Flight International articles from January 2004

Flight International archives from January 2004

Static airframe to be first.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... The A380 assemblies under construction at the various plants include those for the first flying aircraft, "MSN001", as well as the static test airframe. According to executive vice-president A380 programme, Charles Champion, the first set of...

image makers.(U.K. Royal Air Force, Tactical Imagery Intelligence Wing)
January 6, 2004... The UK Royal Air Force is transforming its vision of network warfare into reality by creating the Tactical Imagery Intelligence Wing Tim Ripley / raf marham Royal Air Force Wg Cdr Steve Thornber, who leads the 150-strong Tactical...

low-cost carriers HILKA BIRNS / CAPE TOWN; South Africa heads for no-frills price war as start-up prepares to launch.(South African carrier: 1time)(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... A new South African no-frillscarrier, 1time, will launch services this month after securing an air service licence. According to chief executive Glenn Orsmond, details of the start-up date and fares, expected to be the lowest in the South...

start-up; Flight Centre, Alliance Airlines enter Australian charter market.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... Australasian travel agent Flight Centre has launched a domestic Australian charter operation in conjunction with Alliance Airlines, with plans to add charters from New Zealand in the new year. The company launched charter flights between...

Technology; India's RCI airs new research information.(Research Centre Imarat researching new aerospace propulsion)(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... India's Hyderabad-based Research Centre Imarat (RCI)has provided first details of ongoing research efforts in the fields of aerospace propulsion, navigation and seeker technology. RCIdirector Dr VKSaraswat says the centre is developing an...

aircraft development paul duffy / moscow; JAA completes initial flight tests of R-R-powered Tu-204; Approval to be finalised when first aircraft flies with English-language flightdeck.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... The European Joint Aviation Authorities has completed initial flight testing of the Rolls-Royce RB211-powered Tupolev Tu-204-120C and European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA - formerly JAA) approval is expected towards the end of the year. The...

firefighting; ATSB reviews water safety.(Australian Transport Safety Bureau)(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has recommended that the industry should consider requiring crew involved in water-bombing firefighting applications to conduct helicopter under-water escape training, ensure that fire buckets used...

in brief.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... CHINOOKsafety The UK Ministry of Defence expects to award a contract by late January to protect the Royal Air Force's fleet of Boeing Chinook HC2/2A transport helicopters with Successor Identification Friend or Foe (SIFF)equipment. Thales...

fleet review STEPHEN TRIMBLE / WASHINGTON DC &MARIETTA; Early retirement in store for US C-5A transports; Airframes may not survive two detailed examinations of their operational health.
January 6, 2004... Over a third of the USAir Force's fleet of 81 Lockheed C-5A/Bstrategic transport aircraft face the prospect of early retirement under two major reviews by the service. Lockheed Martin on 12 December launched flight tests of Block 2.1...

collision avoidance; Downlinked advisory tests prove successful.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... Recommendations on downlinking airborne collision avoidance system (ACAS) resolution advisories (RA) directly to air traffic controllers will be published at the end of February, says Eurocontrol, having completed exploratory trials on the...

marketplace.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... n Korean Air (KAL) has placed a follow-on order for nine more Boeing 777-200ERs, with deliveries due to start in June 2005. The airline's existing 777-200ERs are equipped with Pratt & Whitney PW4090s, although KAL says no firm contract has yet...

flight testing Guy Norris / Los Angeles; Boeing set for final 777-300ER phase; Manufacturer hopes for US and European certification in March, having completed ETOPS trials in December.
January 6, 2004... Boeing is close to completing the third 777-300ER that will be used to complete the certification programme. The aircraft will be powered by engines removed from the first test aircraft, WD501, which finished extended twin operations (ETOPS)...

tankers CRAIGHOYLE / LONDON; UK RAF gets support for its VC10s; Contract worth $365 million will bolster operation of tanker-transports until their planned out-of-service date in 2011.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... The UK Defence Logistics Organisation has placed a contract worth [pounds sterling]207 million ($365 million) to support operations of the UK Royal Air Force's Vickers VC10 tanker-transport aircraft fleet until its planned out-of-service date...

security ARIEEGOZI / TELAVIV; Israel to fly balloon-mounted radar.(Elta Electronics to develop phased-array radar)(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... Israel's air force is to use a balloon-carried phased-array radar supplied by Israel Aircraft Industries subsidiary Elta Electronics to enhance its ability to detect low-flying aircraft. The service has been on high alert to respond to possible...

