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Aviation History
2002
2002 - 1169.PDF
HEADLINES SPACEFLIGHT GRAHAM WARWICK / HUNTSVILLE ISS lifeboat makes way for spaceplane NASA ditches CRV to focus on reusable launch vehicles New NASA administrator Sean O'Keefe has killed plans to develop a crew return vehicle (CRV), or lifeboat, for the International Space Station (ISS). Instead, the agency is moving rapidly to draw up require ments for a reusable spaceplane that would carry crew to and from the ISS. "The administrator has told us the CRV as we know it is finished," Art Stephenson, director of NASA's Marshall Space Flight Center, told the American Institute of Aero nautics and Astronautics sympo sium on future reusable launch vehicles (RLVs) in Huntsville, Alabama, on 11-12 April. Contractor teams are working on funded one-month studies to define the requirements for a com bined crew return and crew trans fer vehicle. The European Space Agency, using its own funds, will also submit a study to NASA, draw ing on its experience with the can celled Hermes spaceplane. The new vehicle would be part of NASA's Space Launch Initiative (SLI) to develop a second-genera tion RLV to replace the Space Shuttle. NASA's requirement is to carry three crew to and from the ISS four times a year, says second- generation RLV programme man ager Dennis Smith. Requirements definition must be complete by the end of May if NASA is to include the crew- return/crew-transfer vehicle in the second-generation RLV system requirements review planned for November, says Smith. The $5 billion SLI programme is intended to develop technology for two competitive architectures by 2006, when NASA plans to take a decision on whether to continue operating the Shuttle or replace it with one of the two second-genera tion systems. Stephenson says plans call for cargo operations with the second- generation RLV to begin in 2010- 12, with crewed operations to fol low in 2012-14. With the death of the CRV, Stephenson says, NASA will look at adding a second Soyuz rescue capsule to the ISS, or provid ing the crew with an in-orbit "safe haven" until the Shuttle can be launched, as ways of increasing the crew from the current three to the originally planned six. AIR TRANSPORT BA slashes orderbook for A318 British Airways has cut its Airbus A318 commitment, halving orders to six and cancelling all its options. BA signed a deal with Airbus in October 1999 for up to 24 107-seat A318s, including 12 options, pow ered by the Pratt & Whitney PW6000. Deliveries were due to begin early next year, for operation from the airline's regional hubs. BA had been seeking to put off deliveries after the US terrorist attacks, and the certification date for PW6000-powered A318 has since been delayed by almost three years to mid-2005 due to a major engine redesign. The airline's Future Size and Shape rejig has also eliminated near-term need for the small Airbus, with Avro RJs being moved from London Gatwick to the regions. BA confirms that it has cancelled six of its 12 firm A318 orders and all 12 options. In exchange it has placed four orders for the larger A321. The airline is a major A320 family cus tomer, operating 48 A319/A320s. The A321 deal is the first for the larger model, although two A321s were ordered in 2000 for franchise partner British Mediterranean. BA denies its decision is moti vated by the PW6000's technical difficulties: "This decision is purely to do with putting the right sized aircraft on the London market," the company says. "We need larger air craft in the London market." Briefing F-15K likely to be South Korean winner FIGHTER COMPETITION South Korea is expected this week to name the Boeing F-15K as the winner of its controversial F-X fighter programme. The government is favouring General Electric's F110 engine over the Pratt & Whitney F100, say industry sources. The GE engine has never been ordered by an F-15 customer, although the US Air Force certificated the engine on the F-15E. Both manufacturers say they have yet to be informed. 'We hope the ministry of national defence weighs the issue of having the world's only GE-powered F-15s and how risky this would be," says P&W regional director marketing programmes Korea, Bryant Jublou. ANZ moves to scotch loan-need rumour FIN A N C E Air New Zealand (ANZ) is playing down reports that it needs another NZ$670 million ($294 million) this year to survive, following the unintentional release of an official forecast last week. Although the New Zealand government agreed last year to a NZ$885 million bail-out, its own advisers warned at the time that this would not be enough. The reports follow the release of a forecast by government advisers PA Consulting and Cameron & Co which says that ANZ would require capitalisation of NZ$1.7 billion, leaving a shortfall of NZ$670 million after the government's additional pledge of NZ$150 million. The report implies the money is needed in this financial year. ANZ company secretary John Blair says the airline needs to reduce debt to 65% of enterprise value (debt plus equity) over an extended period, not just in the coming year. Gearing (measured by debt to debt plus equity) is now 78%. ARG to return leased 737s as demand slumps FLEET CHANGE The second largest Argentinian airline ARG (formerly LARA) is to return its eight leased Boeing 737-700s to lessors GE Capital Aviation Services, International Lease Finance and Pegasus. Speaking to Flight Internationals on-line sister service Air Transport Intelligence, ARG's president, Guillermo Franco said: "In an economic environment in which the dollar's value has tripled since the beginning of the year, and domestic demand dropped to half the previous year's level, we have no option but to return our 737-700s." ARG is searching for eight 737-200s to replace them. Start-up VG receives Belgian certificate AIRLINE LAUNCH New Belgian airline VG Airlines has received its air operator's certificate (AOC) from the Belgian civil aviation administration and aims to start scheduled services by 20 May from Brussels to New York, Boston and Los Angeles in the USA and Yerevan in Armenia. VG will serve the large US Armenian community living around Boston, Los Angeles and New York. Armenian Airlines will buy 50% of the seats on VG's Brussels- Yerevan route and cancel its own Yerevan-Amsterdam and Yerevan-Frankfurt services. VG Airlines may lease a fourth Airbus A330-200 as a stand-by aircraft and for charter flights. Meanwhile, Sabena successor SN Brussels Airlines will launch flights to Kinshasa and other African destinations on 26 April with three former Sabena Airbus A330-300s operated by Belgian start up Birdy Airlines. Birdy is confident of securing an AOC in time. Zurich rejects Swiss credit plan FINANCE The city of Zurich has rejected a plan to provide SFr50 million ($30 million) credit to Swiss, the airline successor to Crossair and Swissair. The referendum result for financing under a SFr4 billion-plus rescue package mounted after Swissair was grounded comes around two months after the voters of Zurich canton approved a much larger SFr300 million equity injection. This first capital increase came into effect on 11 April. The carrier says the decision is a "disappointment", but "the recapitalisation of Swiss is not in danger", adding that the faster than expected rise in load factors has lifted the company's finances. Meanwhile, Berne-based carrier Swisswings suspended flight operations on 8 April after it failed to secure new capital and stem losses. www.fliqhtinternational.com FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 16-22 APRIL 2002 5
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