SHAHEEN AIR INTERNATIONAL

Transcription

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.
By Farrukh Majeed
͞ůů ƚŚĞ ƚŝŵĞ ƚŚĞƌĞ ĂƌĞ
challenges, but we never quit
doing our best, and or
attempting to work with
perfection and top of that,
Shaheen Air International͛Ɛ one of the A330-300 taking off.
ŽŶĞƚŚŝŶŐŝŶĐŽŵŵŽŶ͞ĐĂŶ-doƐƉŝƌŝƚ͕͛͟ ƐĂǇƐ Tariq Amin, statistics/ facts where we tried Managing Director. All in all, global energy markets.
Deputy Managing Director to find out what are the the Management of Shaheen
(Airline
Operations
& ĂŝƌůŝŶĞ͛Ɛ ƐƚƌĂƚĞŐǇͬ ƉŚŝůŽƐŽƉŚǇ͍ Air International is taking a This flexibility has allowed
Marketing), Shaheen Air So here we go!
bold approach at SAI and after emerging market airlines to
International.
this thought provoking session become more dynamic. With
with this Editor, it seems to me their lower cost structures and
service,
Middle
that they are doing a great job superior
Eastern
carriers
like
Emirates
as a team.
and Qatar Airways have all but
put
some
entrenched
EMERGING AIRLINES
developed-market airlines like
For our valued readers, Qantas out of business.
emerging market airlines like
Shaheen Air International (SAI) As a result, a number of
have proven that it is indeed emerging market carriers are
possible
to
be
more able to operate in profits, even
competitive in this difficult if the industry is widely
industry by offering best denigrated in investment
product and services.
circles while most carriers
Compared to their developed were hurt by sustained high oil
market counterparts, many prices.
Mr. Tariq Amin during the interview with Airworld International
Recently this Editor got an
opportunity
to
interview
WĂŬŝƐƚĂŶ͛Ɛ ĞŵĞƌŐŝŶŐ ƉƌŝǀĂƚĞ
airline
Shaheen
Air
/ŶƚĞƌŶĂƚŝŽŶĂů͛Ɛ
ĞƉƵƚǇ
Managing Director, Airline
Operations & Marketing, Mr.
Tariq Amin who shared his
ƚŚŽƵŐŚƚƐ ĂďŽƵƚ ŚŝƐ ĂŝƌůŝŶĞ͛Ɛ
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 &
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
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
WĂŬŝƐƚĂŶ͛Ɛ ŐƌŽǁŝŶŐ ŵŝĚĚůĞ
class and trade markets
respectively.
͞KƵƌ ǀŝƐŝŽŶ ŝƐ ĂĐŚŝĞǀŝŶŐ
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
ƚŚƌŽƵŐŚŽƵƚ ƚŚĞ ǁŽƌůĚ͕͟ says
Tariq Amin.
/Z>/E͛^'ZKtd,
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 Bahrain. As of today we have
signed Inter-line agreements
with 25 leading foreign
ĂƌƌŝĞƌƐ͟ ĞŶƚŚƵƐŝĂƐƚŝĐĂůůǇ ƐĂǇƐ
Tariq Amin.
started Hajj Operations in
2011 and after that Umrah
operation was started in
February-2012. Expansion of
Domestic operations continues
its fleet by acquiring another
nine (09) B737-200 aircraft.
With these inductions, in 2008,
Shaheen Air International had
a total of twelve (12) B737200s.
In 2010, an agreement was
concluded by SAI whereby
ten (10) B737-400s were
purchased. Eight of these 737400s 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
ĂƌĞ ŽŶ Ă ƐŝŶŐůĞ ĐŽŶĨŝŐƵƌĂƚŝŽŶ͕͟
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
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.
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
ROUTE EXPANSION
operations to Madina in
͞tĞĂƌĞďĞŝŶŐƚŚĞĨŝƌƐƚƉƌŝǀĂƚĞ March-2013. We are presently
airline in Pakistan to start Hajj flying to almost the entire
and Umrah operations.
Middle Eastern market except
FLEET
͞/ŶϮϬϬϰ͕ƚŚĞĂŝƌůŝŶĞǁĂƐƚĂŬĞŶ
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
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 widebody 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.
SEAMS
is services to our passengers. Having said that, ͞ǁĞŚĂǀĞŽƵƌŽǁŶ
First of these aircraft has maintenance.
already joined ^ŚĂŚĞĞŶŝƌ͛Ɛ operating is own maintenance high quality flight kitchen operating as per international
fleet. Each of these A320-200 hangar situated at Jinnah ƐƚĂŶĚĂƌĚƐ͘͟ He also added that Shaheen Air International is
aircraft has a capacity of 170 International Airport (Karachi). the only airline in Pakistan offering full service (hot meal
This hangar facility can service) on all Shaheen Air International flights (i.e. both
passengers.
accommodate up to 03 domestic and international flights).
͞KƵƌ ĂŝƌůŝŶĞ ŚĂƐ ĐŽŶƐƚĂŶƚůǇ
reviewed its strategic plans
and is continuously focusing
on improving its service,
capacity
and
creating
attractive and advanced
business environment for
ĨƵƌƚŚĞƌ ŐƌŽǁƚŚ͕͟ said Tariq
Amin.
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.͟ŚĞĂĚĚĞĚ
SHAHEEN AIR INTERNATIONAL CONTACT
0092 (21) 111 80 80 80
www.shaheenair.com
[email protected]
SEAT FACTOR
In reply to our question in
respect ƚŽ ĂŝƌůŝŶĞ͛Ɛ ^<s and
RPKs during the year 2012,
Tariq Amin told͗ ͞KŶ ƚŚĞ
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
ďĞƚƚĞƌƐĞƌǀŝĐĞƚŽƉĂƐƐĞŶŐĞƌƐ͘͟
SEAMS
Interior of the A330-300 aircraft. This aircraft has a capacity of 370 passengers.
FLIGHT SIMULATOR
͞^ŚĂŚĞĞŶŝƌ/ŶƚĞƌŶĂƚŝŽŶĂůŚĂƐ
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
ĞƐƚĂďůŝƐŚĞĚ͕͟ ŝŶĨŽƌŵĞĚ dĂƌŝƋ
Amin
͞/Ŷ ƌĞƐƉŽŶƐĞ ƚŽ ĂŶŽƚŚĞƌ
question
regarding
the
maintenance of the aircraft,
dĂƌŝƋ ŵŝŶ ƐĂŝĚ͖ ͞/Ŷ ŽƌĚĞƌ ƚŽ
ensure high quality of
maintenance service through
a sister company, Shaheen
Engineering
&
Aircraft
Maintenance Service (SEAMS),
CATERING
we make sure that everything Talking about the in-flight
be done on as per the ƐĞƌǀŝĐĞƐ dĂƌŝƋ ŵŝŶ ƚŽůĚ ͞tĞ
international standards of
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 routes͘͟
FUTURE PLANS
Moreover, while outlining the future plans of the airline Mr.
dĂƌŝƋ ŵŝŶ ƐĂŝĚ ͞/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
WĂŬŝƐƚĂŶ ĂŶĚ ŽŶĞ ŽĨ ƚŚĞ ŵŽƐƚ ƌĞŶŽǁŶĞĚ ĂŝƌůŝŶĞ ŝŶ ƚŚĞ ƌĞŐŝŽŶ͘͟
he concluded
From the desk of Editor
Malaysia Airlines joins
Oneworld
According to recent news release,
Malaysia Airlines became part of
oneworld® at midnight Kuala
Lumpur time on 31st January
2013, adding one of Asia’s
leading airlines to the global
airline alliance that aims to be the
first choice for frequent
international travellers the world
over.
From its first flight 1st February
2013 morning – MH386 which
leaves Kuala Lumpur at 1.40 am
for Shanghai Pudong – the
national airline of Malaysia
offered oneworld’s full range of
services and benefits. Another
key focus flight for the airline
was the first departure by the first
of its aircraft featuring the full
oneworld livery – an Airbus
A330-300 operated flight MH
129 to Melbourne from Kuala
Lumpur at 10.15 am.
For Malaysia Airlines, joining
oneworld completes the latest
phase of its repositioning plan.
Becoming part of the world’s
premier global airline alliance
will
strengthen
its
competitiveness, enabling it to
offer customers an unrivalled
alliance global network served by
partners including some of the
best and biggest airlines in the
world.
Customers
benefit
from
expanded global network and
increased competition
Malaysia Airlines, which serves
more than 60 destinations in
almost 30 countries, will
substantially
expand
the
alliance’s network in one of the
world’s fastest growing economic
powerhouses, South East Asia.
Its addition to oneworld makes
Malaysia - which has one of the
world’s 30 biggest national
economies and with a population
of almost 30
million - a
home market
for
the
alliance. Its
capital Kuala
Lumpur, the
world’s 10th
most visited
city
by
international
v i s i t o r s
according to
the
latest
a n n u a l
Mastercard
survey, is now
a
oneworld
hub.
Malaysia Airlines connects new
16 destinations and one country –
Brunei – to the oneworld map.
More significantly, it will
strengthen
the
alliance’s
connectivity between many key
business cities in Asia and other
parts of the world.
Its addition expands oneworld’s
global
coverage
to
842
destinations in 156 countries,
served by some 9,000 departures
a day operated by a combined
fleet of some 2,500 aircraft,
carrying nearly 340 million
passengers a year, with annual
revenues of US$ 110 billion.
Add oneworld’s other members
elect – Qatar Airways and Sri
Lankan Airlines – and the
alliance network will reach 860
destinations in 159 countries.
Currently three of oneworld’s
active member airlines serve
three points in Malaysia, with
Cathay Pacific, Japan Airlines
and Royal Jordanian flying to
Kuala Lumpur, Cathay Pacific
operating to Penang and its
Dragonair regional affiliate to
Kota Kinabalu.
New Visit Malaysia pass to
encourage tourism
throughout the country
Statedly, Malaysia Airlines’
addition to oneworld will make
travel to Malaysia from all over
the world much easier, by
seamlessly
connecting
its
network to those of its new
oneworld partner airlines.
To encourage travellers to
experience the world renowned
Malaysian
Hospitality
throughout the country, the
airline and alliance launch their
Visit Malaysia pass, offering
attractive discounts on regular
published fares for domestic
flights bought in conjunction
with a flight on a oneworld
carrier to the country.
This new fare will be available
for sale from midnight tonight –
when Malaysia Airlines’ global
network will be covered by
oneworld’s extensive full range
of alliance fares and sales
products.
‘Double miles’ offer to frequent
flyer members to celebrate
Moreover, the 2 million members
of Malaysia Airlines’ Enrich
loyalty programme enjoys the
full range of oneworld frequent
flyer benefits when travelling
with any oneworld member
airline worldwide – airberlin,
American Airlines, British
Airways,
Cathay
Pacific
Airways, Finnair, Iberia, Japan
Airlines, LAN Airlines (see notes
below), Qantas, Royal Jordanian,
S7 Airlines and around 30
affiliated airlines.
Enrich members will be able to
earn and redeem miles on any
oneworld flight. In celebration of
the airline’s addition to the
alliance, they will receive double
Enrich award miles when flying
on Malaysia Airlines’ oneworld
partners between 15 February
2013 and 15 April 2013 on tickets
bought from the launch date to 15
April 2013.
Enrich Platinum cardholders will
have Emerald status in the
oneworld programme. Enrich
Gold will be equivalent to
oneworld Sapphire and Enrich
Silver will be oneworld Ruby.
To celebrate the addition of the
new recruit to oneworld,
members of established member
airlines’ loyalty programmes will
receive double the normal
mileage awards when flying on
Malaysia Airlines between 15
Air World March 2013-6
From the desk of Editor
February 2013 and 15 April 2013
on tickets bought from today to
15 April 2013`, to mark its
addition to the alliance.
Chief Executives and senior
executives from all oneworld
member airlines gathered at
Malaysia Airlines’ Kuala Lumpur
home base to welcome on board the
alliance’s latest recruit.
After hosting a press conference,
they joined some 500 other VIP
guests from across Malaysia’s
travel and tourism sector, and the
Malaysia Airlines’ team that had
worked on the oneworld project, at
a gala dinner at which the guest of
honour was Malaysia’s Minister of
Transport Dato' Seri Kong Cho Ha.
New benefits for top tier frequent
flyers
As part of its strategy of
positioning itself as the first choice
airline alliance for frequent
international travelers, oneworld is
marking the addition of Malaysia
Airlines by adding two key new
benefits for top tier frequent flyer
cardholders in any oneworld
member airline frequent flyer
programme.
Frequent flyer cardholders with
oneworld Emerald status will be
entitled to:
•
An extra checked baggage
allowance, above the standard limit
for the cabin class in which they are
traveling – either one additional
item where the piece concept
applies, or an extra 20 kg (44 lbs)
where the weight concept applies –
when they fly on any oneworld
member airline.
•
Use fast track lanes through
security when flying from select
key airports worldwide on select
oneworld member airlines.
Malaysia Airlines’ addition to
oneworld completes what has been
one of the biggest projects in the
airline’s history, with working
groups covering some 20 streams
of activity, bringing its various
internal processes and procedures
into line with the alliance’s
requirements,
and
running
extensive employee training and
communications programmes.
Since accepting its invitation to
join the alliance in June 2011,
Malaysia Airlines has expanded its
code-sharing relationships to four
established oneworld partners –
Cathay Pacific, Finnair, Japan
Airlines and Royal Jordanian.
Qantas has been supporting
Malaysia Airlines through its
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.
alliance implementation project, as
its oneworld sponsor airline, with
backing from the central oneworld
team.
Behind the scenes, the project has
been smoothed by oneworld’s new
information technology (IT) hub,
using latest “cloud” and web-based
technology, which makes it easier,
more efficient and faster to link
new airlines into the alliance.
Malaysia Airlines is the second
alliance recruit to benefit.
Among those joined Group Chief
Executive Ahmad Jauhari Yahya at
ceremony were senior executives
from all oneworld member airlines
and members elect including:
•
Qantas Chief Executive
Officer Alan Joyce.
•
oneworld CEO Bruce Ashby.
•
Cathay Pacific Airways Chief
Executive John Slosar
•
Finnair President and Chief
Executive Mika Vehvilainen
•
Japan Airlines Chairman
Masaru Onishi.
•
Member elect SriLankan
Airlines Chairman Nishantha
Wickramasinghe
and
Chief
Executive Kapila Chandrasena.
CEOs and senior executives from
all oneworld airlines attended
joining ceremony .
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.
AIR WORLD March 2013-7
AVIATION NEWS
Dick Rutan to Speak at 56th
Annual AEA International
Convention & Trade Show in Las
Vegas, Nev.
Malaysia
Airlines orders
up to 36 ATR
72-600s
Aviation record-holder will
deliver keynote address during
AEA Official Opening,
sponsored by Universal
Avionics Systems Corp.
The aircraft will be operated by
the regional subsidiaries Firefly
and MASwings
LEE'S SUMMIT, MO., -- Dick
Rutan, a pilot, entrepreneur and
adventurer who made history in
December 1986, after completing
a nine-day, nonstop and
nonrefueled flight around the
world that established a flightendurance record, will be the
keynote speaker during the
official opening at the 56th
annual Aircraft Electronics
Association
International
Convention & Trade Show.
The official opening is sponsored
by Universal Avionics Systems
Corp. and will take place
Tuesday, March 26, at the MGM
Grand Hotel & Convention
Center in Las Vegas, Nev.
In early 1981, Rutan founded
Voyager Aircraft Inc. and
prepared to complete the first
around-the-world,
nonstop,
nonrefueled flight. On the
morning of Dec. 14, 1986, a fuelladen Voyager, with Rutan and
Jeana Yeager onboard, took off
on the history-making flight.
Nine days, three minutes and 44
seconds later, Rutan set the
storm-battered Voyager down at
Edwards Air Force Base in
California,
successfully
completing the six-year quest.
Four days later, President Ronald
Reagan awarded Rutan the
Presidential Citizen's Medal of
Honor at a special ceremony. To
this day, no aircraft has flown
more air miles than the Voyager's
26,358 statute miles.
The Voyager is now suspended in
the Smithsonian Air and Space
Museum's Milestones of Flight
gallery in Washington, D.C., and
Dick Rutan
(photo by Jeff Berlin of
Berlincreative.com)
Rutan was inducted into the
National Aviation Hall of Fame
in Dayton, Ohio, in July 2002.
In December 2005, Rutan set
another world record in the EZRocket for the longest distance in
a ground-launched rocketpowered aircraft, flying from the
Mojave Air and Space Port to the
California City Airport. Touted as
the "shortest long-distance
flight," this record is recognized
by the National Aeronautic
Association. In April 2006, he
was awarded the NAA's Most
Memorable Flight of 2005 Award
in Washington, D.C., after
establishing another world
record.
As a Tactical Air Command
fighter pilot during most of his
two decades in the Air Force,
Rutan flew 325 combat missions
in Vietnam, 105 of them as a
member of a high-risk, classified
operation commonly known as
the MISTYs. Before retiring
from the Air Force in 1978, Lt.
Col. Rutan was awarded the
Silver Star, five Distinguished
Flying Crosses, 16 Air Medals
and the Purple Heart.
ATR and the flag carrier
Malaysia Airlines signed a
purchase agreement for 20 firm
ATR 72-600s, plus options for 16
additional aircraft. The deal is
valued at over US$ 840 million,
including options. The signature
of this new contract follows a
Memorandum of Understanding
announced by the airline in
December 2012. With recent
signature, Malaysia Airlines
brings to 42 the total of firm ATR
72s purchased since the initial
purchase agreement in 2007.
Malaysia Airlines currently has
22 ATR 72-500s, operated by
booming business units Firefly
(12) and MASwings (10). The
introduction of these aircraft,
which are the first ATR -600s to
be selected for the growing
Malaysian and regional market,
will reinforce Firefly's and
MASwings
position
on
community markets and business
routes and confirms Malaysia
Airlines as a major operator of
ATRs in Asia. Deliveries will
start by mid 2013.
The arrival of these new ATR72-
600s will enable Malaysia
Airlines to further expand its
regional offer, adding new routes
and frequencies to its global
network. The new ATR 72-600
delivers the latest innovations in
terms of passenger comfort, with
the award-winning Armonia
cabin designed by Giugiaro and
equipped with new slim line
seats, larger overhead bins and
appealing LED lighting.
Besides the 22 ATR 72-500s
operated by Firefly and
MASwings, Malaysia Airlines
also has a fleet of over 100
medium and long-haul A330s,
A380s, B737s, B747s and B777s.
Malaysia Airlines has just
become a member of oneworld
alliance, and operates flights to
Asia, Australia/New Zealand, the
Middle East, Europe and the US
West coast.
Commenting on the deal, Ahmad
Jauhari, Chief Executive Officer
of Malaysia Airlines, declared:
“We have been partnering with
ATR for the last five years, and
we are really satisfied with the
outstanding performance and the
commercial results that our ATR
72s provide to our growing
community networks. The ATR
aircraft are clearly playing an
important
role
in
the
development
of
Malaysia
Airlines, as they connect regional
destinations and enable us to feed
larger aircraft at our main hubs.
The new aircraft will further
AVIATION NEWS
improve the guest experience on
our community airlines as they
connect more and more people
across Malaysia and the
surrounding regions”.
Ignatius Ong, Chief Executive
Officer of Firefly, declared: “Our
exclusive ATR 72 fleet has
allowed Firefly to develop a
unique high frequency network
out of Subang, Penang and Johor
Baruh, which greatly benefits our
Malaysian communities, as well
as the rest of the population in the
Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand
Growth Triangle (IMT-GT)”.
Captain Dato' Nawawi Awang,
Chief Executive Officer of
MASwings, said: “We are glad
that MASwings' fleet of ATR 72s
can efficiently serve the Sabah
and Sarawak (East Malaysian
states), and the BIMP-EAGA
(Brunei, Indonesia, Malaysia and
Philippines East ASEAN Growth
Area) communities and help to
further enhance the tourism
industry and the socio-economic
development of the region”.
Filippo Bagnato, Chief Executive
Officer of ATR, declared:
“Malaysia Airlines is a really
prestigious partner for ATR in
Asia. We are honoured with the
renewal of their confidence and
we are pleased to further develop
our relationship with the
introduction of the many
advantages of the ATR 72-600,
our newest product. ATR aircraft
are unrivalled in terms passenger
comfort and environmental
friendliness. We are delighted to
be an active part of Malaysia
Airlines' development of the
regional connectivity in Eastern
and Western Malaysia. We are
also very pleased to welcome
Malaysia Airlines as one of our
first operators to use our recently
open Training Center for ATR 600 series aircraft in Singapore”.
Cathay Pacific
releases
combined
traffic figures
for January
2013
Cathay Pacific Airways released
combined Cathay Pacific and
Dragonair traffic figures for
January 2013 that show a drop in
the number of passengers carried
compared to the same month in
2012, alongside a significant
year-on-year increase in cargo
and mail tonnage.
Cathay Pacific and Dragonair
carried a total of 2,327,071
passengers in January – a drop of
7.3% compared to the same
month last year. The passenger
load factor fell by 3.4 percentage
points to 78.5%, while capacity,
measured in available seat
kilometres (ASKs), saw a 6.3%
decline.
The two airlines carried 132,792
tonnes of cargo and mail last
month, an increase of 14.2%
compared to January 2012. The
cargo and mail load factor rose
by 3.1 percentage points to 63%.
