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Aviation History
1997
1997 - 1792.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT EuroLOT kicks off with ATR fleet ANDRJEZ JEZIORSKI/MUNICH EUROLOT, the regional sub sidiary of LOT Polish Airlines, has started operations, aiming for profit at the turn of the century. The new division, certificated by Polish aviation authorities in June, will initially be taking over LOT's network of 200-plus flights per week to six domestic destinations, as well as its parent's fleet of eight Aero International (Regional) ATR 72 turboprops. EuroLOT has appointed its own cabin staff, and is training its first batch of pilots, with the ATR fleet initially being flown by LOT crews seconded to the new low- cost operation. The regional has been set-up to stem losses in the domestic sector which contributed to an overall LOT loss of Pz 140.9 million ($12.7 million) in 1996. The Polish regional says that it plans to extend its network to include destinations in Eastern Europe, Germany and Scan dinavia. The airline is considering destinations including Copen hagen and Hanover, although with some of the planned additional routes now being served by LOT itself, any switch is subject to fur ther negotiations with the airline. The new carrier is planning to expand its fleet with the procure ment of up to five 30- to 40-seat turboprops for domestic routes. The types under consideration are the ATR 42, Bombardier de Havilland Dash 8 and die Saab 340, while smaller 19-seaters are still under consideration as start-up air craft on new routes. The new aircraft will be needed early in 1997. The carrier also says it will consider replacing or ex panding its 64-seat ATR 72 fleet as the aircraft leases run out in two years' time. One 19-seater solution under discussion is a franchise deal with Tasawi, a Szczecin-based car rier operating two Jetstream 31s. In 1996, LOT operated its domestic network widi an average 54% load factor, with 66% of its passengers travelling on business. EuroLOT says that it is therefore giving business passengers high priority in its route planning. It is predicting 400,000 passengers this year - taking the average load fac tor over 60%. • WORKSHOP ++ Virgin Atlantic Airways has signed a five-year contract with British Midland Engineering for maintenance checks on the air line's Airbus A340s and Boeing 747s at Heathrow Airport. ++ Saudia Arabian Airlines has agreed a deal with GAMCO for five of the airline's Lockheed L-1011 TriStars to undergo US Federal Aviation Administration- directed wing-rear spar-mod ification work. The Abu Dhabi- based maintenance company will also undertake a D check on the fifth aircraft. ++ Air Technology Engines has received FAA approval to overhaul, maintain and alter Allison Engine 250 C20 engines. The Naples, Florida-based company has also opened a new maintenance hangar at the site. ++ South Africa-based Denel Aviation has won a contract to undertake line maintenance on Virgin Atlantic Airbus A340s and Air Tanzania Boeing 737s at Johannesburg International Airport. ++ Luft hansa Shannon Turbine Technologies (LSTT) has signed a five-year, exclusive agreement with Braathens SAFE for the repair of CFM International CFM56-3 combustor assemblies. ++ Lufthansa Technik has signed a contract with Asiana Airlines extending its co-opera tion until 2001. Bangladeshi regional prepares for start-up ANEW Bangladeshi airline is preparing to start operations later this year, as a direct result of the country's new deregulation policy which is designed to encour age start-ups. GMG Airlines will launch domestic and regional services from Dhaka, Bangladesh, within a few months operatinga fleet of sec ondhand 33-seat Saab 340As and 64-seat Aero International Regional ATR 72s. The airline, which is being created by the Bangladeshi industrial conglomer ate GMG Group, will commence operations with five aircraft. GMG believes that there is a need to improve domestic services in the country, which is now served almost exclusively by the national carrier Biman Bangladesh Airlines. Shahab Sattar, GMG Airlines man aging director, claims that he has GMG Airlines aims to mount a regional challenge to the incumbent Biman already been in discussion with car riers such as British Airways and Singapore Airlines about improv ing connections from Dhaka. The operational aspects of the new airline are being co-ordinated by Neil Hansford of the interna tional consultancy company Butler Aircraft Services. Hansford was instrumental in the development of TNT's European air network, and later responsible for setting up the now defunct UK regional airline Euro Direct. Butler has provided advice on die aircraft selection, and will supply the aircraft and crews to the airline on wet-lease, along with engineering support. Once the airline is established, GMG may expand into domestic cargo and helicopter services sup porting offshore oil operations. • Beech runway collision is blamed on King Air pilot T HE RUNWAY collision of a Beech King Air A90 with a United Express Beech 1900C on 19 November, 1996, at Quincy Municipal Airport, Illinois, result ed from failure of the King Air pilots "... to effectively monitor die common traffic-advisory frequen cy [CTAE], or to properly scan for traffic", says the US National Transportation Safetv Board (NTSB). The Board, however, has not questioned the policy of allow ing commercial flights to use some 300 US airports which operate without air-traffic control. The United Express 1900, oper ated by Great Lakes Aviation, was landing and the King Air was in its take-off roll on another runway when they collided at the runway intersection. All passengers and crew on both aircraft were killed. The 1900G flightcrew broadcast details of its straight-in approach, says the NTSB, explaining that the King Air pilots clearly did not hear the transmission, possibly because they had not selected the CTAF. The Beech 1900's passengers failed to escape because the airstair door could not be opened, the left over- wing exit hatch was not opened, and there were no on-airport fire and rescue services. NTSB recommendations include a US Federal Aviation Administration investigation of whether a 1900C airstair-door design change could reduce the likelihood of it jamming if it deforms on impact 3 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 9 - 15 July 1997
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