News Desk

Boeing’s vice president of sales and marketing Randy Tinseth has hinted that the company may push back a decision on a possible re-engining of the 737 Next Generation series from the northern autumn to next year after discussions with customers received mixed feedback.

“It’s a very dynamic situation… earlier this year we said we’ll make the decision this year, but we are going to take time, all the time for us to make the right decision,” Tinseth was quoted as saying in a report by Reuters, adding that the decision could be pushed back to 2011.

The report also noted that Boeing has been talking to various customers about its options with the 737, with feedback on a new generation engine offering being mated to the current airframe being largely mixed. It is understood that a number of customers are pushing Boeing to instead proceed with a new narrowbody design earlier than the mid-2020 timeframe currently being floated, rather than an expensive re-engining program.

Rival Airbus is expected to announce during the next month if it will proceed with its A320 NEO (new engine offering) program, which could see it offer the new Pratt & Whitney PW100G geared turbofan and CFM International LEAP-X engines on A320 Family aircraft.

Meanwhile, Air Lease Corporation has finalised its order for up to 60 737-800s first announced at the Farnborough Airshow in July.

Sixth Dreamliner finally flies

The sixth Boeing 787 has made its first flight, while Boeing also notes that the flight testing program for the aircraft has been progressing well.

ZA006, which is the second 787 powered by General Electric GEnx engines to fly, completed its maiden flight in one hour and four minutes on October 4, landing at Boeing Field near Seattle at 1245 local time.

“It’s great to have our last flight test airplane join the fleet,” said Scott Fancher, vice president and general manager of the 787 program. “We have been focused on completing the testing required for certification of the 787 with Rolls-Royce engines, because that is the first model we deliver. A great deal of the testing that we’ve done also applies to the 787s with GE engines and won’t need to be repeated. ” With the announcement, Boeing also provided an update on the flight testing program. Icing and high energy tests have successfully been completed while flight load survey testing had been completed and analysis of the data is continuing. Fatigue testing on the static rig at Everett has also commenced, with the static test aircraft to be subjected to 10,000 flight cycles as part of its certification requirements.

Luxair buys 737 Luxembourg based carrier Luxair has ordered an additional Boeing 737-800. The carrier ordered one 737-800 in May this year, while it currently operates three 737-700s.

All Nippon switches 15 787-8s to -9s All Nippon Airlines (ANA) has become the latest carrier to convert some of its 787-8s on order to the larger -9 variant.

ANA has converted orders for 15 787-8s to the -9, although it still has 50 787-8s on order. According to a statement from the carrier, the -9’s will be used to “meet the increasing need for 400 seat-capacity aircraft for domestic routes, and will further improve the flexibility of our fleet and network planning. Furthermore, like the 787-8 model, it is a highly fuel efficient aircraft which will enable ANA to reduce operating costs and carbon dioxide emission. ” ANA has not said when it expects to take delivery of the first 787-9s. On current schedules, the first 787-9 will be delivered in late 2013 to launch customer Air New Zealand.

The change in aircraft follows a recent trend which has seen other carriers including Vietnam Airlines and Air China convert their orders for the 787-8 to the 787-9, with some sources claiming that the revised performance of the -8 does not meet their needs. However, in the case of ANA it appears that the 787s may replace some of its domestically operated Boeing 777-200s which are configured with 418 seats.

747-8 program slips to 2011 Boeing has confirmed the planned delivery of the first 747-8 Freighter has slipped from the last quarter of this year to mid 2011.

After hinting at July’s Farnborough Airshow there may be a slip into 2011, Boeing announced the “schedule change” on September 30, attributing it to “recent flight-test discoveries” which include a low-frequency vibration in flight and an “underperforming” aileron actuator. The delay follows two previous schedule adjustments to the program due to technical and supplier issues.

“We understand the issues encountered in flight test and are working through the solutions,” Boeing Commercial Airplanes’ vice president and general manager, Airplane Programs, Pat Shanahan said in a statement. “We recognise our customers are eager to add the 747-8 Freighter to their fleets, and we understand and regret any impact this schedule change may have on their plans to begin service with the airplane. With that said, the 747-8 Freighter is demonstrating the capabilities our customers need to be successful and we are confident in the value it will bring them upon certification and delivery next year. ” In an effort to meet the new schedule, a fifth 747-8F will be added to the flight test fleet which is based at Moses lake in western Washington state and at Victorville in southern California.

Rolls-Royce appoints new CEO Rolls-Royce has announced that CEO Sir John Rose will retire from the company in March 2011, and will be succeeded by John Rishton.

Sir John has been CEO since 1996 after joining the company in 1984. “John has led a transformation in Rolls-Royce which has few parallels,” said company Chairman, Sir Simon Robertson. “As he would be the first to point out this has been a team effort, but it has been his leadership, strategic vision and tenacity which has made this extraordinary achievement possible. ” Rishton is a non executive director of Rolls-Royce and is the CEO of Dutch retail group Royal Ahold.

Pratt fights back against Rolls

lawsuit Pratt & Whitney has filed a countersuit against Rolls-Royce, claiming the that it misled the US Patent Office to obtain a patent which has formed the basis of a lawsuit which Rolls-Royce has brought against Pratt & Whitney.

Rolls-Royce launched court action in the US against Pratt & Whitney on August 26 claiming that fan stages on the PW1000G, Engine Alliance GP7200 and other engines infringe a patent that Rolls-Royce has on swept engine fan blades. P&W is defending itself from the lawsuit.

“We do not infringe Rolls-Royce’s patent,” Pratt & Whitney’s chief intellectual property counsel George Romanik said in a statement announcing the lawsuit, filed in U. S. District Court in Connecticut. “Additionally, we believe the Rolls-Royce patent is invalid and unenforceable and that Rolls-Royce is unlawfully using its patent and taking other actions in an attempt to harm Pratt & Whitney. ” Pratt & Whitney also said that it intends to continue marketing its full range of engines, including the PW1000G which has been chosen to power the Bombardier CSeries and Mitsubishi MRJ. The orginal lawsuit brought by Rolls-Royce is likely to be heard during early 2011.

Air China in 777 order Air China has announced an order for four additional Boeing 777-300ERs. The purchase is valued at US$1. 1bn (A$1. 14bn) at list prices.

Caribbean Airlines purchases ATRs Trinidad and Tobago based Caribbean Airlines has ordered nine ATR 72-600s which will be delivered from late 2011. The aircraft, which will be the first to feature the Armonia cabins, will replace five Bombardier Dash 8-300s in its fleet.

CAE to build A350 sims for Airbus Airbus and CAE have signed a contract to design and build the first A350 full-flight simulators (FFSs) and procedural trainers which will be used to train initial pilots for the forthcoming widebody aircraft.

Under the terms of the contract, CAE will to design and manufacture two CAE 7000 Series FFSs for the Airbus A350 and develop six CAE Simfinity A350 Airbus Procedures Trainers. CAE will also perform a range of upgrades on other Airbus owned flight simulators under a separate contract.

The first FFS for the A350 is scheduled to be delivered in late 2012 to the Airbus Training Centre in Toulouse. It will be initially qualified to interim Level C regulatory standards, which will be updated to Level D after final aircraft flight data is made available. The location of the second A350 XWB FFS installation is to be determined.

Commercial Briefs

Lufthansa to buy big on Airbus The Lufthansa Group’s board has approved the acquisition of 40 Airbus aircraft worth US$4. 3bn (A$4. 5bn), with the aircraft to be flown by its Lufthansa, Swiss and Germanwings operations.

The order, which has yet to be firmed, is for 32 A320 Family aircraft (including eight A319s for Germanwings) and eight A330-300s. Five of the A330s will be operated by Swiss, while the remainder will be flown by Lufthansa.

Cathay firms 777 purchase Cathay Pacific has signed an agreement with Boeing to exercise six options for 777-300ERs which will be delivered between 2013 and 2014.

The six new aircraft have an estimated value of US$1. 6bn (A$1. 7bn) at list prices, and will take Cathay Pacific’s future 777-300ER fleet from 30 to 36.

Cathay previously announced its intentions to take on the additional aircraft in August.

MAS buys more A330Fs Malaysia Airlines has ordered two additional Airbus A330-200 Freighters, taking its firm orders for the type to four. The aircraft will be operated by its MASkargo subsidiary and will be powered by Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engines.

China wins more A350 production work Airbus has announced that China’s CAC Commercial Aircraft Company (CCAC) will be the sole manufacturer of spoilers and droop panels for the A350 XWB.

“With this work package, we have accomplished our commitment to manufacture five per cent of the A350 XWB airframe in China,” said Klaus Richter, Airbus’s executive vice president, procurement. “Besides, this is also an important step forward for Airbus to develop a truly global industrial and engineering footprint, which helps Airbus to create a competitive cost base and access talented global resources. ” While CCAC will produce the parts, their development will be conducted by Austrian based company FACC AG under a separate contract.

Cathay firms A350 order Airbus has confirmed an order from Cathay Pacific Airways for 30 A350-900s. The aircraft are currently planned to be delivered between 2016 and 2019, likely replacing older A330s and A340s in its fleet.

EADS unveils new identity, new defence sector name EADS has marked its 10th anniversary with the unveiling of a new brand identity, while its Defence & Security unit has been renamed as Cassidian.

“This brand renovation embodies exactly the spirit of Vision 2020, our strategy for EADS’s next 10 years: reinforce each of the four divisions, give them the visibility they need to market their business, and at the same time materialise the strength and unity of the group,” said Louis Gallois, CEO of EADS.

The EADS Group identity will be retained as a common identity across the four divisions of the group – Airbus, Eurocopter, Astrium and Cassidian. The new branding is being implemented across the organisation over the coming weeks.

Boeing to up 737 production rate again Boeing has announced a further revision to planned production rates on its 737 line, with 38 aircraft per month to be produced from the second quarter of 2013.

Boeing said that the increase in production rate was a function of the strong backlog of over 2000 737s, as well as expected options exercises and ongoing sales campaigns. Airlines want this innovative airplane sooner to renew their fleets to serve their customers,” said CEO Jim Albaugh. “We made this decision after careful evaluation by Boeing and our supplier partners. ” The new announcement comes after Boeing previously announced plans to lift output on the 737 line to 35 aircraft per month from early 2012 from the current rate of 31. 5. It also comes after Airbus announced in August that it will raise output on its rival A320 line from the first quarter of 2012.

SuperJet completes static tests Sukhoi Civil Aircraft Corporation (SCAC) has announced that the SuperJet 100 has completed its static testing program as part of its efforts to achieve type certification for the regional jet.

The testing was conducted at the Central Aerohydrodynamic Institute (TsAGI) in Russia, and involved extensive on-ground strength testing of a number of key structures for the aircraft. The parts have been exposed to different loads up to 150 per cent more than the normal operating conditions and all aircraft components performed at the expected level.

SCAC says that the four prototype SSJ100s have made 842 flights and accumulated more than 2070 flying hours in various conditions as part of its certification campaign.

One million technical staff needed for global airline industry Boeing has forecast that over one million aircraft engineers and pilots will be required by the global airline industry over the next 20 years to support the growing fleet of airliners which will be operated over that time.

Based on its forecasts for the global airliner fleet in its latest Current Market Outlook, Boeing predicts that there will be a need for 596,500 engineers and 466,650 pilots until 2029. That will see the world’s airlines require an average of 23,300 new pilots and 30,000 new maintenance personnel per year over that period.

“When you add up all the numbers, you quickly understand the issues facing this industry,” said Roei Ganzarski, chief customer officer, Boeing Training & Flight Services. “Our challenge is adapting our training to engage the future generation of people who will fly and maintain the more than 30,000 airplanes that will be delivered by 2029. ” Most of the demand for skilled workers in the industry will come from the Asia Pacific region, which is where it is projected the biggest market for airliners will be over the next 20 years. The region will require 180,600 pilots and 220,000 technicians, a large portion of which will be required in China.

“To accommodate this growing demand, it will be vital to match training with the learning styles of students to come,” Ganzarski said. During the recent Asia Pacific Aviation Training Symposium in Kuala Lumpur, Ganzarski called for changes to current training methodologies. “As an industry, we need to adapt to the learning styles of tomorrow’s technologically savvy pilots and mechanics, and ensuring that training is globally accessible, adaptable to individual needs and competency based. ”

WTO reportedly finds Boeing illegally aided The World Trade Organisation (WTO) has reportedly found that Boeing has received billions in state subsidies which helped to finance the development of new aircraft, once again inflaming the ongoing row between Europe and the US over commercial airliner subsidies.

Although the confidential report from the WTO has only just been handed to European and US trade officials, various media reports claim that it found that Boeing had received de facto subsidies through various tax breaks and US government contracts. The allegations were originally brought by the EU as a counterclaim to the US’s complaint regarding launch aid and other subsidies given to Airbus for the launch of the A380 and other aircraft programs.

“Without going into detail … [the report] condemned the massive subsidies received by Boeing that violate WTO rules,” said France’s Transport Minister Jean-Louis Borloo and Environment Minister Dominique Bussereau in a joint statement. “This report thus sets the record straight a few months after another [WTO] panel concluded that there are European subsidies for Airbus. ” Despite the apparent blow, Boeing responded by claiming that its subsidies were not as major as those granted to Airbus. “If today’s reports are accurate that some $3 billion of the EU’s claims were upheld by the WTO, excluding the claims that relate to past programs long ago remedied by Congress, then the ruling amounts to a massive rejection of the EU case and confirms that European launch aid to Airbus stands as the single largest and most flagrant illegal subsidy in the aerospace industry,” the company said in a statement.

It appears that despite the rhetoric that the US and EU may now engage with each other over how to remedy the subsidy row, with Airbus calling for negotiations to end the long running confrontation. “It’s only when we stop these contentious suits and start negotiations that we’ll be able to define new equitable rules of the game which will govern the future of the world’s aerospace industry,” it said in a statement.

787 ZA001 grounded by engine surge ZA001, the first Boeing 787 Dreamliner, has had to have one of its Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines replaced after it experienced a surge during flight testing in Roswell, New Mexico.