Missile defence; IAI adds ABM capabilities to Barak.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) is developing a new ground-based point-defence system based on the Barak shipborne missile that could be capable of intercepting long-range ballistic missiles in their final re-entry phase. The Barak...

production max kingsley-jones / london; Airbus A380 begins to take shape ; Subassemblies produced at Airbus sites across Europe head for Toulouse for final assembly of initial aircraft.
January 6, 2004... Subassemblies for the first batch of Airbus A380s are coming together at the manufacturer's plants across Europe, ahead of final assembly of the first aircraft, which is to begin in the middle of this year in Toulouse. Late last year, the...

Straight & Level roger.bacon@flightinternational.com.(multiple topics)
January 6, 2004... Bah humbug Wright Flyer replica: $1 million Centennial of Flight event organisation costs: $5 million Entrance price: $25 End of centennial year celebrations...priceless. Top 10 blues All right, all right. So it was a...

talent; spotting.
January 6, 2004... The industry is changing the way it recruits personnel as it strives to find new managers and specialists who can cross disciplines julian moxon / london Until the great post-Second World War consolidation of the industry and the loss...

contracts.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... n Raytheon has received a $139 million contract to produce 315 AGM-145A JSOW stand-off weapons for the US Air Force, plus 231 for the USNavy. The navy will also receive 97 AGM-154Cs under the deal. Lockheed Martin is to supply 22...

demonstrator CHRISTINA MACKENZIE / PARIS; France, Sweden forge UCAV link.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... Sweden's Defence Materiel Administrationhas signed a letter of intent with France's DGAprocurement agency to develop an unmanned combat air vehicle (UCAV) demonstrator. Its first flight is expected to take place in 2008 (Flight International,...

FORECAST graham warwick / washington dc; US homeland security set to bolster civil helicopter boom; Deliveries predicted to climb until 2005, then tail off as new model order backlogs clear.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... Civil helicopter deliveries increased in 2003 and are expected to grow modestly until 2005, then decline gradually as order backlogs for new models are worked off, says Forecast International. The firm's latest market analysis is projecting...

incident Jackson Flores / Rio de Janeiro; Gol 737-700 damaged in overrun.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... Brazilian low-fare carrier Gol Transportes Aereos has registered its first major mishap in its nearly two years of operation after one of its Boeing 737-700s (PR-GOO) was severely damaged after overrunning on landing after a domestic flight....

in brief.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... medical EC135s CJ Systems Aviation Group has placed a new Eurocopter EC135 into operation with the Lake City, Florida-based TraumaOne air medical services programme, replacing a BK117, and two more with Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania-based Stat...

strategy graham warwick / washington dc; Boeing refocuses Capital interest; Manufacturer to maintain stake in financial subsidiary as first phase of report into company's ethics is published.
January 6, 2004... Boeing has agreed to maintain a minimum ownership interest in Boeing Capital (BCC) under the new strategy to refocus its financing subsidiary on supporting the company's business units. The move comes as new chief executive Harry...

RULING; France to let disabled pilots fly professionally.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... Physically handicapped people can now apply to become professional pilots in France, the French government ruled in December. As commercial pilots they would effectively be limited to utility flying, however. Paraplegic pilots have been...

spaceflight julian moxon / london; Workshare haggles delay ESA cash.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... Last-minute arguments over workshare and industrial returns have frozen the expected release of funding for a package of major European Space Agency (ESA) programmes that had been agreed by space ministers in May. Three programmes, one of...

training devices graham warwick / washington dc; Low-cost systems gain popularity; Flurry of new deliveries follows increased interest from flight schools, as manufacturers seek more approvals.
January 6, 2004... Low-cost training devices are gaining popularity with flight schools. In recent weeks, Frasca has delivered three TruFlite training devices, reconfigurable between Piper's single-engined Warrior and twin-engined Seminole, to the University of...

