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UPDATE
Week ending March 30, 2003
+++ Dornier 328 deal for AvCraft complete +++ Production HAP Tiger flies +++ Skyjet Europe charter programme launched +++ ESA signs for Columbus Control Centre +++ MTU: Fiscal 2002 beats expectations +++ Lufthansa Technik weathers airline crisis +++ News in brief +++
Dornier 328 deal for AvCraft complete
AvCraft übernimmt Dornier 328-Programm
U.S. entrepreneur Ben Bartel has acquired the rights and facilities to produce the 32-seat, German- built Fairchild Dornier 328JET and 328 turboprop in expectations of an upturn in the market for regional airliners and business jets. Bartel's company, AvCraft Aviation, an aircraft maintenance firm headquartered in Leesburg, Virginia, purchased aircraft manufacturing and support facilities in Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany from bankrupt Fairchild Dornier. Terms of the financial transaction were not disclosed. AvCraft will use its own facilities in Akron, Ohio as a U.S. support base for the aircraft. Both entities will henceforth operate under the Fairchild Dornier name.
"While the airliner market is currently in a slump, regional jets are likely to be the first segment to pick up," Bartel noted. "The 328 has proven to be a workhorse and money maker for regional airlines, as well as a dependable and economical business aircraft." More than 180 of the aircraft are currently in service with affiliates of Delta Airlines, U.S. Air and other airlines around the world. The 328JET is priced at $11.5 million in standard airline configuration and $14.5 million for the Envoy 3 corporate configuration of the aircraft. Bartel further stated: "Fairchild Dornier's financial problems stemmed not from the 328, but from investments in larger aircraft -- its proposed 728 and 928 regional jets -- at a time of declining demand."
Bartel expects the new Fairchild Dornier company to begin delivery of aircraft currently in inventory within the next 60 days, and to resume full- scale production over the course of the next 12 months. The company acquired 18 finished aircraft as part of the transaction, plus five additional aircraft in various stages of final assembly. The company expects to produce 30 to 50 aircraft per year in Oberpfaffenhofen, an hour's drive from Munich, by 2005. Fairchild Dornier will retain its headquarters in Oberpfaffenhofen, with a worldwide sales and marketing office in Fredericksburg, Virginia.
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Production HAP Tiger flies
HAP Tiger: Erstflug in Marignane
One of the most important European helicopter programs - the Franco-German Tiger combat helicopter - has just successfully achieved another decisive milestone. The first production HAP Tiger due to be delivered to the French Army Air Corps (ALAT) took off from Marignane on 26 March 2003. The 55-minute flight, which was like a typical production helicopter acceptance flight, was under the control of test pilot Jacques Larra, and flight test engineer Bernard Jansonnie. The complete flight envelope was explored, and no problems were reported. After the flight, Jacques Larra noted that "everything went exactly as planned, which is a promising sign of a well controlled industrial process."
The weapons system of the Tiger HAP Combat Support Helicopter includes a 30 mm turret-mounted gun (GIAT) slaved to the pilot's or gunner's helmet-mounted sight, rockets (TDA), and Mistral air-to-air missiles (MBDA). Thanks to its size and stealth features, the HAP is ideally suited to the various forms of localized conflicts, where it can - completely independently - acquire, identify and process targets. France and Germany have ordered a first block of 160 Tiger helicopters, and Australia has ordered a total of 22.
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Skyjet Europe charter programme launched
Bombardier bietet Charter in Europa
On March 26 Bombardier Aerospace launched Skyjet Europe, the world's first “Occupied Hours” business jet charter programme. Unlike other Charter services in Europe, Bombardier Skyjet customers are charged a fixed hourly rate only for the hours flown – with no positioning costs – an industry first. Bombardier also introduced today its enhanced Flexjet Europe Jet Membership programme, offering customers greater flexibility and the highest level of trip customization every time they fly. The company now has the most comprehensive product and service offering on the European market. “Customers told us that they wanted a broader range of choices to satisfy their evolving travel needs,” stated Dan Maiden, Managing Director, Bombardier Flexjet Europe. “Firmly committed to the European market, we have listened to these needs and have responded by enhancing our Jet Membership programme and introducing Bombardier Skyjet Europe.
Developed in response to growing market demand, Bombardier Skyjet Europe is the only charter service in Europe to offer 'Occupied Hours' pricing. As a result, customers can expect to pay the same price for journeys of the same length, regardless of their point of departure and destination – unheard of in the European charter industry until now. Typically, the price of a chartered trip varies on a flight-by-flight basis, making it difficult for customers to anticipate costs and often forcing them to shop around for the best deal, a sometimes lengthy and cumbersome process. By contrast, with its predictable pricing, Bombardier Skyjet Europe offers customers a fixed price for the same journey – simplifying the way customers charter aircraft and enabling them to better plan and budget their travel.
