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AFRICA’S LEADING AVIATION JOURNAL MAY
Volume 48 No 03

LATEST NEWS FROM THE WORLD OF AVIATION

IN THIS ISSUE

PG INTERVIEW WITH HAI PG SMALLER NARROWBODY

7 28-29 OVER WIDEBODY
PRESIDENT

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 Checklist

An Airbus A350-1000 is loaded with a shipment of
four million protective masks for the healthcare
systems in France, Germany, Spain and the UK in Tianjin, China on
an air-bridge flight. This was the third of such missions between
Europe and China. The previous two missions were performed by
an A330-800 and an A330 Multi-Role Tanker Transport (MRTT).
Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury has paid tribute to all the Airbus teams
who are supporting the fight against COVID-19. The company
has deployed its employees, their expertise and know-how and
leveraging technology in the design and manufacture of ventilators
and 3D printed visors which are critical resources for hospitals.
FRONT PAGE COVER PHOTO of a Bell UH-1H Iroquois was taken by
Pieter Cronje. It was flown by Menno Parsons at the 2017 Rand
Airshow.

FEATURES NEWS

Defence firms to vie for virus aid 13 - 14 Serving those who serve 12

Aviation Insurance in a Covid-19 climate 18 - 19 Somerset army helicopters aid Covid-19 responses 14

Drones – why go unmanned? 22 - 24 Lower jet fuel price doesn’t mean win-win situation for airlines 17

Domestic airlines must collaborate to survive 30 - 32 From passenger to freighter configuration 26

An aviator of note 33 - 34 Air Serve in Central African Republic 27

The man who wanted to fly on Mars 44 - 45 Trenchard Aviation assists Covid-19 repatriation flights 32

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World Airnews | May 2020

—1—
 COLUMNS HELICOPTERS

Flarepath 4
Honeywell forecasts 4100 new civil helicopter deliveries 5
World Air News 46
The airplane-helicopter combo the future always promised 6
Hanger Talk 48
Riding out the storm 7
Bell’s new design could make helicopters quieter – and safer 10
AIRLINES Sikorsky to build heavy-lift helicopters for US 15
HAL plans to produce Apache-like military helicopter in India 15
Emirates announces limited passenger flights 20
Swiss Air-Rescue fly 74 Covid-19 patients 16
UK aviation industry renews calles for government aid 35
Japan coast guard orders 2 more H225 helicopters 16
Turkish ‘moves’ at King Shaka 47
The first civilian version of the half-plane, half-helicopter 42

DRONES MANUFACTURER

Rescue helicopters plea for drone users to comply 12 Airbus cuts production 20
NOAA launch expanded drone programme 26 Embraer BizJet deliveries continue despite Covid-19 27
Smaller may be better 28 - 29

GENERAL
AVIATION
TECHNICAL
Piper builds medical face shields during pandemic 11
Universal Avionics opens its doors 11 Damage from turbulence, upsets can evade inspections 36 - 38

Klasjet offers a solution for workforce transport 39 The arrival of the electronic technical logbook for aircraft 40 - 41

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—2—
 CEO: Bialufu Papy FOR ENQUIRIES:
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SJL Aeronautica is an Angolan private

airline that operates commercial flights in
Angola and international charter flights,
since 2005. Thanks to the professionalism
and commitment of its entire team, SJL
Aeronautica has over the past 14 years
become an eminent player in the public
passenger transport. We are committed to
serving the development of the Angolan
provinces through the aviation industry. We
were the first Angolan airline to create an
airbridge between Cabinda and Soyo.

SJL Aeronautica has established its reputation

for quality by offering a service tailored to the
needs of its customers with absolute rigor and
efficiency. Its flexibility, responsiveness and
reliability are all assets that have enabled it to
grow and gain customer loyalty. Today, SJL
Aeronautica operates a fleet of 14 small to
medium sized aircraft, including 1 Fokker 27
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Baron 58, 4 Twin Otter of 19 seats, 2 Embraer
135 of 37 seats and 1 Embraer 145 of 50 seats.

Regular commercial flights are operated

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between Cabinda and Soyo.
Building on its commitment as a leader in
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Aeronautica continues to work to expand its
services with the most competitive tariff in
the market, thereby contributing to Angola's
socio-economic development through better
air connectivity.

World Airnews | May 2020

—3—
 FLAREPATH
THE NEW NORMAL
I t’s impossible to say accurately what
the impact of the corona virus will
have on the aviation world now or for the
next couple of months. The shock of the
pandemic will be measured and quantified
in months or maybe years to come.
As the days go by the International Air
Transport Association keeps revising their
figures on what the cost will be – and it
just keeps getting worse. It’s hard to think
what the impact will be like on our pre-
cious continent.
Experts agree though in the future when
all of this starts to get under control getting
the health issues right will be a priority.
People will not want to pass through mega
aero ports to take a connecting flight. They
will not want to stand in queues to board
aircraft or get their tickets and boarding
passes. They will insist on the highest
standards of hygiene. Who knows wearing
a mask and sanitising your hands might
become the new norm.
From a business perspective some believe
that flying around the globe to attend meet-
ings will not be a priority as video confer-
encing has already become the new norm.
Fear and anxiety levels might make peo-
ple choose holiday destinations closer to
home so the numbers of people flying will
be low and this will all ultimately lead to
slower growth.
As far as airlines are concerned there are
predictions that a few of the budget ones
in Europe will disappear and you can read
more about this inside the mag.
Turning our attention to Africa, the future
does not look good for SAA after the govern-
ment said no to another bail out. The airline
is providing repatriation flights and has
issued a statement that its cargo business is
improving. But will it survive this is anyone’s
guess. I am going to hazard that this could
be the end of our national carrier.
And then to the lion of aviation Ethiopian
Airlines. Their estimates are a likely (US)
$550 million loss. They have certainly been
hit hard with operations scaled down by
90 % and 91 of their 120 fleet parked off at
Addis Ababa Bole International airport.
From 350 daily flights down to 14 domes-
World Airnews | April 2020
—4—
By Heidi Gibson
tic and less than 10 international, it is just
crazy times. Yet in true Ethiopian Airlines
style this is what the Group CEO Tewolde
GebreMariam had to say at a recent press
conference. “No we have not asked govern-
ment for help yet. We are trying to manage
this on our own,” he said.
The airline has turned their attention to
the areas where there is movement - cargo
and maintenance going as far as to remove
seats and turn passenger craft into cargo.
They have also put in place high standards
of hygiene disinfecting the terminal, hangar,
academy and office building three times a
day in accordance with WHO standards.
In the near future there are signs of initial
stages of recovery with Chinese domestic
aviation market reporting a 50% cancella-
tion. IATA predicts that there will be some
recovery in Q3 and Q4 but that it could take
two years before we see the new normal.
And to end off, on a lighter note, who
could have predicted that the USA presi-
dent Donald Trump could have found a cure
for the virus. Apparently he told his pilots
to take the hydroxychloroquine – an anti
malarial tablet used to treat rheumatoid
arthritis as a possible treatment for the
COVID-19. The FAA reacted immediately
saying they would bar pilots from flying if
they had taken the drug within the past 48
hours. Q
 HELICOPTER
HONEYWELL FORECASTS
4,100 NEW CIVIL HELICOPTER
DELIVERIES OVER 5 YEARS
I n its 22nd annual “Turbine-Powered
Civil Helicopter Purchase Outlook,” Hon-
eywell has forecast 4,100 new civilian-use
helicopters will be delivered from 2020 to
2024, marginally higher than the five-year
forecast from 2019.
While deliveries are expected to be high-
er than 2019, purchase plans are lower, but
only by less than a percentage point.
“This year, we anticipate higher deliveries
due to entry into service of new helicopter
platforms,” said Heath Patrick, president
Americas Aftermarket, Honeywell Aero-
space. “Despite the slight dip in pur-
chase plans, we see several bright spots,
including higher utilisation rates. This
means operators plan to use their aircraft
more frequently over the next 12 months.
Honeywell is prepared for this upswing and
is committed to providing seamless global
customer support, while also maintaining
our focus on bringing new, innovative prod-
ucts to the helicopter market.”
Key survey findings this year include:
• Purchase plans are significantly stronger
from the corporate/VIP segment in
this year’s survey, but lower from law
enforcement and oil and gas operators.
• A greater proportion of planned new
helicopter purchases are for light
twin-engine models in this year’s survey
compared with 2019. The proportion
is lower for light single-engine models.
Overall, 56% of planned purchases are
for twin-engine models, 8 percentage
points higher than last year.
• When choosing their make and model
for a new rotorcraft, the top three
factors operators consider are brand
experience, aircraft performance and
cabin size.
• In North America, average utilization
was higher by about 12% in 2019 com-
pared with 2018. About 19% of sur-
vey respondents said their helicopter
fleet utilization is expected to increase
over the next 12 months.
REGIONAL OVERVIEW
North America: Purchase plans have
declined by six percentage points over a
year ago, with 12% of respondents saying
they would either replace or expand their
fleet with a new helicopter over the next
five years. North America is home to more
than 40% of the world’s helicopter fleet.
• Nearly half of planned North Ameri-
can purchases were identified as light
single-engine models, while roughly
32% of new planned purchases were
for intermediate and medium-twin
product classes.
• About 38% of planned purchases
will be used for emergency medical
services (EMS) purposes, followed by
20% for Law Enforcement and 17% for
Corporate/VIP usage.
• Europe: Compared with 2019 results,
purchase plans are higher in this year’s
survey. More than 18% of respondents
said they would either replace or ex-
pand their fleet with a new helicopter
over the next five years. The figure was
15% a year ago.
• Intermediate and medium twin-engine
classes captured roughly 41% of total
purchase plans for new helicopters.
Meanwhile, 37% of respondents indi-
cated plans to purchase light single-en-
gine helicopters, up 5 percentage
points from last year.
• About 26% of planned purchases will be
used for Utility/Aerial work, followed
by 23% for Corporate/VIP and 16% for
EMS/Search and Rescue (SAR) usage.
Latin America: Results for 2020 show signifi-
cantly higher fleet replacement and growth
expectations compared with 2019. Purchase
plans are well above the global average of
14%, and the region’s purchase plans increased
by 20 percentage points from last year.
• Latin America had the highest rate of
new aircraft purchase plans globally;
with close to 29% of respondents
saying they would either replace or ex-
pand their fleet with a new helicopter
over the next five years.
World Airnews | May 2020
—5—
• Purchase plans in Brazil increased to
26%, a jump of 21 percentage points
over last year’s survey results.
• Latin American respondents favoured
light single-engine models, which
represent about 50% of their planned
purchases. Light twin-engine models are
second with 28% of all planned purchas-
es, an increase of 23 percentage points
compared with 2019 survey results.
Middle East and Africa: This region has the
lowest new purchase rate globally, with only
5% of respondents’ fleets expected to get
a new helicopter replacement or addition.
Purchase plans are 10 percentage points
lower compared with 2019 survey results.
• Close to 62% of planned new helicopter
purchases are for light twin-engine
models.
• Medium twin-engine models are the
second-highest mentioned product
class in the survey at 23%, a decline of
46 percentage points compared with
2019 survey results.
Asia Pacific: Overall buying plans are down
6 percentage points compared with 2019.
Close to 7% of respondents said they would
either replace or expand their fleet with a
new helicopter over the next five years.
• Intermediate/Medium twin-engine and
light single-engine helicopters were
the most popular classes, capturing 38
percent and 35 percent of all mentions
for new helicopters, respectively.
• Despite limited inputs, new helicopter
purchase plans are lower in China, show-
ing that about 14% of the fleet would be
replaced or expanded by a new helicop-
ter over the next five years. Purchase
plans are down by about 7 percentage
points compared with 2019 results. Q
 HELICOPTER
THE AIRPLANE-HELICOPTER
COMBO THE FUTURE
ALWAYS PROMISED
W
ith Uber Elevate’s announce-
ment that it plans to start its
first urban air mobility network in 2023,
the electric vertical takeoff and landing
(eVTOL) race is on. Uber’s partnership
with Joby is big news, as is Joby’s electric
four-person aircraft, but Jaunt Air Mobility
could be an equally important partner.
Jaunt has introduced the Journey, a
radically different type of “compound
aircraft ” that combines what it sees as the
best features of helicopters and fixed-wing
airplanes.
Technically, it’s called a gyrocopter, an
aircraft type that has been around since the
mid-‘30s.
But the Jaunt Journey is a very ad-
vanced version of the gyrocopter, with
breakthroughs made possible by its
electric motors.
Designed to cruise at 175 mph with a
single pilot and four passengers, the Jour-
ney is quiet, safe, and highly efficient. It
is not an airplane, though it flies like one.
It’s also not strictly a helicopter (Jaunt
says it will be 63 percent quieter than
traditional choppers) but behaves like
one on takeoffs and landings. It will also
be classified as a rotorcraft. And it’s 100
percent electric.
“We can guarantee that you will never
spill your martini when riding in a Jaunt
Journey because it takes off vertically,
transitions to fly like a plane and then lands
vertically,” Kaydon Stanzione, CEO of Jaunt
Air Mobility said. “It’s LevelFly all the way.”
Designed for an unusually smooth ride,
the Jaunt Journey promises to be a leading
eVTOL in the air-taxi market. It recently
signed a partnership agreement with Uber
Elevate to be included in its UAM fleet.
Jaunt Air Mobility
As a rule, gyrocopters tend to tilt forward
while taking off and then backwards when
landing. This means everything needs to be
secured upon takeoff and landings.
Jaunt has eliminated that with its “Level-
World Airnews | May 2020
—6—
By Nicolas Zart
Fly” solution that nullifies the gyrocopter
effect. The mast tilts forward and backward
so that the cabin stays level at all times. As
Jaunt likes to say, laptops won’t go flying on
their own during takeoffs and landings.
The Jaunt also uses what the company
calls Reduced Rotor Operating Speed
Aircraft (ROSA) technology. This technology
reduces the rotor speed in cruise mode for
a quieter flight. This will help it meet noise
regulations for residential communities.
Its electric engines also do not require
combustible liquids for fuel, and produce
zero emissions.
Jaunt is currently working with BAE
Systems on electrical power systems.
The company expects FAA certification
will begin by 2023 for the Journey and be
achieved by 2025. Its demonstrators have
flown 100-plus hours, with more than
1,000 takeoff s and landings. Q
Article courtesy: https://robbreport.com/
motors/aviation/new-blend-of-
aircraft-2910356/
 HELICOPTER
RIDING OUT THE STORM
H
elicopter Association Internation-
al has a new president and CEO
James Viola after former incumbent Matt
Zuccaro passed away. World Airnews editor
Heidi Gibson interviewed James to find out
his thoughts on the current COVID-19 crisis
and the current helicopter market.
HONEYWELL IS FORECASTING
PREDICTING MARGINALLY
LOWER PURCHASE PLANS IN THE
USA. PLEASE PROVIDE YOUR
OWN ANALYSIS OF THE NORTH
AMERICAN MARKET – GIVEN
THAT OVER 40% OF THE WORLD’S
HELICOPTER FLEET IS OWNED IN
THIS PART OF THE WORLD?
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted
many industries around the world, not just
in North America. The rotorcraft industry
is no different. I remain confident in our
industry’s ability to weather this storm as
well in its growth potential over the next
several years and for the long term. Many
of the companies that build, support,
maintain, or operate helicopters are doing
some of that work with unmanned aircraft
systems (UAS) and remotely-piloted
aircraft, and there is significant potential in
that area once regulations and infrastruc-
ture are in place.
WHAT FACTORS ARE
CONTRIBUTING TO THIS STATE?
AND HOW MUCH OF THIS WOULD
BE ATTRIBUTED TO COVID-19?
There is no doubt that COVID-19 is
having an impact. How much of an
impact will depend on how long this
pandemic lasts. Our members have
always put the safety and health of their
customers and employees as their top
priority. The good that helicopters do
for the betterment of society is being
demonstrated every day during this
pandemic. We have members conduct-
ing medical transports; helicopters were
used on Easter by religious figures to
interact with communities.
IN YOUR OPINION WILL THE
HELICOPTER MARKET BE ABLE
TO RIDE THIS STORM AND GIVE
REASONS FOR THIS? WHEN DO
YOU BELIEVE IT WILL BE EXPECTED
TO RECOVER?
Recovery time will likely depend on how
quickly the virus can be managed. That
said, our industry was already undergoing
a transformation, embracing the world of
remotely-piloted rotorcraft. Companies
that included this technology may recov-
er more quickly. Equally, the companies
that spread their business model into
different areas might also see a faster
recovery. The continued development of
urban air mobility projects will eventually
provide global societies with more trans-
portation options, and entrepreneurs will
find some dynamic, unforeseen uses for
these systems. With a continued need
for new helicopters and UAS aircraft in
a variety of industries, new designs and
innovations by our members and strong
government intervention, I believe
our industry and others can ride out
this storm.
WORLD AIRNEWS IS THE
LONGEST SERVING – 47 YEARS
– INTERNATIONAL AVIATION
MAGAZINE WITH A LARGE
SECTOR OF OUR READERSHIP AND
STAKEHOLDERS COMING FROM
AFRICA. THIS YEAR THIS MARKET
IS SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER THAN
LAST YEAR. DO YOU HAVE ANY
THOUGHTS ON WHY THIS MARKET
IS SUFFERING
THIS YEAR?
The COVID-19 pandemic is not limited
to the Unites States. The 54 countries
making up the African continent are no
different. For example, tourism which is space or local transportation of people
a major economic driver in many parts of and material. I don’t hear a significant
Africa has been hard hit by COVID-19 im- amount of news about urban air delivery
pacting many helicopter tour operators. using fixed-wing craft, nor long-range
Once tourism starts to rebound in Africa I battery-powered airplanes. There are
would expect our member operations to still a number of steps that need to occur
follow suit. With some dense population here, notably capability and certification,
centers spread throughout the continent, but this market segment is poised for
I believe Africa was poised for growth in extensive growth.
the rotorcraft field before the pandemic
occurred. LASTLY HAVING JUST TAKEN OVER
THE REINS OF HAI , WHAT ARE YOUR
ARE THERE ANY NEW MODELS THAT PLANS FOR THE ORGANISATION?
HAI IS EXPECTING TO BE LAUNCHED I made no secret of the changes I
THIS YEAR OR THE NEXT? expected to make, with the approval of
I think the Leonardo/Kopter SH-09, our Board of Directors. We really want
the Leonardo AW609 tilt rotor, and to expand internationally, doing more to
the Sikorsky S-97 Raider might be the help the rotorcraft industry around the
closest to certification, but I imagine the world.
pandemic created delays in these areas We also want to be more inclusive of the
just like it did everywhere else. Many of UAS and urban air mobility industries
the manufacturers have scaled back their as well. Then the pandemic began,
productions to maintain social distancing. and we’ve had to slow our processes
There is also new technology advancing just a little. While we’re waiting, we’re
throughout the UAS market, so I expect focusing internally and restructuring our
to see a variety of remotely-piloted organisation in areas where we can be
products becoming available soon more efficient. We’re focusing more on
as well. our members, and providing them with
WHAT IS THE FUTURE FOR what they need to succeed.
HELICOPTERS IN GENERAL? DO YOU Consequently, we’re looking at some
SEE THEM AS BEING THE TAXI OF really interesting tools and methods that
THE FUTURE? will help us help them.
Rotorcraft is poised to take over a lot Once the pandemic passes, we’re ready
of airspace. Most of the aeronautical to keep moving HAI into some exciting
engineering underway is focused on either new areas and new heights. Q
World Airnews | May 2020
—7—
World Airnews | May 2020
—8—
World Airnews | May 2020
—9—

HELICOPTER
BELL'S NEW DESIGN COULD
MAKE HELICOPTERS
QUIETER - AND SAFER
S replaced them with electric wires,” Bell
ince helicopters appeared some
80 years ago, they’ve used a single
high-speed tail rotor to counteract the
torque of the main rotor, stabilizing the
aircraft in flight. But that rotor is both the
key source of noise for helicopters and a
big safety risk while on the ground.
Now veteran helicopter manufacturer
Bell has a design to replace the mechanical-
ly driven tail rotor assembly with four much
smaller, shrouded electric fans.
The new system, unveiled recently after
footage of its demonstration leaked online,
will greatly muffle the aircraft’s sound. It also
has the potential to make helicopters safer
and easier to fly, and could grease the skids
for future electrified aircraft of all types.
Developed over the last two years and
tested at the company’s facility in Mirabel,
Quebec, the ‘electrically distributed an-
ti-torque’ system, or EDAT for short, resem-
bles a quad copter drone set vertically inside
the Bell 429 helicopter’s rear vertical fin.
EDAT uses the four variable-speed propel-
lers to function the same way a conventional
tail rotor does, by adjusting airflow through
the blades to both keep the fuselage steady
and aim it in different directions.
Pilots use foot pedals to adjust this mo-
tion, allowing the aircraft to “yaw” left and
right while, say, in a hover.
The new system’s trick is in the control
mechanism. A conventional tail rotor always
operates at full speed because it’s mechan-
ically linked to the main rotor; pilots adjust
the pitch of the blades to control airflow.
By contrast, the new electric fans control
airflow by operating at different speeds.
“We got rid of all the mechanical linkages
that change the pitch of the blades and
The four fans on the tail fin replace the
traditional large tail rotor, part of Bell's system
to make helicopters quieter, and potentially
more manoeuvrable. Photo credit BELL
Also, because the system is fly-by-wire,
programme manager Eric Sinusas said. meaning controlled electrically rather than
through mechanical linkages, the computer
“We realized that we don’t actually need
can control the fans. This can potentially
that driveshaft and gearbox that we’ve had
eliminate the need for the pilot to have to use
for the last 80 or so years.”
the pedals at all. An automated version of the
That transition required considerable EDAT would thus be a form of autopilot.
engineering effort and high-precision soft-
Finally, the system will help with the cur-
ware to make the system safe and reliable.
rent rush toward the electrification of air-
EDAT doesn’t run off a battery, but instead
craft, particularly air taxis being developed
draws power from a generator attached to
by Bell and dozens of other companies.
the helicopter’s turbine engine.
“It’s certainly a stepping stone toward
That engine will still generate its usual
electrification, and easier than doing it
noise, but the racket typically generated
with a full aircraft with a completely new
by the tail rotor - as the rotor tips pass
power train,” Sinusas noted. It also should
through the air at high speeds - will be
be easier to certify than a fresh helicopter
reduced. Though Bell hasn’t yet disclosed
design- less than a year versus several
the percentage in noise reduction, the
years - because only the anti-torque system
company says it’s “significant.”
is changing and being electrified.
Sinusas said his team chose the four-fan
The system’s generator and motors were
array because a single larger electric rotor
developed in partnership with French
would be heavier and less responsive, with
engine manufacturer Safran, which already
more sluggish changes in speed.
supplies engines to Bell and is developing
Smaller electric fans are also quieter, electric power train systems for aircraft.
which was the primary motivation for
The EDAT technology should be safer
developing the system. “Noise has always
than a conventional tail rotor assembly,
been there, but it really hasn’t been a
thanks to its minimal maintenance and
priority to reduce it until recently,” he said.
lubrication needs, and the fact that up
“We’re at the point where locations are
to three of the four fans can fail without
banning helicopter flights because of the
resulting in a loss of control. It’s also safer
noise levels, and that prompted us to ask
because the fan blades are shrouded and
how we can solve this.”
they can be turned off as soon as the air-
Converting the tail rotor to an all-electric craft touches down, eliminating any chance
system solves other problems. It improves for bystanders to accidentally walk into the
stability because the rotors don’t need to path of a nearly invisible rotor.
be constantly in motion, unlike a conven-
Bell hasn’t indicated a timeline or for
tional tail rotor.
the system to appear on its aircraft, or its
The pilot can actually turn the fans off in cost - except to say that operating costs
forward flight, as the vertical fin they’re em- should fall because of reduced mainte-
bedded within stabilises the aircraft. (Conven- nance needs. It seems likely, however, that
tional tail rotors are only needed for hovering the biggest impact will be in simply being
and low-speed flight, but they run constantly among the first propulsion systems in the
because of the link to the main engine.) sky to go electric. Q
World Airnews | May 2020
— 10 —
 GENERAL
AVIATION
PIPER BUILDS MEDICAL FACE
SHIELDS DURING PANDEMIC
P iper Aircraft, based in Vero Beach,
Florida, in the USA has set up a
small assembly line to manufacture thou-
sands of plastic medical protective face
shields for area hospitals during the novel
corona virus pandemic.
It also plans to donate more than 1,300
3M-brand N95-approved masks to the
Cleveland Clinic Indian River Memorial
Hospital in Vero Beach.
Production plans for the face shields,
made from plastic, industrial tape, foam
and elastic, are growing.
What started as an idea to make 2,000
shields for the Cleveland Clinic has grown to
10,000 and then to more than 50,000 for ad-
ditional Cleveland Clinic hospitals in Florida.
Other hospitals are contacting Piper as well.
“Calls are coming in every day,” said Jack-
ie Carlon, Piper senior director of market-
ing and communications.
In less than a week, Piper moved from
an idea to prototypes and production.
The company has the ability to produce
thousands of face shields daily as long as it
can procure the plastic it needs. That is the
challenge,” Carlon said.
The idea to help in the fight against the
virus causing COVID-19 emerged from a
regular meeting, she said. Simon Caldecott,
president and CEO, approached Piper’s
manufacturing engineers to ask what the
company might do to help.
The engineers had been following the short-
age of personal protective equipment and
looking for ways to help. They began discuss-
ing face shields and found a pattern online.
In the meantime, the head of the Cleve-
land Clinic hospital called Caldecott to ask
UNIVERSAL AVIONICS OPENS ITS DOORS
U
niversal Avionics has assisted
the local Tucson community in
protecting healthcare workers and first re-
sponders during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The company provided the non-profit
group, Hope Worldwide (Tucson Chap-
ter), with assembly line space at their
Tucson headquarters to manufacture
medical face masks and shields.
“This plan was developed in coordina-
tion with the University of Arizona, City
whether Piper could assist.
Initially, Piper said it would make 2,000
face shields, Carlon said.
“Then the hospital called and said, ‘Could
you make 10,000?’ Now, the number is likely
to grow beyond the 50,000 in the plan, she
said. The company is charging a nominal fee to
cover costs but is not out to make a big profit.
“We’re doing this because it’s the right
thing to do,” Carlon said.
It is a critical time for the community, the
country and the world, said James Funk,
Piper’s chief operations officer. “As a team,
we can make a difference for people in
need and directly support those fighting
the battle on the front lines of this unprece-
dented crisis. This is just one small way that
we are trying to help.”
The production line, separate from
aircraft manufacturing, is made up of nine
employees working at least 6 ft. apart.
Piper can make 40 shields from one large
sheet of plastic. On March 30, workers
completed the first batch of 650 shields and
of Tucson, Pima County, and the Arizona
Technology Council, and is a great exam-
ple of our community coming together,”
said Steve Pagnucco, vice president of
operations at Universal Avionics.
“Within one week of reaching out to
our partners to see how we could help,
we had an assembly line safely set up to
produce much needed personal protec-
tive equipment,” he said.
“On behalf of Universal Avionics, I
would like to thank everyone involved
for their incredible responsiveness,
co-operation and teamwork.”
World Airnews | May 2020
— 11 —
were awaiting another plastic shipment,
expected to be delivered later that day.
“The challenge is to get enough plastic,” Car-
lon said. “We sourced everything we could.”
At the same time, Piper, Vero Beach’s
largest employer, continues to build aircraft
but at a slower rate than normal.
The aircraft are sold but many buyers can’t
travel to Florida to pick them up. Many flight
schools have temporarily closed.
“We’re stacking them up,” Carlon said
of the finished aircraft. Some private flight
schools or dealers, however, have been
able to take delivery of their new aircraft.
Piper is also supporting aircraft in the field.
In the meantime, the company is striving
to keep workers as far away from one an-
other as possible. It must balance the safe-
ty of the employees with their livelihoods
and the needs of business, Carlon said.
“If we can balance it and keep them safe
and where they’re not being exposed, we’ll
keep working,” Carlon said, at least until there
is a government mandate to do otherwise. Q
“We are grateful for the tremendous
outpouring of support to protect our
healthcare workers and first respond-
ers,” said Daniel Dicochea, director of
Hope Worldwide’s Tucson chapter.
“We want to equip as many of our
heroes as we can against this pandemic,”
he said. “The production of these shields
is only possible because of community
donors and volunteers.”
To learn more about Hope Worldwide’s
mission or to volunteer to help create
medical face masks and shields, please
visit www.hopeww.org/tucson Q
 NEWS

SERVING THOSE WHO SERVE

E very month, we honour a military
member or veteran as our Serving
Those Who Serve "Hero of the Month."
This month, we're travelling farther
than we ever have before to hand out the
award.
Some 6,000 miles from home, to the
eastern European country of Kosovo.
That's where Colorado National Guard
Blackhawk helicopter pilot Rob Bingham is
currently on assignment.
He was deployed a few weeks ago,
along with about 150 other local guard
members, to Camp Bondsteel. It's a
NATO military base near the border of
Kosovo and North Macedonia, where
the Colorado National Guard helicopter
crews are training alongside forces from out. But in the back of my head I thought our Serving Those Who Serve Hero of the
other nations. wouldn't it be great to be a commander Month for March 2020.
When danger is on the horizon, there are and actually be able to make change and "This is an honour. Thank you," he said, as
people who run from it, and people who fly create a good environment for my sol- he was handed a plaque on the flight line at
toward it. Bingham is one of the latter. diers. So I decided to stay in. I'm now at 17 Camp Bondsteel earlier this month.
He's been behind the controls of a Black- years and I'm making my goals and doing Hero is a deserving title for someone
hawk helicopter for years, helping fight what I can," Bingham said. who serves his state, both at home and
wildfires in our state and helping protect Bingham goes by a lot of titles: com- overseas. Doing his part to make everyone
our nation. mander in the Colorado National Guard, in Colorado a little safer. Along with the
"This is basically like manually operating and founder and CEO of Colorado Veter- award, Bingham receives a $750 Visa gift
a locomotive. So everything inside of it is ans Project, the non-profit that organises card from our Serving Those Who Serve
very manual. We use steam gauges. It is Denver's Veterans Day Parade and the sponsors, Rocky Mountain Honda Dealers
the workhorse of the Army," Bingham said, annual Memorial Day walk and run in and the Leo Hill Charitable Trust. Q
describing the Blackhawk. Castle Rock.
This isn't his first deployment. Other titles he answers to: husband, Article courtesy: https://kdvr.com/news/
"I was a Sergeant on my last rotation leader and friend. But "hero" is the title we problem-solvers/serving-those-who-
in Iraq and I was thinking about getting wanted to give him. So we're naming him serve/

DRONES

RESCUE HELICOPTERS PLEA FOR

DRONE USERS TO COMPLY

A
ccording to Alert Level 4 lock-
down regulations, drones can
only be flown inside the boundaries of a
person’s property and to a height of no
more than 400 feet.
Michelle Boag, acting CEO of the Auck-
land Westpac Rescue Helicopters (ARHT)
said their crew are at risk from both
private and commercial drone operators
flying outside the boundaries that have
been put in place.
“While we are taking every precaution
available to us to protect our crew, pa-
tients and families from Covid-19 we are
at the mercy of drone operators wanting
to capture images of greater Auckland,
Coromandel and the Gulf communities
during lockdown.”
In one earlier incident, one of the
rescue helicopters experienced a
“near-miss” from a rogue drone when
taking off to attend a serious car crash in
Northland where several patients were
in need of help.
“We certainly don’t need a repeat of
that,” said James Tayler who had been
piloting the helicopter.
"At times like this, an accident in
the air is the last thing our community
needs."
According to Tayler, the helicopter had
already climbed above 400 feet and was
flying at a speed of around 230 kilome-
tres when a drone flew passed a mere
three or four metres away.
Boag said they can’t afford to be
placing lives at risk with drone flying
outside the strict limits in place during
the lockdown. Q

