26 February-4 March 2019 I flightglobal com

CUTAWAY

Better
by design
Why Aero Vodochody’s new
L-39NG is heading for success

ISSN 0 0 1 5 - 3 7 1 0
£3.90 Bye, BMI Down wonder
0 9
As another UK regional Royal Australian Air Force
operator goes under, what transformation gathers pace
9 770015 371310
prompted carrier’s demise? 16 with F-35 introduction 30
 The distribution strategies which deliver customers the right
services, at the right time, and through the right channels.

PARKROYAL on Pickering, Singapore, 23-24 May 2019

Key topics
Airlines are operating in a market where NDC / future distribution
digitization is making it constantly Retail / ancillaries
harder to add value. In order to avoid Chatbots
being left behind, airlines must identify PSS
the tools which allow them to build Loyalty
value into their offering, presenting Digital currency / Alternative Forms of Payment
customers with the right offers and Dynamic pricing
services, and on the right platform. Personalization
Blockchain and new payments

It is of increasing importance because, Steering committee

in today’s market, airlines’ bottom line is Dr. Narudh Cheramakara, Director of Aviation
being impacted by rising costs, shrinking Research, Nok Airline

margins, and fierce competition. To Greg Waldron, Asia Managing Editor,

FlightGlobal
counteract, they must capitalize on the
Donna Bahar, Manager Distribution and
demands from increasingly tech-savvy Reservation Systems, EL AL Israel Airlines
customers to deliver more personalized
Yanik Hoyles, Director NDC Program, IATA
offers, pricing, and products. .

To attend, visit: flightglobal.com/reach or contact +44 (0)2079 111 993

To sponsor, contact Rebecca Covey T: +44 (0)2079 111 490 E: rebecca.covey@flightglobal.com
To speak, contact Luke Hill T: +44 (0)2079 111 813 E: luke.hill@flightglobal.com
 CONTENTS
Volume 195 Number 5675
26 FEBRUARY-4 MARCH 2019

Commonwealth of Australia
F-35A takes up baton from
RAAF’s Hornets P30

BEHIND THE HEADLINES NEWS COVER STORY

Aaron Chong and Greg 24 Veteran returns
26 February-4 March 2019 I flightglobal com

Waldron were in Bengaluru, to the training game

CUTAWAY

Better
THIS WEEK by design
for Aero India (P10). Prague Aero Vodochody’s
6 Battle of the Xs for Airbus Helicopters
Why Aero Vodochody’s new
L-39NG is heading for success

drew Murdo Morrison for updated L-39NG

our technical review of Aero 7 MTU sees benefit of European fighter.
Faury rises to challenge of steadier output rates may closely resemble
Vodochody’s L-39NG (P24), its communist-era
and Dominic Perry visited 8 Future looks bleak for A380 residuals as Airbus predecessor, but under
Bell in Fort Worth (P36) ends era the surface is a raft of
SHOW REPORT new technology
ISSN 0 0 1 5 - 3 7 1 0
£3.90 Bye, BMI Down wonder

10 Big two buoyant over twin-aisle sales.

0 9
As another UK regional
operator goes under, what
9 770015 371310
prompted carrier’s demise? 16
Royal Australian Air Force
transformation gathers pace
with F-35 introduction 30

Private firm pushes UCAV and swarming drones

11 Upgraded Tejas Mk2 piles on pounds. FEATURES
Lockheed on the attack with rebranded F-21
REX/Shutterstock

INTERVIEW 30 Fifth-generation fighting force

13 How Cirium data will transform travel Fully integrating people and modern platforms –
now including F-35s – is key to Australia’s goal of
NEXT WEEK CONCORDE AIR TRANSPORT seamless air power. We get the view from one of
Fifty years after it first took 14 NMA may offer path to 737 successor its senior commanders
to the sky, our celebration of 15 Mountain wave hit Iranian ATR during
34 Regional struggle
Concorde and the need for dangerous descent
Australia’s ageing feeder fleet is characterised by
speed. Plus, Avalon coverage 16 Regional pressures mount, as BMI folds types that have been retired from use in other
17 Passenger perception key to A321XLR. countries – but rough market economics mean
Azimuth sees way for Superjet corporate shuttle renewal will be slow in coming
REGULARS DEFENCE 36 Rotorcraft special report
18 Ottawa receives first stopgap F/A-18s Bell’s technologically innovative Nexus air taxi,
5 Comment Leonardo’s Next-Gen Civil Tiltrotor and the outlook
19 Madrid formally gets aboard Franco-German
45 Straight & Level for Sikorsky’s S-92 in our HAI Heli-Expo preview
FCAS programme
46 Letters 42 Flight through the years… from 1909
20 Gripen E production takes off at Saab
48 Classified As Flight International celebrates its 110th
50 Jobs BUSINESS AVIATION anniversary, we mark this milestone with a series
55 Working Week 22 Bombardier focuses future on flagship highlighting the evolution of the world’s “first aero
23 EASA warns of explosive door release weekly” through our 11 decades in print

Download the new

theCommercial Engines Directory
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Download 2018 Commercial Engines Report
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flightglobal.com 26 February-4 March 2019 | Flight International | 3

19/07/2012 17:51
CONTENTS

Image of
the week
Boeing’s KC-46A recently
performed its first refuelling
of a Lockheed Martin F-35
stealth fighter. The activity
took place during testing
conducted from Edwards
AFB in California in late
January. The US Air Force
plans to field an eventual
179 of the 767-adapted
Pegasus tanker/transports

View more great aviation

shots online and in our
weekly tablet edition:
flightglobal.com/

US Air Force
flight-international

The week in numbers Question of the week

43%
Last issue, we asked: A380’s production end?
You said:

Revolution.Aero
Total votes: 3,155
Percentage of Britons who would hail an air taxi to help tackle
city transport congestion and reduce their commuting time

$3.7m
Ultra-large flop
1,546 votes
34%
Flight Dashboard 49% Gone too soon
1,077 votes

Cost – NT$114m – for China Airlines to increase the number

Respectable total
of rostered long-haul pilots as part of a deal to end strike 17% 532 votes

25
Years since Garmin opened the aviation satnav era with the
Garmin This week, we ask: Lockheed Martin’s F-21?
❑ Just marketing ❑ Hot-shot for India
❑ Outgunned by rivals
first FAA approach-approved IFR GPS receiver: GPS 155 TSO Vote at flightglobal.com

FlightGlobal’s premium news and data service delivers breaking air transport stories with profiles,
schedules, and fleet, financial and traffic information flightglobal.com/dashboard

Download the Military

Simulator Census online now.
CAE – Your worldwide training partner of choice www.flightglobal.com/milisim

4 | Flight International | 26 February-4 March 2019 flightglobal.com


Due for a revival?
Flag carrier
Attempting to celebrate the nation it serves without offending anyone in
divided Brexit Britain was always going to be a delicate balancing act, but
by treading with such care, BA has simply glossed over the issues it faces
C elebrating British Airways’ centenary in
the year of Brexit was always going to
be difficult.
BA’s retro liveries will keep the #avgeek
community happy, but the carrier’s most
delicate marketing challenge is creating a
meaningful message that captures the mood
of a nation divided following a referendum
decision in favour of leaving the EU.
“Dear Britain,” BA’s #BA100 video starts,
raising hopes that it might use the opportu-
nity to talk some sense into the country, as it
hurtles towards a 29 March deadline to leave
the EU without a plan in place.
No such luck. Instead, BA tells Britain: “We
love you,” and then goes on to explain why,
albeit in a slightly non-committal manner.
BA is undoubtedly between a rock and a
hard place with its marketing effort, and at
least managed to produce something that
probably will not offend anyone.
The reality is that while the overwhelming
majority of businesses view Brexit as a nega-
tive development, few – with the notable
exception of Airbus – are willing to speak
openly about it, as they fear the commercial
impact of being seen to take sides.
A more accurate #BA100 video narrative
would show the airline finding itself in Brexit
limbo, with no clear idea about the status of
the open skies agreements that underpin its
services, its ownership structure in doubt,
and where business planning in general is
difficult because no-one has a clue what the
flightglobal.com
REX/Shutterstock
UK’s future relationship with the EU will be.
That was presumably a much harder sell.
Instead, it veers towards stereotype,
­reminding us that the British are united by a
love of tea.
It ends the film with the message: “We love
you Britain. You make us who we are.” One
is left to imagine the gritted teeth through
which this might have been said.
Granted, this is just the beginning of a year
of celebration, and the first output from what
will be a much wider campaign.
As IATA director general
Alexandre de Juniac is keen
to remind people, aviation is
“the business of freedom”
But in what might be the biggest challenge
for BA’s marketing department amid its home
country’s Brexit divisions, a true celebration
of the carrier’s history surely demands a
­recognition that open borders are at the heart
of international travel.
As IATA director general Alexandre de Ju-
niac is keen to remind people, aviation is
“the business of freedom”.
Dare we suggest a #BA100 initiative in-
volving colourful tailfins that celebrate the
destinations BA serves?
See This Week P7
26 February-4 March 2019 | Flight International | 5
COMMENT
Fighting fit
W hat’s in a name – particularly when
your product seemingly already
has more than enough of them to choose
from?
Lockheed Martin surprised everyone
at the Aero India show near Bengaluru
by launching its F-21 fighter in pursuit of
a 110-unit opportunity with the nation’s
air force.
Was this product some masterstroke of
top-secret design work achieved by the
US giant, perhaps hidden behind the
scrutiny of its F-35 Lightning II activities?
No – it was instead a redesignation of its
rather clunkily titled F-16V Block 70
product, but with some nifty additions
made to tempt New Delhi.
So F-21, join the Fighting Falcon, Viper
and various other nicknames that the
single-engined type has gained since its
development by General Dynamics and
first flight 45 years ago (the “lawn dart”
among them). Be sure not to confuse it
with the F-21 variant of Israel Aerospace
Industries’ legacy Kfir, though.
But was the “launch” just a corporate
marketing manoeuvre, or something more
significant, in competitive terms?
What is clear from Lockheed’s latest
push is that New Delhi is not just being
offered some rebadged tired old fighter,
but a decades-proven, multirole asset to
be enhanced with valuable new features,
such as cutting-edge avionics and a refuel-
ling probe to better support its needs.
Of course, all the Western and Russian
fighter manufacturers preparing to do
battle for the air force deal will use
­
phrases like “produced in India, for
­
India”, but perhaps Lockheed’s early
strike could succeed in outmanoeuvring
some of them?
To some it appeared that the F-16 was
dead, but maybe there is plenty of life still
left in the old Falcon/Viper/F-21... ■
See Show Report P11
Lockheed Martin
Looks familiar?
THIS WEEK

BRIEFING
MORE SUPERJUMBOS EYED BY HI FLY
Demonstrator “offers
a path” to armed scout
programme

DEMAND Portuguese wet-lease specialist Hi Fly indicates that

it expects to take more Airbus A380s, with a decision likely after
it completes a “financial exercise” on the superjumbo. Its
­current example, leased from Doric, has attracted “significant
interest” since its introduction in mid-2018, and Hi Fly states:
“So far it looks like a few more units shall join the fleet.”

SAAB CONFIRMS TEMPEST DISCUSSIONS

Airbus Helicopters
COLLABORATION Saab has had “very fruitful discussions with
the UK and partners” regarding the Tempest concept unveiled at
last July’s Farnborough air show. Chief executive Hakan Buskhe
says the company could be willing to collaborate on future
European combat aircraft programmes, but so far has seen “no TECHNOLOGY DOMINIC PERRY MARIGNANE

Battle of the Xs for

detail” about a Franco-German-Spanish project.

KOREAN A220 ENGINE FAILURE PROBED

Airbus Helicopters
INCIDENT The US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
says an uncontained engine failure involving a Korean Air
Airbus A220-300 (HL8314) occurred as it climbed through
29,000ft en route from Busan to Nagoya on 26 December
2018. The Pratt & Whitney PW1500G had accumulated just European airframer has submitted offer to US Army’s FARA
417h through 529 cycles since delivery in late September. contest derived from X3 high-speed compound rotorcraft
“Examination revealed damage to the turbines and several
holes in the low-pressure turbine case,” the NTSB says.

BUSINESS AIRCRAFT CONTINUE RECOVERY

A irbus Helicopters has
pitched a design based on its
high-speed X3 technology for a
DATA Shipments of fixed-wing business and general aviation US Army programme to deliver a
aircraft rose in 2018 by 4.7% year on year, to 2,443 units, data new armed scout rotorcraft in the
from the General Aviation Manufacturers Association shows. mid-2020s.
There was a 1.5% rise in total shipment value, to $20.6 billion. The move, revealed by chief
Business jet manufacturers delivered 703 aircraft in 2018, up executive Bruno Even, will see
3.8% year on year. Turboprop shipments climbed by 5.2%, to the European manufacturer at-
601, while piston aircraft output rose by 154 units, to 1,139. tempt to break the stranglehold of
US airframers on the army’s
SUPERJET TAKES CITY BREAK ­Future Vertical Lift effort.
OPERATIONS Irish carrier CityJet has not used its fleet of Bell and a joint Sikorsky-­
seven Sukhoi Superjets to operate services since 7 January, but Boeing team are currently com-
disputes a claim by Sukhoi Civil Aircraft that it is “reconsidering peting to replace the service’s
its business model”. The airline declines to comment further. Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk
helicopters with their respective
AWHERO WORK LIFTS OFF AT PISA SITE V-280 tiltrotor and SB-1 com-
PRODUCTION Leonardo has opened a dedicated facility in pound-coaxial designs.
Pisa for the development and production of its AWHero rotary- In parallel, the army is also
wing unmanned air vehicle. The Italian company completed a seeking to restore the capability
first 10min flight in December 2018 with a pre-production lost when it retired its Bell OH-58
­example of the 200kg (440lb)-class type in Nettuno, near Rome, Kiowa Warrior fleet earlier this
with a second to start flight tests in the “next few months”. decade. Under that initiative – the
Future Attack Reconnaissance
FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL GETS NEW LOOK Aircraft (FARA) – an initial six de-
DESIGN As we mark our 110th anniversary during a year of signs will be selected by mid-year,
celebration, this issue of Flight International is the first using a potentially renewing European
refreshed design. We have drawn on the title’s proud heritage to interest in the market for high-
inspire our new-look cover and logo, in addition to simplifying speed military helicopters.
our contents page layout and also enhancing the appearance Even says the manufacturer has
of our news and feature pages. Our update coincides with the proposed an aircraft “based on the
launch of Cirium as the new name for FlightGlobal’s fast-growing technology that we have devel-
data and analytics business. oped” and matured on the X3.
See Interview P13 & Feature P42 The X3 was a self-funded dem-
onstration effort earlier this dec-
ade, which achieved a speed of
255kt (472km/h) with the com-
pound helicopter before the pro-
totype was retired in 2014.
Since then, Airbus Helicopters
has become involved in an EU-
backed programme to demon-
strate the next generation of high-
speed civil rotorcraft, building on
the X3 with its Racer design.
The manufacturer has not pre-
viously indicated any military ap-
plication for the technology, but
Even says there is “not so much
difference between civil and mili-
tary” uses for the X3-based design.
Scott Tumpak, head of govern-
mental programs and contracts at
US subsidiary Airbus Helicopters
Inc, confirms the manufacturer
submitted its proposal for the ini-
tial design phase in December.
Tumpak declines to offer detail,
but notes that, just as Racer offers
one path to a commercial product,
“you could also envisage a path to
evolve that [X3] technology for the
military mission as well”.
Although the army is only call-
ing for a cruise speed of around
180kt, Tumpak says a high-speed
design will still be required.
Airbus Helicopters faces com-
petition from Bell, a combined L3
Technologies-AVX Aircraft bid
and Sikorsky, among others. ■

6 | Flight International | 26 February-4 March 2019 flightglobal.com


DEVELOPMENT MICHAEL GUBISCH MUNICH
MTU sees benefit of European fighter
Engine maker believes overall sales would gain from single programme, but acknowledges its complexity concerns
M TU Aero Engines has not
ruled out the possibility that
the planned development of a fu-
ture combat air system (FCAS)
between France, Germany and
Spain, in which it is involved,
could ultimately be combined
with the UK’s parallel Tempest
programme, to deliver a new pan-
European fighter.
MTU chief executive Reiner
Winkler acknowledges that the in-
dustrial prospects, particularly
around exports, for both the FCAS
and Tempest could be undermined
by competition between the two.
Europe’s current three compet-
ing fighter programmes – the Das-
sault Rafale, Eurofighter and Saab
Gripen – struggle to match the
economies of scale, and therefore
lower unit costs, achieved by
their US rivals, making export
sales harder to clinch.
Winkler says it would make
commercial and political sense to
have a single programme, rather
MANUFACTURING DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW TOULOUSE
Faury rises to challenge
of steadier output rates
A irbus’s incoming chief has
highlighted smoother produc-
tion of the reconfigured A321neo
as a primary aim for the airframer’s
single-aisle line this year.
The company is raising
monthly single-aisle output to 60
aircraft by mid-2019 but has been
having to deal with customisa-
tion complexity on the “cabin
flex” version of the A321neo.
Chief executive-designate
Guillaume Faury, speaking in
Toulouse on 14 February, said
the “main challenge” this year,
“primarily in the second half”,
would be the ramp-up of this par-
ticular model.
He describes the aircraft as a
“great product” which is achieving
“fantastic success with airlines”,
flightglobal.com
Future looks bleak
for A380 residuals
as Airbus ends era
This Week P8
Rafale has achieved moderate export success, including Indian order
than two or more new European
fighters, but warns that a broader
shareholder base would also in-
crease the project’s complexity.
A number of multinational mil-
itary programmes, including the
Airbus Defence & Space A400M
transport and the NH Industries
NH90 helicopter, have experi-
enced difficulties relating to
sprawling customer requirements.
but admits: “Industrialisation of
the product is a bit of a challenge at
those production rates.”
But he is confident that the air-
framer will be able to smooth pro-
duction of the aircraft, whose fuse-
lage features a redesigned exit door
arrangement, enabling it to accom-
modate over 240 passengers.
Faury says the airframer’s target
is to “deliver much more single-
aisles” in the first quarter. Prob-
lems with Pratt & Whitney
PW1100G engines affected deliver-
ies of A320neo-family jets during
the first few months of last year.
Over the course of January
2019, Airbus delivered 33 A320-
family aircraft, substantially up
from the level of 21 for the previ-
ous January. ■
THIS WEEK
sue the FCAS project, comprising
future manned and unmanned
combat aircraft, which are sched-
uled to enter service by 2040.
Airbus and Dassault have been
recruited to jointly develop and
build the airframe, while Safran
Jagadeesh NV/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
Aircraft Engines will partner
with MTU on the propulsion
side. Spain joined the effort in
mid-February.
The UK government revealed
at the 2018 Farnborough air show
plans for a separate programme,
comprising a manned fighter and
unmanned aircraft, with BAE
With France and Germany hav- Systems and Rolls-Royce as the
ing been nominated as “lead na- respective airframe and engine
tions” for the current FCAS effort, suppliers.
the small number of initial part- Winkler acknowledges that if
ners should keep the development R-R were to join a combined ef-
process comparatively straightfor- fort, it would dilute MTU and Sa-
ward, Winkler said, speaking at a fran’s shareholdings in the pro-
financial results briefing in Mu- ject. But he says this might be
nich on 20 February. acceptable if it delivered im-
In 2018, the French and Ger- proved overall sales. ■
man governments agreed to pur- See Defence P19
British Airways
CENTENARY
BA rolls back years with BOAC livery
British Airways’ celebration of its 100th anniversary got under way
on 18 February with the unveiling of the first of several aircraft with
retro colour schemes. The initial jet, a Boeing 747-400 (G-BYGC),
has been repainted in the BOAC livery of BA’s predecessor in the
1960s and early 1970s. “A big part of celebrating our heritage is
celebrating some great moments in BA’s history, such as BOAC,”
says Hamish McVey, head of brand and marketing at the carrier.
BA is expected to reveal further details soon of its plans for further
“retrojet” liveries, rumoured to include earlier British Airways
schemes along with that of BEA, BOAC’s short-haul contempo-
rary, which is believed to be destined for an Airbus A319.
26 February-4 March 2019 | Flight International | 7
THIS WEEK

