Flight International articles from January 2007

Flight International archives from January 2007

Airbus UK prepares to boost A380 wing output.(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... Airbus UK is planning to gradually ramp up production of A380 wings at its Broughton site this year.It intends to deliver six to 10 A380 wing sets from its Broughton site to Toulouse in 2007, 18 in 2008 and 30-33 in 2009. Production was due to...

ATSB suggests RNAV GNSS safety overhaul.(Australian Transport Safety Bureau)(area navigation)(global navigation satellite system)
January 2, 2007... The Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB) has made a number of recommendations designed to enhance the safety of area navigation (RNAV) global navigation satellite system (GNSS) approaches following what is believed to be the first study of...

BA evaluates widebody proposals.(British Airways)
January 2, 2007... British Airways has begun evaluating responses from suppliers to its request for proposals (RFP) for upward of 50 widebody aircraft to replace its Boeing 767s and older 747-400s.The airline issued the RFP to Airbus and Boeing and the engine...

Batteries suspected in cabin blaze.(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... Continental Airlines has attributed a fire on board one of its Boeing 737-800 aircraft to a passenger's lithium battery-powered air purifier, an incident which has prompted the purifier's distributor to halt sales of the device. Flight CO1065,...

EU blocks Bulgaria over safety concerns.(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... Bulgaria has been excluded from joining Europe's internal aviation market despite its European Union accession this month after failing to improve shortcomings identified in the oversight capabilities of its civil aviation administration.The...

Airbus wins Israeli deal.(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... Airbus has ended Boeing's long monopoly in the Israeli market after concluding a deal with Israir for two A320s that could be followed by an A330 order.The airline's president and chief executive, Zohar Endelman, says the two aircraft will be...

Qatar demands quick A33O fix.
January 2, 2007... support max kingsley-jones / london Qatar Airways is demanding that Airbus finds a quick solution to a repeated technical problem that has left one of its A330-300s grounded during the airline's peak season. The flag carrier - which is one of...

Russia eyes engines.(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... After undertaking the consolidation of its airframe sector under the United Aircraft (OAK) umbrella, Russia has set out on a similar strategy to invigorate the country's engine-manufacturing industry. Several major financial organisations have...

DAE sizes up Pegasus.(Dubai Aerospace Enterprise)(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... Dubai Aerospace Enterprise (DAE) is examining alternative aircraft lessors for acquisition, among them Pegasus Aviation, after its unsuccessful attempt to buy Singapore Aircraft Leasing Enterprise (SALE).Pegasus, which is backed by Los...

SALE to double portfolio after Bank of China deal.(Singapore Aircraft Leasing Enterprise)
January 2, 2007... Singapore Aircraft Leasing Enterprise (SALE) is planning major expansion after its purchase by Bank of China, which should see it more than double its portfolio over the next five years.The acquisition last month came after 11 initial bids were...

SIA to firm XWB order.(Singapore Airlines Ltd., Airbus S.A.S., contracts)
January 2, 2007... expansion Nicholas Ionides / SingaporeSingapore Airlines (SIA) is close to finalising a planned order with Airbus for up to 40 A350 XWBs after confirming a lease agreement with the manufacturer for 19 A330-300s to provide interim...

Skybus takes first A319.(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... The first Airbus A319 for US low-fare start-up Skybus Airlines is being prepared for the carrier's launch. Skybus will begin services by the second quarter from Port Columbus, Ohio. Initial deliveries will be from lessors, ahead of the first of...

TNT's first 747-400ERF.(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... TNT has taken delivery of its first of two Boeing 747-400ER Freighters, which will be used to provide dedicated capacity on routes between Europe and China. The new-build aircraft is leased from US aviation investment company Guggenheim...

TUI to unify airline brands.(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... TUI Group is to integrate all its in-house airlines across Europe under a single brand, TUIfly, by 2008, and is starting with the German carrier being formed by the combination of charter airline Hapagfly and budget operator Hapag-Lloyd...

Look and listen for safety.(Aircraft Wake Safety Management, testing)(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... The NASA-funded experimental Aircraft Wake Safety Management (AWSM) system tested at the Denver International Airport in 2005 used a lidar package at the runway threshold and a laser-acoustic system about 3nm (5.6km) from the runway end, at the...

Wake tool could shrink separation.
January 2, 2007... A new laser-acoustic and lidar-based detection system in development could give air traffic controllers the ability to increase runway capacity by decreasing wake vortex-driven separation standards.Developed by NASA, the US Transportation...

