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Week ending January 10, 1999
+++ GEC plays the mergers game +++ Dasa repays Airbus loans early +++ Sikorsky S-92 makes first flight +++ Raytheon Premier I takes to the skies +++ Tiger contracts in January? +++ Round the world trip ends near Hawaii +++ Ariane launches another PanAmSat +++ Boeing claims lead in airliner deliveries +++ Bombardier sells more Canadair Regional Jets +++ Boullioun places first Airbus order +++ Lauda Air places order for seven Boeing airplanes +++ NASA launchers Mars Lander on board a Delta II +++ News in brief +++
GEC plays the mergers game
Fusionen und Fusionspläne von GEC
Just before year-end, GEC has made its mark in the European aerospace merger game by confirming that it had narrowed its list of potential defence merger partners to four rival groups in Europe and the US. The shortlist includes Lockhead Martin and Northrop Grumman, as well as Thomson-CSF and British Aerospace. At the moment, discussions with all of them are under way, no announcement would be made soon, it is expected. GEC has already said it will split its telecommunications and industrial electronics businesses from its defence unit to make sure it can participate in a widespread restructuring of the US and European defence industry.Meanwhile, GEC has taken concrete action with the sealing of two deals with top European companies to create world-leading conglomerates in the missile and satellite industries.
- In the space sector GEC has cocnluded a deal that joins Matra Marconi Space with the space industry business of Dasa and Finmeccanica's space division Alenia Spazio. The new company, with turnover of 1.8 billion pounds, will be set up in 1999 and will be subject to approval by authorities in each of the countries involved as well as from the European Union. In a joint statement Phillipe Camus, chief executive of Matra Hautes Technologies, and Peter Gershon, chief executive of Marconi Electronic Systems, said: "The new company, with an unrivalled scientific potential in Europe will play a key leadership role in the conquest of the solar system and the associated programmes." A spokesman for GEC said the new space group would have a "comprehensive capability" in making satellites for observation and telecommunications.
- In the defence field, the already announced tie-up with Finmeccanica was concluded with the arrival of a major new European Defence and Electronics company, Alenia Marconi Systems. This new European force, which embraces the capabilities of the two companies in ground, naval and missile systems and air traffic control is now fully operational. The company is a 50:50 joint venture between the General Electric Company p.l.c and Finmeccanica. The Chief Executive is Mr. Ian King and the Chairman of the Management Board is Mr. Pier Francesco Guarguaglini. Each of the shareholders has contributed key operations resulting in a company with an estimated turnover of 1 billion Pounds Sterling.
Dasa repays Airbus loans early
Alle Airbus-Kredite zurückgezahlt
On January 8, the German Finance and Economics ministries confirmed that DaimlerChrysler Aerospace AG (Dasa) has repaid 1,75 billion DM ($1.04 billion) in state aid for the development of the Airbus group's A320 model. The early payment, by Dasa's Airbus subsidiary, returned the final tranche of government subsidies for the A320, bringing total repayments to 3,572 billion DM. "With (the payments) all of the federal governments arising from earlier Airbus subsidies have been settled," a statement said. It added that the aid repayment represented an "important step" towards the planned restructuring of the four-country Airbus consortium grouping Dasa, France's Aerospatiale, British Aerospace Plc and CASA of Spain.Back to the top of the page / Zurück zum Anfang der Seite
Sikorsky S-92 makes first flight
Erstflug des S-92 Helibus
On December 23, the prototype Sikorsky S-92A Helibus lifted off for the first time at the company's Development Flight Center in West Palm Beach, Florida. Sikorsky Chief Pilot John Dixson and S-92 Program Chief Pilot Bob Spaulding were in the cockpit for the maiden flight, which consisted of eight takeoffs and landings and included hover, forward and sideward flight maneuvers. The S-92 prototype will be put through a series of flight tests designed to develop the helicopter's full flight capabilities. In a process known as "opening up the envelope," the aircraft will be flown faster and maneuvered more aggressively in the weeks and months ahead. Five prototype helicopters will serve the development program.The Sikorsky S-92 will serve international utility and commercial needs, including passenger, cargo, aeromedical, search and rescue, resource development support and other medium helicopter applications. Maximum gross weight for the S-92A will be 25,200 lbs with an alternative gross weight of 26,500 lbs. Powered by twin General Electric CT7-8 turboshafts, it will have a range of 400 nautical miles with fuel reserves, a cruising speed of 155 knots, and a service ceiling of 15,000 feet.
