News desk

First 737 with more efficient engines delivered
Boeing has delivered the first 737 fitted with the new standard CFM56-7BE engines with the handover of a 737-800 to China Southern Airlines last week.
The CFM56-7BE engine configuration features modified high and low pressure turbines to improve fuel consumption and reduce maintenance costs, and is a key element of Boeing’s 737 performance improvement package, which along with some aerodynamic tweaks is intended to reduce the 737’s fuel consumption by two per cent.
“Other fuel performance incorporations will take place into 2012 and data analysis will continue to quantify the final benefit to customers,” Boeing said in a statement.
Boeing says these latest improvements will mean the 737NG will be seven per cent more efficient compared to the when the aircraft was first delivered in 1998.

747-8F completes certification testing
Boeing has announced the completion of flight test certification for its 747-8 Freighter, as the company moves closer to making its first delivery of the type this month.
Test aircraft RC522 and RC523 arrived at Paine Field in Everett, Washington, on Tuesday, after completing flight management computer (FMC) and maximum endurance testing as part of the 300 flight hour function & reliability (F&R) validation program. Indeed, RC523′s final, 17+ hour maximum endurance flight, saw it trace the numerals ’7-4-7′ in the skies above the US, as this FlightAware.com flightplan track captured by Flightblogger showed.
Boeing vice president and general manager, 747 program, Elizabeth Lund said completion of flight test certification was an important step for the new freighter, with the company now on “the home stretch in delivering this airplane to our customers”.
Boeing will now make its final paperwork submission to the US FAA, clearing the way for type certification to be issued before the first 747-8F delivery to launch customer Cargolux in September. According to Boeing, the GEnx-2B powered fleet of five 747-8Fs have so far flown more than 1200 flights and 3400 hours since the type’s maiden flight on February 8 2010.

Commercial Briefs

Airbus has delivered its 800th customer A330, with the handover of an A330-200 Freighter to Aircastle Advisor Ltd on July 13. The aircraft, which will be operated by HNA group, is the third A330-200F to be added to the company’s fleet. According to Airbus, over 1140 A330s have been ordered to date.
* Boeing has delivered its 100th 737 outfitted with the company’s Sky Interior, with the milestone aircraft handed over to Brazil-based budget carrier, GOL Airlines. The delivery of the CFM56-7BE-powered 737-800 makes GOL the first South American airline to operate with Boeing’s newly enhanced cabin interior.

Sales Box
AIRBUS A320 FAMILY: American Airlines has ordered 260 A320 Family aircraft, split between 130 A320neos and an as-yet undetermined choice for 130 A319, A320 or A321 variants. Lufthansa has placed a firm order for 25 A320neos and five A321neos. Philippines based carrier Cebu Pacific has finalised its order for 30 Airbus A321neos, confirming an MoU signed in June. Garuda Indonesia has finalised an order for 15 A320s and 10 A320neos, following a MoU for the buy signed at this year’s Paris Airshow.
AIRBUS A330: IAG has signed a firm order for eight A330-300s, confirming a deal announced earlier this year. The aircraft will be operated by subsidiary airline Iberia. BOEING 737: American Airlines has ordered 100 737NGs with 40 options, and 100 firm orders plus 60 options for the as yet un-named and unlaunched re-engined variant of the 737. Korean Air has announced an order for two additional 737-900ERs, in a deal worth US$171.6 million at list prices.
BOEING 747: Lessor GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) has finalised an order for two 747-8 Freighters.
BOEING 777: GECAS also confirmed during the same announcement an order for eight 777-300ERs, in a total package worth US$2.9 billion. Singapore Airlines has ordered eight additional 777-300ERs, in a deal worth US$2.3 billion at list prices.

Military

More Super Hornets “obvious option” – Smith

Defence Minister Stephen Smith has told ABC Radio’s AM program that acquiring extra Super Hornets for the RAAF was a likely option should the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter be further delayed.
When asked if acquiring more Super Hornets was an option, Smith answered, “Well, that’s an obvious option, but we need to take this step by step.”
However, the Defence Minister warned, “It’s early days. I don’t want people to run or leap to a conclusion that that is the path we’ll go down.”
Smith is currently in Washington for a series of meetings, and has met with Vice Admiral David Venlet, head of the JSF Program Office.
“I’ve already expressed my concerns publicly and privately that whilst in our own planning we made a number of sensible decisions, we chose the conventional variant. We’ve also made sure that in our own schedule for time, for delivery and for cost that there was plenty of padding for what you always have to expect in a high technology, complicated new development, which is slippage.
“But we’re now running close up to those schedules, particularly on delivery.
“So I’ve made the point very clear that we’re now monitoring very closely the delivery timetable. We’re also monitoring very closely the cost.”
Smith told the ABC “an exhaustive risk assessment done of the current schedule” currently underway will give the US and JSF partner nations better clarity on the program by year’s end or early in the new year.
“That will then enable us to start making some judgements about whether we need to make any other plans or take any other action so far as a potential gap in capability is concerned.”

Two more Super Hornets arrive for RAAF
A further two Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets have arrived for the RAAF, after touching down at Amberley on August 3.
The arrivals of A44-219 and A44-220 now bring total fleet strength to 20 Super Hornets, with another four expected to be delivered by the end of the year from Boeing’s production line in St Louis, Missouri.
“As each new Super Hornet arrives at Amberley, the overall capability of our air force continues to expand,” said GPCAPT Steve Roberton, Officer Commanding 82WG. “The Super Hornet is going to be a true force multiplier for us, with its ability to seamlessly transmit data offboard from its advanced sensors to our classic Hornets. We are extremely excited about the new capabilities the Rhinos are bringing to the fleet.”
“The Boeing Super Hornet team is working closely with the US Navy and the RAAF to ensure that all the RAAF Super Hornets arrive in Australia ahead of schedule and on budget,” said Carolyn Nichols, Australian Super Hornet program manager for Boeing. “Boeing understands that the men and women of the RAAF rely on the advanced capability of the Super Hornet, and we are honoured to deliver these aircraft, as promised.”
The first 15 Super Hornets became operational with Amberley’s 1SQN in December last year, with a further three jets delivered on July 15.

