News Desk

Boeing has issued a “cautionary note” that delivery of the first Boeing 787-8 to launch customer All Nippon Airlines may be delayed from the last quarter of the year to early 2011.
Boeing vice president and general manager 787 Scott Fancher noted that instrumentation configuration changes and the horizontal stabiliser inspections had “stacked up” and “could see [first delivery] move a few weeks into the new year”, although officially the aircraft is still on track to be delivered by the end of the year.
Fancher added that none of the issues have been related to the performance of the aircraft, which in flight test have been performing as expected. The fleet of five test aircraft has completed more than 1100 flying hours over 365 sorties.
Boeing is expected to release more information about the anticipated delivery date of the first 787 to ANA over the next few months as the flight test program heads towards maturity. It is currently not known if any potential delay in delivery to the first aircraft will have a further impact on the delivery schedule.
Eurocopter to make A350 doors
Airbus and Eurocopter have signed a €1.5bn (A$2.1bn) agreement which will see doors for the A350 XWB designed and manufactured by Eurocopter Deutschland at Donauwörth in Germany.
“This A350 XWB contract with Airbus, which gives us the go-ahead for the production phase, is of decisive importance to the future sustainability of our manufacturing site in Germany,” declared Lutz Bertling, president and CEO of the Eurocopter Group. “It confirms our position as an experienced and highly skilled manufacturer of aircraft components, rather than merely as a leader in the helicopter business,”
Both Airbus and Eurocopter are both subsidiaries of EADS.

ATR unveils -600 cabin concept
ATR has partnered with Giugiaro Design for the development of the new ATR ‘-600 series’ cabin, featuring new seats and optional two-class configuration.
Named ARMONIA, the cabin includes new, wider and lighter weight seats which have been ergonomically designed to ensure greater knee clearance. There is also a 10 per cent increase in storage space, and up to 30 per cent more carry-on baggage capacity, while the cabin also features LED lighting. Options include a jetway capable front door, as well as a business class cabin with a 2+1 configuration.
“Our partnership with Giugiaro Design brings substantial prestige to the ATR ‘-600 series’ aircraft,” said ATR CEO Filippo Bagnato. “To the many advantages of ATRs in terms of operating costs, performance and environmental friendliness, we are now adding the latest in attractive, comfortable cabin interior design. Thanks to this new partnership, ATR ‘-600 series’ passengers will now experience a totally new level of comfort.”
Boeing to bring 787 to Farnborough
Boeing has confirmed that its 787 Dreamliner will make its international debut at the Farnborough Airshow.
Dreamliner ZA003, which is being used to test and certify the aircraft’s interior systems, will touch down at Farnborough the morning of Sunday July 18 and will remain on static display through mid-day July 20. It will be open for tours on a scheduled basis on July 19 and 20.
As well as the 787, Boeing will be highlighting a number of its unmanned systems, including the international debut of the recently unveiled Phantom Ray demonstrator, the A160 Hummingbird and the Unmanned Little Bird.
Airbus disappointed by delay to Boeing subsidies ruling
Airbus CEO Tom Enders said that he is “surprised and disappointed” by the announcement by the World Trade Organisation (WTO) that it will delay a report into alleged subsidies received by Boeing which was filed in 2004 as a countersuit to a similar case filed by the US against EU aid given to Airbus.
The delay will see the report postponed until at least September, and comes after a WTO ruling panel found that some launch aid given to Airbus for the development of the A380 was illegal and must be remedied. The countersuit alleges that Boeing has received illegal launch support for the 787 program, and has also received ‘subsidies’ in the form of US government contracts.
Enders said in a statement that the delay showed that the “complexity, interconnectedness and industrial significance of the Boeing and Airbus cases would strain the capabilities of the WTO,” particularly in light of the ruling against the EU. Airbus had previously said that the ruling against it should only be read in the context of the upcoming complaint against Boeing and the US.
“Since these cases were filed, the world has changed. In aviation, the previous duopoly marketplace is increasingly being populated by government sponsored players, leaving Boeing and Airbus as those that, by any objective measure, benefit least from government support.”
Nevertheless, Enders remained bullish about the expected outcome of the report. “It will eventually come, and it will show: Boeing has received billions of dollars in WTO illegal subsidies,” he said.
Boeing reports second quarter deliveries
Boeing delivered 114 commercial aircraft during the second quarter of 2010, comprised of 95 737NGs, 16 777s and three 767s. The airframer expects to deliver between 460 and 465 aircraft this year.
Embraer delivers 69 jets in second quarter
Embraer has delivered 69 aircraft for the second quarter of 2010. In the commercial segment, it delivered 29 aircraft, consisting of two ERJ-145s, four E-170s, three E-175s, 15 E-190s and five E-195s.
The Brazilian manufacturer also delivered 40 executive aircraft, comprised of 35 Phenom 100s, four Phenom 300s and one Lineage 1000. In addition, one Legacy 600 was delivered to a government customer.
As of June 30, Embraer’s backlog of aircraft on firm order stood at 232, valued at US$15.2bn (A$17.4bn).
Boeing sells surplus machinery to Mahindra
Boeing Aerostructures Australia (BAA) has announced that it has sold some surplus heavy machinery to the Mahindra Group, clarifying media reports that it had sold its Fisherman’s Bend plant near Melbourne to the Indian conglomerate.
“This equipment has not been needed at Fishermans Bend since we exited the sheet metal business some 18 months ago,” said BAA managing director Mark Ross. “There is no impact on our work statement as we continue to focus totally on the success of our Boeing 787 Dreamliner contract.”
Mahindra has been expanding its presence in Australia’s aviation industry and over the last year has purchased stakes in Gippsland Aeronautics and Aerostaff. It is not yet known if the equipment will be transferred to Gippsland or used elsewhere.
MILITARY
CO 3SQN hits 3000 Hornet hours
Commanding Officer of the RAAF’s 3SQN, WGCDR Terry van Haren, has become only the second RAAF pilot to achieve the milestone of 3000 flight hours in the F/A-18 Hornet.
The milestone was achieved during a flight at the recent Pitch Black 10 exercise, with ‘TVH’ being welcomed back from the sortie and presented with his 3000 hours patch by OC 81WG, GPCAPT Gavin Turnbull.
The only other RAAF pilot to achieve 3000 hours is the Commander of Air Combat Group, AIRCDRE Mel Hupfeld. “This is a spectacular achievement and I congratulate you,” AIRCDRE Hupfeld said. “We may not see this achievement in the future as we move to more simulation training, which makes this milestone even more special. Achieving 3000 hours doesn’t come without a lot of effort, though. There has been a lot of quality and significant input from across Air Force over the years that have contributed to this achievement. It is not only just the green suiters who have contributed, but also the maintenance workforce, to generate 3000 hours of flying capability.”
After flying Caribous with 38SQN for three years, WGCDR van Haren completed his Hornet Operational Conversion (OPCON) in 1993. He completed the Fighter Combat Instructor (FCI) course in 1997, and flew with the RAAF’s F/A-18 deployment to Iraq in 2003, and was awarded a Distinguished Service Medal for his “exceptional leadership in warlike operations.”

F-22 tooling to be preserved
Lockheed Martin and the USAF will preserve F-22 tooling following the planned completion of production in 2012.
The retention of the tolling will allow future major modifications to be made to the aircraft, and for the production to be re-opened if required. A 2010 Rand study showed the F-22’s supply chain could be reactivated after a two year gap.
The USAF has capped its F-22 orders at 187 aircraft, of which about 130 are ‘combat coded’ and one has been lost in an accident.

US Navy takes first E-2D Hawkeye
The US Navy has taken delivery of its first of 75 Northrop Grumman E-2D Hawkeye AEW&C aircraft at a ceremony at NAS Oceania near Norfolk, Virginia.
The E-2D is an improved version of the venerable E-2C, and features a new AN/APY-9 radar in a redesigned 7.3m diameter radome with an electronically scanned array, and enhanced communications and datalinks that allow it to be integrated with ship borne Aegis weapons systems.
“The E-2D is ready, relevant and capable,” Admiral Gary Roughead, Chief of Naval Operations, said at the acceptance ceremony. “It’s going to be a game changer with information dominance for the US Navy. I am very pleased today to accept delivery of the first E-2D to enter the US Navy fleet.”
Two more pilot production E-2Ds will be delivered this year followed by several low rate production examples in 2011. Full rate production is expected to commence in 2012.
RAF may scrap Tornado fleet
The RAF may be forced to scrap its fleet of 120 Tornado GR4s and possibly its Harrier GR9 fleet as well as part of the UK’s overreaching Strategic Defence and Security Review (SDSR).
The SDSR has stated aims to make savings of between 10 and 20 per cent across the UK’s defence forces, and the move to retire the Tornados and Harriers would leave the RAF with about 130 Eurofighter Typhoons, many of which are yet to be upgraded to the latest standard which includes enhanced air-to-surface modes.
The retirements would also see the closure of several air bases, and thus realise savings of several billions pounds. Other programs under threat include one of the Royal Navy’s two new QEII class aircraft carriers, and the Nimrod MRA4 program.

Raytheon delivers first APG-82(V)1 for F-15E upgrade
Boeing has taken delivery of the first AN/APG-82(V)1 active electronically scanned array (AESA) radar test set from Raytheon for the USAF’s F-15E Strike Eagle Radar Modernisation Program (RMP).
The new radar will replace the ageing APG-70 currently fitted to the F-15E, providing enhanced performance and greater reliability and maintainability.
“One AESA equipped F-15E can detect and track multiple targets simultaneously and gain the same battle picture and prosecute the same number of attacks that currently require several mechanically scanned radar assets,” Brad Jones, Boeing’s director for USAF Development Programs, said. “Adding AESA multiplies the effectiveness of the F-15E.”
Integration of the first radar will be done at Boeing’s St Louis facility followed by developmental and initial operational test and evaluation flight programs.

Third P-8A enters flight test
The third Boeing P-8A Poseidon made its first flight on July 29 at Boeing’s Renton facility in Seattle.
The aircraft, dubbed T3, will be devoted to mission system testing and weapon certification work in the test program when it joins the other two flight test aircraft at NAS Patuxent River near Washington DC.
The US Navy has ordered 117 P-8As to replace part of its fleet of P-3C Orion maritime reconnaissance aircraft from 2013.
Raytheon teams with Bell for Air 9000/7
Raytheon Australia has announced it will team with Bell Helicopter to offer the Bell 429 for the ADF’s Project Air 9000 Phase 7 Helicopter Aircrew Training System (HATS) for Army and Navy helicopter trainee pilots.
The 429 is a medium twin engined helicopter with a large cargo area and rear hatch doors under the boom, giving it a secondary utilty capability.
“We at Raytheon Australia have drawn upon all of our experience and expertise gained through delivering helicopter support to the ADF to select Bell Helicopter as our partner for this program,” managing director of Raytheon Australia, Michael Ward, said in a statement. “Bell Helicopter has a well deserved reputation for delivering on their commitments and, as result, I believe that together we are well placed to become trusted partners of the ADF in this vital endeavour in force preparedness.”
Other expected bidders are expected to include Australian Aerospace with the EC 135/635, and Boeing Defence Australia which has previously announced a tie up with AgustaWestland on the A109, but which may bid another type.

IBFT goes to BAE?
Industry sources have revealed that BAE Systems Australia has won the Interim Basic Flying Training (IBFT) requirement to provide flight screening and basic training services to the RAAF for between six and 10 years.
While BAE has made no comment on the tender, sources claim both Boeing and the Thales led team had been informed their bids were unsuccessful. The tender, being managed by the Air Force Training Group, was issued to provide an interim flight screening and training capability while the ADF’s delayed and more comprehensive Project Air 5428 matured to implementation. An Invitation to Respond (ITR) was issued in July 2009, and three companies responded to the tender which closed on February 11 – BAE Systems Australia; Boeing Defence Australia; and a teaming between Thales Australia and Flight Training Adelaide (FTA) along with Transfield and Hawker Pacific. A decision on the successful tender had been expected in May.
While the RAAF has previously expressed a preference for the bulk of its training operations to be based at or near East Sale in Victoria as part of a consolidation of its training resources, this was not specified as a requirement in the tender. Boeing had offered the Grob 120A ostensibly out of the former National Safety Council of Australia (NSCA) facility at nearby West Sale, while Thales/FTA also offered the Grob 120A and a new basing solution at East Sale.
As the incumbent with established facilities already in place, it is thought BAE’s Tamworth, NSW campus will be the base for IBFT and that the current CT-4 aircraft will be upgraded with additional crashworthiness protection.

Army buys 18 Shadow UAVs
The Commonwealth has reportedly bought 18 RQ-7B Shadow 200 tactical UAV airframes, two ground support segments and various training equipment to support troops deployed in Afghanistan.
Following a notification to the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) in early May of a possible sale of the Shadow UAS to Australia, News Ltd publications have reported that an announcement of the $175 million acquisition was made by Defence Minister John Faulkner on August 2.
Following the 2009 cancellation of the Project JP 129 solution offered by Boeing and IAI, Defence had stated a desire to acquire “operationally proven off-the-shelf systems” as an interim capability for the stalled project pending a permanent solution being acquired later. “An analysis of candidate TUAV systems against capability, schedule, risk profile and cost has been completed, and an acquisition business case is being prepared for government consideration,” May’s federal budget Defence Portfolio Budget Statements read.
The Army currently operates ScanEagle UASs leased from Insitu Pacific, and it is unclear whether the Shadows will replace or supplement the ScanEagles. While the Shadow’s airframe is larger and can thus carry bigger and more capable sensors and communications equipment, it only has a third of the 20+ hour endurance of the smaller ScanEagle and requires a cleared runway area to conduct arrested landings.
Insitu Integrator wins US Navy contract
Boeing owned Insitu has been awarded the Small Tactical Unmanned Air System (STUAS)/Tier II contract from Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) for its Integrator unmanned aircraft system (UAS).
The Integrator is a growth version of the company’s ScanEagle, but uses a common ground station and launch and recovery equipment. The air vehicle features twin boom tail and a deeper and broader fuselage, and is able carry larger and heavier sensors and communications packages than the ScanEagle for up to 25 hours duration.
The contract will see Insitu commence a two year engineering, manufacturing and development (EMD) phase to build and test the system to ensure it satisfies the STUAS/Tier II system requirements, and to this end will support two operational assessments.
While an option exists within the contract to deploy a number of Integrator systems as early as later this year, IOC is expected in 2013. The total production requirement is expected to number more than 50 systems.

French Tigers log 1000 hours in Afghanistan
The French army’s deployment of three Eurocopter Tiger HAPs to Afghanistan has logged its 1000th flight hour in theatre.
The aircraft were deployed by the French army’s 5th Combat Helicopter Regiment in August 2009 to support the French combat search and rescue EC 725 Caracal helicopters in Afghanistan. Eurocopter reports that the three aircraft have maintained a 90 per cent availability rate, and have “demonstrated excellent performance and operability levels”.
The Australian Army, which is struggling to bring its Tiger ARHs up to an operational tempo, has sent a has a team of observers to observe the French deployment.
Four die in USAF C-17 crash
A USAF C-17 crashed near Elmendorf AFB in Alaska on July 28 with the loss of all four crewmembers.
The aircraft, from the 3rd Wing Alaska Air National Guard based at Elmendorf, was reportedly practicing a demonstration routine for an upcoming airshow, and plummeted into a forest adjacent to the base.
“Our deepest sympathy and sincerest condolences go out to the family and friends of those Airmen killed in this crash,” said Col John McMullen, the 3rd Wing commander. “Yesterday, we lost four members of our Arctic Warrior family, and it’s a loss felt across our entire joint installation. Right now, our immediate focus is on providing all possible support to the loved ones of our fallen aviators. We are also engaged in a deliberate investigative process.”
The crash is the first major accident of a C-17 resulting in a crew or passenger death since the type entered service in 1994.