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Raytheon Premier I takes to the skies
Neuer Geschäftsreisejet startet zum Erstflug
The first Raytheon Premier I entry-level business jet lifted off from Beech Field at 11:35 a.m. on December 22 and conducted its initial flight. Raytheon Aircraft test pilot Charlie Volk and flight engineer Warren Gould flew general maneuvers that tested the aircraft's flying qualities, engine operation and basic systems at altitudes ranging to 14,500 feet. The Premier I flew from Beech Field here and reached 200 knots during its 62-minute maiden flight. "The aircraft felt comfortable right out of the box," said pilot Volk. "We were really pleased with the way the aircraft flew. Its response was smooth, accurate and predictable. We are very comfortable with the aircraft as it is configured," he added. Raytheon Aircraft now begins the Premier I flight test program. Four fully configured, conformed production airplanes will participate. The company has taken more than 140 firm orders for the new aircraft.
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Tiger contracts in January?
Verträge für den Tiger im Januar?
After a misleading statement by Defence Minister Alain Richard, French officials moved quickly to quell doubts that the Tiger attack helicopter faces further delays. "The ministry of defence makes clear that following the decisions taken at the Franco-German Summit at Potsdam (in December), the production contract for the Tiger helicopter will be signed in accordance with the jointly agreed timetable and, as far as possible, will be in January 1999," a statement said. It also added that "as far as the NH90 programme is concerned, the intergovernmental agreement should be signed at the next Le Bourget air show (in June)."In the meantime, it has become known that a prototype of the Tiger sent to Ankara had to be pulled out of firing tests earlier in December due to political pressure, allegedly mainly from German foreign minister Joschka Fischer. Political sensitivity over Turkey's tough line against Kurdish separatists has flared up since Italy arrested Kurdish guerrilla chief Abdullah Ocalan. Turkey is seeking 145 attack helicopters worth potentially worth 4 billion US-Dollars.
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Round the world trip ends near Hawaii
Ballonfahrer müssen vor Hawaii notwassern
The latest attempt to circle the globe in a balloon has failed again. After making it halfway around the world, British airline tycoon Richard Branson, American millionaire Steve Fossett and Sweden's Per Lindstand were forced to ditch just off Hawaii on December 25 when a weather system threatened to push them off course. They were picked up by Dauphin helicopters from the US Coast Guard. The crew was winched to safety after jumping into the water from their capsule, which the balloon had dragged bouncing across the rough seas for miles. Lindstrand remained in Hawaii to try to salvage the craft. Four other teams are ready for an attempt this winter, and Branson said there was a good chance one would succeed "before we are able to fly again." Bransons balloon had taken off from Morocco on December 18 and traveled about 8,200 miles (13,120 kilometers)
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Ariane launches another PanAmSat
Elfter Ariane-Start 1998 erfolgreich
During the night of December 21 to 22, 1998, Arianespace successfully launched the PAS-6B direct TV broadcast satellite for PanAmSat Corporation of the United States. Liftoff from the Guiana Space Center in Kourou, French Guiana took place on Monday, December 21, 1998 at 10:08 pm local time This eleventh successful launch of the year caps the long and fruitful collaboration between Arianespace and PanAmSat, which has sent 13 satellites into orbit with Ariane. Flight 115 was carried out by an Ariane 42L, the version of the European launcher with two liquid-propellant strap-on boosters. It used the 84th Ariane 4 launch vehicle out of the 116 ordered to date from the European space industry. To meet the customer's requirements, geostationary transfer orbital injection on this flight was optimized by exploiting Ariane 4's third stage performance reserve. Built by Hughes Space & Communications in El Segundo, California, PAS 6B weighed 3,594 kg (7,907 lb) at liftoff and offers 8.6 kW of power. It will be located at 43 degrees West, and will provide direct TV broadcast services to South America.
