News Desk

Launch Customer Lufthansa Took Delivery of the First 747-8i Intercontinental Destined for Commercial Passenger Service on April 25 in a Milestone Boeing Hopes Will Spark De-mand for the Newest Genera-tion of Its Iconic Jumbo Jet.

The Aircraft Took Off From Washington State on May 1 for Frankfurt, With the German Carrier Planning 747-8i Commercial Services From June 1 With Flights Be-tween Its Frankfurt Base and Washington, Dc. Flights to Los Angeles, Chicago and Destinations in India Are to Follow as the Carrier Begins to Phase Out Its 747-400s in Favour of the Newer Model.

With Orders for 20 of the 747-8 Passenger Jets, Lufthansa is the First and by Far the Largest 747-8i Customer, and Boe-ing Has Struggled to Generate Demand From Other Airlines Since the German Carrier Placed Its Order in 2006. So Far, Boe-ing Has Booked Orders for 36 747-8is. The Cargo Version, the 747-8f, Has Won 70 Orders and Began Deliveries Late Last Year.

Despite the Success of Ear-lier 747 Models, the 467-seat 747-8 Now Finds Itself Placed Uncomfortably Between More Economical Widebody Twins Such as Boeing’s 777 and the Airbus A380, a Full-length Double Decker With About 60 More Seats Than the 747-8.

Featuring Upgraded Wings, a Stretched Fuselage and New General Electric Genx-2b Engines, Boeing Says the 747-8i Cuts Costs Per Passenger by 13 Per Cent and is 30 Per Cent Quieter Than the 747-400. It Also Features an Updated Inte-rior Borrowed From the 787.

Lufthansa is Due to Get Five 747-8s This Year and Five More in Each of the Next Three Years.

737 Max Gets ‘dual Feather’ Winglets

Boeing Has Unveiled an Unu-sual, Fork-shaped Wingtip Device for Its Upcoming 737 Max.

The Advanced Technology Winglet Will Mean an Extra 1. 5 Per Cent in Fuel Savings Over Longer Ranges Against the Cur-rent Generation 737 – on Top of a Claimed 10-12 Per Cent Cut in Fuel Burn From the Max’s New Engines, Boeing Says.

The 737’s Winglet Will Compete With Airbus’s Sharklet, a More Traditional Wingtip Device That Will Come as Standard Equip-ment on the Rival A320neo.

Boeing Says Its Engineers Developed the Forked De-sign by Using Computational Fluid Dynamics to Combine Rake Tip Technology With a Dual Feather Winglet Concept That Will Be More Efficient Than Current Wingtip Devices “because the Effective Wing Span Increase is Uniquely Bal-anced Between the Upper and Lower Parts of the Winglet”.

The Company Adds That the Design Has Been Incor-porated Into 737 Max Production Plans and Will Not Cause Any Delays.

The Aircraft is Due to Begin Deliveries in 2017 and Already Has Won More Than 1,000 Orders or Commitments From 16 Customers, According to Boeing. See More From P60 of This Issue.

First Sharklet A320 Ready for Flight-testing

Airbus Has Rolled Out the First Production A320 Fitted With Its Sharklet Blending Wingtips Ahead of Flight Testing of the Fuel-saving Device.

Toulouse-built, Cfm56- Powered A320 Msn 5098 Will Be the First of a Number of Sharklet-equipped A320s to Take Part in a 600-hour Flight Test Program Ahead of Certifica- Tion and Entry Into Service From the Fourth Quarter of 2012.

Airbus Claims the Sharklets Will Reduce Fuel Burn by Up to 3. 5 Per Cent, Giving an Annual Co2 Reduction of About 700 Tonnes Per Aircraft. The 2. 5m High Winglets Were First Flight-tested on A320 Test Aircraft Msn 001 Last December.

First South Carolina-built 787

Boeing Has Completed the First 787 to Be Assembled at Its New North Charleston, South Carolina Factory, the First Time a Boeing Airliner Has Been Built in the Southeastern Us.

The Milestone 787 Will Now Have System Checks and Engine Runs Before Flight Test-ing and Delivery to Customer Air India in Mid-2012.

Building at the New Site, Boeing’s Second 787 Final as-sembly Plant, Began in Octo-ber 2009 With 787 Assembly Beginning in June 2011. The Aim is to Build Three 787s a Month There by the End of Next Year, With the Plant Capable of Building Seven a Month.

Boeing South Carolina Also Manufactures, Integrates and Assembles 787 Midbody and Aftbody Fuselage Sections.

Atr Delivers 1,000th Aircraft

Atr Has Delivered Its 1,000th Aircraft, an Atr 72-600 for Span-ish Airline Air Nostrum.

The Franco-italian Company is Coming Off a Record 2011 in Which It Sold 157 Aircraft. High Fuel Prices Have Contributed to a Resurgence in Popular-ity for Turboprop Aircraft on Regional Routes, With Atr Saying Its Aircraft Accounted Last Year for More Than 80 Per Cent of Sales of Regional Aircraft With Fewer Than 90 Seats.

Atr Ceo Filippo Bagnato Said: “today, Atr Planes Are Present in Over 90 Countries and Are Flown by 180 Airlines. Few Programs Can Boast Such a Global Presence. ” a Joint Venture Between Alenia Aermacchi and Eads, Atr Delivered Its First Aircraft, an Atr 42, to French Airline Air Littoral in December 1985.

Embraer Order Book to Five-year Low

Weak Sales of Its E-jet Line Saw Embraer End the First Quarter of the Year With Its Lowest Backlog Since 2006.

The Results Underscored Doubts About Long-term Demand for Regional Jets Amid Soaring Fuel Costs and a Strug-gling Global Economy. Embraer Took in Only 12 New Orders for Commercial Jets in the First Three Months of 2012 as Its Backlog Slipped to a Value of Us$14. 7 Billion From a High of Us$21. 6 Billion in Late 2008.

By Contrast, Boeing and Airbus Have Both Seen Their Order Sheets Grow Thanks to Strong Demand for More Fuel Efficient Next-generation Jetliners.

The World’s Third Largest Aircraft Manufacturer, Embraer Reported First Quarter Deliveries of 21 Commercial Aircraft, in-cluding 13 E-190s, Six E-195s and Two E-175s, Up From 20 Deliveries in the First Quarter of 2011. Deliveries of Business Jets Rose From Eight to 13.

