Flight International 27 Oct - 2 Nov 09

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27 OCTOBER-2 NOVEMBER 2009

HOPE IN ORLANDO

INDUSTRY BRACED

FOR SLOW CLIMB

TO RECOVERY

NBAA REPORT P14

ADVENT OF AIR

USAF advanced engines project looks at third bypass route to boost F-35 efficiency 25

MATERIAL FORCE

Orion Moon capsule may be metal as NASA finds little benefit in move to composites 28

WORLD AIRLINERS PART ONE

IN IT FOR THE LONG HAULFrom next-gen narrowbodies to broken first-flight promises, we analyse the big developments in mainline jets

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FLIGHTINTERNATIONAL

VOLUME 176 NUMBER 5212 27 OCTOBER - 2 NOVEMBER 2009

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Will Airbus launch a re-engined A320 programme? If so it

might look like this P34 A modified EA-18G Growler pod

could be carried by the Sky Warrior UAV P26

NEXT WEEK WORLD AIRLINERS PT2

The second instalment of our World Airliners survey scrutinises the major developments in the regional sector. Plus: The latest in flightcrew training.

NEWS

THIS WEEK 10 Finance issues hit Embraer schedule11 USAF shifts jamming focus to low-cost

stand-in system12 Boeing closes on choice of second 787

assembly line

NBAA SHOW REPORT 14 OEM chiefs vow long, slow haul to

recovery has begun15 Cockpit safety and efficiency advances

pierce Orlando gloom16 Service providers prepare for rebound. Seastar production goes ahead17 Downturn fails to halt VLJ projects18 VVIP houses ride out the squeeze

AIR TRANSPORT 20 Airframers must cut production: Hazy. Aerolineas considers dropping Airbus

widebody order and switching to lease21 Boeing urges Airbus to join airliner

recycling programme22 Arabs get behind Yemenia in French

safety dispute. A330-200F on move after painting24 United to decide on 757 replacement.

P&W breaks down GTF overhaul costs

DEFENCE 25 Triple bypass could boost F-35 efficiency. Cash constraints limit scope of ADVENT

research. Lithuania gets third C-27J Spartan ready for

NATO Afghan mission26 USAF order for six MC-12s is boost for

Project Liberty. US Army wants its own jamming pool

SEOUL SHOW REPORT 27 KF-X delays may prompt upgrades for KF-16

fleet

SPACEFLIGHT 28 Hardware policy ‘should push for orbital

standards’. Orion capsule ‘won’t be better’ in

composites

BUSINESS 32 ICBC to support China’s production dreams

REGULARS9 Comment

50 Classified

53 Jobs

59 Working Week

56 JOB OF THE WEEK Virgin Atlantic, general manager supply chain, Crawley, UK

COVER STORY 34 World Airliners The last 12 months has

witnessed a series of significant developments in the mainline jet sector – both good and bad. Another year has passed without the Boeing 787 taking to the air, and there have been more woes for the 747-8 programme. But on a positive note there is a raft of new contenders emerging in the single-aisle market. Cargo conversion specialists are also preparing for the recovery. The first of our two-part special report examines the programmes by sector, and includes tabulated data of key information

COVER IMAGE

The first of 12 Air France

Airbus A380s was

photographed during a

pre-delivery test-flight by

H. Goussé ahead of its

delivery this week.

See Air Transport P20

and World Airliners P34

27 October - 2 November 2009 | Flight International | 5

PIC OF THE WEEK

YOUR PHOTOGRAPH HERE

Sunshine Band’s image of three BAE

Systems Hawks flown by the RAF’s Red

Arrows display team captures them as they

break formation. Open a gallery in

flightglobal.com’s AirSpace community for a

chance to feature here.

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CONTENTS

For a full list of reader services, editorial

and advertising contacts see PXX

EDITORIAL

+44 (0) 20 8652 3842 [email protected]

DISPLAY ADVERTISING

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Find all these items at flightglobal.com/wotw

THE WEEK ON THE WEBflightglobal.com

Total votes: 2,686

This week, we ask: Can Airbus hit its 300 orders target for 2009?

Yes, but it will be tough

Not a chance

Vote at flightglobal.com/poll

9%

Bombardier Dassault Gulfstream Sukhoi No-one

23%

23%

13%

32%

Last week, we asked: Who will build the world’s first supersonic

business jet? Bombardier, Dassault, Gulfstream, Sukhoi, no-one. You said:

QUESTION OF THE WEEK

HIGH FLIERSThe top five stories for the week 13 – 19 October.

1 FLIGHTBLOGGER: Boeing returns to 787 wing drawing board2 Dreamliner troubles return to haunt 747-8F3 Qatar Airways makes world’s first gas-to-liquid-fuelled revenue flight4 Boeing reiterates 787 first flight target5 Aerolineas could lease six A330s and seven A340s

Flightglobal gets around 1 million visitors from 220

countries viewing 7.1 million pages each month

Stefan the Pilot made an appearance at the business aviation convention, NBAA in Orlando, Florida, last week, visiting exhibitors including Aerospace Technologies,

where he caught up with the Miami Dolphins

cheerleaders to support Corporate Angel

Network, a charity that transports cancer

patients in business jets to get treatment at various

destinations. Stefan, who has a seaplane, will have been delighted that Dornier Seaplane announced it was launching production of its Seastar amphibian, having exceeded the requisite order tally needed to give the 10-seat aircraft a second lease of life. For more show news, blogs and videos, including a look at the Comlux

Airbus A318 Prestige, see our NBAA 09 page. Check out Flightblogger’s post: My Question to Boeing CEO Jim McNerney about the 787 programme.

BEHIND THE HEADLINES

Several of the team were part of an integrated online-magazine-Flight Evening News editorial operation in Orlando, Florida at a subdued National Business

Aviation Association conven-tion. “Like rebuilding after an earthquake, the mood was stoi-cal rather than celebratory, and Florida’s Champagne importers had a slow week,” says Editor Murdo Morrison. “Other than in a few unshakeable areas like airliner-based jets, business is way down and new programme activity for the next few years will be scant. But NBAA still put on a great show.

IN THIS ISSUECompanies listedAdherent Technologies .................................21AerCap ........................................................32Aerolineas Argentinas ..................................20AeroMechanical Services .............................33Airbus ................................. 20, 21, 24, 32, 33Air France ....................................................20Alenia Aeronautica .......................................21Austrian Airlines ...........................................33Aviation Industry Corporation .......................22Babcock & Brown ........................................32Bartin Aero Recycling ...................................21Blackcomb Aviation .....................................33BOC Aviation ................................................32Boeing .............. 11, 12, 20, 21, 24, 27, 32, 33Boeing Capital .............................................33Boeing Charleston .......................................12CIT ...............................................................32CFM International ........................................21Comac .........................................................22EADS Astrium...............................................12Eaton ...........................................................33ECA CNAi .....................................................00Elbit Systems ...............................................26Electronic Systems ......................................33Embraer .................................................10, 32Esterline ......................................................22Eurocopter ...................................................27GE Aviation ............................................21, 33GECAS ...................................................32, 33General Electric ...........................................25Honeywell ....................................................24Huron Valley Fritz West ..................................21ICBC Leasing ...............................................32ILFC .............................................................32Japan Airlines ..............................................10JetBird .........................................................10JetSuite .......................................................10KLM .............................................................20Korea Aerospace Industries ..........................27Kunpeng Airlines ..........................................22Let Aircraft ...................................................10Lockheed Martin ................. 11, 12, 25, 27, 33Marsans ......................................................20Materials Innovation Technology ...................21Milled Carbon ..............................................21Moody’s .......................................................33NASA ...........................................................10Northrop Grumman ................................10, 27OHB System ................................................12Orbital Sciences...........................................28Pilatus .........................................................26Pratt & Whitney ................................24, 25, 27Raytheon .........................................11, 26, 27Rolls-Royce ..................................................25Royal Jordanian Airlines ...............................21SAIC ............................................................26Schnitzer Steel .............................................21Sichuan Airlines Group .................................22Sichuan Communication Investment Group ..22Sicma ..........................................................21Sierra Nevada Corporation ...........................28Singapore Aircraft Leasing Enterprise ...........32Sensis .........................................................33 Snecma .......................................................21Space Adventures ........................................28Space Exploration Technologies ...................28SpaceX ........................................................10Sukhoi .........................................................32Syrian Arab Airlines ......................................32Thai Airways .................................................33United Airlines .............................................24United Aircraft ..............................................10United Eagle Airlines ....................................22Veolia Environmental Services......................21Yemenia .......................................................22

6 | Flight International | 27 October - 2 November 2009

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COMMENT

flightglobal.com

Should the Flight Safety Foundation get the support it deserves? What does the USAF need to do about its jamming dilemma? flightglobal.com/comment See This Week P11

USAF stealth strategy jammed on lockR

adar jammers are an inconvenient necessity. After all, a 30-year-old US Air Force strategy has poured

billions of dollars into stealth technology to make radars irrelevant in modern combat.

That money has produced a relatively tiny stealth force backed-up by more numerous, non-stealthy air-craft, whose survival depends on radar jammers. The darker irony is that stealth aircraft remain vulnerable to radar detection, and lose more of their electromagnetic edge with every 18-month cycle of Moore’s Law.

Yet, the USAF appears oblivious to this peril. It re-tired its last EF-111 Raven radar jammers in 1997 and has failed to convert B-52s into long-range jamming systems. A 15-year-old deal to embed about 20 USAF

GNGEVTQPKE�YCTHCTG�QHƂEGTU�KPUKFG�VJG�75�0CX[oU�'#��$�Prowler unit ends in 2012.

Rather than acknowledge the crisis, the USAF pre-tends it doesn’t exist. A new strategy unveiled this week relies on a low-cost solution that is at best a stop-ICR��6JG�75#(�TKUMU�UCETKƂEKPI�VJG�GNGEVTQPKE�YCTHCTG�OKUUKQP�VQ�VJG�0CX[��#TO[�CPF�/CTKPG�%QTRU��/QTG�disturbingly, it exposes its own combat pilots to a known and increasing danger.

USAF pilots may be the best trained in the world, DWV�s�EQPVTCT[�VQ�ƂIJVGT�LQEM�EWNVWTG�s�ƃ[KPI�UMKNN�KU�PQ�match for a “double-digit” surface-to-air missile on radar lock. O

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The FSF thinks and acts for all

of aviation, from manufacturing

through to the operators

Safety management must not return to the bad old days

Times are hard, and companies are not the only organisations whose existence is threatened by economic crisis. The Flight Safety Foundation, a priceless industry asset, is also at risk

Foundation shaken


the power and the credibility to call on expertise from all over industry. By standing back from the frontline, the FSF provides a forum where people can gather and brainstorm, away from day-to-day operations.

It is this independence that makes the FSF so valua-ble. If it were not there, the industry would have to in-vent it, or see safety management return to the bad old days of making advances only through reactivity, and see standards revert to minimum legal levels.

Safety should be a global endeavour even if it is played out locally. So it needs a global instrument, and VJG� +PVGTPCVKQPCN� %KXKN� #XKCVKQP�1TICPKUCVKQP� KU�PQV�UWKVCDNG�HQT�VJKU�VCUM��+%#1�RNC[U�QWV�KVU�GUUGPVKCN�TQNG�as the forum at which standards are agreed, but its role is comparable to that of a regulator. Regulators are cor-TWRVGF�KH�VJG[�GPICIG�KP�ECORCKIPKPI��UQ�+%#1�FQGU�not – and should not – do that.

Finally, safety advance is best provided by a volun-tary body that draws its strength from the industry it serves. The FSF ticks all these boxes. Don’t let it fail. O

AHVGT��[GCTU�QH�UWRRQTV�HQT�VJG�GPVKTG�CXKCVKQP�KP-dustry, it would be pity to see the Flight Safety

Foundation go down because of lack of support from the businesses it served for so long.

Just to drag this column away from compulsive Brit-ish understatement for a moment, such an event would not be merely “a pity”, it would be a tragedy. Mean-while, although – according to the FSF’s president and chief executive Bill Voss – any reports of the founda-VKQPoU�FGCVJ�JCXG�FGƂPKVGN[�DGGP�GZCIIGTCVGF��PQ�QPG�should take its continued existence for granted. Voss has framed the challenge: “Ultimately, the industry will have to decide if a small investment in a group that puts safety work together still makes sense.”

Many organisations can claim to have their safety programmes, and they may be both necessary and in-ƃWGPVKCN��6CMG�VJG�+PVGTPCVKQPCN�#KT�6TCPURQTV�#UUQEKC-VKQP�� HQT�GZCORNG�� +V�TWPU�RTQITCOOGU� NKMG�KVU� +15#�

safety audit, and offers help, expertise and safety-relat-ed training. But organisations like IATA inevitably see the world through the eyes of their membership, and they cater to their immediate and strategic needs.

But the FSF is different. It thinks and acts for all of aviation, from manufacturing through to the operators. It has no axes to grind and does not engage in sectoral thinking. It is free to be empirical, which interest-groups never are, even with good intentions. A non-competitive, independent organisation like the FSF has

THIS WEEK

flightglobal.com10 | Flight International | 27 October - 2 November 2009

For a round-up of our latest online news,

feature and multi-media content visit

flightglobal.com/wotw

SWISS DELAY DECISION ON FIGHTER PROCUREMENT

BUDGET Switzerland has postponed until spring 2010 a decision on its CHF2.2 billion ($2.2 billion) plan to acquire up to 33 new fighter jets to replace its Northrop F-5 fleet with Dassault Rafales, Eurofighter Typhoons or Saab Gripens. A defence ministry spokes-man says the government will consider a defence ministry report due in January and reveal in March, April or May if it will proceed with the plan and, if it does, which aircraft has been selected.

FUEL CELL POWER SETS UAV ENDURANCE RECORD

UNMANNED AIRCRAFT The US Office of Naval Research has set a world flight endurance record for a small unmanned aircraft, exceed-ing 23h aloft with its Ion Tiger, powered by a Protonex Technology 1,000W/kg proton exchange membrane fuel cell.

FALCON 9 HEADS FOR CAPE AFTER TEST SUCCESS

LAUNCHERS SpaceX has successfully conducted two static firings of the first-stage, nine-engine cluster for its Falcon 9 launch vehicle and is shipping the stage to Cape Canaveral in anticipation of a maiden flight later this year. Falcon 9 is set next year to make its first of 12 resupply flights to the International Space Station.

FORMER NASA BOSS JOINS EADS NORTH AMERICA

MANAGEMENT Former NASA administrator Sean O’Keefe is to be-come chief executive of EADS North America on 1 November to re-place Ralph Crosby, who becomes chairman and will continue to lead EADS’ pursuit of the US Air Force’s KC-X refuelling tanker contract. O’Keefe’s arrival appears to add new emphasis to the space sector, alongside aeronautics and security, in the company’s US strategy.

PIECE MAY HAVE FALLEN FROM CRASHED SUDAN 707

ACCIDENT Video images capturing the crash of a Sudanese Boeing 707 during take-off from Sharjah Airport last week appear to show a falling object shortly before the jet came down. None of the six oc-cupants said to be on board the aircraft, one of two 707s operated by Sudan’s Azza Air Transport, survived the accident.

TOKYO POISED TO DECIDE ON JAL RESCUE PLAN

AIRLINES Japan’s government in the coming days plans to decide on a financial bail-out for Japan Airlines after the carrier’s banks re-portedly declined to waive some its debts. Reports in Japan, citing unnamed sources, say a state-backed government agency may inject money into the airline and take a majority stake in JAL, a move that comes after airline’s banks refused to waive some of its debts.

UAC FAILS TO AGREE TERMS ON LET TAKEOVER

TURBOPROPS Russia’s United Aircraft has failed to reach agree-ment with Ural Mining and Metallurgical Company on a plan to take over the Czech airframer Let Aircraft. The two sides contemplated a deal for UGMK’s 51% stake, but have ended negotiations. Kunovice-based Let makes the L-410 regional turboprop.

B-2 BOMBERS TO GET NEW RADAR

UPGRADE Northrop Grumman has won a $468 million US Air Force contract to build and install new active electronically scanned array radar antennas for the 20-aircraft B-2 bomber fleet. The B-2’s radar performance will remain unchanged because the back-end proces-sor has not been upgraded, but the new antenna will make it easier to add mission capabilities.

BRIEFING

Embraer has fallen behind on deliveries of Phenom 100 very

light jet deliveries as two of its largest customers, European air taxi start-up JetBird and US char-ter operator JetSuite, struggle to UGEWTG�ƂPCPEKPI�

The manufacturer was expect-ing to deliver 35-40 Phenom 100s in the third quarter, but delivered QPN[��CKTETCHV��%JKGH�GZGEWVKXG�(TGF� %WTCFQ� UC[U� 'ODTCGT� JCU�not had problems ramping up production, but “commercial is-sues” have prevented it from OGGVKPI�KVU�FGNKXGT[�VCTIGVU��

As a result, several completed Phenom 100s are now sitting at the factory waiting for delivery as EWUVQOGTU� YQTM� QP� ƂPCNKUKPI�VJGKT�ƂPCPEKPI�

Embraer executive vice-presi-dent for executive aviation Luis %CTNQU�#HHQPUQ�UC[U� ,GV$KTF�CPF�JetSuite account for a majority of VJG�pUJQTVHCNNq��,GV$KTF��YJKEJ�JCU�been planning to launch opera-tions across Europe in September, but has not yet taken delivery of any aircraft, has 59 Phenom 100s QP�QTFGT�

JetSuite launched charter op-erations in May using one leased 2JGPQO��#V�VJG�GPF�QH�5GR-tember it took its second aircraft CPF� VJG�ƂTUV� HTQO�KVU��CKTETCHV�QTFGT�� ,GV5WKVG� EJKGH� GZGEWVKXG�Alex Wilcox acknowledges it is behind in deliveries due to vari-

QWU�TGCUQPU�KPENWFKPI�pƂPCPEKPI�realities”, but plans to take deliv-GT[�QH�ƂXG�QT�UKZ�CKTETCHV�D[�[GCT�GPF�VQ�ECVEJ�WR�

%WTCFQ�UC[U�'ODTCGToU�GCTNKGT�target of delivering 110 Phenom 100s this year “is still doable” al-VJQWIJ�VJKU�YKNN�TGSWKTG��HQWTVJ�SWCTVGT�FGNKXGTKGU�� *G� UC[U� 'O-braer is on track from a produc-tion standpoint, with the 100th production Phenom 100 already QP�VJG�CUUGODN[�NKPG�

Affonso adds that if JetBird and ,GV5WKVG� CTG� CDNG� VQ� ENQUG� QP� Ƃ-nancing both will be able to take several aircraft in quick succes-sion, pointing out their business OQFGNU�TGN[�QP�pETKVKECN�OCUUq��

*G�UC[U�'ODTCGT�DGNKGXGU� VJG�model of using VLJs to operate commercial services is still valid and the airframer has not begun remarketing any of the JetBird or JetSuite aircraft: “The crisis is cre-ating a challenging situation for VJG�ƃGGV�EWUVQOGTU��$WV�OGFKWO�and long-term we believe these OQFGNU�YKNN�YQTM�q

Given the current backlog, the next available slot for a Phenom 100 or 300 is technically 2013, but Affonso acknowledges Em-braer has 2010 slots available for DQVJ� V[RGU�� *G� UC[U� 'ODTCGT� KU�UVKNN�QP�VTCEM�VQ�EGTVKƂECVG�CPF�FG-NKXGT� VJG� ƂTUV� DCVEJ� QH� 2JGPQO��U�CV�VJG�GPF�QH�VJKU�[GCT��OSee NBAA report P14

DELIVERIES BRENDAN SOBIE ORLANDO

Customer finance

slows up EmbraerPhenom 100s stacking up at factory as key customers JetBird and JetSuite struggle to raise funds for delivery

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JetSuite hopes to make up cash and delivery shortfall this year

THIS WEEK

27 October - 2 November 2009 | Flight International | 11flightglobal.com

Lockheed Martin

C-130J output

set to soar

THIS WEEK P12

PROCUREMENT STEPHEN TRIMBLE WASHINGTON DC

The US Air Force has dramati-cally changed the focus of a

frustrated, decade-long attempt to revitalise its ability to jam radars and communications systems.

After abandoning a second at-tempt earlier this year to convert some Boeing B-52Hs into standoff jamming platforms, the USAF in-vestment strategy has shifted to ƂGNFKPI�NGUU�GZRGPUKXG�pUVCPF�KPq�systems that could be delivered within a few years. p9GoXG�IQV�VQ�ƂIWTG�QWV�JQY�VQ�

do it with less money, but we also JCXG� VQ�ƂIWTG�QWV�JQY� VQ�FQ� KV�HCUVGT�q�UC[U�/CL�)GP�&CXKF�5EQVV��air staff requirements director.

Scott, addressing the Associa-tion of Old Crows annual conven-VKQP� KP� 9CUJKPIVQP� &%�� EKVGF�4C[VJGQPoU� OKPKCVWTG� CKT�NCWPEJGF�FGEQ[�LCOOGT�/#.&�J) as a key priority in the new UVTCVGI[��6JG�/#.&�,�TGOCKPU�KP�development, but when deployed YKNN� ƃ[� KPVQ� FGHGPFGF� CKTURCEG�and jam hostile radars.

The USAF also has revealed plans to adopt a low-cost strategy

to augment its ageing and heavily WUGF�'%��%QORCUU�%CNN�ƃGGV��Compass Call crews jam commu-nications systems ranging from the command and control net-works of peer militaries to the mobile phones used by insur-gents for coordinating ambushes or triggering bombs.

Two weeks ago, the Aeronauti-ECN�5[UVGOU�%GPVGToU�ECRCDKNKVKGU�development division issued a call for industry to propose ideas HQT�CWIOGPVKPI�VJG�'%��oU�OKU-sion with a communications net-work attack pod.

The USAF may acquire low-cost, communications jamming RQFU� HQT�pGZKUVKPI�CKTETCHVq��CPF�deploy them no later than 2012, the survey notice says.

Unmanned aircraft systems 7#5�� ƂIJVGTU�� DQODGTU� CPF�transports could be used to carry the pod, the notice says. Perform-ance requirements for the jam-OKPI� U[UVGO� CTG� ENCUUKƂGF�� DWV�the survey notice says some are challenging. If a company is una-ble to deliver a fully compliant

U[UVGO�D[��KV�UJQWNF�GZRNCKP�how it could be upgraded to meet all of the requirements later, the notice says.

The low-cost stand-in jamming strategy is the latest plan for ad-FTGUUKPI� VJG� 75� OKNKVCT[oU� CE-knowledged gaps in electronic warfare capabilities.

The USAF chose not to replace VJG� '(�� 4CXGP� ƃGGV�� YJKEJ�was retired in 1997. Two years NCVGT��5GTDKC� UJQV�FQYP� C�.QEM-JGGF�(��ƂIJVGT��GZRQUKPI�VJG�need for robust jamming even with stealth technology.

In 2002, the USAF launched the airborne electronic attack sys-tem of systems strategy, which called for acquiring the B-52 stand-off jamming system. The USAF cancelled the programme in 2005, claiming that its cost had ballooned from $1 billion to $7 billion.

A scaled-back version of the B-52 concept called core compo-nent jammer was revived in 2007, but dropped earlier this year. OSee Comment P9

USAF shifts jamming focus

to low-cost stand-in system

FUNDING

DAVID LEARMOUNT ORLANDO

Flight Safety Foundation chief GZGEWVKXG� $KNN� 8QUU� UC[U� CP�

aviation industry facing hard eco-nomic times is going to have to decide whether it wants an QTICPKUCVKQP�NKMG�VJG�PQV�HQT�RTQƂV�FSF for the future.8QUU� UC[U�� p6JKU� [GCT��PGCTN[�

100 members went out of busi-ness and their support is sorely missed. p+V�KU�CNUQ�WPFGTUVCPFCDNG�VJCV�

companies have to make cost cut-DCEMU�YJGTG�RQUUKDNG��9G�EGTVCKP-ly do the same. p$WV�e� VJG�NKVVNG�CFLWUVOGPVU�

of 1,000 great companies add up to a pretty challenging UKVWCVKQP�q�

*G� EQPVKPWGU�� p2GTJCRU� VJG�OQUV� FKHƂEWNV� RTQDNGO� KU� TG-sponding to safety concerns with a workforce that is composed largely of volunteer labour. p+VoU�VQWIJ�VQ�IGV�C�YQTMITQWR�

together under the best of circum-stances, and when everyone operates under essential-only travel restrictions it gets even OQTG�FKHƂEWNV��9G�EQORGPUCVG�D[�cutting costs to the bone like eve-T[QPG�GNUG�q8QUU�UC[U�VJG�(5(�JCU�UWTXKXCN�

TGUGTXGU�� *G� GZRNCKPU�� p5GXGTCN�years ago, we decided to create an endowment as a means of opera-tional support, because in a cycli-cal industry such as this, the OQPG[�PGGFGF�VQ�GZGEWVG�UCHGV[�programmes is rarely there when times are bad and the work is PGGFGF�VJG�OQUV�q

*G�KU�HTCPM�CDQWV�VJG�HWVWTG��p#�good endowment base would mean the FSF could respond to urgent needs without looking over its shoulder for the PGZV�FQYPVWTP��p9G�CTG�YQTMKPI�CIITGUUKXGN[�

to grow the endowment, even during this economic slow-down. Ultimately, the industry will have to decide if a small in-vestment in a group that puts safety work together still OCMGU�UGPUG�q�OSee Comment P9, NBAA P14

Flight Safety

Foundation in

survival fight

IN-FLIGHT REFUELING

First wet contact

for A330 MRTTAn A330 Multi Role Tanker Transport has performed the first wet contact using Airbus Military’s Air Refuelling Boom System. The in-flight refuelling was conducted with two Portuguese Air Force F-16s on 21 October. During the 4.5h flight, 13 contacts were per-formed and more than 1.5t of fuel transferred. The tanker used in the exercise will be delivered to the Royal Australian Air Force by mid-2010. The 17m (56ft) long fly-by-wire boom, located beneath the rear fuselage, is re-mote controlled from a 3D view-ing console in the cockpit.

Two failed attempts to convert B-52s to long-range role fixes attention on simpler options

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THIS WEEK





OUTLOOK STEPHEN TRIMBLE WASHINGTON DC

PRODUCTION JON OSTROWER WASHINGTON DC NAVIGATION

ROB COPPINGER BREMEN

TEST AIRCRAFT JON OSTROWER WASHINGTON DC

747-8 production momentum builds

Lockheed Martin has updated plans for rapidly escalating C-

130J Hercules production output, while F-16 deliveries are set to contract for two years before pos-sibly doubling again after 2012.

%JKGH� ƂPCPEKCN� QHƂEGT� $TWEG�Tanner, discussing third-quarter earnings on 20 October, revealed that C-130J deliveries will grow from 12 aircraft in 2008 to 16 this year and 26 next year.

Iraq and Kuwait ordered a total of 10 C-130Js in the third quarter. The US Air Force has since added 11 units to its C-130J order.

Meanwhile, the F-16 line faces a two-year period of contracting

deliveries as several potential customers, including Iraq and Morocco, have shifted orders be-yond 2011. F-16 output will de-cline from about 30 this year to 20 or 21 next year and in 2011.

Lockheed still foresees a long future for the single-engine ƂIJVGT��6JG�1DCOC�#FOKPKUVTC-VKQP� JCU� PQVKƂGF� %QPITGUU� VJCV�Egypt could buy 24 F-16s, and Lockheed is negotiating with several countries in the Middle East. Iraq has previously been named as a potential F-16 buyer, CPF�NCUV�YGGM�EJKGH�GZGEWVKXG�$QD�Stevens said Oman and Qatar were interested.

