelaide to Sydney, Complementing Its Recently Launched Melbourne-sydney Services the Daily Flights, Which Will Be Operated by an A320 Will Commence From July 31, Making Sydney the Seventh City Served From Tiger’s Adelaide Base. Fares on the Route Start From $48 One Way.

Tiger Airways Australia Managing Director Shelley Roberts Said That the New Route is Continuing to Demonstrate the Airline’s Ability to Grow Rapidly While Others Have Been Cutting Flights. “already in the First Quarter of 2009 We Have Recorded an 8. 7 Per Cent Increase in Passenger Numbers When Compared With the Same Period Last Year. Our Capacity and Load Factors Increased by 7. 6 and 0. 9 Per Cent, Respectively,” She Said.

Airasia to Fly Bali-perth

Indonesia Airasia Has Announced That It Will Start Daily Flights Between Denpasar and Perth From July 17, Making It Only the Second Indonesian Airline to Serve Australia.

Airasia Made the Announcement of the New Services on May 5 After Releasing a Number of Seats for Only $77 One Way From Perth Which Sold Out Within Hours of Going on Sale.

“bali is the Driving Force Behind Indonesia’s Tourism Economy and It is Corresponding to Our Testament in Supporting the Government of Indonesia’s Efforts to Boost Tourism and Promote It as a Gateway to Other Provinces in Indonesia,” Said Indonesia Airasia Ceo Dharmadi.

The Entry of Airasia Makes It the Fifth Carrier to Fly Between the Indonesian Holiday Island and Perth, With Garuda Indonesia, Jetstar, Pacific Blue and Indojet (Whose Flights Are Operated by Ozjet) Currently Serving the Market.

Fare Sales Continue Jetstar, Virgin Blue and Tiger Airways All Launched Promotional Airfare Campaigns in the Week Ending May 8, Signalling That the Discounting War Going on Between the Three Airlines is Continuing.

Jetstar Kicked Off the Battle, Announcing That as Part of Its Fifth Birthday Celebrations That It Was Offering 5000 Fares for Five Cents. It Also Announced a ‘two for One’ Sale Special Across Its Network From May 6-11, With Fares Starting From $24. Virgin Blue Responded by Launching an “its Not Our Birthday” Sale. Tiger Also Entered the Fray, Announcing a Fare Sale on Across Its Network Starting From $28 One Way From May 6-12 for Travel From May 11 to October 3.

While the Three Sales Have Largely Been Promotional, the Competition Between the Three Airlines is Likely to Result in Sustained Low Fares Across Australia for Some Time. According to Bitre’s Air Fares Index, Discount Fares Have Fallen Since July 2008, With the Trend Expected to Continue as Low Cost Carriers Continue to Stimulate Travel in the Domestic Market in the Face of a Likely Recession.

Qantas Pax Numbers Keep Falling the Qantas Group Carried Fewer Passengers During March 2009 Compared to the Same Month Last Year as the Carrier’s Premium International Services Continued to Feel the Effects of the Global Economic Slowdown.

During the Month, Qantas’s International Services Saw Passenger Numbers Fall by 15. 8 Per Cent to 585,000. Although Partially Offset by an 8. 7 Per Cent Cut in Capacity, Seat Factor Also Fell, Down by 3. 2 Points to 79. 9 Per Cent. Jetstar’s International Services Fared Better, With a 36. 3 Per Cent Increase in Passenger Numbers to 187,000 Increasing Its Load Factor to 73. 1 Per Cent. The Increase Was Attributed to a 21. 9 Per Cent Rise in Capacity Due to New International Short-haul Services to Asia.

The Fall in International Passenger Numbers Come Only Weeks After Ceo Alan Joyce Admitted That the International Division of Qantas Was Losing Money, Forcing the Airline to Revise Its Profit Forecast for the Full Year Down to $100-$200 Million.

Qantas’s Domestic Services Also Saw a Decline in Passenger Numbers, Albeit Much Milder at 2. 6 Per Cent, Driving Load Factor Down by 1. 3 Points to 77. 5 Per Cent. Qantaslink’s Passenger Numbers Declined by 1. 2 Per Cent, but a 6. 2 Per Cent Drop in Rpks Led Its Load Factor to Decline by Four Points to 65. 7 Per Cent. Jetstar on the Other Hand Recorded a 1. 8 Per Cent Increase in Passenger Numbers, While a 3. 1 Per Cent Reduction in Capacity Allowed Its Seat Factor to Grow by 3. 1 Points to 81. 8 Per Cent.

Pax Numbers Up at Virgin Virgin Blue Holdings Has Recorded an Overall Increase in Passenger Numbers During March of 3. 7 Per Cent, Although Its Revenue Load Factor Fell by 2. 7 Per Cent, Primarily as a Result of Lower Loads on International Services.

On Its Domestic Services, the New World Carrier Saw Passenger Numbers Fall by 1. 4 Per Cent to 1. 35 Million, Although It Recorded a 0. 4 Per Cent Increase in Rpks. Revenue Load Factor Increased by 0. 1 Percentage Points to 81. 6 Per Cent.

Internationally, the Carrier’s Pacific Blue and V Australia Subsidiaries Recorded a 55. 8 Per Cent Increase in Passenger Traffic to 207,415, Although This Was Largely Due to the Low Traffic Base the Year Before. Revenue Load Factor Was Down by 6. 8 Points to 68. 7 Per Cent, as Capacity Rose by 167. 1 Per Cent Due to the Launch of New Services by the Two International Carriers.

Strategic Firms Leases, European Base

Strategic Airlines Announced on April 29 That It Has Signed Lease Agreements on an Airbus A330-200 and the Two A320s Previously Announced, With One of the A320s to Be Based in Europe.

Strategic Has Currently Applied for a French Air Operator’s Certificate, and is Expected to Have Its First A320 Available for Charter and Wet Lease From June. “With the Recent Collapse of a Number of Airlines Throughout Europe, There is Now a Gap in the Market for an Independent and Reliable Airline – Particularly One With a Strong Service Focus,” Said Strategic Airlines Ceo David Blake. “the Opportunity to Establish Strategic Airlines in the European Market is a Further Investment in Continued and Sustainable Growth for the Future. ” the Second A320 Will Be Based in Brisbane for Charter Work, and Will Also Be Utilised to Operate Three Flights Per Week to Honiara on Wet-lease to Solomon Airlines From August 3.

The Airline Has Also Announced That It Has Signed a Lease Agreement With Swiss International Air Lines, a Lufthansa Subsidiary, for an Airbus A330-200 Which Will Be Delivered in June, Ahead of the Launch of Operations in October. That Aircraft Will Take Over From an A330-300 Currently Wet-leased From Portuguese Carrier Hifly Which is Operated on Flights to the Middle East on Behalf of the Australian Defence Force.

Jetstar Continues Push for Common Border

Jetstar Ceo Bruce Buchanan Says That a Common Border Between Australia and New Zealand Could Provide Significant Economic Stimulus for Both Countries.

“unquestionably Both a Common and Simplified Trans-tasman Border Would Be a Positive Stimulus for Both Economies,” Buchanan Said Speaking at the Trans Tasman Business Circle in Melbourne on May 1.

“at a Time When Both the Australian and New Zealand Economies Are in Technical or Real Recessions and Jobless Numbers Are Escalating at the Fastest Rate in Decades – Surely This is the Time to Solve This Problem. ” Both Jetstar and Pacific Blue Have Said That Having a Common Border Between Australia and New Zealand Could Allow Them to Drop Their Fares Between the Two Countries by $60-$100. It Could Also Open Up Smaller Airports, Such as Avalon, Newcastle and Proserpine to Receive Flights From Across the Tasman. In March, Prime Minister Kevin Rudd and His New Zealand Counterpart John Key Pledged to Make the Issue a Priority for Both Governments.

Pel Air Cuts Metros, Jobs

Regional Express Subsidiary Pel-air Has Announced That It Will Ground Its Fleet of 10 Metro Iiis, Leading to the Loss of 24 Jobs.

“unfortunately the Dramatic Drop in Overnight Freight Volumes Has Meant That Our Customers Have Cancelled Contracts and as a Result We Have Been Forced to Restructure Our Freight Business,” Said Rex Ceo Jim Davis. “sadly, This Has Resulted in Unavoidable Redundancies Amongst the Pilots and for Some Ground Staff. ” the Last Metro Services Will Operate on May 29, After Which Pel-air’s Remaining Freight Services Will Be Operated by Saab 340a Freighters. As a Result, 20 Pilots and Four Ground Staff Will Be Made Redundant. It is Expected That the Aircraft Will Be Placed Into Storage at Wagga Wagga and May Be Sold Off.

