FLUG REVUE update: Week ending October 19, 2003

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UPDATE
Week ending 19 October 2003

+++ Chinese “Taikonaut” returns from space +++ Aero Lloyd shuts down +++ Lufthansa restructures regional services +++ Global Hawk lands in Germany +++ Boeing cuts 757 +++ 747 to fly 7E7 parts +++News in brief +++

Chinese “Taikonaut” returns from space
Erster Chinese im All

China has become the third country to launch an astronaut into space with its own rocket and spacecraft and bring him back safely. Lt. Col. Yang Liwei returned to Earth on 16 October with the Shenzhou 5 capsule. Touchdown was at 22.23 GMT, i.e. early Thursday morning in the grasslands of Inner Mongolia in northern China. Minutes later, he emerged from the capsule without help and waved at rescuers, though footage showed him appearing a bit dazed. “The mission was a success,'' said Li Jinai, the head of China's manned space program. He called Yang a “space hero.'' The Beijing Aerospace Command and Control Center had sent a message at about 21.35 GMT to Shenzhou 5 instructing it to return as planned. Shenzhou 5, shown on a screen in the mission control center, made a gentle turnaround upon receiving the order. The landing came after Shenzhou 5 orbited the Earth 14 times.
The mission began at 01.00 GMT Wednesday, which was early morning at the Jiuquan Space Launch Center in Inner Mongolia. A last minute decision to not broadcast the launch on live television prevented millions from seeing the rocket climb toward space. Chinese president Hu Jintao was at the launch site to witness the shot in person and called it "the glory of our great motherland." It took 10 minutes for the Long March 2F to carry the Shenzhou 5 spacecraft into orbit. The Long March 2F is a two-stage rocket equipped with four liquid-fueled strap-on boosters. An escape tower attached to the Shenzhou spacecraft topped off the launch vehicle.
Flying alone for this first mission, Liwei was among 14 astronauts who have been training for several years. Some of the pilots spent time at Star City near Moscow, where Russian cosmonauts prepare for their missions. Although the Shenzhou spacecraft is based on the Soyuz design, it is slightly more advanced and uses more modern computers to manage operations and navigation. Beijing insists, however, that everything sent into space was developed and made in China. State media, trying to dispel suggestions that its triumph depended on foreign know-how, has refered to Shenzhou as "China's self-designed manned spaceship."
The completion of the mission was the crowning achievement of an 11-year, military-linked manned space program promoted as a symbol of national prestige both at home and abroad. The country's premier, Wen Jiabao, immediately spoke to Yang from Beijing and offered his congratulations. Yang, an astronaut since 1998, was picked for the flight from three finalists. They have trained for years, and the field was narrowed from 14 in recent weeks. His trip came after four test flights, beginning in 1999, of unmanned Shenzhou capsules.

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Aero Lloyd shuts down
Charterfluggesellschaft pleite

The German charter airline Aero Lloyd was shut down on 16 October after money ran out. Thousands of travelleres were stranded in the early morning hours at airports both in Germany and at holiday destintions around the Mediterranean. Other holiday concerns like TUI and Thomas Cook were quick to pick up the people. The shutdown came as a surprise, even though it was known that Aero Lloyd had financial difficulties. Banks, among them the Bayerische Landesbank, were working on restructuring measures but apparently pulled the plug on further financing.

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Lufthansa restructures regional services
Lufthansa Regional am Start

The regional air traffic within the Lufthansa alliance has been restructured: under the joint name "Lufthansa Regional", the Lufthansa partners Air Dolomiti, Augsburg Airways, Contact Air, Eurowings and Lufthansa CityLine are reorganizing their cooperation with Lufthansa. As a result, in the regional segment, passengers will be offered an comprehensive programme of direct flights and transfer connections. The new umbrella brand will also be visible at the airports of those partners based in Germany: step by step they will be equipped with the blue logo "Lufthansa Regional" on a white ground, in the spirit of an honest customer communication with the addendum "operated by ......." for each individual partner. "Regional traffic is a substantial part of our worldwide offer", according to Wolfgang Mayrhuber, Chairman of the Executive Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, at the introduction of the new concept in Frankfurt. "For our customers in the regions and thus, for the regions themselves, direct flights and a good connection with the Lufthansa hubs in Frankfurt and Munich are of the highest economic importance. Transfer passengers, who travel with Lufthansa's regional partners, in numerical terms already fill the equivalent of 19 jumbo jets a day. Via the transfer connections with Lufthansa and its partners in the Star Alliance, passengers from Bremen to Friedrichshafen can travel smoothly to more than 700 destinations in 128 countries", he added.
The regional traffic segment has been growing continuously at Lufthansa since 1995. As a result of the restructuring the partners will simplify their cooperation with Lufthansa. Lufthansa Regional will increase the intensity of the collaboration between the partners. The new alliance represents a powerful unit with high synergies which, above all, will be to the benefit of the customers. Passengers will profit from a dense network of feeder flights to and from the hubs of Munich and Frankfurt, the decentral direct traffic from important economic regions such as Düsseldorf and Hamburg as well as the networking of inner-German and European destinations. In particular, the linking of the regions within Europe is a special strength of Lufthansa Regional.