Boeing Hits 737 Milestone

Boeing Has Rolled Out Its 4,000th Next Generation 737, a 126-passenger 737-700 Destined for China Southern Airways. The Milestone Comes as Boeing Accelerates 737 Production to Whittle Down a Backlog of More Than 2,600 Orders. The Us Planemaker Hopes to Hit a Production Target of 42 Aircraft a Month by 2014.

Confusingly, Boeing Uses the ‘next Generation’ Moniker to Refer to Its Current Generation of the Popular Single-aisle Jetliner, Spanning the 737-600 Through -900, With the -700 and -800 Variants the Most Popular. The Next-next Generation 737, Known as the 737 Max, is Due to Begin Deliveries in 2017.

Boeing Says More Than 5,550 737s Are in Service World-wide – More Than a Quarter of All Large Commercial Jets.

Jal Begins 787 Flights

Japan Airlines Launched Non-stop Services From Tokyo to Boston Us-ing Its New Boeing 787.

The First Flight Arrived at Boston’s Logan Airport on April 22, Marking the First Ever Regularly Scheduled Non-stop Commercial Service Between the Two Cities.

In Other 787 News, Boeing Made What It Billed as the First Trans-pacific Biofuel Flight, Delivering a 787 to All Nip-pon Airways Powered in Part by Fuel Based on Cooking Oil.

Boeing Said the Flight Emitted About 10 Per Cent Less Carbon Dioxide Than One Traditionally Fuelled – and That the 787’s Carbon Com-posite Build Reduces Emis-sions by Another 20 Per Cent.

Commercial Briefs • Canadian Lcc Westjet Has Announced It Has Selected the Bombardier Q400 Nextgen to Meet Its Requirement for Up to 45 Turboprop Aircraft to Launch Its Regional Airline.

• Boeing 777: Eva Air (Taiwan) Has Finalised an Order for Three 777-300ers.

Military

Australia Pushes Back F-35 Buy, Citing Costs and Us Delay

Australia Will Push Back by Two Years Its Decision on Whether to Buy as Many as 70 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters, Defence Minister Stephen Smith Announced May 3.

Smith Said the Decision, Which Follows a Similar Move by the Us, Would Save Australia $1. 6 Billion Over the Next Four Years. Delaying the Purchases, However, Will Almost Certainly Add to the Eventual Cost of the Already Pricey Aircraft, Especially if Other Countries Follow Suit.

The Raaf Has So Far Ordered Two F-35as, Which Are Under Production and Are Scheduled to Be Delivered to a Us-based Test and Development Site in 2014. Australia Had Been Scheduled to Move Next Financial Year on Plans to Purchase a Further 12 F-35as Under Phase 2a of Project Air 6000, and a Further 58 F-35s Under Phase 2b, but That Decision Will Now Be Made in 2014-15, Smith Said.

Smith Told Reporters That a Decision on Whether to Purchase Other Fighters to Cover Any Capability Gap Left by the F-35 Delays Would Be Made by the End of This Year. He Has Previously Said That Buying Additional F/a-18f Super Hornets Would Be the “logical Option” to Fill Such a Gap, Though Consideration May Also Be Given to Extending the Raaf’s Nearly 30 Year-old Fleet of F/a-18a/b ‘classic’ Hornets.

Subsequently, the 2012-13 Budget Revealed the Government Has Also Planned a One Year Delay to Air 6000 Phase 2c for the Fourth and Final Op-erational Squadron of F-35s.

Nonetheless, “the Govern-ment Remains Committed to the Core Capabilities Out-lined in the 2009 Defence White Paper Including … the Joint Strike Fighter,” a Ministerial Statement Said.

The Us Announced Earlier This Year That It Would Delay the Acquisition of 179 F-35s Over the Next Five Years as Part of Larger Pentagon Budget Cuts. That Move Has Already Contributed to a Nine Per Cent Increase in the Pentagon’s Esti-mate of the Us F-35 Program’s Overall Cost, From Us$1. 38 Trillion to Us$1. 51 Trillion. The Us Has So Far Stood by Plans to Purchase 2443 of the Stealthy Fighters, but Its Deci-sion to Delay Early Purchases Has Drawn Criticism From Jsf Partner Nations – Includ-ing Australia – Who Say the Delays Will Add to Their Costs.

F-35 Delays Not the Only Ones in Budget

in Addition to a Two Year Delay in Acquisition of the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the Project to Acquire the P-8 Maritime Patrol Aircraft to Replace the Orion, Plus the Air 5428 Pilot Train-ing System Project, Have Both Been Delayed by 12 Months.

The Six-year Wait for a New Pi-lot Training System Under Air 5428 Phase 1 Has Been Extended Further With a New One-year Delay. The Draft Rft Was Origi-nally Due for Release to Industry in October 2011. This New Delay Will Push a Second Pass Decision Into the 2014-15 to 2016-17 Timeframe, Making the Origi-nal 2017-18 Ioc Timeframe Unachievable. (for Details See Our Feature From P38 of This Issue. ) Meanwhile, the Raaf’s Ap-3c Orions Will Have to Solider on a Year Longer Too, With the Program to Procure Eight Boeing P-8a Poseidon Maritime Patrol Aircraft Un-der Air 7000 Phase 2b Also Delayed by One Year. It Will Now Proceed Towards Formal Ap-proval in 2014-15 or 2015-16.

Shadow Operational in Afghanistan

the Australian Army’s New Shadow 200 Tactical Un-manned Aerial System (Tuas) Has Officially Begun Operations in Afghanistan, Providing Intelligence, Surveillance, Target Acquisition and Reconnaissance.

It Replaces the Scaneagle, in Operation Since Mid-2007. Chief of Joint Operations Ltgen Ash Power Said the Scaneagle Had Made Significant Contributions to Force Protec-tion and Situational Aware-ness, Operating an Average of 22 Hours a Day for the Past Four Years and 10 Months.

The Scaneagle Flew About 32,000 Hours in Afghanistan and Over 6,200 Missions in Support of Army Operations.

