News Desk

A350 production commences in Germany
Airbus Germany started work on a major wing component for the A350 XWB at its production facility in Stade on August 31 in a ceremony attended by Airbus CEO Tom Enders, as well as senior German government officials.
The first component being manufactured for the A350 in Germany is an upper wing shell for the aircraft made from carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP). The component will be manufactured using automated tape laying technology before undergoing polymerisation in an autoclave. At a size of 32 x 6m, it is the largest CFRP component ever to be built by Airbus.
Airbus’s Stade facility is also used to make stringers, CFRP fuselage shells and the vertical tailplane for the A350.

Boeing shuffles program managers ahead of possible 747-8 delay

Boeing has shuffled a number of its senior executives which some commentators claim will help it to deal with another delay to the delivery of the first 747-8 Freighter.
Under the changes, current vice president of aircraft programs Pat Shanahan will give greater focus to the 747-8F, overseeing the flight test, certification and delivery of the first aircraft. Current 747 vice president and general manager Mo Yahyavi will take on an unspecified special assignment, while 767 vice president and general manager Elizabeth Lund will work with Shanahan as 747-8 deputy program manager. That will see current head of 777 manufacturing Kim Pastega take over as 767 vice president while Jason Clark, who is current head of 747-8 interiors, takes on Pastega’s former role.
The management reshuffle comes as many reports indicate that Boeing is likely to announce a further delivery delay to the 747-8. Despite four aircraft now flying in various stages of flight testing, inboard aileron and structural flutter issues have forced Boeing to modify some of the design of the aircraft, which is understood to be pushing the delivery date for the first aircraft from late 2010 into the first quarter of 2011.

New aviation and aerospace body launched

The Victorian government has helped to fund the launch of the Australian Association of Aviation and Aerospace Industries (A4I), which it says will provide a strong, unified voice for the sector, allowing it to drive exports and jobs growth.
“We wanted to help industry improve its communication with us to ensure we are doing the best we can to promote the Victorian aviation and aerospace sectors in the global market,” said Victorian Industry and Trade Minister Jacinta Allan. “That’s why we have worked hard with industry to establish the new body, which was unanimously endorsed by a reference group of senior aviation and aerospace industry representatives.”
Boeing Aerostructures Australia’s managing director Mark Ross has been named as the chairman of A4I. The Victorian government has provided a $500,000 grant to establish A4I.
“While the A4I is a Victorian initiative, it is firmly focussed on creating a truly national entity that has the potential to deliver flow on benefits for Victoria, while also supporting the development of aviation and commercial aerospace across Australia,” added Allan.

787 pilot training courses get provisional approval
The US FAA has granted provisional approval for Boeing Training and Flight Services’ 787 pilot training courses, which will allow pilots rated on the 777 to transition to 787 flying in as little as five days due to the commonality between the two aircraft.
“Gaining FAA approval for our courses is a significant milestone as we ramp up to the start of flight training,” said Mark Albert, director of Simulator Services and 787 Training Program, Boeing Training & Flight Services. “It validates our approach to provide world class training solutions at great value for the 787 Dreamliner.”
Boeing is working with the FAA to obtain provisional approval of the training devices at which point formal pilot training will commence. The provisional designation will be removed once the aircraft is fully certified, which is currently scheduled for before the end of the year.

RUAG receives certification for Do228NG
RUAG Aerospace has announced that it has received EASA certification for the Do228 New Generation aircraft, with the first new build aircraft to be delivered to a Japanese customer shortly.
The 19 seat Do228NG is based on the Dornier 228-212, but features Universal Avionics EFI890 glass displays, higher powered Honeywell TPE331-10 engines,  five blade MT Propellercomposite props and another 300 enhancements to its various systems.
RUAG first launched the Do228NG program in 2007 and has been slowly gaining customers for the reborn aircraft from around the world. At least one aircraft has been ordered by an Australian operator.

DAE reduces Boeing, Airbus orders
Dubai Aersopace Enterprise (DAE) has slashed a number of orders for new aircraft from Boeing and Airbus as the state owned aviation conglomerate struggles to break through from Dubai’s financial woes.
According to an update to Boeing’s orders and deliveries website, DAE appears to have cancelled orders for 10 777-300ERs and 15 787-8s. Similarly it has cancelled orders for seven Airbus A350s and 18 A320s. The orders were originally placed at the 2007 Dubai Airshow as part of a US$27.2bn (A$29.6bn) spending spree by DAE, which saw it order 200 aircraft from both Boeing and Airbus.
The cancellation appears to confirm speculation that the recent order for 30 777-300ERs from Emirates was related to a cancellation from DAE, which is understood to be struggling financially. DAE is wholly owned by the Dubai government, and also has interests in other aviation related businesses.

Rolls-Royce files lawsuit against Pratt & Whitney
Rolls-Royce has filed a lawsuit against Pratt & Whitney’s parent company United Technologies Corporation alleging that Pratt violated a patent on the Engine Alliance GP7200 and PW1000G.
Rolls-Royce is alleging that Pratt has violated a patent it holds on swept fan blades used on the two engines, with the UK manufacturer seeking damages and injunctions. The origins of the case date back to the late 1990s when UTC unsuccessfully applied to the US Patent Office to have the Rolls-Royce swept fan blade patent struck out.
The case is expected to be heard before a jury in the Eastern District of Virginia in the first half of 2011.

Briefs
* Boeing has begun assembly work on the 1000th 767 with the placement of the aircraft’s wing spar into its assembly tool. The 1000th 767 is a -300ER model and will be delivered to All Nippon Airways in February 2011. ANA ordered its first 767 in 1979 and has taken delivery of 89 767s to date.
* Air China has become the latest carrier to change an order for 787-8s to the larger -9 variant, and now expects to receive its aircraft from 2015. Air China first placed its order for 15 787-8s in 2005 and had been expected to take delivery in 2008. The carrier now says that the larger -9s are a better fit in terms of capacity, performance and economy.
* Pratt & Whitney will shortly start testing on the first PW1524G engine, marking a key milestone for the engine that will power the Bombardier CSeries. Pratt held a ‘Last Bolt’ ceremony at its Middletown, Connecticut production facility for the engine on August 25 before it was shipped off to its West Palm Beach, Florida facility to begin testing as part of its validation and certification program. A total of eight engines will be run over the next two years with certification due in 2012, ahead of the first delivery of a CSeries in 2013.

Sales

* AIRBUS A330: Thai Airways International has confirmed an order for seven A330-300s which will be delivered from the end of 2011. The order was originally announced as a memorandum of understanding at the Farnborough Airshow.
*BOMBARDIER Q400: Egypt based Smart Aviation has ordered two Q400s and taken options on a further three.
Smart Aviation is the business jet operation of EgyptAir, and the Q400s will be operated by a new subsidiary on scheduled and charter operations in the Middle East.

Military

RAAF Growler gets US go-ahead

A report in The Australian says the US Technology, Transfer, Security Assistance, Review Board (TTSARB) has approved the export of technology to Australia for the EA-18G Growler electronic attack variant of the Super Hornet.
The decision, said to have been made in late August, clears the way for the export to Australia of components and software required for the electronic attack mission. Twelve of the RAAF’s 24 F/A-18F Super Hornets are being ‘pre-wired’ and having other necessary modifications made to them that would allow for a relatively quick conversion to a Growler configuration if the government decides this is a requirement in the future.
If the RAAF were to go ahead with a Growler capability it is unlikely it would opt for the full capability to begin with, especially as the ALQ-99 jammer pods currently used by US Navy Growlers and EA-6B Prowlers are no longer in production and are becoming increasingly difficult to support and operationally limited. Rather it will probably build up the capability and concepts of operations from a ‘Growler Lite’ configuration, and then opt for the Next Generation Jammer (NGJ) currently under development in the US if that becomes available for export from around 2020.

