May 2007 - Asian Aviation

Transcription

VOLUME 4. No. 3 MAY 2007
T H E R E G I O N ’ S O N LY C O M P R E H E N S I V E A E R O S PA C E I N D U S T RY P U B L I C AT I O N
Government audit declares Indonesia’s airlines unsafe
A safety and maintenance audit
carried out on 48 Indonesian airlines
by the Ministry of Transport (MOT)
in Jakarta has revealed that none of
them were complying fully with safety
and maintenance requirements.
Of the 48 carriers, 16 were
scheduled international and domestic
operators, four were domestic cargo
airlines and 28 were commuter and
charter airlines.
The carriers were rated based
on current safety and maintenance
standards, and were classified in
three categories: Category I for
airlines that complied fully with the
regulations, Category II for airlines
that did not adhere completely to the
requirements, while Category III was
for more serious breaches of safety
and maintenance regulations. None of
the airlines qualified for Category I.
State-owned Garuda, generally
thought to be the safest local carrier,
placed in Category II. The others in the
same group were Lion Air, Sriwijaya
Airlines, Wings Air, Indonesia
AirAsia, Mandala Airlines, stateowned Merpati Nusantara Airlines,
Pelita Air Service, Riau Airlines,
Trigana Air Service, Travel Express
Aviation Service and cargo carriers
Republic Express Airlines, and
Ekspres Transportasi Antarbenua.
Category III included Batavia
Air, Adam Air, Kartika Airlines,
Transwisata, Jatayu Airlines, and
cargo carriers Tri MG Intra Asia
Adam Air has been under scrutiny since its aircraft were involved in one fatal
crash and a non-fatal airframe write-off earlier this year.
The audit was triggered by a series of accidents early this year, including the crash of an Adam Air Boeing 737 that killed 102 people.
Airlines and Manggul Air Service.
The transport ministry grounded
charter operator Dirgantara Air
Service’s three 737-200s due to poor
maintenance.
Out of 28 commuter and charter
airlines, 20 ranked in Category II
while eight fell in Category III.
According to Indonesia’s newly
appointed director general for air
transport Budhi Mulyawan Suyitno,
all the airlines have been given three
months from 11 April to improve
the maintenance of their aircraft
and enhance safety procedures. The
carriers were also warned to step up
training for engineers and pilots.
“We will carry out another audit at
the end of the three months. Airlines
that fail the test risk losing their air
operating certificate,” Budhi says.
According to the air transport
official, the audit team examined
the airlines in 20 areas, including
compliance with maintenance
requirements, frequency of accidents,
competence of staff in the relevant
fields and effectiveness of the airline’s
management team.
The audit was carried out after
Indonesia suffered two fatal air
accidents within nine weeks – the
crash of an Adam Air 737-400 on New
Year’s Day near Makassar, Sulawesi,
and the crash of another aircraft of
the same type operated by Garuda
on 7 March at Yogyakarta. The first
accident killed 102 passengers and
crew, while 21 passengers and a flight
attendant died in the second.
Budhi says that the authorities
must take drastic measures, including
revoking the AOCs of airlines that
ignore safety and maintenance
requirements, to save Indonesia’s
battered aviation industry.
(Continued on page 3)
APA shelves Qantas takeover amid confusion
Airline Partners Australia (APA) has
shelved its A$11 billion (US$9 billion)
takeover of Qantas, amid confusion
over whether it had achieved the
minimum necessary voting power it
needed to pursue the bid further by
the 4 May deadline.
The consortium, which includes
Macquarie Bank and Texas Pacific
Group, a private equity firm, had
needed a minimum 50 percent
acceptance level from shareholders
for its bid. That would have given the
consortium the legal right to a twoweek extension period in which to
attain its target acceptance level of
70 percent.
The plan required that shareholders
accept the bid for their entire stake in
the airline, but some may have only
accepted for part of their stake and
could have been forced to give up the
remainder of their shares. This could
have pushed APA over the 50 percent
threshold.
APA had previously lowered its
acceptance target to 70 percent from
90 percent after a major institutional
shareholder rejected the consortium’s
offer.
APA says the legal situation
remained unclear after the bidding,
but adds that litigation would have
been time-consuming and would have
caused uncertainty for both the carrier
and its shareholders. As a result, the
consortium decided not to pursue
legal action to argue that it crossed
the required 50 percent level.
The group said after announcing
its decision that its own calculations
suggest it may have gained more than
57 percent acceptance, and APA is
considering making a new offer for
the airline.
The collapse of the takeover cause
Qantas shares to drop more than
3 percent on the first morning of
trading after the bid. The airline’s
board, which had recommended
that shareholders should accept the
offer, came under intense criticism,
including demands for the resignation
of Chairman Margaret Jackson.
The carrier has also said that it is
reviewing its ownership status after
the recent trading, amid concerns
that non-Australian investors may
now hold more than 50 percent of the
airline. Australian law places a 49
percent foreign ownership limit on
the Oneworld partner carrier.
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Carriers criticise Indonesian air safety audit
(Continued from page 1)
Several airlines have questioned the
transport ministry’s findings and
criticised the way the airlines were
rated. They claim that the criteria
used were dubious, and inconsistent
with maintenance audit requirements.
Garuda spokesman Pudjo Broto says
he is baffled by the way the audit was
carried out.
“We have no idea what criteria were
used,” Pudjo says. “Garuda has always
passed its maintenance audits carried
out by international authorities at its
international destinations.”
Adam Air’s chief operating officer
Yundi Suherman claims that the
airline has not received any official
notif ication from the transport
ministry about the ratings. A Mandala
Airlines official says the carrier
objects to the audit’s findings.
The ministry “had to show the
international community that they had
done a ‘good job’ by carrying out the
audit and discrediting the Indonesian
carriers,” the official says. “Had the
ministry been monitoring the airlines
effectively all these years, these
accidents would not have occurred.”
Responding to the airlines’
comments, Budhi says the transport
ministry doesn’t expect the carriers to
agree with the findings of the audit.
“Our findings and ratings stand,” he
adds.
A survey carried out from January
to March by the National Team for the
Evaluation of Transportation Safety
and Security (NTETSS) on the state
of the country’s air transport industry
revealed that aviation safety is at its
lowest ebb. Chappy Hakim, the head
of the team, says that safety was
found to have been compromised in
several areas, which have resulted in
a series of accidents.
“Breaches of regulations and
oversights were evident in almost
every quarter of the industry,
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India’s Flyington Freighters
abandons Boeing 777 deal,
opts for Airbus A330 fleet
Indian cargo start-up Flyington
Freighters has backed away from its
US$1 billion order for four Boeing
777F freighters, announced last July,
opting instead for an all-Airbus fleet
of A330-200F cargo aircraft.
The company signed the Airbus
order on 9 May in Mumbai, confirming
a previously announced commitment
for the aircraft and making it the first
operator of the new aircraft, launched
in January.
The company was dismissive of
its earlier commitment to the 777
aircraft, despite having previously
said that it had placed firm orders
for the Boeing model and had paid a
deposit. The Boeing order had been
valued at almost US$1 billion at list
prices.
“We were in preliminary talks with
Boeing, but Airbus gave us a better
deal,” says Flyington Chairman
Venkattram Reddy.
The airline plans to begin
operations this year, using two,
leased A300-600Fs. It will be India’s
first international dedicated freight
airline.
including maintenance and safety.
Poorly trained staff were evident in
every corner of the airlines, airport
operators and the regulatory body,”
the NTETSS head says. The team
recommends that carriers that ignore
safety and maintenance requirements
should have their AOCs revoked
without a second chance.
On 12 March, Budhi’s first day
in his current position, he said that
airlines which fell into Category III
would be suspended or have their
AOCs revoked. The three month
grace period now proposed appears
to be something of a climbdown from
his original position.
“Grounding the five airlines in
Category III would affect domestic
air travel drastically,” Budhi explains.
“This would only result in chaos at
the airports across the country.”
Dennis William / Jakarta
Briefs
THAI AIRWAYS reported
a 32 percent drop in its
second-quarter profit to
4.23 billion baht (US$130
million) as the company’s
foreign exchange gains
plunged 62 percent to 1.47
billion baht. The Bangkokbased carrier’s revenue for
the three months ended 31
March increased 7.6 percent
to 43.4 billion baht, while
costs matched the gain with
7.1 percent increase to 43.4
billion baht. Pre-tax profit fell
31 percent to 6 billion baht.
Costs rose in part because
of increased personnel and
other operating expenses at
Bangkok’s new international
airport, Suvarnabhumi.
AIR INDIA and Singapore
Airlines (SIA) have formally
signed an expected joint
venture agreement to
operate a ground-handling
company at the new
Bangalore International
Airport when it opens in
April 2008. A consortium
of the two companies was
selected last year as one
of two designated ground
handlers at the airport, with
a concession lasting seven
years. The two companies
also won one of two cargohandling concessions at the
airport.
Asian Aviation May 2007
3
GENERAL NEWS
Indonesia’s Lorena Air prepares to start services in May
Lorena Air, a new full-service
Indonesian domestic airline will begin
operations on 30 May from its base at
Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International
Airport.
Beginning with a fleet of three,
leased Boeing 737-400 jetliners, the
carrier will offer flights to Manado
in north Sulawesi, Balikpapan in
east Kalimantan, Padang in western
Sumatra, Palembang in southern
Sumatra, and Bali.
According to the carrier’s President
and Director Eka Sari Lorena Soerbakti,
the carrier will lease another three 737400s in the fourth quarter of this year to
expand its network. The carrier plans
to start operating international flights
in 2009.
The carrier is owned by the Lorena
Group, which operates a luxury bus
service on the islands of Java, Madura,
Bali and Sumatra. The airline says its
entry into the market is timely, at a time
when the country’s airline industry is
reeling from a series of air disasters.
“With air travellers having no
confidence in the local aviation industry,
we are confident that we will be able to
establish a firm footing in the domestic
market as a full-service carrier,” Eka
says. “Our experience in the transport
business has enhanced our confidence
of doing well.”
Lorena Group has been issued with
an air operating certificate (AOC), even
though it has no prior experience of the
airline business. Early last year, four
months after the fatal crash in September
2005 of a Mandala Airlines 737-200 in
Medan, Indonesia’s transport minister
Hatta Radjasa said the government
would not issue any more AOCs.
Transport ministry officials in Jakarta
declined to comment when asked why
Lorena was issued with the certificate
when there the government had
announced a freeze on such permits.
Philippines CAB cuts back
Tiger’s operating permit
The Philippines’ Civil Aeronautics
Board (CAB) has halved the
duration of Singapore-based lowcost carrier Tiger Airways’ current,
six-month operating permit to
Diosdado Macapagal International
Airport (DMIA) in the Clark Special
Economic Zone, near Manila.
The Foreign Air Carrier’s Permit
(FACP) was initially supposed to
expire in September, but will now
run out in June. The CAB has
given no reason for its decision. A
CAB official says it is the agency’s
prerogative to issue short-term
FACPs, declining to elaborate on
the matter. Tiger also declines to
comment on the matter.
The CAB’s move could seriously
threaten the viability of operations
at the airport, also called Clark
International Airport, and the
growth of low-fare airlines there.
It could also thwart the Philippine
government’s plan to develop the
airport into a hub for budget carriers
in South-East Asia.
The airport was previously a
US military base. The Philippines’
government invested US$20 million
five years ago to upgrade the
facility and convert it into a civilian
airport.
The airport is now used by
Malaysia’s AirAsia, which operates
daily non-stop flights from Kuala
Lumpur and Kota Kinabalu. Asiana
Airlines, Hong Kong Express
Airlines and locally based carriers
Cebu Pacific and Southeast Asian
Airlines also operate there.
Last year, DMIA handled 471,000
passengers and 128,747 tons cargo
– increases of 110 percent and 15
percent, respectively, compared
with the previous year. Departure
tax revenue rose 126 percent to 35.9
million pesos (US$74,791).
Clark International Airport’s
executive vice-president and
chief operating officer Alexander
Cauguiran says DMIA is growing
fast, with predictions that this year
passenger numbers will double and
cargo volume will increase by 20
percent.
Chinese aircraft maker
AVIC I sets up finance unit
China Aviation Industry Corp I (AVIC
I), the country’s biggest aircraft
manufacturer, has set up a finance
unit with registered capital of 1 billion
yuan (US$129.8 million) to fund the
company’s future development.
“We have more or less finished
building our financial platform,” says
Zuo Ming, general manager of stateowned AVIC I. The company, which
builds military as well as civil aircraft,
is China’s first military industrial
enterprise to have both an international
leasing unit and a finance unit.
4
The newly funded finance company
is a non-bank financial institution that
combines the two existing financing
units of AVIC I subsidiaries Xian
Aircraft Industry and Guizhou Aviation
Industry. The company will be funded
by AVIC I and its 11 subsidiaries.
AVIC I, the maker of China’s latestgeneration fighter aircraft, the Jian-10,
set up its international leasing unit in
January this year. The company’s close
co-operation with China Development
Bank, China Everbright Bank and
China CITIC Bank has provided a
To date, the Indonesian government
has issued 69 AOCs, with 48 airlines
now operating. Sixteen are scheduled
passenger airlines, four are local cargo
carriers and 28 are commuter and
charter airlines.
It is understood that at least five
airlines in the country are applying for
AOCs, most of which are reapplying
following an earlier suspension
Last year, Indonesian airlines carried
a total of 39 million passengers on
domestic flights, an increase of 23
percent from the previous year.
Xiamen now has 35 Next-Generation 737s on order.
Xiamen in talks to expand
Boeing 737-800 order
Xiamen Airlines is in negotiations
with Boeing to expand its existing
order for 35 Next-Generation 737800 jetliners to 60 aircraft.
The Xiamen-based carrier wants
the additional 25 single-aisle jets to
be delivered from 2011 through to
2013. Delivery of the existing order,
placed two years ago, has already
begun and is slated for completion
in 2010.
An official of the airline says the
additional aircraft are needed because
of the rapid growth in demand for
domestic and international flights.
“The economic growth of China
has enabled more people to fly,”
the official says. “Growth of the
travel market has also surpassed the
forecast.”
China’s economy grew 9 percent
last year and is projected to expand
by an annual average of 8.5 percent
over the next five years. The country’s
travel industry grew 11.2 percent in
2006, surpassing the forecast of 10
percent growth.
Xiamen currently operates
43 aircraft, including nine 737800s, serving a network covering
143 domestic and international
destinations.
solid foundation for development
since AVIC I was founded in 1999.
AVIC I is also now developing
China’s first indigenous regional jet,
the ARJ 21, which can carry 70 to 110
passengers. The first aircraft is now in
final assembly.
The company recently announced
plans to develop China’s first large
jetliner, with the aim of competing
against Boeing and Airbus in the
commercial aviation market within
the next decade. The development
of AVIC’s international leasing and
finance unit will help promote the
company’s products both domestically
and overseas.
AVIC I supplies China’s armed
forces with 90 percent of their
airborne weapon systems. It has
already manufactured 1,500 aircraft,
50,000 aero-engines and over 10,000
missiles.
Company achieved 80 billion yuan
in sales in 2006 and has continuously
grown over the past six years.
Kenne Chan / Indianapolis
AIRLINES
AirAsia Long Haul orders 10 Airbus A330s with five options
AirAsia Long Haul, the new Malaysian
low-cost carrier planned by AirAsia
chief executive Tony Fernandes, has
signed an order for 10 Airbus A330300 widebody twinjets with options
for another five.
Deliveries of the aircraft will begin
in September 2008, continuing until
2011. The jetliners will be configured
to seat 389 passengers in two classes.
The long-haul carrier will start
operations in September with two
leased A330-300s, initially flying to
China.
The new airline, until recently called
AirAsia X, is owned by Fly Asian
Xpress (FAX), founded by Fernandes
in partnership with Kamarudin
Meranun and Raja Mohd Asmi Mohd
Razali. FAX was initially created last
year to take over the rural air services
of Malaysia Airlines (MAS), which
was restructuring its network as part
of its business turnaround plan.
Fernandes says the AirAsia name
has been kept for the new long-haul
carrier, as it is already an established
brand in the low-fare airline
segment.
The original AirAsia is based at
Kuala Lumpur International Airport
and operates a fleet of 33 aircraft
– 19 Airbus A320s and 14 Boeing
737-300s – on a network covering
more than 35 domestic and regional
destinations. It started domestic
operations in 2001 with two Boeing
737-300s. AirAsia also holds 49
percent stakes in its Indonesian and
Thai affiliates Indonesia AirAsia and
Thai AirAsia.
According to Fernandes, AirAsia
Long Haul will focus on markets
in Australia, China, Europe, India,
Japan, South Korea and Taiwan,
covering routes with a flying time of
more than four hours. For European
destinations, a technical stop will be
made in the Middle East.
