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UPDATE 
Week ending November 29, 1998
+++ ATV: Aérospatiale signs contract with ESA +++ MEADS to be rescued? +++ City Bird becomes new Airbus Industrie customer +++ EU probes Airbus, Boeing aircraft price rises +++ German minister wants aircraft fuel tax +++ Raytheon/Thomson-CSF build Swiss air defence System +++ Maxus tested in Sweden +++ British Airways to buy CityFlyer Express +++ News in brief +++


ATV: Aérospatiale signs contract with ESA
ATV: Aérospatiale schließt Vertrag mit ESA

Aérospatiale has just been awarded a contract by the European Space Agency (ESA) for the development of the ATV (Automated Transfer Vehicle). The contract amounting to 408 million ECU was signed by Antonio Rodotà, Director General of ESA and Yves Michot, President and CEO of Aérospatiale. ATV is a logistics vehicle to bring cargo to the International Space Station (ISS) and to periodically ensure its orbital reboost. Aerospatiale, as prime contractor under a fixed price contract, is responsible for system and vehicle engineering, vehicle testing, software development, and global verification of the vehicle. Aerospatiale leads a team of companies from ten European countries, the major partners being: Alenia Spazio (Italy), Alcatel Bell Telephone (Belgium), Contraves Space (Switzerland), Dasa (Germany), and Matra Marconi Space (France). ATV will be launched by Ariane 5 Evolution, and its first flight is planned for 2003. It will ensure about 8 missions from then until 2013, and consitute part of ESA's contribution towards shared ISS operating expenses. ATV will provide the following services to the ISS: reboost and altitude control of the ISS (orbit corrections using the ATV's propulsion system to compensate for the ISS's regular loss of altitude), delivery of cargo, such as compressed air, water, and pressurized payloads such as food, clothing, consumable items, and experiments, to the Station, refueling of the ISS (transfer of fuel from ATV to the Station) elimination of waste from the Station.

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MEADS to be rescued?
Raketenabwehrprogramm noch zu retten?

After meetings with German defence minister Rudolf Scharping at the Pentagon, US defense secretary William Cohen has indicated that the joint US/German/Italian Medium Extended Air Defense System (MEADS) program, "is still under review. We've looked at the costs of the program. We're trying to find ways in which perhaps it can be re-formulated in a way that's acceptable to all parties and affordable." The US Congress did not approve funds in the 1999 budget to start development of MEADS, and German and Italian officials are less than happy with the Pentagon proposal to adopt a modified version of Lockheed Martin's Patriot Advanced Capability-3 (PAC-3) missile, instead of developing a new weapon as planned They are concerned that PAC-3 may not be able to protect forces from low flying aircraft and cruise missiles.

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City Bird becomes new Airbus Industrie customer
Belgischer Carrier City Bird wird Airbus-Kunde

City Bird of Belgium became a new Airbus Industrie customer with the signature of a contract for two A300-600 freighter aircraft. The Brussels-based airline will take delivery of the new aircraft from the manufacturer in mid-1999. The A300-600s will complement City Bird's fleet, flying freight services from Europe to the Far East, South America and South Africa. With the introduction of the Airbus Industrie aircraft, the airline will operate dedicated freighter aircraft for the first time. The Airbus Industrie widebody aircraft for City Bird will be powered by CF6 engines from General Electric. Airbus Industrie A300-600 aircraft can typically accommodate 266 passengers in an all-passenger two-class layout, or up to 55 metric tons as a dedicated freighter.

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EU probes Airbus, Boeing aircraft price rises
Die EU untersucht mögliche Preisabsprachen zwischen Airbus und Boeing

The European Commission said it was probing whether Boeing Co. and European consortium Airbus Industrie had colluded over aircraft price rises. The possibility has revived the Commission's fears that the world's only two manufacturers of large commercial airplanes would no longer compete against each other on price. "The Commission is investigating what is behind the statements at Farnborough fair when they simultaneously announced price rises", a Commission spokesman said. An Airbus spokesman immediately rejected the suggestion that it had consulted with Boeing on prices, saying, "Even to hint that would be insulting." The investigation follows signs that the two companies may have recently come to a truce after years of a fierce and damaging battle for market share. The announcement came after the Financial Times said that the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC) was probing Boeing's and Airbus's price increases in search for antitrust violations. Boeing announced at the Farnborough show a 5 percent increase in its list price, a move followed by a 3 percent increase by Airbus.

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German minister wants aircraft fuel tax
Umweltminister Trittin will Flugbenzinsteuer

Jürgen Trittin, German minister for the enironment, has announced that he will lobby hard to introduce a EU-wide tax on aircraft fuel. In his opinion, this is a prerequisite for fair competition between the various modes of transport. He noted that air travel contributes no less than ten percent of the CO2 emissions worldwide. Airline spokesmen commented that such a rule would just lead to creative fuel management by the companies, with more fuel upload at non-EU destinations.