NZ C-130 upgrade issues settled
The New Zealand government has come to an agreement with prime contractor L-3 Comm Spar and subcontractor Safe Air to complete the RNZAF’s C-130 upgrade program.
The work comprises the replacement of the aircraft’s centre wing sections and a comprehensive avionics and self defence system upgrade. Work on the upgrade of the five aircraft had stalled following the standing down of Safe Air staff due to delays by L-3 in completing software integration work for the aircraft.
The new agreement will see the first two aircraft re-delivered by the end of this year for test and evaluation work while the remaining three will be completed by the end of 2013.

Defence charter contract cleared of irregularities
A contract awarded to Adagold Aviation for the provision of transport services to the ADF has been cleared of any irregularities following allegations by incumbent, Strategic Aviation, that Adagold received inside information on the tender requirements, The Age reports.
Strategic had questioned what role former Strategic manager and SkyAirWorld CEO David Charlton had played in the awarding of the contract to Adagold after Charlton had resumed working for Defence’s Joint Movements Group following SkyAirWorld’s collapse in early 2009.
Strategic had also raised concerns over Adagold’s plans to wet lease an Airbus A340-500 from Portuguese carrier HiFly to fulfil the contract, despite Strategic previously using HiFly A330s and crews itself before acquiring its own A330 last year.
The new contract with Adagold is expected to commence in October.

Boeing extends RAAF F/A-18 component repairs
Boeing Australia has signed a contract with the DMO to provide repair and refurbishment work for the RAAF’s F/A-18A/B Hornet fleet.
The work will comprise the refurbishment of flight control surfaces, doors and panels for the ageing Hornet fleet at Boeing’s Component Repairs facility at Tullamarine in Melbourne, and includes the replacement of aluminium control surface hinges and brackets with stronger and longer wearing titanium components.
The agreement is a formal extension of a previous ad hoc arrangement.

BAMS Global Hawk given MQ-4C designation
The US Navy’s Broad Area Maritime Surveillance (BAMS) version of the Global Hawk UAV has been given the designation MQ-4C.
Based on the Block 20 RQ-4B airframe, the MQ-4C features a 360 degree maritime radar and other sensor and communications enhancements for the maritime mission.
Meanwhile, Northrop Grumman has commenced construction of the fuselage of the first MQ-4C at its Moss Point, Mississippi facility. The fuselage will be delivered to Northrop Grumman’s final assembly line at Palmdale in California early next year where it will be mated to the wings, engine and empennage. First flight is due in late 2011, with IOC with the US Navy currently scheduled for 2015.
The RAAF plans to acquire between six and eight Global Hawks from 2015 with capabilities similar to those of the BAMS variant.

Boeing Military Aircraft restructures

Boeing has reorganised its Military Aircraft (BMA) business, consolidating it from six divisions to four and cutting senior management.
The reorganisation is to take effect from October 1 and will result in four new divisions; Global Strike based in St Louis, Mobility based in Ridley Park near Philadelphia, Surveillance and Engagement based in Seattle, and Missiles and Unmanned Systems based in St Charles near St Louis. The previous Rotorcraft division has been split between the new Mobility (CH-47 & V-22) and Global Strike (AH-64) divisions, while Missiles and Unmanned have been merged.
“This new structure supports BMA’s progression from a product based business to a capabilities based business, focusing on supporting our customers in the United States and increasingly important international markets,” Boeing Military Aircraft president, Chris Chadwick, said. “It is consistent with initiatives under way throughout the entire Boeing defence business that will allow us to remain competitive and grow.”

US Navy tests Super Hornet Distributed Targeting System
The US Navy has started testing a Distributed Targeting System (DTS) for the F/A-18E/F Super Hornet at NAS China Lake in central California.
The DTS will allow Super Hornet crews to better process multiple targeting information. The first stage of the test process will see an image exploitation processor and mass storage unit integrated with the aircraft’s APG-79 AESA radar and ATFLIR targeting pod to geo-register imagery from these sensors and thus generate more precise targeting information. Later tests will see this expanded to synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and ground moving target indicator (GMTI) modes of the APG-79.
“Distributed targeting is a powerful tool that will provide Super Hornet aircrews with highly precise targeting capability when identifying and engaging ground target sets,” said Kory Mathews, Boeing’s F/A-18 and EA-18 programs vice president.
The DTS is a planned enhancement under the US Navy and Boeing’s F/A-18E/F ‘Flight Plan’ and is expected to be incorporated in future software and hardware upgrades.

LockMart tests new Hellfire
Lockheed Martin has successfully tested the latest version of its Hellfire air-to-surface missile range, the AGM-1114R ‘Romeo’.
The new model features a multi-purpose warhead which covers the entire target set of the Hellfire range, rather than the previous need for dedicated blast fragmentation or anti-armour (HEAT) versions, and a UAS operator or helicopter pilot can now select the lethality effects required for a specific target while in the air. The Romeo also has better performance from high altitude launches allowing it to engage targets directly below or even behind a launch aircraft.
The AGM-114R uses the same airframe and motor as previous models and has the same unit cost.

US Coast Guard orders more CN235s
Airbus Military has announced that the US Coast Guard has ordered three additional CN235 Maritime Patrol Aircraft.
Designated as the HC-144A Ocean Sentry in the US, the CN235s are modified to carry search radar, electro-optical and infrared cameras, an Automatic Identification System for data collection from vessels at sea, and a communications suite. The Coast Guard currently operates 10 HC-144s, with the aircraft achieving initial operating capability last year.
The new aircraft will be delivered from 2011. The US Coast Guard expects to eventually take 36 Ocean Sentries to replace their fleet of HU-25 Guardian Falcon jets.

Israel to buy 20 JSFs
Israeli Defence Minister Ehud Barak has approved a purchase of 20 F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighters (JSFs) in a deal valued at approximately US$2.75bn (A$3.08bn).
“The F-35 is the fighter plane of the future that will allow Israel to maintain its aerial superiority and its technological advantage in the region,” Barak was quoted as saying by the Hareetz newspaper. “The F-35 will give the IAF better capabilities, both near and far, to help strengthen Israel’s national security.”
The first F-35 is expected to arrive in Israel from 2015, with the entire purchase funded through US military aid. The aircraft will have limited Israeli content, although future purchases could incorporate more local systems and weaponry.
“The considerations for approving the deal were not just about the operational abilities of the plane but the agreements for involving Israeli industries in the assembly of the plane,” said defence ministry director general Udi Shani.
The current 20 aircraft purchase is expected to only support one squadron, while additional aircraft purchases are likely.

P-8 progresses to low rate production approved

The US Navy has approved the start of low rate production of the P-8A Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.
The approval came after a review by the Defense Acquisition Board. “The airplane is performing very well in testing which should result in an on-time and on-budget delivery to the war fighters,” program manager Capt Mike Moran said in a release.
The Poseidon is expected to enter service with the US Navy in 2013, replacing that service’s P-3C Orions. The P-8 is also a likely partial replacement for the RAAF’s AP-3Cs, while the aircraft has also been sold to India.

Military briefs

* Russia’s defence export agency was due to deliver the balance of an order from Indonesia for three Su-30MK2s and three Su-27SKMs by the end of September, bringing to five the number of each in service with the TNI-AU. The first four aircraft were ordered in 2003 and delivered in 2004/5.
* The USAF has inducted the first of 20 C-130s into its Warner Robins Air Logistics Center in Georgia to be upgraded under the Avionics Modernisation Program (AMP). The AMP includes glass cockpits that include a head-up display, six flat panel full colour displays, and night vision capability based on off-the-shelf components common to the commercial 737NG cockpit.
* The General Atomics MQ-1C Extended-Range Multi-Purpose (ERMP) UAS has been dubbed Grey Eagle by the US Army. A derivative of the Predator family, the MQ-1C features a heavy fuel engine and different sensor and communications payloads.
* Chile appears set to order the Embraer KC-390 tanker-transport aircraft for its air force after the Brazilian and Chilean defence ministers signed a Declaration of Intention, which also paves the way for Chilean participation in the design and production of the aircraft.

