Flight International - May 2023

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com May 2023
We preview EBACE
show topics p60
USAF fires
up Warthog Partners hail 500th
departure NH90 delivery p70
Losing its shine

New Max production flaws tarnish Boeing’s recovery p6
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Slow progress Done deal

New ATR boss GAO clears
details latest US Army’s
sales ambitions V-280 buy
p22 p10
Comment
Troubleshooting
Icatnews/Shutterstock
Just a hiccup?
Boeing must hope the latest manufacturing quality issue to hit
its commercial portfolio is the last – and not a continuing trend
F
or a company like Boeing halted for over a year due to man- performing aircraft that airlines
with such a long and rich ufacturing defects with the wide- are willing to wait for.
history, an activity as com- body’s fuselage and then stopped However, the impact is not so
plex as building an aircraft again this year for a separate issue; clear-cut over the longer term.
should over the years have become shipments of the 767 have only Like it or not, at some point the
as easy as riding a bicycle. just resumed after a three-month frequent quality control problems
But with the latest production pause; and as Flight International will begin to have a corrosive im-
headache and delivery stoppage for has reported, the 737 Max contin- pact on Boeing’s reputation for
the bulk of the 737 Max line, Boeing ues its stop-start existence. engineering excellence.
– rather than freewheeling serenely Boeing would argue that as none And reputations are strange
into the distance – appears to have of the issues are related, there can things – they take years to build but
jammed a stick into its front wheel. be no systemic problem. tarnish much more quickly.
It is so far unclear how serious But at what point does that If airlines decide they do not
this quality problem is. Boeing argument cease to sound convinc- fully trust the company to deliver,
stresses that it is not a safety of ing? The third time? The fourth? will they be so willing to back, or
flight issue and has remained quiet The fifth? wait for, whatever Boeing’s future
on the number of aircraft affected, Much will depend on the actions aircraft is?
save for an admission it will impact of Boeing’s customers. Should Additionally, with management
around 9,000 seats this summer. they tire of constant delivery spending so much of their time
Divide that number by the typical delays, then they may be tempted playing production system whack-
capacity of the Max and you reach to look elsewhere. a-mole there is less white-collar
a figure of around 45-50 aircraft. Mind you, given that Airbus can capacity to focus on that crucial
Also, should blame need to be offer little in the way of near-term next programme.
apportioned, the airframer would availability, particularly on the If it is to begin its drive towards
be able to point to the problem narrowbody side, the US manufac- the future on a secure footing,
originating at a supplier rather than turer may be reasonably insulated Boeing must hope that the recent
through any internal failing. from potential customer defections. flurry of stoppages is more a short-
That said, this is not an isolated Boeing is also aided by the term blip than a persistent trend. ◗
incident: deliveries of the 787 were 737 Max and 787 being strongly See p6
May 2023 Flight International 3

In focus
Max issue threatens progress 6 UK government told to invest USAF sunsets broken ARRW 34
A350F orders edge above in sustainable aviation 14 Vertical’s upward trajectory 38
A330-200F deliveries 8 USAF initiates retirement of Aland picks Heart ES-30 for
GAO seals V-280 victory 10 A-10, AWACS fleets 19 sustainable transport links 39
Storage rates of GTF-powered Flybe was ‘losing millions’ 24 BRA supports ZeroAvia’s
jets in double digits 12 Virgin Orbit falls to earth 33 Swedish hydrogen push 41
19
Thunderbolt’s halt A-10 retirements begin
64
50
Regulars Comment 3 Best of the rest 46 Straight & Level 76 Letters 78 Women in aviation 82
4 Flight International May 2023

Contents
In depth
V2500’s staying power 50 Fresh thrust 58 In the works 64
International Aero Engines The decarbonisation challenges Is business aviation entering
continues to deliver its facing propulsion developers a quiet period – or will there
ultra-reliable technology Demand signals 60 be something unexpected?
Power player 54 As it readies for EBACE, can On the up 70
GE Aerospace is tackling private aviation maintain its NH Industries has delivered
supply chain and labour issues course amid global turbulence? its 500th production aircraft
58
FlightGlobal.com May 2023
We preview EBACE
show topics p60
USAF fires
up Warthog Partners hail 500th
departure NH90 delivery p70
Losing its shine

AirTeamImages
New Max production flaws tarnish Boeing’s recovery p6

£5.99
Slow progress Done deal

New ATR boss GAO clears
details latest US Army’s
sales ambitions V-280 buy
p22 p10
54
70
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Ryanair was due to take delivery

of 24 examples by end of June
Latest Max production problem

threatens to derail delivery plans
Newly discovered issue with non-conforming fuselage parts
forces Boeing to halt shipments of most 737 variants
Jon Hemmerdinger Tampa latest in a series of manufacturing Analysts have mixed views of the
and quality issues that have hit sev- delivery pause: some are optimistic
eral of its commercial programmes that the latest hiccup will have min-
B
oeing’s efforts to rehabilitate in recent years. imal impact, while others think Boe-
the 737 Max had been track- Crucially for Boeing, it throws ing’s targets are now a real stretch.
ing in the right direction as into doubt the company’s ability to
monthly deliveries of the meet its 2023 production and deliv- Uncertain impact
narrowbody rose and the type re- ery goals, the latter vital to maintain But much remains unclear. Observ-
gained commercial momentum. strong cash-flow performance. ers wonder if many 737 Max already
However, that progress came to a While not all 737s are affected by in service might have affected
halt on 13 April after the airframer the issue – the Max 9 is exempt – components. And if they do, the
revealed that it had stopped certain Boeing has stopped “a significant broader impact will depend on how
737 deliveries on the back of a newly number” of shipments due to an regulators address any concerns.
disclosed quality problem. issue involving aft fuselage fittings Boeing insists the problem is
The issue – related to what on 737 Max 7s, Max 8s, Max 8-200s “not an immediate safety-of-flight
Boeing describes as “non-conform- and 737NG-based P-8 maritime issue” and the in-service fleet “can
ing” fuselage components – is the patrol aircraft. continue operating safely”.
Airframer tightens procedures on back of bolt-torque findings

Boeing recently found improper- its regular process of ensuring workers to self-certify that they
ly-torqued bolts in several areas production quality. had applied the specified torque
of new-build 737 Max jets, indicat- The source, who asked not to when tightening certain bolts.
ing a quality problem akin to that be identified due to the sensitive Workers did so by making notes
revealed by the Federal Aviation nature of the issue, says the com- of torque readings and of the
Administration (FAA) on 23 March. pany uncovered the problems tools they used.
A source familiar with the matter through internal audits of its 737 But in response to its audit,
says Boeing discovered improperly assembly site in Renton. Boeing on 13 February added
torqued bolts on 737 landing gears Boeing reported the findings another layer of oversight by re-
and wing ribs earlier this year. to the FAA and stepped up its quiring what it describes as “wit-
Boeing says the torque find- own internal quality oversight to ness inspections”, the source says.
ing does not reflect a systemic address the issue. That means designated quality
AirTeamImages
issue, and that its discovery of Under its previous procedures, assurance employees visually con-
mis-torqued bolts is a result of Boeing allowed some assembly firm torque readings.

Cover story Assembly
It affects jets now in production

and those in storage which were “Given that the manufacturing
built but not delivered during the
single-aisle’s lengthy grounding non-conformity is in a structurally
that ran until November 2020.
“Production should not be too vulnerable place, we expect fixes to
affected,” says Michel Merluzeau,
aerospace analyst with consultan- take a meaningful amount of time”
cy AIR. “We remain confident that
the production numbers are going Ron Epstein Securities analyst, BofA Securities
to be hit. Deliveries [are] a little
more fluid at this point.”
But taking the alternative view- Such advances offer some reas- Boeing says the quality issue
point is BofA Securities analyst surance to analysts. “We believe involves “a non-standard manu-
Ron Epstein. “It will be challeng- that our assumption that Boe- facturing process… during the in-
ing for Boeing to hit its 2023 [737 ing will deliver 410 737s in 2023 stallation of two fittings in the aft
Max] delivery target,” he said in a remains achievable notwithstand- fuselage section” of affected 737s.
14 April research note. ing this new issue,” says Moody’s The components may not conform
Investors Service senior vice- to specifications, it says.
Regulatory oversight president Jonathan Root.
In the meantime, Boeing says it has But investment bank Jefferies Under inspection
notified the US Federal Aviation suspects the issue will reduce Boe- Spirit AeroSystems confirms it
Administration (FAA) of the issue ing’s 737 Max deliveries this year by supplied Boeing with the fittings,
and is “working to conduct inspec- 20%, reducing shipments to 340 which reportedly secure 737 verti-
tions and replace the non-conform- aircraft from the financial firm’s cal stabilisers. “Spirit is working to
ing fittings where necessary. previous forecast of 425 units. develop an inspection and repair
“We expect lower near-term 737 The big question though remains: for the affected fuselages,” it says.
Max deliveries while this required just how many jets are affected? Airlines scheduled to receive
work is completed,” it confirms. “This issue is impacting a Max aircraft this year are analysing
Boeing has not said how many significant portion of the deliver- the likely impact of the delivery
deliveries are affected, but chief ex- ies” made since the Max’s ground- pause on their fleet plans. Ryanair
ecutive David Calhoun told share- ing was lifted, Epstein’s research – the largest Max operator outside
holders on 18 April that around note says. “To put this in perspec- the USA – says it is “assessing with
9,000 seats would be impacted. tive, almost 690 [737 Max 8s] Boeing” how it will be affected.
That equates to 45-50 aircraft. currently in-service or parked were The budget carrier group is due to
The company had aimed to built since 2019.” take delivery of 24 Max jets in the
deliver 400-450 737s this year – “Given that the manufacturing period to end-June.
about 33-38 monthly – an increase non-conformity is in a structurally Boeing has recently battled
on the 387 examples shipped in vulnerable place, where the ver- manufacturing quality issues across
2022. It had recently been building tical tail attaches to the fuselage, several of its commercial and
31 units per month. we expect inspections and fixes to military programmes: deliveries of
Boeing had been making pro- take a meaningful amount of time the 787 were halted for more than
gress toward hitting its targets, de- and intense FAA scrutiny,” Epstein a year from May 2021, and again
livering 113 737s in the first quarter, says. “Ultimately, this may result briefly this year, while shipments
including 53 in March – the highest in required fixes for the in-service of the 767 only resumed in March
monthly total for several years. fleet as well.” following a three-month pause. ◗
Boeing says such “witness in- Boeing maintains the visit was US-registered 737 Max aircraft –
spections” are implemented from pre-scheduled and did not uncov- essentially the entire US fleet of
time to time and are a standard er torque issues. the type.
means of ensuring quality. The FAA declines to comment That AD specifically addresses
“Boeing continuously focuses specifically on the reason for improperly-torqued bolts that hold
on delivering high-quality prod- its visit. “The FAA is providing down anti-ice exhaust ducts found
ucts that meet all regulatory re- the routine oversight of Boe- on the bottom of the aircraft’s CFM
quirements,” the airframer says. ing’s production quality system, International Leap-1B turbofans.
“We work transparently with the which involves scheduled and Boeing assembles the Max’s
Federal Aviation Administration unscheduled audits and other nacelle inlets at its propulsion fa-
to address any issues, if and when oversight activities,” the agency cility in North Charleston, South
they arise.” tells FlightGlobal. Carolina, although it is not clear
The source adds that in late Another Boeing torque issue where the mis-tourquing occurred.
February inspectors from the FAA came to light on 23 March when Boeing insists no relationship
spent several days at the Renton the FAA released an airworthiness exists between the two bolt-
737 assembly site. directive (AD) applying to 330 torque issues.

Programme Development
Higher-capacity freighter can

transport a 109t payload
A350F orders edge above

A330-200F deliveries
Latest agreement with undisclosed customer takes backlog
for twinjet to 39 units, as first components enter production
David Kaminski-Morrow London orders declined to 42, and failed The airframer’s newly-created
to increase again. Airbus has deliv- Airbus Atlantic division has started
ered 38 units, but the most recent producing the structure, which has
O
rders for Airbus’s A350 was to Etihad in February 2017, been modified and reinforced com-
freighter have passed the and the remaining backlog was re- pared with the passenger A350
total number of deliver- moved in 2020. centre wing-box, with changes to
ies for its A330-200F, Airbus believes the decision to the internal composite struts and
although the earlier cargo air- base the freighter on the A330-200 its upper aluminium-lithium struc-
craft’s own order backlog had once – opting for range over capacity – ture, in order to cope with the
peaked at nearly 80 jets. partly explains the weak sales. stresses of heavy cargo payloads
Airbus has firmed orders for 39 The airframer’s EFW joint ven- on the floor beams.
A350Fs in the 15 months since ture has attracted interest in freight Airbus says the first metal-cut
the first aircraft were recorded in conversion of the 61t A330-200 as components for the structure in-
the backlog. The A330-200F took well as the larger 63t A330-300. clude the cruciform interface to the
just four months to accumulate the Airbus’s latest entry into the outer wing-boxes.
same number, but ultimately only freighter sector, the A350F, will be The parts are being built in Air-
38 aircraft were handed over in the a higher-capacity aircraft – capable bus Atlantic’s Nantes facility, which
decade following its launch. of transporting a 109t payload – and has also manufactured the external
The A330-200F, with payload ca- commitments to the aircraft have foot frames which mate the centre
pability of 64t, marked the airfram- gradually been edging upwards, wing-box – measuring 6.5m (21ft
er’s previous attempt to emulate with a recent deal for four, from an 3in) by 5.5m by 3.9m – with the
the success of its A300-600F undisclosed customer, taking overall A350F’s modified fuselage shell.
line and compete with the Boeing firm orders to 39. “This means that the aircraft is
767-300F in the new-build twinjet coming to reality just under [18
freighter market. Primary customer months] after the new freighter was
It was formally launched in 2007 Air France-KLM Group is the pri- officially unveiled to the industry,”
with commitments for 32 aircraft mary customer, taking eight for Air states the airframer.
from lessors Guggenheim Aviation France Cargo and Martinair, while Airbus says the Nantes pro-
and Intrepid Aviation Group, and logistics firm CMA CGM – which has duction line has been adapted to
would-be Indian operator Flying- a co-operation pact with Air France- handle the freighter’s centre wing-
ton Freighters. KLM – has ordered four. Air Lease, box, with changes to 15 of the 38
Airbus aimed to capitalise on Singapore Airlines and Etihad have stations in the plant. This will en-
strong forecast demand for some each ordered seven; the remaining able the facility to deal with all
400 new-build mid-sized freighters two are allocated to Azerbaijan’s three A350 variants.
between the 757 and Boeing MD-11. Silk Way West. After completion the centre
Within a year of launch the A330- Airbus revealed the latest four- wing-box will be transported by
200F had gained orders for 77 air- unit order – which was placed road to the Airbus Atlantic plant at
craft, with nine customers including on 23 March, and marks its first Montoir-de-Bretagne for fitting in
Aircastle, Etihad Airways, Avion Air- for the freighter this year – in its the initial centre fuselage section.
craft Trading, MNG Airlines, Matlin- first-quarter backlog figures. This assembly will then be carried
Patterson and BOC Aviation. Meanwhile, production of the in- by an outsize transport – one of
But the backlog began to bleed itial parts for the A350F is under the Airbus Beluga aircraft – to the
away even as deliveries started in way, with the first components A350 production line in Toulouse.
2010, with Etihad taking the first. having been manufactured for the Entry into service for the
Over the next five years total centre wing-box. freighter is scheduled for 2025. ◗
Airbus

GAO ruling seals V-280 victory

Auditor’s review of US Army utility helicopter contest
determines service was right to select Bell tiltrotor, with rival
Defiant X bid failing to meet detailed design requirements
Ryan Finnerty Tampa Bell secured victory in the FLRAA Sikorsky’s compound-coaxial and
contest last December, with its pusher propeller design.
V-280 chosen for a need to re- Notably, the Defiant X bid was
T
he US government’s inde- place a fleet of around 2,300 Sikor- assessed as being substantially
pendent federal auditor sky UH-60 Black Hawks. The army cheaper than the V-280 – costing
has upheld the US Army’s estimates that the deal could be barely 50% of the price of Bell’s
selection of the Bell V-280 worth $70 billion over the coming proposal. But the GAO notes that
Valor as its next medium-lift and decades, with deliveries due to the army essentially considered
troop transport helicopter. commence in 2030. that price estimate to be unusable.
Announced on 6 April, the Lockheed challenged the army’s “While [Sikorsky’s] proposed price
decision by the Government Ac- selection decision, triggering a is lower, the offer is based on an un-
countability Office (GAO) formally 90-day review by the GAO and a acceptable engineering design,” the
denied a challenge from Lockheed suspension of work on the project. auditor quotes an unnamed army
Martin, whose Sikorsky subsidiary official as saying.
– teamed with Boeing – lost out That official, identified only as
in the Future Long Range Assault
Aircraft (FLRAA) contest.
According to the GAO review
of the case, the army deemed the
Sikorsky-Boeing Defiant X to be
$70bn
Estimated value of army contract over
the “Source Selection Authority”
(SSA), did not find a similar issue
with Bell’s submission.
“[Bell’s] proposed price, in com-
parison to the design’s [independ-
“unacceptable to its proposal”, coming decades, with deliveries of ent government estimate], is rea-
with engineering and development tlitrotor set to commence from 2030 sonable and provides the best value
evaluation factors rendering the to the government,” the SSA said in
design “ineligible for award”. the original contract decision.
Detailing the findings of its review, Solidifying the decision in favour The GAO notes that under stand-
the GAO says the Sikorsky-Boeing of Bell, the GAO states: “We con- ards for the FLRAA competitive se-
team’s candidate failed to meet the clude that the army reasonably lection process, the army weighted
army’s programme requirements evaluated Sikorsky’s proposal… as performance and engineering de-
due to a deficiency in its proposal. technically unacceptable.” signs as more important than cost.
“The [army] found that Sikorsky’s While full flight-performance
proposed architecture was insuffi- details of the rival bids remain un- Disputed selection
ciently detailed, including, unequiv- disclosed, the GAO says the army Lockheed had disputed the army’s
ocally, that it did not allocate func- assessed Bell’s tiltrotor design as conclusion that the Defiant X plans
tions to several subsystems,” it says. having superior performance to were insufficiently detailed, alleging
that the service had applied differ-
ent standards to the two bids.
In its review of the case, the GAO
says the army used the analogy of
architectural blueprints for a house
in describing a critical flaw in the
Sikorsky-Boeing submission.
“Sikorsky’s proposal provided
something similar to a drawing of
what the house looked like on the
outside, a basic indication of the
size and shape of the house,” the
army told GAO auditors. “Such a
picture did not provide the func-
tional detail that the army required,
showing what the space would
look like on the inside.”
Lockheed Martin
It adds: “Sikorsky removed func-

tional allocation to subsystems in
Sikorsky-Boeing team’s submission
the functional architecture model
was deemed ‘ineligible for award’
and stated in its FPR [final proposal

Rotorcraft Programme
Bell
Production of winning design
was put on hold during audit
revisions] that the allocation to sub- unacceptable. He also struck down Valor,” the company says. “The
systems will be accomplished in a a suggestion that the army’s evalu- army followed a deliberate process
later stage of development.” ation process violated the terms of throughout the competition, and
Such an approach “poses the the FLRAA solicitation or govern- we are excited to get to work as
risk that subsystems or compo- ment procurement law. the army’s partner in modernising
nents would need to be added or The decision appears to have its aviation fleet.”
removed in the future (post award), closed the door on FLRAA with Bell had been on hold from mov-
when it is more costly and schedule finality, denying Sikorsky the ability ing forward with V-280 production
impacts are high”. to protest further. while the GAO conducted its re-
The GAO says the army used fair “[The] GAO dismissed Sikorsky’s view. The company had been
and appropriate criteria in assess- additional arguments on the basis awarded a first, $232 million
ing the FLRAA contest’s radically that Sikorsky was no longer an in- contract last December to support
different designs. terested party to further challenge initial manufacturing and design
“The army reasonably evaluated the procurement,” Patton says. work on the Valor.
Sikorsky’s proposal as technically Sikorsky disputes the ruling, but
unacceptable,” says Kenneth Pat- Thorough evaluation has not revealed any potential
ton, managing associate general Responding to the ruling, Bell next move.
counsel for procurement law at the praised the GAO conclusion and the “We remain confident the Lock-
GAO. “Sikorsky failed to provide the army’s FLRAA evaluation process. heed Martin-Sikorsky and Boeing
level of architectural detail required “This decision validates the US team submitted the most-capable,
by the [request for proposal].” Army’s historic choice to mod- affordable and lowest-risk [FLRAA]
Additionally, Patton says the ernise its air assault fleet with the solution,” the company says. “We
GAO denied allegations that flight-proven speed, range and ver- will review the GAO’s decision and
Bell’s candidate was technically satility delivered by Bell’s V-280 determine our next steps.” ◗
Bell chief Snyder retires after securing Valor deal (FLRAA) contest with its V-280
Valor tiltrotor.
Howard Hardee Sacramento “Lisa has done an outstanding “It was over a decade of really
job of building strong teams at hard work,” Snyder said in
Bell and Textron Systems,” says January of the FLRAA win.
Textron has appointed Lisa Textron chief executive Scott “During his tenure, Mitch
Atherton as Bell’s new chief Donnelly. “Under her leadership, oversaw the development of
executive, succeeding Mitch Bell will continue its strong new technologies and product
Snyder, who will retire from the execution across military and innovations, significant wins in
position in late April. commercial programmes and Bell’s military business and the
Atherton led Textron Systems I am confident that she will expansion of our commercial
– the company’s defence, provide the strategic vision to programmes,” Donnelly notes.
government and aerospace generate future growth.” This has included efforts to pivot
technologies arm – from 2017 Snyder took the helm at Bell in the company toward the future
until January 2023, when she was 2015, and his tenure was capped of vertical flight by investing in
named chief operating officer at by the company last December digital manufacturing, advanced
Bell. She has worked for Textron winning the US Army’s Future design and simulation facilities
since 2007. Long Range Assault Aircraft and expanding support services.