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Boeing claims lead in airliner deliveries
50 Prozent mehr Flugzeuge ausgeliefert
Boeing continued to increase its presence in the worldwide fleet in 1998, claiming delivery of more than two out of of every three commercial airliners of 100 seats or more. Boeing delivered 563 commercial airplanes - a 50 percent increase over 1997. Those deliveries included the first 737-600, 737-800, 777-300 and the Boeing Business Jet. With Boeing heading once more into record territory in 1999 - deliveries are expected to be in the range of 620 - the company appears likely to deliver two-thirds of all new commercial airplanes in 1999 as well. Among those deliveries will be the first 717-200 and the first 757-300. The past year also was a stellar year for firm orders, with 656 spanning the product line. This brings the total to more than 14,000 orders for The Boeing Company since the beginning of the Jet Age. Orders for the Boeing 737 - the world's best-selling commercial jetliner - soared beyond 4,000 in 1998. Total orders for the Next-Generation 737 - which entered service last year - grew by nearly 50 percent in 1998 to more than 1,100, making it the fastest-selling jet in history. The stream of orders increased the total of unfilled announced orders at year's end to 1,786 - 43 more than a year earlier.
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Bombardier sells more Canadair Regional Jets
Weitere Aufrägre für CRJ
On December 22, Horizon Air announced plans to acquire 25 new 70-seat Canadair Regional Jet Series 700 aircraft from Bombardier Aerospace. Delivery is slated to begin in the second quarter of 2002. The order is valued at $580 million. "After a lengthy study, we concluded that the CRJ 700 will be the optimum aircraft for our current jet routes and for future expansion," said President and CEO Bagley. "The CRJ 700 will give us one of the youngest fleets in the sky and reflects our ongoing commitment to the highest levels of customer service," he said.Just days before, Bombardier had signed an agreement for the sale of 10 additional Canadair Regional Jet Series 200ER aircraft plus 10 options with Atlantic Coast Airlines (ACA) of Dulles, Virginia. The $210 million U.S. ($324 million Cdn.) transaction calls for deliveries to commence in July 2000 and be completed in September 2001 and represents the conversion of 10 existing options. ACA serves United Airlines hubs at Washington Dulles and Chicago O'Hare international airports offering 500 daily departures systemwide to 53 destinations in 24 states. The airline's new CRJ aircraft will augment service on existing routes and provide for planned route expansion. ACA's firm CRJ orders now total 43 aircraft, 14 of which are delivered and in service. The airline also holds options for 27 additional CRJ aircraft. With ACA's announcement, the Canadair Regional Jet orderbook now totals 515 firm orders, 276 of which are delivered."