Rex Also Warned That While There Had Not Been Any Redundancies in Its Passenger Operations, It Would Not Rule Out the Possibility of Layoffs in the Next Six Months if the Current Deterioration in Regional Aviation Continued.

Carriers Bracing for Swine Flu Hit Carriers Around the World Have Been Bracing Themselves to Deal With Measures to Prevent a Possible Pandemic of Swine Influenza.

Iata Ceo and Director General Giovanni Bisignani Said That the Airlines Were Following Advice From the World Health Organisation and Prior Planning for Dealing With the Avian Flu Outbreak Years Before. He Also Praised the Who for Not Recommending Any Border Closings So Far. “we Hope That Governments Take Decisions and Coordinate Their Actions in Line With Who Recommendations,” He Said on April 30.

Despite the Parallels Between the Swine Influenza and the Avian Influenza Outbreak Years Before, There Has Been Little Suggestion of Any Impact on Travel So Far. “so Far, There Has Been Minimal Impact on Travel Patterns. We Believe That Passengers Can Be Trusted to Make Informed Decisions, Provided There is Open and Transparent Communication of Accurate Information,” Association of Asia Pacific Airlines Director General Andrew Herdman Said on April 30.

Virgin Delays 777, Exercises 737 Options

Virgin Blue Has Confirmed That It is Delaying Deliveries of the Fifth and Sixth Boeing 777-300er for V Australia, but Will Exercise Options on Five Boeing 737-800s.

The Two Aircraft Were Due to Be Delivered in 2010, but Will Now Be Delivered in 2011 and 2012. The Airline’s Seventh Aircraft Will Still Be Delivered in the Second Half of 2010, While Its Fourth Aircraft is Also Still Scheduled for Delivery During the Third Quarter of This Year.

Virgin Blue Said in a Statement to the Asx on April 23 That the Delay to the Two Aircraft Was a “prudent Action in the Current Operating Environment and is Part of Virgin Blue’s Ongoing Group-wide Measures to Adjust Its Business Operations to Current and Forecast Trading Conditions. ” in a Sign of the Airline’s Possible Optimism of a Pickup in Its Short Haul Operations, Virgin Blue Also Announced That It Will Exercise Options for Five New 737-800s. They Will Replace Leased Aircraft.

Separately, V Australia Commenced Services Three Times a Week Between Brisbane and Los Angeles on April 8.

Qantas May Reduce Premium Seats Qantas Ceo Alan Joyce Told Bloomberg Television That the Airline May Look at Reducing the Number of Premium Seats in Some of Its Aircraft.

“ideally, in the Current Environment, We Wouldn’t Have as Many Premium Seats as We Have,” Said Joyce, Who Added That the Carrier is Experiencing a 30 Per Cent Fall in Bookings for Its Business and First Class Cabins on Long-haul Flights. He Also Said That the Airline Would Likely Make a Decision on Reconfiguring Some of Its Aircraft Following a Review of the Airline’s Fleet Which is Currently Underway.

As With Other Premium Airlines, Qantas is Struggling With a Flight of Corporate Clients Away From the High Yielding Premium Classes Into Lower Yielding Economy Fares. But Joyce Says That It is Unlikely That More Routes Will Be Handed Over the Jetstar. “there is a Limit to What We Can Do (With Jetstar Taking on Qantas Routes) and I Think We’re Getting to That Limit,” Joyce Told Abc Tv’s Inside Business on April 19. “a Lot of the Problem Markets Now for Qantas Are Probably Markets That Jetstar’s Not the Right Model for – the Los Angeles Market as an Example. ”

Air Nz Flight Attendants Strike Cabin Crew Employed by Air New Zealand’s Zeal320 Subsidiary, Which Operates the Airline’s A320 Fleet on Trans-tasman and Pacific Services, Commenced a Four Day Strike From May 7 as Part of an Ongoing Pay Dispute With the Airline the Engineering, Printing and Manufacturing Union (Epmu) Has Been Pressing to Bring the Zeal320 Flight Attendants’ Pay Into Parity With Other Air Nz Flight Attendants. “the Decision to Strike Was Not Taken Lightly by Our Members but They Have Been Negotiating for Seven Months and the Company is Still Offering Them Terms and Conditions That Are Tens of Thousands of Dollars Less Than Crew Employed Directly by Air New Zealand,” Said Epmu Secretary Andrew Little.

Air Nz Said on May 6 That It Has Offered the Flight Attendants a Four Per Cent Increase in Base Pay as Well as an Eight Per Cent Increase in Allowances. For the Duration of the Strike, Air Nz is Scheduling Mainline 767, 777 and 747-400 to Operate the Affected Services With Other Staff Volunteering to Cover the Services.

Qantas Calls for Faster Depreciation Qantas Ceo Alan Joyce Has Called on the Government to Reduce the Depreciation Periods on Aircraft to Allow It to Invest in Newer, More Efficient Aircraft.

Currently, Qantas and Other Australian Airlines Can Only Depreciate Their Aircraft Over a 10 Year Period, While Other Countries Have Much Shorter Cycles, Such as Singapore Which Allows Three Years for Depreciation. Joyce Was Quoted in the West Australian on April 15 Saying That This Puts Qantas at a Disadvantage, Particularly in the Current Climate for Aircraft Financing, and Would Also Give It Incentive to Continue to Invest in New Aircraft. It Would Also Support the Goals of the Government’s Proposed Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme, Which Could Add Extra Costs on to Qantas’s Operations.

De Bruin Grows

Aviation Newcomer De Bruin Air is Refurbishing Its Second Jetstream 32 as a 10-passenger Executive Transport at Its Mount Gambier Base, Writes Chris Milne.

The Aircraft is Expected to Enter Service in June, and It Will Join a 15-passenger Jetstream 32 Which De Bruin Air Began Operating in February, After Gaining Its Air Operators Certificate.

The New Aviation Group Has Been Built From the Wreckage of O’connor Airlines, Which Collapsed at the End of 2007 With Debts of Up to $5 Million After Its Last Cessna Conquest Was Grounded. But De Bruin Air Has No Plans to Re-enter the Rpt Market and Will Concentrate on the Corporate and Leisure Charter Markets.

Mount Gambier Businessman Adrian De Bruin Bought the Assets of O’connor Airlines From Administrator and Receiver Mcgrath Nicol, Including Two Airworthy 19-passenger Jetstream 32s, an Aviation Maintenance Firm and a Profitable Travel Agency, in February 2008.

One Jetstream, Based at Mt Gambier Airport and Reconfigured From Its Standard 19 Passenger Seats to 15 Passenger Seats to Offer More Leg Space, Has Carried Out Several Charters, Including the Transporting of South Australian Country Firefighters to Eastern Victoria to Fight the Devastating Bushfires, and Flights for Sporting Groups.

The Group’s Senior Sales Manager, Laressa Shenfield, Said De Bruin Air Was “very Committed to the Local Region” at Present but It Was Likely to Seek Wider Operations as It Developed Its Charter Business.

The Executive Aircraft, Being Refurbished at the Company’s Maintenance Base, Also Would Be Based at Mount Gambier, but Could Operate From Adelaide or Melbourne Airports if Corporate Opportunities Arose, She Said.

Meanwhile, the Former O’connor Base Had Begun Carrying Out Maintenance Work for Private Aircraft Owners, and This Would Provide a Basis for Seeking Other Third-party Contracts.

When Buying the O’connor Assets, the New Owner Did Not Commit to Reviving the Scheduled Passenger Services Including the Mount Gambier-adelaide and Mount Gambier-melbourne Services, Where Regional Express is Now the Sole Operator. Victorian Regional Airline Sharp Subsequently Took Over Two Other Routes – Adelaide-port Augusta and Adelaide-mildura.

Shenfield Said There Were No Plans to Enter the Rpt Market, Particularly in the Present Economic Climate. In the Longer Term, De Bruin Air Would Seek Contract Work.

Cathay to Cuy Flights Cathay Pacific Will Cut Its Passenger Capacity by Eight Per Cent From May and Take Other Measures to Deal With the Current Economic Downturn.

“we Anticipate an Extremely Challenging Year in 2009 and a Toxic Combination of Low Fares, a Big Drop in Premium Travel, Weak Cargo Loads, Poor Yields and a Negative Currency Impact is Making It More Important Than Ever to Preserve Cash,” Said Cathay Pacific Ceo Tony Tyler.

