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UPDATE
Week ending October 6, 1996
German Navy orders Super Lynx +++ Augsburg Airways becomes first Lufthansa franchise partner +++ SatNav Symposium in Munich +++ Approach-system trials at Munich airport +++ Workers councils demand decision on Eurofighter production +++ Joint European research on electromagnetic protection +++ Boeing 757 crashes off the coast of Peru +++ Arianespace finance set up +++ Rüttgers: decouple air traffic volume and environmental pollution +++ Airports want better integration with railway networks +++ News in brief +++
German Navy orders Super Lynx
Mehr Supyer Lynx für die Marineflieger
GKN Westland announced September 30 that the German Government has approved the purchase of seven Sea Lynx Mk.88A helicopters for the Marineflieger (naval aviation). Value of the deal is put at DM 262,5 million, with a 100 percent "industrial benefits package" for the German industry promised by the UK company. Deliveries are to start in 1999, and the Lynxes are expected to remain in service until 2015 and beyond.The plans to purchase additional Sea Lynx helicopters as an interim measure until the new NH Industries MH90 becomes available was harshly criticised by the Bundesrechnungshof (German Accounting Office). Main points were the excessive price (DM 37,5 million) of a helicopter that has proven unsatisfactory in service, with high running costs and low availability. Also, the Sea Lynx is considered old technology, with a first flight back in the early 70s.
Technically, the new Mk.88A version now ordered will be equivalent to the Super Lynx 100 model, incorporating a 360 degree radar, forward looking infra-red in the nose, composite main rotor blades with paddle tips, reverse direction tail-rotor and Rolls-Royce Gem 42 engines. It will be capable of both anti-submarine warfare and anti-surface vessel operations, says GKN Westland. Whether the existing 17 Sea Lynx Mk.88 of the Marineflieger will be upraded to something approaching the new standard is still under discussion. Costs are estimated at DM 200 million, bringing the whole Sea Lynx fleet renewal/expansion bill to a whopping DM 465 million.
Germany is the fourth export customer for the Super Lynx, following the Republic of Korea, Portugal and Brazil. In total, GKN Westland has sold over 370 Lynx to eleven operators around the world:
- Argentina: Navy (2)
- Brazil: Navy (18
- Denmark: Navy (9)
- France: Navy (40)
- Germany: Navy (26)
- Netherlands: Navy (24)
- Nigeria: Navy (3)
- Norway: Navy (6)
- Portugal: Navy (3)
- Quatar: Police (3)
- South Korea: Navy (12)
- United Kingdom: Army Air Corps (1) + Fleet Air Arm (91) + DRA (3)
Augsburg Airways to become first Lufthansa franchise partner
Augsburg Airways wird erster Franchise-Partner der Lufthansa
On October 27, regional carrier Augsburg Airways will start cooperation with Lufthansa German Airlines. As part of the partnership called "Team Lufthansa", Augsburg Airways will operate for Lufthansa daily flights from Munich to Dortmund, Dresden and Leipzig. On these routes, Augsburg Airways will use Lufthansa flights numbers, but will operate at ist own financial risk. Creation of "Team Lufthansa" is part of the German national carriers' strategy to reduce costs by outsourcing unprofitable routes to smaller airlines operating with lower costs. Some more regional carriers are expected to join the alliance which is based on a franchise agreement.24 hours after announcing the cooperation with Augsburg Airways, Lufthansa is facing very strong opposition from Eurowings, the largest German regional airline. Eurowings, which itself operates eight daily flights for Lufthansa, claims the new project to be economically absurd and the "beginning of a competition that does not make any sense". According to Eurowings chief-executive Reinhard Santner, the new services are solely aimed at the Eurowings "home market".
All intra-German Lufthansa routes are non-profitable, Lufthansa General Sales Manager Stefan Pichler was quoted in an interview. But the recently-announced services to Dortmund and Erfurt are new to Lufthansa's route network.
