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UPDATE 
Week ending August 15, 1999

+++ First 328JETs delivered +++ Arianespace resumes launch schedule with successful Flight 118 launch +++ DaimlerChrysler and GM to start charter service +++ China Airlines buys A340 and 747-400F +++ First G 115E for RAF handed over +++ Next Shuttle launch delayed +++ News in brief +++

First 328JETs delivered
Fairchild liefert erste 328JETs aus

On August 9, Fairchild Aerospace announced delivery of the first two 328JETs to Skyway Airlines, the launch customer for the new wide-bodied regional jet. Based in Milwaukee, Skyway, the Midwest Express Connection, serves 25 cities in the Midwest and Canada. The 328JET, the world's first 32-seat regional jet, will enter revenue service with Skyway later this year following completion of pilot training in San Antonio. Skyway has five aircraft on firm order and 10 options. Fairchild has a total of 163 328JETs on the books as firm orders or options. The 328JET received certification in July from both the European Joint Aviation Authorities and the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration.

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Ariane resumes launch schedule with Flight 118
Erfolgreicher Ariane-Flug 118 beendet viermonatige Startunterbrechung

Lifting off from the ELA-2 launch site at Europe's Spaceport at the opening of its launch window, Arianespace Flight 118 soared into the French Guiana night sky on August 12 and injected its Telkom 1 satellite into an accurate geostationary transfer orbit. The successful mission marked Arianespace's return to launch after a prolonged stand-down due to delivery delays with satellite payloads for several of Arianespace's scheduled missions. Liftoff occurred at 7:52 p.m. local time as the Ariane 42P climbed away from the ELA-2 launch pad with its Telkom 1 payload. The Telkom 1 spacecraft -- built by Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems of Sunnyvale, California -- weighed 2,655 kg. at liftoff. The next Arianespace launch, Flight 120, is scheduled for September 1 with the Koreasat 3 satellite. This mission also will use an Ariane 42P. In a speech at the mission control center following the V118 mission, Arianespace Executive Vice President Jacques Rossignol revealed the company has signed three more payloads for launch. Additional details on these latest commercial successes will be provided next week. In other developments, Arianespace has scheduled its first commercial mission with the Ariane 5 heavy-lift launcher for December. This flight will carry a large scientific payload -- the European Space Agency's X-ray Multi-Mirror satellite (XMM). With a weight of 3.8 metric tons at launch, XMM is the biggest scientific satellite ever built in Europe.

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DaimlerChrysler and GM to start charter service
Gemeinsame Charterbetrieb von DaimlerChrysler und GM

General Motors Air Transportation Services (GMATS) and Daimler Chrysler Aviation (DCA) are seeking Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) approval of the formation of a joint venture that will conduct world-class charter aviation operations. "This joint venture will create opportunities for both General Motors and DaimlerChrysler to utilize their aircraft in air transport services beyond company travel. We're enthusiastic about this innovative initiative, as it allows us to reduce operational costs while not impacting existing air travel services for our employees, which remains a priority for GM," said Ken Emerick, GM's director of Worldwide Travel. The new company, pending approval, and as yet unnamed, will be based in Pontiac, Mich., and is expected to fly from the U.S. to destinations worldwide. Private charter flight service is expected to be available by the end of September. Approximately 20 planes will be available for charter usage. GM will be the 52 per cent majority owner of the company. Certain support services for the new company will be performed under a contract services agreement through DCA.

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China Airlines buys A340 and 747-400F
A340 und 747-400F für China Airlines

China Airlines of Taiwan has selected the A340-300 for medium-capacity long-haul operations, with an agreement with Airbus Industrie covering seven firm orders and one option for the type. In addition to the A340-300, the airline has also secured four options for the twin engine A330-300 for future use on regional operations. With deliveries scheduled to begin in the second quarter of 2001, the A340-300 will be operated by China Airlines primarily to destinations in Europe and North America. China Airlines will configure its A340-300 aircraft with a spacious three-class layout, offering accommodation for 263 passengers.
At the same time China Airlines announced an order for 13 747-400 freighters Deliveries for the order, valued at approximately $2.5 billion, are scheduled to begin in July 2000 and continue through 2007. "Boeing products and services have long been the foundation of our fleet," said China Airlines President Sandy Liu. "And with worldwide cargo growth forecast to increase 6.4 percent annually combined with Asian markets gaining strength, we believe these airplanes will help us successfully grow our business interests now and in the future. The 747-400 Freighter has commonality with our 747-400 Passenger fleet and offers us much more capability than our existing 747-200s," Liu said.

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First G 115E for RAF handed over
Grob liefert erste G 115E für Royal Air Force

The Aerospace division of the Grob-Werke has handed over the first four of a total of 99 G 115E training aircraft to the chief pilot of Bombardier Services. After successful technical acceptance of the fully aerobatic 180 hp aircraft, Bombardier Services have ferried them to the UK and will use them to provide elementary flying training on contract with the Royal Air Force. The Grob G 115E was developed from the G 115D. Many small refinements of the structure and aerodynamic design have resulted in improvements inevery area of performance and handling. Hand-in-hand with the increase in performance come reductions in operating and support costs.