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Boullioun places first Airbus order
Airbus verkauft A320 an Boullioun Aviation
On January 6, Boullioun Aviation Services announced that it has placed its first firm order for Airbus Industrie aircraft in a contract for 30 new A320 family jetliners worth more than $1.3 billion. The order, concluded in 1998, strengthens Boullioun's position as a global leader among commercial aircraft leasing companies and reflects Boullioun's confidence in the investment characteristics and residual value potential of the A320 family. Bellevue, Washington-based Boullioun has placed firm orders for 15 A319s and 15 A320s. The transaction also includes purchase rights for additional aircraft of the same type. Boullioun has the option to switch its order among three different models in the Airbus Industrie A320 single-aisle jetliner family: the A320, the A319 and the A321. In a two-class configuration, the A320 carries 150 passengers, while the A319 accommodates 124 and the A321 carries 185. Firm-order deliveries will begin in February 2002 and continue through November 2006. A total of 1900 A320 family aircraft have been sold to 82 customers and it continues to be the fastest-selling aircraft family in the world. Back to the top of the page / Zurück zum Anfang der Seite
Lauda Air places order for seven Boeing airplanes
Sieben weitere Boeings für Niki Lauda
Lauda Air, based in Vienna, Austria, continued its fleet expansion into the new year with the order of six Next-Generation 737s and one 767-300ER (extended range), The Boeing Company confirmed. The order also includes options for an additional four 737-700s. The estimated value of the order, including options, is $519 million. The firm order of Next-Generation airplanes is for two 737-600s and four 737-700s. Boeing will begin deliveries in August of this year with the 767-300ER. The 737s will begin delivery in the first quarter of 2000, with the last airplane delivering in 2002. Lauda Air began operation in 1979 and placed its first Boeing order in 1985 with the purchase of two 737-300s. "Within the last year we've taken delivery of our second 777 and our first 737-800," said Niki Lauda, president of Lauda Air. "Both models are performing exceptionally well. We have great confidence in Boeing products." All Next-Generation 737 models are powered by new CFM56-7 engines produced by CFMI, a joint venture of General Electric Co. of the U.S. and Snecma of France. Back to the top of the page / Zurück zum Anfang der Seite
NASA launchers Mars Lander on board a Delta II
NASA startet Mars Lander mit einer Delta II
A Boeing Delta II rocket roared into space on January 3, 1999, carrying two Mars-bound spacecraft for NASA. The successful launch of Mars Polar Lander and Deep Space 2 took place at 3:21 p.m. EST. Mars Polar Lander and Deep Space 2 are part of a series of NASA spacecraft that will make the journey to the Red Planet over the next few years. Last month a Delta II launched NASA's Mars Climate Orbiter spacecraft, which will observe seasonal changes on the planet upon its arrival in October 1999. Both the Mars Polar Lander and Deep Space 2 spacecraft, managed by the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., move the agency closer to its goal of mounting a human expedition to Mars. Mars Polar Lander will spend three months digging for traces of water beneath the frozen surface of Mars and will search for evidence of a physical record of climate change. A miniature microphone will permit scientists to record 10-second sound bytes of natural sounds from the planet. Deep Space 2 is comprised of two microprobes designed to penetrate the surface of Mars and collect samples for testing water vapor content of the planet's subterranean soil. In addition, Deep Space 2 will validate the ability of small probes loaded with sensitive, miniaturized instruments to analyze the terrain of planets and moons throughout the solar system.Back to the top of the page / Zurück zum Anfang der Seite
NEWS IN BRIEF / KURZMELDUNGEN
Cathay Pacific Airways flight attendants are considering an unusual form of protest against airline plans to eliminate automatic pay rises. Cabin crew are reportedly threatening to refuse to smile for one hour during every Cathay flight if the plan goes ahead. Flight Attendants' Union representative told the South China Morning Post that "our contracts do not say we have to smile."+++
Brimstone, the first of the new weapons to be introduced to Tornado as part of the GR4 Mid-Life Update programme, has been successfully flown on a Tornado IDS from British Aerospace's Warton facility in Lancashire. For this first handling and clearance flight trial, the Tornado carried 12 Marconi Electronic Systems' Brimstone missiles on its shoulder pylons. Brimstone will be integrated initially onto the RAF's fleet of Tornado GR4/4A and Harrier GR7/T10 aircraft and later onto Eurofighter Typhoon. It is a highly effective anti-armour weapon capable of defeating modern and future armoured threats, and which provides a stand-off capability to minimise the threat to the delivery aircraft.