Cathay Will Cut One Daily Frequency to Sydney, Making It a Three Times Daily Service to Hong Kong, While London, Frankfurt, Paris, Singapore, Bangkok, Seoul, Tokyo, Dubai, Mumbai and Taipei Will Also Be Affected by Frequency Cuts or Capacity Downgrades From May. In Addition, Dragonair Will Cut Its Capacity 13 Per Cent With Frequency Downgrades and the Suspension of Services to Five Cities. Cathay Will Also Cut a Number of Freighter Frequencies to a Number of Destinations as It Parks Three Boeing 747-400bcfs.

Despite the Cuts, Cathay Will Increase Its Frequencies to Denpasar, Sapporo, Bahrain and Riyadh From July.

In Addition, the Carrier is Initiating a Leave Scheme Where All 17,000 Staff Will Be Asked to Take Between One and Four Weeks Unpaid Leave. Additionally, Tyler and Coo John Slosar Will Forego Their Bonuses.

Cathay Pacific and Dragonair Also Announced That During March the Airline Saw Only a 3. 2 Per Cent Fall in Passenger Numbers. Load Factor Was Down by 2. 2 Points to 79. 1 Per Cent, While Yields Were Driven Down by Declines in Business Traffic and Lowering Fares to Stimulate Demand.

Jetstar Signs New Interline Agreements

Jetstar Has Concluded Interline Agreements With Etihad Airways, Air Calin and Air Tahiti Nui.

The New Partnerships Will Allow the Three Carriers to Issue Tickets on Jetstar Services and Vice Versa. All Three Carriers Also Have Close Cooperation With Qantas Airways.

“our Established Interline Agreements Will Provide a Seamless Booking Process for Both Our Airline Customers and Agents Wanting to Expand Their Selling Network Now Even More Broadly Across Australia, New Zealand and Increasingly the Asia Pacific,” Jetstar Ceo Bruce Buchanan Said. “these New Interline Offerings Give Jetstar Further Leadership in the Value Based Market. ” Buchanan Added That Air Calin and Air Tahiti Nui in Particular Were Well Connected to the Jetstar Network, and Would Widen the Reach of Its Customers in the South Pacific Region.

Jetstar Has Been Offering Interline Services in March Following the Upgrade of Its Computer Reservations System to the New Skies Platform. The Interline Tickets Are Currently Only Available Through the Global Distribution Systems.

Us Carriers Feel the Pinch Red Ink Has Been Awash With a Number of Us Airlines Releasing Their First Quarter Financial Results, but Confidence is Returning.

American Airlines Parent Company Amr Corp Recorded a Quarterly Loss of Us$375m (a$518m) on Consolidated Revenue of Us$4. 8bn (a$6. 6bn), Which Was Lower Than Expected by Many in the Market. Amr Said That the Loss Was a Result of the Weaker Economy and Its Reduction in Capacity.

Conversely, Southwest Recorded a Higher Than Expected Loss During the Quarter of Us$91m (a$125m), Which Includes Approximately Us$71m (a$98m) in Fuel Hedge Losses. That Came on the Back of a 6. 8 Per Cent Fall in Revenue to Us$2. 4bn (a$3. 3bn), Which Was Largely Attributed to a Fall in Business Traffic, as Well as the Five Per Cent Cut in Capacity It Made During the Three Months. As a Result, the Carrier is Considering Offering Voluntary Redundancies to Lower Its Costs.

Despite the Poor Results From Aa and Southwest, Iata Maintains That Its Forecast That North America to Be the Only Airline Region to Achieve a Collective Profit This Year, as Lower Fuel Costs and Less Capacity Help to Increase Yield.

Discount Economy Fares Falling Further, Others Stable New Data From the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics Shows That During April, Domestic Discount Air Fares Were Significantly Lower Than the Same Time Last Year.

According to Bitre’s Domestic Air Fare Index, the Best Discount Index Fell to 60. 6 Per Cent in April, Compared to 84. 4 Per Cent in April 2008. The Fall Continued a General Downward Trend in the Best Discount Index Since July 2008, Which is Understood to Reflect the Fare War Going on Between Tiger Airways and Jetstar, as Well as Significant Discounting From Qantas and Virgin Blue to Try and Stimulate Traffic. Most Recently, Tiger Airways Upped the Ante by Offering 10,000 Seats Across Its Network for Only $30 One Way for Travel During May, in Celebration of Carrying Its Eight Millionth Passenger.

The Business Fares and Full Economy Indices Actually Showed a Gain Compared to the Previous Month, While the Restricted Economy Fare Index Was Stable. This is Despite Some Indications That Many Premium Customers Are Now Choosing to Downgrade Their Travel From Business Class to Economy, Possibly Reflecting That the Airlines Are Content to Not Reduce Their Higher Yielding Fares Just Yet.

Meanwhile, the International Fare Tumble Has Continued, With Emirates Announcing an $88 (One Way, Minus Taxes) Economy Fare on Trans-tasman Services. United Also Announced a Special Return Fare From Sydney to the Us From $996 Including Taxes.

Qantas to Cut More Jobs, Aircraft Qantas Has Announced a Number of Initiatives Including Job and Aircraft Capacity Cuts to Deal With Continued Poor Trading Conditions, Significantly Revising Down Its Full Year Profit to Just $100-$200 Million.

“market Conditions Have Deteriorated, Especially in Our International Business,” Said Ceo Alan Joyce. “we Are Experiencing Significantly Lower Demand, Particularly in Premium Classes, and Considerable Price Pressures With Extensive Sales and Discounting by All Carriers – in Some Cases Leading to Fare Reductions of Up to 50 Per Cent. ” as a Result, the Carrier Plans to Cut International and Domestic Passenger Capacity by a Further Five Per Cent, While Freight Capacity Will Also Be Cut. This Will Lead to the Grounding of the Equivalent of 10 Aircraft, Which Will Be Put Up for Sale. The Carrier Will Also Defer Delivery of Four Airbus A380s by 10-to-12 Months and 12 Boeing 737-800s by an Average of 14 Months. Qantas Also Said That It is “exploring a Number of Options With Boeing” to Defer or Possibly Cancel Some of the 15 787-8s It Has on Order (Planned for Delivery to Jetstar). As a Result, Capital Expenditure During the 2009/2010 Financial Year Will Be Reduced by at Least $800 Million (to $1. 3 Billion, and Down From $1. 8 Billion in 2008/09).

Qantas Says It Plans to Cut Frequencies on Key Domestic High Frequency Routes, but Will Not Pull Out Completely From Any Markets, Nor Will It Transfer Any More Routes From Qantas Mainline to Jetstar in the Short Term. Internationally, the Cuts Will Come on Frequencies to London, Los Angeles, Hong Kong and Johannesburg.

The Carrier Has Also Announced That a Further 500 Management Positions Will Be Terminated, While the Equivalent of 1250 Full-time Positions Will Also Be Cut as a Result of the Downscaling of the Airline’s Operations. Actual Job Losses Will Be Minimised Through Measures Such as Leave Without Pay, Job Sharing and Natural Attrition.

In His Outlook, Joyce Said That He Expected That the Current Market Volatility to Continue for Some Time, Leading to the Lowering of the Airline’s Forecast Profit Before Tax for the 2008/09 Financial Year From Earlier Guidance of $500 Million to Between $100-$200 Million, Subject to No Further Deteriorations in Market Conditions or Fuel Price Rises. He Said That a Number of Qantas’s Businesses, Including Jetstar, Qantaslink and Domestic Services, Were Performing Well Given the Circumstances, but the Qantas Branded International Services Were Experiencing Losses That Were Eclipsing the Other Profitable Areas of the Group. Consequently, Qantas is Expected to Post a Loss for the Six Months to June 30.

“the Structural Flexibility of Our Two Brand Strategy, Qantas’s Diversified Portfolio of Business, and Prudent Financial Management Have Cushioned the Impact of the Recent Deterioration in Market Conditions,” Joyce Said. “taking Further Action on Costs and Capacity Will Ensure We Can Continue to Benefit From Those Strategies. ” as a Result of the Announcement, Qantas Had Its Credit Rating From Standard & Poor’s Cut From Bbb+ to Bbb. Fellow Agency Moodys Has Maintained Its Baa2 Rating for the Airline.

