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Aviation History
1988
1988 - 0517.PDF
Canadair may join A330/A340 project TOULOUSE Talks between Aerospatiale and Canadair aimed at asso ciating the Canadian aircraft manufacturer with the Euro pean Airbus A330/A340 long- haul airliners programme are progressing well, and an agreement may be announced shortly, reports Gilbert Sedbon. This was revealed by senior officials during a visit to Aero spatiale's plants at Toulouse- Blagnac by Canada's Gover nor-General Jeanne Sauve, who was accompanied by Bombardier Canadair chair man and chief executive offi cer Laurent Beaudoin. "We have been discussing it for nearly a year now, and we are confident of reaching an accord very soon," says Beaudoin. Bombardier Canadair is due to take a stake in Aero spatiale's share of the Airbus A330/A340 programme, sup plying components to the new aircraft. The precise parts have not been disclosed, but have been described as "a major" Canadian contribution in a contract worth C$100 million, which would create 1,000 additional jobs in Bombardier Canadair's facil ity in Montreal. Canadair is also to manu facture unmanned airborne surveillance systems for the West German and French armed forces under a C$410 million contract with the governments of Canada, Germany, and France. The Canadian aerospace group, a world leader in surveillance systems technology, is prime contractor for the initial pro duction order for the CL-289 system, with Dornier of West Germany main subcontractor and SA de Telecommuni cations of France supplying the Optronics. SAA starts pilot training JOHANNESBURG South African Airways has terminated its long-standing crew-lease agreement with Air Mauritius and has had to lease a Luxavia Airbus A300 and crew, because of pilot shortages. The shortage has also led to SAA launching a scheme to start training its own pilots. Hatched in conjunction with the Airlines Association of South Africa, the national carrier has agreed to start contributing towards the training of pilots for the first time. Traditionally SAA has drawn its crews from the South African Air Force and the private airlines in South Africa without contributing to the costs of their training. After a lean six years, when few pilots were hired, SAA is experiencing a resurgence and is creaming off all the top pilots in the private airlines. Another factor is the complaint by SAA pilots that they are paid only a third of the salaries of their colleagues in Europe and the Far East. As a result they threatened to start an offshore company and hire their services to SAA unless their pay demands were met. At least 41 pilots have left the airline since May 1986 because of what the South African Airways Pilots' Asso ciation (Saapa) terms unsatis factory work conditions, with a further 101 reaching early retirement age (45) in August this year. A significant number intend taking up employment with Far East and European airlines, which pay more than double SAA flightcrew rates. First flight of 737-400 Boeing's new 737 had its first flight with "no surprises" and "did what was expected with no noticeable differences from the -300 first test flight", says command pilot Jim McRoberts. The 146-passenger aircraft climbed to 31,000ft at 280 m.p.h. (the average 737 cruising speed is about 320 m.p.h.). US Federal Aviation Administration certification is expend after 400 flight-hours, with Piedmont Airlines taking delivery of the first -400 in September. AIR TRANSPORT Allegis to sell Covia stake WASHINGTON D.C. ~ The Allegis Corporation, the parent of United Airlines, has notified the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of its intention to sell up to 50 per cent of its computer subsidiary Covia, which runs its Apollo computer reserva tion system (CRS). Four European airlines— British Airways, KLM, Swiss air, and Alitalia—are nego tiating jointly to buy a 35 per cent stake in Covia for around $350 million. Separate negoti ations are also being held with "third parties", including one or more of the above, for the sale of a further 15 per cent. All four of the European airlines are members of the Galileo CRS consortium, of which Covia was a founder member (Flight, February 27, pages 32-35). Allegis stresses its intention to retain control of the hugely profitable Apollo system, which accounts for approximately one of every three airline reservations made in the US. FAA wins budget rise WASHINGTON D.C. ~ The Reagan administration's final budget calls for a 13 per cent increase in spending for the Federal Aviation Admin istration (FAA). Total budget projections for the fiscal year 1989 include $5-4 billion for the FAA, which covers a 44 per cent increase in spending for facilities and a 9-4 per cent increase for air traffic controllers and inspectors. The main portion of the budget increase is to pay for 900 more air traffic control lers, and is expected to draw non-partisan support on Capitol Hill. It should raise the controller workforce from its present 15,900 to 16,800 by the end of fiscal year 1989. The US Congress has been debating whether to rehire some of the 11,040 controllers sacked in 1981. FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL, 5 March 1988
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