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Preliminary analysis of results from Airbus’ Mozaic tests indicate that ozone is not being destroyed at heights at which airliners typically fly. Mozaic — measurement of ozone by Airbus in-service aircraft — involves two Air France and three Lufthansa A340s which are fitted with sensors to measure the effects of pollution on ozone levels at normal airliner cruising altitudes while on normal RPT services. Mozaic testing will continue until the end of this year and may be expanded to include two A340s in service on trans-Pacific routes. (Airbus)
Airline Affairs
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Coalition Will Reopen Runway
The Federal Opposition has promised to reopen Sydney Airport’s east-west runway if it comes to power after the federal election. Its policy on Sydney Airport covers several key points, among them: capping movements at the current 80 per hour maximum; reopening the east-west runway to spread the airport’s noise equitably but without the use of simultaneous independent operations (SIMOPS); maximising use of water and non-residential overflight areas for takeoffs and landings; repealing the present Government’s narrow flight corridor regulations; retaining the existing curfews; and expanding the acquisition and noise insulation programme to include appropriate areas under the east-west runway flightpaths. Upon winning government, the coalition would instruct AirServices Australia to take immediate steps to increase the use of the runway at Sydney (Kingsford Smith) Airport known as the east-west runway, to distribute the noise generated by the airport more fairly in order to make it a genuine three-runway airport. In addition, Sydney and Sydney West (Badgery’s Creek) Airports will not be leased until the east-west runway is operating and a genuine environmental impact study is conducted on Sydney West, which will be developed to full international standard as a matter of priority. Landing charges at both airports will be capped, with charges at Sydney West lower to encourage operators to use it. The Coalition has also pledged to protect the rights of regional and commuter airlines to continue using Sydney Airport, in contrast to the present government’s refusal to rule out forcing these operators to use Sydney West when it becomes available. The move to soundproof homes beneath the east-west flight corridor would cost an additional $176m and will be funded by an extension of the present $3 a passenger ticket tax which this year should reap some $65m towards paying the existing bill of $276m for modifying homes beneath the north-south flightpath. Meanwhile, the Board of Airline Representatives (BARA) has voiced concern about capping the maximum movement rate at just 80 an hour when 85 is being undertaken using the existing parallel system and upwards of 120 has been demonstrated on AirServices Australia’s computer modelling system using all three runways under ideal weather conditions. BARA is also concerned about the full extent of slot controls though it is believed that these logically will only be applied during peak hour operations. At present there are so many shuttle flights between Sydney and Melbourne, Brisbane and Canberra that delays at KSA often have aircraft leaving out of sequence thus negating the imagined benefit of operating high frequency services. Preliminary analysis of results from Airbus’ Mozaic tests indicate that ozone is not being destroyed at heights at which airliners typically fly. Mozaic — measurement of ozone by Airbus in service aircraft — involves two Air France and three Lufthansa A340s which are fitted with sensors to measure the effects of pollution on ozone levels at normal airliner cruising altitudes while on normal RPT services. Mozaic testing will continue until the end of this year and may be expanded to include two A340s in service on trans-Pacific routes. The Coalition is hoping that the airlines will begin to see the wisdom in flying widebody jets on many of these services instead of a large number of 737 sized aircraft. At present both Ansett and Qantas operate up to two dozen jet services a day between Sydney and Melbourne and almost as many to Brisbane. If peak period slot controls were introduced then at least six to eight of these services would be axed in favour of using more widebodies in place of smaller 115 to 140 seat jets. The Coalition argues that realistically this would reduce congestion, give scheduled flights a greater opportunity of an on-time departure, increase the airline’s profitability through a better utilisation of resources and less airport congestion and at the same time make better use of the airline’s jetway assets by the employment of fewer but larger aircraft.
Pilot Error Causes China Airlines Boeing 747-400 Crash
A 21-month inquiry into the crash landing of China Airlines Flight 605 at Kai Tak on November 4 1993 has concluded that pilot error caused the 747-400 to veer off the runway into Kowloon Bay, injuring 10 of the 296 passengers and crew aboard, reports Danielle Doney. The report found that Captain Liu Shourong reversed the aircraft’s engines too late after having inadvertently selected forward thrust. It also stated that following the landing there was a 15-second delay in the crew becoming aware of an incorrect setting in the automatic wheel braking system. Other primary causes included the captain’s deviation from procedures by instructing his co-pilot to perform a non-standard duty by taking over the control wheel during the landing to control an undesired roll, in the process keeping his co-pilot ill-informed about his own intentions. It was also found that clearly defined procedures for landing in a crosswind were lacking from China Airlines’ operating manuals. The report makes 18 safety recommendations, almost half of which are specifically directed at China Airlines. The balance of the recommendations were directed at both Boeing, for improvements to instructions for pilots certified on the 747-400, and Kai Tak Airport, for improvements to information provided to pilots on weather conditions and landing procedures. Captain Liu remains on duty in the airline’s training and administration departments.
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