Supplemental Supers?

The possible sale, which is estimated to cost US$3. 7 billion, includes 12 F/A-18E/Fs, 12 EA-18G Growlers, 54 GE F414-402 engines (including six spares) and two “engine inlet devices”. While the notification doesn’t specify it, it is believed the RAAF requirement is for two-seat F/A-18Fs only – not the single-seat F/A-18E – in order to standardise crew training and manning requirements, and retain maximum flexibility between squadrons.

Also interesting is the engine inlet devices listing. The inlet device is a circular radar blocking shape mounted deep inside the aircraft’s air intakes, and is coated and shaped to minimise radar returns off the engine’s turbine face. This device is standard fit on the Block II Super Hornet along with other low-observable features such as coatings, panel edging and shaping, edge alignment and conformal antennae. Sensitivity surrounding the device causes palpitations among Defence PR people whenever civilian photographers are around, hence the rather silly instructions to not photograph the jets from front-on.

Curious also is the listing of 12 EA-18G Growlers. The ADF has submitted an LOR for Growler modification kits early last year, and the DSCA notification for this was published on May 28 2012. On this occasion the notification requested “12 EA-18G Modification Kits to convert F/A-18F aircraft to the G configuration and associated parts, equipment, training and logistical support for an estimated cost of $1. 7 billion. ” This May 2012 announcement lists most of the key components of what makes up a Growler’s electronic kit, including “…(34) AN/ALQ-99F(V)

NTSB to hold public enquiries on 787 battery

Fleet remains grounded while NTSB furthers investigations.

PAL will be the second full-service international airline to serve Darwin; the other being Silk Air. TERRITORY DUST-UP FOR MANILA

Tactical Jamming System Pods, (22) CN-1717/A Interference Cancellation Systems (INCANS), (22) R-2674(C)/A Joint Tactical Terminal Receiver (JTTR) Systems, (30) LAU-118 Guided Missile Launchers, Command Launch Computer (CLC) for High Speed Anti-Radiation Missile (HARM) and Advanced Anti-Radiation Guided Missile (AARGM)…” as well as spares, training, repairs and other support, engineering and test equipment and services.

Therefore, it could reasonably be surmised that, rather than performing the previously planned invasive and expensive conversion and modification program on the 12 F/A-18F+ jets which were pre-configured for Growler conversion, the acquisition of the systems listed in May 2012 will still proceed but these components will instead be diverted to Boeing’s St Louis facility for installation on 12 new-build Growlers. This would mean the 12 pre-configured aircraft would serve out their lives-of-type as standard F/A-18F+s and not The US Federal Aviation Administration has given the go-ahead to Boeing’s plan to test a redesigned battery system on its 787 Dreamliner.

The approval, which allows Boeing to make a pair of test flights, brings the planemaker a step closer to getting the 787 back in the air after it was grounded in January following two battery-related incidents.

Boeing first presented the battery re-design to the FAA in late February, saying the new design would minimise the risk of short circuit, better insulate the cells within the battery and add a new containment and venting system to prevent damage if the battery did catch fire. But the new design retains lithium ion batteries despite concerns about their stability.

The FAA has said the new design must pass a series of rigorous tests and that the agency would keep a close watch.

“We won’t allow the plane to return to service unless we’re satisfied that the new design ensures the safety of the aircraft and its passengers,” US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood said in a statement.

Boeing CEO Jim McNerney welcomed the FAA approval of the test flights as “a critical and welcome milestone toward getting the fleet flying again and continuing to deliver on the promise of the 787. ” Meanwhile, the US National Transport Safety Bureau (NTSB) has announced it will hold two public enquiries into the 787 battery issues that are keeping the worldwide fleet of type grounded.

One enquiry will focus on the suspect lithium-ion batteries themselves, while the other will look at the methodology around the design and certification of the 787’s battery systems.

The NTSB is understood to have concerns about the safety analysis Boeing undertook ahead of certification by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), in particular around a possible under-estimation of potential causes of battery fires other than through over-charging.

A release of documents by NTSB revealed extensive details on its investigation into the two battery fire incidents that led to the 787’s grounding. But the reports also show investigators remain far from determining the root cause of the batteries catching fire.

