Flight International 2016 12 April

8/18/2019 Flight International 2016 12 April

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FLIGHTINTERNATIONAL

SOFIA SO GOODBulgarian governmentapproves fighter renewal,but waits on parliamentfor final go-ahead 20

DAHER DELIVERSFrench airframer unveilsits latest evolution of TBMturboprop and looks tofurther expand family 9

FLYDUBAI CRASHSTABILISER MOVEDTO NOSE-DOWN AT900M, PROBE SAYSREPORT P7

12-18 APRIL 2016

ACQUISITION

CALIFORNIADREAMINGWhy Alaska Airlines hopes to come in from thecold with $4 billion purchase of Virgin America

9 7 7 0 0 1 5 3 7 1 2 8 0

1 5

£3.60


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96

participatingcountries*

$204 BILLION

of orders andcommitments placed*

84 of the top 100

aerospace companiesparticipated*


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12-18 April 2016 | Flight International | 3flightglobal.com

FLIGHTINTERNATIONAL

12-18 APRIL 2016

FLIGHTINTERNATIONAL

SOFIASOGOODBulgariangovernment approvesfighterrenewal,butwaitson parliament forfinalgo-ahead 20

DAHERDELIVERSFrenchairframerunveilsitslatestevolution ofTBMturbopropandlookstofurtherexpandfamily 9

FLYDUBAICRASHSTABILISERMOVEDTONOSE-DOWNAT900M,PROBESAYSREPORTP7

12-18APRIL2016

ACQUISITION

CALIFORNIADREAMINGWhyAlaskaAirlineshopestocomeinfromthecoldwith$4billionpurchaseofVirginAmerica

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1 5

£3.60

F I N_ 0 4 6 _ 0 . i nd d 0 / 0 4 / 0 6 0 : 4 8

VOLUME 189 NUMBER 5533

A i r T e a m I m a g e s

COVER IMAGE

Agency AirTeamImages

provided this stunning shot

of an Alaska Airlines Boeing

737-800 departing from

Anchorage International inthe carrier’s heartland P11

BEHIND THE HEADLINES Kate Sarsfield journeyed toTarbes, France, to see Daher’s latest turboprop, the TBM

930 (P9), while Flightglobal’steam was out in force at theAircraft Interiors show inHamburg, covering the latestdevelopments in cabin tech-nology and IFE (P16)

NEXT WEEK BOEING 747As the venerable Jumbo Jethits its 50th anniversary, welook back at the genesis ofan airline industry icon D a

h e r , L u f t h a n s a

Daher unveils addition to single-engined turboprop family P9. Lufthansa takes delivery of second A320neo P12

U S N a v y

Bell Boeing wins contract for new Osprey variant P19

COVER STORY 11 Virgin upsets the balance at Alaska Planned

acquisition will see Boeing stalwart gain firstexperience of Airbus narrowbodies, but may revert

to single-type fleet

FEATURES25 GENERAL AVIATION Flying with turbulence

When Europe’s general aviation communitygathers in Germany later this month for its annualmeeting and exhibition at Aero Friedrichshafen,there will be as much talk about the businessclimate and regulations as new aircraft andtechnology. But while the number of pilots anddemand for new aeroplanes continues to slide,proponents remain cautiously optimistic that theindustry can return to growth with the help of a raftof new designs aimed at reducing the cost of flying

REGULARS5 Comment

35 Straight & Level

38 Classified

40 Jobs

43 Working Week

NEWS

THIS WEEK

6 Pegasus upset by C-17’s turbulence

7 Details emerge of Rostov go-around.Kuwaiti order increases Typhoon’s Gulf presence

8 MRJ readied for US transfer.Evaluations begin for hostile fire indication system.TAP Portugal to be first to accept Airbus A330neo

9 Daher expands family with TBM 930

AIR TRANSPORT

12 Second A320neo arrives at Lufthansa.Nesma ATR 72s ready for Saudi launch.Estonia grounds Avies as safety concerns mount

13 Near-miss with snowplough prompts safety call.Ryukyu has freight expectations from new Q400s.Air France finds compromise on Iran dress code

15 Keflavik reviews testing role.Let L-410 for Chinese market with 20-unit deal

SHOW REPORT

16 Start-ups move to shake-up seating

17 In-flight internet rivals spar over speed, service

DEFENCE

18 DARPA assembles Gremlins partners.US Marine Corps deploys its Harriers with BAElaser-guided rocket system.More powerful engine sought for Shadow v2

19 Work starts on new Osprey.Software update helps RAAF Hornets to fightfatigue as operations increase.‘Clean’ release kicks off JSOW F-35 test effort

20 Bulgaria looks west for new fighters.Gearbox issues to blame for latest CH-53K delay

BUSINESS AVIATION21 Traveller moving as Tecnam prepares for flight.

JetSuite gets to point with refurbished ERJ-135s.Challenger deal is a timely boost for Bombardier

OBITUARY

36 Ed Strongman

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4/44

flightglobal.com4 | Flight International | 12-18 April 2016

CONTENTS

QUESTION OF THE WEEK THE WEEK IN NUMBERS

flightglobal.com/flight-international

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

This week, we ask: Foreign ownership of airlines?

❑ Should be a free market

❑ Some restrictions needed ❑ Protect strategic assets

Last week, we asked: Who hasthe best cabins? You said:

1%World military spending edged up last year, to $1.7tr; USA’s$596bn (down 2.4%) led the pack – China spent $215bn

106.4mBudget carrier Ryanair has disclosed record passengernumbers - up 18% - over the course of its financial year

103kmCall it 339,178ft: the altitude reached by Blue Origin’s New

Shepard rocket – on the reusable vehicle’s third test flight

Blue Origin

Ryanair

Stockholm International Peace

Research Institute

C r o

w n C o p y r i g h t

IMAGE OFTHE WEEK A Royal Air Force LockheedMartin C-130J transportstroops to West Freugh airfieldin Scotland as part ofExercise Lions Dawn. Thetraining is to prepare theservice for operations as partof the UK’s Joint ExpeditionaryForce, and was supported byEurofighter Typhoons andBAE Systems Hawk trainers

View more great aviation shotsonline and in our weekly tabletedition:

62% 26%

12%Airbus

Dependson theairline

Boeing

TOTALVOTES:

9,173

Download the Military SimulatorCensus online now.

www.fightglobal.com/milisimCAE oers training centres, training services, and simulation products for trainer and ghter aircraft.


5/44

COMMENT


See Show Report P16

AirAsia boss Tony Fernandes admitted to beingtaken aback at the array of innovation on display

on his first visit to the Aircraft Interiors Expo (AIX) inHamburg last week, to sign a contract for new seats.

Barriers to entry remain forbidding for would-bemanufacturers of airliners; despite their economicclout, it has taken a generation for China and Japan toget a foot on the ladder. However, the airline cabin itselfis an area where entrepreneurial start-ups really dohave a chance of sparring with industry giants – wit-ness the success at AIX of Boeing 737 seat developerEnCore and the UK’s Mirus – which claimed as its

launch aviation customer Fernandes, the man behindone of the world’s fastest-growing low-cost carriers.

In the rapidly-evolving arena of connectivity andin-flight entertainment too, there are plenty of youngcompanies keen to make a name for themselves.

Commercial aerospace is often viewed as a conserva-tive industry, dominated by global industrial behe-moths whose programmes take a decade to developand go on selling for several decades after that.

But there’s a brash, exciting feel to the business thatcomes up with new ways of improving the passengerexperience inside the aircraft, with plenty of disrup-tors, ingenious thinkers and risk-takers out there. Thatcan only be good for aerospace as a whole, and for all of

us who fly in its products.■

Hamburg’s revolutionaries

Asad irony lost in the commotion over VirginAmerica’s announced sale to Alaska Air Group is

the critical and unfortunate role played by governmentrestrictions on foreign ownership of airlines.

Ownership restrictions are necessary, it is argued, because national transportation systems can’t be en-trusted to foreigners. Only citizens, by this reasoning,are righteous stewards of a robust, safe airline network.

In this case, however, the minority foreign owners –the Richard Branson-backed Virgin Group – seemedreluctant to sell a small but increasingly competitive

low-cost carrier to a larger company with deeperpockets. Instead, the deal appeared to be at least tacitlyendorsed by Virgin America’s citizen-owners – acollection of US-based hedge funds.

The merits of Alaska Airlines’ generous $2.6 billion bid to Virgin America’s biggest shareholders are obvi-ous. But the deal shows the fallacy of linking citizen-ship to any sense of patriotic governance.

Since the late 1930s, the USA has required thatcitizens own at least 75% of the voting shares of a pub-licly traded airline. As in many other countries, thatprotectionist rule has survived the airline industry up-heavals caused by deregulation and consolidation. Thelikes of the EU and Brazil are now moving to loosensuch restrictions, amid local economic problems.

Virgin America always offered a tantalising test caseof a US-based airline with management and brandingstrategy inspired by a foreign organisation.

In 2006, the US Department of Transportation reject-ed Branson’s initial ownership structure for VirginAmerica, which would have left the start-up effectivelyin his financial control via a series of US-based subsidi-aries. A few months later, the DOT accepted VirginAmerica’s revised ownership structure, under whichBranson’s Virgin Group would hold only 22% of theshares and have little influence on decision-making.