The extended survival of the C-130J and F-16 production lines are helping Lockheed’s aeronau-tics division to offset the impact of the F-22 programme termina-

tion in 2011. Tanner expects F-35 Joint Strike Fighter deliveries to account for 75% of the division’s projected $20 billion yearly reve-nue total by 2015. O

Hercules output ready for growth as F-16 deliveries start to slow down

Decision ‘a couple of weeks away’ between remaining candidates Everett and Charleston

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Europe’s Galileo satellite navi-gation system could be forced

to operate with fewer satellites than planned, as there are orders for just 22 of the 28 spacecraft that were due to be procured this year and the European Commission has yet to decide when it will buy the rest.

The 22 spacecraft, to be launched from 2012, would sup-plement four being launched in 2010 to bring the total to 26, two more than the 24 needed for glo-bal coverage. The original plan was to have 30 satellites exclud-ing spares.

The cut was revealed to indus-try on 2 October when the EC asked the two companies selected to compete for the space segment, )GTOCP[oU� 1*$� 5[UVGO� CPF�EADS Astrium, for their “best of ƂPCN�QHHGTUq��6JGUG�CTG�FWG�D[��November, ahead of a procure-ment decision by year end.

The EC has not said whether the cut is intended to stave off cost hikes for Galileo, which has had the same €3.4 billion ($5 bil-lion) budget for years. O

Brussels opts to trim order for Galileo satnav constellation

Boeing’s chief executive, James /E0GTPG[�� UC[U� C� ƂPCN�FGEK-

sion about the second assembly line for the 787 is imminent. The airframer has also restated its inten-VKQP� VQ�ƃ[�VJG�&TGCONKPGT�D[�VJG�end of the year, despite reports of a last-minute revision to the design of the side-of-body structural modi-ƂECVKQPU� PGGFGF� VQ� QXGTEQOG�stresses that scuppered plans for a OCKFGP�ƃKIJV�KP�,WPG�

The selection of the second-line location has narrowed in recent weeks to two choices – alongside VJG� GZKUVKPI� �� ƂPCN� CUUGODN[�plant in Everett, Washington, and at the Charleston, South Carolina facility where the centre and aft fu-selages are integrated.

McNerney, who says the deci-UKQP� KU� pC� EQWRNG�YGGMU� CYC[q�� acknowledges that “there would be GZGEWVKQP� EJCNNGPIGUq� CUUQEKCVGF�with Charleston, but adds that the RTGUGPEG�QH�PGYN[�CESWKTGF�$QGKPI�Charleston, formerly Vought Air-craft Industries 787 operations, provides a springboard for the con-struction of a second line.

The airframer’s boss revealed the

Boeing closes on choice of

second 787 assembly line

Boeing’s 747-8 Freighter flight-test fleet is moving down the Everett as-sembly line with more than 90% as-sembly completion on the first aircraft and 80% for the second.

The second 747-8F has begun power-on testing and the initial join of the third aircraft has “improved notice-ably” as lessons learned are applied,

decision timing during the third-quarter earnings call, where a net loss of $1.6 billion was announced CHVGT� CDUQTDKPI� TGENCUUKƂECVKQP� QH�VJG�ƂTUV�VJTGG��U�VQ�TGUGCTEJ�CPF�development status and write-downs on 747-8, totalling $2.5 bil-lion and $1 billion, respectively.

$QGKPI�JCU�PQV�GZRNKEKVN[�FGPKGF�a report by Flightglobal’s Flight-Blogger citing programme and in-dustry sources as saying that the FGUKIP�HQT�VJG�UKFG�QH�DQF[�OQFKƂ-cation for four of the 17 shortest and highest load wing stringers re-quired revisions that could push VJG�ƂTUV�ƃKIJV�KPVQ��

However, a company blog, quot-ing 787 vice president and general manager Scott Fancher, described KV�CU�pQHH�DCUGq��#PF�/E0GTPG[�KP-UKUVU�VJG��YKNN�ƃ[�D[�VJG�GPF�QH�the year. He added that installation QH� VJG� UKFG�QH�DQF[� OQFKƂECVKQP�was continuing and the last de-tailed design for the stringer modi-ƂECVKQPU�YCU�CDQWV�VQ�DG�XCNKFCVGF��p6JG�UEJGFWNG�EJCPIGU�GXGT[�FC[�q�says McNerney. “In the sense that problems come up, we have to deal with them. There are opportunities that come up, we have to deal with them…we’re still on track for the GPF�QH�VJG�[GCT�=VQ�ƃ[?�q�O

says chief executive Jim McNerney. Assembly is about 75% complete.

McNerney adds that the follow-on passenger variant, the 747-8I, has also passed 75% engineering re-leased on the design of the aircraft. The first 747-8F (RC501) is due to fly early next year, with deliveries to start in the fourth quarter. O

The extended survival of C-130J lines is giving Lockheed a boost

The V2500 engine delivers a fuel burn advantage ofup to 3% over the competing engine. And with theV2500 SelectOne™ innovative engine upgrade, youcan profit from an additional fuel burn reduction ofup to 1%.*

How much could that save you? Get an instant estimate from our online fuel savings calculator:www.V2500SelectOne.com.

When an engine can reduce your fuel burn by up to 4%, it’s time to get on board.

www.i-a-e.com

* Total fuel burn advantage of up to 3%. We anticipate up to an additional 1% fuel gain with V2500 SelectOne.TM Assumes an A321 powered by the V2500 engine, relativeto CFM56-5B/P. Includes CFM noise reduction mod. penalty to meet stage IV limit.

SHOW REPORT





The slow climb to recovery has begun. That was the consen-

sus of leaders of the major manu-facturers at NBAA. The question is how slow and how much more pain will the sector endure?

As at EBACE in May, the in-dustry put on a united front, stressing business aviation’s im-portance to economic recovery after a slew of negative publicity and claiming order cancellations CPF�VJG�FGENKPG�KP�VTCHƂE�CPF�CKT-craft values had bottomed out.

Although US economic indica-tors point to a muted revival of EQPUWOGT� CPF� DWUKPGUU� EQPƂ-dence in the past few months, most manufacturers are factoring a fall in output next year – in line with the benchmark annual Hon-eywell forecast published at the show. The brightest hope remains the immature markets of Asia and the Middle East, where the indus-try sees a rebound in orders hap-RGPKPI�ƂTUV�CPF�HCUVGUV�

Jack Pelton of Cessna – which has shed half its 16,000-strong

workforce – said the company had moved to match production to demand and was cautiously optimistic for 2010. “I’m far from ready to call it a turnaround, but we do see some encouraging de-velopments,” he said.

His views were echoed by Gulfstream’s Joe Lombardo, whose company is pushing to-YCTFU�ƂTUV�ƃKIJV� HQT� KVU�ƃCIUJKR�large-cabin G650. “I’m not going to tell you we’re back on the up-

swing, but there are some early signs that we’re starting to pull out of this,” he said.

Bombardier – which is keeping faith in its Learjet 60XR pro-gramme following the collapse of its main customer, European frac-tional start-up Jet Republic – said backlogs for its top-end Challeng-er and Global products remained robust and that it was looking at developments at the top of its range, including a corporate ver-sion of the CSeries airliner.

Hawker Beechcraft’s Bill Bois-ture said the business jet market would not recover until 2012. He vowed it was a case of “not if we prevail but when we prevail” for the beleagured manufacturer. Dassault’s John Rossanvallon said his company was “one of the few OEMs increasing its output over the last year” due to the ramp up of the 7X. Embraer signed a deal for two Legacy 650s after an-nouncing the large-cabin variant at NBAA, the only airframer with a major programme launch. O

Panasonic Avionics has broken into the business aviation

market with deals to supply its new Global Communications Suite (GCS) on 14 types of VIP CKTETCHV� CPF�RNCPU� VQ� CNUQ� QWVƂV�the system on large business jets.

Panasonic vice-president global communication services David Bruner says it has secured GCS contracts from three business air-craft customers covering 14 VIP derivatives of commercial aircraft. 6JG�ƂTUV�KPUVCNNCVKQP�KU�RNCPPGF�HQT�November on a Boeing BBJ with most of the other aircraft types, in-cluding Airbus ACJs and Boeing 777s and 747s, to follow over the next 18-24 months.

Bruner says Panasonic’s new

business aviation offering is essen-VKCNN[�RKII[DCEMKPI�QP�EGTVKƂECVKQP�work the company was already starting to pursue for its airline customers. Lufthansa earlier this month signed up as the launch customer for GCS and Bruner says several additional airline custom-er announcements are planned.

So far Panasonic is only com-OKVVGF�VQ�QWVƂV�)%5�QP�8+2�FG-rivatives of commercial aircraft already covered under its airline agreements. But Bruner says Pa-nasonic plans to also offer GCS on purpose-built business jets. “You’ll see this adapted to small-er aircraft,” he says.

Panasonic is now talking to Bombardier, Gulfstream and Das-

sault Falcon about offering GCS on their higher-end business jets. Bruner says there are no technical challenges as the antennas can be GCUKN[�OQFKƂGF�VQ�ƂV�QP�NCTIG�DWUK-ness jets but the manufacturers will need to decide whether to locate the antenna on the fuselage or tail.

Bruner expects GCS will be CXCKNCDNG�CU�C�TGVTQƂV�QP�UQOG�NCTIG�business jets from next year and eventually the suite will also be

offered on new aircraft. He says Panasonic will need to reduce the bandwidth to accommodate busi-ness jets, but “best in class” serv-ices can still be provided. GCS in-ENWFGU�C�EQODKPCVKQP�QH�KP�ƃKIJV�broadband, mobile telephone and live television solutions.

Bruner says there is also some demand for Panasonic to offer UQOG�QH�KVU�CKTNKPG�KP�ƃKIJV�GPVGT-tainment products to business jet customers, but for now there are no such plans. “We’re just putting our toe in the water,” he says. “Today it’s about communica-tions. It’s a product that kind of sold itself and it’s an easy transi-tion for us [to business aviation]. We’ll see what happens.” O

Panasonic breaks into business aviation market“Today it’s about

communications”

DAVID BRUNER

Vice-president global communication services, Panasonic

A brutal 12 months took its toll on the National Business Aviation Association convention in Orlando. Casualties of the recession and no-shows, as well as the decision of Cessna and Hawker Beechcraft to turn up at the static park only, meant the halls were much gappier than last year, although the show continued to retain its high-octane buzz as a major networking opportu-nity. Report by John Croft, Andrew Doyle, Murdo Morrison, Jon Ostrower, Alan Peaford, Kate Sarsfield, Brendan Sobie. Photographers: Ian Billinghurst and Tom Gordon/BillyPix.

NBAA 2009

Bill

ypix

CONNECTIVITY

OUTLOOK

OEM chiefs vow long, slow

haul to recovery has begunDespite encouraging economic signs, manufacturers predict tough year ahead for industry

Cessna’s Pelton: too early to

call it a turnaround

Bill

yPix


NBAA 2009SHOW REPORT

Buoyant demand

triggers Seastar

production launch

SHOW REPORT P16

IN BRIEF

Avionics advances were many in an otherwise subdued

NBAA show in Orlando last week as the industry prepares for at least one more year of depressed production.

In addition to Garmin launch-ing its most advanced integrated ƃKIJVFGEM�VQ�FCVG��*QPG[YGNN�CPF�other key avionics providers in-troduced products or upgrades to DQQUV�UCHGV[�CPF�QRGTCVKQPCN�GHƂ-ciency in advance of the upturn expected in the 2011 timeframe.

Garmin revealed that two air-framers have selected the compa-ny’s new G3000 touchscreen-controlled integrated avionics suite for their new Part 23 jet pro-grammes – Piper for the PiperJet and one other manufacturer that has not yet been revealed.

Based on Garmin’s successful )�� U[UVGO�� VJG� )�� VCMGU�the next step in simplifying cock-pit operations with its two 5.7in ��EO��)6%��EQPVTQN�RCPGNU��which use infrared sensitive touchscreen technology rather than traditional capacitance-based technology to control radi-QU�� CWFKQ�� ƃKIJV� OCPCIGOGPV��weather and other vehicle sys-tems displayed on three inter-changeable 14.1in GDU 1400 dis-plays across the panel.

With the patented infrared technology and a combination of CWTCN�� ITCRJKECN� CPF� CPKOCVKQP�HGGFDCEM��VJG�)CTOKP�U[UVGO�ECP�now interpret what a pilot meant VQ�FQ�YKVJ�JKU�QT�JGT�ƂPIGT��JGNR-ing to assure the correct informa-tion gets input despite turbu-NGPEG��UC[U�)CT[�-GNNG[��)CTOKPoU�vice-president of marketing.

“Rapid access is a keynote of VJKU�U[UVGO�q�UC[U�-GNNG[��p)CTOKP�has delivered 45-50 million auto-mobile GPS systems. That has helped us a lot in developing VQWEJUETGGP�U[UVGOU�q�6JG�EQO-pany expects to receive technical standard order approval for the cockpit in the second half of 2011.

*QPG[YGNN�CNUQ�TGXGCNGF�C�PGY�KPVGITCVGF�CXKQPKEU�UWKVG��2TKOWU�'NKVG��CU�VJG�EJQKEG�HQT�'ODTCGToU�PGY�.GICE[��C� NQPIGT�TCPIG�version of the Legacy 600 with PGY� EQEMRKV�� DGVVGT� RGTHQTOKPI�engines and cabin upgrades.

The Elite is a rebranding of the company’s DU-875/885 display WRITCFG�RTQITCOOG��YKNN�CNUQ�DG�available for the Legacy 600.

6JG�PGY�ƃKIJVFGEM�YKNN�KPJCD-it the same real estate in the RCPGN��DWV�FKURNC[U�YKNN�DG�.%&�based rather than the cathode ray variety of the original Primus 1000 avionics suite.

Along with coupled vertical PCXKICVKQP�80#8��VJG�'NKVG�YKNN�offer required navigation per-formance (RNP) 0.3 and electron-ic charts and maps via two CMC ENCUU� �� GNGEVTQPKE� ƃKIJV� DCIU�mounted on the side panels.

Optional features include con-VTQNNGT�RKNQV�FCVCNKPM��9##5�.28�CRRTQCEJ�ECRCDKNKVKGU��:/�YGCVJ-GT� HQT�75�QRGTCVQTU�CPF�*QPG[-well’s SmartRunway and Smart-Landing safety advisory systems. The company’s SmartView syn-thetic vision system will not be CXCKNCDNG� KPKVKCNN[�� PQT�YKNN� GP-hanced vision or head-up display capability.

(QT� VJG� TGVTQƂV� OCTMGV��Standard Aero is readying an Elite upgrade for the Falcon 900C and (CNEQP��':�VJCV�YKNN�EQUV�NGUU�than $1 million installed and be available in the third quarter next year. Rockwell Collins is also fo-cusing on existing Dassault prod-

WEVU��CPPQWPEKPI�C�PGY�2TQ�.KPG�4 to Pro Line 21 upgrade package for the Falcon 2000.

+PENWFGF� CTG� NCTIGT� FKURNC[U��ITCRJKECN� YGCVJGT�� GNGEVTQPKE�charting and WAAS-GPS localis-er performance with vertical guidance (LPV) approach capa-bility by mid-2010.

(QT� HQTYCTF�ƂV� JKIJ�GPF� CKT-ETCHV�� *QPG[YGNN� JCU� CNUQ� CF-vanced the state of the art with an-other PlaneView upgrade for Gulfstream that features second generation synthetic vision system 585��402�VQ��PO��:/�YGCVJGT�CPF�RCRGTNGUU�EJCTVU��CPF�C�PGY�EASy II avionics suite for Dassault (CNEQP��(CNEQP��CPF�(CN-EQP��:�DWUKPGUU�LGVU�VJCV�YKNN�KP-ENWFG�585��C�ƂTUV�HQT�&CUUCWNV�

New to the synthetic vision arena is Innovative Solutions and 5WRRQTV��YJKEJ�UC[U�KV�YKNN�UQQP�offer the feature as an upgrade for its Vantage cockpit programme. Based on a Jeppesen terrain and QDUVCENG� FCVCDCUG� OQFKƂGF� D[�+5�5��VJG�585�KU�NKMGN[�VQ�UGG�ƂTUV�use as part of a Falcon 2000 and (CNEQP� ��':� WRITCFG� RTQ-gramme (not including EASy-equipped aircraft) the company has been selected to complete.

The initial upgrade will include HQWT� ��KP� ƃCV� RCPGN� FKURNC[U�YKVJ� QRVKQPU� HQT� OQXKPI� OCRU��:/�YGCVJGT�CPF�GNGEVTQPKE�EJCTVU�with the inclusion of Class 3 elec-VTQPKE� ƃKIJV� DCIU� HQT� ƃKIJVFGEMU�not equipped with Dassault’s *QPG[YGNN�DCUGF�'#5[�CXKQPKEU��

Cessna recently gained supple-OGPVCN� V[RG� EGTVKƂECVG� CRRTQXCN�HQT� C� UKOKNCT�� DWV� OQTG�EQORTG-hensive IS&S Vantage-based cock-pit upgrade for its legacy Citation ��5��CPF��UGTKGU�CKT-ETCHV��2TKEGF�CV�CDQWV��KP-UVCNNGF�� VJG�U[UVGO� KPENWFGU� QR-tions for two or three 10.4in displays that supply electronic EJCTVU�� GNGEVTQPKE�EJGEMNKUVU�� GP-JCPEGF�XKUKQP��9##5�)25��:/�weather and cabin video. O

Cockpit safety and efficiency

advances pierce Orlando gloom

AVIONICS

Avionics manufacturers anticipate upturn as they bring new flightdeck products to NBAA

FALCON SIMULATOR

SimCom Training Centers has added Dassault Falcon 20 and Israel Aerospace Industries Westwind training programmes to its portfolio. The company has acquired two Level C, full-flight simulators from CAE. Both simu-lators will be at SimCom’s Parksouth facility in Orlando, Florida and will be operational by 1 December. SimCom has mean-while built and installed a Beechcraft King Air 350 Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 Flight Training Device at its Orlando centre.

CREW PROTECTION

Innotech Aviation and Air Data have signed a partnership agreement that will see the JetAir Bio-Protection Systems installed on the Global Express business jet at Innotech’s Montreal centre. The system protects passengers and crew from a wide range of air con-taminants, both biological and chemical. The BPS helps mini-mise vulnerability to infections like SARS, avian flu and even hostile agents such as anthrax.

TRAINING DEAL

Gulfstream has expanded its training services agreement with Flight Safety to include the new G250 and G650 business jets for which they are jointly develop-ing training programmes, flight simulators and other advanced training devices. Training will start in 2011 and 2012.

FALCON WINGLETS

Midcoast Aviation has been selected by Aviation Partners to install winglets on the Dassault Falcon 2000 and 2000EX busi-ness jets.

IPHONE APPLICATION

Atlantic Aviation plans to launch an application for the Apple iPhone that will allow pilots to access information about Atlantic’s fixed-base operations, including fuel prices, promo-tions, announcements and key contacts for Atlantic’s facilities in the USA.

The new EASy update for

Dassault Falcon jetsH

oney

wel

l






Dornier Seaplane announced at NBAA that it would launch

production of its Seastar amphib-ian, having exceeded the requi-site order tally that it needed to give the 10-seat aircraft a second lease of life.

The Seastar – which marked at the show the end of a six-month demonstration tour of North #OGTKEC�s�ƂTUV�ƃGY�KP��CPF�three were built in Germany be-fore production was halted in ��FWG�VQ�C�NCEM�QH�HWPFKPI��

Speaking at the show, Dornier Seaplane chief executive Joe Walker said the privately owned company had clinched more than 25 letters of intent for the twin-engined turboprop, which it is EWTTGPVN[�EQPXGTVKPI�KPVQ�ƂTO�QT-ders.

6JG�ƂTUV�5GCUVCT�KU�UEJGFWNGF�to roll off the production line in VYQ� [GCTU�� 6JG� ƂTUV� �� CKTETCHV�will be delivered in the Seastar’s QTKIKPCN�EQPƂIWTCVKQP�CPF�UWDUG-

quent aircraft will have an up-graded design with a glass cock-pit, known icing, autopilot and air conditioning.

Final assembly for the Seastar has been narrowed to two sites in Canada – St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Quebec, or North Bay, Ontario. A ƂPCN�FGEKUKQP�KU�GZRGEVGF�YKVJKP��FC[U��p/QOGPVWO�KU�DWKNFKPI�TCRKFN[�q�UCKF�9CNMGT��p+P� CFFK-VKQP� VQ� ƂPCNKUKPI� VJG� UKVG� UGNGE-tion, the company is in detailed discussions with our major sup-pliers. The supplier selection process will be completed over the next 12 months.”

The Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6-135A-powered Seastar is the ƂTUV�PGY�RWTRQUG�DWKNV�CORJKDK-an aircraft developed in the past 50 years, said the Punta Gorda, Florida-based start-up, and has CNTGCF[�DGGP�EGTVKƂECVGF� D[� VJG�US Federal Aviation Administra-tion and the European Aviation Safety Agency. O

Business aviation service pro-viders were bucking the con-

cerns of the broader business avi-ation industry at the show by announcing plans to expand their INQDCN�RQTVHQNKQU�QH�ƂZGF�DCUG�QR-erations in preparation for the market rebound.

Signature Flight Support’s chief GZGEWVKXG� /KEJCGN� 5EJGGTKPIC�says the Orlando-based market NGCFGT�YKNN�GZRCPF�pUKIPKƂECPVN[q�KVU�($1�PGVYQTM� KP�pƂTUV�YQTNF�cities” through acquisitions, joint ventures and licensing arrange-ments with local operators. p9G�CTG�MGGP�VQ�JCXG�C�INQDCN�

focus and have conducted re-search on our customers, com-petitors and the geopolitical chal-lenges to establish a template of what we are going to build to-wards over the next 10 years,” Scheeringa said at NBAA.

6JG��[GCT�QNF�ƂTO��YJKEJ�KU�owned by BBA Aviation of the UK, already has a pool of 102 FBOs – 57 KP�VJG�75#��KP�'WTQRG�CPF��KP�South America, which it operates under a joint venture with Brazil-ian company Lider, and one in 5QWVJ� #HTKEC�� p&GURKVG� VJG� NCTIG�number of FBOs in our chain, this only represents 7% of the global OCTMGV�q� UCKF� 5EJGGTKPIC�� p9G�have barely scratched the surface.”

Signature’s ambitious plans are

Avantair took delivery at NBAA of its 55th Avanti twin

turboprop and announced plans to expand its regional network to cater for the soaring demand for its fractional and charter card programmes.

#XCPVCKT�JCU�ETGCVGF�ƂZGF�DCUG�operations and maintenance facil-

ities at Clearwater in Florida, Cald-well, New Jersey and Camarillo, California and is setting up similar XGPVWTGU�KP�6GZCU��VJG�WRRGT�/KF�West and the Bahamas.

Avantair is set to take delivery QH�PKPG�#XCPVK�++U�VJKU�[GCT�CPF�WR�to 11 in 2010, said company chief executive Steve Santo at the

UJQY�� p9G� JCXG� C� HWTVJGT� �� aircraft on order, which will de-livered over the next four years,” he said.

While share sales at the top four fractional programmes have fallen during the economic down-turn, Avantair has seen its num-bers soar, driven by the Avanti’s

understated appeal, versatility, low emissions and operating costs, said Santo. He added that VJG�EQORCP[�GPFGF�KVU�ƂPCPEKCN�year 30% above forecast on 30 September. O

UJCTGF�D[�88+2�DWUKPGUU�CXKCVKQP�services provider X Jet, which is seeking to extend its brands of pUGXGP�UVCTq� ($1U� CETQUU� VJG�globe, with the USA and Europe its immediate focus.

X Jet founder and president Josh Stewart said at the show that it will break ground early next year on VYQ�PGY�pCXKCVKQP�ECORWUGUq� CV�Paris Le Bourget and Abu Dhabi’s Al Bateen airport. The facilities will mirror the company’s mem-bers-only facility in Denver, Colo-rado – which is also being expand-ed – where 13 aircraft owners pay a one-off fee for dedicated facilities. p6JKU�DWUKPGUU�OQFGN�JCU�DGGP�

C� UWEEGUU�q� UCKF� 5VGYCTV�� p9G�opened this facility two years ago to cater to aircraft owners rather than pilots and to remove the de-RGPFGPEG�QP�HWGN�UCNGU�HQT�RTQƂV��With the seven-star business model we have turned the tradi-tional FBO model upside down. p9G�YKNN�QHHGT�CV�DQVJ�HCEKNKVKGU�

X Jet World club membership for up to 25 members each as well as FBO services for transitional pas-sengers,” he added.

/GCPYJKNG��7-�DCUGF�1EGCP�Sky is to add at least nine FBOs next year to its portfolio of Eu-rope-based operations and is tar-IGVKPI�VJG�/KFFNG�'CUV�CPF�75#�markets. O

FIXED-BASE OPERATIONS

Service providers

begin building

market reboundSignature, X Jet and Ocean Air all to open more bases

Seastar is riding on wave of orders for a second lease of life

AMPHIBIANS

Buoyant demand for seaplanes triggers Seastar production launch

See the full interview with Steve Santo at flightglobal.com/nbaavideos

Bill

yPix

Avantair bucks slump in shared ownershipFRACTIONAL OWNERSHIP


Still room at the top

in completions

SHOW REPORT P18

“Everyone seems to

have dusted

themselves off

and picked

themselves up”

GORDON ROBINSON

Stratos chief aerodynamicist

Wouters: “Cirrus is making progress” with SF50

PROGRAMMES

Very lights at the end of the tunnelManufacturers learn lessons from Adam and Eclipse bankruptcies, while FAA certification rule change brightens outlook

MCPWHCEVWTGTU�CTG�EQPƂFGPVN[�moving forward with new

XGT[�NKIJV�LGV�RTQITCOOGU�FGURKVG�recent setbacks in the VLJ market and the economic downturn.

*QPFC�#KTETCHV��2KRGT�#KTETCHV�and Stratos Aircraft are in the mar-ket for new engineers, taking ad-XCPVCIG�QH�VJG�HWTNQWIJU�CV�QVJGT�OCPWHCEVWTGTU��CU�VJG[�CEEGNGTCVG�YQTM� QP� VJG� *QPFC,GV�� 2KRGT,GV�CPF� �� RTQITCOOGU�� 6JG[� UC[�KPVGTGUV�HTQO�RQVGPVKCN�GORNQ[GGU��UWRRNKGTU�CPF�EWUVQOGTU�KU�UVTQPI�FGURKVG�VJG�HCKNWTG�QH�'ENKRUG�#GTQ-URCEG�CPF�#FCO�#KTETCHV�

“Cessna with the Mustang has shown the category is strong,” UC[U�2KRGT�RTGUKFGPV�,QJP�$GEMGT�2KRGT� CV� 0$##� UGNGEVGF�

Garmin and the new G3000 VQWEJUETGGP�KPVGITCVGF�ƃKIJVFGEM�CU�VJG�UGEQPF�OCLQT�UWRRNKGT�CHVGT�9KNNKCOU�+PVGTPCVKQPCN�HQT�VJG�UKZ�UGCV�UKPING�GPIKPGF�2KRGT,GV��

$GEMGT�UC[U�VJG�OCPWHCEVWTGT�JCU�KUUWGF�TGSWGUVU�HQT�RTQRQUCNU�VQ� UGXGTCN� RQVGPVKCN� UGEQPF�VKGT�UWRRNKGTU�YKVJ�pOQTG�VQ�EQOGq��*G�UC[U�VJG�TGURQPUG�HTQO�UWRRNK-ers has been strong and a string of QXGT��UGNGEVKQPU�KU�GZRGEVGF�NCVG�VJKU�[GCT�QT�GCTN[�PGZV�[GCT�

*QPFC�CNUQ�CPPQWPEGF�KVU�UG-NGEVKQP� QH� VJG� )�� CV�0$##��%JKGH�GZGEWVKXG�/KEJKOCUC�(WLK-PQ� UC[U� VJCV� QXGT� VJG� PGZV� UKZ�OQPVJU�UGEQPF�VKGT�UWRRNKGTU�YKNN�DG� ƂPCNKUGF� HQT� VJG� RTQFWEVKQP�RJCUG�QH�VJG�RTQITCOOG��*QPFC�JCU�WUGF�OQTG�VJCP��UWRRNKGTU�VQ�JGNR�YKVJ�VJG�EQPHQTOKPI�CKT-ETCHV��DWV�(WLKPQ�UC[U�VJG[�CTG�PQV�IWCTCPVGGF�URQVU�QP�VJG�RTQFWE-tion HondaJet.5VTCVQU� JCU� UVKNN� PQV� UGNGEVGF�

ƂTUV�VKGT�UWRRNKGTU�CPF�KU�TWPPKPI�C�EQORGVKVKQP�HQT�GPIKPGU�CPF�CX-KQPKEU��6JG�EQORCP[�UC[U�UQ�HCT�there has been strong interest in-ENWFKPI�HTQO�UQOG�QH�VJG�UWRRNK-GTU�VJCV�YGTG�DKVVGP�D[�VJG�'ENKRUG�CPF�#FCO�DCPMTWRVEKGU��p'XGT[-one seems to have dusted them-UGNXGU�QHH�CPF�RKEMGF�VJGOUGNXGU�WR�q�5VTCVQU�EJKGH�CGTQF[PCOKEKUV�Gordon Robinson says.