F136 engine receives funding…for now
The US House Defense Appropriations Committee has again earmarked funds for the GE/RR F136 ‘alternative’ JSF engine despite calls from the Pentagon and the White House to abandon the second engine.
US media reports US$450m (A$500m) has been approved in a vote which went 11-5 in the engine’s favour. The vote comes despite threats from the White House and Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, to veto the entire defence bill if funding for the second engine was included.
“I don’t know what more we can say or do to make clear that this is something we don’t want, we don’t need, and we can’t afford,” Pentagon spokesman Geoff Morrell said in a statement. “I can assure you Secretary Gates will do whatever it takes to make sure we don’t continue to throw good money after bad in pursuit of the extra engine. And he enjoys the full support of the President in that effort.”
The GE/RR engine team were quick to release a statement also. “The GE/Rolls-Royce team is deeply gratified by this vote for competition,” said David Joyce, president and CEO of GE Aviation. “This committee studied this issue in great detail and determined that funding the F136 development is a sound financial decision as well as good public policy. The competition created by the F136 investment will more than pay for itself, and ultimately make the JSF a better aircraft.”
“Congress has consistently supported engine competition for more than a decade, and in a bipartisan fashion,” added Dan Korte, president of Rolls-Royce Defense. “Congress does not want a $100 billion monopoly in the F-35 engine program. The defence subcommittee in House Appropriations made that very clear with its vote today.”
While many analysts suggest a White House veto is unlikely for the sake of less than one per cent of that total funded, funding is still not assured, as the House bill must be ratified by Senate appropriators.
F-35B test fleet not meeting test schedule
Lockheed Martin CEO Bob Stevens has told financial analysts in the US that the three F-35B STOVL test aircraft based at NAS Patuxent River are not meeting their flight test schedule due to parts failures.
Stevens said the flight test schedule was running 21 flights behind the 95 the company had hoped to have achieved by the end of June due to small parts like hydraulic actuators, valves, power system components and cooling fans failing faster than anticipated, but was quick to emphasise there had been no failures of key propulsion system components such as the lift fan and its drive shaft and that the issues shouldn’t affect the planned first delivery of an F-35B to the US Marine Corp next year. The Fort Worth Star Telegram reported that the F-35B fleet had completed 91 test flights by July 27.
The F-35B flight test issues were raised by company vice president Tom Burbage during his June visit to Australia when he told Australian Aviation that “maintenance and things” were holding up the STOVL flight test program.
By contrast, flight testing of the F-35A test aircraft Edwards AFB and the sole carrier capable F-35C were ahead of schedule, as are overall flight test numbers planned for the year to date.
Canadian CH-148 contract re-baselined
The Sikorsky CH-148 Cyclone helicopter program for the Canadian Forces has been renegotiated for a second time after continuing software development delays meant an interim capability delivery target for later this year is unlikely to be met.
Twenty-eight CH-148s, a Canadian specific version of Sikorsky’s H-92, were ordered in 2004 to replace Canada’s ageing ship-borne Sea Kings, with first delivery due in 2009. The contract was ‘re-baselined’ in 2008 after it became clear the 2009 delivery target wouldn’t be met, at which time it was agreed six helicopters would be delivered by November 2010 in an ‘interim’ configuration for initial training and operational test evaluation.
While it is hoped some machines will still be delivered this year, they will not have fully compliant mission system software, according to a report in Aviation Week. The report says definitive capability specification aircraft are currently scheduled to be delivered from June 2012, but both the interim and all-up capability delivery dates will be subject to damages claims if not met.
Raytheon delivers 200th APG-79 AESA
Raytheon has delivered the 200th AN/APG-79 Active Electronically Scanned Array (AESA) radar to Boeing for installation on US Navy F/A-18E/F and EA-18G and RAAF F/A-18F fighters.
Large Saudi order under consideration
A large military order by Saudi Arabia valued at up to US$30bn (A$33bn) is currently under consideration by the US, the head of the US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), Vice Admiral Jeffrey Wieringa, told media at the Farnborough Airshow.
The potential order includes 84 new Boeing F-15 Eagles, 72 UH-60M Black Hawks, and the refurbishment of a further 70 F-15C/Ds already in service. The new F-15s are reported to be similar to the F-15SG standard currently being acquired by Singapore which includes the APG-63(V)3 AESA radar.
Saudi Arabia also operates 72 F-15S Eagles of a similar configuration to the F-15E Strike Eagle, about 70 Tornado IDS and ADVs, and is taking delivery of 72 Eurofighter Typhoons from the UK.
JAGM on target in latest testing
Testing of the Raytheon/Boeing Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) has been successful in a recent firing at the White Sands missile range in New Mexico.
The weapon, designed to replace the Hellfire and Maverick missiles in US and allied service, scored a direct hit on a 2.5 x 2.5m target from a distance of 16km. JAGM uses a tri-mode seeker comprising a laser, an infrared imaging sensor and a millimetre wave sensor, and leverages technology from programs such as the Boeing Brimstone and Raytheon’s SDB II.
F-22s join in Korean exercise
Two F-22 Raptors based at Holloman AFB in New Mexico and deployed with the 7th Expeditionary Fighter Squadron to Kadena AFB on the Japanese island of Okinawa have joined in the Invincible Spirit exercises with US and South Korean forces, marking the first time the F-22 has flown in and around the sensitive Korean peninsula.
P-8I reaches final design review
The Boeing P-8I for India successfully completed its final design review (FDR) on July 16, clearing the way for the manufacture of the first 737 based P-8I to begin.
The FDR saw the designs for the aircraft’s radar, communications, navigation, mission computing, acoustics, sensors, and ground and test support equipment locked in, as well as for the aircraft itself.
“For P-8I, we are incorporating not only India-unique design features, but also India built subsystems, so this agreement that the design addresses all customer requirements is a huge milestone,” Leland Wight, Boeing’s P-8I program manager said in a statement. “It also leads us to the program’s next stage: We are on track to start fabricating the P-8I’s empennage section before the end of this year.”
The first P-8I is due to be delivered to India in 2013.
CDF to take leave
Chief of Defence Force, ACM Angus Houston has announced he will take an unspecified “short period of leave” for medical treatment, and that Vice Chief of Defence Force, LTGEN David Hurley will be acting in the CDF position until he returns to work.
US Navy delivers Australian MH-60R bid
The US Navy delivered its formal bid for the supply of 24 Sikorsky/Lockheed Martin MH-60R helicopters to Australia on July 23 for the Air 9000 Phase 8 future naval helicopter requirement.
The MH-60R ‘Romeo’ is competing against Eurocopter’s NH 90 NFH to fulfil the requirement to replace the RAN’s 16 S-70B Seahawks and the gap left by the 11 cancelled SH-2G(A) Seasprites, a decision on which is expected in early 2011.
P&W signs deals with Australian suppliers

Pratt & Whitney has signed a purchase order with Melbourne based Production Parts to manufacture F135 high compressor cases for the JSF program.
The agreement, signed on July 19 at the Farnborough Airshow, has a potential value of A$128 million over the production life of the JSF program.
“Production Parts has been producing engine components for Pratt & Whitney from the start of the F135 program, and continues to demonstrate the ability to deliver quality components, on time, to meet our customers’ needs,” said Bennett Croswell, vice president of Pratt & Whitney F135/F119 engine programs. “This work placement also enables Production Parts the opportunity, as a critical Pratt & Whitney supplier, to become part of the global sustainment solution for the F135 engine.”
P&W has also signed a A$7.5 million agreement with Adelaide based Broens Industries to design and manufacture ground support equipment for the removal and installation of F135 engine gearboxes.
“Broens has demonstrated the ability to deliver the most innovative solution for removal and installation of the F135 engine’s gearbox with its technologically advanced ground support equipment, designed and built specifically for the F135 engine program,” said Croswell. “We look forward to a long working relationship with Broens.”

JSOW C-1 completes captive carry tests
Raytheon and the US Navy have successfully conducted a series of captive carry tests of the AGM-154 JSOW C-1.
The C-1 adds a moving maritime target capability and two-way Strike Common Weapon Datalink (SCWDL) to the standard JSOW GPS guided glide weapon, and the three captive flights demonstrated the C-1’s ability to detect moving maritime targets in flight.
The RAAF and US Navy have ordered the JSOW C-1 for employment from F/A-18E/F Super Hornets, and the weapon is expected to enter service in 2012.
First JSF DAS system software delivered
Northrop Grumman has delivered the first operational software package for the JSF’s AN/AAQ-37 Electro-Optical Distributed Aperture System (EO-DAS) system.
“EO-DAS is the first capability of its kind, providing pilots with unprecedented full, 360-degree, situational awareness around an aircraft,” said Mark Rossi, Northrop Grumman’s program development director for the JSF radar and EO-DAS. “This software delivery represents the final, full-performance, operational flight program-approved version, following an in-depth, eight-year product development and test phase.”
Development DAS systems have already been test flown on BAC 1-11 and 737 testbeds.
Brazil to buy 28 Embraer KC-390s

Embraer and the Brazilian Air Force have announced at the Farnborough Airshow plans by Brazil to purchase 28 Embraer KC-390 tanker transports.
The KC-390 is a twin engined high wing design designed to replace the C-130 Hercules in service, and will fulfil a secondary role as an air-to-air refueller.
First flight of the aircraft is due in 2014, with service entry from late 2015.

100th CH-47F built
Boeing has completed the 100th CH-47F ‘Foxtrot’ variant of the venerable Chinook helicopter at its Ridley Township facility near Philadelphia.
The CH-47F is an improvement over the CH-47D, featuring a lower part count in a redesigned forward fuselage, more powerful engines, a Digital Automatic Flight Control System (DAFCS), and the Common Avionics Architecture System (CAAS) cockpit.
“The CH-47F is proving its exceptional capabilities every day in combat operations,” said Col Bob Marion, the US Army’s Project Manager for Cargo Helicopters. “The technological advantages and improvements in the CH-47F are powerful combat multipliers that save soldiers’ lives and support overall contingency operations in theatre.”
CH-47Fs built to date have equipped six US Army units, four of which have been deployed to Iraq or Afghanistan, and have flown more than 50,000 flight hours with an availability of over 80 per cent. The 100th aircraft is due to be delivered sometime in August.
Australia has ordered seven CH-47Fs for delivery from 2013 to replace its six CH-47Ds.
Boeing to team on DA42 Dominator UAS
Boeing has signed an MoU with Aeronautics Defense Systems to jointly market the DA42 Dominator UAS, an unmanned ISR version of the Diamond DA42 light twin.
“The Medium Altitude Long Endurance (MALE) portion of the unmanned systems market is rapidly expanding as the world’s armed forces acquire a variety of vehicles for use in current conflicts and future missions,” said Chris Chadwick, president of Boeing Military Aircraft. “By collaborating with Aeronautics to market the DA42 Dominator, Boeing is able to offer a wider range of MALE solutions to current and potential customers, both domestically and internationally.”
The DA42 Dominator is expected to have an endurance of up to 10 hours and will be able to carry EO/IR and radar based sensors.
Boeing completes Vigilare testing
Boeing has announced that operational testing of the RAAF’s Vigilare command and control system had been completed at the Northern Region Operations Centre (NROC) at Tindal.
The operational testing demonstrated the system’s ability to connect networked assets such as F/A-18 Hornets, AP-3C Orions, Navy frigates, and other sensors and data sources simultaneously. “This milestone is the culmination of six years of hard work by the Commonwealth, Boeing and our supplier networks, and we continue to be on-target to deliver Vigilare’s full network-centric-warfare capability to the RAAF by mid-2011,” Arthur Mamalis, Boeing Defence Australia’s program director for Project Vigilare said in a statement.
Installation of the Vigilare system into the Eastern Regional Operations Centre (EROC) at Williamtown is due to commence in September.
Italy to axe Tranche 3B Eurofighter order
Italy says it will not take up its share of the Tranche 3B production run of Eurofighters and instead will buy the F-35 JSF.
Speaking at the Farnborough Airshow on July 20, Defence Minister Ignazio la Russa said Italy would cut 25 Eurofighters from its planned buy, leaving its total Eurofighter buy at 96.
Although Eurofighter spokesmen did not comment specifically on Italy’s plans, they were quick to point to the Eurofighter’s superiority over the JSF in simulations they had conducted recently, adding that the F-35 was a successor to the A-10 and Harrier strike aircraft, and was not in the same class as the Eurofighter as an air superiority fighter.
Vietnam buys more SU-30s

