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Aviation History
2004
2004-09 - 1977.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT OPERATIONS MAX KINGSLEY-JONES / LONDON Airbus runway problem surfaces New asphalt at Finkenwerder is replaced after stones damage several aircraft during heavy braking tests Airbus has been forced to resurface the runway at its Hamburg Finkenwerder plant twice in as many months after new asphalt caused damage to aircraft. The runway's 30-year-old surface was replaced in August as part of improvements and an extension built to enable it to handle the A380. Although the asphalt was specified to "international airport standards", the manufacturer says A Beluga lands without reverse thrust due to flying grit problems there were problems with grit and stones damaging aircraft paintwork during braking with reverse thrust. After several attempts to "attach the grit" failed, such as applying a liquid chemical, the runway was closed for four days last week to replace the asphalt with a "smooth surface", says Airbus. Meanwhile, delivery of three Airbuses was undertaken from Hamburg's inter national airport. The plant is responsible for assembly and delivery of all Airbus single-aisle models except the A320, and the runway is used for test and evaluation flights, as well as positioning of Toulouse-built A320s for completion. The runway also handles opera tions of Airbus's A300-600ST Beluga transports and employee shuttle flights. Airbus says that the problem arose because the airfield does not handle the same high volume of traffic as a major airport, where rub ber laid down by aircraft helps bed in the top surface. The problem was exacerbated due to the fact that a large proportion of Finkenwerder movements are test flights requiring full braking and reverse thrust to evaluate rejected take-offs (RTOs). Airbus confirms that several air craft were damaged during RTO tests and eventually all landings had to be carried out without reverse thrust. Flight International under stands up to seven aircraft received varying levels of damage, which has had an impact on some deliveries. AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT DAVID LEARMOUNT / LONDON Power shift from tower to cockpit goes on trial Trials of a new-generation terminal airspace air traffic management (ATM) system are under way at Germany's Langen air traffic control research centre. A simulation of traf fic in the Frankfurt Main airport ter minal area is being used to test the human/machine interface systems for the first step - airborne spacing, sequencing and merging - in a new Eurocontrol-led programme that will gradually see ATM move from the ground into the air. The first practical part of Euro- control's Cascade programme - which uses the technologies for automatic dependent surveillance (ADS) and air ground co-operative air traffic services by datalink - the trial is simulating real Frankfurt arrival patterns from cruising levels into the final approach to land. Air traffic controllers are being exposed to the techniques for shar ing with pilots the task of achiev ing more-precise sequencing and merging to enable higher landing rates to be achieved, with no reduc tion in safety. Controllers are being provided with on-screen display tools. One is a 4D (four-dimensional, where the fourth dimension is time) planner. This submits proposals to the responsible sector controller, pro jecting a final-approach sequence, together with target times for the aircraft at a metering fix and at the runway threshold. The air traffic controller, who may choose to delegate to the pilot separation distances and times to achieve waypoints, retains respon sibility for safe separation, and can vary the 4D planner advice if judgement dictates. This trial launches the Cascade programme, which has been sev eral years in preparation, and it will not move into its final phase until beyond 2020, when it is envisaged almost all ATM decisions will be taken in cockpits. Alex Wandels, formerly in charge of setting up the Link 2000+ datalinking programme, has been designated Eurocontrol's Cascade programme manager. LOW-COST CARRIERS BRENDAN S0BIE / YOKOHAMA Boeing gears up for battle . over 'critical' AirAsia order Boeing says it is "critical" that it beats Airbus in the competition to supply Malaysia's AirAsia with at least 40 new aircraft as it seeks to reverse the loss of several low-cost carrier (LCC) competitions in the region. AirAsia is the region's largest and fastest-growing LCC, with a fleet of 20 737-300s. It plans to select a new aircraft for its Malaysian low-cost operation and Thai affiliate Thai AirAsia by year-end. Airbus A320-family and 737-700/800 narrowbodies are being evaluated. AirAsia has said it plans to place firm orders for 40 aircraft and take options on another 40, although there have been recent reports that the final deal could be for 50 firm orders. "That is a critical one and we'll see where that one lands," Boeing Commercial Airplanes vice-president of marketing Randy Baseler told Flight International at the Japan Aerospace exhibition in Yokohama, near Tokyo. "We continue to talk to them. They operate 737s today and are doing very well with them. We hope they recognise the value of 737s." Last week Japanese start-up Star Flyer became the eighth LCC from the Asia-Pacific region in the past year to select the A320 over the 737. But Baseler says a victory in the AirAsia competition could result in more orders than all the losses combined. "Airbus has been very aggressive about these start-up carriers," says Baseler. "We'll see how long they stay in business. We feel very comfort able who our operators are." The A320 has already been selected by three low-cost carriers launch ing this year in Singapore - Jetstar Asia, Tiger Airways and Valuair. Over the last year Air Deccan of India, Cebu Pacific of the Philippines and Jetstar of Australia have also selected new A320-family aircraft over Boeing equivalents. Another planned carrier in India, Kingfisher, also recently selected the A320 over the 737. Baseler expects the LCC market will develop in Asia, but despite the many start-ups it is unsure of its near-term success given market impedi ments such as restrictive bilaterals and slot-constrained airports. 10 12-18 OCTOBER 2004 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.fliqhtinternational.com
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