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Global Hawk lands in Germany
Drohne zur Flugtests in Deutschland

A U.S. Air Force RQ-4A Global Hawk unmanned air vehicle (UAV) landed in Germany on 15 Octonber to begin a key airborne ground surveillance flight demonstration program for the German Ministry of Defense (MoD). Equipped with an EADS-produced electronic intelligence (ELINT) sensor, the Northrop Grumman produced UAV touched down at the German navy's Nordholz Air Base near Cuxhaven at approximately 04:05 local time. The arrival followed a 20-hour, 53-minute flight across the Atlantic from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif.
Over the next three weeks, a test team from EADS, Northrop Grumman and the Air Force will conduct several flights of the ELINT-sensor-equipped UAV to demonstrate the technical feasibility of using UAVs to perform high-altitude, long-endurance (HALE) wide-area surveillance (WAS) missions. A successful test program could lead to a decision by the German MoD to develop and produce a Global Hawk-derived sensor platform called Euro Hawk(TM) to satisfy its HALE WAS mission requirements. Proposed by Northrop Grumman and EADS as a HALE WAS solution, Euro Hawk will be based on the RQ-4B model Global Hawk and will carry an EADS-developed sensor package. The German MoD currently uses conventional manned platforms to perform ELINT missions. Prior to its deployment to Nordholz, the EADS ELINT-sensor-equipped Global Hawk performed several successful test flights in the U.S. EADS developed the ELINT sensor as a company-funded project.

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Boeing cuts 757
757-Fertigung wird 2004 eingestellt

On October 16, Boeing announced that it has decided to complete production of the 757 jetliner in late 2004. “This decision reflects the market reality for the 757 as well as the growth in range and seating capacity of our market-leading Next-Generation 737 family,” said Boeing Commercial Airplanes President and Chief Executive Officer Alan Mulally. “Over the long term, the increased capabilities of our newest 737s and the exciting potential of the 7E7 will fulfill the market served by the 757.” Consistent with prior disclosed estimates, Boeing will recognize a pre-tax charge in the third quarter of $184 million, or 14 cents per share, principally related to termination and shutdown costs at Boeing Commercial Airplanes. Most of the cash expenditures related to the charge will occur through 2005. Over the past two decades, more than 1,000 757s have been delivered to 55 customers around the world. The worldwide fleet of 757s will continue to benefit from superior fleet support provided by Boeing Commercial Airplanes.

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747 to fly 7E7 parts
Jumbo-Superfrachter für 7E7-Teile

Boeing will dramatically reduce the time to move components of its new 7E7 passenger plane to final assembly from suppliers by adopting air transportation as its primary method of parts delivery. The company projects possible savings of 20 to 40 percent compared to traditional shipping methods, with delivery times of as little as one day, rather than as many as 30 days for other programs today. Such savings will allow the initial 7E7 investment in the air transportation assets to be recouped in the first few years of production. "Transporting large pieces by air will allow us to dramatically reduce flow time," said Mike Bair, senior vice president of the 7E7 program. "We're committed to doing things differently to create value for our customers." Boeing will rely on at least three modified 747-400s to move the 7E7 components, although it has not determined details such as asset ownership or where the 747s will be modified.
"We announced in June that the 7E7 will be the first large commercial jet to have a majority of its primary structure -- including the wing and fuselage -- made of composite materials," Bair said. "That allows us to build larger, more integrated assemblies that will come from all over the world. Regardless of where the final assembly site is, air transport is a perfect solution." The decision to transport large 7E7 assemblies by air does not alter the requirement for the 7E7 final assembly site to be accessible by water. Boeing plans to select the 7E7 final assembly location later this year.

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NEWS IN BRIEF / KURZMELDUNGEN

