25 31 July 2017 flightglobal com I S S N 0 0 1 5 3 7 1 0 9 7 7 0 0 1 5 3 7 1 2 9 7 3 0 £3 70 STRATEGY Big is beautiful How Flydubai pact will power Emirates’ network growth MAKS factor Russia puts its.
MAKS factor Russia puts its products in the spotlight with a memorable Moscow show of strength 10 Into nEUtral EasyJet seeking speedy Austrian diversion while carrier routes around Brexit uncertainty 14 25-31 July 2017 Shared target Macron, Merkel formate behind joint European fighter as their defence needs are aligned 19 flightglobal.com STRATEGY Big is beautiful How Flydubai pact will power Emirates’ network growth ISSN 0 - £3.70 770015 371297 More uptime, less downtime More flights, more revenue That’s great for business Utilization defined www.cfmaeroengines.com CFM International is a 50/50 joint company between GE and Safran Aircraft Engines CONTENTS Volume 192 Number 5597 25-31 JULY 2017 NEWS Russia puts its products in the spotlight with a memorable Moscow show of strength 10 Into nEUtral EasyJet seeking speedy Austrian diversion while carrier routes around Brexit uncertainty 14 25-31 July 2017 THIS WEEK Textron drops hints of Saudi interest in Scorpion purchase Lockheed remains optimistic on JSF despite spiralling cost Il-114-300’s revival moves ahead with engine flight trials Shared target Macron, Merkel formate behind joint European fighter as their defence needs are aligned 19 flightglobal.com STRATEGY Big is beautiful ISSN 0 - £3.70 FIN_250717_301.indd 770015 371297 AirTeamImages How Flydubai pact will power Emirates’ network growth 20/07/2017 09:50 COVER IMAGE Craig Stevens captured this shot of an Emirates A380 for AirTeamImages as it departed London Heathrow last month Aircraft A6-EAA has been in use since 2012 P9 SHOW REPORT 10 Orion-E stars in bid to revive Russia’s lagging UAV industry 11 Domestic industry boosted by orders An-2 comes in from the cold with Siberian backing 12 Iran outlines export ambition for reshaped Hamaseh UAV 13 Airbus prepared to seize chance while Boeing languishes AIR TRANSPORT 14 Austria the winner in EasyJet reshuffle UKEF on a Rolls as it guarantees 787 pair for LOT 15 Delta will not alter CSeries deliveries, despite trade spat Gulf subsidy row sees American axe codeshares 17 Backlog is less than Jumbo as Boeing removes Transaero Long-haul expansion is a breeze for Nordwind DEFENCE 18 Support savings will power Typhoon 19 Lift-off for Franco-German fighter pact Refuelling modification in the pipeline for G550 20 Centre wing box deal lifts UK Hercules 21 Belgium’s support demands drive Gripen E from contest Prefect moves closer to elementary training debut ISR Caravans a timely boost for Philippine fleet Combined operation will have a fleet of 380 P9 BUSINESS AVIATION 22 Revised Seastar is readied for roll-out 23 Global 7000 nearing service entry after flight-test success Aeris prepares Channel Jets for year-end launch COVER STORY Dubai duo deepen ties to ‘unlock value’ Emirates says partnership with sister carrier will speed expansion, bolster Middle East links FEATURES 24 HALF-YEAR SAFETY Safety in numbers Air accident data from the first half of 2017 suggests that decades of hard work are paying major dividends and points to some paths for further improvement REGULARS 5 Comment 34 Straight & Level 36 Classified 37 Jobs 43 Working Week NEXT WEEK OA-X The US Air Force is ready to launch its latest light attack experiment Plus, we try out Grob Aircraft’s G120TP Jamie Hunter/BAE Systems, Saab US Air Force BEHIND THE HEADLINES Russian industry’s biennial gathering for MAKS drew Stephen Trimble (above) back to Moscow (P10) The UK’s Royal International Air Tattoo let Craig Hoyle catch up on Eurofighter’s Typhoon programme (P18) AirTeamImages MAKS factor Sustainment deal could slash RAF operating costs P18 Gripen E pulled out of Belgian competition P21 Download the Military Simulator Census online now CAE offers training centres, training services, and simulation products for transports and tankers flightglobal.com www.flightglobal.com/milisim 25-31 July 2017 | Flight International | CONTENTS Image of the week Rich Cooper took this shot of a veteran Tornado GR4 as it headed for a final show appearance at the 14-16 July Royal International Air Tattoo Sporting a Gulf War livery, ZG750 – nicknamed “Pinky” – is to be scrapped, with spare parts to support the UK Royal Air Force’s remaining Tornado fleet View more great aviation shots online and in our weekly tablet edition: Rich Cooper flightglobal.com/ flight-international The week in numbers 78.2% Question of the week Last week, we asked: How is UK industry prepared for Brexit? You said: Flight Dashboard Total votes: Air France pilots in the SNPL union voted overwhelmingly in favour of a plan to start a low-cost subsidiary now called Joon $1.4bn 1,103 Heading for cliff-edge 632 votes 57% Flight Dashboard 27% United Airlines’ Q2 operating profit jumped nearly a third as revenue gained 6.4% to $10bn, outpacing expenses growth Government direction needed 309 votes Bright future ahead 162 votes 15% 16 Panasonic Avionics Panasonic will fit El Al’s Dreamliner fleet – nine 787-9s and seven 787-8s – with its eX3 in-flight entertainment system This week, we ask: Franco-German fighter? ❑ European winner ❑ Wingman at best ❑ Bureaucratic nightmare Vote at flightglobal.com FlightGlobal’s premium news and data service delivers breaking air transport stories with profiles, schedules, and fleet, financial and traffic information flightglobal.com/dashboard Download the new Engines Directory Download theCommercial 2017 Commercial Engines Report Download The Engine Directory now with updated data and in-depth market analysis ow with enhanced dataenhanced and in-depth market analysis flightglobal.com/ComEngDirectory flightglobal.com/commengines flightglobal.com/commengines13 CFM 2017 strip ad.indd | Flight International | 25-31 July 2017 15/06/2017 08:52 flightglobal.com 19/07/2012 17:51 COMMENT Mind the gap United Aircraft will take on its Western rivals in the lucrative middle of the market area with a -400 derivative of the MC-21 If its sums add up, Boeing’s new midsize aircraft could suffer ussia’s United Aircraft (UAC) and the USA’s Boeing now agree on at least one point of their commercial product strategies: the “middle of the market” gap is real, and it is huge Last year, Boeing sized up demand over the next 20 years for aircraft ranging in size and performance between its 737 Max 10 and 787-8, and found a market with at least 4,000 orders UAC’s newly released forecast is even more optimistic The Russian manufacturer anticipates global demand for at least 5,600 aircraft of a similar class through to 2036 What the airframers disagree on is how to serve that need, and therein lies the biggest threat to Boeing’s strategy It is not that UAC poses a legitimate threat to Boeing’s far-flung sales staff The Russian company is far away from competing on equal terms with Boeing’s vast industrial, financial and product support capacity But scale and leverage alone is not everything To conquer the middle of the market, Boeing needs to deliver a product that works financially for everyone Boeing’s potential competitors in the new market space start with a significant price advantage UAC, like Airbus, would address the middle-of-themarket space with a derivative of an existing aircraft For Airbus, those are the baseline and long-range versions of the A321neo at the low-end and the A330neo For UAC, the middle-of-the-market candidate is the proposed Irkut MC-21-400 Boeing does not have the luxury of further extending Irkut R UAC has big ambitions for twinjet the range and length of the 737 Max Its low-slung wheelbase makes larger variants of the 50-year-old narrowbody difficult and costly to achieve So it proposes offering a clean-sheet design, with a concept described at the Paris air show as having a hybrid fuselage crosssection, perhaps combining a 767-like passenger cabin with a 737-like cargo compartment Most experts agree that Boeing’s new midsize airplane proposal entails an at least $10-12 billion upfront development bill, which