ANALYSIS MAX KINGSLEY-JONES LONDON

Future looks bleak

for A380 residuals
as Airbus ends era
Superjumbo’s prospects in secondary market seem poor,
with part-out a likely destination for many of current fleet

A irbus’s momentous decision

to end the A380 programme
was really the airframer’s only
logical option, given the almost
non-existent market faced by its
sales team in recent years.
Those attempting to shift the
few young, secondhand A380s
that have become available so far
have faced a similar scenario. One
ex-Singapore Airlines (SIA) air-
craft has gone to wet-lease special-
ist Hi Fly – with a second acquisi-
tion planned – but two others
have been sent for parting out.
After a “painful” decision to
close the programme, A ­ irbus will
make the final A380 deliveries in
2021, with around 250 aircraft
built. But what are the prospects
for trading among the used fleet?
Flight Ascend Consultancy
made its most recent assessment
of the likely impact of produc-
tion’s cessation on used values
prior to the announcement. That
assessment was relatively posi-
tive: “It may actually benefit used
A380 values a bit, although depre-
ciation is likely to remain steep.”
Ascend’s global head of con-
sultancy Rob Morris says the sce-
nario under which this opinion
was formed has now changed.
“The backlog of 87 firm orders
at 1 January 2019 has reduced to
only 17 aircraft with the order
cancellations that came amid the
decision to end production,” he
says. “With the extremely limited
operator base, a number of whom
have already made negative com-
ments about their long-term plans
for the aircraft, it is clear that the
secondary market for the A380
will be extremely challenging.”
Morris says existing operators
have largely declined to add extra
new A380s, and if they do decide
to acquire from the used market
they will likely only be prepared
to pay a price that is net of the re-
configuration and maintenance
costs required to place the aircraft
into their network.
PRODUCTION CYCLE
“This is likely to drive n
­ egative
pressure on market values. The
relatively short production cycle
and accelerated removal-from-
service plans for several existing
operators suggest depreciation
will be greater than typical for
commercial aircraft types.”
Bert van Leeuwen, managing
director of aviation research at
DVB Bank, concurs that the out-
look for secondhand A380 values
is not bright.
“A380 values are already diffi-
cult to establish, as nobody wants
to reveal how low they are. If four
or five aircraft can’t find a home,
any more coming off lease will
worsen the situation,” he says.
He believes that with produc-
tion to end within three years, the
value even for parted-out air-
frames will decline. “Compare it
to the A340-600 a few years ago,
but with higher amounts,” he
says. “It will turn out [that] residu-
al-value risk on many A380s is
with financial investors.”
The cargo sector has been a key
secondhand market for the
A380’s large-capacity rival, the

A380 annual deliveries 2017 1994 A3XX concept selected

Total deliveries = 251
2012 A380plus proposed 2000 A380 programme launched
30 Repair programme
(winglets/11-abreast seating) 2005 First flight
to rectify wing cracks  ne-year delay due to
2006 O
2007 wiring production issues
First delivery
25
(R-R version) 2010 2018
and service- QF32 in-flight Emirates places final order
entry with SIA engine failure (subsequently cancelled)
20

2008 2019
First delivery (EA
15
Programme
version) to Emirates
cancelled

10 2021
Final deliveries
due
5

0
2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021
Source: Cirium’s Fleets Analyzer Notes: Includes delivery projection for 2019-2020, excludes Amedeo and Air Accord orders

Engine Alliance (EA) Rolls-Royce (R-R)

Total = 130 Total = 121

8 | Flight International | 26 February-4 March 2019 flightglobal.com


Cargo conversion is
unlikely to be feasible
AirTeamImages
Boeing 747. Many passenger 747s
have found a lengthy second life
following freighter conversion.
But this is unlikely for the A380,
mainly due to its engineering de-
sign, which makes its secondary
market even more challenging.
No cargo conversion currently
exists and the A380’s design –
specifically the positioning of the
upper-deck floor – is not optimal
for passenger to freighter (P2F)
conversion, says Morris. “Thus,
the likely cost of any solution
will be potentially prohibitive.”
This could also have conse-
quences for the payload perfor-
mance of an “A380 P2F”. As Mor-
ris says: “The conversion would
potentially be suboptimal since it
would have a lot of volume for the
potential weight payload. Conse-
quently, we think there is an ex-
tremely low chance that the A380
will see a P2F conversion pro-
gramme in the future.” ■
flightglobal.com
Big two buoyant
over twin-aisle
sales
Show Report P10
OVERVIEW DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON
High-capacity gamble that faltered with the global economy
Chroniclers might argue that the
Airbus A380’s fate was foretold a
decade before the aircraft’s maid-
en flight in April 2005.
Airbus’s partners and Boeing
had been engaged in a joint
large commercial transport study
to examine design options for an
800-seat jet.
This study had indicated a
­requirement for up to 1,000
­aircraft by 2020. But the effort
was frozen in July 1995 as
­evidence emerged that twin-
engined aircraft were fragment-
ing this market, and true
demand for a high-capacity jet
was far lower.
Boeing initially adopted a con-
servative strategy based on
stretching its 747-400 into the
proposed 747-500X and -600X,
before turning to the potential of
a long-range 777 derivative that
would become the 777-300ER.
Airbus gambled that an all-
new “A3XX” would appeal to
hub airlines, particularly 747 op-
erators. “Everybody was clear
that it was risky,” said Airbus chief
executive Tom Enders on 14
February. “Because it was clear,
right from the start, this would
not be a high-volume market.”
The A3XX became the A380 in
late 2000 – a designation reflect-
ing the two-deck cabin, and in-
tended to appeal to Asian
cultures – as combined agree-
ments from Air France, Emirates,
ILFC, Qantas, Singapore Airlines
Critical
Missions
Avionics for when it
is needed most.
Visit Heli-Expo booth C4028 to learn more.
(SIA) and Virgin Atlantic took it
over the launch threshold.
Its complexity, however, ham-
pered early production. Airbus
celebrated the maiden flight in
2005, but parent EADS’s co-chief
Noel Forgeard was forced to quit
over a delay crisis a year later.
Six months before Airbus
handed over the first aircraft to
SIA in 2007, the programme suf-
fered further setback as the last
“It was clear it was
risky because it was
clear, from the start,
this would not be a
high-volume market”
Tom Enders
Chief executive, Airbus
customer for the A380F cargo
variant dropped out, illustrating
its weakness as a competitor to
the 747 Freighter.
As the A380 entered service,
the global economy faltered,
and an extraordinary spike in
fuel prices focused airlines’ at-
tention on efficiency. The envi-
ronment was hardly ideal for a
four-engined giant whose cus-
tomers were tempted to config-
ure it for passenger space rather
than maximum density, even if
none had been over-ambitious
in their layouts.
“Little did we know in the year
2000, when we launched the
EVS-4000, SkyVis™ Helmet-Mounted Display
26 February-4 March 2019 | Flight International | 9
THIS WEEK
A380, how the world would look
in 2010, 2020,” says Enders. “It’s
easy to say ‘Well, you guys
should have known that’.”
While Emirates and key 747
operator British Airways managed
to slot the A380 into their busi-
ness model, Airbus’s arguments
that the A380 would inevitably be
needed to overcome airport con-
gestion failed to convince other
customers.
Orders stagnated, with major
carriers including Air France and
Lufthansa cutting their commit-
ments. Although Airbus achieved
production break-even in 2015,
outside of the colossal invest-
ment cost, output never reached
the four-per-month planned.
The A380’s last order flurry
came in 2011. In the subsequent
seven years Emirates almost sin-
gle-handedly propped up the
backlog, accounting for 72 of the
80 realistic orders, while several
other customers cancelled 36
A380s. When SIA retired A380s
early, after just 11 years, the deci-
sion to part-out two of them em-
phasised the difficulty in finding
buyers.
Proposals to stretch the A380,
take advantage of its wing, or of-
fer new engines failed to halt the
demise. “We cannot get out of
this trap by modifying the aircraft,
stretching it, or putting new en-
gines on it,” says Enders.
“Because these decisions made
no economical sense.” ■
SHOW
REPORT
AERO INDIA 2019
Aero India was as vibrant as ever this year, with the
cream of the world’s defence contractors promoting
aircraft and helicopters for a range of major military
requirements. Domestic industry also showed off its
increasing sophistication and assertiveness, with
ambitious updates to existing programmes and bold

Greg Waldron/FlightGlobal
new designs. In addition, Airbus gave a debut to its
A330neo as it seeks more customers for the widebody
twin. Aaron Chong and Greg Waldron report

DEMAND

Big two buoyant over twin-aisle sales

Strong projected growth of Indian economy gives competing airframers huge potential to market widebody products

A irbus and Boeing are confi-

dent they will be able to sell
more widebody aircraft in India,
March and first delivery is
scheduled for 2020.
Airbus gave its A330neo an
with both airframers pitching Aero India debut, with the jet par-
their latest twin-aisle products. ticipating in the show’s flying dis-
Boeing identifies the 777X as play and appearing in the static
an ideal replacement for ageing park. The aircraft (F-WTTN), a
widebodies in the subcontinent -900 variant, was the first of the

– particularly for the total of 24
777s operated by Air India and
Jet Airways; the two airlines are
also India’s only operators of
twin-aisle types.
Dinesh Keskar, Boeing’s
senior vice-president for Asia-
­ Indian carriers.
Pacific and India sales, says the
two 777X variants, the -8 and -9,
can each offer different benefits
to Indian carriers.
The former allows for new
long-range routes to be operated,
while the -9 offers “lower seat-
mile costs”, with reduced fuel
burn and more seat capacity.
A330neo participated in flying display and also was static attraction
“The Indian economy is pro-
jected to grow by nearly 350%
over the next two decades, to be-
come the third largest economy in
the world, which will fuel the
continuous growth of India’s com-
mercial aviation market – result-
Jagadeesh NV/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
airframer’s test fleet to fly.
Joost van der Heijden, Airbus
vice-president of marketing for
Asia and North America, says the
synergies between the A330neo
and A321neo make them ideal for
“They are different sizes and
airlines can use them for different
ing in the need for 2,300 new air- applications. The A321neo is a re-
planes for India,” says Keskar. ally efficient route-opener on in-
Boeing is currently complet- ternational markets or markets
ing assembly of the first -9 test that are too thin for widebodies.
aircraft, which is powered by They can grow that route allowing
twin GE Aviation GE9X engines; a widebody to take over and con-
roll-out is expected in mid- tinue that growth,” he says. ■

UNMANNED SYSTEMS

Private firm pushes UCAV and swarming drones

L ocal firm Newspace is collabo-
rating with India’s industry
champion Hindustan Aeronautics
on an indigenous unmanned
wingman concept.
The unmanned combat air ve-
hicle (UCAV) is billed as suitable
for “operations in contested air-
space”, ensuring “command of
the skies in the next decade”.
Newspace says the conceptual
aircraft was designed in Bengalu-
ru, but the artificial intelligence is
being developed in Delhi. The air-
craft will be small, with a maxi-
mum take-off weight of 1,300kg
(2,870lb) and a payload of 250kg,
which can include small guided
munitions. It has a low observable
body with twin canted tails.
The vehicle is designed to form
part of a “distributed sensor fu-
sion” system, where radar, elec-
Although still in the design
phase, a prototype could be ready
within the next two years.
tronic warfare and intelligence Newspace, working with In-
data are shared between several dia’s National Aerospace Labora-
UCAVs and a manned fighter. tories, also has a programme to
The aircraft will be powered give India’s Jaguar strike aircraft
by the locally-developed PTA7E the ability to generate swarms of
engine, fed by an S-duct from the UAVs launched from pods carried
top of the fuselage. in place of external fuel tanks. ■

10 | Flight International | 26 February-4 March 2019 flightglobal.com


DEVELOPMENT
Upgraded Tejas Mk2 piles on pounds
Wing and fuselage modifications deliver increased range and higher payload, including additional weapons stations
I ndia’s Aeronautical Develop-
ment Agency (ADA) has de-
tailed a number of improvements
due to debut on the planned Hin-
dustan Aeronautics-built Tejas
Mk2 fighter.
The new variant benefits from
Indian air force experience with
the previous version, says an
ADA official. A prototype of the
updated aircraft, which gains a
pair of canards high on the fuse-
lage, and just aft of the cockpit,
will likely fly in late 2023.
Changes requested by the air
force were to provide additional
range and the ability to carry ad-
vanced stand-off weapons, the
official adds.
The maximum take-off weight
will grow to 17,500kg (38,500lb),
up from 13,500kg for the Tejas
Mk1, and the aircraft is 1.35m
(4.42m) longer. That allows addi-
tional fuel to be stored behind the
cockpit, with the new variant also
PROCUREMENT
Lockheed on the attack
with its rebranded F-21
L ockheed Martin has redesig-
nated the F-16V Block 70 as
the F-21 in its offer for India’s lat-
est fighter contest.
“The F-21 addresses the Indian
air force’s unique requirements,
and integrates India into the
world’s largest fighter aircraft
ecosystem with the world’s pre-
eminent defence company,” the
firm says. “Lockheed Martin and
Tata Advanced Systems would
produce the F-21 in India, for
India.”
Lockheed says the redesigna-
tion reflects not just the aircraft,
but the entire industrial package
the type offers.
The aircraft has a number of
unique attributes compared with
other F-16s. Previous versions
have a receptacle on the upper
flightglobal.com
How Cirium data will
transform travel
Flight Interview P13
Updated jet adds canards as well as 6.5t external carrying capacity
able to carry extra drop tanks.
But the longer fuselage
changed the fighter’s centre of
gravity, requiring the addition of
a forward lifting surface. The
ADA looked at a number of op-
tions, including leading edge ex-
tensions, but finally settled on
fuselage to receive boom-deliv-
ered fuel. While retaining this, the
F-21 also features an e­ xtendable
refuelling probe on its right-
hand side. It also is equipped
with a large area display in the
cockpit, just below the head-up
display.
The Indian air force has a re-
quirement for 110 new fighters.
As well as the F-21, the contest
has attracted interest based on the
Boeing F/A-18E/F Super Hornet,
Dassault Rafale, Eurofighter Ty-
phoon, RAC MiG-35, Saab Grip-
en E and Sukhoi Su-35.
Boeing – which is also eyeing a
57-unit Indian navy requirement
– used the show to disclose its
manufacturing talks with Hindu-
stan Aeronautics and Mahindra
Defence Systems. ■
AERO INDIA 2019
Show report
livered. The less powerful F404
powers the Tejas Mk1 and Mk1A.
Payload on the Mk2 almost
doubles to 6.5t of external stores,
up from 3.3t for the original jet.
The new fighter will have wing-
tip hardpoints added for air-to-air
missiles, as well as two cheek sta-
tions for stores or sensors.
To highlight the Mk2’s growth,
a company brochure now bills it
as the Medium Weight Fighter,
Greg Waldron/FlightGlobal
rather than the Light Combat Air-
craft name of the Mk1.
The Mk2 also receives an inter-
nally mounted infrared search
and track sensor, a missile ap-
proach warning system, and an
canards, which also help with improved cockpit.
manoeuvrability. In addition, the Separately, the Tejas Mk1 ap-
new aircraft gains enhancements peared in the show static display,
to its delta wing. with a locally developed active
Other improvements include electronically scanned array
an upgraded engine, the GE Avia- radar installed.
tion F414-INS6, of which four This should enter service in
examples have already been de- around three years. ■
Meghana Sastry/SOPA Images/REX/Shutterstock
One Surya Kiran display team pilot was killed when Hawks collided
ACCIDENT
Fatal crash mars show opening
A tragedy on the eve of Aero
India, involving the death of
one pilot, cast a shadow over the
two aircraft performing a manoeu-
vre where one jet flies inverted in
a slightly offset position, giving
show’s opening. The fatality oc- the impression of the two aircraft
curred after a collision between a “mirroring” each other.
pair of two-seat BAE Systems The video suggests the invert-
Hawk 132 jet trainers from the In- ed Hawk drifted lower, causing
dian air force’s Surya Kiran dis- its nose to strike the other jet’s
play team while rehearsing. wing. The other pilots involved
Social media footage shows the safely ejected. ■
26 February-4 March 2019 | Flight International | 11
 Leveraging data to deliver personalized loyalty marketing
strategies for airlines

PARKROYAL on Pickering, Singapore, 21-22 May 2019

Key topics
Loyalty programs were once a simple The future of lifestyle loyalty
marketing tool to get customers earning Creating hyper-personalised and in-the-moment mobile
experiences
points and flying with the same airline. Who owns the customer?
In recent times, they have morphed How do airlines monetize their data?
into complex but revenue generating, Mitigating fraud in loyalty programs

networks of partnerships, tiers and Emerging tech and disruptors

rules – providing a gateway to greater

customer data and insight.
This conference looks at the future
of loyalty, tackling challenges around
customer engagement and redemption;
how airlines can add value through
experiential and personalized rewards
so that they can give loyalty members
the opportunity and freedom to earn
and redeem points through several
avenues.
Steering committee
Georg Baust, Managing Consultant, Lufthansa Group
Frederic Kahane, VP Customer Loyalty, Air France-KLM
Nik Laming, GM Loyalty Division, Cebu Pacific Air
Annich McIntosh, Editor & CEO, Loyalty
Magazine
Seth Miller, Principal, PaxEx.Aero
Mauro Rodrigues, Information Technology, Commercial
Business Solutions, Tap Air Portugal
Majid Singh, Director of Marketing & Route
Development, Mahan Air

To attend, visit: flightglobal.com/points or contact +44 (0)20 7911 1993

To sponsor, contact Rebecca Covey T: +44 (0)20 7911 1490 E: rebecca.covey@flightglobal.com
To speak, contact Warka Ghirmai E: warka.ghirmai@flightglobal.com