6Q�FCVG�CNN�QH�5VTCVQUoU�NKVGTCVWTG�

has shown the 714 as a four-seat LGV�RQYGTGF� D[� C� (,��#2� GP-IKPG�� $WV� CV� 0$##� 5VTCVQU� TG-XGCNGF� KV� KU� CNUQ� GXCNWCVKPI� VJG�Pratt & Whitney Canada PW500 CPF�OC[�CFF�C�ƂHVJ�UGCV��p9GoTG�VCNMKPI�VQ�2TCVV��9JKV-

PG[�%CPCFC�CU�YGNN�CU�VJG[�JCXG�VYQ�UQNWVKQPU�VJCV�ECP�OGGV�VJG�requirement,” says new Stratos EJKGH�GZGEWVKXG�#NGZCPFGT�%TCKI�

ECONOMIC LEVERAGE

*G� UC[U� GXCNWCVKPI� VYQ� GPIKPG�manufacturers rather than one IKXGU�OQTG�pGEQPQOKE�NGXGTCIGq�

Craig says he has “rewritten the GPVKTG�DWUKPGUU�RNCPq�UKPEG�LQKPKPI�5VTCVQU�C�OQPVJ�CIQ�CPF�KU�EQPƂ-FGPV� QH� UGEWTKPI� VJG� ECRKVCN� KV�PGGFU� VQ�DWKNF� VYQ�ƃ[KPI�RTQVQ-V[RGU�CPF�C�VGUV�CTVKENG��

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KU�VJG�(##�JCU�KUUWGF�CP�024/�HQT�EGTVKƂECVKQP�QH� NKIJV� VWTDQLGV�CKTETCHV�UQ�YG�MPQY�GZCEVN[�YJCV�VJG�EGTVKƂECVG�DCUGNKPG�KU�HQT�VJKU�CKTETCHV� CPF� YGoTG� OQXKPI� HQT-YCTF�YKVJ�C�MPQYP�VCTIGV�CPF�ƂP-KUJ�NKPG�q�%TCKI�UC[U�

%KTTWU�#KTETCHV�EJKGH�GZGEWVKXG�

$TGPV�9QWVGTU�UC[U�VJG�OCPWHCE-VWTGT�KU�CNUQ�OQXKPI�HQTYCTF�YKVJ�KVU�5(��8KUKQP�RGTUQPCN�LGV�RTQ-ITCOOG�FGURKVG�NC[KPI�QHH��QH�140 engineers assigned to it.

He says Cirrus is “making RTQITGUU� KP� VJG� FGVCKNGF� FGUKIP�RJCUGq�CPF�KU�ECRCDNG�QH�GXGPVW-CNN[�DTKPIKPI�VJG�8KUKQP�VQ�OCTMGV�

WUKPI�KVU�QYP�ECRKVCN��DWV�PGGFU�PGY�KPXGUVQTU�VQ�OGGV�KVU�IQCN�QH�CP�GCTN[��GPVT[�KPVQ�UGTXKEG��p9G� CTG� OGGVKPI� OKNGUVQPGU��

DWV�QDXKQWUN[�YGoTG�PQV� CDNG� VQ�KPXGUV� CV� VJG� TCVG� YGoF� NKMG�q�Wouters says. “We need addition-CN�ECRKVCN�VQ�OQXG�KV�CNQPI�CV�VJG�TCVG�YGoF�NKMG�q

*G� CEMPQYNGFIGU� %KTTWU� JCU�TGEGKXGF� CDQWV� ��ECPEGNNCVKQPU�for the Vision and has not refund-GF�VJG�FGRQUKVU�[GV�QP�CDQWV�JCNH�QH�VJGUG��$WV�9QWVGTU�UC[U�%KTTWU�is “committed to honouring the refunds” and demand is starting VQ�RKEM�WR�YKVJ�PGV�QTFGTU�RQUK-VKXG�CICKP�TGEGPVN[��%KTTWU�UVKNN�JCU�over 360 orders for the Vision.

p#�NQV�QH�VJG�ECPEGNNCVKQPU�YGTG�YJGP� VJG� HGCT�YCU� C� NQV�JKIJGT��6JCV� JCU� VWTPGF� CTQWPF�� +VoU�UVTQPIGT�VJCP�KV�YCU�DWV�KVoU�UVKNN�not robust,” Wouters says.

6JG�2KRGT,GV�JCU�DGGP�UVWEM�HQT�UQOG�VKOG�CV�CDQWV��QTFGTU�DWV�$GEMGT�UC[U�2KRGT�KU�TCORKPI�WR�KVU�UCNGU�ECORCKIP��p9G�GZRGEV�VQ�see in the months ahead an im-RTQXGOGPV�KP�VJCV�CTGC�q�JG�UC[U�

NBAA DEBUT

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*QPFC��YJKEJ�JCU�PQV�RTQXKF-GF�CP�WRFCVGF�QTFGT�VCNN[�UKPEG�KV�EJCNMGF�WR�OQTG�VJCP��QTFGTU�KP� VJG� ƂTUV� VJTGG�FC[U� CHVGT� VJG�UGXGP�UGCV�LGV�YCU�NCWPEJGF��UC[U�UCNGU�JCXG�DGGP�UNKIJVN[�PGV�RQUK-tive this year.p9G�JCF�C�NQV�QH�QTFGTU�KP�VJG�

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Cessna says its Mustang VLJ JCU� DGGP� KVU� DGUV� RGTHQTOKPI�OQFGN�KP�VJG�FQYPVWTP�YKVJ��FGNKXGTKGU� GZRGEVGF� VJKU� [GCT�EQORCTGF�YKVJ��CKTETCHV� NCUV�[GCT�� 'ODTCGT� CNUQ� UVKNN� JCU� C�JGCNVJ[�DCEMNQI�QP� VJG�2JGPQO��DWV�KV�KU�DGJKPF�QP�FGNKXGTKGU�VJKU�[GCT�FWG�VQ�ƂPCPEKPI�RTQD-NGOU�CV�KVU�VYQ�NCTIGUV�EWUVQOGTU��,GV$KTF�CPF�,GV5WKVG��O






SCCD�#XKVTQPKEU�UC[U�KV�JCU�ƂP-ished development work of a

new low-cost head-up display for ƂZGF�� CPF� TQVCT[�YKPI� DWUKPGUU�CKTETCHV�� VJG� ƂTUV� QH� UGXGTCN� PGY�HUDS from manufacturers at-VGORVKPI�VQ�DTKPI�C�OQTG�CHHQTFC-DNG�NCPFKPI�CPF�UKVWCVKQPCN�CYCTG-ness aid into a broader swathe of the business aviation community.

6JG�5CCD�U[UVGO��ECNNGF�4KI��KU�VQ� EQUV� TQWIJN[� �� WPKP-stalled, a price HUD manufactur-GTU� IGPGTCNN[� RQKPV� VQ� CU� VJG�threshold for what is considered low-cost.

#NVJQWIJ� VJG� EQORCP[� FQGU�not yet have a launch customer, it KU� EQPVKPWKPI� ƃKIJV� VGUVKPI� KP� C�helicopter, says Johan Zanden,

5CCD�UGPKQT�OCTMGVKPI�CPF�UCNGU�GZGEWVKXG��<CPFGP�YKNN�PQV�FKU-cuss details of how the system QRGTCVGU�CPF�PQVGU�VJCV�VJG�ƂPCN�size of the HUD will be a function of the particular aircraft in which it is installed.

HUD providers Elbit Systems of America and BAE Systems are CNUQ�YQTMKPI�QP� NQYGT�EQUV�XGT-sions of their systems as well and CTG�NQQMKPI�HQT�NCWPEJ�EWUVQOGTU��

Elbit has two development RTQITCOOGU�� QPG� VJCV� OQXGU�CYC[�HTQO�VTCFKVKQPCN�INCUU�QRVKEU�for plastic and would sell for TQWIJN[� �� CPF� CPQVJGT�LCD-based HUD that uses more traditional features and costs ��

Development work on the low-end system has been slowed to HQEWU�QP�VJG�OQTG�GZRGPUKXG�CF-XCPEGF� VGEJPQNQI[� *7&� #6�*7&��'NDKVoU�ƂTUV�pUQWR�VQ�PWVUq�HUD, says Edward Popek, sales CPF�OCTMGVKPI�OCPCIGT�

#6�*7&� KU� FGUKIPGF� URGEKƂ-ECNN[� HQT� ICKPKPI� NQYGT� KPUVTW-OGPV�NCPFKPI�OKPKOWOU�KP�EQP-LWPEVKQP�YKVJ�CP�GPJCPEGF�ƃKIJV�XKUKQP� U[UVGO� '(85�� 'NDKV� KU�VGCOGF�YKVJ�KVU�'(85�CHVGTOCTMGV�FKUVTKDWVQT� ,GVETCHV� VQ� EGTVKƂECVG�VJG�U[UVGO�QP�C�%JCNNGPIGT��C�RTQITCOOG�VJCV�KU�FWG�VQ�DG�EQO-RNGVG�KP�/CTEJ��,GVETCHV�CNUQ�UGNNU�'NDKVoU�'85�++�

'(85� CPF�YKNN� KPUVCNN� VJG� VQVCN�system under a supplemental

V[RG�EGTVKƂECVG� VQ�DG�EQORNGVGF�PGZV�[GCT��6JG�KPUVCNNGF�RTKEG�YKNN�DG� TQWIJN[� �� OKNNKQP� HQT� VJG�combined system.

$#'oU�3�*7&�YKNN� EQUV� pUKI-PKƂECPVN[� NGUUq� VJCP� �� OKNNKQP�installed and is on track for a late ��GPVT[� KPVQ� VJG�OCTMGV��UC[�company sources.

The system, which does not WUG�VJG�INCUU�QRVKEU�QH�NGICE[�U[U-tems to present the information, JCU�C�UOCNNGT�RTQƂNG�CPF�ƂV��CN-NQYKPI�KV�VQ�DG�KPEQTRQTCVGF�KPVQ�smaller aircraft.

The company has not yet se-cured a launch customer for for-YCTF�ƂV�CRRNKECVKQPU��DWV�UC[U�KV�will complete the system on its own if required. O

INTERIORS

Still room at the top in completionsHead-of-state market stays strong as demand for VVIP widebody airliners shows no signs of declining

Demand for A330/A340 completions remains robust

One sector of the recession-hit business aviation industry is

DWEMKPI� VJG� VTGPF� D[� FGENCTKPI��VQ�DG�UJCRKPI�WR�CU�QPG�QH�the best ever.

Demand for head-of-state p88+2q�YKFGDQF[� CKTNKPGTU� EQP-VKPWGU�VQ�ITQY�WPCDCVGF��CPF�UWR-pliers to the top end of the com-pletions market were in buoyant mood at the show. The head-of-state market is almost completely KPUWNCVGF�HTQO�VJG�CKTETCHV�ƂPCPE-KPI�USWGG\G�VJCV�JCU�JCF�UWEJ�C�detrimental impact on the spend-KPI�RQYGT�QH�JKIJ�PGV�YQTVJ�KPFK-XKFWCNU��/QUV�IQXGTPOGPV�DCEMGF�88+2�RTQLGEVU�YGTG�DWFIGVGF�HQT�UGXGTCN�[GCTU�CIQ�CPF�CTG�RTQEGGF-KPI�CU�RNCPPGF�p6JG�OCTMGV�KU�DGVVGT�VJCP�+oXG�

UGGP�KP��[GCTU�q�UC[U�)QTG�&G-UKIP�%QORNGVKQPU�EJKGH�GZGEWVKXG�,GTT[�)QTG��)&%�JCU�YQP�VJG�EQP-VTCEV�VQ�EQORNGVG�C�RCKT�QH�#��U�HQT�C�/KFFNG�'CUVGTP�JGCF�QH�state, and will take delivery of the ITGGP� CKTETCHV� KP� NCVG� �� CPF�GCTN[��TGURGEVKXGN[�7PFGT�UGRCTCVG�EQPVTCEVU��)&%�

KU�RTGRCTKPI�VQ�JCPF�QXGT�CPQVJGT�8+2�#�� VQ� C�/KFFNG�'CUV�

EWUVQOGT�PGZV� OQPVJ�� CPF�YKNN�DGIKP�YQTM�QP�CP�#��NCVGT�this year.

The company has previously won contracts to complete a Boe-KPI��CPF�UKZ��U��CU�YGNN�CU�C��CP�#��CPF�UGXGTCN��U�

)QTG�UC[U�JG�FQGU�PQV�GZRGEV�VQ�DKF� HQT� CP[� #�� EQORNGVKQPU�JQYGXGT�� IKXGP� VJG� NKOKVGF�number of sales opportunities and the fact that each project is NKMGN[�VQ�TGSWKTG�pCDQWV�QPG�OKN-

NKQP�OCP�JQWTUq�VQ�EQORNGVG�.WHVJCPUC�6GEJPKM�8+2�CPF�'Z-

GEWVKXG�,GV�5QNWVKQPU�KU�HQTGECUVKPI�C�OCTMGV�HQT�DGVYGGP�VJTGG�CPF�ƂXG�#KTDWU�#��EQORNGVKQPU��+V�UC[U�KV�has a slot available for one of these CV�VJG�GPF�QH��IQKPI�KPVQ��if a customer were to book it soon.

$WV�DGECWUG�FGOCPF�HQT�#��#�� EQORNGVKQPU� KU� UVTQPI� KV�ECPPQV�JQNF�VJG�UNQV�HQT�NQPI��UC[U�the company’s senior vice-presi-dent Walter Heerdt.

New Zealand start-up Altitude #GTQURCEG� +PVGTKQTU� NCWPEJGF� KVU�ITGGP�8+2�PCTTQYDQF[�CPF�YKFG-body aircraft completions business CV�0$##��YJGTG�KV�UQWIJV�VQ�TCKUG�KVU�RTQƂNG�YKVJKP�VJG�75�CPF�'WTQ-pean-dominated interiors industry. p6JGTG� KU� C�UVTQPI�OCTMGV� HQT�

top-end completions and the major players in the USA and Eu-TQRG� JCXG� NQPI� DCEMNQIU�q� UC[U�Altitude’s head of commercial 8+2�CKTETCHV�/CVVJGY�9QQNNCUVQP�p9G�CTG�JGTG�VQ�VT[�VQ�QHHUGV�VJG�

V[TCPP[� QH� FKUVCPEG�q� JG� CFFU��p#NVJQWIJ�QWT�EQORCP[�KU�DCUGF�in New Zealand, this should not DG�C�DCTTKGT�VQ�WU�EQORNGVKPI�CP�CKTETCHV�HQT�C�EWUVQOGT�q

The Air New Zealand-owned company is the only completions QWVƂV�KP�VJG�UQWVJGTP�JGOKURJGTG�CPF�JCU�DGGP�EQPEGPVTCVKPI�UKPEG�QRGTCVKQPU�DGICP�C�[GCT�CIQ�UQNGN[�QP� TGHWTDKUJOGPV�� pDWV� YG� CTG�PQY�TGCF[�VQ�VCMG�QP�ITGGP�CKT-ETCHVq��9QQNNCUVQP�UC[U��

Altitude will only focus on BBJ-size aircraft upwards, includ-KPI�VJG�$QGKPI��VYKPLGV��HQT�which Air New Zealand is a launch customer. O

Saab, BAE ready for low-cost HUD customersAVIONICS

AIR TRANSPORT

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International Lease Finance boss Steven Udvar-Hazy has reiter-

ated his belief that Airbus and Boeing will have to slash produc-tion rates next year to adjust to market conditions. However, he says the there are signs that an economic recovery has begun.

Speaking during the 2009 ALTA Leadership Forum in Cartagena, Colombia, Udvar-Hazy said examining aircraft produc-tion purely from a supply and demand perspective, “manufac-turers are building too many air-craft”.

Airbus and Boeing’s output has spiked at a record of over 700 de-NKXGTKGU� FWTKPI� VJG� ƂTUV� PKPG�months. The manufacturers need

cash to fund the new aircraft they are developing – the A350 and 787 and Udvar-Hazy says both are maintaining higher produc-tion rates to offset those costs. He singles out 787 in particular as an “expensive proposition” as Boe-ing continues to invest in the pro-gramme “with no money coming in”.

Udvar-Hazy believes at some point the market reality will set in, and predicts production ad-justments next year.

Government export credit agencies have played a key role VJKU�[GCT�KP�ƂPCPEKPI�HQT�DQVJ�CKT-lines and leasing companies, Ud-var-Hazy explains. Manufacturers have also supplied incentives for

airlines to accelerate deliveries to compensate for deferrals. 5GEWTKPI� ƂPCPEKPI� HQT� ��

deliveries should prove more dif-ƂEWNV�CU�VJG�+.(%�EJKGH�GZRNCKPU�ECTTKGTU�ƂPCNKUGF�ƂPCPEKCN�RCEM-ages for a large number of aircraft delivered this year before the onset of the economic downturn.

Overall the global airline in-dustry has not turned a good per-formance, and the quality of car-rier credit ratings will create CKTETCHV�ƂPCPEKPI�EJCNNGPIGU�FWT-ing the next year, he says. “The PGZV��OQPVJU�YKNN�DG�KPVGTGUV-ing to watch.”

However, Udvar-Hazy believes some signs of a recovery from the global economic downturn are

starting to emerge in Asia, the Middle East and parts of Europe. He predicts lessors should have an opportunity to recoup some of what they have lost through lower leasing rates.

Udvar-Hazy has spoken with roughly 200 airlines in the last couple of weeks whose manage-ments largely believe the down-turn has bottomed out. Barring a surprise geopolitical event Hazy believes the recovery will contin-ue to progress.

He believes if the stabilisation continues, lessors could recoup roughly half of what they have lost through lower lease rates by next summer. OSee Business P33

Aerolineas Argentinas is pre-RCTKPI� VQ� NGCUG� �� #KTDWU�

widebodies should it fail to con-ENWFG�C�FGCN�VQ�RWTEJCUG��#��A340s originally ordered by former owner Marsans.

The Argentinian government has been talking to Marsans and Airbus for several months about inheriting part of the order placed by Marsans in November 2008 for ��#KTDWU�YKFGDQFKGU��#GTQNKP-GCU�PGY�EJKGH�EQOOGTEKCN�QHƂEGT�Juan Pablo Lafosse said during the 2009 ALTA Airline Leader-ship Forum in Cartagena, Colom-bia that these negotiations con-tinue, but the airline also has DGIWP� GXCNWCVKPI� NGCUKPI� ��#��#��U�CU�CP�CNVGTPCVKXG�

Lafosse says Aerolineas has an urgent requirement for six A330-300s and seven A340-600s as it is planning to rebuild its interna-tional network to support a new transformation plan. He adds that the carrier wants to begin adding the aircraft in February, and take CNN��CKTETCHV�YKVJKP��OQPVJU�

Lafosse says Aerolineas will lease the aircraft if a deal with Marsans, which had ordered the aircraft with the intention of spreading them around Aerolin-eas and its other airline subsidiar-ies, cannot be forged. He says Aerolineas is now looking at the lease option and evaluating YJGVJGT�NGCUGU�OC[�ƂPCPEKCNN[�DG�a better alternative than inherit-ing part of the Marsans order.

“Everyone thinks it [inheriting part of the Marsans order] is the most diplomatic solution and we want the airplanes. But maybe now is not the right time to buy,” Lafosse says.

6JKTF� RCTVKGU� JCXG� CITGGF� Ƃ-PCPEG�VJG��CKTETCHV�KH�C�FGCN�YKVJ�Marsans can be concluded, but low lease rates now make leasing a potentially more attractive op-tion, says Lafosse. “There are so many aircraft on the market and they are so cheap.” He believes A330 monthly lease rates have come down 50% over the last two years and are now at $350,000. O

Aerolineas set to switch Airbus deal to leases

This week, Air France becomes the latest airline to take deliv-

ery of an Airbus A380.The French carrier is due to re-

EGKXG�KVU�ƂTUV�QH��'PIKPG�#NNK-ance GP7200-powered aircraft in Hamburg on 30 October.

The 538-seater will be de-ployed on scheduled services from Paris to New York Kennedy from 23 November. “We will change our schedule to ac-commodate the A380, change two frequencies [by smaller wide-bodies] for one,” says Air France-KLM’s US vice-president

and generational manger Chris-tine Ourmieres.

Dubai and Johannesburg have DGGP�KFGPVKƂGF�CU��FGUVKPC-tions for the airline’s A380s as part of a plan to reduce capacity. The current Paris-Dubai service is DGKPI�EWV�HTQO��VQ��ƃKIJVU�C�week, and will then drop to a daily service once the A380 is DTQWIJV�KP�QP��,CPWCT[�

Paris-Johannesburg is also DGKPI� TGFWEGF� HTQO� �� VQ� ��YGGMN[�ƃKIJVU��CJGCF�QH�C�HWTVJGT�cut to daily services when the A380 joins the route in March. O

Air France joins the A380 club

with arrival of first 538-seater

FLEET PLANS BRENDAN SOBIE CARTAGENA

OUTLOOK LORI RANSON CARTAGENA

Leasing giant’s chief warns that production rates are set to tumble as Airbus and Boeing are “building too many aircraft”

Airliner output must fall in 2010: ILFC’s Hazy

Air F

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Air France is the fourth customer to take the A380

DELIVERY

AIR TRANSPORT


First A330-200F

rolls out of the

paint shop

AIR TRANSPORT P22

ENVIRONMENT NIALL O’KEEFFE CHATEAUROUX

NEXT-GENERATION ENGINES FLEET RENEWAL DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW JEDDAH

US manufacturer wants to work with European rival on aircraft scrapping scheme as part of Farnborough 2008 agreement

Boeing wants to collaborate with its chief rival to develop

technologies for recycling aircraft materials, according to its pro-gramme manager of airplane and composite recycling Bill Carberry.5RGCMKPI�CV�C�DTKGƂPI�CTTCPIGF�

by the Aircraft Fleet Recycling Association (AFRA), of which Boeing is a member, Carberry EQPƂTOGF�VJCV�VJG�75�CKTHTCOGT�had approached Airbus to co-op-GTCVG�QP�C�RTQLGEV�CKOGF�CV�ƂPFKPI�RTQƂVCDNG�YC[U� VQ� TGE[ENG� NQY�value materials. “We’re waiting for their response,” he says.

Boeing’s proposal follows on from an agreement signed at the Farnborough air show in 2008, under which the airframers pledged to work more closely on environmental matters.

AFRA has set a target of raise the proportion of aircraft material that can be recycled from its cur-rent level of around 70-95% by 2016. Carberry stresses the im-portance of progress in the area of aircraft interiors.

“Interiors make up about 30% of the weight,” he says. “Very,

very little of the interior is recy-cled.” This, he continues, is due VQ�VJG�NQY�XCNWG�QH�INCUUƂDTG�OC-terials deployed in this part of the aircraft.

6QYCTF�VJG�IQCN�QH�ƂPFKPI�XKC-ble methods to recycle such ma-terial, Boeing is pursuing a project with Bartin Aero Recycling and Veolia Environmental Services, alongside its approach to Airbus.

The outcome of another re-search project involving Boeing and AFRA partners was revealed when Carberry presented a proof-

of-concept arm rest manufactured WUKPI�ECTDQPƂDTG�OCVGTKCN�TGE[-ENGF� HTQO� VJG� ƂTUV� ��RTG�RTQ-duction fuselage section.

The part was produced after the UGEVKQP�YCU�UETCRRGF�D[�VYQ�75�

companies – Huron Valley Fritz West and Schnitzer Steel – and its ECTDQPƂDTGU� TGEQXGTGF� D[� HQWT�QVJGT� #(4#�RCTVPGTU��7-�DCUGF�/KNNGF�%CTDQP�CPF�VJG�7PKXGTUKV[�QH�0QVVKPIJCO��CPF�75�DCUGF�/C-terials Innovation Technology and Adherent Technologies.

Boeing meanwhile “continues to work” on a new composite re-cycling operation in Italy, a col-laboration with Alenia Aeronau-VKEC��7PVKN�VJG�VGEJPQNQIKGU�JCXG�been developed, Alenia’s 787 manufacturing scrap is being sent to the Mill Carbon for recycling, as a “stop-gap measure”.

In three years of operation AFRA has grown its membership from 11 companies to 40. Its goal is to 100 members within another three years. The association esti-mates that 50% of the world’s pNGIKVKOCVGN[� RCTMGFq� ƃGGV� KU�UVQTGF�D[�#(4#�CHƂNKCVGF�CKT�EGP-tres, and that in 2008 its members reclaimed 197,000t aircraft aluminium and 3,360t of other high-grade aircraft alloys, in addi-tion to returning 544t of used parts to service. O

Boeing seeks Airbus recycling tie-up

CFM International has com-RNGVGF�VJG�ƂTUV�RJCUG�QH�VGUVU�

on the core of its Leap X engine. The engine is a candidate to power next generation Airbus and Boeing narrowbodies, as well as any re-engined develop-ments, and new designs from China and Russia.

The “eCore” is being devel-oped by GE Aviation, a partner in CFM alongside Snecma (a Safran company). The initial testing was focused on the performance of the engine combustor and high-pressure turbine. It was conduct-ed at GE’s altitude test facility in Evendale, Ohio.

“All the hardware is meeting

or exceeding our expectations,” says the engine maker.

The core deployed in the tests is named eCore 1 and features an eight-stage compressor, a twin-annular pre-swirl (TAPS) combis-tor and a single-stage turbine.

The next phase of testing, which will assess compressor performance, is scheduled to take place either in the fourth quarter of this year or early in 2010, ac-cording to CFM. “We are testing roughly 2,000 different engine parameters,” it adds.

A second core version, dubbed eCore 2, will undergo testing from mid-2011. This core will include a two-stage turbine. O

CFM eyes the future as Leap X

core completes initial testing

Royal Jordanian Airlines in-tends to decide within a cou-

ple of months whether to lease Airbus A330-200s or Boeing 777-200s as a replacement for its Air-bus A310s.

It is considering acquiring three aircraft, on three- or four-year leases, to carry out a one-for-one replacement.

Royal Jordanian’s new chief executive, Hussein Dabbas, de-tailed the plan to Flight Interna-tional during the Arab Air Carri-ers Organisation conference in Jeddah.

