FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
2001
2001 - 3829.PDF
HEADLINES DEFENCE ANDREW DOYLE/ SACHON TA-50 makers plan Israeli pitch Offset deal on table for partners in effort to win Tel Aviv over to Golden Eagle supersonic fighter trainers Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and Lockheed Martin are studying options for incorporating Israeli industry into a potential bid to sell T/A-50 Golden Eagle supersonic lead-in fighter trainers to Tel Aviv. A memorandum of understand ing between T/A-50 programme partners KAI and Lockheed and Israel Aircraft Industries (IAI) and the Israeli air force could be signed by early next year. This would pave the way for talks on how an indus trial offset and operational support deal could be structured, say KAI officials. The four had planned to ink a deal at October's Seoul air show but stopped short after the Israeli Government did not pub licly state its interest in the T/A-50. Israel has a requirement for up to 30 advanced trainers by the end of the decade, and is a key poten tial customer for the T/A-50, with countries such as Greece, Singa pore, Spain and the United Arab Emirates. A version of the T/A-50 adapted to Israeli needs would almost certainly have to be equipped with indigenous avionics and be supported by the air force. Although KAI is the prime con tractor and majority shareholder in the T/A-50, a deal with Israel would be structured as a US government foreign military sale via Lockheed, leveraging the aircraft's substantial US content. Tel Aviv is not expect ed to make a selection before 2005. Israeli sources say the air force is likely to lease its next-generation trainers from a consortium incl uding IAI. The first T/A-50 flight test aircraft was rolled out on 31 October at KAI's Sachon factory, and is due to make its maiden flight in June. The defence ministry has committed to buy 94 aircraft subject to production approval, which is due in August 2003. Meanwhile, KAI is studying a single-seat version of the T/A-50 incorporating extra fuel tanks, enhanced avionics and a longer radome as a possible solution for South Korea's longer-term KFX requirement for a new F-16 class fighter from around 2015. DEFENCE EH101 wins in Portugal Portugal has selected Agusta- Westland's EH101 helicopter for its fisheries protection and long-range search and rescue (SAR) require ments, ordering 14 machines and two options. A decision was delayed by a last minute offer from Sikorsky to cut its S-92 bid price, which led to the Portuguese defence ministry seek ing best and final offers from the two companies, which were deliv ered on 23 November. The decision to seek final offers delayed a contract signing and en dangered Lisbon's access to Euro pean Union funding for 50% of the fisheries protection helicopters. The price of the winning Rolls- Royce Turbomeca RTM322-pow- ered EH 101 package was cut to €351 million ($325 million) from €393 million with the GE-powered machine reduced by a similar amount, while Sikorsky's S-92 bid was scaled back from €371 million to €330 million. Losing Portugal is a further blow to Sikorsky, with the EH101 and NH Industries NH90 triumphing in other recent European contests, including the Nordic Standard Helicopter Programme. The next selection due is Ireland's SAR and utility machine requirement. The order will initially be limited to two SAR machines, a single SAR option and two utility helicopter options. Briefing P&W to power parcel carrier ENGINES Pratt & Whitney has secured a lucrative deal with United Parcel Service (UPS) to power 60 additional Airbus A300-600F freighters with PW4158 engines, beating off competition from the General Electric CF6-80C2. The Louisville, Kentucky-based package carrier is understood to have already signed a contract with P&W for 120 engines plus spares, but is not formally announcing the deal for financial reasons until early next year. UPS ordered 60 freighters in January for delivery between 2003 and 2006 and took options on a further 50. The airline has already taken delivery of 18 aircraft from an earlier order for 30 PW4158-powered A300-600Fs, but decided to re-tender the supply of engines for the additional 60 aircraft. EC extends insurance state-aid deadline INSURANCE European Union governments will be able to underwrite aviation insurance for three more months after the European Commission approved an extension to the state-aid regulation waiver it granted after 11 September. Insurers unilaterally withdrew war-risk cover from their hull policies in late September, forcing European governments to guarantee the excess in new policies. Airlines and governments are working on creating a joint-liability policy involving a pool for covering single incidents. Endeavour ISS link-up delayed INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION Space Shuttle Endeavour was not expected to launch from Kennedy Space Center, Florida, until 1 December at the earliest following problems with the docking of a Russian Progress cargo spacecraft to the International Space Station (ISS). The launch was originally scheduled for 29 November. The Progress, which arrived at the ISS on 28 November, "soft-docked" successfully with the station, but did not send a signal to mission control in Moscow that it had hard-docked. The problem was believed to be due to a piece of debris in the docking interface which was preventing the latches from fully retracting. The Progress is carrying supplies for the space station. Endeavour is due to deliver the fourth expedition crew and the Raffaello Multi-Purpose Logistics Module to the ISS and return the third expedition crew to Earth, after a three-month mission. Scanner deadline will be missed: DoT SECURITY US transportation secretary Norman Mineta is to tell Congress that the US Department of Transportation will not be able to meet the January deadline for screening all checked baggage for explosives, which was contained in the recently passed Airport Security Bill. Mineta told an airline industry meeting last week that it would be logistically impossible to get machines in place, citing production rates for the scanners. He added that even sniffer dogs are in short supply. But the White House maintains that the deadline is still achievable. SAS buys Braathens ACQUISITION Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) is to complete the purchase of Norwegian carrier Braathens after receiving competition authority approval from the European Union and Norway. In return for €107.2 million ($94 million) SAS will acquire 100% of the airline, rather than the 69% originally envisaged. As part of the deal, SAS will pay KLM Royal Dutch Airlines a premium for a third of its 30% stake and divest its routes from Bergen and Stavanger to Amsterdam, to KLM. Continental launches share drive SHARE OFFER Continental Airlines is to offer 6,740,000 shares of its common stock (class B) at a price of $22.50 a share on 3 December Continental says that it will use the estimated $151.6 million for "general corporate purposes". Stocks in the carrier fell on the news of the offering, underwritten by Merrill Lynch, and shares lost 10% of theirvalue, or24O0 in last Thursday's trading to finish at $21.70. www.fliqhtinternational.com FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 4-10 DECEMBER 2001 5
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