must be amortised in the price of every unit delivered Airbus and UAC are not starting from scratch, and the development cost of a derivative is perhaps 25-33% that of a clean-sheet design That means Boeing’s potential competitors in the new market space start with a significant price advantage UAC’s forecast must come as good news for Seattle, but there is a catch The middle of the market is waiting for someone to deliver the right product – but will it be Boeing? ■ See Show Report P11 A common market O Stay up to date with the latest news and analysis from the commercial aviation sector: flightglobal.com/dashboard flightglobal.com nly a month ago, the suggestion of fierce fighter manufacturing rivals France and Germany joining formation to develop a successor to the Dassault Rafale and Eurofighter Typhoon felt like industry kite-flying All that has changed, though, with French President Emmanuel Macron and German Chancellor Angela Merkel having affirmed their intention for the nations to work together on a range of defence programmes, with a next-generation fighter among them While their industries have aligned on projects like the Airbus Helicopters Tiger and NH Industries NH90 rotorcraft and Airbus A400M tactical transport, combat aircraft sales have always been seen as worth fighting for separately Indeed, the Rafale was created after Paris saw its operational needs diverge from the Eurofighter partner nations several decades ago If Macron and Merkel are right, a Franco-German fighter will be more capable than today’s offerings, and also pack a greater punch on the export stage But what of the UK? Early this decade, then-prime minister David Cameron and French president Nicolas Sarkozy forged tight political and military links under what some dismissed as an “entente nécessaire” While some will relish the prospect of Britain setting its own course towards a future fighter without Europe, what might Franco-German ambitions mean for, say, Airbus commercial wing manufacturing in the UK? ■ See Defence P19 25-31 July 2017 | Flight International | THIS WEEK To get more defence sector coverage, subscribe to our fortnightly newsletter: flightglobal.com/defencenewsletter BRIEFING AVIASTAR GEARS UP FOR MC-21 PRODUCTION PROGRAMME Russian airframer Aviastar is expecting to start serial production of Irkut MC-21 sections during August The Ulyanovsk-based manufacturer, which produces fuselage and empennage sections, doors and other structures for the MC-21, is starting to bring together components for the sixth example of the twinjet Manufacturing of the first batch of production aircraft – five jets destined for airlines – will begin from August See Show Report P11 SOFTWARE Lockheed Martin has invested $1.1 million in Contextere, a Canadian start-up company that specialises in artificial intelligence software Contextere says it will develop a support system for the Royal Canadian Air Force’s fleet of 17 C-130J tactical transports, with a focus on service and industrial inspection, plus maintenance, repair and overhaul PAUL KAHN DEPARTS AS AIRBUS UK PRESIDENT MANAGEMENT Airbus has confirmed that its UK president, Paul Kahn, is stepping down from the post It has not named a direct replacement for the position, but has appointed Katherine Bennett as senior vice-president of Airbus in the UK Kahn is leaving his role to “pursue new opportunities”, says the airframer Appointed in 2014, he was a vociferous opponent of the UK’s planned exit from the EU UNITED DEFERS FIRST A350 DELIVERIES FLEETS United Airlines has deferred its first four Airbus A3501000 deliveries “out of 2018”, while it continues to consider alternatives to the twinjets It remains unclear whether the Chicago-based carrier will take the 35 A350-1000s it ordered, the first of which are now due in 2019 It has also moved 12 Boeing 737 Max deliveries forward to 2019, with two 787-10s LITENING COULD STRIKE INDIAN RAFALES SENSORS India could acquire Rafael’s Litening targeting pod for integration with its future 36 Dassault Rafale fighters The head of the Israeli company’s air and C4I systems division, Yuval Miller, says Litening 4I-standard sensors would be produced by a local company owned by Rafael and an Indian partner GATWICK HAS A NEO ARRIVAL AIRLINE UK low-cost carrier EasyJet has stationed its second Airbus A320neo at London Gatwick airport, after assigning the first to its main Luton airport base EasyJet has another 98 A320neos on order, as well as 30 A321neos; all powered by CFM International Leap-1A engines EasyJet is the first airline to station a Neo at Gatwick THAI TO ADVANCE FLEET RENEWAL PLAN INVESTMENT Thai Airways International will seek government approval to acquire 28 aircraft for its fleet replacement over the next five years, having obtained approval from its board The Star Alliance carrier is understood to be planning to replace 17 older widebodies with Airbus A350s or Boeing 787-9s, and two narrowbodies with A319s or 737-700s, while its Thai Smile unit wants to obtain nine new A320s Flight Fleets Analyzer shows Thai has 77 aircraft in service, with an average age of 12 years | Flight International | 25-31 July 2017 BillyPix LOCKHEED INVESTS IN C-130J SUPPORT Manufacturer is positive that it will gain orders for self-funded aircraft PROCUREMENT DOMINIC PERRY LONDON Textron drops hints of Saudi interest in Scorpion purchase Light-attack type is “very viable” for Riyadh’s requirements, says chief executive, as it prepares jet for USAF test effort S audi Arabia is considering acquiring the Textron AirLand Scorpion light-attack aircraft, with initial discussions under way Scott Donnelly, chief executive of parent company Textron, says Riyadh is one of a number of potential customers it is talking to about the developmental aircraft The recent arms deal between Saudi Arabia and the USA includes $2 billion for “light close air support” aircraft However, no details on the type or delivery dates have been disclosed Cautioning that its talks with Riyadh are at an “early” stage, Donnelly, who was speaking on a second-quarter results call, added: “There are certainly a number of things that we are looking at, but we think that now the performance envelope, the capability of what Scorpion can makes it a very viable product for [the Saudi] requirements But it’s still in its formative stages, I would say.” Scorpion, along with the Beechcraft AT-6 and Embraer/Si- erra Nevada A-29, will participate in a test campaign for the US Air Force in August as the service evaluates the potential purchase of a light-attack aircraft under its OA-X initiative Although there is no programme of record for the requirement, Donnelly believes there is sufficient support from senior USAF leaders to merit the experimentation phase “I think the air force is being pragmatic about the fact that they need to execute the experimentation programme, understand what the capability is of the platforms that they are looking at and then take their next step, whatever that might be.” Textron displayed a prototype of the Scorpion, powered by twin Honeywell TFE731 engines, at the recent Paris air show and Royal International Air Tattoo in the UK Donnelly says talks with prospective customers continue, but acknowledges that some will be waiting for the outcome of the OA-X effort ■ flightglobal.com THIS WEEK Air Côte d’Ivoire gets A320 of its own This Week P8 PROGRAMME LEIGH GIANGRECO WASHINGTON DC INVESTIGATION GREG WALDRON SINGAPORE Lockheed remains optimistic on JSF despite spiralling cost Seoul launches raid against KAI over allegations K Report suggests programme budget will top $400 billion as a result of lower F-35 orders espite a recent report predicting reduced acquisitions and rising costs for the F-35, prime contractor Lockheed Martin believes there are still opportunities to grow the orderbook for the Joint Strike Fighter During an 18 July earnings call, Lockheed chief executive Marillyn Hewson and chief financial officer Bruce Tanner indicated that cost and procurement details in a recently released selected acquisition report (SAR) summary were not yet set