Flight International August 2023

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Worth waiting for

Jakub Porzycki/NutPhoto/Shutterstock
Wheels in motion
Ukraine’s journey towards NATO membership has been
boosted by a ‘fighter coalition’ offering pilot training for F-16s
– but don’t expect a transfer of such aircraft to end the war
A
s Ukraine’s heroic defence Already transitioning their fight- commitment to supporting Ukraine
against Russian invasion er fleets to the Lockheed F-35, and its population.
reaches the 18-month mark, Belgium, Denmark, the Netherlands The Ukrainian air force will be able
Kyiv has at last received a and Norway are potential candi- to restore and maintain credible
boost in its conflict-long quest to dates to make such a donation. combat mass, after losing around
acquire Western combat aircraft. Having previously acted as a half of its pre-war combat aircraft
NATO’s annual summit in Vilnius, barrier to any such fighter transfer, during the conflict’s first year. By
Lithuania was the venue for an the US government now seems contrast, Russia’s estimated below
11-nation “fighter coalition” to join to be in at least loose formation three-digit comparable airframe
forces and pledge to train Ukrain- with the 11-nation group, but has losses mean that there are more
ian air force personnel to fly and stopped short of joining ranks. than 1,000 assets still available to
maintain the Lockheed Martin F-16. Bear in mind though that Wash- its air force, which remains wary of
“F-16s will protect Ukraine’s skies ington initially also was reluctant venturing inside Ukrainian territory.
and NATO’s eastern flank,” says to supply Kyiv with defence equip- While this for now falls short of
Ukrainian defence minister Oleksii ment including precision-guid- offering Zelensky a firm date for
Reznikov, anticipating an expected ed munitions, cruise missiles and Ukraine to join the military alliance
subsequent donation of second- Patriot air-defence batteries, be- – which is already poised to expand
hand jets. “The Ukrainian air force is fore yielding to international pres- to 32 nations with the addition of
prepared to master them as quickly sure and the requests of Ukrainian Sweden from later this year – it rep-
as possible,” he adds. President Volodymyr Zelensky. resents a clear statement of intent.
Training activities could begin as The introduction of an undis- “We have reaffirmed that
soon as August, with the work to closed number of donated F-16s Ukraine will become a member
initially be performed in Denmark, will not determine the eventual of the alliance and we have made
before later expanding to use a outcome of this war, where neither decisions to bring Ukraine closer to
base in Romania. Ukraine or Russia is able to assert NATO,” says the alliance’s secretary
For an experienced Ukrainian air dominance over the battle- general Jens Stoltenberg.
pilot with an operational back- field. Indeed, Moscow’s air-defence By providing trained pilots
ground flying the RAC MiG-29, systems and long-range air-to-air and a valued and capable West-
the process of gaining basic missile threat will in all likelihood ern model in the F-16, the fighter
competence on the F-16 could keep the advanced jets well away coalition partners will make sure
take around six months – by which from the front line. that Ukraine is ready and able to
time more will be known about the A transfer would, however, have a join formation with its allies when
nations likely to be in line to trans- much stronger symbolic meaning, its day of accession comes. ◗
fer aircraft to Kyiv. and underscore NATO’s long-term See p6
August 2023 Flight International 3

In focus
Fighter coalition to train UK funds Excalibur testbed 16 Testing times for Airbus
Ukrainian F-16 pilots 6 American and JetBlue Helicopters 28
Airbus clear on export role unwind Northeast Alliance 20 UK advances Typhoon
for UK H175M plant 8 F135 powers through spat 22 radar project 30
Airframers gain momentum 10 ALPA calls on federal regulators Five years an Airbus 32
Ecojet bets on green appeal 15 to close Part 135 ‘loophole’ 26 D328eco gathers pace 40
62
Going electric
The future of commuter aircraft?
28
FlightGlobal.com August 2023
Airbus
marks five
years of the A220
SkyCourier’s
military utility p16
New radars for UK

Typhoons p30
Fighter club
AirTeamImages
Allies line up to support Ukraine’s F-16 advance p6