Airlines

Qantas still on BA’s merger radar?
British Airways CEO Willie Walsh says that it and merger partner Iberia are looking at further acquisitions, raising the prospect that Qantas may again be a target for a merger with the European airlines.
Walsh told the Financial Times that there were 12 potential targets of the International Airlines Group, which is the new holding company which will own BA and Iberia after their merger is completed later this year. Walsh, who will become the IAG CEO, refused to identify any of the tarets, but analysts have speculated that the targets are likely to be other oneworld alliance airlines, including Qantas.
In response to the speculation, Qantas spokesman David Epstein denied that the airline had been in any merger or acquisition activity with BA or any other party in recent months.
In 2008 Qantas and BA held merger discussions which proposed that the two companies come under a new holding company with a dual-listed structure. The discussions eventually broke down due to issues with BA’s pension deficit and the valuation of Qantas.

Qantas loses appeal on commissions

Qantas has lost a High Court appeal to a ruling that it must pay potentially millions of dollars in commissions to travel agents that it tried to argue did not apply.
Qantas had launched an appeal in the High Court to an earlier ruling in the Federal Court that it was liable to pay commissions to travel agents on fuel surcharges as part of a class action against a group of major airlines. The High Court has now dismissed the appeal, meaning that it will be referred back to the Federal Court to determine the amount to be paid to the travel agents.
The payout could be significant, with Qantas previously noting that up to 2007 that the cost of commissions on the surcharges would be in excess of $26 million. Given the time since, it is expected that would have increased considerably.

* Garuda Indonesia has announced that it will lift frequencies on its Sydney-Jakarta services from three times weekly to daily from December 20. The flights will be operated by its A330-200s.

Virgin, Etihad sever competing links

Virgin Blue and Etihad Airways have begun winding back their relationships with Emirates and Qantas respectively after the announcement of a wide ranging codeshare alliance between the two airlines.
Virgin Blue has announced that it will end its codeshare arrangement with Emirates on trans-Tasman services while it will also sever its loyalty program relationship. The codeshare agreement had provided more convenient connections for New Zealand passengers onto V Australia services to Los Angeles, but is no longer necessary due to the change in departure time from evening to morning. Virgin Blue and Emirates will retain an interline relationship, allowing passengers to connect between the two carriers.
It is also understood that Qantas has informed Etihad that it will cease its codeshare agreement, which saw Qantas place its code on Etihad services to Abu Dhabi while Etihad coded on Qantas domestic and trans-Tasman services. The move will see Qantas lose its connections to the Middle East, while Etihad will codeshare on Virgin Blue domestic and trans-Tasman services.

Airports want A380 services – Emirates
Emirates says that it has fielded enquiries from a number of airports around the world after it recently ordered 32 additional A380s at the Berlin Airshow, while it has now launched A380 services to Manchester.
“As a result of our announcement in Berlin, we have had enquiries from more than 20 airports across the world, asking whether Emirates would fly the A380 to their airports,” said Emirates executive vice chairman Maurice Flanagan. “These aircraft are a dream to travel in and a dream to have at your disposal for expansion. They are extremely popular with our passengers and where we deploy them, they fill up almost immediately – running at over 90 per cent load factor.”
Flanagan’s comments came as Emirates launched A380 services on its Dubai-Manchester route, making it the 11thEmirates route to be operated by its growing A380 fleet. The airline will also introduce A380 services to Hong Kong on October 1, while it will return A380s to the New York-JFK service on October 31.

Air NZ increases regional capacity
Air New Zealand has announced a major increase of capacity on its regional routes, with more than 9500 seats to be added to the network from February 2011.
The changes will see an increase in frequencies on the Wellington-Invercargill route doubling to twice daily during weekdays. Flights between Tauranga and Christchurch will increase to 11 return services a week, while there will also be additional flights from Tauranga to Wellington. Services between Auckland and Palmerston North, as well as between Auckland and Napier and Palmerston North to Christchurch are set to get a boost as they are upgraded to be operated by 68-seat ATR 72s in place of the 50-seat Bombardier Q300s currently used.
The increase in regional flying comes as Air New Zealand also prepares to introduce additional capacity on its trunk routes, with the carrier aiming to introduce A320s to its domestic operations over the next year. In part, the increase in domestic flying is being timed to coincide with the Rugby World Cup which is being staged in New Zealand in September and October next year.

Continental & United get approval for merger
The US Department of Justice has terminated its review of the proposed Continental Airlines and United Airlines merger, clearing one of the major hurdles for the merger of the two major US carriers.
“We are pleased to have achieved this critical milestone and look forward to our respective stockholders’ votes next month, following which we expect to be on track to close our merger by October 1st,” said Glenn Tilton, CEO and chairman of United parent company UAL Corporation. “The combination of United and Continental will create a world class airline, which will deliver an industry leading network for our customers and the communities we serve, career opportunities for our people, and value and return for our stockholders.”
United and Continental currently expect to close the all-stock merger transaction on October 1, subject to a vote by their respective shareholders on September 17 to formally approve the merger.
In a related transaction, the two airlines have announced that they will lease 18 slot pairs and other facilities at New York’s Newark Liberty Airport to Southwest Airlines. The airlines said that the agreement was intended to address DoJ concerns about competition at the airport, which is a major hub for Continental.

Brindabella picks up Cobar-Sydney flights
Canberra based Brindabella Airlines has announced that it will commence services between Cobar and Sydney from September 24 after reaching an agreement with the Cobar Shire Council and local mining companies.
The flights will initially run daily with a Metro III aircraft with an additional service each Friday over a four month trial period.
“We’ve been inundated with inquiries from Cobar and surrounding communities – particularly Bourke – with government, businesses, community service providers and residents keen for an easier option than the current three hour drive to Dubbo to catch a Sydney flight,” said Brindabella CEO Jeff Boyd.
Boyd added that there had been significant interest in group bookings and charter flights from the mining sector, which could help to underwrite the viability of the service.
Cobar lost its link to Sydney in December 2008 after Regional Express subsidiary Air-Link terminated its services, forcing passengers from Cobar, Bourke, Coonamble, Lightning Ridge and Walgett to drive to Dubbo to catch a direct flight to Sydney.

Qantas to increase China capacity
Qantas will increase its capacity on its China routes, according to a recent filing with the International Air Services Commission (IASC), which states that the airline will upgrade some of its services from Airbus A330s to Boeing 747-400s for the northern winter scheduling season.
In its application, the airline is seeking to increase its allocation on the China route by 166 seats per week in each direction. This would give it 2301 seats per week to and from China, with the upgrade expected to take place in mid January, with the full increase fully utilised by the end of that month.
Qantas currently flies daily services between Sydney and Shanghai, and also recently started codesharing with China Eastern Airlines to offer connections to Guangzhou and Beijing from Singapore. Qantas also has a major freight hub at Shanghai where it flies to Australia and the United States using dedicated 747 Freighters operated by Atlas Air.