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ESA signs for Columbus Control Centre
Columbus-Kontollzentrum in Oberpfaffenhofen
On 31 March at Oberpfaffenhofen, near Munich, Germany, ESA Director of Human Spaceflight Mr. Jörg Feustel-Büechl signed a Euro 37.7 m contract with DLR, the German national agency for aerospace research and spaceflight, to develop the Columbus Control Centre for the European Columbus laboratory on the International Space Station (ISS). Columbus is a European science laboratory built to facilitate European research in space. It is the cornerstone of the European contribution to the ISS project and represents Europe as a key partner in the Space Station program. ESA expects to launch the laboratory in October 2004. The main functions of the Columbus Control Centre will be to command and control the Columbus laboratory systems, to provide and operate the European ground communications network for the facility, and to coordinate operations for the European payloads on board the International Space Station. "The Columbus laboratory and the Columbus Control Centre are vital elements of the European participation in the International Space Station," said Mr. Feustel-Büechl, "the signature with DLR for the Columbus Control Centre demonstrates Europe's commitment to the International Space Station program".
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MTU: Fiscal 2002 beats expectations
Unklare Zukunft für MTU
MTU Aero Engines, Germany's leading engine manufacturer, has so far weathered the current global aviation crisis better than prognosticated. FY2002 consolidated sales did not decline as sharply as expected. Resisting industry trends, the company's repair shops gained ground amidst nosediving markets. Long-term technology investments bore fruit, driving a commercial high-pressure compressor breakthrough. The company mobilized internal reserves to expand and helped lower the ecological impact of flying. The Fiscal 2002 consolidated sales volume of 2.2 billion euros was 11% below the year ago (2.5 billion euros). The drop is largely attributed to the falloff in commercial production and repair part sales, which not unexpectedly plunged 26% to 1.1 billion euros. This contrasted with the commercial engine maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) sector, where the company's market share grew to 5.6%, from 5.3% the year before, boosting revenues 7% to 680 million euros. In the government sector, revenues grew 13% to 460 million euros. Hottest revenue-generating items were the RB199 (Tornado) and EJ200 (Eurofighter); the latter just started coming off the production line last year. A good performer also was the MTR390 engine for the Tiger helicopter, which went into production last year as well.
Flexible working time arrangements and a number of further tools allowing MTU to effectively manage capacity to match workload have proved their worth in the post-9/11 aviation crisis. While there was a selective hiring freeze in place at locations hardest hit by sagging markets, the payroll still grew from 7,800 to very nearly 8,400. The additions came mostly in Munich, where the absorption of ATENA added 300 staff, at Ludwigsfelde (plus 100) and China's Zhuhai (plus 170).
MTU is a pacesetter also in European and transatlantic technology programs. In concert with Snecma and other European engine builders and research institutions, the company is working on a novel geared-turbofan recuperated propulsion concept. A demonstrator is slated to make its first test runs in 2003. Steffens is confident that "this concept constitutes the top rung of the development ladder of aircraft engines as we know them today. I suspect it will be the ultimate solution in terms of noise level and fuel consumption." MTU's key contributions to the program are its high-speed low-pressure turbine and its heat exchanger.
MTU's strategic aim is to become an irreplaceable partner for the global players in the engine business and for its commercial and military customers. Steffens said: "2002 brought us much closer to that goal." Regarding the impact the war on Iraq may have on MTU's business, MTU's CEO believed that the spare parts business and the company's repair activities would be the first to feel the hurt of a further global economic slowdown. "We'll have to go the extra mile to realize our ambitious plans for 2003. What we'll have to do is keep building our market share."
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Lufthansa Technik weathers airline crisis
Gute Ergebnisse für Lufthansa Technik
n one of the worst years ever for international air transport, the Lufthansa Technik Group was able to maintain and even strengthen its market position as one of the world's leading providers of aircraft MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) services. According to the Lufthansa Technik Group's first joint annual report, which has just been published for fiscal 2002, Lufthansa Technik AG and its twelve allied companies managed to increase their pretax income for the year to 147,7 million euros despite a drop in sales of 7.3 percent to 2.8 billion euros. "In the light of the difficult business climate, our eighth year as an independent company within the Lufthansa Group must be considered a great success," said Lufthansa Technik's executive-board chairman August Wilhelm Henningsen on 26 March in Hamburg. As reasons, he cited the company's concentration on modern aircraft and engine types, the accomplishments of its international alliance plus the effective cost-cutting and efficiency programs that it has implemented, which by the end of 2002 resulted in savings of 47 million euros.