Fernandes says the new airline
plans to exercise its five A330 options
and expand the existing order to 20
aircraft within a year or two. AirAsia
Long Haul aims to acquire a fleet of
25 A330-300s within five years, with
the aim of becoming the biggest lowfare, long-haul carrier in the Asia-
Boeing delivers first 737-900ER to Lion Air
Briefs
AIR NEW ZEALAND is planning
to use its new fleet of Bombardier
Q300 turboprops on regional
services to five domestic cities.
The services include weekday
flights linking Christchurch
with New Plymouth and
Tauranga, as well as six flights
a week between Invercargill
and Wellington. The carrier will
also boost frequencies between
Christchurch and Hamilton to
three in June, from two now.
The aircraft is the first of 60 ordered by the Indonesian airline.
Boeing delivered the first extended
range 737-900ER twinjet to
Indonesian launch customer Lion Air
on 27 April, in the first step towards
a massive fleet expansion by the
Jakarta-based carrier.
The airline plans to use the jet on
services from the Indonesian capital
to Manado and Makassar, starting
in May. Lion Air has ordered 60
737-900ERs for its fleet, which now
comprises nine Boeing 737-400s and
two –300s, as well as six McDonnell
Douglas MD-80s and four MD-90s.
The aircraft carries as many as 220
passengers in a single-class layout,
compared with 189 in a regular 737900. The fuselage incorporates a
new pair of exit doors and a flat rearpressure bulkhead to make room for
Pacific by 2012.
AirAsia Long Haul had initially
planned to lease two Boeing 777-200s
or Airbus A340-300s, but was unable
to secure any. No 777s are expected
to be available for lease for the next
four-to five years.
Malaysian transport minister Chan
Kong Choy says the new carrier
will not compete on routes that are
currently operated by flag-carrier
MAS.
Fernandes says the airline still hasn’t
chosen an engine for the A330s, but
will have made a decision by the time
of this year’s Paris air show in June. The
A330-300 is available with General
Electric CF6, Pratt & Whitney 4000
or Rolls-Royce Trent 700 turbofans.
the additional seats.
Other design changes to the aircraft
include strengthened wings, a twoposition tailskid, enhanced leadingand trailing-edge flap systems,
optional blended winglets and
auxiliary fuel tanks. The aircraft can
fly 500 nautical miles further than the
737-900, offering a maximum range
of up to 3,200 nautical miles.
The 737-900ER is powered by the
CFM International (CFMI) CFM567B engine, incorporating a package
of engine upgrades designed to boost
performance and trim operating costs.
The engine features a new combustor
design aimed at cutting nitrous oxide
emissions by as much as a fifth, while
a 5-degree Celsius increase in exhaust
gas temperature margin is expected
to reduce the engine’s fuel burn and
boost time on-wing.
Boeing claims the aircraft offers “9
percent lower operating costs per trip
and 7 percent lower operating costs
per seat” than Airbus’s rival A321
single-aisle twinjet.
CFMI says it plans to offer the
same engine upgrade for the CFM565B/P, which powers the A320 family,
starting from the fourth quarter of
this year. The package includes an
improved high-pressure compressor,
high-pressure turbine and lowpressure turbine nozzle, as well as the
new combustor and will be available
on new engines and as a retrofit.
As of the end of March, Boeing
had collected 104 orders for the 737900ER.
EMIRATES has added another
four aircraft to its order for
Airbus’s 550-seat A380 jetliner,
bringing the total number for
the Dubai-based airline to 47.
Emirates Chairman Sheikh
Ahmed Bin Saeed Al Maktoum
says the new agreement “should
leave no-one in any doubt about
our faith in Airbus, the company
and the quality of the aircraft”.
He adds that all issues related
to the programme’s production
delays are “fully settled”. The
first A380 is scheduled for
delivery to launch customer
Singapore Airlines in October,
while Emirates will receive its
first aircraft in the third quarter
of 2008. By the original delivery
schedule, Emirates was
supposed to have 18 of the
aircraft in service by that time.
AIR CANADA says it will operate
a second daily service between
Vancouver and Beijing using
Boeing 767-300ER twinjets
between 2 July and 1 October.
The airline will also increase its
Shanghai-Toronto frequency
by one flight a week, making
it a thrice-weekly service from
13 April to 30 June. The flight
will be operated daily starting
from 1 July, before reverting to
three times a week for the winter
season.
5
AIRLINES
FAX may hand east Malaysia services over to Firefly
The Malaysian government has
accepted a proposal by Fly Asian
Xpress (FAX) to surrender its rural
air services (RAS) and other domestic
routes in the east Malaysian states
of Sabah and Sarawak to Firefly, a
no-frills unit of Malaysia Airlines
(MAS).
Transport minister Chan Kong
Choy says FAX’s proposal and the
government’s decision were passed on
to MAS on 25 April after a Cabinet
meeting. Chan insists the move will
not affect MAS’ business turnaround
plan, should the airline decide to
accept the proposal.
FAX, which is based in Miri,
currently operates the RAS services
with a fleet of five, 19-seat De Havilland
DHC-6 Twin Otters and the other
domestic routes with seven Fokker
50 turboprops. The company initially
took over the services from MAS in
a restructuring of the Malaysian flag
carrier’s domestic operation, as part of
its turnaround plan.
The government says it will
subsidize Firefly’s operations in the
two states by between RM50 million
(US$14.7 million) and RM70 million
a year. No details have been given
as to when Firefly may take over the
operations.
In a response to the government’s
decision, MAS Managing Director
and Chief Executive Idris Jala says the
airline will have to study the proposal
and what the government has to offer
before it agrees.
FAX was originally founded to
operate the east Malaysian services
by AirAsia Chief Executive Tony
Fernandes and a group of business
associates, as part of a deal which saw
the low-cost carrier take over much of
MAS’s domestic network. Since then,
however, MAS has begun to restore its
own services on some of the routes,
which it had said it would no longer
compete on.
Some analysts say the ministry’s
decision to accept FAX’s proposal
shows the smaller carrier is being
favoured, as the original intention of
the restructuring was to allow MAS to
focus on its turnaround plan.
“A private airline is given priority
over the national carrier,” says a Kuala
Lumpur-based analyst speaking on
condition of anonymity. “It will be
back to square one for MAS, which
will have to hire staff and crew
again.”
Dennis William / Kuala Lumpur
Air NZ eyes low-cost unit
Air New Zealand is considering
setting up a new, low-cost carrier to
operate domestic routes in the face of
intensifying competition.
The new unit is one of several
options under consideration by the
airline, General Manager Nathan
Agnew wrote in a memo to staff.
The memo also said the carrier is
examining the types of on-board
services and products it offers and
potential ways to streamline the
customer’s journey, including travel
to the airport and procedures at the
airport itself.
The memo, which was intended
6
as a reminder to keep company
information confidential, was leaked
to the press and widely reported.
It cited Agnew’s concerns about
Kiwijet, a planned New Zealand
low-cost start-up, which is proposing
services similar to proposals under
consideration by Air NZ.
Kiwijet is an initiative led by US
aviation investor Patrick Weil and a
group of investors, who hope to begin
operating two Boeing 737-300s as
early as in December. Weil has said
he has secured US$20 million of
funding for the new carrier.
Boeing delivers Jet
Airways’ first 777-300ER
Boeing has delivered the first of
10 777-300ER jetliners to India’s
Jet Airways, in the airline’s new
colour scheme. The aircraft was
set to enter service on 5 May, the
14th anniversary of the start of
operations by the carrier.
Jet originally placed the 777
order in September 2005. The
carrier now operates a fleet of 49
single-aisle 737s – both Classic
and Next-Generation models. It
also has an outstanding order for
10 of Boeing’s new 787 aircraft.
FREIGHT
UPS signs agreement for Shanghai International Air Hub
UPS has signed an operating
agreement and lease contract with
the Shanghai Airport Authority for
its UPS International Air Hub, which
will be constructed at Shanghai’s
Pudong International Airport.
The hub, due to open next year,
will link all of China, via Shanghai,
to UPS’s international network across
the Americas, Europe and Asia.
The hub will be the first of its kind
established by a US carrier in the
country. From the hub, UPS will also
provide services throughout China
in conjunction with local all-cargo
carrier Yangtze River Express.
The new 96,000 square-metre
facility will be located at the southern
end of the airport’s West Cargo
Terminal Area, currently under
construction. The centre will employ
in excess of 1,000 personnel by 2010,
and will be capable of handling 17,000
items of freight an hour by 2012.
To support operations at the hub,
UPS plans to change aircraft serving
Shanghai from Boeing MD-11s
to Boeing 747-400 freighters. The
company now has 76 takeoffs and
landings a week at Shanghai, with
a further 24 services operated by
Since expanding services last year, UPS serves more Chinese cities than any other US cargo carrier.
Yangtze River Express.
The Shanghai Airport Authority
is keen to establish Pudong as
an international cargo hub and is
now constructing a third runway
at the airport. UPS is also keen to
increase its presence in the country,
particularly ahead of the Beijing
Olympic Games.
Establishment of the hub was
made possible through the Sino-US
civil aviation transportation services
agreement, which was signed by the
two countries in July 2004.
UPS already operates to more than
330 cities in China, where it operates
a large logistics centre and employs
more than 4,500 people. Since the
Briefs
SIA CARGO, the freight arm of
Singapore Airlines, has added
services to Nairobi in Kenya,
making the city the fourth African
destination in the freight operator’s
network. The services are being
operated weekly via Johannesburg
and Brussels on the return, using
the carrier’s Boeing 747-400
freighters.
BOEING has selected Crane
Aerospace & Electronics to supply
the onboard weight and balance
system for the new 777 freighter.
The new AirWeighs system will
accurately and reliably measure
the 777F’s weight and centre of
gravity, in real time. The system
can also quickly validate manual
weight calculations. AirWeighs
uses the load-bearing pressure on
an aircraft’s landing gear struts to
determine weight and balance. The
777F will be the first commercial
aircraft to use the system.
J A PA N
AIRLINES
(JAL)
is extending its codeshare
relationship with its part-owned
domestic cargo operator Galaxy
Airlines. JAL will use its code on
Galaxy’s new, six-times weekly
Osaka Kansai-Sapporo-Tokyo
Haneda-Sapporo-Osaka Kansai
service. JAL already codeshares
with Galaxy on its other services.
The new route is being launched
following the delivery of a second
Airbus A300-600R freighter. JAL
owns 10 percent of Galaxy.
THE INTERNATIONAL Air
Transport Association (IATA) and
the International Federation of
Freight Forwarders Associations
(FIATA) have teamed up to form
a global industry task force to
improve air cargo supply chain
security. IATA says the task force
will develop and voice industry
positions that protect supply chain
security while ensuring cargo gets
to destinations on time. It will also
improve the flow of information
regarding security issues
between industry associations and
regions.
BAE SYSTEMS Regional Aircraft
has selected Aerostar of Romania
as the prime contractor for the
manufacturer’s relaunched 146 QT
freighter conversion programme.
The manufacturer stopped the
programme, which involves the
installation of a large freight door in
the rear section of the fuselage, in
1993. Aerostar will be responsible
for the large freight door assembly,
interior kit manufacture, installation
and maintenance, while fellow
Romanian company Avioane
Craiova will manufacture the
freight door. The conversion will be
offered for 146-200s and -300s.
AIRBUS’S latest monthly order
figures show no orders for the A380
freighter following the cancellation
by UP of its order for 10 earlier
this year. Emirates, FedEx and
International Lease Finance had all
previously cancelled A380F orders.
At one point the manufacturer held
27 orders for the freighter.
THE JAPANESE Government has
approved a deal under which US
cargo carrier ABX Air will operate
two Boeing 767-200F freighters for
All Nippon Airways (ANA) under a
two-year wet lease agreement.
The operation will begin on 15 May,
with the aircraft set to fly on behalf
of the Japanese airline’s ANA&JP
Express joint venture, which was
formed by ANA in partnership with
Japan Post, Nippon Express and
Mitsui OSK Lines. According to
ABX, the aircraft will support ANA’s
cargo operations across Asia,
including markets such as Japan,
China and Thailand. The approval
“marks the first time the Japan
Civil Aviation Bureau has allowed
a foreign carrier to conduct cargo
operations on behalf of a Japanese
airline,” the US company says.
expansion of its air services last
year, the company now serves more
Chinese cities than any other US
cargo carrier.
The company’s investment in the
country over the last five years totals
US$600 million.
Byline: Emma Kelly / Perth
NZ’s Airwork
makes plans
to establish
Australian
cargo carrier
New Zealand-based aviation company
Airwork is launching a cargo carrier
in Australia, operating two Boeing
737s on behalf of Australian logistics
group Toll Holdings, the parent of
Virgin Blue.
Airwork was planning to have
launched operations throughout the
country by May. Two aircraft will be
based in Brisbane and the third in
Perth.
Toll announced last year that it was
working on a freight strategy that
would include Virgin Blue, which
was expected to operate its own
dedicated freighter or quick-change
aircraft under the strategy. However,
Toll has now decided to proceed
without Virgin Blue.
Airwork is better known as a freight,
charter and helicopter operator in
New Zealand. It is already active in
Australia, owning part of Brisbanebased charter carrier Alliance
Airlines.
7
MANUFACTURERS
Boeing prepares for 787 final assembly
Vought has now delivered its first composite fuselage sections for the 787.
Boeing’s new 787 twin-aisle twinjet is
getting close to final assembly as the
US manufacturer prepares for a rollout on 8 July.
Vought Aircraft Industries, based in
Charleston, South Carolina, delivered
its first composite fuselage sections
for the aircraft on 8 May, while the
horizontal stabiliser arrived at Boeing’s
Everett assembly centre on 24 April.
“In the coming weeks we will receive
other major assemblies,” says Scott
Strode, vice-president of 787 airplane
definition and production. “This is a
very exciting time for the program.”
Vought completed two rearfuselage barrels – sections 47 and 48
– comprising about 23 percent of the
aircraft’s fuselage. The sections were
scheduled to be transported 200 yards
to Global Aeronautica, Vought’s joint
venture with Alenia North America,
where they were to be wrapped in
preparation for transport to Everett.
Vought says the two sections were
begun as one-piece barrels, then
“stuffed” with additional structure
and components before being joined
together with the aircraft’s aft pressure
bulkhead, making the tail-end of the
fuselage.
The South Carolina company joined
Boeing’s 787 development team in
2002, becoming a structural partner a
year later. Production activities for the
787 at Vought began last June, since
when the company has fabricated
seven aft fuselage production units and
one development unit.
The 787’s horizontal stabiliser was
manufactured by Alenia Aeronautica
at its facility in Foggia, Italy and
transported in five pieces - the left
and right stabiliser, two elevators
and a centre section. It was delivered
to Everett by Boeing’s co-called
‘Dreamlifter’, a specially modified
747-400 used to transport 787 major
assemblies.
The stabiliser was loaded into
position in the 787 final assembly bay
on 25 April. The completed assembly
has a wing span of approximately 62ft
and measures 32ft fore to aft.
China’s large airliner to be assembled in Xian, Shanghai
China’s proposed large commercial
jet will be assembled in Shanghai and
Xian, capital of northwest China’s
Shaanxi Province, officials from
China’s Xian Yanliang State Aviation
High-Tech Industry Base have
announced.
Xian will handle about half of the
manufacturing work for the passenger
version of the aircraft and 60 percent
for the freighter version. Shanghai
will be the final assembly site because
of its superior infrastructure, central
location and access to capital.
Xian Yanliang has the strongest
research and development capability
in the Chinese aviation industry. The
country’s two state-owned aerospace
groups, China Aviation Industry I
(AVIC I) and China Aviation Industry
II (AVIC II) , will be involved in the
design, development and production
of the new aircraft alongside the
Commission of Science, Technology
and Industry for National Defence.
Development of the prototype will
take at least 10 years.
The passenger version of the new
jetliner will carry more than 150
passengers and have a maximum take-
off weight of more than 100 tonnes.
China’s ambitious plan to develop
large commercial passenger jets in
a multi-billion dollar project aims
to reduce the country’s dependence
on overseas aircraft makers such as
Boeing and Airbus, while also giving
the country a foothold in the global
commercial aircraft market
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8
DEFENCE
US may lift F-22 Raptor export restriction for Japan
The US government is reportedly
giving favourable consideration to
Japan’s requests for the Lockheed
Martin F-22A Raptor to be released
to compete for the country’s F-X
front-line fighter requirement.
“The US is very positively disposed
to talk with Japan about the future
fighter aircraft,” the National Security
Council’s East Asia Director Dennis
Wilder told reporters before Japanese
Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s visit to
the USA.
“The US-Japan defence alliance
is changing,” Wilder said. “The
People’s Liberation Army Air Force
of China is spurring modernisation.