Qantas to boost domestic capacity

Qantas Group CEO Alan Joyce has announced that Qantas and Jetstar intend to add more than 66,000 seats per week to the domestic market over the next nine months in response to recovering conditions.
“We are seeing improved demand domestically and the introduction of these additional services and aircraft will see the Qantas Group well placed to meet this demand,” said Joyce.
“The changes will see around 65 additional return services for Qantas and around 120 return services for Jetstar introduced across selected routes.”
The increase will come from seven additional aircraft that will be deployed domestically over the current financial year, including a Boeing 767-300 which re-entered service in July, an A330-300 which will be added in January, while a further five 737-800s will be progressively added to the network by March 2011.
“These aircraft will be deployed on a variety of growth markets, including the east coast, east–west and intra WA markets,” Joyce said.
In addition, Jetstar will increase its domestic capacity by up to 30 per cent over the next year, with the carrier already having already announced increased capacity on a number of routes to Perth, Launceston and Cairns.
Jetstar has announced that it will boost frequencies on a number of key routes from Sydney and Melbourne during the next few months as part of its plans to increase domestic capacity by up to 30 per cent.
From October 31, the airline will add an additional four weekly services to its Melbourne-Newcastle schedule, which will rise further to a total of 28 services per week (four per day) from December 6. Melbourne-Adelaide will gain an additional 10 weekly services from December 6 while an additional daily service on the Melbourne-Brisbane route will start from December 10.
From Sydney, Jetstar will increase its services to Townsville from five to six per week from November 6, rising to daily services from December 10. On December 2, the airline will increase frequencies to Adelaide and Ballina to three and two times daily, while from January 13 it will launch an additional daily service on the Sydney-Brisbane route.
Collectively, the new frequencies will add more than 820,000 seats per year to the Jetstar network, and come after earlier announcements of more capacity on services from Perth and Cairns. They also come as competitor Tiger Airways has announced a delay in the delivery of two A320s, forcing it to curtail its growth plans for this year.
Jetstar has announced plans to add more frequencies on a number of services to Cairns from early next year.
From January 13, the airline will increase its services on the Gold Coast-Cairns route from three times per week to daily, while Brisbane-Cairns services will be boosted from three to four times daily. In addition, services from Melbourne and Sydney to Cairns will be increased from twice to three times daily from April 4. Together, the new services will add 8850 seats each week to Cairns.
The Cairns market appears to have rebounded from the effects of the global financial crisis, with recent data from the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) showing major growth on a number of routes to and from Cairns in recent months. Jetstar is also facing increased competition in the Cairns market, with Tiger launching daily services from Melbourne from September 16.
The new services are part of a plan by the Qantas Group to add more than 66,000 seats per week to the domestic networks of Qantas and Jetstar over the next year.

Qantas to offer premium economy on Frankfurt, Tokyo flights
Qantas has announced that it will introduce the premium economy cabin on its services to Tokyo and Frankfurt as it retrofits six Boeing 747-400s with the new seats.
“Qantas currently offers premium economy on services to Bangkok, Hong Kong, Singapore, Johannesburg, London, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Buenos Aires. Increased demand for this product, particularly from our leisure travellers, means we are now rolling premium economy out on another two Qantas routes,” said CEO Alan Joyce.
Premium economy will be offered on the Sydney-Tokyo route from October this year, while it will be available on services to Frankfurt February next year. The premium economy seat features a 22cm seat recline and a 40in (102cm) pitch, and is wider at 48.5cm. Passengers also enjoy priority check-in, dedicated cabin crew, an additional baggage allowance and priority boarding and disembarkation.

Tiger cuts flights
Tiger Airways will suspend some routes on its domestic Australia network from November as two aircraft are reallocated to its Singaporean operations.
According to reports quoting an internal document sent to Tiger staff, the airline will cut its Adelaide-Brisbane and Adelaide-Gold Coast services from November 10. The airline will also reduce frequencies on the Adelaide-Melbourne route.
The cuts are as a result of one aircraft from Adelaide and one from Tullamarine being redeployed to the new Avalon base, while two A320s due to arrive in November will instead be deployed with Tiger’s Singapore base, which is understood to be growing strongly due to the recent opening of the Marina Bay Sands Casino.
With the changes, it is understood that by November, Tiger will have five A320s based at Tullamarine, and two each at Adelaide and Avalon. Tiger had previously indicated that it would have a fleet of 12 aircraft based in Australia by the end of the year.

Pacific Flier suspends operations
Fledgling Palau based carrier Pacific Flier has suspended its operations to allow for a review of the airline’s fleet and schedule.
Pacific Flier had started operations in March utilising an Airbus A310 operated by Portuguese airline HiFly flying from Palau to the Gold Coast, Guam and Clark (Manilla) as charters. The airline was focused on attracting leisure traffic to Palau, as well as carrying shipments of tuna to markets in Asia. However, difficulties in securing traffic rights and a failure to secure freight has seen the airline make the decision to suspend its services.
“It is unfortunate that the airline was launched prematurely, but we are focussed on a re-launch once workable traffic rights have been achieved and when terminal access has been improved at Koror Airport in Palau,” said Pacific Flier’s senior vice president – airline operations Neil Hansford.
The airline says that it has secured a replacement aircraft, with a relaunch dependent on gaining clearance from US regulators to fly to Guam, as well as the review of its route network. It is not clear if the carrier will continue its weekly service to the Gold Coast when it resumes operations. The airline is understood to be backed by Queensland based investors.

Jetstar launches new Perth flights
Jetstar has announced new flights from Brisbane and the Gold Coast to Perth, as well as a boost to its flights from Melbourne and Sydney.
Daily flights from Brisbane will commence on December 10, while daily services from the Gold Coast will commence on April 4. Regular lead-in fares on both routes will start from $199 one way. Jetstar has also announced that it will expand its Perth-Melbourne services from 14 to 18 times a week and Perth-Sydney from daily to 11 times weekly from October 31.
“By better linking Perth through more low fares and new choice in destinations Jetstar’s flying hubs in south east Queensland can deliver more visitor access into WA from key customer markets,” said Jetstar CEO Bruce Buchanan. “Low fare access for Perth residents on flights directly into south east Queensland and the eastern states has never been easier as a result of Jetstar’s ever growing flight network.”
Coupled with the announcement of the increased Perth services, Jetstar has also launched a new three year, multimillion dollar joint marketing agreement with Tourism WA. It is expected that the increased flights to Perth will bring in an estimated $117 million in tourism revenue to the state.

Jetstar to increase NZ services
Jetstar has announced it will base an additional two Airbus A320s in New Zealand to assist its growth in domestic services as Pacific Blue prepares to exit the market from October.
The first additional aircraft will arrive in December this year, making it the seventh A320 based in New Zealand, while an eighth will follow in the end of the year or early 2011. The aircraft will help boost frequencies on a number of domestic routes, with Jetstar expected to boost its frequencies from Auckland, Christchurch and Wellington ahead of the Rugby World Cup in 2011 as well as its established plans to up trans-Tasman frequencies.
Jetstar announced the increase within hours of Pacific Blue announcing that it would end its services within New Zealand from October 18 as part of a major strategic realignment of the Virgin Blue group of airlines. It is understood that the Pacific Blue services have been incurring heavy losses over the three years they have been operating.

TAM, LAN agree to merger
Two of South America’s largest airlines, TAM and LAN, have agreed signed a non-binding memorandum of understanding (MoU) to combine their operations under a single parent company.
Under the proposed merger, the two airlines and their affiliates would retain their separate branding but come under a new parent company called LATAM Airlines Group through an all-stock transaction. Each airline would retain its headquarters and management structure, yet it is expected that the merger would still produce at least US$400m (A$448m) in synergies.
Star Alliance carrier TAM is the largest carrier in Brazil and operates a mixed fleet of Airbus A320s, A330s and A340s as well as Boeing 767s and 777-300ERs. LAN is headquartered in Chile, and also has affiliates in Argentina and Ecuador and is a member of the oneworld alliance.

Emirates ups Perth, Brisbane capacity

Emirates has announced that it will increase capacity on its services to Brisbane and Perth, although it will cut one of its services to Sydney from November.
From November 1, one of the twice daily Dubai-Perth services will be upgraded from an Airbus A340-300 to a Boeing 777-300ER. One of the Dubai-Brisbane services will also be upgraded to the 777-300ER from January 1.
Emirates has also announced that its daily EK415/414 service to Sydney, which is flown by a 777-200LR, will be suspended from November 1, with the capacity to be allocated elsewhere in the network. It plans to restart the service from the start of 2011, and will operate it with a 777-300ER.