While the worldwide sales of the MRO industry as a whole were down by as much as 20 percent, the Lufthansa Technik Group managed to hold the shrinkage of its own sales to a minimum. This was partly due to the fact that, while a good 40 percent of its business was still with companies of the Lufthansa Group, nearly 58 percent was with more than 370 other customers throughout the world. With an anticipated delay, the aftermath of 9/11 and the aviation crisis exacerbated by it hit the MRO industry hard in 2002. The reduced number of flight hours on offer owing to the drop in passenger demand resulted in a large number of planes being decommissioned or parked, which lessened the need for MRO services. Overcapacity plus accelerated consolidation within the industry further intensified competition. Notwithstanding, in 2002 Lufthansa Technik (LHT) increased the number of its customers to 378. It signed 119 new contracts representing sales of nearly 220 million euros, 35 of them with new customers. The number of aircraft that it serviced, including those of the Lufthansa fleet, rose by 17 percent to 845.
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NEWS IN BRIEF / KURZMELDUNGEN
Japan has successfully launched its first two reconnaissance satellites, which are primarily to keep an eye on North Korea. Japanese television footage shows the H2A rocket lifting off at 10:27 AM local time Friday from a remote launch site 1,000 kilometers southwest of Tokyo. The rocket soared through a brilliant blue sky, and trailed a plume of smoke, as it ferried Japan's first two spy satellites into space. Japan's space agency bills the satellites as multi-purpose, but their primary use will be to gather intelligence on North Korea. Pyongyang has alarmed Tokyo over the past several years, and especially in the last six months, with a series of acts that Tokyo views as highly provocative. They include restarting banned nuclear facilities and withdrawing from the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.
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The 100th Airbus passenger aircraft which will be converted into freighter configuration, entered the conversion line at EADS EFW (Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH). EFW, headquartered in Dresden, Germany, is the core facility for Airbus freighter conversion within EADS European Aeronautic Defence and Space Company NV. The conversion of the aircraft, an Airbus A310-300 (MSN 502), will be performed for US-based lessor Intrepid Aviation Partners under a long term conversion agreement covering A300-600 and A310-300 aircraft. Intrepid is offering the aircraft for lease or sale upon completion of the conversion in August 2003. The first conversion of an Airbus passenger aircraft into freighter configuration was completed in 1994. Since then and as of today, EADS has provided the delivery of a total of 97 Airbus freighter aircraft (34 A300B4, 44 A310-200, 12 A310-300 and 7 A300-600) to 18 customers worldwide.
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With the backing of government coalition members, the German Bundestag voted to approve the 2003 defense budget on Wednesday, March 19. The budget is set at approximately 24.4 billion euros, comparable to those of the two previous years; annual defense expenditures are expected to remain at this level until 2006. "With [this funding plan] we have planning security", explained the Federal Minister of the defense, Dr. Peter Struck, during the final budget debate in the Bundestag. Approximately one-quarter (24.7 per cent) of the defense budget will go to investments; this portion is scheduled to gradually increase until 2006, when it will account for 27 per cent of the annual budget.
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The war in Iraq comes at a time when the airlines, having accumulated $30 billion of losses since 9/11, are still struggling with the effects of the worst crisis in the history of the industry. The armed conflict could easily add $10 billion dollars of losses on international traffic by extending the current traffic slump well into the summer season. „At this point, the air transport industry must look beyond the horizon and re-invent itself,“ said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA Director General and CEO, speaking in Montreal, at the seminar opening the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) ATC5 Conference. „Our industry needs change. Government regulation keeps our industry from changing. This ICAO conference may well represent the last chance to set our industry on the right regulatory track,“ Bisignani stressed. IATA identified three obstacles to the change the industry needs: the bilateral system, national ownership rules and the attitude of competition authorities. These are the three pillars of stagnation.„Bilateralism should evolve into a regional system with the merger of the single markets. While the North Atlantic could be the starting point in seeking a new way, we call on all like-minded governments to begin the modernization of the bilateral system,“ Bisignani continued.
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The European Union will put up 450 million euros to develop Galileo, the EU's satellite navigations system, which it says will be more advanced, powerful and reliable than its U.S. counterpart. The EU gave its Galileo satellite navigation system the green light, confirming that it would now release an extra 450 million euros needed to develop the Galileo system. European Transport Ministers meeting in Brussels on Tuesday said the project -- which is being developed in conjunction with the European Space Agency (ESA) -- would create 150,000 jobs and generate an income of 10 billion euros a year. “This is good news for Europe... it will help Europe to maintain its autonomy, its sovereignty, its technological capacity and control of its knowledge,” the EU Commission's Vice President responsible for transport and energy, Loyola de Palacio said.
