FlightGlobal.

com January 2024

Seoul
signs up for
C-390s

Rolls-Royce chief sets

new heading p16

How sustainable fuel will

empower aviation p44

Aloha, Alaska
Why Seattle carrier is buying Hawaiian p18
£5.99

Great guns Green dream

H145M soars Dutch start-up
as Germany Maeve reveals
spends big M80 ambitions
p22 p34

A huge task
Emirates Airline
Support for the widespread adoption of ‘drop-in’ sustainable
aviation fuel is gaining momentum, as milestone flights take
off. Now governments and oil companies must get on board
T
he good news for the
aviation industry is that
by this time next year,
the number of “first 100%
SAF-powered flight” headlines
is likely to have soared, as more
carriers back the potential of
sustainable aviation fuel.
As 2023 drew to its conclu-
sion, momentum was building
behind a drop-in replacement for
the traditional fossil fuel which
currently enables air travel on an
almost exclusive basis.
Virgin Atlantic claimed a world-
first 100% SAF-powered transatlan-
tic flight, completing a non-revenue
journey between London Heathrow
and New York JFK with a Boeing
787-9. Days earlier, Emirates Air-
line had for the first time flown an
Airbus A380 with SAF fully power-
ing one of its four engines.
But away from such head-
line-grabbing milestones, the indus-
try’s SAF transition also received
significant backing in Dubai. Days
before the COP28 climate summit
opened, ICAO’s Conference on Avi-
ation and Alternative Fuels reached
an agreement which delivers the
strongest backing yet for the jour-
ney towards net-zero.
Fuel of hope
“The role of the framework is
to facilitate the scale-up of the
development and deployment of
SAF, LCAF [low carbon aviation
fuels] and other aviation cleaner
energies on a global basis,” ICAO
says. Its aspiration is to also cut
aviation’s CO2 emissions by 5%
by 2030, accelerating previous
reduction targets.
The aviation industry has wel-
comed the proposal. “SAF is the
only thing that is going to enable
us to reduce our emissions this
decade,” notes Jonathon Counsell,
group head of sustainability, Inter-
national Airlines Group. “In addi-
tion, it is the only viable solution for
long-haul flying, which represents
about 70% of aviation emissions.”
But while the framework agree-
ment and a broad pledge at
COP28 for nations to plan for a
fossil fuel-free future are welcome
signs of progress, the sector is by
no means sure of achieving the
environmental all-clear over the
next few decades.
Where the announcements fall
short so far is in ensuring the insti-
tutional backing needed for SAF
production to take off at the rate
required to hit net-zero goals by
Comment
2050. International and nation-
al action is needed to provide the
support and legislation which will
be vital if investors are to turn the
financial tap so that the $1 bil-
lion-plus plants needed to produce
such fuels can be built.
As the year neared its end, there
were strong signs of status quo in
the airline sector, with a late flurry
of orders for current-generation
narrowbody offerings from Airbus
and Boeing.
With huge backlogs for their
A320neo- and 737 Max-family
single-aisles ensuring production
continuity for the years ahead, the
market’s leading airframers may
be understandably reluctant to
sink funds into advancing futur-
istic products such as hydrogen-
powered airliners.
As in day-to-day life, where con-
sumers want to fill up their cars
without even noticing the switch
to a new fuel standard, the man-
ufacturers and carriers tasked
with meeting huge and grow-
ing demand for air travel likewise
will increasingly get behind the
availability of a more sustainable
drop-in replacement. Z
See p44
January 2024 Flight International 3
 In focus
Big two enjoy year-end boost 6 USCG lays out Jayhawk plan 24 Airbus advances helicopter
autonomy with Vertex tests 32
Wisk gets set for production 10 Seoul buys C-390 transports 27
Aura Aero set for next steps 36
First converted E190F breaks FAA acts to bolster 737NG
cover for Embraer 14 nacelles 28 Rotor Technologies spins up
autonomous R44 plan 40
Germany funds Eurofighter’s Anduril targets airborne threats
SEAD shift 20 with anti-drone Roadrunner 30 EDGE fund 42

56

Fighting fit
F-16 hits 50

10
FlightGlobal.com January 2024

Seoul
signs up for
C-390s

Rolls-Royce chief sets

new heading p16

How sustainable fuel will

empower aviation p44

Aloha, Alaska
AirTeamImages

Why Seattle carrier is buying Hawaiian p18

£5.99

Great guns Green dream

H145M soars Dutch start-up
as Germany Maeve reveals
spends big M80 ambitions
p22 p34

Regulars Comment 3 Straight & Level 62 Women in aviation 66

4 Flight International January 2024


In depth
SAF signals 44
A critical ICAO alternative fuels
meeting held in Dubai delivered
the strongest message yet
about sustainable aviation
fuel’s key role in enabling
decarbonisation
30
Upping output 50
SAF production will be boosted
in the Asia-Pacific region
Quiet victory 52
The Netherlands has dropped
plans to cut capacity at Schiphol
24
28
Contents
Green shoots 54
Air forces are engaging with a
new threat – climate change
Prize fighter 56
Fifty years after its first flight,
the F-16 is still punching hard
January 2024 Flight International 5
 Visit FlightGlobal Premium for all the latest aviation news and insight FlightGlobal.com
40 A220-300s will be deployed at
new Lufthansa City Airlines unit
Big two enjoy year-end boost
Late orders and deliveries surge at Airbus and Boeing nudge
rivals closer to achieving their annual commercial targets, as
US airframer looks to restore strength in 2024
Airbus
Jon Hemmerdinger Tampa
Graham Dunn & David Kaminski-Morrow
London
A
irbus and Boeing were en-
joying a late orders rush as
2023’s end drew near, with
firm and tentative commit-
ments for hundreds of additional
aircraft edging them towards their
stated sales targets for the year.
Major deals announced in De-
cember before Flight International
went to press involved commit-
ments from Lufthansa, Turkish Air-
lines and lessor Avolon totalling up
to a combined 560 aircraft.
Lufthansa Group placed a firm
order for 40 Boeing 737 Max 8s
and took options on 60 more as
part of a wider deal that will also
see it add more Airbus A220 and
A320neo-family jets.
The Boeing order is notable both
as it marks the group’s first buy of
the 737 Max, but also its first nar-
rowbody deal signed with the US
airframer for almost 30 years.
Detlef Kayser, Lufthansa Group
executive board member with
6 Flight International January 2024
responsibility for fleet and technol-
ogy, explains: “The decision for the
[737 Max 8] will also give us more
flexibility for the procurement of
short- and medium-haul aircraft in
the future.”
Lufthansa Group operators’
narrowbody fleets currently com-
prise A220 and A320-family jets,
while Lufthansa itself phased out
the last of its 737s in 2016.
220
Turkish Airlines’ firm commitment with
Airbus, covering A321neo and A350
fleet growth, plus further options
Delivery of the first CFM Inter-
national Leap-1B-powered Max 8,
which will seat 190 passengers in
a two-class configuration, is set for
the first quarter of 2027.
“As the planned growth path for
both Lufthansa Airlines, including
Lufthansa City Airlines and Swiss,
is already underpinned by aircraft
orders, the 737 Max aircraft will be
deployed in one of the Lufthansa
Group’s other flight operations. The
decision on this will be made at a
later date,” the carrier says.
Its newly announced firm orders
with Airbus include 40 A220-300s,
which will be deployed at its new
Lufthansa City Airlines unit. The
carrier is set to begin flights in the
summer of 2024 from its Frankfurt
and Munich hubs using A319s.
Lufthansa had said in October
2023 that it was evaluating A220s
together with Embraer E-Jets for
the carrier’s long-term fleet.
Lufthansa City Airlines will
take delivery of its first A220s in
2026, with the Pratt & Whitney
PW1500G-powered type config-
ured with 148 seats.
Lufthansa Group also has taken
purchase rights on 20 more A220s,
plus another 40 A320neo-family
jets. The group already has around
450 A320s in service across its air-
lines, plus 71 previously on order.
The aircraft across the group’s
total 200-strong commitment
cover deliveries between 2026
and 2032.

“We are accelerating the largest
fleet modernisation in our compa-
ny’s history,” says Kayser. “This in-
creases our order list to 280 aircraft,
plus an additional 120 purchasing
options for further state-of-the-art
short- and medium-haul aircraft.”
Turkish Airlines, meanwhile, has
ordered another 220 aircraft from
Airbus. Its single-aisle fleet will be
expanded with up to 250 A321neos,
of which 150 are firm, and it will
take 50 A350-900s and 15 A350-
1000s, plus five A350 freighters.
The carrier says it will also have
purchase rights for another 20
A350-900s and five A350Fs. It
had already agreed to order four
A350-900s in July 2023 and an-
other 10 in September.
“This landmark order is more
than an expansion,” says Turkish
Airlines chair Ahmet Bolat. “It is a
testament to our dedication to in-
novation, operational excellence,
and a sustainable future.”
Bolat says the order is a “crucial
milestone” for Turkey’s aviation in-
dustry, and that the investment in
efficient aircraft will contribute to
the carrier’s environmental aims.
“Our orderbook reflects the
strength of Avolon’s balance sheet
and the longstanding relationships
we have with Airbus and Boeing”
Andy Cronin Chief executive, Avolon
Airbus says the latest agreement
takes Turkish Airlines’ overall or-
ders for its aircraft to just over 500,
of which 212 have been delivered.
Additionally, Irish-based lessor
Avolon is expanding its single-aisle
portfolio with an order for 140
aircraft, including 100 A321neos
and 40 Max 8s.
Delivery stream
The company says the agree-
ment will take its delivery stream
out to 2032. It also brings to 200
the number of aircraft from the
two major airframers for which it
signed in 2023: earlier announce-
ments were for 20 A330neos and
40 Max 8s.
Airframers Orders & deliveries
Lessor Avolon ordered 140 aircraft,
including another 40 737 Max 8s
Boeing
It states that the new order will
take its owned, managed and com-
mitted fleet to 1,037 aircraft.
Chief executive Andy Cronin says
the orders – which are still formal-
ly subject to shareholder approval
from controlling parent Bohai Leas-
ing – will “strengthen our delivery
pipeline”, and illustrates the lessor’s
“confidence” in the long-term out-
look for the aviation sector.
“The scale of our orderbook re-
flects the strength of Avolon’s bal-
ance sheet, our proven ability to
execute swiftly, and the longstand-
ing relationships we have with both
Airbus and Boeing,” says Cronin.
Airbus chief commercial officer
Christian Scherer says the new
January 2024 Flight International 7
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commitment “points to Avolon’s
vision to secure slots longer term
for its strong airline customer
portfolio with the right aircraft for
the future”.
Boeing senior vice-president of
commercial sales and marketing
Brad McMullen says the repeat Max
order confirms Avolon as a ”signif-
icant and much-valued customer
for the 737 programme”.
Also announced were deals with
Azul, for four A330-900s, and Ca-
thay Pacific, which will take six
A350Fs. EasyJet’s board also on
19 December signed off a previ-
ously announced order for 157
A320neo-family single-aisles.
“The firm order comprises 56
A320neo and 101 A321neo aircraft
and also includes the upsizing of an
existing order for 35 A320neo into
the larger A321neo,” Airbus says.
As of 30 November, Airbus
had secured net orders for 1,395
commercial aircraft in 2023.
The total is dominated by nar-
rowbody commitments for 1,136
A320neo-family jets and 76 A220s,
along with 36 A330neos and 147
A350s, including four A350Fs.
“We are developing a long-term
solution that will go through testing
and certification prior to being
introduced to the 737 Max fleet”
Boeing
Boeing
8 Flight International January 2024
Its delivery figures for the first 11
months of the year totalled 623 air-
craft, shipped to some 82 customers.
This includes 490 A320neo-family
and 57 A220 narrowbodies, plus 26
A330neo and 50 A350 twin-aisles.
The airframer reported a net
order intake of 113 aircraft dur-
ing November: 96 narrowbodies,
and 17 twin-aisles. Its largest com-
1,084
Combined delivery total from first 11
months of 2023, with Airbus having
shipped 623 jets and Boeing 461
mitments were for 60 A320neos
from SMBC Aviation Capital, a fol-
low-on order from Air Baltic for 30
more A220-300s, and an Emirates
Airline deal for 15 A350-900s – all
announced at the Dubai air show.
Deliveries during the same month
totalled 64 aircraft, spread across
the A320neo-family (48), A220
(7), A350 (6) and A330neo (3).
Boeing, meanwhile, had by 30
November secured net orders for
945 commercial aircraft in 2023,
compared with 571 in the same
period in 2022.
Its major business concluded
during November was Emirates’
Dubai air show order for 90 777Xs:
55 -9s and 35 -8s. It also landed
orders for nine 737 Max – four from
lessor BOC Aviation and five from
unidentified customers.
2023 deliveries completed to the
end of November totalled 461 jets,
with this total dominated by 343
shipped 62 787s, 25 767s – includ-
d
737 Max-family aircraft. It also had
d-
e
s,
3
ing 10 US Air Force KC-46A tank- k-
ers, 22 777Fs, 8 737NGs – as mili- i-
tary P-8As – and a final 747-8F.
Totalling 56, the company’s ’s
November shipments included d
a significant increase in 737 Max x
airframes – to 46, marking an im- m-
provement for a programme that at
has suffered most recently from m
Boeing
a delivery decline due a bulk- k-
head-related quality problem. m.
Leading recipients included Unit- t-
ed Airlines (8), Southwest Airlines
es
(7) and Ryanair (5).
Narrowbody family has issue involving
engine anti-ice system overheating

Also transferred were six 787s,
two 777Fs, one 767F and a single
KC-46A.
Boeing delivered 351 737s –
including 343 Max and eight NGs
for the international P-8A pro-
gramme – in 2023 through the first
11 months. It had originally target-
ed the delivery of 400-450 Max
jets during the year, but in October
reduced this to 400 because
of the bulkhea
bulkhead issue.
The airfra
airframer has
been inspe
inspecting and
fixing hu hundreds of
undelivere
undelivered aircraft
to addres
address the prob-
lem, whiwhich is cen-
tred on mis-drilled
holes
h
ho les in bulkheads
supplied by Spirit
A
Ae roS
AeroSystems.
Separately,
B
Boeing
mid-De-
c e m b e r
a
announced
a signifi-
cant ex-
Stephanie Pope is ecutive
Boeing’s new COO reshuffle,
Max 7 exemption request to aid certification push
Jon Hemmerdinger Tampa
Boeing has asked the US Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA) to
exempt its long-delayed 737 Max
7 from several certification rules
due to an issue involving engine
anti-ice system overheating.
The airframer requested
temporary exemptions in
November as part of its effort to
achieve the type’s certification,
according to an FAA notice
published in early December.
“The request is a part of the
certification process. The FAA will
determine when all certification
requirements are met,” Boeing
tells FlightGlobal.
In August 2023, the FAA
issued an airworthiness
directive (AD) addressing the
overheating problem – which
could result in the engine’s inner
barrel overheating and failing,
potentially damaging the cowl –
for in-service Max 8 and 9 models.
The issue is not due to the design
of the type’s Leap-1B engine,
“Pope will oversee the company’s
three business units, driving supply
chain, quality, manufacturing and
engineering excellence”
Boeing
with Stephanie Pope to take the
newly-created post of chief oper-
ating officer (COO) from 1 January.
Pope – a career executive who
has spent 29 years with the com-
pany – will move from her role since
2022 as chief executive of Boeing
Global Services.
“As Boeing COO, Pope will
oversee the performance of the
company’s three business units,
in with responsibility for driving sup-
ply chain, quality, manufacturing
and engineering excellence across
the company,” the airframer says.
Chief executive David Cal-
houn describes 2024 as “a sig-
nificant transitional year” for
Boeing, during which it will seek to
CFM International partner GE
Aerospace stresses.
The problem can occur if the
engine anti-ice system is activated
in dry air for more than 5min
when operating in conditions
involving specific combinations
of altitude, air temperature and
thrust settings, the FAA says. Its
AD requires airlines to update
flight manuals to prohibit pilots
from using the engine anti-ice
system when not in known or
expected icing conditions.
Boeing is seeking “a partial
exemption from [certain rules] as
they relate to the engine nacelle
inlet structure and engine anti-
ice system” on the Max 7 through
May 2026.
“We made a request to certify
the 737-7 with the same inlet
design and engine anti-ice system
as the in-service 737 Max fleet,”
Boeing says.
“Under this request, operators
would continue measures that
were shared with them earlier
this year and mandated by the
FAA in August.”
Airframers Orders & deliveries
“restore our operational and finan-
cial strength”.
“Stephanie will help drive the
stability and predictability neces-
sary to ensure we deliver,” he adds.
Leadership potential
Pope’s appointment has prompted
speculation that she could become
a future leader for the company.
“A COO at this level is like a re-
fresher course toward the CEO
position,” suggests Michel Mer-
luzeau, aerospace analyst with AIR.
Chris Raymond will succeed
Pope at the helm of Boeing Global
Services, with Brian Moran to take
over his role as the airframer’s chief
sustainability officer. ◗
Specific rules from which
Boeing wants the Max 7 exempted
include those addressing extended
overwater operations and the
degree to which certain critical
systems and components are
unlikely to fail. It also seeks
temporary reprieve from a
requirement that manufacturers
account for conditions like
temperature and humidity when
ensuring material durability.
“We are developing a long-term
solution, subject to FAA approval,
that will go through testing
and certification prior to being
introduced to the entire 737 Max
fleet,” Boeing says.
Exemption requests are not
uncommon during certification
programmes. In 2023 the FAA
granted the Max 7 a separate
exemption related to lightning
and radiation protection rules.
Boeing now plans for its
smallest Max 7 – first flown in
March 2018 – and largest Max 10
variants to achieve certification in
2024, enabling deliveries of both
models to start.
January 2024 Flight International 9
 Visit FlightGlobal Premium for all the latest aviation news and insight FlightGlobal.com
Wisk gets ready for
production take-off
California-based eVTOL developer nears initial build work on
first batch of 10 Gen 6 airframes, as it advances project to
deliver fully autonomous air taxi from late this decade
Howard Hardee Mountain View
A
fter years of development,
several electric air taxi
companies have taken to
the skies with production
prototypes and plan to launch pas-
senger service by the end of 2025.
Brian Yutko, chief executive of
autonomous air taxi start-up Wisk
Aero, believes public awareness of
urban air mobility will likely build
through social channels, boosting
the sector’s vision of changing how
people move through cities.
“Everyone who takes a ride on
one of these things is going to post
a video on social media,” Yutko told
FlightGlobal during a 4 December
tour of Wisk’s sprawling complex in
Mountain View, California.
Generating hype comes with the
territory, as electric vertical take-off
and landing (eVTOL) start-ups seek
to attract attention, investors and
future customers. However, beyond
a few notable public appearances
in 2023 – including at the Paris air
show, EAA AirVenture event in Osh-
kosh and a demonstration in Long
Beach, California – Wisk has been
flying somewhat under the radar
relative to its peers, especially con-
sidering that its proposed all-elec-
tric aircraft is entirely autonomous.
“We know what we’re doing
is very novel, and we know that
it’s very difficult,” Yutko says.
“We know that we’re paving new
ground with regulations, some of
these things that are not in our
Wisk Aero
control. So, we’re going to put
10 Flight International January 2024
our very best foot forward and “Ultimately, if we can show that
then some, but we don’t shout our this is a useful transportation op-
dates from the rooftops.” tion, I think that’s the most impor-
Wisk plans to start flying tant piece,” says chief marketing
passengers in its autonomous air officer Becky Tanner.
taxi before the end of the dec- In one of the company’s Moun-
ade, presumably following in the tain View buildings, a sizeable
footsteps of US developers Archer space that looks like an advanced
Aviation, Beta Technologies and computer lab is devoted to assem-
Joby Aviation. The company has bling the electronic flight systems
yet to set target dates for certifi- that will be integrated into Wisk’s
cation and service entry or identi- air taxi – minus the airframe.
fy specific launch markets. “This whole room will literally be
an airplane,” Yutko says. “It won’t
Safety standpoint look like an airplane, but it will
Not setting a public deadline helps have all the computers, the [print-
relieve pressure on Wisk’s devel- ed circuit boards], the actuation –
opment team and encourages the everything that is on that airplane.
company to “do the right thing It will be talking to computers here
from the safety standpoint”, Yutko and in the cloud that will drive all
says. “We’re protecting our team to
operate in the right environment.
We’re also being totally truthful
and authentic with what we control
and what we don’t control.”
The company remains a potential
participant in an eVTOL showcase
during the 2028 Summer Olympics
in Los Angeles, as Yutko hinted at
the Paris air show in June. “Cer-
tainly, anybody in this industry will
tell you that the Olympics in ’28 is
interesting,” he says. “We’re in the
same camp if things stay on the
schedule that we’d like them to.”
Wisk, now wholly owned by
Boeing, has higher aims than mak-
ing a splashy market entrance,
however. Company executives say
they want to make people’s daily
commutes or trips to the airport
Wisk Aero
Yutko (right) is well aware of the
more manageable, and for its tech-
challenges of autonomous flight
nology to be broadly accessible.