Fare War Takes Off on Long Haul Routes Qantas, Singapore Airlines, Emirates and British Airways Have All Slashed Their Fares on Long Haul Routes in a Bid to Recover Passenger Numbers During the Tough Trading Conditions.

Singapore Airlines Took Action on April 3, Announcing That It Had Slashed Its Lead-in Fares From All Australian Routes by Up to 50 Per Cent in Some Cases. This Led Qantas to Respond, While Emirates and British Airways Have Also Taken Action to Reduce Their Fares, Resulting in a Number of Economy Class Fares to Europe Becoming Available for Less Than $1500 Return. Fares Have Also Been Slashed in Business Class, With Cathay Pacific Announcing on April 14 a Two-for-one Deal for Passengers From Australia Flying to a Number of Destinations, While United Airlines Offered Fares From Sydney to the Us From Only $1039.

“Airlines Are Suffering From Lower Passenger Numbers During These Challenging Economic Times,” Said Jacqui Timmins, General Manager of Travelscene American Express. “this Type of Sale Represents a Rare Chance for Australians to Save Close to $1000 Per Person Off Normal Airfares for Peak Season on Some of the World’s Best Airlines. ”

Airnorth Takes Second E-jet, Two More to Come?

Airnorth Took Delivery of Its Second Embraer E-170 on April 8 at Sao Jose Dos Campos, Brazil, and Has Announced That It Intends to Further Expand Its Fleet.

The 76 Seat E-170ar is on Lease From Miami Based Lessor Jetscape Inc, and Will Allow the Airline to Fly From Darwin to Every Australian Capital City With a Full Load. Airnorth Has Previously Said That It Intends to Use the Aircraft on International Charter Services to and From Darwin Into Asia, With the Aircraft Capable of Nonstop Flights to Destinations Including Manila and Kuala Lumpur.

The Airline’s Ceo Michael Bridge Noted That Since It Introduced Its First E-170 in August 2007 That It Has Gained a Strong Acceptance Among Its Customers, Particularly Among Its Contract Charter Customers. As a Result, the Airline’s Board Has Made It Its Intention to Operate Four E-170s by Mid-2010, According to Embraer.

Grim Data, but Optimistic Outlook From Faa Optimism Prevailed at the 34th Annual Commercial Aviation Forecast Conference Over March 31 to April 1 in Washington Dc, With Faa Officials Sharing Grim Data Followed by Healthy Growth, Reports Jeffrey Decker.

“the Worldwide Recession Drives International Passengers Down 0. 9 Per Cent in 2009 but a Rebound in Economic Growth Leads to a 4. 2 Percent Growth in Passengers in 2010,” Reads the Faa Aerospace Forecast, Referring to Flights Into or Out of the Us.

It Predicts Stable Worldwide Economic Growth Leading to International Passenger Growth Averaging 4. 6 Per Cent a Year, and Totalling 310 Million in 2025. Between 2008 and 2015, the Report Reads, “china, India and Taiwan Are Forecast to Be the Fastest-growing Markets in the Region (11. 8, 7. 9 and 7. 6 Per Cent a Year, Respectively). ” the Asia Pacific Regional Average is 5. 2 Per Cent Per Year. That’s Almost Twice the 2. 7 Per Cent Annual Increase Predicted for Us Domestic Passengers, Following a 7. 8 Per Cent Dip in 2009.

“the Headwinds of Recession Are Blowing Fiercer in International Markets Than They Are in the Us,” Stated Brian Pearce, Chief Economist of the International Air Transport Association, Adding That International Premium Passengers Are Down 17 Per Cent. Cargo Demand is Down 25 Per Cent. “we Don’t Think We’re Going to See 2008 Traffic Levels Until 2012. ” Boeing President and Ceo Scott Carson Doesn’t Know if Recovery Will Be Rapid or Take Years. He Points to Us Nextgen Atc Modernisation Plans as Key to a Rebound, and Hopes Portions Can Be Implemented Immediately. “why Are We Waiting?” He Asked. “why Not Proceed With the Implementation of Rnp? Gps Landing Systems Should Be Installed Now at the Largest Airports. ”

Airline Briefs

Airasia Announced on May 5 That It Will Operate Daily Flights From Perth to Bali From July 17, Making It the Second Indonesian Carrier to Operate on the Route. The Services Will Utilise a 180 Seat Airbus A320.

Virgin Blue Conducted a Tour of Provincial Airports in New Zealand From May 6 Using a Pacific Blue Branded Embraer E-190. The Airline Says the Tour is to Familiarise Pac Blue Staff With the Aircraft and Gauge Feedback on the Suitability of the Aircraft in Nz.

Singapore Airlines Introduced the Airbus A330-300 on Its Services to Adelaide From May 2. Sia Already Operates Flights to Brisbane and Perth Using the New A330s.

Air Fiji Stopped Operating on May 4 Due to Financial Difficulties. The Domestic Fijian Carrier, Which is Owned by the Government of Tuvalu and China National Aero-technology Import and Export, Operated Embraer Brasilia and Harbin Y-12 Aircraft.

Emirates Increased Its Weight Allowances to 30kg for Economy Class Passengers, 40kg for Business and 50kg for First Passengers Across Its Network for All Tickets Issued on or After May 4. Gold and Silver Members of Its Skywards Loyalty Program Are Also Entitled to a Further 16 and 12kgs Allowance Respectively.

Singapore Airlines and Westpac Launched a New Co-branded Credit Card on May 7. Users of the Card Will Be Able to Earn Singapore Airlines Krisflyer Points, as Well as Bonus Points When Using the Card to Book Tickets on Sq.

Easyjet Has Applied to Local Authorities at Luton to Allow Its Pilots to Conduct Weddings on Board Its Flights for a “small Charge”. The Luton Borough Council Says It Will Respond to the Request in Due Course.

Etihad Airways Unveiled Its New First Class Suites at the Arabian Travel Market on May 6. The New Suites Feature a an 80. 5in Fully Flat Bed Seat With Which is Equipped With Built-in Massager, Lumbar Support and Adjustable Headrest, 23in Lcd Screen as Well as Power Sockets for a Laptop, Ipod and Other Electronic Devices. The New Suites Are Expected to Enter Service at the End of August, Initially on Board a New A340-600.

Emirates Took Delivery of Its 75th Boeing 777, a -300er, on May 1. Emirates Took Delivery of Its First 777 in June 1996 and is One of the Largest Operators of the Type in the World.

Qantas Achieved the Highest Rate of Ontime Departures During March With 90 Per Cent of Its Flights Leaving on Time, Followed by Virgin Blue, Jetstar and Tiger Airways. Skywest Was the Best of the Regionals, Followed by Regional Express and Qantaslink.

Regional Pacific Airlines Will Commence Services From Cairns to Mount Isa Three Times a Week From June 5 Utilising Embraer Emb-120s. The Airline, Which Also Flies Between Cairns and Bamaga, Says It Expects to Add Additional Routes During the Remainder of 2009.

Emirates is Increasing Its Commission to Travel Agents on All Fares Sold During May to Nine Per Cent. The Rate is Applicable to All Published Fares in All Classes.

Skywest Has Announced That It Will Provide ‘the West Australian’ Newspaper on Board Its Flights.

Silkair Will Introduce Twice Daily Services From Singapore to Penang, in Addition to Singapore Airlines’s Daily Service. The Announcement Comes After Jetstar Asia Recently Announced That It Plans to Fly on the Same Route Later This Year.

a Shed Built in 1922 in Longreach From Which Qantas Started Its First Services Has Been Added to the National Heritage List.

Qantas Lodged Documents in the Federal Court on April 22 Seeking Compensation From the Transport Workers Union for Its Snap Strike in March Over Jetstar’s Decision to Outsource Its Baggage Handling at Sydney Airport. The Strike, Which Was Held Nationwide for Five Hours, Caused Major Delays for Qantas.

Jetstar Asia Has Received Rights to Fly From Singapore to the Malaysian Cities of Langkawi and Penang. The Airline Says It Will Commence Flights to the Two Destinations Later This Year.

Jetstar Commenced Its First Services From Sydney and the Gold Coast to Auckland on April 28. Both Routes Are Served Daily.

Ryanair Says It Expects to Save €40m (a$73m) Annually by Eliminating Check-in Desks and Forcing Passengers to Check-in Online or Use Airport Kiosks From October. The Carrier Ryanair is Also Having Passengers Load Their Own Baggage, Negating the Need for Baggage Handlers.

Airasia X Will Increase Its Frequency on the Kuala Lumpur-london Stansted From July 1 to a Daily Service. The Flights Are Operated by A340-300s.