European initiatives such as the Single European Sky, GALILEO must be delivered, together with an efficient support to Research and Technology, to facilitate the return to sustainable growth of the air transport industry in Europe. Co-operation between all stakeholders is essential to enhance the economic performance of the industry, its competitiveness and the efficiency of its services. This was the basic outcome of the Annual Convention of AECMA at which more than 300 leaders of the European aerospace industries debated the theme “Air Transport – A Pillar for European Development”. The meeting was chaired by the new AECMA President and CEO BAE Systems, Mike Turner.
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The European Commission has presented a Communication on aerospace which identifies the steps needed to improve the political and regulatory framework affecting the competitiveness of this key industry in several important areas. With this Communication, the Commission is responding to the analyses and prescriptions of the STAR 21 report (Strategic aerospace review for the 21st Century) presented by the European Advisory Group on Aerospace in 2002. Enterprise Commissioner Erkki Liikanen said: “With this Communication the Commission is showing its commitment to ensuring the competitiveness of European industry and towards a key industrial sector. This will help to keep aerospace issues high on the European agenda. The Communication will be the opportunity for taking forward the recommendations in STAR 21 in cooperation with the other European Institutions, Member States and aerospace stakeholders.” By way of follow up to the STAR 21 report, the Commission has underlined its continuing commitment to aerospace and highlighted industry's contribution to Europe's economy and security in a Communication entitled “A Coherent Framework for Aerospace A Response to the STAR 21 Report”. In its Communication, the Commission points out the progress that has been achieved in several major areas since the STAR 21 report was presented, including the setting-up of the European Aviation Safety Agency, the relaunch of the defense debate, the broad public consultation on European space policy and the progress made towards implementation of the Galileo program. The Commission considers that further efforts are needed in order to ensure the industry's competitiveness. Stressing the need for coherence in actions affecting aerospace, the Commission calls for priority to be given to the creation of a European defense equipment market, the launching of a successful preparatory action on security research and the development of an effective European space policy.
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Will spacecraft travelling through interplanetary space be able to determine their positions by using signals from dead stars as astronomical clocks? What is the likelihood of artificial muscles made from electro-active polymers replacing mechanical parts in spacecraft? Will it ever be possible to conceive an interstellar highway in which spacecraft journey across the galaxy using the delicate gravitational balance between neighbouring stars? These are just some of the imaginative, futuristic concepts that will be studied in the first call for proposals issued under a new European Space Agency (ESA) initiative named Ariadna. Managed by the Advanced Concepts Team (ACT) on behalf of the Agency's Advanced Concepts and Studies Office, Ariadna will further strengthen the existing links between ESA and the European academic community. Not only will Ariadna enhance opportunities for cooperation and exchange of information between ESA, universities and research institutes, but it will also enable ESA to become even more involved in ground-breaking research than in the past, becoming an equal partner as much as possible, rather than a mere supervisor.
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London City Airport is pleased to announce that the aircraft manufacturer Embraer has successfully published supplements to the Aeroplane Flight Manuals for both the Embraer ERJ – 135 and the Embraer Legacy. This means that both aircraft can meet the requirements for the steep approach into London City. Richard Gooding, Managing Director of London City Airport said: “This is excellent news for the airport for both our scheduled operation and the Jet Centre, which independently serves the business aviation market. “This is particularly good news for the new airline Jetmagic, which started the Cork – London City service on September 14, as they plan to operate the route using the Embraer ERJ-135 jet aircraft, which has a seating capacity of 37. The ERJ-135 is a new modern aircraft that provides commercial cost benefits to the airline and we look forward to seeing the aircraft in use at London City.”
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The Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) and a Russian company, Saratov Aviation, signed an agreement to jointly pursue a new flying vehicle concept. Not only could this new technology revolutionize aviation, but the cooperation between the two countries could also transform their respective traditional research and development methodologies. Scientists at Saratov have developed a new concept that allows efficient flight of odd-shaped objects using vortex oscillating propulsion systems. “The technology could allow for development and design of a whole new class of aircraft we've never even considered before - a whole new range of aerodynamic shapes,” said Dr. John Fischer, director of NAVAIR's Research and Engineering Sciences Department. As a provider of advanced warfare technologies for the Department of Defense, as well as the Navy, NAVAIR is in a unique position to take on the Russian partnership.