Growlers complete first deployment
The Boeing EA-18G Growler has completed its first combat deployment for the US Navy, with EA-18Gs from electronic attack squadron VAQ-132 returning home from operations in the Mediterranean and Persian Gulf on July 9.
Returning to Naval Air Station Whidbey Island last week, VAQ-132 completed an eight month deployment which saw the aircraft participate in combat operations supporting the US Central Command (CENTCOM) in Iraq and later, US Africa Command (AFRICOM) in Libya.
The EA-18G first entered service with the US Navy in 2008, with the introduction of fleet training squadron VAQ-129.
Twelve of the RAAF’s 24 strong F/A-18F fleet are being wired for possible conversion to the EA-18G variant, pending government approval.

RAAF Heron contract extended
The Heron Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) is set to continue service with the ADF in Afghanistan, after Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare announced a contract extension until the end of 2012.
Currently operated by the RAAF’s 5 Flight with personnel from the RAAF and Australian Army, the Kandahar based Heron provides aerial support and surveillance in support of Australian and coalition operations in Afghanistan.
The federal government originally signed the Heron contract with Canadian firm MacDonald Dettwiler and Associates in 2009.

USAF chooses Nellis as second F-35 base

The USAF has confirmed Nellis AFB in Las Vegas will be the home of its F-35 operational test and evaluation (OT) unit and will also receive a number of F-35As for the weapons school (WA) there.
Following the May release of an environmental impact statement (EIS) into basing the new jets at Nellis, the USAF’s deputy assistant secretary for installations Kathleen Ferguson confirmed the OT unit would receive 12 F-35As and the WA would take 24 jets. The new aircraft will be supported by 412 USAF personnel, and new facilities will also be built at Nellis.
Apart from the test fleet already located at Edwards AFB in California, the USAF took delivery of its first production F-35A at the JSF Integrated Training Center at Eglin AFB in Florida on July 14, and a second aircraft on July 20.
It is planned 59 JSFs of all three variants models will be based at the ITC at Eglin, while Luke AFB near Phoenix in Arizona will likely be the location for a second and larger ITC, and is the planned training location for Australia’s first cadre of F-35A crews and maintainers from 2014.
Meanwhile, the first Lockheed Martin F-35A to be assigned to the USAF’s 33rd Fighter Wing arrived at the F-35 Integrated Training Center (ITC) Eglin AFB in Florida on July 14 to commence aircrew and maintainer training for all three US services.
The aircraft, AF-9, will be used for activities in concert with training F-35 pilots and maintainers who begin coursework at the base’s new F-35 ITC in the next few months.
AF-9 is the first aircraft to be delivered from the second Low Rate Initial Production batch (LRIP2). Seven other F-35As have been delivered to the USAF and are currently performing flight test duties at Edwards AFB in California.
Meanwhile, the fifth F-35B STOVL flight test aircraft delivered to the Marine Corps arrived at NAS Patuxent River on July 16. BF-5 is the seventh F-35 to be delivered in 2011 and the third aircraft delivered to Pax River this year.

Successful production review for BAE Aus JSF parts
BAE Systems Australia has successfully completed a Production Readiness Review (PPR) for the tail components it manufactures for the F-35 JSF program.
“Achieving this key milestone of PRR means we are a step closer towards full rate production, which would involve further production readiness assessments,” according to Kim Scott, BAE System’s land and integrated systems director. “At full rate production we will be delivering 70 aircraft sets per annum, with over 30 parts in each set.”
BAE says that is has so far delivered over 370 vertical tail parts, comprising 13 aircraft shipsets, from its Edinburgh Parks manufacturing facility in northern Adelaide.
“To date, all shipsets delivered have met the stringent quality standards and customer schedule expectations,” Scott said.

F-35 makes first catapult launch

F-35C development aircraft CF-3 made the type’s first catapult launch on July 27, with the aircraft launched into the air from a test steam catapult at Lakehurst, New Jersey.
The catapult launch is a key milestone in the carrier variant (CV)’s flight test program before it undergoes intial ship trials in 2013.
US Navy test pilot Lt Chris Tabert was at the controls of CF-3, which is the designated carrier suitability test aircraft for the catapult launch. Interestingly, Tabert is the most junior test pilot to fly the F-35 to date, “which reflects a deliberate shaping of the test force which balances experienced military and contractor test pilots with more newly-qualified test pilots with more recent experience,” according to the US Navy.
Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin has provided an update on F-35 flight test activities for the year through to July 25, saying the program has flown 518 flights, ahead of the scheduled 476 planned, in 2011.
Through to July 25, this year F-35A CTOL jets had flown 250 times, F-35B CTOL jets 187 times, and F-35C CV jets 81 times. F-35A AF-3 completed the program’s 500th SDD flight on July 21, while overall, since the first F-35 flight test aircraft (AA-1) first flew in 2006, F-35s have completed 1065 flights.

