FlightGlobal.com
Home
Premium
Archive
Video
Images
Forum
Atlas
Blogs
Jobs
Shop
RSS
Email Newsletters
You are in:
Home
Aviation History
1995
1995 - 2584.PDF
ilEADLmZZ NEWS IN BRIEF M FLIGHT DIRECTORY: EUROPE The final closing date for the 1996/7 Flight International Directory Mainland Europe has been confirmed as Friday 29 September, 1995. Entry is free. If you were in the 1994/95 directory and have not received an entry form, or you believe you should be in the book and need paper work, contact the directory editor urgently. Tel: +44 (1707) 665454; fax: +44 (1707)660330. • PAKISTAN FAVOURS MIRAGE Pakistani air force chief Gen Mohammed Abbas Khattak has declared himself in favour of purchasing 32 Dassault Mirage 2000-5 fighters. "We have no choice but to buy French aircraft, even though they are very expensive," he told Pakistani newspaper Dawn. The country is unable to buy Lockheed F-16s, as its nuclear-weapons programme resulted in a US arms ban, and Russia has apparently not made a formal offer of its Sukhoi Su-27. Pakistan already operates around 100 Mirage ins 3nd Vs. • ENDEAVOUR LAUNCH The much-delayed launch of the Space Shuttle STS 69/Endedvour took place from the Kennedy Space Center on 7 September. The 11-day STS 69 mission, with a five-man crew will feature the deployment and retrieval of the Spartan and Wake Shield free-flying spacecraft and a 6h spacewalk to prac tice space-station construc tion activities. • KAMAN HONOUR Kaman founder and chair man Charles Kaman has received the US Department of Defense's Distiguished Public Service Medal, its highest award for a non- career civilian, for "excep tionally distiguished service" as an inventor and pioneer in rotary-wing flight. Fokker submits its bail-out plan to Dutch Government ANDRZEJ JEZIORSKI/MUNICH FOKKER HAS delivered a stark warning to the Dutch Government that the company will be left facing a crisis unless the state shareholder approves a major injection of cash. The warning came as Fokker handed over a new business plan to Dutch economics minister Hans Wijers on 6 September. It is designed to convince the Government to join in a financial restructuring which analysts believe could involve new funding ofup to DF12 billion ($1.2 billion). Fokker's controlling sharehold er, Daimler-Benz Aerospace (DASA), has indicated that it is prepared to participate in the restructuring, provided that it is joined by the Dutch Government, which still retains a minority hold ing in the aircraft builder. "If the Government does noth ing, the threat of closure is getting very big. DASA cannot close the gap alone," warns Fokker in a state ment apparently designed to pres sure the Government into considering die plan. While the Government has Fokker says that 1995 orders will exceed those for 1994 said that it would not let Fokker collapse, Wijers has made it clear that funding depends on the com pany producing a convincing business plan. The Dutch Government is also insisting that DASA demonstrates concrete progress towards Euro pean co-operation on a regional- jet programme. Talks between the two major shareholders are due to start shortly and, although no deadline has been set, an agreement is expected before the end of the year. "For us, it's the sooner the better," says Fokker. The extent of the problems at Fokker came to light in August when the company unveiled an unprecedented loss of DF1651 million for the first half of the year. The manufacturer has also been left carrying heavy debts from its aircraft financing during die reces sion. Fokker has a portfolio of air craft worth around DF11.3 billion, although diere is an agreement in place for at least part of this to be taken over by Daimler-Benz' financing arm, Debis. Signs of market recovery are in prospect, says Fokker. This year, orders have been taken for 33 regional jets and 13 Fokker 50 turboprops, against a total of 50 orders for the whole of 1994. Production of regional jets, which slumped to 33 in 1994, is also on course to recover to 42 in 1995. • Technology-transfer key to regional-jet deal PAUL LEWIS/SINGAPORE CHINA'S AND SOUTH Korea's selection of a Western partner to help develop a new 100-seat regional jet will be determined by the level of for eign- technology transfer. According to South Korean aerospace sources, local industry access to new technology will be the key to choosing either a US or European partner, rather than equity share. China and South Korea want to avoid any restric tions being placed on the technol ogy provided. "Whatever the percentage stake is, the required technology to build an aircraft must be there," says a South . Korean industry source. "The question is, what do US and European manu facturers mean by technology transfer?" Aviation Industries of China (AVIC) and the Korean Commercial Aircraft Develop ment consortium (KCDC) are offering Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, and a consortium of European manufacturers a 20% stake in their proposed 100-seat twinjet project. A Western partner would be expected to provide aerodynamic and avionics technology in return, together with marketing support. AVIC and KCDC have also insist ed on Asian project leadership and production of the aircraft in Asia. A decision is expected by early October. The European consortium, comprising Aerospatiale, Alenia British Aerospace and Daimler- Benz, is understood to be pushing for at least a 30% stake, but has now abandoned a proposed sec ond production line in Europe. "We can't split 20% four ways," complains a European source close to the negotiations. A larger Western stake is likely to come at the expense of a third Asian partner. China and South Korea each hold a 35% share and were planning to offer 10% to another yet-to-be-selected Asian participant — possibly India. • FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 13 - 19 September 1995
Sign up to
Flight Digital Magazine
Flight Print Magazine
Airline Business Magazine
E-newsletters
RSS
Events