Capacity, measured in available
cargo/mail tonne kilometres, rose
by 2.4%, while cargo and mail
revenue tonne kilometres were up
by 7.7%.
Cathay Pacific General Manager
Revenue Management James
Tong
said:
“Year-on-year
comparisons
for
January’s
passenger business are distorted
by the holiday effect – last year
the Chinese New Year peak was
in January while this year the
holiday fell in February. The drop
in passenger numbers is partly
attributed to the impact of the
holiday and also to the fact that
we trimmed our capacity.
Passenger demand on long-haul
routes remained reasonably
strong though the performance on
regional routes was softer than
anticipated. There was no
significant pick-up in demand in
the premium cabins following the
Christmas/New Year break.”
Cathay Pacific General Manager
Cargo Sales & Marketing James
AIR WORLD March 2013 -9
AVIATION NEWS
Woodrow said: “Demand was
generally quite robust out of our
key Hong Kong and Mainland
China markets in January, though
we didn’t see any significant preChinese New Year rush as in
previous years. We have reduced
our base freighter schedule to
Europe in light of the continued
weakness in demand on the Asia
to Europe lanes. We will continue
to adjust our capacity in line with
demand and push ahead with the
modernisation of our freighter
fleet. Another Boeing 747-400
converted freighter will be taken
out of service in February.”
said: “The Dubai Airshow has
firmly established itself as a key
event on the international
aerospace calendar and therefore,
is always an important and
exciting event for Honeywell. We
are currently experiencing high
levels of growth in the region,
and with our stand in a prime
location and outdoor chalet we
anticipate this year’s show to be
the largest yet.”
Meanwhile Boeing’s president,
Jeffery Johnson also revealed his
optimistic view for the November
event saying: “Boeing is
committed
to
continued
Defence industry looking ahead
to the Dubai Air Show in
November 2013
Comments from Key Defence
Companies
Dubai, UAE. – The Dubai
Airshow takes place 17 to 21
November 2013 at its new
purpose built home at Dubai
World Central (DWC), located in
Jebel Ali, Dubai.
F&E Aerospace organisers of the
Dubai Airshow are currently
preparing for what they are
forecasting to be the ‘biggest
show in their 26 year history,’
with expected crowds of up to
60,000 attendees and over 1,000
exhibitors - which include 80
defence companies signed to
date.
Returning exhibitor Honeywell
shared this positive outlook by
increasing their presence at the
show with an outdoor chalet and
indoor stand. Honeywell recently
partnership
with
Arab
governments, enterprises and
customers in their long-term
plans to develop regional
aerospace infrastructure and
capabilities. As a result it is only
natural that we have a strong
presence at the Dubai Airshow,
which has proved over the years
to be one of the leading
international aerospace events
attracting
visitors
and
participants from across the
world."
The biennial show prides itself on
providing the ideal platform for
the defence aviation community
to come together; not only by
exhibiting
but
also
by
participating in the delegations
programme - 2011 saw 194
delegations
with
534
representatives
who
were
escorted around the show and
attended scheduled meetings over
5 days.
The Dubai Airshow is organised
under the patronage of HH
Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid
Al Maktoum, Vice President and
Prime Minister of the UAE and
Ruler of Dubai and Minister of
Defence, also in co-operation
with Dubai Civil Aviation
Authority, Dubai Airports and the
UAE Armed Forces.
Rockwell Collins
selected by Piaggio
Aero to develop
integrated avionics
system for its
Multirole Patrol
Aircraft (MPA)
ABU DHABI, United Arab
Emirates – Rockwell Collins
announced that it has been
selected by Piaggio Aero to
develop an integrated avionics
system with touch-control flight
displays for the Piaggio Aero
Multirole Patrol Aircraft (MPA).
In July 2012, Piaggio Aero was
selected by ADASI (Abu Dhabi
Autonomous System Investments
− a subsidiary of Tawazun) for
the development of the MPA, a
new
special
missions/surveillance aircraft
designed to meet the need for a
robust and high-tech solution for
land, coastal, maritime and
offshore security. ADASI is
managing complex programs for
the UAE Armed Forces and
forming joint ventures with
internationally
recognized
companies to establish a national
autonomous systems capability
in the UAE.
“Rockwell Collins’ ability to
customize integrated avionics
systems for any mission profile,
while empowering the pilot
interface
and
bringing
information to the flight deck
faster and more efficiently were
driving forces behind Piaggio
Aero’s avionics selection for its
new MPA,” said Greg Irmen, vice
president and general manager,
Business and Regional Systems
for Rockwell Collins. “This
selection marks a continuation of
the long-standing, successful
relationship we have with
Piaggio Aero.”
Airbus
activates “Plan
B” for the
A350 XWB
batteries
Reverts back to nickel cadmium
technology
Airbus is confident that the
lithium ion (Li-ion) main battery
architecture
it
has
been
developing with Saft and
qualifying for the A350 XWB
aircraft is robust and safe. The
A350
XWB
flight
test
programme will continue as
planned with the qualified Li-ion
main batteries.
AVIATION NEWS
However, to date, the root causes
of the two recent industry Li-ion
main batteries incidents remain
unexplained to the best of our
knowledge. In this context, and
with a view to ensuring the
highest level of programme
certainty, Airbus has decided to
activate its “Plan B” and
therefore to revert back to the
proven and mastered nickel
cadmium main batteries for its
A350 XWB programme at Entry
into Service (EIS). Airbus
considers this to be the most
appropriate way forward in the
interest of programme execution
and A350 XWB reliability.
In parallel, Airbus has also
launched additional maturity
studies on Li-ion main batteries
behavior in aerospace operations
and will naturally take on board
the findings of the ongoing
official investigation.
As a result of making this
decision now, Airbus does not
expect it to impact the A350
XWB Entry Into Service
schedule.
Airbus supports new noise
standard Industry to further
reduce aircraft noise by seven
decibels
The International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO) Committee
on Aviation Environmental
Protection (CAEP) has adopted a
new noise stringency level for
commercial airplanes. The
milestone achieved at the CAEP
meeting last week lowers the
current standard by seven
decibels. Having now been
agreed by the ICAO CAEP, the
new stringent noise standard will
be presented for final review and
approval by the ICAO Council
later in 2013. This new standard
will come into force on the 31st
December 2017.
“Over the past 40 years, Airbus
has put a lot of effort into
reducing noise at source and to
bringing the quietest aircraft to
the market. This new standard is
another major step in how the
global commercial aviation
industry
is
pro-actively
addressing
environmental
protection,” said Fabrice Brégier,
Airbus President and CEO.
At Airbus, innovation and
technology are key to provide
aircraft that generate fewer
emissions and less noise while
carrying a maximum payload
over the mission range. All
Airbus development aircraft
(NEO and A350 XWB) are
designed to be compliant with the
new noise standard.
In addition, Airbus continues
developing new solutions to
further reduce the operational
noise. Several functionalities are
available such as the Automatic
Noise Abatement Departure
Procedure (NADP) that optimises
the thrust and flight path to
reduce noise over populated
areas.
In the UK, which has the strictest
noise regulations in the world,
the A380 was given an award for
its quiet operations by the UK
Noise Abatement Society in
2012.
The A380 carries 42 percent
more passengers than its nearest
competitor but produces half the
noise energy when taking off, and
three to four times less noise
energy when landing. The A350
XWB, the aircraft with the
leading
environmental
performance in the long-range
market is up to 16 decibels below
the current standard requirement.
Airbus is a leading aircraft
manufacturer with the most
modern and comprehensive
family of airliners on the market,
ranging in capacity from 100 to
more than 500 seats. Airbus is
known to offer innovative
technologies as soon as they
become available and has sold
over 12.400 aircraft to almost
350 customers worldwide. Airbus
has achieved more than 7,600
deliveries since the first Airbus
aircraft
entered
service.
Headquartered in Toulouse,
France, Airbus is an EADS
company.
that the development and
implementation
of
global
standards reflect the specific
IATA Applauds ICAO-CAEP Agreement
on a More Stringent Noise Standard for
Aircraft and Progress on Aircraft CO2
Standard
(Montreal) – The International
Air Transport Association (IATA)
welcomes the agreement on a
new noise standard with more
stringent requirements for future
aircraft achieved by the
International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO).
The ICAO Committee on
Aviation
Environmental
Protection (CAEP) comprising
ICAO member states, industry,
and
environmental
nongovernmental
organizations,
reviewed
technological
feasibility,
environmental
benefits and economic factors
and reached a consensus to move
forward on a new standard that
will result in a reduction of 7
Effective
Perceived
Noise
Decibels (EPNdB) compared to
the current Chapter 4 Standard.
“Air transport is already 75%
quieter than it was four decades
ago and the industry will
continuously
pursue
costeffective noise management
options to reduce the number of
people subject to aircraft noise, in
line with our broader global
commitments on sustainability
and environmental performance,”
said Tony Tyler IATA’s Director
General and CEO.
needs of society at large and
capabilities of states while
bringing certainty to long-term
airline fleet investment,” said
Tyler.
Another illustration of ICAO’s
ability to lead global progress on
managing
aviation’s
environmental impact is the
agreement for certification
procedures for the new aircraft
CO2 standard. Coupled with the
common metric system adopted
last year, this paves the way for
CAEP to assess stringency levels,
the last component of the future
CO2 standard.
The recommendations agreed to
by CAEP will be reported to the
ICAO Council later in 2013 for
further actions.
Charge
assumption of
Public
Relations
Manager at
CAA Pakistan
The new standard will be
applicable to new aircraft types
for which a request for
certification is submitted after 31
December 2017 and for lowerweight new aircraft as of 2020.
The current Chapter 4 Standard
came into effect in 2006.
“This is another good example of
ICAO successfully tackling a
difficult environmental issue.
This collaborative work ensures
Pakistan CAA in an effort to
improve the Public Relations
AIR WORLD March 2013- 11
AVIATION NEWS
function of the organization has
posted Mr. Abid Kaimkhani as
Public Relations Manager of
CAA in place of Mr. Pervez
George. The officer has assumed
the charge of the post of Public
Relations
Manager,
Civil
Aviation Authority with effect
from 13th February, 2013. All
the print and Electronic Media
personnel are requested to kindly
coordinate with the officer for
official
version
of
any
information / news concerning
Civil Aviation Authority.
NBAA
Announces
Recipients of
2013 Baldwin
Business Aviation
Management
Scholarship
Award
Presented
During
Leadership
Conference
to
Recognize Aspiring Aviation
Managers
Washington, DC, - The National
Business Aviation Association
(NBAA)
announced the
recipients of its Donald A.
Baldwin Sr. Business Aviation
Management Scholarship, which
benefits individuals seeking to
become
NBAA
Certified
Aviation Managers (CAMs). The
scholarship, which is given
annually in coordination with the
family of Donald A. Baldwin Sr.,
promotes
professional
development in business aviation
by providing financial support for
qualified CAM exam candidates.
The recipients are:
• David M. Hines is a flight
captain with Regions Financial
Corporation in Birmingham, AL.
He started his career in the
airlines but quickly learned that
business aviation was his true
calling. In his experience, he has
learned that empowering and
motivating employees increases
safety and efficiency. He is
working on the CAM program to
acquire the knowledge to become
a successful director of aviation.
• Alberto Loza is a contract
pilot, based in San Diego, CA
who flies Gulfstream aircraft
internationally. He is passionate
about a career in business
aviation, and wants to become a
manager. Being a CAM, he feels,
will help him achieve that goal.
The scholarship is named for
Donald A. Baldwin Sr., an
accomplished general aviation
pilot who served on NBAA's
Board of Directors from 1968 to
1971. In his lifetime, he was
recognized for his contributions
to business aviation with the
NBAA John P. "Jack" Doswell
Award and the Flight Safety
Foundation Business Aviation
Meritorious Service Award.
The Baldwin Business Aviation
Management Scholarship is one
of several scholarships offered by
NBAA to promote professional
development
and
business
aviation careers.
Rockwell Collins
expands presence
in the Middle
East and
showcases
battlespace
solutions at
IDEX 2013
ABU DHABI, U.A.E. –
Rockwell Collins, a world
leading provider of innovative
and trusted solutions for the
battlespace, is expanding its
presence in the Middle East.
“We currently employ 300 people
in the region for program
management,
systems
engineering, field service support
and business development and
we are forming new strategic
partnerships to further reinforce
customer support,” said Claude
Alber, vice president and
managing director for Europe,
the Middle East and Africa for
Rockwell Collins. “Our goal is to
provide
integrated
and
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.
customized capabilities with
superior life cycle service
solutions that meet the evolving
needs of our customers in the
Middle East region.”
During IDEX 2013, Rockwell
Collins will showcase a wide
range of advanced technology
solutions that give forces the best
advantage.
Journalists are
invited to our exhibit (Stand O2B06) to find out how we are
enhancing
interoperability,
situational
awareness
and
mission effectiveness. Rockwell
Collins representatives will also
be available to discuss our
extensive rotary wing and
avionics upgrade offerings.
Demonstrations and displays on
the Rockwell Collins exhibit
include:
Networking for joint fires –
Rockwell Collins offers an
integrated solution that facilitates
the decision cycle for joint fires
with a common operating picture
and shared situational awareness
between land, sea and airborne
forces. As part of this solution,
Rockwell Collins will showcase:
FireStorm™, a combat proven
modular targeting system with
unrivaled accuracy, interoperable
with virtually all coalition
aircraft, field artillery systems
and command-and-control center
battle managers.
Based on our Rosetta Joint Fires
digital
targeting
software,
FireStorm offers mapping and
imagery tools to present
situational
awareness
and
targeting data to users, enabling
them to generate target locations
and transmit them to Joint Fires
assets.
With more than 360 FireStorm
systems in operation around the
world and having been selected
by seven nations, FireStorm
prosecutes targets on first strike,
saving weapons, time and cost.
Communications and Navigation
•
TacNetTM
Tactical
Radio (TTR) – The smallest,
lightest, longest range and most
interoperable, small form factor
terminal in the market today to
achieve battlefield Link 16
connectivity.
•
Suitcase®
CCT90
satellite communication system
–The Suitcase CCT90 is part of a
modular, tri-band (X, Ku, Ka)
family of mobile SATCOM
AVIATION NEWS
terminals including “DriveAway,” “Suitcase” and “FlyAway,” configurations for all
operational needs and data
throughput requirements. These
systems are quick to install, easy
to use and cost effective with
common
transceivers
and
network processors and user
interface,
and
field
interchangeable parts such as
antennas,
transceivers
and
modems.
•
MicroDAGR handheld
GPS receiver in Arabic version –
The MicroDAGR is the latestgeneration
GPS
receiver
available, which serves as a
supplement to Rockwell Collins’
highly
successful
Defense
Advanced
GPS
Receiver
(DAGR). It brings together the
best commercial technologies
with the security needed to meet
standards, and the durability
needed to survive the most
rugged battlefield conditions.
•
MicroGRAM
GPS
receiver – The smallest, lightest
and lowest power GPS receiver
available today with security
(SAASM, L1/L2). This receiver
can fit in a variety of lightweight
portable electronics, small UAVs,
unattended sensors, unmanned
ground vehicles or be attached to
a soldier’s radio, to combine
navigation and communications
capabilities into one device.
Simulation
and
Training
Solutions – Customers turn to
Rockwell Collins for solutions to
their most complex training
problems. By leveraging the
company’s strengths in avionics
and
targeting
systems
development
and
training
systems design, Rockwell Collins
delivers integrated solutions that
span
the
entire
training
continuum, from instructional
systems design through fully
integrated,
high-fidelity
simulators to full training
solutions. Rockwell Collins
utilizes
state-of-the-art
technologies, including Live,
Virtual, Constructive scenarios
ensuring that our flexible
strategic approach, coupled with
our integration expertise, results
in customer satisfaction.
FlexForceTM life cycle service
solution – Rockwell Collins
recently
launched
its
FlexForceTM life cycle service
solution,
a
comprehensive
program for defense and
government agencies worldwide
that brings together multiple
service offerings from the
company. Rockwell Collins
works closely with the customer
to share risk and provide
transparency in repair and supply
chain on Performance Based
Agreements. The end result is a
service solution that meets each
customer’s unique operational
requirements,
including
enhanced efficiencies and cost
savings.
Air Arabia
launches
service from
Sharjah to
Baghdad
Air Arabia, the first and largest
low-cost carrier (LCC) in the
Middle East and North Africa,
announced the launch of non-stop
services to Baghdad, its fourth
destination in Iraq and 83rd
worldwide. The inaugural flight
G90361 will take off to the
Capital city on March 11, 2013.
The low-cost pioneer will start
three weekly services between
Sharjah and Baghdad to be
increased to five weekly services
in the coming weeks. Flights
depart from Sharjah International
Airport at 14:30 and arrives
Baghdad International Airport at
16:10. Return flights on the same
days will depart Baghdad at
16:50 and arrive in Sharjah at
20:05 (local time).
“Three months since we launched
our last destination in Iraq, we are
delighted to spread our wings
further into the country, with the
launch of services to the Capital
city, said, Adel Ali, Group Chief
Executive Officer, Air Arabia.
“Iraq is a market of focus for Air
Arabia
and
today’s
announcement further reiterates
the commitment that we place on
serving the Iraqi market.”
With an approximate population
of 7.3 million, Baghdad remains
an important city to connect to
from Sharjah. With the launch of
the new service, Air Arabia will
now operate 23 weekly services
to Iraq, making it one of the
growing markets for the carrier.
In addition to Baghdad, Air
Arabia currently offers non-stop
services to Basra, Erbil, and
Najaf.
Paramount Group experienced
extremely strong growth last year
and is looking to increase sales
across Africa, the Middle East
and South America in 2013 –
particularly in its aerospace
business, which is responsible for
creating AHRLAC, Africa’s first
domestically built aircraft.
Ivor Ichikowitz, Executive
Chairman of Paramount Group,
said:
“General
Gagiano’s
decision to join Paramount Group
as part of the senior management
team complements our growing
aviation business and is an
important strategic move.
Former Chief
of South
African Air
Force joins
Paramount
Group
One of the longest serving South
African Air Force Chiefs has
joined
Paramount
Group,
Africa’s largest privately owned
defence and aerospace company,
in a move that demonstrates its
position as one of the fastest
growing defence innovators
globally.
Lt Gen Carlo Gagiano was
Chief of the South African Air
Force from 2005 to 2012 and has
been appointed Group Executive
and Special Advisor to the
Chairman of the Group.
“General Gagiano has had a long
and distinguished career in the
leadership of the SAAF, and
brings with him a wealth of
knowledge and experience. He
shares our vision of developing
the defence industry as it
becomes
an
increasingly
important part of our knowledge
economy, contributes to the
development of skills and
engineering expertise, and helps
AVIATION NEWS
to grow the industrial base of our
country.”
General Gagiano said: “This is a
wonderful opportunity for me to
be part of a rapidly expanding
industrial group that has become
a key player in the South African
Defence Industry.
“There are a number of very
exciting projects that are
currently underway, and more in
the pipeline and I am very
encouraged by the prospects
going forward. I look forward to
playing
a
helpful
and
constructive role in contributing
to these developments.”
During his 44 year career Carlo
Gagiano has held a number of
senior SAAF appointments and
served in various operational
capacities.
From 2002 to 2005 he served in
SAAF Headquarters as Chief
Director of Air Policy where he
was responsible for designing
policy, implementing strategies
and managing resources.
2000 – Promoted to Major
General sees his appointment as
Chief
Director
Operations
Development at the Joint
Operations Division
2003 – Appointed Chief Director
Air Policy at the SAAF
2005 – Appointed Chief of the
South African Air Force
2011 – Retired from the SAAF
About Paramount Group
Paramount Group is Africa’s
largest privately-owned defence
and aerospace business. It is a
leader in defence and security
innovation and is a trusted
partner to sovereign governments
around the world, providing
ground-breaking
products,
services
and
consultancy,
including support for peacekeeping missions.
Meridian air
charter adds
more wi-fi to
fleet
800SP, and a Citation XLS. The
Challenger and Hawker are based
at TEB, while the Citation is
based at Hayward Executive
Airport (HWD) in Hayward, CA.
Meridian Air Charter operates
twenty-one managed aircraft
based nationally from New York
to California. Nineteen of those
business jets are available for
charter, and among those, eleven
are currently equipped with WiFi. Eight are heavy jets, suitable
for long range domestic and
international trips, while the
remaining three are mid-size jets,
perfect for domestic or regional
destinations.
Mike Moore, Director of Aviation
Sales, had this to say, “Clients
who fly privately expect a very
high level of service from their
charter operators. The recent
addition of Wi-Fi to three more of
our aircraft provides us with the
flexibility we need to meet the
growing demand of onboard
services and amenities. Now we
can say the majority of our fleet
is equipped with wireless
Etihad Airways
offers first look
in Washington
D.C
Karachi: – Etihad Airways, the
national airline of the United
Arab Emirates, opened the doors
to one of its brand new aircraft
for the airline’s first-ever ‘onboard showcase’ in Washington,
DC. The new B777 aircraft made
its maiden voyage from the
Boeing Everett factory this week,
stopping at Dulles International
Airport for the one-day-only
event.
An exclusive audience from
diplomatic,
business
and
government
circles
was
welcomed onboard the aircraft
for a review of Etihad Airways’
award-winning guest experience,
in advance of the launch of its
daily flights to Washington, DC
from March 31.