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Munich Airport continues to achieve steady growth despite the overall economic slump. The airport handled 18.2 million passengers during the first nine months of 2003 — a 5 percent increase over the same period last year. While most other major European airports have seen their traffic figures stagnate or even decline, Munich Airport's outstanding growth rates are solidifying its role as an important international air transport hub. The positive trend has obviously carried over into the fourth quarter: passenger traffic in the first week of October is nearly 7 percent heavier than a year ago. The fastest-growing segment at Munich Airport was international travel. Long-haul flights to and from Munich accounted for almost 1.6 million passengers – approximately 10 percent more than in 2002. Passenger figures on routes to the USA increased by 23 percent. Since the end of the Gulf War, airlines flying to the Gulf states have experienced above-average increases in bookings. For European routes, it took only nine months to top the 10 million mark in annual passengers (+4%). In the tourism segment, the western Mediterranean region was the clear winner over the east in the popularity contest with holidaymakers. Flights to Spain alone accounted for 1.6 million passengers — a 12 percent gain on last year's performance.
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Eurocopter has announced the contract signature, in Mexico City, with the Mexican Navy (Armada de México) for the acquisition of 2 Panther helicopters plus 8 options. This firm order reinforces the relationship between Eurocopter and the Mexican Navy, started 23 years ago. The Panther Helicopters will be operated from boats for coast guarding, surveillance, SAR (Search And Rescue), drug eradication, and troop transports missions. They will be delivered in 2005, completing the current operating Mexican Navy fleet of Eurocopters's BO 105 CB & AS 555 AF.
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Boeing is offering air carriers another way to maximize the value of their 747-400s by initiating a program to convert those passenger airplanes to freighters. "This is an excellent opportunity for operators to leverage relatively modern airplanes that may be under utilized because of the unprecedented travel downturn we've seen during the past two years," said Mike Cave, senior vice president, Boeing Commercial Aviation Services. "There has been tremendous customer interest in Boeing offering a 747-400 passenger to freighter modification, and the customer knows that if it's a Boeing upgrade, designed and supported by Boeing, it's the same quality as they can expect in a new airplane," Cave added. Freighter conversions comprise about two thirds of the world's current cargo fleet, and forecasts predict this trend will continue. For large freighters like the 747-400, the future fleet will be equally divided between production freighters (with their larger payloads and range capabilities and versatile nose doors) and converted freighters. This provides air cargo operators with solutions that match their unique market requirements. The 747-400 Special Freighter is expected to be certified and enter service in late 2005. The first customers are anticipated to launch the program late this year. Boeing and Taikoo (Xiamen) Aircraft Engineering (TAECO) in Xiamen, China, will convert the program's first three airplanes, with Boeing providing detailed engineering design work and oversight, and TAECO providing touch labor on the airplanes.
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The Indian Minister for Civil Aviation, Mr Rajiv Pratap Rudy, expressed his commitment to maintaining the highest standards in safety and security in civil aviation in India. He was inaugurating the EU-India Civil Aviation Safety and Security Conference in New Delhi. About 50 representatives of the European aerospace industry and 150 representatives of Indian institutions and industry took part in the Conference. The Conference was organised in the framework of the ongoing 32 million € Civil Aviation Project between EU and India. The presentations discussed air safety enhancement and the progress of air transport security through prevention tools and strategies followed in Europe. The Conference provided a forum to address the security and safety related issues in a concerted manner, with solutions being identified for implementation. The EU-India Civil Aviation Project is supported by the European Commission, the Ministry of Civil Aviation in India, AECMA (the European Association of Aerospace Industries), Hindustan Aeronautics Limited (HAL) and SIATI (Society of Indian Aerospace Technologies and Industries).
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At the recent Aviation Expo China 2003 air show, Eurocopter officially announced the opening of permanent offices in Beijing. This decision made clear Eurocopter's intention to establish a long-term presence in China, and to become a privileged partner of the Chinese authorities. These new offices will also make it possible for Eurocopter to establish even closer contacts with Chinese operators already using Eurocopter helicopters, and further extand the Eurocopter market. The offices will be located in the facilities of EADS, the parent company of Eurocopter. Henri Stell will be in charge of activities. Henri Stell is the former president of Eurocopter South East Asia, Singapore.
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The Royal Australian Navy is poised to accept the first of 11 new Super Seasprite helicopters for testing, evaluation and training, Defence Minister Robert Hill announced. Senator Hill said air and ground crews would start operating the aircraft after the provisional acceptance of the first helicopter was marked at a special function in Nowra on Saturday. "After testing and training, the helicopters will join our fleet of eight ANZAC class frigates," Senator Hill said. The staged acceptance of the helicopters will allow the Navy to conduct training and initial testing and evaluation, helping to ensure their smooth introduction into operational service from mid 2005.
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Bell Helicopter officials announced the sale of the first three Bell Eagle Eye UAVs intended for use in the commercial sector. Evergreen Aviation International of McMinnville, Oregon placed the order for three Bell Eagle Eye tiltrotor UAVs in early July. Evergreen Aviation International is the second customer to select the Bell Eagle Eye UAV for their mission requirements. The first was the US Coast Guard, which selected the Bell Eagle Eye for its Deepwater program. Signing the agreement for Evergreen Aviation International was CEO Mr. Del Smith, a well-known visionary of the aviation industry. He has expressed his excitement about adding the Bell Eagle Eye tiltrotor UAV to Evergreen's fleet. “The Eagle Eye gives Evergreen an opportunity to pioneer the aviation industry's future applications,” says Smith. “Evergreen's innovative energy and entrepreneurial experience has successfully found new markets for new aircraft in the past. In keeping with this tradition, we are certain the evolving UAV platform will offer numerous commercial opportunities. Lets pioneer and prove its many valuable applications just as we've proved the helicopter to be both a workhorse and an angle of merci.”