LAUNCH
How Cirium data will transform travel
Christopher Flook, chief executive of our rebranded data and analytics business, explains how it can define the future
C irium is the new identity for
the FlightGlobal data and
analytics business which com-
bines key databases and intelli-
gence tools for the aviation and
air travel industries.
Christopher Flook, Cirium
chief executive, says the revamp
will allow the organisation to
communicate its breadth and
depth of expertise to an increas-
ingly diverse client base. “We
have been through a lot of changes
in the last few years, and brought
together many businesses and as-
sets,” he says, referring to the
spree of acquisitions that has seen
the business more than quadruple
in size in less than a decade.
The new name was chosen to
deliberately steer clear of “any-
thing that locked us into any sec-
tor”, says Flook. However, while
it had to be “neutral”, Cirium has
associations with “being in the
cloud, being at high altitude, and
working with data sets in the
cloud that are always changing”.
He adds: “It’s about bringing con-
trol to an industry that is con-
stantly in motion.”
The business’s data and analyt-
ics group – including acquired
businesses Ascend, Diio, Flight-
Stats and Innovata, and well-
known products Ascend Values
Analyzer, Diio Mi, Fleets Analyz-
er and web and mobile app
FlightStats – come directly under
the Cirium brand.
The FlightGlobal name contin-
ues as a distinct brand within the
Cirium portfolio, comprising the
aerospace publishing and confer-
ences businesses – key foundation
stones for what is now the most
powerful data, analytics and advi-
sory force in aviation, aerospace
and travel management.
A reason for the change is that
FlightGlobal was too deeply asso-
ciated in the industry’s mind
with publishing – flagship maga-
zine Flight International has been
in print for 110 years.
“We are proud of FlightGlobal
and the FlightGlobal products,”
flightglobal.com
NMA may offer
path to 737
successor
Air Transport P14
Distinct identity describes more than the sum of its parts, says Flook
says Flook. “But it meant we
were unable to clearly position
ourselves as a technology busi-
ness, and put ourselves at the
table automatically when cus-
tomers were looking for a data
and analytics solution.”
“It’s about bringing
control to an industry
that is constantly
in motion”
Christopher Flook
Chief executive, Cirium
The creation of the umbrella
Cirium brand will allow the busi-
ness finally to realise its poten-
tial, maintains Flook. “Through
our acquisitions, we have
brought together industry-lead-
ing data sets, but those are often
still perceived as being discrete
data sets. Our new product devel-
opment is about fusing these data
FLIGHT INTERVIEW
RELX
sets into a data lake to create ana-
lytics that will solve problems in
different ways,” he says. “It’s
about creating a single company
that draws on all these assets.”
Flook acknowledges that un-
veiling an entirely new name is a
“challenge”, given that “the
brands we have are very powerful
with great reputations in their
niches”. Educating customers will
not “happen overnight”, he says,
but “we are putting all our effort
into communicating as clearly as
possible what Cirium is”. The big
opportunity is explaining to the
industry what Cirium “represents
as a group”, he says. “Nothing that
our customers appreciate and
value in those premium brands is
being lost. It’s about more than be-
coming the sum of our parts.”
The reputation of some of
these legacy brands is why sever-
al names will remain, not as
brands but products within the
Cirium portfolio. These include
26 February-4 March 2019 | Flight International | 13
Diio Mi, a tool used by airlines
and airports to analyse routes,
and flightstats.com, the customer-
facing, real-time flight-tracking
service, which has more than 7
million users. Meanwhile, the fa-
mous Ascend consultancy name
will continue to be used in con-
nection with the Cirium brand in
the fleet valuations sector.
Back in 1909, Flight magazine,
as was, produced its inky pages
in a tiny, dusty office in London.
Today, Cirium employs more
than 400 people around the
globe. The majority are technolo-
gists, data analysts, data scientists
and market experts.
Their skills are essential for the
organic growth – “not dependent
on acquisition” – Flook envisages.
Strategic ties with other organisa-
tions are vital too. “We have col-
lectively secured the best data
sets, but we are always looking at
further partnerships to expand on
the data sets we have,” he says.
ENDURING VISION
Cirium, he predicts, will become a
brand that resonates with a range
of customers, including airlines,
OEMs and financial institutions,
to metasearch and travel manage-
ment companies. While the avia-
tion sector has recognised the
Flight name since 1909, Flook be-
lieves Cirium will take the wider
business to the next level: “It’s a
brand”, he says, “that will last us
for the next 110 years.” ■
Find out more about the new
data and analytics business at
cirium.com
AIR TRANSPORT
STRATEGY JON HEMMERDINGER SEATTLE
NMA may offer path to 737 successor
Analysts predict mid-market jet could drive broad business changes, including redefining Boeing’s supplier relationships
B oeing’s New Mid-market Air-
plane (NMA) concept may
eventually yield more than just a
single aircraft programme.
Industry observers say Boeing
may view the NMA – also dubbed
the “797” – as a means to initiate a
broad business overhaul that will
ultimately position the company
to develop a new narrowbody
aimed at replacing its 737.
That could see Boeing adopt
new aircraft design technologies,
rewrite relationships with suppli-
ers and capture a larger slice of
the aftermarket pie, they say.
“It’s a two-aircraft deal,” says
Kevin Michaels, managing direc-
tor at consultancy AeroDynamic
Advisory. “You work out this
new business model on the 797,
and you take this to the new sin-
gle-aisle later on.”
Teal Group vice-president of
analysis Richard Aboulafia agrees
the NMA could be Boeing’s
“driver” of broader business
changes, particularly the relation-
ship with its supply chain.
“This is why so much of Boe-
ing’s efforts right now are fo-
cused on getting the cost down
and the operating economics
right,” he says.
Michaels and Aboulafia were
speaking on 12 February at the
annual meeting of the Pacific
Northwest Aerospace Alliance,
near Seattle.
WORK AHEAD
Boeing vice-president of market-
ing for commercial airplanes
Randy Tinseth spoke at the event,
telling attendees Boeing “has a
little bit more work to do” before
making NMA decisions. “Our en-
gineers are now working hard on
the production system,” he says.
Those comments came several
weeks after Boeing chief executive
Dennis Muilenburg said its deci-
sion on whether to launch the
NMA will come in 2020.
The NMA is likely to be a
widebody with 200-270 seats and
a range of 4,000-5,000nm (7,400-
14 | Flight International | 26 February-4 March 2019
Enhanced production systems would help build new narrowbody
9,300km). It would take on mis-
sions served by the 757 and 767,
and help Boeing head off increas-
ing competition from the Airbus
A321neo.
Muilenburg also referenced
the airframer’s long-term pros-
pects, saying production systems
developed for an aircraft like the
NMA could benefit “some future
narrowbody airplane”.
Boeing says it is unlikely to
make large technological leaps
with its next new aircraft, instead
focussing its efforts on refining
how the jet is built.
“We don’t see the next new air-
plane, if we do middle of the
market, as being a technology-
push airplane,” it says. “There is
significant technology reuse on
things like composites manufac-
turing, and we would be more fo-
cused on manufacturing transfor-
mation for the NMA.”
Observers say the link between
the NMA and Boeing’s future is
central to its deliberations, as it
could propel the next in a series
of business transformations for
the airframer.
Michaels notes that from the
1950s to 1980s, Boeing was verti-
cally integrated: it controlled
much of the production chain
and performed most engineering
in house. Its suppliers were
­largely US-based.
In the 1990s, with develop-
AirTeamImages
ment of the 777, Boeing intro-
duced digital design techniques,
forged closer relationships with
suppliers – including more non-
US companies – and glimpsed
the potential of aftermarket sales.
Then in the 2000s with the
787, Boeing developed a global
supply chain, shifted major sys-
tems production to suppliers and
expanded aftermarket offerings.
Such changes, however,
moved aircraft programme value
from Boeing to suppliers, which
now scoop up 70% of profits, in-
cluding those from the aftermar-
ket. Some large suppliers post
15-20% profit margins, signifi-
cantly greater than Boeing or Air-
bus achieves, Michaels says.
Now Boeing is transforming
again, wringing concessions from
suppliers, pursuing vertical inte-
gration through acquisitions and
joint ventures, and investing in
new engineering and modelling
technology, Michaels says.
“The likely launch of the
NMA… or it could be the next
single-aisle, is going to be the
next evolution of the jetliner
business model,” he says. “This
next-generation business model
is actually shifting value from
suppliers to the aircraft OEMs.”
Boeing has achieved cost sav-
ings from suppliers under its
“Partnership for Success” initia-
tive, now in its second iteration.
New contracts include revised
payment terms and provisions
like annual price reductions and
can require suppliers to pay roy-
alties on aftermarket revenue to
Boeing, says Michaels.
He believes that model may be
expanded on its next-generation
aircraft to include aftermarket rev-
enues from engine suppliers too.
“That will be a game-changer,”
Michaels says.
INTENSE COMPETITION
Aboulafia calls Partnership for
Success the “no fly list”, noting
that Boeing has shown a willing-
ness to dismiss suppliers who do
not play ball. In recent years, it
replaced 777 landing-gear pro-
vider UTC Aerospace Systems –
now Collins Aerospace – with
Heroux-Devtek.
Boeing has also brought some
work in-house – including design
and assembly of nacelles and
propulsion systems.
The airframer faces particular
pressure to cut manufacturing
costs because widebody produc-
tion is inherently more expensive
than producing the narrowbodies
that the NMA would replace,
Aboulafia notes. “It is really
tough to bridge that gap,” he says.
The NMA could also play into
Boeing’s aftermarket ambitions.
This became clear in 2017 with
the creation of its Boeing Global
Services division, which has a
target to generate annual revenue
of $50 billion within 10 years.
Although it achieved a figure
of $17 billion last year, analysts
doubt Boeing can hit its sizeable
target without a new aircraft pro-
gramme, as competition for after-
market work on the existing fleet
is too intense.
“What Boeing really needs is a
white-sheet aircraft,” Michaels
says. Such a project would “lock-
up the [services] market and
make a hell of a lot more money”.
Insiders suspect that aircraft
will be a project much larger than
the NMA: a 737 replacement. ■
flightglobal.com

ACCIDENT DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON
Mountain wave hit
Iranian ATR during
dangerous descent
Aseman crew were surprised by sudden downdraught after
their non-approved manoeuvre below minimum safe height
I ranian investigators believe an
ATR 72-200’s unauthorised de-
scent below minimum safe height
resulted in its being caught in a
mountain wave, and that its crew
failed to carry out the procedures
necessary to recover from a stall.
The Iran Aseman Airlines
twin-turboprop (EP-ATS) struck a
mountain peak as its crew tried to
evade cloud while descending
towards Yasouj on 18 February
last year. None of the 66 occu-
pants survived.
Iran’s Civil Aviation Organisa-
tion says the ATR was cleared to
descend from 21,000ft to 17,000ft,
ahead of performing a circling
non-directional beacon approach
to runway 31.
But the crew, after learning
that the cloud ceiling was
15,000ft, unilaterally chose to
continue the descent to this alti-
tude – below the minimum safe
height of 15,500ft – in an effort to
clear cloud and icing conditions.
This descent was not authorised,
the inquiry states, and altitude
alerts sounded in the cockpit.
As it levelled at 15,000ft the
aircraft was travelling at 200kt
(370km/h), with a 5° nose-down
INCIDENT DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON
Wing ice prompted Jazz CRJ200 stall on landing
C anadian investigators have
disclosed that a Jazz Bom-
bardier CRJ200 suffered a sud-
den wing drop, just as the air-
craft flared for landing,
apparently due to a stall result-
ing from wing ice.
The aircraft (C-FDJA) had
been operating to Greater Monc-
ton airport, New Brunswick, on
flightglobal.com
Regional pressures
mount, as BMI folds
Air Transport P16
attitude, with its power levers re-
tarded to flight idle.
The inquiry believes this be-
haviour was “consistent” with
the aircraft’s autopilot trying to
hold altitude in an updraught, as
the ATR approached a mountain
ridge in the Dena region. This
ridge featured peaks rising to
more than 13,000ft.
Owing to mountain wave phe-
nomena, however, the vertical
wind gradually shifted from an
updraught to a downdraught.
The airspeed fell away and the
aircraft’s pitch increased.
While the crew, apparently sur-
prised by the sudden change while
the aircraft was in a low-energy
state, increased engine power. But
the inquiry says the aircraft’s per-
formance was “not enough” to
overcome the effects of the down-
draught, with vertical winds of
some 3,200ft/min (16m/s).
The crew selected a new alti-
tude of 14,000ft but, as the aircraft
started to descend, the airspeed de-
clined to a minimum of 118kt, the
stick-shaker activated to warn of a
stall, and the autopilot disengaged.
The autopilot was re-engaged
at 14,200ft but too late to halt the
23 January, following a service
from Ottawa.
It descended through an area of
cloud during the approach, travel-
ling at 230kt (426km/h) with tem-
peratures below 10°C (50°F).
The Transportation Safety
Board of Canada says the crew
does not need to engage wing
anti-ice systems above 230kt, ac-
Turboprop struck peak just beneath summit, killing all 66 on board
aircraft at 14,000ft, given the high
descent rate of more than 4,000ft/
min, and it overshot.
Almost immediately after the
autopilot re-engaged the crew start-
ed receiving terrain alerts, which
quickly evolved into a series of
“pull up” instructions from the
ground-proximity warning system.
It struck the north face of the
mountain, just below its 13,400ft
summit, some 8.5nm (15.7km)
north of Yasouj airport.
Although the crew had been
aware of icing risk, and had acti-
vated anti-ice systems, simulation
by French investigation authority
BEA determined that there was no
evidence of wing ice degrading
the aircraft’s performance.
“The aircraft behaviour was
due to aerodynamic effects [from
downdraught] of a mountain
wave,” the inquiry states.
Control of the ATR was still
available to the pilots, and the
aircraft and engine responses
were in line with crew actions.
The aircraft’s indicating systems
cording to the CRJ200 aircraft
flight manual; on-board systems
did not indicate the presence of
ice, it says.
As the aircraft neared touch-
down after a visual approach, it
flared and the starboard wing
“suddenly dropped” while the jet
was 10ft above the runway, says
the board, resulting in a touch-
26 February-4 March 2019 | Flight International | 15
AIR TRANSPORT
Mizan News Agency/Mohammad Khademosheikh/EPA-EFE/REX/Shutterstock
also provided correct information
to the pilots until at least 3s be-
fore impact.
The inquiry states that “human
factor” played the principal role
in the accident sequence, with
cockpit crew actions, including
the unauthorised descent, respon-
sible for creating the conditions
that put the flight in jeopardy.
Investigators say the decision
to proceed to Yasouj, even though
cloud conditions were unsuita-
ble, was against operating stand-
ards and the crew should have
diverted to an alternative airport.
The inquiry stresses that there
was a lack of effective communi-
cation between the pilots.
But the findings also highlight
the mountain wave and its serious
effect on the aircraft’s perfor-
mance, indicating that the crew
was unprepared for the phenome-
non. The investigation has recom-
mended that airlines review their
routes to assess the risk of such
encounters, and ensure pilots are
adequately trained to respond. ■
down initially on the right-hand
main landing-gear.
Post-flight inspection revealed
“an accumulation of ice” on the
leading edge of both wings, it
adds. The ice-detection system
was functioning normally.
Flight-data recorder informa-
tion showed that the aircraft had
stalled during the flare. ■
AIR TRANSPORT
COLLAPSE DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON
Regional pressures mount, as BMI folds
Independent airline blames rising fuel costs and Brexit as main factors for decision after suffering six years of net losses
U K operator BMI Regional has
become the latest casualty of
the pressure on European air-
lines, with its decision to cease
operations and file for adminis-
tration on 16 February. The com-
pany blames prolonged uncer-
tainty regarding the UK’s
withdrawal from the EU for con-
tributing to its demise.
BMI Regional had emerged in
2012 as a spin-off airline, under
new owners, after the mainline
carrier BMI was sold to British
Airways parent IAG. It subse-
quently became a sister carrier to
Scottish operator Loganair,
when both airlines were brought
under the holding company Air-
line Investments.
Operating services under the
brand name Flybmi with a fleet of
17 Embraer ERJ-135/145 jets,
BMI Regional served 25 Europe-
an destinations, and employed
nearly 380 personnel in the UK,
plus Belgium and Germany.
The operator says the decision
to file for administration was
“unavoidable” after it was unable
to fend off the impact of “several
difficulties”, including “spikes”
in fuel and carbon emission
costs. It also cites the UK’s im-
pending withdrawal from the EU
as an influencing factor, noting:
“Current trading and future pros-
pects have… been seriously af-
fected by the uncertainty created
by the Brexit process.”
It says this has resulted in an
“inability to secure valuable fly-
ing contracts” in Europe, and a
“lack of confidence” in the air-
line’s ability to continue operat-
ing between European cities.
These effects have exacerbated
“wider difficulties” in the region-
al airline industry, it adds.
BMI Regional’s shareholders
have been unable to continue fi-
nancial support for the carrier.
“We sincerely regret that this
course of action has become the
only option open to us but the
challenges, particularly those cre-
ated by Brexit, have proven to be
insurmountable,” it states.
16 | Flight International | 26 February-4 March 2019
Loganair is to preserve five
routes formerly operated by its
sister carrier: three from Aber-
deen and two from Newcastle.
BMI Regional’s failure follows
six years of service as an inde-
pendent airline, during which it
failed to turn in a net profit.
Its initial owner following di-
vestment from Lufthansa Group,
Sector Aviation Holdings, under-
took a review to prepare the car-
“The challenges,
particularly those
created by Brexit,
have proven to be
insurmountable”
BMI Regional
rier for standalone operations,
without the support of feed traffic
from its former parent. This activ-
ity included overhauling its route
structure, cutting the number of
bases, positioning BMI Regional
to serve niche markets including
the energy sector, and exploring
charter services.
The airline established code-
share partnerships with Lufthansa
Group, including Air Dolomiti
and Brussels Airlines, and strived
to optimise its network. It sought
to exit markets in which it was
facing harsh competition, in fa-
Operational fleet comprised 17 ERJ-135/145s, serving 25 European destinations including Toulouse
vour of pursuing niche connec-
tions with high levels of business
and corporate customers.
The airline was primarily based
at East Midlands, with stations at
other UK airports, but established
a continental base in Munich.
Airline Investments took over
Sector Aviation Holdings in
April 2015, bringing BMI Re-
gional under the same owner-
ship as Loganair.
While BMI showed promising
growth, and even profits at EBIT-
DAR level, net profits remained
elusive. Its full-year losses deep-
ened to £11.5 million ($14.8 mil-
lion) in 2013-2014 and £10.8 mil-
lion in 2014-2015, and even an
improved performance in 2015-
2016 still left the carrier with a
net deficit of £714,000.
The most recent full-year fig-
ures showed a further downturn
in profitability, with a net loss of
£4 million for 2016-2017.
Despite better trading, leading
to its first fleet expansion as an
independent airline, the compa-
ny suffered setbacks from the
March 2016 terrorist attack at
Brussels airport, the effects of fu-
el-price volatility and weakness
in the UK currency following the
EU membership referendum.
Airline Investments had
placed £6.15 million in the com-
pany over 2016-2017 and BMI
­ egional states that, over the last
R
six years, the carrier has benefit-
ed from an “extensive pro-
gramme of funding” totalling
more than £40 million.
CASUALTY
Statistics from the UK Civil Avia-
tion Authority show that, last
year, BMI Regional’s load factor
ranged from around 51% in Janu-
ary to about 70% in July, but these
levels were far below those for UK
regional rival Flybe – which pri-
marily uses 78-seat Bombardier
Q400 turboprops rather than BMI
Regional’s 50-seat jets.
Among the casualties of BMI
Regional’s collapse is a shuttle
connecting Airbus sites in the UK
with its headquarters in Tou-
louse. Its route network included
services to Chester airport – the
site of the Broughton wing plant
– as well as Bristol, close to the
Airbus facility at Filton. The
carrier also served the Bristol-
­
Hamburg route, with Airbus op-
erating a final assembly line near
the German city.
Airbus shuttle operations had
already received a setback earlier
in February, when the collapse of
German operator Germania re-
sulted in a temporary loss of the
Toulouse-Finkenwerder link.
This was subsequently picked up
by UK operator Titan Airways. ■
AirTeamImages
flightglobal.com