According to various reports, the surge occurred on September 10 late in the day while the aircraft was taxiing out for brake testing. A loud boom was reportedly heard by the operating crew, with both Boeing and Rolls-Royce stating that they understand that the surge was “an isolated event. ” A replacement engine has been shipped to Roswell and is being installed on the aircraft, with the aircraft expected to return to flying by September 18.

Boeing has not yet indicated if the latest incident will have an impact on its certification and delivery schedule for the 787, with the first aircraft now expected to be delivered in the first quarter of 2011.

Airbus flight tests A350 composite panel Airbus has begun flight testing a 15sq m carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) fuselage panel to evaluate its acoustic properties and help fine tune sound insulation for the A350 XWB. The composite panel, which has been fitted with microphone sensors, has been added in place of an aluminium fuselage section of an A340 and will be tested over three weeks with various types of acoustic insulation materials.

Airbus has also recently started construction of upper and lower wing shells for the A350 in Spain and Germany, while the first metal cut for the aircraft’s centre wing box started in March at Nantes.

Forward fuselage on first 747-8I assembled Boeing has completed assembly of the forward fuselage section of the first 747-8 Intercontinental, with the 27. 2m section moved from an assembly tool for sealing and testing before beginning systems installation. The first Intercontinental is expected to be delivered to launch customer Lufhansa in the fourth quarter of 2011, while delivery of the first 747-8 Freighter is still currently scheduled to take place later this year.

Fatigue testing starts on 787 Boeing has announced that it has commenced fatigue testing a 787 test airframe, which will involve testing for how the structure responds over a simulated number of life cycles.

“Unlike static tests, where loads are applied to the airplane structure to simulate both normal operation and extreme flight conditions, fatigue testing is a much longer process that simulates up to three times the number of flight cycles an airplane is likely to experience during a lifetime of service,” said Jim Ogonowski, structures vice president at Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

The fatigue testing is a part of the certification path for the Dreamliner, the first of which is expected to be delivered in the first quarter of next year.

Boeing sees large market in Oceania

Boeing believes that airlines in the Oceania region will require 920 new aircraft worth US$120bn (A$129bn) over the next 20 years, according to its latest Current Market Outlook.

Boeing’s vice president of marketing Randy Tinseth shared the outlook as part of a series of briefings he is undertaking this week in Sydney, and noted that the relative strength of the Australian economy was helping to drive up passenger demand.

“We’re seeing that growth reflected in passenger travel in this region, with Oceania air travel growth expected to be about 6 per cent annually, compared to a world average growth of 5. 3 per cent,” he said.

With such growth predicted, Boeing expects that 56 per cent of new aircraft deliveries through to 2029 will be for growth rather than replacement. Of the 920 new aircraft which will be required, 68 per cent will be single aisle narrowbodies, while 28 per cent will be twin aisle widebodies. Larger aircraft will account for three per cent of the market, while aircraft will only account for one per cent of the market.

As well as the growth in low cost airlines through the Oceania region, Tinseth added that the wider Asia Pacific market will drive growth in the industry. “Today about one-third of all airline traffic touches the Asia Pacific region, and as a result of the growth in this market, by 2029 almost 43 per cent of all traffic will be to, from, or within the region,” he said.

Boeing looking to ‘737NG+’? Boeing is increasingly looking like it will not offer a re-engining option for future 737 customers, but could instead offer further incremental improvements to the existing NG series aircraft, which has been internally dubbed ‘737NG+’.

According to Flightblogger, Boeing Commercial Airplanes CEO Jim Albaugh raised the prospect of a 737NG+ during an internal company webcast at Boeing’s Renton facility where it currently assembles 737s. Although no specific details have been given, it is understood that the concept would see further improvements made to the aircraft without the investment required for a new engine, which would still deliver competitive economics against the proposed Airbus A320 NEO, which would be powered by the Pratt & Whitney PW1000G geared turbofan or CFM’s LEAP-X engine.

Boeing is already planning to introduce airframe and engine enhancements to the 737NG line from 2012, and it is believed that these would be incorporated into a wider package of enhancements to bridge the gap before the manufacturer moves to an all-new narrowbody in the 2020s.

The manufacturer has already indicated that it is unlikely to offer a new generation engine on the 737NG, with CFO James Bell telling attendees at a recent conference that its customers “have not shown a real interest in a re-engine airplane”, while the modifications required to a 737 to accommodate the PW1000G or LEAP-X would only marginally improve the type’s operating economics.

Boeing has previously indicated that it will decide by the end of the year on the way forward for the 737.

A380 production on target EADS CEO Louis Gallois says that Airbus is on track to meet its goal of delivering 20 A380s this year, with production unlikely to fall below that level in 2011.

According to a report by Reuters, Gallois said that A380 production was on track after Airbus made “significant progress” in reducing outstanding work following earlier delays. When asked if there was any reason to believe that output for 2011 would fall below the 20 planned for this year, he said “It is not the most probable hypothesis. ” Airbus delivered 10 A380s last year, well short of its goal of 14 as production bottlenecks emerged during the ramp up of production. In 2008, 12 A380s were delivered to customers, with a number built earlier but required wiring changes before their delivery to customers.

Militrary

Airbus A330 MRTT certified

Airbus Military’s A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) received Spanish military certification from the Instituto Nacional de Tecnología Aerospacial (INTA) on October 5, clearing the way for delivery of the first MRTT, to be designated KC-30A in RAAF service, later this year.

The certification covers the military specific design and extensive modifications to the A330 airframe, and follows on from the civil Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for the conversion received from European authorities earlier this year.

“This is an enormously gratifying moment for all,” Airbus Military Managing Director Domingo Ureña said in a statement. “It confirms the A330 MRTT has satisfactorily demonstrated its global military airworthiness and the maturity of all its systems, and its full readiness to enter service with its customers. ” The first two A330 MRTTs conducted more than 280 flights as part of the certification process, in addition to another 170 by Airbus’s A310 demonstrator aircraft The RAAF’s Amberley-based 33SQN is scheduled to take delivery of two KC-30As by the end of the year.

RAAF restructures

Air Lift Group The RAAF’s Air Lift Group (ALG) has restructured some of its elements in an effort to streamline management and basing within the FEG.

Effective October 1, the Richmond based 37SQN and its roughly 20-strong C-130H/J fleet, previously under 86WG, now comes under the command of 84WG. With the C-130 training squadron, 285SQN, already under 84WG command, this will allow for greater efficiency in command and workforce planning for the units.

The Air Movements Training and Development Units (AMTDU), which was previously under 84WG’s command, will move to the direct command of HQ ALG, and it is planned by the end of 2011 to move the command of Amberley based 33SQN and its forthcoming KC-30A tanker transports from 84WG to 86WG.

The new structure will see 86WG in command of 33SQN, 36SQN (C-17) and the Townsville based 38SQN (King Air), while 84SQN will retain 285SQN and the Canberra based 34SQN (VIP), and pick up 37SQN.

India’s first C-130J flies The first of six C-130J Hercules for India made its first flight at Lockheed Martin’s Marietta, Georgia, facility on October 3.

The aircraft will complete company and customer test and acceptance flights before being delivered in December.

India to order more P-8Is The Indian Defence Acquisition Council (DAC) has approved the purchase of four more Boeing P-8I Poseidon maritime reconnaissance aircraft to add to the eight it already has on order.

JSF test fleet grounded

The fleet of F-35 JSF test aircraft has been grounded for several days following the discovery of a software glitch which could cause a fuel boost pump to shut down in flight.

Pentagon spokesman Cheryl Irwin said the software glitch, “could have possibly triggered a shutdown on the three boost pumps, which could potentially cause an engine stall,” and that, “prudence dictated a suspension of operations, temporarily, until the fuel boost pump signal timing was corrected. ” The software issue, which had previously restricted the test fleet from operating above 10,000 feet, adds to a problem with the auxiliary inlet door hinges on the F-35B STOVL test aircraft which had been hindering vertical and short take off and landing flight tests and added to delays in the STOVL test schedule.

The grounding is expected to last until October 6 by which time a software patch will have been developed and uploaded to the aircraft. But the auxiliary inlet hinge issue is a larger one, especially as the four STOVL test aircraft which have flown to date are expected to have achieved at least 50 vertical landings by the end of this calendar year in order for shipborne trials to commence in March 2011. Lockheed Martin test pilot Jon Beesley revealed to Australian media in August that the hinges would require a “beefing up” because of aerodynamic disturbance coming off the large lift fan inlet door immediately in front of the auxiliary inlet during forward flight.

JSF cost estimate revised down

The Pentagon’s Cost Assessment and Program Evaluation (CAPE) office has revised down its cost estimates of the JSF program after taking into account new modelling based on the international partner program and the economies of scale yet to be realised on the 3000+ aircraft program.

The new estimates were revealed by Lockheed Martin Aeronautics COO Dan Crowley, although no specific numbers have been revealed yet pending the company and the Pentagon finalising the Lot 4 production agreement, which was agreed upon last month. Lockheed had previously said it would come in at least 20 per cent lower than the previous CAPE estimate on Lot 4, and that costs would continue to fall as production ramped up. The CAPE’s previous estimates had been based on how ‘legacy’ fighter programs such as the F-22 and F/A-18E/F had played out, both of which produced less than 600 aircraft and were wholly US funded.

Crowley did reveal that the CAPE estimates “met” Lockheed’s own when it came to the F-35A CTOL variant, although there was still some disparity between the two estimates for the F-35B STOVL and the carrier F-35C versions, both of which will comprise less than 20 per cent of the planned production run.

Spain requests more Seahawk helos The US Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA) has notified Congress of a possible sale of six refurbished former US Navy SH-60F Seahawk helicopters to Spain.

The notification comes after a request from Spain for the aircraft as well as engines, inspections and modifications, spare parts, support and training equipment, and technical publications. Spain already operates 12 S-70B Seahawks.

Total cost of the package is estimated at US$155m (A$161m).

Production of final F-22 begins

The 187th and final F-22 Raptor for the USAF has commenced production and will enter the assembly line at Lockheed Martin’s Marietta line in November.

The aircraft, tail number 195, is due to emerge from the line in August 2011 and be delivered to the USAF the following February.

Lockheed Martin officials have revealed all F-22 production tooling will be retained “for three to five years at least” pending a decision on how to sustain it on the longer term, and that the company is filming and documenting all production processes in case production needs to be re-started in the future.

AH-1Z cleared for USMC service The Bell AH-1Z Cobra helicopter has successfully completed its operational evaluation and has been deemed “operationally effective and suitable”.

“This marks a significant milestone for the program,” said COL Harry Hewson, program manager for US Marine light and attack helicopters. “The AH-1Z has come a long way through development and it has finally proven itself as a lethal and reliable attack helicopter. The Marines in the fleet are very eager to get their hands on the ‘Zulu’ and get it into the fight. ” The AH-1Z is a substantial redesign of the current AH-1W Super Cobra, and shares 84 per cent common parts with the similar UH-1Y upgrade of the UH-1N. Both were developed under the USMC’s H-1 Upgrade Program which will see both 189 new build and remanufactured AH-1Zs delivered to 2021.

Boeing wins B-52 modernisation contract The USAF has awarded Boeing a contract to modernise the service’s B-52H fleet so that it may remain viable.

The contract, which could total as much as US$11. 9bn (A$12. 2bn), doesn’t specify any particular upgrades at this stage, although Boeing says it expected the first delivery order to be awarded soon.

The USAF still has 66 B-52Hs in service.

Boeing awarded MYP III Super Hornet contract

The US Navy has awarded a US$5. 297bn (A$5. 5bn) contract to Boeing for the delivery of 66 F/A-18E/F Super Hornets and 58 EA-18G Growlers under a Multi Year Procurement (MYP) from FY2012 to 2015.

Separate contracts are expected to be announced for the supply of F414 engines from GE, and radars and other sensors from Raytheon.

“Boeing and its Hornet Industry Team suppliers have delivered every Super Hornet and Growler on schedule to the warfighter and on budget for the taxpayer from the first Super Hornet delivery,” said Boeing’s F/A-18 and EA-18 Programs vice president, Kory Mathews in a statement. “The first two F/A-18E/F multi-year contracts generated more than US$1. 7bn (A$1. 75bn) in savings for the US. Procurement of these 124 aircraft through a multi-year contract takes advantage of the full efficiencies of Boeing’s production and supplier operations, which will generate more than US$600m (A$620m) in cost savings. ” The MYP is the third for the Super Hornet, and follows MYP I which saw 210 Super Hornets delivered between fiscal years 2000 and 2004, and MYP II which covered 257 F/A-18E/F/Gs from FY2005 to 2009 and will see deliveries completed in 2011.

First Mk-84 Laser JDAM tested Boeing has successfully conducted two tests of a precision guided Laser JDAM version of the M-84 2000lb bomb.

Already cleared for the 500lb Mk-82 and 1000lb Mk-83, the same Laser JDAM kit will allow the massive Mk-84 to hit moving targets as well as the fixed and relocatable target capability offered by the standard non-laser JDAM kit.

The tests were the first two of a planned seven tests conducted at Eglin AFB in Florida. The weapons were released from an F-16 at 30,000 feet and Mach 0. 95 and flew a series of manoeuvres which validated their aerodynamic performance.

F136 engine damaged in testing

A GE/Rolls-Royce F136 engine was damaged during testing on September 23.

According to an F136 Fighter Engine Team release, engine ’008′ suffered damage to its front fan and compressor area but was shut down in a “controlled manner” after a near maximum speed test on a stand. A detailed inspection will be carried out but two other test engines have shown no signs of “similar distress”.

The F136 is the alternate engine for the F-35 JSF program and a rival to P&W’s F135, and has weathered five attempts at cancellation by the Pentagon in recent years, surviving only through the reinstatement of funding by Senate and House armed services committees during the US defence budget approval process.