Qantas, pilots head to negotiating table
Qantas and the Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA) have commenced negotiations on a new enterprise bargaining agreement for the airline’s long haul pilots, with AIPA highlighting job security and progression as the major points of concern.
“An extensive survey of pilots conducted by AIPA prior to commencing the bargaining process has found that their leading issues are not about money but rather concerns over job protection, career progression and the off-shoring of jobs,” said AIPA negotiations spokesperson First Officer Adam Susz.
“These negotiations are not simply about pay and conditions, they are also a chance to raise very important concerns pilots have about broader workplace issues and to seek to resolve them in an amicable fashion. Qantas’s decision to offshore jobs, as highlighted by AIPA in the Jetconnect case currently before the full bench of FWA (Fair Work Australia), will be examined closely by pilots at the bargaining table,” he added.
The long haul EBA covers around 1700 pilots. AIPA says that approximately 98 per cent of those pilots are members.
As well as the long haul pilots’ EBA, Qantas is also understood to be preparing for negotiations on a new agreement with its licensed aircraft maintenance engineers. Previous negotiations in 2008 broke down, resulting in strikes although the airline later came to an agreement which has remained confidential.

Pilots set for showdown with Jetstar

Jetstar is on a collision course with its pilots group over plans to offshore some of its flying operations, with a meeting of pilots in Sydney on August 23 passing a no confidence motion against CEO Bruce Buchanan and also backing a go-slow and other action against the airline.
The vote of no confidence was made at a meeting organised by the Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA) which also was attended by Qantas and Virgin Blue pilots to address recent changes to Flight Standing Orders at Jetstar. AIPA says that the changes threatens the conditions of all Australian pilots by allowing the airline to employ pilots from overseas on conditions that are lower than the airline’s current enterprise bargaining agreement. The pilots are also opposed to plans to base more aircraft in Singapore as part of the airline’s long haul expansion.
A resolution was also passed which called for Jetstar management to negotiate a new agreement which would cover “the entire Jetstar pilot group negotiating their terms and conditions on an international collective basis, regardless of where they operate from in all current and planned Jetstar bases throughout the world.”
According to some reports, Jetstar pilots are looking at taking some industrial action over the next month. Some pilots are expected to initiate go-slows to disrupt the airline’s schedule, while pilots may also refuse to do overtime or be called out on their days off.
This has nothing to do with increasing pay and improving conditions like the 89 fiasco, but merely honouring the current EBA which was negotiated in 2007 (EBA 2008). An EBA which Alan Joyce (the then CEO of Jetstar) clearly explained the full intention of in a memo to the pilots. The memo outlined the success of the agreement and how it would provide Jetstar the flexibilty to expand globally. The pilots, in return would receive career progression and job security under this EBA.
The memo took into account massive aircraft orders of A320 and B787′s
The current CEO and senior management, regardless of this refuses to acknowledge this agreement. The offshoring of A330 and future B787 positions is a direct consequence of this.

Airline briefs
* Vietnam Airlines will operate two charter flights from Ho Chi Minh City to Adelaide later this year, marking the first time that there has been a direct flight between Adelaide and Vietnam. Two return services will depart Adelaide on November 21 and December 5, utilising Vietnam Airlines’ new Airbus A330-200s. The flights are being operated on behalf of Bunnik Tours.
* Air New Zealand will more than triple the number of charter flights it operates to and from Japan over the southern summer as part of a partnership with Auckland Airport and Tourism New Zealand to boost arrivals from Japan. Between December 26 2010 and 3 April 2011, Air New Zealand will operate 14 return charter flights to Auckland from nine departure points across Japan.

Airports

Caloundra aerodrome to stay put
Caloundra aerodrome will remain at its current location after the Sunshine Coast Regional Council failed to win Queensland government support to move it.
Moving the aerodrome was proposed as part of a major plan by the Council to turn the site into a new central business district for the town, with the aerodrome and its 20 businesses to be relocated to a site in the Glass House Mountains. The plan centred on the Queensland state government providing $100 million to support the move, but Premier Anna Bligh refused to back it, noting that the move would not be in the best interests of the community and the local economy.
The retention of the aerodrome has been welcomed by a number of businesses based there. It is also a major relief for the Queensland Air Museum which has been a key part of the aerodrome for a number of years. It is estimated that the aerodrome contributes $25 million annually to the local economy.

Sydney Airport backs down on price rise

Sydney Airport has announced that it will not increase regional aircraft parking charges after the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) raised concerns that it had not followed proper process.
“The ACCC has reminded Sydney Airport that the Trade Practices Act requires it to notify the ACCC of any proposed increase in aircraft parking charges for regional airlines serving passengers travelling within NSW,” ACCC chairman Graeme Samuel said. “Accordingly, Sydney Airport will not increase charges for aircraft parking for regional airlines unless those prices are notified to the ACCC.”
The ACCC says that it received concerns from a number of regional airlines that the airport was increasing charges for regional airliners parking longer than 45 minutes at the apron and in general aviation areas which were in addition to the 2.9 per cent increases already notified to the ACCC. Regional Express stated that the proposed increases, in addition to the 2.9 per cent increase, would result in an increase in its costs by approximately $3.1 million per annum.
The ACCC is continuing to assess Sydney Airport’s proposed charges that have been notified in accordance with the Trade Practices Act, with a decision likely in September.

Air NZ takes on Auckland Airport over Queenstown
Air New Zealand has been named as a plaintiff in a court case which aims to block Auckland International Airport Limited’s (AIAL) plan to buy a key shareholding in Queenstown Airport and form an alliance between the two airports.
In separate court cases, Air New Zealand and the Queenstown Community Strategic Assets Group (SAG) Trustee Ltd are opposing the acquisition of a 24.99 per cent stake by AIAL into Queenstown. The two plaintiffs are pushing for a judicial review of the share issue, claiming that it has breached laws on local government.
AIAL said in a statement that it was disappointed by the action. “It is unfortunate that these legal proceedings have been brought by parties who wish to attempt to frustrate an alliance intended to deliver great benefit to the development of the tourism industry in the Queenstown Lakes District. We believe these parties have vested interests and do not necessarily have the well-being of the wider Queenstown community at heart.”
The lawsuit comes as the New Zealand Commerce Commission announced that it is not going to investigate the acquisition following a complaint from Air New Zealand, noting that it would not be likely to lessen competition in the market. Air New Zealand has stated that it would prefer to form a consortium with other airlines to buy into Queenstown Airport, while the airline has also had a number of disputes with AIAL about pricing at Auckland Airport.

Alice Springs Master Plan approved
Northern Territory Airports has announced that it has received approval from Transport Minister Anthony Albanese for its 2010 Master Plan for Alice Springs.
The new Master Plan provides a number of investments in new aeronautical infrastructure to meet the growth expected over the next 20 years. The Plan will also see NT Airports transfer a parcel of land to the NT government which will be developed for residential use under a joint venture arrangement.
NT Airports CEO Ian Kew said that the new residential land would play a key role in supporting the community. “The Alice Springs community has a critical need for additional housing in the region and the unique characteristics of the airport site have warranted this in-principle support from the Australian government,” he said.

New airpark for Bundaberg
A Queensland property developer has launched plans for a 12 hectare airpark development adjacent to Bundaberg Airport with the support of the Bundaberg Regional Council.
The Kensington Parkside project is being managed by John Pressler, and will see the development of up to 600 residential detached dwellings, townhouses and duplexes, including 100 homes with direct airside access. There are also plans for a five storey apartment block, a town centre, a cafe and restaurant precinct, sports facilities and recreational parks and gardens.
A business airpark has already been approved, with 15 lots now being offered for sale. Residential and commercial lots have received town planning approval but are awaiting engineering approvals before they are released for sale.