in stone Lockheed officials have not yet seen the SAR, which was submitted to Congress earlier in July It shows overall inflation-adjusted costs for the programme could rise from $379 billion to just over $406 billion as a result of lower F-35 procurement The fifth-generation fighter’s biggest customer is the US Air Force, which could lower its acquisition rate from 80 A-model aircraft per year to 60, according to the report “I know that in my discussions with the air force, there’s a desire US Air Force D US Air Force could cut its annual acquisition by as much as a quarter to buy as many as they can, as quickly as they can,” Hewson says “I haven’t got an official position from them that they’ve reduced their procurement profile That just happens to be what’s in that selected acquisition report.” There is opportunity to change the order quantities as budget deliberations continue on Capitol Hill and the services request additional F-35s, Hewson says At the same time, Lockheed is maintaining discussions with the F-35 Joint Programme Office on a potential block buy, says Tanner The company could deliver around 450 aircraft over a threeyear low-rate initial production (LRIP) period, or about 150 per year across LRIP lots 12, 13 and 14 The USAF would account for about 48 each fiscal year, he says Earlier this year, Tanner warned that Lockheed could not reach its $85 million per-unit price target for the F-35A without a block buy ■ orea Aerospace Industries (KAI) has been left reeling following raids by state prosecutors on its offices and those of key suppliers Media reports from South Korea, including from official news agency Yonhap, say that KAI’s offices in Seoul and Sacheon have been raided, amid allegations of corruption and profiteering from various military aerospace projects KAI has not commented on the action Local media indicates that prosecutors from the Seoul Central District Prosecutors’ Office had obtained a warrant from a Seoul court During the raids, prosecutors are reported to have seized files, computers and mobile phones Company chief executive Ha Sung-yong has reportedly been suspended from overseas travel, pending questioning KAI is involved in several high-profile military aircraft programmes, including the KUH-1 Surion helicopter, and the T-50, which forms the basis of Lockheed Martin’s offer for the US Air Force’s T-X trainer contest ■ WEAPONS CRAIG HOYLE LONDON Typhoon transition on target after Brimstone test AE Systems says the UK’s phased replacement plan for the Panavia Tornado GR4’s strike capabilities remains on schedule, following a successful first separation of an MBDA Brimstone airto-surface missile from a Eurofighter Typhoon Conducted on 13 July, using the UK’s instrumented production aircraft flying from BAE’s Warton site in Lancashire, the test forms part of a Project Centurion activity to clear the Royal Air Force’s Typhoons to deploy the Brimstone weapon and MBDA’s Storm Shadow cruise missile flightglobal.com Describing the first live firing as intended to “test the separation of the low-collateral, highprecision Brimstone weapon”, BAE notes: “In total, nine firings will take place to expand the launch and range capabilities.” BAE says the first Brimstone firing from a Typhoon follows a series of around 40 flight trials conducted earlier this year, including the involvement of the RAF’s 41 Sqn fast jet and weapons operational evaluation unit The addition of the Brimstone and Storm Shadow are key enhancements in enabling the Ty- phoon to fully replace the Tornado’s mission capabilities before the variable-geometry type is retired from use by early 2019 The Typhoon is also being armed with MBDA’s Meteor beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile to further enhance its operational performance ■ See Defence P18 BAE Systems B Nine more firings are planned with MBDA’s air-to-surface missile 25-31 July 2017 | Flight International | THIS WEEK For up-to-the-minute air transport news, network and fleet information sign up at: flightglobal.com/dashboard PROPULSION DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON Il-114-300’s revival moves ahead with engine flight trials U nited Engine is preparing for a series of flight tests with the powerplant that is set to equip the new Ilyushin Il-114-300 The Russian company’s Klimov TV7-117ST turboprop has been fitted to an Il-76 heavy transport testbed – normally powered by four jet engines – which was part of the static display at the MAKS air show in Moscow United Engine says the powerplant is “being prepared for flight tests” at the Gromov institute in the Zhukovsky region of the Russian capital The powerplant is a modification of the TV7-117SM and will typically be able to deliver up to 3,000hp (2,240kW) at take-off United Engine says the powerplant has been undergoing bench tests since September last year, and is currently being subjected to endurance assessments The manufacturer says an automatic control system will cover the “entire” powerplant, including the Aerosila propeller United Aircraft is aiming to restart production of the Il-114 in order to meet demand for shorthaul and regional capacity The TV7-117ST engine is also intend- ed to power the Il-112V military transport Meanwhile, Siberian regional carrier Polar Airlines is being viewed as a potential customer for the Il-114-300 by state-owned lessor GTLK The airline, based in Yakutsk, operates a fleet including Antonov An-24s and An-26s GTLK says the two sides have discussed “further avenues of cooperation”, as it disclosed an agreement to lease a Mil Mi-8 Sergei Ilnitsky/EPA/REX/Shutterstock Klimov powerplant is installed on testbed ahead of sorties, as Russian lessor targets customer for Ilyushin turboprop Modified heavy transport appeared in static display at Moscow show helicopter, with medical capabilities, to the company But GTLK used the opportunity to highlight broader negotiations with Polar Airlines, noting that the Il-114-300 was an “alternative” to the carrier’s Soviet-era Antonovs GTLK has committed to the resurrection of Il-114 production through the -300 programme, with an intention to take 50 of the modernised turboprop ■ See Show Report P10 PROGRAMME TOM ZAITSEV MOSCOW Manufacturer to keep workers busy with ‘transitory’ widebody Russia’s United Aircraft (UAC) foresees a viable domestic niche for the modernised Ilyushin Il-96-400 widebody airliner The four-engined type – a passenger version of the Il-96400T freighter – has been in development since early this year Vladislav Masalov, who heads UAC’s civil division, deems the Il-96-400M “a transitory product” until the programme to build a new long-haul widebody twinjet jointly with Chinese partner Comac gets under way “Carrying out the [Il-96-400M] project should enable the Ilyushin design bureau to preserve competencies and expertise in that field On the other hand, it will give additional workload for the manufacturer VASO,” he says At the same time, Masalov argues that there is a domestic niche for the Il-96-400M “Demand may come from various government agencies with special requirements for equipment and cabin layout,” he says “Secondly, domestic carriers could consider using these aircraft on select mainline services within the country or on longhaul routes to southeast Asia.” In a standard two-class configuration, the model will have 350 seats and accommodate 50 more passengers than the Il-96-300 thanks to a 8.6m (28ft) fuselage stretch Ilyushin says it will feature upgraded avionics and Aviadvigatel PS-90A-1 engines, improving its economics and fuel efficiency ■ DELIVERY Air Côte d’Ivoire gets A320 of its own | Flight International | 25-31 July 2017 Airbus West African operator Air Côte d’Ivoire has taken delivery of its first ordered Airbus A320 during a ceremony in Toulouse The carrier has two A320s and three A320neos on order, according to Airbus’s backlog data Air Côte d’Ivoire formally signed for the A320s in April last year, selecting CFM International CFM56 powerplants for the type The delivered A320 is configured with a two-class cabin, featuring 16 