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Wiring inspections delay next Space Shuttle missions
Nächste Shuttle-Flüge wegen Kabelinspektionen verzögert

Shuttle managers decided on Tursday, 12 August, to delay the rollout of Shuttle Endeavour from Orbiter Processing Facility bay 2 to the Vehicle Assembly Building to conduct extensive wiring inspections and preventative wire maintenance in the orbiter's payload bay. In depth evaluation of payload bay wiring aboard orbiters Columbia and Atlantis revealed the potential for damaged wire to exist in Endeavour's payload bay. The additional work will delay the STS-99 launch to at least early October. Tomorrow, workers will begin preparations to remove the SRTM payload from Endeavour's payload bay to gain access to the lower cable trays that run the length of the orbiter's midbody. Once access is established, Shuttle engineers and technicians will begin necessary inspection and mitigation efforts. The impact of this delay and the unplanned wiring work needed on the rest of the Shuttle fleet is being assessed.

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NEWS IN BRIEF / KURZMELDUNGEN

AlliedSignal has announced that it has completed a successful first engine run of the company's new AS900 turbofan engine. According to the company, the AS900 started on teh first attempt and accelerated flawlessly to governed speed. Approximately one hour and forty-five minutes of operating was accumulated on the engine. The test program will now proceed toward a planned certification in the first quarter of 2001.
+++
Flight testing of the General Electric GE90-94B turbofan engine, mounted at the inboard position on the left wing of GE's Boeing 747 flying testbed, is successfully under way and proceeding on schedule, with completion targeted for the end of August. The flight test program, which comprises 15 to 17 flights and a total of 90 to 100 flight hours, is devoted to demonstrating the altitude operability and performance of the GE90-94B, which introduces 3D aero design features in the high-pressure compressor.
+++
Reacting to reports of a big espionage scandal in Germany erupting after the arrest of two suspects, Dasa has denied that 52-year old engineer Peter S. was working on missiles for Eurofighter. A statement said the the man was employed by Lenkflugkörper Systeme GmbH (LFK), working on the sale of antitank systems. Peter S. was already employed by MBB.
+++
The Seven Q Seven flying testbed has completed the first phase of a flight test program that will lead to certification of the Pratt & Whitney JT8D-219 engine as a low-cost, highly efficient re-engining option for the Boeing 707 commercial and military aircraft. The Dallas-based group has flown its 707 demonstrator over 20 hours with a JT8D-219 engine installed in the number one position in place of the aircraft's original Pratt & Whitney JT3D/TF33. This initial test program demonstrated the JT8D's operability and compatibility with the 707. Next the aircraft will be outfitted with three more JT8D-219s for a full FAA certification flight test program to be completed in mid-2000. These tests mark the first time a JT8D-219, originally developed for the MD-80, has flown in an underwing position.
+++
Dasa is selling its Elekluft subsidiary to the British Serco Group. About 800 employeed in Bonn are affected by the move. Elekluft is working in the area of logistic and systems consulting. Turnover for 1998 is given as 186 million DM.
+++
The Government of New Zealand has approved purchase of a fifth Kaman SH-2G(NZ) Super Seasprite helicopter for the Royal New Zealand Navy, the Ministry of Defence has announced. The new helicopter, which will operate from the New Zealand Navy's two new ANZAC frigates and the Leander class frigate HMNZS Canterbury, will be provided under a contract to be valued at an estimated $30 million, including spares, support equipment and air-to-surface missiles. This additional aircraft will bring the total value of Kaman's SH-2 program in New Zealand to more than $200 million.
+++
Sikorsky Aircraft has announced plans to relocate its West Palm Beach, Fla. -- based flight test and S-76 helicopter completion and delivery center operations, as part of a previously announced restructuring program. The company is currently evaluating various locations for the operations. The company will determine whether it will relocate employees based on staffing requirements. A company-wide voluntary early retirement package for qualified employees was announced in July as part of the company's restructuring plan.
+++
DaimlerChrysler Aerospace AG (Dasa) participates in the new formed South African defense electronics company Reutech Radar Systems (Stellenbosch, Capetown). The Dasa-share amounts to 33 per cent. The leading German Aerospace company views this as a first strategic step to a comprehensive partnership, as Dasa communicated after the recent presentation of the new company. Aim of the cooperation is the mutual support in opening new markets in Africa and Western Europe. Reutech Radar Systems is engaged mainly in the field of Radar Technology and therefore offers, as Dasa reports, huge synergies for the activities of the Dasa-business unit Defense and Civil Systems. Reutech specialises in ground-based and shipborne radar systems, and is active in the air defence, air space control and air traffic control markets. It participates in important procurement programs of the South African Armed Forces.
+++
