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SHAHEEN AIR INTERNATIONAL

CAN-DO-SPIRIT

With its continuous

expansion plans and

excellent onboard

services, Shaheen Air is

striving to be the

largest airline in

Pakistan and one of the

most renowned airline

in the region.

Shaheen Air International one of the A330-300 taking off.

By Farrukh Majeed

challenges, but we never quit

doing our best, and or

attempting to work with

perfection and top of that,

-do-

Tariq Amin,

Deputy Managing Director

(Airline Operations &

Marketing), Shaheen Air

International.

statistics/ facts where we tried

to find out what are the

So here we go!

Managing Director. All in all,

the Management of Shaheen

Air International is taking a

bold approach at SAI and after

this thought provoking session

with this Editor, it seems to me

that they are doing a great job

as a team.

EMERGING AIRLINES For our valued readers,

emerging market airlines like

Shaheen Air International (SAI)

have proven that it is indeed

possible to be more

competitive in this difficult

industry by offering best

product and services.

Compared to their developed

market counterparts, many

emerging market airlines offer

a far more exciting investment

thesis. If we search around

globally, regional/ private

airlines from Australia, the

U.S., Europe, and Asia even

sub-continent suffer from

bloated cost structures,

aggravating labor disputes,

massive debt, thin profit

margins, and cutthroat

competition. Profitability is

difficult to attain, and is often

the product of the vagaries of

global energy markets.

This flexibility has allowed

emerging market airlines to

become more dynamic. With

their lower cost structures and

superior service, Middle

Eastern carriers like Emirates

and Qatar Airways have all but

put some entrenched

developed-market airlines like

Qantas out of business.

As a result, a number of

emerging market carriers are

able to operate in profits, even

if the industry is widely

denigrated in investment

circles while most carriers

were hurt by sustained high oil

prices.

VISION Shaheen Air International

Limited (SAI) commenced its

operations in December, 1993

with a mission is to provide

reliable, efficient and

courteous service to its

passengers. Shaheen Air

International (SAI) offers an

opportunity to capitalize on

class and trade markets

respectively.

Mr. Tariq Amin during the interview with Airworld International

Recently this Editor got an

opportunity to interview

airline Shaheen Air

Managing Director, Airline

Operations & Marketing, Mr.

Tariq Amin who shared his

achievements and plans

ahead. Our discussions with

Mr. Tariq were based on the

Difficult times on the aviation

industry and economic

uncertainty have not

prevented the entire team of

Shaheen Air International in

laying out ambitious growth

plans for the airline. The entire

team is striving the airline

through it in a fashion that the

trend-bucking patterns of

seemingly his mentor Mr.

Khalid M. Sehbai, CEO &

robust and consistent

growth; expand our wings

farther through sustained

efficient service and to be a

paradigm for other airlines.

We aim to be the largest

airline of Pakistan. As far as

our mission is concerned, we

intend to operate

says

Tariq Amin.

As a start up airline, SAI

commenced its business

modestly in December, 1993

with a single domestic sector

between Karachi and

Islamabad with two wet

leased Boeing 737 aircraft.

However before long, it

caught the eye of the

government which accorded it

First of the 07 A320-200 Shaheen Air International plans to induct in next 03 months.

Shaheen Air International

started Hajj Operations in

2011 and after that Umrah

operation was started in

February-2012. Expansion of

Domestic operations continues

Bahrain. As of today we have

signed Inter-line agreements

with 25 leading foreign

Tariq Amin.

its fleet by acquiring another

nine (09) B737-200 aircraft.

With these inductions, in 2008,

Shaheen Air International had

a total of twelve (12) B737-

200s.

In 2010, an agreement was

concluded by SAI whereby

ten (10) B737-400s were

purchased. Eight of these 737-

400s have already joined the

fleet and the remaining 02

aircraft shall soon be joining

the fleet. All B737-400s have

configuration of 164 seats and

he added

For our valued reader, in 2012

airline concluded an

agreement for induction of

three (03) A330-300 aircraft

and thus became the only

carrier in Pakistan with this

state of the art jetliner. The

aircraft has a very comfortable

layout with a seating capacity

of 370 seats. With the

induction of A330-300 aircraft,

Shaheen Air International has

the honor to be the first

private sector airline in

Pakistan to operate a wide-

body aircraft. These aircraft

are been utilized on long haul

flights.

Moreover, apart from these

deals, recently Shaheen Air has

also finalized an agreement for

induction of (07) A320-200s.

B737-400 taking off.

the status of the Second

National Carrier of Pakistan

on 23rd October, 1994. Since

then it has not looked back

and has growing steadily,

while bravely facing the

vicissitudes of volatile fuel

market with untold resilience.

ROUTE EXPANSION

airline in Pakistan to start Hajj

and Umrah operations.

to Karachi, Lahore, Islamabad,

Peshawar, Sialkot, Multan,

Quetta, Sukkar and

International Operations to

Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Al Ain,

Sharjah, Muscat, Kuwait,

Doha, Mashhad, Dammam,

Riyadh and Jeddah. Moreover,

we shall be starting schedule

operations to Madina in

March-2013. We are presently

flying to almost the entire

Middle Eastern market except

FLEET

over by TAWA Group. At that

time Russian aircraft (YAK42D

and TU154) were in operation.

Immediately after acquisition

of the airline the new

Management tookout the

Russian fleet from operation

and immediately switched to

B737-200. Initially, three (03)

B737-200s were inducted. In

2006, Shaheen Air expanded

First of these aircraft has

already joined

fleet. Each of these A320-200

aircraft has a capacity of 170

passengers.

reviewed its strategic plans

and is continuously focusing

on improving its service,

capacity and creating

attractive and advanced

business environment for

said Tariq

Amin.

SEAT FACTOR In reply to our question in

respect s and

RPKs during the year 2012,

Tariq Amin told

international front our seat

factor is almost 80% and on

domestic operations we

achieved almost 82% seat

factor. We have successfully

established our own booking

engine which is web based

portal to serve better for our

customer needs. This booking

engine is in use of the airline

for last 07 years. In near

future, negotiations are

underway to opt for a more

modern technology in the

reservations to enable our

valued customers to easily

have their bookings without

any hassle. We are the leading

airline in Pakistan which

switched over to Revenue

Management System (RMS)

i.e. electronic reservation and

departure system providing

SEAMS

question regarding the

maintenance of the aircraft,

ensure high quality of

maintenance service through

a sister company, Shaheen

Engineering & Aircraft

Maintenance Service (SEAMS),

we make sure that everything

be done on as per the

international standards of

maintenance. SEAMS is

operating is own maintenance

hangar situated at Jinnah

International Airport (Karachi).

This hangar facility can

accommodate up to 03

narrow-body aircraft and is

approved by Civil Aviation

Authority of Pakistan. This

facility is equipped to perform

Line Maintenance through our

own 300 plus trained

engineering staff.

services to our passengers. Having said that,

high quality flight kitchen operating as per international

He also added that Shaheen Air International is

the only airline in Pakistan offering full service (hot meal

service) on all Shaheen Air International flights (i.e. both

domestic and international flights).

SHAHEEN AIR INTERNATIONAL CONTACT

0092 (21) 111 80 80 80

www.shaheenair.com

[email protected]

Interior of the A330-300 aircraft. This aircraft has a capacity of 370 passengers.

FLIGHT SIMULATOR

recently acquired a flight

simulator for B737-400. This

flight simulator will be

operational by the first quarter

of 2013. Through this

simulator, Shaheen Air

International not only plans to

train its cockpit crew but will

render the services of its

simulator to the crew from

other airlines as well. For the

same reason, Shaheen Air

Training Centre is also

Amin

CATERING Talking about the in-flight

strive hard to provide the best

n the days to come, Shaheen Air plans to

spread its wings to destinations in United

Kingdom, Thailand, Malaysia, Bangladesh

and Iraq Internationally and Faisalabad,

Rahim Yar Khan, Skardu, Gilgit and Turbat on

domestic routes

FUTURE PLANS Moreover, while outlining the future plans of the airline Mr.

n the days to come, Shaheen Air plans to

spread its wings to new destinations. These include destinations

in United Kingdom, Thailand, Malaysia, Bangladesh and Iraq.

Moreover, Shaheen Air International also plans to start its

flights from Faisalabad, Rahim Yar Khan, Skardu, Gilgit and

Turbat within Pakistan.

With its continuous expansion plans and excellent flight

services, Shaheen Air is striving to be the largest airline in

he concluded

Air World March 2013-6

According to recent news release,Malaysia Airlines became part ofoneworld® at midnight KualaLumpur time on 31st January2013, adding one of Asia’sleading airlines to the globalairline alliance that aims to be thefirst choice for frequentinternational travellers the worldover.

From its first flight 1st February2013 morning – MH386 whichleaves Kuala Lumpur at 1.40 amfor Shanghai Pudong – thenational airline of Malaysiaoffered oneworld’s full range ofservices and benefits. Anotherkey focus flight for the airlinewas the first departure by the firstof its aircraft featuring the fulloneworld livery – an AirbusA330-300 operated flight MH129 to Melbourne from KualaLumpur at 10.15 am.For Malaysia Airlines, joiningoneworld completes the latestphase of its repositioning plan.Becoming part of the world’spremier global airline alliancewill strengthen itscompetitiveness, enabling it tooffer customers an unrivalledalliance global network served bypartners including some of thebest and biggest airlines in theworld.

Customers benefit fromexpanded global network andincreased competition

Malaysia Airlines, which servesmore than 60 destinations inalmost 30 countries, willsubstantially expand thealliance’s network in one of theworld’s fastest growing economicpowerhouses, South East Asia.

Its addition to oneworld makesMalaysia - which has one of theworld’s 30 biggest nationaleconomies and with a population

of almost 30million - ahome marketfor thealliance. Itscapital KualaLumpur, theworld’s 10thmost visitedcity byinternationalv i s i t o r saccording tothe latesta n n u a lM a s t e r c a r dsurvey, is nowa oneworldhub.

Malaysia Airlines connects new16 destinations and one country –Brunei – to the oneworld map.More significantly, it willstrengthen the alliance’sconnectivity between many keybusiness cities in Asia and otherparts of the world.

Its addition expands oneworld’sglobal coverage to 842destinations in 156 countries,served by some 9,000 departuresa day operated by a combinedfleet of some 2,500 aircraft,carrying nearly 340 millionpassengers a year, with annualrevenues of US$ 110 billion.Add oneworld’s other memberselect – Qatar Airways and SriLankan Airlines – and thealliance network will reach 860destinations in 159 countries.

Currently three of oneworld’sactive member airlines servethree points in Malaysia, withCathay Pacific, Japan Airlinesand Royal Jordanian flying toKuala Lumpur, Cathay Pacificoperating to Penang and itsDragonair regional affiliate toKota Kinabalu.

New Visit Malaysia pass to

encourage tourism

throughout the country

Statedly, Malaysia Airlines’addition to oneworld will maketravel to Malaysia from all overthe world much easier, byseamlessly connecting itsnetwork to those of its newoneworld partner airlines.

To encourage travellers toexperience the world renownedMalaysian Hospitalitythroughout the country, theairline and alliance launch theirVisit Malaysia pass, offeringattractive discounts on regularpublished fares for domesticflights bought in conjunctionwith a flight on a oneworldcarrier to the country.

This new fare will be availablefor sale from midnight tonight –when Malaysia Airlines’ globalnetwork will be covered byoneworld’s extensive full rangeof alliance fares and salesproducts.

‘Double miles’ offer to frequent

flyer members to celebrate

Moreover, the 2 million membersof Malaysia Airlines’ Enrichloyalty programme enjoys the

full range of oneworld frequentflyer benefits when travellingwith any oneworld memberairline worldwide – airberlin,American Airlines, BritishAirways, Cathay PacificAirways, Finnair, Iberia, JapanAirlines, LAN Airlines (see notesbelow), Qantas, Royal Jordanian,S7 Airlines and around 30affiliated airlines.

Enrich members will be able toearn and redeem miles on anyoneworld flight. In celebration ofthe airline’s addition to thealliance, they will receive doubleEnrich award miles when flyingon Malaysia Airlines’ oneworldpartners between 15 February2013 and 15 April 2013 on ticketsbought from the launch date to 15April 2013.

Enrich Platinum cardholders willhave Emerald status in theoneworld programme. EnrichGold will be equivalent tooneworld Sapphire and EnrichSilver will be oneworld Ruby.To celebrate the addition of thenew recruit to oneworld,members of established memberairlines’ loyalty programmes willreceive double the normalmileage awards when flying onMalaysia Airlines between 15

From the desk of Editor

Malaysia Airlines joins

Oneworld

AIR WORLD March 2013-7

February 2013 and 15 April 2013on tickets bought from today to15 April 2013`, to mark itsaddition to the alliance.

New benefits for top tier frequentflyers As part of its strategy ofpositioning itself as the first choiceairline alliance for frequentinternational travelers, oneworld ismarking the addition of MalaysiaAirlines by adding two key newbenefits for top tier frequent flyercardholders in any oneworldmember airline frequent flyerprogramme.

Frequent flyer cardholders withoneworld Emerald status will beentitled to:• An extra checked baggageallowance, above the standard limitfor the cabin class in which they aretraveling – either one additionalitem where the piece conceptapplies, or an extra 20 kg (44 lbs)where the weight concept applies –when they fly on any oneworldmember airline.• Use fast track lanes throughsecurity when flying from selectkey airports worldwide on selectoneworld member airlines.

Malaysia Airlines’ addition tooneworld completes what has beenone of the biggest projects in the

airline’s history, with workinggroups covering some 20 streamsof activity, bringing its variousinternal processes and proceduresinto line with the alliance’srequirements, and runningextensive employee training andcommunications programmes.Since accepting its invitation tojoin the alliance in June 2011,Malaysia Airlines has expanded itscode-sharing relationships to fourestablished oneworld partners –Cathay Pacific, Finnair, JapanAirlines and Royal Jordanian.

Qantas has been supportingMalaysia Airlines through its

alliance implementation project, asits oneworld sponsor airline, withbacking from the central oneworldteam.

Behind the scenes, the project hasbeen smoothed by oneworld’s newinformation technology (IT) hub,using latest “cloud” and web-basedtechnology, which makes it easier,more efficient and faster to linknew airlines into the alliance.Malaysia Airlines is the secondalliance recruit to benefit.

CEOs and senior executives fromall oneworld airlines attendedjoining ceremony .

Chief Executives and seniorexecutives from all oneworldmember airlines gathered atMalaysia Airlines’ Kuala Lumpurhome base to welcome on board thealliance’s latest recruit.After hosting a press conference,they joined some 500 other VIPguests from across Malaysia’stravel and tourism sector, and theMalaysia Airlines’ team that hadworked on the oneworld project, ata gala dinner at which the guest ofhonour was Malaysia’s Minister ofTransport Dato' Seri Kong Cho Ha.

Among those joined Group ChiefExecutive Ahmad Jauhari Yahya atceremony were senior executivesfrom all oneworld member airlinesand members elect including:• Qantas Chief ExecutiveOfficer Alan Joyce.• oneworld CEO Bruce Ashby.• Cathay Pacific Airways ChiefExecutive John Slosar• Finnair President and ChiefExecutive Mika Vehvilainen• Japan Airlines ChairmanMasaru Onishi.• Member elect SriLankanAirlines Chairman NishanthaWickramasinghe and ChiefExecutive Kapila Chandrasena.

From the desk of Editor

Chairman, FPCCI Aviation committee, Yahya Polani, presenting

a souvenir to the Head of Marketing Air Indus, Saleem Altaf.

Also seen present on the occasion are Ishtiaq Rauf, Ahmed

Saeed, Kumail Polani and Amin Adhi.

Chairman, FPCCI Aviation committee, Yahya Polani,

presenting a memento to the Country Manager Turkish

Air Huseyin Cepni. Also seen present on the occasion are

Ahmed Saeed, Komail Polani and Nisar Niyani.


Aviation record-holder will

deliver keynote address during

AEA Official Opening,

sponsored by Universal

Avionics Systems Corp.

LEE'S SUMMIT, MO., -- DickRutan, a pilot, entrepreneur andadventurer who made history inDecember 1986, after completinga nine-day, nonstop andnonrefueled flight around theworld that established a flight-endurance record, will be thekeynote speaker during theofficial opening at the 56thannual Aircraft ElectronicsAssociation InternationalConvention & Trade Show.

The official opening is sponsoredby Universal Avionics SystemsCorp. and will take placeTuesday, March 26, at the MGMGrand Hotel & ConventionCenter in Las Vegas, Nev.

In early 1981, Rutan foundedVoyager Aircraft Inc. andprepared to complete the firstaround-the-world, nonstop,nonrefueled flight. On themorning of Dec. 14, 1986, a fuel-laden Voyager, with Rutan andJeana Yeager onboard, took offon the history-making flight.Nine days, three minutes and 44seconds later, Rutan set thestorm-battered Voyager down atEdwards Air Force Base inCalifornia, successfullycompleting the six-year quest.Four days later, President RonaldReagan awarded Rutan thePresidential Citizen's Medal ofHonor at a special ceremony. Tothis day, no aircraft has flownmore air miles than the Voyager's26,358 statute miles.

The Voyager is now suspended inthe Smithsonian Air and SpaceMuseum's Milestones of Flightgallery in Washington, D.C., and

Rutan was inducted into theNational Aviation Hall of Famein Dayton, Ohio, in July 2002.

In December 2005, Rutan setanother world record in the EZ-Rocket for the longest distance ina ground-launched rocket-powered aircraft, flying from theMojave Air and Space Port to theCalifornia City Airport. Touted asthe "shortest long-distanceflight," this record is recognizedby the National AeronauticAssociation. In April 2006, hewas awarded the NAA's MostMemorable Flight of 2005 Awardin Washington, D.C., afterestablishing another worldrecord.

As a Tactical Air Commandfighter pilot during most of histwo decades in the Air Force,Rutan flew 325 combat missionsin Vietnam, 105 of them as amember of a high-risk, classifiedoperation commonly known asthe MISTYs. Before retiringfrom the Air Force in 1978, Lt.Col. Rutan was awarded theSilver Star, five DistinguishedFlying Crosses, 16 Air Medalsand the Purple Heart.

Malaysia

Airlines orders

up to 36 ATR

72-600s The aircraft will be operated bythe regional subsidiaries Fireflyand MASwings

ATR and the flag carrierMalaysia Airlines signed apurchase agreement for 20 firmATR 72-600s, plus options for 16additional aircraft. The deal isvalued at over US$ 840 million,including options. The signatureof this new contract follows aMemorandum of Understandingannounced by the airline inDecember 2012. With recentsignature, Malaysia Airlinesbrings to 42 the total of firm ATR72s purchased since the initialpurchase agreement in 2007.Malaysia Airlines currently has22 ATR 72-500s, operated bybooming business units Firefly(12) and MASwings (10). Theintroduction of these aircraft,which are the first ATR -600s tobe selected for the growingMalaysian and regional market,will reinforce Firefly's andMASwings position oncommunity markets and businessroutes and confirms MalaysiaAirlines as a major operator of

ATRs in Asia. Deliveries willstart by mid 2013.

The arrival of these new ATR72-

600s will enable MalaysiaAirlines to further expand itsregional offer, adding new routesand frequencies to its globalnetwork. The new ATR 72-600delivers the latest innovations interms of passenger comfort, withthe award-winning Armoniacabin designed by Giugiaro andequipped with new slim lineseats, larger overhead bins andappealing LED lighting.

Besides the 22 ATR 72-500soperated by Firefly andMASwings, Malaysia Airlinesalso has a fleet of over 100medium and long-haul A330s,A380s, B737s, B747s and B777s.

Malaysia Airlines has justbecome a member of oneworldalliance, and operates flights toAsia, Australia/New Zealand, theMiddle East, Europe and the USWest coast.

Commenting on the deal, AhmadJauhari, Chief Executive Officerof Malaysia Airlines, declared:“We have been partnering withATR for the last five years, andwe are really satisfied with theoutstanding performance and thecommercial results that our ATR72s provide to our growingcommunity networks. The ATRaircraft are clearly playing animportant role in thedevelopment of Malaysia

Airlines, as they connect regionaldestinations and enable us to feedlarger aircraft at our main hubs.The new aircraft will further

AVIATION NEWS

Dick Rutan to Speak at 56thAnnual AEA International

Convention & Trade Show in LasVegas, Nev.

Dick Rutan(photo by Jeff Berlin of

Berlincreative.com)

AIR WORLD March 2013 -9

improve the guest experience onour community airlines as theyconnect more and more peopleacross Malaysia and thesurrounding regions”.

Ignatius Ong, Chief ExecutiveOfficer of Firefly, declared: “Ourexclusive ATR 72 fleet hasallowed Firefly to develop aunique high frequency networkout of Subang, Penang and JohorBaruh, which greatly benefits ourMalaysian communities, as wellas the rest of the population in theIndonesia-Malaysia-ThailandGrowth Triangle (IMT-GT)”. Captain Dato' Nawawi Awang,Chief Executive Officer ofMASwings, said: “We are gladthat MASwings' fleet of ATR 72scan efficiently serve the Sabahand Sarawak (East Malaysianstates), and the BIMP-EAGA(Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia andPhilippines East ASEAN GrowthArea) communities and help tofurther enhance the tourismindustry and the socio-economicdevelopment of the region”.

Filippo Bagnato, Chief ExecutiveOfficer of ATR, declared:“Malaysia Airlines is a reallyprestigious partner for ATR inAsia. We are honoured with therenewal of their confidence andwe are pleased to further developour relationship with theintroduction of the manyadvantages of the ATR 72-600,our newest product. ATR aircraftare unrivalled in terms passengercomfort and environmentalfriendliness. We are delighted tobe an active part of MalaysiaAirlines' development of the

regional connectivity in Easternand Western Malaysia. We arealso very pleased to welcomeMalaysia Airlines as one of ourfirst operators to use our recentlyopen Training Center for ATR -600 series aircraft in Singapore”.

