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Aviation History
2003
2003 - 0905.PDF
HEADLINES AIR TRANSPORT MAX KINGSLEY-JONES / LONDON Airbus touts Air Canada A340s As troubled carrier delays delivery, manufacturer reveals higher-weight -500 option to close 777-200LR range gap Airbus is seeking new customers for Air Canada's first two A340-500s because the launch operator is unlikely to take delivery of the air craft as scheduled due to its finan cial woes. Emirates and South African Airways (SAA) are seen as the lead candidates for the aircraft. Air Canada was due to be the first airline to take delivery of the 313- seat A340-500 in May, but according to manufacturing sources, delivery of its first two aircraft, which are until March NASA says the Space Shuttle will not return to flight in 2003. The first launch, STS 114 Atlantis, will take place no earlier than March 2004, says Michael Kostelnik, chief of Shuttle and International Space Station programmes. Full inspections of the Space Shuttle orbiter by spacewalking astronauts may become a rou tine part of every mission in the aftermath of the 1 February loss of Columbia during re-entry. Meanwhile, the Columbia Accident Investigation Board has confirmed the loss of a T-seal, which was struck by foam from the external tank during lift-off and which floated away from the orbiter in space, is the likely cause of the chain of events that resulted in the loss of the craft (Right International, 22- 28 April). SEE FEATURE P26 awaiting handover in Toulouse, has been delayed following the airline's recent bankruptcy protection filing. Air Canada was unavailable for comment on the status of the deliv eries; Airbus declines to comment. SAA, which already operates the larger A340-600, has emerged as the most likely operator and SAA chief financial officer Richard Forson con firms that the airline has held "pre liminary talks" with Airbus, but says it has not yet received a formal pro- Austria has received two new unso licited proposals by Saab/BAE Systems and the Swedish govern ment, offering the choice of a reduced number of new Gripen fighters or leased remanufactured Swedish air force aircraft. Both are pitched as lower-cost alternatives to the Eurofighter Typhoon sel ected earlier by Vienna, but which has not yet been ordered. Saab/BAE Systems has revised its offer to Austria, reducing from 24 to 18 the number of new Gripens offered in line with the proposed reduced Typhoon purchase. With a recent change in government and popular opinion opposed to the $2.7 billion Eurofighter deal, parlia mentary approval to fund the acqui sition is in question. Sweden's pro curement agency FMV is offering Austria an even lower-cost alterna tive, based on the renegotiated lease deal with Hungary. "Austria's fleet of [Saab] Drakens posal. "I can't say we are seriously looking, but if Airbus makes a pro posal, we will look at it," he says, adding that Airbus is also talking to other carriers about the aircraft. Emirates, which has six A340- 500s on order, is understood to have also been contacted about the air craft. The Dubai carrier was already due be the second airline after Air Canada to receive the -500, "in September. Singapore Airlines (SLA) is the only other airline customer will be phased out in late 2005 and they will need something before then as a replacement," says Lt Gen Kent Harrskog, defence ministry senior adviser and former chief of the Swedish air force, speaking to Flight International during the LAD '03 defence show in Brazil. "They can take six of our Gripen aircraft and start flying immedi ately," he adds. "Almost all of Aus tria's pilots are also current on the QAS37] Viggen and so can handle a Swedish cockpit." In February, Hungary concluded a 10-year lease deal for 14 improved Gripens, equivalent to Sweden's JAS39C/D version, with the option to buy. The aircraft will be drawn from 40 JAS39As Gripens. The air craft will be upgraded with new- build fuselages and cockpits, but retain the wing, General Electric F404 powerplant and canopy for delivery in 2006. SEE SHOW REPORT P16 for the -500, and is due to put the type into service early next year. Meanwhile, Airbus has unveiled a higher weight option for the A340-500 to boost range to 16,400km (8,860nm) and reduce the performance gap with the Boeing 777-200LR, which can fly 16,980km. The baseline A340-500 has a maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of 368,000kg (810,6001b) and a 4,000kg MTOW increase is now available to extend the range by 300km, without the need for struc tural changes. The enhanced performance pack age for the A340-500/600's Rolls- Royce Trent 500 has been certifi cated and the engine is due to enter service on SIA's A340-500s. R-R says the package will be standard on Trent 500s. In-service aircraft will be upgraded in 2004. ADDITIONAL REPORTING BY HILKA 6IRNS IN CAPE TOWN BUSINESS AVIATION Extra set to emerge from insolvency Flight tests of the Extra Flug- zeugbau EA-500 business turboprop are to resume in May as the German manufac turer emerges from insolvency. A team of business consul tants is confident a refinancing deal will be concluded within two to six weeks. Corvin Huber, aviation busi ness development consultant for Extra, says: "The adminis trator has continued full prod uction of the aerobatic line and maintained capability on the business aviation line while pursuing an investor solution that includes the assumption that the EA-500 will be certifi cated by year-end." Flight testing of the turbo prop was put on hold in January after the company entered voluntary insolvency. Air Canada was due to be the first airline to take delivery of the 313-seat A340-500 in May SPACEFLIGHT Space Shuttle grounded DEFENCE PAUL LEWIS / RIO DE JANEIRO Austria offered Gripen deals as Eurofighter faces cost hurdles 6 29 APRIL - 5 MAY 2003 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.flightinternational.com
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