business-class and 132 economy-class seats Air Côte d’Ivoire is already an Airbus single-aisle operator, with leases on four A319s and two A320s flightglobal.com COVER STORY MAKS 2017 Show Report P10 STRATEGY DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON Dubai duo deepen ties to ‘unlock value’ Emirates says partnership with sister carrier will speed expansion of both airlines and bolster links within Middle East iddle Eastern carrier Emirates is entering a broad partnership with low-cost operator Flydubai, which will include a codeshare and optimisation of the airlines’ networks The agreement follows increasing moves to bring the two government-owned carriers closer together, and reduce unnecessary competition, enabling Emirates to benefit from Flydubai’s single-aisle operations Emirates says the airlines will still be managed independently but will “leverage” one another’s networks to “scale-up operations” and speed expansion Flydubai passengers will have “seamless connectivity” to the Emirates long-haul network, while Emirates says it will benefit from the low-cost operator’s regional service The tie-up will include co-ordinated scheduling and integrated collaboration to ensure a beneficial combination of the networks of each carrier, with increased feed and the possibility of opening new routes “This new partnership will unlock the immense value that the complementary models of both companies can bring to consumers, each airline, and to Dubai,” says Emirates Group chief executive Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al AirTeamImages M Combined operation will serve 240 cities with a fleet of 380 aircraft Maktoum – who is also chairman of Flydubai Emirates operates a long-haul fleet of 259 aircraft spanning a network of 157 destinations, while Flydubai has 58 singleaisle aircraft – all Boeing 737s – and serves 95 destinations The airline’s networks partly overlap but, between them, the carriers operate to 216 cities They expect to be serving 240 destinations as a combined operation by 2022, with a total fleet of 380 aircraft Emirates says the tie-up will be implemented “over the coming months”, with initial “enhanced” “This new partnership will unlock the immense value that the complementary models can bring” Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al Maktoum Chief executive, Emirates Group codesharing from the fourth quarter of this year While the carriers have yet to detail any route changes, their networks overlap on about 35 destinations from Dubai, with about a third of them located in the Indian subcontinent region and another third in the Middle East – markets which naturally fall within the range of Flydubai, with its single-aisle fleet Twelve routes to India, Pakistan and neighbouring subcontinent states are served by both airlines, according to FlightGlobal’s routes data for July 2017 They face the greatest number of scheduled airline competitors on the Delhi, Kochi and Mumbai routes, with up to five Indian operators flying the same sectors About a third of the two airlines’ overlapping routes have just one other competitor – such as Addis Ababa, Amman and Colombo, served by respective flag-carriers Ethiopian Airlines, Royal Jordanian and SriLankan Airlines Another six – Entebbe, Khartoum, Male, Mashhad, Prague and Sialkot – have no competition Emirates serves most of the overlapping routes with 777s, with Airbus A380s featuring on a select few Its use of long-haul types means it offers far more capacity than Flydubai on much of their overlapping services – anything from double to 15 times more on some routes – although Flydubai is the greater provider on a handful of specific sectors, including Kabul, Khartoum and Multan ■ TAKEOVER OLIVER CLARK LONDON Adria evolves with Darwin purchase as Etihad exits A dria Airways has acquired a majority stake in the Swiss regional operator Darwin Airline, taking over the shares previously held by Abu Dhabi-based Etihad Airways The Slovenian carrier confirms that it has bought a 99.1% stake in Darwin – which operates as Etihad Regional – via a Swiss subsidiary It expects the remaining shares “will be taken shortly” flightglobal.com Etihad has sold its entire 33.3% holding, Darwin confirms Etihad bought its stake Luganobased Darwin in November 2013 and subsequently rebranded the operation The rest of the shares were held by private investors Under the new deal, Darwin is to operate under its own name and with its own air operator’s certificate from its bases in Lugano and Geneva Adria says it “will assume some administrative and operational tasks and market the services” of the Swiss airline “Darwin is an excellent airline with experienced management and staff,” says Adria chief executive Arno Schuster “The expansion of our network and, consequently, optimisation of costs is the best combination for both carriers.” Darwin chairman Emilio Martinenghi states: “We are convinced that Adria Airways, with its extensive expertise and a strong network of flights, especially in the southeast European market, will be very useful not only for the future of Darwin, but also for the Ticino region, which needs a good connection with the rest of Switzerland and Europe.” Terms were not disclosed ■ 25-31July 2017 | Flight International | SHOW REPORT For up-to-the-minute air transport news, network and fleet information sign up at: flightglobal.com/dashboard MAKS 2017 Sergei Ilnitsky/EPA/REX/Shutterstock The 13th edition of MAKS, Russia’s aerospace showcase, opened softly, with what would have been the star attraction – Irkut’s MC-21-300 – far away in Siberia performing flight tests Even so, the event highlighted the mild renaissance being enjoyed by the nation’s manufacturers, with several new civil programmes under way Sanctions have taken a toll on foreign visitors, but others, notably Iran, clearly saw an opportunity to steal the spotlight Report by Stephen Trimble UNMANNED SYSTEMS PROPULSION Initial system has already flown, as manufacturer targets exports with Predator-sized design A Orion-E stars in bid to revive Russia’s lagging UAV industry ronstadt Technologies has unveiled a flying prototype and a vision to enter the export market within three years with the medium-altitude, long-endurance (MALE) Orion-E unmanned air vehicle The 1t-class Orion surveillance system – roughly equivalent to the size of the General Atomics Aeronautical Systems RQ-1 Predator and AVIC Wing Loong Block – was also revealed as the first piece of a wider strategy by St Petersburg-based Kronstadt The Russian company also plans to offer a portfolio of lowaltitude, long-endurance UAVs and a 7t-class model with vertical take-off and landing capability within a decade, says Nikolai Dolzhenkov, chief executive of Kronstadt’s UAV division The long-awaited unveiling of the Orion-E continues the Russian aerospace industry’s torturous path to relevance in the global UAV market Although widely successful in marketing manned combat aircraft abroad, the Russian military has yet to acknowledge a MALE UAV capability within its ranks, and its industry – despite numerous false starts – has yet to deliver a product in that category Kronstadt believes the Orion-E The military has yet to acknowledge a MALE capability within its ranks and its industry has yet to deliver a product is ready to defy the industry’s track record Unlike previous unveilings at MAKS of large UAV concepts that were never seen again, the Orion-E has actually flown Kronstadt displayed a video of the 16m (52.5ft)-wing- span aircraft in flight, but declines to provide other details, including the timing of that maiden sortie Somewhat cryptically, Dolzhenkov describes the Orion-E as a “mainly technologies” demonstrator and a “platform for further development” Though flying as a prototype, the composite aircraft is “far from realisation right now”, he says The aircraft features a slender, 8m-long fuselage, high-aspect ratio wings and a V-tail The aircraft is “intended” to carry a payload of 60kg (132lb), but can lift a maximum load of 200kg ■ Stephen Trimble/FlightGlobal K CIAM sees little resistance