Storage rates of GTF-powered jets

in double digits, analysis shows
Operators point to longer maintenance lead times and spares
shortages as responsible for parking P&W-equipped jets
Jon Hemmerdinger Tampa individual carriers. Data for Indian Although multiple factors may be
carrier IndiGo shows that of its 138 influencing high storage rates, some
P&W geared turbofan (GTF)-pow- airlines have specifically cited GTF
A
irbus A320neo-family air- ered A320neo-family aircraft, 34 maintenance problems as a cause.
craft powered by Pratt & jets – 25% – are parked, while its “The extended turnaround times
Whitney (P&W) PW1100G entire fleet of 105 CFM-engined for Pratt & Whitney servicing the
engines are present- examples remains in service. engines are causing operational
ly stored at a higher rate than Another Indian carrier, Go First disruption for Air Baltic,” the car-
those equipped with the rival CFM Airlines, has 29 of its 54 A320neos rier’s chief executive Martin Gauss
International Leap-1A, analysis of in storage – a 52% parked rate. said in late March. “They, as a long-
Cirium data reveals. Storage rates for the term partner of Air Baltic, could
AirTeamImages
In all, the data shows near- PW1500G-powered A220 fleet are not keep the promise again on the
ly 12% of the PW1100G-powered also elevated: of the around 250 improved turnaround times.”
A320neo-family fleet is in stor- A220s delivered, 14% – or 36 aircraft
age, against 4% of the Leap-1A- – are parked, Cirium data shows. Spares shortage
powered fleet. Latvian airline Air Baltic has 10 Gauss says that “under normal cir-
The high storage rates are not A220s in storage – almost one- cumstances” an engine might be
confined to the A320neo fami- third of its 32-strong fleet; Air unavailable for 60-90 days while
ly: 14% of the A220 fleet, which is Tanzania has three of four A220s undergoing maintenance. “That
only offered with P&W’s PW1500G in storage; seven of Egyptair’s 12 timescale can now be closer to one
engines, is currently parked, the A220s are sidelined; and six of 33 year,” he says, noting one engine
Cirium data indicates. A220s flown by Swiss Internation- “was away for 386 days”. He adds
Although the data does not al Air Lines are stored. that Air Baltic is short on spares.
specify the reasons for an aircraft US discounter Spirit Airlines has
being parked – an airline may have also adjusted its schedule due to
ceased operating, for instance, or
the jets might have issues unrelated
to their engines – the double-digit
storage rates, notably three times
higher than those of its rival, should
147
A320neo-family jets powered by
what chief executive Ted Christie in
February called “diminished service
availability” with PW1100Gs.
“Pratt & Whitney continues to
struggle to support the worldwide
concern P&W executives. PW1100G engines that are in storage – fleet of Neo aircraft, as MRO capac-
Anecdotal evidence points to 12% of the 1,228-strong global fleet ity remains constrained and turna-
extended maintenance lead times, round times for engines in the shop
a shortage of spare engines – both have been nearly three times longer
related to aerospace industry la- Asked to comment, Swiss de- than average,” Christie said. “The
bour and supply chain shortages – clines, saying: “We do not provide Neo engine performance and fuel
and broader durability issues with any public information on specific efficiency is great, but its time-on-
new-generation powerplants, lead- maintenance areas in this context”. wing performance has once again
ing to more frequent shop visits, as “However, we can confirm that declined. We are working with Pratt
being largely responsible. Swiss too continues to be affected & Whitney on finding a solution.”
by the currently reduced resilience
Storage wars of supply chains in the aviation in-
The Cirium data paints a clear dustry – this also includes engines,” A320neo fleet storage rates
picture: 147 A320neo-family jets the carrier adds. CFM Leap-1A
powered by PW1100Gs are in storage Other airlines either declined or
– 101 A320neos and 46 A321neos did not respond to requests for A319neo 12 4 33%
– or 12% of the 1,228-strong P&W- comment from FlightGlobal. A320neo 1,004 47 5%
equipped Neo fleet. But the problem does not ap- A321neo 457 11 2%
In comparison, only 62 of 1,473 pear to be evenly distributed: Total 1,473 62 4%
A320neo-family jets equipped with carriers including Air Canada, Air P&W PW1100G
Leap-1As are sitting idle – a whisker France, Breeze Airways, Delta Air A320neo 694 101 15%
over 4%, Cirium data shows. Lines, JetBlue Airways and Kore-
A321neo 534 46 9%
The marked difference in stor- an Air have all or nearly all of their Total 1,228 147 12%
age rates between PW1100Gs and A220s in service, according to the Source: Cirium fleets data
Leap-1As can be seen at the level of Cirium data. Note: *includes in-service and stored aircraft

Propulsion Operations
IndiGo has parked 34 of 138

GTF-powered Neo aircraft
He said Spirit at one point had

seven A320neos “parked without “The Neo engine performance
operable engines… due to these
issues.” Cirium data shows Spirit and fuel efficiency is great, but its
still has seven PW1100G-powered
A320neos in storage – 9% of its time-on-wing performance has
75-strong fleet of the type.
In late January, Hawaiian Airlines’ once again declined”
chief executive Peter Ingram said
two of its 18 PW1100G-powered Ted Christie Chief executive, Spirit Airlines
A321neos had been grounded
“for an extended period, awaiting
available serviceable engines”. industry in recent years, with vital as much. In March, its vice-presi-
“Since late last year, we have cast and forged components a no- dent of engineering Mohamed Ali
encountered constraints on the table pinch point. said: “As it stands today, Leap has
availability of A321[neo] engines, “Castings and forgings… they a shortfall in time-on-wing, particu-
for which Pratt & Whitney’s MRO can’t produce them fast enough,” larly in the Middle East and India.”
supply chain has been unable to says Jonathan Berger, managing He cited “durability” problems with
keep pace,” Ingram said. director of Alton Aviation Consul- a “small handful of components”.
tancy. With only so many parts on
Under pressure hand, engine makers are having Updates due
P&W says it “expects industry-wide to choose between sending com- The manufacturer is working on
supply chain pressures to ease ponents to maintenance shops, or updates and says the Leap is more
later this year, which will support using them to produce the new durable than the CFM56 at the same
increased output of new and over- engines badly needed by Airbus stage of the programme’s life.
hauled engines. In the interim, and Boeing to support higher During an aerospace conference
we are providing direct logistical output rates. in February, consultant Kevin Mi-
support to our suppliers as well as “No-one’s happy. It means de- chaels with AeroDynamic Advisory
developing solutions to improve layed deliveries. It means really described the issues seen by CFM
engine durability”. long turnaround times in the [main- and P&W as “teething problems”.
Airbus says its teams “are tenance] shops,” Berger says. “It turns out the Leap is not going
supporting P&W to identify However, another factor is also to be on the wing as long as the
solutions to support the in-service at play. Some airlines may be CFM56. And the geared turbofan
customers’ fleets”. discovering that Leap and GTF – oh boy, that has its own set of
Engine manufacturers have been engines need more maintenance issues,” he said. ◗
particularly hard hit by the supply than their predecessors.
chain and labour market disrup- GE Aerospace – one half of CFM Additional reporting by
tion experienced by the aerospace alongside Safran – has conceded Howard Hardee in Sacramento

UK government told to invest

in sustainable aviation or risk
losing ‘jobs of the future’
Industry body calls for urgent action as it updates
roadmap to achieving net-zero flying by 2050
Dominic Perry RAF Brize Norton technologies and “create the jobs Additional measures proposed
of the future”, Sustainable Aviation by Sustainable Aviation include
points to the initiatives in the USA speeding up the UK’s airspace
T
he UK risks losing its posi- and Europe to help the sector. modernisation programme to
tion as a leader in the devel- “The US has passed the Infla- guarantee its delivery by the end
opment of sustainable aviation Reduction Act, which includes of the decade, maintaining fund-
tion technologies unless the hundreds of billions of dollars in ing levels for the Aerospace Tech-
government takes urgent action to incentives for low-carbon technology Institute to boost research
support the industry, notably to in- nologies, including SAF and into low-carbon technologies, and
centivise production of green fuels, hydrogen production, and the EU accelerating the roll-out of carbon
a pressure group has warned. is distributing billions of euros in removals and including them in the
Launching its updated Net-Zero carbon allowances to help subsi- UK’s emission trading scheme.
Carbon Road-Map on 17 April, dise the higher cost of SAF for its The government must also en-
Sustainable Aviation – whose mem- airlines,” it says. sure there is sufficient renewa-
bers include airframers, propul- Sustainable Aviation identifies ble energy generation capacity in
sion specialists, fuel providers and increased SAF use as a central pil- place to meet the whole country’s
airport operators – highlights the lar of the drive to achieve net-ze- future needs: aviation alone will re-
progress the sector has made since ro flying in the coming decades. It quire 147TWh in additional renewa-
the launch of the document in 2020. forecasts that this measure alone ble energy, it says.
This, it says, confirms “that UK will enable the UK aviation industry
aviation can continue to grow whilst to cut 26.4 million tonnes of carbon Energy generation
meeting its commitment to net-ze- dioxide (CO2) emissions by 2050 – A recent report from UK scientific
ro carbon emissions by 2050”. on its own almost 40% of the pre- body the Royal Society also iden-
dicted 67.4 million tonne reduction tified that if the aviation industry
New technologies required, the report says. was to meet its decarbonisation
Development of new technologies Fuel-burn savings achieved goals, renewable energy genera-
– such as hydrogen-based propul- through better air traffic manage- tion would need to rise by 2.4-3.4
sion systems – and the emergence ment and the introduction of more times over 2020 levels for green
of a nascent sustainable aviation efficient or zero-emission aircraft hydrogen production, by 2.5-3.9
fuel (SAF) industry have “made the will help cut a further 22.6 million times for ammonia, and by 5-8
UK a global leader in sustainable tonnes of CO2, it adds. times for synthetic SAF.
aviation technology, creating an To date, just one SAF produc- The Royal Society also highlight-
opportunity to establish Britain as tion plant is operational in the ed that low-carbon fuels would
the home of a low-carbon aviation UK – a Phillips 66 site in the east cost significantly more than stand-
industry – creating thousands of of England – although eight more ard jet fuel – a point acknowledged
jobs and attracting billions in in- producers have plans for facilities by Sustainable Aviation. It predicts
ward investment,” it says. in the country “with the right gov- the increased cost of decarbonis-
“The UK has the right conditions ernment incentive policies”. ing flights “will inevitably reduce
to lead the world in developing In order to secure the UK’s future passenger demand” through high-
sustainable aviation technologies SAF needs, the government must er costs for travellers, adding an
like SAF and zero-carbon emission commit to “delivering commercial average of £15 ($18.60) to the price
hydrogen-powered aircraft,” says UK [SAF] production at scale this of a ticket. Its models see demand
the report. However, it warns that decade,” says Sustainable Avia- reduction as contributing 14%, or
“this leadership and the opportuni- tion. That includes making good on 9.4 million tonnes, of the total CO2
ty to make the UK home to a low- a previous pledge of “seeing five saving by 2050.
carbon aviation industry is at risk. UK SAF plants under construction “However, this modelling also
Dominic Perry/FlightGlobal
“Without urgent government by 2025, by providing an indus- shows that, even with slightly high-
action the UK may miss out on try-funded price-stability mech- er costs, people still want to fly,
these industries of tomorrow.” anism alongside a SAF mandate, with overall growth in passenger
Noting the “global race” to secure whilst prioritising access to UK sus- numbers of almost 250 million by
private investment in zero-carbon tainable feedstocks.” 2050,” it adds. ◗

Environment Initiatives
Eurofighter Typhoons were refuelled with a

43% SAF blend by a RAF Voyager on 17 April
RAF’s SAF drive powers mission to refuel service

The UK Royal Air Force (RAF) is making tentative currently part of our routine operations”, says
early steps towards its goal of achieving net-zero Burdett, a situation that is largely due to “the cost
by 2040 but needs commercial air transport to and ease of access”.
fully embrace sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) to “That’s why we want to encourage the wider
help improve its cost and availability, according to aviation industry to increase its engagement with
the head of the service’s air mobility wing. SAF,” he adds. Greater commercial demand for
Since powering an Airbus Defence & Space A330 the fuel will drive down the price and increase its
Voyager multi-role tanker transport in November availability, he notes.
2022 on 100% SAF, the RAF has performed further Qualification of the Voyager and its Rolls-
“proof-of-concept” flights using the fuel. Royce Trent 700 engines to run on 100% SAF was
Those missions involved passing SAF blends driven by a consortium that included the engine
to receiver aircraft including its Airbus A400M manufacturer, Airbus, AirTanker, the UK Ministry of
and Lockheed Martin C-130J transports, and the Defence and the RAF, with the jet’s civil heritage
Eurofighter Typhoon. also facilitating the process.
The latest, a 17 April sortie, saw a Voyager – Burdett says similar levels of collaboration will
a VIP-configured example known as ‘Vespina’ be required to certificate the other transport
(ZZ663) – refuel four Typhoons over the North Sea aircraft under his control at RAF Brize Norton in
with a 43% SAF blend. Oxfordshire – the A400M and Boeing C-17 – for
Speaking aboard the Voyager, Group Captain 100% SAF operation.
Gareth Burdett, Commander Air Wing – Air In addition, analysis of data from the November
Mobility, said the service is “in the foothills” of its flight continues in order to evaluate any
decarbonisation journey – but is making progress. unforeseen impact on the engines or fuel system
“The flight today demonstrates that [November’s from the full SAF use.
flight] was not just a gimmick; it’s a repeatable Fuel for the 17 April flight was sourced and
event that also shows combat aircraft can be part funded by International Airlines Group and British
of the journey as well.” Airways and was supplied by BP. Derived from
While the RAF’s entire inventory is qualified to waste-based feedstocks, it was produced in
operate on SAF blends of up to 50%, it is “not Sweden and China.

Legal Judgement
BOC Aviation awarded more than

$400m for Russian 747-8F defaults
Claim for damages related to three freighters that were
leased to Volga-Dnepr Group carrier AirBridgeCargo
David Kaminski-Morrow London informed AirBridgeCargo that it The court held a one-day bench
would not be able to continue op- trial on 3 April 2023, for which
erating the jets in Russia because AirBridgeCargo and Volga-Dnepr
L
essor BOC Aviation has been the reinsurance situation no longer Logistics, as defendants, offered
granted damages of more met the lease agreement terms. no witnesses.
than $400 million against All three aircraft were outside of Much of the claim for damages in
Russian freight operators Russia – in Shanghai, Hong Kong the case has focused on whether
AirBridgeCargo and Volga-Dne- and Zhengzhou – on 5 March last there had been an ‘event of default’
pr, over defaults relating to three year, when BOC issued a grounding and an ‘event of loss’.
leased Boeing 747-8Fs. notice to the carrier. The court has ruled that the ex-
The situation emerged after But a US Southern District of New istence of an ‘event of default’
the Russian invasion of Ukraine in York court document detailing the is “undisputed” under the lease
February 2022, after which interna- case states that AirBridgeCargo agreements for each aircraft, and
tional sanctions were imposed on flew two of the aircraft, 60117 and that there were also ‘events of loss’.
Russian carriers and lessors sought 60119, from China to Russia the It agrees with BOC that the
to retrieve their aircraft. next day. situation was “foreseeable” by the
AirBridgeCargo was using three defendants, rejecting the defence’s
747-8Fs – serial numbers 60117, Default notices ‘impossibility’ argument, and also
60118 and 60119 – which BOC BOC formally issued default no- rules that the defendants did
Aviation acquired in 2017. The third tices to the carrier for all three air- not prove the lessor had failed to
aircraft had originally been leased craft, and demanded their return, mitigate its damages.
to affiliated operator CargoLogic- but it has only been able to retrieve As a result it has awarded damag-
Air when BOC took ownership, and 60118 from Hong Kong. The aircraft es totalling $406 million, including
it was transferred to AirBridge- was ferried to Arizona on 25 March nearly $176 million for aircraft 60117,
Cargo in 2020. 2022 and is now operated by Air almost $180 million for aircraft
As a result of the Ukrainian Belgium, Cirium data shows. 60119, plus more than $50 million
conflict the EU prohibited insur- However, only two of the jet’s for the retrieved aircraft 60118. ◗
ance and reinsurance of aircraft four GE Aerospace GEnx engines
used by Russian carriers. Having were BOC Aviation’s – two oth-
been notified of reinsurance can- ers belonging to the lessor remain
cellation for the 747-8Fs, BOC in Russia.
AirTeamImages
Lessor has only been able to recover

aircraft 60118, which was in Hong Kong
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Rotorcraft Facilities
Leonardo firm on Yeovil’s future

Helicopter manufacturer confident of prospects for UK site,
despite expansion of its production capabilities elsewhere
Dominic Perry Atlanta
L
eonardo Helicopters man-
aging director Gian Piero
Cutillo believes its UK site in
Yeovil will remain a “centre of
excellence” for the company, amid
an expansion of its production
footprint elsewhere.
Yeovil has for several years re-
lied on two platforms – the AW101
Merlin and AW159 Wildcat – to sus-
tain its final assembly activities but
export sales have been sluggish,
particularly for the latter platform.
Canadian defence ministry
Although Leonardo Helicopters

intends to build AW149s at the site
if it is successful in the UK’s New
Medium Helicopter (NMH) contest,
Canada will upgrade its AW101-
concerns have been raised about
based search and rescue fleet
the long-term future for the plant
in Somerset if it fails to win.
In the meantime, Leonardo
Helicopters is investing in new pro- existing customer is also looking at build the helicopter for the export
duction lines elsewhere – for the an upgrade programme that may market. However, should that deal
AW139 in Algeria and the AW149 also see new examples built. not materialise, then Leonardo
at its PZL-Swidnik subsidiary in Cutillo says the manufacturer is Helicopters “has other options”,
Poland, the latter on the back of a also working with the Italian navy to says Cutillo, including the current
32-unit order for the super-medium- define the content of another MLU plant in Vergiate, Italy or the new
twin for the country’s armed forces. for its 22-strong fleet of AW101s. Polish line.
Design activities and initial Cutillo says he is “very proud”
Development work modification work will take place in of the work being carried out at
But Cutillo, speaking at the Heli- the UK, he says, and even if there is PZL-Swidnik: “They have really
Expo show in Atlanta, points out a “completion centre in Italy” there responded very, very well to all the
that Yeovil continues to win work. will nonetheless “be a big contribu- challenges” and have moved from
A previously undisclosed order for tion from Yeovil”. simple manufacturing to more
three AW159s from a North African Of course, the big prize would be complex projects.
customer has seen the Wildcat line a contract from the UK Ministry of Despite the site’s growing capa-
reactivated, and in the meantime Defence for AW149s. “Yeovil is ex- bilities, Cutillo insists that thanks
new AW101s are being built for tremely important to us and we do to its design and engineering
Norway and Poland. believe it is the OEM reference for expertise “Yeovil will remain a
Additional design and develop- the UK customer. second hub for Leonardo” and “a
ment work for the site has been “I think we can really be the right centre of excellence”.
generated by Canada’s decision combination between a good ma- Meanwhile, efforts continue to
to proceed with a mid-life up- chine and the best social value and solidify Leonardo Helicopters’
grade (MLU) for its fleet of AW101- UK content for them.” plans for an AW139 line in Algeria,
based CH-149 Cormorant search Selection of the AW149 for the following the setting up of a joint
and rescue helicopters. Another NMH contest would also see Yeovil venture with the country’s defence
ministry in 2019.
“We are still working with the
“Yeovil is extremely important to partner to see how we can make
this operational,” Cutillo says. “At
us. We believe it is the [helicopter] the moment it is something that is
on its way to being defined.”
OEM reference for the UK” Should the project proceed, then
the plant will build AW139s for the
Gian Piero Cutillo Managing director, Leonardo Helicopters Algerian domestic market. ◗

Fleet Departures
‘Least combat effective’

airframes will be withdrawn
US Air Force
USAF initiates long-planned

retirement of A-10, AWACS fleets
Service begins trimming its ground-attack and surveillance
types, with a combined 34 aircraft to leave use before October
Ryan Finnerty Tampa of an outer wing assembly, centre aircraft to Davis-Monthan AFB,
wing assembly, control surfaces from a total of 13 scheduled for re-
and fuselage integration kits. tirement in FY2023. The aircraft –
T
he US Air Force (USAF) has While production of the A-10 registered 75-0560 – landed at the
finally begun the retirement ended in 1984, the enhanced wing site on 6 April.
of its Fairchild Republic A-10 assembly replacement programme “Divesting part of the fleet will
ground-attack and Boeing is designed to extend the type’s improve sustainability by adding
E-3 airborne warning and control operational life into the 2030s. high demand, low availability parts
system (AWACS) aircraft. Despite that investment, service back into the supply chain, provid-
A first A-10C was flown to the leaders have long sought to retire ing a temporary improvement for
“Boneyard” storage site at Da- the A-10, saying it is too slow and aircraft availability,” the USAF says.
vis-Monthan AFB in Arizona on 5 unstealthy to survive against mod- The move came a little over a
April, after logging 43 operational ern air defences. Funds directed to month after the service announced
years and 14,125 flight hours. maintaining the USAF’s nine A-10 an official deal for the Sentry’s
Previously assigned to the 74th squadrons would be better spent replacement: the Boeing E-7A
Fighter Squadron at Moody AFB, on modernising its fleet with more Wedgetail. Prior to the first air-
Georgia, the strike aircraft – tail fifth-generation aircraft like the craft’s departure, the service had 31
number 80-149 – will be “preserved Lockheed Martin F-35, they argue. of the aged type in use.
as much as possible, while also In February, the USAF award-
providing parts to other A-10s”, the Congressional approval ed Boeing a $1.2 billion contract
USAF says. However, this advice was repeated- for the first of an eventual 26
The service’s Air Combat Com- ly thwarted by Congress, which re- 737-700-based E-7As.
mand tells FlightGlobal that a total quired the operation of A-10 squad- “While some may see the di-
of 21 A-10s will be retired before rons through the defence budget vestment as the end of an era, the
October. The command says it is until late last year, when lawmak- retirement of this aircraft marks the
prioritising the “least combat effec- ers finally approved the first retire- beginning of modernisation,” says
tive” airframes for departure first. ments for during fiscal year 2023. Colonel Kevin Coyle, commander
Removing those aircraft from use “The A-10 remains the most of the 552nd Air Control Wing.
must be completed during the US effective close air support platform Boeing will begin production of
government’s current fiscal year in the world today, even after 45 the USAF’s E-7As in 2025, with
– which ends on 30 September, years,” says USAF Captain Kevin the first aircraft to be fielded dur-
according to a defence authorisa- Domingue, who flew aircraft 80-149 ing 2027 and the entire fleet to be
tion bill passed by Congress. to its retirement. delivered by 2032.
The USAF had gone to consid- The 74th Fighter Squadron has USAF acquisition chief Andrew
erable lengths to keep the Cold already received a replacement Hunter notes that the service will
War-era A-10 Warthog flightworthy A-10 from the Indiana Air National continue to modernise its Sentry
in recent years. The service signed Guard, which is moving from oper- fleet until the new type has entered
deals Boeing in 2011 and 2019 to ating the type to Lockheed’s F-16. use. “Until the E-7A is fielded, we
produce all new wing sets for its Meanwhile, the USAF also has will continue to rely on the E-3
283-strong fleet. Each set consists flown a first E-3 AWACS surveillance AWACS,” he says. ◗

Operations Milestone
Germany has used the MRTT during

long-range Eurofighter deployment
Alliance tops
up tanker fleet as initial
operational capability is declared
Strengthened commitment to pooled capability from Belgium
sees NATO order its 10th A330 for multinational operations
Ryan Finnerty Tampa base also subsequently established The type was used in the mission
in Cologne, Germany. to evacuate civilians from Afghani-
The NATO Support and Procure- stan in 2021, and has been flown to
N
ATO has declared initial opment Agency (NSPA) says the IOC the Asia-Pacific region for exercises
erational capability (IOC) declaration means the unit is able with allies including Australia. It will
with its alliance-owned to “perform all types of missions to be deployed to the Middle East this
fleet of Airbus Defence meet the full range of national and year to support operations against
& Space A330 multi-role tanker NATO requirements”. Islamic State militants.
transports (MRTTs), and confirmed Equipped with under-wing hose Meanwhile, a follow-on contract
an order to boost it to 10 examples and drogue pods and a centre- with the NSPA will provide a tenth
by later this decade. line-mounted refuelling boom, A330 for the multinational group.
Announcing the operational de- the MMF’s A330s are powered by “This announcement follows
velopment on 23 March, NATO Rolls-Royce Trent 772 turbofans. Belgium’s decision to increase its
secretary general Jens Stoltenberg A full operational capability number of hours in the programme
said its current seven A330s “will declaration is due to be made in with an additional 1,100 flight
provide us with world-class air-to- mid-2024. hours per year,” Airbus Defence
air refuelling, air transport and air & Space says. The nation will use
medical evacuation capabilities”. Projecting power 2,100h on the fleet annually under
The ongoing acquisition is the re- Stoltenberg describes the pooled its expanded commitment, NATO’s
sult of a Multinational MRTT Fleet tanker capability as representing procurement body says.
(MMF) initiative involving six NATO the “backbone of allied air power” “With this new order, [the] NSPA
members: Belgium, the Czech Re- for NATO. has already acquired one out of
public, Germany, Luxembourg, the “Most importantly, the fleet has four optional MRTTs requested be-
Netherlands and Norway. Each already proven its value,” he says. yond the nine aircraft contracted
nation provides personnel to the “Since Russia’s brutal invasion of earlier, demonstrating the level of
pooled organisation, and commits Ukraine, these tanker transport customer satisfaction,” says Jean-
to using a set number of flight aircraft have helped to protect Brice Dumont, head of Military Air
hours per year. NATO’s eastern flank.” Systems at Airbus Defence & Space.
Deliveries began in 2020 to NATO says MMF aircraft flew The MMF group’s eighth and ninth
the Multinational MRTT Unit at more than 500 missions in 2022, aircraft are due to be delivered dur-
Bundeswehr
Eindhoven air base in the Neth- “refuelling hundreds of NATO ing 2024, with the newly ordered
erlands, with a forward operating fighter jets”. example to follow in 2026. ◗
Download the 2023