According to a 39-page interim factual report, released as part of 499 pages of studies, NTSB investigators have determined that a system designed to vent smoke outside the aircraft during a battery fire failed to function due to a lack of power after the battery caught fire as a Japan Air Lines 787 sat on the tarmac at Boston’s Logan Airport on January 7.

Boeing said the venting system failed because the plane was on the ground and therefore lacked cabin pressure to expel the smoke.

The NTSB report also showed abnormal battery function shortly before the fire, with the flight data recorder showing sharp voltage fluctuations. About 21 minutes after the aircraft landed, the battery dropped to zero and then spiked to 28 volts three times in three minutes. A crew member reported smoke in the cabin three minutes later.

Still, the voltage fluctuations never exceeded 32 volts, the battery’s rated level, and neither the NTSB nor Boeing has yet been able to determined what sparked the fires.

The ongoing investigations by the NTSB sheds no light on just when the 787 fleet will return to the skies, though it is unlikely to be before the public enquiries.

Boeing is understood to be close to finalising a remedy for the issues it and investigators have identified during the investigations. However, with the NTSB’s focus now on the certification process itself, it stands to further delay a return to service for the 787 unless the NTSB can be assuaged of similar concerns arising in the future.

The NTSB public hearings will be held in April.

Boeing is estimated to be losing $50 million a week while the aircraft are grounded.

It is likely the current, let alone additional Super Hornet numbers, will eat into Australia’s planned F-35 buy of up to 100 jets.

need to be withdrawn from service for the lengthy and expensive modification work.

Another interesting item listed in the latest notification is one for 35 AN/ APG-79 AESA radars…but for just 24 jets. Boeing and the radar supplier, Raytheon, have long touted the reliability of the AESA radar, boasting that due to its solid-state systems and lack of moving parts, they expected many radars to last longer and never need to be removed from the aircraft. Considering ordering 35 more radars suggests either the AESA isn’t as reliable as has been suggested and a spares holding is required, or that some of the original batch of Super Hornets weren’t delivered with radars. Both the F/A-18F and EA-18G use the APG-79 AESA.

The February 28 announcement cost of US$3. 7 billion suggests much more than just the 24 aircraft and their systems is included in the buy, indicating Australia will once again rely heavily on the US Navy and on Boeing for training and support services throughout the aircraft’s delivery and initial operational period. The initial batch of 24 aircraft was boastfully announced to cost $6. 2 billion by then Defence Minister Dr Brendan Nelson in 2006, but this number factored in all manning, fuels, consumables and contractor support for ten years, as well as new base infrastructure and other discrete items that are normally funded separately.

What hasn’t been announced yet is, if proceeded with, where a second batch of Super Hornets would be based. The current 24 F/A-18F and F+s are operated by 82WG at RAAF Amberley, with 1SQN and 6SQN sharing the fleet. If a further 24 are acquired – with 12 of them slated to be EA-18Gs – it is possible 75SQN based at RAAF Tindal near Katherine in the NT will re-equip with F/A-18Fs and their classic Hornets will be pooled with those of 2OCU, 3SQN and 77SQN at Williamtown to extend the classic fleet. So with 36 F/A-18Fs on strength, approximately 15 F/A-18Fs would be allocated each to 1SQN and 75SQN, with the remaining six shared as spares or to cover maintenance and unservicabilities.

Meanwhile, the 12 EA-18Gs would be concentrated with 6SQN which will become a specialised EW/EA unit, with strong training and support links back to the US Navy’s EA-18G units based at NAS Whidbey Island near Seattle.

But equipping the remotely-based

The cost of US$3. 7 billion suggests much more than just the 24 aircraft and their systems is included in the buy.

75SQN with two-seat F/A-18Fs may cause problems with aircrew retention and motivation. The RAAF Super Hornet aircrew community is already hurting following several key resignations in late 2012, and with personnel possibly facing a 50 per cent chance of multiple remote postings to Tindal – twice that of the classic Hornet crews – such a scenario is unlikely to be popular with families.

Another problem with Tindal is the lack of modern facilities in place for a new aircraft type there. The current facilities are barely adequate for the current requirements of 75SQN and its classic Hornets, let alone for visiting ADF and foreign aircraft during major exercises. But the increased capabilities that come with the Super Hornet means new headquarters and maintenance facilities with greater levels of security will be required to satisfy US releasability requirements. Such facilities will need to be built anyway for the F-35 when it finally arrives – indeed, the new 1SQN and 6SQN facilities at Amberley have been built with the even greater security requirements of the F-35 in mind – but F-35 facility funding is not programmed to kick in at Tindal in meaningful numbers until 2017, so will need to be brought forward into the forward estimates period of an already stressed Defence budget.