Lm Ready for Raaf F-35 Training

Lockheed Martin Stands Ready to Stand Up the Aus-tralian Training Contingent for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter Despite Delays to the Project in May’s Budget, the Company Has Said.

Speaking to a Media Tour of the Company’s Global Training and Logistics Business Unit in Orlando, Florida, Lockheed Martin’s F-35 International Training Program’s Man-ager Eric Christner Said the Pilot and Maintainer Training Site at Eglin Air Force Base Was Being Stood Up in Line With the Needs of the Ser-vices Taking F-35 Aircraft.

“it’s Really a [new Air Combat Capability Office] Decision How They Want to Go Forward. Initially, Pilots Will Be Trained in the Us, Either at Eglin [air Force Base], or the Pilot Training Centre Which Will Be Set Up at a Second Site. Maintainers Will Be Trained at Eglin,” Mr Christner Said.

“there Really Hasn’t Been Much Feedback Yet as to How the Plans Will Be Effected. ” Lockheed Martin Has Re-cently Delivered an Australian Sustainment Plan for the F-35 Program and a Response Was Due From Government in the Coming Months. Developed in Conjunction With the Raaf, Mr Christner Said the Plan Out-lined the Standing Up of Train-ing Facilities in Williamtown and Tindall, Including Schedule and Contracting Arrangements.

Mr Christner Said the Company Was Unsure of How the Budgetary Delays Would Impact on the Sustainment Plan, but Expected a Request for Update From Government After the Plan’s Delivery.

Mr Christner Said the 13 Services Requiring Training for the F-35 – Including Us Services and Partner Nations – Represented a Significant Challenge for the Develop-ment of a Training Solution.

“if You Look at Our Core Syl-labus, About 70 Per Cent of the Syllabus is Common to Those 13 Services. Of the Remaining 30 Per Cent, 15 Per Cent is Minor Differences in Nomenclature – Different Services Doing the Same Task but With Different Wording to Describe Them. The Remaining 15 Per Cent Are Due to the Three Variants of the Aircraft,” Mr Christner Said.

“we’re Very Happy With the Amount of Commonality We Were Able to Derive From This Design. Those Common Systems Make the Training Package More Cost-effective in Develop-ment and Provide for Afford-ability During the Life-cycle. ” the F-35 Integrated Training System Makes Use of Syn-thetic and Advanced Simulation Systems as Well as the Plat-forms Themselves. The System Also Includes Operational and Deployed Training Components Allowing for on-demand Train-ing and Mission Rehearsal.

In the Development of the System, Lockheed Martin Worked With Partner Nations to Develop a Baseline for Pilot and Maintainer Students Prior to Undertaking Training for the F-35. While the Baseline Would Require Recommenda-tions for Existing in-country Training Systems, Mr Christner Said That Most Partner Nations Had Higher Existing Standards Than the United States.

“many Partner Nations Take University Graduates for Training in Maintainer and Pilot Roles, While the United States Takes People With a High School Edu-cation. While the Assessment Included Recommendations for Some Services, in Most Cases This Wasn’t Required and Focused on a Common Understand-ing of Student Prerequisites. ”

Easa Gives Nod to A400m

Airbus Military’s A400m Airlifter Has Received Initial Type Certification From the European Aviation Safety Agency as It Moves Toward First Delivery Expected by the Turn of the Year.

Receipt of the Restricted Type Certificate is a Step Toward Full Civil Type Certi-fication, Which Airbus Says It Expects to Receive by Mid-year Following the Comple-tion of 300 Hours of Function and Reliability Flight Tests.

The Five-aircraft A400m Test Fleet Has Completed More Than 3,100 Hours in the Air Despite What Airbus Described as “con-tinued Engine Challenges”. The Airlifter Recently Toured Latin America and South-east Asia.

A400m Program Head Cedric Gautier Said: “achiev-ing Civil and Military Cer-tification of the A400m as Foreseen in the Program is an Immensely Challenging Task. It is Deeply Satisfying to Receive This Initial Certification. ”

C-5 Completes First Phase of Mod Program

Lockheed Martin Has Delivered the 79th and Fi-nal C-5 Galaxy Airlifter to Undergo a First Phase of Upgrades Under a Two-stage Modernisation Program.

The Avionics Moderniza-tion Program Incorporates a Mission Computer, Glass Cockpit With Digital Avionics, Autopilot System, and Updated Communications, Navigation and Surveillance Components. The Program Began in 1998.

Of the 79 Aircraft to Get the First Stage of Upgrades, 52 Are to Receive a Second Set Including New General Electric Cf6 Engines. These Aircraft Will Be Re-designated as the C-5m Super Galaxy.

Military Briefs

• a Raaf Kc-30a Has Set a New Adf Record by Carrying 220 Passengers and 14 Crew, the Most Ever to Take Off on a Single Raaf Flight. The 33sqn Aircraft Carried Passengers From the Australian Defence Force Academy on a Two-hour Flight From Defence Establishment Fairbairn, Canberra in March as Part of the Kc-30a’s Introduc-tion to Service. The Kc-30a, as the Raaf’s Airbus Mili-tary A330 Multi-role Tanker Transports Are Known, is Capable of Carrying 270 Passengers.

Airlines

Qantas Defers A380s in $400m Rollback, but Spruiks Domestic Expansion

Qantas Will Increase Capac-ity on Its Domestic Network but Will Defer Delivery of Two A380 Superjumbo Jets as Part of $400 Million in Capital Expenditure Cuts to Its Strug-gling International Business, the Airline Announced on May 4.

The Cuts Come on Top of a $500 Million Capex Reduc-tion Announced in February and Will See the Two A380s Scheduled to Arrive Next Year Pushed Back to 2016-17. Qan-tas is Slated to Receive Another Six A380s From 2018-19.

The Airline Said It Would Save Between $280 and $365 Million Over the Next Two Years Through a Range of “transformation Ini-tiatives,” Including Withdrawing From Money-losing Routes and Modernising Operational Prac-tices. The Cuts Will See the Qan-tas Group’s Capital Expenditures Drop From a Planned $2. 3 Bil-lion to $1. 9 Billion in 2012-13.

“our Priorities Remain to Build on Our Strong Domes-tic Business, Enhance Qantas Frequent Flyer, Turn Around Qantas International and Grow Jetstar in Asia,” Qan-tas Ceo Alan Joyce Said.

