Asian Aerospace has come at an opportune time for the Government Flying Service (GFS) of Hong Kong, which is in the early stages of acquiring a pair of aircraft for search and rescue missions.
"We are preparing a tender to buy two new aircraft", says GFS departmental senior supplies officer Steven Tsang. He adds that the aircraft are likely to be acquired in 2010, to replace the GFS' two British Aerospace Jetstream 41 turboprops.
"An in-house study is being conducted within the GFS with a view to gathering more information of the aviation market before we can finalise the detailed requirements of the aircraft," says Tsang.
"Once the market research comes to a conclusion, we can proceed with an open tender," he says.
The GFS Jetstreams patrol the South China Sea and are fitted with 360 degree search radar, as well as satellite communication, a video data link and aerial survey camera equipment.
It has had the Jetstream 41s for about 10 years. One industry source says even though Hong Kong's Jetstream 41s will no longer be used for search and rescue missions in future, there is a possibility the government may have the aircraft converted for VIP use.
At Asian Aerospace's static display there is a Piaggio P180 Avanti II turboprop on display. In Italy and the UAE, Avanti aircraft are used for maritime patrol and in Poland the aircraft are used for medical evacuation.
Source: Flight Daily News