World Airnews | May 2020

— 12 —
 DEFENCE
DEFENCE FIRMS TO VIE
FOR VIRUS AID
U
S defence contractors and a huge
network of their suppliers are
expected to seek some of the (US) $17
billion pool of federal money designated
for companies vital to national security and
contending with corona virus disruptions.
Problem is, no one knows who will qualify
for the funds, what the application process
will be, or when Treasury Secretary Steven
Mnuchin will distribute the money.
An even bigger unknown is whether
Boeing Co., the No. 2 US defence contractor,
will tap - and possibly exhaust - the nation-
al-security fund. The money comes with a
condition that could turn the Chicago-based
company away from seeking some of the
(US) $17 billion pot: It must give the US an
equity stake in return for the money.
Whether Boeing applies for some of the
fund will determine how much money is
left for hundreds of thousands of other
defence contractors that may be vying for
help amid the virus outbreak.
“The number of companies this will affect
is going to be very significant,” said Hawk
Carlisle, president of the National Defence
Industrial Association, a trade group of de-
fence contractors whose members include
Lockheed Martin Corp. and Boeing.
“I think demand will be outrageous, and
it’s not going to be enough,” he said.
BOEING’S OPTIONS
Boeing is keeping its options open as it
explores raising (US) $10 billion to (US) $20
billion to ride out the pandemic, according
to a person familiar with the matter.
The company is discussing financing
terms and conditions with Treasury offi-
cials, whether it seeks help through the
national security fund or a broader, (US)
$454 billion pool that’s also part of the (US)
$2 trillion stimulus package.
Another option is financing offered by the
Federal Reserve to help investment-grade
companies access the capital markets, said
the person, who asked not to be identified
as the discussions are confidential.
Boeing could even ask for aid under a
combination of programmes, the person
said. The company has retained investment
banks Lazard Ltd. and Evercore Co. to help
it sort through the options.
President Donald Trump has already pre-
dicted Boeing would seek federal help, with-
out specifying what form that might take.
The (US) $2 trillion rescue package Con-
gress adopted in late March includes loans
and loan guarantees specifically for compa-
nies “critical to maintaining national security.”
Yet more than two weeks after Trump
signed the measure, procurement experts
say they know little about how it will be
disbursed. Many also doubt the (US) $17
billion will be enough.
World Airnews | May 2020
— 13 —
MNUCHIN DECIDES
Mnuchin confirmed earlier this month that
he will decide who gets what, unlike the
rest of the stimulus package. The Federal
Reserve is the primary vehicle for keeping
credit flowing from lenders to large and
medium-sized businesses that need help to
maintain payrolls and pay rent.
The Small Business Administration is
overseeing lending to firms with fewer than
500 employees.
But Mnuchin has direct authority over
the (US) $17 billion for national-security
firms and another (US) $29 billion for air-
lines and cargo carriers.
The Treasury Department, said recently
that it will issue guidance on national-se-
curity financing “in the near future,” but
declined to comment further. Treasury
has hired Wall Street advisory firm Perella
Weinberg Partners to work on the nation-
al-security loans.
DEFENCE BASE
The defence supply chain counts about
300,000 companies, from the biggest
weapons-system contractors to the more
numerous, lower-tier suppliers of every-
thing from software to uniforms.
It’s those smaller companies,
which lack the access to capital
and the large balance sheets
that major corporations have, To page 14
 MILITARY
that could be especially at risk. Many also
depend on evaporating commercial sales to
supplement their defence work.
Of 10,509 locations tracked or moni-
tored by the Pentagon’s Defence Contract
Management Agency, 135 had closed at
some point as of April 8. Of those, 49 had
reopened after an average of about 10 days.
The numbers, however, don’t reflect con-
tractors that have cut back operations - or
the outsized effect of Boeing’s shutdowns.
It has indefinitely halted assembly of the
KC-46 refuelling tanker and the P-8A Pose-
idon maritime patrol aircraft at its facili-
ties in the state of Washington, the initial
centre of the pandemic in the US.
When national-security funding was
included in the stimulus package, some
viewed it as earmarked for Boeing. The
money, however, comes with strings: com-
panies must maintain 90% of their work-
force and can’t buy back their own stock or
pay dividends to shareholders.
Publicly traded companies also have to
give up an equity stake or warrants to the
government, according to a Treasury out-
line of the requirements.
Boeing Chief Executive Officer Dave
Calhoun has indicated the company won’t
accept aid if it means giving the US an
equity stake.
SUPPLY CHAIN
With Boeing also halting commercial jet
assembly, the stoppage cascades through its
supply chain, which includes General Electric,
Spirit Aero Systems Holdings and Safran SA.
NEWS
SOMERSET ARMY HELICOPTERS
AID CORONAVIRUS RESPONSES
B
ritish army helicopters based in
Somerset are at the forefront of
the government's emergency responses
to the coronavirus pandemic.
Three AW159 Wildcat helicopters,
based at RNAS Yeovilton, have been
deployed to support the UK Ministry of
Defence’s efforts in tackling the ongoing
spread of the virus.
As the corona virus death toll in the
UK increases, the local aircraft are pro-
viding transportation in urgent response
missions across the south of England.
Smaller manufacturers, which often
serve the automotive industry as well, are
most at risk, according to an analysis by
Bloomberg Intelligence.
“Lacking the financial wherewithal to survive
an extended downturn, a number of them will
fail unless they get support from larger manu-
facturers or governments,” the report said.
With aviation suppliers hit hard by coro-
na virus outbreaks, knock-on effects could
roil the defence supply chain, said Andrew
Hunter, the director of the Defence-In-
dustrial Initiatives Group at the Centre for
Strategic and International Studies
in Washington.
“Supply chains are like a web. When you
have a disturbance somewhere it cans kind
of ripple into other areas,” Hunter said.
“If a company goes out of business, ev-
eryone can be out of luck prett y quickly.”
PRODUCTION SLOWDOWNS
The National Defence Industrial Association
said Pentagon contractors are experiencing
production slowdowns due to stay-at-home
orders and sick workers.
As a result, payments are delayed,
though the Pentagon last month increased
periodic payments to help contractors.
Samantha Clark and Zach Mears, who
are tracking the rollout of the national-se-
curity money for aerospace and defence
companies at law firm Covington & Burling
LLP, said a broad array of companies could
potentially benefit.
“It’s relatively open to those businesses
that can make the justification that they fit
The Wildcats are undertaking Com-
mand and Control support which entails
liaisons, moving and transporting small
groups of key personnel and small pack-
ages of urgently required stores such as
medicines.
The helicopters are not only operated
from Somerset, but they were also as-
sembled in the county, at the Leonardo
factory in Yeovilton
A Leonardo Helicopters spokesman
said: "The Army Air Corps’ helicopters
will be operating out of RNAS Yeovil-
ton and will look to cover the South of
England as required by the UK Govern-
ment’s response to COVID-19 alongside
World Airnews | May 2020
— 14 —
into a component of the defence-industrial
base,” said Mears.
Clark and Mears said they have heard from
suppliers that been adversely affected and
may be interested in applying. But they are
frozen until they receive Treasury’s guidance.
The list potentially could go beyond even
big contractors and their suppliers to include
telecoms and utility companies, Clark said.
Pentagon officials said that they worry
that disruptions could force suppliers to
turn to foreign investors to survive. The
Defence Department didn’t respond to a
request seeking comment.
LOSING TECHNOLOGY
“It’s critically important that we understand
that during this crisis the DIB is vulnerable to
adversarial capital,” Ellen Lord, the Pentagon’s
top acquisition official, told reporters, referring
to the defence industrial base.
“So we need to ensure companies can stay
in business without losing their technology.”
Small defence suppliers could try to get
loans through the (US) $349 billion pool
the SBA oversees, but that programme has
been overwhelmed by demand and beset
by glitches.
Others may not yet know how much they
need because the effects of the virus are
still playing out, said Robert Durbin, chief
operating officer of the Aerospace Indus-
tries Association.
“It’s a very hard decision,” he said, “whether
or not to make a move” and seek a loan. Q
Article courtesy: bloomberg.com
Royal Air Force helicopters from RAF
Odiham and RAF Benson.
"The twin-engine multirole helicopter
is a high-performance platform with
state-of-the-art systems."
Norman Bone, chairman of Leonar-
do UK, added: “Leonardo is proud to
support the UK Ministry of Defence’s
COVID-19 operations with its
AW159 Wildcat helicopters as the
country comes together to tackle
this pandemic."
The Wildcat AW159 systems include
a Leonardo Seaspray multi-mode elec-
tronically-scanning (E-scan) radar, and
integrated Defensive Aids Suite. Q
 HELICOPTER

SIKORSKY TO BUILD HEAVY-

LIFT HELICOPTERS FOR US
E ngineers at Sikorsky Aircraft Corpo-
ration in Stra�ord, Connecticut are
preparing to build seven new CH-53K King
Stallion heavy-lift helicopters and integrated
avionics systems for the US Marine Corps
under terms of a (US) $125.4 million order.
Officials of the US Naval Air Systems
Command have asked Sikorsky, a Lockheed
Martin company, to procure long-lead
items for seven CH-53K low-rate initial
production (LRIP) lot 5 helicopters.
Long-lead items are sometimes difficult
and time-consuming to obtain and are
funded early in the aircraft design process
to keep overall production on schedule.
Contracts to build the actual helicopters
will come later. heavy-lift transport of armoured vehicles, The CH-53K first flew in late 2015, and the
The CH-53K King Stallion is a large heavy- equipment, and personnel to support helicopter was introduced to Marine Corps
lift cargo helicopter designed to replace distributed operations deep inland from a squadrons in 2018. The Marines plan to buy
the Marine Corps fleet of CH-53E heavy-lift sea-based centre of operations, Sikorsky 227 CH-53K helicopters for about $23.3 billion.
helicopters to help move marines and their officials said. It can lift more than 18 tons. On this order Sikorsky will do the work
equipment from ships offshore onto attack The CH-53K will have a new engine and in Connecticut and should be finished by
beaches. The CH-53K is a general redesign cockpit avionics layout and will have more August 2021.
of the CH-53E. than twice the lift capacity and combat For more information contact Sikorsky
The CH-53K sea-based, long range, heli- radius of the CH-53E. Aircraft online at www.lockheedmartin.
copter is designed to provide three times It will use the General Electric GE38-1B en- com/en-us/capabilities/sikorsky.html or Na-
the lift capability of its predecessor. gine. It can operate at high altitudes, hot tem- val Air Systems Command at www.navair.
The CH-53K will conduct expeditionary peratures, and in degraded visual conditions. navy.mil Q

HAL PLANS TO PRODUCE APACHE-LIKE

MILITARY HELICOPTER IN INDIA
I
n an ambitious project with strate-
gic significance, aerospace major
Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd (HAL) has
started ground work to produce a 10
to 12 tonne attack helicopter by 2027
which will be comparable with some of
the best medium-lift military choppers
globally like the Apache of the Boeing.
Chairman and Managing Director of
HAL R Madhavan said the aim of the mega
project is to stop import of more than Rs
4 lakh crore worth of military helicopters
for the three services in the coming years.
In an interview, Madhavan said the HAL
has completed the preliminary design of the
helicopter and that initial plan is to produce
at least 500 units with the first prototype
set to be ready by 2023 if the government
gives the go ahead to the project this year.
“One major project we are focusing
on is to produce a helicopter in 10 to 12
tonnes category to replace the Mi-17
fleet. It will be an indigenous platform
with the potential to manufacture around
500 helicopters. It will stop import of
more than Rs 4 lakh crore worth of plat-
forms from foreign countries,” he said.
Madhavan said an amount of Rs 9,600
crore will be required for design as well as
to produce the prototype of the helicopter.
“If we get the approval in 2020, we will
be able to manufacture the first chopper by
2027. We are looking at producing at least
500 helicopters of the variant. It will be a
major project we are working on,” he said.
A military expert described the project
as the biggest by the HAL after develop-
ment of the Tejas military aircraft.
“We have done the preliminary design.
We have also been in discussion with the
Air Force and the Navy. The 10-12 tonnes
category will have two basic structures on
similar platforms. The naval version will
have different dimension compared to the
one for the Army and the Air Force,” Mad-
havan said on the proposed mega project.
“Like the LCH (Light Combat Helicop-
ter) we developed from the Dhruv plat-
form, a similar variant of 10-12 tonnes
category can be produced to make it an
Apache equivalent,” said Madhavan
Two twin engines would power the
helicopters. The helicopter's blade would
be foldable so as to allow ship deck opera-
tions. The role of the helicopter would be
to support air assault, air transport, combat
logistics, and combat search and rescue.
Madhavan said the helicopter will have
a huge potential for export.
The Mi-17 helicopters make up the
backbone of the IAF's helicopter fleet and
they are planned to be phased out by 2032.
The HAL's product range includes a number
of helicopter-like the LCH (Light Combat
Helicopter) and multi-role ALH (Advanced
Light Helicopter) and Chetak choppers. Q

World Airnews | May 2020

— 15 —
 HELICOPTER
SWISS AIR-RESCUE FLY 74
COVID-19 PATIENTS
S
ince the beginning of the Coro-
na pandemic, Swiss Air-Rescue,
re-named “Rega,” helicopter crews have
flown a total of 74 Covid-19 patients, most
via interfacility transfer.
For example Rega has also supported
nearby countries such 19 French Covid
patients who were flown from Alsace to
German hospitals.
Swiss Air-Rescue (Rega) is a unique
non-profit organisation. It operates from
12 strategically-located bases that enable
Rega crews to reach any location in Swit-
zerland, except for the canton of Valais,
within 15 minutes by air.
Rega rescue helicopters are most fre-
quently dispatched for medical emergen-
cies, to deal with winter sports, as well as
road, occupational and alpine accidents.
Transfer flights from one hospital to
another are also an integral part of Rega’s
services. Almost 25% of all Rega helicopter
missions take place at night - a challenging
task for their highly-trained crews.
Rega’s rescue activities are based on the
JAPAN COAST GUARD ORDERS
TWO MORE H225 HELICOPTERS
J apan’s largest Super Puma opera-
tor, Japan Coast Guard (JCG), has
ordered two H225 helicopters - this follow
on order brings JCG’s Super Puma fleet to
15, comprising two AS332s and 13 H225s.
The new helicopters will be utilised
for territorial coastal activities, security
enforcement, as well as disaster relief
missions in Japan.
“We thank the Japan Coast Guard for
its continued confidence in the H225,”
said Guillaume Leprince managing direc-
tor of Airbus Helicopters in Japan.
“The H225 is well regarded as a refer-
ence in search-and-rescue operations and
security enforcement, and we are certainly
happy to see these helicopters effectively
deployed in Japan through the years. We
have delivered three new H225 to JCG in
the recent months, within schedule, and are
committed to fully supporting its existing
fleet, as well as its upcoming deliveries,
ensuring high availability for its operations.”
fundamental principles of the Red Cross,
their services geared to the needs of the
Swiss population and financed by private
funding, with donations received from
more than three million Swiss “patrons”
(donations received from the populous).
This enables them to operate inde-
pendently in the service of their patients.
The emergency missions and other opera-
tions are carried out on behalf of the gen-
eral public are not conditional on whether
the ensuing costs will be covered.
Rega has experienced significantly lower
helicopter deployment stake since the
start of the pandemic, which is due to the
changed leisure behaviour of the Swiss
population.
ESCALATING COVID FLIGHTS
The first transport for a patient suffering
from Covid-19 on board a Rega helicopter
took place on March 11, in Ticino. The
patient was flown by the crew of Rega Base
Locarno from Mendrisio to Locarno.
The number of operations related to the
corona virus increased significantly after
that first flight: Between March 11 and Sat-
urday, April 11, the helicopter crews flew a
The JCG’s H225s are covered by
Airbus’ HCare Smart full-by-the-hour
material support. This customised fleet
availability programme allows JCG to
focus on its flight operations whilst
Airbus manages its assets.
The 11-ton-category, twin-engine
H225 is the latest member of Air-
bus Helicopters’ Super Puma family.
Equipped with state-of-the-art elec-
tronic instruments and renowned auto-
World Airnews | May 2020
— 16 —
total of 74 Covid-19 patients. Most of these
operations were secondary transports;
patients are transferred from one hospital
to another.
Although the transport of highly infec-
tious patients is part of Rega’s normal
range of applications, the crews had
specifically prepared with extra training in
February in anticipation of an increase in
patient call volume.
SPECIAL INTENSIVE CARE
TRANSPORTS WITH MOBILE
VENTILATOR
About two-thirds of these secondary
transports were intensive care special
transports of artificially ventilated Covid-19
patients.
During the transfer the patients are
connected at the ICU bedside area to
Rega’s mobile ventilator, which ensures
uninterrupted oxygen supply for the entire
transport period.
All Rega helicopters are equipped with
state-of-the-art mobile ventilators that
meet the latest standards and are specially
certified for use in rescue helicopters. Q
pilot precision, the all-weather capable
H225 offers outstanding endurance and
fast cruise speed, and can be fitted with
various equipment to suit any role.
In Japan alone, a total of 28 helicopters
from the Super Puma family are currently
flown by civil, parapublic operators, and
Japan’s Ministry of Defence for various
search and rescue missions, offshore op-
erations, VIP, fire-fighting, and passenger
and goods transportation. Q
 FUEL

LOWER JET FUEL PRICE

DOESN’T MEAN WIN-WIN
SITUATION FOR AIRLINES

T
he pandemic and the oil-price
shock are likely to tip Africa into an
economic contraction in 2020, in the ab-
sence of a major fiscal stimulus. The Covid-
19’s economic impact finds that Africa's
gross domestic product (GDP) growth this
year could be cut by three to eight percent-
age points, McKinsey report states.
Along the similar lines, at the recently con-
cluded webinar by Logistics Update Africa on
‘Delivering cargo in the times of continental
contagion: From essential supplies to critical
medicines’, Astral Aviation CEO Sanjeev
Gadhia said, “We have seen the lowest fuel
prices in the last 25 years and looking forward
to having a better financial performance.”
“At the same time, disadvantages are for
economies like Nigeria, Angola, and Cam-
eroon which are dependent on fuel prices.
Lower jet fuel price doesn’t mean that it is
a win-win situation for airlines. When we
are benefitting from low fuel prices, we are
equally losing out markets with high load fac-
tors. Once we used to fly 300 tonnes a week
to Nigeria, which has now been reduced to
less than 80 tonnes. It is having a negative
effect on the air freight market. We are doing
double and triple drops to optimise our oper-
ations now. Overall, a lot of African countries
will become weak in terms of GDP.”
In the first week of April, the International
Air Transport Association (IATA) strength-
ened its call for urgent action from govern-
ments in Africa to provide financial relief
to airlines as the potential revenue loss by
carriers reached (US) $4 billion. This trans-
lates into a drop of industry revenues of 32
percent for 2020 as compared to 2019.
Commenting on supply and demand mis-
match and higher freight rates, Gadhia stated,
“There is a lot of demand out of Nairobi to
Europe, especially vegetables. But the supply
inbound into Africa is very weak. To match
our demand with the supply, we have started
flying two B747Fs three flights a week from
Nairobi into our Liege hub. We are operating
our aircraft for 14 hours a day. We would like
to optimise 747s by carrying 100-110 tonnes
of vegetables with other cargoes so that the
capacity utilisation is done.”
Kenya has witnessed a reduction in
capacity from 5,000 tonnes to 1,300 tonnes
since the national carrier along with other
carriers ceased to fly.
Meanwhile, Astral which has received
approvals from the Kenya Civil Aviation
Authority (KCAA) is planning to deploy
its Flyox drone (capacity of up to 2,000
kilogrammes) to deliver personal protec-
tive equipment (PPEs) to Uganda, Rwanda,
South Sudan, and Congo soon.
"We have factories manufacturing face
masks in Kenya and by the end of April, we
don’t need to import from other countries.
Even we can send it across our regional
economies," he noted. Q

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World Airnews | May 2020

— 17 —
 AVIATION
INSURANCE
AVIATION INSURANCE IN
A COVID -19 CLIMATE
World Airnews editor Heidi
Gibson asked SA’s longest-
established specialist
aviation insurance broking
organisation director
Graham Speller to provide
his outlook for the state
of the aviation insurance
sector in South Africa and
the challenges presented
by COVID 19
C
aptain AG Lamplugh, a British pilot
from the early days of aviation,
once famously said “Aviation in itself is
not inherently dangerous. But to an even
greater degree than the sea, it is terribly
unforgiving of any carelessness, incapacity
or neglect.”
WAN: THE GENERAL AVIATION
SECTOR OF THE AVIATION
INSURANCE MARKET HAS BEEN
HARDEST HIT IN THE RECENT PAST
AND IT IS UNDER HUGE STRAIN.
WHAT ARE YOUR COMMENTS?
GS: The aviation insurance market as a
whole has been loss-making for the past
three years, following a decade on decline
in premium income, which started in about
2003, shortly after 9/11. The four sectors
of the market - General Aviation, Airline,
Aerospace and Space - have each had their
own issues to deal with, but rarely have all
four been hammered simultaneously, which
is what we’ve seen in the past 12-18 months.
In South Africa, the GA insurance market
has been particularly badly affected by the
increased cost of spares, virtually all of
which are imported, due to the decline in
the value of the SA Rand. This has resulted
in significant claims cost escalations for
even the simplest and most straightforward
of losses. SA is also becoming known as
a litigious society and Insurers are facing
increased numbers of claims by passengers
and other parties affected by aircraft ac-
cidents, and the average quantum of such
claims is also increasing substantially.
Added to this, an aging fleet of aircraft with
relatively few new aircraft being injected into
the system means that Insurers are facing
increasing pressure to increase premium levels
in order to survive. Naturally, brokers and
their clients resist those increases, but the
simple truth is that the aviation industry needs
a healthy insurance sector to support it.
The airline insurance market has taken
some huge hits in recent years, including
well-publicised losses such as MH370, MH-
17, Lion Air, Ethiopian Airlines and Ukraine
International, to name just a few. Added
to this, the current COVID-19 pandemic
has seen 90% of global airline activity
completely at a standstill, which will result
in airline failures and reduced income
which, notwithstanding the concomitant
reduction in operational losses, will further
deplete insurers’ reserves.
The Aerospace market includes manu-
facturers, maintenance, repair and over-
haul organisations, airports, air traffic and
World Airnews | May 2020
— 18 —
navigation services, etc. This market has
also suffered substantial losses in recent
years, including the 737 MAX losses and
subsequent worldwide grounding, which
have led Boeing to present significant claims
to the market insurance market. The Space
market has been hit hard, too, with multiple
satellite launch failures, resulting in sub-
stantial losses for underwriters. Finally, the
General Aviation market has seen significant
losses, particularly arising from commercial
services in the tourism area, coupled with
general attritional losses against historically
low aviation insurance rates.
WAN: AS THE OLDEST AVIATION
INSURANCE BROKERS IN THE
COUNTRY COULD THE COVID19
VIRUS AND ITS ASSOCIATED
EFFECTS IN ANY WAY BE INCLUDED
IN ANY AGREEMENT? AND WOULD
THERE BE ANY KIND OF RELIEF FOR
OWNERS?
GS: Whilst insurers are mindful of the
predicament faced by many commercial
aviation enterprises, with an almost total
shut down of all but the most essential
aviation activity, there is a limit to the relief
that can be offered to aircraft owners.
Where individual insurance programmes
make provision for “lay ups”, this will allow
for coverage to be restricted to “ground
risks” or “rotors not in motion” and for
a premium adjustment (credit) to be
calculated and paid at the expiry of the
policy, subject to no claims having arisen.
This provision is usually only available under
policies covering fleets of aircraft. Where
“loss of use” insurance is affected, coverage
is only triggered by accidental damage to
the aircraft and is limited to loss of income
 AVIATION
INSURANCE
directly arising there from. A general
grounding under the current circumstances,
which arises from government decree, does
not trigger this type of coverage.
Individual aircraft owners should discuss
their specific situation with their insurance
brokers, who will then be able to discuss
available options with the Insurers con-
cerned. In some cases, the Insurers may
agree to reduce coverage or may simply
note the circumstances and review the po-
sition at the end of the lockdown period, or
the expiry of the policy, whichever is sooner.
Some commercial enterprises may carry
business interruption insurance, but this is
not available from the aviation insurance
market and there is some doubt as to the
extent to which Insurers will consider
coverage to be triggered by communicable
disease pandemics such as COVID-19, given
the general requirement that the business
interruption should be caused by property
damage and, even where a non-damage
extension for communicable diseases is
included, this is usually limited to specified
notifiable diseases where there is an out-
break at or near to the Insured’s premises,
resulting in the premises being closed by
order of a competent/public authority.
WAN: WOULD IT EVER BE POSSIBLE
TO INSURE AGAINST THIS TYPE OF
PHENOMENA? AND IF NOT WHAT
IS THE BEST COURSE OF ACTION
AVIATION OWNERS SHOULD TAKE
IN THE CURRENT CIRCUMSTANCES.
GS: There are no insurance products
currently available, of which I am aware, that
would provide benefits to aircraft owners
arising from their inability to operate their
aircraft during periods of pandemic or other
general health emergencies. As mentioned,
coverage can be restricted to “ground/
stored”, at a reduced premium. The best
course of action would be to communicate
with their insurance brokers and allow their
brokers to advice on possible options and
negotiate with Insurers on their behalf.
WAN: CAN YOU DESCRIBE
THE MARKET THAT YOU FIND
YOURSELVES IN, THE CHALLENGES
AND THE POSSIBLE POSITIVE
OUTCOMES FOR THE NEAR AND NOT
SO DISTANT FUTURE?
GS: The immediate challenge facing the
aviation insurance market worldwide is
survival. Whilst insurance is considered an
essential industry, most (if not all) business
premises have been closed and staff are
working from home during the lock-downs
being experienced in most countries
around the world, particularly US, Europe
and the USA.
Currently, all aviation Insurers remain op-
erational but there are significant concerns
regarding the future, given the aviation in-
surance market’s reliance upon a viable avi-
ation industry, whether General Aviation,
Airline, Aerospace or, indeed, Space. Major
aviation Insurers will often write insurance advice and cover to our aviation clients.
for each of these sectors and, to an extent,
losses in one sector will be balanced by WAN: WHAT MAKES DJA AVIATION
profits in others. At present, however, STAND OUT FROM THE OTHERS?
all four sectors have been virtually shut GS: DJA Aviation is SA’s longest-established
down with a concomitant loss of premium specialist aviation insurance broking
income for the aviation insurance market. organisation, having been formed in 1976
Many aviation businesses will likely be by now-retired founder Dennis Jankelow.
unable to recover once the pandemic has All the senior insurance specialists at DJA
passed and this will create a permanent loss Aviation have been with the firm for in
of income to aviation Insurers. All this will excess of 20 years. The company’s sole
result in Insurers needing to review their busi- mission is to serve its clients and provide
ness plans and it is quite likely that we will see them with the peace of mind they require
further contraction of the aviation insurance in order to achieve their aviation-related
market as Insurers elect to withdraw from aims and objectives without suffering
this class whilst they concentrate their efforts financially in the event of losses occurring.
in other, more sustainable, classes. DJA Aviation refers to its mission as The
Quite apart from the potential human loss Right Approach and it is a philosophy to
to COVID-19, we are likely to see jobs being which the company and all its 35 directors,
lost in the aviation insurance market, as Insur- brokers and employees are fully committed.
ers, brokers and associated service providers DJA Aviation has been responsible for the
are unable to survive, downsize their aviation development of several aviation insurance
activities or merge with others. The light at products that remain exclusive to this day
the end of the tunnel may be an approaching and continues to develop new products
train. However, we will ultimately be left with and enhancements for the benefit of its
a smaller but stronger industry as all but the clients. With strong Insurer-relationships
fittest will likely be hit by the train. throughout the South Africa and interna-
tional insurance markets, DJA Aviation aims
WAN: WHAT KIND OF NEW AND to provide insurance programmes for its cli-
INNOVATIVE WAYS HAS THE ents that reflect a perfect balance between
COMPANY EMPLOYED TO GAIN Coverage, Cost, Security and Service. Q
NEW BUSINESS AND SUSTAIN AND
SOLIDIFY YOUR
ORGANISATION?
GS: The key element
to grow and sustain
our business has been
NOT YOUR BEST LANDING?
the development and Insure now with
sustaining of both DJA Aviation.
our relationships with
insurers and equally
the development
of our staff. We see
the relationship with
insurers as a partner-
ship, such that we
are, to the best of our
ability, able to obtain
the right cover for
our clients. With the
substantial changes DJA Aviation is the longest-established aviation insurance
being experienced broking specialist in the South African insurance market and a
in the entire aviation market leader in developing customised insurance products for
insurance market, we the aviation industry. We employ more than 30 staff and utilise
consider this a key this great depth of aviation insurance knowledge, skill and
differentiator. expertise to manage our clients’ aviation insurance portfolios.
Equally so is the
development of
our staff. We are
continually up skilling
and training our staff
and encouraging new
entrants into the PROUD SUPPORTER OF
THE SOUTH AFRICAN
aviation insurance GUIDE-DOGS ASSOCIATION
broking industry.
This is mission critical Defining the Right Approach to Aviation Insurance
in maintaining our
sustainability, and www.dja-aviation.co.za | Tel: 0800 FLYING
ensuring we continu- An Authorised Financial Service Provider FSP No. 15808
ally provide the best
World Airnews | May 2020
— 19 —
 MANUFACTURER
AIRBUS CUTS PRODUCTION
A fter a solid commercial and indus-
trial performance at the begin-
ning of the year, Airbus is now revising its
production rates downwards to adapt to
the new Corona virus market environment.
In Q1 2020, Airbus booked 290 net commer-
cial aircraft orders and delivered 122 aircraft.
A further 60 aircraft were produced during
the quarter, highlighting the solid industrial
performance; however they remain undeliv-
ered due to the evolving COVID-19 pandemic.
36 aircraft were delivered in March
across the different aircraft families, down
from 55 in February 2020. This reflects
customer requests to defer deliveries, as
well as other factors related to the ongoing
COVID-19 pandemic.
The new average production rates going
forward have been set as follows:
• A320 to rate 40 per month
• A330 to rate 2 per month
• A350 to rate 6 per month
This represents a reduction of the pre-co-
rona virus average rates of roughly one
third. With these new rates, Airbus pre-
serves its ability to meet customer demand
while protecting its ability to further adapt
as the global market evolves.
Airbus is working in coordination with its
AIRLINES
EMIRATES ANNOUNCES
LIMITED PASSENGER FLIGHTS
E mirates is planning to operate pas-
senger services to Jakarta, Manila,
Taipei, Chicago, Tunis, Algiers and Kabul
in addition to the already commenced
operation to London and Frankfurt.
These services will facilitate residents
and visitors wishing to return home.
Passengers will be able to book di-
rectly on emirates.com or via their travel
agent. Only citizens of the destination
country and those who meet the entry
requirements will be allowed to board.
Passengers will be required to comply
with each country’s requirement.
With the increase of services and
flights out of Dubai, Emirates have
recommenced its operation at Dubai
social partners to define the most appropri-
ate social measures to adapt to this new and
evolving situation. Airbus is also addressing
a short-term cash containment plan as well
as its longer-term cost structure.
“The impact of this pandemic is unprece-
dented. At Airbus, protecting our people and
supporting the fight against the virus are our
chief priorities at this time. We are in con-
stant dialogue with our customers and supply
chain partners as we are all going through
these difficult times together”, said Airbus
chief executive officer Guillaume Faury.
“Our airline customers are heavily impact-
ed by the COVID-19 crisis. We are actively
International airport Terminal 3. Cus-
tomers will be required to follow all
health and safety measures required by
the UAE authorities and the country of
destination.
During this time, there will be no on-
line check in and seat selection available
and services such as chauffeur drive and
lounge will not be available in any of the
destinations.
Emirates will also offer amended
services on these flights. Magazines and
other print reading material will not be
available, and while food and beverages
will continue to be offered on board,
packaging and presentation will be
modified to reduce contact during meal
service and the risk of infection.
Cabin baggage will not be accepted on
World Airnews | May 2020
— 20 —
adapting our production to their new situa-
tion and working on operational and finan-
cial mitigation measures to face reality.”
In its effort to support the fight against
the COVID-19, Airbus has carried out
extensive work in co-ordination with social
partners to ensure the health and safety of
its employees.
This has been achieved by implement-
ing new stringent work standards and
processes. Airbus is contributing to the
development, sourcing and ferrying of
medical equipment, including facemasks
and ventilators, in support of medical
health services. Q
these flights. Carry-on items allowed in
the cabin will be limited to laptop, hand-
bag, briefcase or baby items. All other
items have to be checked in, and Emirates
will add the cabin baggage allowance to
customers’ check-in baggage allowance.
Passengers are required to apply
social distancing guidelines during their
journey and wear their own masks when
at the airport and on board the aircraft.
Travellers should arrive at Dubai Inter-
national airport Terminal 3 for check-in,
three hours before departure. Emirates’
check-in counters will only process
passengers holding confirmed bookings
to the above destinations.
All Emirates aircraft will go through
enhanced cleaning and disinfection pro-
cesses in Dubai, after each journey. Q
C W Price & Co