F-35 grounded after “explosive” IPP failure
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Executive Vice President and F-35 program head, Tom Burbage, was in Canberra on August 9 to brief media on the latest developments with the JSF program.
During the briefing, Burbage explained that the 20-strong JSF fleet’s recent grounding was a precautionary measure following the failure of an Integrated Power Pack (IPP) – a large APU-like component which provides starting power for the main engine and doubles to provide bleed air to cool the aircraft’s systems – on one of the flight test articles at Edwards AFB, AF-4.
“The airplanes are in a stop mode right now because we had a ground incident with an IPP about a week ago where we had a valve that failed,” Burbage said. “It’s (a)…turbine engine that’s driven by fuel and combusted until it starts the main engine of the airplane, and then the main engine takes over and runs it on bleed air. There’s a valve that has to open to shift from combusted to bleed, and there was a problem with that valve.”
Burbage added that there was an “explosive event” that was controlled by the aircraft’s onboard fire bottles. “There was a flame – we don’t know the extent of the damage yet,” he said. “There is some damage in the surrounding area, parched areas.”
Burbage said he hoped some of the aircraft could return to flight as soon as next week. “We’re hoping to get clearance to go back into ground ops as early as today, and return to flight ops on the instrumented airplanes as early as next week. We have 1500 flights and a thousand hours on that piece of machinery and have never seen this failure before, so it’s good we can identify these things early.”
At the time of the grounding there were 20 F-35s at flight test and training bases; six F-35As at Edwards AFB for flight science testing and maturity flights; three F-35Cs and five F-35Bs at the US Navy’s Pax River facility and nearby JB Lakehurst-Dix-McGuire; two F-35As at Eglin AFB in Florida preparing for the commencement of crew and maintainer training; and four more F-35As at Fort Worth preparing for delivery to Eglin.

ARDU F-111 moves to RAAF Edinburgh
A former Aircraft Research and Development Unit (ARDU) F-111 has begun its final journey to RAAF Base Edinburgh, leaving RAAF Base Amberley via low loader truck on August 8.
F-111C A8-132 was used extensively by the RAAF Edinburgh based ARDU for weapons testing for the type between 1979 and 1988, with over 30 major trials conducted. Following completion of trials, A8-132 was returned to the main F-111 fleet and resumed duties as a strike aircraft.
The aircraft has been repainted in its original ARDU colours in preparation for going on display at Edinburgh, with camouflage upper surfaces and a white lower surface.

Military Briefs

* The first low rate initial production (LRIP) Boeing P-8A Poseidon made its first flight from Boeing’s Renton plant on July 7, the manufacturer has announced. The aircraft, the first of six LRIP P-8As to be built, flew for three hours before landing at Boeing Field in Seattle.
* Embraer has selected IAE’s V2500-E5 engine to power the KC-390 military transport, the Brazilian manufacturer has announced.
IAE will deliver the first V2500s for the KC-390 prototypes in 2013. Embraer says flight test will begin in 2014, ahead of first deliveries in 2015.
* Airbus Military has announced an order for two C295 transports for the Republic of Ghana, with both aircraft to be delivered by 2012. The C295s are expected to be used for medical evacuation, paratrooping, training and humanitarian operations including assistance to a number of aid organisations. According to Airbus, a total of 85 C295s have now been ordered by 14 customers worldwide.

Airlines

Strategic to relaunch as Air Australia

, launch Hawaii flights
Strategic Airlines is to relaunch itself in October as a low cost airline under the name Air Australia, and launch services from Melbourne and Brisbane to Honolulu.
Strategic will also operate a domestic trunk route for the first time when it launches Brisbane-Melbourne flights in December, the same month the flights to Honolulu will commence. Other network changes include increased frequencies on the Brisbane-Denpasar, Brisbane-Phuket and Melbourne-Phuket routes.
The changes come a week after Strategic announced it was dropping Brisbane-Gladstone, Brisbane-Townsville-Denpasar and Perth-Denpasar flights. First to be cancelled was Strategic’s A320 Gladstone-Brisbane service, wrapping up on August 12. That will be followed by a cessation of its weekly Brisbane-Townsville-Denpasar A320 service from October 1. (Strategic will continue to operates its weekly direct Brisbane-Denpasar A330 service.)
Perth-Denpasar flights will also finish on October 31, but Strategic will continue flights between Perth and Derby in WA’s north. Virgin Australia/Pacific Blue, Jetstar, Skywest and AirAsia all continue to operate on the Perth-Bali route, with Garuda subsidiary Citilink reportedly interested in commencing flights between Perth and Denpasar.
The recent developments follow a similar decision by Strategic to end flights between Port Hedland and Bali earlier in March, saying that the route was “no longer commercially viable”.

QantasLink announces Q400 services for WA

QantasLink will introduce the Dash 8 Q400 turboprop to Western Australia for the first time with the planned launch of services between Geraldton and Perth from November 21.
QantasLink will offer a twice daily Monday to Friday service on the route, alongside daily return flights on Saturday and Sunday. The new service will compete with Skywest, which currently flies several times a day between Geraldton and Perth.
QantasLink will also look to operate the Q400 twice-weekly between Exmouth and Perth on Mondays and Wedensdays, to complement Boeing 717s services on Fridays and Sundays.
“We are looking forward to introducing our Q400 aircraft on these key WA routes as part of Qantas’s significant investment in regional Australia. This follows our successful deployment and utilisation of this aircraft type across several destinations within Australia and Papua New Guinea,” QantasLink executive manager, Narendra Kumar said.
To operate the Q400 services, QantasLink is set to establish a new pilot and cabin crew base in Perth.
Jetstar expands Singapore hub
Jetstar will base a further five Airbus A320s and two A330s at its Singapore hub by the end of the year.
The additional capacity will allow Jetstar to launch daily A330 Singapore-Beijing services from November 24, three times weekly Singapore-Ningbo A320 services from September 9, four times weekly Singapore-Hanoi A320 services from December 15, plus add additional frequencies to Taipei, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Ho Chi Minh City and Jakarta.
“Last year Jetstar became the largest low cost operator serving Singapore, and with today’s announcements we plan to extend our lead,” Jetstar Group CEO Bruce Buchanan said on July 15.
By the end of the year Jetstar says it will have 17 A320s and four A330s based in Singapore, which, with additional flights to Singapore from its Australian operation, represents almost 200 per cent growth in its Singapore services since 2009.