Cathay Pacific

releases

combined

traffic figures

for January

2013Cathay Pacific Airways releasedcombined Cathay Pacific andDragonair traffic figures forJanuary 2013 that show a drop inthe number of passengers carriedcompared to the same month in2012, alongside a significantyear-on-year increase in cargoand mail tonnage.

Cathay Pacific and Dragonaircarried a total of 2,327,071passengers in January – a drop of7.3% compared to the samemonth last year. The passengerload factor fell by 3.4 percentagepoints to 78.5%, while capacity,measured in available seatkilometres (ASKs), saw a 6.3%decline.

The two airlines carried 132,792tonnes of cargo and mail lastmonth, an increase of 14.2%compared to January 2012. Thecargo and mail load factor roseby 3.1 percentage points to 63%.

Capacity, measured in availablecargo/mail tonne kilometres, roseby 2.4%, while cargo and mailrevenue tonne kilometres were upby 7.7%.

Cathay Pacific General ManagerRevenue Management JamesTong said: “Year-on-yearcomparisons for January’spassenger business are distortedby the holiday effect – last yearthe Chinese New Year peak wasin January while this year theholiday fell in February. The drop

in passenger numbers is partlyattributed to the impact of theholiday and also to the fact thatwe trimmed our capacity.Passenger demand on long-haulroutes remained reasonablystrong though the performance onregional routes was softer thananticipated. There was nosignificant pick-up in demand inthe premium cabins following theChristmas/New Year break.”

Cathay Pacific General ManagerCargo Sales & Marketing James

AVIATION NEWS


Woodrow said: “Demand wasgenerally quite robust out of ourkey Hong Kong and MainlandChina markets in January, thoughwe didn’t see any significant pre-Chinese New Year rush as inprevious years. We have reducedour base freighter schedule toEurope in light of the continuedweakness in demand on the Asiato Europe lanes. We will continueto adjust our capacity in line withdemand and push ahead with themodernisation of our freighterfleet. Another Boeing 747-400converted freighter will be takenout of service in February.”

Comments from Key DefenceCompanies

Dubai, UAE. – The DubaiAirshow takes place 17 to 21November 2013 at its newpurpose built home at DubaiWorld Central (DWC), located inJebel Ali, Dubai. F&E Aerospace organisers of theDubai Airshow are currentlypreparing for what they areforecasting to be the ‘biggestshow in their 26 year history,’with expected crowds of up to60,000 attendees and over 1,000exhibitors - which include 80defence companies signed todate.Returning exhibitor Honeywellshared this positive outlook byincreasing their presence at theshow with an outdoor chalet andindoor stand. Honeywell recently

said: “The Dubai Airshow hasfirmly established itself as a keyevent on the internationalaerospace calendar and therefore,is always an important andexciting event for Honeywell. Weare currently experiencing highlevels of growth in the region,and with our stand in a primelocation and outdoor chalet weanticipate this year’s show to bethe largest yet.” Meanwhile Boeing’s president,Jeffery Johnson also revealed hisoptimistic view for the Novemberevent saying: “Boeing iscommitted to continued

partnership with Arabgovernments, enterprises and

customers in their long-termplans to develop regionalaerospace infrastructure andcapabilities. As a result it is onlynatural that we have a strongpresence at the Dubai Airshow,which has proved over the yearsto be one of the leadinginternational aerospace eventsattracting visitors andparticipants from across theworld." The biennial show prides itself onproviding the ideal platform forthe defence aviation communityto come together; not only byexhibiting but also byparticipating in the delegationsprogramme - 2011 saw 194delegations with 534representatives who were

escorted around the show andattended scheduled meetings over5 days.The Dubai Airshow is organisedunder the patronage of HHSheikh Mohammed bin RashidAl Maktoum, Vice President andPrime Minister of the UAE andRuler of Dubai and Minister ofDefence, also in co-operationwith Dubai Civil AviationAuthority, Dubai Airports and theUAE Armed Forces.

Rockwell Collins

selected by Piaggio

Aero to develop

integrated avionics

system for its

Multirole Patrol

Aircraft (MPA)ABU DHABI, United ArabEmirates – Rockwell Collinsannounced that it has beenselected by Piaggio Aero todevelop an integrated avionicssystem with touch-control flightdisplays for the Piaggio AeroMultirole Patrol Aircraft (MPA).In July 2012, Piaggio Aero wasselected by ADASI (Abu DhabiAutonomous System Investments− a subsidiary of Tawazun) forthe development of the MPA, anew specialmissions/surveillance aircraftdesigned to meet the need for arobust and high-tech solution forland, coastal, maritime andoffshore security. ADASI ismanaging complex programs forthe UAE Armed Forces and

forming joint ventures withinternationally recognizedcompanies to establish a nationalautonomous systems capabilityin the UAE.“Rockwell Collins’ ability tocustomize integrated avionicssystems for any mission profile,while empowering the pilotinterface and bringinginformation to the flight deckfaster and more efficiently weredriving forces behind PiaggioAero’s avionics selection for itsnew MPA,” said Greg Irmen, vicepresident and general manager,Business and Regional Systemsfor Rockwell Collins. “Thisselection marks a continuation ofthe long-standing, successfulrelationship we have withPiaggio Aero.”

Airbus

activates “Plan

B” for the

A350 XWB

batteries Reverts back to nickel cadmiumtechnology

Airbus is confident that thelithium ion (Li-ion) main batteryarchitecture it has beendeveloping with Saft andqualifying for the A350 XWBaircraft is robust and safe. TheA350 XWB flight testprogramme will continue asplanned with the qualified Li-ionmain batteries.

AVIATION NEWS

Defence industry looking ahead

to the Dubai Air Show in

November 2013

AIR WORLD March 2013- 11

However, to date, the root causesof the two recent industry Li-ionmain batteries incidents remainunexplained to the best of ourknowledge. In this context, andwith a view to ensuring thehighest level of programmecertainty, Airbus has decided toactivate its “Plan B” andtherefore to revert back to theproven and mastered nickelcadmium main batteries for itsA350 XWB programme at Entryinto Service (EIS). Airbusconsiders this to be the mostappropriate way forward in theinterest of programme executionand A350 XWB reliability.

In parallel, Airbus has alsolaunched additional maturitystudies on Li-ion main batteriesbehavior in aerospace operationsand will naturally take on boardthe findings of the ongoingofficial investigation.

As a result of making thisdecision now, Airbus does notexpect it to impact the A350XWB Entry Into Serviceschedule.

Airbus supports new noise

standard Industry to further

reduce aircraft noise by seven

decibels

The International Civil AviationOrganization (ICAO) Committeeon Aviation EnvironmentalProtection (CAEP) has adopted anew noise stringency level forcommercial airplanes. Themilestone achieved at the CAEPmeeting last week lowers thecurrent standard by sevendecibels. Having now beenagreed by the ICAO CAEP, thenew stringent noise standard willbe presented for final review andapproval by the ICAO Councillater in 2013. This new standardwill come into force on the 31stDecember 2017.

“Over the past 40 years, Airbushas put a lot of effort intoreducing noise at source and tobringing the quietest aircraft tothe market. This new standard isanother major step in how the

global commercial aviationindustry is pro-activelyaddressing environmentalprotection,” said Fabrice Brégier,Airbus President and CEO.

At Airbus, innovation andtechnology are key to provideaircraft that generate feweremissions and less noise whilecarrying a maximum payloadover the mission range. AllAirbus development aircraft(NEO and A350 XWB) aredesigned to be compliant with thenew noise standard. In addition, Airbus continuesdeveloping new solutions tofurther reduce the operationalnoise. Several functionalities areavailable such as the AutomaticNoise Abatement DepartureProcedure (NADP) that optimisesthe thrust and flight path toreduce noise over populatedareas.

In the UK, which has the strictestnoise regulations in the world,the A380 was given an award forits quiet operations by the UKNoise Abatement Society in2012.

The A380 carries 42 percentmore passengers than its nearestcompetitor but produces half thenoise energy when taking off, andthree to four times less noiseenergy when landing. The A350XWB, the aircraft with theleading environmentalperformance in the long-rangemarket is up to 16 decibels belowthe current standard requirement.

Airbus is a leading aircraftmanufacturer with the mostmodern and comprehensivefamily of airliners on the market,ranging in capacity from 100 tomore than 500 seats. Airbus isknown to offer innovativetechnologies as soon as theybecome available and has soldover 12.400 aircraft to almost350 customers worldwide. Airbushas achieved more than 7,600deliveries since the first Airbusaircraft entered service.Headquartered in Toulouse,

France, Airbus is an EADScompany.

(Montreal) – The InternationalAir Transport Association (IATA)welcomes the agreement on anew noise standard with morestringent requirements for futureaircraft achieved by theInternational Civil AviationOrganization (ICAO).

The ICAO Committee onAviation EnvironmentalProtection (CAEP) comprisingICAO member states, industry,and environmental non-governmental organizations,reviewed technologicalfeasibility, environmentalbenefits and economic factorsand reached a consensus to moveforward on a new standard thatwill result in a reduction of 7Effective Perceived NoiseDecibels (EPNdB) compared tothe current Chapter 4 Standard.

“Air transport is already 75%quieter than it was four decadesago and the industry willcontinuously pursue cost-effective noise managementoptions to reduce the number ofpeople subject to aircraft noise, inline with our broader globalcommitments on sustainabilityand environmental performance,”said Tony Tyler IATA’s DirectorGeneral and CEO.

The new standard will beapplicable to new aircraft typesfor which a request forcertification is submitted after 31December 2017 and for lower-weight new aircraft as of 2020.The current Chapter 4 Standardcame into effect in 2006.

“This is another good example ofICAO successfully tackling adifficult environmental issue.This collaborative work ensures

that the development andimplementation of globalstandards reflect the specific

needs of society at large andcapabilities of states whilebringing certainty to long-termairline fleet investment,” saidTyler.

Another illustration of ICAO’sability to lead global progress onmanaging aviation’senvironmental impact is theagreement for certificationprocedures for the new aircraftCO2 standard. Coupled with thecommon metric system adoptedlast year, this paves the way forCAEP to assess stringency levels,the last component of the futureCO2 standard.

The recommendations agreed toby CAEP will be reported to theICAO Council later in 2013 forfurther actions.

Charge

assumption of

Public

Relations

Manager at

CAA Pakistan

Pakistan CAA in an effort toimprove the Public Relations

AVIATION NEWS

IATA Applauds ICAO-CAEP Agreement

on a More Stringent Noise Standard for

Aircraft and Progress on Aircraft CO2

Standard


AVIATION NEWS

function of the organization hasposted Mr. Abid Kaimkhani asPublic Relations Manager ofCAA in place of Mr. PervezGeorge. The officer has assumedthe charge of the post of PublicRelations Manager, CivilAviation Authority with effectfrom 13th February, 2013. Allthe print and Electronic Mediapersonnel are requested to kindlycoordinate with the officer forofficial version of anyinformation / news concerningCivil Aviation Authority.

NBAA

Announces

Recipients of

2013 Baldwin

Business Aviation

Management

ScholarshipAward Presented DuringLeadership Conference toRecognize Aspiring AviationManagersWashington, DC, - The NationalBusiness Aviation Association(NBAA) announced therecipients of its Donald A.Baldwin Sr. Business AviationManagement Scholarship, whichbenefits individuals seeking tobecome NBAA CertifiedAviation Managers (CAMs). Thescholarship, which is givenannually in coordination with thefamily of Donald A. Baldwin Sr.,promotes professionaldevelopment in business aviationby providing financial support forqualified CAM exam candidates.The recipients are:

• David M. Hines is a flightcaptain with Regions FinancialCorporation in Birmingham, AL.He started his career in theairlines but quickly learned thatbusiness aviation was his truecalling. In his experience, he haslearned that empowering andmotivating employees increasessafety and efficiency. He isworking on the CAM program toacquire the knowledge to become

a successful director of aviation.• Alberto Loza is a contract

pilot, based in San Diego, CAwho flies Gulfstream aircraftinternationally. He is passionateabout a career in businessaviation, and wants to become amanager. Being a CAM, he feels,will help him achieve that goal.The scholarship is named forDonald A. Baldwin Sr., anaccomplished general aviationpilot who served on NBAA'sBoard of Directors from 1968 to1971. In his lifetime, he wasrecognized for his contributionsto business aviation with theNBAA John P. "Jack" DoswellAward and the Flight SafetyFoundation Business AviationMeritorious Service Award.The Baldwin Business AviationManagement Scholarship is oneof several scholarships offered byNBAA to promote professionaldevelopment and businessaviation careers.

Rockwell Collins

expands presence

in the Middle

East and

showcases

battlespace

solutions at

IDEX 2013ABU DHABI, U.A.E. –Rockwell Collins, a worldleading provider of innovativeand trusted solutions for thebattlespace, is expanding itspresence in the Middle East.“We currently employ 300 peoplein the region for programmanagement, systemsengineering, field service supportand business development andwe are forming new strategicpartnerships to further reinforcecustomer support,” said ClaudeAlber, vice president andmanaging director for Europe,the Middle East and Africa forRockwell Collins. “Our goal is toprovide integrated and

customized capabilities withsuperior life cycle servicesolutions that meet the evolvingneeds of our customers in theMiddle East region.”During IDEX 2013, RockwellCollins will showcase a widerange of advanced technologysolutions that give forces the bestadvantage. Journalists areinvited to our exhibit (Stand O2-B06) to find out how we areenhancing interoperability,situational awareness andmission effectiveness. RockwellCollins representatives will alsobe available to discuss ourextensive rotary wing andavionics upgrade offerings.Demonstrations and displays onthe Rockwell Collins exhibitinclude:Networking for joint fires –Rockwell Collins offers anintegrated solution that facilitatesthe decision cycle for joint fireswith a common operating pictureand shared situational awarenessbetween land, sea and airborneforces. As part of this solution,Rockwell Collins will showcase:FireStorm™, a combat provenmodular targeting system with

unrivaled accuracy, interoperablewith virtually all coalitionaircraft, field artillery systemsand command-and-control centerbattle managers.Based on our Rosetta Joint Firesdigital targeting software,FireStorm offers mapping andimagery tools to presentsituational awareness andtargeting data to users, enablingthem to generate target locationsand transmit them to Joint Firesassets.With more than 360 FireStormsystems in operation around theworld and having been selectedby seven nations, FireStormprosecutes targets on first strike,saving weapons, time and cost.Communications and Navigation• TacNetTM TacticalRadio (TTR) – The smallest,lightest, longest range and mostinteroperable, small form factorterminal in the market today toachieve battlefield Link 16connectivity.• Suitcase® CCT90satellite communication system–The Suitcase CCT90 is part of amodular, tri-band (X, Ku, Ka)family of mobile SATCOM

The latest addition to Bombardier’s Montreal Aircraft Training

facility is a Challenger 300 full flight simulator (FSS) for pilot

and maintenance training. The simulator complements another

Challenger 300 aircraft FFS located in Bombardier’s Dallas

Training Centre.

Pictured left to right:

FAA Inspector, Mark Dennys; Bombardier instructor Jim

Anderson; Bombardier Flight Operations team members Jason

Karadimas and BJ Ferro; Bombardier instructors, Daniel

Lavigueur and Claude Robert.


terminals including “Drive-Away,” “Suitcase” and “Fly-Away,” configurations for alloperational needs and datathroughput requirements. Thesesystems are quick to install, easyto use and cost effective withcommon transceivers andnetwork processors and userinterface, and fieldinterchangeable parts such asantennas, transceivers andmodems.• MicroDAGR handheldGPS receiver in Arabic version –The MicroDAGR is the latest-generation GPS receiveravailable, which serves as asupplement to Rockwell Collins’highly successful DefenseAdvanced GPS Receiver(DAGR). It brings together thebest commercial technologieswith the security needed to meetstandards, and the durabilityneeded to survive the mostrugged battlefield conditions.• MicroGRAM GPSreceiver – The smallest, lightestand lowest power GPS receiveravailable today with security(SAASM, L1/L2). This receivercan fit in a variety of lightweightportable electronics, small UAVs,unattended sensors, unmannedground vehicles or be attached toa soldier’s radio, to combinenavigation and communicationscapabilities into one device.Simulation and TrainingSolutions – Customers turn toRockwell Collins for solutions totheir most complex trainingproblems. By leveraging thecompany’s strengths in avionicsand targeting systemsdevelopment and trainingsystems design, Rockwell Collinsdelivers integrated solutions thatspan the entire trainingcontinuum, from instructionalsystems design through fullyintegrated, high-fidelitysimulators to full trainingsolutions. Rockwell Collinsutilizes state-of-the-arttechnologies, including Live,Virtual, Constructive scenariosensuring that our flexiblestrategic approach, coupled withour integration expertise, results

in customer satisfaction.FlexForceTM life cycle servicesolution – Rockwell Collinsrecently launched itsFlexForceTM life cycle servicesolution, a comprehensiveprogram for defense andgovernment agencies worldwidethat brings together multipleservice offerings from thecompany. Rockwell Collinsworks closely with the customerto share risk and providetransparency in repair and supplychain on Performance BasedAgreements. The end result is aservice solution that meets eachcustomer’s unique operationalrequirements, includingenhanced efficiencies and costsavings.

Air Arabia

launches

service from

Sharjah to

Baghdad Air Arabia, the first and largestlow-cost carrier (LCC) in theMiddle East and North Africa,announced the launch of non-stopservices to Baghdad, its fourthdestination in Iraq and 83rdworldwide. The inaugural flightG90361 will take off to theCapital city on March 11, 2013.

The low-cost pioneer will startthree weekly services betweenSharjah and Baghdad to beincreased to five weekly servicesin the coming weeks. Flightsdepart from Sharjah InternationalAirport at 14:30 and arrivesBaghdad International Airport at16:10. Return flights on the samedays will depart Baghdad at16:50 and arrive in Sharjah at20:05 (local time). “Three months since we launchedour last destination in Iraq, we aredelighted to spread our wingsfurther into the country, with thelaunch of services to the Capitalcity, said, Adel Ali, Group ChiefExecutive Officer, Air Arabia.

“Iraq is a market of focus for AirArabia and today’sannouncement further reiteratesthe commitment that we place onserving the Iraqi market.”

With an approximate populationof 7.3 million, Baghdad remainsan important city to connect tofrom Sharjah. With the launch ofthe new service, Air Arabia willnow operate 23 weekly servicesto Iraq, making it one of thegrowing markets for the carrier.In addition to Baghdad, AirArabia currently offers non-stopservices to Basra, Erbil, andNajaf.

Former Chief

of South

African Air

Force joins

Paramount

Group One of the longest serving SouthAfrican Air Force Chiefs hasjoined Paramount Group,Africa’s largest privately owneddefence and aerospace company,in a move that demonstrates itsposition as one of the fastestgrowing defence innovatorsglobally.

Lt Gen Carlo Gagiano wasChief of the South African AirForce from 2005 to 2012 and hasbeen appointed Group Executiveand Special Advisor to theChairman of the Group.

Paramount Group experiencedextremely strong growth last yearand is looking to increase salesacross Africa, the Middle Eastand South America in 2013 –particularly in its aerospacebusiness, which is responsible forcreating AHRLAC, Africa’s firstdomestically built aircraft.

Ivor Ichikowitz, ExecutiveChairman of Paramount Group,said: “General Gagiano’sdecision to join Paramount Groupas part of the senior managementteam complements our growingaviation business and is animportant strategic move.

“General Gagiano has had a longand distinguished career in theleadership of the SAAF, andbrings with him a wealth ofknowledge and experience. Heshares our vision of developingthe defence industry as itbecomes an increasinglyimportant part of our knowledgeeconomy, contributes to thedevelopment of skills andengineering expertise, and helps

AVIATION NEWS

AIR WORLD March 2013- 14

to grow the industrial base of ourcountry.”

General Gagiano said: “This is awonderful opportunity for me tobe part of a rapidly expandingindustrial group that has becomea key player in the South AfricanDefence Industry.

“There are a number of veryexciting projects that arecurrently underway, and more inthe pipeline and I am veryencouraged by the prospectsgoing forward. I look forward toplaying a helpful andconstructive role in contributingto these developments.”

During his 44 year career CarloGagiano has held a number ofsenior SAAF appointments andserved in various operationalcapacities.

From 2002 to 2005 he served inSAAF Headquarters as ChiefDirector of Air Policy where hewas responsible for designingpolicy, implementing strategiesand managing resources.

He also served as Chief Directorof Operations Development at theJoint Operations Division from2000 to 2002 which involvedforming general policies,doctrines and procedures in termsof defence capabilities.

Career highlights - Lt Gen CarloGagiano1968 – Joined SAAF1969 – Received wings1971 – Completed Mirageconversion course. Transferred toAFB Waterkloof1989 – Takes over command of89 Combat Flight School1991 – Appointed MilitaryAttaché to Israel1994 – Completed NationalDefence Force’s Joint StaffCourse and made BaseCommander of AFBLangebaanweg1998 – Promoted to BrigadierGeneral and posted to AFHeadquarters

2000 – Promoted to MajorGeneral sees his appointment asChief Director OperationsDevelopment at the JointOperations Division 2003 – Appointed Chief DirectorAir Policy at the SAAF 2005 – Appointed Chief of theSouth African Air Force2011 – Retired from the SAAF

About Paramount GroupParamount Group is Africa’slargest privately-owned defenceand aerospace business. It is aleader in defence and securityinnovation and is a trustedpartner to sovereign governmentsaround the world, providingground-breaking products,services and consultancy,including support for peace-keeping missions.