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SatNav Symposium in Munich
SatNav Symposium in München
More than 200 experts in air traffic management met on September 26 and 27 at Munich's Franz-Josef Strauss airport to discuss benefits and problems in satellite navigation. FAA representative Arnold described his agency's approach to overlay the GPS system with the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS). This will enable satnav already in 2001, not only for en-route navigation but also for the approach phase. WAAS precision shall be 7,6 m. In Europe the projected EGNOS-system (European Geostationary Navigational Overlay Service) is expected to fulfill similiar tasks. Dieter Kaden, head of the German air traffic organisation DFS, told FLUG REVUE in Munich: "WAAS is a good thing and we look forward to it. But with our European federalism and resulting problems for DFS the institution of regional augmentation systems with EGNOS is the only promising way, because merging these systems will be no problem."
The benefits of satellite navigation are evident: higher productivity through optimal use of ground capacities and air space, more safety, cost savings by putting more and more ground based navigational facilities out of service. But all hopes for early certification of GPS receivers and other satnav equipment in Europe by the JAA (Joint Aviation Authorities were harshly disappointed. Klaus Koplin, JAA's Secretary General, informed the experts that all JAA initiatives only led to recommendations instead of binding standards. American manufacturers of satnav related equipment can be happy. Their systems have a secure future.
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Approach-System trials at Munich Airport
Anflugverfahren werden in München getestet
DFS, the German air traffic control organisation, and Munich Airport are conducting field trials to compare the performance and operability of differential GPS, MLS (CAT I) and ILS (ILS 4000, CAT IIIb) systems. Involved in the tests are various aircraft, which regularly use Franz-Josef Strauss airport:
- A321 for DGPS (Lufthansa)
- Boeing 757 for MLS and DGPS (British Airways)
- ATR 42 for DGPS (Eurowings)
- Dornier Do 228 for DGPS (Luftwaffe/WTD 61)
- KingAir 200 for MLS and DGPS (DFS)
- Fokker 100 for MLS (Air UK)
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Workers councils demands decision on Eurofighter production
Betriebsräte fordern schnelle Entscheidung für Eurofighter
After pleas by the industry leaders, it was the turn of the workers councils to demand immediate decisions in favour of the production of Eurofighter EF2000. In an open letter to chancellor Kohl and all Bundestag parlamentarians, the Arbeitskreis der Betriebsräte in Wehrtechnik, Luft- und Raumfahrt (WLR-AK) warned of a new round of job cuts, as development work already begins to wind down. They also fear that Germany's aerospace industry will decide to leave the military sector if the current uncertainty over future defence budgets continiues. Partnerships on a European level will then be impossible.WLR-AK represents the workers councils of 30 German defence companies with about 30000 employees. It reminds Government and politicians that series production of around 620 Eurofighters for the four participating nations will secure up to 18000 jobs in Germany through to 2014 at least. Especially smaller companies depend on EF2000 work to remain competitive or even to survive, it is said. The full text of their statement can be accessed by a klick here.
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Joint European research for electromagnetic protection
Europäer erforschen Schutz gegen elektromagnetische Störungen
Saab has announced the start of the CATE (Composites and Advanced Aircraft Technologies Electromagnetic Protection) project, which will take 40 months and cost 2,5 million ECU. Partners in the venture are AÈrospatiale, British Aerospace, Centre d'Essais Aeronautique de Toulouse, Dornier and Eurocopter. Funding is provided by the European Commission under the Brite EuRam initiative and by the companies involved.The objective of CATE is to find new and better ways to protect aircraft avionic systems from dangerous electromagnetic interference. This is getting more difficult, as more high powered radio and radar transmitters are set up around the world. Also, increased use of composites in aircraft and helicopter structures presents peculiar problems in the electromagnetic shielding of systems. CRATE will identify and develop analysis tools to predict interference levels and also will try to develop optimised, cheap protection methods to keep European industry competitive in this field.
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Boeing 757 crashes near Peru
Absturz einer Boeing 757 vor Peru
A Boeing 757-200 jet crashed in the Pacific Ocean north of Lima, Peru, on early Wednesday, Oct. 2nd, killing all passengers and crew on board. The aircraft owned by AeroPeru, the Peruvian flag carrier, had left Lima for Santiago, Chile, and reported an emergency shortly after take-off, latest news reports say. An airline spokeswoman said a "technical fault" had caused the crash. She confirmed the aircraft was carrying 61 passengers and 9 crew members. Other sources said that at least 200 people were on board the Boeing 757. On February 6th, a Boeing 757 operated by Dominican carrier Alas Nacionales plunged in waters off Dominican Republic, killing all 189 people on board, most of them German tourists.
