Latest A330 Qantas arrival heralds cabin refit

Though most customers are likely to prefer the Skybed model to the ‘work space’ one, the problem is not so much that one version is better than the other as that there is no consistency between them, nor any easy way for passengers to know which they are going to get.

In response to a blogosphere backlash, Qantas CEO Alan Joyce has indicated that a fix might be in the works, saying he would present the airline’s board with a plan to replace multiple and outdated A330 configurations with top-line offerings. But there’s no timeframe for when that might happen – or any certainty that it will – and a Qantas spokesperson defended the airline’s current business class offerings, telling Australian Aviation that they get consistently positive feedback from customers.

Indeed, Qantas claimed the decision to move to A330s was in response to growing demand from the business

Alan Joyce has indicated that a fix might be in the works.

market on the transcontinental routes. Qantas domestic CEO Lyell Strambi said the airline had signed a number of new corporate accounts in recent months, “many of whom tried other airlines and returned to Qantas. ” “Other airlines”, of course, means Virgin Australia, which is also in the process of moving its transcontinental offering to the A330. But, like Qantas, Virgin’s A330s also have consistency issues, with three nearly-new planes flying alongside two hand-me-downs with aged IFEs and shaky reliability records (see our new ‘Cabin Pressure’ column elsewhere this issue).

For now, at any rate, business class passengers hoping to get some sleep on their way to Perth – or hoping for a little extra work space – will just have to take their chances.

We are “builders, not wreckers” – Joyce

Qantas boss takes aim at Geoff Dixon’s plot to wrest control of the Flying Kangaroo. Gerard Frawley

Proving where there is smoke there is fire, Qantas CEO Alan Joyce announced on November 28 his airline was withdrawing its sponsorship of Tourism Australia, citing a conflict of interest where Tourism Australia chairman – and former Qantas CEO – Geoff Dixon is involved in a move to wrest control of the airline.

“Many of you have been reporting on a club of investors taking a stake in Qantas, a club that includes some key players from the rejected APA private equity bid in 2007,” Joyce, speaking to the National Aviation Press Club in Sydney, said, referring to the consortium reported to include Geoff Dixon, former Qantas CFO Peter Gregg, retailer Gerry Harvey, advertising executive John Singleton and venture capitalist Mark Carnegie.

“Given that the Tourism Australia chairman is a member of that APA Mark 2 club we deemed it prudent to suspend our partnership with Tourism Australia,” Joyce said. That partnership is valued at $50 million over three years. Instead Qantas says it will work directly with state-based tourism bodies.

A key point of contention between Dixon and his backers and current Qantas management is the forthcoming Emirates alliance. Dixon has been a vocal critic of Middle East carriers such as Emirates, and is known to have, as Qantas CEO, rebuffed an approach from Emirates president Tim Clark mid last decade to form an alliance between the two.

Joyce noted that 98 per cent of Qantas shareholders supported the Emirates alliance plan. “We have undertaken research into how this partnership is viewed among customers and our staff. The numbers are overwhelmingly positive,” he said, calling Emirates a “killer” partner.

Said Joyce of his protaganists’ view on Emirates: “what’s very clear is that there is no support for the Emirates alliance. And we think that is a clear plank of us turning around international. ” Most pointedly, he said: “Those of us who are custodians of Qantas today see ourselves as builders,” Joyce said. “We will never be wreckers of this amazing company that belongs to Australia,” he said in pointed reference to his former friend and mentor in Dixon, whose plans for Qantas are reported to include selling off the Qantas Frequent Flyer program and parts of Jetstar.

Other highlights of Joyce’s speech and subsequent question and answer session included: – Conceding that the timetable to put in place the Emirates alliance in time for its April 2013 startup “is frankly a stretch”, as staff work over the Christmas break “negotiating airport slots, getting our IT infrastructure connected, developing joint systems and protocols for customer handling and experience, finalising codeshare, interline and frequent flyer arrangements. ” – Labelling Virgin Australia’s creation of a separate legal entity for its international operations as “a legal manoeuvre” where “Virgin’s international operations [are able] to be parked in a separate company to all intents and purposes owned by the listed Virgin Australia,” which, Joyce noted, was currently 65 per cent foreign owned. “So we’ll be talking to the relevant authorities about that. ” – Noting that the near doubling in the price of fuel from $65 to $112 a barrel since the Global Financial Crisis costs the Qantas Group “a billion dollars a year”. “Our profits would be at record levels if the fuel price had not doubled. ”

Game on for Virgin Australia

Strategic success strengthens Borghetti’s growing hold on domestic market. Julian Green

Virgin Australia’s annual general meeting in November signalled Game On to its rivals as the first phase of the airline’s transformation comes to a close and the second phase – certain to be of ongoing concern to domestic and international competitors – begins.

Posting solid growth across all key commercial and financial indicators, Virgin Australia chairman Neil Chatfield described the results as “as exceeding our own high expectations in transforming the company. ” Reflecting further on the airline’s successes in the last 12 months, Chatfield said Virgin Australia had established a global network through its four alliance partners Air New Zealand, Delta, Etihad and Singapore Airlines. He also noted the development and launch of business class for the domestic market, expansion of its regional network and relaunching international operations under the Virgin Australia brand.

These efforts have combined to increase the Group’s underlying profit before tax by $149. 1 million to $82. 5 million during 2011/12, based on strong revenue growth of 20 per cent to $3. 919 billion. Yield, which improved 12 per cent across the Group, shows the airline’s early successes in capturing a growing proportion of business travellers.

