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Aviation History
1991
1991 - 0007.PDF
HEADLINES 1 Arrow in le tests So far, $178 million has been spent on the estimated project out of an $800 million budget. The missile is scheduled to be come operational in 1995. The first Arrow, launched on 9 August, 1990, from the same site, was destroyed over the sea 4.8s after launch, following loss of telemetry with the ground tracking station. The original duration of the test flight was scheduled to be 15 seconds. The Israelis said that the flight had been termi nated by Israeli Air Force engi neers when the test equipment, unconnected with the missile, developed a problem soon after launch. Claims by some US officials that the test was a failure are denied by the Israelis. • iver EFA radar voured the MSD-2000, while Britain, Spain and Italy pre ferred the ECR-90. Although the other EFA partners contin ued to resist West German pres sure, Hughes claims that its proposal "...appeared assured of winning" the competition, until GEC-Marconi launched its take over of Ferranti in March last year . Hughes claims that the takeover "...caused the Hughes- Marconi team to forfeit the competition, thereby ensuring that Ferranti would win". The company adds: "The same peo ple we were sharing our tech nology with, to develop the MSD-2000, are now working for our competitor, developing their radar. Basically, we feel that they are probably using our technology, and if nothing else, are using some of our ideas." The suit names five related companies: GEC, GEC-Marconi (Holdings), Marconi Defence Systems, GEC-Marconi and GEC-Ferranti Defence Sys tems. D Delta questions United/Pan Am deal BY DAVID LEARMOUNT Delta Airlines, the smallest of the USA's "big three" carri ers is calling for a US Depart ment of Transportation (DoT) hearing to consider "the ramifi cations (of) the enormous re structuring of the international air travel market" caused by United Airlines' deal to buy Pan American's USA-London Heathrow routes, and Ameri can's similar agreement with Trans World Airlines (TWA). If the DoT acts on Delta's filing, it would add further delay and complexity to a spreading?'network of negotia tions in which time is a vital factor: financially weak Pan American needs rapidly to sell its USA-Heathrow routes to United to gain survival capital. TWA, not much stronger, wants quick approval for its London routes sale to American. Meanwhile, TWA's owner Carl Icahn, in a stumbling min uet of mutual approaches and withdrawals, continues bidding to take over a strangely reluc tant Pan Am. For years, Pan Am has been calling for investment or takeover; its present shying away is seen as indicating a preference for independence shored up with United's cash and marketing alliance. Icahn has stated his anger at Pan Am's sudden discovery of an unnamed bidder for its suc cessful Boston-Washington-New York shuttle, threatening to withdraw his bid should a sale go through. If it did, Pan Am would gain $150 million with which to last out transatlantic deal delays. Decisions on whether to allow London Heathrow Airport access for United and American <• •—"<• :.,.,.,v,... *„-9«0A ^•®**aBgrT~" ISSSBB L^gfe?! i»*$j« »— assasBSmSm mwi^pPTtrrr \ Barf*** "™ ""'™ pp*ffy^° fes * mm Mflt^. ^^^^K \ ,i w* J ^^ M6q^| ^^•' -• M- fe^H ^^r •-• • m*»«y -Jj Shuttle sale tale colours TWA bid to add to fleet Airlines were postponed at the annual US/UK "Bermuda Two" bilateral air transport talks in London on 21-22 December, 1990. Agreement before Febru ary is unlikely. American's $445 million TWA deal is the second US bid for Heathrow access. United had already agreed to buy Pan Am's Heathrow business for $400 million, including two of its Boeing 747s. TWA's routes would give American service into Heathrow from Chicago, New York Kennedy and New ark, Boston, Los Angeles and Philadelphia and into Gatwick from Baltimore and St Louis. The London airports traffic distribution rules (TDRs) limit ing Heathrow access (by British airlines, also) are now under review by the Civil Aviation Authority, with recommenda tions expected in mid-January and rulings by early February. The US carriers argue that the disputed slots at Heathrow are US slots under the current Ber muda Two and therefore the USA can designate any carrier. The UK, however, points to Japanese select GE power for FS-X The Japan Defence Agency (JDA) has selected the Gen eral Electric (GE) F110-GE-129 to power its next-generation FS- X strike fighter. The GE engine was selected in competition with Pratt & Whitney's F100- 229; the JDA made its selection on the grounds of programme risk and engine reliability. The F110-GE-129 is a-.devel opment of the F110-GE-100 which powers currenj-build General Dynamics F-l'.6s on which the FS-X is based. The JDA says that the GE engine will produce 138.5kN (31,0001b) thrust. D the traffic distribution clause: "Any London airport, including Heathrow, may be served by British Airways (BA), Pan Am and TWA (or the corporate successor airline in any name change, merger, acquisition or consolidation in which any of the above three airlines is the major airline element) ...". Any other airline, continues the clause, has to use the other London airports. United and American, argue the British Department of Transport (DTp), are not "cor porate successors" to Pan Am and TWA, so they will have to await the possible February re definition of the TDRs which are absolute British law. Even if TWA and Pan Am went bankrupt, the designated US carriers which followed would have no right to Heathrow slots. The latter sce nario is politically out of the question so negotiations are taking place. The US carriers are banking on a renegotiated Bermuda Two trading small concessions to the UK to achieve their own aim. BA's general manager com mercial and government affairs, Bob Ebdon, is optimistic about the UK's negotiating potential right now: "I have to say the chances must be good". The DTp will press for cabo tage rights in the USA for UK carriers, for "beyond rights", such as US carriers have from London into Europe, and relax ation of the 25% limit on for eign holding in US airlines. • FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 2 - 8 January, 1991
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