£5.99
Sales lift Safety first

When airliner Can carriers
orders started prevent more
soaring again fatal errors?
p10 p48
Regulars Comment 3 Best of the rest 44 Straight & Level 76 Letters 78 Women in aviation 82
4 Flight International August 2023

Contents
In depth
Hopeful signs 48 Still a mystery 60 Fuel throttle? 66
There was only one fatal Tupolev Tu-144 crash at the What’s next as the USAF’s
accident in the first six months 1973 Paris air show is one of KC-135 tankers near retirement?
of 2023. Is this an anomaly? the most puzzling disasters Rotary genius 72
Close calls 56 Regional promise 62 Remembering Igor Sikorsky’s
Air traffic control infrastructure Can developers meet demand extraordinary contribution
in the US is struggling to cope for low-emission flights? to the helicopter industry
32
72 48
Visit FlightGlobal Premium for all the latest aviation news and insight FlightGlobal.com
Fighter coalition
to train Ukrainian
F-16 pilots
Almost 18 months
after Russian invasion,
11-nation group
pledges to deliver
instruction to Kyiv’s
personnel, although
future source
of surplus jets
US Air Force
Belgian air force could supply

remains unclear combat type to Ukraine
Ryan Finnerty Tampa Denmark and the Netherlands in aircraft will come from remains
organising the fighter coalition, unclear. Poland and Slovakia have
which will support the instruction of already transferred MiG-29s to
U
krainian aviators will soon pilots, technicians and support staff. Ukraine, but a supplier of F-16s has
begin training on the “The purpose of the training yet to emerge. Among the fighter
Lockheed Martin F-16 fighter, effort is for the Ukrainian air force coalition members, potential can-
following a multi-national to have the basic skills and prereq- didates could include Belgium,
agreement announced at the NATO uisites to fly, service and maintain Denmark, the Netherlands and
summit in Vilnius, Lithuania on F-16 aircraft,” the Danish defence Norway – all of which have intro-
11 July. ministry says. duced or are acquiring Lockheed’s
Organised by a so-called “fighter Initial training for Ukrainian successor F-35A.
coalition” of 11 countries backing personnel will be conducted in The USA has since the start of
Ukraine in its war against Russian Denmark while a longer-term site is the conflict resisted calls to provide
invasion, the pact will see pilots established in Romania. Western fighters to Ukraine, citing
from Denmark and the Netherlands concerns about provoking Russia
lead instruction for Ukrainian coun- Capability boost and the ability of the Ukrainian air
terparts from as soon as August. The Ukrainian air force currently force to maintain such advanced
The coalition includes NATO operates Soviet-era RAC MiG-29 equipment. Washington’s approval
members Belgium, Canada, Den- and Sukhoi Su-24, Su-25 and Su-27 is needed before any surplus F-16
mark, Luxembourg, the Nether- combat aircraft. Kyiv has been sale or transfer to a third party.
lands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, seeking the transfer of Western While US President Joe Biden’s
Romania and the UK, plus pending fighters to boost its capabilities administration has not commit-
addition Sweden. and replenish losses from the near- ted to directly providing F-16s to
“F-16s will protect Ukraine’s ly 18-month-old war. Ukraine, at the G7 summit in May
skies and NATO’s eastern flank,” US intelligence assessments Washington signalled an openness
Ukrainian defence minister Oleksii leaked earlier this year estimate to allowing European governments
Reznikov tweeted on 11 July. that Ukraine had lost 60 fixed- to transfer their jets.
“The Ukrainian air force is pre- wing aircraft as of February – a “The support has evolved over
pared to master them as quickly as figure equal to 53% of its pre-war time, as the war has evolved,” US
possible,” he adds. fighter fleet. National Security Council commu-
Reznikov specifically praised Beyond training efforts, the nications co-ordinator John Kirby
the “outstanding leadership” of question of where replacement said at the time.