Joyce Said Qantas Had Completed Its Review of Plans to Consolidate Its Heavy Mainte-nance Operations in Australia and Would Announce Those Plans by Mid-may. Media Reports Have Indicated That the Airline Will Shed About 400 Jobs at Its Tullamarine Main-tenance Facility With Another 600-plus Jobs at Its Avalon Facility Likely to Go Within Two Years. Qantas Announced 500 Job Cuts as Part of the Previ-ous Round of Cuts in February.

Qantas Also Announced a Range of Plans to Increase Domestic Capacity in What the Airline Described as an Effort to Maintain Its Profit-maximising 65 Per Cent Share of the Domestic Market.

Those Plans Include Increased Peak Hour Services on Core Business Routes Between Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, the Reintroduction of Boeing 747 Services Between Sydney-perth and Increased Airbus A330 Services Between Melbourne- Perth. Qantas Said Jetstar Will Increase Its Capacity in Key Leisure Markets While Qantas-link Will Introduce Fokker 100 Services Between Brisbane and Emerald (Operated on Its Behalf by Alliance Airlines).

Those Changes Are Due to Take Effect in the Next Finan-cial Year Beginning in July.

Air Pacific to Become Fiji Airways Again

Fijian National Carrier Air Pacific Will Return to Its Maiden Name of Fiji Airways, Part of a Broader Overhaul of Its Image as the Partly Qantas-owned Airline Works to Turn Around Its Struggling Business.

The Airline, Which is 46 Per Cent Owned by Qantas, Has Been in the Midst of a Restructure Since It Reported a Record F$91. 8 Million Operat-ing Loss in 2009-10. The Carrier Bounced Back Last Year, Report-ing Losses of F$3. 6 Million.

The Airline Said the Name Change Was Part of the Final Phase of Its Overhaul and Was Designed to Strengthen the Carrier’s Links With South Pacific Tourism.

“globally There is High Consumer Awareness of Fiji as a Holiday Destination,” Said David Pflieger, Air Pacific’s Managing Director and Ceo. “we Want to Strengthen That Association and Also Promote Fiji in Every Country We Fly to. Returning to Fiji Airways Will Better Reflect Our Role as Fiji’s National Carrier, and Also Assist Fiji by Growing Tourism and Interest in the Nation. ” the Airline Said It Would Un-veil Its New Brand and Logo in July and Expected to Complete the Transition to New Livery by the End of 2013. The Carrier Was Known as Fiji Airways From Its Launch in 1958 Until 1970.

Qantas Has Been in Talks With Fiji’s Military Government to Sell Its Stake in the Airline Since 2010, Though the Talks Have Reportedly Stalled Over Price. In March, the Fijian Govern-ment, Which Came to Power in a 2006 Coup, Issued a Decree Barring Foreign Control of the Airline in Response to What It Said Was Qantas’s Excessive Power Over the Carrier. Qantas Denied That It Exercised Effec-tive Control Over the Airline.

Qantas Explains A380 Wing Cracking

Qantas Said It Has Found “limited Cracking” in the Wings of Each of the Three Airbus A380s It Had Inspected So Far in Accordance With an Easa Airworthiness Direc-tive Issued Earlier This Year.

The Company Said in a State-ment: “in Each Case Limited Cracking Has Been Found, in Fewer Than 10 Locations, and Repaired. All Three Aircraft Are Now Back in Service. ” the Airline Said the Cracks Were Found in Brackets That Attach the Wing Skin to the A380’s Wing Ribs. Similar Cracks Have Been Found Across the Global A380 Fleet.

Qantas Group Executive Olivia Wirth Emphasised: “no More Than One Qantas A380 Has Been Taken Out of Service for Inspections at Any One Time. The Inspection Schedule for A380s Has Been Planned in Advance and There Has Been No Disruption to Qantas Services.

“as Each Subsequent Qan-tas A380 Approaches 1,300 Flights It Will Be Inspected and, if Necessary, Repaired. ”

Qantas Spruiks Biofuels With A330 Flight

a Biofuel-powered Qantas A330 Took to the Skies on April 13 in an Australian First as the Airline Announced a New Government-backed Effort to Study the Feasibility of an Australian Biofuel Industry.

Qantas Ceo Alan Joyce Said in a Press Conference Ahead of the Sydney-adelaide Flight: “australia Has the Skills, Resources and Infrastruc-ture to Take the Lead in This Emerging Sector but There Are Also Significant Chal-lenges – Which is Why We Need to Establish a Clear Plan. ” the Australian Govern-ment Said It Would Put Up $500,000 to Back the Qantas Study, Which Aims at Finding an Economically Viable Source of Aviation Biofuel in Australia.

Like Other Airlines, Qantas Has Been Hit Hard by High Prices Over the Past Two Years, With Fuel Accounting for Its Largest Operational Expense. Qantas Already Has Raised Ticket Prices Twice This Year Because of This.

The Situation Has Put a Renewed Impetus Behind Ef-forts to Develop Cost-effective Alternative Fuels That Could Hold Down Fuel Bills While Also Cutting Emissions. Air-lines Around the World Have Launched a Variety of Initiatives to Develop Economical Sources of Aviation Biofuels, Includ-ing an Effort Backed by Virgin Australia and Airbus to Make Biofuel Out of Eucalyptus Trees.

Qantas Announced a Joint Venture With Us-based Com-pany Solazye Last Year to Study Algae-based Biofuels, Though That Effort Has Gone Quiet.

Its Heavily Touted A330 Flight Used a 50:50 Blend of Conventional Jet Fuel and Biofuel Derived From Cooking Oil. The Biofuel Was Supplied by Us Company Skynrg. Jetstar Also Made Its First Biofuel Flight on April 19 From Melbourne to Hobart Using the Same Fuel Blend.

Cfm Chosen for Jetstar A320neo

the Qantas Group Has Chosen Cfm Interna-tional Leap-1a Engines to Power Jetstar’s Future Fleet of 78 Airbus A320neos.

Jetstar is Due to Take the First of the Updated Single-aisle Jets in 2016. About Half Will Replace Existing Leased Aircraft While the Rest Will Support Jetstar Growth.