Singapore orders Aermacchi M346

The Singapore Ministry of Defence has ordered 12 Aermacchi M346 Master trainers under the Republic of Singapore Air Force’s (RSAF) Advanced Jet Trainer (AJT) replacement program.

The aircraft will be supplied by Alenia Aermacchi and the training system by Boeing, both under contract to Singapore Technologies Aerospace (ST Aero), and will replace the RSAF’s ageing A-4SU Skyhawk. It is likely additional aircraft will be ordered at a later date.

Basing for the jets hasn’t been confirmed but is likely to be at Cazaux in France where the Skyhawks are currently located due to restricted airspace in and around Singapore.

Norway delays F-35 order Key JSF partner nation, Norway, has announced it will delay its planned acquisition of the aircraft for about two years so it can order a more mature aircraft.

Norwegian defence minister Grete Faremo announced the delay to “ensure operational maturity and optimum cost of production on the Norwegian aircraft. ” Whilst previous plans were for deliveries of training aircraft to commence in 2014 and operational aircraft from 2016-17, these will now not start until 2016 and 2018 respectively.

What effect Norway’s decision will have on the procurement plans of other nations is not yet known, although any shift of orders from early to later production lots will undoubtedly have a negative influence on the price of early build F-35s.

Lockheed Martin delivers 200th C-130J The USAF took delivery of its first HC-130J Hercules on September 23.

The aircraft was the 200th C-130J to be delivered by Lockheed Martin, and the 1500th C-130 to be taken by the US military since production of the original C-130A commenced in 1956.

Australia has operated four versions of the C-130; 12 C-130As which were retired in 1978, 12 C-130Es which were retired in 2000, 12 C-130Hs which entered service in 1978 and about eight of which are still in service, and 12 C-130Js which entered service in 2000.

First RAAF F/A-18F+ flies

The first Boeing F/A-18F+ for the RAAF, A44-213, made its first flight at St Louis on September 23.

The aircraft is the first of 12 to be modified with specific wiring, conduits and avionics racks for conversion to the EA-18G Growler electronic attack aircraft. They have been internally given the ‘+’ suffix by Boeing Australia management.

While no decision has been made by the government to convert some or all of these aircraft to the EA-18G configuration, US government approval has been granted for such a conversion, and the production line modifications made to the 12 aircraft will allow for a relatively easy conversion if and when required.

“Incorporating the ability to introduce an electronic attack capability on 12 RAAF Super Hornets as they are produced in St Louis provides maximum flexibility for our Air Force in the future,” said GPCAPT Steve Roberton, Officer Commanding 82 Wing. “Ultimately, if a decision to incorporate an electronic attack option is pursued, it will further expand the broad capability of an already formidable Super Hornet weapon system. ” “Besides giving the RAAF the potential of introducing electronic attack capability in the future, producing these 12 aircraft with this configuration from the outset also reduces cost when compared with retrofitting at a later date,” added Carolyn Nichols, Australian Super Hornet program manager for Boeing.

The RAAF paid about $40 million to have the electronic attack mission changes to the 12 aircraft incorporated on the production line in St Louis, a modification that required a new Engineering Change Proposal (ECP) and may be adopted by the US Navy for its next multi-year procurement (MYP III) batch of 124 Super Hornets, a contract for which is due to be signed once the US FY011 defence budget has been passed.

A44-213 is the first RAAF Super Hornet to wear 6SQN markings, and is expected to be delivered along with A44-214 by the end of the year.

Australian Aerospace to supply RAAF F/A-18 tyres The DMO has contracted Australian Aerospace to supply and manage the Michelin tyre inventories for the RAAF’s fleet of F/A-18A/B Hornet fighters and AP-3C Orion maritime reconnaissance aircraft for a five year period.

“Winning the P-3 tyres business is a natural extension of the through life support services that Australian Aerospace provides the DMO under the AP-3C Orion Platform Systems Support Contract,” said Australian Aerospace CEO Dr Jens Goennemann. “However, the addition of the F/A-18 Hornets is an exciting and welcome addition to our customer support base. ” The agreement has scope in it for extension to other ADF platforms in the future.

Indonesia to order more Sukhois

The Jakarta Post reports chief of staff Marshal Imam Sufaat as saying that the Indonesian Air Force (TNI-AU) plans to order a further six Sukhoi fighters so that it can form a full squadron of 16 aircraft.

“The existing squadron of Sukhois remains insufficient to give a deterrent effect given our vast territory,” he said on September 17, adding that the proposal had already been approved by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

Indonesia bought three Su-27s and three Su-30MKs in 2005, and a further six Sukhois were delivered this year.

Defence seeks short term support contract The ADF will release a tender to provide airlift support to the Middle East pending the resolution of an investigation into how Adagold Aviation won the long term contract from incumbent Strategic Aviation.

In a brief release on September 22, the ADF said it “will use its standard processes for obtaining short term services, and a number of companies will be approached … to ensure a value for money outcome. ” Adagold has been accused of winning the most recent contract by obtaining inside knowledge of the requirements from former Strategic and SkyAirWorld executive, David Charlton, who reportedly consults for Adagold and resumed working with the ADF’s Joint Movements Group (JMG) following the collapse of SkyAirWorld last year.

Further, it has also been alleged that Charlton and another former JMG member, John Davies, had influenced the decision to award Strategic the original airlift support tender in 2005 while working at JMG before both left to work for Strategic.

The ADF has called in the Australian Federal Police to investigate the claims regarding the 2005 tender, while its own investigation into “allegations of irregularities” in the most recent tender award process is continuing.

Australian MRH 90 program progresses Australian Aerospace reports the company is on track to deliver the 16th MRH90 helicopter to the ADF on schedule by the end of the year.

Despite a three month grounding of the fleet earlier this year following an engine failure, the 13th MRH 90 was delivered on September 3, and another three are scheduled to follow by year end.

“The engine manufacturer, Rolls-Royce  Turbomeca, is currently working with the ADF on the root cause, and, in the meantime, the MRH 90s have resumed flying operations,” Australian Aerospace CEO, Dr Jens Goennemann, said in a statement. “Two helicopters have been accepted since the resumption of flying and the MRH 90 delivery, testing and training program is now building momentum. ” The ADF has 46 MRH 90s on order. The first 13 aircraft have been built to Product Baseline (PBL) standard 01 and 02, and will require further work to bring them up to the definitive PBL 03 standard. Aircraft 14 onwards will all be built to the PBL 03 standard, which includes enhanced avionics, the latest software loads, and a strengthened cabin floor.

First production C-5M Super Galaxy flies The first production C-5M Super Galaxy to be modified on Lockheed Martin’s production line at Marietta, Georgia, made its first flight on September 19.

Wearing a distinctive new tail flash denoting it as a Super Galaxy – which will be added to all C-5Ms, the aircraft is planned for re-delivery to the USAF at Dover AFB in Delaware on September 30 where it will join the three preproduction C-5Ms already in service.

The C-5M upgrade comprises new glass avionics and international airspace compliant systems, more reliable hydraulic systems, enhanced cargo bay lighting, and the replacement of the original GE TF39 engines with more efficient and powerful GE CF6s.

MH-60R/S to get JMPS Lockheed Martin has been awarded a US$10m (A$10. 5m) contract to develop software for the MH-60R ‘Romeo’ and MH-60S ‘Sierra’ helicopters to support the Joint Mission Planning System (JMPS).

JMPS replaces older mission planning systems and uses commercial-off-the-shelf architecture that will standardise how mission flightplans are filed across the US military.

“The MH-60 module will give Navy Seahawk pilots access to the military’s most advanced mission planning tool, allowing pilots to easily capture and load preplanned data in a format compatible between both helicopter types,” George Barton, Lockheed Martin’s director of naval helicopter programs said. “Once airborne, the aircraft’s avionics will know what mission to prosecute, the intended route and navigation waypoints to use, the communications frequencies, weapons and sensors it will employ, as well as other critical information. ” The system will be developed and tested over the next 30 months and is planned for deployment in late 2012.

‘Big E’ turns 50, prepares for final cruise The USS Enterprise, the world’s first nuclear powered aircraft carrier and, at 346m, still the world’s longest military vessel, celebrates the 50th anniversary since its launch on September 24.

But there will be little time for the crew of the Enterprise, the eighth US ship to wear the proud name, to celebrate, as the ship prepares for what will likely be its final combat cruise later this year.

The only ship of her class, the ‘Big E’ preceded the Nimitz class carriers by more than a decade, and features a cruiser shaped hull and eight nuclear reactors. An anecdotal report claims that she is the fastest serving ship in the US Navy and was clocked at an unofficial 44kt during sea trials in the early 1960s. Unfortunately, huge cost overruns during her construction meant follow-on vessels such as the USSs America, Constellation and John F Kennedy reverted to conventional power as their primary means of propulsion. More than 250,000 sailors, airmen and Marines have served aboard her since she entered service in 1963.

Ironically, in the lead up to her final cruise, Enterprise underwent a US$613m (A$640m), two year long refurbishment, and it is the uniqueness of the ship and the huge expense in keeping it going that has been its downfall. Despite its replacement, the USS Gerald Ford not scheduled to enter service until 2015, the US Navy has decided to retire theEnterprise in 2011 and wear a shortfall in carrier numbers for those four years.

Kiwi Skyhawk sale approval expires

Approval from the US Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives for the New Zealand government to sell the RNZAF’s retired fleet of 17 A-4K Skyhawks expired on September 22 without the completion of a sale.

The NZ government had hoped to sell the aircraft as well as 17 MB-339 Macchi jet trainers to Arizona based Tactical Air Services (TAS), but the company has been unsuccessful in obtaining the required NZ$150m (A$116m) required to complete the deal. NZ Prime Minister John Key said on September 21 that the deal was “challenging” and that it was unlikely TAS could come up with the cash for the aircraft, despite a sale to TAS being announced as far back as 2005.

“At some point you’ve just got to say, ‘you’ve had your time,”‘ Defence Minister Wayne Mapp added, saying the aircraft would likely be scrapped, broken up for spares, or placed in museums. While it was still possible for the US authorities to extend the deadline, it is unlikely another buyer will be found for the 45 year old Skyhawks, some of which are former RAN aircraft.

The NZ government has reportedly spent more than NZ$34m (A$26m) keeping the mothballed Skyhawks at Woodbourne near Blenheim since they were retired in December 2001, although in recent years they have been stored outside and have reportedly deteriorated. The Macchis have been stored and occasionally flown at Ohakea Air Base, and have recently been crated up for storage.

Embraer advances foreign participation on KC-390 The Czech government has signed a Declaration of Intent with Embraer which could see it order at least two KC-390 military transport jets and likely to open the way for Czech industry involvement in the program.

The signing follows similar interest from Colombia, Chile, Portugal and Argentina for the jet transport, which has been designed to complement and replace the C-130 in the tactical airlift role.

“We are very pleased with the interest shown by the Czech government in participating in the KC-390 program, and we trust that the country will become one more partner in this successful endeavour,” said Orlando José Ferreira Neto, Embraer executive vice president, Defence Market. “The new agreement reaffirms the KC-390’s potential for success. We are enthusiastic about the prospects of having this cooperation with the Czech Republic’s long standing aeronautics industry, and we believe that this can be the beginning of a solid, long term relationship. ” The KC-390 program has been gaining momentum since the Brazilian air force announced its intention to buy 28 of the type at the Farnborough Airshow in July this year. This commitment has now risen to 54, with Chile, Columbia, Portugal and the Czech Republic, while Argentina is yet to reveal what number of aircraft it is interested in. South Africa is also reported to have expressed interest, and Embraer foresees a potential market for as many as 700 KC-390s over the type’s production life.

First Global Hawks arrive at Guam The first of three Northrop Grumman RQ-4B Block 30 Global Hawk UASs have arrived at Andersen AFB on the western Pacific island of Guam in the lead up to being declared operational early next year.

The Block 30 is the USAF’s signals intelligence (SIGINT) version of the Global Hawk and is tasked to conduct electronic reconnaissance missions around foreign borders and naval fleets in the region.

“The minute that sensor package gets checked out and it’s turned over, there will probably not be a minute that that system is not being utilised for something in this (area),” said Lt Gen Herbert Carlisle, commander of the USAF’s 13th Air Force. “And… on a single flight it will be doing many, many different things. ” The US Navy also plans to base its MQ-4C version of the Global Hawk on Guam, providing it with a high altitude, continuous radar and electro optical/infra red reconnaissance capability in the region.

“It’s entirely possible that the Navy and the Air Force will bed those down together because they’re complimentary,” Carlisle added.

Eurofighters grounded for ejection seat fix The entire fleet of Eurofighters in service with the UK, Germany, Italy, Spain, Austria and Saudi Arabia have been grounded to accommodate a fix to the fighter’s ejection seat.

The grounding follows an accident in Spain in August which resulted in the death of a Saudi pilot whose parachute reportedly separated from his seat after he ejected during a training flight.

The UK’s Falklands-based Eurofighter Typhoons and its Quick Reaction Alert (QRA) aircraft based at RAF Coningsby near Lincoln have been cleared for emergency operational flights if required, and have been given priority for the fix to the seat.

US approves F-15SE export to Korea The US government has approved the export of the F-15SE Silent Eagle to Korea as Boeing ramps up its bid to sell the aircraft for that country’s F-X III requirement.

The F-X III outlines a requirement of up to 60 ‘stealth’ fighters. The F-15SE has been modified with internal weapons bays in the front of the conformal fuel tanks, canted vertical stabilisers and extensive low observable coatings and detailing in the forward sector to meet a near fifth generation like requirement, but will probably be pitched against the F-35 JSF.

The Korea Times reports Boeing had requested an export licence for the F-15SE last year, and that it was approved in a two-staged process in July and August.

Korea already operates 40 F-15K Eagles, an enhanced development of the F-15E Strike Eagle acquired under F-X I, and has another 20 on order which were purchased under F-X II.

USAF retires T-43 The USAF has officially retired the last of its Boeing 737-200 based T-43 ‘Gator’ jet trainers at a ceremony at Randolph AFB in Texas on September 17.