Chatfield said: “Our progress implementing the Game Change Program strategy has seen the business make significant inroads in diversifying earnings, as we now have a strong presence in both leisure and corporate markets. ” The growth of higher-yielding traffic has been one of the stand-out areas of success in the last 12 months for Virgin Australia. Of course it also presents the greatest threat to Qantas’s domestic viability.

Virgin Australia’s CEO John Borghetti said: “We have surpassed our target of 20 per cent of domestic revenue from the corporate and government market, seen strong growth of Velocity frequent flyer from 2. 5 million members in 2011 to 3. 2 million in 2012, and have driven a 113 per cent increase in high yield fares driven by corporate penetration and changes to fare class structure, network and product offering. ” Now it is Game On for Virgin Australia. It is bringing forward the next phase by a year.

With the intent of being “efficient and nimble” as the airline continues to grow, Game On – as the successor to Game Change – will deliver productivity gains of $400 million over three years. It also targets five million Velocity members by the end of 2015 and further enhancement to products and services.

Significantly, however, Game On relies on the continued use of Virgin Australia’s “global virtual network” to increase interline and codeshare revenue to around $150 million each year by the end of the 2015 financial year. This ambition will, at least in part, be supported by the airline’s move to a Sabre reservations system which will give better exposure of the airline’s products to retail and wholesale distributors worldwide.

Despite seeing the last 12 months’ performance as having created a solid foundation from which to execute the remainder of its five-year strategic plan, Chatfield was cautious about the ongoing global economic conditions and the effect they will continue to have on demand.

“While Virgin Australia currently anticipates an improved underlying profit before tax in financial year 2013 compared to financial year 2012 (excluding the impact of the proposed Skywest and Tiger acquisitions), the uncertainty in economic conditions and the particularly competitive environment precludes us from providing a profit guidance for the year. ” Also announced was an extension of Virgin Australia’s codeshare agreement with Singapore Airlines to cover more destinations in Australia, Asia, Europe and the UK.

In Australia, Singapore Airlines will now codeshare on all Virgin Australia domestic flights to 32 cities. Subject to regulatory approval the agreement will be extended early in 2013 to include trans-Tasman services to Dunedin, Queenstown and Wellington.

During the first quarter of 2013 Virgin Australia will codeshare on all Singapore Airlines’ east coast flights to Singapore and beyond to 64 destinations in Asia and 12 in Europe.

At the time of going to press, Virgin Australia had received approval from Singapore regulators for its planned outright acquisition of Skywest. Virgin awaits similar approval from Australia’s competition authority. Virgin Australia chairman Neil Chatfield described the results as “as exceeding our own high expectations in transforming the company. ”

Qantas launches customer Airbus iPad flight bag

iPad rollout on Airbus fleet continues to give paper charts the flick.

Qantas has become a launch customer for Airbus’s iPad cockpit applications. The electronic flight bag (EFB) will be used aboard all Airbus aircraft in the Qantas fleet.

The system will enable flight crew to consolidate paper manuals into electronic form and to compute aircraft performance calculations. Qantas and Airbus have been collaborating on EFB design and functionality since the intention to acquire the technology was first announced mid-year.

Qantas’s head of flight technical, Capt David Oliver, said: “We’re pleased to be working with Airbus on this innovative new EFB application, which will form part of the broader rollout of iPads to all Qantas pilots over the coming months. Qantas is committed to new technology that reduces paperwork in the cockpit and improves access to information for our pilots, and this app very much meets that requirement. ”

Super confusion around future RAAF fighter fleet

Smith procrastinates as more Super Hornet costs requested. Paul Caldwell

Defence Minister Stephen Smith and Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare announced on December 13 that Australia has sent a letter of request (LOR) to the US government for the possible purchase of 24 more Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets for the RAAF.

The announcement coincided with a declaration of final operational capability (FOC) for the RAAF’s extant Super Hornet fleet, and comes at the end of a year in which Smith had previously undertaken on several occasions to deliver a decision on Australia’s future air combat capability.

Parliament House sources tell Australian Aviation a comprehensive cabinet submission detailing multiple air combat capability options was handed to government in September, but that Smith had been “sitting on” the submission until it was presented to the National Security Committee – comprising the Prime Minister, Defence Minister, Treasurer, Foreign Minister and others as required – in early December. But rather than any decision being made it has instead been deferred to April 2013 at the earliest.

The options laid out in the cabinet submission included staying with the currently-planned AIR 6000 Phase 2A/2B plan to buy up to 72 F-35As from 2014 and declare an initial operating capability in 2020 or buying additional Super Hornets to mitigate the risk of a capability gap should the current classic Hornets not be able to reach their revised life of type (LOT) in 2022.

Ironically, the risk of any such gap forming – which Minister Smith has consistently said he would not tolerate – has dramatically increased due to government’s surprise May decision to defer the F-35 by two years ostensibly to “align” Australia’s F-35 acquisitions with that of the US. Despite RAAF and Australian National Audit Office investigations which show the classic Hornets should be able to fulfil their revised LOT, this would require substantial investment in fatigue management in the near to medium term and reduced flying hours and combat effectiveness in the out years.

A December 13 ministerial release points out the LOR does not automatically mean a follow-up order will be forthcoming. “The sending of this LOR does not commit Australia to purchase more Super Hornets. It is being sent so that the Government can further consider all options in 2013 with the latest and best cost and availability information. This has been made clear to both US officials and to the Defence industry. ” Industry observers point out most of the acquisition costs of the Super Hornet are already known to a fair degree of accuracy with estimates for 24 jets ranging from US$2. 8 to $3. 2 billion. So it is only the not unsubstantial peripherals such as spares, ground support, facilities, weapons, training and other equipment that would require updated pricing. This suggests a decision to buy more Super Hornets is more likely than not, as any potential cost variance of these items would probably not be enough to influence whether or not the ADF buys more Super Hornets or stays the course with the F-35 program.