Meridian air

charter adds

more wi-fi to

fleet

Teterboro, NJ, – Meridian, thefull-service private aviationcompany headquartered atTeterboro Airport (TEB) in NewJersey, is pleased to announcethat its charter division hasrecently added Wi-Fi to threemore of its fleet aircraft. Theaircraft types include aChallenger 601-3R, a Hawker

800SP, and a Citation XLS. TheChallenger and Hawker are basedat TEB, while the Citation isbased at Hayward ExecutiveAirport (HWD) in Hayward, CA.

Meridian Air Charter operatestwenty-one managed aircraftbased nationally from New Yorkto California. Nineteen of thosebusiness jets are available forcharter, and among those, elevenare currently equipped with Wi-Fi. Eight are heavy jets, suitablefor long range domestic andinternational trips, while theremaining three are mid-size jets,perfect for domestic or regionaldestinations.

Mike Moore, Director of AviationSales, had this to say, “Clientswho fly privately expect a veryhigh level of service from theircharter operators. The recentaddition of Wi-Fi to three more ofour aircraft provides us with theflexibility we need to meet thegrowing demand of onboardservices and amenities. Now wecan say the majority of our fleetis equipped with wireless

capabilities, and the number willcontinue to grow. We are alreadyplanning to add Wi-Fi to moreplanes in the near future.”

About Meridian:Meridian is a full-service, privateaviation company based inTeterboro, NJ, located justminutes from New York City.

The company has earnednumerous industry awards andaccolades for its outstandingservice and state-of-the-artfacility. Meridian owns andoperates businesses that includeAir Charter, AircraftManagement, AircraftMaintenance, and a world-classExecutive Terminal / FBO.

Etihad Airways

offers first look

in Washington

D.CKarachi: – Etihad Airways, thenational airline of the UnitedArab Emirates, opened the doorsto one of its brand new aircraftfor the airline’s first-ever ‘on-board showcase’ in Washington,DC. The new B777 aircraft madeits maiden voyage from theBoeing Everett factory this week,stopping at Dulles InternationalAirport for the one-day-onlyevent.

An exclusive audience fromdiplomatic, business andgovernment circles waswelcomed onboard the aircraftfor a review of Etihad Airways’award-winning guest experience,in advance of the launch of itsdaily flights to Washington, DCfrom March 31.

A team of more than 25 cabincrew were on hand to escortguests around the beautifullydesigned aircraft interior, withseats by Sogerma, BE Aerospaceand Weber, and bespoke featureshighlighting collaborations withPoltrona Frau, Ettore Billotta,and Panasonic.

Daily flights to DullesInternational Airport will providea capital-to-capital link betweenWashington, DC and Abu Dhabi,the federal capital of the UAE,with connections onward toEtihad Airways’ global network.

Daniel Barranger, Etihad

AVIATION NEWS

Challenger 601-3R (N601AD) – Based at Teterboro Airport

(TEB)


Airways Vice President GlobalSales, said: “The Washingtonmetropolitan region represents awide geographical spread andstrong economy. This route isvital to supporting our ongoinggrowth in the US and theincreasing ties between the USand the United Arab Emirates.

“This region is home toAmerica’s second largest marketfor travel to the Middle East, withsignificant demand for premiumservices. I believe our awardwinning services will providegreater choice for both businessand leisure travellers when wearrive in March.”

Madrid, :SriLankan Airlines, thenational carrier of Sri Lanka, and

the Amadeus IT Group, a leadingtechnology partner for the globaltravel industry, today announce alandmark agreement that will seethe airline migrate to Amadeus’full Altéa suite by 2014.

The deal, which is the first of itskind for Amadeus in the Indiansubcontinent, will enable bothSriLankan Airlines and its sisterairline,Mihin Lanka, to adoptAmadeus’ next generation ITsuite in order to manage itsmission-critical reservations,ticketing, inventory anddeparture control processes.

At the same time, the agreement

between SriLankan and Amadeuswill help facilitate the airline’s

entry into the oneworld globalalliance. Currently Amadeus isthe standard IT platform for thealliance with more than half ofthe members of oneworldadopting the Amadeus Altéa suiteto date.

Under the terms of the agreementthe two companies will work inclose co-operation to begin themigration process fromSriLankan’s existing passengerservice system to Altéa, with thefirst phase of the migration,covering the reservations,inventory and ticketing modules,scheduled to be completed thisyear. Migration to the Altéadeparture control system moduleis planned to commence in thefirst half of 2014.

The agreement with SriLankanfollows a period of sustainedsuccess for Amadeus and itsAltéa suite across Asia Pacific inparticular in 2012, whencontracts were agreed withGaruda Indonesia andEVA Air.Most recently Amadeus has alsosuccessfully migrated CathayPacific and Singapore Airlines toAltéa, with Garuda scheduled tomigrate later in 2013.

Nishantha Wickremasinhe,Chairman SriLankan Airlinessaid : “We consider this asignificant move in our futureplans to place SriLankan Airlinesin an advantageous position andbecoming the first airline to adoptthe Altéa Suite in the Indiansubcontinent displays ourcommitment to be on par with thetechnological developments thatare critical for efficiency intoday’s aviation industry.”

Kaplia Chandrasena,Director/Chief Executive Officer,SriLankan Airlines commented:“Implementing Amadeus’ Altéasuite is crucial to the evolutionand expansion of SriLankanAirlines and our inclusion withinthe oneworld global alliance. TheAltéa suite will truly moderniseour IT processes, enhancing ourservice provision, whilst enabling

us to become a more ‘customer-centric’ carrier than everbefore.This agreement is highlysignificant for our employees,passengers and partners.” Julia Sattel, SVP Airline IT,Amadeus IT Groupcommented:“This is a keystrategic win for Amadeus as wecontinue to extend our globalreach. This agreement withSriLankan is also important forus as it is the first Amadeuscustomer for Altéa from theIndian subcontinent, somethingthat we are extremely proud of.We very much look forward toworking in partnership withSriLankan as the migrationprocess begins in earnest thisyear.”

Amadeus’ Altéa suite is used byover 120 airlines globally.

Embraer

expands Pool

services with

Azul/TRIP

until 2020 São José dos Campos, - Embraer,Azul Linhas Aéreas BrasileirasS.A. and TRIP Linhas Aéreassigned a renewal and expansioncontract for the Pool services, onsupport for more than 350 spareparts and all repairablecomponents of the hydraulic,mechanical, pneumatic,electronic and propulsionsystems for their E-Jets.

The renewal means theagreement will be extended until2020, representing anapproximate value of USD 400million during that period. In thecoming years, the total number ofEmbraer jets that will beoperating at the two airlinescovered by the program willreach 97.

“Azul and TRIP, not only haveone of the largest operating E-Jetfleets but the companies also

AVIATION NEWS

SriLankan Airlines becomes the

first airline group in the Indian

subcontinent to adopt

Amadeus’ Altéa IT suite


have the highest daily utilizationof E-Jets in the world. Embraer isproud to expand the partnershipof this support operation”, saidEduardo Munhós de Campos,Vice President, Latin Americaand the Caribbean, CommercialAviation. “Expanding thecontract shows the efficiency ofthe Pool Program services as animportant tool for airlines tomanage fleets, regardless of theirsize.”

Embraer's Pool Program,currently supporting more thanthirty airlines worldwide, isdesigned to minimize airlines’up-front investment on high-value repairable inventories andresources, while takingadvantage of Embraer's technicalexpertise and its vast componentservice provider network. Thisresults in significant savings onrepair and inventory carryingcosts, reduction in requiredwarehousing space, virtuallyeliminating the need forresources required for repairmanagement, and ultimately,guaranteed performance levels.All E-Jets customers in SouthAmerica have joined theprogram.

Etihad Airways

net profit

jumps 200

percent to

US$42millionEtihad Airways, the nationalcarrier of the United ArabEmirates, today reported netprofit of US$42 million in 2012,up 200 per cent on 2011 (US$14million) in a year which sawstrong improvements inrevenues, passengers numbersand cost control.

Revenue increased 17 per cent toUS$4.8 billion (US$4.1 billion),on passenger numbers up 23 percent to 10.3 million (8.4 million).These numbers were boosted

significantly by Etihad Airways'equity partnerships andcodeshares, which deliveredmore than US$600 million intotal revenue.

James Hogan, President andChief Executive Officer of EtihadAirways, said: “This has been agame-changing year for EtihadAirways. We have deliveredimproved net profit, the secondconsecutive year we have been inthe black, a remarkableachievement given the youth,ambitious growth and ongoinginvestment made by this airline ina challenging global economicenvironment. We have takengreat strides in building theindustry's first 'equity alliance',with our investments in airberlin,Air Seychelles, Virgin Australiaand Aer Lingus, which arecontributing significant value toour business. And we have metour mandate of contributing tothe economic development ofAbu Dhabi, growing its aviationsector and building trade andtourism connections across theglobe.”

Earnings before interest and tax(EBIT) rose 24 per cent toUS$170 million (US$137million), while EBITDAR(earnings before interest, tax,depreciation, amortisation andrentals) rose to US$753 million(US$648 million), a margin of 16per cent on total revenue.

Since Mr Hogan joined EtihadAirways as President and Chief

Executive Officer in 2006, theairline has grown from a US$750million business to one whichnow turns over nearly US$5billion a year.

During the year, growth inrevenue passenger kilometres(RPKs) outpaced growth inavailable seat kilometres (ASKs)for the fourth year running.RPKs were up 23 per cent to 48billion (39 billion), on ASKs up20 per cent to 61 billion (51billion), resulting in animpressive lift in seat factor of2.4 points to 78.2 per cent (75.8per cent).

Equity and codeshare partnersdelivered more than 1.2 millionpassengers onto the EtihadAirways network. airberlin, inwhich Etihad Airways holds a29.21 per cent stake, made a verystrong contribution, with morethan 300,000 passengers sharedbetween their networks,delivering more than US$130million in total to the two airlines.

Etihad Airways continues toinvest in its award-winningproduct across the network. In2012, the airline unveiled plansfor new lounges in Paris (openedin December 2012), Washington,Sydney and Melbourne. It alsoopened its first European contactcentre in Manchester to supportcustomers. The call centreemploys more than 190 staff andhas answered almost half amillion calls in 18 markets innine languages since opening,

bringing in more than US$20million in revenue.Reflecting strong customerloyalty, the airline’s frequentflyer program, Etihad Guest,passed the 1.8 million membermark during the year. Theprogram was strengthened withthe introduction of the PointsPaysolution, allowing Etihad Guestmembers to redeem points forcash to purchase products in 30million outlets around the world.Mr Hogan said cargo continuedto play an important part inEtihad Airways' success bydelivering tonnage growth of 19per cent on the back of a capacityincrease of 14 per cent inavailable tonnage kilometres.

Planned fleet upgrades for 2013include 14 aircraft, with 11passenger aircraft deliveries andthree freighter deliveries. Further,there are orders for nine widebodied aircraft (6 x Boeing 777-300ER passenger, 2 x Boeing 777freighter and 1 x Airbus 330Freighter) and five narrow bodyaircraft (4 x Airbus 320 and 1 xAirbus 321). These will meetEtihad Airways’ immediategrowth requirements.

At the end of 2012, the companyhad 10,656 employees, 18 percent up on 2011 (9,038), withmore than 125 nationalitiesrepresented. The airline’sEmiratisation program for cadetpilots, engineers and graduatemanagers continues to be asuccess with 1,254 Emiratis nowemployed, representing 22 percent of the core Head Officeworkforce.

A350 XWB’s

Trent XWB

engine achieves

EASA type

certification Engine certification paves theway for A350 XWB first flight inthe summer

AVIATION NEWS


The Airbus A350 XWBprogramme has achieved yetanother important milestone withthe European Aviation SafetyAgency’s (EASA) award of theEngine Type Certification of theRolls-Royce Trent XWBturbofan. EASA presented thecertificate to Rolls-Royce atEASA’s headquarters in Cologne,Germany.

This certification covers TrentXWB engines which will powerthe A350-800 and A350-900variants. A higher thrust versionof the Trent XWB is currentlyunder development for the A350-1000.

Eric Schulz, President – CivilLarge Engines, Rolls-Royce,said: “We are very proud to haveachieved this significantmilestone on the road to the A350XWB’s entry into service. Iwould like to thank Airbus fortheir support and all of ourpartners and employees whocontributed to the design andcertification of the engine. Testresults show we have producedthe world’s most efficient largecivil aero engine and we nowlook forward to the first flightlater this year.”

Didier Evrard, Airbus’ ExecutiveVice President – Head of A350XWB Programme said: “Wecongratulate our colleagues atRolls-Royce on achieving thisimportant milestone for the A350

XWB programme with the EASAcertification of the Trent XWBengine.” He adds: “These newengines together with theaircraft’s advanced aerodynamicsand airframe technologies willbring our airline customers a 25percent step-improvement in fuelefficiency.”

Certification confirms the enginehas fulfilled EASA’sairworthiness requirements forflight and is the last major enginemilestone prior to the first flightof A350-900 ‘MSN001’ later thisyear. The engines which willpower that aircraft are now beingprepared prior to installation ofthe fully integrated powerplanton the aircraft’s pylon.

The Trent XWB has alreadypowered a series of test flights onAirbus’ A380 Flying Test Bed(FTB) aircraft since February2012. These flight-test resultsindicate that the engine will meetAirbus’ extremely high efficiencyand performance goals for theA350 XWB programme.

The A350 XWB is the all-newmid-size long range product linecomprising three versions andseating between 270 and 350passengers in typical three-classlayouts. The new family willbring a step change in efficiencycompared with existing aircraft inthis size category, using 25 percent less fuel and providing anequivalent reduction in CO2emissions. Scheduled for entry-

into-service in 2014, the A350XWB has already won 617 firmorders from 35 customersworldwide.

Gulfstream

G280 certified

by EASASuper Mid-Sized Jet Has BestRange And Most ComfortableCabin In Its Class

SAVANNAH, Ga., — GulfstreamAerospace Corp.’s G280 aircraft

received type certification todayfrom the European AviationSafety Agency (EASA). Thecertification recognizes that thesuper mid-sized aircraftdemonstrates compliance withEASA airworthiness andenvironmental requirements. It isone of the final steps required forthe G280 to be registered in aEuropean Union country. “Getting EASA certification is animportant milestone for theG280,” said Larry Flynn,president, Gulfstream. “Thisaircraft is the most fuel-efficientand most comfortable in its class,and it offers unprecedented rangefor its size. It is the only supermid-sized business jet that canreliably fly nonstop from Londonto New York. That feature is veryimportant to operators.” The G280, a joint effort betweenGulfstream and Israel AerospaceIndustries, earned its typecertification from the U.S.Federal Aviation Administration

(FAA) and Civil AviationAuthority of Israel on Aug. 30,2012. It entered service on Nov.13, 2012.

The aircraft’s range is 3,600nautical miles (6,667 km) atMach 0.80. Its balanced fieldlength is 210 feet less thanoriginally announced, whichenables it to take off fromrunways of 4,750 feet (1,448 m)or less. That is an improvementof more than 1,300 feet comparedto the G200, the aircraft the G280replaces. The G280 has amaximum operating speed of

Mach 0.85. Advanced technology is also partof the G280’s appeal. ThePlaneView280™ cockpit, themost advanced flight deck in itsclass, improves safety throughreduced pilot workload andimproved situational awareness.The G280 is alsoenvironmentally efficient,burning less fuel and producingfewer emissions than other supermid-sized aircraft. It is quiet,with certified noise levels 15.8decibels below FAA Stage 4requirements. With its spacious cabin, the G280can provide seating for up to 10in two living areas. Passengershave in-flight access to thebaggage compartment. TheGulfstream Cabin ManagementSystem enables them to easilycontrol the cabin environmentand high-definition entertainmentequipment with a handhelddevice such as an iPod Touch.

AVIATION NEWS


Bombardier

Aerospace

Begins

Production of

the First

Components in

MoroccoMONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - ) - BombardierAerospace announced the start ofproduction at its transitionalfacility in Morocco. Following agraduation ceremony held onFebruary 1 at the Institut desMetiers de l'Aeronautique (IMA),18 aircraft assemblers beganproduction of the firstBombardier components to comeout of its Moroccanmanufacturing facility.

"This is a very exciting milestonefor us as we start to see ouroperation in Morocco take form,"said Hugo Brouillard, GeneralManager, Bombardier Aerospace,Morocco. "With 18 new localemployees fully engaged andtrained in the Bombardiermanufacturing process andphilosophy, this is the first steptowards a long future of qualitycomponent manufacturing atanother world-class Bombardierfacility."

Following the initialannouncement in November2011 of Bombardier's intention tobuild a manufacturing facility inMorocco, the Company hasextended its timeline forconstruction of the new facility asthe manufacturing plan evolves.In order to maintain the timelinefor production Bombardier hasset up operations in a transitionalfacility located at the MohammedV International Airport inNouaceur in the GreaterCasablanca region, near its futurepermanent facility. The Bombardier Aerospacetransitional manufacturing

facility in Morocco is currentlyproducing simple structuresincluding flight controls for theCRJ Series aircraft. By year-end,the facility is expected to employapproximately 100 fully trainedaircraft assemblers.

Gulfstreamappoints DanNale to SeniorVice Presidentfor Programs,

Engineering andTest

Pres Henne Announces HisRetirement After A 44-YearAerospace Career

SAVANNAH, Ga., — GulfstreamAerospace Corp. has appointedDan Nale to the position of seniorvice president, Programs,Engineering and Test, effectiveApril 1. He will succeed PresHenne, who will retire March 31.Nale will oversee the company'sEngineering, Flight Operationsand Program ManagementOrganizations as well as aircraftdevelopment, reporting to LarryFlynn, president, Gulfstream. Most recently, Nale served asvice president, Advanced Aircraft

Programs, where he wasresponsible for overseeing thedevelopment of next-generationGulfstream aircraft. Previously,as vice president, Engineering,Nale was responsible for several

design- and engineering-relatedorganizations, includingStructures, GV Propulsion,Auxiliary Power Unit, FuelSystems, Environmental Controland Pressurization Systems. Asvice president, Mid-CabinPrograms, a position he took overin March 2003, he wasresponsible for managing theGulfstream G100, G150, G200and G280 programs. Beforejoining Gulfstream, he worked asa stress engineer on the spaceshuttle wing program forGrumman Aerospace Corp.

“Dan started his Gulfstreamcareer in 1985 as a structuralanalysis engineer and has heldincreasingly responsibleengineering positions within thecompany over the past 28 years,”said Flynn. “I have completeconfidence in Dan’s ability tolead the vast team of 1,675engineers, scientists anddesigners who are responsible forthe industry-leading research anddevelopment undertaken atGulfstream.” Nale, a Georgia-registeredprofessional engineer (P.E.),holds a bachelor’s degree in civilengineering from The Citadel inCharleston, master’s and doctoraldegrees in engineering from theUniversity of South Carolina inColumbia, and a Master ofBusiness Administration degreefrom Mercer University inMacon, Ga. He also holds asingle engine private pilotlicense. Henne, who turned 65 in 2012,joined Gulfstream in 1994. He iscredited with leading the teamsresponsible for the design,

development, test andcertification of the Gulfstream Vand G550 aircraft, which earnedRobert J. Collier trophies fromthe National AeronauticsAssociation in 1997 and 2003,respectively. The trophy isawarded annually for the greatestachievement in aeronautics orastronautics in North America. Most recently, Henne oversawthe development of thecompany’s much-anticipatedG650, one of the world’s mostsophisticated business-jetaircraft.

The G650, which entered servicein 2012, was designed withtechnological advances such as adigital fly-by-wire system, triplexflight management systems, autoemergency descent and enhancedand synthetic vision systems.Henne also supervised the designand development of the G280, anaircraft that has been noted for itsbest-in-class performance, cabincomfort and technology.

Cathayevaluatingwidebody

needs,considering

A380s and 747-8s

By Leithen FrancisCathay Pacific CEO John Slosartells Aviation Week the airline isevaluating the Airbus A380 and

AVIATION NEWS


Boeing 747-8 and expects tomake a decision on whether toplace an order for passengervariants in the first half of 2013.Cathay will have phased out mostof its 747-400 passenger aircraftby the end of the year, and has todeal with slot constraints atLondon Heathrow Airport andHong Kong International Airport,Slosar says.And while his predecessor foundcost inefficiencies with the A380and preferred the cargo capacityof the 777-300ER, Slosar notesthat the maximum takeoff weightof aircraft like the A380 changesas improvements are made to theaircraft.Slosar also acknowledges that the747-8 freighters alreadyoperating in Cathay’s fleet “areoperating very well asfreighters.” He did not say howmany aircraft Cathay will need.The CEO anticipates thatBoeing’s immediate problemswith the 787 program mayinadvertently delay the unveilingof the airframer’s 777X. He hadearlier predicted that Boeingwould officially launch the 777Xprogram in the first half of 2013,but in light of recent problemswith the 787 program he says hemay have to change hisprediction.Slosar reasons that the need todevote engineering resources toresolve problems with the 787’slithium-ion batteries will divertattention from the nextgeneration of the 777. “I haven’theard anything recently about the777X,” Cathay’s CEO tellsAviation Week on the sidelines ofan event marking Malaysia

Airlines’ entry into Oneworld.As for the 787 program, Slosarexpects the current problems willbe resolved. “There’s been a bitof a stumble, but I don’t have anydoubts that they [Boeing] will getthis fixed. Boeing is a world-class company that knows whatthey are doing.”