He says the airline has had to TGVJKPM� KVU� KPVGTKO�ƃGGV�UVTCVGI[�

after the delays to the Boeing 787 programme, which have pushed back Royal Jordanian’s deliveries to 2013.

Dabbas says the airline is “in discussions with Boeing and Airbus, and lessors” over a possi-ble 777 or A330 lease, adding that the alternative is to retain the three passenger A310s for a longer period.

The carrier is already planning to refurbish the interiors on its #�� NQPI�JCWN� ƃGGV� HTQO�5GR-tember-October 2010, having signed an agreement with French company Sicma. Royal Jordanian has four A340-200s in service. O

Royal Jordanian closes on A330/777 choice

“Interiors make

up about 30% of

the weight”

BILL CARBERRY

Boeing programme manager of airplane and composite recycling

The dirty business of aircraft scrapping is getting greener

Boe

ing

AIR TRANSPORT

flightglobal.com

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FREIGHTERS

A330-200F on move after paintingThe first Airbus A330-200 Freighter has rolled out of the paintshop in Toulouse and is being prepared for transfer to the flight line. The air-craft (MSN 1004) will be handed over to the Airbus flight-test depart-ment at the end of October where it will undergo ground tests ahead of its maiden flight next month. The A330-200F is due for certification in spring next year, with the first delivery to follow during the summer.

Airbu

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ACCIDENT DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW JEDDAH

Arabs get behind

Yemenia in French

safety dispute Carrier to suspend service to Paris as row escalates over ‘harrassment’ by government officials following A310 crash

ORDER LEITHEN FRANCIS SINGAPORE

Comac lands United Eagle as new ARJ21 client by purchasing airline

Arab carriers are standing be-hind Yemenia over an escalat-

KPI� FKRNQOCVKE� EQPƃKEV� YKVJ�(TCPEG�KP�VJG�YCMG�QH�VJG�HCVCN�#KT-DWU�#��ETCUJ�GCTNKGT�VJKU�[GCT�

Yemenia is to suspend its Paris UGTXKEG� CPF� KU� CNUQ� VGORQTCTKN[�halting sales on some other Euro-RGCP�TQWVGU�5RGCMKPI�CV�VJG�#TCD�#KT�%CTTK-

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#N�-CFK�KU�VJTGCVGPKPI�NGICN�CE-VKQP� QXGT� VJG� pJCTCUUOGPVq� VQ�YJKEJ� ;GOGPKC�� JG� CNNGIGU�� JCU�DGGP� UWDLGEVGF� D[� VJG� (TCPEJ�VTCPURQTV�OKPKUVT[��p$GECWUG�KV�JCU�caused a bad reputation, it has di-XGTVGF�QWT�RCUUGPIGTU�q�JG�CFFU��pointing out that the investigation into the accident has not been EQORNGVGF�

6JG�UKVWCVKQP�YCU� HQTOCNN[�VC-DNGF�FWTKPI�VJG�##%1�OGGVKPI��CV�YJKEJ� VJG� OGODGT� ECTTKGTU� GZ-RTGUUGF�pUQNKFCTKV[q�YKVJ�;GOGPKC��p;GOGPKC�JCU�DGGP�UWHHGTKPI�HTQO�ill-treatment bordering on preju-FKEG�q�ENCKOU�##%1�UGETGVCT[�IGP-GTCN�#DFWN�9CJCD�6GHHCJC�

*G�UC[U�VJCV�##%1�TGRTGUGPVC-VKXGU�KPVGPF�VQ�KPVGTXGPG�D[�OGGV-KPI� 'WTQRGCP� %QOOKUUKQP� QHƂ-EKCNU�KP�C�DKF�VQ�UGGM�C�TGUQNWVKQP��and establish the reasons behind

VJG� CKTNKPGoU� RTQDNGOU�� 6GHHCJC�UC[U� VJCV�JG�YCPVU� VJG�%QOOKU-UKQP�VQ�pNKUVGP�VQ�QWT�ITKGXCPEGUq�CPF�CFFU�VJCV�;GOGPKC�KU�YKNNKPI�VQ� WPFGTIQ� UCHGV[� KPURGEVKQPU� CU� NQPI� CU� VJG[� CTG� ECTTKGF� QWV�VTCPURCTGPVN[��YKVJQWV� pDCUGNGUU�CNNGICVKQPUq�

6JG� 'WTQRGCP� %QOOKUUKQPoU�transport division states that Yem-enia’s operations are not subject to CP[�TGUVTKEVKQPU�s�VQVCN�QT�RCTVKCN�s�KP�'WTQRG�

$WV�KV�UC[U�VJCV�CP�KPSWKT[�YCU�VCMGP�WR�QP��,WN[�pHQNNQYKPI�KP-HQTOCVKQP�TGICTFKPI�VJG�EQPVKPW-KPI� CKTYQTVJKPGUU� CPF� OCKPVG-PCPEG�QH�KVU�CKTETCHVq�

;GOGPKCoU�ECUG��KV�CFFU��YKNN�DG�FKUEWUUGF�CV�CP�CKT�UCHGV[�EQOOKV-VGG�OGGVKPI�UEJGFWNGF�HQT�0QXGO-DGT��YJGTG�RCTVKEKRCPVU�YKNN� WR-date the European airline pDNCEMNKUVq��6JGTG�KU�PQ�KPFKECVKQP�YJGVJGT�;GOGPKC�YKNN�DG�KPENWFGF�QP�VJG�NKUV�

“There is an ongoing close co-QRGTCVKQP� DGVYGGP� =%QOOKUUKQP�QHƂEKCNU?� CPF� VJG� CWVJQTKVKGU� QH�;GOGP��CPF�VJG�CKTNKPG��VQ�XGTKH[�VJG�UCHGV[�UKVWCVKQP�QH�;GOGPKC�q�UC[U�VJG�'%�VTCPURQTV�FKXKUKQP�

;GOGPKC�JCU�CP�QTFGT�HQT�#KT-DWU�#��U�DWV�YJKNG�#N�-CFK�UC[U�the carrier has been reconsidering the deal, he indicates that the air-NKPG�KU�TGCNKUVKECNN[�WPNKMGN[�VQ�ECP-EGN�VJG�CITGGOGPV��O

CJKPGUG�CKTHTCOGT�%QOCE�RNCPU�to become the largest share-

holder in Sichuan-based carrier 7PKVGF�'CING�#KTNKPGU��YJKEJ�KP�VWTP�RNCPU�VQ�UKIP�HQT��%QOCE�#4,��TGIKQPCN�LGVU�5KEJWCP� #KTNKPGU� )TQWR� EWT-

TGPVN[�QYPU��QH�7PKVGF�'CING�DWV� C� UQWTEG� VJGTG� UC[U� VJCV�%QOCE�RNCPU�VQ�DW[�C��UVCMG�YJKEJ� YKNN� NGCXG� 5KEJWCP� #KT-NKPGU�)TQWR�YKVJ��

6JG�UQWTEG�UC[U�C�NQECN�EQORC-P[�KP�%JGPIFW�RNCPU�VQ�DW[�VJG�TGOCKPKPI� �� 4GRQTVU� KP�%JKPC�UC[�VJG� NQECN�EQORCP[�KU�5KEJWCP�%QOOWPKECVKQP�+PXGUV-OGPV�)TQWR�9JKNG� %QOCE� KU� RNCPPKPI� VQ�

become the largest shareholder, VJG�5KEJWCP�#KTNKPGU�UQWTEG�UC[U�that United Eagle plans to place CP�QTFGT�HQT��#4,��U�YKVJ�VJG� ƂTUV� VQ� DG� FGNKXGTGF� NCVG� PGZV�[GCT�

%JKPCoU� -WPRGPI� #KTNKPGU� KU�UWRRQUG�VQ�DG�NCWPEJ�QRGTCVQT�HQT�VJG�PGY�CKTETCHV�YJKEJ�KU�EWTTGPV-

N[�WPFGTIQKPI�ƃKIJV�CPF�EGTVKƂEC-tion trials, and is due to receive KVU�ƂTUV�CKTETCHV�KP�NCVG��7PKVGF� 'CING� KU� C� TGNCVKXGN[�

UOCNN�ECTTKGT� DCUGF� KP� %JGPIFW�VJCV� QRGTCVGU� #KTDWU� #��U�� +V�NCWPEJGF�QRGTCVKQPU�KP��CPF�YCU�%JKPCoU�ƂTUV�RTKXCVGN[�QYPGF�ECTTKGT�DWV�VJGP�KV�GZRGTKGPEGF�Ƃ-nancial problems and Sichuan #KTNKPGU� )TQWR� VQQM� KV� QXGT� KP�/CTEJ�QH�VJKU�[GCT�5KEJWCP�#KTNKPGU�)TQWR� VTKGF�

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%QOCEoU�OQXG�VQ�DW[�KP��OGCPU�KV�JCU�C�TGCF[�CKTNKPG�EWUVQOGT�HQT�KVU� %JKPGUG�OCFG� CKTETCHV�� 6JG�CKTHTCOGT� YCU� WPCXCKNCDNG� HQT�EQOOGPV�CDQWV�VJG�FGCN�

6JKU� RNCP� HQNNQYU� C� UKOKNCT�OQXG�D[�%JKPGUG�CKTETCHV�OCMGT�#XKCVKQP�+PFWUVT[�%QTRQTCVKQP�QH�%JKPC��YJKEJ�GCTNKGT�VJKU�[GCT�GU-VCDNKUJGF�:KPIHW�#KTNKPGU�KP�:KCP��6JKU�ECTTKGT�QRGTCVGU�#8+%oU�:KCP�#KTETCHV�/#��VWTDQRTQRU��O

United Eagle plans to place an order for 30 Comac ARJ21-700s

Sip

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IN BRIEF

ESTERLINE APPROVAL

Esterline has received European Aviation Safety Agency certifica-tion for its class 2 electronic flight bag on the ATR 42/72. The Esterline CMC Electronics’ PilotView EFB is offered by ATR

as a standard option for newbuild aircraft and for in-service retrofit. The PilotView EFB is already avail-able on the Boeing 737 Next Generation family, Bombardier CRJ700/900/1000 range and Embraer 170/190.

flightglobal.com




AIR TRANSPORT


One of the two mainline air-framers is on course to land a

crucial deal by year-end from United Airlines for a new wide-DQF[�TGRNCEGOGPV�HQT�KVU�ƃGGV�QH�almost 100 Boeing 757s.

Airbus and Boeing have been vying for the order since the car-rier put out a request for propos-als in June, as it sought to take advantage of the competitive market conditions.7PKVGF� EJKGH� ƂPCPEKCN� QHƂEGT�

Kathryn Mikells says the carrier is “very close to wrapping this up and making a decision”, about its intent to place an order.

Speaking during a call with analysts and investors to discuss the carrier’s $57 million loss for the third quarter, Mikells said

both manufacturers offer “very good products in terms of their RQVGPVKCN�VQ�ƂV�KPVQ�QWT�NQPI�VGTO�ƃGGV�UVTCVGI[q�

She added that it is “really about the deal and the economics of the aircraft, and that’s what we’re pressing on right now”. 7PKVGF�KU�EQPƂFGPV�DQVJ�OCPW-

facturers will remain “very re-sponsive” in the competition, said Mikells, “and we look for-ward to bringing it to a close”.

6JG� ECTTKGToU� �� ƃGGV�numbers 94 aircraft and although

it is a major operator of Airbus single-aisle aircraft – it has over 150 A319/A320s in service – the YKFGDQF[�ƃGGV�KU�CP�CNN�$QGKPI�CH-fair. According to Flightglobal’s ACAS database the airline’s in-UGTXKEG�YKFGDQF[�ƃGGV�EQORTKUGU�25 747-400s, 34 767-300ERs and 52 777-200/200ERs.

6JG�FGCN�YQWNF�DG�C�UKIPKƂECPV�boost for the winner as between them Airbus and Boeing have so far each secured new orders for LWUV� ��YKFGDQFKGU� KP� VJG� ƂTUV�nine months of 2009. O

United to decide on big 757

replacement deal this year

Although the gearbox for Pratt & Whitney’s PW1000G geared

turbofan has a slight maintenance cost penalty compared with cur-rent engines, the manufacturer says total overhaul costs will be lower thanks to the engine’s sim-pler low-pressure architecture.

P&W director of marketing Paul Finklestein explained at the ALTA 2009 Airline Leaders Forum in Cartagena that the gear only accounts for 2% of the total overhaul costs, and during the ƂTUV�UJQR�XKUKV�QPN[�CP�KPURGEVKQP�is required. At the second visit, maintenance of the gearbox in-cludes stripping and recoating.

6JG�)6(�DGPGƂVU�HTQO�C��aerofoil reduction through the elimination of low-pressure tur-bine and compressor stages, which makes it lighter and more than offsets the costs associated with the gearbox, says Finklestein. “The geared architecture is lower in maintenance than a conven-tional direct-drive engine.”

The PW1000G has been select-ed to power the Bombardier CSeries small airliner and Mit-subishi MRJ regional jet. O

P&W breaks down GTF gear overhaul costs

South African investigators are trying to determine whether

the crew of the crashed Airlink BAe Jetstream 41 shut down the wrong powerplant after the air-craft experienced engine failure on take-off from Durban.

Preliminary evidence from the inquiry into the 24 September crash shows that the aircraft’s right-hand engine failed on rota-tion, after an 18s take-off roll.

But as the aircraft climbed to around 450ft (137m) above sea level there was a power reduction of the left-hand engine. The air-craft descended and hit the ground just 50s after starting the

take-off roll. All three crew – two RKNQVU�CPF�C�ƃKIJV�CVVGPFCPV�s�QP�DQCTF�VJG�RQUKVKQPKPI�ƃKIJV�YGTG�seriously hurt, and the captain subsequently died of his injuries.

South Africa’s Civil Aviation Authority says smoke had been seen emanating from the right-hand Honeywell TPE331 power-RNCPV��$WV�YJKNG�CKT�VTCHƂE�EQPVTQN�advised the crew of the smoke, the call came during rotation – too late to reject the take-off.

$QVJ� ƃKIJV� TGEQTFGTU� JCXG�“good quality” data, says the CAA, and analysis is underway.

It points out that the Airlink aircraft’s weight should not have

prevented it from climbing on a single engine and returning to NCPF�� CU� EGTVKƂECVKQP� UVCPFCTFU�require. The CAA says its inquiry will therefore concentrate on the reasons for the power reduction on the left-hand engine.

This will include analysis of human factors “such as whether the power reduction on [the left-hand engine] resulted from an KPEQTTGEV� KFGPVKƂECVKQP� QH� VJG�failed engine, or a decision to land the aircraft as soon as possi-ble, or other factors unknown at this time”.

The powerplants are being stripped down and examined by

Honeywell to verify that the left-hand engine was functional dur-KPI�VJG�ƃKIJV�CPF�VQ�FGVGTOKPG�VJG�reason for the right-hand engine’s failure.

The CAA notably says that the investigation has not turned up any evidence for grounding Jet-streams or suspending approvals granted to the carrier.

“In the interest of enhancing safety and preventing a similar occurrence, we have begun revis-iting our human factors and other training programmes for pilots to see if there are any things we could do differently,” says the airline. O

Airlink Jetstream 41 crash probe focuses on engine shutdown

FLEET RENEWAL LORI RANSON WASHINGTON DC

SAFETY DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON

ADVANCED ENGINES

LORI RANSON CARTAGENA

Airbus and Boeing chase major order as US carrier takes advantage of market conditions

United is eyeing a bargain-basement deal to replace its 757s

“It’s really about the

deal and the aircraft

economics, and that’s

what we’re pressing

on right now”

KATHRYN MIKELLS

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Korea Aerospace

unveils two attack

helicopter options

SEOUL AIR SHOW P27

TECHNOLOGY STEPHEN TRIMBLE WASHINGTON DC

TRANSPORTS DAN THISDELL SIAULIAI

Engine upgrade deemed feasible, but complex and costly, may be justified given potential for fuel saving over 20-year life

A top US Air Force technologist EQPƂTOU�VJG�RQVGPVKCN�GZKUVU�

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Triple bypass could boost F-35 efficiency

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Lithuania gets third C-27J Spartan ready for NATO Afghan mission

Cash constraints limit scope of ADVENT research

The US Air Force has narrowed the competition for designing and building a demonstrator for the next high-performance military engine to one company.

General Electric will continue developing and testing the core of their technology demonstrator under the second phase of the adaptive versatile engine technol-ogy (ADVENT) programme, the Air Force Research Laboratory an-nounced on 15 October.

The AFRL determined that

GE’s rival in the programme was also “worthy”, but notified Rolls-Royce’s LibertyWorks division that funding constraints have limited ADVENT to one competi-tor. The AFRL had already reject-ed Pratt & Whitney’s proposal.

Little is known about the de-tails of how R-R and GE ap-proached the competition from a technical standpoint.

“We have two unique technol-ogy approaches that will each bear fruit in the future,” says Maj

Gen Curt Bedke, commander of AFRL. “The potential capability benefits of ADVENT to the air force’s next generation aircraft and the rigorous selection proc-ess brought out the best of both companies, making the decision especially challenging.”

The ADVENT programme seeks to develop a new engine with combined cycle propulsion technology, which allows engines to function efficiently at both cruise and dash speeds.

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Lithuania’s C-27Js and aircrew get little time to stand still

DEFENCE

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defencenewsletter


USAF order for six MC-12s

is boost for Project Liberty

PROCUREMENT STEPHEN TRIMBLE WASHINGTON DC

$45 million deal follows first Iraq combat sortie for modified Hawker Beechraft King Air

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US Army wants its own jamming podELECTRONIC WARFARE STEPHEN TRIMBLE WASHINGTON DC

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New avionics

for PC-7 MkIIs

UPGRADE

New contract will expand number of MC-12Ws in USAF fleet

US

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Modified EA-18G pod could be

carried by Sky Warrier UAV

Boe

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Missile launch milestone for Israeli UH-60s


SHOW REPORT

South Korea’s aspiration to develop a viable aerospace industry was at the fore at last week’s Seoul airshow, with companies such as state-owned Korea Aerospace Industries displaying existing aircraft and unveiling models of those that it plans to develop in the future. Foreign contractors were also out in force, looking to get on board South Korea’s plans to modernise its air force. Report by Siva Govindasamy

SEOUL

Korea Aerospace Industries has unveiled two options for an

indigenous AH-X programme that it hopes will meet the South Korean army’s attack helicopter requirements.

The state-owned company dis-played scale models of both vari-ants and released details at the Seoul air show. South Korea has a requirement for around 270 at-tack helicopters to replace its older Bell AH-1 and MD Helicop-ters MD-500 attack helicopters.

KAI is basing its proposals on the platform of the Korea Utility Helicopter, which it is developing with Eurocopter. This option, says KAI, will save development money and time as it would share a platform with the utility heli-copter. “We are capable of devel-oping and customising the KUH for the Korea Attack Helicopter requirement based on our exist-ing ability and experience, as well as the domestic infrastruc-ture,” says the company.

6JG� ƂTUV� XCTKCPV� KU� UKOKNCT� KP�size to the KUH, with the cockpit UNKIJVN[� OQFKƂGF� VQ� KPEQTRQTCVG�the weapons system. KAI says it would share more than 70% of the components with the KUH.

The forward engines are locat-ed beside each other, with similar transmission, rotorshaft and blades to the KUH. The helicop-ter will have a length of 16.2m (53ft), width of 5.5m and height of 4.5m. It will have a total loaded weight of 7,500-7,950kg (16,500-17,500lb), a maximum speed of

138kt (255km/h), be able to hover at 6,500ft, and have cruise dura-tion of 2.2h.

The slimmer second variant resembles attack helicopters such as the AgustaWestland AW129 Mangusta or Eurocopter Tiger. This will entail the full develop-ment of an attack helicopter that will share only 60% of the KUH’s components, says KAI.

It will be 15.9m long, 5m wide and 4.7m high. Its loaded weight will be 7,270-7,720kg, have a maximum speed of more than 140kt, will hover at 6,500ft and have a cruise duration of 2-3h.

The crucial difference will be the engines, with the second vari-ant having one on each side inside a protective shell that increases the helicopter’s survivability, says KAI. Both helicopters will have various weapons systems includ-ing 16 anti-tank missiles, 70mm rockets and 20-30mm turret guns.

A third option is for KAI to work on a new platform with a foreign consultant. This could happen if the South Korean government decides to go for an off-the-shelf solution for its initial requirements while wait-ing for KAI to develop an attack helicopter.

Eurocopter’s close involve-ment with KAI could see it offer its Tiger for such a programme, while the Korean company’s close relationship with Boeing extends to it manufacturing the HWUGNCIG�HQT�VJG�75�ƂTOoU�#*��&�Apache Longbow. O

Thick and thin for

attack helicopter

South Korea could revive plans to upgrade its Lockheed Mar-

tin/Korea Aerospace Industries -(�� ƂIJVGTU�FWG� VQ�FGNC[U� KP�the development of the indige-nous KF-X programme.

Seoul decided not to provide funding for the KF-X to proceed to the development stage for the next defence budget due to the EWTTGPV�ƂPCPEKCN�ETKUKU��

In addition, there has also not DGGP�CP[�FGEKUKQP�QP�VJG�URGEKƂ-ECVKQPU� HQT� VJG� ƂIJVGT�� YJKEJ� has been proposed as a replace-ment for the South Korean air force’s F-16s and McDonnell Douglas F-4s.

As a result, South Korea is studying whether it should go ahead with upgrades for its KF-16s, which were introduced in the 1980s.

Industry sources say the coun-try is likely to go ahead with an upgrade of the aircraft’s radars and avionics at the very least to extend their life by another decade.

Raytheon and Northrop Grum-man will be keen to supply an advanced electronically scanned

array (AESA) radar, which Seoul KU�MGGP�VQ�JCXG�QP�CNN�QH�KVU�ƂIJV-ers in the future.

The Raytheon Advanced Com-bat Radar (RACR) is the only op-tion that the US government has available for export, and the com-pany says that this will especially UWKV� VJG� (�� TGVTQƂV� OCTMGV�� p9G� FGUKIPGF� VJG� HQTO�ƂVVGF�RACR as a drop-in upgrade for the F-16 and F/A-18 to minimise CKTETCHV�OQFKƂECVKQP�VKOG�CPF�CKT-crew transition training,” says Raytheon.

Northrop Grumman is also likely to offer its scalable agile beam radar (SABR), which also has AESA capabilities. “SABR is FGUKIPGF�CU�C�TGVTQƂV�HQT�GZKUVKPI�Block 52 and previous F-16s and KU�UECNCDNG�VQ�ƂV�QVJGT�CKTETCHV�RNCV-forms and mission areas,” says the company.

It is not clear if South Korea will want to replace the engines on its older F-16s as part of any upgrade programme. Seoul has opted for both GE and Pratt & Whitney engines for its Boeing (��-�ƂIJVGTU��O

KF-X delays may prompt upgrades for KF-16 fleet

DEVELOPMENT

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South Korea has a requirement for 270 attack helicopters

South Korea could go as far as engine upgrades for older KF-16s

Budget crisis blow to South Korea’s bid to develop an indigenous fighter has planners eyeing new radar, avionics

ROTORCRAFT

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spaceflight


advanced materials stephen trImble washiNgtON dc

Orion capsule ‘won’t be better’ in composites

‘manned missions rob coppInger daejeON, sOuth kOrea

Hardware policy ‘should push for orbital standards’europe calls for common approach to low earth transport

personal spacefligHt

adventure tourists will have to wait for new soyuz

crew transport

whiteKnighttwo may be chasing spaceplane dreams

sierra Nevada corporation may air drop its dream chaser spaceplane prototype from Virgin galactic’s whiteknighttwo .

the Nevada-based space sys-tems manufacturer has submitted a funding proposal to Nasa that would see a weight-representative dream chaser test article air-dropped for a runway landing. the test would be for the subsonic flight phase aerody-namics and the effectiveness of control surfaces and avionics.

under development by sierra Nevada and its spacedev subsidiary, dream chaser would deliver three to seven crew and some cargo to the international space station after launch by a united Launch alliance (uLa) atlas V rocket.

“[the test article] could be air dropped by whiteknighttwo, this is how our types of companies can co-operate,” says sierra Nevada’s space systems board executive

vice-president and chairman Mark sirangelo, referring to the com-munity of entrepreneurial compa-nies that refer to themselves as New space. ■

Dream chaser is based on nAsA’s hl-20 research vehicle

spa

ce d

ev

Aluminium-lithium remains the favoured primary struc-

tural material for NASA’s Orion crew module despite an ongoing, two-year programme to develop a mostly composite alternative.

A switch to a relatively un-known structural material would force NASA to invest in a risky and uncertain certification pro-gramme, says Mike Kirsch, pro-gramme manager for the compos-ite crew module programme: “We don’t have that much experience certifying composites.”

Some NASA officials, includ-ing former administrator Michael Griffin, promoted composites as potentially superior to advanced metal alloys but last year, Michael Saemisch, a Lockheed Orion team member, blamed the com-posite programme for delaying the preliminary design review of the aluminium-lithium Orion module by several months.

Composite structures can be lighter, stronger and cheaper to manufacture than aluminium.

By many measures, the com-posite crew vehicle designed and manufactured by NASA and an industry team led by ATK has been a success. ATK delivered the module to NASA’s Langley Research Center last month.

In pressure tests to date, the module has performed “scary close” to analytical predictions, Kirsch says, but the final design weighs about the same as alumin-ium-lithium and is not signifi-cantly cheaper: “I don’t think it would be better.”

The NASA design assumed the pressurised structure must re-main leak-proof and intact de-spite sustaining heavy damage. And, the crew module must sus-tain 31,751kg (70,000lb) loads during the abort sequence, requir-ing a material that remains strong against loads from multiple direc-tions, whereas composite materi-al is best when needed to be stiff against loads coming from only one direction, Kirsch says. ■

space adventures goal of a private energia soyuz tMa spacecraft flight in 2013 cannot be achieved, accord-ing to the russian Federal space agency’s head of human space mis-sions directorate, alexey krasnov.

krasnov says enabling a private soyuz flight in a one pilot-two tour-ists configuration would take four or five years of training and soyuz de-sign alterations, which in any case are being incorporated into into russia’s soyuz replacement, the advanced crew transportation system.

says krasnov: “this [private flight] configuration [of one pilot, two tourists] is not available today.”

he adds that the full current an-nual output of four soyuz spacecraft is needed to serve the international space station’s six-person crew.

space adventures, which has transported seven tourists, also known as spaceflight participants, to the iss has already put plans to fly two more customers back by two years to 2013, from 2011.

krasnov emphasised the chal-lenge of vehicle operations involving crew and ground control interaction, describing iss rendezvous and dock-ing as “complex processes”. ■

the European Space Agency is proposing a far-reaching com-

mon space transport policy for low Earth orbit that could help overcome potential space station logistics problems.

Currently only Russia is pro-viding International Space Sta-tion crew transport with its Ener-gia Soyuz spacecraft. NASA’s Discovery flight STS-128, launched on 28 August, was the last scheduled Shuttle-based ISS crew rotation. And after the Shut-tle fleet retires in 2010 ISS will rely on the cargo spacecraft of ESA, Russia and Japan until NASA’s commercial providers – Space Exploration Technologies and Orbital Sciences – begin. If any of these are delayed or fail station research could be limited and its crew of six could have to be reduced to three.

Speaking to Flight International at the International Astronautical Congress in Daejeon, South Korea,

ESA director general Jean-Jacques Dordain says ISS partners need to understand what capabilities the others are developing, and agree on what launchers and spacecraft are needed for LEO access.

NASA is developing its Orion crew exploration vehicle and helping companies design launch systems with its commercial crew programme but both are subject to the outcome of a spaceflight policy review that may not reach conclusions until late 2010.

