DUBAI SHOW REPORT Guarding the Gulfdl.magazinedl.com/magazinedl/Flight...

Scrappy landingsNigerian investigators probe Air Peace after safety scares 24

Regional focusOur World Airliner Directory reaches annual conclusion 33

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Guardingthe Gulf

UAE keeps watch as GlobalEye soars

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26 November-2 December 2019 | Flight International | 3flightglobal.com

CONTENTS

26 NOVEMBER-2 DECEMBER 2019

Business jet production rises to 10-year high P28

SR

Tech

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THIS WEEK 8 ‘Sharper pencils‘ sought for Sunrise

9 Airbus wins the orders battle at Dubai air show

10 FAA pressed to seek fan cowl changes

11 ‘Project Fresson’ charges up hybrid design

DUBAI AIR SHOW REPORT 12 UAE adds GlobalEye and MRTT orders

13 Twists and turns reveal Emirates plan

14 Narrowbody revolution by early 2030s

15 Foreign interest lifts Little Bird revival prospects

16 UAE aims to get Edge on the enemy

17 VRT500 light-single rises to challenge

18 Geese inspire Airbus fuel-saving trials

19 DA20 and D-JET may shine again at Diamond

20 Flying colours

AIR TRANSPORT 22 Tailwind in fatal overrun of Saab 2000.

SR Technics sale in limbo as bids miss valuation

23 EasyJet eases back fleet growth plans

24 Air Peace investigated after set of incidents

DEFENCE 26 JSOW gliding towards integration with F-35A

27 Airbus awaits C295’s passage to India

BUSINESS AVIATION 28 New models power deliveries increase

DATA VIEW 30 Neo propelled October sales

Kam

ran J

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/AP

/Shutt

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BEHIND THE HEADLINES

Our reporting team

provided all the best

coverage from the Dubai

air show, including three

issues of Flight Daily News

and our all-inclusive

10-page report (P12)

NEXT WEEK DIGITALIn our last non-print issue this year, we analyse some of the hottest topics from the Dubai air show

Volume 196 Number 5713

COVER STORY

9 UAE broadens its vision with additional GlobalEye orders

Abu Dhabi increases its commitment for the Saab surveillance type, with first delivery imminent

33 Looking for lift Sales so far during 2019 may have been slow, but manufacturers have used this period to reposition themselves in an opportunity to ensure revenues gain height in years ahead

42 Momentous times Ten years of changes for aviation, publishing and Flight International – as well as around the world

NEWS

FEATURES

REGULARS

7 Comment

43 Straight & Level

44 Letters

46 Classified

48 Jobs

51 Working Week

Scrappy landingsNigerian investigators probe

Air Peace after safety scares 24

Regional focusOur World Airliner Directory

reaches annual conclusion 33

26 November-2 December 2019 I flightglobal.com

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4 8£3.90

DUBAI SHOW REPORT

Guardingthe Gulf

UAE keeps watch as

GlobalEye soars

Bill

yPix

wnload The Engine Directory.htglobal.com/ComEngDirectory

nload the new Commercial Engines Directorywith enhanced data and in-depth market analysis

Download the 2019 Commercial Engines Reportnow with updated enhanced data and in-depth market analysis

HNA Group suspends

sale of SR Technics P22

flightglobal.com4 | Flight International | 26 November-2 December 2019

CONTENTS

Image of the week Crew members aboard a CH-47 Chinook enjoy the view following a US Army flypast conducted ahead of an NFL military appreciation game in Nashville, Tennessee on 10 November. Also in the formation are a UH-60 Black Hawk and two AH-64 Apaches, all assigned the service’s 101st Combat Aviation Brigade

View more great aviation shots online and in our weekly tablet edition:

flightglobal.com/flight-international

US A

rmy/

ZU

MA

Wire/S

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Question of the week

This week, we ask: Big winner from Dubai? ❑ Airbus ❑ Boeing ❑ Emirates

Vote at flightglobal.com

Last week, we asked: Max return this year? You said:

Japan Airlines now holds half the voting rights in Jetstar

Japan, after acquiring Mitsubishi Corporation’s 16.7% stake

50%

5

$6.83m

The week in numbers

Canadian lessor Chorus Aviation Capital is set to buy five

new A220-300s under sale-and-leaseback deal with Air Baltic

To optimise its business portfolio, ST Engineering has sold

Aviation Training Academy Australia to Regional Express

Cirium Dashboard

Cirium Dashboard

Cirium Dashboard

Total votes: 1,337

Stay up to date with the latest news and analysis from the global aviation and aerospace sector: flightglobal.com/news

20%

3%

77%Only in the USA 266 votes

Will slip into 20201,026 votes

Will never happen45 votes

CIVIL SIMULATOR CENSUSNOW AVAILABLE ONLINEwww.flightglobal.com/civilsim

INDUSTRY SHAPERS FLYCONGRATULATIONS AZUL BRAZILIAN AIRLINES ON

BECOMING THE GLOBAL LAUNCH OPERATOR OF THE E195-E2.

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COMMENT


Watching brief

Numbers gameThe past two years have seen Emirates switch from very large widebodies

to medium-sized twins. But finding an A380 successor will be no mean feat

Enduring partnership

For the second time in four short years, Saab emerged as one of the surprise

high fliers at the biennial Dubai air show – but its repeat sales success with the Global-Eye surveillance aircraft was just reward for a decade-plus relationship forged with the United Arab Emirates’ military.

The main headlines around the Middle East’s pre-eminent industry gathering re-main largely reserved for the big Airbus and Boeing commercial order announcements made with local carriers like Emirates and Etihad, while potential fighter requirements dominate in the defence sphere.

In 2013, huge show speculation around a possible UAE order for 60 Dassault Rafales or Eurofighter Typhoons came to nothing – as did subsequent talk of it taking additional Lockheed Martin F-16s.

But the UAE has thrown its procure-ment might fully into acquiring what will be an enviably sophisticated airborne surveillance capability. An almost $1.3 billion launch order for two Bombardier Global 6000-derived GlobalEyes signed in 2015 was boosted with a third airframe two years later, and now its fleet will be further expanded, to five, via new business worth around $1 billion more.

Sweden’s defence champion beat the likes of Boeing and Northrop Grumman in securing the UAE’s airborne early warn-ing aircraft business thanks to its long relationship with the nation’s military forged via the entry-level, Erieye radar-equipped Saab 340. While bigger compa-nies tried to sell a product, it worked with its customer to develop a better system, capable of performing simultaneous airborne, land and maritime surveillance.

In a region where Sweden opts not to market its Gripen fighter, Saab has quietly built a GlobalEye business already worth approaching $3 billion. Don’t count against it having further surprises at future Dubai shows. ■

Emirates is renowned for its huge aircraft orders, and this year’s Dubai air show was

no disappointment. But dig a bit deeper and it quickly becomes clear that the airline has actually been quite restrained in its spending.

The current cycle started two years ago at the 2017 show, when the global network car-rier confirmed its intent to step back from its fleet of very large widebody types – Airbus A380s and Boeing 777Xs – to maximise growth by tapping markets of lower demand.

That resulted in the airline signing a memo-randum of understanding for 40 787-10s in No-vember 2017. The announcement at this year’s show of a deal for 30 787-9s effectively marked the consummating of that two-year negotiation. But in between, the Emirates fleet-planning team has been seemingly chasing its tail.

Central to this apparent indecision was Airbus’s termination of its flagship aircraft programme. Emirates had signed what would be its last A380 mega-deal in February 2018 for 20 examples, plus 16 options. This was supposed to be the programme’s life-saver, but with doubts already increasing over the sustainability of production, the airline found itself struggling to get any serious bids from the engine suppliers for these orders.

The A380’s demise spelled the end to Emirates’ last 39 A380s on order (as well as 16 options) and the airline agreed a tentative deal in lieu of these for 70 Airbus widebody twins – 40 A330-900s and 30 A350-900s.

The world is a different place to the one in which Emirates placed its 150-aircraft 777X

order in 2013. Even before the A380’s fall, there was speculation that negotiations over the 787 contract centred on substituting some of the 777X orders. Now the Airbus twins were threatening to steal Boeing’s thunder.

By the time the airframers touched down in Dubai for this year’s show, things had changed again. Emirates’ planners were less than enthused about the prospect of invest-ing in a warmed-up version of the A330. In-stead it has gone large on the A350, and also revisited the 787 plan from two years ago – but this time focused on the smaller -9 vari-ant. Also in the mix are 30 777 cancellations.

So after a two-year spending spree featur-ing orders, options and commitments for al-most 200 widebodies, the net increase when it all shakes out is just 31 new orders.

The carrier’s next headache is identifying a worthy replacement for the A380, as its fleet peaks in the next two years at around 120 air-craft and then declines. Based on the airfram-ers’ stated product-development intentions, that could prove a mighty challenge. ■

Substitution deal

Em

irate

s

See This Week P9

See Show Report P13

The world is a different place

to the one in which Emirates

placed its 150-aircraft 777X

order in 2013

Bill

yPix

THIS WEEK


GECAS BOLSTERS AIRBUS WIDEBODY BACKLOG ORDER GECAS will add 12 Airbus A330neo widebodies and

20 A321XLRs to its portfolio, the manufacturer has disclosed.

The deal includes a conversion of seven A321s in the backlog

to the XLR, bringing the lessor’s total A320-family orders to

588 and A330 orders to 45, says the airframer. It appears to

make GECAS the unidentified customer Airbus recorded an

order for in its backlog revision of 7 November, which covered

a commitment for a dozen A330neos and 13 A321neos.

GOAIR SELECTS PW1100G FOR NEW A320NEOS PROPULSION Indian low-cost carrier GoAir has selected

Pratt & Whitney PW1100G engines to power the 72 new

Airbus A320neos that it will take from 2021. The engine maker

will also provide long-term maintenance services.

ALITALIA ACQUISITION COMES OFF THE RAILS AIRLINE Italian rail industry firm Ferrovie dello Stato Italiane

Group said last week that the conditions needed to form a

consortium to take over Alitalia had not materialised ahead of

the 21 November deadline set by the carrier’s commissioners.

Delta Air Lines was willing to participate in the equity of a new

company to acquire Alitalia, it states, but Lufthansa had not

confirmed it would be an “immediate” equity partner.

KLM SWITCHES TO RECARO FOR E2 SEATING INTERIORS KLM has selected Recaro to supply seats for an

on-order fleet of Embraer 195-E2s scheduled for delivery to its

Cityhopper arm from the first quarter of 2021. The seats will

be identical to those fitted to the carrier’s newest Boeing 737s.

KLM’s existing fleet of E190s and E175s is fitted with seats

supplied by Safran subsidiary Zodiac Aerospace.

NORWEGIAN NAMES KJOS SUCCESSOR MANAGEMENT Low-cost carrier Norwegian has named

former Circle K Europe group president and McKinsey adviser

Jacob Schram as its new chief executive. Schram will take up

the position from the start of 2020. Geir Karlsen, who has been

acting chief executive since long-standing boss Bjorn Kjos

stepped down in July, will continue as chief financial officer

and deputy chief executive.

CHINA’S SECOND AIRCRAFT CARRIER AT YULIN OPERATIONS China’s second aircraft carrier has docked at

Yulin naval base at the southern tip of Hainan Island, amid

speculation that it will soon be commissioned into People’s

Liberation Army Navy service. Satellite images from Maxar

Technologies show the Type-001A carrier with seven

Shenyang J-15 fighters and four helicopters on its deck.

SILVERSTONE RESUMES DASH 8 OPERATIONS SAFETY Kenyan authorities have lifted the restrictions

imposed on Silverstone Air Services’ De Havilland Canada

Dash 8 fleet, a week after banning the airline from flying the

type. Silverstone had been subjected to the seven-day

prohibition after a compliance audit by the Kenyan civil

aviation authority in the wake of two serious incidents. The

agency says the carrier has taken “satisfactory corrective

measures” and that the restriction has been removed.

BRIEFING

Qantas is seeking better offers from Airbus and Boeing

regarding various aspects of the aircraft proposal each airframer is submitting for the Australian carrier’s ultra-long-haul Project Sunrise programme.

While the airframers have put forward “best and final offers” for Project Sunrise – with the A350 and 777X competing for the deal – Qantas believes they still fall short of its requirements.

“That’s not just around price,” says Qantas International chief Tino La Spina. “That covers things like guarantees, the ‘what-ifs’ – because this aircraft is going to be in the fleet for the next 20 years, and we want to cover off eventualities.”

Speaking to investors on 19 November, La Spina said the airline was “making sure [the aircraft] is future-proofed”.

Qantas has been intending to select the aircraft type for Project Sunrise – its plan to open non-stop services to destinations such as New York and London from the east coast of Australia – by the end of this year.

But La Spina says the carrier has “asked [the airframers] to go back and re-look at [their offers]”

and “sharpen their pencils” as “there was still a gap there”.

“We’re eagerly awaiting to see what we get back from that,” he says.

Qantas chief executive Alan Joyce says the airline will need to have a certain minimum fleet, but that it “wouldn’t be ordering all those [aircraft] simultaneously”, instead expanding the fleet as the number of selected destinations increases. “The opportunity is quite significant,” he says.

La Spina refrains from disclosing the number of aircraft being sought for Project Sunrise, but says the airline is aiming to serve London and New York from both Melbourne and Sydney, and is “looking” at oper-ating to Chicago from both Australian cities.

One of his presentation slides also showed Paris, Rio de Janeiro and Cape Town as illustrative destinations.

On 14 November, Qantas com-pleted the second of three Project Sunrise test flights, travelling non-stop from London Heathrow to Sydney using a 787-9. The service lasted 19h 19min, a nod to the year in which the Australian flag carrier was founded. ■

STRATEGY DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON

‘Sharper pencils‘ sought for SunriseLeading airframers asked to rework ‘best and final’ offers in bid to future-proof Qantas nonstop long-haul services

Qanta

s

Second of three test flights took place in mid-November


FAA pressed to seek fan cowl changesThis Week P10

COVER STORY

Exactly four years after stunning its rivals with a surprise

launch order from the United Arab Emirates, Saab took its GlobalEye surveillance aircraft to the Dubai air show, adding two more commitments to its backlog.

Arriving from Linkoping in Sweden via Crete on 14 Novem-ber, the heavily modified Bombar-dier Global 6000 business jet that appeared in the static line was the last of three to have already been prepared for the UAE air force.

Saab’s head of radar solutions, Lars Tossman, declines to reveal the company’s planned delivery schedule for the UAE, but says: “From all aspects the programme is on track.” However, speaking in late October, the Swedish com-pany’s departing chief executive, Hakan Buskhe, said the first of the multirole surveillance assets will be delivered before the end of the first quarter of 2020.

“Aerodynamic flight tests are concluded and we are extremely pleased with the system perfor-mance,” Tossman says. A train-ing programme has also begun with the customer, and initial mission equipment and spares have been delivered to the UAE.

PROGRAMME CRAIG HOYLE LONDON

UAE broadens its vision with additional GlobalEye ordersAbu Dhabi increases commitment for Saab surveillance type, with first delivery imminent Airbus topped the order table

at Dubai, with commitments covering 188 aircraft, including the largest deal of the show – low-cost carrier Air Arabia’s purchase of 120 A320neo-family jets.

As well as a commitment from Emirates for 50 A350-900s, Airbus firmed an order unveiled at the Paris air show with Saudi Arabian carrier Flynas for 10 A321XLRs, and made a tentative deal with Air Senegal for eight A220-300s.

Orders for the troubled 737 Max boosted Boeing, and other deals included 30 787-9s for Emirates, a pair of Dreamliners for Biman Bangladesh Airlines – and a tentative agreement with Ghana’s government for a trio of 787-9s for a new home-based carrier in which it has a holding. Accra also signed for six De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400s for the airline.

Embraer disclosed a firm order from CIAF Leasing for a trio of E190s. The jets, to be delivered in the fourth quarter of 2020, will join three E170s in the Egyptian lessor’s portfolio. CIAF is also set to receive two E195s in Novem-ber, says Embraer. Nigerian carrier Air Peace also converted options on three E195-E2s. ■See Show Report P12

ACQUISITION

C-130Js approved for New ZealandNew Zealand’s plan to purchase five Lockheed Martin C-130J

tactical transports has received approval from the US Department of

State, with the deal worth an estimated $1.4 billion. Wellington

a nnounced in June that it had requested pricing information from

Washington after selecting the C-130J to replace the Royal New

Zealand Air Force’s elderly fleet of five C-130Hs. “This purchase

also includes sensors and performance improvements that will assist

New Zealand during extensive maritime surveillance and reconnais-

sance as well as improve its search and rescue capability,” says the

US Defense Security Cooperation Agency. Requested mission

equipment includes L3Harris Wescam MX-20 electro-optical/infra-

red sensors. Other candidates for its new requirement were the

Airbus Defence & Space A400M and Embraer’s C-390.

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The programme’s lead aircraft is currently having its onboard test equipment removed follow-ing envelope expansion work and certification flight testing, through which the company’s pilots re-port its flying qualities to have been “extremely close to the origi-nal Global 6000”. This is despite the addition of features including the distinctive Saab Erieye ER surveillance radar mounted above the fuselage, and Leonardo Seaspray 7500E maritime surveil-lance radar underneath.

Aircraft two has conducted system-level testing, including of all onboard equipment, data links and ground communications, plus the GlobalEye’s command and control functionality. The ongoing process is demonstrating

“excellent system performance,” says Tossman, and the platform has proven its ability to simulta-neously perform airborne, land and maritime surveillance tasks.

With five onboard operator sta-tions and an expected 11h endur-ance, GlobalEye will give the UAE a sector-leading surveillance capa-bility in the Middle East region.

The programme’s third aircraft – which returned to Sweden im-mediately after the show – has al-ready been used to support pilot and operator training activities.

