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UPDATE

Week ending October 20, 1996

Global Express makes first flight with BR710 +++ Next-generation Meteosats ordered from Aérospatiale +++ Deutsche BA with new management and new strategy +++ BDLI president Dr. Bischoff: We need political action for global competition, now +++ Airport ground services: EU opens door to competition +++ CAE Elektronik demonstrates robotics over the Internet +++ MEADS Inc. awarded $80 million contract +++ Lufhansa winter timetable +++ Swiss F/A-18C missile firings +++ News in Brief +++

Global Express makes first flight with BR710
Erstflug des Global Express von Bombardier

The new long-range, high-speed Bombardier Global Express business jet made its first flight on October 13. Prototype No. 90001 departed Bombardier's de Havilland facility in suburban Downsview, near Toronto, under near-perfect weather conditions, at 13:29 and returned at 16:15. In the course of its two hour, 46-minute flight, the pioneering Global Expressjet reached an altitude of 11,000 feet (3,353 m) and a speed of 210 knots (242 mph; 389 km/h).
Pete Reynolds, vice-president, flight test, Bombardier Aerospace, piloted the aircraft through the entire flight, including takeoff and landing, with the assistance of engineering test pilot Ron Haughton. Together, they have more than 13,000 hours of flight test experience. According to Mr. Reynolds, "the aircraft behaved extremely well and, in fact, it was an uneventful flight. "We now look forward to starting the most comprehensive and most demanding flight test program ever undertaken for a large business jet. Based on this very successful first flight, we are off to a good start", he commented.
After initial shakedown testing at Downsview, aircraft no. 9001 will fly to Bombardier Aerospace's Flight Test Center in Wichita, Kan. where it will be utilized mostly for aircraft handling and performance testing. It will be joined later by three additional Global Express aircraft for an 18-month 2,000-hour flight test program. Aircraft deliveries are scheduled to begin in the fourth quarter of 1997 followed by certification in the second quarter of 1998.

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Next-generation Meteosats ordered from Aérospatiale
Aérospatiale erhält Meteosat-Auftrag

Aérospatiale Espace and Défense has been awarded the contract for the construction of three Meteosat second generatin satellites (MSG) by ESA, in cooperation with Eumetsat. The contract, worth more than 600 million ECU, was signed on October 16 at Paris by Jean-Marie Luton (Director General of ESA) and Yves Michot (CEO of Aérospatiale).
The new geostationary satellites will be launched from 2000 by Ariane and are designed to succeed the Meteosat satellites (MOP) currently in service. They will provide imagery taken at double the rate (every 15 minutes) in a much larger number of spectral channels (12, of which 8 are infrared) and thus keep Europe at the forefront of meteorological observation satellites.
Aérospatiale ist industrial prime contractor for the programme, with Dornier Satellitensysteme as one of the main subcontractors, resposible for the power genertation, attitude control and propulsion systems.

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Deutsche BA with new management and new strategy
Heidecker verläßt Deutsche BA

With a new management and a new strategy Deutsche BA is redoubling its efforts to achieve profitabilty - a goal that has remained elusive year after year so far. With the departure of managing director Richard Heidecker - ostensibly "on his own wish" - British Airways is bringing in Wolfgang Grund, until now managing director of Deutsche BA Holding. On an operating level, Paul Giblin, now BA's director in Germany will be responsible for marketing, finance and personell matters, while Adrian Hunt takes over flight ops, technical support and purchasing functions.
Concerning the strategy shift, Deutsche BA announced on October 17 that it will concentrate on the expansion of its intra-German services. Unprofitabel routes such as Munich - Paris or Berlin - Oslo will be abandoned at once. New routes planned for early next year will be Munich -Cologne and Munich - Hamburg.
On the aircraft front, a fleet rationalisation is planned. After the sale of the turboprop operations to Regional Airlines, the Fokker 100 are next to go. They will be returned to TAT in France, another BA subsidiary. On the other hand, the Boeing 737 fleet will grow from nine to 17 in the next twelve months.