And this may also be the undoing of any plans for additional Super Hornets themselves. Minister for Defence Stephen Smith has already said it is likely the Super Hornets will become a longer-term element of Australia’s air combat capability instead of the originally planned ‘bridging capability’, so it is likely the current let alone additional Super Hornet numbers will eat into Australia’s planned F-35 buy of up to 100 jets.

But the Minister’s move in May last year to delay the AIR 6000 project by two years, ostensibly to better align the RAAF’s operational test and initial operational capability schedules with that of the USAF – but more likely as part of an effort to push budget funding out to the right in order to achieve a politically-motivated budget surplus – has meant there is insufficient AIR 6000 money available in the timeframe required to buy additional Super Hornets, and thus supplemental funding will be required.

Indeed, it could be argued that by delaying the F-35 acquisition by two years, the Minister has himself further widened the air combat capability gap he has repeatedly said he would not allow to occur, hence the need to now spend $3. 7 billion on more Super Hornets!

Qantas Strikes Accord With Flight Attendants

The Flight Attendants Association of Australia (FAAA) has reached agreement with Qantas on longhaul flight attendant conditions for the next three and a half years.

Flight attendants will retain their current entitlements and receive a three per cent annual increase totalling 12 per cent over the life of the agreement. A previously agreed cap on offshore-based crew will be retained.

The FAAA’s international division secretary, Michael Mijatov said: “This is an outstanding result in terms of the conditions facing Qantas internationally, especially compared to the miserable outcome for unions like the TWU for their Qantas members. ” This is no small win – for flight attendants and Qantas management. At a time the company is seeking to revitalise its reputation and brand in international markets, the accord between Qantas and the FAAA will do a lot to imbue these vital customer-facing staff with encouragement. It will have a positive effect on customer service and management needs to ensure this is harnessed to good effect.

This will be all the more important as Qantas flies alongside Emirates, a carrier with a strong reputation for consistency, reliability and a proud customer service culture.

If Qantas can reach industrial harmony with this key group of employees – and sustain that harmony – Qantas is on the way to achieving the stability it sorely needs in order to reassert itself internationally.

Qantas Freight considers 747F purchase

Q antas is said to be in negotiations to purchase up to four used Boeing 747- 400 Freighters to replace cargo jets it currently leases from US-based Atlas Air.

Qantas’s wet lease for two crewed 747s is set to expire early next year with the lease on a third aircraft up in 2015.

The Age newspaper reported that Qantas is in negotiations to buy one of the second-hand freighters for as little as US$60 million, reflecting a steep drop in value for the 747 as fuel prices have soared. Boeing has replaced the 747-400F with the more fuel efficient 747-8F.

Qantas could also choose to renew the existing leases or enter leases with another company, The Age reported. Should it choose to buy the aircraft it would likely transfer them to subsidiary Express Freighters Australia and could hire new pilots. That could be a potential flashpoint with the airline’s pilots’ union, since Express Freighters pilots earn about half the salary of Qantas pilots.

Qantas carries about five per cent of air cargo shipped between China and the US. Its cargo division made a pre-tax profit of $22 million in the first half of the current financial year, a drop from $38 million a year earlier.

Boom time for KC-30

Aircraft achieves IOC but way to go on boom problems.

Robert Nutbrown M inister for Defence Stephen Smith announced the KC-30A Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT) aircraft had achieved Initial Operational Capability (IOC) in his address at the opening of the Avalon Airshow on 26 February.

Chief of Air Force Air Marshal Geoff Brown granted IOC status to the air-to-air refuelling aircraft on the basis of its capacity for refuelling F/A-18A/B classic Hornets, Smith said. He added that by the time Final Operational Capability (FOC) is declared the KC-30 aircraft will be able to refuel C-17 Globemaster transport aircraft and Super Hornet combat aircraft, as well as other MRTTs.

