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Aviation History
2004
2004-09 - 0539.PDF
HEADLINES DEFENCE Singapore revives naval helicopter competition Singapore has issued a revised tender for six naval helicopters in a newly reduced configuration, restarting a procurement delayed two years by budget constraints, writes Brendan Sobie. Eurocopter, NH Industries and Sikorsky received a new invitation to tender late last month and have until 1 June to respond with bids for the AS532C Cougar, NH90 and S-70, respectively, say industry sources. The three manufacturers, orig inally shortlisted in 2001, submitted a second round of bids late last year. But Singapore let the bids expire at the end of March without selecting a winner, presumably because all three exceeded the budget. Sources say Singapore, in an attempt to curb costs, has reduced the capability and quan tity of sensors and weapons to be installed on the helicopters. Singapore is also requesting only four helicopters to be delivered fully equipped, with options to buy additional equipment for the other two later. In previous tenders Singapore asked for costings on six to eight fully equipped helicopters for six new frigates to be delivered from 2005. The new bids will be valid through 31 March 2005, suggest ing a contract by the end of the current fiscal year AIR TRANSPORT MAX KINGSLEY-JONES / DUBAI Emirates emerges as 7E7 stretch launch candidate Carrier says enlarged model is still too small but could be viable if terms are attractive Emirates says that it is a potential launch customer for the stretched -9 version of the Boeing 7E7, but wants to see a more attractive price tag before it considers placing an order. "We've already told Boeing that the baseline 7E7[-8] is far too small for us, but we could be interested in the stretch," says Emirates (air line) president Tim Clark. "They want us to come on to the pro gramme with the baseline 7E7, and help to define the stretch." Boeing claims that the new tech nologies offered by the 7E7 will produce a step change in cash operating costs - to the tune of 20% over existing twinjets. But Clark warns that these benefits could be ruined if Boeing "doesn't get the ownership costs right...it's down to the deal", he says. In Emirates' configuration, a three-class 7E7-9 would seat 245 passengers, "which is still a little bit too small for us", says Clark. He would like the stretch to be a three- class, 300-seater, to enable it to replace the airline's 777-20US - but "Boeing said that was too big". Clark says, however, that "if the economics are as good as adver tised, and the price is right, we could be interested". He adds that the delivery timeframe for the -9 is 2010 - two years after the baseline aircraft. The airline's existing long-term plan calls for its 237-seat Airbus A330-200s to start leaving the fleet in 2007, and as currently envisaged Emirates will focus on a fleet of much larger aircraft. "The plan was that the Boeing 777-300/A340-600 would be our smallest aircraft on our shorter routes," he says, but he adds that the 7E7 stretch could find a niche at the airline on certain long thin routes. SEE COVER STORY P8 DELIVERY Air France receives first of 16 777-300ERs Air France has taken delivery of the first Boeing 777-300ER on lease from International Lease Finance. The twinjet is the first of 16 777-300ERs that the Sky Team alliance carrier is acquiring. Boeing has booked orders for 71 777- 300ERs, and is also developing the smaller, ultra- long-range 777-200LR variant of the widebody. Both twinjets are powered exclu sively by the General Electric GE90 turbofan. AIR TRANSPORT CHRISTINA MACKENZIE / PARIS Luxor Air fails Dutch safety test as ban spreads Luxor Air has been banned from the Netherlands, Belgium, Switzerland and Italy after the Dutch civil avia tion authority performed an inspec tion under the European Civil Aviation Conference safety assess ment of foreign aircraft (SAFA) pro gramme at Schiphol airport. The check revealed the airline's staff could not make a correct estimation of the aircraft's weight, did not know how to load it correctly and could not use approved manuals. France also re-banned the Egyptian airline on 28 April just 13 days after ending the first ban imposed on 21 March after a near- crash over the western French city of Nantes (Flight International, 6-12 April). The ban was lifted on 16 April once Egyptian authorities had supplied satisfactory answers to the questions the French DGAC had raised concerning the airline. The Dutch civil aviation author ity says the first French ban alerted them to possible problems with Luxor Air, so "we decided to under take a SAFA inspection which revealed problems with weight and balance". The Egyptian authorities were given a week to answer some questions but when the answers failed to appear the airline was banned from 24 April. "If we are satisfied that the airline has addressed the issues we raised, then the ban could be lifted," the Dutch authorities say. These cross-border and near- simultaneous bans show that EU civil aviation authorities should have little trouble with legislation that will become mandatory within two years. This will require any EU state banning an airline to notify the European Commission, which can extend it throughout the EU. 4 4-10 MAY 2004 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.flightinternational.com
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