Cover story
“America can once again demon-

strate its leadership by providing Ankara has 243 F-16C/Ds in use, but
Ukraine with [Boeing] F-15 or F-16 wants to add 40 newer examples
aircraft,” Ukrainian Prime Minister
Denys Shmyhal said during a visit
to Washington in April.
Speaking at the Royal Inter-
national Air Tattoo in the UK on 15
July, Kelli Seybolt, deputy under
secretary of the air force, inter-
national affairs, confirmed that
the service will not be supplying
Ukraine with any of its F-16s.
“Right now there won’t be any
Twintyre/Shutterstock
[Ukrainian personnel] training

in the US, but the USAF will be
involved,” she says.
“We are putting together a team
with the 11 nations, and will work
out where we get involved,” adds
General James Hecker, commander, Turkish sale edges closer after accession nod
United States Air Forces in Europe.
“We will see how much the United Ankara’s agreement to approve Sweden’s accession to NATO could
States will be getting involved.” open the way for the Turkish air force to acquire sought-after
additional Lockheed Martin F-16s.
Experienced pilots The development came as heads of state from the currently
Hecker indicates that training could 31-member military alliance met in Vilnius, Lithuania for its
initially be focused on preparing annual summit.
Ukrainian MiG-29 pilots with more US national security adviser Jake Sullivan said on 11 July that
than 1,000h of experience to fly the a Turkish deal already has the backing of President Joe Biden.
F-16, with this process to take five “He has placed no caveats on this,” Sullivan says, adding:
or six months to complete. In the “He intends to move forward with that transfer.”
longer term, allies could prepare Ankara has since 2021 been seeking to purchase 40 of the latest
new pilots via the use of turboprop F-16V model, along with modernisation kits for 79 of its existing fleet,
and jet trainers, along with provid- via a package worth about $20 billion.
ing English language training, with Cirium fleets data shows that the Turkish air force currently operates
such an activity to take between 18 243 F-16C/Ds, making it the type’s largest user behind the USA.
months and two years. In February, nearly one-third of the US Senate opposed the
Meanwhile, post-summit re- requested buy, with their stance in part a result of Ankara’s opposition
marks from one of Washington’s to Finland and Sweden joining NATO.
top generals indicate that the US “Congress cannot consider future support for Turkey, including
Department of Defense still has the sale of F-16 fighter jets, until Turkey completes ratification of the
doubts about providing Western accession protocols,” a bipartisan group of lawmakers wrote.
fighters to the Ukrainian air force. Ankara subsequently removed its objection to Finland joining
“Conditions right now for the the alliance, clearing the way for Helsinki to become a full member
employment of the F-16s… they in early April. But it had continued to block Sweden’s accession,
are probably not ideal,” Lieutenant alleging that Stockholm supported activists and members of the
General Douglas Sims, operations Kurdistan Workers Party.
director for the Pentagon’s joint On the eve of the Vilnius summit, NATO secretary general Jens
staff, said on 13 July. Stoltenberg announced that an agreement had been reached with
Sims adds that the Pentagon Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
believes Russia still has sufficient Stoltenberg says Sweden will become NATO’s 32nd member nation
anti-aircraft capability over Ukraine “as soon as possible”, following the ratification of Erdogan’s decision
to prevent the F-16 from having a by the Turkish parliament in the coming months.
significant battlefield impact.
“The Russians still possess some
air defence capability. They have
[air-to-air] capability,” Sims says. administration has repeatedly ex- the current stance if the battlefield
“The number of F-16s that would pressed initial reluctance to pro- situation in Ukraine evolves. “The
be provided may not be perfect for vide Ukraine with the most power- conditions in the environment
what’s going on right now.” ful and sophisticated conventional certainly are changing over time,”
While Washington may still require weapon systems in the US arsenal, he says. “As the future chang-
some convincing, there is reason for such as air defence systems, preci- es, that certainly will dictate how
optimism among supporters of the sion artillery and main battle tanks [fighters] are employed.” ◗
proposed F-16 transfer. – before eventually relenting.
Over the course of the war Sims also telegraphed willing- Additional reporting by
since February 2022, the Biden ness at the Pentagon to change Craig Hoyle in London

