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Aviation History
2002
2002 - 1173.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT MAINTENANCE GRAHAM WARWICK / WASHINGTON DC Bombardier readies for expansion of service arm Manufacturer's aircraft services business eyes second US maintenance facility Bombardier's recent long-term deal with Northwest Airlines for CRJ maintenance has signalled a drive by the Canadian manufacturer to expand its aircraft services busi ness, including evaluating whether to build a new maintenance facility in the USA. Northwest signed a potential 10- year agreement for Bombardier to perform heavy maintenance on Northwest Airlink CRJs (Flight International 9-15 April). Initially, the C-check work will be per formed at the Bombardier-owned West Virginia Air Center (WVAC) in Bridgeport, West Virginia. Over the five-year period of the initial contract, Northwest's fleet of CRJ200/440S is scheduled to grow to 129 aircraft. WVAC already performs CRJ heavy maintenance for Delta Connection carrier Corn- air and for Mesa Air Group. With WVAC approaching capac ity, Bombardier is considering build ing a second regional-aircraft heavy maintenance centre at another loca tion. As the number of CRJs operat ing "west of the Mississippi" is incr easing, the second location could be in the western USA. Bombardier has been building up WVAC's maintenance business since its contract to convert ex-air line Shorts 360s to C-23 Sherpa transports for the US Army began winding down. The Comair work was moved there from the manu facturer's Hartford, Connecticut, business-aircraft service centre. WVAC is refurbishing ex-Midway Airlines CRJs for delivery to Air Canada, Air Wisconsin and Mesa. The West Virginia site has now been qualified to maintain the Canadian company's Dash 8 Q400 and CRJ700/900 regional aircraft. WVAC is also reponsible for main taining the fleet of Learjet 31A, Learjet 45, Learjet 60 and Chal lenger 604 business jets operated by Bombardier's Flexjet fractional- ownership programme, as their high utilisation requires airline- style scheduled maintenance. Under Bombardier's new ser vices strategy, WVAC has been given worldwide responsibility for airline start-up teams to assist new customers, and for mobile repair teams to support CRJ and Dash 8 operators. BMI intends to add more long-haul services this year, with or without Heathrow access for US routes EXPANSION BMI aims for third long-haul service BMI British Midland is planning a third long-haul service by year-end, even if it fails to get clearance to fly to the USA from London Heathrow. The airline, which serves Chicago and Washington DC from Man chester with two Airbus A330-200s, aims to re-activate its third, stored A330 for the new route, flying from either Manchester or Heathrow, says chief executive Austin Reid. The US/UK Bermuda II bilateral deal prevents BMI flying to the USA from its London hub, and, unless this is overturned as part of a wider open-skies deal between the govern ments, BMI will launch a route to a non-US city. Toronto is a candidate, although the airline has sought licences for other non-US long-haul transatlantic services, and to other points worldwide. "We're waiting to see what the Heathrow policy will be - but if we can't get Heathrow to the USA approved, we will fly to a non- regulation destination," says Reid. Reid says Manchester-US services were running three-quarters full in March, although "passenger num bers have been difficult". BMI's low-cost offshoot, Bmiba- by, is to up its fleet from two 737s to at least five by the summer as it inherits more -300s or -500s, while BMI receives new A320s. The East Midlands Airport-based venture is also likely to open other UK bases, says Reid. But he rules out London Stansted - base of no- frills rivals Buzz, Go and Ryanair - and Luton, home to Easyjet. Options include BMI's existing Belfast, Edinburgh, Glasgow, Manchester, Leeds-Bradford and Teesside bases. • Varig is introducing 50-seat Embraer ERJ-145s on weekend flights on the Rio de Janeiro-Sao Paulo air-shuttle, replacing Boeing 737s. • Austrian Airlines has introduced a direct scheduled service from Vienna to the western Poland city of Poznan. • Delta Air Lines' summer schedule restores some of the capacity cut after 11 September, but not as much as other US airlines. The carrier has been operating at 85% of its normal schedule, and will increase this to 87-89% begin ning in June. Delta will increase frequencies on US domestic ser vices and add flights by its Delta Express low-fares division, but cuts in international flying remain in effect. • Continental Airlines plans to begin daily Boeing 737-800 service from New York Newark to Montego Bay, Jamaica, with continuing service to Kingston, Jamaica, on 12 December, pending govern ment approval. • China Airlines has launched thrice- weekly services between Taipei and New Delhi. • Air Canada has begun daily services between Madrid and Toronto, using the Boeing 767-200, and plans to begin services to Dublin on 13 June. • Malev and Aeroflot have signed a code- share agreement to operate joint flights between Budapest and Moscow • VLM Airlines will inaugurate a twice-daily sched uled services from Antwerp to Manchester next month. Flights will be operated on weekdays only and will include a stop in Rotterdam. • United Parcel Service (UPS) has introduced two Airbus A300-600 Freighters on to its European network from its main European hub in Cologne, Germany. One aircraft has replaced a smaller Boeing 757-200PF on services to Madrid, while the other is operat ing between Cologne, Malmo in Sweden and Oslo in Norway. Meanwhile UPS has opened its intra-Asia air hub in the Philippines, at Diosdado Macapagal International Airport, the former Clark US AFB. • United Airlines will begin seasonal daily services between Chicago and Calgary on 7 June, using the Airbus A320. www.flightinternational.com FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 16-22 APRIL 2002 9
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