“That effectively gives us an around-the-world heavy-lift [capability],” Smith said. “We can effectively now put a C-17 into the sky and send it around the world with the enormous capability that the C-17s have. ” Australia is the lead customer for the MRTT, which is based on the commercial Airbus A330 and features integrated airborne refuelling systems. In his speech to assembled industry executives and military top brass, Smith also highlighted the KC-30 tanker’s airlift credentials. The MRTT is capable of carrying 270 passengers and has a freight capacity of 36,000kg.

Also speaking at the Avalon Airshow, the day after IOC for the KC-30 was announced, Wing Commander Geoff Fox of 33SQN stated that the main obstacle to moving on to reach FOC from the operator’s perspective is the aircraft’s boom. Fox said that he hopes to be using the MRTT’s boom towards the end of this year.

He added that Airbus Military is continuing to work on fine-tuning relevant software.

“We have done no work yet with boom operations, so that is a big body of work for the RAAF,” Fox commented. “We have never had a boom aircraft before. My role is to develop that capability for the first time in the RAAF. ” He said crews would be trained in the use of the MRTT’s boom and added that receiver aircraft personnel would also need to undergo training. “We have not done refuelling in the Air Force for over five years so we have got a generation of aircrew and maintainers that have to learn how to do this,” Fox said. “We are well on track with the hose and drogue now, and as soon as the boom comes in we will be focusing on that capability. ” The RAAF accepted the fifth and final aircraft in the MRTT fleet from Airbus Military in November last year, with the tanker being delivered to RAAF Base Amberley the following month.

A pair of MRTT aircraft recently demonstrated the type’s air-to-air refuelling capability and capacity as they accompanied seven classic Hornets during Exercise Cope North in Guam.

Qantas to upgrade A330s

And orders five new 737-800s

Q antas has confirmed it will upgrade its fleet of 30 Airbus A330s and order five additional Boeing 737-800s.

The A330 upgrades, scheduled to begin in late 2014, will see the installation of lie-flat seats in business class, a refreshed economy cabin and new inflight entertainment offerings.

The airline operates 10 A330-300s, which will be used on international services between Australia and Asia, and 20 A330-200s, which will take over services between the east coast and Perth. The five new B737-800s will allow Qantas Domestic to retire its 737 -400s by the end of 2013 and its 767s by 2015. Qantas said it would also extend its lease on two more 737-800s.

“The refurbished aircraft will give Qantas International a truly world-class product in global aviation’s most dynamic and competitive market,” Qantas CEO Alan Joyce said. “Growing with Asia is a major priority for the Qantas Group and this investment underpins our commitment to the region. ” The plans to refurbish the A330-300s comes after Qantas launched a revised schedule to and from Asia in a bid to bolster its position in what it sees as its core international market.

Rex On The War Path Again

Regional Express has used the announcement of a slump in profits for the first half of the 2012-13 financial year by almost a third to launch an extraordinary assault on the federal government’s aviation regulatory imposts.

“From the very first month of this FY, we are seeing the catastrophic impact the various draconian government policies are having on regional aviation,” said Rex executive chairman Lim Kim Hai. “Not only have policies like the carbon tax increased cost significantly, there has also been a significant drop in passenger numbers due to government policies exacerbating the effects of a fragile global economy. ” Rex’s profit before tax for the first half slumped by 32. 6 per cent to $12. 5 million, the airline said, on revenues of $135 million.

“Regional aviation has been hit particularly hard. Besides the carbon tax and consistently high fuel prices, it was also the target of an onslaught of government fiscal and regulatory measures which resulted in the steep decline in the results we see today,” Lim said. “Many regional carriers are now struggling for survival. If the government does not reverse tack very soon, we will see irreversible damage being inflicted by the destructive policies that they have adopted. ” Lim said that Rex would work with the Regional Airline Association of Australia “to define critical policy measures that need to be adopted to rescue regional aviation”.

EK ADDS SYD A380s

Emirates is launching an additional A380 service to Sydney, saying it planned to upgrade one of its daily Boeing 777 service between Sydney and Dubai to an A380 from June 1, adding about 1,900 seats per week on the route. The service will depart Sydney as EK415 at 9:30 pm and return as EK414 at 6 am the following day.

The move follows Emirates’ upgrade of capacity to Melbourne, with the introduction of the A380 to that market as demand continues to increase.

Vigilare Achieves Foc

The Vigilare air defence command-and-control system has achieved final operational capability (FOC), Minister for Defence Stephen Smith and Minister for Defence Materiel Mike Kelly announced at the Avalon Airshow.