Virgin America emerged from the financial crisis in2008 smaller than originally planned, but with a strong

product that provided a valued alternative to US-basedcompetition. If Branson, a foreigner, were allowed con-trol, Virgin America would likely still be focused ongrowing slowly into a West Coast equivalent of JetBlue.

In this case, we see how ownership restrictions canhave unintended consequences, such as allowinghedge funds to hijack governance structure over an oth-erwise committed foreign owner. Unless airlines areallowed greater access to sources of capital, the VirginAmerica example is likely to be repeated.■See News Focus P11

R E X / S h u

t t e r s t o c k

Not American enough

The deal appeared to be tacitly

backed by the citizen-owners:

a collection of US hedge funds

Foreign ownership restrictions are based on a myth that control by citizens ensures patriotic

governance. Dynamics at Virgin America show how the rules have unintended consequences

Limited logic

Stay up-to-date with the latest

news and analysis from the

commercial aviation sector at:

flightglobal.com/dashboard


6/44

THIS WEEK


To get more defence sector coverage,

subscribe to our fortnightly newsletter:

flightglobal.com/defencenewsletter

FIRST ON-WING ENGINE RUN FOR EMBRAER E2PROPULSION Embraer has started the engines for the first time on

the wing of an E190-E2, with the Brazilian manufacturer announcingthe milestone on 4 April. The E190-E2 is powered by two Pratt &

Whitney PW1900G turbofans that are rated at up to 23,000lb-thrust

(102kN) each for take-off power. The 73in (185cm)-fan-diameter

PW1900Gs replace the lower-bypass GE Aviation CF34 engines on

the second-generation regional jet. P&W delivered the PW1900G as

a minor derivative of the PW1500G, which powers the Bombardier

CSeries family. The PW1900G will also equip the stretched E195-E2.

CONSULTANT ISSUE HALTS AIRBUS UK EXPORT CREDITPOLICY UK Export Finance will not support future deliveries ofAirbus aircraft until it receives assurances over the manufacturer’s

policy regarding third-party consultants. A source close to Airbus indi-

cates that “inaccuracies” in applications for export credit had

recently been flagged to the UK agency by the manufacturer itself. Inturn, UKEF referred the matter to the nation’s Serious Fraud Office

(SFO). UKEF confirms it “won’t be considering new applications from

Airbus” for the time being. The SFO declines to comment.

JAKARTA RUNWAY COLLISION DAMAGES ATR 42-600INCIDENT Indonesian investigators are probing a runway collision inJakarta between a TransNusa Air Services’ ATR 42-600 and a Boeing

737-800 operated by Batik Air. Damage to the 737 (PK-LBS) indi-

cates that it struck the ATR with its left wing-tip during its departure

from runway 24 in darkness at around 19:55 local on 4 April. The

ATR 42 (PK-TNJ) is only around 18 months old and sustained sub-

stantial damage to its airframe, including the loss of most of its left

wing as well as its vertical fin and horizontal stabiliser. Some 49 pas-

sengers and seven crew members had been on board the 737.

LATÉCOÈRE INVESTS TO SUPPORT AIRLINER WORK MANUFACTURING Latécoère Group is to install additional produc-tion capabilities to include new assembly lines for Airbus A330neo

as well as A320 components. The group says its Latécoère Services

division will design and install a new line for air inlets on the re-

engined A330neo. This will feature drilling and assembly stations

and include robotic operations. It will also add production facilities

for A320 centre wing box manufacture. The €20 million ($23 million)

expansion will support the Airbus facility at Nantes.

PAKISTAN ORDERS NINE MORE BELL AH-1Z GUNSHIPSROTORCRAFT Bell Helicopter has been contracted to build nine

more AH-1Z Viper attack helicopters for Pakistan as part of a largerforeign military sales package for up to 15 helicopters and 1,000

Lockheed Martin AGM-114 Hellfire-series missiles that was ap-

proved in April 2015. Islamabad ordered its first batch of armed,

twin-engined “Zulu Cobras” under that deal in August, as part of a

larger US Marine Corps commitment for 19 AH-1Zs.

FRANCE FIRMS UP DEAL FOR 14 PATROLLER UAVSUNMANNED Sagem has been contracted to supply its Patroller sys-tem to the French army as the service’s new tactical unmanned air

vehicle, some two months after Paris confirmed its selection of the

type. Witnessed by French defence minister Jean-Yves Le Drian, the

contract signing between France’s DGA procurement agency and

Sagem’s parent company Safran on 5 April firms up the provision of

14 Patroller UAVs for the army, with operations to begin in 2018.

BRIEFING

Boeing’s C-17 has become thesticking point in an other-

wise smooth aerial refuellingdemonstration phase for the KC-46A Pegasus tanker, with pro-gramme officials confirming

“higher-than-expected boomaxial loads” have delayed trialswith both the strategic airlifterand the Fairchild Republic A-10.

C-17 testing began shortly afterthe successful passage of fuel to aLockheed Martin F-16C in

January, but with the turbulent“bow wave effect” generated bytwo large aircraft flying in line,the refuelling system indicatedthat the loads were too high to

begin passing fuel.US Air Force programme offi-

cials previously indicated the fixcould involve software changes,likely to be parameter adjust-ments to the boom control laws.

As of 1 April, Boeing had notfully solved the issue, and neitherthe company nor air force can sayif it will impact a pending low-rate production decision, whichwas expected this month but isnow scheduled for May.

A positive milestone Cappraisal by the Pentagon’s topacquisition executive, Frank

Kendall, will unlock funding forthe first 19 operational KC-46As

TRIALS JAMES DREW WASHINGTON DC

Pegasus upset byC-17’s turbulenceOtherwise smooth aerial refuelling demonstrations for newtanker spoiled by “bow wave effect” from strategic airlifter

U S A

i r F o r c e

Deployment of the first 19 operational tankers has been held up

in lots of seven and 12 aircraft.Any further setbacks will add

to schedule and cost overruns in-curred because of the faulty wir-ing of the initial batch of 767-2C-configured aircraft, late design

changes to the refuelling system,late parts, and the accidental con-tamination of a fuel system.

“During boom testing with theC-17, the Boeing and US AirForce flight-test team recordedhigher-than-expected boom axialloads,” the air force says. “Boeingis working on a fix, and we don’tknow the schedule impact to theplanned May milestone C deci-sion, but the problem is well un-derstood and we don’t expect anextended delay.”

IMPACTBoeing says it is “working toresolve the issue” and will have a“better understanding of any pro-gramme impact shortly”.

The KC-46A has demonstrated boom refuelling of the F-16, aswell as the Boeing F/A-18 andAV-8B via the wing-mounted andcentreline hose-and-drogue sys-tems. It has also received fuelfrom a Boeing KC-10.

The first 19 aircraft must be

delivered to US Air MobilityCommand by August 2017.■


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THIS WEEK


MRJ readied for US

transfer

NEWS FOCUS P8

With its deal for 28 Eurofighter

Typhoons, Kuwait has also become

launch customer for the combat air-

craft’s new active electronically

scanned array (AESA) radar.

Industrial lead Finmeccanica, part

of the Euroradar consortium, says

development is well under way, al-

though flight-testing is yet to begin.

While the Eurofighter partners –

Germany, Italy, Spain and the UK – in

2014 signed a contract supporting

development and integration of the

Captor-E AESA radar, Finmeccanica

says there is no order, making

Kuwait the sole confirmed customer.

“The Captor-E development pro-

gramme is on track, progressing in

line with the milestones of the four-

nation development contract signed

in November 2014,” says the

Italian manufacturer.

Testing is being carried out on two

instrumented production aircraft

(IPA) – IPA8 from Germany and IPA5

from the UK – which are undergoing

ground-based integration trials. ■

SYSTEMS

Middle Eastern nation becomes first customer for Captor-E

Kuwait has confirmed its orderfor 28 Tranche 3 Eurofighter

Typhoons, making the Gulf nationthe eighth customer for the type.

The governments of Italy andKuwait on 5 April finalised thedeal, which will see the aircraftassembled at the Turin facility ofEurofighter partner company

Finmeccanica, commercial leadfor the contract.

All 28 aircraft will be integrated

with the Euroradar Captor E-Scanactive electronically scannedarray radar.

The contract covers logisticsand operational support, plustraining of Kuwaiti air force flightand ground crews with the Italianair force, which operates the type.Ground-based infrastructure will

also be installed in Kuwait.“The confirmation of this order

is further testament [to] the grow-

E u r o fi g h t e r

Contract confirms selection of Italy-built type in September 2015

Russian investigators have dis-closed that the horizontal stabiliser of the crashed FlydubaiBoeing 737-800 transitioned tonose-down pitch at a height of900m (2,950ft) as the crew at-tempted a second go-around.

The aircraft, which had beenclimbing out of the approach toRostov-on-Don, entered a divefrom which it failed to recover.

Russia’s federal air transportregulator, Rosaviatsia, outlinedthe sequence of the fatal 19 March

accident in a safety bulletin pub-lished on 4 April.

While it has not disclosed con-clusions, it says the commissionof inquiry has recommended 737operators be urged to study go-around procedures and handlingof aircraft, particularly in regard tolongitudinal flight control.