AGREEMENT DAVID KAMINSKI-MORROW LONDON
Azimuth sees way for Superjet corporate shuttle
R ussian operator Azimuth is
participating in a programme
to establish a corporate shuttle
using Sukhoi Superjet 100s con-
figured with a low-density layout.
All business-class service would operate from Moscow Vnukovo
VARIANT NIALL O’KEEFFE LONDON
Passenger perception key to A321XLR
Lessor chief Kelly questions evolved twinjet’s ability to satisfy customer expectations on sectors with 8-9h duration
A erCap chief executive Aen-
gus Kelly believes the Airbus
A321XLR’s prospects are depend-
ent on whether an 8h narrowbody
flight can deliver good customer
service and carry freight.
“Airbus clearly have a great
airplane in the A321,” Kelly said
during an earnings call on 14
February. “Taking that airplane to
eight or nine hours, the question
is: in that size of a tube, what’s
the passenger reaction going to
be? And what’s your ability to
carry freight that far?
“These are things that have to
PROGRAMME
Boeing pact boosts E-Jet E2 marketability, AerCap indicates
Embraer’s partnership with
Boeing has facilitated AerCap in
placing its E-Jet E2 aircraft, the
lessor’s chief executive indicates.
AerCap has placed “virtually
all” of the 50 E2-family jets it has
on order, Aengus Kelly says.
Flight Fleets Analyzer indicates
that these comprise 46 E195-E2s
flightglobal.com
US Army ITEP
award faced with
legal challenge
Defence P18
The project is the subject of an
agreement signed in Sochi be-
tween the carrier and partners in-
cluding United Aircraft (UAC),
National Reserve Corporation,
AirTeamImages
be worked out before it can be
certain that aircraft will be a suc-
cess flying that length. When you
get to eight-plus hours on a nar-
rowbody, is there enough real es-
tate in the cabin to satisfy the
minimum levels of customer ser-
vice you have to provide?”
Kelly adds that answering the
customer service and freight ques-
tions will require Airbus to “look
at the airframe as well as whether
any improvements would have to
be made to the engines”.
For flying times in the 5-6h
range, he sees the A321 as the
and four E190-E2s.
“We believe that the tie-up
with Boeing has been very posi-
tive for the marketability of the
E2, and we look forward to work-
ing with them as our orders de-
liver,” adds Kelly.
AerCap’s first new-generation
E-Jet is already in service. In
and Moscow Vnukovo airport.
UAC states that it envisages
using aircraft with an all-business
interior, fitted with 56 seats, to
conduct non-scheduled custom
flights in the interests of large cor-
porations, sports teams, concert
tour organisers and similar cli-
ents. Azimuth already operates
eight SSJ100s in a 98-seat config-
uration, with a further four exam-
ples on order, records Flight
Fleets Analyzer.
“Creating a corporate transport
platform, based on a business
version of the Superjet, is an im-
portant step in the development
of our activities,” says UAC presi-
dent Yuri Slyusar, adding that
charter operations are an “attrac-
“leader in the space”.
Kelly also gave his view on the
implications of Airbus’s confir-
mation that it would in 2021 end
production of the A380, a wide-
December 2018, the E190-E2
was delivered to Air Astana,
which is “enjoying the aircraft’s
strong performance”, says Kelly.
Fleets Analyzer shows that
AerCap’s four E190-E2s are also
bound for Air Astana, while
Brazilian carrier Azul will take
three of the lessor’s E195-E2s. ■
26 February-4 March 2019 | Flight International | 17
AIR TRANSPORT
tive” niche. The Superjet would
be able to balance comfort with
economic efficiency, he adds.
Vnukovo airport’s business
aviation centre would provide
the infrastructure for such servic-
es from the Russian capital.
The partners will examine the
financial criteria for the project
in order to determine the num-
ber of aircraft necessary and es-
tablish a strategic outline to de-
velop the operation.
Financial firm VEB-Leasing
says private organisations and
state institutions are showing in-
terest, and general director Artem
Dovlatov says the agreement
should have a “positive effect” on
the Superjet programme. ■
Airbus sees big potential for
extended-range narrowbody
Airbus
body which does not feature in
AerCap’s portfolio.
“The A380 is a niche market,”
he says. “Yes, it’s quite a number
of seats [being cancelled out of
the orderbook] but, when you
think about the numbers, that
could easily get hoovered up by...
50 or 60 A350-100s and another
30 or 40 A350-900s or combina-
tion of A330-900s.
“I think that it will have a posi-
tive impact for sure: there’s no
question that those airplanes
leaving will at the margin in-
crease demand for certain in-de-
mand new-technology assets and
probably extend the life of [Boe-
ing] 777-300ERs and A330s.” ■
DEFENCE
ROTORCRAFT GARRETT REIM LOS ANGELES
US Army ITEP award faced with legal challenge
T he Honeywell/Pratt & Whitney
joint-venture Advanced Tur-
bine Engine Company (ATEC)
has filed a protest with the US
Government Accountability Of-
fice, following the US Army’s de-
cision to award GE Aviation a
contract to develop a new power-
Replacement engines will boost Black Hawk’s hot weather handling
HANDOVER GARRETT REIM LOS ANGELES
Ottawa receives first stopgap F/A-18s
Lead pair from acquisition of 18 ex-Australian jets arrives at Cold Lake base, with remainder due over next three years
C anada received its first pair
of interim Boeing F/A-18A
Hornets at Cold Lake air base in
Alberta on 17 February: the lead
examples from an acquisition of
18 surplus Australian aircraft,
plus additional spare parts. The
single-seat fighters arrived in
Canada directly after participat-
ing in a Red Flag-series exercise
at Nellis AFB, Nevada with the
Royal Australian Air Force.
With Canberra’s F/A-18s having
been produced to a similar stand-
ard to Ottawa’s existing examples,
the customer says their purchase
will enable rapid introduction.
“Modifications and technical
work will begin immediately so
they can be brought to a similar
configuration to Canada’s CF-18
aircraft,” its Department of Na-
tional Defence (DND) says. To be
performed by local companies,
this process will include the ad-
18 | Flight International | 26 February-4 March 2019
plant for its rotorcraft fleets.
GE was awarded $517 million
on 1 February to complete engi-
neering and manufacturing devel-
opment-phase work on its T901-
900 for the army’s Improved
Turbine Engine Programme (ITEP)
by August 2024. The new model
US Army
Secondhand assets will be modified to Canadian fleet configuration
dition of a night vision imaging
system, the Martin-Baker-pro-
duced Navy Aircrew Common
Ejection Seat, landing gear modi-
fications and repainting.
Additional aircraft will arrive
in Canada “at regular intervals for
the next three years, and will be
integrated into the CF-18 fleet as
will be installed as a “drop-fit” re-
placement on its Boeing AH-64
Apache attack and Sikorsky
T900 offering had 10% more
power growth capability and a
3-4% specific fuel consumption
UH-60 Black Hawk utility heli- advantage over a comparable sin-
copters, and equip its Future At- gle-spool design, among other
tack Reconnaissance Aircraft claimed benefits. However, the
(FARA). army selected GE’s single-spool
“In our review of the evalua- turboshaft, after the contractor
tion, we clearly offered the best had favoured what it believes is a
value through a combination of a simpler and more maintenance-
highly rated and technically su- friendly approach to meeting its
perior engine that was judged to requirements.
be much lower risk, and believe The ITEP engine is required to
we did so significantly under the have 50% more power than the
government’s budget,” says ATEC in-service GE T700, with a
president Craig Madden. “We are 3,000shp (2,240kW) output, and
requesting that the government to maintain high levels of
review these facts and award the ­performance at 6,000ft and 35°C
ITEP contract to ATEC, the best (95°F) operating conditions,
engine and the one that our such as those encountered in Af-
warfighters and taxpayers de- ghanistan. The replacement
serve,” he adds. powerplant will also be 25%
GE’s only rival for the lucrative more fuel efficient, and have a
ITEP contract, the joint venture service life 20% longer than the
had argued that its dual-spool current system. ■
88-strong future fighter fleet is
scheduled for release early this
year, to five shortlisted bidders:
Boeing, Dassault, the Eurofighter
consortium, Lockheed Martin
and Saab.
Following detailed assess-
ments, a contract award is ex-
pected in 2021-2022, ahead of
first deliveries during 2025. Otta-
Royal Canadian Air Force
wa’s transition to the new type
should be complete by 2031 or
2032, at which point the last of its
legacy CF-18s will be retired from
operational use.
Flight Fleets Analyzer shows
modifications are completed”, the that the Royal Canadian Air
DND says. They will be assigned Force’s in-service fleet of 85 CF-
to the air force’s 4 Wing at Cold 18A/Bs are aged between 30 and
Lake, and also with its 3 Wing at 36 years. Australia is in the pro-
Bagotville air base in Quebec. cess of replacing its “Classic” Hor-
Ottawa is, meanwhile, advanc- nets with Lockheed’s convention-
ing with a review of its combat al take-off and landing F-35A. ■
capability requirements. A re- Additional reporting by Craig
quest for proposals for an Hoyle in London
flightglobal.com

AGREEMENT MICHAEL GUBISCH LONDON
Madrid gets aboard Franco-
German FCAS programme
Defence minister says participation will create “quality opportunities” for Spanish industry
S pain has formally joined a
Franco-German effort to de-
velop a future combat air system
(FCAS), which is scheduled to
enter service by 2040.
During a NATO meeting in
Brussels on 14 February, defence
minister Margarita Robles signed
a letter of intent with her respec-
tive French and German counter-
parts, Florence Parly and Ursula
von der Leyen, covering Spain’s
integration into the programme.
Madrid says it is joining the
initiative on “equal terms with
France and Germany” and that
the project will give Spain “lead-
ership visibility” within Europe-
an security and defence policies.
Noting that Spain is already a
partner in the Eurofighter pro-
gramme – together with Germa-
ny, Italy and the UK – the de-
fence ministry says the new
commitment will provide “quali-
ty opportunities to the Spanish
defence industry” and enable the
country to maintain a “solid
base” of aerospace activities.
The FCAS programme will
comprise the development of a
manned fighter and unmanned
PROCUREMENT ELLIS TAYLOR PERTH
Growler approved for
Finnish HX tender bid
B oeing and the US Navy have
received approval from the
US Department of Defense to
offer the EA-18G Growler elec-
tronic attack aircraft to Finland.
The approval came after Fin-
land’s defence ministry issued a
query about the potential to ac-
quire Growlers as part of its HX
procurement programme – the
process by which the nation will
replace its air force’s current 62
F/A-18C/Ds.
flightglobal.com
Gripen E
production takes
off at Saab
Defence P20
Developments under project are seen as Eurofighter replacements
aircraft that can be operated to-
gether. Types developed under
the programme will replace the
Eurofighters operated by Germa-
ny and Spain, as well as France’s
Dassault Rafales.
Airbus Defence & Space,
which has extensive activities in
Spain, and Dassault have been
selected as prime contractors for
the FCAS programme, with the
French company leading the ac-
tivity. MTU Aero Engines and
“All strike fighter aircraft rely on
Growler escort to increase surviva-
bility during high-threat missions,”
says Dan Gillian, Boeing’s vice-
president, F/A-18 and EA-18G pro-
grammes. “The combination of the
Super Hornet Block III and Growl-
er would provide Finland with su-
perior technological capability par-
ticularly suited to HX mission
requirements.”
Helsinki becomes the second
export nation approved to be of-
DEFENCE
BUDGETING
GARRETT REIM LOS ANGELES
USAF spending
to keep soaring
through 2030s
T he US Air Force’s acquisition
costs are likely to reach $104
billion by 2033, driven primarily
by the purchase of new aircraft
and weapons. The projection
comes from a new report from the
Congressional Budget Office
(CBO), which analysed the De-
partment of Defense’s (DoD) 2019
five-year spending plan – called
the Future Years Defense Pro-
gramme – and projected near-
term costs and likely long-term
financial impacts.
With US Congress having ap-
Geoffrey Lee/Eurofighter
propriated $84 billion for USAF
acquisitions in 2019, the report
suggests that spending will rise
28.3% by 2033. This is primarily
due to the acquisition of new
equipment including Lockheed
Safran Aircraft Engines have Martin’s F-35 fighter, Northrop
joined forces to build the air- Grumman’s B-21 stealth bomber,
craft’s powerplants. Boeing’s T-X advanced jet trainer,
Spanish manufacturer ITP is a a nuclear Long-Range Standoff
shareholder in the Eurojet con- Weapon and ground-based strate-
sortium that builds the EJ200 tur- gic deterrent ballistic missiles.
bofan engine for the Eurofighter The CBO says nearly one-third
– as is the company’s parent, of spending in 2033 – worth $31
Rolls-Royce. billion – could be assigned to clas-
However, R-R has been select- sified activities. The USAF’s allo-
ed as propulsion partner for the cation would account for around
UK’s Tempest next-generation 43% of the DoD’s entire acquisi-
fighter programme. ■ tion costs of $240 billion. ■
Aviation PhotoCrew/Boeing
Helsinki is eyeing electronic-attack variant alongside Super Hornet
fered the US Navy’s EA-18G, after Martin F-35 and Saab Gripen.
Australia, which bought 12. A request for quotations will
Finland’s shortlist of candi- be issued in the second half of
dates include the F/A-18E/F this year, with a decision due in
Super Hornet, Dassault Rafale, 2021 and deliveries expected to
Eurofighter Typhoon, Lockheed start in 2025. ■
26 February-4 March 2019 | Flight International | 19
DEFENCE

PROGRAMME CRAIG HOYLE LONDON

Gripen E production takes off at Saab

Serial production of new-generation type starts on schedule, as airframer eyes follow-on sales opportunity with Brazil

S aab is progressing on schedule

with the Gripen E, with chief
executive Hakan Buskhe reveal-
ing that it launched serial produc-
tion of the fighter early this year.
Speaking during an annual re-
sults presentation on 15 Febru-
ary, Buskhe said the programme
Other export opportunities are
also being eyed. “We just turned
in our proposal to Switzerland
and Finland, and we are in dis-
cussion with Canada,” Buskhe
says. Saab is also looking at
­Croatia’s requirements, after the
nation’s planned acquisition of

advance was made “in the first
week of January”. Saab is under
contract to produce 60 of the type
for the Swedish air force, and 36
E/F-model examples for Brazil, in
partnership with Embraer. First
deliveries for both customers are
scheduled before year-end.
Meanwhile, Buskhe confirms:
“We are in discussions on a next
batch for Brazil,” with this fol-
low-on procurement likely to be
advanced from 2021 or 2022. The
Swedish air force’s commander
also recently indicated his
service’s interest in potentially
­ will decide on where we will al-
doubling its commitment to the
new-generation fighter, he notes.
ex-Israeli air force Lockheed Mar-
tin F-16s collapsed recently.
Saab’s proposal to Finland to-
tals 64 Gripen E/Fs, while
­Switzerland is being offered ei-
ther 30 or 40 single-seat exam-
ples. Procurement decisions are
expected around 2021.
Separately, the Swedish com-
pany is close to picking the loca-
tion of a US facility to host its
production activities in support
of the Boeing-led T-X jet trainer
programme by mid-year.
“In the first half of this year we
locate our production in the
USA,” Buskhe says.
Deliveries will commence for Swedish air force before end of year
Saab was awarded an initial
$117 million contract in October
2018 covering its involvement in
the T-X programme’s engineer-
ing, manufacturing and develop-
ment phase until 2022. It will be
responsible for producing the
jet’s rear fuselage.
“It’s good for Saab and [its]
­Aeronautics [unit] to have that ca-
pacity in the USA,” Buskhe says
of the future facility, noting that it
will bring the company “closer to
the US customer”, as it eyes fur-
ther business opportunities.
Saab
Buskhe says he has already
visited “a handful of countries”
to discuss the T-X product. “We
can already see huge interest for
the trainer system around the
world,” he notes.
The US Air Force expects to
buy an initial 351 of the new
type to replace its ageing fleet of
Northrop T-38 trainers, and
­Boeing has forecast a potential
future market opportunity to
produce 2,600 examples to meet
additional US requirements and
international demand. ■

CAMPAIGN MURDO MORRISON PRAGUE

Prototype L-39NG approaches return to testing

A ero Vodochody is set to
resume flight testing with
­
its first prototype L-39NG during
rently undergoing work follow-
ing its debut – and so far lone –
sortie last December.
status, test asset 7001 will
­complete a “very limited” cam-
paign of around 15 flights,
pair, as well as flight envelope
expansion work in support of
­future certification.
April, with the jet trainer cur- Once it is returned to active ­L-39NG chief engineer Jaromir The Williams International
Lang tells FlightGlobal. This will FJ44-4M-engined L-39NG has so
be focused on assessing the far secured commitments from
type’s speed, attitude and loads four customers for a combined
characteristics, he says. 40 examples. Senegal’s four-unit
An additional flight-test asset, order is the only current firm
aircraft 7004, is scheduled to deal, with the African nation
Aero Vodochody

make its debut in October. At expected to introduce the

­
this point, the Czech Republic- ­aircraft from 2020. ■
based airframer will launch See Cover Story P24,
Lead aircraft 7001 has been undergoing work since December debut ­flutter and loads testing with the & Cutaway P27

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BUSINESS AVIATION
ANALYSIS DOMINIC PERRY MONTREAL
Bombardier focuses future on flagship
After divesting CSeries and Q400 programmes, Canadian airframer is relying on success of Global 7500’s service entry
A t entry into service, any new
aircraft is the apple of its
manufacturer’s eye, and from that
perspective the Bombardier
Global 7500 is no different.
But over the past 12 months,
the success of the ultra-long-
range business jet – with a list
price of $72.8 million – has be-
come even more vital to the
­Canadian airframer.
First came the loss of control of
the CSeries programme, ceded to
Airbus in July 2018 and renamed
the A220. Then came the an-
nouncement that Bombardier was
selling its Q400 turboprop line,
with the future of the CRJ regional
jet also under review.
Take away those programmes
and the company’s future be-
comes much more tightly wedded
to the business aircraft market.
The company’s reliance on
business aviation is clear in its
2018 results. The aerospace divi-
sion – comprising aerostructures,
business aviation and commercial
aircraft – brought in revenue of
$8.69 billion last year, of which
business jet sales contributed
$4.99 billion and commercial
$1.75 billion, with EBIT before
special items at $420 million and
$157 million, respectively.
And bear in mind those figures
do not incorporate the full effect of
CSeries deconsolidation, and
have only one Global 7500 deliv-
ery included.
With that financial position as a
backdrop, it is easy to see why se-
curing a successful service entry
and production ramp-up for the
19-passenger flagship is vital.
If further evidence of the pro-
gramme’s importance were need-
ed, Bombardier’s recent acquisi-
tion of the wing manufacturing
operation for the twinjet from Tri-
umph Group provided just that.
Purchased in late January for a
“nominal fee”, fabrication of the
31.7m (104ft)-span wings will
transition to Bombardier’s aero-
structures unit, joining a similar
operation focused on the A220.
22 | Flight International | 26 February-4 March 2019
As well as providing extra busi-
ness for the division, it helps se-
cure the production ramp-up of
the 7,700nm (14,250km)-range
Global. “The wing acquisition is
one of the areas that makes us a lot
more comfortable about the long-
term ramp-up,” says Stephen Mc-
Cullough, vice-president of engi-
neering and product development
for the Global 7500 and 8000.
Bombardier had no issues with
Triumph’s output, acknowledges
McCullough, and says the compa-
ny is “excited” by the acquisition,
pointing to the wing-building
­expertise it already possesses.
READINESS STUDIES
To maintain the ramp-up plan –
15-20 deliveries this year, and
35-40 in 2020 – the airframer has
been conducting rate-readiness
studies over the past three years.
That is simply best practice, of
course, but the need for such pre-
paredness has been heightened by
the pressure felt throughout the
aerospace supply chain as output
on programmes such as the Air-
bus A320 and Boeing 737 Max are
taken to record levels.
Power on the Global 7500 is de-
livered by Passport 20s supplied
by GE Aviation, which is being
kept more than busy elsewhere by
its involvement in the CFM Inter-
national narrowbody engine joint
venture. But, says McCullough,
Bombardier is yet to see any
pinch-points from that side. “One
advantage that we have is that we
Ultra-long-range type’s design has been shaped by customer feedback, including a larger window size
have a purpose-built engine for
our programme,” he says.
“We are not sharing a common
part with another aircraft – that
helps a little bit.”
In addition, the main fuselage is
supplied by Airbus-owned S ­ telia,
which has its hands full with the
parent company’s airliners. “It’s
the first large, non-Airbus pro-
gramme that Stelia has undertak-
en and they are keen to make it a
success. They are invested in the
programme as much as we are,”
says McCullough.
Although the initial production
Global 7500 was delivered on 14
December last year, the jet remains
with Bombardier and is being op-
erated as a customer demonstrator
under a lease-back arrangement.
Outfitted in a 15-passenger
­layout, the cabin of that aircraft is
divided into four zones, includ-
ing a dining area, entertainment
section and a bedroom. It also fea-
tures two pairs of Bombardier’s
new Nuage seats, which recline
into beds, and a cabin control sys-
tem developed in collaboration
with Lufthansa Technik.
While most buyers so far have
selected fairly typical club seat-
ing towards the front of the air-
craft, “as you move further back it
gets very, very diversified”, says
Stephane Loubert, senior director
of programme completions for
the Global 7500. “We have got a
couple of eight- or 10-[passenger
layouts] where customers have
gone a little creative.”
Loubert runs the Global 7500
completions centre at Bombar-
dier’s Dorval plant, which re-
ceives the green aircraft from its
Downsview assembly line near
Toronto. His team has been in-
volved with the twinjet since its
inception, he says, meaning the
process is “much more integrated
than it could have been”.
CLEARER VIEW
For example, McCullough says
that high levels of customer
­feedback have helped to shape
the design of the company’s new
flagship – even down to the larger
cabin windows.
These were identified as a
must-have feature from the begin-
ning and “we modified the struc-
ture around that”, rather than let-
ting the requirements of the
fuselage dictate the shape and
size of the windows.
Bombardier is staying silent on
the likely output for 2021, but says
that its next available production
slot is not until the following year,
with the firm backlog “a bit high-
er” than 110, says McCullough.
That annual delivery quantity
of around 40 aircraft per year is
“roughly stable”, says Mc-
Cullough, but he adds: “If you
look at other product lines then
the rate can go a little bit higher
than that for sure.” Bombardier
has achieved shipments of up to
55 per year for similar-sized jets,
he says, so “we have a bit of head-
room above 40.” ■
Bombardier
flightglobal.com