Vigilare has been installed at RAAF Base Williamtown and RAAF Base Tindal, giving the ADF enhanced surveillance and communications capabilities. The system fuses surveillance data from multiple inputs, producing a comprehensive picture of air activity over Australia and the region.

The program was put on the Projects of Concern list in 2008 because of schedule delays but prime contractor Boeing Defence Australia worked with Defence to resolve outstanding problems, the ministers noted.

Bombardier unveils much anticipated CSeries

Challenger to Embraer, Boeing and Airbus becomes real.

Michael Gisick B ombardier has taken the wraps off its high-stakes challenge to Boeing and Airbus’ dominance of the single-aisle market, unveiling its CSeries jet this week and promising a first flight by June.

“It’s not a paper airplane, it’s a real airplane,” the Canadian jetmaker’s president, Mike Arcamone, said during a press event at Bombardier headquarters outside Montreal. “It’s not a re-engined aircraft we are putting into the market…I can tell you we are a very serious contender. ” Arcamone’s comments are a swipe at the aircraft that will represent the CSeries’ main competition, the Boeing 737 MAX and Airbus A319neo, both of which are re-engined upgrades on the company’s well-established passenger jets.

Bombardier has previously announced plans for a 110-seat C100 and a 130-seat C300, but now says it will also offer a 160-seat version of the C300. The C100 and C300 list at US$62 million and $71 million respectively, well below the Boeing and Airbus aircraft, which both list for upwards of $80 million, though airlines typically negotiate substantial discounts on aircraft purchases.

But Bombardier claims further savings as well, saying a lighter airframe makes the CSeries 15 per cent cheaper to operate and saves 20 per cent on fuel burn over the competition.

“The CSeries aircraft is a game changer in a changing economic environment,” Arcamone said.

Bombardier is not the only company attempting to challenge the Boeing-Airbus duopoly, with Russia’s United Aircraft Corporation also trying to woo customers with its Sukhoi Superjet.

But Bombardier, the world’s fourth largest planemaker with well-established lines of regional and corporate jets, could be more a dangerous competitor. Arcamone said firm orders for CSeries aircraft now stand at close to 180, up from 148 at the end of 2012.

Bombardier has said it expects orders to pick up further once the CSeries makes its maiden flight.

The aircraft is scheduled to enter service in mid-2014, though that is seen as an ambitious target.

Arcamone said for now the focus will remain on static airframe testing, building of test flight aircraft and ground testing.

Qantas-emirates Alliance To Include Cargo

Qantas and Emirates will offer cargo customers streamlined access to freight capacity as part of the larger alliance between the two airlines, the carriers have announced.

As part of the alliance, which is pending regulatory approval, Emirates SkyCargo and Qantas Freight will cooperate to offer seamless access to cargo capacity on both carrier’s passenger services.

Lisa Brock, the executive manager of Qantas Freight Enterprises, said the agreement would give Qantas customers access to 65 Emirates destinations in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and Asia.

“With the introduction of seamless connections between our domestic and international network, we will offer unmatched access for Australian exporters and global businesses wishing to reach markets in Australia,” Brock said.

Emirates will gain access to 28 destinations in Qantas Freight’s network including 10 ports in Australia and eight destinations in Asia.

Brock said the arrangement would allow time-sensitive cargo shipments between Australia and Europe to connect via Dubai as a one-stop service. All cargo arriving in Dubai will be handled through Emirates’ state-of-the-art Cargo Mega Terminal.

The cargo agreement is scheduled to take effect along with the rest of the alliance on March 31.

Profit lift sees Air NZ add to 777 fleet

Air New Zealand has used an annoucement of a 300 per cent surge in pretax profits for the first half of the current financial year to reveal plans to lease two additional Boeing 777-300ERs for introduction into service in 2014.

The airline’s normalised profit before tax for the half was NZ$139 million, up from NZ$33 million in the same half last financial year. Statutory net proft after tax rose from NZ$62 million to NZ$100 million. Revenue was up 3. 4 per cent to NZ$2. 4 billion.

“This is the best interim profit result for five years. The substantial change program the airline has been implementing has positioned the business for consistent growth and sustainable profitability over the coming years,” chairman John Palmer said.