IN ASSOCIATION WITH
Wo r l d A i r Fo r c e s R e p o r t
FlightGlobal.com/waf

Procurement Selection
Canada eyes P-8 purchase

737-based type favoured to replace nation’s ageing CP-140
Auroras, with Ottawa requesting information on 16-unit deal
Greg Waldron Singapore “Ensuring that the RCAF [Royal Canada issued a request for in-
Canadian Air Force] are well- formation related to a new MPA
equipped and supported, main- acquisition in February 2022, and
O
ttawa has moved a taining operational continuity, and has since determined that the
step closer towards the seeking best value for Canadi- P-8A meets all requirements under
possible acquisition of ans, including through economic the CMMA effort.
Boeing’s P-8A Poseidon benefits for industry and commu- Ottawa notes that several of its
maritime patrol aircraft (MPA) for nities from coast to coast to coast, key partners already operate the
its Canadian Multi-Mission Aircraft is at the core of Canada’s defence P-8A, including its ‘Five Eyes’ se-
(CMMA) requirement. procurement strategy.” curity allies Australia, New Zealand,
“With a view to exploring this Boeing, in response to Otta- the UK and the USA, along with
option in more detail, Canada has re- wa’s announcement, notes that other nations such as Norway and
cently submitted a letter of request the 737NG-based P-8A meets all South Korea. Germany also is in the
[LOR] through the United States its potential customer’s require- process of obtaining the Poseidon
government’s Foreign Military Sales to replace its aged P-3C fleet.
programme outlining Canada’s “The issuance of a LOR does not
requirements and requesting an
offer,” says Public Services and Pro-
curement Canada.
“These requirements include up
to 16 P-8A Poseidon aircraft and
15
Number of CP-140 maritime patrol
commit Canada to purchasing the
P-8A Poseidon and the project
remains in options analysis,” Public
Services and Procurement Canada
notes. “The final decision will be
associated equipment and initial aircraft operated by Royal Canadian based on the capability offered,
servicing, as well as access to intel- Air Force, due for retirement in 2030 availability, pricing and benefits to
lectual property and technical data,” Canadian industry.”
the government agency adds. Cirium fleets data records
Canada has been seeking re- ments, and says that any acquisi- Canada’s air force as operating 15
placements for its fleet of Lock- tion will help boost Canada’s aero- CP-140s, with an average age of
heed Martin CP-140 Auroras – the space industry. 42 years.
local designation for the P-3 Orion. The airframer names CAE, GE Canada also is in the process
The in-service assets are set for Canada, Honeywell Aerospace of modernising its fixed-wing
retirement in 2030. Canada, IMP Aerospace & Defence, search and rescue capabilities via
“Procuring a new fleet is required KF Aerospace, Raytheon Canada, an on-going acquisition of Airbus
to ensure Canada’s military has the and StandardAero as partners on Defence & Space C295s, although
equipment it needs to continue the programme. that project is the subject of a
protecting Canadian sovereignty “We look forward to working significant delay.
along its coastline,” the procure- with the US and Canadian govern- Airbus confirmed late last year
ment body adds. ments to finalise this sale under that the 16-aircraft contract had
the Foreign Military Sales pro- been “rebaselined” by mutual agree-
cess,” it says. ment, noting: “there was an
underestimation of the
complexity of the
programme from
both sides”. ◗
Additional reporting by
Craig Hoyle in London
Boeing has already named an

Boeing
extensive local industry team

Airframer Results
Hybrid-electric Evo could be in

production by end of the decade
ATR chief admits 2022 orders and

deliveries were below expectations
ATR
Turboprop manufacturer disappointed with performance but

predicts recovery in demand as pandemic-hit markets reopen
Murdo Morrison London Gross orders fell from 35 in 2021. ATR is “progressing” with its
Tarnaud Laude says a lack of Chi- flight-test programme for a short
nese travellers in the Asia-Pacific, take-off and landing (STOL) ver-
A
TR’s new chief executive which has traditionally made up al- sion of the ATR 42-600, after flying
admits the manufacturer’s most half of ATR orders, and infla- the variant for the first time in May
25 deliveries and 26 or- tionary pressures that have made last year. The company, which is
ders in 2022 were “below “customers quite cautious”, con- targeting certification in “late 2024
where we wanted to be”, but prom- tributed to the slump in demand. or early 2025”, has 21 orders for
ises a return to annual production A glut of used ATRs – which some the -600S and “we plan to acquire
of more than 80 aircraft “by the airlines were buying instead of new more in 2023”, Tarnaud Laude says.
second half of the decade”. – was also a factor, but Tarnaud An “initial flight-test phase” of
Nathalie Tarnaud Laude, who Laude, who formerly ran helicop- about 80h to test the STOL systems
took over at the Airbus-Leonardo ter joint venture NH Industries, says will end shortly, after which ATR will
joint venture last October, blames most are now off the market. fit a larger rudder – which Leonar-
labour shortages, supply chain She welcomes as an “important do is manufacturing in Foggia, Italy
snags, and long-lasting Covid-19 step” China’s decision to certificate – and perform ground tests. A final,
travel restrictions in its core the ATR 42-600, and says ATR will 400h certification campaign will
Asia-Pacific market for the turbo- now have “to work to really turn begin in the last quarter.
prop manufacturer’s sluggish re- that into orders”. ATR has forecast ATR’s shareholders are also
bound from the pandemic. a market for 280 new turboprops in conducting a feasibility study into
The Toulouse-based airframer the country over the next 20 years. the possible launch of the Evo, a
was consistently delivering at least hybrid-electric variant of its turbo-
80 aircraft throughout much of last Honest approach prop family, which could enter pro-
decade, but its output has been ATR made record annual deliver- duction by the end of the decade.
dropping since 2017, falling to just ies of 88 aircraft in 2015, and 80 Tarnaud Laude says “the con-
10 in pandemic-hit 2020. shipments in each of the following cept makes a lot of sense in terms
A year ago, then-chief executive two years. She says the company of technology, but it also has to
Stefano Bortoli was hailing 2021’s must be “honest with ourselves” make sense from an economic
31 deliveries as a step towards about the likelihood of return- and market standpoint”. ATR and
recovery, and predicting shipments ing to those levels of production, its owners expect to take a launch
in the “mid to high 30s” in 2022. committing only to achieve it by decision in 2024.
Tarnaud Laude tells FlightGlob- the end of the decade. She welcomes the emergence
al ATR is “close to break even and As with other manufacturers, of possible new competitors in
is generating cash again”, while shortages and delays of raw mate- the turboprop sector – including
its support and services business rials and components have hit ATR Embraer and a flurry of start-ups
enjoyed a record year in revenue in the past year, and Tarnaud Laude developing their own hydrogen-,
terms. She points to the fact that admits: “We are still struggling.” It hybrid- or full-electric platforms –
85% of ATR’s global fleet – close to is likely problems will persist into saying they are “an endorsement of
1,200 aircraft – were back in service 2024, although the company is the value proposition of turboprop
last year, and that ATR has a “solid” “working hand in hand with suppli- technology to improve efficiency
160-strong backlog. ers” to minimise disruption. and reduce CO2”. ◗

Failed Flybe was ‘losing millions

per month’, say administrators
Launch amid Covid restrictions in April 2022 and slow delivery
of aircraft blamed for resurrected regional carrier’s demise
Dominic Perry London latest incarnation had ambitious Holdings – a Luxembourg-based
plans to create a thriving region- fund associated with Cyrus Capital,
al aviation business with bases at the owners of the original Flybe at
B
irmingham-headquartered Birmingham, Belfast International the time of its collapse. The new
Flybe was losing an average and Glasgow, also with a presence Flybe acquired the assets of its
of up to £5 million ($6.1 mil- at hub airports London Heathrow predecessor for just £1.
lion) during each month of and Amsterdam Schiphol, along- But detailing the collapse in their
its brief existence, the administra- side other UK sites. statement of administrators’ pro-
tors of the collapsed UK regional Flybe was owned by Thyme posals, Mike Pink and Amy Rose
carrier have disclosed. Parentco, a UK-registered holding from Interpath Advisory reveal that
On the back of those losses and company, the majority of whose Flybe struggled virtually from the
outstanding loans or credit facili- shares were in turn held by DLP moment it was relaunched.
ties, the airline’s total deficiency is Initial funding in the form of a
over £82 million. £20 million loan was received from
Flybe entered administration and
ceased all flights on 27 January,
having only commenced opera-
tions the previous April.
An attempt to resurrect the
£82m
Total financial deficiency amassed
DLP and £20 million in equity from
its shareholders, of which DLP was
the largest. On top of this, DLP
provided a £5 million credit facility,
which was not initially drawn.
Flybe brand following the failure of by relaunched airline at the point it “At the time the financing pack-
its predecessor in March 2020, the ceased operations on 27 January age was agreed it was forecast
this would be sufficient for the
company [Flybe] to bridge to
Leased aircraft were repossessed become financially self-sustaining,”
after company became insolvent the report says.
But procuring aircraft proved
challenging: when Flybe began
operations in April 2022 it had se-
cured just two leased De Havilland
Canada Dash 8 twin-turboprops.
Planned fleet
A fleet of 17 Dash 8s was planned
– through leases with Aergo Capital
and Nordic Aviation Capital – but by
the time Flybe ceased operations
just nine aircraft had been deliv-
ered, eight of which were in service.
Coronavirus travel restrictions
also hampered the airline’s early
AirTeamImages
days, the administrators note.

“The ongoing impact of Covid-19
on travel, and the continued delay
in delivery of 17 aircraft, impacted
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Airline Collapse
AirTeamImages
A fleet of 17 Dash 8s was planned
but only nine were delivered
“Given the delay in receiving leased DLP is the sole secured creditor
in the company on the back of its
aircraft, the company was unable to £20 million loan, the provision of
£29 million in credit and £1.5 mil-
provide the seat capacity or service lion in interest.
However, the administrators point
the routes it had anticipated” out: “The level of recovery that DLP
Holdings will receive in respect of
their security will be dependent on
Interpath Advisory the outcome of the administration.
They will suffer a shortfall in rela-
tion to their indebtedness.”
the ability of the company to scale process that had been under way Ordinary and secondary pref-
up capacity and left it operating at prior to [their] appointment”. erential creditors – employees
much lower levels than forecast,” A sale on a going-concern basis and the UK tax authorities, re-
the report says. was essential as “[UK Civil Aviation spectively – should receive full
“Given the delay in receiving Authority] licences are not trans- payment of their combined claims
leased aircraft, the company was ferable, and there were a number for £676,000, while unsecured
unable to provide the seat capacity of legal and contractual restric- creditors will receive an as-yet
or service the number of routes it tions impacting the transferability undetermined dividend on their
had anticipated, which caused sig- of the slots”, it notes. claims of £20 million.
nificant reputational and financial According to the statement of
impact on the business.” Sale fails affairs, the administrators hope to
As a result, DLP was forced to Those sale efforts ended on 14 realise around £9.4 million of the
increase the size of the credit fa- February when the final interested airline’s assets.
cility – raising it to £33 million in party withdrew having “concluded These primarily consist of the
August 2022, of which £29 million they would be unable to take for- cash held in the airline’s bank
was ultimately drawn – “in order to ward a deal to rescue the business”. accounts. As the aircraft were
sustain the company whose aver- No value can be realised from the leased, they were repossessed
age losses were between £4 million “highly prized” Heathrow slots, the by their owners shortly after the
to £5 million a month”. administrators add, as “they were appointment of administrators.
In the meantime, DLP was seek- not Flybe’s to sell or transfer”. But the sale of what remains of
ing a strategic partner or a sale of Instead they have reverted back the business could allow the Flybe
Flybe. But having “exhausted those to original owner British Airways, name at least to live on, howev-
options”, administration became which had been forced to relin- er unlikely that may sound. “We
inevitable, says the report. quish them by the European Com- have appointed Hilco Appraisal
As great value was placed on Fly- mission on competition grounds. to market for sale certain of the
be’s slots at Heathrow and Schiphol, Of the 279 staff employed by Fly- company’s intellectual property,
the administrators were hopeful the be when it went into administration, including its brand, domain name
carrier could be sold as a going just 10 back-office staff remain to and social media platforms,” the
concern “by progressing the sale aid with its winding up. administrators add. ◗

Flight had departed from Perth

with 92 passengers and five crew
Network Aviation F100 landed

short on fuel after multiple missed
approaches in unforecast cloud
Crew found weather at Western Austalian airport worse than
anticipated but were unable to divert after three go-arounds
Dominic Perry London flight to Paraburdoo lasting 1h – the crew began to prepare for an
Greg Waldon Singapore 29min. Karratha, 156nm (290km) to instrument approach to runway 06.
the north, was set as the diversion At around 07:36, as the aircraft
alternate. The minimum fuel load descended through 5,500ft, “the
M
ultiple missed approaches was carried, including 10% variable crew observed extensive cloud”,
and the absence of time- flight reserve, 60min of holding the ATSB reports. Around 10min
ly and accurate weather fuel for arrival, and 30min of fixed later, the pilot monitoring (PM)
information led the crew fuel reserve. reported they were 100ft above
of a Network Aviation Fokker 100 “The additional 10-minute com- the minimum descent altitude
to perform a below-minima land- pany fuel reserve was recorded on (MDA) of 1,940ft – 550ft above
ing while low on fuel, Australian the flightplan as removed due to the aerodrome level – which was ac-
investigators have determined. forecast payload,” says the ATSB. knowledged by the first officer,
Several operational deficiencies who was the pilot flying (PF).
at the Qantas Group carrier also Falling visibility “Shortly after, the PM announced
contributed to the serious inci- Forecast weather conditions for ‘minima’, followed by ‘no contact’.
dent, which occured at Paraburdoo Paraburdoo, which sits at 1,406ft The PF then announced that they
airport in Western Australia on 22 elevation, included scattered were going around, and the PM
November 2021. cloud at 1,000ft and broken cloud commented that they were too
In its final report into the event, at 3,000ft with visibility of 10km high,” the report says.
the Australian Transport Safety (6 miles). This was predicted to Concluding they were too high
Bureau (ATSB) says the crew of the change temporarily around the ex- “due to a tailwind”, the crew decid-
regional jet (VH-NHV) performed pected arrival time to broken cloud ed to switch to the opposite direc-
three missed approaches to at 1,000ft with 4km visibility. tion runway 24. Updated AWIS data
Paraburdoo before finally landing On listening to Paraburdoo’s au- accessed at 07:42 indicated broken
on runway 24 with less than 1t of tomated weather information ser- cloud at 800ft, overcast at 1,500ft,
fuel remaining. vice (AWIS) around 1h after take- and visibility reduced to 5,000m
AirTeamImages
Departing from Perth with 92 off – indicating scattered cloud at (16,400ft). However, the crew again
passengers and five crew on board, 2,100ft and broken cloud at 4,800ft abandoned the approach as the
the flightplan called for a direct with a 6kt (11km/h) wind from 50° aircraft passed through the MDA.

Safety Investigation
In a later interview, the pilots resulted in a delay of 15 minutes be- around 12min of fuel left to enable
said that although they became fore an update was offered. By that landing with a 1.1t reserve.
“visual with the ground” low cloud time, it was no longer required as During the last approach, at 844ft
“obscured the runway, which they had insufficient fuel remaining above ground level and 273ft above
required a missed approach.” to divert to Newman.” the MDA, the first officer, who had
No automated alternatives to switched to the PM role, “remarked
Contingency planning receive updated weather infor- the cloud was starting to break
While in the hold following the mation were available, the ATSB up”. As ‘minima’ was called “the
second missed approach, the crew adds, noting that after the missed ground proximity warning system
noted that they only had around approaches “the flightcrew had then announced ‘500ft’, ‘400ft’,
40min of holding fuel remaining. lost confidence in their flightplan and ‘300ft’,” the report says; the
The flight-management computer weather forecasts and were reluc- runway only became visible at
showed they “were at minimum tant to attempt a diversion to an 293ft above ground level, or 291ft
fuel to divert direct to Karratha” alternate airport without current below the MDA.
– a figure that did not account for weather information”.
any contingencies, the captain A third approach, again to run- Empty tanks
pointed out. way 26, was attempted, the crew At 08:43 the aircraft landed on
Subsequent analysis by the ATSB once more breaking it off as the runway 26 without further incident
suggested that the crew “likely had aircraft passed through the MDA. – 57min after the first approach
sufficient fuel to divert to Karratha and with just 0.96t of fuel remain-
0.96t
or Newman immediately after their ing, according to the captain.
second missed approach, but not Other contributory factors to
after their third”. the incident were deficiencies
Actual weather conditions made in Network Aviation’s operat-
Karratha suitable for a diversion ing processes, says the ATSB. It
but an “immediate decision was Amount of fuel remaining on landing, did not provide flightcrew with a
required”, says the report. according to regional jet’s captain diversion decision-making pro-
“However, it was only after the cedure for circumstances where
second missed approach that flights encountered unforecast
the flightcrew started to discuss “After the third missed approach, weather below landing minima, in-
diversion options and the fuel the aircraft did not have sufficient creasing the risk that pilots “would
consumption during this period fuel to reach a suitable alternate not anticipate and be adequately
consequently precluded Karratha and the flightcrew were commit- prepared for a diversion”.
as an option.” ted to landing at Paraburdoo,” the Additionally, the carrier “did not
Instead, the crew contacted ATSB points out. include the threat of unforecast
air traffic control, requesting the Prior to the fourth and final ap- weather below landing minima in
weather conditions at Newman, proach, the crew discussed either their controlled flight into terrain
around 113nm to the east. complying with missed approach risk assessments”, it adds.
“However, there was no urgency criteria and declaring a Mayday fuel As a result, Network Aviation
conveyed by the [captain] nor was situation “if not visual at the missed has tightened its processes around
the aircraft’s fuel status relayed approach point”, or to continue be- diversion alternates and updated its
with this request,” says the report. low the MDA for a landing, eventu- operations manual to “raise aware-
“This, in combination with air traf- ally opting for the latter course of ness around fuel status”, among a
fic control workload at the time, action. At that point, the jet had range of safety improvements. ◗

Defence Technology
Airbus moves to Auto’Mate

future tanker operations
Initial flight campaign succeeds in bringing unmanned
air vehicle within 45m of A310 testbed without human
intervention, as airframer eyes A4R introduction
Dominic Perry London
A
irbus Defence & Space has
demonstrated the in-flight
autonomous guidance and
control of a series of un-
manned air vehicles (UAVs) using extremely short timeframe,” says
its A310 multi-role tanker transport Manuel Barriopedro, head of the
(MRTT) testbed. Auto’Mate demonstration at Airbus
Seen as a first step to maturing UpNext. Plans for the flight-test
autonomous formation flight and effort were only detailed last year
so-called autonomous asset air-to- and the campaign concluded
air refuelling (A4R) capabilities, the ahead of schedule, he notes.
trials were carried out in the south “Although we are in a very, very
of Spain with Airbus UpNext, the early stage, we think we have
airframer’s innovation arm. performed our biggest step in order
Airbus sees the refinement of to continue developing these kind
such technologies as essential of operations,” adds Barriopedro.
Do-DT25s manoeuvred next to A310
for the operation of next-gener- Airbus says the demonstra-
testbed using artificial intelligence
ation combat aircraft, such as the tion rested on three technological
manned and unmanned platforms pillars: accurate relative naviga-
proposed under the French- tion – to determine precisely the enabling it to work in tandem with
German-Spanish Future Combat relative position, speed and atti- the automatic air-to-air refuel-
Air System programme in which it tudes between the tanker and the ling system (A3R) it has already
is an industry partner. receiver; in-flight communication certificated for the operational
Known as Auto’Mate, the tech- between the platforms; and co-op- A330 MRTT, which automates the
nologies were integrated onto the erative control algorithms for guid- final contact between the boom
A310 MRTT flying testbed and ance and collision avoidance. and receiver aircraft.
several Airbus Do-DT25 target “My ambition here would be to
drones – acting as receiver aircraft Precision approach have this system certified and avail-
– respectively launched from its Sensors installed on the aircraft in- able to the market before the end
Getafe plant near Madrid and the cluded LIDAR and multiple cameras of the decade,” says Maria Angeles
Arenosillo test centre in Huelva. with different fields of view, along- Marti, head of tanker and deriva-
Performed over the Gulf of Cadiz side several GPS-based navigation tives at Airbus Defence & Space.
on 21 and 23 March, each mission sources, such as real-time kinemat- No refuelling contacts with the
lasted 6h and involved the sequen- ics “through which we can have UAVs are envisaged during the next
tial launch of four Do-DT25s. relative positioning of less than one round of testing, but Marti says
During the sorties, control of the centimetre”, says Barriopedro. Airbus wants to develop a “plug-
UAVs transitioned from a ground A second campaign is expected and-play asset” that can be easily
station to the A310 MRTT, au- towards the end of 2023, to explore adapted for future operations.
tonomously guiding each to the the use of navigation sensors based While Singapore is the launch
in-flight refuelling position, around on AI and improved autonomous customer for the A3R system on
45m (150ft) behind the tanker. formation flight algorithms. its A330 MRTT fleet and supported
Airbus says the receiver aircraft In addition, there will also be the development with its aircraft,
“were sequentially controlled and two simulated drones flying in Marti sees wider interest from other
commanded thanks to artificial the vicinity of the A310 MRTT to customers in taking advantage of
Airbus Defence & Space
intelligence [AI] and co-operative demonstrate multi-receiver au- the upgrade “off the shelf”.
control algorithms” without the tonomous operations and colli- However, it is “still to be decid-
need for human intervention. sion-avoidance technology. ed” whether A3R could become
“We are extremely happy with Airbus is confident it can com- a standard feature on new-build
what we have achieved in an mercialise the A4R technology, aircraft, she adds. ◗

Xwing pilots push for

uncrewed cargo flights
Start-up submits certification plan for
its autonomous ‘Superpilot’ control
Xwing
technology to US aviation regulator
Howard Hardee Sacramento Xwing aims for its technology to and rural areas across the US,” the
achieve FAA certification by the company says.
end of 2025 and to enter service Xwing has for several years been
A
utonomous aviation shortly after. working toward FAA certification of
company Xwing is a step The application makes Xwing’s its autonomous flight technology.
closer to certification of unmanned air system the first to The company runs a Part 135 cargo
its ‘Superpilot’ technol- be assigned FAA resources for a operation, making some 400 pilot-
ogy – and to launching pilotless standard category airworthiness ed flights monthly on behalf of UPS
cargo operations. certificate, the company says. with a fleet of Cessna Grand Cara-
The California-based start-up said Though designed for cargo opera- vans. It is working to transition them
on 6 April it had submitted a pro- tions, the Superpilot system will be to “fully remote cargo operations”.
ject specific certification plan to the benchmarked against current safe- Since successfully demonstrating
US Federal Aviation Administration ty standards for passenger aircraft. the first fully autonomous gate-
(FAA), “which would allow the com- “Once certified, Xwing could to-gate cargo flight in April 2021,
pany to start operating 100% un- open up access to regional autono- Xwing has logged hundreds of
manned commercial cargo flights mous aviation and optimise region- flight hours using its pilotless tech-
upon certification”. al cargo deliveries for smaller cities nology. The Superpilot system is
ASL given clearance to test freight

potential of unmanned air systems
Ireland-based carrier to trial light UAS operations, as parent
company continues expansion with Australian acquisition AirTeamImages
David Kaminski-Morrow London diameter and with a maximum ASL Airlines Ireland manag-
take-off weight of 25kg (55lb). ing director John Rawl says the
Under the operational regime company is preparing for the
I
rish carrier ASL Airlines has – a pre-defined risk assessment emergence of UASs capable of
obtained an operator’s certificate scenario known as PDRA-S01 – the flying freight of 500kg and more
for light unmanned air systems authorisation would permit delivery across a broad network.
(UASs), with which it will test the of packages of around 5kg over a “Cargo will play a key role in the
potential for such craft to expand short range. development of new flight technol-
its freight network. ogies,” he says, adding that ASL Fu-
The Irish Aviation Authority has Future proofing ture Flight will be “at the forefront”
issued the Light UAS certificate to “This is a first step in future-proof- of the effort to establish unmanned
the carrier’s subsidiary company, ing ASL’s capabilities to meet the regional cargo transport operations.
ASL Future Flight. operational requirements of new The company has been sup-
ASL Airlines says it will use the unmanned flight technologies and ported by Dublin-based drone
authorisation to “train and gain licensing,” says the company. “[We] training specialist Avtrain, which
experience” on preliminary drone will begin training and flight test- says the certification is a “huge
operations with a view to progressing while considering plans for un- stepping-stone” to “full-scale
ing eventually to long-range and manned flight using larger drones.” eVTOL [electric vertical take-off
heavy-cargo services. Stepping up to larger craft would and landing] operations”.
The Light UAS certificate covers require the carrier to obtain addi- ASL Future Flight says it will
drones less than 3m (10ft) in tional regulatory certification. commence initial test flights in the