Rosaviatsia is also recommend-

M a x i m S

h e m e t o v / R e u t e r s

In all, 62 passengers and crew died during the 19 March disaster

Rosaviatsia says the Flydubai

jet had informed air traffic controlabout the presence of windshearwhile conducting its initialapproach to runway 22.

As the aircraft prepared to exitthe hold the crew was given, at03:20, a weather update statingvisibility was 5km with a cloud base of 630m, plus winds from230° of 25kt gusting to 35kt.

Two minutes later air trafficcontrol told the pilots it had no in-formation regarding windshear.The crew requested permission toconduct the approach. Rosaviatsiaindicates the flight would haveclimbed to 8,000ft in the event ofanother go-around.

The crew aborted the approachagain, at a height of 220m – whereit would have been 2.2nm (4.1km)from touchdown on a typical 3°glidepath. The inquiry has yet todisclose what autopilot status or

thrust settings were used.The aircraft came down in a

steep dive and hit the runwayabout 120m beyond the threshold.None of the 55 passengers orseven crew members survived.

Rosaviatsia says initial analysisof flight-data and cockpit-voice re-corders shows no powerplant oraircraft system failure.■

ing that carriers include simulator

training for go-around and recov-ery in conditions of windshearand with failures relating to ajammed elevator.

The regulator has advised thetraining include studying the fatalloss-of-control accident involvinga Tatarstan Airlines 737-500attempting a night-time go-aroundat Kazan in November 2013.

COMBAT AIRCRAFT BETH STEVENSON LONDON

Kuwaiti order increasesTyphoon’s Gulf presence

ing interest in the Eurofighter Ty-

phoon in the Gulf region,” VolkerPaltzo, chief executive ofEurofighter says.

“It will enable Kuwait to benefit

from the critical mass beingdeveloped in the Gulf and themany advantages that it brings toan air force in terms ofinteroperability, training andin-service support.”

Eurofighter first revealedKuwait’s selection of the Typhoonin September 2015, three yearsafter the previous export order forthe type, from Oman.

The other Gulf customer forTyphoon is Saudi Arabia, whileAustria, Germany, Italy, Spain and

the UK also operate the fourth-gen-eration combat aircraft.■

SAFETY DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON

Details emerge of Rostov go-aroundInvestigators probing fatal crash of Flydubai 737 disclose movement of horizontal stabiliser during fiight’s final moments


8/44

THIS WEEK


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Mitsubishi Aircraft remainson track to transfer its firstMRJ flight-test aircraft (FTV-1) toMoses Lake, Washington, by mid-year, as it begins the US-basedportion of its certification effort.

Three additional prototypes ofthe regional jet are expected to ar-rive at Moses Lake by the end of2016, says Masao Yamagami,chief executive of MitsubishiAircraft in the USA, although afifth aircraft will remain in Japanfor flight testing.

The airframer had, by 5 April,completed 17 test sorties, takingthe Pratt & Whitney PW1200G-powered aircraft to 35,000ft andto a speed of Mach 0.65, he says.

Flight trials resumed in Febru-ary after more than two months

of delay caused by a need tostrengthen the aircraft’s wingroots and fuselage. Engineersmade the changes, which Yamag-ami describes as “very small”,following a 100% wing-load test.

Staff from launch customer AllNippon Airlines – which is dueto receive its first aircraft in mid-2018 – are now working withMitsubishi Aircraft employees inan effort to ensure a smooth entryinto service and eliminate anypotential teething problems.

“ANA is a most demandingcustomer,” says Yamagami.“Therefore, we will be trained bythem before we enter service.Some people from ANA are nowin Mitsubishi and we [will] sendpeople to ANA to be trained.”

Yamagami says MitsubishiAircraft is hiring additional cus-tomer support staff and engineersto ensure it can properly respondto in-service issues, citing a “Jap-anese mentality” for excellentcustomer service.

Mitsubishi Aircraft, which hasfirm orders for 223 MRJs, is hope-ful of attracting further customers,particularly in Europe, the MiddleEast and Africa, he says.

In addition, the airframer hasyet to decide on whether it will

develop a larger 100-seat variantof the MRJ , Yamagami says.

“It [will] take more time to seri-ously consider how much we canstretch” the aircraft, he says, esti-mating a decision may be madewithin two or three years.■

Airbus Helicopters has begun

test flights for its Germanarmed forces customer as part ofa research and technology pro-gramme to develop a hostile fireindication (HFI) system.

Using a modified Germanarmy Sikorsky CH-53G helicop-ter, the manufacturer performedthe first evaluation sortie on 30March, from Manching, to studythe integration and effects onhandling qualities of a number ofinstalled sensors.

The project aims to demon-

strate the ability of different tech-nologies to detect infantry gunfire

TAP Portugal is to be the firstcarrier to operate the re-

engined Airbus A330neo, takingdelivery of the type towards theend of 2017.

Airbus disclosed the identityof the launch operator during a briefing at the Aircraft InteriorsExpo in Hamburg.

TAP has 14 of the A330-900neotwinjets on order, to be powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 7000 en-gines. It converted to the A330neo

– having previously selected theA350-800 before switching to theA350-900 – under a strategic shiftto its fleet-modernisation plan, fol-lowing privatisation last year.

TAP will be the first carrier toreceive the new Airspace by Air- bus cabin layout for the A330neo– a revamped interior unveiled by the airframer in March.

Lisbon-based TAP has previ-ously stated that the A330neoswill have 304 seats – including32 business-class, 96 premium-

economy and 176 economy seats.Airspace by Airbus will feature

new LED-based lighting, largeroverhead luggage bins, and thelatest connectivity and in-flightentertainment systems.■See show report P16

PROGRAMME JON HEMMERDINGERDALLAS

MRJ readied for US transferFirst of four flight-test examples of regional jet due to arrive in Pacific Northwest by mid-year

SCHEDULE

DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON

TAP Portugal willbe first to accept

Airbus A330neo

Evaluations begin for hostile fire indication systemRESEARCHDOMINIC PERRY LONDON

using 5.56mm or 20mm rounds,

or even non-tracer ammunition.During the initial study phase,

the rotorcraft has been equippedwith acoustic and infrared sen-

sors to pinpoint hostile fire based

on sound and muzzle flashes.A radar, which will be in-

stalled for a later stage of testing,will be able to perceive any “bul-

let-sized objects” fired at the ro-

torcraft, says Airbus Helicopters.Firing tests are due to take

place towards the end of 2016 atthe German armed forces’weapons and ammunitionestablishment in Meppen, in thenorth of the country. Two furtherevaluations are scheduled for2017, with the results due by theend of next year.

Airbus Helicopters heads aconsortium of companiesinvolved in the project, includingAirbus Defence & Space,

Rheinmetall Defence andFraunhofer FKIE.■Sensors were installed on a modified Sikorsky CH-53G helicopter

A n i t a M a y e r / A i r b u s H e l i c o p t e r s

M i t s u b i s h i A i r c r a f t

FTV-1 has completed 17 test sorties reaching 35,000ft and Mach 0.65


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THIS WEEK


Virgin upsets the

balance at Alaska

NEWS FOCUS P11

Daher took the wraps off a newsingle-engined turboprop on5 April during a customer eventat its headquarters in Tarbes,southwest France.

Designated the TBM 930, theaircraft is the second in a familyof TBM models planned by thecompany. It is an enhanced ver-sion of the TBM 900, which willcontinue to be produced byDaher as its baseline model.

Speaking at the launch,Nicolas Chabbert, Daher’s senior

vice-president, airplane businessunit, said: “Yesterday we were asingle product manufacturer.Now we have an aircraft family.”

The TBM 930 featuresGarmin’s G3000 touchscreenglass flightdeck, a reconfiguredcockpit, redesigned seating, en-hanced interior trimmings andfinishes, and Daher’s new be-spoke e-copilot safety system –also a feature on 2016-build TBM900s. The e-copilot is designed as

a safety net around the TBM’sflight envelope and incorporatesa sensor and angle-of-attack cal-culator, electronic stabilisationand protection systems, and un-der-speed protection.

The autopilot also has an emer-gency descent mode, which auto-matically causes the aircraft to de-scend to a safe altitude of 15,000ftin the event of cabin depressurisa-tion and a lack of pilot response.

Priced at $4.1 million, theTBM 930 will cost some

$300,000 more than the baselinemodel. The aircraft secured Euro-pean and US certification inMarch and the first unit is sched-uled for delivery to a currentTBM owner in early April.

Daher accepts that this latestmodel will cannibalise the marketfor the TBM 900, and its currentsales figures bear this out: of the35-strong TBM orderbook, the ma-jority are for the new variant.

“This is not a concern,” saysDaher’s director of TBM sales

promotion, Philippe de Segovia.“There are plenty of customerswho are happy with the TBM900 and who won’t want to paythe extra money for the latestaircraft.”

More than 50 units are expect-ed to delivered in 2016, saysDaher chief executive, DidierKayat: “The availability of these

LAUNCH KATE SARSFIELD TARBES

Daher expands family with TBM 930French manufacturer unveils second single-engined turboprop with touchscreen flightdeck and advanced safety features

“Yesterday we were

a single product

manufacturer.

Now we have an

aircraft family” NICOLAS CHABBERTSenior vice-president, airplane businessunit, Daher

Baseline TBM 900 will still be produced alongside the new model

D a h e r

two aircraft underscores [our]sustained ambition in businessaviation, and is a message to ourcustomers that we continue to in-vest to expand and further im-prove our TBM family.”