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The Bell Boeing CV-22 Osprey tiltrotor program successfully completed its Executive Critical Design Review recently. It was the final in a series of 12 design reviews, which began last June for the U.S. Air Force version of the Osprey. In addition to Naval Air Systems Command, U.S. Air Force participants included U.S. Special Operations Command and Air Force Special Operations Command, Fla.; Kirtland Air Force Base, N.M.; and Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio. The CV-22 is the first variant of the U.S. Marine Corps MV-22. Its unique features include additional fuel tanks in the wing for extended range of about twice that of the MV-22, a multi-mode radar for terrain following/terrain avoidance flight, more sensors, radar jamming equipment and a suite of integrated radio frequency countermeasures.
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Eurocontrol, in cooperation with the US FAA and in partnership with ATN Systems has signed a 3,5 millien ECU contract with AIRSYS ATM for the development of the Common American European Reference ATN Facility (CAERAF). The primary objective of the CAERAF is to support the certification and operational approval of Aeronautical Telecommunication Network (ATN) equipment and services through its provision of a comprehensive testing capability. The ATN has been designed to integrate existing and future air/ground and ground/aground networks in order to provide a seamless global data communications service to the aeronautical community.
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On December 18, the first production model F/A-18E/F Super Hornet was delivered to the U.S. Navy more than a month ahead of schedule. F/A-18E6, a single-seat version of the nation's newest strike fighter, was accepted by the Navy at St Louis.. Production of the first lot of 12 low-rate initial production Super Hornets began at Boeing facilities here Sept. 15, 1997. The aircraft will ferry to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., where it will join the flight test program prior to entering Operational Evaluation (OPEVAL) with Navy squadron VX-9 at Naval Air Station China Lake, Calif. OPEVAL, scheduled to begin in May, will consist of more than 800 flights in a six-month period. The aircraft will be tested in all mission areas, in various climates and at sea aboard an aircraft carrier.
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Allied aircrews struck a surface-to-air missile site in northern Iraq on December 28 after Iraqi ground forces launched missiles against the aircraft. Iraqi SAMs attacked coalition aircraft conducting routine enforcement of the northern no-fly zone at 1:30 p.m. Iraq time from a site north of the town of Mosul. A Department of Defense statement said, "The aircrews acted in self-defense and responded with HARM missiles and precision-guided munitions. There was no damage to coalition aircraft, and all aircrews returned safely to base." The United States has about 20 aircraft, including F-15Cs, F-15E's and F-16CJs; about 18 support aircraft, including EA-6B's, E-3 Sentry airborne warning and control systems, tankers, helicopters and logistic aircraft; and about 1,400 people in support of Northern Watch.
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For the second time in three days, coalition air forces came under attack Dec. 30 and returned fire against a missile site in Iraq. The latest incident, this one over southern Iraq, occurred at about 1:30 a.m. EST, 9:30 a.m. local time, near the town of Talil. The strikes were in response to Iraqi surface-to-air missiles launched at coalition aircraft patrolling the southern no-fly zone. According to a Joint Task Force Southwest Asia spokesman, a coalition British GR-1 Tornado aircraft flying an Operation Southern Watch mission visually detected the launch of six to eight SA-6s from a SAM site southwest of Talil. F-16CJ, F-16CG and EA-6B aircraft, operating from bases in the Southwest Asia region and on patrol, responded by firing two high-speed anti-radiation missiles and several GBU-12 500-pound precision guided munitions at about 2:15 a.m. EST. There were no coalition aircraft damaged during the incident.
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Coalition and Iraqi forces have clashed once again, this time in the skies over the southern part of the country. This latest engagement at about 2:15 a.m. EST, Jan. 5, involved coalition aircraft flying Operation Southern Watch missions. They fired air-to-air missiles against Iraqi aircraft operating south of the 33rd parallel in the no-fly zone over Southern Iraq. The engagements involved land-based Air Force F-15s and Navy F-14s assigned to the USS Carl Vinson aircraft carrier, currently on patrol in the Arabian Gulf in support of Southern Watch. All coalition aircraft returned safely.