the actuation and software so that
the airplane thinks that it’s flying.”
By the time Wisk flies its
sixth-generation aircraft for the
first time, the system will believe
that it is taking its 50,000th flight,
Yutko says.
In an adjoining room, the
company is developing a ground-
based monitoring system, in
which a human will supervise
multiple aircraft simultane-
ously, communicating with air
traffic control and sending basic
commands when necessary.
Wisk has a three-pronged certifi-
cation strategy, starting with type
and production certification. “That
is airplane-related stuff that every-
body is familiar with,” Yutko says.
“We know what we’re doing is
very novel, and we know that it’s
very difficult. We know that we’re
paving new ground”
Brian Yutko Chief executive, Wisk Aero
But the second layer is more
complicated, as autonomous
aircraft will need special operation-
al approval from the US Federal
Aviation Administration.
“You also need to get the
operational approvals to be able
to fly the airplane, and that’s
something the industry doesn’t
normally think about,” he says.
”If you’re Boeing and you make a
737, you do not need to apply to
operate the airplane because the
type certification already takes
into consideration what the air
transportation system is and how
those aircraft will operate.”
The third aspect of its certifica-
tion strategy is developing quali-
fications for the envisioned multi-
vehicle supervisors. “We still have a
person, it’s just that they sit on the
ground and they have a new role,
so those qualifications need to get
sorted out,” Yutko says.
In a significant milestone in
its quest for certification, the
company recently completed flight
trials in controlled airspace with a
drone in New Zealand, where Wisk
has a hub.
eVTOL Technology
Company plans to fly its sixth-generation
aircraft for the first time during 2024
“They operated beyond visual
line-of-sight, with no chase plane
or anything, on IFR flight plans, and
doing traffic avoidance amongst
other airplanes,” Yutko says. “It’s
exactly what we want to do with
Gen 6 – that’s an uncrewed air-
plane on an IFR flight plan, flying in
controlled airspace.”
Wisk is in the early stages of
assembling the production proto-
type of its new-generation aircraft,
and plans to fly the fully-autono-
mous vehicle later in 2024.
Model behaviour
A full-scale mock-up of the aircraft
currently sits in one of the compa-
ny’s industrial spaces in Mountain
View. The production-version Gen
6 will differ subtly from the mock-
up, Yutko says, with a sleeker fuse-
lage and redesigned interior.
Despite its 12 rotors – the front six
of which are tiltrotors – the aircraft
is modest in appearance, similar
in many regards to a conventional
fixed-wing aircraft.
Aware that a self-flying aircraft
could be intimidating to consum-
ers, Wisk has taken pains to make
January 2024 Flight International 11
Wisk Aero eVTOL Technology
its vehicle feel approachable. With
its bright-yellow, box-like body, the
Gen 6 is designed to evoke mini-
van levels of familiarity. Yellow was
selected not because it recalls taxi
cabs, but because it is a warm,
friendly colour, Tanner says.
“What people are familiar with
and expect is absolutely central to
everything that we’re doing here,”
she says. “If you have that safety
mentality, then what are the other
things that we want to make this
feel fun, safe and like a worthwhile
thing that’s adding value?”
With no flight controls on
board, the cabin’s design appears
simple and practical. A great deal
of thought has gone into small
details, including where hand-
holds are placed and how lighting
affects a rider’s experience.
Test feedback
Leading this people-guided
development process is director of
product design Uri Tzarnotsky, who
says the configuration of Wisk’s
aircraft has been built on feedback
from hundreds of test users.
Initially, the cabin was designed
for efficiency, with one door and
four seats: two rows facing each
other. After initial testing showed
passengers tend to behave awk-
wardly while sitting face-to-face,
however, it was changed to four
forward-facing seats. The aircraft
Wisk Aero
Gen 6 cabin has four forward-facing
seats, each with a wide-opening door
12 Flight International January 2024
also now has four doors that open
wide to allow greater accessibility.
“In all the testing, we’ve brought
in kids and their parents, elderly
people, people that have assisted
mobility devices,” Tzarnotsky says.
“Getting them to use the different
doors, grips, steps, ramps and find-
ing out what could be for everyone,
it became this very conventional
sedan that is just better for people
and usability.”
Lately, test feedback has been
concentrating on specifics, such as
where cup holders should go, which
Tzarnotsky takes as a sign of the
design’s maturity. He has overseen
aircraft configuration for the com-
pany for 13 years, helping to devel-
op some of Silicon Valley’s earliest
eVTOL concepts. He recalls an early
test flight before the company had
decided to pursue 100% autono-
mous technology, during which a pi-
loted aircraft hovered side-by-side
with a computer-controlled one.
“Basically, you could see the pilot
flying with a stick moving around
and bobbing,” he says. “And the
one that’s computer controlled
looks unreal; like it’s floating in
space. And we were like, ‘This is the
future, right?’ The computer can re-
act to turbulence so much faster.”
The company’s air taxi designs
have looked progressively more
like conventional aircraft with each
new generation, as Tzarnotsky says
Fifth-generation design was flown at
EAA AirVenture and Paris air show
that an electric aircraft lacking a
fixed wing would be capable of
“only very short hops”.
“When you look at some other
eVTOLs, the first thing laypeople
will notice is whether there is a wing
or not,” he says. “Well, if it’s not fly-
ing conventionally on a wing, it’s not
going to fly efficiently because it’s
always going to be on the rotor.
“People start with something
wild because they have a notion of
where the centre of gravity needs
to be, or what kind of control actu-
ation you need, but as most evolve
they gravitate to this,” he adds,
gesturing to the Gen 6 airframe.
Initial production
Wisk expects to build no more than
10 aircraft during its initial produc-
tion run. Then, it will look to scale
production at a planned manufac-
turing facility, the location of which
will be revealed shortly.
While Tzarnotsky is excited to see
the completed Gen 6 prototype, he
is most eager for the launch of the
company’s first passenger flights,
because that is when Wisk’s tech-
nology will start making a differ-
ence in people’s lives.
“I’m most proud of putting
people at the centre of this pro-
cess,” he says.
Meanwhile, Yutko says Wisk is “not
in either camp right now” regarding
opposing standards for electric air
taxi charging infrastructure.
The aircraft manufactured dur-
ing its upcoming pilot production
run will be compatible with the
combined charging system (CCS)
favoured by Archer and Beta, but
the company also has “designed
systems that are a lot like what
Joby has presented”.
“There are pros and cons to both
approaches,” Yutko says. “Joby has
a really interesting system because
it’s designed for the aviation use
case… and has integrated cooling
and data transfer in one plug.
“The CCS has the benefit of
having been the standard for 10
years for the automotive industry,”
he adds, “[but] it doesn’t have inte-
grated cooling or heat paths.” ◗
 Programme Freighters

Type has a maximum

payload of 10,700kg

First converted E190F breaks cover

Embraer

Brazilian airframer reveals lead P2F example of E-Jet, with

flight testing and domestic certification set for early 2024
Howard Hardee Sacramento designed and produced by the Separately, Embraer has again
Brazilian company. shifted the scope of its Energia
The airframer secured a deal with project, extending the size of the

E
mbraer is advancing its pas-
senger-to-freighter (P2F)
conversion programme on
schedule, with delivery of a
first modified E190 due in the sec-
ond quarter of 2024.
The company unveiled the livery
for the lead E190 Freighter at a 30
November ceremony for employees
at its Sao Jose dos Campos site, and
commenced ground testing.
“Recent achievements include
changes to the jet interior, remov-
ing the seats and liners, reinforcing
the floor and installing the rigid
cargo barrier,” Embraer says. “The
cargo loading system was also
installed and tried out with both
pallets and containers.”
Changes have also been made
to the aircraft’s exterior, including
installing a cargo door and frame
Lanzhou Aviation Industry Devel-
opment Group for 20 E-Jet P2F
conversions at the Paris air show
in June 2023. It also previously se-
cured an order for 10 units from
Irish lessor Nordic Aviation Capital,
with Kenyan cargo carrier Astral
Aviation to be the launch operator.
Embraer’s P2F programme
launched in 2022, covering E190
and E195 conversions, seeking to
capitalise on e-commerce-driven
demand and to extend the lives of
ageing passenger jets.
The E190F will have a maximum
payload of 10,700kg (23,600lb),
while the E195F will be capable of
transporting 12,300kg.
The company had previously stat-
ed it expects to hand its first freight-
er over for certification with Brazil-
ian authorities by the end of 2023.
conceptual aircraft to 50 seats.
“We are looking at bigger capac-
ity,” says Rodrigo Silva e Souza,
vice-president of sales and mar-
keting at Embraer Commercial Avi-
ation. Feedback from airlines was
that they wanted “bigger aircraft”,
he says, “but we also see the tech-
nology being able to support that”.
At the Dubai air show in Novem-
ber, Arjan Meijer, chief executive of
Embraer Commercial Aviation, said
it needs to analyse “if there is a busi-
ness case for airlines” and “what is
feasible” before any product launch.
Embraer sees the potential for a
hybrid-electric Energia to arrive in
the 2030 timeframe, followed by a
fuel cell-powered version in 2035. ◗
Additional reporting by
Dominic Perry in Dubai

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14 Flight International January 2024


More A-10s faced with retirement
Congress backs move to trim fleet of close air support type,
while government auditor takes aim at Sky Warden acquisition
Ryan Finnerty Tampa
U
S lawmakers reached a
year-end agreement that
will shape Washington’s
defence spending in 2024,
including a further reduction to
the US Air Force’s (USAF’s) front-
line fleet of Fairchild Republic A-10
ground-attack aircraft.
Both chambers of Congress
passed the annual National De-
fense Authorization Act (NDAA) on
13-14 December, pending signature
into law by US President Joe Biden.
Among provisions in the NDAA
is one authorising the USAF to re-
tire 18 A-10s, reducing the minimum
number required in its active duty
fleet by 12%, to 135 combat-coded
examples. The close air support
asset additionally is used by Air
National Guard and Reserve units.
A first such approval in the 2023
NDAA cleared the service to reduce
its fleet of the type by 21 aircraft, to
153. The USAF placed a first A-10C
into long-term storage that year,
with the 43 year-old jet having
logged over 14,100 flight hours.
Senior USAF leaders had sought
for years to begin downsizing
the A-10 fleet to free up funds for
more-capable modern assets, par-
ticularly Lockheed Martin’s F-35.
While production of the A-10 end-
ed in 1984, Boeing-supplied replace-
ment wing sets installed across the
US Air Force
fleet are intended to ensure opera-
tions can continue into the 2030s.
Tests by the USAF in 2022 de-
termined that the aircraft’s General
Dynamics GAU-8A Avenger 30mm
cannon is still effective against the
armour of modern main battle tanks,
after decades of use. And in April
2023, flight-testing was performed
with an A-10 carrying 16 Boeing
GBU-39 Small Diameter Bombs: a
precision glide weapon capable of
striking targets at a range of up to
40nm (74km).
Under fire
Separately, the US Government Ac-
countability Office (GAO) has called
on the Pentagon to slow the acqui-
sition of L3Harris-Air Tractor AT-
802U Sky Warden close air support
aircraft on order for the US Special
Operations Command (SOCOM).
In a report published on 14 De-
cember, the auditor claims the US
Department of Defense (DoD) failed
to properly assess SOCOM’s opera-
tional needs before committing to a
75-aircraft Armed Overwatch buy.
“This analysis wasn’t complet-
ed before DoD decided to buy
the planes,” the GAO says. “DoD’s
special operations mission require-
ments have also changed in recent
years, and it hasn’t evaluated if it
still needs all 75.”
SOCOM has already ordered 16
AT-802Us, the GAO says, with a
commitment for another 12 due by
Defence Funding
April 2024 via a recently-approved
$266 million budget allocation.
The command plans to reach full
operational capability with its Sky
Warden fleet by 2029, under a pro-
gramme valued at up to $3 billion.
Its Armed Overwatch contest
sought an aircraft that could expand
beyond the aerial reconnaissance
role of its Pilatus PC-12 (U-28A Dra-
co) fleet to also deliver low-altitude
close air support, and also replace
L3Harris-supplied Beechcraft King
Air 350ER (MC-12) twin-turboprops.
“Studies in 2021 and 2022 did not
justify SOCOM’s planned fleet size
of 75 aircraft,” the GAO says.
It alleges that SOCOM had al-
ready decided on the number be-
fore conducting analysis required
under government procurement
rules. Specifically, it says SOCOM
officials did not study how capa-
bility improvements in the final de-
sign would impact the number of
operational airframes needed.
The auditor also notes that more
recent changes to the DoD’s oper-
ational environment, including the
2021 withdrawal from combat op-
erations in Afghanistan, were not
factored into the fleet decision.
It has called on defense secre-
tary Lloyd Austin to limit orders
from 2025 to the “minimum rate
needed to maintain the aircraft
production line”, until SOCOM can
complete a proper analysis of its
current fleet requirements. ◗
USAF is set to remove 18 examples,
reducing its frontline total to 135
January 2024 Flight International 15
 Visit FlightGlobal Premium for all the latest aviation news and insight FlightGlobal.com
Erginbilgic Rolls out new strategy
Chief executive outlines plans for improved mid-term financial
performance but signals intention to divest electrical business
Dominic Perry London
L
aying out his vision for Rolls-
Royce on 28 November, chief
executive Tufan Erginbilgic
described the propulsion
specialist as being at a “pivotal
point in its history”.
It is, he says, “a great company, a
company with so much potential”
and one that “has the expertise, the
drive and, crucially, the team that
can deliver”.
Under the new strategic plan,
R-R, he says, “can become a
high-performing, competitive and
resilient business that will have the
financial strength to control and
shape its own destiny”.
Erginbilgic, who took over as
chief executive in January 2023,
had already begun reshaping
the business, launching in Feb-
ruary a strategic review and
transformation programme,
followed in October by a
wide-reaching round of re-
dundancies that will see up
to 2,500 posts axed.
The results of that stra-
tegic review will see R-R
remain in its three core
sectors – civil aerospace,
defence, and power systems –
but with a significant upturn in
financial performance.
By 2027, Erginbilgic says, the
company will be generating an
annual operating profit of £2.5-
2.8 billion ($3.1-3.5 billion) with an
operating margin of 13-15%. The
change will be particularly marked
in civil aerospace where operating
margin is targeted to rise from 2.5%
in 2022 to 15-17% by 2027.
Efficiency drive
While much of the uplift will
be driven by how the business
operates in the future – for in-
stance, through “efficiency and
simplification” – there will also be
changes to the overall portfolio
with a series of divestments
Rolls-Royce
planned over the next five years
that are expected to generate £1-
1.5 billion in gross proceeds.
16 Flight International January 2024
“We are also clear where we will
not invest and [will] re-allocate cap-
ital to parts of the business where
we can generate more value,” Ergin-
bilgic says, noting that R-R is seek-
ing to “divest non-core businesses
that are not a strategic fit for us”.
To date, the biggest poten-
tial casualty from this portfo-
lio rationalisation is Rolls-Royce
Electrical, where the company is
now “looking at options”.
These include either a full sale
or “for the right value”, reducing
its stake to a minority position
with the intention of exiting the
business in the mid-term.
Technologies matured on the UltraFan will be
used to enhance current engine portfolio
Erginbilgic says that, given the
expertise the unit has accumulat-
ed in advanced air mobility pow-
er systems, it “will represent good
value to a third party”.
Electrical engineering activities
will be retained across R-R’s civil,
defence and power systems busi-
nesses, however.
If completed, the divestment will
mark a sharp change in direction for
the company, which had previous-
ly championed electrical power as
core future aerospace technology.
Rolls-Royce Electrical was
created as a standalone business
unit in 2022 and had been built
up following the 2019 acquisition
of Siemens’ eAircraft unit as the
company sought to gain a foot-
hold in a new segment.
In development
Products under development
include turbogenerators and
electric propulsion units, with
Rolls-Royce Electrical also
Rolls-Royce
contracted to supply the power-
train for Vertical Aerospace’s VX4
urban air mobility vehicle.
But for civil aerospace the imme-
diate focus remains the supply of
engines for widebody commercial
aircraft and large cabin business
jets to “leverage the value from our
Trent and Pearl engine families”.
In particular, R-R sees an ability
to capitalise on the exclusive
position of its Trent XWB
and 7000 engines on the
Airbus A350 and A330neo
programmes.
Detailing the plan for the
division, commercial aero-
space president Rob Watson
says the margin improve-
ment will rest on six pillars:
keeping older engines earning;
commercial and contractual
optimisation; growth in the in-
stalled engine base and aftermar-
ket provision; extended time on
wing; reduced shop visit costs; and
product cost reduction.
For example, R-R aims to increase
the time on wing for its existing en-
gine portfolio by an average of 40%.
Initiatives include improvements
to component design, such as a
new high-pressure turbine (HPT)
blade which is already being rolled
out for the Trent 7000. The same
HPT blade will be available for the
Boeing 787-powering Trent 1000-
TEN in 2024 when it has been
certificated by the US regulator.
Extensions to the lifespan of
life-limited parts, based on in-
service sampling and digital mod-
elling, also promise an 8% time on
wing improvement for the Trent
1000 and 7000.

In the future, technologies ma-
tured on the UltraFan and other
demonstrator engines will also be
used to enhance the current engine
portfolio, Erginbilgic says.
“We can retrofit some of the
technologies into today’s engines…
to increase time on wing and
fuel-burn efficiency.”
Narrowbody return
The geared-fan architecture and
ultra-high bypass ratio of the Ultra-
Fan will also form the core of future
engine developments, he says.
That could include a return to
the narrowbody market with an
UltraFan-derived powerplant.
R-R says the UltraFan’s architec-
ture is suitable for narrowbody or
widebody applications needing
thrust in the 25,000-110,000lb (111-
489kN) range.
The UK propulsion specialist has
been absent from the single-aisle
segment since it sold its interest
in the International Aero Engines
V2500 programme to Pratt &
Whitney in 2012.
“We are clear where we will not
invest and [will] re-allocate capital
to parts of the business where we
can generate more value”
Tufan Erginbilgic Chief executive, Rolls-Royce
But R-R believes that the perfor-
mance gains possible through the
UltraFan architecture and advanced
systems will allow it to take on the
current narrowbody engine duopo-
ly of CFM International and P&W.
Citing the high barriers to en-
try, Erginbilgic says R-R is “proba-
bly the only one that can go in” to
challenge the incumbent pair.
“It is an opportunity, there are
only a few companies in the world
who can actually do that,” he says.
“And with a partnership approach I
believe it can be a profitable place.”
That partnership will be key to
“derisk a little bit” the investment
required, Erginbilgic says, adding:
“A partnership needs to work – if
it doesn’t we can consider alterna-
tives because we are actually bring-
ing a [new] technology into this.”
However, he stresses that any
return to narrowbody engine sup-
ply must be profitable or R-R will
not pursue the opportunity.
“At the right time, with the right
partner, we will decide the next
steps,” he adds.
Propulsion Manufacturing
Erginbilgic has been reshaping the company
since taking up his post in January 2023
In defence, meanwhile, Erginbilgic
sees “opportunities for strong-
er performance and an increase in
customer-funded investment” in
transport and combat aircraft.
Its AE 2100 turboprop is the
exclusive powerplant for Lockheed
Martin’s ubiquitous C-130J Hercu-
les transport and R-R is also part of
the Europrop International consor-
tium that builds the TP400 for the
Airbus Defence & Space A400M.
Growth plans
Future transport sector growth will
be driven by the ramp-up of the Bell
V-280 tiltrotor, which was in 2022
selected by the US Army for its
Future Long Range Assault Aircraft
(FLRAA) programme – the long-
term replacement for the Sikorsky
UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.
R-R is supplying its AE 1107
engine for the V-280 and says it
aims to “grow market share by
leveraging the FLRAA position
for additional transport and patrol
[aircraft] opportunities”.
In the combat sector, R-R is a
partner in Eurojet International –
which produces the EJ200 for the
Eurofighter – and is leading pro-
pulsion activities for the Global
Combat Air Programme for the
UK, Italy and Japan.
In that space, R-R intends to
“grow in existing and new markets
by developing next-gen technol-
ogies and pursuing autonomous
platform opportunities”. ◗
January 2024 Flight International 17
 Visit FlightGlobal Premium for all the
e latest
ate aviation
o news
e and insight
g FlightGlobal.com
g Go co

Alaska will pay $18 per share of

Hawaiian’s stock – $1 billion in total

Slaked Alaska
Markus Mainka/Shutterstock

Seattle carrier scratches merger itch with planned $1.9 billion

acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines, but regulatory hurdles remain

Pilar Wolfsteller Las Vegas also take on $900 million of the transportation challenges. Many
Honolulu-based carrier’s debt. The isolated communities in Alaska
acquisition is expected to close in are unreachable by ground, and

A
laska Airlines chief exec-
utive Ben Minicucci says
that the planned acquisi-
tion of Hawaiian Airlines,
announced on 3 December, will
benefit not only the companies
but also their employees and cus-
tomers, describing it as the right
opportunity for the Seattle-based
carrier at the right time.
“We liked what we saw,” Minicuc-
ci says. “[Hawaii] is a top 25 market
in the country – it’s an $8 billion
market in which we will be the clear
market leader with $4 billion of
revenue, and [Honolulu] becomes
our second hub.”
“Strategically it’s a step change
for us, to accelerate our financial
performance and the growth of our
network,” he adds.
Under the proposed deal, Alaska
will pay $18 per share of Hawaiian’s
stock – or $1 billion in total – and
12-18 months.
He calls the $1.9 billion price-tag
“fair”, adding: “It’s an attractive
opportunity that you just can’t let
go, so that’s why we acted on it.”
Combined strength
The combined company – if and
when it gains approval from
Hawaiian’s shareholders and US
competition regulators – will be led
by Minicucci and headquartered
in Seattle. Minicucci has pledged
to keep the Hawaiian brand. But
“behind the curtain” the airlines will
operate as one entity.
Bringing together the opera-
tions will cost $400-500 million in
one-off fees, but the carriers insist
there are strong strategic reasons
for doing so.
Alaska and Hawaiian were born
in the 49th and 50th US states,
respectively, both of which have
the Hawaiian archipelago, located
2,500nm (4,000km) southwest of
the US mainland, is surrounded by
the vast Pacific Ocean.
“The two airlines really under-
stand the importance of air trans-
portation to remote communities
in a way that it is harder to gain
that perspective in the mainland
United States, where you have the
interstate [highway] system that
connects so many places,” Hawaiian
chief executive Peter Ingram says.
“It’s very different here, where
there’s no ground transportation
from Honolulu to Maui or Kona or
Hilo,” he adds.
“We haven’t spoken to the govern-
ment yet on this, but I think our deal
is unique in a lot of ways,” Minicucci
says. The networks are complemen-
tary, he adds: together the two air-
lines have 1,400 flights per day, with
only 12 overlapping markets.