FEEDBACK

Customer feedback has guidedthe TBM’s evolution, adds Chab-

bert. The product line began in1991 with the first-generationTBM 700. Since then, five ver-sions have been brought to mar-ket – including the TBM 850 in2006 – and the series is now ap-proaching its 800th delivery.

“With enhanced resources pro-vided by the Daher Group fortechnical studies, design and pro-

duction, we’ve taken a new stepforward with the current TBMfamily, while also positioningourselves for future develop-ments,” Chabbert adds.

Daher declines to detail themake-up or quantity of the ex-tended TBM family, but it doessuggest that a stretch of the currentfuselage is a strong possibility.

“People are always looking foruser-friendly flying and morespace in the cabin,” says Daher’svice-president of engineering,Christophe Robin. “What isimportant with any new productis that we keep the TBM’ssignature 320kt [590km] maxi-mum cruise speed. This isunique in this segment.”■

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High-Quality Avionics Displays

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11/44

NEWS FOCUS


Second A320neoarrives as Lufthansaexpands network

AIR TRANSPORT P12

Alaska Airlines has been aproud operator of a single air-craft family – the Boeing 737 –since retiring its last MD-80 in2008, but that will change if share-holders and US regulators approvethe Seattle-based carrier’s planned$4 billion acquisition of VirginAmerica, announced on 4 April.

“We are acquiring a great fleetof young, fuel-efficient airplanes,”said Brandon Pedersen, chieffinancial officer of Alaska, duringan investor and media call. “We

are big believers in single fleets, infact so much so that we boughtanother single-fleet [airline].”

Virgin America, based inBurlingame, California, operates60 Airbus A320-family aircraft –10 A319s and 50 A320s –Flightglobal’s Fleets Analyzerdatabase shows, powered by CFMInternational CFM56 engines.

The carrier has orders for threeA320s and 30 A320neos, as wellas 10 Airbus A321neos to beleased from GECAS. The Neoswill have CFM Leap-1A engines.

Alaska is yet to decide whether

to retain the Airbus fleet, and willweigh its options, says Pedersen.“Virgin America leases the vastmajority of its fleet, so we cantransition to a single fleet – if weshould chose to do that – startingin 2020,” he says.

Alaska could also cancel VirginAmerica’s order for A320neos,which are due to arrive from 2020until 2022, says Pedersen.

“That order has a pretty favour-able cancellation provision, notsuggesting at all that we’re going

to do that, but it’s something wecould do if, in fact, we move in a

A i r T e a m I m a g e s

Seattle airline says the deal will enable it to begin flying highly-competitive transcontinental routes

CONSOLIDATION JON HEMMERDINGER & EDWARD RUSSELL WASHINGTON DC

Virgin upsets the balance at AlaskaPlanned acquisition will see Boeing stalwart gain first experience of Airbus narrowbodies, but may revert to single-type fleet

different direction,” he says.Alaska has a different approach

to Virgin America, with the vastmajority of its 737s owned.

It operates 151 examples of theBoeing narrowbody: 26 737-400s(including combis and freighters);13 -700s; 61 -800s; and 51-900/900ERs, Fleets Analyzershows. Only 20 – 13% – are leased.Alaska has orders with Boeing for26 737-900ERs and 37 Max 8/9s.

EVALUATION

“We like a single fleet, yes,” saysBen Minicucci, chief operatingofficer of Alaska. However, he isquick to say – echoing fellow ex-ecutives – that it is keen to learnabout the Airbus and will evalu-ate whether it wants to keep thefleet or transition back to a sin-gle type.

“The Airbus is a proven air-plane. We are going to learn fromit and go from there,” says Alaska

chief executive Brad Tilden.Alaska sees its planned acquisi-

tion as a means of gaining a sub-stantial foothold in California and

acquiring valuable gates and slotsat several of the nation’s most con-strained airports.

The deal will enable Alaska,whose network is largely con-strained to the Pacific Northwest,to expand eastward and beginflying highly-competitive trans-continental routes.

“They complement our geogra-phy very well,” says Tilden.

But while executives at Alaska

praise the deal, Virgin America’schief executive David Cush andVirgin founder Richard Bransonoffer more muted responses.

“I would be lying if I didn’tadmit sadness that our wonderfulairline is merging with another,”says Branson in a letter on theVirgin Group website, noting USgovernment regulations limit hisholding of shares with votingrights. “There was, sadly, nothingI could do to stop it.”

On the call with Alaska execu-

tives, Cush said that although heis “happy with the outcome”,management “didn’t really set outto sell the company”.

The deal, which requires share-holder and regulatory approval,would see Alaska purchase VirginAmerica for $57 per share, orabout $2.6 billion, in cash.

BIG BUCKS

Alaska will also shoulder about$1.4 billion of Virgin America’sdebt and aircraft leasing expenses, bringing the total cost of the dealto $4 billion, it says. The com-

bined company would be led byAlaska’s executive team and based in Seattle.

Tilden calls the merger the cul-mination of a “hard-fought com-petition” with New York-based JetBlue Airways.

Though the projected timelineis not firm, Alaska expects VirginAmerica’s shareholders toapprove the deal by June and USregulators to green-light the merg-er in the third or fourth quarter of2016. This would put the carriers

on track to move to a single oper-ating certificate by 2018.

Alaska, meanwhile, continuesto weigh up the BombardierCRJ900 and Embraer 175 for aplanned 30-aircraft order forwholly-owned regional subsidi-ary Horizon Air, which it an-nounced in January. The aircraftwill replace at least 20 of the carri-er’s 52 Q400 turboprops.

“We are going to go forwardwith our regional jet order,” saysMark Eliasen, treasurer of Alaska,

with an announcement expectedin the next few weeks.■

V i r g i n A m e r i c a

Californian carrier has centred operation on A320 single-aisle

“Virgin America

leases the vast

majority of its fleet,

so we can transition

to a single fleet”BRANDON PEDERSENChief financial officer, Alaska Airlines


12/44

AIR TRANSPORT


For up-to-the-minute air transport news,

network and fleet information sign up at:


Authorities in Estonia havegrounded regional operatorand air taxi firm Avies oversafety concerns.

The carrier has a small fleetwhich includes four BritishAerospace Jetstream turbopropsand a pair of Bombardier Learjet60 executive jets, Flightglobal’sFleets Analyzer database shows.

Estonia’s civil aviation admin-istration has suspended Avies’ airoperator’s certificate for six

months, or until it has rectifieddeficiencies. The regulator saysthe carrier has not been able tomeet requirements which wouldensure compliance with flight-safety standards.

Suspension of the operator,from 1 April, will give Avies thechance to restructure andaddress the problems, it adds.

Avies’ network from Tallinnincludes services to StockholmArlanda as well as the domesticisland destinations of Kuressaare

and Kärdla.The carrier’s reservations

engine shows that all serviceshave been cancelled.

Avies claims the decision was“unexpected” but the operatoradds: “The company will makeevery effort to resolve all short-comings identified by the civilaviation administration.”

It is aiming to preserve its ser-vices by enlisting another carrierto provide capacity to transportpassengers, and adds that it is

“confident” of a quick resolutionto the difficulties.

Avies has been the subject ofscrutiny by the European airsafety committee, following theresults of inspections and auditson the operator. The Estonianauthorities had previously toldthe committee that findings were being addressed by the airline.

Avies has been facing finan-cial pressure from creditors and,at the time of the grounding, wasimplementing a recovery plan

under which, it says, operationswere improving.■

REGULATION

DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROWLONDON

Estonia groundsAvies as safety

concerns mount

Egypt’s Nesma Airlines has

received its first aircraft forregional operations in SaudiArabia: a pair of ATR 72-600 turboprops leased from DAE Capital.

ATR confirms that the airline

has also signed an eight-year, com-

prehensive support contract withthe manufacturer. The dealincludes a spare-parts inventoryon lease at Nesma’s Jeddah base;access to parts pools; repair and

overhaul of propellers, engines,

landing gear and line-replaceableunits; and scheduled airframechecks managed by ATR.

The new aircraft will be usedon domestic routes in SaudiArabia, “where the airline isdeveloping regional connectivitywith the support of the nationalgovernment”, says ATR.

In January, the Saudi civil avia-tion authority said that Nesmawould be one of four airlines tooperate regional routes in 2016.

In Egypt, Nesma offers local

and international services fromCairo using three Airbus A320s.■

A T R

Egyptian operator has signed support contract with manufacturer

Nesma ATR 72s ready for Saudi launchOPERATIONSALEX DERBER LONDON

Lufthansa has taken delivery ofits second Airbus A320neoand is gradually expanding itsroute network for the re-enginednarrowbody.

The aircraft (D-AINB) washanded over on 31 March andwas deployed for its first com-mercial flight on a service toDüsseldorf from the airline’sFrankfurt base on 1 April, says

Lufthansa. Berlin will become anadditional destination for theA320neo, it adds.

In January, Lufthansa becamethe launch operator for the vari-ant, but flights with the firstA320neo were limited to services between Frankfurt, Hamburg andMunich – where maintenancedivision Lufthansa Technik hasfacilities – as a result of issuessurrounding extended warm-uprequirements for the aircraft’sPratt & Whitney PW1100G

geared turbofan engines.The aircraft has been deployed

with lower utilisation rates thanthe current-generation A320s inLufthansa’s fleet.