The T-43 was primarily used to conduct the combat systems officer curriculum with the 562nd and 563rd Flying Training Squadrons, but will be replaced by a mix of simulators, T-6A Texan IIs, and T-1A Jayhawk (Beechjet 400) trainers.

Production Parts starts on JSF engine components Australian company Production Parts has launched a new contract with Pratt & Whitney to manufacture key components for the F135 engine which powers the F-35 JSF.

The new production agreement was launched at a ceremony attended by Victorian Deputy Premier Rob Hulls. The agreement will see Production Parts produce the high compressor case for the F135.

“Production Parts has been producing engine components for Pratt & Whitney from the start of the F135 program, and continues to demonstrate its ability to deliver quality components, on time, to meet the needs of our customers,” Stacey Himler, F135 international program manager at Pratt & Whitney, said at the launch ceremony.

Production Parts specialises in CNC machining and a range of engineering, repair, maintenance and overhaul services for the aviation and defence industries. It also recently won a contract from Boeing to supply rudder pedal kits for the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet.

French navy takes second NH90 Caiman The French navy took delivery of its second NH90 maritime helicopter, named Caiman after the South American crocodile, on September 7, with the combat configured helicopter landing at the Hyres air base for trials.

The Caiman is planned to enter service in the autumn of 2011, with the type to be stationed at the Lanvenoc air base in Brittany. The Aeronautique Navale will take a total of 27 Caimans by 2021 to replace Super Frelon and Lynx helicopters in anti-submarine and anti-ship warfare, tactical transport and SAR roles.

The Caiman is a variant of the NATO Frigate Helicopter variant (NH90 NFH) which is being pitched to the Australian Defence Force to replace the Navy’s fleet of Seahawk helicopters under Air 9000 Phase 8.

EADS unveils new identity, new defence sector name

EADS has marked its 10th anniversary with the unveiling of a new brand identity, while its Defence & Security unit has been renamed as Cassidian.

“This brand renovation embodies exactly the spirit of Vision 2020, our strategy for EADS’s next 10 years: reinforce each of the four divisions, give them the visibility they need to market their business, and at the same time materialise the strength and unity of the group,” said Louis Gallois, CEO of EADS.

The EADS Group identity will be retained as a common identity across the four divisions of the group – Airbus, Eurocopter, Astrium and Cassidian. The new branding is being implemented across the organisation over the coming weeks.

FSTA A330 makes first flight Airbus Military has announced that the first A330 MRTT Future Strategic Tanker Aircraft (FSTA) for the Royal Air Force has made its first flight since being converted to tanker configuration.

The flight took place from Getafe, near Madrid, on September 16 and lasted for nearly two hours. The crew reported that the aircraft, its systems, and two Rolls-Royce Trent 700 engines performed satisfactorily. No refuelling activity was undertaken during the flight.

“After this major conversion of the aircraft to a MRTT, it was very satisfying to find everything working so well,” said chief pilot FSTA Tim Butler. “This first flight of a second version of the A330 MRTT confirms the handling qualities and maturity of the aircraft. ” The flight marks the beginning of a test campaign that will lead to first delivery to the RAF towards the end of 2011. Initial operating capability is expected in 2014.

ADF charter contract referred to AFP The Defence Department has called in the Australian Federal Police to investigate the awarding of a contract in 2005 for air charter services to the Middle East following media reports of misconduct between members of the ADF and the winner of the contract, Strategic Aviation Group.

The referral to the AFP came after The Age newspaper published allegations that Strategic received inside information from serving ADF personnel to win the contract for air support services to the Middle East Area of Operations in 2005. The two Army personnel, David Charlton and John Davies, were later employed in senior management positions by Strategic.

“Defence has assessed these allegations and determined that, if proven, they give rise to a range of potential criminal offences. In accordance with the Commonwealth Fraud Control Guidelines, Defence referred these allegations to the Australian Federal Police late last week,” Defence said in a statement, adding that it would not comment further in light of the AFP investigation.

The allegations of insider dealing emerged after Strategic claimed that rival firm Adagold Aviation had used inside knowledge to win a new tender for the contract earlier this year. Defence is continuing an investigation into the tender process, and it currently remains incomplete.

AIRLINES

Canberra Airport backs Air NZ-Virgin alliance Canberra Airport has made a submission to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) calling for it to reconsider its draft ruling which would block the proposed trans-Tasman alliance between Virgin Blue and Air New Zealand.

In a letter dated September 24 the airport’s managing director Stephen Byron argues that the proposed alliance would not lessen competition, but instead would open up enhanced air services for passengers travelling between Australia and New Zealand. The letter also notes that Canberra Airport believes that the alliance would help to stimulate traffic and ultimately support increased tourism in Australia, which it says would “appear to outweigh any public detriment that may result from the proposed alliance being authorised. ” The submission also noted that with Virgin Blue’s threat to pull out of trans-Tasman services could threaten Canberra’s chances of attracting nonstop services to New Zealand. International services have long been a priority for the airport, particularly from 2012 when the second stage of its terminal redevelopment is completed.

Virgin system back on line Virgin Blue has completed the return to its primary check-in and reservations system, with the carrier forced to cancel only 16 flights.

The airline’s online and telephone reservations systems were restored on October 6 at 1530 AEST, while its web check, self check-in and Check-mate are in the process of resuming. The two systems were taken offline during the morning of October 5 to restore the primary New Skies reservations system after it experienced a major fault on September 26. Unlike that incident, the latest shutdown only saw 16 flights cancelled, with most passengers reaccommodated on other flights on the same day.

AirAsia X steps up fight for Sydney access

AirAsia X has painted its newest A330-300 with a message to Malaysian authorities to allow it rights to fly to Sydney.

Named Southern Xross, the aircraft has been painted with the ‘Liberate Sydney. End the monopoly’ message and also features a silhouette of the Sydney Opera House. The Malaysia based carrier has been denied permission to fly from Sydney by the Malaysian government, despite receiving the green light from Australian authorities, which it says has been to protect Malaysia Airlines from further competition on the route.

“There is an immense demand for capacity on that route but the only thing holding us back from launching direct services is government approval from Malaysia,” AirAsia X CEO Azran Osman-Rani said.

“We hope this paint job comes through loud and clear because we will keep fighting the good fight until we get the go-ahead to fly to Sydney. ” AirAsia X currently flies to Melbourne, the Gold Coast, and Perth to Kuala Lumpur.

SIA to offer inflight connectivity

Singapore Airlines has announced that it will offer inflight internet access through WiFi from next year through a new collaboration with connectivity provider OnAir.

The new partnership will see OnAir’s connectivity equipment progressively rolled out across SIA’s A380, A340-500 and Boeing 777-300ERs from the first half of 2011. This will allow customers with a compatible GSM phone or WiFi device to access the internet, SMS and email while in cruise. SIA will also review whether to offer voice calling prior to the service’s launch.

“The environment that our customers have gotten used to on the ground can soon be replicated in the air, when they fly with Singapore Airlines on aircraft fitted with this new connectivity platform,” said SIA’s senior VP products and services, Yap Kim Wah. “Travelling on business or pleasure, they are just a click or an SMS away, with access to live information, social networking and news updates, as well as inflight shopping. ” SIA joins Emirates as the second long haul carrier in the Asia Pacific region to commit to rolling out the OnAir system across its long haul fleet. V Australia is also understood to be looking at offering similar services using Panasonic technology, which has now received regulatory clearance from the Australian Communications and Media Authority.

Virgin files for Etihad codeshare rights Having received interim authorisation for its alliance with Etihad Airways, Virgin Blue has lodged a number of applications with the International Air Services Commission (IASC) seeking to allow the two airlines to implement codeshares on each others’ services.

The IASC has received an application from V Australia seeking authority to allow it to codeshare on Etihad services to Abu Dhabi, Thailand, France, Greece and Bangladesh. Specifically, it seeks an allocation of daily frequencies to Bangkok, 150 seats daily to Paris, 800 seats weekly to Athens and five weekly frequencies to Bangladesh. The airline says that it expects to fully utilise the requested capacity by April 1 2011.

In addition, Pacific Blue has lodged an application seeking permission for Etihad to place its code on certain flights between Australia and Christchurch and Auckland.

Under the alliance arrangement, V Australia is planning to start three times weekly services on the Sydney-Abu Dhabi route from February 24 next year, with Brisbane-Abu Dhabi services to start the following year, with Etihad placing its code on the services. V Australia has already started taking codeshare bookings on Etihad’s services between Australia and Abu Dhabi.

Qantas to buy Network Aviation?

Qantas is reportedly in final negotiations to buy out WA charter carrier Network Aviation to gain greater access to the resource charter market.

According to the Australian Financial Review, Network’s board met last week to consider the $30 million plus takeover offer. The newspaper did not name a source, but claims that at that price that it would be equal to approximately six times the company’s earnings before interest and tax for 2010. Qantas has yet to confirm the negotiations or rumoured price, and is not expected to do so until a firm agreement has been reached.

Network operates a fleet of nine aircraft including three Fokker 100 jets which operate solely on contract charter services. Australian Aviation understands that it is majority owned by the family of managing director Lindsay Evans.

If confirmed, the acquisition would give Qantas a greater foothold in the WA resource charter market which has been dominated in recent years by Skywest, Alliance Airlines and Cobham Aviation Services. It could also form a part of Qantas’s bid to operate RPT turboprop intrastate services under the new aviation framework put forward by the WA state government in previous months.

Jetstar to add more Hobart flights Jetstar has announced that it will increase capacity on services from Melbourne and Sydney to Hobart from December by over 30 per cent.

The airline will add a daily frequency to its Sydney-Hobart and Melbourne-Hobart services from December 6, taking it to three and five times daily respectively. The new services will put an additional 128,000 seats to the Tasmanian capital over the holiday season.

“With the introduction of these new services we will now offer more than 1. 6 million seats to and from Tasmania each year, representing our most significant capacity increase here since launching in 2004,” said Jetstar group CEO Bruce Buchanan.

The increased frequencies to Hobart comes after Jetstar announced in July that it will add significant capacity to Launceston from December 2. The announcement also came after Tiger Airways suspended its services there in early August.

Pionair wins PNG cargo rights

The International Air Services Commission (IASC) has issued an interim determination which will allow Pionair to operate two weekly cargo services from Brisbane and Cairns to Port Moresby and other destinations in Papua New Guinea.

The carrier has been granted a cargo capacity allocation of 12 tonnes per week on the Papua New Guinea route for a period of three years, with the capacity to be utilised by no later than March 2011. The capacity will allow it to operate twice weekly utilising a Convair 580 Freighter, an aircraft it has utilised on a number of charter flights to PNG before.

HeavyLift Cargo Airlines and Pacific Air Express are the only other carriers to operate scheduled freighter services between Australia and PNG, although HeavyLift has not operated flights for some time. The market for air freight between the two countries is expected to grow strongly in coming years due to a number of growing resource projects in PNG.

Virgin Blue to freeze online check-in Virgin Blue has announced that it will shut its web and kiosk check-in services from October 5-7 as the airline transitions to its primary check-in system following a hardware failure during the previous week.

Virgin CEO John Borghetti said in a statement that the initial problem which caused chaos at airports around the country on September 26 has been identified and resolved and that it will revert to its primary operating system by the morning of October 6. This will result in the airline having to shut down its web, kiosk and Check mate check in services, therefore requiring all passengers to use counters to complete check in from 8pm AEDST on October 5 until 5am on October 7. The airline’s online and phone reservations systems will also be taken offline from 9pm AEST on October 5.

The failure of the airline’s New Skies reservations system on September 26 was traced back to the failure of a solid state disk device, and forced the airline to switch to manual processing of passengers until it was restored the following day. That led to thousands of passengers experiencing flight delays or cancellations.

Strategic wins in Indonesia rights stoush

Strategic Airlines looks set to significantly increase its services to Bali after it was granted the lions’ share of available capacity on the Indonesia route following a competition with Qantas and Pacific Blue for new capacity which became available earlier this year.

In three draft determinations issued on September 29, the International Air Services Commission (IASC) proposed to award Strategic 1514 seats on the Indonesia route against its original request for 1716 seats, while the Virgin Blue Group was awarded 1260 seats out of its original request of 2340 seats. Qantas, which had requested 3898 seats to allow Jetstar to expand its services to Denpasar and Jakarta, was allocated 1126 seats. Qantas was also awarded two weekly frequencies and 369 seats of capacity beyond Indonesia.

According to the draft determination, Strategic intends to use the capacity to raise its existing Perth-Denpasar services from three times a week to daily, as well as to operate three times weekly services from Melbourne and Brisbane using 156 seat Airbus A320s. Virgin Blue has indicated that it will use its allocation to add three weekly services from Melbourne and Sydney to Denpasar as well as an addition four weekly services from Perth. Qantas’s allocation will allow Jetstar to add six weekly services to Indonesia, which are expected to include three additional flights from Perth and one additional service from Sydney to Denpasar as well as two Perth-Jakarta services, which are expected to carry on to Singapore.

With the determination currently still in draft form, the IASC has opened for submissions to be made by October 13. If no intentions to lodge submissions on the matter are received by October 6, the IASC may proceed to finalise the arrangements.

747-8 program slips to 2011 Boeing has confirmed the planned delivery of the first 747-8 Freighter has slipped from the last quarter of this year to mid 2011.

After hinting at July’s Farnborough Airshow there may be a slip into 2011, Boeing announced the “schedule change” on September 30, attributing it to “recent flight-test discoveries” which include a low-frequency vibration in flight and an “underperforming” aileron actuator. The delay follows two previous schedule adjustments to the program due to technical and supplier issues.

“We understand the issues encountered in flight test and are working through the solutions,” Boeing Commercial Airplanes’ vice president and general manager, Airplane Programs, Pat Shanahan said in a statement. “We recognise our customers are eager to add the 747-8 Freighter to their fleets, and we understand and regret any impact this schedule change may have on their plans to begin service with the airplane. With that said, the 747-8 Freighter is demonstrating the capabilities our customers need to be successful and we are confident in the value it will bring them upon certification and delivery next year. ” In an effort to meet the new schedule, a fifth 747-8F will be added to the flight test fleet which is based at Moses lake in western Washington state and at Victorville in southern California.