Regulations Autonomy
focus on the incremental changes loop” supervision, or someone

to that type-certified aircraft.” monitoring flights from the ground.
One area of concern is how au- Xwing touts the cost-saving
tonomous aircraft will interact with potential and network flexibility of
“unco-operative traffic” that is not automating cargo flights. “Without
communicating with ATC. “It could a pilot tied to a physical aircraft, it
be a crop duster without a radio, for is possible to reduce pilot costs and
example,” Piette says. “How do you fly the aircraft more often, yielding
handle all these edge cases?” more [returns],” it says.
Another concern is the possi-
Company has logged hundreds of flight
bility of the aircraft losing satellite Crew availability
hours using Grand Caravan demonstrator
connectivity during a critical flight Pilotless cargo flights could allow
stage such as final approach. Xwing logistics companies to move away
is developing a vision-based system from the hub-and-spoke model of
designed to integrate into already guided by wing-mounted camer- package delivery, Piette says. Cargo
type certificated aircraft, with as and algorithms that segment carriers would no longer be limited
the goal of introducing uncrewed images to identify runways and by crew availability.
operations within the existing air obstacles, in addition to the global “By not tying the aircraft to the
traffic control (ATC) system as positioning system (GPS). pilots,” he says, “you can start
quickly as possible. ”We developed technology to redistributing those assets across
be able to increase the integrity of geographies in a much more flex-
Integration point that GPS signal,” Piette says. “So, if ible way that can be used to ad-
“One of the challenges in certifying you’re losing a couple of satellites, dress shifting demands.”
unmanned flight is really the inte- your GPS error might be off by 10 Xwing has been engaged in a se-
gration point with air traffic con- metres, but you can correct for that ries of trials with the FAA to build
trol,” Marc Piette, Xwing’s founder and go all the way to the ground.” the safety case for autonomous
and chief executive, says. The certification project will be cargo operations, including a focus
“The easiest and quickest way to the first to use artifical intelligence on real-world integration of autono-
do this – and to get through [a] cer- and machine-learning to improve mous aircraft, addressing challeng-
tification programme – is to take an the safety of high-risk flight phases such as ATC communication and
existing aircraft and have the FAA es. It also includes “human on the operations in complex airspace. Z
Holdings chief executive Dave

Andrew, adding that expansion
into the Australian and surrounding
market is a “logical step”.
The acquisition is effective imme-
diately, having already been cleared
by regulators. Financial terms have
not been disclosed.
Worldwide reach
ASL Aviation Holdings already has
several carriers – four in Europe,
Group has conversion agreements covering
plus airlines in Thailand, India and
40 737-800s as part of expansion plans
South Africa – operating a total of
some 140 aircraft.
It has conversion agreements
spring, and detail plans for com- Australian charter and wet-lease covering 40 737-800s, to be allo-
mercial activity later this year. carrier Pionair. cated to a number of these carriers.
Its airline parent company The operation, which will be- All Pionair personnel will be
operates a fleet of various types, come ASL Airlines Australia, has retained under the agreement
and provides transport for logis- a fleet of 12 aircraft including and the carrier’s owner and chief,
tics companies including Amazon, Embraer 190-E2 twinjets and BAE Steve Ferris, will have a “continued
DHL and FedEx. Systems Avro models. leadership role”, says ASL.
Under a separate agreement But the parent company ex- It claims its investment in the
signed last year, ASL Aviation pects to assign Boeing 737-800 Australian operator will bring
Holdings is working with US firm converted freighters to Pionair to “significant benefit” to the carri-
Reliable Robotics to explore con- develop its fleet. er’s bases at Sydney, Melbourne,
cepts for autonomous aircraft op- “Pionair was a natural fit for us, Adelaide, Brisbane and Cairns.
eration, and their initial application with the same field of operations “Pionair is set to become a strong-
to larger freighter aircraft. and a foundation of safety, er and larger service provider in the
In addition, the holding com- reliability and quality that matches Australian aviation market, particu-
pany has added to its portfolio our fundamental customer larly in the important express parcel
of airlines with the acquisition of service values,” says ASL Aviation and e-retail sectors,” it adds. Z

Incident Report
Cirrus overshot approach during

high speed turn, hitting Metroliner
Despite severe damage sustained by both aircraft there were
no casualties in 2021 accident at Colorado’s Centennial airport
David Kaminski-Morrow London
U
S investigators have con-
cluded that a Cirrus SR22
pilot’s high speed while
turning from base leg to
final caused the aircraft to over-
shoot the centreline and stray into a
parallel approach path, where it col-
lided with a Swearingen Metroliner.
Both aircraft, which were commu-
SR22 deployed its
nicating on different tower frequen-
NTSB
recovery parachute
cies, were substantially damaged
during the 12 May 2021 accident at
Centennial airport in Colorado.
But the Metroliner, with just a pilot Halfway through the turn to final, The US National Transportation
on board, managed to land safely still on a heading of 146°, the Cirrus Safety Board (NTSB) says the SR22
while the pilot and passenger of the struck the Metroliner some 3.2nm pilot’s decision to fly faster than
Cirrus – which deployed its recovery (6km) north of the airport and the recommended approach speed
parachute – also survived. about 735ft above ground, tearing resulted in a larger turn radius and
Centennial airport’s parallel a large section out of the upper aft overshoot of the 17R approach.
runways, 17R and 17L, were being fuselage. Despite the damage, the The aircraft strayed into the 17L
used simultaneously. The Metrolin- Key Lime Air aircraft, which was approach path and its trajectory
er (N280KL) had aligned for final being positioned from Salida, land- “would have taken it even further
approach to 17L while the Cirrus ed without further incident. left of the final approach course for
(N416DJ) was flying downwind In a statement to investiga- [17L]” had it not collided with the
on a right-hand traffic pattern for tors the Metroliner pilot said he Metroliner, says the inquiry.
17R, preparing to turn right for the heard a “tremendous explosion” Investigators also state that the
base leg. and initially checked the engine two aircraft were communicating
While the recommended controls, believing one of the two with two different tower controllers,
flaps-up approach speed for the powerplants had failed. on two different radio frequencies,
SR22 was about 90-95kt (166- The Cirrus was uncontrollable while inbound to the airport.
175km/h), analysis shows the air- and, having activated the para- Although the controller handling
craft – which was under manu- chute system, came down about the SR22 had cleared it to land on
al control – flew the base leg at 3nm north of the airport. 17R, and issued traffic advisories
about 148kt and was still travelling Good weather conditions pre- to the pilot, the controller of the
at 140kt as it attempted to turn vailed at the time of the collision, Metroliner – which also had landing
onto final approach. which occurred in daylight. clearance – did not give its pilot an
advisory regarding the location of
the Cirrus.
Metroliner had no passengers on “Had the controller issued an ad-
board, and pilot was able to land visory, the pilot of the [Metroliner]
may have been able to identify the
conflict and manoeuvre… to avoid
the collision,” says the inquiry.
Both the Metroliner and SR22
pilots had each been advised of
the presence of another aircraft, a
Cessna, which had been in the air-
port’s traffic pattern for 17R ahead
of the Cirrus. The inquiry also found
that the SR22’s avionics system is-
sued a traffic alert which remained
NTSB
on until the collision 36s later. ◗

Spaceflight Finance
Start-up is majority owned by Virgin

Group founder Richard Branson
Virgin Orbit falls

back to earth
Chapter 11 filing comes as firm
estimates it racked up losses of
Virgin Orbit
nearly $200 million last year
Jon Hemmerdinger Tampa The bankruptcy filing followed listed special purpose acquisition
a sudden operational pause, company, or SPAC, called NextGen
announced in late March, and the Acquisition Corp II.
S
pace-launch start-up Virgin subsequent gutting of its work- At the time, start-ups in a
Orbit has filed for bank- force, with 675 – or 85% – employ- range of industries were pursu-
ruptcy protection in a US ees laid off. ing mergers via the then-wildly
court, with the 4 April move On 3 April, the company disclosed popular SPAC-merger process,
coming just 16 months after it in a securities filing that it had not, raising billions of dollars at a time
became a public company. as of the end of 2022, “generat- when investment for ambitious
Long Beach-based Virgin Orbit, ed sufficient revenues to provide projects was easy to attract.
which is majority owned by Virgin sufficient cash flows to enable us to Virgin Orbit and NextGen Acqui-
Group founder Richard Branson, finance our operation”. sition projected that, once public,
says its cash reserves have recently Virgin Orbit’s revenue would surge
dwindled as debts piled up. to $331 million in 2023 and $2 bil-
The company, which places “We believe lion in 2026.
satellites into orbit using a rocket Virgin Orbit completed the
launched from a modified Boeing that the cutting- merger, becoming publicly trad-
747, intends to continue operating ed, in December 2021. From a high
under bankruptcy court protection edge launch of more than $10, the stock has
as it seeks acquisition by another cratered and is now worth about
company. technology that $0.10 per share.
“While we have taken great efforts On the back of the Chapter
to address our financial position this team has 11 filing and the failure to sub-
and secure additional financing, we mit accounts, the Nasdaq stock
ultimately must do what is best for created will have exchange has moved to suspend
the business,” says Virgin Orbit chief trading in the company’s shares
executive Dan Hart. wide appeal and to delist it; Virgin Orbit has
“We believe the Chapter 11 process appealed the decision.
represents the best path forward to to buyers” The company is now progressing
identify and finalise an efficient and with an effort to sell itself – a pro-
value-maximising sale.” Virgin Orbit cess commenced prior to its bank-
Virgin Orbit filed for bankruptcy ruptcy filing, Virgin Orbit says.
protection in the US Bankruptcy Virgin Orbit’s modified 747-400,
Court for the District of Delaware. Virgin Orbit has yet to disclose which it calls “Cosmic Girl”, car-
“The company is focused on a its 2022 financial results, but it has ries a two-stage launch vehicle,
swift conclusion to its sale pro- said it “expects to report” a loss LauncherOne, to high altitude for
cess in order to provide clarity on of $191 million for the year on es- release. LauncherOne then places
the future of the company to its timated revenues of $33 million; it satellites into orbit.
customers, vendors and employ- ended the period with “an accu- “We believe that the cutting-edge
ees,” it says. “In the interim, Virgin mulated deficit” of $1 billion, and launch technology that this team
Orbit will continue operating.” with cash and cash equivalents has created will have wide appeal
A related company called Virgin valued at $51 million. to buyers as we continue in the
Investments – owned by Virgin Branson, via Virgin Group and process to sell the company,” Virgin
Group – has committed to provide other affiliated companies, owns Orbit says.
Virgin Orbit with $31.6 million in 75% of Virgin Orbit’s publicly trad- Its most recent launch attempt,
additional financing. Those funds ed stock, securities filings show. whick took place in the UK in Janu-
are “expected to provide Virgin In August 2021, Virgin Orbit re- ary, saw the failure and destruction
Orbit with the necessary liquidity vealed plans to become publicly of the LauncherOne rocket and its
to continue operating”, it says. traded by merging with an already satellite payload. Z

B-52H bomber testbed had been

used to assess Mach 5 weapon
USAF sunsets broken ARRW

Latest test failure involving Lockheed Martin-developed
AGM-183A prompts service to call time on programme, as it
shifts hypersonic research efforts to more promising designs
Ryan Finnerty Tampa “The one [launch] that we just The decision to end the ARRW
had was not a success,” Kendall programme does not mean the
says. “We did not get the data that USAF has given up its pursuit
S
enior US Air Force (USAF) of- we needed.” of hypersonic weapon systems.
ficials have confirmed plans Speaking to Congress a day The service is funding numerous
to wind down a Lockheed later, USAF acquisitions chief programmes to accelerate devel-
Martin hypersonic weapon Andrew Hunter said the service opment of such technologies, in-
development programme, favour- would complete its scheduled cluding a reusable test platform
ing the pursuit of other options. ARRW testing programme, but from Stratolaunch and another
Lockheed has spent several years will not proceed to procure it as a system known as the Hypersonic
developing the AGM-183A Air- production system. Attack Cruise Missile (HACM).
launched Rapid Response Weapon “While the air force does not Mojave, California-based Stra-
(ARRW) for the USAF. The precision currently intend to pursue fol- tolaunch has been testing a so-
munition was designed to achieve low-on procurement of ARRW called “captive carry” system, where
speeds exceeding Mach 5, but the once the prototyping programme a hypersonic vehicle will be carried
system suffered numerous technical concludes, there is inherent benefit aloft underneath its Roc transporter
challenges over its short lifespan. to completing the… test flights to for a high-altitude launch.
Previous budget documents garner the learning and test data A joint project of Raytheon
had indicated that the USAF was that will help inform future hyper- Missiles & Defense and Northrop
already inclined to sunset the sonic programmes,” he says. Grumman, the HACM in September
programme, but that stance be- 2022 defeated bids by Boeing and
came official following its latest Slow progress Lockheed for a $958 million USAF
unsuccessful test launch. Conduct- Lockheed began testing the development contract.
ed on 13 March, the activity repre- ARRW in 2019, but quickly ran Raytheon describes HACM as
sented the second launch of a fully- into issues. At the time, the USAF an air-breathing, scramjet-pow-
assembled ARRW prototype from said it hoped to bring a hyper- ered munition. Scramjet engines
a Boeing B-52H bomber testbed. sonic weapon to initial operating use high flight speeds to forci-
“The test met several objectives capability by 2022, but that time- bly compress incoming air before
and the ARRW team engineers are line proved overly optimistic. combustion, a process the compa-
Hypersonix Launch Systems
collecting data for further analysis,” The programme suffered three ny says enables sustained flight at
the Air Force Materiel Command failed tests in 2021, before re- hypersonic speeds beyond M5.
said on 24 March. versing course in 2022. In that The partner companies have
However, during a congressional year, Lockheed completed three collaborated on HACM since 2019
hearing on 28 March, USAF sec- successful ARRW tests, including to integrate Northrop’s scramjet
US Air Force
retary Frank Kendall revealed that the first launch of a fully-assem- engines into Raytheon’s air-breath-
the test had failed. bled prototype. ing hypersonic weapon designs.

Technology Hypersonics
“The one [launch] we just had was

not a success. We did not get
the data that we needed”
Frank Kendall Secretary, US Air Force
An operational hypersonic slow pace of hypersonic research “Our vehicles are capable of
weapon such as HACM would be and development has significant- non-ballistic flight patterns to
able to reach its target faster than ly impacted the DoD’s ability to at least M7,” says Hypersonix
a traditional intercontinental bal- mature hypersonic technology and managing director David Water-
listic missile, potentially enabling retain a competitive advantage.” house. “Our longer-term focus is to
it to evade interception by air- The latest hypersonic research capture a slice of the emerging mul-
defence systems. effort was launched by the DIU last ti-billion-dollar commercial market
In an effort separate to the September and attracted 63 bid- for deployment of small satellites,
air force’s hypersonic work, the ders, according to the office. The but clearly Australia’s strategic de-
US Defense Advanced Research technology incubator says it is seek- fence allies see immediate potential
Projects Agency is developing a ing to produce “a suite of modern, in our technology,” he adds.
Hypersonic Air-breathing Weapon low-cost, high-cadence, dual-use Waterhouse notes that the DIU’s
Concept which marries a Lockheed airborne testing platforms”. award represents the first major
hypersonic vehicle with an Aerojet Requirements for the contract in- contract for the Australian start-up.
Rocketdyne scramjet engine. clude providing an airborne testing “This puts Australia one step
vehicle capable of maintaining closer to being a major player in the
Reusable vehicle speeds above M5 with a manoeu- international space race,” he adds.
Meanwhile, the Department of De- vrable and non-ballistic flight
fense’s (DoD’s) technology accel- profile. The vehicle must also boast Towed launch
erator has awarded two contracts at least a 3-minute flight duration The DIU’s contract with San
aimed at delivering a reusable hy- with “near-constant flight condi- Bernardino-based Fenix relates
personic vehicle and launch system. tions”, the DIU says. to its HyCAT reusable tow-launch
The Defense Innovation Unit Hypersonix will provide its Dart system. Imagery on the compa-
(DIU) on 15 March issued its first AE vehicle: a hydrogen-fuelled ny’s website depicts a regional
hypersonic development contracts, scramjet craft produced in partner- jet-style aircraft towing a second
to Australia’s Hypersonix Launch ship with autonomous US aircraft vehicle while in flight, which Fenix
Systems and California-based developer Kratos. describes as a “launch pad in the
Fenix Space. The Dart AE is the world’s first sky”. Benefits of such a system in-
The goal of the new programme airframe to be produced entirely clude the capability of “on-demand
is to reduce the cost and increase using 3D printing or additive man- launch from existing airports” with
the pace of hypersonic testing, the ufacturing techniques, Hyperso- no weather delays, it says.
DoD says. nix claims. The company also will According to the DIU, the
“Testing is both costly, slow to produce the platform’s scramjet tow-launch HyCAT system will
iterate and test ranges are limit- engine, while Kratos is to provide “improve the efficiency and
ed,” the DIU notes. “The resulting its rocket booster. affordability of high-cadence
[hypersonic] test flights”.
The office notes that towing a
hypersonic vehicle to high altitude
“bypasses the most fuel-intensive
phase of the launch process, reduc-
ing costs and offering increased
flexibility in operating locations
and schedule responsiveness”.
The contracts’ values have not
been disclosed, but the DIU says it
Hypersonix will provide Dart AE for
expects testing of the Dart AE and
reusable launch system requirement
HyCAT pairing in 12-18 months. ◗

Rotorcraft Propulsion
Airframers have used 3D-printed replica

of delayed GE design during fit trials
GE Aerospace
Power struggle delays FARA

US Army reveals latest slip to Future Attack Reconnaissance
Aircraft schedule, citing issues with production of T901 engine
Ryan Finnerty Tampa Bush says “a lot of diligence on “We are working closely with the
the ground” will be required be- army to deliver flight-test engines
fore the FARA candidates can take this [autumn] to support the FARA
T
wo prototype designs flight, but does not expect there to competitive prototypes,” it says.
competing to become the be a substantial delay. “Each engine will be tested, dis-
US Army’s Future Attack “I think we are still on track for assembled and inspected, reassem-
Reconnaissance Aircraft next year,” he says, describing the bled and retested before delivery,”
(FARA) will have to wait until 2024 possible delay as “months, not GE says. It has five qualification en-
to make their debut flights, service years” and attributing it to “manu- gines currently in assembly, in addi-
officials indicate. facturing challenges”. tion to the two flight-test examples.
While Bell’s 360 Invictus and While Bell and Sikorsky had been Bell and Sikorsky both declined
Sikorsky’s Raider X had previous- aiming for first flights later in 2023, to comment on the latest delay.
ly been scheduled to lift off for that target already represented a However, Jay Macklin, Sikorsky’s
the first time “this autumn”, a new roughly one-year delay to an earlier business development director for
delay in completing a common schedule to launch competitive Future Vertical Lift programmes,
engine for use by the experimen- testing before the end of 2022. notes: “We look forward to the
tal aircraft has resulted in a slip of increased performance and fuel
several months. Technical evaluations efficiency of the ITE over existing
The army’s programme exec- Confirming Bush’s assessment of enduring fleet capabilities. We are
utive office (PEO) overseeing the delayed engine delivery, the continuing our risk-reduction ef-
aviation platforms tells FlightGlob- PEO notes: “The ITE delay does forts for Raider X with our S-97
al the GE Aerospace T901-900 Im- not impact FARA’s source selection Raider flight-test programme.”
proved Turbine Engine (ITE) that date. Source selection to a single The rival airframers have each re-
will power the FARA candidates vendor will occur after thorough cently said that their respective 360
is now due for delivery to the air- technical evaluations are complet- Invictus and Raider X prototypes are
framers in the early part of the ed on the submitted proposals.” approximately 95% complete. They
US government’s fiscal year 2024, Army budget documents indicate have previously used a 3D-printed
which starts on 1 October. the service is targeting the mid- model of the T901 in support of de-
That adjustment means the first dle of FY2025 for a “Milestone B” tailed design and fit testing.
flight events will likely not happen decision, when the programme will GE in 2019 received an initial $517
until during 2024, according to switch from technology develop- million contract to begin producing
the army’s top acquisitions official, ment to selecting final engineering its new multi-platform powerplant.
assistant secretary Doug Bush. and manufacturing specifications. In addition to its selected FARA
“Assuming things go well, you GE tells FlightGlobal the fresh de- design, the T901 also will be used to
have to start with ground testing,” lay to the T901 is not the result of re-engine US Army Boeing AH-64
Bush said during a McAleese indus- an engineering issue, but rather of Apache and Sikorsky UH-60 Black
trial conference in Washington DC supply chain delays that affected a Hawk rotorcraft currently equipped
on 15 March. “small number” of ITE components. with GE T700s. Z

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aviation, adding to its geostationary orbit
capabilities, enabling unprecedented levels
of connectivity across the globe.
Elsewhere, Thales will demonstrate

innovation in integrated IFE solutions,
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IFE experience. Display Interactive will
highlight how its comprehensive IFEC
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features and allows multiple virtual shops
to be deployed on board as well as
traditional entertainment features – such
as movies, videos, audio, games, and
In 2023, no conversation on aircraft With more than 50 exhibiting companies, PDJD]LQHV
interiors is complete without some mention there will be no better place for attendees
of In-Flight Entertainment and to maximise the exciting growth and revenue In fact, ancillary revenue solutions are set
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WKDWRႇHUHGKLJKTXDOLW\:L)LZLWKRI join key pacesetters in this exciting sector, simultaneously. Similarly, Bluebox Aviation
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Mobility Progress
Tethered testing was carried

out in September 2022
Vertical’s upward trajectory

UK eVTOL developer eyes expansion of VX4 flight-test effort
but will seek additional funds to drive programme forward
Dominic Perry London manufacturing plans have not yet Vertical has this year already
been determined.” received a PDP from Japanese firm
Meanwhile, Vertical and American Marubeni for reservation of de-
V
ertical Aerospace is confi- Airlines have until the end of the livery slots for 25 of its tentative
dent that it can move be- third quarter to finalise a commer- commitment for up to 200 aircraft.
yond tethered flights of its cial agreement covering the carri- Securing more PDPs from
VX4 electric vertical take- er’s possible acquisition of the VX4. customers will provide a vital
off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft American in 2021 revealed a revenue stream for Vertical as it
in the coming months, alongside “conditional pre-order” for up to presses ahead with work on the
nailing down certification require- 250 units of the VX4, and last year VX4, including the construction of
ments with the UK regulator. said it had committed to make a further prototypes and manufac-
Early-stage flight tests began in pre-delivery payment (PDP) relat- turing facilities.
September 2022, and Vertical says However, even if the company
it is “now progressing towards the brings in more PDPs, these will not
next stages in our flight-test pro-
gramme for the VX4 aircraft, which
we expect will include piloted
flights at increasing altitudes and
speeds and demonstration of the
250
VX4 units conditionally pre-ordered
be enough on their own to cover
all of Vertical’s requirements.
“We will need, and intend in 2023,
to raise additional capital to fund
our future operations and remain
transition from vertical lift to hori- by American Airlines; delivery slots as a going concern,” it discloses.
zontal forward flight.” are reserved for its first 50 aircraft Capital requirements are expected
Vertical also anticipates conduct- to “continue to be significant in the
ing unmanned flights this year, the foreseeable future”.
company discloses in its full-year ed to the first 50 aircraft, delivery Vertical ended 2022 with cash
2022 financial report. slots for which have been reserved. and cash equivalents of £122.5 mil-
On 30 March, the Bristol-based Payment of that PDP will be trig- lion ($150 million) but forecasts
company said it had received gered by “the satisfaction of certain a funding requirement of around
design organisation approval from conditions” – likely related to the £90 million through 2023.
the UK’s Civil Aviation Authority; it VX4’s development programme – Although the firm’s net loss
expects to agree the VX4’s certifi- and also subject to the final terms shrank to £94 million in 2022, down
cation basis later this year. of a “master purchase agreement” from £245 million a year earlier, the
Vertical also continues to analyse to be signed off by 31 October. 2021 figure was largely driven by
possible locations for a manufac- “Such [a] pre-delivery pay- expenses related to its US stock
turing site: “We are beginning the ment may be refundable in full to market listing. Research and devel-
search for specialist facilities for as- American Airlines under certain opment costs more than doubled
sembly, testing and production of circumstances,” the financial filing in the period to £49 million.
Vertical Aerospace
our aircraft,” it says. “Our plans are adds. American has also invested Due to the pre-production status
still in process, and various aspects in Vertical, holding a little over 5% of the VX4, Vertical recorded no
of the component procurement and of its shares. revenue for 2022. Z