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India has concluded a major defense deal with Israel and Russia for manufacture of airborne early warning and control system (AWACS), Phalcon, for the Indian Air Force. The deal to mount Israeli Phalcon surveillance radar on a Russian IL-76 platform was signed by Defence Secretary Ajay Prasad with officials from the two countries. On behalf of the Israelis, Maj Gen (Retd) Yasi Ben Hanan initialed the deal and from the Russian side, it was signed by Denisov Alexander of Rosoboonexport.
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Raytheon is working with Israel Aircraft Industries' Elta Systems in pursuit of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's program to equip commercial aircraft with missile protection systems. The Raytheon/Elta system, dubbed "SafeFlight," is a unique, low cost solution combining Elta's missile approach warning system and Raytheon's countermeasure dispensing system. In operation, SafeFlight will detect an incoming missile and quickly divert it from the targeted aircraft. The system operates independently, requires no pilot interaction or training, involves minimal maintenance, and is invisible from air or ground locations. Both the missile warning and countermeasure subsystems have been proven in military application. Elta's missile warning system, part of its "Flight Guard" system already in operation on 150 military aircraft as well as on several commercial aircraft, is an advanced pulse Doppler radar proven operationally successful in 10 countries. "Flight Guard," with the Elta radar, was recently selected by the Israel Ministry of Transportation to outfit Israel's commercial airliners. Raytheon's infrared countermeasure, demonstrated successfully on U.S. Air Force transport and tactical aircraft, is designed to release invisible, environmentally safe material into the atmosphere to defeat infrared missile threats during takeoff and landing operations. SafeFlight is fully automatic, easy to install and maintain, and a lower cost alternative to competing technologies.
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The World Bank's International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) has registered Fraport AG's "Request for Arbitration" against the Government of the Philippines. Fraport is demanding more than $425 million of compensation arising from the Philippine government's expropriation and unfair and inequitable treatment of Fraport's investment in a new passenger terminal (IPT3) built at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Manila, the Philippines. Fraport's arbitration request comes only after more than six months of discussions with the Philippine government failed to produce any offer by the Philippine government to compensate Fraport for its investment of more than $425 million. Fraport lodged its "Request for Arbitration" in September 2003. Registration of the request by the ICSID means that the arbitration initiated by Fraport shall now proceed toward the ultimate resolution of the dispute. The ICSID was established by international treaty -signed by 137 countries including Germany and the Philippines - to establish an impartial forum for adjudicating claims for expropriation and unfair and inequitable treatment of foreign investments, as occurred to Fraport. Germany and the Philippines have entered into a bilateral investment treaty (BIT). The BIT allows for disputes such as Fraport's to be settled by arbitration before the ICSID. Fraport has been advised by its legal counsel that it has an extremely strong case. Fraport expects to prove to the satisfaction of the arbitration tribunal that it is entitled to the more than $425 million in damages.
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EADS has established a Russian Technology Office in Moscow as part of its corporate research organization. Additionally, EADS and the Russian Academy of Sciences announced on Tuesday that they had signed an agreement outlining opportunities to work together on technical cooperation. EADS innovation policy is based on a high level of cooperation with external scientific and applied research organizations. Russia is seen by EADS as an important partner with increasing significance. Establishing the technology office in the Russian capital is also in line with the EADS regional strategy for Russia. The new Technology Office underlines the importance EADS is placing on increasing its presence here and expanding cooperation with industrial, scientific and technological research partners. EADS Vice President Marc Strechinsky (57) has been appointed by EADS to lead the operations of the Russian Technology Office. The main responsibility of the Russian Technology Office is to facilitate cooperation with the Russian research and development community and be the EADS focal point for projects with all potential Russian partners. The Technology Office is integrated into the overall activities in Russia and acts on behalf of the EADS Corporate Research Centre as well as the EADS business units.
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NASA's Comet Nucleus Tour (CONTOUR) Mishap Investigation Board (MIB) identified four possible causes for the failure of the comet-rendezvous mission launched in July 2002. The Board concluded the probable proximate cause for this accident was structural failure of the spacecraft due to plume heating during the embedded solid-rocket motor burn. However, the lack of telemetry and observational data, immediately prior to and during the burn, and the lack of recoverable debris, leave open the possibility that one of several other problems could have led to the accident. The alternate possible causes are catastrophic failure of the solid rocket motor; collision with space debris or meteoroids; and loss of dynamic control of the spacecraft.