Air New Zealand says that its international long haul operations have become profitable for the first time since the global financial crisis. “A key driver in achieving this turnaround has been getting our network right and improving our sales execution,” said CEO Christopher Luxon.

New wing opens at CBR as Virgin unveils lounge, biz class services

Virgin Australia’s wing of the overhauled Canberra Airport opened officially on March 13, marking an important milestone in a $450 million upgrade that airport officials hope will prime the facility for a larger role.

The facilities unveiled include a sweeping glass atrium that connects the Qantas wing of the airport with Virgin’s new Western Concourse Terminal, as well as new check-in counters, baggage areas and security checkpoints.

In addition to the terminal’s official opening, Virgin unveiled its new 300-seat Canberra lounge and announced that all 18 of its Embraer E190s have now been upgraded with business class.

“For the first time in over a decade Australians will have a choice when it comes to competition in Business Class travel in and out of the capital,” Virgin CEO John Borghetti said. “Canberra is an important hub for corporate, government and leisure travellers and we now offer a premium end-to-end travel experience that not only encapsulates Virgin Australia’s distinct look and feel but also our high standard of service. ”

Williamtown Aerospace Centre attracts CEA Technologies

First step realised in new com-mercial development strategy.

The Williamtown Aerospace Centre (WAC) has announced Canberra-based CEA Technologies as its first tenant.

The WAC partnership – a public/private consortium consisting of Port Stephens and Newcastle City Councils, The University of Newcastle, Hunter Land, Varley Aerospace, Newcastle Airport and Singleton Council have been working together since 2009 to make the 100 hectare development in and around Newcastle Airport a reality.

CEA Technologies recently provided Hunter Land with a letter of intent to lease office space within the WAC. With its head office based in Canberra, CEA also has facilities in Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth and Maryland (USA).

Once completed, the Williamtown facility will be utilised by CEA to support development of its aerospace business that includes in-service support to RAAF programs.

Among the WAC’s range of proposed features are commercial office space for lease and industrial lots, tow-way access and a variety of infrastructure solutions to meet the needs of individual organisations of any size.

The first stage of the Aerospace Centre will include a Mercure hotel and conference centre, while all land will be fully serviced with the latest Defence-secure IT networks to meet the requirements of aerospace, aviation and related industry companies.

Construction of individual lots will begin in mid-2013.

New Noise Limits On The Way

The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) is expected to adopt lower noise levels for commercial aircraft effective December 31 2017. The revised standard will apply to new aircraft types requiring certification after 2017 and reduces effective perceived noise levels by seven decibels.

“Air transport is already 75% quieter than it was four decades ago and the industry will continuously pursue cost-effective noise management options to reduce the number of people subject to aircraft noise,” said Tony Tyler, the International Air Transport Association’s director general and CEO.

Airbus has also welcomed the new standards, saying: “The A380 carries 42 per cent more passengers than its nearest competitor but produces half the noise energy when taking off, and three to four times less noise energy when landing. The A350 XWB will be is up to 16 decibels below the current standard requirement. ” Chapter-based noise standards were implemented by ICAO in 1972 in response to community concerns about jet aircraft noise. The current Chapter 4 regulations came into effect in 2006.

ICAO is expected to ratify the new noise standards later this year.

A350 program advancing – with different batteries

The first structurally complete A350 has moved to its next phase of ground testing.

The aircraft, MSN001, recently successfully completed a series of indoor ground tests including stability tests on ‘movable’ elements such as rudder, elevators, ailerons and wing spoilers and landing gear extraction/retraction.

The next phase will include three planned families of tests: fuel tanks testing – including levels, flows, sealing and internal fuel transfer functions; pressure testing of the fuselage; and radio equipment testing.

Meanwhile, in the face of ongoing uncertainty about the fitness of lithium-ion batteries for use in commercial aircraft, Airbus has announced it has decided it will install traditional nickel cadmium batteries in the A350.

Calling it its “Plan B”, Airbus said the unresolved issues surrounding the 787 lithium-ion battery incidents have caused the manufacturer to take a more conservative approach.

“In this context, and with a view to ensuring the highest level of program certainty, Airbus has decided to activate its “Plan B” and therefore to revert back to the proven and mastered nickel cadmium main batteries for its A350 program at entry into service,” the company said. “Airbus considers this to be the most appropriate way forward in the interest of program execution and A350 reliability.