CERTIFICATIONS; First Atlanta simulators given Level D approval.
January 6, 2004... Alteon, formerly FlightSafety-Boeing, has received Level D approval for the first two simulators in its new Atlanta, Georgia training centre. The Boeing 717-200 simulator will support AirTran Airways and Midwest Airlines, while the 737-700/800...

systems; F-16 visionupgrade.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... Silicon Graphics (SGI) is producing night-vision goggle (NVG) simulation systems to upgrade training devices fielded by Lockheed Martin under the US Air Force's Lockheed Martin F-16 mission training centre programme. SGI has received a $3.6...

in brief.(Aircraft piloting training)
January 6, 2004... in brief ascent agreed Lockheed Martin, Rolls-Royce and VT Group, having formed the Ascent consortium to bid to become the training systems integrator for the UK Ministry of Defence's Military Flying Training System (MFTS), will...

Reusable launch vehicles Graham Warwick / Washington DC; NASA admits lack of funding for Space Shuttle successor; Agency studies range of launcher concepts, focusing on technology demonstrations.
January 6, 2004... NASA is reporting progress with its Next Generation Launch Technology (NGLT) programme, but admits funding is inadequate to achieve the goal of maturing technology for a Space Shuttle successor. The earliest decision to begin development of a...

Priorities continue to shift.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... NASA's priorities continue to shift as it tries to secure funding for development of the Orbital Space Plane (OSP), intended to provide a crew rescue capability for the International Space Station as early as 2008. The agency has instructed...

in orbit.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... n Arianespace will launch the Xtar-Eur communications satellite on an Ariane 5ECA in mid-2004. The Space Systems/Loral-built satellite is a joint venture between Loral Space & Communications and Spain's Hisdesat. Boeing launched a Delta II...

co-operation; Sukhoi and MiG discuss joint bid for Indian fighter; Teaming arrangement for single-seat light aircraft would improve production rates.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... Russia's two largest fighter aircraft design houses are discussing a joint bid for India's single-seat lightweight fighter requirement, with a selection expected this year. The Indian air force has an immediate need for 125 aircraft, with these...

Production ; China cuts ARJ21 metal.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... China has cut the first metal for its indigenously developed ARJ21 large regional jet, which it hopes to fly in 2006 and deliver to its launch customer late in 2007. Programme company AVIC I Commercial Aircraft (ACAC), a subsidiary of...

expansion; Phuket poised to seal 747-200 deal.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... Thai carrier Phuket Airlines is closing on a deal to acquire three ex-Garuda Indonesia Boeing 747-200s for use on international charter services. The aircraft will join two ex-KLM 747-200 Stretched Upper Deck (SUD) aircraft - one passenger...

regional jets Brian Dunn / Montreal & Jackson Flores / Rio de Janeiro; Bombardier urged to enter 100-seat market.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... Analysts have warned that Air Canada's recent decision to split its massive regional jet order between Bombardier and Embraer underlines the need for the Canadian manufacturer to move forward with a decision to build a new 100-seater. The...

Systems Guy Norris / seattle; Boeing packs more into flight bag; Manufacturer speeds designs for Next Generation 737 and 747 families in anticipation of growing market requirement.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... Boeing is accelerating designs for new production and retrofit applications of its electronic flight bag (EFB) on the Next Generation 737 and 747 families, as well as several Airbus models as Pakistan International Airlines prepares to put the...

rotorcraft stephen trimble / washington DC; Offers in to supply US presidential helicopter.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... The US Navy has launched the brief bidding phase for a high-profile contract to build 23 helicopters for the presidential transport fleet. A decision between the two-engine Sikorsky H-92 Super Hawk and the three-engined Lockheed Martin...

AIRWORTHINESS ; Eurocopter issues alert.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... French civil aviation authority DGAC has issued emergency airworthiness directives on the Eurocopter EC120B and AS355. Inspection is required to prevent possible tailrotor drive failure on the EC120B, and to prevent engine automatic shutdown...

upgrades; RSK MiG loses MiG-29 deal.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... Bulgaria's ministry of defence on 22 December announced its intention to terminate a contract with Russia's RSK MiG for the upgrade of 20 of its air force MiG-29 fighters, writes Arie Egozi. Conducted in co-operation with Thales, the work is...

re-equipment TIM RIPLEY / LONDON; UK may divide Canberra missions; Defence ministry sources say mapping and survey tasks may be outsourced to civilian contractors when aircraft are retired.
January 6, 2004... The UK Ministry of Defence is considering splitting its replacement programme for the Royal Air Force's veteran BAC Canberra PR9 photo- reconnaissance aircraft. The move would mean mapping and survey missions would be performed by a different...

air traffic control; Eurocontrol and EC sign for Single Sky.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... The European Commission has taken another enabling step toward the creation of a Single European Sky (SES) by signing a memorandum of co-operation with Eurocontrol. This comes immediately after the political go-ahead for the SES granted by the...