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"Leaner structures, and as a result, even more efficient lines of decision are Lufthansa's answer to the changed conditions in global competition", explained the future Chairman of the Executive Board of Deutsche Lufthansa AG, Wolfgang Mayrhuber, in Frankfurt. The consistent further development of Lufthansa from an airline into the Aviation Group as well as the securing of continuity, will remain the prime objectives when he takes up office in June. Initial changes have already been decided on by the Group Executive Board. In future, the Group Executive Board will have three instead of its previous four members. As Chairman of the Group Executive Board, Wolfgang Mayrhuber will also continue to manage Lufthansa German Airlines. The Group's tried and tested decentralized management philosophy will be further developed. In future, parallel to their Group functions, the members of the Executive Board will also be responsible for strategically important business fields and regions.
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In response to the sharp fall in passenger bookings, particularly on routes to America and Asia, the Lufthansa Executive Board announced cuts in the airline's capacity on intercontinental routes. Additional services scheduled for the summer timetable will be postponed from 30 March. As a result, the long-range fleet will be reduced by seven aircraft. Despite these measures, Lufthansa will continue to serve all its destinations as before. The majority of cuts will affect services to North America, which have been hit particularly badly by the slump in demand following the outbreak of war in Iraq. On routes from Frankfurt to New York, Boston and Los Angeles, for example, one flight per day will be axed. In addition, individual flights from Frankfurt to Phoenix and Dallas will be scrapped, and smaller aircraft will deployed between Frankfurt and Philadelphia. On routes to South America, frequencies to Caracas will be reduced from six to three per week.
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The European space company Astrium and its subsidiary EurasSpace Gesellschaft für Raumfahrttechnik mbH (Munich) will deliver the world's largest antenna measuring range to China. The respective delivery contract has now been signed by representatives of Astrium, EurasSpace and the Chinese Academy of Space Technology (CAST) in Beijing. “I am pleased that we could attain such export success on the Asian market in such difficult times for the space business,” stated Dr. Gerhard Wischmann, managing director of Astrium after the signing ceremony. The system, worth approximately twelve million euros, is to start operation by the end of 2005. As the prime contractor, EurasSpace is responsible for turn-key system delivery. The “range” will be built by the European space company Astrium in Ottobrunn. In addition to the delivery of the reflector system, the contract also covers the absorbing paneling of the measuring chamber walls, the multi-axis turntable system for the positioning of the test object, as well as the microwave measuring instruments and the respective control software.
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NASA is taking new steps to ensure Space Shuttles fly safely into the future. Last week, during the first of what will be an annual Service Life Extension Program (SLEP) Summit, NASA led the U.S. space flight community in a comprehensive debate on the long-term requirements to extend the life of the Space Shuttle fleet. The two-day event (March 19, 20) at NASA's Michoud Assembly Facility in Louisiana brought together about 200 government and aerospace industry professionals. The summit served as an unprecedented forum to explore, discuss, and determine what the best strategy to safely and effectively fly the Space Shuttle fleet to support key missions until at least the middle of the next decade. "The Service Life Extension Program is off to a good start," said NASA Deputy Associate Administrator for International Space Station and Space Shuttle Programs Michael Kostelnik. "The SLEP Summit helped us establish the process for all the Shuttle Program stakeholders to decide what the most important areas of investment should be," he said. Summit participants heard from seven SLEP panels: Safety, Sustainability, Infrastructure, Aerospace Industry, Performance, Operations and Resources. The panel's recommendations were consolidated and submitted to NASA's Space Flight Leadership Council (SFLC) by the Integration Panel.
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In order to determine whether life ever evolved on Mars, ESA intends to launch an exobiology mission, known as ExoMars, to the Red Planet in 2009. As part of ESA's long-term Aurora programme to prepare for future human missions, ExoMars will deploy a high-mobility rover on the Martian surface. The key to the success of this scientific quest will be the rover's Pasteur payload, a comprehensive suite of instruments that will characterise the Martian biological environment. In order to be able to meet the 2009 launch opportunity, the Agency is already starting to define the experiments that will make up this payload. Accordingly, the Aurora Programme Office has recently released a „call for ideas“ from the scientific community for the ExoMars mission. This call for ideas is the first step in the process seeking to obtain the highestquality research for ExoMars and its Pasteur payload. It is also designed to foster international cooperation among multidisciplinary science teams and to avoid duplication of projects.