Abu Dhabi on 19 November announced its intention to boost its fleet size to five units. “A peri-od of final negotiations will now follow,” to finalise the $1 billion-plus agreement. ■See Show Report P12

Saab

Example displayed at show returned to Sweden for training activities

DEALS ANTOINE FAFARD LONDON

Airbus wins the orders battle at Dubai air show

THIS WEEK


ACCIDENT JON HEMMERDINGER BOSTON

FAA pressed to seek fan cowl changesBoeing will implement NTSB recommendations from probe into November 2018 Southwest 737NG blade-out failure

US investigators have urged the Federal Aviation Admin-

istration (FAA) to force Boeing to redesign the engine fan cowl structure of the 737NG to ensure integrity in the event of a fan blade failure.

Boeing already says it intends to make the changes, which are at this stage only recommendations by the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB).

The agency issued several other recommendations during a 19 November hearing into the 2018 failure of a CFM Interna-tional CFM56-7B turbofan on a Southwest Airlines 737-700 in which one passenger was killed.

In addition, the NTSB says air-lines should be required to retrofit in-service 737NGs with the redesigned cowl and that Boeing equip new-build aircraft with the revised structure even though the type is nearly out of production.

Regulators are also urged to require that engine makers and airframers jointly study the effects of engine blade failures on surrounding components.

“The accident demonstrated the susceptibility of the fan cowl installed on Boeing 737 Next Gen-eration-series airplanes to a fan-blade-out impact,” says the NTSB.

A fix is already being devel-oped, however.

“Boeing is working on a design enhancement that would fully address the safety recommenda-tion from the NTSB,” says the airframer, which faces immense pressure to resolve problems with its newer 737 Max. “Once approved by the FAA, that design change will be implemented in the existing NG fleet.

“All 737NGs are safe to continue operating normally as the issue is completely mitigated by fan blade inspections,” it adds.

The FAA says it “will carefully review and respond to the NTSB’s recommendations”.

Investigations determined the

cause of the 2018 incident was low-cycle fatigue cracking in the dovetail of a fan blade, which separated from the hub and caused a reaction that shattered the engine’s inlet and cowling.

After separating, the blade hit the bottom of the engine case at the six o’clock position, which board chair Robert Sumwalt calls a “critical” location.

A component called the radial restraint fitting transferred the impact’s energy to the cowling, which then fractured, says NTSB structures expert Brian Murphy.

As the cowling shattered, the inboard fan cowl aft latch keeper struck the aircraft’s fuselage near a window. That impact broke a cabin window, resulting in rapid decompression during which one passenger died after being sucked partially out of the cabin, the NTSB says.

Murphy says the radial

restraint fitting’s purpose was to help flatten the bottom of the CFM56 turbofan nacelle to aid ground clearance.

NTSB investigators also deter-mined that portions of the fan blade shot forward, missing the containment ring, which is de-signed to trap wayward engine components.

Those fan portions struck the CFM56’s inlet inner barrel. That impact, combined with a “dis-placement wave” caused by the blade’s impact with the fan case, led the inlet to separate from the aircraft, says the NTSB.

The incident was not an “un-contained failure” in the techni-cal sense because the engine’s containment shield did retain the part of the blade that hit it.

“The blade was contained, but unfortunately, the cowling was not, so the end result was exactly the same,” says board member Bruce Landsberg.

CFM, a partnership between GE Aviation and Safran Aircraft Engines, declines to comment di-rectly on the recommendations.

“Our standard practice is to de-velop and certify engines in close collaboration with our airframe partners, working within the appropriate regulatory frame-work,” CFM says. “We will continue to strictly comply with regulatory requirements, includ-

ing any changes that might be adopted as a result of NTSB’s recommendations.”

NTSB employees say original engine containment tests had not suggested a failed blade would cause such damage to surround-ing structures or that blade portions would shoot forward, where they could cause such damage.

“This blade did not perform as CFM and probably Boeing had intended,” says Sumwalt.

NTSB powerplant specialist Pierre Scarfo says that contain-ment tests performed during cer-tification can be engine-only tests – they might not include the same components that will surround the engine when on the airframe. Often, airframers use data derived from contain-ment tests to predict potential surrounding damage.

Former NTSB board member John Goglia says the NTSB’s recommendation to redesign the cowl only “partly addresses” the problem. He suggests contain-ment rings might be expanded to better capture forward-flung engine components.

RARE EVENT Scarfo says CFM56 fan blade-out events are extremely rare – only two have been reported during a combined 400 million flight hours and some 200 million cycles. The other event, in 2016, also involved a Southwest 737-700.

Following the Southwest incidents, the FAA and the Euro-pean Union Aviation Safety Agency responded with eight air-worthiness directives. Those orders require recurring inspec-tions of CFM56 fan blades using eddy-current or ultrasonic methods to identify cracks.

Fluorescent-penetrant and numerous visual inspections failed to detect flaws in the Southwest blades, but Scarfo in-sists the newer, advanced tech-niques are sufficient. ■

“The blade was

contained but the

cowling was not, so

the end result was

exactly the same”Bruce Landsberg Board member, NTSB

Impact on engine casing occurred at ‘critical’ six o’clock position

NT

SB

THIS WEEK


UAE adds GlobalEye and MRTT ordersShow Report P12

for Stowage Bins

Shorten Aircraft Turns

Passenger Convenience

www.komy.com

PROPULSION DOMINIC PERRY DUBAI

‘Project Fresson’ charges up island-hopping hybrid designManufacturer says new architecture will be based on M250 helicopter turboshaft engine

CARGO GARRETT REIM DUBAI

Freight is over as the LM-100J gains approval

Rolls-Royce has unveiled its in-volvement in an electrifica-

tion project that could ultimately deliver a 19-seat passenger air-craft powered by a hybrid- electric powertrain.

Under Project Fresson – named after pioneering Scottish aviator Ted Fresson – R-R will participate in an 30-month initial effort to design, manufacture and integrate a hybrid-electric power-train onto a nine-seat Britten- Norman BN-2 Islander.

R-R says it will probably re-place the Islander’s twin Lycom-ing piston engines with a series-hybrid design based on its M250 helicopter turboshaft.

The manufacturer has previ-ously run ground trials in the USA using the M250 as a genera-tor within a notional hybrid sys-tem, in order to better understand the technology.

Phil Curnock, R-R chief engi-neer, civil future programmes, says the architecture would be ideal for the short-distance is-land-hopping routes common in the north and west of Scotland and elsewhere.

“This could be the first exam-ple where fare-paying passengers

are flying on such a [hybrid] sys-tem,” says Curnock.

Using an existing platform such as the Islander, rather than a clean-sheet aircraft, helps to lower the development risk, he says.

Curnock adds that the concept would also be scalable, and able to power a passenger aircraft of around 20 seats.

Project Fresson lead Cranfield Aerospace Solutions confirms that in follow-on phases of the programme “the intention is to design and implement a similar modification, this time to a larger existing 19-seat sub-regional air-craft type, continuing with part-ners to design and build a new 19-seat aircraft”.

Such a design would be “optimised for emission-free propulsion” and would use the “certified propulsion systems ar-chitecture from the earlier phas-es”, it says.

Cranfield Aerospace says it in-tends to make the system availa-ble to existing Islander operators for retrofit via a supplemental type certificate.

Other partners in the project include the Denis Ferranti Group (which will supply electric mo-tors), Delta Motorsport (battery packs), and Warwick University offshoot WMG (battery testing). It has also received funding of £9 million ($11.6 million) from the UK’s ATI Programme. ■

Lockheed Martin has gained US civil certification for its

LM-100J commercial freighter. US Federal Aviation Administra-tion approval was received on 15 November after a 150h flight-test campaign, says the airframer.

Cargo services provider Pallas Aviation will put the initial example of the LM-100J into service in the first quarter of 2020, following training of main-tenance crews and pilots in Marietta, Georgia.

A civil version of the C-130J-30 Super Hercules, the LM-100J features new avionics, an updated flight-management system and carbon brakes, among other modifications for the commercial market. At 19,800kg (43,700lb), it boasts a payload 1,400kg higher than that of the military model.

Lockheed delivered 115 of the earlier L-100 commercial freight-er before production ended in 1992 and 35 aircraft remain in service, it says. The company expects operators of those aircraft to make up a large portion of the LM-100J’s future orders.

Lockheed has taken orders for five LM-100Js so far, including the two for Pallas. It forecasts total sales of up to 45 units. ■

First implementation is proposed on Britten-Norman BN-2 Islander

AirTe

am

Imag

es

SHOW REPORT


DUBAI 2019

WE HAD IT COVEREDFlight Daily News produced three packed and lively editions during the event. You can read them on our show landing page: flightglobal.com/dubai

1909-2019

YEARSFLIGHTDAILYN

EWSISSUE

19 2

SUNDAY

17 NOVEMBER 2019

With distribution supported by

Show-goers get first glimpse of UAE’s Saab surveillance aircraft

By CRAIG HOYLE

Billy

Pix

Billy

Pix ❯❯

TURN TO PAGE 3

I-SPY GLOBALEYE

Exactly four years after stunning its de-

fence sector rivals with a surprise

launch order from the United Arab

Emirates, Saab is giving its GlobalEye

surveillance aircraft an air show world premier

appearance in Dubai.

Flown from Linkoping in Sweden via Crete on

14 November, the heavily modified Bombardier

Global 6000 business jet is one of three to have

been prepared for the UAE air force. Its arrival

came less than three months after Saab conduct-

ed a first flight of the platform on display after

making the extensive adaptations required to in-

stall its sophisticated mission equipment.

In the static display with temporary UAE

markings applied, the aircraft is one of a trio of

GlobalEyes that will enter use in defence of the

Gulf nation.

Saab’s head of radar solutions, Lars Tossman,

declines to reveal the company’s planned deliv-

ery schedule for the UAE, but notes: “From all

aspects the programme is on track.”

However, speaking late last month, the Swed-

ish company’s departing chief executive, Hakan

Buskhe, said the first of the multirole surveil-

lance assets will be delivered before the end of

the first quarter of 2020.

A first adapted Global 6000 made its flight debut

in March 2018, followed by a second in January

2019 and the on-show example in late August.

“Aerodynamic flight tests are concluded, sys-

tem verification acceptance tests are ongoing, and

we are extremely pleased with the system perfor-

mance,” Tossman told Flight Daily News on the

eve of the show. A training programme has also

begun with the customer, and initial mission

equipment and spares have been delivered.

The programme’s lead aircraft is currently hav-

ing its onboard test equipment removed following

Blades hone cutting-edge display

Modified Bombardier business jet features

Erieye ER radar

Left to right: Mike

Ling, Ben Murphy,

Andy Evans,

James McMillan

Hoping to spark interest in general aviation

in the UAE and wider region, the Blades

aerobatic display team is performing at the

Dubai show daily with its Extra Aircraft 300s.

But Blades pilot Ben Murphy – a former

Red One in the UK’s Red Arrows – is crossing

his fingers that the UAE’s civil aviation

regulator will rubber stamp its application to

carry passengers during display flights.

“We are the only aerobatic airline in the

world,” says Murphy. “That’s our USP.”

The Blades have been out in the UAE for

the past three weeks, which, as well as

helping the team to escape the worst of the

British weather and keep flying, is allowing it to

“help the UAE boost the general aviation

industry”.

Murphy says that although the BAE Systems

Hawk T1s flown by the Red Arrows are faster,

❯❯

TURN TO PAGE 3

16/11/2019 15

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1909-2019YE

ARS

FLIGHTDAILYNEWS

ISSUE

2MONDAY

18 NOVEMBER 2019

With distribution supported by

DREAMLINER DOUBLEBiman deal for two 787-9s gets orders rolling on first day of show

By DOMINIC PERRY

Heady heady

upper case or

lower case

Left to right: Colbert, Bari and Deal

Billy

Pix

Billy

Pix

B oeing’s firm order from Biman Bangla-

desh Airlines for a pair of 787-9s –

worth $585 million at list prices – was

enough to comfortably trump the other

commercial business announced on a relatively

subdued opening day at Dubai.

Other deals unveiled at the show yesterday in-

cluded a top-up order of three Embraer

195-E2s from Nigeria’s Air Peace, plus three

E190s for Egtyptian lessor CIAF, while Omani

low-cost carrier SalamAir agreed to lease a pair of

Airbus A321neos from GECAS.

Although commitments were few and far be-

tween on day one, seasoned Dubai air show

watchers have seen previous editions of the event

end with a flurry of mega-deals.

Unveiling the two-aircraft order at the show,

Biman chairman Muhammad Enamul Bari was

flanked by Boeing’s new commercial aircraft

chief Stan Deal and his services counterpart Ted

Colbert. Bari says the 787-9s will be ideal for point-to-

point operations, where a capacity of around 300

seats is perfect. “With a 300-seat range it’s very

easy for us to get 85-90% load factor,” says Bari.

GE Aviation GEnx engines power Biman’s cur-

rent 787-8s and the US manufacturer has been

selected for the next two aircraft. No delivery date

is listed, however.Air Peace – which has yet to receive its first

example of the re-engined Embraer jets it ordered

in April – converted three purchase rights for the

new agreement, taking to 13 its total firm commit-

ments for the E195-E2s.

ROYAL ROUTEA relaxed Sheikh Mohammed Bin

Rashid Al Maktoum, ruler of Dubai,

tours the static line yesterday,

accompanied by Sheikh Ahmed Bin

Saeed Al Maktoum, chairman of

Emirates. The royal tour traditionally

begins each Dubai.

17/11/2019 14:5

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ere a capacitytt ofy around 3d 00

h a 300-seat range it’s very

0% load factff or,” saysa Bari.

engines power Biman’s cur-r

US manufacturer has been

wo aircraft. No delivery date

h has yet to receive its first

gined Embraer jets it ordered

three purchase rights for the

ng tg o 13 its total firm commit-tt

E2s.

1909-2019YEA

RS

FLIGHTDAILYNEWSGT

ISSUE

3TUESDAY 19 NOVEMBER 2019With distribution supported by

DUBAI’S BIG DEALS By MAX KINGSLEY-JONES

Sheikh on it: Airbus’s Guillaume Faury celebrates the deal with

the Emirates chairman

Billy

Pix

❯❯SEE PAGE 3

50A350s for Emirates

120A320neosfor Air Arabia

10737 Max for SunExpress

1909-

DDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDDAAAAAAAAAADDDDD ILYL NEWS

E mirates sealed its long-awaited order for

Airbus widebodies yesterday in a deal

that confirmed the cancellation of the

bulk of its A380 backlog. However, there

was a twist in the tale as finally told, with the Dubai

carrier dropping its A330neo plans in favour of a

larger commitment for the A350-900.The announcement came at the start of a busy

afternoon of orders with, hours later, low-cost

carrier Air Arabia inking an agreement for 120

A320neo-family aircraft, and German-Turkish

joint venture SunExpress firming 10 options for

the Boeing 737 Max-8.The Sharjah-based, all-Airbus low-cost carrier

had been expected to place a large narrowbody fleet

renewal order this year or early in 2020, but as re-

cently as two weeks before the show was still talk-

ing up the possibility of switching to Boeing.

Announcing the Emirates order in a packed

press conference, chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin

Saeed Al Maktoum said the airline “made this de-

cision after a thorough review of our various air-

craft options and fleet plans". He confirmed the deal superseded the tentative

commitment agreed in February for 40 A330-900s

and 30 A350-900s as part of a rejig of its A380 or-

derbook in the way of the decision by Airbus to

end production in 2021. The new contract, valued

at $16 billion, is a straight order for 50 A350-900s,

for which Rolls-Royce is the sole-source supplier

with its Trent XWB engine. The aircraft will be de-

livered between May 2023 and 2028.Shiekh Ahmed declines to comment on the de-

cision to revamp the A330neo/A350 order, saying

only “the A330neo is not part of the discussions”.

Although the confirmed order is smaller than

the earlier tentative commitment, the size of the

A380 cancellation is unchanged. He confirms that

the firming up of the A350 order signals the formal

cancellation of 39 of its A380s.The airline revealed in February a tentative deal

for 70 Airbus widebody twins – 30 A350-900s and

40 A330-900s – as part of a restructuring of its back-

log that involved cancellation of 39 of its remaining

A380 orders. This reduced its planned A380 order

book from 162 aircraft to 123 aircraft. By the end of

October, Emirates had taken delivery of 112 A380s

which leaves it with a backlog now of 11 aircraft.

Airbus chief commercial officer Christian Scher-

er plays down the A380 cancellation and the ap-

parent decision by Emirates to drop the A330neo,

declaring: “The big winner is the A350.”

Emirates was originally one of the early cus-

tomers for the A350, placing its first firm order in

2007. However, after several order revamps, the

airline finally cancelled its original contract in its

entirety in 2014.

A_191119_001.indd 1

Saab is celebrating after the Unit-ed Arab Emirates, its launch

customer for the GlobalEye air-borne surveillance system, an-nounced its intention to order two additional units of the Bombardier Global 6000-based platform.

The UAE has already ordered three aircraft, placing its initial commitment for two units in 2015, and adding a further exam-ple two years later.

Speaking at the show, where the first UAE aircraft was on the static display, Saab’s new chief execu-tive, Micael Johansson, said he was “delighted” by the proposed new order. “It could not have been a bet-ter day,” he says. “We are happy to be here to show off the aircraft for the first time.”

Johannson says Saab is seeing

PROCUREMENT

UAE adds GlobalEye and MRTT ordersAbu Dhabi will take two more surveillance aircraft and three tankers, with Saab seeing interest from other prospects

strong interest in the modified business jet, which incorporates Saab’s Erieye ER surveillance radar in the distinctive “ski-box” fairing above the fuselage, along with a Leonardo Seaspray 7500E maritime radar underneath.