Lufthansa will take three moreNeo aircraft this year, from a total

group order for 116 units.Meanwhile, the German flag

carrier’s planned introduction ofthe A350 widebody from January2017 will further reduce the air-line’s first-class capacity while thenumber of economy seats will rise.

The twinjet will be configuredwithout first class in a layout com-prising 48 business, 21 premium

economy and 224 economy seats.But the aircraft it will replace – theA340-600 – is fitted with eightfirst-class, 56 business, 28 premi-um economy and 189 economyseats, the carrier’s website shows.

The airline plans to station 10

A350s at Munich, and has ordersfor 25 of the type.

Lufthansa says it will continueto operate A330s with first-classseats from its secondary hub.

It adds that the A350s will beoperated by the mainline carrierrather than a subsidiary. Regionalunit CityLine is already operatingA340-300s from Frankfurt with a

denser cabin layout – with nofirst- and fewer business-classseats – under the mainline brand.

Flightglobal’s Fleets Analyzerdatabase shows that Lufthansahas 20 A340-600s in service, built between 2003 and 2009.■

FLEETSMICHAEL GUBISCH LONDON

Second A320neo arrives asLufthansa expands network Narrowbody debuts on Frankfurt-Düsseldorf route, with Berlin selected as next destination

L u f t h a n s a

Flag carrier will receive three more of the re-engined type this year


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AIR TRANSPORT


Keflavik reviewstesting role AIR TRANSPORT P15

SkyTeam partner Air Francewill resume services to theIranian capital, Tehran, after aneight-year hiatus.

Air France is to operate thrice-weekly from Paris Charles deGaulle airport with Airbus A330sand A340s.

The service has been thesubject of controversy amongflight attendants, centred on theconservative dress requirementsfor women.

Cabin crew union UNAC has been protesting the adoption, aspart of the uniform, of head-scarves which are compulsory inIran – although the law does notapply on board.

Air France says that it hasreached an agreement with unionrepresentatives and will allowcabin crew assigned to theTehran route the option for rede-ployment to a different service ifthey object to the dress code.

The airline says this move will

guarantee “respect of thepersonal values”.

UNAC says that reserve crewwill also have the option ofavoiding the route, but will beput back on reserve status if theychoose not to work it.

Air France says its A330s willcarry eight cabin crew and itsA340s will have 10.■

UNIFORMDAVID KAMINSKI-MORROWLONDON

Air France findscompromise on

Iran dress code

Japanese carrier Ryukyu AirCommuter has shown off itsnewly delivered BombardierQ400 cargo-combi turboprops,having received the first two of aneventual five-strong fleet earlierthis year.

The aircraft are configuredwith 50 seats in a 2-2 layout, butcan also carry up to 2,540kg(5,600lb) of freight in a dedicatedcargo compartment located in the

aft fuselage.Ryukyu, part of Japan Airlines

Group, is the launch customer forthe variant. It showcased the turboprop pair at a ceremony atNaha airport in Okinawa.

“As we approach 20 years ofprofitable and efficient opera-tions, we are proud to grow ourfleet and be the first airline tolaunch service with the Q400cargo-combi aircraft,” saysTakashi Irei, president of Ryukyu.

The carrier has operated Series

100 variants of the Bombardierturboprop since 1997.■

B o m

b a r d i e r

Aft cargo compartment can accommodate up to 2,540kg of goods

Ryukyu has freight expectations from new Q400s

FLEETAARON CHONG SINGAPORE

Norwegian investigators haveunderscored the importanceof heightened vigilance during busy periods in poor weatherafter a near collision involving aWiderøe turboprop and a snow-plough at Bodo.

Operating flight WF890, theBombardier Dash 8-300(LN-WIB) had been cleared fromgate 19 to a holding position on

taxiway D. This meant crossingtaxiway W on which a train ofthree ploughs was progressingfrom east to west.

Investigation authority SHTsays the taxi clearance unusually“contained no information”about the snow-clearing opera-tion on 11 February 2015.

As the turboprop approached

taxiway W its captain becamesuddenly aware of the presenceof the plough on the right, and brought the aircraft to an“abrupt” halt with the brakes asthe plough passed in front.

The first officer had not seenthe plough because he wasengaged in checklist activity.

SHT says two of the ploughshad stopped “well clear” of the

aircraft. The driver of the thirdonly realised the aircraft waspresent as he passed it.

Investigators learned from thedriver the darkness made the air-craft difficult to see, adding itslights had blended into the back-lighting of the terminal behind.The plough’s side windows werealso covered in water droplets.

The inquiry looked into 10minof surveillance camera footage ofthe apron and noted 22 move-ments of vehicles, other than air-craft, which crossed the linefollowed by the Dash 8.

SHT says crews are responsi- ble for separation, with vehiclesgiving way to aircraft. Departurescan be “hectic”, it says,reinforcing the need for the per-

sonnel involved in ground ma-noeuvring to adopt a “see-and-be-seen” approach to avoid conflict.

Investigators believe the Bodoincident involved a “real risk” ofcollision, and increased attentionis a “necessity” during periods ofhigh activity, especially inconditions of darkness andreduced visibility.■

INQUIRYDAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON

Near-miss with snowplough

prompts Norway safety callInvestigators warn of the need for additional care during busy periods after incident at Bodo

W i d e r ø e

Pilot brought taxiing Widerøe turboprop to “abrupt” halt after late sighting of vehicles crossing path


14/44


15/44

AIR TRANSPORT


AIRCRAFT

INTERIORS 2016

SHOW REPORT P16

Czech manufacturer AircraftIndustries has signed a let-ter of intent to supply up to 20Let L-410UVP-E20 commuterturboprops to a Chinese custom-er in a deal worth $126 million.

It follows negotiations withChina Aviation Supplies(CASC), a government agencyresponsible for distributingimported civil aviation productsin the country.

Aircraft Industries says the

deal is “the first practical result”of its August 2015 agreementwith CASC subsidiary ChinaGeneral Aviation Suppliesrelating to sales support for theL-410 in the Chinese market,including help obtaining civilcertification for the twin turbo-prop in the country.

The airframer has now sub-mitted its formal application forairworthiness certification to theChinese authorities, it says.

Xinjiang General Aviation,

part of the Xinjiang production building complex, based in thenorthwest of the country, has been identified as the end cus-tomer for the GE AviationH80-200-powered aircraft.

Aircraft Industries hopes toconclude the contract for an ini-tial five aircraft this year, withdeliveries of the remainder torun until 2021.

In addition, the manufacturerand Xinjiang production build-ing complex have concluded an

agreement covering the estab-lishment of a parts and servicecentre, alongside a pilot andtechnician training facility, forthe L-410 in Shihezi.■

SALES

Let L-410 set forChinese marketwith 20-unit deal

Reykjavik Keflavik airport’soperator is reviewing proce-dures for certification testing inthe wake of the 2013 accident in-volving a Sukhoi Superjet 100.

The evaluation follows theinquiry’s concerns over theSuperjet’s flightpath as well asinvestigators’ conclusions thatthe test flights breached rulesover the use of the runway.

Keflavik is a favoured locationfor certification tests because itsperpendicular runway layoutand weather conditions enableaircraft to be subjected to fairlypredictable crosswinds.

Icelandic investigation author-ity RNF found the early-morning

touch-and-go operations per-formed by the Superjet on run-way 11 had not been permitted.

The country’s aeronauticalinformation publication contains

a night curfew, and “no approvalhad been granted” for an exemp-tion, says the inquiry.

Investigators also determinedthe departure procedures for run-

way 11 meant the single-engineapproach and go-around testswould take the aircraft over pop-ulated residential areas, at mini-mum clearance altitude, withonly one engine operating.

Keflavik operator Isavia hasformed an in-house task group tolook into the use of the airport forcertification, following the 21 July 2013 overrun accident.

RNF says the group will sug-gest procedures defining times atwhich such flights can be con-

ducted and measures to establishflight patterns and to direct air-craft away from populated areas.

Discussions will also examinethe airport’s emergency prepara-

tions and personnel training.Icelandic investigators also

found the flightcrew involved inthe incident had exceeded theirduty hours after their schedule

was revised five times.An original timetable called for

an 11h duty from 12:15, when thecrew arrived at the airport, untilthe end of a planned flight, theday’s fourth, at 23:15.

But RNF says the schedule suf-fered three postponements, total-ling 5h 30min, and several addi-tional delays.

It says the crew should nothave carried out the third andfourth flights, because theyshould have stopped in order to

comply with Russian federal reg-ulations for experimental flights.

