Fuchs Departure Spurs Airbus Management Shuffle
Airbus has appointed Alain Flourens to lead the A380 programme, succeeding Mario Heinen, who is being promoted to head the airframer's transnational fuselage and cabin centre of excellence to replace Rudiger Fuchs, who is leaving the company. Airbus stresses that the management change is aimed at ensuring smooth succession at the fuselage and cabin division, which oversees work at sites including Bremen, Hamburg and Toulouse, plus St Nazaire and Buxtehude. Flourens was formerly in charge of the A320 programme and has headed Airbus's six European centres of excellence as well as its military division. Airbus's A320-family programme will be led by Daniel Baubil, previously the deputy head of procurement.
Diamond Rules Itself Out Of Thielert Bid
Diamond Aircraft is ruling itself out of a rescue bid for its insolvent engine supplier Thielert, accusing administrator Bruno Kübler of failing to disclose sufficient information about the German company. The Austrian airframer's chief executive Christian Dries had previously suggested that Diamond - together with Cessna and Piper - could form a consortium to secure Thielert's future. Kübler has hit back saying "Diamond's actions clearly serve the purpose of derogating Thielert's reputation in the naive assumption to be able to subsequently purchase Thielert far under value". Earlier this month Kübler opened negotiations with potential buyers prepared to sign a confidentiality agreement after "more than 50" expressed an initial interest. "An investor who is capable of securing the existence of the company on a long-term basis at its business locations and continues to develop the company's leading position on the market for diesel piston engines should get the nod," says Kübler. Diamond is continuing to develop its own diesel piston engine for its DA40, DA42 and DA50 models.
Global Opens First Completion Centre For UAE
Global Aviation Services and Abu Dhabi Aviation are to convert a Bombardier Dash 8 Q300 and an Agusta Westland AW139 helicopter into VIP configuration. The Global Aviation Services facility, opened this month, is the first and only aircraft completion centre for VIP aircraft in the United Arab Emirates.
Pratt & Whitney's GTF Cleared For Flight Testing
Pratt & Whitney's GTF geared turbofan demonstrator engine has been cleared for flight testing after successfully completing its phase II ground tests. The GTF engine uses a gear system that allows the engine's fan to operate at a different speed than the low-pressure compressor and turbine to offer greater fuel efficiency, reduced emissions and a slower fan speed, cutting engine noise. P&W next-generation product family vice-president Bob Saia says: "The ground-test programme has been a complete success and the geared turbofan engine has met or exceeded all performance targets. This demonstrator engine has confirmed the laboratory results of our fan drive gear system demonstrating excellent efficiency and operational characteristics." The GTF has been selected to power Japan's Mitsubishi Regional Jet and Bombardier's CSeries.
Air League Launches Centenary Flying Scholarships
To mark its centenary of promoting British Aviation in 2009, The Air League aims to expand its flying scholarship scheme with the creation of at least five Centenary Flying Scholarships. The Air League, which created the Air Cadets in 1936, has in the past decade made 850 flight scholarship awards more than £1 million ($1.98 million) successful candidates have gone on to careers as fast jet and airline pilots and in specialist areas such as aerospace engineering, flying instruction and aviation medicine. Chairman Sir Brian Burridge says: "Youth has been very much the Air League's raison d'etre since it was created."
Boeing To Co-Develop "Blimp On Steroids"
Boeing and start-up SkyHook International have announced a five-year plan to jointly develop the Jess Heavy Lifter JHL-40 - a hybrid rotorcraft/airship designed to lift up to 40t and transport equipment and materials up to 320km (170nm) in remote and harsh environments without refuelling. Calgary, Albert-based SkyHook holds a patent for the craft - described by company president Peter Jess as "a blimp on steroids". Powered by four sets of lifters and thrusters, the JHL-40 is expected to be used for energy, mining and logging operations. Boeing will build two prototypes of the JHL-40 at its Rotorcraft Systems facility in Ridley Park, Pennsylvania.
Air France Expects First A380 Next Summer
Air France says it expects to take delivery of its first Airbus A380 next summer and to take three aircraft by the end of 2009. The carrier was expecting to take delivery of its first A380 in the spring of 2009, and has 12 A380s on order. But Airbus in May estimated ramp-up snags in the production of the ultra-large aircraft would postpone deliveries by around two-and-a-half to three months and that it would deliver four fewer A380s next year, a total of 21, than originally envisaged.
The-Jet Gets A Name
Cirrus Design's single-engined personal jet, known during development as "The-Jet", will be marketed as the Cirrus Vision SJ50. The Williams International FJ33-4A-9 turbofan-powered seven-seater made its maiden flight on 3 July.
DayJet Boosts Air Taxi Network
DayJet has expanded its service network by 30% with the addition of two primary DayPorts - in Orlando and St Petersburg-Clearwater, Florida, and 14 secondary DayStops. The Boca Raton-based operator now flies to more than 60 community airports across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina and South Carolina. Since the launch of its "per-seat, on-demand" jet service in October last year, DayJet has tripled its DayPort service network. In Florida alone, 83% of the state's population now lives within 65km (40 miles) of a DayPort airport, says DayJet.
Indian Airport Challenges Bangalore Second Runway
The Indian air force is opposing plans by Bangalore International airport to build a second runway one on the ground that it could drastically reduce separation between the flightpaths of commercial aircraft taking off and landing at the airport site in Devanahalli and the air force's base at nearby Yelahanka. The runways are now parallel to each other offering a lateral separation of around 3nm (5.6km). The air force says that the new runway, which would be 1.5km south of the existing runway, will reduce separation by 2nm. BIAL says the second runway is needed to accommodate the growing passenger numbers at the airport.
Source: Flight International