He also served as Chief Director
of Operations Development at the
Joint Operations Division from
2000 to 2002 which involved
forming
general
policies,
doctrines and procedures in terms
of defence capabilities.
Career highlights - Lt Gen Carlo
Gagiano
1968 – Joined SAAF
1969 – Received wings
1971 – Completed Mirage
conversion course. Transferred to
AFB Waterkloof
1989 – Takes over command of
89 Combat Flight School
1991 – Appointed Military
Attaché to Israel
1994 – Completed National
Defence Force’s Joint Staff
Course
and
made
Base
Commander
of
AFB
Langebaanweg
1998 – Promoted to Brigadier
General and posted to AF
Headquarters
The company has earned
numerous industry awards and
accolades for its outstanding
service and state-of-the-art
facility. Meridian owns and
operates businesses that include
Air
Charter,
Aircraft
Management,
Aircraft
Maintenance, and a world-class
Executive Terminal / FBO.
Challenger 601-3R (N601AD) – Based at Teterboro Airport
(TEB)
Teterboro, NJ, – Meridian, the
full-service private aviation
company headquartered at
Teterboro Airport (TEB) in New
Jersey, is pleased to announce
that its charter division has
recently added Wi-Fi to three
more of its fleet aircraft. The
aircraft
types
include
a
Challenger 601-3R, a Hawker
capabilities, and the number will
continue to grow. We are already
planning to add Wi-Fi to more
planes in the near future.”
About Meridian:
Meridian is a full-service, private
aviation company based in
Teterboro, NJ, located just
minutes from New York City.
A team of more than 25 cabin
crew were on hand to escort
guests around the beautifully
designed aircraft interior, with
seats by Sogerma, BE Aerospace
and Weber, and bespoke features
highlighting collaborations with
Poltrona Frau, Ettore Billotta,
and Panasonic.
Daily
flights
to
Dulles
International Airport will provide
a capital-to-capital link between
Washington, DC and Abu Dhabi,
the federal capital of the UAE,
with connections onward to
Etihad Airways’ global network.
Daniel
Barranger,
Etihad
AIR WORLD March 2013- 14
AVIATION NEWS
entry into the oneworld global
alliance. Currently Amadeus is
the standard IT platform for the
alliance with more than half of
the members of oneworld
adopting the Amadeus Altéa suite
to date.
Airways Vice President Global
Sales, said: “The Washington
metropolitan region represents a
wide geographical spread and
strong economy. This route is
vital to supporting our ongoing
growth in the US and the
increasing ties between the US
and the United Arab Emirates.
“This region is home to
America’s second largest market
for travel to the Middle East, with
significant demand for premium
services. I believe our award
winning services will provide
greater choice for both business
and leisure travellers when we
arrive in March.”
the Amadeus IT Group, a leading
technology partner for the global
travel industry, today announce a
landmark agreement that will see
the airline migrate to Amadeus’
full Altéa suite by 2014.
The deal, which is the first of its
kind for Amadeus in the Indian
subcontinent, will enable both
SriLankan Airlines and its sister
airline,Mihin Lanka, to adopt
Amadeus’ next generation IT
suite in order to manage its
mission-critical
reservations,
ticketing,
inventory
and
departure control processes.
At the same time, the agreement
SriLankan Airlines becomes the
first airline group in the Indian
subcontinent to adopt
Amadeus’ Altéa IT suite
Madrid, :SriLankan Airlines, the
national carrier of Sri Lanka, and
between SriLankan and Amadeus
will help facilitate the airline’s
Under the terms of the agreement
the two companies will work in
close co-operation to begin the
migration
process
from
SriLankan’s existing passenger
service system to Altéa, with the
first phase of the migration,
covering
the
reservations,
inventory and ticketing modules,
scheduled to be completed this
year. Migration to the Altéa
departure control system module
is planned to commence in the
first half of 2014.
The agreement with SriLankan
follows a period of sustained
success for Amadeus and its
Altéa suite across Asia Pacific in
particular in 2012, when
contracts were agreed with
Garuda Indonesia andEVA Air.
Most recently Amadeus has also
successfully migrated Cathay
Pacific and Singapore Airlines to
Altéa, with Garuda scheduled to
migrate later in 2013.
Nishantha
Wickremasinhe,
Chairman SriLankan Airlines
said : “We consider this a
significant move in our future
plans to place SriLankan Airlines
in an advantageous position and
becoming the first airline to adopt
the Altéa Suite in the Indian
subcontinent
displays
our
commitment to be on par with the
technological developments that
are critical for efficiency in
today’s aviation industry.”
Kaplia
Chandrasena,
Director/Chief Executive Officer,
SriLankan Airlines commented:
“Implementing Amadeus’ Altéa
suite is crucial to the evolution
and expansion of SriLankan
Airlines and our inclusion within
the oneworld global alliance. The
Altéa suite will truly modernise
our IT processes, enhancing our
service provision, whilst enabling
us to become a more ‘customercentric’ carrier than ever
before.This agreement is highly
significant for our employees,
passengers and partners.”
Julia Sattel, SVP Airline IT,
Amadeus
IT
Group
commented:“This is a key
strategic win for Amadeus as we
continue to extend our global
reach. This agreement with
SriLankan is also important for
us as it is the first Amadeus
customer for Altéa from the
Indian subcontinent, something
that we are extremely proud of.
We very much look forward to
working in partnership with
SriLankan as the migration
process begins in earnest this
year.”
Amadeus’ Altéa suite is used by
over 120 airlines globally.
Embraer
expands Pool
services with
Azul/TRIP
until 2020
São José dos Campos, - Embraer,
Azul Linhas Aéreas Brasileiras
S.A. and TRIP Linhas Aéreas
signed a renewal and expansion
contract for the Pool services, on
support for more than 350 spare
parts
and
all
repairable
components of the hydraulic,
mechanical,
pneumatic,
electronic
and
propulsion
systems for their E-Jets.
The
renewal
means
the
agreement will be extended until
2020,
representing
an
approximate value of USD 400
million during that period. In the
coming years, the total number of
Embraer jets that will be
operating at the two airlines
covered by the program will
reach 97.
“Azul and TRIP, not only have
one of the largest operating E-Jet
fleets but the companies also
AVIATION NEWS
have the highest daily utilization
of E-Jets in the world. Embraer is
proud to expand the partnership
of this support operation”, said
Eduardo Munhós de Campos,
Vice President, Latin America
and the Caribbean, Commercial
Aviation.
“Expanding
the
contract shows the efficiency of
the Pool Program services as an
important tool for airlines to
manage fleets, regardless of their
size.”
Embraer's
Pool
Program,
currently supporting more than
thirty airlines worldwide, is
designed to minimize airlines’
up-front investment on highvalue repairable inventories and
resources,
while
taking
advantage of Embraer's technical
expertise and its vast component
service provider network. This
results in significant savings on
repair and inventory carrying
costs, reduction in required
warehousing space, virtually
eliminating the need for
resources required for repair
management, and ultimately,
guaranteed performance levels.
All E-Jets customers in South
America have joined the
program.
Etihad Airways
net profit
jumps 200
percent to
US$42million
Etihad Airways, the national
carrier of the United Arab
Emirates, today reported net
profit of US$42 million in 2012,
up 200 per cent on 2011 (US$14
million) in a year which saw
strong
improvements
in
revenues, passengers numbers
and cost control.
Revenue increased 17 per cent to
US$4.8 billion (US$4.1 billion),
on passenger numbers up 23 per
cent to 10.3 million (8.4 million).
These numbers were boosted
significantly by Etihad Airways'
equity
partnerships
and
codeshares, which delivered
more than US$600 million in
total revenue.
Executive Officer in 2006, the
airline has grown from a US$750
million business to one which
now turns over nearly US$5
billion a year.
James Hogan, President and
Chief Executive Officer of Etihad
Airways, said: “This has been a
game-changing year for Etihad
Airways. We have delivered
improved net profit, the second
consecutive year we have been in
the
black,
a
remarkable
achievement given the youth,
ambitious growth and ongoing
investment made by this airline in
a challenging global economic
environment. We have taken
great strides in building the
industry's first 'equity alliance',
with our investments in airberlin,
Air Seychelles, Virgin Australia
and Aer Lingus, which are
contributing significant value to
our business. And we have met
our mandate of contributing to
the economic development of
Abu Dhabi, growing its aviation
sector and building trade and
tourism connections across the
globe.”
During the year, growth in
revenue passenger kilometres
(RPKs) outpaced growth in
available seat kilometres (ASKs)
for the fourth year running.
RPKs were up 23 per cent to 48
billion (39 billion), on ASKs up
20 per cent to 61 billion (51
billion),
resulting
in
an
impressive lift in seat factor of
2.4 points to 78.2 per cent (75.8
per cent).
Earnings before interest and tax
(EBIT) rose 24 per cent to
US$170
million
(US$137
million),
while
EBITDAR
(earnings before interest, tax,
depreciation, amortisation and
rentals) rose to US$753 million
(US$648 million), a margin of 16
per cent on total revenue.
Since Mr Hogan joined Etihad
Airways as President and Chief
Equity and codeshare partners
delivered more than 1.2 million
passengers onto the Etihad
Airways network. airberlin, in
which Etihad Airways holds a
29.21 per cent stake, made a very
strong contribution, with more
than 300,000 passengers shared
between
their
networks,
delivering more than US$130
million in total to the two airlines.
Etihad Airways continues to
invest in its award-winning
product across the network. In
2012, the airline unveiled plans
for new lounges in Paris (opened
in December 2012), Washington,
Sydney and Melbourne. It also
opened its first European contact
centre in Manchester to support
customers.
The call centre
employs more than 190 staff and
has answered almost half a
million calls in 18 markets in
nine languages since opening,
bringing in more than US$20
million in revenue.
Reflecting strong customer
loyalty, the airline’s frequent
flyer program, Etihad Guest,
passed the 1.8 million member
mark during the year. The
program was strengthened with
the introduction of the PointsPay
solution, allowing Etihad Guest
members to redeem points for
cash to purchase products in 30
million outlets around the world.
Mr Hogan said cargo continued
to play an important part in
Etihad Airways' success by
delivering tonnage growth of 19
per cent on the back of a capacity
increase of 14 per cent in
available tonnage kilometres.
Planned fleet upgrades for 2013
include 14 aircraft, with 11
passenger aircraft deliveries and
three freighter deliveries. Further,
there are orders for nine wide
bodied aircraft (6 x Boeing 777300ER passenger, 2 x Boeing 777
freighter and 1 x Airbus 330
Freighter) and five narrow body
aircraft (4 x Airbus 320 and 1 x
Airbus 321). These will meet
Etihad Airways’ immediate
growth requirements.
At the end of 2012, the company
had 10,656 employees, 18 per
cent up on 2011 (9,038), with
more than 125 nationalities
represented.
The
airline’s
Emiratisation program for cadet
pilots, engineers and graduate
managers continues to be a
success with 1,254 Emiratis now
employed, representing 22 per
cent of the core Head Office
workforce.
A350 XWB’s
Trent XWB
engine achieves
EASA type
certification
Engine certification paves the
way for A350 XWB first flight in
the summer
AVIATION NEWS
into-service in 2014, the A350
XWB has already won 617 firm
orders from 35 customers
worldwide.
(FAA) and Civil Aviation
Authority of Israel on Aug. 30,
2012. It entered service on Nov.
13, 2012.
Gulfstream
G280 certified
by EASA
The aircraft’s range is 3,600
nautical miles (6,667 km) at
Mach 0.80. Its balanced field
length is 210 feet less than
originally announced, which
enables it to take off from
runways of 4,750 feet (1,448 m)
or less. That is an improvement
of more than 1,300 feet compared
to the G200, the aircraft the G280
replaces. The G280 has a
maximum operating speed of
Super Mid-Sized Jet Has Best
Range And Most Comfortable
Cabin In Its Class
SAVANNAH, Ga., — Gulfstream
Aerospace Corp.’s G280 aircraft
The Airbus A350 XWB
programme has achieved yet
another important milestone with
the European Aviation Safety
Agency’s (EASA) award of the
Engine Type Certification of the
Rolls-Royce
Trent
XWB
turbofan. EASA presented the
certificate to Rolls-Royce at
EASA’s headquarters in Cologne,
Germany.
This certification covers Trent
XWB engines which will power
the A350-800 and A350-900
variants. A higher thrust version
of the Trent XWB is currently
under development for the A3501000.
Eric Schulz, President – Civil
Large Engines, Rolls-Royce,
said: “We are very proud to have
achieved
this
significant
milestone on the road to the A350
XWB’s entry into service. I
would like to thank Airbus for
their support and all of our
partners and employees who
contributed to the design and
certification of the engine. Test
results show we have produced
the world’s most efficient large
civil aero engine and we now
look forward to the first flight
later this year.”
Didier Evrard, Airbus’ Executive
Vice President – Head of A350
XWB Programme said: “We
congratulate our colleagues at
Rolls-Royce on achieving this
important milestone for the A350
XWB programme with the EASA
certification of the Trent XWB
engine.” He adds: “These new
engines together with the
aircraft’s advanced aerodynamics
and airframe technologies will
bring our airline customers a 25
percent step-improvement in fuel
efficiency.”
Certification confirms the engine
has
fulfilled
EASA’s
airworthiness requirements for
flight and is the last major engine
milestone prior to the first flight
of A350-900 ‘MSN001’ later this
year. The engines which will
power that aircraft are now being
prepared prior to installation of
the fully integrated powerplant
on the aircraft’s pylon.
The Trent XWB has already
powered a series of test flights on
Airbus’ A380 Flying Test Bed
(FTB) aircraft since February
2012. These flight-test results
indicate that the engine will meet
Airbus’ extremely high efficiency
and performance goals for the
A350 XWB programme.
The A350 XWB is the all-new
mid-size long range product line
comprising three versions and
seating between 270 and 350
passengers in typical three-class
layouts. The new family will
bring a step change in efficiency
compared with existing aircraft in
this size category, using 25 per
cent less fuel and providing an
equivalent reduction in CO2
emissions. Scheduled for entry-
received type certification today
from the European Aviation
Safety Agency (EASA). The
certification recognizes that the
super
mid-sized
aircraft
demonstrates compliance with
EASA
airworthiness
and
environmental requirements. It is
one of the final steps required for
the G280 to be registered in a
European Union country.
“Getting EASA certification is an
important milestone for the
G280,” said Larry Flynn,
president, Gulfstream. “This
aircraft is the most fuel-efficient
and most comfortable in its class,
and it offers unprecedented range
for its size. It is the only super
mid-sized business jet that can
reliably fly nonstop from London
to New York. That feature is very
important to operators.”
The G280, a joint effort between
Gulfstream and Israel Aerospace
Industries, earned its type
certification from the U.S.
Federal Aviation Administration
Mach 0.85.
Advanced technology is also part
of the G280’s appeal. The
PlaneView280™ cockpit, the
most advanced flight deck in its
class, improves safety through
reduced pilot workload and
improved situational awareness.
The
G280
is
also
environmentally
efficient,
burning less fuel and producing
fewer emissions than other super
mid-sized aircraft. It is quiet,
with certified noise levels 15.8
decibels below FAA Stage 4
requirements.
With its spacious cabin, the G280
can provide seating for up to 10
in two living areas. Passengers
have in-flight access to the
baggage compartment. The
Gulfstream Cabin Management
System enables them to easily
control the cabin environment
and high-definition entertainment
equipment with a handheld
device such as an iPod Touch.
AVIATION NEWS
Bombardier
Aerospace
Begins
Production of
the First
Components in
Morocco
MONTREAL,
QUEBEC-(Marketwire - ) - Bombardier
Aerospace announced the start of
production at its transitional
facility in Morocco. Following a
graduation ceremony held on
February 1 at the Institut des
Metiers de l'Aeronautique (IMA),
18 aircraft assemblers began
production
of
the
first
Bombardier components to come
out
of
its
Moroccan
manufacturing facility.
"This is a very exciting milestone
for us as we start to see our
operation in Morocco take form,"
said Hugo Brouillard, General
Manager, Bombardier Aerospace,
Morocco. "With 18 new local
employees fully engaged and
trained in the Bombardier
manufacturing process and
philosophy, this is the first step
towards a long future of quality
component manufacturing at
another world-class Bombardier
facility."
Following
the
initial
announcement in November
2011 of Bombardier's intention to
build a manufacturing facility in
Morocco, the Company has
extended its timeline for
construction of the new facility as
the manufacturing plan evolves.
In order to maintain the timeline
for production Bombardier has
set up operations in a transitional
facility located at the Mohammed
V International Airport in
Nouaceur in the Greater
Casablanca region, near its future
permanent facility.
The Bombardier Aerospace
transitional
manufacturing
facility in Morocco is currently
producing simple structures
including flight controls for the
CRJ Series aircraft. By year-end,
the facility is expected to employ
approximately 100 fully trained
aircraft assemblers.
Gulfstream
appoints Dan
Nale to Senior
Vice President
for Programs,
Engineering and
Test
Pres Henne Announces His
Retirement After A 44-Year
Aerospace Career
Aerospace Corp. has appointed
Dan Nale to the position of senior
vice
president,
Programs,
Engineering and Test, effective
April 1. He will succeed Pres
Henne, who will retire March 31.
Nale will oversee the company's
Engineering, Flight Operations
and Program Management
Organizations as well as aircraft
development, reporting to Larry
Flynn, president, Gulfstream.
Most recently, Nale served as
vice president, Advanced Aircraft
Programs, where he was
responsible for overseeing the
development of next-generation
Gulfstream aircraft. Previously,
as vice president, Engineering,
Nale was responsible for several
design- and engineering-related
organizations,
including
Structures, GV Propulsion,
Auxiliary Power Unit, Fuel
Systems, Environmental Control
and Pressurization Systems. As
vice
president,
Mid-Cabin
Programs, a position he took over
in March 2003, he was
responsible for managing the
Gulfstream G100, G150, G200
and G280 programs. Before
joining Gulfstream, he worked as
a stress engineer on the space
shuttle wing program for
Grumman Aerospace Corp.
development,
test
and
certification of the Gulfstream V
and G550 aircraft, which earned
Robert J. Collier trophies from
the
National
Aeronautics
Association in 1997 and 2003,
respectively. The trophy is
awarded annually for the greatest
achievement in aeronautics or
astronautics in North America.
Most recently, Henne oversaw
the
development
of
the
company’s
much-anticipated
G650, one of the world’s most
sophisticated
business-jet
aircraft.
“Dan started his Gulfstream
career in 1985 as a structural
analysis engineer and has held
increasingly
responsible
engineering positions within the
company over the past 28 years,”
said Flynn. “I have complete
confidence in Dan’s ability to
lead the vast team of 1,675
engineers,
scientists
and
designers who are responsible for
the industry-leading research and
development undertaken at
Gulfstream.”
Nale, a Georgia-registered
professional engineer (P.E.),
holds a bachelor’s degree in civil
engineering from The Citadel in
Charleston, master’s and doctoral
degrees in engineering from the
University of South Carolina in
Columbia, and a Master of
Business Administration degree
from Mercer University in
Macon, Ga. He also holds a
single engine private pilot
license.
Henne, who turned 65 in 2012,
joined Gulfstream in 1994. He is
credited with leading the teams
responsible for the design,
The G650, which entered service
in 2012, was designed with
technological advances such as a
digital fly-by-wire system, triplex
flight management systems, auto
emergency descent and enhanced
and synthetic vision systems.
Henne also supervised the design
and development of the G280, an
aircraft that has been noted for its
best-in-class performance, cabin
comfort and technology.
Cathay
evaluating
widebody
needs,
considering
A380s and 7478s
By Leithen Francis
Cathay Pacific CEO John Slosar
tells Aviation Week the airline is
evaluating the Airbus A380 and
AVIATION NEWS
Oman Air will offer double daily
services from Oman Air’s home
base of Muscat to Chennai, Delhi
and Hyderabad. In addition, the
flight frequency from Muscat to
Lahore and Islamabad has also
been enhanced to offer a daily
service to each city.
Boeing 747-8 and expects to
make a decision on whether to
place an order for passenger
variants in the first half of 2013.
Cathay will have phased out most
of its 747-400 passenger aircraft
by the end of the year, and has to
deal with slot constraints at
London Heathrow Airport and
Hong Kong International Airport,
Slosar says.
And while his predecessor found
cost inefficiencies with the A380
and preferred the cargo capacity
of the 777-300ER, Slosar notes
that the maximum takeoff weight
of aircraft like the A380 changes
as improvements are made to the
aircraft.
Slosar also acknowledges that the
747-8
freighters
already
operating in Cathay’s fleet “are
operating
very
well
as
freighters.” He did not say how
many aircraft Cathay will need.
The CEO anticipates that
Boeing’s immediate problems
with the 787 program may
inadvertently delay the unveiling
of the airframer’s 777X. He had
earlier predicted that Boeing
would officially launch the 777X
program in the first half of 2013,
but in light of recent problems
with the 787 program he says he
may have to change his
prediction.
Slosar reasons that the need to
devote engineering resources to
resolve problems with the 787’s
lithium-ion batteries will divert
attention
from
the
next
generation of the 777. “I haven’t
heard anything recently about the
777X,” Cathay’s CEO tells
Aviation Week on the sidelines of
an event marking Malaysia
Airlines’ entry into Oneworld.
