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Aviation History
2004
2004-09 - 0921.PDF
HEADLINES GENERAL AVIATION Firefighters seek smaller aircraft US firefighting agencies have unveiled plans to sign deals worth $66 million to replace 33 multi-engine airtankers with 119 smaller aircraft - but the dis posal of the large airtanker fleet on the eve of the wildland fire season has angered lawmakers. "We all know what's going to happen in the next few months," says Senator John McCain, referring to the annual summer explosion of wildland fires across the western states. "At the same time, an extremely valuable asset has been taken from the inventory." But a top federal official has defended the 11 May decision by the US Forest Service and the Bureau of Land Management to cancel the sea sonal contracts for large airtankers, which include mainly Lockheed P-2 Neptunes, Lockheed P-3A Orions and Douglas DC-7s. "The smaller aircraft and heli copters provide increased flexibility in their use than large tankers," says US Department of Agriculture under-secretary for natural resources and environ ment Mark Rey Since the 11 May decision, the US Forest Service -which Rey oversees - and the Bureau of Land Management have added two Bombardier CL-215s, 46 single-engine airtankers and 71 medium- and heavy-lift heli copters, raising the total airtanker fleet to more than 700 aircraft this summer. BUSINESS CHRISTINA MACKENZIE / PARIS France proceeds with plans to privatise 35% of Snecma Decision taken to go ahead despite concerns over business impact of high oil prices The French government has gone ahead with plans to privatise 35% of Snecma despite the high price of crude oil, which made it hesitate up to the last minute. The group will be quoted on the French stock market from 18 June at a share price to be set on 17 June that will be between €15.45 ($18.85) and €17.20 for institutional investors and €0.10 lower for private investors. Jean-Paul Bechat, the group's president, relieved that the deci sion was taken as planned on 4 June (Snecma's partial privatisation was postponed at the last minute in 2002), says the move will give the group much more flexibility. "We were an exception in the French aerospace sector, with all our partners such as EADS, Latecoere, Thales and Zodiac quoted on the stock market." He says the move will "give us purpose." He adds: "They are our friends and would not want to per turb this operation. They have said in the past that they are interested in holding between 5% and 10% of our capital, but that will be done in a separate, one-on-one operation." The government set the value of Snecma at €4.2-4.6 billion "which I think is a very attractive value for investors", Bechat says. the opportunity to take part in con solidation projects both through external growth and an exchange of shares. No such consolidation is on the cards in the immediate future." Yves Imbert, senior executive vice-president, says General Electric is unlikely to buy any shares "and if they did they would be unlikely to get more than about 0.1%, which would not serve them any ENGINES GE may offer share in GENX project Snecma is in talks with General Electric about participation in the latter's GENX engine for the Boeing 7E7 and hopes to make an announcement on a partnership before the Farnborough air show. "We are interested in partici pating in this programme," says Snecma president Jean-Paul Bechat, adding that the company could take a stake of up to 25% in the project. Snecma participates in several GE engine programmes and the pair are 50:50 partners in the highly successful CFM International joint venture. GE says: "We are in negotiation with Snecma over a possible share in the GENX, but they are far, far from being concluded." BUSINESS Bagnato is boss at ATR Franco-Italian regional aircraft manufacturer ATR has appointed former Eurofighter chief executive Filippo Bagnato as chief executive, replacing Jean-Michel Leonard. Bagnato began his new role on 1 June after Leonard's three-year mandate expired at the end of May. AIR TRANSPORT MAX KINGSLEY-JONES / TOULOUSE Airbus prepares to boost production next year Airbus is set for the first big ramp- up in production next year since its cutbacks after 11 September 2001, with a hike of at least 20% in A320 family output approved. The manufacturer will have its fourth flat year in output this year, delivering 300-305 aircraft, but Airbus chief executive Noel Forgeard says it is preparing to boost produc tion as the industry recovery gets under way. "The market is improv ing, despite high fuel prices and the threat of terrorism, and the airline industry is clearly picking up," he says. "We have already decided a 20% increase in our single aisle pro duction rate for some time next year, with a possible further increase before year-end." Forgeard declines to be specific on the timings or the numbers involved, but based on current lev els, the planned 20% boost would equate to a rate increase of a little over three units a month to about 22 aircraft. Airbus chief commercial officer John Leahy says the A320 family's 2005 production is already sold out at the current output level, with the need to increase rates being dri ven mainly by demand for the smaller models. "A319s and A320s are dominant...the A321 less so," he adds. 10 8-14 JUNE 2004 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.fliqhtinternational.com
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