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Aviation History
2001
2001 - 3592.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT LEASING ANDREW DOYLE/ SINGAPORE Ex-SIA A340-300S find new home Khalifa Airways' ambitious expansion plans include the purchase of a number of Airbus A340s, A330s and A320s Rapidly expanding Algerian airline Khalifa Airways has become the second customer for ex-Singapore Airlines (SIA) Airbus A340-300s after agreeing with Boeing to take two aircraft. The privately owned Algiers- based carrier has meanwhile ordered a Boeing 777 full- flight simulator from Canada's CAE, raising speculation that it also plans to add the Boeing twin- jet to its fleet. It has not announced any orders for 777s to date. The US manufacturer agreed to buy back A340s if SIA did not man age to sell them first as part of an earlier sale of 777s to the Singapore carrier. Boeing has placed the first three ex-SIA A340s with Cathay Pacific Airways on three-year leases. Khalifa, which does not operate A340s but has three ultra long- range A340-500s on firm order, is understood to have also concluded a lease deal for the two ex-SIA air craft. Boeing declines to comment. The two A340-300s - which were the 139th and 149th A340s built - were delivered new to SIA in 1996 and are no longer being advertised by Boeing as available for sale or lease. Industry sources say the aircraft have already left Singapore but it is unclear when they are due to enter service with Khalifa. SIA declines to comment. Khalifa Airways was established in 1999 and operates A310 wide- body twins and ATR 42 and 72 tur- boprops. However the company's expansion plans have seen it order three A340-500s, five A330-200s and 10 A320s and it recently agreed to lease three A319s from Lufthansa until October 2002. Its simulator order with CAE includes devices for the A330/A340, A320 and ATR 72 as well as the 777. Khalifa could not be reached for comment. COMMUNICATIONS Datalink technology deployment put back Plans to roll out controller-pilot datalink communications (CPDLC) across the USA have been set back by the current financial crisis. The US Federal Aviation Administration will proceed with flight trials of CPDLC in Miami airspace next year, but has told service provider ARINC that nationwide deploy ment will be delayed. Fewer aircraft than planned will participate in the operational eval uation beginning in June next year. American Airlines will provide four Boeing 767-300s, which are partic ipating in European trials of CPDLC and are already fitted with VHF Data Link Mode 2 (VDL-2) radios, but will not provide Boeing 737-800s and Boeing 757-200s as originally planned. ARINC is still hopeful other US carriers will pro vide aircraft for the trial. The Miami trial will involve an initial set of four CPDLC message services, known as Build 1 and a precursor to the expanded Build 1A which the FAA intends to deploy nationwide. Despite the airlines' financial woes, "it is essential we stay on track with Build 1," says Mike Harrison, FAA director, archi tecture and system engineering. American is installing datalink radios in new 757s, to allow it to use ARINC's ACARS airline opera tional datalink service via VDL-2, but has decided not to install soft ware to support CPDLC. Continental Airlines' plans to install VDL-2 for ACARS have been set back, says ARINC. "The airlines don't have the money to equip their aircraft," says Victor Nagowski, senior director future communications. ARINC programme director John Burns believes US airline plans to equip their aircraft with datalink have been set back by 18 months to two years, but the com munications service provider is proceeding with the upgrade of 175 US ground stations with VDL- 2. The company expects to have the first 50 sites operational by year end, covering most of the US East Coast above 18,000ft (5,500m). • ITT Industries has demonstrated VDL Mode 3 datalink capability using its multi-mode digital radio (MDR), recently selected by the FAA to upgrade its air-to-ground communications infrastructure. VDL-3 allows spectrum congestion to be overcome by splitting stan dard 25kHz VHF channels into four "virtual" channels of voice or data. The FAA plans to make a decision in 2004 after an evaluation of VDL- 3 and the alternative of 8.33kHz channel spacing and VDL-2. The CAVU 2100 MDR is being devel oped by ITT and Park Air Systems. Southwest has identified various ways to expand its 737 fleet if needed CAPACITY DAVID FIELD / WASHINGTON DC Southwest looks to the future with purchases or leases Southwest Airlines could turn to leasing companies in addition to the com mitments it has with Boeing if it needs to expand capacity next year as the market recovers from the terrorist attacks. Speaking at the Salomon Smith Barney transportation conference, in New York earlier this month, Southwest chief executive and vice- chairman James Parker told investors Southwest has "stopped deliveries from Boeing, but if the need is there, we can take up to 19 aircraft next year. We are obligated to take only eight or nine, but we can get up to 19. Plus we can go to third parties to acquire used aircraft," he said. The num ber of deliveries this year is still open to negotiation, Parker added. Southwest plans "opportunistic" growth in the next year but would make only "incremental moves on frequency and capacity", said Parker. The air line "pruned and pared" schedules but did not cut capacity dramatically after 11 September, one of the few carriers to resist. Although Parker could not say if Southwest would make money in the fourth quarter "or even in the first quarter of next year, I can tell you our cost situation is very favourable.. .we are superbly positioned to survive and prosper," he said. At the same conference, American Airline's Don Carty said the airline is retiring 70 aircraft and has committed to take only nine of the 45 Boeing had planned to deliver to it over the next year and a half. That is an increase from the 29 deferrals American had declared last month. It is likely to take the aircraft in 2004, Carty told the investors. Northwest Airlines chief executive Richard Anderson said the carrier plans to take all the aircraft it had firmly committed to accept in 2002, but will review 2003, when it is to take 43, including its first Airbus A330-300s. 22 13-19 NOVEMBER 2001 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.flightinternational.com
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