North Korea’s missile and nuclear
capabilities come as a threat to Japan.
All of these explain why the Japan
Air Self-Defence Force (JASDF)
requested the future-generation
fighters.”
Federal law currently bans exports
of the F-22 without Congressional
approval and prohibits active
marketing of the aircraft. The aircraft
is valued at a unit price of about
US$200 million – more than twice the
price of Boeing’s proposed F-15FX,
which Japan is eyeing as an interim
replacement for its ageing McDonnell
Douglas F-4EJ Phantoms.
The Raptor is seen as a key
potential element of the country’s
missile defences because of its
ability to detect and destroy cruise
missiles. Japan also wants a fighter
that offers stealth capability, an active
electronically scanned array radar and
advanced data links.
Japan is considering buying a combination of Lockheed’s
F-22A Raptor and Boeing’s F-15FX.
Up to now, the US has been
pitching its F/A-18E/F Super Hornet
and Lockheed’s F-35 Joint Strike
Fighter (JSF) alongside the F-15
for the F-X programme. Also under
consideration are the Eurofighter
Typhoon and Dassault Rafale. But
Tokyo wants the best available air
superiority capabilities, which are
L-3’s SPAR Aerospace
wins Hercules electronic
warfare upagrde for NZ
Canada’s SPAR Aerospace, a
subsidiary of L-3 Communications,
has been awarded a contract to
design and install an electronic
warfare self-protection system
(EWSPS) for the Royal New
Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) fleet
of five Lockheed Martin C-130H
Hercules tactical transports.
The contract is an add-on
to the six-year Life Extension
Programme (LEP) awarded to
SPAR by the New Zealand defence
ministry in December 2004.
According to L-3, the LEP is
the most comprehensive avionics,
mechanical systems and structural
refurbishment programme ever
performed on a C-130H. The
programme includes centre-wing
refurbishment to address structural
fatigue and cracking, “one of the
major life-limiting elements on the
C-130”, the company says.
The updates will make the
RNZAF fleet one of the most
modern in the world, able
to operate safely beyond the
predicted withdrawal date of 2017,
L-3 adds.
“The electronic warfare
upgrade for the RNZAF fleet
builds on our successful record
of installing them on Canada’s C130 fleet,” says SPAR President
Patrice Pelletier. “With C-130s
increasingly thrust into trouble
spots, the EWSPS is becoming
a requirement for operations in
these world hotspots.”
the F-22’s primary strength, and
sees commonality with US Air Force
equipment as a major advantage for
joint operations.
According to local press reports,
Japan’s defence ministry is considering
a two-stage solution, with the F-15FX
procurement starting in fiscal year
2009, replacing the Phantoms, which
are set to begin retiring the previous
year.
Current planning up to fiscal 2009
foresees the acquisition of an initial
seven aircraft to replace the F-4EJs,
with the ministry expected to decide
on the fighter type by the second
quarter of next year.
Singapore confirms G550
AEW aircraft acquisition
The Singaporean defence ministry
(MINDEF) has confirmed that the
country has bought four Gulfstream
G550 airborne early warning (AEW)
aircraft to replace the island nation’s
four, ageing Northrop Grumman E-2C
Hawkeyes.
The first aircraft is scheduled for
delivery to the Republic of Singapore
Air Force (RSAF) by late 2008, with
all four expected to be in service by
2010. The ministry has not disclosed
details of the aircraft’s configuration
or programme costs, although it has
been reported that the configuration is
likely to be similar to that now being
delivered to Israel.
The Israeli aircraft – the first of
which was delivered last September
– are equipped a derivative of
Elta’s Phalcon phased array radar.
The Elta conformal AEW system
includes two radar systems operating
simultaneously using different
frequency bands, offering 360-degree
detection capabilities.
“The G550-AEW will enhance the
creation of the RSAF’s air situation
picture and its identification capability
as part of the networked air defence
system,” MINDEF says. “The new
platforms will provide improved
surveillance for the RSAF and enhance
Singapore’s air defence capability.”
MINDEF says the aircraft offers
endurance of as much as nine hours
and can operate at altitudes of 41,000ft
with a crew of eight, including two
pilots.
The G550s are powered by twin
Rolls-Royce BR710 engines, and
the Israeli AEW aircraft are fitted
with extra generators to produce the
extra power required by the on-board
systems.
The RSAF’s E-2Cs were delivered
between 1985 and 1986 and will
remain in service until 2010.
9
TECHNOLOGY
Boeing plans fuel-cell demonstrator flights
Boeing and a number of European
partners plan to conduct flight tests
later this year of a manned aircraft
powered by a fuel cell and lightweight
batteries.
The flight tests, which will take
place in Spain, will demonstrate for
the first time that a manned aircraft can
maintain straight and level flight with
fuel cells as the only power source,
Boeing says. The manufacturer sees
applications for the technology in
small manned and unmanned air
vehicles.
The tests are part of Boeing’s Fuel
Cell Demonstrator Airplane research
project, which the manufacturer has
been working on for a number of years
at its research and technology centre
in Spain. The systems-integration
phase of the project was recently
completed, with integration testing
now underway.
Fuel-cell technology uses an
electrochemical device to convert
hydrogen directly into electricity and
heat, without combustion, offering
both efficiency and environmental
benefits. Fuel cells are emission-free
The demonstrator has an electric motor powered
by a hybrid system combining a fuel cell and a
lithium-ion battery.
and quieter than conventional engines
powered by hydrocarbon fuels.
The Boeing demonstrator uses
a hybrid system, with a proton
exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell
and lightweight lithium-ion batteries,
to power an electric motor driving a
conventional propeller. The fuel cell
provides all power for the cruise
phase of flight, while the batteries
provide a power boost during takeoff and climb.
The demonstrator aircraft is
a Dimona motor glider, built by
Quickstep works towards European deal
Australia’s Quickstep expects
to sign a co-operation and
development agreement soon with
a “leading European-based aircraft
manufacturer”, for its composite
manufacturing process.
The Quickstep composite
manufacturing process uses fluidbased curing and is more costeffective and faster than traditional
autoclave to produce composites,
according to the Perth, Western
Australia-based company. Quickstep
has been talking to manufacturers
including Airbus and Boeing for a
number of years as part of its effort
to commercialise the technology in
the aerospace industry.
The company already has a test
programme supplying sample parts
for the UK’s Spirit AeroSystems
(for merly
BAE
Systems
Aerostructures), which makes
structures for Airbus.
“We are in advanced discussions
with a leading European aerospace
manufacturer regarding the
establishment of a framework
co-operation and development
agreement, intended to achieve
certif ication for aerospace
components for the Quickstep
Composites CRC, Eurocopter
unite on composites research
Australia’s Co-operative Research
Centre for Advanced Composite
Structures (Composites CRC) and
Eurocopter’s Australian Aerospace
unit have launched the detailed
planning phase of a three-year
helicopter composites research and
development programme.
The project is expected to result
in the development of a “globally
competitive hub for composite
component design, manufacture
and through-life support”, the
partners say. Efforts will focus
10
on the development of improved
techniques to design, manufacture,
repair and maintain advanced
aerospace composite structures for
helicopters.
Composites CRC is one of the
world’s leading composites research
organisations. It comprises 25
members, including composite
businesses, Australian government
research
laboratories
and
universities.
The organisation has previously
focused on technology and
process – a forerunner to actual
aerospace components manufacture,”
says Nick Noble, the company’s
managing director. Quickstep
declines to identify the potential
partner.
The company is also establishing
a new testing and manufacturing
facility in Munich, Germany, to
be closer to potential European
customers. The facility will be
operated by a wholly owned
subsidiary and will initially operate
one QS20 composites production
machine.
Emma Kelly / Perth
processes for fixed wing aircraft.
Many of its developments have been
commercialised and are now being
used in the aerospace industry.
Australian Aerospace, which
operates an Asia-Pacific Centre of
Excellence in Brisbane, is leading
the programme. The company is
investing A$15 million (US$12.37
million) in a new composites
manufacturing plant in Queensland
to support production of Eurocopter
Tiger armed reconnaissance
helicopters and NH Industries
MRH90 troop-lift helicopters for
the Australian Army. Both aircraft
include a substantial proportion of
advanced composite materials.
Emma Kelly / Perth
Austria’s Diamond Aircraft Industries,
which performed major structural
modifications to the aircraft. With
a wingspan of 16.3m (53.5ft), the
aircraft will be able to cruise at
approximately 100kmh (62mph).
The PEM fuel-cell system used on
the flight demonstrator was designed
and built by UK-based Intelligent
Energy.
Other partners in the project
include Madrid-based avionics group
Aerlyper, SAFT France, Air Liquide
Spain, the Electronic Engineering
Division of the Polytechnic University
of Madrid and SENASA (Spain).
Boeing is also investigating
other types of fuel cell technology,
including a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell that
could be applied to secondary powergenerating systems, such as auxiliary
power units. This technology could be
mature enough in 10 to 15 years, for
potential use in commercial aviation,
says Boeing.
Emma Kelly / Perth
Briefs
JAPAN AIRLINES (JAL)
will install Boeing’s Class 3
electronic flight bag (EFB) on
two new Boeing 777s – a 200 and a -300ER – that will
be delivered this year. This
is JAL’s first EFB order. The
airline has 38 777s in service
and a further eight still to be
delivered. Boeing has received
more than 1,000 orders for the
EFB since it was launched in
2002. The manufacturer says
the device serves as a critical
communications gateway
between the aircraft in the sky
and an airline’s operations centre
and maintenance department
on the ground. Separately, JAL
has selected Thales’ TopSeries
in-flight entertainment for its
Boeing 787s, which are due
to enter service in mid-2008.
Thales expects to operate a
comprehensive service station
in Japan to support the IFE
systems.
THE REPUBLIC of Singapore
Air Force (RSAF) has
selected Rockwell Collins to
supply an integrated avionics
communication/navigation/
surveillance and air traffic
management solution for its
fleet of 10 Lockheed Martin C130 Hercules transports. The
upgrade will feature Rockwell’s
Flight2 avionics, which augment
and enhance aircraft operational
capabilities by providing an
open-systems architecture
that integrates flight operations
with navigation and guidance
functions and supports future
growth requirements.
TRAINING & SIMULATION
CAE launches 5000 Series simulator for narrowbodies
Canadian simulator manufacturer
CAE marked its 60th birthday with
the launch of the new 5000 Series fullflight simulator (FFS) for narrowbody
aircraft.
The device is designed to address
training requirements of the
commercial narrowbody aircraft
market, including the Boeing 737,
Airbus A320 and business jets, as
well as the emerging very-light jet
class.
The CAE 5000 Series is positioned
between the company’s Simfinity line
of training devices and its existing,
customised Level-D simulator
– which has also been enhanced and
upgraded with the latest technologies,
and is now called the CAE 7000
Series. The new FFS will be available
in early 2008, with list prices ranging
from C$8 million (US$7.2 million) to
C$11 million.
The product range will include the
CAE 5200 Series FFS, which exceeds
Level-B requirements and is targeted
for recurrent training, and the CAE
5400 Series FFS, which exceeds
Level-D requirements.
The Canadian manufacturer has
launch orders for the simulators
from: Lufthansa Flight Training,
which has ordered an A320 FFS;
Ryanair, with an order for five; and
CAE’s own global training network,
which will deploy 5000 Series 737
and A320 simulators next year. The
new Embraer-CAE joint venture,
offering training for Embraer Phenom
business jets, will also use them, as
will the new CAE-Airbus venture.
“We believe we have brought to
our customers the most innovative
solution designed specifically to
meet evolving training requirements
brought about by new regulations,
new aircraft types and emerging
markets,” says Marc Parent, CAE’s
group president for simulation
products. “The CAE 5000 Series
meets market demands for lower
acquisition costs, reduced lifecycle
costs and faster delivery times.”
Separately, the Canadian simulator
maker has added three new flighttraining organisations to its CAE
Global Academy. The company now
has six organisations involved in the
operation, which will allow it to train
over 1,000 new pilots a year. The new
partners are in North America and
Belgium.
CAE has also secured a new pilottraining contract from Indian carrier
Interglobe Aviation, which operates
as IndiGo. Under the arrangement,
CAE will source, recruit and train
290 candidates for first officer and
captain on the airline’s A320 fleet.
IndiGo now has a fleet of nine A320s
and will take delivery of another six
this year. By 2010, the carrier plans to
serve 30 Indian cities with 40 of the
narrowbodies.
The manufacturer has also received
Level-D certif ication from the
CAE President Robert E Brown (left) shows the company’s new narrowbody
simulator to Canada’s public works minister Michael Fortier.
European Joint Aviation Authorities
and Japan Civil Aviation Bureau for
four simulators with electric-motion
systems for Japan Airlines (JAL) and
Amsterdam-based Flight Simulation
(FSC).
The simulators – two Boeing 737800s and one A320 for FSC, and
one 737-800 for JAL – are the first
electric-motion FFS’s for Airbus and
Boeing aircraft to receive Level D
certification, CAE says. The FSC
simulators have entered service at the
company’s training centre at Schiphol
airport, while JAL’s simulator was due
to enter service at its Tokyo training
centre in April.
The electric motion system
provides more accurate and
Embraer invests in Asia-Pacific training
Brazilian
regional-aircraft
manufacturer Embraer is investing
US$40 million in its Asia-Pacific
operations, which will include
a simulator training facility in
Singapore.
The company’s expansion in the
region follows an increase in orders,
which now total 128 aircraft for
operators in Australia, China, India,
Taiwan and Thailand.
The new simulator centre will be
operated in conjunction with a stillunnamed “global training provider”,
reported to be Alteon Training. The
facility will house an Embraerowned, Level D, full-flight simulator
for Embraer’s E-Jet range of aircraft.
The simulator is scheduled to be
operational in June, with technical and
flight-attendant training to follow next
year, says Embraer.
In addition, Embraer is partnering
with Menlo Worldwide to establish a
spare-parts facility in the free-trade
zone at Singapore’s Changi Airport.
The investment will be conducted
through a wholly owned subsidiary,
Embraer Asia Pacific, which is
incorporated in Singapore and will be
responsible for local marketing and
sales. The manufacturer will more
than double its Singapore-based staff
to 40.
“Asia is an extremely important
region for Embraer,” says Frederico
Fleury Curado, the company’s
newly appointed president and chief
executive officer. “Recent sales have
demonstrated that the market here is
well suited to our products and we want
to make sure that our new customers
in the region can benefit from the best
possible support services.”
Emma Kelly / Perth
Air New Zealand to open ATR training centre
Air New Zealand is establishing an
ATR simulator-training centre in
Christchurch, New Zealand, for its
regional unit Mount Cook Airlines.
The centre will open in the fourth
quarter of this year to provide a
low-cost training alternative for
ATR operators, the regional-aircraft
manufacturer says. It will feature a
Mechtronix non-hydraulic simulator,
which can support 80 percent of
simulator training. The manufacturer
already has a full-flight simulator
located in Bangkok, Thailand.
Mount Cook Airlines is one of the
largest ATR operators in the region
with a fleet of 11 turboprop ATR 72500s.
The aircraft manufacturer, a
consortium of EADS and Italy’s
Alenia, is expanding its presence
in the Asia-Pacific region with new
operators, a new sales office in Sydney
and a spare parts facility in Auckland.
ATR has recently made a number of
sales in Australia, including three
ATR 42-320s to Jetcraft and an ATR
42-500 to Macair.
Emma Kelly / Perth
authentic cues for pilot training and
is more environmentally friendly
than hydraulic or hybrid electrichydraulic motion systems, says the
manufacturer. CAE worked with
Moog FCS on the new all-electric
motion system.
CAE recently sold two CAE 7000
Boeing 787 simulators to JAL, which
will also feature the electric motion
system, with a new Tropos-6000
visual system and Liquid Crystal
on Silicon (LCoS) projectors.
Additionally, JAL has ordered a CAE
Simfinity 787 integrated procedures
trainer (IPT). The first 787 FFS will
be delivered to JAL’s training centre
at Haneda Airport in 2008.
Emma Kelly / Perth
Briefs
NIPPON CARGO Airlines (NCA)
has ordered a Boeing 747 fullflight simulator from CAE for its
new Tokyo training centre. The
simulator will be used to train
pilots for the airline’s 747-400Fs
and its new 747-8 Freighter,
which NCA ordered in late
2005. The cargo operator has
also ordered a flat-panel trainer,
which will be used for initial flight
training, and a maintenancetraining simulator. NCA’s new
training centre is due to open in
October 2008.
ST AEROSPACE Engineering
of Singapore has purchased
Bankstown Airport, Sydneybased charter and flight training
company Pacific Flight Services
in a A$550,000 (US$454,155)
cash deal.