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C W Price and Co
Tel: (011) 8054720
World Airnews | May 2020
— 21 — Fax: (011) 3156275
Email: cwp@cwprice.co.za
 DRONES

DRONES IN THE MARINE

ENVIRONMENT

T his is the second and final part of a

two-part series about drones in the
South African marine environment. Com-
piled by Andre P. Meredith, Adrian Niken
and Hannes van Wyk this article focuses on
ACTIVITY
Long Range Maritime SAR
Coastal SAR
Coastal and Marine Surveillance
USERS/BENEFICIARIES
DOT, SAMSA, NSRI, DOD, commercial shipping
NSRI, SAPS, tourism
DOT, SAMSA, DAFF, DEA (SANParks), DOD
Maritime Security SAPS, DOD, DAFF
the advantages and disadvantages of these
incredible unmanned aircraft. Commercial Fisheries DAFF, DEA, SAMSA, fishing industry
So why should we make use of drones Recreational Fishing General public
in the marine environment? This is a
EEZ Patrol DOD, DAFF, commercial shipping
good question. Why spend money
on a fairly new technology when Marine Mining Support DMRE, mining sector, energy sector
manned aviation could potentially Recreational Photography General public, tourism
provide the same solutions? Realistically
unmanned aviation will, in all probabil- Professional Photography DAC, tourism, media, real estate
ity, never completely replace manned Climate, Weather and Sea State DAFF, DEA (SAWS), SAMSA, DST
systems. For certain tasks a manned
asset will always be required, or be the Disaster Management SAPS, DOD, DEA, DAFF, emergency services
better option. Coastal Populace Monitoring and Development DHS, DTI, Stats SA, industry, business sector
But in many cases unmanned systems
Medical Support DOH, emergency services, pathology, shipping
can complement the work being per-
formed by manned aviation - and in some Commodities and Logistics DOT, DAFF, commercial shipping, fisheries
instances could even replace manned Wreck Surveillance DAC, DEA, SAMSA
systems altogether.
Education DBE, DHET, schools, tertiary institutions
USERS AND BENEFICIARIES
Marine Research DST, DOD, tertiary institutions
The general public aside (in respect
TABLE KEY
of personal use), there are potentially
many hundreds of commercial and DOT Department of Transport SAMSA South African Maritime Safety Agency
government users of and beneficiaries NSRI National Sea Rescue Institute DOD Department of Defence
for this technology. The list below is SAPS South African Police Services DAFF Department of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries
certainly not conclusive, but provides DEA Department of Environmental Aff airs DMRE Department of Mineral Resources and Energy
a clear indication of the extent and DAC Department of Arts and Culture SAWS South African Weather Services
potential widespread impact (a positive
DST Department of Science and Technology DHS Department of Human Settlement
one, at that) the employment of drone
DTI Department of Trade and Industry DOH Department of Health
technology in the marine environment
might have. DBE Department of Basic Education DHET Department of Higher Education and Training

To get a clearer understanding of why Potential Users and Beneficiaries from Drones in the Marine Environment
World Airnews | May 2020
— 22 —
 DRONES
unmanned systems should even be consid-
ered as useful tools in the marine environ-
ment, let us look at some of the pros and
cons of this technology.
Disadvantages
• (Potentially) High initial outlay: Drone
systems consist of more than just the
frame - this is true for airborne or
water-borne systems. In addition to
the aircraft, boat or submersible, initial
outlay also includes the control and te-
lemetry systems, launch and recovery
systems (design-dependent), storage,
transportation (size-dependent) and
other support systems. A complete
Drone system can be costly to acquire,
but once it has been purchased and
integrated, it can be very affordable
to operate.
• Bad weather operations: Drones, by
nature of their design, tend to weigh
less and be comparatively smaller
than manned counterparts of similar
performance and mission capability.
Small and/or light aircraft (and surface
vessels) do not normally fare well in bad
weather, particularly if strong wind or
gusts prevail, or during periods of major
swells or strong wave action. Drones
earmarked to operate in such condi-
tions will have to be designed from
the outset to literally and figuratively
be able to weather the storm and be
capable of competing tasks.
On the flipside, manned aviation is also
prone to being affected by inclement
weather, and all aircraft have specific
operating limits regarding bad weather
operations. Drones, however, are de-
void of on-board crews and other per-
sons, potentially giving operators the
edge if they need to ‘push the envelope’
to get a critical mission completed; loss
of the airframe under such conditions is
simply a material loss, without addition-
al human casualties.
• Marine SAR Limitations: Most un-
manned aircraft employed for maritime
SAR missions will inevitably only be able
to perform searches, and not be able
to actually rescue someone (physically
lift someone from the sea or off a ship).
This is obviously design-dependent and
future M-SAR drones having hover capa-
bility may be able to provide a way to do
this – but current, proven manned heli-
copters or tilt-rotor systems already have
this ability. In addition, having someone
on-board to assist with the hoisting
operation simplifies this segment of a
rescue, and an unmanned hoisting op-
eration may prove too ‘impersonal’ for
most SAR operators to consider.
A SAR drone can, however, be
equipped with an air-deployable
survival canister containing, amongst
others, a life raft. This will afford
survivors at sea the chance to re-
move themselves from the sea, until a
manned rescue platform (helicopter,
ship) arrives to lift them to safety.
• Legislation: The legislative process to-
wards the obtaining of a Remote Oper-
ating Certificate (ROC), which legalises
commercial drone operations in South
Africa, is a long, tedious and expensive
process. Current indications are that
it could take up to (or even in excess
of) two years to obtain an ROC, which
also implies no legal operations for two
or more years, while the process runs.
This, unfortunately, incurs expenses on
the part of the applicant, potentially
with zero income (depending how the
company’s business is structured) until
the ROC has been issued and the drone
can be operated for profit.
The South African aviation legislator is
said to be streamlining the ROC process
towards faster results, but at the time
of going to press this was hearsay only.
Potential commercial operators of
drones in the SA marine environment
will have to be prepared for a lengthy
administrative process to enable them
to become legal drone operators.
Advantages
• Affordable to operate: Once pro-
cured and integrated, drones are very
affordable to operate. Obviously this
is a factor of its design, and how it is
employed, but compared with manned
aircraft of equal performance, size and
mission, a drone would in most cases
not be more expensive to operate.
• Flexibility: Drones are very flexibly,
and many types can be refitted with
different payloads and be utilised for
multiple types of work. This reduces ac-
quisition cost, and maximises the fleet
for optimal use.
• Reduced risk: Removal of a pilot and
other crews from the airframe or vessel
reduces risk, particularly where the drone
needs to be sent into dangerous weather
conditions or out over vast ‘marine des-
erts’ many miles from the nearest land. If
a mechanical or environmentally-induced
failure does occur, and the drone cannot
be saved, it incurs only material losses,
and not losses to human life.
The marine environment is also an ideal
place to experiment with the concept
of a ‘unified airspace’ where drones and
manned aviation can co-exist. The air-
space above our maritime claims and ter-
ritories are fairly ‘barren’, especially when
compared with the overland regions.
This provides a near-sterile airspace to
test the concept in, especially when con-
trolled by test authorities. In addition,
having a zero-population-density count
below the flight path of the drone (with
the exception of occasional shipping)
further reduces risk to third parties, in
the event of a critical system failure.
• Response time: Small drones can often
be deployed quickly, at short notice,
requiring very little preparation. Electric
versions require no refuelling (providing
World Airnews | May 2020
— 23 —
batteries are prepared), and many don’t
require extensive and complex preventive
maintenance. This makes response times
– especially in the event of a crisis or di-
saster – short and can significantly speed-
up the commencement of a mission.
• Persistence: The monotony of many
tasks associated with the marine
environment, plus the huge expanse of
ocean to be covered at times, requires
persistence and endurance. Humans
are not always ideally suited to either,
which is why many specially-designed
maritime aircraft are large enough to
accommodate sleeping berths, kitchens,
rest areas, lavatories and other items to
help prolong such missions. Drones do
not need any of this, and personnel on
the ground involved in such endeavours
can be rotated easily and frequently to
ensure that alertness is maintained.
Drones (if so designed) could potentially
stay aloft for days, and human inter-
action could be further reduced if it is
equipped with smart sensors to help
automatically locate ‘objects of interest.
• Portability: Small drones can be
man-portable and even at times hand-
launched. This could be useful if the
area from which it is to be flown or re-
covered is inaccessible by vehicle or if it
has to be launched or recovered on-sea.
Mid-sized drones could be ship-borne
and launched and recovered from a
large boat, something not readily possi-
ble with a manned asset. The aforemen-
tioned is largely design-dependent, but
the general size and weight of small to
medium sized drones makes this com-
pletely feasible, and can be a significant
asset to a ship or a boat.
In addition to these operational advan-
tages, drones can also be an important
educational tool (as a frontrunner
within the 4th Industrial Revolution and
Industry 4.0), showcasing the tech-
nologies to young minds and thereby
stimulating novel ideas to catalyse
technological advancement.
Drones can also be an essential tool to
entities involved in marine research,
providing access to otherwise inacces-
sible or hostile environments. Examples
include the various unmanned airborne,
water-borne and underwater vehicles be-
ing utilised by the Institute for Maritime
Technology (IMT) for research and data
collection using side-scan technologies,
tethered flight, low-light optical payloads,
counter-drone technologies and many
other forms of sea and sub-sea research.
SELECTING A DRONE
So which drone do I select? This is another
tough question to answer. The short
answer is that the type of
drone to be selected would
be predominantly task-
dependent, i.e. selected
based on the task
To page 24
 DRONES
requirements, most notably performance
and payloads. The potential hostility of
the marine environment should be borne
in mind when selecting the drone, and
the performance of the drone must meet
the most extreme task requirements. This
could include range and area to cover,
the measure of persistence required, the
minimum time required to reach a point of
interest and altitude requirements.
Also to be factored in is overall robustness
of the drone, including the volatility of the
environment (the effects of strong wind,
corrosive effects, electromagnetic compat-
ibility, operation in precipitation, tempera-
ture effects) and system reliability (quality of
design, components and assembly).
If the drone is to be carried and oper-
ated from a surface vessel (boat, ship)
the user should consider special design
characteristics to facilitate the aforemen-
tioned, including storage whilst at sea,
ease of handling on-board the vessel,
launch method, recovery method, and so
on. This could have a significant effect on
type selection, and may require selection
of a drone of specific design (“purpose-de-
signed”) or significant design changes to
an existing drone type.
The selection of the payload will
be critical to ensure that the drone is
optimally utilised; after all, the drone is
simply the vehicle that carries the payload
(which does the actual “work”) to the
place of importance. Without a proper-
ly-selected payload, the drone would be
worthless. Payloads could include special
SAR payloads, marine-optimised camer-
as, marine-optimised thermal sensors,
rangefinders, traditional radars, synthetic
aperture radars, electronic signal inter-
ception devices, dipping sonar, magnetic
anomaly detectors, cargo containers,
chemical agent release systems, towing
systems, object release systems, and any
other system imaginable to help get the
job done.
The final factor to take into account when
selecting a drone for maritime work would
be regulatory requirements, as applicable
to the work envisioned and the perceived
level of risk to third parties within the pro-
posed area of responsibility. SACAA Part
101 should be consulted to help determine
any such requirements having a potential
bearing on the selection of the drone type;
best to do this before the drone is selected,
of course!
Whichever drone is going to be selected,
the starting point is always a clear and
proper understanding of what the drone
will be used for. This paves the way for all
other requirements, and ultimately will
filter through to selection (or development)
of the most optimal drone type.
TECHNICAL CHALLENGES
The South African drone development
industry is well-established, and many
companies, both large and small, have
developed cutting-edge drones. These
include not only ‘major industry’ role-play-
ers, such as Denel Dynamics, Paramount
Advanced Technologies, the CSIR, Milkor,
Epsilon and Tellumat, but also a plethora
of smaller companies and SSMEs. Many of
the systems produced by these developers
may be immediately useful for maritime
work, or easily adaptable to meet specific
requirements.
Regardless of who develops the drone,
the marine environment will inevitably add
additional complexity to designs and may
lead to the solving of a number of techno-
logical challenges.
World Airnews | May 2020
— 24 —
Here are a few potential “technical hur-
dles” that may need solving along the way:
• Performance
• Vast flight areas and extended flight
ranges
• Long endurance/persistence
• Communications ranges and related
technology (e.g. SATLINK for BRLOS
operations)
• Fast time-to-target (e.g. Maritime
SAR and disaster support)
• Performance in strong wind and low
ambient temperatures (icing conditions)
• Special abilities
• Ship-borne operation (storage, han-
dling, take-off, recovery)
• Special propulsion requirements/
arrangements (confined ship-borne
operations)
• Durability, reliability and dependability
• Corrosion resistance (marine envi-
ronment)
• Weather tolerance (moisture, sea
salt, gusts, rain, low temperatures)
• Quality of design, components and
assembly (vital to allow system avail-
ability and dependability for critical
tasks, e.g. SAR, disaster support,
security, etc)
• Payload performance
• Task-specific (custom payloads)
• Marine-optimised (good perfor-
mance in a marine environment)
• Marine-hardened (durability and
reliability)
The list above is by no means conclusive,
but gives an idea of the technical challeng-
es that may need to be addressed to pro-
duce an effective and efficient unmanned
system for operation within the marine
environment. Q
World Airnews | May 2020
— 25 —
 DRONES
NOAA EXPANDED DRONE
PROGRAMME
T he NOAA agency recently an-
nounced the launch of the Un-
manned Systems Operations Programme.
“The new programme will promote the
safe, efficient and economical operation of
unmanned systems NOAA uses to collect
high-quality environmental data for the
agency’s science, products and services.”
“Unmanned airborne and maritime
systems are transforming how we conduct
earth science at NOAA,” said retired Navy
Rear Adm. Timothy Gallaudet deputy
NOAA administrator.
“Our new Unmanned Systems Opera-
tions Programme will help us dramatically
increase the application and use of these
technologies in every NOAA mission area.”
NOAA drones - dubbed UxS- are sen-
sor-equipped and can operate autonomous-
ly or are remotely piloted. NOAA currently
uses UxS for seafloor and habitat mapping,
ocean exploration, marine mammal and
fishery stock assessments, emergency
response, and at-sea observations that
improve forecasting of extreme events, such
as harmful algal blooms and hypoxia.
“The recent increase in the availabil-
ity of highly capable UxS has brought a
corresponding increase in their innovative
use as a force multiplier for many NOAA
programs. NOAA’s use of small unmanned
aircraft for science missions has increased
more than tenfold since 2012.”
NEWS
PASSENGER TO
FREIGHTER CONFIGURATION
I
srael Aerospace Industries has
announced that the Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) of the United States
and the Civil Aviation Authority of Israel
(CAAI) have certified IAI's Aviation Group's
conversion of Boeing B737-800 aircraft
from passenger to cargo configuration.
The Aviation Group has now delivered the
first two converted aircraft of this model.
With the COVID-19 crisis forcing many
airlines into halting passenger service, the
The Unmanned Systems Operations Pro-
gramme is being established within NOAA’s
Office of Marine and Aviation Operations
(OMAO), which operates, manages and
maintains the agency’s fleet of ships and
aircraft and oversees NOAA’s diving and
small boat safety programs.
Its services will include training, cyber se-
curity, acquisition and other expert support
to ensure safe, cost-effective operations
across the agency.
“With the creation of this new pro-
gramme, we will be better positioned to
transition these technologies into operation-
al platforms that will gather critical environ-
mental data every American relies upon,”
said Michael J. Silah, director of the NOAA
commissioned officer corps and OMAO.
The new programme will be housed at
demand for cargo flights, crucial to the deliv-
ery of medical supplies, medicines, food, and
other necessary equipment, has been rising.
Founded in January 2019, the Aviation
Group consolidated all of IAI's activities
involving manned aircraft, both military
and civilian, into one business unit.
It is one of the few facilities in the world
that specializes in converting passenger
aircraft into cargo configuration. The
Group handles both wide-body and
narrow-body aircraft, which are operated
by some of the world’s largest shipping
companies, such as Amazon and DHL.
World Airnews | May 2020
— 26 —
two locations. The NOAA Aircraft Opera-
tions Centre in Lakeland, Fla., will continue
to support the agency’s unmanned aircraft
activities. A new facility being built by the
Mississippi State Port Authority in part-
nership with the University of Southern
Mississippi in Gulfport, Miss., will support
unmanned maritime systems.
NOAA received (US) $12.7 million from
Congress this year to improve and expand
UxS operations across the agency, including
the creation of the new programme - a key
goal of NOAA’s recently released Unmanned
Systems Strategy.
Last year, a NOAA research paper in Bul-
letin of the American Meteorological Soci-
ety outlined how disposable could be used
to gather data from a hurricane’s lower eye
wall - the most dangerous part. Q
IAI EVP and General Manager of the
Aviation Group, Yossi Melamed said “IAI
is excited to receive the FAA’s certifica-
tion for converting B737-800s, and we
thank both the FAA and the CAAI. We
have witnessed increased demand for
cargo aircraft in recent years. Being able
to convert additional models will help us
meet the demand. I would like to thank
our partners at the Haite Group in China
for their trust in IAI. In addition, IAI sends
our best wishes to all airlines impacted
by the COVID-19 crisis, and hope they will
resume all their flights soon.” Q
 MANUFACTURER

EMBRAER BIZJET DELIVERIES

CONTINUE
E mbraer said it expects a further
delay in the closure of a deal for
Boeing to purchase its commercial aircraft
business as it recorded a strong year in its
executive jet division in 2019.
Embraer now expects a delay beyond
June 23 for approval by the European Com-
mission for its plan to sell Boeing 80% of its
commercial aircraft business for (US) $4.2
billion in cash, officials told analysts.
The deal with Boeing remains a top pri-
ority despite the crisis caused by the novel
corona virus, officials said. In late 2019, Embraer announced a pur- cancellations, an extensive slowing in its
chase agreement with Flexjet for an order supply chain or production operations, or
Embraer continues to work with Boeing
valued at up to (US) $1.4 billion for Praetor a material impact on demand for prod-
to gain the approval and to make the deal
and Phenom 300E business jets. ucts, it said.
move forward, Embraer CEO Francisco
Gomes Neto said on the call. Backlog at the end of 2019 for the exec- Still, the company has suspended guid-
utive jet segment totalled (US) $1.4 billion, ance for 2020 until the company has a
Despite the COVID-19 pandemic, Embraer
about 9% of Embracer’s total backlog. better sense of its impact, officials said.
is continuing to deliver executive jets in 2020.
In its commercial aviation segment, The company has temporarily halted
“We had a few deliveries this week and we
Embraer delivered 89 commercial jets in production in Brazil and is evaluating other
continue with our sales activities,” Embraer
2019, including 35 in the fourth quarter, possible actions.
CFO Antonio Carlos Garcia said. Embraer de-
livered all business jets it produced in 2019 and compared to 90 in 2018. So far, it is difficult to know the impact
ended the year without whitetails, he said. The Brazil-based manufacturer posted of COVID-19 on its business, officials said.
total revenue of (US) $5.46 billion in 2019, As soon as it does, Embraer will restate its
The company delivered 109 executive
up from (US) $5.07 billion in 2018, and a financial guidance. Q
jets in 2019, including 62 light jets and 47
large jets, up from 91 in 2018. Shipments net loss of (US) $322.3 million compared to
included 46 in the fourth quarter, including a net loss of (US) $178.2 million in 2018. Article courtesy: https://aviationweek.
20 light jets and 26 large jets, up from 36 So far in the wake of the novel corona com/business-aviation/embraer-bizjet-
for the same quarter the year before. virus, Embraer has not experienced order deliveries-continue-2020-despite-covid-19

NEWS
AIR SERV IN CENTRAL
AFRICAN REPUBLIC

A
n Air Serv aircraft is on the ground
in Bangui, Central African Republic
(CAR) to support humanitarian operations
there. The programme is expected to be short
term until it can be taken over by the French
organization, Aviation Sans Frontieres (ASF).
However, border closings are quickly
impacting the movement of aircraft and
crew from country to country, increasing
the likelihood of extension.
The Air Serv team arrived in CAR with the
expectation of remaining for the next thirty
days, but is prepared to continue the pro-
gramme should conditions deteriorate and
the ASF crew is unable to enter the country.
“Emergency response waits for nothing.
If anything, services are needed now more
than ever,” said Air Serv CEO, Stu Willcuts.
“The world is facing challenges never be-
fore seen, but we are determined to continue
providing support as long as we are able.”
The programme is operating as part of a
network providing air transport services to
non- governmental agencies and humanitar-
ian organizations working within the region.
Relief organizations, and especially health-
care providers, are under extreme strain as the
virus begins to spread through the country.
Six confirmed cases had been reported
as of March 31, although the number is not
widely considered accurate due to a shortage
of tests and is expected to increase quickly.
CAR is heavily dependent on outside as-
sistance, with an estimated 70% of health-
care provided by non-profit aid organiza-
tions. The inability to transport cargo and
personnel into the country due to border
closings could have catastrophic effects.
The Norwegian Refugee Council reports
that currently, only three ventilators are
available to the population of nearly five
million people. Air Serv is working alongside
other aid organizations to source and deliver
supplies amid worldwide suspension of inter-
national commercial flights, as an increasing
number of countries are permitting the
arrival and departure of humanitarian cargo
flights only. Air Serv aircraft are the bridge
connecting lifesaving aid with those who
need it most. The organization is urgently
requesting donations and pledges as it re-
sponds to this unprecedented crisis.
Donor-supplemented programs will
facilitate the delivery of desperately needed
supplies, and permit partner organizations
to focus the bulk of their budgets where
they will have the most impact, providing
healthcare, shelter, food, and sanitation.
Donations can be made through the Air
Serv website at www.airserv.org Q

World Airnews | May 2020

— 27 —
 MANUFACTURER
SMALLER MAY BE BETTER
A
s fleets of widebodies fly into
storage around the world, many of
them never to leave, the corona virus crisis
poses equally challenging questions about
the future of the smaller single-aisle aircraft
at the other end of the capacity scale.
But what will that impact be? While it
is virtually impossible to predict with any
certainty, there appears to be a growing
consensus that smaller is better - particu-
larly as operators struggle over the more
near-term recovery period forecast for the
next two years.
To further complicate matters, some
observers believe not all small airliners are
created equal and that the recovery scenar-
io may favour the fortunes of some models
and families over others.
In this context and given the relative
state of health of the two biggest manufac-
turers - Airbus and Boeing - going into the
COVID-19 pandemic, it seems the European
company with its A220 and smaller A320/
A320neo may be better positioned.
Boeing’s long-stalled efforts to recer-
tify the troubled 737 MAX, added to the
scenario in which airlines will face acute
overcapacity problems even without taking
any of the large numbers of MAX aircraft in
storage, do not appear to bode well for a
speedy recovery.
Compounding the issue for Boeing is the
737 production halt, which seems likely
to extend beyond even the provisional
“worst-case” conditions originally con-
sidered last December. Growing delays
to recertification of the aircraft and the
termination of deliveries in 2019 have
significantly affected the company’s cash
By Guy Norris and Jens Flottau
flow, forcing it to consume a (US) $13.8
billion drawdown loan much faster than the
financial markets expected.
Wall Street’s subsequent reaction to
Boeing’s increased debt and lowered credit
rating, exacerbated by the onset of the
COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on air
travel, triggered a collapse in the compa-
ny’s share price in March. Later the same
month, Boeing also appealed for state aid.
Not surprisingly, the signs of an acceler-
ating erosion of the impressive MAX order
backlog have begun to show. Following or-
der losses in 2019 largely connected to the
collapse of India’s Jet Airways, the latest
figures show that by the end of February,
before the full impact of the pandemic was
felt outside of Asia, Boeing had already had
a net loss of 43 orders for the year.
In early April, Avolon offered a strong indica-
tion of what may come from the global leasing
community in the next few years. Avolon can-
celled an order for 75 737 MAXs that would
have been due for delivery between now and
2023, reducing its own exposure to what is
likely to be a very weak airline market. The les-
sor also deferred deliveries for nine A320neos
from 2020 and 2021 to 2027 or later.
But even as the backlog takes a hit, there
is the possibility that order substitutions
may also take place as airlines attempt to
adjust for midterm capacity needs.
Whether this is reflected in an uptick for
orders of the slow-selling 737-7 variant of
the MAX remains to be seen? Though Boe-
ing does not provide a breakdown of MAX
orders, the smallest member of the family
is thought to currently account for only
around 50 aircraft against 3,000 for the -8,
more than 450 for the -9 and more than
520 for the yet-to-fly -10 stretch.
World Airnews | May 2020
— 28 —
Boeing Next-Generation 737-900ER
For now, deliveries - and even less so,
orders - do not indicate that small aircraft
are doing better. In fact, the Aviation
Week Intelligence Network Fleet Discovery
database shows such aircraft were worse
off going into the COVID-19 crisis than the
larger narrowbodies, although the numbers
reflect previous market trends more than
the impact of the crisis. But those numbers
cannot be ignored either.
From January to March, Boeing delivered
just two narrowbodies (both 737-800s); Airbus
handed over 104 single-aisles in the period,
already well below its targeted average output
of 63 aircraft per month. But they included no
A319s or A319neos and only eight A220s.
The A220 could be a winner in relative
terms, as its combination of relatively small
size, low unit costs and long range not only
enables it to fly in secondary markets but
also to replace larger narrowbodies on
primary, longer-haul routes on which de-
mand is temporarily suppressed. An Airbus
production forecast by Agency Partners an-
alysts envisions the A220 as the only model
that can sustain increased production rates
over the next seven years, albeit at lower
numbers than initially planned.
Analysts Sash Tusa and Nick Cunningham
forecast that Airbus will be able to deliver
65 A220s in 2020, compared to 48 in 2019.
The number will rise to 97 in 2022 and stay
around that level for several years, they say.
Airbus had hoped to bring the A220 up to
the current maximum possible rate of 14
aircraft per month, or close to 170 a year,
by the middle of the decade, a target that
now seems elusive.
But it is growth, at least. According to
Agency Partners, Airbus will still be able
to deliver 541 A320neo-family aircraft this
 MANUFACTURER
year, roughly in line with 2019, but pro-
duction will fall to just 319 in 2021 and not
recover to pre-crisis levels until 2025.
The situation is even worse for Embraer,
which delivered only six commercial jets in
January – March - one E175 for American
Airlines, one 190-E2 each for Air Kiribati and
Helvetic Airways and one E195-E2 for Azul.
While the E2 is generally accepted as a very
efficient, well-designed aircraft with good
seat-mile cost and even better trip-cost per-
formance, its sales have been disappointing,
with too few key orders from AerCap, Azul
and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, the type of
orders that meet Embraer’s hopes of moving
the E2 more into the mainline market.
For Embraer, timing and the market envi-
ronment were horrible. In the years of high
growth, business was too good for airlines
to buy in to Embraer’s rightsizing argument
in a meaningful way. It was still OK to fly an
A320 or 737-800, even if that one midday
flight was not generating profits. In the
overall scheme of things, it did not matter.
Then Airbus bought the former C series
programme from Bombardier, forcing Boe-
ing and Embraer to react.
The resulting joint venture, Boeing Bra-
sil-Commercial, in which Boeing plans to own
an 80% stake, has not yet received regulatory
approval from the European Commission.
While most observers agree it will ultimately
get the green light even in Europe, the pre-
COVID-19 deadline for the decision was the
end of June, and Boeing and Embraer had
hoped to close the deal at the end of 2019.
There has been much speculation as to
whether the transaction was being held
hostage in the wider trade dispute between
Europe and the US, which led to tariffs on
Airbus aircraft imported into the US.
But people with close knowledge of the
matter say the issue has more to do with
internal commission matters and how to
exit an investigation that has gone too far
in a face-saving way.
But even if Boeing Brasil-Commercial were
to receive the last missing approval this
summer, it would be cleared to go at the worst
possible moment. Boeing would have to pay
(US) $4.6 billion for the commercial part of a
company that the stock exchange currently
values at (US) $1.5 billion including its defence
and business aviation segments. The low valu-
ation may be temporary. But Boeing is asking
for a government bailout on the order of (US)
$60 billion for itself and the supply chain, and
may face political opposition to spending a
significant amount on an acquisition in Brazil.
“Strategically, it is still a great partner-
ship, and we have to get through the regu-
latory hurdles,” said Boeing chief financial
officer Greg Smith.
“We will see how long that takes, but it
still remains a priority for us.” Without the
deal, Boeing will struggle to come up with
an offering to compete with the A220, and
Embraer would be left to compete on its
own against Airbus and Boeing, a situation
it has tried to avoid from the initial design
of the latest E-Jet generation.
“My feeling is that this new climate will
favour smaller aircraft, as long as they have
necessary range and equivalent econom-
ics,” says Richard Aboulafia, vice president
of analysis for the Teal Group. “For sin-
gle-aisles, the A220 will be more relevant
than ever, particularly now that Airbus is
getting its costs in line with the rest of its
product line.” Whether the same positive
push also applies to the Embraer E-Jet family
is still to be determined. “Much depends
on Embraer being able to get its production
economics in line with Airbus’. If they aren’t,
this is a 75% Airbus market,” he adds.
According to Bert van Leeuwen, manag-
ing director and head of aviation research
for MUFG Bank’s global aviation finance
division, the industry may well be facing
two possible scenarios, both of which point
to significant downsizing across both single-
and twin-aisle sectors.
“After the COVID-19 crisis, the world will
experience a major economic recession.
With high unemployment, pensions and so
on will be under pressure due to the col-
The A321XLR a single-aisle jetliner offers
a range of up to 4,700 nm (8,700 km)
World Airnews | May 2020
— 29 —
lapse of the stock markets and some major
corporations in bankruptcy, while Italy and
other countries will be in crisis.”
He said one result will be that a fear of fly-
ing, along with economic issues, will reduce
the number of passengers significantly.
“Airlines will have to compete more
intensely for passengers,” he said. “This
may imply higher frequencies and smaller
average aircraft sizes. With low fuel cost,
the less favourable fuel burn per seat-mile
for smaller planes won’t be that much of
an issue for the airlines. Ultimately, A321s
or 737-900s may even be parted out to
support A319 or 737-700 fleets, as airlines
won’t be in buying mode for new planes.”
Leeuwen said, “Another element to con-
sider could be that passengers will strongly
prefer smaller aircraft and point-to-point
services rather than connecting through
busy mega hubs, to reduce the risk of con-
tagion and crowded boarding areas.”
The second, equally gloomy, scenario
builds on the premise of the first. “Now,
let’s assume there will be more airline
defaults or consolidation,” he said.
“The few surviving airlines may compete
on price, mainly to stimulate demand, less
so to gain market share. This would imply
that airlines will not increase frequencies
but will focus on lowering seat-mile costs.
They can achieve this by consolidating
flights and deploying larger aircraft, like the
MAX 9/10, A321. On long-haul [transatlan-
tic] routes this may imply the A321neo XLR
will replace even more twin-aisles.”
This sentiment is shared by Aboulafia.
“The A321neo will continue to be hugely
relevant as a widebody replacement. The
787, too, but if you don’t need its range and
capacity, the A321neo will win,” he said.
“Initially, we will see increased utilisation
of smaller airplanes,” Leeuwen said. “But
by 2023 we may slowly return to normality.
As it stands right now, I don’t expect air-
lines to go out on a shopping spree to buy
additional [smaller] aircraft. Leasing may be
an option.” Q
 AFRICA
DOMESTIC AIRLINES MUST
COLLABORATE TO SURVIVE
K
ingsley Nwokoma is the president Association of Foreign
Airlines and Representatives AFARN in Nigeria. He spoke to
Maureen Ihua-Maduenyi about the problems of doing business in
the aviation industry, and other issues.
QUESTION: WHAT IS YOUR ASSESSMENT OF THE
DAMAGE THE CORONA VIRUS PANDEMIC HAS DONE TO
THE AVIATION INDUSTRY SO FAR?
Answer: COVID-19 is a big threat to the airline, aviation and airport
business. About one fifth of passenger traffic and almost half of
airlines’ revenue have been wiped out in 2020 following a previ-
ously bad 2019. Governments all around the world must act swiftly
if we are still going to have aviation industry. According to the
Airport Council International, COVID-19 is predicted to wipe out
two fifth of passenger traffic and almost half of airports revenue
this year and this is equivalent to 3.6 billion passengers in absolute
term, globally.
Globally, the industry was expected to generate about (US) $172bn
but due to the pandemic, we could lose 50 per cent of that or even
more. If we want to look at Nigeria and according to the Internation-
al Air Transport Association, the country is going to lose about 3.5
million passengers which will result to (US) $760m losses in revenue.
The worst part is that we are risking over 91, 000 jobs. So, that is a
very big problem. Looking at the (US) $4bn African airlines will lose,
it is an ugly scenario and IATA has been asking for support from gov-
ernments. IATA said airlines globally need government to survive the
World Airnews | May 2020
— 30 —
impact of the corona virus pandemic. In 2019, African countries lost
about (US) $300m hoping that this year there will be slow growth
but now we are looking at a potential loss of (US) $4.4bn.
QUESTION: HOW SOON DO YOU SEE A RECOVERY, DO
YOU THINK IT WILL HAPPEN THIS YEAR AT ALL?
Answer: It is a major impact; we need to get out of it first before
we can start talking about recovery. It will be a slow recovery
that will take a very long time; it is not going to be an immediate
recovery which is why IATA has started asking governments and
regulators to support the industry.
They are even asking Civil Aviation Authorities worldwide to pro-
vide for cargo carriers who are in the forefront of the crisis to have
fast-track procedures of obtaining over flight and landing permits
and exempting crew from 14-day quarantine as well as removing
economic impediment such as over flight charges and parking fees
among others.
They are also asking governments to provide financial relief for
them, whether we like it or not, air transport industry is important
to economic growth in every part of the world, so, airlines need
these packages from governments especially in Africa.
Apparently, it is important that we start to plan now that we
don’t even know how long the pandemic will last. We are late plan-
ners in Nigeria, we always wait for others before we start but IATA
has asked everyone to start planning now because we don’t know
what will happen. As long as it is still here, the news will remain
depressing. So far, the COVID-19 world realities are such that we
don’t know what tomorrow will bring.
 AFRICA
We should all brace for what’s to come; a lot of people won’t fly
for some time after the pandemic. Our domestic airlines need a lot
of collaboration.
QUESTION: WITH THIS DEVELOPMENT, HOW SECURED
DO YOU THINK JOBS OF NIGERIANS IN THE INDUSTRY,
ESPECIALLY THOSE WORKING WITH FOREIGN
AIRLINES ARE?
Answer: Their jobs are not secured, that is the truth. Let us
say it the way it is because if an industry is collapsing and it is
supposed to generate money to take care of aircraft and staff
and they are asking for stimuli, realistically, there will be several
job cuts even for those working here, most of them may not
have a job after this.
The airline industry has subsidiaries that make money from it; if
aircraft don’t operate for instance, we won’t have ground handling
companies. That means the ground handling companies will lose
a lot of money. Allied companies will lose a lot of money as the
airports are closed down, the shops, taxis, parking lots etc. The job
losses will be crazy.
QUESTION: THERE HAVE BEEN CALLS FOR THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT TO RESTRICT FOREIGN FLIGHTS TO ONLY
LAGOS AND ABUJA AND ALLOW DOMESTIC CARRIERS
TO WORK WITH THEM BY BRINGING PASSENGERS
FROM OTHER CITIES. WHAT IS YOUR TAKE ON THIS?
Answer: I am always rather objective. Other countries have not
asked us not to come in. At least we have Air Peace that has been
given approval to go to a number of countries, we used to have
Med-View on the London route, Arik was also on some routes
including New York, Bellview of those days operated international
flights. Bilateral Air Service Agreement is about reciprocity, I don’t
think it is a good idea.
If Turkish Airline can get to Katsina and there is an airport, let
them go; if they can even get to Owerri and it is an internation-
al airport, let them go. That will also encourage us to be more
serious; we should encourage our own domestic carriers to fly
international, they can do it.
World Airnews | May 2020
— 31 —
Air Peace is doing it now and I know a lot of people that would
rather fly with the airline to Sharjah than join Emirates to Dubai, it
is a matter of choice. So, I feel we should leave it open.
QUESTION: HOW BEST DO YOU THINK DOMESTIC
CARRIERS AND FOREIGN AIRLINES CAN WORK
TOGETHER TO GROW THE LOCAL INDUSTRY?
Answer: Synergy is the key. In the world of today, it is all about
collaboration not only in aviation but in other industries worldwide
people collaborate, which is why you see international carriers
forming alliances. If you are travelling today on Virgin Atlantic and
there is a distraction, you will be immediately moved to maybe Air
France or Lufthansa to take you to your destination. That is what
alliances are about.
Our local carriers have to build up to that standard because if any
global carrier wants to have an alliance there are rules and stan-
dards and safety is key, they check records. If I am buying a ticket
from Air Peace and my final destination is China for instance, I can
travel on Air Peace, get to Dubai and with the alliance the airline
has with Emirates or Etihad or any of those carriers I can get to my
destination with code-sharing and alliances.
In aviation, code-sharing is key, but there are relevant conditions
and requirements that must be met before it is done. It is doable.
Our domestic carriers have to code-share with foreign carriers.
Same with the foreign airlines, they can sell tickets all the way to
Enugu or different states that all our domestic carriers go to, so
once they get here, passengers can be taken to their final destina-
tion by a partnering domestic carrier.
The foreign airlines and domestic carriers can work this out.
QUESTION: HOW DO YOU THINK DOMESTIC CARRIERS
CAN BE POSITIONED TO ACHIEVE THIS?
Answer: They need government’s support; they can’t do it all
alone. My problem with the domestic carriers is that everyone
wants to do it their own `way; there is no collaboration.
I expect them to come together, everybody is
collaborating in the world of today, nobody is doing
it individually. Internationally, you see Air France- To page 32
 AFRICA