Oman Air is furtherexpanding its fleet ofBoeing 737- 800s with

the introduction of two additional

aircrafts, bringing the airline’stotal fleet strength to 30. Theexpansion followed shortly afterthe Sultanate of Oman signed aMemorandum of Understanding(MoU) to meet the increaseddemand for air services betweenOman-India, and Oman-Pakistan.

Both aircraft will be deployed bythe beginning of February and

Oman Air will offer double dailyservices from Oman Air’s homebase of Muscat to Chennai, Delhiand Hyderabad. In addition, theflight frequency from Muscat toLahore and Islamabad has alsobeen enhanced to offer a dailyservice to each city.

Oman Air’s Chief ExecutiveOfficer, Wayne Pearce, welcomesthis development, and states:“Increasing the size of our B737fleet allows us to be moreflexible, offering even morechoice for Oman Air’s growingnumber of customers. In line withgreater awareness of Oman Air’soutstanding internationalreputation amongst travelers,demand has increasedconsiderably and we lookforward to welcoming our

passengers on board ouradditional aircrafts.”

Boeing 737s currently form the

backbone of Oman Air’s fleet andflies on a range of short andmedium-haul routes. In additionto the two new aircraft, the fleetincludes fifteen B737- 800s, twoB737- 700s, four Airbus A330-200s, three A330 -300s, fourEmbraer E175 regional jets andtwo ATR 42s.

With seating capacity for 12 in

business and 150 passengers ineconomy class, the additionalaircraft will enable Oman Air, asthe preferred airline for travel, tomeet the need for greater travelbetween the two countries.

Rockwell Collins

signs teaming

agreement with

Tata Power

Strategic

Engineering

DivisionCompanies pursuing Indian AirForce’s Software Defined RadioprogramBANGALORE, India –Rockwell Collins, a world leaderin software defined radiotechnology, and Tata PowerStrategic Engineering Division(Tata Power SED), a proven andwell-established systemintegrator in the Indian defenseindustry, recently announced ateaming agreement as part oftheir pursuit of the Indian AirForce Software Defined Radioprogram.“Together, our companiesprovide the expertise to deliverthe best-value software definedradio (SDR) solution for theIndian Air Force while offeringan unmatched opportunity fortechnology transfer,” said RamPrasad, managing director ofRockwell Collins India. “Thisannouncement formalizes whathas been a long-standing andpositive working relationshipwith Tata Power SED and willprovide the Indian Air Force withadvanced air and groundconnectivity to meet theirrequirements. This relationship isvery strategic in nature andwould provide Indian defensewith not only a local, withincountry, long-term support andmaintenance provider, but alsoaccess to state-of-the-arttechnology.”Rahul Chaudhry, CEO of TataPower SED remarked, “TataPower SED has a four-decadelong defense research and

AVIATION NEWS

Addition of Two New B737 –

800s to Oman Air’s Rapidly

Growing Fleet


development experience and hasnow emerged as one of the largestprivate sector defense primecontractors. Our teamingagreement with Rockwell Collinsfor the Air Force’s SoftwareDefined Radio Program allows usto harness our core competenciesin the hi-tech arena of SDR forwhich Rockwell Collins is anacknowledged world leader withproven solutions. With thiscollaboration, we bring to India aproven hi-tech communicationtechnology with indigenoussecurity, platform and systemengineering as a trustworthysolution.”Under the terms of theagreement, Tata Power SED isthe prime contractor andRockwell Collins will providetechnology for the team’ssoftware defined radio offering.If selected, the team of Tata andRockwell Collins plan to performthe majority of the program effortin India, providing faster deliverytimes, as well as more responsivein-country service and supportfor the customer.For the Indian Air Forceprogram, Rockwell Collins isproviding industry leadingsoftware defined radiotechnology designed to providethe best value in features,technology and growthcapabilities. This technologyfeatures a digital radioarchitecture that allows easyreprogramming with differentwaveforms and operating modesthrough the use of digital signalprocessing technology.Rockwell Collins is a leader inairborne tacticalcommunications, havingprovided more than 36,000 radioson 180 platforms worldwide.

Carrier Adds Third Gateway InRepublic With Four-Flights-A-Week To Najaf

Frequency Across Three IraqiCities Of Capital Baghdad, Erbil

And Latest Destination Rises To12 Services Each Week

Najaf, REPUBLIC OF IRAQ –Qatar Airways has introduced itslatest gateway in the Republic ofIraq with the launch of scheduled

flights to the central city of Najaf.

Following its move into Iraq sixmonths ago with the start offlights to both the capitalBaghdad and Erbil, the Doha-based airline has inaugurated newservices to its third city in thecountry.

On the back of passenger demand

to Iraq, Qatar Airways viewedexpansion as being vital, fuelledby the country’s reconstructiondrive.

The arrival of Qatar Airways’flight QR 742 at Al NajafInternational Airport waswelcomed by a traditional watersalute followed by a receptionpresided by local officials. FathiAl Shehab, Qatar Airways SeniorVice President GCC, Levant, Iranand Indian Subcontinent, led anofficial delegation on the flightfrom the airline’s head office inthe Qatari capital Doha.

With three Iraqi routes now in itsstable, Qatar Airways takes itsfrequency across Baghdad, Erbiland Najaf up 50 per cent to 12services each week.

Najaf, to be operated four-times-a-week, becomes destinationnumber 124 in the airline’s globalnetwork spanning cities acrossEurope, Middle East, Africa, AsiaPacific, North America and SouthAmerica.

Qatar Airways Chief ExecutiveOfficer Akbar Al Baker said:“With our new Najaf services, weare giving the people of Iraqmore choice and greater traveloptions to fly around the worldafter years of restricted access toair services. Similarly, with allthe reconstruction efforts wellunderway in Iraq, there is a needfor flights to bring in constructionworkers.

“As an air service provider, we atQatar Airways have the faith andare doing our bit in the rebuildingefforts of the country.“Najaf represents a significantpart of Qatar Airways’ growthstrategy of opening new, diverseroutes connecting people inunderserved markets todestinations around the worldwith more ease and conveniencethan ever before.”

Addressing guests gathered at AlNajaf International Airport, FathiAl Shehab said: “Today is all

AVIATION NEWS

Qatar Airways expands route

network in Iraq

Qatar Airways Senior Vice-President GCC, Levant, Iran and Indian

subcontinent, Fathi Al Shehab, pictured centre, cuts a cake with

Chairman Najaf Municipality and Chairman of Airport Board of

Directors, Shaikh Fayed Alshemari, right, and Chief Flight

Operations Officer Captain Suhail Ismaeel in celebration of the

arrival of the airline’s maiden flight to the Iraqi city.

Qatar Airways Senior Vice-President GCC, Levant, Iran and

Indian subcontinent, Fathi Al Shehab, third from right, is

welcomed to Najaf by Chairman Najaf Municipality and

Chairman of Airport Board of Directors, Shaikh Fayed

Alshemari fourth from left, with airport and airline officials.


about celebration and furtherdeveloping our warm relationsbetween the State of Qatar andthe Republic of Iraq.

“On behalf of Qatar Airways, Iwould like to thank thegovernment of Iraq, the localauthorities and airport officialsfor supporting Qatar Airways’expansion with the addition of anintegral route to our internationalnetwork that will offer greatconnections to the people ofNajaf and the surrounding areasto such an exciting array ofdestinations globally such asLondon, Singapore, Tokyo, NewYork, Shanghai and Melbourne.

“Qatar Airways looks forward towelcoming our newestpassengers to experience ouraward-winning world classservice and fine hospitality.”

The Doha – Najaf route is beingoperated by a state-of-the-artAirbus A320 featuring 144 seatsin a two-class configuration of 12seats in Business Class and 132in Economy. The aircraft offersseatback TV screens, providingpassengers with the nextgeneration interactive onboardentertainment system, featuring achoice of more than 800 audioand video on-demand options,together with an SMS textmessaging service from eachseat.

The convenient timings of theDoha – Najaf flights allow forgood connections to keydestinations across the MiddleEast, Europe, Africa, Asia and theAmericas.

One of the world’s fastestgrowing airlines, Qatar Airwayshas seen rapid growth in just 16years of operations, currentlyflying a modern fleet of 118aircraft to 124 key business andleisure destinations acrossEurope, Middle East, Africa, AsiaPacific and The Americas.

Over the next few weeks andmonths, Qatar Airways will

launch services to a diverseportfolio of new routes, includingPhnom Penh, Cambodia(February 20); Chengdu, China(March 19); Chicago, USA (April10); and Salalah, Oman (May 22)with many more new start-upsplanned.

Villa Air

introduces the

ATR 72-600 in

the MaldivesThe carrier leases its first ATR -600 series aircraft from GECAS

Maldivian carrier Villa Air,commercially known as FlyMe,is about to become the very firstoperator of an ATR -600 seriesaircraft in the archipelago. Theairline will start operating anATR 72-600 which has beendelivered to the US-based lessorGECAS (GE Capital AviationServices Limited), thecommercial aircraft leasing andfinancing company of GE, who isleasing the aircraft to Villa Air.The aircraft, after arriving in theMaldives, will perform itsinaugural flight between Maléand Maamigili, the main hub ofVilla Air in early February.

This new generation ATR 72-600will allow Villa Air to expand theairline's fleet and boost service tocities destinations it already fliesto: from Maldives' capital Maléto airports in Maamigili, Gan andDharavandhoo. Villa Air alreadyoperates a fleet of 2 ATR 42-500s

aircraft deployed on domesticroutes in the islands.

The ATR 72-600 is equipped witha new full-glass cockpit and isconfigured in a highlycomfortable 66-seat layout. Themodern Armonia cabin featuresextra legroom, new seat trim andshapes and wider overheadluggage compartments. Inaddition to the performanceadvantages and enhancedcomfort, this aircraft will bringadditional capacity to meet theneeds of Maldives' rapidlystrengthening travel demand andaddress the sustained growth ofthe Maldivian travel market.

Qasim Ibrahim, Chairman of theVilla Group, underlined “theimportance of offering newstandard of comfort to passengersas well as the outstanding inter-island capabilities of the newATR 72-600. We are delighted toupgrade our fleet with the mostmodern 70-seat regional aircraftrenowned for its environmentfriendliness. We want to associateour growth to the preservation ofthe environment in theMaldives.”

Todd Freeman, SVP andManager, Regional Aircraft, ofGECAS, stated: “We are nowintroducing the ATR 72-600aircraft in our lease portfolio andwe are pleased by the strongattractiveness of this aircraftamong regional airlines all overthe world. With its low operatingcosts and its modern passengercomfort standards, the ATR 72-600 is becoming increasingly

popular. Our ATR 72-600commitments will allow us tooffer even more comprehensiveproduct offerings to ourcustomers and help them tosucceed in the years to come.”

Filippo Bagnato, Chief ExecutiveOfficer of ATR, declared: "Weare pleased that the advantages ofthe -600 aircraft, starting fromthe outstanding comfortstandards, are now available forpassengers in the Maldives”. Headded: “The Villa Group ofcompanies has a strongcommitment to the environmentand this is exemplified by theirchoice of the most “Green”aircraft available today. It's anexciting new chapter for ATRtoday, which underscores thestrong confidence that Villa Airhas in ATR, and underlines theMaldivian market's growthpotential. Finally, GECAS has anoutstanding track record ofplacing airplanes with airlinecustomers around the world. Weare pleased they continue toexpand their portfolio of ATRaircraft."

Universal

Avionics

Enables LPV

Capability for

Porter AirlinesDual UNS-1Ew WAAS/SBAS-Flight Management SystemsIntroduce LPV Approaches toToronto Island

TUCSON, AZ – With installationof Universal Avionics’ UNS-1EwFlight Management Systems(FMS), Canada’s Porter Airlineshas gained LocalizerPerformance with VerticalGuidance (LPV)-capability,positioning itself for increasedcompetitiveness and customersatisfaction with its all-Bombardier-Q400 operation. Porter recently completed itsprogram to replace UNS-1E

AVIATION NEWS


FMSs with dual UniversalWAAS/SBAS- and LPV-capableUNS-1Ew FMSs. In November2012, scheduled Q400 flightsbegan operating into Billy BishopToronto City Airport (CYTZ)using an RNAV (GNSS)approach procedure to LPV Lineof Minima in the UNS-1Ewdatabase. According to Norm Matheis,Universal Avionics’ RegionalSales Manager for Canada,“Porter is one of the Q400 fleetleaders in obtaining themaximum capability from theUniversal FMS from coupledVNAV utilization, along withworking towards advanced andtrajectory-based navigationprocedures. We’re grateful forhaving been able to play a smallpart in their success as theymoved into the LPV world.”RNAV LPV LOS approachprocedure development inCanada has accelerated of late,driven by individual operators’recognizance of competitiveadvantage through investment intechnology and Nav Canada’sILS Replacement Program.Under this program, airports cannow have an RNAV LPVprocedure, providing the same oreven better access withassociated flight completion rateas an ILS, without the costlyinvestment in ILS infrastructure.Improved minimums are possiblefrom the increased accuracy of aWAAS/SBAS-capable FMS,resulting in a smaller obstacleclearance boundary. Creating an approach to Runway

08 at the downtown Billy BishopToronto City Airport was aunique application thatshowcases the capability of aWAAS/SBAS FMS-equippedQ400. The procedure designer(Air Navigation Data) created anLPV LOS procedure that was thefirst to be compliant withTransport Canada’s new criteria(TP308, Change 5.3). The 250foot height above touchdownprocedure minimums aresignificantly improved comparedto existing ILS minima. “Since the introduction of theRNAV/GNSS Runway 08 (LPV)approach at Toronto City Airport,Porter has benefitted from thelower minima and runwayaligned final approach courseoffered by the LPV,” said JustinTiplady, Director of FlightTechnical at Porter Airlines. “Theapproach further increasesreliability, which helps overallcustomer service and operationalefficiency. We have alreadybenefited from this technologydozens of times in the last threemonths, so it is already payingoff.”

PilotWorkshops.co

m Acquires ZD

Publishing and

their Pilot-Friendly

GPS ManualsNashua, NH – -PilotWorkshops.com LLC haspurchased the assets of ZDPublishing including copyrights

and inventory of ZD’s 21different Pilot-Friendly GPSManuals. Written by ZDPublishing founder John Dittmer,an ATP-rated CFI, these manualshave been trusted by thousands ofpilots to help them master theirpanel-mount and handheld GPSunits produced by Garmin andBendix/King. The entireinventory of manuals is nowavailable from PilotWorkshops indownload or print format athttp://pilotworkshop.com/gps-manuals

“We’ve been working closely

with ZD Publishing since 2011and have received tremendousfeedback from our customerswho have purchased theirmanuals. In particular, pilotsappreciate the task-orientednature that quickly gets to theroot of what a pilot needs fromtheir GPS. They focus on gettingsomething done as opposed to the‘buttonology’ focus in manymanufacturer manuals,” saidMark Robidoux, President ofPilotWorkshops. “In particular,we’ve talked with many IFRpilots who are frustrated that theyare only using a small fraction oftheir GPS unit’s capabilitybecause of difficulties in learningsome of the more complexoperations. Gaining mastery ofthose operations is the core valuethese manuals provide.”

“We’re proud of our contributionin helping pilots becomeproficient with their GPS units,”stated John Dittmer, President ofZD Publishing. “We knowPilotWorkshops can do a goodjob of carrying the “Pilot-Friendly” message forward asthey had quickly become ourlargest distributor.” Dittmer willcontinue to write manuals andupdates for PilotWorkshops inthe future.

PilotWorkshops.com LLC was

founded in 2005 and is best-known for their free “Pilot’s Tipof the Week” emails received byover 100,000 pilots each week.Created by their roster ofnationally known flightinstructors and experts, these tipscover single pilot IFR operations,weather, airmanship, ATCcommunications, emergenciesand more using a unique, multi-media format. PilotWorkshopsalso creates and sells a range ofpilot proficiency programsincluding their IFR Masteryscenario-based training.

Etihad Airways, the nationalcarrier of the United ArabEmirates, reported net

profit of US$42 million in 2012,up 200 per cent on 2011 (US$14million) in a year which sawstrong improvements inrevenues, passengers numbersand cost control.

Revenue increased 17 per cent toUS$4.8 billion (US$4.1 billion),on passenger numbers up 23 percent to 10.3 million (8.4 million).These numbers were boostedsignificantly by Etihad Airways'equity partnerships andcodeshares, which deliveredmore than US$600 million intotal revenue.

James Hogan, President and

Chief Executive Officer ofEtihad Airways, said: “This hasbeen a game-changing year for

AVIATION NEWS

Etihad Airways net profit jumps

200 percent to US$42m


Etihad Airways. We havedelivered improved net profit, thesecond consecutive year we havebeen in the black, a remarkableachievement given the youth,ambitious growth and ongoinginvestment made by this airline ina challenging global economicenvironment. We have takengreat strides in building theindustry's first 'equity alliance',with our investments in airberlin,Air Seychelles, Virgin Australiaand Aer Lingus, which arecontributing significant value toour business. And we have metour mandate of contributing tothe economic development ofAbu Dhabi, growing its aviationsector and building trade andtourism connections across theglobe.”

Earnings before interest and tax(EBIT) rose 24 per cent toUS$170 million (US$137million), while EBITDAR(earnings before interest, tax,depreciation, amortisation andrentals) rose to US$753 million(US$648 million), a margin of 16per cent on total revenue.

Since Mr Hogan joined EtihadAirways as President and ChiefExecutive Officer in 2006, theairline has grown from a US$750million business to one whichnow turns over nearly US$5billion a year.

During the year, growth inrevenue passenger kilometres(RPKs) outpaced growth inavailable seat kilometres (ASKs)for the fourth year running.RPKs were up 23 per cent to 48billion (39 billion), on ASKs up20 per cent to 61 billion (51billion), resulting in animpressive lift in seat factor of2.4 points to 78.2 per cent (75.8per cent).

Equity and codeshare partnersdelivered more than 1.2 millionpassengers onto the EtihadAirways network. airberlin, inwhich Etihad Airways holds a29.21 per cent stake, made a verystrong contribution, with more

than 300,000 passengers sharedbetween their networks,delivering more than US$130million in total to the two airlines.

Etihad Airways continues toinvest in its award-winningproduct across the network. In2012, the airline unveiled plansfor new lounges in Paris (openedin December 2012), Washington,Sydney and Melbourne. It alsoopened its first European contactcentre in Manchester to supportcustomers. The call centreemploys more than 190 staff andhas answered almost half amillion calls in 18 markets innine languages since opening,bringing in more than US$20million in revenue. Reflectingstrong customer loyalty, theairline’s frequent flyer program,Etihad Guest, passed the 1.8million member mark during theyear. The program wasstrengthened with theintroduction of the PointsPaysolution, allowing Etihad Guestmembers to redeem points forcash to purchase products in 30million outlets around the world.Mr Hogan said cargo continuedto play an important part inEtihad Airways' success bydelivering tonnage growth of 19per cent on the back of a capacityincrease of 14 per cent inavailable tonnage kilometres.

Planned fleet upgrades for 2013include 14 aircraft, with 11passenger aircraft deliveries andthree freighter deliveries. Further,there are orders for nine wide

bodied aircraft (6 x Boeing 777-300ER passenger, 2 x Boeing 777freighter and 1 x Airbus 330Freighter) and five narrow bodyaircraft (4 x Airbus 320 and 1 xAirbus 321). These will meetEtihad Airways’ immediategrowth requirements.

At the end of 2012, the companyhad 10,656 employees, 18 percent up on 2011 (9,038), withmore than 125 nationalitiesrepresented. The airline’sEmiratisation program for cadetpilots, engineers and graduatemanagers continues to be asuccess with 1,254 Emiratis nowemployed, representing 22 percent of the core Head Officeworkforce.

Turkish Airlinesorders five

additional A330passenger

aircraft Repeat order great vote ofconfidence in A330s efficiencyand reliability

Turkish Airlines has signed afirm order for two additionalA330-300 passenger aircraft andthree options as part of thecarrier’s continued growth plans.The additional order for the A330Family is taking their total firmorder for the type to 38. TurkishAirlines placed their first order

with Airbus in 1984, and todayoperate 104 Airbus in total.

The new aircraft will be deployedon medium and long haul routesfrom the Turkish Airlines hub inIstanbul.

“As one of the fastest growingairlines, our strategy of growthneeds to be fully supported byefficient, reliable and profitableaircraft” said Dr Temel Kotil,CEO of Turkish Airlines. “Thisnew order for A330s reinforcesour commitment to a family ofaircraft which already helps us toachieve our ambitious expansionplans, in a profitable andsustainable manner.”

“We are very proud to win arepeat order from TurkishAirlines as it shows withoutdoubt a strong endorsement forthe A330 unique combination ofunbeatable economics, versatilityand fuel efficiency,” said JohnLeahy, Airbus Chief OperatingOfficer, Customers. “In responseto the continuing strong demand,we’re making the A330 betterand better, with new higherweight variants to offer morepayload-range capability whilekeeping reliability at top level.”

Airbus aircraft share a uniquecockpit and operationalcommonality, allowing airlines touse the same pool of pilots, cabincrews and maintenanceengineers, bringing operationalflexibility and resulting insignificant cost savings.

The A330 Family, which spans250 to 300 seats, and includesFreighter, VIP, and MilitaryTransport/Tanker variants, hasnow attracted more than 1,200orders, with over 900 aircraftflying with close to 100 operatorsworldwide. The A330 is one ofthe world’s most efficient aircraftwith best in class operatingeconomics. With numerousongoing product improvements,it still remains the most cost-efficient and capable aircraft,averaging dispatch reliability

AVIATION NEWS


well above 99 percent.