ST Aerospace
says the Australian unit will
complement the engineering
company’s charter and training
business. Pacific Flight Services
provides flight training, charter
and aircraft management
services from Bankstown.
11
AIRPORTS & ATM
Australia, New Zealand implement new ATM initiatives
Air services providers in Australia
and New Zealand have introduced a
number of new initiatives designed
to improve air traffic management
(ATM) efficiency and reduce aviation
emissions.
Airser vices Australia has
implemented a new aircraftsequencing programme at Sydney
airport, as one of a number of measures
designed to reduce emissions. The
Aloft programme became fully
operational in late March, following
a trial at the airport.
The programme uses the Maestro
scheduling tool to increase the
certainty of arrival times, minimising
the need for holding. Instead of
looking at aircraft approaching the
airport from 100nm out, Airservices
has adapted the software to look at
aircraft 1,000nm away.
The ultimate aim is to provide
aircraft with an exact arrival time
while they’re still hours away from
the airport, allowing them to perform
a continuous descent without any
need for holding, Airservices says.
The programme is already proving
successful, reducing carbon dioxide
emissions from flights into Sydney by
more than 9 tonnes a day, according
to Australian transport minister Mark
Vaile.
Airservices is also looking at
implementing the programme at
other airports. The initiative is
one of many that the ATM service
provider is working on to reduce
emissions. Others include increasing
the flexibility of flight tracks, more
efficient runway use and continuousdescent approaches, which minimise
speed changes.
New Zealand is testing optimum arrivals procedures at Auckland.
The initiatives are expected to
reduce carbon dioxide emissions by
hundreds of thousands of tonnes per
year.
Meanwhile, New Zealand air
navigation services provider Airways
New Zealand in April launched a
trial of optimum arrivals for Air New
Zealand and Qantas international
flights at Auckland International
Airport.
The New Zealand optimum arrivals
trial is similar to Airservices’ tailored
arrivals trial (TAT), carried out at
Melbourne last year, as well as the
Dutch continuous descent arrival
trials and the on-going TAT in San
Francisco.
Air New Zealand and Qantas
Boeing 747 flights into Auckland
are being spaced to allow a “glide
descent” into the airport from the top
of the descent point, says Airways
New Zealand. The glide descent
profile will be flown with aircraft
engines set at idle, significantly
reducing fuel burn and emissions.
The service provider says the
trial will enable it to establish
what the actual fuel-burn is for an
arriving flight where no air traffic
control intervention is needed, and
to determine the potential for fuel
savings and emissions reductions.
Emma Kelly / Perth
Manila’s Terminal 3 postponed indefinitely
The opening of Terminal 3 at Ninoy
Aquino International Airport in Manila
has been postponed indefinitely, due
to construction defects.
The terminal was previously
scheduled to open on 10 March last
year, although this date was pushed
back when part of the building
collapsed, prompting a structural
review. The terminal was originally
completed several years ago with the
intention of opening in 2002.
According to Alfonso Cusi, general
manager of Manila International
Airport Authority (MIAA), the latest
decision to postpone was based on
the recommendation of engineers
and consultants hired by the agency
to review the design and construction
of the terminal.
“The engineers’ report stated that,
while there was no cause for concern
about the foundation and stability, the
construction of the building did not
12
adhere to the original design,” Cusi
says. “There were violations of safety
issues, specifically on the capability
of the facility to withstand the force
of a major earthquake.”
Cusi says the structural defects
must be fixed, then the building
will have to be certified safe and fit
for occupation before it becomes
operational. A new opening date can
only be decided after the completion
of corrective work by Tanaka Corp,
which was awarded the construction
contract by Philippines International
Air Terminals (PIATCO).
PIATCO, a joint venture of
Germany’s Fraport with Philippine
partners, secured the build-operate
contract for the terminal in 1997,
during the administration of thenPresident Joseph Estrada. However, the
contract was cancelled in November
2001 by the government of Estrada’s
successor, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo,
which cited irregularities in the
selection process.
The Philippines government
took over the terminal in 2004 and
made an initial payment of 3 billion
pesos (US$60 million) to PIATCO
last year. Fraport, which holds a
majority stake in PIATCO, has filed
a US$425 million claim against the
government at the Washington-based
International Centre for Settlement
of Investment Disputes, while
PIATCO has filed a case seeking
US$565 million. The latter’s case
will be heard at the Singapore-based
International Chamber of Commerce
in November.
All airlines currently operating at
Terminal 1 are supposed to move to
Terminal 3 when it opens. Terminal
2 is currently dedicated to Philippine
Airlines (PAL) operations.
Dennis William / Manila
Briefs
AUSTRALIA
AND
New
Zealand have agreed on
mutual recognition of aviation
certification, allowing airlines to
operate air services between
and within the two countries,
without having to be issued with
air operator certificates from both
nations’ civil aviation authorities.
WORK HAS begun on a new
airport for Pakistan’s capital,
Islamabad. The US$400 million
facility will be located 30km
south-west of the city, and is
due to be completed in three
years. The single-runway airport
will be capable of handling 4.5
million passengers and 50,000t
of cargo a year, with the potential
to increase capacity to 6.5 million
passengers and 100,00t later.
Islamabad’s existing airport is
unable to cope with the country’s
growing traffic levels.
MALAYSIA AIRPORTS Holdings
has secured a contract to
manage, operate and maintain
Kazakhstan’s Astana International
Airport, serving the country’s
capital. The arrangement is for
10 years with an option to extend
for a further 10.
AUSTRALIA HAS signed new air
services agreements with Croatia
and Spain that are expected
to result in direct flights being
operated from Spain and Croatia
to Australia. The agreements
allow for daily services to be
operated and additional services
to Australian airports other than
Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane
and Perth.
MRO
ST Aero signs support agreement with China’s Juneyao
Singapore Technologies Aerospace
(ST Aerospace) has signed a US$16
million components management
and maintenance support deal with
privately owned Chinese carrier
Juneyao Airlines.
According to the Singapore-based
company, the deal is being done
through ST Aero’s wholly owned ST
Aerospace Supplies subsidiary. The
work will include maintenance-bythe-hour (MBH) support for Juneyao’s
fleet of 15, single-aisle Airbus A319
and A320 twinjets over a seven-year
term.
“The contract attests to the confidence
amongst new and established airlines
in ST Aerospace’s component support
programmes,” says ST Aerospace
President Tay Kok Khiang.
Shanghai-based Juneyao Airlines
was set up in June 2005 with approval
from the Civil Aviation Administration
of China (CAAC) and Shanghai
Municipal Government. The carrier
plans to provide passenger and cargo
services on domestic routes, as well as
offering charter flights, maintenance
and component rework and other
services.
The airline now has a fleet of two
A320-200s and two smaller A319100s, with another four A320s on
order. All eight aircraft are to be
leased from GE Commercial Aviation
Services (GECAS).
The carrier signed a Memorandum
of Understanding with Airbus in
2006 covering 40 aircraft, including
widebody types.
ST Aerospace already has ongoing
component support programmes for
other Chinese private airlines: United
Eagle Airlines, China United Airlines,
Spring Airlines and Okay Airways
Separately, ST Aerospace has
expanded its maintenance, repair
and overhaul (MRO) operation in
Singapore with the opening of a new
hangar and groundbreaking for another
at its wholly owned ST Aerospace
Engineering (STA Engineering)
subsidiary at Seletar, Singapore.
The newly opened hangar was
constructed in eight months at a cost
of S$10 million (US$6.60 million).
ST Aero has opened an additional narrowbody hangar at STA Engineering’s Seletar site, with another
hangar now under construction.
It is equipped to perform heavy
maintenance and modification work
for a range of aircraft types, including
general aviation, helicopters and
commercial narrowbody jetliners up
to the size of a Boeing 757.
The groundbreaking was for an
additional, S$17.3 million hangar,
which is expected to be operational
by early 2008. This hangar will
have two maintenance bays, able to
accommodate two narrowbody aircraft
simultaneously.
“The hangar expansion at Seletar
is a part of ST Aerospace’s global
growth plans, and is in response to our
customers’ increased demand for MRO
services,” says ST Aerospace’s Tay.
The company has over the past three
years built new hangars at all three of
its Singapore locations: Changi, Paya
Lebar and Seletar.
In 2004 it added three hangars at
its facilities in the US and Singapore
and established an MRO joint venture
in Shanghai. In 2006, the company
opened a 12-bay MRO facility in
Panama.
Boeing opens materials management centre in Singapore
Boeing has opened its new Integrated
Materials Management (IMM) Asia
Regional Centre in Singapore.
The US aircraft manufacturer’s
IMM team helps maintain airlines’
spare parts inventories, by managing
the supplier-owned inventory at airline
maintenance locations. This reduces
the carriers’ inventory holding costs
and other supply-chain management
expenses.
The new facility is located at
Schenker Singapore’s Megahub
facility in the Airport Logistics Park
of Singapore (ALPS) at Changi
airport, where Boeing now maintains
a regional distribution centre through
its lead logistics service provider.
The opening of the regional centre
enhances the existing support of
on-site teams throughout the globe
and improves communications and
visibility of inventory within the
IMM network, which directly benefits
aircraft operators, Boeing says in a
statement.
The IMM Asia Regional Centre
was developed using lean principles
to standardize processes and reduce
variation in inventory planning, with
the goal of boosting productivity,
improving communications and
enhancing demand visibility.
The regional centre will also serve
as a model as the Boeing division
looks at placing centres elsewhere
around the world to support its current
and expanding IMM customer base.
Current IMM customers include
Air Tran, All Nippon Airways, Delta
Airlines, Japan Airlines, KLM,
Japan Transocean Air and Singapore
Airlines. Network supplier partners
include Honeywell, UFC Aerospace,
Satair, Hamilton Sundstrand, AvioDiepen, and the recently acquired
Boeing subsidiary, Aviall.
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13
BUSINESS AVIATION DIRECTORY
Business aviation grows slowly in Asia-Pacific
As the business aviation industry heads to Geneva for this year’s EBACE convention, Andrzej Jeziorski
writes that key Asia-Pacific markets are lagging behind other regions, despite enormous potential.
Gulfstream has strengthened its presence in the Asia-Pacific region, doubling its fleet to 44 aircraft since 2000
The world of business aviation is
preparing to gather in Geneva for the
seventh annual European Business
Aviation Convention and Exhibition
(EBACE) in late May, luring
exhibitors and attendees from as far
afield as Africa, Asia, the Middle East
and North America.
The show’s organisers, the
European Business Aviation
Association (EBAA) and the USbased National Business Aviation
Association (NBAA) see the show as
a platform for industry discussions
and a springboard for generating new
business.
“Across the globe, there is a
growing understanding of the
value that business aviation brings
to businesses through improved
employee productivity and efficiency
and increased access to new markets,”
the associations say in a joint
statement. Companies are becoming
more adept at using business aircraft
to gain a competitive edge, they say.
But some parts of the world are
embracing business aviation more
quickly than others, and some of
Asia’s biggest and fastest-growing
economies are still full of untapped
potential.
China, for instance, is the world’s
most populous nation with the fastestgrowing major economy. Investment is
flowing into the country from around
the world and the number of wealthy
individuals in the country is swelling.
Yet so far this has not translated into a
significant expansion of the country’s
business aviation industry.
In fact, although industry estimates
anticipate demand for between 500
and 2,000 business jets in China, the
actual number has remained little
14
changed over the past few years.
China now has 26 of the jets, including
government and charter aircraft.
There are only three charter
operators in the country following
the collapse in March last year of
Shandong Airlines’ Rainbow Jet
unit, which failed because demand
for business jet charter services
never lived up to the company’s
expectations. The three survivors
are Air China Business Jet, Hainan
Airlines’ Deer Jet unit and Shanghai
Airlines Business Jet.
Restrictive environment
Growth of China’s business aviation
industry has been hampered by
restrictive regulations and poor
infrastructure.
Local laws have prevented
companies from operating their own
aircraft up to now, while military
control of much of China’s airspace
means flight plans for overseas
operators have to be filed with seven
days’ notice, making last minute
changes in itineraries impossible.
Local operators don’t face the same
problem, but remain in the minority
of business jets flying into China.
The country now has 300 airfields
of which only about a third are
open to business jets, while many
lack essential facilities. To date,
Shanghai’s Hongqiao airport is the
only one in the country with a fixedbase operation (FBO) providing key
ground services, although another is
under construction in Beijing. In the
USA, by contrast, business aircraft
can operate at about 5,500 airports,
with 4,500 FBOs.
The General Administration of
Civil Aviation of China (CAAC) is
addressing this problem, with plans
to invest US$18 billion to build eight
airports a year up to 2010.
Another problem facing operators
is China’s 22 percent import tax on
foreign-made business jets, while
foreign-registered aircraft must
pay overflight charges and landing
fees that are as much as eight times
higher than those paid by their local
counterparts.
Still, manufacturers remain
optimistic, saying authorities in the
country are becoming more inclined
to favour the development of business
aviation.
“We believe the operating
environment is improving and
enabling the expansion of business
aviation in China,” says Guan
Dongyuan, director of executive jet
sales in the country for Brazilian
manufacturer Embraer.
Bombardier leads
Canadian manufacturer Bombardier
remains the market leader in AsiaPacific business jet sales, with more
than 100 of its aircraft in the region,
giving the company a 31 percent share
of the market.
Speaking at last year’s Singapore
air show, the manufacturer’s VicePresident of Asia-Pacific Sales David
Dixon said acceptance of business
aviation across the region was
increasing. Evidence for this could be
found in the fact that the number of
hours flown in the Asia-Pacific by the
company’s Skyjet charter subsidiary
in 2005 beat the most optimistic
forecasts by 24 percent, he said.
Bombardier last year made a
breakthrough in the tough Japanese
market, with charter operator
Global Wings becoming the first
Asian customer for the Challenger
605 business jet. The aircraft will
be delivered in the third quarter of
this year, adding to a fleet that now
comprises two Bombardier Learjet
45XR aircraft.
Japanese companies have been
notoriously reluctant to accept the
use of executive aircraft, although
manufacturers believe this is now
changing. Still, the country remains
a tough environment, with the same
requirements for obtaining and
maintaining airworthiness certificates
applied to business aircraft and
commercial jetliners.
To date, there are only a handful of
business jets based in Japan.
Over the past decade, the number
of business aircraft registered in
Asia has increased by more than 25
percent, but still remains small. The
total has grown from 205 aircraft in
1993 to 259 in 2003. Over the same
period, Europe saw 13 percent growth
to 1,300 aircraft.
But aircraft makers’ forecasts
suggest that growing economies will
inevitably lead to more Asia-Pacific
sales. Embraer predicts 250 business
jet deliveries in the region over the
next 10 years, with an average 9.1
percent annual growth rate and a
market value of US$3.8 billion by
2015.
“We see great potential for the
business jet market in China, AsiaPacific and the Indian in light of the
relatively small fleet in the region
compared to its GDP,” says Luis
Carlos Affonso, Embraer’s senior
vice-president of executive aviation.
STRAPLINE
Asia-Pacific Business Aviation Directory
flight support, which helps corporate aircraft
operators obtain overflight and landing
permits; ground services such as fuel,
transportation and accommodation; and
advice on security issues. The company’s
meteorologists tailor computerised flight
plans to save time, fuel and money,
providing full weather briefs and en route
updates. Air Routing also maintains an
airport database and offers internationally
accepted cards to support aviation credit
and purchasing needs.
AIRCARE SOLUTIONS GROUP
Adam Aircraft’s A700 has already gathered 350 orders, with first deliveries scheduled for later this year.
ADAM AIRCRAFT INDUSTRIES
12876 East Adam Aircraft Circle
Englewood
CO 81001
USA
Tel: +1 303 406 5900
Web site: www.adamaircraft.com
US aircraft manufacturer Adam Aircraft
produces the A500 piston twin and the
A700 Very Light Jet. In a drive to find Asian
customers, Adam signed a partnership in
February 2006 with Singapore Technologies
Engineering, covering maintenance,
engineering of new models and sales in
the region. The company expects to win
sales in Asia within two years. Two A500s
have been delivered to US customers, while
the A700, which can seat as many as six
passengers, is now undergoing flight test
and development. The first A700 destined
to go to a customer is now undergoing
assembly with delivery scheduled for the
third or fourth quarter of this year to air taxi
company Magnum Jet. Adam has orders
to date for 350 A700s, with 80 outstanding
orders for A500s on top of seven aircraft
delivered to date.