As for the 787 program, Slosar
expects the current problems will
be resolved. “There’s been a bit
of a stumble, but I don’t have any
doubts that they [Boeing] will get
this fixed. Boeing is a worldclass company that knows what
they are doing.”
Oman Air’s Chief Executive
Officer, Wayne Pearce, welcomes
this development, and states:
“Increasing the size of our B737
fleet allows us to be more
flexible, offering even more
choice for Oman Air’s growing
number of customers. In line with
greater awareness of Oman Air’s
outstanding
international
reputation amongst travelers,
demand
has
increased
considerably and we look
forward to welcoming our
Addition of Two New B737 –
800s to Oman Air’s Rapidly
Growing Fleet
O
man Air is further
expanding its fleet of
Boeing 737- 800s with
the introduction of two additional
passengers on board
additional aircrafts.”
aircrafts, bringing the airline’s
total fleet strength to 30. The
expansion followed shortly after
the Sultanate of Oman signed a
Memorandum of Understanding
(MoU) to meet the increased
demand for air services between
Oman-India, and Oman-Pakistan.
backbone of Oman Air’s fleet and
flies on a range of short and
medium-haul routes. In addition
to the two new aircraft, the fleet
includes fifteen B737- 800s, two
B737- 700s, four Airbus A330200s, three A330 -300s, four
Embraer E175 regional jets and
two ATR 42s.
Both aircraft will be deployed by
the beginning of February and
our
Boeing 737s currently form the
With seating capacity for 12 in
business and 150 passengers in
economy class, the additional
aircraft will enable Oman Air, as
the preferred airline for travel, to
meet the need for greater travel
between the two countries.
Rockwell Collins
signs teaming
agreement with
Tata Power
Strategic
Engineering
Division
Companies pursuing Indian Air
Force’s Software Defined Radio
program
BANGALORE,
India
–
Rockwell Collins, a world leader
in software defined radio
technology, and Tata Power
Strategic Engineering Division
(Tata Power SED), a proven and
well-established
system
integrator in the Indian defense
industry, recently announced a
teaming agreement as part of
their pursuit of the Indian Air
Force Software Defined Radio
program.
“Together,
our
companies
provide the expertise to deliver
the best-value software defined
radio (SDR) solution for the
Indian Air Force while offering
an unmatched opportunity for
technology transfer,” said Ram
Prasad, managing director of
Rockwell Collins India. “This
announcement formalizes what
has been a long-standing and
positive working relationship
with Tata Power SED and will
provide the Indian Air Force with
advanced air and ground
connectivity to meet their
requirements. This relationship is
very strategic in nature and
would provide Indian defense
with not only a local, within
country, long-term support and
maintenance provider, but also
access
to
state-of-the-art
technology.”
Rahul Chaudhry, CEO of Tata
Power SED remarked, “Tata
Power SED has a four-decade
long defense research and
AVIATION NEWS
development experience and has
now emerged as one of the largest
private sector defense prime
contractors.
Our
teaming
agreement with Rockwell Collins
for the Air Force’s Software
Defined Radio Program allows us
to harness our core competencies
in the hi-tech arena of SDR for
which Rockwell Collins is an
acknowledged world leader with
proven solutions. With this
collaboration, we bring to India a
proven hi-tech communication
technology with indigenous
security, platform and system
engineering as a trustworthy
solution.”
Under the terms of the
agreement, Tata Power SED is
the prime contractor and
Rockwell Collins will provide
technology for the team’s
software defined radio offering.
If selected, the team of Tata and
Rockwell Collins plan to perform
the majority of the program effort
in India, providing faster delivery
times, as well as more responsive
in-country service and support
for the customer.
For the Indian Air Force
program, Rockwell Collins is
providing industry leading
software
defined
radio
technology designed to provide
the best value in features,
technology
and
growth
capabilities. This technology
features
a
digital
radio
architecture that allows easy
reprogramming with different
waveforms and operating modes
through the use of digital signal
processing technology.
Rockwell Collins is a leader in
airborne
tactical
communications,
having
provided more than 36,000 radios
on 180 platforms worldwide.
to Iraq, Qatar Airways viewed
expansion as being vital, fuelled
by the country’s reconstruction
drive.
The arrival of Qatar Airways’
flight QR 742 at Al Najaf
International
Airport
was
welcomed by a traditional water
salute followed by a reception
presided by local officials. Fathi
Al Shehab, Qatar Airways Senior
Vice President GCC, Levant, Iran
and Indian Subcontinent, led an
official delegation on the flight
from the airline’s head office in
the Qatari capital Doha.
With three Iraqi routes now in its
stable, Qatar Airways takes its
frequency across Baghdad, Erbil
and Najaf up 50 per cent to 12
services each week.
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 Chief Executive
Officer Akbar Al Baker said:
“With our new Najaf services, we
are giving the people of Iraq
more choice and greater travel
options to fly around the world
after years of restricted access to
air services. Similarly, with all
the reconstruction efforts well
underway in Iraq, there is a need
for flights to bring in construction
workers.
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.
flights to the central city of Najaf.
Qatar Airways expands route
network in Iraq
Carrier Adds Third Gateway In
Republic With Four-Flights-AWeek To Najaf
Frequency Across Three Iraqi
Cities Of Capital Baghdad, Erbil
Najaf, to be operated four-timesa-week, becomes destination
number 124 in the airline’s global
network spanning cities across
Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia
Pacific, North America and South
America.
And Latest Destination Rises To
12 Services Each Week
Najaf, REPUBLIC OF IRAQ –
Qatar Airways has introduced its
latest gateway in the Republic of
Iraq with the launch of scheduled
Following its move into Iraq six
months ago with the start of
flights to both the capital
Baghdad and Erbil, the Dohabased airline has inaugurated new
services to its third city in the
country.
On the back of passenger demand
“As an air service provider, we at
Qatar Airways have the faith and
are doing our bit in the rebuilding
efforts of the country.
“Najaf represents a significant
part of Qatar Airways’ growth
strategy of opening new, diverse
routes connecting people in
underserved
markets
to
destinations around the world
with more ease and convenience
than ever before.”
Addressing guests gathered at Al
Najaf International Airport, Fathi
Al Shehab said: “Today is all
AVIATION NEWS
about celebration and further
developing our warm relations
between the State of Qatar and
the Republic of Iraq.
“On behalf of Qatar Airways, I
would like to thank the
government of Iraq, the local
authorities and airport officials
for supporting Qatar Airways’
expansion with the addition of an
integral route to our international
network that will offer great
connections to the people of
Najaf and the surrounding areas
to such an exciting array of
destinations globally such as
London, Singapore, Tokyo, New
York, Shanghai and Melbourne.
“Qatar Airways looks forward to
welcoming
our
newest
passengers to experience our
award-winning world class
service and fine hospitality.”
The Doha – Najaf route is being
operated by a state-of-the-art
Airbus A320 featuring 144 seats
in a two-class configuration of 12
seats in Business Class and 132
in Economy. The aircraft offers
seatback TV screens, providing
passengers with the next
generation interactive onboard
entertainment system, featuring a
choice of more than 800 audio
and video on-demand options,
together with an SMS text
messaging service from each
seat.
The convenient timings of the
Doha – Najaf flights allow for
good connections to key
destinations across the Middle
East, Europe, Africa, Asia and the
Americas.
One of the world’s fastest
growing airlines, Qatar Airways
has seen rapid growth in just 16
years of operations, currently
flying a modern fleet of 118
aircraft to 124 key business and
leisure
destinations
across
Europe, Middle East, Africa, Asia
Pacific and The Americas.
Over the next few weeks and
months, Qatar Airways will
launch services to a diverse
portfolio of new routes, including
Phnom
Penh,
Cambodia
(February 20); Chengdu, China
(March 19); Chicago, USA (April
10); and Salalah, Oman (May 22)
with many more new start-ups
planned.
Villa Air
introduces the
ATR 72-600 in
the Maldives
The carrier leases its first ATR 600 series aircraft from GECAS
Maldivian carrier Villa Air,
commercially known as FlyMe,
is about to become the very first
operator of an ATR -600 series
aircraft in the archipelago. The
airline will start operating an
ATR 72-600 which has been
delivered to the US-based lessor
GECAS (GE Capital Aviation
Services
Limited),
the
commercial aircraft leasing and
financing company of GE, who is
leasing the aircraft to Villa Air.
The aircraft, after arriving in the
Maldives, will perform its
inaugural flight between Malé
and Maamigili, the main hub of
Villa Air in early February.
This new generation ATR 72-600
will allow Villa Air to expand the
airline's fleet and boost service to
cities destinations it already flies
to: from Maldives' capital Malé
to airports in Maamigili, Gan and
Dharavandhoo. Villa Air already
operates a fleet of 2 ATR 42-500s
aircraft deployed on domestic
routes in the islands.
The ATR 72-600 is equipped with
a new full-glass cockpit and is
configured
in
a
highly
comfortable 66-seat layout. The
modern Armonia cabin features
extra legroom, new seat trim and
shapes and wider overhead
luggage
compartments.
In
addition to the performance
advantages
and
enhanced
comfort, this aircraft will bring
additional capacity to meet the
needs of Maldives' rapidly
strengthening travel demand and
address the sustained growth of
the Maldivian travel market.
Qasim Ibrahim, Chairman of the
Villa Group, underlined “the
importance of offering new
standard of comfort to passengers
as well as the outstanding interisland capabilities of the new
ATR 72-600. We are delighted to
upgrade our fleet with the most
modern 70-seat regional aircraft
renowned for its environment
friendliness. We want to associate
our growth to the preservation of
the
environment
in
the
Maldives.”
Todd Freeman, SVP and
Manager, Regional Aircraft, of
GECAS, stated: “We are now
introducing the ATR 72-600
aircraft in our lease portfolio and
we are pleased by the strong
attractiveness of this aircraft
among regional airlines all over
the world. With its low operating
costs and its modern passenger
comfort standards, the ATR 72600 is becoming increasingly
popular. Our ATR 72-600
commitments will allow us to
offer even more comprehensive
product offerings to our
customers and help them to
succeed in the years to come.”
Filippo Bagnato, Chief Executive
Officer of ATR, declared: "We
are pleased that the advantages of
the -600 aircraft, starting from
the
outstanding
comfort
standards, are now available for
passengers in the Maldives”. He
added: “The Villa Group of
companies
has
a
strong
commitment to the environment
and this is exemplified by their
choice of the most “Green”
aircraft available today. It's an
exciting new chapter for ATR
today, which underscores the
strong confidence that Villa Air
has in ATR, and underlines the
Maldivian market's growth
potential. Finally, GECAS has an
outstanding track record of
placing airplanes with airline
customers around the world. We
are pleased they continue to
expand their portfolio of ATR
aircraft."
Universal
Avionics
Enables LPV
Capability for
Porter Airlines
Dual UNS-1Ew WAAS/SBASFlight Management Systems
Introduce LPV Approaches to
Toronto Island
TUCSON, AZ – With installation
of Universal Avionics’ UNS-1Ew
Flight Management Systems
(FMS), Canada’s Porter Airlines
has
gained
Localizer
Performance
with
Vertical
Guidance
(LPV)-capability,
positioning itself for increased
competitiveness and customer
satisfaction with its allBombardier-Q400 operation.
Porter recently completed its
program to replace UNS-1E
AVIATION NEWS
and inventory of ZD’s 21
different Pilot-Friendly GPS
Manuals. Written by ZD
Publishing founder John Dittmer,
an ATP-rated CFI, these manuals
have been trusted by thousands of
pilots to help them master their
panel-mount and handheld GPS
units produced by Garmin and
Bendix/King.
The
entire
inventory of manuals is now
available from PilotWorkshops in
download or print format at
http://pilotworkshop.com/gpsmanuals
FMSs with dual Universal
WAAS/SBAS- and LPV-capable
UNS-1Ew FMSs. In November
2012, scheduled Q400 flights
began operating into Billy Bishop
Toronto City Airport (CYTZ)
using an RNAV (GNSS)
approach procedure to LPV Line
of Minima in the UNS-1Ew
database.
According to Norm Matheis,
Universal Avionics’ Regional
Sales Manager for Canada,
“Porter is one of the Q400 fleet
leaders in obtaining the
maximum capability from the
Universal FMS from coupled
VNAV utilization, along with
working towards advanced and
trajectory-based
navigation
procedures. We’re grateful for
having been able to play a small
part in their success as they
moved into the LPV world.”
RNAV LPV LOS approach
procedure
development
in
Canada has accelerated of late,
driven by individual operators’
recognizance of competitive
advantage through investment in
technology and Nav Canada’s
ILS Replacement Program.
Under this program, airports can
now have an RNAV LPV
procedure, providing the same or
even
better
access
with
associated flight completion rate
as an ILS, without the costly
investment in ILS infrastructure.
Improved minimums are possible
from the increased accuracy of a
WAAS/SBAS-capable
FMS,
resulting in a smaller obstacle
clearance boundary.
Creating an approach to Runway
08 at the downtown Billy Bishop
Toronto City Airport was a
unique
application
that
showcases the capability of a
WAAS/SBAS FMS-equipped
Q400. The procedure designer
(Air Navigation Data) created an
LPV LOS procedure that was the
first to be compliant with
Transport Canada’s new criteria
(TP308, Change 5.3). The 250
foot height above touchdown
procedure
minimums
are
significantly improved compared
to existing ILS minima.
“Since the introduction of the
RNAV/GNSS Runway 08 (LPV)
approach at Toronto City Airport,
Porter has benefitted from the
lower minima and runway
aligned final approach course
offered by the LPV,” said Justin
Tiplady, Director of Flight
Technical at Porter Airlines. “The
approach further increases
reliability, which helps overall
customer service and operational
efficiency. We have already
benefited from this technology
dozens of times in the last three
months, so it is already paying
off.”
PilotWorkshops.co
m Acquires ZD
Publishing and
their Pilot-Friendly
GPS Manuals
Nashua,
NH
–
PilotWorkshops.com LLC has
purchased the assets of ZD
Publishing including copyrights
founded in 2005 and is bestknown for their free “Pilot’s Tip
of the Week” emails received by
over 100,000 pilots each week.
Created by their roster of
nationally
known
flight
instructors and experts, these tips
cover single pilot IFR operations,
weather,
airmanship,
ATC
communications, emergencies
and more using a unique, multimedia format. PilotWorkshops
also creates and sells a range of
pilot proficiency programs
including their IFR Mastery
scenario-based training.
“We’ve been working closely
Etihad Airways net profit jumps
200 percent to US$42m
E
with ZD Publishing since 2011
and have received tremendous
feedback from our customers
who have purchased their
manuals. In particular, pilots
appreciate the task-oriented
nature that quickly gets to the
root of what a pilot needs from
their GPS. They focus on getting
something done as opposed to the
‘buttonology’ focus in many
manufacturer manuals,” said
Mark Robidoux, President of
PilotWorkshops. “In particular,
we’ve talked with many IFR
pilots who are frustrated that they
are only using a small fraction of
their GPS unit’s capability
because of difficulties in learning
some of the more complex
operations. Gaining mastery of
those operations is the core value
these manuals provide.”
tihad Airways, the national
carrier of the United Arab
Emirates, reported net
profit of US$42 million in 2012,
up 200 per cent on 2011 (US$14
million) in a year which saw
strong
improvements
in
revenues, passengers numbers
and cost control.
“We’re proud of our contribution
in helping pilots become
proficient with their GPS units,”
stated John Dittmer, President of
ZD Publishing. “We know
PilotWorkshops can do a good
job of carrying the “PilotFriendly” message forward as
they had quickly become our
largest distributor.” Dittmer will
continue to write manuals and
updates for PilotWorkshops in
the future.
Revenue increased 17 per cent to
US$4.8 billion (US$4.1 billion),
on passenger numbers up 23 per
cent to 10.3 million (8.4 million).
These numbers were boosted
significantly by Etihad Airways'
equity
partnerships
and
codeshares, which delivered
more than US$600 million in
total revenue.
PilotWorkshops.com LLC was
James Hogan, President and
Chief Executive Officer of
Etihad Airways, said: “This has
been a game-changing year for
AVIATION NEWS
Etihad Airways. We have
delivered improved net profit, the
second consecutive year we have
been in the black, a remarkable
achievement given the youth,
ambitious growth and ongoing
investment made by this airline in
a challenging global economic
environment. We have taken
great strides in building the
industry's first 'equity alliance',
with our investments in airberlin,
Air Seychelles, Virgin Australia
and Aer Lingus, which are
contributing significant value to
our business. And we have met
our mandate of contributing to
the economic development of
Abu Dhabi, growing its aviation
sector and building trade and
tourism connections across the
globe.”
Earnings before interest and tax
(EBIT) rose 24 per cent to
US$170
million
(US$137
million),
while
EBITDAR
(earnings before interest, tax,
depreciation, amortisation and
rentals) rose to US$753 million
(US$648 million), a margin of 16
per cent on total revenue.
Since Mr Hogan joined Etihad
Airways as President and Chief
Executive Officer in 2006, the
airline has grown from a US$750
million business to one which
now turns over nearly US$5
billion a year.
During the year, growth in
revenue passenger kilometres
(RPKs) outpaced growth in
available seat kilometres (ASKs)
for the fourth year running.
RPKs were up 23 per cent to 48
billion (39 billion), on ASKs up
20 per cent to 61 billion (51
billion),
resulting
in
an
impressive lift in seat factor of
2.4 points to 78.2 per cent (75.8
per cent).
Equity and codeshare partners
delivered more than 1.2 million
passengers onto the Etihad
Airways network. airberlin, in
which Etihad Airways holds a
29.21 per cent stake, made a very
strong contribution, with more
than 300,000 passengers shared
between
their
networks,
delivering more than US$130
million in total to the two airlines.
Etihad Airways continues to
invest in its award-winning
product across the network. In
2012, the airline unveiled plans
for new lounges in Paris (opened
in December 2012), Washington,
Sydney and Melbourne. It also
opened its first European contact
centre in Manchester to support
customers.
The call centre
employs more than 190 staff and
has answered almost half a
million calls in 18 markets in
nine languages since opening,
bringing in more than US$20
million in revenue. Reflecting
strong customer loyalty, the
airline’s frequent flyer program,
Etihad Guest, passed the 1.8
million member mark during the
year.
The program was
strengthened
with
the
introduction of the PointsPay
solution, allowing Etihad Guest
members to redeem points for
cash to purchase products in 30
million outlets around the world.
Mr Hogan said cargo continued
to play an important part in
Etihad Airways' success by
delivering tonnage growth of 19
per cent on the back of a capacity
increase of 14 per cent in
available tonnage kilometres.
Planned fleet upgrades for 2013
include 14 aircraft, with 11
passenger aircraft deliveries and
three freighter deliveries. Further,
there are orders for nine wide
bodied aircraft (6 x Boeing 777300ER passenger, 2 x Boeing 777
freighter and 1 x Airbus 330
Freighter) and five narrow body
aircraft (4 x Airbus 320 and 1 x
Airbus 321). These will meet
Etihad Airways’ immediate
growth requirements.
At the end of 2012, the company
had 10,656 employees, 18 per
cent up on 2011 (9,038), with
more than 125 nationalities
represented.
The
airline’s
Emiratisation program for cadet
pilots, engineers and graduate
managers continues to be a
success with 1,254 Emiratis now
employed, representing 22 per
cent of the core Head Office
workforce.
Turkish Airlines
orders five
additional A330
passenger
aircraft
Repeat order great vote of
confidence in A330s efficiency
and reliability
Turkish Airlines has signed a
firm order for two additional
A330-300 passenger aircraft and
three options as part of the
carrier’s continued growth plans.
The additional order for the A330
Family is taking their total firm
order for the type to 38. Turkish
Airlines placed their first order
with Airbus in 1984, and today
operate 104 Airbus in total.
The new aircraft will be deployed
on medium and long haul routes
from the Turkish Airlines hub in
Istanbul.
“As one of the fastest growing
airlines, our strategy of growth
needs to be fully supported by
efficient, reliable and profitable
aircraft” said Dr Temel Kotil,
CEO of Turkish Airlines. “This
new order for A330s reinforces
our commitment to a family of
aircraft which already helps us to
achieve our ambitious expansion
plans, in a profitable and
sustainable manner.”
“We are very proud to win a
repeat order from Turkish
Airlines as it shows without
doubt a strong endorsement for
the A330 unique combination of
unbeatable economics, versatility
and fuel efficiency,” said John
Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating
Officer, Customers. “In response
to the continuing strong demand,
we’re making the A330 better
and better, with new higher
weight variants to offer more
payload-range capability while
keeping reliability at top level.”
Airbus aircraft share a unique
cockpit
and
operational
commonality, allowing airlines to
use the same pool of pilots, cabin
crews
and
maintenance
engineers, bringing operational
flexibility and resulting in
significant cost savings.
The A330 Family, which spans
250 to 300 seats, and includes
Freighter, VIP, and Military
Transport/Tanker variants, has
now attracted more than 1,200
orders, with over 900 aircraft
flying with close to 100 operators
worldwide. The A330 is one of
the world’s most efficient aircraft
with best in class operating
economics. With numerous
ongoing product improvements,
it still remains the most costefficient and capable aircraft,
averaging dispatch reliability
AVIATION NEWS
well above 99 percent.