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BDLI president Dr. Bischoff: We need political action for global competition, now
Bischoff: Jetzt politische Voraussetzungen für globale Wettbewerbsfähigkeit schaffen

Only if politicians in our country are courageous enough to create the necessary preconditions in law, technology, economical issues and procurement policies the German aerospace companies will be able to provide investment, innovation and secure as well as high qualtiy jobs, Dr. Manfred Bischoff, president of the German Association of aerospace companies (BDLI) said in Bonn at BDLI's annual general meeting. (Klick here for the full BDLI press statement)
Germany is constantly loosing its value for foreign investors. He called for the consolidation of public budgets, not only because of the future European currency system. Furthermore government investment in research and development has to be given a new priority. In defence only a mere 22 per cent of the 1997 budget is allocated for investment instead of 25.4 per cent a short while ago. Dr. Bischoff called for 30 per cent, in order to provide the Bundeswehr with the best equipment for fulfilling new tasks.
Of utmost importance for the aerospace industry not only in Germany is a positive German decision to procure the Eurofighter. The need for a new interceptor has been largely accepted and seems to be undoubted. Flight testing has proven Eurofighter can do the job it's designed for. After the UK's positive decision to procure Eurofighter Germany now has to make up its mind. Dr. Bischoff called for a immediate decision. Any further delays would not only increase cost but also put more risk on jobs.

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Airport ground services: EU opens door to competition
EU: Bodenabfertigungsdienste für Konkurrenz geöffnet

EU ministers have opened the door to increased competition on airport ground services. On October 15 they approved guidelines for better market access that will lead to total abolishment of current monopolies by 2002. In a first step, airlines will be allowed to provide their own aproon services from 1998. One year later, third-party servicing of flights is possible, and from 2001 a company independent of the airport or the largest airline user at the airport has to be admitted. Temporary exemptions are possible if there is not enough space at certain locations.
The typical "EU-compromise" is welcomed by BARIG (Board of Airline Representatives in Germany e.V.) as a step in the right direction, though not all demands of the airlines are met. BARIG hopes that the new regime will lower user charges, which are quiet high in Germany. "Even with the liberalisation discussion going on, our position against the airports was strengthened", the organisation said.
The ADV (German airports association) meanwhile regrets that its positions have not prevailed. They hope that German law will implement the new EU rules in an acceptable manner. They especially are interested in safeguarding the very high safety standards on the airports and intend to introduce licence fees for service companies so as to safeguard the financial situation of the airports.

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CAE Elektronik demonstrates robotics over the Internet
Robotik über das Internet vorgeführt

CAE Elektronik has successfully demonstrated the manipulation of a robot by an operator located 600 kilometres away, using Internet connections. Test locations were CAEs facilities at Stolberg and the DLR Institute for Robotics and System Dynamics at Oberpfaffenhofen near Munich. Equipped with a virtual reality visor and a data glove, the operator could easily command the robot without much background knowledge of system operation. The video picture of the robot environment and a tactile stimulation when things were grabbed helped in the manipulation process.
This innovative project, which has potential applications not only in spaceflight but on earth as well, was realised by CAE Elektronik on behalf of the DARA (German agency for space affairs) in close co-operation with the DLR Institute for Robotics and System Dynamics and the University of Dortmund.

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MEADS Inc. awarded $80 million contract
Projektdefinitions-Auftrag für MEADS Inc.

On October 17, MEADS Inc., a multinational consortium, was awarded $80 million to conduct the MEADS Project Definition-Validation (PD-V) Program under contract to the NATO Medium Extended Air Defense System Management Agency (NAMEADSMA). The MEADS Inc. team includes H&R Co. (a joint venture between Hughes Aircraft Co. and Raytheon Co.), DASA-LFK, Siemens (Germany) and Alenia (Italy).
"The members of our international team have worked together for several months in anticipation of this award. We also have years of experience working together on previous air defense systems, including PATRIOT, HAWK, RAM, ADGE and others," said Gert Runde, chairman of the MEADS Inc. board of directors.
The PD-V program is planned to culminate in a January 1999 International Source Selection to downselect to a single contractor team for Design and Development and System Production (with an estimated value greater than $6 billion). MEADS is planned to be fielded with U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps, German Air Force and Italian Air Force elements beginning in 2005. Other allied nations have expressed interest in joining the MEADS program prior to the Design and Development phase of the program.

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Lufthansa offers more flights with codeshare partners
Winterflugplan: Lufthansa bietet mehr Flüge mit Partnern

With the start of the winter timetable at the end of October, Lufthansa is expanding services on its intercontinental route network with new destinations in Asia and the United States and additional codeshare flights to Bangkok and Auckland. The German airline is laying on more flights to Canada with codeshae connections between Frankfurt and Toronto. Service improvements are in store for First and business Class passengers on flights out of Germany to Africa, the Middle East and Pakistan. Lufthansa is also introducing a new nonstop connection between Frankfurt and Windhoek, and adding two new German destinations and more nonstop services to an expanded flight schedule at Munich. In total Lufthansa serves 257 destinations in 86 countries.