Saab has proposed the Global-Eye to Finland as part of Helsin-ki’s Boeing F-18 replacement ef-fort and South Korea has also “shown a big interest” in the twinjet, says Johannson.

Sweden, which flies two Saab 340 turboprops fitted with an earli-er version of Erieye, is also consid-ering the GlobalEye as it finalises its next military procurement budget for the period from 2021.

“I look forward to discussing [GlobalEye] with them, although there will be many months of

discussions,” says Johansson.And in a snub to Boeing,

which brought its KC-46A Pegasus to the show, Abu Dhabi has also announced its intention to order three more Airbus De-fence & Space A330 multi-role

tanker transports. Airbus Defence & Space de-

clines to offer any detail on the prospective deal, but adds: “We are pleased with this decision and look forward on working with our customer.” ■

De Havilland Canada – the new owner of the former

Bombardier Q400 – marked its first Dubai with a raft of multi-aircraft commitments.

Dubai-based lessor Palma inked a letter of intent to pur-chase 20 examples of the re-named Dash 8-400, with Nigeria’s Elin Group signing a firm pur-

chase agreement for a trio of the twin-turboprops.

De Havilland followed that up with a conditional purchase deal for three aircraft from ACIA Capi-tal, and letters of intent from Aer-oflot subsidiary Aurora and the Republic of Ghana for five and six examples, respectively.

They were the first contracts

for the Canadian airframer since it secured a one-aircraft order from a Tanzanian government agency shortly after taking over the programme in June.

Chief operating officer Todd Young says the company – which is a sister business of Twin Otter manufacturer Viking – is consider-ing new variants of the Dash 8-400.

“Five months into this new business, we have started to talk about what we could do with the platform, whether it be enhance-ments to the current model itself or taking this aircraft to new varia-tions,” he says. “We’re looking at shrinking the aircraft, stretching the aircraft – what is the right choice for our aircraft." ■

First example from

2015 commitment

appeared on static

TURBOPROPS

Dubai debut sees buyers Dash to De Havilland

DUBAI 2019Show report


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AIRLINE

Twists and turns reveal Emirates planDubai carrier confirms deals for mix of Airbus and Boeing widebodies, but parks earlier A330neo selection for now

Boeing entered Dubai in sub-dued mood, saying little about

the 737 Max other than to empha-sise that the priority is a safe return to service for the grounded twinjet.

However, it was significantly boosted at the show by renewed order momentum for the re-en-gined narrowbody.

Stan Deal, speaking at his first

major industry event since taking over the chief executive role at Boeing Commercial Airplanes in late October, reiterated the manu-facturer’s commitment “to safely return the Max into service”.

However, Deal believes this milestone will happen soon. An-nouncing a follow-on order of 10 Max 8s from SunExpress, he

says: “This is a vote of confidence for the 737 Max that we will re-turn to service shortly.”

While acknowledging that the final return to flight schedule will be down to the regulators, Randy Tinseth, Boeing’s vice-president of commercial marketing, says the airframer is aiming for the air-craft to be flying again within two

to three months.But customers appear to be re-

turning to the Max, after a period where orders had dried up. Aside from the SunExpress deal, Boeing signed another firm agree-ment for 20 aircraft, and Air Asta-na unveiled a tentative agreement for 30 units to be operated by its new low-cost arm FlyArystan. ■

Airbus chief Guillaume Faury with Maktoum

PROGRAMME

Max deals show rehabilitation a work in progress

There were some twists and turns through the course of

the show, as Emirates finally con-cluded a major revamp of its order book. The airline signed up for 80 new Airbus and Boeing air-craft, but revamped earlier orders and commitments in a move which will change the future shape of the Dubai carrier’s fleet.

Day two of the show saw Emir-ates sign for 50 Airbus A350-900s, while a deal for 30 Boeing 787-9s followed two days later. Deliveries of both types will start in May 2023.

Emirates chairman Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum explained that the Airbus deal re-placed its earlier tentative plan for 30 A350s and 40 A330neos. The firming up also confirms the for-mal cancellation of 39 A380

orders, reducing Emirates’ total orderbook for the superjumbo to 123 aircraft.

The 787-9 order, which replac-es an earlier commitment for 40 787-10s, involves the substitu-tion of 30 777s – the airline’s re-maining six -300ERs, along with 24 of its planned 150 777Xs.

The surprise decision to drop the A330neo came after detailed analysis of the future fleet conduct-ed since the carrier’s original tenta-tive plan was agreed in February, Emirates Airline president Tim Clark tells Flight International.

“When all the planners got in-volved they thought the A350-900 would be a better bet than the A330-900,” he says. “What I said was: ‘We leave it in the mix and see how that will work for us [in the future].’”

Airbus chief commercial offic-er Christian Scherer plays down the A330neo rethink, pointing to the larger deal for the XWB. “The big winner is the A350,” he notes.

Both the A350 and A330neo are exclusively powered by Rolls-

Royce engines, using the Trent XWB and Trent 7000, respectively. Although no engine selection was announced for the 787s, GE Avia-tion is seen as the frontrunner, given that the order substitutes for GE-powered 777s and 777Xs. ■



An all-new single-aisle airliner incorporating major advanc-

es in engine and airframe technol-ogy is likely to become a reality by the early 2030s, in the opinion of senior executives from leading air-fame and engine suppliers.

Airbus chief executive Guil-laume Faury believes that step-change production, design and propulsion technologies will converge in just over a decade to trigger the introduction of an all-new single-aisle airliner.

“I would consider the launch of a [single-aisle] programme in the second half of the next dec-ade and entry into service in the early 2030s,” says Faury.

“We are at a point of time where we see a number of major changes impacting aviation and they will probably impact the single-aisle business first.”

CFM International’s chief ex-ecutive, Gael Meheust, concurs with that timeline, but says the powerplant architecture will be driven by the airframe’s design and integration.

“We see that in the early 2030s. We think it might be when there is a new generation of aircraft that would require a step improve-ment in engines. But we are pre-paring ourselves for all sorts of scenarios that we do not control – the airframers control that.”

Automation of the production system is a key enabler, says Faury. “We are all working on this. We see [production] ‘roboti-sation’ at the scale of those prod-ucts close to being mature.”

He says the next-generation air-liner “will have to be ‘DDMS’ [digital design, manufacturing and services], that is fully design, manufacturing and services in one digital backbone. This is not ready yet – not before the beginning or middle of the next decade.”

Faury says another key enabler is the expansion of digital capa-bilities: “We want the next plane to be a digital native – the ‘mil-lennial’ of the plane.”

But “decarbonisation” is the biggest enabler for an all-new programme, he says.

“We are working with many partners to anticipate and prepare the technologies and propulsion systems of the future. It will be worth launching the development of a new single-aisle only when we have a combination of those technologies that make sense.”

Faury says the aviation indus-try’s commitment to ICAO’s glob-al carbon offset scheme, CORSIA, that emissions will stabilise by 2035 – despite the industry’s

growth – is feasible. “The big re-duction will come from 2035 on-wards because we see the entry into service of very new technol-ogies on propulsion systems at scale in the early 2030s.”

Meheust says the configuration and layout of the powerplant for any all-new design would be de-pendent on the design of the air-frame application, as the installa-tion is a “key factor in determining the architecture”. ■

ANALYSIS

Narrowbody revolution by early 2030sSenior executives see manufacturing, design and propulsion advances ushering in new single-aisle development

Airbus expects over two-fifths of today’s Middle East

airliner fleet to be replaced over the next 20 years, but has no answer for A380 operators need-ing a successor to the superjumbo for slot-restricted markets.

Senior vice-president business analysis and market forecast Bob Lange says the airframer’s latest global market outlook estimates demand from the Middle East for 3,200 new airliners through 2038.

The forecast shows that there are currently 1,285 airliners in ser-vice, of which 1,090 will be re-placed by new aircraft. An addi-tional 2,110 deliveries are forecast for growth, which will increase the fleet to 3,395 aircraft in 20 years.

Lange says that despite Air-bus’s decision to close the A380 programme in 2021, it still fore-casts a requirement for aircraft in the superjumbo’s category after production ends, not least from those operators currently using the double-deck type.

However, Lange says Airbus currently has no A380 succession plan where operators are forced to use high-capacity aircraft in the face of airport slot restric-tions. “In terms of the demand for other large aircraft later, we need to see how that falls as it’s not currently part of our plans, be-cause we see a growth for smaller aircraft replacing larger aircraft where slots are not restricted.” ■

PROGRAMME

Operators will have to wait for A380 successor

Emirates will take an additional 11 examples up to 2021

There are 132 A380s operating with three carriers in the region – Emirates with 112 and Qatar Air-ways and Etihad Airways with 10 each. Emirates is to take an ad-ditional 11 up to 2021.

When A380 production ends in 2021, the largest aircraft in Air-bus’s inventory will be the 350- to 410-seat A350-1000. Boeing’s largest passenger aircraft is the 777-9, which will seat up to 426.

Next aircraft will be ‘digital native’ says Airbus chief executive Faury



UAE aims to get Edge on the enemyShow Report P16

Production of Boeing’s AH-6i Little Bird light-attack heli-

copter has been at a virtual standstill for around 18 months, but increasing foreign military sales interest has the company believing it can revive the pro-gramme with as many as 75 more orders.

Growing international appeal in the aircraft stems in part from the difficulties a “competitor” is facing to gain certification to equip its helicopter with Lock-heed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire missiles, says Terry Jamieson, di-rector of international vertical lift sales for Boeing.

Jamieson refuses to identify the company, but the closest US competitor to the AH-6i is MD Helicopters’ MD 530. Both light helicopters are based on the

ROTORCRAFT

Rising foreign interest lifts Little Bird revival prospectsBoeing says Hellfire capability and commonality with Apache give it an edge over rival

Hughes OH-6 Cayuse.“We’re seeing a lot of those

customers come back to us now because we do have the Hellfire anti-armour capability on that platform,” says Jamieson. “And so that’s a light-attack reconnais-sance [helicopter] for a reduced cost than what the AH-64 [Apache] provides.”

Jamieson was at the show drum-ming up interest in the AH-6i from potential foreign military buyers.

The commonality between the glass cockpits of the AH-6i and AH-64 is a further selling point,

he says, either through acting as a “stepping-stone” or for reasons of simpler pilot training.

In addition, Boeing could offer local assembly of the light helicopter as a potential offset. However, it would take an order of at least 15 AH-6is to justify creating another production line, he says.

The AH-6i already has a presence in the Middle East, with the Saudi Arabian National Guard operating a total of 11 ex-amples, according to Cirium fleets data. ■

R ostec is forging ahead with efforts to sell advanced com-

bat aircraft on the international market, although US sanctions present a challenge.

The Russian state-owned hold-ing firm has offered the Sukhoi Su-35 and Su-57 to Turkey, says chief executive Sergey Chemezov.

“As soon as they make a deci-sion, we will be ready to sell both the Su-35 and Su-57,” he says.

Washington bumped Turkey from the Lockheed Martin F-35 programme over its acquisition of the Russian Almaz-Antey S-400 Triumf surface-to-air missile sys-tem, on concerns the S-400 would compromise the US stealth fighter.

Chemezov offers a cryptic view on Indonesia’s plans to acquire the Su-35. “The agreements are signed and all the formalities have been fulfilled… It doesn’t depend on us,” he says. “It’s as soon as the Indonesian side decides.”

In 2017, Jakarta said it would buy 11 Su-35s for $1.14 billion. But in late August, a Rostec official in-dicated that the USA's Countering America’s Adversaries Through Sanctions Act made some coun-tries, including Indonesia, wary of buying Russian equipment. ■

Boeing and Embraer have renamed the KC-390 tactical

airlifter as the C-390 Millenni-um, to emphasise the transport’s cargo mission.

The companies have also announced that the joint venture set up to sell the twinjet will be branded as Boeing Embraer – Defense. The two firms an-nounced their partnership agree-ment in 2018.

Boeing Embraer – Defense will also sell an aerial refuelling ver-sion of the transport that will

keep the KC-390 designation. The joint venture has received regulatory approval from the USA and Japan, but is awaiting clearance from other bodies, says Marc Allen, Boeing’s presi-dent of Embraer partnership and group operations.

Allen declines to say where the hold-up is, but Boeing’s planned acquisition of an 80% stake in Embraer’s commercial aviation unit has been delayed by a European Commission probe. ■

REBRAND

C change from KC-390 brings in new Millennium

Manufacturer says it could offer local assembly as a potential offset

Boeing and Embraer say new name highlights twinjet’s cargo role

Boe

ing

PROCUREMENT

Rostec soldiers on with fighter sales campaign

“We do have the

anti-armour capability

on that platform”Terry Jamieson Director international vertical lift sales, Boeing



The United Arab Emirates’ new defence technology

house, Edge, made its high-pro-file Dubai debut the week after being launched in a lavish cere-mony in Abu Dhabi, with a promise to transform the nation’s military industrial capabilities.

The organisation brings togeth-er 25 of the UAE’s defence suppli-ers, service providers, and tech-nology organisations, which cover everything from shipbuilding and repair to missile guidance sys-tems, ammunition manufacturing and military aircraft servicing.

The UAE has been quietly building its defence capabilities over two decades, establishing a number of technology and MRO companies, owned entirely by the government or in partnership with foreign entities. AMMROC, for instance, based at Al Ain in the emirate of Abu Dhabi, is a re-pair facility for military aircraft, jointly owned with Lockheed Martin and the only C-130 ser-vice centre in the Middle East

and North Africa approved by the US company.

The integration of the business-es – previously grouped under entities such as Emirates Defence Industries, Emirates Advanced In-vestments Group and Tawazun – is described as “phase one”. The long-term aspiration is to create a “disruptive presence” in the de-fence sector, by investing further and nurturing home-grown talent, says Faisal Al Bannai, who has been appointed chief executive of

the new entity. There will be a “priority on national security”, but Al Bannai also wants to work with international partners and engage in the export market.

“Edge will invest extensively across R&D, working closely with frontline operators to design and deploy practical solutions that address real-world challenges,” says Al Bannai, who has a back-ground in successful technology start-ups. He founded Axiom Tel-ecom, a mobile phone company,

in 1997 and went on in 2014 to set up DarkMatter, an Abu Dhabi-based cybersecurity company.

The conglomerate has been set up to address what the UAE sees as changing national security needs, with the aim of reacting more quickly by developing prod-ucts rapidly to counter emerging and future threats. Al Bannai gave the example of the September at-tacks on neighbour Saudi Arabia’s oil installations, for which the Iran-backed Yemeni Houthi group claimed responsibility. “Simple drones” costing less than $10,000 had knocked out half the produc-tion at one of the world’s largest oil facilities, he said. “There is lit-tle doubt that these are the future threats we face.”

The defence sector “has yet to embrace the same speed of com-mercial companies when it comes to innovation”, he says. Edge will be a “new kind of defence compa-ny, bringing advanced technolo-gies to the market with great speed and efficiency”. ■

UNVEILING

UAE aims to get Edge on the enemy Creation of national defence technology house will enhance country’s capabilities and address growing regional threats

Group will invest in R&D with aim of tackling ‘real-world challenges’

Missile maker MBDA is look-ing to co-operate with the

United Arab Emirates on the de-velopment of its SmartGlider mu-nition as part of an agreement be-tween France and the nation.

Leading the effort for the UAE is defence industry enabler Tawa-zun Economic Council, which, ahead of the show announced that MBDA would open a missile engi-neering centre in the country.

MBDA revealed the develop-ment of SmartGlider Light, a 120kg (265lb) glide munition with an 80kg warhead and dual-mode seeker, at the Paris air show in 2017, and promoted it at the Dubai event that same year.

But, says Francois Moussez, military adviser in MBDA’s tech-

MUNITIONS

MBDA targets local collaboration for SmartGlidernical and military operations di-rectorate, the company is hopeful that the UAE could become a partner involved in the Smart-Glider effort.

“The key is to make it and de-velop it with the UAE,” says Moussez. “We are very far in dis-cussions and not so far from a full agreement.”

If finalised, the SmartGlider would be a “co-development” with the Gulf nation.

One possible first application could be on the Emirati air force’s Dassault Mirage 2000-9 fighters.

“A minimum” of 12 Smart-Gliders can be carried on the Mi-rage 2000-9, says Moussez, “al-though this will probably be more”; by contrast, the larger

Dassault Rafale will be able to carry 18 of the munitions.

However, MBDA intends to make the SmartGlider “integration light”, allowing it to be simply fitted to any Western-built fighter.

SmartGliders would be launched in “swarms” of six, ena-bling them to overwhelm ground-based air defences. In future, data links will be added, says Moussez, to create a “co-operative swarm”. ■

Light version could be carried by air force’s Mirage 2000-9 fleet



Geese inspire Airbus fuel-saving trialsShow Report P18

V R Technologies has unveiled ambitious plans for its devel-

opmental VRT500 light-single helicopter, including final assem-bly of the type in Italy and poten-tial hybridisation of the platform.

Alexander Okhonko, general manager of VR Technologies, says first flight of the 1.6t VRT500 will come next year, followed by initial certification by the end of 2022.

Okhonko was speaking shortly after Pratt & Whitney Canada was revealed as the type’s engine sup-plier and parent company Russian

Helicopters announced it plans to sell a 50% stake in the business to the United Arab Emirates’ Tawa-zun Economic Council.

Final assembly will be at a fa-cility near Rome, says Okhonko, meaning it is also likely to re-quire a European type certificate.

Meanwhile, research is ongoing with an undisclosed Western part-ner into potentially adding a bat-tery and electric motor to provide redundancy in case of engine failure, or a power boost at take-off. Okhonko expects to be able to de-ploy the system by 2023.

Capacity is projected to be five passengers and one pilot, while maximum range is nearly 460nm (860km).

Russian Helicopters hopes to complete the stake sale to Tawa-zun by the first quarter of 2020.