Conversely, defence sources indicate the LOR has been submitted so the government can pre-empt the request and approval process – which can take up to six months – and so be ready to make a decision around budget time in 2013.

Regardless, the government knows that despite being a short-term low-risk option, there is currently no money in the budget forward estimates for 24 more F/A-18Fs especially given government’s stated goal of realising a budget surplus in 2013/14. Therefore funding for additional Super Hornets will probably be taken directly from that allocated to the AIR 6000 Phase 2A/2B plan to buy up to 72 F-35As further putting in jeopardy not only the F-35’s acquisition schedule, but also overall numbers of that aircraft.

There is currently no money in the budget forward estimates for 24 more F/A-18Fs.

Airline Briefs

China Eastern has inaugurated nonstop flights between Nanjing and Sydney. Operating three times a week, the new service will bring to 12 the number of flights each week operated by the airline. Nanjing will be served by China Eastern’s A330-300 with onward services to Beijing.

Hawaiian Airlines has operated its first nonstop flight between Honolulu and Brisbane. In so doing the airline has become the only US carrier to serve the Queensland capital. The first of the thrice-weekly flights using a 767-300ER touched down in Brisbane on November 28.

Regional Express has downgraded its profit guidance for the current financial year to between 25 and 35 per cent lower than its 2011/12 $35. 1 million profit before tax. Its previous guidance was between 15 and 25 per cent lower.

Garuda Indonesia will return to Brisbane from August 2013 after vacating the route three years ago. The airline is now seeking to cash in on growth in travel demand between Australia and Indonesia, which in the first half of this year increased 20 per cent over the same period last year. The route between Brisbane, Denpasar and Jakarta will be operated by new 737-800s six times a week.

Air New Zealand will operate a second season of nonstop services from the Sunshine Coast to Auckland. Twice-weekly services will operate between June 18 and October 13 2013 and follows the success of inaugural seasonal direct flights this year. The Tuesday and Sunday services will be operated by A320s.

Tiger prowls for new CEO

Andrew David leaps to Jetstar as budget airline celebrates fifth birthday. Julian Green

Tiger Airways’ CEO Andrew David has reportedly accepted a newly-created role at Jetstar as CEO of the airline’s long-haul business. The former Virgin Blue and Air New Zealand executive has occupied the top role at Tiger for a little more than 12 months. During that time he has played the lead role to right-shape the airline after a disastrous 2011 and was in the early stages of setting the strategy for Tiger under new majority ownership by Virgin Australia. David moves to Jetstar at a time of likely further development of the airline’s network with the delivery of the 787s from the third quarter. He will stay in his current role while a new CEO for Tiger is found and an orderly transition is in place. However, he is expected to take up the new role at Jetstar in June.

Tiger Airways has celebrated its fifth anniversary of flying in Australia and as the airline approached another milestone – its 10 millionth passenger – Tiger’s tale is far from being finished. In fact, it could just be beginning – again.

Amid the revelry of the birthday celebrations of ticket giveaways and promotional fares, Tiger’s commercial director Carly Brear said: “Last August, Tiger Airways Australia re-launched the airline with an absolute commitment to delivering safe, affordable, reliable air travel with friendly and professional service. We are extremely excited about what the next five years holds for Tiger. ” This optimism comes not just from recovering after the public misadventures of July 2011 when the airline was grounded by safety authorities or the resulting calamitous effects on reputation and bottom line alike, but more from the sharpening Tiger’s claws will get from Virgin Australia as a new majority shareholder.

Under the planned 60 per cent majority ownership by Virgin, Tiger – as a true low-cost airline – will become a strongly competitive force against Qantas and Jetstar, the latter having lost much of its low-cost potency after acquiring more complexity (and cost) since its inception in 2004.

But even before the surprise announcement was broken about Virgin Australia’s planned interest in Tiger, the upstart start-up had been progressively recovering its lost ground.

In the last 12 months Tiger has launched a raft of new destinations to gradually claw back territory lost post-grounding.

Twice-daily flights have been scheduled between Melbourne and Adelaide. The services have been timed for business travellers, while the capacity will also benefit South Australia’s tourism industry.

Meanwhile, the airline re-introduced twice-daily flights between Melbourne and Hobart, representing more than 5,000 seats a week between the two cities. The services have been welcomed by the Tasmanian government, which it says will further boost inbound tourism. Tiger’s re-entry to Tasmania came a week after Qantas announced a significant upgrade of capacity to Hobart, Launceston and Devonport.

Soon after announcing the growth of interstate services, Tiger announced its first intra-state route – between Sydney and Coffs Harbour – starting February 15. In total 1,400 seats a week will be flown between the centres, which will be boosted in March with the addition of a fifth weekly service.

Had it not been for the lifeline thrown to it by Virgin, Tiger would no doubt have limped on bravely until Singapore Airlines decided to either inject more working capital or to close it down. Having decided to part with a large portion of its loss-making enterprise to Virgin, the capital injected into the business through the deal will allow Tiger to grow its fleet and acquire an energy it had been sapped of in recent years.

At five, Tiger has been given a third and final chance to inject welcome competition into the vaguely familiar scenario of duopoly. We will see whether at six Tiger has graduated.

