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Aviation History
1989
1989 - 3219.PDF
BUSINESS Matra and GEC get together in space systems link-up BY GILBERT SEDBON IN PARIS Matra of France and GEC of the UK are in the final stages of negotiation for the creation of Europe's largest satellite payload group. The talks bring together Marconi Space Systems and Matra Espace. The move is the first step towards a planned broader, 20 per cent share swap between Matra, Marconi, and the Deutsche Aero space subsidiary of Daimler- Benz. Matra already co-operates with British Aerospace on satellite manufacture. , As Flight went to press the Matra board was meeting to approve the splitting of Matra Espace into a separate subsidiary. PIA prepares for privatisation The privatisation of 30 per cent of Pakistan International Airways (PIA) has been recom mended in a report to the Islamabad government by British merchant bank N M Rothschild, which has been appointed to advise on Pakistan's extensive privatisation plans. The first phase of the Pakistani programme will be overseen by a special committee, to be headed by the Minister of State for Indus tries, Ahmad Saeed Awan. The first share flotation is planned for May 1990. • The move will have to be ratified at a later meeting of share holders. GEC and Daimler-Benz have both held a 5 per cent stake in Matra since its privatisation in January 1988. Matra Espace will then be linked to Marconi Space Systems, which was made a separate GEC subsidiary five years ago. An announcement is expected within the next few days. The two companies will later be joined by Deutsche Aerospace, the new division of Daimler-Benz which is due to be turned into a separate subsidiary of its own. Matra's Roland Sanguinetti says: "Things are moving fast these days. We are aiming at forming a European industrial high-tech group. The final objec tive is to swap up to 20 per cent stakes in each others group, with each of the partners retaining majority control at home." The partnership between the groups will offer wide-ranging capabilities, including design and production of the satellite bus and payload, navigation systems, ground stations, launch vehicle components, and antennae. Matra is involved as prime contractor in a series of satellite programmes including the Helios military satellite project being conducted with Italy and Spain, and the SPOT family of Earth- observation satellites. The com pany is probably best known for its' missile activities, includ ing Magic and Mica air-to-air Ferranti rescue talks continue British Aerospace and Thomson-CSF have decided to co-operate in weighing a possible joint bid for the ailing UK defence electronics group, Ferranti. The Anglo/French partnership is the first to declare officially its interest in Ferranti, although the electronics group says that there are about a dozen companies it is talking to. BAe has lifted its stake in Ferranti to T 7 per cent. Ferranti, hit by a £215 million fraud involving ISC Tech nologies, says talks with various suitors are at an early stage. Ferranti has replaced Joseph Zilligen as the head of its US and Italian businesses. Zilligen was ISC vice-president finance and treasurer before the Ferranti-ISC merger in 1987. He has been replaced by Albert Dodds, the managing director of Ferranti Instrumentation. . • missiles, and ground-to-air and air-to-ground missiles. The com pany recently acquired Fairchild Communications & Electronics, Fairchild Space, and Fairchild Control and Systems in the USA. Marconi Space Systems has a turnover of $80 million, prin cipally from communication and scientific satellites, and military ground segments. The company is the major subcontractor for the UK Ministry of Defence Skynet 4 military satellite progammme and has recently been contracted to look at building a further two Skynet 4's and future satellite requirement up to the year 2005. Other GEC-Marconi activities include civil and military radars, fire control systems, missile com ponents, and naval weapons. • Air New Zealand sale success The sale of Air New Zealand shares to private investors has been massively over subscribed, according to airline chairman Bob Matthew. The airline was sold to a consortium led by Brierley Investments (BIL) earlier this year. BIL took a 65 per cent stake in Air New Zealand on the under standing that it would sell-on 30 per cent to the public and institutional investors (Flight, September 23). The sell-off leaves BIL with a 35 per cent stake in Air New Zealand, while the Australian flag-carrier Qantas has 20 per cent and Japan Airlines and American Airlines have a joint 15 per cent holding. Private investors were allo cated 14 million shares, but the 90 per cent over-subscription, has led BIL to transfer some 5 million shares from the institutional pool. • ELASTOMERS FOR THE UNIQUE Go ahead, describe the application. DOWN TO EARTH OR OUTER SPACE. Regardless of your project's environment, we have the high-tech capability to meet your specialty elastomer needs. Our R&D labs, manu facturing, and testing facilities have put us on the cutting edge of development. Astronautic, aerospace, medical, electronic-wherever a high-reliability product is a demand, we're the specialty elastomer source today for the environments of tomorrow. Send us your inquiry-the earlier in the project the better and let us show you what we can do. EtfEEJTA MFG. ,?cttl TA Mfg. Co. 375 West Arden Avenue TA Mfg. Limited 3 Charnham Lane Hungerford Berkshire RG17 OEY UNITED KINGDOM Glendale, CA 91203 • (818) 240-4600 Phone No. 44-488-84695 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 21 October 1989 15
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