Garuda Indonesia Ended Flights From Denpasar to Darwin From April 20 Due to Increased Competition on the Route. Garuda Has Also Shelved Plans to Launch Flights From Jakarta to Darwin.

Singapore Airlines Saw Its Passenger Figures Fall by 23 Per Cent During March. A Nine Per Cent Reduction in Capacity Helped to Offset the Massive Decline in Numbers, Resulting in Load Factor Slipping by 11. 4 Points to 69. 4 Per Cent.

Air France-klm Says It Will Cut Up to 3000 Jobs Over the Next Two Financial Years, Which It Aims to Achieve Through Attrition and Not Renewing Short-term Contracts. The Franco-dutch Airline Recorded a 9. 4 Per Cent Drop in Passenger Numbers During March.

According to Chinese Media Reports, China Southern Airlines is Planning to Delay Delivery of Airbus A380s and Boeing 777 Freighters and 787s, Some of Which Are Due to Be Delivered Later This Year.

Malaysia Airlines Managing Director Irdris Jala Has Said That the Airline Could Look at Using Its Surplus Cash to Purchase a Stake in Another Airline, According to the Malaysian Media.

Regional Express Announced on April 9 That It Has Sold Two Saab 340as (Vh-zly and –zrx) to Polish Airline Sprintair. The Aircraft Ferried Out of Australia in Late April.

West Wing Aviation Will Commence Services on a Number of Routes in the Torres Strait From April 14. West Wing Will Take Over Services to 11 Remote Communities Which Were Previously Operated by Now Defunct Aerotropics Air Services.

Air Austral Commenced Twice Weekly Services From Reunion Island in the Indian Ocean to Sydney on April 13. The Services Are Be Operated by a Boeing 777-200er, and Provide a Through Service to Paris.

Jetstar Asia Has Announced It Will Add a Third Daily Service Between Singapore and Bangkok From October 1.

Lan Airlines Has Announced That It Will Fit Aviation Partners Boeing Winglets to Its Fleet of Boeing 767-300ers. The Airline Currently Has a Fleet of 37 of the Twinjets, Including Freighters.

Air Tahiti Has Taken Delivery of Its 25th Atr Aircraft, an Atr 72-500 That Was Delivered to the Airline at Toulouse on April 9. Air Tahiti is Also a Launch Customer for the Upgraded -600 Series, With Orders for Three Atr 42-600s and Two Atr 72-600s, Which Will Be Delivered in 2011.

British Airways Says It Has Welcomed Over 20 Million Passengers Through Terminal 5 at London Heathrow Airport During Its First Year of Operations. Despite Major Teething Problems Following T5’s Opening on March 27 2008, the Airline Says That the Majority of Its Passengers Are Either Extremely or Very Satisfied With the Functioning of the Terminal.

Environment

Environment Briefs

Brisbane Airport Has Been Named as a Finalist in the 2009 Queensland Sustainable Industries Awards. The Airport Has Recently Undertaken a Number of Energy and Water Saving Measures, Including Rainwater Harvesting and Installing Water Saving Devices Across the Airport.

Airports

March Airport Traffic Dropped the Airports Council International Has Reported That Traffic Through the World’s Airports Continued Its Slide During March, Making for a Gloomy First Quarter of the Year.

Total Passenger Traffic for the Month Was Lower by 8. 3 Per Cent, Driven Mostly by a 10. 7 Per Cent Decline in International Traffic. That Drove Passenger Numbers for the Three Months Ending March 31 Down by 8. 4 Per Cent Compared to the Same Time Last Year. Freight Volumes Were Also Down Sharply, With Declines of 18. 5 Per Cent for March and 20. 4 Per Cent for the Quarter.

Despite the Poor News, Aci Says That the Decline in Traffic Has Slowed in the Key Asia-pacific and African Regions, While the Decline in Domestic Passenger Traffic Was Also Lower. That Could Point to a Possible Upturn During the Later Stages of This Year or Early 2010, Despite an Iata Prediction in March That Any Recover During 2010 Would “require More Optimism Than Realism. ” One of the Key Concerns for the Aci is the Possible Impact of a Pandemic of Swine Influenza. Aci’s Director of Health, Security and Facilitation Craig Bradbrook Said That While the Outbreak of the Disease Has Come at a Difficult Time for the World’s Airports, Most Were Well Prepared Following the Sars and Avian Flu Outbreaks of Previous Years. “aci is in Regular Communication With Who [the World Health Organisation] and Other Industry Stakeholders and Will Continue to Provide Information and Assistance to Airports,” He Said.

Sydney Airport Earnings Up Sydney Airport Corporation Limited Has Announced That It Has Increased Its Earnings Before Interest, Tax and Depreciation (Ebitda) for the First Three Months of the Calendar Year by 2. 2 Per Cent Despite Passenger Numbers Falling.

Ebitda for the Three Months to March 31 Was $165. 6m. Revenue Was Higher by 1. 9 Per Cent, Despite a 4. 4 Per Cent Decline in Passenger Traffic Compared to the Same Time the Previous Year. Operating Expenses Were Also Higher by 3. 7 Per Cent, Which the Company Said Was a Result of a Restructuring of Its Leveraging.

“sydney Airport Has Responded to the Challenging Global Economic Environment by Moving in a Timely Manner to Undertake a Corporate Restructure Towards the End of Last Year and by Actively Managing All Areas of the Business,” Said Sacl Ceo Russell Balding.

Separately, the Airport Also Announced on April 29 That It Has Completed an Upgrade to Its Airport Ground Lighting System. The Airport Says That It Has Now Managed to Reduce Outages of Its Lighting by About 95 Per Cent Following the Upgrade.

Uav Centre for Brisbane

Brisbane Airport Corporation Announced on April 14 That It Had Broken Ground on a New Research and Development Centre at the Airport for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (Uavs).

The $6 Million Australian Research Centre for Aerospace Automation (Arcaa), Which Will Be an 800m² Facility With Space for Up to 35 Researchers at Brisbane Airport’s Newly Master-planned Da Vinci Precinct. The Centre Will Be a Partnership Between the Airport and Queensland University of Technology, and Comprises a Main Workshop for Prototype Air Vehicle Development, a Virtual Uav Laboratory for Indoor Hardware-in-the-loop Prototype Testing and General Purpose Lab. A Fully Equipped Mobile Operations Centre Has Also Been Developed.

The Centre is Due to Be Completed in Late 2009/early 2010.

Canberra Undergoes ‘airvolution’

Canberra International Airport Has Commenced Construction of Its New $350 Million Southern Concourse Terminal on April 7, as Part of Its ‘airvolution’ Aviation Infrastructure Package.

Construction of the First Sections of the New Concourse, Which Will Include the New Terminal, New Carpark and Additional Airside Aircraft Parking Bays Will Be Completed by Mid 2010. This Will Be Followed by a New Western Concourse Terminal Which Will Be Started in 2010 for a 2012 Completion, Subject to Finance and Approvals. The Airport Says That the Construction Work Planned Will Provide 350 on-site Jobs, While a Further 1000 Jobs Through the Supply Chain Will Also Be Supported.

“six Months Ago, as a Result of the Uncertainty Caused by the Global Financial Crisis, This Project Was Dead,” the Airport’s Managing Director Stephen Byron Said. “now, Thanks to a Number of Factors Including the Federal Government’s Bank Guarantee and 30 Per Cent Investment Allowance, We Are Now Able to Move Forward With Confidence. ” Qantas Welcomed the Start of Works on the Airport, Which It Says Will Deliver a Better Experience for Its Passengers Travelling Through Canberra. The Airline Has Recently Committed to Upgrading Its Facilities in Its Existing Terminal, but Will Move Into the Western Concourse Upon Its Completion in 2012.

Airport briefs

Perth Airport Conducted Its Raptor 2009 Routine Emergency Exercise at the Airport on May 7. The Exercise, Which Simulates the Response to an Aircraft Crash, Involved a Number of Agencies, Including Police, Airlines, Fire and Emergency Services and the Aviation Rescue and Fire Fighting Service.

Spanish Conglomerate Ferrovial, the Owner of British Airports Operator Baa, Said on April 30 It Had Received Three Offers for the Sale of London’s Gatwick Airport. Baa, Which Operates London’s Heathrow and Stansted Airports, Was Forced to Sell Gatwick Over Competition Concerns.

General Aviation

Airservices Awards Women Pilot Scholarships

Airservices Australia Has Awarded Four Flying Training Scholarships in Association With the Australian Women Pilots’ Association.