AIRBUS
1 Rond-Point Maurice Bellonte
31707 Blagnac Cedex
France
Tel: +33 5 6193 3259
Web site: www.airbus.com
Airbus China
Beijing Tianzhu Airport Industrial Zone
Tianwei Erjie
Shunyi County
Beijing 101312
People’s Republic of China
Tel: +86 10 8048 6161
Fax: +86 10 8048 6162
Web site: www.airbuschina.com.cn
Airbus Japan
ARK Mori Building
35th Floor
1-12-32 Akasaka
Minato-ku
Tokyo 107-6035
Japan
Tel: +81 3 5573 8400
Fax: +81 3 5573 8401
Web site: www.airbusjapan.com
Airbus Kuala Lumpur Office
Eurocopter – Malaysia Terminal 2
Sultan Abdul Aziz Shah Airport
47200 Subang
Selangor
Malaysia
Tel: +60 3 7848 3408
Fax: +60 3 7848 3409
Airbus New Delhi Office
387 New Friends Colony
New Delhi 110 065
India
Tel: +91 11 516 27712
Fax: +91 11 516 27713
Airbus Sydney Office
324 West Bay Dr NW
Suite 200
Olympia WA
98502
USA
Tel: +1 360 754 9805
Fax: +1 360 754 1911
Web site: www.aircaresolutionsgroup.com
AirCare Solutions Group provides a variety
of training programmes, services and
aviation safety products to private and
charter operators of corporate aircraft.
Divisions include: ACCESS Assistance,
which offers 24 hour a day, seven day a
week travel and medical assistance; AirCare
Crews, which provides staffing solutions for
corporate aviation; ASG Interactive, offering
computer-based aviation training; EMTA,
which provides safety and first-aid training;
FACTS Training, which specialises in inflight emergency procedures; and Quality
Resources, offering aviation consulting and
technical writing services.
ASIAN BUSINESS
AVIATION ASSOCIATION
Suite 5, Level 36
Aurora Place
88 Philip Street
Sydney 2000
Australia
Tel: +61 2 8864 0520
Fax: +61 2 8864 0530
Toulouse, France-based commercial aircraft
manufacturer Airbus entered the business
aviation market with its Airbus Corporate
Jetliner (ACJ), which achieved European
certification in 1999. The aircraft was
originally based on the A319 single-aisle
twinjet, with additional fuel tanks fitted to
extend its range to 6,000 nautical miles.
The manufacturer has since added the
larger A320 Prestige and the smaller A318
Elite to its corporate jet family, winning
about 80 orders to date. Asian customers
and operators of the ACJ family include
the Royal Thai Air Force, India’s UB Group
and Skytraders of Australia. Airbus says the
number of aircraft sold in Asia to date is in
double figures.
AIR ROUTING INTERNATIONAL
Headquarters
Room 602
Aon China Building
29 Queen’s Road
Central
Hong Kong
Jason Liao (AsBAA Chairman)
Suite C811B
Beijing Lufthansa Center
Chaoyang District
Beijing 100016, China
Phone: +86 10 6463 8080
Fax: +86 10 6463 8019
Web site: www.asbaa.org
Tel: +1 713 430 7200
Fax: +1 713 430 7016
Web site: www.airrouting.com
Texas-based Air Routing International is one
of the leading providers of corporate flight
handling services to the business aviation
industry. Services offered include 24-hour
AUSTRALIAN BUSINESS
AIRCRAFT ASSOCIATION
9 Guthrie Avenue
Cremome
NSW 2090
Australia
Tel: +61 2 9953 0363
Fax: +61 2 9904 9539
Web site: www.abaa.com.au
The Australian Business Aircraft Association
(ABAA) is a non-profit group acting as a
collective voice for the business aviation
community in Australia, and assisting its
members in all aviation matters. It aims to
improve operational efficiency and safety,
encourage the exchange of information, and
promote understanding of business aviation
among government and airport authorities.
The ABAA is a member of the International
Business Aviation Council.
BOEING
100 North Riverside
Chicago
Illinois 60606
USA
Tel: +1 312 544 2000
Boeing Business Jets
PO Box 3707
MC 1E-77
Seattle WA
98124-2207
USA
Tel: +1 206 655 9800
Fax: +1 206 955 9800
Web site: www.boeing.com/commercial/bbj
Boeing Australia
363 Adelaide Street
PO Box 767
Brisbane
QLD 4001
Australia
Tel: +61 7 3306 3000
Fax: +61 & 3306 3114
Web site: www.boeing.com.au
Boeing China
Ekavaj Amornvivat
(AsBAA Executive Assistant)
Xjet
803 Liberty Square Building
287 Silom Road
Bangkok
10500 Thailand
Phone: +66 2 631 1974
Fax: +66 2 631 1947
2925 Briarpark Drive
7th Floor
Houston TX
77042
USA
among government bodies and airport
authorities. AsBAA intends to promote
better relations with regulatory and other
agencies, attaining wider recognition of
business aviation’s contribution to national
economies. Membership currently numbers
about 30 companies involved in business
aviation in the Asia-Pacific region.
The Asian Business Aviation Association
(AsBAA), incorporated in Hong Kong, aims
to promote the aviation interests of entities
throughout Asia that operate or support
the operations of corporate aircraft. The
organization intends to foster the highest
degree of operational efficiency and safety,
cultivating closer relations and the exchange
of ideas between members, and to promote
an understanding of business aviation
Tower A, 16/F Pacific Century Place
No. 2A Worker’s Stadium Road North
Chaoyang District
Beijing 100027
China
Tel: +86 10 6539 2299
Fax: +86 10 6539 1000
Web site: www.boeingchina.com
Boeing Japan
AIG Building 12F
1-1-3 Marunouchi
Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo 100-0005
Japan
Tel: +81 3 5223 1234
Fax: +81 3 5223 1900
Web site: www.boeing.jp
15
I F I T H A D I T S W A Y,
I T W O U L D N E V E R L A N D.
The executive jet that seems almost eager to fly: That’s the Legacy 600® by Embraer. With
99.7% dispatch availability, proven in 10 million flight hours and counting, the Legacy 600
is forever ready to meet your travel demands, however unpredictable. Once you’ve
experienced its spacious cabin and sumptuous comfort, you may want to stay aloft, too.
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China +86 10 6505 5045 – Asia Pacific +65 6734 4321 – EmbraerExecutiveJets.com
STRAPLINE
other services. The company also has 50
years’ experience with ground handling for
government and other VVIP flights.
DASSAULT FALCON JET
Teterboro Airport
Box 2000
South Hackensack NJ
07606
USA
Tel: +1 201 440 6700
Web site: www.dassaultfalcon.com
Dassault Falcon
China Sonangol is the first named customer in China for the Airbus Corporate Jetliner.
Boeing Korea
18th Floor, Hanmi Building
#39 Da-dong
Chung-ku
Seoul 100-180
South Korea
Tel: +82 2 773 2491
Fax: +82 2 773 2490
Web site: www.boeing.co.kr
US-based commercial aviation giant Boeing
entered the corporate aviation market in
1996 with its Seattle-based joint venture
with General Electric, Boeing Business Jets.
The venture was a response to market
demand for larger, more capable business
aircraft capable of flying further than 6,000
nautical miles. The result was the 737-700based BBJ, which has now been joined by
the larger BBJ 2, derived from the 737-800
and offering 25 percent more cabin space
and twice as much cargo capacity. As of
late 2006, Boeing had gathered orders for
99 BBJs, 14 BBJ 2s, two BBJ 3s and nine
widebody VIP jets. About 40 percent of the
customers are private individuals, 37 percent
are heads of state and the rest are corporate
and charter operators. Boeing Business Jets
has now said it’s also exploring a convertible
cargo aircraft called the BBJ C, derived from
the commercial 737-700C, with a go-ahead
possible this year.
BOMBARDIER AEROSPACE
400 Cote-Vertu Road West
Dorval
Quebec
Canada H4S 1Y9
Tel: +1 514 855 5000
Fax: +1 514 855 7401
Web site: www.bombardier.com
Hong Kong Office
Room 2003A-4
Central Plaza
18 Harbour Road
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2827 6464
Singapore Office
583 Orchard Road
The Forum number 15-01
Singapore 238884
Tel: +65 9155 4701
New Delhi Office
B-307 Somdutt Chambers-1
5 Bhikaji Cama Place
New Delhi-110066
India
Tel: +91 11 2618 0340
Fax: +91 11 2618 6651
The business aircraft division of Canada’s
Bombardier Aerospace today builds three
families of high-performance business jets:
Learjet in the light to midsize categories,
Challenger in the super-midsize to large
class, and the super-large to ultra-long
range Global family. More than 100
Bombardier corporate jets are now based
in the Asia-Pacific region, which the
manufacturer says gives it a dominant
31 percent share of the regional market.
Bombardier Business Aircraft also maintains
close industrial relationships with Asian
aerospace companies such as Aerospace
Industrial Development (AIDC) in Taiwan,
Japan’s Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI),
Hawker de Havilland in Australia and
Satyam in India. Bombardier reported a 7.6
percent increase in business jet deliveries in
fiscal year 2007.
Asia-Pacific, Australia & New Zealand Sales
235 Arcadia Road
07/04 Argos
Singapore 289843
Tel: +65 6468 8023
Fax: +65 6468 4243
French manufacturer Dassault Aviation
has been producing the Falcon family of
business jets since 1963, when the Falcon
20 was derived from the Mystere fighter.
The current range of aircraft marketed by
Dassault’s US-based Dassault Falcon Jet
unit covers the spectrum from the Falcon
50EX midsize trijet, to the new, widebody
Falcon 7X trijet. The company achieved
a record 123 orders in 2005, beating the
previous record by 25 percent and achieving
the first sale of a new Falcon in China, when
state-owned financial services company
Citic ordered a Falcon 900DX. Dassault has
gathered more than 125 orders for the 7X
to date, and expects to deliver 80 Falcons
in 2007.
CESSNA AIRCRAFT
DEER JET
PO Box 7706
Wichita KS
67277
USA
6F Macrolink Building
18 Daojiayuan
Dongsihuan
Chaoyang District
Beijing 100025
China
Tel: +1 316 517 6056
Fax: +1 316 517 7812
Web site: www.cessna.com
Since Cessna’s founding in 1927, the US
manufacturer has grown into a global
leader in general aviation. The company’s
products include the Citation range of jets,
from the single-pilot Mustang to the Citation
X – the world’s fastest business jet. The
company has been winning increasing sales
in the Asia-Pacific region, reporting robust
orders in China and consistent growth
in Australia, the manufacturer’s biggest
market in the region. The company says
it anticipates more CJ2+ and CJ3 sales in
Australia as existing turboprop or piston
aircraft operators upgrade to jets, and more
Citation XLS and Sovereign sales across the
Asia-Pacific as inter-country business travel
increases.
CHINA EASTERN EXECUTIVE AIR
2550 Hongqiao Road
Shanghai 200335
China
Tel: +86 10 6506 8300
Fax: +86 10 6506 8221
Web site: www.deerjet.com
Deer Jet is a Beijing-based business charter
operator, founded in 1995 as a subsidiary
of the Hainan Airlines Group, China’s fourthlargest commercial airline. The company
says it has the largest charter fleet in Asia,
comprising medium range Raytheon Hawker
800XPs and long-range Gulfstream IVs.
The company also manages a Raytheon
Beech Premier I jet on behalf of a Chinese
client, and was the first Chinese company
to become a member of the NBAA and its
European counterpart, the EBAA. Deer Jet
now also offers ground handling services for
business jets, including obtaining overflight
and landing permission, fuelling, lodging,
catering, weather and other services.
ECLIPSE AVIATION
Tel: +86 21 6268 0102
Fax: +86 21 6268 6039
Web site: www.ceaea.com
China Eastern Executive Air is a whollyowned subsidiary of China Eastern Airlines,
established in 1995, which provides ground
handling services to business aircraft
operators at 44 locations in China. The
company helps operators with aircraft
parking, changing slot times, obtaining
overflight permits, fuel arrangements,
baggage handling and flight plans, among
2503 Clark Carr Loop SE
Albuquerque
NM 87106
Tel: +1 505 245 7555
Fax: +1 505 241 8800
Web site: www.eclipseaviation.com
Founded in 1998, Eclipse Aviation is a
pioneer in the field of Very Light Jets. The
company’s Eclipse 500 aircraft has already
won 2,500 orders, with 10 percent of
customers based in the US, and the first
aircraft were delivered to customers in
December. The first delivery in Asia will be
to a customer in Singapore this year.
EMBRAER
Avenida Brigadeiro Faria Lima, 2.170
12227-901 Sao Jose dos Campos
Sao Paolo
Brazil
Tel: +55 12 3927 1000
Fax: +55 12 3927 6600 Ext. 1448
Web site: www.embraer.com
Embraer China
Suite 3618 China World Tower 1
Chaoyang District
Beijing 100004
China
Tel: +86 10 6505 5045
Fax: +86 10 6505 9866
Embraer Singapore
391B Orchard Road #15-01
Ngee Ann City – Tower B
Singapore 238874
Tel: +65 6734 4321
Fax: +65 6734 8255
Brazil’s Embraer produces a range of
executive aircraft from the four-passenger
Phenom 100 Very Light Jet (VLJ) to the
new Lineage 1000, a corporate derivative
of the Embraer 190 regional airliner,
accommodating 13-19 occupants. The
manufacturer has forecast increasing
demand from the Asia-Pacific region,
growing at an average 9.1 percent a year
and accounting for 250 deliveries in the
next decade. Embraer announced in April
it would boost its Asia-Pacific presence
with a US$40 million investment this year,
encompassing commercial agreements and
collaboration with industrial partners in the
region.
EXECUJET
Business Aviation Centre
PO Box 1
8058 Zurich Airport
Switzerland
Tel: +41 44 876 5576
Fax: +41 44 876 5577
Web site: www.execujet.net
ExecuJet Australia
Hangar 394
Ross Smith Avenue
Mascot KSA
NSW 2020
Australia
Tel: +61 2 9693 0800
Fax: +61 2 9693 0880
Web site: www.execujet.com.au
Founded in 1991, ExecuJet offers aircraft
sales, charter, management, maintenance
and aviation services from its nine operating
bases around the world. The company
is primarily a sales organisation, with an
exclusive alliance with the business aircraft
arm of Canada’s Bombardier Aerospace.
ExecuJet is the sole distributor of Learjet,
Challenger and Global family aircraft in
more than 30 countries. The company is
also a sales and support centre for the
Pilatus PC-12 and the worldwide sales
agent for the Grob SPn utility jet. ExecuJet’s
charter fleet numbers more than 30 aircraft,
from the ultra-long range Bombardier Global
Express to the Raytheon Beech King Air 200
turboprop. The company’s maintenance
arm is certificated to service Gulfstream,
Dassault Falcon and Cessna Citation aircraft
as well as Bombardier types.
17
BUSINESS AVIATION DIECTORY
STRAPLINE
FLEXJET ASIA-PACIFIC
400 Cote-Vertu Road West
Dorval
Quebec
Canada H4S 1Y9
Tel: +1 888 880 3539
Fax: +1 514 885 7802
Web site: www.flexjet.com
Established in 1995, Bombardier’s
Flexjet is now the world’s third-largest
fractional ownership programme, with 620
shareholders and at least 16 percent global
market share. The company operates a
fleet of 84 business jets, and plans to add
another 50 new aircraft in the next three
years. Types operated include Learjet 40XR,
Learjet 45XR, Learjet 60XR, Challenger
300 and Challenger 604. Flexjet manages
aircraft maintenance, crews, hangars, fuel
and insurance on behalf of its clients.
GLOBAL WINGS
Level 9
Shin Osaka Prime Tower
6-1-1 Nishinakajima
Yodogawa-ku
Osaka 532-0011
Japan
Tel: +81 6 6307 5599
Fax: +81 6 6309 0616
Web site: www.gwings.net
Japan-based Global Wings is a business
charter and aircraft handling company,
which received its first Japan-registered
Bombardier Learjet 45XR aircraft in April
2006, joining another aircraft of the same
type based in Beijing. The company provides
international charter services between
northern Asian cities. Global Wings also
provides handling services at Osaka’s
Kansai airport, including flight support,
ground transportation, travel information,
accommodation and catering.
GROB AEROSPACE
88 Queensway Central
Hong Kong
Asia-Pacific Regional Office
101 Thomson Road
#11-04 United Square
307591 Singapore
Founded in 1958, General Dynamics
subsidiary Gulfstream Aerospace has today
produced more than 1,500 aircraft for
customers around the world. Its products
range from the eight-passenger G150,
which entered service in August last year,
to the ultra-long range G550, which can
accommodate as many as 18. The company
has strengthened its presence in the AsiaPacific with the sale of 16 business jets in
the region in 2005, including the first G450
and the second G200 to operate in China,
both to Hong Kong-based customers. The
company has said it plans to bolster its
Asia-Pacific product support capabilities to
support the region’s growing fleet, which
has doubled in size to 44 aircraft since
2000.