Download the 202 Commercial Engines Report

now with updated enhanced data and in-depth market analysis

FlightGlobal.com/commengines

18 Flight International January 2024


“From a competitive standpoint
that lands really, really well,” Ingram
says. “It’s a pro-consumer combi-
nation, its pro-competitive, makes
us larger, to compete against the
big four [airlines] that have an 80%
market share, so we are hopeful it
will be seen in a positive light.”
However, that is the same
argument JetBlue Airways is mak-
ing in its attempt to acquire Spirit
Airlines, a $3.8 billion deal that
was announced in 2022, but is
currently the subject of a federal
antitrust lawsuit.
The combination will allow
Hawaiian to join the Oneworld
alliance, of which Alaska is a
member. Together, the carriers will
serve 138 destinations, including 29
nonstop international services.
Changing times
While Alaska will maintain the
Hawaiian Airlines brand, everything
else about the company will
change, Minicucci says.
“This approach will be unique in
the industry – it’s a dual-brand strat-
egy, behind the curtain there will be
one operating certificate,” he says.
That also means the work groups
will be combined under a single
collective bargaining agreement.
The airlines’ managements have
informed unions at both compa-
nies, and the executives promise to
be “in listening mode” as employ-
ees and customers digest the news.
“With some of the folks we have
talked to there’s a strong under-
standing of the compelling nature
of the transaction, but I think peo-
ple are processing the information
Cover story
“The two airlines really understand
the importance of air transportation
to remote communities”
Peter Ingram Chief executive, Hawaiian Airlines
right now so it’s too soon to draw Combined, the company’s fleet
any conclusions about any of that,” would comprise roughly 300 air-
Ingram adds. craft, excluding those yet to arrive.
The two airlines, which togeth- Whether Alaska’s management
er transported more than 54 mil- team will choose for the combined
lion passengers in the first eight company to continue operating
months of 2023, see promise in both Airbus and Boeing narrow-
combining disparate networks and bodies remains an open question,
fleets, forecasting synergies of especially in view of the fact that the
around $235 million. carrier chose to divest A320-family
“The opportunities far outweigh aircraft acquired through its 2016
some of the complexities we have purchase of Virgin America. Alaska
to deal with,” Minicucci adds. only recently grounded the last of
But those complexities include the Airbus narrowbodies, returning
merging two very different fleets. to an all-737 fleet.
In addition to new Airbus
A321neos and ageing island-hop- Perfect partners
ping Boeing 717s, Hawaiian flies But despite the differences, Ingram
A330s to places as far away as believes there is probably no better
Tokyo, Sydney, Papeete, New York fit for Hawaiian than Alaska.
and Boston. It has also ordered 12 “We have thought about consoli-
787-9s, which it plans to deploy to dation over the years as we’ve seen
far-flung international destinations other consolidation in the industry,
and on popular routes to the US and about what companies might
mainland. Hawaiian’s first passen- make sense if we were ever to
ger 787 flight, to San Francisco, is consider combining Hawaiian with
scheduled for 15 April 2024. someone else,” Ingram says.
Alaska’s fleet, on the other hand, “And there has always been the
is focussed on short-haul and re- thought that Alaska would clearly
gional flights, and includes 220 be on a very, very, very short list,”
737s – both NGs and Max jets – he adds.
with another 89 737 Max on order. While Alaska executives say
It also operates 83 Embraer 175s they have been considering ac-
and has nine more on order. quiring Hawaiian since early 2023,
an approach was only made “late
in the summer”, Ingram says, with
Together, the carriers will much of the work completed dur-
serve 138 destinations ing the third quarter.
One of Ingram’s first tasks is to
calm home-town nerves about the
future of Hawaii’s domestic carrier.
But he is reassured by the pledges
made by Minicucci and his team.
“Alaska recognises that there’s a
tremendous amount of equity built
up in the brand and the culture of
the company, and that’s why they
have made it very clear that they do
intend to sustain the Hawaiian Air-
lines brand going forward and con-
Christian Thiel/Shutterstock
tinue to operate with a single oper-
ating platform and a dual brand.
“I think that’s an absolutely wise
decision.” ◗
Additional reporting by
Jon Hemmerdinger in Tampa
January 2024 Flight International 19
 Defence Upgrade
e
EK variant is set to be
operational from 2030
Eurofighter’s SEAD shift
Berlin approves contract covering extensive modification of
Airbus Defence & Space
15 in-service aircraft to become replacements for Tornado
ECR fleet in performing electronic combat tasks
Craig Hoyle London
T
he German air force’s
electronic warfare (EW)
transition has edged a step
closer, after Berlin’s budget
committee approved plans to
modify 15 Eurofighters for elec-
tronic combat duties.
Planned to be operational from
2030, the adapted Eurofighter EK
– for “elektronischer kampf” – will
replace the Luftwaffe’s current
30-strong fleet of Panavia Tornado
electronic combat and reconnais-
sance (ECR) jets.
Modifications to be made by Air-
bus Defence & Space to already
delivered aircraft will include in-
stalling a Saab-produced transmit-
ter location system on the fight-
er’s wingtips, and arming the type
with Northrop Grumman AGM-88E
AARGM anti-radiation missiles, for
use against air-defence radars.
Saab also will supply jamming
and countermeasures equipment
for the new variant, which Air-
bus’s defence unit says will provide
360° protection against radar- and
infrared-guided missile threats.
Germany in June 2023 selected
IN ASSOCIATION WITH
20 Flight International January 2024
Germany funds
the Swedish company’s Arexis
EW suite for integration with its
adapted Eurofighters.
Additional capabilities intro-
duced with the new configura-
tion will include “an AI [artificial
intelligence] solution that makes
it possible to analyse radar data
on-board and quickly determine
precise self-protection measures”,
Airbus says.
Radar upgrade
The EK model also will be equipped
with an ECRS Mk1 active elec-
tronically scanned array (AESA)
radar, to be supplied by Germany’s
Hensoldt for use across the nation’s
Eurofighter fleet.
“Electronic warfare and
reconnaissance are an important
NATO requirement: current con-
flicts and the present security
situation show how important the
two capabilities are,” says Airbus
Defence & Space chief executive
Michael Schoellhorn.
“[Eurofighter] EK will add this
important capability to the already
broad operational spectrum of the
Eurofighter, while strengthening
European sovereignty and autono-
my,” he adds.
Download the 2024
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FlightGlobal.com/waf
“The Eurofighter EK is to be
NATO-certified by 2030 and will
then replace the Tornado in the
SEAD [suppression of enemy air
defences] role,” says Airbus.
Cirium fleets data shows that the
Luftwaffe’s Tornado ECR airframes
are aged between 31 and 33 years.
Berlin has previously identified a
2030 date for the type’s retirement.
A contract for the EK programme
activity is due to be signed before
the end of 2023 between the Euro-
fighter GmbH industry consortium
and NATO Eurofighter and Tornado
Management Agency.
Airbus, meanwhile, is working with
the air force and the defence minis-
try’s BAAINBw procurement office
to establish a firm schedule for the
EK-version’s introduction to service.
The Luftwaffe has 133 Eurofight-
ers in current service, with another
38 to be introduced from 2030 via
a Project Quadriga acquisition.
Separately, the UK Royal Air Force
also intends to enable its Tranche 3
Eurofighter Typhoons to conduct
electronic attack duties. This will
involve the use of Leonardo UK’s
ECRS Mk2 AESA radar, with oper-
ational capability due to be fielded
by the end of this decade. ◗

Titanium spat dents F-35 deliveries
Fighter’s production under fresh pressure amid price war
between Lockheed and metallic parts supplier Howmet
Ryan Finnerty Tampa
L
ockheed Martin has launched
legal action against one of
its suppliers over a failure to
deliver titanium components
for the F-35 stealth fighter.
Federal court documents in-
dicate Lockheed filed a lawsuit
against Pittsburgh-based Howmet
Aerospace on 30 November 2023,
alleging a breach of contract by the
metallic parts manufacturer.
Howmet produces titanium
Lockheed Martin
sheets, plates, bars and ingots that
are used for aircraft manufactur-
ing. The airframer contracted it as
a supplier to the F-35 programme
under a 2018 agreement with RTI
Advanced Forming, which Howmet
subsequently acquired.
However, despite the deal, Lock-
heed says Howmet stopped making
titanium deliveries in November.
“Howmet communicated to Lock-
heed Martin… it would stop supply-
ing these materials at the prices
specified in the subcontract,” the
company alleges in its filing with the
US district court for northern Texas,
which includes the Fort Worth-area
plant where it assembles F-35s.
The issue, according to Lock-
heed, relates to the price the two
companies agreed on for the
provision of F-35 materials.
“[Howmet] instead demanded
that Lockheed Martin and [other]
subcontractors agree to a massive
price increase in order for Howmet
to continue to perform,” Lockheed
claims in its court filing.
Howmet disputes the allegations,
saying it takes contractual obliga-
tions seriously and “believes it has
complied with those obligations”.
The company argues that
Russia’s February 2022 invasion of
Ukraine, and subsequent economic
sanctions against the major suppli-
er of raw titanium, drove the price
of titanium sponge – a processed
form of titanium ore – to levels that
were untenable under the terms of
the 2018 contract.
“Howmet’s titanium sponge sup-
pliers drastically increased their
prices, contrary to their agree-
ments with Howmet,” it says.
Additionally, Howmet claims that
Lockheed and its other F-35 suppli-
ers sold their scrap titanium on the
open market, rather than provide
the recyclable material to Howmet,
as it says was contractually required.
Howmet says it continued to
purchase titanium sponge and
titanium scrap metal at market pric-
es to supply the F-35 programme,
while attempting to “reach a rea-
sonable resolution” to the impasse.
Pending litigation
Lockheed declines to address
Howmet’s remarks, saying it does
not comment on pending litigation
as a matter of practice.
However, the court filing indi-
cates that Howmet failed to make
its required deliveries of produc-
tion material in November.
“Howmet has stated unequivo-
cally that it will no longer perform
its obligations under the subcon-
tract, and will continue to breach
them,” Lockheed claims.
Complicating the situation is the
US Defense Production Act (DPA),
which covers industrial activity con-
sidered vital to national security.
The F-35 programme was des-
ignated a national security pri-
ority under the DPA in 2001 by
then-president George W Bush.
Manufacturing Dispute
Supply chain issue will impact
assembly at Fort Worth site
As a consequence, all contrac-
tors involved in the programme,
including Lockheed, must give
F-35-related contracts priority over
other business obligations.
Wilful violation of the DPA carries
a criminal penalty, with punishment
including the possibility of imprison-
ment, monetary fine or debarment
from further federal contracting.
It is unclear what impact the
supply interruption will have on
F-35 deliveries, which were already
under pressure.
Lockheed expects to end 2023
having delivered fewer than 100
F-35s during the year: well be-
low the programme’s annual pro-
duction capacity. The US Depart-
ment of Defense (DoD) and some
overseas customers have stopped
accepting their aircraft until Lock-
heed completes flight certification
of the type’s Technical Refresh-3
(TR-3) upgrade package.
Lockheed has continued to pro-
duce TR-3-configured F-35s at the
normal rate, and expects to be able
to deliver those aircraft in 2024.
However, it will not receive payment
until acceptance by the DoD and
other customers resumes.
Court documents show the F-35
programme represents Lockheed’s
largest programme by value, repre-
senting 27% of its total consolidat-
ed net sales in 2022. ◗
January 2024 Flight International 21
 Visit FlightGlobal Premium for all the latest aviation news and insight FlightGlobal.com
Germany’s Sea Tiger gets airborne
New NH90 variant enters testing, as naval customer readies
modernisation path from aged Sea Lynx fleet later this decade
Dominic Perry Donauworth
N
H Industries (NHI) is con-
fident that it can meet the
tight delivery schedules
laid down by its German
navy customer for the new NH90
Sea Tiger to allow the retirement
of its Westland Sea Lynx helicop-
ters in 2026 without creating a
capability gap.
Germany placed a 31-unit order
for the Sea Tiger – a new anti-
submarine and anti-surface warfare
(ASW/ASuW) variant of the naval
NH90 – in late 2020 and deliveries
are due to commence in late 2025,
running until 2030.
Speaking at an event in
Donauworth near Munich on 30
November marking the Sea Tiger’s
maiden sortie earlier that month,
Axel Aloccio, president of the
NHI consortium, insisted that the
programme is on track.
“The first delivery is two years
from now. We were on time for the
first flight and we will be on time
for the first delivery.”
Berlin orders up to 82 light-attack H145Ms
Germany is to acquire up to
82 Airbus Helicopters H145Ms,
following approval from its
parliament for the deal.
Representing by far the largest
commitment to date for the light-
twin – covering 62 firm orders
and 20 options – the rotorcraft
are being purchased through
the Bundeswehr’s light attack
helicopter (LKH) programme.
A total of 57 firm aircraft
are destined for army service,
while the air force will take
five examples to supplement
its existing fleet of H145Ms
employed for special forces-
support missions.
Berlin sees the H145M as a
“bridge solution” in the “light
attack” role, replacing the army’s
22 Flight International January 2024
Captain Broder Nielsen, com- federal procurement agency, says
mander of German naval aviation, the progress to date is the “re-
says the arrival of the Sea Tiger sult of a successful collaboration”
“will be a huge milestone” for the between all the parties involved.
service, “because we are operating “We will grow out techni-
with really ageing aircraft”. cal capabilities over the next 18
Due to the increase of Russian months. The Sea Tiger needs
submarine activity on the back to undergo a very challenging
of the war in Ukraine, the prompt flight-test programme – several
delivery of the Sea Tiger is vital to campaigns are planned following a
keep open “endangered sea lanes navy-specific programme.”
of communication”.
“We have to be able to find and Qualification period
track those submerged vessels, Aloccio foresees “lots of flights
that is why we are pushing enor- over the next 12-14 months to test
mously to get this weapons system the system” which will take place
– the earlier the better.” in both Germany and France; qual-
Nielsen says the navy’s ambition is ification of the helicopter will take
to “embark [the Sea Tiger] as soon around 10 months, he estimates.
as possible” following delivery – Airbus Helicopters, a partner
“at the earliest” 2027, a timeline he in the NHI consortium alongside
describes as “really sporty”. Leonardo Helicopters and GKN/
“There is an operational need for Fokker, is assembling the Sea Tiger
these aircraft and I have to push this in Donauworth.
forward as fast as I can. I am pretty To be equipped with a dipping
hard and putting a lot of pressure sonar and sonobouy dispenser,
on the crews, but I know that if we the Sea Tiger will also be capable
do not we will not succeed.” of carrying up to four EuroTorp
Axel Hoffmann, NH90 project MU90 torpedoes or MBDA MARTE
manager at Germany’s BAAINBw ER anti-ship missiles. It will also
fleet of heavier Airbus Helicopters
Tiger attack rotorcraft, its
BAAINBw federal procurement
office says.
Germany had initially expressed
interest in participating in a
Tiger MkIII upgrade programme
alongside France and Spain but
never formally joined the effort,
leaving a long-term question over
its attack helicopter fleet.
Although the baseline H145M
is not armed, it can be equipped
with Airbus Helicopters’ HForce
modular weapons system, which
enables the integration of guided
and unguided rockets and
Airbus Helicopters
missiles, plus targeting sensors.
All of Germany’s helicopters Buy is a ‘bridge solution’ to replace
will have fixed provisions to add heavier Tiger combat helicopter
HForce, and the customer has

feature the latest mission system,
new electro-optical sensors, and
an updated electronic support
measures suite.
Michael Kohlhaas, general
manager for NATO helicopter con-
tracting body NAHEMA, says oth-
er NH90 operators “view the Sea
Tiger as being a target configura-
tion” for potential future upgrades.
Germany already has experience
with a separate variant of the naval
NH90, having in 2023 taken deliv-
ery of its last of 18 Sea Lion heli-
copters, replacing its 50-year-old
Westland Sea Kings for search and
rescue and utility missions.
However, the introduction of
the Sea Lion was not plain sail-
ing. Despite a 2016 maiden sortie
followed by first delivery two years
later, full operational capability
status was only achieved in 2023,
and the last Sea King will not retire
until August 2024.
Nielsen insists lessons have been
learned and the switch to the new
type will be simpler, not least due
to the commonality between the
two NH90 variants.
ordered an undisclosed number
of systems to equip the LKH fleet.
Aircraft deliveries are
scheduled to begin in 2024, and
will run until 2028.
“We will ensure that the
Bundeswehr receives the
helicopters in accordance with
the very ambitious schedule,
which includes first deliveries
less than a year after contract
signature,” says Airbus
Helicopters chief executive
Bruno Even.
H145M programme head
Constance Pinsdorf had told
reporters in late November
that assembly of helicopters
for uncontracted customers
was already under way at
the airframer’s Donauworth
production site near Munich to
meet rapid delivery schedules.
“Nobody had flown in a Sea Lion
when it came in. Since then we
have built up vast experience; we
have a couple of very experienced
crews and that will make the tran-
sition to the Sea Tiger a lot easier.”
Crew training has yet to begin,
although an initial group of op-
erators has been embedded with
the Dutch navy, an existing NH90
operator, to gain experience of the
helicopter’s ASW capabilities.
Complicating factors
One complicating factor is the
need to continue embarked opera-
tions with the Sea Lynx right up un-
til its retirement in 2026 and then
“switch off pretty rapidly”.
“But that is a kind of trade off. We
will not accept a capability gap,”
says Nielsen.
Common complaints from NH90
operators relate to the helicopter’s
high maintenance burden and low-
er than promised availability rates,
issues NHI is belatedly addressing.
But Nielsen says the German
navy has not encountered prob-
lems with the serviceability of
“We are in ongoing tenders and
here and there in the finalisation
phase,” she said. “We have
already started production for
contracts not-yet signed, because
we want to make sure we can
deliver on time.”
Berlin will be the first customer
to receive H145Ms with an
enhanced mission management
system, which includes options
for future capabilities including
manned-unmanned teaming.
Developed in partnership with
IT specialist HAT Tec, this will
enable operations involving
multiple unmanned air vehicles or
air-launched effects.
Germany already operates
16 H145Ms in the special forces
support role, while eight examples
of the type’s civil variant are used
by the army for search and rescue.
Rotorcraft Programme
Airbus Helicopters
Navy placed a 31-unit order for
anti-submarine variant in 2020
its Sea Lion fleet, noting that any
availability challenges are due to a
shortage of crews.
“We are in a phase where we
cannot keep up with the transition
training of our crews – very often
we have more aircraft available
than our crews can fly.”
Another complication with the
Sea Tiger is that it is larger than
the Sea Lynx, and cannot be
accommodated on the navy’s F123
Brandenburg-class frigates.
Nieslen says unmanned assets
will instead be deployed from
these vessels. Germany in 2021
contracted ESG Elektroniksystem
for the supply of three Sea Falcon
systems – based on the UMS
Skeldar V-200 platform – to be op-
erated from its corvette fleet, “and
we will have to look at how that is
evolving”, he says.
However, in the longer term, the
navy will require a larger system
capable of carrying sonobouys and
torpedoes in support of the Sea
Tiger and incoming Boeing P-8A
Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft,
eight of which are on order. ◗
Covered by a framework
agreement between the federal
procurement office and Airbus
Helicopters, the new acquisition
also includes services and
support, eight simulators, training
and spare parts.
No value for the contract has
been disclosed, but multiple
sources have suggested that it
is worth in excess of €2.5 billion
($2.7 billion).
Meanwhile, the airframer
continues to expand the range
of weaponry available on the
H145M via its HForce system. It
is currently working with Thales
subsidiary FZ to add its six-round
FZ606 smart launcher by 2026,
and continuing integration and
qualification work on Rafael’s
Spike ER2 guided missile, with a
range of 8.6nm (15.9km).
January 2024 Flight International 23
 Fleet Helicopters
USCG lays out Jayhawk fleet plan
Service aims to boost MH-60T inventory from 48 to 127
examples, via measures including taking more second-hand
Seahawks and replacing airframe on its current assets
Jon Hemmerdinger Tampa
T
he US Coast Guard (USCG)
has received approval to
acquire another 20 former
US Navy (USN) SH-60
Seahawk helicopters, as it pre-
pares to move to operating an
all-Sikorsky rotorcraft fleet.
USCG director of acquisi-
tion programmes Rear Admiral
Michael Campbell in late Novem-
ber disclosed broad strokes of
the service’s future fleet plan, also
detailing efforts to extend the life of
its already operational MH-60Ts.
The USCG had previously said
that it intends to divest its 98 Airbus
Helicopters MH-65D/Es (AS365s) –
which are aged up to 43 years – and
operate only MH-60T Jayhawks.
The exact timing for its fleet transi-
tion has yet to be finalised.
In budget documents, the USCG
says it intends to decommission six
MH-65s in fiscal year 2024.
“Reducing the size of the Coast
Guard’s largest aircraft fleet eases
supply chain pressure and will
improve readiness of the service’s
existing MH-65s during the transi-
tion to a single MH-60T fleet,” the
documents say.
Currently in its inventory are 48
MH-60Ts, including three already
converted ex-USN examples. The
recent approval to add another 20
second-hand airframes represents
the initial phase of a 36-unit
MH-60T fleet expansion.
US Coast Guard
New airframe structure will enable
Sikorsky type to serve until 2040
24 Flight International January 2024
However, Campbell says the
USCG expects to eventually oper-
ate 127 of the Sikorsky type, also
including new-build airframes.
The USCG is, meanwhile, further
shoring up its current inventory,
on 30 November receiving the
first of a planned 45 replacement
MH-60T airframe structures from
Sikorsky. Including only the nose
section, cabin and aft section,
these will be used to refurbish
in-service assets, extending their
service life and enabling them to
be flown into the 2040s.
Refurbishment activity
Airframe deliveries are to run
through 2027 at a rate of 12 per
year, under a $374 million contract.
The refurbishment activity will
be performed at the Coast Guard
Aviation Logistics Center in Eliza-
beth City, North Carolina.
“To extend the service life of
these aircraft, the Coast Guard…
will remove all dynamic compo-
nents, the digital cockpit, mission
systems and engines, then rebuild
each aircraft around an all-new
airframe,” the USCG says. The
Jayhawk’s structure is subject
to corrosion due to operating in
marine environments, it notes.
The helicopters are rough-
ly 30 years old and have logged
an average of 16,000h of flight –
versus a 20,000h maximum service
life. Integrating the new airframes
will allow each aircraft to fly for at
least another 10,000h.
The USCG aims to have its first
refurbished MH-60T airborne in
June 2024. GE Aerospace is also
developing an updated version of
its T700 engine in support of the
activity, and the service is consid-
ering possible avionics updates.
“Avionics obsolescence is very
front-of-mind for the Coast Guard,”
Campbell says.
Additionally, some MH-60Ts will
be modified with folding rotor
heads and tails: features required
for them to be carried on USCG
vessels. The service had removed
this feature from the aircraft
because they were too large to
be carried on its previous ships,
but its new and in-development
cutters have sufficient room for
the larger helicopter.
“We have a team dedicated
to rebuilding folding heads and
[those] will be installed on the
[MH-60T] fleet going out in 2024,”
Campbell says.
The USCG’s aviation fleet also fea-
tures almost 60 fixed-wing assets,
including Airbus Defence & Space
CN235s, Gulfstream G550s, Leon-
ardo C-27Js and Lockheed Martin
C-130H/Js. ◗
 Rotorcraft Investigation
Osprey safety in the spotlight
Late-November crash involving special operations variant
tiltrotor leads to US services imposing grounding order
Ryan Finnerty Tampa
T
he US military grounded its
entire fleet of Bell Boeing
V-22 Osprey tiltrotors as
2023 drew to a close, follow-
ing a deadly crash off the coast of
Japan that killed eight personnel.
The US Air Force Special Oper-
ations Command (AFSOC), which
flies the CV-22 variant, initiated the
grounding order on 6 December, to
“mitigate risk” while the service in-
vestigates the fatal accident.
“Preliminary investigation in-
formation indicates a potential
materiel failure caused the mishap,
but the underlying cause of the fail-
ure is unknown at this time,” AFSOC
says. The grounding order will
remain in place indefinitely, it adds,
stating: “CV-22s will not be returned
to flight until they are deemed safe
to fly for all our air crews.”
The 29 November crash involved
a CV-22 assigned to the 353rd Spe-
cial Operations Wing at Yokota air
base west of Tokyo. The rotorcraft
went down in the water off Yakus-
hima Island, some 43nm (80km)
south of the island of Kyushu.
AFSOC says the operational
pause will allow for a “thorough
investigation” to determine the
US Air Force
‘Potential materiel failure’ could
have downed CV-22 off Japan
26 Flight International January 2024
causes of the crash and provide
recommendations to safely return
the tiltrotor to service.
Shortly after the air force’s
decision, the US Navy (USN) also
on 6 December announced a
grounding bulletin for both the
CMV-22 carrier-resupply Osprey
and MV-22 transport operated by
the US Marine Corps.
“While the mishap remains under
investigation, we are implementing
additional risk mitigation controls
to ensure the safety of our ser-
vice members,” the US Naval Air
Systems Command says.
Flight restriction
While the USN says it imposed
the flight restriction out of an
“abundance of caution”, the
service had recently experienced
its own deadly Osprey mishap.
In August 2023, a USMC MV-22
crashed near Darwin, Austral-
ia, killing three personnel and
prompting the service to order an
aviation safety review.
Accidents in 2022 included
MV-22 losses in Norway and South-
ern Carolina that killed a total of
nine marines. Additionally, the crew
of an AFSOC-operated Osprey also
that year made an emergency land-
ing on a remote Norwegian island
after experiencing a mechanical
issue. That aircraft was recovered
via barge weeks later.
The US Department of De-
fense (DoD) previously grounded
Ospreys across all three US op-
erators in February 2023, citing
ongoing issues with the complex
aircraft’s clutch system. The V-22
procurement office said at the time
that a technical solution for the
problem had been identified and
retrofits were being rolled out.
Between 1991 and 2022, V-22s
were involved in 36 accidents,
according to the Aviation Safety
Network, a service of the US
non-profit Flight Safety Foun-
dation. Many of those incidents
occurred during the early years of
development and fielding of the
tiltrotor, which was the first opera-
tional aircraft of its kind.
Despite the current heightened
scrutiny, Bell, Boeing and the DoD
have repeatedly insisted that the
V-22 is a safe platform, citing a large
fleet and high flight-hour count.
Cirium fleets data records a total
of 397 V-22s as having been in op-
erational use before the US ground-
ing action. In addition to the US ser-
vices, the type is also flown by the
Japan Ground Self-Defence Force,
which has fielded 14 examples. ◗