Chief executive Andrey Bogin-sky says the partners will together inject “at least” €400 million ($442 million) into VR Technologies.

Boginsky says Tawazun showed “strong interest” in the VRT500 and unmanned VRT300 and may seek future involvement from UAE companies in the programmes. ■

PROGRAMME

VRT500 light-single rises to challenge Russian airframer outlines ambitions for developmental type as engine choice and partial divestment are announced

Russian Helicopters gave an inter-

national air show debut to its Mil

Mi-38, showing the heavy-twin

equipped with a VIP cabin.

Featuring a maximum take-off

weight of 15.6t and a 5t payload,

there is already a plan in place to

increase the latter figure by an-

other 1,000kg (2,200lb).

The rotorcraft is powered by a

pair of Klimov TV7-117V engines

which are located aft of the cabin,

HELICOPTER

Mi-38 makes its first international appearance in VIP guise

INFRASTRUCTURE

Falcon takes tilt at Middle East heliport concept

Leonardo Helicopters has signed up Falcon Aviation

Services as the launch operator of its new heliport concept – and could add the Al Bateen airport-based company to the list of cus-tomers for the AW609 tiltrotor.

The modular facility – designed in collaboration with Italian architects Archea Asso-ciati – brings together all the facilities of a traditional heliport with those of a dedicated busi-ness aviation terminal.

Falcon will open the first facility next year, which will b e located at the Dubai Expo 2020 site. Howev-er, it is evaluating additional sites

across the United Arab Emirates.Displayed on the representa-

tion of the heliport at the show was a model of the AW609, which is due for certification and service entry in the USA in 2020.

Leonardo intends to bring an example of the tiltrotor to the Dubai Expo event – either a flight-test prototype or produc-tion aircraft – but George Prent-zas from Falcon says that it is also running the rule over the AW609.

“We are evaluating the aircraft at this time,” he says. “But at the moment there is nothing firm.”

That assessment could run “until the first order is received”,

Picture - caption. Style for picture captions

he says, noting that the AW609 could perform several missions for Falcon, including VIP trans-port and offshore or search and rescue missions.

Leonardo also secured new business at the show from Abu Dhabi Aviation, which placed a firm order for three AW139s and a pair of AW169s. ■

Initial example of facility will open at Dubai Expo site in 2020

Model of co-axial rotorcraft was on static display

Leo

nard

o H

elic

op

ters

helping to reduce noise for

passengers, the company says.

Russian Helicopters chief

executive Andrey Boginsky says

initial deliveries of a troop

transport variant to the Russian

defence ministry took place

earlier this year.

Moscow has no defined quan-

tity for future acquisition, says

Boginsky, adding: “They plan to

use the two and then define how

many units they want.”

Next year, two examples with a

VVIP cabin will be delivered to the

Russian government's presiden-

tial flight division.

The Mi-38 started life powered

by Pratt & Whitney Canada

PW127 engines, before reverting

to the Klimov models. However,

the company could look at other

options in future: “We are open

for proposals,” says Boginsky. ■



A irbus will in 2020 begin flight tests of a new fuel-

saving concept that will allow large passenger jets to gain “free lift” by flying in the smooth up-draft created by the vortex of a preceding aircraft.

This can be achieved through modifications to flight-control software, rather than the installa-tion of new sensors, says Dr San-dra Bour Schaeffer, chief execu-tive of Airbus Upnext, a research arm of the airframer.

Airbus refers to the concept as wake energy retrieval and says it was inspired by the way geese fly: “Birds in formation use the up-draft from the previous bird to use less energy,” she says. “Those fol-lowing the first one get free lift.”

Wake energy generated by air-

Etihad Aviation Group chief executive Tony Douglas and

Stan Deal, Boeing Commercial Airplanes chief executive, have unveiled a wide-ranging collabo-ration, centred on the introduc-tion of a 787 in a special “ Greenliner” livery to champion the aviation industry’s sustaina-bility efforts.

The “Etihad Greenliner” 787-9 will be delivered new from Boe-ing in the special livery and intro-duced onto the airline’s network in January, initially between Abu Dhabi and Brussels.

Douglas, who is adamant the initiative is “not just a box- ticking exercise”, says the aircraft will be used by Etihad and Boeing to explore environ-mental sustainability initiatives while operating across the airline’s network. He extends an invite to join the “eco-partner-ship” to the wider industry, from equipment suppliers to airspace regulators.

The revival of Etihad Airways

remains a work in progress, but

the Abu Dhabi aviation group’s

chief executive, Tony Douglas, is

confident that efforts will even-

tually deliver a “very strong”

business.

Etihad reported a huge loss for

craft is currently lost, Bour Schaeffer says, but she believes that under the initiative, called “fello’fly”, a trailing jet could har-ness the “smooth updrafts”.

A previous trial flight using a pair of A380s operating around 1.6nm (3km) apart showed a fuel consumption saving of 10%, says Bour Schaeffer; Airbus expects operational savings of 5-10% on

a typical Paris-New York flight will be achievable. “The air is quite smooth and easy to ride and does not impact the comfort of passengers,” she says. “There is huge potential in it.”

A system of cameras and Lidar sensors was used to identify the vortices and estab-lish the correct separation dis-tance between aircraft.

Two undisclosed airline part-ners have been recruited for the flight trials next year. These will be conducted with A350s on transatlantic operations.

Airbus believes that should the concept be successfully validat-ed, service entry could be achieved before the mid-2020s.

However, it stresses that air traffic management providers and regulators will also need to get behind the initiative to ensure a successful real-world application. In particular, current separation minima would need to be reviewed, says Bour Schaeffer.

Although Airbus will launch the initiative with its aircraft, fello’fly is “platform agnostic” and could be applied on jets from other manufacturers. ■

“The rapid growth of air travel has increased aircraft carbon emissions, and it is the responsi-bility of the aviation industry to reverse this trend,” says Douglas.

Etihad operates 36 787-9s and -10s and its next aircraft is due for delivery shortly.

The carrier says it is still work-ing on a number of sustainability initiatives in parallel with the Greenliner programme. It expects to announce these in the coming weeks as it prepares to introduce the aircraft on its route network. ■

TECHNOLOGY

Geese inspire Airbus fuel-saving trialsExperiment involving trailing aircraft to harness ‘free lift’ will be extended to A350 transatlantic operations next year

ENVIRONMENT

Etihad ‘Greenliner’ embodies sustainability effort

RESTRUCTURE

Carrier confident it remains heading towards reviving fortunes“We’ve still got a long way to

go. We’re slightly ahead of where

we planned to be,” says Douglas.

“If we stay focused, if we do

the right things like this [eco-

partnership] for the right reasons,

we’ll all see a very strong Etihad in

the future.” ■

its last financial year. However, the

$1.28 billion deficit it suffered was

an improvement on the $1.52

billion loss reported for the previ-

ous 12 months.

A transformation programme is

running designed to return the

airline to profit.

Douglas (left) and Deal display special livery

Procedure involves placing airliners around 1.6nm apart

Airb

us


DUBAI 2019Show report Flying colours

Show Report P20

D iamond Aircraft is planning to relaunch production of

the DA20 piston-single in 2020 and says the D-JET could also be resurrected as part of a five-year strategy to be revealed in 2021.

Diamond says the decision to revive the two-seat DA20 follows feedback from its customers and the market.

“There is a lot of demand for a two-seat piston-single from own-er-flyers and flight training schools who are looking for a basic aircraft that can do spin testing,” says Diamond chief ex-ecutive Frank Zhang.

The airframer stopped selling the DA20 in 2017 because of the limited production capacity cre-ated by its expanding product line. The final aircraft was deliv-ered the following year.

The company produces four aircraft families – the DA40 pis-ton-single, the Dart 450 aerobatic turboprop trainer, and DA42 and DA62 piston-twins.

The airframer also has a pair of aircraft at an advanced stage of de-velopment: the Dart 550 – a higher-

spec version of the Dart 450 sched-uled for certification in 2021 – and the DA50. The Jet A-fuelled high-end piston-single is currently in flight testing and is earmarked for certification and service entry in the fourth quarter of 2020.

Diamond has delivered more than 1,000 DA20s since the first example entered service in 1994.

“Reintroducing the DA20 will make our [piston-engined] port-folio complete,” says Zhang.

The company has now ex-panded its facilities in Wiener Neustadt and London, Ontario,

PROGRAMMES

Entry-level piston and D-JET may shine again at Diamond New Chinese chief executive considers relaunches as part of five-year product strategy

in Canada – and will produce the aircraft at both sites.

Product development is at the core of Diamond’s strategy. Owned by China’s Wanfeng Avia-tion, the company is planning to publish a roadmap in 2021 that could include a future for the stalled D-JET programme.

The five-seat single was sus-pended in 2013 after the airframer failed to secure the necessary fund-ing to complete development.

Four prototypes were built and are stored at the London, Ontario facility. ■

Interest in two-seat piston-single has been strong, explains Zhang

A year after launching the BBJ 777X at the MEBAA busi-

ness aviation show in Dubai, Boeing Business Jets returned to the same venue to announce that interest in the VVIP airliner has been “strong”, particularly in the Middle East, and it hopes to secure the first sales for its latest widebody next year.

“We have several exciting prospects for the BBJ 777X from governments, heads of state and very wealthy private individuals and expect 2020 to be a very in-teresting year,” says acting BBJ president James Detwiler.

Like the commercial aircraft on which it is based, the BBJ 777X will be available in -8 and -9 variants, joining the 787-8/9, and 777-200LR/300ER in the BBJ twin-aisle family.

Detwiler says the BBJ 777X is “far superior” to its predecessor, with GE Aviation GE9X engines and a new, more advanced com-posite wing key to delivering “en-hanced fuel efficiency”.

The -9 will be the first to mar-ket at the end of 2021. Boeing plans to begin delivering the commercial variant that year. ■

Swiss start-up Smartflyer made its air show debut in Dubai,

seeking investment in its SFX1 hy-brid-electric aircraft programme.

The four-seat single is the first of a planned family of hybrid- electric aircraft, with a seven- to 10-seat business and commuter aircraft to come next.

Launched in 2016, the SFX1 has four 8kW batteries in the wing, powering the tail-mounted 160kW Rolls-Royce RRP 260D electric motor. At 1,500ft, a Rotax 914 petrol engine powers the elec-trical system for up to 4h of flight.

MARKETING

Boeing bullish over BBJ 777X sales prospects

START-UP

Smartflyer embarks on investment push for SFX1The Swiss government has

pledged funding of up to Swfr2 million ($2 millon), which should cover development and first flight, but only Swfr100,000 has so far been received.

“We have already approved the electric system, we now want to install it on the aircraft and get it flying,” says Aldo Montanari, Smartflyer’s head of avionics and user interface. “We plan to start building the first aircraft next year and fly it in 2021.”

Smartflyer needs Swfr30 mil-lion to bring the type to market. ■ First priority is to flight test the electrical system, says Montanari



Clockwise from main: Patrouille de France

Alpha Jets trail their

Tricolore; Eurofighter

Typhoons; Mil Mi-38

makes debut; Blades put

on cutting-edge display;

UAE F-16 gets inverted;

Kawasaki C-2; F-35

Lightning strikes a pose;

special livery on Boeing

787-9; old school Mi-2

Imag

es b

y B

illyP

ix



FLYING COLOURSThe aerial display over the desert Al Maktoum

International airport is always one of the highlights

of the show, with pilots of military and commercial

types presenting their prowess in the skies

AIR TRANSPORT


US investigators have indicat-ed that a Saab 2000 touched

down in a tailwind during a second attempt to land at an Alaskan airport, before it suffered a fatal excursion.

The PenAir turboprop (N686PA), arriving at Unalaska on 17 October, approached runway 13 with the wind from 300° at 24kt (44km/h) – suggesting a tail-wind of more than 23kt.

While its airspeed was 129kt at touchdown the aircraft’s ground-speed was 142kt, according to the flight-data recorder.

The crew told the US National Transportation Safety Board in-quiry that the aircraft landed about 1,000ft down the 4,500ft runway. Reverse thrust and brak-ing commenced and the captain applied maximum braking around the “80kt” call-out.

But the aircraft did not stop be-fore the runway end and the crew attempted to steer to the right to avoid entering the water beyond.

As the aircraft overran – about 26s after touchdown – its left-hand propeller struck a road sign, and possibly a signal post, losing

HNA Group appears to have suspended efforts to divest

its majority shareholding in Swiss maintenance and over-haul provider SR Technics.

The Chinese conglomerate launched a bidding process earlier this year, setting a 15 July deadline for offers.

Airbus, Air France-KLM, Delta Air Lines and US investment firm Carlyle Group all made submissions, but two sources fa-miliar with the matter say that the process has come to a halt.

One source says HNA decided not to proceed with the sale be-cause the offers were much lower than it had anticipated.

The departure of former SR Technics chief executive Frank Walschot, disclosed in Septem-

MAINTENANCE CIRIUM LONDON

SR Technics sale in limbo after bids miss valuation

INVESTIGATION DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON

Tailwind in fatal overrun of Saab 2000Runway excursion at Unalaska, leading to death of passenger, occurred with gusting conditions but shifting direction

Swiss MRO provider is owned by Chinese conglomerate HNA Group

SR

Tech

nic

s

three of its six blades. At least two blades hit the fuselage, one sticking in the structure and the other entering the passenger cabin. The third missing blade was retrieved from the water.

The fuselage had been holed on its left side around the fifth passenger window, which is lo-cated slightly ahead of the rota-tion plane of the propeller. All the cabin seats, comprising 15 rows, were intact with the excep-tion of window seat 4A, which was displaced and damaged.

All three of the other left-hand propeller blades were broken.

One passenger was fatally in-jured, says the inquiry, but its preliminary findings do not elab-orate on the nature of the injuries. The aircraft, which had been op-erating from Anchorage, was transporting 42 occupants.

The turboprop had been cleared for an area navigation ap-proach to runway 13 with winds gusting from the southwest.

These winds shifted towards a westerly direction, at 10kt, dur-ing the approach. The crew felt the approach was unstable and executed a go-around.

“Transmissions between the weather observer and another [aircraft] indicated that winds fa-voured [the opposite] runway 31 but could shift back to runway 13,” says the inquiry. The crew re-established the aircraft on the runway 13 approach.

Investigators state an examina-tion of the runway found a dark rubber mark 15ft left of the run-way centreline, 1,840ft from the threshold and extending for 200ft. The aircraft’s left-hand outboard tyre was found to have completely worn through and deflated.

While the Saab’s captain had accumulated around 20,000h in-cluding 14,000h in Bombardier Dash 8s, only 101h had been logged on Saab 2000s. The first officer had 147h on the type, out of a total of 1,446h. ■Aircraft’s propeller struck a road sign, losing three of its six blades

ber, “probably didn’t help”, the source adds. Hong Kong-based aircraft engineering and mainte-nance group HAECO has ap-pointed Walschot as its new chief executive, effective 1 December.

SR Technics’ engine shop at its Zurich base is by far the most prof-itable part of the business. SR Technics also has a component repair business and Malta-based airframe maintenance centre.

In recent years, SR Technics has expanded its powerplant overhaul capacity to around 300 engines a year – from 200 – and retrained former airframe mainte-nance employees to service pow-erplants. The MRO provider had discontinued airframe mainte-nance in Zurich as it deemed the site uneconomical for such work.

SR Technics’ engine shop sup-ports CFM International CFM56 and Pratt & Whitney PW4000 en-gines. The company’s activities also span an international line-maintenance network, engineer-ing and training services.

HNA’s bidding process was aimed at selling the MRO provid-er in its entirety. Neither SR Technics nor HNA responded to requests for comment. ■

AirTe

am

Imag

es

AIR TRANSPORT


Air Peace under investigation after serious incidentsAir Transport P24

ORDERS DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON

EasyJet eases back fleet growth plansBudget carrier postpones A320neo deliveries due in 2021 while firming options for more, to be handed over from 2024

UK budget carrier EasyJet is firming options on 12 Air-

bus A320neos but is cutting back its 2021 deliveries by 12 aircraft, postponing them at least to 2023.

The carrier is deferring delivery of nine A320neos and three A321neos, it says, allowing it to meet the “planned fleet size” for 2021. But it will exercise 12 op-tions for more A320neos, which will be delivered from 2024.

EasyJet says the agreement with the European airframer enables it to secure “valuable” delivery slots from this date.

Its revised fleet plan will result in expansion from 331 aircraft, at

the end of its 2019 financial year on 30 September, to 352 in 2020.

EasyJet says its underlying cost performance during the year has been “strong”, partly due to its switching from A319s to the larg-er A320neo and A321neo fleet.

But it states that the cost bene-fit has been “somewhat lower” than planned, owing to Airbus delivery delays. Production of A321neos has been particularly prone to industrial hold-ups.

EasyJet says it has worked with Airbus to “concentrate” on deliv-ering more A320neos for which “certainty of delivery is greater”, adding that it has pre-agreed com-

Boeing has confirmed it is examining how it can im-

prove the efficiency of the 767 freighter during the next decade.

FlightGlobal revealed in Octo-ber that Boeing has been studying

a possible re-engined version of the twinjet for freighter and passenger markets, powered by GE Aviation GEnx engines. The project is understood to be desig-nated “767-X”.

PROPOSAL MAX KINGSLEY-JONES DUBAI

Boeing confirms studies on greater 767 freighter

Airframer expects to deliver existing type ‘well into the next decade’

Asked about the airframer’s plans for the 767 at the Dubai air show, Randy Tinseth, Boeing’s vice-president of commercial mar-keting, confirmed that develop-ments were being considered.

“We’ll be delivering 767s well into the next decade and the last ones off the line will probably be operated for as long as 40 years by the US [Air Force],” he says.

“We’re looking at the future of the 767 in the [freight] market-place. We have requirements that kick in in the middle of the next decade in terms of efficiency, and we’re looking at that closely.”

