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Aviation History
2004
2004-09 - 2427.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT PRIVATISATION Italy kicks off Alitalia part privatisation The Italian government has begun the process towards the long-awaited partial-privatisation of Alitalia, as the European Commission mulls over whether to carry out a formal investiga tion into suspected state aid, writes Pino Modola. The Italian cabinet has approved the prime minister's decree to appoint an external adviser and the sale of at least 12.5% of the company stock by the treasury, which will reduce the government's holding in the airline to less than 50%. The decree must now be sub mitted to the parliamentary transport committees for approval. According to European Union sources in Brussels, the note the Italian government sent earlier this month to the EC indicates that the privatisation will be car ried out using financial markets and/or industry players, there fore not ruling out the possible involvement of a major carrier. Such a solution was rejected by some of the government's coalition partners last year, when it seemed likely that Alitalia would join the Air France-KLM alliance. The privatisation effort comes as Alitalia's financial situation worsens and it now forecasts a similar result this year to the €520 million ($670 million) loss suffered in 2003. NAVIGATION DAVID K AMI NSKI-MORROW / LONDON Aeroflot and Finnair first to order Airbus's FANS-B Two carriers take new avionics package that has evolved from earlier system Aeroflot Russian Airlines and Finnair have become the first two carriers to sign up for Airbus's new Future Air Navigation System-B (FANS-B) avionics package, devel oped for operations in high-density airspace. FANS-B is designed to be compli ant with air/ground datalink over the International Civil Aviation Organisation Aeronautical Tele communication Network (ATN), a network for air traffic control and airline communications capable of supporting a range of datalink technologies. The avionics package has evolved from the original FANS-A system, aimed at low-density oceanic navi gation and installed on long-haul Airbus types such as the A330 and A340. But continental airspace, with its characteristically higher traffic density, requires a high-speed datalink system tailored for the more-demanding environment. Aeroflot is to install FANS-B on 18 narrowbodies - eight A319s, seven A320s and three A321s - while Finnair is to put the system on 29 twinjets: 11 A319s, 12 A320s and six A321s. In line with Airbus's drive for cockpit commonality, FANS-B uses the same avionics architecture and cockpit systems as FANS-A. Airbus manager for air traffic management systems engineering Thomas Fixy says: "FANS-B is smartly integrated in the Airbus glass cockpit with dedicated dis plays and visual attention-getters specially designed to meet opera tional requirements of high-den sity environments such as Europe." Fixy adds that the manufac turer's objective is to certificate FANS-B by the end of 2006. REBRANDING Martinair reveals new livery on 767-300ER Martinair unveiled its first major rebranding for more than 33 years last week on one of its Boeing 767-300ER.S. As part of the revamp, aircraft cabins are being modernised, and a new cold-meal concept is being introduced on European flights. Meanwhile, the Dutch airline has set up a mini-hub in Miami, from where it is operating flights to San Jose, Costa Rica. The airline will operate 14 weekly flights from Miami, seven of which will route to San Jose. SUPPLIERS VLADIMIR KARNOZOV / MOSCOW Russia takes on 7E7 role as Boeing boosts ties Boeing chief executive Harry Stonecipher signed a framework agreement with Russia's industry minister Victor Khristenko during a visit to Moscow last week. The agreement will see an expansion in the co-operation between Russian industry and the US firm. Khristenko says the new agree ments call for joint projects worth $2.5 billion over the next six years, compared with $2.3 billion worth of joint projects performed over the past 10 years. The pact calls for Russian participation in the Boeing 7E7 programme; an increase in the supply of Russian titanium to Boeing; and further co-operation on the Sea Launch, Land Launch and International Space Station space projects. Russian carrier Aeroflot has indicated its interest in ordering the new 7E7 twinjet to supplement its Boeing 767s on long-haul routes. For the 7E7, the two sides have agreed to co-operate in airframe design using new technologies, working particularly with the Russian Academy of Science, cen tral aerohydrodynamics institute TsAGI, national institute of avia tion technologies NIAT and All- Russia Scientific Research Institute of Aviation Materials. Russia will participate in the development of the 747-400 Large Cargo Freighter that will be used to ferry 7E7 sub assemblies. Stonecipher signed a separate agreement with titanium supplier VSMPO on "a considerable increase of titanium supply", the joint devel opment of new alloys and titanium processing technologies and devel opment and production, by Boeing's Moscow Design Center and VSMPO, of "ready-to-use" titanium parts for Boeing aircraft. 14 23-29 NOVEMBER 2004 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL www.flightinternational.com
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