Embraer Defense & Security
Seoul buys C-390 transports
Embraer secures South Korea as its latest customer for
twinjet airlifter, as nation also confirms plan to take more
F-35As and boost Light Armed Helicopter production
Greg Waldron Singapore
S
outh Korea has become the
first Asia-Pacific customer
for Embraer’s C-390 tactical
transport, along with
confirming new fighter and combat
helicopter commitments.
Announced in early December
and valued at W710 billion ($544
million), Seoul’s order for the twin-
jet airlifter follows its selection for
the Republic of Korea Air Force’s
(ROKAF’s) Large Transport Aircraft
II (LTA II) requirement.
“Under the signed contract,
Embraer will provide an undis-
closed number of C-390 Millenni-
um aircraft specially configured to
meet [the] ROKAF’s requirements,”
the Brazilian airframer says.
Local reports citing Seoul’s
Defense Acquisition and Program
Administration (DAPA) suggest the
deal covers three aircraft. Deliveries
are expected from December 2026.
Embraer says it also will supply
personnel training, ground support
equipment and parts, while an off-
set agreement will see “a significant
amount of C-390 Millennium parts
locally manufactured by Korean
partner companies, and the devel-
opment of a local MRO provider”.
“This is a new era in Brazil-South
Korea relations and togeth-
er with our Korean partners, we
are committed to growing the
capabilities of its aerospace and
defence industries,” says Embraer
Defense & Security chief executive
Bosco da Costa Junior.
While promoting its C-390 at
the Seoul ADEX show in October
2023, Embraer said the type would
“enhance the ROKAF’s ability to
deploy with greater efficiency, ser-
viceability, and speed”.
The ROKAF currently operates 12
Lockheed Martin C-130H transports
with an average age of almost 33
years, and four C-130Js acquired to
meet its earlier LTA I requirement.
Embraer has now secured
orders for its 26t payload-capacity
transport and tanker from Brazil,
Hungary, Portugal and South Korea,
with Austria, the Czech Republic
and the Netherlands also planning
to field the type.
Local assembly
In late November, Saudi Arabia’s
SAMI and Embraer signed a
memorandum of understanding
to promote the C-390 to Riyadh,
including the potential for local
final assembly and maintenance.
Other aspects of their collabora-
tion could include the in-country
integration of mission system
equipment, plus training.
The parties are targeting a
long-standing need to replace the
Royal Saudi Air Force’s fleet of 40
C-/KC-130H transports and tankers,
aged between 31 and 50 years.
Riyadh has determined that at
least half of its defence spend-
ing must be localised by the end
of the decade, through its Vision
2030 initiative.
Meanwhile, South Korea’s recent
budget approvals also included
confirmation of a Next Fighter
2 requirement to buy additional
Lockheed F-35A fighters.
“By securing additional high-per-
formance stealth fighter jets, we
Defence Contracts
$544 million deal is expected
to cover three aircraft
will increase our ability to deter
and respond to asymmetric threats
such as North Korea’s nuclear
weapons,” says the DAPA. “In ad-
dition, we will build national-level
depot maintenance capabilities, to
increase aircraft utilisation rates.”
Covering deliveries until 2028,
the programme is valued at
approximately $3.3 billion. While
the number of additional aircraft
to be acquired has not been dis-
closed, the US government in Sep-
tember 2023 outlined a potential
Foreign Military Sales deal to equip
the ROKAF with 25 F-35As and re-
lated equipment and services.
The ROKAF already operates 39
of the conventional take-off and
landing type, with another exam-
ple having been retired. The fifth-
generation asset was damaged
beyond repair when its pilot was
forced to make a gear-up landing
after an eagle was ingested by its
Pratt & Whitney F135 engine.
Seoul also has approved Korea
Aerospace Industries’ Light Armed
Helicopter (LAH) to enter volume
production. The model will replace
its army-operated Bell AH-1S and
MD Helicopters MD500 fleets.
Deliveries will run until 2031.
“Through this project, we plan to
secure small armed helicopters with
improved strike capabilities, mobil-
ity, and survivability, and operate
them to destroy enemy armoured/
mechanised units,” says the DAPA.
An initial batch of 10 LAH – a de-
velopment of the Airbus Helicopters
H155 – was already under contract. Z
Additional reporting by
Craig Hoyle in London
January 2024 Flight International 27
 Regulations Proposal
Cowl damage led to broken window, cabin
decompression and death of one passenger
NTSB
FAA acts to bolster 737NG nacelles
US agency responds to investigation findings after fatal
fan blade-loss incident in 2018, and earlier failure in 2016
Jon Hemmerdinger Tampa
U
S regulators are propos-
ing new rules targeting the
nacelles on Boeing 737NGs
following two engine fail-
ures late last decade that caused
significant aircraft damage and
killed one person.
Three airworthiness directives
(ADs) proposed by the Federal
Aviation Administration (FAA), re-
leased by the US government on 11
December, would require airlines to
inspect and modify cowls, inlets and
other nacelle components.
Collectively, the proposals affect
all US-registered 737NGs – about
2,000 jets in total. The measures
are intended to make nacelles more
resilient to impacts from compo-
nents that could be ejected in the
event of a failure of the jets’ CFM
International CFM56 engines.
“The FAA has determined further
rulemaking is necessary to reduce
the probability of unsecured nacelle
components should an engine fan
blade failure occur,” regulators say.
Boeing did not respond to a re-
quest for comment.
The company has already been
redesigning nacelle components
in response to the two in-flight
CFM56-7B failures that occurred
in 2016 and 2018. The FAA’s
proposals require airlines to im-
plement Boeing’s changes on their
in-service aircraft.
28 Flight International Janaury 2024
If adopted, the rules would require
carriers to replace fan-cowl hinge
fittings and inlet cowl fasteners, and
replace or modify radial restraint as-
semblies and exhaust nozzles. The
FAA also proposes requiring airlines
to alter maintenance programmes.
“The FAA is issuing this AD to
address fan cowls that are not
strengthened, which, in the event of
[a fan blade-out] occurrence, could
depart the nacelle, potentially dam-
aging a stabiliser, or the fuselage
and window,” says one proposal.
Fatigue crack
Investigators attributed the 2018
CFM56 failure to a fatigue crack in
a fan blade. Parts of that compo-
nent hit the radial restraint fitting,
located on the fan cowl, causing
the cowl to break up. A cowl latch
keeper fitting then hit the aircraft’s
fuselage, shattering a window and
causing rapid decompression of
the cabin. One passenger died after
being partly sucked out of the win-
dow, the US National Transportation
Safety Board (NTSB) determined.
Eight other occupants sustained
minor injuries; the pilots landed
the Southwest Airlines 737-700
(N772SW) safely at Philadelphia In-
ternational airport.
Because the engine containment
shield did restrain the part of the
blade that hit it, the incident was
not classified as an uncontained
engine failure, but the result was
the same, said the NTSB.
The NTSB also pointed to a fa-
tigue crack as the source of the
2016 blade failure, also aboard
a Southwest-operated 737-700,
which did not cause any injuries.
In 2018, the FAA sought to prevent
such engine failures by ordering air-
lines to make ultrasonic inspections
of CFM56 fan blades. However, that
did not address the specific issues
identified with the nacelles.
In its final report into the 2018
incident, the NTSB issued several
recommendations to the FAA re-
garding the nacelle structure.
The agency should, it said, require
Boeing to determine the critical fan
blade impact locations on CFM56-7B
engine fan cases and redesign the
fan cowl structure on all 737NGs to
ensure the structural integrity of the
cowl after a blade-out event.
Once that analysis had been
performed, the agency should
mandate 737NG operators “to ret-
rofit their airplanes with the rede-
signed fan cowl structure.”
Further studies should also be
conducted by all stakeholders to
analyse the risk of fan blade-out in-
cidents and incorporate those find-
ings into future nacelle designs.
The FAA’s latest rules appear to
deal with those recommendations.
Boeing is already developing
“structural enhancements” intend-
ed to help nacelle components
withstand blade impacts. The FAA
requires Boeing to complete that
work by July 2028. ◗
 Safety Report

Challenger written off after hard

landing, wing-strike and excursion
Business jet’s approach was too slow for crosswind conditions
at London Stansted during arrival from Egypt in January 2022
David Kaminski-Morrow London

U
K investigators believe a
Bombardier Challenger
604 crew’s approach to
London Stansted was too
slow for the crosswind conditions,
causing it to land hard – nose-gear
first – and strike the ground several
times with its wing.
The wing remained in con-
tact with the ground and the jet
experienced a runway excursion
into the grass before the crew
executed a go-around and divert-
ed to London Gatwick.
Inspection of the jet (N999PX)
found that its wing structure was 1998-built aircraft would have required
excessively damaged and the air- entire wing to be replaced after permanent
craft was declared a write-off. deformation was discovered
AAIB

Analysis found that the crew of

the flight, which was arriving in
darkness from Hurghada in Egypt
on 31 January 2022, had calculated a
reference speed of 119kt (220km/h)
and an approach speed of 125kt.
Speed error
But the UK Air Accidents Investi-
gation Branch determined that the
reference speed should have been
4kt higher and that the approach
speed, for the winds reported,
should have been 17kt higher.
“The lower speed used by the crew
provided less margin for the effects
of a gusting wind, with the potential
for an excessive [angle-of-attack]
to develop,” says the inquiry.
As the Challenger neared touch-
down on runway 22 the crew
allowed its speed to dip below
125kt without applying engine
thrust to compensate.
This premature deceleration re-
sulted in the jet’s having reduced
energy as it entered the flare, in-
dicating that the pilots were not
closely monitoring the airspeed.
The aircraft floated above
the runway at about 10ft for 6s,
possibly because the captain want-
ed to ensure a smooth landing for
the passengers.
But the jet yawed and rolled
rapidly in the gusting conditions
and the stick-shaker activated,
almost immediately followed by
the stick-pusher, and the aircraft
touched down on its nose-wheel
before the left- and right-hand
main landing-gear successively
made contact.
Inspection of the runway showed
three separate wing-strike marks,
each about 20m (65ft) long,
and left wing-tip contact with
the ground continued as the jet
veered into the adjacent grass. The
wing-tip then struck a concrete
pad as the jet travelled through
the rough ground.
The crew initiated a go-around
and the captain pitched the aircraft
up as it accelerated through the ap-
proach reference speed. According
17kt
Difference between the calculated
approach speed of 125kt and that
required given the wind reported
to the first officer, the jet pitched
up “excessively” to around 20-25°
and – with the airspeed declining to
180kt – he pushed on the controls
and told the captain to fly level and
maintain speed at 200kt.
Stansted air traffic controllers
had seen sparks from the aircraft
as it touched down, and inquired
over the crew’s situation. The
crew initially requested vectors
for another ILS approach but then
considered the possibility of nose-
wheel damage, and sought an
alternative airport with better wind
conditions – eventually diverting to
land safely at Gatwick.
Neither the two pilots nor the
two passengers were injured in the
incident, but the aircraft suffered
substantial damage to its nose-
wheel and left wing.
Alignment checks found a per-
manent deformation of the wing
attachment point, meaning its
ultimate strength had been ex-
ceeded, and the jet would require
an entire wing replacement to re-
turn to service. Insurers decided
that the 1998-built aircraft was be-
yond economical repair. Z

January 2024 Flight International 29

 Visit FlightGlobal Premium for all the latest aviation news and insight FlightGlobal.com
Anduril targets airborne threats
with counter-drone Roadrunner
Start-up aiming for high-volume output of vertical take-off
and landing design for interception or reconnaissance duties
Ryan Finnerty Costa Mesa
U
S start-up Anduril Indus-
tries has debuted what it is
calling the world’s first “re-
usable weapon” – an auton-
omous, ground-launched intercep-
tor designed to kill unmanned air
systems (UAS), cruise missiles and
even some conventional aircraft.
Part aircraft, part guided
munition, Anduril’s Roadrunner is a
small, twin-engined jet that launch-
es vertically to fulfil air defence
or intelligence, surveillance and
reconnaissance (ISR) needs, but
can also return to base and land
vertically for refuelling and reuse
on subsequent flights.
Anduril founder and chief exec-
utive Palmer Luckey unveiled the
new concept on 30 November at
the company’s headquarters in
Costa Mesa, California.
“We’ve done a lot of tech devel-
opment to make this possible and
practical,” says Luckey.
The company has spent the past
two years developing its Roadrun-
ner. Among the innovations that
went into the design is an entire-
ly new jet engine, which Anduril
developed internally.
“It’s the most power-dense jet
turbine engine that’s ever been
built… volumetrically speaking,”
says Luckey. “The amount of thrust
that it makes for the size of engine
is truly unparalleled.”
Anduril Industries
Roughly 1.5m-tall, twin-engined
jet design is launched vertically
30 Flight International January 2024
Anduril is not sharing much about
the engine specifications, or even
the powerplant’s name. Luckey says
the company decided to produce
its own engine after not finding an
existing product compatible with
the cost, size and capability require-
ments for the Roadrunner.
Standing at roughly 1.5m (5ft)
tall when resting vertically, the
Roadrunner is powered by two of
the turbojet thrust vector engines,
which run on standard jet fuel.
The vehicle can be configured
with an ISR sensor package, while
the lethal-configuration Roadrun-
ner-M will use a high-explosive
proximity fuze warhead to destroy
incoming threats.
Subsonic performance
Luckey says the design is capable
of reaching “high subsonic speeds”
and of “high-g” manoeuvring.
Anduril believes the Roadrun-
ner concept can fill a niche that
currently stands empty in military
air defence: a platform capable of
defending against numerically
dense airborne threats, which
can be cheaply and easily pro-
duced in large quantities.
“There just wasn’t a reliable
capability available to bring
these types of threats down,”
says chief strategy officer
Christian Brose.
Such threats could
come in the form of
cruise missiles
or so-called “kamikaze drones”,
which have been fired into Ukraine
by Russia in the hundreds since
Moscow invaded in February 2022.
While currently deployed air de-
fence systems such as Raytheon’s
Patriot and NASAMS platforms can
protect against such attacks, they
fire sophisticated guided missiles
with a high cost per shot and limit-
ed production capacity.
“You probably don’t want to
shoot multimillion dollar weapons
at drones that cost a few hundred
thousand dollars,” says Brose.
Cheaper, simpler air defence sys-
tems can protect against commer-
cial drones and small UAS, but are
not effective against fast-moving
cruise missiles and munitions like
the Iranian-produced Shahed-136,
dozens of which have been fired
into Ukrainian cities: at least 40
were shot down during a 25 No-
vember air raid in Kyiv.
With a current price point of “low
six figures” per unit, Luckey says the
Roadrunner is cheap enough to be
deployed in volume, preserving
high-end air defence platforms
for more serious threats.
Anduril already has “doz-
ens” of Roadrunners flying,
according to Luckey, with
an active assembly line in
Costa Mesa now preparing
to churn out hundreds of
the interceptors.

The company is under contract
with an unnamed US government
customer, who Luckey says has al-
Anduril Industries
ready “operationally assessed” the
Roadrunner.
Asked whether Anduril consid-
ers the interceptor to be a UAS or
a precision munition, Luckey calls
this a “philosophical question”,
and suggests “reusable missile” as
another alternative.
“It is something that’s never really
quite existed before,” he says. “It is
a bit of a new category.”
New class
Developing an entirely new class
is in accordance with Luckey’s
goals for Anduril, which is taking
on defence industry giants such
as Lockheed Martin, Northrop
Grumman and Raytheon in the
counter-UAS space.
The billionaire founder is some-
thing of an iconoclast in the de-
fence world, seeking to upend US
defence production by importing
design and manufacturing practic-
es from Silicon Valley.
Luckey founded the virtu-
al reality firm Oculus VR in 2012,
which he sold to Facebook in 2014
for $2 billion.
‘Everyone must look up’: countering the low-cost aerial menace
Addressing the proliferation
of cheap and widely available
unmanned air systems (UAS)
will require a range of technical
and tactical solutions, including
projectile and energy weapons.
That is the assessment by the
Pentagon’s top officer for counter-
UAS (CUAS) issues, US Army
Major General Sean Gainey, who
says the increasing battlefield use
of remotely piloted aircraft is a
“real and growing threat”.
An air defence officer by
training, Gainey says a mix
of “kinetic and non-kinetic”
defensive options will be
needed. “There is no silver bullet,
no one system to rule them all,”
he said during a mid-November
event in Washington DC hosted
by the Center for Strategic and
International Studies (CSIS).
Current systems capable of
countering remotely piloted
aircraft include low-cost guided
rockets and small interceptors
Company’s portfolio also includes
Altius range of air-launched effects
Part of Anduril’s strategy has been
to avoid expensive, highly-special-
ised components and use exist-
ing technology wherever possible.
Proprietary systems, such as the jet
engines that power the Roadrunner
or the company’s marquee Latice
autonomy software, will see use
across the company’s portfolio.
This also includes the Altius range
of small UAS/air-launched effects,
smaller Anvil counter-UAS design
and the vertical take-off and land-
ing Ghost X, which the compa-
ny claims has an audio signature
that is almost undetectable from a
distance of 100m.
Luckey calls Anduril’s strategy
a “Taco Bell” approach to manu-
facturing. Using a relatively small
number of starting raw ingredients,
the American fast food chain is
able to offer a large menu of prod-
ucts, he notes.
such as the L3Harris Vampire and
Raytheon Coyote.
However, the US Department
of Defense is exploring options
including directed-energy (DE)
systems such as lasers, microwave
emitters and radio-frequency
jammers, for use as a layered
defence. “We continue to invest
in some of the future technology,
like DE and high-powered
microwave, to bring additional
capabilities to bear,” Gainey says.
Conflicts in Ukraine and
Nagorno-Karabakh have
underscored that CUAS should
become a universal responsibility
for all ground troops.
“Everyone must look up,” says
Shaan Shaikh, a fellow at the
CSIS Missile Defense Project, who
likens the impact of small UAS
on modern warfare as equivalent
to the introduction of infantry
mortars and anti-tank missiles.
Gainey says the US Army
plans to begin training non-
Defence Technology
The former tech executive wants
to use this approach to out-com-
pete defence industry incumbents,
who he argues have a traditional
contracting approach based on
lengthy timelines and expensive
new-development approaches.
“I don’t really blame them so much
as the government for creating an
incentive structure that did not re-
ward moving fast,” Luckey says.
“It did not reward cutting cost.
It did not reward reusing building
blocks, it actually rewarded the
opposite,” he adds. “People were
trying to figure out how they can
build as many new things as possi-
ble, and never reuse anything.”
While Anduril is still in its first
decade of existence, its founder’s
goals are anything but modest.
“The goal of Anduril is to be
one of the largest primes in the
country,” Luckey says. ◗
air defence soldiers to employ
CUAS weapons and react to the
battlefield presence of UAS.
“It’s going to impact every
soldier,” says Sergeant Major
Demetrius Johnson, the top
enlisted soldier at the Pentagon’s
CUAS office. “It’s going to become
a basic soldier requirement to
be able to identify, report and in
some cases react to the threat.”
Earlier efforts using jamming
and electronic warfare focused
on disrupting links between a
UAS and its remote pilot, but
autonomous aircraft will require a
different approach.
Gainey says high-powered
microwave emitters have shown
early promise. “We believe
[that] is going to be very good
against this type of autonomous
threat,” he says. However: “It’s
too early to make a decision on
which [technologies are] working
better without highlighting
system vulnerabilities.”
January 2024 Flight International 31
 Visit FlightGlobal Premium for all the latest aviation news and insight FlightGlobal.com
Airbus advances helicopter
autonomy with Vertex tests
Airframer’s UpNext innovation unit successfully demonstrates
ability to control H130 FlightLab using touchscreen computer
Dominic Perry London
A
n advanced helicop-
ter cockpit free of the
traditional trio of controls
could be on the way
if Airbus Helicopters opts to
advance the development of an
automated flight-control system
that was successfully trialled in re-
cent flight tests.
Performed by innovation arm
Airbus UpNext, the Vertex project
integrated a suite of sensors and
high-power flight-control comput-
ers, coupled to a four-axis autopi-
lot, into the airframer’s H130-based
Airbus Helicopters
FlightLab demonstrator.
Ultimately, the goal of the
project was to simplify mission
preparation and management, re-
duce pilot workload, and further
increase safety.
The test flights, which began
in the summer, culminated on
22 November with a 1h sortie
during which the FlightLab flew
a fully automated mission along
a pre-defined route, including lift-
off, taxi, take-off, cruise, approach
and landing.
Manufacturer will not stick to the conventional for future eVTOL cockpit
As the manufacturer prepares
the ground for its CityAirbus
NextGen electric vertical take-
off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft,
Airbus Helicopters has been
busy shaping the design of the
vehicle’s cockpit.
In addition to the Vertex project
– combining a sensor suite and
tablet control to add higher levels
of autonomy – the airframer
has also tested a fly-by-wire
flight-control system aboard its
FlightLab demonstrator.
For the trials, the airframer
replaced the light-single
helicopter’s three conventional
32 Flight International January 2024
Rather than the standard heli-
copter controls – the collective and
cyclic levers, and the foot pedals
– the crew were able to input in-
structions using a touchscreen
tablet computer backed up by a
primary display.
Automated departures saw the
Vertex-equipped FlightLab taxi at
Tablet input was backed up by main display
a height of 7ft, along a 2m-wide
corridor, from Airbus Helicop-
ters’ Marignane base in southern
France towards the main runway at
Marseille airport, stopping at pre-
determined intersections before
proceeding to take off.
control interfaces – the collective
and cyclic levers, and foot pedals
– with a single “piloting stick”
capable of control movement in
all three axes.
Using the single stick, the
pilot is able to perform all the
necessary manoeuvres, including
take-offs and landings, the
airframer says.
Airbus Helicopters says the
single-stick control architecture
takes up less space and offers
improved visibility to the pilot. It
is also combined with “a revised
human-machine interface” using
“simple displays”, which provide
“It was probably a world premiere
to have such precision along a cor-
ridor that was two metres wide,”
says Alexandre Gierczynski, head
of the Vertex demonstrator.
As an additional safety feature,
a LIDAR sensor is able to detect
potential ground obstacles, auto-
matically bringing the helicopter to
Airbus Helicopters
a halt before a collision if the pilot
does not select an alternate route
suggested by the computer.
Once airborne, the same LIDAR
system plus an array of electro-op-
tical/infrared cameras and an image
processing system – building on
technologies demonstrated by Air-
bus Helicopters on its earlier Eagle
project – is used to build up a col-
our-coded picture of the terrain sur-
rounding the helicopter on a spe-
cially configured display. A collision
avoidance system also plots a safe
path away from obstacles in flight.
Images captured are also used
to augment the existing Synthet-
ic Vision System (SVS), creating a
higher-fidelity representation of
the surroundings.
The utility of the SVS can be
further bolstered through the addi-
tion of specific data sets, such as
“a selection of information [that
is] specifically tailored” for
eVTOL aircraft.
“From the start, we designed
this system considering every
certification parameter in mind
as it will be a big step forward in
validating the design of our urban
air mobility eVTOL, CityAirbus
NextGen,” says Tomasz Krysinski,
head of research and innovation
at Airbus Helicopters.
“The advantage of an electric
flight-control system is enormous,
especially when it comes to
reducing pilot workload and
enhancing mission safety.”

