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Aviation History
1996
1996 - 0012.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT NEWS IN BRIEF • BAA TRAFFIC GROWTH The seven airports of the UK's BAA group handled 6.5 million passengers in Nov ember, representing an in crease of 6.8% on the same months in 1994. This rise was again led by London Stansted, which recorded the largest increase of 44 %, helped particularly by new domestic services. All mar kets were up on November 1994, the most notable rise being achieved on routes to the Irish Republic. Long-haul routes also remained strong, but Europe continues to suf fer from the Channel rail competition. • ALASKA ACCORD Seattle-based Alaska Airlines has leased two new Boeing 737-400s from International Lease Finance (ILFC), to add to 20 737-400s which it also operates on lease from ILFC. The new aircraft are sched uled to join the fleet in November and February 1997. At the same time, the airline is purchasing three of the leased aircraft at a price of around $28 million each. • ANOTHER AIRBUS Air Mauritius has leased its third Airbus A340-300 from International Lease Finance for a four-year period. The new aircraft will be delivered in November and will replace a leased Boeing 747SP. The remaining two 747SPs are to be replaced by two more A340-300s in 1997 and 1998. • EUROCONTROL EXPANDS Sweden has become the nineteenth member state of Eurocontrol, the European air-traffic management or ganisation, increasing Scan dinavian membership to three (alongside Denmark and Norway). The country's technical integration into the Central Route Charges was scheduled for 1 January, fol lowing its formal application for membership in July 1995. ANA orders powerplants for its A321s and 777s PAUL LEWIS/SINGAPORE ALL NIPPON AIRWAYS (ANA) has announced $400 million worth of orders for V2S00 and growth PW4090 engines to power its new fleet of Airbus A32 l-100s and Boeing 777-300s. The Japanese carrier has select ed the International Aero Engines 135kN (30,0001b)-thrust V2530- A5 for its A321s. In February 1995, ANA ordered ten of the 200-seat aircraft for delivery from January 1998 and holds options on a further eight. ANA's decision to switch to IAE represents a major setback for CFM International, which was hoping to consolidate its position with the airline with the CFM56- 5B. The -5-A1 version of the engine already powers the carrier's fleet of 22 smaller A320s. According to an airline state ment, the V2530-A5 "...per formed better in terms of fuel efficiency and low noise level". ANA adds that the IAE engine was less likely to cause restrictions at airports with short runways. Japan's trade ministry is also known to have applied pressure to ANA to select the V2530-A5 over the CFM56-5B. The ministry funded Japanese Aero Engines' 23% stake in the V2500 pro gramme and is keen to see the engine in wider domestic use. ANA's selection of the Pratt & Whitney 400kN PW4090 engine for the stretch 777-300 was wide ly anticipated. ANA had previous ly ordered the lower-thrust PW4078 engine for its fleet of 18 777-200s, the first of which has just entered service. This latest $280 million engine deal covers ten 777-300s ordered in June 1995 and scheduled for delivery from June 1998. P&W now claims a 43 % share of the 777 engine market, with firm orders for 87 aircraft. • Avianova flies Fokker 70 and the ALITALIA sub sidiary Avianova put the first of its new Fokker 70 regional jets into ser vice on 20 December between Turin and Paris. The Rome- based airline has now taken delivery of the first three of its 15 ordered aircraft, with seven more to come in the third quarter, remaining five in 1997. All will be configured with 67 seats and will be fitted with in flight telephones. The Fokker 70's performance capabilities, which include Category Illb automated landing systems, providing a runway visu al range (RVR) of only 75m and "no decision height", together with its steep approach certifica tion, have been specified to enable all-weather operations at limited- visibility airports, such as Milan, and those with special access requirements. Among the latter are Florence Peretola Airport and London City Airport, which Avianova will add The Fokker 10 regional jet is now in service with Alitalia group member Avianova this year, starting with a daily ser vice (except on Sundays) from London Gatwick to Florence on 1 April. Twice-daily business flights will link London City Airport with Milan Linate on weekdays, beginning on 1 June. • Alitalia partner Malev Hungarian Airlines took delivery in December of the first of three 75-seat Fokker 70s on lease from International Lease Finance. The second and third aircraft are due for delivery early in 1996, to be followed by a fourth, which will be acquired directly from the manu facturer. Malev plans to use the Fokker 70 to several key Euro pean destinations, including London City Airport. • DHL expands its Panama presence D HL WORLDWIDE Ex press is to invest $30 million over the next three years to expand its Latin American and Caribbean network. Initially, the fast-package carrier will upgrade its Panama hub with a new automated sorting system and introduce a Boeing 727-200F freighter service operat ed by new Panamanian carrier DHL Aero Expreso. The new carrier has received Government approval to operate the Miami-Panama-Miami route beginning in the first quarter of 1996. The 727 service will replace cargo space provided by another airline, and will increase per-sec- tor capacity from 6,800kg to 27,250kg, DHL says. The com pany says that Panama is re- emerging as a Latin American trade centre. DHL is also negotiating to up grade its Latin American network by replacing the Dassault Falcon 20 freighters now used with con verted Boeing 737-200s. The 737s will have a 13,600kg freight capaci ty, compared with the converted business-jets' 2,270kg cargo capa bility, DHL says. • 10 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 3 - 9 January 1996
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