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Swiss F/A-18C missile firings
Schweizer Hornet verschießt Sidewinder

The first Swiss F/A-18C has completed phase one of weapons system verification testing at Naval Air Warfare Center Patuxent River, Md. The aircraft is now at the Naval Air Warfare Center China Lake, Calif., for more tests. During the three and one-half months of testing at Pax River, the single-seat Hornet completed 42 flights and successfully fired AIM-9 Sidewinder missiles. The aircraft was also used to conduct various types of weapons loads tests.
The Swiss aircraft was flown October 11 to China Lake, where it joins the first Swiss F/A-18D that McDonnell Douglas unveiled last January. They are the first two of 34 F/A-18s that Switzerland is buying from the U.S. Navy. The first Swiss-assembled F/A-18D completed its first flight in Switzerland October 3.

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NEWS IN BRIEF - KURZMELDUNGEN

In a surprise decision, the French Government on October 16 annonced the sale of Thomson to the Lagardère group rather than to Alcatel Alsthom. The move came after months of heavy lobbying. Lagardère will pay a symbolic 1 Franc for Thomson, which has debts of 25 billion Francs. It plans to integrate the defence activities of Thomson-CSF and consolidate it with its Matra subsidiary to create a powerfull force in defence electronics and missiles. Other parts of Thomson will be resold to Daewoo.
+++
Stefan Lauer has been named to the management board of Lufthansa Cargo AG, replacing Rainer Butz, who will concentrate on his duties as Member of the Board of Directors of DHL International in Brussels. Lauer currently serves as chief of strategic planning at Lufthansa AG.
+++
America West Airlines on October 17 announced an agreement in principle to acquire up to 34 new aircraft from Airbus Industrie. This new order replaces an order for 24 aircraft that was entered into in 1990. Twenty-four of the aircraft will be A320s, 12 of which are subject to cancellation. The balance of 10 aircraft will be A319s and/or A321s at the airline's option. In addition, America West announced it will file a registration statement with the Securities and Exchange Commission covering the refinancing of eight to 12 Airbus A320 aircraft currently operated by the airline pursuant to leases with U.S. affiliates of GPA Group plc, the Irish aircraft lessor. This refinancing, which is expected to close in late November 1996, will lower America West's leasing costs between $7 million to $12 million over the 15 year life of the leases depending on the number of aircraft financed.
+++
The European Commission and the European Parliament are holding a symposium on the Future of the European Aerospace Industry on November 5 at Brussels. More infos are available by fax (0032/2/6465357) or phone (0032/2/6464020).
+++
Dash 8-300
On October 14, Augsburg Airways has taken delivery of its first Bombardier Dash 8-300 painted in "Team Lufthansa" colours. The turboprop is leased from Contact Air (Stuttgart) and will be joined by another Dash 8-100 from Tyrolean Airways for services from Munich to Dortmund, Erfurt and Leipzig. Augsburg Airways is the first regional airline to join "Team Lufthansa".
+++
Seco Medical has opened an ops centre to coordinate ambulance flights at Hahn airport. In cooperation with Hahn Helicopter Flugdienste, an ambulance helicopter is available, staffed by experienced personnel from the region.
+++
NATO aircraft are still patrolling the skies over Bosnia-Herzegovina. Latest statistics show that 2358 Combat Air Patrol, 12437 Close Air Support and 10111 SEAD/NAEW/tanker/recce and airborne command and control aircraft sorties have been flown since authority was transfered from Deny Flight to IFOR last December. Germany contributes 12 Tornados at Piacenza plus a dozen Transalls on standby at Landsberg. Other countries involved include Belgium, Canad, Denmark, France, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, UK, Turkey and the United States.
+++
Austrian Airlines has concluded a code-share deal with Singapore Airlines for SIA 747 services between Vienna and Singapore. The route will be served two times weekly via Athens from October 30. Next summer, a nonstop A340 service by Singapore Airlines is planned.
+++
John Weston, managing director of British Aerospace Defence, sees chances for private funding of the planned FLA military transport aircraft. "If governments were prepared to give us a contract for development and production together, we can enter into a fixed priced contract with a guaranteed performance specification", he said. Weston also reiterated industry claims that FLA woudl be twice as cost efficient as either C-130J Hercules or C-17 Globemaster.
+++


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Copyright 1996 by Motor-Presse Stuttgart. All rights reserved.
Last updated October 21, 1996