the location of powerlines – a well-
known hazard for helicopters.
Using the tablet, the pilot can also
select a landing site and the Vertex
system will automatically calculate,
and once selected, fly the optimum
approach and landing. A related
emergency landing function is also
incorporated, adds Gierczynski.
In that case, if an emergency land-
ing is needed, the Vertex system
displays the nearest known landing
site. Although someone on board
still has to approve the selection,
once done, the helicopter then au-
tomatically descends to land safely.
Approval required
Although a high level of autonomy
was achieved, he says it was always
the project’s intention to “keep the
pilot as the captain of the aircraft”;
suggested manoeuvres must be ap-
proved and can also be overridden
if the pilot wants to take charge.
“The pilot always remains in
control of the system and has to
validate and monitor what’s going
on in the aircraft,” he says.
“We worked a lot with our test
crews and we changed and
adapted all along the project what
we display and how we display it”
Alexandre Gierczynski Head of Vertex demonstator, Airbus UpNext
To simplify the cockpit displays,
Airbus UpNext took advice from
those at the coal face: “We worked
a lot with our test crews and we
changed and adapted all along
the project what we display and
how we display it to make sure we
show enough but not too much,”
says Gierczynski.
Although the tablet is the pri-
mary control interface, it is also
equipped with two miniature
joysticks – not unlike those you
would find on a games console –
in case vibration levels made the
touchscreen hard to use. But in the
event, says Gierczynski, the feature
was not needed.
A “smart radio” is also included in
Vertex, which automatically selects
the correct setting depending “on
where you are and where you are
going”, he says, noting: “Radio
management can represent 80% of
pilot workload.”
Flights of the Vertex-equipped
FlightLab began in July, although at
that point the sensors were active
but not coupled to the flight-control
Rotorcraft Technology
Extensive sensor suite was integrated
onto light-single demonstrator
system. Tests with Vertex working as
planned began in September, with
the main evaluation period running
from 27 October until 22 November.
In all, around 10 flights were com-
pleted of around 1-1.5h each.
“We had a very mature product
after 7h of flight and just made
some incremental improvements to
reach the level we had [on the final
flight],” Gierczynski says.
Maturing technologies
Technologies matured through the
Vertex flight demonstrations could
go on to equip any rotorcraft – al-
though light helicopters are seen
as a particular target – or electric
vertical take-off and landing aircraft
such as the CityAirbus NextGen.
Airbus Helicopters says it will
continue to mature the vari-
ous technologies from Vertex:
vision-based sensors and algo-
rithms for situational awareness
and obstacle detection; fly-by-wire
for enhanced autopilot; and an
advanced human-machine inter-
face in the form of a touchscreen
and head-worn display for in-flight
monitoring and control.
A separate project also using the
H130 FlightLab has tested a fly-
by-wire control system and single
joystick control lever (see box).
A three-year project, Vertex
represents a double-digit-million
euro investment that was part
funded by the French civil aviation
regulator DGAC. ◗
January 2024 Flight International 33
 Programme Proposal
op
op
posal
Maeve aims bigger with
hybrid-electric design
Customer feedback sees Dutch developer ditch its
plans for 44-passenger all-electric aircraft in favour
of delivering a higher-performing 80-seater
Dominic Perry London
D
utch start-up Maeve Aero-
space has radically redrawn
its aircraft development
plans, dropping a previous
proposal for a battery-powered
44-seater in favour of an 80-pas-
senger hybrid-electric design.
Called the M80, the new aircraft
is the latest major redesign by the
fledgling company and is based on
feedback from prospective cus-
tomers, says chief executive and
co-founder Jan Willem Heinen.
Launched in 2022 as the Eche-
lon 01, the developer in June 2023
disclosed an update to its aircraft,
rebranded as the Maeve 01.
Rather than the eight 1.2MW
electric motors of the original con-
figuration, the revamped design
would now feature four 1.2MW
motors, an elliptical fuselage, and
a shorter wing. Maximum take-off
weight (MTOW) was also cut to
25.9t, down from 45t initially.
But the latest change goes further
still. While it retains the 2.85m (9ft
3in)-wide and 3.2m-high elliptical
fuselage shape of its predecessor –
and its 2-2 seating layout – the M80
is stretched by 7m to 27m overall.
To cope with higher speed flight,
the shape of the wing changes and
the span shrinks to 26m, from 29.7m
previously, and the structure gains a
set of outward-canted winglets.
Gone are the four electric motors,
replaced by a pair of battery-boost-
ed hybrid-electric engines, each
Maeve Aerospace
producing “a little bit more than
3,000shp” – or 2.2MW – says chief
technical officer Martin Nuesseler.
34 Flight International January 2024
He declines to reveal the identity
of the propulsion provider but says
it is “one of the three established
[suppliers]”, in other words one
of GE Aerospace, Pratt & Whitney
Canada or Rolls-Royce.
“Our engine partner is recognised
and has a new technology and sees
our airframe as an opportunity to
apply in a product this technology
for the first time,” he says.
More range
The design changes cause perfor-
mance to rise accordingly: range
jumps to 800nm (1,480km), up from
the Maeve 01’s figure of 250nm,
while maximum cruise speed now
sits at 400kt (740km/h) rather than
the previous figure of 330kt. MTOW
will be 28.9t, with a maximum
payload of 8.5t.
“We were always looking to build
the best regional aircraft possible,”
says Heinen. “But the feedback
from airlines was clear: we need
double the capacity in passengers
and three times the range.”
However, the changes also impact
the service-entry target. Maeve had
planned to fly the Maeve 01 in 2028
and obtain certification two years
later. Although the maiden sortie
target remains, the concept phase
is extended by one year and now
runs until mid-2026 and the com-
pletion of the preliminary design
review stage; type approval and
customer deliveries slide to 2031.
Maeve claims the M80 will of-
fer “regional jet performance with
turboprop economics” and says
the aircraft will offer 40% lower
fuel burn than comparably sized
regional jets.
Start-up says M80 will offer ‘regional jet
performance with turboprop economics’
Indeed, the manufacturer is
targeting the replacement of
Bombardier CRJ-series jets and
the De Havilland Canada Dash 8
twin-turboprop with the M80 rath-
er than the regional turboprop
benchmark, the ATR 72-600.
However, the larger proposed
design could change Maeve’s
potential customer base. To date,
operators to have declared an in-
terest in the aircraft are Transav-
ia-backed Dutch start-up airline
Lucy and New Zealand’s Air Napier.
Although discussions continue
with the two carriers, Nuesseler
says the company is working to
define “the top-level requirements”
for the M80 with a group of four
“recognised airlines” in the USA
and Europe.
Heinen estimates it will require
around $2 billion to bring the
M80 to market but is hopeful that
figure can be divided among rev-
enue-and-risk-sharing partners as
the development progresses.
Maeve is aiming to raise $50 mil-
lion in its current funding round,
which is “well under way” and is ex-
pected to close in the first quarter
of 2024, he says; around half that
figure has been pledged so far.
In addition to the change in
aircraft configuration, Maeve is
also spreading its wings beyond
its home in Delft in the Nether-
lands and plans in 2024 to open a
new German engineering office in
Oberpfaffenhofen near Munich.
No decision has been taken
on the location of the M80’s final
assembly line, but Nuesseler antic-
ipates this will be finalised over the
next two years. ◗

Air New Zealand gives stamp of
approval to Beta postal flights
Carrier picks US electric aircraft developer for demonstration
effort in latest move under Mission Next Gen programme
Howard Hardee Sacramento
A
ir New Zealand (Air NZ)
has secured an agreement
that could deliver it up to
23 of Beta Technologies’
all-electric conventional take-off
and landing (CTOL) aircraft.
The companies said on 6
December that the pact – which
includes a firm order for one air-
craft, options for two more and
purchase rights for a further 20 –
will advance Air NZ’s goal of flying
an all-electric commercial demon-
strator aircraft by 2026.
“We need to accelerate the pace
of change in technology, infrastruc-
ture, operations and regulation,”
says Greg Foran, the carrier’s chief
executive. “While this aircraft will
add to – not replace – our existing
fleet, it is a catalyst for that change.”
The aircraft initially will be
operated on cargo-only missions
through a partnership with New
Zealand Post. The companies are
yet to disclose the home airport
or proposed routes for the incom-
ing electric aircraft, but they have
specified that they are considering
low-altitude flights of about 80nm
(150km) in length.
The CTOL variant of Beta’s Alia
aircraft is on a more advanced de-
livery schedule than the company’s
electric vertical take-off and land-
ing (eVTOL) variant, but has still to
be certificated.
“The aircraft will
only be brought
into service once it
has passed testing
and is certified as safe
Air New Zealand
Aircraft will initially be operated on
cargo-only flights of around 80nm
to fly by the New Zealand Civil
Aviation Authority,” the compa-
nies say.
Air NZ’s decision to partner with
Beta comes after what it says was
an “18-month period of evalua-
tion and diligence” by the carrier’s
Mission Next Gen Aircraft team,
which is working with three more
companies in the electric aviation
space – Cranfield Aerospace Solu-
tions, Eviation and VoltAero.
Announcing the selection of the
four manufacturers in December
2022, Air NZ said it had signed a
“statement of intent to order” with
each firm to take three aircraft in-
itially for a demonstration phase,
with options for a further 20,
subject to an evaluation process.
The carrier is also working
with Airbus, ATR, Embraer, Heart
Aerospace and Universal Hydro-
gen on larger low-emission aircraft
as potential long-term replace-
ments for its domestic turboprop
fleet from 2030.
Expanded facilities
Meanwhile, Vermont-based Beta
has received a $20 million grant
from the state of New York to
expand its facility at Plattsburgh
International airport into a flight-
test and aircraft delivery centre.
The office of New York Gover-
nor Kathy Hochul disclosed on
1 December that the grant from
the Empire State Development’s
Regional Economic and
Community Assistance
programme will
Environment Initiative
go towards a $41 million expansion
of the company’s existing facility in
Plattsburgh through a partnership
with Clinton County.
“The new, upgraded facility
will serve as the manufacturing
and final assembly hub for Beta’s
all-electric aircraft and will estab-
lish a permanent flight-test and
aircraft delivery centre, responsi-
ble for final flight testing, aircraft
painting and customer delivery,”
Hochul’s office says.
“At Beta, we’re focused on
making aviation cleaner and more
efficient for the future, and that
requires a number of pieces includ-
ing technology, infrastructure and
a capable workforce,” says chief
executive Kyle Clark.
“We’ve been developing, flying
and maintaining our electric aircraft
at Plattsburgh International airport
since 2017, and in that time we’ve
been overwhelmed by the state and
county’s support of our vision.”
Beta has accomplished many of
its milestone sorties in Plattsburgh
– a small city on the shores of Lake
Champlain – including its longest
flight of an electric aircraft with a
336nm journey from Jamestown
to Plattsburgh.
The company has recently been
executing a plan to install dozens
of electric aircraft charging sta-
tions on the East Coast, including at
three airports in Upstate New York –
Jamestown, Plattsburgh and Rome.
In November 2023, Beta received
$169 million from the Export-
Import Bank of the US, which will
be used to finance its new
manufacturing facility in
Burlington, Vermont. ◗
January 2024 Flight International 35
 Visit FlightGlobal Premium for all the latest aviation news and insight FlightGlobal.com

Aura Aero readies for next steps

Toulouse-based manufacturer eyes additional funding to
keep hybrid-electric aircraft on track for 2028 arrival as it
adds US carrier Republic Airways to ERA’s advisory board
Murdo Morrison Toulouse Otter, Dornier 228, and Fairchild Integral’s flight-test campaign was
Metroliner “there has been no inno- put on hold for a year after the R
vation for 40 years”, according to prototype crashed in April 2022

H
ybrid-electric developer
Aura Aero is embarking on
a second financing round
to keep on track a plan to
deliver its 19-seat hybrid Electric
Regional Aircraft, or ERA, by 2028.
The Toulouse-based company has
already raised €55 million ($59 mil-
lion) since its founding five years
ago and needs roughly the same
amount to complete the certifi-
cation campaign as well as build
Aura founder and chief executive
Jeremy Caussade, a former Airbus
executive, who set up the company
with two colleagues in 2018.
Aura has taken a different route to
many of its peers. Ahead of the new
ERA, Aura has dipped its toes in air-
craft production with a much more
conventional design, albeit one that
will eventually also be electrically
powered. The two-seat Integral –
which comes in trainer S and aero-
on a sortie from Saint-Girons air-
field, south of Toulouse, killing both
pilots. After a report by French air
safety investigative agency BEA
made several recommendations on
design changes, flying resumed in
2023, with the first S model also
starting testing in July.
Making progress
In October, Aura added European
Union Aviation Safety Agency Part

Aura Aero
a new factory at the city’s former batic R variants – has been in build 21J industrial design approval to its
military air base at Francazal. since 2019. Following certification, Part 21G (manufacturing) certifi-
It comes after US commuter the R is expected to go into service cate obtained in 2021. This gives the
airline Republic Airways became with flying clubs in Dijon and the Mi- company full manufacturing author-
the latest potential customer to di-Pyrenees region – in which Tou- ity. Within two years, Aura hopes to
signal interest in the ERA, an- louse sits – in early 2024. The S will be producing aircraft in more mod-
nouncing on 6 November that it is follow about six months later. ern surroundings, with work due to
to become a “strategic advisor” on This means that, unlike most so- begin on a 20,000sq m (215,000sq
the programme. called advanced air mobility (AAM) ft) factory on the airport in 2024.
players who are yet to assemble Scheduled to open in late 2025, it
Key partner aircraft in volume, Aura is already will have a capacity of 150 Integral
Indianapolis-based Republic is a functioning manufacturer. It has and ERA aircraft per year.
not yet committing to purchasing more than 200 employees and a While Aura aims to have the ERA
the aircraft. However, the Embraer bustling factory in a refurbished ready for its maiden flight in 2026,
170/175 operator’s move is sig- pre-war military hangar, into which the company’s first electric type to
nificant as it is a key partner for it moved in 2020. take to the skies will be the Integral
all three US majors, and an order While Aura’s progress in five E, a variant it debuted at the Paris
would open the door of the massive years has been impressive, its sto- air show. The business is still work-
US regional market. ry has been marred by tragedy. The ing with Safran to certificate the
Other declared customers include
Maltese private aviation operator
Elit’Avia, which at June’s Paris air Two-seat Integral will be offered
show added eight aircraft to a 20- in trainer and aerobatic variants
unit order made in 2022. Elit’Avia
will configure the aircraft in a nine-
seat VIP layout and plans to fly
its ERAs in the USA. Agreements
from France’s Pan Europeenne
Air Service – which has signed for
four aircraft – and Asian Aerospace
of the Philippines, for three, have
boosted what Aura Aero claims is
now a 350-strong list of commit-
ments and letters of intent.
Along with the likes of Heart
Aerospace and Jekta, Aura Aero
is hoping to disrupt regional air
transport with an all-new 19-seat
electric aircraft. In a market once
Aura Aero

dominated by the Beechcraft 1900,

De Havilland Canada DHC-6 Twin

36 Flight International January 2024


aircraft’s ENGINeUS electric motor.
However, Aura hopes to have the
Integral E flying before the end of
the year, with certification targeted
for the first quarter of 2025.
At Paris, Aura announced a mem-
orandum of understanding with
Airbus Flight Academy Europe
(AFAE), a subsidiary of the airfram-
er that provides basic instruction
for pilots destined for the French
air force and navy. Under the
agreement, the school will “collab-
orate on the initial development”
of the Integral E. Jean Longobardi,
AFAE chief executive, said at the
time that the aircraft could help it
achieve its objective of operating a
low-carbon fleet by 2030.
Aura’s signature project, how-
ever, remains the ERA. In May, the
company revealed further details
on the design. The aluminium-
fuselage and carbonfibre-wing
aircraft will have eight electric
motors – a previous iteration had
six – and a T-tail. The aim is to have
it certificated as a CS-23 catego-
ry, commuter-class aircraft, with a
maximum take-off weight of 8.6t.
The eight motors will be powered
by twin turbogenerators, and four
battery packs, giving it a range of
900nm (1,670km).
Industrial partners include Safran
Helicopter Engines, which will sup-
ply the ERA’s turbogenerator. Sister
The 19-seat ERA is powered by eight electric motors
“Safety margins are a huge
problem for fully-electric aircraft. In
20 years, full electric might arrive.
But for now, it is impossible”
Jeremy Caussade Founder and chief executive, Aura Aero
business Safran Electrical & Power
is working on other electrical equip-
ment, including motors. Meanwhile,
earlier in 2023, Aura signed an
agreement with Thales to develop a
“new generation connected avion-
ics solution, adapted to electric and
hybrid regional aviation”.
The ERA will be a hybrid rather
than exclusively electric aircraft
and Caussade is adamant that full
electric is some way off being fea-
sible for an aircraft this size, even
if the batteries are doing most of
the heavy lifting. With a 1h flight
requiring at least a 45min safety
margin, a tank of kerosene can sup-
ply that additional power, but “it
would be a huge problem” for an
aircraft reliant solely on batteries,
he argues. “In 20 years, full elec-
tric might arrive,” he adds. “But for
now, it is impossible.”
Charging points
He admits that infrastructure re-
mains a challenge for the electric
aircraft sector as few airports, par-
ticularly those in remote areas, are
yet equipped with charging points,
and this is where the ERA’s ability
to fly using conventional fuel will
also come in handy, at least in the
short term. However, he believes
that the electric revolution could be
an impetus for small, independent
airfields, who sometimes struggle
Aircraft Development
to get regular deliveries of aviation
fuel, to invest in charging facilities.
Aura has had to fish in the same
investment pond as all its AAM
peers, and, while financiers have
been captivated by the promise of
disruptive sustainable air transport,
delays in bringing designs to mar-
ket and the sheer number of com-
peting start-ups has led to a dip in
interest, as seen by the share pric-
es of several electric vertical take-
off and landing (eVTOL) pioneers
since they went public (although
some values have recovered as
prototypes have begun to fly).
Caussade believes investors are
starting to look more favourably at
the fixed-wing, short take-off and
landing AAM segment as an alter-
native to eVTOL air taxis or urban
air mobility (UAM).
“Public support for sustaina-
ble regional air transport is huge,
and there will be a turning point,”
he says. “UAM is a bubble. It’s a
niche of the helicopter market, so
a niche of a niche. As long as we
are progressing and consuming far
less money than UAM, the mood
will change.”
The success of the company’s
upcoming appeal for fresh invest-
ment, as it looks to take the major
step to certification and volume
production in a new factory, could
prove if that optimism holds true. ◗
January 2024 Flight International 37
 Visit FlightGlobal Premium for all the latest aviation news and insight FlightGlobal.com
Cranfield’s dash for gas
Developer pivots to take advantage of near-term opportunity
for fuel cell powertrains running on gaseous hydrogen
Dominic Perry Dubai
C
ranfield Aerospace Solu-
tions (CAeS) has subtly
shifted its focus in a bid to
take advantage of what it
sees as the near-term opportuni-
ty offered by fuel cells running on
gaseous hydrogen.
UK-based CAeS is developing a
hydrogen fuel cell conversion for the
nine-seat Britten-Norman BN-2 Is-
lander under a government-backed
initiative called Project Fresson.
While this uses gaseous
hydrogen, CAeS chief executive
Paul Hutton says his assumption
was that any “next step” would
require more power and more
range “and a move from gaseous
to liquid hydrogen”.
But with the widespread mar-
ket availability of liquid hydrogen
“pushing to the right”, Hutton sees
Evolito boosted by DOA award,
but batteries are not yet included
UK motor maker is now eyeing type
certification of first product within three
years, after clearing critical regulatory hurdle
Dominic Perry London
E
lectric motor manufacturer
Evolito is eyeing a cialisation and “is a huge deal for
three-year timeframe for
the certification of its first
product following the recent
granting of Design Organization
Approval (DOA) status from the
UK regulator.
Announced on 5 December,
the award sees Evolito become
the first entity in the UK to gain
such an approval from the Civil
38 Flight International January 2024
a “much bigger opportunity from
gaseous” than previously thought.
As an initial step, in October
it signed an agreement with un-
manned cargo aircraft developer
Dronamics to supply a lower power
version of the propulsion system it
is developing for the Islander.
Regulatory approval
Service entry for the hydrogen-
powered Dronamics Black Swan
is targeted for 2027, shortly after
the Islander makes its commercial
debut in 2026, Hutton says.
But based on the speed of regula-
tory clearance for the new technol-
ogy, those plans could change. “We
will progress as fast as we can to
apply the technology to whichever
opportunity comes first,” he adds.
Sized at 125kW, the fuel cell sys-
tem for the Black Swan will allow
the unmanned air vehicle to main-
tain its 350kg (770lb) payload,
Aviation Authority (CAA) for elec-
tric propulsion systems.
Receipt of the DOA is an essential
step on the path towards commer-
us”, says Evolito chief operating
officer Gareth Morris.
Evolito was spun out of Yasa
Motors in 2021 ahead of the latter’s
acquisition by automotive giant
Mercedes-Benz that year.
Gaining the DOA “a little more
than two years after independ-
ence” is a “huge achievement”,
Morris adds.
albeit at the expense of some
range, Hutton says.
Dronamics’ total requirement is
for around 1,300 fuel cell power-
trains – a figure that dwarfs CAeS’s
existing backlog of almost 100
propulsion systems.
It has disclosed agreements for
just 88 powertrains, from Mon-
te Aircraft Leasing (40), Air New
Zealand (23) and Evia Aero (25).
First flight of the Black Swan
took place on 25 May 2023 from
Balchik airport in Bulgaria. Dro-
namics hopes to begin commercial
cargo flights in the coming months.
Hutton was speaking at the
Dubai air show, where CAeS had
a presence on the stand of the
UAE’s Strategic Development Fund
(SDF) – an investor in both the UK
firm and Dronamics.
In addition, CAeS at the show
signed an agreement with Reaction
Engines, another SDF-backed firm,
Evolito
 Propulsion Technology

to expand their existing collabora-

tion on low-emission powertrains.
Reaction Engines is supplying its “There is a much
low-drag heat-exchanger technol-
ogy for the Fresson project. bigger opportunity
“It’s interesting that we are get-
ting technology that was designed from gaseous
for cutting-edge space access but
which is going on a 1960s-designed hydrogen than
aircraft,” adds Hutton.
previously thought”
Supply chain
Other suppliers for the Islander Paul Hutton
demonstrator, which is expected to Chief executive, Cranfield Aerospace Solutions
fly in 2024, include electric motor
specialist Evolito and fuel cell stack
developer PowerCell. Hutton says
CAeS hopes to firm up the supply
chain for the production power-
train “over the next six months”.
While the Islander and Black Swan
are CAeS’s immediate focus, Hutton
says it is “looking at other existing
aircraft, both singles and twins” as
well as “other UAV opportunities”.
“Longer term there could still be
an opportunity for a clean-sheet
50-seater using liquid hydrogen
but our thinking is evolving,” he
says, noting “more and more inter-
est in smaller aircraft”.
“We will choose the size of the
Dronamics

Service entry of the Dronamics

aircraft very carefully before we set Black Swan is targeted for 2027
off on that journey.” ◗

The company registered its DOA
application with the CAA “very,
very quickly” post spin-put “as we
had a head start with the technol-
ogy and a route to high-volume
manufacture”, says Morris: “A
lot of the building blocks
were already there.”
Evolito’s next goal is
to achieve Production
Organization Approv-
al status, a milestone
Morris anticipates at
some point in 2024.
An application for
type certification of
a propulsion sys-
tem based around
a stacked pair of its
D250 motors will like-
ly be lodged with the
CAA in 2024, he says,
“but this will depend a little
on customer progress”.
Based on that schedule
Morris expects certification
“in the latter part of 2026”.
While he declines to reveal the
customer, Morris says the first
application for the motor is for a
vertical take-off aircraft.
Evolito has already shipped an
electric motor and inverters to
Cranfield Aerospace Solutions
(CAeS) for its Project Fresson ef-
fort to convert a Britten-Norman
BN-2 Islander into a hydro-
gen-electric demonstrator.
Ongoing discussions
To date, there is no production
contract in place, but discussions
with CAeS continue, he says.
Several other customers have al-
ready or will shortly receive motors
or electric propulsion units on
a sample basis as Evolito works
through the transition from its
former owners.
“We are now able to manufac-
ture product independent of Yasa,”
says Morris.
However, its manufacturing sys-
tem retains much of the know-how
established under Yasa, which he
describes as a “robust, high-vol-
ume process” that will enable out-
put of up to 20,000 units per year.
Evolito’s axial flux motors are eas-
ily stackable to achieve power levels
of up to around 1MW, says Morris.
However, to go much beyond that
“we would look at a larger unit
based on the same principles”.
Meanwhile, the integration of
battery specialist Electroflight is
largely complete and the business
“has really been brought into the
Evolito fold”, he says.
Electroflight was acquired by
Evolito in 2022 following its collapse
into administration. The pair had
previously worked together on the
Accel project to develop the world’s
fastest electric aircraft and its pur-
chase added electrical storage ex-
pertise to Evolito’s capabilities.
Batteries were not included in the
initial DOA application due to time
constraints and no immediate de-
mand from customers, “but when
the time is right we will apply to
add it to our scope”, says Morris.
However, the motor maker has
dropped the Electroflight brand,
with the unit now trading under the
Evolito banner. ◗