General Aviation

CASA approves Conquest life extension STC
CASA has approved an Australian developed supplemental type certificate (STC) for the Cessna Conquest, which will allow the aircraft to be operate up to 40,000 flying hours, well beyond the current 22,500 hour limit.
The STC, in development by TAE in conjunction with Aeronautical Engineers Australia since 2008, comprises a program of major modifications to the Conquest, including replacing fuselage frames, reinforcing other components and external straps to spread loads and provide redundant load paths, plus a new maintenance program.
Cessna set the 22,500 hour life limit for the Conquest in 2007 after it decided not to develop an ageing aircraft maintenance program for the aircraft. As a consequence CASA immediately moved to ground Conquests that had flown beyond that life limit.
“The Conquest is a popular aircraft in Australia with charter and aerial work operators, with 32 aircraft currently on the civil aircraft register,” CASA Director of Aviation Safety John McCormick said.
“Careful and detailed work by Australian aeronautical engineers, with safety oversight from CASA’s engineers, has created a program that will see the Conquest fly safely in our skies for many years to come.”

All-electric aircraft flies

The world’s first all-electrically powered aircraft made its first flight from Le Bourget airport near Paris on September 2.
The four engine, all-eletric Cri-Cri aerobatic aircraft was jointly developed by EADS Innovation Works, Aero Composites Saintonge and the Green Cri-Cri Association, and its maiden flight lasted for seven minutes before the aircraft returned to Le Bourget.
“This aircraft flies very smoothly, much more quietly than a plane with conventional propulsion,” said Didier Esteyne, who piloted the Cri-Cri. “But we are still at the beginning and have a lot to learn. We are allowed to start aerobatic manoeuvres only after five hours of flight and 15 landings.”
The Cri-Cri combines a number of technologies including composites, brushless electric motors with counter-rotating propellers, and high energy density Lithium batteries, as a testbed for the integration of such low emissions technologies into other aircraft programs.

ISAA acquired by ITC
The Cessnock based International School of Aviation Australia (ISAA) has now become a fully owned entity of ITC Limited, the commercial arm of the University of Wollongong, which it says will allow it to boost its aviation training activities.
“This acquisition strengthens our commitment to continue to provide pilot training opportunities within the local Hunter Valley community,” said ISAA business manager Nerrin Warr. “It will save trainees the need to travel to the city to undertake pilot training and in the Hunter the airspace and training environments are just so much better.”
ISAA has been located at the Cessnock Airport for more than three years and offers private and commercial pilot training, charter flights and aerial photography. It will hold its second open day on November 21, which will consist of school tours, career guidance presentations, discussions with current staff and students, test flights and attendance from key personnel within the aviation industry.

Business Aviation

Aeromil to expand at Bankstown
Aeromil Pacific will expand its operations at Bankstown Airport with the Cessna dealer recently signing an agreement to lease a larger hangar which will house its maintenance, sales, corporate and charter operations and professional services operations.
“With ever increasing costs to business aviation using Sydney International Airport, we have taken this significant step in order to provide much greater capacity to support our Cessna and other business aircraft customers with maintenance, hangarage, secure parking and importantly, apron availability and FBO facilities at Sydney Metro Airport Bankstown,” said Aeromil’s managing director Steve Padgett. “Through the use of our new facilities, we intend to make it substantially easier for domestic and international business aircraft to use Bankstown, as a viable and attractive alternative destination in Sydney.”
The new facility is at the heritage listed Site 521, which is adjacent to the Bankstown Airport Passenger Terminal and has a hangar space of 3000 square metres, dedicated apron aircraft parking and secure car parking for clients and staff. Restoration works are currently being done to the hangar, but Aeromil expects to move into the site from late 2010.

G650 edges Mach One mark

Gulfstream Aerospace has announced that one of its test G650 aircraft has reached a speed of Mach 0.995.
The aircraft achieved this speed during flutter testing, which evaluates the aircraft’s damping responses following an input from an external test device. Gulfstream experimental test pilots Tom Horne and Gary Freeman along with flight test engineer Bill Osborne took MSN 6001 into a dive, pitching the aircraft’s nose 16 to 18 degrees below the horizon. Gulfstream says that the aircraft  performed as expected during the tests.
“The airplane is very predictable,” said Horne. “It’s very easy to control and to get precise control at those speeds. The airplane response has matched the expectations of our engineers, and we’ve been able to easily fly the test conditions and march through the test plan.”
The ultra long range, ultra large cabin G650 is expected to be certified in 2011, with entry into service expected during 2012. Four aircraft are currently involved in the flight test campaign.

Business briefs
* Gulfstream Aerospace has announced that the G500 and G550 have been awarded type certificate validation in New Zealand. This clears the way for the types to be operated on the New Zealand register.
* Rolls-Royce has received certification from EASA and Brazilian authorities for the AE3007A2 engine which powers the new Embraer Legacy 650 large business jet. Embraer launched the Legacy 650, an improved Legacy 600 which in turn is based on the ERJ-135 regional jet, in October 2009, with first deliveries due later this year.

People

Chew Choon Seng to leave SIA
Singapore Airlines has announced that Goh Choon Phong will succeed long time chief executive Chew Choon Seng when he retires at the end of December 2010.
Goh has worked at SIA since 1990 and is currently executive vice president for marketing and the regions, having been appointed to the post earlier this year after four years as president of Singapore Airlines Cargo. He is also presently chairman of SilkAir.
“The time is appropriate for renewal of the leadership in SIA,” said Chew. “The business has regained ground lost during the recession of 2008-9, the company is profitable and on an even keel, and I have had the privilege of leading this wonderful organisation for over seven years. It is timely for me to hand over to the next generation and move on.”
Goh will formally take up the position from January 1 2011, although he will sit on the board from October 1.

Airports Association appoints new executive director

The Australian Airports Association (AAA) has announced that Caroline Wilkie has been appointed as its executive director, with Ken Leach retiring after nearly 13 years in the position.
Wilkie will take on the position in early October before the AAA’s annual convention and technical workshop in Adelaide. She was previously the national manager airports and transport with the Tourism and Transport Forum.
“Ms Wilkie brings a wealth of relevant experience to this important industry role, having strong networks within government, with proven success in the areas of media communication and strong stakeholder relationships,” said AAA chairman John McArdle.  “She has indicated a passion for the industry and genuine enthusiasm for her new role.”

People briefs

* Boeing has announced that it has appointed Allison Bone to the role of communications director Australia-New Zealand. Bone succeeds Ken Morton, who has been promoted to head Boeing’s corporate communications throughout the Asia Pacific region. Bone previously worked as communciations director with Kathy Jones & Associates, and previously held roles with Qantas and the New South Wales government.
* Virgin Blue has announced that Sam Mostyn has been appointed to its board. Mostyn is currently the director of the Institute for Sustainable Solutions at the University of Sydney, and previously held a number of senior roles at IAG Group.
* Former ATR chief executive Stephane Mayer has been appointed as the CEO of French aircraft and aerostructures manufacturer DAHER-SOCATA. As well as his experience at ATR, Mayer was also CEO of EADS SOCATA prior to its sale to Daher between 2003 and 2007. Mayer was succeeded as CEO of ATR earlier this year by Filippo Bagnato.* Spanish Red Bull Air Race pilot Alejandro Maclean has died in an accident during a training session in Spain on August 17. 41 year old Maclean was a former captain of the Spanish national aerobatic team before joining the Red Bull Air Race in 2003, and became a key figure in the development of the event.

