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Aviation History
2004
2004-09 - 1364.PDF
BUSINESS AVIATION STRATEGY HOWARD GETHIN / MOSCOW Moscow plans for regional air taxis Russian capital looks for investors to finance services to be run from airfields around the city's outer ring road Moscow's city government is con sidering launching a $1.4 billion air-taxi scheme using eight-seat business aircraft and helicopters to provide transport services within a 500km (270nm) radius of the city. The service will be run from loca tions around the capital's outer ring road, including Vnukovo airport and possibly other airfields, includ ing Myachkovo (a general aviation centre) and Bykovo airports. The plan is contingent on Moscow finding private investors willing to finance construction of the necessary infrastructure. The system is likely to be based around the dedicated business terminal at Vnukovo airport, which now han dles 450 flights a month, up from 70 a month three years ago. The city is to search for investors by year-end, when the plan is fur ther developed, and an air-taxi oper ator will be set up next year. The Moscow government will have a blocking 25% stake in the new firm. The plan does not yet specify which aircraft might be considered, but the Eurocopter AS355N, Kamov Ka-226 and Mil Mi-34 helicopters, the sin gle-turboprop Myasishchev M-101 and Cessna Caravan, and the Dassault Falcon 20 F-5 fixed-wing aircraft have all been examined. The Moscow government says it first has to tackle air traffic control restrictions for general aviation fly ing in Russia, which are governed by the same rules as commercial aviation - mandatory flight plans 24h before take-off, and military supervision of air traffic control. The city's government is negotiat ing with the air force on the issue. Regulations on flights over Moscow, banned for security rea sons, are also under review. FRACTIONAL OWNERSHIP Australian syndication scheme ready to roll Australian Jet Management is in discussions with Boeing and Gulfstream about acquiring Boeing Business Jets and Gulfstream G500s and G550s for a new corporate air craft syndication programme for the Australian market. Traditional fractional ownership schemes have failed to take off in Australia due to negative percep tions of corporate excess coupled with financial and taxation issues. The Astra Jetshare syndication scheme is the Australian version of fractional ownership, says Glen Conrad, chief executive of the Sydney-based operation. Corporate aircraft are syndicated or time- shared among a number of users, allowing them to pre-purchase hours of flying time. Conrad says the scheme is cost-effective and is designed to facilitate Australian Taxation Office benefits, allowing aircraft payments to be reported as off balance sheet, for example. The scheme was launched this month with a fleet of nine light jets, including Hawker 800s and Cessna Citation Bravos, owned by Hawker Pacific and Executive Airlines. Plans call for a Boeing BBJ, a Gulfstream G500 and a G550 to be based in Australia, talks for which are under way. Astra Jetshare has been estab lished by Australian and Japanese corporate and private.,investors in the transport industry, Conrad says. The Japanese investors will back an operation in Japan this year, which could involve a second BBJ. PRODUCTION Dassault 7X fuselage prepared for Merignac final assembly The fuselage of the first Dassault Aviation 7X business jet, seen here at Dassault's factory in Biarritz, France, was moved on 16 July to its Merignac plant near Bordeaux for final assembly. Dassault says the programme is "on track and has produced positive surprises" result ing from the advanced digital design and manufacturing techniques that have been applied for the first time to the aircraft. The fuselage and wing will be joined in mid-September, with first flight planned for the second quarter of 2005 and deliveries a year later. The 7X has an all-new wing and will be the world's first fly-by-wire business jet. INNOVATION? www.smiths-aerospace.com Building the Airbus A380 calls for innovative thinking. The Smiths landing gear actuation system is an innovative appr to "cockpit to gear" supply. The system utilizes electromechanical actuation enabling electronic control of emergency operation, higher pressures and new fluid formulations, titanium materials and advanced treatments. In the airliner SMITHS PERFORM smiths www.flightinternational.com FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 20-26 JULY 2004 37
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