Aircraft will be operated solely by an “ultra-high-net-worth” owner
COMPLETIONS KATE SARSFIELD LONDON
Initial BBJ Max 8 arrives
for outfitting at Comlux
T he first Boeing BBJ Max 8 has
arrived at Comlux Comple-
tions’ Indianapolis facility for
cabin outfitting, with the finished
aircraft due for delivery to its un-
named US owner before year-end.
The green VIP narrowbody
was originally delivered to Com-
lux in late November 2018 – 14
months after the company was
named as the interior outfitter for
the re-engined aircraft. It was
then flown to another firm for ex-
terior painting.
The cabin of the CFM Interna-
tional Leap-1B-powered BBJ has
been designed by New York-
based architect Peter Marino,
MANDATE KATE SARSFIELD LONDON
EASA warns of explosive door release
Safety agency issues bulletin identifying risk caused by air pressure differential in parked jets, after fatal Finnish accident
E urope’s regulator has warned
about the hazard of passenger
doors on parked business jets
­exploding open following a string
of serious incidents, including
one in which the aircraft’s cap-
tain was killed.
In a safety information bulletin
(SIB) issued on 12 February, the
European Aviation Safety Agency
(EASA) identifies “an excessive
differential pressure between the
inside and the outside of the air-
craft”, as the cause of the problem.
The agency says such events
have resulted in injuries and
even fatalities to people inside
and outside the aircraft.
flightglobal.com
Veteran returns to
the training game
Cover Story P24
Comlux
says Comlux. Details of the inte-
rior layout will not be revealed, it
adds, as the aircraft is to be oper-
ated solely for private use by its
“ultra-high-net-worth” owner.
In 2020, the firm is scheduled
to take delivery of two more
green BBJ Max 8s, one of which
will be owned and operated by
its sister company, Comlux Avia-
tion, and available for charter.
Boeing holds 19 orders for the
BBJ Max family: 12 -8s, four -7s
and three -9s. Three orders remain
in the backlog for the original BBJ,
based on the 737NG airframe.
Boeing also holds a commitment
for a BBJ 787-8 widebody. ■
These include an incident at
Kittila airport in Finland on 4
January 2018, when the captain
of an Austrian-registered Gulf-
stream G150 (OE-GKA) died from
injuries sustained when the
­passenger door blew open as he
was attempting to release it.
The midsize jet was being
­prepared for its flight, with an at-
tendant on board, the auxiliary
power unit (APU) running and
the cabin heating on. However,
the doors and the air pressure
outflow valve were closed.
Finnish investigators conclud-
ed that the cabin was “over-pres-
surised”, and once the door-lock-
BUSINESS AVIATION
DELIVERY KATE SARSFIELD LONDON
Swiss government adopts PC-24
P ilatus has delivered a PC-24 to
the Swiss government. The
superlight business jet – serial
number 121 and carrying the mil-
itary registration T-786 – was
handed over during a ceremony
in Berne on 18 February. It will
replace a similarly-sized Cessna
Citation XLS aircraft.
The eight-seat PC-24 will be
used for government transporta-
tion “primarily around Europe”,
and will be operated by the Swiss
air force’s Lufttransportdienst des
Bundes unit from Berne.
Pilatus chairman Oscar
Schwenk describes the addition
as “the new Swiss Air Force
One” and says he is “confident
Superlight type will be used for transport “primarily around Europe”
ing mechanism was released, it
“blew open with excessive force,
hitting the captain”.
EASA says while closing the
aircraft doors helps to reach and
maintain the “desired” cabin
temperature during the heating or
cooling process, it can also result
in an “undesired build-up” of a
pressure differential between the
cabin and the outside environ-
ment, particularly if the outflow
valve is closed. This can happen
during normal operation of the
aircraft, maintenance, or training.
The safety agency recommends
that aircraft owners and operators,
maintenance personnel, ground
26 February-4 March 2019 | Flight International | 23
that other governments will
adopt the PC-24 once they see the
unrivalled opportunities and
flexibility which it offers.”
Certificated in December 2017,
the Williams International
FJ44-4A-powered aircraft has a
range of 2,000nm (3,700km), a
cruise speed of 440kt (810km/h)
and is designed to take off from
and land on runways with a
length of only 856m (2,810ft), in-
cluding grass and gravel strips.
The Stans-based airframer has
delivered 22 PC-24s to date, in-
cluding 18 last year – slightly
short of the 23 shipments fore-
cast. Output of 40 PC-24s is
planned for in 2019. ■
Pilatus
handlers, airport o­perators, fire-
fighting and other emergency
workers are made aware of the
risks described in the SIB.
Personnel must verify, if possi-
ble, that all relevant outflow
valves are in the open position. A
pressure build-up relief mecha-
nism should also be operated
­before opening a fuselage door on
a pressurised aircraft, EASA says.
Where flightcrew or mainte-
nance personnel are unable to
control the outflow valve or other
“external valve” positions with-
out the APU or engine, one cabin
fuselage door must remain open,
the safety agency mandates. ■
COVER STORY
Veteran returns to
the training game
Aero Vodochody’s updated L-39NG may closely resemble its communist-era predecessor,
but under the surface is a raft of new technology, backed by 21st-century service principles
MURDO MORRISON PRAGUE
CUTAWAY DRAWING BY TIM HALL
M
ost of the pilots who honed their
combat skills in the Aero Vodo-
chody L-39 Albatros single-en-
gined jet trainer were defending
the Soviet empire. The 21st century-born avia-
tors who fly its successor – the L-39NG – will
only know of the Cold War from history books.
More than two decades separate the closing
of the original L-39 line in 1996 – after 2,900
examples were shipped over 25 years – and
first flight of the L-39NG on 22 December 2018.
However, the Czech manufacturer is confi-
dent that the “new generation” version of the
famous aircraft – which resumes flight testing
24 | Flight International | 26 February-4 March 2019
in a few weeks and comes in light-attack and
trainer configurations – can make an impact
on the military training market, albeit not
quite as dramatic as its predecessor’s.
So far, Aero Vodochody has had commit-
ments from a quartet of customers for 40 ex-
amples, although Senegal’s – for four light-at-
tack variants – is the only firm order.
Scheduled certification is later this year, with
first deliveries in 2020.
The resurrected version of the jet, which
the Czech airframer launched at the Farnbor-
ough air show in 2014, shares a shape and
structure with its communist-era antecedent.
However, much has changed beneath the
skin. Those updates include a Williams Inter-
national FJ44-4M engine, a Genesys Aerosys-
Model was launched in
Aero Vodochody
2014, with deliveries
targeted from 2020
tems flightdeck, a one-piece canopy from
Swiss manufacturer Mecaplex, and Martin-
Baker ejection seats, all replacing Soviet-era
products and technology.
In addition, Aero Vodochody has had to
resurrect a local supply chain for the L-39NG,
as well as the larger L-159 advanced trainer
and light-attack aircraft that is also back in
limited production after a decade-long hiatus.
LEG UP
The move has given a welcome boost to many
of the country’s small machining shops and
other specialists that have struggled for work
since the winding down of Aero Vodochody’s
flagship programmes. The Prague-based
­airframer has also had to re-engineer crucial
flightglobal.com

parts of the aircraft in house, including a new
wet wing and landing-gear.
“We had to develop a new undercarriage our-
selves,” explains Jaromir Lang, L-39NG chief
engineer and a veteran from the manufacturer’s
days as a state-controlled enterprise in the
1980s. “The one on the original L-39 was built
from Eastern materials produced in the Czech
Republic by a company that has not existed
since the 1990s.” Other than that, the company
has engaged a “very big network” of local sup-
pliers, says Lang, including a subcontractor in
Moravia that builds the trainer’s tail section.
The wet wing increases the aircraft’s range to
1,150nm (2,130km), but also its agility. The orig-
inal L-39 wing had tip tanks to supplement its
central fuel compartment. Integral wing tanks
increase fuel capacity by around 150 litres
(39USgal), but getting rid of the tip tanks pushes
the mass of fuel closer to the aircraft’s centre of
gravity, improving manoeuvrability, notes Lang.
Aero Vodochody based the wet wing on a de-
sign it developed for the L-159, but “simplified,
with fewer longerons”, he says.
December’s first flight – a 26min sortie from
Aero Vodochody’s own airfield in Odolena
Voda – met a promise from Italian chief exec-
utive Giuseppe Giordo to have the aircraft in
the air before the end of last year. However,
with the test example, serial number 7001, re-
turning immediately to the hangar for further
work, that is likely to be its only outing before
a “very limited” campaign of around 15 mis-
sions begins again in April to test speed, atti-
tude and loads, says Lang.
Following ground vibration testing in May
and June, “the flight-test campaign proper”,
focused on aircraft systems, will resume in
August. Flutter testing will begin in October
before “we open the flight-test envelope for
loads testing and other performance testing”,
says Lang. With aircraft 7002 used for static
testing, and 7003 for fatigue trials, the second
aircraft to join the flight-test programme, in
October, will be 7004. Those two will com-
plete the certification effort.
Early in 2020, Aero Vodochody will with-
draw 7001 from flight tests and rebuild it as a
light-attack variant, before resuming flying in
the second half of next year, while 7004 will
remain in trainer configuration. The trainer
version has two under-wing pylons for carry-
ing drop tanks, but the light-attack variant has
five, capable of carrying weapons. The Czech
airframer is discussing various integration op-
tions with suppliers, but says the munitions
will largely be the customer’s choice.
The story of the L-39NG starts in the late
2000s, when Aero Vodochody was still
­reeling from a decision in 2003 by the Czech
military to reduce its fleet of the new L-159
advanced jet trainer and attack aircraft from
72 to just 24, furloughing its unwanted exam-
ples. With Boeing having also pulled out as a
flightglobal.com
L-39NG TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION
shareholder, development of a utility turbo-
prop axed and production of its flagship pro-
gramme at a standstill, the embattled manu-
facturer had to take on a range of build-to-print
aerostructures jobs simply to stay in business.
WIDE-RANGING REVIEW
The L-39 had been out of production since the
mid-1990s, but – given changes in the mili-
tary training market, with governments look-
ing at value-for-money solutions – the com-
pany’s new owners began to look again at a
segment that had been especially lucrative for
their communist-era predecessors. The prob-
lem was that Aero Vodochody had designed
the aircraft in the 1960s, with Soviet-era mate-
rials and production standards and the
Ukrainian-built Ivchenko AI-25 engine. “We
knew it was impossible to continue with that
design,” says Lang.
To make a redesigned aircraft viable, he
says, the company had to deploy western ma-
terials and quality standards to reduce the
empty weight and prolong the fatigue life at
least threefold. Beyond that, it decided to
keep the aluminium frame and basic struc-
ture, although it has made a few aerodynamic
tweaks to the shape and streamlined the pro-
duction process. For example, it now ma-
chines the bulkhead as a single part, rather
than in multiple sections.
One of the most crucial choices the com-
pany had to make was the engine. Aero Vo-
dochody at first considered using the Honey-
well TFE731 – a development of which, the
F124, powers the L-159 that the manufactur-
er began producing in the late 1990s. “We
knew the engine,” says Lang. “But after
Williams contacted me around 2013, we
­ GA,” says Huff. The M variant – it stands for
began to have discussions with them, too.
We decided to go with them because of the
AERO VODOCHODY L-39NG
Tim Bicheno-Brown/Artscreatif/FlightGlobal
Key design changes cover wing, landing-gear and add Williams International FJ44-4M engine
Originator XX
Magazine FlightGlobal
26 February-4 March 2019 | Flight International | 25
Size 114 x 67 / Feature
File name FIN N-39NG GA
conditions and support they were offering.”
The FJ44-4M is a variant of the FJ44-4A
that powers the Textron Aviation Cessna Cita-
tion CJ4 and Pilatus PC-24. The -4M delivers
3,790lb-thrust (16.9kN), 5% more than the
3,600lb-thrust commercial version, although
Lang says there is a small trade-off in service
life and maintenance intervals. Because the
engine is smaller than its predecessor, integra-
tion was relatively easy, although Aero Vodo-
chody had to redesign the frame. The compa-
ny had done much of the work already, by
retrofitting it in the L-39CW, a re-powered ver-
sion of the L-39 it flew in 2014.
According to Matt Huff, senior vice-presi-
dent business development and programme
management at Williams, several L-39 owners
and maintenance, repair and overhaul houses
had approached the Michigan-based compa-
ny over the years, asking if Williams might
put its weight behind a programme to re-en-
gine the trainer with the FJ44. “Until we intro-
duced the Dash 4 around 2011, the FJ44
wasn’t the right size,” he says. “But even then,
we said that unless the OEM got involved, we
weren’t interested.”
Although Williams is a specialist in e­ ngines
for business aviation types, this is not its first
foray into the military world. In the 1990s, the
Swedish air force chose the “Dash 1” version
of the FJ44 to re-engine its Saab 105 trainers
(known as the SK 60). Leonardo, Giordo’s for-
mer employer, also selected the FJ44-4 for its
M-345 jet trainer. That aircraft flew for the first
time late last year and is due to enter service
with the Italian air force in 2020.
“From the beginning, we envisaged the FJ44
as an engine for military trainers, as well as
“manoeuvrability” rather than “military” – in-
volves only a few small design changes, he ❯❯
0 2m
0 6ft
COVER STORY
❯❯ says, “allowing the aircraft to pull some
stronger g-forces”. The deals with Aero Vodo-
chody and Leonardo, he adds, are “highly sig-
nificant in that they open a new market for this
engine after our breakthrough with the SK 60”.
Other improvements over the original
L-39 include the single-piece canopy from
Mecaplex, and two Martin-Baker ejection
seats, with both companies working together
to d­ esign the canopy fragmentation escape
system. Aero Vodochody offers its own
­ lots to the air bases of larger allies to receive
­ejection seat on the L-159 that will be availa-
ble to any customer who objects to using a
UK-supplied product for political reasons.
However, “for most people, once you say you
are using a Martin-Baker seat, there are no
other questions”, says Lang.
Aero Vodochody’s relationship with
Genesys goes back to the late 1990s, when the
Czech manufacturer was developing the
short-lived Ae270 single-engined utility tur-
boprop with AIDC of Taiwan and had worked
with Chelton Flight Systems (now part of
Genesys) on the avionics. After it cancelled
the Ae270, Aero Vodochody found itself with
surplus stock of the avionics equipment and
incorporated the technology into the single
example of the L-39CW.
“When we announced the programme,
Genesys decided to support us and provided
us with new displays,” says Lang. While
Genesys supplies the 10in multifunction dis-
plays, standby sensors and other systems, a
Prague-based company, Speel, manufactures
the mission computer, head-up display, flight
data recorder, data acquisition unit and air
data computer. Another US firm, Borsight, is
behind the universal management unit.
Aero Vodochody secured its first series of
customer agreements last year, with Senegal
committing to its four combat-roled aircraft in
April. In addition, Portuguese private compa-
ny SkyTech, which provides aircraft to “ad-
dress shortfalls in military aviation” an-
nounced a letter of intent at the July 2018
Farnborough air show to acquire 10 plus six
Initial example first flew in December 2018 and will return to the air by April after further work
26 | Flight International | 26 February-4 March 2019
Aero Vodochody
Genesys avionics stem from longstanding ties
options, while US training specialist RSW
Aviation, an existing L-39 operator, signed for
12 examples.
Aero Vodochody is also negotiating a deal
with Czech military training provider LOM
Praha for four aircraft, plus two options. After
winning Senegal as an overseas launch cus-
tomer for the new variant, an order from a
government-backed organisation would be an
additional welcome endorsement for the pro-
gramme, says Giordo, adding that the compa-
ny is in “final negotiations” with a further un-
disclosed nation for 10 aircraft.
While Giordo admits that the nature of de-
fence procurement makes it difficult to pre-
dict when customers will confirm orders, he
says he is happy with the programme’s suc-
cess to date. “It would be great if we could ac-
celerate some of these final signatures, but for
any aircraft to win commitments before it flies
is very hard, particularly in the international
market, so I think our results so far have been
very good,” he says.
ON SCHEDULE
Giordio, who heads a team of former Leonar-
do executives recruited by private sharehold-
er Penta Investments in 2016, also says the
programme itself is “firmly on track”. The
company plans to deliver six in the first year
Aero Vodochody
of production and 12 in 2021. “After that, we
will go to a rate of 20 a year,” he says. “This
will be our baseline. Our current projections
mean we are covered through 2022, but we
could increase our rate by introducing a sec-
ond shift or asking more from suppliers.”
The world has changed in many ways from
the heyday of the L-39 when air forces had
their own training capabilities, or, in the case
of smaller nations, shipped their student pi-
their qualifications.
Today, with the old Cold War alliances
fragmented and cash-strapped defence minis-
tries looking for value for money, Aero Vodo-
chody has had to develop a sophisticated ser-
vices offering alongside the aircraft itself.
“We are not just providing aircraft, but a
complete training system,” says Giordo. To
reflect that most students flying the L-39NG
will have grown up in a high-tech world,
Aero Vodochody has developed courses
“based not on the old ways of training pilots,
but on elements millennials can appreciate,
making the most of artificial intelligence and
tablets”, he says.
Similarly, with support, the Czech firm –
like Williams – is offering operators guaranteed
“time in air” packages. “We will take care of
everything. That is something that is not very
common in the defence market,” he says.
Aero Vodochody is pitching the L-39NG in a
broad segment that ranges from the Pilatus
PC-21 and Embraer EMB-314 Super Tucano
high-performance turboprops through to the
M-345 and even the M-346 advanced jet trainer.
While Giordo admits that the M-346 is a much
more capable trainer aircraft, he maintains that
the L-39NG can “meet 80% of the advanced
training syllabus at one-third of the cost”: a
price-tag comparable with that of a turboprop.
Giordo believes that out of a potential mar-
ket of around 1,000 basic jet trainers over the
next 15 years, Aero Vodochody should be
able to secure orders for “easily 150 aircraft”.
He admits that marketing the type will be a
challenge for a company that is a minnow in
revenue terms compared with most of its ri-
vals and does not have sales offices around
the world. “We cannot afford the fixed costs of
some of our competitors,” he says.
Instead, he says, it will “focus our attention
on countries where we know product, costs
and operational capabilities are the three driv-
ers”. He also credits prime minister Andrej
Babis, who “has been one of the best salesmen
for the L-39NG”, and says the fact that the
central European nation is not a military or
economic power helps.
“If a country signs a strategic relationship
with the Czech Republic, it doesn’t affect their
relationship with France, the UK, or Italy,” he
says. “That sometimes actually makes it easier
for us to do business.” ■
flightglobal.com
 L-39NG CUTAWAY

This issue should hold a cutaway poster of the

Aero Vodochody L-39NG. If yours is missing
or damaged please contact:
Gillian Cumming
FlightGlobal
Quadrant House, The Quadrant,
Sutton, Surrey, SM2 5AS, UK
gillian.cumming@flightglobal.com

flightglobal.com 26 February-4 March 2019 | Flight International | 27

IT’S A LOGISTICAL
DAY D R E A M
K N O W I N G M O R E P U T S Y O U A B O V E T H E C L O U D S.
INTRODUCING C I R I U M. BRINGING TOGETHER POWERFUL DATA
AND A N A LY T I C S TO KEEP THE WORLD IN MOTION.