Pratt & Whitney will move its military jet engine business, currently located in West Palm Beach, Florida to Connecticut as part of a major restructuring to be completed by the end of 2000. In addition, the Pratt & Whitney manufacturing operation in North Haven, Connecticut will move to the company's East Hartford plant. Repair operations in Connecticut will be moved to Pratt & Whitney facilities in Texas, Oklahoma, and Arkansas. "We have made considerable progress transforming Pratt into a lean organization, reducing costs and improving our ability to respond to customers," said Louis R. Chênevert, Pratt & Whitney president. "However, we see continuing competitive pressures which make it critical that we eliminate excess floor space and more closely match our cost structure to changing business conditions". As a result of these actions, Pratt & Whitney's domestic U.S. employment will decline by at least 1,500 positions.
+++
Now extensively enlarged, Lufthansa Technik's (LHT) engine test stand in Frankfurt is ready to test engines in performance classes up to that of the Rolls-Royce Trent 500 turbofan and beyond. A basic prerequisite has thus been met for LHT's future maintenance and overhaul of that advanced engine. Deutsche Lufthansa AG is the first customer for the new Airbus and is naturally preparing itself for the maintenance and overhaul of the new engine type. "The introduction of a new engine in this thrust class requires that both we and our customers meticulously plan and carefully prepare all the procedures involved," says Walter Heerdt, Senior Vice President Powerplants at LHT. When in the year 2001 the new ultra-long-haul version of the Airbus A340, known as the A340-600, makes its maiden flight, the Trent 500, currently still under development, will deliver a thrust of 53,000 lb (235 kN). The newly improved aerodynamics of the engine test stand in Frankfurt involves essentially a new intake tower that stabilizes the air flowing to the engine, plus a 20-meter-tall exhaust tower. The latter serves in particular as a noise suppressor. As an additional measure, the test stand's control electronics has been expanded to permit testing of FADEC-controlled engines.
+++
From September 1, 1999, Swisscargo will exclusively market Cargolux freight capacities in Switzerland, the first time Swisscargo acts as general sales agent (GSA) for a partner freight carrier. Not only does this generate synergies for both carriers; Beat Hoegger, Vice President Central, Eastern & Southern Europe, points out more advantages: "Our customers will benefit from an even denser global network of destinations and direct access to the main deck capacities of Cargolux's B747-400F, and all that at fair market prices." . The GSA agreement is another step in the partnership between Swisscargo and Cargolux. SAirLogistics has held a 33.69 % interest in the Luxembourg freight carrier for two years. The cooperation agreement guarantees Swisscargo and Cargolux mutual access to their networks. Along with joint network and flight planning, in future the two partners also want to exploit synergies in freight handling, technology, and management.
+++
SpaceDev has announced it is offering low-cost Mars probe-carrier missions as a commercial product, starting with the 2003 Mars launch opportunity. SpaceDev is also offering lunar orbiters and derivatives of its newly revised Near Earth Asteroid Prospector (NEAP) mission for sale as turn-key commercial products. Such commercial deep-space missions are a first for the industry. SpaceDev Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Jim Benson made the announcement in Boulder at the annual convention of the Mars Society. ``We are now offering to deliver small payloads on Mars-entry trajectories for a fixed price of about $24 million. The estimated NASA procurement cost for a similar mission is thought to be significantly higher than the SpaceDev fixed price, perhaps twice as much,'' Benson said during his remarks at the conference, later adding that ``savings of comparable magnitude are possible with SpaceDev's turn-key lunar and asteroid missions.''
+++
Günther Matschnigg, currently Vice President Technical Base Maintenance Organisation within Austrian Airlines, is to join IATA on 1 September 1999, as Senior Director designate, Operations & Infrastructure. He takes over as Senior Director on 1 January 2000, following Karel Ledeboer's retirement from IATA. Günther Matschnigg brings nearly 20 years of technical aviation expertise to IATA, deriving mainly from time spent at the Department of Civil Aviation in the Austrian Ministry of Transport and, since 1995, senior positions at Austrian Airlines.
+++
The International Air Transport Association (IATA) and IBM have announced their commitment to develop a service capable of linking the e-ticket systems of hundreds of airlines around the world. The new service, built on industry standards is expected to expand significantly the acceptance and use of e-ticketing among IATA's 266 Member airlines and the industry as a whole. This new industry solution will allow participants to link to a centralized e-ticket service to process and exchange e-tickets. Travelers using e-tickets will then have the flexibility to fly, and if necessary rebook, on more than one airline on the same trip. This cannot be done today -- unless the e-tickets are issued by one of the few carriers with existing reciprocal agreements. Those participants in the system without e-ticketing capability, also may opt to use the new centralized service as a host system to create, store and process e-tickets, eliminating the need to develop and maintain their own proprietary e-ticket facilities.
+++

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Previous updates are still available:
Die News der letzten Wochen sind weiter abrufbar:

*August 8, 1999 *August 1, 1999

*July 18, 1999 *July 11, 1999 *July 4, 1999

*June 27, 1999 *June 20, 1999 *June 13, 1999 *June 6, 1999

*May 30, 1999 *May 23, 1999 *May 16, 1999 *May 9, 1999 *May 2, 1999

*April 25, 1999 *April 18, 1999 *April 11, 1999 *April 4, 1999

*January to March 1999 *January to December 1998 *January to December 1997 *September to December 1996

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