Plant 1
9709 E Central
Wichita
Kansas 67206
USA
Tel: +1 316 676 7111
Web site: www.hawkerbeechcraft.com
North Asia Sales
Beijing Lufthansa Centre
Suite C811B
50 Liangmagiao Road
Chaoyang District
Beijing 100016
China
Tel: +49 8268 998-0
Fax: +49 8268 998-114
Web site: www.grob-aerospace.de
The German all-composite aircraft maker
entered the business aviation market with
its four-passenger Ranger G160 turboprop,
and is now developing the eight-seat SPn
light jet. The company suffered a setback
with the fatal crash of the second SPn
prototype in November 2006, but has now
restarted the flight test programme and
expects to announce substantial orders from
two US customers by the end of the third
quarter of this year. The aircraft is being
distributed in Asia by ExecuJet.
Southeast Asia, Australia
& Pacific Rim
7440 Aviation Place
Dallas TX
75235
USA
Tel: +1 214 902 3048
Fax: +1 912 965 4575
Web site: www.gulfstream.com
Northeast Asia
& Philippines Office
Suite 1007, 10/F
Two Pacific Place
18
Hawker Beechcraft Charter & Management,
formerly Raytheon Aircraft Charter &
Management, is one of the biggest USbased aircraft charter companies. The
company operates a range of aircraft from
Beechcraft King Air 200 turboprops to large
Hawker 800XP jets. The fleet also includes
Bombardier products such as the Cessna
Citation and Challenger 604 jets. The
company also offers aircraft management
services, including a scheme where a
customer’s aircraft is used for charter
flights when not needed by the owner,
helping offset the cost of ownership.
HAWKER PACIFIC
112 Airport Avenue
Bankstown Airport
NSW 2200
Australia
Tel: +61 2 9708 8555
Fax: +61 2 9790 5238
Web site: www.hawkerpacific.com.au
HAWKER BEECHCRAFT
Tel: +86 10 6463 8080
Fax: +86 10 6463 8019
PO Box 85
Wichita
Kansas 67201-0085
USA
Tel: +1 800 519 6283
Web site: www.raytheonaircraftcharter.com
Tel: +65 6256 8301
Fax: +65 6256 1556
Lettenbachstr. 9
86874 Tussenhausen-Mattsies
Germany
GULFSTREAM AEROSPACE
HAWKER BEECHCRAFT CHARTER
& MANAGEMENT
Tel: +852 2918 1600
Fax: +852 2918 1633
Suite 18
12 Tryon Road
PO Box 42
Lindfield
NSW 2070
Australia
Hawker Pacific offers civil and
military aviation sales and product
support. The company has been
a sales representative for Hawker
Beechcraft aircraft since 1959, offering
in-house modification, customisation and
management of the aircraft. The product
range covers Hawker jets such as the
Horizon through to Beechcraft pistons such
as the Beech Baron 58. The company’s
maintenance, repair and overhaul operation
offers line through heavy maintenance
at locations throughout Australasia and
the Pacific Rim. Hawker Pacific Aircraft
Management & Charter offers charter
services with a mixed fleet of 14 aircraft,
including five jets – four Cessna Citations
and a Beechjet 400A. The company has a
pool of 16 crew, and offers ground handling
services through its Hawker Pacific Flight
Centre.
HUNT & PALMER INTERNATIONAL
The Tower
Goff’s Park Road
Crawley
West Sussex
RH11 8XX
Tel: +61 2 9416 0477
Fax: +61 2 9416 0478
Hawker Beechcraft is the new name
adopted by Raytheon Aircraft after its
parent, Raytheon, sold the manufacturer
to GS Capital Partners and Onex early
this year. The US-based manufacturer
was originally established in 1932 and
makes business and special mission
aircraft. Hawker Beechcraft has two AsiaPacific sales offices: in Beijng, China, and
Sydney, Australia. The company says its
Beechcraft and Hawker aircraft products
command a 51 percent share of the total
business turbine market in Asia, with an
increasing share in countries such as China,
India, Japan, the Philippines, and Thailand.
Beechcraft and Hawker products also boast
a 40 percent market share in Australia.
There are over 400 Beechcraft and Hawker
business aircraft flying in Asia-Pacific and
Australia today.
Tel: +44 1293 558 000
Fax: +44 1293 558 099
Web site: www.huntpalmer.com
Australian Office
25 Ingles Circuit
Arundel
Gold Coast
4214 QLD
Australia
Tel: +61 7 5571 6928
Fax: +61 7 5571 6928
Hunt & Palmer, founded in 1986, has grown
to become Europe’s biggest independentlyowned aircraft broker. The company offers
charter services using a fleet that includes
Airbus A319CJ, Boeing BBJ, Bombardier
Challenger 604, Dassault Falcon 2000 and
Gulfstream 5 jets among other fixed- and
rotary-wing types. The company also offers
services using commercial airliners and
regional aircraft. Hunt & Palmer opened
an office in Hong Kong in May 2006,
anticipating future expansion in China,
where the company foresees strong
demand for charter aircraft. Hunt & Palmer
also has offices in Singapore and Australia.
INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS
AVIATION COUNCIL
Suite 16.33
999 Rue University
Montreal
Quebec
H3C 5J9
Canada
Tel: +1 514 954 8054
Fax: +1 514 954 6161
Web site: www.ibac.org
The International Business Aviation Council
(IBAC), founded in 1981, is a non-profit,
non-governmental association representing
the interests of business aviation in
international policy and regulatory forums.
IBAC attends meetings of the International
Civil Aviation Organisation, and liaises with
other international groups such as the
International Air Transport Association and
the International Federation of Airline Pilots
Associations. IBAC’s Asia-Pacific members
include the Australian Business Aircraft
Association and the Japan Business Aviation
Association.
JAPAN AVIATION SERVICE
K-6 Building 2F
1-9-6 Haneda Airport
Ohtaku Tokyo 144-0041
Tel: +81 3 3747 0261
Fax: +81 3 3747 0265
Web site: www.jas-fbo.co.jp
Japan Aviation Service (JAS) is a corporate
aircraft handling specialist with more than
20 years’ experience, offering its services
at Tokyo’s Haneda and Narita, OsakaKansai and New Chitose airports. Services
include flight planning, overflight and
landing permits, slot arrangements, weather
briefing and full ground support. Customers
have included heads of state including
the Sultan of Brunei, the President of the
Philippines and the Swedish Prime Minister.
The company is also a preferred vendor for
several air ambulance companies.
JAPAN BUSINESS AVIATION
ASSOCIATION
C/O Japan Aerospace
Pola Aoyama Building 9F
2-5-17 Minamiaoyama Minato-Ku
Tokyo Japan
107-0062
Tel: 81-3-5772-6738
Fax: 81-3-5785-5965
Web site: www.jbaa.org
The Japan Business Aviation Association
(JBAA) was first formed in 1996 to represent
the interests of manufacturers, trading
companies, ground handling agents and
other groups involved in business aviation.
During the first decade of its existence, the
organisation has succeeded in promoting
the acceptance and understanding of
business aviation among government
officials and airport authorities. The JBAA
is a member of the International Business
Aviation Council.
Join the success
Do you want a partner who is able to provide blended on-site support with your own teams and
an airline solution provider operating in your time zone? Do you want reasonably priced products?
Lufthansa Systems Asia Pacific
Area Management
390 Orchard Road
#07-03/04 Palais Renaissance
Singapore 238871
Tel: +65 6514 1330
Fax: +65 6737 1775
info.asiapacific@LHsystems.com.sg
www.LHsystems.com
If so, we are the perfect partner for you. Our experts design state of the art solutions to improve
your business results, and meet the growing needs for scalability and flexibility. This allows you to
react more quickly, as you continually adapt your own business models. With on-the-spot support
and local production sites in Asia Pacific we are able to offer you our products at affordable prices.
Our excellence has been proven worldwide and by a large number of Asian carriers who have
already teamed up with us. We would be very proud if you would join us as well.
BUSINESS AVIATION DIECTORY
STRAPLINE
JET AVIATION
PO Box 586
CH-8034 Zurich
Switzerland
Tel: +41 58 158 8787
Fax: +41 58 158 8785
Web site: www.jetaviation.com
First Floor, Hong Kong
Business Aviation Center
12 South Perimeter Road
Hong Kong International Airport
Lantau
Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2215 3833
Fax: +852 2215 3733
Jet Aviation Singapore
1075 West Camp Road
Seletar Airport
Singapore 797800
Tel: +65 6481 5311
Fax: +65 6481 8336
Jet Aviation is a global business aviation
service company originally founded
in Switzerland in 1967. It provides
maintenance, completions, engineering
services, aircraft sales, charter,
management and aviation staffing, and
operates from 60 locations around the
world. The company’s charter divisions
operate a combined fleet of more than
170 aircraft. In Asia, the company
operates a fleet including Bombardier
Learjet 45, Gulfstream 200, Bombardier
Challenger 604 and Bombardier Global
Express aircraft.
JETEX EXPRESS
FLIGHT SUPPORT
PO Box 54698
Dubai
United Arab Emirates
Tel: + 971 4 268 9910
Fax: + 971 4 268 9920
Web site: www.jetex.aero
Dubai-based Jetex provides flight support
services to international customers,
including obtaining overflight and landing
clearances, ground support, jet fuel
discounts, flight planning, weather services,
air ambulance services and executive
charter. The fleet includes a 14-seat
Dassault Falcon 900B, a Boeing 727-2k5
Adv in a VIP configuration, a Douglas DC-862 and BAC 111 jetliners.
METROJET
9/F China Hong Kong Tower
8-12 Hennessy Road
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2169 6556
Fax: +852 2596 0359
Web site: www.metrojet.com
Established in 1995, Metrojet is a Hong
Kong-based provider of corporate aviation
services and operator of non-scheduled
flights within Asia, serving major cities and
secondary airports. The company operates
Gulfstream G200 aircraft, and its aircraft
management programme is tailored for
owners who wish to avoid the complications
of managing aircraft operations in-house.
Metrojet’s services include flight operations,
20
provision of flight crew and maintenance,
aviation accounting and administration, and
pre-delivery assistance.
NATIONAL BUSINESS
AVIATION ASSOCIATION
on behalf of a Japanese customer late in
2005, and was planning to apply for its own
Japanese air operator’s certificate this year.
PILATUS AIRCRAFT
PO Box 992
6371 Stans
Switzerland
1200, 18th Street NW
Suite 400
Washington DC
20036-2527
USA
Tel: +41 41 619 6111
Fax: +41 41 610 9230
Web site: www.pilatus-aircraft.com
Tel: +1 202 783 9000
Fax: +1 202 331 8364
Web site: www.nbaa.org
Pilatus Australia
Founded in 1947, the US-based National
Business Aviation Association (NBAA)
promotes the interests of organisations
using business aircraft in the United States
and worldwide. The association’s goals
are: to enhance safety, efficiency and
professionalism; to provide members with
operational assistance; to shape public
policy; and to project a positive image of the
industry. The NBAA is the organiser of the
world’s biggest civil aviation trade show, the
NBAA Annual Meeting & Convention, as well
as sponsoring international shows such as
the Asian Business Aviation Conference &
Exhibition (ABACE).
NETJETS
17 James Schofield Drive
Adelaide Airport Sa 5950
Australia
Tel: +61 8 8234 4433
Fax: +61 8 8234 4499
Pilatus is the world market leader in singleengine turboprop aircraft manufacture.
Its products include the PC-12, which
accommodates six to eight passengers
in its executive configuration. The aircraft
offers an operational range of up to 2,172
nautical miles. The aircraft had a record
year in 2005, with 80 deliveries, including
two in Australia. More than 600 PC-12s are
in operation today around the world.
SHANGHAI AIRLINES
581 Main Street
Woodbridge NJ
07095
USA
Business Jet Operation Department
18F, No. 212 Jiangning Road
Shanghai
China
Tel: +1 732 326 3700
Fax: +1 732 326 5823
Web site: www.netjets.com
Tel: +86 21 6255 5000
Fax: +86 21 6255 5333
Web site: www.shanghai-air.com
NetJets was founded in 1964 as
Executive Jet Aviation, the world’s first
private business jet charter and aircraft
management company. In 1986, the
company created the first ever fractional
ownership scheme, the NetJets programme.
The company was acquired in 1998 by
Berkshire Hathaway Chairman and Chief
Executive Warren Buffett. NetJets runs a
fleet of more than 420 aircraft worldwide,
operating 300,000 flights to 140 countries
in 2005. The fleet includes light jets from
the Cessna Citation range and Raytheon’s
Hawker 400XP, midsize jets such as the
Hawker 1000 and Gulfstream G200, and
large aircraft such as the Boeing BBJ and
Gulfstream 550.
Shanghai Airlines’ business aviation arm
offers charter flights using an eight-seat
Raytheon Hawker 800XP midsize jet. The
company is planning to expand, with a
new, 2,000 square metre business aviation
facility at Shanghai’s Hongqiao airport, ten
times larger than its previous 200 square
metre fixed base operation. The facility
will include a large VIP lounge and two
business jet hangars. Shanghai Airlines is
campaigning for the government to allow
international flights from the airport, which
is near downtown Shanghai. Hongqiao’s old
customs facilities closed with the opening of
the newer Pudong airport.
SINO PRIVATE AVIATION
Hong Kong
NEWJETCO
Tel: +852 2868 6896
Fax: +852 2868 0468
Web site: www.spal.com.hk
Green Hills Kamiyama 3F
1-5 Kamiyamacho
Shibuya-ku
Tokyo 150-0047
Japan
Tel: +81 3 3481 5916
Fax: +81 3 4496 4863
Web site: www.newjetco.com
Tokyo-based business jet management
and charter company Newjetco manages
five aircraft in Europe and three in Russia.
The company says it wants to keep its
operation small, catering for a select
client base, geared towards private
individuals. Two of the aircraft in its care
– a Gulfstream III and a Bombardier
Challenger 604 – are in commercial use
and flew about 650 charter hours last
year. The company was due to take over
the management of a Dassault Falcon jet
Hong Kong-based Sino Private is the
sales and marketing representative for
Bombardier aircraft in mainland China, Hong
Kong and Macau. The company markets
Bombardier’s Learjet, Challenger and Global
families of business jets, as well as selling
and leasing pre-owned aircraft. Sino Private
also helps operators obtain air operators
certificates, leases regional aircraft and
helicopters, and offers after-sales support.
Sino Private in 2002 became the AsiaPacific launch customer for Bombardier’s
Global 5000 business jet.
SKYJET
Bombardier Skyjet Corporate Headquarters
3400 Waterview Parkway
Suite 400
Richardson
TX 75080
USA
Tel: +1 888 275 9538
Fax: +1 469 791 4470
Web site: www.skyjet.com
Bombardier’s Skyjet unit specialises in
private business jet charters, offering its
Skyjet Card to frequent private jet travellers,
or pay-as-you-go services to customers
who fly less than 25 hours a year. The
Skyjet Card gives members a choice of 25,
50 or 100 flight hours in a preferred size of
aircraft, with guaranteed availability on 12
hours’ notice. The company also offers the
option of earning credit towards whole or
fractional aircraft ownership. Skyjet’s fleet
includes Bombardier Learjet, Challenger and
Global products as well as Cessna Citation,
Dassault Falcon, Gulfstream and Raytheon
types.
TAG AVIATION
20 Chemin des Papillons
PO Box 36
1215 Geneva 15 Airport
Switzerland
Tel: +41 22 717 0000
Fax: +41 22 717 0007
Web site: www.tagaviation.com
TAG AVIATION ASIA
7th Floor
Harcourt House
39 Gloucester Road
Wanchai
Hong Kong
Tel: +852 2528 1511
Fax: +852 2528 1979
TAG Aviation provides aircraft management,
consulting, acquisition and sales, as well as
arranging charter services. The company
manages more than 150 aircraft and is the
largest business jet operator in Europe. TAG
is an authorised Bombardier and Dassault
repair station, offering heavy maintenance
and providing handling services at its
base in Geneva and at Berlin’s Tempelhof
airport. The company opened its Hong Kong
office in December, with its first managed
aircraft – a Dassault Falcon 2000 based in
Macau – and announced plans to expand
its services into Asia, eventually to include
charter services.
UNIVERSAL WEATHER & AVIATION
8787 Tallyho
Houston
TX 77061-3429
Tel: +1 713 944 1622 Ext. 3300
Fax: +1 713 943 4674
Web site: www.univ-wea.com
Universal Weather & Aviation began
providing weather briefings to corporate
aviation operators in 1959, and has now
expanded to provide global trip support
services virtually anywhere around the
world. The company offers a fuel plan,
online trip planning tools and a global
network of ground handling partners.
The company also offers communications
services through its Uvdatalink product.
INDUSTRY OUTLOOK
Emirates’ Clark shows 2020 foresight
With Middle Eastern airlines reaping the benefits of a boom in the regional industry, Tim Clark recently addressed
London’s Royal Aeronautical Society to share his views on the industry’s future, writes Ian Goold.
