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Aviation History
2003
2003 - 1736.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT START-UP Billion Air in Sardinia race The launch of a luxury airline to serve Sardinia is being planned by a leading figure in Formula 1 motor racing. Italian multi-millionaire Flavio Briatore, team boss of Formula 1 team RenaultFI, says the air line, Billion Air, would initially operate from Rome and Milan to Olbia, with services from the UK to the Mediterranean island being planned later. The move will put Briatore in direct compe tition with the Aga Khan's Sardinian airline Meridiana. "There would be a maximum of 50 to 60 people on any flight and a luxury service, including champagne, typical Sardinian food and the opportunity to watch a news programme filmed just minutes before departure," says Briatore. He adds that he hopes the airline will begin oper ations next year using BAe 146s. REVIVAL Gaza airport may reopen The Palestinian Authority has asked Israel to allow it to re open the international airport in the Gaza Strip and revive operations of Palestinian Airlines, grounded since late 2001, as part of last month's ceasefire agreement. The carrier suspended operations when the Israeli army ploughed up the 1,400m (4,590ft) long runway at Gaza's Dahania International Airport in December 2001. Dahania-based Palestinian flew to Arab countries includ ing Egypt, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates. The airport was also served by Arab airlines, including EgyptAir, with flights con trolled by the Israeli air force. Palestinian, which launched in 1997, operated a Boeing 727 and two Fokker 50s and held orders for two Bombardier CRJ200s and two Dash 8 Q300s. The fleet is stored in Jordan. NOISE REDUCTION GUY NORRIS / LOS ANGELES Nozzle's approval opens new chapter for MD-80 With production and certification agreements in place, only the customers are missing Jet Engineering of California has received US Federal Aviation Ad ministration certification for an engine exhaust nozzle that will make Boeing MD-80 series twinjets compliant with International Civil Aviation Organisation Chapter 4 noise limits. "We have a supplemental type certificate and we have an agree ment with JET Engineering to pro ceed. All we need now is launch cus tomers," says Rod Manion of Goodrich, which has teamed with JET to offer the MD-80 nozzle pro gramme. European MD-80 opera tors, which are seen as key candi dates for the modification, are poised to order the nozzle, but have asked for technical approval from Pratt & Whitney before commit ting, adds Manion. The engine maker is to study the nozzle to ensure it will not have long-term negative effects on the JT8D-200. There are over 1,100 MD-80s, of which around 1,000 are active, with most flying in North America (580) and Europe (290). Owners and operators such as GE Capital Aviation Services, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) and Spanair have all Operators want technical approval from P&W before making modifications sought data on the nozzle, which has demonstrated cumulative noise reductions of around lOdB. A lOOh flight-test effort on an MD-81 and ground tests have revealed unexpected specific fuel consumption savings of 2-3% at cruise and a 10°C (50°F) lower exhaust gas temperature Flight International, 1-7 October 2002). The 12-fluted Inconel nozzle weighs 17kg (381b) and attaches to the Goodrich-made thrust reverser and adds around 180mm (45in) to the overall length of the engine. "Initial indications are that there will be no need for additional tests by P&W," says Manion, who is opti mistic that first modifications could be under way by the end of the year. "We will bring in customer air line rotable units and modify them," says Manion. He adds that the company plans to produce a minimum of 12 shipsets a month. Manion says MD-80 operators are "anxious [for the nozzle] because MD-80 values are plummeting and a real benefit in the long term is fleet-value assessment". Approval, for MD-80s up to a maximum take off weight of 70,370kg, does not include the heavier MD-83 option. DISPUTE RAINER UPHOFF / MADRID Spanish unions slam 'safety' law Spanish airline employees claim that a recently approved Spanish aviation safety law contravenes modern safety practices and is about controlling industrial action. The professional associations represent ing pilots, air traffic controllers and maintenance workers say the law is "establishing heavy fines for avia tion professionals without address ing the root causes in the system". They say the law lacks "efficient regulatory policies to improve safety"; gives a free rein for the state "to militarise air traffic control without clearly defining the condi tions for taking this step"; enables the "privatisation of flight and maintenance operations inspec tions"; and clears courts to use "information obtained through anonymous reports". "Any pilot flying in Spain can be fined for deliberately delaying a flight, but also for taking off without adequate pre-flight checks," says Andoni Nieto, head of Spanish pilot union Sepia. "This is a safety rele vant contradiction as it creates unacceptable time pressure." Klaus Koplin, secretary general of the European Joint Aviation Authorities, says he is reluctant to comment on the new law because he is not familiar with it, but says in principle that drawing up puni tive laws that could influence the conduct of safety operating proce dures "is dangerous ground". Carlos Salas, vice-president of the European Cockpit Association (ECA) in Brussels, suspects other political intentions beyond avia tion safety. "This is a strange law," he says. He believes it contradicts European and JAA harmonisation efforts and that it aims to create the "legal ground for disciplining pilots, mechanics and controllers in the event of a labour conflict". 10 8-14 JULY 2003 FLIGHT INT ERNATIONAL www.fliqhtinternational.com
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