Boeing’s range of new-build freighters extends from the 767-300F to the 777 Freighter and the 747-8F. Tinseth says consideration is also being given to its wider long-term cargo strategy: “We think part of the freight market is around the 777-sized freighter, and we’re engaged with our customers to see what the next generation of 777 freighter looks like based on the 777X platform.”

Boeing has previously talked of developing an all-cargo 777X F based on the smaller 777-8 pas-senger aircraft. ■

PROGRAMME MAX KINGSLEY-JONES DUBAI

No quick fix for single-aisle production issues, says Airbus bossAirbus sees no quick fix to the

A321neo’s production problems

but is confident the issues have

been stabilised as it manages the

ramp-up in output.

“Our priority is to prepare the

production system for sustainable

long-term growth with more

A321s. That’s one of the areas of

challenge,” said Airbus chief

executive Guillaume Faury, speak-

ing at the Dubai air show. “We are

stabilising our delays in spite of the

ramp-up, and from 2021 we want

to be back on track.”

With three versions of the

A321 being produced simultane-

ously – the A321ceo, A320neo

and A321 Airbus Cabin Flex/LR

– Faury talks of the dual problems

of “a ramp-up in numbers and

ramp-up in complexity”.

He adds: “We see the demand

for the XLR stronger than what we

were expecting, so this will de-

serve further investment.

“So I’m focusing more on

2021, 2022 and 2023 and making

sure we do the right things to be

managing this ramp-up.” ■

Bo

ein

g

pensation rates with the airframer covering delayed deliveries.

Separately, EasyJet and Airbus have signed a memorandum of understanding to jointly assess the potential of hybrid- and full-

electric aircraft for short-haul flights across Europe.

The research project’s aim is to define what is needed for “large-scale introduction” of electric air-craft and how that would impact “infrastructure and everyday commercial aircraft operations”, EasyJet indicates.

In 2017, EasyJet revealed a part-nership with US start-up Wright Electric, which is working on an all-electric short-haul airliner. Test flights of a nine-seat aircraft are set to begin in the “coming weeks”, EasyJet says, adding the collaboration with Wright Electric will continue alongside the re-search project with Airbus. ■Additional reporting by

Cirium

Airb

us

Agreement helps secure valuable delivery slots

AIR TRANSPORT


Nigerian investigators are probing four major incidents

involving Air Peace’s fleet of Boe-ing 737s, all recorded within the last six months.

During the most recent mis-hap, a 737-500 (5N-BUJ) suffered failure of one of its CFM Interna-tional CFM56 engines, while en route from Lagos to Owerri. None of the 90 passengers and six crew members was injured.

On 23 July, a 737-300 (5N-BQO) was arriving at Lagos airport from Port Harcourt in daylight and poor weather. The crew was initially told to expect to use runway 18L but, owing to low visibility, this was switched to runway 18R.

As the aircraft was descending through intense rain at 500ft with its windscreen wipers set to ‘high’, the crew had the airport in sight, and the autopilot was dis-engaged at 100ft.

During testimony to a Nigerian Accident Investigation Bureau inquiry, the captain said she no-ticed the aircraft was not aligned with the centreline and took con-trol during the height callouts at 50ft and 30ft. She corrected the aircraft’s course but, according to the crew, visibility was lost as the jet touched down.

The inquiry says the pilots heard a “loud screeching noise” and “saw a lot of debris flying

INQUIRY DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON

Air Peace under investigation after set of serious incidentsNigerian authorities hear testimony from crew following four mishaps within six months

DELIVERY

A350 shipment boosts Fiji AirwaysFiji Airways has taken delivery of its first of two Airbus A350-900s,

sourced via lessor DAE Capital. The Pacific carrier will use its

Rolls-Royce Trent XWB-powered twinjets on its routes from Nadi

to Los Angeles and Sydney. The aircraft is configured in a 334-seat

standard, featuring 33 lie-flat business seats and 301 in economy,

of which 39 offer additional personal space. Fiji Airways already

operates five A330-200s and a -300, and three Boeing 737-800s,

Cirium fleets data shows.

Airb

us

Scandinavia’s SAS has dis-closed that its first long-range

Airbus A321LR will operate the transatlantic service from Copen-hagen to Boston when it enters service on 18 September 2020.

The Neo-variant narrowbody’s cabin will have 22 lie-flat busi-ness-class seats, plus 12 premium-economy and 123 economy seats.

SAS says each seat will be fitted with an in-flight entertainment screen and power ports, with the aircraft featuring high-speed wi-fi. It adds that the A321LR also will have a service concept “at par” with the rest of its long-haul fleet.

“This is an entirely new aircraft type for SAS, well-suited to the Scandinavian market and emerg-ing travel patterns to and from the region,” says chief commercial of-ficer Karl Sandlund.

SAS stated earlier this year that it would introduce three A321LRs from summer 2020. Cirium fleets data shows that its CFM Interna-tional Leap-1A-powered aircraft are being sourced via Air Lease. ■

ROUTE DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROWLONDON

A321LR to bring Boston in range with SAS service

AirTe

am

Imag

es

All the events involved carrier’s 737 fleet

“This is an entirely

new aircraft type for

SAS, well-suited to the

Scandinavian market”Karl Sandlund Chief commercial officer, SAS

around”. The aircraft came to a halt just under 2,500m (8,200ft) from the threshold.

None of the 133 passengers and six crew members were injured, but the 737 sustained serious damage to its nose-gear assembly. Its nose-wheels were both found around 1,100m from the thresh-old, with the runway surface scarred and holed by the nose-gear strut for more than 1,500m. The aircraft also suffered scrapes to the underside of its right-hand CFM56 engine as a result of run-way contact.

The cockpit-voice recorder was found to be overwritten, but in an initial set of safety recom-mendations, the investigation bureau states that Air Peace should ensure its crews “strict-ly” adhere to go-around proce-dures if an approach destabilises below 1,000ft.

This followed a 15 May accident involving another 737-300 (5N-BUK), which was also approach-

ing Lagos’s runway 18R, at night and in crosswind conditions.

A preliminary disclosure by investigators states that “The [first officer] announced for a go-around and, in response, the [captain] said he had control of the situation.”

The aircraft touched down in rain and, after taxiing to the gate, was found to have sustained sub-stantial damage to its right-hand CFM56, including dents on the cowling and bent fan blades. Both main landing-gear shock-absorber oleo struts had also collapsed.

None of the 118 occupants were injured, but although the aircraft was withdrawn from ser-vice, the Accident Investigation Bureau says it was not informed about the event until it was con-tacted by a passenger on 5 June, by which time the cockpit-voice recorder had been overwritten.

Investigators are also examin-ing a runway excursion by an Air Peace 737-500 on 22 June. ■

Find out more: flightglobal.com/transformation

Aviation Digital Transformation Barcelona4 December 2019 Barceló Sants Hotel

Roadmap to the Seamless Passenger Experience

This conference brings together leading digital, technology and commercial experts from the world of aviation, to explore the value new technologies and agile working practices hold for their organisation, and how best to ensure investments are prioritised to deliver maximum return.

Airlines will learn from experts on how to become more agile and responsive to the fast-pace of change in the industry, and are not left behind as new technologies and capabilities enable companies to secure a competitive edge.

Alin Kalam Executive & Specialist on Analytics, BI, Big Data & Digital Transformation Austrian Airlines

M. Osama Sheikh Project Manager & Business Analyst – Technology & Innovation Pakistan International Airlines (PIA)

Mohamed ShakirDigital Innovation Researcher & TED Speaker, Qatar Airways

Sophie Troel VP Digital Transformation & Head of Digital Factory, Air France

Mohammed AhteshamuddinVice President – IT (PSS & Customer Experience), Flydubai

Speakers confirmed:

DEFENCE


Raytheon’s AGM-154 JSOW precision-strike glide muni-

tion is to be certificated for the internal weapons bay of the US Air Force’s Lockheed Martin F-35A stealth fighter by the end of November.

The manufacturer says the ap-proval will also allow it to sell the stand-off weapon to international operators of the F-35A.

The US Navy has already qualified the JSOW on its carrier-variant F-35C, and the USAF is drawing on its test data to inte-grate the weapon onto its aircraft, says Mark Borup, senior manager of business development for Raytheon Missile Systems’ air warfare systems.

“It is going to be fully integrat-ed on the F-35A, and the impor-tance of that is that the USA has a number of friends and allies who have the F-35A,” he says. “It’s very significant. It’s a capability that many of our friends and al-lies really, really advocate for.”

The JSOW can be carried exter-nally on the Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet and F-15, and

Lockheed’s F-16. However, its 70nm (130km) glide range and low radar cross-section means it could also be used by the F-35 during penetrating air strikes.

The GPS-guided weapon can follow waypoints to its target, while the latest JSOW-C Block III version can use an infrared seeker for target identification during its terminal phase. It has a tandem warhead, suitable for use against structures such as bunkers.

Borup says six Middle East na-tions are at various stages of ac-quiring the JSOW-C Block III, but declines to name them.

“It is a system of high interest in this region because it brings a new capability to their aircraft,” Borup says. “It gives them that precision with stand-off [range] to stay out of harm’s away with a lot of the threats that are being imported into the region,” he adds, alluding to the presence of Almaz-Antey S-400 Triumf anti-aircraft system equipment in Syria and Turkey.

Raytheon says it is also seeing interest from Middle East coun-tries in the JSOW’s ability to glide into a target at a shallow angle, providing what it describes as a “cave defeat capability”. ■

The Leonardo Gabbiano TS-80 airborne radar will be integrat-

ed on Diamond Aircraft’s DA62 maritime surveillance aircraft (MSA), expanding the scope of the type’s capabilities.

Integration work is expected to be completed by early 2020, Leonardo says. In June, the com-pany and Diamond announced the DA62 MSA, which uses Leonardo’s Airborne Tactical Observation and Surveillance (ATOS) mission system.

“The integration will expand the surveillance range of the

DA62 MSA, widening the scope of missions it can perform and expanding its market potential,” says Leonardo.

The DA62 MSA has been designed to conduct land or sea surveillance for nations that need a more affordable, short- to medium-range special-mission aircraft. Its baseline payload configuration includes Leonar-do’s TS-20 radar and ATOS equipment, along with a high-definition electro-optical/infrared sensor, all integrated into an op-erator’s touchscreen display. ■

Dassault has secured an eagerly-awaited contract to

upgrade Mirage 2000-9 fighters operated by the United Arab Emirates’ air force.

Announcing the award on the opening day of the Dubai air show, the UAE said the business was valued at Dh1.8 billion ($490 million), but provided no details about the enhancements that would be made. The nation’s plan to upgrade the French type’s capabilities was first disclosed at the 2017 show.

Dassault also declines to provide information on the mod-ernisation activity’s likely scope or duration.

Cirium fleets data shows that the UAE has an active inventory of 57 Mirage 2000-9s, including 14 trainers. These are between 15 and 30 years in age.

Meanwhile, the UAE also awarded Global Aerospace Logis-tics – a unit of its newly-formed defence conglomerate Edge – a contract worth Dh3.5 billion to provide support for its Joint Avia-tion Command fleet of helicop-ters, and fixed-wing transport and surveillance aircraft. ■

ORDNANCE GARRETT REIM DUBAI

JSOW gliding towards main integration target with F-35AStand-off munition will be certificated for internal weapons bay, as export interest grows

CONTRACT GREG WALDRON DUBAI

Mirage upgrade becomes reality as UAE commits

CAPABILITY GREG WALDRON DUBAI

Larger radar extends DA62’s maritime potential

US Navy has already performed tests with carrier variant of fighter

US

Nav

y

Bill

yPix

TS-80 sensor boosts surveillance range of special mission variant

DEFENCE


New models help delivery data gain liftBusiness Aviation P28

India’s long-running process to replace its Hindustan Aeronaut-

ics-built HS 748 – or “Avro” – fleet of utility transports could be nearing an end, with Airbus Defence & Space confident of concluding an order for its C295.

“We hope to progress soon with India,” says Ioannis Papachristofilou, the company’s head of marketing, who adds that Airbus also has “a lot of open campaigns” for the twin-turboprop type.

New Delhi’s Defence Acquisi-tion Council approved a pro-posed 56-aircraft order for the Indian air force in May 2015. The programme’s first 16 aircraft will undergo final assembly by Airbus in Seville, Spain, with the re-mainder to be built by in-country partner Tata Advanced Systems.

“The Avro contract is super-important for India and us as well,” Airbus Defence & Space chief executive Dirk Hoke said at

Saab has performed initial flight tests with a develop-

mental electronic attack jammer pod (EAJP), declaring the activity as successful.

“The pod’s interfaces with the aircraft’s hardware and software, as well as cockpit control and monitoring, were tested during the flight,” the company says of the work, which involved carry-ing the payload beneath the port wing of a Gripen D fighter.

PROCUREMENT CRAIG HOYLE MANCHING

Airbus awaits C295’s passage to IndiaEuropean airframer optimistic planned sale of medium transports will advance, as nation nears 'Avro' replacement deal

TRIAL CRAIG HOYLE LONDON

Jamming pod powers Saab electronic attack drive

the company’s Manching site in Germany in early November. “It is a real ‘Make in India’ project,” he adds, noting: “there will be no difference between the aircraft built in Europe and India.”

Hoke believes the Indian air force’s requirement for the C295 could eventually grow to “at least 150 and beyond”, in addition to the prospect of exports being made from India.

“All the administrative pro-cesses are being fulfilled,” says

Airbus Defence & Space head of military aircraft Alberto Gutierrez, who recently visited India. “There is nothing to make us think that the contract isn’t going to happen.”

Cirium fleets data shows that the Indian air force has a current active fleet of 60 Rolls-Royce Dart-engined HS 748s, aged be-tween 35 and 58 years.

Gutierrez also believes that India represents a future sales opportunity for the A400M,

because of the nation’s size, altitude and need to perform hu-manitarian relief operations. India’s current inventory of large airlifters includes Boeing C-17s, Ilyushin Il-76s and Lockheed Martin C-130Js, supplemented by Antonov An-32s.

Meanwhile, Airbus plans to deliver its first of 16 locally-des-ignated CC295s to the Royal Ca-nadian Air Force in early Decem-ber, in support of the service’s fixed-wing search and rescue programme. A lead example will be flown to Canada early in 2020.

Civil certification is expected soon for the Canadian variant’s Collins Aerospace Pro Line Fu-sion avionics suite, which for Ot-tawa replaces the Thales equip-ment used on previous C295s.

Airbus says total orders for the C295 currently stand at 209 air-craft, with in-service examples employed by 31 operators in 28 countries. ■

The Swedish company earlier this year outlined its plans for the low-band jammer technology demonstrator, which is approxi-mately 4m (13.1ft) long and weighs 350kg (770lb).

The activity is being per-formed in support of expanding its Arexis family of electronic warfare equipment, and with an eye on future European combat aircraft self-protection needs.

Saab says the EAJP “is a strong complement” to the electronic warfare system on its new Gripen E/F, but notes that the

same technology can be adapted for use with other aircraft types, such as the Eurofighter Typhoon. ■

Company hopes New Delhi’s requirement for the type will top 150

Airb

us D

efen

ce &

Spa

ce

Saab

D ow n load t he 2019 Wor l d A i r Fo r ces Repo r t

www. f l i gh tg loba l . com/waf

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Manufacturer integrated payload with Gripen D

BUSINESS AVIATION


PC-24 shipments are forecast to reach a total of 40 over the full year

Pila

tus

Airc

raft

ANALYSIS KATE SARSFIELD LONDON

New models power deliveries increaseMultiple product updates from major manufacturers and renewed confidence see nine-month output hit decade high

Business jet output for the first nine months of 2019 reached

its highest level for a decade, thanks to the introduction and production ramp-up of new and long-awaited aircraft models, and renewed, growing confi-dence in the market.

In its latest industry review, re-leased on 15 November, the General Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) records de-liveries of 516 business jets in the nine months to 30 September, compared with 447 units in the same period last year. The previ-ous nine-month delivery record for the segment was in 2009, when 616 shipments were logged, GAMA data shows.

Key to the improved perfor-mance is the production ramp-up of the Pilatus PC-24 pro-gramme. The superlight twin entered service in February 2018 as the Swiss airframer’s first business jet, and nine examples had been shipped by the end of that year’s third quarter.

PC-24 output for the first nine months of 2019 was 27 aircraft, GAMA data shows, and Pilatus expects to deliver a total of 40 this year.

Cirrus Aircraft – another com-pany making its debut in the jet market – recorded a 27% rise in deliveries of its SF50 Vision Jet over the period, from 41 to 52 units. With a backlog for the sin-gle-engined type in excess of 500 aircraft, the Duluth, Minnesota-based airframer is preparing to ship 80 Vision Jets in 2019, be-fore reaching a full-rate produc-tion output of 100 aircraft per year in 2020.

PRAETOR POWEREmbraer’s output rose over the first nine months from 55 to 63 aircraft, GAMA data shows, with the increase based entirely on the introduction of the Praetor 600. The super-midsize Legacy 500 de-rivative was launched in 2018 alongside its midsize stablemate,

the Legacy 450-based Praetor 500. The latter model secured US and European certification in Septem-ber and service entry is imminent.

Although performance across the rest of Embraer’s product line was flat over the first nine months of the year, the Phenom 300 retained its title as the most-delivered business aircraft in the light-jet category, with 35 exam-ples shipped during the period.

Rival Textron Aviation deliv-ered 135 Cessna Citation-series business jets between January and September – 21 more than the same period last year. The strongest performers were the Latitude and XLS+, with ship-ments climbing from 37 to 42 and 12 to 15 units, respectively. GAMA’s report also lists the final delivery in the first quarter of the Citation X+, after a 23-year pro-duction run. The Mach

0.935- capable twin has been re-placed in the company’s product line by the slower but larger- cabin Longitude, for which Tex-tron has a substantial order back-log. Deliveries of the flagship super-midsize twin began in October and will be recorded in Textron’s 2019 output.

