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Aviation History
1989
1989 - 0982.PDF
GPA takes turboprop leasing lead By Emma Stynes GPA Group's announcement last week (Flight, April 1) of orders for Dash 8-300 and ATR42 / 72 regional airlines worth $850 million, has en sured GPA Jetprop number-one position as the largest turbo prop-aircraft leasing company. The order for 35 ATR42s, 17 ATR72s, and 38 Dash 8-300s was welcomed by manu facturers Avions de Transport Regional (ATR) and Boeing de Havilland. ATR says its second big order from GPA brings the total number of 42s and 72s sold to 380. The company is presently seeking authority from its board to increase production to six aircraft a month by 1992. "We would like to be produc ing between eight and ten air craft after 1992, and we expect to have 1,000 aircraft in the air by 2005," the company says. GPA's Dash 8 order is the largest in de Havilland Canada's history, and probably the largest order ever for a single model of turboprop aircraft, according to company marketing and sales vice-president Tom Appleton. "It will be of great benefit to carriers around the world, giving them options on financing for fleet expansion," Appleton says. GPA Jetprop will take the main body of new aircraft directly into its own portfolio, with ten of the ATR42s going to its associated company GPA- ATR, a joint venture owned by GPA Jetprop (50 per cent), ATR (25 per cent), Instituto Bancario San Paolo di Torino (12-5 per cent), and Banque Indosuez (12-5 per cent). GPA Group chairman Dr Thomas Ryan says the orders represent a breakthrough in a significant new direction for the group. He says GPA Jetprop (a joint venture with PWA) forms a special-purpose company to serve the growing commuter airline market. GPA Jetprop managing director Niall Greene says that commuter airlines need 3,500 additional turboprop aircraft by the turn of the century. "The speed, efficiency, and comfort of modern turboprops bring the advantages of larger ATP returns to USA An order for 14 British Aero- <i airliners from Air Wisconsin marks the 64-seat twin-turboprop's return to the US market. The United Express carrier has i -.i a fnitncr six ATPs. The $200 million deal takes the value of orders placed with BAe I: i .,nto$500 million. The US regional air line also operates BAe 146s. The lust thiee ATPs are scheduled for delivery to Air Wisconsin during'. the last quarter of 1989. Six more will follow in 1990, with the • in 1991. BAe last year lost its US launch customer when Wings A had to cancel an ordet for 10 ATPs to clear the way for its take-over by American Airlines, following the Air Wisconsin deal, BAe sees a tit i»ht future for ATP in the USA. "The pressure on slots being experienced by the US regional airlines means they cannot increase the number of flights, so they must increase the number of seats available per flight," argues BAe. "We see the ATP fulfilling a role as an advanced turboprop capable of providing the necessary seat capacity." aircraft types to remote regional markets to provide unique operational flexibility and economies for smaller airlines," Greene says.' "This order positions GPA to meet that demand with the most up-to-date and efficient equip ment available." Under previous orders GPA Jetprop has taken delivery of one Dash 8-100 and has a further 13 on order. In 1987, GPA-ATR ordered 20 ATR42s and five ATR72s and, to date, has taken delivery of four of the ATR42s. Greene denies emphatically that GPA Jetprop is gambling on future demand. "My share holders are certainly not of the type to allow a $850 million gamble. We continue to conduct extensive studies into this area, and we are sure that this last order will prove to be most necessary to regional airlines for adaptability and financial profitability in the near future," he says. "This order represents a significant lead for GPA Jetprop over all other leasing com panies. There is no dispute in our leading the turboprop leas ing business—nobody else has seven new-technology turbo prop aircraft already out on lease," says Greene." Fokker 50 fills Crossair gap The order from Swiss regional airline Crossair, for up to six Fokker 50s to fill the gap until delivery of its Saab 2000s, takes orders for the 50-seat twin-turboprop to 130—98 firm and 32 on option. Fokker has agreed to buy back the aircraft once Crossair receives its Saab 2000s. ORDER BOOK ~ Varig orders 767s Varig ha.v I.I-M d four Boeing 767- 300ERs worth about $300 million, for delivery from Mfovember 1989 to mid-1990. 3 767 for Zimbabwe Air Zimbabwe has exercised its option on a second Boeing 767-200 powered by Pratt & Whitney PW4000 engines, for delivery in August 1990. • Pan Am opts for ATR Pan American Express has convened options on three ATR72s for delivery in 1990 and has taken, options on six more. NEWS IN BRIEF illins sells TCAS Air Canada and Pan American World Airways have ordered TCAS I! traffic alerl and collision avoidance systems from Rockwell-Collins, Air Canada will equip its entire fleet, including Airbus A320s g 747-400s on order and expects to be the first airline to fly a fully certificated TCAS II system in revenue service, late this year or early in 1990. Pan Am will also •e, 152-aircraft, fleet starting later this year. Collins began flight-testing its latest TCAS II system last December. • TWA and windshear Trans World Airlines is to retrofit 153 Boeing 727s, Lockheed LlOlls, and McDonnell Douglas DC-9s with Honeywell windshear avoidance equipment. The r for windshcar detection and secoveij ,,> ' < systems is worth $5-1 million. Deliveries to TW will begin in mid-1989* • Jordan chooses Honeywell Honeywell is to supply wind- shear avoidance equipment for Royal Jordanian Airline's seven Lockheed L1011 TriStars, the first non-US international airline to order such equipment, the manu- facturei claims. Installation is to begin in 1990. O Crossair picks Collins Crossair of Switzerland will be the first regional airline to use Rockwell-Collins' TWR-850 turbulence-detecting weather radar when its Saab 340Bs are delivered. Crossair has 25 340Bs on order and will retrofit 10 of its 340As with the solid-state radar, which measures , and displays turbulence directly. The airline will also standardise on Collins Pro Line II avionics across its 340-strong fleet. 12 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL, 8 April 1989
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