to its electric concept Composite aircraft with 16m wingspan can carry a 60kg payload 10 | Flight International | 25-31 July 2017 state-owned research institute revealed plans at MAKS to build Russia’s first turboelectric aircraft engine using lightweight superconductors provided by a domestic start-up company While waiting for a funding goahead decision later this year from the federal government, the Central Institute of Aviation Motors (CIAM) displayed a mock-up of the 500kW-class concept The powerplant would be configured with a gas turbine to supply power to an electric motor, which drives a six-bladed propeller, says Mikhail Gordin, general director of CIAM A back-up battery would supply power if the gas turbine or motor fails Although the configuration is relatively conventional, the design of the power distribution would be unique Most aerospace companies working on electric engines have avoided superconductors, due to concerns about weight and potential electromagnetic interference effects But CIAM intends to use a new lightweight and scalable superconductor material produced by SuperOx, a Russian-based start-up If funded, CIAM hopes to test the 500kW demonstrator on a flying testbed within three years, followed by a demonstration of a 2MW-class system to power a 19seat aircraft, Gordin says ■ flightglobal.com HALF-YEAR SAFETY Accidents and incidents January–June 2017 Notes on tables Data comes from Flight International’s research in association with FlightGlobal advisory service Ascend, which compiles the World Aircraft Accident Summary, among other safety analysis products In many countries details of non-fatal incidents are not made available officially, but Flight International continues to list known significant incidents to maximise the availability of relevant information We accept that the non-fatal listing may be weighted against the airlines of those countries that make safety information more readily available Glossary of terms and abbreviations AA airfield approach/early descent AAIB UK Air Accidents Investigation Branch AAL above airfield level ACARS automatic communication addressing and reporting system ADC air-data computer ADF automatic direction finder AF air force AGL above ground level AMSL above mean sea level AOA angle of attack ASI airspeed indicator ATC air traffic control C climb C-B circuit breaker CFIT controlled flight into terrain CNK cause not known CVR cockpit voice recorder DME distance measuring equipment ECAM electronic centralised aircraft monitor Date Carrier EFIS electronic flight-instrument system EGPWS enhanced ground proximity warning system EGT exhaust gas temperature EICAS engine indicating and crew alerting system ER en route ETOPS extended-range twin operations FAA US Federal Aviation Administration FDR flight data recorder FL flight level = altitude, in hundreds of feet, with international standard pressure-setting (ISA) of 1013.2hPa set on altimeter (eg FL100 – altimeter reading of 10,000ft with ISA set) FMS flight management system G on ground GPU ground power unit Aircraft type/registration GPWS ground proximity warning system HP high pressure IFR instrument flight rules ILS instrument landing system IMC instrument meteorological conditions ISA international standard atmosphere – sea level pressure of 1013.2hPa and standard temperature/pressure lapse rate with altitude L landing LP low pressure MEL minimum equipment list MTOW maximum take-off weight NDB non-directional beacon NTSB US National Transportation Safety Board PAPI precision approach path indicator PAX passengers Location PF pilot flying PNF pilot not flying RA runway/final approach SID standard instrument departure TAWS terrain awareness and warning system TO take-off TOGA press-button selected takeoff/go-around thrust VASI visual approach slope indicator VFR visual flight rules VHF very high frequency VMC visual meteorological conditions VOR VHF omni-range navigation beacon V1 take-off decision speed Conversion factors 1nm = 1.85km 1ft = 0.3m 1kt = 1.85km/h Fatalities (crew/pax) Total occupants (crew/pax) Phase 2/4 2/4 ER Fatalities Total occupants Phase 4 L Fatal accidents: regional and commuter operations 27 Mar ETA Air Charter Britten-Norman Islander (C9-AOV) Nr Mutare, Zimbabwe En route from Beira, Mozambique to Mutare the aircraft encountered storms and crashed into Mount Vumba near its destination Date Carrier Aircraft type/registration Location Fatal accidents: non-passenger flights 16 Jan MyCargo Airlines Boeing 747-400F (TC-MCL) Nr Bishkek airport, Kyrgyzstan The aircraft, operating a flight from Hong Kong to Istanbul via Bishkek for Turkish Airlines, was totally destroyed by impact and post-impact fire when it crashed into the residential district of Dachi Suu during a go-around attempt from Runway 26 at Manas International Airport, Bishkek The aircraft apparently struck the airport perimeter fence about 930m (3,050ft) beyond the end of the runway and slightly to the right of the extended centreline, and continued into a housing estate, destroying a number of buildings and killing many residents The accident happened in darkness (07:18L) and poor weather with reduced visibility in freezing fog, runway 26 RVR 400, sky obscured and vertical visibility 164ft Runway 26 is 4,204m (13,800ft) long The aircraft appears to have followed the TOKPA STAR, which required it to overfly waypoints RAXAT and TOKPA The flight correctly overflew RAXAT as cleared at 18,000ft before handover to approach control, which instructed a further descent to 6,000ft While the TOKPA waypoint should be overflown at 6,000ft, the aircraft actually crossed it at 9,200ft The crew set the QNH and the flight was cleared to descend to 3,400ft This altitude should be reached at 5.4nm (10km) distance from the airfield VOR and then maintained until ILS glideslope capture at 3.2nm At this point the pilots were monitoring the flight's altitude and were apparently aware that they were high The aircraft captured the ILS localiser 6nm from the VOR, but was still at 5,700ft Investigators state that three autopilots were engaged in “flight level change” mode It did not reach the required 3,400ft altitude until 1.7nm from the VOR Although the glideslope mode was armed the aircraft was too high and missed the glideslope intercept, so it maintained level flight at 3,400ft Just before the VOR, say the investigators, the aircraft intercepted and captured a false glideslope – the reflection at 9˚ rather than the real 3˚ slope – and it automatically commenced a descent, at rates of up to 1,425ft/ min, as the airport and runway passed beneath it The aircraft crossed the far end of the runway at a height of 110ft AGL and, after a GPWS call-out at 100ft, the first officer declared: “Minimums.” With no visual references, the captain ordered a go-around, although go-around thrust was not applied until the aircraft was just 58ft above the ground The aircraft collided with upwardly-sloping terrain and obstacles at 165kt (306km/h), with a 6g vertical impact, 3.5s after the go-around button was pressed 12 Apr Spirit Avia Sentosa Cessna Caravan (PK-FSO) Nr Oksibil, Indonesia 1 ER 1 ER L En route from Tanahmerah bound for Oksibil, the aircraft hit high ground at about 7,000ft AMSL approximately 8nm (14.8km) short of its destination May Grant Aviation Cessna Caravan (N803TH) Nr Perryville, Aleutian peninsula, Alaska On a scheduled commuter flight that was only carrying mail at the time, the aircraft hit high ground en route from Port Heiden to Perryville, in the Aleutian peninsula, Alaska May Air Cargo Carriers Shorts 330 (N334AC) Charleston-Yeager airport, USA The aircraft, operating a flight from Louisville for UPS, was on a VOR approach and had been cleared to land on Charleston's runway 05 A witness at the airport reports that, following a hard touchdown about 100m (328ft) beyond the threshold, the aircraft veered sharply left off the runway and dropped down a wooded slope Investigators have revealed that the aircraft was not fitted with a CVR or FDR, and was not required to be 27 May Goma Air Let L-410 (9N-AKY) Lukla airport, Nepal L The aircraft crashed just short of Lukla's notorious sloping runway in the Himalayan mountains 30 | Flight International | 25-31 July 2017 flightglobal.com South Supreme Airlines Antonov An-26 was destroyed by fire Date Carrier Aircraft type/registration Injuries (crew/ pax) Total occupants (crew/pax) Phase Shabunda airport, DR Congo 0/0 2/2 L Khrabrovo airport, Kaliningrad, Russia 0/0 7/167 L 0/0 ?