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Aviation History
1971
1971 - 0780.PDF
In typical surroundings on a North Sea drilling rig, an S-6IN of KLM Noordzee Helikopters THE NETHERLANDS' AVIATION INDUSTRY reports that on the basis of the first three months' opera tions the figure may easily be exceeded. The share capital of Martinair, Hfl.47-5 million (£5-5 million), is entirely Dutch-owned; a 25 per cent share is held by KLM, and the remainder by shipping and banking interests, among whom is Holland-America Line. The com pany has not disclosed its record of profitability, but the US Civil Aeronautics Board file states that in 1969 the airline made a profit of $1-39 million (£580,000) and that total assets in that year amounted to $34,265,000 (£14-3 million). Maintenance of Martinair's DC-8s, and major overhaul of its DC-9s, is contracted to KLM. But the relationship with the national airline goes deeper: all Martinair flight crews are KLM-trained, and aircraft are to similar specifi cation, with the result that both crews and equipment can be interchanged between the two airlines. The F.28 major overhaul is contracted out to Aviolanda, which is the manufacturer's service centre for the type. There is a close relationship between Martinair and Fokker-VFW, whose headquarters are on the opposite side of Schiphol Airport. Under an interchange arrangement Martinair's F.28 went on loan to Nigeria Airways earlier this year, and was subsequently sold to them; and when Flight visited Martinair last month the airline's name was temporarily painted over Turavia livery on a new F.28 engaged in demonstration work. Thus Martinair co-operates with Fokker, supplies capacity and assists in demonstrating the F.28, and regularly lends cabin crews to the manufacturer. Fleet utilisation is running at 2,500hr a year for the DC-8s; the DC-9s have been improving from 2,500hr and a figure of 3,000hr is anticipated. The Convair 640 pro duction has been decreasing, and both aircraft are up for sale. Like all airlines Martinair is suffering from cost infla tion, particularly in the areas of fuel costs and airport charges. Strict cost control is being applied in order to contain the situation and remain profitable, but the com pany feels that an increase in charter rates is unavoidable. (Inclusive tours incidentally are subject to minimum price control in the Netherlands, the control being related to the equivalent lata fares.) Staff employed by Martinair number FLIGHT International, 13 May 1971 687 450, with the addition of about 150 temporary employees in the summer season; the company aims to achieve planned production increases without any corresponding staff increase. In the course of future planning Martinair has been looking at the possibilities of wide-body equipment, but no decision has yet been announced. Looking at the com pany's operational pattern, however, and at its close links with KLM, one is tempted to conclude that acquisition of at least one DC-10 is a strong possibility. The convertible freighter version of the -30 would be a logical choice. Obviously it would be very advantageous—perhaps even essential—to allow for complete interchangeability with KLM. And the possibility of association with the KSSU group of airlines is something that cannot be ruled out. TRANSAVIA HOLLAND Transavia Holland is an independent airline which was formed in July, 1966 under the name Transavia (Limburg). The present name was adopted in September of that year, and operations began the following November. Transavia is a non-scheduled airline, its main business lying in inclusive-tour charters. A total of 300,000 passengers were carried last year, compared with 180,000 in 1969 and 41,000 in 1967, the first full year of operation. The major West German tour operator Neckermann began operations in the Netherlands recently, and has placed its local IT business this year with Transavia. The airline also operates ad hoc charters and freight charters, and holds a CAB foreign-carrier permit. Freight totalled 600 tonnes in 1970 and 200 tonnes the previous year. Long-haul operations are conducted with a Boeing 707-320C which has been on lease from Airlift Inter national since April last year. The lease expires in October, but the airline is due to take delivery of its own -320C this month, acquired from Braniff. The remainder of the fleet is composed of three Cara- velle Ills and four Caravelle 6Bs. An eighth Caravelle is to be added shortly. Two DC-6s and a DC-6B formerly operated by Transavia have been sold to Aid by Air, leaving the company with an all-jet fleet. American interests are present among the company's shareholders, but the controlling interest is in Dutch hands. Transavia is about to move into its own office block in the Schiphol central area. SCHREINER One finds the name of Schreiner as far afield as the Iranian oil fields, or Indonesia, or Nigeria. Subsidiary com panies of the Schreiner group, which is based in the Hague, operate helicopters in support of oil-drilling opera tions—for example in Iran and off shore in the Java Sea; and there is a transport company in Indonesia and another in Nigeria. Aerial work and light transport are the specialities abroad. Nearer home, the Schreiner companies include the National Flying School (NLS), with a branch at Rotterdam and another at Hilversum, some 15 miles east of Amster dam. One department trains to the standard of the private pilot's licence, and the other caters for the professional pilot's licences, including theoretical instruction up to ALTP standard. The school started life at Rotterdam in 1927, and professional pilot-training began in 1968. The fleet at present includes 23 aeroplanes and one helicopter. Schreiner Air Transport, based in the Hague, operates various aircraft, including helicopters, in the Netherlands, and supervises the flight operations of the group abroad. The company has eight Alouette lis (two of them the Astazou-powered version), nine Alouette Ills, seven Piper Aztecs and seven Navajos. In conjunction with British European Airways, Schreiner
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