Finance

Auckland Airport reports flat profit
Auckland International Airport Limited (AIAL) has recorded a flat underlying profit for the 2009/10 financial year, with the company expecting to increase its profits over the year ahead.
AIAL’s underlying net profit for the year came in at NZ$105m (A$83m), or only 0.8 per cent lower than the previous year. Revenue decreased by 1.4 per cent to NZ$363m (A$288m), which was less than expected due to the soft market conditions over the year. Operating expenses were down 2.3 per cent to NZ$86.8m (A$68.8m), and capital expenditure decreased by 38 per cent to NZ$54.3m (A$43m).
Operationally, international passenger traffic increased by 2.4 per cent, driven primarily by an increase in arrivals from Australia and increased capacity on trans-Tasman routes. Domestic passenger volumes showed consistent strength to grow 7.8 per, reflecting the impact of a full year of operations by Jetstar.
“With our strategic plan execution well underway, our underlying profit – while still relatively flat – is ahead of where we expected it to be, and with the business fundamentally restructured, Auckland Airport is well positioned to benefit in 2011 and beyond from the operating leverage we have been able to set up,” said AIAL CEO Simon Moutter.
The year ahead is expected to provide greater profit growth for AIAL, with the arrival of new services from Singapore and Houston to Auckland, as well as the growth at Cairns and Mackay airports, where it holds a minority stake. The airport is also expected to see benefits from its recent investment in Queenstown Airport, although this is currently subject to a court challenge by Air New Zealand.

Cargo

Qantas rebrands courier business
Following its sale of the DPEX Worldwide business, Qantas has rebranded its courier and baggage delivery service as Qantas Courier.
“Qantas Courier will complement the Group’s existing domestic logistics ventures by utilising the network of the Qantas Group and third party suppliers, including Australian air Express and Star Track Express, to offer courier and baggage services,” said executive manager Qantas Freight Stephen Cleary. “Central to our business model is the development of an online retail distribution channel offering sophisticated book, pay and track functionality.”
Qantas Courier employs around 150 people and has offices and retail counters located near international airports in Sydney, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Auckland. The business also has a retail presence at Sydney and Brisbane international airports through its unaccompanied baggage counters.

Qantas renews partnership with AusPost
Qantas has extended its joint venture ownership of Australian air Express and Star Track Express with Australia Post, while also concluding a new mail carriage agreement.
Both Qantas and Australia Post own 50 per cent shares in AaE and Star Track, with Qantas CEO Alan Joyce noting that they were strategic investments for the Qantas Group.
“An extensive review was conducted of both businesses, which demonstrated there were significant customer, operational and market benefits for Qantas and Australia Post to remain in partnership,” he said.
Qantas says that it has recently started a process of developing a new strategy for the two freight companies to maximise their value, with details of the future directions of the companies to be released in the near future.
As well as extending its cooperation on the two express parcel operators, Qantas entered into a new agreement with Australia Post over the carriage of mail on its domestic and international services, as well as a contract for domestic belly space with AaE. Qantas first carried mail for Australia Post in 1922.

Support

Victoria scraps DC-10 firebomber
The Victorian government has scrapped plans to again lease a DC-10 Airtanker over the coming fire season, and will instead add a number of smaller aircraft to its fire fighting fleet.
The DC-10, which is capable of carrying more than 40 tonnes of water or retardant, was brought into Victoria last summer in a joint effort between the Victorian fire authorities and the National Bushfire Cooperative Research Council. However, an assessment by the Bushfire CRC found that the potential of the 40 tonne load to cause injury or property damage meant that it was unsuited to Victorian conditions, particularly around urban interface areas.
Instead, the government will spend $12 million to bring in two Convair 580 fire bombing aircraft capable of carrying eight tonnes of water, as well as an additional Erickson Aircrane and four additional fixed-wing aircraft for the coming fire season. It has also committed to equipment upgrades for a number upgrades for its helicopter fleet, including new infrared cameras as well as the development of night vision goggles to allow firebombing helicopters to operate at night.

Qantas in 747 landing gear exchange
Qantas has become the launch customer for Boeing’s 747-400ER Landing Gear Overhaul and Exchange Program after recently signing an agreement with Boeing.
Under the program, Qantas will have access to landing gear exchanges, repair and replacement services around the world for its fleet of six 747-400ERs from 2011 through the Boeing Service Centre Repair Network. Operators of the 747-400ER Freighter are also expected to take part in the program, providing a solid pool of landing gear equipment which can be called on at short notice.
“We appreciate that a customer such as Qantas is demonstrating their confidence in Boeing to provide them with this important service,” said Dale Wilkinson, vice president of Material Services for Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

New ARFF station opens at Perth
Airservices Australia officially opened its new Aviation Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) station at Perth Airport on August 30, marking the next step in its major infrastructure upgrade.
The new $8.6 million station is located to the north of the airport and replaces the previous station which was built in 1962 and located near the domestic terminals. It features a new fire control centre, and has been built to deliver ‘Category 10’ operations to meet the needs of A380 services which are expected to begin in years to come.
“We are investing heavily in upgrading and replacing fire stations, equipment and vehicles to ensure we can provide a safe, efficient and effective fire and rescue service to the public,” said Airservices CEO Greg Russell.
There are 68 ARFF firefighters employed at Perth, with the service responding to more than 1000 calls at the airport, ranging from first aid to aircraft incidents. The station is equipped with four Rosenbauer Mk 8 ultra-large fire vehicles and one smaller Mk 5 domestic response vehicle.

SimJet partners with Airline Academy of Australia
Brisbane based flight simulator manufacturer SimJET Training Systems has entered into a strategic partnership with Archerfield based Airline Academy of Australia (AAA) to enhance significantly AAA’s capabilities to train pilots up to airline standard.
Under the agreement, SimJET will provide AAA students access to a Boeing 737-800 simulator and Airbus A320 procedural training device, making it the first flying training academy in Australia to offer the sophisticated training devices.

New fire control facility launched at Mackay
Mackay Airport’s Aviation Rescue and Fire Fighting (ARFF) service has become the latest in the country to receive a digital upgrade to its fire control centre as part of a wider investment by Airservices Australia in ARFF equipment across Australia.
The new digital system replaces a variety of stand-alone analogue communication and incident management systems with a single, integrated system. Airservices says that it provides remote monitoring capability to improve efficiency, safety, and lower training and maintenance costs.

Air Safety

Qantas 747 forced back after engine failure
A Qantas Boeing 747-400 operating a flight to Sydney suffered an uncontained engine failure inflight on August 31, forcing the crew to return to San Francisco.
Operating as QF74 with 212 passengers and 18 crew on board, 747-438 VH-OJP was at an altitude of 25,000ft approximately 15-20 minutes into the flight when the crew noted excessive vibration in the aircraft’s number four engine. The crew shut down the engine and then elected to dump fuel and made a priority return to San Francisco where the aircraft landed safely.
Photos of the aircraft’s number four engine – which has since been air freighted to Hong Kong for inspection – showed a hole in the engine’s cowling, indicating an uncontained failure of the Rolls-Royce RB211 engine. A replacement engine was been despatched to San Francisco on another Qantas 747-400′s fifth engine pod mount.
The uncontained could be linked to a recently issued FAA Airworthiness Directive (AD) which was issued following the discovery of cracks in the low pressure turbine of a number RB211 engines.
The AD, which takes effect from September 27, calls for the inspection of blades in the low pressure turbine for cracks initiating from corrosion pits during the next scheduled maintenance visit.
“Several low pressure turbine (LPT) shafts have been found with cracks originating from the rear cooling air holes,” the AD reads. “The cracks were found at normal component overhaul, by the standard magnetic particle inspection (MPI) technique defined in the associated engine manual. The cracks have been found to initiate from corrosion pits. Propagation of a crack from the rear cooling air holes may result in shaft failure and subsequently in an uncontained low pressure turbine failure. For the reasons stated above, this AD requires the inspection of the affected engines’ LPT shafts and replacement of the shaft, as necessary.”
Qantas says that it had been “fully compliant” with the directive, and that VH-OJP’s affected engine had been inspected in July and was not yet due for its next maintenance visit where the AD inspection would be carried out.