Military briefs
The head of Russia’s military technology cooperation service, Alexander Fomine announced at the Farnborough Airshow that Vietnam has signed an agreement for 20 Sukhoi SU-30MK2 fighters.
MRH 90s cleared for return to flight
The ADF’s fleet of MRH 90 helicopters has been cleared to return to flight after an engine failure caused a grounding of three months duration, and are expected to resume flying this week.
“I can confirm flying operations will commence shortly following approval by Defence’s Operational Airworthiness Authority,” the DMO’s new Head of Helicopter Systems Division, Rear Admiral Mark Campbell said in a July 22 statement. “Extensive work has been conducted by Rolls-Royce Turbomeca and our industry partners with support from the Defence Science and Technology Organisation to identify the cause of the engine failure. We are advised the failure resulted from compressor blade fracture due to contact with the engine casing.”
The grounding and subsequent delay to the helicopter’s development program means the Navy’s first at sea deployment is now not expected to take place until mid 2011, while Army’s goal of an operational troop will also be delayed.
“There is no suggestion of pilot error as alleged in one UK report,” Rear Admiral Campbell said, adding that Eurocopter CEO Dr Lutz Bertling had written to Minister for Defence Materiel and Science, Greg Combet to personally assure him that any suggestions that pilot error was responsible for the engine failure are incorrect.
General Atomics offers manned ISR option
General Atomics (GA-ASI), manufacturer of the Predator family of UAVs and their associated sensors and ground stations, is offering an off-the-shelf version of UAV sensor suite for manned aircraft.
Dubbed Griffin Eye, the offering would suit aircraft in the King Air 200/350, Beech 1900D, Twin Otter, PC-12 and Cessna Citation classes.
“Griffin Eye represents a total end-to-end airborne ISR solution,” Linden Blue, GA-ASI’s president, Reconnaissance Systems Group said in a statement. “It integrates the airborne payload package with an operator console station that collects, formats, and displays sensor data for optimum exploitation. Imagery and exploitation products can then be sent via an airborne data link to ground stations for further analysis.”
Sensors offered include the company’s Lynx synthetic aperture radar/ground moving target indicator (SAR/GMTI), and electro-optical/infra-red (EO-IR) cameras, as well as datalinks and other communications enhancements.
Rolls-Royce to support Canadian CC-130Js
Rolls-Royce has been awarded a C$70m (A$m) contract by Lockheed Martin to provide in-service support for the engines on the Canadian Forces’ new fleet of CC-130J Hercules transports.
The six year contract will see RR provide logistical support to Lockheed Martin for the fleet’s AE 2100D3 engines, and depot level maintenance in partnership with StandardAero.
Israel grounds T-6 fleet after ejection
Israel has grounded its fleet of T-6A Texan II advanced trainers after a cadet ejected from an aircraft which lost control on landing on July 15.
Although the damaged aircraft will be repaired and returned to the air, the fleet has been grounded until the cause of the mishap can be determined.
The T-6A entered Israeli service in 2009 to replace the Fouga Magister.
Raytheon receives P-8I radar contract
Raytheon has received a contract from Boeing to develop an international version of its APY-10 radar for India’s Boeing P-8I maritime surveillance aircraft it has on order.
Just where the ‘international version’ of the radar differs to the US Navy’s APY-10 is unclear, but Raytheon claims it will deliver “accurate and actionable information in all weather, day and night, for anti-submarine and anti-surface warfare and for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance mission support.”
The P-8I will feature several Indian specific sensors and communications systems, and is due to enter service from 2014.
USMC King Airs to receive extended range tanks
Hawker Beechcraft has received a contract to equip two US Marine Corps UC-12W Hurons (King Air 350) special mission aircraft with extended range fuel tanks providing 40 per cent more fuel than the standard aircraft.
The increase will provide the UC-12Ws with a capacity of 2355kg giving an endurance of more than 12 hours.
Global Hawk Block 40 completes flight expansion tests
The USAF Global Hawk Block 40 has completed envelope expansion flight testing at its Edwards AFB test facility.
The Block 40 has been designed to operate with the Multi-Platform Radar Technology Insertion Program (MP-RTIP) sensor installed in a large ‘canoe’ fairing on the aircraft’s lower fuselage.
After development testing aboard a Scaled Composites Proteus testbed, the first MP-RTIP has been delivered to Edwards and is expected to be integrated onto a Global Hawk for operational evaluation later this year.
Predator C “exceeding expectations”
General Atomics’ (GA-ASI’s) jet powered Predator C Avenger II is “exceeding expectations” in flight testing according to company president, Aircraft Systems Group, Frank Pace.
Briefing media at the Farnborough Airshow, Pace said “The test program for Avenger is proceeding along very well, with some results exceeding our expectations. Our company goal has always been to deliver extremely capable unmanned aircraft that are ready for near-term customer use, and Avenger is on-track to continue in this tradition.”
The single flying Predator C will be joined early next year by two more test examples, both of which will feature a 90cm fuselage stretch.
GA-ASI has proposed developing two versions of the Predator C; one of which will be suitable for contested airspace where there is some opposition but air superiority is generally guaranteed, and a “survivable” version with very low observable treatments for operations in hostile airspace.
CAE selected to provide AT-6 simulators
Hawker Beechcraft has selected CAE to provide ground based training solutions for the AT-6 light attack and reconnaissance aircraft development of its T-6 advanced trainer.
“We selected CAE USA for its recognised training systems integration expertise, simulation technology leadership and its willingness to actively participate with our team of partners to deliver a comprehensive and integrated AT-6 training system,” said Jim Maslowski, Hawker Beechcraft’s president, US and International Government Business in a statement.
The AT-6 is under development for a light attack requirement for the US and allied air arms.
AMRAAM launched from Silent Eagle weapons bay
Boeing has successfully launched an AMRAAM air-to-air missile test round from the conformal weapons bay (CWB) it is developing for its F-15SE Silent Eagle.
The test, conducted on July 14 from Point Mugu NAS in California saw Boeing’s F-15E1 test aircraft fitted with a CWB launch the AMRAAM successfully. The firing followed a successful demonstration on July 8 in which the CWB doors were opened and the missile deployed into the air stream.
“I’ve been flying F-15s for more than 20 years, but this flight was different from all others,” Boeing F-15 Chief Test Pilot Dan Draeger said in a statement. “This first launch of an AMRAAM from the F-15′s internal weapons bay opens a new era for the F-15 and for strike fighter capability in the dominance of the F-15 Eagle.”
Boeing’s evolved Super Hornet
Boeing has revealed it is developing a range of enhancements for the Super Hornet, including conformal fuel tanks, more powerful engines, an advanced cockpit and a weapons pod.
Shelley Lavender, vice president and general manager of Boeing’s global strike business, detailed the enhancements, collectively described as a “roadmap for the international market”, at the Farnborough Airshow on July 20. The suite of enhancements will be available for both new build export Super Hornets and retrofit to existing Block 2 Super Hornets, including Australia’s, and appears to position Boeing to take advantage of any further missteps with the Joint Strike Fighter program.
Most notable of the enhancements is the fuel tank shaped weapons pod that is designed to carry internally up to four AIM-120 Amraams or other weapons under the aircraft’s centreline hardpoint station. Carrying weapons in an enclosed pod, and the shoulder mounted conformal fuel tanks – which would increase range in the order of 10 per cent – are evidently aimed at significantly reducing the aircraft’s radar signature, compared to carrying external weapons and traditional underwing fuel tanks. Other options include Boeing’s “Next Generation” fighter cockpit with large colour touch screens, 20 per cent more powerful GE F414 Enhanced Performance Engines, spherical missile and laser warning receivers, and an internal IRST sensor mounted in the nose.
Boeing has not detailed the cost of the improvements, but says the Next Gen cockpit could be available for fitting to Super Hornets around 2013-15, while the other capabilities could be available in the 2015-17 timeframe.
Lockheed teams with Sikorsky on CSAR-X 2
Lockheed Martin has teamed with Sikorsky to offer an enhanced version of the UH-60M Black Hawk to replace the USAF’s fleet of 112 HH-60G Pave Hawk combat search and rescue helicopters.
The two companies had previously partnered to offer the H-92 for the last iteration of the CSAR-X competition which was won by Boeing’s HH-47 offering before being overturned on appeal by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO).
“Our team has the resources and experience to rapidly deliver the proven UH-60M airframe design with mature situational awareness sensors and mission systems,” said Scott Starrett, president of Sikorsky Military Systems in a statement. “We believe a UH-60M aircraft missionised for the complexities of the combat search and rescue mission will fit seamlessly into established Air Force training and logistics operations, thus providing a fiscally responsible and reliable platform for rescue operations.”
The UH-60M is a substantially upgraded version of the venerable Black Hawk which features a strengthened airframe, more powerful engines, wider chord rotor blades and advanced avionics.

Incorrect procedure caused MRH 90 engine failure
Eurocopter CEO Lutz Bertling has told media at the Farnborough Airshow in the UK that the catastrophic engine failure experienced by an Australian Army MRH 90 helicopter near Adelaide on April 20 was caused by an incorrect hot start procedure.
“We know now precisely the sequence that the engines have seen it their history – all the engines had seen an improper procedure for a hot start,” a report in Shepherds’ quoted Bertling as saying. “In all cases the improper procedure was done in the same way and if you do so then you see damage to bearings and seals in the engine.”
The 11 MRH 90s delivered to date have remained grounded since the incident but the ADF is believed to be close to returning the machines to the air.
Bertling confirmed that aircraft that had not been subject to the “improper procedure” had been cleared to fly. “All engines that have seen the procedure will be removed from the aircraft and inspected – if there is an issue or not. And I need to say that of the engines that have had a wrong hot start procedure it is only a very small percentage that have had damage to them.”
The report says a software patch had been developed for the engines to prevent the incorrect start sequence recurring.
First F-22s arrive in Hawaii
The first F-22 Raptors have arrived at Hickam AFB in Hawaii where they will be permanently based with the 199th Fighter Squadron, 154th Air Wing, Hawaiian Air National Guard, and the active duty 19th FS, 15th AW.
Twenty F-22s will replace F-15Cs at Hickam, with the F-15s being transferred to mainland reserve units.
The F-22 is now based at seven locations; Langley AFB in Virginia, Tyndall AFB in Florida (for training), Nellis AFB in Nevada (operational test), Elmendorf AFB in Alaska (where an RAAF Hornet pilot flies on exchange), Holloman AFB in New Mexico, and Edwards AFB in California (development).
Canada commits to F-35
The Canadian government has committed to the acquisition of 65 F-35A JSFs to replace its CF-18 Hornet fighters in service.
The commitment comes at an expected cost of C$9bn (A$9.81bn) including spares, basing infrastructure, and training systems and materiel. Additional funding will be required to buy into a sustainment program for the aircraft.
The Canadian opposition criticised the decision to go with the F-35 on a sole source basis rather than holding a competition for the capability, and said it would rescind the decision if it wins power ahead of an expected contract signature for the aircraft in 2013. “A future Liberal government will put on hold this … contract,” Liberal industry spokesman Marc Garneau told media. “Competition guarantees the best value for Canadians.”
But the Harper Government countered the criticism, saying the decision to join the JSF partnership in 2002 was made by the now opposition, and that a cancellation would be hypocrisy. “Contrary to Liberal myths, this was a competitive process,” said a Defence department spokesman. “Canada participated in an extensive and rigorous competitive process where two bidders developed and competed prototype aircraft. Participation in the JSF program has allowed the Department of National Defence and Canadian industry to be part of a cutting-edge international military program.”
The move is a setback to Boeing which had hoped to place its F/A-18E/F Super Hornet in service with Canada. The first Canadian F-35s are expected to enter service from 2016.
Defence probes air transport tender

The Department of Defence is investigating the tender process for the provision of Air Sustainment Support to the Middle East Area of Operations after the incumbent, Strategic Aviation Group, raised concerns with the inspector-general of Defence.
According to a statement issued by Defence on July 20, the secretary of Defence has directed the Chief Audit Executive to “immediately conduct a probity audit of the tender process” after receiving a letter from Strategic on July 14. The statement did not outline what objections were raised by Strategic to warrant the probe into the tender process.
The tender, which provides weekly services between Australia and the UAE, is understood to have been was won by Adagold Aviaiton in partnership with European carrier HiFly, which will operate an Airbus A330 on the routes.  HiFly also operated A330s on behalf of incumbent Strategic for a number of years prior to Strategic Airlines operating the flights in its own right with its own A330-200, VH-SSA.
According to Defence, Strategic’s current contract is set to expire in October.
A400M debuts at Farnborough
The Airbus Miltary A400M airlifter has made its long awaited airshow debut at the Farnborough Airshow, opening the flying display on the first day of the show on July 19.
In a media briefing Airbus Military CEO Domingo Ureno said the now three aircraft strong A400M flight test program was “slightly” ahead of its schedule to date, with more than 100 flights and 420 flight test hours now accumulated.
Before the airshow, the A400M made a brief visit to the Royal Air Force’s main transport base of Brize Norton, where it was pictured with a RAF C-130J and C-17.