Airbus is a leading aircraft
manufacturer with the most
modern and comprehensive
family of airliners on the market,
ranging in capacity from 100 to
more than 500 seats
InterSky entrusts to
ATR maintenance
and support of its
aircraft
ATR and the Austrian carrier
InterSky have signed a Global
Maintenance Agreement (GMA)
for a period of 5 years. The
agreement covers the supply of
spare parts and maintenance
services for the 2 brand new ATR
72-600s of the airline. The very
first ATR -600 was delivered to
the airline earlier this month,
with the second one expected in
March.
Under this contract, ATR will
handle the complete management
of the equipment, including the
repair of line replaceable units
(LRUs), the maintenance and
availability of propellers, the
advanced exchange pool of
services, plus an inventory of
spare parts on lease at InterSky's
premises. With the signature of
this agreement, InterSky will
benefit
from
guaranteed
availability of spares, reduced
maintenance costs and simplified
maintenance procedures, with
ATR as a single channel.
ATR's Senior Vice President
Product Support & Services
Lilian Braylé said: “We are
delighted to have signed this
contract with InterSky, the first
Austrian carrier to have
introduced the ATR -600 aircraft
in the country. We are proud to
see that InterSky placed its
confidence in our expertise as an
aircraft manufacturer to handle
logistic
support
facilities
worldwide with a dedicated and
efficient service, high quality,
and fast, committed aircraft
delivery”.
Today more than 200 ATR
airplanes in-service are covered
with the GMA worldwide.
About the GMA:
The
Global
Maintenance
Agreement (GMA) represents the
extensive
and
flexible
maintenance services package
ATR offers to the Operators in
order to assist them during
aircraft operations and reduce
maintenance costs. As an aircraft
manufacturer ATR has built a
unique expertise offering the
Customer the most cost efficient
solutions to outsource their "on"
and "off" aircraft maintenance
requirements.
NBAA Renames
Annual U.S. Show
'Business Aviation
Convention &
Exhibition'
(NBAA) announced that the
name for its largest annual U.S.
event has been changed from
“Annual Meeting & Convention”
to
“Business
Aviation
Convention & Exhibition”
(“BACE”).
In announcing the change,
NBAA President and CEO Ed
Bolen noted that, given the global
nature of business aviation, the
Association co-hosts dedicated,
business-aviation-only events
around the world. The new name
for NBAA’s largest event brings
it into alignment with the other
shows.
“NBAA’s largest U.S. show has
up to this point been referred to
as an ‘annual meeting,’ but in
recent decades, it has grown in
size and importance to be much
more than just a meeting, and this
change reflects that reality,”
Bolen said. “The change also
strengthens the overall brand for
NBAA’s shows, underscoring
their status as world-class events,
produced by the Association,
with
the
high
standards
Exhibitors and Attendees expect
from an NBAA show. At the
same time, the new name retains
the term ‘Convention,’ which is
familiar to everyone in the
industry.”
The event that would evolve into
NBAA’s
modern
U.S.
Convention was first held in
September 1947. In the decades
since, it has grown into an event
that ranks fifth in size for all U.S.
trade shows, according to Trade
Show Executive magazine. The
event draws around 25,000
Attendees each year, including
individuals from dozens of
countries around the world. More
than 1,000 Exhibitors participate,
and the show covers more than 1
million square feet of exhibit
floor space. The event also
features a side-by-side display of
nearly every aircraft type in
production.
Going forward, the name
“Business Aviation Convention
& Exhibition” will be used to
describe NBAA’s largest annual
U.S. event on the Association’s
website, in promotional materials
for the show and in other
references to the event.
Embraer Selects
Honeywell to
Provide
Avionics for EJets Second
Generation
São José dos Campos, – Embraer
S.A.
(NYSE:
ERJ;
BM&FBOVESPA: EMBR3) has
selected Honeywell (NYSE:
HON) to provide its Primus Epic
2 integrated avionics system for
the second generation of E-Jets,
which are planned to enter
service in 2018. The decision is
another important milestone in
the program that is expected to be
launched later this year. Last
month, Embraer selected Pratt &
Whitney as the engine supplier.
“Honeywell has been a valued
partner of Embraer for many
years, so it is with great
confidence that we extend our
relationship for this important
program,” said Paulo Cesar Siva,
President & CEO of Embraer
Commercial Aviation. “We
believe that the evolution of the
Honeywell
Primus
Epic,
including
large
landscape
displays, will provide flexibility
for continuous innovation in the
flight deck, while offering a
mature system and a smooth
transition for pilots between the
current and future generation of
E-Jets.”
The Honeywell Primus Epic 2
integrated avionics system on the
AVIATION NEWS
Significant lessor
order for Airbus’
newest, most fuel
efficient aircraft
ALC orders 25 A350 XWBs and
firms up options for 14 A321neo
aircraft
second generation of E-Jets will
be an evolution of the existing
Primus Epic system on the
current generation, which will
assure a high degree of pilot
commonality. The five 8x10 inch
displays will be replaced by four
13x10 inch large landscape
displays with advanced graphics
capabilities. Honeywell’s Next
Generation Flight Management
System (NGFMS), already in
development
with
current
generation E-Jets, will provide
enhanced
flight
planning,
navigation
and
aircraft
performance capabilities.
“Honeywell’s Primus Epic 2 is an
incredibly innovative, highly
integrated and proven technology
that makes flying safer and more
efficient. Our avionics systems
are found inside the world’s most
successful aircraft, including
Embraer’s existing 170/190 E-Jet
family of aircraft,” said John
Bolton, President of Air
Transport & Regional Honeywell
Aerospace. “We look forward to
continuing our partnership, and
pursuing
additional
E-Jet
opportunities that our unique
breadth of products and services
affords us.”
Honeywell’s Primus Epic system
has accumulated more than nine
million flight hours to date, on
the E-Jets alone. Because these
avionics are software based,
Embraer will be able to easily
and effectively integrate future
communication, navigation and
air
traffic
management
functionalities.
As in the current family of
aircraft, the second generation of
E-Jets will be optionally
equipped with dual Head-up
Displays (HUD). The supplier
selection for this system will
occur later this year.
The second generation of E-Jets
will be a significant step in
Embraer´s
commitment
to
continuously invest in this line of
commercial jets. State-of-the-art
engines in combination with new
aerodynamically
advanced
wings, full fly-by-wire flight
controls and other systems
evolutions, will result in double
digit improvements in fuel burn,
maintenance costs, emissions and
external noise. The Company’s
objective is to offer the best
product and maintain its
leadership in the 70 to 120 seat
market, where more than 900 EJets are currently in service. A
total of 62 customers from 42
countries are flying or will soon
take delivery of Embraer E-Jets.
Air Lease Corporation (ALC),
the Los Angeles based aircraft
leasing company has signed a
contract for 25 A350 XWB
Family aircraft, consisting of 20
A350-900 and five A350-1000,
the largest member of the A350
XWB Family. ALC also has
options for five additional A3501000s. With this new order, ALC
becomes the 35th A350 XWB
customer and the order takes the
A350 XWB backlog past 600 (to
617).
Concurrently, ALC has signed a
purchase order for 14 A321neo
aircraft following an earlier
agreement announced at the 2012
Farnborough International Air
Show for 36 A320neo Family
aircraft plus 14 options. With this
latest confirmation from ALC,
the lessor’s cumulative orders for
the A320neo Family have
reached 50, of which up to 34
will be A321neo models. ALC
will announce engine selections
at a later date.
“The A350 XWB Family is
becoming
the
industry
benchmark for efficiency in the
long haul segment, and the
A320neo Family is ideal for
airlines operating short to
medium haul missions. These
aircraft will help airlines grow
their
businesses
while
simultaneously reducing their
operating costs and emissions,”
said Steven F. Udvar-Házy, Air
Lease Corporation’s Chairman
and Chief Executive Officer.
“ALC offers its customers the
most modern, efficient aircraft on
the market, and both the A350
XWB and the NEO fit right in
that category.”
“ALC’s continued confidence in
Airbus products and especially
our fuel efficient A350 XWB and
A320neo Families is a great
indicator of the long-term success
of these aircraft,” said John
Leahy, Airbus Chief Operating
Officer, Customers. “When you
offer products which cut fuel
consumption by a double digit
number, and combine that with
low maintenance costs and the
latest in cabin innovations, it’s a
pretty compelling proposal
whether you are in the low cost,
full service or charter segment.”
The A350 XWB (Xtra WideBody) is an all-new mid-size long
range product line comprising
three versions and seating
between 270 and 350 passengers
in typical three-class layouts. The
new family will bring a step
change in efficiency compared
with existing aircraft in this size
category, using 25 per cent less
fuel and providing an equivalent
reduction in CO2 emissions.
Scheduled for entry-into-service
in 2014, with ALC’s newest order
included, the A350 XWB has
already won 617 firm orders from
35 customers worldwide.
The A320neo will enter into
service in late 2015, followed by
the A321neo in 2016. The
A320neo Family incorporates
latest generation engines and
large Sharklet wing-tip devices,
which together will deliver up to
15 percent in fuel savings which
is equivalent to 1.4 million litres
of fuel - the consumption of
1,000 mid size cars, saving 3,600
tons of CO2 per aircraft per year.
AVIATION NEWS
With more than 9,000 aircraft
ordered and over 5,400 aircraft
delivered to over 380 customers
and operators worldwide, the
A320 Family is the world's bestselling single-aisle aircraft
family.
Embraer to
Showcase Its
Full Portfolio
at Aero India
2013
Bangalore, India, – Embraer will
promote its full portfolio of
Commercial Aviation, Executive
Aviation and Defense and
Security products and services in
the ninth International
Exhibition on Aerospace,
Defense and Civil Aviation –
Aero India 2013 at the Air Force
Station Yelahanka, in Bangalore,
India from February 6 to 10.
The portfolio includes the leading
family of commercial jets up to
120 seats in the global market
(E170, E175, E190 and E195),
the most modern and complete
product line of business jets,
from the entry-level Phenom 100
to the ultra-large Lineage 1000,
and a broad range of integrated
solutions for defense and security
that combine a high technological
level and operational efficiency
at competitive acquisition and
operating costs. Three of the
Embraer Executive Jets aircraft
will be on static display: the
entry-level Phenom 100, the
long-range Legacy 650 and the
ultra-large Lineage 1000.
Embraer has a strong presence in
the Indian market and counts the
national government, private
organizations and individuals as
customers and operators. The
country is home to more than a
third of the Company’s executive
jets in the region with at least one
type each of the Phenom, Legacy
and Lineage jets in service today.
Embraer Executive Jets is the
only business jet manufacturer to
produce a full range of aircraft
solutions and its aircraft have
received more than a dozen
international
design
and
innovation awards from top
luxury and aviation publications
for setting a new standard for
business aircraft.
To support the operations of the
growing
number
Embraer
executive jet customers and
operators in the country, Embraer
Executive Jets has named
Indamer Pvt. Ltd. and Air Works
Engineering
Pvt
Ltd
as
authorized service providers in
the country for all operators of
Embraer Executive Jets aircraft.
Five of Embraer’s Legacy jets are
also used by the Indian Air Force
(IAF) and Border Security Force
(BSF) for the transportation of
VIPS and foreign dignitaries. In
addition, Embraer Defense and
Security has collaborated with
India’s Defense Research &
Development
Organisation
(DRDO) to create three bespoke
EMB145 jet platforms for use as
Airborne Early Warning and
Control (AEW&C) aircraft, two
of which were delivered last year.
Gulfstream
G280 sets 15
new city-pair
speed records
Recent Feats Bring Aircraft’s
Total Records To 22
Aerospace Corp.’s new best-inclass G280 aircraft recently set
15 new city-pair speed records as
part of the company’s reliability
demonstration program. The 250hour internal testing program,
among the most extensive
voluntary reliability programs
ever implemented by Gulfstream,
served to enhance fleet reliability,
enrich pilot training and improve
customer readiness.
“The Gulfstream reliability
demonstration
program
incorporates pilot check rides,
maintenance on auxiliary power
units, engine run qualifications,
technical operations, publications
validations and basic servicing
and handling at typical fixed-base
operators,” said Mark Burns,
president, Product Support. “This
is just one more way we are
going above and beyond for our
customers, ensuring they have
the most reliable and highperforming aircraft.”
Of the 15 new city-pair speed
records set as part of the program,
the most notable were a flight
from Aspen, Colo., to Fort
Lauderdale, Fla., and one from
Honolulu to Savannah. The super
mid-sized aircraft has established
22 speed records since setting its
first in May.
“Two of these new speed records
are particularly significant
because they demonstrate the
G280’s capability to reach the
East Coast from Aspen and to
travel an exceptional distance,”
said Scott Neal, senior vice
president, Sales and Marketing,
Gulfstream.
“The
G280
continues to prove its tremendous
reliability, range, speed and
performance for our customers.”
The G280 flew from AspenPitken County Airport to Fort
Lauderdale-Hollywood
International Airport in 3 hours
and 21 minutes. It flew 1,640
nautical miles (3,038 km) at an
average cruise speed of Mach
0.84. On board were demo pilots
Santiago Koritschoner, Brian
Erickson and Stephanie Ruyle.
Also in November, the G280 flew
from Honolulu to Savannah in 8
hours and 19 minutes, a total of
4,124 nautical miles (7,638 km)
at an average speed of Mach
0.80. On board were Brian
Dickerson, senior production test
pilot; Scott Evans, engineering
test pilot; and Scott Blouin,
avionics
and
electrical
technician.
The city-pair speed records have
been certified by the National
Aeronautic Association, the
official record keeper for U.S.
aviation, and forwarded to the
Federation
Aeronautique
Internationale in Switzerland for
approval as world records.
The G280 is certified to fly 3,600
nm (6,667 km) with four
passengers at Mach 0.80 with
NBAA IFR reserves, some 200
nm farther than the company
announced at the program’s
launch in 2008. In addition to
more range, the aircraft’s
balanced field length has been
reduced from 4,960 feet (1,512
m) to 4,750 feet (1,448 m). This
field length is an improvement of
more than 1,300 feet compared to
the G200, the aircraft the G280
replaces. The aircraft entered into
service on Nov. 14, 2012.
Wicks Aircraft
Offers
Comprehensive ORing Assortment
Wicks Aircraft is now offering a
large yet inexpensive solution to
AVIATION NEWS
the problem of finding the right
O-ring at the right time.
“The temptation is always there
to re-use things like O-rings, and
the result is too-often a leaky
seal,” says Wicks president Scott
Wick. “Having to take time to
find or order O-rings makes that
temptation even greater. With our
Home Builders Kit (HMBK-1),
there are lots of sizes, and lots of
O-rings in each size; and it’s lessexpensive in time and money
than running to the supply shop
for just a couple individual Orings.”
With 382 O-rings made of a 70
durometer nitrile polymer and
sized from 006 to 327, the Orings store easily in their
protective plastic box that keeps
everything sorted.
The HMBK-1 can pay for itself
the first time it solves a problem.
Ideal for home workshop,
Chapter hangar, or professional
service center, the HMBK-1 is
priced at $32.19, and is available
immediately.
Turkish
Airlines begins
its operations
to Colombo,
Sri Lanka.
The best airline in Europe
which flies the most countries in
the world, today added its 219th
destination and its 98th country
by commencing flights to
Colombo, capital of Sri Lanka.
Turkish Airlines will
operate flights to Colombo 5 days
per
week
on
Mondays,
Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays
and Sundays in both directions,
linking Colombo, also Sri
Lanka's largest city and financial
hub, to the worldwide network of
Turkish Airlines.
Embraer and
Republic sign USD
$250 Million
agreement for
Components Pool
Program
São José dos Campos, Brazil,
February, 1st, 2013 – Embraer
and Republic Airways have
reached an agreement on a Flight
Hour Pool Program whereby
Embraer will provide component
support for more than 400
repairable
part
numbers,
including systems such as
hydraulic, electrical and engine
components, for Republic’s fleet.
The program has a value of
approximately
USD
$250
Million and will cover up to 308
aircraft, potentially including
Republic’s recent aircraft order of
47 E175 aircraft and 47 options.
The Republic E-Jets family of
aircraft will be covered through
February 2020; the ERJ 145
family will be covered through
December 2017.
“This agreement with Republic
continues to broaden and deepen
our relationship with one of our
most
valued,
long
term
customers,” said John Linn, Vice
President, Services and Support,
North
America,
Embraer
Commercial Aviation, “We are
very proud of the trust the largest
E-Jets operator in the world has
placed in Embraer services.”
“As we look to achieve best-inclass economics in the operation
of our aircraft fleet, we believe it
makes sense to leverage our
manufacturing partners’ expertise
at the component MRO level,”
said Republic CEO Bryan
Bedford. “We are very confident
that the Embraer Flight Hour
Pool Program will provide the
quality, timely service and
necessary maintenance savings
for our growing E-jet fleet from
this
leading
aircraft
manufacturer. We look forward to
incorporating these benefits into
our operations.”
Embraer's Flight Hour Pool
Program, which is currently
supporting more than thirty
airlines worldwide, is designed to
minimize airlines’ up front
investment
on
high-value
repairable
inventories
and
resources,
while
taking
advantage of Embraer's technical
expertise and its vast component
service provider network. The
results are a significant savings
on repair and inventory carrying
costs, reduction in required
warehousing space, virtually
eliminating the need for
resources required for repair
management, and ultimately,
guaranteed performance levels.
Air KBZ
introduces first
ATR -600 into
its fleet
ATR key to Myanmar airline's
fleet
expansion
and
modernization program
The first ATR 72-600 aircraft was
handed over yesterday to
Myanmar's domestic carrier Air
KBZ. The Danish finance and
leasing company Nordic Aviation
Capital (NAC) is providing
financing for the transaction.
The official ceremony which
took place at the ATR Delivery
Center in Toulouse, France, was
attended by senior management
from Air KBZ, NAC, and ATR.
NAC has also entered into an
agreement with Air KBZ for a
second ATR 72-600 aircraft to be
delivered in June this year. Air
KBZ already operates four ATR
72-500s in Myanmar. Air KBZ is
keen to further develop its
regional network, adding new
routes and frequencies to its
domestic and regional markets.
This fleet expansion will offer the
greatest benefits to airline's
economic performance in the
long run due to the fuel-efficient
performance
and
superior
comfort standards of the ATR 72600 aircraft.
These new generation ATRs
feature a high comfort layout
seating 68 passengers. The
spacious and ergonomically
designed Armonia cabin offers its
passengers new light and slim
seats with improved life space,
LED mood lighting and wider
overhead bins
“We are pleased to welcome the
new ATR 72-600 to our already
existing young fleet in line with
our continued mission to develop
and provide superior air transport
services that will exceed
customer expectations. The ATR
-600 series aircraft's superior
operating economics and low fuel
consumption,
advanced
engineering
design,
low
emissions levels and excellent
passenger comfort ideally meet
our requirement for 70-seat
aircraft. The acquisition of these
2 new aircraft via Nordic
Aviation Capital is integral to our
network expansion from our
regional hubs,” added Air KBZ
Deputy Managing Director, Mr
AVIATION NEWS
Khin Maung Myint.
Mats Ericson, NAC Head of
Sales for Asia, said “We are
delighted to open a new market in
Myanmar and to be part of the
growth of Air KBZ's regional
network. Myanmar is new
emerging market which is
quickly becoming an important
business center in the South East
Asian region and we believe Air
KBZ is perfectly placed there.
The level of cooperation we have
achieved with the airline has been
excellent from the outset and we
look forward to doing more
business together in the future.
We are proud to add the Air KBZ
name to our long list of satisfied
customers.”
“ATR is pleased to celebrate this
important moment with Air KBZ
and happy to keep on
contributing to the growth of this
prestigious Asian
carrier”,
commented
ATR's
Chief
Executive
Officer,
Filippo
Bagnato. “The new ATR -600s
have become very popular in
Asia. We expect that the many
advantages of these aircraft,
especially the low operating costs
and excellent performance, will
contribute to further expand
regional air traffic in Myanmar, a
country that is poised for
considerable growth and where
ATR is already recognized as the
preferred regional transport
aircraft.”
“Also, we are extremely proud to
benefit from the recognition of
such a reputed lessor as NAC and
we aim to continue increasing
this co-operation.” This proves
the excellent potential for the
ATR -600s – not only here in
Asia where there is strong
growth, but also with airlines
around the world.
Dr. Abdul Hafeez Shaikh,
Pakistan’s Federal Minister of
Finance, 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.
Foundation’s governing body
includes Intellectual Property
Organization (IPO-Pakistan),
Pakistan Standards Quality
Control Authority (PSQCA), the
Ministry of Finance and the
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.
Etihad Airways
wins ‘Airline
Brand of the
Year’ award in
Pakistan
Karachi: – Etihad Airways, the
Arab Emirates, has bagged the
‘Airline Brand of the Year
Award’ organised by the Brands
Foundation.
The award, which is one of the
highest honours bestowed in the
business
and
corporate
communities in Pakistan, was
awarded to the airline due to its
popularity, strong company
profile and commitment to its
customers
as
shown
by
nationwide surveys.
The Brands Foundation, a public
company monitored by the
government
of
Pakistan,
organises the award annually
with the aim of promoting
healthy competition among local,
national and multinational brands
operating in the country. The
Ministry of Industries. It works
in collaboration with the
International Brand Council that
ranks brands globally
Amer Khan, Etihad Airways’
Area General Manager for
Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Sri
Lanka and Maldives said: “We
are honoured and pleased to win
this prestigious award and
believe it is a reflection of the
positive progress that has been
made in establishing the Etihad
Airways brand, the hard work of
our team, and the continued
innovation in the inspirational
travel experiences we offer our
guests.”
