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UPDATE

Week ending November 10, 1996

USAir to place record Airbus order +++ Thomson-CSF and Siemens plan joint venture +++ Cologne/Bonn Airport starts expansion +++ Trent 900 aboard the Airbus A3XX +++ No news for the European aerospace industry by the EU +++ Emirates becomes largest A330-200 customer +++ PZL-Swidnik flies SW-4 +++ Austrian Airlines seeks stake of Ukraine International +++ News in Brief +++

USAir to place record Airbus order
400 Airbus A319/A320/A321 für USAir

"Depending upon achieving a competitive cost structure and board of director approval" USAir will place the largest airliner order ever with Airbus Industrie, it was announced on November 6. According to the statement, the deal will comprise firm orders for 120 A319s, A320s and A321s, 120 orders to be reconfirmed at a later date and 160 options with open ended delivery dates. Total value of the deal, which was probably won after keen pricing, could be up to 18 billion US-Dollars.
USAir has the flexibility to choose any mix it likes from the Airbus narrowbody range, with seating capacities from 122 to 168. The orders are designed to cover the airlines needs for narrow-body aircraft through the year 2009. The Airbus will replace the DC-9-30s, Boeing 737-200s, F.28s and MD-80 in the current fleet with a single aircraft and engine family. Engine selection was not announced, with negotitations for the best deal yet to come.
This is the first time USAir has ordered Airbus and a further sign of the company distancing itself from British Airways, the UK partner which meanwhile is engaged in alliance negotiations with American Airlines. For Airbus, the new deal is a major boost in its battle to keep up with a recent order spree for main rival Boeing. Proposed job cuts especially at Dasas Hamburg facilities could be reduced.

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Thomson-CSF and Siemens plan joint venture
Joint-venture im Flugsicherungsbereich geplant

The Sicherungstechnik unit of Siemens and Thomson-CSF Airsys are currently evaluating the possibility of setting up a joint-venture company for their Air Traffic Management (ATM) activities, it was announced on November 7. The French partner would hold the majority stake in the new entity, which would act as a worldwide force in ATM with a presence in France, the UK, Germany, Australia and the USA. Siemens and Thomson-CSF already are cooperating on various ATM projects.

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Cologne/Bonn Airport starts expansion
Köln/Bonn beginnt mit Ausbau

Cologne/Bonn airport started a new expansion project on November 6. New space for 5900 cars in one of Europe's largest parking garages will be available from March 1998. Along with the all new parking garage for DM 70 million the airport management began to put its most ambitious plan into reality: Terminal 2 and a train station for the modern high speed trains of the Deutsche Bahn, the ICE, as well as the regional metrolink are the cornerstone of a DM 600 million project that will strictly be financed by the airport itself.
In ten years time Cologne/Bonn expects to offer more than double the work for the region with 15000 people employed directly at the airport.

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Trent 900 aboard the Airbus A3XX
Rolls-Royce und Airbus unterschreiben Vereinbarung für Trent 900 am A3XX

Rolls-Royce and Airbus Indusrie have signed a memorandum of unterstanding specifying the Trent 900 as a powerplant for the A3XX. The Trent 900 is the latest member of the Trent family and with a thrust of up to 80 000 lbs has been designed for the latest generation of high-capacity four-engined airliners.
The programme was launched in September and the engine is programmed for certification in December 1999. The Trent 900 employs the same fan, accessories, dressings and major structures as the larger 95000 lbs thrust Trent 800, but with scaled high and intermediate-pressure compressors to give a higher bypass ratio for improved fuel efficiency and low noise, Roll-Royce says.

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No news for the European aerospace industry by the EU
Heiße Luft: Nichts neues von der EU aus Brüssel