Big fall in output for regionals.(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... Output for the regional manufacturers declined to its lowest level for decades in 2006, largely due to the collapse of the 50-seat regional jet market, writes Max Kingsley-Jones.According to the latest Flight International airframers' forecast,...

Dollar danger grows.
January 2, 2007... A year ago, when European aerospace manufacturers were looking forward to 2006 with optimism thanks to record orderbooks and the promise of more upswing to come, there was one major cloud on the horizon: the weak US dollar. But if most...

Casket ferry service RFP.(request for proposal)(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... The US Air Force is seeking jet-capable charter operators to ferry caskets and escorts, primarily from Dover Air Force Base in Delaware, to hometown locations throughout the USA. The move to switch casket transport domestically from commercial...

Falcon 7X flies in.(Dassault Aviation )(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... Dassault's first Falcon 7X business jet has arrived at the airframer's completion centre in Little Rock, Arkansas as it is prepared for service entry in the second quarter. The 7X, serial number 5, made its ferry flight to Little Rock on 12...

Groen chases Hawk 5 deal in Spain.(Groen Brothers Aviation)(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... Gyroplane developer Groen Brothers Aviation (GBA) has signed a memorandum of understanding with the state government of Aragon, Spain to form a joint venture to complete certification and set up production of the Hawk 5 rotorcraft.President and...

US airspace user charges may be based on jet fuel.(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... Jet fuel usage may become the yardstick by which future US airspace user charges are calculated, according to a US Department of Transportation (DoT) internal memorandum. This is just one of many means under consideration for determining how to...

What goes up...?(aviation, trends, industry forecasts)(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... If history or conventional wisdom is anything to go by, one of the industry's biggest bursts of acceleration should by the end of this year be running out of steam, and by 2010 firmly in reverse.Enjoy the good times while they last might be the...

Just not British.(Serious Fraud Office, United Kingdom)
January 2, 2007... For those who tend to the jaded view of politicians and the political process, the decision by the UK's Serious Fraud Office to drop its probe into the Al Yamamah Saudi arms contract will do little to dispel their cynicism. Despite the SFO's...

Final lap for A400M stabiliser.(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... The first carbon-fibre horizontal stabiliser for the Airbus Military A400M airlifter has arrived at the EADS Casa final assembly line in San Pablo near Seville, Spain. The subassembly - the first part of the aircraft to reach the A400M line -...

Bell ARHs to get helmet display units.(Bell ARH-70A armed reconnaissance helicopters)(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... The US Army's Bell ARH-70A armed reconnaissance helicopters (ARH) will be equipped with a helmet display and tracking system based on the Elbit Systems Anvis/Hud-24t.Elbit's US subsidiary EFW has won a contract from Bell potentially worth $51...

CATBird performs taxi tests.(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... Lockheed Martin's Boeing 737-300-based Co-operative Avionics Test Bed, or CATBird, has been undergoing post-modification taxi tests at Mojave, California before its first flight. Originally due to fly in July, the aircraft, converted by BAE...

JSF 'exceeds expectations' in air.
January 2, 2007... Lockheed Martin expects to get its first F-35 Joint Strike Fighter back in the air early this month after resolving the sensor anomaly that curtailed its 15 December maiden flight. Despite being required by mission rules to return after 35min...

Northrop Grumman rolls out first STOVL F-35 fuselage.(short take-off and vertical landing)(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... The first Northrop Grumman-built centre fuselage for the F-35B short take-off and vertical landing (STOVL) version is due to arrive at Lockheed Martin's Fort Worth final assembly line on 15 January. The unit, weighing 1,770kg (3,900lb) and...

Japan's KC-767 takes off.(aerial refuelling platform)(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... Boeing has flown the first KC-767 tanker for the Japan Air Self-Defense Force (JASDF) from McConnell Air Force Base in Wichita, Kansas. The aircraft will become Japan's first aerial refuelling platform when it is delivered next month. The JASDF...

Final RFP awaited for KC-X.
January 2, 2007... Industry has welcomed a revised draft request for proposals (RFP) for the US Air Force's KC-X replacement tanker, but is waiting for release of the final RFP this month before deciding whether the changes will level the playing field for...

Upgraded VTUAV Fire Scout makes its maiden flight.(vertical take-off and landing tactical unmanned air vehicle)(Product/service evaluation)(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... Northrop Grumman has conducted the first flight of the enhanced MQ-8B version of the Fire Scout vertical take-off and landing tactical unmanned air vehicle (VTUAV) for the US Navy at Webster Field in Patuxent River, Maryland. Compared to the...