January 2024 Flight International 39

 Helicopters Systems
Rotor Technologies spins up
autonomous R44 plan
New Hampshire firm will convert Robinson light-single into
uncrewed R550X platform for a range of hazardous missions
Dominic Perry London
U
S start-up Rotor Technolo-
gies is confident that cus-
tomers will later in 2024
begin operating its R550X
platform – an autonomous version
of the Robinson Helicopter R44
piston-single.
Rotor Technologies in late 2023
announced the conclusion of an
initial test campaign using a pair
of modified examples of the small-
er R22 – which it calls the R220Y
– during which the helicopters ac-
cumulated over 20 flight hours and
more than 80h of engine run time.
“It has confirmed, I think, that we
are on a technology path to scale
this up to the R550X next year and
have it as effectively an autono-
mous aircraft,” says chief commer-
cial officer Ben Frank.
Buoyed by the success of those
tests, the company has already
begun stripping out an initial pair
of R44s for conversion at its site
in Nashua, New Hampshire. First
flight of the R550X is expected in
early 2024.
Detailed design work for the
modification is under way, says
Frank, which sees the seats, pilot
controls and console removed to
be replaced by a full fly-by-wire
system, a flight-control computer
Rotor Technologies
and communications equipment.
In addition, Rotor Technologies in-
stalls an array of sensors – including
40 Flight International January 2024
LIDAR, radar, and electro-optical/
infrared cameras – allowing the hel-
icopter to build up a clear picture
of its surroundings.
“It creates a level of intelligence
and a level of situational aware-
ness,” says Frank.
While the company sees broad
appeal for anyone performing
“hazardous missions”, including
firefighting, initial customers for
the R550X are drawn from the
agricultural sector.
“In 2024 our first customers are
going to be using the R550X for
crop dusting. We are working with
a small group of partners next
year for service entry and taking
pre-orders for delivery after that,”
says Frank.
Anticipated demand
Rotor Technologies is now sizing
its conversion facilities to match
anticipated demand, which will
“keep us busy for 2024 certainly
and most of 2025”.
“In the long run we will build as
many as the market is interested in
buying,” he adds.
During the tests to date the
R220Y performed manoeuvres
including autonomous hover and
forward flight, as well as longer-
range missions, although the hel-
icopter remained in direct line of
sight of a ground control station.
At service entry the R550X will
still require a ground station to al-
low “supervision” of the mission
Modified R22s completed
more than 20h of flight tests
by a human in the loop – a feature
considered vital for the initial roles
envisaged for the platform, notably
firefighting where communication
with personnel on the scene will
need to be maintained.
The R550X designation is a nod
to the helicopter’s original manu-
facturer, its 550kg (1,210lb) payload
and its experimental classification.
Initial operations will be conduct-
ed in segregated airspace under US
regulations that permit the use of
experimental-category aircraft for
certain missions, but in the longer
term Rotor Technologies will seek
a supplemental type certificate for
the conversions.
Ultimately, it sees the R550Y be-
ing used for the transport of cargo
or passengers as the autonomous
technology – and the regulatory
framework supporting it – matures.
Although to begin with the used
market will provide the airframes for
conversion, Rotor Technologies is
exploring with Robinson whether a
line-fit option could also be offered.
Frank says the company has re-
ceived “strong support and collab-
oration” from the OEM, which will
be important “to supply the full
number of [R550Ys] that we want
to”. That could also see expansion
to the turbine-powered R66 if there
is customer demand.
However, talks continue with
other rotorcraft manufacturers, he
says, noting the technology is “quite
scalable to other platforms”. ◗

Amelia ERJ-145 aquaplaned and
overran after unstable high-speed
Paris Orly approach in tailwind
French investigation agency details poor crew resource
management as twinjet arrived on domestic service
David Kaminski-Morrow London
F
rench investigators have de-
termined that an Embraer
ERJ-145 conducted an un-
stable approach to Paris Orly
before the aircraft landed fast and
long, in a tailwind, and aquaplaned
on the wet runway.
It landed at 143kt (264km/h)
some 1,150m (3,770ft) beyond the
threshold of runway 25 – about
a third of its length – and passed
through pooled rainwater, 4-5mm
deep, from a storm in the vicinity.
Although the first officer, who
was flying, applied the brakes he
told the captain that the jet was
not slowing. The captain took over
as the aircraft reached 100kt, gen-
tly activating the parking-brake,
and using right rudder in an at-
tempt to vacate.
But the jet instead entered a skid
and, veering slightly to the right, it
overran at 80kt and passed by the
ILS antenna before coming to rest
450m beyond the runway end.
None of the 42 occupants on
board the Amelia Internation-
al aircraft were injured and the jet
(F-HYOG), arriving from Rodez in
southern France on 20 October
2022, sustained only minor damage.
But the French investigation au-
thority BEA has revealed poor crew
resource management from the
beginning of the approach.
It says the captain wanted to
AirTeamImages
shorten the approach trajectory
as much as possible, while the first
officer’s aim was to maintain suffi-
cient distance from the storm cells.
“Neither pilot clearly commu-
nicated their objectives to the
other and the atmosphere in the
[cockpit] deteriorated,” it says.
“The [captain] took little regard of
the [first officer’s] proposals. The
[first officer] gradually faded away,
realising that his contributions were
not taken into account.”
The captain, it adds, began
encroaching on the first officer’s
function – including navigation
management, speed selection and
configuration – which excluded
the first officer from decision-mak-
ing and reduced his situational
awareness. This also meant the
captain was distracted from his
own task of monitoring.
Pilots disagree
The BEA says the pilots originally
briefed at 28,000ft for an approach
speed of 136kt and a landing
with 45° flap. But as the aircraft
descended to 3,000ft over the
next 20min, the pilots disagreed
over such matters as the choice of
heading to avoid the storm.
When air traffic control cleared a
descent to 2,000ft the crew did not
hear the entire message, and the
aircraft remained at 3,000ft. The jet,
flying a shortened trajectory, was
also travelling 60kt faster than the
recommended speed for intercept-
ing the ILS, and overshot the axis.
The first officer “quickly
corrected” the horizontal course
“to the detriment” of the vertical
one, says the inquiry, leaving the
aircraft above the glideslope.
Circumstances of the first of-
ficer’s heading change led to a
Safety Report
change of vertical guidance mode.
The captain “improvised” a proce-
dure to capture the glideslope from
above, the inquiry says, but neither
the selected altitude nor vertical
speed enabled the aircraft to return
to the intended descent path.
Only after a period of manual
control did the first officer
manage to restore the aircraft to
the glideslope, at about 1,500ft.
The interception was “rapid, un-
prepared and poorly co-ordinat-
ed”, says the BEA, and left the
crew with high workload and less
awareness of the aircraft’s energy
and configuration.
Even though the crew had
briefed for a 45° flap approach, it
was more than 35kt above the air-
speed limit for this setting, and the
captain opted for 22° flap instead.
Four of the nine stabilisation
criteria – airspeed, configuration,
thrust, and ‘before landing’ check-
list completion – had not been met
by the time the aircraft descended
through 1,000ft.
During the turbulent final
approach the wind shifted, without
the crew’s awareness, and resulted
in a tailwind.
At about 240ft height the
terrain-awareness system alerted
the pilots to an incorrect config-
uration and the captain, realising
the oversight, immediately select-
ed 22° flap. But this late selection
led to the flaps extending under
the influence of ground effect. This
aerodynamic situation, combined
with the high approach speed and
20kt tailwind, caused the aircraft to
float and touch down long. ◗
January 2024 Flight International 41
 Visit FlightGlobal Premium for all the latest aviation news and insight FlightGlobal.com
EDGE fund
Four years on from its formation, the UAE’s fast-growing
defence house has an acquisition war chest and plenty of
targets in mind, says chairman Faisal Al Bannai
Murdo Morrison Dubai
E
DGE had a frenetic fourth
anniversary. The group
was launched on the eve
of the 2019 Dubai air show
to consolidate the United Arab
Emirates’ state-run military manu-
facturing assets under one brand
and organisation. It spent the days
before, during, and just after the
2023 version of the event – where
its giant exhibit dominated the
front of the hall – issuing a stream
of announcements on acquisitions,
product launches, and partnerships.
Diversification drive
Like its neighbour Saudi Arabia,
the UAE no longer wants to be
simply a consumer of foreign de-
fence equipment. Instead, the
small nation intends to use its
military spending heft to diversi-
fy its energy-dependent economy
and create high-skill careers and
in-country intellectual property.
The eventual aim is to become
not just partly self-sufficient in
BillyPix
42 Flight International January 2024
defence, but – like Israel, Singa-
pore and other so-called knowl-
edge economies – a net exporter of
equipment and services.
EDGE is its vehicle. The Abu
Dhabi-based group has acquired
major shareholdings in 12 foreign
firms over the past two years. Two
of the most recent are Poland’s
Flaris, a developer of high-speed
personal jets, and Anavia of
Switzerland, which specialises in
autonomous helicopters. Brazilian
missile systems producer SIATT
and Estonia’s Milrem Robotics
are among others that have been
added to the portfolio through
sizeable equity stakes.
More could be on the cards.
“Come and talk to us,” says chair-
man Faisal Al Bannai to owners of
small and medium-sized compa-
nies with innovative technologies
keen to partner with EDGE. He says
EDGE came up with a “roadmap
of products that we want to build”
shortly after its formation.
While its priority is to develop
indigenous intellectual property,
Al Bannai makes clear that EDGE
Faisal Al Bannai aims to develop
indigenous intellectual property
must bolster its capabilities with
key expertise from overseas.
He insists that EDGE will make
a rapid assessment of the merit
of any potential acquisition. “You
could speak to us or you could
speak to someone who might just
spend three years chit-chatting,”
he advises those looking for out-
side investment in exchange for
BillyPix
equity. However, despite the deep
pockets of the UAE, Al Bannai cau-
tions that acquisitions will have to
be the right fit. “We are not buying
for the sake of buying,” he says.
EDGE’s most recent acquisition,
however, is not a foreign business,
but another state-owned entity.
The UAE’s Strategic Development
Fund (SDF) became part of EDGE
on 22 November, and will “feed into
the expansion of EDGE’s portfolio
to develop advanced technologies
through investments and direct
venture partnerships” with a focus
on defence and security, aero-
space, urban mobility, robotics, and
dual-use technology sectors.
One of SDF’s investments had
been a 50/50 venture with Russian
Helicopters to develop two co-axial
light helicopters, the VRT500 and
VRT300. However, EDGE says it is
terminating the agreement to “as-
sure compliance with international
sanctions” following Moscow’s in-
vasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
At the recent show, SDF an-
nounced it had reached an agree-
ment with its former partner to
continue developing the helicopter
programme independently.
Wide portfolio
While EDGE’s businesses span naval
and ground systems as well as mu-
nitions and secure communica-
tions, aerospace is a major part of
its portfolio. Its subsidiaries include
missile houses Al Tariq and Halcon,
helicopter training school Horizon,
and aerospace structures manu-
facturer EPI. However, one of the
areas where it believes it can set it-
self apart is in autonomous systems,
which come under its ADASI unit.

Flaris – in which EDGE now has
a 50% stake – is part of a move to
“bring innovative commercial tech-
nologies to the forefront of the
defence industry”. The company, a
spin-off from the privately owned
industrial manufacturer Metal Mas-
ter, has developed the four-seat
LAR1 short take-off and landing
single-engined jet, which is similar
in concept to the Cirrus Vision Jet.
It has flown but is not certificated.
At Dubai, EDGE displayed an un-
manned version, called the Sinyar.
Another recent acquisition –
EDGE has taken on a 52% stake
– is Anavia. Again, the business,
which builds rotorcraft up to 750kg
(1,650lb) for reconnaissance, map-
ping and light cargo, fits neatly into
the UAE group’s aspirations in au-
tonomous platforms.
At the Dubai show, EDGE
announced that its subsidiary
BillyPix
Abu Dhabi Ship Building was
incorporating Anavia’s HT-100
model, which has a 6h endurance,
on the vessels for one of its key
export programmes.
Deals with some of the industry’s
biggest names were also high on
the agenda at the show. EDGE an-
nounced an agreement with Turkish
missiles house Roketsan to explore
ventures in smart weapons. It will
also work with General Atomics
Aeronautical Systems to integrate
Al Tariq Thunder and Halcon Desert
Sting guided weapons onto the
MQ-9B SkyGuardian. It will be the
first time the US firm has fitted a
non-NATO weapon system on one
of its platforms.
Deals with local aircraft manufac-
turer Calidus to fit the same weap-
ons on its B-250 light attack aircraft,
and an order from the UAE armed
forces for 100 examples of EDGE’s
Subsidiaries include guided
weapon manufacturer Halcon
Defence Strategy
Deal to integrate smart weapons with
Calidus B-250 was revealed at Dubai show
in-development Reach-S fixed-wing
medium-altitude, long-endurance
unmanned air vehicle were also re-
vealed. So too was the completion
of a feasibility study into integrating
Al Tariq long-range weapons onto
Hindustan Aeronautics’ Tejas light
combat aircraft.
Testing centre
EDGE is keen to stress too that it
is diversifying. The X-Range is an
island off the Abu Dhabi coast con-
verted to a multi-zoned testing and
training centre, with everything
from a 3,000m (9,840ft) runway
and helicopter missile firing ranges
to a beach to practise amphibious
assaults and a mock village for spe-
cial forces training. X-Range will be
offered to third-party militaries and
manufacturers as well as the UAE’s
own defence forces.
And in its first step into the space
sector, EDGE will lead a consorti-
um of local entities to work on the
payload for the UAE’s first synthetic
aperture radar satellites. The first of
the constellation of three Sirb-1 sat-
ellites is planned to launch in 2026.
Along with nurturing a defence
sector able to stand on its own feet,
the UAE is also determined to join
the elite club of space nations with
ambitious projects both in Earth
observation and communications
as well as planetary exploration.
As the group enters its fifth year,
be prepared for more significant
activity from EDGE as it works to-
wards becoming a global heavy-
weight in defence and security. ◗
January 2024 Flight International 43
 A critical ICAO alternative fuels meeting held in
Dubai in late November delivered the strongest
message yet about sustainable aviation fuel’s key
role in enabling decarbonisation

SAF signals
Mark Pilling London together representatives from 100 countries, to
decide how SAF could move from a compelling idea
to reality. The meeting took place shortly before the

T
he wisps of white smoke emanating from the UN’s COP28 climate summit in Dubai.
Sistine Chapel’s chimneys in Rome signify that The outcome and associated messaging from
a new pope has been elected. CAAF/3 was not so much for aviation itself, but one
There was no smoke to detect from the targeted at countries to develop SAF industries, the
gleaming Dubai conference centre that hosted the big oil companies to step up, and financiers to open
third ICAO Conference on Aviation and Alternative their wallets.
Fuels (CAAF/3), but this meeting was the one that
gave a resounding signal that sustainable aviation fuel Cost concerns
(SAF) is the big hope to decarbonise air transport. Nobody is blind to the fact that shifting the entire
While hydrogen offers great potential, only a air transport industry from its reliance on fossil fuels
scaleable, drop-in replacement for kerosene-based jet is going to cost billions of dollars. For SAF to be the
fuel will cut it, at least for the next couple of decades. answer, hundreds of production plants must be built
The central actor here is ICAO, the UN agency all over the world in the coming 20-plus years.
created in 1944 that “helps 193 countries to For investors to back this fuel transition they need
co-operate together and share their skies to their to see the return, and this means governmental
mutual benefit”. policy support. For individual countries to sign up
ICAO is often criticised for ponderous deci- they need global direction, which according to ICAO
sion-making, but when it comes to aviation and the was agreed at CAAF/3.
environment it is the industry’s key regulatory body. “We have the framework, we have the direction,”
In 2022 it co-ordinated probably Jane Hupe, chief of ICAO’s environmental unit,
the most significant nt global signal said during an event organised at COP28 by the
bonisation to
on aviation decarbonisation Air Transport AAction Group (ATAG), which brings
that point, when the he 41st ICAO
Assembly adopted d a long-term
global aspirationall goal (LTAG) “CAAF/3 was a success.
for net-zero carbon n emissions by
2050. This move iss in support of We’ve got the global
ement’s goal
the UN Paris Agreement’s
to by mid-century limit the global framework, which is
average temperature ure increase to
1.5°C (34.7°F) above ve pre- actually the most
industrial levels.
While the LTAG set important part
the high-level “aspi- pi-
ration” for aviation, n, of an ICAO-led
the plan was for
CAAF/3, which decision”
from 20-24 No-
ATAG

vember brought Haldane Dodd Executive director, ATAG

44 Flight International January 2024


together players from across the air transport value
chain to present a united front on sustainability.
“When we talked to the financial organisations
before [CAAF/3], they said we need consistency and
predictability,” she adds.
Months of ICAO studies on clean energy, and hours
of painstaking meetings in advance of CAAF/3, paved
the way for what was essentially a global endorsement
of SAF. And Hupe is clear about what this means. “We
did it. Now bring us the money,” she says.
ICAO can be forgiven for the hyperbole in describ-
ing the decisions taken at CAAF/3 as “a giant leap to
accelerate [aviation’s] decarbonisation”.
Global framework
Two central decisions were made. First, “the adop-
tion of a new ICAO global framework for sustainable
aviation fuels, lower carbon aviation fuels [LCAF] and
other aviation cleaner energies”, ICAO says.
Second, “ICAO and its member states have agreed
to strive to achieve a collective global aspirational
vision to reduce CO2 emissions in international
aviation by 5% by 2030, compared to zero cleaner
energy use,” it explains.
Although elements of the framework had been
agreed in the past, this is the first time a full package
to map out a pathway to net-zero has appeared.
“The role of the framework is to facilitate the
scale-up of the development and deployment of
Environment Sustainability
Emirates Airline
Stakeholders are aware that shifting away
from fossil fuels will require huge investment
5%
‘Collective aspirational vision’ to reduce CO2 emissions in
international aviation by 2030, as agreed by ICAO members
SAF, LCAF and other aviation cleaner energies on a
global basis, and mainly by providing greater clarity,
consistency, and predictability to all stakeholders, in-
cluding those beyond the aviation sector,” says ICAO
Council president Salvatore Sciacchitano.
“Investors, governments and others all need
greater certainty regarding the policies, regulations,
implementation support, and investments required
so that all countries will have an equal opportunity
to contribute to, and benefit from, the expansion
in the production and use of these fuels and the
expected emissions reductions they will lead to,”
Sciacchitano adds.
Industry got most of what it wanted from CAAF/3,
particularly with the COP28 event following imme-
diately afterwards, where the big discussion was
around the phase out of fossil fuels.
“CAAF/3 was a success,” says ATAG executive
director Haldane Dodd. “We’ve got the global
January 2024 Flight International 45
 Industry needs to ‘push progress’ to hit
80% carbon intensity reduction by 2050
Boeing
framework, which even though it’s not the headline
that comes out of a meeting like that, is actually the
most important part of an ICAO-led decision.
“The global framework talks about things like
capacity building, financing and the mechanism for
financing SAF development in countries all across
the world, particularly developing economies. It looks
at knowledge and technology transfer and at the
important question of how governments put in place
the right policies to enable SAF.
“The second main outcome was the goal of 5%
carbon intensity reduction of the fuel that we use by
2030,” says Dodd. “Industry had asked for a goal of
80% carbon intensity reduction by 2050, which is basi-
cally a complete replacement of fossil fuel with SAF.”
Time for the oil majors to step up
The aviation industry’s crystal-clear message to the
oil majors is ‘please do more on SAF [sustainable
aviation fuel]’.
Asked during FlightGlobal’s 12 December
sustainability webinar if they are doing enough,
Haldane Dodd of the Air Transport Action Group was
frank: “The simple answer is no, they're not.
“There’s a lot of talk from some of the oil majors
and there’s quite a bit of advertising going on at
airports around the world on what they’re doing to
try and produce green fuels,” he says. “But I think
if you look at it from an overall perspective, the
traditional oil companies have not been doing nearly
enough to help us in this transition.
“They have spent the last 100 years or so making
an awful lot of money off aviation,” Dodd adds.
“We as an industry have got our pathway forward
to 2050 [and] we know the important role that SAF
has to play.”
The hope is that signals such as those delivered
at the third ICAO Conference on Aviation and
46 Flight International January 2024
A 2050 goal at this stage was “a bridge too far
for a number of countries”, he says. “But 2030 is
important because it sets a very early milestone on
the road to 2050 and we need to get moving on this
quickly. In order to get the level of SAF that we need
into the system by 2050, we’re going to need to
really push progress now.”
Near-term investment
Dodd notes: “Having the 5% carbon intensity target
helps drive near-term investment, because we know
that it takes about five years for a SAF plant to get
up and running. In other words, we’ve got the next 18
to 24 months to be able to finance the facilities that
are needed to deliver the SAF required in 2030.”
Alternative Fuels (CAAF/3) and COP28 climate
summit in Dubai in late 2023 tell their own story
to the oil majors. “But in a year where they made
record profits – $220 billion profit among 10
companies, and last year one of them made $161
billion – they decided that they were going to pull
back on some of their 2030 climate commitments:
that shows that they’re not serious about this,”
states Dodd.
“If I was a CEO at one of these companies, I’d be
looking to 20 years’ time and asking: Is my company
going to have a future? If it is, then it’s going to need
to get into this space not only in aviation with SAF
but in other sectors of the economy as well.”
“We’ve been working on SAF for the best part
of 15 years and the energy companies have been
notably absent from this,” says Jonathon Counsell,
group head of sustainability, International Airlines
Group (IAG). “It has been the airline industry that
has had to step in. We are ready to commit. If I
think about IAG, we have committed $865 million in
contractual commitments to SAF – representing 25%
Air bp
of our target of a million tonnes by 2030.”