Some co-ordination has begun. For example, for two years now ESA and NASA have been work-ing on a common docking and berthing mechanism standard.

India and South Korea want to join the ISS programme and India expects to fly a three-man capsule by 2016. China also wants ISS membership; its Shen-zhou spacecraft could transport crew and the country has plans for a cargo vehicle. ■

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BUSINESS


Good week

Bad week

Aerospace engineer? Search more than

1,300 job openings in North America and

Europe at flightglobal.com/jobs

SYRIAN ARAB AIRLINES US government sanc-tions against Syria have forced the Damascus-based carrier to ground half its fleet, and maybe halt services completely, because of restrictions placed on fleet mainte-nance. Chief executive Ghaida Abdullatif says the airline is a commer-cial, not political, organi-sation: “This must not be against the people. It is not fair for us. I have 6,000 employees. They have to eat. Every month I must give them a salary.”

SUKHOI The Russian airframer will get cut-price rail transport next year to move 456 freight cars carrying Superjet 100 structural parts from Novosibirsk to its assembly plant in Komsomolsk-on-Amur. Hauling airframe struc-tures via the trans-Siberi-an railroad currently costs Sukhoi about Rb1.7 million ($58,000) per car, but a 37% cut in its railway taxes will save Sukhoi, which is gearing up to begin serial produc-tion of Superjets, up to Rb300 million in 2010.

BANKING SIVA GOVINDASAMY BEIJING

China’s global financier?ICBC Leasing sees huge growth potential in helping airlines fly locally assembled airliners

As China gears up to challenge for a place in the world air

transport market with its Comac ARJ21 regional jet and C919 nar-rowbody, the country is also look-KPI�VQ�GORNQ[�KVU�ITQYKPI�ƂPCP-cial heft to support their introduction to market.

To that end, prospects look good for ICBC Leasing, the avia-tion, shipping and heavy machin-GT[�ƂPCPEG�UWDUKFKCT[�QH�%JKPCoU�biggest bank, the Industrial and Commercial Bank of China.

ICBC established its leasing arm in November 2007 after the Chinese government allowed its banks to move into areas like leas-KPI�CPF�KPUWTCPEG��6JCV�FKXGTUKƂ-cation helped Chinese banks move into international markets, and today ICBC Leasing manages 20 billion yuan ($3 billion) in as-sets and in September received approval to increase its equity base to 5 billion yuan from 3 bil-lion yuan.

Johnny Lau, global head for CXKCVKQP�ƂPCPEG��UC[U��p9G�TGCNN[�want more aircraft to expand our portfolio. There is no limit on what the additional capital should be spent on – whoever can grow the business will get the ECRKVCN��9G�ECP�UWRRQTV�WR�VQ��times the value of the capital, so the company can potentially have up to 60 billion yuan in assets.”

*G�CFFU��p+H�CP[QPG�QWV�VJGTG�has assets for us, please give them my number.”

STARTING SMALL

As of September, the company had 25 aircraft in the portfolio – a mixture of Boeing, Airbus and Embraer aircraft on a combina-VKQP� QH� ƂPCPEG� CPF� QRGTCVKPI�leases.

That portfolio is tiny by aircraft leasing industry standards – mega-lessors GECAS and ILFC JCXG�QYPGF�CPF�OCPCIGF�ƃGGVU�of more than 1,000 aircraft, and the next-biggest tier such as Boe-ing Capital, CIT, Babcock & $TQYP�QT�#GT%CR�JCXG�ƃGGVU�QH�around 300. Chinese rival BOC

Commercial Aviation Online tracks aircraft finance worldwide: flightglobal.com/aboutcao

ICBC wants to be the money behind the rollout

Syr

ian

Air

SC

AC

Gen

eral

Ele

ctric

Aviation, which bought Singa-pore Aircraft Leasing Enterprise and its large customer base in 2006, is also far ahead of ICBC.

GROWTH DRIVER

But ICBC is set to ride the wave of Chinese aircraft industry expan-sion as an owner of indigenous Chinese aircraft like the ARJ21 regional jet and C919 narrow-body. Supporting these pro-ITCOOGU�KU�XKGYGF�CU�C�pPCVKQPCN�duty” by Chinese banks.

ICBC Leasing has agreed to ten-tatively buy 30 ARJ21s, has op-tions for 50 Airbus A320s that the European company will assemble KP�%JKPC��CPF�pYKNN�DG�KPXQNXGFq�in the forthcoming C919 that may threaten the duopoly of the A320 and Boeing 737 in the narrow-body market.p6JG� DCPMoU� UGPKQT� OCPCIG-

ment feel that the Chinese pro-duction business is important for us and for the bigger agenda of the country,” says Lau, a Hong Kong native.

Lau concedes that doing busi-PGUU�KP�%JKPC�ECP�DG�C�EJCNNGPIG��p4GIWNCVKQPU� CTG�UQOGVKOGU�PQV�clear when it comes to legal and tax issues.” But ICBC has tried to ƂPF�FKHHGTGPV�YC[U�VQ�FQ�DWUKPGUU�and successfully closed two off-shore leases in recent months – partly by using the freedom of-fered to its foreign subsidiaries.

p%TQUU�DQTFGT� KUUWGU� CTG� CN-YC[U�DKI�KUUWGU�q�UC[U�.CW��p$WV�the general environment is im-proving. The government is doing things to make the business envi-TQPOGPV�DGVVGT��9G�OWUV�WPFGT-stand that this is a conservative government and they will do VJKPIU�ITCFWCNN[��6JG[�FQPoV�YCPV�to be too open and lead to chaos. But they also realise that China is facing competition from around the world and that there are a lot QH�EJCPIGU�VQ�TGƃGEV�VJCV�q

GLOBAL CHALLENGE

ICBC Bank itself has become a global operation, and it has been KPXQNXGF� KP� CXKCVKQP� ƂPCPEG�through the participation in lease transactions and syndication for CKTNKPGU�� p6JGTG� KU� UQOG� DTCPF�recognition and that rubs off on us,” says Lau, although he notes VJCV�pOCP[�CKTNKPGU�QWVUKFG�%JKPC�are still name-conscious or not sure about the Chinese compa-nies and banks”.

+%$%oU�UVTCVGI[�s�CPF�EJCNNGPIG�s�KU�ƂPFKPI�GPQWIJ�CKTETCHV��p6JG�main issue for lessors is funding and those with easier access to funds will grow faster. Our situa-tion is different – I need to grow my portfolio at a faster rate than others,” says Lau. O

BUSINESS


QUOTE OF THE WEEK

“I’d rather be at

next year’s ALTA

conference than

in jail”

International Lease Finance

chairman STEVEN UDVAR-HAZY

dodged questions at the 2009

ALTA Leadership Forum in

Cartagena about whether the

leasing giant will remain intact or

be sold in parts

PEOPLE MOVESAirbus Military, Austrian, Blackcomb Aviation, Sensis, Thai

Cave: heads Boeing Capital

Kubasik: new role at Lockheed

ENGINES OUTPERFORM LEASING AT GE

RESULTS Engine maker GE Aviation reported a slight dip in nine-month revenue, to just below $14 million for the period to the end of September, but profits were up 18% to $2.87 billion. At sister com-pany GECAS, the world’s largest civil aircraft lessor by fleet size, prof-its fell 22% to $746 million for the nine-month period, including a 33% drop in the third quarter. GECAS’s total assets were up 1% to $50 billion, but its aircraft leasing assets have yet to be disclosed.

ECA CNAI WINS A350 TOOLING CONTRACT

COMPOSITES Aeronautics industrial engineering company ECA CNAi has secured a contract for the supply of Airbus A350 XWB pro-duction tools for the aircraft’s keel beam, a composite structure de-signed to strengthen the central fuselage. The company, based in Toulouse, is a subsidiary of civil and defence supplier ECA.

VOLUMES TO STAY UNDER PRESSURE: EATON

MANUFACTURING Eaton, the Cleveland-based manufacturer, saw aerospace segment operating profits fall 23% to $61 million as rev-enue declined 16% to $394 million. Chief executive Alexander Cutler estimates aerospace markets were down 14% for the quarter – 11% in the USA and 19% elsewhere. “We anticipate that volumes are like-ly to remain under pressure in the fourth quarter,” he says.

BOEING DEBT OUTLOOK TURNS NEGATIVE: MOODY’S

FINANCE Moody’s has affirmed its A2 long-term and P-1 short-term debt ratings for Boeing and its Boeing Capital aircraft leasing sub-sidiary, but changed the rating outlook to negative from stable owing to “negative developments” that have weakened Boeing’s financial flexibility. The rating agency notes that airlines and leasing compa-nies continue to be strained so production cuts could follow. Moody’s estimates that a 20% cut in production could lower operat-ing profits by around $1 billion a year.

SPAIN APPROVES LOAN TO XWB SUPPLIERS

STATE AID The Spanish government has approved a €359 million ($535 million) loan in the period 2010-14 to Spanish companies involved in the Airbus A350 XWB programme. Spain’s workshare on the programme is 11%. Companies will be able to apply for up to 40% of their experimental development costs and up to 60% of their industrial research costs. Repayment terms, according to the govern-ment, will “depend on the outcome of the [A350] project”.

AEROMECHANICAL TO ACQUIRE WINGSPEED

BANKRUPTCY A US bankruptcy court has approved a bid by AeroMechancial Services to acquire the assets of Wingspeed for $250,000. Concord, Massachusetts-based Wingspeed, which devel-oped and marketed Iridium and Internet voice, data and aircraft mes-saging services, was placed into Chapter 7 liquidation in August.

REVENUE STILL ON THE WAY DOWN FOR US CARRIERS

AIRLINES US airlines in September continued to see significant revenue declines as their pricing power remains weak, according to an Air Transport Association of America survey. ATA estimates a 19% year-on-year drop in passenger revenues for September, the eleventh consecutive month that passenger revenues declined from the previ-ous year, and the tenth consecutive month of ticket price declines. ATA’s latest cargo indicators show a 12% decline in cargo revenue tonne kilometres in August, the thirteenth consecutive month of fall-ing volumes.

BUSINESS BRIEFS

he will join from sister carrier Swiss International. Mike Cave will replace the retiring Walt Skowronski as president of Boeing Capital. Cave will be replaced as senior VP for business development and strategy by Boeing international president Shep Hill, who will keep both titles. John Jarrell has joined Sensis as VP and general OCPCIGT�QH�CKT�VTCHƂE�U[UVGOU��Lockheed Martin has chosen Electronic Systems VP Christopher Kubasik for the re-established role of president and EJKGH�QRGTCVKPI�QHƂEGT��EWTTGPV�president Bob Stevens remains as chairman and chief executive.

Piyasvasti Amranand is now president of Thai Airways. An Airbus Military management UJWHƃG�JCU�4CHCGN�#EGFQ�CU�JGCF�of strategy, replaced as head of engineering and technology by Miguel Angel Morell, whose position as head of derivatives is ƂNNGF�D[�7-�(56#�VCPMGT�programme head Antonio Caramazana. Sacha McLean is now chief executive at Blackcomb Aviation, which is co-owned by the McLean family investment group of Vancouver and Blackcomb’s president, John Morris. Austrian Airlines has named Elton D’Souza as vice-RTGUKFGPV�PGVYQTM�OCPCIGOGPV��

Airframers study

options to replace

narrowbodies

WORLD AIRLINERS P34

Boe

ing

Lock

head

Mar

tin

Sm

iths

onia

n In

stitut

e


sure performance parity across the family.With the 2,400 aircraft on backlog represent-

ing over six years of production, Airbus expects output will run for at least another decade and ultimately deliver more than 8,000 aircraft.

While Airbus has not announced any major new upgrade in response to the 737 PIP, an on-going airframe weight saving effort should trim 250kg off A320s delivered from 2010, while more aerodynamic cleaning up means that air-craft delivered from January 2009 have a 1% improvement in drag standard.

This year, approval was given for an op-tional 1t increase in MTOW, achieved through C� UQHVYCTG� WRITCFG� VQ� VJG� ƃKIJV�EQPVTQN� U[UVGO��YJKEJ� KU� TGVTQƂVVCDNG� VQ� #��U�from MSN1903 (a 2002-delivered aircraft) on-wards. The higher weight provides around 280km (150nm) additional range or a payload

A320 family aircraft – an A319 for TAM. During the third quarter, Boeing also quietly shipped its 3,000th Next Generation 737.

The 737 performance improvement package (PIP) will arrive in mid-2011, delivering about a 2% cut in fuel burn on longer stages. It com-prises the CFM56-7B Evolution powerplant providing a 1% improvement in overall aircraft GHƂEKGPE[�� CPF� C� OKPQT� ENGCP�WR� QH� VJG� CKT-frame’s aerodynamics giving a further 1% gain.

EVOLUTION FLIGHT TRIALS

Flight trials of the CFM56-7B Evolution began in the number one (left-hand) position of a 737-900ER in August, with the test engine fea-turing a longer nacelle than the standard -7B.

Ahead of the PIP, a new cabin, dubbed the Sky Interior, will be introduced including fea-tures such as larger 777/787-style pivot bins, sculpted sidewalls and revised windows. The new interior, which Boeing hopes will deliver a 2-4dB cut in cabin noise, is due to enter service with FlyDubai in the fourth quarter of 2010.

Although Airbus views the 737 package as a catch-up move by its rival, it confesses that it is “talking with CFM” to see what of the CFM56-7B Evolution package is transferable to the A320’s CFM56-5. Unlike the 737, however, the A320 models (except the A318) are also offered with the International Aero Engines V2500, meaning that Airbus will need to encourage both parties to pursue engine upgrades to en-

Although pressure has been mounting on Airbus and Boeing to move forward with

their plans for single-aisle replacement designs, the rivals have been more concerned with de-veloping their current programmes.

This is no surprise, given that between them, they have an order backlog for around 4,500 narrowbodies, split roughly 50/50, which at current rates will keep production running until 2015. But a new rival from Bombardier, the Pratt & Whitney PW1000G GTF-powered CSeries small airliner, is threatening the bottom end of the two established single-aisle families.

Boeing – in conjunction with CFM Interna-tional – has upped the ante this year, rolling out a wide-ranging 737 upgrade package to boost performance and cabin comfort. Airbus, mean-while, continues to make incremental improve-ments to the A320 family, addressing weight reductions and operating weight increases amid ongoing studies of a winglet programme.

Both programmes have reached important milestones this year, with Boeing delivering the 6,000th 737 (a 737-800 for Norwegian Air Shut-tle, which was also the 2,868th 737 NG deliv-ered), and Airbus handing over its 4,000th

MAX KINGSLEY-JONES LONDON

Airbus and Boeing are wrestling with their replacement strategies for the A320 and 737 – but who YKNN�DNKPM�ƂTUV!

Narrow

Margin

Airbus is evaluating a re-engined A320 which could look something like this

Tim

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obal

A320 family 737 NG

First flight 22 Feb 1987 9 Feb 1997

First delivery 26 Mar 1988 17 Dec 1997

Orders (total/2009) 6,415/47 5,156/71

Deliveries (total/2009) 4,013/290 3,038/280

Backlog 2,402 2,118

2009 monthly output 32 31

SOURCE: Manufacturers Note: Total 737 production is 6,170 aircraft comprising 1,144 -100/200s, 1,988 -300/400/500s and 3,038 -600/700/800/900s

SINGLE-AISLE DATA CHECKSINGLE-AISLES

CONTENTS

34 SINGLE-AISLES

36 IN-PRODUCTION WIDEBODIES

37 NEXT-GENERATION WIDEBODIES

39 EMERGING NARROWBODIES

41 RUSSIAN AIRLINERS

42 ULTRA-LARGE AIRLINERS

44 CARGO CONVERSIONS

+P�VJG�ƂTUV�KPUVCNNOGPV�QH�Flight International’s restyled annual survey of the world’s airliner programmes, we examine the mainline jet market by sector. Leading data for each type KPENWFGU�URGEKƂECVKQPU��RTKEGU��performance and order/delivery information at 30 September

A318 737-600 A319 737-700 A320 737-800 737-900ER A321

MTOW (t) 68 66 75.5 70.1 78 79 85.1 93.5

Seats (two-class) 107 110 124 126 150 162 180 185

Range (km) 5,740 5,650 6,660 6,230 5,920 5,670 5,930 5,550

List price ($m) 59 55 70 64 77 77 82 90

SOURCE: Manufacturers

SINGLE-AISLE SPEC CHECK

COVER STORYMAINLINERS


A320 winglet programme after completing an-QVJGT�TQWPF�QH�VGUV�ƃKIJVU�VJKU�[GCT��*QYGXGT��#KTDWU�UQWTEGU�UC[� VJCV� KV�JCU�FGEKFGF� VQ�IQ�CJGCF�YKVJ�C�RTQITCOOG��DWV�KU�[GV�VQ�ƂPCNKUG�YJGVJGT�VQ�CFQRV�#XKCVKQP�2CTVPGTUo�FGUKIP�QT�KVU�QYP�pUJCTMNGVq�FGXKEG�.QQMKPI�VQYCTFU�VJG�NQPI�VGTO��VJGTG�KU�NKVVNG�

enthusiasm on either side of the Atlantic to OQXG�HQTYCTF�YKVJ�CNN�PGY�TGRNCEGOGPVU��CU�PGKVJGT�CKTHTCOGT�ECP�[GV�UGG�VJG�TGSWKUKVG�SWCP-VWO�NGCRU�KP�CKTHTCOG�CPF�GPIKPG�VGEJPQNQI[�

#KTDWUoU�EJKGH�UCNGUOCP�,QJP�.GCJ[�KU�EQPƂ-dent that A320 and 737s will still be in produc-VKQP�C�FGECFG�HTQO�PQY��CNVJQWIJ�EQPEGFGU�VJCV�VJKU�EQWNF�DG�YKVJ�pC�FKHHGTGPV�GPIKPGq�

#NN�VJG�DKI�VJTGG�GPIKPG�OCMGTU�JCXG�UWKVCDNG�PGY�VGEJPQNQI[�RTQITCOOGU�WPFGT�YC[��2�9�NGCFU�VJG�RCEM�YKVJ�KVU�IGCTGF�VWTDQHCP��YJKEJ�KU�FWG�VQ�GPVGT�UGTXKEG�KP��QP�VJG�/KVUWDKUJK�/4,�TGIKQPCN�LGV�CPF�VJG�%5GTKGU��%(/�+PVGTPC-VKQPCN�KU�FGXGNQRKPI�VJG�.GCR�:�VWTDQHCP�QRGP�TQVQT� HQT� UGTXKEG� TGCFKPGUU� HTQO� ��YJKNG�4QNNU�4Q[EG�KU�GZRNQTKPI�FGXGNQROGPVU�

#KTDWU� KU� GZRGEVGF� VQ� FGEKFG�YJGVJGT� VQ�launch a re-engining upgrade for the A320 be-HQTG� VJG� GPF� QH� �� HQT� C� UGTXKEG� GPVT[� KP�CTQWPF��YKVJ�VJG�)6(�UGGP�CU�C�NGCFKPI�ECPFKFCVG��$QGKPI�EJKGH�GZGEWVKXG�,KO�/E0GT-PG[�JCU�UCKF�JG�DGNKGXGU�C�TG�GPIKPGF�PCTTQY-DQF[�KU�XKCDNG�KP�VJG�PGCT�VGTO�CPF�VJCV�C�FGTKXC-VKXG�TG�GPIKPGF��YQWNF�EQUV�KP�VJG�TCPIG�QH�

��QH�C�HWNN�FGXGNQROGPV�RTQITCOOG��#U�C�TGUWNV��JG�UC[U��pVJG�TG�GPIKPG�ECUG�KU�

UVTQPIGT�VJCP�+�CPVKEKRCVGF�KV�YQWNF�DG��YJKEJ�FQGUPoV�OGCP�VJCVoU�YJCV�YGoNN�FGEKFGq��%(/�JCU� KPFKECVGF� KV�EQWNF�CEEGNGTCVG� VJG�.GCR�:�UEJGFWNG�s�UGV�HQT�EGTVKƂECVKQP�KP��s�UJQWNF�KV�DG�UGNGEVGF�VQ�RQYGT�%JKPCoU�PGY�%��CKT-NKPGT��YJKEJ�YQWNF�QRGP�VJG�FQQT�HQT�$QGKPI�VQ�EQPUKFGT�VJG�GPIKPG�HQT�CP[��WRITCFG�1PG�QH�VJG�FTKXGTU�DGJKPF�VJG�VYQ�TKXCNUo�TG-

NWEVCPEG�VQ�DG�VJG�ƂTUV�VQ�DNKPM�KU�VJCV�VJGKT�UCNGU�RGTHQTOCPEG� KP� VJG� UGEVQT� KU� HCKTN[� GXGPN[�OCVEJGF��.CUV�[GCT��#KTDWU�TCEMGF�WR��#��HCOKN[�QTFGTU��CPF�FGNKXGTGF��CKTETCHV��YJKNG�$QGKPIoU��UCNGU�UVQQF�CV��CPF�FGNKXGTKGU�CV��UVTKMG�CHHGEVGF��+P��VJG��JCU�C�UNKIJV�GFIG�QP�KVU�TKXCN�CV�VJG�PKPG�OQPVJ�RQKPV�YKVJ��PGV�QTFGTU�CICKPUV��HQT�VJG�#��

&GNKXGTKGU�CTG�GXGPN[�OCVEJGF��YKVJ�#KTDWU�JCXKPI�UJKRRGF��UKPING�CKUNGU�CPF�$QGKPI��+PENWFGF�KP�VJG�#KTDWU�UJKROGPVU�KU�VJG�ƂTUV�#��QHH�VJG�PGY�%JKPGUG�CUUGODN[�NKPG�KP�6KCPLKP��YJKEJ�KU�WNVKOCVGN[�GZRGEVGF�VQ�RTQ-FWEG�HQWT�UKPING�CKUNG�CKTETCHV�C�OQPVJ��O

KPETGCUG�GSWKXCNGPV�VQ��RCUUGPIGTU�#P�KPPQXCVKXG�PGY�WUG�HQT�CP�#��XCTKCPV�

DGICP�KP�5GRVGODGT�YJGP�$TKVKUJ�#KTYC[U�KP-CWIWTCVGF� #�� VTCPUCVNCPVKE� UGTXKEGU� HTQO�.QPFQP�%KV[�CKTRQTV�VQ�0GY�;QTM��6Q�ICKP�CR-RTQXCN�HQT�QRGTCVKQPU�KPVQ�VJG�VKIJV�.QPFQP�%KV[�

The PW1000G GTF-powered

CSeries small airliner is

threatening the bottom

end of the two established

single-aisle families

TWPYC[��#KTDWU�JCU�FGXGNQRGF�EJCPIGU�VQ�VJG�ƃKIJV�EQPVTQNU�QP�CRRTQCEJ�VJCV�CTG�CEVKXCVGF�D[�C�UYKVEJ�KP�VJG�QXGTJGCF�RCPGN��6JKU�CNNQYU�VJG�CKTETCHV�VQ�JCXG�C�FKHHGTGPV�CGTQF[PCOKE�DTCMKPI�U[UVGO�HQT�CRRTQCEJ�CPF�VQWEJFQYP�

#KTDWU� KU�UVC[KPI�SWKGV�QP� KVU�RNCPU� HQT�CP�

Bombardier finally cemented its decision to go ahead with its 110/130-seat CSeries twin-jet in March when launch cus-tomer Lufthansa firmed up its Farnborough 2008 deal for up to 60 aircraft. The airline has subsequently been joined by lessor LCI, which placed orders and options for 40 aircraft, tak-ing total commitments for the Pratt & Whitney PW1000G GTF-powered airliner to 100.

Bombardier is pushing the CSeries as a small mainline jet, with the lower end of the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 families firmly in its sights. The new jet, which is due to enter service in the second half of 2013, also threatens the top end of Embraer’s successful E-Jet series – so it is no sur-prise that the Brazilian airfram-er confirmed this year that it is evaluating how and whether to respond to the threat.

Although the A318/A319 and 737-600/700 could find themselves fighting the CSeries, the one airline cus-tomer announced to date – Lufthansa – intends to use the aircraft to replace the 97-seat BAE Systems Avro RJ100s op-erated by its Swiss International Air Lines arm.

How the sales map will eventually look remains to be seen, but with Bombardier claiming “over 150 customers showing strong interest” it is likely that the new twinjet will be adopted by some network carriers for their thinner short-haul routes, or perhaps for some of their longer sectors. Bombardier sees a long-term market for 6,300 aircraft in the CSeries category over the next 20 years.

With the full launch under its belt, Bombardier is undertak-

ing the detail design phase and aims to begin the product defi-nition release phase around a year from now. The target is for the certification process to begin during the fourth quarter of 2011. Flight test and type certification is expected to last 18 months.

The airliner’s wing and empennage is predominantly carbonfibre, although ad-vanced alloys are used for the wingbox ribs and slats with titanium employed for pylon and gear attachments. The fuselage, which has a five abreast cross-section, is of aluminium lithium construction with carbonfibre elements such as the aft section and

pressure bulkhead.Rockwell Collins is supplying

its Pro Line Fusion system for the CSeries five-screen, sides-tick equipped flightdeck.

Powered by two 21,000lb (93.5kN) or 23,300lb-thrust PW1500G GTFs, Bombardier says the family will offer a 20% fuel burn advantage and 15% better cash operating costs than its in-production rivals, with direct maintenance costs expected to be 28% better.

Final assembly will be un-dertaken at an all-new plant at Bombardier’s Mirabel site near Montreal. Sections will be sup-plied from sister divisions and outside partners in North America, Europe and China. O

NEW GENERATION AIRLINERS

CAN CSERIES TAKE ON THE ESTABLISHMENT?

First flight 2012

First delivery 2013

Orders (total/2009) 50/50

Deliveries (total/2009) 0/0

CSERIES DATA CHECK

The cockpit has Rockwell’s Pro Line Fusion avionics

Bom

bard

ier

CS100ER CS300ER

MTOW (t) 58.2 63.3

Seats (two-class) 100 120

Range (km) 5,460 5,460

List price ($m) 54 61

SOURCE: Manufacturer Note: longest-range versions shown

CSERIES SPEC CHECK

WORLD AIRLINERSMAINLINERS


Unlike their single-aisle product line-ups, Airbus and Boeing’s widebody families

have never been perfectly aligned in terms of size and performance.

The European airframer’s A330 twinjet spans two of its rival’s family – the top end of the 767 and the bottom end of the 777 – and is directly in the sights of Boeing’s 767 replace-ment, the 787. And while the current versions of the A340, the -500/600, are more in sync with their US rivals – the 777-200LR/300ER respectively – the Airbus quadjet appears to be in the twilight of its life after several suc-cessive years of slow sales and low output.

Despite Airbus’s success in racking up launch deals for the A330/A340’s ultimate re-placement, the A350 XWB, sales of the current twinjet have been at record levels, with 196 aircraft sold in 2007 and a further 142 in 2008.

The same has not been true for the A340. Production has effectively ended for the origi-nal CFM56-powered A340-300 variant – the last of 246 on order was delivered in 2008 – while output of the R-R Trent 500-powered -500/600 is at a trickle.

Similarly, at Boeing’s 777 plant in Everett, VJG�QWVRWV�EGPVTG�QH�ITCXKV[�JCU�UJKHVGF�ƂTON[�in favour of the newer GE90-115-powered -200LR/300ER variants.


The Airbus A330 and Boeing 777 are far from being overshadowed by their next generation sisters that are in development

Keeping

the faith

IN-PRODUCTION WIDEBODIES

With a backlog of more than 300 aircraft and production running at seven a month the air-framer’s biggest twinjet is set fair for the near term. The collapse in the cargo market was largely behind the decision to cut 777 output D[�VYQ�WPKVU�C�OQPVJ�VQ�ƂXG�HTQO�,WPG��

But with the A350 looming, Boeing is eval-uating how it could develop the 777 to coun-ter the new threat. Various alternative mid-life updates are being examined along with a broader response such as a 787-based devel-opment and an all-new 777 replacement.