Virgin, SIA launch first stage of alliance
Virgin Australia and Singapore Airlines began interlining flights and offering reciprocal lounge access from today under the first stage of their alliance partnership.
Under the initial agreement, SIA passengers can now connect to Virgin Australia destinations on one ticket, which includes terminal transfers, inflight entertainment and meals onboard. Reciprocal lounge access is also available for eligible frequent flyers travelling on either airline, providing access to Virgin Australia’s six domestic lounges and SIA’s 14 lounges worldwide.
“Today’s interline agreement will make it easier for Singapore Airlines’ customers from all over the world to travel through to a range of domestic and regional destinations around Australia,” Virgin Australia Group executive Merren McArthur said.
The ACCC is currently considering Singapore Airlines and Virgin Australia’s application for a more detailed commercial alliance which would include codesharing, reciprocal frequent flyer benefits, coordinated scheduling and joint sales and marketing activities.
“Should our proposed alliance receive regulatory approval, we will expand our cooperation to better promote these Australian destinations to a whole range of additional cities throughout Asia,” McArthur said.
“By working closely with Singapore Airlines, we will be able to offer a deep and integrated alliance that ultimately benefits the travelling public. Guests will enjoy an expanded network of destinations, seamless connections, a more convenient flight schedule and more opportunities to earn frequent flyer points and access lounges.”
Meanwhile Fairfax Media has reported that Qantas won’t oppose the Virgin Australian-Singapore Airlines tie-up, noting in its submission to the ACCC over the alliance that “Unsubsidised end-of route operators are particularly disadvantaged.”
Qantas announced on August 24 closer arrangements with its own alliance partners as part of its restructure of Qantas International operations.

Air India to launch 787 Melbourne services

Air India will launch flights between Delhi and Melbourne from to be operated by Boeing 787s, according to a report in India’s The Telegraph newspaper.
“Direct flights to Australia are the top priority for us,” an Air India official is quoted by the paper as saying. “The route will be profitable for Air India and is a key ingredient of the turnaround plan.”
Air India is in line to be the second operator of the 787, after All Nippon. 787 development aircraft ZA002 visited India last week after it completed service ready operational validation testing with ANA in Japan.

Qantas 744 ferries spare engine to Johannesburg
Qantas’s regular QF63 service from Sydney to Johannesburg made a scheduled tech stop into Perth for additional fuel on July 18 as the aircraft, 747-400 VH-OJN, was carrying a spare engine under its left wing for sistership VH-OJL, which had experienced a #3 engine failure on July 16, approximately one hour into its QF64 flight from Johannesburg to Sydney.
The QF64 incident, which made headlines as South Africa’s Springboks rugby union team was onboard the aircraft, is the latest in a string of high profile engine failures caused by disintegrating high pressure compressor blades in Qantas RB211 engines.
”[It] is not a safety risk and is not exclusive to Qantas,” a Qantas spokesman told Fairfax Media of the QF64 incident. ”Other airlines have experienced this type of issue with RB211 engines.”
Qantas says it has fast tracked modifying its Rolls-Royce RB211s with a new design high pressure compressor.
“We are accelerating the rate at which we send RB211s for overhaul in order to fast-track this modification and others over the next 12 to 18 months,” a Qantas spokesman told The Australian.

Hawaiian to go daily
Hawaiian will permanently operate daily services to Sydney from December. (Seth Jaworski)
Hawaiian Airlines will permanently increase its Honolulu-Sydney frequencies to a daily a schedule from December 14.
The airline announced plans last year to operate a daily service during the peak April 6 to August 1 travel period this year, before reverting to a five times weekly schedule from August 2, but says the delivery of another aircraft later this year will allow it to operate the daily schedule.
Prior to April Hawaiian had operated the route four times daily. All its Australian flights are operated by 264-seat, two class Boeing 767-300ERs.

On time performance figures highlight volcanic ash chaos
Bureau of Infrastructure, Transport and Regional Economics (BITRE) figures reveal the extent of the disruption caused by the ash cloud from the Chilean Puyehue volcano in June, with Australian domestic airlines cancelling 5.3 per cent of all scheduled flights for the month, whereas typically just over one per cent of flights per month are cancelled.
“On time performance and cancellations in June 2011 were impacted by the volcanic ash cloud from Chile. Adelaide, Melbourne and Tasmanian airports were most impacted with Canberra, Perth, Sydney and some regional airports also impacted over a shorter period,” BITRE’s ‘Domestic airline on time performance’ report for June notes. “The cancellation rate is the worst recorded since this collection began.”
Tiger Airways was worst hit by the ash cloud, cancelling 16.5 per cent of all flights in June. Jetstar cancelled 6.2 per cent of its flights, Qantas 6.0 per cent, Virgin Australia 5.0 per cent, QantasLink 3.9 per cent and Regional Express 2.9 per cent of flights.
“Cancellations were highest on the Hobart-Sydney route at 16.2 per cent, followed by Sydney-Hobart at 15.5 per cent, Melbourne-Hobart at 15.4 per cent, Hobart-Melbourne at 15.0 per cent and Launceston-Melbourne at 14.6 per cent,” according to BITRE.

Virgin Australia launches new Brisbane lounge
Virgin Australia has launched its new, 200-seat airport lounge at Brisbane’s domestic terminal, designed by architect Tim Greer of Tonkin Zulaikha Greer.
The redesigned lounge features four main areas – a central lounge seating area with fabric and leather chairs, a ‘hearth dining’ area by the main entrance for “communal dining and socialising”, a ‘long bar’ featuring a buffet, drinks and a coffee barista service, and a lounge ‘library’ designated quiet zone.
Design features of the lounge include Marblo bars, timber panelling and Barrisol panels in the ceiling, vertical glass screens, digital artwork by Daniel von Strummer, and Walter Knoll leather chairs.
Amenities include wifi, bar service from 11am, all hours barista service, menus designed by chef Luke Mangan with “fresh, quality ingredients”, and skincare products.
The new lounge is the first element of Virgin Australia’s upgrade of its Brisbane domestic terminal, which will be launched in “coming months”.