Featuring Upgraded Engines and Wingtip Sharklets, Airbus Says the A320neo Will Be About 15 Per Cent More Fuel Efficient Than the Current Genera-tion A320. It’s Available With Either the Leap or Pratt & Whitney Pw1000g Engines.

Qantas Ceo Alan Joyce Says the Leap Engines Were Chosen Because of Their Performance, Fuel Efficiency and Maintenance Program.

Ttf Hits Budget Over Customs Cuts, Fee Hikes

a Tourism and Transport Industry Group Says Changes in the Federal Budget Will Cut Funding for Customs and Airport Policing Despite Forecasts of a Substantial Increase in the Number of International Pas-sengers Traveling to Australia.

The Budget Also Increases Government Charges on Interna-tional Flights, the Tourism and Transport Forum (Ttf) Says.

“while Passenger Facilitation is an Essential Part of National Security, It is Also a Critical Experience for International Visitors,” Ttf Ceo John Lee Said. “we Will Be Saying to Our Overseas Guests, ‘welcome to Australia, Please Queue Up Over There for Up to an Hour While We Decide if You Can Come in’. ” According to the Ttf’s Anal-ysis, Funding for Passenger Fa-cilitation and Processing Under the Customs and Border Pro-tection Services Budget Will Fall by $6 Million to $212 Million for 2012-13, a Drop of About 2. 7 Per Cent. Funding Will Rise to $217 Million in 2014-15 and $219 Million the Following Year.

Passenger Movement Charg-es, Applied to Passengers De-parting Australia on an International Flight, Meanwhile Are Slated to Increase From $47 to $55 on July 1, Raising an Esti-mated $85 Million in Additional Revenue Next Financial Year.

Those Changes Come as International Passenger Move-ments Are Forecasted to Reach 38 Million in 2015-16, Up From 30 Million This Year. That Means That Total Revenues From the Passenger Move-ment Charges Alone Will Reach $3. 7 Billion Over the Next Four Years, the Ttf Says.

“it is Extraordinary to Think That International Passenger Movements Will Rise by 27 Per Cent Over the Next Four Years…while Funding for Passenger Facilitation Will Remain Stagnant,” Lee Said.

Virgin Reveals Terminal Enhancement Plans for Syd, Mel

Virgin Australia is to Up-grade Its Domestic Terminals at Sydney and Melbourne Airports, With Completion by the End of the Year.

Changes at Sydney Will Include a New, Two-level, 560-seat Lounge, Doubling the Size of the Existing One, Five New Narrowbody Park-ing Positions, the Ability to Accommodate Up to Four Widebody Airbus A330s at Any One Time, Refurbishment of Gate Lounges and More Seating and Removal of Exist-ing Pedestrian Travelators.

Changes at Melbourne in-clude New Flooring, Seating and Washroom Facilities “designed to Create More Space and Bring the Melbourne Terminal in Line With Virgin Australia’s Contem-porary Look and Feel”, According to Virgin Ceo John Borghetti.

Angry Passengers Get New Advocate

From July, Unhappy Air-line Passengers Will Be Able to Take Their Complaints to a New National Airline Customer Advocate.

Created in Response to the Federal Government’s National Aviation White Paper, the New Position Will Be Funded Jointly by Qantas, Virgin Australia, Jetstar, Regional Express and Tiger and Will Work With a Committee of Representatives From Each Airline to Resolve Complaints That Customers Have Been Unable to Resolve Directly With the Airlines.

The Advocate Will Aim to Resolve Such Com-plaints Within 20 Days.

The Advocate Also Will Moni-tor the Number of Complaints Received and the Main Causes of Complaints in Order to Identify “major Areas Where Airlines May Be Letting Their Customers Down”, According to Transport Minister Anthony Albanese.

Jetstar Japan Tix Go on Sale

Jetstar’s Japanese Start-up Began Selling Tickets on April 17 Ahead of First Flights Scheduled for July 3.

A Joint Venture Between Qantas, Japan Airlines, Mitsubishi Corporation and Century Tokyo Leasing Corporation, Jetstar Japan Says It Will Offer Fares for Up to 50 Per Cent Less Than Full Service Japanese Carriers.

Promotional Fares on Sale at the Airline’s Website Run as Low as a$50 One-way Tokyo-osaka. Other Initial Destinations Within Japan Include Sap-poro, Fukuoka and Okinawa.

Jetstar Says the Launch of the Japanese Offshoot Will Bolster Tourism to Australia by Offering Budget Options Connecting the Japanese Domestic Market With Jetstar’s International Services to Queensland and the Northern Territory.

“jetstar Japan is Good News for Australian Tourism. Con-necting Our International Service From Tokyo and Osaka With Our New Domestic Network Makes It Easier for Japanese to Visit Australia, Which is High on Their Holiday Wish Lists,” Jetstar Ceo Bruce Buchanan Said.

Jetstar Has Added 36 Weekly International Flights to Japan Since the Beginning of 2012 as It Paves the Way for the Japanese Launch. Jetstar Japan Initially Will Have a Fleet of Three Airbus A320s and Plans to Ex-pand to 24 Aircraft Within a Few Years. The Start-up Took Delivery of Its First Aircraft on April 26.

Nz-china Agree to Triple Flight Rights

New Zealand and China Have Agreed on an Expanded Air Rights Arrangement to Triple the Number of Flights Allowed Between the Two Countries. The New Arrangement Will Allow Three Daily Return Services From Each Country, Up From One.

Auckland Airport General Manager Charles Spillane Said That With China Southern Air-lines and Air New Zealand Now Operating Daily Return Flights Between China and Auckland, the Existing Cap Had Prevented Further Growth and Limited New Zealand’s Ability to Tap Into the Growing Chinese Market.

“this Announcement Offers a Major Medium-term Op-portunity for New Zealand to Achieve Some of Its Big Tour-ism and Trade Goals,” He Said. “the Size of the China Market Opportunity and the Projected Growth is Simply Extraordinary. ” However, Mr Spillane Noted That Australia Has About 10 Times as Many Air Connections to China as New Zealand, With China Southern Alone Planning to Increase Weekly Flights to Australia From 32 to 110 Over the Next Three Years.

But He Said the Increase in Available Air Rights Would Strengthen the Case for Airlines Looking to Expand Their Net-works: “having a Higher Ceiling on Air-rights is an Important Part of the Sales Process.

