ARIK AIR EXPANDS NETWORK

Lagos – Arik Air, Nigeria’s largest commercial airline, has launched two new intercontinental routes in recent weeks. The first is a non-stop service between London Heathrow and Abuja operating five times a week. The route is being serviced by brand new Boeing 737-800 aircraft, ideally suited for flying medium haul routes and making short turnarounds at airports. Shortly after the introduction of this service, Arik Air launched its first transAtlantic route – from Lagos to New York, JFK to Lagos providing the only direct flight available on the route. The thrice-weekly schedules are being operated by an Airbus A340-500s, offering the latest in three-class accommodation. The A340-500 aircraft will be operated by Arik Air’s partner, Hi Fly Transportes Aeros SA.

The launch of the New York route from Arik Air’s hub in Lagos is part of an aggressive international expansion by the growing airline. It is the airline’s third long-haul route from Lagos, following the launch of daily flights to London in 2008 and Johannesburg last June. Meanwhile, the airline has announced the appointment of John Roijen and Kevin Dudley, who will take up the positions of chief financial officer (CFO) and chief operating officer (COO) respectively. This follows the earlier announcement of the appointment of Jason Holt as the airline’s new managing director.

BA, IBERIA SIGN MoU

London – After 16 months of discussion it was it was announced last month that British Airways and Iberia’s boards have had agreed to a binding Memorandum of Understanding setting out the basis for a proposed merger of the two companies to create a new, leading European airline group that recognises the principle of parity at board and management level. The new airline group would have 419 aircraft and fly to 205 destinations. In 2008, British and Iberia carried 62-million passengers. According to their latest financial year, their joint revenues are of approximately 15- billion euros.

The airlines believe there is a strategic rationale for the transaction, which is expected to generate annual synergies of approximately 400-million euros and benefit both companies’ shareholders, customers and employees. The new group will combine the two companies’ leading positions in the UK and Spain and enhance their presence in the international long-haul markets, while retaining the individual brands and current operations of each airline. The proposed merger will result in the creation of a new holding company (TopCo) that will own both the existing airlines and whose shareholders will be the current British Airways and Iberia shareholders.

TopCo will be a Spanish incorporated company registered in Madrid, Spain. The majority of board meetings and all shareholders meetings will take place in Madrid. As at completion of the merger, TopCo will be tax resident in Spain. The operating and financial headquarters of the combined group will be located in London, which shall contain the principal management functions of the combined group. The TopCo board will comprise 14 directors with seven designated by each airline. The merger is expected to be completed in late 2010.

FAA CERTIFICATION

Mineral Wells, Texas – Cobham’s “HeliSAS” two-axis helicopter stability and autopilot system has received its first Supplemental Type Certification (STC) from the FAA for use in a Robinson model R44 aircraft. The company is also in the process of achieving HeliSAS certification for use on the Bell 206, Bell 407, Eurocopter AS350, and U.S. Navy’s Bell-made TH-57 helicopters. HeliSAS is a two-axis attitude hold, attitude command, flight control system. The system has two basic functions, a stability augmentation system to aid with aircraft stability and autopilot outer loop control modes for altitude hold, heading select and navigation sensor coupling.

CAASA AWARDS

Johannesburg – The Commercial Aviation Association of Southern Africa presented lifelong service awards to three well-known aviation personalities during its recent annual meeting in Midrand. The recipients were Peter Piggott, a former CEO of CAASA and a well-known helicopter pilot; Dennis du Plooy who has a long history of service in the industry, and Mike Edwards, recently retired from the SA Weather Service and who has subsequently become a consultant to the service. The President’s Trophy for the CAASA affiliate which contributed most to the industry during the past year, went to the Association of Non-Scheduled Operators (ANSO).

CONTRACT SIGNED

London – Northrop Grumman Corporation has announced that its Europe-based subsidiary, Northrop Grumman Park Air Systems, has been awarded a multi-million dollar contract by SELEX Systemi Integrati, of Italy, for the provision of an integrated air traffic management systems package for the new Doha International Airport, in Qatar.

NEW EXHIBITION

London – A new exhibition, called the Sikorsky MH-53 Pave Low, was recently opened at the National Cold War Exhibition at Royal Air Force Museum, Cosford. The combat search and rescue helicopter is the first aircraft of its type to go on display in the UK and was donated by the USAF. The opening was conducted by Air Chief Marshal Sir Steven Dalton, RAF Chief of Air Staff. Sir Stephen also took a tour of the Cosford site including a visit to the Michael Beetham Conservation Centre.

DIAMOND UPGRADE

Madrid – Diamond Aircraft has completed the first Upgrade DA42 New Generation, for the Spanish Flight School, Academy, CESDA. During the programme the two TAE diesel engines were changed for two new diesel Austro engines (AE300), as well as all other necessary adoptions to change the aircraft to a New Generation aircraft.