Aircraft Programme
Aland picks Heart ES-30 to grow

future sustainable transport links
Hybrid-electric developer sees strong potential for aircraft
to establish emission-free operations from Finnish islands
Dominic Perry London Turku, Finland’s third largest city, to a member of its advisory board
the east, enabling the hybrid-elec- – to better understand the infra-
tric ES-30 to operate those routes structure and energy requirements
S
wedish zero-emission air- powered by its batteries alone. needed for the ES-30’s operation.
craft developer Heart Aero- At around 160nm, Finnish cities “We believe we can develop what
space is to collaborate with Helsinki and Tampere are beyond we hope is a showcase to the rest
the government of Aland – full-electric range, but still well of the world on how we can do this
an autonomous region of Finland in within the ES-30’s 215nm range in successfully,” says Newitt.
the Baltic Sea – to explore the use hybrid mode, says Newitt. Having launched the ES-30 last
of the hybrid-electric ES-30 to de- Flights from Mariehamn to September – abandoning develop-
carbonise air transport links. Stockholm and Turku are currently ment of the 19-seat ES-19 – Heart
Covered by a memorandum of operated by Amapola using continues its efforts to convert cus-
understanding, the agreement Fokker 50 turboprops while those tomers with letters of intent for the
will see Heart work with the local to Helsinki are flown by Finnair us- smaller aircraft to its larger sibling.
government, airport operators and ing ATR 72-500s. Newitt says the process is
other infrastructure providers to “progressing” but that it is “a long
establish an operating ecosystem Round trip play”, adding: “We are working at
for the ES-30 in the islands. Heart calculates that, based on six the pace of the market but just
Heart sees flights between Aland’s weekly round trips, using the ES-30 because we are not announcing
capital Mariehamn and locations on on services to Stockholm instead of multiple LoIs it doesn’t signal
the Finnish and Swedish mainland the F50 would save around 1,000t that somehow there is not a lot of
as a perfect early use case for the of CO2 each year. movement and good discussion
30-seat ES-30, which is scheduled All the routes currently flown are going on.”
to enter service from 2028. covered by public service obliga- Heart at the beginning of March
“This initiative is really all about tion contracts, potentially allowing held the first meetings of its cus-
bringing sustainable transportation Aland to mandate operators to use tomer advisory board. “What was
to the islands,” says Simon Newitt, low-emission aircraft in future. very encouraging was the attendee
Heart’s chief commercial officer. “But we have time for that. The level – we had full attendance and
“The government there has a very idea of this is to signal the intent full commitment,” Newitt says.
clear vision on where they want to to bring zero-operational emissions “The takeaway for me is we are on
be on sustainability… and one of flying to the islands,” he says. track and the market is supportive.”
the big focuses for the future is Heart will work with the Aland Meanwhile, Heart is to collabo-
transport links.” government and airport opera- rate with BAE Systems to define
Governmental tors both there and in Sweden the batteries required for the
buy-in or spon- and Finland – Swedavia is already ES-30. Development work will
sorship is key, he be carried out at BAE’s site in
argues, as “this is Endicott, New York.
where early adoption Although the pact with BAE
will take place”. is not a production contract,
Mariehamn is around Heart says the aim is to
70nm (125km) from reach “a longer-term
Stockholm to the west and framework agreement”. Z
Heart Aerospace
30-seat ES-30 is scheduled

to enter service from 2028

Airspace Rule-making
Pseudo-satellites such as Zephyr may

require new regulatory framework
Higher ambitions
Europe’s civil aviation regulator begins consultation into the
future requirements of operations at altitudes above 55,000ft
David Kaminski-Morrow London flight phases is likely to be broad EASA’s preparatory phase would
– and bring specific safety, security cover six categories of action, such
and environmental risks. as offering support to industrial
S
upersonic, hypersonic, “Bringing these different needs developments, building regulato-
and potential suborbi- together and finding a balanced ry awareness and know-how, and
tal flights are among the set of rules, respecting every cur- carrying out scientific studies to
considerations in a newly- rent and potential future operation improve the data which would
proposed roadmap to prepare for use-case, could be difficult and take drive regulatory choices.
a future regulatory framework on time,” it adds. “But ensuring a regu- Studies would be required
higher-airspace air transport oper- latory level-playing field addressing to assess the impact of weath-
ations in Europe. all categories of [higher-airspace] er phenomena – including space
The European Union Avia- users appears necessary.” weather – the performance and lim-
tion Safety Agency (EASA) says Given the uncertainty over indus- its of current communication, navi-
such operations – above 55,000- trial development, EASA believes gation and surveillance capabilities,
66,000ft – “do not yet exist on a creating a full regulatory frame- and the impact of higher-airspace
large scale” on the continent. work is not immediately practical, operations on crew and passengers.
“Only one application for certifi- and is recommending a two- or EASA says the preparatory
cation of [a higher-airspace oper- three-year preparatory phase – roadmap will encompass regulatory
ations] aircraft is pending at EASA running from 2023 – to understand analysis of hybrid higher-airspace
for the time being and it is unlikely the needs and constraints of high- operations, to determine whether
that multiple civil or commercial er-airspace operations. some should be governed by air law.
operations of [such] aircraft, when It will also seek to take advantage
certified, will take place in the EU Harmonised approach of other programmes and policies
airspace in the immediate future,” However, it argues that harmo- to support higher-airspace oper-
it states in the proposal document. nised regulations will benefit those ations development, co-ordinat-
But it says a “new category” EU manufacturers developing ing closely with defence interests,
of airspace users could emerge high-airspace (HA) platforms. and extending this co-operation
“in the near future”, pointing out “Some of the future HA op- cross-border to achieve a harmo-
the developments relating to air- erations have the potential to nised environment and as much
launched vehicles, high-altitude create new markets and jobs global interoperability as possible.
pseudo-satellites – aircraft like the and the related innovations, “The future development of
Airbus Defence & Space Zephyr – notably in the area of design, pro- these operations in a quasi-virgin
and other craft. pulsion, solar power generation, environment offers a rare oppor-
“Future operations in the high- aerothermal structural capability, tunity to test new concepts and
er airspace will be manned or and can trigger spin-offs benefit- approaches, for instance in air
unmanned and may pose safety ting the whole EU aviation sector. traffic management or with regard
risks when transiting through the “However, the absence of indica- to the regulatory methodology.
current air operations in the air- tions/visibility on future regulatory “These operations may pose safe-
Airbus Defence & Space
space below,” it states. requirements at EU level, notably ty, security and environmental risks
The development timeline is un- on future flight standards, compli- that will need to be addressed, to
certain, says EASA, and the diversi- cates the design and development ensure a uniform approach to safe-
ty of operations, vehicle categories, of [such] vehicles, and ground and ty, security and sustainability of air
manoeuvrability and energies, and [navigation] infrastructure,” it says. transport in the EU,” it adds. ◗

Powertrain Development
BRA lends support to ZeroAvia’s

Swedish hydrogen flight push
Regional carrier will donate aircraft as part of demonstration
effort focused on Skelleftea airport in country’s northeast
Dominic Perry London “We see hydrogen-powered the conversion. During the maid-
aircraft as one important solu- en sortie, they supplied around
tion for international flights in 50% of the power for the electric
S
wedish carrier Braathens Europe. It’s also important for us motor, it said.
Regional Airlines (BRA) is to contribute to initiatives started For its latest mission, ZeroAvia
to supply turboprop aircraft here in the Nordics.” says the Do 228 “flew with zero
to ZeroAvia for conversion BRA has previously signed a thrust from the conventional tur-
to hydrogen fuel cell power as letter of intent for the hybrid-elec- bine engine as the ZA600 entirely
part of an agreement to develop tric ZA-30 aircraft being devel- powered the testbed aircraft as it
zero-emission routes in the north- oped by Swedish firm Heart Aero- circled Cotswold airport.
east of the country. space; it also sits on the airframer’s “The flightcrew were able to
Also included in the four-par- customer advisory board. perform tests to confirm the
ty agreement are the operator of As part of the ZeroAvia agree- aircraft was able to fly on hy-
Skelleftea airport, located around ment, Skelleftea airport will investi- drogen-electric power with the
335nm (620km) northeast of gate the infrastructure required to turbine throttled back to simulate
Stockholm, and municipal energy support hydrogen-powered flights, a zero thrust.”
supplier Skelleftea Kraft. while Skelleftea Kraft will analyse The aircraft made three circuits of
Under the pact, BRA will provide the potential for the production of the airfield – ZeroAvia’s UK base –
aircraft for future demonstrations green hydrogen from renewable at a top speed of 130kt (240km/h).
and to explore commercial routes, power sources. This was only the Do 228’s third
says ZeroAvia. flight since its port-side Honeywell
The partners will evaluate both Fresh thrust TPE331 thermal engine was re-
the 600kW ZA600 powertrain, ZeroAvia recently flew its modified placed with an electric motor. Fuel
designed for nine- to 19-seaters, Dornier 228 (G-HFZA) solely using cells, hydrogen storage and batter-
and the 2,000kW ZA2000, for thrust from its ZA600 propulsion ies are located inside the fuselage.
40-80-seaters. Service entry is tar- system, as the twin-turboprop re- For the certificated version,
geted for 2025 and 2027, respec- turned to the skies after a fight-test ZeroAvia hopes to move the pow-
tively; no timeline for the demon- pause that lasted over a month. er-generation elements to the ex-
stration effort has been disclosed. Revealed in a Facebook post terior and eliminate the battery.
At present BRA operates 14 ATR on 23 March, ZeroAvia said the ZeroAvia says adverse winter
72-600s on routes across Swe- twin-engined aircraft performed a weather conditions are partly re-
den, Finland and Denmark, chiefly level flight “using only the ZA600 sponsible for the limited number of
from its Stockholm Bromma hub. prototype engine”. sorties to date. The Do 228 made
ZeroAvia says the ZA2000 will be However, it has not disclosed its maiden flight on 19 January,
suitable for both ATR twin-turbo- whether the system’s fuel cells followed by a second on 1 February;
prop models. were augmented by power from both lasted around 10min, accord-
Ulrika Matsgard, BRA chief ex- batteries, which ZeroAvia has in- ing to flight-tracking data.
ecutive, says the agreement will stalled as part of As the weather steadily improves
help the carrier meet its goal of “you’ll see a greater
achieving net-zero international frequency of flying”,
flights by 2045. says ZeroAvia. ◗
Modified Do 228 made its

ZeroAvia
maiden flight on 19 January

Aircraft Development
Updated 1960s design will be basis

of nine-passenger VTOL aircraft
The Linx effect

Ambitious plans to develop modernised gyroplane to be
boosted by UK government research and innovation funding
Dominic Perry London time, ARC only revealed the Linx When factored against the
P9 programme earlier this year. targeted price for the aircraft and
ARC intends to adapt and likely infrastructure constraints “we
U
K developer ARC Aer- modernise the already-certificated concluded that this was not a via-
osystems’ efforts to bring Avian Gyroplane, a 1960s design, ble programme”, he adds.
next-generation passenger creating a nine-passenger VTOL Instead, ARC sought alternatives
and cargo air vehicles to aircraft that it says would have that would deliver an “affordable,
market have been bolstered by its a range of 512nm (950km) and sustainable, safe and reliable” prod-
selection for significant government cruise speed of 180kt (350km/h). uct, based on the principle that
research and technology funding. Power comes from a hybrid “people should be able to get where
ARC – formerly Samad Aero- system. Initially, this will comprise they want to be within an hour.”
space – will receive grants for three a hydrogen-fuelled gas turbine Mohseni argues that the selection
projects under Innovate UK’s Zero powering the twin wing-mounted of the gyroplane concept simplifies
Emission Propulsion initiative. Col- pusher propellers, while an electric certification: it will sit under Euro-
lectively valued at £2.58 million motor is used to spin up the 13m pean Union Aviation Safety Agency
($3.17 million), Innovate will provide (42ft)-diameter main rotor. This is a CS-23 or CS-27 regulations – those
funding for 70% of the total cost process that will take around 2min for commuter aircraft or large rotor-
and will be shared by ARC and its and enables the aircraft’s signature craft, respectively – rather than the
partners, the company says. jump take-off. more complex SC-VTOL rules, or
Crucially, the projects all have the US Federal Aviation Administra-
applications on ARC’s develop- Transition point tion’s powered lift category.
ment programmes, which range As it leaves the ground, power to “By using this technology we can
from its C-series unmanned car- the rotor is cut and transition to achieve eight to nine seats. It will
go aircraft to the nine-seat Linx forward wing-borne flight takes make it the biggest VTOL air taxi in
P9 vertical take-off and landing about 30s, says Seyed Mohseni, the world,” he says.
(VTOL) passenger aircraft. ARC chief executive. In cruise, the ARC has purchased the type
ARC is leading one of the trio of rotor remains unpowered but still certificate of the Avian Gyroplane
projects, 3E-JTO, related to matu- provides some of the lift. from its US owner, as well as the
ration of the ‘jump’ take-off tech- A second step will involve sole remaining flying prototype. It
nology to be used on the Linx P9, modifying the powertrain through expects to fly a scaled model of
and a partner in the other two, both the addition of a hydrogen- the Linx P9 next year, leading to a
of which are attempting to develop powered turbogenerator. full-scale prototype in 2025, and
hydrogen-electric powertrains. ARC had previously been de- certification and service entry in
Headed by sister company veloping a series of VTOL aircraft the 2028 timeframe.
Samad Power, Project Ennoble will under the Starling brand, which Mohseni says the company has
integrate a hydrogen micro gas featured ducted fans embedded so far raised £8.5 million and has
turbine with a high-speed electric in the wings for lift, coupled with a now kicked off its Series A funding
generator, while Qdot Technology pair of tilting fans at the rear. round, targeting around £30 mil-
will lead Project CHyPA’s efforts Flight tests of a one-half scale lion. That figure should be sufficient
to develop a hydrogen fuel cell demonstrator of the e-Starling to build full-scale prototypes of its
powertrain. Both could be future were planned but an analysis of cargo drones and the Linx P9.
solutions for ARC’s C-150 or C-600 the certification requirements con- ARC will need around £150 million
ARC Aerosystems
cargo drones. cluded that the development costs to bring the Linx P9 into produc-
While the C-150 and C-600 have would have been pushing $2 bil- tion, which is “comparable to simi-
been in development for some lion, says Mohseni. lar-sized general aviation aircraft”. ◗

Programme Finance
Lilium confident on funding drive

German electric aircraft developer is raising additional capital
to maintain development progress of seven-seat Lilium Jet
Dominic Perry London shareholders”, alongside attempts Lilium says third-party testing has
to secure other non-dilutive fund- shown the silicon-anode cells to
ing sources such as more PDPs and have high energy retention levels –
L
ilium remains “encouraged” government grants. “We are very 88% after 800 full-discharge cycles
by the progress of fund-rais- encouraged at the progress of such – and the specific energy and power
ing discussions with new discussions,” Lilium says. required for the Lilium Jet.
and existing shareholders as Cash spend in the final quarter “Following best practice in the
it bids to keep development of its of 2022 included one-off advance [electric vehicle] industry to du-
electric vertical take-off and land- payments to aerostructures suppli- al-source cell production as a means
ing Lilium Jet on track. ers for the fuselage, doors, wings, of supply chain de-risking, we have
Germany-based Lilium aims to and canards of the type-conforming also selected a second source of
spend around €250 million ($270 aircraft; Lilium expects to perform a battery cell production,” it adds.
million) in 2023 – including €125 manned flight of that test asset in Lilium expects in the second half
million in the first half – in line with the second half of 2024. of 2023 to agree with the European
last year’s total outlay. Union Aviation Safety Agency the
Lilium ended 2022 with liquidity Structured finance certification plan for the Lilium Jet,
of €206 million, versus €160 million On the back of that spending, aer- supporting approval for the aircraft
at the end of the third quarter, fol- ostructures provider Aciturri has in late 2025.
lowing a $119 million capital raise begun work on the moulds required Meanwhile, flight tests of Lilium’s
in November. But in an economic for the production of the seven-seat unmanned Phoenix demonstrator
environment affected by high infla- Lilium Jet’s carbonfibre fuselage. continue at a site in southern Spain.
tion, suppliers are seeking to pass “Composite parts manufactur- A second example joined its sister
on their cost increases. ing is due to start in the next few ship last year and will enter the
It intends to mitigate those high- months, with delivery to Lilium of flight-test programme shortly.
er supplier charges through a series the assembled fuselage scheduled Earlier in March, the Phoenix
of “cost conservation” measures for later in 2023,” the company says. achieved the Lilium Jet’s anticipat-
implemented late last year. Electric motors supplied by Hon- ed 134kt (250km/h) cruise speed,
“As part of the cost-saving pro- eywell and Denso are also due to in line with the company’s comput-
gramme, Lilium is maintaining focus arrive with Lilium by early in the er modelling.
on those activities that are essen- third quarter to “support the build “The success of our demonstrator
tial to achieving key programme of the first electric engine-to-test flights gives us confidence in the
milestones, in particular start of for the type-conforming aircraft”. performance of our type-conform-
production of the type-conform- Having recently added GKN (wir- ing aircraft,” the company says.
ing Lilium Jet targeted for later this ing interconnects) and Collins Aer- “As a result, we are presently able
year,” the company said on 28 March ospace (flight-control inceptors) to to provide performance guarantees
in its latest letter to shareholders. the Lilium Jet’s supply chain, the to customers and commit to world-
Although Lilium has received the company says 78% of the aircraft’s class operating costs. We project
first pre-delivery payments (PDPs) bill of material cost has now been that operators will be able to offer
from customer eVolare for 10 Lilium selected or contracted. customers a price of $2 per passen-
Jets, additional funding is required. Development of its battery sup- ger kilometre as part of a profitable
Discussions have taken place in ply chain continues in collaboration service using the Lilium Jet,” it says.
recent months with “potential new with technology provider Ionblox The total potential order pipeline
strategic investors and existing and manufacturer Customcells; for the Lilium Jet is now 640 units. ◗
Unmanned Phoenix demonstrator

Lilium
is being flight-tested in Spain

A cutaway above the rest

Flight artist John Marsden rose to prominence during
the ‘golden years’ of the mid-20th century, and produced
unrivalled technical drawings for the title until the late 1990s
Tim Hall London underneath is a difficult task at His ‘Magnum Opus’ cutaway was
the best of times, but it is a real without doubt the Boeing 747-100,
challenge on your first job. The which appeared in the 12 December
J
ohn Arthur Marsden – one drawing was completed on board 1968 issue. Originally printed as a
of most talented artists to in pencil and taken back to the gatefold, and with additional detail
have worked for Flight – has office to finish. sketches, the iconic image most re-
passed away at the age of In 1962 Flight became Flight cently appeared in our March 2023
94, following a fall. He was one of International. By that time Mars- edition, as the airframer delivered
the cutaway artists of the “golden den was one of the magazine’s its final jumbo jet.
years”: a term conjured up by tech- top artists. He also was its second One of the interesting things
nical editor Bill Gunston covering artist to visit the USA, following about this first 747 drawing was
the 1950s and early 1960s. Arthur Bowbeer. the fact that on the starboard
Born in January 1929, Marsden On that trip he went with Neil Har- outer spoilers he made a mistake
went to Leggett’s Way school in rison to Piper, and then on to Lock- and put in five instead of four. A
Watford, and had a passion for heed in Atlanta and Beech, Cessna, lot of people copied his drawing,
modelling and drawing aircraft from and Lear in Wichita. While there, replicating the error.
an early age. He later went to Wat- founder Bill Lear asked him to do a
FlightGlobal
ford College of Art then, in 1945, to sketch amending the design of the Deep understanding
the de Havilland Engine Company in windshield for the prototype Lear- Several stories tell of Marsden’s
Stag Lane, where he worked in the jet; it can still be seen to this day. abilities to produce a drawing from
Technical Publications Department. They also visited Douglas, Rock- only limited information.
Conscripted into the Royal Air well, Lockheed Burbank, and At the Paris air show in 1966, a
Force at 18, he passed out after Boeing, where he glimpsed the Saab exhibit was showing slides
training at St Athan as a flight me- four manufacturers’ supersonic of its JAS 37 Viggen fighter in
chanic. During service he was based transport mock-ups. build. Marsden sat on the floor
FlightGlobal
at Scampton and Wyton, working It was his visits to Boeing, Lock- and watched the slides repeatedly,
on Avro Lincoln bombers. He then heed and Douglas that launched making sketches at the same time,
returned to the de Havilland Engine his reputation for large aircraft cut- and a cutaway appeared in the
Company, before being taken on by aways. He went on to draw most of magazine in April 1967.
Max Millar in Iliffes studio in 1950. the large commercial aircraft that At Farnborough lat-
appeared in Flight International. er that year, Saab
Early works On his many visits to Boeing, sent Marsden an
Marsden’s first piece of artwork was the company’s engineers were invitation for
of a farm tractor, and in those early constantly amazed that he could,
years he worked on motorcycles on one trip, go to Douglas and
and even farming equipment like then Boeing, study two large
milking parlours and cow sheds. airliners in two weeks
It was on Autocar that he began and still comprehend
to make a name for himself, work- it all.
ing alongside John Ferguson and
Vic Berris. He loved drawing
Formula One racing cars and
on one trip to Ferrari, Enzo
Ferrari came onto the shop
floor and came over. Putting
his hand on Marsden’s shoul-
der, he said: “magnifico”.
It was also at Ferrari that he
experienced his first car ride at
more than 120mph, with the chief
road tester.
He produced his first cuta-
way – of the Percival Pem-
broke – for Flight’s 26
March 1954 issue (right).
Drawing a cutaway from

Obituary
Marsden brings his talents

to bear on the Learjet, 1962
lunch at its chalet. Seated on either the company

side of him were two Swedish secu- was developing
rity men, who quizzed him on how the tandem rotor
he had got hold of the information XCH-62 Heavy Lift
for the drawing. Helicopter and also
Some years later Saab sent an competing in the
invitation to Flight International for utility tactical trans-
one of its staff to visit Linkoping port aircraft system
to see the Viggen. The magazine (UTTAS) contest
asked if Marsden could accompa- – a requirement
ny the journalist – but the answer ultimately met us-
came back no. ing Sikorsky’s UH-60 printed on 12
FlightGlobal
Black Hawk. January 1994, as