/? L Location Significant non-fatal accidents/incidents (all commercial airline categories) Jan Doren Air Congo Let L-410 (9Q-CZR) The aircraft ran off the runway after landing It is believed to have suffered a tyre failure Jan Aeroflot Russian Airlines Airbus A321 (VP-BES) The aircraft overran runway 24 at night in sleet and snow showers with visibility 1,700m (5,580ft) reducing The nose gear collapsed 10 Jan Philippine Airlines Airbus A320 (RP-C8613) Kalibo airport, Philippines The aircraft made a night landing on runway 05 with its left main wheels 4m (13ft) to the left, and ran thus for 500m before correcting onto the tarmac The landing was completed safely but the aircraft sustained major damage 25 Jan Air New Zealand Airbus A320 (ZK-OXC) Christchurch airport, New Zealand 0/0 ?/? L L The aircraft landed hard (3.6g) on runway 29 in gusty conditions and suffered significant damage The crew made a go-around and returned to land safely on runway 02 28 Jan Aer Caribe Boeing 737-400F (HK-5197) Leticia airport, Colombia The aircraft ran off runway 21 after landing, and both main gear bogeys were found to be significantly misaligned Investigators are looking at information that may suggest the landing gear had been badly damaged on an earlier flight Feb Garuda Indonesia Boeing 737 (PK-GNK) Yogyarkarta airport, Indonesia 0/0 5/123 L The aircraft veered left during a night landing on runway 09 and ran off the side onto soft ground The aircraft suffered only minor damage, but the engines are believed to have ingested debris Feb Western Air Saab 340 (C6-HBW) Freeport airport, Grand Bahama 0/0 3/33 C The aircraft suffered a significant electrical failure (left main essential bus) shortly after take-off from Freeport, and the crew elected to return During the landing on runway 06 the left main gear collapsed and the aircraft swerved off the runway There were some minor injuries Feb North-Wright Airways Beechcraft 1900D (C-FNWH) Tulita airport, Canada 0/0 2/6 G While manoeuvring to park on the ramp the aircraft began to slide, and the captain's attempts to control it with differential power and braking were ineffective The left wing hit the terminal building and suffered damage 23 Feb Flybe Bombardier Q400 (G-JECP) Amsterdam Schiphol airport, the Netherlands 0/0 4/55 L During the landing roll in gusty conditions a wing dropped at the flare and the aircraft touched down hard on the right main gear The right gear leg slowly began to collapse backwards as if retracting, and the aircraft came to rest with the right wingtip touching the runway 25 Feb Air Canada Airbus A320 (C-FDRP) Pierson airport, Toronto, Canada 0/0 6/117 L Inbound from Nova Scotia in darkness and poor weather associated with local thunderstorm activity, the aircraft veered off the right side of runway 15R, striking runway edge lights The aircraft recovered to the runway before the end of its landing run, but suffered some minor damage Mar Ameristar Jet Charter Boeing MD-83 (N786TW ) Detroit Willow Run airport, USA 0/0 7/109 TO During its take-off run the aircraft failed to rotate when the crew moved the control column, so the crew carried out a late abort The aircraft overran the end of the runway by 350m (1,150ft), destroying approach lights, crashing through the perimeter fence and crossing a road NTSB investigators found that the right elevator was jammed in a position that would have provided a nosedown input although the control column moved normally and the left elevator was free to move The agency also found that there had been damage to the pushrod system that operates the right elevator geared tab, and it was this that was restricting elevator movement The FDR indicates that the aircraft reached a maximum IAS of 173kt (320km/h) before the abort drill started The aircraft had been chartered to carry the University of Michigan basketball team to a match in Washington DC 17 Mar Cargo North Douglas DC-3 (C-FKGL) Pickle Lake, Ontario, Canada TO The aircraft had an apparently normal take-off run from runway 27 and lifted off at 83kt (154km/h) IAS, but then failed to accelerate or climb further The crew made a belly landing straight ahead on the frozen surface of Pickle Lake and the aircraft eventually came to rest on the lake about 1,300m (4,260ft) beyond the runway end There was light snow, the temperature was -1˚C (30˚F) and the dew point -3˚C 17 Mar Regional Express Saab 340 (VH-NRX) Nr Sydney airport, Australia 0/0 3/16 ER Noticing vibration from its right engine, the crew began an engine shutdown procedure, but the propeller separated The crew continued to Sydney and landed safely Initial reports from the Australian Transport Safety Board (ATSB) report that fatigue cracking in the propeller drive shaft led to its failure and propeller separation The ATSB report says: "Fatigue cracking in the propeller main shaft originated within a dowel pin bore that was located on the forward face of the propeller flange from the propeller reduction gearbox." Working with the ATSB, engine manufacturer GE Aviation has released two service bulletins detailing inspections for operators of CT7-series engines 20 Mar Total Linhas Aéreas ATR 42-500 (PR-TTH) Porto Urucu airport, Brazil L Landing in darkness and heavy rain, the crew lost directional control during the landing run, and the aircraft swerved off the runway to the left about 700m (2,300ft) from the runway threshold, and its nose gear collapsed 20 Mar South Supreme Airlines Antonov An-26 (S9-TLZ) Wau airport, South Sudan ?/? 5/44 L Approaching Wau runway 27 from Juba in poor visibility, the aircraft's main gear struck a fire and rescue tender next to the runway, damaging it badly The aircraft continued to land but burst into flames The numbers on board are uncertain, and although no-one was killed it is not known if, during the evacuation, there were any injuries 20 Mar Western Air Express Swearingen Metro II (N158WA) Boise airport, Idaho, USA TO At rotate during take-off the left propeller was damaged by debris on the runway The pilot noticed vibration and returned to Boise, landing safely It was discovered that one of the blade tips had detached and penetrated the fuselage just aft of the main passenger door A check of the runway near the aircraft's rotation point revealed further blade tip fragments and a tool that had been used to maintain the aircraft during turnaround flightglobal.com 25-31 July 2017 | Flight International | 31 Xinhua/REX/Shutterstock LISTING Flight Safety Symposium 26th - 27th September 2017 | London, UK Strengthen your insight, processes and systems, as well as your network at this year’s definitive safety conference Commercial Flight Safety – how is safety performance measured? Air Traffic Control – what are the risks of a cyber-attack? measured? Airline Engineering & Maintenance Safety – is technology a help or a hindrance? Over 170 attendees 62% senior management 30+ unique airlines To book or find out more visit: flightglobal.com/FSS17 Delegate enquiries: +44 (0)20 8652 3233 Event.registration@rbi.co.uk Sponsor enquiries: +44 (0)20 7911 1490 rebecca.covey@flightglobal.com Secure your place today Trade body partners Silver sponsor LISTING Date Carrier Aircraft type/registration Location Injuries (crew/ pax) Total occupants (crew/pax) Phase 0/0 185 L 0/0 9/141 L Significant non-fatal accidents/incidents (all commercial airline categories) 27 Mar Taban Air Boeing 737-400 (EP-TBJ) Ardabil airport, Iran The aircraft, inbound from Mashhad, suffered tyreburst on landing and the right main gear collapsed 28 Mar Peruvian Air Line Boeing 737-300 (OB-2036-P) Jauja airport, Peru The aircraft landed hard, the right main gear collapsed, and it veered to the right off runway 31 and came to rest at the perimeter fence A small fire spread rapidly and the aircraft was destroyed Apr Eagle Air Let L-410 (5X-EIV) Yei airfield, South Sudan 0/0 3/20 TO Sibu airport, Malaysia 0/0 6/61 L The aircraft left the runway after failure to lift off from its take-off run Apr Malaysia Airlines Boeing 737-800 (9M-MXX) The aircraft landed on runway 13 in squally showers and left the runway during the landing run, partially recovering onto the tarmac with some damage to the landing gear Passengers were evacuated using escape slides 10 Apr Jet2 Boeing 757-200 (G-LSAI) Alicante airport, Spain 0/0 8/230 L 0/0 2/17 L ?