The future of the European aerospace industry was the topic of an international symposium held by the European Parliament and the EU Commission early November at Brussels. No news, very general outlines of European policy initiatives aimed at levelling off the international competition in the aerospace sector. Those were the major contents of presentations by EU officials. No wonder that hope but also frustration were uttered by participants of European aerospace companies in the hall of the all new Parliament building in Brussels.
Commission as well as Parliament though have recognized the aerospace sector as a growth industry with promising opportunities as well as fierce global competition especially with US companies.
Dr. Manfred Bischoff, Dasa chairman and president of the German Association of Aerospace Companies (BDLI), once again made it clear that the European aerospace industry is a driving force in the continent's integration and called for a European aerospace policy that creates comparable conditions to European companies in contrast to the US giants: "The European aerospace industry is a growth industry and secures Europe's independence." After all the aerospace industry is a political industry and therefore the Commission has to take responsibility.
Lufthansa's board member Dr. Klaus Nittinger critized the Commission's policy as "contradictory to reality". The Commission's objective seems to be "ValuJet prices for Lufthansa standard. That's impossible." Dr. Nittinger pointed out that action by the Commission in four areas is needed:
Enhancing infratsructure in airports and air traffic control. 52 radar controll sectors and seven languages make Europe's ATC inefficient and costly.The airlines based in EU states have to allocate ECU 2.5 billion per year because of a still missing unified ATC organization.
Secondly he called for a harmonization initiative concerning the national social systems. Governments and the Commission should deal with safety issues and leave the contarcting side to the airline industry. The recent JAA flight time proposal would create another DM 240 million personal cost for Lufthansa alone. Thirdly, a deadline for subsidies would be overdue. Dr. Nittinger: "Who protects the efficient airlines in Europe?"
Last but not least Dr. Nittinger called for substantial finacial support of Europe's manufacturers and research and development institutes. "It does not make sense to support building new wind tunnles with EU money when everybody knows we have more than we need already." The SST or a new Super Jumbo are the issues Lufthansa is concerned with the least when it comes to securing Europe's position in aerospace and air traffic.

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Emirates becomes largest A330-200 customer
Sechzehn A330-200 an Emirates verkauft

Middle Eastern carrier Emirates has ordered 16 Airbus Industrie A330-200s and taken options on another seven, becoming the largest customer for this model of the A330 family. It is the first airline in the Middle East to order the A330-200.
Deliveries begin in January 1999 and will conclude by mid-2002. The A330-200s will replace Emirates' A300-600s and A310s, which have been the core of its fleet since its inception. They offer greater range and more capacity, allowing Emirates to upgrade and grow its fleet with the ideal aircraft size for maintaining frequent services and enhancing profitability.
Emirates will use its A330-200s on nonstop services from Dubai to Europe, Southeast Asia and South Africa. Each aircraft will seat 243 passengers in a three-class layout, or 272 passengers in two-classes. Emirates has yet to select engines for the A330-200s.

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PZL-Swidnik flies SW-4
Leichthubschrauber SW-4 fliegt

PZL-Swidniks new light helicopter, the SW-4, took off for the first time on Ocotober 26. Three days later, an official presentation was made, where SW-4 first flightthe helicopter performed r a 3 minute hover, then moved ahead, achieving a flight speed of around 60 km/h and an altitude of 10 metres. After completing two turns, test pilot Zbigniew Dabski put the machine down again before many guests.
The SW-4 programme is much delayed and still fights for funds to complete certification work. Powered by an Allison 250-C20R engine, the machine can lift a payload of pilot and four passengers (400 kg) and can achieve a fast cruise speed of 240 km/h, says PZL-Swidnik. Maximum take-off weight is given as 1800 kg.

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Austrian Airlines seeks stake of Ukraine International
AUA will sich an Ukraine International beteiligen

Austrian Airlines, together with Swissair, is seeking a stake in Ukraine International Airlines. Though last minute problems prevented the contract signing on November 8 at Graz at the summit of the Central European Initiative, the company hopes to conclude the deal in the next few weeks. The AUA/Swissair holding will amount to 18,37 per cent of Ukraine International capital, with Austrian taking the lions share of the two at 78 percent. Other Ukraine shareholders include the State Property Fund of Ukraine (68,37 per cent) and the GPA Group (13,26 per cent).
Austrian and Ukraine International are working together already. They offer nine flights per week from Vienna to Kiev, six to Odessa and three to Dnjepropetrowsk. Ukraine International was founded in 1992 and has a fleet of three Boeing 737s. This year 200 000 passengers are expected, and the company is profitable.