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MTU Aero Engines (Germany) and Volvo Aero (Sweden) have signed a long-term agreement to manufacture components for the GP7000, the engine to power the Airbus A380. Volvo Aero will manufacture the Low Pressure Turbine Casing (LPT case) over approximately the next 15 years. For the GP7000, Volvo Aero will become involved in the programme immediately with manufacturing of development hardware. The first LPT Case will be delivered on September 1, 2003. Series production will commence in 2005. In all, MTU's role in the engine to power the Airbus A380 mega-transport amounts to 22.5 percent program share. MTU partners with General Electric and Pratt & Whitney in the emerging GP7000. The Munich-based company is responsible for the production of the high-pressure turbine, for the development and production of the low-pressure turbine, and for the turbine center frame. The engine will be MTU's most substantial civil program in the years ahead.
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The upcoming summer timetable period at Munich Airport is set to generate a sharp increase in traffic. Airlines serving Munich have announced plans for more than 234,000 scheduled take-offs and landings for the period between March 30 and October 25, 2003, a rise of 13 percent over last year. By comparison: the combined average increase in traffic for all other German airports is just 4.5 percent. Based on slot bookings to date, Munich Airport accounts for approximately 40 percent of all new arrivals and departures scheduled for the coming summer in Germany. In the lead-up to the official opening of Munich Airport's new Terminal 2 on June 29, Lufthansa is beefing up its hub operations in Munich even more. Three attractive new long-haul connections – New York (Newark), Peking and Montreal – will enhance the airline's route map during the coming summer period. May 19 will see the start of two new services to North America: a 48-seat passenger aircraft, specially equipped as a business jet, will depart for New York six times a week, while a daily Montreal service will start with an Airbus A 340. On June 30, Lufthansa will premiere three weekly flights to the Chinese capital, Peking. Two of Lufthansa's existing long-haul links from Munich to Asia will gain three extra weekly departures each. The Hong Kong route will then have six flights per week, and Shanghai will be served daily. With the launch of the summer timetable, Lufthansa is also welcoming back the daily flights to Los Angeles that were suspended following the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001.
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Saab Aerospace in Linköping will be given a new organization from 14 July 2003. There will be two new business units: Saab Aerosystems and Saab Aerostructures. In addition, a support organization, Saab Support, will be formed. All units will report directly to Saab's group management. Saab Aerosystems will have its business focus on the defence market, with its own long-term systems responsibility for independently developed aircraft such as the Gripen, shared systems responsibility for new advanced air combat systems such as unmanned aerial vehicles, (UAVs), and subsystem responsibility for other aircraft equipment, such as tactical mission system for helicopters. General Manager of Saab Aerosystems will be Lennart Sindahl, who will also be Site Manager in Linköping with responsibility towards authorities, organisations and industry in the region. Deputy manager will be Johan Lehander. "The time is now ripe for a division of the business area into two units. The recently extended contract with Hungary for the Gripen and the continued export potentials are important business opportunities for Aerosystems," says Åke Svensson, newly appointed President of Saab AB and former Manager of Saab Aerospace.
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As the search of more than 500,000 acres of primary recovery area for Space Shuttle Columbia material reached its halfway mark, NASA Administrator, Sean O'Keefe, visited key sites in east Texas to thank recovery crews for their diligence and hard work. "The outstanding interagency cooperation, and the hard work of all the individuals working on recovery, has been truly gratifying and inspiring," Administrator O'Keefe said. "There has been an untiring, fulltime, and dedicated effort to recover Columbia material. The great recovery work directly supports the efforts of the Columbia Accident Investigation Board to determine what caused the Shuttle mishap", he said. On Monday Administrator O'Keefe and Associate Administer for Space Flight, William F. Readdy visited the Lufkin Command Center, Nacogdoches Base Camp, and Toledo Bend Reservoir Dive Site. Approximately 4500 ground searchers have covered approximately 56 percent of the planned 555,000-acre search area. The air search has covered approximately 74 percent of 604, four-square nautical mile grids; and, on water, searchers have scanned about 81 percent of a planned 14.7 square nautical mile area. The search should be completed within four to six weeks, weather permitting. Searches farther west, along Columbia's ground track, likely will take additional time, because of the great area involved.