Russia gets first new fighters for 15 years as Su-34 debuts.
January 2, 2007... Sukhoi's Novosibirsk Aviation Industrial Association (NAPO) has delivered the first two production Su-34s to the Russian air force, marking the service's first induction of new fighters since 1992.The multi-role fighter-bombers will initially...

TAI completes design work on Hurkus light training aircraft.(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... Tusas Aerospace Industries (TAI) has completed conceptual design work on the Hurkus primary/basic trainer being developed under a March 2006 agreement with Turkey's Defence Industries Undersecretariat. The company is to deliver four aircraft,...

Features.
January 2, 2007... SafetyThe world average accident rate has fallen dramatically, but less developed regions need much more helpDAVID LEARMOUNTOver the last 10 years, the world average commercial air transport jet accident rate has halved, according to...

Features.
January 2, 2007... AirframersAirbus has a lot of issues to sort out as it regroups for its sales battle with rival giant BoeingMax kingsley-JonesIf Airbus has been drawing up a "to-do list" for 2007, it will look a lot like the one it had a year ago: "Sort out...

Features.
January 2, 2007... SecurityTerrorist incidents have forced new security measures, but regulations must be co-ordinatedDAVID LEARMOUNTThe terrorist alert at London's airports - particularly Heathrow and Gatwick - on 10 August 2006 provided a never-to-be-forgotten...

Features.
January 2, 2007... Business mergers may be off the agenda for the big players, but there are stirrings further down the supply chain. Helen Massy-Beresford The big surprise of 2005 was the merger of France's Snecma and Sagem. There was nothing to match...

Let the goodtimes roll.(Market overview)
January 2, 2007... It has been a good 12 months to have been in aerospace. Even the crisis that engulfed Airbus and EADS over executive resignations, internal squabbles, A380 delays and threatened order cancellations was tempered by a record number of deliveries....

Features.(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... Expect the USA to continue to stimulate the market for alternative fuels in both civilian and military arenas in 2007.Late last year, the US Air Force reached another milestone in its testing of a natural gas-based fuel in jet engines when a...

Features.
January 2, 2007... EnvironmentThe EC is likely to find major opposition from the USA on its plan to charge carriers extraaimee turnerA year of committee showdown and moral high ground, 2007 will see the European Union's bid to include aviation in the world's...

Shandong seeks certification for DA40 production facility.(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... Shandong Bin Ao Aircraft Industries, a joint venture between Diamond Aircraft and three partner companies in China, is targeting the second quarter of this year for attaining Chinese and European certification for its production plant in...

FAA's ethanol testing confirms power drop.
January 2, 2007... REPORT jeffrey decker / oshkoshThe FAA released findings on 18 December of its first extensive test of ethanol in an aviation engine, which confirmed the decreased power from this alternative fuel that other researchers have reported."The...

Single Sky demands strong leadership: Aguado.
January 2, 2007... The foundation on which the European Union is bidding to unify its airspace by means of redrawing geographical boundaries could undergo a radical revision when member states' proposals come under scrutiny in 2009.Speaking at the European...

NASA quietly sets up Ares IV budget.
January 2, 2007... NASA is budgeting for the development of a more powerful "Ares IV" crew launch vehicle (CLV) that could be test-flown in the second quarter of 2017, Flight International can exclusively reveal.The proposed Ares IV would use the core stage from...

USA: 'Kyrgyz controller at fault'.
January 2, 2007... A US military accident investigation board (AIB) under the auspices of the US Air Force's Air Mobility Command has determined that a Kyrgyz controller at Manas airport in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan was "primarily at fault" when a Tupolev Tu-154 struck...

Sikorsky revives shelved T407 with turboshaft selection for CH-53K.(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... Sixteen years after development of General Electric's T407 turboprop was shelved following cancellation of the US Navy's Lockheed P-7 maritime patrol aircraft, Sikorsky has selected a turboshaft derivative of the 6,000shp-class (4,470kW)...

Skunk Works tests improved controls for P-791 airship.(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... Lockheed aims to verify improved flight-control system for the airshipLockheed Martin Advanced Development Projects has resumed flight tests of its hybrid heavy-load carrying airship concept dubbed the P-791. The latest flights at the Skunk...