The regulations put an 8h limiton test pilot activity includingpre-flight and the test duration.■

SAFETYDAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON

Keflavik reviews testing roleEvaluation follows 2013 overrun of Sukhoi Superjet which breached rules over runway use

C u

l t u r a / R E X / S h u t t e r s t o c k

Icelandic airport is popular location for certification trials due to presence of predictable crosswinds

IN ASSOCIATION WITH

Keep track of the latest developments in

in-flight connectivity

www.flightglobal.com/connectivity


16/44

SHOWREPORT


For all the news from the

Aircraft Interiors Expo, go to

flightglobal.com/aix

AIRCRAFT INTERIORS 2016

Airlines have long sought to outdoeach other at the front of the cabin,but as a tour of last week’s Aircraft

Interiors Expo revealed, muchindustry attention has turned right ina bid to boost comfort and profit ineconomy class. Meanwhile, thebattle to master in-flight connectivityshows no sign of abating. Reportfrom Hamburg by Michael Gubisch,Murdo Morrison, Elizabeth Moscrop,Kerry Reals and Dan Thisdell

B i l l y P i x

Boeing led a field of innova-tors driving new ideas into

economy-class seating with itsAircraft Interiors Expo unveilingof a model designed to comple-ment its Sky Interior on 737NGand Max narrowbodies.

The Lift seat, created in part-nership with California’s EnCore

and set for delivery as factory-fitor retrofit from mid-2017, is being billed as a new industry standardfor comfort and reliability.

Separately, a UK start-up bringing Formula 1-style technol-ogy to economy class won a sig-nificant launch order from AirA-sia to fit 312 of its in-service andon-order Airbus A320s andA320neos with the seat – a com-mitment for some 70,000 units.

That deal reprises F1 paddocklinks between Mirus Aircraft

Seating founders Phil Hall andBen McGuire and AirAsia bossTony Fernandes. Hall’s compos-ites engineering CV features ex-perience at Reynard, Sauber andToyota F1, while McGuireworked at Lotus and Caterham –Fernandes’s vehicles for a half-decade interest in the sport.

Mirus boasts a 60,000-seat-ca-pacity factory in Norfolk – thetraditional home of Lotus –which Hall and McGuire de-scribe as a “high-efficiency auto-

motive-style” operation capableof turning out a fully assembled

seat triple every 15min.With a fully composite frame,

ultra-slim backrest and low partcount, Mirus’s Hawk model claims

to slash 40% from the weight ofconventional seats – while featur-ing amenities including 10in(25cm) recline, literature pocketand optional USB power point.

Fernandes says: “My F1 expe-

rience wasn’t very successful, butthis is something positive thathas come out of it.”

He adds that Hawk’s low

weight was attractive, as was itslow maintenance: “We’ve alwayshad a problem with our seats atAirAsia and I always like work-ing with new companies. I’veworked with a lot over 15 years.”

AirAsia has 80 A320s in ser-vice and a substantial order forthe Neo variant which will have anear-maximum 186 seats each.

Boeing’s Lift connection withEnCore began at last year’s AIX,when the seat maker showed aprototype. Boeing seat integration

team senior manager Gary Sene-chal says: “We saw it last year,

met with EnCore and spent a lotof time optimising it for the 737.”

But several other seating play-ers were touting new economy-class concepts at AIX. Air NewZealand is making its Skycoucheconomy sleeper seats availableunder a licence agreement for Air- bus A350 and A330 operators,

and is also co-operating with UK- based SWS Certification Servicesto expand the seat’s existing sup-plemental type certificate for Boe-ing 777s and 787s to cover the Eu-ropean widebodies.

STRETCHING OUT

Italian seating firm Gevenshowed a prototype of its Sofa, arow of four seats that converts toa bed; the headrests clip off theseat backs and onto the front ofthe cushions to form a couch big

enough for two adults or, if onlytwo or three are converted, forchildren. Line-fit-ready versionswill be delivered to Airbus in Oc-tober, for launch customer SouthAfrican Airways.

Another Italian specialist, AvioInteriors, is looking to break intothe growing market for premium,economy seats – with a low-priceoption that the company hopeswill attract airlines who have yetto commit to the new cabin class.While most premium economy

seats sell for $12,000 to $24,000,Avio’s C4 will cost $5,000.■

PASSENGER COMFORT

Start-ups move to shake-up seating Economy-class cabin the focus for innovation as entrants with designs on the market secure breakthrough business deals

Fernandes used Formula 1 links to forge relationship with Mirus

B i l l y P i x

“We’ve always had a

problem with our

seats at AirAsia and I

always like working

with new companies”TONY FERNANDESChief executive, AirAsia


17/44


In-flight entertainment and con-nectivity has become a lightning

rod for competing claims overwhat type of system and methodof delivery is best, a fact that wasclearly apparent at this year’s Air-craft Interiors event.

Disagreements over satellitecapacity, the familiar embedded-versus-portable IFE debate, andthe Ku- or Ka-band question wereall in abundance, with claimsand counter-claims bandiedabout throughout the show.

Satellite company ViaSatkicked things off with a confidentassertion that its latest super-high-capacity satellite, ViaSat-3,will blow seatback IFE out of thewater when it is launched intoorbit in mid-2019.

Don Buchman, vice-presidentand general manager of ViaSat’scommercial mobility business, believes the significant amountsof capacity offered by ViaSat-3,combined with growing passen-ger demand to stream content oftheir choosing to their own de-vices, will eventually sound thedeath knell for embedded IFEsystems.

“ViaSat-3 is really going tousher in the age of no seatback,”says Buchman.

He is keen to point out that thesatellites used by competitor In-marsat for its soon-to-launchGlobal Xpress (GX) Ka-band con-nectivity service offer significant-ly less capacity. However, Inmar-sat refuses to be drawn into anumbers comparison game. In-marsat Aviation president LeoMondale tells Flight Internation-al the capacity figures given byViaSat are “theoretical”, adding:“I’m not going to compare myapple with their orange.”

As Inmarsat prepares for GXservice entry, which Mondale

says is “weeks off, not quarters”,the company is confident it haslaid the groundwork to ensure itcan meet escalating passenger de-mand for the next five years and beyond.

“I’m the first to admit existing

solutions have not met expecta-tions. Passengers feel they’re being asked to pay too much forsomething that doesn’t work con-sistently,” says Mondale.

This will change as the GX ser-vice starts to be rolled out, ac-cording to Inmarsat: “[It] will pro-vide the international bandwidthcapacity needed to meet existingand near-term demand from air-lines.”

As ViaSat and Inmarsat fightover their competing Ka-band of-ferings, Gogo continues to pro-mote its latest dual-antenna Ku-

band system, 2Ku. The company brought its newly-outfitted Boe-

ing 737-500 to Hamburg for thefirst time to give prospective cus-tomers a chance to sample 2Ku at30,000ft.

Equally ViaSat’s seatback IFEpredictions will fall on deaf earsat embedded system providers,which continue to rack up airlineorders. Panasonic Avionicssigned follow-on deals with Sin-gapore Airlines and Saudia dur-

ing the show – the former to pro-vide custom-tailored IFECsolutions across SIA’s 787-10 andAirbus A350-900 fleets and thelatter to install its eXO overheadIFE system on 30 on-order A320s.

Meanwhile, Lumexis reports a“very favourable response” to thelatest generation of its fibre op-tics-based IFE system, FTTS Gen-4. Lumexis vice-president ofsales Jon Norris describes thenewest version of FTTS as a “su-per-responsive system”.

The company last year celebrat-ed Boeing’s decision to make

FTTS line-fit offerable on 737NGand 737 Max aircraft. It is nowworking hard to achieve the samestatus on Boeing widebodies andAirbus models.

Wireless IFE also featured heav-ily at AIX, with Global Eagle Enter-tainment (GEE) launching a newproduct targeted at airlines thathave not yet installed connectivity but are seeking a low-cost, hassle-

free entertainment solution.Entice is designed for use on

passengers’ own devices and boasts 10,000h of movie and TVcontent, a personalised user in-terface and a monthly singlecharge that does not require anyinvestment in hardware. Theproduct is aimed at low-cost car-riers and the regional arms offlagship airlines, which are hesi-tant to install costly embeddedIFE systems and connectivity,says GEE senior vice-president

digital media solutions AlexisSteinman.■

DARPA assembles

Gremlins partners

DEFENCE P18

AIX 2016SHOW REPORT

“I’m confident our GX

service will meet

growing passenger

demand for the next

five years and more”LEO MONDALEPresident, Inmarsat Aviation

CONNECTIVITY

In-flight internetrivals spar overspeed, serviceMain players debate satellite capacity and performanceclaims but remain confident of meeting passenger demand

Gogo brought its own 737-500 to Hamburg so prospective customers could try 2Ku at 30,000ft

G o g

o

B i l l y P i x

Buchman: “ViaSat-3 will usher in the age of no seatback”


18/44

DEFENCE


For more coverage of the burgeoning

unmanned air system sector log on to

flightglobal.com/UAV

The US Army has begun itssearch for a new Block III en-

gine for its enhanced Textron Un-manned Systems RQ-7B Shadowunmanned air vehicle.

The second iteration of theShadow was fielded in 2015 asthe RQ-7Bv2, and is weigheddown by new mission equip-ment. The existing piston power-plant, built by UK firm UAV En-gines, cannot keep up, as it was

designed for a gross take-offweight of 127kg (280lb), but thishas since grown to nearer 210kg.

In a request for information inMarch, the army said it has a newrequirement for a more powerfulengine with an average failurerate above once every 1,000h.

“This propulsion system shallprovide RQ-7Bv2 with a morereliable and lower life-cycle costsystem,” the notice states.

The army will trial two com-peting engines before starting

procurement in “late 2017”, andplans to field 120 engines.■

BAE Systems’ laser-guidedAdvanced Precision Kill

Weapon System (APKWS) rockethas been deployed on the BoeingAV-8B Harrier, seven months afterit was requested by the leadershipof the US Marine Corps.