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At the occasion of the AECMA Annual Convention the AECMA Board welcomed the Association of the Polish Aviation Industry (APAI) as a full member of AECMA. As members, APAI representatives will participate in the working bodies and committees of AECMA, the European Association of Aerospace Industries. Mr Miecyslaw Majewski, President of APAI, will become a member of the AECMA Board. He said: “Our aviation industry can contribute more than 60 years of experience in all sectors to the AECMA community. Our employees are well skilled and highly motivated. We expect that the companies in our supply chain will bring new benefits to the aerospace companies in Europe, as partners and as subcontractors.” The Polish aviation industry has been extending its relationships with European companies for many years. In the case of PZL-Swidnik of which Mr Majewski is CEO, already 50% of the work is subcontracted from European companies. “With the membership in AECMA we wish to increase our partnerships and business within Europe, and also our participation in the EU research programmes” Mr Majewski said.
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The Boeing 777-300ER completed the longest engine-out demonstration flight ever in support of Extended Operations (ETOPS) certification, when it flew more than five hours with one of its two engines shut down. During the approximately 13-hour Seattle to Taipei, Taiwan test flight, the airplane's crew shut off one of the two General Electric GE90-115B engines and flew the plane for 330 minutes on the other engine. "The flight went flawlessly. We were very pleased with the way the aircraft and the GE90-115B engine performed," said Frank Santoni, Boeing 777-300ER (Extended Range) chief pilot.
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Eurofighter GmbH announced the official designation of the first Eurofighter Squadron in Spain at an official ceremony attended by His Majesty King Juan Carlos I. During the ceremony the Chief of the Spanish Air Force, General Eduardo González-Gallarza, handed over the first Spanish Eurofighter to Colonel Javier Salto, Commander of Wing 11, the first Eurofighter Squadron to be formed in Spain. In Spanish service Eurofighter is designated CE.16 Eurofighter - the tail number of the first aircraft being CE16-01. This is the first of 87 Eurofighter swing-role fighter aircraft destined for Spanish Air Force service.
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Alenia Aeronautica, a Finmeccanica Company, has signed a contract with the Italian “Guardia di Finanza” for the supply of the third unit of the ATR42 MP (Maritime Patrol). The third ATR42 MP will join the other two aircraft already operational. The ATR42 MP, manufactured by Alenia Aeronautica is a highly innovative aircraft derived by the ATR42 regional aircraft and capable of various operational missions.
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Airbus Military has met its first contractual milestone by delivering the A400M Quality Plan to its customer, OCCAR (Organisation Conjointe de Coopération en matière d'Armament). As the first of a number of such milestones highlighting significant stages of the programme up to and beyond aircraft delivery, the Quality Plan provides the yardstick by which the programme will be measured. The Quality Plan is a primary requirement of the contract and covers all aspects of the programme from the control and monitoring of design standards to software conformity and sub-contractor management. Management of and adherence to the Plan is the key element that will keep the programme on track in terms of time and cost. The A400M Quality Plan was delivered to OCCAR on August 29, 2003, three months after contract signature. The terms and conditions of the contract provide for a period of two months from the date of its delivery for the customer to examine and accept or reject the Plan. The high standard of the work presented for the A400M was such that OCCAR had no difficulty in accepting it within only six weeks.
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Sunday, October 26, 2003, marks the start of the new winter schedule at Munich Airport. Airlines have registered approximately 151,000 take-offs and landings for the period up to March 27, 2004. This matches the traffic levels of the previous winter period. During this winter season, 82 airlines will be operating scheduled services from Munich to 172 destinations in 58 countries. For this first time, Lufthansa is flying non-stop from Munich to Dubai, with a total of five weekly departures. Emirates Airline is expanding its service to Dubai, and will now be flying to the desert state twice daily. With these developments, the metropolis on the Persian Gulf – which is equally appealing to business travelers and holiday-makers – is now Munich Airport's most frequently served long-haul destination. The winter schedule also features more flights to the neighboring sheikdom of Qatar. Qatar Airways is increasing its weekly flights to Doha, the country's capital, from three to four.
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Bombardier Aerospace has announced plans to create integrated manufacturing centres for its Bombardier Learjet and Challenger Series business jets at its Wichita, Kansas and Dorval, Québec locations respectively. The new business aircraft manufacturing centres will regroup business aircraft final line activities and interior completions at one site. By combining these two activities in one location, Bombardier Aerospace will significantly reduce its production cycle times and inventory levels while improving its competitiveness. Production of Bombardier regional aircraft currently follows the integrated manufacturing centre model. The creation of the two business aircraft integrated manufacturing centres will result in total net savings of $33 million Cdn annually ($25 million US) starting with the first full year of operation. The integrated manufacturing centres will be fully operational by the first quarter of 2005.
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The Galileo Joint Undertaking is officially issuing a first invitation to tender for the Galileo Concession. The invitation is published today in the Official Journal of the European Union and on the GJU website. The Joint Undertaking, based in Brussels and established by the European Commission and the European Space Agency, will then be able to shortlist undertakings or consortia bidding to become the Concession-holder for Galileo's deployment phase and subsequent operations phase. Bidders will be evaluated on the basis of their technical and financial credentials and their ability to put forward a coherent business plan, notably for the delivery of the future Galileo system services. The Joint Undertaking, drawing on a statement of work, will then start up negotiations with those shortlisted with a view to eventually awarding the Concession Contract and selecting the future Galileo Operating Company, the private concern due to take charge under the operations phase.