Airservices Provides the $6000 Scholarships for Candidates Identified by Awpa to Assist With the Cost of Obtaining a Private or Commercial Pilots’ License. The Four Scholarships Have Gone to Lousie Lavis of Victoria, Lindsey Price of Wa, Lucienne Weber of Sa and Samantha Saunders of Alexandria.

“we Are Very Pleased to Support the Awpa and Its Goals for Women Pilots in the Future of Australian Aviation. It’s Important We Continue to Promote Entry Paths Into the Industry During the Current Economic Downturn,” Airservices Spokesman Rob Walker Said.

Heather Ford, Who is a Previous Recipient of One of the Scholarships From Airservices, is Now Involved in the ‘pink and Pearls’ Team Which is Preparing to Take Part in the 80th Air Race Classic in June Across North America as Part of an All Female Team (See Later).

Piper Aircraft Sold

Piper Aircraft Company Has Been Sold to Singaporean Investment Firm Imprimus by Previous Owner American Capital.

Although the Acquisition Price Has Not Been Released, American Capital is Reported to Have Realised a Gain of Us$31m (a$41m) From the Imprimis “imprimis Brings a Level of Support That Will Propel Piper From Its Current Status as a Company With a Strong Heritage, Track Record of Innovation and Great Potential to One That is Growing and Pushing the Envelope Within General Aviation,” Said Piper President and Ceo James K. Bass. “imprimis’ Commitment to Grow Piper in Both Existing and Emerging Markets Comes at a Time When We Are Poised to Enter a New Era in Aviation History. ” Imprimus Said That It Was Interested in Investing Significant Capital to Strengthen Piper’s Current Operations and Support the Entre Into Service of the Piperjet. The Company Also Sees Potential for the General Aviation Manufacturer to Increase Its Presence in the Asian Region Due to Shifting Market Demographics There.

As With Other Ga and Business Aircraft Manufacturers, Piper Has Been Suffering From the Global Economic Downturn and the Poor Perception of Private Aviation in the Us. Nevertheless, the Company’s Management Says That It Has Put in a Number of Strategies to Make It Through the Tough Times.

Bryce Ducker to Market E350

Bruce Ducker Aircraft Sales Has Been Appointed as the Australian Agent for Found Aircraft Canada’s Expedition E350 Utility Aircraft.

Designed for Stol Operations, the Five Seat Four Door E350 is Powered by a Lycoming Io-580 Piston Engine and is Capable of Cruising at 160kt. The Aircraft Also Features a Useful Load of 680kg. With a Load of Five Adults, the Aircraft Has a Range of 750nm and Can Take Off in 400m.

“we Think the E350 Will Fit the Bill Beautifully in Australia as a Station Aircraft, Use by Public Instrumentalities, Utility Operators of All Kinds, Float Operators, Not to Mention Private Adventurers – Expeditioners if You Like”, Said Bryce Ducker.

Skycatcher Development Continues

Cessna Says It is Continuing

Development of the Model 162 Skycatcher, Despite a Second Accident During March.

The Manufacturer Says That It is Currently Gathering Wind Tunnel and Recent Spin Testing Data to Refine the Design of the Skycatcher Before It Resumes Spin Testing of the Aircraft. All Engineering Work is Being Carried Out in Wichita at Cessna Aircraft Field Airport.

The Second Skycatcher Crashed After Becoming Uncontrollable During Power-on, Cross-controlled Spin Testing on March 19, and Came After the Aircraft’s Tail Was Modified Following a Crash During Similar Testing Last Year. The Crash on March 19 Resulted in Little Damage to the Aircraft After the Pilot Deployed the Skycatcher’s Recovery Parachute, and It is Now Being Repaired.

As the Aircraft is Being Certified to American Society for Testing and Materials Standards for Light Sport Aircraft, Cessna is Not Obliged to Conduct the Tests, but the Company Says That It is Committed to the Additional Testing Beyond the Astm Standards.

Since Its Launch in 2007, Over 1000 Skycatchers Have Been Sold, With the First Deliveries of the Aircraft Due in the Second Half of This Year. Cessna Has Not Said if the New Design Work Being Conducted Will Affect Customer Deliveries, but Has Previously Said It Remains Confident in Its Schedule for the Program.

Careflight Establishes

Townsville Base Careflight Queensland’s Cms Air Ambulance Has Opened Its Townsville Base on April 14, From Where a Learjet 36a is Now Based to Conduct Emergency Medical Retrievals, in Addition to Its Gold Coast Based Learjet 45xr.

“we’ve Been Performing Jet Retrievals From Our Gold Coast Hangar for Many Years, but as International Job Numbers Continued to Increase We Needed to Expand Further North to Better Service Our Patients, and Identified Townsville as the Best Location,” Said Careflight Qld Ceo Ash Van De Velde.

Interestingly, the Learjet Was Called Into Action Prior to Its Planned Ferry Flight to Townsville on April 14, With the Jet Tasked to Retrieve a Patient in Png Who Suffered a Fall While Mountain Climbing. The Patient Was Transferred to Townsville Hospital for Treatment by Its Neurosurgical Unit.

Careflight Queensland Operates the Two Learjets to Provide Intensive Care Patient Retrieval Services on Behalf of Travel Insurance Companies. The Surplus Generated From These Operations Helps to Fund the Racq Careflight Helicopter Ems Services.

Hawker Beechcraft Records Operating Loss Hawker Beechcraft Company Has Recorded Net Income of Us$66. 9m (a$92. 5m) for the First Quarter, but Recorded a Wider Operating Loss as Sales Slowed.

The Company’s Net Income Was Boosted by Gains Realised on Debt Securities, as Net Sales for the Three Months Ending March 29 Decreased by 6. 7 Per Cent to Us$537. 6m (a$743. 2m). This Was Driven by a 20. 8 Per Cent Fall in Deliveries to 57 Aircraft as the Business and General Aviation Sectors Were Affected by the Global Financial Crisis. This Resulted in the Company Recording an Operating Loss of Us$41. 2m (a$56. 9m).

As With Other Business and General Aviation Businesses, Hawker Beechcraft is Expected to Face Significant Challenges This Year, With the Global Financial Crisis Significantly Weakening Demand for Private Aircraft. However, Hbc is Also Set to Benefit From Greater Efficiencies in Its Customer Support Operations and Also the Ongoing Deliveries of the T-6a Texan Ii Trainer to the Us Military.

Pink and Pearls to Race

in Air Race Classic Inspired by the Legacy of the Late Pioneering Aviatrix Nancy-bird Walton, an Australian All-woman Team Racing Under the “pink and Pearls” Name is Preparing to Take Part in the Air Race Classic in the United States.

Comprised of Two Pilots, 23 Year Old Heather Ford and 22 Year Old Soph Lazarou, the Pink and Pearls Team is Preparing to Take Part in the Race, Which Will Be Held in June Across Nine States and Will Be Comprised Solely of Women Pilots From Around the World. The Two Decided to Undertake the Race as a Tribute to Nancy-bird’s Dedication and Support of Women Pilots. “if Nancy and the Many Other Courageous Young Women of the Time Had Not Broken the Barrier and Been So Determined in What They Achieved Then Perhaps We Would Not Be So Fortunate Today in Our Endeavours,” Lazarou Says on the Team’s Website.

The Pink and Pearls Team is Being Sponsored by Melbourne Flight Training and the Rotary Club of Bendigo Sandhurst, While Other Sponsors Are Being Sought.

General Aviation Briefs

Cessna Has Announced That It Will Close the Former Columbia Aircraft Facility at Bend, Oregon, Where the Cessna 350 and 400 Corvalis Models Are Produced. The Two Aircraft Will Instead Be Produced at Cessna’s Existing Facilities at Independence, Kansas.

GA briefs

Casa Has Issued an Instrument Exempting Gliders and Sailplanes Registered With the Gliding Federation of Australia From Having to Display the ‘vh-‘ Prefix or the First Letter of Their Registration, Provided It Starts With the Letter ‘g’. The Exemption Commenced on April 21.