China’s J-15 goes to sea

Chinese media has shown footage of the J-15 fighter successfully landing on and taking off from the nation’s first aircraft carrier, the Liaoning. “Capabilities of the carrier platform and the J-15 have been tested, meeting all requirements and achieving good compatibility,” the Xinhua News Agency reported on November 25. The J-15, evidentally based on the Sukhoi Su-33, is the first Chinese-built fighter to land on an aircraft carrier deck.

Service ready – RAAF declares Wedgetail IOC

Long delayed RAAF AEW&C platform reports for duty. Michael Gisick & Gerard Frawley

Years late and hundreds of millions of dollars over budget – it’s a familiar refrain when it comes to the world’s top defence projects. But in the case of the six Boeing-built Wedgetail AEW&C aircraft that achieved initial operational capability – IOC – with the RAAF in November, it’s the manufacturer rather than Commonwealth taxpayers on the hook for the cost overruns – a fact that might place the Wedgetail among the bigger bargains in the history of Australian defence acquisition.

Originally announced under Project AIR 5077 in December 2000, the Wedgetail program hit a series of delays due to immature technology and problems with systems integration, eventually pushing back delivery by more than five years. But since the aircraft was acquired under a fixed-price rather than a developmental contract, Boeing was left with the choice of either shouldering the cost of the overruns itself or cancelling the program. It chose the former and has lost several hundred million dollars in the process.

Of course, Boeing will hope to recoup those costs through international sales of the Wedgetail platform, which is based on its 737 commercial airliner. So far, South Korea and Turkey have signed on for their own version though sales have been slowed by global defence cuts.

The result for Australia – though it arrived much later than expected – is an aircraft defence officials unequivocally describe as the world’s top aerial control platform. “The Wedgetail is the big brain in the battlespace,” Minister for Defence Materiel Jason Clare said in announcing the Wedgetail’s attainment of IOC.

Using Northrop Grumman’s Multi-Role Electronically Scanned Array (MESA) radar rather than the rotating radar antenna of other AEW&C aircraft, the Wedgetail is capable of simultaneous air and sea search, fighter control and area search. The development of the platform included a number of firsts: the first time the MESA radar has flown on a surrogate aircraft, the first air-to-air refuelling of a 737 and arguably the heaviest modification ever of a 737 variant.

“This capability is fundamentally different in that [other AEW&C] platforms are all based on mechanically-scanned radars,” says Air Vice-Marshal Chris Deeble, the DMO’s Wedgetail project manager. “We’ve got a multi-role electronically-scanned array that is a very, very flexible radar in terms of what you can do in the air, with the ability to scan rapidly, to go back and revisit targets…to sector scan and stare down an area while still maintaining 360-degree awareness. ” That combination of capabilities, Deeble added, “doesn’t exist with a lot of those mechanically-scanned systems. ” The six Wedgetails based with 2SQN at RAAF Williamtown are already changing the way the RAAF does business, Deeble says. “The fighters operating out of Williamtown…are able to get a much richer picture than they’ve ever seen. They’re not having to communicate over the radios but instead are using data links. So the nature of our operations is moving away from just talking over a radio into a true electronic environment where now you’re sharing data and are able to make decisions more rapidly. ” Deeble says the Wedgetail has also put in strong performances during a series of deployments to multi-lateral training exercises over the past year including Cope North in Guam and Red Flag in Alaska.

“We’ve been controlling a range of aircraft including F-22s – real high-end capabilities,” Deeble says. “And all of those people have come back to us and said, ‘that’s the best controlling we’ve seen. ’

They want us there for every one of their exercises, so that’s the measure of the capability. ” But Deeble says development of the Wedgetail platform will continue with DMO already looking at upgrades to the mission computer, radar and ESM systems. Maintaining interoperability with the US and other allies is also a concern, as will be interoperability with the P-8A Poseidon maritime surveillance aircraft schedule to be acquired under Project AIR 7000.

“That’s the next step I see for Wedgetail,” Deeble says. “How do you bring those two platforms together, getting the commonality where it makes sense to do so and then continuing to build what will be a very coherent and aligned intelligence, surveillance and response capability across the maritime and air domains?” For Boeing, whether the Wedgetail proves a success or a failure will depend on future sales, though development of the platform has also contributed technology to other programs. But Tim Peters, Boeing’s vice president and general manager of surveillance and engagement said he hoped the Wedgetail IOC would send a larger message about the company’s commitment to its product.

“I would hope from the Commonwealth’s perspective that they would see the Boeing team – Boeing, Northrop Grumman and BAE – as contractors that honour their commitment,” he said. “We think we’re here for the long haul. ”

We’ve been controlling a range of aircraft including F-22s – real high-end capabilities. And all of those people have come back to us and said, ‘that’s the best controlling we’ve seen’.

New milestones for F-35

Latest F-35 buy agreed as flight tests continue.

Victoria’s aviation hub strategy

The Victorian state government is aiming to “aggressively” wrest back aviation business lost to other states in recent years through the creation of what it calls a ‘national aviation precinct’.

Announcing the strategy, the government has signed an agreement with maintenance, repair and overhaul operator John Holland as a cornerstone partner to help attract new inward investment and businesses from other states.

Victorian aviation minister Gordon Rich-Phillips said the government would: “…aggressively seek to attract aviation businesses from other states and internationally to establish the precinct as the leading aviation hub in the Asia Pacific region. ” It is hoped more private sector participation will emerge around the John Holland facilities to form a cluster of specialist aviation companies including component suppliers and training institutions.

