Airnews Round Up May 2011
SCORING BIG TIME
New York – Both Airbus and Boeing have announced major sales agreements in recent weeks with aircraft leasing company, ILFC, with Airbus having signed a Memorandum of Understanding for 100 A320neo Family aircraft and Boeing a firm order for 33 Next-Generation 737-800s.
US$40 MILLION LOAN FOR ET
Addis Ababa – The African Development Bank has approved a S40-million second lien corporate loan to Ethiopian Airlines to support the purchase of five Boeing 777-200LR passenger jets. Two years ago Ethiopian placed firm orders for five B777-200LRs valued at $1,3 billion. Boeing has delivered three of them; the remaining two will be delivered this year.
1TIME HOLDINGS’ BEE DEAL
Johannesburg – 1time Holdings Limited has concluded its anticipated deal with a BEE consortium for a purchase consideration of 70 million ordinary shares at a 10% discount to the 30 day volume average weighted price. The transaction became effective recently. 1time group CEO, Glenn Orsmond, said that the equity capital of R49-million would be used to expand the airline as well as its airline maintenance and charter businesses.
MAIDEN RSAF A330 MRTT FLIGHT
Madrid – The first Airbus Military A330 MRTT for the Royal Saudi Air Force (RSAF) has successfully completed its maiden flight lasting four hours, 15 minutes, with the crew reporting that the aircraft, its systems and two General Electric CF6 engines had performed entirely satisfactorily.
A350 XWB FUSELAGE PANEL
Nordenham, Germany – Airbus partner, Premium Aerotec, has successfully completed the curing of the largest A350 XWB fuselage panel made from carbon fibre. Located on the forward right-hand side of the fuselage and measuring 93 square metres, the panel will undergo ultrasonic inspection, trimming and drilling in the coming days prior to being joined with the other panels that together will become the forward fuselage section.
SA STUDENT BEGINS INTERNSHIP
Toulouse – The first South African post-graduate Engineering student has begun serving an internship at Airbus, under a scheme set up with SA’s Department of Trade and Industry’s National Aerospace Centre. Stephen Kriel, an Engineering post-graduate student from the University of Stellenbosch, has been seconded to Airbus’s Flight Controls Design and Development unit for four months, where he is gaining invaluable exposure to cutting edge systems and ways of working with a major international hi-tech manufacturer.
MoU SIGNED
London – BAE Systems and Dassault Aviation have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to collaborate exclusively on the preparation and submission of a joint proposal to the UK and French Ministries of Defence for the design, development, production and support of a medium altitude long endurance (MALE) unmanned aircraft system (UAS). The MoU will enable the two companies to establish a framework under which they may jointly pursue this long term business opportunity. This signature follows the United Kingdom and French Governments’ agreement to collaborate on the next generation MALE UAS to meet the requirements of both countries.
BIG CESSNA ORDER
Hong Kong — Cessna has announced that Hao Hai General Aviation Company Ltd will add 11 Grand Caravan utility turboprop aircraft to its existing fleet of two Grand Caravans. Additionally, Hao Hai will take delivery of three new Citation Encore+ business jets. Hao Hai is a wholly-owned subsidiary of a major logistics provider in China. Deliveries of the aircraft are expected in the first half of 2011.
NEWS FROM THE CONGO
Brazzaville – RwandAir, national flag of Rwanda, has launched a new service involving direct flights from Kigali to Brazzaville using B737-500 equipment, and Transair Congo also had an inaugural flight recently launching direct services to Libreville from Pointe Noire using B737-300s.
NEW SERVICE TO CHINA
Addis Ababa – Ethiopian Airlines was due to start a new service to China with Hangzhou being its destination as this edition was being published. This will be the carrier’s fourth destination in that country.
In addition to the five weekly flights to Hangzhou, Ethiopian provides daily services to Beijing and Guangzhou, plus four weekly flights to Hong Kong Ethiopian Airlines was the first African airlines to connect the People’s Democratic Republic of China with Africa, starting with its first flight to Beijing on November 7, 1973.
GULFSTREAM ORDER
Hong Kong — In ceremonies at the Asian Business Aviation air show in Hong Kong recently, Gulfstream signed a sales agreement with Hainan Airlines Group for one G450 business jet and four ultra-long-range G550 business jets. The aircraft will be operated by the airline’s business-jet subsidiary, Deer Jet. The aircraft will enter service in 2012.
HISTORIC STEP FORWARD
London – The air navigation service providers of Iceland, Norway, Finland, Sweden, Estonia, Latvia, Denmark, Ireland and UK have agreed to start the process of defining a formal ANSP alliance. Over the next year, a new executive management team will prepare a framework of legal and financial agreements for specific joint ventures aimed at greater operational and cost efficiency across the whole airspace. The aim will be not only to improve flight efficiency and reduce environmental impact, but to reduce the cost of services and operational/technical infrastructure across the whole area. An initial alliance structure, with the temporary name of Borealis, will be established this month with the appointment of an executive management team.
IN-HOUSE SIMULATOPR TRAINING
Nairobi – Kenya Airways has started its in-house aircraft simulator training for pilots after the B737 simulator was evaluated, certified and accredited for training use by both the Kenya Civil Aviation Authority (KCAA) and the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority (CAA).
The evaluation of the Boeing 737-800W simulator was carried out by both parties following a formal request by the airline to be accredited.
LUFTHANSA ORDERS
Frankfurt – Germany’s Lufthansa has announced orders for five Boeing 777 freighters which, at list prices, are worth $1,34-billion, and which will be delivered in 2013. The German carrier has also announced orders for 30 new Airbus A320neo aircraft.
A400M GETS GREEN LIGHT
Seville – Airbus Military has given the green light to the industrial launch of the A400M airlifter and approved the start of series production. This follows a thorough review of all aspects of the programme which demonstrated that all readiness criteria were fulfilled. This also means that the first four series aircraft will be produced in 2012 and the production rate will gradually be ramped up to 2,5 aircraft per month by the end of 2015. Meanwhile, Rafael Tentor, who has led the programme for four years, has handed over responsibility to Cédric Gautier, currently president and chief executive of EADS Sogerma, who will now lead the programme to certification, delivery and entry into service of the aircraft.
OSPREY MILESTONE
Patuxent River, Md., –The Bell Boeing-built V-22 Osprey fleet has surpassed 100 000 operational flight hours with the US Marine Corps. The milestone occurred during a US Marine Corps MV-22 Osprey combat mission in Afghanistan recently. Marine Corps MV-22 and AFSOC CV-22 Ospreys amassed the flight hours while performing combat, humanitarian, training, and test and evaluation missions on land and at sea. Almost half of the total hours were flown during the past two years. This milestone marks the latest major achievement for a programme that has seen 14 successful combat and humanitarian deployments since the Osprey was first declared operational in 2007.
NEW IATA EXECUTIVE
London – The International Air Transport Association has appointed a new regional vice-president for Africa. He is Mike Higgins whose tasks will the association’s initiatives in Africa. He joins IATA from Air Botswana where has served as general manager since early 2010. He has more than 34 years experience in the aviation industry.
SCHINDLER JOINS SOLAR IMPULSE
Payerne-Lucerne – Schindler, a global elevator and escalator provider, has decided to support Solar Impulse, the zero fuel prototype aircraft aiming to fly around the world propelled only by solar energy. Schindler will closely follow and support cutting edge technology in various disciplines. This partnership is an important commitment in Schindler’s on-going investment in new technology for clean and sustainable mobility and a key milestone for the Solar Impulse project. After the successful first ever solar night flight in July 2010, Schindler’s arrival as a main partner ensures the continuity of the adventure.
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