The semi-active-laser-seeking70mm (2.75in) rocket, enabled byBAE’s mid-body guidance andcontrol section, is already integrat-ed on US Navy, Marine Corps and

Army attack helicopters, but willsoon become standard on thefixed-wing AV-8B.

US Naval Air SystemsCommand (NAVAIR) is deliver-ing 80 units initially to MarineAttack Squadron-223 (VMA-223), which is deployed to an un-disclosed location, likely some-where in the Middle East.

NAVAIR declines to say if theVMA-223 Harriers were current-ly engaged in combat against theIslamic State terrorist organisa-

tion in Iraq and Syria, but thequick delivery supports “combat

D e f e n s e A d v a n c e d R e s e a r c h P r o j e c t s A g e n c y

C-130 is a candidate for both launch and recovery of the Gremlins

U S N a v y

Test flights took place prior to the weapon’s fielding on the AV-8B

ARMAMENTS JAMES DREW WASHINGTON DC

US Marine Corps deploys its Harriers

with BAE laser-guided rocket system

F our teams have been selectedfor the US Defense AdvancedResearch Projects Agency’s(DARPA) Gremlins project,which aims to launch volleys ofsmall, low-cost unmanned airvehicles from manned aircraft,and recover them via a LockheedMartin C-130 transport.

Networked for co-ordinatedassaults on well-defended targets,these Gremlins would conduct avariety of missions like electronicattack or target geolocation, as

stand-ins for conventional mannedfighters or expensive UAVs.

DARPA has awarded phase 1contracts to CompositeEngineering, Dynetics, GeneralAtomics Aeronautical Systems,and Lockheed Martin.

The proposals submitted by

these “cover a spectrum of techni-cal approaches”, the agency says.The awards begin the first of threephases, which could culminate ina proof-of-concept demonstrationof an air-launched, air-recovered,“volley-quantity” UAV.

RESEARCH JAMES DREW WASHINGTON DC

DARPA assembles Gremlins partnersInitial $15m funding shared by four firms as agency looks to develop air-launched and recovered unmanned air vehicles

PROPULSION

More powerfulengine sought

for Shadow v2

“We’ve assembled a motivated

group of researchers and develop-ers that we believe could make sig-nificant progress toward Gremlins’vision of delivering distributed air- borne capabilities,” says DARPAprogramme manager Dan Patt.

According to a September

broad agency announcement, can-didate launch platforms includethe Boeing B-52 and B-1 bombers,or the C-130 turboprop that isassigned to in-flight recovery.

Each Gremlin must fly out 300-500nm (555-926km) at high sub-sonic speeds after launch andloiter for 1-3h before turning backto the C-130 for recovery, it notes.The flyaway cost per Gremlinshould not exceed $700,000, andthey should be designed for atleast 20 uses.

DARPA has not announced thecost or timeline for Gremlins, but$15 million is allocated for this fis-cal year and $31 million requestedfor 2017. Preliminary design re-views are expected in 2017, agen-cy documents state.■

operations”. The first fixed-wingvariants were delivered to theatrein April.

“The intent of this requirementwas to quickly provide the AV-8Bwith a low-cost, low-collateraldamage, high-precision weaponin support of combat operations,”says Capt Al Mousseau, whoheads NAVAIR’s munitionsacquisition office.

NAVAIR confirms that a seriesof qualification flights took place

to guarantee the rocket’s compat-ibility with the AV-8B platform. Itwas first trialled on the Harrierduring a demonstration pro-gramme in 2013, BAE says, alongwith the US Air Force FairchildRepublic A-10 and LockheedMartin F-16.

The second phase, after meet-ing the immediate operationalneed, is to make APKWS a stand-

ard weapon choice on all AV-8Bs,NAVAIR says.■


19/44

DEFENCE


Bulgaria looks west for newfightersDEFENCE P20

The Lockheed Martin F-35Lightning II will soon count

Raytheon’s AGM-154 JointStandoff Weapon (JSOW) amongits list of internally-carried muni-tions after “cleanly” releasing the475kg (1,050lb) inert glide bombin a trial off the Maryland coast.

The drop test on 23 Marchfrom a NAS Patuxent River-basedCF-05 test aircraft is the first ofmany in 2016 to qualify the bomb

for use by the stealthy type.Until now, the F-35 has only

released satellite-guided Mk80-series bombs with Boeing JointDirect Attack Munition (JDAM)tail kits from its internal weapons bay. A “standoff” glide bomballows the aircraft to hit threaten-ing targets, like anti-aircraft mis-siles, from safer distances.

“The addition of this guidedglide bomb equips the F-35Lightning II with a medium-range, all-weather weapon capa-

ble of engaging targets from fur-ther vantage points well out ofrange of typical enemy anti-aircraft and counter-air defenc-es,” the US Navy says.

JSOW will be standard in theF-35 Block 3F configuration, andmust be qualified for use by thenavy’s first combat-coded F-35Csquadron when it declares initialoperational capability in 2018.

The US Air Force has alsoannounced plans for two opera-tional F-35A squadrons to be

based in the far northwest of thecountry, near where LockheedF-22s intercept long-rangeRussian Tupolev Tu-95 bombers.

Eielson AFB, an hour’s flightnorth of the F-22As stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardsonin mid-Alaska, will eventuallyhouse two Lightning II squadronscomprised of 24 F-35s each, plussix back-up aircraft.

Basing preparations will beginat the turn of the US fiscal year inOctober, and aircraft should

arrive from late 2019 through2020.■

Anew fatigue monitoring algo-rithm has been introduced toAustralia’s Boeing F/A-18A/BHornet fleet that will allow forgreater operational flexibility.

The algorithm – MSMP3 – wascreated by Australia’s DefenceScience Technology Office(DSTO) and replaces one that, itsays, “over-predicted the damagedue to small load cycles, resultingin unnecessary conservatism”.

The new algorithm has beenapplied to Canberra’s fleet of

Hornets with the strain records ofeach aircraft adjusted fromSeptember 2015.

“As a direct result of theupgrade of the Hornet monitoringprogram, the reprocessing of theentire fleet’s usage history

indicates that fatigue is no longerthe main driver to the planned

withdrawal date,” says DSTOresearch leader Loris Molent.

The DSTO adds that the modi-fied monitoring will give theRoyal Australian Air Force moreflexibility amid “the increasedtempo of current operations”.

The RAAF operates 71 F/A-18A/B Hornets, which were

acquired in the 1980s. Though thetype has received significantupgrades over the years, it is dueto be retired by 2022 in favour ofthe Lockheed Martin F-35A, ofwhich Australia has committed to buy 72 examples.■

C o m m o n w e a l t h o f A u s t r a l i a

Canberra’s A/B-model fighter fleet is due to be retired by 2022

Bell Boeing engineers can startdesigning the US Navy’s

future Osprey variant, theCMV-22B, after a $151 millioncontract awarded to the V-22tiltrotor manufacturer this week.

Based on the US Marine Corps’MV-22B Osprey, the navy’s tiltro-tor will come equipped with extrafuel bladders to extend its rangefrom 860nm (1,590km) to approx-imately 1,150nm, and will even-

tually replace the Northrop Grum-man C-2 Greyhound in the carrieronboard delivery role.

The additional fuel capacity isthe biggest engineering challenge, but the service also requires a beyond-line-of-sight radio and apublic address system so crewscan communicate en route to theaircraft carrier’s deck, or betweenother ships in the battle group.

On 31 March, US Naval AirSystems Command (NAVAIR)announced the $151 million con-

tract with Bell Helicopter andBoeing’s joint V-22 programme

office in Amarillo, Texas, whichcovers “non-recurring engineeringservices associated with the devel-opment of the capability for thenavy variant of the V-22”.NAVAIR confirmed that it coversthe design changes for all threemodifications, including theextended-range fuel system.

More than 70% of the work will

be done in Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, where Boeing fabri-

cates composite V-22 airframes.Another 20% will be completed atBell’s facility in Fort Worth, Texas.

Just $15 million had been obli-gated at the time of the award, andwork is expected to continue untilSeptember 2020. By that time, thefirst of 44 CMV-22B aircraft –which will be ordered in 2018 –will begin delivering from Bell’s

final assembly and checkout facil-ity in Amarillo.■

UPGRADE GREG WALDRON SINGAPORE

Software update helps RAAF Hornetsto fight fatigue as operations increase

DEVELOPMENT JAMES DREW WASHINGTON DC

Work starts on new OspreyContract from US Navy allows Bell Boeing engineers to begin designing CMV-22B variant

U S N a v y

Service will use the tiltrotor for carrier onboard delivery mission

ARMAMENTS

JAMES DREW WASHINGTON DC

‘Clean’ releasekicks off JSOW

F-35 test effort


20/44

DEFENCE


To get more defence sector coverage,

subscribe to our fortnightly newsletter:

flightglobal.com/defencenewsletter

Areport by the US GovernmentAccountability Office (GAO)

has revealed the Sikorsky CH-53KKing Stallion’s entry into low-rateproduction has again beendelayed, this time by eight monthsto February 2017.

Attributed to gearbox failuresand late delivery of parts, the new

delay is the latest in a series of setbacks for the programme.