A s m a r t e r w a y.

CIRIUM.COM
AVALON PREVIEW

Fifth-generation
fighting force
Fully integrating people and modern platforms – now
including F-35s – is key to Australia’s goal of seamless air
power. We get the view from one of its senior commanders

GREG WALDRON SINGAPORE Air Vice Marshal Steve Roberton, Air Com- such as the Boeing E-7A Wedgetail airborne
mander Australia, says the F-35A is part of early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft,

I
n December 2018, the Royal Australian Air
Force (RAAF) truly entered the era of the
Lockheed Martin F-35, with the arrival of
its first two examples. After a long flight
across the Pacific from Luke AFB in Arizona,
the pair of jets were welcomed by Boeing F/A-
18A/B “classic” Hornets, the venerable fighter
they will replace.
The moment was a long time coming:
RAAF pilots and support crews have been
training at the Luke AFB F-35 school since
2015, with the service’s first F-35A delivered
in 2014. Ultimately, Canberra could obtain up
to 100, making it among the largest interna-
tional operators of the type.
the RAAF’s continuing evolution into a “fifth-
generation air force” – a well-oiled machine
that works seamlessly together.
Roberton has served with the RAAF since
1989 and has over 3,000h in the cockpit,
mostly in F/A-18As but also in the F/A-18F
Super Hornet.
In an interview with FlightGlobal on the
eve of Australia’s biennial Avalon air show, he
says: “We are in a fairly privileged position of
being one of the first all fifth-generation forces
in the world. In terms of platforms, we’re well
on track.”
Since the last Avalon show in 2017, the
RAAF has been working to integrate assets
F/A-18Fs, and its EA-18G Growlers. Still,
Roberton views the arrival of the F-35A as
the biggest development.
“It’s been a busy couple of years, but we’re
really pleased with the progress that we’ve
made, both in the development of the plat-
forms and making them work together in that
fifth-generation force, but also with our peo-
ple. It’s been a very successful intervening
two years.”
The F-35A, of which has Australia currently
has 10, is due for initial operating capability
in late 2020. This involves a fully operational
squadron in Australia, as well as a training
squadron. Full operating capability is due in

30 | Flight International | 26 February-4 March 2019 flightglobal.com

 ROYAL AUSTRALIAN AIR FORCE

Commonwealth of Australia
Geography makes KC-30A tanker crucial strategic asset; a seventh will arrive this year

Commonwealth of Australia
Commonwealth of Australia

F-35A will follow

Hornet as RAAF’s
fighter backbone
Options to extend Super Hornet force’s service life beyond 2020s are under consideration

2023. This will see three operational units – 3
Sqn, 75 Sqn and 77 Sqn, in addition to the
training squadron. For the time being, eight
aircraft remain at the Luke AFB training
school. An additional eight will be delivered
in 2019.
SHIFTING MINDSET
Roberton – essentially the RAAF’s chief op-
erating officer – discusses aircraft in the con-
text not just of capability, but also logistics
and human resources. He says F-35A sus-
tainment has required a cultural shift, given
that the type is fundamentally a US Air
Force platform and the USAF’s maintenance
philosophy differs from that of the US Navy
– and Australia’s existing fast jet fleet com-
prises mainly navy types such as the Hornet,
Super Hornet and Growler.
“We’ve already adapted fairly well to it,” he
says. “We’ve had women and men in the USA
for some time now training with US systems
and becoming familiar with not just the main-
tenance philosophy, but the documentation
and the means of doing it. It’s progressing well
and we’re pretty confident about it.”
As for the 71 F/A-18A/Bs that the F-35As
will replace, Canberra has entered a deal to
sell up to 25 examples to Canada for A$95
million ($68 million). Of these, 18 will serve
as combat assets and seven will be used for
spares. These aircraft will fill a capability gap
while Ottawa holds a competition for a future
fighter aircraft.
While the Hornets are set to depart the
RAAF after decades of service, Canberra will
continue to operate its powerful force of 24
F/A-18F Super Hornets, which were obtained
to fill a capability gap caused by delays in the
F-35 programme.
Original plans for the Super Hornets
called for their retirement in the 2020s, but
there is speculation that Canberra may opt to
keep the type, possibly upgrading them to
the USN’s Block III standard. This activity
includes a range of structural and sensor up-
grades, as well as the ability to receive and
transfer large amounts of sensor data with
other aircraft.
On the long-term prospects for the RAAF’s
Super Hornets, Roberton says in the “next few ❯❯

flightglobal.com 26 February-4 March 2019 | Flight International | 31

AVALON PREVIEW
❯❯ years” a proposal will be made to the gov-
ernment about the air force’s future asset mix.
“Having tied ourselves in with the US
Navy and their plans and upgrades – and
what’s more, the US Navy’s integration of
Super Hornet, Growler and their own F-35
variant – I believe there are more options for
extending the life [of the Super Hornet]. But
these are matters for the Australian govern-
ment, and part of this planning will be put
forward to the government to consider.”
STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY
He adds, however, that the air force is “very
confident” that this future force structure will
be based on the F-35, EA-18G and the E-7A.
“We’re in a great place. We’re not being
driven by ageing platforms like many other
services around the world. The Super Hor-
nets are still in very, very good nick. They
are very capable of course. But we need to
find where we get the right cost benefit, and
what that future force requirement looks
like. This will be driven by government poli-
cy and our own defence strategy in the com-
ing years. More to come.”
Originally, Canberra obtained 12
­EA-18Gs, adding a new electronic attack ca-
pability to the Australian Defence Force. One
aircraft, however, was lost, owing to the cata-
strophic failure of a fan disk in its left side
GE Aviation F414 engine. The aircraft was
attempting to take off from Nellis AFB near
Las Vegas during a Red Flag-series exercise.
No personnel were injured, but the aircraft
was a write-off.
With the Growler force reduced to 11 air-
frames, there has been speculation about
whether Canberra will obtain a replacement
for the lost example. Another option is recon-
figuring one of the baseline F/A-18Fs as an
EA-18G, because 12 of the RAAF’s Super Hor-
nets are configured for conversion to the elec-
tronic warfare type. Roberton says options are
In-flight refuelling enabled 13h Wedgetail missions against Islamic State in Iraq and Syria
32 | Flight International | 26 February-4 March 2019
“Hard to imagine”
conflict with no
role for EA-18G
being explored, but the air force is still famil-
iarising itself with the capabilities inherent in
the platform. At some point, it will present
options to the government.
Despite the accident, Roberton has very
high marks for the capability the EA-18G
brings to the RAAF.
“The Growler is such a capable platform
and very flexible up and down that entire
conflict spectrum. It is capable of penetrating
[enemy airspace] with strike assets to help
control that electromagnetic spectrum, but
equally it contributes to joint roles or working
with our naval platforms or land forces in
stand-off roles. It’s hard to imagine a scenario
where a Growler couldn’t make a pretty
meaningful contribution to the joint effect
you’re after.”
Roberton is also happy with progress on
two critical enablers for the RAAF’s combat
power, the E-7A AEW&C capability and the
Airbus Defence & Space KC-30A tanker.
Commonwealth of Australia
Commonwealth of Australia
The E-7A has operated effectively in the
complex environment over the Middle East in
support of Australia’s contribution to efforts
against Islamic State in Syria and Iraq. The
aircraft have operated missions of up to 13h,
made possible by its in-flight refuelling capa-
bility. The RAAF is in discussions with the
Royal Air Force and the USAF, both of which
will need to replace their ageing, Boeing 707-
based E-3 aircraft.
“Wedgetail has garnered a great deal of in-
terest from the USA and the UK, who are
working with us on how we iteratively up-
grade it,” says Roberton.
The RAAF’s tanker ability continues to ma-
ture, with the delivery of its sixth KC-30A (the
Australian designation for the A330 multi-
role tanker transport) in late 2017; the seventh
is due to arrive in the middle of 2019. The air-
craft has played an important role in both
combat deployments to the Middle East and
in supporting deployments to Australia’s
neighbours in Southeast Asia.
“We’re yet to invent an air war security sce-
nario where we have too many tankers,” says
Roberton. “Australia is expeditionary by na-
ture being where we are on the globe, espe-
cially given the distances just to get up and
work with our allies in the near region or in
the Middle East. The KC-30A has been an ab-
solute fundamental enabler for us.”
Looking forward, Roberton feels that there
are several emergent technologies that will
impact air forces, namely the deployment and
increased capabilities of large unmanned air
vehicles. Of import will be the mix of manned
and unmanned assets, and how these ele-
ments work together.
“There are rapidly developing technologies
in that area around the world. It’s safe to say
the air force in 2029 is not going to look ex-
actly like it does in 2019.” n
flightglobal.com
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AVALON PREVIEW
Regional struggle
Australia’s ageing feeder fleet is characterised by types that
have been retired from use in other countries – but rough
market economics mean renewal will be slow in coming
ELLIS TAYLOR PERTH
A
cross vast Australia’s far-flung re-
gions, many people naturally rely
on air transport to get around, and
many of the services they fly rely
on ageing turboprops and regional jets. In-
deed, Flight Fleets Analyzer shows that Aus-
tralia’s 300-strong regional aircraft fleet has an
average age of just over 23 years.
Tellingly, the most-used aircraft is the
Saab 340, with 61 in passenger service,
­followed closely by the Fokker 100, with 57.
But while the country’s regional fleets are
showing their age, new aircraft have proved
to be a hard sell.
Dutch-built Fokker jets illustrate the
­challenging nature of Australia’s regional air
service market. F100s and F70s have long
been out of service in other parts of the world,
but in Australia they are a mainstay for fly-in,
fly-out charter operators such as Alliance
­Airlines, Qantas’s Network Aviation unit and
Virgin Australia Regional Airlines.
As European operators Austrian Airlines
and KLM withdrew their fleets of F100s and
F70s, Australian carriers took advantage of
34 | Flight International | 26 February-4 March 2019
relatively low purchase prices, which helps
offset the types’ high operating costs.
Alliance managing director Scott McMillan
tells FlightGlobal that his carrier has no plans
in the near future to replace its Fokker aircraft,
although its five F50 turboprops could be re-
tired if they are no longer needed. “We are
provisioned to operate circa 40 Fokker jets for
the next 10 years,” says McMillan.
Key to that is a large number of spare air-
craft amassed by the operator, the expertise of
its engineers, and heavy maintenance support
from KLM UK Engineering and Austrian
Technik Bratislava. It has also acquired major
stocks of spare parts, spare engines and tool-
ing from other operators.
McMillan adds that it also has a strong rela-
tionship with Rolls-Royce, the manufacturer
of the Tay jet engines powering F70s and
F100s. “Our relationship with Rolls-Royce is
absolutely pivotal to ensuring that these
­aircraft go for the next 10 years,” he says.
Regional Express made a similar move some
time ago, buying out the spares inventory of
US carrier Pinnacle Airlines to support its fleet
of Saab 340s – comprising 54 B-models in its
passenger fleet and four A-models flown by its
AirTeamImages
Pel-Air unit on charter and freighter opera-
tions, according to Fleets Analyzer.
The carrier has had to mitigate some obso-
lescence issues – for example, replacing its
Saab 340 cathode ray tube displays with newer
liquid crystal units. That upgrade also allowed
for the integration of newer avionics and will
keep the aircraft flying for many more years.
MIXED OPERATIONS
Not surprisingly, a key consideration guiding
Australian regional carriers’ fleet choices is
the type of service they offer: scheduled
­passenger or fly-in, fly-out resource charter.
Fly-in, fly-out contracts tend to be short
term with low aircraft utilisation, which
makes it hard to rationalise investment in
new aircraft.
“If you are just relying on fly-in, fly-out
agreements of a few years with low utilisa-
tion, it is difficult to justify new aircraft unless
there is a specific requirement of the end
­customer. That is what we have found,” says
ATR’s sales general manager for the ASEAN
region, Christophe Potocki.
He notes, though, that some operators are
starting to run a mix of charter and sched-
flightglobal.com
 REGIONAL AIR SERVICES

props are in the midst of a cabin refurbish-

ment programme, which is seeing them fitted
with new cushioning, leather ­upholstery, tab-
let holders and floor coverings.
Older Dash 8s also remain a mainstay of
­carriers including Perth-based charter opera-
tors Maroomba Airlines and Skippers Avia-
tion, along with scheduled north Queensland
carrier Skytrans.
A number of operators of smaller aircraft,
such as Fairchild Metroliners, also face a lack
of options to replace their aircraft. In some
cases, operators have turned to Beechcraft
1900s, but with only nine in the c­ountry
against 36 Metroliners and both types out of

ATR
Rex relies on Saab 340s (left), while Virgin (above) has had mixed success with its ATR 72s production, there are few a­ lternatives around.

NEW JETS?
With Fokker jets set to be a fixture in
­Australia for many years to come, regional jet
manufacturers are more focused on the
major carriers for future sales. But while
signs are encouraging, orders still appear to
be some time off.
Last year, Qantas signalled that it is
­evaluating the Embraer E-Jet E2 series and
the A ­ irbus A220 for its future fleet. However,
it did not give a timeline for when it was
­looking to make a decision. The carrier is ex-
pected to focus its attention on choosing an
ultra-long-haul jet for its “Project Sunrise”
requirement this year.
Virgin may also be forced to reconsider the
AirTeamImages

paring down of its regional aircraft fleet due to

Fokker jets like this F70 remain a mainstay for fly-in, fly-out charter operator Alliance Airlines
uled operations, blurring the “boundary
between fly-in, fly-out and scheduled”
­ regional air market, the capacity gap created
services, making it more difficult to see
­ as Virgin cut its ATR fleet was largely filled by
where opportunities lie for aircraft manufac-
turers in Australia.
For pure scheduled operators that fly mul-
tiple segments each day, Potocki says ATR’s
-600 series has strong economics, while its
cabin options can offer passengers a ­similar
experience to a much larger aircraft.
Virgin has had ATRs in its fleet since 2011,
initially operated by then-independent carrier
Skywest, predominantly on services along
Australia’s east coast. Freight operator Toll
also operates two ATR 42 Freighters, Fleets
Analyzer data shows, while Hevilift flies two
ATR 42/72s on charter operations.
But ATR’s success in selling its products
to Virgin has been tempered in recent years,
as the carrier reduced its ATR 72 fleet from
14 to eight as part of a cost-cutting exercise to
arrest major losses. At the same time, Virgin
dealt a major blow to Embraer, withdrawing
the last of its E190s last year. That has left
Airnorth as the only E-Jet operator in the
country, with five E170s in service that fly
both charter and scheduled services.
recent uncertainty over the fate of its
­wet-lease partner, Alliance. In February, arch
To underscore the dynamics of Australia’s
Alliance’s Fokker jets, through a combination
of wet-leases and codeshares.
In theory, high utilisation and its effect on
ageing aircraft could push Regional Express
(also known as Rex) to replace its Saab 340
fleet – but a number of routes in its network
would not support the next best option,
which appears to be the 46-50 seat ATR 42.
For a carrier that averages loads of around
61% on 34-seater aircraft, those additional
seats could be more of a burden than a help.
Potocki notes that the carrier “is doing
­really well with its existing fleet”, but hopes
that future growth could see it look to add
ATR 42s. “I don’t feel that Rex would be look-
ing at replacing all of the Saabs on all of the
routes. I don’t think it would make sense for
them. If there are any routes where there is
growth, that could provide some better fit,” he
says.
Across the ramp, Bombardier has the
­monopoly on the Qantas group’s turboprop
fleet, with 31 Q400s, 16 Q300s and three
Q200s, Fleets Analyzer shows. Those turbo-
rival Qantas made a surprise strike on Alli-
ance, taking up a 20% stake in the ­carrier and
suggesting that it plans to apply for regulatory
clearance to lift its stake and eventually take
control.
For its part, Alliance has said publicly that
its board has not been approached by Qantas,
while obtaining competition clearance to
grow its stake looks to be a long road ahead.
Virgin has, understandably, expressed its
­concerns, but has not signalled any plan to
make a play for the independent operator.
McMillan is unfazed by the Qantas ap-
proach, and says that even after the stake was
bought, Qantas had not held any discussions
with Alliance management, which is not
changing its long-term plans.
Fellow charter jet operator Cobham has
also given no signal that it plans to move
away from its fleet of 16 BAe 146s and Avro
RJs, despite its youngest one being almost 18
years old, according to Fleets Analyzer. It
points to the unique rough- and short-field ca-
pability of the type as an asset that is hard to
match with more modern types.
So, while Australia’s regional aircraft fleet
continues to age, many of those aircraft are set
to have much longer lives down under. ■

flightglobal.com 26 February-4 March 2019 | Flight International | 35

ROTORCRAFT
Special report

TECHNOLOGY

Air taxis get

vertical lift
HAI Heli-Expo visitors will not fail to
notice that companies like Bell are
scrambling to turn visions of urban
mobility into hybrid-electric reality

