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Aviation History
2004
2004-09 - 1891.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT DEVELOPMENT JUSTIN WASTNAGE / VIENNA ATR seeks a higher-thrust PW127 Airframer keen to upgrade turboprop aircraft family with more-powerful engines and improved avionics and cabin ATR has held talks with Pratt & Whitney Canada about producing a higher-thrust version of the PW127 turboprop engine as the air framer seeks to improve its aircraft family's hot-and-high performance. ATR says the exact extra thrust requirement is not yet denned for the 2,400shp (l,790kW) PW127E engine powering the 48-seat ATR 42-500 and the 2,750shp PW127F used on the larger ATR 72-500. ATR chief executive Filippo Bag- nato says: "For 20 years of the [ATR] programme, there has never been enough power." He adds that now the manufacturer has more cus tomers that operate in mountainous locations or hot climates, the issue is more pressing. Any uprated engine would be combined with upgrades to avionics and the cabin, although Bagnato says the combined improvements to the -500 fall short of creating a new variant. The company is also close to receiving European steep approach certification for the ATR 42-500 and is near to completing its design life extension programme. ATR is also launching a study to increase the maximum take-off weight (MTOW) of both models by 300kg (6601b) to meet increased US Federal Aviation Administration average passenger weight assump tions. Mario Formica, ATR vice- president for marketing, says the ATR 42's design has scope to increase the MTOW without air frame modification, but the ATR 72 will require reinforcement of the wings and fuselage. "Our engineers are finalising plans, but our aim is to have a higher MTOW certifica tion available by early 2005." The aim is to raise the MTOW of the ATR 72-500 from 22,500kg to 22,800kg. The ATR 42's MTOW will rise from 18,600kg to 18,900kg. The issue of average passenger weight is set to become more press ing in Europe too, says Mike Ambrose, director general of the European Regions Airline Associa tion. He told the ERA's general assembly in Vienna that a French proposal to raise average passenger weight assumptions by 3kg could lead to other developments: "Once they look at passenger weights, there will be a temptation to also look at baggage and, combined, it could have a real impact on payloads." POLICY ERA steps up campaign on regulation The European Regions Airline Association (ERA) has launched a rival long-term airtransport policy document to the European Commission's white paper as it intensifies its cam paign for better regulation. The ERA has proposed the creation of a pan-European transporta tion safety board (TSB) to mirror the US NTSB, writes Justin Wastnage. Launching A Vision for European Air Transport at the ERAs general assembly in Vienna last week, ERA director general Mike Ambrose said: "We cannot dispense with regulators, so instead we will give them advice to focus their efforts on the consumer" The association has led lobbying in Brussels recently against new airtransport regula tions. The new document covers the EC's European Transport Policy for 2010 white paper's topic areas of competition, environ ment, infrastructure and safety. Meanwhile, Association of European Airlines president Vagn Sorensen says it will issue an action plan "almost the same as the ERA one" to "launch polit ical debate about airtransport". EXPANSION NICHOLAS IONIDES / JAKARTA Garuda ramps up Citilink's 737 fleet to fend off low-fare competition Garuda Indonesia is to aggressively expand its low-cost Citilink divi sion in an attempt to retain its dominant position in the domestic market in the face of growing low- fare challengers. Executive vice-president com mercial Bachrul Hakim says Citilink will have its Boeing 737- 300 fleet greatly expanded as it pro gressively assumes responsibility for most of the group's flights of less than 2h, both domestic and international. Citilink operates four 737-300s on domestic routes, but the fleet will grow to 10 by the end of the first quarter of next year, most on lease from GE Capital Aviation Services. Meanwhile, its small fleet of Fokker F28s is being phased out. By the end of next year, 15-16 737-300s will be in operation, says Hakim, followed by "many" more in the following two years, some of which could come from Canada's own fleet. "Expansion is a must for Citilink," he says, adding that the no-frills carrier could be operating 60-70% of the state-owned airline group's under-2h flights within two or three years. Citilink was established in 2001 as a domestic feeder carrier operat ing F28s. But as new private airlines have been set up following an eas ing of licencing and ticket pricing restrictions, full-service domestic operations have come under intense pressure and Garuda sees Citilink as its tool to help retain market share. Separately, Hakim says Garuda is hoping to strike a deal with Boeing to enable it to take delivery of six long-deferred 777-200ERs and 18 737-700S. The aircraft were ordered before the carrier fell into serious financial difficulty in the 1990s and deliver ies were pushed back several times. Hakim says Garuda does want the aircraft but cannot afford to buy them because it is still paying back its sizeable debt. "We are in negotiation with Boeing," Hakim says. "Because of our financial situation, we don't have the luxury of being able to buy the aircraft. So one option may be to lease the aircraft from the manufacturer. "This is in the process of discus sion, but we have not found a solu tion yet." Citilink will expand its 737 fleet as the Fokker F28s (above) are phased out 8 5-11 OCTOBER 2004 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.fliqhtinternational.com
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