The heavy-lift helicopter onlyachieved first flight in October2015, three years later thanplanned and five years after com-

pleting its critical design review.In January, the second test arti-

cle began flying at Sikorsky’s WestPalm Beach, Florida site. TheGAO notes it contains the im-proved gearbox first trialled on aground-test vehicle.

“The unexpected redesigns ofthe aircraft’s various gearboxes, as

well as the late delivery of somecomponents, have delayed deliv-ery of the remaining two engineer-ing design model test aircraft,” theGAO says in its 31 March report.

“This has created delays at the

production facility where partsare received from vendors, whichis expected to impact the flight-test schedule.”

The 33.5t maximum take-offweight helicopter will replace theUS Marine Corps’ CH-53Es – in-troduced in the 1980s with an an-ticipated service life of 41 years.

The cost of developing the newrotorcraft has grown by 44% from$4.7 billion to $6.8 billion since2005, and the procurementestimate for 200 aircraft stands at$19 billion.

The date for completion ofoperational testing has shiftednine months since the GAO’s2015 report, from September 2018to June 2019. Despite this, the ma-rines expect to have a first combat-ready squadron by July 2019.

Sikorsky says that the flight-testprogramme will log some 100h in

2016, with additional aircraft join-ing the certification fleet.

The CH-53K recently demon-strated its advertised speed of140kt (260km/h) with 15°angle-of-bank turns.■

Gearbox issues to blame for latest CH-53K delay PROGRAMME JAMES DREW WASHINGTON DC

Bulgaria’s government on 30March gave the long-delayedgo-ahead to a fighter procurementeffort which will eventually see16 aircraft acquired to replace itsair force’s fleet of ageing Russian- built types.

Sofia intends to buy anaffordable Western multi-roledesign to replace its current 15Mikoyan MiG-29s and 12 SukhoiSu-25s. This will see a NATO-compatible fighter procured intwo stages.

The first phase covers eight air-craft, tentatively scheduled fordelivery between 2018 and 2020,and is expected to cost €511 mil-lion ($580 million). The secondstep will see eight more fightersacquired between 2020 and 2023.

However, before a tender can be launched, the procurementprogramme has to gain parlia-mentary approval. This is expect-ed by the end of May.

Defence minister Nikolay

Nenchev has voiced his ambitionto have a contract in place by theend of 2016. But while the Bul-garian defence budget for 2016contains a small amount of fund-ing earmarked for advance pay-ments, a more realistic estimate isthat the deal will not be conclud-ed until 2017.

The Bulgarian military hasreviewed information and prices

on several options for both newand second-hand aircraft.

These include ex-US Air ForceLockheed Martin F-16s, to be up-graded by OGMA in Portugal, to-gether with training from the Por-tuguese air force.

A second option is a directpurchase of surplus F-16s fromPortugal, which have received amid-life upgrade, together with

training and a logistics and weap-ons package from the USA.

Italy, meanwhile, has offeredEurofighter Typhoons previouslyoperated by its air force.

So far, the only new-build air-craft proposed is the Saab Gripen,with both the manufacturer andthe Swedish government promot-ing the type heavily in Bulgariasince 2008.■

REQUIREMENT ALEXANDER MLADENOV & KRASSIMIR GROZEV SOFIA

Bulgaria looks west for new fightersSofia government approves procurement programme to acquire 16 combat aircraft to replace current Russian-built fleet

A l e x a n d e r M l a d e n o v

Sofia’s fleet of

ageing MiG-29s

will be retired

Downlo ad t he 2016Wor ld A i r Forces Repor t

www.f l ightg lobal .com/waf

IN ASSOCIATION WITH


21/44

BUSINESS AVIATION


Flying with

turbulence

SPECIAL REPORT P25

US air taxi company JetSuite is

adding 10 refurbishedEmbraer ERJ-135LR regional air-liners to its fleet of 20 entry-leveland light business jets to expandits branded, low-cost, point-to-point service across the USA.

The first aircraft was handed tothe operator, based in Irvine,California, on 30 March. The sec-ond is due in late April, and theremainder will be delivered overthe next 14 months. Each will geta $1 million internal and externalrefurbishment, including a be-

spoke 30-passenger layout.As well as being available for

charter, the aircraft will be de-

ployed on its new JetSuiteXscheduled service, set to launchon 19 April. The first route will be

a weekday service linking

Concord Buchanan Field near SanFrancisco with Burbank BobHope airport near Los Angeles.

JetSuite says the service, which

only uses business aviation air-ports and terminals, is designed“to provide many of the comfortsassociated with private jet travelfor the price of an airline seat”.

“Customers have been askingus to provide the JetSuite experi-ence in an aircraft with more seatsand longer range,” says chief ex-ecutive Alex Wilcox. The eco-nomics of the ERJ-135LR, he says,“means that the [whole] aircraftcan be chartered for only $8,000per hour, which equates to less

than $300 per seat, per hour for 30passengers”.■

J e t S

u i t e

The 10 regional airliners will each receive a $1m refurbishment

JetSuite gets to the point with refurbished ERJ-135sAIR TAXI KATE SARSFIELD LONDON

An undisclosed customer hassigned a firm order for 20Challenger 350 midsize businessjets in a deal worth $534 million atlist prices, Bombardier says.

The deal is a timely boost asBombardier rebuilds a business jet backlog depleted by order cancel-lations last year. It shows the re-engined and updated Challenger350 is winning new commitmentsdespite an influx of competitors,such as the Embraer Legacy 500

and the forthcoming Cessna Cita-tion Longitude.

Bombardier is counting on theChallenger 350 to help it bounce back. In 2015, cancellationsexceeded new orders by 24 air-craft in the business jet division,including a write-off of 74 ordersin the backlog for the terminatedLearjet 85 programme. Bombar-dier halted marketing for the Lear-jet 60 and Challenger 850 and an-nounced a reduction of output forthe Global 5000 and 6000 jets.

The company’s firm order back-log for business jets stood at$17.2 billion at the end of lastyear. Flightglobal’s Fleets Analyz-er database records an in-servicefleet of 115 Challenger 350s andmore than 450 Challenger 300s.■

Italian airframer Tecnam hasrolled out the first P2012Traveller and is preparing the pis-ton-twin for a June maiden sortie.

“The aircraft’s LycomingTEO-540-C1A engines were pow-ered up [on 1 April], for a success-ful and smooth taxi onto the rampin Capua,” Tecnam says.

The 11-seat aircraft was

launched five years ago and sits atthe top of the manufacturer’s20-strong light-single family.

Set for US and European certifi-cation in December 2018, theP2012’s flight-test programme willinvolve two aircraft and around

300h of flight testing, says Tecnammanaging director Paolo Pascale.

The 2012 is being co-developedwith US commuter airline CapeAir. The carrier has signed a letterof intent (LoI) for 100 aircraft toreplace its 80-strong fleet ofCessna 402Cs and four BrittenNorman BN-2 Islanders. It ishoped the tentative deal, bound

by a non-disclosure agreement,will begin to be firmed up whenflight testing begins.

“Cape Air is committed toworking with Tecnam to meet thecurrent development of theP2012,” says Jim Goddard, senior

vice-president for fleet planningfor the operator, based inHyannisport, Massachusetts.

“The P2012 remains on track tomeet the future needs of Cape Airand our demanding operating pro-file,” he says.

Although the base price has yetto be released, Tecnam has dis-closed provisional performance

data. Fuelled by Avgas and Mogas,the P2012 is projected to have amaximum take-off weight of3,290kg (7,250lb), maximumcruise speed of 210kt (390km/h) at8,000ft and a long-range cruisespeed of 170kt.■

DEVELOPMENTKATE SARSFIELD LONDON

Traveller keeps moving as

Tecnam prepares for flightItalian manufacturer is aiming to secure US and European certification in December 2018

T e c n a m

Maiden sortie for new piston-twin is scheduled for JuneCONTRACT

STEPHEN TRIMBLEWASHINGTON DC

Challenger dealis a timely boost

for Bombardier


22/44

boeing.com/787


23/44

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24/44www.fl ightglobalevents.com/FSS16

FLIGHT SAFETYSYMPOSIUM 2016London Heathrow, 13th – 14th September 2016

In association with:

THREE CONFERENCES IN ONE: THE DEFINITIVE SAFETY EVENT

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25/44


GENERAL AVIATIONSPECIAL REPORT

When Europe’s general aviation community gathers inGermany later this month for its annual meeting and

exhibition at Aero Friedrichshafen, there will be as muchtalk about the business climate and regulations as about

new aircraft and technology. But while the number ofpilots and demand for new aeroplanes continues a longslide, proponents remain cautiously optimistic that theindustry can return to growth with the help of a raft of

new designs aimed at reducing the cost of flying

FLYING WITHTURBULENCE

CONTENTS26 Heavy weight Hard times for GA

29 Turbine singles SETs up at EASA

32 Battery drain Electrics struggle

The future, Aero

Friedrichshafen-style:

JMB Aircraft’s VL3

Evolution at the

2015 show

A e r o

F r i e

d r i c h s h a f e n


26/44


GENERAL AVIATIONSPECIAL REPORT

C4 promises to make flying affordable, if manufacturer Flight Design can just stay in business

F l i g h t D e s i g n

MONEY WEIGHS

HEAVY ON SMALLEURO-FLYERSWhen Europe’s general aviation community makes

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