FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
2001
2001 - 2734.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT FREIGHTERS VLADIMIR KARNOZOV / MOSCOW Funds wanted for An-124 Volga-Dnepr discusses financing for new-build Ruslan cargo aircraft with World Bank Russian airline Volga-Dnepr is in talks with an arm of the World Bank to fund the completion of new Antonov An-124 Ruslans. Production of the giant An-124 freighter was revived last year at Aviastar's Ulyanovsk plant after a five year hiatus. The first of a new production batch of three An-124- 100s was delivered to Volga-Dnepr last August. The Ulyanovsk-based outsize cargo carrier is talking to the World Bank's International Finance Corp (IFC) about funding for the completion of additional An-124s and to upgrade its nine in- service aircraft. Volga-Dnepr says results of the talks are due by year-end. The air line secured a credit line from Sberbank, Russia's largest bank, to fund last year's delivery, as well as the retrofit of older airframes with additional acoustic linings for AN-124 production was revived last year after a five year hiatus noise attenuation, and navigation and communications equipment for flights in the USA and Europe. The expected IFC funds could pay for further improvements, such as Chapter 4 noise modifica tions, says Volga-Dnepr. Securing additional financing will help the airline through a difficult period as the An-124 cargo market, which had an value of around $300 mil lion in 2000, is suffering a decline with volumes down 20% so far this year. Market-dominant Volga-Dnepr and rival An-124 operator Antonov Airlines could be set for a serious challenge by the expansion of Polet Airline's Ruslan fleet. The Voronezh-based carrier has already introduced one ex-Russian air force An-124 and plans to eventually have four aircraft in service. The Ruslans will be deployed on long- range routes from South-East Asia to USA and Canada via the North Pole, using Siberian airports as transfer centres. AVIONICS Airbus selects Thales for A380 displays Avionics specialist Thales says that its selection to supply Airbus with a control and display system (CDS) for the manufac turer's ultra-large A380 project could be worth $1.4-1.5 billion over the next 20 years. Unveiling the win in Paris last week, Thales Group aerospace business area chief executive Francois Lureau based his esti mate on Airbus securing up to 700 orders for its 555-seat air craft over the next two decades. Thales will provide the CDS in partnership with Diehl Avionik Systeme of Germany. The CDS will provide real-time data for flight control and management, and will comprise two trackballs for fast data access and eight LCD screens. TESTING Boeing uses prototype 737-900 in buffet tests Boeing is using the prototype 737-900 to investigate a series of in-service issues cropping up on the Next Generation family as well as minor problems that appear to be restricted to the -900 series. Tests are currently focused on a spoiler buffet effect that has been reported by 737-900 crews on touchdown. "We're just starting these tests," says Boeing, which describes the issue as "more of a nuisance". The buffet appears to affect the tail area, says the manufacturer, which also adds that the issue "is specific to the 737-900 and is only noticeable when the spoilers are deployed on landing", The heavily instrumented 737- 900 prototype was originally sched uled to undertake another investi gation into vibration and fatigue issues with the inlet connecting to the Honeywell 131-9(B) auxiliary power unit (APU). These are now expected to begin in late August and will focus on measuring the frequencies in the tail compartment containing the APU, the exhaust and its inlet plenum. Boeing says operators have "found some cracking, but we did some borescoping and found nothing". Boeing is playing down the tests, but sources close to the tests say there could be "a real issue with delamination". The 737-900 testbed has also been used to identify sources of excessive noise on the flightdeck, the effect of noise reduction modifications and lateral trim rigging rework. PORTS • Pilsen airport, 90km (56m) south west of Prague, Czech Republic, has been granted international status, subject to a runway extension and terminal building upgrade. The airport is operated by UK property devel opers Wiggins Group, which has also received a grant from the European Union to finance the upgrading of Schwerin- Parchim airport in northern Germany and has outlined plans to expand into the Middle East with a proposed airport project in Ajman, UAE. • Libya has bud geted $800 million to upgrade its airports and air traffic control systems, says Taher Abdullah Burgan, director-general of the People's Committee for Civil Aviation. Siemens of Germany, Aeroport de Paris and Aeroporti di Roma have signed a memo randum of understanding for feasibility studies on the expan sion of the international airports in Tripoli, Benghazi, Tobruk and Sirte. The design brief calls for a new international terminal building for each of the airports, costing a combined $650 million. Tripoli is also negotiating with the UK's BAE Systems a $150 million upgrade of air traffic con trol systems and ground infrastructure at its 10 regional airports. • Six foreign consortia are on a shortlist for a $323 mil lion contract to construct a second terminal at Warsaw- Okecie international airport, increasing capacity to 12.5 mil lion passengers a year from 4 million by 2004. Unpriced plans from all six are to be submitted to the airport operator PPL by the end of August. The new shortlist consists of consortia led by Skanska, French con struction firm Bouygues, Hochtief of Germany, the Austrian group Strabag Polska, Ferrovial Agroman of Spain, and German firm Bilflinger and Berger. • Three major consortia have lodged indicative bids for the privatisation sale of Sydney's Kingsford Smith (KSA) airport, which is expected to raise AU$4-5 billion ($2-2.5 million). The winning bid der will have first right of refusal for the development of Sydney's planned second airport at Badgerys' Creek. 18 31JULY - 6 AUGUST 2001 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.flightinternational.com
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