Watchers of the industry’s progress on SAF will be
familiar with targets that specify the volume usage
of this alternative fuel. Several airlines, for example,
have committed to using 10% of SAF for their
operations by 2030.
However, ICAO’s CAAF/3 target talks about
carbon intensity. This is an important distinction
because it describes the efficiency of a fuel in
reducing emissions.
“We need to focus on the intensity,” says Nancy
Young, chief sustainability officer at Gevo, a
US-based firm developing SAF and next-generation
alternative fuels. “If you have not defined the
emissions benefit of that fuel, in other words its
carbon intensity, then you really can’t show what
your progress is and what it is going to be.”
Studies, such as the ATAG’s Waypoint 2050 paper,
state that to meet ICAO’s 2050 net zero goal, over
60% of the fuel airlines use must be SAF. “But that
doesn’t tell you the whole story,” she says. “It must be
fuel that has a very low carbon intensity to be able to
meet the emissions goal.”
“SAF is the only
viable solution for
long-haul flying,
which represents
70% of aviation
emissions”
Jonathon Counsell
IAG
Group head of sustainability, IAG
BP wants to secure a 20%
share of global SAF market
Environment Sustainability
For this reason, ICAO’s decision to declare a 5%
carbon intensity reduction by 2030, although a
modest target, is significant. “I think some of us
would have liked to see a more aggressive target,
but it is a critical milestone for that ramp up towards
2050,” Young says.
Production efficiencies
Meanwhile, the framework’s inclusion of LCAF refers
to a fossil jet fuel which incorporates production
efficiencies to reduce its carbon intensity by about
10%, but which is not available today.
“LCAF is really being pushed by a certain number
of key oil-producing states as a way of producing
lower carbon aviation fuel,” says Dodd. While it was
included as a key negotiating point in the CAAF/3
process and “is going to be part of a transition [to
lower carbon fuel]”, he adds: “I think that within the
industry we believe that SAF is the long-term vision
for how aviation is going to decarbonise.”
All panellists on FlightGlobal’s 12 December
webinar ‘Is SAF up to the sustainability challenge?’,
which incl
included Dodd and Young, agreed on the
importa
importance of the 2030 target and SAF’s role.
“SAF is the now solution,” says Sean
Bradsh
Bradshaw, senior fellow, sustainable
propu
propulsion at Pratt & Whitney.
Jona
Jonathon Counsell, group head of sustain-
ability
ability, International Airlines Group (IAG),
adds: “SAF is the only thing that is going
to en
enable us to reduce our emissions this
deca
decade, which I think as an industry we
must demonstrate. In addition, it is the only
viable solution for long-haul flying, which
represe
represents about 70% of aviation emissions.”
While a all agreed on the importance of the
CAAF/3 fframework and target, in isolation they
fall shor
short in enabling financiers to sign off on
SAF iinvestment.
The oil majors argue that they are stepping up.
Speaking at a European Union event at COP28
on 6 December, Giulia Chierchia, executive vice-
president, strategy, sustainability, and ventures at
BP, said her company recognises that the solution
to decarbonise aviation is SAF. “When we look at
demand, we see a market for SAF which could grow
from 200,000 tonnes today to 300 million tonnes
by 2050.”
Chierchia told delegates about the extensive SAF-
related supply work BP is undertaking, adding: “We
are aiming to have a 20% share of the SAF market
globally, which is a very significant ambition.”
“The one thing mandates do is force people to the
party, including the energy companies. You can’t
ignore them,” says Counsell. He also calls for the
energy majors to go beyond their commitments
to producing first generation SAF and drive the
development of second and third generation
alternative fuels such as power-to-liquid SAFs.
“We need 2G and 3G SAFs, otherwise we are
not going to be able to meet our ambitious 2050
targets,” he adds.
January 2024 Flight International 47
Christopher Pike/UN Environment Sustainability
“On their own they are not enough,” says Dodd.
However, as UN-backed goals they send a clear signal
“that governments need to start thinking about what
they are going to do as a national policy”, he says.
“It’s all about policy,” adds Counsell. “This is a signal
for governments to develop the policy instruments to
attract that finance, because this is not trivial.” SAF
plants can cost about $1 billion apiece.
It is a message industry can also take to players in
the finance and energy space. “It’s all about getting
investor confidence,” says Counsell. “We need three
things to attract finance. Firstly, there are demand
signals through SAF usage mandates, such as in
Europe and the UK, or tax incentives as incorporated
in the Inflation Reduction Act from the USA.
“We have gotten over
the technology hurdles
demonstrating how SAF
is completely safe, but
we still need to bring the
finance community along”
Nancy Young Chief sustainability officer, Gevo
“Secondly, it is important that governments provide
direct financial support to help SAF projects through
the risky early development phase before they are fully
funded. The final piece is you need incentives,” he says.
These are delivered through a mechanism where either
airlines or SAF producers receive financial incentives
for a time to either soften the higher price of the new
fuel or minimise the price risk for investors.
Young describes the country or regional mandates
and incentive schemes, plus ICAO’s new global frame-
work, as “stackable signals that show investors and the
financial community that [SAF] is bankable”.
48 Flight International January 2024
UN’s COP28 climate summit in Dubai was
focused on how to phase out fossil fuels
These instruments and policy signals need to be
stable and long-term, Young says. And while the US
Inflation Reduction Act’s tax incentives have received
widespread industry praise, the final guidance and reg-
ulatory provisions to implement them is still awaited.
The same is true in the UK, where its SAF mandate
also is not signed into law yet. Making these regu-
lations legal is vital for projects to obtain achieve
“financial close”, which is when investors make their
final commitment to a project, says Counsell.
Investor confidence has been bolstered by ICAO’s
initiative, but no silver bullet has been shot that
makes a SAF project a safe bet. “Not to be greedy
about it, but we need more,” says Young.
“We have gotten over the technology hurdles
demonstrating how SAF is completely safe,” she says.
“We have put together pieces of policy, including
the CAAF/3 outcome, but we still need to bring the
finance community along. Another part is for the
finance community to see that we have technology
that’s scalable and can be made cost effective.”
Improved performance
Asked in the webinar what the panellists want to see
on the SAF front in 2024, P&W’s Bradshaw asked for
an over-performance in SAF usage, for industry to hit
1% of demand. The proportion will be about 0.2% in
2023, and is forecast to reach 0.5% in 2024.
“Policy,” says Counsell. “I want a mandate in
legislation in 2024, along with that price stability
mechanism. My dream is that I can visit those five
construction sites for SAF plants in the UK in 2025,”
he adds. The UK’s mandates are intended to kickstart
a domestic SAF industry, with the target of having
work on five plants under way by 2025.
Young wants similar clarity on guidelines for SAF
incentives in the US Inflation Reduction Act.
“I’d like to see commitments to a SAF plant in a
developing economy, because that is going to send
a massive signal to those countries that they can be
part of this story as well,” says Dodd. ◗
● To view our latest sustainability webinar, visit
flightglobal.com/webinars
 Projects are advancing to dramatically boost
production of sustainable aviation fuel in the
Asia-Pacific region, although local carriers will
not account for the bulk of its use
Upping
output
Tony Harrington Brisbane
A
refurbished refinery in Singapore is about to
become one of the world’s biggest sources of
sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), with capacity
to produce up to 1 million tonnes per year.
Finnish renewable energy giant Neste, the world’s
largest producer of the fuel, has completed a €1.6 bil-
lion ($1.7 billion) expansion of its multi-purpose plant
in the Asian city-state, enabling a tenfold boost in SAF
output from the previous 100,000t.
Production will begin within weeks and ramp up in
the first half of 2024.
Refinery can produce up to
Neste
1 million tonnes of SAF per year
50 Flight International January 2024
For now, however, very little will flow to
Asia-Pacific airlines.
Although the plant is well positioned to supply
them, many carriers in the region are waiting for their
national governments to introduce policies which
will incentivise SAF production and use by driving up
demand while bringing prices down.
Decarbonisation targets
Most of the SAF produced by Neste in Singapore will
go to North America or Europe, where demand is
already high, buoyed by incentives to procure the fuel,
escalating SAF-jet fuel blending mandates, or in-house
decarbonisation targets set by individual airlines.
“There’s no shortcut jump to a desired future,”
says Sami Jauhiainen, the company’s vice-president
Asia-Pacific, and acting executive vice-president
of renewable aviation. “You have to start with the
fundamentals and policies to create demand and
de-risk investments.”
And in many Asia-Pacific markets, he says, “we are
still missing the ignition”.
But change is coming across the region, which is
collectively the world’s biggest air transport market,
sweeping south and east from the Indian subconti-
nent, through China, north and south Asia, Australia,
New Zealand, and South Pacific island nations.
Although Asia-Pacific countries lag others in
embracing SAF, they are increasing their ambitions
and committing to or indicating intent to accelerate
decarbonisation of their skies.
From 2030, Japan will mandate 10% SAF content in
aviation fuel. In addition to imports, local production

is progressing via multiple pathways, with strong
support from the nation’s biggest carriers, Japan
Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways.
New Zealand is also getting active. Its recently
defeated government flagged SAF mandates, and
partnered with Air New Zealand (ANZ) to commence
trials with two US-based companies: waste-to-fuel
start-up Fulcrum BioEnergy; and alcohol-to-jet
producer LanzaJet.
It is presumed that the newly elected govern-
ment in Wellington will progress the SAF plans,
as incoming prime minister Christopher Luxon – a
previous chief executive of ANZ – understands the
issue better than most.
Meanwhile, Australia, India, Singapore and
South Korea are openly contemplating mandates,
incentives, or both.
In Singapore, a 20-month SAF trial has just
concluded that the country is “operationally ready”
to provide the fuel at its Changi hub.
The Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore is
finalising a “sustainable air hub blueprint”, and
developing a “structural offtake mechanism” with
options including blending mandates and incentives
for production and use.
Long-term policy
The Australian government, in its recent Aviation
Green Paper, highlighted the potential use of locally
sourced and converted feedstocks to produce SAF
domestically. The document foreshadows an Aviation
White Paper to be released in 2024, which will guide
Canberra’s long-term aviation policy.
And the 14-member Association of Asia Pacific
Airlines (AAPA) has newly endorsed a 5% SAF usage
target by 2030.
Multiple carriers in the region have tested SAF, and
increasingly are announcing one-off or longer deals to
source and deploy it. Commercial partnerships also are
evolving to import and locally produce SAF, to help
ensure fuel security while building self-sufficiency.
Environment Fuel
SAF produced by Neste in Singapore will
mostly go to North America or Europe
Neste
“There’s no shortcut jump
to a desired future. You
have to create demand
and de-risk investments”
Sami Jauhiainen Vice-president Asia-Pacific, Neste
JAL operated Japan’s first SAF flight in 2009,
using fuel distilled from camelina plants. It has since
trialled variants produced from feedstocks including
woodchips, microalgae, and even 250,000 items of
recycled cotton clothing.
Together with carriers including Cathay Pacific,
JAL is also an investor in Fulcrum BioEnergy, while
Neste partners with Japanese industrial group Itochu
to supply neat SAF for local blending and use on
international flights from Tokyo.
Cathay, JAL, Malaysia Airlines and Qantas
participate in joint programmes driven by the
Oneworld alliance to collectively buy and use SAF.
Korean Air has announced a five-year deal
from 2026 to secure SAF from Shell at multiple
Asia-Pacific airports; from 2027, Malaysia Aviation
Group will procure 230,000t from national oil
company Petronas; and by 2028, Qantas says it will
use up to 400,000t per year, part of which it wants
produced in Australia.
In 2023, Qantas also committed $400 million to
SAF research, called for a national SAF mandate, and
warned of a lost opportunity.
“Creating markets for new fuels is a critical part of
tackling climate change,” warned chief sustainability
officer Andrew Parker. “Without the right policy
settings and signals, we will see investment, projects
and feedstocks move offshore to places with specific
policy support.” ◗
January 2024 Flight International 51
 The Dutch government has dropped controversial
plans to slash annual flight capacity at Amsterdam
Schiphol over noise concerns, as London Heathrow
operator reviews long-term expansion options

Quiet victory
Graham Dunn Geneva “Schiphol punches way above its weight given
the local origin and destination market that exists
there. It’s a fantastic hub airport,” he says. “I think the

I
ATA director general Willie Walsh believes other
governments will take note of the legal process-
es to follow after the Dutch administration was
forced to drop a plan to cut capacity at Amsterdam
Schiphol airport amid mounting pressure.
The Dutch government had proposed reducing
flight capacity at Schiphol from an annual maxi-
mum of 500,000 down to 440,000 in a bid to find a
“new equilibrium” between flight activity and noise
pollution at the airport.
The plan was subsequently widely contested by
airlines, including a legal challenge by carriers and
trade association IATA. Notably though it was com-
plaints from US carriers, backed by the Department
of Transportation, which appeared to tip the balance.
ln mid-November the Dutch government shelved the
plan, saying several countries, including the USA, had
“raised concerns” about the scheme, and that it may
violate Open Skies agreements. “In the eyes of the
United States, the capacity reduction would be unjust,
discriminatory and anti-competitive for airlines,” trans-
port and infrastructure minister Mark Harbers said.
The European Commission had also warned it was
reserving the right to start infringement proceedings
against the Netherlands “due to… non-compliance
with European regulations”, Harbers adds.
impact that it would have had, had the government
not backed down, would have been really significant.
I think it would have undermined the whole integrity
of the hub operation there.”
Walsh also takes heart from the united front shown
by the airline sector in challenging the cut. “What was
encouraging from an industry point of view is that
everybody opposed what was happening.
“You might have expected some people to see this
as a competitive opportunity. The dismantling of the
Amsterdam hub would have benefited some of the
other hubs in Europe, but nobody took that view.
They all took the view that this was wrong and that
the industry had to stand to together, so I was very
pleased that that happened.”
While saying the industry has to “recognise that
noise is an issue”, Walsh expresses frustration that air

Legal obligations
Speaking at IATA’s annual media day in Geneva on
6 December, Walsh said: “I’m hopeful there will be a
better understanding of the process and we won’t
see other governments embarrassing themselves by
reaching for solutions they think will be popular but
which fail to fulfil the legal obligations that they have.”
AirTeamImages

Walsh says he was surprised to see the Dutch

Demand forecasts support further
government embark on such a move given the
growth at London Heathrow
importance of Schiphol to the Netherlands’ economy.

52 Flight International January 2024


travel is targeted given the impact from other modes
of transport. He cites 2017 European Environment
Agency data, the latest available, which he says shows
four times as many people are impacted by noise from
rail and 30 more by noise from roads. “Yet air travel is
the one that seems to get all of the attention.”
Outside of Europe, Mexico is another country where
the government has moved to impose capacity cuts,
in this case at Mexico City International airport. Walsh
argues that such short-term changes can make air-
lines review their commitment to airports, particularly
in the current environment.
“Today we have a situation where airlines have few-
er aircraft than they would like to have because of the
delays in the delivery of new aircraft and the prob-
lems with the supply chain,” notes Walsh. “So it’s not
like normal years where airlines are looking for new
growth opportunities. They have fewer aircraft, so
moving those aircraft to more attractive markets and
more stable markets is something we are witnessing.”
Slot constraints
While the Schiphol noise issue has gone quiet, further
government intervention in Europe could follow at
another major European hub. In early December,
the UK government, now no longer covered by EU
slot regulations, launched a consultation on whether
to revamp its own rules covering slot-constrained
airports, in a move seemingly aimed at loosening the
grip on prized slots by incumbent carriers.
Raising the existing 80:20 slot usage rates, greater
transparency with slot-allocation decisions, limiting the
length of slot leases, and time-restricting the allocation
of new slots are among the topics up for consultation.
“Slot allocation is a very complex issue that isn’t
fully understood by a lot of people,” says Walsh. “It
is a fine, integrated system that needs to be care-
fully addressed because one airport undoing its slot
allocation rules can have a global impact. Heathrow
would have a global impact.”
Environment Airports
AirTeamImages
Carriers including KLM opposed
Amsterdam hub capacity cuts
440,000
Proposed annual capacity at Schiphol – down from half a
million – in plans now abandoned by the Dutch government
London Heathrow is one of eight slot-controlled
airports in the UK.
“That is not to say we can’t improve things,” he
adds. “There is always scope [for improvement]. But
to dismantle a system that has been very effective is
something governments should be very cautious of.”
Meanwhile, London Heathrow is reviewing its long-
term expansion options, including the possibility of
building a third runway. Expansion plans had been in
place prior to the Covid pandemic, but were shelved
amid its devastating impact on travel demand.
Speaking at the Airlines 2023 conference in London
in late November, Heathrow chief strategy officer
Chris Annetts said that under new chief executive
Thomas Woldbye, options for long-term capacity
growth at the hub are again being considered.
“The question is how do you deliver [airport expan-
sion] and when does it come,” he says. “We are active-
ly reviewing that and trying to work out the answer.”
Acknowledging that “expansion as a programme
has a lot of baggage with it”, Annetts says the need
for more airport capacity in the UK is demonstrat-
ed by “long-term demand forecasts that still look
broadly the same as they did pre-Covid”.
Heathrow has “plenty of room to grow in the short
to medium term” with its current two-runway system,
but fulfilling the UK’s “full growth potential” would
require projects such as its third runway and the use of
a second runway at London Gatwick, he suggests. ◗
Additional reporting by Lewis Harper in London
January 2024 Flight International 53
 Air forces are engaging with a new strategic threat
– climate change – via actions including efficiency
gains and the use of sustainable aviation fuel

Green shoots
Crown Copyright

Craig Hoyle London Space A330 Voyager tanker (image above) entirely
powered by SAF.
“Defence aviation emissions, attributable to the

M
omentum is building among air forces eager
to address climate change as one of their
strategic priorities, after NATO described the
issue as “a defining challenge of our time,
with a profound impact on allied security”.
The UK Ministry of Defence (MoD) published its
Defence Aviation Net Zero Strategy in mid-July
2023, supported by input from the nation’s Defence
Suppliers Forum. Its key priority is to ensure that
decarbonisation measures are in place to achieve the
metric no later than 2050.
The initiative swiftly secured support as leading in-
dustry players including BAE Systems, Boeing, Leonar-
do and Rolls-Royce signed up to a related charter.
“As a company, an industry and a society we all
have a part to play in tackling the threat of climate
change and this charter is our latest commitment,”
combustion of aviation fuel, contributed around 35%
of the MoD’s total emissions in 2019/2020,” the report
states. “Aviation emissions are not only the largest
contributor, but they are also seen as some of the
hardest to abate due to the significant technology
challenges that are involved.”
Mitigating options
According to the MoD’s current assumptions, avi-
ation-related carbon reduction will be achieved
“through the combination of five mitigating options”.
Some 34% will come from the widespread introduc-
tion of SAF. “The predominant challenge will come
in establishing robust supply chains to meet fuel
demands,” the report states, with a 10% SAF uptake
targeted for aviation by 2030.

35%
says Ian Muldowney, chief operating officer of BAE’s
Air sector business.
For its part, the Royal Air Force (RAF) has already
“launched an ambitious programme” to contribute
toward the transition, within its next generation
Crown Copyright

vision, dubbed Astra.

The service has already cleared all of its platforms
to operate on a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) blend Aviation-related emissions as a proportion of the total
of up to 50%, and has flown an Airbus Defence & attributable to UK defence operations in 2019-2020

54 Flight International January 2024


A 30% saving will come from “improved technical
and operational efficiency”, such as improved fuel-
efficiency, and for example, emissions cuts made
“from the point of taxi to the final parking position”.
Another 20% reduction will be achieved by
“rethinking capability provision” – such as by shifting
the RAF’s synthetic versus live training mix to a 70:30
ratio, and moving some applications to the use of
uncrewed assets.
Carbon capture and storage will account for
another 15%, including the ability “to create
feedstocks for future synthetic [fuel] supply”.
“Through its significant estate, the RAF is aspiring
for its holdings to become net negative by 2040,
as a means to offset any remaining emissions,” the
strategy document states.
Zero emissions propulsion is expected to deliver only
a 1% contribution, since “current projections for the
development of battery-electric technology suggest
that they will be unable to meet the performance
requirements for most defence aviation capabilities”.
Hydrogen also “is unlikely to play a significant role in
decarbonising fleets before 2040”, it adds.
Industry partnerships
Steve Gillard, Boeing’s regional director UK, Middle
East and international defence sustainability, and
co-chair of the Defence Suppliers Forum’s climate
change and sustainability working group, says indus-
try has a key part to play on the path to net-zero.
“We want to work with the MoD to make this a
reality,” he says. “This is a first step, but [it] shows
tangible progress, and that we’re really committed.
“It’s SAF, but not SAF exclusively,” he notes of
current efforts involving the company.
The introduction of modern and more-efficient
platforms will deliver improvements, such as replac-
ing the RAF’s already retired Boeing E-3D Sentry
airborne warning and control system fleet with a
737NG-based solution.
“Transitioning to the E-7 [Wedgetail] will
bring lower operating and sustainment costs,
higher mission readiness rates and unmatched
interoperability,” Boeing says.
Other such examples include the US Air Force’s
(USAF’s) tanker recapitalisation effort, which is
Boeing has agreed to explore ‘sustainable
opportunities’ for RAF’s P-8A Poseidon fleet
Environment Defence
“By defence committing
to SAF, it can help to
accelerate some of the
projects and get the
volumes moving”
Steve Gillard Regional director UK, Middle East and
international defence sustainability, Boeing
delivering 767-based KC-46As as replacements for
aged KC-135s.
“Because we are using less gas to move the aircraft
around it means we’ve got more gas to give to the
aircraft that are receiving fuel,” Gillard notes. “That is
a win-win situation, while delivering lower emissions
and lower costs.”
Re-engining the USAF’s Boeing B-52 bombers with
R-R’s F130 powerplant also will deliver a 30% fuel
efficiency improvement.
Meanwhile, more efficient operational use of Boe-
ing’s C-17 strategic transport, enabled by data analyt-
ics and predictive maintenance, has already enabled
Australia, Canada and the UK to save a combined “4.5
million-plus pounds of fuel over a six-year period”.
The airframer also has signed a framework agree-
ment “to explore sustainable aviation opportunities”
for the RAF’s nine-strong P-8A Poseidon MRA1 fleet.
Complex logistics
Gillard notes that the move to SAF – which offers a
70-80% carbon reduction versus traditional fuel –
plus potentially electric and hybrid propulsion, will
create “a more complex logistics space”.
“Defence forces need to make sure that their
platforms are capable of operating SAF to be inter-
operable with the commercial jet fuel supply chain.
“The first step is obviously to burn less fuel… and
use the fuel that we have intelligently,” Gillard says. “If
I’m an airline, that’s not just about emissions – that’s
about profit. In the military world, that’s about range,
time on station, as well as cost the taxpayer.
“There is huge opportunity in SAF for the military. By
defence committing to SAF, it can accelerate some of
the projects and get the volumes moving. If I can bring
that fuel on shore, then I have surety of supply. I’m also
protecting my nation against inflationary shocks.”
He quips: “When I took this role, I didn’t realise I was
going to learn about two things: finance and farming.
“The finance community has a critical role to play
in this: there are huge amounts of capital that can be
deployed to support SAF production,” he notes.
“Where we do see supportive government policy,
we’re seeing that money flow into SAF production,
and it is scaling rapidly.” Examples include the US gov-
ernment’s Inflation Reduction Act, and an amendment
in the UK Energy Bill. The latter will lead to the intro-
duction by late 2026 of a so-called revenue certainty
mechanism, to support SAF production in the UK.
Gillard says early action is already having an effect,
although much work remains. “We’re on the road, but
we just need to move a little bit faster.” ◗
January 2024 Flight International 55
 Still in production half a century after its unplanned
first flight in prototype guise, the F-16 continues to
punch above its weight for 25 nations, with service
entry also drawing near for Ukraine’s air force
Prize fighter
Craig Hoyle London
I
n late January, Lockheed Martin will mark a major
anniversary in the astonishing history of its F-16
programme: 50 years since the first flight of a proto-
type developed for the US Air Force (USAF).
It is no exaggeration to say that the YF-16’s debut
outing from Edwards AFB in California on 20 Janu-
ary 1974 represented an unplanned and bumpy start
for what was to become today’s most widely-flown
fighter, as test pilot Phil Oestricher recalled during a
2012 interview.
“I had intended all the way along to put a little bit
of daylight under the wheels, maybe a foot or two,
fly it about 1,000 feet down the runway and land
it, in the meantime checking out the lateral or roll
response sensitivity,” he said of what had officially
been planned as a first high-speed taxi test.
“I started the run – the airplane accelerated very
smartly, of course – and pulled the power back… [but]
we had a wiring problem in the airplane where the
exhaust nozzle would not open up, thus killing thrust.
“The airplane was very sensitive in roll: it rolled
violently left, I countered with an equally violent right
command, then we were instantly in a pilot-induced
oscillation, with the airplane rolling back and forth
very quickly.”
With the fighter only feet off the ground and
turning sharply left, Oestricher had to act instantly. “I
could see it was going to go out into the dirt, so I just
powered it up and let go of the controls and let it fly
away. I made a rather extended turn to the downwind,
56 Flight International January 2024
came around and landed. Most of the flight was done
with me barely touching the stick, if at all.”
The surprise debut resulted in light damage, with
the aircraft’s starboard horizontal tailplane and port
wingtip missile rail found to have struck the ground
after it became airborne at about 135kt (250km/h).
Barely two weeks later, Oestricher put the same
YF-16 through its first official outing, on 2 February
completing a 90min sortie from Edwards. This includ-
ed taking the fighter to 350kt (647km/h), 30,000ft
and manoeuvring at a maximum of 3g.
“The F-16’s maiden flight in 1974 marked a
watershed moment. It introduced a highly agile and
cost-effective fighter concept that revolutionised
modern air warfare,” says Lockheed.
Service requirement
Developed by General Dynamics, the single-engined
jet was intended to meet the USAF’s broad need for
a lightweight fighter (LWF). This drew on lessons
learned from the Vietnam War, where its aircraft
had fared poorly in close combat against Mikoyan-
Gurevich’s more agile MiG-15.
General Dynamics chose the Pratt & Whitney F100
engine – a powerplant already employed with the
USAF’s McDonnell Douglas F-15 – for its candidate.
Also pursuing the LWF requirement was Northrop,
with the twin-engined and twin-tailed YF-17. Both
companies produced a pair of prototypes, under
USAF contracts worth approaching $40 million each.
Reviewing General Dynamics’ design in our 7
February 1974 issue – when we also published our
first cutaway drawing of the type – Flight wrote of
 Anniversary F-16