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Coalition aircraft have again struck a Iraqi surface-to-air missile site, this time after ground radar illuminated the fighters passing near by. At about 3:15 a.m. EST Jan. 7, according to a U.S. European Command statement, "Saddam Hussein once again violated cease-fire accords and acted aggressively by "illuminating" a coalition aircraft with a surface-to-air missile-tracking radar. The aircraft was conducting routine enforcement of the northern no-fly zone over Iraq." The Air Force F-16, acting in self-defense, fired a high-speed anti-radiation missile against the ground-based missile radar site in an effort to prevent any offensive fire. There was no damage to coalition aircraft, and all aircrews returned safely to base.
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According to the Asahi Shimbun newspaper, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries hopes to reach a basic accord with the Airbus consortium in 1999, with its participation expected to begin with aircraft parts. The company reportedly wants to eventually play a part in the production of Airbus Industrie's planned next-generation A3XX aircraft with a seating capacity of around 555.
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Saudi Arabian private airline company National Airservices Co has signed a 1.2 billion riyal ($320 million) contract to buy 12 GIV business jets from Gulfstream Aerospace The first four GIV will be delivered in 1999 while the rest will follow in the next three years. The company will lease the planes to businessmen and delegations inside and outside Saudi Arabia, with operations at Saudi airports starting next April. Saudi Arabia had in October approved the setting up of the company, the first private airline firm in the kingdom. The company, based in Red Sea port city of Jeddah, had signed contracts with Gulfstream and the other U.S. firm Executive Jet to implement a programme of partial private aircraft ownership and leasing in the Middle East.
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The Israel Aircraft Industries Ltd (IAI) Galaxy business jet has been certified by the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration as well as Israel's Civil Aviation Authority. The Galaxy is marketed by Fort Worth, Texas-based Galaxy Aerospace, a joint venture set up in February 1997 between the Israeli government-owned IAI and the Hyatt Corp. Certification of the Galaxy comes less than a year after the aircraft's first flight on December 25, 1997. First customer delivery is scheduled for mid-1999.
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Boeing has established firm delivery dates for 25 aircraft in 1999 and 2000 to support Delta Air Lines' ongoing plans for fleet modernization and modest growth. These previously exercised options and incremental orders became firm during the period June to December 1998 and include 14 Next-Generation 737-800s, eight 757-200s and three 767-300ERs (extended range). Boeing also confirmed 24 orders previously announced by Delta. These include 16 737-800s, six 757-200s and two 777-200ERs. The airline said the new aircraft will replace aircraft being retired from its fleet and allow disciplined capacity growth.
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Faust Cerety, Chairman of Alitalia, will be the AEA (Associaton of European Airlines) chairman for 1999. He succeeds Jürgen Weber, Chairman and CEO of Lufhansa. One of the new Chairmans priorities in 1999 wil be to establish how the AEA airlines can contribute to the European effort to address the Global Warming issue. "We are a growth industry, we have no alternative to fossil fuels, and no other transport mode can do the job we do, linking the whole of Europe, and connecting it with the rest of the world. That gives us special responsibility to do all we can to improve on the established upward trend in our fuel efficiency", Cereti said.
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Boeing has been selected as the winner of the U.S. Air Force KC-10 Aircrew Training System contract. The 10-year contract has a total initial value of about $80 million. Under the contract, which begins in April 1999, Boeing will provide crewmembers of the KC-10 Extender tanker aircraft with instructor-, computer- and simulator-based training for cockpit procedures, boom operations and cargo loading. In addition, the company will perform courseware development along with maintenance, modification and support of the training devices to ensure concurrency and reliability. This work will take place at McGuire Air Force Base, N.J., and Travis Air Force Base, Calif.