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NEWS IN BRIEF - KURZMELDUNGEN

According to a new report to the French parliament's defence committee, the Rafale programme is virtually at a standstill due to blocked funds. Just half of the four billion Francs allocations in the 1996 budget have actually been paid, Olivier Darrason said, voicing concern over future affordability of the new fighter. Currently, ideas of private financing of a small "half squadron" of Rafales to act as export promotion unit of the Armée de l'Air are circulating at Paris, but this will not solve the medium term financial problems. 20 billion Francs of annual procurement funds are simply not enough to buy both the Rafale and the FLA transport aircraft during the next decade, concludes Darrason.
+++
The ILA '98 exhibition at Schönefeld airport (18 to 24 May) will commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Berlin airbridge, organiser BDLI (German Aerospace Industries Association) has announced. It is hoped that this historic event will attract a lot of US companies to add to the record 578 exhibitors of this years show. With its unique concept as a market palce between East and West, many conferences and good representation of space technology the ILA has nothing to fear from UK plans to move the Farnborough show forward to June, BDLI managing director Dr. Hans Eberhard Birke is convinced. Nontheless he sharply criticises such considerations as they are counterproductive to the aim of increased European cooperation.
+++
After the selection by the UK ministry of defence as the new provider of all military helicopter flight training, FBS Ltd (FR Aviation, Bristow Helicopters and Serco Defence Ltd) has signed a contract with Eurocopter for the supply of 38 single-engine AS 350 Squirrel helicopters. Deliveries will begin almost immediately, with the machines passing through McAlpine Aviation for outfitting of special systems. Training operations are scheduled to begin next April, and the last AS 350 will be handed over in November 1997.
+++
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) pedicts that international scheduled passenge numbers will grow at an average of 7,1 per cent annually between 1996 and 2000, to reach 522 million. The most significant growth is forecast for Northeast and Southeast Asia, followed by Central Asia and Lower South America. Worldwide, the averagy annual increase for the period 2001 to 2010 will be six per cent, which will more than doubel the current scheduled internatinal passenger total, to nearly 800 million, says IATA.
+++
According to the nine-month report of Daimler-Benz, Dasa has boosted turnover 18 per cent to just 8,3 billion DM, excluding Fokker from the comparison. Especially encouraging figures come from MTU (plus 48 per cent) and spaceflight activities (plus 51 per cent) whereas aircraft and defence sectors are up onle three to five percent.
+++
On November 7, the Aviation Industries of China (AVIC) signed more agreements with foreign companies at the ongoing Zhuhai Air Show. The contracts include a collaboration agreement and a memorandum of understanding with Rolls-Royce (RR) and BMW Rolls-Royce (BRR) which is a joint venture between BMW in Germany and Rolls-Royce. Zhang Hongbiao, vice-president of AVIC, said that the collaboration agreement between AVIC and RR, aiming to ensure the transfer of manufacturing technology and techniques to China, lay the foundation for further long-term cooperation which both sides expect.
+++
Iran hopes to buy French satellites worth more than $500 million as well as ten Airbus passenger jets, Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister Mahmoud Vaezi said on November 8 during a visit to Paris.
+++
The launch of Mars-96 is now scheduled for 23 hours 48 minutes 53 seconds Moscow time (20:48:53 GMT) on November 16, a spokesman at the Russian Space Agency said last week. The plans of Russia's Space Military Forces, which are to launch the rocket, also provide for a reserve date for the launch on November 17. The project was originally slated for 1994. However, due to financial problems in Russian cosmonautics, it had to be put off. The project involves 22 countries and the European Space Agency. They have supplied scientific instrumentation while Russia has made the interplanetary spacecraft itself, provides a booster rocket and is to carry out the launch.
+++
Nine months after the crash of the Birgenair 757 off the coast of the Dominican Republic, the official accident report was published on November 8. The document states that the main reason for the disaster, which cost the lives of 178 passengers and 11 crew, was the failure of the crew to interpret the signs of imending stall correctly and act accordingly. The pilots were confused by false speed displays due to a blocked pitot.

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Previous updates are still available:

LRI Fakten - News from the BDLI

The German Aerospace Industries Association (BDLI, Bundesverband der Deutschen Luft- und Raumfahrtindustrie e.V.) is publishing a monthly newsletter, which we are pleased to offer to our international readership online. Just klick here for the September/October issue of LRI Fakten.

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Copyright 1996 by Motor-Presse Stuttgart. All rights reserved.
Last updated November 10, 1996