The Chief Executive of the
Brands Foundation, Shaikh
Rashid Alam, said: “I’d like to
congratulate Etihad Airways on
this coveted award. Etihad
Airways
has
consistently
outpaced the market with the
level of innovation it brings to the
airline industry, so it's no surprise
to see that it stands out as a
leading brand in this category.”
Aero India 2013:
Rockwell Collins
showcases
advanced avionics,
simulation and
training and
communications
solutions
BANGALORE, India – At Aero
India 2013, Rockwell Collins
will showcase its advanced
avionics solutions for India, and
discuss its continued investment
in the region through steady
growth, strategic alliances and
commitment to build on existing
customer relationships.
Company representatives from
the region will also be on hand to
demonstrate the latest military
communication technology.
The Rockwell Collins exhibit
(Hall E, Stand E1.9.1) features a
series of interactive and live
product demonstrations that
reflect the company’s expansive
offerings for its customers in
India and around the globe.
Exhibit highlights include:
•
Virtual
Avionics
Procedures Trainer (VAPT) – The
VAPT is based on Rockwell
Collins' advanced CORETM
simulation architecture and
features a modular, expandable
and configurable combination of
commercial-off-the-shelf
(COTS) technology, PC-based
hardware and Rockwell Collins
re-hosted avionics software.
•
Rotary wing synthetic
vision demonstration – Rockwell
Collins is developing a 3D
synthetic vision-based imagery
system that will be used with
multifunction radar. Rockwell
Collins is fusing radar data with
terrain and obstacle data to
produce an integrated 3D view of
the operational environment.
•
FlexNetTM radios –
Available through a strategic
agreement with Rockwell Collins
and Thales, FlexNet software
defined radio systems are
modular, open architecture,
hardware and software systems
that host a customized, high-data
rate, networked waveform. The
waveform provides military
AVIATION NEWS
Rockwell Collins sabreliner 50
forces with a mobile network
capable of simultaneous voice,
data and video communications.
•
Engine
Instrument
Display System – Rockwell
Collins will display its Engine
Instrument Display System
(EIDS) capabilities with an iPad
demonstration. EIDS replicates
existing engine indicators while
providing rapid identification of
engine warnings through highcontrast color changes.
Embraer Defense
and Security
Delivers the First
Three A-29 Super
Tucano to the
National Air Force
of Angola
São Paulo, – Embraer Defense
and Security delivered the first
three light attack and advanced
training A-29 Super Tucano
turboprops to the National Air
Force of Angola, at a ceremony
held in its facility in Gavião
Peixoto, São Paulo, Brazil, as
part of an total order for six
aircraft. Upon this delivery
Angola becomes the third
operator of the Super Tucano in
the African continent. The
airplane will be used for border
surveillance missions.
“The selection of the Super
Tucano by the National Air Force
of Angola demonstrates the great
potential of this aircraft in
Africa,” said Luiz Carlos Aguiar,
President of Embraer Defense
and Security. “It is a robust,
versatile and very efficient
combat-proven aircraft with low
operating costs and has generated
great interest among other
African nations.”
Ten clients around the world has
already been chosen the A-29
Super Tucano which is being
currently used by nine air forces
in Latin America, Africa and
Asia. More than 160 aircraft are
already in operation and, so far,
this international fleet has logged
more than 170,000 flight hours
and 26,000 combat hours. The A29 Super Tucano is able to carry
out a wide range of missions,
including
light
attack,
surveillance,
air-to-air
interception,
and
counterinsurgency. The aircraft is
equipped
with
advanced
electronic, electro-optic, infrared,
and laser system technologies, as
well as secure radio systems with
data links and unrivalled weapon
capacity, which makes it highly
reliable and allows for an
excellent cost-benefit ratio for a
wide range of military missions,
even operating from unpaved
runways
and
in
hostile
environments.
The A-29 Super Tucano handles
more
than
130
weapon
configurations, including 70mm
rocket launchers, air-to-air
missiles and laser-guided bombs
totally integrated into the
aircraft’s mission system, with a
laser designator. These state-ofthe-art smart weapons are
employed in real operational
missions carried out by the Super
Tucano for more than five years.
The A-29 Super Tucano is the
result of a project developed
according to the rigorous
specifications of the Brazilian Air
Force. It is totally compatible
with combat operations in
complex scenarios, in which data
exchange
and
information
processing capabilities are
demanded. In addition to a
reinforced airframe for operating
on unpaved runways, the airplane
has advanced navigation and
weapon aiming systems, which
assure high precision and
reliability,
using
both
conventional and smart weapons,
even under extreme conditions.
The aircraft requires minimal
logistical support for continued
operations.
ICAO
President to
Keynote
ABACE2013
(NBAA)
announced that
International Civil Aviation
Organization (ICAO) Council
President
Roberto
Kobeh
González will serve as a keynote
speaker at the 2013 edition of the
Asian
Business
Aviation
Conference
&
Exhibition
(ABACE2013).
Scheduled to take place April 16
to 18, 2013 at Shanghai
Hongqiao International Airport,
ABACE is the region's largest
show dedicated strictly to
showcasing business aviation
products and services to
thousands of the region's top
business leaders, entrepreneurs
and other purchase decisionmakers.
“China and the broader Asian
region are playing an everincreasing role in the global
aviation community, so it is
fitting that the president of the
world’s aviation oversight body
will speak at the Opening
General Session for ABACE,”
said NBAA President and CEO
Ed Bolen. “We thank President
Kobeh for joining us in Shanghai
and look forward to the
perspectives and insights he’ll
provide to open the show.”
In a letter accepting Bolen’s
invitation to serve as an ABACE
keynote speaker, Kobeh noted his
participation there “will provide
me with an excellent opportunity
to meet with government officials
and industry leaders to discuss
the future of business aviation in
the Asia and Pacific region, now
the largest in the world in terms
of passenger and freight traffic.”
An engineer, former head of air
navigation services in Mexico
and former representative of
Mexico on the Council of ICAO,
Kobeh has served as president of
the council since August 2006. In
addition to being the keynote
speaker at the conference, Kobeh
will also tour the ABACE show
floor in the Shanghai Hawker
Pacific Business Aviation Service
Centre and the show’s Static
Display of Aircraft on the airport.
Kobeh has previously appeared
before the business aviation
community at NBAA-hosted
events. In 2008, he served as a
speaker at the Opening General
Session for the association’s
Annual Meeting & Convention in
the U.S. His address focused on
several key issues facing the
business aviation community
including
safety,
security,
airspace
management
and
environmental concerns.
In partnership with the Shanghai
Airport Authority, ABACE2013
will be presented by NBAA, the
Asian
Business
Aviation
Association and the Shanghai
Exhibition Center.
The event will feature more than
200 exhibits showcasing business
aircraft, as well as aviation
financiers, service providers,
legal specialists and more. The
Static Display of Aircraft will
feature more than 30 aircraft
available
for
side-by-side
comparison. Educational sessions
to
be
held
throughout
ABACE2013
will
provide
information
on
financing,
purchasing, operating, and
maintaining a business aircraft.
AVIATION NEWS
Etihad Could
Take Stake In
India’s Jet
Airways This
Week
By Jay Menon
Source:
Aviation
Daily
Correspondent:
India’s commerce minister said
he will meet with a delegation of
Middle-Eastern airlines on Jan.
31, lending weight to industry
speculation that Etihad Airways
is close to buying a 24% stake in
Jet Airways (India) Ltd.
Commerce and Industry Minister
Anand Sharma says,” I can’t
speak for them [Etihad officials],
but they are meeting me on Jan.
31; then we will talk about it in
detail.” He did not disclose the
agenda of the meeting, however.
Earlier in the day, Sharma held
bilateral talks with United Arab
Emirates Foreign Trade Minister
Sheikha Lubna bint Khalid al
Qasimi to discuss issues related
to trade and investments.
“Sharma informed that new
opportunities have been created
by the recent policy reforms in
India and invited UAE to invest
in various areas, especially in the
infrastructures sector,” says a
government statement, released
after the closed-door meeting.
The meetings add credibility to
reports that the United Arab
Emirates carrier is in talks to buy
a 24% stake in India’s secondlargest carrier.
A government official was
quoted by local media during the
day that a deal valued at 16
billion rupees ($297 million) is
almost done and that an
announcement is expected this
week.
Jet Airways executives declined
comment.
Indian airlines have been in talks
with several airliners since the
government last September
allowed foreign carriers to buy
stakes of up to 49% in India’s
airlines.
Jet Airways recently told the
Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE)
that it was in talks with Etihad
regarding a potential stake sale.
Yakutia Airlines First to Operate
Bombardier Q400 Aircraft in
Russia
Will fly three
Q400 aircraft in
Russia and the
Commonwealth
of Independent
States (CIS)
TORONTO,
ONTARIO-(Marketwire - - Bombardier
Aerospace welcomed Yakutia
Airlines to the growing family of
Bombardier
Q400
aircraft
operators. Yakutia Airlines, a
domestic passenger carrier based
in the northeast region of Russia,
will fly three Q400 aircraft, with
the first one having arrived this
week at Yakutsk Airport.
Yakutia Airline's new status as a
Q400 aircraft operator follows
the type approval that was
awarded in June 2012 by the
Interstate Aviation Committee
(IAC) - commonly known by its
Russian acronym, MAK. The
Q400 aircraft is the largest
Western-built turboprop aircraft
to be awarded type approval for
operation in Russia and the
Commonwealth of Independent
States (CIS).
"This marks a wonderful
achievement and milestone for
the Q400 aircraft program. We're
proud to welcome yet another
new operator to the family Yakutia Airlines as the first
Russian-based operator," said
Mike Arcamone, President,
Bombardier
Commercial
Aircraft. "The Q400 aircraft is
tailor-made for Yakutia Airline's
diverse route network that
provides regional airline service
to one of the largest territories in
the world," said Mr. Arcamone.
"The powerful, yet fuel-efficient
Q400 turboprop was selected for
Yakutia's operations because of
its high speed, which will allow
us to cover long sectors; its
ability to operate on unpaved
runways; and importantly - its
capability in the difficult
conditions that northeast Russia
presents, including high winds
and extreme cold in the winter,"
noted Ivan Prostit, General
Director of Yakutia Airlines. "We
expect that the combination of
passenger comfort and low
operating cost offered by the
Q400 aircraft will allow us to
optimise
our
regional
operations."
Powered by two new-generation,
5,071-shaft horsepower (shp)
PW150A engines, and capable of
flying at a speed of up to 360
knots (667 km/h), the Q400
aircraft can quickly climb to
turbulence-free altitudes, and can
also provide fast access to the
remote airports of the Siberian
region of the Russian Federation.
Bombardier has booked firm
orders for 463 Q400 and Q400
NextGen
turboprops,
and
delivered aircraft are in service
with more than 40 operators in
over 30 countries, on five
continents. These aircraft have
transported more than 243
million passengers and have
logged more than 3.8 million
flight hours and over 4.1million
take-offs and landings.
Passenger
Demand Grew
as Air Cargo
Declined in
2012
(Geneva) - The International Air
Transport Association (IATA)
announced full-year traffic data
for 2012 showing a 5.3% yearon-year increase in passenger
demand and a 1.5% fall for cargo.
The 5.3% increase in passenger
demand was slightly down on
2011 growth of 5.9% but above
the 5% twenty-year average.
Load factors for the year were
near record levels at 79.1%.
Demand in international markets
expanded at a faster rate (6.0%)
AVIATION NEWS
which supported strong growth
for airlines based in the Middle
East (14.7%) and Africa (7.1%),”
said Tyler.
International Passenger Demand
Tony Tyler, IATA’s Director
General and CEO.
than domestic travel (4.0%). In
both cases emerging markets
were the main drivers of growth.
The 1.5% fall in demand for air
cargo compared to 2011 marked
the second consecutive year of
decline, following a 0.6%
contraction in 2011. The freight
load factor for the year was
45.2%.
“Passenger
demand
grew
strongly in 2012 despite the
economic bad news that
dominated much of the last
twelve
months.
This
demonstrates just how integral
global air travel is for today’s
connected world. At the same
time, near-record load factors
illustrate the extreme care with
which airlines manage capacity.
Growth and high aircraft
utilization combined to help
airlines deliver an estimated $6.7
billion profit in 2012 despite high
fuel prices. But with a net profit
margin of just 1.0% the industry
is only just keeping its head
above water,” said Tony Tyler,
IATA’s Director General and
CEO.
“In contrast to the growth in
passenger markets the air cargo
market contracted by 1.5%. The
industry suffered a one-two
punch. World trade declined
sharply. And the goods that were
traded shifted towards bulk
commodities more suited for sea
shipping. The outstanding bright
spot was the development of
trade between Asia and Africa
International passenger demand
grew by 6.0% in 2012. The
strongest growth came from
emerging markets, particularly
the Middle East (15.4%), Latin
America (8.4%) and Africa
(7.5%). Capacity grew more
slowly than demand (4.0%)
supporting a near record level
international load factor of
78.9%.
Asia-Pacific
carriers
saw
passenger growth of 5.2% in
2012 which was stronger than the
4.0% growth in 2011, though the
2011 figures were affected by the
Japanese tsunami. The 2012
performance was in line with the
global average and contributed
about a fifth of the total industry
growth. After a slow start, the
fourth quarter was boosted by a
revival in the Chinese economy
and strengthening momentum in
Asian exports and imports.
Capacity expansion of just 3.0%
for the year kept the load factor at
a healthy average of 77.5%.
European airlines’ passenger
traffic expanded 5.3% in 2012,
sharply down on the 9.5% growth
of 2011. Growth was generated
by the long-haul performance of
Eurozone airlines (within-EU
travel stagnated due to slow
economic growth). Additionally,
around a quarter of the growth in
European airline international
traffic came from airlines outside
of the Eurozone (Turkey being a
major contributor). Capacity
increased by 3.1%, pushing the
full-year average load factor to
80.5%. Combined with other
benefits
of
industry
consolidation, the European
industry broke even on the
year—a much stronger financial
performance than would be
expected under such harsh
economic conditions.
North American carriers reported
the
slowest
international
passenger growth of any region at
1.3% (down from 4.1% in 2011).
Restructuring, consolidation, and
tight capacity management
(down 0.3% for the year)
delivered the highest load factor
(82.0%), contributing to an
estimated $2.4 billion profit.
of growth, up 7.5%, as the
continent’s economic expansion
drove traffic demand. Capacity
expansion of 7.1% was just
below traffic growth. This
improved the load factor to
67.1%, but it was still the
weakest of all regions.
Middle East airlines contributed
almost a third of the total
expansion
in
international
passenger markets with 15.4%
growth (ahead of the 8.9%
growth recorded in 2011 that was
impacted by the Arab Spring).
This was achieved with a
capacity expansion of 12.5%
while improving the load factor
to 77.4%. The region’s carriers
increased the connectivity of
their expanding hubs with
significant increases in both
network (destinations) and
frequency. Despite the expansion,
the improved load factor
indicates that the growth is
sustainable and that airlines in the
region have been successful in
attracting new passengers.
Domestic air travel grew by 4.0%
in 2012. China (9.5%) and Brazil
(8.6%) were the strongest
performers. India was the
weakest with a 2.1% contraction
on 2011 levels. Total capacity
growth (3.8%) was in line with
demand (4.0%) and the domestic
load factor stood at 79.5%.
Latin American carriers recorded
8.4% demand growth in 2012.
This was the second-strongest
performance (after the Middle
East) and was supported by rising
incomes
and
falling
unemployment in the region
(particularly Brazil). Capacity
expanded more slowly than
demand (7.5%) and the load
factor stood at 77.9% for the year.
Domestic Passenger Demand
US traffic expanded by 0.8% in
2012 (down from 1.5% in 2011),
and capacity grew by just half of
that at 0.4%. This supported an
83.4% load factor—the strongest
among the major markets. The
slowdown reflects the maturity
and subdued economic growth of
the US market which accounts
for about half of all domestic
travel.
China and Brazil showed the
strongest demand growth in
2012, of 9.5% and 8.6%
respectively. They both increased
capacity, but Chinese capacity
growth of 11.3% outstripped
demand, whereas Brazil’s 4.8%
was around half the traffic
increase. Nevertheless, at 80.9%,
Chinese load factor remained
strong, and considerably higher
than Brazil’s 71.8%.
African airlines had a solid year
AVIATION NEWS
Japan’s domestic market saw
demand grow by 3.6% in 2012
while capacity expanded by
2.3%. Japanese domestic demand
continues to suffer from a weak
economy that stalled the recovery
from the 2011 earthquake and
tsunami. Japan’s domestic market
remains 7% smaller than pretsunami levels with the weakest
load factor (62.0%) among the
major domestic markets.
Indian domestic travel shrank by
2.1% on 2011 levels. Weak
economic
growth
was
exacerbated
by
increasing
operational costs, insufficient
infrastructure, high taxes and
onerous regulation. Capacity
growth fell to 0.3% (from 16.2%
in 2011) and the average load
factor for the year was 72.9%.
Air Cargo (Domestic
International)
and
Air freight markets declined for a
second straight year, falling a
further 1.5% in 2012 after a 0.6%
decline in 2011. Air cargo has
come under pressure from a
slowdown in world trade growth,
and shifts in the freight
commodity mix. Expanding
emerging economies have driven
demand for bulk items carried by
sea, while economic weakness in
the West dampened demand for
high-value consumer goods
transported by air. Freight
capacity grew just 0.2% over the
year, and the freight load factor
was 45.2%.
Asia-Pacific airlines (the largest
players in the air cargo market)
reported a 5.5% decline in
demand and cut capacity by
2.4%. As the world’s major
manufacturing center, the region
suffered from the slowdown in
demand from Western markets.
The freight load factor, although
remaining the highest of all
regions at 56.1%, fell more
sharply than anywhere else,
hurting cargo profitability.
European and North American
carriers also saw falls in freight
demand, of 2.9% and 0.5%
respectively. European carriers
increased its capacity by 0.3%
which led to the load factor
falling to 47.2%. North American
carriers managed to reduce
capacity by 2.0%, ahead of the
fall in demand, but it still left the
region’s freight load factor at
35.0%, the second weakest of any
region.
Latin American airlines saw
freight demand decline by 1.2%,
but capacity grew 4.9% over the
year, leaving the load factor to
fall to 38.3%.
African and Middle Eastern
carriers were beneficiaries of new
trade lanes and developing trade
links between the two regions.
Freight demand grew 7.1% and
14.7%
respectively,
both
improvements on 2011 when the
Middle East expanded 8.2% and
Africa declined by 2.1%. The
Middle East had the fastest
capacity expansion of any freight
region (11.4%) but the load factor
still improved to 44.8%. Africa’s
freight capacity grew 9.2%,
outstripping demand. The freight
load factor fell to just 24.7%, the
lowest of any region by a
significant margin.
The Bottom Line
“We are entering 2013 with some
guarded optimism. Business
confidence is up. The Eurozone
situation is more stable than it
was a year-ago and the US
avoided
the
fiscal
cliff.
Significant headwinds remain.
There is no end in sight for high
fuel prices and GDP growth is
projected at just 2.3%. But
improved business confidence
should help cargo markets to
recover the lost ground from
2012. And the momentum builtup at the year-end should see the
passenger business expand close
to the 5% historical growth trend.
2013 will not be a banner year for
profitability, but we should see
some improvement on 2012,”
said Tyler.
In its December outlook for
2013, IATA projected that 2013
would see 4.5% growth in
passenger markets and 1.4%
growth for cargo demand. That
will
contribute
to
an
improvement in profitability
from $6.7 billion (1.0% net profit
margin) 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 upgrade
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa– The
U.S. Coast Guard recently
completed
a
successful
Functional Check Flight of an
HC-130H aircraft enhanced with
an advanced avionics upgrade
from Rockwell Collins under the
Coast Guard’s Avionics 1
Upgrade program.
The flight marked the completion
of a significant cockpit and
avionics upgrade managed by
Rockwell Collins. The upgrade
includes incorporation of four
multi-function displays, a new
digital
autopilot,
and
a
Communications, Navigation and
Surveillance/Air
Traffic
Management
(CNS/ATM)
equipment suite for compliance
with the latest airspace mandates.
Rockwell Collins had previously
upgraded the Coast Guard’s HC130H fleet with its new
MultiScanTM Hazard Detection
Weather Radar.
“Rockwell Collins and the Coast
Guard have developed a strong
relationship over the years and
this most recent successful flight
test adds another chapter to that
story,” said Troy Brunk, vice
president and general manager of
Airborne Solutions for Rockwell
Collins. “We’re continuing to add
to our track record as the leading
provider of cost-effective C-130
avionics
upgrades,
having
completed more than 125 C-130
upgrades worldwide over the last
decade.”
The upgrade reduces pilot
workload while improving
situational awareness through
enhanced CNS/ATM flight
management
capability,
incorporating the MultiScanTM
Hazard Detection Weather Radar
system for aircrew situational
awareness,
as
well
as
implementing
Automatic
Dependent
SurveillanceBroadcast (ADS-B), Required
Navigation Performance Area
Navigation
(RNP
RNAV)
functions with digital takeoff and
landing data computations, and
providing key search and rescue
patterns. In particular, aircrews
will appreciate the fully
integrated Class III electronic
flight bag with digital map
overlays on the cockpits new 6inch by 8-inch multi-function
displays.