Common core powers P&W vision.
January 2, 2007... Pratt & Whitney is studying a new engine development strategy that would base its next-generation single-aisle geared turbofan (GTF) and a future mid-thrust combat engine around a new common core.The plan means the GTF, if launched as planned,...

Raytheon Aircraft disposal agreed.(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... Raytheon has agreed to sell its Raytheon Aircraft (RAC) business unit to a partnership made up of Goldman Sachs' investment arm GS Capital Partners and Canada's Onex for $3.3 billion. The company will be known as Hawker Beechcraft after...

Discovery returns.(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... Space Shuttle Discovery landed at NASA's Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 17:32 on 22 December 2006 after a two-week mission in which the International Space Station's (ISS) power system was rewired, the Port 5 truss attached and three small...

USA creates R&D policy.(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... The US government has created its first aeronautics research and development policy, designed to co-ordinate federal research up to 2020. Officials at the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OST), the programme administrator, say the...

Red tape threat to EC emissions plan.(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... Europe suspects the USA is preparing to scupper any hope of establishing an effective emissions trading scheme by asking the International Civil Aviation Organisation to sanction a bureaucratic minefield of new bilateral agreements. The...

Getting EADS back to basics.
January 2, 2007... With all the comings and goings among EADS senior executives this year, one top-level arrival went almost unnoticed. In April, Jean Botti became the aerospace giant's first chief technology officer, with a seat on the board and a remit to make...

Red, white, blue...and green.
January 2, 2007... British Airways chief executive Willie Walsh has the look of a man who is up for a challenge. He has been at the helm of the UK flag carrier for only a little over 12 months, but has already faced as many tests as some of his predecessors did...

Right first time is the answer.(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... With 2006 nearing its end, one feature stands out among the three major programmes: the Airbus A380, Boeing 787 and Lockheed Martin F-35. All have suffered individual problems resulting in cost overruns, but all have a common problem with...

Subsidies are just no joke.(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... Kudos to Flight for its journalistic innovation in aviation comedy by hosting an impromptu appearance by Louis Gallois, Airbus president and co-chief executive (Flight International, 12-18 December 2006). "We are all aware in our hearts that...

Windshear can be a real blow.
January 2, 2007... I read with interest the article on the Sukhoi Superjet 100 (Flight International, 28 November - 4 December 2006) and the ability of the flight-control system to auto-retract and auto-extend the flaps and slats. I do hope the aircraft's...

Speechless over language.
January 2, 2007... Help - we are destroying ourselves. What on earth is going on with the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA)? Can someone or something stop the rot now before needless lives are lost? After decades of building reputable standards, experience...

Dream Chaser design takes off.(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... Californian company SpaceDev has been awarded a $330,000 first-phase study contract by Benson Space to begin design of the Dream Chaser suborbital manned spaceship. The study's aim is to develop the ship and its hybrid rocket motors...

ESA seeks mission studies.(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... The European Space Agency will release a tender this month for six 15-month studies of exploration architectures covering lunar, Mars, near-Earth object and Lagrange point missions. The studies are in preparation for the 2008 ESA member-state...

FAA tourism regulations due but key areas still undecided.
January 2, 2007... Although the US Federal Aviation Administration's new rules for commercial human spaceflight come into force on 13 February, a number of key areas have yet to be decided or are still open-ended.The FAA has to establish a performance standard...

Virgin considers cabin and spacesuit designs.(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... commercial flightsVirgin Galactic is in discussions with the spacesuit industry and preparing to release a request for proposals. As work continues on its Scaled Composites-designed SpaceShipTwo (SS2) vehicle, the UK suborbital tourism provider...

Features.
January 2, 2007... Defence: RoWPressure will be on the F-35 project team to secure firm orders from its European partnersCRAIG HOYLEAlthough the last nations involved in the production, sustainment and follow-on development phase of the Lockheed Martin F-35 Joint...

Features.
January 2, 2007... Defence: USAWar and political changes will lead to heavyweight battles before the US defence budget is setGraham WarwickA costly and unpopular war, a new balance of political power, a faltering economy at home and proliferating threats abroad -...

Features.
January 2, 2007... SpaceflightIt will be a crucial year for the development of several space programmes across the globeROB COPPINGERConfidence in the world's space industry and national programmes will either be enhanced or severely tested - and perhaps damaged...

Features.(Industry overview)
January 2, 2007... General aviationBusiness aviation is riding high on a wave of enthusiasm that shows no sign of waning in 2007KATE SARSFIELD Dire predictions of an economic downturn in the USA seem premature, much to the relief of the ebullient airframers...