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India successfully launched an Earth resources sensing satellite into polar orbit. Liftoff of the three-stage Polar Satellite Launch Vehicle from the Satish Dhawan Space Center was reportedly on time at 04.52 GMT. The eighth flight of the Indian Space Research Organization's PSLV booster carried RESOURCESAT-1, a 3,000-pound (1,360-kilogram) spacecraft built with three cameras that see light in different wavelengths.
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Lockheed Martin and the Air Force Research Lab Munitions Directorate conducted a successful powered Low Cost Autonomous Attack System (LOCAAS) flight test at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. The test demonstrated the ability of LOCAAS to deploy its wings, and start the engine in flight following a high-altitude launch. It also showed the LADAR (Laser Acquisition Detection and Ranging) seeker's ability to detect and identify the correct relocatable target, then guide to a simulated warhead detonation point.
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ATK (Alliant Techsystems) recently conducted a successful Self-Regulating Variable Area Nozzle static firing test under contract with the U.S. Army. The 45-second static firing validated ATK's pintle configuration and flightweight nozzle design. This next-generation design significantly enhances the motor's ability to reduce the thrust after the initial boost phase, facilitating the U.S. Army's desire to extend the range of next-generation anti-tank missiles. The self-regulating nozzle reduces thrust via a passive, self-actuating system that accommodates changes in propellant burn rate and surface area. The test demonstrated a thrust turndown ratio in excess of 19:1 with only a 2:1 turndown ratio in pressure. Both the boost phase and sustain phase used the same Class 1.3 Minimum Signature propellant. The measured boost phase thrust averaged more than 650 pounds-force at an average pressure of 1,800 psi while the sustained flight phase averaged just under 35 pounds-force at an average pressure of 800 psi.
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L-3 Communications announced that its Randtron Antenna Systems division (L-3 Randtron Antenna Systems) has been awarded a $65 million contract from Northrop Grumman in Bethpage, NY, to provide the next generation Airborne Early Warning (AEW) radar antenna for the Navy's E-2C Hawkeye surveillance aircraft. The new antenna and rotary coupler will be developed as part of the Systems Development and Demonstration (SD&D) of the Advanced Hawkeye (AHE) Program, and will replace the TRAC-A antenna and rotary coupler, currently in production. The SD&D phase will run through 2008 with a potential start of Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP) in 2009. Subsequent to LRIP, it is anticipated that the U.S. Navy will commence procurement of up to a total of 75 E-2C aircraft.
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Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), a subsidiary of Loral Space & Communications, announced today that PanAmSat Corporation has agreed to issue SS/L an authorization to proceed (ATP) with the design and construction of a new satellite. Revenue for the construction of the satellite will be in excess of $100 million. In addition, PanAmSat has agreed to enter into an option for an in-orbit spare for one of its existing satellites on terms and conditions to be agreed to. The ATP from PanAmSat is for the Galaxy 16 program, a C- and Ku-band satellite with 48 transponders to be delivered December 31, 2005.
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Air Test and Evaluation Squadron 1 and its guest contingent of nearly three dozen Marines from MCAS Cherry Point, N.C., have begun the three-month-long operational test evaluation of the Marines' new KC-130J Hercules tanker and medium-sized transport aircraft. According to VX-1's Marine Maj. Rick Uribe, the KC-130J operational test director, the two brand new KC-130Js currently assigned to VX-1 will undergo some 270 flight hours in a three-phase program that will operationally test the aircraft's basic and air refueling capabilities under the full range of missions and capabilities assigned to the KC-130J. These are divided into five general areas: aerial refueling of fixed-wing as well as rotary aircraft; rapid ground refueling of aircraft, ground vehicles and fuel dumps; aerial delivery of equipment and Marines; low-level operations; and what are called “temporary landing zone operations,” which basically means operating on and from non-standard runways and airfields, and known in the military shorthand as “dirt” landings and operations.
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NASA released on Oct. 15 the first revision of its "Implementation Plan for Space Shuttle Return to Flight and Beyond." This revision reflects NASA's progress to date in responding to the recommendations and observations of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board (CAIB), as well as additional actions initiated by the Space Shuttle Program. The plan will be updated periodically. The CAIB's final report was released in late August. The Board began its probe soon after the loss of Space Shuttle Columbia and the STS-107 crew on Feb. 1. The CAIB report can be found on the Human Space Flight Web's STS-107 Investigation Reference page, the CAIB Web site and the NASA Columbia Page. Columbia broke up during re-entry over Texas en route to landing at Kennedy Space Center, Fla. The STS-107 crewmembers -- Commander Rick Husband, Pilot Willie McCool, Mission Specialists Michael Anderson, Dave Brown, Laurel Clark and Kalpana Chawla and Payload Specialist Ilan Ramon of Israel -- were returning home after a successful 16-day scientific research mission.