Soviet sketches Looking at some he retired.
On a trip to the USSR in 1991 with conceptual drawings of During his career
journalist Guy Norris, Tupolev pro- modifications needed for a naval he drew more than 160 aviation cut-
vided very little information about version of the UTTAS platform, aways, ships’ diesel engines for Mo-
its Tu-204: just a publicity brochure Marsden looked at the folding tail- torship, and the Eurostar and Shut-
and a glimpse of the fuselage. boom and said: “That won’t work”. tle trains for Railway Gazette. His
Marsden went into the fuselage Boeing employees also looked, and last large aircraft cutaway, the Air-
and counted frames, and also man- sure enough saw that something bus A340-600, was completed five
aged to see the fin and rudder in would get tangled if it was folded years after he retired from Flight.
a test rig, and while Norris was it that way. There were no doubt To mark his retirement, then-
worried that there was insufficient some red faces, but the feature editor Allan Winn asked if British
information to complete a feature was redesigned. Airways could offer Marsden an
article, the artist produced what Other notable works included experience flight on Concorde.
looked like a convincing drawing. producing a cutaway drawing of In recognition of his contribution
Author Bill Sweetman is quot- the Space Shuttle for publication to the aviation industry through-
ed as saying that 90% of what he in December 1975 (above right), out his career, the carrier provid-
learnt about how aircraft were built having viewed a plywood mock-up ed him with a VIP return ticket to
came from hanging around in the in Downey, California. Washington or New York. ◗
artists’ studio. Marsden’s last cutaway as a staff
During another US trip, Marsden member – the Pratt & Whitney John Marsden
was at Boeing Philadelphia when PW901A auxiliary power unit – was 12 January 1929 – 14 March 2023

Danil Tsoy/Shutterstock
Finnair axed flights from Helsinki to Tampere and Turku using ATR
72s, with replacement buses providing a ‘more sustainable option’
Phuong D Nguyen/Shutterstock
Markus Mainka/Shutterstock
Royal Jordanian Airlines revealed plans to

bolster its current Boeing 787-8 fleet with Colombian discount carrier Ultra Air suspended services due to
a trio of leased -9-model Dreamliners a cash shortage. It had operated flights with five Airbus A320s
Saab flew the United Arab Emirates’ fourth GlobalEye surveillance

Saab
aircraft, with a new antenna fairing on its forward fuselage side

Highlights
Israel Aerospace Industries’ first

Boeing 777-300ERSF ‘Big Twin’
converted freighter made a 2h
debut flight from Tel Aviv
AirTeamImages
Best of the rest
We showcase some of the other
notable events covered by the
FlightGlobal team between issues
Really Cool Airlines
Leonardo Helicopters flew its

Thailand’s Really Cool Airlines intends to second prototype AW249 Fenice
launch services late this year, with its fleet attack helicopter. Italian army
due to include Airbus A350-900 twinjets service entry is due in 2025

June’s issue
Next month Will

A350’s
prospects
keep rising
at Paris On sale
show? 25 May
Fighting back Class acts

Anthony Pecchi/Dassault Aviation
How Dassault We review

took Rafale the seating
Craig Russell/Shutterstock
from slow market as

Collins Aerospace
seller to Aircraft
international Interiors
champion beckons

Forty years after creating the V2500 turbofan,
International Aero Engines continues to deliver
for the many airline operators around the world
that depend on its ultra-reliable technology
Staying
power
Jon Hemmerdinger Tampa business), low-pressure turbine supplier MTU (16%),
and P&W, which produces high-pressure turbines
and, through its Pratt & Whitney Aero Engines
I
n March 1983, a group of aircraft engine International subsidiary, high-pressure compressors
manufacturers came together to form a company (a combined 61%).
with the goal of offering a new turbofan for use IAE’s big win came shortly after the company’s
with narrowbody airliners. formation, after it secured a deal to supply Airbus
Forty years later, IAE International Aero Engines with V2500s to power the in-development A320.
is still producing the result of that collaboration: The European airframer also offered the jet with
the V2500. It powers the new Embraer C/KC-390 CFM International CFM56s.
military transport, and IAE’s maintenance shops are The engine entered service in 1989 on an A320
humming, supporting just over 2,500 active Airbus operated by the then Yugoslavian carrier Adria
A320ceo-family jets equipped with the powerplant. Airways, which evolved into a now-defunct Slovenian
The company does not expect such aftermarket de-
mand to let up soon, saying airlines are leaning heavily
on veteran V2500s amid delivery delays for new jets
and maintenance issues affecting newer engines.
“After 40 years, this programme is exactly where
you would hope that a programme could be,” says
IAE president Earl Exum. “We just went [service-
entry] on a new aircraft in 2019 [with the KC-390], we
are serving the cargo market and we are in the prime
of our product life cycles in the commercial market.”
Mature product
Exum, who is also vice-president of mature
commercial engines at IAE partner Pratt & Whitney
(P&W), was speaking ahead of the 11 March anniver-
sary of its founding.
The company came together as a joint effort of
five companies: Italy’s Fiat, Japanese Aero Engines,
AirTeamImages
Germany’s MTU Aero Engines, P&W and Rolls-

Royce. Following the exit of Fiat in 1996 and R-R in
2012, the three remaining partners are fan-section V2500 entered service in 1989 on A320 operated by Adria Airways
provider Japanese Aero (which owns 23% of the

Engines IAE anniversary
There are 2,540 in-service aircraft powered by

the turbofan, according to Cirium fleets data
Karolis Kavolelis/Shutterstock
carrier that also flew A319s. McDonnell Douglas also

picked the V2500 to power its MD-90 single-aisle, “We just went [service-
which entered service with Delta Air Lines in 1995.
The US carrier’s final examples of the type were entry] on a new aircraft
retired from use in June 2020.
IAE lost its place on the A320 programme in 2019 [with the KC-
when Airbus rolled out its A320neo-family of jets,
which the airframer offers with CFM Leap-1As or 390], we are serving the
PW1100Gs. However, IAE shareholders Japanese
Aero and MTU are both partners in P&W’s geared cargo market and we
turbofan programme.
Production for an active aircraft programme are in the prime of our
remains, with Embraer having selected the V2500 to
power its twin-engined C/K-390 transport and tanker, product life cycles in the
which entered service with launch customer the
Brazilian air force in 2019. commercial market”
IAE has produced more than 7,800 V2500s, which
have collectively logged over 135 million flights and Earl Exum President, IAE International Aero Engines

Engine was selected by McDonnell
Douglas to power the MD-90
some 255 million

engine flight hours,
according to P&W. The
vast majority of those
engines were supplied to
power A320ceo-family jets
– P&W notes that the V2500
powered just 116 MD-90s,
while Embraer has to date
delivered only five KC-390s. The V2500 – 7,800 examples of which
FlightGlobal
“The V2500 is a have collectively logged 255 million

workhorse of the aviation flight hours – has a take-off thrust
industry, and has grown into rating of slightly more than 33,000lb
one of the most successful
commercial aerospace pro-
grammes of all time,” says Exum. “They are
also retiring at a relatively low rate,” he notes. 447 that are listed as stored. The operational airliner
P&W says the deployed V2500s power a fleet fleet is made up of a combination of 343 A319s
with an average age of 12.8 years. About one-third (13%), 1,332 A320s (52%) and 860 A321s (34%),
of the engines have yet to undergo their first major Cirium data shows.
maintenance overhauls, it adds. The leading users of V2500-powered aircraft
are American Airlines (238), JetBlue Airways (191),
Sustained pressure United Airlines (170), China Southern Airlines (134),
Exum notes that V2500-powered A321s have Spirit Airlines (119) and China Eastern Airlines (106).
recently proved popular as converted freighters – IAE still produces about 20 new V2500s annually,
Elbe Flugzeugwerke and US specialist 321 Precision feeding the C/KC-390 programme and supplying
Conversions offer such modifications. He also says spares to A320ceo-family operators, says Exum.
IAE is working to ensure the V2500 can safely run He expects the company will remain at this roughly
on 100% sustainable aviation fuel. 20 per-year production rate for at least five years,
Cirium fleets data indicates that there are 2,540 although output could increase if Embraer succeeds in
in-service aircraft powered by V2500s, and another landing more sales of its tactical airlifter.

Markus Mainka/Shutterstock Engines IAE anniversary
Further underscoring the programme’s longevity, Embraer also has signed a co-operation agree-
IAE’s partners have extended their collaboration ment with BAE Systems to market the twinjet in
agreement until 2045. the Middle East. Announced at the Farnborough air
Embraer launched the KC-390 programme in 2009 show in July 2022, the pact is initially focused on
with a 28-unit order for the Brazilian air force, but meeting the needs of the Royal Saudi Air Force.
sales have so far been modest. Brazil subsequently Each with a take-off thrust rating of just over
trimmed its commitment to 19 aircraft, with five now 33,000lb (147kN), the C/KC-390’s V2500-E5 engines
in operation. Those aircraft have logged a combined are mounted beneath its high wing: a configuration
8,000h of flight time, at a mission completion rate chosen to provide increased ground clearance and
exceeding 99%, Embraer says. enhanced protection against foreign object damage
In addition to its domestic customer, the airframer in the tactical transport role.
has so far secured contracts from Hungary (2), the Meanwhile, Exum also expects that airlines will keep
Netherlands (5) and Portugal (5). operating V2500-powered A320-family aircraft for
Embraer insists that the C-390 transport and years, citing the relative youth of the in-service fleet
KC-390 tanker have a promising future, saying and noting the ongoing maintenance issues that are
geopolitical tension has driven fresh demand for a affecting some newer-generation engines.
modern replacement for decades-old military trans- Those issues – leading to long shop visits – and
ports like Lockheed Martin’s C-130. uncertain delivery schedules for new narrow-
The company in 2022 partnered with US firm body aircraft types could lead airlines to continue
L3Harris to offer a so-called “Agile Tanker” refuelling operating V2500-powered Airbus jets well into the
variant to the US Air Force, optimised for operation future, Exum says, calling the engine’s performance
from austere bases. “practically guaranteed” with 99.97% dispatch
800
reliability. “Customers are going to sit on programmes
they know,” he adds.
That hefty in-service fleet requires “close to 800
shop visits” annually, generating strong aftermarket
revenue for IAE’s network of 17 maintenance, repair
and overhaul facilities.
“That is where we make the money in this industry
– when we do a shop visit. It’s where the margins
Annual shop visits – across IAE’s network of 17 MRO are,” Exum says. “We are really, really pleased with
facilities – required by powerplant’s large in-service fleet where we are there.” ◗
V2500-powered in-service fleet

Type Active
A319 343
A320 1,332
A321 860
KC-390 5
Total 2,540
Source: Cirium fleets data
Brazilian air force
Production could be extended if Embraer increases sales of KC-390 tactical airlifter

Power
player
GE Aerospace is pushing hard
to address the supply chain and
labour issues which have held back
commercial engine output post-
pandemic, as its backlog grows
Jon Hemmerdinger Cincinnati He notes that prior to the Covid-19 pandemic,

the aerospace sector was flush with experienced
employees who had worked in the industry for
L
arry Culp is pushing back against the assertion decades. But that is no longer the case.
that engine shortages are primarily why aircraft “Those 58-year-olds, pre-Covid, that were your
manufacturers continue to struggle with institutional knowledge… were laid off [or] decided to
ramping up production of narrowbody jets. leave the workforce,” Culp says.
Rather, the GE Aerospace chief executive insists Now, those jobs “may be filled by a 28-year-old”, he
that labour shortages – resulting from factors notes. The problem, of course, is “they just don’t have
including layoffs and retirements during the 30 years of experience”.
pandemic period – are the main constraint affecting Culp insists that his team is working closer than
commercial aircraft production. ever with the company’s suppliers to help them
“This is not a forgings and castings issue. People meet production targets, and adds that GE is now
who say that – or [who] say it’s all engines – grossly communicating exactly what it needs, and when.
oversimplify the day-in and day-out reality,” Culp “That’s a big change. It sounds simple, but it’s a
says. “You can boil it down to labour.” really big change,” he says.
Last year, Boeing chief executive David Calhoun
pointed squarely at shortages of CFM Interna- Short-staffed
tional Leap-1B turbofans as holding up 737 Max GE also is taking other steps, such as shifting workers
production. GE Aerospace co-owns CFM with Safran to sites that are particularly short of staff.
Aircraft Engines. Additionally, the company has been streamlining
Airbus also has cited engine delays as hindering production of those components most responsible
its planned increase in A320neo-family output. The for broader delays, says vice-president of engineering
airframer offers those jets with Leap-1As or Pratt & Mohamed Ali. One such component was a “complex,
Whitney (P&W) PW1100Gs. critical” metallic part found in the Leap engine’s
Aerospace analysts say both CFM and P&W are high-pressure compressor spools.
struggling to hike output partly due to shortages of “This part was one of the most limiting parts of
cast and forged metallic components. production in the second quarter of last year,” Ali
But, Culp says, “It’s not that simple. There’s no one says. “The problem was the part was spending six
component that is the issue.” hours in inspection, which was way too long.”

Engines GE Aerospace
Boeing says a shortage of CFM International

Leap-1B engines has held up Max production
AirTeamImages
In response, a GE team spent a week working on “We are talking about a high-growth year at
ways to speed up inspections. They succeeded in GE,” he says of his expectation for 2023, citing the
trimming the required time to 30min. aviation industry’s strong and ongoing recovery.
“At the end of that week, that part [was] not “When we look at the post-pandemic recovery
limiting production anymore,” Ali says. [on] the commercial side of the business, we think
Speaking during an investor day event near we will grow at a 25% compounded clip [through
Cincinnati, Ohio on 9 March, Culp outlined the 2025],” says Culp. “We will recover our [deliveries]
company’s current business standing. this year,” he adds.
“We clearly are operating off a much stronger Executives expect GE’s aftermarket business to
foundation than we have in a long time,” he says, enjoy particularly strong growth over the coming
noting that the manufacturer currently holds an years, largely as a result of increasing deliveries of
order backlog worth $353 billion, of which engine Leap powerplants.
services account for 89%. “The shop visits are robust,” says chief executive
of commercial engines and services Russell Stokes.
“Leap is clearly the original equipment and services
“This is not a forgings and contributor to growth for us.”
castings issue. People Beating bottlenecks

But much depends on how quickly GE and its
who say that – or [who] suppliers can overcome the supply chain troubles
that have limited Leap production. The CFM partners
say it’s all engines – produced a combined 1,136 Leap engines last year,
up from 845 in 2021 but still far fewer than the 1,736
grossly oversimplify the delivered in pre-pandemic 2019.
CFM aims to all but recover Leap production to
reality. You can boil it about 1,700 turbofans this year, and to increase this
to more than 2,000 in 2024.
down to labour” “We are going to jump another 50% in 2023 to
achieve our expectations and targets. This ramp is no
Larry Culp Chief executive, GE Aerospace small feat,” says Stokes.

Engines GE Aerospace
Hydrogen-burning Passport engine will

be tested aboard A380 demonstrator
“We feel we are exceptionally well aligned with

our airframers,” Culp notes of the planned output.
Meanwhile, GE also continues to prepare for service
entry of its GE9X, which powers the in-development
777X. With a 3.4m (134in) fan diameter, the engine
has a thrust rating of 105,000lb (458kN).
Boeing expects its lead 777-9 variant to achieve
delayed service entry in 2025.
“We are working closely with Boeing on the certifi-
cation of the 777X,” Stokes says. “We are working on
technical aspects around durability, performing dust
tests [and] making sure parts are producible.”
Airbus
Cirium fleets data shows that Boeing has current
firm orders for 353 777X twin-aisles. Its largest
customer for the type is Emirates (115), followed by
Qatar Airways (74) and Singapore Airlines (31). CFM also is working with Airbus to test the
Its current orders split is for 256 777-9s, 22 feasibility of direct hydrogen combustion in a
shorter-fuselage -8s, 55 -8 Freighters, and 20 of modern engine, modifying a GE Passport business jet
undisclosed variant. powerplant for the trials. The activity will include an
“overhaul of its combustor, fuel system and controls
Reduced commitment system to make them compatible with hydrogen
Boeing formally launched the 777X programme fuel”, the companies say.
at the Dubai air show in November 2013, securing Flight-test work is due to start around the mid-
an Emirates commitment for 150 units. That figure 2020s, with the modified engine to be installed on the
was subsequently reduced by 35, however, partly in upper-rear fuselage of an A380 demonstrator. “The
response to development and certification delays new configuration will allow the team to test the mod-
affecting the twinjet, with the carrier switching some ified hydrogen-powered engine’s emissions, including
orders to 787s. contrails, and monitor them separately,” GE notes.
For the longer term, GE and its CFM partner Additionally, GE has teamed up with Boeing and
Safran are jointly developing an open-rotor en- NASA to develop a hybrid-electric propulsion system.
gine that could be 20% more efficient than existing Also chief executive of parent company General
turbofans. The RISE – or Revolutionary Innovation Electric, Culp expects the engine maker to expand
for Sustainable Engines – programme was initiated into new segments via a reorganisation effort that will
in June 2021, with the goal of delivering a new leave GE Aerospace as its sole surviving entity.
powerplant to enter use during the 2030s. Its GE HealthCare Technologies unit was spun off
353
into a standalone public company on 3 January, and it
plans to early next year divest energy unit GE Vernova.
“As we become a standalone public company, there
are going to be a lot of things that we’re going to
look at,” Culp says. “A wider aperture – for sure.”
This could include acquisitions, but Culp stresses GE
Aerospace will not “just try to amass assets”.
“We really want to shape the future of flight here,
Orders Boeing holds for GE9X-powered 777X family, which and if there are additional assets that might come to
is now expected to make delayed service entry in 2025 us organically, we might consider that,” he says. ◗
In-development 777-9 visited the

Dubai air show in November 2021
Boeing

Embraer’s Energia project is exploring
reduced-emission regional flight
Fresh thrust
The aerospace sector is awash with efforts to
decarbonise the future of flight, but speakers on
a recent FlightGlobal webinar panel outlined the
major challenges facing propulsion developers

Engines Technology
Kerry Reals London However, he believes the industry must “prepare

for something disruptive” on the battery front that
would make hybrid-electric technology “more
N
ew propulsion technologies including pervasive”. He adds that “we can put together a good
hybrid-electric, hydrogen and modified hybrid-electric system and, as batteries mature, we
turbofans have a number of challenges to can integrate that into the systems”.
overcome but offer huge opportunities for P&W is developing a new hybrid-electric
decarbonising aviation, according to panellists technology demonstrator programme for future
speaking during a recent FlightGlobal webinar. advanced air mobility vehicles, known as STEP-Tech.
Our ‘Disruptive Propulsion Technologies’ webinar Sidwell says that laboratory-scale demonstrations will
on 9 March examined the pros and cons of start running later this year.
hybrid-electric aircraft, hydrogen combustion and The manufacturer is also working with parent
MTU Aero Engines’ water-enhanced turbofan (WET) Raytheon Technologies and sister firm Collins
design, all of which are aimed at helping the aviation Aerospace on a regional hybrid-electric flight demon-
industry meet its goal of achieving net-zero carbon strator that aims to improve fuel efficiency by 30%,
emissions by 2050. which Sidwell says is expected to fly in 2024.
The future of aviation will likely involve a German engine manufacturer MTU, meanwhile, is
combination of different technologies on the taking a different approach by developing its WET
propulsion side, together with much greater use of technology, with a targeted operating launch date
sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) – both biological and of 2035. Using residual heat from exhaust gas, the
synthetic – to ensure that 20 years from now, society engine will use a steam generator to vaporise water
views the industry’s environmental efforts in a positive before injecting this into its combustor.
light, says Frank Haselbach, head of propulsion The technology could
engineering at Airbus. cut nitrogen oxide
Huge opportunities
Embraer chief technology officer Maurilio Albanese
Novaes Junior agrees that there is no “silver bullet”
for net-zero aviation, and expects a mix of fully-
electric, hybrid-electric, hydrogen fuel cell and
hydrogen combustion technologies, alongside SAFs,
to be deployed. “Together with challenges we have
huge opportunities,” he says.
The Brazilian airframer’s current efforts include
exploring reduced-emission regional flight via
MTU Aero Engines

its Energia project. This is eyeing the potential MTU is aiming
introduction from 2030 of 19- and 30-seat aircraft to field its water-
using hybrid-electric propulsion, followed by the enhanced turbofan in 2035
adoption of hydrogen fuel cells after 2035.
Immature battery technology, additional weight
and complexity, and infrastructure challenges present (NOx) emissions by 80% and reduce the forma-
potential stumbling blocks before those opportuni- tion of contrails, thereby addressing some of the
ties can be realised, however. non-carbon dioxide (CO2)-related global warming
For battery technology to “get to something effects of aviation, says Martin Stadlbauer, director of
credible” for meaningful applications in the aerospace engineering advanced programmes at MTU.
sector will require “a journey”, and this is “not some- However, the WET design comes with a 40% weight
thing that will happen tomorrow”, cautions Haselbach. penalty and also requires a longer nacelle that will
Pratt & Whitney (P&W), which sees hybrid-electric increase drag. Despite this, Stadlbauer believes the
technology as a key pathway to reducing aviation’s positive impact on NOx and other non-CO2 effects
carbon footprint, “doesn’t make batteries, and will balance out such penalties.
we don’t intend to”, says its director of advanced “Of course we’re adding complexity and we see
concepts and technologies, Vince Sidwell. lots of challenges in maturation,” he says, but adds:
“we need revolutionary technology together with
SAF to honestly say we’re reaching something like
“We need revolutionary carbon-neutral flying.”
Sidwell notes that “we have to talk about contrails”,
technology together with adding that while the science on their impact is “not
as mature” as it is on CO2, addressing non-CO2 factors
SAF to honestly say we’re “will be a bigger point of what we do” in the future.
On hydrogen, Sidwell says he sees “huge opportu-
reaching something like nities” and “huge thermodynamic advantages” – but
Albanese Novaes sees “a lot of challenges” around
carbon-neutral flying” production, storage and infrastructure at airports. ◗
Martin Stadlbauer ● To watch our Disruptive Propulsion Technologies

Embraer
Director of engineering advanced programmes, webinar, or view other past FlightGlobal events, visit
MTU Aero Engines flightglobal.com/webinars

Murdo Morrison London
T
he business aviation industry will converge
on Geneva from 23-35 May for its second
post-Covid EBACE, anxious to discover if
weakening traffic numbers – and a wider eco-
nomic malaise across the globe – will send last year’s
impressive recovery into reverse. There are concerning
signs, but the outlook remains broadly positive.
The annual event is the 21st since the National
Business Aviation Association (NBAA) and its Europe-
an counterpart EBAA established EBACE in 2001; the
2020 and 2021 shows fell victim to Covid restrictions.
More than 50 aircraft will be on display at Geneva air-
port and the adjacent Palexpo, with around 400 exhib-
itors. Organisers expect to welcome 12,000 delegates.
Data from consultancy WingX and Eurocontrol
suggests business aircraft traffic in Europe has been
in year-on-year decline since August 2022, with the
gap widening early this year. However, take this in
context. The last quarter of 2021 and 2022’s first
half saw the industry rebound impressively from
the pandemic, before economies felt the impact of
inflation fuelled by the Ukraine conflict.
Manufacturers began this year in bullish mood after
a good previous 12 months for most. General Aviation
Manufacturers Association (GAMA) figures for 2022
show all the major airframers boosted output and
revenues – the latter partly the result of inflation, but
also because they had to deviate less from list prices.
While business jet deliveries for the full year
increased by just two aircraft – to 712 – the amount
of revenue manufacturers made from those was up
4.5%. Turboprops fared even better. Overall billings

Business aviation Overview
Private aviation flew through the pandemic

relatively unscathed and began 2023 in robust
health. As it readies for EBACE, can the industry
maintain its course amid global turbulence?
Demand
signals
Airframers including Dassault are

