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Aviation History
2001
2001 - 1948.PDF
HEADLINES China Tu-204 talks 'punish' USA NICHOLAS IONIDES AND ANDREW DOYLE/SINGAPORE CHINA IS NEGOTIATING a major order for Russian- built Tupolev Tu-204 airliners as part of a politically motivated drive to cement industrial ties with Moscow. The Tu-2 04 talks follow a warn ing last month by the Chinese Government that it may punish Boeing for recent US-China ten sions by failing to approve aircraft orders. At that stage it said via the state-run media that Airbus would most likely benefit, however. Industry sources in China say the order under discussion would initially cover ten Tu-2 04s, although it could possibly rise later to between 30 and 32. An unknown number of the air craft are expected to be in one of die several freighter configurations currently available. The aircraft is comparable in size to the Boeing 757 and Airbus A321. A senior official with China Aviation Supplies Import & Export Corp (CASC), the official aircraft procurement arm of the Chinese Government, confirms that "we have the plan to purchase Russian NEWS IN BRIEF • LONG BEACH LAY-OFFS Boeing has announced plans to lay off 600 workers at the former McDonnell Douglas commercial aircraft plant in Long Beach, California. The cuts, expected to be complet ed by the end of the year, are due to continuing sluggish sales of the 717 regional twinjet assembled at the site. A recent key 717 sale to Mid west Express has been offset by American Airlines' deci sion to not to take 20 of the 3 0 remaining 717s that its Trans World Airlines subsidiary has on order. Around half of the 5,000 people employed at Long Beach work on the 717 programme. See feature P42 At least ten Tu-204s could be on their way to China aeroplanes". He stresses that details have yet to be finalised, however, and top-level Chinese Govern ment approval has not been obtained for any specific contract. However, Beijing is believed to be pushing for a deal after Russian president Vladimir Putin urged the Chinese leadership to support his country's ailing civil aircraft pro ducers rather than rely exclusively on products provided by Airbus and Boeing. Major Chinese carriers informed of the talks are opposed to a Tu-204 deal, according to some sources in China, as they have been rapidly building their main line fleets around Western types and largely phasing out former Soviet-era aircraft. It is not imme diately clear which airlines would be allocated the aircraft, although China Xinjiang Airlines is seen as most likely. The Urumqi-based carrier, which is to be acquired by China Southern Airlines as part of a gov ernment-ordered consolidation exercise, already operates Tu- 154Ms and Ilyushin Il-86s. Last year it was negotiating the pur chase of three Il-96-300s, but it is thought that no deal was reached. Chengdu-based China South west Airlines, which is being acquired by Air China, is also expected to be allocated aircraft if a deal is concluded. The carrier pre viously operated an extensive fleet of Tu-154Ms but the aircraft have been in storage for some time. The CASC official says it has not been decided whether a Tu-204 deal would cover Rolls-Royce RB211 turbofan-equipped variants or those with Russian Aviadvigatel PS-90 engines. The Western version, which also includes Honeywell avionics, is thought to be the outsider. In the late 1990s the Chinese did look at purchasing a Russian powered Tu-204-120, fitted with western avionics. The slow selling Tu-204 made its first flight in 1989. • Raytheon moves RAC boss Tookes in wake of sales gloom and delays RAYTHEON HAS replaced Hansel Tookes as head of its troubled aircraft manufacturing unit, after less than two years in the job. The US company -has been concerned by the financial perfor mance of Raytheon Aircraft (RAC), which has been hit by pro gramme delays and slow sales. James Schuster has been named chairman and chief executive offi cer of RAC, replacing Tookes. Schuster was previously president of Raytheon's Aircraft Integration Systems (AIS) business. Tookes, who joined RAC in September 1999 from Pratt & Whitney where he was president of the large military engines group, has been named president of Raytheon International. He will be responsible for expanding the company's business outside the USA. RAC's performance has been hit by a two-year hold-up in certifica tion of the Premier I entry-level business jet, delays in development of the super mid-size Hawker Horizon, slowing sales of its King Air and Beechjet business aircraft, and cosdy fixed-price contracts for initial production of the T-6A tur boprop trainer for the US Air Force and Navy. These factors contributed to RAC suffering a $4 million loss for the first quarter, down from a $30 million profit a year ago. With the slowing US economy hurting busi ness aircraft sales, the company has laid off 450 employees and may cut production rates, but Raytheon looks to be losing patience. Chairman Dan Burnham told analysts last month: "It's time to get a nice return on our large invest ment" in upgrading RAC's aircraft portfolio. "The product line was tired. Now it is not," he added. RAC was rumoured to be up for sale last year, but is believed to have been taken off the market. • FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 5 - 11 June 2001
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