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According to POGO sources, the Pentagon's Defense Acquisition Board has approved production of additional F-22s but has postponed addressing the on-going avionics problems plaguing the system. The decision echoes another disastrous procurement story. On the B-1 bomber, crippling avionics problems that were not fixed before production and eventually made the bomber unusable “The eyes and ears of the plane do not work yet. It is irresponsible to spend billions on a plane that may never work. For every single pie in the sky F-22 the Pentagon can buy four tried and true F-16s,” said Danielle Brian, Executive Director of POGO. The General Accounting Office has issued two reports in recent weeks documenting uncontrolled cost overruns and technical difficulties in the program (Tactical Aircraft: DOD Needs to Better Inform Congress about Implications of Continuing F/A-22 Cost Growth and Tactical Aircraft: DOD Should Reconsider Decision to Increase F/A-22 Production Rates While Development Risks Continue)
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Boeing employees delivered the final Apache helicopter for the United Kingdom the same way it delivered the first ahead of schedule. All 67 multi-role UK Apaches for the British Army either complete aircraft or in kit form were delivered on or ahead of schedule to prime contractor AgustaWestland over the past four years. The UK Apache is the United Kingdom's version of the next-generation AH-64D Apache Longbow. Produced at Boeing in Mesa, Ariz., the British Army will field these Apache aircraft under the designation AH Mk1. Boeing built eight Apache aircraft and partially assembled the remaining 59 for AgustaWestland. Final assembly, flight test, delivery and support is taking place at AgustaWestland's Yeovil, United Kingdom facility.
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Raytheon Company, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA), and the U.S. Navy successfully completed the first demonstration test flight (DC-1) of the Raytheon-produced Tactical Tomahawk Penetrator Variant March 21 at White Sands Missile Range, N.M. "This successful test flight demonstrates the significant versatility of Tactical Tomahawk to support a variety of payload options that can be delivered at extended ranges, making it a highly effective weapon choice," said Louise Francesconi, president, Raytheon Missile Systems business unit. The Tactical Tomahawk Penetrator Variant was developed under an Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD) sponsored by DTRA and the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR). The purpose of the ACTD was to support national counter-proliferation objectives to defeat weapons of mass destruction. The Tactical Tomahawk Penetrator Variant supports one of several DTRA counter-proliferation programs. This demonstration flight, which used a Tactical Tomahawk airframe configured with a penetrating warhead equipped with the new Hard Target Smart Fuze, also sponsored by DTRA, followed successful warhead development and a series of sled tests conducted at Naval Air Warfare Center China Lake, Calif.
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The U.S. Navy has completed the Operational Assessment series of test flights of Northrop Grumman Corporation's Increased Capability (ICAP) III electronic attack weapon system for the EA-6B Prowler tactical jamming aircraft. The assessment, scheduled for two months, was completed in a month. Under contract to the Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., a team led by Northrop Grumman's Integrated Systems sector developed the 21st century electronic attack system for the Navy's EA-6B Prowlers and the EA-18, the planned successor to the Prowler. A successful Operational Assessment is one of several critical steps leading to low-rate initial production of ICAP III, a decision expected this spring. “System availability during the Operational Assessment was outstanding, which allowed the formal test schedule to be completed ahead of schedule,” said Sam Abbate, director of the ICAP III program for Northrop Grumman's Airborne Early Warning and Electronic Warfare (AEW&EW) business area.
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Fraport AG's executive board has decided -within the context of completing the 2002 financial statement - to make a EUR293 million complete write-down on its financial investment in the International Passenger Terminal 3 (IPT 3) project at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) in Manila, the Philippines. Based on preliminary unaudited figures for fiscal year 2002, the Fraport Group recorded nearly a 14-percent increase in operating revenues to EUR1.8 billion and earnings before interest, tax, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of EUR504 million - excluding the exceptional write-down for the Manila project. Thus, Fraport achieved its forecast operating result of more than half a billion euros. After this exceptional effect, the Fraport Group had an EBITDA of EUR242 million and an annual net loss of EUR120 million. The write-down already takes into account about a $140 million outflow of funds - expected by the end of March 2003 - from bank guarantees for the Manila project. In connection with this non-recurring expense, Fraport AG's retained earnings are zero after a EUR130 million release from capital reserves for 2002. As a result, no dividend payments will be made for fiscal year 2002. Fraport's executive board chairman, Dr. Wilhelm Bender, emphasized that "overall, 2002 was a very successful year for us". "We increased our earning power again and strengthened the basis for healthy development of the Group," Bender said. "And despite the difficult political and economic conditions worldwide, we are optimistic about 2003." However, Bender indicated that the Iraq war and its feared negative impact on aviation presents a significant risk for the current business year.
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ISRO signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Canadian Space Agency (CSA) today (March 27, 2003) reaffirming mutual pursuit of international space cooperation for peaceful purposes while working towards economic and social development of both countries. The MOU was signed by Dr K Kasturirangan, Chairman, ISRO, and Dr Marc Garneau, President CSA at Antariksh Bhavan, the Headquarters of ISRO in Bangalore. "I am pleased to welcome Dr Garneau and his delegation to India and to have signed this Memorandum today", said Dr Kasturirangan, "we share common needs for telecommunications, meteorology, disaster warning as well as natural resources management and environmental monitoring. This renewed cooperation between ISRO and CSA demonstrates our mutual commitment to pursue common projects benefiting both the countries, now and in the future."