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On 15 October, Airbus delivered the first A319 to Aeroflot, the Russian flag carrier, at the Airbus delivery centre in Hamburg, Germany. The aircraft is the first of 18 A320 Family aircraft to be integrated into the Aeroflot fleet in accordance with the deal signed in Toulouse in November 2002 in the presence of the Russian and French Prime Ministers, Mikhail Kassianov and Jean-Pierre Raffarin. Deliveries of these aircraft to Aeroflot, replacing some of the 27 Western-built aircraft, currently in service with the airline, will be completed by the end of 2004.
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SWISS has been named Europe's Leading Airline in this year's World Travel Awards. The Swiss carrier earned the coveted distinction, which was presented in New York on Monday, ahead of such renowned competitors as British Airways, Lufthansa, Alitalia and Air France. The World Travel Awards are presented each year in eight geographical categories – Africa, Asia/Pacific, the Caribbean, Central America, Europe, the Middle East, North America and South America – based on the votes of several hundred IATA travel agencies in over 200 countries. SWISS was named Europe's Leading Airline in this year's awards, succeeding Lufthansa, the winner in 2002.
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Lockheed Martin Corporation announced that Orbital Sciences Corporation will join the Lockheed Martin/Northrop Grumman team that is competing for full-scale development of NASA's Orbital Space Plane (OSP). Lockheed Martin will lead the team as the system prime contractor. Northrop Grumman's role will be as principal teammate while Orbital Sciences Corporation will serve as teammate and subcontractor. NASA is expected to choose a prime contractor team by August 2004 for full-scale development of an OSP.
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The Austrian Airlines Group once again succeeded in raising the average load factor on its scheduled flights in September 2003, this time by 2.2 percentage points to 79.8 %. This is the best monthly result recorded so far this year. The figure for available seat kilometers rose slightly, by 2.3 %, while revenue passenger kilometers increased by 5.3 %. “While reducing the number of available flights, we have simultaneously succeeded in increasing our passenger load factor considerably,” explained Chief Commercial Officer Dr. Josef E. Burger. The number of flights made in the scheduled and charter sectors was reduced by 6.5 % compared to the previous year. Overall, some 842,000 passengers were carried, 7.5 % down on the corresponding period in 2002. In the cumulative traffic statistics for January to September 2003, the average passenger load factor for scheduled services was 70.4 %; this was 1.1 percentage points down on the figure for the previous year. At 108,001, the total number of flights made in the first nine months of 2003 fell by 5.3 % compared to 2002. At 6.4 million, the number of passengers carried in the first three quarters of 2003 fell by 5.9 % against the comparable period last year
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Kawasaki Aeronáutica do Brasil (KAB), a subsidiary of Japan's Kawasaki Heavy Industries and one of Embraer's industrial partners for the Embraer 170/190 Program, delivered today the first wing for the Embraer 190 aircraft. Delivery of the first wing was celebrated in a special ceremony attended by the President of Kawasaki Aeronáutica do Brasil, Tsuneo Komaki, and Embraer's Executive Vice-President Development and Industry Satoshi Yokota, as well as by local officials, authorities and other executives from both companies.
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Thursday was another busy day aboard the International Space Station for the Expedition 7 crew. Commander Yuri Malenchenko and NASA ISS Science Officer Ed Lu continued to prepare for their trip home and Expedition 8's arrival at the Station. Malenchenko and Lu prepared Russian experiment equipment that will return to Earth with them on the ISS Soyuz 6 spacecraft. Russian flight controllers also got in on the act by testing the Soyuz's motion control system. The Expedition 8 crewmembers -- Commander Michael Foale and Flight Engineer Alexander Kaleri -- and European Space Agency Astronaut Pedro Duque are slated to launch from Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan at 12:38 a.m. CDT (0538 GMT) Saturday and dock with the ISS on Monday. After a week of handover activities, Expedition 7 and Duque will return to Earth on Oct. 27. Also on Thursday, Lu filled out the weekly food questionnaire, and Malenchenko and flight controllers had the weekly Inventory Management System conference.
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Austrian Airlines (AUA) pilots and flight staff staged a one-day strike, its second within a week, to protest cost-cutting plans after months of negotiations with management about the proposed measures broke down last week. Unions also threatened to call indefinite strike action if management did not withdraw threats to fire striking members of the workforce. But management withdrew the threats and announced a resumption of talks with unions next week. Wednesday's stoppage caused widespread flight departure delays from Vienna, the airport management said.
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Frankfurt Airport's Winter Timetable 2003/2004, which goes into effect on October 26, will feature 111 scheduled passenger airlines - five more than during the previous winter schedule - flying from Frankfurt Airport (FRA) to 286 destinations (up from 274) in 110 countries (up from 104). Compared to the 2002/2003 Winter Timetable, the following new airlines will be serving Germany's largest airport: Styrian Spirit flying to Graz, Austria; Cirrus Airlines to Skopje, Macedonia; and Ariana to Kabul, Afghanistan. With 3,892, the number of weekly direct connections in scheduled passenger service at FRA will be only slightly below the previous winter timetable (3,941). The most heavily flown routes in FRA's Winter Timetable 2003/2004 will be Paris-Charles de Gaulle with 130 flights per week, followed by London-Heathrow with 121 and Berlin-Tegel with 106. In Asia, Singapore will be the most frequented destination with 28 flights per week from FRA. In the United States, the top destinations will be Chicago with 30 flights per week, followed by New York-JFK with 28.
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