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Singapore Airlines' (SIA) negotiations for a stake in Taiwanese carrier, China Airlines, have been called off. "We can confirm that we are no longer planning to take an equity stake in China Airlines," said SIA vice-president (public affairs) Rick Clements. "We have discontinued discussions on the acquisition of the stake, as well as the formation of a commercial alliance between the two airlines, " he said. Clements said that certain terms that were important to SIA could not be agreed upon but he did not elaborate. The two airlines had signed a memorandum of understanding last August for SIA to buy a stake of between five and 10 percent of China Airlines and, a month later, SIA indicated that it was eyeing a 25 percent stake worth about NT10.5 billion (S$545 million). It would have been SIA's biggest equity stake in a foreign airline.
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Raytheon has successfully completed the first phase of a radar improvement program for the Advanced Synthetic Aperture Radar System-2 (ASARS-2) for the U.S. Air Force U-2 Reconnaissance aircraft. The flight test of the system, conducted during this phase, was so successful that only five of the seven planned flights were required to accomplish all test objectives. Measurements of the resulting data indicate that contrast ratio, impulse response width, and peak sidelobes meet or are better than specification. Moreover, imagery from the flights is among the best ever collected. The ASARS-2 Improvement Program, under the sponsorship of the U.S. Air Force Aeronautical Systems Center's Reconnaissance Systems Program Office, takes advantage of advances in the state of the art in commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) technology to provide the warfighter increased operational capabilities. These include real time, precision targeting; broad area synoptic coverage; on-board processing; complex imagery for measurement intelligence applications and moving target indicator (MTI). These new capabilities will upgrade the entire ASARS-2 fleet.
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On January 7, Bombardier Aerospace announced today that the Ministry of Defence of the Hellenic Republic has purchased 10 Canadair 415GR amphibious aircraft, with an option for five more. The contract is valued in excess of $250 million U.S. ($380 million Cdn), including aircraft, spare parts, ground support equipment and training. Deliveries will commence in the first quarter of 1999 and extend through 2001. This most recent order launches a new model of the aircraft, the Canadair 415GR with higher operating weights to accommodate future installation of search and rescue mission systems. Additionally, the Canadair 415GR will be equipped with on-board boat handling and utility cargo hoisting equipment.
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Tanzania has joined Inmarsat, the global mobile satellite organisation, becoming its 85th member country.
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Cirrus Airlines will open a new route from Leipzig-Halle via Dresden to Salzburg on February 1. A Dash 8-100 will be used. Cirrus is already flying from Dresden to Leipzig-Halle and on to Saarbrücken.
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The Luftrettungsstaffel Bayern, a private initiative in Bavaria, has revealed its air observation statistics for 1998. 7816 flights were made, detecting for example 26 fires. The LRSt has members at 34 airfields and can use 164 aircraft and 8 helicopters on patrol duties.
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British Aerospace Military Aircraft and Aerostructures has won a 100 million pound contract to supply 80 replacement forward, centre and rear fuselages for the Royal Air Forces Hawk t Mk1/1A trainers. Deliveries will commence in 2000.
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Charter airline Air Berlin is growing. In 1998 it carried 2 million passengers, after just 1,65 million in 1997. The company did receive less bookings from the big holiday companies, but was able to compensate with deals with smaller oranizers as well as with a new Mallorca Shuttle service.
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Crossair expects record profits for 1998, after pushing turnover over the 1 billion DM threshold for the first time.
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Dasa is working to form a so called MiG support group with Germany, Poland and Hungary to coordinate logistics and upgrades for the MiG-29 fighters of the countries. The initiative is focused on MAPS, a Dasa/Russian joint-venture comany which is responsible for the Luftwaffe MiG-29s.
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Austrian company Fischer Advanced Composite Components has signed a contract to supply spoilers for futere Airbus A340-500/600 airliners. Value of the contract is put at 21 million US-Dollars, with around 30 shipsets per year predicted.
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