KLM coming together and several other airline alliances. That is
what should happen here. It makes no sense for a domestic airline
to go to Abuja for instance flying empty while it can have
an alliance.
If you have about 20 passengers or your aircraft is not full, you
can transfer to another carrier who has more and save money on
fuel, crew and maintenance. We just have to start from home, we
need to come together, form alliance and work together. The world
order has changed, nobody does it alone, the industry is capital
intensive and not one where you can expect to start reaping im-
mediately. I will advise our carriers to synergise, with that they can
have alliances with foreign airlines.
QUESTION: AS A STAKEHOLDER, HOW WELL DO YOU
THINK NIGERIA’S AVIATION INDUSTRY WAS DOING
ESPECIALLY IN TERMS OF CARGO AND EXPORT BEFORE
THE COVID-19 CRISIS?
Answer: Export has not really been our strength; we are more of
an import country. We have a lot coming in from Asia and Europe
into our country. That is why when the aircraft come into Lagos,
especially because there is really nothing in other climes, you don’t
see them go back directly to their final destination, they either
go to Accra where they have a lot pineapples, yams and fruits for
export or they go to Nairobi, Kenya to pick up flowers which is a
billion dollar business.
About 90 per cent of cargo carriers that come into Nigeria, what
they take out are very little. We need to work on our ease of doing
business, which is a big problem. The Federal Government will say
it has put an ease of doing business policy in place but the question
is how easy is that ease of doing business? So the airlines don’t
mind going to other African countries where things are easier.
It is not because we don’t have pineapples or yams, in fact
Nigeria is the largest producer of yam and cassava in the world;
we are number one in some of these agricultural products but our
packaging is a big minus. There was a time in Europe and America
that they stopped things coming from Nigeria.
Our packaging is not properly done; our government has to look
at that too because smaller countries are getting it, some even get
the products from Nigeria and package it properly.
If you go to some supermarkets in the UK, you will packaged
okra, mangoes and other fruits from Africa well packaged and
very expensive because they are organic. I just hope that after
COVID-19, government will sit down and think. The only thing we
are relying on now is oil and we know how much that is now; we
can’t continue to rely on that.
We have these agricultural products, even the flowers that the
Kenyan government is making so much money from we can do it.
We have mangoes, oranges and other fruits, we are blessed. We
just need to channel our energy into getting it right. I hope we
learn after this pandemic and stay more focused on those agricul-
tural products that we can export. If we can put part of the energy
we put in oil on agriculture, we won’t have to rely on oil anymore.
Many countries don’t have oil but they are surviving, even if we have
to send people to understudy these countries, we need to do it. Q
Article courtesy: https://punchng.com/domestic-airlines-
must-collaborate-to-survive-covid-19-impact-nwokoma/

NEWS

TRENCHARD AVIATION
GROUP ASSISTS COVID19
REPATRIATION FLIGHTS
T renchard Aviation Group has
stepped in to assist AirTanker with
repatriation flights bringing UK citizens
home during the COVID-19 pandemic.
AirTanker operates the RAF’s fleet of
Voyager A330 MRTT aircraft and operates
three of its A330-200’s on the civil register
in the commercial ACMI market, wet leas-
ing the aircraft to other airlines. It is one of
the civil registered aircraft that is operat-
ing the repatriation charters from Goa.
Trenchard Aviation Group has sup-
ported AirTanker with three repatria-
tion charter flights by providing galley
catering equipment and unit load device
aircraft containers. supply chain manager at AirTanker said, India bringing back citizens to the UK”
Mark Faulkner, Trenchard Aviation “Aero Technics, part of Trenchard Avia- Working in close partnership with lead-
Group CEO said, “We’re delighted to tion Group, were able to swiftly supply ing airlines, OEMs and MROs worldwide,
assist the UK Government and AirTanker equipment from their Manchester facili- Trenchard Aviation Group offers one of
in these challenging times.” ty to RAF Brize Norton to assist AirTanker the broadest ranges of cabin products
Meanwhile Alastair Johnson, senior operate three repatriation flights to Goa, and services available in the market. Q

World Airnews | May 2020

— 32 —
 PERSONALITY
AN AVIATOR OF NOTE
A
viator Martin Louw has retired. He has flown a wide variety
of aircraft military and civil, holds a B Mil degree and has
spent many years with Comair as head of flight operations. World
Airnews correspondent Mike Wright had a chat to him about his
career and his plans for retirement.
TELL US ABOUT YOUR CHILDHOOD AND UPBRINGING
I was born in Bloemfontein in 1955 but grew up in Johannesburg,
matriculating from Helpmekaar Boys High school in 1972. I have one
older brother, a medical doctor. My dad worked for Shell as an engi-
neer specialising in lubricants while my mother, although a commerce
graduate, was the ultimate home executive. We travelled a lot during
my childhood, mostly internally in South Africa, but we also spent six
months in London and toured the whole of Europe for a month.
A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOUR FAMILY
I am married to Adele and have two sons, a 31 year old who studied
music at UTC but is now in IT and a 16 year old at Pretoria Boys High.
AND WHEN DID YOUR DESIRE TO BECOME A PILOT START?
My father introduced me to air shows from about five years old, of
which I particularly remember a 16-ship Sabre formation aerobatic
show at Baragwaneth and a Mirage 111CZ show at Waterkloof in
1963. From then on I was sold on flying and although my father
wanted me to study engineering, I was adamant about flying for
the SAAF, which I joined straight out of school at the age of 17.
TELL US BRIEFLY ABOUT YOUR EARLY AVIATION CAREER
I completed three months of basics at the SAAF Gymnasium where
the selection for pilot’s course took place. We were 77 who were
selected out of a total of about 5000 to go straight to Dunnottar
where we flew Harvards for 6 months before going to the Military
World Airnews | May 2020
— 33 —
Academy for an officer’s course and then on to Langebaanweg
to finish our pupe’s course on Impalas. I received my wings in
December 1974 together with about half of the original number
who started at Dunnottar, with 231 hours in my logbook.
THEREAFTER YOU JOINED THE SAAF. TELL US A BIT
ABOUT YOUR TIME THERE?
I then went to study a B Mil degree at the Military Academy
before joining 4 Sqn on Impala Mk2’s, first at Waterkloof and later
at Lanseria. During my two- year stint at 4 Sqn, I completed the
Impala Operational Training Course (OTC), Sabre OTC (unfortunately
suspended just before we started flying) and Flight Leaders Course
on Impalas, all at Pietersburg (Polokwane). I also took part in the
first Impala deployment for operations on the border late in 1978. In
January 1979 I started the Mirage OTC at Pietersburg on the Mirage
111DZ,D2Z,EZ and then joined 3 Sqn on the Mirage F1CZ at Waterkloof
later that year. My happiest time in the SAAF was at 3 Sqn, being a
very professional outfit at the sharp end of the Air Force.
All my operational sorties were with this squadron and I learnt a
lot about leadership and management from the excellent Officers
Commanding I had the pleasure to serve with during this tour, as well
as my subsequent tour later. These skills served me well in my later
airline career and I am very thankful to the SAAF for this. The SAAF
taught you how to lead and manage different people, equipment and
situations like no other institution, all at a relatively young age.
After my first tour at 3 Sqn ended, I went to Dunnottar for
instructor’s course, the on to Langebaanweg for a three-year tour
instructing on Impalas. Here I became Chief Flying Instructor and
also had a stint with the Silver Falcons formation aerobatic team. I
then re-joined 3 Sqn for another tour there as Operations Officer
(2IC), before moving to Air Force Headquarters as Staff
Officer Airborne Weapons, but still flying part-time at
3 Sqn. During this time I had the privilege to fly the
Mig 29 in Russia, shooting down two Mig 21 drones To page 34
 PERSONALITY
with AA-11 missiles and also fly the F-16 in Pakistan. I left the SAAF
permanent force in 1994 but remained on as first citizen force and
later active reserve, flying the Mirage F1, Boeing 737 BBJ and the
Harvard at the SAAF Museum. In effect I have therefore served the
SAAF for 47 years.
YOU FLEW THE MIRAGE F1CZ AS AN AIRCRAFT. TELL US
A BIT ABOUT IT AND SOME MISSIONS FLOWN BY YOU?
The Mirage F1 is a wonderful machine, a real gentleman’s fighter
but with amazing capability for its age. It is very fast with good
acceleration and turn-rate, range and weapons capability. It was
the back-bone of fast fighter operations throughout the bush war.
There is something very special about the look of a F1 in flight and as
somebody once said, ‘if it looks good, then flies good.’ Operationally
it was very capable, operating out of short-field basis at very high
temperature with very few restrictions. I flew operations into Angola
mostly out of bases such as Grootfontein, Ondangwa and Rundu,
mostly ground attack with bombs and rockets and also escort
missions with Canberras, Buccaneers and recce Mirage 111R2Zs. On
my birthday in 1983 I shot up a MI-8 helicopter on the ground just
south of Cuvelai with 30mm cannon. I’ve had the pleasure to fly the
F1 on and off from 1979 till 2016 and have the honour of being the
SAAF pilot with most hours on the Mirage F1.
WHAT OTHER MILITARY TYPES HAVE YOU FLOWN AND
WHAT IS YOUR FAVOURITE?
I have flown Harvard, Impala Mk 1 and 2, Mirage 111EZ, DZ
and D2Z, Mirage F1CZ and AZ. Obviously the Mirage F1CZ is my
favourite, but I have a huge soft spot for the Harvard which was the
first aircraft that I flew and after 47 years, I still have the pleasure
flying it for the SAAF Museum.
AND THEN COMAIR LIMITED – WHERE DID YOU START?
I started as a SFO on Boeing 737-200s in July 1994 and after seven
months I was promoted to captain on the Fokker F-27. Four months
later these aircraft were withdrawn and I moved to the Boeing
727-200 as captain, then training captain and later fleet captain
and chief training captain.
The 727 was a real pilot’s aircraft and I thoroughly enjoyed flying
this great machine. When the 727’s were withdrawn from service in
early 2003, I returned to the Boeing 737-200 and -400, followed later
by the -300, -800 and the -8 Max. During my last years on 727s, I was
promoted to Chief Pilot and Executive Manager Flight Operations.
AS HEAD OF FLIGHT OPERATION WHAT WAS IT LIKE?
I became Director Flight Operations in Jan 2003, in charge of pilots,
operations control and training and as an executive director on the
Comair Board. Later cabin crew and then airports were added to
my portfolio and my title changed to Director Operations in 2011.
Responsibilities included pilots, cabin crew, airports, operations
control, ground operations, training and standards, catering and
toward the end, engineering
as well. It was an amazing
17 years in charge of
operations, where my team
and I took Comair from
literally a pre-fab operation
just starting with jets, to
arguably the most modern
and advanced operation in
Southern Africa. I held this
position until May 2019,
when I elected to step
down from this position and
finally retired from Comair
in March 2020.
I have had an amazing
time in Comair, with a
management team with in-
credible skills and persever-
World Airnews | May 2020
— 34 —
ance and colleagues that were truly committed to the family that was
Comair. I believed that the head of operations should also fly to ensure
credibility and intimate knowledge of the operation and that pilots are
worth more to an airline than just flying and therefore I involved them
in all aspects of the business.
WHAT ARE YOUR THOUGHTS ON THE BOEING MAX
DELIVERY FLIGHT?
We were four training captains that delivered the first Comair
Boeing 737-8 Max from Seattle. We did this so that we could
immediately start training on introduction on route. The pilots
were captains Johann Bruwer (Flight Technical Manager and the
project manager who did an amazing job with the Max and the
previous -800 projects), Pieter Ackerman (Standards Manager) and
Roy Clegg (Chief Training Captain).
We flew from Seattle to the Dominican Republic for a refuelling
stop, then on to Sal Island for a night stop. The next leg was from
Sal directly to Johannesburg, a flight of 9 hours and 10 minutes,
with Durban fuel still available plus alternates. The aircraft per-
formed perfectly and was an absolute pleasure to fly, with espe-
cially the fuel consumption amazing. We completed one week’s
flying training on route when the aircraft was grounded.
The Max is a tragedy that should never have happened. An excel-
lent aircraft that should never have crashed. I am not at liberty to
expand on this, maybe at a next opportunity.
YOU ALSO BROUGHT IN SOME OF THE OTHER B738 NGS.
Yes, I also flew the first new -800 delivery, back in July 2012.
HAVE YOU STILL GOT YOUR MODELS?
Yes I collect die-cast aircraft models and have built a few plastic ones
as well, but not that many. Maybe I will have more time for that now!
IN YOUR VIEW, HOW WILL AIRLINES SURVIVE COVID 19?
With difficulty. Airlines all over the world operate on very small
profit margins and to be grounded and have no revenue generation
while sitting with all the fixed costs, is going to near impossible to
manage without some kind of financial aid.
TYPES FLOWN AND HOURS LOGGED AND WHICH PLANE
REALLY STOOD OUT FOR YOU?
Just over 13 000 hours on about 20 types. Not that much but consider-
ing that I was involved in management most of the time, not too bad.
GIVE US YOUR COMMENTS ON GOOD CRM AND THE
IMPORTANCE OF TEAMWORK IN THE FLIGHT DECK?
Absolutely required. You have to be able to recognise all your
fellow crew member’s peculiarities and adjust accordingly, while
still maintaining standards and operating procedures. Comair has
been very good at promoting the team concept over many years
and the safety record speaks for itself. We have always tried to also
reduce the formality
without undermining
the responsibility in our
operation.
WHERE TO FROM
HERE?
Hopefully still flying
for many years. I am
still flying at the SAAF
Museum, I have just
joined the Harvard Club
and I recently purchased
a RV-8, which is a brilliant
aircraft to enjoy. I am
also in discussions with
Martin and Captain Glen Warden companies outside of
(back) in their Harvard the airline business for
possible project work. Q
 AIRLINES
UK AVIATION INDUSTRY
RENEWS CALLS FOR
GOVERNMENT AID
T
he British aviation industry is set to
renew its request for government
support in order to cope with the unprece-
dented losses stemming from the outbreak
of COVID-19.
A joint statement being prepared by the
ADS, the trade organisation representing
aerospace, defence,security and space
industries in the UK is to call for ministers
to do more.
The statement is set to renew the
industry’s bid for emergency government
aid. It will call upon ministers to agree
upon “better-coordinated measures” in
order to avoid the loss of tens of thou-
sands of jobs.
The statement will ask for an extension
- both in duration and scope - of the Trea-
sury’s range of financial support schemes.
Furthermore, it will argue that while:
“…other countries are acting decisively,
with unprecedented financial support for
airports and airlines in the US, Australia,
France, Norway and many other countries…
the UK aviation, aerospace and travel sec-
tors are at risk of being left behind in the
recovery”.
STATEMENT REQUESTS
The joint statement is said to call for an
extension of the Corona virus Job Retention
scheme beyond the end of May. This would
allow for support to keep paying 80% of
furloughed staff ’s wages beyond that point.
In addition, it is asking that the aviation
sector be included in the business rates
exemption given to companies in the hos-
pitality and retail sectors, and for increased
flexibility of lending programmes.
They are also seeking to ensure that the
government works with its counterparts
“to ensure a co-ordinated approach is
taken to the lifting of travel restrictions
and other related measures to boost
consumer confidence”.
CORONA VIRUS JOB RETENTION
SCHEME
UK airlines and airports, have called for a
multibillion-pound emergency aid package,
but have been told not to expect an indus-
try-wide bailout from the UK government,
despite initial pledges of support.
Carriers have only been eligible to receive
funds through the Corona virus Job Re-
tention Scheme, intended to support jobs
and industry across all sectors. This would
mean the government paying the bulk of
World Airnews | May 2020
— 35 —
By Linnea Ahlgren
staff wages and deferring some rates and
tax payments.
As previously reported, Chancellor Rishi
Sunak said in a letter to airline and airport
executives that only “as a last resort” there
could be talks with individual firms after
the measures according to the planned
scheme had been taken into account. He
said he would not be rushed into a bailout
and that the airlines should first seek assis-
tance from investors and stakeholders.
TO BAIL OUT, OR NOT TO BAILOUT?
Governments across the globe have
handled requests from airlines for bailout
packages very differently. The US is
finally set to pay some cash to its carriers
to aid with payrolls, whereas Virgin
Australia and El Al have been denied their
calls for support.
IATA has repeatedly called on govern-
ments, across the board and individually,
to support their beleaguered airlines. Some
have decided to heed that call, others not.
It remains to be seen if the UK can be per-
suaded to provide more financial relief. Q
Article courtesy: https://simpleflying.com/
uk-aviation-industry-renews-calls-for-gov-
ernment-aid/
 TECHNICAL
DAMAGE FROM
TURBULENCE, UPSETS CAN
EVADE INSPECTIONS
S
evere turbulence is an ongoing reality and problem. Ac-
cording to “Turbulence Related Accidents & Incidents” by
Donald Eick, senior meteorologist in the NTSB’s Office of Aviation
Safety, airline pilots report 5,500 severe or greater turbulence
encounters annually - that’s 15 per day - and they are tough on
crews, their passengers and the airframe. In addition, flight control
system failures, upsets and pilot-induced manoeuvres also can
produce excessive stress.
These inflight events should be followed by a logbook entry by
the captain and a proper inspection by a maintenance technician.
Nevertheless, the NTSB has discovered the resulting structural
aircraft damage can be substantial and yet evade post-flight visual
inspections by pilots and maintenance technicians, thus allowing
unairworthy aircraft to fly again.
On Nov. 17, 2002, a Canadair CL-600---2B19 operated by Comair
from Atlanta to Washington, encountered severe turbulence during
its descent near Rockville, Virginia. About three hours before
takeoff, the dispatcher approved the flight release, which contained
SIGMET Whiskey 8 for occasional severe turbulence from 14,000 ft.
to FL 280. The turbulence box overlaid the departure airport and
planned en route climb to altitude; however, the top of descent
(TOD) and destination airport were clear of the turbulence.
When the pilot later printed the flight release, SIGMET Whiskey
8 had been replaced with SIGMET Whiskey 9. The turbulence box
World Airnews | May 2020
— 36 —
By Patrick Veillette (Ph.D)
had moved east of the departure airport, and the TOD and destina-
tion airport remained clear of the turbulence box.
The flight release also contained a single pilot report of severe turbu-
lence from a Boeing 737 at FL 240, within the defined area of turbu-
lence. Prior to departure, but after the flight release was signed by the
pilot, the release was updated again, this time with SIGMET Whiskey 10.
The turbulence box moved farther east to cover the TOD and
destination airport. Nearing his destination, the pilot descended
into the turbulence box.
The airplane was not equipped with an aircraft communications
addressing and reporting system (ACARS). Rather, weather updates
were accomplished by direct radio contact between the dispatcher
and pilots, or by the pilots accessing FAA facilities while en route.
Although the operator had about 100 flights operating in the
turbulence box, none were cancelled due to forecast turbulence,
or reported to have encountered severe turbulence.
The pilot turned on the seat belt sign, asked the flight attendant
to be seated, and made an announcement for the passengers to re-
main seated as they were within 30 min. of the destination airport.
While descending through 17,800 ft., the flight encountered
heavy turbulence. Fortunately, there were no injuries to the crew
or passengers. Upon landing, the jet was visually inspected for
damage in accordance with the Canadair Regional Jet (CRJ) Aircraft
Maintenance Manual (AMM) and returned to service.
One of the certification criteria for transport aircraft dealing with
structural integrity is 14 CFR 25.301(a), which states, “The structure
 TECHNICAL
is required to be designed to sustain the highest loads expected in
service [‘limit load’] without detrimental permanent deformation
and any deformation may not interfere with safe operation.”
Subsequent evaluation of the flight data recorder by Canadair
revealed large vertical accelerations ranging from +4.3 to -1.9 neg-
ative during the turbulence encounter.
These load factors were outside the certificated design enve-
lopes for the wing, pylon and horizontal stabilizer attachment to
the vertical stabilizer. The inspection procedures in the CRJ AMM
define a minimum positive G threshold depending on the airplane’s
weight (+2.5g in this event), above which a visual inspection for
damage is required.
No inspection criteria were provided for negative-G or lateral-G
excursions. Canadair subsequently performed an engineering as-
sessment and determined inspections in addition to those already
specified in the CRJ AMM were required to ensure the airplane’s
structural integrity.
On May 12, 1997, an Airbus A300-600 operated by American
Airlines as Flight 903 experienced a stall warning system activation
followed by extreme bank angles left and right, and a rapid loss of
more than 3,000 ft. One passenger sustained serious injuries.
Upon landing, the aircraft was inspected visually for damage
in accordance with the Airbus A300-600 AMM, which specifies
threshold criteria for positive and negative accelerations in the
vertical axis, but does not specify lateral-G excursions. Damage to
the engine pylons and engines was noted and repaired before the
airplane was returned to service.
Subsequent analysis of Flight 903’s FDR revealed lateral acceler-
ations in excess of 0.4g, resulting in internal loads well in excess of
the certificated ultimate loads for the vertical stabilizer attachment
structure. The stabilizer was removed, and the composite attach-
ment lugs were subjected to ultrasonic non-destructive inspection.
The results of the right-hand aft attachment lug inspection
indicated a delamination. Delamination of a composite structure
can severely compromise its strength. The NTSB wrote that this
type of damage can be caused by extreme loading conditions such
as those associated with the upset. The vertical stabilizer was
removed permanently.
World Airnews | May 2020
— 37 —
In both of these events, the operators performed the required
inspections as specified in the applicable AMM. However, at the
time neither the CRJ nor the A300 AMM included inspections for
damage caused by high loads due to extreme lateral accelera-
tions, such as those encountered by American Flight 903, and the
Canadair AMM did not include inspections for damage caused by
extreme negative vertical accelerations, such as those encoun-
tered by Comair Flight 5109.
PILOT CONTROL INPUTS
Inappropriate control actions by pilots can exacerbate an upset
recovery or turbulence encounter, putting additional loads on
the aircraft. Remember that flight at high speed and high altitude
produces considerable changes on an aircraft ’s stability and
handling qualities. Since air density decreases at higher altitudes,
an aircraft ’s aerodynamic damping decreases and it becomes more
responsive to control inputs.
Flight in the high-speed regime creates high control power, which
if used improperly, can over-stress aircraft components.
Over-controlling is a distinct threat at high altitude. For the same
control surface movement at constant airspeed, an airplane at
40,000 ft. experiences a higher pitch rate than one at 5,000 ft.
because there is less aerodynamic damping.
Therefore, the change in angle of attack (AOA) is greater, creating
more lift and a higher load factor. It takes less force to generate
the same load factor as altitude increases. Erratic and large pitch
inputs, possibly from a startle/surprise effect, can quickly bring
the aircraft into an upset. It is imperative that pilots refrain from
overreacting with large and drastic inputs. Rather, they should
smoothly adjust pitch and power to keep the aircraft within the
centre of its manoeuvring envelope.
Aircraft are not built to endure an infinite number of combina-
tions of control inputs. The structural integrity of an aircraft is in-
tended to withstand a pre-defined stress load induced by “normal”
control inputs. At speeds higher than manoeuvre speed
(Va), a single large deflection in pitch or roll has the
potential to generate structural damage or even failure.
At any speed, large aggressive control deflection To page 38
 TECHNICAL
reversals can exceed structural design limits.
Also, certification flight tests involve control input in a single axis
and single direction. Control reversals will amplify the loads on the
aircraft ’s structures.
The Airbus document “Managing Severe Turbulence” provides
additional guidance to flight crews of fly-by-wire (FBW) aircraft
based upon in-depth analysis of severe turbulence events. Airbus
engineers discovered that pilots who followed the prescribed
recommendations for FBW aircraft to keep the autopilot and auto
throttles engaged were able to minimize the loads on aircraft, as
opposed to flight crews who took over manually.
The manufacturer’s Flight Crew Operating Manual recommenda-
tions are to follow the target speed (which depends on altitude) when
turbulence is encountered and keep auto throttles engaged except if
thrust changes become excessive and keep the autopilot on.
Detailed studies found the autopilot, when combined with the
turbulence-induced motions, limits the aircraft to smaller reac-
tions. In contrast, they also found that pilot pitch-down reaction
to an initial updraft will accentuate the pitch-down effect as the
aircraft flies into the downdraft section.
This increases the negative load factor and increases the risk and
number of injuries.
A severe turbulence encounter may lead to excessive high-speed
or low-speed excursions. This will induce autopilot disconnections
and activation of the appropriate flight control law in an FBW air-
craft. In the case of a Vmo/Mmo exceedance, a pitch-up would be
commanded to reduce the excursion.
If excessive low speed occurs, the alpha protection law would
activate and produce a nose-down movement. In order to keep
the autopilot engaged as long as possible, flight control software
modifications have been developed on FBW aircraft.
Severe turbulence can induce significant altitude excursions be-
cause of the turbulence or as a consequence of triggering the Vmo/
Mmo protection or the AOA protection. Without the pilot in the
loop these protections will place a priority on protecting the target
speed rather than maintaining the trajectory. When either protec-
tion law is activated, the autopilot is disconnected automatically.
The pilot should apply smooth corrections to manage the aircraft
trajectory and avoid sudden corrections fighting the turbulence.
According to the industry’s Upset Recovery Manual, if during re-
covery the application of full lateral control (ailerons and spoilers)
is insufficient, it may be necessary to apply rudder in the direction
of the desired roll. The manual warns, “only a small amount of
rudder input is needed. Too much rudder applied too quickly or
held too long may result in loss of lateral and directional control
and cause structural damage.”
After recovering the aircraft, flight crews must assess any dam-
age that may have occurred.
Severe atmospheric turbulence and inappropriate flight-crew
control inputs can induce significant “multi-axial” loads on aircraft
World
WorldAirnews
Airnews| May
—— 3838
structures. A prime example of this occurred when a Boeing 747
nearing Anchorage, Alaska, on March 31, 1993, was in the vicinity
of strong mountain wave turbulence.
The jumbo experienced a rapid 50-deg. roll to the left followed
by a significant yaw. Then came several pitch and roll oscillations.
The severe turbulence created dynamic multi-axis loadings that so
exceeded the structural capability of the No. 2 engine pylon that it
separated from the airplane, taking the engine with it.
WHAT IS “MULTI-AXIAL” LOADING AND WHY IS IT
IMPORTANT TO THIS DISCUSSION?
Its impact on an engine pylon illustrates this phenomenon perfect-
ly. Under normal circumstances in flight, the engine is producing
a significant amount of forward thrust, thus its pylon endures a
direct tensile (pulling) force along its primary axis and is designed
accordingly. Now, consider an abrupt rolling input to the aircraft.
Suddenly, in addition to the tensile force from the thrust-produc-
tion, the pylon experiences a sideways shearing force. This places
the pylon into a condition of “multi-axial” force . . . tensile stress
in one direction and shear stress in another. The combination of
stresses acts in a direction that the structural element was not
designed to withstand originally, and can lead to failure.
SUMMARY
Due to the risk of reduced structural integrity of an airplane, the
NTSB is concerned about deficiencies in inspection procedures.
Implicit in the high-load and inspection formulation was the
presumption that the specified inspections would be adequate to
identify and address damage caused by any such event.
Canadair and Airbus determined their published inspection cri-
teria were inadequate to ensure safety after the high-load events
encountered by their airplanes, and that additional broader and
more-detailed inspections were required to ensure safety.
The NTSB wants to prevent inspected but still unairworthy
aircraft from returning to service after events that exceeded the
manufacturer’s threshold. Furthermore, the board is troubled that
aircraft may be exceeding design and certification standards more
frequently than was known or expected, and recommends all such
events be tracked and evaluated.
After encountering significant turbulence or any other event that
may have exceeded the aircraft ’s structural limitations, a captain
is responsible for annotating the fact in the aircraft ’s logbook after
the flight, triggering a mandatory inspection for structural damage.
According to Airbus, turbulence can be considered as excessive
when passengers and crew are moved violently against their seat belts
and objects move around the aircraft. Inspections that are mandated
after flight in excessive turbulence are described in the AMM.
In case of severe turbulence, it is recommended the manufactur-
er be informed as well. Note that in some cases the manufacturers
have determined that limit loads have been exceeded in portions
of the aircraft, thus requiring additional inspections. Q
| May
2020
2020
——
 GENERAL
AVIATION
A SOLUTION FOR
WORKFORCE TRANSPORT
I n light of the
events, such as
airlines grounding
their aircraft and
countries announcing
lockdowns meaning
restricted movement,
companies are facing
major lacks of labour.
Agriculture industry in Europe is in needed
of labourers in order to avoid the deficiency of
fruit and vegetables while other industries are
missing qualified workers to prevent severe
consequences.
KlasJet has been receiving a number of
enquiries regarding charter services for trans-
porting workforce and has already carried out
flights across European countries.
The company has dedicated teams and all
the resources necessary to perform transpor-
tation meeting the highest safety and security
standards.
KlasJet has been repatriating citizens since
the beginning of this destructive situation and
is fully prepared to co-operate with compa-
WOMEN IN
AVIATION
FIRST ALL-FEMALE
HELICOPTER TEAM
T
he first all-female helicopter Coast
Guard unit in McKinleyville soared the
skies recently, officials said.
The McKinleyville Coast Guard unit is high-
lighting their first all-female helicopter crew in
celebration of Women’s History Month.
According to Women In Aviation Interna-
tional, "while the amount of women in the
U.S. Aviation Field is still small with women
only representing about seven percent of the
total pilot population, the number of women
involved is steadily increasing and women are
represented in nearly every aviation occupa-
tion today."
Coast Guard Sector Humboldt Bay was able
to achieve an aircrew consisting solely of
nies and governments regarding this particu-
lar matter, too.
For more information and charter flight or-
ders, please contact KlasJet’s team at sales@
klasjet.aero.
KlasJet is a private and business charter
carrier that provides exclusive group flights
worldwide.
The company operates one of the biggest
and most distinctive Boeing 737-VIP fleet
worldwide, and is conveniently based globally.
KlasJet is a part of Avia Solutions Group, the
largest aerospace service company in Central
and Eastern Europe that serves over 2 000
clients worldwide and collectively holds more
than 500 licenses for its diverse activities. Q
women due to an increase of female Coast
Guardsmen at the unit.
"The Coast Guard is striving to increase
the number of women in the organization
overall, not only in aviation,” said Lt. Audra
Forteza, a Sector Humboldt Bayaircraft
commander.
"It's wonderful that our small unit has
enough females that we can show young
women in the community that they do have
these kinds of opportunities and hopefully
we can inspire them to pursue their career
dreams and grow up to be whatever they
want to be."
Sector Humboldt Bay's area of responsibility
consists of 250 miles of rugged coastline from
the Mendocino-Sonoma County line north to
the California-Oregon border. Q
World Airnews | May 2020
— 39 —
 TECHNICAL
THE ARRIVAL OF THE
ELECTRONIC TECHNICAL
LOGBOOK FOR AIRCRAFT
By Kirk Strutt, Aerospace and Defence Product Manager
Kirk Strutt, Aerospace and
Defence Product Manager
Kirk has spent the last 20 years working
closely with numerous commercial
aviation organisations on aviation
maintenance management software
solutions.
As a senior product manager, he is
currently responsible for several products
within the IFS aerospace and defence
portfolio, where he works to understand
the business challenges facing the
industry; and how IFS software solutions
can best deliver long term value to the
market.
Prior to that, he has held a variety of
professional services, sales and product
development roles at Mxi Technologies, a
leading provider of aviation maintenance
management software that was acquired
by IFS in January 2017.
T
he aircraft technical logbook
plays a key role in aircraft turn-
arounds. It is the primary communica-
tion tool between pilots and a main-
tenance organisation. Pilots can see
the maintenance status of the aircraft
and then report any faults back and
forth with the maintenance team - but
efforts to digitise this process have so
far been ineffective.
The principal director in the Accen-
ture aerospace and defence practice,
Craig Gottlieb, recently went on record
to say latest research shows A&D com-
panies are scaling more than 55% of
their digital proofs-of-concept to pro-
duction. However, fewer than 20% of
them do so successfully to create last-
ing benefit to their business. Electronic
aircraft technical logbooks would seem
to be one such development.
The over-arching benefit of a digitised
electronic technical logbook is to min-
imise silos of information between the
day of operations workforce -enabling
all stakeholders to work in unison to
make the aircraft serviceable and ready
to depart on time with passengers.
This incredibly paper-heavy process
of aircraft technical logbooks seems
the obvious target to digitise yet at-
tempts to do so have fallen far short of
the mark, mostly due to problems with
complexity of the solutions which have
been brought forward. The result is an
extremely low adoption rate of true
electronic technical logbooks among
commercial airlines.
First let’s look at the reasons why
this has been the case.
ELECTRONIC TECHNICAL
LOGBOOKS HISTORICALLY
PROVIDE COMPLEXITY, NOT
CLARITY, FOR AIRLINES
The issue with a paper-based aircraft
technical logbook is that all the infor-
mation it houses essentially sits as a silo
outside the core maintenance system an
airline may be using - regardless of the
software provider an airline uses. These
core maintenance systems are incredibly
granular and complex, for good reason
World Airnews | May 2020
— 40 —
as they provide a view of all aircraft
maintenance activity, right down to every
nut and bolt.
But the logbook itself exists as a
simple way of interacting between
maintenance organisation and pilot to
minimise turnaround times. It essential-
ly acts as a micro maintenance system
- with the ability to sign-off work, track
deferred items and look at the history
of what has recently been resolved and
fixed on the aircraft. As such it is essen-
tial to improving and optimising aircraft
turnaround times.
In a paper-based scenario, the pilot
has to wait until they are at the aircraft
before seeing what deferrals are
associated with a flight. The pilot may
have been handed a flight dispatch
in a pre-flight briefing, but this may
not reflect the current status of an
aircraft, often meaning they wouldn’t
contain an up-to-date view of anything
last minute which took place on the
inbound journey.
TABLETS SOLVE ONE PROBLEM…
Initial attempts to digitise this process
saw electronic technical logbooks
integrated into the aircraft itself,
which proved a complicated and costly
disaster as it required introducing
flight proven hardware and software
systems, not a viable solution.
Following that, things moved
forward with the advent of iPads
and other tablets being introduced
to the flight deck, which brought the
possibility to house maintenance data
on a portable mobile device. The main
stumbling block here was that these
‘paperless systems’ actually mirrored
the paper-based systems they were
trying to replace. Simply logging tasks
manually into an iPad rather than pen
to paper does not make electronic
technical logbooks a fully integrated
system.
…BUT A NEW DIGITISED
APPROACH IS REQUIRED
From a cost-saving perspective every
airline has now provided a pilot with
an iPad or tablet, to remove as much
paper as possible from the flight deck.
Delivering the logbook over a tablet
 TECHNICAL