DOMINIC PERRY FORT WORTH

D esigning a new aircraft is, relatively speak-

ing, a simple task. If you know the fine de-
tail of the market it is aimed at – who will fly it
and why – and the regulatory environment in
which it will operate, then you can develop
something that addresses those concerns.
And if you are experienced in the field,
then you will know how to translate those
ideas into a manufacturable, marketable prod-
uct. Of course, not every programme unfurls
without a hitch – and some go more awry
than others – but there is at least a known
quantity to the process.
But what does a manufacturer do – experi-
enced or otherwise – when attempting to de-
sign and build a product that is meant to serve
an entirely new market, to operate in an envi-
ronment that does not yet exist, for which
rules are not yet drawn up, using unproven
technologies and which, it is hoped, will be
built in such prodigious quantities that the ex-
perience drawn from other industries will be
of more relevance than anything learned from
aerospace?
But such are the potential rewards from the
nascent urban air mobility (UAM) market that
countless firms are attempting to unravel this
tangle of challenges. They include Silicon
Valley start-ups, offshoots of the automotive
world and, in Airbus and Boeing, two of aero-
space’s biggest names.
Also present in that list is Bell – formerly
Bell Helicopter – which will attend the 5-7
March HAI Heli-Expo event in Atlanta with a
major presentation of its UAM vision as a key
component in its bid to reshape itself as a
more agile, dynamic, and innovative player in
the vertical-lift world. Its bid to address the
market for urban air taxis is the Nexus, a de-
sign that bears a­ lmost no resemblance to any-
thing the ­airframer has previously produced.
Destined to take flight early next decade,
the concept features six tilting ducted fans,
driven by a hybrid-electric powertrain.
Nexus, which is intended to have a 2,720kg
(6,000lb) maximum take-off weight, will be
able to accommodate four paying passengers
Bell

and one pilot – although with advances in au- Potential for autonomous control means aircraft could carry up to five paying passengers

36 | Flight International | 26 February-4 March 2019 flightglobal.com

 HELI-EXPO PREVIEW
Urban mobility

serve those other considerations.
While having just four frameworks seems
manageable, each is made of up hundreds of
different strands. For instance, Drennan de-
fines the operational framework as “the func-
tional requirements for on-demand UAM
network”. In practice that means thinking
about how it would be operated commercial-
ly, the infrastructural challenges, air traffic
management, safety and acoustic require-
ments and, c­ ritically, delivering “a solution
that is affordable to most people”.
Regulatory considerations cover some of
the same ground, but are being worked on
with NASA, the US Federal Aviation Ad-
ministration and other rule-makers to help
define an integrated approach across the ve-
hicle, as well as the operational and air traf-
fic management requirements. In addition,
the certification authorities have been regu-
larly consulted during the design process,
including encouraging their attendance at
review meetings “so that we can all see what
the challenges are together”.
Ultimately the regulatory framework is
driven by the need to “clear paths to compli-
ance and [gain] permission to operate for
urban air mobility concepts”, says Drennan.
As for manufacturing, Bell needs to devel-
op “dependable and repeatable fabrication
and assembly processes”, he says. With
­quality and safety as baseline requirements,
Drennan says, a great deal of focus within the
manufacturing stream is instead on “cost,
weight and environmental impact”.
Nexus features six tilting
Manufacturing on the scale envisaged is a
ducted fans driven by a
puzzle for any traditional airframer like Bell,
hybrid-electric powertrain
which is used to turning out at most hun-
Bell
“It does look like the new folks are thinking
more about technology and less about
­certification and manufacturing. There are
some cases where it’s an ‘unknown un-
known’, but they are certainly getting ex-
posed to some of it now as they develop their
flight-test vehicles and are asking questions
about how they might do this in the future,”
says Drennan. “Manufacturing is not just
about [capital expenditure], but the long-
term manufacturing and quality processes.”
As he points out, it is not sufficient to focus
solely on gaining an aircraft’s type certificate:
to make any programme a success, a manufac-
turer also requires a production certificate and
continued airworthiness approval. “Of course
we have [experience of] all three of those
things, but it’s something that others should
be thinking about as well,” he says.
For all that Bell is looking to the future and
seeking to tap into experience from outside
the industry, Team Nexus – the programme’s
core suppliers – are traditional aerospace
companies through and through.
PROVIDING POWER
Power will be delivered by a Safran-built hy-
brid-electric system – a gas turbine engine
coupled to a generator. Excess power will be
stored in a battery pack from EP Systems.
Moog will supply the all-electric actuators for
the control surfaces, while Thales will devel-
op the flight-control computer and avionics
are to be delivered by Garmin.
Traditional as they may be, the applications
are in many cases an entirely new direction
for the firms involved.
Take Safran, for example: it has extensive

tonomous flight technology, Bell is already
eyeing the 25% efficiency gain that eliminat-
ing the crew would deliver to operators.
Nexus, at least according to Bell’s market-
ing material, will be “creating a new era of
flight” and “helping to solve real-world chal-
lenges now and in the future”.
But to achieve that vision, Bell has identi-
fied the importance of thinking beyond the
air vehicle itself. As Scott Drennan, the com-
pany’s vice-president of innovation, puts it,
the first challenge in guiding the design of the
aircraft is to “define [the] operational require-
ments it must meet, as well as the transport
network it will operate within.”
KEY PILLARS
Bell has defined four key pillars – “integrated
frameworks”, it calls them – that have driven
the vehicle’s configuration: operational, regu-
latory, manufacturing, and technological,
with the latter very much subordinate to and
informed by the other three. In other words,
Bell has no plans to use technology for tech-
nology’s sake; instead it must be adapted to
dreds of a particular aircraft in a year. If
UAM takes off as forecast, then Bell and oth-
ers will be required to build thousands of ve-
hicles annually.
“At that different scale we need to start
thinking less like a [traditional] manufacturer,
more like an automobile manufacturer. It’s not
quite all the way there – but the methodolo-
gies in automotive look to be a lot more help-
ful,” says Drennan.
That means, he says, fewer traditional,
high-temperature composites that would re-
quire a “whole city of autoclaves and presses
and ovens” to meet the output requirements.
Instead, these would be used selectively –
“where we need to have those materials for
weight or certification purposes” – with other
structures formed via out-of-autoclave pro-
cesses, which “will start to unlock the rates
we are talking about”.
Technology, therefore, is not the end itself,
but a means to an end; it needs to support one
of the other three frameworks.
Although Bell’s approach is more or less
mirrored by its “more traditional friends”,
Drennan is not sure that applies universally.
expertise making small gas turbines, both in
its helicopter e­ ngines business – the former
Turbomeca – and the Safran Power Units op-
eration. Although it has not previously pro-
duced a hybrid-electric architecture, even
prior to the announcement of the selection
by Bell, Safran built and ran a ground-test
version of such a system. That, says Kyle
Heironimus, Bell’s propulsion lead for
Nexus, is a “testament” to its partner’s belief
in the technology.
“The fact that Safran already has a cycle of
learning under their belt with this type of
­system clearly means that, number one, they
are the perfect partner for Bell. But, two, they
believe this [system] is going to be the future
in VTOL markets.”
As with anyone involved in the
­programme, there has to be a belief that “we
can make this happen and this will come
true”, he says.
The EP Systems-supplied batteries are also
vital to the project; as Heironimus puts it, they
are an “enabler” for the rest of the propulsion
system. “We could create a system with no
storage – but to get the safety and redundancy ❯❯

flightglobal.com 26 February-4 March 2019 | Flight International | 37

ROTORCRAFT
Special report
we would have to have multiple turbines and
generators – maybe even more than two in
some instances.”
That would quickly become both complex
and heavy – two things to be avoided at all
costs. Instead, the use of the battery allows the
size of the turbine and generator to be opti-
mised for the mission, cutting weight, cost
and complexity.
But as Heironimus notes, the configuration
is not yet a “home run” for VTOL applica-
tions, as “until very recently” energy storage
and battery technology, notably weight, were
ill suited to the mission. On top of that, VTOL
aircraft require lots of both power – for take-
off and to hover – and energy for the cruise
phase. Traditionally, batteries were able to
provide one or the other, not both. “Only very
recently are we getting into a place where bat-
teries are reaching both the power and energy
densities necessary to enable this mission,”
says Heironimus.
Cells, currently using a lithium-ion chemis-
try, have been carefully selected for the mis-
sion that “met all of our requirements at a mini-
mum weight” and then integrated into a pack
with a battery management system for safety.
SAFETY FIRST
While Heironimus will not be drawn on the
specifics of the system, citing supplier confi-
dentiality, the design is such “that even if
there were a failure of any single cell… that
would not cause any critical failure of the air-
craft itself”. The design attempts to both pre-
vent a thermal runaway of a cell, and if one
does occur, ensure that it does not then affect
the safety of the aircraft.
“It’s a pretty holistic approach that you
have to take to assure aircraft safety, not just
the pack itself,” he says.
The hybrid architecture should enable an
additional degree of safety, says Drennan, al-
lowing the Nexus to perform a “controlled
descent to the ground under power” should
the engine fail. In addition, the simplicity of
the powertrain, which eliminates gearboxes
and transmission shafts in favour of direct-
drive electric motors, should bring additional
benefits through better reliability and reduced
weight and maintenance costs.
One intriguing aspect of Bell’s proposal is
the acknowledgement that pilots – or at least
highly trained aviators – may not be required
for the Nexus’s operation. “We may find out
that as we go into service, people want to look
left and see somebody with them for the initial
flights, depending on who you are or how
comfortable you feel with autonomy,” says
Drennan. “But there might be a lot of folks, or
even certain markets, that adopt it more quick-
ly from just an autonomous state off the bat.”
However, economic considerations are
likely to drive the advance of autonomy:
38 | Flight International | 26 February-4 March 2019
Drennan points out that if an operator can in-
crease payload by 25% through removing a
pilot, then it “becomes significant to take
them out of there and stop them being a cost
on the system”.
In the short term, Bell is researching what
control interfaces and aircraft responses will
be required for Nexus by current and future
pilots. That includes part of its exhibit at the
Heli-Expo event, which will present visitors
to the stand with a number of potential con-
trol options.
The aim, as company test pilot Jim Gibson
puts it, is to eventually design a flight-con-
trol system that “allows individuals with
limited training to safely and efficiently
­operate urban air vehicles”. A lower stand-
ard of entry for prospective pilots – or “safety
officers” as Drennan refers to them – will be
key to ensure there are, initially at least,
­sufficient crew for the thousands of UAM
envisaged by Bell and others.
And Gibson believes that aviation regula-
tors are aligned with that view. “I think they
understand that something has to change,” he
says. “They understand the economics of
what it takes to become a pilot today. That’s
not going to work in a situation where you
need 2,000, 3,000 or 4,000 more pilots.”
There may be hundreds of other designs
competing in the UAM space, but Drennan
believes this will only help spur Bell on. “I try
to be really optimistic about people who work
on difficult problems like this. I always ad-
mire people getting involved. That helps me
stay honest about our own position – you
can’t be too conceited or arrogant,” he says.
“But I do think there’s going to be a cooling
down. You will see it as people get closer to
those [operational, regulatory and manufactur-
ing] frameworks. Once they understand the
capital investment and process rigour required
for manufacturing, we will start to see folks
combine together with people like ourselves or
go on to different skills and missions.”
Those approaching the problem of UAM
from a non-aviation standpoint can some-
times be confounded by the industry’s regula-
tions, he says. There are, “some hugely
­accomplished software folks” already work-
ing in autonomous ground transport applica-
tions who are often interested in working
with Bell. “Then we sit them down and ex-
plain to them [aviation-specific regulations].
They see them as a barrier.”
Some also think that simply getting the ve-
hicle flying is “the end-game” itself. “But
you have to build in redundancy and you
have to build structures that can last for mul-
tiple flights.”
But for all that, Drennan is still keen to
stress that Bell remains open to non-aviation
experience: “Our approach doesn’t mean we
are right on everything,” he says. ■
PROGRAMME
Advancing
at full tilt
Leonardo Helicopters is leveraging
its long experience developing the
AW609 – and EU funding – to
create a greener, larger civil tiltrotor
DOMINIC PERRY LONDON
O ne might think that given the decades
so far required to bring its AW609 to
market that Leonardo Helicopters would shy
away from developing another tiltrotor
­aircraft. But despite still not having gained
certification for the AW609 – that milestone
is due in 2019, more than 20 years since the
programme began – the Italian airframer is
already working on its successor, called the
Next-Gen Civil Tiltrotor (NGCTR).
Leonardo is seeking to develop a family of
­aircraft that would make their commercial
debut in the 2030-2035 timeframe. But first,
the company will build and fly a technology
demonstrator aircraft under the EU’s Clean
Sky 2 effort in its Fast Rotorcraft workstream.
PERFORMANCE CRITERIA
Leveraging funding from both the EU and
Leonardo’s own research and development
investment, the project works on two levels.
Firstly, there are a set of performance criteria
that the NGCTR must meet: measured
against a conventional AW139 helicopter, it
should produce 50% less carbon dioxide,
14% less nitrogen oxides and noise should
be cut by 30%.
Secondly, the funding should spur
industrial and productivity advances and
­
will allow Leonardo and its partners to
­evaluate and mature – to technology readi-
ness level 6 – a number of technologies cru-
cial to any future programme. These include
composite wings, tilting proprotors with
fixed nacelles, a V-tail and a distributed
flight control system.
However, two key elements are not new
on the aircraft: the fuselage and the engines.
For power, 2,000shp (1,490kW) GE Aviation
CT7s have been selected, in part for their
“scalability”, says programme manager
­Andrea Artioli.
For the fuselage, Leonardo will use a stand-
ard AW609 structure, seeing little benefit in
developing an all-new part when the size of
an eventual production aircraft may vary.
“There is no interest [in the fuselage] as an in-
novation item,” says Artioli.
flightglobal.com

NGCTR is expected to make its commercial debut in the 2030-2035 timeframe, and will be preceded by a technology demonstrator
Given the scalability of the design, Leonar-
do could opt for an interior layout in the
18-25 passenger range, he says. “The idea is
that it is scalable to a number of passengers
which is quite large.” Comparatively, the
AW609 can accommodate a maximum of
nine people, plus two crew.
Leonardo began the preliminary design re-
view for the NGCTR in December 2018 and
expects the process to close in the first half of
this year. A critical design review is due in
2020, followed by final assembly in 2022 and
first flight in 2023.
The flight-test phase for the technology
demonstrator will last for “a couple of years”
as it “opens the envelope in helicopter and
aircraft modes”, says Artioli. “We want to ex-
plore and validate all our innovations.”
The nature of the EU-backed programme,
which aims to spread work – and therefore
innovation – across the bloc, is such that a
number of partners have been recruited for
the NGCTR effort. These include Fokker,
which heads the Lift consortium that will
design and develop the type’s thermoplastic
V-tail. GKN, which owns Fokker, already has
flightglobal.com
HELI-EXPO PREVIEW
some experience in this field, having built a
similar structure for the Bell V-280 military
tiltrotor demonstrator.
Windtunnel testing of the design will take
place this year, says Artioli. The V-tail config-
uration has been preferred, he says, for aero-
dynamic efficiency and scalability – by com-
parison, the AW609 uses a more traditional
T-tail shape. A separate group of companies is
developing the aircraft’s wing and control
­surfaces under the T-Wing umbrella, led by
Italian aerospace research institute CIRA.
Meanwhile, Milan’s technical university is
heading a project to investigate the use of
components produced by additive layer man-
ufacturing (ALM) in the NGCTR.
Leonardo will be responsible for the trans-
mission, including the tilting proprotors, and
the flight-control system. This crucial element
of the design will use a distributed solution,
which sees flight-control computers located
near control surface actuators, rather than via
a central system.
In addition, the full fly-by-wire aircraft will
feature a joystick-type control interface, re-
placing the traditional conventional cyclic
26 February-4 March 2019 | Flight International | 39
Civil tiltrotors
Leonardo Helicopters
and collective levers. This will be fitted with
“active inceptors” to provide tactile feedback
to pilots. “That is the kind of improvement pi-
lots are chasing for,” says Artioli.
Leonardo has, like other rotorcraft manu-
facturers, significant in-house expertise in the
development of transmission components.
However, for the NGCTR effort, it will collab-
orate with Milan technical university to incor-
porate ALM-built parts.
Although the technology demonstrator
will not receive certification, it still has to be
declared safe to fly by European regulators,
notes Artioli.
Leonardo has yet to launch any future
tiltrotor programme, but Artioli is adamant
that the company remains fully committed
to the architecture.
“In five or 10 years’ time, we want to be
there with the next-generation tiltrotor
­following the AW609.”
But given that Bell, its tiltrotor rival – and
former partner on the AW609 – could already
be building its first production V-280 by that
point, a response is vital if Europe is not to fall
behind the USA in the sector. ■
ROTORCRAFT
Special report

OUTLOOK
perior economics of their helicopters for the

Well worth majority of offshore missions would see them

gain significant market share.
There has been some evidence of super-me-

the weight
Sikorsky is consolidating the S-92’s
position as the helicopter of choice
for the oil and gas market, seeing off
smaller, less-expensive alternatives
DOMINIC PERRY LONDON
dium growth – operators such as Babcock,
CHC, Era and NHV have all put helicopters in
this class into offshore service – but in a market
where there is already low-cost capacity avail-
able and capital expenditure is being kept to a
minimum, expansion of that fleet has been
gradual. Both the AW189 and H175 have strug-
gled to reach maturity in a “low-demand envi-
ronment”, according to Flight Ascend Consul-
tancy, despite being cheaper to acquire and
with lower direct operating costs than the S-92.
Sikorsky, which does not have a super-me-

O ne unheralded aspect of the crisis in the

market for offshore helicopter transpor-
tation supporting the oil and gas market is the
rise – by default, some would argue – of the
Sikorsky S-92 to become the heavy rotorcraft
of choice in the West.
By default, because the absence of the
­Airbus Helicopters H225, and slow uptake of
other models has limited the choice for opera-
tors. It is also critical to note that the S-92’s po-
sition has not translated into new orders; idled
or underutilised assets have served to pick up
slack in the market.
Nonetheless, Sikorsky’s operating statistics
are heading in the right direction: since 2016,
annual flight hours have grown. Utilisation
rates last year for the offshore fleet hovered at
around 60% – and a little under 12% of the
200-strong oil and gas fleet was idled in 2018.
The airframer does acknowledge that it has
derived some benefit from the H225’s high-
profile woes following a fatal accident in
April 2016. That saw the rival heavy-twin
grounded for over a year in some jurisdic-
tions, as well as suffering a reputational hit in
the oil and gas community.
dium helicopter in its line-up, takes a differ-
ent view, of course. The S-92 is perceived as
the ideal platform for long-distance opera-
tions, where range with a 30min fuel reserve
is 480nm (855km). But when the manufactur-
er analysed flight-plan data, it found that over
half of the missions carried out with the heli-
copter were at ranges of less than 150nm.
“Competitors have tried to convey that su-
per-medium-size helicopters can do 80% of
the missions of an S-92… but a medium can
do 80% of the missions of a super-medium –
there is a very narrow band where the super-
medium is more efficient than a medium or a
heavy,” argues Martin.
The message from the market, he says, is
that “we don’t need a third weight class of air-
craft. With the S-92 you have an aircraft that
S-92 is perceived
has so much utility that is applicable across
to be ideal for
mission profiles, whether 100nm offshore or
long-distance
300nm, the S-92 is a great aircraft to do that
operations
mission.”