Turkish Airlines
adds to Libreville,
Gabon to its
African network
The best airline in Europe which
flies to the most countries in the
world, today added its 97th
country by commencing flights to
Libreville, Gabon.
Turkish Airlines will operate
flights from Istanbul, via Douala,
to Libreville, its 34th destination
in Africa, 3 days per week in both
directions.
Days
Departure/Arrival
Istanbul – Douala – Libreville
Tuesday, Thursday, Sunday
17:45 / 23:55
00:55 / 02:10 (TK 591)
Libreville – Istanbul
Monday, Wednesday, Friday 03:
10 / 11 : 30 (TK 591)
*All times are in LMT.
AVIATION NEWS
during 2011, an increase of 6.7%
on 2010, to research and develop
technologies for use in the travel
sector.
This
investment
represented
12.7%
of
revenuesand helped the company
maintain it number one position
in Europe by total R&D
investment in the area of travel
and tourism.
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
Rockwell
Collins signs
comprehensive
service
agreement with
Emirates
CEDAR RAPID, Iowa –
Rockwell Collins has signed a
service agreement with Dubaibased Emirates Airline for
maintenance, repair and overhaul
(MRO) of Rockwell Collins
avionics on Emirates’ fleet.
The five-year agreement provides
fixed repair costs and guaranteed
turnaround times. Rockwell
Collins’ extensive global spare
pool enables Emirates to
optimize its material holdings
while
minimizing
aircraft
downtime.
“We are very pleased to be able to
continue to provide OEM-quality
MRO services to Emirates under
a long-term agreement that
supports their continued fleet
expansion,” Scott Gunnufson,
vice president and general
manager, Service Solutions for
Rockwell Collins.
Rockwell Collins’ global network
of more than 80 locations
provides repair and overhaul of
avionics equipment for more than
6,000 commercial, business,
corporate
and
military
operations. Additional logistics
capabilities include on-board
services, service parts, training
and simulator systems and
services, technical information
services and technical services.
Amadeus
awarded top
sector ranking
as European
R&D leader in
travel and
tourism
•
Annual EC list of top
1,000 companies for R&D
published
•
€347.5m investment in
2011ranks Amadeus top again in
travel and tourism
madeus,
a
leading
technology partner for
the global travel industry,
has again maintained its top
sector ranking as one of the
leading companies in Europe for
investment in Research &
Development (R&D) according
to the European Commission
(EC).
A
The 2012 EU Industrial R&D
Investment Scoreboard, an
annual report published by the
EC,examines the largest 1,000
European companies investing in
R&D during 2011 and ranks them
according to the total amount
invested.
Amadeus invested €347.5 million
Warsaw, Istanbul and Bangkok),
which currently house a team of
over 4,500 people.
In recent years Amadeus’ R&D
efforts have been particularly
focused on:
e
Extremely
high
performance
transaction
processing under stringent
system
availability
and
dependability requirements;
e
Information
mining
from very large data-bases;
e
Super-responsive travel
search engines;
e
Multi-channel
customer servicing applications
(agent desktop, web, kiosk,
mobile, tablets);
e
Pioneering the use of
open systems.
Hervé Couturier, Executive Vice
President, R&D at Amadeus
says: “Naturally we are very
pleased to see that our investment
in
R&D
has
been
highlightedagain
by
this
important European Commission
study. Equallywe are very proud
to be ranked again as a leader in
the travel and tourism area. This
further emphasises our reputation
for innovation, with many years
of experience inpioneering travel
industry products and initiatives
such as Altéa and, more recently,
Amadeus
Featured
Results.Nonetheless, our desire
for innovation has not yet been
satisfied
and
R&D
will
continueto inspire our evolution
as a large-scale technology
pioneer.”
Examples of the impact this has
had on innovation in Amadeus
products and services in recent
years include:
e
At
the
PhoCusWrightTravel Innovation
Summit in Arizona in November
this year, Amadeus previewed its
patent-pending
Amadeus
Featured Results solution, which
is a search solution which
revolutionises the way that flight
options are presented. Vayama, a
leading online travel agency
uniquely focused on international
travel, is the first pilot customer
to implement the solution in beta
form on its website, including
100 origin and destination
combinations. Full global market
availability for Featured Results
is scheduled for early 2013.
This news follows the European
Investment Bank (EIB), the
European Union’s long-term
financing institution, in May
granting a €200 million loan to
Amadeusto finance the research
& development of a variety of
projects in the area of IT for
airlines, airports, hotels, and rail
between 2012 and 2014.
Innovation is one of the drivers
behind Amadeus’ progress and
growth, which has allowed the
company’s technology to achieve
an outstandingly competitive
position within the market. Total
investment betweenthe years
2004 and 2011 was more than €2
billion.
Amadeus has sixteen R&D
centres around the world (Nice,
London, Sydney, Antwerp,
Aachen, Frankfurt, Boston,
Miami, Toronto, Strasbourg,
Tucson, Bangalore, Bogota,
e
In September this year
Amadeus published 'Open for
business’, which was authored by
leading
technology
expert
Professor Jim Norton. The report
makes the case for the travel
industry to embrace open source
software in order to benefit from
greater innovation, respond faster
to industry change and reduce
costs, whilst freeing the industry
from its reliance on proprietary
software
to
provide
AVIATION NEWS
greatercompetitive
advantage.Amadeus
has
pioneered the use of open
systems within its business, at the
operating system level Amadeus
is successfully transitioning from
proprietary systems to Linux to
run its leading Altéa suite for
airlines.
Leading innovations online,
including Amadeus e-Retail,
Amadeus Dynamic Website
Manager and Amadeus Extreme
Search have been built with
extensive use of open source
components in a way that would
not be possible using legacy
components. Amadeus ARIA™
Templates – the framework upon
which Amadeus IT Group’s web
solutions are based – has recently
been made open source, allowing
third party developers to use it
without charge.
C o n t i n u e d
development of the Amadeus
AltéaSuite, a community-based
airline IT platform that consists
of three solutions covering
reservation,
inventory
management and departure
control. The Altéa portfolio has
marked a technological and
functional breakthrough in the
airline industry – with 122
airlines already contracted to use
both Altéa Reservation and
Inventory. Based upon these
contracts, Amadeus estimates
that by 2014 the number of
Passengers Boarded(PB) will be
more than 760 million.
Creation of Amadeus Total Rail,
which enables railways to
manage operations and sell seats
across multiple sales channels, by
allowing travel sellers access to
book rail and air services side-byside within the same solution.
The offering includes Amadeus
Global Rail Sales Platform,
which is the first rail GDS on
offer, and Amadeus Rail
Operations Engine, which allows
railway companies to manage
schedules, inventory, fares and
pricing.Amadeus Rail works with
over 100 railway companies
around the worldand employs
over 200 rail experts.
Development of the Amadeus
Hotel Platform, a solution for
hotel chains which combines
central reservation, property
management
and
global
distribution systems into one
fully integrated platform. This
recently-launched platform is
designed to support hotels in the
current age of globalisation and
expansion, enabling them to
respond to changing traveller
demands.
e
Development
of
ancillary services solutions as
part of our commitment to
helping airlines adapt and evolve
their ancillary services strategy
airlines, including airberlin, Air
Caraïbes, AirFrance, Corsair,
Finnair, Iberia, KLM, NIKI and
Qantas.
airBaltic Cargo
Breaks
Monthly
Record
Riga. Latvian airline airBaltic
achieved a new monthly cargo
record by carrying 1 006 692
kilograms in December 2012, up
+ 14% compared to the same
month a year ago.
e
so that customers can move their
focus from pure revenue to
delivering profitability. Amadeus
Airline Ancillary Services is an
end-to-end
solution
which
enables airlines to distribute
(display, book, price and pay)
services across all channels in
full compliance with industry
standards.
Amadeus
has
developed a unique interactive
catalogue which clearly displays
the range of additional airline
services available allowing travel
agencies to view, book and upsell ancillary services quickly and
efficiently. At the end of
September this year, 46 airlines
had signed upfor Amadeus
Ancillary Services for the direct
and/or indirect channel, 21 of
which had signed up to
sellancillary services using the
Amadeus solution in the indirect
channel. Ancillary services are
being soldthrough travel agencies
in 16 countries for nine of these
As increasingly more customers
took advantage of airBaltic’s
transit service via Riga to/ from
60 destinations in Europe,
Middle East and Russia/CIS, the
airline carried 628 286 kilograms
of mail and 378 406 kilograms of
cargo, for the first time achieving
the 1 million kilogram mark in a
single month.
As announced earlier, the airline
carried 181,593 passengers in
December in its network
spanning Europe, Scandinavia,
Russia, CIS and the Middle East.
During the year 2012, a total of
3,089,406 passengers were
served by airBaltic’s aircraft.
Embraer Executive Jets’ Legacy
450, 500 and 650 honored by
luxury press
Beijing, China, January 29, 2013
– In a further confirmation of the
break-through role Embraer
Executive Jets has in the business
aviation industry, the Hurun
Report has named the Legacy
650 as the Large-Size Business
Jet Star Performer in the recent
Ninth Hurun Best-of the-Best
Awards Ceremony in Shanghai
China. The publication also
named the Legacy 500 the Best
New Arrival in business jets in
January 2012.
The
move
adds
another
distinguished award to the four
received in the last 12 months
from luxury publishing brands.
Since 2007, Embraer Executive
Jets has received more than a
dozen international design and
innovation awards. The Hurun
Report is read by China’s highnet-worth individuals and is
considered one of the most
influential publications of the
luxury genre in the country.
“We have brought several new
and innovative features with each
of the business aircraft we have
offered on the market and it is
very rewarding for them to be
recognized by the Hurun
Report,” said Ernest Edwards,
President, Embraer Executive
Jets. “Clearly, our reliance on
customers to help design their
ideal aircraft is an effective
strategy and is reflected in the
recognition by our most
challenging analysts – the
worldwide luxury and aviation
press. This is an outstanding
achievement for any business
aviation company.”
In addition, in May, the Legacy
500 and the Legacy 450, Embraer
Executive Jets’ latest, clean-sheet
designs, received the Foremost
Luxury Brand Award by
GaFencu, a leading luxury and
lifestyle magazine, while the
Legacy 650 was honored with the
Best Executive Jet Award by the
Robb Report, one of the top
luxury and lifestyle media
brands. Finally, the Legacy 650
also received the Best Executive
Jet Brand Award by Insider
Report, a key influential lifestyle
AVIATION NEWS
Bombardier
expands business
aircraft support
network in Nigeria
with addition of
Authorized Service
Facility
publication.
The awards confirm the market
acceptance
and
leadership
position of Embraer Executive
Jets in China. The Legacy 650
was chosen by Jackie Chan,
world renowned film star, for his
international transportation. Chan
was
later
named
Brand
Ambassador
for
Embraer
Executive Jets.
Caption:
Travel Agent Association of
Pakistan TAAP hosted A
Farewell Dinner 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..
announcement during his keynote
address at the Global Airfinance
Conference in Dublin.
The 2012 result follows Etihad
Airways’ maiden profit in 2011
of USD14 million. During his
speech to more than 1,000
delegates in the Irish capital, Mr
Hogan added that more details of
the airline’s financial results
would be released next month.
The 15th Annual Global
Airfinance Conference includes
delegates from the world’s largest
airlines, leasing companies,
commercial banks, export credit
agencies, private equity firms,
investment banks, manufacturers,
law firms and other aircraft
financing organisations.
Etihad Airways
records profit
for second year
running
Mr Hogan said: “Etihad Airways
has
achieved
double-digit
passenger and revenue growth in
recent years and established
world-class product and service.
This could not have been
achieved without the airline
earning the confidence of the
leading
global
financial
institutions. We are set to post
our second successive profit
which is rare in the current
uncertain economic climate and
illustrates the impact and success
that the Etihad Airways’ unique
business model has made.”
Karachi- Etihad Airways, the
Arab Emirates, was profitable
again in 2012. The airline’s
President and Chief Executive,
James Hogan, made the
Etihad Airways carried more than
215,000 passengers between Abu
Dhabi and Dublin in 2012, with
the route once again in the
airline’s top 10 most popular.
• ExecuJet Nigeria appointed
Line Maintenance Facility for
Challenger 300,Challenger 604,
Challenger 605, Global 5000,
Global 6000, Global Express and
Global Express XRS business
jets
Montreal,
–
Bombardier
Aerospace
increased
its
aftermarket service network for
business aircraft customers with
the addition of a Line
Maintenance Facility (LMF) in
Nigeria.
ExecuJet Nigeria in Lagos has
been named an LMF for
Challenger 300, Challenger 604,
Challenger 605, Global 5000,
Global 6000, Global Express and
Global Express XRS business
jets.
The facility will complement
ExecuJet’s centre in Lanseria,
South Africa, which has been part
of Bombardier’s Authorized
Service Facility (ASF) network
since 2002.
“ExecuJet
has
greatly
collaborated with Bombardier
throughout the years. Their
commitment to excellence
coupled with their knowledge of
our products make them an
excellent choice for our
Bombardier operators in the
region,” said Éric Martel,
President, Customer Services &
Specialized and Amphibious
Aircraft, Bombardier Aerospace.
“The
ExecuJet
authorized
facilities around the world are an
important part of our overall
network and we look forward to
many years of continuing
collaboration.”
The Nigeria facility, located at
Murtala
Muhammed
International Airport in Lagos,
features a 4,700 sq. meter
(approximately 50,590 sq. ft.)
maintenance hangar and 25,500
sq. meter (approximately 274,479
sq. feet) apron. ExecuJet has been
providing maintenance services
for business aviation in Lagos for
the last year and for over 10 years
at its Lanseria International
Airport location in Johannesburg.
"We are honored to have been
appointed as a Maintenance
Facility by Bombardier in Lagos,
Nigeria and this complements the
services
offered
by
our
Bombardier ASF facility in
Lanseria. Having obtained AMO
certification from the Nigerian
Civil Aviation Authorities and
South African Line Station
authorization for the world-class
maintenance and FBO facility in
Murtala
Muhammed
International Airport, it is
ExecuJet Nigeria’s intention to
become full EASA certified this
year and is aiming to achieve this
status by end of the second
quarter," said Ettore Poggi,
Managing Director, ExecuJet
Africa.
The announcement brings the
number of Bombardier ASFs and
LMFs, catering to Bombardier’s
business and commercial aircraft
customers worldwide, to more
than 60 facilities. These are
supported by nine Bombardierowned service centres in North
America and Europe. In the past
two years alone, Bombardier has
granted more than a dozen new
ASF and LMF designations in
locations worldwide, expanded
capacity and scope at its first
wholly owned service centre
outside of North America, at
Schiphol Airport in Amsterdam,
and announced a new wholly
owned facility for business
aircraft to be opened in Singapore
in 2013.
AIME & MRO
2013 closed in
Dubai
3,000 attendees from 70
countries, including 16 Hosted
Buyers and more than 100
airlines
AVIATION NEWS
The Gogo exhibition stand at AIME showcasing the latest in onboard Wi-Fi and connectivity.
Ahmad A. Alzabin, Chairman &
CEO, ALAFCO Aviation Lease &
Finance Company delivering his
closing keynote speech at the
MRO conference.
Dubai, UAE. – The fourth
running of Aircraft Interiors
Middle East (AIME) co-located
with the fifth Maintenance,
Repair and Overhaul (MRO)
shows closed its two day 2013
edition at their new venue –
Dubai World Trade Centre.
The very first aviation events of
the year opened with an industry
audience which soared 25% on
2012 to 3,000 attendees from 70
countries more than the previous
show.
Dieter Dhondt, Head of Sales &
Marketing, THALES said: “This
is our first time exhibiting in the
Middle East. The show went very
well - we met with new and
existing customers and we
noticed in attendance countries
such as India, Pakistan and
Ethiopia. We anticipate coming
back next year.”
The show was inaugurated by
HH Sheikh Ahmed Bin Saeed Al
Maktoum, President, Dubai Civil
Aviation Authority and Chairman
of the Emirates Group and Dubai
Airports who spent an hour
touring the 6,000 square metre
show including the new-tomarket
country
pavilions
representing the Netherlands and
Ireland, joining an already
established French Pavilion.
In-flight entertainment is one of
the great touch points between an
airline and its customers and for
the first time AIME showcased
an Inflight entertainment and
connectivity (IFEC) pavilion
where, new to show exhibitor Gogo announced that to date it
has been selected to outfit more
than 400 aircraft with its Ku-band
satellite connectivity services
across several major airlines
operating in the U.S and
internationally. Dave Skwarek,
International
Marketing
Communications Manager of
Gogo said: “As demand
increases, technology evolves.”
Meanwhile,
Sabeti
Wain
Aerospace Ltd known in the
industry for design, development,
comfort and taking weight off
their seats - Director, Paymen
Sabeti at the show said: “We
prefer the new venue and the
quality of visitors has been
outstanding. We tend to exhibit
every year as we have many
customers in the region – it is
vital we take part in AIME to
remind them we are still local.”
Exhibitor levels were also up by
15% on 2012 with 226 exhibitors
– the industry was abuzz with
upbeat forecasts for an industry regional leaders claim, is on a
clear growth threshold.
Yen-Pu Paul Chen, Aviation
Week’s Director-forecasts and
analytics said: “The average age
of Middle East based aircraft is
declining from the current 10.8
years to 9.4 years, which already
compares well to the rest of the
world - but he said the share of
the global MRO market will
almost double from 3.5% to
6.1%,
creating
multiple
opportunities. This equates to an
annual growth of more than 8%
annually; but much of this could
be done in-house as airlines such
as Emirates grow their own
facilities and capabilities.”
Meanwhile the established
Hosted Buyers programme,
which offered an effective and
structured way to connect airline
buyers with new and existing
suppliers and providers was
heralded a success by the sixteen
Hosted Buyers who were present
- first time Hosted Buyer
Jayakrishnan, Group Chief
Procurement Officer, NAS
Holding mentioned: “The show is
an excellent platform for business
interactions and provides us an
ideal opportunity to meet up with
all the right people, most of them
suppliers with whom you interact
with on a day to day basis but you
don’t get to meet them face to
face. As a hosted buyer you have
a chartered out programme of
meetings - it makes it easier than
roaming around trying to catch
everyone. It is great to be here
and I hope to see more of these
events happening in Dubai and
the region.”
The MRO Conference was
themed ‘Fostering Growth
through
Innovation
and
Collaboration,’ and tackled issues
surrounding manpower shortages
- the closing keynote address of
the conference saw Mr. Ahmad
A. Alzabin, Chairman & CEO,
ALAFCO Aviation Lease and
Finance Company saying: “Our
man power requirements as per
our business plan is around 9
million man hours per year. If
you transfer this to the number of
employees it will work out at
7820 workers, our current
workforce is dropping very fast
mainly due to retirement so for
now for us to achieve our
business plan we need to hire
almost 4500 people and in our
part of the world there is no 4500
people that are qualified so we
have to hire them, train them,
certify them, transfer their
experience and keep them
motivated - this is a very big job.
But we are lucky in Saudi Arabia
as the government will help they will pay for a lot of
education as long as we
guarantee employment.”
Returning MRO exhibitor Ramco
Systems
(global
Aviation
software provider) got the
opportunity to conclude a master
supply agreement with home
airline Emirates. Mr. Virender
Aggarwal,
CEO,
Ramco
Systems, said: “It’s been a great
start to the new year with Ramco
adding Emirates to its growing
Aviation customers. We have
signed the master supply
agreement for five years with the
Emirates Group. We have been
growing our footprint in the
global aviation industry and are
excited about this undertaking.”
This was the fifth edition of
MRO and fourth of AIME, the
next events will take place 5 to 6
February 2014.
Vector Aerospace
Renews Engine
Services Agreement
with Air Greenland
– Vector Aerospace Corporation
(Vector), a global independent
provider of aviation maintenance,
repair and overhaul (MRO)
services is pleased to announce
the renewal of its current engine
AVIATION NEWS
Vector Technicians Prepare Aircraft Engine for Test Cell: PHOTO
CREDIT Vector Aerospace
services agreement with Air
Greenland, based in Nuuk,
Greenland.
As per the terms of the two-year
extension of this exclusive
agreement, Vector provides Air
Greenland with fixed and rotary
wing aircraft engine repair and
overhaul support from its Vector
Aerospace Engine Services Atlantic facility in Summerside,
Prince Edward Island, Canada
and from its Vector Aerospace
Helicopter Services – North
America facility in Richmond,
British Columbia, Canada. Air
Greenland is also supported by
Vectors network of service
centres in the United States and
in Europe.
“Securing this agreement with
Vector is a great accomplishment
for all the parties involved,” says
Peter Bjerre, technical director of
Air Greenland. “We have worked
with Vector for many years and
have found that their team
delivers outstanding customer
service, which we require, at a
very competitive price.”
“We are very pleased to be
continuing our long standing
relationship with Air Greenland,”
says Jeff Poirier, president of
Vector
Aerospace
Engine
Services – Atlantic.
“Our
commitment
to
providing
comprehensive support and great
value to Air Greenland and its
customers is demonstrated daily
by our highly trained personnel.
We believe this latest agreement
is a direct reflection of Vectors
unique ability to provide both
fixed and rotary wing service to
its customers; making us the ideal
choice
for
multi-platform
operators worldwide.”
Poirier elaborates that the
agreement with Air Greenland
includes various repairs, hot
section
inspections,
modifications, overhaul services,
and test support on the P&WC
PT6A, PW123 and PT6T series
engines.