transcends the paper-based platform

and gives a pilot access to aircraft status
anywhere anytime. But by just electron-
ically mimicking paper-systems, airlines
have to effectively integrate two separate
maintenance systems together, making for
a complex and complicated muddle.
In order for an electronic technical log-
book to function effectively it has to be
an extension of the core maintenance
system that an airline already has in
place. But even this is not the silver bul-
let to logbook success - there are some
core elements which should be con-
tained within a truly electronic technical
logbook which will provide airlines with
a solution to enable easy collaboration
look and feel like an extension of those. This includes inherently
and further shrink turnaround times.
built-in dark modes for operating in night-time environments for
THE PAPERLESS EXPERIENCE STARTS WAY BEFORE example, and other unique requirements which come from working
BOARDING – FORE WARNED IS FORE ARMED on an aircraft flight deck. Sounds obvious but not often done!
The advantage of having data available at the fingertips of pilots as BENEFITS BEYOND THE FLIGHT DECK - THE CONNECTED
they travel to the airport means they can see anything which was WORKFORCE…
raised during the inbound flight, even if it hasn’t necessarily been
The widespread benefit of next generation electronic technical
dispositioned yet. They can start thinking about how a certain type
logbooks is an increasingly connected workforce. Airlines are
of fault might impact the flight they have, for example the aircraft
striving towards connectivity across their operations, from check-
may require extra fuel because of a performance penalty.
in, in-flight connectivity right down to a connected and fleet-wide
Once the mechanics arrive at the aircraft, they no longer need to maintenance system.
physically walk onto the flight deck to sign-off the logbook. The mechan-
This is the goal, and an effective electronic technical logbook
ics can be down on the ground, outside the aircraft, signing-off tasks by
allows pilots to communicate clearly and quickly with the whole
sending a push notification through their tablet to the pilot, indicating
team involved in flying an aircraft on the day of operations—span-
that everything is good to go, and they can now begin the flight.
ning mechanics, maintenance control centres, engineers and more.
FAULTS LOGGED IN REAL-TIME MEANS MAINTENANCE
ON ARRIVAL …AND IMPROVED SAFETY AND REAL-TIME COMPLIANCE
There are also benefits which extend into aircraft safety. When
Once the pilot is flying the aircraft, if they encounter any problems,
dealing with a paper logbook, mechanics have to wait for an
they should be able to log the fault in the app, which should be
aircraft to land, taxi and have passengers disembark before even
able to push updates to the maintenance department, either in
accessing the paper log.
real-time or when the aircraft touches the ground. On aircraft with
in-flight internet connectivity the maintenance organisation will The mechanic records the faults, then manually inputs it into
immediately receive a push notification outlining the fault and the core maintenance system. Core systems then run a complex
start preparing work orders and parts, so they are ready to address compliance analysis and validation, which flags any faults - some-
it the moment the aircraft lands. times delaying the turnaround time or, even worse, flagging after
an aircraft has left for its next destination.
PILOT UX BECOMES CRUCIAL With an electronic logbook inputting data into the core system
Another area where previous electronic technical logbooks have in real-time, compliance discrepancies can be caught immediately,
often failed is overloading the pilot with information in a format they preventing the release of an aircraft in a non-compliant state.
are not used to dealing with. It makes no sense to simply expose the
MAINTENANCE DIGITISATION DIRECTLY
complete core maintenance system to a pilot. They require a slim
IMPACTS PROFIT
and tailored interface which provides quick and easy access to the
information they need, without the need to go digging around. According to Frost & Sullivan, Tier I airlines in particular, take a holistic
This new approach to a true electronic technical logbook, ex- view of digital transformation, viewing it as an umbrella term that
tended from a core maintenance system, relies on a simple and el- embraces changes to culture, business models, people, products, as
egant user interface for the pilot and maintenance technicians. No well as advanced technologies. The adoption of electronic technical
complex integration to aircraft systems or other separate mainte- logbooks should be considered a key part of the digitisation of airline
nance systems; just the right core information delivered between processes, because maintenance should be a focus point for them.
pilot and maintenance organisation, at the right time. Why? By arming the pilot with logbook information well in
A pilot-driven user experience means the electronic technical log- advance, and connecting the entire operations workforce, airlines
book developer must build into the UX an understanding of the flight can significantly minimise the last-minute surprises which contrib-
deck environment where pilots are operating. Many pilots are al- ute to longer aircraft on ground (AOG) scenarios - keeping planes in
ready using in-flight apps, so an electronic technical logbook should the air, passengers happy and looking after that bottom line. Q

World Airnews | May 2020

— 41 —
 HELICOPTERS
THE HALF-PLANE,
HALF-HELICOPTER
V ertical take-off and land aircraft
have proven to be the future of
urban air mobility with companies like Uber
and Blade offering intra-city helicopter
flights that minimize commute times and
maximize convenience.
While helicopters are the primary form of
transport for urban air mobility, one company
is on the verge of receiving certification for
a never-before-seen type of civilian aircraft
that now only has the capability of upending
the mode of transportation altogether.
Italian aerospace and defence manufactur-
er Leonardo Company, whose products in-
clude the iconic AgustaWestland helicopters,
is nearing the end of the certification process
for its AW609 tilt rotor aircraft. The first
commercial aircraft of its kind, the AW609
takes technology currently found on military
aircraft with no widespread civilian use.
The AW609 merges the best features of a
helicopter and airplane. The vertical take-
off and land capabilities enable the aircraft
to land at heliports close to downtown
areas such as in New York City and Wash-
ington, DC or on top of buildings where
allowed. Once airborne, the AW609 can
transform into a standard airplane by ad-
justing the direction of its rotors and travel
at greater speeds and higher altitudes than
a helicopter.
Offering the best of each type of aircraft in
terms of range, versatility, and capacity gives
the AW609 an advantage unmatched by even
the swiftest helicopter or nimblest airplane.
Take a look at the future of urban air mo-
bility. Tilt rotor aircraft have been primarily
associated with the military, specifically
with the V-22 Osprey in service with the
US military.
While the military version of the aircraft
was being developed, ideas for a commer-
cial variant were also in the world with Bell
and Boeing jointly starting the project just
before the turn of the century.
The project eventually was taken over by
AgustaWestland, now known as Leonardo
Helicopters, and given the designation of
the AW609.
The AW609's first flight was in 2003, 14
years after the V-22. The nine-seat aircraft
was designed smaller with a focus on ver-
satility and VIP transport, unlike the bulky
combat-focused military variant.
The aircraft's rotors can be adjusted for
vertical take-off and land capabilities to access
heliports in even the most congested or com-
plex airspace such as New York or Washington.
The larger V-22 Osprey has proven that
tilt rotors can land on current helipads in
Lower Manhattan as seen when the presi-
dent and his fleet of helicopters and VTOLs
come to New York City.
US Marine Corps V-22 Osprey's supporting
the president's travel frequently land at the
Wall St. Heliport, an 11-minute walk from
the New York Stock Exchange, setting the
stage for intercity VTOL travel.
A nimble and compact sibling of the V-22,
the AW609 is similarly capable of the task
meaning that executives can avoid the trip
to Teterboro, LaGuardia, or JFK airports and
head to the heliport instead for travel up
and down the East Coast.
After departing vertically from a heliport,
the AW609 can adjust its rotors to fly like
a normal airplane at altitudes as high as
25,000 feet with a normal range of around
700 nautical miles.
Cities pairs in that range include New
York-Chicago, Tokyo-Seoul, and San
Francisco-Seattle, with the aircraft capable
of customization for an additional 300
nautical miles.
The possibility of connecting two down-
towns via heliports with the speed of an
airplane has the ability to reshape urban
World Airnews | May 2020
— 42 —
By Thomas Pallini
air mobility in the way that the famed Con-
corde reshaped transatlantic travel, giving
airline shuttles and high-speed rails a run
for their money.
Powering the aircraft are two massive,
rotatable Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6C-
67A engines.
Capable of speeds over 300 miles per
hour, the AW609 can fly its maximum
distance of 700 nautical miles in around 2
hours and 30 minutes, test runs have shown.
Though slower than a traditional jetliner
on longer flights, the aircraft makes up for
it by offering the convenience factor of
departing from and arriving into the heart
of any city as opposed to a distant airport.
The aircraft also has advantages over
traditional helicopters that include de-ic-
ing capabilities and pressurization that
allow for a flight in the upper altitudes
above the weather.
Unlike most corporate jets, the AW609
can fly under visual flight rules when
weather permits that allow for more direct
routings and flexibility in flight planning
An advanced avionics system also means
the aircraft can operate in poor weather
conditions and on instrument flight plans
for longer hauls.
The AW609 is the latest in Leonardo He-
licopters’ brand of AgustaWestland aircraft
that are used the world over in both civilian
and military settings. Q
World Airnews | May 2020
— 43 —
 SPACE
THE MAN WHO WANTED
TO FLY ON MARS
E ven before this interviewer can
finish the question, "Did anyone
ever tell you this was a crazy idea?" Bob
Balaram jumps in, "Everyone. All the time."
This "crazy idea" is the Mars Helicopter,
currently at Kennedy Space Centre waiting
to hitch a ride to the Red Planet on the
Mars Perseverance rover this summer.
Although Balaram probably didn't know it at
the time, the seed for an idea like this sprouted
for him in the 1960s Apollo era, during his
childhood in south India. His uncle wrote to
the US consulate, asking for information about
NASA and space exploration. The bulging
envelope they sent back, stuffed with glossy
booklets, entranced young Bob. His interest
in space was piqued further by listening to the
Moon landing on the radio. "I gobbled it up,"
he said. "Long before the internet, the US had
good outreach. You had my eyeballs."
His active brain and fertile imagination fo-
cused on getting an education, which would
lead him to a bachelor's degree in mechan-
ical engineering from the Indian Institute of
Technology, a master's and Ph.D. in comput-
er and systems engineering from Rensselaer
Polytechnic Institute, and a career at NASA's
Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Southern Cali-
fornia. That's where he has remained for 35
years as a robotics technologist.
Balaram's career has encompassed robot-
ic arms, early Mars rovers, technology for a
notional balloon mission to explore Venus
and a stint as lead for the Mars Science
Laboratory entry, descent and landing
simulation software.
CUTTING THROUGH OBSTACLES,
RED TAPE AND THE MARTIAN
ATMOSPHERE
As with many innovative ideas, it took a
village to make the helicopter happen. In the
1990s, Balaram attended a professional con-
ference, where Stanford professor Ilan Kroo
spoke about a "mesicopter," a miniature
airborne vehicle for Earth applications that
was funded as a NASA Innovative Advanced
Concepts proposal. This led Balaram to think
about using one on Mars.
He suggested a joint proposal with Stan-
ford for a NASA Research Announcement
submission and recruited AeroVironment,
a small company in Simi Valley, California.
The proposal got favourable reviews, and
although it was not selected for funding at
that time, it did yield a blade-rotor test un-
der Mars conditions at JPL. Other than that,
the idea "sat on a shelf" for 15 years.
Fast forward to a conference where the Uni-
versity of Pennsylvania presented about the
use of drones and helicopters. Charles Elachi,
then director of JPL, attended that session.
When he returned to JPL, he asked
whether something like this could be used
on Mars. A colleague of Balaram's men-
tioned his previous work in that area of
research. Balaram dusted off that proposal,
and Elachi asked him to write a new one for
the competitive call for Mars 2020 investi-
gation payloads. This sped up the process
of developing a concept.
Balaram and his team had eight weeks
to submit a proposal. Working day and
night, they met the deadline with two
weeks to spare.
Although the helicopter idea was not
selected as an instrument, it was funded
for technology development and risk re-
duction. Mimi Aung became Mars Helicop-
ter project manager, and after the team
worked on risk reduction, NASA decided to
fund the helicopter for flight as a technolo-
gy demonstration.
BUILDING AND TESTING A BEAST
So then the reality set in: How does one
actually build a helicopter to fly on Mars
and get it to work?
No easy feat. Balaram describes it as a
perfectly blank canvas, but with restrictions.
His physics background helped him envision
flying on Mars, a planet with an atmosphere
that is only 1% as dense as Earth's. He com-
pares it to flying on Earth at a 100,000-foot
(30,500-metre) altitude - about seven times
higher than a typical terrestrial helicopter
can fly. Another challenge was that the
copter could carry only a few kilogrammes,
including the weight of batteries and a radio
World Airnews | May 2020
— 44 —
for communications. "You can't just throw
mass at it, because it needed to fly," he said.
It dawned on Balaram that it was like build-
ing a new kind of aircraft that just happens to
be a spacecraft. And because it is a "passen-
ger" on a flagship mission, he says, "we have
to guarantee 100% that it will be safe."
The end result: a 4-pound (1.8-kilo-
gramme) helicopter with two pairs of light
counter-rotating blades - an upper and
lower pair, to slice through the Martian
atmosphere. Each pair of blades spans 4
feet (1.2 metres) in diameter.
Once it was built, Balaram says, the
question was, "How do you test this beast?
There's no book saying how." Because there
is no easily accessible place on Earth with a
thin atmosphere like the one on Mars, they
ran tests in a vacuum chamber and the 25-
foot Space Simulation Chamber at JPL.
About two-and-a-half months after land-
ing at Jezero Crater, the Mars Helicopter
team will have a window of about 30 days
to perform a technology demonstration
in the actual environment of the planet,
starting with a series of vehicle checkouts,
followed by attempts of first-ever flights in
the very thin Martian atmosphere.
Despite best efforts and the best tests
available on Earth, this is a high-risk, high-re-
ward technology demonstration, with
Balaram saying quite frankly, "We could fail."
But if this "crazy idea" succeeds on Mars, it
will be what Balaram describes as "kind of a
Wright Brothers moment on another planet"
- the first time a powered aircraft will have
flown on Mars, or any planet besides Earth,
for that matter. This potential breakthrough
could help pave the way for future craft that
 SPACE

would expand NASA's portfolio of vehicles to

explore other worlds.
And partly because there have been so
many challenges along the way, it's a testa-
ment to the dedication, vision, persistence
and attitude of Balaram and his colleagues
that the Mars Helicopter concept was
funded, planned, developed and built and
is heading to the Red Planet this summer.
"Bob is the inventor of our Mars Helicop-
ter. He innovated the design and followed
up on that vision to its fruition as chief
engineer through all phases of design,
development and test," said project man-
ager Aung. "Whenever we encountered a
technical roadblock - and we encountered
many roadblocks - we always turned to
Bob, who always carries an inexhaustible
set of potential solutions to be considered.
Come to think of it, I don't think I have ever
seen Bob feeling stuck at any point!"
THE HOME STRETCH TOWARD MARS
The main purpose of the Mars 2020 mission
is to deliver the Perseverance rover, which
will not only continue to explore the past
habitability of the planet, but will actually
search for signs of ancient microbial life.
It will also cache rock and soil samples for
pickup by a potential future mission and help
pave the way for future human exploration
of Mars. Even if the helicopter encounters
difficulties, the science-gathering mission of
the Perseverance rover won't be affected.
Balaram points out that in addition to the
usual "seven minutes of terror" experi-
enced by the team on Earth during a Mars
landing, once the helicopter is on Mars and
attempting to fly, "This is the seven seconds
of terror every time we take off or land."
Does Balaram worry about all this, even
a little? "There's been a crisis every single
week of the last six years," he says. "I'm
used to it."
Balaram sheds any stress that may crop
up through backpacking, hiking and mas-
sage. There's also his very supportive wife,
Sandy, who bears a title within the team
and her own acronym - CMO, or Chief Mo-
rale Officer. She has regularly baked cakes,
pies and other goodies for Balaram to share
with his colleagues for sustenance during
the long process.
And he has high praise for his teammates
on the Mars Helicopter project, saying
the people attracted to it are agile and
fast-moving. "It's a great team, determined
to dare mighty things - that's the fun part,"
Balaram says. His take on daring mighty
things: "Good ideas don't die - they just
take a while." Q

World Airnews | May 2020

— 45 —
 SNIPPETS
FEATURE
LATEST WORLD AIR
NEWS
A round up of avia�on news briefs from around the
IATA POSTPONES 2020 AGM
Geneva, Switzerland – The Inter-
national Air Transport Association
has announced the postponement
of the 76th Annual General Meet-
ing (AGM) and World Air Transport
Summit. The event was scheduled
to take place on 22-23 June in
Amsterdam.
The 76th IATA AGM and World
Air Transport Summit will be held
when it is both safe and practi-
cable to do so. IATA anticipates
that will be in the late third or early
fourth quarter of 2020.
An announcement will be made
when a date is confirmed.
“Our members are in the deepest
crisis the air transport industry
has ever faced. With much of the
passenger business grounded as
part of the global fight to contain
the virus, many airlines are in
a struggle to remain viable. On
the cargo side, airlines are doing
whatever they can to keep global
supply chains moving with vital
shipments, including those for
critical medical supplies. We will
come together as an industry
when the freedom to travel has
been restored and we can focus
on air transport’s critical role in
driving the economic and social
recovery from this unprecedented
crisis,” said Alexandre de Juniac,
IATA director general and CEO.
BOEING EXTENDS
TEMPORARY SUSPENSION
OF PUGET SOUND
PRODUCTION OPERATIONS
Seattle, Canada – Boeing has
extended the temporary suspen-
sion of production operations at
all Puget Sound area and Moses
Lake sites until further notice.
These actions are being taken in
light of the company’s continuing
focus on the health and safety of
employees, current assessment
of the spread of COVID-19 in
Washington State, the reliability
of the supply chain and additional
world
recommendations from govern-
ment health authorities.
During the suspension, the com-
pany will continue to implement
additional health and safety
measures at its facilities to protect
employees. These measures
include new visual cues to en-
courage physical distancing, more
frequent and thorough cleaning
of work and common areas and
staggering shift times to reduce
the flow of employees arriving and
departing work, among many other
improvements.
“The health and safety of our
employees, their families and
our communities is said Boeing
commercial airplanes president
and CEO Stan Deal.
“We will take this time to continue
to listen to our incredible team and
assess applicable government
direction, the spread of the corona
virus in the community and the
reliability of our suppliers to ensure
we are ready for a safe and orderly
return to operations.”
The volunteers who have been sup-
porting essential site and services
work should continue to report to
their assigned shifts. Puget Sound
area and Moses Lake employees
who can work from home should
continue to do so.
COLLEGIATE VOLUNTEER
CORPS AT EAA AIRVENTURE
OSHKOSH 2020
Oshkosh, Wisconsin – AFor
the sixth consecutive year, the
Collegiate Volunteer Programme
is looking for volunteers for EAA
AirVenture Oshkosh 2020, which
is July 20-26 at Wittman regional
airport in Oshkosh.
“As we continue to plan for a full
AirVenture event this summer,
EAA’s collegiate volunteer
programme will continue to build
connections - connections with the
aviation community, with other col-
legiate volunteers, and with EAA,”
said Cassie Bruss, EAA manager
of volunteer programmes.
World Airnews | May 2020
— 46 —
“Through the first five years hun-
dreds of college students obtained
amazing experiences here in Os-
hkosh during the World’s Greatest
Aviation Celebration.”
College-age aviation enthusiasts
and students from all over the Unit-
ed States, with a variety of different
backgrounds, are invited to volun-
teer at EAA AirVenture. Volunteers
will have the opportunity to build
their resume through networking
in nearly every area of AirVenture
operations including aviation,
business, flight line operations, food
and event management, customer
service, and photo and video.
Other benefits of the Collegiate
Volunteer Programme include
AirVenture admission wristbands,
flexible volunteer hours, a meal
and beverage during shifts, oppor-
tunities to attend exclusive events
and activities, a one-time, free
six-month EAA membership and
complimentary camping.
“The Collegiate Volunteer Program
is a great way to experience EAA
AirVenture while also being able
to volunteer and learn about what
makes the event happen,” said
Nate Potrafka, a 2019 collegiate
volunteer from Missouri.
“It provides an opportunity for col-
lege students to attend for no cost.”
The Collegiate Volunteer program
is sponsored by Aviation Supplies
& Academics (ASA). For more
information or to apply, visit www.
EAA.org/collegiate. Application
deadline is June 13, 2020.
BARIG WELCOMES DECISION
OF THE GERMAN FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT
Frankfurt am Main, Germany
– The Board of Airline Represen-
tatives in Germany (BARIG), the
joint representation of interests of
more than 100 German, European
and global airlines, has welcomed
the decision by the so-called ‘coro-
na-cabinet’ of the German federal
government for a temporary sus-
pension of the re-imbursement
obligation for flights cancelled due
to a pandemic.
“Germany is choosing a fair,
reasonable and future-securing
path for all parties involved,” said
BARIG secretary general Michael
Hoppe.
“This measure can contribute sig-
nificantly to preventing a European
collapse of the aviation and travel
industry, which seemed inconceiv-
able until recently. Therefore, we
count on the leading role of the EU
to implement this fair regulation
quickly and unbureaucratically
for all of Europe in the interest
of citizens, the economy and the
affected companies.”
The Corona-crisis poses an
unprecedented threat to the
entire aviation and travel industry.
Airlines are compelled to cancel
their flights virtually altogether.
If the airlines had to re-imburse
these crisis-related cancellations
in full, most of them would go out
of business.
Instead, the regulation advocated
by the federal government for
this highly exceptional situation
provides, in the interest of all, that
direct repayments be made only in
cases of hardship.
In all other cases, customers shall
receive vouchers valid until 31
December 2021. Customers not
redeeming the voucher by that
date shall then receive a refund.
Michael Hoppe said, “This
regulation will benefit customers,
the travel industry and the aviation
industry. The drastic repercus-
sions of the Corona-crisis for
aviation have already been felt and
would continue to have dramatic
consequences for jobs, economic
power, mobility, trade and the
transport of goods far into the
future. The entire economic cycle
would be severely impaired for
months, perhaps even years. Ele-
mentary steps to set the course for
a recovery of the system following
the end of the Corona-crisis must,
therefore, now be taken through
the right decision at EU-level.” Q
 AIRLINES
TURKISH 'MOVES'
AT KING SHAKA
S lightly shy of four years and five
months of operating into Durban,
South Africa's, King Shaka International
Airport (KSIA), one of the seven existing
Foreign-Based International Scheduled
Passenger Operators (FBISPOs) - Turkish
Airlines - saw fit recently to permanently
transition to new flying equipment.
On July 24, 2018, Turkish Airlines
made, what is believed to have been, its
first ever Boeing 777 scheduled pas-
senger flight on its Istanbul-Johannes-
burg-Durban route when -3F2(ER) TC-JJG
arrived in Durban.
In the February 2019 issue of World
Airnews, page 27, I speculated, with
reference to this flight, that this may have
been a trial flight which “...could hint at
what equipment Turkish Airlines might field
down the line should an increase in capaci-
ty be required on the Durban route.”
Fast forward to February 15, 2020, when
yet another B777 rubbered in the runway
at KSIA, this time in the guise of TC-JJY, a
-3F2(ER), on the type's inaugural flight for
sustained operations to KZN province.
Ever since Turkish Airlines' inaugural flight
to King Shaka on November 5, 2015, with
sole exception of the above mentioned
once-off 2018 B777 flight, the Airbus A330
had featured exclusively on this route.
But, on February 13, 2020, TC-JOD, an
A330-303, had the distinction of complet-
ing the type's 893rd and final scheduled
Durban arrival, before handing over to the
larger B777 for the very next scheduled
flight two days later.
By so doing, Turkish Airlines became the
third FBISPO to operate the majestic B777
to KSIA after Emirates converted to the
type on June 1, 2012 and Qatar Airways did
likewise on April 16, 2018*¹. Furthermore,
Turkish Airlines became the second FBISPO
to have converted from the A330 to the
B777 at KSIA, after Emirates.
Compared with the Airbus product,
World Airnews | May 2020
— 47 —
By Clinton Barnard
the new Boeing 777 offers a substantial
increase in seating capacity.
The two Airbus models previously em-
ployed to Durban, the -303 (289 seats: 28
Business class and 261 Economy class) and
-343 (270 seats: 34 Business class and 236
Economy class) do not compare with the
Boeing 777-3F2(ER) s 349 total seats in a
breakdown of 49 Business and 300 Economy.
The almost timeous replacement by Turk-
ish Airlines of the A330 to the B777 also on
the Cape Town route, would seem to sug-
gest however, that both these transitions
have been as much inspired by a desire to
reduce operating costs per seat on lengthy
flights, as an attempt to cater for an imme-
diate increase in seating demand.
Even following the aircraft equipment
transition, the airline continues to fly four-
flights-weekly frequency, as it has done for
most of its tenure at King Shaka.
*¹ as of this date this type operated
exclusively, although having first flown to
Durban prior to this date. Q
 NEWS DIGITAL
5G AND DRONES: IMPROVING
CONNECTIVITY
Drone delivery startup Manna has a partnership with food ordering company Flipdish.
C and integrates them into controlled
urrent mobile networks are capable
of serving drones in the low-altitude
airspace which seems to be a perfect
fit since drones fly rather low and cell
coverage above buildings, trees, etc. is very
good. Specific performance enhancements
can optimize 4G or 5G connectivity toward
more effective and efficient connectivity
for drones while maintaining the perfor-
mance of mobile devices on the ground. In
principle, there are three major needs for
connecting drones by means of 5G cellular
data: UTM, BVLOS flights and sensor data
transmission.
MANAGING DRONE TRAFFIC (UTM)
One of the biggest challenges in the near
future in the drone ecosystem is both the
regulation of the drone traffic itself and its
integration with the manned aviation. A
large number of drones are already today
travelling through the airspace and this
number is forecasted to grow. In order to
further exploit the potential of drones and
enable promising drone applications, it
is important to find a fair and structured
solution that regulates the traffic of drones
This image is only a mockup, though, not Manna's actual drone
airspace.
For these reasons, aviation authorities
around the globe have initiated programs
to define the rules of drone operation,
in an effort to address the safety issues
regarding the commercial use of drones.
This includes mandating drone traffic
management systems similar to the air
traffic control systems of manned aviation.
For example, Unmanned Aircraft Systems
Traffic Management (UTM) is the system
under definition by the FAA, while a
similar concept called U-Space is under
development as a joint project of the
European Union. Because of their (future)
coverage, their globally standardized
technology, their highly developed capacity
and capabilities, and their established
procedures for users, cellular networks
are candidates for the establishment of a
controlled and reliable system for drone
operation.
Mobile networks are well suited to
support low-altitude drone communication
and to be integrated with drone traffic
management systems to enhance the
safety and security of drone operations.
FLYING BEYOND LINE OF SIGHT
World Airnews | May Extra 2020
—1—
(BVLOS)
Current regulations are usually restricted
to low-altitude operations (below 120m or
400ft) and within the visual line of sight of
a human pilot who is in permanent control
of the drone.
Nevertheless, many drone applications
are only viable when the drone is either
be flown beyond the visual line of sight or
when it flies autonomously, which usually
means that the platform is out of sight and
without direct control of the pilot.
Today, drone radio remote control
systems are based on specific radio
connections or Wi-Fi with a limited range
of usually under 3-5km or are programmed
and fly off certain waypoints, cellular
networks can provide connections over un-
limited distances provided that the drone
has a cellular network coverage and can
be controlled from basically anywhere in
the world. A standardized cellular network
with widespread coverage could provide
comprehensive, high-quality and secure
connectivity that enables cost-effective
drone operation beyond the line of sight.
TRANSMISSION OF ACQUIRED DATA
(SENSOR DATA TRANSMISSION)
For some drone-based applications it is
 NEWS DIGITAL