“As a result of making this decision now, Airbus does not expect it to impact the A350 entry into service schedule. ” The decision is expected to give added confidence to existing and potential customers of the aircraft.

The company said it will meanwhile continue studies of new battery technology.

Territory dust-up for Manila

PAL bites into Jetstar Darwin monopoly. Philippine Airlines (PAL) will launch new services to Darwin, Brisbane and Perth from June 1, in the process removing Jetstar’s two-year monopoly on the route and furthering Darwin’s strategy as a hub for Asian services.

The new flights, which will be operated using Airbus A320s in a two-class 150-seat configuration, will compete directly with Jetstar’s four-weekly schedule between Darwin and Manila. PAL, operating a daily service between the cities will bring an additional 2,000 seats a week into and out of Darwin. Onward services to Brisbane will be operated three times a week and Perth four times.

PAL’s new services to Australia represent a material step in the airline’s emergence from restructuring after years of fading glory.

Since 2008 PAL has been thwarted by regulatory restrictions in Europe and the US and struggles with diminishing loyalty, ageing aircraft and airworthiness issues (see Asia Watch this issue). It has embarked on a fleet re-equipment program, late last year purchasing 20 A320s and 44 A321s for regional and medium-haul international services. The new services to Darwin, Brisbane and Perth have been made possible as a result of this re-equipment program.

PAL president Ramon Ang cited a “clamour for more flights to these destinations. ” The demand is aided by the fact Filipino Australians now represent the third-largest overseas-born population base in Darwin, which drives steady business and leisure traffic as Jetstar has experienced.

Announcing the new services, the Northern Territory’s Minister for Business Peter Chandler said the government had been working closely with Darwin Airport to grow airline services into the Territory.

“The new service gives the business community the choice of travelling on a full-service carrier to Manila and beyond, and is timely given the activity arising from the resources boom. We want to continue to expand Darwin as an international aviation hub and will continue talks with other airlines to achieve this vision,” Chandler added.

PAL will be the second full-service international airline to serve Darwin; the other being Silk Air, which commenced its Singapore- Darwin A320 service last March.

PAL previously flew to Brisbane, but cut the service in late 2010 when it also reduced flights to Melbourne. Late last year the airline increased the frequency of its flights to Sydney and Melbourne to a total of seven per week using recently-acquired Boeing 777-300ERs. The proving of demand for the new services to Darwin, Brisbane and Perth will help PAL determine whether nonstop services to Brisbane and Perth will be introduced.

PR221 will depart Manila at 2205 on Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, arriving in Darwin at 0400 the next day and then continuing to Brisbane for an 0920 arrival. Manila-Perth services will depart as PR219 at 1025 on Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Sunday and will also travel via Darwin, arriving in Perth at 0750 the following day.

PAL has also announced it will launch new services to Kuala Lumpur, Guangzhou and Abu Dhabi, increasing the airline’s international destinations to 34.

Visual Vectoring Exports Atc Training To China

Visual Vectoring, an Australian company specialising in training concepts for air traffic control (ATC) operations has successfully exported a computer-based ATC training package to China.

Qingdao ATC Station in Shandong province is using the VV Approach training program for new controllers and to upgrade the skills of current radar approach controllers to manage rapidly growing traffic levels.

Visual Vectoring has also recently sold its training packages in Saudi Arabia, Fiji and Hong Kong.

The company said: “The computer-based training replaces the traditional manual (instructor/ simulator) training method and may be used without the redesign of existing training curricula. ”

New Citation Sovereign

Cessna has rolled out its initial production version of the new Citation Sovereign. It is the first of six new models the company hopes to bring to the market in 2013. The new Sovereign has a range of 3,000nm, advanced avionics with auto-throttle and new cabin management system. The aircraft’s service ceiling is 45,000ft.

Exercise Cope North

Trilateral exercise takes place in Guam. Michael Gisick

A RAAF contingent has taken part in a key trilateral exercise with the United States and Japan meant to improve coalition strike capabilities and disaster relief efforts.

The Guam-based Exercise Cope North 2013, held from Feb-ruary 4-15, marked the second year Australia has taken part in what were formerly bilateral exercises between Japan and the US. Some 230 RAAF personnel from four Force element Groups took part.