Tecnam to show MMA at Farnborough
Austrian based Airborne Technologies and Tecnam are planning to display a P2006T modified for special missions, designated the Tecnam Multi Mission Aircraft (MMA), at the Farnborough Airshow.
The twin-engine, high wing P2006T has been modified by Airborne Technologies for special missions with the inclusion of an additional electrical power (a separate 28V/70Amps electrical mission supply), a retractable sensor system and an integrated pilot flight guidance system/sensor operator workstation. Airborne Technologies holds a supplemental type certificate for the modifications, while Tecnam’s dealer and support network provides worldwide distribution and support for the aircraft.
The two organisations are targeting government and high end security firms with the MMA. It was first announced in October 2009.
Boeing unveils Phantom Eye UAV
Boeing has rolled out its Phantom Eye high altitude ultra long endurance UAV demonstrator at a ceremony in St Louis.
The hydrogen powered aircraft is designed to be able to fly at altitudes of up to 63,000ft and stay aloft for as long as four days.
“Phantom Eye is the first of its kind and could open up a whole new market in collecting data and communications,” Darryl Davis, president of Boeing Phantom Works, said at the rollout. “It defines our rapid prototyping efforts and will demonstrate the art-of-the-possible when it comes to persistent intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance.”
Phantom Eye is powered by a 2.3 litre Ford four cylinder engine, and features a 45.7m wing span and a distended fuselage for the hydrogen storage. The demonstrator will be capable of carrying a 220kg payload of sensors or communications equipment.
The aircraft will be shipped to Edwards AFB in California before commencing flight trials in early 2011.
Final MC-12W Liberty delivered
The 30th and final King Air 350-based MC-12W Liberty ISR aircraft has been delivered to the USAF just 13 months after the contract for the fleet was signed.
The aircraft, developed under an urgent operational requirement, is the fastest weapons system delivery from concept to combat since the P-51 Mustang of 1943.
“We mobilised a significant industry base and every resource at our disposal, and delivered the first Federal Aviation Administration certified aircraft in six months and three weeks,” said Lt Gen David Deptula, the deputy chief of staff for the USAF’s Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance office. “It began flying combat sorties in less than eight months.”
The aircraft feature sensors and datalinks designed to provide ISR support to ground forces, and have proven invaluable since being deployed to Iraq and Afghanistan.
Singapore chooses M-346?
The Singapore Ministry of Defence has reportedly confirmed that it has selected the Aermacchi M-346 Master ahead of the Korean Aerospace T-50 to fulfil its Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) requirement.
Although no official announcement has been made, Jane’s reports that Singaporean Ministry of Defence officials confirmed the selection on July 7 and that Korean Aerospace has been informed its bid was unsuccessful. Negotiations over a contract for the M-346s are expected to commence shortly.
Aermacchi has teamed with Boeing and ST Aerospace to provide a 25 year training and support contract to the Republic of Singapore Air Force.
UK rolls out Taranis UCAV
The UK Ministry of Defence has rolled out its Taranis UCAV demonstrator at a ceremony at BAE’s Warton, Lancashire facility.
The aircraft features a diamond shaped planform with a triangular intake and low observable features. It was designed by a partnership comprising BAE, Rolls-Royce, QinetiQ and GE Aviation.
“Taranis has been three-and-a-half years in the making and is the product of more than a million man hours,” Nigel Whitehead, group managing director of BAE Systems’ programs and support business said. “It represents a significant step forward in this country’s fast jet capability. This technology is key to sustaining a strong industrial base and to maintain the UK’s leading position as a centre for engineering excellence and innovation.”
Flight trials are expected to commence in 2011, possibly at the ADF’s Woomera test facility in South Australia where other UK UAV designs such as the Mantis have been flight tested in recent years.
Italian C-27Js reach 10,000 hours
The Italian Air Force’s fleet of Alenia C-27J Spartan tactical transports achieved the milestone of 10,000 hours in July.
The 12 aircraft were delivered between 2007 and 2009 and are operated by the 46th Air Wing at Pisa, and have seen operations in Afghanistan since 2008.
First P-3 MLU delivered
The US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) service has taken delivery of the first P-3 Orion to be substantially upgraded under Lockheed Martin’s Mid-Life Upgrade (MLU) program.
The aircraft, a former US Navy P-3B fitted with a rotating AEW radar on the upper fuselage, had its outer wings, centre wing lower surface, and horizontal stabilisers replaced by new components made from newer and stronger metal alloys. The upgrade removes all flight restrictions previously placed on the fleet and is expected to add 15,000 hours and 20 years to the aircraft’s fatigue life.
The CBP has ordered 14 MLU upgrades, while a total of 52 kits are under order by six operators in four countries.
KC-30 emerges from the paintshop
The second RAAF Airbus Military KC-30A tanker-transport has emerged from the paintshop wearing its 33SQN RAAF colours.
This aircraft, the first to have been converted to the tanker configuration from a standard A330-200 airframe with Qantas Defence Services in Brisbane, has been undergoing flight test with Airbus Military in Spain since late last year, alongside the first KC-30, which had undergone its conversion in Spain.
The RAAF has five KC-30As on order, with Airbus Military saying the first two remain on track to be delivered “later this year”.
Sky Warrior UAS enters production
The US Army’s Extended Range/Multi-Purpose (ER/MP) Sky Warrior system, a development of the General Atomics R/MQ-1 Predator system, has been approved for low rate initial production (LRIP) and has been awarded US$195m in funding to commence the LRIP process.
LRIP will see two aircraft per month delivered from December this year, while full funding is expected to follow in the next few months for 34 Sky Warrior aircraft, 16 ground control Stations, airborne and ground Tactical Control Data Link (TCDL) equipment, and various spares and support equipment.
Although outwardly similar, the Sky Warrior differs from earlier Predator models in its sensor and communications fit, and its use of a heavy fuel engine which uses diesel fuel common to Army vehicles rather than avgas.
MRH 90s still grounded
The ADF’s current fleet of MRH 90 helicopters remains grounded nearly three months after an aircraft experienced a catastrophic engine failure near RAAF Edinburgh on April 20.
“MRH 90 flying operations are suspended whilst the investigation into the cause of the engine failure continues,” a Defence spokesperson told Australian Aviation on July 8. “An Aircraft Incident Investigation Team has been investigating the incident with support provided by the DSTO, the engine manufacturer (Rolls-Royce Turbomeca) and the aircraft manufacturers (NHI and Australian Aerospace). This is a complex investigation, and the precise cause of the failure has not yet been identified. Detailed investigation and analysis are continuing.”
The engine failure occurred during a deployment to Edinburgh of several aircraft and crews as part of the training and aircraft service development process.
RTM322 engines also power European NH90s, as well as AW101s (EH 101) operated by several nations and WAH-64 Apaches as used by the British Army, but none of these aircraft have been grounded.
HFMod project wrapped up
Boeing Defence Australia has announced it has completed delivery and installation of the ADF’s Project JP 2043 High Frequency Modernisation Project (HFMod).
The announcement follows acceptance of the capability in May and formal notification from the DMO of the project’s completion.
“This final milestone indicates all system requirements have been met and the Commonwealth is confident this Modernised High Frequency Communications System is providing the Australian Defence Force with a secure, cost effective, strategic high frequency communications capability,” said Steve Hudson, Boeing project manager, HFMod project.
The fixed long range communication system offers a secure exchange of information between fixed and mobile stations through a single integrated system, and will be progressively rolled out across the ADF’s various platforms over the next five years.
USAF tanker bids in…again
For the third time in almost a decade, the USAF has received bids for its much delayed KC-X tanker program for 179 new tankers to replace 45+ year old KC-135E/Rs.
Bids from three companies were delivered to the USAF’s KC-X project office at Wright Patterson AFB in Ohio by the noon deadline on July 9.
Not surprisingly, Boeing has bid an advanced development of its 767-200 airliner with elements of the 787’s cockpit dubbed KC-767NG, while EADS North America has gone it alone without previous partner Northrop Grumman in submitting its KC-45 (KC-30 MRTT) development of the A330-200 airliner.
More surprising however is a bid by Los Angeles based US Aerospace Inc in partnership with Antonov for the An-112, a twin turbofan development of the An-70 quad turboprop transport. The An-112 has been proposed with two GEnx turbofans of the same specification as those planned for Boeing’s 787-9, and will feature wingtip hose and drogue and a centreline boom refuelling systems, and dual deck seating for up to 300 passengers.
Boeing Silent Eagle first flight
Boeing’s F-15SE Silent Eagle demonstrator has made its first flight with a new conformal weapons bay (CWB).
The aircraft, converted from Boeing’s F-15E1 development aircraft, flew for 80 minutes from St Louis and successfully opened and closed its left CWB, a design based on the F-15E’s conformal fuel tanks (CFT), and deployed a dummy AIM-120 AMRAAM into the airstream.
“The Silent Eagle demonstration flight validated our initial engineering design approach,” Boeing F-15 development programs director, Brad Jones, said. “Our intent was to verify all systems are operational in a flight environment. This flawless flight allows us to move into the next phase.”
The next phase will comprise a ferry flight to California where the aircraft will launch a test AMRAAM from the CWB in the next few weeks.
The CWBs will each have two internal bays in their forward section capable of carrying AMRAAM and AIM-9X air-to-air missiles or 250 and 500kg JDAM GPS guided bombs, while fuel will be carried in the aft sections.
The demonstrator aircraft is yet to be fitted with other advances planned for the F-15SE such as the canted vertical stabilisers, an advanced EW system, and extensive application of low observable treatments in the forward section, and may not be until a launch order and the associated development funding is received.
Boeing has received approval from the US Dept of State to begin marketing the aircraft to South Korea, and there is reported to be some interest in the F-15SE from Saudi Arabia, Israel and Japan.
Notification of possible MH-60R sale to Australia
The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) notified Congress on July 7 of a possible Foreign Military Sale (FMS) to Australia of 24 MH-60R ‘Romeo’ helicopters.
The notification says the deal, estimated to cost US$2.1bn (A$2.4bn), includes “equipment, parts, training and logistical support”, as well as 60 GE T700-401C engines (including 12 spares), “communication equipment, support equipment, spare and repair parts, tools and test equipment, technical data and publications, personnel training and training equipment, US government and contractor engineering, technical, and logistics support services.”
The notification is a legal requirement and does not mean a sale has been agreed upon, but it is usually a strong indication of confidence by the contractor and the FMS authority – in this case, the US Navy – that an agreement is likely.
The MH-60R has been proposed by ‘Team Romeo’ comprising Lockheed Martin, Sikorsky, General Electric, Raytheon and the US Navy. It is being considered along with the NH 90 NFH from Eurocopter and its Australian subsidiary, Australian Aerospace, for Air 9000 Phase 8 to replace the RAN’s fleet of 16 S-70B Seahawks and 11 cancelled Seasprites.
Ninth development F-35 flies
The ninth F-35 flight test aircraft and the second to be fitted with a mission system avionics package, F-35A AF-3 made its first flight on July 6.
“AF-3 is very much like the first production F-35s we will deliver to the US Air Force later this year,” said Doug Pearson, Lockheed Martin vice president of F-35 test and verification. “AF-3 will be the workhorse for demonstrating the lethal 5th generation combat mission systems capability that will reside in all F-35s.”
The 42 minute flight, which took off at 6:20pm, saw test pilot Bill Gigliotti undertake a series of flying quality tests before it had to be cut short due to storm activity in the area.
AIRLINES
Buchanan to head expanded Jetstar team
The Qantas Group has announced a major restructuring of the management of Jetstar, which it says will position the low cost carrier group for future growth across the Asian region.
Under the changes, current Jetstar CEO Bruce Buchanan has been appointed to the role of group chief executive officer for Jetstar, under which he will continue to oversee the expansion of the Jetstar branded carriers, supported by an executive team.
With Buchanan’s role now expanded, Qantas’s group executive corporate services and technology David Hall has been appointed CEO of Jetstar Australia and New Zealand, with responsibility  for flying operations, airports, pilots, cabin crew, engineering, safety and technical programs, including the introduction of the Boeing 787. Prior to the role with Qantas, Hall was Jetstar’s chief financial officer.
“This change in structure builds a strong foundation for continued growth for Jetstar. This will ensure we are well placed to successfully expand our footprint to new markets throughout Asia,” said Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce.
The new structure will also see changes to the Jetstar Asia operation, with CEO Chong Phit-Lian’s role expanded to include responsibility for Jetstar investments and businesses in Asia. She will also assume responsibility for building its Singapore long haul flying hub.
As a result of Hall moving into the new position, there will be changes to the responsibilities of some Qantas executives, with CFO Gareth Evans to take control of the QFuture program, while Jayne Hrdlicka, who will join Qantas from Bain & Company, will assume responsibility for strategy from Hall in an acting capacity. Hall will retain responsibility for Qantas’s Business Information Solutions in the short term until new arrangements are finalised.
Cathay to buy A350s, 777s as profit soars
Cathay Pacific has announced that it plans to order A350-900s and exercise options on 777-300ERs after it recorded a major jump in profit.
The Hong Kong based carrier and its Dragonair subsidiary announced that during the first half of 2010 that it earned a profit of HK$6.84bn (A$966m), a massive 724.4 per cent increase on the same period last year. Turnover for the six months was up 55.7 per cent to HK$41.34bn (A$5.84bn). The two airlines carried a total of 13 million passengers, an increase of 8.5 per cent.  Load factor increased by 5.5 percentage points while yield increased by 17.5 per cent, representing a major rebound in its core long haul markets.
“If present trends continue, we expect our financial results to continue to be strong in the second half of 2010,” said chairman Christopher Pratt. “That said, conditions can change rapidly in the airline industry. Our results would be adversely affected, and very quickly so, by a significant further increase in fuel prices or any return to the recessionary economic conditions of 2008 and much of 2009.”
Nevertheless, the airline has had enough confidence to move ahead with upgrading its fleet, and has signed a letter of intent (LOI) to order 30 A350-900s, which are planned for delivery between 2016 and 2019. It has also started negotiations to exercise options on a further six 777-300ERs in addition to the 30 it has ordered previously. Cathay currently operates a fleet of 18 777-300ERs, with the remaining 12 currently due to be delivered by 2013. Together, the commitments are expected to cost HK$75bn (A$10.6bn) at list prices.
“The A350-900 is a perfect fit for the development of our fleet,” said Cathay Pacific chief executive Tony Tyler. “The delivery schedule fits our requirements very neatly. The 30 new aircraft will be deployed to replace older aircraft and grow our fleet to meet the challenges of the future.”
Cathay’s A350 deal was negotiated with Airbus’s Sydney office headed up by senior vice president – Pacific, Isabelle Floret.
RAAA calls for regional aviation policies
The Regional Aviation Association of Australia (RAAA) has expressed its concern that the major political parties are ignoring the transport issues faced by regional communities across Australia.
“Regional aviation businesses including regional airlines, freight and general aviation businesses are an essential part of Australia’s national infrastructure and yet we have heard nothing from either the government or the opposition about how they will resolve a number of pressing issues affecting the industry,” said CEO Paul Tyrrell.
In particular, the RAAA expressed its concerns that skills shortages and increasing security costs were threatening the viability of regional air services, while he also noted that the recent increase in fuel taxes and the cancellation of the En route Charges Subsidy was also placing great pressure on regional operators.
“Both the government and opposition say they are aware of the vital role aviation plays in linking regional and remote communities to our major cities but until we see their transport policies the industry continues to lose hope,” Tyrrell concluded.
Strategic takes off to Port Hedland
Strategic Airlines’ inaugural service from Brisbane to Port Hedland and Denpasar took off on August 3, with the airline already looking to add more frequency to the route.
The Brisbane based airline is operating an Airbus A320 on the route, which is configured with 12 business and 144 economy seats. Flights currently depart Brisbane every Tuesday at 9:05am, arriving in arrive in Port Hedland at 12.55pm. The Port Hedland-Denpasar service will depart Port Hedland every Tuesday at 2.35pm and arrive in Denpasar at 4.50pm.
Strategic’s head of commercial, Damien Vasta, said that the airline has received strong backing for its new services, and was looking at operating a second weekly service on the route from September. “We have already seen a high level of uptake on both the Brisbane-Port Hedland and Port Hedland-Denpasar routes, and we will increase our number of flights to meet demand in the future,” he said.
Strategic also flies to Denpasar from Perth three times per week, and has recently applied to the International Air Services Commission for an increase in its allocation of seats on the Indonesia route.
Virgin Blue takes off to Uluru

Airline briefs

Virgin Blue commenced flights from Sydney to Uluru on August 2, marking the airline’s first foray into the red centre.
The inaugural service was operated by a Boeing 737-800 with a range of travel industry guests, media and commercial customers on board. The regular daily services are operated by Embraer E-190s.
Skywest launches cadet scheme
Skywest has announced that it will commence a cadet pilot training scheme in partnership with Altara Training and Ansett Aviation Training.
“We are very excited about the program at Skywest and the opportunity that it will provide to local Western Australians to become involved in a [locally] based company,” said executive chairman Jeff Chatfield in a statement.
Skywest says it will open its first cadet pilot intake during the end of the year through Melbourne based Altara. The airline will offer training places to candidates with little or no flying training experience who meet its requirements for aptitude, attitude and motivation, with cadets expected to progress on to the airline’s Fokker 50 fleet upon completion of their training with Altara and Ansett Aviation Training.

Qantas takes aim at WA regional routes
Qantas is aiming to grab a larger slice of the WA aviation market, with the airline targeting fly-in/fly-out (FIFO) and other regional operations.
According to a report in The West Australian newspaper, Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said the airline had entered a tender to the WA government to operate services on the Perth to Albany, Geraldton and Esperance routes. The three turboprop routes are proposed to be opened to two RPT operators under the WA government’s regional aviation framework, with tenders for other routes set to close on August 11, with new services expected to start from March 1.
It is expected that QantasLink could operate the services using 74-seat Bombardier Q400s or 50-seat Q300s, possibly through a contract arrangement with Cobham as currently in place for its fleet of Boeing 717s. Qantas recently ordered an additional seven Q400s for QantasLink operations.
Joyce also signalled that the airline was also taking a “serious look” at the FIFO charter market, which has been dominated by Skywest and other carriers in recent years. It comes after Skywest and Virgin Blue recently signed an agreement to explore avenues for closer cooperation between the two carriers.
Tiger teams up with Thai for Bangkok base
Thai Airways International has and Tiger Airways have announced that they will establish a joint venture low cost carrier which will be based at Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Named Thai Tiger, the new LCC will start operations in the first quarter of 2011 and focus on flights within a five hour radius of Bangkok. Thai Airways will hold 51 per cent of the company, while Tiger will hold the remaining 49 per cent. The airline will fly Airbus A320s and is expected to share the same branding as Tiger’s other operations in Singapore and Australia.
“Thai Tiger will be well positioned to offer low fares to even more parts of the Asia-Pacific region from its base in Asia’s tourism leader, Thailand,” said Tiger Airways Group CEO Tony Davis. “Bangkok is a key gateway to the whole of South East Asia and from its base at Suvarnabhumi Airport, Thai Tiger will be well positioned to also serve destinations in North Asia and the Indian sub-continent. Spreading our paw-print means greater economies of scale for Tiger Airways, which in turn enables us to lower costs and fares even further.”
The move by Thai to enter a JV with Tiger comes as somewhat of a surprise, particularly given that it already holds a 39 per cent stake in local LCC Nok Air, to which it provides aircraft. However, the relationship between Thai and Nok has been strained over the last year, with Thai particularly worried over cannibalising its core domestic market. The new base is also expected to have an impact on AirAsia and Jetstar, both of which are aiming to build their brand and operations across southeast Asia.
Virgin Atlantic shows off new livery
Virgin Atlantic will adopt a new brand image and aircraft livery which it says will help its aircraft stand out from the crowd at airports around the world.
“Despite the most challenging economic conditions that we have encountered for some time, this is just one of many design projects that Virgin Atlantic has invested in,” said CEO Steve Ridgway. “We have been working behind the scenes with British designers to re-ignite our brand and are developing new designs for the entire fleet of A330s due to come into service next year.”
The new livery sees the Virgin Atlantic name emblazoned across the fuselage of the aircraft in a custom fine drawn font. In addition, the undercarriage of the aircraft now features the new Virgin Atlantic logo in dark purple, which it says makes the aircraft more easily identifiable when taking off and landing, while the winglets are now red with the Virgin script on the inner side, visible to passengers on board the plane.
The adjustments to the Virgin Atlantic branding come as Virgin Blue prepares to launch a new brand in coming months, which is expected to replace the Virgin Blue, Pacific Blue and V Australia names used across its three flying operations. Either Virgin Pacific or V Australia is expected to become the new name and brand, although a dispute with the Virgin Group is understood to be holding up the planned rebranding.
Cargolux suspends Australasian services
Luxembourg based cargo carrier Cargolux Airlines will suspend its services to Australia and New Zealand, citing high operating costs.
“We have been trying hard over the past 10 years – through good and bad times – to maintain this service even though the flight economics simply do not justify the operation,” a Cargolux spokesman told AirCargo Asia-Pacific.  “However, Cargolux is now facing insufficient network capacity and as a result, we have no choice but to suspend this costly operation.”
Cargolux will operate its last service to Melbourne and Auckland on 28/29 August 2010. The airline says that it may reinstate services in the future.

Qantas lashes out at regional airports

Qantas’s executive of government and corporate affairs David Epstein has launched an attack on regional airports in mining centres which have raised their passenger charges.
Epstein told attendees at the Australia Pacific Aviation Outlook Summit that an “overwhelming number” of regional airports, predominately those owned by councils, had their natural advantage and “uninhibited use of market power” to charge capital city rates while not delivering similar levels of service. Epstein did not target councils specifically as he “did not want to go to war” with council-run airports, but said that the airline wanted to work more closely with them.
The latest comments from Epstein follow similar attacks by other Qantas Group executives on airports around the country for their charges. In May Jetstar withdrew its Brisbane-Rockhampton services after it could not reach a comemrcial agreement with Rockhampton Airport.

