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Aviation History
1985
1985 - 0006.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT Sir Freddie plans a comeback LONDON Sir Freddie Laker has not given up his ambition to run a low-fare transatlantic airline. Speaking recently at his West Sussex, UK, home for the BBC's "Today" programme, Sir Freddie said that he wants to resurrect Laker Airways, confident that he will win his anti-trust case Flight, December 1, page 1434). "I will not give up aviation; it's like asking a pigeon to do something else than fly," he says. "I have devoted 46 years to aviation and built up a substantial amount of know ledge," he added. Sir Freddie expects his case will go "the whole nine yards". Cross-examination into Sir Freddie's anti-trust allega tions that British Airways, British Caledonian, Sabena, KLM, Lufthansa, Swissair, SAS, and UTA, together with McDonnell Douglas and its finance corporation, conspired to put Laker Airways out of business are expected to begin in January, he says. He hopes that the case will come to trial in July/August. It is ironic that Sir Freddie, whose knighthood came from Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's recommendation for his service to private enterprise, should return to haunt British Airways at such a delicate time, undermining the transformation of a State- owned airline into a privately- owned company. Sir Freddie says that he will need $580 million just to replace his aircraft fleet. The civil anti-trust suit being put by Laker's liquidator, London accountants Touche Ross, claims $350 million which, if won, would automatically be trebled. TR says that credi tors would immediately be paid about $170 million, including some $5 million owed to ticket holders. Other major creditors are Airbus Industries and McDonnell Douglas. Touche Ross maintains it is not the liquidator's job to see penalties applied but to see creditors paid, and that Swedair introduces SF.340 Swedish regional airline Swedair took delivery of its first Saab-Fairchild SF.340 on December 21. The airline ordered ten SF.340s in February 1981, as one of the launch customers for the type, and delivery is to be completed in 1986. The first aircraft will begin services between Stockholm and Borlaenge, in Decarlia, on January 6. approaches out of court by the defendants in the case are politely received. Meanwhile it is understood that private negotiations continue between BA and Laker's liquidator on a possible out-of-court settlement. Sir Freddie claims that in the heyday of Laker Airways one in 14 transatlantic passengers took seats on his airline. Lufthansa chooses Cheyenne trainers FRANKFURT Lufthansa has placed an $8 million order with Piper Aircraft for three Cheyenne IIIA turboprops for pilot training, and has taken an option on a fourth. Swissair and West German Air Force pilots will also train on the aircraft. The aircraft, to be delivered in spring 1987, will be used in conjunction with two full- flight simulators to be based at Lufthansa's training centre in Bremen. Piper says that it will provide the yet-to-be- disclosed simulator manu facturer with a complete Cheyenne IIIA data package, as well as two flight shipsets. Lufthansa and Piper engineers have redesigned the flightdeck of the Cheyenne to feature Rockwell Collins' five- tube Efis instruments to familiarise Lufthansa and Swissair student pilots with modern cockpit design similar to that in the Airbus A310. Modifications have also been made to the aircraft interiors. Robert J. Myer, vice- president marketing of Lear Siegler, Piper's parent com pany, says: "We foresee this agreement as a major pene tration for Piper into airline, government, and military flight training markets. We are extremely pleased with the order, and believe Lufthansa is getting the best possible aircraft, along with an excep tional support package". According to senior v-p operations Prof Dr Heinrich Beder, Lufthansa selected the Cheyenne IIIA because: "it is quiet, stable and efficient". He expects the three aircraft will fly some l,400hr a year. "The intensive utilisa tion rate of these aircraft require them to incorporate a high degree of reliability," he says. "The Cheyenne IIIA features modern systems and structures with optimal main tainability. Piper has shown a great deal of flexibility con cerning the special require ments demanded for such training aircraft". Greyhound teams with PE NEW YORK Greyhound Lines, the giant US bus company, is now serv ing six US airports from 22 cities exclusively for People Express passengers. The arrangement comes as something of a surprise, because People Express, with its low-cost air fares on domestic routes, had been a major competitor to Grey hound's buses. The deal, a PE spokesman says, was initiated by Greyhound. "The company has taken a sort of 'if you can't beat them join them' attitude", he adds. Presently Greyhound is serving Newark, Detroit, Miami, Burlington, Portland, and Sarasota/Bradenton Air ports in the new Airport Express scheme. Greyhound Lines vice-president market ing Terry Underwood hopes that the service will expand to a further 17 airports, involving other airlines as well as PE. The new service, he hopes, should generate $500,000 in revenue in the first six months and upwards of $1-5 million annually from • the Philadelphia-Long Island route alone. Greyhound will operate 56 daily trips to and from Newark Airport alone. FLIGHT International, 5 January 1981
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