Business Aviation

Hondajet Delayed

Honda Aircraft Company Has Announced the First Flight of the Hondajet Light Jet Has Been Delayed Until 2011 Due to “ongoing Global Aerospace Industry Business Challenges. ” “We Have Been Working Very Closely With Our Suppliers Over the Past Year in an Effort to Minimize the Effect of the Ongoing Worldwide Economic Instability on Hondajet Development,” Said Michimasa Fujino, Honda Aircraft Company President and Ceo. “unfortunately, We Now Have No Choice but to Revise Our Schedule. We Appreciate Our Customers’ Continued Trust and Their Understanding of the Challenges We Are Facing to Bring to Them the Most Advanced Light Jet Available. ” Honda Has Been Developing the Hondajet Since 1997, and Had Been Planning for the Aircraft to Make Its First Flight During January 2010 With First Delivery Scheduled for Later in the Same Year. Customer Delivery is Now Projected to Occur in Late 2011 Following Faa Certification.

The Aircraft Features Two Over-wing Mounted Ge Honda Hf120 Turbofans and is Capable of Achieving a Top Speed of 420kt and a Ceiling of 43,000ft. With a List Price of Us$4m (a$5. 3m), Over 100 of the Type Have Been Ordered.

Cessna Shelves Columbus

Cessna Has Announced It Has Suspended Development of Its Planned Columbus Super Midsize Jet Due to a Lack of Demand During the Global Financial Crisis.

The Company Has Already Announced Plans to Reduce Production of Many of Its Other Models, a Four Week Company-wide Furlough, and to Lay Off 1600 Employees in the Face of Reduced Demand. But the Suspension of the Columbus Means It Will Also Delay Its Entry Into the Larger Super Midsize Segment for Several Years.

“this Was a Very Difficult Decision, but Critical to Sizing Our Business to the Realities of Today’s Market,” Said Cessna President Jack Pelton in a Statement. “we Still Feel This is a Program With Great Potential and One We Will Pursue When the Market Recovers. ” Cessna Says It Will Return Us$50m (a$68m) in Deposits on the Columbus to Customers.

Rexjet Launches

Regional Express Launched a New Worldwide Corporate Charter Business Called Rexjet on April 29.

Although Likely to Draw on the Resources of Its Parent Company and Sister Company Pel-air, Rexjet Will Offer Access to Over 1500 Aircraft Worldwide, Ranging in Size From Five to 450 Seats as Well as Freighters and Helicopters. According to Managing Director of Rexjet Mark Diaz, the Service Has Already Been Attracting Interest From Potential Clients. “We Did a Lot of Trials and Dummy Runs and We Discovered It Was Just as Easy to Arrange a Charter From Sydney to Dubbo as It is for Us to Arrange One From London to Paris,” Diaz Told the Australian. “and Therefore We Have a 24 Hour Operation and Cover the Globe. ” the Company Will Be Focused on Providing Charter to a Range of Clients, From Corporations to Government and Also the Entertainment Industry. As Such, the Company is Also Planning to Offer Services Such as Limousine and Helicopter Transfers, Accommodation and Concierge Services.

Business Aviation Briefs

Embraer Will Display a Mock-up of the Phenom 300 Business Jet at the Blue Hotel in Sydney From June 17-20, Making It the First Time the Mock-up of the Larger of the Phenoms Has Been Displayed in Australia. The Company is Also Planning to Display It in Melbourne Between June 24-27.

Pilatus Has Delivered the 900th Pc-12 at the Company’s Us Headquarters to Repeat Customer Ron Roma.

Europe’s Easa Has Granted Certification to the Embraer Phenom 100 Vlj in Time for the First Scheduled Delivery to a European Customer. The Phenom 100 Has Already Been Certified in Brazil and by the Faa. The Larger Phenom 300 is Scheduled to Receive Brazilian and Us Certification by the End of the Year and European Approval in 2010.

a Cessna Citation Xls Operated by the Civil Aviation Administration of China Landed and Took Off From Qamdo Bangda Airport in Tibet, Which is at an Altitude of 14,219ft, Earlier This Year. Both the Xls and Xls+ Have Now Been Certified to Fly Into Airports With an Elevation of Up to 15,000ft.

Cessna Announced on April 21 That It Has Received Faa Certification for Garmin Synthetic Vision Technology (Svt) on the Citation Mustang as Part of the Aircraft’s G1000 Avionics Suite. Svt Provides 3d Depictions of Obstacles and Other Topographical Features, Increasing the Aircraft’s Situational Awareness.

Cargo

the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Instigated Proceedings Against Cathay Pacific Airways for Its Role in the Global Air Cargo Cartel, With the Accc Seeking a Fine of $41 Million Against the Hong Kong Based Carrier. A Hearing for the Case Has Been Set Down for May 28 in the Federal Court in Sydney.

Air China Cargo Took Redelivery of Its First Boeing 747-400 Boeing Converted Freighter on April 22. The Aircraft Was Converted From a 747-400 Combi From the Existing Air China Fleet, With the Work Completed by Taikoo Aircraft Engineering Co in Xiamen.

Finance

Allco Aircraft Sold to Hna Group, Bravia

the Aviation Assets of Bankrupt Company Allco Finance Have Been Sold to a Joint Venture Between China’s Hna Group and New York Based Bravia Capital.

The Sale of the Aviation Assets Was Anonuced by Allco’s Receivers Ferrier Hodgson on May 6, and While No Price Was Provided, Industry Sources Expect That the Portfolio Was Sold for Less Than $100 Million Due to the Current Weakness in the Airline Industry. Six Months Ago, It Was Speculated That the Portfolio of Aircraft, Including a Number Leased to Qantas and Jetstar, Would Have Been Worth at Least $200 Million.

The Sale is Understood to Have Been Delayed Due to Complications With the Leasing and Holding Structure of the Aircraft. It is Understood That Two Former Allco Executives Tried to Enforce Legal Ownership Rights Over the 60 Aircraft as a Result of Them Having Taken Over One of the Former Finance Giant’s Subsidiaries.

Hna Group is the Parent Company of Hainan Airlines, and Also Has Strategic Holdings in Hong Kong Airlines and Hong Kong Express as Well as Other Airlines in Minaland China. Hna is Believed to Have Secured Finance for the Purchase From a Number of Chinese Banks. Bravia Capital is an Aircraft Financier and Investment Firm Specialising in the Airline Industry.

Av8, Fta Merge

Flying School Av8 Brisbane Pty Ltd Has Merged With Flight Training Australia Creating the Largest Commercial Flying Training School in Queensland.

The Two Archerfield Based Training Schools Completed Their Merger on May 1, With All Av8 Students Added to the Fta Programs, Giving Them a Wider Choice of Courses, Aircraft and Training Courses. The Enlarged Company, Which Will Continue Trading as Flight Training Australia, Now Operates Over 30 Aircraft and Four Simulators, Including a Boeing 737ng Simulator.

Fta, Under the Ownership of the Flight Ideas Group Also Recently Concluded Contract Negotiations With an Unnamed Major Chinese Airline to Conduct Flying Training for Their Pilots. It is Expected That This Will Lead to the Development of a New Operating Base in Warwick Which Would Utilise the Warwick and Stanthorpe Aerodromes.

The Merger Continues a Recent Trend of Consolidation Among Australia’s Top-tier Flying Schools, Such as the Purchase by Uk Based Oaa Group of Mebourne Based General Flying Services Last Year.

Avionics Training

Centre to Open This Year South Australia Based Australian Science and Mathematics School (Asms) is Set to Open Australia’s First Avionics Training Centre for Secondary School Students Later This Year.

The $1 Million Centre Will Incorporate Two Mobile Flight Simulators and a Mobile Workshop, Which Will Allow Students to Gain First-hand Experience at Flying an Aeroplane, as Well as Exposure to Maintaining the Avionics Systems of an Aircraft.

“the Training Centre Will Offer Students Career Pathways in Engineering With a Focus on Avionics, Electronics, Computer Systems and Instrumentation, Helping to Address the Skills Shortage in This Area,” Said Jim Davies, Principal of Asms.

The Training Centre is an Initiative of the South Adelaide Trade Training Centre, Which is a Collaboration Between Four High Schools in the South Adelaide Area, Including Asms.

Funding for the Centre’s Facilities Has Been Provided Through the Federal Government’s Trade Training Centres in Schools Program, and is Also Supported by Adelaide Biplanes.

Qantas Abandons Mas Joint Venture

Qantas and Malaysia Airlines Have Ended Talks on a Planned Maintenance Joint Venture Based in Malaysia.

Mas Ceo Idris Jala Confirmed in April Reports in the West Australian That the Two Airlines Have Ended Discussions on the Kuala Lumpur Based Joint Venture, Which Was to Have Handled Overflow Maintenance on Qantas Aircraft and Other Third-party Work. But With the Recent Slowdown in Flying, the Need for an Offshore Maintenance Centre Has Reduced.