Strategic applies for Thailand rights Strategic Airlines has lodged an application with the International Air Services Commission (IASC) to allow it to start up to six services per week to Thailand.

The application seeks the equivalent of 4. 2 Boeing 747 capacity units on the Thailand route, which would allow it to launch six weekly services with its 274 seat Airbus A330-200. The airline is seeking a five year allocation to allow it to launch services in February 2011, with the capacity to be fully utilised by December 2011.

The request for capacity on the Thailand route comes weeks after Virgin Blue has indicated that its V Australia’s Boeing 777-300ER services from Brisbane and Melbourne to Phuket will cease from February next year. There has been no indication which city in Thailand Strategic intends to serve, but the timing would seem to suggest that it may aim to serve the Phuket market given the timing of the proposed start and the withdrawal of the V Australia’s services there.

Strategic currently operates services from Perth and Port Hedland to Denpasar, while it will start flights from Townsville on December 3. The airline is also currently involved in a three-way competition for more capacity to Indonesia with Pacific Blue and Qantas, which the IASC is expected to rule on in coming weeks.

IT issues hit Virgin again Virgin Blue has experienced another computer issue which has led the delays of some flights, although the airline has not been forced to cancel any services.

According to various media reports, the airline’s New Skies check-in system experienced a “slowdown” on the morning of September 29 which forced airport agents to switch to manual check in and boarding procedures for a small period. Virgin Blue later issued a statement saying that the systems had been restored and that there were no cancellations, with passengers holding a reservation advised to proceed to the airport as normal. By the afternoon, the airline acknowledged on its website that there were still some delays but all flights were running.

The slowdown comes only days after the airline experienced a major outage of its computer reservations system after a hardware failure on September 26 which resulted in significant delays and flight cancellations across the country.

Reports out this morning have confirmed that Jetstar and other carriers, including Irish budget airline Ryanair, have also experienced outages with the Navitaire New Skies system, although none as severe as that experienced by Virgin Blue over the weekend. Virgin Blue implemented New Skies earlier this year, replacing the Open Skies system which was also run by Navitaire.

Computer glitch causes Virgin chaos A hardware problem with the NewSkies computer reservations system of Virgin Blue on September 26 has caused chaos at airports around the nation as many flights were delayed and cancelled as the airline struggled to cope with having to manually process passengers.

According to a statement issued by Virgin Blue in the late afternoon on September 27, the outage was caused by the failure of a solid state disk server infrastructure. Initial attempts to fix the failure “proved less than fruitful and also contributed to the delay in initiating a cutover to a contingency hardware platform,” the airline said. However, as of 0500 on September 28 the system was once again operational.

The failure of the system and the inability to cut over to a backup computer system led to chaos at a number of airports as check in staff were forced to manually process passengers. That led to a number of flights suffering delays or cancellations, with the airline forced to accommodate some passengers and reimburse the expenses of many. Virgin Blue is also expected to take action against Navitaire, the provider of the NewSkies system, which it says failed to meet its service requirements.

As of the morning of September 28, Virgin Blue said that there were no further cancellations and that queues at airports had subsided.

Airnorth ups Dili flights Airnorth has announced that it will operate an additional two services per week on the Darwin-Dili route from October 4.

The new Wednesday and Thursday services will mean that Airnorth will operate twice daily services between Darwin and Dili between Mondays and Thursdays and daily services on Fridays and Saturdays. All services are operated with 76-seat Embraer E-170 jets.

“The new flights add more than 300 additional seats per week on this sector, benefitting both business and leisure passengers,” Airnorth CEO Simone Saunders said.

Virgin Blue, Etihad get clearance for alliance

Virgin Blue and Etihad Airways have received interim authorisation from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) for their alliance.

The interim authorisation will now allow the two airlines to start selling joint fares on each others’ networks from October 1. The two carriers will integrate the Etihad Guest and Velocity programs, with members able to earn and spend points on both carriers from the same date.

“This is an important milestone as we create a global international network, greater competition on the international landscape and benefit our guests with great value fares, better scheduling and more choice,” said Virgin Blue CEO John Borghetti.

The two carriers are awaiting full authorisation before V Australia will commence three times weekly services from Sydney to Abu Dhabi, while it is also planning to start Brisbane-Abu Dhabi services from February 2012.

The granting of interim authorisation is a significant achievement for Virgin Blue, which is currently trying to overturn interim decisions which would block its other proposed alliances with Delta Air Lines and Air New Zealand. The alliances are a key part of Borghetti’s “go forward” strategy for Virgin Blue which will also see it place a greater emphasis on the lucrative corporate market.

Joyce not interested in BA merger

Qantas CEO Alan Joyce has said that the airline is not interested in a possible merger with British Airways, with the company now focused on pursuing organic growth opportunities in Asia instead.

“Been there, done that,” Joyce remarked when recently asked by a reporter about comments from BA CEO Willie Walsh that the airline was interested in reopening merger talks with Qantas if it were open to it. In 2008 Qantas and BA held merger talks which ultimately foundered on disagreements over the valuations of the two airlines.

Joyce added that Qantas was “more focused on the Asia market and organic growth there”, where it is expected that it will focus on growing Jetstar’s operations from Singapore and Vietnam, as well as other potential bases over the next few years.

Pilot error, frozen sensors behind Air NZ A320 crash The final report by the French Bureau d’Enquetes et d’Analyses (BEA) has confirmed that icing in angle of attack sensors and pilot error were the main contributing factors to the fatal crash of an Air New Zealand Airbus A320 off the coast of France in November 2008.

The aircraft crashed while involved in an end of lease test flight shortly before the aircraft was to be handed back to Air New Zealand from German carrier XL Airways. Two XL Airways pilots, two Air New Zealand staff and one inspector from the New Zealand Civil Aviation Authority were killed when the aircraft plunged into the Mediterranean Sea while on approach to land at Perignon.

The BEA report says that icing in an angle of attack sensor on the A320 was likely to have been caused during a cleaning of the aircraft where incorrect procedures resulted in water entering the probe. As a result, the aircraft’s protection systems could not be triggered as the pilots of the aircraft undertook a low speed test of the protection system.

The report also noted that the aircraft should not have been at such a low altitude (around 3000ft) while conducting the test flight, which gave the pilots little margin to recover from a stall. The two XL Airways pilots flying the aircraft at the time had no experience in test flying, while confused communications between the two pilots and an Air New Zealand pilot overseeing the test flight also made the flight more difficult.

In its safety recommendations, the BEA recommended greater regulations to cover non-revenue flights and that EASA also “require non-revenue flights be described precisely in the approved parts of the operations manual, this description specifically determining their preparation, program and operational framework as well as the qualifications and training of crews. ”

Air Nz Blues With Accc

Air New Zealand CEO Rob Fyfe welcomed the findings of the report and the call for greater regulation of non-revenue flights, saying that it would “ultimately further improve safety in one of the most cautious and risk-adverse industries in the world. ” “Check flights are completed every day by airlines across the globe but as highlighted in the report there is no regulated standard,” he added. “We have been operating to the manufacturer’s standard, in accordance with industry practice and with approval of our own NZ CAA, but clearly a regulatory framework to create consistency and further minimise the opportunity for a tragedy like this to happen is needed. ”

All Black airline blues with ACCC Air New Zealand CEO Rob Fyfe has used a speech to the National Aviation Press Club in Sydney on September 22 to blast the ACCC’s preliminary decision to oppose its planned trans Tasman alliance with Virgin Blue, labelling the decision as a “threat to our future”, saying that blocking the deal in fact would reduce competition, and see his airline reduce capacity on the market.

“According to its website, the ACCC’s purpose is to promote competition and fair trade in the marketplace to benefit consumers, business and the community,” Fyfe related. “ I don’t know about you, but I find that statement pretty hard to reconcile with the preliminary decision, that I believe puts at risk competition within Australia and across the Tasman. ” Blocking the deal, Fyfe said, would lead to “marginalising” Air New Zealand and Virgin Blue on the trans Tasman. He said approval of the deal would allow the two airlines to provide a “competitive counterbalance” to the Qantas Group’s “increasing Australasian dominance”.

The Air New Zealand boss said his airline had “lost more money more years than its made profits” on the Tasman in recent years, noting fares had been static for much of the past decade, despite fuel prices tripling and airport fees doubling.

Fyfe also used the opportunity of the speech to launch a special ‘All Black’ livery which will be featured on the first of 14 new Airbus A320s due to be handed over to the airline in January, in time for the 2011 Rugby World Cup, which is being hosted by New Zealand.

“Air New Zealand is crazy about rugby and from February this distinctive new plane will be operating on our main domestic New Zealand routes,” said Fyfe.

AirAsia X to fly to Tokyo AirAsia X has announced that it will launch three times weekly services from Kuala Lumpur to Tokyo’s Haneda Airport from December 9. The route will be operated by its newly reconfigured Airbus A330-300s.

Discount fares lower in September The Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics’ (BITRE) latest air fare index report shows that discount and restricted economy fares during September were lower than the same time last year, while business class airfares increased slightly.

The Best Discount index came in at 67. 9 compared to 78. 5 for September 2009, while the Restricted Economy index was also down from 95. 1 to 92. 9. The Full Economy index rose from 90. 0 to 92. 8 while the Business index increased to 97. 7 from 94. 3.

The index seems to indicate that the low cost carriers in particular are continuing to discount their fares to stimulate traffic, which has in recent months continued to grow strongly. It is expected that the indexes may stabilise in coming months as the airlines move to recover yield heading into the busy summer season.

Qantas leads on time performance Qantas had the highest on time departure rate during August, according to the latest on time performance report from the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE).

Qantas had an on time departure rate of 86. 5 per cent for the month, followed by Jetstar (82. 4 per cent), Virgin Blue (81. 7 per cent) and Tiger Airways (72. 6 per cent). The regional airlines were led by Regional Express at 87. 4 per cent, followed by Skywest (86. 0 per cent) and QantasLink (80. 8 per cent).

For the month, QantasLink recorded the highest rate of cancellations at 2. 1 per cent, followed by Virgin Blue (1. 4 per cent), Qantas (1. 1 per cent), Tiger Airways (one per cent), Jetstar (0. 2 per cent) and Regional Express (0. 1 per cent). Skywest recorded no cancellations on its scheduled services over the month.

Domestic travel still on the rise The number of domestic passengers and capacity continued to rise sharply in July according to the Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics’ (BITRE) latest Domestic Airline Activity report.

The report shows that during July the number of domestic passengers increased by 8. 3 per cent compared to the same time last year, while revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) rose by the same amount. Capacity increased by 8. 8 per cent, resulting in a slight fall in load factor from 80. 7 per cent to 80. 3 per cent. The report also noted that seat utilisation decreased on 28 of the 52 routes for which data was provided, with the Melbourne-Sunshine Coast route recording the biggest fall in load factor, from 90. 4 to 76. 2 per cent.

The report also showed that the Gold Coast-Newcastle route had the greatest percentage increase in traffic on July 2009, with passenger numbers up 39. 4 per cent. This was followed by Cairns-Melbourne (up 22. 0 per cent), Adelaide-Brisbane (up 21. 8 per cent), Sunshine Coast-Sydney (up 21. 4 per cent) and Gold Coast-Melbourne (up 21. 2 per cent).

The biggest decrease was felt on the Adelaide-Canberra route, which was down 20. 7 per cent. Adelaide-Perth (down 8. 7 per cent), Launceston-Sydney (down 6. 4 per cent), Ballina-Sydney (down 6. 3 per cent) and Darwin-Perth (down 6. 0 per cent) also recorded significant falls.

Virgin, Etihad hit back at Qantas opposition Virgin Blue and Etihad have hit back at Qantas’s opposition to their alliance plans, claiming that the carrier has been “self-serving” in its complaints.

Through a Sydney based law firm, the two airlines made a submission to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) addressing a number of the concerns that Qantas has raised to the two airlines seeking interim authorisation for their alliance. In particular, the four page submission claims that if Qantas’s arguments were adopted to block the alliance that it would have a detrimental effect on competition.

“If Qantas’s position was to be adopted, it would simply have the self-serving result of delaying a pro-competitive initiative in which Virgin Blue, through V Australia, and Etihad Airways will provide increased competition to Qantas. Delaying the alliance would be to the detriment of passengers,” the submission read.

In addition, it also noted that there were a number of conflicts between Qantas’s assertions that interim authorisation should not be granted and its own application for interim authorisation for a previous alliance with Orangestar Holdings, the previous holding company of Jetstar Asia and Valuair.

Virgin Blue has requested that its Etihad alliance be granted interim authorisation to allow the two airlines to begin jointly marketing services to and beyond Abu Dhabi as soon as possible. Under current plans, V Australia will commence services from February next year on the Sydney-Abu Dhabi route in partnership with Etihad while the two carriers will begin extensive codesharing arrangements across their networks.

Qantas A330 plunge passengers sue Airbus

A class-action lawsuit against Airbus and Northrop Grumman has been filed in the US by attorneys acting on behalf of passengers and crew injured in a serious incident involving a Qantas Airbus A330-300 in 2008.

The lawsuit is being led by a US law firm following contact from Australian law firms which will represent passengers and crew injured when A330 VH-QPA plunged over 1000ft in two uncommanded dives while on a flight from Singapore to Perth on October 7 2008, forcing the crew to make a mayday call and an emergency landing at Learmonth. The latest interim report from the ATSB suggests that the uncommanded dives may have been caused by erroneous data inputs from a faulty air data inertial reference unit (ADIRU), which was manufactured by Northrop Grumman.

Airbus has already moved an application to have the case heard in Australia rather than the US, with some commentators noting that Australian laws would not allow people to claim the same level of compensation as in the US. Currently, it appears that the trial will be heard in the US.