Canard rotor/wing Graham Warwick / Washington DC; Phantom Works poised to resume X-50A tests ; Excess reaction-drive rotor-hub friction could delay start of forward-flight tests.
January 6, 2004... Boeing Phantom Works plans to resume flight testing of the X-50A Dragonfly canard rotor/wing (CRW) technology demonstrator in February, after completing analysis of data from the 80s first hover flight on 4 December. A range conflict at the...

Propulsion; Japan picks pre-cooled turbojet for booster.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... Japan has picked a pre-cooled turbojet as the core of the ATREX expander-cycle air turbo ramjet under research for potential application in the air-breathing flyback booster of a future two-stage-to-orbit (TSTO) spaceplane. Using a pre-cooled...

approval Guy Norris / Los Angeles; SJ30-2 aimed at 2005 certification ; Sino Swearingen back on track after static test success.
January 6, 2004... Sino Swearingen expects to announce later this month its planned certification target for the SJ30-2 business aircraft following the successful completion of static load tests on the wing structure late last year. Although no official...

manufacturing GUY NORRIS / LOS ANGELES; Northrop Grumman reopens Prowler wing production line.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... Northrop Grumman has reopened an outer wing-panel production line for the EA-6B Prowler, 18 years after it closed its original production line in Bethpage, New York. The new panels are part of a wider effort to combat severe airframe ageing...

helicopters PETER LA FRANCHI / CANBERRA; Australia aims to delay Air 9000 selection.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... The Australian government will run a second round of competition between an Australian Aerospace/ Eurocopter team and Sikorsky for its Air 9000 requirement to rationalise the Australian Defence Force helicopter fleet, effectively delaying a...

Study Guy Norris / Los Angeles; 717-300 derivative on course for Lufthansa despite Star deal.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... Boeing says its proposed 717-300 derivative is still a contender for Lufthansa's 100-seat-plus requirement, despite the selection of both Bombardier and Embraer regional aircraft by fellow Star Alliance member Air Canada in its hard-fought...

disposals; Lithuanian to sell stakes.(Lithuanian Airlines)(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... Lithuanian Airlines (LAL) has decided to sell its stakes in several subsidiaries. These include Vilnius International airport-based catering company Aero-Chef-LAL (50.8%-owned), tour operator Aviaturas & Partners (52%) and regional airline Air...

flights on Mars.
January 6, 2004... Flying in the Martian atmosphere has become a focus for unmanned air vehicle designers at the US Naval Research Laboratory peter la franchi / brussels For the past 15 years, the USNaval Research Laboratory (NRL) has been playing a...

manufacturing Vladimir Karnozov / Samara; Samara An-140 roll-out marks the start of production at Aviacor plant.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... The Aviacor factory in Samara, Russia has become the third plant to undertake series production of the Antonov An-140, rolling out its first aircraft on 25 December. The first aircraft will undergo ground and flight tests ahead of entry...

air transport max kingsley-jones / london; Airbus leapfrogs Boeing in production; European manufacturer delivers more aircraft than its US rival for first time, achieving 53% market share.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... Airbus has finally reached the top step of the production podium, delivering more airliners in one year than its rival Boeing for the first time in its 33-year history. Airbus is expected to confirm officially next week that it delivered a...

Handover Graham Warwick / Washington DC; Bombardier delivers first Challenger 300.
January 6, 2004... Bombardier has delivered the first Challenger 300 super mid-size business jet to its Flexjet fractional-ownership subsidiary. The first four production aircraft are destined for Flexjet, with the first Challenger 300 for a traditional corporate...

Certification Graham Warwick / Washington DC; Cessna wins Sovereign approval; Achievement comes up to six months later than originally planned, but business jet's performance is better than expected.
January 6, 2004... Cessna has received provisional US certification for the Citation Sovereign, with full type certification of the mid-size business jet expected in the first quarter. This represents a delay of up to six months from the schedule established when...

Hypersonic vehicles Graham Warwick / Washington DC; NASA readies X-43A for next flight; Successful Mach 7 mission is crucial to plans to fly vehicle at M10 and for follow-on faster experimental craft.
January 6, 2004... NASA has scheduled its crucial second attempt to fly the X-43A experimental hypersonic vehicle for 21 February at the earliest, but is still analysing an anomaly in a booster actuator controller that could delay the flight. The first X-43A was...