important that the data is transmitted to
ground stations beyond the remote-control
station of the pilot. This could be either for
example live broadcasting of the drone’s
camera or saving time for data processing.
Since it is often a large amount of data,
a data connection with large and fast
bandwidth is required, which could offer
stable 5G network coverage.
CHALLENGES AHEAD
WIDE NETWORK COVERAGE
For a safe and effective usage from drones,
on the one hand, there must be compre-
hensive network coverage in place.
According to a measurement by
OpenSignal.com, South Korea has 97.5
percent network coverage of the current
4G network, followed by Japan with 94.7
percent.
Other drone industry leading nations like
France or Germany still need to expand
their cellular infrastructure as they only
have coverage of 68.3 and 65.7 percent
respectively.
Solutions need to be developed on how
to handle situations when drones lose
connectivity via cellular mobile networks.
Another important thing to consider is that
most mobile networks are designed for
best coverage on a terrestrial level. The
availability of the coverage and bandwidth
up to the lower part of the airspace must
be analyzed and guaranteed.
STABLE NETWORK
The mobile network does not only need
to have a good coverage, but also must be
stable. That means that with increased data
traffic capabilities which come with the 5G,
a sufficient bandwidth must be ensured so
that the drone does not constantly loses
network or can broadcast a live video in
high quality.
A stable network, together with wide
network coverage, also ensures a continu-
ous connection the drone is flying.
What happens if the drone constantly
loses network or if the bandwidth is simply
not sufficient for live video broadcasting in
the middle of a live feed?
CONCLUSION
Mobile networks can be the solution for
several issues the drone industry has to
deal with, but it still needs to be fully
integrated in the ecosystem. All drones
must be equipped with the mobile com-
munication modules and 5G infrastructure
must be in place.
Although the technology comes
with great benefits, it still needs to be
considered that there is no guarantee of
100% coverage and bandwidth and further
testing is required. Currently, mobile
networks are designed and optimized
to serve users at ground level. New and
specific challenges of drones operating as
mobile terminals in airspace are expected
to arise. Q
Article courtesy: https://www.droneii.
com/drones-and-5g-improving-drone-con-
nectivity

NEWS DIGITAL

EUROCONTROL STATES DEFER

AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT FEES
by Gregory Polek

A
piece of what IATA director general Alexandre de Juniac
has called some good news for the European airline industry
came after a financial package from Eurocontrol member stated
that operators can defer €1.1 billion of air traffic control fees
due to the continent’s air traffic management industry over ‘the
coming months’ .
The number of flights operating daily in European airspace
has declined by 90 percent due to the effects of the Covid-19
pandemic, and IATA sees little improvement until the continent
lifts its lockdown.
Europe, in fact, has seen the most severe decline of any part in
the world, where regions average about a 70 percent reduction in
traffic, according to IATA chief economist Brian Pearce.
In a statement issued soon after Eurocontrol announced
the measures, the European Regions Airline Association (ERA)
commended the member states for the relief.
Estimates for 2020 called for European air traffic management
fees for en route services to total €8.2 billion, based on forecast
traffic and the projected cost of services from air navigation
service providers (ANSPs).
The bill for February totalled €518 million; the next payment
was due on April 13, reported ERA. Eurocontrol has agreed to
defer that bill until November.
“This swift action taken by the Eurocontrol member states will
provide airlines with more flexibility as they financially plan for
the future,” said ERA director general Montserrat Barriga.
“Aviation will be instrumental in Europe’s economic recovery,
and financial relief measures are needed urgently to ensure our
airlines can continue to operate, providing connectivity, once we
move towards recovery. The announcement by Eurocontrol will
certainly aid our airlines in this recovery process.”
IATA’s de Juniac complimented the world’s governments for
their “very supportive and open attitudes” toward financial
relief measures in general. However, he also called for them to
implement the aid packages immediately.
“This is the biggest crisis we have ever had in front of us,” said
de Juniac. “Now we desperately need these [rescue] packages
to be implemented and the money to flow to our balance
sheets because we are clearly running out of cash. Whatever
the measure is, we need it now because after three weeks of
shutdown for many of our members and two months of cash
in hand at the beginning of the year…we urgently need cash
injection by any means.” Q
Article courtesy: https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/
air-transport

World Airnews | May Extra 2020

—2—
 NEWS DIGITAL
T he Airports Council
International (ACI) World has
published its annual Airport
Economics Report and Key
Performance Indicators which
show the important role that
the airport industry plays in
fostering global economic
prosperity.
The reports include key
financial data on developments
in the airport business for
the financial year 2018. They
provide a snapshot of a healthy
and globally profitable industry
before the advent of the
COVID-19 pandemic and serve
as an indication of how crucial
a fair, balanced, and equitable
recovery from the pandemic
will be for aviation and the
global economy.
“The COVID-19 outbreak has
resulted in an unprecedented
and dramatic decline in air
travel this year,” ACI world
director general Angela Gittens
said.
“Airport revenue generation
and growth are directly linked
to traffic levels and the global
airport industry is expected to
lose (US) $76 billion in 2020.
“Our Economics Report and
KPIs show the immense value a
healthy and successful airport
industry provides to the global
economy and illustrates why as-
sistance and relief is needed for
the sector to ensure essential
operations and protect millions
of jobs.
“Airports are facing difficult
prospects right now because
a significant proportion of
airports’ costs - capital costs
in particular - are fixed, leaving
less of a cushion during a
downturn, especially one of this
unprecedented magnitude.
“As a significant portion of
airport revenues goes to fund
the much-needed capacity
THE IMPORTANCE OF THE
AIRPORT INDUSTRY
development once business as
usual operations resume, any
decrease in revenue may have
a dramatic impact on airport
development, and in turn on
the airline business.
“This is because aviation
is an interdependent and
interconnected ecosystem,
and, in order to stay afloat, it
will require a coordinated and
strategic response to overcome
the unexpected difficulties and
get back on track as soon as
possible.”
ACI’s Economics Report found
that global industry revenue
grew by 4.3% to reach (US)
$178.2 billion in 2018, but that
revenue per passenger declined
by 1.7%. The distribution of
global revenues was:
• Aeronautical revenue:
55.9%
• Non-aeronautical
revenue: 39.2%, and
• Non-operating revenue:
4.9%.
Global airport revenue per
passenger was $17.95, of
which aeronautical revenue
accounted for (US) $10.03 and
non-aeronautical revenue (US)
$7.03 (the remainder is non-op-
erating revenue). Significantly,
total cost per passenger was
(US) $13.76, further illustrating
the importance of developing
World Airnews | May Extra 2020
—3—
sources of non-aeronautical
revenue to bolster the revenue
collected from aeronautical
activities.
Airport revenues grew
less than traffic and the
decrease in aeronautical and
non-aeronautical revenues on a
per-passenger basis of 2.3% and
2.2% respectively are reflective
of the diverse market forces
shaping airport pricing.
Airport charges and capacity
constraints require flexible
solutions that move away from
strict forms of pricing regula-
tion, considering the long-term
forecasts for global air service
demand still show the potential
for growth.
The publications include com-
prehensive data from a sample
of more than 900 commercial
airports with in-depth analyses
of air transport demand,
airport revenues and costs. The
main drivers of aeronautical
and commercial revenues, and
sources of airport costs, are
analyzed over time and across
various dimensions.
A snapshot of key industry
facts for the 2018 financial year
revealed:
• Global industry revenue
year-over-year growth
(2018/2017): 4.3%
• Global industry revenue:
(US) $178.2 billion
• Revenue per passenger
year-over-year growth
(2018/2017): -1.7%
• Distribution of global
revenues: aeronautical
(55.9%), non-aero-
nautical (39.2%) and
non-operating (4.9%)
• Global airport revenue
per passenger: (US)
$17.95
• Global aeronautical
revenue per passenger:
(US) $10.03
• Global non-aeronautical
revenue per passenger:
(US) $7.03
• Total cost per passen-
ger: (US) $13.76
• Ratio of aircraft-related
to passenger-related
charges: 38:62
• Distribution of
non-aeronautical reve-
nue by key source: retail
concessions (28.9%),
car parking (20.4%) and
property and real estate
income or rent (14.9%)
• Operating expenses to
capital costs ratio: 65.9%
to 34.1%
• Largest operating
expense categories:
personnel expenses
(33.9%) and contracted
services (24.9%) • Global
debt-to-EBITDA ratio:
4.48
• Global return on
invested capital (ROIC):
7.1%. Q
 NEWS DIGITAL
T
he Inabas are a
picture-perfect, all-American
family. Holly Inaba is a
programme manager for
the USC Aviation Safety and
Security Programme, while her
husband, Col. Mark Inaba, is a
member of the California Army
National Guard. They have two
daughters, Alexis and Greer.
But when Mark is spon-
taneously called to fulfil his
obligation to his country, Holly
is left stranded with two young
children and a full-time job.
“Managing the family without
him and working full time can
be difficult and stressful,” she
said. As Holly leaves for work
around 4.45 am, Mark is the
only one who can get their
daughters, aged five and seven
years old, ready for school.
Mark has been called to duty
many times, travelling as far
away as France and Germany.
When Mark is away, there is no
one to help with the children
unless Holly does some serious
shifting of her work schedule.
“It’s also hard on the girls
who miss him terribly,” said
Holly. “I have been told by
teachers that they both seem
affected while their father is
away.”
“You have to make an effort
to overcome the distance and
the absence, and we work very
hard to do so,” said Holly.
“Mark leaves little surprises
and notes around the house for
us to find while he is away. Just
as the girls and I leave notes
and treats for him to find inside
of his uniform pockets, boots,
and gear.”
Luckily, Holly has never felt
less than completely supported
by her employers at USC when
she needs to change her work
schedule to support her family.
In fact, she appreciated the
accommodations that her
manager, Thomas Anthony -
A DIFFERENT KIND OF PATRIOT
By Nick Nuccio
director of the USC Aviation
Safety and Security Programme
- provided for her so much
that she nominated him for a
national award.
“I am extremely honoured to
support my husband’s service.”
Inaba wrote in her nomination
statement. “But supporting him
would not be possible if it were
not for my supervisor’s help
and understanding.”
She continued, “Anthony is
a true American patriot who
considers it an honour to
support and recognize those
who serve in our country.”
The department of defence’s
employer support of the
Guard and Reserve division
agreed with her and presented
Anthony with the Patriot Award Ernest Cowell (left), a volunteer at the DOD employer
in January 2020. support of the Guard and Reserve, presents Thomas
“I was completely over- Anthony with his Patriot award. Photo credit: Holly Inaba
whelmed and honoured,”
Anthony said. he came back
As director of the USC to academia,
Aviation Safety and Security bringing with
Programme, Anthony is him a healthy
aware of the importance of knowledge of
maintaining a good relationship aviation safety
with the military. Started in and a strong
1952 in conjunction with the respect for
US Air Force, the programme the struggles
has been at the forefront of of the military
groundbreaking research into reserve
protecting American military members he
pilots from deadly harm. works with.
“We see it as our role to be “I guess I
the thought leader in aviation helped create
safety, to be involved in all the this problem in
newest innovative ideas that my old job,” he
exist in aviation,” said Anthony. quips.
“Our relationship with the Anthony has
military is continuous. Military nothing but
schools send delegates to us to praise for Holly
check the currency of their own Inaba, who
curriculum and update it with leads the effort Left to right: Greer, Holly, Alexis, Mark,
the newest developments.” to get USC and Leland Inaba. Photo credit Holly Inaba
Anthony was born and raised safety courses
in Pasadena, California, and be- in military “Being cognisant of how to
gan his career as a high school bases around the country. “We support a military family is very
teacher. He then transitioned recently had a course brought important to me as a manager,”
to a long career at the Federal to a missile defence agency said Anthony. “It is incumbent
Aviation Administration, in Virginia,” he said. “Holly upon us to work with each
eventually becoming the FAA was able to get us through the of these families, to make
division manager for civil tightest security in the history their difficult transition go as
aviation security. After retiring, of our program.” smoothly as possible.” Q
World Airnews | May Extra 2020
—4—
 NEWS DIGITAL

CAN EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

PASSES ON

T
he National Business
Aviation Association (NBAA)
is saddened to learn of
the passing of Peter Fleiss,
executive director emeritus for
the Corporate Angel Network
(CAN).
“Peter was an effective
leader for CAN and a valued
friend,” said NBAA President
and CEO Ed Bolen. “His passing
is a profound loss for the
business aviation community.
We extend our condolences to
his family and friends during
this difficult time, and to those
with the organization he led so
effectively for 11 years.”
Fleiss led CAN until 2016.
During his tenure, he grew
CAN’s member companies to
include over 500 supporters,
encompassing half of the
Fortune 100, and the organi-
zation celebrated its 50,000th
patient flight.
Before joining CAN,
Fleiss worked at Safe Flight
Instrument Corporation, and in developing CAN into the continued commitment to the
in close collaboration with organization it is today,” said mission was well known by
Safe Flight founder and CAN CAN Executive Director Gina patients and business aviation
co-founder Leonard Greene. Russo in an April 6 release peers alike.” Fleiss passed away
“Peter was instrumental issued by the organization. “His April 3 at the age of 76. Q

AIRLINES

THE PLUNGE IN OIL PRICES IS

THE LAST THING THE INDUSTRY
NEEDS NOW
By Leslie Josephs

T he corona virus pandemic, the threat of airline bankruptcies

and a global recession, add to this a historic oil glut and price crash
- all of added to the woes of Boeing and Airbus.
The duopoly that dominates most of the world’s aircraft
production have spent more than a decade racking up record
orders for planes they boasted could save millions in fuel.
“One thing that kept the industry aloft during the great financial
meltdown [in 2008] is fuel prices actually rose,” said Richard
Aboulafia, an aviation analyst at vice president at Teal Group,
referring to record oil prices that year.
Rising oil prices help boost sales of more fuel-efficient aircraft,
the opposite of sales trends for larger personal vehicles.
The Airbus A320neo and the Boeing 737 Max, each manufactur-
er’s best-selling narrow-body airplanes were developed after the
Great Recession when fuel prices were again rising and airlines
were on the hunt for models that would help them cut fuel costs.
Both companies amassed years of orders for thousands of planes
and now manufacturers have lost that selling point.
Aboulafia has estimated that Airbus and Boeing should net
around 1,000 cancelled orders this year combined, an unprece-
dented drop when compared with 681 net orders last year.
Boeing, already reeling from the grounding of its 737 Max after
two fatal crashes, has posted an increasing number of cancelled
orders.
Airbus has said it would cut aircraft production rates by a third
“to adapt to the new Corona virus market environment.”
As the demand for travel plummets and cities lock down, jet-fuel
demand has fallen faster than other products made from oil.
Globally, jet-fuel demand is set to drop 47% in the second quar-
ter from a year earlier, nearly twice the rate of the forecast decline
in gasoline consumption and more than three times the rate of the
drop in diesel, which is crucial for freight transportation, according
to estimates from S&P Global Platts.
Jet-fuel prices in the US have fallen more than 65% since the
start of the year.
“The problem that’s what’s happening right now is [the crisis] is
hitting all the countries at the same time,” said Claudio Galimberti,
head of oil demand, refining and agriculture analytics at S&P
Global Platts.
Airlines have slashed flights to match paltry demand from would-
be travellers. The carriers have parked hundreds of planes and
deferred orders of new planes. Some customers have cancelled
orders altogether.
While airlines are expected to accelerate the retirement of older,
less fuel-efficient jets, this isn’t expected to be enough to spur
a flurry of new orders with a recovery in air travel demand still
unclear.
Airlines for America, a lobbying group that includes American,
Delta, United Southwest and other large US carriers has said that
as of April 15, more than 2,700 planes, or 44% of their fleet had
been parked off. Q
Article courtesy: https://www.cnbc.com/

World Airnews | May Extra 2020

—5—
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L E A DIN G THE WAY

 NEWS DIGITAL
ST HELENA CUT OFF FROM THE
WORLD AS FLIGHTS GROUNDED
S
t Helena joins a list of other islands effectively isolated
as its sole air service is suspended. The small British Overseas
Territory in the South Atlantic had a weekly Airlink service from
Johannesburg. But Airlink suspended all its flights yesterday,
leaving St Helena reliant on shipping and charter flights.
Not that this is anything new to St Helena. The island has
long made a virtue of its isolation. When the French got sick of
Napoleon and exiled him to St Helena in 1815, it took ten weeks to
ship him there.
Things have improved slightly these days. St Helena is only five
days on a ship from Cape Town. England sends a ship down with
mail and supplies every fortnight. St Helena only got its airport in
2014, and quite the airport it is too. The 1,950-meter runway juts
300 meters out into the sea. South Atlantic winds and weather
combined with the dramatic landscape of the mountainous island
make arriving and departing quite an event.
A NEW AIRPORT BROUGHT HIGH HOPES
There were high hopes that the new airport would see an influx
of tourists onto St Helena, helping to prop up the struggling local
economy. But the difficulties of landing at the airport meant that it
was only really suitable for smaller aircraft. Airlink, with its fleet of
Embraers, ended up being the only operator to the island.
Prior to suspending flights, Airlink was the largest independent
regional airline in Southern Africa. It has 53 aircraft, mostly a
variety of Embraers, but it also has seven BAe Jetstream 41s and
World Airnews | May Extra 2020
—6—
By Andrew Curran
four Cessna 208Bs. Airlink flew to 39 destinations around South
Africa, Zambia, Uganda, Zimbabwe, Botswana, Mozambique,
Namibia, Ascension Island, and St Helena.
Last year it made approximately 60,000 flights and carried
around two million passengers. That breaks down in just over 33
passengers per flight. The airline is proud that it has grown ever
since it first started up in 1992.
The flights to St Helena used an Embraer E190. But due to wind
shear issues and runway limitations at St Helena, only 76 of the
99 available seats were ever filled. Flying time across from South
Africa was about six hours – so it was quicker than the boat.
However, Airlink has moved to suspend all its flights as of
midnight (local time) on 26 March. The flights are suspended
through to 20 April. Movement restrictions imposed by the South
African government made the decision inevitable.
Airlink Managing Director and Chief Executive, Rodger Foster,
said “We intend to gradually reinstate a new optimised schedule of
services once the lock-down has been lifted. Whilst the restric-
tions are currently intended to last for 21 days, we will take our
cue from the Government and the relevant health authorities. Our
target date for recommencing operations will be 20 April 2020”
It’s the big airlines and airports that get most of the attention
these days. But it is the smaller outposts like St Helena that are
arguably harder hit by this crisis. Most countries can maintain a
skeleton air service and have alternative modes of travel available.
Once an island, especially an isolated island like St Helena, loses its
air link, the situation is particularly grim for local residents, traders,
and the local economy. Q
 NEWS DIGITAL

FORMER SOMERSET SOLDIER

RESTORES VINTAGE HELICOPTER
Andrew Whitehouse and Dave Wells restored a Westland
Wessex helicopter - it is now the only airworthy helicopter of its
kind in the world (Image: AirTV)

A
former soldier from Somerset has
spent more than £300,000 of his own
money to rescue a unique and iconic 1960s
Royal Navy helicopter that hadn’t flown for
more than 30 years.
Andrew Whitehouse from Chard bought a
Westland Wessex from the navy and, with
a dedicated team of engineers, has spent
two years restoring the helicopter to flying
condition - it is now the only airworthy
Wessex in the world.
The renovation featured in a new 6-part
TV series, Warbird Workshop, on a British
TV channel.
The helicopter, known as XT761, was
based at Ascension Island during the
Falklands War and also saved lives on
search and rescue missions.
Nearly 400 Wessex helicopters were built
just down the road from Andrew’s hangar
at the Westland’s (now Leonardo) factory
in Yeovil, but historic helicopters are so
complex and expensive to maintain that
she is now the only flying Wessex left.
“We stripped the Wessex out and virtual-
ly rebuilt it,” said Andrew Whitehouse.
“It's had new engines, it's had
new gearboxes - the list goes on!”
“It’s the biggest project I've
undertaken,” said chief engineer
Dave Wells.
“They're an iconic aircraft from
the 60s, 70s and 80s.
“People just love the shape - they
are a classic helicopter shape.”
“Personally I feel very privileged
that I've been asked to fulfil this
role,” added test pilot captain Steve
Daniels.
“There are lots of fixed wing historic collection of helicopters at Andrew
aircraft flying, there aren't that many rotary Whitehouse’s Historic Helicopters hanger
wing and I think most helicopter pilots in Somerset, including: another Wessex, a
would probably give their left arm to be Westland Whirlwind (also the only flying
involved in a project like this.” example in the world) and two Westland
The restoration, which took 14,000 man- Sea King helicopters.
hours, faced many challenges, including The documentary featured interviews
antiquated electronics, leaking fuel and with former Wessex rescue diver Julian
finding replacement parts. ‘Smiler’ Grinney and Olympic yachtsman
But all the effort was worthwhile. Rodney Patterson, who he saved from his
stricken yacht in the Fastnet Yacht Race
"And we would have been scuppered disaster in 1979, when nineteen people lost
without Leonardo - they must've spent their lives.
hours in document rooms, finding informa-
tion for us.” Warbird Workshop is available to watch
on demand.Q
The Wessex is part of an expanding

SAFETY

THE NIGERIAN PILOT WHO SAVED

PASSENGERS

C
aptain Simisola Ajibola
was born into a family of
aviators. She and her siblings
Ademola and Adeoye took after
their father, a retired pilot.
It was no surprise Ajibola
became the hero pilot whose
shrewd judgement averted
a crash at the Murtala
Mohammed International
Airport in Lagos, Nigeria. Flying
about 133 passengers aboard
the Air Peace Boeing 737 which
lost its tyres after crash-landing
at the Airport facility, Ajibola
expertly brought the near-fatal
incident under control, thus
saving the lives of those aboard
amid poor visibility and bad
weather.
“The aircraft landed hard,
causing the nose wheels to
separate from the strut. All
133 passengers and six crew
disembarked safely, although
there was extensive damage to
the runway and plane,” was how Ajibola became the first woman captain to be decorated
a local newspaper described the by Air Peace Airlines in 2018 after joining the airline
incident in 2019. Q in February 2017 as a Senior First Officer (SFO)

World Airnews | May Extra 2020

—7—
 NEWS DIGITAL

AFRAA DEVELOPS A COVID-19

RECOVERY PLAN

A
FRAA, in support to its members
during these exceptional circumstances
of COVID-19 pandemic, held a webinar
as part of urgent, immediate and
consistent actions for the survival of
the industry.
Held under the theme, “Navigating
COVID-19 pandemic and preparing
for recovery post-crisis” provided
a platform for AFRAA to document
valuable inputs from airlines that
form part of the recovery plan for
the rebound of the Airline industry.
AFRAA secretary general
Abderahmane Berthe said,
“The world is experiencing the
adverse impact of the Coronavirus
(COVID-19) pandemic and the
aviation industry is amongst the
worst impacted. The African
Airlines Association is in solidarity
with the rest of the world in collab-
orative efforts to support the airline
industry during these difficult times.”
He said for African economies to
recover, a vibrant aviation industry will be
critical given the sector’s significant role in
economic and social development.
A number of subject matter experts
made presentations on how African airlines
can create and implement their recovery
plans on areas such as: fleet and network
repositioning, finance and cash flow issues,
fuel trends and fuel efficiency measures
among others.
A recovery plan that outlines a frame-
work of actions to be taken by AFRAA and
other stakeholders was one of the key
outcomes of the session.
Since the onset of the crisis, AFRAA
has taken various initiatives to date
and is working closely with key air
transport institutions and partners to
find workable solutions to ensure the
sector’s resilience to the pandemic and
for post recovery efforts.
In collaboration with the United
Nations Commission for Africa
(UNECA), AFRAA is currently conduct-
ing a survey to quantify the impact
of COVID-19 on African Airlines. The
results will be part of the inputs for
AFRAA’s lobbying efforts for financial
support from governments to airlines.
Airlines and stakeholders at the
webinar stressed the need for a
co-ordinated effort and a collaborative
approach to ensure the sustainability
of the airline industry.
The webinar concluded with a
recovery plan that outlined a framework of
action to be taken by AFRAA in collabora-
tion with various stakeholders. Q

CHALLENGE
JOIN AEROBILITY’S SPIRIT OF
AVIATION CHALLENGE

A erobility announced its Spirit of Aviation challenge to

support disabled people who might find self-isolation during the
Covid-19 crisis tougher than most of us.
Open to anyone, the challenge is to build; launch and film a plane
at home before uploading it to Aerobility’s open Face book Group,
‘Spirit of Aviation’, using #FLYAEROBILITY.
For some, this may be a paper plane, while for others it may get
more technical, however the aircraft must be made from everyday
materials found at home and all planes will be judged equally by
Aerobility’s panel of experts for their ability in the air as well as
their style and design.
The winner will get the chance to fly in a light aircraft with
squadron leader Martin Pert, team leader of the Red Arrows while
the winning plane will be showcased at Aerobility’s headquarters
in Blackbushe, Hampshire.
This is an ideal opportunity for the aviation industry to get
behind the UK’s leading disabled flying charity, to help them get
through these difficult times and to remain able to support the
UK’s disabled flying community.
Companies can invite their staff to get involved and can support
the charity directly with much needed donations.
An information pack which includes the basics of aerodynamics
and schematics for different types of paper planes is provided and
ongoing daily content for continued learning and entertainment
through Aerobility’s social media channels.
By uploading videos of the planes during construction, testing
and flight phases, friends, family, neighbours and work colleagues
can follow their progress and get involved with the challenge while
still practicing social distancing.
They can also contribute to the charity by sponsoring the plane
they're following at https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/
flyaerobility.
If you’re unable to build an aircraft you can still support this very
worthy aviation charity by donating on the same Just Giving page.
Mike Miller-Smith, Chief Executive Aerobility said, “Aerobility
brings the magic of flying to anyone with any disability and we’re
working hard to continue these services during the Covid-19
pandemic.
“But we do need the public’s help to support our disabled flyers
during this period of extended isolation. So please give whatever
you can by donating via JustGiving. Your friends and family can
show their support for your aircraft by donating and leaving a
message too.”
For more information about how to get involved and to
download a pack click here: https://www.aerobility.com/thespiri-
tofaviation. Entries are open until June 30th. Q

World Airnews | May Extra 2020

—8—
 NEWS DIGITAL

BOEING RECEIVES P-8A POSEIDON

CONTRACT

T
he US Navy has awarded Boeing a (US) $1.5 billion produc-
tion contract for the next 18 P-8A Poseidon aircraft. The contract
includes eight aircraft for the US navy, six aircraft for the Republic
of Korea navy and four aircraft for the Royal New Zealand air
force.
The Republic of Korea navy and Royal New Zealand air force
acquired the aircraft through the foreign military sales process
and will receive the same P-8A Poseidon variant designed and
produced for the US navy. The Royal New Zealand air force is
expected to begin receiving aircraft in 2022 and the Republic of
Korea navy is expected to begin receiving aircraft in 2023.
The P-8 is a proven long-range multi-mission maritime patrol
aircraft capable of broad-area, maritime and littoral operations.
A military derivative of the Boeing 737 Next-Generation airplane,
the P-8 combines superior performance and reliability with an
advanced mission system that ensures maximum interoperability
in the battle space.
The P-8 is militarized with maritime weapons, a modern open
mission system architecture and commercial-like support for
affordability. The aircraft is modified to include a bomb bay and
pylons for weapons. It has two weapons stations on each wing and
can carry 129 sono buoys. The aircraft is also fitted with an in-flight
refuelling system.
With more than 254,000 flight hours to date, the P-8A Poseidon
and P-8I variants patrol the globe performing anti-submarine and
anti-surface warfare; intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance;
humanitarian; and search and rescue missions. Q

NEWS AIRPORT SECURITY GUARDS

PATROL THE STREETS

A
irport security guards
are hitting New Zealand streets
thanks to a deal hammered out
with police.
Aviation Security Service
(Avsec) Wellington station
manager Warwick Burr said up
to 500 staff nationwide found
themselves with little to do as
the Covid-19 crisis took hold
and most plane travel was
cancelled.
But a deal had been worked
out with police where the Avsec
guards acted as the "eyes and
ears" for police.
Each policing district was
using the new resource a little
differently, Burr said.
This meant in Wellington,
staff were patrolling suburbs
and part of the central city, in
Auckland they were going out
in patrol cars with police and, in
some parts of the South Island,
police had provided cars for
Avsec officers to do patrols.
While they could not make
arrests, they could notify police
of trouble. They were also able
to do isolation checks, guard
quarantine and isolation hotels,
and educate people breaching
lockdown rules.
All staff had been instructed
to stay out of dangerous
situations.
Their wages were being
paid by Avsec, a Crown entity
funded though passenger
levies. Q