United, Continental shareholders agree to merger

The merger between United and Continental Airlines will close on October 1 after shareholders of both companies approved the all-stock merger of the two airlines.

Up to 98 per cent of shareholders in Continental and United parent company UAL Corporation gave their approval for the merger at separate extraordinary meetings on September 17, clearing the way for the US$3. 17bn (A$3. 38bn) merger to go ahead.

“We would have a company that would be an investable company, a leading company and we’ve created what has every opportunity by almost every imaginable measure to be the best company in the industry,” UAL chief executive Glenn Tilton said.

The merged airline will bear the United name and the Continental livery, with Continental CEO Jeff Smisek taking on the role of CEO. Tilton will become the non-executive chairman of the company.

Tiger takes off to Cairns Tiger Airways Australia commenced services on the Melbourne-Cairns route on September 16. The carrier is currently operating daily return services on the route, providing an additional 130,000 seats per annum between Melbourne and North Queensland.

ACCC blocks price increases at Sydney Airport

The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has blocked plans by Sydney Airport to raise terminal and parking charges for intra New South Wales air services which utilise Terminal 2.

“Although Sydney Airport’s charges for regional airlines have not increased since 2001, there has been strong growth in demand, particularly in the number of passengers. This has had the effect of increasing Sydney Airport’s revenues,” ACCC chairman Graeme Samuel said. “Sydney Airport has not satisfied the ACCC that the costs of providing services to regional airlines have increased to the extent that a price increase is required.

Sydney Airport had been seeking to increase regional aeronautical fees by 2. 9 per cent, which it says amounted to an increase of 22-23 cents per passenger excluding GST. “The failure of the regulatory system to deliver a fee increase after 10 years is disappointing and difficult to comprehend, particularly given that the increase sought was so far below the CPI,” said CEO Russell Balding.

The ACCC decision was welcomed by Transport Minister Anthony Albanese, as well as Regional Express.

“Without this necessary protection, Rex would see itself faced with an annual increase of $3. 2m which would certainly mean the closure of half a dozen marginal regional routes and eventually see regional carriers displaced to Bankstown,” Rex’s general manager of network strategy Warrick Lodge said.

Xenophon seeks Senate inquiry on aviation training South Australian independent Senator Nick Xenophon is planning to move for a Senate inquiry into pilot training standards, he announced in a speech to the Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA) recently.

In particular, Senator Xenophon expressed concern about the low levels of experience that commercial pilots are permitted to have. “It amazed me that the current minimum mandated requirement for flight hours before a pilot can gain their commercial licence is just 200 hours … and I suspect most Australians would have the same reaction I did,” he said, adding that “200 hours is not much more than what a teenage driver requires to get their P-plates in some states. ” He also criticised Jetstar over its failure to initially report an incident that occurred in July 2007 when one of the airline’s A320s descended to within 38ft of the ground with its landing gear retracted after the pilots had elected to initiate a go-around, which was later traced to inadequate training on procedures for go-arounds.

In light of that, the Senator noted that he would move for an inquiry into aviation training and standards in Australia when the Senate resumes sitting in the coming weeks. He added that he will also push for an overhaul of the Transport Safety Investigation Act to change reporting protocols so that pilots’ incident reports are not mishandled within airlines.

Strategic may lose French AOC Strategic Airlines’ French subsidiary is fighting action by the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to revoke its air operator’s certificate following incidents earlier this year.

The airline’s French operations involve two Airbus A320s and are overseen by the CEO of the Australian operation, David Blake. The airline became imbroiled in controversy in July after a flight to Tenerife was grounded due to a hydraulic leak while a replacement flight was also grounded by a cracked windshield. French magazine Le Point reports that the mishandling of passengers from these delays has prompted the DGAC to not renew the airline’s AOC.

In The Age newspaper, Blake said that neither the European nor Australian operations had any safety incidents and that the company was contesting the decision by the DGAC and remained in discussion with it. He added that “discussions taking place in Europe have no impact whatsoever on the Australian business,” which operates on a CASA issued AOC.

Locally, Strategic flies scheduled services from Perth to Derby and Denpasar and Brisbane to Port Hedland and Denpasar with A320s. It is also planning to start Brisbane-Townsville-Denpasar services from December with A320s.

Jetstar ramps up domestic NZ services

Jetstar will add another 717,000 seats annually to its domestic New Zealand network from early next year as the budget carrier moves into the void which will be left from Pacific Blue’s departure from that market.

The new seats will be provided by two additional A320s which will be deployed in New Zealand from early 2011, and will see Auckland-Christchurch frequencies rise to up to seven services daily, Auckland-Wellington to five times daily and Christchurch-Wellington to twice daily from February 10. In addition, Jetstar will add four weekly Auckland-Queenstown services from December 9.

“Our newly expanded domestic and recently announced trans Tasman growth will offer timely support for New Zealand tourism and regional economies in particular following the recent earthquake in Christchurch and, in advance of the 2011 Rugby World Cup,” said Jetstar Australia/New Zealand CEO David Hall.

Virgin seeks more time to explain Delta alliance Virgin Blue has requested a three week extension from the US Department of Transportation to respond to a tentative decision to disallow its proposed joint venture with Delta Air Lines.

The Australian reports that the airline has requested that the deadline for a response to the decision be extended to October 13, while it is understood that Delta has polled interested parties and that there appears to be no objection to an extension.

Delta and Virgin are expected to widen their arguments that the joint venture will provide greater benefits to the travelling public, an argument that has yet to convince the DOT to grant the two partners antitrust immunity for the proposed joint venture.

Qantas opposes Virgin-Etihad alliance Qantas has lodged an objection to the proposed alliance between Virgin Blue and Etihad Airways with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC), in particular arguing that interim authorisation for it should not be granted.

In a letter to the ACCC, Qantas argues that the proposed alliance should not be granted interim authorisation as passengers would “suffer considerable harm and inconvenience if tickets are booked on a new service during the interim period but final authorisation is ultimately denied. ” It also says that the commercial desire of Virgin and Etihad does not warrant urgent authorisation.

Qantas also noted that the application put forward does not make any mention of price coordination beyond Abu Dhabi to Europe and the UK, with the application currently only seeking permission to do so on routes from Australia to Abu Dhabi. “The consequences of such coordination should be fully analysed before the applicant begin any cooperation,” read the letter.

The opposition from Qantas comes after Virgin Blue received notice last week that authorities in the US were proposing to block its proposed joint venture arrangement with Delta Air Lines and the ACCC announced its intention to block a trans-Tasman alliance with Air New Zealand. Should the Etihad alliance also fail, it would present a major blow for the airline, which had been hoping to build its long haul strategy around feeding alliance hubs in Los Angeles and Abu Dhabi to offer passengers a range of connections throughout the world.

Malaysia Airlines to fly Perth-Kota Kinabalu Malaysia Airlines has announced that it will commence a three times weekly service between Perth and Kota Kinabalu in Malaysia’s Sabah state from January 15. The new flights will be operated by Boeing 737-800s and are part of a strategy to grow Kota Kinabalu as a second hub for the airline.

Branson says Virgin could cut Tasman flights Sir Richard Branson says that Virgin Blue could stop flying across the Tasman unless it gets permission for its proposed alliance with Air New Zealand to proceed.

Branson told Radio National’s Sunday Profile program that the airline was currently losing money on its services to New Zealand, and that by working together with Air New Zealand that the two airlines would be able to compete effectively against Qantas and Jetstar.

“If we can’t have an arrangement like that there is a possibility that we would pull off the trans-Tasman,” he said. “We would potentially put our planes on Australian routes and the end result of all this could be that you have Qantas and Jetstar just dominating the trans-Tasman. ” Virgin Blue and Air New Zealand are now responding to the ACCC’s proposal to deny them permission to form an alliance on trans-Tasman services, with the response expected to focus on the volatile dynamics of the market. If that fails to change the ACCC decision, it is likely that the two airlines could then challenge it through the Australian Competition Tribunal.

Virgin shuffles international rights

The Virgin Blue Group has filed applications with the International Air Services Commission (IASC) seeking to reallocate capacity granted to V Australia on the Fiji route to Pacific Blue, and also to change an allocation on the Indonesia route from Pacific Blue to Virgin Blue.

On the Fiji route, Virgin Blue is seeking to transfer all remaining capacity granted to V Australia to Pacific Blue, with the changeover of carriers to take place between October 19-25. It proposes that the additional capacity would be used by Pacific Blue to increase services between Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney to Nadi.

In addition to the Fiji application, the airline has also made an application to transfer the capacity allocations granted to Pacific Blue on the Indonesia route to Virgin Blue in order to “facilitate revised Group operations between Australia and Indonesia. ” The airline said in its application that it expects to change from Pacific Blue to Virgin Blue operations on the route from the northern winter scheduling period.

Epstein to go to BHP Billiton Qantas’s group executive government and corporate affairs David Epstein will leave the airline in December to take up a position as head of government affairs at BHP Billiton.

Epstein joined Qantas in 2008, and before that was chief of staff for former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

Storrie joins Investec Former Qantas chief financial officer Colin Storrie has been hired by Investec’s Global Aircraft Fund to sit on its investment committee. Storrie left Qantas in March for personal reasons.

Former Qantas executive general manager John Borghetti has also sat on the same investment committee, but stepped down prior to being appointed as CEO of Virgin Blue in May this year.

Virgin name to stay – Branson Sir Richard Branson has vowed that Virgin Blue will retain its ‘Virgin’ identity as the carrier prepares to rebrand some time in the next few months.

“The Virgin name will stay forever,” Branson said at a function to celebrate the airline’s 10th anniversary in Melbourne. “I think Pacific Blue and the other (airlines) they will be rebranded. There’s a whole rebranding exercise which is going to be unveiled, maybe even in a month or so, which looks great. I’ve seen it and I think it’s very, very powerful. ” Both current CEO John Borghetti and former CEO Brett Godfrey had identified a need to unify the three different brands that Virgin Blue’s operations fly under. A number of sources have suggested that rebranding all the operations under the ‘V Australia’ brand is favoured, but given Branson’s comments, it appears more likely that Pacific Blue will come under the V Australia brand, while Virgin Blue’s domestic services may be rebranded as Virgin Australia.

Branson added that it was “very sad” that Virgin Blue’s proposed alliances with Air New Zealand and Delta Air Lines had both been provisionally rejected by competition authorities recently, particularly in light of other clearances given by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission and the US Department of Transport to bigger airline tie-ups, such as the alliance between British Airways and American Airlines, in recent months.

ACCC to deny Virgin-Air NZ tie up The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has issued a draft determination which would block Virgin Blue’s proposed alliance with Air New Zealand on trans-Tasman services.

“The ACCC believes that Virgin Blue is a significant competitor to Air New Zealand and there are a number of trans-Tasman routes where the alliance raises competition concerns,” ACCC chairman Graeme Samuel said in a media statement. “These routes account for around one quarter of passenger traffic in the trans-Tasman market. This means that more than one million passengers per year may be adversely affected by the removal of competition between Virgin Blue and Air New Zealand. ” The ACCC has now invited interested parties to make applications to support the claims of increased public benefit brought by Virgin Blue and Air New Zealand, while the two airlines have indicated that they intend to respond as part of that process.

The draft determination comes only one day after Virgin appeared to suffer another defeat with the US Department of Transportation issuing a notice that it intends not to grant antitrust immunity for its proposed wide-ranging joint venture agreement with Delta Air Lines. Should both applications end up being denied, it would prove a major challenge for Virgin CEO John Borghetti, who appears to be building up a strategy to work with strong alliance partners on its international services.

DOT to block Delta, Virgin Blue joint venture The US Department of Transport has dealt a major blow to the proposed joint venture agreement between Delta Air Lines and Virgin Blue on services to the US, announcing its tentative decision not to grant in antitrust immunity, claiming that it would not be in the best interests of the travelling public.

In an ‘Order to Show Cause’ issued on September 8, the DOT said that the applicants had “not made a strong showing of public benefits” for the granting of antitrust immunity. In particular, it noted that there were barriers to the integration of Delta and Virgin Blue’s services which “at best, will delay the realisation of public benefits, and, at worst, could prevent any substantial benefits from being achieved at all. ” It also noted that given the state of flux on the trans-Pacific market that there would be more public benefit in the two carriers competing than cooperating.

Another factor was the relatively short time that Delta and V Australia had been operating on the trans-Pacific market, while at the time of filing their request they had “just begun to explore a commercial relationship. ” As a tentative decision, both Delta and Virgin Blue now have 14 days to show cause as to why the decision should not stand, with the airlines indicating that they will work closely with the DOT.

“Virgin Blue strongly believes the proposed alliance with Delta will be good for consumers,” the airline said in a statement to the ASX.

Other interested parties may also make submissions, with the DOT to respond within seven days thereafter.

If the decision stands, it will be a major blow to Virgin Blue, which is repositioning V Australia to focus on the key hubs of Los Angeles in partnership with Delta to serve the US market and Abu Dhabi with Etihad to serve Europe and the Middle East. However, the refusal of antitrust immunity would not threaten the two airlines’ codeshare and interline arrangements, and it is expected that in time the two airlines could make another application once market conditions change or the two airlines have enhanced their commercial relationship.

AIRPORTS

Canberra Airport backs Air NZ-Virgin alliance Canberra Airport has made a submission to the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) calling for it to reconsider its draft ruling which would block the proposed trans-Tasman alliance between Virgin Blue and Air New Zealand.

In a letter dated September 24 the airport’s managing director Stephen Byron argues that the proposed alliance would not lessen competition, but instead would open up enhanced air services for passengers travelling between Australia and New Zealand. The letter also notes that Canberra Airport believes that the alliance would help to stimulate traffic and ultimately support increased tourism in Australia, which it says would “appear to outweigh any public detriment that may result from the proposed alliance being authorised. ” The submission also noted that with Virgin Blue’s threat to pull out of trans-Tasman services could threaten Canberra’s chances of attracting nonstop services to New Zealand. International services have long been a priority for the airport, particularly from 2012 when the second stage of its terminal redevelopment is completed.