US Air Force
Active global inventory stands at more than
2,850 jets, with US Air Force having 948
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin
Lockheed Martin

Above: test pilot Phil Oestricher was at the controls for both ‘first’ flights involving prototype YF-16.
Top left: official 90min debut on 2 February 1974 took lightweight fighter to 350kt and 30,000ft.
Left: cockpit configuration is optimised for high-g dogfighting, including 30° seat back angle

January 2024 Flight International 57

 Full-scale development assets gained enlarged
highly successful F-18, first flown in November 1978.
control surfaces and air-to-surface weapons
Produced by McDonnell Douglas and later Boeing,
the type was sold to the USN and US Marine Corps,
plus export customers Australia, Canada, Finland, Ku-
wait, Malaysia, Spain and Switzerland. Production of
the current F/A-18E/F Super Hornet will end in 2025.
With its selection made, the USAF funded General
Dynamics to start work on eight full-scale develop-
ment (FSD) aircraft, which featured major, but mostly
internal design changes.
“The YF-16 validated the aerodynamics, propulsion,
and handling qualities of the aircraft’s basic design.
With the major design issues out of the way, engineers
concentrated on internal details, such as the electrical

Lockheed Martin
system, hydraulics, and avionics, with the FSD aircraft,”
Lockheed says.
“The evolution of the production F-16 became a
balancing act between adding and improving capa-
bilities and maintaining the original design’s opti-
mised performance.”
the LWF process: “complete responsibility resides Changes meant the fighter gained an extra 13in in
with the [bidding] company and no detailed military length, and its nose “acquired a slight droop to accom-
specifications have had to be met”. modate the Westinghouse APG-66 multimode radar”.
With this free rein, the YF-16’s designers “combined “To respond to the need for larger air-to-ground
a host of advanced technologies that had never [weapon] payloads, the wing and tail surfaces were
been used in operational fighters”, Lockheed says. enlarged to carry the extra weight,” Lockheed says.
“A blended wing-body, variable camber wings, and Wing area was increased to 27.8sq m (300sq ft), from
forebody strakes provided extra lift and control. 26sq m, the horizontal tail and ventral fins by about
Fly-by-wire flight controls improved response time 15%, and flaperons and speed brakes by roughly 10%.
and replaced heavy hydro-mechanical systems with The airframe was also strengthened, enabling an
lighter and smaller electronic systems. additional two hardpoints to be added under its
“A side-mounted throttle and stick, head-up display, wing, boosting its total count to nine. Its canopy
30° seat back angle, hands-on controls, and bub- was improved, to withstand impact by a 1.8kg (3.9lb)
ble canopy improved the pilot’s g-tolerance and bird at 350kt.
situational awareness. The YF-16 was the first to
incorporate all of them into a producible design.”
General Dynamics developed and
Bubble vision built F-16s in Fort Worth, Texas
Referring to the use of a bubble canopy, which gives
the pilot 360° vision in the upper hemisphere, Flight’s
report noted: “There is a substantial supersonic drag
penalty associated with this type of canopy, but
General Dynamics points out that visibility in combat
was the requirement, and by far the greater part of
dogfighting takes place at speeds below Mach 1.”
Following a short flight-test campaign, the USAF
selected the F-16 as the winner of its formal Air
Combat Fighter requirement in January 1975. Its
decision was driven by a “Hi-Lo” operating concept,
which would employ the type in partnership with the
larger and more expensive F-15.
Lockheed hails the vision of a so-called ‘Light-
weight Fighter Mafia’ group in the USAF and US
Lockheed Martin

Department of Defense, which “favoured simple and

small fighter designs that could change direction
and speed faster than their potential adversaries –
designs that were harder to detect, and inexpensive

4,591
to produce, operate and maintain”.
Flight’s coverage after the selection’s confirma-
tion noted strong opposition from some parties who
had favoured a twin-engined solution – including the
US Navy (USN) – stating: “The decision ignores the
strenuous efforts made in recent months to ensure
that the selected aircraft would be as attractive as
possible to known and expected overseas customers.”
Such concerns were to prove ill-founded, even Number of F-16s that have been built across 140 versions
though the defeated YF-17 would evolve into the also representing different blocks and nation-specific variants

58 Flight International January 2024

 Anniversary F-16

F-16 global fleet

Country Active Ordered On option

Bahrain 24 14
Belgium 52
Bulgaria 8 8
Chile 46
Denmark 43

US Air Force
Egypt 218
Dutch F-16s saw combat in Afghanistan – now Greece 154
surplus examples will help to defend Ukraine Indonesia 32
Iraq 34
Israel 224
Jordan 59 12
Morocco 23 24
The Netherlands 31
Oman 23
Pakistan 75
The Philippines 12
Poland 48
Portugal 25
Romania 20 32*
Singapore 25
Slovakia 1 13
South Korea 167
Taiwan 139 66
Thailand 49
Turkey 243
Ukraine 61*
United Arab Emirates 78
USA (Air Force) 948**
USA (Navy) 21
FlightGlobal

Venezuela 15
Total 2,852 125 32
Flight’s YF-16 cutaway drawing, published after its official debut
Source: Cirium fleets data/Lockheed Martin Notes: *Secondhand **Includes 62 QF-16 target drones

Combined, the enhancements meant that the fight-
er would be capable of an unrivalled 9g performance
with a full internal fuel load.
A first production F-16A built for the USAF made its
debut flight in December 1976, and its first operational
examples arrived at Hill AFB in Utah in January 1979.
The service officially named the model the Fighting
Falcon, although it is widely also nicknamed the Viper.
European Partner Air Forces Belgium, Denmark,
the Netherlands and Norway had also ordered a
combined 348 of the type, with their aircraft to be
assembled in Belgium and the Netherlands.
Capability updates
Multi-role capability followed from 1981, when the
enhanced C/D model – with a maximum take-off
weight (MTOW) of 17,000kg – achieved initial opera-
tional capability. Further updates to the type, which
is powered by either an F100 or GE Aerospace F110,
were declared in service by the USAF in 1989 as the
Block 40/42 version and 1994 for the Block 50/52.
The USAF notes that during Operation Desert Storm
in 1991, its F-16s flew “more sorties than any other
aircraft” and struck “airfields, military production facil-
ities, Scud missile sites and a variety of other targets”.
The region also provided the first air-to-air kill for an
F-16: a successful ‘no-fly’ zone engagement of an Iraqi
air force MiG-25 using a Raytheon AIM-120 AMRAAM,
during the subsequent Operation Southern Watch.
Shortly afterwards, Lockheed in 1993 acquired
General Dynamics’ tactical military aircraft business,
including the F-16’s Fort Worth final assembly line
in Texas. This grew to be a mile long, and now hosts
completion of Lockheed’s F-35 stealth fighter. The
last F-16 delivery from the site was made in 2017, with
the aircraft bound for service with the Iraqi air force.
In 2023, first shipments were completed from a
new production facility in Greenville, South Carolina.
Some 4,591 F-16s had been built as of mid-Decem-
ber, with the global fleet having recorded over 13
million sorties and 19.5 million flight hours. Lockheed
notes that over the life of the programme, around 140
versions have been produced, through various blocks,
models and national-specific adaptations.
Today, F-16s are in frontline use in 25 nations, with
Slovakia and Bulgaria to follow and Ukraine in 2024
to begin fielding at least 61 examples which F-35 buy-
ers Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands and Norway
will transfer from surplus stocks. Partially in support
of the pending equipment transfer to Kyiv, Lockheed
in late 2023 established a new European F-16 training
centre at Fetesti air base in Romania.
Cirium fleets data indicates that the current ac-
tive F-16 inventory totals 2,852 military aircraft, with
another 327 recorded as currently in storage.
Lead operator the USAF has progressively reduced
its active F-16 fleet to slightly below the four-figure
mark: some 948 were in use as of mid-December.

January 2024 Flight International 59

 The service’s frontline C/Ds are aged between
18 and 41 years, while its fleet total also includes
62 A/C-model examples modified by Boeing into
QF-16 target drones, and examples used by the
Thunderbirds aerobatic display team.
The three leading users behind the USAF are the air
forces of Turkey (243), Israel (224) and Egypt (218).
Other notable users include the United Arab Emirates,
which flies 78 E/F-model examples in the advanced
Block 60 standard, which introduced an active elec-
tronically scanned array (AESA) radar with the type.
US adversary training provider Top Aces, meanwhile,
has become the first such operator to field F-16s, with
10 N-registered examples – nine As and one B – in use,
aged up to 43 years.
Non-military users
Other non-military users are listed as Lockheed, with
two, and single examples are with Calspan, Israel
Aerospace Industries and NASA.
In terms of engine choice, Cirium records a fairly
even split: of all F-16s currently flying, 53% are
F100-powered, while the remainder use the F110.
By December 2023, Lockheed had handed over
three Greenville-built aircraft in the F-16’s lat-
est Block 70 standard. Initially to be employed in
support of pilot training in the USA, these include
the first two of 16 examples for Bahrain and one of
14 ordered by Slovakia.
New capabilities embedded with the Block
70/72 standard include Northrop Grumman’s
APG-83 AESA radar, plus “advanced avionics, a
modernised cockpit with new safety features, ad-
vanced weapons, conformal fuel tanks [CFTs], an
improved-performance engine, and an extended
FlightGlobal
We marked the United Arab Emirates’ introduction of the Block 60 F-16E/F with cutaway poster treatment in 2003
60 Flight International January 2024
“We leverage emerging
technologies to advance
F-16 performance for
future production as
well as upgrades and
modernisation activities”
Lockheed Martin
structural service life of 12,000h” – equivalent to at
least 40 years of operational use.
MTOW also climbs to almost 21,800kg, with engine
thrust in the 29,000lb (129kN) class.
Lockheed notes that the CFTs – which increase
internal fuel capacity by almost 1,360kg – provide
extended range “without sacrificing the aerodynamic
performance of the jet”.
The company also notes that its automatic ground
collision avoidance system has saved the lives of 13
USAF personnel since its introduction in late 2014.
“There are currently 125 F-16s for five countries in
the production backlog,” Lockheed says: its oth-
er customers are Bulgaria (8), Morocco (24) and
Taiwan (66). To date, the majority of buyers for the
enhanced version have selected GE’s F110 engine:
US Air Force
only Morocco’s examples will have the F100.
Bulgaria plans to boost its acquisition by another
eight jets, and Jordan intends to buy 12. And in 2023,
 Anniversary F-16

Royal Bahraini Air Force was the first to receive a

Greenville-built Block 70, followed by Slovakia

the Philippines emerged as another potential future
customer, with a need for a dozen advanced fighters.
Lockheed notes that its current production activity
is supported by roughly 470 suppliers globally, with
“major components produced in eight countries”.
Deliveries will run through at least late this decade,
but the company has previously said that it expects to
secure additional orders in “Europe, Asia and Africa”.
Opportunities include an Indian air force requirement
for which Lockheed is offering a rebadged F-21, to be
produced in the country if selected.
“We leverage emerging technologies to advance
F-16 performance for future production as well as
upgrades and modernisation activities,” the airframer
says. Greece, South Korea and Taiwan – which fly a
combined 460 examples – plus another undisclosed
operator are in the process of updating their fleets
with the APG-83 radar, a high-resolution centre
pedestal display and replacement modular mission
computer, it notes.
Lockheed says: “This foundation of innovation,
versatility and affordability has been integral to the
F-16’s enduring global success over the past five
decades. The jet stands as one of the most iconic
fighters in history. It is a symbol of enduring partner-
ships, industrial collaboration and security.
“The fundamental strengths of the original design
remain,” it adds. “At the heart of every Fighting
Falcon is the lightweight fighter concept championed
by Colonel John Boyd and the other members of the
Lightweight Fighter Mafia.” ◗
US adversary training provider Top
Aces flies 10 N-registered Vipers

Defending Ukraine
2024 will again see much focus placed on the F-16, as
the type bolsters the capabilities of the war-depleted
Ukrainian air force. Its 50th anniversary will also be
Kyler Noe/Top Aces

one of the show themes for the 19-21 July Royal In-
ternational Air Tattoo in the UK, with multiple nations
due to proudly exhibit their aircraft.
Describing the jet as “the most dominant and
capable fourth-generation fighter ever produced”,

January 2024 Flight International 61

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

Al Fursan team: going up?

The astronaut and

Airbus’s US lift-off
Another Apollo astronaut has sadly departed. As well
as being the commander of the 1968 Apollo 8 mission
– the first to circle the Moon – Frank Borman was also
notable for helping Airbus crack the US market.
After retiring from the air force in 1970, the former
fighter pilot went on to have a 16-year career with
Eastern Airways, becoming its chief executive in 1975.
At the time, a still-infant Airbus faced the daunting
task of breaking into the USA, taking on the might of
Boeing, Lockheed and McDonnell Douglas.
The European
manufacturer felt
Eastern would
Alexey U/Shutterstock

benefit from using

widebody twinjets
and squeaked a slot to
make a presentation
to Borman. He was
offered four whitetail
A300s that Airbus had
no customer for on an
immediate trial lease
lasting a few months. If
Past imperfect
the Miami-based airline As part of its 20th anniversary celebrations during the
liked them, it could Dubai air show, Etihad Airways released a timeline.
keep them. The detailed graphic charts dozens of milestones
The Europeans’ and achievements by the United Arab Emirates flag-
audacity paid off. carrier between 2003 and 2022, including the entry
Eastern introduced into service of its Airbus A380, A350 and Boeing 787
the A300 to service aircraft, its high-profile sponsorships of Formula 1
in December 1977. and Manchester City, its humanitarian efforts during
Borman and his the early months of the Covid-19 crisis, and its joint
executive team were venture with low-cost carrier Wizz Air.
convinced, and they Borman: opened
Surprisingly, there seems to have been no room
ended up ordering 23 to list several initiatives that, at the time, Etihad
NASA

door for Airbus

of them. executives were very keen to trumpet – the

From the archive

1924 Fokker’s flying wing 100

In France designers have been busy for several
years planning aeroplanes in which the fuselage
is entirely suppressed, the wing being built deep
enough to accommodate the crew and passengers.
The de Monge monoplane described in Flight
recently is a flying scale model of this type. In
America also machines without fuselage have been
built. Now comes the news that Fokker, the famous
Dutch designer, has completed his plans for a large
monoplane in which the cabin is inside the centre-
section of the wing. It is stated that the new machine
will be fitted with two Rolls-Royce engines built into
the wing in such a manner that they can be reached
by the engineer during flight for inspection and
small adjustments.
1949 RAF recruitment 75
What is the way to obtain men for what some of us
regard as the Finest Service in the Greatest Empire
the World has ever known? Offer the young men of
this country a life of adventure amid the rigours of
the desert and the arctic wastes; promise them a
tough life, with both responsibility and prospects, for
those who work hard and play fair; and, when and if
they unfortunately die, haul their honoured remains
proudly to their last resting place, flags aflying and
bands playing, that all may know where rests a gallant
British airman of His Majesty’s Air Force. Let the
approach be to those among our youth who can take
it and pass it on, rather than to those for whom the tea
bell tolls. What is more, for heaven’s sake secure them
as soon as they leave school.

62 Flight International January 2024

 Straight & Level

Elevator
formation
Access to FlightGlobal’s press-centre office
at the Dubai air show was achieved via
a small lift which – despite only serving
the ground and first floors – was kept
remarkably busy, with a surprising number
of air show participants, many of them
military, shuttling back and forth.
On one occasion, the doors opened
to reveal the pilots of the UAE’s Al
Fursan aerobatic team crammed in the
compact space. Not unusual to see them
travelling in such close proximity to one
another, of course, but anyone hoping
they’d dramatically exit, split up and
synchronously disappear down different
corridors would have been disappointed.

disastrous James
Hogan-era strategy
of investing billions of
dollars in ailing airlines
such as Air Berlin, Air
Serbia, Alitalia, Darwin,
and Jet Airways, in a
bid to extend its route
network and lure traffic
to its Abu Dhabi hub.
In fact, Hogan, chief
executive for 11 of those
20 years, does not
Easy pray
Bristol Airport was lambasted on social
media after releasing this image of its
new “multi-faith area”, which many
likened to a smoking shelter or bus stop.
Following more than 2,000
withering comments, the airport
took to X (formerly Twitter) to insist
that the “area was created after we
consulted widely and listened to

Bristol Airport
merit a single mention feedback, to provide shelter and
in Etihad’s airbrushed dignity prior to the winter”.
version of history.

1974 No fuel to find fuel 50

Despite assurances by the British government
1999 Vision of the future
that supplies of fuel would be safeguarded for
flights related to the oil exploration industry,
charter operators have found that they have been
unable wholly to fulfil their commitments to the
oil companies. Some companies which were given
allocations of fuel for December 1973 found that
they could not obtain even their allocation; Glasgow
airport was one installation which had no aviation
gasolene in its tanks during the last weeks of the
year. The interpretation of “oil-related” flights has
concerned operators. In some cases fuel has been
allowed for flights from the Scottish mainland to
Sumburgh and to Stavanger but similar flights to
Bergen and Ejsberg have not been permitted.
25
Information technology, environmental concerns
and global competitiveness will stimulate major
changes in aerospace, says Dennis Bushnell, NASA’s
chief scientist at the Langley Research Center,
Virginia. Speaking at the Royal Aeronautical Society
in London, Bushnell envisaged a future including
“dramatically improved air transports, automatic
VTOL aircraft for personal use, and revolutionary
space access”. His ideas included strut-braced wings
with wingtip engines; fuel cells; blended-wing bodies;
advanced rockets and “airbreathers” for space
access. IT developments would reduce conventional
travel, but would enhance air vehicle affordability,
productivity and performance, including automatic or
robotic flight, said Bushnell.

January 2024 Flight International 63

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 Having flourished as an aircraft dispatcher working
at American Airlines, Rachael McMahon is loving
the varied challenges of her new responsibility as
an irregular operations lead
The unseen
crew member
Pilar Wolfsteller Las Vegas
W
hen passengers board commercial
airline flights, before turning right and
walking down the aisle to their seats,
they sometimes take a peek to the left,
into the cockpit.
There, they usually see two pilots preparing the
flightdeck for departure. Few passengers, however,
are likely to realise that another highly trained
professional, sitting in an office far from the cockpit,
shares responsibility for ensuring that their flight is
conducted safely, economically and on time.
Rachael McMahon is one of those critical but
unseen crew members. She is a dispatcher at
American Airlines, based at the carrier’s headquarters
in Fort Worth, Texas.
“There’s one [assigned to] every single commercial
airline flight,” she says. “We’re the additional crew
member, we’re behind the scenes. You don’t necessar-
ily see us, but we’re in charge of all the pre-flight plan-
ning and paperwork that’s associated for that flight.”
Duty calls
McMahon is one of about 500 dispatchers at
American, and has been doing the job for more than
15 years. About 80 of the carrier’s dispatchers are on
duty during a typical daytime shift.
Dispatchers play a key role starting long before
an aircraft departs and lasting until long after it
lands. McMahon plans routes based on factors
including weather and winds, aircraft performance,
maintenance issues and weight. She also files
flight plans for the pilots, who then sign off on the
information and data.
“That’s just really the beginning of just one of the
flights,” McMahon says. “We do this many, many,
many dozens of times a day.”
When the aircraft takes off, the dispatcher keeps
tabs on it throughout the flight.
66 Flight International January 2024
American Airlines
“That’s the most important job,” she says. “You’re
keeping an eye on everything. If the thunderstorm
forecast wasn’t as you expected, you might have to
adjust the flight plan en route with the captain, redo
their fuel-burn numbers [for] that new route, or even
change altitude to avoid turbulence or icing.”
Dispatchers also help pilots respond to
unexpected in-flight problems – from maintenance
issues to dealing with sick and injured passengers.
They assist with diversions, ensuring flights land
at airports with sufficiently long runways and with
adequate support facilities.
“We are constantly in communication via the aircraft
systems,” McMahon says. “The aircraft automatically
sends us messages based on the location, fuel burn
and other data. So that’s always data that’s being
inputted to us that we constantly are monitoring.”
McMahon began her career at regional carrier
Mesa Airlines in 2007. The US Federal Aviation
Administration requires aircraft dispatchers receive at
least 200h of specialised training and pass a written
and practical exam.
“Once you get hired by an airline, you will take
additional classes or training for your specific
aircraft fleet,” she explains. That includes studying
company manuals and performance manuals
specific to aircraft types.
Years ago, McMahon had no idea such a job even
existed, and it certainly wasn’t on her school or
university career advisor’s radar.
“[As a dispatcher] you
are that set of eyes on the
ground, and you want to
make sure that everything
goes safely”

“I never even knew that dispatch was a thing until
I was actually in a dispatch office by happenstance,”
she says. “I grew up always wanting to be in aviation,
and in college I majored in aviation management and
business administration.”
At Mesa, she was a customer service co-ordinator,
but watched her dispatcher colleagues in awe. She
learned that all the paperwork for every flight was
not actually completed by the two pilots who flew
the aircraft. “That was a new and interesting fact to
me.” McMahon earned her dispatcher certificate in
2007, at the age of 24.
Domestic flights
She began – like all dispatchers – working domestic
flights. As dispatchers gain experience and additional
qualifications, they can advance to overseeing longer
and more complex operations, like international flights.
“We have a lot of people who are doing this for
their second or third career,” she says. “We have
dispatchers that are lawyers, they’re pilots, they’re all
types of teachers, and [people] from within the airline
or other airlines who worked their way up to dispatch.
So it’s really a career that you can make at whatever
time of your life.”
Subscribe today at www.FlightGlobal.com/subscribe
Women in aviation
McMahon specialises in helping the
airline deal with disruptive events
McMahon has worked her way up to become an
IROPS lead – meaning she manages what airlines call
“irregular operations”. In other words, she runs the
show when good days turn terrible.
It is a new role, one that American recently created
for its most experienced dispatchers. IROPS leads
specifically help the airline recover from major
disruptions such as severe weather, which can throw
its carefully choreographed and meticulously timed
schedule into disarray. The objective is to create
a response designed to affect the least number of
aircraft, crew and customers possible.
“The most important thing about this line of work
is being extra observant [and] organised – keeping
everything moving in a safe fashion,” McMahon says.
“You are that set of eyes on the ground, and you
want to make sure that everything goes safely.”
For now, she can’t imagine doing anything else.
“I love my job,” she says. “It is so interesting, it’s
always different. I’ve learned so much, constantly,
every day, about performance of airplanes and
airports and climb performances and all the
different and new aircraft that are coming in and
their new capabilities.
“It’s fun and fascinating, and just so unique.” ◗
January 2024 Flight International 67