World Airnews | May Extra 2020

—9—
 NEWS DIGITAL
AIR CANADA SUSPENDS ALL
FLIGHTS TO THE US
A ir Canada has announced that
it would entirely suspend scheduled
transborder flights after April 26. The move
comes after Canada and the United States
agreed to travel restrictions between the
two countries.
ANOTHER QUIET MONTH
According to a press release, the flag carrier
of Canada plans to resume operations
to its neighbouring nation on May 22.
Nonetheless, with the outbreak still in full
swing in the US, it wouldn’t be a surprise
to see restrictions extended once again,
which will force the suspensions to remain
in place.
The United States currently has over
678,000 active cases, and there is still
uncertainty about how the outbreak will
unfold over the next few months.
Air Canada had already significantly
reduced its services following the rise of
the pandemic. Low demand and global
travel restrictions forced it to ground much
of its fleet. However, it was still flying
across the border over the last month
despite the respective restriction policies
in place.
“Since March 16, Air Canada has reduced
its schedule by more than 90 percent as a
result of COVID-19,” Air Canada said within
its press release.
“Following the initial announcement of
U.S.-Canada travel restrictions on March
21, Air Canada maintained limited service
to 11 US destinations from its three
Canadian hubs, primarily to facilitate the
repatriation of Canadians,”
INTERNATIONAL PRESENCE
The operator wasn’t just performing
homecoming flights between the two
countries. Around 6,600 Canadian
residents had been returned home from
Morocco, Spain, Ecuador, Peru, Algeria,
Argentina, and Colombia.
Even though Air Canada is truly a global
player, due to its proximity, it naturally
would be relying on the US a significant
portion of its international income.
World Airnews | May Extra 2020
— 10 —
By Sumit Rehal
Therefore, the firm will be keeping a close
eye on the progress of the fight against the
virus over the next few weeks.
Anyone affected by the suspensions in
place will have their change fees waived
during this period. This process will help
passengers reschedule their travel with no
extra charges. Additionally, customers are
encouraged to visit Air Canada’s website for
more information on the airline’s rebooking
policies and revised schedule.
THE FIGHT CONTINUES
The pandemic continues to rock the
aviation industry across the globe. April
was always going to be a crucial month for
the market, as several authorities were due
to review their travel policies.
With the restrictions mostly extended,
groundings will now continue longer while
the world tries to find a solution to the
issues at hand. With repatriation flights
coming to an end, there may even be fewer
aircraft in the skies. Q
Article courtesy: https://simpleflying.
com/
 NEWS DIGITAL
AIR CARGO, LOGISTICS CRUCIAL
IN MITIGATING PANDEMIC
IMPACTS
Stakeholders urge collaboration, technology to keep essential
T he COVID-19 pandemic and
global lockdowns have challenged
Africa’s air cargo and logistics
stakeholders in recent weeks, but
through collaboration, agility and the
use of digital technologies, they are
ably delivering on their mandate to
supply critical goods.
This is according to industry players
who participated in a webinar hosted
by Logistics Update Africa, partners of
air cargo Africa, the sector’s leading
industry exhibition and conference, on how
last-mile delivery services can keep up with
Covid-19 demand for critical medical and
food shipments.
Speakers from airports authorities,
logistics solutions providers and e-com-
merce companies in Kenya, Nigeria and
South Africa noted that adapting to the
new realities of closed air lanes and new
logistics restrictions had demanded agility
and collaboration. However, the same
collaboration and agility would serve the
industry well when normalcy returns, they
said.
With passenger flights grounded and
only limited cargo flights landing, airports
authorities in South Africa and Kenya said
they were seeing a dramatic drop in activity
at airports.
Nina Engelbrecht-Malherbe, Senior
Specialist - Cargo at Airports Company
South Africa said traffic at OR Tambo
international airport had dropped from
around 650 movements per day to around
30 - 40 per day.
“What’s keeping us busy is the essentials,
and we are even seeing passenger aircraft
now transporting essential goods in and
out of airports, so the cargo precincts are
still abuzz.”
Jacob Bwana, Commercial Manager Cargo
at the Kenya Airports Authority, said the
pandemic had illustrated that air cargo and
its associated logistics network was critical
goods supply chains moving
for both commercial and humanitarian
purposes. “A key lesson in this time has
been the need for solid business conti-
nuity plans to mitigate risk and support
stakeholders,” he said. On the question
of increasing costs, he noted: “Scarcity
creates increasing prices, and increases
the risk of spoilage, so this is unavoidable.
However, we hope to see demand and
supply coming back to equilibrium when we
return to normalcy. A crisis is not a time to
compete, but to collaborate to save lives.”
With reports indicating that air cargo
capacity remains 35% lower than last
year across all trade lanes around the
world, global stakeholders and industry
bodies have also emphasized the need for
industry collaboration and communication.
The International Air Cargo Association
(TIACA) has urged the air cargo industry
to collaborate to keep fuelling trade and
ensuring the supply of critical goods, while
the International Air Transport Association
(IATA) has called for greater coordination
between governments to ensure that air
freight can continue to flow.
OVERCOMING LAST MILE CHALLENGES
While fewer flights mean the potential for
increased efficiency in offloading and distri-
bution of goods, lockdowns and restriction
of movement have created bottlenecks
and challenges for road freight and last
mile players, the speakers said. Among
these challenges was compliance with
World Airnews | May Extra 2020
— 11 —
new regulations that restrict movement
across borders or during certain hours of
the day. However, close collaboration and
consultation with governments and value
chains had helped to overcome last mile
challenges.
Kagure Wamunyu, Chief Strategy Officer
at Kobo360, said digital collaboration
via Kobo360’s aggregation platform had
enabled logistics services to maximize
capacity and avoid delays that could have
increased costs and slowed the delivery of
essential goods. “For example, truck drivers
could be required to go into quarantine
for 14 days when crossing a border, so by
sharing information and working together,
companies can arrange for a local driver to
take over at the border, to avoid the delay.”
Tolulope George-Yanwah, Country
Manager Nigeria at Jumia Services, said the
current crisis was underlining the critical
role e-commerce plays, and logistics has
been its enabler.
Suzette Scheepers, CEO of Messe
Muenchen South Africa, organisers of air
cargo Africa, says supply chains are more
important than ever before.
Air cargo Africa, to be staged in
Johannesburg from February 9-11 2021,
will bring together industry stakeholders
from across the value chain to discuss the
challenges, solutions and opportunities in a
fast changing market. Q
For more information, go to https://
aircargoafrica.aero/
 NEWS DIGITAL

HOW TARGET DRONES ARE USED

IN AEROSPACE TESTING
Remotely-controlled aircraft have provided targets for weapons
trials since the 1950s. Today’s weapons manufacturers and
militaries employ a variety of aerial, land and surface targets in
trials

by Paul Eden

J
une 26 1935, a de Havilland DH.82B Queen Bee lifts off
at Farnborough, UK in the first demonstration of the type’s
remote-control system. Flown via push buttons on a specially
designed panel, the aircraft manoeuvres around the airfield before
returning to land on its wheeled undercarriage.
Designed and built as a practice tool for anti-aircraft gunners,
the Queen Bee paved the way for similar conversions of existing,
usually surplus military aircraft and the post-war development of
more specialised ‘drones’ for military training or trials.
Capability, performance and cost, bearing in mind success are
most often measured in the craft’s own destruction, have always
driven the production of remotely controlled targets. Latterly, as
guidance systems moved from air-to-air and surface-to-air missiles
into precise air-to-ground munitions, the requirements of aircraft
weapons trials and for target drones changed.
Laser and electro-optically guided air-to-ground weapons
appeared operationally during the 1960s and had matured by the
time of the 1991 Gulf War. Subsequently, a new breed of weapon
emerged, capable of engaging manoeuvring surface targets
moving at speed. Proving such systems has brought dedicated land
and surface vehicles into the aerospace testing remit.
GLOBAL REQUIREMENTS
In 2016, Meggitt Aerospace sold its Target Systems business to
QinetiQ in a £57.5 million (US) $75 million deal. QinetiQ Target
Systems (QTS) offers aerial, land and surface (maritime) targets and
has continued to invest in new capabilities and systems. It supplies
its products off the shelf or within a bespoke service for individual
trials.
Jules Werner, business development manager, QinetiQ Target
Systems, said, “Customers come to us with a set of requirements.
We work to understand exactly what they’re trying to achieve,
then our field services people pack everything together. It’s like
a Formula 1 team, with all the equipment and control systems
deployed in a series of trucks.
“Typically, we deploy a five or eight person team, depending on
the requirements and number of targets. We often send teams and
equipment to overseas locations and currently operate in more
than 40 countries.
“At the end of the trial, we de-rig, load the equipment back in the
trucks and ship it back to our facilities. The customer receives a set
of results and has the opportunity to witness whatever aspect of
the trial they need to see.”
Fundamentally, there is no difference between flying a drone
as a target for weapons practice compared to flying for training
purposes, but Werner said QTS always listens carefully to its

The Barracuda USV-T is

powered so it can tow multiple
targets(Photo: QTS)

World Airnews | May Extra 2020

— 12 —
 NEWS DIGITAL
customers’ requirements.
“We might do a series of tracking runs if that is what is needed.
Sometimes the trial calls for the target’s destruction, sometimes
it doesn’t, but we always consider that a target has a working
lifetime, is built to a certain cost and isn’t designed to be used for
many years,” he said.
SURFACE TARGETS
A variety of Unmanned Surface Vehicle-Targets (USV-T) options
is available for engagement by naval, vehicle and other military
systems, and from the air. And while it is perhaps more relevant to
military training exercises, QTS has the ability to operate multiple
surface targets - as many as 40 simultaneously.
Surface targets may be engaged from the air, providing a more
serious challenge for missiles that are designed to track and
destroy fast-moving vehicles. Interestingly, the naval targets are
also offered for trials of weapons designed for use against land
targets.
“We can simulate a fast-moving land target at sea, which may
The DC-130 was modified to launch target drones, in this case the
World Airnews | May Extra 2020
— 13—
This BQM-34A Firebee I
was supporting US Pacific
Air Force Command
operations in 1984 (Photo:
SSGT Daniel Perez/USAF)
help avoid the complications of carrying out such trials on land,”
Werner said.
Like its range of aerial targets, QTS designs and builds its surface
targets rather than modifying existing vehicles. Targets are
also equipped to employ additional features, such as jamming,
augmented radar signature and configurable electromagnetic
emissions.
“Since we’re simulating a threat, the target also needs to
manoeuvre like the threat system. Operators at the target control
station might, with an aerial target for example, manoeuvre it in an
attempt to defeat the weapons system under test,” Werner said.
“For an aerial target we’ll establish exactly what type of profile
the customer wants the target to fly, and then one of our pilots
will control it, knowing all the time where it is. The process is very
similar for a surface target.”
The target operating crew always remains in contact with the
customer throughout. This means if a technical issue arises with
the target or a test point is missed, arranging a repeat run is
relatively simple.
BQM-34S Firebee (Photo: PHCS RL Lawson/US Navy)
 NEWS DIGITAL
With more complex systems, there is a higher
chance of a technical glitch. The test can also be
modified while out in the field.
Werner said, “For example, when we’re working
with a ship, a sensor might fail and the customer will
ask us to change the target’s tracking or behaviour.
We’re so close to the customer we can adapt the
profile even during a firing run.”
AERIAL TARGETS
The aerial targets QTS produces may be launched
from land or sea, offering considerable flexibility in
settling customer requirements.
In the case of Rattler, aerial launch is another possi-
bility. Overseas trials occasionally present difficulties
in terms of locating and securing suitable operating
areas, and the ability to move a trial from one place to another,
with viable launch options, is a great facilitator.
Meggitt developed the Banshee target, which QTS continues to
offer and develop as its smallest aerial target, or UAV-T.
The basic propeller driven model is joined by a selection of
jet-powered derivatives, offering higher speeds, but also generat-
ing the IR signature associated with a jet. They may be equipped
with the company’s Hot Nose system, capable of generating a 360°
IR signature.
“This year we launched the Banshee Next Generation, a
high-performance target, but we also have the Rattler, which is
supersonic. We look ahead and speak with our customers to define
the threats of the future.
“We’re always conscious of cost. A system costing £3 million (US)
$4 million per ‘kill’ would be unaffordable so we look carefully at
the prices customers might be willing to pay.”
AN INCREASING CHALLENGE
The requirement for creating technology that will challenge a high-
tech weapons system and generate data in the process, combined
with the need to create a replaceable, essentially throw-away
target, is particularly challenging.
Customers typically use targets to prove manufacturer’s
claims for a weapons system and QTS equips them accordingly.
Equipment fit, data collection and data transmission will vary
depending on range facilities and much of the technology is
sensitive.
Werner said, “We put sensors and recording equipment onto
HELICOPTERS
ROBINSON DELIVERS SIX
HELICOPTERS
R obinson Helicopter Company has delivered three R44
Cadets and three R22s to Robinson dealer General Aviation
Services of Hunan, China.
This marks the first delivery of an R44 Cadet to China.
All six helicopters were ordered on behalf of YiFei General
Aviation Company which specialises in helicopter management,
operation, and training.
YiFei has been using Robinsons since 2016. Impressed by the
helicopters’ performance, the company elected to purchase
World Airnews | May Extra 2020
— 14 —
Among the latest QTS products,
Rattler’s ground launch capability
was added in 2018
(Photo: QTS)
targets and customers have their own too, often recording data
during flight. They’ll want to know what happened when the
weapon hit and what happened beforehand. If it didn’t hit, they’ll
want to know why. They’ll also assess how close the weapon came
and we can install equipment that will tell them that. Customers
look for similar data from surface and land targets too.”
As weapons systems evolve, so do the requirements QTS’s
customers place on the targets. Werner said, “We’ve seen
fast-moving patrol craft become a threat, for example, and
developed Hammerhead to simulate them.
“In the future customers will want faster, more manoeuvrable
targets with low radar cross section, capable of simulating
fast-moving missiles that might threaten shipping from land or air.”
In its Rattler ground/air-launched supersonic target QTS has a
versatile target capable of exceeding Mach 2.0. Much of its flex-
ibility comes from distinct launch profiles, either from land/ship,
or beneath a Banshee Jet 80. In the latter case, the Banshee may
assume the role of a missile-firing aircraft, releasing the Rattler at
stand-off range against a ship to simulate a supersonic weapon,
and then turning away. Depending on the scenario, the result could
set the defenders the double challenge of defeating the Rattler and
preventing the Banshee escaping to return another day.
It’s a complex target system that QTS invested in after talking
closely with its customers. That policy echoes through the
company’s offering, which Werner said also benefits from the
resources of the wider QinetiQ organisation. The result is not only
an essential trial and training tool kit, but also a fully deployable
trial support organisation. Q
additional R22s and the R44 Cadets, bringing its current
Robinson fleet to nine.
YiFei president, Qian JiYun, stated his goal is to provide
students with the most technologically advanced training
helicopters in China.
YiFei’s chief pilot Li ZhiYu said he believed the Cadets will
allow students to transition easily into larger helicopters.
Robinson Helicopter Company along with its international
dealer network is proud to further the advancement of flight
training by providing high quality, reliable helicopters to flight
schools around the world. Q
 NEWS DIGITAL
THE MAX RETURNS TO A
CHANGED WORLD
W hen the next Boeing 737 MAX
rolls off the assembly line sometime later
this year, it will roll into a very different
world than when production was paused in
mid-January.
Questions about whether customers will
want MAXs are being replaced by whether
they need them, as global demand for
passenger travel has plummeted and is
not expected to come back quickly. Once
airlines and lessors re-assess their needs,
Boeing will have some work to do, aligning
suddenly reduced demand for new aircraft
with monthly production rates.
In the MAX’s case, the model’s troubles
gave Boeing a head start it didn’t know it
needed. Had the MAX not been grounded
in March 2019 following two fatal
accidents, the company’s plan to boost
production to 57 aircraft/month later in
the year probably would have stayed in
place. Instead, the grounding and related
production slowdown - Boeing cut its
MAX rate to 42/month from 52/month
in April 2019- reduced the number of
MAXs heading out to airlines. The January
shutdown halted it.
For most affected airlines, not having
their share of more than 800 MAXs - the
387 grounded and another 420 or so built
by Boeing since the grounding but not
delivered- was a growth-constraining
burden. Now, it’s a blessing.
With passenger traffic unlikely to reach
2019’s levels (let alone 2018, the last cal-
endar year not affected by the constraining
MAX groundings) for several years, airlines
and lessors must re-work fleet plans on the
fly. Less of everything is a good bet.
Analysts at Bernstein see Boeing
delivering about 2,700 MAXs through
2024, including 86 this year. The projected
ramp-up would see Boeing get back to its
previous high-water production mark of
52/month in 2024 (and then jump to 57/
year in 2025).
Canaccord Genuity is less optimistic.
The firm sees about 2,100 MAXs going to
airlines between now and 2025, including
just 36 this year. In Canaccord’s scenario,
Boeing’s peak MAX monthly production
rate during the next five years is about 50/
month.
Had Boeing reached 57/month last year
and kept that rate until 2025, it would have
produced 3,420 MAXs during the current
World Airnews | May Extra 2020
— 15 —
Sean Broderick
five-year run. Under either the Bernstein
or Canaccord scenarios, Boeing would
have had to shed hundreds of MAXs from
its near-term skyline, via cancellations or
deferrals, to match supply with demand.
Customers are already on the job.
Through the end of March, Boeing’s
year-to-date 737 backlog had fallen by 314
aircraft, or 309 more than the total number
delivered (while MAX deliveries are on
hold, Boeing is still handing over P-8s and
delivered its last two 737NGs, to China
Eastern, in January). On April 17, mega-les-
sor GECAS cut its MAX commitment by 69
aircraft.
There are plenty more order book
adjustments to come.
Boeing said it would call workers back
to the MAX production line starting April
20. It plans a long, slow ramp-up that may
not see the first aircraft roll out for a few
months. It has plenty of time to spare.
Back in January, when Boeing announced
plans to pause the line, management
assumed the largest impediment to
ramping up MAX production quickly would
be the supply chain’s ability to keep pace.
Whether customers needed the aircraft
was a non-issue. Now, it’s the main one. Q
 NEWS DIGITAL

SUMITOMO ACQUIRES STAKE IN

ONESKY
By Brian Garrett-Glaser

J
Working with
Bell and Japan
apanese conglomerate Sumitomo Airlines, Sumitomo
Corporation has acquired a stake in OneSky intends to build
Systems, a developer of unmanned traffic the infrastructure
and regulatory
management (UTM) services and analytics,
environment
as part of its Series A fundraiser. Sumitomo necessary for an
recently partnered with Bell, developer of aerial mobility
the APT unmanned cargo drone and Nexus network for cargo
electric air taxi, along with Japan Airlines and passenger
to create an on-demand mobility network drones - a mission
in Japan. which will require
OneSky was established by Analytical UTM services like
Graphics Inc. (AGI) in January 2018 to those offered by
apply its suite of software products to air OneSky.
navigation services, including airspace In January, Bell
management, real-time flight monitoring announced it is
and collision avoidance. building AerOS, a
In May 2019, the company announced it software ‘operating
had begun live flight testing using its UTM system’ to manage
platform in partnership with Northeast UAS and optimize UAM
Airspace Integration Research (NUAIR) and vehicle operations,
including fleet maintenance, passenger-fac- as a developmental airspace simulation
Griffiss International Airport in Rome, New
ing interactions and vehicle deconfliction partner for its initial Urban Air Mobility
York.
services. Grand Challenge event, also including Bell
"We are very pleased to become as a vehicle provider information exchange
part-owner of OneSky Systems," Kevin "In the journey to bring Advanced Air partner.
Hyuga, general manager of construction Mobility to reality, Sumitomo offers a wide
array of capabilities to the relationship with OneSky did not disclose the total amount
and transportation systems at Sumitomo
Bell spanning a breadth of infrastructure raised in its Series A or other participating
Corporation of Americas, said of the new
provisions and use case applications," a investors besides Sumitomo.
acquisition stake.
representative for Bell told Avionics. In March, Sumitomo also announced
"Sumitomo has a longstanding history
"AerOS is designed as a digital platform investment in Origin Wireless, a developer
in transportation, including the aerospace
that is capable of integrating a diverse of advanced wireless sensing technologies
market. We see significant potential in
set of services that can include, but is not that can leverage 5G connectivity. Q
growing and scaling OneSky's capabilities
so that it can support the air mobility needs limited to, UTM providers like OneSky." Article courtesy: https://www.aviation-
of the future." In March, NASA announced OneSky today.com/

NEWS DIGITAL BOEING TERMINATES AGREEMENT WITH

EMBRAER

B
oeing has announced that it has terminated its Master
Transaction Agreement (MTA) with Embraer, under which the
two companies sought to establish a new level of strategic
partnership. The parties had planned to create a joint venture
comprising Embraer's commercial aviation business and a second
joint venture to develop new markets for the C-390 Millennium
medium airlift and air mobility aircraft.
Under the MTA, April 24, 2020, was the initial termination date,
subject to extension by either party if certain conditions were
met. Boeing exercised its rights to terminate after Embraer did not
satisfy the necessary conditions.
"Boeing has worked diligently over more than two years to
finalize its transaction with Embraer. Over the past several months,
we had productive but ultimately unsuccessful negotiations about
unsatisfied MTA conditions. We all aimed to resolve those by the
initial termination date, but it didn't happen," said Marc Allen,
president of Embraer Partnership & Group Operations.
"It is deeply disappointing. "
The planned partnership between Boeing and Embraer had
received unconditional approval from all necessary regulatory
authorities, with the exception of the European Commission.
Boeing and Embraer will maintain their existing Master Teaming
Agreement, originally signed in 2012 and expanded in 2016, to
jointly market and support the C-390 Millennium military aircraft.
Q

World Airnews | May Extra 2020

— 16 —
 NEWS DIGITAL
AIR MAURITIUS PLACED INTO
ADMINISTRATION
T
he current crisis in the aviation
industry seems to have suddenly caught up
with several airlines. As of today, Mauritian
airline Air Mauritius has been placed into
administration. The airline’s board came to
a decision following “a complete erosion of
the company’s revenue base.”
Air Mauritius has become the second
airline to enter administration proceedings
in as many days voluntarily. Yesterday
Australian carrier Virgin Australia also
entered voluntary administration caused
by the current crisis. It looks as though
other airlines could also suffer similar fates
before the crisis is over.
ENTERING VOLUNTARY
ADMINISTRATION
According to the letter issued by the Air
Mauritius board of directors, the African
airline has been placed into voluntary
administration. This action has been
taken to safeguard the airline, given the
current situation. According to the letter,
Mr. A. Sattar Hajee Abdoula, FCA, and Mr.
Arvindsingh K. Gokhool, FCCA of Grant
Thornton have been appointed as the
airline’s administrators.
The administration proceedings have
come as a direct result of the current
situation being faced by the aviation
industry as a whole. In its letter, the airline
stated that its entire revenue base had
been eroded. The erosion has been caused
by a decrease in demand tied to many
different travel bans enacted by separate
national governments. The airline believes
that demand will not begin to return until
the end of 2020.
WHO IS AIR MAURITIUS?
Air Mauritius was formed in 1967 as a
joint venture between Air France, BOAC
(the British Airways predecessor), and
the Mauritian government. However, the
African airline didn’t begin to operate
services until half a decade later in 1972.
A year later, the airline started services to
London via Nairobi with a Vickers VC10.
This was upgraded two years later to a
Boeing 707.
According to data from Planespotters, the
airline’s current fleet consists of 13 aircraft:
• 3x ATRs;
World Airnews | May Extra 2020
— 17 —
By Tom Boon
• 2x Airbus A319;
• 4x Airbus A330;
• 2x Airbus A340;
• 2x Airbus A350s.
Also, South African Airways has leased
two Airbus A350s from Air Mauritius. These
aircraft are quite new, with both under half
a year old. However, South African Airways’
future also currently doesn’t look bright.
Two of the airline’s Airbus A330 aircraft are
relatively new A330neos with an average
age of 1 year each. In total, the airline’s
average fleet age is 11.3 years.
AIR MAURITIUS IS NOT ALONE
Air Mauritius is not alone in entering
administration proceedings. Just yesterday,
Virgin Australia also entered voluntary
administration. Virgin was also tipped over
the edge by the current pandemic-induced
crisis.
Meanwhile, the future isn’t looking too
rosy for South African Airways, who lease
two of Air Mauritius’ Airbus A350s. The
airline has now been cut off from govern-
ment support. Additionally, last weekend
we reported that it would lay off all of its
staff by the end of March. Q
 NEWS DIGITAL
NEWS
BOEING ANNOUNCES KEY
ORGANISATION, LEADERSHIP
CHANGES
B
oeing has announced key organisation and leadership
changes aimed at driving greater cross-company integration and
continuous improvement; aligning enterprise services to current
business conditions while increasing value; streamlining senior
leadership roles and responsibilities; and preparing now for the
post-pandemic industry footprint. The changes are effective May
1.
A newly formed group - Enterprise Operations, Finance and
Strategy - will consolidate several important areas, bringing
together teams responsible for manufacturing, supply chain and
operations, finance, enterprise performance, strategy, enterprise
services and administration.
Led by Greg Smith, executive vice president, Enterprise
Operations, and chief financial officer, this new global organisation
will embed operational excellence and consistent lean principles
across Boeing and its supply chain, and restore production and
supply chain health as Boeing and the broader aerospace industry
recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Corporate audit will join Smith's new group and continue to
report directly to the Boeing board of directors audit committee
as it does today, providing independent, objective assurance and
advisory services to improve company operations.
Jenette Ramos, senior vice president of manufacturing, supply
chain and operations, will bring 34 years of Boeing experience,
leadership and operational skills to a special assignment in support
of Smith and Boeing president and CEO David Calhoun.
The company also is combining its legal and core compliance
programmes, including global trade controls, ethics and business
conduct, into a single organisation led by Brett Gerry, chief legal
officer and executive vice president of global compliance.
This approach will enhance Boeing's already strong compliance
World Airnews | May Extra 2020
— 18—
THE
CARGOAIR
BOEING 737
This amazing photo of a CargoAir Boeing
737 freighter that was operating a flight for
DHL taking off was submitted from Malta.
With their fleet being much busier during
this time due to the Covid-19 pandemic,
DHL resorted to some third party operators
to fill the gap. Photo by Rowen Aquilina
and internal governance programme through focused account-
ability for, and a more integrated approach to, Boeing compliance
responsibilities.
To accelerate this important work and to build on the existing
strength of its compliance and ethics program, Boeing soon will
name a chief compliance officer who will be responsible for leading
the company's compliance, ethics and trade control activities. This
person will report to Gerry, with a direct reporting line to Calhoun
and the board's audit committee on compliance and ethics issues.
Finally, Boeing government operations, led by executive vice
president Tim Keating, will assume responsibility for the company's
global spectrum management activities, which ensure the safe,
efficient and compliant use of radio frequency spectrum in Boeing
products and operations.
"I am confident these changes will drive greater alignment
among our functions; better equip our commercial, defence and
space, and services businesses to deliver on customer commit-
ments in a changing marketplace; and support our continuous
efforts to develop talent through challenging leadership assign-
ments," said Calhoun.
"Special thanks to Greg, Brett, Tim and Jenette for taking on new
leadership responsibilities."
Co-inciding with these organisation changes, Diana Sands, senior
vice president of the office of internal governance and administra-
tion, has decided to retire from Boeing later this year after nearly
20 years with the company and following a thorough transition of
responsibilities.
"Over the past two decades, Diana has played a key role in
developing an industry-leading ethics and compliance program,
served in several critical finance roles and been a strong advocate
for advancing diversity and inclusion across the company," said
Calhoun.
"The Boeing Board of Directors and I are deeply grateful for
Diana's leadership, integrity and dedicated service." Q
 NEWS DIGITAL
ELECTRONICALLY STEERABLE
ANTENNAS – ESSENTIAL OR
EXPENSIVE GIMMICK?
O
ne of the hottest topics in IFEC last
year and a running theme as we move
through 2020 is the Electronically Steered
Antenna, or ESA.
Numerous companies are pedalling hard
to bring the first fully functioning ESA to
market, eyeing airlines as key customers for
this future technology.
But why is the ESA such a good fit for
aircraft, and is it the key to the future of
in-flight connectivity?
THE BENEFITS OF ESA FOR AIRCRAFT
One of the biggest issues with the current
line-up of connectivity solutions is the
negative consequences of sticking a
radome on a plane.
Aircraft manufacturers take painstaking
care to build in optimum aerodynamics, in
order to reduce fuel burn and create the
most efficient airframe possible. Adding
a bulky radome to the fuselage increases
drag, and therefore fuel burn.
The solution to this is projected to be
the Electronically Steerable Antenna (ESA).
These small, lightweight and low profile
antennas are capable of directing a narrow
beam over a sector angle, giving coverage
as good, if not better, than a sector antenna
but all in a much smaller package.
For most companies developing this
technology, the form of the ESA is a super
low profile flat panel. In February this year,
Phased-Array Aero Antennas Ready Now For Low-Earth Orbit Satellites
Mitsubishi unveiled an ESA less than 3cm
tall which uses active tracking to boost
satellite acquisition speeds.
However, some companies, such as
Phasor, are working to bring to market
an ESA that conforms to the shape of the
fuselage.
This characteristic would further reduce
drag, whilst still providing powerful
satellite tracking capabilities. Phasor’s
ESA achieved ISO9001 certification last
summer, and has been said to be on track
to launch sometime in 2021.
DOES IT NEED TO BE ELECTRONICALLY
STEERABLE THOUGH?
The big question remains whether the
future aircraft antenna needs to be
electronically steerable. Sure, a very low
profile and negligible drag are key features,
but that’s proven to be possible with
standard Ka-band antennas anyhow.
At the start of this year, ThinKom
undertook an aerodynamic study of its
Ka2517 antenna, with real-life testing on
board some of the most popular regional
jets in the US. The results indicated a near
zero drag for the super thin radome, which
bodes well for the future of non-steerable
antenna too.
Steerable antennas, in theory at least,
should be an enabler for much higher
speed and more reliable in-flight Wi-Fi.
In tests, Gilat proved its ESA to achieve
speeds of greater than 1GB over LEO
satellites, and secured the accolade of
World Airnews | May Extra 2020
— 19—
By Joanna Bailey
completing the first ESA in flight operations
at the end of last year.
However, along with the purported
benefits of the ESA, there are some
downsides too. ESA’s generate a lot of heat
and draw down a great deal of power; two
issues that are yet to be adequately solved.
The antennas are also more complex than
standard technology, which indicates there
will be a price penalty to pay too.
However, this last point is not confirmed
yet, which brings us nicely on to the main
issue with the ESA.
Right now, there is not a single ESA
licensed and available for sale for commer-
cial aircraft. While a lot is being done by a
multitude of would-be suppliers, it’s still
likely to be a year at least before anything
is commercially available.
And all the while, satellite technology is
improving immeasurably.
Companies like SpaceX and OneWeb are
establishing the building blocks of their
LEO networks, and Inmarsat’s GX Aviation
network is on the path to complete global
coverage, with its highly elliptical orbit
polar satellites set to launch in the next 18
months.
The real question is not whether the ESA
will be the key to a better in-flight Wi-Fi
experience, but whether it will arrive in
time to be relevant at all.
Superb satellite networks may well no
longer require antennas to be steerable,
so it remains to be seen if the ESA will ever
find its niche. Q
 ADVERTORIAL
THE LARGEST GENERAL AVIATION
COMPANY IN AFRICA
N ational Airways Corporation
(NAC) is the largest general aviation
company in Africa and one of the
largest of its kind in the world.
Established in 1946, NAC’s strength
lies in the relationships it has built
over seven decades with both clients
and suppliers. These robust partner-
ships enable NAC’s experienced and
professional staff to provide market
leading, cost effective solutions
customised to our clients’ specific
requirements.
NAC was the world’s first Flight
Safety Foundation BARS Gold
Standard operator.
NAC is based at Lanseria
International Airport in Johannesburg
and operates a South African network of
offices at Rand Airport and the Ultimate
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FLIGHT OPERATIONS
INTERNATIONAL OPERATIONS
NAC is a highly versatile aviation services
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The safety of our passengers and staff
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Our staff will have all the required
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get the necessary approvals to fly critical
World Airnews | May Extra 2020
— 20—
services.
Due to the constantly evolving situation
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Our fleet consists of Pilatus PC-12 NG,
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Landline: +27 11 267 5000
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 ADVERTORIAL
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The Universal Air Evac fleet comprises
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AIR TRANSPORTATION SERVICES
• Air ambulance, including medically
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A full set of medical equipment is carried
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This equipment includes a multi-parame-
ter monitor, which includes:
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• ET CO2, SPO2, NIBP
World Airnews | May Extra 2020
— 21—
AIRCRAFT LEASING
Awesome Flight Logistics is a joint venture
with Awesome Aviation in the asset leasing
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our network of suppliers, OEM and factory
support, ensuring cost-effective "at source"
parts procurement. Q
 NEWS DIGITAL

