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Aviation History
2002
2002 - 1722.PDF
WORKSHOP • TNT Express is to use Spirent Systems' AuRA inte grated maintenance, repair and overhaul software for configura tion management and parts tracking on its European fleet of Airbus A300 and BAe 146 freighters. • The US Air Transport Association (ATA) has relaunched its SPEC2000 website to promote the benefits of using its specifications, prod ucts and services to facilitate e-business. Spec2000.com also provides access to ATA's aircraft parts pricing database. • Delta Connection carrier Atlantic Southeast Airlines (ASA) is to begin regional-jet line mainte nance at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, ahead of completion of a new maintenance facility at the airport later this year. ASA will lease a hangar able to accommodate two or three Bombardier CRJs overnight for inspections and repairs. A new line maintenance operation able to handle two CRJs and an ATR 72 overnight will begin at Montgomery, Alabama, in August. • Tucson, Arizona- based Hamilton Aerospace Technologies is performing a C-check on a Boeing 737- 200Adv owned by ANA Air Sales, for delivery to a customer in the United Arab Emirates. The company has also started heavy mainte nance on a Boeing 727-200 for Pegasus Aviation and is negotiating to repair three hail-damaged aircraft for the lessor. Hamilton has also signed an agreement to service seven 727-200s for Falcon Air Express and is upgrading the avionics in a Boeing 737-200 belonging to US lessor JODA, to allow operation in Europe. • Officine Aeronavali, an Alenia Aeronautica/Finmec- canica company, has opened a new engine test area at its Naples-Capodichino plant. The test area is big enough to allow engine tests on all the main aircraft types, including widebodies.B Data Systems & Solutions is providing engine health monitoring for Chatau- qua Airlines' Rolls-Royce AE3007-powered Embraer ERJ-140/145 regional jets under a five-year agreement. AIR TRANSPORT START-UP NICHOLAS IONIDES / SINGAPORE Hainan gets go-ahead for Cambodian joint venture But Royal Air Cambodge successor faces competition from Australian-backed start-up A new national airline for Camb odia being set up by China's Hainan Airlines and the Phnom Penh government has come a step closer after the Civil Aviation Adm inistration of China (CAAC) approved the venture. Fast-growing Hainan announced plans for the carrier early this year, saying Chinese regulatory approval was needed for its first foreign foray. Jimmy Guo, the Hainan execu tive leading the project, says obtaining Chinese approval has taken longer than expected, but a final go-ahead is near after the CAAC gave its backing to the ven ture. The final Chinese approvals are expected this month from the State Development Planning Commission. Guo savs the new carrier, Air Cambodia, will then need to be registered as a company in the country, after which 60 days must pass before operations can begin. Two Boeing 737-400s will ini tially be wet-leased from Hainan. Guo says expansion depends on the Cambodian government secur ing new bilateral air agreements. "There are not enough bilaterals between Cambodia and other countries to support more than two 737s," he says. Services are planned domesti cally between the capital Phnom Penh and the fast-growing tourist city of Siem Reap, as well as inter nationally from Siem Reap to Bangkok in Thailand, and from Phnom Penh to Singapore, Kuala Lumpur, Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Ho Chi Minh City and Taipei. Two start-ups are seeking to fill the gap left by Royal Air Cambodge Hainan announced in February that it had agreed a deal with the Cambodian government to estab lish jointly the new Cambodian national airline, saying at the time that it would take a 49% stake for $4.9 million. The Cambodian gov ernment will hold 41% while a company identified as Cambodia CTG will take 10%. Air Cambodia aims to fill the void in the market left by the October collapse of national carrier Royal Air Cambodge, which was a joint venture between Malaysian company Naluri and the Camb odian government. It is facing a challenge from an other Cambodian start-up, Mekong Airlines, which is backed by a group of Australian industry veter ans. Mekong says it has already secured international traffic rights out of the country, allowing for a launch next month, using Airbus A320s and ATR 42s. Mekong plans to operate on the same routes that Air Cambodia has identified, but Guo believes that there is not enough room in the market for two new interna tional airlines. He does not comment specifi cally on Mekong, but says: "The partner in our project is the Royal Government of Cambodia and they make the final decision as to who gets the traffic rights." SAFETY UK CAA chief calls for less apathy on Single Sky The UK's aviation safety chief has accused European airlines and manufacturers of "sitting on the sidelines" and ignoring crucial dis cussions leading to the setting up of the Fkiropean Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Sir Roy McNulty, chairman of the Civil Aviation Authority, told the industry that failing to take part could delay initiatives such as the creation of a so-called Single European Sky and harmonisation of air traffic control. He warned the Aviation Club of the UK that the handover of responsibility for Europe's aviation safety regime from the Joint Aviation Authorities to EASA "would not be seamless". The agency is due to come into being next year. "Too many people are sitting on the sidelines hoping it will be all right on the night," he said, adding: "The Single Sky project often seems to me like trying to push a very large stone up a very large hill. It needs more backing from countries. It could produce huge gains - but not enough are taking an interest." Recalling a recent visit to the USA to discuss aviation safety, McNulty said: "I got more sensible questions about EASA in three days than I get here in three months." 12 11-17 JUNE 2002 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.flightinternational.com
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