“committing to a New or Expanded Air Service as Part of a Global Network is a Major Decision for an Airline. As Well as Needing Confidence in the Business Case and the Market Opportunity, They Need Confi-dence in the Policy Environment, Including the Availability of Air-rights. This Announcement Will Give Them That Confidence. ”

Qantas Freight Targets Chinese Industrial Hub

Qantas Freight Enterprises is Running a Weekly Cargo Flight From Sydney to Chong-qing, China With Continu-ing Service to Chicago.

The Service, From April 20 and Operated by Atlas Air 747-400fs, Leaves Sydney on Friday Evenings as Qf7583, Arriving in Chongqing Early on Saturday Then Departing for Chicago via Shanghai That Afternoon. The Flight Returns as Qf7552 Arriving in Sydney Early on Monday.

Qantas Says the New Service Gives It Access to a Major Chinese Industrial Hub and Expand Its Presence in the Chinese Market to Nine Cities.

“qantas Freight Enter-prises is Very Confident in the Potential of Chongqing, Which is Home to Over 32 Million People and Hosts Many of the World’s Largest Hi-tech Electronic and Automo-tive Manufacturers,” Qantas Freight Enterprises Executive Manager Lisa Brock Said.

Virgin to Cut Gold Coast-townsville Flights

Virgin Australia Ended Its Thrice-weekly Flights Between Townsville and the Gold Coast From May 3 Due to Poor Demand. The Airline Says Continuing Revenue Losses Meant the Flights Were Scut-tled in Favour of Increased Services From the Gold Coast to Sydney and Melbourne.

The Move Comes as a Blow for Townsville, Which Has Emerged as an Important Hub for Fly-in/ Fly-out Mining Services. But Virgin Will Continue to Offer Direct Flights Between Towns-ville and Sydney, Brisbane, Rockhampton and Cairns.

The Townsville-gold Coast Service Has Been Offered on Monday, Wednesday and Satur-day Aboard an Embraer E-190.

Tiger Returns to Tassie

Tiger Airways Will Re-start Services to Hobart From November 1 as the Budget Carrier Continues to Rebuild Its Network Af-ter Last Year’s Grounding.

It Will Launch Two Daily Return Services From Its Mel-bourne Hub to Tasmania, With Flights Leaving Melbourne at 7am and 6pm and Returning From Hobart at 8:45am and 7:45pm. Tickets for the Flights Went on Sale on April 20. The Carrier Says It Also Will Launch a Third Daily Re-turn Service During Peak Periods Over Summer.

Tiger Was Forced to Dramati-cally Curtail Its Network After Returning to the Skies Under a Casa-imposed Daily Flight Cap Following a Six-week Grounding Over Safety Concerns Last Winter. But the Regulator Gradually Has Relaxed the Cap This Year.

Tiger Plans to Open a Second Base of Operations at Sydney Airport in July.

Garuda to Return to New Zealand

Indonesian Flag Carrier Garuda Has Signed a Memo-randum of Understanding With Auckland Airport to Re-open Air Links Between Indonesia and New Zealand.

Under the Mou, Garuda Confirmed Auckland Will Be Its First Destination in New Zealand “as Soon as Market Conditions and Aircraft Avail-ability Allow”. Garuda Flew to New Zealand via Brisbane Until 2006, When It With-drew From the Market.

Auckland Airport Gen-eral Manager Glenn Wedlock Said the Agreement Marked a Significant Step in Strength-ening Trade and Tourism Ties Between the Two Countries.

Airports

Sydney on the Up as Auckland Named Region’s Best Airport

Sydney Has Squeezed Its Way Into a List of the World’s Top 20 Airports While Auckland Airport Has Been Named the Region’s Best for the Fourth Straight Year.

Auckland Scored as the World’s 11th Best Airport Overall and Second-best Among Airports With 10-20 Million Passengers a Year. Sydney Came in at Number 20 Overall, a 20-place Improve-ment Over Last Year’s Survey, Which Made It the World’s Fourth Most Improved Airport.

The Rankings, Compiled by Skytrax, Were Based on More Than 12 Million Passenger Surveys Completed by Travel-lers From Over 100 Countries.

Seoul’s Incheon International Airport Was Named the World’s Best Overall With Singapore, Hong Kong, Amsterdam and Beijing Rounding Out the Top Five. London Heathrow’s Terminal Five Was Named the Best Airport Terminal.

Brisbane Took the Honours as Best Regional Airport in the Australia/pacific as Well as 34th Best Airport Overall. Melbourne Came in at Number 43, Gold Coast at 46, Adelaide at 75 and Perth as 80th.

Sydney, Delhi Airports Team Up to Pitch Direct Flights

Sydney and Delhi Airports Have Agreed to Work Together to Convince Airlines to Launch Direct Flights Between Australia and India, With Each Airport Saying the Other Represents Its Largest Potential Market Not Al-ready Served by Direct Air Travel.

But It May Not Be So Easy. Qantas Has Tried Direct Flights to India Before, Most Recently With Services From Sydney to Mumbai Between 2004 and 2009. These Were Cancelled in Favour of Flights via Sin-gapore, but the Singapore- Mumbai Flights Themselves Were Dropped Earlier This Year as Part of Larger Cutbacks in Qantas’s International Network.

Meanwhile, Indian Car-riers Are Struggling Badly to Stay Afloat Amid Spiralling Fuel Costs and Heavy Debt Burdens. Air India Reportedly is Los-ing Nearly $2 Million a Day While Kingfisher Airlines and Jet Airways Have Admitted Deep Losses in Recent Quarters. Malaysia-based Budget Car-rier Airasia X Also Recently Ended Its Services to India.

Still, Analysts Say India’s Growing Middle Class and Burgeoning Demand for Air Travel Make the Country a Potentially Lucrative Market.

Govt Extends Investor-friendly Deeds to Small Airports

the Australian Govern-ment Will Extend Tripartite Deeds to All Airports on Public Land in a Bid to Attract Financ-ing for Future Development.

The Deeds, Deals Between the Government, Airports and Finan-ciers, Help Attract Investors by Giving Financiers a Stake in Case Airports Go Out of Business or Lose Their Operating Licences. The Government Last Year Extended by 30 Years the Tripartite Deeds Covering 12 Major Airports, Clearing the Way for Planned Investment of Up to $9 Billion.