Strong demand for the clean-sheet, super-large cabin G500 and G600 helped to boost Gulfstream’s output from 79 aircraft in the first nine months of 2018 to 103 over the same period this year.

The airframer has delivered around 30 G500s since the type entered service in September 2018. The model was joined in August by the longer-range G600, of which Gulfstream had deliv-ered four examples by 30 Sep-tember. The company is now ac-celerating production of both types to keep pace with demand.

Bombardier is also boosting production of the high-end Global 7500, for which it has accrued a backlog of more than 100 aircraft. The ultra-long-range flagship en-tered service in December 2018, and while only nine units were recorded as shipped between Jan-uary and September, Bombardier plans to deliver more than 15 ex-amples by the end of this year.

The GE Aviation Passport-powered Global 7500 was the

only strong performer in Bombar-dier’s line-up over the period, GAMA data shows. Shipments of the Challenger 650/350 fell by 10, to 48 aircraft, while Global 5000/6000 output slid from 29 to 27, and Learjet 70/75 deliveries remained steady at nine aircraft.

Bombardier expects this lacklustre performance to be short-lived, however, thanks to the introduction of a wave of new products with robust order backlogs. These include the lat-est Global family members, the 5500 and 6500.

The pair were launched in May 2018 as longer-range versions of the Global 5000 and 6000, featuring all-new Rolls-Royce Pearl 15 engines, revamped interiors and new wings designed by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. The Global 6500 entered service in October, while deliveries of the 5500 are expected to begin early next year.

LIBERTY ARRIVESThey will be joined in 2020 by the Learjet Liberty 75 – a revamped, repositioned and rebranded Learjet 75, launched in June to address declining sales of the legacy twin in the highly competitive light-jet sector.

Dassault expects its in-devel-opment superwide-cabin 6X to shake up the top end of the mar-ket and boost Falcon output when it enters service in 2022. Although GAMA’s report does not include Falcon shipments – the French airframer releases delivery numbers at six-monthly intervals – Cirium fleets data records a modest hike between January and September, from 21 to 24 Falcons.

The large-cabin 2000LXS was the strongest performer, with de-liveries climbing from four to 10 aircraft. By contrast, shipments of the 8X tri-jet almost halved over the same period, from 11 to six, reflecting fierce competition in the ultra-long-range segment. ■

GAMA recordsdeliveries of 516 business jets in thenine months to 30September, comparedwith 447 last year


DATA VIEW

Surge of commitments for Airbus narrowbody family saw net demand for commercial aircraft during October at its highest since December last year, despite Boeing’s Max difficulties

Neo propelled October salesGRAHAM DUNN & ANTOINE FAFARD LONDON

October was the busiest month of the year so far for commercial air-craft orders, with Cirium fleets data recording sales of 424 units.

Once partially offset by 71 cancellations, this resulted in a net total of 353 firm orders; the most since December 2018.

Airbus scooped the vast majority of new orders during the month, driven by Indian budget carrier IndiGo signing for 300 A320neo-family aircraft. One of the European airframer’s biggest commitments from a single customer, the business took IndiGo’s backlog for the narrowbody family to 632 units, with 98 already in service.

IndiGo’s latest agreement comprises 213 of the larger A321neo and 87 A320neos.

AirAsia X also ordered 30 A321neos – the carrier had disclosed in August that it would take this number of the long-range A321XLR model – while Wizz Air signed for 20 A321X-LRs and Jetsmart Chile 12. Both Wizz and Jetsmart are among the airline interests of in-vestor Indigo Partner, which committed to 50 long-range aircraft at June’s Paris air show.

Airbus also logged orders for its re-engined narrowbody from two Taiwanese operators. China Airlines ordered 11 A321neos, while Tigerair Taiwan will take seven A320neos. France’s Reunion Island-based airline Air Austral signed a firm order for three A220-300s, becoming the first customer for the type in the Indian Ocean region, while Air Tanza-nia ordered a single A220-300.

By contrast, Boeing’s narrowbody activity remains impacted by the continued ground-ing of its 737 Max, with only one sold to an undisclosed customer in October and the company removing 19 of the type from its backlog; 15 of these were from Air Lease which swapped the narrowbodies for five 787-9s. The US manufacturer also secured a new order from Lufthansa Cargo for a pair of 777Fs. Airbus, meanwhile, announced a deal

Airb

us

Indian carrier IndiGo signed up for 300 of the re-engined jets in the month

to supply an unannounced customer with 12 A330neos, thought to be from lessor GECAS.

October’s major cancellation came from Trans States Holdings, which owns several US regional airlines, removing 50 SpaceJet M90s from Mitsubishi Aircraft’s order book. The decision to axe the order for the jets, plus 50 options, was made as the 88-seat variant “does not meet the requirements of the Unit-ed States market”, the operator says.

In the turboprop sector, Air Tanzania’s order for a single De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400 was the first firm deal for the manufacturer since investors acquired the former Q400 tur-boprop programme from Bombardier.

A total of 109 commercial aircraft were delivered to a combined 76 operators in October. Airbus handed over 76 of this total. China Southern Airlines received the largest number of units with six, including four A320neo-family jets and two A350s. The Asian carrier now has an in-service fleet of approaching 600 aircraft.

In a key milestone for the A320neo programme during October, Airbus handed

New orders, October 2019

IndiGo A321neo 213

IndiGo A320neo 87

AirAsia X A321neo 30

Wizz Air A321neo 20

Jetsmart Chile A321neo 12

China Airlines A321neo 11

Tigerair Taiwan A320neo 7

Air Lease 787-9 5

Air Austral A220-300 3

Aviation Capital Group A320neo 3

Air Tanzania A220-300 2

Lufthansa Cargo 777F 2

Air Tanzania Dash 8-400 1

Note: Information for known customers Source: Cirium fleets data

over its 1,000th example: an A321neo for IndiGo. The carrier is the biggest A320neo operator, having taken its first example air-craft in March 2016.

The four-figure point was reached less than four years after Lufthansa’s January 2016 receipt of a first unit. ■


ORDERS & DELIVERIES

In focus: fleet development for leading commercial airline typesThe total fleet for mainline, regional, low-cost

and cargo operators has increased from

more than 23,000 units in 2010 to just under

30,000 currently.

The total in-service fleet now stands at

slightly more than 27,800 units.

Mainline airlines have represented

about half of the global fleet during the

focus period.

The fleet for low-cost carriers has shown

the largest growth, having risen from just

under 3,000 aircraft to more than double

this value.

The storage ratio for low-cost airlines

has also been the lowest, with an average

of 3% for the period.

Regional operators currently account for

the largest parked fleet, with a storage

ratio of 12%. ■

0

5,000

10,000

15,000

20,000

25,000

30,000

35,000

40,000

Nov-19Nov-18Nov-17Nov-16Nov-15Nov-14Nov-13Nov-12Nov-11Nov-10

Total fleet Stored fleet %

Source: Cirium fleets data

Total fleet for low-cost carriers

Total fleet for cargo carriers

Stored fleet for low-cost carriers Stored fleet for cargo carriers

Total fleet and stored fleet

0

2

4

6

8

10

12

14

16

Total fleet for mainline carriers

Total fleet for regional carriers

Stored fleet for mainline carriers Stored fleet for regional carriers

-200

-100

0

100

200

300

400

500

600

700

800

Oct-19Sep-19Aug-19Jul-19Jun-19May-19Apr-19Mar-19Feb-19Jan-19Dec-18Nov-18Oct-18

Narrowbody Regional Turboprop Widebody

Commercial monthly net orders, October 2018-2019


0

50

100

150

200

250

300

Oct-19Sep-19Aug-19Jul-19Jun-19May-19Apr-19Mar-19Feb-19Jan-19Dec-18Nov-18Oct-18

Narrowbody Regional Turboprop

Commercial monthly deliveries, October 2018-2019

Widebody


2%

2% 4%

4%

51%

37%

Boeing5,444

Comac637

Airbus7,445

ATR248

Other579

Embraer342

14,695Total

Commercial aircraft order backlog

by manufacturer


5%7%

5%

29% 30%

24%

North America8,634

Europe7,124

Asia-Pacific9,157

Africa1,366

Middle East1,451

Latin America1,973

29,705Total

Commercial in-service fleet

by region

Source: Cirium fleet data

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Pitch battle

While Max faces scrutiny, how

Airbus averted loss of control 14

Widebody winners

Big-twins stole March with

bumper end to first quarter 22

30 April-6 May 2019 I flightglobal.com

PROGRAMME

Blue skies for Lightning

As F-35 gives US naval aviation a lift,

why Lockheed’s fighter is on the rise

9 7 7 0 0 1 5 3 7 1 3 1 0

1 8£3.90

Powering ahead

Comac outlines plan to double

strength of C919 test fleet 11

Blown away

UK waves off Tornados, as its

last GR4s enter retirement 26

12-18 March 2019 I flightglobal.com

TECHNOLOGY

Getting in formationWhy Australia is teaming up with

Boeing for loyal wingman project

9 7 7 0 0 1 5 3 7 1 3 1 0

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Brisk businessAll the news from corporate

aviation’s EBACE gathering 10

Swiss pleasBern allocates almost €6bn for

fighter replacement effort 23

28 May-3 June 2019 I flightglobal.com

INVESTIGATION

Sheremetyevo hard landing

Details emerge of stricken Superjet’s

final seconds before tragic blaze

9 7 7 0 0 1 5 3 7 1 3 1 0

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AIRBUSAT50

SPECIAL SUPPLEMENT

Lisbon lift

Embraer confident Portugal will

bolster its KC-390 backlog 19

Rising fortunes

XTI on a high, as innovative

TriFan testbed gets aloft 22

21-27 May 2019 I flightglobal.com

PROPULSION

Balance of power

After Dreamliner, will Boeing

offer engine choice for NMA?

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Sitting pretty

Get comfortable with our plush

Aircraft Interiors coverage 14

Ankara’s away

Will Washington eject Turkish

suppliers from F-35 project? 25

9-15 April 2019 I flightglobal.com

9 7 7 0 0 1 5 3 7 1 3 1 0

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PRODUCTION

The Neo normalAirbus powers up its delivery

ambitions for re-engined A330

Superjumbo slip

Have A380 operations peaked,

with 2019 total to decline? 15

Good Atmosphere

Why Bombardier’s new CRJ900

interior is breath of fresh air 30

26 March-1 April 2019 I flightglobal.com

GROUNDING

Facing close inspection

Certification process in spotlight as

regulators assess 737 Max safety

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Widebody winners

Lufthansa picks A350, Dreamliner

for its long-haul fleet renewal

Lightning strike

F-35 could take Pole position

in Harpia fighter contest


SAFETY

Scrutinisedto the Max

All eyes on newest 737s

after Ethiopian tragedy


FLIGHT TEST

Brave Neo worldWe put re-engined A330 through its paces – but

can Airbus widebody better the Dreamliner?

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Boeing boss faces shareholders

as 737 Max disquiet mounts 9

ATAK minded

Turkish Aerospace unveils future

combat helicopter concept 24

Bye, BMI

As another UK regional

operator goes under, what

prompted carrier’s demise? 16

Down wonder

Royal Australian Air Force

transformation gathers pace

with F-35 introduction 30

26 February-4 March 2019 I flightglobal com

CUTAWAY

Better by design

Why Aero Vodochody’s new

L-39NG is heading for success

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Electric dream

How Collins investment will

charge hybrid propulsion 15

Splashing out

Polish navy makes waves with

AW101 helicopter selection 16

16-22 April 2019 I flightglobal.com

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PRODUCTION

Cloudy outlookMax grounding forces 737 rate reduction, as

Boeing counts cost of narrowbody’s troubles

Command fail

How unqualified pilot’s actions

doomed Aeromexico E-Jet 9

Power battle

GE, Rolls-Royce vie for CR929

widebody engine selection 10


ANNIVERSARY

Supersonic championFifty years since its debut – why

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FLIGHT TEST

Alpine wonderWe find out if PC-24

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Fast moverParis ups the pace as armed

H160M heads for Le Bourget

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PROGRAMME

Ready to

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lift Lockheed sales prospects?


WORLD AIRLINER DIRECTORYSpecial report

BERNIE BALDWIN LONDON

Sales so far during 2019 may have been slow, but manufacturers have used this period to reposition themselves in an opportunity to ensure revenues gain height in years ahead

Looking for lift

AirT

eam

Imag

es

T he year to date in the regional airlin-er segment can hardly be described as vintage, in terms of orders. Sales have been modest, with sizeable

deals few and far between.That is not to say that progress is not being

made. There have been many changes among the manufacturers this year designed to bring sales growth in the years ahead. Arguably, the biggest of these was the complete rebranding by Mitsubishi Aircraft of its product line.

The move from MRJ to SpaceJet centred on considerable changes to the smaller member of its aircraft family to meet, in particular, the US market and its scope clauses. The reward for making the change appears to have been swift, with two US airlines signing memorandums of understanding for up to 115 M100s.

In between all that, the company’s parent,

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI), agreed to buy the CRJ programme from Bombardier. Mitsubishi Aircraft will benefit from the support network attached to that as it develops into a global player. Strong support for the SpaceJet and customers is important, as with-out it, the potential for sales can be brought to a standstill, as a number of airframers aiming to take on the big players globally have found to their cost – some quite recently.

Of the bigger names in this segment, ATR continues to have a considerable lead in the turboprop market, with good orders and a new short take-off and landing variant – the ATR 42-600S – to augment the fleet.

Meanwhile, Embraer has two challenges on its hands – the tie-up of its Commercial Avia-tion division with Boeing and attracting firm orders for the E175-E2. The smallest member of the E2 family remains non-scope compliant in the USA. The OEM had hoped for changes

in those pilot agreements, but none looks likely in the near future. As for the Boeing deal, who knows how this may be affected from the fallout of the 737 Max situation?

This year’s directory is a notable milestone as it is almost certainly the last time that Bombar-dier will feature. First, the CSeries went to Air-bus, then the Q-series to De Havilland Canada. And by this time next year, the acquisition of the CRJ family by MHI should be complete. At that point, a brand that revolutionised regional aviation with the advent of the 50-seat regional jet will no longer be operating in this sector.

Finally – and highlighting the fluctuating fortunes this year – it may not have come about through rapid sales but it is interesting to note which type – Comac’s ARJ21 – has the largest backlog (334). This industry is anything but predictable. ■All data from Cirium or manufacturers, to 30 September 2019

Mitsubishi Aircraft’s move to SpaceJet has been driven by the US market



Antonov An-148/158Although the past year has brought no further

orders for the Antonov pair, the company has

been increasing its promotion of the platform.

That push incorporates the An-178 freighter

and the slogan: “The An-1X8 family – the only

platform for many solutions.”

A signal of the investment in the passenger

variants came at this year’s Aircraft Interiors

Expo, when Antonov signed up Pitch Aircraft

Seating to provide its PF3000 seat as a line-fit

item on the An-148/158. With Pitch claiming a

typical saving of 5kg (11lb) per seat compared

with the aircraft’s previous generation of seats,

a 28in pitch can be offered, meaning that

the An-158 will be able to accommodate 102

passengers.

Alongside the Antonov deal, Pitch signed a

contract with leasing company South American

Aircraft Leasing (SAAL), to retrofit the An-158s

of two different Latin American airlines. One of

those is Cubana de Aviacion, whose fleet of six

An-158s was grounded in 2018.

Panama-based SAAL reviewed the technical

status of all the Cubana aircraft, before moving

into the second stage of airworthiness renewal.

As a result, the manufacturer and lessor have

created a “first-aid kit” to return all the aircraft

to service, with the first two planned to operate

once more in the first quarter of 2020. ■

Antonov An-148 family orders and deliveries

An-148 An-158

First flight 17/12/2004 28/04/2010

Orders (all-time/2019) 19/0 10/0

Deliveries (total/2019) 17/0 6/0

Backlog 2 4

Antonov An-148 family specifications

An-148 An-158

MTOW (t) 41.9 43.7

Seats (typical/max) 68/85 86/99

Range (nm) 1,890 1,350

Maximum seating in the An-148

85

ATR 42/72It has been another busy 12 months for ATR,

with enough orders to increase the backlog it

had last year, albeit by just one. In 2018, the

Franco-Italian company delivered 76 twin-

turboprops and received 52 orders, which it

followed at this year’s Paris air show with 75

orders and commitments.

Among the deals at Le Bourget were 17 for

the new ATR 42-600S, a short take-off and

landing (STOL) variant, including Air Tahiti as

launch operator and Elix Aviation Capital as

the first lessor to place an order. By the time of

the official launch at the ERA General

Assembly in October, three further orders had

been added.

The aircraft will be capable of operating from

800m (2,620ft) runways carrying 40 passengers.

Certification is scheduled for the second half of

2022, with delivery to Air Tahiti soon after. Like

the airline’s current aircraft, the 42-600S will arrive

with extended twin-engine operations clearance.

Next year will bring delivery of the first of 30

firm orders for the ATR 72-600F cargo variant to

FedEx Express.

Also, the company will be hoping to launch

the ATR 72-600E, designed to meet the increas-

ing requirements of the US market for regional

aircraft with premium-class cabins. The 72-600E

offers 50 seats in a three-class layout, with six

first-, 12 business- and 32 economy-class seats.

While the 72-600E awaits an order, the first

new ATR 72-600 to enter scheduled service in

the USA did so in April, with Silver Airways.

