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Aviation History
2003
2003 - 0907.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT SARS Governments plan rescue mission for Asian airlines Asian governments have begun offering assistance to airlines in a bid to contain losses caused by the sharp drop in demand due to the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak. Taiwan was the first to announce cuts to airport user charges, while also offering domestic airlines additional con cessions such as reductions on building and land rentals. Singapore followed suit by saying it would give airlines a 30% rebate on landing fees at Changi International Airport - in addition to a 15% discount that was announced late last year. Rental charges are also being cut by a further 10% at Changi. A15% reduction on rentals is already in place. Authorities in Hong Kong, where Cathay Pacific Airways and Dragonair are suffering par ticularly badly, were also expected to announce conces sions for the aviation industry. The Association of Asia Pacific Airlines (AAPA), which represents 17 Asia-Pacific carriers, and the International Air Transport Association praised the moves to reduce charges, which both associations had been pressing for. "The outbreak of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome has hit aviation with a full body blow on top of our struggle to cope with the aftermath of the Iraq war and a global economic slowdown," says IATA director general and chief executive Giovanni Bisignani. IATA is again calling on the operator of Tokyo Narita airport to lower its charges, which it says are the highest in the world. AAPA has said that the sharp drop in traffic caused by the spread of the SARS virus since March is posing the most seri ous threat ever to Asia-Pacific airlines, many of which have slashed capacity - some by up to 50%. EVALUATION NICHOLAS IONIDES / SINGAPORE A340-600 and 777-300ER contest ANZ long-haul role New Zealand carrier expected to conclude widebody evaluation later this year Air New Zealand (ANZ) is evaluat ing the Airbus A340-600 and Boeing 777-300ER as potential Boeing 747-400 replacements. Industry sources say the evalua tion is expected to be completed in the third quarter of this year with orders possible before the end of the year. Boeing is understood to be planning to fly one of the 777- 300ER development aircraft to ANZ's Auckland base later this year as part of the flight-test programme. The sources say it is unclear what impact, if any, the carrier's proposed alliance with Qantas Airways will have. Regulatory authorities are expected to issue final rulings on the proposals in June. ANZ's studies cover the replace ment of some or all of its eight 747- 400s, four of which are leased from International Lease Finance (ILFC) and four of which it owns. The air line has long been seen as a poten tial customer for the A340-600 or 777-300ER and the manufacturers initially hoped for orders to replace 747-200s that the carrier phased out between 1998 and early 2001. ANZ may be able to examine a 777-300ER at its Auckland base this year No orders for new long-haul air craft were placed, however, as ANZ fell into severe financial difficulty in 2001, requiring a government bail-out that was completed early last year. It has since placed its first Airbus order with a deal to acquire 15 Airbus A320 family aircraft to replace nine Boeing 737-300s and four Boeing 767-200s. ANZ declines to comment on the studies and will not confirm when lease terms expire on the four ILFC- owned 747-400s. But according to Airclaims' CASE database, leases are due to end on three of the aircraft in 2009 and on one in 2005. • Qantas says it is talking to Airbus about deferring deliveries of nine Airbus A330s on order due to capac ity cuts as a result of Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome. The airline has so far received three General Electric CF6-80El-powered A330s. Its remaining nine are due over the next two years. Qantas says Boeing 747-40OER and 737-800 deliveries planned this year will go ahead. If the airline defers A330 deliveries, it says it could retain Boeing 767s which the A330s were to replace. SERVICES MARY KIRBY / WASHINGTON DC & ALEXANDER CAMPBELL / LONDON Carriers aim to re-enter Baghdad Airlines around the world are preparing to reopen scheduled ser vices to Baghdad as soon as their governments will allow it. In Europe, British Airways is preparing to restart services to Baghdad International Airport (for merly Saddam International), which have been suspended since 1990. Chief executive Rod Eddington says he plans to operate three Boeing 767 services a week "as soon as political stability and security return". Virgin Atlantic chairman Sir Richard Branson says Virgin will operate relief flights, to be followed by a scheduled service. Air France and Lufthansa say they have no plans to operate to Baghdad at the moment. Gulf Air says that "final prepara tions are under way" to start services, initially carrying humani tarian aid. Its local rivals - Dubai- based Emirates and Qatar Airways - are also understood to be evaluat ing flights to the Iraqi capital. Two US carriers, North American Airlines and World Airways, are also applying to the Department of Transportation for permission to serve Baghdad. World plans to operate three scheduled passenger and cargo services from Wash ington Dulles via Geneva, while North American wants to operate scheduled flights from New York Kennedy via Geneva. The carrier also wants to serve Afghanistan and Kuwait via Geneva. A presidential executive order lifting the US ban would be required before any US carrier could serve Iraq. "We are not aware of any imminent plans when or if an executive order will be coming," says the DoT. UN sanctions, imposed after the 1990 invasion of Kuwait, banned all commercial flights to or from Iraq, but after Saddam Inter national reopened in August 2000, sanctions-busting flights arrived from France, Russia and a number of Middle Eastern and North African states. 8 29 APRIL - 5 MAY 2003 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.flightinternational.com
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