BillyPix
sitting on healthy order backlogs

for fixed-wing piston-, turboprop-, and turbine- constraints helped impose a “governor” – or speed
powered aircraft at $22.9 billion were the highest limiter – on what might be unsustainable demand and
since the $23.5 billion achieved in 2019. would stop the market overheating.
A flurry of new product development means the big- A healthy 2022 has left many upbeat about contin-
gest manufacturers are all sitting on healthy backlogs, uing recovery. Speaking at the recent British Business
which should cushion them from any slight, economic and General Aviation Association annual meeting in
uncertainty-induced dip in orders in 2023 and beyond. London, George Galanopoulos, chief executive of
Dassault Aviation has commitments for 87 Falcons, Luxaviation UK, described the previous 12 months as
one of its highest in recent years, boosted by the an “excellent year” during which “we’ve never seen so
imminent introduction of the 6X and 10X variants. much demand – we even managed to raise our prices”.
With its Global 7000 model selling very strongly, Rita Domkute, chief executive of Lithuanian-based
and despite winding down production of its Learjet operator KlasJet, reckons the private charter market
range last year, Bombardier expects to increase overall will be 5-10% higher this year than in 2019. However,
deliveries by “a minimum of 15%” in 2023, to “more after the pandemic, not all are rushing to re-fleet. Alex
than 138 jets”, the Canadian company said in February. Durand, chief executive of UK helicopter charter firm
Chief executive Eric Martel describes it as “in a sweet SaxonAir, says that despite a strong 2022, the compa-
spot” as the market continues to recover. ny is “debating whether we reinvest or stay as we are”.
Gregg Brunson-Pitts, founder of US brokerage
Demand drivers Advanced Aviation Team, says 2023 has continued
Gulfstream too is targeting a 20% boost in 2023 deliv- where 2022 left off with “lots of charter requests”
eries, to 145 jets, helped by the expected certification from clients, who range from political campaign
of its G700 in “mid-2023”. Meanwhile, Textron Aviation teams to financial institutions. The post-Covid
said in January that signs of a slowing in business avi- re-opening of Asia and the return of big music and
ation activity did not reflect in a “material change” in sport events has seen international travel requests
demand for the Wichita-based company’s aircraft. “really pick up from the second half of 2022”.
For the airframers, meeting production targets rath- Brunson-Pitts says that what has changed going
er than drumming up demand has been the biggest into 2023 is an increase in the availability of aircraft
challenge for the past 12 months or so, as shortages for charter, which he puts down to owners flying a
of materials prompted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine little less and wanting to sweat their assets more amid
and shutdowns in China, combined with skilled concerns about the economy. “For the past two years,
workers failing to return to the workplace after the owners didn’t really need us. Now they want to engage
pandemic, have bedevilled suppliers everywhere. with us again,” he says. “It’s a return to normal service.”
Despite this, there are indications the situation
might be improving. At its annual results briefing
in March, Dassault chief executive Eric Trappier
expressed confidence that the company would “For the past two years,
achieve its production targets in 2023, despite
continuing delays in the delivery of components owners didn’t really need
and raw materials. He said skilled labour shortages
remained the “number one concern”. us. Now they want to
Not all believe that this brake on production as
customers clamour for deliveries has been altogether engage with us again”
a bad thing. In its 2022 results presentation, GAMA
chairman Eric Hinson suggested that supply chain Gregg Brunson-Pitts Founder, Advanced Aviation Team
EBACE will host a two-day Sustainability Summit

EBACE
to advance sector’s environmental credentials

Business aviation Overview
The Jet Business founder Steve Varsano

through short-term tactics such as using sustainable
says he sees ‘a return to normality’
aviation fuel (SAF), or, longer term, adopting disrup-
tive propulsion or transport technologies. Related
to this is the question of how to deal with a growing
movement that views private aviation as inherently
damaging to the planet and society.
Some might view the “flight shaming” lobby as a tiny
minority of vocal environmentalists, but mainstream
media has been weighing in, criticising celebrities, pol-
iticians and other high-profile individuals for their use
of private jets to travel short distances – sometimes
while preaching the virtues of a green lifestyle.
The NBAA’s long-running “No plane no gain”
campaign sought to show how important business
aviation is to a productive economy as a time-saving
tool for entrepreneurs and other wealth creators. It
may have convinced some, but now many believe
the industry must change tack and prove it is taking
serious steps towards putting its environmental
house in order.
87
Commitments Dassault Aviation holds for its Falcon jet
family, boosted by imminent arrival of 6X and 10X variants
Expect announcements around the availability

The Jet Business
or take-up of SAF to be a major theme of EBACE

this year. The event will see a Sustainability Summit
take place over the first two days of the show, with
sessions on how to increase the supply of SAF as well
as carbon offsetting and how the sector can commu-
nicate its achievements better to the wider public.
Perhaps one of the strangest phenomena of the Russia is another challenge for the industry. Western
recovery in 2022 was the shortage of used aircraft sanctions now prohibit any of the major manufacturers
as supply-constrained manufacturers struggled to – or parts producers – from supplying Russian owners
meet demand for new equipment, and buyers soaked or operators. They have had an effect. In its 2022
up whatever assets were available on the market. results, for instance, Dassault said aircraft destined
However, there are signs that activity in the pre-owned for Russia had represented up to 15% of its backlog in
sector is beginning to return to pre-Covid-19 patterns. early 2022 – those aircraft will now not be delivered.
“When more than 10% of any model is on sale, it’s a Business aviation may have had a gentler
buyers’ market. Under 10%, it’s a sellers’ market,” says pandemic than its commercial cousin. It continued to
Steve Varsano, founder of prestige London aircraft fly those who could afford it but also – as restrictions
brokerage The Jet Business. “Last year, it was 2-3% began easing – attracted first timers. Many of those
and that was skewed to older types. For some newer did not want to use airlines for health reasons,
models, there was nothing available.” or because of cancellations and airport chaos as
demand returned.
Comfort zone The stickiness of these business aviation newcomers
Varsano also detects “a return to normality” in 2023 as the airline market continues to improve its service
because of wider economic uncertainties among post-pandemic is a big question for the industry in
potential buyers. “More jets are available and are not 2023. Fractional ownership and jet cards have been
selling so quickly. It’s what we are comfortable with,” democratising business aviation for decades. However,
he says. “Last year was not a market we liked being in.” frustrations with flying commercial saw many more
Zipporah Marmor, vice-president aircraft transac- seek out private flights last year.
tions at Canadian brokerage and charter specialist While the half a million people with a net worth of at
ACASS, and chair of the International Aircraft Deal- least $30 million will continue to be business aviation’s
ers Association, agrees. “Buyers are becoming more core constituency, Varsano reckons at least some of
rational. The frenzy of the last 12 to 24 months has those who formerly flew first or business class on
calmed down a bit and we see this as healthy.” scheduled airlines will remain loyal. “Once you realise a
Other issues that will be in the spotlight at EBACE private aircraft is a time machine, it changes your life,”
include how to meet carbon reduction targets, he says. “You won’t want to go back.” ◗

In the works
After a few years of heated activity on the
programme front, including through the pandemic,
the business aviation industry may be entering a
quieter period. However, manufacturers have
a habit of announcing the unexpected
First cabin-completed example of Airbus ACJ TwoTwenty was delivered in February
Murdo Morrison London Gulfstream followed in October that year with

its longest-distance runner, the 8,000nm-range
G800, which, like the 10X, is powered by a variant
A
s the industry emerged from the pandemic of Rolls-Royce’s Pearl engine family. The airframer,
two years ago, it became clear that engineer- which has a recent history of keeping its projects
ing and design teams at the largest business under wraps until official launch, rolled out the first
aircraft manufacturers had been far from idle. test aircraft during a ceremony at its Savannah,
All three rivals in the large-cabin segment – Bombar- Georgia headquarters.
dier, Dassault Aviation and Gulfstream – revealed new,
flagship types over a 12-month period from May 2021. New flagship
First out of the blocks was Dassault, which unveiled Last to the party at the first post-Covid-19 EBACE in
its largest jet, the 7,500nm (13,900km)-range Falcon May last year was Bombardier with the Global 8000,
10X around the time of what would have been 2021’s a reworked version of an earlier planned stablemate
EBACE – had the show not for the second time fallen to its Global 7500. Like the G800, the Global 8000
victim to restrictions on large gatherings. The launch has, as its name suggests, a range of 8,000nm – and,
gave the French manufacturer a genuine competitor rather than sit alongside the Global 7500, as per
to the longest-range products from Bombardier and Bombardier’s original stated intention, the newer
Gulfstream for the first time. type will actually eventually replace it.

Business Aviation Programmes
The three high profile launches somewhat

overshadowed programme developments by other BOEING
manufacturers. Along with the G800, Gulfstream This year marks the 25th anniversary of the Boeing
also launched in October 2021 the 4,200nm-range Business Jet – the first BBJ, based on the 737-700,
G400. Meanwhile, Daher in 2022 announced the flew for the first time in September 1998. However,
Kodiak 900, while Honda Aircraft also revealed last the manufacturer has been offering VIP versions of
year that it is working on a conceptual successor to its airliners – including most famously the 707 and
the HA-420 HondaJet called – for the moment at 747 “Air Force One” US presidential transports –
least – the 2600. since the 1960s.
As a preview to the 23-25 May EBACE show in The last few years have been a quiet time for the
Geneva, we review the state of the major newly brand, with just two deliveries – a BBJ Max 8 and a
in service and in-development business jet and Max 9 – in 2022, according to GAMA figures. Boeing’s
turboprop programmes, by manufacturer. latest launch, in 2018, was the BBJ 777X, a version of
the still-to-be-certificated flagship twinjet.
At EBACE last year, Boeing announced that it
planned to add a BBJ Max 7 demonstrator in 2023.
AIRBUS This will be the third and final member of the
Airbus unveiled the ACJ TwoTwenty – the corporate narrowbody range, as there are no plans to add a VIP
jet version of the former Bombardier CSeries CS100 – version of the Max 10.
in October 2020, and in February 2023 the first cab-
8,000nm
in-completed example was delivered to Dubai-based
hospitality group Five Hotels and Resorts at the
Indianapolis, Indiana facility of Comlux Completion.
The smallest Airbus Corporate Jet uses additional
fuel tanks to achieve a range of 5,650nm; around
twice that of the passenger A220. Comlux has an
arrangement with Airbus to install the interiors in Range of Bombardier’s GE Aerospace Passport-powered,
the first 15 aircraft. 19-passenger Global 8000 – due to enter service in 2025
Airbus, which aims to sell around 10 examples
of the ACJ TwoTwenty each year, believes the
type gives it a “game changer” competitor against
established large-cabin brands for the first time. Last
BOMBARDIER
May, it opened an ACJ TwoTwenty “creative studio” After delivering its final Learjet in 2022, the
in Toulouse, including a full-scale section of the cabin Canadian manufacturer’s production portfo-
and virtual reality technology to allow potential lio comprises the Global and Challenger brands.
customers to configure an interior. The recently-launched Global 8000 joins a family
Traditionally, many customers of corporate comprising the Global 7500, which it will replace,
versions of Airbus’s larger airliners – ACJ320neos, and the Global 6500 and 5500.
ACJ330s and ACJ350s – operate them as head One of the main differences between the GE
of state aircraft. However, last July Airbus deliv- Aerospace Passport-powered Global 8000
ered an ACJ319neo – powered by CFM Interna- and Global 7500 and their smaller and slightly
tional Leap-1As – to a new undisclosed European shorter-range siblings is that the latter have
Comlux Completion
customer. It will be available for charter flights under Rolls-Royce Pearl 15 engines.
a management contract with Jet Aviation. Long-time Bombardier customer NetJets signed
In 2022, Airbus delivered one other ACJ TwoTwen- to become the first Global 8000 fleet operator
ty, along with five ACJ330s, according to General in November last year when it ordered four – an
Aviation Manufacturers Association (GAMA) data. undisclosed customer will take the first example off
the production line. The fractional ownership giant
has also agreed to convert orders for eight other
Boeing’s BBJ Max range is set Globals to the Global 8000.
to encompass three variants Bombardier’s newest type, which is capable of
carrying 19 passengers, is due to enter service
in 2025, and is a different aircraft to the one the
airframer envisaged when it launched the type
alongside the then-Global 7000 in 2010. Although
its range – 7,900nm – was just short of its succes-
sor’s 8,000nm, the cabin was to have been 2.6m
(8.5ft) shorter, marking a trade-off in capacity to
deliver more range.
However, with the latest Global 8000, Bombardier
is promising 8,000nm of range without compromis-
ing the size of the 33.8m-long Global 7000.
Although Bombardier had never formally
cancelled the original Global 8000 programme, the
fact that the Global 7000 had entered service in
December 2018 without any sign of a Global 8000
Boeing
prototype, and was selling strongly, led many to

Fractional ownership giant NetJets will be
Bombardier’s first Global 8000 operator
Bombardier
believe the manufacturer had quietly shelved its 1,000nm. It delivered 90 examples of the Williams
plans for the latter. International FJ33-powered jet last year.
Under a service bulletin, Global 7500 owners will After launching a G2 version in 2019 – with oper-
be able to convert their jets to the Global 8000 ating ceiling raised from 28,000ft to 31,000ft and
variant as Bombardier phases out production of the the addition of an auto-throttle – Cirrus announced
former model. a further upgrade in 2021, with the G2+, which offers
Bombardier has also been updating its smaller enhanced hot and high operating performance.
Challenger line, replacing the Challenger 350 with While Cirrus has announced no development plans
the Challenger 3500, which entered service in 2022. for new aircraft models, it last year began work
It has modernised the cabin with features normal- on a new design centre at its Duluth International
ly found on Globals, reduced the cabin pressure Airport base, from which it is planning to work on
altitude by 2,000ft, and has equipped the cockpit engineering projects.
with an auto-throttle.
A logical next step for Bombardier might be a
revamp of the 4,000nm-range Challenger 650, which
has its origins in the 1970s-designed Challenger
600, and was last updated in 2015. Following the
Challenger 3500 convention of adding a zero might
be tricky though, as a Challenger 6500 might be
confused with the Global 6500.
Earlier this year, Bombardier said it plans to deliver
more than 138 aircraft in 2023, versus the 120 Globals
and Challengers it shipped last year.
CIRRUS AIRCRAFT
The first flight of the Cirrus SF50 in 2008, as the only
single-engined very light jet on the market, vault-
ed the Duluth, Minnesota-based general aviation
manufacturer into business aviation.
Cirrus Aircraft
Although the type’s core market remains

G2+ upgrade to Cirrus SF50 offers
owner-flyers, Cirrus does advertise the SF50 as
enhanced hot and high performance
suitable for Part 135 charter operations of up to

DAHER
French manufacturer Daher’s big move in 2022 – a
few weeks after EBACE – was its reveal of the Kodiak
900, a slightly larger sibling for the rugged 10-seat
Kodiak 100, and already in production.
The US-built, Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-140A-
powered turboprop offers a range of 1,130nm, slightly
less than the 100, but with a cruise speed of 210kt
(389km/h) it is 36kt faster. The 900’s 11.4m fuselage
is 1.1m longer than its stablemate’s.
While Daher markets the Kodiak range as a versatile,
“backcountry” utility aircraft that can also operate on
water when fitted with floats, its six-seat TBM range
– once produced by Socata, a division of the Airbus
group – is the fastest single-engined turboprop. Almost
1,100 have been delivered over more than 30 years.
Last year, Daher introduced the fifth TBM iteration
since the arrival of the latest generation TBM 900 in
2014: the PT6E-66XT-powered 960, and delivered the
Dassault Aviation
first example just ahead of EBACE 2022.

Dassault is aiming to achieve
DASSAULT AVIATION service entry for 10X in late 2025
1,100
At time of writing, Dassault was still refusing to be
more specific about the in-service date of the latest
Falcon 6X twinjet beyond “mid-year”, stating that
certification was in the hands of the European Union
Safety Agency.
The French manufacturer has completed a flight
test campaign for the 5,500nm-range type, with
three examples having made more than 400 sorties.
The first customer aircraft was in March having its Examples of Daher’s six-seat TBM single-engined turboprop
cabin completion carried out at the firm’s Little Rock delivered over 30 years; a fifth iteration was unveiled in 2022
site in Arkansas.
Dassault launched the large-cabin jet as a
replacement for its 5X, which flew in 2017 but was Embraer has been relatively quiet on the
axed because its Safran Silvercrest engine failed programme front since the launch in 2018 of
to meet performance targets. The manufacturer the midsize Praetor 500 and its super-midsize
unveiled the slightly bigger 6X later that year, this stablemate the Praetor 600 – replacements for the
time powered by Pratt & Whitney Canada PW812D short-lived Legacy 450 and Legacy 500.
turbofans. It took to the air in March 2021. The Brazilian company was for a period
Dassault is pitching for a late 2025 in-service preoccupied with the planned merger of its
date for its other in-development programme, the commercial aircraft business with Boeing; a
7,500nm-range 10X, which entered its “production relationship that ended at the start of the pandemic.
phase” in the third quarter of 2022. However, the It has also been focusing on the urban air mobility
company is also refusing to reveal a flight schedule, market with its Eve spin-off.
although it admits that it has a date in mind. Embraer also offers the entry-level Phenom 100EV,
The 10X competes head-on with the Bombardier although its airliner-derived Legacy 650 and Lineage
Global 7500/8000 and Gulfstream’s G700 and G800, 1000 are now out of production.
allowing a Dassault jet for the first time to connect In January 2023, it received a US and European
the US West Coast with much of Asia. Although its supplemental type certificate for a medevac version
range is slightly less than that of its two rivals, it of the Phenom 300, the 300MED.
offers the roomiest cabin in the segment at 2.77m
wide and 2.03m high.
As it does for its other products, Dassault makes a GULFSTREAM
major play of the technology crossover between its The Savannah, Georgia-based manufacturer rode
fly-by-wire Rafale fighter and the 10X. out much of the turbulence of Covid-19 unscathed,
investing in its maintenance estate and continu-
ing the frenetic new product development it has
EMBRAER become known for.
From a standing start – a reworked passenger jet in At time of writing, Gulfstream was within only
the early 2000s – Embraer has become a top-five weeks of achieving certification for its 7,500nm-
player in business aviation, and has been the market range G700, which it announced at the NBAA
leader in light jets with its Phenom 300 for more convention in 2019. The Rolls-Royce Pearl-
than a decade, delivering more than 700 examples powered jet is a 3m stretch of the G650, which
since 2009. has older-generation R-R engines, but it shares

fly-by-wire cockpit technology with the smaller
G500/600, including active control sidesticks.
Gulfstream’s other big play in the long-range
market, the G800, has a slightly smaller cabin than
the G700, but offers around 500nm additional range.
After revealing the aircraft, along with the G400, in
October 2021, the airframer flew the type in June last
year, and plans to deliver the G800 from next year.
The 4,200nm-range, 12-passenger G400 fills a
gap in the airframer’s large-cabin range. Although
the longer-range variants grab most attention,
Gulfstream believes the G400 addresses a segment
where there is little competition. Bombardier’s
Challenger 650 would be its closest rival.
Gulfstream has given no indication of a target date
to fly the G400, but says it aims to deliver the first
example in 2025. In September last year, Transport
Canada granted a type certificate to the Pratt &
Whitney Canada PW812GA that will power the type.
Last October, the company said it was expand-
ing its Savannah aircraft and wing manufacturing
facilities with a dedicated G400 production hall to
“meet customer demand” for the latest type.
HONDA AIRCRAFT
Towards the end of last year, Honda Aircraft – another
relative newcomer to the industry – received US
certification for the HondaJet Elite II, the latest variant
of the light jet it first delivered in 2015. The company
announced the iteration at the NBAA show in October.
Hideto Yamasaki, chief executive of the US-based
airframer, has suggested that the Elite II might
Textron Aviation
Textron flew the Beechcraft Denali

for the first time in November 2021

Honda Aircraft
Current HondaJets may be
succeeded by a new 2600 model
1,547nm
TEXTRON AVIATION
Textron Aviation has three brands in its portfolio – the
Citation range of business jets, Cessna turboprops
and piston aircraft, and the Beechcraft range that
includes the King Air family and the still-to-be-
Range of Honda Aircraft’s upgraded HA-420 Elite II with certificated Denali.
four people on board – 110nm further than its predecessor Since starting deliveries of the 3,500nm-range
Longitude in 2019, Textron has not announced any
major development on its Citation range, although
be the final update of the original HA-420 before Gen2 versions of the XLS and M2 were certificated
the company replaces it with its larger HondaJet and delivered in 2022.
2600 concept, which it announced in 2021, but has The 4,500nm-range Hemisphere programme – an
revealed few details about. aircraft that would have been the largest Citation –
The Elite II has upgraded avionics and mechanical was suspended in 2018 over issues with the Safran
and electrical systems. Most importantly, allowable Silvercrest engine. It was the second Citation jet
weight is almost 100kg (220lb) higher, giving the programme in a decade to be cancelled, following
variant more fuel capacity and range – it can now fly the failure of the Columbus in 2009.
1,547nm with four on board: 110nm further than its Instead, Textron has been focusing on smaller
Elite S predecessor. aircraft, but has not had it all its own way in that part
of the market either.
The first Cessna SkyCourier – a 19-seat twin-
PILATUS turboprop positioned at the cargo, utility and air
Pilatus made a successful move into jets a decade transport markets rather than corporate aviation –
ago, supplementing its top-selling PC-12 single- was delivered to launch customer FedEx last year.
engined turboprop with the PC-24 light jet. The The Beechcraft Denali, a single-turboprop rival
aircraft has performed strongly for the Swiss to the Pilatus PC-12, has had a more troubled certi-
manufacturer since, and last year it delivered 40 fication campaign. Powered by the GE Aerospace
PC-24s and 80 PC-12 NGXs; the latest variant of its Catalyst – the first new turboprop engine for decades
original business aviation product. – the 1,600nm-range Denali flew for the first time
This year will mark the 200th PC-24 delivery and the in November 2021, but initial deliveries are not now
2,000th shipment of the PC-12, the company says. expected until the second half of next year. ◗

European rotorcraft consortium NH Industries
has delivered its 500th production aircraft, as
improved availability and support provision raise
its hopes of securing further sales
On the up
Dominic Perry London indicators] that we monitor with our customers on a
monthly basis,” Aloccio says.
The company continues to evolve “even if we have
N
H Industries (NHI) has delivered its 500th not started a new transformation plan”, he adds.
NH90, handing over the milestone helicopter NHI’s latest focus is on its supply chain, where it
– a TTH troop transport variant – to the is aiming to both increase the pace of component
French army on 17 March. overhaul and repair, and raise the overall capacity
Marked during a ceremony at the Marignane for such activities.
headquarters of lead NHI shareholder Airbus This effort is in support of a customer ambition to
Helicopters in southern France, the transfer event double annual flight time for the fleet from 40,000h
was attended by six NH90 operators and the head of in 2022 to 80,000h “before the end of the 2020s”.
NATO helicopter procurement body NAHEMA.
Speaking to FlightGlobal ahead of what he Operational boost
described as a “significant milestone” for the NH90, That will partly be aided by future deliveries – just
programme chief Axel Aloccio hailed the “positive under 100 helicopters remain in the firm order back-
news”, saying it was “great to be able to celebrate log – but nations also “want to increase the rate of
this achievement”. operations of their current NH90s – they want to fly
Aloccio, who was appointed president of NHI last more with the same number of aircraft”, Aloccio says.
year, says the company – a consortium comprising “So, we need to resize ourselves to be able to meet
Airbus, Leonardo Helicopters and GKN/Fokker – is this increasing demand.
making progress with its efforts to increase the avail- “This is clearly the last big push we need to do to
ability and flight hours of the NH90; two persistent adjust the capacity of our supply chain to meet these
complaints from operators. increasing flight-hour ambitions of all the nations.”
A transformation programme – ‘New Horizon’ – Buy-in from suppliers has been received, he says,
launched in 2021, came to an end last year, having “which really gives me confidence that we will have
made improvements to the provision of support the support system that is need to meet the ambition
and services to customers and increased the time of our customers.”
before overhaul for key parts in order to reduce the Aloccio also sees the potential to sell another
“maintenance burden”. 50-100 NH90s over the next five years, via business
“We are making a lot of progress on this even if it from both existing and new customers, and says sales
is not really visible yet in the KPIs [key performance discussions are ongoing.