Federal Transport Minis-ter Anthony Albanese Says the Government Will Offer the Deeds to the Remaining Nine Airports on Land Leased From the Government – Hobart, Parafield, Archerfield, Tennant Creek, Camden, Essendon, Mount Isa, Jandakot and Moorabbin.

Cargo

Emirates to Launch 2nd Weekly Cargo Flight to Sydney

the Cargo Wing of Emir-ates Airlines Will Launch a Second Weekly Freighter Flight to Sydney in What the Airline Calls a Sign of Aus-tralia’s Growing Importance in International Trade.

Emirates Skycargo Began Operating a Single Weekly Boeing 777 Freighter Flight on Its Dubai-singapore-sydney- Hong Kong-dubai Route From Last Year. The Aircraft Can Carry Up to 103 Tonnes of Cargo.

General Aviation

Ga Shipments Down Amid Financing Worries

General Aviation Aircraft Shipments Fell 2. 1 Per Cent While Billings Tumbled Eight Per Cent During the First Quarter of 2012, According to Figures From the General Aviation Manufactur-ers Association (Gama).

Piston-powered Aircraft Ship-ments Fell From 188 in the First Quarter of 2011 to 184 This Year While Business Jet Shipments Fell From 128 to 122 and Turboprop Shipments Rose From 61 to 63. Total Shipments Stood at 369 Aeroplanes Against 377 Last Year. Billings Fell From Us$3. 68 Billion to Us$3. 39 Billion.

Gama Ceo Pete Bunce Said: “the First Quarter Shipment Data Shows Mixed Performance Across the Segments. Our Contin-uing Concern is the Lack of Avail-able Financing Around the World. ”

Business

Cessna Announces Citation Longitude

Cessna Has Announced Its Longest-range Business Jet, Un- Improving the Breed Bombardier Launched Its Six-seat Learjet 70 and Eight-seat Learjet 75 (Pictured) at the European Business Aviation Convention & Exhibition (Ebace) in Geneva in May. Updates of and Replacements for Its Learjet 40xr and 45xr, the Aircraft Feature New Honeywell 3,850lb (17. 1kn) Tfe731- 40br Engines and New Canted Wingtips, Yielding a Nine Per Cent Increase in Field Performance and a Four Per Cent Reduction in Fuel Burn. Other Features Include the ‘vision Flight Deck’ Based on Garmin’s G5000 Digital Avionics Suite and Cabin Improvements From the Forthcoming Learjet 85. Bombardier Says Entry-into-service is Planned for the First Half of 2013, and That It Already Holds Firm Orders, Letters of Intent and Other Commitments for More Than 50 Examples of the Two Models. (Bombardier) Veiling the Eight-passenger Su-per Midsize Citation Longitude at the European Business Avia-tion Convention and Exhibition in Geneva, Switzerland in May.

Listed at Us$26 Million, the Jet Features a 4,000nm Range and is Powered by Twin Silvercrest Engines Produced by Safran Subsidiary Snecma. The Cockpit Comes With Garmin G5000 Avi-onics and Touch-screen Controls.

Cessna Says It Expects the Aircraft to Enter Service in 2017.

Seat Configurations Inside the “stand Up” 1. 8m Tall Cabin Include a Dual-club Eight-seat Arrangement and a Four-place Forward Club With a Three-place Couch and Entertainment Credenza. Cabin-length Indirect Led Lighting is Provided Over-head in the Passenger Service Units With Variable Adjustment for Direct Reading Lights. For Long-distance Travel Comfort, the Cabin is Equipped With a Dual-zone Temperature Con-trol, a Fully Operational Galley With an Oven and Cold Storage Along With a Pressurised Water System. The Aircraft Features a Large Lavatory Equipped With a Vacuum-assist Toilet. The Cabin Also Features in-flight Access to a Spacious Baggage Storage Area.

As the Longest-range Busi-ness Jet in Cessna’s Product Line, the Longitude is Designed to Offer an Estimated Full Fuel Payload of 885kg, a Maximum Cruise Speed of 490kt True Airspeed and a Maximum Range of 4000nm (7408km). The Aircraft Will Have a Maximum Overall Wing Span of 26. 2m and Maximum Overall Length of 26. 5m With a Gently Swept Wing and Advanced Wing-lets for Greater Range, With Improved Hot/high Perfor-mance, Climb and Fuel Burn.

Support

Unisa Aviation School to Expand

the University of South Australia’s Aviation School Will Expand Its Facilities at Parafield Airport in Response to an Inter-national Pilot Shortage, Includ-ing New Pre-flight, Dispatch and Post-flight Teaching Facilities.

Academy Head of Avia-tion Neil Hyland Said: “this Will Significantly Benefit the Learning and Teaching at the Aviation Academy and Allow Us to Take on More Students Each Year, Which Will in Turn Impact on the Airline Industry. ” Mr Hyland Pointed Out Also That the Growth of Budget Carriers and the Rapid Expan-sion of Air Travel in Asia Had Led to a Pronounced Short-age of Qualified Pilots.

Air Safety

Casa Grounds Kimberly-based Alligator Airways

the Civil Aviation Safety Authority Has Grounded West-ern Australia-based Alligator Airways, Saying the Charter Carrier Poses a “serious and Imminent Risk to Air Safety”.

The Grounding Took Effect From May 3. Casa Then Ap-plied to the Federal Court for a 40-day Extension as It Continues to Investigate the Airline. A Request by the Airline to Resume Flights Was Denied by the Court.

Alligator Airways Bills Itself as “the Kimberley’s Favourite Airline” and Has Been Operat-ing Since 1983, According to Its Website. It Runs Charter Tours From Kununurra and Broome in Aircraft Including a Seven-seat Ga8 Airvan.

Casa Said It Had Served “a Number” of Show Cause Notices on Alligator Airways During 2011 and 2012 Over Concerns on Aircraft Maintenance, Failure to Report Incidents, Inadequate Pilot Training Records, a Deficient Safe-ty Culture, an Inability of Key Per-sonnel to Carry Out Their Safety Obligations and Key Positions Be-ing Unoccupied or Not Functional.