Qantas partners with Prostate Cancer Foundation
Qantas has announced a partnership with the Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia, which will see it fly nurses from across Australia to undertake specialist prostate cancer nurse training, and aim to help raise awareness of prostate cancer through placing the a foundation’s logo on a 737, advertising, inflight announcements and on-board messaging.
“Qantas is honoured to be supporting Australia’s first specialist prostate cancer nurses who will play a vital role for those affected either directly or indirectly by prostate cancer,” Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said in a statement. “Earlier this year I was tested and discovered that I had an aggressive form of prostate cancer. I was able to have an operation quickly and was back at work within a few weeks.
“My doctor told me that there was an 80 per cent chance that I would have been dead within 10 years if it hadn’t been detected when it was. I consider myself to be one of the lucky ones and would encourage all men over 40 to be tested regularly.
“Around 60 per cent of Qantas’s 35,000 workforce is made up of men, particularly men over 40, so we will also be helping to raise awareness within the company.”
Qantas says the new prostate cancer specialist nurses will provide a nursing service for men and families impacted by prostate cancer.
The launch was also attended by federal treasurer Wayne Swan.
“I’m really proud to be involved in this initiative which is all about getting nurses across the country and supporting them in their vital work,” Swan said. “As a survivor of prostate cancer, a great passion of mine in life is to bring greater awareness to blokes who are most at risk. The reality is, if it weren’t for early detection nearly 10 years ago, there is every chance I wouldn’t be here today.”
The Prostate Cancer Foundation of Australia says prostate cancer is the most common cancer diagnosed in Australia, and is the second highest cause of cancer deaths in Australian men.

Alliance expands Adelaide base
Alliance Airlines will significantly grow its operations in Adelaide with the expansion of its maintenance facilities there, and the basing a Fokker 100 jet in the South Australian capital.
Alliance already bases, and performs line and heavy maintenance on, its fleet of five Fokker 50s in Adelaide, but the airline will hire an additional 10 maintenance engineers and will perform maintenance on its Fokker 100 and Fokker 70 jet fleet there as well.
“Our national operations have increased so substantially that our core maintenance facility in Brisbane will soon be fully utilised, and we need to establish a second major base to support our growing fleet of jets, which recently increased from 16 to 20,” said Alliance Airlines managing director Scott McMillan.
“We are close to securing regulatory approval to expand our Adelaide capabilities to include jet maintenance, and will advertise nationally this week for 10 more aircraft engineers.”
Two Fokker 100s are due to arrive in Adelaide from Europe in early August where they will undergo major maintenance before entering service with Alliance, with the airline saying one Fokker 100 will be based there from the fourth quarter.
Alliance says it has also expanded into the tourism market, winning contracts to fly tourism charter flights to South Australian tourism destinations including Kangaroo Island, the Flinders Ranges, Lake Eyre and Coober Pedy.
Alliance first opened its Adelaide base in 2007, and today employs 74 South Australian based staff.

Jetstar to recruit 150 new pilots
Jetstar has begun a campaign to recruit 150 new pilots for its Airbus A320 and A330 fleets across its Australian, New Zealand and Asian operations, as the Qantas subsidiary continues its aggressive expansion.
“We have got to the point where we’re the fastest-growing and most successful airline ever, having reached almost 20 million passengers in our seventh year of operation,” Jetstar Group CEO Bruce Buchanan told The Australian.
“And that growth rate is continuing. We are saying we need a big recruiting drive in terms of pilots to continue to support the success and growth.”
The new positions are also open to Qantas pilots, who can transfer across to Jetstar under the terms of a MoU agreed with AIPA, the Qantas pilots union.
The union representing Jetstar’s pilots, the AFAP, is currently negotiating with the airline over whether the new recruits will be employed under the conditions of the Jetstar pilot EBA. Earlier this year the AFAP launched legal action against the airline over its plans to hire new pilots on a permanent part time basis

China Southern doubles Melbourne services

China Southern has announced the introduction of twice-daily flights between Guangzhou and Melbourne from October this year, in a move welcomed by Melbourne Airport CEO Chris Woodruff.
The airline’s decision to increase the number of Melbourne services comes less than a year after China Southern started daily flights to Melbourne in November, before which it had previously operated only three flights per week.
According to Melbourne Airport figures, a total of 386,118 Chinese passengers passed through the airport in 2010/11, up 26.2 per cent on the previous year.

Airline Briefs

* The Transport Workers Union (TWU) will have to pay Qantas $707,000 in compensation for snap strikes by baggage handlers at four airports in 2009. The federal court on July 22 ruled that the TWU pay Qantas the compensation, plus a $20,000 fine, with union officials fined a further $18,000, for the strike action, which it had earlier found to be illegal.
* Korean Air will add an additional three flights a week to its Seoul-Auckland service for December and January, taking its schedule from daily flights to 10 times per week.

Environment

Lufthansa commences regular biofuel flights
Lufthansa has begun the world’s first scheduled commercial passenger services using biofuel, with the launch on July 15 of four return daily flights between Hamburg and Frankfurt operated by an Airbus A321 powered by a 50 per cent Hydro-processed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA) biofuel blend.
The flights will operate for an initial six month period as part of the ‘Burn Fair’ research program to investigate the long term impact of biofuels on aircraft performance, and were able to commence following the HWFA biofuel’s approval for use by the world fuels standards body, the ASTM, on July 1.
The biofuel Lufthansa is using – a blend of jatropha, camelina and animal fats – is produced by Finnish oil company Neste Oil.