The F-35 Joint Strike Fighter flight test program has accomplished another milestone with a conventional takeoff and landing (CTOL) F-35A achieving the jet’s maximum 50-degree angle of attack. The goal was reached in only four test flights and breaks the previous 20 degree limit imposed on test aircraft until controllability was proven. High angle of attack tests will continue on the F-35A for several months, according to the manufacturer, to further test the capabilities of design loadings and the flight control system.

Meanwhile, after protracted negotiations which have taken almost a year, the US Dept of Defense and Lockheed Martin have reached an in-principle agreement on the fifth low rate production lot (LRIP 5) for 32 F-35 Joint Strike Fighters. JSF Program Executive Officer VADM David Venlet said: “It’s been a long journey, but I’m pleased we’ve achieved an agreement that is beneficial to the government and Lockheed Martin. Production costs are decreasing and I appreciate everyone’s commitment to this important negotiation process. The LRIP-5 agreement will end the year on a positive note and sets the table for the program to move forward with improving business timelines for the greater good of all the nations partnered with us. ” Under LRIP 5, Lockheed Martin will build 22 F-35As, seven F-35Cs for the US Navy, and three F-35Bs, most of which will be delivered in 2013 and 2014. Previously allocated funding has already allowed for the manufacture of key long-lead components of these aircraft. To late November, 63 F-35s have been contracted under LRIPs 1-4, while 29 LRIP aircraft and 19 System Development and Demonstration (SDD) aircraft have been delivered to US training and test bases.

Also in November the F-35 program surpassed 5,000 flight hours. Lockheed Martin said in early December that since the program’s first flight in December 2006, F-35s have flown 3,464 times. This total includes: 91 flights from the original test aircraft, AA-1; 2,510 SDD test flights; and 863 production-model flights.

First Flight

Embraer’s new midsize Legacy 500 business jet has made its maiden flight. The aircraft is the first in its class to incorporate fly-by-wire technology and full height cabin. The fourth in what the manufacturer calls a clean-sheet design, the Legacy 500 boasts a range of 3,000nm, a cruise speed of Mach . 82 and maximum operating altitude of 45,000ft. Deliveries of the new aircraft are planned for 2014. The smaller Legacy 450 is due to enter flight testing in one year. photo: embraer

Orion Middle East deployment ends

After a decade on duty, RAAF Orions return from the Middle East. Paul Caldwell

RAAF AP-3C Orions deployed to Operation Slipper in the Middle East Area of Operations (MEAO) have returned home after nearly a decade of continuous operations.

The aircraft, based with 10 and 11SQNs at RAAF Edinburgh near Adelaide, were first deployed in 2003 to provide intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance support to forces in the Middle East, including Iraq, the Persian Gulf and Afghanistan.

It was during Operation Slipper that the AP-3C’s overland surveillance role has evolved, aided by the addition of new radar, optical, and ESM sensors integrated under Project Sentinel in the late 1990s and subsequent capability assurance program (CAP) upgrades, and the rumoured modification of at least two (still officially unacknowledged) dedicated electronic intelligence (ELINT) sensor equipped aircraft. The RAAF operates 18 AP-3Cs, none of which carry external tail number markings.

Overland tasks in Afghanistan included ELINT and communications intelligence (COMINT), convoy protection, area surveillance, and communications relay missions. More recently, 92WG Orions conducted counter-piracy missions around the Somali coast and in the Gulf of Aden.

The return of the AP-3Cs was facilitated by a build-up of unmanned surveillance aircraft such as the General Atomics Predator and Reaper, and the proliferation of smaller commercially-derived aircraft such as the US Army’s Beech King Air-based MC-12 Liberty in the region. The ADF has also increased its own unmanned surveillance capabilities with operations by the Kandahar-based 5 Flight and their IAI Heron system, and Army’s recently deployed Shadow 200 UAS.

Throughout the nine-and-a-half-year detachment, about 3,500 personnel from 92WG were deployed with the aircraft. The aircraft were initially based at Al Udeid in Qatar before moving to Bahrain, and were most recently based out of Al Minhad Air Base near Dubai in the UAE.

Further CAP upgrades are planned over the next few years to address capability and obsolescence issues, before the AP-3C is replaced from 2017 under Project AIR 7000 Phases 2 and 1B by the manned Boeing P-8A Poseidon, and later by an unmanned system such as the MQ-4C Triton broad area maritime surveillance (BAMS) variant of the Northrop Grumman Global Hawk respectively.

Aeromil Pacific opens new training facility

The Aeromil group has opened a new flight training centre at Sunshine Coast Airport.

The purpose-built Flight Options Flight Training Centre will provide courses for all private and commercial licences and endorsements up to and including business and corporate aviation training.

The facility incorporates simulator rooms equipped with category B simulators and Garmin G300 glass cockpit technology, full motion Citation Mustang simulators, classrooms and briefing rooms.

Aeromil Pacific managing director Steve Padgett said: “Many people talk to us about buying an aircraft and learning to fly, there are also many mature, successful individuals, with the means and application to learn to fly, but existing flying schools and old aircraft have just not motivated them to try. We aim to change that with our new flight training centre and promote flying once more as a satisfying pastime and challenging pursuit, as much as a route to a career in aviation. ” Meanwhile, Hawker Pacific has sold the first diesel-powered Twin Diamond in Australia following a successful demonstration tour of the aircraft. The DA42-NG has been sold to Australian Wings Academy for use at its Gold Coast training facility.