Since the Last Show Cause Notice Was Filed, Casa Said, the Airline Had Had Several Incidents Involving Forced Landings “where Casa Believes Employees of Alligator Airways Were Aware of Significant Defects Affecting the Safety of Aircraft Prior to Flight”.

Distracted Jetstar Pilots Forgot to Deploy Landing Gear, Atsb Finds

a Jetstar Airbus A321 Was Forced to Abort Landing in Singapore in 2010 After Both Pilots Forgot to Extend the Landing Gear in Time, Accord-ing to an Atsb Report.

The Report Said the Captain Was Distracted by His Mobile Phone During the Aircraft’s De-scent While the First Officer Prob-ably Was Suffering From Fatigue.

Jetstar Said It Had Made Several Training Changes as a Result of the May 27 2010 Episode, Including Requiring Pilots to Turn Off Their Mobile Phones as Part of Pre-flight Checks. The Airline Also Doubled to 1,000ft the Altitude at Which Pilots Must Finish Their Pre-landing Checks.

Flight Jq57 Landed Safely on the Second Attempt and Jetstar Claims the Incident Had Not Posed a Serious Safety Risk. Still, the Atsb Narrative Makes for Some Interesting Reading.

According to the Report, the First Officer, Who Was the Pilot Flying the A321, Vh-vww, During the Aborted Landing, Had Less Than Six Hours Sleep the Night Before in Darwin and Began Feeling Tired as the Flight Approached Singapore at About 6:30pm.

He Had Disengaged the Autopilot During Approach to Singapore’s Changi Airport “in Order to Hand-fly the Aircraft and ‘wake [himself] Up’. ” as the Flight Approached 2,000ft, the Crew Heard a Series of Incoming Text Messages Arrive on the Captain’s Mobile Phone, Which He’d Forgotten to Switch Off. About the Same Time, the First Officer Twice Asked the Cap-tain to Set a Missed Approach Al-titude Into the Flight Control Unit.

Not Receiving a Response, He Looked Over to Find the Captain “preoccupied With His Mobile Phone” and Set the Missed Approach Altitude Himself.

The Captain Told Investiga-tors That He Was Attempting to Unlock and Switch Off His Mobile Phone at the Time and Did Not Hear the First Officer’s Requests.

As the Flight Descended Below 1,000ft the First Officer Reported Feeling That “some-thing Was Not Quite Right” but Couldn’t Identify What It Was. The Captain Told Investigators He Noticed the Landing Gear Had Not Been Lowered and That the Flaps Had Not Been Set for Land-ing but Did Not Say Anything.

At 720ft a Master Warning and Continuous Triple Chime Alerted the Pilots That the Land-ing Gear Had Not Been Extended.

The Captain Told Investigators That He “instinctively” Lowered the Landing Gear and Deployed the Flaps After the Warning Chime Went Off, Though the Report Said It Took 4. 5 Seconds Until the Landing Gear Was Selected Down and More Than 11 Seconds Before the Flaps Were Selected.

Meanwhile, the First Officer Reported That He Was “confused” by the Captain’s Actions as He Was Preparing to Make a Go-around.

A Few Seconds Later, Another Alarm Went Off Warning That the Aircraft Had Descended Below 500ft With the Landing Gear Still Not Secured in the Down Position, at Which Point the Crew Aborted the Land-ing and Began a Go-around.

Both Pilots Told Investigators They Believed They Had Initiated the Go-around at an Altitude of Just Under 800ft Though the Investigation Found That It Had in Fact Begun at 392ft.

The Atsb Concluded: “the Investigation Identified Several Events on the Flightdeck During the Approach That Distracted the Crew to the Point Where Their Situation Awareness Was Lost. ” but the Investigation Did Not Identify Any “organisational or Systemic Issues” and Said the Crew Had Been Given Adequate Rest Time Before the Flight.

Qantas 747 Mishap Blamed on Ageing Engine Part

the Uncontained Failure of a Qantas 747’s Rb211 Engine Near San Francisco in 2010 Was Caused by the Fracture of an Ageing Engine Turbine Blade, the Atsb Has Confirmed.

Engine Manufacturer Rolls- Royce Already Had Concluded a Fatigue Fracture of a Single Stage-two Low Pressure Turbine Blade Inside the Rb211 Was to Blame for the Failure and Has Issued Service Bulletins Instructing Operators to Install More Robust Turbine Bearings.

Rolls-royce Said the Rb211 Engine Series Had Logged More Than 160 Million Flight Hours Since Its Introduction in 1972 and Had Been Used by 76 Airlines.

The August 30 2010 Engine Failure Occurred About 15 Minutes After 747-400, Vh-ojp, Departed San Francisco en Route to Sydney With 213 Passengers Onboard.

As the Aircraft Climbed Past 25,000ft, “severe Vibrations Were Felt Throughout the Aircraft” With Cockpit Instruments Indicating Damage to Engine Number Four. Cabin Crew Reported Sparks and Flames Coming From the Engine.

The Pilots Shut Down the Engine and Returned the Aircraft Safely to San Francisco After Jettisoning Some 70,000kg of Fuel. No-one Was Injured.

According to the Atsb Investigation the Fatigue Failure of the Turbine Blade Caused It to Fly Loose, Knocking Out Other Turbine Blades and Rupturing the Turbine Casing. Flying Debris Then Punctured the Engine Nacelle and Caused Slight Dam-age to the Wings and Flaps.

The Engine Had Last Been Serviced in May 2009, at Which Time the Turbine Blades Were Inspected, Overhauled and Refitted to the Engine. At That Time the Blades Were Estimated to Have Ac-cumulated About 80,000 Hours in Service. The Turbine Roller Bear-ing, With 71,885 Hours in Service, Was Also Inspected and Refitted.

Neither Part Had a Speci-fied Maximum Service Life and Both Had Been Maintained in Accordance With Published Standards, the Atsb Said.

People

Auckland Airport Boss to Step Down

Simon Moutter Will Step Down After Four Years as Ceo of Auckland Aiport to Take Over as Chief of Nz Telecom. Airport Current Chief Financial Officer Simon Robertson Will Take Over as Interim Ceo Until a Replacement is Found After Mr Moutter Leaves in August. N