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Aviation History
1993
1993 - 0481.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT Korean firms plan joint approach BY JOHN BAILEY JN SEOUL South Korea's three major aerospace companies are considering a fundamental re organisation, designed to elimi nate internal duplication. They also intend to compete jointly for overseas contracts. Talks are still at an early stage, but the plan would align all Korean manufacturers into specialised groups by product line, avoiding duplication of investment and training. An umbrella organisation, similar to Japan Aircraft Development, would bid for overseas con tracts or offset deals and allo cate the work to the appropri ate specialist. Korea's aerospace industry is dominated by the three "heav ies" — Korean Air, Samsung and Daewoo — each handling airframe and engine overhaul and component manufacturing, primarily through military off set and licensed-production programmes. All three have also attracted commercial sub contracts, from overseas com panies such as Boeing, Airbus and McDonnell Douglas. Korea's Ministry of Trade and Industry and the 43- member Korean Aerospace In dustries Association, formed in August 1992, are encouraging the talks, proposing that local companies should concentrate on five broad product groups: airframes, engines, electronic equipment and components, space and materials. This would prevent overlapping and allow manufacturers to develop expertise in specific areas. Although the "heavies" grouped together to negotiate a 5% stake in the proposed McDonnell Douglas/Taiwan Aerospace consortium in 1991, there have been bitter dogfights over other projects. Samsung won the F-16 Korean fighter programme (KFP), with the other two as sub-contractors, while Daewoo will lead the 100-aircraft Korean light- helicopter programme (KLHP), a choice between Eurocopter's Bo.105 and the Agusta A.109C. Ted Kim, managing vice- president of Korean Air's aero space division, says that these two programmes will delay any restructuring for at least three to five years, but he warns: "When we complete our in- country requirements, we have to compete with international aerospace industries for busi ness." Kim says that the three are discussing how to "...review and evaluate which company has the best operational capa bility in each specific area". Korean Air started manufac turing work in 1976 and, when Samsung and Daewoo decided AIR SEYCHELLES DOUBLES BOEING FLEET Air Seychelles has taken delivery of a new Rolls-Royce RB.211-535E4- powered Boeing 757-200ER as part of a fleet- and route-expansion programme (Flight International 3-9 March, P34) — doubling its international fleet. Leased through International Lease Finance, initially on a two-year agreement, the aircraft will be used to operate routes from Seychelles to Johannesburg and Singapore, allowing the airline to expand its long-haul operations with its sole Boeing 767 to Zurich, Madrid, Bahrain and Nairobi. to follow suit, Kim says: "We recommended to the Korean Government, and their man agements, why didn't we spe cialise?" Korean Air could have retained sub-assembly, final as sembly and systems integra tion, with Samsung concentrat ing on aircraft engines and Daewoo handling detailed com ponent work "...since they al ready had a heavy industrial capability", he says. The Roh administration, re placed in February, took a "hands-off" approach to indus trial policy and allowed free competition for programmes such as the KFP and KLHP. Kim comments: "We have realised that this is not the way to go, so the top management of the three companies have been talking. I only hope they get wised-up and find a better way forward." • US airlines spot a 'glimmer of hope7 for upturn The US Air Transport Asso ciation (ATA) says that carriers' January traffic figures offer "a glimmer of hope" for recovery in 1993. ATA members report total revenue passenger kilometres (RPKs) up 6.1% over the same month in 1992. The increase comes from 4.1% growth in domestic RPKs and an 11.2% gain on international services. Domestic-passenger boar dings are up by only 1.7%, but those for international jour neys rose by 11.2% — leaving the total 2.6% ahead of the 1992 figure, at 33,260. The average load factor grew slightly, from 56.6% to 57.4%, as capacity (available seat-kilometres) came into line with the traffic growth. D P&WC prepares for turboprop tussle Pratt & Whitney Canada says that its proposed tur boprop derivative of its PW300 turbofan core could be ready in time to power any of the 50- seat and above regional airlin ers now on drawing boards. The company's deputy head, executive vice-president Gilles Ouimet, declares: "I think that we can match anybody's development schedule — in cluding Canadair's [for the de Havilland Dash 8-400]." Ouimet also notes: "Typically, it takes 36 months to operation [from launch]. We already have done a fair amount of design and analysis work." Ouimet continues: "One of the design criteria is to make this turboprop as close as pos sible in terms of installation to the PW100, so that the com plexity and cost of using it are as small as possible." Primary targets for the 4,000shp (3,000kW)-class en gine, which would compete with Allison's GMA2100, are the CASA 3000, the Dash 8- 400 and the ATR 82. Ouimet says that P&WC might launch the engine with only one air craft-type application, but would need to be convinced that a subsequent viable market was probable. The Canadian company's deputy head remarks that the "next six to 12 months" may determine developments in the sector and adds that "...we are in discussions with several cus tomers on that engine". Allison director of GMA en gine marketing Ronald Riffel says: "We simply believe that somebody is going to manufac ture a high-speed 70-seater. CASA is out there and we responded to a request for pro posals last year." Riffel points out: "ATR is still not decided whether to have a turboprop or jet. We have had some conversations with Ilyushin on the 11-114, which offers a lot of capability in terms of capacity and flight speed and, because of the rat ing of the GMA2100, a lot of hot-and-high performance." Riffel adds: "There is a fair amount of discussion going on within Bombardier to evaluate the Dash 8-400 against the 70-seat RJ." • 14 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 17 - 23 March, 1993
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