Tiger takes action following ATSB report

Tiger Airways has implemented an auditable process for identifying and managing navigational database anomalies that were a primary contributor to the incident on June 7 2011 that allowed the crew of an A320 on approach to Melbourne to descend 500ft below the minimum altitude of 2,500ft, the ATSB has said in its report on the incident.

The crew had been relying on incorrect information loaded into the aircraft’s flight navigation systems and had not picked up an anomaly between the incorrect information displayed on the aircraft’s electronic systems and paper charts that showed the altitude limitation.

In its findings on the incident, the ATSB said: “… there was an increased risk of inadvertent non-compliance with published instrument approach procedures because of the inconsistent application of the operator’s safety management system to the identification and management of database anomalies. In addition, different assumptions by the data suppliers and the operator compromised the quality assurance of the navigational data. ” It wasn’t until air traffic controllers intervened while the aircraft was 17km from the airfield that the crew re-established the aircraft on the correct approach altitude.

“This occurrence reinforces the safety benefits of a resilient safety management system and operator procedures in the management of safety-critical database and other information. ”

PC-9 marks 25 years in RAAF service

The RAAF and Pilatus have celebrated the 25th anniversary of the Pilatus PC-9/A turboprop trainer entering Australian service.

First delivered on November 24 1987 and having since amassed 440,000 hours across a current fleet of 63 aircraft, the PC-9 is in service with the RAAF’s flying training units at East Sale (CFS) and Pearce (2FTS), 4 Squadron at Williamtown and the Aerospace Operational Support Group (with ARDU) at Edinburgh.

The PC-9/A is expected to remain in service at least through to 2016 until it is replaced under the AIR 5428 project, for which the Pilatus PC-21 and Hawker Beechcraft T-6 are likely to be contenders.

Third runway for Melbourne

A new east-west runway will be included in Melbourne Airport’s masterplan when it is submitted to the federal government later this year. The 3,000-metre east-west runway is needed to accommodate the expected increase in traffic by 2018/20 when the airport’s passenger throughput is projected to reach 40 million. The east-west configuration of the runway was selected on community and environmental grounds as much as it was on operational considerations. The cost of the project is estimated to be $500 million with a construction period of between two and four years.

Top gong for Melbourne at Australian airport awards

Melbourne Airport is the Australian Airports Association (AAA)’s capital city airport of the year in recognition of its new international arrivals and improved baggage facilities. Major airport of the year was won by Sunshine Coast airport for its development of international air services, while regional airport of the year was bestowed on Learmonth Airport for the introduction of a heliport operation.

Will it ever end?

Pressure mounts for a second airport decision. Julian Green

The aviation industry has finally come together to present the federal government with what is as close to an ultimatum as there has been to break the 66-year old deadlock on airport capacity for Sydney.

Yes – 66 years. It’s little wonder the aviation community is becoming frustrated by the apparent inability of politicians to make a decision on an issue that is central to local, state and national economies as much as it is to the health of aviation itself.

As reported in The Australian Financial Review (AFR), airlines, infrastructure analysts and aviation experts presented a compelling case to the federal government in November for it to abandon Wilton as the preferred site for a second airport in the Sydney Basin and to revert to Badgerys Creek, itself abandoned in 2009 by the current government.

Each of the major Australian airlines supported by Rex, DHL, China Southern and leading aviation analysts have implored the federal minister for infrastructure and transport to end decades of vacillation and commit to a decision. The participants in the discussions have demanded a new airport be operational within 10 years to avoid what they see as a looming collision with economic well-being.

The AFR report prepared from minutes it obtained of the meeting between the federal government and industry leaders said: “Kingsford Smith is closer to capacity than Sydney Airport Corporation Limited (SACL) will publicly state”. In reply to the assertion, SACL reaffirmed its view that Sydney Airport could meet demand through to 2045. It is a frankly absurd statement when airlines already cannot obtain slots at peak times and the management of air traffic intensifies to extract what minimal capacity remains within the politically-driven artificial cap on aircraft movements.

But even though the federal government has opened its ears – at least diplomatically – to industry calls, the NSW state government remains resolute on there being no second airport in the Sydney basin at all.

The NSW government is said to be close to an announcement on the airport issue. But how it reconciles its internal fractures on the issue will be interesting to see.

And what of Canberra? The potential solution Canberra could provide was not mentioned at the AFR-reported meeting in November. However, the quiet reality is that Canberra is a viable solution if for no other reason that it would stand to break New South Wales’ aero-political incapacity. However, Canberra still wouldn’t be immune to it.

The recent controversial approval by the NSW government to allow the development of residential areas in the southern approach and departure paths near Canberra Airport – at Tralee in NSW – has already heightened noise issues.

And brilliantly, in one deft move O’Farrell sank his own ambitions to take the problem out of the Sydney basin and make Canberra a serious second airport contender.

To this point it seems everyone has an opinion and an idea. But no-one has the perspicacity – or intestinal fortitude – to actually make a call. Politicians seem incapable, it seems, of making a strategic decision that goes beyond their term in office. In every sense it is their responsibility to make decisions, not abrogate responsibility to their successors.

But this inaugural – and timely – united position by the airline industry surely gives greater impetus to a solution. The industry has laid down its cards and clearly given governments at all levels an ultimatum, one in which governments cannot avoid collateral economic impact if they fail to deal with the airport capacity crisis decisively.

Beginning of the end for Qantas Roller 767s

Looking rather well used, former Qantas 767-300ER VH-ZXB departed Sydney on December 11 bound for Roswell, New Mexico, where it will go into storage.