Procurement Programme
UK could acquire “up to 44”

airframes as Puma replacement
Airbus clear on export role for UK

H175M plant despite Saudi interest
Airframer says Broughton will host only final assembly line
for type, as doubts emerge over size of domestic buy
Dominic Perry RAF Fairford 14 July, Lenny Brown, managing That document called for the ac-
director of Airbus Helicopters UK, quisition of “up to 44 New Medium
underlined that position. Helicopters”, with a total budget
A
irbus Helicopters insists “Let me be absolutely clear: rising to £1.2 billion ($1.5 billion).
its site in Broughton, the H175M will only be produced in Given the absence of a specified
North Wales will host the Broughton in Wales and will only range, the MoD could argue, how-
only final assembly line be exported from Broughton in ever tenuously, that 25-35 rotor-
(FAL) for the H175M, and says a Wales,” he says. craft still falls within the definition
proposed joint facility for the mil- “We have said that if Saudi Arabia of “up to 44” units.
itary rotorcraft in Saudi Arabia will wants to create some sort of design However, ahead of a market
be focused solely on customisation and ability to do some customisa- interest day held in late 2021,
and completion activities. tion locally, that’s absolutely fine. the ministry’s draft scope for the
The airframer is offering the “That’s bread and butter stuff procurement said it was seeking
super-medium-twin for the UK’s that we do [in terms of offset pro- “between 36 and 44 aircraft”.
ongoing New Medium Helicopter vision], but they will not have a FAL The H175M faces competition
(NMH) requirement and, if success- inside Saudi Arabia.” for the NMH contract from the
ful, intends to locate the H175M Leonardo Helicopters AW149 and
assembly line in Broughton, where Lead customer Sikorsky S-70M.
the group already builds commer- However, it remains unclear But despite revealing the
cial aircraft wings. whether Airbus Helicopters would shortlisted bidders last October,
As well as assembling airframes maintain its commitment to there has been no progress on the
for the Royal Air Force (RAF), Broughton if the H175M does not procurement since. The next step,
Airbus Helicopters has said the UK win the NMH contest. the invitation to negotiate (ITN),
plant would also manufacture all Brown describes such questions was due to have been released
H175Ms for the export market. as “hypothetical”, noting that there earlier in 2023, but the MoD
But a recent agreement with Saudi is no other customer ahead of the now says the “second half of the
defence firm SCOPA Industries – UK: “The facts are NMH is the lead competition will be launched later
signed on the sidelines of the Paris customer, is the launch customer, this year”.
air show – seemed to throw that and the rest will follow.” Brown says the ITN is not expect-
commitment into question. But it is unclear just how many ed “before September”.
Reuters quoted SCOPA’s chief aircraft the UK plans to acquire The NMH is designed to replace
executive, Fawaz Alakeel, as saying through the NMH effort. the RAF’s 23 Puma HC2 transports,
the pact covered the joint produc- A story from Breaking Defense in as well as three other types in the
tion of civil and military helicopters mid-July quoted Brown as saying UK’s inventory.
in the kingdom. Other media outlets that the Ministry of Defence (MoD) Airbus Helicopters has assem-
said the deal would see the H175M had cut the size of the acquisition bled what it calls the “H175M Task
manufactured in Saudi Arabia. to 25-35 aircraft. That figure has Force” to support its bid. Members
Airbus Helicopters, however, been confirmed to FlightGlobal by include: Babcock (maintenance),
clarifies that the agreement is for another source with knowledge of Boeing Defence UK (training), Pratt
a “customisation and completion the matter. & Whitney Canada (engines) and
centre for the H175M” which, it says, But the MoD denies it has scaled Spirit AeroSystems UK (detailed
is “a very welcome reminder of the back its plans: “There has been no design and engineering).
global interest in this advanced change to the advertised require- The grouping was recently bol-
Airbus Helicopters
new helicopter.” ment in the New Medium Heli- stered by the addition of MRO pro-
And briefing journalists at the copter contract notice that was vider Heli-One, which will overhaul
Royal International Air Tattoo on published in May 2022,” it states. H175M gearboxes in Aberdeen. ◗

