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Aviation History
1990
1990 - 0006.PDF
HEADLINES Swissair trains Libyan pilots for Airbus A310 BY ALAN GEORGE Swissair is training Libyan pilots to fly Airbus A310s which Libyan Arab Airlines (LAA) acquired three years ago in defiance of US sanctions, al though the airline claims that the courses were approved in ad vance by Washington. The LAA pilots are attending seven-week courses at Swissair's Kloten Airport training centre in Zurich. The first group of six started training on 4 December. They have completed their basic instruction, and are soon due to undergo training on Swissair's Airbus A310 simulator. A second group of Libyan pilots will arrive in Zurich in late January for similar training. Swissair spokesman Hannes Kummer says: "I confirm that we have the Libyan group here for simulator training." He adds that the airline had cleared the deal in advance with the US Department of Commerce, ". . . and they agreed that the training could go ahead". In Washington, the Commerce Department declines to discuss the affair, saying that to provide any information on a specific case would be "... a breach of confidence". The training is being organised by the Zurich firm, Homac Avi ation, which has longstanding links with LAA. Homac chief executive Paul Hoegen says that the first course had originally been planned to start on 27 November, but was delayed pending the arrival of a down- payment from Tripoli. The second course, he adds, has "yet to be confirmed by the Libyans". The two Libyan A310s were owned by British Caledonian until 1986. The aircraft were acquired by LAA in a complex £105 million deal involving two intermediary brokers. Service Airlines of Hong Kong and UK- registered Cobra Airways. Although European-built, the aircraft fell within the scope of US sanctions against Libya be cause they use American-made General Electric engines. BCal (which has since been taken over by British Airways) claimed that it had been duped into believing that the aircraft's end-user would be a French charter airline. A UK Customs investigation into the Soviets in 747 purchase talks Soviet businessmen hoping to set up a new airline to com pete with Aeroflot are negotiat ing to buy five Boeing 747 airliners and 20 other Boeing aircraft including 767s. The Soviet group, ACDA, hopes to use the 747s on non stop routes to the USA, Australia and south-east Asia. It also wants to boost capacity on domestic routes, particularly to the Soviet Far East, and open new routes to cities on the US West coast. ACDA working group chief Yuri Mamsurov is quoted in the London-based Soviet Weekly as saying: "We plan to buy five 747s in 1991 and eventually hope to build up a fleet of 25 Boeings—a mixture of 747s and 767s." ACDA is understood to consist in part of a number of serving or ex-Aeroflot officials. Boeing confirms that an eight- man Soviet delegation, including pilots, engineers and two mem bers of the Supreme Soviet, were in Seattle last month for talks following a visit by Boeing to the Soviet Union earlier in the year. Boeing says however, that there is no contract with ACDA and that the talks were "information sharing". The Soviets would have to lease 747s if they were needed next year, says the US company. The talks with Boeing could mark the start of the removal of the monopoly of the world's larg est carrier. Aeroflot's inter national aviation directorate is already seeking to break away and wants to acquire Airbus Industrie aircraft. Meanwhile, Aeroflot itself is negotiating for up to ten Airbus Industrie A310-300 long-range twins for use on international routes. Ilyushin's competitor to the Boeing 747, the 1-196-300, is behind schedule and not ready for service. D affair ended in late 1987 with the airline paying a $1 million pen alty for its role. In late 1986 the Libyans awarded a Paris company, DAT International (DATI), a $13.5 million contract to maintain the aircraft and supply flight and ground crews and spare parts. However, it was unable to secure sufficient spare parts to keep the aircraft flying, and DATI's con tract was terminated in mid- 1988. Homac had also been involved in DATI's work, assist ing in pilot recruitment. With its aircraft grounded for lack of spares, Tripoli late last year decided to cut its losses, transferring the two Airbuses to Algeria, where they were re-reg istered. It was claimed that LAA had sold the planes to Air Algerie but in reality they were leased. This year, one of the Airbuses— in LAA colours but with "Air Algerie" on its fuselage—re turned to Libya where it has been operating domestic routes with an Algerian crew. Libyan Arab Airlines A310s set to fly with Swiss-trained pilots Andrew Auer, the head of non- scheduled services and multi lateral relations at the Swiss Ministry of Transportation's Fed eral Office for Civil Aviation, confirms that Swissair is training Libyan pilots. The Swiss authorities were not approached by the airline— which is partly government- owned—before undertaking the contract. There is no formal require ment for Swissair to seek per mission from the Federal Office for Civil Aviation. Nevertheless, local companies intending to offer training for Libyan heli copter pilots in the past have sought approval for the work. Auer says that three groups of Libyans are involved in the train ing. One group is already in the country, a second is set to start training this month and a third group is planned to arrive later this year. • American on routes buying spree London route, plus other assets, for $195 million. The purchases also include Eastern's Miami-Madrid service and two Florida-Canada routes and a number of Continental gates and buildings at New York, Miami and San Juan. American's shares rose on the news but the deals face union opposition. TWA's pilots have described the deal as "a first step in the controlled liquidation ot TWA". • American Airlines is buying a xVseries of routes from East ern, Continental and TWA as part of its strategy of world expansion. In a series of deals, which will have to be cleared by the Depart ments of Justice and Transporta tion, American has secured: Eastern's central and South American routes, involving 20 destinations, for $471 million; Continental's Miami-London service; and TWA's Chicago- FLIGHT INTERN ATIONA1 1-Q lannarv 1QQ0
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