Briefing.
January 6, 2004... Improved Su-27s delivered upgrade The Russian air force's first five modernised Sukhoi Su-27SMmultirole fighters were flown to the service's training centre in Lipetsk on 25 December, following their upgrade from the Su-27UBconfiguration...

strain surveys; Test Devices overcomes high g-loads.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... Test Devices has developed a strain survey technique for high-speed rotating parts designed to overcome the problem of high g-loads affecting instrumentation. Strain surveys enable engineers to understand how their designs can be modified...

Merger vladimir karnozov / moscow; Russia agrees terms of Tupolev/Kazan tie-up.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... The terms under which Tupolev Holding will absorb Kazan Aircraft Production Organisation (KAPO) have been "agreed in general", says Rosaviakosmos general director Yuri Koptev. "In December we came to terms on issues that hampered merging,"...

Safety David Learmount / London; Africa tops fatal accident league after UTAG crash; Last year was on course to be the safest by far, but Benin 727 loss reduced margin.
January 6, 2004... Shortly before Flight International closed for press on 30 December, the year's worst fatal airline accident occurred in Benin, western Africa. At least 140 people were killed when a Boeing 727 crashed on 25 December. The aircraft, a Union des...

contracts.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... nKorea Aerospace Industries received a formal production contract for 25 T-50 Golden Eagle trainers on 19 December. Developed in conjunction with Lockheed Martin, the T-50 has more than 50% South Korean content, with wing production also to...

Orders; Prospects for Tupolev twinjet.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... New sales prospects have emerged for the Tupolev Tu-204 twinjet and its longer-range sister, the Tu-214, in Europe and the Middle East. Iran Air is reported to have selected the Tu-204 over Airbus offerings for its fleet renewal....

first flight; HondaJet takes to the skies.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... Honda Motor's HondaJet business jet is pictured making its first flight last month from Piedmont Triad Airport in North Carolina (FlightInternational 23 December 2003-5 January). The aircraft is powered by indigenously developed,...

initiative; Australia launches hypersonics effort following scramjet first.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... Australia has launched a hypersonics initiative to capitalise on its first experimental flight of a supersonic-combustion ramjet (scramjet). The Australian, New South Wales and Queensland governments, the Australian National University and the...

solid rocket propulsion; ATK in stop-start test.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... Alliant Techsystems (ATK) has conducted its first start-stop-start test of a solid rocket motor, under a US Army programme to extend the range of future anti-tank missiles. The static firing test was conducted by ATK Tactical Systems under the...

defence arie egozi / tel aviv; Israeli F-16 multirole fighter makes first flight.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... The Israeli air force's F-16I multirole fighter made its first flight from Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth plant in Texas on 23 December, clearing the way for production deliveries to begin in the first quarter of this year. The 55min debut...

ruling; US business jets grounded as FAA transmitter mandate takes effect.
January 6, 2004... An unknown number of business jets was expected to be grounded on 1 January, when a US Federal Aviation Administration mandate requiring installation of emergency locator transmitters (ELT) on all turbojets took effect. Aviation...

Simulation; CAE lands Bell training.(Emirates-CAE Flight Training)(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... Emirates-CAE Flight Training has received commitments from several Gulf and Middle Eastern operators for training on a Bell 412/212 helicopter full-flight simulator to be installed in Dubai at the end of 2005. The machine combines CAE's Sim XXI...

fighters stephen trimble / washington dc; F/A-18E/F deal includes EA variant; Contract should secure production until 2011 and boost morale at Boeing's beleaguered Integrated Defense Systems unit.
January 6, 2004... Boeing has received orders to build at least 210 more F/A-18E/F Super Hornets over a five-year period and to develop an electronic attack (EA) variant for the US Navy under 29 December contracts worth $9.6 billion. The navy's second...

expansion Herman De Wulf / Brussels; DHL gets tough in bid to secure Brussels growth ; Carrier threatens to move to Germany if Belgium cannot ensure unrestricted expansion.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... Express package carrier DHL has warned the Belgian government that unless it can guarantee unrestricted expansion at Brussels, it will relocate its main European air hub to Germany. The company, which has been based at Brussels since 1985,...