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Raytheon/Thomson-CSF build Swiss air defence System
Schweiz ordert FLORAKO-Flugabwehrsystem

A Raytheon and Thomson-CSF consortium has signed a 393 million Swiss Francs Phase II/III contract with the Swiss Defence Procurement Agency to implement the FLORAKO air defence system. FLORAKO will replace FLORIDA, which was supplied durng the 1960s by the former Hughes Aircraft Company, now part of Raytheon Systems. Under the eight-year contract, the Raytheon/Thomson-CSF team will provide new radar sensors at military radar site, new communications equipment throughout Switzerland and will completely renovate the exisiting command and control centers.
FLORAKO is being implemented and funded incrementally. In December 1997, Raytheon/Thomson-CSF received a Phase I award for prototyping and risk reduction activiteis. Phase IV and V, which include enhancements to the core FLORAKO, are planned to be awarded later. The team has links to Swiss subcontractors, like Siemens Switzerland and Oerlikon-Contraves.

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Maxus 3 launch in Sweden
Maxus in Schweden gestartet

A rocket blasted off from northern Sweden on November 23, and its payload parachuted safely back to earth with new research on the effects of weightlessness, the Swedish Space Corporation said. The rocket carried an experiment testing how a protein's structure was affected by the absence of gravity. Scientists were waiting for a helicopter to return the payload of the rocket launched from the Swedish Space Corporation's base at Esrange, outside the Swedish city of Kiruna which is 150 km (90 miles) north of the Arctic Circle. The experiments, designed by scientists in Germany, France and Italy, were able to make use of about 12 minutes of weightlessness from the time the rocket left the atmosphere, about two minutes after takeoff. The rocket, called MAXUS 3, was a joint venture between the Swedish Space Corporation and DaimlerChrysler Aerospace AG (Dasa) and financed by the European Space Agency. MAXUS 3 was 16 metres (52 ft) long and weighed 12,300 kg (27,100 lb), of which experiments accounted for 480 kg (1,000 lb). The rocket motor was a Castor 4B, fuelled by 10 tons of gunpowder. The Swedish Space Corporation declined to comment on the cost of the project.

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British Airways to buy CityFlyer Express
BA will Zubringer-Fluggesellschaft kaufen

On November 26, British Airways announced that it has reached a conditional agreement to acquire Gatwick-based CityFlyer Express - the first carrier to become a British Airways franchise partner - for #75 million. The purchase, which is subject to formal approval by the UK's Secretary of State for Trade and Industry, will allow the two airlines to integrate more fully their networks and schedules. The move will also help to maintain Gatwick's position as one of Europe's leading airports.
CityFlyer Express will continue to operate independently with its own air operators certificate, its own fleet of aircraft, its own board and management team under the direction of Managing Director Brad Burgess. It will also continue to have responsibility for its own safety standards, financial performance and business plan. But in the future it will also be able to enjoy the benefits of being a member of the British Airways group, just as Brymon Airways, its West Country-based franchise, does today.

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NEWS IN BRIEF / KURZMELDUNGEN