Airports

Pax numbers hit 20 million mark at Brisbane Airport
Brisbane Airport has announced a 5.4 per cent increase in passenger numbers for the 2010-11 financial year, with a record 20 million international and domestic passengers passing through its terminals.
“We’ve had more than our fair share of disasters this year, however the strong Aussie dollar has encouraged more people to travel abroad while domestically strong passenger growth was also made possible by the injection of 1.4 million extra seats, with every domestic airline operating at Brisbane ramping up capacity throughout the year,” Julieanne Alroe, Brisbane Airport Corporation CEO and managing director, said.
Domestic passengers were up six per cent for the year, while international passengers increased 3.6 per cent.
As has been the case at other major airports, Chinese visitor numbers were a significant driver of international growth for Brisbane, with the addition of new direct services contributing to a 23 per cent increase on the previous year’s figures.

Melbourne Airport reports strong passenger growth
Melbourne Airport has reported strong passenger growth, with a total of 28,190,457 passengers passing through Australia’s second busiest airport for the 2010-11 financial year, up 7.7 per cent.
“With curfew free operations, a single terminal precinct, high service levels and low airline fees, we provide flexibility and convenience,” noted Melbourne Airport acting CEO Kirby Clark.
International passenger number growth was particularly strong, up 13.5 per cent to 6,287,710, with Chinese visitor numbers surging by 26.2 per cent, as China Southern and China Eastern both moved to daily services.
Domestic passenger numbers were up 6.2 per cent to 21,902,747, even as the volcanic ash plume saw domestic passenger numbers for the month of June fall 4.6 per cent compared to June 2010.
“Mother nature has shown her strength over the last six months in particular with a number of events such as earthquakes, floods, cyclones as well as the lingering impacts of a volcanic eruption, all of which impacted on domestic Australian travel,” Clark said.

QAL announces record year for passenger movements
Queensland Airports Limited (QAL) has announced a record seven million passenger movements for its airports at the Gold Coast, Townsville and Mount Isa for the 2010/11 financial year, as all three airports reported year on year growth.
The record figure, which represents the first time QAL has exceeded seven million passenger movements, saw Gold Coast Airport record over 5.4 million passengers pass through its gates, with Townsville Airport and Mount Isa recording 1.67 million and 217,000 passengers respectively during FY2010/11. However, it was clearly Mount Isa Airport which stood out, posting 19.5 per cent growth in passenger numbers over the previous financial year.
“It is pleasing to record growth in passenger movements across the Group during what has been the most challenging year since 2001,” QAL managing director, Dennis Chant said, adding that the recent spate of natural disasters in regional Queensland had forced a period of consolidation.
“Townsville and Mount Isa Airports both recorded positive growth in passenger movements, buoyed by the strong resources sector in northwest Queensland. The propensity for business travel remained strong and Townsville is also growing as a leisure destination,” Chant continued.
“Gold Coast Airport recorded growth over the year, despite the challenging few months for the Queensland tourism industry. Our airline partners introduced a number of new services this year, including direct flights to Perth and Hobart, meaning there are now flights to every capital city outside Queensland from the Gold Coast,” he said.

Canberra Airport launches next stage of terminal redevelopment

Canberra Airport has launched the next stage of its $420 million “AirVolution” infrastructure project, with the official unveiling of a foundation stone for the construction of the Western Concourse Terminal on August 2.
Launched by ACT Chief Minister Katy Gallagher, Canberra Airport chairman Terry Snow and Canberra Airport managing director Stephen Byron, the Western Concourse Terminal and its associated infrastructure is due to be completed by mid-2013. That follows the opening of Canberra’s Southern Concourse terminal in November last year under the AirVolution project.
“Since its opening we have focused on the next stage of the AirVolution – the old Qantas terminal has been removed, services have been relocated, and plans finalised,” Byron said.
“We are now in the position to launch the new Western Concourse Terminal – this new concourse will mirror the Southern Concourse Terminal with the two terminals being joined by a spectacular glass atrium,” he added.
Bryon said passengers would also benefit from “additional airline lounges, new aerobridges, a doubling of the passenger screening area, more check-in counters, greater amenities and retail offerings”, as a well as four-storey undercover car park to be completed by March next year.

General Aviation

CASA launches task force to review GA regulation
CASA has established a task force to review safety regulation of general aviation, including pilot licencing, AOCs and other safety requirements.
The aviation regulator expects the task force, which will begin work in mid April and be headed by Peter John, CASA’s Eastern Region operations manager, will run for more than two years
“It is vital that regulations deliver the intended safety outcomes to the highest possible level without imposing unnecessary burdens on the aviation industry,” said CASA director of aviation safety John McCormick in a statement.
“In general aviation, CASA believes it is time to look at the requirements for pilot licensing and the need for air operator’s certificates for a range of operations.”
The task force will initial focus on the aerial agriculture sector, with, according to McCormick, the “full cooperation” of the Aerial Agriculture Association of Australia.
“CASA has already announced it will be setting up a general aviation forum next year, which will give people across the sector yet another opportunity to discuss regulatory issues with us,” McCormick said.
“The task force will feed issues and information into this forum for debate and discussion, with CASA to make the final decisions on any changes.”

GippsAero celebrates Nomad 40th anniversary

GippsAero has celebrated the 40th anniversary of the first flight of the Australian designed and built GAF Nomad twin turboprop on July 23 by confirming its plans to place the type back into production as the GA18, with service entry planned for 2014.
“The N24A based GA18 will be re-engineered with upgraded engines, new propellers, glass cockpit, weight saving measures, reduced maintenance requirements and aerodynamic refinements,” GippsAero said in a statement marking the July 23 anniversary. “Following an extensive development and test program, the type will be certificated to FAR 23 at Amendment 59. GippsAero plans to bring the GA18 to the market place in 2014.”
As part of those plans, GippsAero has acquired New Zealand based N24A Nomad ZK-NMC, which will serve as the development aircraft for the GA18.
GippsAero acquired the Nomad type certificate in 2008, and as well as working to return the aircraft to production, provides engineering and spares support for the 40 or so Nomads still operational around the world.