/? L The aircraft, inbound from Leeds/Bradford airport, UK, to runway 10 at Alicante, suffered tailstrike at touchdown 13 Apr Daily Air Viking Air Twin Otter (B-55571) Orchid Island airport, Taiwan Landing on runway 13 in a strong crosswind, the aircraft veered left off the runway and hit obstacles, causing damage to the left wing and engine and the aircraft's nose 28 Apr Nesma Airlines Airbus A320 (SU-NMC) Abha airport, southern Saudi Arabia 0/0 The aircraft overran the far end of runway 31 by 186m (610ft) and suffered damage to both engines Thunderstorms and rain were reported in the area at the time 30 Apr TAAG Angola Boeing 737-700 (D2-TBF) Soyo airport, Angola 0/0 6/47 L Kuala Lumpur airport, Malaysia 0/0 ?/? L The nosegear collapsed at the end of the landing run on runway 24 May Malaysia Airlines Boeing 737-800 (9M-MXN) Both tyres on the left main gear failed during landing, and tyre debris damaged the fuselage and left wing The aircraft stopped safely on the runway and the passengers were disembarked using airstairs 24 May China Eastern Airlines Airbus A321 (B-6366) Hong Kong Chek Lap Kok airport 0/0 ?/? L The aircraft had flown an ILS approach inbound from Nanjing when it left the runway's righthand side Windshear is suspected, because there was turbulence and a strong wind from the north The runways are orientated approximately east-west (07/25) 27 May Trans Maldivian Airways DHC Twin Otter (8Q-TMV) Male water aerodrome, Maldive Islands 0/0 3/9 L 0/0 6/146 L L The aircraft suffered damage in a bad water landing and beached with its nose and left wing on the surface 31 May Sriwijaya Air Boeing 737-300 (PK-CJC) Manokwari airport, Indonesia After landing long on Manokwari's runway 35 in heavy rain the aircraft overran the hard surface by some 20m (65ft) and the nosewheel collapsed Jun Aeronaves Swearingen Metro III (XA-UAJ) Tampico airport, Mexico En route from Saltillo to Puebla, Mexico, the crew made a decision to divert to Tampico, reportedly for fuel reasons One of the engines had stopped in the cruise, prompting the decision During the descent the second engine also stopped The aircraft made a forced landing in the dark, landing within the airfield area but short of runway 31 Jun Aero-Pioneer Fokker F27 (5Y-FMM) Garbaharey airport, Somalia L The UN charter flight was carrying humanitarian supplies During approach to Garbaharey the 50-year-old Fokker Friendship hit the top of a 2m (6.5ft)-high wall short of the runway When it touched down the right main undercarriage failed, the aircraft veered right off the runway and the right wing broke off outboard of the engine 11 Jun Aero Caribe Antonov An-32 (HK-4833) Tarapaca airport, Colombia ?/? L 0/0 ?/359 ER The aircraft suffered major damage when it ran off the right side of runway 25 onto soft ground 25 Jun AirAsia X Airbus A330-300 (9M-XXE) Off Western Australia coast AP/REX/Shutterstock Xinhua/REX/Shutterstock About an hour out of Perth en route to Kuala Lumpur, the left-hand engine suffered serious mechanical failure The crew flew the aircraft back to Perth Air Cargo Carriers Shorts 330 veered off the runway at Charleston-Yeager airport, USA flightglobal.com Goma Air L-410 crashed at Lukla, Nepal 25-31 July 2017 | Flight International | 33 STRAIGHT&LEVEL From yuckspeak to tales of yore, send your offcuts to murdo.morrison@flightglobal.com Brown in history It is apparent – which is a matter for great thankfulness – that the need for an overwhelmingly superior aerial fleet is recognised at last, not only by the public, but by the government itself The daylight raid on Augsburg was a special occasion, on which fairly heavy losses were probably faced deliberately in view of the importance of the target The recent raids by Stirlings and Lancasters on Lübeck, Flensburg and the Ruhr come into a rather different category “In the unlikely event of a landing on water ” Dent, Welsh and Dail are honoured in New York in 2009 (right) at Edinburgh airport Brown, who was born in the Scottish capital and died last year at 97, flew more aircraft types – 487 – than any pilot Ironically, for someone who piloted every British wartime aircraft, Brown was inspired to fly after meeting Hermann Göring at the 1936 Berlin Olympics and was a student teacher in Germany when war broke out (the SS escorted him to the Swiss border) Among his numerous achievements after the war, he performed the first landing of a jet aircraft – a de Havilland Sea Vampire – on an aircraft carrier After retiring from the Royal Navy in 1970, he became a strong advocate for aviation on a number of bodies and was still lecturing and writing in his nineties Cargo computer Just don’t compare logbooks Biplane bids Bonhams A campaign has been launched to erect a statue of legendary test pilot Eric “Winkle” Brown Superior air fleet Heavy raid losses Stephen Simpson/REX/Shutterstock The war against ageism and other -isms in aviation is hard, especially when there are the diplomatic skills of Akbar Al Baker to contend with In a speech in Dublin to mark the launch of a route to the Irish capital, his excellency noted that, while his US rivals employ “grandmothers”, Qatar Airways cabin crew have an average age of 26: “So there is no need for you to travel on these crap American carriers.” While we realise the appearance of its passengerfacing employees is key to Qatar Airways’ brand, it’s worth noting the average age of the three cabin crew who helped ensure the safe, speedy and calm exit of all on board US Airways flight 1549 was 55 We are not sure if Donna Dent, Sheila Dail or Doreen Welsh were grannies, but their total 95 years’ experience was appreciated by the passengers as they awaited rescue above the freezing waters of the Hudson river in January 2009 In other news, Qatar Airways is bidding for 10% of American Airlines – which merged with US Airways in 2015 For the record, Al Baker did apologise for his remarks in a letter to an organisation representing US cabin crew C Pendzich/REX/Shutterstock Ageism and the Hudson heroines Going, going, Dra-gone 34 | Flight International | 25-31 July 2017 Fancy owning a de Havilland DH.84 Dragon biplane? Bonhams is auctioning entrepreneur and philanthropist Sir Torquil Norman’s restored aircraft – one of only five flying – at the Goodwood Revival meeting on September Although the Dragon originated in the early 1930s as an early VIP air taxi, Sir T’s G-ECAN was built by de Havilland Australia in 1943 and began life as a trainer for the Royal Australian Air Force Among its post-war operators was the Royal Flying Doctor Service The six-passenger type is said to have inspired Sir Torquil’s late brother Desmond to create the Britten-Norman Islander – he was co-founder of the Isle of Wight-based airframer Installation of a computer system to expedite cargo movement at London Heathrow is being advocated by a joint working party composed of airline and Customs and Excise representatives The £2 million installation is felt to be essential Israel slams USA Former commander of the Israeli air force Gen Avihu Ben-Nun has accused the USA of not making a real effort to stop the launch of Scud ballistic missiles from western Iraq into Israel during the Gulf War BenNun says the Americans did not succeed “… because they did not really try” 100-YEAR ARCHIVE Every issue of Flight from 1909 onwards can be viewed online at flightglobal.com/archive flightglobal.com READER SERVICES EVENTS EDITORIAL, ADVERTISING, PRODUCTION & READER CONTACTS 12-15 