Meanwhile, Airbus has been working to close the gap to the 787 with the A330. A 5t increase in maximum take-off weight to 238t will be available on new-build A330-200s from September 2010 providing a 610km (330nm) increase in range or an extra 3.4t of payload.

6JG�WRITCFG�ECP�CNUQ�DG�TGVTQƂVVGF�VQ�#��200s built from February 2004. Korean Air YCU�VJG�ƂTUV�CKTNKPG�VQ�EQOOKV�VQ�VJG�JKIJGT�weight version with an order for six earlier

this year.In an effort to help sales – and current op-

erators – of the A340, Airbus has developed a lower-drag belly fairing, which the airframer believes is worth around 1% in terms of fuel-burn reduction. It will be standard on new-build aircraft from the end of this year, with a TGVTQƂV�CNUQ�CXCKNCDNG�

6JG�HQWT�GPIKPGF�LGV�JCU�CNUQ�DGPGƂVGF�HTQO�an increase in maintenance check intervals that Airbus has negotiated with regulatory au-thorities for it and its twin-engined sister, which Airbus claims should reduce airframe direct maintenance cost by up to 6%.

In the meantime, the two airframers have been developing all-cargo variants, which are entering the market during the worst down-turn the freight industry has experienced in its modern history. The 103t payload 777F – developed from the -200LR platform – made its debut in February with Air France. How-ever, the downturn has resulted in 787Fs for another launch customer – China Southern

The GE90-115-powered 777 versions now account for all orders and most deliveries

Boe

ing

767 A330 A340-200/300 777 Classic A340-500/600 777-200LR/300ER/F

First flight 6 Sept 1981 2 Nov 1992 25 Oct 1991 12 June 1994 23 Apr 2001 24 Feb 2003

First delivery 19 Aug 1982 30 Dec 1993 2 Feb 1993 17 May 1995 26 Jul 2002 29 Apr 2004

Orders (Total/2009) 1,036/-3 1,030/18 246/0 579/-3 138/-1 535/19

Deliveries (total/2009) 979/10 640/53 246/0 560/4 124/9 251/59

Backlog 57 390 0 19 14 284

2009 monthly output 1.1 5.9 - <1 1 6.6


IN-PRODUCTION WIDEBODY DATA CHECK

767-300ER A330-200 A330-300 777-200ER 777-200LR A340-500 777-300ER A340-600

MTOW (t) 186.9 238 233 297.6 347.5 380 351.5 380

Seats (three-class) 218 253 295 301 301 313 365 380

Range (km) 11,070 13,320 10,820 14,260 17,370 16,650 14,690 14,620

List price ($m) 153 181 201 218 251 237 272 249


IN-PRODUCTION WIDEBODY SPEC CHECK

With a backlog of more than

300 aircraft and production

running at seven a month

Boeing’s biggest twinjet is

set fair for the near term




After two years of delays Boeing KU�EQPƂFGPV�VJG��oU�ƂTUV�ƃKIJV�KU�KOOKPGPV��YJKNG�#KTDWU�KU�RTGRCTKPI�VQ�DWKNF�VJG�ƂTUV�:9$

Dreams of

tomorrow

NEXT-GENERATION WIDEBODIES

Taxi-testing is as close to any real action that the Dreamliner has come so far

DHL has just introduced its 767-300Fs

Boe

ing

Boe

ing

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The XWB is mid way through

a critical development

programme that will lead

to final assembly of the

first example, an A350-900,

beginning in mid-2011

767-300F A330-200F 777F

MTOW (t) 185.1 233 347.5

Payload (t) 52.7 64 103

Range (km) 6,025 7,400 9,050

List price ($m) 133.3 184.2 256.5


WIDEBODY FREIGHTER SPEC CHECK



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As A350-900 (pictured) development progresses, definition freeze for the -800 is next

XWB will be first for “class 2-plus” EFB

Airbu

sAirbu

s

787-3 787-8 A350-800 787-9 A350-900 A350-1000

MTOW (t) 165.1 219.5 248 244.9 268 298

Seats (three-class) 330* 250 270 290 314 350

Range (km) 5,640 15,170 15,360 15,730 14,990 14,800

List price ($m) 153 166 209 200 241 270

SOURCE: Manufacturers *Two-class

NEXT-GENERATION WIDEBODY SPEC CHECK

A350 XWB 787

First flight Due Q1 2012 Due Dec 2009

First delivery Due H2 2013 Due Q4 2010

Orders (total/2009) 493/10 850/-60

Deliveries (total/2009) 0/0 0/0

Backlog 493 850


NEXT-GENERATION WIDEBODY DATA CHECK

In the wake of all the

production issues, the

787 production ramp-up

has been slowed



Russia and China are each pursuing plans to beat Airbus and Boeing to the market with

new narrowbody commercial jets.With the Western airframers yet to commit

to timeframes for refreshment of their narrow-body families, the Commercial Air Corporation of China (Comac) and Russia’s United Aircraft (UAC) are aiming to bring new airliners to the market in 2016.5RGEKƂECVKQPU�HQT�VJG�%��PCTTQYDQF[�RCU-

senger jet in development by Comac were re-vealed during the Asian Aerospace exhibition in Hong Kong in September, where the manu-facturer displayed a large-scale concept model.

Assistant general manager Wang Wenbin disclosed that there would be a standard model with a range of 4,075km (2,200nm) and a long-TCPIG�OQFGN�CDNG�VQ�ƃ[��MO��6JG�%��YKNN�UGCV��RCUUGPIGTU�KP�CNN�GEQPQO[�ENCUU�QT��KP�C�OKZGF�ENCUU�EQPƂIWTCVKQP�

%QOCE�KU�VCTIGVKPI�C�ƂTUV�ƃKIJV�KP��CPF�VQ�EGTVKƂECVG�CPF�FGNKXGT�VJG�CKTETCHV�VYQ�[GCTU�NCVGT��6JG�%JKPGUG�ƂTO�KU�KP�PGIQVKCVKQPU�YKVJ�Western and local suppliers, including engine manufacturers.

Aviation Industry Corporation of China (AVIC) Commercial Engines wants to supply GPIKPGU��DWV�JCU�EQPEGFGF�VJCV�VJG�ƂTUV�%��U�are likely to have Western powerplants, given the improbability of developing new engines by 2016. Accordingly, Comac is speaking to all the major Western engine-makers.p9G�CTG�KPVGTGUVGF�KP�VJG�%��CPF�JCXG�KPK-

VKCVGF�FKUEWUUKQPU�YKVJ�%QOCE�q�EQPƂTOU�2TCVV��9JKVPG[��p9G�DGNKGXG�VJCV�VJG�29��)�QH-HGTU�C�PGY�CKTRNCPG�UWEJ�CU�VJG�%��EQPUKFGT-able market value.”

6JG�29��)�)6(�IGCTGF�VWTDQHCP�GPIKPG��which will power Bombardier Aerospace’s CSeries airliners, is due to be ready for service in 2013.

Speaking at the Asian Aerospace Congress, 2�9oU�XKEG�RTGUKFGPV�EQOOGTEKCN�GPIKPGU�HQT�%JKPC�� 6JQOCU� 0CMCPQ�� JCF� KPFKECVGF� VJG�manufacturer’s preference to provide an Inter-

PCVKQPCN�#GTQ�'PIKPGU�RQYGTRNCPV�VQ�VJG�%��programme. However, Comac appears to fa-XQWT�VJG�)6(�QRVKQP��

“Comac has expressed an interest in the 2WTG2QYGT� GPIKPG� HQT� KVU�RTQRQUGF�PGY� CKT-ETCHV�q�UC[U�2�9��p9G�UGG�CP�GZEGNNGPV�ƂV�HQT�VJG�29��)oU� ICOG�EJCPIKPI�RGTHQTOCPEG�CPF�GPXKTQPOGPVCN�ECRCDKNKVKGU�YKVJ�VJG�%��and would be interested in pursuing it.”5CHTCP�CPF�KVU�RCTVPGT�)'�#XKCVKQP�CTG�CNUQ�

UGGMKPI�KPXQNXGOGPV�KP�VJG�%��RTQITCOOG��and towards this goal have placed manufactur-KPI�YQTM�KP�%JKPC�XKC�0GZEGNNG��C�LQKPV�XGPVWTG�PCEGNNG�EQORCP[�HQTOGF�D[�)'oU�/KFFNG�4KXGT�Aircraft Systems and Safran company Air-celle.

MAJOR SYSTEMS SELECTION

%QOCE�UC[U�OCLQT�U[UVGOU�HQT�VJG�%��UWEJ�as the engines and landing gear, will be select-GF�VQYCTFU�VJG�GPF�QH�VJG�[GCT��5CHTCPoU�/GUUK-GT�&QYV[� CPF� /GUUKGT�$WICVVK�� CNQPI� YKVJ�three AVIC companies, have submitted a joint proposal for landing gear and brake systems. +P� VJG� GPIKPG� EQORGVKVKQP�� 5CHTCP�)'� LQKPV�XGPVWTG�%(/�KU�RTQRQUKPI�VJG�%(/�.GCR�:�engine.

According to Comac’s director of marketing and sales Chen Jin, engine manufacturers have DGGP�VQNF�VJCV�VJG�%��oU�GPIKPGU�OWUV�QHHGT��15% lower fuel consumption than today’s RQYGTRNCPVU��6JG�%��YKNN�FGRNQ[�CFXCPEGF�aerodynamics and make extensive use of “ad-vanced materials to reduce weight”. Comac is aiming is to secure a launch customer in the ƂTUV�JCNH�QH��UC[U�%JGP�

/GCPYJKNG��4WUUKCoU�PCVKQPCN�CKTHTCOGT�7#%�

COMAC C919 GENERAL ARRANGEMENT

Russia intends to leapfrog Western single-aisles with its MS-21 twinjet family

UAC

NIALL O’KEEFFE LONDON

6JG�KPETGCUKPI�RTQƂNG�QH�VJG�%��CPF�/5��PCTTQYDQFKGU�KU�RTQQH�that China and Russia are serious about the airliner business

The young

pretenders

EMERGING NARROWBODIES

C919 MS-21

First flight: Due 2014 Due 2014

First delivery: Due 2016 Due 2016


EMERGING NARROWBODY DATA CHECK



is proceeding with plans to launch a three-member MS-21 twinjet family to replace the 6WRQNGX�6W��6JG�ƂTUV�OQFGN��VJG�/5��YKNN�JCXG��UGCVU�KP�C�UKPING�ENCUU�EQP-ƂIWTCVKQP��6JG��CPF��YKNN�JCXG��CPF��UGCVU��TGURGEVKXGN[�

(QT�GCEJ�OQFGN��DCUKE�CPF�GZVGPFGF�TCPIG�versions are planned. In each case the basic OQFGN�YKNN�JCXG�C�TCPIG�QH��MO��6JG�GZ-VGPFGF�TCPIG�XGTUKQPU�QH�VJG��CPF��YKNN�GCEJ�JCXG�C�TCPIG�QH��MO�YJKNG�VJG�GZVGPF-GF�TCPIG��YKNN�ƃ[��MO��#�XGT[�NQPI�range MS-21-200LR has also been mooted.

#�RTG�FGUKIP�RJCUG�KU�WPFGT�YC[��YKVJ�YQTM-KPI�FGUKIP�VQ�HQNNQY�KP��#�ƂTUV�RTQVQV[RG�KU�FWG�VQ�DG�TGCF[�KP��CPF�VQ�ƃ[�KP��6JG�CKTETCHV�YKNN�DG�DWKNV�CV�+TMWVUM�

Contractors were selected following interna-VKQPCN�VGPFGTU�KPXKVGF�NCUV�[GCT�D[�+TMWV��YJKEJ�KU�RCTV�QH�7#%��+P�,WN[��+TMWV�YCU�ITCPVGF�approval as the prime contractor for the MS-21. Pilot approval for the project followed a year NCVGT�KP�#WIWUV��(KPCPEKPI�KU�URNKV��between the Russian state government and �� HTQO� VJG�OCPWHCEVWTGT��#�RTQXKUKQP� QH�4D��DKNNKQP��DKNNKQP��JCU�DGGP�OCFG�VQ�fund the programme.

+P�CFFKVKQP�VQ�UVGGTKPI�VJG�RTQLGEV��+TMWV�YKNN�CEV�CU�C�U[UVGO�KPVGITCVQT��+V�GZRGEVU�VJG�/5��VQ�CEJKGXG�4WUUKCP�EGTVKƂECVKQP�KP��CPF�VQ�gain European approval and enter service in ��7#%�YKNN�FGXGNQR�EQORWVGTU�HQT�VJG�/5��YJKNG�YQTM�QP�VJG�CKTETCHV�V[RGoU�EQORQUKVG�YKPI�YKNN�DG�EQPFWEVGF�D[�7#%�FCWIJVGT�EQO-RCP[�#GTQEQORQUKVG�

#OQPI� VJG�ƂTOU�EJQUGP� VQ�UWRRN[�pƂTUV�level” systems to the MS-21 programme is Hy-FTQOCUJ��YJKEJ�KU�FGXGNQRKPI�VJG�NCPFKPI�IGCT��6JG�CWZKNKCT[�RQYGT�WPKVU�CPF�YKPI�FG�KEKPI�systems will be supplied by Hamilton Sund-UVTCPF��YJKEJ�YKNN�CNUQ�YQTM�KP�EQPLWPEVKQP�YKVJ�021�0CWMC� CPF� -KFFG� 6GEJPQNQIKGUo�.o*QVGNKGT� WPKV� VQ� FGXGNQR�� TGURGEVKXGN[�� CKT�EQPFKVKQPKPI�CPF�ƂTG�RTQVGEVKQP�U[UVGOU�

'CVQP� #GTQURCEG� KU� UWRRN[KPI� J[FTCWNKE�EQPVTQNU��YKVJ��QH�EQORQPGPV�RTQFWEVKQP�VQ�DG�ECTTKGF�QWV�D[�4WUUKCP�ƂTOU�8QUMJQF��6GRNQQDOGPPKM��6GMJRTKDQT�CPF�<PCO[C��

Cabin interiors are being developed by <QFKCEoU�%�&�DWUKPGUU��YJKNG�VJG�UCOG�EQO-RCP[oU� +PVGTVGEJPKSWG� WPKV� YKNN� UWRRN[� HWGN�OCPCIGOGPV�CPF�QZ[IGP�U[UVGOU��+PVGT-VGEJPKSWG� KU� CNUQ�FGXGNQRKPI� C�ICU� KPGTVKPI�U[UVGO� YKVJ� *COKNVQP� 5WPFUVTCPF�� YJKEJ� KU�YQTMKPI�YKVJ�CPQVJGT�CTO�QH�<QFKCE�s�KVU�

Comac unveiled the C919 in September – can it challenge today’s narrowbodies?

Bill

yPix

C919 MS-21-200ER MS-21-300ER MS-21-500ER

MTOW (t) – 67.6 76.2 87.2

Seats (two-class) 156-169 150-162 181-198 212-230

Range (km) 5,560 5,000 5,000 5,500

SOURCE: Manufacturers Note: longest-range versions shown

EMERGING NARROWBODY SPEC CHECK

'%'�UWDUKFKCT[�s�QP�GNGEVTKECN�U[UVGOU�Manufacturers competing to provide en-

IKPGU�HQT�VJG�GZRQTV�XGTUKQP�QH�VJG�/5��CTG�TGSWKTGF�D[� +TMWV� VQ�GPNKUV�4WUUKCP�RCTVPGTU��2�9��C�ƂPCNKUV�KP�VJG�GPIKPG�EQORGVKVKQP��UC[U�pKV�KU�VQQ�GCTN[�VQ�VGNN�VJG�GZCEV�FKUVTKDWVKQP�QH�YQTM�HQT�VJKU�RTQITCOOGq��DWV�CFFU�VJCV�2GTO�/QVQTU�KU�CP�pCRRGCNKPI�RQVGPVKCN�DCUG�HQT�YQTM�CUUQEKCVGF� YKVJ� VJG� =/5��?� RTQLGEVq�� YKVJ�2�9�JQNFKPI��QH�2GTO�CPF�KVU�CHƂNKCVG�#XK-CFXKICVGN��p*QYGXGT��YG�YKNN�PQV�DG� CDNG� VQ�OCMG�VJQUG�V[RGU�QH�FGEKUKQPU�WPVKN�CHVGT�CP�GP-gine provider is selected and terms are negoti-CVGF�q�ECWVKQPU�VJG�EQORCP[�2�9� KU�QHHGTKPI� KVU�29��)�)6(��p6JG�

=/5��?� RTQITCOOG�YQWNF� GPCDNG� 2TCVV� ��9JKVPG[�VQ�GZVGPF�KVU�29��)�OQFGNU�VQ�VJG��ND�VJTWUV�ENCUU�q�UC[U�VJG�OCPWHCEVWTGT��

Rolls-Royce has also been shortlisted as a RTQURGEVKXG�GPIKPG�UWRRNKGT��5QWTEGU�CV�+TMWV�UC[�VJCV�4�4�YQWNF�NKPM�WR�YKVJ�/QUEQY�DCUGF�engine specialist Salyut. It has been suggested VJCV�#XKCFXKICVGNoU�25��EQWNF�RQYGT�FQOGU-tic versions of the aircraft.

POWERPLANT SELECTION

#V�VJG�/#-5�CKT�UJQY�KP�/QUEQY�KP�#WIWUV��+TMWV�RTGUKFGPV�1NGI�&GOEJGPMQ�UCKF� VJCV�C�choice of engine manufacturer would be made D[�VJG�GPF�QH��p5GNGEVKQP�QH�VJG�RQYGT-plant is the most important of all the tenders YGoXG�KPXKVGF�q�JG�CFFGF��p9G�PGGF�VQ�UETWVK-PKUG�UGXGTCN�VGEJPKECN�KUUWGU�DGHQTG�OCMKPI�KV�q

4QEMYGNN�%QNNKPU�CPF�#XKQPKMC�CTG�VQ�DKF�HQT�VJG� CXKQPKEU� RCEMCIG��YJKNG� .KGDJGTT� #GTQ-URCEG�CPF�C�EQPUQTVKWO�EQPUKUVKPI�QH�#XKCRTK-DQT��)QQFTKEJ�CPF�/QQI�YKNN�EQORGVG�VQ�UWR-RN[� KPVGITCVGF� EQPVTQNU�� +TMWV� GZRGEVU� VQ�complete selecting contractors to supply these three systems by 1 November.

6JG�/5��pYKNN�JCXG�C�EQORQUKVG�UVTWE-VWTGq��#NGZG[�(GFQTQX��EJCKTOCP�CPF�RTGUKFGPV�QH�7#%��UCKF�KP�,WN[��p(QT�WU�KV�KU�C�XGT[�DKI�EJCNNGPIG��DWV�VJCV�IKXGU�WU�C�NQV�QH�CFXCPVCIG�KP�VJG�INQDCN�OCTMGV��9G�JCXG�C�NQV�QH�PGIQVKCVKQPU�with some companies in Europe and there should be an agreement by the end of the year. ,WUV�VJG�FGUKIP�CPF�FGXGNQROGPV�RCTV�QH�VJCV�YKNN�DG�YKVJ�9GUVGTP�RCTVPGTU�q�.KMGN[�ECPFK-date partners include composite aerostructures URGEKCNKUVU� UWEJ� CU� #GTQNKC�� )-0� CPF�5RKTKV�#GTQ5[UVGOU��6JG�TGNCVKQPUJKRU�CTG�KPVGPFGF�VQ�DG�TKUM�UJCTKPI�

#V�VJG�2CTKU�CKT�UJQY��&GOEJGPMQ�TGXGCNGF�VJCV�HGGFDCEM�QP�VJG�/5��RTQRQUCNU�JCF�DGGP�UQNKEKVGF�HTQO��RQVGPVKCN�QRGTCVQTU��DWV�CF-OKVVGF�VJCV�KV�YCU�FKHƂEWNV�VQ�CEEGNGTCVG�VJG�FKU-EWUUKQPU�YKVJQWV�C�ƂPCNKUGF�EQPƂIWTCVKQP�KP-cluding aircraft and engines.0GXGTVJGNGUU��7#%�JCU�RTQLGEVGF�C�RTQFWE-

VKQP� TWP� QH� �� /5�� CKTETCHV�YKVJKP� ��[GCTU��1PN[��QH�VJGUG�CTG�KPVGPFGF�HQT�VJG�FQOGUVKE�OCTMGV��p+V�KU�C�RTQFWEV�HQT�VJG�INQDCN�OCTMGV�q�UC[U�(GFQTQX��O

The GTF is a candidate for both twinjets

Airbu

s



With Russia’s civil aircraft manufacturing industry focused on the arrival of the

all-new MS-21 twinjet from around 2016, there have been mixed fortunes for the two prime in-production types, the Ilyushin Il-96 widebody and single-aisle Tupolev Tu-204/214.

Production of both types remains at a trickle compared with their Western equiva-lents, and the near-term outlook for deliveries remains poor. United Aircraft (UAC), which is the umbrella organisation charged with steering the development of Russia’s aircraft manufacturing, is gearing up to introduce a major rework of the Tu-204, dubbed, the SM, which will succeed the current variants from 2011. Production should then continue until 2016 when its successor, the MS-21, is due to arrive.

The SM is a modernisation of the baseline Tu-204-100 and Tu-204-300 “shrink” – built by Aviastar in Ulyanovsk, as well as the Ka-zan-built Tu-214 (a higher weight Tu-204-

�� +ORTQXGOGPVU� KPENWFG� OQTG� GHƂEKGPV�Aviadvigatel PS-90A2 engines that promise improved reliability, a new auxiliary power unit, revised avionics and greater use of ad-vanced materials such as composites and alu-minium lithium. The result is up to 2t lower operating empty weight.

Aviastar will gradually transition to the Tu-204SM, while Kazan-based KAPO will be-come a supplier to the Ulyanovsk line, pro-ducing the wing.

6JG� ƂTUV� RTQVQV[RG� KU� FWG� VQ� TQNN� QWV� KP��YKVJ� V[RG�EGTVKƂECVKQP� KU� VCTIGVGF� HQT�2011. Production plans call for around 100 6W��5/U�VQ�DG�DWKNV�QXGT�ƂXG�[GCTU��1P��October 2009, a Tu-204 test aircraft took off on C��J��OKP�ƃKIJV�YKVJ�CP�GZRGTKOGPVCN�25�90A2 in place of one of its standard PS-90s.

POOR RELIABILITY

The new variant cannot come too soon for current Tu-204 operators, who have been ex-tremely vocal about the twinjet’s poor reliabil-ity and support. The situation became so bad in September that the Russian regulator hint-ed a grounding might be implemented unless things improved.

UAC’s president Alexey Fyodorov ac-knowledged that the aircraft had suffered re-

Vla

dim

ir K

arno

zov

Polet stepped in to save the all-cargo Il-96-400T after Aeroflot cancelled its plans


As the MS-21 waits in the wings, the two jet airliner programmes developed in Soviet times face an uncertain future

Legacies of

another era

RUSSIAN AIRLINERS

curring problems stemming from poor quality of some components, and inadequate after-UCNGU�UWRRQTV��*G�JCU�KFGPVKƂGF�VJG�25��#�engines as one key area of concern – their poor reliability accounted for the bulk of com-plaints from key operator Red Wings – and has implemented a plan to resolve the issues.

According to the latest production plans for Russia’s civil aircraft, Tu-204/214 output will total 58 between 2009 and 2012, 13 fewer than the previous plan, while just nine Il-96s are due to be built by VASO in Voronezh.

The -400T is the latest variant of the four-engined widebody – a stretched cargo version of the PS-90-powered Il-96-300. It got off to a wobbly start last year when its original cus-VQOGT��#GTQƃQV�%CTIQ��ECPEGNNGF�KVU�FGCN�CU�VJG�ƂTUV� CKTETCHV�YCU�FGNKXGTGF��8QTQPG\J�DCUGF�cargo airline Polet came to the rescue by agree-

ing to take over the Il-96-400Ts. Deliveries began of three aircraft, on 15-

[GCT�ƂPCPEKCN�NGCUGU�HTQO�NGUUQT�+N[WUJKP�(K-nance (IFC), in September. Polet also signed an option for three more for delivery from next year. The 92t freighter entered revenue UGTXKEG� QP� ��5GRVGODGT� DGVYGGP� /QUEQY�Domodedovo airport and Yakutsk.

Meanwhile, a potential foreign customer has emerged: IFC is in talks with a UK-regis-tered start-up for up to 10 Il-96-400Ts, al-VJQWIJ�VJG�V[RG�KU�PQV�EGTVKƂECVGF�KP�'WTQRG�or the USA.

While there appear to be few realistic pros-pects for the Il-96 family, Aviadvigatel’s en-hanced PS-90A2 powerplant for the Tu-204SM is being proposed for a modernised version of the Il-96-300. O

UAC’s boss acknowledges

that the Tu-204 has suffered

from poor quality components

and inadequate support

Tu-204-100 Tu-214 Tu-204-300 Il-96-300 Il-96-400T

MTOW (t) 103 110.8 84.8/103 216 270

Seats/payload 196* 182* 166** 235*** 92t

Range (km) 4,900 4,800 9,250 7,500 5,700

SOURCE: Manufacturers *Two-class **One-class ***Three-class

RUSSIAN AIRLINER SPEC CHECK

Tu-204/214 Il-96

First flight 2 Jan 1989 28 Sep 1988

First delivery Feb 1996 1992

Orders (total/2009) 98/2 37/0

Deliveries (total/2009) 27/5 23/1

Backlog 71 14

SOURCE: Manufacturers Order/delivery data – Flightglobal ACAS database

RUSSIAN AIRLINER DATA CHECK




Almost ready to go – Boeing has hung the four GEnx engines on the first 747-8

Boe

ing

JON OSTROWER WASHINGTON DC

Boeing’s latest jumbo has suffered a string of delays, while Airbus is still struggling to ramp up A380 production three years on

Gigantic

problems

ULTRA-LARGE AIRLINERS

When Boeing’s 747-100 entered service in 1970, operators around the globe real-

KUGF� WPRTGEGFGPVGF� GHƂEKGPEKGU� KP� UGCV�MO�costs, reducing the cost of world travel and DQNUVGTKPI�VJG�ƂPCPEKCN�DQVVQO�NKPG�HQT�CKTNKPGU�and later for air freight operators.

*QYGXGT��VJGTG�KU�C�ƃKRUKFG�VQ�VJG�JKIJ�EC-RCEKV[�EQKP��CKTNKPGU�ƃ[KPI�VJG�LWODQ�LGVU�ECT-ried the burden of a hefty operating costs if VJG[�YGTG�PQV�CDNG�VQ�CFGSWCVGN[�ƂNN�WR�VJG�aircraft with passengers. Nearly 40 years later, and in the middle of a global recession that now appears to be bottoming, the same dy-PCOKE�CHƃKEVU�VJG�DKI�SWCFU��YJGVJGT�KP�RCU-

UGPIGT�QT�ECTIQ�EQPƂIWTCVKQP�'OKTCVGU�VQQM�FGNKXGT[�QH�KVU�ƂTUV�QH��#KT-

bus A380s on order in July 2008, and de-ployed the 489-seat superjumbo between &WDCK�CPF�0GY�;QTM�-GPPGF[�VQ�OWEJ�HCP-fare, only to remove the aircraft from the route in May of this year.