International traffic continued rise in May
A new report from the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) has shown that international passenger traffic continued to grow strongly during May, although seat utilisation remained static.
Passenger traffic increased by 6.9 per cent compared to May 2009 with 1.887 million passengers passing through Australia’s international airports. Available seats increased by 6.7 per cent, while seat utilisation remained static at 66.7 per cent.
Once again, Qantas had the largest share of international traffic with 20.2 per cent of the market, followed by Singapore Airlines with nine per cent, Emirates with 8.7 per cent, Jetstar with 8.4 per cent and Air New Zealand with 8.0 per cent. Compared to May 2009, Qantas’s share decreased by 2.3 percentage points, Singapore Airlines’ share increased by 0.1 percentage point, Emirates’ share increased by 0.6 percentage points, Jetstar’s share decreased by 0.6 percentage points and Air New Zealand’s share decreased by 0.7 percentage points.
Low cost carriers also continued to grow their market share, with AirAsia X, Indonesia AirAsia, Jetstar, Pacific Blue, Polynesian Blue and Tiger Airways collectively carrying 18.6 per cent of scheduled traffic during the month, an increase of 1.1 percentage points.

Mobile phones cleared for takeoff

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has finalised licensing arrangements which will allow passengers to use their mobile phones in flight.
Under the new arrangements, mobile communication services on aircraft will be governed by apparatus and class licenses. ACMA says it has consulted closely with CASA for the new licensing arrangements, with no technical objections raised.
“The licensing arrangements will allow airlines to deploy mobile communication services on their aircraft through special on-board systems, should they choose to do so,” said ACMA chairman Chris Chapman.
V Australia has signalled that it intends to offer SMS and data access on board its 777-300ERs, utilising AeroMobile picocell equipment, which can be integrated with the airline’s Panasonic eX2 entertainment system. Qantas has also previously utilised AeroMobile equipment on board a domestically operated Boeing 767-300 to trial the technology and is expected to now roll it out in other domestic aircraft.
Rex culls Port Lincoln flights
Regional Express is cutting the number of flights on the Adelaide-Port Lincoln route due to increased competition from QantasLink.
From August 23, the carrier will cut the number of flights it operates on the route from 120 to 98 per week, all of which are operated by 34-seat Saab 340s. This will result in a reduction of 38,000 seats annually on the route.
“Quite a disappointing turn of events – we’ve worked extremely hard over the last seven years to gradually build up the air service that we provide between Port Lincoln and Adelaide,” Rex’s GM network strategy and sales Warrick Lodge told the ABC.
“Obviously a lot of people welcome competition but I guess all I can say is that you know there are disadvantages from competition as well.”
QantasLink returned to operating flights between Adelaide and Port Lincoln on February 15, with the carrier operating 74-seat Bombardier Q400s on 23 return services each week.

Jetstar announces new Auckland flights
Jetstar has announced plans to fly from Melbourne and Cairns to Auckland next year.
From December 13, Jetstar will launch daily services between Melbourne and Auckland, followed by a three times weekly Cairns-Auckland service from April 12 2011. Both services will be operated by 177-seat A320s, and represents an additional 92,000 seats annually on the trans-Tasman market.
“Australia is the number one international destination for Kiwi travellers and by further growing our low fares offering across the Tasman we expect to further stimulate demand, for the benefit of the Queensland and Victorian tourism industries and local communities,” said CEO Bruce Buchanan.
The new services appear to be a strike against the Virgin Blue-Air New Zealand alliance, which is expected to be approved by competition authorities in coming months. Both routes represent key markets for Virgin Blue and Air New Zealand, although the alliance could see the two carriers consolidate capacity in an attempt to regain yield in the competitive trans-Tasman market.

Strategic competes for Indonesian traffic rights
Strategic Airlines has lodged a competing application with the International Air Services Commission (IASC) for additional capacity on the Indonesia route, as more Indonesian carriers look to fly to Australia.
Strategic’s application seeks an allocation of 1716 seats per week on the Indonesia route for new services which would be operated by the airline’s A320 fleet, which would effectively allow it to offer an additional 11 services per week to Indonesia. Strategic has not indicated which of the major gateway cities it would fly its services from, but it does note that it intends to launch additional services to Indonesia from December 2010, with the full allocation to be utilised by October 31 2011.
Strategic currently operates three times weekly services on the Perth-Denpasar route, and will commence a weekly service from August 3 on the Brisbane-Port Hedland-Denpasar route.
The application comes after Qantas lodged an application for an allocation of 3898 seats on the Indonesia route, which would allow Jetstar to increase its services there with both A320s and A330-200s. With the competition now for the limited number of seats available on the Indonesia route, any other competing carriers will have to notify the Commission of their intent to lodge an application by August 3, with the full application due by August 10.
Meanwhile, a number of Indonesian carriers are lining up for the additional 4000 seats available each week under an expanded bilateral agreement between the Australian and Indonesian governments. As well as Lion Air and Batavia Air having identified themselves, media reports from Indonesia claim that Sriwijaya Air is planning to launch daily services from Denpasar to Perth, while Indonesia AirAsia is proposing to launch four times weekly services from Denpasar to Darwin, replacing services recently withdrawn by Garuda Indonesia.
Qantas launches next generation check-in

Qantas commenced its trial of the ‘Next Generation Check-in’ at its Perth domestic terminal on July 29, which CEO Alan Joyce says will dramatically reduce check-in times, and eliminate queues for passengers.
As part of the trial, 100,000 frequent flyers who regularly travel through Perth have been issued with new cards embedded with an ‘intelligent Q’ radio frequency identification (RFID) chip, which acts as a permanent boarding pass. Passengers with the new cards will simply swipe their card over a dedicated Q Card reader to complete check-in. A priority security lane has also opened at Perth featuring improved preparation areas and new walkthrough equipment to support faster processing through the screening area.
Joyce said that the new technology will help to improve the airline’s level of customer service. “Next Generation Check-in will provide a new level of service to our customers with customer service agents coming out from behind their desks and circulating throughout the terminal to assist customers,” he said.
Qantas will roll out the technology at its Sydney domestic terminal later in 2010, while it will be rolled out in Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Canberra during 2011.

Branson not selling Virgin Blue stake
Sir Richard Branson told journalists in Sydney that he has no plans to sell down the Virgin Group’s stake in Virgin Blue, despite some friction during recent months over the planned new name for the airline.
“No plans to sell any stake to anybody, that’s all I can say at this stage,” Sir Richard said in response to a reporter’s question while in Sydney on July 27. The Virgin Group currently owns a 25.9 per cent interest in the airline, making it the largest shareholder.
Sir Richard’s denial comes after Air New Zealand denied speculation that it was planning to buy a cornerstone stake in Virgin Blue ahead of the expected approval for the two airlines to operate an alliance on trans-Tasman services. It also comes amid reports of a strained relationship between Virgin Blue and the Virgin Group over a planned rebranding of the airline, which has reportedly been postponed due to a standoff over the Virgin licensing agreement.

AirAsia X eyeing trans-Tasman flights
Malaysian carrier AirAsia X could fly between Perth or the Gold Coast to Auckland or Christchurch, according to the airline’s CEO Azran Osman-Rani.
Osman-Rani told attendees at an airline conference in Sydney that AirAsia X had a “golden opportunity” to enter the trans-Tasman market if there was consolidation between Air New Zealand and Pacific Blue’s services as a result of their alliance. “The earliest opportunity would be the end of the year,” he said. “We have gone into the market and met the airports in New Zealand. We will get there – it’s when.”
Separately, Osman-Rani said he was optimistic that the airline would be granted rights to fly to Sydney by the Malaysian government in 2011. AirAsia X has long been seeking access to the potentially lucrative route but has had recent attempts denied by the Malaysian government, which many believe is trying to shelter Malaysia Airlines from competition on the route.
Qantas seeks more Indonesia capacity, onward rights for Jetstar
Qantas has applied to the International Air Services Commission (IASC) for a major increase in capacity on the Indonesia route, as well as further fifth freedom rights to carry passengers beyond Indonesia.
Qantas has applied for an additional 3898 seats each week between Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth and Indonesia, which it says would allow Jetstar to operate more services with both A320s and A330, although its application doesn’t identify any proposed new services. It is also seeking an additional 727 seats and four frequencies per week beyond Indonesia.
The application appears to be a move to take the lions’ share of a recent increase of 4000 seat available seats per week on the Indonesia route, and as such is likely to be disputed by Pacific Blue and Strategic Airlines which also operate services to Indonesia, specifically Denpasar. Strategic Airlines’ head of commercial recently told Australian Aviation in an interview that his airline would be likely to seek additional capacity on the route if and when it became available.
The application for additional fifth freedom rights beyond Indonesia comes after Jetstar Asia lost some of its traffic rights on the Jakarta-Singapore route, with seven weekly slots allocated to competitor Tiger Airways. Jetstar already operates twice weekly services between Jakarta and Singapore utilising Australian fifth freedom rights, and it is expected that the additional rights will help to make up some of the capacity lost from Jetstar Asia.
Air Berlin to join oneworld
German carrier Air Berlin has accepted an invitation for it to start the process of joining the oneworld airline alliance, with the full membership expected to be completed by early 2012.
Air Berlin will develop one-on-one co-operative agreements with key established members of the alliance American Airlines and Finnair, to take effect this coming winter season.   Bilateral agreements with British Airways and Iberia are planned to follow. BA will also sponsor Air Berlin’s membership.
“Air Berlin will make an ideal oneworld partner,” said BA CEO Willie Walsh. “It has an excellent reputation for customer service – right in line with oneworld’s focus on quality above quantity in terms of membership.  Its network is one of the best in Central Europe, expanding the alliance’s coverage of this region markedly.”
The announcement continues a big year for oneworld, which is in the process of adding Russia’s S7 Airlines and India’s Kingfisher Airways to the group.
Lufthansa Cargo MD-11 in accident at Riyadh
A Boeing MD-11 Freighter operated by Lufthansa Cargo has been involved in an accident while landing in Riyadh on July 27.
The aircraft, registered D-ALCQ, was operating a flight from Frankfurt to Hong Kong via Riyadh and Sharjah with 80 tonnes of freight on board. According to some reports, the aircraft’s fuselage fractured while landing at Riyadh, while a subsequent fire destroyed it. The two pilots on board the aircraft were able to escape the blaze using emergency escape slides and are currently in hospital.
Lufthansa Cargo says that it has dispatched experts to Riyadh to assist with an investigation into the accident and will cooperate fully with it. The cause of the fracture is currently unknown.
Batavia Air to fly to Australia
Indonesian carrier Batavia Air is planning to launch flights from Denpasar to Perth, while it is also looking to fly to Melbourne and Sydney.
Batavia has not yet announced a start date for the services, but it is expected to soon launch daily flights between Perth and Denpasar utilising Airbus A319s, which would make it the sixth airline to fly the route. Batavia is also looking to operate its A330-200s to Sydney and Melbourne, and plans to offer a “value added” style of service aimed at “young adults and families”.
The announcement by Batavia comes after Indonesian and Australian authorities concluded negotiations to add a further 4000 seats of available capacity from gateway cities (defined as Perth, Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne, including Avalon) for operators from both countries. Fellow Indonesian carrier Lion Air has also recently announced its intentions to fly between Denpasar and ports in Australia, while existing Australian carriers Pacific Blue, Jetstar and Strategic Airlines may apply for additional capacity.
Batavia Air started operating in 2002 and currently operates a fleet of A320s/A319s, 737s and recently added three A330-200s. It flies within Indonesia and internationally to Kuala Lumpur, Guangzhou, Singapore and Jeddah.
SIA goes double daily A380 to Sydney
Singapore Airlines has announced that it will operate a second daily A380 service on the Singapore-Sydney route during the northern winter scheduling season.
The 471-seat A380 will operate on SQ231/222 in place of a 278-seat Boeing 777-300ER from October 31. Despite the increase in capacity, SIA will still operate four daily services between Singapore and Sydney.
As a sign of the recovery in air traffic, SIA has announced some major increases in capacity on long haul routes over the northern winter schedule, with services from Singapore to Los Angeles, Moscow and Houston, Munich and Manchester to rise to daily from five times weekly. It will also increase frequency on the Singapore-Seoul route from four times a week to daily.
Pac Blue probed over Queenstown incident
The New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) has launched an investigation into an incident where the crew of a Pacific Blue Boeing 737-800 elected to takeoff from Queenstown at a time when it was not permitted to due to the airport’s stringent operating criteria.
The aircraft was operating a flight from Queenstown to Sydney with 140 passengers and crew on board on June 22, and took off later than it was permitted under visual flight rules at the airport, which is surrounded by mountainous terrain. The flight had been scheduled to leave at 1630, but departed at 1725, 20 minutes past the cutoff time for the flight to depart. Witnesses reported that the aircraft then flew dangerously low to avoid fog and an incoming front.
According to media reports, Pacific Blue has suspended the captain of the flight and is conducting its own investigation as well as aiding the CAA’s investigation.
SIA sees first quarter turnaround
The Singapore Airlines Group returned to profitability for the quarter ending June 30, aided by rebounding passenger and cargo traffic.
The SIA Group recorded a net profit for the three months of S$253m (A$206m), compared to a loss of S$307m (A$250m) recorded during the same quarter last year. This came as Group revenues increased by 20.7 per cent to S$3.47bn (A$2.83bn), which it says reflects the recovery in load factors and higher yields. As a result, the parent airline recorded a net profit of S$136m (A$111m), while all the main aviation subsidiaries (SIA Cargo, SIA Engineering and SilkAir) all recorded operating profits.
The airline group was optimistic in its outlook, saying that advance bookings indicate year-on-year growth in passenger volumes and stronger yields are expected to continue through 2010, while resurgence in freight volumes “may be sustained in the near term, although growth may abate.”
HNA Group looks to local aviation investments
The Chinese HNA Group has announced that it is looking to invest up to US$200m (A$223m) in Australian air transport, airport management and other tourism and hospitality operations as part of a major push to expand its presence in the country.
As part of the push, the HNA Group’s entire board and 318 delegates from its key business divisions will visit Sydney in late July to assess investment opportunities. HNA was recently involved in a takeover of Allco’s aviation assets by its affiliate Hong Kong Aviation Capital, which now leases a number of aircraft to Australian operators.
“The HNA Group’s board visit to Australia showcases our commitment to invest in Australia and continue to expand our presence in this market,” said Adam Tan, executive director and chairman of the HNA Group. “We have a long term view to deploy significant capital in the Asia Pacific region and Australia is at the core of our international expansion strategy.”
HNA is the parent company of Hainan Airlines and also holds a significant stake in Hong Kong Airlines as well as having other diversified interests around the world.
Tiger claims green credentials
A decrease in the number of passengers flying without baggage and its young fleet has led Tiger Airways Australia to claim that it is the ‘greenest’ airline in Australia.
Tiger says that changes to its baggage fee structure, which controversially sees the airline charge to use check-in counters for those travelling with hand luggage only and charging for checked baggage, have resulted in more passengers travelling with hand luggage only, saving on weight and fuel burn.
“We’re delighted that so many of our customers are choosing to ‘travel light’,” said managing director Crawford Rix. “With the majority of Tiger Airways’ customers saving money by choosing to travel without checked luggage, our fuel bills will be millions of dollars lower than they would have been if everyone checked in a bag.”
Rix also said that the airline’s policies were more effective at changing passenger behaviour than the imposition of a tax or emissions trading scheme. “Our incentive to customers for travelling light, is rewarding both the customer with lower fares and the environment with reduced fuel burn. Incentivising environmentally responsible behaviour in this way is far more effective than any emissions trading scheme or arbitrary tax.
Despite the claim, Tiger is currently the only major carrier in Australia not to offer a carbon offset program.
TWU fined for Qantas strikes
The Transport Workers Union (TWU) has been fined $35,000 in the Federal Court after it found that strikes by Qantas baggage handlers in Adelaide and Melbourne in December 2007 were unlawful.
The strike, which was carried out to prevent a review by Qantas of its Adelaide ground handling operations, was deemed unlawful as it was conducted prior to the expiry of the handlers’ enterprise bargaining agreement. As a result of the strike, 15 domestic Qantas flights suffered delays of between three and five hours.
In handing down his judgement, Justice Anthony Besanko said that the contraventions were “serious and deliberate”, but also noted that the TWU had taken action to train members on their rights at work and that it had cooperated with an investigation by the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO). The FWO and TWU jointly agreed on the fine, which the TWU will have to pay by August 23.
Qantas leads June OTP
Qantas had the highest rate of on time departures during June according to the latest report on on-time performance from the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE).
Qantas recorded an on time departure rate of 86.9 per cent followed by Jetstar at 83.9 per cent, Virgin Blue at 77.9 per cent and Tiger Airways at 75.5 per cent. The regional airlines were led by Regional Express at 86.2 per cent, followed by Skywest at 85.4 per cent and QantasLink at 83.1 per cent.
Virgin Blue recorded the highest rate of cancellations for the month at 1.7 per cent, followed by Qantas and Jetstar at one per cent, while QantasLink and Skywest recorded a cancellation rate of 0.9 per cent. Regional Express had the lowest cancellation rate at 0.5 per cent.
Asian traffic continues to rise
Passenger traffic in the Asia Pacific region during the month of June continued to surge, according to new data released from the Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA).
Passenger traffic for AAPA member airlines for the month increased by a sharp 25.2 per cent compared to June 2009 to 15.1 million passengers. Revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) increased by 19 per cent cent as available seat kilometres grew by 6.4 per cent, resulting in an 8.5 percentage point increase in average load factor to 79.5 per cent.
Cargo also continued its surge, with traffic in freight tonne kilometres up by 30.4 per cent as freight capacity increasing by 22.1 per cent. Freight load factor grew by 4.5 percentage points to 70.8 per cent.
“Asia Pacific-based airlines have seen a solid recovery in leisure and business travel, as well as robust air cargo demand, with overall traffic back to pre-recession levels,” commented AAPA director general Andrew Herdman. “Capacity increases have been relatively restrained, leading to higher load factors and improving cost efficiencies as airlines work towards restoring profitability.”
Herdman added that the outlook for airlines was largely positive, particularly with economic growth in the region forecast to grow by 9.2 per cent according to the IMF. “Airlines are well positioned to meet the expected growth in demand, through a combination of new aircraft deliveries and further improvements in fleet utilisation. However, even with an improving revenue environment, strict cost disciplines are still the key to success in this business.”
AIPA makes Jetstar pilots election issue
The Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA) has written to the Labor, Liberal and Greens parties seeking an election commitment that they will stop Jetstar from using its overseas operations to sidestep Australian pay and conditions for pilots.
AIPA says that it is taking action after Jetstar issued a Flight Standing Order which it says flags the company’s intention to start a new subsidiary which would allow work that has been done by local pilots on Australian pay and conditions to go to Jetstar Asia pilots based in Singapore, thereby sidestepping the Jetstar Pilots Agreement.
“We believe Australian employment law is applicable to these new pilots recruited by this Australian company to fly into Australia from Singapore,” said AIPA president Barry Jackson. “Anything less is a transparent attempt at subverting Australian pay and conditions and should be seen as such by this country’s political leadership.”
“Protecting Australian pay and conditions should attract national political support that’s why we are calling on the major parties contesting this election to take this issue on and send a clear message to Jetstar that the Fair Work Act will not be deliberately undercut,” he added.
Jetstar to increase Launceston services
Jetstar has announced  it will increase its schedule of flights into Launceston by 40 per cent from December.
From December 2, the airline will operate a second daily service on the Sydney-Launceston route, while from December 10 it will add another frequency to the Melbourne-Launceston route, bringing it up to four times daily. Jetstar says the services will be operated year-round and should appeal to both business and leisure travellers.
“These new low fare flights reinforce our commitment to Tasmanian tourism and mark our next sustainable step-up in growth of Jetstar operations in Launceston, a community we have proudly served since 2004 alongside Qantas,” said CEO Bruce Buchanan.
The move comes after Tiger Airways recently announced it would cut its Melbourne-Launceston flights from August 2. Tiger has also cut its Adelaide-Hobart services from August.
AA & BA get green light for Atlantic tie up
The oneworld alliance has welcomed the granting of antitrust immunity by the US Department of Transport for a joint business agreement on transatlantic services between Iberia, British Airways and American Airlines.
“This final approval is fantastic news for all three airlines and the oneworld alliance,” said BA CEO Willie Walsh. “We’ve waited 14 years to bring the benefits of the transatlantic joint business to our customers and level the playing field with the other two global alliances.  As we have argued all along, the EU-US market is highly competitive and Heathrow’s liberalisation in 2008 opened it up even further.”
The US approval comes one week after a similar approval was granted by EU competition authorities, and will allow BA and AA to operate joint services across the Atlantic. It is expected to have significant benefits primarily for the two carriers, while other oneworld carriers operating across the Atlantic such as Royal Jordanian and Finnair are also expected to benefit from greater cooperation.
Qantas buys more Q400s
Qantas has announced that it has exercised options for seven additional Bombardier Q400 NextGen turboprops, valued at US$218m (A$247m) at list prices.
“The aircraft really suits QantasLink’s operations and is extremely popular with the airlines customers,” said Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce. “We have therefore made the decision to acquire another seven aircraft for delivery from the first half of 2011. These new aircraft are next-generation Q400 aircraft with upgraded cabin interiors and larger overhead compartments.”
The new order will increase QantasLink’s fleet of Q400s to 28, in addition to five Dash 8-200/Q200s and 16 Q300s.
Qatar orders more 777s, moves up 787 deliveries
Qatar Airways has placed an order for two additional Boeing 777-200LRs and has also announced that it is moving up delivery slots for some of its 787-8s.
The new 777s, which were previously attributed to an unidentified customer, will be used to grow Qatar’s longhaul network. Qatar already operates 19 777s, and has a further 10 on order.
“We continue to invest in new aircraft and new routes and will be well positioned for the upturn in air travel with a fleet fully optimised for economic and environmentally friendly operations,” said CEO Akbar Al-Baker at the Farnborough Airshow.
Qatar says that it has negotiated with Boeing to now take its first 787 during the final quarter of 2011, with five aircraft expected to be in service by the end of the first quarter of 2012. It is also negotiating with Boeing to accelerate more of the 30 787s it has on order to allow it to replace its A330s.
Separately, Al-Baker told reporters at Farnborough that he is pressing Airbus to decide on an A330 passenger to freighter conversion program as the airline would like to use the aircraft to replace its A300Fs, although it was encountering resistance from Airbus due to the likelihood of it cannibalising the market for new build A330Fs. “We are talking to Airbus about conversions and if we have no option from them, then we will have to look to Boeing to supply us converted freighters, either 777-200s or 767s, and I’m sure Boeing will oblige,” he said.
Virgin Blue and Skywest expand codeshare