September EDITORIAL +44 20 8652 3842 Quadrant House, The Quadrant, Sutton, Surrey, SM2 5AS, UK flight.international@flightglobal.com Editor Craig Hoyle +44 20 8652 3834 craig.hoyle@flightglobal.com Deputy Editor Dominic Perry +44 20 8652 3206 dominic.perry@flightglobal.com Head of Strategic Content Murdo Morrison FRAeS +44 20 8652 4395 murdo.morrison@flightglobal.com Features Editor Dan Thisdell +44 20 8652 4491 dan.thisdell@flightglobal.com Business & General Aviation Editor Kate Sarsfield +44 20 8652 3885 kate.sarsfield@flightglobal.com Consulting Editor David Learmount +44 7785 901787 david.learmount@ntlworld.com Magazine Enquiries 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ground RECRUITMENT flightglobal.com/jobs 38 | Flight International | 25-31 July 2017 flightglobal.com RECRUITMENT flightglobal.com/jobs flightglobal.com 25-31 July 2017 | Flight International | 39 RECRUITMENT flightglobal.com/jobs 40 | Flight International | 25-31 July 2017 flightglobal.com EMPLOYMENT SERVICES INDEX Getting careers off the ground TEL +44 (0) 20 8652 4900 EMAIL recruitment.services@rbi.co.uk Flight crew Flight crew Maintenance M M E The preferred company for Stress (Fatigue & DT), GFEM, Composites), Aeronautical Research Business units: Contract staff, Workpackages, Innovation and New Concepts, Aeronautical Research www.bishop-gmbh.com Contact bishop.peter@bishop-gmbh.com Tel 0049-(0)40-866-258-10 Fax 0049-(0)40-866-258-20 Tel: +353 669 8224 Fax: +353 669 8201 Email:recruitment@sigmaaviationservices.com recruitment@sigmaaviationservices.com Email: www.sigmaaviationservices.com www.sigmaaviationservices.com 5HFUXLWPHQW 6NLOOV,QVLJKWV Call: +44 (0)1524 381 544 Email: info@safehands.aero www.safehands.aero &RPSOLDQFH )OLJKW2SV6XSSRUW you’re in safe hands with us $YLDWLRQ3HRSOH([SHUWV Engineering Worldwide specialist for Aerospace Engineering, Certification & Management Services E: yourcv@gdcengineering.com T: +49 (0) 8153 93130 W: www.gdcengineering.com ZZZDHURSURIHVVLRQDOFRP flightglobal.com/jobs T +353 (0) 4493 30330 E info@ryanaviation.net 10:57 42 | Flight International | 25-31 July 2017 flightglobal.com WORKING WEEK WORK EXPERIENCE AL TITTERINGTON Making regional ambitions a reality How did you get into aviation? I’d finished university in the summer before the September 11 terror attacks, and had been doing some aviation consultancy work which gave me the airport bug When the attacks happened the demand for consultancy dropped, so I went to work for Servisair at Leeds Bradford airport (LBA) as a dispatcher, with the odd baggage handler shift thrown in for good measure Tell us about your career so far Working at LBA gave me the appetite for airports and I knew that was the career for me However, being ambitious I wanted to get to management level as soon as possible, so I went back to university at Loughborough and gained my MSc Airport Planning and Management degree On completion I found the airport consultancy market had picked up again and I was seconded in to roles on the development of Doncaster Sheffield airport, the expansion of Coventry airport and other projects across the globe Those experiences really shaped my career When I started as operations director at Cornwall Airport Newquay aged 28, I was the youngest appointed airport director in the industry I felt very privileged How has Cornwall Airport Newquay evolved? Significantly When I took over the business was on its knees – I would say weeks away from the council withdrawing its financial support We had to very quickly stabilise the business, which involved some very difficult Cornwall Airport Newquay Al Titterington is the managing director of Cornwall Airport Newquay, a scheduled hub located in the southwest UK His appointment at the age of 28 made him the youngest airport director in the industry Titterington was able to stabilise, diversify and expand the business ecisions in respect of airline d contracts, expenditure budgets and governance Basically we were in survival mode while we implemented a new business strategy, which had a focus of diversification around aerospace growth (designated as an enterprise zone on this basis), corporate aviation, flight training and so on, and utilising the airport’s assets At the same time we were rebuilding the route network in a more sustainable manner than what had previously been in place The strategy has been hugely successful in attracting global aerospace companies to the airport – and, in 2016, it was the fastest-growing airport in the UK, with passenger throughput back at pre-recession levels What plans you have for the airport? A number of our routes are summer only, so we want to develop more year-round services Top of the list is sun destinations As an economy which is dependent on tourism, we have significant demand for winter sun We also want to link to other city destinations (like Birmingham) to have a year-round offering, enhancing domestic connectivity On the non-passenger side of the business, the plan is to keep expanding the aerospace portfolio Cobham has recently become our latest tenant and there other opportunities to grow this important cluster of companies What are your main challenges? Certainly Brexit and the recent election result have done us no favours Leaving the EU means that Cornwall as a Tier Convergence Area will lose its European funding stream, which impacts our ability to make infrastructure investments, such as in hangarage Inbound tourism will be boosted, but conversely some of our airline partners, notably Ryanair, are stating they won’t increase capacity in the UK and may even trim it, which leaves us vulnerable as an airport, with only six flights per week with Ryanair, for example Airline yields are affected – we can see this through our fare tracking With a majority government Heathrow was a winner for us; in a minority government, will they still have that same level of commitment to major infrastructure projects? Big question mark! What you enjoy most about your job? The variety of areas I cover: anything from an airline transaction to meeting senior ministers or lugging bags on a weekend to support the team, and turning an aircraft around so our customers get away on their trips on time Every day is different I have a great team, and it’s important not to let challenges stop us from achieving what we want to achieve n Looking for a job in aerospace? Check out our listings online at flightglobal.com/jobs If you would like to feature in Working Week, or you know someone who does, email your pitch to kate.sarsfield@ flightglobal.com Check out Flight International’s Image Store Browse or customise a gift or memento from our CUTAWAY ARCHIVE of more than 1000 aircraft drawings www.flightglobalimages.com PlaneCutaway.indd flightglobal.com 09/02/2017 12:28 25-31 July 2017 | Flight International | 43 Aerospace Big Data 6-7 December 2017 | London, UK Aerospace manufacturers and MROs have seen the future and are investing heavily in Big Data analytics, but why should airlines share their data? Join us to debate: Transformation of commercial aviation operations Available efficiency gains SAVE* £200 Investing in predictive analytics Secure your place today: Flightglobal.com/bigdata *Register on or before Tuesday 12 September 2017 to save £200 Delegate enquiries: +44 (0)20 8652 3233 Event.registration@rbi.co.uk Sponsor enquiries: +44 (0)20 7911 1344 Sarah.green@flightglobal.com www.flightglobal.com/bigdata ... recruitment.services@rbi.co.uk flightglobal.com/jobs Getting careers off the ground RECRUITMENT flightglobal.com/jobs 38 | Flight International | 25-31 July 2017 flightglobal.com RECRUITMENT flightglobal.com/jobs flightglobal.com... analysis flightglobal.com/ComEngDirectory flightglobal.com/commengines flightglobal.com/commengines13 CFM 2017 strip ad.indd | Flight International | 25-31 July 2017 15/06/2017 08:52 flightglobal.com... david.learmount@ntlworld.com Magazine Enquiries flight. international@ flightglobal.com AIR TRANSPORT TEAM Editor Flightglobal Premium News Graham Dunn +44 20 8652 4995 graham.dunn@flightglobal.com Managing Editor