GippsAero, RR sign agreement for M250 to power the GA10
Rolls-Royce and GippsAero have signed at the EAA AirVenture at Oshkosh the formal agreement which will see the RR M250-B17F/2 turboprop power the GA10 development of the GA8 Airvan.
“The development of the GA10 TP will add a new dimension to the GippsAero product range and with the Rolls-Royce M250-B17 F/2 fitted, will open new market segments across the globe since the aircraft will offer lowest cost per seat in its class and best-in-class short takeoff and landing capability,” Dr Terry Miles, CEO of GippsAERO, said.
The GA10 10-seat, turbine development of the GA8 will be certified to FAR Part 23, with service entry planned for 2013.

GA Briefs

* Former RAAF fighter pilot and Red Bull Air Racer Matt Hall has launched a series of joy flight packages, aimed at giving the experience of flying with the gun pilot in his two-seat Extra 300L. The joy flights will initially operate out of Cessnock in the NSW Hunter Valley. However, plans are also underway to take the joy flights around the country over the next 12 months.

Business Aviation

GAMA reports on sharp falls in GA deliveries
The General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) has reported on a stark 15.5 per cent drop for general aviation aircraft shipments for the first half of 2011, coupled with a 22.3 per cent decrease in billings to US$7.3 billion when compared to the same period last year.
The disappointing figures saw only 791 aircraft shipments compared to 936 in the first half of 2010. Piston powered aircraft suffered an 8.7 per cent decline, totaling only 387 units compared to 424 in the first half of last year. Meanwhile, turboprop shipments were down to 143 units, down 8.9 per cent on the 157 units shipped in the first half of 2010. Worse performed still were business jet shipments, falling 26.5 per cent to 261 units.
“These negative shipment numbers demonstrate precisely how ill-timed and potentially destructive the Obama Administration’s rhetoric and policies toward corporate jets are for general aviation,” GAMA President and CEO, Pete Bunce said of the most recent figures.

Embraer assembles first fuselage for Legacy 500
Embraer has announced that the first fuselage of its new Legacy 500 executive jet has been assembled in Brazil, as the aircraft moves closer to making its first flight later this year.
All three fuselage sections (cockpit, centre and aft) were joined at the manufacturer’s São José dos Campos facility, with Embraer using aluminium alloy and composite materials in the construction of the Legacy 500’s airframe.
“The joining of the fuselage sections of the first prototype is a key milestone in our development schedule, and we will join the second one in the near future,” Embraer vice president, programs – executive jets, Maurício Almeida said.

Lineage on show
Embraer has demonstrated its Lineage 1000 A6-HHS of Falcon Aviation Services to media in Melbourne during the type’s first Australia visit on July 15.
The aircraft had arrived in Sydney from Singapore on June 29, on a private visit. It then moved to Brisbane on June 30 and remained there until July 11 when it operated Brisbane-Sydney-Melbourne.
Embraer used the opportunity of the visit to show the aircraft to media in Melbourne on July 15, before the aircraft departed for Singapore on July 18.
The Lineage 1000 is based on the E-190 airliner.

Gulfstream renames G250 the G280
Gulfstream has renamed its midsized G250 business jet the G280, as ‘280’ is a “more amenable number sequence in some cultures,” according to Larry Flynn, senior vice president, marketing and sales.
“We value our international customers highly, and this change reflects our commitment to understanding the diverse cultures of our global business environment.”
The G280 is currently in flight test, with the three development aircraft to date having flown over 1400 flight hours in more than 525 flight

CASA certifies Phenom 300
CASA has certified the Embraer Phenom 300, clearing the way for deliveries of the light business to Australian customers.
“This TC paves the way for sales and deliveries of Phenom 300′s in Australia, given the aircraft’s suitability to the country and its multiple uses and we anticipate sales and deliveries to happen soon,” said Jose Costas, VP – marketing and sales, Embraer Executive Jets, Asia Pacific.
The Phenom 300 was first certified by Brazil’s ANAC and the US FAA in December 2009.

Security

Body scanner trialed at Sydney Airport

A trial of new body imaging technology was undertaken at Sydney International Airport during August, as part of the federal government’s $200 million ‘Strengthening Aviation Security’ initiative.
The body scanner trial, which is expected to be rolled out at other Australian international airports later this year, used low-energy millimetre-waves to detect metal and non-metal items under clothing, presented on a generic human outline. Minister for Infrastructure and Transport Anthony Albanese was present at the trial’s launch on August 1 and became the first person to use the body scanner.
“The equipment on trial today is the most advanced passenger screening technology available in the world and is part of the government’s commitment to protecting the travelling public,” Albanese said.
“The scanners are perfectly safe and one body scan emits 10,000 times less radio frequency energy than an average mobile phone call. The machines will only produce a generic outline of a passenger which appears like a stick figure and no images will be stored or shared,” he added.
The trial was offered to passengers on a voluntary basis and finished on August 19.

Support

AAPA begins MPL training with UAE cadets
Regional Express subsidiary the Australian Airline Pilot Academy (AAPA) has commenced training its first intake of United Arab Emirates (UAE) cadet pilots, as they study to obtain the new ICAO Multi-Crew Pilot Licence (MPL).
AAPA is training the cadet pilots for Air Arabia in conjunction with Alpha Aviation Group (AAG) UAE, part of the Singapore based AAG, which has pilot training academies in the Philippines and the UK.
AAPA expects an intake of 60 UAE cadets per year for AAG UAE. All AAPA instructors have been MPL qualified for the UAE cadets, following an audit from the UAE’s General Civil Aviation Authority.