ETHIOPIAN FINALISES
DISTRIBUTION OF SECOND JACK
MA DONATION TO AFRICA
By Özgür Töre

E
thiopian Airlines has completed the
flight and delivery of the second round
shipments of life saving medical supplies to
fight COVID-19 donated by Jack Ma to all
African countries.
The airline has released a statement
stating its appreciation to the Jack Ma
Foundation, the Ethiopian Prime Minister
Abiy Ahmed, WFP and the African CDC for
the opportunity to serve Africa, during this
unprecedented global health and economic
crisis.
“As a truly and indigenous Pan African
integration in line with the AU Vision
airline which has been serving Africa by
2063. It is a role model for what Africa
Africans, there is nothing more pleasing for
can achieve in its quest for continental
the 17,000 strong work force at Ethiopian
integration. We are also happy to see the
Airlines than coming to the rescue of
fruits of our multi-million dollar investment
our African people specially in delivering
into cargo infrastructure now coming to
lifesaving COVID-19 medical supplies,” the
save Africa from COVID-19.”
statement read.
The capacity of Ethiopian cargo and
Group CEO of Ethiopian Airlines Tewolde
logistics services in terms of dedicated
GebreMariam said “It is a special honour
staff, state-of-the art facilities and young
for the entire Ethiopian Airlines family
fleet, has designated Addis Ababa as a
to be selected as logistics partner and
humanitarian air hub by the WFP and the
distribution hub for Africa. This project
WHO to dispatch critical supplies across
which is completing its second round of
Africa. Q
shipment delivery showed the true African

NEWS DIGITAL

EABC ROOTS FOR RESCUE OF

REGIONAL AIRLINES
By Daniel Sabiiti

T
he East Africa Business Council (EABC) has requested
member states to start rethinking sustainable ways of supporting
the regional aviation business that will inevitably suffer the
COVID-19 crisis.
In a statement released on April 20th, the council recognised
the fact that East Africa Community member states have been
supporting the private sector at large through direct financing,
loan guarantees, corporate bonds and tax reliefs.
However, these measures alone, even if extended to EAC airlines
will not sufficiently address the current crisis, according to the
statement.
On this issue, EABC said that while the rest of the world has
adopted new measures to facilitate air transport, the EAC Partner
State airlines are still in the process of adapting and many of their
aircrafts remain underutilized.
For example EABC said that even with the return of Rwandair
and Kenya’s Airways to the skies being a relief for exporters; it
will soon become increasingly difficult for them to compete with
airlines that are receiving government subsidies.
As immediate terms, the council asked EAC to copy the example
of European Union (EU) of greater cooperation between East
African airlines and the international aviation community.
“Like the EU, it demands greater cooperation between East
African airlines and the international aviation community, including
air cargo and express service providers to ensure the supply and
fair distribution of scarce and essential goods,” the council said.
To achieve this cooperation, EABC said for instance, since most
passenger airplanes have been grounded due to high costs of
operation and covid-19 lockdown, they should be put to good use
as demand for export for fresh produce is anticipated to continue.
In Kenya, for example, the volume of fresh produce at Jomo
Kenyatta International Airport (JKIA) has reduced from a weekly
5,000 tonnes to 1,300 tonnes, a 75% decline with similar trends
reported across the region.
Costs, however, continue to ease with more scheduled capacity
provided by KLM, Qatar and Ethiopian Airlines.
For instance EABC said partner states should facilitate the use
of passenger aircraft for cargo-only operations, including the
re-positioning of air cargo flight crews; reduce operating costs
by waiving landing fees, excise duty on aviation fuel, navigation,
landing, parking and COVID-19 related fees.
Moreover, the council requests member states to provide
subsidies for the aviation industry in the form of direct financial
support; loan guarantees, corporate bonds and tax reliefs.
If this is done by all member states, EABC projects that EAC
airlines will increase Inter-regional Air Transport traffic and
frequencies by 41% and reduce flight time, air transport cost
(Passenger and cargo) by 10%, and creates an additional 46,320
jobs and makes $ 202.1million per annum in GDP. Q

World Airnews | May Extra 2020

— 22 —
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 NEWS DIGITAL
RUNWAY TO EXTINCTION:
L ast year, more than one million illegal wildlife products and
live animals were seized from wildlife traffickers at airports, with
approximately one seizure recorded every day.
A new analysis of wildlife trafficking seizures in air transport
reveals the illegal wildlife trade to be truly global in scope,
encompassing additional airport locations as each year goes by.
The report, Runway to Extinction: Wildlife Trafficking in the
Air Transport Sector, produced by C4ADS as part of the USAID
Reducing Opportunities for Unlawful Transport of Endangered
Species (ROUTES) Partnership, details how traffickers operating
in every populated region of the world rely on similar trafficking
methods and utilize the same vulnerabilities within the air
transport sector as traffickers of other illicit goods.
Runway to Extinction examines the trends, transit routes, and
trafficking methods used by wildlife smugglers exploiting the
aviation industry in six world regions: Africa, the Americas, Asia,
Europe, the Middle East, and Oceania.
The information in the report is complemented by the ROUTES
Dashboard, which enables visitors to filter and view information
on wildlife trafficking incidents in the air transport sector over the
World Airnews | May Extra 2020
— 24—
Airports and airlines in every region of
the world can assist with fighting wildlife
trafficking
past ten years.
"This report highlights the widespread, pervasive nature of
wildlife trafficking by air, with each major world region impacted.
Our analysis shows that traffickers of all types exploit the same
vulnerabilities within airports, often using the same trafficking
methods to circumvent law enforcement and airport authorities.
Furthermore, seizure data shows that many wildlife trafficking
networks rely on the same smuggling methods over time,
suggesting that a thorough understanding of airport-specific or
country-specific trafficking patterns could be instrumental in
reducing the air transport system's vulnerability to trafficking,"
said the report’s author Mary Utermohlen, Program Director at
C4ADS.
In addition to contributing to the extinction of endangered
species, threatening local livelihoods, and undermining regional
and global security, illegal wildlife trade is a risk factor for the
spread of zoonotic diseases. According to the Center for Disease
Control, three out of every four new or emerging infectious
diseases originate in animals. Many of the species seized in air
transport—including live birds, live reptiles and mammals are
high-risk carriers of zoonotic diseases and may end up in illegal or
unregulated markets around the world.
 NEWS DIGITAL

“Faced with the current health crisis caused by the novel traffickers.”
Covid-19 virus, the world is unfortunately grappling with the
“Traffickers are increasingly abusing transport systems to move
danger and economic turmoil that zoonotic diseases can pose.
their products quickly and securely. During the journey from
Trafficked wildlife present particular risks in this context,” said
source to market, airports may be used in transit,” said Juliana
Michelle Owen, ROUTES Lead. “By training staff to detect and
Scavuzzi, Senior Manager of Environment at Airports Council
report wildlife trafficking and working with enforcement agencies
International (ACI) World. “This provides airports with an import-
to intercept wildlife traffickers, airports and airlines can help
ant opportunity in preventing wildlife trafficking. ACI is committed
strengthen their operations and can play a role in reducing the risk
to developing a framework to fight wildlife trafficking, and support
of future outbreaks.”
our members with their efforts.”
“Many airlines recognize the need to combat wildlife trafficking
The illegal trade of wildlife is the fourth largest black market
and are stepping up as leaders in this global effort. Airline staff
in the world and impacts more than 7,000 species of animals
spend more time with passengers and baggage than customs
and plants. Runway to Extinction is the most comprehensive
authorities and can provide a key source of intelligence for
assessment of wildlife trafficking in the air transport sector to date,
enforcement agencies,” said Jon Godson, Assistant Director of
and builds on the previous ROUTES reports, Flying Under the Radar
Environment at the International Air Transport Association (IATA).
(2017) and In Plane Sight (2018).
“Also, the rapid introduction of new technology in the sector
presents an opportunity for public-private partnerships based View the full report here: https://routespartnership.org/indus-
on the smarter use of digital intelligence to apprehend wildlife try-resources/publications/runway-to-extinctionreport Q

NEWS DIGITAL

AAR MOBILITY SYSTEMS AWARDED MULTI

MILLION CONTRACT

A AR Mobility systems division, a

leading global supplier of rapid deploy-
ment equipment, has been awarded a
sole source firm-fixed-price requirements
contract that includes a base year with
four one year option periods from the US
air force for the production and repair of
463L cargo pallets.
The total contract value is (US) $125
million. The cargo pallets will be manufac-
tured and repaired in Cadillac, Michigan.
“AAR continues to produce and maintain
this strategic asset for the US air force to
ensure it meets its worldwide operational
requirements,” said Lee Krantz, senior vice
president, AAR Mobility systems.
“For many years, AAR has been proud
to provide the 463L cargo pallet to the
US Armed Forces, its allies and other US
government agencies.”
AAR has been proud to provide the 463L
systems cargo pallets to the US Armed
Forces and continues to be the world
leader in design and production.
The 463L USAF design uses a lightweight
balsa wood core that continues to
provide unparalleled strength-to-weight
performance and reliability compared to
alternative commercial pallet designs.
The pallets are designed to be loaded
and off-loaded on a variety of military and
commercial aircraft.
For more information about AAR’s
Mobility Systems, click here. Q

World Airnews | May Extra 2020

— 25—
 NEWS DIGITAL
SPRAWLING ALASKA COMPLEX
BECOMES NEWEST HOME FOR
F-35A
T ucked deep within
Alaska’s rugged interior, next
to a town named “North
Pole,” Eielson AFB may seem
an unlikely station for 54
Lockheed Martin F-35As. But
the commander of the 354th
Fighter Wing asserts the
location is more central than it
looks.
Indeed, the logic of Euclidean
geometry places Eielson within
a daylong flight, assisted by
aerial refueling, of the biggest
hot spots for the Indo-Pacific Command and European Command.
On a great circle route, the Alaskan base is closer to Taiwan than
Oahu by more than 300 nm.
To reach Estonia across the Arctic Circle, Eileson’s future F-35As
would have roughly the same ferry flight as Air National Guard
F-35As flying from Burlington, Vermont, the next-closest U.S. F-35
base.
“A lot of people think Alaska is kind of stuck in the corner of the
map. But as an airman lives, we’re actually in the middle of every-
thing,” says Col. Benjamin Bishop, the 354th Wing’s commander.
Another advantage of Eielson’s location is its neighbors.
Although a remote location, the base is less than 230 nm north of a
Lockheed Martin F-22 squadron stationed at Joint Base Elmendorf-
Richardson and adjacent to the home of the F-16-equipped 18th
Aggressor Sqdn. and, not least, the Joint Pacific Alaska Range
Complex, which is the largest U.S. instrumented training range for
air combat.
The US air force declared the F-35A operational in 2016, but
service officials are still learning how to optimize the aircraft’s
capabilities, especially in joint operations with F-22s.
“I see the F-35 really maturing in the skies of Alaska,” Bishop
says.
That maturation process is about to get started. In early April,
Lockheed transferred ownership to the Air Force of the first F-35A
bound for the newly reactivated 356th Fighter Sqdn. at Eielson.
Despite administrative disruptions caused by the response to the
novel coronavirus and resulting COVID-19 pandemic, Bishop still
expects to complete the first F-35A delivery to Eielson on schedule
in April.
The 356th should receive ownership of its first three F-35As by
the end of April.
The 356th was reactivated seven months ago with only two
employees—the squadron commander and the deputy. Since then,
the squadron has added eight trained pilots and a full complement
of trainers and maintainers, Bishop says. About 1,200 active
World Airnews | May Extra 2020
— 26 —
By Steve Trimble
duty personnel will be added to the base when the 356th and a
still-unnamed second squadron are at full strength, doubling the
size of the Alaskan base’s current workforce.
The Air Force has been preparing for Eielson’s dramatic growth
since the F-35A basing announcement in 2016. The $500 million
expansion project is made more challenging by the base’s location,
which is 1.42 deg. of latitude, or about 85 nm, further north of
Norway’s Orland Main Air Station, another F-35A base.
Norway qualified a drag parachute to slow the F-35A on icy
arctic runways in winter. The Polish Air Force adopted the same
modification with its announced F-35A selection in January, but
the U.S. Air Force decided the added weight of the drag parachute
is unnecessary. The Air Force decision is helped by the fact that
Eielson boasts one of the world’s longest runways, at 14,507 ft.,
which the base’s busy snowplows work to keep clear through the
long Alaskan winter, Bishop says. The F-35A is rated to land and
take off from surfaces with a Runway Condition Rating (RCR) of 7,
only two steps up from a completely iced-over RCR-5 surface.
“We have a whole team of airmen that are really focused on that
[snow-removal] mission alone, and it’s not just the runways. It’s
the taxiways, too,” Bishop says.
The Air Force also had to make other adjustments to the F-35A’s
standard survival gear. The 18th Aggressor Sqdn., for example,
includes a sleeping bag rated for -40F in the survival seat pack of
the F-16, designed to keep pilots warm overnight after an ejection
until they can be reached by a rescue team. But the same sleeping
bag does not fit inside the F-35A seat pack, so the base’s support
staff has stuffed the pack instead with supplemental heating
equipment.
For maintainers, the Arctic weather presents another challenge.
The Army Corps of Engineers is constructing a 16-bay shelter for
the F-35A on Eielson’s permafrost terrain, the first of several such
structures to support the aircraft during the Alaskan winter.
The shelter “is not really for the aircraft,” Bishop says. “It is more
for the maintainers. When it’s -40F, it’s really difficult to work
outside for an extended period.” Q
 NEWS DIGITAL
ZIPLINE DRONES TRANSPORTING
COVID-19 TEST SAMPLES IN
GHANA
Z
ipline drones are delivering COVID-19
test samples collected from rural clinics in
Ghana to laboratories in the capital Accra
and Kumasi, the country’s second-largest
city.
The service improves the government’s
ability to monitor the spread of the novel
corona virus, the company says.
Zipline was already operational in Ghana,
delivering medicines and vaccines by drone
from four distribution centres to 2,000
health facilities across the country. The
company launched operations in Rwanda in
2016, delivering blood for transfusions on
demand to rural hospitals.
The new service began in Ghana on
April 1, when 51 COVID-19 test samples
collected from patients at rural health
facilities were transported by drone from
Zipline’s distribution centre in Omenako
to a medical research institute in Accra for
analysis. The delivery required four 70-mi.
roundtrip flights.
Zipline is also to begin daily delivery of
COVID-19 test samples collected at regional
hospitals near its Mapong distribution
centre to a research centre in Kumasi, an
almost 60-mi. roundtrip by drone. This will
mark the first time autonomous drones
make regular deliveries into densely
populated urban areas.
Drone delivery avoids a time delay of
hours to days while a truck collects enough
samples from rural hospitals before
returning to the city, Zipline says. That
delay also increases the risk that samples
are damaged in transit due to broken
cold-chain storage. “Now, a single test from
a rural area can be transported for analysis
World Airnews | May Extra 2020
— 27 —
By Graham Warwick
in under an hour,” the company says.
As countries combat COVID-19, shifting
the primary delivery of vaccines and
medicines to drones from trucks helps
reduce the risk of exposure, Zipline says. In
Rwanda, the company is working to deliver
chemotherapy medications to cancer
patients who are unable to travel to a
hospital due to the pandemic.
Zipline expects to begin delivery
operations in the U.S. “within weeks” of
receiving FAA approval, now in the works.
The emergency service will focus on
distributing scarce test kits and protective
equipment and helping keep vulnerable
non-COVID-19 patients with chronic
conditions away from hospitals. Q
Article courtesy : https://avia-
tionweek.com/business-aviation/
aircraft-propulsion/zipline-drones-
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 NEWS DIGITAL

SEBASTIAN MIKOSZ TO JOIN IATA

T he International Air Transport

Association has announced that Sebastian
Mikosz will join IATA as the
association’s senior vice
president for member and
external relations, effective 1
June 2020.
Most recently, Mikosz was
group managing director and
CEO of Kenya Airways during
which time he served on the
IATA board of governors.
Prior to that he was the
CEO of LOT Polish Airlines and
the CEO of Poland’s largest
online travel agency, the
eSKY Group.
At IATA, Mikosz will
lead the organisation’s
global advocacy activities
and aero-political policy
development, along with
managing the association’s
strategic relationships.
This includes IATA’s 290
member airlines as well as governments,
international organizations and stakehold-
ers in both the private and public sectors.
Mikosz will report to the director general
and CEO and join the association’s strategic
leadership team. He replaces Paul Steele,
who retired from IATA in October 2019.
Brian Pearce, IATA’s chief economist has
been handling the duties of this post on an
ad interim basis since then.
“Sebastian brings with him a wealth of
experience in the public and private sectors
that will be critical in advancing the global
aviation industry’s advocacy agenda. At this
time of unprecedented crisis, the airline
industry needs a strong voice. We must
government stakeholders have high
expectations for IATA to play a critical role
in driving the recovery. From my experi-
ence as an airline CEO and as a member of
the IATA board of governors, I know how
important IATA
is to the global
connectivity that
we usually take for
granted. Today’s
challenges could
not be greater. And,
in joining IATA, I
am determined to
contribute to the
efficient restoration
of the links between
people, nations
and economies
that only aviation
can provide,” said
Mikosz.
A Polish national,
Mikosz is a graduate
of the Institute of
Political Studies
in France with a
Master’s degree in
restore the confidence of governments and economics and finance.
travellers so that aviation can re-start, lead In addition to his airline experience,
an economic recovery, and connect the Milosz’s career includes the positions of
world. Sebastian’s experience in launching vice president at the Polish information and
and turning-around companies will be foreign investment agency, senior advisor
invaluable in helping IATA meet the expec- at Société Générale corporate investment
tations of our members, governments and bank, managing director of the French
stakeholders,” said Alexandre de Juniac, chamber of commerce and industry in
IATA director general and CEO. Poland and founder of the online brokerage
“I can’t wait to get started at IATA. house Fast Trade. Mikosz speaks Polish,
Aviation is in crisis and all industry and English, French and Russian. Q

NEWS DIGITAL

NO DELAYS FOR YEAGER AIRPORT

By Jake Flatley

C onstruction projects and

operations are moving along
at Yeager Airport despite the
freefall in passengers and
revenue due to the COVID-19
pandemic.
The largest project in the
coming year is the aviation
school for Marshall University.
The lease of land and contract
to design the first two buildings
of the Marshall University Bill
Noe Flight School was discussed
recently at the airport’s board
meeting.
Officials expect the (US) $4.5
million construction contract
to head out to bid by mid-May,
nearly one year before the
school is expected to open.
“There have been no hold
ups and we are moving forward
on schedule,” Yeager Airport
Director Nick Keller said.
Yeager has already built a GA
roadway that will lead the way
to the school.
“This is one of the most
exciting adventures to take
place for Marshall and the
Charleston area in a long time.
We continue to be excited
about this,” Marshall University
President Jerome Gilbert told
the airport’s board recently.
“It’s going to be one of the
best flight schools on the East
Coast, if not the country.”
Gilbert told the board that
school officials continue to
negotiate the purchase of the
school’s first two aircraft.
The planes expected to be
used for the aviation school are
two Cirrus SR-20 airplanes and
a single-engine used plane.
“We just have to work out
any issues as far as the value
of the buildings that Marshall
will be paying for construction
at the airport so that it’s
depreciated appropriately over
time and any buyback done
by the airport would be fair to
both parties,” Keller said.
Some courses will be taken
at the airport and some at
Marshall’s South Charleston
campus for any students in-
terested in airline dispatching,
operations, airline managing
and airport operations. Q

World Airnews | May Extra 2020

— 29 —
 NEWS DIGITAL

REPATRIATION MISSION
- A SUCCESS
By Hilka Birns

A massive repatriation mission involving more than 7000

foreign nationals, stranded in the Western Cape during South
Africa’s lockdown, was mounted from Cape Town International
Airport in April.
According to the Western Cape government, countries
involved included Germany (4400 people), the UK (1354 people),
Netherland and France via Reunion (605 people), Belgium (213
people), Switzerland (287 people), USA (347 people), Canada
(153 people) and Brazil (150 people). The Provincial Disaster
Management Centre coordinated the repatriation effort, which
involved various embassies, consulates and airlines; national,
provincial and local government; Wesgro; Port Health Services;
the SA Police Service; the Airports Company SA and Cape Town
Stadium.
South African Airways alone successfully repatriated 5600
German and European Union nationals on behalf of the German
government, as part of Germany’s worldwide repatriation of about
240 000 Germans. SAA conducted 19 repatriation flights from
Johannesburg and Cape Town to Frankfurt and Munich between
April 3 and April 23. The majority of 4000 Germans and 400 EU
citizens left on 14 flights from Cape Town International Airport,
confirmed German Embassy spokesperson, Kerstin Bittiger.
Returning flights brought back South Africans who had been
stranded in Germany. “I would like to thank all our South African
partners without whom this huge repatriation effort would not
have been possible,” said German Ambassador, Dr Martin Schäfer.

The Western Cape Department of Economic Development and

Tourism and Wesgro ensured that each visitor was given a farewell
note wishing them a safe trip home. “It was important that they
had a good experience despite the lockdown, so that when we are
ready to open our borders again they will consider coming back,”
commented Western Cape Finance and Economic Opportunities
Minister, David Maynier.
Passengers on social media forums widely praised the historic
operation for its efficiency and professionalism. German tourist,
Dorothee Kreuser, complimented in particular the German
ambassador for his regular letters to compatriots during the
waiting period in lockdown. “They always had a calming effect on
me!” she said.

HER STORY - GERMAN TOURIST DOROTHEE KREUSER

Kreuser was due to return to Munich with Lufthansa on March 29
after visiting friends in Cape Town, but the flight was cancelled
on March 25 shortly before South Africa went into lockdown.
Stranded with her hosts during anxious three weeks, Kreuser
eventually flew home on one of the last repatriation flights.
She has shared her experience with World Airnews, documenting
her trip from the central pick-up point for all passnegers at Cape
Town Stadium all the way to her arrival in Frankfurt.
Like all passengers, Kreuser had been issued with a certificate
signed by the German ambassador that allowed her hosts to
transport her to the stadium.
World Airnews | May Extra 2020
— 30 —
 NEWS DIGITAL

On arrival, Kreuser spent about an hour in a long queue, being

screened for COVID-19 by having her temperature taken, filling
out health forms and going through passport checks. A German
federal police officer was present during this process.
At the next point, Kreuser was assigned to a bus and received a
packed lunch and a bottle of water. Chairs had been set-up 1.5m
apart, where passengers waited while all 300 of them were being
processed.
When all were finally gathered, German Consul General,
Matthias Hansen, bade farewell to the goup, encouraging them
to return under better circumstances – a a message greeted with
much applause.
“Everything was very calm and orderly,” Kreuser remembers.
“Apart from having to be patient, everything about the organsiat-
ion was near perfect.”
On the bus, only two people were allowed to sit in a row
to maintain social distancing. At the airport, the luggage was
unloaded first and examined by a police officer with a sniffer dog.
Passengers were then allowed to disembark, choose their
suitcases and proceed through check-in, security, passport control
and boarding, all of which happened as normal, but with social
distancing.

BOARDING THE PLANE

“The poor crew were wearing full-body protective suits and
masks. They looked like aliens!” recounts Kreuser.
“Dinner was a bread roll with chicken or vegetarian and to drink
we were offered water, coke or juice, tea or coffee. It was amazing
how many passengers asked about alcohol and were surpised that
there was none!
The flight was an hour shorter than planned because we were
able to fly straight to Frankfurt, as there were no other planes in
the sky and we could use air corridors that are not normally free.”
In Frankfurt, passengers had to disembark in groups of 40 with
three minutes waiting time between each group disembarking.
“What was immediately noticeable was that the German border
police we had to walk past did not wear face masks!”

KREUSER REUNITED WITH HER FAMILY

Kreuser was eventually reunited with her husband Christian and
sons Felix and Max, who had driven all the way from Munich to
collect her, normally a four-hour trip that now took less than
three hours because of a near empty Autobahn! Q

World Airnews | May Extra 2020

— 31 —
 COLUMN

EUROPE'S ULTRA-CHEAP
BUDGET FLIGHTS
COULD DISAPPEAR
By Sinéad Baker

A s governments around the

world close their borders and
advise against travel, demand has plum-
meted, causing airlines to ground their
entire fleets.
For the first time in a long time planes
are sitting idle on runways and hundreds of
thousands of staff have been furloughed.
International Air Transport Association
director general Alexandre de Juniac, an or-
ganization representing the world's airlines,
has called it the “deepest crisis ever."
The pandemic has left virtually all of the
world's airlines at risk of bankruptcy. Some
have already collapsed.
One analyst said that, even in the
best-case scenario, pre-outbreak levels
of demand will not return until at least
mid-2021.
And when that demand does return, the
industry will not be the same as before.
There's uncertainty about which airlines
will survive, how many people will want to
fly after a pandemic, and what kind of new
precautions airlines may take in future.
John Strickland, an independent air trans-
port consultant, has said that one thing is
for sure, "Aviation is going to be smaller."
And among the things at risk are Europe's
famously cheap flights, which regularly let
people fly for the equivalent of just a few
dollars, and for some underpin their entire
way of life.
Liberal aviation restrictions, plus an
abundance of airlines competing with each
other - far more than in the US - resulted in
what are often very low prices.
"Those markets have grown enormously
because many people who couldn't afford
to travel before have done so whether it
is for visiting friends and family going on
holiday," Strickland said.
The result is the knock-on
effects of tourism booms and
people moving to work all over
the continent.
Among the largest are Irish
airline Ryanair and UK air-
line EasyJet, the biggest and
fourth-biggest airlines in the
world respectively by their num-
ber of routes.
Both are hurting from the cri-
sis - and any collapses, or changes to their
models, would have huge impacts on the
way people fly.
TICKETS COULD BECOME MORE
EXPENSIVE
Then there is the possibility that crisis could
result in more expensive flights, or changes
to the way flights are run.
Andrew Charlton, an independent
aviation analyst, said the UK airline market
could resemble the US where the top four
airlines control more than 80% of the
market as of 2018. In Europe, the top four
control 40%.
"I think what's going to happen is that
we get a significantly smaller number of
airlines, and those airlines will start to be-
have a little bit more like the airlines in the
United States behave. In other words: with
fewer airlines, fares go up."
This would mean fewer airlines to meet
demand, so those that remain could decide
to, or might have to, increase fares.
But higher fares could put people off fly-
ing when airlines need travellers the most.
Dr. David Warnock-Smith, an air transport
adviser and head of aviation at the UK's
Buckinghamshire New University, said that
"only very few, maybe a handful of carriers
worldwide, have substantial cash reserves."
Warnock-Smith said Europe's prices got
so cheap because there are so many air-
lines: "Supply is higher than demand, which
has led to a surplus of seats, and that's put
downward pressure on fares."
He said if airlines collapse, and then
demand for flights picks up again, "we
might see higher fares because, because
demand will outweigh the supply." But
he said that would only be likely for a
"temporary period."
Some European budget airlines have
already collapsed. UK airline Flybe cited
the virus when it collapsed in March,
and Lufthansa shut its budget airline
Germanwings in April as it restructured,
warning that it will take "years until the
worldwide demand for air travel returns
to pre-crisis levels."
At the end of the day airlines will need
people to actually want to fly - and for coun-
tries to want visitors. While budget airlines
can typically tempt people with cheap prices
during any uncertainty: "There are much
wider uncertainties: we don't know how
much demand there will be."
The reason for this could be
that people have less money as
a result of the wider economic
collapse, and the fear of flying
lingers on after the pandemic. Q
*Article shortened. Courtesy
https://www.businessinsider.
com/

World Airnews | December 2017

—4—
 QUALITY ASSURED PRE-OWNED AIRCRAFT FOR SALE

2005 Hawker 400XP

> 1,592 Hours Since New
> 1,457 Cycles Since New
> Dual Collins FMS-5000 Flight Management
Systems with Integrated Collins GPS-4000A
Global Positioning System
> Collins TCAS-4000 Traffic Alert and Collision
Avoidance System with Change 7.1 Software
> Honeywell Mark V Terrain Awareness and Warning
System with Wind Sheer Detection
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1994 Embraer 120ER 2 x LET410 UVP E20’s 2011 Quest Kodiak

> 38,720 Hours Since New > Low Airframe, Engine and Propeller Hours > 2,242.7 Hours Since New
> Pratt & Whitney PW118B Engines: On Condition > Dual Nav/Com/GPS Systems > Garmin G1000 Avionics Suite
> Propellers: 7,183/6,263 Hours Since Overhaul > Dual Transponders > S-Tec 55 Autopilot System
> Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System > Weather Radar > Integrated Class B TAWS Terrain Awareness and
> Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System > Autopilot System Warning System
> Beige Leather Seating > Enhanced Ground Proximity Warning System > Garmin GTS-800 Traffic Awareness System
> Galley > Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System > Ten Place Interior
> Lavatory Processor > Cargo Pod
> Air Conditioning
> Observer Seat $2,495,000 Excluding VAT Per Aircraft
Inviting Offers $1,150,000 Excluding VAT

2013 Cirrus SR22T G5 GTX 2008 Cirrus SR22-G3 1975 Cherokee Six 300
> 730 Hours Since New > 585 Hours Since New > 4,305 Hours Since New
> Cirrus Garmin Perspective+ Avionics Suite > Dual GNS-430 Nav/Com/GPS > Engine: 356 Hours Since Overhaul
> B. F. Goodrich WX-500 Stormscope > EMax Engine Monitoring System > Propeller: 31 Hours Since Overhaul
> Garmin GFC-700 Autopilot/Flight Director System > Stormscope WX500 > PS Engineering PMA-8000BTi Audio Panel
with Yaw Damper and Electronic Stability Protection > GTX-330 Mode S Transponder > Garmin GTN-650 Nav/Com/GPS
> Garmin 12” Primary Flight Display/Multi-Function > Honeywell TAWS KGP-560 > Garmin GTR-225 Com
Display Systems > Avidyne FlightMax Multi Function Display > King KT-76A Transponder
> Skywatch Traffic Advisory System > S-Tec 55X Autopilot > Piper Navomatic III Autopilot
> SurfaceWatch Aircraft Position Monitoring System > 406 MHz Emergency Locator Transmitter > Exhaust Gas Temperature Gauge
$575,000 Excluding VAT R4,700,000 Excluding VAT R1,350,000 Excluding VAT

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NEW 2019 Bell 505 Jetranger X 1999 Bell 206B III Jetranger 2013 Robinson R44 Raven II
> Garmin G1000H Avionics Suite > 1,436 Hours Since New > 840 Hours Since New
> Transponder with Mode S and ADS-B (Out) > Main Rotor Blades: 340 Hours Since New > Garmin GNC420W GPS/Com
Enabled > Dual Garmin GNS-430 Nav/Com/GPS > Garmin GTX327 Transponder
> Engine Indication and Crew Alerting System > King KT-76C Transponder > Bendix / King KY196A Com 1
> Fuel Flow Indication with Range Ring Display > King KCS-55A Slaved Compass with Horizontal > NAT AA12S-002 Audio Panel
> Second VHF Transceiver (Pedestal Mount)
Situation Indicator > Attitude Indicator
> Inlet Barrier Filter
> High Skid Gear with Flitesteps > Turn & Slip Indicator
> Air Conditioning
> Nightscanner Searchlight > Rotor Brake
> Dual Pilot Controls
$1,495,000 Excluding VAT Inviting Offers R4,900,000 Excluding VAT

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