Virgin Blue and Skywest Airlines have signed a memorandum of understanding which will expand the relationship between the two airlines, allowing for more connections through regional WA.
The first phase of the expanded agreement will see Virgin Blue codeshare on Skywest services to Albany, Esperance, Geraldton, Exmouth, Carnarvon, Monkey Mia and Kalbarri. Skywest will also become an integrated partner in the Velocity loyalty program, while selected Skywest passengers will be able to access Virgin Blue’s Lounge at Perth Airport.
Virgin Blue CEO John Borghetti also noted that further cooperation between the two carriers was likely in the near future. “The parties will also seek to explore opportunities to coordinate schedules, develop joint marketing programs and submit joint tenders for new business opportunities, subject to obtaining any necessary regulatory approval,” he said.
It is expected that this could extend to operating joint services within WA as part of the new framework for intrastate air travel, which proposes to open some routes to more competition. Any changes are expected to take place during March 2011.
Newson’s touch on new Qantas check in
Qantas will launch its Next Generation Check-in at Perth Airport next week, with the airline revealing that it has worked with renowned designed Marc Newson to provide creative direction for the various components involved.
“Next Generation Check-in has been designed to deliver an enhanced check-in experience for our customers – providing greater speed and ease through the airport terminal by eliminating airport queuing,”  said Qantas’s executive manager customer experience Alison Webster.
“With this in mind, careful consideration has been given to the functionality, aesthetics, and ease of use for both our customers and airport employees.”
The Next Generation Check-in will allow passengers who are travelling domestically from Perth to complete their check-in and bag drop much faster utilising a new Frequent Flyer card with an intelligent smart chip which turns it into a permanent boarding card. Similarly, status Frequent Flyer members will receive new ‘Q  Bag Tags’ which feature radio frequency identification (RFID) chips which will act as a permanent bag tag, and will be introduced later this year.
The new check in system will be trialled from next week at Perth Airport, while construction and training will continue in Sydney ahead of its launch there later this year. This will be followed by rollouts in Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Canberra in 2011. The program is scheduled for completion in the second half of 2011.
Domestic capacity growth outstrips demand in May
Load factors across domestic services decreased during May as capacity growth outstripped demand growth, according to a statistical report by the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE).
Over the month there were 4.23 million domestic passengers, representing a 5.3 per cent increase over May 2009, while revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) increased by 4.1 per cent. Capacity increased by 8.2 per cent as the number of aircraft trips increased by 7.1 per cent. As a result, seat utilisation fell from 76.9 per cent to 73.9 per cent. The report noted that seat utilisation decreased on 35 of the 51 routes for which it has comparative data.
Possibly in a sign that business traffic has rebounded, traffic on the Melbourne-Sydney route showed the biggest increase, up by 18.5 per cent. Large increases were also felt on Adelaide-Brisbane (17 per cent), Gold Coast-Sydney (16.2 per cent), Port Macquarie-Sydney (16.1 per cent) and Adelaide-Sydney (13.5 per cent).
The biggest decrease in passenger traffic was on the Brisbane-Hamilton Island route, which was down 19.4 per cent, followed by Adelaide-Canberra (-17.7 per cent), Maroochydore-Melbourne (- 14.9 per cent) and Ballina-Sydney (- 12.8 per cent).
Airfares lower than last year
Discount and restricted economy airfares were lower during July 2010 compared to the same time last year, the BITRE Domestic Air Fare Index shows.
The Best Discount fare index came in at 54.2 compared to 62.4 for the same time last year, while the Restricted Economy index was down from 94.1 to 92.3. The Full Economy index was higher by one point at 90.9, while the Business fare index fell marginally to 93.9.
Air Pacific falls to loss
Fijian carrier Air Pacific has recorded a net loss of F$65.3m (A$37.9m) for the year ending March 31, seemingly casting doubt on Qantas’s plans to sell its stake in the carrier.
The loss was attributed primarily to increased competition as well as fuel hedging losses. Nevertheless, new CEO Dave Pflieger said that the loss was “clearly unacceptable.”
“The world is different now and maintaining the status quo is not an option,” he said. “Air Pacific and our domestic carrier Pacific Sun both have to change if we are to succeed.”
The loss is likely to result in Qantas delaying plans to sell its 46.8 per cent stake in Air Pacific, which it flagged last year after Jetstar announced plans to launch flight between Sydney and Nadi. Qantas is known to have been in discussions with the Fijian government, which is the major shareholder in the airline, but it is not known if the airline is actively looking for a buyer of the stake.
Air NZ planning to buy Virgin stake?

Air New Zealand may be planning to buy a 15 per cent stake in Virgin Blue, according to a report by Fairfax.
Citing unnamed sources at the airline, a report carried in The Age claimed that Air NZ could buy the cornerstone stake in Virgin Blue as part of plans for the two carriers to cooperate on trans-Tasman services. The report notes that such a stake could also allow Air NZ to gain an advantage in the next round of airline consolidation.
The report forced Air NZ to issue a statement to the Australian Securities Exchange in which it said that it has not purchased any shares in Virgin Blue, despite the two carriers’ planned alliance. “Air New Zealand is conscious that airline alliances such as the one planned with Virgin Blue frequently include an equity aspect, but the proposed alliance does not do so,” read its statement, which noted that it would not be commenting further on the speculation.
Despite the statement, some analysts are wary that a deal may still proceed. Only one week prior to announcing the proposed alliance with Virgin Blue, Air New Zealand had issued a statement noting that the two airlines had held talks for several months but no agreement had been reached, leading to speculation that there may be a similar tactic at play.
Qantas extends Cityflyer
Qantas has announced that it has extended its Cityflyer product to include the Perth-Darwin route from July.
The upgrade to a Cityflyer offering on its daily Boeing 737-800 will include a broader selection of wines and cheeses on board for business class passengers, more substantial meals in economy class with complimentary beer from midday and a second refreshment service prior to landing.
“Qantas offers Cityflyer product on services from Perth to Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne and Sydney and the extension of this to our daily Perth-Darwin service will offer our regular business and leisure customers a consistent product offering across Australia,” said Qantas regional general manager WA and NT Ian Gay.
Qantas says that it is “one of a number of improvements” planned for domestic passengers over the next year.
EU grants immunity for BA-AA tie up
The European Union has given regulatory approval for the proposed British Airways-American Airlines joint venture across the Atlantic, with the two airlines now hopeful of gaining approval from the US Department of Transportation shortly.
“We await the DOT’s final decision but welcome this important and vital step forward,” said BA CEO Willie Walsh. “The high number of new services on London to US routes since the Open Skies agreement demonstrates that Heathrow is open. Between us, we have agreed to make available Heathrow slot pairs for our competitors to use on services to the US. This is a pragmatic decision so that we can get the joint business up and running as soon as possible.”
Jetstar to operate mix of 787-8s and -9s
Jetstar has confirmed to Australian Aviation that its first 15 Boeing 787s will comprise a mix of 787-8s and -9s as it takes delivery of the Qantas Group’s first 15 Dreamliners.
Spokesman Simon Westaway said that the airline will take the initial eight 787-8s from June 2012 as announced by Qantas earlier this week, with an eventual fleet of 15 787s, comprised of both the -8 and -9 models, although that could still grow in the future. In addition, Jetstar will have 787s based in both Australia and Singapore to serve its growing international network.
“It is our intention to transition in line with the Group’s fleet plan from our existing fleet of A330-200s into the Dreamliner with this new fleet moving onto existing Jetstar international routes, along with consideration of future flying markets including southern Europe and greater levels of Asian services on existing markets or by example the possibility of future serving some Chinese markets through long haul flying,” said Westaway. “It would be our intention to base future B787s in both Australia and Singapore.”
He added that the airline is planning to focus on the larger 787-9 for its eventual fleet. “Over time Jetstar will … ultimately transition into a fuller B787-9 operator, but will launch Dreamliner operations with the B787-8,” he said.
Sharp to take over Flinders Island services
Sharp Airlines has announced that it will take over flights between Melbourne and Launceston and Flinders Island from September 1, replacing Airlines of Tasmania.
Sharp has announced that it will operate a 19-seat Fairchild Metroliner on the services from September 1, subject to regulatory approval. The airline will start taking bookings for the service at the end of August, with Airlines of Tasmania to continue operating the services to Flinders Island and Cape Barren Island in the interim.
“We are very excited about this expansion, we currently carry 55,000 passengers per year to seven ports throughout Victoria and South Australia, and we are looking forward to providing services for almost 20,000 passengers who travel with Airlines of Tasmania each year,” said the airline’s managing director Malcolm Sharp.
“We plan to build on the current successful services, we will provide an additional service that will benefit Flinders Island, we plan to start with the introduction of a Sunday service to Melbourne from September,” he added.
Qantas opens new domestic transfer facility at Sydney
Qantas has launched its new Domestic Transfer Facility at Sydney International Airport to provide faster connections between international and domestic flights at Sydney.
“The new transfer facility is 50 per cent larger than the current facility and includes a new spacious check-in area, six additional check-in counters and an additional bag drop area,” said Lesley Grant, Qantas Group executive customer and marketing.
“Additional check-in staff and counters will ensure Qantas customers are transferred to their domestic flight quickly for passengers to meet their connecting domestic flights.”
The new facility offers increased seating capacity as well as premium and economy check-in counters, as well as an express bag drop facility for passengers who already have their boarding passes. Shuttle buses connecting the international and domestic terminals operate every 10 minutes during peak times and every 20 minutes at off peak times.
Lion Air looking to Australian services?
Indonesian carrier Lion Air is looking to start flights to Australia from next year, according to a report from an Indonesian newspaper.
The Jakarta Post quotes Lion Air spokesman Edward Siriat as saying that the carrier was awaiting government approval to launch services, although he said that the airline was “waiting for a destination that is available and feasible for us.” Siriat also mentioned that the airline would be able to fly to Perth with its existing fleet of Boeing 737-900ERs but that it may have to use a different aircraft if it were to fly to Melbourne or Sydney.
Lion Air has long expressed an interest in flying to Australia. In 2008, it announced that it would launch an Australian based joint venture carrier in conjunction with SkyAirWorld to serve both international and domestic routes, although this never occurred as SkyAirWorld fell into receivership in 2009.
Rex ranked top performing regional carrier
Regional Express has been ranked as the world’s Top Performing Regional Airline by Aviation Week and Space Technology magazine, making it the second year in a row that the airline has beaten other regional carriers from around the world.
The ranking was conducted on all publicly traded airlines in the world based on 19 financial ratios compiled over a period of 10 years. This year’s AWST rankings “identify those managers who have best positioned their companies for recovery from last year’s global recession and volatility in fuel prices.”
Rex executive chairman Lim Kim Hai said that Australia could be proud that its airlines stand amongst the world’s most financially sound. “In addition to Rex’s top position, Qantas too obtained an outstanding 5th in the Legacy Carrier category while Virgin Blue came in a respectable 15th in the Low Cost Carrier category.”
Qantas launches Port Hedland-Melbourne flights
Qantas will start a new nonstop Port Hedland-Melbourne service from September as part of an increase of capacity in and out of WA’s northwest over the coming months.
“We are very pleased to now add Port Hedland to the list of east-west routes that Qantas business and leisure customers can fly to direct from the eastern states, and appreciate the support of the Town of Port Hedland, which assisted us in ensuring this new service can commence as soon as possible,” said Qantas’s regional general manager WA Ian Gay.
The weekly service, flown by Boeing 737-800s, will commence from September 7, with launch fares starting from $249 one way. The airline is also adding a second weekly Karratha-Melbourne service which will also start in September, while it will also add three additional weekly services on the Perth-Paraburdoo route by the end of September.
The launch of the Port Hedland-Melbourne services comes as Strategic Airlines prepares to start a weekly Brisbane-Port Hedland service from August 3. Strategic had also planned to launch a direct service from Melbourne, but has now postponed the start of services on that route.
Jetstar announces new Queenstown flights
Jetstar will fly direct services from Melbourne and the Gold Coast to Queenstown from mid December, as well as boosting its services from Auckland.
The low cost carrier will commence twice weekly services from Melbourne to Queenstown from December 16, with the services from the Gold Coast commencing the day after, and also flown twice a week. Lead in fares on both routes start from $199 one way. Jetstar will also expand its Auckland-Queenstown services to 11 times a week from December 11.
Jetstar CEO Bruce Buchanan said that the airline is expecting to benefit from the growth in Australian tourists visiting Queenstown in recent years. “We expect our new services to be extremely popular for people seeking direct, hassle-free, low fare flights to Queenstown, a destination that offers spectacular natural beauty, phenomenal skiing and adrenalin activities, and relaxing summer outdoor past-times such as hiking.”
The expansion of Queenstown services has been aided by the introduction of required navigation performance (RNP) to Jetstar’s A320 fleet, which reduces flight diversions in poor weather and low visibility conditions due to precision GPS guided flightpaths. For more about Jetstar’s introduction of RNP, refer to the June 2010 issue of Australian Aviation.
Jetstar to receive first Qantas Group 787 deliveries in 2012