BALANCE RETURNS
But David Martin, vice-president oil and gas
at Sikorsky, believes that the majority of the
impact was felt in the early stages of the
H225’s grounding. “That was a factor maybe
two years ago and it had a significant impact
on Sikorsky when the S-92 had to pick up that
work overnight,” he says.
“But through 2017 and 2018 demand stabi-
lised, and we are really in a state of balance
now where it is more incremental workload
being picked up as oil companies look to do a
bit more project work.”
Martin also argues that the S-92’s perfor-
mance in tenders last year, notably in Brazil
and Mexico, when facing bids from smaller
super-medium-class helicopters, is a testa-
Leonardo Helicopters

ment to the platform’s desirability. Providers

of super-mediums, such as Airbus Helicop-
ters with the H175 and Leonardo Helicopters
with its AW189, have long argued that the su- Despite attractive economics, AW189 has struggled in a “low demand environment”

40 | Flight International | 26 February-4 March 2019 flightglobal.com


However, the reality is slightly more nu-
anced. Thanks to a surfeit of capacity on the
market, values and lease rates for S-92s have
reduced, encouraging greater uptake of the
aircraft. “The type is heading towards becom-
ing cost-competitive with the super-medium
market and, as such, may find opportunities
for stabilisation and recovery [of values] in
2019,” says Flight Ascend Consultancy. It
gives the average half-life value for an S-92 as
$18 million, but notes that most idled equip-
ment or helicopters held for sale or facing
lease return would be below that figure.
FUTURE ENHANCEMENTS
Despite its market position, Sikorsky is not
staying still. Although light on detail at pre-
sent, Martin hints that there are performance
improvements on the way for the S-92, likely
to be revealed at Heli-Expo. The most obvious
of these is new engines, with the manufactur-
er having previously identified the -8A6 vari-
ant of the GE Aviation CT7 powerplant as the
likely upgrade. That engine already has US
Federal Aviation Administration approval,
flightglobal.com
HELI-EXPO PREVIEW
notes Martin, and would offer a performance
boost in hot conditions over the current CT7-
8A turboshafts.
But he stresses that Sikorsky’s focus is on
three “pillars” of speed, automation and intel-
ligence. “We are investing in each of those,”
says Martin. “You will see Sikorsky bring to
market packages of enhancements to our ex-
isting civil product line that will deliver value
for our customers”, adding that all the up-
grades will be retrofittable.
An increased use of automation is one area
of emphasis, he says, building on the features
introduced in 2015 with Sikorsky’s Rig Ap-
proach system. This provides a fully coupled
and automated approach to offshore plat-
forms, significantly reducing pilot workload
during a critical flight phase. Future develop-
ments will see the helicopter able to “perform
more of the tactical operations… perhaps
faster or more efficiently than a pilot can”,
says Martin.
Although Sikorsky has been researching
fully autonomous operations for the US mili-
tary, he cautions that technology is not yet
26 February-4 March 2019 | Flight International | 41
Offshore transport
AirTeamImages
ready for civil applications, largely because of
passenger reservations. “We are a little way
away from an environment where any of us is
going to get into an aircraft without anyone up
front, but that’s certainly the type of technolo-
gy we are actively painting a path to [in] a
phased approach into the cockpit.”
In addition, the airframer is looking to
standardise configurations on the S-92, easing
the transfer of helicopters between different
operating locations. “There is lots we can do
as an OEM to standardise configurations. It
makes aircraft more mobile around the world
– they can be moved to where the demand is,”
says Martin. “The name of the game in the fu-
ture is efficiency” for the end-user and a
“more stable asset class”.
Although Martin acknowledges that there
have been no new orders for offshore-config-
ured S-92s in recent years, he sees that as
being of benefit to the industry. “There’s a
positive message in that – it means that OEMs
are not stuffing the channel for the sake of or-
ders to push aircraft out into the fleet that
aren’t needed.” ■
FLIGHT AT 110

Flight through the

years… from 1909
As Flight International celebrates its 110th anniversary, we mark this milestone with a series
highlighting the evolution of the world’s “first aero weekly” through our 11 decades in print

MAX KINGSLEY-JONES LONDON

W
hen our first issue of Flight was
published 110 years ago on 2
January 1909, the objective was
to report on the nascent indus-
try now called “aerospace”.
Our mission statement back in our first dec-
ade was to be “devoted to the interests, prac-
tice and progress of aerial locomotion and
transport”. Today’s Flight International contin-
ues on that original mission, having followed
the industry through its incredible journey
over the last 11 decades.
And as our parent company rebrands under
the Cirium name to focus on delivering indus-
try-leading data and analytics for the aviation
and air-travel industries, we are delighted to
unveil a refresh inside and out. As we turn
110, we are welcoming back a more familiar
look which we believe reflects Flight’s core
values and principles as the world’s leading
aviation publication.
To celebrate our big birthday, @FlightGlobal
is tweeting 110 of our favourite covers over the
years with the hashtag #Flight110.
“The FlightGlobal name remains as a divi-
sion of Cirium, with responsibility for publish-
ing and conferences,” says chief executive
Christopher Flook. “We will continue to draw
on the resources of the wider group, including
the extensive data sets.
“The publishing and conferences brands can
now follow more closely than ever the interests
of our readers and advertisers, without being
­constantly drawn back to what is in the wider
interests of Cirium,” Flook says.
Back in 1909, the creation of Flight as the
“first aero weekly in the World” marked the cul-
mination of efforts by a weekly motor magazine
– The Automotor Journal – to track the slowly
evolving aviation sector. Flight was launched as JTC Moore-Brabazon pictured on first cover
a stand-alone weekly at the beginning of 1909,
not long after UK aviation pioneer Alliott Flight was launched in January
­Verdon (AV) Roe had taken his first hops and
the American Samuel F Cody became the first 1909 as a weekly spin-off of
person in the UK to fly when he took to the air at
Farnborough in October 1908. The Automotor Journal

1910 1911 1912 1913 1914

42 | Flight International | 26 February-4 March 2019 flightglobal.com


Our first edition reported the exciting news
that “England” could now boast that two of its
citizens had taken to the air, with the headline:
“A second Englishman flies”, following British
aviation pioneer Mr JTC Moore-Brabazon on his
Voisin biplane in France the previous month.
As Flight magazine emerged, our founder
and original editor Stanley Spooner laid out
the magazine’s principles, which remain valid
to this day: “It is… our firm determination to
establish the same lofty traditions for Flight
that have ever guided the editorial pen of The
Automotor Journal in the automobile sphere,
our chief aims and objects being ever to throw
our full weight on the side of all that seems to
us to make for the highest permanent good of
the aeronautic industry, to pursue a policy of
26 February-4 March 2019 I flightglobal com
ISSN 0 0 1 5 - 3 7 1 0
£3.90 Bye, BMI
0 9
As another UK regional
operator goes under, what
9 770015 371310
prompted carrier’s demise? 16
Classic designs inspired milestone refresh
“Devoted to the interests,
practice and progress of aerial
locomotion and transport”
1915
flightglobal.com
CUTAWAY
Better
by design
Why Aero Vodochody’s new
L-39NG is heading for success
Down wonder
Royal Australian Air Force
transformation gathers pace
with F-35 introduction 30
1916
RETROSPECTIVE
entire independence, and to render our pages
as interesting, concise and accurately instruc-
tive as lies within our powers…”
Trip down memory lane
He emphasised that our readers would “find to magazine’s early HQ
that simple language and clear explanations
are and will remain a feature of our articles” – Flight magazine was originally set up in
an intent that continues to this day. ­offices at the lower end of St Martin’s Lane in
Under Spooner’s leadership the pages of central London, but by 1917 it had relocated
Flight brought our readers all the exciting news to No 36, Great Queen Street off Kingsway.
of the evolving aviation industry, but within This would be our home for two decades.
five years we found ourselves reporting on the Located directly opposite the grand
dramatic political developments that would Freemasons Hall, Flight’s editorial team
lead to the Great War. worked from this four-storey building until
On the eve of war breaking out, our cover of 1934, when we moved to Dorset House in
the 31 July 1914 edition speculated on what the Stamford Street.
ensuring hostilities could have for aviation: The building in Great Queen Street still
“If this catastrophe of war should be let stands today – a short walk from Cirium’s
loose, what shape will it take initially, and ­current home in High Holborn – and presents
what bearing will the airfleets of the nations a nostalgic reminder of the magazine’s
have on the ultimate results? Almost beyond ­beginnings a century ago.
doubt the first move will be made by aircraft,
but who can say what their work will be?
“Naturally, reconnaissance will be the first
and principal object, but it can hardly be imag-
ined that they will be allowed to carry it out
without interruption from hostile air fleets.”
The article went on: “Will it be found that
aircraft after all are comparatively valueless to
their armies because of the impossibility to
collect information of vital consequence be-
cause of the enemy’s craft?”
History, of course, will inform us that far
from being “valueless”, the use of aircraft
would in fact play a crucial role in the First
World War, as well as many conflicts thereaf-
ter. Appropriately our edition published on 14
Max Kingsley-Jones/FlightGlobal
November 1918, following the cessation of
hostilities, carried on its front page King
George V’s “message to the Royal Air Force”,
paying homage to the recently created service:
“The birth of the Royal Air Force, with its
wonderful expansion and development, will Flight was edited in this building until 1934
ever remain one of the most remarkable
achievements of the Great War.”
This retrospective is the first in a series that A century of Flight magazine’s issues can be
will reflect on each of Flight’s decades through searched online in our digital archive at:
to the end of the year. Next month: the 1920s. n flightglobal.com/archive
1917 1918 1919
26 February-4 March 2019 | Flight International | 43
 A4E Aviation Summit
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 STRAIGHT&LEVEL

From yuckspeak to tales of yore, send your offcuts to murdo.morrison@flightglobal.com

Heading for

Max Kingsley-Jones/FlightGlobal
the chop A new dominion
The greatest weakness of
Airbus heartlessly chose the Empire is the distance
Valentine’s Day to ditch its between Mother
A380, but the airframer has Country and the
previous form when it comes to Dominions. Now
unveiling big strategic decisions we have in the
on significant dates. aeroplane a means of travel
It officially revealed its plans capable of outstripping the
to develop the A330neo on 14 steamship in even greater
July 2014 – the national day of Did British Airways inadvertently invert the Union Flag proportion than the latter
France, and the 225th on the retro-liveried BOAC jumbo unveiled on 18 outstrips the sailing-ship.
anniversary of the storming of February? The versions on either side of the cockpit are
the Bastille, a flashpoint of the different, judging by the tell-tale thickness of the white Shark repellent
French Revolution. diagonal stripes. Our resident protocol expert assures Airmen who have to bail out
Even though that particular us, however, that Her Majesty’s airline has committed no over the Pacific have another
announcement fell during the flying colours faux pas. The image on the port side is deadly enemy to
Farnborough – rather than the “correct”, assuming the flagpole on the left. The contend with –
Paris – air show, that didn’t stop starboard version is also faultless, as it has the mast on the man-eating
a revolutionary ripple through the right, as if the viewer is looking through the aircraft. shark. As
the assembled journalists when protection they now carry a
it became apparent that the special chemical sewn into
A330neo would effectively Enders has a point about buying European”, stating: “To their belts which combines
replace the slow-selling smallest crystal balls sometimes being a be perfectly honest, it would be with sea water to form a wall
version of the A350. bit foggy. However, what does quite nice if BA were to buy of liquid which the shark
“It’s Bastille Day,” noted one, that say about how much some A380s as well, because it finds thoroughly obnoxious.
grimly. “And the -800 is going to credence we should give the would support British aerospace
the guillotine!” airframer’s ­­20-year commercial and it would support Europe.” Towards Tornado
aircraft forecast, which – like One of these two airlines A meeting to decide the
Boeing’s version – claims to today operates a dozen A380s. final design of the European
Four-sight? inform us with pinpoint The other finally officially multi-role
Meanwhile, Airbus’s outgoing accuracy how many airliners cancelled its superjumbo combat aircraft is
chief Tom Enders conceded on will be needed in a certain commitment last year, after it due to be held in
the day that the A380 segment two decades from now? had languished on Airbus’s London today.
programme was cancelled that, backlog for 17 years. Representatives from the
rather than being ahead of its MRCA member countries
time, the world’s largest airliner Lost in space are expected to reach
might in fact have arrived 10 The death notice of the A380 Name that plane agreement on the
years too late, with the glory gave us aviation journalists an Finally, Total Aviation Persons powerplant to be used, for
days of the four-engine jumbo opportunity to haul from the among us can, of course, tell some time now the only
already on the wane by the turn archives some of the hyperbolic immediately from this (since major source of dissension.
of the century. promises that were made about deleted) Virgin Group tweet that
In fact, barely had the A380 the superjumbo in the early the aircraft in the picture is not Drugs and alcohol
taken to the skies when 2000s, when “cruise liner in the actually a Boeing 747. The US may cut mandated
Toulouse was preparing to sky” concepts were floating There is one subtle clue. See drug testing of transportation
cancel production of its other around, and airline chiefs were if you can spot it. workers,
thirsty quadjet, the A340. given free rein to wonder what including airline
When the superjumbo was they could do with all that room. pilots, by half, but
launched in December 2000, Who remembers the cheeky it is imposing
“we did not know what the claim by Virgin Atlantic alcohol-abuse testing for the
world would be like in 2010 or chairman Sir Richard Branson same staff. The US airline
2020”, Enders admitted. that – with casinos and private commission recommends
double beds on board the six that the random drug testing
A380s his airline had ordered – rate be established at 25%.
passengers would have “two
chances to get lucky”? 100-YEAR ARCHIVE
The bearded billionaire also Every issue of Flight
REX/Shutterstock

could not help having a dig at from 1909 onwards

old foe and then-Boeing 747 can be viewed online at
loyalist British Airways for flightglobal.com/archive
Future of air travel… circa 2000 “buying American, rather than The ladder may be hiding…

flightglobal.com 26 February-4 March 2019 | Flight International | 45

LETTERS flight.international@flightglobal.com

SPACEFLIGHT

Ariane 6 needs major rethink

We welcome your letters on any
aspect of the aerospace industry.
Please write to:
The Editor, Flight International,
Since the breakthroughs by SpaceX and Blue Origin in the
fields of reusable rocketry, the European Space Agency’s desire
to plough on with the expendable ballistic missile Ariane 6 is a
concern, as the rocket will be obsolete before it even flies.

Quadrant House, The Quadrant,
Sutton, Surrey, SM2 5AS, UK
Or email:
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The opinions on this page do not
necessarily represent those of the editor.
Letters without a full postal address sup-
plied may not be published. Letters may
also be published on flightglobal.com
and must be no longer than 250 words.
A380: beaten
by economics
I must admit to hearing with a
heavy heart the news that Airbus
is to cancel the A380 (Flight
International, 19-25 February).
I suppose it is another exam-
ple, like Concorde, where the
Airbus
Could the core stages of the Ariane 5 be used as a basis for a
vertical take-off/horizontal landing space plane? Stretched to Superjumbo still a crowd-pleaser
allow for more fuel, and fitted with extra, modified Vulcain
engines, this would bring down the cost of space access. Two towards lighter, more fuel effi-
canard-winged stages mounted belly-to-belly with the boost- cient widebodies was always
er could be flown back after sending the upper stage to orbit. going to be hard to pull off.
Upper stages for certain tasks, such as tanker, space station I know there will be many
module delivery and satellite deployment, as well as space people in Airbus who have put
tourism and space station resupply, could be built. their life and soul into making
Edward Philpott the A380 a success who will be
Neston, Cheshire, UK even more devastated than pas-
sengers like me that things have
European aerospace industry has most comfortable and quietest of
not worked out.
Luckily, the A380 will not
been a pioneer when it comes to aircraft. Perhaps in an age of disappear from our skies just yet.
technology, but has not been able lower fuel prices, more airlines I look forward to flying on this
to build a sufficient business case may have been convinced. marvel of engineering for many
to make it work. However, designing a four- years to come.
I have flown on the A380 engined airliner at a time when John Biddlecombe
several times, and found it the the industry seemed to be moving Worthing, West Sussex, UK

Let your recruitment drive take flight

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46 | Flight International | 26 February-4 March 2019 flightglobal.com


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26 February-4 March 2019 | Flight International | 47

WORK EXPERIENCE RICHARD TILGHMAN
Building up business buying power
Richard Tilghman is chief operating officer for AVIAA, a start-up that streamlines purchasing for private
aircraft operations using a collective model that saves its members money on products and services
How did you get into aviation?
I cut my teeth in New York’s Sili-
con Alley in the late 1990s,
working for an array of agencies,
incubators, and consultancies.
Then I joined PayPal, where I
worked for a few years before
founding a consumer data start-
up. I have worked with every
­industry you can imagine, from
financial services to government
to sports. I’ve been friends with
Gillian Hayes (AVIAA’s chief ex-
ecutive) for about a decade and
when she founded the Universi-
ty of California ­Irvine’s master of
human-­computer interaction
and design programme, I became
a volunteer mentor at its incep-
tion. Gillian reached out about
AVIAA and the rest is history.
What is AVIAA?
AVIAA is the only global group
purchasing organisation (GPO)
in business aviation that works
across all areas of fleet purchas-
ing. It helps its member aircraft
owners and operators increase
their buying power to secure the
best value for key operational
services such as fuel, insurance,
maintenance and ground han-
dling. As well as helping private
jet owners and operators to better
compete with larger companies
who already benefit from econo-
mies of scale, the GPO model re-
wards AVIAA’s preferred suppli-
ers, who benefit with committed
volume and reduced friction
costs in service delivery.
Are IT and aviation similar?
Each is deceptively complex.
Technology projects can seem
straightforward, but they require
flightglobal.com
Sector has witnessed rapid change in software use, says Tilghman
an array of people and tasks to
successfully deliver them. Avia-
tion is similar, with a host of peo-
ple beyond the cockpit enabling
every flight. The interdependency
and systemic collaboration of the
industries are similar. I also think
both require flexibility and adapt-
ability. In aviation, all sorts of
things can go wrong, from the air-
craft to regulatory problems. In IT,
you start with a plan, but unex-
pected business needs, data is-
sues, and technology challenges
surface all the time. If you can’t
adapt or bootstrap, you aren’t
going to succeed in either field.
What is a typical working week?
My role involves overseeing and
working with our supply chain,
customer success, engineering,
marketing, and operations teams.
Each requires an investment of
time, with regular team meetings,
collaborative problem solving,
high-burn delivery priorities and
AVIAA
ad hoc meetings. Everyone wears
a lot of hats. I might go from a
meeting with executives for a
supplier partnership to cleaning
up member data, then unwinding
problems with our phone system.
How far can AVIAA grow?
The insularity of business avia-
tion delayed some data and tech-
nology ideas that have trans-
formed other industries over the
past decade – at least in terms of
spending and procurement.
However, the past few years have
seen accelerating changes in soft-
ware as a service, big data, and
application programming inter-
faces. If you compare commer-
cial aviation 10 years ago – when
airlines were struggling and had
little insight into costs – with
what we see today, you get a
sense of the scale of the impact.
AVIAA’s focus on streamlining
spending through transparency,
intelligence, and reduced friction
26 February-4 March 2019 | Flight International | 55
WORKING WEEK
will have massive upside for the
community. Businesses need
predictability and solid forecast-
ing to be successful, and that’s
simply not possible in an opaque
environment where projections
are too often month to month.
What are you working on at the
moment?
My big priorities are growing our
customer success team, evolving
our business processes, growing
our data infrastructure, and de-
livering our product roadmap.
On the latter, we’re finishing our
analytics platform, which will be
a big part of many of the exciting
services we plan to deliver for
members and suppliers in 2019,
so that’s a huge priority.
Where do you see yourself in five
years?
Five years is a long time, and I’ve
found there are too many varia-
bles to project things out that far.
My hope is that in the next two
years we will have recruited
2,000-plus members, selected a
robust network of preferred sup-
pliers and have a comprehensive
suite of services and products to
support our business, members,
and suppliers. My hope for me
personally is that I find a way to
get more than 5h sleep a night. n
Looking for a job in aerospace?
Check out our listings online at
flightglobal.com/jobs
If you would like to feature in
Working Week, or you know
someone who would, email
your pitch to kate.sarsfield@
flightglobal.com
an event by