Qantas Signed a Memorandum of Understanding With Mas Engineering and Maintenance on the Joint Venture in 2007, and Was Expecting to Open the Facility in 2010.

Maintenance, Support &training Briefs

Atr Has Launched a New ‘door-2-door’ Service for Spare Parts and Technical Documentation for Operators of Atr Aircraft. Under the Offering, Customers Will Have One Point of Contact for the Full Supply Chain and Logistics for Spare Parts.

Air Safety

Casa to Open Work-bases in Northern Aus

Casa Says It is Planning to Open New Work-bases in North-western Australia to Help Increase Surveillance of Operators Across the Area.

According to New Ceo John Mccormick, the Vast Distances and Variety of Operators Across the North Presents Unique Safety Challenges Which Require Air Safety Inspectors to Have New Work-bases to Carry Out Their Surveillance Across the Region. The Authority Says It is Looking at Possible Work-bases in Karratha and Broome, and Will Also Seek to Strengthen Its Offices in Townsville, Cairns and Darwin as Well as the Work-base at Horn Island in the Torres Strait.

“Passengers, Pilots and Everyone Involved in Aviation Across Northern Australia Will Welcome a Greater Presence by Casa at Large and Small Aerodromes, as Well as in Remote Communities,” Said Mccormick. “Passenger-carrying Flights Will Continue to Be Given the Highest Level of Scrutiny by Casa but We Will Be Looking at All Sectors of Aviation Across Northern Australia. ”

Data Error Led to Ek A340 Tail-scrape

the Atsb Has Found That an Incorrect Load Data Input Was the Main Factor Which Led to an Emirates Airbus A340-500 Suffering a Tail-scrape at Melbourne Airport in March.

According to Its Report, the Atsb Found That One of the Crew Entered Incorrect Weight Data Into the Aircraft’s Flightplanning ‘airbus Less Paper Cockpit’ Laptop (an Electronic Flight Bag Precursor), Which Meant the Calculated Required Thrust to Complete the Takeoff Was Lower Than It Should Have Been. During the Takeoff Roll on Runway 16, the Captain Called for Rotation, but With the Aircraft Slow to Respond, the Captain Advanced the Aircraft’s Thrust Levers Forward to the Takeoff/go Around Position. Shortly Afterwards, the Aircraft Struck the Runway Before Lifting Off. Barely Off the Ground, the A340 Struck an Ils Localiser Antenna and Landing Lights at the End of the Runway.

After Becoming Airborne, a Cockpit Message Revealed That the Aircraft Had Suffered a Tail Strike, and the Crew Requested a Return to Melbourne After a Vectoring Over Port Phillip Bay to Dump Fuel. It Was in Preparing for the Landing That the Data Entry Error Was Discovered.

The Atsb Said It is Continuing Its Investigations and Will Focus on the Human Factors Involved in the Data Input Error, Computer-based Flight Performance Planning Tools and the Risks Involved in Reduced Power Takeoffs. It Also Reported That Emirates Was Conducting Its Own Reviews of Training, Fleet Technical Procedures, Human Factors and Hardware and Software Technology.

As Aa Was Going to Print, Emirates Had Not Announced a Decision on Whether the A340 Will Be Repaired or Writen Off, With the Aircraft Still at the Jhas Hangar at Melbourne Airport. Media Reports Claim That Repairs Could Cost More Than $200 Million, With the Aircraft Likely to Have a Current Market Value of Less Than Us$100m.

Qantas 737 Suffers Altimeter Failure a Qantas Boeing 737-800 Suffered a Radio Altimeter Failure While on Approach to Sydney Airport on April 7, Raising the Possibility of Similarities to the Crash of a Turkish Airlines Aircraft Earlier This Year.

According to a Report by ‘australian Aviation’ Contributor Geoffrey Thomas in ‘the West Australian’ on April 13, the Captain Operating Flight Qf1020 Was Forced to Disconnect the Auto-throttles After the Failure of the Radio Altimeter and Flew the Descent Manually Before Landing Safely at Sydney Airport. A Spokesman Quoted Said That It Was Qantas Policy for the Pilot in Charge to Keep a Hand on the Throttles During Descent in Order to Take Manual Control Should It Be Required. Qantas Has Reported the Incident to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau.

It is Understood That the Atsb May Investigate Any Possible Links With the Crash of the Turkish Airlines Aircraft While on Approach to Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport in February. A Preliminary Report From the Dutch Safety Board Found That the Captain’s Radio Altimeter Suddenly Changed From a Reading of 1950ft to -8ft, Causing the Autothrottle to Retard Completely. The Crew Did Not Initially React to the Change in Thrust Settings, Resulting in the Aircraft Crash Landing in a Field Near Schiphol. Nine People Died in the Crash.

Air Safety Briefs

Casa Will Be Running Special Workshops in All Capital Cities (Excluding Canberra) and Cairns During June Focusing on Error Management. Keynote Speaker for the Workshops Will Be Dr Tony Kearn, and Will Cover Areas Including the Physiology and Psychology of Human Error, Developing a Personal Safety Management System for Pilots and Licensed and Non-licensed Engineers, and Practical Tips and Strategies for Individuals to Improve Error Management.

Atc & Airspace

New Atc Deal Passes

Air Traffic Controllers Have Voted to Accept a New Certified Agreement Negotiated Between Airservices Australia and Union Civil Air, Ending a Turbulent Negotiation Between the Two Parties.

The New Agreement, Which Was Approved by 95 Per Cent of Voters, Sees Changes to Sick Leave and Rostering Arrangements as Well as a 4. 3 Per Cent Per Annum Pay Increase Over Three Years.

“this is a Successful Outcome Delivering Good Salary and Condition Improvements, Productivity Benefits Which Cement the Foundations for Ongoing Business Reform. It Also Ensures the Continued Safety and Efficiency of the Aviation Industry,” Airservices Australia Said in a Statement.

Transport Minister Anthony Albanese Congratulated Airservices and Civil Air on the Outcome, Noting That It Was “critical for the Stability of the Aviation Sector at a Time When It is Confronting the Challenges Arising From the Global Economic Recession. ” Airservices Was Expecting to Have the New Agreement in Operation by the End of May Following Clearance From the Australian Workplace Authority.

Jetstar Fined for Curfew Breach

Jetstar Was Been Fined $148,500 on May 5 for Breaching the Curfew at Sydney Airport on December 3, 2007.

The Fine Arose When an A330-200 Bound for Denpasar Took Off 30 Minutes After the 11pm Curfew at Sydney Airport After Receiving Warnings Three Times From Air Traffic Control That the Company Would Be Fined if It Took Off During the Curfew Period. Jetstar is Understood to Have Sought a Dispensation to Allow the Flight to Take Off, but Had Been Refused.

Jetstar Had Pleaded Guilty to the Breach, and Transport Minister Anthony Albanese Welcomed the Penalty. The Minister Also Said the Federal Government Would Maintain the Current Curfew Arrangements at Sydney Airport Despite Pressure From the Airlines for Greater Flexibility.

John Nickel Has Been Appointed as General Manager Commercial of Airlines of Papua New Guinea. Nickel Was Most Recently Sales and Marketing Manager for Air Pacific.

Bodo Uebber Has Been Appointed as Chairman of the Eads Board of Directors. Uebber, Who Has Been Member of the Eads Board Since 2007, Succeeded Rüdiger Grube Effective April 14.

Pilatus Aircraft Has Announced That Bruno Cervia Has Been Appointed as the New Head of Research and Development. Ceria Has Been With Pilatus Since 1986 and Played a Key Part in the Development of the Pc-21 Trainer.

People Briefs

Events

Safeguarding Australia the Eighth Safeguarding Australia Conference Will Be Held on August 5-6 in Canberra. Day One of the Conference Will Feature Two Streams on National Resilience and Conter-terrorism and All-hazards. Day Two Will Feature Two Practioners Forums for Reslience Practitioners and Researchers and Security and Safety Professionals. For More Information See Www. Homelandsecurity. Org. Au.

Aviation Careers Expo

the Aviation Careers Expo Will Be Held on August 8 Between 10am and 4pm at Aviation Australia’s Facility at Brisbane International Airport. The Free Expo Will Showcase a Number of Career and Training Opportunities in the Local Aviation Industry, and Allows Potential Candidates to Talk Directly With Those Involved in the Industry. For More Information, See Www. Aviationaustralia. Aero/expo.