Airbus is a leading aircraftmanufacturer with the mostmodern and comprehensivefamily of airliners on the market,ranging in capacity from 100 tomore than 500 seats

InterSky entrusts to

ATR maintenance

and support of its

aircraftATR and the Austrian carrierInterSky have signed a GlobalMaintenance Agreement (GMA)for a period of 5 years. Theagreement covers the supply ofspare parts and maintenanceservices for the 2 brand new ATR72-600s of the airline. The veryfirst ATR -600 was delivered tothe airline earlier this month,with the second one expected inMarch.

Under this contract, ATR willhandle the complete managementof the equipment, including therepair of line replaceable units(LRUs), the maintenance andavailability of propellers, theadvanced exchange pool ofservices, plus an inventory ofspare parts on lease at InterSky'spremises. With the signature ofthis agreement, InterSky willbenefit from guaranteedavailability of spares, reducedmaintenance costs and simplifiedmaintenance procedures, withATR as a single channel.

ATR's Senior Vice PresidentProduct Support & Services

Lilian Braylé said: “We aredelighted to have signed thiscontract with InterSky, the firstAustrian carrier to haveintroduced the ATR -600 aircraftin the country. We are proud tosee that InterSky placed itsconfidence in our expertise as anaircraft manufacturer to handlelogistic support facilitiesworldwide with a dedicated andefficient service, high quality,and fast, committed aircraftdelivery”.Today more than 200 ATRairplanes in-service are coveredwith the GMA worldwide.

About the GMA:The Global MaintenanceAgreement (GMA) represents theextensive and flexiblemaintenance services packageATR offers to the Operators inorder to assist them duringaircraft operations and reducemaintenance costs. As an aircraftmanufacturer ATR has built aunique expertise offering theCustomer the most cost efficientsolutions to outsource their "on"and "off" aircraft maintenancerequirements.

NBAA Renames

Annual U.S. Show

'Business Aviation

Convention &

Exhibition'

Washington, DC, - The NationalBusiness Aviation Association(NBAA) announced that thename for its largest annual U.S.event has been changed from

“Annual Meeting & Convention”to “Business AviationConvention & Exhibition”(“BACE”).In announcing the change,NBAA President and CEO EdBolen noted that, given the globalnature of business aviation, theAssociation co-hosts dedicated,business-aviation-only eventsaround the world. The new namefor NBAA’s largest event bringsit into alignment with the othershows.“NBAA’s largest U.S. show hasup to this point been referred toas an ‘annual meeting,’ but inrecent decades, it has grown insize and importance to be muchmore than just a meeting, and thischange reflects that reality,”Bolen said. “The change alsostrengthens the overall brand forNBAA’s shows, underscoringtheir status as world-class events,produced by the Association,

with the high standardsExhibitors and Attendees expectfrom an NBAA show. At thesame time, the new name retainsthe term ‘Convention,’ which isfamiliar to everyone in theindustry.”The event that would evolve intoNBAA’s modern U.S.Convention was first held inSeptember 1947. In the decadessince, it has grown into an eventthat ranks fifth in size for all U.S.trade shows, according to TradeShow Executive magazine. Theevent draws around 25,000Attendees each year, includingindividuals from dozens ofcountries around the world. Morethan 1,000 Exhibitors participate,and the show covers more than 1million square feet of exhibit

floor space. The event alsofeatures a side-by-side display ofnearly every aircraft type inproduction.Going forward, the name“Business Aviation Convention& Exhibition” will be used todescribe NBAA’s largest annualU.S. event on the Association’swebsite, in promotional materialsfor the show and in otherreferences to the event.

Embraer SelectsHoneywell to

ProvideAvionics for E-

Jets SecondGeneration

São José dos Campos, – EmbraerS.A. (NYSE: ERJ;BM&FBOVESPA: EMBR3) hasselected Honeywell (NYSE:HON) to provide its Primus Epic2 integrated avionics system forthe second generation of E-Jets,which are planned to enterservice in 2018. The decision isanother important milestone inthe program that is expected to belaunched later this year. Lastmonth, Embraer selected Pratt &Whitney as the engine supplier.

“Honeywell has been a valuedpartner of Embraer for manyyears, so it is with greatconfidence that we extend ourrelationship for this importantprogram,” said Paulo Cesar Siva,President & CEO of EmbraerCommercial Aviation. “Webelieve that the evolution of theHoneywell Primus Epic,including large landscapedisplays, will provide flexibilityfor continuous innovation in theflight deck, while offering amature system and a smoothtransition for pilots between thecurrent and future generation ofE-Jets.”

The Honeywell Primus Epic 2integrated avionics system on the

AVIATION NEWS


second generation of E-Jets willbe an evolution of the existingPrimus Epic system on thecurrent generation, which willassure a high degree of pilotcommonality. The five 8x10 inchdisplays will be replaced by four13x10 inch large landscapedisplays with advanced graphicscapabilities. Honeywell’s NextGeneration Flight ManagementSystem (NGFMS), already indevelopment with currentgeneration E-Jets, will provideenhanced flight planning,navigation and aircraftperformance capabilities.

“Honeywell’s Primus Epic 2 is anincredibly innovative, highlyintegrated and proven technologythat makes flying safer and moreefficient. Our avionics systemsare found inside the world’s mostsuccessful aircraft, includingEmbraer’s existing 170/190 E-Jetfamily of aircraft,” said JohnBolton, President of AirTransport & Regional HoneywellAerospace. “We look forward tocontinuing our partnership, andpursuing additional E-Jetopportunities that our uniquebreadth of products and servicesaffords us.”

Honeywell’s Primus Epic systemhas accumulated more than ninemillion flight hours to date, onthe E-Jets alone. Because theseavionics are software based,Embraer will be able to easilyand effectively integrate futurecommunication, navigation andair traffic managementfunctionalities.

As in the current family ofaircraft, the second generation ofE-Jets will be optionallyequipped with dual Head-upDisplays (HUD). The supplierselection for this system willoccur later this year.

The second generation of E-Jetswill be a significant step inEmbraer´s commitment tocontinuously invest in this line ofcommercial jets. State-of-the-artengines in combination with newaerodynamically advancedwings, full fly-by-wire flightcontrols and other systemsevolutions, will result in doubledigit improvements in fuel burn,maintenance costs, emissions and

external noise. The Company’sobjective is to offer the bestproduct and maintain itsleadership in the 70 to 120 seatmarket, where more than 900 E-Jets are currently in service. Atotal of 62 customers from 42countries are flying or will soontake delivery of Embraer E-Jets.

Significant lessor

order for Airbus’

newest, most fuel

efficient aircraft ALC orders 25 A350 XWBs andfirms up options for 14 A321neoaircraft

Air Lease Corporation (ALC),the Los Angeles based aircraftleasing company has signed acontract for 25 A350 XWBFamily aircraft, consisting of 20A350-900 and five A350-1000,the largest member of the A350XWB Family. ALC also hasoptions for five additional A350-1000s. With this new order, ALCbecomes the 35th A350 XWBcustomer and the order takes theA350 XWB backlog past 600 (to617). Concurrently, ALC has signed apurchase order for 14 A321neoaircraft following an earlieragreement announced at the 2012Farnborough International AirShow for 36 A320neo Familyaircraft plus 14 options. With thislatest confirmation from ALC,the lessor’s cumulative orders forthe A320neo Family havereached 50, of which up to 34

will be A321neo models. ALCwill announce engine selectionsat a later date.

“The A350 XWB Family isbecoming the industrybenchmark for efficiency in thelong haul segment, and theA320neo Family is ideal forairlines operating short tomedium haul missions. These

aircraft will help airlines growtheir businesses whilesimultaneously reducing theiroperating costs and emissions,”said Steven F. Udvar-Házy, AirLease Corporation’s Chairmanand Chief Executive Officer.“ALC offers its customers themost modern, efficient aircraft onthe market, and both the A350XWB and the NEO fit right inthat category.”

“ALC’s continued confidence inAirbus products and especiallyour fuel efficient A350 XWB andA320neo Families is a greatindicator of the long-term successof these aircraft,” said JohnLeahy, Airbus Chief OperatingOfficer, Customers. “When youoffer products which cut fuelconsumption by a double digitnumber, and combine that withlow maintenance costs and thelatest in cabin innovations, it’s apretty compelling proposalwhether you are in the low cost,full service or charter segment.”

The A350 XWB (Xtra Wide-Body) is an all-new mid-size longrange product line comprisingthree versions and seatingbetween 270 and 350 passengersin typical three-class layouts. Thenew family will bring a stepchange in efficiency comparedwith existing aircraft in this sizecategory, using 25 per cent lessfuel and providing an equivalentreduction in CO2 emissions.Scheduled for entry-into-servicein 2014, with ALC’s newest orderincluded, the A350 XWB hasalready won 617 firm orders from35 customers worldwide.

The A320neo will enter intoservice in late 2015, followed bythe A321neo in 2016. TheA320neo Family incorporateslatest generation engines andlarge Sharklet wing-tip devices,which together will deliver up to15 percent in fuel savings whichis equivalent to 1.4 million litresof fuel - the consumption of1,000 mid size cars, saving 3,600tons of CO2 per aircraft per year.

AVIATION NEWS


With more than 9,000 aircraftordered and over 5,400 aircraftdelivered to over 380 customersand operators worldwide, theA320 Family is the world's best-selling single-aisle aircraftfamily.

Embraer to

Showcase Its

Full Portfolio

at Aero India

2013 Bangalore, India, – Embraer will

promote its full portfolio ofCommercial Aviation, Executive

Aviation and Defense andSecurity products and services in

the ninth InternationalExhibition on Aerospace,

Defense and Civil Aviation –Aero India 2013 at the Air ForceStation Yelahanka, in Bangalore,

India from February 6 to 10.

The portfolio includes the leadingfamily of commercial jets up to120 seats in the global market(E170, E175, E190 and E195),the most modern and completeproduct line of business jets,from the entry-level Phenom 100to the ultra-large Lineage 1000,and a broad range of integratedsolutions for defense and securitythat combine a high technologicallevel and operational efficiencyat competitive acquisition andoperating costs. Three of theEmbraer Executive Jets aircraftwill be on static display: theentry-level Phenom 100, thelong-range Legacy 650 and theultra-large Lineage 1000.

Embraer has a strong presence inthe Indian market and counts thenational government, privateorganizations and individuals ascustomers and operators. Thecountry is home to more than athird of the Company’s executivejets in the region with at least onetype each of the Phenom, Legacyand Lineage jets in service today.

Embraer Executive Jets is theonly business jet manufacturer toproduce a full range of aircraftsolutions and its aircraft havereceived more than a dozeninternational design andinnovation awards from topluxury and aviation publicationsfor setting a new standard forbusiness aircraft.

To support the operations of thegrowing number Embraerexecutive jet customers andoperators in the country, EmbraerExecutive Jets has namedIndamer Pvt. Ltd. and Air WorksEngineering Pvt Ltd asauthorized service providers inthe country for all operators ofEmbraer Executive Jets aircraft.Five of Embraer’s Legacy jets arealso used by the Indian Air Force(IAF) and Border Security Force(BSF) for the transportation ofVIPS and foreign dignitaries. Inaddition, Embraer Defense andSecurity has collaborated withIndia’s Defense Research &Development Organisation(DRDO) to create three bespokeEMB145 jet platforms for use asAirborne Early Warning andControl (AEW&C) aircraft, twoof which were delivered last year.

Gulfstream

G280 sets 15

new city-pair

speed recordsRecent Feats Bring Aircraft’s

Total Records To 22

SAVANNAH, Ga., — GulfstreamAerospace Corp.’s new best-in-class G280 aircraft recently set15 new city-pair speed records aspart of the company’s reliabilitydemonstration program. The 250-hour internal testing program,among the most extensivevoluntary reliability programsever implemented by Gulfstream,served to enhance fleet reliability,enrich pilot training and improvecustomer readiness. “The Gulfstream reliabilitydemonstration programincorporates pilot check rides,maintenance on auxiliary powerunits, engine run qualifications,technical operations, publicationsvalidations and basic servicingand handling at typical fixed-baseoperators,” said Mark Burns,president, Product Support. “Thisis just one more way we aregoing above and beyond for ourcustomers, ensuring they havethe most reliable and high-performing aircraft.” Of the 15 new city-pair speedrecords set as part of the program,the most notable were a flightfrom Aspen, Colo., to FortLauderdale, Fla., and one fromHonolulu to Savannah. The supermid-sized aircraft has established22 speed records since setting itsfirst in May.

“Two of these new speed recordsare particularly significantbecause they demonstrate theG280’s capability to reach theEast Coast from Aspen and to

travel an exceptional distance,”said Scott Neal, senior vicepresident, Sales and Marketing,Gulfstream. “The G280continues to prove its tremendousreliability, range, speed andperformance for our customers.” The G280 flew from Aspen-Pitken County Airport to FortL a u d e r d a l e - H o l l y w o o dInternational Airport in 3 hoursand 21 minutes. It flew 1,640nautical miles (3,038 km) at anaverage cruise speed of Mach0.84. On board were demo pilotsSantiago Koritschoner, BrianErickson and Stephanie Ruyle. Also in November, the G280 flewfrom Honolulu to Savannah in 8hours and 19 minutes, a total of4,124 nautical miles (7,638 km)at an average speed of Mach0.80. On board were BrianDickerson, senior production testpilot; Scott Evans, engineeringtest pilot; and Scott Blouin,avionics and electricaltechnician. The city-pair speed records havebeen certified by the NationalAeronautic Association, theofficial record keeper for U.S.aviation, and forwarded to theFederation AeronautiqueInternationale in Switzerland forapproval as world records. The G280 is certified to fly 3,600nm (6,667 km) with fourpassengers at Mach 0.80 withNBAA IFR reserves, some 200nm farther than the companyannounced at the program’slaunch in 2008. In addition tomore range, the aircraft’sbalanced field length has beenreduced from 4,960 feet (1,512m) to 4,750 feet (1,448 m). Thisfield length is an improvement ofmore than 1,300 feet compared tothe G200, the aircraft the G280replaces. The aircraft entered intoservice on Nov. 14, 2012.

Wicks Aircraft

Offers

Comprehensive O-

Ring AssortmentWicks Aircraft is now offering alarge yet inexpensive solution to

AVIATION NEWS


the problem of finding the rightO-ring at the right time.

“The temptation is always thereto re-use things like O-rings, andthe result is too-often a leakyseal,” says Wicks president ScottWick. “Having to take time tofind or order O-rings makes thattemptation even greater. With ourHome Builders Kit (HMBK-1),there are lots of sizes, and lots ofO-rings in each size; and it’s less-expensive in time and moneythan running to the supply shopfor just a couple individual O-rings.”

With 382 O-rings made of a 70durometer nitrile polymer andsized from 006 to 327, the O-rings store easily in theirprotective plastic box that keepseverything sorted.

The HMBK-1 can pay for itselfthe first time it solves a problem.Ideal for home workshop,Chapter hangar, or professionalservice center, the HMBK-1 ispriced at $32.19, and is availableimmediately.

Turkish

Airlines begins

its operations

to Colombo,

Sri Lanka.

The best airline in Europewhich flies the most countries inthe world, today added its 219thdestination and its 98th countryby commencing flights toColombo, capital of Sri Lanka.

Turkish Airlines willoperate flights to Colombo 5 daysper week on Mondays,Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridaysand Sundays in both directions,linking Colombo, also SriLanka's largest city and financialhub, to the worldwide network ofTurkish Airlines.

Embraer and

Republic sign USD

$250 Million

agreement for

Components Pool

Program

São José dos Campos, Brazil,February, 1st, 2013 – Embraerand Republic Airways havereached an agreement on a FlightHour Pool Program wherebyEmbraer will provide componentsupport for more than 400repairable part numbers,including systems such ashydraulic, electrical and enginecomponents, for Republic’s fleet.

The program has a value ofapproximately USD $250Million and will cover up to 308aircraft, potentially includingRepublic’s recent aircraft order of47 E175 aircraft and 47 options.The Republic E-Jets family ofaircraft will be covered throughFebruary 2020; the ERJ 145family will be covered throughDecember 2017. “This agreement with Republiccontinues to broaden and deepenour relationship with one of ourmost valued, long termcustomers,” said John Linn, VicePresident, Services and Support,North America, EmbraerCommercial Aviation, “We arevery proud of the trust the largestE-Jets operator in the world hasplaced in Embraer services.”

“As we look to achieve best-in-class economics in the operationof our aircraft fleet, we believe itmakes sense to leverage ourmanufacturing partners’ expertiseat the component MRO level,”said Republic CEO BryanBedford. “We are very confidentthat the Embraer Flight HourPool Program will provide thequality, timely service andnecessary maintenance savingsfor our growing E-jet fleet fromthis leading aircraftmanufacturer. We look forward toincorporating these benefits into

our operations.”

Embraer's Flight Hour PoolProgram, which is currentlysupporting more than thirtyairlines worldwide, is designed tominimize airlines’ up frontinvestment on high-valuerepairable inventories andresources, while takingadvantage of Embraer's technicalexpertise and its vast componentservice provider network. Theresults are a significant savingson repair and inventory carryingcosts, reduction in requiredwarehousing space, virtuallyeliminating the need forresources required for repairmanagement, and ultimately,guaranteed performance levels.

Air KBZ

introduces first

ATR -600 into

its fleetATR key to Myanmar airline'sfleet expansion andmodernization programThe first ATR 72-600 aircraft washanded over yesterday toMyanmar's domestic carrier AirKBZ. The Danish finance andleasing company Nordic AviationCapital (NAC) is providingfinancing for the transaction. The official ceremony whichtook place at the ATR DeliveryCenter in Toulouse, France, wasattended by senior managementfrom Air KBZ, NAC, and ATR.

NAC has also entered into an

agreement with Air KBZ for asecond ATR 72-600 aircraft to bedelivered in June this year. AirKBZ already operates four ATR72-500s in Myanmar. Air KBZ iskeen to further develop itsregional network, adding newroutes and frequencies to itsdomestic and regional markets.This fleet expansion will offer thegreatest benefits to airline'seconomic performance in thelong run due to the fuel-efficientperformance and superiorcomfort standards of the ATR 72-600 aircraft.

These new generation ATRsfeature a high comfort layoutseating 68 passengers. Thespacious and ergonomicallydesigned Armonia cabin offers itspassengers new light and slimseats with improved life space,LED mood lighting and wideroverhead bins

“We are pleased to welcome thenew ATR 72-600 to our alreadyexisting young fleet in line withour continued mission to developand provide superior air transportservices that will exceedcustomer expectations. The ATR-600 series aircraft's superioroperating economics and low fuelconsumption, advancedengineering design, lowemissions levels and excellentpassenger comfort ideally meetour requirement for 70-seataircraft. The acquisition of these2 new aircraft via NordicAviation Capital is integral to ournetwork expansion from ourregional hubs,” added Air KBZDeputy Managing Director, Mr

AVIATION NEWS


Khin Maung Myint.

Mats Ericson, NAC Head ofSales for Asia, said “We aredelighted to open a new market inMyanmar and to be part of thegrowth of Air KBZ's regionalnetwork. Myanmar is newemerging market which isquickly becoming an importantbusiness center in the South EastAsian region and we believe AirKBZ is perfectly placed there.The level of cooperation we haveachieved with the airline has beenexcellent from the outset and welook forward to doing morebusiness together in the future.We are proud to add the Air KBZname to our long list of satisfiedcustomers.”

“ATR is pleased to celebrate thisimportant moment with Air KBZand happy to keep oncontributing to the growth of thisprestigious Asian carrier”,commented ATR's ChiefExecutive Officer, FilippoBagnato. “The new ATR -600shave become very popular inAsia. We expect that the manyadvantages of these aircraft,especially the low operating costsand excellent performance, willcontribute to further expandregional air traffic in Myanmar, acountry that is poised forconsiderable growth and whereATR is already recognized as thepreferred regional transportaircraft.”

“Also, we are extremely proud tobenefit from the recognition ofsuch a reputed lessor as NAC andwe aim to continue increasingthis co-operation.” This provesthe excellent potential for theATR -600s – not only here inAsia where there is stronggrowth, but also with airlinesaround the world.

Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh,Pakistan’s Federal Minister ofFinance, presenting the Brand ofthe Year Award trophy to Mr.Amer Khan, Etihad Airway’sArea General Manager forPakistan Bangladesh and Nepal.

Also present in the photos are Mr.Zahid Malik, President of theBrand Foundation and Mr. TariqSaeed, Chairman of the BrandAward Council.

Etihad Airways

wins ‘Airline

Brand of the

Year’ award in

PakistanKarachi: – Etihad Airways, thenational airline of the UnitedArab Emirates, has bagged the‘Airline Brand of the YearAward’ organised by the BrandsFoundation.

The award, which is one of thehighest honours bestowed in thebusiness and corporatecommunities in Pakistan, wasawarded to the airline due to itspopularity, strong companyprofile and commitment to itscustomers as shown bynationwide surveys.

The Brands Foundation, a publiccompany monitored by thegovernment of Pakistan,organises the award annuallywith the aim of promotinghealthy competition among local,national and multinational brandsoperating in the country. The

Foundation’s governing bodyincludes Intellectual PropertyOrganization (IPO-Pakistan),Pakistan Standards QualityControl Authority (PSQCA), theMinistry of Finance and the

Ministry of Industries. It worksin collaboration with theInternational Brand Council thatranks brands globally

Amer Khan, Etihad Airways’Area General Manager forPakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, SriLanka and Maldives said: “Weare honoured and pleased to winthis prestigious award andbelieve it is a reflection of thepositive progress that has beenmade in establishing the EtihadAirways brand, the hard work ofour team, and the continuedinnovation in the inspirationaltravel experiences we offer ourguests.”