The Dubai-based airline redeployed the VYQ�CKTETCHV�VJCV�JCF�UGTXGF�0GY�;QTM�FCKN[�VQ�6QTQPVQ�CPF�$CPIMQM��OCVEJKPI�VJG�CKTETCHV�with a more appropriate level of demand. But Emirates does plan to return the A380 to New ;QTM�D[�,WPG�PGZV�[GCT��D[�YJKEJ�VKOG�KVU�ƃGGV�YKNN�JCXG�ITQYP�UWHƂEKGPVN[�

Large aircraft have been able to offer con-UQNKFCVKQP�QH�ƃKIJVU�CPF�UKIPKƂECPVN[�TGFWEGF�operating costs for a given payload, but near-

GORV[�LWODQ�CPF�UWRGTLWODQ�ƃKIJVU�KORQUG�high costs. The collapse of both the global ECTIQ�OCTMGV�CPF�RTGOKWO�ENCUU� VTCXGN�JCU�UJKHVGF�VJG�EQUV�DWTFGP�DCEM�VQ�QRGTCVQTU��CPF�

VJKU�JCU�TGXGTDGTCVGF�DCEM�VQ�VJG�RTQFWEVKQP�planning for Airbus and Boeing.

In September, the International Air Trans-RQTV�#UUQEKCVKQP�TGXKUGF�KVU�KPFWUVT[�ƂPCPEKCN�forecast downward, predicting that passenger

A380 747-400 747-8

First flight 27 Apr 2005 29 Apr 1988 Due Q1 2010

First delivery 15 Oct 2007 26 Jan 1989 Due Q4 2010

Orders (total/2009) 200/2 694/0 105/-1

Deliveries (total/2009) 19/6 692/6 0/0

Backlog 181 2 105

2009 monthly output <1 <1 –


ULTRA LARGE AIRLINER DATA CHECK

The production challenges

were not brought about by

one single item, but rather the

accumulation of small issues



Air France joins the still relatively exclusive A380 club this month

Air F

ranc

e

and cargo yields would drop 12% and 15% respectively during 2009. In June IATA had forecast falls of 7% in passenger yields and 11% in cargo yields. Ultimately, the airlines are projected to lose $11 billion in 2009, $2 billion more than originally forecast.

In April, the softening demand for cargo aircraft slowed Boeing’s 747-8 Freighter pro-FWEVKQP�TCOR�WR��UNKFKPI�VJG�ƂTUV�FGNKXGT[�QH�the 747-8I passenger variant by three to six ad-ditional months to the fourth quarter of 2011. Lufthansa remains the only airline customer for the type, with an order for 20 aircraft. Boe-KPI� JQNFU� QTFGTU� HQT� UGXGP� 8+2�EQPƂIWTGF�747-8I aircraft as well.

RECESSION STUNTS SALES

The recession has virtually stunted sales in this market segment. Airbus has notched just two orders for the A380 in 2009, while there have been no new orders and one cancellation for Boeing’s 747-8. In addition, current order holders have deferred delivery due to sharp declines in demand.

In the short term, the external forces weigh-ing on the large passenger and cargo aircraft market for Airbus and Boeing are supple-mented by internal factors at each company, YJKEJ�JCXG�UKIPKƂECPVN[�EJCNNGPIGF�RTQFWE-tion of both the A380 and 747-8.

6JG�ƂTUV�QH�VYQ��+�UGTXKEG�GPVT[�UNKRU�announced this year came in April, and fol-lowed a series of production issues within Boeing’s supply chain and design changes ƂTUV� TGXGCNGF� KP� 0QXGODGT� �� 6JGUG�RWUJGF�VJG�KPVTQFWEVKQP�QH�VJG�ƂTUV�QH��8Fs on order back to the third quarter of 2010.

The second rescheduling came in October 2009, when the diversion of engineering re-

sources to the 787 programme led to the 747-�(oU� ƂTUV� ƃKIJV� UNKRRKPI� VQ� GCTN[� �� and service entry to the fourth quarter of next year.

Boeing also absorbed a hefty $1 billion charge, forcing the programme into a loss po-sition. Increased production costs due to engi-neering changes contributed to $640 million of the $1 billion, while the balance of $360 million was attributed to the slowing of production caused by the collapse in the cargo market.

The production challenges were not brought about by one single item, but rather the accumulation of small issues that added up to the latest delay to the programme.

A380 production – according to one cus-tomer – is still suffering “niggling delays”, and Airbus aims to deliver 13 this year – one more than in 2008. The airframer handed over just UKZ� #��U� FWTKPI� VJG� ƂTUV� PKPG� OQPVJU� QH�2009, so must ship seven in the last three months to achieve its target – including the ƂTUV�VYQ�CKTETCHV�VQ�#KT�(TCPEG�

By the close of 2009 Airbus should have delivered 26 of 200 A380s on order to four op-erators – Air France, Emirates, Qantas and Singapore Airlines.

The 2009 delivery target has been progres-sively revised downward to 13 from a once

RNCPPGF��FGNKXGTKGU��C�ƂIWTG� VJCV�YCU�TG-duced to 21 in May 2008. By January 2009, that number had dropped to 18, and it fell again to 14 in May, due to airline deferrals.

Airbus now forecasts it will hand over 20 superjumbos in 2010, half of the 40 it planned to build according to the original pro-duction plan.

This year saw the transition between pro-

duction of Wave 1 and Wave 2 A380s. Full production-standard wiring has replaced a hand-wiring process. Despite this shift, cabin EQPƂIWTCVKQPU� UGNGEVGF� D[� PGY� EWUVQOGTU�have caused a slowing of production, due to the engineering complexity of integrating the highly complex cabins.

Even with the current pain in the market-place discouraging major expansions in cargo and passenger capacity, Airbus and Boeing continue to disagree on the long-term size of the very large aircraft market.

Boeing has revised downward its 20-year forecast from 980 in 2008 to just 740 units be-tween 2009 and 2028, 490 of those being freighters.

Airbus forecasts a similar number of large cargo freighters, around 514, but envisions a market for 1,318 very large passenger aircraft over the next 20 years, up from 1,283 estimat-ed 20 months earlier.

With the delivery of the 10th A380 to launch customer Singapore Airlines, Septem-ber marked a changing of the guard of sorts at VJG�CKTNKPG��+VU�#��ƃGGV�PQY�QWVPWODGTU�KVU�747-400s, gradually being phased out of the ƃGGV�D[�VJG�GPF�QH�VJG��ƂUECN�[GCT�5KPICRQTG�#KTNKPGU�ƂTUV�KPVTQFWEGF�VJG��

in 1972 and has taken delivery of 75 passen-ger versions of the original jumbo, plus an ad-ditional 18 freighters, making it formerly one of the largest 747 operators in the world.0GZV�[GCT�YKNN�UGG�CP�GXGT�ITQYKPI�PWODGT�

of A380s entering service. For its part, Boeing RNCPU�VQ�DGIKP�VJG�EGTVKƂECVKQP�ECORCKIP�HQT�the next-generation 747-8 freighter early in 2010, while completing engineering releases and commencing production of the 747-8I. O

747-8F 747-8I A380-800

MTOW (t) 442.3 442.3 560

Seats (three-class)/payload (t) 140t 467 525

Range (km) 8,130 14,820 15,200

List price ($m) 303 300.5 327.4


ULTRA LARGE AIRLINER SPEC CHECK

The A380’s 2009 delivery

target has been progressively

revised downward to 13 from

a once planned 25 deliveries


This has not exactly been a stellar year for cargo conversions. The steep downturn in

the cargo market has caused demand for pas-senger-to-freighter (P2F) conversions to evapo-rate. As a result the pace of work on several P2F conversion lines has slowed to a crawl and some lines have at least temporarily be-come inactive.

(QT�GZCORNG��QPN[�ƂXG�$QGKPI��EQP-XGTUKQPU�YGTG�EQORNGVGF�FWTKPI�VJG�ƂTUV�VJTGG�SWCTVGTU�QH�VJG�[GCT�s�VJTGG�D[�$QGKPI�CV�6CKMQQ�(Xiamen) Aircraft Engineering (TAECO) and VYQ�D[�+UTCGN�#GTQURCEG�+PFWUVTKGUo�$GFGM�FK-vision. The production rate is also slow on the ��2�(�NKPGU�CV�$GFGM�CPF�$QGKPIoU�RCTVPGT�Singapore Technologies (ST Aero) as well as QP�VJG�#��#��NKPG�CV�'#&5�'(9��

/GCPYJKNG��$QGKPIoU�&%��/&��EQPXGT-sion programme, which ST Aero and Aerona-

BRENDAN SOBIE SEATTLE

Boeing’s in-house 767-300 conversion (pictured) vies with IAI Bedek’s offeringB

oein

g

The conversion business has had an awful year but with new programmes coming and demand TGEQXGTKPI��UJQWNF�DG�DGVVGT

Hope

springs

CARGO CONVERSIONSvali have counted on for years, has slowed to a trickle and is approaching its end. The narrow-body conversion market also has been hit by VJG�FQYPVWTP��YKVJ�TGFWEGF��QWVRWV�VJKU�[GCT�CV�$GFGM��2GOEQ��2TGEKUKQP�%QPXGT-sions and Aeronautical Engineers (AEI).

$WV�VJGTG�KU�JQRG�KP�VJG�JQTK\QP�HQT�ECTIQ�conversion providers. After almost a year of WPRTGEGFGPVGF�VTCHƂE�FGENKPGU��VJG�CKT�ECTIQ�market seems to be bottoming out, stirring up interest again for conversions. The downturn in the passenger market has also driven down aircraft values and dramatically improved the feedstock for conversions. Perhaps most im-portantly there are new P2F programmes, most PQVCDN[�HQT�VJG�#KTDWU�#��CPF�$QGKPI��which could provide important new business for some of the conversion shops.

777 BCF MOOTED

6JG�KPFWUVT[�JCU�DGGP�YCKVKPI�[GCTU�HQT�C��converted freighter and it appears the time has ƂPCNN[� EQOG�� $QGKPI� %QOOGTEKCN� #XKCVKQP�Services vice-president freighter conversions &GPPKU�(NQ[F�TGXGCNGF�CV�VJG�Cargo Facts air-craft symposium in mid-September that it EQWNF�NCWPEJ�C�2�(�RTQFWEV�HQT�VJG��CPF�QT��'4�CU�GCTN[�CU�PGZV�[GCT�YKVJ�GPVT[�KPVQ�UGTXKEG�KP��QT��p6JG�GCTNK-GUV�YGoTG�NQQMKPI�CV�KU�ƂTUV�SWCTVGT�QH�PGZV�[GCT�for it being offerable,” says Floyd.

FedEx Express is already a customer for the PGY�DWKNF��(�CPF�CKT�QRGTCVKQPU�FKXKUKQP�XKEG�RTGUKFGPV�RNCPPKPI�CPF�RGTHQTOCPEG�4QD-

GTV�4CEJQT�UC[U�VJG�ECTIQ�ECTTKGT�KU�GXCNWCVKPI�DQVJ�CKTETCHV��YKVJ�VJG��$%(�UGGP�CU�C�RQVGPVKCN�TGRNCEGOGPV� HQT� KVU�&%��U�CPF�VJG��'4$%(�UGGP�CU�C�RQVGPVKCN�TGRNCEG-OGPV�HQT�KVU�&%��U��

(GF'Z�EJKGH�GZGEWVKXG�&CXKF�$TQPE\GM�ECNNU�VJG��pC�RGTHGEV�RNCPG�HQT�WU�CU�C�RTQFWEVKQP�freighter and as a converted freighter” and says the carrier is looking at making a decision on VJG��$%(�pUQOGVKOG�PGZV�[GCTq�

$QGKPI� UGGU� VJG� �� EQPXGTVGF� HTGKIJVGT�complementing rather than competing with VJG��(��CU�VJG�RTQFWEVKQP�CKTETCHV�KU�DCUGF�QP�VJG�NCTIGT��.4��'4��6JG��(�JCU�C��MI� ��ND�� OCZKOWO� VCMG�QHH�YGKIJV�CPF�TGXGPWG�RC[NQCF�QH�CTQWPF��V��YJKEJ�ECP�DG�ECTTKGF�WR�VQ��MO��PO��6JG� ��'4$%(�YKNN� JCXG� CP� GUVKOCVGF�/619�QH��MI�CPF�C�TGXGPWG�RC[NQCF�QH�CTQWPF��V�VJCV�ECP�DG�ƃQYP�WR�VQ��MO��6JG� ��$%(� YKNN� JCXG� CP� GUVKOCVGF��MI� /619� CPF� TGXGPWG� RC[NQCF� QH�CTQWPF��V�CV�C�TCPIG�QH��MO�

$QGKPI�RNCPU�VQ�VCMG�VJG�NGCF�KP�OCTMGVKPI�VJG��$%(�CPF�WUG�QWVUKFG�UJQRU�HQT�VJG�CE-tual conversion, following the strategy it has WUGF�HQT�VJG��$%(�CPF��'4$%(�RTQITCOOGU��p1WT�KPVGPV�KU�VQ�FQ�KV�CU�C�$QGKPI�Converted Freighter contracted from us,” says Floyd.

TAECO and ST Aero are obvious candidates VQ�RCTVPGT�$QGKPI�QP�VJG��$%(��DWV�VJG�OCP-ufacturer also may separately sell kits to air-lines that have their own conversion capabili-ties like it has done with Korean Air and 5KPICRQTG�#KTNKPGU�QP�VJG��6JG�RTGUK-dent of ST Aero’s Mobile Aerospace Engineer-ing (MAE) subsidiary, Joseph Ng, says ST Aero pYKNN�EGTVCKPN[�DKF�HQT�VJG�EQPXGTUKQPUq��

The potential launch of a P2F conversion HQT�VJG��EQOGU�LWUV�CU�#KTDWU�RTGRCTGU�VQ�NCWPEJ�C�UKOKNCT�RTQFWEV�HQT�VJG�TKXCN�#��#�2�(�EQPXGTUKQP� HQT� VJG�#��KU�CNTGCF[�being offered and Airbus Freighter Conversion vice-president of marketing and sales Michael Fuerst says interest has been so strong that he KU�EQPƂFGPV�C�NCWPEJ�QTFGT�YKNN�DG�UGEWTGF�D[�the end of this year.

6JG�#��2�(�YQWNF�JCXG�C�RC[NQCF�QH�CTQWPF��V�CPF�KU�UGGP�CU�RQVGPVKCNN[�EQO-RGVKPI�CICKPUV�VJG��$%(�VQ�TGRNCEG�&%��U��&%��U��#��U��#��U�CPF�QVJGT�KPVTC�EQP-tinental freighters. Airbus sees the converted freighter supplementing the higher payload, NQPIGT�TCPIG�#��(��YJKEJ�KU�UEJGFWNGF�to enter service next August.

“The 777 is a perfect plane for

us as a production freighter

and as a converted freighter”

DAVID BRONCZEK

FedEx Express chief executive



Fuerst says it is “important” Airbus launch-es the A330-300P2F this year because it has some customers interested in a combination of the A330P2F and A320P2F. The A320P2F is now scheduled to enter service in early 2012, the same year deliveries of the A330-300P2F could begin if a launch customer is secured, YKVJ�VJG�ƂTUV�#��2�(�VQ�HQNNQY�CV�VJG�DGIKP-ning of 2013.

The A320/A321P2F was launched last year with an order for 30 conversions from lessor #GT%CR�� (WGTUV� KU� EQPƂFGPV� C� EQOOKVOGPV�HTQO� VJG� ƂTUV� #��2�(� QRGTCVQT�YKNN� DG� KP�place by the end of this year. He says the launch operator will most likely be from Asia as there are four Indian carriers and several Chinese carriers now evaluating the type. Fuerst says Chile-based LAN also has ex-pressed interest in the A320P2F.

FIRST A320 IDENTIFIED

/GCPYJKNG��VJG�ƂTUV�#��HQT�#KTDWUoU�EQPXGT-UKQP�VQ�JCU�DGGP�KFGPVKƂGF�CPF�pGXGT[VJKPI�KU�prepared” for work to begin in January 2011 at EADS EFW in Dresden, says Fuerst. He says '(9�KU�FWG�VQ�EQPXGTV�VJG�ƂTUV�UGXGP�VQ�GKIJV�aircraft in the new programme and complete a majority of the conversions until 2015, at which point the work will be shared on a 50/50 basis with Russian partner United Air-craft (UAC). But he says EFW is capable of RKEMKPI�WR�VJG�UNCEM�KH�7#%oU�+TMWV�WPKV��YJKEJ�has been looking at changing the site for its conversions, meets any delays in spooling up its line.

With over 4,000 A320s produced to date Fuerst expects a steady feedstock and increas-ing demand as an estimated 500 narrowbody freighters will need to be replaced over the

next 20 years. Airbus also sees the A320P2F meeting a looming requirement for growth air-ETCHV�CU�ECTIQ�VTCHƂE�KU�GZRGEVGF�VQ�DGIKP�TGEQX-ering next year. “We see increasing demand, especially in emerging markets such as China, India, Brazil and Russia,” Fuerst says.

If Airbus is correct in its view that market conditions will soon be ripe for the A320P2F, the launch of a conversion product for the

737NG, which entered passenger service about ƂXG�[GCTU�CHVGT�VJG�#��EQWNF�CNUQ�VCMG�RNCEG�GCTN[�PGZV�FGECFG��p+VoU�PQV�HCT�HTQO�EQOKPI�KPVQ�a viable conversion candidate as well,” Floyd says of the 737NG, adding the exact timing will depend on market demand and feedstock.

(NQ[F�UJCTGU�(WGTUVoU�XKGY�VJG�ECTIQ�OCTMGV�will start to recover next year. Recent monthly VTCHƂE�TGRQTVU�HTQO�VJG�+PVGTPCVKQPCN�#KT�6TCPU-port Association already show a bottoming out, with year-over-year freight-tonne kilome-tres declines of around 10% compared with the unprecedented declines that exceeded ��NCVG�NCUV�[GCT�CPF�VJTQWIJ�VJG�ƂTUV�HQWT�months of this year.

This could create the demand for a launch of the 777BCF as the economic downturn has created some initial feedstock and driven down values to a point where conversions can be considered. With the DC-10/MD-11 conver-sion programme coming to a close – FedEx re-ceived its last MD-11 in September and Aero-PCXCNK� KU�PQY�YQTMKPI�QP� VJG�ECTTKGToU�ƂPCN�batch of DC-10s, which will be re-delivered next year – there are fewer alternatives for con-versions in this size category.

Boeing is also hoping the recovery in de-mand will spur new orders for the 747-400BCF and the 767-300ERBCF. Boeing has not secured new orders for either product in a couple of years. Following the re-delivery in October of the fourth aircraft, the backlog for the 767-300ERBCF now stands at 13 aircraft. Floyd says feedstock continues to be “sort of” a challenge for the 767 given the continued delays in the 787 programme, but a lack of demand has been the bigger issue over the last year.

Demand should start to improve next year and Floyd says Boeing also continues to study a possible conversion product for the non-ER version of the 767-300, which will be launched if there is market demand. For now ST Aero only has a single line converting 767s, accord-ing to Ng.

For the 747-400BCF, the backlog is down to 10 aircraft, with 39 aircraft delivered to date. Floyd says the 747-400BCF market is “chal-lenging right now” and points to the unprece-dented quantity of large freighters parked in the desert. But he says most of the 747s that are stored are -100/200s, and are not likely return to service when the market recovers.

Rival IAI Bedek has a similar view and be-lieves demand for its 747-400BDSF, which Bedek corporate vice-president and general manager of marketing and business develop-ment Jack Gaber describes as “slow”, will start to pick up next year. “There are now some HTGKIJVGTU� RCTMGF� UQ�YGoTG� EQORGVKPI�YKVJ�freighters coming back from the desert, which is affecting demand. I expect the situation to Precision’s two 757 lines have been in “start-and-stop” mode this year

Pre

cisi

on C

onve

rsio

ns

“We’re competing with

freighters coming back

from the desert”

JACK GABER

IAI Bedek general manager

Type Vendor Status

Airbus A300/A310 Airbus In service

Airbus A320 family Airbus/UAC Launched

Airbus A330-300 Airbus Offered

Boeing 737-200 AEI In service

Boeing 737-300/400 IAI Bedek In service

Boeing 737-300/400 Pemco In service

Boeing 737-300/400 AEI In service

Boeing 737NG Boeing Study

Boeing 747-400 Boeing In service

Boeing 747-400 IAI Bedek In service

Boeing 757-200 Precision In service

Boeing 757-200 Alcoa-SIE In service

Boeing 757-200 ST Aero (Boeing) In service

Boeing 767 Boeing In service

Boeing 767 IAI Bedek In service

Boeing 777-200/200ER Boeing In development

Boeing MD-11 Boeing In service

MDC DC-10 Boeing In service

SOURCE: Manufacturers, excludes regional jets

CARGO CONVERSION ROUND-UP



change in 2010,” Gaber says. “The -200s will not come back and the -400 will be the aircraft. 2010 will be the turning point.”

He adds that Bedek, which to date has con-verted 18 747-400s, should be able to increase output again next year and re-deliver about six aircraft.

$GFGM�KU�CNUQ�EQPƂFGPV�FGOCPF�HQT�KVU��and 737 products will pick up. Bedek has to FCVG�EQPXGTVGF��U�CPF�KU�PQY�VGUV�ƃ[-KPI�KVU�ƂTUV��'4�CU�RCTV�QH�C�PGY�LQKPV�venture programme with Japan’s Mitsui. $GFGM�RNCPU�VQ�EGTVKƂECVG�VJG��$&5(�D[�year-end, but so far only two orders have been secured.

TWO ACTIVE LINES

(QT�VJG��)CDGT�UC[U�$GFGM�JCU�VYQ�active lines in Israel and one in China at )WCPI\JQW�#KTETCHV�/CKPVGPCPEG�'PIKPGGTKPI�)#/'%1��+P�RTGXKQWU�[GCTU�$GFGM�CNUQ�WUGF�8'/�KP�$TC\KN�VQ�EQPXGTV��U�CPF�&GPGN�KP�5QWVJ�#HTKEC�VQ�EQPXGTV��U��DWV�VJGUG�NKPGU�are now inactive. Gaber says Bedek will only resume outsourcing conversions to Brazil, 5QWVJ�#HTKEC�CPF�RQVGPVKCNN[�QVJGT�EQWPVTKGU�KH�KV�ECP�CICKP�UGEWTG�GPQWIJ�YQTM�VQ�CICKP�ƂNN�KVU�Tel Aviv facility.

Bedek also forged partnership early last year with Thai Airways to convert 747-400s in Bangkok, but Gaber says these plans are now on ice and Thai is “waiting for the economy to EQOG� DCEMq� DGHQTG� NCWPEJKPI� VJG� RTQLGEV��Bedek before the downturn was also exploring opening a conversion line in North America. “We’re still looking at that, but right now don’t JCXG�FGOCPF�VQ�LWUVKH[�KV�q�)CDGT�UC[U�

#'+�XKEG�RTGUKFGPV�UCNGU�CPF�OCTMGVKPI�4QD-GTV�%QPXG[�UC[U�VJG�ƂTO�YKNN�IQ�CNN�QH��

without re-delivering any aircraft, but says it will have three to four 737s undergoing con-version by the end of this year. Precision Con-versions vice-president marketing and sales Brian McCarthy says the company’s two Boe-ing 757-200 conversion lines also have been in a start-and-stop mode most of the year. Preci-sion Conversions is scheduled to re-deliver two aircraft this week, ending a nine-month gap without any re-deliveries.

/E%CTVJ[�UC[U�YKVJ��U�PQY�KP�VJG�desert, feedstock is not an issue, but demand

has been slow and is responsible for the more than 50% reduction in output. “We were doing seven to eight a year in prior years and it LWUV�HTQ\G�YKVJ�VJG�TGEGUUKQP�CPF�VTGOGPFQWU�falloff in cargo,” McCarthy says.

#NEQC�5+'� %CTIQ� %QPXGTUKQPU��YJKEJ� JCU�not completed any aircraft since it re-delivered KVU�ƂTUV�CPF�QPN[��KP�GCTN[��KU�CNUQ�UVTWIINKPI��$WV�5+'�XKEG�RTGUKFGPV�QRGTCVKQPU�,QJP�4GKPGTV�UC[U�VJG�ƂTO�KU�PQY�YQTMKPI�QP�C�PGY�UWRRNGOGPVCN�V[RG�EGTVKƂECVG�HQT��RCN-lets, matching the more successful Precision Conversions product, which to date has result-ed in more than 20 deliveries. The 757 conver-UKQP�VJCV�#NEQC�5+'�KU�PQY�QHHGTKPI�JCU�QPN[�14.5 pallets.

MORE TO COME

“We want to offer another option and be more competitive with what the industry wants. 6JGTGoU�C�VQP�OQTG�VQ�DG�FQPG�q�4GKPGTV�UC[U��adding that “hopefully now the economy is re-bounding next year the market will be better”.

McCarthy is also optimistic, saying Preci-sion is close to closing on two new contracts covering aircraft that will be converted later this year. He says there are other opportunities he is now pursuing for early 2010, which “could represent the beginnings of a much bet-ter year for Precision”.

#'+oU�%QPXG[�JCU�C�UKOKNCT�XKGY��UC[KPI�JG�now expects to re-deliver 10 737s in 2010. p1XGTCNN�� +� YQWNF� UC[� VJG� EQPXGTUKQP� CPF�freight market is on an upswing,” Convey says. “2010 is shaping up to be a banner year.”

*G�TGXGCNU�#'+��YJKEJ�PQY�EQPXGTVU��U�CPF��U��KU�CNUQ�PQY�NQQMKPI�CV�Both Boeing and IAI say demand for their 747-400 conversions is sluggish

Three cargo conversions are offered for the CFM-powered 737 Classic

IAI

TNT



launching two new conversion programmes with announcements expected before the end of this year.

ST Aero’s Ng also sees increasing demand for 757 conversions. He says ST Aero, which has three 757 conversion lines in Alabama and one in Singapore that are now dedicated to converting aircraft for FedEx, says it is receiv-ing enquires from potential new customers, mostly in Europe and some in Asia. He says ST Aero already has the tooling to open a sec-ond 757 line in Singapore if there is demand.

ST Aero has completed 14 757s for FedEx and is now turning out aircraft at a rate of about one a month. FedEx is already commit-ted to converting another 73 757s at ST Aero and Rachor says the carrier is considering ex-panding the programme to include additional aircraft.

As Cargo Conversions president Rick Hat-ton points out, the 757s ST Aero is converting for FedEx “is probably the most active pro-gramme going on now” and is the exception in an otherwise dreary market.

“Two years ago I was saying if we had feed-stocks and slot positions we were rocking and rolling. Two years later those are no longer is-sues. It’s better to characterise today’s market as no demand and absolutely no money,” Hat-ton told the Cargo Facts symposium.

While the cargo conversion providers are hopeful the market is now starting to show some signs of recovery, the pace of the recov-ery could be slow. Guggenheim Aviation chief executive Steve Rimmer points out that “we’ve never seen this quantity of freighters before in the desert” and warns that “this time we won’t see the market pick up fast because there’s a lot of good quality aircraft in the desert”.

DVB Bank managing director aviation in-dustry research Bert van Leeuwen predicts it will be two to three years until airlines will again be “chasing converted freighters”. He says DVB remains committed to converting six 747-400s at Bedek, but adds it is “not com-pletely clear” when the bank will be ready to ƂPCNN[�JCPF�VQ�$GFGM�VJG�ƂTUV�CKTETCHV��YJKEJ�was originally scheduled to be converted ear-lier this year.

“Demand is now an issue but that will change,” van Leeuwen says. “Medium term we think demand for the 747 converted freighter will be there.” O

SEVERAL CARGO conversion providers have been hit hard by Boeing’s new policy to charge for technical support for aircraft converted at shops that are not licensed by the manufacturer.