Brisbane sees increase in passengers Brisbane Airport says that passenger traffic through the airport has bounced back to levels experienced prior to the global financial crisis, with August traffic up 7. 8 per cent.

The increase was driven a strong growth in domestic passengers, which were up 8. 4 per cent while international traffic also recorded a pleasing growth of 5. 7 per cent. The airport says that an increase in passengers from North Asia and New Zealand as well as a strong growth in resident departures from Brisbane. Domestic growth was assisted by a 9. 7 per cent increase in available seats compared to the same time last year.

“There is room for the outbound market to grow further, in light of the continued interstate and international migration to southeast Queensland, and the favourable exchange rates enjoyed as a result of the strong Australian dollar,” said Brisbane Airport spokesperson Rebecca McConchie.

Sydney RESA wins award Sydney Airport’s runway end safety area (RESA) project has won the Infrastructure Projects award at the prestigious Engineers Australia Engineering Excellence Awards.

Construction of the 90x90m cleared and paved safety area at the western end of the east-west runway (07/25) was a significant engineering challenge as it had to be built over a major sewerage line, the M5 East Motorway tunnel, and a major electricity cable. The complex project was led by Sydney Airport and also involved Baulderstone and Aurecon.

“In the air and at our airports, Australia’s aviation safety record is the envy of the world. We want to keep it that way. I congratulate all the staff at Sydney Airport, Baulderstone, Aurecon and the other project groups who were involved in delivering this vital piece of aviation infrastructure on schedule,” said Sydney Airport CEO Russel Balding.

ACCC blocks price increases at Sydney Airport The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has blocked plans by Sydney Airport to raise terminal and parking charges for intra New South Wales air services which utilise Terminal 2.

“Although Sydney Airport’s charges for regional airlines have not increased since 2001, there has been strong growth in demand, particularly in the number of passengers. This has had the effect of increasing Sydney Airport’s revenues,” ACCC chairman Graeme Samuel said. “Sydney Airport has not satisfied the ACCC that the costs of providing services to regional airlines have increased to the extent that a price increase is required.

Sydney Airport had been seeking to increase regional aeronautical fees by 2. 9 per cent, which it says amounted to an increase of 22-23 cents per passenger excluding GST. “The failure of the regulatory system to deliver a fee increase after 10 years is disappointing and difficult to comprehend, particularly given that the increase sought was so far below the CPI,” said CEO Russell Balding.

The ACCC decision was welcomed by Transport Minister Anthony Albanese, as well as Regional Express.

“Without this necessary protection, Rex would see itself faced with an annual increase of $3. 2m which would certainly mean the closure of half a dozen marginal regional routes and eventually see regional carriers displaced to Bankstown,” Rex’s general manager of network strategy Warrick Lodge said.

Godfrey to stand for Auckland Airport board Former Virgin Blue CEO Brett Godfrey has been recruited to stand for election as a director to the board of Auckland Airport at its annual meeting on October 28. The airport is urging shareholders to vote in favour of Godfrey’s appointment. Godfrey is also a director of Canadian carrier WestJet.

QAL airports continue to see growth Queensland Airports Limited has recorded strong increases in traffic at Townsville, Mount Isa and Gold Coast airports during August, aided by increased international traffic and the ongoing recovery in the resources industry.

Mount Isa airport recorded the biggest increase, with passenger numbers up 29. 9 per cent compared to the same time last year. This was followed by the Gold Coast, which recorded a 9. 1 per cent increase in traffic as international traffic increased by 15. 4 per cent while domestic traffic was up 10 per cent. Townsville saw a 6. 8 per cent increase in traffic over the month.

“The strong passenger movements across the board have been underpinned by strong support from our airline partners and all in all this reflects well on the economy and the resulting consumer confidence in Australia,” said QAL managing director Dennis Chant.

“We do, however, recognise that there is still uncertainty in some sectors of the economy and our airports continue to work closely with our communities and our airline partners to facilitate improved usage of the available airline seat capacity,” he added.

GA & BUSINESS

Daher-Socata casts eye over SPn

Daher-Socata has begun an evaluation of the all-composite Grob SPn business jet which could see the business turboprop manufacturer move into the jet market.

The SPn had earned more than 100 orders before one of the prototypes crashed in 2006, killing Grob chief test pilot Gerard Guillaumaud. Although the project continued after that, Grob fell into insolvency in 2008, which ended development of the type and saw all SPn assets transferred to Allied Aviation Technologies.

“Within the framework of current projects, Daher-Socata has signed an exclusive agreement under which it will be evaluating, over a period of several months, the performance and technical characteristics of a twin-engine prototype aircraft built entirely using composites,” the company said in a statement.

According to statements from former Grob Aerospace CEO Niall Olver, the SPn program could have been only two years from certification before it was shut down, with the design of the aircraft close to freezing. It is understood that there are three advanced-stage prototypes which will be involved in the evaluation by Daher-Socata.

Daher-Socata currently produced the TBM 850 business turboprop, while the company is also understood to be looking to develop a twin-turboprop business aircraft to compete against the Hawker Beechcraft King Air line.

Bombardier to launch new Global range Bombardier has announced that it will launch an expanded range of its Global series of business jets at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) convention in Georgia on October 18.

“The Global aircraft family will build upon the existing successful Global 5000 and Global Express XRS jets in the large business aircraft category,” said Steve Ridolfi, president of Bombardier Business Aircraft. “We are focused on introducing aircraft that maximize efficiency while offering ultimate flexibility for our customers. They demand the best the world has to offer and Bombardier Global business aircraft deliver. We look forward to sharing more details about this exciting aircraft family with everyone at our launch event. ” The Global series currently includes the large cabin, long range Global 5000 and the Global Express XRS. It is expected that the new series will include a larger cabin aircraft to compete against the Gulfstream G650, which is expected to enter service in 2012.

Execujet expands in Asia and Australia

Business aviation operator Execujet Asia Pacific has announced that it will separate into two regions to support growth in Asia and Australia.

The split will see Execujet Asia take over responsibility for Execujet’s FBO, maintenance, aircraft management and charter operations in Singapore, Beijing and Kuala Lumpur with the latter to be the regional headquarters. Graeme Duckworth has been appointed as the managing director of Execujet Asia from July 1 2010, while Nick Fourie has been appointed as general manager for Malaysia.

Execujet Australia will continue to function under the management of Darren McGoldrick who was appointed managing director in May.

Eurocopter unveils X3 helicopter hybrid Eurocopter commenced flight tests of its X3 (pronounced, ‘X-cubed’) hybrid helicopter demonstrator on September 6 at the Istres test facility in southern France.

In order to keep development costs down, the X3 is a blend of the AS365 N3 Dauphin fuselage, EC155 main rotor, EC175 gearbox, NH 90 engines, and features the twin fin tail from the EC145 but without the tail rotor. It also features two forward facing five-bladed props mounted on stub wing sponsons on the upper fuselage which are driven by shafts from the main gearbox.

The X3 can change the speed of its main rotor in flight, avoiding drag divergence on the advancing blade and increasing the stall speed of the retreating blade, while also reducing noise. The small stub wings unload the main rotor at speed, thus allowing for the reduced main rotor rpm.

“Innovation is at the core of Eurocopter’s strategy to continue its leadership in the global helicopter sector, and the X3 demonstrator represents a key element of our innovation roadmap,” Lutz Bertling, Eurocopter’s President & CEO said in a statement. “The teams at Eurocopter took this hybrid helicopter from concept to first flight in less than three years, which demonstrates their skills, capabilities and dedication to defining the future of rotary-wing aircraft. ” Initial testing of the X3 will continue until December where the flight envelope will be gradually expanded to speeds of 180kts. In 2011, the aircraft will attempt to achieve sustained speeds on 220kts.

CASA issues warning over locust plague CASA has issued a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) warning them of the potential dangers that recent hatchings plagues in parts of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia pose to aircraft operating at low levels in those regions.

Hatchings of locusts have occurred in central west and far west of NSW, north-west Victoria and the Flinders Range region of South Australia, with CASA advising pilots operating aircraft to regularly check for new hatchings in other regions. The insects, which can be in swarms of up to 50 million and fly at up to 3000ft, pose a risk to pilots’ visibility by masking ground features and impacting on windscreens, while they may also be ingested into engine intakes and pitot tubes, resulting in damage and unreliable readings.

CASA also advises pilots operating aircraft in the affected regions to fit covers to pitot tubes and engine intakes to prevent locust ingestion. It also notes that there may be increased traffic in such areas due to aerial spotting and spraying activity.

25 years since GIV first flight

Gulfstream Aerospace has celebrated the 25th anniversary of the first flight of the large cabin, long range GIV, which took place on September 19 1985.

“The GIV was the aircraft that launched a thousand Gulfstream aircraft,” said Joe Lombardo, president of Gulfstream. “It formed the foundation for designing and building the G300, G400, G350 and G450. The aircraft’s first flight was a milestone and turning point for the company. ” More than 520 of the 536 jets produced in the GIV series are still in operation, despite the aircraft ceasing production in December 2002. The GIV airframe provides the base for the enhanced G450 and G350 which remain in production.

Cessna to lay off 700 workers

Cessna has announced that it will lay off up to 700 employees across its various operations due to the slower than expected pace of the recovery of the general aviation aircraft market.

In a memo to employees, Cessna’s president, chairman and CEO Jack Pelton said that, “the recovery and growth we expected to see throughout the year have not materialised, and the timing of any recovery remains uncertain. This requires additional adjustment to our production schedules, and more than ever, cost is critical to our competitive position. We must continue to lower our cost structure to remain competitive. ” The company has not indicated where it will make the job cuts, but it is expected that most will be at its headquarters in Wichita, Kansas, while a number of cuts are also expected at its production facilities throughout Kansas.

US gets accelerated depreciation for GA

aircraft The US House of Representatives have passed a bill which will grant businesses who buy new general aviation aircraft and components a bonus depreciation tax incentive in a move which is expected to give a major boost to the GA manufacturing industry.

“We are pleased that the House acted so quickly to pass the final version of this important legislation,” said the General Aviation Manufacturers Association’s president and CEO Pete Bunce. “A quick signature from President Obama will allow operators to take advantage of this provision before the end of the year. As a proven stimulus to increase sales, we are optimistic that an extension of bonus depreciation will help re-energise an industry that continues to struggle with slowed production lines and diminished customer demand. ” The bonus depreciation provision allows a business that purchases a general aviation aircraft to deduct the normal depreciation allowance as well as an additional 50 per cent of the depreciable value of the aircraft in the first year after delivery, instead of spreading it out evenly over five years.

Locally, a number of groups have been pushing for similar bonus depreciation policies on new aircraft as a way of encouraging investment in the GA industry and to help address ageing aircraft issues. Many local aircraft dealers reported that the federal government’s ‘investment allowance’ depreciation scheme for businesses brought in during 2009 led to a major increase in interest in new aircraft.

Rathmines Catalina Festival on October 23 The fourth Rathmines Catalina Festival will be held on October 23 to help raise funds to restore and base the Cataling Flying Memorial’s Catalina VH-CAT at Rathmines.

The festival will include entertainers, flypasts and landings from seaplanes, Tiger Moths and other light aircraft as well as an aerobatic display from a Pitts Special. In addition, there will be displays of vintage cars and motorcycles and children’s entertainment. Lake Macquarie City Council (LMCC) has now designated the festival a “Significant Regional Event” and last year it won ‘festival of the year’ for the LMCC area.

The event will run from 10am to 4pm at Rathmines Park, with entry $5 for adults. More details on the festival can be found on the website, www. catalinaflying. org. au.

Ansett to add King Air 350 simulator

Ansett Aviation Training (AAT) will add a FlightSafety full flight King Air 350 simulator to its extensive operations.

The new simulator will be installed at its Melbourne Training Centre during the second half of 2011 and will feature the Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 Integrated Avionics System and will also be available to King Air 200 aircraft operators for differences training. The simulator will be equipped with FlightSafety’s VITAL visual system and electric motion and control loading technology.

“The addition of FlightSafety’s King Air 350 training and simulator supports and strengthens our commitment and ability to provide our customers with the highest quality programs and equipment available” said David Gilmour, managing director of AAT.

AAT is the largest simulator training facility in the southern hemisphere servicing Australian and international airlines providing simulators and training solutions for the A320, BAe 146, 737, Dash 8, EMB-120, Fokker 100, King Air 200, Metro III/23, Saab 340 and A320.

Bell makes first 429 sale in China Bell Helicopter has announced that it has received its first sale of a 429 in China during a sales tour in Zhuhai recently. The 429 has been sold to prominent industrialist Ren Jianjun, who also owns and operates a Bell 206B-3 JetRanger.

Australian Aviation test flew the 429 recently during its Australian sales tour, and is the subject of our Airtest feature in the forthcoming November issue.

Cessna delivers 2000th Caravan Cessna has delivered its 2000th Caravan turboprop to Air St Kitts-Nevis, which will fly it on behalf of DHL.

“This marks not only our 2000th delivery, but it comes in our 25th anniversary year of Caravan production, making this occasion that much more special,” said John Doman, vice president, Cessna Worldwide Propeller Aircraft Sales, on September 15.

The Caravan was certified in 1984, with the first delivery in 1985. Since then the fleet has amassed more than 13 million flight hours.

Aussie Glasair ready to race at Reno A highly modified Glasair III will be carrying Australian hopes when it takes part in the Reno Air Race Championships this month.

The aircraft, known as the Baker Racer, is owned by Ian Baker of Advanced Aero Components of Bankstown. For its racing role, the Glasair III has been given a twin-turbo, six cylinder Lycoming 540 engine, as well as other aerodynamic enhancements which are hoped to see it run at speeds in excess of 330kt and pull over 6Gs at the Air Race. The racer is also expected to attempt to break several world speed and distance records early next year.