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Arianespace Finance set up
Finanzierungsgesellschaft für Ariane-Starts gegründet
Arianespace has released detailes of its new Arianespace Finance service, which is incorporated in Luxembourg. It will provide up to 400 million US-Dollars in loans to Arianespace customers, allowing simultaneous financing for eight to ten customers. The loans are principally for customers who do not yet have access to bank financing, because theit projects are new and because they wish to finance their projects based on revenues generated by the satellite. According to Arianespace, these loans will be refinanced by a group of banks led by Crédit Lyonnais (France), The Chase Manhattan Bank (USA), Kreditanstalt für Wiederaufbau (Germany) and ING Lease and Structured Finance (Netherlands). These banks will assume a portion of the risk after launch.
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Rüttgers: Decouple air traffic volume and environmental pollution
Forschungsminister fordert saubere und leise Flugzeuge
During a press conference on the influence of air traffic on the environment, Dr. Jürgen Rüttgers, German minister for education, science and technology, said that a further increase in air traffic volume should not trigger an increased influence on the global environment. Rüttgers: "My target is therefore: Decouple traffic growth from economic growth and decouple traffic volume and environmental pollution." Minister Rüttgers added, that three approaches were needed in the area of air traffic: The first target would be to drastically reduce the emission of nitrous oxides by aircraft: "In the year 2010 we want airplanes with a NOx-emission 85 percent below the comparable value of 1990." Furthermore the fuel consumption of aircraft engines would have to be lowered. Finally, aircraft were needed with a much reduced noise emission compared with current ones. There was much potential in this area left, said the minister.
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Airports want better integration with railway networks
Flughäfen fordern bessere Schienenanbindung
The German airports association ADV and the Board of Airline representatives in Germany (BARIG) have published a joint statement demanding more efforts to link airports with the railway network. They are unhappy with progress so far, despite the aims of both German government and European Union. One sore point is the lack of integrated baggage handling, preventing check-in at central train stations. ADV and BARIG offer their cooperation in resolving these questions with Deutsche Bahn and regional rail companies.
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NEWS IN BRIEF - KURZMELDUNGEN
According to statements by CATIC, production of the Eurocopter EC 120 will start next year with two demonstration and five pre-serial models, followed by 16 of the new light five-seat helicopters in 1998. CATICs Harbin factory in northeast China is producing the fuselage of the EC 120, while Singapore Technologies Aerospace makes the tail. Eurocopter is leading the effort and not only contributes the dynamic system but also performs final assembly. With its involvement in the EC120, China has now "a new group of helicopter engineers", which will be "a solid foundation to join hands with other overseas helicopter makers", said CATIC, which already is involved in the development of the Sikorsky S-92.+++
Responding to doubts that astronauts on the future International Space Station will have nothing worthwhile to do, Alenia Spazio, Boeing, Dasa, Mitsubishi and Spar Aerospace (Canada) have formed a "User Team" that will support national space agencies during the in-service phase of ISS.
+++
UK low-cost carrier Debonair has extended its route network from Mönchengladbach airport with a twice-daily service to Kopenhagen (via London-Luton). Mönchengladbach, which is marketed as "Düsseldorf Express Airport", is also linked to Paris (Toussus Le Noble) by HahnAir.
+++
Rostock Air Line announced the start of a Rostock-Laage - Hamburg feeder service, using a 19 seat British Aerospace Jetstream 31. With an arrival time of 7.15 h at Hamburg, there are excellent connecting possibilities for one-day business trips, says RAL, which has the backing of the Förderkreis Luft- und Raumfahrt Mecklenburg-Vorpommern e.V. If the new service is a success, extensions to Bremen and Neubrandenburg will be considered.
+++
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Copyright 1996 by Motor-Presse Stuttgart. All rights reserved.
Last updated October 5, 1996