Emirates’ Clark foresees the emergence of “super-carriers” that will need proportionally large hubs to operate from.
A lack of resistance to environmental
pressures and a shortage of highcapacity airports are major factors that
could inhibit the continued growth of
commercial aviation, according to
Tim Clark, president of Dubai-based
Emirates Airline. Furthermore, future
expansion may be compromised by
inadequate air-traffic control (ATC)
infrastructure and continued fuelprice volatility.
The air-transport industry must
challenge gathering misconceptions
about its impact on the world, and
governments must allow airlines to fly
the most fuel-efficient routes, while
also providing sufficient capacity to
accommodate a new generation of
larger jetliners, Clark says.
Considering how airline operations
are likely to be reshaped by the end
of the next decade, Clark underlines
the “shift to a new civil-aviation
paradigm, driven by globalisation”
that is taking place – and accelerating
at an alarming rate.
“Those positioned and structured
to grasp the opportunities this
paradigm shift is engendering will
be the winners,” he says. “Equally
clear is the fact that, short of major
global traumas, the industry must
metamorphose at the same pace,
leaving some players faced, at best,
with marginalisation, or at worst,
elimination.”
Delivering the Royal Aeronautical
Society annual Lindbergh lecture in
London, Clark concluded: “Network
carriers that pay lip service to
globalisation but fail to adjust their
business models accordingly will not,
in my opinion, remain in business in
the medium term.”
Pariah syndrome
Claiming to have no wish to belittle
environmental concerns and the
“seemingly incontrovertible evidence”
of the damage done by man-made
emissions, Clark suggests that the
industry must do “far more to help
itself, or face the ‘pariah syndrome’”,
where airlines are tolerated but not
really wanted.
“There is hard evidence of
greenhouse gas increase, [but] the
link [with] the earth’s temperature
increase is not wholly proven; solar
activity must also be taken into
account,” he says.
Recalling fears in the 1970s that
the Earth was cooling, Clark says a
balanced approach to climate change
requires consideration of where
resources are best allocated to limit
emissions. Such analysis reveals that
the “greatest benefit” derives not by
restricting aviation growth, but by
focusing on activities such as heavy
industry, power generation, and road
transport.
“India and China are building 650
coal-fired power plants, the combined
CO2 emissions of which are five
times the total savings of the Kyoto
accords,” says Clark, who claims
that commercial aviation “is being
damaged almost on a daily basis” and
must fight back.
Citing the recent doubling of the
UK’s passenger tax, environmentalists’
proposals to ban air-freighting of
organic foods, and the extension of
the European Union emissions trading
scheme to the region’s airlines, the
Emirates official says there is a clear
imperative facing carriers: “We need
to set the record straight.”
Clark says there has been a 70
percent improvement in relative fuel
use per seat since the late 1950s.
“Between 1957 and 2007, fuel burn
per unit of payload [also] has reduced
by approximately 65 percent,” he
says. By 2025, there should be a
further 20 percent improvement, with
increases in efficiency from engine
technology and advances in materials,
aerodynamics, and construction
techniques.
The new generation of jets will
furthermore bring with it a 4050 percent reduction in aircraft
maintenance cost levels. “The
message is clear: 21st-century jets
will be the most fuel- and emissionefficient form of transport; where
airlines can facilitate a shift from road
transport to air, emissions will fall in
absolute terms,” he says.
Airport shortage
Commercial aviation growth also
could be compromised by a shortage
of very large airports.
“As it becomes increasingly obvious
that aircraft gauge will increase, so
airports’ abilities to accommodate
stretched Airbus A380s or Boeing
747s will come under severe
pressure,” says Clark. He predicts the
emergence of “super-carriers”, either
growing organically, like Emirates, or
through merger and acquisition, like
Air France/KLM.
Such operators would largely
rely on the political will of their
governments to develop their primary
hubs, a good example of which has
been Emirates’ experience. “Dubai
has recognized that provision of
appropriate infrastructure is necessary
for sustained economic growth,”
Clark says.
ATC systems need to undergo
major structural changes if they are
not to inhibit growth as they do now,
particularly in Europe, says Clark. “If
governments can be convinced to sort
out ATC systems and allow airlines to
operate corridors that are meaningful,
then we could witness a 20 percent
reduction in fuel used,” he says.
In addition, Clark predicts that fuelprice volatility will continue to plague
airline profitability and could inhibit
growth, because operating margins
and rates of return will continue to
be compromised.
“[This] is causing the industry to
seek further efficiencies to deal not
only with fuel-cost growth, but [also]
with declining yields in real terms
and competition from the low-cost
carrier sector,” he says. “The upside,
then, is that carriers will be leaner
and meaner in the future. Witness
how the recent tripling of fuel cost
has not caused the industry recessions
that followed previous fuel hikes with
monotonous regularity.”
Clark cites the primary factors
driving development: “Perhaps the
most potent catalyst of change is the
online revolution. In many countries
it has become second nature to check
products, including travel, prices,
and availability before buying and
flying.
“A second primary driver is the
emergence of colossal markets,
primarily India and China. Africa,
South America, Russia, and some
south-east Asian countries are
energising economically at the same
pace. The implications for air travel
are obvious, and all of us are rushing
to serve the new markets.”
Clark identifies the stimulating
role of air-transport liberalization, or
deregulation, from which travellers,
shippers, and consumers all benefit
through increased competition.
Change drivers
Finally, the Emirates president says
he sees modern jetliners as drivers of
change. “Manufacturers have given
us much better, faster, more fuelefficient, environmentally friendlier
aircraft that travel further and carry
more at significantly lower costs,”
Clark says.
Clark declares himself “hugely
optimistic” about the future of air
transport in “difficult but exciting
times” with which the industry must
move.
“The economic landscape is
changing rapidly and is not for the
faint-hearted. [Simultaneously]
environmental challenges must be
addressed head on. Those carriers
which attune their business models
to the realities of the new global
economy will survive and prosper,”
he concludes.
21
PROGRAMME UPDATE
Japan Airlines is one of almost 50 customers that have ordered almost 550 Boeing 787s to date.
787 prepares for July roll-out
Boeing has begun final assembly of the first 787 as orders and commitments from almost 50 customers
approached the 550 mark. Programme vice-president and general manager Mike Bair tells Ian Goold how
the US manufacturer is progressing with development of its replacement for the 757 and 767 twinjets.
Preparations for final assembly
of the first Boeing 787 continued
in late April with the delivery of
the jetliner’s tailplane from Italian
programme partner Alenia. The
component arrived as Boeing began
to accelerate production of major
parts in anticipation of an 8 July rollout, first flight at the end of August
or beginning of September, and initial
deliveries in May 2008.
“We’re targeting first flight late in
August because the airplane is ready
to fly [only] when the airplane is ready
to fly,” programme Vice-President
and General Manager Mike Bair said
in late March. “The last thing you
want to do is fix a first-flight date and
[then] do something stupid trying to
make it. So, we have about a month’s
window around the end of August to
make that happen.”
Other 787 suppliers have been
providing initial assemblies to
Boeing for several months, with some
production centres having already
completed items for the first four
aircraft.
“We’ve begun assembly on all
major structural elements for the first
787 – in some cases we’re up to line
[number] five,” Bair said. “[Airframe]
sections 44 and 46 at Alenia are
coming along nicely; sections 47 and
48 at Vought are in major assembly.
Main landing-gear assembly at
Messier-Dowty is coming along,
as well as the main wing box from
Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. And
we’re starting major assembly on a
lot of the follow-on aircraft.”
Boeing has also received the 787
flight-test crew escape door from
22
Latecoere in France and the first
wingtips from Korean Air’s Aerospace
Division. “You’ll start to see big
pieces of components showing up in
Everett … toward the end of [March],
in April, and then for the next 30 years
or more,” Bair said.
That is not to suggest that the 787’s
manufacturing development has been
trouble-free, since Boeing has had to
send a number of working parties
to partners’ factories to expedite
supplies, and has also been accepting
unfinished assemblies in order to
meet schedules. Bair disclosed that
up to 150 Boeing employees had been
parachuted into various suppliers to
help with troubleshooting.
Alenia’s challenges
Alenia has been one programme
member experiencing early
challenges, although Bair has given
them the benefit of any doubt.
“To be fair to Alenia, they’re doing
a great a job now,” he said. “Their
primary issue is they were late getting
the [new-build] factory set up. They
were in catch-up mode [but] they’re
making great progress.”
Acknowledging that some
schedules for initial major assemblies
provided by partners have gone awry,
Bair confirms that some activity
– dubbed “travelled work” – is being
completed later than anticipated in the
production process and at unplanned
locations.
“That work is moving around
[and] we have resources wherever
the work ends up,” Bair said. “The
vast majority of travelled work is
going to be systems installation that
will end up at final [assembly], rather
than at major structural suppliers.”
In addition, Boeing has prepared for
late challenges by hiring and training
“hundreds” of mechanics “ready to
do whatever they need to do [to] push
the thing through final assembly,” he
added.
Boeing says that provisions built
into the production schedule to allow
for problems with the 787’s composite
components – which comprise more
than half of the airframe structure
– have been largely unnecessary.
“We anticipated issues with some
[composite fuselage] barrels – things
like porosity, or areas that didn’t
bond well,” Bair said. “Lots of things
can happen and there’s lots of ways
to repair it.” The biggest problems
have been mundane things, he said,
such as an operator of a numerically
controlled machine overriding its
programming, “but the overall quality
has just been phenomenal.”
Boeing is “very pleased” with
assembly of composite structures
in the 787 test programme, the
largest Boeing has ever conducted.
The programme has yielded “no
real surprises,” according to the
programme chief. “Every single
big piece is out of the autoclave
process. The parts are better than we
anticipated,” he said.
Bair said that, by late March,
more than 75 percent of the systems
hardware required for the first aircraft
had been shipped to suppliers for
installation on major assemblies.
During April and May, five major
systems laboratories are involved
in “serious integration testing [to]
make sure the various components
talk to each other and work together”,
although the results are hard to
predict.
“Until you do it, you don’t really
know,” said Bair. “You can always get
surprised as a result of that integration
testing. We’ll know a lot more when
we get done with it. But there can
always be [a surprise] waiting around
the corner.”
Wiring caution
Conscious of the diff iculties
experienced by Airbus with its A380
airliner, Boeing hopes to avoid
surprises is in the 787’s 60 miles
of electrical wiring – an element
of aircraft design that “tends to be
defined [late] and needed early” in
the assembly process, according
to the Bair. Given that the similarsized 767 has some 80-85 miles of
wiring, and the 777 about 100 miles,
Bair said the 787 system is “vastly
simplified, which makes the job a lot
more manageable”.
Boeing is encouraged by the results
of weight-reduction efforts on the
aircraft, with the design about 98
percent complete.
“We’ve taken out several percent
[of the 220,000lb weight],” Bair
said. “We’ve a little bit more to do, a
plan in place, and we’re working our
way through it. We’ve made some
engineering changes, primarily just
better optimisation of parts. [Initially]
we had a fair number that weren’t
as optimised for weight as we had
hoped.”
JSF UPDATE
The changes are expected to yield
“a fairly significant” drop in the
aircraft’s weight, which is “coming
in a little less than we anticipated,”
said Bair. Boeing has identified areas
not fully optimised for weight and
has redesigned parts that needed it.
“We’re marching our way down on
our weight improvement plan,” he
said.
The 787 programme manager said
the weight challenges have had little
impact on the overall production
schedule, but he identifies one
other area of concern – albeit not
one restricted to Boeing: a major
challenge the company is fighting is
with fasteners.
“The fastener industry is stretched
tighter than a rubber band because
every airplane program is at [its]
peak rate, or headed towards [it],”
Bair said. “So we’re feeding the
production system hand to mouth,
but it’s not something that we haven’t
seen in the past.”
Boeing’s 787 weight estimates are
based on engineering models, so
the manufacturer won’t know how
accurate they are “until you get the
airplane on scales”, Bair explained.
On previous designs, “we’ve had
incidents where we’ve had 500600lb surprises because of the
amount of sealant used. If you use
a preponderant number of long-grip
fasteners, you can add a surprising
amount of weight,” he said.
Following the 787’s maiden flight in
about four months, Boeing will face
an intense flight-test programme in
preparation for the first delivery next
May. Bair is unfazed by the prospect,
but expects there will probably be
challenges to overcome.
“There’s nothing [that] keeps me up
at night about flight testing, because
we’re not into it yet,” he said. “But
I’m certain that once we go into
flight test, something will. We’ve
always had some issue on every other
programme.”
“It’s always some unique thing,
something about the design, or
something that doesn’t work out
exactly the way you anticipate and
you have to figure out a way to fix it,”
Bair said. He added that Boeing has
“a great track record” of overcoming
such obstacles.
Ahead of the game
Boeing has been “deeply engaged”
with the US Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) on certification
since very early in the genesis of the
new jetliner.
“This is a new way of putting
airplanes together,” Bair said. “[We
have to agree] everything we need
to do to [certificate] the airplane.
We’re way ahead, compared with past
programmes, because we didn’t want
to get into flight test and have some
disagreement.”
US Federal Airworthiness
PROGRAMME UPDATE
Regulations don’t differentiate
between structural materials, so
Boeing has to meet the same criteria
as more conventional designs. The
manufacturer has been gathering data
from static- and fatigue-test vehicles,
but has not yet decided how far to
go in demonstrating the strength of
the 787’s wing, perhaps fearing how
the public could react to a broken
structure.
“You have to bend the wings up to
take 150 percent of the worst load seen
in service and hold it for 30 seconds,”
according to Bair. “Then we’ll decide
“We’re probably going to end up
increasing the rate above what we
anticipated, driven by intense market
interest.”
Some 112 aircraft will reach
customers in the first two years,
but Boeing is aware that it must be
careful about increasing production
too quickly.
“Those are deliveries in 2008 and
2009,” Bair said. “We are starting to
build those airplanes right now, and
that’s the [period in which] you have
to avoid temptation. The last thing
that you want to do is get overly
availability of raw materials will not
be an early problem, it does face two
concerns that could inhibit higher
production rates than the initial 10per-month, single-line capacity.
Tooling concerns
“The real ‘issue’ tends to be major
structural partners and that’s where
the bulk of the tooling is for this
airplane,” Bair said. The mandrels,
tape-laying machines and autoclaves
tend to be critical points in terms of
output, and that’s where potential
On 24 April, Boeing took delivery at its Everett plant of the Alenia-made horizontal stabiliser for the first 787.
whether we want to break it; there’s a
lot of pros and cons about whether we
want to do that.”
Despite a high initial delivery rate,
Boeing has allowed for potential
incorporation of changes to complete
aircraft as a result of the certification
programme.
“We will have a fair number of
airplanes on the tarmac finished, or
being finished, while we are in the
middle of certification,” he said. “By
the time we get to certification, we’ll
probably have 30 or 40 airplanes built
or pretty well through the process,
[but] in our delivery plans, we leave
time for ‘change incorporation’. We
obviously make assumptions about
what we might find in order to decide
how much time to put in, but we tend
to [be] fairly conservative.”
Boeing is continuing to consider
787 production rates, said Bair.
aggressive in a [production] rate ramp
up, because you can get buried – as
we have seen in our history.”
Past lessons
Boeing has no intention of allowing
the ‘profitless prosperity’ of the late
1990s – when Boeing overstretched
its production lines, leading to
skyrocketing costs – to happen again,
Bair said.
“We have to have, and continue to
have, a stable plan,” he said. “Once
you get past the first couple of years,
it really becomes an investment
decision: how much investment you
want to make in capital equipment
and facilities versus how big the
market is and how long can you
sustain whatever rates you’ve decide
you want to go to,” said Bair.
Although Boeing is confident that
investments are most likely to have
to be made, he explained.
Having analysed the early output,
Boeing is pleased with the results.
“If this wasn’t a new airplane, we
would know exactly what to anticipate
[from any partner] factories,” said
Bair. “Because this production
method is so new, we are carefully
monitoring the first airplanes to
be better educated when we make
decisions about rates.”
“The news is better than we
anticipated,” he said. “The learning
curve of improvements from one unit
to another has been far greater than
any of us imagined, which bodes well
for our ability to get more airplanes
out of the fixed capital that’s already
in place.” Boeing will be hoping that
such trends can be maintained “for 30
years or more”.
23
AIRLINE IT
Amadeus increases airline IT business
With increased operating costs and the growth of low-fare carriers, airlines are being forced to
look at every aspect of their business to remain competitive. Global distribution system provider
Amadeus says its IT product could help them maintain an edge, writes Andrzej Jeziorski.
Singapore Airlines may become the first Asian carrier to switch to Amadeus’ Altea customer management system.