The Chief Executive of theBrands Foundation, ShaikhRashid Alam, said: “I’d like tocongratulate Etihad Airways onthis coveted award. EtihadAirways has consistentlyoutpaced the market with thelevel of innovation it brings to theairline industry, so it's no surpriseto see that it stands out as aleading brand in this category.”

Aero India 2013:

Rockwell Collins

showcases

advanced avionics,

simulation and

training and

communications

solutionsBANGALORE, India – At AeroIndia 2013, Rockwell Collinswill showcase its advancedavionics solutions for India, anddiscuss its continued investmentin the region through steadygrowth, strategic alliances andcommitment to build on existingcustomer relationships. Company representatives fromthe region will also be on hand todemonstrate the latest militarycommunication technology.The Rockwell Collins exhibit(Hall E, Stand E1.9.1) features aseries of interactive and liveproduct demonstrations thatreflect the company’s expansiveofferings for its customers inIndia and around the globe. Exhibit highlights include:• Virtual AvionicsProcedures Trainer (VAPT) – TheVAPT is based on RockwellCollins' advanced CORETMsimulation architecture andfeatures a modular, expandableand configurable combination ofc o m m e r c i a l - o f f - t h e - s h e l f(COTS) technology, PC-basedhardware and Rockwell Collinsre-hosted avionics software. • Rotary wing syntheticvision demonstration – RockwellCollins is developing a 3Dsynthetic vision-based imagerysystem that will be used withmultifunction radar. RockwellCollins is fusing radar data withterrain and obstacle data toproduce an integrated 3D view ofthe operational environment.• FlexNetTM radios –Available through a strategicagreement with Rockwell Collinsand Thales, FlexNet softwaredefined radio systems aremodular, open architecture,hardware and software systemsthat host a customized, high-datarate, networked waveform. Thewaveform provides military

AVIATION NEWS

Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh, Pakistan’s Federal Minister of

Finance,(former) presenting the Brand of the Year Award trophy to

Mr. Amer Khan, Etihad Airway’s Area General Manager for

Pakistan Bangladesh and Nepal. Also present in the photos are Mr.

Zahid Malik, President of the Brand Foundation and Mr. Tariq

Saeed, Chairman of the Brand Award Council.


forces with a mobile networkcapable of simultaneous voice,data and video communications.• Engine InstrumentDisplay System – RockwellCollins will display its EngineInstrument Display System(EIDS) capabilities with an iPaddemonstration. EIDS replicatesexisting engine indicators whileproviding rapid identification ofengine warnings through high-contrast color changes.

Embraer Defense

and Security

Delivers the First

Three A-29 Super

Tucano to the

National Air Force

of AngolaSão Paulo, – Embraer Defenseand Security delivered the firstthree light attack and advancedtraining A-29 Super Tucanoturboprops to the National AirForce of Angola, at a ceremonyheld in its facility in GaviãoPeixoto, São Paulo, Brazil, aspart of an total order for sixaircraft. Upon this deliveryAngola becomes the thirdoperator of the Super Tucano inthe African continent. Theairplane will be used for bordersurveillance missions.

“The selection of the SuperTucano by the National Air Forceof Angola demonstrates the greatpotential of this aircraft inAfrica,” said Luiz Carlos Aguiar,President of Embraer Defenseand Security. “It is a robust,

versatile and very efficientcombat-proven aircraft with lowoperating costs and has generatedgreat interest among otherAfrican nations.”

Ten clients around the world hasalready been chosen the A-29Super Tucano which is beingcurrently used by nine air forcesin Latin America, Africa andAsia. More than 160 aircraft arealready in operation and, so far,this international fleet has loggedmore than 170,000 flight hoursand 26,000 combat hours. The A-29 Super Tucano is able to carryout a wide range of missions,including light attack,surveillance, air-to-airinterception, andcounterinsurgency. The aircraft isequipped with advancedelectronic, electro-optic, infrared,and laser system technologies, aswell as secure radio systems withdata links and unrivalled weaponcapacity, which makes it highlyreliable and allows for anexcellent cost-benefit ratio for awide range of military missions,even operating from unpavedrunways and in hostileenvironments.

The A-29 Super Tucano handlesmore than 130 weaponconfigurations, including 70mmrocket launchers, air-to-airmissiles and laser-guided bombstotally integrated into theaircraft’s mission system, with alaser designator. These state-of-the-art smart weapons areemployed in real operationalmissions carried out by the SuperTucano for more than five years.The A-29 Super Tucano is the

result of a project developedaccording to the rigorousspecifications of the Brazilian AirForce. It is totally compatiblewith combat operations incomplex scenarios, in which dataexchange and informationprocessing capabilities aredemanded. In addition to areinforced airframe for operatingon unpaved runways, the airplanehas advanced navigation andweapon aiming systems, whichassure high precision andreliability, using bothconventional and smart weapons,even under extreme conditions.The aircraft requires minimallogistical support for continuedoperations.

ICAO

President to

Keynote

ABACE2013Washington, DC, - The NationalBusiness Aviation Association(NBAA) announced thatInternational Civil AviationOrganization (ICAO) CouncilPresident Roberto KobehGonzález will serve as a keynotespeaker at the 2013 edition of theAsian Business AviationConference & Exhibition(ABACE2013).Scheduled to take place April 16to 18, 2013 at ShanghaiHongqiao International Airport,ABACE is the region's largestshow dedicated strictly toshowcasing business aviationproducts and services tothousands of the region's topbusiness leaders, entrepreneursand other purchase decision-makers.“China and the broader Asianregion are playing an ever-increasing role in the globalaviation community, so it isfitting that the president of theworld’s aviation oversight bodywill speak at the OpeningGeneral Session for ABACE,”said NBAA President and CEOEd Bolen. “We thank President

Kobeh for joining us in Shanghaiand look forward to theperspectives and insights he’llprovide to open the show.”In a letter accepting Bolen’sinvitation to serve as an ABACEkeynote speaker, Kobeh noted hisparticipation there “will provideme with an excellent opportunityto meet with government officialsand industry leaders to discussthe future of business aviation inthe Asia and Pacific region, nowthe largest in the world in termsof passenger and freight traffic.”An engineer, former head of airnavigation services in Mexicoand former representative ofMexico on the Council of ICAO,Kobeh has served as president ofthe council since August 2006. Inaddition to being the keynotespeaker at the conference, Kobehwill also tour the ABACE showfloor in the Shanghai HawkerPacific Business Aviation ServiceCentre and the show’s StaticDisplay of Aircraft on the airport.Kobeh has previously appearedbefore the business aviationcommunity at NBAA-hostedevents. In 2008, he served as aspeaker at the Opening GeneralSession for the association’sAnnual Meeting & Convention inthe U.S. His address focused onseveral key issues facing thebusiness aviation communityincluding safety, security,airspace management andenvironmental concerns. In partnership with the ShanghaiAirport Authority, ABACE2013will be presented by NBAA, theAsian Business AviationAssociation and the ShanghaiExhibition Center.The event will feature more than200 exhibits showcasing businessaircraft, as well as aviationfinanciers, service providers,legal specialists and more. TheStatic Display of Aircraft willfeature more than 30 aircraftavailable for side-by-sidecomparison. Educational sessionsto be held throughoutABACE2013 will provideinformation on financing,purchasing, operating, andmaintaining a business aircraft.

AVIATION NEWS

Rockwell Collins sabreliner 50


Etihad Could

Take Stake In

India’s Jet

Airways This

WeekBy Jay MenonSource: Aviation DailyCorrespondent:India’s commerce minister saidhe will meet with a delegation ofMiddle-Eastern airlines on Jan.31, lending weight to industryspeculation that Etihad Airwaysis close to buying a 24% stake inJet Airways (India) Ltd.Commerce and Industry MinisterAnand Sharma says,” I can’tspeak for them [Etihad officials],but they are meeting me on Jan.31; then we will talk about it indetail.” He did not disclose theagenda of the meeting, however.Earlier in the day, Sharma heldbilateral talks with United ArabEmirates Foreign Trade MinisterSheikha Lubna bint Khalid alQasimi to discuss issues relatedto trade and investments.“Sharma informed that newopportunities have been createdby the recent policy reforms inIndia and invited UAE to investin various areas, especially in theinfrastructures sector,” says agovernment statement, releasedafter the closed-door meeting.The meetings add credibility toreports that the United ArabEmirates carrier is in talks to buya 24% stake in India’s second-largest carrier.

A government official wasquoted by local media during theday that a deal valued at 16billion rupees ($297 million) isalmost done and that anannouncement is expected thisweek.Jet Airways executives declinedcomment.Indian airlines have been in talkswith several airliners since thegovernment last Septemberallowed foreign carriers to buystakes of up to 49% in India’sairlines.Jet Airways recently told theBombay Stock Exchange (BSE)that it was in talks with Etihadregarding a potential stake sale.Yakutia Airlines First to OperateBombardier Q400 Aircraft inRussia

Will fly three

Q400 aircraft in

Russia and the

Commonwealth

of Independent

States (CIS)TORONTO, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - - BombardierAerospace welcomed YakutiaAirlines to the growing family ofBombardier Q400 aircraftoperators. Yakutia Airlines, adomestic passenger carrier basedin the northeast region of Russia,will fly three Q400 aircraft, withthe first one having arrived thisweek at Yakutsk Airport.

Yakutia Airline's new status as a

Q400 aircraft operator followsthe type approval that wasawarded in June 2012 by theInterstate Aviation Committee(IAC) - commonly known by itsRussian acronym, MAK. TheQ400 aircraft is the largestWestern-built turboprop aircraftto be awarded type approval foroperation in Russia and theCommonwealth of IndependentStates (CIS).

"This marks a wonderfulachievement and milestone forthe Q400 aircraft program. We'reproud to welcome yet anothernew operator to the family -Yakutia Airlines as the firstRussian-based operator," saidMike Arcamone, President,Bombardier CommercialAircraft. "The Q400 aircraft istailor-made for Yakutia Airline'sdiverse route network thatprovides regional airline serviceto one of the largest territories inthe world," said Mr. Arcamone.

"The powerful, yet fuel-efficientQ400 turboprop was selected forYakutia's operations because ofits high speed, which will allowus to cover long sectors; itsability to operate on unpavedrunways; and importantly - itscapability in the difficultconditions that northeast Russiapresents, including high windsand extreme cold in the winter,"noted Ivan Prostit, GeneralDirector of Yakutia Airlines. "Weexpect that the combination ofpassenger comfort and lowoperating cost offered by theQ400 aircraft will allow us tooptimise our regionaloperations."

Powered by two new-generation,5,071-shaft horsepower (shp)PW150A engines, and capable offlying at a speed of up to 360knots (667 km/h), the Q400aircraft can quickly climb toturbulence-free altitudes, and canalso provide fast access to theremote airports of the Siberianregion of the Russian Federation.

Bombardier has booked firmorders for 463 Q400 and Q400NextGen turboprops, anddelivered aircraft are in servicewith more than 40 operators inover 30 countries, on fivecontinents. These aircraft havetransported more than 243million passengers and havelogged more than 3.8 millionflight hours and over 4.1milliontake-offs and landings.

Passenger

Demand Grew

as Air Cargo

Declined in

2012(Geneva) - The International Air

Transport Association (IATA)announced full-year traffic datafor 2012 showing a 5.3% year-on-year increase in passengerdemand and a 1.5% fall for cargo.

The 5.3% increase in passengerdemand was slightly down on2011 growth of 5.9% but abovethe 5% twenty-year average.Load factors for the year werenear record levels at 79.1%.Demand in international marketsexpanded at a faster rate (6.0%)

AVIATION NEWS


than domestic travel (4.0%). Inboth cases emerging marketswere the main drivers of growth.

The 1.5% fall in demand for aircargo compared to 2011 markedthe second consecutive year ofdecline, following a 0.6%contraction in 2011. The freightload factor for the year was45.2%.

“Passenger demand grewstrongly in 2012 despite theeconomic bad news thatdominated much of the lasttwelve months. Thisdemonstrates just how integralglobal air travel is for today’sconnected world. At the sametime, near-record load factorsillustrate the extreme care withwhich airlines manage capacity.Growth and high aircraftutilization combined to helpairlines deliver an estimated $6.7billion profit in 2012 despite highfuel prices. But with a net profitmargin of just 1.0% the industryis only just keeping its headabove water,” said Tony Tyler,IATA’s Director General andCEO.

“In contrast to the growth inpassenger markets the air cargomarket contracted by 1.5%. Theindustry suffered a one-twopunch. World trade declinedsharply. And the goods that weretraded shifted towards bulkcommodities more suited for seashipping. The outstanding brightspot was the development oftrade between Asia and Africa

which supported strong growthfor airlines based in the MiddleEast (14.7%) and Africa (7.1%),”said Tyler.

International Passenger Demand

International passenger demandgrew by 6.0% in 2012. Thestrongest growth came fromemerging markets, particularlythe Middle East (15.4%), LatinAmerica (8.4%) and Africa(7.5%). Capacity grew moreslowly than demand (4.0%)supporting a near record levelinternational load factor of78.9%.

Asia-Pacific carriers sawpassenger growth of 5.2% in2012 which was stronger than the4.0% growth in 2011, though the2011 figures were affected by theJapanese tsunami. The 2012performance was in line with theglobal average and contributedabout a fifth of the total industrygrowth. After a slow start, thefourth quarter was boosted by arevival in the Chinese economyand strengthening momentum inAsian exports and imports.Capacity expansion of just 3.0%for the year kept the load factor ata healthy average of 77.5%.

European airlines’ passengertraffic expanded 5.3% in 2012,sharply down on the 9.5% growthof 2011. Growth was generatedby the long-haul performance ofEurozone airlines (within-EUtravel stagnated due to sloweconomic growth). Additionally,around a quarter of the growth inEuropean airline internationaltraffic came from airlines outsideof the Eurozone (Turkey being amajor contributor). Capacityincreased by 3.1%, pushing thefull-year average load factor to80.5%. Combined with otherbenefits of industryconsolidation, the Europeanindustry broke even on theyear—a much stronger financialperformance than would beexpected under such harsheconomic conditions.

North American carriers reportedthe slowest internationalpassenger growth of any region at1.3% (down from 4.1% in 2011).Restructuring, consolidation, andtight capacity management(down 0.3% for the year)delivered the highest load factor(82.0%), contributing to anestimated $2.4 billion profit.

Middle East airlines contributedalmost a third of the totalexpansion in internationalpassenger markets with 15.4%growth (ahead of the 8.9%growth recorded in 2011 that wasimpacted by the Arab Spring).This was achieved with acapacity expansion of 12.5%while improving the load factorto 77.4%. The region’s carriersincreased the connectivity oftheir expanding hubs withsignificant increases in bothnetwork (destinations) andfrequency. Despite the expansion,the improved load factorindicates that the growth issustainable and that airlines in theregion have been successful inattracting new passengers.

Latin American carriers recorded8.4% demand growth in 2012.This was the second-strongestperformance (after the MiddleEast) and was supported by risingincomes and fallingunemployment in the region(particularly Brazil). Capacityexpanded more slowly thandemand (7.5%) and the loadfactor stood at 77.9% for the year.

African airlines had a solid year

of growth, up 7.5%, as thecontinent’s economic expansiondrove traffic demand. Capacityexpansion of 7.1% was justbelow traffic growth. Thisimproved the load factor to67.1%, but it was still theweakest of all regions.

Domestic Passenger Demand

Domestic air travel grew by 4.0%in 2012. China (9.5%) and Brazil(8.6%) were the strongestperformers. India was theweakest with a 2.1% contractionon 2011 levels. Total capacitygrowth (3.8%) was in line withdemand (4.0%) and the domesticload factor stood at 79.5%.

US traffic expanded by 0.8% in2012 (down from 1.5% in 2011),and capacity grew by just half ofthat at 0.4%. This supported an83.4% load factor—the strongestamong the major markets. Theslowdown reflects the maturityand subdued economic growth ofthe US market which accountsfor about half of all domestictravel.

China and Brazil showed thestrongest demand growth in2012, of 9.5% and 8.6%respectively. They both increasedcapacity, but Chinese capacitygrowth of 11.3% outstrippeddemand, whereas Brazil’s 4.8%was around half the trafficincrease. Nevertheless, at 80.9%,Chinese load factor remainedstrong, and considerably higherthan Brazil’s 71.8%.

AVIATION NEWS

Tony Tyler, IATA’s Director

General and CEO.


Japan’s domestic market sawdemand grow by 3.6% in 2012while capacity expanded by2.3%. Japanese domestic demandcontinues to suffer from a weakeconomy that stalled the recoveryfrom the 2011 earthquake andtsunami. Japan’s domestic marketremains 7% smaller than pre-tsunami levels with the weakestload factor (62.0%) among themajor domestic markets.

Indian domestic travel shrank by2.1% on 2011 levels. Weakeconomic growth wasexacerbated by increasingoperational costs, insufficientinfrastructure, high taxes andonerous regulation. Capacitygrowth fell to 0.3% (from 16.2%in 2011) and the average loadfactor for the year was 72.9%.

Air Cargo (Domestic andInternational)

Air freight markets declined for asecond straight year, falling afurther 1.5% in 2012 after a 0.6%decline in 2011. Air cargo hascome under pressure from aslowdown in world trade growth,and shifts in the freightcommodity mix. Expandingemerging economies have drivendemand for bulk items carried bysea, while economic weakness inthe West dampened demand forhigh-value consumer goodstransported by air. Freightcapacity grew just 0.2% over theyear, and the freight load factorwas 45.2%.

Asia-Pacific airlines (the largestplayers in the air cargo market)reported a 5.5% decline indemand and cut capacity by2.4%. As the world’s majormanufacturing center, the regionsuffered from the slowdown indemand from Western markets.The freight load factor, althoughremaining the highest of allregions at 56.1%, fell moresharply than anywhere else,hurting cargo profitability.

European and North Americancarriers also saw falls in freight

demand, of 2.9% and 0.5%respectively. European carriersincreased its capacity by 0.3%which led to the load factorfalling to 47.2%. North Americancarriers managed to reducecapacity by 2.0%, ahead of thefall in demand, but it still left theregion’s freight load factor at35.0%, the second weakest of anyregion.

Latin American airlines sawfreight demand decline by 1.2%,but capacity grew 4.9% over theyear, leaving the load factor tofall to 38.3%.

African and Middle Easterncarriers were beneficiaries of newtrade lanes and developing tradelinks between the two regions.Freight demand grew 7.1% and14.7% respectively, bothimprovements on 2011 when theMiddle East expanded 8.2% andAfrica declined by 2.1%. TheMiddle East had the fastestcapacity expansion of any freightregion (11.4%) but the load factorstill improved to 44.8%. Africa’sfreight capacity grew 9.2%,outstripping demand. The freightload factor fell to just 24.7%, thelowest of any region by asignificant margin.

The Bottom Line

“We are entering 2013 with someguarded optimism. Businessconfidence is up. The Eurozonesituation is more stable than itwas a year-ago and the USavoided the fiscal cliff.Significant headwinds remain.There is no end in sight for highfuel prices and GDP growth isprojected at just 2.3%. Butimproved business confidenceshould help cargo markets torecover the lost ground from2012. And the momentum built-up at the year-end should see thepassenger business expand closeto the 5% historical growth trend.2013 will not be a banner year forprofitability, but we should seesome improvement on 2012,”said Tyler.

In its December outlook for2013, IATA projected that 2013would see 4.5% growth inpassenger markets and 1.4%growth for cargo demand. Thatwill contribute to animprovement in profitabilityfrom $6.7 billion (1.0% net profitmargin) in 2012 to $8.4 billion(1.3% net profit margin) in 2013.

U.S. Coast Guard

completes

successful HC-130H

test flight with

Rockwell Collins

avionics upgradeCEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa– TheU.S. Coast Guard recentlycompleted a successfulFunctional Check Flight of anHC-130H aircraft enhanced withan advanced avionics upgradefrom Rockwell Collins under theCoast Guard’s Avionics 1Upgrade program.The flight marked the completionof a significant cockpit andavionics upgrade managed byRockwell Collins. The upgradeincludes incorporation of fourmulti-function displays, a newdigital autopilot, and aCommunications, Navigation andSurveillance/Air TrafficManagement (CNS/ATM)equipment suite for compliancewith the latest airspace mandates.Rockwell Collins had previouslyupgraded the Coast Guard’s HC-130H fleet with its newMultiScanTM Hazard DetectionWeather Radar.“Rockwell Collins and the CoastGuard have developed a strongrelationship over the years andthis most recent successful flighttest adds another chapter to thatstory,” said Troy Brunk, vicepresident and general manager ofAirborne Solutions for RockwellCollins. “We’re continuing to addto our track record as the leadingprovider of cost-effective C-130avionics upgrades, havingcompleted more than 125 C-130upgrades worldwide over the lastdecade.”

The upgrade reduces pilotworkload while improvingsituational awareness throughenhanced CNS/ATM flightmanagement capability,incorporating the MultiScanTMHazard Detection Weather Radarsystem for aircrew situationalawareness, as well asimplementing AutomaticDependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B), RequiredNavigation Performance AreaNavigation (RNP RNAV)functions with digital takeoff andlanding data computations, andproviding key search and rescuepatterns. In particular, aircrewswill appreciate the fullyintegrated Class III electronicflight bag with digital mapoverlays on the cockpits new 6-inch by 8-inch multi-functiondisplays.

Turkish Airlines

adds to Libreville,

Gabon to its

African networkThe best airline in Europe whichflies to the most countries in theworld, today added its 97thcountry by commencing flights toLibreville, Gabon.