The Reno Air Races are being flown between September 15-19 and involves six classes of aircraft as well as an airshow and a large static display.

Bell cuts 407 maintenance costs Bell 407 operators are set to benefit from lower operating costs after the manufacturer made some changes to its Maintenance Manual, which it says will significantly lower its direct operating costs.

The changes have seen Bell  remove 14 items from the life limited section of the manual, and also made an adjustment to the on-condition section. It says that the changes will help to reduce the direct maintenance costs of the helicopter by more than 12 per cent per flight hour.

New aerial for Bell 206 Series Aeronautical Accessories is now offering a new vertical fin antenna mount for the Bell 407, 206B and 206L, which it says has a number of safety benefits.

“By repositioning the antenna out from under the main rotor blades and adding optional anti-collision lights to the aircraft this product provides Bell 407 and 206 operators with a tool that enhances preventative safety measures, reduces the weight of the existing system and helps them more effectively complete their mission,” said Mike Bednar, vice president Aeronautical Accessories.

Other benefits of the vertical fin antenna include improved signal reception, additional area for other antennas and a provision for an anti-collision light to be fitted to the belly of the aircraft.

Terrafugia may start production in 2011

Terrafugia, which is developing the Transition ‘street legal airplane’, is preparing to move into a facility at Woburn, Massachusetts, from which it could commence low rate production of the car/aircraft from late 2011.

“It is exciting to be in the facility where the first Transitions will be built for our customers and to see the production prototypes under construction in that space,” said chief operating officer Anna Mracek Dietrich.

Following strong interest in the Transition since its launch at the 2010 EAA AirVenture at Oshkosh, the company has commenced building two prototype aircraft. One will be used for driving testing, while the second will focus on gaining certification as a Light Sport Aircraft. Experience in building the prototypes will also help to determine the retail price for the Transition, which is expected to be between US$200,000-$300,000 (A$ 216,398-$324,597).

PEOPLE

Air Tahiti Nui announces interim management for Australia Air Tahiti Nui has announced that its regional director New Zealand, Mark Hutchinson, will take interim responsibility for the airline’s commercial activities in Australia following the passing of regional director Australia Craig Lee recently.

Under the interim structure, Hutchinson will manage both regions until a new structure is formalised, with World Aviation Systems continuing to handle the day to day sales activities of Air Tahiti Nui in Australia.

Bredereck leaves Aviation Australia

Brisbane based aviation training centre, Aviation Australia, has a new acting CEO following the sudden departure of founding CEO, Paul Bredereck in late September.

“I wish to inform you that after more than nine years as CEO, Mr Paul Bredereck has left Aviation Australia,” said Aviation Australia chairman Jim Walker in a statement.

“All of us at Aviation Australia are grateful for Paul’s efforts in building Aviation Australia into the world class aviation training institution it is today. ” Former Army officer and DMO Director General of Land Systems, BRIG (ret) Bill Horrocks, is acting in the role pending the appointment of a permanent successor to Bredereck.

Rolls-Royce appoints new CEO Rolls-Royce has announced that CEO Sir John Rose will retire from the company in March 2011, and will be succeeded by John Rishton.

Sir John has been CEO since 1996 after joining the company in 1984. “John has led a transformation in Rolls-Royce which has few parallels,” said company Chairman, Sir Simon Robertson. “As he would be the first to point out this has been a team effort, but it has been his leadership, strategic vision and tenacity which has made this extraordinary achievement possible. ” Rishton is a non executive director of Rolls-Royce and is the CEO of Dutch retail group Royal Ahold.

New chair for Swinburne Aviation Committee Captain Cameron Tribe has been appointed as the new chair of Swinburne University’s Aviation Industry Advisory Committee. Tribe, who is a senior 737 training captain at Virgin Blue and has also held various managerial positions, succeeds former chair Captain Mark Krieger.

The Aviation Industry Advisory Committee helps to ensure the university’s aviation programs are industry relevant and to provide a forum for industry to influence and direct program content. The committee provides advice and recommendations to the university during accreditation of new programs and re-accreditation of existing programs, with its members drawn from various companies both in Australia and abroad.

LAN appoints new airport manager LAN Airlines has announced that Mauricio Hughes has been appointed to the new role of Sydney Airport operations and contract manager. Hughes has been with LAN for five years in roles including process management, passenger systems, and airport management, and in his new role will take responsibility for all aspects of LAN’s Sydney Airport operations.

Godfrey to stand for Auckland Airport board Former Virgin Blue CEO Brett Godfrey has been recruited to stand for election as a director to the board of Auckland Airport at its annual meeting on October 28. The airport is urging shareholders to vote in favour of Godfrey’s appointment. Godfrey is also a director of Canadian carrier WestJet.

Epstein to go to BHP Billiton Qantas’s group executive government and corporate affairs David Epstein will leave the airline in December to take up a position as head of government affairs at BHP Billiton.

Epstein joined Qantas in 2008, and before that was chief of staff for former Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.

Storrie joins Investec Former Qantas chief financial officer Colin Storrie has been hired by Investec’s Global Aircraft Fund to sit on its investment committee. Storrie left Qantas in March for personal reasons.

Former Qantas executive general manager John Borghetti has also sat on the same investment committee, but stepped down prior to being appointed as CEO of Virgin Blue in May this year.

ATC – AIRSPACE

Thales Australia builds ATM R&D centre in Melbourne Thales Australia has started construction of the Centre for Advanced Studies in Air Traffic Management (CASIA) for research and development into air traffic management in Melbourne as part of efforts to place it at the forefront of new technologies in the area.

Chris Jenkins, Thales Australia’s CEO, said CASIA represented the next chapter of ATM in Australia and will also be used by Thales’s partners and other stakeholders to train for and develop new generation ATM systems. “CASIA is the result of long term investment in our ATM business, which has grown from just a few employees 15 years ago to a global centre of excellence employing 400 people in highly skilled jobs,” he said.

The CASIA announcement comes after Thales Australia announced that Taiwan had completed final system acceptance of its advanced ATM system, which will greatly increase the capabilities of its Air Navigation and Weather Service. The Eurocat system was developed in Melbourne and implemented in Taiwan by Thales Australia.

US to deploy ADS-B nationwide by 2013

The US FAA has announced that following the success of its initial trials that it will deploy Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) technology across the country by 2013.

The nationwide rollout of ADS-B will result in all areas currently covered by radar also covered by ADS-B, and will see over 800 ground stations installed. Already more than 300 ground stations have already been commissioned. By 2020 the FAA will mandate the use of ADS-B avionics in all controlled airspace across the US.

The rollout comes after the FAA had been trialling ADS-B in Alaska, the Gulf of Mexico, Louisville and Philadelphia. Locally, Airservices Australia has rolled out a network of ADS-B ground stations giving virtual coverage to nearly all the Australian continent, and carriage and use of ADS-B avionics is expected to be mandated in coming years for all aircraft operating in controlled airspace.

Airservices opens technical traineeship program Airservices Australia has begun recruiting for its technical traineeship program for next year, which will see up to 15 positions offered for students to undertake training to eventually maintain key air navigation equipment around Australia.

Under the program, trainees undertake a two year Diploma of Electronics and Communication Engineering at the Riverina Institute in Wagga Wagga which leads on to a career as a technical officer with Airservices. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and have completed Year 12 to be considered for the program.

The first intake of trainees from the 2009 program will graduate later this year and take up ongoing positions with Airservices.

SUPPORT

Bredereck leaves Aviation Australia Brisbane based aviation training centre, Aviation Australia, has a new acting CEO following the sudden departure of founding CEO, Paul Bredereck in late September.

“I wish to inform you that after more than nine years as CEO, Mr Paul Bredereck has left Aviation Australia,” said Aviation Australia chairman Jim Walker in a statement.

“All of us at Aviation Australia are grateful for Paul’s efforts in building Aviation Australia into the world class aviation training institution it is today. ” Former Army officer and DMO Director General of Land Systems, BRIG (ret) Bill Horrocks, is acting in the role pending the appointment of a permanent successor to Bredereck.

New chair for Swinburne Aviation Committee Captain Cameron Tribe has been appointed as the new chair of Swinburne University’s Aviation Industry Advisory Committee. Tribe, who is a senior 737 training captain at Virgin Blue and has also held various managerial positions, succeeds former chair Captain Mark Krieger.

The Aviation Industry Advisory Committee helps to ensure the university’s aviation programs are industry relevant and to provide a forum for industry to influence and direct program content. The committee provides advice and recommendations to the university during accreditation of new programs and re-accreditation of existing programs, with its members drawn from various companies both in Australia and abroad.

CAE to build A350 sims for Airbus Airbus and CAE have signed a contract to design and build the first A350 full-flight simulators (FFSs) and procedural trainers which will be used to train initial pilots for the forthcoming widebody aircraft.

Under the terms of the contract, CAE will to design and manufacture two CAE 7000 Series FFSs for the Airbus A350 and develop six CAE Simfinity A350 Airbus Procedures Trainers. CAE will also perform a range of upgrades on other Airbus owned flight simulators under a separate contract.

The first FFS for the A350 is scheduled to be delivered in late 2012 to the Airbus Training Centre in Toulouse. It will be initially qualified to interim Level C regulatory standards, which will be updated to Level D after final aircraft flight data is made available. The location of the second A350 XWB FFS installation is to be determined.

Ansett to add King Air 350 simulator Ansett Aviation Training (AAT) will add a FlightSafety full flight King Air 350 simulator to its extensive operations.

The new simulator will be installed at its Melbourne Training Centre during the second half of 2011 and will feature the Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 Integrated Avionics System and will also be available to King Air 200 aircraft operators for differences training. The simulator will be equipped with FlightSafety’s VITAL visual system and electric motion and control loading technology.

“The addition of FlightSafety’s King Air 350 training and simulator supports and strengthens our commitment and ability to provide our customers with the highest quality programs and equipment available” said David Gilmour, managing director of AAT.

AAT is the largest simulator training facility in the southern hemisphere servicing Australian and international airlines providing simulators and training solutions for the A320, BAe 146, 737, Dash 8, EMB-120, Fokker 100, King Air 200, Metro III/23, Saab 340 and A320.

Aviation Australia gets approval for Dash 8 course Aviation Australia has announced that it has received approval to provide Part 147 Equivalent Dash 8 engineering courses by CASA under CAO 100. 66.

The new approval provides engineers the opportunity to pursue Dash 8 Type Training for the 100/200/300 models in both the B1. 1 Turbine Aeroplanes and B2 Avionics categories.

Aviation Australia says that it will publish schedules for the training on its website shortly.

Airservices opens technical traineeship program Airservices Australia has begun recruiting for its technical traineeship program for next year, which will see up to 15 positions offered for students to undertake training to eventually maintain key air navigation equipment around Australia.

Under the program, trainees undertake a two year Diploma of Electronics and Communication Engineering at the Riverina Institute in Wagga Wagga which leads on to a career as a technical officer with Airservices. Applicants must be at least 18 years of age and have completed Year 12 to be considered for the program.

The first intake of trainees from the 2009 program will graduate later this year and take up ongoing positions with Airservices.

One million technical staff needed

for global airline industry Boeing has forecast that over one million aircraft engineers and pilots will be required by the global airline industry over the next 20 years to support the growing fleet of airliners which will be operated over that time.

Based on its forecasts for the global airliner fleet in its latest Current Market Outlook, Boeing predicts that there will be a need for 596,500 engineers and 466,650 pilots until 2029. That will see the world’s airlines require an average of 23,300 new pilots and 30,000 new maintenance personnel per year over that period.

“When you add up all the numbers, you quickly understand the issues facing this industry,” said Roei Ganzarski, chief customer officer, Boeing Training & Flight Services. “Our challenge is adapting our training to engage the future generation of people who will fly and maintain the more than 30,000 airplanes that will be delivered by 2029. ” Most of the demand for skilled workers in the industry will come from the Asia Pacific region, which is where it is projected the biggest market for airliners will be over the next 20 years. The region will require 180,600 pilots and 220,000 technicians, a large portion of which will be required in China.

“To accommodate this growing demand, it will be vital to match training with the learning styles of students to come,” Ganzarski said. During the recent Asia Pacific Aviation Training Symposium in Kuala Lumpur, Ganzarski called for changes to current training methodologies. “As an industry, we need to adapt to the learning styles of tomorrow’s technologically savvy pilots and mechanics, and ensuring that training is globally accessible, adaptable to individual needs and competency based. ”

SimJET to add interactive ATC to simulators Queensland based flight simulator manufacturer SimJET has announced that it is adding Adacel’s ‘ATC in a Box’ (ATCiB) program on all its simulators, enabling pilots to include air traffic control conversations in their simulator training.

“ATCiB integrates the ATC environment directly with the ownship’s scenario, providing traffic and ATC communications that are relevant and responsive to decisions made by the ownship aircrew,” said Marsha Bell, Adacel’s vice president Commercial Pilot Training Systems. What the pilot hears correlates with what is seen from the cockpit. Now pilots training on SimJET devices will aviate, navigate and communicate so they train as they fly and can fly as they trained. ” SimJET currently builds Boeing 737-800 fixed base training devices and is preparing for CASA certification to the standards of FAA level 4 / JAR FNPT. It is also expanding its product line to other training devices and operates a simulator centre at Archerfield Airport.

Flight Experience gains CASA approval Flight Experience has announced that its simulators have received approval from CASA under FSD-2 as a Category B Synthetic Trainer, allowing pilots with an instrument rating to log time on them.

Pilots will now be able to log two of their three hours of instrument time requirements over a 90 day period using the Flight Experience simulators, which are also used by some pilots to prepare for interviews and for teaching of crew resource management skills.

“The Flight Experience cockpit is an accurate reflection of the size and layout of what you will find in the Boeing 737,” said Iain Pero, director of Flight Experience. “The avionics and flight dynamics also provide a good practice arena for instrument scans and gives pilots a feeling of what they can expect in an actual interview. ” Flight Experience operates centres in Christchurch, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth where pilots and the public alike can buy time in its replica 737 simulators.