Rockwell Collins
launches MaxView
Enhanced Security
for commercial and
military network
management
CEDAR
RAPIDS,
Iowa–
Rockwell Collins has launched
the newest version of its
MaxView® Enhanced Security,
the first commercially available
monitor and control software
with enhanced security attributes
designed to meet stringent
standards for operations on both
government and commercial
networks.
“Network security concerns are
increasing in government and
commercial
environments.
Customers
cannot
risk
vulnerabilities and compromises
affecting network availability,
electronic communications and
business transactions. It is our
priority and commitment to
customers to provide software
with the highest security
standards to manage both
commercial
and
military
networks,” said Bob Haag, vice
president and general manager of
Communication and Navigation
Products for Rockwell Collins.
MaxView is a powerful and
versatile software suite. Its
modular framework and intuitive
user interface enable users to
manage local and remote
networks, automate complex
service
tasks
and
unify
management of disparate systems
into one view. By managing
networks in one view and
eliminating the need for separate
proprietary network management
systems, MaxView minimizes
operational complexity, training
and support costs and helps
customers identify and solve
problems before they impact
business.
For
government
network
environments, the launch of the
latest release of MaxView
Enhanced Security
provides
additional security attributes
complying
with
stringent
Defense Information Systems
Agency
(DISA)
Security
Technical
Implementation
Guides (STIGs). These STIGs
ensure secure configurations
including operating systems,
network devices such as routers
and firewalls, and both enterprise
and desktop applications. The
STIGs are mandatory for many
federal agencies and military
branches.
For
commercial
network
environments, customers will
also benefit from the additional
security attributes in the latest
release of MaxView. These
attributes result in reduced risk of
security
vulnerabilities,
preserving high levels of network
and communications availability
and data integrity. Commercial
applications include satellite
service providers, broadcasters
and media providers.
Installed and supported on more
than 600 systems in 40 countries
on all seven continents,
MaxView enables local and
remote network management. As
a vendor-agnostic product,
network management across all
types
of
hardware
and
technologies is readily available.
Gulfstream
Lincoln named
authorized
service station
by Howell
Instruments
SAVANNAH, Ga., — The
Gulfstream Aerospace Corp.
facility in Lincoln, Calif., was
named the first U.S.-based
authorized service station for
Howell Instruments Inc.
Howell, located in Fort Worth,
Texas, engineers, manufactures
and repairs instrumentation,
engine monitoring systems and
ground support equipment for
civilian and military aircraft.
Gulfstream Lincoln’s capabilities
for the Howell product line
include testing and repair of
interstage turbine temperature
indicators,
AUTOTEMP®
indicators,
AUTOTAK®
indicators, engine pressure ratio
indicators, fuel flow indicators,
fan speed indicators, fan speed
amplifiers and tachometers.
Many
of
these
Howell
components can be found on
earlier Gulfstream models, such
as the GIV, GIII and GII. “This
authorization is an indication of
Howell’s confidence in the staff
and resources we have at
Gulfstream Lincoln, our service
center dedicated solely to
component repair and overhaul,”
said Mark Burns, president,
Gulfstream Product Support.
“There are approximately 900
GIVs, GIIIs and GIIs flying
worldwide, and most of them
AVIATION NEWS
have instrumentation made by
Howell. Howell products are also
on aircraft built by other
manufacturers. Our ability to
repair Howell products helps
keep these aircraft safe and
reliable.”
Said Shep Brown, chief
executive officer, Howell: “A
strategic alliance with Gulfstream
presents an exciting opportunity
to
combine
our
engine
instrumentation expertise with an
industry leader in aircraft
manufacturing. It’s a powerful
step toward expanding customer
support within the aviation
community and reinforces our
commitment to improved safety
and performance.”
The Gulfstream Lincoln facility
is certified by the U.S. Federal
Aviation Administration and the
European
Aviation
Safety
Agency. The site’s other
capabilities include testing,
inspection, repair and overhaul
for electromechanical, electric
and electronic components;
avionics; rotables, brakes, wheels
and tires along with spare part
exchanges and repairs; and
government part sales.
The 34,000-square-foot Lincoln
facility is located approximately
30
miles
northeast
of
Sacramento, Calif.
Airbus
corporate jet is
exhibited in
Australia for
first time
Highlights widest and tallest
cabin of any business jet
An Airbus corporate jet is being
exhibited in Australia for the first
time, giving potential customers
the opportunity to experience the
widest and tallest cabin of any
business jet.
The aircraft, an Airbus ACJ319
operated by VVIP charter
company Comlux, is being
shown at the Australian
International Airshow from 26th
to 28th February. Its cabin is
furnished like an upmarket office
and home, with workspaces,
lounge areas, bedrooms and
bathrooms that capitalise on the
unequalled comfort and space
that Airbus corporate jets offer.
“When it comes to business jets
it’s the cabin that counts, because
the more you fly the more
important comfort becomes, and
Airbus corporate jets are the
ultimate in comfort,” comments
Airbus Chief Operating Officer,
Customers, John Leahy.
Airbus corporate jets are derived
from the world’s most modern
airliner family, giving them
excellent efficiency and robust
reliability, as well as making
them an interesting investment of
proven value. They have won
more than 170 sales, and are
flying on every continent,
including Antarctica.
Business jet customers comprise
companies, individuals and
governments,
and
Airbus
corporate jets are available to
meet the needs of all of them. The
Airbus corporate jet family
ranges from the ACJ318 all the
way up to the ACJ380, allowing
customers to gain the comfort
that they want in the size that
they need.
So whether customers want to
conduct business with colleagues
while travelling, to fly friends
and family on vacation, or to
transport
a
government
delegation
abroad,
Airbus
corporate jets are unmatched in
what they offer.
Unlike traditional business jets,
Airbus corporate jets can also
carry larger groups – such as an
entire government delegation - as
well as providing more room on
board.
Airbus corporate jet customers in
Asia-Pacific include Australian
company Skytraders, which flies
an Airbus ACJ319 on charter
flights, including the ferrying of
scientists and their equipment to
and from Antarctica.
(PSS) transformation project is
the most challenging IT and
business-critical initiative that the
Abu Dhabi-based airline has
implemented in its history. It has
involved intensive training for
6,700 Etihad Airways and third
party staff.
The Big Switch will integrate
Etihad Airways’ current PSS into
one platform that will utilise
cutting-edge software across its
reservations,
inventory,
eCommerce, distribution and
departure control activities.
The new Sabre Airline Solutions
PSS will offer significant
enhancements to the customer
experience especially in areas
such as mobile and guest
communications.
The Big Switch will start on 23
February, and is due for
completion on 24 February.
Therefore during 22 and 25
February Etihad Airways asks
Etihad Airways set to transform
passenger Services system with
Sabre implementation
Karachi: – Etihad Airways will
make its ‘Big Switch’ to new,
state-of-the-art, passenger sales,
website, and check-in systems
next week, the most significant
milestone in its US$ 1 billion,
ten-year, deal with Sabre Airline
Solutions.
The Passenger Service System
passengers to follow key
guidelines to help ensure any
disruption to their travel
experience is kept to a minimum.
The key messages for customers
travelling during that period are:
•
Arrive at the airport four
hours before the flight is due to
AVIATION NEWS
Aircraft. "We are very pleased
with the engine's performance
and the overall, steady progress
of the CSeries aircraft program.
We have met a number of key
milestones over the last few
months, accepted the first pair of
PW1500G propulsion systems
and are in the process of
completing final assembly of the
first CSeries flight test aircraft."
depart
•
Where possible check-in
online from 24 hours before
departure and print boarding pass
beforehand and bring to the
airport
•
If unable to check-in online
bring a copy of email
confirmation and / or travel
itinerary
In addition to these guidelines,
anyone wishing to purchase an
upgrade must do so on or before
21 February and any changes to
travel arrangements must be
made before 22 February.
(Marketwire - ) - Bombardier
Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney
announced that Pratt & Whitney
has
successfully
achieved
Transport
Canada
type
certification
of
its
first
PurePower
Geared
Turbofan(TM) engine - the
PW1500G engine that will power
Bombardier's CSeries aircraft.
Pratt & Whitney has conducted
over 4,000 hours of rigorous
engine testing since the initial
engine
began
testing
in
"We
have
successfully
demonstrated the durability and
game-changing performance of
our Geared Turbofan engine
architecture," said Bob Saia, vice
president, Next Generation
Product Family, Pratt & Whitney.
"To date we have conducted over
9,000 hours of testing on our Fan
Drive
Gear
System,
demonstrating
the
service
readiness of our gearbox. We
have
also
validated
the
improvement in fuel efficiency
and noise reduction that we
targeted in 2007, when we
launched
the
PurePower
During the Big Switch weekend
customers can still call the Etihad
Airways contact centres on +971
2 599 0000 but contact centre
agents will be unable to take
commercial or redemption
bookings, make changes or
cancellations
or
process
upgrades.
All booking channels will be
down from 11pm on Friday 22
February and are expected to
resume during the day on Sunday
24 February.
Transport Canada
Certifies Pratt &
Whitney
PurePower®
PW1500G Engine
for Bombardier
CSeries Aircraft
MIRABEL,
QUEBEC--
September 2010. The PW1500G
engine test program included 340
hours of flight testing on P&W's
experimental 747 Flight Test
airplane. Pratt & Whitney is a
division of United Technologies
Corp. (NYSE:UTX).
"Certification of the PW1500G
engine is a significant milestone
and a critical step in supporting
the progressive transfer of the
first CSeries flight test vehicle to
the flight test program," said Rob
Dewar, vice president and
general
manager,
CSeries,
Bombardier
Commercial
PW1500G program."
The PW1500G engines were type
certified through Transport
Canada by Pratt & Whitney
Canada and are assembled at
Pratt & Whitney Canada's
Mirabel Aerospace Centre in
Mirabel,
Quebec.
UTC
Aerospace Systems, formed after
UTC's acquisition of Goodrich,
provides the nacelle system.
Each CSeries aircraft
by two PurePower
series engines. The
PW1500G engine
is powered
PW1500G
PurePower
uses an
advanced gear system, allowing
the engine's fan to operate at a
different speed than the lowpressure compressor and turbine.
The combination of the gear
system and an all-new advanced
core
deliver
double-digit
improvements in fuel efficiency,
environmental emissions and
noise.
Abacus
International
Appoints New
Vice President
of Marketing
A
bacus
recently
announced
the
appointment of Martin
Symes as the Vice President of
Marketing, where he will lead
product and content marketing,
corporate
and
marketing
communications, market research
and training. He will also be
responsible for planning and
execution of Abacus’ strategic
marketing plan to support
Abacus’ growth well into the
future.
Said Mr Robert Bailey, President
and
CEO
of
Abacus
International, “Martin’s addition
is an important contributing
factor in creating a best-in-class
marketing organisation to help
reinforce Abacus’ leadership
standing in the Asia Pacific
region.”
“Abacus, being known for its
innovative technology and endto-end solutions and service in
the industry, Mr Symes’s
experience and vision will help to
further Abacus’ unique place in
the travel landscape.”
AVIATION NEWS
An industry veteran, Mr Symes
has spent more than 20 years in
shaping some of the world’s
leading brands. Before joining
Abacus, Mr Symes was the CEO
and Chairman of Wego, a
leading, travel search engine that
he helped to set up and establish.
Prior to that, he was the
Executive Director, Commercial
for ZUJI, where he was
instrumental in establishing and
building the brand to become
Asia Pacific’s leading regional
online travel retailer. Mr Symes
also played a key role in bringing
Priceline’s buyer-driven ecommerce model to Asia.
First Stage of
Commercial
Operations
Commences at
Cathay Pacific
Cargo
Terminal
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.
strength will mean that customers
can benefit from extended cut-off
times,
last-minute
cargo
acceptance and a reduced
connection
time
for
transhipments.The
minimum
connection
time
for
transhipments in Hong Kong will
be reduced from the current eight
hours to five hours, with an
ultimate goal to reduce to three
hours”.
Cathay Pacific Services Limited
(CPSL),the
wholly
owned
subsidiary of Cathay Pacific
Airways established to design,
build and operate the new Cathay
Pacific Cargo Terminal at Hong
Kong International Airport,
announced that the first stage of
operations at the terminal
commenced recently.
The first consignment of
airfreight, carried by flight
CX138of Cathay Pacific from
Sydney, Australia, arrived at the
new terminal at 05:09today.
Theadvanced Materials Handling
System
and
Warehouse
Operating System deployed at the
facility have been working
seamlessly to ensure the efficient
handling of cargo on the first day
of operation, helped by the
Government bodies and business
partners stationed in the terminal.
Cathay Pacific Services Ltd
Cathay Pacific Services Ltd
Chief
Executive
Officer
Algernon Yau (Leftmost) said; “a
combination
of
advanced
technology and operational
Chief
Executive
Officer
Algernon Yau and other senior
executives witnessed today's
landmark moment at the huge
HK$5.9 billion facility.
First Stage of Commercial Operations Commences at Cathay Pacific
Cargo 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.
Mr Yau said: “A new chapter in
Hong Kong’s role as a leading
international air cargo hub began
today
when
commercial
operations commenced at the
Cathay Pacific Cargo Terminal.A
combination
of
advanced
technology and operational
strength will mean that customers
can benefit from extended cut-off
times,
last-minute
cargo
acceptance and a reduced
connection
time
for
transhipments. The minimum
connection
time
for
transhipments in Hong Kong will
be reduced from the currenteight
hours to five hours, and
ourultimate goal is to reducethis
to three hours. Now that our
terminal is in operation, we will
beworking tirelessly to enhance
Hong Kong’s position as the hub
of choice.”
Cathay Pacific Director Cargo
Nick
Rhodes
said:
“Congratulations to Cathay
Pacific Services Ltd for a
successful
start
to
their
operations today. Cathay Pacific
and Dragonair are the launch
customers
for
the
new
terminaland we are happy that
theclose collaboration and
concerted effort over the past few
months helped to ensure that
things went smoothlytoday.The
launch of the new terminal means
that our two airlines will beable
to provide even more streamlined
cargo solutions as well as
innovative and tailor-made
products that suit the needs ofour
customers.”
CPSL is adopting a three-stage
approach to the commencement
of operations to ensure a smooth
transition for its launch airline
customers from their current
cargo operations at the airport. In
Stage One, the facilityis handling
AIR WORLD March 2013 44
AVIATION NEWS
valuable cargo, transit civil mail
and
interface
transfer
transhipments.
Stage
Two
operations will commence in the
summer for the handling of all
transhipments, import cargo and
empty unit load device (ULD)
release. The terminal will achieve
full operations for its launch
customers in the latter half of this
yearwith the intention of opening
up its facilities and services to
other airlines before the end of
2013.
Preparations for theStage Two
opening are in progress, with an
operational trial launching soon
to ensure readiness for the next
stage of the transition.
way. The campaign is a
celebration of how a kind word or
phrase can connect friends and
strangers alike across the world.”
15 second animated videos
designed to make people smile,
Emirates’ multilingual crew
when the translated meaning is
given the sentiments resonate
internationally. ‘Share a Smile’ is
explain the meaning behind
popular local phrases like ‘Don't
make an elephant out of a fly’
(Russian), ‘You're so pretty it
made a bang’ (Cantonese) and
‘You're the cat's whiskers’
(English). There is also a
compilation behind the scenes
out-takes video showing the fun
the crew had making the films.
“Emirates ‘Share a Smile’ has
been created to showcase not
only the breadth of linguistic
skills amongst our international
and multi-lingual crew, it is also
intended to help build cultural
understanding in a light-hearted
way amongst travellers," said Sir
Maurice Flanagan, Executive
Vice President Emirates Airline
and Group. “As we researched
the phrases it became apparent
that although many may sound
unusual to non-native speakers
when they first listen to them,
meant to do just that, encourage
“globalistas” to learn about
different cultures in an amusing
New multilingual
campaign
connects people
through the
humourous side
of language
DUBAI, U.A.E., : Emirates, one
of the world’s fastest growing
airlines today unveiled a new
campaign showcasing the lighter
side of language. Named “Share
a Smile” the airline has created
29 videos in 14 languages
featuring members of its cabin
crew expressing quirky and
unusual
expressions
and
greetings from around the world.
The campaign was created by
Emirates to help “globalistas”
connect with each other through
watching the videos and sharing
them with their friends and
family.
“Share a Smile” is the latest step
in Emirates’ global brand
campaign Hello Tomorrow,
launch in April 2012 which aims
to inspire people across the world
to explore and connect with each
other across cultures and borders.
Through the set of light-hearted
The cabin crew who star in the
videos
were
selected
in
recognition of their outstanding
levels of service and native
language ability. “Our cabin crew
speak over 55 languages and on
every flight we announce to our
customers which ones are spoken
on board that day. It is always an
impressive list and something
that is regularly commented on,"
said Terry Daly, Divisional
Senior Vice President Service
Delivery, Emirates. “Showcasing
many of these languages in the
‘Share a Smile’ campaign
demonstrates that it is quite likely
a member of cabin crew will
speak the native language of our
customers. This will help them
feel even more welcome and
helps us to deliver the highest
level of customer service for
which Emirates is renowned."
The 29 videos in the campaign
have been filmed in 14
languages: Arabic, Cantonese,
English, French, German, Greek,
Italian,
Japanese,
Korean,
Mandarin, Portuguese, Russian,
Spanish and Turkish. They can
all be viewed and shared online
by visiting:
Travel Agent Association of Pakistan TAAP hosted A Farewell
Dinner 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..
AVIATION NEWS
Rockwell Collins
announces Greg
Churchill to retire;
Colin Mahoney to
lead International
and Service
Solutions
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa
–
Rockwell
Collins
recently
announced that Greg Churchill,
executive
vice
president,
International
and
Service
Solutions, will retire at the end of
March after more than 30 years
of service with the company.
Greg Churchill
Colin Mahoney will succeed
Churchill as senior vice
president, International and
Service Solutions, effective
immediately.
Churchill, 55, was named to his
current role in February, 2010.
He previously served as
“Greg has had a long record of
accomplishment and made
enduring
contributions
to
Rockwell Collins throughout his
distinguished career,” said Clay
Jones,
Rockwell
Collins
Chairman and CEO. “His last
assignment may prove to be the
most impactful as he provided
outstanding
leadership
to
position us for long-term success
as a more globally focused
company. “
Mahoney, 47, joined Rockwell
Collins in 1987. A native of the
United Kingdom, he previously
served as vice president of Sales,
Marketing, and Support in
Commercial Systems, and has
held numerous leadership and
business development positions
in the U.S., as well as in Europe
and Asia. Mahoney will report to
Rockwell Collins President Kelly
Ortberg.
“Colin’s global perspective,
along with his proven leadership
and
business
development
experience, will be a valuable
addition to our company’s
leadership team and help us
continue to expand our business
in increasingly competitive
global markets,” said Ortberg.
Etihad Cargo
posts record
January
tonnage
Karachi- : Etihad Cargo, a
division of United Arab Emirates
flag carrier Etihad Airways, has
posted record monthly uplift
figures for January of 32,613
tonnes, a 27 per cent increase on
January 2012 (25,600 tonnes).
Colin Mahoney
executive vice president and
chief
operating
officer,
Government Systems; vice
president and general manager,
Business and Regional Systems;
and vice president of Business
Development,
Government
Systems.
In its annual results announced
two weeks ago, Etihad Cargo
reported annual tonnage growth
of 19 per cent for 2012 on the
back of a capacity increase of 14
per cent in Available Tonnage
Kilometres.
Etihad Airways’ Chief Strategy
and Planning Officer, Kevin
Knight, said: “2012 was a
record-breaking year for Etihad
Cargo and based on projections,
demand will be greater again in
2013.
“The impressive tonnage figures
for January were driven largely
by increased demand into and out
of China and India.
“Looking ahead, our forecasts
point to continued strong demand
in key exporting and importing
markets such as China, India,
Southeast Asia and Europe, and
we remain confident that we have
the right product and fleet
strategy to match customers’
expectations.”
To ensure capacity stays ahead of
demand, Etihad Cargo will take
delivery of three additional
freighters in 2013 and 2014,
comprising one Boeing B777F
and two Airbus A330-200F.
The airline currently operates two
Boeing B777F, one Boeing 747400F, two Airbus A330-200F and
one Airbus A300-600F. In total,
Etihad
Cargo
serves
86
destinations 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 the
creation of a new allencompassing Aviation Services
unit which brings together the
management of Cambridge
Airport, Business Aviation and
the newly-launched ‘one call, one
team’ JETability
business.
Aviation Services will be headed
by Steve Jones as managing
director who sees his remit
broadened to include Cambridge
Airport, effective immediately.
Steve Jones has many years’
experience steering the growth of
regional airports – in the UK with
Oxford Airport where he was
Managing Director for 10 years
and prior to joining Marshall’s in
May 2012 to run the company’s
MRO and charter companies, he
served as General Manager of Al
Bateen Executive Airport, the first
and only dedicated business
aviation airport in the Middle East.
In December 2012 Steve
spearheaded the launch of
JETability, a streamlined service
portfolio designed to give
customers direct access to a range
of services - Aircraft Management,
Maintenance, MRO, Chartering,
Sales, Concierge and Consultancy
through a bespoke call centre.
JETability also saw the 100-year
old Marshall Group of Companies
expand into the pre-owned
aircraft sales sector for the first
time.

SHAHEEN AIR INTERNATIONAL

Transcription

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