Turkish Airlines will operateflights from Istanbul, via Douala,to Libreville, its 34th destinationin Africa, 3 days per week in bothdirections.

Days Departure/ArrivalIstanbul – Douala – LibrevilleTuesday, Thursday, Sunday17:45 / 23:55 00:55 / 02:10 (TK 591)Libreville – IstanbulMonday, Wednesday, Friday 03:10 / 11 : 30 (TK 591)*All times are in LMT.

AVIATION NEWS


RockwellCollins signs

comprehensiveservice

agreement withEmirates

CEDAR RAPID, Iowa –Rockwell Collins has signed aservice agreement with Dubai-based Emirates Airline formaintenance, repair and overhaul(MRO) of Rockwell Collinsavionics on Emirates’ fleet.The five-year agreement providesfixed repair costs and guaranteedturnaround times. RockwellCollins’ extensive global sparepool enables Emirates tooptimize its material holdingswhile minimizing aircraftdowntime.“We are very pleased to be able tocontinue to provide OEM-qualityMRO services to Emirates undera long-term agreement thatsupports their continued fleetexpansion,” Scott Gunnufson,vice president and generalmanager, Service Solutions forRockwell Collins.Rockwell Collins’ global networkof more than 80 locationsprovides repair and overhaul ofavionics equipment for more than6,000 commercial, business,corporate and militaryoperations. Additional logisticscapabilities include on-boardservices, service parts, trainingand simulator systems and

services, technical informationservices and technical services.

Amadeus

awarded top

sector ranking

as European

R&D leader in

travel and

tourism

• Annual EC list of top1,000 companies for R&Dpublished

• €347.5m investment in2011ranks Amadeus top again intravel and tourism

Amadeus, a leadingtechnology partner forthe global travel industry,

has again maintained its topsector ranking as one of theleading companies in Europe forinvestment in Research &Development (R&D) accordingto the European Commission(EC).

The 2012 EU Industrial R&DInvestment Scoreboard, anannual report published by theEC,examines the largest 1,000European companies investing inR&D during 2011 and ranks themaccording to the total amountinvested.

Amadeus invested €347.5 million

during 2011, an increase of 6.7%on 2010, to research and developtechnologies for use in the travelsector. This investmentrepresented 12.7% ofrevenuesand helped the companymaintain it number one positionin Europe by total R&Dinvestment in the area of traveland tourism.

Hervé Couturier, Executive VicePresident, R&D at Amadeussays: “Naturally we are verypleased to see that our investmentin R&D has beenhighlightedagain by thisimportant European Commissionstudy. Equallywe are very proudto be ranked again as a leader inthe travel and tourism area. Thisfurther emphasises our reputationfor innovation, with many yearsof experience inpioneering travelindustry products and initiativessuch as Altéa and, more recently,Amadeus FeaturedResults.Nonetheless, our desirefor innovation has not yet beensatisfied and R&D willcontinueto inspire our evolutionas a large-scale technologypioneer.”

This news follows the EuropeanInvestment Bank (EIB), theEuropean Union’s long-termfinancing institution, in Maygranting a €200 million loan toAmadeusto finance the research& development of a variety ofprojects in the area of IT forairlines, airports, hotels, and railbetween 2012 and 2014.

Innovation is one of the driversbehind Amadeus’ progress andgrowth, which has allowed thecompany’s technology to achievean outstandingly competitiveposition within the market. Totalinvestment betweenthe years2004 and 2011 was more than €2billion.

Amadeus has sixteen R&Dcentres around the world (Nice,London, Sydney, Antwerp,Aachen, Frankfurt, Boston,Miami, Toronto, Strasbourg,Tucson, Bangalore, Bogota,

Warsaw, Istanbul and Bangkok),which currently house a team ofover 4,500 people.

In recent years Amadeus’ R&Defforts have been particularlyfocused on:

e Extremely highperformance transactionprocessing under stringentsystem availability anddependability requirements;e Information miningfrom very large data-bases;e Super-responsive travelsearch engines;e M u l t i - c h a n n e lcustomer servicing applications(agent desktop, web, kiosk,mobile, tablets);e Pioneering the use ofopen systems.

Examples of the impact this hashad on innovation in Amadeusproducts and services in recentyears include:

e At thePhoCusWrightTravel InnovationSummit in Arizona in Novemberthis year, Amadeus previewed itspatent-pending AmadeusFeatured Results solution, whichis a search solution whichrevolutionises the way that flightoptions are presented. Vayama, aleading online travel agencyuniquely focused on internationaltravel, is the first pilot customerto implement the solution in betaform on its website, including100 origin and destinationcombinations. Full global marketavailability for Featured Resultsis scheduled for early 2013.

e In September this yearAmadeus published 'Open forbusiness’, which was authored byleading technology expertProfessor Jim Norton. The reportmakes the case for the travelindustry to embrace open sourcesoftware in order to benefit fromgreater innovation, respond fasterto industry change and reducecosts, whilst freeing the industryfrom its reliance on proprietarysoftware to provide

AVIATION NEWS

Recently Waqas

Travels Islamabad

has opened its

office in Lahore.

Seen in the Picture

AVP Sales &

Marketing North

Pakistan, Fareed

Rehman was

greeting CEO

Waqas Travels, Mr

Waqas Ahmed on

the occasion


g r e a t e r c o m p e t i t i v eadvantage.Amadeus haspioneered the use of opensystems within its business, at theoperating system level Amadeusis successfully transitioning fromproprietary systems to Linux torun its leading Altéa suite forairlines.Leading innovations online,including Amadeus e-Retail,Amadeus Dynamic WebsiteManager and Amadeus ExtremeSearch have been built withextensive use of open sourcecomponents in a way that wouldnot be possible using legacycomponents. Amadeus ARIA™Templates – the framework uponwhich Amadeus IT Group’s websolutions are based – has recentlybeen made open source, allowingthird party developers to use itwithout charge.

e C o n t i n u e ddevelopment of the AmadeusAltéaSuite, a community-basedairline IT platform that consistsof three solutions coveringreservation, inventorymanagement and departurecontrol. The Altéa portfolio hasmarked a technological andfunctional breakthrough in theairline industry – with 122airlines already contracted to useboth Altéa Reservation andInventory. Based upon thesecontracts, Amadeus estimatesthat by 2014 the number ofPassengers Boarded(PB) will bemore than 760 million.Creation of Amadeus Total Rail,which enables railways tomanage operations and sell seatsacross multiple sales channels, byallowing travel sellers access tobook rail and air services side-by-side within the same solution.The offering includes AmadeusGlobal Rail Sales Platform,which is the first rail GDS onoffer, and Amadeus RailOperations Engine, which allowsrailway companies to manageschedules, inventory, fares andpricing.Amadeus Rail works withover 100 railway companiesaround the worldand employsover 200 rail experts.

Development of the AmadeusHotel Platform, a solution forhotel chains which combinescentral reservation, propertymanagement and globaldistribution systems into onefully integrated platform. Thisrecently-launched platform isdesigned to support hotels in thecurrent age of globalisation andexpansion, enabling them torespond to changing travellerdemands.

e Development ofancillary services solutions aspart of our commitment tohelping airlines adapt and evolvetheir ancillary services strategy

so that customers can move theirfocus from pure revenue todelivering profitability. AmadeusAirline Ancillary Services is anend-to-end solution whichenables airlines to distribute(display, book, price and pay)services across all channels infull compliance with industrystandards. Amadeus hasdeveloped a unique interactivecatalogue which clearly displaysthe range of additional airlineservices available allowing travelagencies to view, book and up-sell ancillary services quickly andefficiently. At the end ofSeptember this year, 46 airlineshad signed upfor AmadeusAncillary Services for the directand/or indirect channel, 21 ofwhich had signed up tosellancillary services using theAmadeus solution in the indirectchannel. Ancillary services arebeing soldthrough travel agenciesin 16 countries for nine of these

airlines, including airberlin, AirCaraïbes, AirFrance, Corsair,Finnair, Iberia, KLM, NIKI andQantas.

airBaltic Cargo

Breaks

Monthly

RecordRiga. Latvian airline airBalticachieved a new monthly cargorecord by carrying 1 006 692kilograms in December 2012, up+ 14% compared to the samemonth a year ago.

As increasingly more customerstook advantage of airBaltic’stransit service via Riga to/ from60 destinations in Europe,Middle East and Russia/CIS, theairline carried 628 286 kilogramsof mail and 378 406 kilograms ofcargo, for the first time achievingthe 1 million kilogram mark in asingle month.

As announced earlier, the airlinecarried 181,593 passengers inDecember in its networkspanning Europe, Scandinavia,Russia, CIS and the Middle East.During the year 2012, a total of3,089,406 passengers wereserved by airBaltic’s aircraft.

Embraer Executive Jets’ Legacy450, 500 and 650 honored byluxury press

Beijing, China, January 29, 2013– In a further confirmation of the

break-through role EmbraerExecutive Jets has in the businessaviation industry, the HurunReport has named the Legacy650 as the Large-Size BusinessJet Star Performer in the recentNinth Hurun Best-of the-BestAwards Ceremony in ShanghaiChina. The publication alsonamed the Legacy 500 the BestNew Arrival in business jets inJanuary 2012.

The move adds anotherdistinguished award to the fourreceived in the last 12 monthsfrom luxury publishing brands.Since 2007, Embraer ExecutiveJets has received more than adozen international design andinnovation awards. The HurunReport is read by China’s high-net-worth individuals and isconsidered one of the mostinfluential publications of theluxury genre in the country.

“We have brought several newand innovative features with eachof the business aircraft we haveoffered on the market and it isvery rewarding for them to berecognized by the HurunReport,” said Ernest Edwards,President, Embraer ExecutiveJets. “Clearly, our reliance oncustomers to help design theirideal aircraft is an effectivestrategy and is reflected in therecognition by our mostchallenging analysts – theworldwide luxury and aviationpress. This is an outstandingachievement for any businessaviation company.”

In addition, in May, the Legacy500 and the Legacy 450, EmbraerExecutive Jets’ latest, clean-sheetdesigns, received the ForemostLuxury Brand Award byGaFencu, a leading luxury andlifestyle magazine, while theLegacy 650 was honored with theBest Executive Jet Award by theRobb Report, one of the topluxury and lifestyle mediabrands. Finally, the Legacy 650also received the Best ExecutiveJet Brand Award by InsiderReport, a key influential lifestyle

AVIATION NEWS


publication.

The awards confirm the marketacceptance and leadershipposition of Embraer ExecutiveJets in China. The Legacy 650was chosen by Jackie Chan,world renowned film star, for hisinternational transportation. Chanwas later named BrandAmbassador for EmbraerExecutive Jets. Caption: Travel Agent Association ofPakistan TAAP hosted AFarewell Dinner in honor of AMInternational Air TransportAssociation IATA Pakistan GhaziObaid on this occasion photoshows Chairman TAAPMuhammad Iqbal, VC TAAPAnwar Rashid, Chairman FPCCIAviation Committee YahyaPolani, Country Manager IATAPakistan Mustufa Khan, HajiYousuf, Hanif Rinch, NadeemSharif, Parvez Hussain, KenMarshal, Rizwan Marchant,Sohail Younus and other areshows in group..

Etihad Airways

records profit

for second year

runningKarachi- Etihad Airways, thenational airline of the UnitedArab Emirates, was profitableagain in 2012. The airline’sPresident and Chief Executive,James Hogan, made the

announcement during his keynoteaddress at the Global AirfinanceConference in Dublin.

The 2012 result follows EtihadAirways’ maiden profit in 2011of USD14 million. During hisspeech to more than 1,000delegates in the Irish capital, MrHogan added that more details ofthe airline’s financial resultswould be released next month.

The 15th Annual GlobalAirfinance Conference includesdelegates from the world’s largestairlines, leasing companies,commercial banks, export creditagencies, private equity firms,investment banks, manufacturers,law firms and other aircraftfinancing organisations.

Mr Hogan said: “Etihad Airwayshas achieved double-digitpassenger and revenue growth inrecent years and establishedworld-class product and service.This could not have beenachieved without the airlineearning the confidence of theleading global financialinstitutions. We are set to postour second successive profitwhich is rare in the currentuncertain economic climate andillustrates the impact and successthat the Etihad Airways’ uniquebusiness model has made.”

Etihad Airways carried more than215,000 passengers between AbuDhabi and Dublin in 2012, withthe route once again in theairline’s top 10 most popular.

Bombardier

expands business

aircraft support

network in Nigeria

with addition of

Authorized Service

Facility• ExecuJet Nigeria appointedLine Maintenance Facility forChallenger 300,Challenger 604,Challenger 605, Global 5000,Global 6000, Global Express andGlobal Express XRS businessjetsMontreal, – BombardierAerospace increased itsaftermarket service network forbusiness aircraft customers withthe addition of a LineMaintenance Facility (LMF) inNigeria.ExecuJet Nigeria in Lagos hasbeen named an LMF forChallenger 300, Challenger 604,Challenger 605, Global 5000,Global 6000, Global Express andGlobal Express XRS businessjets.The facility will complementExecuJet’s centre in Lanseria,South Africa, which has been partof Bombardier’s AuthorizedService Facility (ASF) networksince 2002.“ExecuJet has greatlycollaborated with Bombardierthroughout the years. Theircommitment to excellencecoupled with their knowledge ofour products make them anexcellent choice for ourBombardier operators in theregion,” said Éric Martel,President, Customer Services &Specialized and AmphibiousAircraft, Bombardier Aerospace.“The ExecuJet authorizedfacilities around the world are animportant part of our overallnetwork and we look forward tomany years of continuingcollaboration.”The Nigeria facility, located atMurtala MuhammedInternational Airport in Lagos,features a 4,700 sq. meter(approximately 50,590 sq. ft.)

maintenance hangar and 25,500sq. meter (approximately 274,479sq. feet) apron. ExecuJet has beenproviding maintenance servicesfor business aviation in Lagos forthe last year and for over 10 yearsat its Lanseria InternationalAirport location in Johannesburg."We are honored to have beenappointed as a MaintenanceFacility by Bombardier in Lagos,Nigeria and this complements theservices offered by ourBombardier ASF facility inLanseria. Having obtained AMOcertification from the NigerianCivil Aviation Authorities andSouth African Line Stationauthorization for the world-classmaintenance and FBO facility inMurtala MuhammedInternational Airport, it isExecuJet Nigeria’s intention tobecome full EASA certified thisyear and is aiming to achieve thisstatus by end of the secondquarter," said Ettore Poggi,Managing Director, ExecuJetAfrica.The announcement brings thenumber of Bombardier ASFs andLMFs, catering to Bombardier’sbusiness and commercial aircraftcustomers worldwide, to morethan 60 facilities. These aresupported by nine Bombardier-owned service centres in NorthAmerica and Europe. In the pasttwo years alone, Bombardier hasgranted more than a dozen newASF and LMF designations inlocations worldwide, expandedcapacity and scope at its firstwholly owned service centreoutside of North America, atSchiphol Airport in Amsterdam,and announced a new whollyowned facility for businessaircraft to be opened in Singaporein 2013.

AIME & MRO

2013 closed in

Dubai3,000 attendees from 70countries, including 16 HostedBuyers and more than 100airlines

AVIATION NEWS


Dubai, UAE. – The fourthrunning of Aircraft InteriorsMiddle East (AIME) co-locatedwith the fifth Maintenance,Repair and Overhaul (MRO)shows closed its two day 2013edition at their new venue –Dubai World Trade Centre.The very first aviation events ofthe year opened with an industryaudience which soared 25% on2012 to 3,000 attendees from 70countries more than the previousshow. Dieter Dhondt, Head of Sales &Marketing, THALES said: “Thisis our first time exhibiting in theMiddle East. The show went verywell - we met with new andexisting customers and we

noticed in attendance countriessuch as India, Pakistan andEthiopia. We anticipate comingback next year.” The show was inaugurated byHH Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed AlMaktoum, President, Dubai CivilAviation Authority and Chairmanof the Emirates Group and DubaiAirports who spent an hourtouring the 6,000 square metreshow including the new-to-market country pavilionsrepresenting the Netherlands andIreland, joining an alreadyestablished French Pavilion. In-flight entertainment is one ofthe great touch points between anairline and its customers and forthe first time AIME showcasedan Inflight entertainment andconnectivity (IFEC) pavilionwhere, new to show exhibitor -Gogo announced that to date ithas been selected to outfit morethan 400 aircraft with its Ku-bandsatellite connectivity servicesacross several major airlinesoperating in the U.S andinternationally. Dave Skwarek,International MarketingCommunications Manager ofGogo said: “As demandincreases, technology evolves.” Meanwhile, Sabeti WainAerospace Ltd known in theindustry for design, development,comfort and taking weight offtheir seats - Director, PaymenSabeti at the show said: “Weprefer the new venue and thequality of visitors has beenoutstanding. We tend to exhibit

every year as we have manycustomers in the region – it isvital we take part in AIME toremind them we are still local.”Exhibitor levels were also up by15% on 2012 with 226 exhibitors– the industry was abuzz withupbeat forecasts for an industry -regional leaders claim, is on aclear growth threshold. Yen-Pu Paul Chen, AviationWeek’s Director-forecasts andanalytics said: “The average ageof Middle East based aircraft isdeclining from the current 10.8years to 9.4 years, which alreadycompares well to the rest of theworld - but he said the share ofthe global MRO market willalmost double from 3.5% to6.1%, creating multipleopportunities. This equates to anannual growth of more than 8%annually; but much of this couldbe done in-house as airlines suchas Emirates grow their ownfacilities and capabilities.”Meanwhile the establishedHosted Buyers programme,which offered an effective andstructured way to connect airlinebuyers with new and existingsuppliers and providers washeralded a success by the sixteenHosted Buyers who were present- first time Hosted BuyerJayakrishnan, Group ChiefProcurement Officer, NASHolding mentioned: “The show isan excellent platform for businessinteractions and provides us anideal opportunity to meet up withall the right people, most of themsuppliers with whom you interactwith on a day to day basis but youdon’t get to meet them face toface. As a hosted buyer you havea chartered out programme ofmeetings - it makes it easier thanroaming around trying to catcheveryone. It is great to be hereand I hope to see more of theseevents happening in Dubai andthe region.”

The MRO Conference wasthemed ‘Fostering Growththrough Innovation andCollaboration,’ and tackled issuessurrounding manpower shortages- the closing keynote address of

the conference saw Mr. AhmadA. Alzabin, Chairman & CEO,ALAFCO Aviation Lease andFinance Company saying: “Ourman power requirements as perour business plan is around 9million man hours per year. Ifyou transfer this to the number ofemployees it will work out at7820 workers, our currentworkforce is dropping very fastmainly due to retirement so fornow for us to achieve ourbusiness plan we need to hirealmost 4500 people and in ourpart of the world there is no 4500people that are qualified so wehave to hire them, train them,certify them, transfer theirexperience and keep themmotivated - this is a very big job.But we are lucky in Saudi Arabiaas the government will help -they will pay for a lot ofeducation as long as weguarantee employment.”

Returning MRO exhibitor RamcoSystems (global Aviationsoftware provider) got theopportunity to conclude a mastersupply agreement with homeairline Emirates. Mr. VirenderAggarwal, CEO, RamcoSystems, said: “It’s been a greatstart to the new year with Ramcoadding Emirates to its growingAviation customers. We havesigned the master supplyagreement for five years with theEmirates Group. We have beengrowing our footprint in theglobal aviation industry and areexcited about this undertaking.”This was the fifth edition ofMRO and fourth of AIME, thenext events will take place 5 to 6February 2014.

Vector Aerospace

Renews Engine

Services Agreement

with Air Greenland– Vector Aerospace Corporation

(Vector), a global independentprovider of aviation maintenance,repair and overhaul (MRO)services is pleased to announcethe renewal of its current engine

AVIATION NEWS

The Gogo exhibition stand at AIME showcasing the latest in on-board Wi-Fi and connectivity.

Ahmad A. Alzabin, Chairman &CEO, ALAFCO Aviation Lease &Finance Company delivering hisclosing keynote speech at theMRO conference.


services agreement with AirGreenland, based in Nuuk,Greenland.

As per the terms of the two-yearextension of this exclusiveagreement, Vector provides AirGreenland with fixed and rotarywing aircraft engine repair andoverhaul support from its VectorAerospace Engine Services -Atlantic facility in Summerside,Prince Edward Island, Canadaand from its Vector AerospaceHelicopter Services – NorthAmerica facility in Richmond,British Columbia, Canada. AirGreenland is also supported byVectors network of servicecentres in the United States andin Europe.

“Securing this agreement withVector is a great accomplishmentfor all the parties involved,” saysPeter Bjerre, technical director ofAir Greenland. “We have workedwith Vector for many years andhave found that their teamdelivers outstanding customerservice, which we require, at avery competitive price.”

“We are very pleased to becontinuing our long standingrelationship with Air Greenland,”says Jeff Poirier, president ofVector Aerospace EngineServices – Atlantic. “Ourcommitment to providingcomprehensive support and greatvalue to Air Greenland and its

customers is demonstrated dailyby our highly trained personnel.We believe this latest agreementis a direct reflection of Vectorsunique ability to provide bothfixed and rotary wing service toits customers; making us the idealchoice for multi-platformoperators worldwide.”

Poirier elaborates that theagreement with Air Greenlandincludes various repairs, hotsection inspections,modifications, overhaul services,and test support on the P&WCPT6A, PW123 and PT6T seriesengines.

Rockwell Collins

launches MaxView

Enhanced Security

for commercial and

military network

managementCEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa–Rockwell Collins has launchedthe newest version of itsMaxView® Enhanced Security,the first commercially availablemonitor and control softwarewith enhanced security attributesdesigned to meet stringentstandards for operations on bothgovernment and commercialnetworks. “Network security concerns areincreasing in government andcommercial environments.