When Air France, Lufthansa and Iberia
founded Amadeus in 1987, the carriers
wanted the Madrid-based company
to create a cutting-edge reservation
system.
The platform Amadeus eventually
delivered incorporated a radical new
idea for the times: it could be shared by
airlines and travel agencies, pioneering
the concept of seamless reservation
services across all channels. Today,
about 150 airlines use the reservation
platform.
The company has since broadened
its product range significantly. In 2000,
British Airways and Qantas asked
Amadeus to develop a new-generation
customer-management system (CMS),
covering reservations, inventory and
departure control. The result, after
five years’ work and 300 million euros
(US$406 million) investment, is the
Altea CMS suite.
“That was a major step into
mainstream IT, providing an end-toend solution,” says Damian Hickey,
Amadeus’s Bangkok-based vicepresident of airline business. “We have
today 35 airlines which are contracted
on that platform.”
In the Asia-Pacific region, the
main customer is Qantas, which is
now carrying out acceptance tests on
the Altea CMS’s departure control
module, and will have the system up
and running by mid-year.
Hickey says the company has “a
number” of letters of intent with other
Asia-Pacific carriers, declining to
give details because of confidentiality
agreements.
In December, however, Amadeus
announced it had signed an agreement
with Singapore Airlines (SIA) to
perform a detailed evaluation of the
24
Altea CMS. The evaluation is due for
completion in mid-year, Hickey says.
If it is successful, SIA may become the
first Asian carrier to switch its current
legacy passenger service systems to
Amadeus’.
“Singapore Airlines’ approach
to information technology (IT)
modernisation should be regarded as
a blueprint for other airlines that want
to stay ahead of the competition,”
says Hans Jorgensen, Amadeus’ vicepresident of strategic partners and
programmes.
The company also offers elements
of the Altea system as stand-alone
solutions, covering such functions as
e-ticketing, fare quote systems and
inventory control.
New Altea customers
Amadeus says it spent 2006
consolidating its leading position as
a technology provider for airlines,
successfully migrating Etihad
Airways of the United Arab Emirates,
Icelandair, Kazakhstan’s Air Astana
and Rossiya Russian Airlines to the
Altea CMS within nine months.
The company also implemented
a new self-service check-in solution
for South African Airways, provided
its revenue management system for
Icelandair and gave consulting services
to Egyptair to help the carrier make the
best use of Altea. Lan Airlines deployed
the Altea reservation desktop, while
Finnair implemented the Amadeus
Ticket Changer, automating its ticketchange and re-issue process from any
location in any currency.
During the year, 16 airlines signed
up for Amadeus revenue maximisation
tools, designed to help carriers boost
revenue through the travel agency
channel.
E-ticketing is a priority for airlines
hoping to comply with the International
Air Transport Association (IATA)
directive aiming for 100 percent eticketing worldwide by the end of this
year.
IATA says e-ticketing helps
airlines simplify their business,
offering “significant opportunities to
reduce costs and improve passenger
convenience”. E-ticketing “reduces
ticket processing charges, eliminates
the need for paper and allows greater
flexibility to the passenger and the
travel agent to make changes to the
itinerary,” the association says.
In Asia, Hickey says, Air India and
South Korea’s Asiana are customers
for Amadeus’ e-ticketing solution.
By the end of 2006, the company had
enabled e-ticketing for 174 airlines in
139 countries, with electronic tickets
accounting for about 70 percent of
all tickets distributed throughout the
year.
Amadeus says 2006 was also a
good year for its on-line booking
systems, with 10 new airlines adopting
Amadeus e-travel solutions to power
their web sites, bringing the total
number of carriers using the product
to 74. Among the new additions
were Shanghai-based China Eastern
Airlines and Etihad.
Low-cost carriers
Amadeus made significant progress
last year in bringing content tailored
for low-cost carriers (LCCs) into
its global distribution system. As of
March, travel agents could book 48
budget airlines in Amadeus – or 42
percent of all the world’s LCCs.
“There are a number of issues around
LCCs that do not fit the traditional
model of distribution,” Hickey says.
“We have had to bring out some new
products and make further investment
in technology to make it easier for
LCCs to distribute.”
Blurring boundaries
At first, LCCs were focused on
direct distribution, but Hickey says
that the line between low-cost and
full-service carriers has become
increasingly blurred. Some LCCs are
now realising the potential benefits of
indirect distribution – among them,
Malaysia’s AirAsia, which last year
signed a distribution agreement with
Amadeus.
To date, Amadeus has won six
customers in 12 months for the full
LCC version of its CMS, most recently
Mexico’s VivaAerobus and Colombiabased AerOasis.
Amadeus says the CMS has been
designed bearing in mind the explosive
growth of the low-fare market and the
need to be able to adapt to dynamic
business models.
Norwegian Air Shuttle, the country’s
leading LCC, adopted the Amadeus
system last year.
“The robustness and performance
of the Amadeus platform enabled
us to adapt our systems to meet our
commercial needs,” says Hans-Petter
Aanby, the carrier’s chief information
officer. “The versatility of the system,
compared with our legacy system,
has ensured that we now have a clear
upgrade and development path that
will meet both our current and future
needs.”
AIRLINE IN FOCUS
GENERAL AVIATION
Dassault Falcon 7X jet gains European, US certification
Dassault Aviation has won
simultaneous type certification for
its Falcon 7X business jet from the
European Aviation Safety Agency
(EASA) and the US Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA). The
certificates were awarded on 27 April
at Dassault’s Bordeaux-Merignac site
in France.
The fly-by-wire Falcon 7X is
expected to enter service before
the end of June, offering a range of
5,950nm with eight passengers and
flying faster, further and higher than
any previous Falcon model, Dassault
says. The jet is powered by three Pratt
& Whitney Canada PW307A engines
and fitted with the Honeywell Primus
EPIC Enhanced Avionics System
used on both the Falcon 900EX and
the Falcon 2000EX.
Dassault says the aircraft is the first
ever to be designed and built in an
entirely virtual environment using
a Product Lifecycle Management
philosophy. This reduced the time
needed to complete the first flighttest ready Falcon 7X by as much as
Hiller plans UH-12 helicopter
joint venture in Zhangjiakou
Hiller Aircraft, based in Firebaugh,
California, plans to set up a plant in
Zhangjiakou in North China’s Hebei
Province to manufacture civilian light
helicopters. Zhangjiakou is a historic
garrison town located 180km (110
miles) northwest of Beijing.
Hiller, originally established in
1942, and Zhangjiakou Qahar General
Aviation, a new Chinese aviation
firm, have agreed to invest US$15
million in a venture to manufacture
helicopters for crop spraying,
fire fighting, construction, rescue
operations and other missions.
Hiller manufactures the UH-12E
light utility helicopter as its basic
platform for a range of applications.
The aircraft, powered by a single
Allison 250C20B turboshaft, can
carry external loads, perform aerial
observation and basic flight training.
Hiller says the UH-12E boasts the
highest useful load of any helicopter
in its class, beating its closest
competitor by 300lb.
Construction of the new plant in
Zhangjiakou is expected to start this
year and the facility will commence
operation in 2008, manufacturing an
initial batch of five helicopters.
The production facility will be
capable of producing 500 helicopters
a year after three to five years and
its annual revenue will exceed 200
million yuan (US$25.87 million).
China will need more than 2,763
civilian helicopters from 2006 to
2026, according to Zhang Hongbiao,
general manager of state-owned
aerospace group China Aviation
Industry Corporation II.
Since its start in 1942, Hiller
Aircraft has manufactured over 3,000
helicopters for civil, military and
government customers throughout
the world. This includes over 900
helicopters for use as primary trainers
for the US military.
launch of a business jet ever in terms
of sales dollar value.
Components of the aircraft are
flown in from around the world
to Bordeaux-Merignac for final
assembly. The aircraft is then flown
to Dassault’s completion centre in
Little Rock, Arkansas for interior
installation and paintwork.
There are now more than 20 Falcon
7Xs in various stages of production at
Bordeaux-Merignac, while a further
seven are now undergoing completion
in Little Rock.
Gulfstream inherited the G200 product line from Galaxy Aerospace in 2001.
Gulfstream Aerospace
delivers 150th G200 jet
Hawker Pacific considers
more Asia-Pacific FBOs
Sydney-based Hawker Pacific, which
entered a joint venture late last year to
develop a business aviation facility at
Hongqiao Airport in Shanghai, China,
is now eyeing other development
possibilities for fixed-base operations
(FBOs) in the Asia-Pacific region.
The company is understood to
be researching sites and potential
partners in New Delhi as a possible
future investment. The company is
also working on a temporary FBO at
Singapore’s Seletar airport.
In Australia, the company is
considering investing in an FBO at
Essendon Airport, Melbourne – the
country’s busiest private airport – and
may carry out improvements to its
50 percent compared with previous
Falcon versions.
The 7X is also the first business
aircraft to be flown with a full flyby-wire digital flight control system
(DFCS). Dassault says it tapped the
expertise it had built up from its
military programmes such as the
Rafale fighter to develop the system.
Over 160 of the aircraft have been
sold to date, representing more than
four years of production, Dassault
says. The company claims the order
book makes the 7X the most popular
Perth maintenance facility to include
an FBO.
The venture at Shanghai covers the
development of an FBO, maintenance,
repair and overhaul (MRO) and
aircraft management services aimed
at the corporate aircraft market.
“We have long recognised the
potential offered by China as one of the
world’s fastest-growing economies,”
says Hawker Pacific Chief Executive
Alan Smith. The development of the
facilities in Shanghai will position
the joint venture to serve current
domestic and international corporate
aircraft operators and support the
anticipated growth in corporate and
private aircraft ownership in China.
Gulfstream Aerospace delivered
its 150th large-cabin, mid-range
G200 business jet on 26 April.
“With more than 200,000 flight
hours accumulated, the G200 fleet
has established a proven track
record in terms of performance,
quality and reliability,” says
Pres Henne, Gulfstream’s senior
vice-president for programmes,
engineering and test. The aircraft
has achieved 99.75 percent dispatch
reliability to date – the best in its
class – and the manufacturer plans
to keep working on improving this
performance, Henne says.
Since Gulfstream acquired
the G200 product line from
Galaxy Aerospace in 2001, the
manufacturer has made significant
improvements to it. Within the
first year, Gulfstream redesigned
the aircraft’s interior, reducing its
weight by some 600lb.
In 2004, Gulfstream began offering
installations of Safe Flight’s
Enhanced AutoPower automatic
throttle system (ATS). Also in
2004, the G200 received type
certification from the European
Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
In February 2005, Gulfstream
began offering high-speed Internet
in-flight capability.
In August 2006, Gulfstream
introduced a new version of
its G200 MSG-3 scheduled
maintenance program. The new
MSG-3 program significantly
reduces the number of required
scheduled maintenance tasks
while retaining the highest level
of safety standards as defined by
Federal Aviation Regulations. In
addition, maintenance inspection
intervals have been increased from
300 to 500 flight hours, improving
aircraft availability for G200
operators.
The G200 can fly 3,400nm nonstop and can reach speeds of up to
Mach 0.85.
25
BUSINESS
China Southern narrows loss, looks west with new unit
China Southern Airlines has reported
a reduced first-quarter net loss
compared with the same period a year
earlier, helped by a gain of more than
a quarter in turnover, a stronger yuan
and increased fuel surcharges.
The company says its net loss
according to Chinese accounting rules
totalled 188 million yuan (US$24.3
million), or 0.04 yuan per share, in
the three months ended 31 March.
That compares with a year-earlier
quarterly loss of 603 million yuan,
or 0.14 yuan per share. Revenue rose
26 percent to 11.89 billion yuan from
9.43 billion yuan.
The company’s total passenger
traff ic, measured in revenue
passenger kilometres, increased 18
percent from a year earlier to 18.21
billion. Passenger capacity in terms
of available seat kilometres jumped
17 percent to 25.49 billion.
The number of passengers carried
rose 17 percent during the period, to
12.56 million, with a load factor of
71.4 percent. Cargo volume increased
4.9 percent to 189,720 tonnes.
China Southern posted a full-year
profit in 2006, its first after three
years of losses, despite continued
increases in fuel costs. The carrier’s
2005 net loss totalled 1.79 billion
yuan as the carrier continued to suffer
from high costs and greater domestic
competition.
The strengthening Chinese yuan
against the US dollar has cut the
airline’s debt payments, since majority
of its debt is denominated in dollars.
Furthermore, a 67-100 percent
increase in fuel surcharges on airline
tickets, imposed by the Chinese
government, has also helped the
company’s financial performance.
To further expand its domestic
network, especially in western China,
where rivals Air China and China
Eastern Airlines have traditionally
been strong, China Southern Airlines
plans to set up a new, 1.2 billion yuan,
joint venture carrier called Chongqing
Airlines.
The venture, a partnership with
Chongqing Investment under the
Chongqing municipal government, is
expected to launch operations in June
with a fleet of three Airbus A320s.
China Southern will hold a 60
percent stake in the new airline, with
an investment of 720 million yuan
while Chongqing Investment will
take the remaining 40 percent for 480
million yuan.
Chongqing Airlines will compete
for both passenger and cargo traffic
on domestic routes in western China
from its base at Chongqing Jiangbei
International Airport.
JAL failed to achieve its predicted return to profit this year, despite an increase in operating revenue.
Bhakti Investama acquires
half of troubled Adam Air
Indonesian conglomerate Bhakti
Investama has acquired a 50
percent stake in local low-fare
airline Adam Air, which has
been under investigation for
breach of safety and maintenance
requirements.
The purchase agreement was
signed on 12 April, with the stake
acquired via Bhakti’s Global
Transport Services subsidiary
through the purchase of new
shares. The proceeds from the sale,
the value of which has not been
revealed, will be used to support
Adam Air’s expansion plans.
Bhakti also holds a 35 percent
stake in Indonesian Air Transport, a
publicly listed airline that provides
charter services for oil and gas
companies. The two companies
will remain separate for the time
being.
The transaction came amidst
reports that one Indonesian
low-fare airline could have its
air operating certificate (AOC)
revoked by the end of next month.
An Adam Air official in Jakarta
said in March that the company
was prepared for the worst if
its AOC were to be withdrawn,
declining to comment further.
The transport ministry has
said Adam Air will be allowed to
continue operating if it improves
training and maintenance within
three months.
On New Year’s Day an Adam
26
Air Boeing 737-400 disappeared
from radar screens after flying
into violent storms near Makassar,
Sulawesi before plunging into the
sea. All 96 passengers and six
crewmembers perished.
On 22 February, one of the
airline’s 737-300 jetliners made
a hard landing at the Juanda
International Airport in Surabaya,
resulting in major structural
damage to the fuselage and leaving
the aircraft a write-off.
The Ministry of Transport in
Jakarta grounded the carrier’s
remaining seven 737-300s the
following day for safety and
maintenance checks. All seven
aircraft have since been released
back to the airline.
Family-run Adam Air was
established in 2003 under
the company name Adam
SkyConnection Airlines, growing
into one of Indonesia’s largest
privately owned airlines with a
fleet of more than 20 single-aisle
737s operating domestic and some
international services.
Prior to the share sale, the carrier
had been planning to replace its
737 fleet with leased and purchased
Airbus A320-family aircraft.
However, the carrier now says it is
reconsidering this plan, reopening
talks with both manufacturers as
it hopes to expand its fleet to 60
aircraft by 2010.
Japan Airlines disappoints
with full-year net loss
Japan Airlines (JAL), Asia’s largest
airline by sales, has reported a fullyear loss of 16.2 billion yen (US$
135 million) after dropping earlier
forecasts of a return to profitability.
The result compared with a yearearlier loss of 47.2 billion yen.
The carrier had previously
predicted a 3 billion yen profit for
the 12 months ended 31 March, but
revised its forecast on 2 May before
the formal 9 May announcement.
The loss comes despite a 4.6 percent
increase in operating revenue to 2.3
trillion yen, as costs rose 2.4 percent
to 2.28 trillion yen.
JAL attributes the loss in part to
the removal from its balance sheet of
54.4 billion yen of deferred tax asset
and a 6 billion yen extraordinary
loss arising from an early retirement
scheme launched in March.
The company still beat its operating
profit forecast, achieving 22.9 billion
yen, more than the predicted 13
billion yen and a reversal from the
previous year’s loss of 26.8 billion
yen. The company says the operating
result was helped by cost reforms,
reduced fuel consumption, fuel
surcharges and a 10 percent cut in
the basic wage, which helped offset
a 43.6 billion yen increase in the
carrier’s fuel bill.
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ExecuJet is the regional distributor and sales representative for the sale of Bombardier Learjet aircraft and operate a Bombardier Authorised Service Facility.

May 2007 - Asian Aviation

Transcription

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