Jetstar will operate the Qantas Group’s first Boeing 787s from mid 2012, with the announcement that the Group has negotiated with Boeing to bring forward the delivery of its first -8 model 787s “by around two years”.
Under the new delivery schedule, the Qantas Group’s total order remains at 15 787-8s and 35 787-9s, but the first eight 787-8s will now be delivered to Jetstar from mid 2012, while the remaining seven -8s will be delivered from 2014. The first of the -9s will also be delivered from 2014.
“Today’s announcement confirms that the B787, with its new technologies and improved fuel efficiency, is still very much the right aircraft – for both Qantas and Jetstar,” said Qantas CEO Alan Joyce.
The first 787-8s will be used by Jetstar for its growing international services, and will be delivered in a two class, 313-seat configuration. In all, Jetstar is planned to take delivery of the Group’s first 15 787s. This will enable Jetstar to return the A330-200s it has been using on international services to Qantas. Qantas in turn will begin retiring the remainder of its 767-300ER fleet as it takes the A330s from Jetstar and takes delivery of its own 787s.
“This is further confirmation that Qantas remains committed to growing both our airline brands by renewing our fleet and improving flexibility of our domestic and international operations,” added Joyce.
Qantas has not detailed the breakdown of how many aircraft will be flown by Jetstar and by Qantas mainline under the new delivery plan. A statement issued by Qantas in November last year had indicated that the low cost carrier would have operated up to 25 787-9s, but the announcement that Jetstar will again take delivery of the 787-8s must change that mix again.

In June 2009 Qantas announced it was cancelling orders for 15 787-9s then due for delivery in 2014-15, and the deferring the 787-8 deliveries by four years to begin from the fourth quarter of 2014. Under that plan the 787-8s were to be delivered to Qantas, not Jetstar, as earlier had been planned, with the first 787s in the Qantas Group to have been the first batch of 15 787-9s, which were to be delivered to Jetstar from mid 2013.
Qantas first announced its original order for 65 787s in December 2005.
Name to delay Virgin relaunch?
A dispute between Sir Richard Branson’s Virgin Group and Virgin Blue has reportedly delayed the relaunch of the airline until the start of next year, with the airline’s new name and branding understood to be the major sticking point.
The two businesses have been involved in an ongoing dispute over the ‘V Australia’ name which came to the surface last year when Virgin Group blocked an attempt by Virgin Blue to trademark the name ‘V Pacific’. According to a Fairfax media report, the two parties are working on an agreement which would likely see the V Australia name and trademark applied to Virgin Blue under licence from the Virgin Group.
A new name for the Virgin Blue Group is expected to be the key to relaunching the airline, which had been expected to occur at its 10th anniversary in August. New CEO John Borghetti has noted that  a common branding between its short haul, long haul and Pacific Blue operations would be a key part of its ‘airline of the future’ concept, which  is also likely to include a new business class cabin on domestic services as well as other measures to widen the appeal of the airline to corporate customers.
Separately, Virgin Blue announced to the Australian Securities Exchange on July 6 that former CEO Brett Godfrey had resigned as a director of the company.
AIRPORTS
Asian traffic drives Auckland growth
Auckland Airport recorded a 6.7 per cent increase in international passenger traffic (excluding transit traffic) during June, while domestic traffic was also higher.
International departures at the airport increased by five per cent for the month, while international arrivals grew by 8.3 per cent, driven primarily by major increases from Japan and China, while transit traffic was down 1.9 per cent. International aircraft movements for the month increased by 2.9 per cent.
Domestic traffic increased by a healthy 4.3 per cent for the month, although the airport noted that capacity was largely unchanged compared to the same time last year. Nevertheless, domestic aircraft movements increased by 1.4 per cent.
Brisbane sets new record
Brisbane Airport hit a new record for passenger traffic during the 2009/10 financial year as both domestic and international services grew strongly, particularly during June.
The airport recorded 19.4 million passengers for the year, of which 14.9 million were domestic and 4.1 million international passengers, in addition to 400,000 transit passengers. During June, there were approximately 346,000 international passengers and 1.2 million domestic passengers, resulting in massive 7.3 per cent and 7.6 per cent increases respectively on last year’s June results.
“Despite the economic turmoil of the past financial year, which had a major impact on our industry, we have managed to hold our own and still improve on the figures from the previous financial year,” said CEO Julieanne Alroe. “These results are indicative of our region’s strength as a tourism and business destination, and no doubt the favourable exchange rates and airfares prompted record numbers of  Australians to travel overseas.”
QAL sees new passenger record
Queensland Airports Limited says that it achieved a new record for passenger movements across its three airports during the 2009/2010 financial year, with nearly seven million passengers passing through its terminals.
In what was a difficult year, the biggest growth in passenger numbers was 12 per cent to 5.17 million at the Gold Coast, which benefited from increased international and domestic services. Townsville recorded a 3.8 per cent increase in passengers to 1.59 million for the year, while Mount Isa processed 184,860 passengers, representing a 1.9 per cent increase on the previous year.
“It is pleasing to record growth in passenger movements across the group during what has been the most challenging year since 2001,” said QAL managing director Dennis Chant.
“Our three airports have received strong support from our airline partners, with all three experiencing significant increases in airline seat capacity and new route development,” he added.
Sydney Airport ups fees for GA
Sydney Airport has increased its charges for general aviation aircraft after negotiations with the Australian Business Aircraft Association (ABAA) and the Overnight Freight Operators Association.
Under the new charging regime, GA and business aircraft will now pay $4.72 per tonne for takeoff and landing charges, while helicopters will pay $33 per movement. Designated apron charges have also risen to $38.50 per 15 minutes, while GA apron parking starts at $110 per calendar day for aircraft with a maximum takeoff weight of up to 20 tonnes and goes up to $264 for aircraft with more than 40 tonnes MTOW. All prices include GST. The new charges have been in effect from July 1 2010.
“The satisfactory resolution of this issue demonstrates again that normal commercial negotiations are the best way for the pricing of aviation infrastructure to be agreed,” Sydney Airports Corporation said in a statement.

Melbourne achieves new record for int’l pax
Melbourne Airport says that it achieved a new record for international passenger traffic over the past financial year as overall traffic grew by a healthy six per cent.
For the year ending June 30 2010, the airport handled 5.538 million international passengers, representing a new record and an increase of 13 per cent over the previous year. The airport noted that major increases in traffic from key markets including Indonesia, Malaysia, China and India helped to push traffic up, as well as the $330 million upgrade to the international terminal, which provides additional space for new services.
“There is no denying that the industry has faced a challenging two years,” said airport CEO Chris Woodruff. “Melbourne Airport has worked even more closely with our airline customers to keep costs significantly lower than other Australian airports, while maintaining high service levels.”
Domestic passenger numbers also increased healthily, up four per cent over the previous year to 20.63 million, attributed to the growth in services from Jetstar and Tiger Airways over the year.
The airport is expecting to see a further increase in traffic over the next year, with Air India, AirAsia X, Emirates and Jetstar among the airlines which are planning new services or increased capacity to Melbourne over the coming year.
Weather disrupts Sydney flights
Airservices Australia has announced that forecast strong gusts at Sydney Airport on July 14 may cause it to restrict operations on its Runway 25.
“As is usual practice, to maintain safe operations Airservices air traffic controllers in Sydney have adjusted the number of aircraft movements per hour to match the operating conditions,” Airservices said in a statement.
“Other major airports may experience some flow-on delays as a result of the weather issues in Sydney.”
Passengers travelling on July 14 are advised to contact their airline for information about any impact on their schedule.
ARFF deploys new equipment for A380
Airservices Australia’s Aviation Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) service at Sydney Airport has received a new aerial fire fighting vehicle which can provide access to the upper deck of an Airbus A380 in the event of an emergency.
ARFF instructors have been training on the new, $820,000 vehicle since July 12. It features a turntable ladder for ease of climbing and a basket capable of carrying two to three fire fighters. It can reach up to 30m or extend out sideways fully-loaded past 16m. It also allows a monitor or fire hose to be used from an elevated position in fire fighting operations, such as fighting a fire on the upper deck of an A380.
As an interim measure, Airservices had loaned a turntable ladder from the New South Wales Fire Brigades to meet the needs of the introduction of A380 services at Sydney. The airport currently handles 60 A380 movements a week, making it one of the busiest A380 airports in the world.
Rex, SACL battle on airport charges
Regional Express and Sydney Airports Corporation Limited (SACL) have traded barbs over the airport’s intention to increase its charges on regional airlines for access at its Terminal 2.
Rex has taken the action of writing to councils and parliamentarians to oppose the increase in fees, which SACL says amounts to 22-23 cents per passenger excluding GST. SACL in particular labelled claims by Rex that regional aviation has not benefited from infrastructure investment and that it was trying to force regional aviation out from Sydney Airport as false.
Curiously, despite trading letters to key stakeholders, both Rex and SACL say that they are open to discussing the fee increase. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), which must approve the increase, has put SACL’s proposal out for public comment, with comment closing on July 30.
Auckland Airport buys into Queenstown
Auckland International Airport Limited (AIAL) has announced that it has bought a cornerstone stake in the smaller Queenstown Airport.
AIAL has acquired a 24.99 per cent stake in Queenstown Airport for a total consideration of NZ$27.7m (A$22.4m). It also has an option to raise its stake to between 30 and 35 per cent up to June 30 2011. The two airports have also announced a strategic alliance which aims to help boost traffic at Queenstown by an additional 176,000 passengers a year within five years over existing targets.
“There were compelling reasons why it made strategic and financial sense for us to maximise these two partnerships by having skin in the game and more influence through equity participation,” explained AIAL CEO Simon Moutter. “It also provides us with a financial incentive to contribute fully to the success of the strategic alliance. This is particularly relevant with Queenstown Airport – as the smaller airport, it stands to benefit proportionately more than Auckland Airport from the increased passenger volumes resulting from our partnership.”
AIAL also recently purchased a significant stake in North Queensland Airports, which operates Cairns and Mackay Airports.
GA & BUSINESS
GA shipments down during second quarter

Data from the General Aviation Manufacturer’s Association (GAMA) shows that shipments of business and GA aircraft fell by 9.8 per cent during the second quarter of 2010, although billings increased marginally.
There were 425 piston powered aircraft shipments during the three month period, which was a 2.1 per cent decrease on deliveries over the same time last year. Turboprop shipments declined 17.8 percent from to 157 units, while business jet shipments totalled 355 units, down 14.3 percent decrease.
Despite the decrease in shipments, billings increased by 0.2 per cent to US$9.38bn (A$10.25bn). GAMA says that this is the second consecutive quarter where billings have increased.
“As general aviation manufacturers continue looking towards recovery from the economic downturn, it remains critical that pro-growth, pro-manufacturing policies like bonus depreciation that promote aircraft purchases and stimulate job creation be put in place,” said Pete Bunce, GAMA president and CEO.  “As the global economic recovery picks up steam, markets outside of North America continue to hold promise for renewed growth in our industry.”
HBC falls to loss in Q2
The parent company of Hawker Beechcraft has announced that it has recorded a loss for the quarter ending June 27 as sales came in lower.
The Hawker Beechcraft Acquisition Company (HBAC) recorded an operating loss of US$20.7m (A$22.7m) compared to a profit of US$39.4m (A$43.2m) for the same period last year. HBAC said that the decrease in operating income came as it delivered fewer aircraft over the period, with 54 business and general aviation aircraft delivered as well as 22 T-6 Texan IIs. As a result, the company’s net sales decreased by 22 per cent to US$639m (A$700.7m)
Cessna to develop electric powered Skyhawk
Cessna and Bye Energy Inc have announced a collaboration to design and develop an electrical propulsion system for a Cessna 172 Skyhawk as a proof of concept aircraft.
“As we look at the landscape of alternative fuels for general aviation aircraft, the electric powerplant offers significant benefits, but there are significant challenges to get there,” said Cessna CEO and chairman Jack Pelton. “We believe Bye Energy has gotten off to a good start in understanding those challenges and how to overcome them.”
Bye Energy is a specialist integrator of clean energy solutions for general aviation and business aircraft, focusing on electric energy propulsion systems and renewable biofuels. The two companies expect the proof of concept aircraft to make first flight by the end of the year.
Cessna offers medivac Mustang
Cessna has announced a new partnership with Spectrum Aeromed to develop a medical interior and patient loading system for the Citation Mustang very light jet.
“Adapting the Spectrum Aeromed system for the Mustang gives this versatile aircraft one more mission profile,” said Scott Sarver, Cessna manager, special mission sales. “The operating economics of the Mustang, its range and performance, combined with the Spectrum Aeromed interior will make this a popular addition to the medical transport community.”
The system for the Mustang will be developed from the Spectrum 2200 advanced life support system with storage provisions and includes a manual loading system customised for the Mustang. Cessna will complete the fitout work at its Citation Service Centre in Wichita, which is expected to take one week to fit.
The first aeromedical Mustang is expected to be delivered in October to Caribbean based operator Jet Budget.
Cessna launches iPad app