Features.(Industry overview)
January 2, 2007... AirlinesFortunes have been looking up for airlines recently, but more tough times are aheadgraham dunnAirlines may have ended 2006 on a relative high after nearly breaking even collectively for the first time in six years, but this year will...

Features.
January 2, 2007... PropulsionManufacturing, rather than marketing, is likely to be the main focus for engine makers this yearGuy Norris For commercial engines, the focus in 2007 is expected to be on first runs, technology development and ramping up manufacturing,...

Features.
January 2, 2007... Air showsParis will dominate the diary, but shows in fast-emerging markets such as China are the ones to watchMURDO MORRISONEighteen months ago, an Airbus A380 swooping low over "home turf" at Le Bourget was the highlight of a Paris show that...

Air Transport.(contract for aircraft industry)(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... More A380 deals expected Airbus chief executive Louis Gallois said at the SIA signing ceremony last month that the manufacturer expects to secure additional orders for A380s from existing customers soon. "You will have in the near future...

Business.(briefs)(IAR Brasov)
January 2, 2007... Eurocopter bids for Romanian manufacturer privatisation Helicopter manufacturer Eurocopter has emerged as the sole bidder for a 65% stake in Romanian aircraft manufacturer IAR Brasov. The EADS subsidiary is already collaborating with IAR...

Business.(briefs)(appointments)(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... Former CBI director Sir Digby Jones is joining Thales UK's advisory board as a non-executive member. Etihad Airways has appointed Iain Burns (below) vice-president of corporate communications. He held the same position at British Airways from...

Business.
January 2, 2007... "We see how rigidly foreign aviation corporations defend their interests...we must have our own strategy, and defend our own interests." president vladimir putin explains how russia must defend its industry as it ...

Business.(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... SAFRAN. Hot on the heels of a profit warning, management in-fighting and resignations at the French manufacturer, outgoing chief executive Jean-Paul BA[c]chat is facing a libel case from the former finance boss of Sagem Defense SA[c]curitA[c]....

Business.(aviation projects for small and medium sized enterprises)(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... french smes. Small suppliers based near Toulouse were due for some good news, after the months of worry they have faced over the potential impact of Airbus's problems on their own businesses. Aerospace Valley, south-west France's aerospace...

Defence.
January 2, 2007... Operations Peter La Franchi / London Saboteurs target UAVs in Congo Belgian B-Hunters damaged, but no link with fatal crash Belgian army-operated Israel Aerospace Industries B-Hunter unmanned air vehicles were targeted by saboteurs...

Defence.(Department of Defence)(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... MISSILE SHIELD Australia's Department of Defence will, within the next six months, complete a study of options for developing an anti-ballistic missile defence capability based around its planned flotilla of new air warfare destroyers. ...

Defence.(briefs)(contracts)
January 2, 2007... DRS Technologies has received a $7 million contract to produce electro-optical/infrared sensors for the Honeywell Class I unmanned air vehicle for the US Army's Future Combat System. CHC Helicopter subsidiary Heli-One and Airod will install...

Defence.(Su-34s delivery to Russian airforce)(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... Bountiful boom for 'Red O2' One of the first two Su-34s delivered to the Russian air force, "Red 02", is equipped with an enlarged tail boom never before seen on Su-27UB/Su-32FN/Su-34 family aircraft. The larger boom appears to contain an...

Defence.(briefs)(Brief article)
January 2, 2007... Deepwater debut EADS Casa has delivered the first HC-235A maritime patrol aircraft to Lockheed Martin in support of the US Coast Guard's (USCG) Deepwater programme. The CN-235-300-based aircraft - the first of up to 36 of the type being...

General Aviation.
January 2, 2007... SAFETY david learmount / london GA pilots pay price for taking risks AOPA's analysis of light aircraft safety reveals mishaps during manoeuvring flight increased significantly in 2005 Analysis of why US general aviation safety (GA)...

Headlines.(briefs)(Israel Aerospace Industries)(Bournemouth Aviation Services)
January 2, 2007... Termination of arms probe under fire REGULATION The UK government's recent decision to halt an investigation by financial regulators into arms sales to Saudi Arabia has drawn criticism from one of the country's largest institutional...

Working Week.(Interview)
January 2, 2007... What is your current role? I'm the flight operations manager at our unmanned aerial systems research and development flight test facility in Redstone Arsenal, Alabama. I'm responsible for standardising and implementing our flight crew...