Meanwhile, the launch customers for the

ClearVision Enhanced Vision System – Aurigny

Air Services on the 72-600 and Druk Air on the

42-600 – each took delivery of their first outfit-

ted aircraft in late October 2019. ■

ATR 42/72 orders and deliveries

ATR 42-600 ATR 72-600 ATR 72-600F

First flight 04/03/2010 24/07/2009

Orders (all-time/2019) 100/0 674/23 30/0

Deliveries (total/2019) 49/7 504/30 0/0

Backlog 51 170 30

ATR 42/72 specifications

ATR 42-600 ATR 72-600 ATR 72-600F

MTOW (t) 18.6 23 23

Seats (typical/max) 48 72/78

Range (nm) 720 825 900

Customers for Antonov twinjet include

North Korean flag carrier Air Koryo

Wu H

ong

/EPA

-EFE

/Shutt

ers

tock


WORLD AIRLINER DIRECTORYRegionals

Imag

inech

ina/S

hutt

ers

tock

AirTe

am

Imag

es

AVIC Xian MA60 familyWith no further orders for either the MA60 or

the MA600 since last year’s directory, the focus

within the Chinese twin-turboprop family has

been firmly on the new MA700.

The MA700’s fore-mid fuselage was unveiled

in late May by AVIC, which was followed in July

by its combination with the nose and other

structural sections. In late September, the fuse-

lage was mated to the aircraft’s wings. The air-

framer aims to complete this first example of

the new turboprop by year-end.

All of this was carried out by AVIC subsidiary

Xian Aircraft. Once built, this aircraft will

become the vehicle for static testing.

AVIC claims the MA700 has 285 orders from

11 operators to date (although Cambodia

Bayon Airlines, which was reported to have 10

MA700s on order, has ceased trading).

The company hopes to obtain Chinese

certification for the aircraft by 2021, with entry

into service the following year.

Meanwhile, China Express Airlines has

signed a memorandum of understanding with

AVIC, related to the operation and develop-

ment of the MA family. They aim to establish a

civil aircraft industry research centre, with the

airline also joining the MA700 programme.

Bigger than the MA60/600, with up to 86

seats, the MA700 will have Pratt & Whitney

Canada PW150C engines with six-bladed

propellers. ■

Aircraft in the MA60 family delivered so far

96

AVIC Xian MA60 family orders and deliveries

MA60 MA600 MA700

First flight 25/02/2000 09/10/2008

Orders (all-time/2019) 111/1 15/0


Backlog 20 10

AVIC Xian MA60 family specifications

MA60 MA600 MA700

MTOW (t) 21.8 21.8 26.5

Seats (typical/max) 60 60 68-86

Range (nm) 860 770 1,460

Maximum range of

-600 is 720nm

Outstanding orders for all ATR 42/72 variants

251

MA60 has a standard

capacity of 60



Bombardier CRJ familyThe manufacturing story of the biggest-selling

regional jet programme is approaching its

denouement, following the announcement on

25 June 2019 that Mitsubishi Heavy Industries

(MHI) would acquire the CRJ programme from

Bombardier.

The deal is due to complete in early 2020,

but in addition to the maintenance, support,

refurbishment, marketing and sales activities for

the CRJ series, the agreement also sees MHI

taking over the related services and support

network, as well as service centres located in

Bridgeport, West Virginia, and Tucson, Arizona,

plus the type certificates.

The CRJ700 airframe, meanwhile, has begun

what is likely to be the family’s last hurrah in the

guise of the CRJ550. Launch customer United

Airlines will have 50 of the variant operating

under the United Express brand, flown by

GoJet Airlines, whose chief executive Rick

Leach has been credited with its genesis. With

just 50 seats, the aircraft meets United’s pilot

scope clause restrictions.

The first CRJ550 entered service in late

October 2019 sporting a configuration of 10

first-class seats, 20 economy-plus and 20 econ-

omy seats. The longer CRJ700 airframe pro-

vides greater personal space and luggage

storage space. First-class also includes a self-

serve beverage and snack station.

All the CRJ550s currently scheduled to join

the United fleet are being sourced from the car-

rier’s existing inventory, including 25 from

GoJet; no brand-new examples are being

planned.

This ties in with the MHI deal, which foresees

CRJ production coming to an end in the sec-

ond half of 2020, following the delivery of the

outstanding backlog, which stood at 31 aircraft

at the end of September 2019. All of those or-

ders are for the CRJ900, which has been very

much the family stalwart in terms of sales since

the early part of the decade. ■

Bombardier CRJ orders and deliveries

CRJ700 CRJ900 CRJ1000

First flight 27/05/1999 21/02/2001 03/09/2009

Net orders (all-time/2019) 338/-1 483/4 63/0

Deliveries (total/2019) 338/0 452/18 63/0

Backlog 0 31 0

Bombardier CRJ family specifications

CRJ700 CRJ900 CRJ1000

MTOW (t) 33 36.6 40.8

Seats (single-class) 70 90 100

Range (nm) 1,090 940 1,420

CRJ550s to be operated for United Express

50

Cessna 408 SkyCourierAlthough it was launched two years ago as a

freighter, the past two years have seen Cessna

also promote the SkyCourier as a 19-seat air-

liner. In both markets, it can be seen as a re-

placement for the Beech 1900 – more than 200

of which are still in operation, despite manufac-

turing ending in 2002.

The SkyCourier’s launch came with 50 firm

orders from FedEx Express, along with options

for a further 50. As a freighter, it will be able to

carry three LD3 containers, with a maximum

payload capacity of 2,430kg (5,340lb).

As an airliner, the aircraft’s 19 seats will have

a 32in pitch. The non-pressurised cabin will

also offer passengers USB charging ports

throughout.

The SkyCourier is specified to have a maxi-

mum cruise speed of 200kt (370km/h). Its range

as a cargo aircraft carrying a full payload will be

400nm (740km), while the 19-seat passenger

variant will have a range of 900nm.

Although certification was originally sched-

uled for 2019, the aircraft has still to fly. Recent

reports suggest that the maiden flight will now

be in early 2020, with certification expected in

2021, followed shortly thereafter by the first

delivery to FedEx and entry into service. ■

Forecast date for first flight, with certification due by 2021

2020

Acquisition of CRJ programme by

MHI is due to complete in 2020

AirTe

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Comac ARJ21While it may have taken far longer from con-

cept to entry into service than originally

planned, the ARJ21 programme is growing in

stature little by little. In September 2019, for

example, five deliveries were made – a monthly

record. Two aircraft went to ICBC Leasing, with

one each to Chengdu Airlines, Ghengis Khan

Airlines, and Zhongfei General Aviation. All the

aircraft discussed here are ARJ21-700s, as there

has been little progress in recent years on the

proposed ARJ21-900.

Comac’s confidence in the ARJ21 was sig-

nalled in February, when it announced plans to

open a second assembly line this year, in prepa-

ration for a ramp-up in production. Its delivery

target for 2019 is 22 aircraft, up from 15 in 2018

and six in 2017. The new assembly line at

Shanghai Pudong airport will be able to build

30 aircraft per year.

In addition to its September delivery,

Genghis Khan Airlines received two ARJ21s

earlier in the year in order to launch opera-

tions. It plans to operate 25 of the type by

2024 as it develops the first fleet to be entirely

Chinese made.

The programme also benefited from a

spate of orders in late August, beginning with

a deal for Air China to take 35 ARJ21s. These

are scheduled to be delivered between 2020

and 2024.

China Eastern Airlines and China Southern

Airlines swiftly followed Air China’s lead by

each ordering 35 ARJ21s. Deliveries are also

planned to run over the 2020-2024 period.

Meanwhile, Chengdu Airlines – which put

the type into service in 2016 – has recently

opened the ARJ21’s first international route.

The airline is now operating a service between

Harbin and Vladivostok, Russia, a distance of

274nm (507km). ■

Cessna SkyCourier orders and deliveries

408 Freighter

First flight

Net orders (all-time/2019) 50/0

Deliveries (total/2019) 0/0

Backlog 50

Comac ARJ21 orders and deliveries

ARJ21-700

First flight 28/11/2008

Orders (all-time/2019) 350/105


Backlog 334

Cessna SkyCourier specifications

408 Freighter

MTOW (t)

Payload (t) 2.7

Range (nm) 900

Comac ARJ21 specifications

ARJ21-700

MTOW (t) 40.5

Seats (two-class) 78

Range (nm) 1,200

All 50 orders so far for type

are from FedEx Express

Planned annual output at Shanghai Pudong plant

30

A rush of orders in August saw

three airlines each placing

commitments for 35 aircraft

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De Havilland Canada Dash 8-400It was in November 2018 that Longview

Aviation Capital, parent company to Viking Air,

agreed to acquire the Q400 programme from

Bombardier (plus the certificates for all the oth-

er Dash 8 models). The deal also included

rights to the De Havilland name and Longview

decided to put it to use.

Once the deal was finalised, 1,200 people

transferred from Bombardier to De Havilland

Canada on 1 June 2019 and the aircraft was

rebranded the Dash 8-400. Manufacturing con-

tinues at the Downsview facility in Toronto.

However, a move from there is planned, be-

cause Bombardier sold the site before the

Longview deal. De Havilland Canada says it has

just over three years left at the facility.

The company’s sales and marketing teams

have emphasised their belief that being fo-

cused on a single product will help them im-

mensely in the marketplace, where ATR

currently holds a sizeable lead.

The first post-acquisition addition to the

orderbook came in October, when De

Havilland Canada signed a deal with the

Tanzania Government Flight Agency for one

Dash 8-400 to be leased to and operated by

Air Tanzania. On delivery it will join three of the

type already in service and one other order yet

to be delivered, to take the fleet of Dash

8-400s to five.

Up to the June transfer, Bombardier had

announced only one further order for the type.

At the end of March, a customer that requested

to remain unidentified signed an order for six

new aircraft.

The airframer has made a major change to

the Dash 8-400 proposition by changing its ba-

sic offer to an 82-seat aircraft, rather than the

previous 74-seater. One of the reasons behind

this move comes from the work done with

Expliseat to certificate a new ultra-lightweight

seat that can also deliver a 90-seat variant.

At the Regional Airline Association conven-

tion in September, the company confirmed that

it is looking at a three-class, 50-seat offering. De

Havilland Canada claims that such a variant’s

trip costs could be 13% better than those of

50-seat regional jets and that its cost per avail-

able seat mile would be approximately 25%

more efficient than Bombardier's reconfigured

CRJ550. No details of a possible launch date

were given. ■

De Havilland Dash 8 orders and deliveries

Dash 8-400




Backlog 45

De Havilland Dash 8 specifications

Dash 8-400

MTOW (t) 28.0-29.5

Seats (single class) 74/90

Range (nm) 700-1,100

Total number of aircraft delivered to date

596

Ilyushin Il-114-300In returning the Il-114 to the market with this

-300 model, United Aircraft (UAC) is seeking to

replace a whole range of Russian turboprops,

plus the older members of the ATR and De

Havilland families.

Assembly of the first prototype is well under

way. In August, UAC subsidiary VASO an-

nounced that it had assembled the first wing

centre section in Voronezh. VASO is responsi-

ble for the manufacture of more than 40% of

Standard configuration for the

turboprop will now have 82 seats

First wing centre section

was assembled at VASO

plant in August

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Embraer E-Jet familyThis could well be the last time that Embraer

features in the World Airliner Directory, as by

the time the next one comes around, Embraer

Commercial Aviation should have morphed

into Boeing Brasil Commercial. The US airfram-

er will hold an 80% stake in the unit, with its

Brazilian partner owning the remainder.

Operationally, the Embraer team is going

through the transition from producing more

first-generation E-Jets to delivering more of the

E2 family. That switchover period will continue

for some time as the E175 is still picking up or-

ders from North America, where it has taken a

stranglehold in the 70- to 76-seat segment over

the past few years. The model still holds the

largest backlog among all E1/E2 variants.

This was extended at the Paris air show in

June, when United Airlines signed a firm order

for 20 E175s, with 19 options, to be delivered in

a 70-seat configuration. Deliveries are due to

begin in the second quarter of 2020. Also at

Paris, Fuji Dream Airlines ordered two more

E175s for its all E-Jet fleet.

The largest Embraer airliner launched to

date, the E195-E2, achieved triple certification

from Brazil’s ANAC, the US Federal Aviation

Administration and the European Union

Aviation Safety Agency on 15 April. Delivery of

the first E195-E2 came in September, when

lessor AerCap received the first of the 45

examples it has on order and handed it over to

its customer and the type’s launch operator,

Azul. The airline itself has firm orders for 51

E195-E2s.

Among E-Jet E2 sales, the largest deal this

year so far was KLM Cityhopper’s intention to

purchase 15 E195-E2s plus purchase rights for

20 more.

Spain’s Binter firmed up two E195-E2

purchase rights from its original 2018 deal.

Meanwhile, the E2 family also broke ground in

Nigeria with a firm order for 10 E195-E2s from

Air Peace. This deal also includes 20 purchase

rights.

Embraer confirmed that the E175-E2 will

have its first flight by the end of 2019 and that

service entry is still planned for 2021, although

there are currently no orders for the variant. ■

Embraer E-Jet family orders and deliveries

E170 E175 E190 E195 E175-E2 E190-E2 E195-E2

First flight 19/02/2002 14/06/2003 12/03/2004 07/12/2004 24/05/2016 29/03/2017

Net orders (all-time/2019) 191/0 793/22 566/0 172/0 0/0 46/0 125/12

Deliveries (total/2019) 191/0 612/45 562/3 171/2 7/3 1/1

Backlog 0 181 4 1 0 39 124

Embraer E-Jet family specifications

E170 E175 E190 E195 E175-E2 E190-E2 E195-E2

MTOW (t) 38.6 40.4 51.8 52.3 44.8 56.4 61.5

Seats (three-class/max) 66/78 76/88 96/114 100/124 80/90 97/114 120/146

Range (nm) 2,150 2,200 2,450 2,300 2,060 2,850 2,600

the Il-114-300’s parts. UAC will be using the

RAC MiG factory at Lukhovitsy, near Moscow,

for final assembly of the aircraft. The updated

Il-114-300 will be powered by Klimov TV7-

117ST-01 engines. The flightdeck will feature a

digital navigation suite, ensuring take-off and

landing under ICAO Cat II weather condi tions,

and will feature five large LCD displays.

At the MAKS Moscow air show in August,

Polar Airlines provisionally signed up for three

Il-114-300s, with first delivery scheduled for

2023, the same year as the type’s certification.

Rather than the 64-seat model given in the

specifications on the UAC website, Polar has

proposed a 52-seat version with greater bag-

gage space.

Meanwhile, in early September,

Krasnoyarsk-based KrasAvia stated that it is

also looking to purchase three Il-114-300s and

has signed an “agreement of intent” to that

end. The carrier was one of those which sat on

the airline advisory “design roundtables” for

the aircraft. The operator plans for its Il-114-

300s to be delivered in 2024. ■

Ilyushin Il-114-300 specifications

Il-114-300

MTOW (t) 23.5

Seats (single-class) 64

Range (nm) 1,030

Proportion of Il-114-300 parts manufactured by VASO

40%

Kazakh carrier Air Astana took first

E190-E2 in December 2018

Em

bra

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Mitsubishi SpaceJetFarewell MRJ, hello SpaceJet. That was the ma-

jor change announced by Mitsubishi Aircraft on

13 June. It meant that MRJ90 became the

SpaceJet M90, that the MRJ70 disappeared and

that a somewhat different 70-seater, the

SpaceJet M100, was introduced as a new mem-

ber of the family. The SpaceJet M100 will be

scope clause-compliant in the USA, while offer-

ing a 65- to 76-seat, three-class configuration,

which its predecessor could not. It can also be

configured with up to 88 seats in a single class.

The M100 will be 34.5m (113ft) long, which

is 1.1m longer than the MRJ70, and have a

range of 1,910nm (3,530km). Its Pratt &

Whitney PW1200G engines will be rated at

17,600lb-thrust (78kN), the same as the M90’s.

In the cabin, there will now be enough

overhead bin space for one roller bag per

passenger.

Next year should see the delivery of the first

SpaceJet M90 to launch customer All Nippon

Airways. Flight testing has been proceeding in

Japan and at the company’s test centre in

Moses Lake, Washington.

Less than two weeks after the new brand

was unveiled, parent company Mitsubishi

Heavy Industries (MHI) and Bombardier an-

nounced the agreement for MHI to acquire the

CRJ programme. The value of the acquisition

to MHI arguably comes from the global sup-

port network built by Bombardier over many

years – including two wholly owned service

centres in the USA.

While no new firm orders have been placed

this year, a memorandum of understanding

(MoU) for 15 SpaceJet M100s was announced

at the Paris air show, with deliveries beginning

in 2024. This was followed at the Regional

Airline Association convention by Mesa Airlines

signing an MoU for 50 more. Its first delivery is

also planned for 2024. ■

Mitsubishi SpaceJet orders and deliveries

M90 M100


Net orders (all-time/2019) 213/0 0/0

Deliveries (total/2019) 0 0

Backlog 213 0

Mitsubishi SpaceJet specifications

M90 M100

MTOW (t) 39.6

Seats (single-class) 92 88

Range (nm) 1,150 1,910

RUAG Dornier 228NGThe unpressurised 19-seater was certificated in

2010, but has yet to garner double-figure sales to

the airline market. Its most notable success in

recent years has been the order from Channel

Islands airline Aurigny Air Services for two exam-

ples to replace its Britten-Norman Trislanders.

In April, RUAG delivered a Dornier 228NG to

New Central Airservice (NCA), based at Chofu

airport in Japan, taking the airline’s fleet to four.

NCA was the 228NG’s launch customer in 2010

and flies commuter and cargo services to four

destinations in the Izu islands.

This aircraft features two new Dornier 228

solutions. The first is automatic dependent sur-

veillance – broadcast out-compliant avionics

incorporated into the glass cockpit. The second

is an enhanced cabin seating system.