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In a new block of demonstrations in the Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle (UCAV) program, Boeing and DARPA (the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency) have successfully demonstrated that an autonomous unmanned aircraft controlled from the ground could be successfully integrated into air-traffic-controlled airspace with manned aircraft. Air Force leadership has made it very clear that the UCAV system must interoperate within the manned environment," said Andy Gutierrez, the government X-45A chief systems engineer. "Manned airspace control procedures are not going to substantially change and the design of the UCAV must adapt so that it can safely and effectively operate in such an environment. This demo has taken a giant first step towards making manned and unmanned systems co- exist." The demonstration, the first of the UCAV Block 2 capabilities, was conducted at Edwards and Eglin Air Force bases using the T-33 UCAV Surrogate aircraft. Equipped with an avionics pallet fully representative of the X-45A UCAV system, the T-33 can autonomously fly pre-planned mission routes while also having a hands-off test pilot aboard to take manual control if necessary to ensure operational safety. This approach also allows operators on the ground to control the T-33 as if it were a UCAV.
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Embraer, one of the leading commercial aircraft manufacturers in the world, registered in FY2002 net sales of US$2,525.8 million and net income of US$222.6 million, equivalent to diluted earnings per ADS of US$1.3095. The order backlog as of December 31, 2002 totaled US$22.2 billion, US$9.0 billion in firm orders and US$13.2 billion in options, not considering the effect of SWISS contract changes announced March 25, 2003. The terrorist attacks in the United States on September 11, 2001 have resulted in a high level of uncertainty for the worldwide airline industry. Many airlines faced immediate declines in airline travel, credit downgrades and liquidity concerns. In addition, the global economy has experienced significant volatility and weakness. In response to these events, many airlines, reduced their flight schedules for the long-term, announced significant lay-offs, rescheduled aircraft deliveries and, in some cases, have filed for bankruptcy protection. During 2002, 131 aircraft were delivered, 82 ERJ 145, 36 ERJ 140 and 3 ERJ 135 jets in the commercial aviation segment, 7 Legacy Executive jets and 1 Legacy Shuttle in the corporate aviation segment, as well as one 1 EMB 135 and 1 EMB 145 for the defence market and government support operations.
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Bombardier Aerospace's Dash 8 has become the first Western-built regional aircraft to obtain Russian civil registration and is operating in support of oil and gas development offshore Sakhalin Island in the Russian Far East. Bombardier's Dash 8 Series 100 turboprop aircraft, in an all-passenger configuration, is operated by Sakhalinskie Aviatrassy (Sakhalin Air Transport) to provide international and domestic aviation support to Exxon Neftegas Limited (ENL), a subsidiary of ExxonMobil. ENL is the operator of the Sakhalin-1 Project, at US$12 billion the largest direct foreign investment project in Russia. The aircraft is based at Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk on Sakhalin Island and is expected to fly close to 85 hours per month.
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Lufthansa Technik has broadened its aircraft-maintenance capabilities. It now services Airbus A340-600 jetliners. First customer is South African Airlines (SAA). The African airline is one of the first carriers to put into regular service this longest of all commercial liners. Known as the "quiet giant", it measures 75.3 meters (ca. 247 ft) in length. This SAA A340-600 has been flying into the Frankfurt airport since 15 March. Since SAA's European office is located in Frankfurt, the aircraft was introduced to the airline's European customers at a South African roll-in party given in hangar 6. Three hundred fifty guests were invited, along with many journalists. An Airbus Industries representative symbolically handed the key to SAA's chief pilot, and there was South African music provided by various musical groups plus a buffet laid on by the catering firm of LSG Sky Chefs.
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Boeing has restructured Boeing Launch Services Inc., BLS, to combine strategic planning, business development and sales for government and commercial customers under one integrated organization. In making the announcement, Boeing officials cited the need for innovative approaches to meet the current challenges of the global launch market. “This new BLS structure enhances our customer focus by taking full advantage of our best people and practices to meet all of our customers' needs,” said Will Trafton, vice president and general manager of Boeing Expendable Launch Systems. “The first launch of the Delta IV for the U.S. Air Force Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle contract demonstrated this and our commitment to customer satisfaction.” The restructured BLS organization, with headquarters in Huntington Beach, Calif., is responsible for marketing and sales of the Sea Launch and Delta family of launch vehicles to Boeing national security, civil space and commercial customers. The BLS organization also provides strategic planning and business development for Boeing Expendable Launch Systems.