Safeskies wins FAI award
Safeskies Australia has been awarded the prestigious Federation Aeronautique Internationale (FAI) Honorary Group Diploma for Aeronautics in recognition for its contribution to the progress of aeronautics over recent years.
“Safeskies has contributed significantly to the advancement of aeronautics through its role as a medium in the exchange of information, opinion and the development of relationships between the myriad of parties involved in modern aviation,” the FAI Australia said in a statement.
The 10th biennial Safeskies Conference will be held at the Hyatt Hotel Canberra on Wednesday 26th and Thursday 27th October 2011; and the Sir Reginald Ansett Memorial Lecture plus Conference Dinner will be held at Parliament House Canberra on the evening of Tuesday 25th October 2011. See the Safeskies website for more details on the conference.

Citation crash in PNG kills four

Trans Air PNG Cessna Citation II P2-TAA crashed after overshooting the runway while landing at Misima Island in PNG on August 31, killing four, including Australian regional aviation identity Les Wright, and leaving one in hospital.
The crash killed Trans Air PNG co-owner and former Transair chief pilot Les Wright, two other Australians and a New Zealander. Another New Zealander, Kelby Cheyne, the aircraft’s copilot, is recovering in a Townsville hospital.
An investigation into the crash will be undertaken with the assistance of the ATSB, and the aircraft’s voice recorders have been recovered.
Queensland based Transair operated the Metro which crashed at Lockhart River in far north Queensland in 2005, killing the 15 passengers and crew on board, while CASA has unsuccessfully tried to ban Trans Air PNG flying to Australia. Earlier this year an Administrative Appeals Tribunal decision overturned CASA’s refusal to issue Trans Air PNG a foreign AOC.

Tiger gets rap from ATSB
The ATSB has revealed that Tiger Airways Australia failed to report an aileron oscillation incident in 2008 which came to light while it investigated a similar incident on the same aircraft eight months later.
The incident under investigation occurred on May 18 2009 and involved Tiger A320 VH-VNC. The aircraft was being operated on a flight between Mackay and Melbourne when light shaking was experienced in the aircraft’s cabin, which was caused by oscillations in one of the aircraft’s ailerons. The crew elected to divert to the Gold Coast where the aileron was inspected by a licensed aircraft maintenance engineer and then dispatched to Melbourne. The ATSB subsequently found that the oscillation was a consequence of two faults within the aileron control system.
In its report the ATSB also noted that a similar oscillation on the same aircraft had occurred eight months’ prior, which saw the crew elect to return to the point of origin, however that incident was not reported to the ATSB. As such, it noted in its findings that the operator had not complied with the reporting requirements of the Transport Safety Investigation Act, although it noted that Tiger has now revised its incident reporting procedures.
Tiger defended its action, saying in a statement, “Based on the information on hand at the time of the first event which occurred in 2008, it was not considered appropriate to report the event. At no time was safety compromised or was safety a risk.”

ATC & AIRSPACE

A380 to make green flights across Atlantic
Air France Airbus A380s will take part in ‘green flight’ revenue flight trials between New York and Paris during the fourth quarter of 2010 to test procedures similar to those used during the ASPIRE trial flights between Australia and the US conducted last year.
The Transatlantic Green Flight (TGF) trials are being led by Airbus in partnership with air navigation service providers from the UK, US and Canada as part of the second wave of the Atlantic Interoperability Initiative to reduce Emissions. The flights will take place over a six to eight week period and see each trial start with a taxi from the gate to the runway at New York’s JFK airport using only two engines. Meanwhile the ANSPs will facilitate the Atlantic portion of the flight which will reduce CO2 emissions through an optimised trajectory where more flexibility will be arranged for speed, altitude and lateral routing.
“These transatlantic flight trials will help to move the industry towards more efficient operational concepts and sustainable growth over the longer term,” said Charles Champion, executive vice president of engineering at Airbus. “What we trial today with the A380 will contribute to setting tomorrow’s standards, thanks to system-wide air traffic management improvements prepared by programmes like SESAR and NextGen.”
The trial is similar to flights conducted during 2009 and early 2010 involving a number of airlines and ANSPs under the auspices of the Asia & South Pacific Initiative to Reduce Emissions (ASPIRE). The demonstration flights showed that by utilising a number of new air traffic management technologies and ground procedures that fuel burn and emissions could be cut significantly.

VHF modernisation completed
Airservices Australia has completed an upgrade of the VHF radio network which it says will provide enhanced communication between aircraft and air traffic control.
The upgrade included replacing analogue and relay-based equipment with new digital equipment at 39 air traffic control sites around Australia, as well as installing new antennas, lightning protection and earthing associated with VHF radios. The upgrade has been done with the assistance of technical staff from Airways New Zealand.

New tower for Rockhampton
Airservices Australia has started construction of a new air traffic control tower at Rockhampton Airport which will replace the current tower which was first commissioned in 1961.
“The tower will greatly enhance our services and ensure we are well placed to meet projected growth in regional air services and provide safe, efficient air traffic operations well into the future,” said Airservices CEO Greg Russell.
The new tower, which will feature state-of-the-art technology including touch screens, is expected to be finished by June 2011, after which it will undergo a three month commissioning period.

Captions

RAAF HOSTS STRATEGIC DIALOGUE Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Mark Binskin has hosted his counterparts from the US, UK and Canada for a series of strategic meetings under the Air Force Four Party dialogue. General Norton A Schwartz, Chief of Staff, US Air Force, Air Chief Marshal Sir Stephen Dalton, Chief of Air Staff, Royal Air Force, and Lieutenant General Andre Deschamps, Chief of Air Staff, Canada’s Air Force, attended the dialogue. Issues discussed included Afghanistan operations, current and emerging aircraft and space capabilities, and opportunities for future training cooperation and engagement. The program also included visits to Joint Operations Command at Bungendore and RAAF Base Williamtown as well as updates on new RAAF capabilities, including the F/A-18F Super Hornet and Wedgetail.

T-45 REACHES MILLION HOUR MILESTONE Boeing and the US Navy have celebrated the one millionth flight hour of the T-45 Goshawk training aircraft in a ceremony at Cecil Field in Jacksonville, Florida. The T-45 is an adapted version of the BAE Hawk jet trainer, and is used to provide fast jet training to US Navy pilots. Boeing delivered the 221st and final T-45 training jet to the Navy in November 2009, while it continues to provide support, logistics and engineering to the program in partnership with BAE Systems, L-3 Vertex and Rolls-Royce.

RAF’S FIRST A330 MRTT ROLLED OUT The first Airbus A330 MRTT for the RAF’s Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) program has been rolled out of its hangar at Getafe near Madrid in Spain. The aircraft, the first of 14 A330s on order under a complex commercial lease arrangement, will be subject to ground tests prior to first flight sometime in September. A second MRTT will be modified at Getafe with the remaining 12 scheduled to be modified by Marshall’s Aerospace at Cambridge in the UK. The A330s will be fitted with 291 seats in a single class and a two or three point hose and drogue refuelling system, and will replace VC10s and Tristars in RAF service. Deliveries are expected to commence in late 2011 with IOC in 2014.

QantasLink was forced to ground five Bombardier Q400s for up to a week from August 22 after cracks were discovered in a main landing gear component of the aircraft during an inspection. The inspections were instituted after advice from Bombardier following incidents experienced by another Q400 operator overseas. It is not known if the cracking is related to other landing gear issues with the Q400 which led to incidents in Denmark and Lithuania in 2007.