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Aviation History
1995
1995 - 0123.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT PNG begins shut-down of aviation infrastructure PAUL PHELAN/CAIRNS PAPUA NEW Guinea has begun the progressive with drawal of major elements of its aviation infrastructure because of a lack of funding. The closures could eventually result in a complete shut down of the country's airways system and its airports. Air-traffic-control (ATC) ser vices have been closed at three of the country's major secondary airports — Goroka, Madang and VVewak. Flight-service arrange ments have also been withdrawn at the Tokua airfield which the Government set up to cope with a volcanic eruption at Rabaul. The problems outlined by the Department of Civil Aviation (DCA) at an industry meeting held in Port Moresby in late December 1994 included a lack of funding for fuel, spares, main tenance, travel costs, operational office supplies and even clean ing materials. The DGA had warned that based on safety considerations, and given the limited funding: • ATC at further major airports will be closed or curtailed; • more key flight-services and 19 provincial airports would be closed; • more major airports may be closed because of pavement dete rioration and secondary-growth infringements to approach and transitional surfaces. "Should the financial situation continue for the next six months, it is possible that all major airports in the coun try may be closed because of a total lack of maintenance," says the DCA. • at least 19 radio-navigation aids and communications repeaters have already been unserviceable for periods beyond International Civil Aviation Organisation requirements because of a lack of preventative maintenance; • weather observations and fore casting services, including services for overflying international traffic, will be curtailed drastically; • airworthiness surveillance has been diminished and will be fur ther curtailed, which may "...result in frequent accidents"; • some aeronautical-information service documents have not been amended for several years and some charts are unavailable; • airport rescue and firefighting services at seven major airports are likely to be unavailable because of equipment breakdowns. Air Xiugini annually carries about 1 million domestic passen gers. Four major regional airlines and numerous third-level opera tors also provide a network of ser vices, many to settlements and islands linked only by air. 3 Germany embarks on GPS testing THE GERMAN air-naviga-tion-services agency, the DFS. has begun a satellite-navigation test programme which could lead to satellite-based non-precision ap proaches being allowed this year. The programme, begun in December, 1994, is being carried out in co-operation with the Federal Aviation Office (LBA) and Nuremberg-based regional carri er Eurowings. A global-positioning-system (GPS) receiver has been fitted to a Eurowings ATR 72 turboprop which is undergoing test flights and has been certificated by the LBA for special operational conditions. According to the DFS, the main goal is to prove the safe use of satellite navigation in non-pre cision approaches and to examine possible disturbances in the recep tion of the satellite signal. Results will be evaluated using pilot reports and radar data. The agency says that, if the pro gramme yields positive results, GPS approaches will be allowed at certain airports this year, with en route use of the system also to be approved "as soon as possible". 3 Croatia seeks code-share as long-haul plan is deferred ANDRZEJ JEZIORSKI/ZAGREB CROATIA AIRLINES has shelved plans to buy long- haul aircraft this year and is instead seeking a code-sharing partnership with a US airline. According to senior vice-presi dent Kresimir Magdic, the airline had intended this year to purchase either an Airbus A340 or an extended-range Boeing 767. While insisting that the carrier still hopes for future long-haul purchases, Magdic says that it is impossible to finance them. The airline is already encoun tering problems with interest pay ments on domestic loans taken to cover the deposits paid on its five ex-Lufthansa Boeing 737-200s. Croatia Airlines acquired these aircraft in 1992 and 1993 under a lease-purchase deal financed by German institutions and is now suffering under what it sees as the —wffr. .1... _ arnc-crn "••CHOMU\ MRU' . 9E^£2^| B^?l""^^ Problems over 737payments led to Croatia postponing long-haul plans unfavourable terms of repayment. It also operates two ATR 42 turboprops, bought new in 1993. Magdic says that Croatia Airlines sees much potential in the Australian, Canadian, South American and US markets — ini tially from ethnic passengers. "We would like to discuss the code- sharing idea with an American carrier which is not yet 'married'," says .Magdic, stressing the impor tance of establishing a presence on the long-haul market, even if Croatia Airlines itself does not yet have long-haul capabilities. The airline is also in prelimi nary discussions with Malev on possible co-operation on a new frequency linking Budapest to Zagreb and, possibly, Split. Croatia Airlines would provide the aircraft, with Malev covering half the cost. The Croatian carrier already has commercial co-opera tion agreements with Air France and Sabena, among others. From January to November 1994, the carrier was operating on average load factors of 53%, which Magdic says would have led to positive financial results, but for the loan repayments. He esti mates, nevertheless, that the com pany should have broken even by the end of the year. Magdic says that some of the lost tourist traffic has been replaced by UN personnel and that increasing business and eth nic traffic bodes well for 1995. "We shall probably have to pro vide two more 737-sized aircraft and at least one more ATR to cover the requests we have for charter flights," he says. -I 12 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 18 - 24 January 1995
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