Customers cannot riskvulnerabilities and compromisesaffecting network availability,electronic communications andbusiness transactions. It is ourpriority and commitment tocustomers to provide softwarewith the highest securitystandards to manage bothcommercial and militarynetworks,” said Bob Haag, vicepresident and general manager ofCommunication and NavigationProducts for Rockwell Collins.MaxView is a powerful andversatile software suite. Itsmodular framework and intuitiveuser interface enable users tomanage local and remotenetworks, automate complexservice tasks and unifymanagement of disparate systemsinto one view. By managingnetworks in one view andeliminating the need for separateproprietary network managementsystems, MaxView minimizesoperational complexity, trainingand support costs and helpscustomers identify and solveproblems before they impactbusiness.For government networkenvironments, the launch of thelatest release of MaxViewEnhanced Security providesadditional security attributescomplying with stringentDefense Information SystemsAgency (DISA) SecurityTechnical ImplementationGuides (STIGs). These STIGsensure secure configurationsincluding operating systems,network devices such as routersand firewalls, and both enterpriseand desktop applications. TheSTIGs are mandatory for manyfederal agencies and militarybranches.For commercial networkenvironments, customers willalso benefit from the additionalsecurity attributes in the latestrelease of MaxView. Theseattributes result in reduced risk ofsecurity vulnerabilities,preserving high levels of networkand communications availabilityand data integrity. Commercialapplications include satellite

service providers, broadcastersand media providers. Installed and supported on morethan 600 systems in 40 countrieson all seven continents,MaxView enables local andremote network management. Asa vendor-agnostic product,network management across alltypes of hardware andtechnologies is readily available.

GulfstreamLincoln named

authorizedservice station

by HowellInstruments

SAVANNAH, Ga., — TheGulfstream Aerospace Corp.facility in Lincoln, Calif., wasnamed the first U.S.-basedauthorized service station forHowell Instruments Inc. Howell, located in Fort Worth,Texas, engineers, manufacturesand repairs instrumentation,engine monitoring systems andground support equipment forcivilian and military aircraft. Gulfstream Lincoln’s capabilitiesfor the Howell product lineinclude testing and repair ofinterstage turbine temperatureindicators, AUTOTEMP®indicators, AUTOTAK®indicators, engine pressure ratioindicators, fuel flow indicators,fan speed indicators, fan speedamplifiers and tachometers.Many of these Howellcomponents can be found onearlier Gulfstream models, suchas the GIV, GIII and GII. “Thisauthorization is an indication ofHowell’s confidence in the staffand resources we have atGulfstream Lincoln, our servicecenter dedicated solely tocomponent repair and overhaul,”said Mark Burns, president,Gulfstream Product Support.“There are approximately 900GIVs, GIIIs and GIIs flyingworldwide, and most of them

AVIATION NEWS

Vector Technicians Prepare Aircraft Engine for Test Cell: PHOTOCREDIT Vector Aerospace


have instrumentation made byHowell. Howell products are alsoon aircraft built by othermanufacturers. Our ability torepair Howell products helpskeep these aircraft safe andreliable.” Said Shep Brown, chiefexecutive officer, Howell: “Astrategic alliance with Gulfstreampresents an exciting opportunityto combine our engineinstrumentation expertise with anindustry leader in aircraftmanufacturing. It’s a powerfulstep toward expanding customersupport within the aviationcommunity and reinforces ourcommitment to improved safetyand performance.” The Gulfstream Lincoln facilityis certified by the U.S. FederalAviation Administration and theEuropean Aviation SafetyAgency. The site’s othercapabilities include testing,inspection, repair and overhaulfor electromechanical, electricand electronic components;avionics; rotables, brakes, wheelsand tires along with spare partexchanges and repairs; andgovernment part sales. The 34,000-square-foot Lincolnfacility is located approximately30 miles northeast ofSacramento, Calif.

Airbus

corporate jet is

exhibited in

Australia for

first timeHighlights widest and tallest

cabin of any business jet

An Airbus corporate jet is beingexhibited in Australia for the firsttime, giving potential customersthe opportunity to experience thewidest and tallest cabin of anybusiness jet.

The aircraft, an Airbus ACJ319operated by VVIP chartercompany Comlux, is beingshown at the AustralianInternational Airshow from 26thto 28th February. Its cabin isfurnished like an upmarket officeand home, with workspaces,lounge areas, bedrooms andbathrooms that capitalise on theunequalled comfort and spacethat Airbus corporate jets offer.

“When it comes to business jetsit’s the cabin that counts, becausethe more you fly the moreimportant comfort becomes, andAirbus corporate jets are theultimate in comfort,” commentsAirbus Chief Operating Officer,Customers, John Leahy.

Airbus corporate jets are derivedfrom the world’s most modernairliner family, giving themexcellent efficiency and robustreliability, as well as makingthem an interesting investment ofproven value. They have wonmore than 170 sales, and areflying on every continent,including Antarctica.

Business jet customers comprisecompanies, individuals andgovernments, and Airbuscorporate jets are available tomeet the needs of all of them. TheAirbus corporate jet familyranges from the ACJ318 all the

way up to the ACJ380, allowingcustomers to gain the comfortthat they want in the size thatthey need.

So whether customers want toconduct business with colleagueswhile travelling, to fly friendsand family on vacation, or totransport a governmentdelegation abroad, Airbuscorporate jets are unmatched inwhat they offer.

Unlike traditional business jets,Airbus corporate jets can alsocarry larger groups – such as anentire government delegation - aswell as providing more room onboard.

Airbus corporate jet customers inAsia-Pacific include Australiancompany Skytraders, which fliesan Airbus ACJ319 on charterflights, including the ferrying ofscientists and their equipment toand from Antarctica.

Karachi: – Etihad Airways willmake its ‘Big Switch’ to new,state-of-the-art, passenger sales,website, and check-in systemsnext week, the most significantmilestone in its US$ 1 billion,ten-year, deal with Sabre AirlineSolutions.

The Passenger Service System

(PSS) transformation project isthe most challenging IT andbusiness-critical initiative that theAbu Dhabi-based airline hasimplemented in its history. It hasinvolved intensive training for6,700 Etihad Airways and thirdparty staff.

The Big Switch will integrateEtihad Airways’ current PSS intoone platform that will utilisecutting-edge software across itsreservations, inventory,eCommerce, distribution anddeparture control activities.The new Sabre Airline Solutions

PSS will offer significantenhancements to the customerexperience especially in areassuch as mobile and guestcommunications.

The Big Switch will start on 23February, and is due forcompletion on 24 February.Therefore during 22 and 25February Etihad Airways asks

passengers to follow keyguidelines to help ensure anydisruption to their travelexperience is kept to a minimum.

The key messages for customerstravelling during that period are:

• Arrive at the airport fourhours before the flight is due to

AVIATION NEWS

Etihad Airways set to transform

passenger Services system with

Sabre implementation


depart• Where possible check-inonline from 24 hours beforedeparture and print boarding passbeforehand and bring to theairport• If unable to check-in onlinebring a copy of emailconfirmation and / or travelitinerary

In addition to these guidelines,anyone wishing to purchase anupgrade must do so on or before21 February and any changes totravel arrangements must bemade before 22 February.

During the Big Switch weekendcustomers can still call the EtihadAirways contact centres on +9712 599 0000 but contact centreagents will be unable to takecommercial or redemptionbookings, make changes orcancellations or processupgrades.

All booking channels will bedown from 11pm on Friday 22February and are expected toresume during the day on Sunday24 February.

Transport CanadaCertifies Pratt &

WhitneyPurePower®

PW1500G Enginefor BombardierCSeries Aircraft

MIRABEL, QUEBEC--

(Marketwire - ) - BombardierAerospace and Pratt & Whitneyannounced that Pratt & Whitneyhas successfully achievedTransport Canada typecertification of its firstPurePower GearedTurbofan(TM) engine - thePW1500G engine that will powerBombardier's CSeries aircraft.Pratt & Whitney has conductedover 4,000 hours of rigorousengine testing since the initialengine began testing in

September 2010. The PW1500Gengine test program included 340hours of flight testing on P&W'sexperimental 747 Flight Testairplane. Pratt & Whitney is adivision of United TechnologiesCorp. (NYSE:UTX).

"Certification of the PW1500Gengine is a significant milestoneand a critical step in supportingthe progressive transfer of thefirst CSeries flight test vehicle tothe flight test program," said RobDewar, vice president andgeneral manager, CSeries,Bombardier Commercial

Aircraft. "We are very pleasedwith the engine's performanceand the overall, steady progressof the CSeries aircraft program.We have met a number of keymilestones over the last fewmonths, accepted the first pair ofPW1500G propulsion systemsand are in the process ofcompleting final assembly of thefirst CSeries flight test aircraft."

"We have successfullydemonstrated the durability andgame-changing performance ofour Geared Turbofan enginearchitecture," said Bob Saia, vicepresident, Next GenerationProduct Family, Pratt & Whitney."To date we have conducted over9,000 hours of testing on our FanDrive Gear System,demonstrating the servicereadiness of our gearbox. Wehave also validated theimprovement in fuel efficiencyand noise reduction that wetargeted in 2007, when welaunched the PurePower

PW1500G program."

The PW1500G engines were typecertified through TransportCanada by Pratt & WhitneyCanada and are assembled atPratt & Whitney Canada'sMirabel Aerospace Centre inMirabel, Quebec. UTCAerospace Systems, formed afterUTC's acquisition of Goodrich,provides the nacelle system.

Each CSeries aircraft is poweredby two PurePower PW1500Gseries engines. The PurePowerPW1500G engine uses an

advanced gear system, allowingthe engine's fan to operate at adifferent speed than the low-pressure compressor and turbine.The combination of the gearsystem and an all-new advancedcore deliver double-digitimprovements in fuel efficiency,environmental emissions andnoise.

Abacus

International

Appoints New

Vice President

of Marketing

Abacus recentlyannounced theappointment of Martin

Symes as the Vice President ofMarketing, where he will leadproduct and content marketing,corporate and marketingcommunications, market research

and training. He will also beresponsible for planning andexecution of Abacus’ strategicmarketing plan to supportAbacus’ growth well into thefuture.Said Mr Robert Bailey, Presidentand CEO of AbacusInternational, “Martin’s additionis an important contributingfactor in creating a best-in-classmarketing organisation to helpreinforce Abacus’ leadershipstanding in the Asia Pacificregion.”“Abacus, being known for itsinnovative technology and end-to-end solutions and service inthe industry, Mr Symes’sexperience and vision will help tofurther Abacus’ unique place inthe travel landscape.”

AVIATION NEWS

AIR WORLD March 2013 44

An industry veteran, Mr Symeshas spent more than 20 years inshaping some of the world’sleading brands. Before joiningAbacus, Mr Symes was the CEOand Chairman of Wego, aleading, travel search engine thathe helped to set up and establish.Prior to that, he was theExecutive Director, Commercialfor ZUJI, where he wasinstrumental in establishing andbuilding the brand to becomeAsia Pacific’s leading regionalonline travel retailer. Mr Symesalso played a key role in bringingPriceline’s buyer-driven e-commerce model to Asia.

First Stage of

Commercial

Operations

Commences at

Cathay Pacific

Cargo

TerminalThe first consignment ofairfreight, carried by flightCX138 of Cathay Pacific fromSydney, Australia, arrived at theCathay Pacific Cargo Terminal at05:09, 21stFebruary.

Cathay Pacific Services LtdChief Executive OfficerAlgernon Yau (Leftmost) said; “acombination of advancedtechnology and operational

strength will mean that customerscan benefit from extended cut-offtimes, last-minute cargoacceptance and a reducedconnection time fortranshipments.The minimumconnection time fortranshipments in Hong Kong willbe reduced from the current eighthours to five hours, with anultimate goal to reduce to threehours”.

Cathay Pacific Services Limited(CPSL),the wholly ownedsubsidiary of Cathay PacificAirways established to design,build and operate the new CathayPacific Cargo Terminal at HongKong International Airport,announced that the first stage ofoperations at the terminalcommenced recently.

The first consignment ofairfreight, carried by flightCX138of Cathay Pacific fromSydney, Australia, arrived at thenew terminal at 05:09today.Theadvanced Materials HandlingSystem and WarehouseOperating System deployed at thefacility have been workingseamlessly to ensure the efficienthandling of cargo on the first dayof operation, helped by theGovernment bodies and businesspartners stationed in the terminal.

Cathay Pacific Services Ltd

Chief Executive OfficerAlgernon Yau and other seniorexecutives witnessed today'slandmark moment at the hugeHK$5.9 billion facility.

Mr Yau said: “A new chapter inHong Kong’s role as a leadinginternational air cargo hub begantoday when commercialoperations commenced at theCathay Pacific Cargo Terminal.Acombination of advancedtechnology and operationalstrength will mean that customerscan benefit from extended cut-offtimes, last-minute cargoacceptance and a reducedconnection time fortranshipments. The minimumconnection time fortranshipments in Hong Kong willbe reduced from the currenteighthours to five hours, andourultimate goal is to reducethisto three hours. Now that ourterminal is in operation, we willbeworking tirelessly to enhanceHong Kong’s position as the hubof choice.”

Cathay Pacific Director Cargo

Nick Rhodes said:“Congratulations to CathayPacific Services Ltd for asuccessful start to theiroperations today. Cathay Pacificand Dragonair are the launchcustomers for the newterminaland we are happy thattheclose collaboration andconcerted effort over the past fewmonths helped to ensure thatthings went smoothlytoday.Thelaunch of the new terminal meansthat our two airlines will beableto provide even more streamlinedcargo solutions as well asinnovative and tailor-madeproducts that suit the needs ofourcustomers.”

CPSL is adopting a three-stageapproach to the commencementof operations to ensure a smoothtransition for its launch airlinecustomers from their currentcargo operations at the airport. InStage One, the facilityis handling

AVIATION NEWS

First Stage of Commercial Operations Commences at Cathay PacificCargo Terminal-Picture shows the first consignment of airfreight,carried by flight CX138 of Cathay Pacific from Sydney, Australia,arrived at the Cathay Pacific Cargo Terminal at 05:09, 21stFebruary.


valuable cargo, transit civil mailand interface transfertranshipments. Stage Twooperations will commence in thesummer for the handling of alltranshipments, import cargo andempty unit load device (ULD)release. The terminal will achievefull operations for its launchcustomers in the latter half of thisyearwith the intention of openingup its facilities and services toother airlines before the end of2013.

Preparations for theStage Twoopening are in progress, with anoperational trial launching soonto ensure readiness for the nextstage of the transition.

New multi-lingual

campaignconnects people

through thehumourous side

of languageDUBAI, U.A.E., : Emirates, oneof the world’s fastest growingairlines today unveiled a newcampaign showcasing the lighterside of language. Named “Sharea Smile” the airline has created29 videos in 14 languagesfeaturing members of its cabincrew expressing quirky andunusual expressions andgreetings from around the world.The campaign was created byEmirates to help “globalistas”connect with each other throughwatching the videos and sharingthem with their friends andfamily.

“Share a Smile” is the latest stepin Emirates’ global brandcampaign Hello Tomorrow,launch in April 2012 which aimsto inspire people across the worldto explore and connect with eachother across cultures and borders. Through the set of light-hearted

15 second animated videosdesigned to make people smile,Emirates’ multilingual crew

explain the meaning behindpopular local phrases like ‘Don'tmake an elephant out of a fly’(Russian), ‘You're so pretty itmade a bang’ (Cantonese) and‘You're the cat's whiskers’(English). There is also acompilation behind the scenesout-takes video showing the funthe crew had making the films.“Emirates ‘Share a Smile’ hasbeen created to showcase notonly the breadth of linguisticskills amongst our internationaland multi-lingual crew, it is alsointended to help build culturalunderstanding in a light-heartedway amongst travellers," said SirMaurice Flanagan, ExecutiveVice President Emirates Airlineand Group. “As we researchedthe phrases it became apparentthat although many may soundunusual to non-native speakerswhen they first listen to them,

when the translated meaning isgiven the sentiments resonateinternationally. ‘Share a Smile’ is

meant to do just that, encourage“globalistas” to learn aboutdifferent cultures in an amusing

way. The campaign is acelebration of how a kind word orphrase can connect friends andstrangers alike across the world.”

The cabin crew who star in thevideos were selected inrecognition of their outstandinglevels of service and nativelanguage ability. “Our cabin crewspeak over 55 languages and onevery flight we announce to ourcustomers which ones are spokenon board that day. It is always animpressive list and somethingthat is regularly commented on,"said Terry Daly, DivisionalSenior Vice President ServiceDelivery, Emirates. “Showcasingmany of these languages in the‘Share a Smile’ campaigndemonstrates that it is quite likelya member of cabin crew willspeak the native language of ourcustomers. This will help themfeel even more welcome andhelps us to deliver the highestlevel of customer service forwhich Emirates is renowned."The 29 videos in the campaignhave been filmed in 14languages: Arabic, Cantonese,English, French, German, Greek,Italian, Japanese, Korean,Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian,Spanish and Turkish. They canall be viewed and shared onlineby visiting:

AVIATION NEWS

Travel Agent Association of Pakistan TAAP hosted A FarewellDinner in honor of AM International Air Transport Association

IATA Pakistan Ghazi Obaid on this occasion photo shows

Chairman TAAP Muhammad Iqbal, VC TAAP Anwar Rashid,

Chairman FPCCI Aviation Committee Yahya Polani, Country

Manager IATA Pakistan Mustufa Khan, Haji Yousuf, Hanif Rinch,

Nadeem Sharif, Parvez Hussain, Ken Marshal, Rizwan Marchant,

Sohail Younus and other are shows in group..


Rockwell Collins

announces Greg

Churchill to retire;

Colin Mahoney to

lead International

and Service

SolutionsCEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa –Rockwell Collins recentlyannounced that Greg Churchill,executive vice president,International and ServiceSolutions, will retire at the end ofMarch after more than 30 yearsof service with the company.

Colin Mahoney will succeedChurchill as senior vicepresident, International andService Solutions, effectiveimmediately. Churchill, 55, was named to hiscurrent role in February, 2010.He previously served as

executive vice president andchief operating officer,Government Systems; vicepresident and general manager,Business and Regional Systems;and vice president of BusinessDevelopment, GovernmentSystems.

“Greg has had a long record ofaccomplishment and madeenduring contributions toRockwell Collins throughout hisdistinguished career,” said ClayJones, Rockwell CollinsChairman and CEO. “His lastassignment may prove to be themost impactful as he providedoutstanding leadership toposition us for long-term successas a more globally focusedcompany. “Mahoney, 47, joined RockwellCollins in 1987. A native of theUnited Kingdom, he previouslyserved as vice president of Sales,Marketing, and Support inCommercial Systems, and hasheld numerous leadership andbusiness development positionsin the U.S., as well as in Europeand Asia. Mahoney will report toRockwell Collins President KellyOrtberg.“Colin’s global perspective,along with his proven leadershipand business developmentexperience, will be a valuableaddition to our company’sleadership team and help uscontinue to expand our businessin increasingly competitiveglobal markets,” said Ortberg.

Etihad Cargo

posts record

January

tonnageKarachi- : Etihad Cargo, adivision of United Arab Emiratesflag carrier Etihad Airways, hasposted record monthly upliftfigures for January of 32,613tonnes, a 27 per cent increase onJanuary 2012 (25,600 tonnes).

In its annual results announcedtwo weeks ago, Etihad Cargoreported annual tonnage growthof 19 per cent for 2012 on theback of a capacity increase of 14per cent in Available TonnageKilometres.

Etihad Airways’ Chief Strategyand Planning Officer, Kevin

Knight, said: “2012 was arecord-breaking year for EtihadCargo and based on projections,demand will be greater again in2013.“The impressive tonnage figuresfor January were driven largelyby increased demand into and outof China and India.

“Looking ahead, our forecastspoint to continued strong demandin key exporting and importingmarkets such as China, India,Southeast Asia and Europe, andwe remain confident that we havethe right product and fleetstrategy to match customers’expectations.”

To ensure capacity stays ahead ofdemand, Etihad Cargo will takedelivery of three additionalfreighters in 2013 and 2014,comprising one Boeing B777Fand two Airbus A330-200F.

The airline currently operates twoBoeing B777F, one Boeing 747-400F, two Airbus A330-200F andone Airbus A300-600F. In total,Etihad Cargo serves 86destinations across the globe.

Steve Jones takes

expanded role at

Marshall Aerospace

and Defence Group

as Managing

Director of new

Aviation Services Marshall Aerospace and Defence

Group announced today thecreation of a new all-encompassing Aviation Servicesunit which brings together themanagement of CambridgeAirport, Business Aviation and

the newly-launched ‘one call, oneteam’ JETability business.Aviation Services will be headedby Steve Jones as managingdirector who sees his remitbroadened to include CambridgeAirport, effective immediately. Steve Jones has many years’experience steering the growth ofregional airports – in the UK withOxford Airport where he wasManaging Director for 10 yearsand prior to joining Marshall’s inMay 2012 to run the company’sMRO and charter companies, heserved as General Manager of AlBateen Executive Airport, the firstand only dedicated businessaviation airport in the Middle East. In December 2012 Stevespearheaded the launch ofJETability, a streamlined serviceportfolio designed to givecustomers direct access to a rangeof services - Aircraft Management,Maintenance, MRO, Chartering,Sales, Concierge and Consultancythrough a bespoke call centre.JETability also saw the 100-yearold Marshall Group of Companiesexpand into the pre-ownedaircraft sales sector for the firsttime.

AVIATION NEWS

Greg Churchill

Colin Mahoney

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