DEFENCE stephen trimble / washington dc; Shortfalls strangle JSF ambitions; Lockheed Martin to realign major milestones as weight and performance problems continue to dog F-35 development.
January 6, 2004... Lockheed Martin is backing away from an ambitious plan to develop and field the first short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) unit for the US Marine Corps near the end of 2010, yielding to projected airframe...

Trust and vigilance.(%)
January 6, 2004... The USA has raised its threat advisory level in response to intelligence. Now it has to keep allies and its own security services on its side The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced on 21 December that it was raising the...

air transport david learmount / london; Sky marshal plan riles governments ; Despite defiance, countries look set to comply with request.
January 6, 2004... Several governments have reacted defiantly to the US request that foreign carriers field armed sky marshals on selected flights to the USA, but look like complying. Meanwhile, the gap between onboard security policies in Europe and the USA...

Spaceflight Tim Furniss / London; Beagle 2 remains silent but Mars Express will soon be on the trail.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... The status of the UKNational Space Centre's Beagle 2 Mars lander project should be determined from 6 January. Initial communication attempts failed after the Beagle entered the Martian atmosphere on 25 December. NASA's Mars Odyssey orbiter...

general aviation; Adam A500 approval slips again.(Brief Article)
January 6, 2004... Certification of the Adam Aircraft Industries A500 all-composite piston twin has slipped again, and is now forecast for March, around nine months later than originally planned. The A500 is the first aircraft to be developed by Englewood,...

General Aviation Howard Gethin / Moscow; EuroMil's Mi-38 collaboration makes first flight.
January 6, 2004... EuroMil's Mi-38 medium utility helicopter made its first flight from Kazan Helicopters' airfield in central Russia on 22 December. Two Mil test pilots conducted the initial 6min flight, followed by a second flight the next day. The latter...

Policing the skies.(Brief Article)(Calendar)
January 6, 2004... Security development since 11 September 2001 2001 September: US sky marshals concept put forward October: Australia, Canada and Germany prepare sky marshal plans December: Reinforced cockpit doors planned. US sky marshal programme...

Letters.
January 13, 2004... air traffic control Seize the Single Sky opportunity For years I was a member, and chairman, of Eurocontrol's Performance Review Commission (PRC), an advisory body that measures and analyses the efficiency and effectiveness of European...

low-cost carriers Radhakrishna Rao / Bangalore; Indian no-frills market set to grow.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2004... India's no-frills airline market is set for further growth. Air Deccan, a 2003 start-up, is outlining plans for countrywide and international expansion and another new operator is preparing to launch. Air Deccan, which is operated by...

helicopters Graham Warwick / Washington DC; Enstrom to ramp up production; New president Jerry Mullins believes it is time for company "to step up to the line" as other manufacturers struggle.
January 13, 2004... Enstrom Helicopter plans to produce 32 aircraft next year, if it overcomes late-payment problems delaying delivery of 480B single- turbine helicopters to the Indonesian National Police. This is lower than the 40 deliveries Enstrom had planned,...

strategy; Biman drops turboprop plan for additional F28s.(Brief Article)
January 13, 2004... Biman Bangladesh Airlines has dropped a plan to modernise its domestic fleet with ATR or Bombardier turboprops and is instead seeking to expand its Fokker F28 Mk4000 fleet by two. The state-owned Bangladeshi flag carrier has issued...

renewal Vladimir Karnozov / Moscow; Aeroflot begins updating ageing Russian-built fleet; Carrier completes deal for six Il-96s to join Western types, as Soviet aircraft are retired.
January 13, 2004... With the renewal of its Western aircraft fleet under way, Aeroflot Russian Airlines has began an overhaul of its Russian-built inventory. The carrier has finalised a long-awaited deal to purchase six additional Ilyushin Il-96s and upgrade...

Delivery; Ex-Swiss Saab 2000s head for eastern Europe.(Carpatair and Moldavian Airlines purchase aircraft)(Brief Article)
January 13, 2004... Two eastern European carriers - Carpatair and Moldavian Airlines - have each added ex-Swiss International Air Lines Saab 2000s to their fleets. Timisoara, Romania-based Carpatair is initially taking two Saab 2000s as part of a plan to operate...

addingVALUE.
January 13, 2004... Asian Aerospace on 24-29 February promises plenty, with civil aviation and UAV conferences slotting in alongside the main air show Nicholas Ionides / Singapore The last Asian Aerospace air show, in Singapore in February 2002, was held...