ZXB was delivered to Qantas on the airline’s 80th anniversary on November 16 2000, initially on lease from British Airways at the height of commercial and operational co-operation between the two airlines. It is the first of the seven Rolls-Royce RB211-powered 767s in the Qantas fleet to be retired. Qantas subsequently purchased all seven 767s from BA outright.

Qantas disconnects in-flight Wi-Fi

Qantas has disconnected in-flight Wi-Fi on its A380 fleet after a nine-month trial saw customers shy away from the service due to high costs and slow speeds. The airline said in a statement that only about five per cent of passengers were using the service. The airline rolled out the Wi-Fi trial in March across six A380s operating between Australia and Los Angeles.

Another problem was the service’s relatively slow speeds, with customers reporting it usable for email or other text-based sites but not much else – a pricey proposition given the costs.

The service, provided by OnAir using Immarsat’s SwiftBroadband and global satellite-based connections, allowed passengers to connect to a wireless signal and purchase internet access much as they would at a hotel or other public hot-spot.

The trial came as Qantas and other airlines pursue a variety of new inflight entertainment and connectivity options. Following what the airline described as a successful trial this year, Qantas is moving ahead with a rollout of its QStreaming IFE, which delivers wireless entertainment content to iPads.

Emirates and Singapore Airlines both continue to offer inflight Wi-Fi on services to and from Australia.

Industry unites on aviation policy

Aviation associations attempt to push aviation up government’s agenda. Julian Green

The breadth of Australia’s aviation industry has united forces in the hope of influencing federal and state governments towards policies that promote and support aviation.

The Australian Aviation Associations Forum (AAAF), whose participation includes aerial agriculture, flight training, business aviation, maintenance and repair organisations, regional airlines and aero clubs, is aimed at unifying the industry’s strength in the political sphere and to push the strategic, social and economic significance of aviation further up the political agenda.

“This is about being on the front foot,” forum chairman Chris Manning said. “If we’re asked ‘what does the aviation industry want?’ we need to be able to respond with carefully-considered views on what are the fundamental issues to our industry,” he told Australian Aviation.

“We do not want to criticise the government when it’s not due, but we must be heard,” Manning said. “With the policies the forum has put together, we can be pro-active with the government rather than simply be recipients of decisions that may have an adverse impact on us. ” The 24-page policy produced by the forum covers the multitude of issues currently facing the industry from fostering and promoting aviation, regulatory reform and education and training to maintenance, airports security and insurance.

“We want to put aviation higher on the government agenda,” Manning explained, adding the aviation policy the forum has developed is not necessarily to be considered a ready blueprint for government and decision-makers to adopt, but “a representation of the priority issues that influence the success – or failure – of our industry. ” The AAAF’s aviation policy comes at a time when heat is growing around Sydney’s second airport. In late November a coalition of industry heavyweights representing Australia’s leading airlines and infrastructure analysts met with the federal minister for infrastructure and transport to persuade the government to make a decision on a second airport for Sydney.

The creation of such prominent industry coalitions represents a new dynamic in the relationship between the government at political and bureaucratic levels and the aviation industry.

With two blocks now formed that represent all levels of industry – from the regions to the big end of town – the government cannot as easily ignore or dispel the cries of aviation operators for fair access and reasonable consideration of the industry’s needs.

As forum chairman Chris Manning said: “It has been decades since a single government agency has taken on the role of fostering and promoting aviation in Australia”.

In an ideal world, he said, a dedicated aviation minster would no doubt apply the focus aviation warrants.

“But being practical and pragmatic about it, the establishment of a parliamentary secretary for aviation would be a sound conduit between industry and the government,” Manning said.

While the AAAF pushes forward the idea of aviation being higher on the government agenda, the forum’s chairman has also told his members they can’t now rest on their laurels having despatched their policy to the Hill.

“This is a marathon. What industry needs to do now is to pro-actively continue the process by engaging with policy decision-makers,” he said.

This is the first time the government has been faced with such a tumult of co-ordinated strategic concern covering the breadth of industry.

For the industry it’s a case of many voices being louder than one. It also clearly signals that the aviation agenda deserves to be higher among government’s many priorities. The feeling is right now that perhaps it’s not.

That may be about to change.

First A350 structurally complete

The main structural assembly of the first flyable A350 has been completed in Toulouse. Having successfully powered-up the aircraft’s fuselage and wings, MSN-001 was moved from the main assembly hall in readiness for hydraulic system testing and a full electrical and hydraulic power-on by the end of the year. The aircraft will then progress to a series of extensive production and certification tests, be painted and then prepared for its first flight in mid-2013.

The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has unveiled an initiative that distils investigation findings trends in occurrences into a single website for benefit of continual safety improvement. ATSB chief commissioner Martin Dolan said when inaugurating Safety Watch: “The information we receive from occurrence reports and our investigation findings allows the ATSB to monitor overall trends in transport safety. From these trends, we can determine the main risk areas or priorities currently facing Australian transport. ” The largest business jet order in Bombardier’s history has been placed by executive jet operator VistaJet in a deal worth a potential US$7. 8 billion. The order includes up to 142 Global business jets comprising a firm commitment to 56 aircraft and options for a further 86. Twenty-five Global 5000s and 25 Global 6000s will be delivered from 2014 while the 7,900nm-range Global 8000, which remains in design, will be delivered once production and certification have been completed.