Headlining the Australian contingent were seven F/A-18A Hornets from RAAF Williamtown-based 3 Squadron, alongside 106 personnel including pilots, engineers and maintenance, admin and supply workers. An E-7A Wedgetail AEW&C aircraft with 52 personnel was deployed from Surveillance and Response Group’s 2 Squadron, while Air Lift Group deployed a C-130J Hercules and a KC-30A. Combat Support Group deployed 16 personnel including an air load team.

The exercise featured a Large Force Employment scenario focused on strike capabilities against transnational terrorist threats alongside parallel training focused on humanitarian assistance and disaster relief missions.

The interoperability of similar but not identical aircraft across the three air forces was a key focus throughout the exercise.

“From an interoperability standpoint, I think there are multiple facets to think about,” Col Peter Milohnic, the US Air Force Exercise Director for Cope North 13 and Commander of the 18th Operations Group at Kadena Air Base, Japan said. “At the lowest level of interoperability, we’ve got de-confliction, and I’m primarily talking about the flying aspect. As you move up the ladder of interoperability, you go from de-confliction, to coordination, to integration, and ultimately at the top of the hierarchy, you’ve got interdependence. ” Milohnic cited the example of the F-15 fighter, of which two squadrons were participating at Cope North. One was a US Air Force unit flying C-models, while the other was a Japanese unit flying J-models. While the basic airplane is the same, each aircraft has different internal systems specific to each nation. Each nation tries to make those systems work with each other as closely as possible, but sometimes there are kinks to work out.

RAAF Exercise Director GPCAPT Robert Chipman said exercises like Cope North are important to make sure that not only can those F-15s work together when the time comes, but that they’ll also work with the other fighter and support aircraft of partner nations, such as the newly-operational RAAF E-7A Wedgetail.

“I think it is very good that we get to incorporate air combat training, particularly where we have all three forces, with the surveillance and refuelling assets as well, because it is extremely complex to bring those together,” Chipman said. “And the time you need to learn those lessons needs to be in training, and not in combat. ”

Production

BOEING and Cathay Pacific have announced an order for three extra 747-8 Freighters.

BOEING has signed an order with Air Lease Corporation for 10 777-300ERs.

AIRBUS’S order book grew by 41 aircraft in February, while 45 aircraft were delivered during the month. Air Lease Corporation’s (ALC) order for 25 A350s brings total orders for the type past the 600 mark. ALC also ordered 14 A320 neo jets. Turkish Airlines ordered two more A330-300s. A320 deliveries during February totalled 35, with eight A330s and two A380s (for China Southern and Malaysia Airlines) rounding off a successful month.

Row deepens over Brisbane runway

Government stands by to intervene in dispute between BACL and airlines.

Transport Minister Anthony Albanese has signalled that the Federal Government could step in to the growing row over Brisbane Airport’s expansion.

Brisbane Airport Corporation, which operates the airport, has threatened to halt construction on a second parallel runway unless airlines agree to fund roughly a quarter of the $1. 3 billion project. Airlines, which would likely collect the fees through surcharges to passengers, have refused to go along with the demand.

BAC has said it will halt construction after the first phase of the project is completed later this year unless an agreement is reached.

The issue has come to the fore in recent weeks with the The Courier- Mail newspaper launching an aggressive campaign highlighting rampant delays at the airport.

Albanese last night told the newspaper that he has instructed his department to monitor BAC’s progress, calling the matter one of “vital importance to the Queensland economy and the national economy. ” Under the deal that privatised Australia’s airports in 1997, companies operating the airports are required to prioritise needed upgrades of aviation infrastructure. Failing to do could theoretically open the way for the government to seize control of the airport’s assets.

Seeking to take advantage of the row, Sunshine Coast Mayor Mark Jamieson has pushed claims that an expansion of his city’s airport could provide a better solution to the Brisbane backlog.

“Our airport is an hour from Brisbane, our runway could be delivered at a fraction of the cost, and most of our land is ready to build on now,” Jamison said in a statement. “Our runway could take as little as five year to build. Brisbane is looking at at least eight years. ” Jamieson said he planned to press that argument in a meeting with Queensland Deputy Premier Jeff Sweeney.

“In the short term, we could take Brisbane’s overflow flights right now as its peak periods are the opposite of ours,” Jamieson said (see the Australian Airports column this issue).