Milestone NH90
Airbus Helicopters
The French army took
receipt of milestone
aircraft on 17 March
He believes the successful entry of NH90s into of which is due later this summer; and the Standard 2
Qatari service will serve as an encouragement to other special forces version for the French army.
potential operators. To date, Doha has received five of While the Standard 2 configuration includes a new
the naval NFH variant and four TTHs from its 28-unit fast rope beam and integration of Safran’s EuroFLIR
order, and by February 2023 these had accumulated a electro-optical/infrared sensor, a future step that
combined 1,000h of operational use. would see the integration of a distributed aperture
“The contract is running extremely well – and more system to enhance operations in degraded visual
importantly the helicopters are performing extremely environments is not yet under contract.
well,” says Aloccio. He highlights the type’s achieve- Aloccio says additional customers are being sought
ment of an 80% availability rate despite the “very for that upgrade. “What we are doing with France is
tough” operating conditions experienced in the to see if other nations could [also] be interested in
Middle East. Deliveries to the Qatar Emiri Air Force contracting this capability. If not, France will have to
are scheduled to run through 2025. contract it alone.”
Meanwhile, development activities continue on
behalf of three current customers: Germany’s Sea Common upgrades
Tiger programme, first flight of which is due this sum- But the principle of common upgrades is one that is
mer; the Standard 3 version of the TTH for the Spanish being increasingly applied, he adds. “We really need
army, plus the first units for its navy, the maiden sortie to make sure that this common product evolution
strategy is implemented – it is for the benefit of the
nations to improve the affordability of the aircraft and
“The contract is running reduce the cost and duration of the development.”
Despite the recent celebration, there were ghosts
extremely well – and at the feast: the six nations present included Australia
and Sweden, two operators that seem set on leaving
more importantly the the NH90 programme.
Canberra has already announced a decision to
helicopters are performing retire its locally-designated MRH90s and has placed
replacement orders for Sikorsky’s UH-60M Black
extremely well” Hawk and MH-60R Seahawk. Stockholm’s armed
forces, meanwhile, last November recommended
Axel Aloccio President, NH Industries that the country’s 18 NH90s be replaced in part by

Bundeswehr
German army operates 79 examples; Berlin

is also acquiring Sea Tiger naval model
acquiring additional Black Hawks; 15 of the US-built

type are already used by its Helicopter Wing.
Aloccio says discussions continue with Australia
on requirements for continued support amidst the
nation’s transition to new helicopters. In addition,
NHI is eyeing the possible purchase of Canberra’s
47 NH90s to generate a pool of spare parts. In late
March, Australia’s fleet was temporarily grounded
after an MRH90 ditched during a training exercise.
He stresses that Sweden has yet to make a formal
decision on the future of its NH90s. “We have a very
good, open dialogue with the Swedes,” he says.
“We are explaining to them why we believe keeping
the NH90 is the most rational decision… from an
economic point of view.”
Acquiring new rotorcraft would cost “billions of
kronor” to “replace a platform which is perfectly
capable and working extremely well in Sweden”,
Aloccio says. He highlights the Saab mission
equipment that is installed in its anti-submarine
warfare-roled NH90s, which has been tailored for
operations in the Baltic Sea.
47
Leonardo Helicopters
Norway cancelled its contract due to poor

Number of locally-designated MRH90s operated by Australia
availability and performance shortcomings
but due for retirement; NHI may buy them for spare parts

Milestone NH90
“So, for economic and operational reasons we

believe that for them the best choice is to keep the
NH90s. But, of course, we respect their rationale and
their decision, whatever it will be.”
Although relations with Sweden remain cordial, the
same cannot be said for those with Norway. Oslo has
a long-standing grievance over delays to the delivery
of its 14 NH90s and fleet availability, which culminat-
ed last year in its cancellation of the contract – after
the receipt of 13 aircraft – and a claim for NKr5 billion
($500 million) in compensation.
On 14 March, Norway’s defence ministry announced
it had selected the MH-60R as a partial replacement,
NH Industries
and was seeking to order an initial six examples.
Belgium has eight troop
transport examples in its fleet
Surprise action
Aloccio declines to comment on the substance of any
discussions with Oslo, but says he was “surprised” by
the MH-60R order. Detailing the active NH90 fleet
“We are still discussing or at least we are still in the
spirit of trying to find an amicable way out of the Analysis of the current active NH90 fleet shows
issue we have today with Norway.” the NH Industries (NHI) type is in use with 13
He contrasts the NKr12 billion budget set by nations, including development partners France,
Norway for its NH90 replacement programme with Germany, Italy and the Netherlands.
the lower cost of solutions proposed by NHI to Cirium and NHI data shows that as of 29 March
increase availability. there were 474 in use, with the leading operators
“For a very small amount of money, or even no being Italy (110), Germany (97) and France (84).
money at all, we believe that we offered them a way About 76% of the NH90s in operational use
to operate the aircraft and have them perform the – 359 aircraft – are in the TTH troop transport
necessary missions,” he says. “On the one hand you standard, with the NFH naval model making up
have this, and on the other you will invest billions in the remainder (115).
buying a new platform. It doesn’t make sense from an The twin-engined NH90 has a trio of powerplant
economical point of view.” ◗ options. The Safran Helicopter Engines RTM322
dominates, powering 343 in-use aircraft (72%);
Italy’s 110 examples use GE Aerospace’s T700
(23%) and 21 Spanish air force and army aircraft
use its commercial variant CT7 (5%).
The NH90 has had a good safety record, with
Cirium accident data recording five losses,
involving aircraft operated by the French army,
Italian army, the Netherlands and Oman (two).
NH90 fleet (by nation/service)
Australia 47*
Belgium 8
Finland 20
France (army) 57 16
France (navy) 27
Germany (army) 79
Germany (navy) 18 31
Greece 15 5
Italy (army) 57 2
Italy (navy) 53 3
The Netherlands 19
New Zealand 8
Oman 18
Qatar 9 19
Spain (air force) 6 6
Spain (army) 15 10
Spain (navy) 7
Sweden 18
Total 474 99
Source: NH Industries/Cirium fleets data (as of 29 March 2023)
Notes: Norway has placed its 13 delivered aircraft into storage
*Temporarily grounded in late March

AirTeamImages Milestone NH90
Spanish air force has received six aircraft from a 12-unit order
OPERATIONS Unlike its predecessor, which relied on the provision

of third-party heavy-lift aircraft for international de-
ployment, the NH90 can be transported using Spain’s
How the NH90 is Airbus Defence & Space A400Ms. The nation’s army
also has 15 of the rotorcraft, and 10 on order.
Speaking at NHI consortium member Airbus Heli-
delivering for Spain copters’ Albacete final assembly site last December,
Pampliega detailed the additional benefits of the air
force’s GE Aerospace CT7-engined NH90s over its
Super Pumas, which left use after 40 years of service.
Nation’s air force reports its new The new model has an operating speed of 150kt
(277km/h) – 30kt greater than the earlier type –
aircraft are ‘working perfectly’ as and up to 5h of endurance, against 3.5h. Its 430nm
it continues to field new type as (795km) range far exceeds that of the older type’s
220nm maximum, enabling the NH90 to reach the
Super Puma replacement Canary Islands directly from the Spanish mainland.
Other features present on the Standard 2 NH90
include a four-axis autopilot, forward-looking
Craig Hoyle Albacete infrared sensor, dual rescue hoist and engine and
main rotor de-icing.
Additional capability will include being able to
A
s one of the newest operators of the NH carry underslung loads, although the unit’s pilots
Industries (NHI) NH90, the Spanish air have yet to train for this functionality.
force’s operational experience has so far The air force’s remaining six NH90s will be
been extremely positive, according to the delivered in an enhanced Standard 3 configura-
chief officer at its 803 Sqn. tion, with its earlier examples to be brought to the
“Right now, we have all the capabilities and all the same level by 2026. This will provide an updated
equipment working perfectly and we are ahead of the electronic warfare suite including directional infrared
average [availability] for NH90 operators,” says Major countermeasures, plus new radios and interrogation
Cristina Pampliega. “I can deliver the missions I have friend or foe equipment.
right now without problem.” Pampliega says the NH90’s introduction has been
Based in Madrid as part of the air force’s 48th achieved with in-service support at the 48th Wing,
Wing, 803 Sqn has to date received six TTH-standard where 300h inspections are conducted. A first
NH90s from a 12-aircraft order. Delivered between aircraft will undergo 600h-interval checks this year
October 2020 and February 2022, these have re- by the air force’s MAESMA organisation, which is able
placed the unit’s previous Airbus Helicopters H215/ to work on its dynamic components.
AS332 Super Pumas. “The plan is to be as independent from industry as
“We need a multi-role helicopter to support our we can,” she notes, with the approach already paying
missions and our roles,” Pampliega says. off. “We are now over the fleet availability readiness
Primary duties for the squadron include special air of other countries that are operating the NH90,” she
operations and personnel recovery, with secondary notes, attributing this to key early support received
tasks being medical evacuation and search and rescue. from NHI and industry.
While the service is still working up its operational “This aircraft tells you the failures,” she says. “On
capability on the new type, the rotorcraft will be made the Super Puma you had to do flight tests and
available to the NATO Response Force 23, and capable inspections to find the failure – now you get a code
of leading special operations tasks if required. and you go to the manual.” Z

From yuckspeak to tales of yore, send your offcuts to murdo.morrison@flightglobal.com
Restored masterpiece: Bristol Blenheim
Crossing the pond

On 24 February, the last BAe ATP in service with
a major airline made its final revenue flight from
Jonkoping to Oslo. Cargo specialist West Atlantic was
the only remaining European operator of the largely
unloved UK-built turboprop, but had been phasing
out its fleet since 2016.
Doug Brown, however, asks if any readers “can
explain how a Swedish carrier, based on the Baltic
coast and within shouting distance of the North Sea”
came to have a name that suggests origins on the
opposite side of the pond.
“Shades of ‘Wrong Way’ Corrigan, surely?”, Mr
Brown suggests.
For the uninitiated, Douglas Corrigan (1907-1995)
was a US aviator who acquired his moniker in 1938
when he flew to Ireland from New York despite filing Bicester Heritage
a flightplan to return to Long Beach, California.
He claimed heavy cloud cover had caused his
navigational error.
Others claimed the experienced and skilled airman,
who had worked with Charles Lindbergh on the
design of the Spirit of St Louis, was determined to
make a nonstop transatlantic flight after being denied
permission by the authorities. Fruit of all evil
There was very little delight on a Turkish Airlines Airbus
A330 that turned around some 45min into its journey
to Barcelona on 5 March.
The aircraft had taken off from Istanbul but after
crossing Bulgaria the twinjet’s crew opted to divert
back to the departure point after an odour of unknown
origin was detected in the
aircraft’s cabin.
Flight TK1855 landed
Benthemouse/Shutterstock
safely after its hour-and-

a-half flight to nowhere,
and underwent an
inspection.
Next stop New York “It was determined
that the aroma emitted
From the archive
1923 A little knowledge

100
Gradually the aeronautical community is coming to
1948 The speed of science
75
Flying has reached the end of one stage in its
the conclusion that it does not know nearly as much evolution and is entering upon another. The power
as it thought it did about aerodynamics. Phenomena which can be crammed into an aircraft in the form
keep occurring for which present theories do not of turbo-jets and turbo-airscrews has made possible
seem to account, such as the failure of certain wing speeds which would have seemed fantastic a few
sections to give, when tested on full scale, the high years ago. We had discovered fairly clearly how the
lift promised by model tests, or the reasons which air behaves around a body moving through it at
determine the inter-action of the parts of an aeroplane the speeds attainable with the power plants then
upon one another. Adding up the item resistances has, existing. The higher speeds have set us back to the
in the past, usually been found to give fairly accurate same stage of ignorance as that which hindered the
results, but sometimes, for no reason that can be earliest attempts at mechanically-propelled flight. The
accounted for, the method fails entirely. Thus even in airframe raises new problems, and the power plants
the matter of the ordinary aeroplane as we know it are of such novel conception that much development
there are still large gaps in our theory. We ought to will be needed before they can reach the stage of
admit frankly that we know very little. perfection attained by the piston engine.

Straight & Level
Bicester
Blenheim
The only surviving Mk 1
Bristol Blenheim is making an
appearance this June as part of
the Bicester Heritage Flywheel
event, which is returning for the
first time since 2018.
The show takes place on the
site of a former station for the
Second World War bomber. Its
first day, 17 June, marks exactly 79
years since the last Blenheim flew
out of the then RAF Bicester on
active service.
Aircraft Restoration Company at
Duxford airfield near Cambridge
brought the aircraft, L6739, back
to life over 11 years, and now owns
and operates it.
in the cabin was caused by durian fruit in the cargo

compartment,” states Turkish news agency IHA.
Durians are a tropical fruit notorious for a smell
EasyDystopia
so pungent and unpleasant that they are banned on If EasyJet’s vision, revealed in its recently published
public transport in a number of Asian countries. 2070 Future Travel Report – with its talk of 3D-printed
According to the Leibniz Institute for Food Systems food, using your heartbeat as a passport, and having
Biology – not far from Munich airport – the odour is in-flight entertainment beamed directly into your
“reminiscent of rotten onions”. face – sounds like a dystopian nightmare, you can take
The institute published a paper three years ago refuge in the possibility that psychological technology
revealing that a specific enzyme in the durian might beat the budget airline to the punch.
Taveesak Srisomthavil/Shutterstock
plant interacts with the amino acid ethionine – and Canadian and US researchers, in a 2019 paper,
this releases the chemical ethanethiol, which is discussed the ability to “reverse engineer” memories in
responsible for the stench. mice – specifically, remembering a scent they had not
It also queried whether, since ethionine is potentially previously experienced.
toxic, durians might pose a health risk. They could, That doesn’t sound too far from recreating all sorts
of course, not least if you’re suddenly faced with of pleasant sensory memories, which will spare you
Spain-bound passengers who weren’t expecting a from actually taking a holiday – and your friends from
premature return to Istanbul on a stinking jet. the terminal boredom of your beach photos.
1973 Night in Mogadishu

50
A Boeing 707 of Dan-Air, the British charter and
1998 Beijing battles bloat
25
The Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC)
scheduled service carrier, was forced down by Somali has been instructed to submit proposals by the
Air Force MiG fighters on April 25, after inadvertently end of April on drastic reductions to the size of its
entering Somali airspace without permission. The organisation, in line with a wider Chinese Government
airliner, on a flight from London to Mauritius with push to cut the country’s bloated bureaucracy.
83 passengers on board, landed after signals from China’s newly installed premier Zhu Rongji wants
Somali fighters. The passengers were accommodated to implement sweeping cuts in the number of
overnight in Mogadishu, while the captain of the government employees, in an ongoing effort to
aircraft was taken to a court and told that a £600 reform the state sector. The CAAC is no exception
fine would be imposed on the airline. The flight was and has been asked to look at making cuts of
resumed the next day. Some countries require formal anywhere between 25% and 50% in its 150,000-strong
written clearance through diplomatic channels, but nationwide workforce. A CAAC official in Beijing
most will nowadays accept notification direct from confirms that the authority was being pressed to
operators. The Somalis require notification in writing make reductions of this magnitude, but remains non-
from operators to be given five days in advance. committal on if and how this could be achieved.

Letters
Ethiopian 737 Max crash report

omissions divided opinion
Steer clear of sensationalism

I take exception to the language used in the Comment section regarding the Ethiopian Airlines Boeing 737
Max 8 accident (Flight International, February 2023).
Language such as “airbrushing”, “being kept out of the spotlight”, “concocted ludicrous claims” and “the crew
effectively lost control at wheels-up” have no place in a reputable magazine such as Flight International, given its
wide readership.
Although not a report, it would serve the aviation industry better if any public comment on an official
accident report followed best practice by abiding by the Report Writing Conventions (editorial standards) of
ICAO Doc. 9756, Manual of Aircraft Accident and Incident Investigation Part IV, Appendix 2 to Chapter 1.
This would ensure that such comment would not “reflect prejudice against any party”.
Richard Lambo
Lagos, Nigeria
LLBG Spotter/Wikimedia Commons
Editor’s reply: Our monthly Comment article is an opinion piece, intentionally written using a different tone to
that employed in our news reporting. The article in question sought to briefly summarise a full factual analysis
of the Ethiopian accident investigation report published in the same issue, and specifically the significant
concerns voiced by French and US counterparts over its glaring omissions regarding the actions of the crew.
We do not prepare articles following ICAO report writing standards, but do so without prejudice: in this case,
to highlight that only by completing a full and thorough investigation process can regulators, the industry and
airlines ensure that such tragedies can be averted in the future.
Accidents will happen I’ve seen a Boeing 747 go blowing through the
localiser so badly that all I could see was the dirty side
Regarding your report about the mid-air collision of the aircraft from the cockpit of my regional jet as
between a Cirrus SR22 and Swearingen Metroliner the pilot tried to correct. I lined up half a mile off to
near Centennial airport in Colorado in May 2021 the side until the jumbo got sorted out.
(FlightGlobal.com, 8 April 2023): I see airliners badly Mid-air collisions happen, and people survive them.
overshoot the centreline all the time. Airports are the most dangerous place you can fly a
plane, and everyone has to be on their game.
The Federal Aviation Administration will make this
Damaged Metroliner made a safe a “teachable moment”, most likely. People make
landing at Centennial airport mistakes, and in this case they were lucky enough to be
able to learn from them.
Airliners have hit each other too in the past – that’s
what led to the creation of the modern air traffic
control system.
The SR22 is fast, and I can see it getting way ahead
of an inexperienced pilot – but I see that all the time in
airliners too.
Rick Brennan
Aurora, Colorado, USA
NTSB
Via Facebook
We welcome your letters about the coverage in Flight International and online at FlightGlobal.com – or about any other
aerospace-related topic. Letters should be no longer than 500 words in length, and supplied with the correspondent’s name
and location. They may also be featured anonymously, on request. Please email flight.international@flightglobal.com or write
to: The Editor, Flight International, 1st Floor, Chancery House, St Nicholas Way, Sutton, Surrey, SM1 1JB.
Letters may also be published on FlightGlobal.com, and do not necessarily represent the views of the editor.

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An ‘atypical’ route into the UK aerospace industry
saw Jacqui Sutton working for some of its biggest
names. Now non-executive director of the Women in
Aviation Charter, she encourages others to follow suit
Developing
markets
Dominic Perry London But for all their new-found embrace of capital-
ism, Eastern Europe was not like other markets; the
years of Communism and faltering centrally-planned
B
y her own admission, Jacqui Sutton’s path economies meant that people and businesses were
into aerospace was an unconventional one. forced to adapt – they learned that the state would
Starting out with a degree in Russian studies not always provide and in order to obtain the basics of
– encompassing literature, language and life or business, they had to bend the rules and work in
culture, and a year-long placement in the USSR – the dark spaces ignored by the authorities.
she nonetheless forged a career with some of the It was Sutton’s understanding of the way those mar-
biggest names in aerospace engineering, latterly as kets worked, derived from a year in Voronezh, and the
chief customer officer for UK propulsion specialist mindset of the population – which gave her an edge.
Rolls-Royce, a role she held from 2019 until 2021, the In her view, people in Eastern European countries
end of her 13-year stint with the firm. were not used to doing business “in the way that we
She now holds non-executive director posts at would understand it in the West”.
Farnborough International – the organiser of the
biennial UK air show – and the Women in Aviation & New opportunities
Aerospace Charter. Boiled down, it was a matter of trust – concepts like
Sutton says her motivation to take up the latter role standing by your word were “still quite alien”, she
was in part shaped by her route into the industry. says. This was combined with a short-term mentality
“Since stepping back from full-time corporate life, driven by the nagging fear that the Iron Curtain could
I’ve been trying to find ways to give back to the in- be raised again just as rapidly as it had come down:
dustry but also encourage more people who wouldn’t “People thought that they needed to make money
necessarily think about aerospace to consider join- really quickly in case all these opportunities were
ing,” she says, “because my path is pretty atypical in taken away from them again.
that I didn’t come through an engineering route.” “This was where I could see the benefit of my
Having graduated “without a clue” about her next cultural awareness – my understanding of where they
step, Sutton eventually decided another qualification were coming from was much more developed than
was necessary and embarked on a post-graduate my UK peers.”
diploma in international marketing, an element of However, working in post-Communist Eastern
which was a research project for a business. Europe was not without its challenges, or even risks:
“I was interested in industrial marketing, partly be- “Some of those business trips, solo business trips,
cause of my experience in the Soviet Union,” she says. were pretty scary at the time; I used to eat my meals
What she means is that the alternative path in my hotel room because you’d get no peace sitting
would have been marketing fast-moving consumer in a restaurant on your own.”
goods “and morally I didn’t want to be the person After three years in this role, Sutton made the leap
that would go around and try to convince Russian into aerospace, joining the aircraft transparancies
grannies to buy a certain brand of soap powder”. division of glass manufacturer Pilkington Group.
In the end, she was sponsored by a non-aerospace Again, her degree was the way in: the company
engineering company in the UK “to find new markets needed a Russian speaker because it had done a deal
for their equipment” among the newly-open Eastern with a research institute in the country related to a
Bloc nations. proprietary technique for toughening glass.

Women in aviation
“And that was another kind of ‘aha!’ moment. In the

interview I asked them what kind of contract they had
in place with this Russian organisation – it turned out
they had been rather naive – but it was a moment of
realisation that that time spent among a nation helps
you learn a lot of useful skills.”
A move to avionics and flight display systems with
Smiths Industries followed. But as time went on and it
became apparent that the aerospace unit was being
prepared for a sale, Sutton says she was “starting to
get a bit disillusioned with the whole world of big
corporates – when I looked upwards I didn’t like what
I saw: it seemed to be a very share-price-chasing,
financially focussed leadership team.”
Faith restored
But while the business itself was in “some sort of lim-
bo”, Sutton found herself selected for a management
programme that sought to “encourage more women
into senior roles”. That saw her assigned a mentor
from another UK-listed business – in this case former
Unilever boss Niall FitzGerald. “He was just fantastic,”
she says. “He restored my faith that you can have
FTSE 100 businesses that are run by decent people.”
In 2007, what had by then become Smiths Group
sold its aerospace unit to GE Aviation, giving Sutton
the chance to rise through a new business. But R-R
Rolls-Royce
was also recruiting, posing her a dilemma.

She recognised that to be “in the heart of a business,
you needed to be in the country where the decisions
were made”. To achieve that with GE would have
meant a move to Cincinnati in the USA. “I had personal
reasons at the time to stay in the UK but also I wanted “If I look at the top tables
to help UK engineering and the UK aerospace industry
continue on its successful path. And that’s what Rolls- around the industry
Royce offered: to be part of UK Plc.”
Having settled on a move to the Derby firm, Sutton there are still not enough
was initially responsible for looking after European
airline customers, then those in the Americas, before women in positions to be
moving to Toulouse for three years to manage R-R’s
relationship with Airbus. driving change”
But given her non-engineering background and an
entirely transferable skillset, what has kept her in the
aerospace industry for so long? “It may have been my
brother that made the Airfix planes when we were Although Sutton sees “pockets” of progress on
kids, but this industry gradually just grabs you. addressing the gender imbalance, it is, she says,
“There’s a massive thrill every time you are at an “frustrating that we are still talking about [the issue]
air show and you watch whatever the latest technol- in 2023”.
ogy is on show. Even at an airport I’ve turned into an Change will be a top-down process, she argues,
unrepentant plane spotter,” she admits. when business leaders treat diversity as something
After 13 years at the engine maker – and faced other than a “specialist subject that just the women
with the profound challenges posed by the Covid-19 talk about”.
pandemic – Sutton decided she needed to take a step “I think there is still room for improvement if I’m
back. “I wanted to spend my time encouraging others, honest. Because if I look at the top tables around the
to give back to the industry, and I couldn’t do that in industry there are still not enough women in positions
an all-consuming, 24/7 role,” she says. to be driving change.” ◗
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