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Aviation History
1972
1972 - 0680.PDF
FLIGHT International, 30 March 1972 438 AIR TRANSPORT... revealed little demand for very-short-take-off and -landing aircraft. The type now postulated will still be able to operate from small airports, closer to urban centres. The type of powerplant (almost certainly four of them) has yet to be decided. The joint Boeing/Aeritalia committee has now requested a working group to prepare phase two of the project, which will lead to a final design. The preparations should be ready within the next three months. The working group consists of 60 members from Aeritalia and 250 from Boeing. Meanwhile it has been announced from Renton that it should be possible to start offering the new aircraft on international markets by 1974, ready for first deliveries in 1978-79. CAB CLAMP-DOWN THE US Civil Aeronautics Board last week took action against two British charter airlines, Donaldson Inter national and Laker Airways, in the context of alleged irregularities in affinity-charter operations. The CAB said it had substantial evidence that they had been flying passengers who did not qualify for membership of the affinity groups being flown. It added however that the question of whether the two carriers had violated the regulations knowingly had yet to be decided. The action taken by the board—which it described as "unprecedented"—involves a requirement that each air line must have every affinity-charter flight to the USA after May 1 approved in advance. In order to consider flights for approval, the board will require details to be filed at least 25 days in advance of the departure date. Inclusive-tour charters are exempted. The CAB said that several of its employees had recently flown on charters with the two airlines after answering newspaper advertisements; they had been able to board the flights even though they did not meet affinity require ments. CF6 EXPERIENCE ACCUMULATES THE General Electric CF6-6 had accumulated 38,000hr of service with three airlines operating 19 McDonnell Douglas DC-10-10s by the end of February. The aircraft are being operated by American, United and National. The DC-10 entered service in August 1971. Currently the CF6-6 engine-caused in-flight shutdown rate is 0-05 per 1,000 engine hours, while the engine-caused unscheduled- removal rate is 0-21 per 1,000 engine hours. The aircraft are averaging 7-5hr utilisation each day. USA-USSR AGREEMENT THE USA and the USSR have exchanged notes amending the 1966 air service agreement between the two countries, it was announced in Washington on March 20. Each side granted fifth-freedom rights to the other for flights be tween New York and Moscow via Europe. Pan American will be allowed to pick up traffic in Europe on two services a week to Moscow and Aeroflot on one service a week to New York. The exchange of notes also envisages a limited expan sion of services between the two countries during the next year. At present Aeroflot operates two services a week and Pan Am one, both carriers routeing through London. The British Government is allowing fifth-freedom rights to both. SAM TO BE ABSORBED? THE future of SAM (Societa Aerea Mediterranea) is being reviewed by the management of Alitalia, which owns the charter airline, following disappointing financial perform ance recently and particularly in 1971. Alitalia is expected to decide to absorb the company and merge its operations with its own, according to a report from Rome last week. The main opposition to this course of action is coming from the National Civil Pilots' Associa tion, which is concerned about seniority problems for the 110 SAM aircrew once they have joined Alitalia. SAM has seven Caravelles and a staff of about 250. CURRENCY CONTRIBUTION CIVIL aviation contributed a net sum of £37 million to Britain's balance of payments in 1970, according to figures recently released by the Department of Trade and Indus try. The figure compares with £41 million in 1969. British airlines earned £234 million overseas in 1970, against which is set overseas expenditure of £146 million, leaving a net balance of £88 million. For foreign airlines, earnings in the UK totalled £133 million, and expenditure in the UK £82 million, leaving a debit balance of £51 million. Lufthansa has introduced non-smoking areas in aircraft cabins on all flights. Prinair will start a daily service between San Juan, Puerto Rico and St Maarten on April 1. Aer Turas has appointed Capt W. H. Gardiner as managing director and P. J. Cousins as assistant manager. Dan-Air has been awarded a licence to operate between London and Berne with up to ten HS.748 services a week. The airline plans to start on June 5. Alitalia has signed a five-year agreement with the Govern ment of Zambia covering continued technical, operational and commercial assistance to Zambia Airways. Universal Airlines has appointed James McLachlan as executive vice-president with responsibility for operations and technical services. The Government of Western Samoa is to buy a controlling interest in Polynesian Airlines, according to Interavia AirLetter, as part of a recapitalisation plan. Tradewinds Airways has announced that Lord Harvey of Prestbury has joined its board of directors. He is chair man of Ciba-Geigy in the UK, and is a vice-president of Balpa. ALM Dutch Antillean Airlines estimates that it produced 13-35 million tonne-km in the year ending March 31, an increase of 11 per cent on 1970-71. Load factor overall was 58 • 5 per cent. Some 224,000 passengers were carried. Channel Airways' air operator's certificate has now been withdrawn. The airline is under a receiver and manager, and many of its scheduled services have been taken over by other airlines. The fleet is being offered for sale. Saturn Airways reports a net profit in 1971 of $534,000, compared with $556,000 in 1970. Operating revenue in 1971 was $31 million, compared with $23-7 million the year before. In May the airline will add a third DC-8-61F to its fleet; it already has a DC-8-50F and eight L-100 Hercules. Qantas has been discussing the secondment of pilots to Malaysian Airline System (MAS), with which the Aus tralian airline has a management agreement. Qantas has already seconded 20 pilots to Olympic for a year, and has laid off some aircrew. The Civil Aviation Authority will be empowered to detain aircraft pending payment of charges at the authority's nine Scottish airports, under the Civil Aviation Authority Aerodromes (Designation) (Detention and Sale of Aircraft) Order 1972, effective from April 1. If charges are unpaid the CAA may obtain the leave of a court to sell the aircraft.
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