ATC and Airspace

Airservices commissions new TAR at Adelaide
Airservices Australia has commissioned a new $8 million Terminal Area Radar (TAR) at Adelaide Airport, as it replaces radar equipment which has been in operation since 1993.
The recent upgrade follows Airservices’ commissioning of a $6 million TAR at Sydney Airport in June, after earlier TAR installations at the Gold Coast, Melbourne and Darwin Airports.
Part of Airservices’ national $80 million Mode S Terminal Area Radar (AMSTAR) project, Adelaide Airport’s TAR now provides improved surveillance of air traffic up to 256nm (474km) around Adelaide with its Mode S (select) capable monopulse secondary surveillance radar, and also features a solid state 60nm range primary radar. Thales Australia has provided a total of 10 STAR2000/RSM970 System TARs to Airservices, which are being installed at a number of Australian airports over the next year.
Airservices general manager Technology and Asset Services, Alastair Hodgson said the use of Mode S technology would deliver “significant benefits” for the wider aviation industry, with the new radar system consuming “25 per cent less power to operate” than the existing facilities. In addition to the new TAR, Airservices have also begun construction on a new control tower at Adelaide Airport, expected to be commissioned in 2012.
Adelaide had previously relied upon a temporary radar facility (TRF) commissioned by Airservices earlier this year while upgrade work to replace the airport’s existing 18-year-old radar was underway. However, the TRF has since been moved to Canberra Airport, as upgrades begin on existing radar facilities there.

People

Davin joins Qantas to head charter operations
Qantas has appointed experienced industry veteran Hugh Davin to the new position of head of charter business to oversee the airline’s expansion into the charter and fly-in/fly-out markets.
Davin was most recently managing director of Skywest, responsible for the Perth based airline’s successful charter and FIFO operations serving the WA resources industry. He joined Skywest in 2007 from National Jet (now Cobham) where he was head of WA and NT operations.
“Mr Davin brings to Qantas an unparalleled depth of knowledge of one of Australia’s fastest growing aviation markets. We welcome him to our team to help us grow our charter and fly-in/fly-out business,” Qantas group executive commercial, Rob Gurney said.
Davin’s appointment follows Qantas’s acquisition of Perth based charter operator Network Aviation last year, which Qantas is expanding with the purchase of 10 additional Fokker 100 jets.
Davin, who reports to Narendra Kumar, executive general manager Qantas regional airlines, started in his new position on July 25, and is based in Perth.

New CEO for BAE Australia
BAE Systems Australia has announced the appointment of David Allott as its new chief executive, with effect from September 5, replacing the long serving Jim McDowell who will become the chief executive of BAE Systems Saudi Arabia.
Allott is currently the managing director of BAE’s UK based Global Combat Systems business, which designs, manufactures and supports land weapons, vehicles and munitions, with 5500 employees in France, Sweden, the UK and US.
BAE Systems group managing director, international, Guy Griffiths, praised McDowell’s achievements during his 10 years in leading the Australian subsidiary of BAE, including growing the company from 2500 employees and annual revenues of $400 million to more than 6000 staff and almost $1.8 billion in annual revenues today, and the acquisition of the Tenix Defence business in 2008.
“Among Jim’s many achievements in Australia have been his ability to build a strong team, develop a business that is positioned for continued growth,” Griffiths said.

Constant Vigilance – Safeskies 2011

October’s Safeskies 2011 conference in Canberra is expected to canvass a number of aviation-related safety issues, aimed at keeping industry representatives informed and up date on both present and future challenges for aviation in Australia.

This year’s biennial event, which features a number of prominent military and civilian leaders, will be headlined by Federal Aviation Administration chief scientific and technical advisor for flightdeck human factors, Dr Kathy Abbott, and Australia’s first NASA astronaut, Dr Andy Thomas.

“In the last 10 or 12 years, we’ve brought Safeskies up to a point where it is the most important aviation conference of any sort in Australasia and certainly the most important aviation conference in the Southern Hemisphere,” said Safeskies 2011 chairman Peter Lloyd.

“It’s vitally important because it brings up local and world issues that tend to be overlooked. . . It also brings the world’s best exponents of the various aspects of issues that affect safety,” he added.

While Thomas is expected to discuss the future of NASA as opposed to any air safety-related issues at his Sir Reginald Ansett Memorial Lecture, Lloyd said the conference’s speakers were pre-eminent in their fields, with some of the “foremost” government and military leaders in aviation. That includes new Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Geoff Brown, CASA CEO John McCormick, Airservices Australia chief Greg Russell and ATSB chief adelaide TAR Airservices Australia has commissioned a new $8 million Terminal Area Radar (TAR) at Adelaide Airport. Part of Airservices’ national $80 million Mode S Terminal Area Radar (AMSTAR) project, Adelaide Airport’s Thales supplied TAR now provides improved surveillance of air traffic up to 256nm (474km) around Adelaide with its Mode S (select) capable monopulse secondary surveillance radar, and also features a solid state 60nm range primary radar.

commissioner Martin Dolan.

While industry representatives from the airlines, military, and general aviation are encouraged to attend the two day conference, Lloyd has placed particular emphasis on reaching out to government officials involved in making aviation policy to attend, as well as those public servants ‘at the coalface’ in having to deal with the flying public.

“I think if I’ve got a message on safety at all, it’s this: that safety depends on absolute vigilance on the part of anyone to do with aviation but particularly management,” Lloyd explained.

“We obviously want the top blokes in areas where we should have some knowledge [but we also] want the people in government who are making decisions at a much lower level than the top two or three echelons, and particularly those who are in contact with the public” Categorising the overriding theme of Safeskies 2011 as assessing where industry stood with existing problems and potential future challenges, Lloyd remained confident that the conference would have a solid outcome for all involved.

“Looking out to the future, with knowledge in what the future holds in both the public demand for aviation, the pilot demand for flying airplanes and the manufacturers, they [the speakers] will identify, I hope, some of these problems for the benefit of others in the industry,” Lloyd concluded.

The Safeskies International Aviation Safety Conference will be held between October 26 and 27 at the Hyatt Hotel Canberra. It will be preceded by the Sir Reginald Ansett Memorial Lecture and Safeskies Conference Dinner at Parliament House on October 25.