JET PARTS CENTRE

São José dos Campos – Embraer has established a partnership with CEVA Logistics to offer its executive jet customers a new distribution centre in Dubai. Located near the Dubai International Airport, the CEVA Logistics facility supplies spare parts for the expanding Embraer executive jet fleet in the Middle East, as well as support customers in North Africa and India. Embraer currently maintains a stock of spare parts for the Legacy 600 and the Lineage 1000 in Dubai, which will be expanded to support the Phenom 100 and the Phenom 300 jets.

TRANSATLANTIC FLIGHT

Wichita – Hawker Beechcraft Corporation has announced the recent completion of the first non-stop transAtlantic flight of its Beechcraft King Air 350ER. This milestone was achieved by the first of four modified King Air 350ER twin-engine turboprop aircraft travelling to the United Kingdom for delivery to the Ministry of Defence as part of the future Military Flying Training System (UK MFTS) programme. The aircraft flew from Wichita to Bournemouth International Airport, in the UK, with only a single stop in St. John’s, Newfoundland. The two legs of the 4 000-plus nauticalmile journey were achieved in less than 12 hours.

JOINT VENTURE

Mumbai, India – Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation and Tata Advanced Systems Ltd. (TASL) have announced the signing of an agreement creating a joint venture that will manufacture aerospace components for Sikorsky in India, including components for S-92 helicopter cabins. The joint venture agreement builds upon a long-term contract signed last June for TASL to assemble Sikorsky S-92 helicopter cabins. Both the joint venture agreement and the cabin assembly contract stem from a Memorandum of Understanding signed in February 2007 by the companies to explore the creation of aerospace operations in India.

MAJOR AIRCRAFT ORDER

Wichita, Kansas – Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC) has announced the sale and delivery of 12 aircraft to the Saudi Arabia Presidency of Meteorology and Environment. The sale of the aircraft was kept a closelyguarded secret with deliveries having started at the beginning of last year and the last two being handed over late in December. The order consists of one Hawker 900XP, two Hawker 400XP, one King Air 350, two King Air B200GT and six King Air C90GTi aircraft. The aircraft are being used to support the various roles of the Saudi Arabia PME, which includes vital meteorological activities such as weather forecasting and modelling, and environmental issues.

NEW CARAVAN

Arusha, Tanzania – East African airline, Fly540, has taken delivery of a new Cessna Caravan which is being used on services to the Serengeti Game Reserve.

LYCOMING GETS IO-390 STC

Miami – Our US Editor, Ed Hirsch, reports that owners of older Mooneys now have a new option when it is time for an engine overhaul. Lycoming recently received the FAA STC to replace the original IO-360 Lycoming engine in Mooney M20E, M20F and M20J models with a new or remanufactured IO-390-A3A6 engine. The engine provides more horsepower as well as improved climb and cruise performance, while maintaining the same footprint as the IO-360 engine. The STC includes a new or rebuilt IO-390- A3A6, the Slick start system and required documentation. In addition, Hartzell has certified both twoblade and three-blade propellers for the STC.

X2 WINS AWARDS

STRATFORD, Conn. – Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation’s X2 Technology demonstrator programme has been recognised by Popular Science magazine with a 2009 “Best of What’s New Award Popular Science, claimed to be the world’s largest science and technology magazine with 7,1-million readers, named the X2 Technology demonstrator as one of the top technological advancements in the Aviation and Space category in 2009. It is the third high-profile recognition for the X2 Technology demonstrator by a major consumer magazine in a month. In October, Popular Mechanics presented the X2 Technology programme with a 2009 Breakthrough Innovator Award, and Time magazine recently named it to its list of “The 50 Best Inventions of 2009.” Aiming to achieve the highest speed ever recorded for a helicopter, the Sikorsky X2 Technology demonstrator combines an integrated suite of technologies intended to advance the state-of-the-art, counter-rotating coaxial rotor helicopter. It is designed to demonstrate a helicopter can cruise comfortably at 250 knots while retaining such desirable attributes as excellent low speed handling, efficient hovering, and a seamless and simple transition to high speed.

NEW UAV BUZZWORD

Seattle – It is referred to as the foliage penetration reconnaissance, surveillance, tracking and engagement radar, or FORESTER for short and has been designed to provide enhanced coverage of moving vehicles and dismounted troops under foliage, filling the current surveillance gap. The new radar system recently completed a comprehensive series of 20 test flights involving 53 hours flight time over a period of six weeks mounted on a Boeing A160T Hummingbird unmanned helicopter.

The 53 flight hours involved in the tests pushed the total flight hours for the A160T past the 220-hour mark. The helicopter’s longest flight at the test site was 5,8 hours and its average flight time was 4,2 hours. The A160T is a turbine-powered unmanned helicopter that can perform numerous missions, including intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, communications, and precision resupply. It holds the world record for endurance for its class (more than 18 hours unrefueled), can hover at 20 000 feet and can carry up to 1 135 kg of cargo. The Hummingbird recently was selected to take part in the US Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory’s immediate cargo unmanned aerial system demonstration programme. Boeing will demonstrate that the A160T can deliver at least 1 135 kg of cargo from one simulated forward-operating base to another in fewer than six hours per day for three consecutive days.

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