Ga Briefs
Cessna has launched iFlite, a new application for the Apple iPad which provides critical flight information and planning functions for operators of its range of single engine aircraft.
“Bringing these applications to the single engine market means Cessna pilots will be able to easily use their personal computer and phone devices for ease of flight planning and accessing real-time weather data,” said Cessna’s vice president of Customer Service Brad Thress.
The iFlite application has been developed by Cessna and Hilton Software, and allows users to calculate performance and weight and balance, as well as gaining access to information such as airport status, weather briefings and manufacturer checklists.
Helicopter surf rescue for NSW south coast
The Sydney based Southern Region Westpac Life Saver Rescue Helicopter is extending its coverage of aerial beach patrols to include the NSW south coast beginning this summer.
In April, the rescue helicopter service’s major sponsor, Westpac Banking Corporation, pledged an increase of almost $2 million per year to Surf Life Saving Australia to help extend its presence in high risk areas around Australia including regional Victoria, southern NSW, the Sunshine Coast and the Northern Territory.
The boost in funding will allow for helicopter surf patrols, aquatic rescues and other emergency taskings along the coastal region from Nowra down to the Victorian border on weekends and public holidays for the next three summers.
To be crewed by a pilot, an aircrewman and a rescue crewman, Southern Region Life Saver’s south coast rescue service is scheduled to begin from December 1 running through to until the end of February each year using one of its two BK117B2s, VH-SLA ‘Lifesaver 3′.
“We hope the service might be extended based on community support,” said Stephen Leahy, Southern Region Westpac Life Saver Rescue’s general manager. “The intent is for the service to become a permanent operation.”
Negotiations are currently underway with Eurobodalla Council to base the helicopter from a hangar at Moruya Airport.
Embraer celebrates 40th anniversary of Ipanema
Embraer celebrated the 40th anniversary of the first flight of the Ipanema agricultural aircraft on July 31.
The Ipanema started off as a project at the end of the 1960s as a substitute for imported agricultural aircraft by the Brazilian Ministry of Agriculture’s Research and Development Institute, with development of the aircraft coming under Embraer when that company was founded in 1969. Subsequently, the first prototype Ipanema, which was the second aircraft produced by Embraer, made its first flight on July 31 1970 from the company’s headquarters at Sao Jose dos Campos. The original model (EMB 200) had a 260hp (194kW) engine, fixed-pitch propeller, hydraulic spraying system, and a 580 litre hopper.
Since entering production during the 1970s, over 1000 Ipanemas have been delivered, including a number of aircraft with larger hoppers and increased performance. In 2005, Embraer began deliveries of a version of the aircraft which could be fully powered by ethanol.
Red Bull Air Race not running in 2011
Tourism WA has been informed by that the organisers of the Red Bull Air Race that all stages of the 2011 championship have been cancelled, leaving the future of the event in doubt.
According to a report by Fairfax media, which quoted Perth event director Drew Searle, the decision was made two days ago to allow for the implementation of new safety measures. “We have a bunch of projects that are very close to fruition,” he said. “What we don’t want to do is have race pilots changing their whole aeroplane mid-season because that would be crazy, especially if you had 15 teams doing it at once.”
Safety has been a concern during the current championship, with Brazilian pilot Adilson Kindlemann plunging into the Swan River during a practice run for the Perth leg of the competition. Australian pilot Matt Hall also had a close call during the Windsor leg of the Air Race in June when his MXS-R stalled and a wing contacted the water, and forced him to sit out the following race in New York.
The cancellation leaves in doubt the likelihood of the race returning to Perth in 2012, which is currently the final year the event is contracted to run in the WA capital. The Victorian government has indicated that it will launch a bid to host the Australian round of the Air Race in Geelong from 2013, while the New South Wales government has said that it would like to bring the event to Sydney.
Terrafugia shows off ‘street legal airplane’ at Oshkosh
Terrafugia has unveiled scale model of its next generation Transition flying car aircraft at the 2010 EAA Convention at Oshkosh.
The “street legal airplane” is designed to convert from a road car into a light aircraft, and is the branchild of a group of Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained engineers. In flight, it is powered by a Rotax 912S engine with a pusher propeller, and features a touch-screen interface in the cockpit. It has recently been granted FAA approval to be operated in the Light Sport Aircraft category and will also meet US requirements for motor vehicles.
Woburn, Massachusetts based Terrafugia is currently accepting deposits for the Transition, and is planning to start deliveries of the aircraft/car in late 2011.
Sikorsky X2 reaches 225kt
Sikorsky says its X2 technology demonstrator unofficially broke the world speed record for helicopters on July 26 when it reached 225kt (417km/h) during a one hour flight.
The speed beats the official record of 216kt recorded by a Westland Lynx in 1986, but will not be recognised as an official record until witnessed by an observer from the National Aeronautic Association.
Sikorsky test pilot Kevin Bredenbeck says he feels the aircraft “still has a lot of power” and hopes to take the X2, which uses a compound coaxial rotor system with a pusher tail propeller, to 250kt later in the test program.
CASA suspends Skymaster and Avtex AOCs
CASA has suspended the air operator’s certificates (AOCs) of Bankstown based Skymaster Air Services and Avtex Air Services, which share the same ownership, following a number of accidents and incidents involving Skymaster aircraft over the last three months.
“CASA believes allowing Skymaster Air Services and Avtex Air Services to continue to operate while CASA completes further safety investigations poses a serious and imminent risk to air safety,” it said in a statement issued on July 23, the same date that the five business day suspension started.
A Skymaster aircraft was involved in a fatal crash at Canley Vale in June while on a medical charter flight, while other accidents and incidents have included a wheels-up landing, a collapsed nose gear on landing, loss of engine power and fuel flow issues. CASA also noted that the suspension was also based on “issues relating to the safety culture of the operations, aircraft maintenance control and pilot training.”
During the suspension, CASA will complete its investigation to determine if further action should be taken, while it also has the option to extend the suspension for up to 40 days by applying to the Federal Court.
Eurocopter & Kawasaki extend cooperation on EC145
Eurocopter and Kawasaki Heavy Industries have signed a cooperation agreement to extend their partnership on the BK117/EC145 helicopter program by 15 years at a ceremony at the Farnborough Airshow.
“The cooperation between KHI and Eurocopter in Germany works very smoothly despite the long distance, time zone difference and cultural differences,” Eurocopter president and CEO, Lutz Bertling said. “The extension of our contract by another 15 years underlines the success story of our joint product.”
The partnership started in 1977 with the development of the BK117 which first flew in 1979. The ‘BK’ was developed in to the EC145 (or BK117 C-2) which entered service in 2000, and today the machine is produced in Germany and Japan, and in the US as the UH-72A for the US Army.
AAPA to train pilots for Jeppesen
Regional Express has announced that its training subsidiary, the Australian Airline Pilot Academy (AAPA), will provide training services for Boeing subsidiary Jeppesen in Australia.
Under the agreement, AAPA will train future airline pilots for Jeppesen clients from around the world to the to the standard required for Australian and international commercial pilots licences at its Wagga Wagga facility. The agreement will commence in July this year and runs for three years.
“We are absolutely thrilled that a company with the global reputation and prestige of Jeppesen has chosen AAPA as its Australian partner for ab initio pilot training,” said Rex Group managing director and chairman of the AAPA Jim Davis. “It is a testament to the quality and standard of pilot training at AAPA to have received such an honour.”
It is expected that more than 80 students a year from major aviation markets such as China, the Middle East and India will undertake their training at the AAPA. The announcement marks the first major contract win for the AAPA, which is also used by Rex to train its cadet pilots. It is understood that the business is pursuing other training contracts from international airlines.
Two Globals for Qatar
Qatar Airways announced firm orders for two Bombardier Global 5000 ultra long range business jets, valued at approximately US$90 million, at Farnborough on July 19. The jets are scheduled for delivery in October 2010 and August 2011 and will be based in Doha, for operations with the airline’s executive travel arm. Qatar Executive already operates two Challenger 605s and a Challenger 300, and CEO Akbar Al Baker also announced at Farnborough that Qatar is in talks with Bombardier to order an additional C605 for medevac transport.
AVWest orders Global XRSs
Perth based business jet operator AVWest has placed an order for four Bombardier Global Express XRSs, valued at US$213m (A$262m) based on list prices.
“Our clientele is increasingly travelling to overseas destinations, including Europe, Asia and the Middle East, and now is the right time to add ultra long range jets to our fleet,” said Tim Roberts, principal, AVWest. “The Global Express XRS aircraft is an amazing jet from all angles. The voluminous cabin offers passengers the comfort they require for long trips and access to the communication tools they need to keep business going or remain entertained during flight.
AVWest is a privately owned company based at the Perth Jet Centre at Perth Airport, and operates a modern fleet of aircraft including Challenger 604s, Global Express and an AgustaWestland AW109.
Spidertracks launches new tracking system
New Zealand based Spidertracks will launch a new aircraft emergency location system designed for general aviation pilots at AirVenture 2010 at Oshkosh.
Called Spidertracks Aviator, the new system turns on automatically, tracks the aircraft from takeoff to landing, with position reports sent via the Iridium satellite network to a dedicated website. It will automatically send emergency SOS messages within minutes of an accident, with guaranteed reliability because the alerts are generated by the system rather than the hardware in the aircraft.
Spidertracks marketing manager Rachel Donald says that the system can be used to locate an aircraft in the event of an accident much more precisely than an ELT. “The system knows when you have an accident, it knows where you are based on your last reported position, and sends SOS messages automatically within minutes to your friends and family. They can notify emergency services so you can be found quickly.”
Spidertracks Aviator is being launched in conjunction with a new tracking device, the S3, which is smaller, lighter and designed to sit on the dash of a light aircraft and still be portable with integrated antenna and keypad, and powered by auxiliary power. The S3 retails at US$995, with new pricing for the tracking service.
Budapest leg of RBAR cancelled
The 2010 Red Bull Air Race champion will be crowned in Germany after organisers of the race cancelled the final stage which was to be held in Budapest, Hungary, on the weekend of August 19-20 due to delays in the permissions process.
“Having safely and successfully executed the Red Bull Air Race World Championship in Budapest for the past six years, it was a tough decision to make,” said Red Bull Air Race GmbH CEO Bernd Loidl. “Following so close to the cancellation of the Portugal race last week, we are obviously disappointed and every effort will be made to see a return to Budapest in 2011.”
As a result, the 2010 World Champion will now be crowned after the final race of the season at the EuroSpeedway in Lausitz, Germany, on August 7-8.
The battle for the 2010 Red Bull Air Race World Championship remains intense, with Briton Paul Bonhomme holding a five point lead over 2008 champion Hannes Arch of Austria. Arch has won three of the last five races and is confident he can overtake Bonhomme down the home stretch of the 2010 season to take his second title. Australia’s Matt Hall is currently in eighth place, and appears unlikely to podium this year.
PEOPLE
Emirates appoints new VP Australasia

People briefs
Emirates has appointed Barry Brown as its new vice president for Australasia. Prior to his new role, Brown was the chief commercial officer at Oman Air, and held similar positions with SriLankan Airlines and Hazelton Airlines.
ExecuJet appoints new managing director
ExecuJet has announced that Darren McGoldrick was appointed as its managing director Asia Pacific, effective from July 1. McGoldrick previously held the role of deputy managing director with responsibility for the support operations of ExecuJet in Australia.
Garuda boosts local salesforce
Garuda Indonesia has announced that it has appointed Helen Blake as its sales manager NSW and ACT, based in Sydney. Blake previously held the role of regional franchise manager NSW/ACT/QLD for Harvey World Travel and has had a 20 year career in the airline and travel industries.
Black box inventor passes away, aged 85
Dr David Warren, the Australian inventor of the ‘black box’ flight recorder has died, aged 85.
Warren was a research scientist at the Defence Science and Technology Organisation’s (DSTO) Aeronautical Research Laboratories in Melbourne from 1952 to 1983, and in 1953 was involved in investigations into the crashes of the early De Havilland Comet 1s. Those investigations led to the development in 1957 of the prototype ARL, which was a forerunner to modern cockpit voice recorders, which have become some of the most useful tools in investigating airliner accidents.
Dr Warren received numerous awards throughout his lifetime, including being appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2002, and in 2008 Qantas aqnnounced one of its A380s would be named after him.
Wright appointed head of commercial for AAX
AirAsia X has announced that its general manager Australia, Darren Wright, has been appointed to the position of head of commercial as the airline prepares for an initial public offering in 2011.
Wright has been with the carrier since 2007, and prior to that worked at Virgin Blue and at Flight Centre.
Piper makes new executive appointment
Piper Aircraft has announced that Geoffrey Berger, who is managing director of Imprimis’s Brunei operations, has been appointed as its interim CEO after Kevin J Gould stepped down from the position.
Commenting on the management change, Piper’s chairman and managing partner of Imprimis, Stephen W. Berger said, “Kevin’s leadership, first as VP Operations, then as CEO, served Piper well over the past five years. His tenure at Piper has been marked by a dedication to enhance the owner and pilot experience, his contributions to manufacturing and production excellence, and his overall leadership development – all of which will serve Piper for many years to come.”
Berger’s appointment is only expected to be short term, with the company now embarking on a global search for a permanent CEO.
New appointment to IASC
Transport Minister Anthony Albanese has appointed Stephen Bartos as a part-time member of the International Air Service Commission, effective July 1.
Bartos is currently a director of international legal and economics consulting firm LECG, and will join fellow member Ian W Smith.
Griffiths appointed manager of Parafield
Adelaide Airport Ltd has announced that Chris Griffiths has been appointed as the manager of Parafield Airport.
In the new role, Griffith will be responsible for all aeronautical and commercial functions at Parafield, with an emphasis on the operational nature of the airfield and its interaction with the community. Prior to the new role, Griffiths was an airport duty manager of T1 at Adelaide Airport.
Griffiths replaces Noel Wellman who is moving to a property and commercial role at Adelaide Airport.
ATC & AIRSPACE
Airservices to spend $200m on infrastructure

Airservices Australia has announced that it plans to invest $200 million over the next 12 months for a number of infrastructure improvements around the country.
“By investing in new and emerging technologies, we will be establishing the foundation for Australia’s next generation air traffic management environment,” said Airservices CEO Greg Russell. “Coupled with our commitment to ongoing training of existing staff, recruitment over the coming year will ensure that we are well placed to meet the demands faced by increasing passenger numbers, larger aircraft and an ageing workforce.”
Key projects Airservices will be investing in over the next year include new surface movement radars at Brisbane and Perth, construction of new air traffic control towers in Melbourne, Adelaide, Rockhampton and Broome, and refurbishment and reopening the ATC tower at Karratha. In addition, Airservices will upgrade training facilities for the Aviation Rescue and Fire Fighting service at Melbourne, upgrades to the ARFF stations in Sydney and Melbourne and the commencement of new stations at Brisbane and Broome.
Work on the $16.9 million new ATC tower at Adelaide commenced on July 30, with completion expected during late 2011. The new tower will be 44m high and is adjacent to the passenger terminals. It is expected to be fully operational in early 2012.