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Aviation History
1983
1983 - 2304.PDF
WORLD NEWS Inex-Adria orders five A320s LJUBLJANA Jugoslavian charter and domestic carrier Inex Adria Airways has ordered five Airbus A320s and has taken options on three more. Two weeks ago Flight received a tip-off that a Jugoslavian airline would be a launch customer for the type, but was told it was flag carrier JAT. Inex-Adria's A320s will be delivered in 1988. They will be laid out in single class charter configuration: most of the airline's business comes from inclusive tour charters to Jugoslavian destinations. The aircraft will also be used on Inex-Adria's domestic net work linking Ljubljana, Belgrade, Sarajevo, and Skopje. Although all of the Airbus partner companies have decided to continue devel opment work on the aircraft using internal funds, the consortium still awaits deci sions on the provision of launch aid from the UK and West German Governments. The German Government has agreed to provide DM 12 million (£3 million) for continued development work, but so far has made no commitment to large-scale launch funding. UK Parliamentary Under- Secretary of State for Indus try John Butcher said last week in the House of Commons that the British Government hopes to be able to announce a decision on A320 launch aid by the end of January, but should in any case have an answer earlv in the New Year. The UK Government is now studying specially commissioned tech nical, market, and financial appraisals of the A320 project. Speculation is growing in UK press and financial circles that the Government may ask City financial institutions to provide a large share of the £400 million-plus devel opment funding asked for by BAe, and necessary to give the Antonou is claiming two world altitude records for the An-72. The aircraft, flown by test pilots Marina Popouich and Sergei Maksimov, is said to have reached an altitude of 13,410m (43,995ft) and sustained an altitude of I2,980m (42,585ft). The navigator/flight engineer was Tamara Medvedeva manufacturer a 20 per cent- plus stake in the new pro gramme. If the City were to be asked to invest in the project, it would probably require Treasury guarantees before committing private sector cash. UK Aerospace Minister Norman Lamont has held several discussions recently with Trade Union Congress leaders over A320 partici pation. The indications are that there is now much agree ment between the Govern ment and the trade unions that Britain needs a stake in the A320 to maintain a tech nological presence in the civil aviation industry. TUC lead ers argue that if the UK drops out now, it would be vastly difficult and expensive for the country's industry ever to catch up again. This consid eration is expected to weigh heavily with the Government when making its decision on launch aid for BAe. McDonnell Douglas buys Hughes Helicopters ST LOUIS McDonnell Douglas has bought Hughes Helicopters for approximately $470 million. The California-based company, which builds the AH-64 Apache and the Model 500 series of commercial and military helicopters, will be operated as a separate com ponent of MDC. The name may be retained. Hughes Helicopters was put up for sale by William Lummis, administrator of the Howard Hughes Estate, to meet tax demands on the Estate. In addition, the 5,000-strong helicopter com pany needed a larger parent able to provide the level of research and development funding required to compete for the US Army's upcoming LHX light helicopter family, a potential 6,000-helicopter programme. President and chief execu tive of Hughes Helicopters Jack Real told his employees: "R&D will be the foundation of our future. McDonnell Douglas is a giant in R&D . . . and has the assets and intention to accomplish our dreams." Hughes Helicopters is expected to be a major competitor in LHX, says MDC, and an important consideration in buying the company was the applicability of McDonnell Douglas tech nology to LHX in areas such as simulation, fire-control and flight-control integration, and cockpit technology. McDon nell Douglas can strengthen the position of Hughes Heli- / 706 FLIGHT International, SI December 1983
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