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In view of the currently unfavourable economic projections for 2003, SWISS has revised its ongoing fleet renewal programme. The company is reducing its firm orders for EMBRAER 170 and EMBRAER 195 aircraft from 60 to 30, with the first deliveries rescheduled to 2004. The number of options held on the new types is also being reduced, from 100 to 20 aircraft. SWISS is also in negotiations with Airbus. The first seven A340s will be delivered to plan. Talks aimed at rescheduling delivery of the final five A340s are currently in progress with Airbus. SWISS is responding to the continuing crisis in the air transport industry by modifying its current fleet renewal programme. Adjustments are being made to both the number of EMBRAER aircraft ordered and the timetable for their delivery. At the same time, however, SWISS has expressly confirmed its commitment to its chosen fleet concept and its partner EMBRAER; and the aircraft ordered remain a cornerstone of the company's future business strategy. In view of the current economic situation and the presently far-from-favourable business projections, SWISS and EMBRAER have agreed to modify the carrier's order with the manufacturer from 60 to 30 aircraft (15 EMBRAER 170s and 15 EMBRAER 195s). The number of options is also being reduced, from 100 to 20 aircraft.
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On Wednesday, 26 March 2003, SWISS and Finnair are to sign a co-operation agreement that will guarantee both airlines a stronger and more diversified partnership at many levels. The agreement builds on the successful codeshare arrangement that already exists between Switzerland and Finland. SWISS will submit the co-operation agreement to the European Commission for examination in the next few days. The EU will then decide whether the agreement meets the requirements of European competition law. This process is a matter of a formal legal vetting, and SWISS expects to receive EU approval in the near future. SWISS and Finnair already operate a successful codeshare agreement between Switzerland and Finland, and offer numerous connecting flights. Customers also already enjoy the advantages of a joint worldwide Frequent Flyer programme.
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Swiss Sun, the Swiss International Air Lines charter subsidiary today (Friday) took delivery of its first new Airbus A320 in Toulouse. The aircraft has been specially configured for charter operations and, as an attractive novelty, features a camera mounted under the cockpit. For its charter operations SWISS will receive a total of four Airbus A320s, which will replace the Boeing MD-83 fleet. The first new SWISS charter Airbus A320 will be operated exclusively for TUI, the tour operator. A second A320 will follow in June this year. The remaining two wil Ohne Titel 6iP 4 8j 60 /
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Uing Director Finance responsible for Finances and Corporate Services and Manfred Brennwald as Managing Director Operation responsible for Engineering and Flight Operations, the new management level at SWISS is now complete. The appointments were made in the context of the previously announced introduction of a new management level in the Top Management structure.
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British Airways announced a package of measures in response to the impact on its business of the conflict in Iraq. Following the actual and anticipated downturn in passenger traffic, the airline will implement a reduced flying programme and an acceleration of its Future Size and Shape restructuring programme. The measures include: An overall capacity reduction of four per cent in April and May, involving reduced frequencies and the use of smaller aircraft. The Future Size and Shape programme's overall manpower reduction target of 13,000 by March 2004 will be accelerated to September this year. An extension of the company's unpaid leave scheme for staff. A review of all capital expenditure and external spend.
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The outbreak of war in Iraq has speeded up the deterioration of market conditions since the beginning of March both in terms of traffic and yield. Under these circumstances, Air France has introduced a series of initial measures as part of its adaptation plan, which will be revised weekly according to new developments in the situation. At this stage, Air France is basing its assumptions on a gradual return to normal conditions, following its experience of the Gulf War in 1991 and the September 11 events. Air France is keeping a very close watch on all new developments in order to closely adapt its capacity to market conditions. For April, it has decided to reduce its capacity by 7% compared with the initial flight schedule, while maintaining service to all destinations offered to its customers. This adaptation process will be applied selectively according to the situation in each geographic area, and will safeguard the integrity of the network and the efficiency of the Air France hub. Even though traffic on the domestic, Caribbean and Indian Ocean networks remains satisfactory, North American, Asian, Middle East and European routes are suffering considerably from the falling passenger demand. Air France has decided to limit its capital expenditure for the 2003-04 fiscal year by postponing delivery of seven medium-haul aircraft, due to be delivered next Autumn. Together with the cut in ground investments, net capital expenditure should amount to less than one billion euros in 2003-04. At the same time, Air France will retain its margin of flexibility.
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Enstrom Helicopter Corporation has announced some top-level management changes. Steven P. Daniels, president and chief executive officer, and Frank Gallagher, vice president, have departed the company. Significant communication problems had developed with company ownership. Peter H. Parsinen, a senior industry veteran, has been appointed president for an interim period while a replacement search is conducted. As a consultant, Parsinen has worked closely with the entire Enstrom team in developing an aggressive plan for growth.
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