FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
2002
2002 - 1172.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT REGULATION PAUL LEWIS / PANAMA Copa waits for restrictions ruling Panamanian carrier's fleet upgrade plans held in abeyance until expected US FAA Category 2 review is announced Copa Airlines is considering an order for additional Boeing 737s for delivery from next year, but the company's growth plans hinge to a large extent on an expected US Federal Aviation Administration review of current Category 2 restrictions on services. Similarly, Grupo TACA expects a decision under the FAA's International Air Safety Assessment (IASA) pro gramme to restore El Salvador and Guatemala to Category 1. Panamanian carrier Copa is retir ing its 737-200Advs at the rate of two a year as new jets enter service. The expansion of Copa's 737-700 fleet depends on the FAA's assessment Delivery this year of the final four of the 12 737-700s it ordered or leased in 1999 still feaves Copa with a residual fleet of eight 200Advs in need of replacement. The airline, factoring in projected growth, is looking to acquire eight to 10 additional aircraft and is working with Boeing to secure the extra capacity towards the end of next year, says Copa chief execu tive Pedro Heilbron. Category 2 prevents Copa from changing the size and type of air craft operated to US destinations, while routes and frequencies are frozen and no new 737-700 can be added or substituted for those on the original operational specifica tions. One option being considered by Copa is to include the larger 737- 800 in its next planned purchase. Panama was downgraded a year ago following an IASA audit of the local regulatory authority. Copa has been forced to suspend putting its code on flights operated by part- owner Continental Airlines and as a result is losing more than $2 mil lion a year in revenue. "Panama has done a good part of what was needed in terms of hiring and training inspectors... We're expecting Panama to come out of Category 2 in the coming months," says Heilbron. TACA has faced similar problems with four of its five partner coun tries in Category 2, including the airline's home base, El Salvador, for almost the past two years. The air line as a result had to withdraw its anti-trust immunity application to work with American Airlines. TACA chief executive Federico Bloch says that following an over haul of local regulatory laws "we're very optimistic El Salvador will be in Category 1 by the summer and also probably Guatemala". START-UP DAVID FULLBROOK / SINGAPORE East Timor Air to start flying in May with Australian route East Timor Air (ETA) will start flying in May, linking East Timor with Darwin using commuter turboprops which it aims to upgrade to Boeing 737s next year as its network across the region grows. A Raytheon Beech 1900C will be introduced on flights to Darwin from Dili before East Timor's independence from UN administration on 20 May, per haps from 1 May, says Vincent Aviation managing director Peter Vincent. New Zealand-based Vincent Aviation owns 45% of ETA, with East Timorese businessman Jerry Desousa taking an equal share. The rest is held by East Timor's government. Vincent Aviation is providing the 1900D, a Rheims F406, and running ETA's operations. A leased Cessna Caravan is expected to be added in June, linking Dili, the capital, with the Oecussi enclave; Bacau, a former Indonesian air force base and now East Timor's major international airport; and Suai, the country's other major town. Strong demand will enable another Beech to be added on a short lease in a few months. Later this year Vincent hopes traffic levels will warrant larger aircraft. A Bombardier Dash 8 is a favourite as support infrastructure is good in Australia, says Vincent. Regional jets are another alternative. "I think everybody wants a 737 with the country's flag on the tail. But we prefer to take things cautiously, going up in steps," says Vincent, who is eyeing the 737-300 and possibly the 737-700. Strong freight demand will make the Airbus A320 a serious contender. Larger aircraft will fly to Bali, with a Singapore leg added later. Flights to Cairns, Brisbane and Sydney are also possible. Investors in South-East Asia are standing by to chip in if funds are needed. One is offering a Boeing MD-82 for an 80% stake. AVIATION STANDARDS EU prepares case for membership of ICA0 Frustrated at having observer status at the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO), the European Union (EU) is preparing its case for full membership to halt what it calls "a paradoxical situation". ICAO says, however, that "the Convention on International Civil Aviation is open to adherence by sovereign states only, not groups of states or international organisa tions", and says it has not received an application from the EU. The EU's claim is based on the clout it has in international aviation through the harmonisation of pan- European airworthiness and opera tions standards and recommended practices (SARPs). At present, how ever, although the EU states have harmonised their aviation regula tions through the Joint Aviation Authorities, the JAA is not yet a statutory body. When the JAA is replaced by the European Aviation Safety Authority - within two years if targets are met - it will effectively become part of the EU's executive, the European Commission (EC). The EU can then claim to influence world aviation SARPs directly. Meanwhile, the EC's accession to European air navigation organisa tion Eurocontrol is progressing, with the Commission about to seek authorisation from the EU to com plete the membership process. • ICAO preliminary estimates of air line safety show that, apart from 11 September, aviation had its lowest- ever accident rate in 2001. There were 13 fatal accidents to aircraft weighing more than 2,250kg (4,9551b) flying scheduled passenger air services, down from 18 in 2000, and fatalities in 2001 were 577 com pared with 757 in 2000. Accident rates for 2000 and 2001 were 0.025 and 0.02 per 100 million passenger kilometres respectively. 8 16-22 APRIL 2002 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.flightinternational.com
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