A large group of aircraft owners, including some of the biggest leasing companies, operators and conversion shops have protested vehe-mently against the new charg-es since they were introduced in April. But Boeing says it has no plans to change the policy, which includes a $150,000 annual charge for narrowbod-ies and a $250,000 annual fee for widebodies.

Conversion shops say the charge is hitting demand dur-ing an already tough period for the industry, causing existing customers to consider cancel-ling orders and scaring away some potential customers.

They say so far no operators have agreed to pay the fees despite the consequences of potentially being denied sup-port from Boeing should a problem arise. But this has yet to become an issue because there have been only a couple of re-deliveries since its intro-duction.

Several of the affected own-ers and operators are hoping the conversion shops will reach a compromise with

Boeing, perhaps by negotiating a one-off payment. The largest non-Boeing supported conver-sion shop, Israel Aerospace Industries’ Bedek division, claims it is talking to the man-ufacturer about such settle-ment. “We’re hopeful about finding a solution with Boeing to benefit the customers,” says Bedek corporate vice-president and general man-ager of marketing and business development Jack Gaber.

But Boeing says there are no such negotiations and the only option for conversion shops is to pay a licensing fee or support the aircraft on their own. The shops say the licens-ing fee, which would require them to pay Boeing a portion of their intake for every conver-sion, would erase the cost ad-vantage they have over Boeing’s own products and kill demand. Shops say Boeing has underestimated the long-term impact on the policy, which potentially includes de-creased values for their air-craft and more business for rival Airbus. They are instead looking for a short-term “mon-ey grab”.

At the Cargo Facts aircraft symposium in September, Cliff Duke – chief executive Bedek 747-400 conversion partner Eolia Trading – complained

that Boeing was refusing pub-licly to even discuss the new policy, calling it a “very unfair attack on non-OEM suppliers”.

Boeing Commercial Aviation Services vice-president freight-er conversions Dennis Floyd responded that “I’m not aware of any change in that policy” and said Boeing would ad-dress Duke’s issues privately.

Sources say Boeing is not offering Duke a resolution and the manufacturer is standing firm. Two conversion providers attending Cargo Facts called the policy “extortion” and share Duke’s view that it is as an attack on their cheaper so-lutions.

Boeing says the policy is in response to an increase in service requests it has re-ceived over the past decade and the manufacturer’s sup-port desk is typically called after an aircraft is converted. But the conversion shops say when their customers have problems they call the shops rather than Boeing.

Some of the shops expect their customers will continue to refuse to pay the new fee and question whether Boeing will carry out its threat to not support the affected aircraft, especially when the aircraft is owned or operated by some of the manufacturer’s largest customers.

SUPPORT CHARGES

BOEING POLICY CLOUDS THIRD-PARTY OUTLOOK

Airbus expects to land a launch operator for the A320P2F by year-end

Airbu

sCheck out Flightglobal’s collection of dynamic profiles for commercial and military aircraft at flightglobal.com/profiles

“We’ve never seen this

quantity of freighters

before in the desert”

STEVE RIMMER

Guggenheim Aviation chief executive


EVENTS

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Flightglobal Insight provides a range of tailored research reports and analysis, with access to information and industry expertise from the unrivalled Flightglobal Premium services portfolio.Tel: +44 (0) 20 8652 3914 email: [email protected] www.flightglobal.com/insightRegistered at the Post Office as a newspaper. Published by Reed Business Information Ltd, Quadrant House, The Quadrant, Sutton, Surrey SM2 5AS. Tel: +44 (0) 20 8652 3500; and distributed by Marketforce (UK) Ltd, King’s Reach Tower, Stamford St, London, SE1 9LS Tel: +44 (0) 20 7633 3333. Classified advertising prepress by ITM Publishing Services. Printed in Great Britain by Polestar (Colchester) Ltd. This periodical is sold subject to the following conditions: namely that it is not, without the written consent of the publishers first given, lent, re-sold, hired out or in any unauthorised cover by way of trade, or affixed to, or as part of, any publication of advertising, literary or pictorial matter whatsoever. No part of the content may be stored electronically, or reproduced or transmitted in any form without the written permission of the Publisher. ISSN 0015-3710

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[email protected] Executive Editor Kieran Daly +44 (0) 20 8652 3837 [email protected] News Editor Dan Thisdell +44 (0) 20 8652 4491 [email protected] Defence Editor Craig Hoyle +44 (0) 20 8652 3834 [email protected] Operations/Safety Editor David Learmount +44 (0) 20 8652 3845 [email protected] European Editor Niall O’Keeffe+44 (0) 20 8652 4007 [email protected] & General Aviation Editor Kate Sarsfield +44 (0) 20 8652 3885 [email protected] Senior Editor Aimée Turner +44 (0) 20 8652 3838 [email protected] Technical Editor Rob Coppinger +44 (0) 20 8652 3843 [email protected] Senior Technical Artist Giuseppe Picarella +44 (0) 20 8652 8054 [email protected] Magazine Enquiries Dawn Hartwell +44 (0) 20 8652 3315 [email protected]

EUROPE/MIDDLE EAST

Israel Correspondent Arie Egozi Russia Correspondent Vladimir Karnozov

AMERICAS

Americas Managing Editor Stephen Trimble +1 703 836 8052 [email protected] Editor John Croft +1 703 836 3084 [email protected] Senior Editor Mary Kirby+1 717 626 1456 [email protected] Editor Brendan Sobie+1 703 836 7442 [email protected]

ASIA/PACIFIC

Asia Managing Editor Siva Govindasamy +65 6780 4311 [email protected] Deputy Asia Editor (ATI) Leithen Francis +65 6780 4314 [email protected] Australia Correspondent Emma Kelly [email protected]

EDITORIAL PRODUCTION

Head of Design & Production Alexis Rendell +44 (0) 20 8652 8127 [email protected] Art Editor Gareth Burgess+44 (0) 20 8652 8120 [email protected] Sub-Editor Chris ThorntonDeputy Production Editor Jackie ThompsonSenior Editorial Artist Tim Bicheno-Brown

FLIGHTGLOBAL.COM

Online & Digital Development Editor Michael Targett +44 (0) 20 8652 3863 [email protected] Content Editor Barbara Cockburn +44 (0) 20 8652 4248 [email protected] Andrew Costerton +44 (0) 20 8652 [email protected] Community Editor Stuart Clarke +44 (0) 20 8652 3835 [email protected]

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UK, IRELAND, GERMANY, AUSTRIA, SPAIN,

PORTUGAL, MALTA, EASTERN EUROPE,

BALKANS, MIDDLE EAST, AFRICA

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Vice-President, North & South America Rob Hancock +1 703 836 7444 [email protected] Regional Sales Director Warren McEwan + 1 703 836 3719 [email protected] Sales Executive

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ISRAEL

Sales Executive Asa Talbar +972 3 562 9565 Fax: +972 3 562 9567 [email protected] Talbar Media, PO Box 57136, Tel Aviv 61570, Israel

ASIA/AUSTRALASIA

Sales Manager Cory Mathews +65 6780 4315 [email protected] Fax: +65 6789 7575 International Sales Group, The Signature, 51, Changi Business Park, Central 2, #07-01, Singapore 486066

RUSSIA & CIS

Sales Executive Arkady Komarov Tel/Fax: +7 (495) 416 0658 [email protected] UI. Molodogvardeiskaya 43/17, kv.53-54, Moscow 121351, Russia

CLASSIFIED & RECRUITMENT

Group Business Manager Simon Wingate+44 (0) 20 8652 8302Key Account Manager John-Paul Bedwell +44 (0) 20 8652 4898 Group Sales Manager Phil Wass+44 (0) 20 8652 4860 [email protected] Classified Group Team Leader Sarah Ince +44 (0) 20 8652 4897Classified Sales Executive James Leakey +44 (0) 20 8652 4897 [email protected] Senior Telesales Executive Samantha Stapleton +44 (0) 20 8652 4897 [email protected] Australasia Lyle Veloso +61 2 9422 2191 [email protected] Asia Cory Mathews +65 6780 4315

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2-4 NovemberRegional & Business Aviation Industry

Suppliers Conference

Rancho Mirage, California, USATel: +1 310 595 9403www.speednews.com

4-5 NovemberThe Future of Business Jets

London, [email protected]

4-6 NovemberSpeedNews 14th Annual Regional &

Business Aviation Industry Suppliers

Conference

Phoenix, Arizona, USATel: +1 310 595 [email protected] www.speednews.com

5-6 NovemberTechnology Training Corporation’s

Airborne Networks Conference

Arlington, Virginia, USATel: +1 310 563 [email protected]

15-19 NovemberDubai Air Show

Dubai, UAETel : +44 (0) 20 8391 [email protected]

24 NovemberDesign Methods and Tools for Light

Aircraft

London, UKTel: +44 (0) 20 7670 [email protected] www.aerosociety.com/conference

30 November - 1 DecemberPilot Best Practice, Flight International

Crew Management Conference

London, [email protected]/crewmanagement

1-2 DecemberAerosolutions 2009

Bordeaux, France Tel: +33 (0) 141 864 [email protected]

1-3 MarchSpeedNews 24th Annual Commercial

Aviation Industry Suppliers

Beverly Hills, California, USA Tel: +1 310 595 [email protected] www.speednews.com

9 MarchBritish Business and General Aviation

Association Annual Conference and

AGM

St Albans, Hertfordshire, UKTel: +44 (0) 1844 238020Fax: +44 (0) 1844 [email protected]

28-29 AprilAeromart Montreal 2010

Montreal, CanadaTel: +33 (0) 141 864 [email protected] www.aeromart.tm.fr

3-5 MaySpeedNews 8th Annual Aerospace &

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CLASSIFIEDTEL +44 (0) 20 8652 4897 FAX +44 (0) 20 8652 3779 EMAIL [email protected] may be monitored for training purposes

GET THE AIRBUS 320 / BOEING 737 EXPERIENCE

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Tel: 001 305 278 0012 Fax: 001 305 378 8925 Web: www.eaglejet.net E-mail: [email protected]

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Courses and tuitionEquipment, maintenance and service

New and used aircraft Equipment, maintenance and service

Flight InternationalTo advertise in this classified section

call +44 (0) 20 8652 4897

fax +44 (0) 20 8652 3779

email [email protected] note that calls may be monitored for training purposes

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flightglobal.com 27 October-2 November 2009 | Flight International | 51

quality throughpartnership

Including:

• CAT A1, A3, B1.1, B1.3 and B2 Courses

• Apprenticeships

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• Composite Structure Courses

• Limitation Removal Courses

www.lrtt.co.uk e-mail: [email protected]

An EASA Part 147 Approved Basic Training Organisation. Approval No: UK.147.0046 ELC Ref No: 1472

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ATPL (A) Integrated coursein only 1year from 48.347€START NOVEMBER 22/ 2009 END DECEMBER 22/2010!

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• All flight training on airplanes: SOCATA TB 9SOCATA TB 10 and PIPER SENECA III

• Full accommodation in luxury hotels plus transportation!

• Issue of Student VISA for foreign students.

ADDITIONALLY - OPTIONALLY TRAINING • Type rating course for A320 or B737

• MCC on A320 or B737 or turbo prop simulator

OTHER FEATURES • Only 12 international students will be accepted after passing

an acceptance test.

• WE OPERATE FROM TWO BASES: Rhodes International Airport and Athens General Aviation Airport of Megara

allowing it to enjoy all the benefits of both regions.

F.A.S. Rhodos

Pilot Academy:

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Tel.: +30 22410 81000

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email: [email protected]

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GR-FTO-003

Then visit the FTE stand in the Flyer Show at the Sofitel Hotel (London Heathrow Terminal 5) on Saturday 31st October 2009.

Talk to the trainers from FTE Jerez about what you need to do to achieve your dream.

We look forward to seeing you!

Looking for Quality Airline Pilot Training?

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Courses and tuition

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crew courses

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POA SpecialisedCourse

POA Specialised Course

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be held 7-9 Dec 09,

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Contact:

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DOA Specialised course also

available

PROFESSIONAL AVIATION TRAININGFlexible | Reliable | Successful

Q �Type Rating Airbus A320, A330, A340, A380

Q �Type Rating Boeing B737, B747, B777

Q �Type Rating Canadair CRJ / Challenger 850

Q �Instructor Rating Course SFI / TRI / TRE

Q �CCQ A320 / A330 / A340 / A380

Fon: +49 30 - 326 639 93 | Skype: c4u_offi ce

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Special

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For further information please contact:

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I c e l a n d i c A i r c r a f t M a n a g e m e n t

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Type Ratingsand Airline Courses

NEW ATRSIMULATORIN MADRID

Also new Helicoptersimulator:

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Hire/Charter/Leasing

Consultancy

Business services

Courses and tuition

Flight InternationalTo advertise in this classified section

call +44 (0) 20 8652 4897

fax +44 (0) 20 8652 3779

email [email protected] note that calls may be monitored for training purposes

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flightglobal.com/jobsEMAIL [email protected] CALL +44 (20) 8652 4900 FAX +44 (20) 8652 4877

Getting careers off the ground


COME AND MEET YOUR

FUTURE!

OPEN HOUSE INTERVIEWS IN NY, USA (MARRIOTT HOTEL LA GUARDIA

AIRPORT) ON NOV.21st FROM 10:00AM TO 17:00PM TEL: +1-718-565-8900

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS FOR CAPTAINS: 1,000 HRS ON TYPE

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS FOR FIRST OFFICER'S: 300 HRS ON TYPE

CAPTAINS & F/O'SATTRACTIVE REMUNERATION

& BENEFITS PACKAGE!

B-747-400, B-777, B-737NG, A-330

COMMUTING CONTRACT!

B-747-400, B-767 and B-757 Captains current on type can apply as NTR B-777 Captain

A-340 and A-320 Captains current on type can apply as NTR A-330 Captain

Interested candidates are to forward a detailed CV with clear copies of their License,

Medical and Passport to: [email protected] or to

apply in person during the pilot job fair organized by FlightOps.

Must be current with 1,000 hrs PIC on type for Capt's and 300 hrs for F/O's.

Any ICAO License accepted.

CAA Nominated Post Holder Position

Ground Operations Director

Jet2.com is one of the North’s fastest growing leisure airlines, with a fl eet of 737 and 757 aircraft. We have bases and stations in the UK and other European destinations, with over 300 ground staff. Our growth is impressive and we are now looking for a Ground Operations Director to lead us into our next phase of expansion.

This key position operates at the heart of our business and really impacts on all areas of the Airline. You will be responsible for driving relationships with Airports, Handling Companies and other Airlines. In addition you will be responsible

for identifying and increasing revenue streams, whilst ensuring that our customers receive a seamless customer experience before they step on our aircraft. Our ‘Safety First’ culture will be of utmost

importance as you ensure our airline continues to be an effi cient and profi table operation.

Already a strong leader, you will manage and inspire your multi-based team. You must have proven expertise in Ground Operations and Customer Service within a fast

paced Aviation environment. You will have experience of leading change programmes whilst having the ability to really get under the skin of

any issues as they arise. This role is diverse and exciting. You will be integral in achieving our ‘friendly low fares’ by

working across all levels of the business.

Join us at this exciting time of our continued growth, and help us fl y.

If you are interested in this fantastic opportunity, then please visit www.jet2.com/jobs and apply online.

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Experienced Bell 204B HelicopterPilots/Engineers

required for ongoing West Africa contract.

Please send CV and licence copies [email protected]

fax: +44 1285 771498

FBHeliservices is the main company in a group of joint venturesbetween the Bristow Group and the Cobham Group (a FTSE 100Company). Specialising in the provision, operation and supportof helicopters and associated services for military andgovernment applications worldwide.

The Company is now actively recruiting suitably qualifiedpersonnel for the following posts:

Deputy Chief Pilot

To support and manage the flying activities of the Operationsfunction at RAF Shawbury and RAF Valley.

It is essential that the successful candidate is an ex-militaryqualified A2 QHI with preferred experience as staff of CFS (H)or a military flying standards organisation. Also qualifiedAS350, Bell 212/412 and experience of simulator training wouldbe an advantage.

Previous aviation managerial experience, commercial aviationexperience and a civil licence is desirable.

Deputy Quality Manager

To support the Quality Manager this position is based at ourHead Office in Basingstoke. Previous quality and auditingexperience in a senior role within a Part 145 and Part Maircraft maintenance environment is essential. Knowledge ofSafety Management Systems (SMS) and Quality ManagementSoftware such as Q-Pulse is desirable.

To apply e-mail your CV with a brief summary of your careerand salary expectations to [email protected] details of this vacancy can be found on our websitewww.fbheliservices.com

Closing date: 13 November 2009

Rockwell Collins is a worldwide leader in the design, production and support of communication and aviation electronics for commercial and government customers.

To expand our regional sales and support team in Amsterdam, the Netherlands we are looking for a

Customer Service Engineer

Working as an integral part of an international world classcustomer services team the primary role will be to provideexceptional customer service to our commercial customersin Central and Eastern Europe: timely and professional resolution to technical issues and problems. This will includebut not be limited to on site technical support, trouble shooting, problem resolution, technical presentation preparation and delivery, relationship management and development of customer loyalty. Also when necessary youmay be called upon to provide support for other customersor CSE’s in special support projects.

You will be the single point of contact for technical matters toairlines and business aircraft operators located in central Europe.

The right candidate should hold a bachelor's degree in applicable engineering or science field or equivalent, a minimum of seven years of related experience and good interpersonal skills. The job requires travelling for approximately 50% of time.

To apply please send your covering letter and cv [email protected]. For more information

on our company you can visit rockwellcollins.com.

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Non Type Rated Interviews, PIC & F/O

A330 & B777Captain Vacancies

First Officer VacanciesA330, B777 & B744

A320/A340 to A330 or B757/B767/B744 to B777

PIC: 2000+ PIC hours on qualifying type

F/O: 1000+ F/O hours on qualifying type

Operated on qualifying type within 3 months

300 hrs F/O on type, 1000 Airline Hrs

Current PIC Rating on type, max joining age 57

All Commuting 5 year contracts

UK and worldwide bases available

Excellent terms and conditions

Cambridge Communications Limited

Isle of Man, British Isles

Email: [email protected]

Web: www.kal-ccl.com

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State of QatarCivil Aviation Authority

The State of Qatar Civil Aviation Authority has immediate requirements in the Air Safety Department for1. Flight Operations Inspector for Commercial Air Transport – Aeroplanes:Required Qualifications:Flight Operations Inspector (Large Aeroplanes) Qualifications• Holder of an ATPL (A)• Minimum of 5000 flying hours on large aeroplanes• Type rated on a type used by one of the State’s operators (Airbus aircraft family A320, A330, A340, or

Boeing B777)• Minimum of 5 years experience in operational/training departments with a public air transport operator

or with Civil Aviation Authority, and including 3 years of practical experience in oversight functions• Adequate knowledge and familiarity with ICAO SARPs, Joint Aviation Requirements and national

regulations• Has completed an ICAO approved course related to flight operations oversight and accident/incident

investigation techniques• Adequate experience in the aviation training field and the use of relevant visual and audio training aids

and flight simulators• Adequate experience in practical accident/incident investigation• Adequate level of English language understanding, speaking and writing• General working knowledge of the use of computer systems.Preference will be given to applicants holding

- current type rating on at least one of Airbus family aeroplane/B777- TRE/Examiner and/Instructor qualifications and- who possess high degree of proficiency in technical English report writing

2. Flight ExaminerRequired Qualifications:• Holds a valid ATPL license, with instructor rating,• Have held a similar position with a minimum of 3,000 hours of which 1,500 hours are of instructional

experience, in a supervisory position, with a recognised Flight Training Organisation.• Have valid type/class ratings for the same types/classes they require to conduct their supervisory

duties on.• Be conversant with ICAO/JAA/FAA regulations.• Be computer literate.• Highly proficient, efficient, flexible, goal and team-oriented.• Enthusiastic, creative with positive personality.Benefits:

1. Competitive tax-free salary2. Free furnished accommodation or equivalent3. Free medical care (local)4. 45 Days annual leave

Suitable applicants should send their respective current comprehensive CVs together with copy of passport and 2 photographs to:

The Civil Aviation Authority, Air Safety Department, PO Box 3000, DohaState of Qatar

Fax: (+974) 4654761e-mail: [email protected]

When it comes to strategic supply chain management,

you’re in a class of your own. So you’ll be in good company

at Virgin Atlantic. We’re looking for a procurement and

logistics pioneer who can secure best value for our

business, so we can continue to impress our customers.

With direct control over a £40m budget – and influence

over £200m – you’ll have a say in anything and everything

to do with aircraft maintenance procurement; so it’ll be

hard to overstate the impact you’ll have, both on our

engineering division and the wider business.

In return, there’s a fantastic package on offer that

includes a superb concessionary travel scheme and a

money purchase pension scheme.

If you can combine a talent for inspirational leadership

with the intellect to think through the implications of your

decisions and the resolve to challenge the tried and tested,

find out more and apply at www.virginatlantic.com/careers

and search using reference 63447.

From the bigger picture

to every last detail

General Manager – Supply Chain£negotiable · Crawley

www.virginatlantic.com/careers

HU

ND

RED

S O

F JO

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@fli

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loba

l.com

/job

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On behalf of our client

Our client is based in sub-Saharan Africa and is establishing a new airline with international as well as national destinations. Lufthansa Consulting has been commissioned to make allnecessary preparations for starting operations of the airline in 2010.

As part of the overall consulting project, we are looking for suitable candidates for the following positions, to build the Executive Management Team of this new venture:

Chief Executive Officer

Chief Financial Officer

Chief Operating OfficerChief Executive OfficerThe Chief Executive Officer reports to the Supervisory Board. The CEO represents the new airline at various levels and is responsible for the overall success of the airline. The CEO has also gotthe functional responsibility for the Commercial area.

The CEO should have at least ten years of progressive management experience in diverse areas of an airline and should be committed to developing the start-up airline from the beginning andachieving its success.

Chief Financial OfficerReporting to the Chief Executive Officer, the Chief Financial Officer is a member of the Executive Management Team with responsibility for all financial aspects of the airline includingPurchasing.

The CFO should have at least ten years of progressive hands-on experience in the airline industry or in the financial industry specializing in the airline business.

Chief Operating OfficerThe Chief Operating Officer is a member of the Executive Management Team and is the Accountable Manager with the overall responsibility to plan and direct the company’s activitiesaccording to the tasks and authorities granted. He is responsible for ensuring a safe and timely operation of the aviation related services, at the defined level of quality.

Ideally, the successful candidate should have at least 10 years aviation experience in various management functions, including an excellent track record in flight operations management.

The Executive Management TeamSince the quality of the composition of the Executive Management Team forms the basis for the overall success of the company, the following qualifications of each team member are essential:

� University Degree, preferably with as post-grad degree, such as an MBA or PhD� Minimum of 10 years experience in the aviation industry, five of which in management positions� In-depth knowledge of necessary regulatory, commercial, financial and operational aspects of running an airline� Knowledge of designing and improving relevant airline related processes � Effective interpersonal, coaching, consulting, process and project management skills� Strong organizational skills, attention to detail and the ability to work well under pressure� Excellent communication and presentation skills� Language requirements: French or English

For further information about each of the three positions, please consult the Lufthansa Consulting website: http://www.lhconsulting.com/en/career/vacancies.html or contact Mr. SaschaKrone, Senior Consultant, Lufthansa Consulting GmbH, Von-Gablenz-Str. 2 - 6 , D-50679 Cologne, Germany, Phone: +49 (0)221 826-8184

First interviews with suitable candidates will be held at the end of November 2009 throughout Europe.

We are looking forward to your application (résumé and cover letter stating desired salary and earliest starting date) which should be sent to the following e-mail address:[email protected]

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WORKING WEEK

flightglobal.com

If you want to feature in Working Week, or know someone who does, email murdo.morrison

@flightglobal.com a brief de-scription of yourself and your job.

Lt Cdr Jonathan Wells joined the Royal Navy as a direct entry pilot and flew Sea Kings in the Falklands war. He has been an instructor and squadron executive officer and is now the maintantnce test pilot at RNAS Culdrose

Do the checks, don’t look back

WORK EXPERIENCE JON WELLS

Wells: everyone makes mistakes – but don’t make the same one twice!

“In training the

student’s

performance is the

great unknown and in

maintenance test

flying it’s the aircraft”

Did you join the navy for the

navy or the flying?

My background was from a farm-ing community situated on the edge of a disused Second World War US air force base in Hert-fordshire, UK. So from an early CIG�+�YCU�TGICNGF�D[�ƃ[KPI�UVQ-TKGU��+�CNUQ�QDUGTXGF�VJG�ƂNOKPI�of The Battle of Britain at nearby Duxford (as a very impressiona-ble eight-year-old riding on a combine harvester)..CVGT�+�DQWIJV�UQOG�ƃ[KPI�NGU-

UQPU�CV�#PFTGYUƂGNF�=DWV?�KV�quickly became apparent anoth-GT�UQWTEG�QH�ƂPCPEKPI�YCU�TG-quired and I looked seriously at the military. At the same time the TV programme Sailor (based on HMS Ark Royal) showed an opening sequence of a Buccaneer low level – I wanted some of that! Sadly the demise of large aircraft carriers came too soon – the year before I joined the Fleet Air Arm. Why helicopters?

You don’t get a choice! Based on performance/personality and your skill set you get graded for your optimum aircraft. I was FGUVKPGF�VQ�ƃ[�JGNKEQRVGTU�CPF�haven’t looked back. What are the key differences be-

tween front-line flying and flight

instruction?

6JG�ƃ[KPI�KU�C�NQV�OQTG�TGIKOGPV-ed second line. You mainly work to a set syllabus and timetable to get the students through. Front-NKPG�ƃ[KPI�KU�C�NQV�OQTG�XCTKGF��

Apart from the operational task-ing you are more likely to be op-erating off a ship somewhere in arduous weather conditions. Of course, there is also the added risk of someone shooting at you. In terms of skills and

temperament, how compatible

are training and test flying?

The short answer is; very similar. Both require high standards of airmanship and of spare mental capacity. In training the student’s performance is the great un-known and in maintenance test ƃ[KPI�KVoU�VJG�CKTETCHV�Maintenance test flying sounds

dangerous – how does it

compare with other navy flying?

In theory it shouldn’t be any more dangerous than normal op-erations. Training standards are high and engineering standards

and practices conform to strin-gent regulations. In practice there is always the added risk of un-serviceable aircraft components. As a pilot and naval officer,

what’s been your biggest

success? And biggest mistake?

6JCVoU�C�FKHƂEWNV�SWGUVKQP�CU�+�think that you cannot measure your own success. As for mis-takes – I don’t think a day goes by without making an error of some

kind. The criminal one would be to make the same one twice.

Once as a junior instructor I was teaching Sea King malfunc-tions and did not see an aircraft QP�ƂPCN�CRRTQCEJ��9G�OKUUGF�each other by a good margin but there was a risk. As it happened, VJG�QVJGT�CKTETCHV�YCU�DGKPI�ƃQYP�D[�VJG�EQOOCPFKPI�QHƂEGT�QH�VJG�40�5VCPFCTFU�ƃKIJV�CPF�+�SWKEMN[�received an interview request without coffee. Careerwise, what next?

Hopefully more of the same. I CKO�VQ�EQPVKPWG�ƃ[KPI�CU�NQPI�CU�the doc will let me.What’s your advice to young

people starting out?

Don’t look back. Take every op-portunity that comes your way. Develop an enquiring mind. Un-derstand why we do things that way – it pays dividends when teaching as there is always some-one smarter than you. And al-ways, always learn your checks until they are second nature. Ca-reer-wise, do what you want – not what others want you to do. If it stops being fun, go and do something that is fun.�O

If you want to feature in Working Week, or know someone who does, email murdo.morrison

@flightglobal.com a brief de-scription of yourself and your job.

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Flight International 27 Oct - 2 Nov 09