The Dassault nEUROn unmanned air combat vehicle demonstrator has made its first flight from the French air base at Istres near Marseilles in southern France. The low-observable full-scale demonstrator program, which features an arrow-shaped air vehicle with a 12m wing span powered by a single RTM Adour engine, is being managed by the French DGA (Directorate General of Armament) in conjunction with prime contractor Dassault. Other team members include Alenia Aermacchi, EADS, Hellenic Aerospace Industry, Ruag, Saab and Thales. Initial trials will continue to be conducted from Istres before operational testing is conducted in Sweden and Italy.

The federal government has moved Australia closer to international legislative practice by increasing the payout available to air accident victims to $725,000. The $225,000 increase under the Aviation Legislation Amendment (Liability and Insurance) Bill 2012 aims to provide “adequate compensation” to claimants and is said to make access to compensation easier. Minister for infrastructure and transport Anthony Albanese said: “The liability of the airline is strict, meaning there is no requirement for air accident victims to prove fault. Accident victims and their families will be able to obtain compensation swiftly, with minimal legal fees, irrespective of whether the airline was in any way to blame for the injuries. ” A year after officially ending the program, Airbus has sold its last two A340s. UK-based AJW Capital has signed contracts for the A340-500s, which will enter service in 2013 with an undisclosed airline. The aircraft were believed to have been built for India’s Kingfisher Airlines before the airline fell into financial difficulty. Just 34 of the ultra long-haul (8,500nm+ range) A340-500 were built, alongside 97 of the larger, 379-seat A340-600.

The Airline Academy of Australia (AAA) has acquired a 737NG simulator from Pacific Simulators as part of a training program to help address the shortage of ‘airline ready’ pilots in the region. The New Zealand-based simulator manufacturer is installing a PS3. 5 synthetic training device based on the 737-800 at the academy’s facilities in Archerfield, Queensland to provide jet entry training covering jet orientation, multi-crew and instrument training. Airbus completes

RAAF KC-30 deliveries

Fifth KC-30 handed over in Madrid. Paul Caldwell

On the eve of declaring an initial operating capability, the RAAF has taken possession of the fifth and last Airbus Military KC-30A multi role tanker transport (MRTT).

Derived from the commercial Airbus A330-200 airliner, the MRTT was selected by the RAAF to replace its remaining Boeing 707-338 tankers in service in April 2004 under Project AIR 5402.

In making the selection announcement, then Defence Minister Senator Robert Hill said the new aircraft “will also have a significant strategic air lift capacity when not engaged in aerial refuelling tasks, including the ability to carry 293 passengers and a significant amount of cargo. ” The acquisition contract for the aircraft was subsequently signed with the former EADS CASA, now Airbus Military, in December 2004.

The declining 707 fleet were mainly former Qantas passenger jets and, despite an operational deployment to Kyrgyzstan in 2004, had mainly been viewed as a training capability by the RAAF. They were equipped with wingtip-mounted hose and drogue pods, and a main deck combi cargo/ passenger capability. In comparison, the boom and pod-equipped MRTT promised a quantum leap in range, fuel offload and airlift capacity, and the reliability and availability rates of a modern airliner.

The original schedule called for the first of five aircraft to replace the RAAF’s ageing Boeing 707 tankers from late 2008. To facilitate the acceptance of the KC-30, the 707s were retired from service in June 2008 and the operating 33SQN relocated from Richmond near Sydney to Amberley in Qld.

The first MRTT aircraft was modified at EADS’s Getafe facility near Madrid while the remaining four were converted by Qantas Defence Services (QDS) at Brisbane Airport. The conversion from the standard A330 is a substantial one, with modifications including the addition of two under-wing pods in the A340-common wing outer engine position; a rear fuselage centreline Aircraft Refuelling Boom System (ARBS); the addition of external visual reference lighting; a receiver video camera surveillance system; and the provision of military avionics, navigation and communications systems.

Other mods include the addition of the DIRCM (Directed Infra-red Counter Measures) anti-missile system; the realignment of the cockpit bulkhead and installation of a rear-facing RARO (Remote Air Refuelling Operator) dual operator console in the cockpit; underfloor cargo bay modifications for military pallets; the provision of integral air stairs; the installation of more than 50km of additional electrical harnesses; and the addition of the UARRSI (Universal Aerial Refuelling Receptacle Slipway Installation) and associated plumbing.

But development and conversion slippages have seen delays in the delivery and acceptance of the aircraft by up to three years, and further delays are expected before the ARBS boom is accepted due to software immaturity and airworthiness issues. To this end, Australia’s first MRTT has remained in Spain to support ARBS development and airworthiness validation work.

In acknowledging the delivery of the final aircraft, RAAF Commander Air Lift Group Air Commodore Gary Martin said: “We are very pleased with the in-service testing of the KC-30A and we expect to declare IOC before the end of the year. RAAF F/A-18A and B aircraft are now conducting routine refuelling missions with the KC-30A, and the pilots are happy with the KC-30A tanking experience. ” Through-life support of the KC-30s in RAAF service will be provided by QDS at Amberley and Brisbane. Under the contract, Airbus Military will provide engineering, logistics, technical data, supply and training support services to QDS.

New Zealand seeks CT-4E, King Air replacements

The New Zealand government will soon issue tenders for replacements for the RNZAF’s CT-4E and King Air training aircraft.

The RNZAF’s 13 CT-4Es used for basic training are scheduled to reach their service life by the end of 2018, which coincides with the conclusion of a five-year lease package from Hawker Pacific for four King Airs announced in mid-October.

New Zealand’s defence minister Jonathan Coleman said: “The requirement for a modernised pilot training system with suitable aircraft is clear and the cabinet has agreed to the next step in the process, with the Ministry of Defence to issue a request for tender. ”