RUAG updated the 228 to the NG with the

aforementioned glass cockpit plus upgraded

Honeywell TPE-331 turboprop engines. ■

RUAG Dornier 228NG orders/deliveries

228/NG




Backlog 2

RUAG Dornier 228NG specifications

228/NG

MTOW (t) 6.4


Range (nm) 1,000

Maximum number of seats in a single class

88

Number of aircraft ordered by Guernsey carrier Aurigny

2

New aircraft features

upgraded TPE-331 engines

Bill

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Rebrand was revealed

at Paris air show



Viking Air Twin OtterWhile many airlines around the world are upsiz-

ing their fleets, Viking Air’s solid Twin Otter

Series 400 business since it reintroduced the

type almost 10 years ago underlines the fact

that there are plenty of routes around the world

for small, rugged, versatile aircraft. From sched-

uled services that land on a beach in Scotland,

to a large island-hopping network in the

Maldives, Viking’s revamped model has found a

variety of different homes.

While sales have been quiet this year, the

one order announced so far exemplifies the

points made above, coming as it did from Air

Antilles of Guadeloupe, French West Indies.

The Paris air show was the venue for signing an

agreement for the carrier to buy two Twin Otter

Series 400s, making it the first commercial

operator of the model in the Caribbean.

Moreover, Air Antilles will become the first

operator of the Viking aircraft to receive

European certification for steep-approach op-

erations. Deliveries of the two aircraft in land-

plane configuration are expected before the

end of 2019. ■

Twin Otter orders and deliveries

Series 400




Backlog 18

Viking Air Twin Otter specifications

Series 400

MTOW (t) 5.6


Range (nm) (zero payload) 775

Sukhoi Superjet 100It has not been the happiest of years for the

Superjet team. The worst moment came in

May, with the crash of an Aeroflot SSJ100 at

Moscow Sheremetyevo airport, leading to 41

fatalities.

This year also saw the only Western

European operator of the SSJ100, Ireland’s

CityJet, withdraw all its SSJ100s from its fleet.

In addition, Mexico’s Interjet, which has been

the type’s flagship operator in the Americas,

has been reviewing its fleet plans and looks set

to exit SSJ100 operations.

The only firm order so far this year came at

the end of February, when Thai start-up carrier

Kom Airlines signed up for six SSJ100s, config-

ured with 100 seats. The first example is sched-

uled to be delivered by the end of 2019.

In October, however, a potential boost to

the programme arose when speculation grew

that Norwegian was considering a sizeable

SSJ100 order. The airline did confirm that dis-

cussions had taken place but stressed that

the two parties had not come to any firm

agreement.

Meanwhile, further development of the air-

craft continues. Recently Sukhoi’s civil aircraft

division completed the flight-test programme

on its “sabrelet”winglets.

More than 140 flights were carried out dur-

ing this campaign, including stability checks,

controllability tests at a range of airspeeds and

angles of attack, plus verification of Cat IIIa

landing capability.

Sukhoi reported that the testing focused on

fuel-burn calculations and the savings achiev-

able using the composite sabrelets, which will

soon be available as an option. The company

claims the devices will save up to $156,000 a

year annually per equipped aircraft. ■

Sukhoi Superjet 100 orders and deliveries

SSJ100-95 SSJ100-95LR

First flight 19/05/2008 12/02/2013

Net orders (all-time/2019) 147/0 48/6


Backlog 43 7

Sukhoi Superjet 100 specifications

SSJ100-95 SSJ100-95LR

MTOW (t) 45.9 49.4

Seats (single-class) 98 98

Range (nm) 1,590 2,390

Wing-tip modification is

designed to cut fuel burn

Series 400 turboprops delivered to date

82

Latest orders take total

sales for the type to 100

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flightglobal.com

FLIGHT AT 110

42 | Flight International | 26 November-2 December 2019

2000 2001 2002 2003 2004

MURDO MORRISON LONDON

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009

Ten years of big changes for aviation and publishing – with events that changed the world

Momentous times

The first decade of the 21st century witnessed the arrival of a flurry of “disruptive” aircraft types, from the Airbus A380 and A350 XWB to the

Bombardier CSeries and Boeing 787. It also saw the end of supersonic commercial flight, with Concorde’s retirement in 2003.

On the military front, after a decade of rela-tive optimism and realignment following the end of the Cold War, the 9/11 attacks on New York and Washington DC ignited a “war on terror” that continues today and reshaped Western military procurement.

For the rebranded FlightGlobal it was an era of coming to terms with a new publishing environment, as advertising and reading hab-its switched from print to online platforms. Social media – in the form of blogs and chatrooms and, later, Facebook and Twitter – became the planet’s favoured medium.

In 2001, Murdo Morrison took over as Flight International editor from the first woman to hold the post, Carol Reed, with

Kieran Daly as group editor of a FlightGlobal portfolio that included Airline Business, Air Transport Intelligence, and Flight Daily News. The embryonic flightinternational.co.uk re-launched as flightglobal.com, and rapidly be-came the biggest aviation news site, with more than 1 million unique users per month.

Flight International covers reflected the momentous events of the decade – the image that captured that awful moment before the second hijacked airliner slammed into the World Trade Center and changed aviation forever; the last flight of Concorde; and the maiden sortie of the largest-ever commercial transport: “A380 aloft”.

With more people turning to the internet for breaking news, rather than waiting for their weekly fix in print, Flight International

had to reinvent itself, becoming a magazine indispensable for those who needed to know not just what the stories were, but why they mattered – complementing the free offering on flight global.com.

In 2009, Flight International celebrated its centenary with a special issue in which former editors and staffers recalled their time on the weekly, and current writers speculated about what the next 100 years would bring. Already, there was talk of next-generation narrowbodies, electric aircraft, a new super-sonic era, and space tourism on the near hori-zon. The second century of Flight promises to be just as exciting a journey as the first. ■

Read more about Flight’s history and our celebration of 110 years in print at flightglobal.com/Flight110

STRAIGHT&LEVEL


Look to the future “To ensure speed and

safety, air liners of the future

will be capable

of travelling at

between 200

and 250 miles an

hour at an altitude of 35,000

ft,” M. Gamblanc says. “The

problem is to obtain an

aeroplane capable of

travelling at speed and yet

able to land with safety.”

The palace of ZogThe Balkan Air Force has

been busy in Albania, and

its Beaufighters

have attacked

the palace near

Tirana of the ex-

King Zog. It would naturally

have been confiscated by

the Germans, and it is to be

hoped that some of their

important officers were in it.

Hopes for HarrierNineteen hundred and sixty-

nine may very well go down

as the turning-

point in V/STOL.

Finally the

world’s first non-

rotating-wing V/STOL

aeroplane, the Harrier, came

into full service. There is no

doubt that a spin-off will be

put to commercial use.

Kangaroo courtAustralia’s Trade Practices

Commission has rejected

British Airways’

and Qantas’ bid

to pool resources

on the Australia-

UK “Kangaroo Route”. The

TPC says it is “not satisfied

the public benefits would

exceed the public detriment

to competition”, and the

move could potentially lead

to price fixing.

Is it a bird, is it a plane? No – it’s a floater

From yuckspeak to tales of yore, send your offcuts to [email protected]

Airb

us

Defe

nce

& S

pace

Bill

yPix

100-YEAR ARCHIVEEvery issue of Flight from 1909 onwards

can be viewed online at

flightglobal.com/archive

From the “You had one job” department: confusion at a joint Airbus Emirates press conference at Dubai to

announce the airline’s order for 50 A350s. What was the model sitting proudly on the table in front of the

airframer’s chief executive, Guillaume Faury, and Emirates chairman Sheikh Ahmed Al Maktoum? Not an XWB, but

an A330neo. The deal for the A350s superceded a tentative agreement earlier this year for 40 A330-900s,

and Sheikh Ahmed confirmed at the event that “the A330neo is not part of the discussions”. In an attempt to reinsert genies into bottles, in that the offending image was by this time all over social media, anxious PR flaks

from Airbus were dispatched after the event to ask show dailies not to use the “wrong” photograph

Mog-staken identity

Feline skullduggery afoot in Moscow, where a cat owner has pulled off a deception worthy of Mission: Impossible in order to avoid being separated from his outsize moggy.

Mikhail Galin had been travelling with his somewhat tubby tabby, Viktor, between Riga and Vladivostok, a journey that required a connection at Moscow Sheremetyevo.

While the inbound sector had been smooth, Galin describes being checked in for the Vladivostok flight by an airport jobsworth who insisted on measuring his baggage with a tape – for the first time in over 300 trips – and weighing the cat, who turned out to be 2kg (4lb)above the 10kg limit.

The check-in agent insisted the cat would have to travel in the hold, ignoring its owner’s protestations and concerns for the animal’s sanity.

Galin eventually retreated but only to start concocting a duplicitous scheme. “A strategic decision was made to find a similar cat of less physical mass,” he claims in a Facebook post.

He booked an alternative flight the next day, using loyalty points to avoid the €1,500 ($1,660) fare, and enlisted friends to find and recruit a “mini-Viktor” to serve as an understudy.

Galin says he turned up at Sheremetyevo the following day

with some acquaintances and a cat called Phoebe, who duly passed the weight test, and who was quietly exchanged for Viktor before boarding commenced.

What’s the moral of the story? Well, obviously, if you can’t make the minima for a Cat I approach, go around and try Cat II.

UnsinkableWhile taking part in a recent Airbus Defence & Space press tour, our correspondent’s keen

eye was attracted by a presentation slide that depicted the basing plan for the Royal Canadian Air Force’s future 16-strong C295 fleet.

Immediately following a striking rendering of the yellow-liveried fixed-wing search and rescue aircraft skimming low over a stormy sea, a map detailing aircraft numbers at four sites referred to two unassigned examples as “Floaters”.

Twisting wordsTortured acronym alert: you know when the marketing team come up with a snappy all-upper-case monicker for a project or programme and then work out afterwards what it stands for?

The latest example is the new European effort to develop a multirole missile, which is memorably named TWISTER, or, less succinctly, the Timely Warning and Interception with Space-based TheatER surveillance.

LETTERS


[email protected]

SAFETY

Plenty in the wingsIt is as well that the writer of

the letter “Wing and a

prayer?” (Flight

International, 29 October-4

November) remained anon-

ymous, due to the errone-

ous assertions it contains.

Any “stretched” develop-

ment of an original model,

such as the Airbus A320, has to comply with exactly the same

set of mandatory design criteria for its certification as the original

airframe, no matter what direction the development takes.

Thus, an increase of wing loading per se will never be

allowed to “lower safety margin at altitude”, yield a “tighter

coffin corner” or “lower stability protection”.

The writer’s one true statement is that increased wing

loading “will mean higher take-off speeds” – and longer field

length requirements – but even that may be amenable to some

high-lift system development.

The dominant factors that generally dictate wing structure

design loads are the maximum zero fuel weight of the aircraft

(rather than the maximum gross weight), and its maximum land-

ing weight, because wing fuel loads relieve the wing air loads.

Hence it is very common practice to develop a successful

short-range transport such as the A320 for longer routes by

increasing the gross weight to carry more fuel, but retaining

the original maximum zero fuel and maximum landing weight

and maximum payload without incurring any major rework of

the basic structure.

The notion that we are so irresponsible as to keep “creeping

ever closer to the performance limits of the product” is

insulting to the highly professional engineers who work for the

world’s leading airplane manufacturers.

Malcolm Bowden McDonald, Tennessee, USA

Calling Northolt to accountYour article about the re-opening of RAF Northolt for civil traffic (Flight International, 12-18 November) mentions it is an airport in London popular for business aircraft operators.

What was not said is that it does not have a CAA/EASA [UK Civil Aviation Authority/ European Union Aviation Safety Agency] aerodrome licence, does not have planning consent to be a civil airport (there were 9,000 civil flights and fewer than 2,000 military ones in 2018), and has hundreds of obstacles on and around the airfield that would prevent it qualifying for a civil licence. Ernst & Young told RAF Northolt so in two reports in 2011 and 2012, when it was under the threat of closure.

When RAF Farnborough was changed from a military airfield to a civil one, millions of pounds were required to be spent to remove hills, move roads and more, to make it CAA/EASA-compliant.

At Biggin Hill it was much the same, when we changed this former RAF station.

It is extremely frustrating and disappointing that the govern-ment in its many functions – MoD [Ministry of Defence], CAA, DfT [Department for Transport] and Hillingdon Council – can simply waive the same regulations that all civil airports must follow, and use state assets and uniformed blue suit employees to avoid these costs in order to compete with the private sector, and save closure of their RAF station.

The slightly inflated landing fees do not even begin to create a level playing field, or repair the disruptive influence it has on the investment plans of the many private companies, FBOs, MROs, airports and others in the general aviation sector.

To attract private financing for infrastructure, a sector or project must have a reliable source of revenue, and if investors see that RAF stations can easily set up to compete for private sector busi-ness, as Northolt has done, then investment in private sector en-terprises will soon suffer.

The private sector is always prepared for competition and we are not seeking to stop RAF sta-tions from accepting civil air-craft, but it must be reasonable to expect a level playing field, as enshrined in our monopolies and competition legislation – and for government to comply with its own regulations.

We maintain that if civil flights are to be developed at an RAF sta-tion, then the airfield should have to apply for planning consent in accordance with national plan-ning policy so that the communi-ty and others can participate. And it must surely be required to have a CAA/EASA licence where the majority of their flights are civilian, as at RAF Northolt.Andrew WaltersChairman,

London Biggin Hill airport

A321XLR design cuts no corners

Airb

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Slow SunriseNews that cheering crowds greet-ed the first nonstop Qantas com-mercial flight from London to Sydney in 19h 19m in a new Boeing 787-9 brings back some of the lustre to aviation (and Boe-ing) that readers of Flight Inter-national will enjoy.

However, it did raise in my mind the idea that Boeing might have been faint-hearted in not

pursuing the more radical Sonic Cruiser design in favour of the generally conventional and much slower 787.

Instead of taking more than 19h to complete such a flight, the Sonic Cruiser would have cov-ered such a distance with ease at considerably greater speed, mak-ing such flights more normal and pleasant for passengers and crew.David D Hebbvia email

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WORKING WEEK


Launching in tough times made the firm lean and efficient, says Offer

How to excel by simplifying flying Andy Offer is co-founder and executive director of UK firm 2Excel Aviation, which provides services for industries including defence, engineering, training, events, aircraft charter and disaster response

WORK EXPERIENCE ANDY OFFER

medium-sized business able to deliver capabilities akin to the primes (BAE Systems, Cobham and so on). The company has diversified over the years to deliver solutions to our custom-ers, while buying in its third- party risks. We are now not only an aircraft operator but also own all the support companies to de-liver the required services such as engineering, training, design and delivery. We own 30 aircraft, performing many roles for the UK government, the oil and gas industry and the civil sector. With about 400 employees, we are based at four prime locations: Sywell (Northamptonshire), Doncaster (Yorkshire), Lasham (Hampshire) and Stansted (Essex). There is significant potential for further growth in the sector, both at home and overseas.What are the challenges?The challenge in our business is the management of growth. Resource gets stretched, which means it is easy to exhaust time, people and money. It is therefore a constant challenge balancing resource, prioritising and ensur-ing we retain, incentivise and reward the staff.

How did you get into aviation?I joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) at 18 as a wannabe pilot, having left school immediately following my A levels. I was fascinated by flight. I had been fortunate to be awarded a sixth-form flying scholarship after attending the officers and aircrew selection centre at Biggin Hill, where I was offered the opportunity to join as a direct-entry pilot. As a child I built Airfix models and later radio-controlled aircraft. My parents had no association with aircraft or the military, but I was at a public school that had a Com-bined Cadet Force where I could learn about military aviation. In my teens, my parents took me to the RAF careers office in Cambridge, where I met a corporal who quizzed me on the air force and its aircraft. I did par-ticularly badly with regards to the military lifestyle, but I did well in understanding aircraft.How has your career progressed?My career in aviation has been amazing. Following flying train-ing at RAF Linton-on-Ouse and fast jet training at RAF Valley in Wales, I was awarded my wings and sent back as a first-tourist flying instructor at Linton. It was here I got my first taste of display flying. After winning the Wright Jubilee Trophy, I was selected to represent the RAF as the Jet Prov-ost display pilot in 1989. Follow-ing my instructor’s tour, I fin-ished my tactical flying training and was selected to fly the Harri-er. I became a qualified flying

instructor and weapons instruc-tor on the aircraft and was select-ed as the RAF Harrier display pilot in 1995. During that season I was chosen to join the Red Arrows, where I served for three years as a wing man. Having left the Red Arrows, and following a short ground tour, I was selected as officer commanding and lead-er of the Red Arrows for a second tour. During my leader’s tour I was promoted to Wing Com-mander, and then subsequently posted to staff college and the requisite staff tour. During this tour I became officer command-ing IV(AC) Squadron, an opera-tional frontline Harrier squadron, which I commanded on four tours in Afghanistan. Having flown the best aircraft in the best times, commanded two squad-rons and spent a long time away from home, I felt it was time for a career change. So, having com-pleted 22 years in the RAF, I left and co-founded 2Excel Aviation.

Can you describe 2Excel?We are an innovative aviation services company owned by our employees. What makes us different is that we specialise in doing difficult things well, and can quickly turn complex con-cepts into capabilities. We work across a range of industries, from defence and security to engineer-ing, training, events, aircraft charter and disaster response. We are also home to the Blades aerobatic display team, which is where the company originated.What are your responsibilities?As a co-founder, my responsibili-ties are to support in the running of the business, perform business development and grow 2Excel into a larger, world-beating organisation.How is the company evolving?2Excel evolved during a period of austerity, which made us lean and efficient. We have gone from a specialist small- to medium-sized enterprise, to a

2Exc

el A

viat

ion

If you would like to feature in Working Week, or you know someone who would, email your pitch to kate.sarsfield@ flightglobal.com

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