On November 26, CAE announced that Lufthansa has awarded it a contract to produce a full flight simulator and MAXVUE display system to reflect an Airbus A340-300. The simulator will be installed at Lufthansa's training facility at Frankfurt airport and will be operational in February 2000. This sale represents Lufthansa Flight Training's 15th CAE simulator order.
+++
Lockheed Martin recently completed 20 hours of flight testing in the United Kingdom to support development of the STOVL (Short Take Off Vertical Landing) variant of the Royal Navy Joint Strike Fighter. The flights were conducted with Britain's Defence Evaluation Research Agency (DERA) Vectored-thrust Aircraft Advanced Control (VAAC) vehicle, a modified Harrier. The evaluation program tested side-stick control of the aircraft in various STOVL tasks at flight speeds from hover to 200 knots. The testing confirmed that a side stick provides satisfactory control of a STOVL aircraft at the low speeds where the aircraft is airborne. A total of 36 flights were conducted at the flight test facility at DERA Boscombe Down in the United Kingdom.
+++
On November 24, Lufthansa announced a new travel agency commission structure for travel purchased in the United States (including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) effective January 1, 1999. Tickets purchased in the United States (including Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands) will earn an eight-percent base commission rate with a maximum payment of $100 (USD) for each round-trip ticket and $50 (USD) for each one-way ticket. Tickets issued for travel wholly within Germany will continue to earn five-percent base commission.
+++
Eurosam has again conducted a successful interception of a drone, simulating an attack aircraft equipped with stron electronic countermeasures. Launching was performed at the DGA test center in Biscarosse, using a Land SAAM Vertical Ground Launcher.
+++
On November 27, Augsburg Airways was able to welcome its 500000th passenger of the year. Dirk Eigenwillig was connecting from Frankfurt to Augsburg after a 12 hour flight from Los Angeles. Augsburg Airways flies to Berlin, Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, hamburg and Cologne/Bonn, as well as deploying aircraft for the Team Lufthansa operations throughou Europe.
+++
On November 23, Lockheed Martin and Space Communications Corporation (SCC) signed a contract for a geosynchronous satellite and ground station that will serve the Japanese telecommunications marketplace. The satellite, named N-SAT-110, will serve two operators, SCC and JSAT, both based in Tokyo. It will provide Ku-band commercial telecommunications services to the Japanese islands, including direct broadcast and fixed services such as telephony and data services.
+++
German trade federations ÖTV and DAG are demanding a 7,5 per cent pay rise for all Lufthansa employees for 1999, plus participation in the profits of the German carrier.
+++
BWIA International Airways Ltd. of Port of Spain, Trinidad, has signed an agreement with Bombardier Aerospace for the purchase of two 50-passenger Dash 8 Q300 series aircraft plus two options. The "Q" is the "quiet" version of the Dash 8. The transaction for the two firm Q300 turboprop airliners amounts to approximately $27.2 million U.S. ($42 million Cdn.). Deliveries for BWIA's two firm orders are set for mid-January 1999. The optioned aircraft, once exercised, could be delivered prior to the end of 1999.
+++
On November 23, Lim In-Taik, former transportation minister, was named as president of a new aeronautics and space company to be set up early next year to merge the existing three South Korean aerospace companies, Samsung Aerospace Industries, Daewoo Heavy Industry and Hyundai Space and Aeronautics Industry. Lim will be formally elected to the top post of the tentatively dubbed Korea Space and Aeronautics Industry Co. at its shareholders' meeting early next year. The three aerospace companies have agreed to establish a new company capitalized at 500 billion won (US$384 million), with assets amounting to 1.5 trillion won, toward the end of next March.
+++
On November 23, Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor achieved the 183 flight-hours mark mandated by the U.S. Congress as a prerequisite to release funds needed for the advanced buy of the first six production F-22s, or Lot 1, and beat a Thanksgiving target date set by the Air Force chief of staff. Meeting the mandate occurred simultaneously with completion of separate criteria established by Department of Defense (DoD) and Air Force officials, allowing the F-22 team to fulfill terms of a memorandum of agreement (MOA) between the Air Force and F-22 prime contractors Lockheed Martin and Pratt & Whitney. According to the MOA, contracts for the advanced buy of Lot 1 and for two production representative test vehicles (PRTV), totaling close to $800 million, will be awarded before Dec. 31. The PRTV aircraft will support F-22 operational test and evaluation beginning in 2002 at Edwards.
+++
Testing of the short takeoff and vertical landing (STOVL) propulsion system being developed for the Lockheed Martin Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) has been initiated at Pratt & Whitney's test facilities in West Palm Beach, Florida. The STOVL propulsion system for the Lockheed Martin JSF is comprised of the JSF119-611 turbofan power plant, built by Pratt & Whitney; the shaft- driven lift fan, built by Rolls-Royce Allison in Indianapolis; the three- bearing-swivel-duct nozzle, built by Rolls-Royce Defence (Europe) in Bristol, United Kingdom; and the off-take ducts and roll post nozzles, also built by Rolls-Royce. The first STOVL engine, designated FX662, accomplished its first engine run with the lift fan engaged on Nov. 10. The lift fan was operated to 100 percent speed for the first time on Nov. 22.
+++
Matra BAe Dynamics has signed a major contract to supply Mica air-to-air missiles and Black Shahine air-to-ground missiles to the United Arab Emirates, the Lagardere group said on November24. The contract was estimated to be worth 12 billion francs ($2.09 billion). Confirmation of the missiles purchase follows last week's signing of a contract for 30 new Mirage 2000-9 built by Dassault Aviation. The UAE purchase marks the first export sale of the infra-red model of the Mica, which complements an electromagnetic version which Abu Dhabi is also buying. The long-range strike missile, known by its Arabic name Black Shahine, is based on the Apache and Scalp EG stand-off weapon being built for France and the Storm Shadow which will equip Britain's Royal Air Force.
+++
Boeing has delivered its first two Boeing Business Jets, one to GE and one to an undisclosed customer. Borge Boeskov, president - Boeing Business Jets, was pleased with these two deliveries and said they represent an important BBJ milestone and more on-schedule performance for the program. Boeing Business Jets' current order book stands at 46. Nine are committed to the Boeing NetJets fractional-ownership program, a joint venture between Boeing Business Jets and Executive Jet.
+++
Britannia Airways, the world's largest charter carrier, has placed an order for five Next-Generation 737-800s and options for another five. Two orders and two options will be acquired directly from Boeing. The remainder will be acquired by operating leases from International Lease Finance Corporation (ILFC). Britannia, a UK-based member of the Thomson Travel Group (TTG), plans to enter the first of these new airplanes into service in early 2000.
+++
On November 23, Continental Airlines, the fifth-largest airline in the United States, has placed an order for 10 extended-range Boeing 767-200 ERs to complete its twin-aisle fleet. The 767-200ERs will serve Continental's expanding international markets to Europe and South America, and will be configured with 176 seats - 25 "BusinessFirst" seats and 151 in coach. The Boeing 767-200ER shares many common features with the Boeing 757, which also is in service in Continental's fleet.
+++

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

*November 22, 1998 *November 15, 1998 *November 8, 1998 *November 1, 1998

*October 25, 1998 *October 18, 1998

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

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Last updated November 27, 1998
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