Defence Rotorcraft
NH90 will need

replacing in
coming years
NATO
launches
tender for first
next-generation
helicopter concept study
Alliance begins research into ‘novel powerplant’ that could
AirTeamImages
equip future military rotorcraft, to enter service next decade
Dominic Perry London of sustainable aviation fuel – elec- The “climatic and environmental
tric- or hydrogen-powered designs, effects” on each concept should be
or a hybrid solution. studied across a range of operating
A
NATO project aiming to The NSPA says the study should theatres, while further concerns are
develop a next-genera- be “solution agnostic” and provide the mission readiness and vulnera-
tion military helicopter is a “a comparative analysis” of the bility of each system. The “detect-
preparing to kick off the potential technologies available. ability” and supportability of the
first of a series of concept studies It should also assess whether concepts should also be assessed,
that will contribute to the design of specific powerplant concepts are the document states.
the future rotorcraft. “more aligned to particular plat- With many of the potential pro-
Work on the Next-Generation form transmission and propulsion pulsion concepts in the early stages
Rotorcraft Capability (NGRC) pro- systems, for example, convention- of development, the study should
gramme got under way late last al rotorcraft, compound drive, co- also consider what should be the
year following agreement between axial [or] tilt propulsion”, it says. target technology readiness level
the six alliance members driving “to meet the expected NGRC initial
the venture and the NATO Support Staying civil operating capability (target 2035)
and Procurement Agency (NSPA), Other critical points for evaluation and upgrades during the lifecycle.”
which is co-ordinating the initiative. are the integration of the power- Any company selected to conduct
Now the NSPA has launched a train with the airframe – including the study can propose their own
tender, running until 1 September, how to manage future upgrades – powerplant or propulsion system or
for the first of five concept studies whether the adaptation of a civil ro- technologies, the RFP states, “pro-
to inform the design of the eventual torcraft engine would provide bene- vided such elements are assessed in
medium- or heavy-class helicopter. fits over a bespoke military solution a fair and balanced comparison”.
Published on 4 July, the request given the operational differences The NSPA anticipates contract
for proposals (RFP) seeks a vendor between the two, and the impact on award for the study in late 2023,
to conduct research into a “novel aircraft capability and performance leading to delivery of a final report
powerplant” for the NGRC. from each powerplant concept. around six months later.
This includes the “transmission, Disclosed performance attributes It plans to release another RFP for
propulsion and flight-control sys- for the NGRC suggest a range of the next industry-led concept study
tems accordingly, as well as provid- 900nm (1,650km) in combat con- – covering the NGRC’s open-system
ing power for onboard systems and figuration and 1,080nm in “clean” architecture – in August, with con-
accessories/auxiliaries, both in flight configuration, endurance of 5h with tract award before year-end.
and on ground”, says the document. a full crew and 1t payload, and a The two studies, plus nation-led
Although the concept study is cruise speed of “optimally greater” activities on the concept of oper-
focused on a “novel” propulsion than 220kt (407km/h), “but not ations and technologies, will feed
system, an advanced gas turbine less than 180kt”. Maximum take-off into a fifth stream to develop the
would meet that definition, it states. weight is planned to be 10-17t. “integrated platform concept”. Up
“Any potential powerplant solu- An earlier attributes docu- to three designs will be proposed
tions… that go beyond established ment suggested engines of at by industry, leading to final reports
conventional solutions, whether least 3,000shp (2,240kW) output towards the end of 2025.
based on new, emerging technolo- would be required for the NGRC, Six NATO members are involved
gies or an evolution of existing tech- but the RFP states that “the exact in the NGRC project – France,
nologies can be considered ‘novel’.” power requirements will be de- Germany, Greece, Italy, the Nether-
This could include a next-genera- pendent on the overall platform lands and the UK – while Canada is
tion gas turbine – including the use design architecture”. to be admitted from October. ◗

Gaining momentum
The big two airframers ended the first
half of 2023 in robust shape as soaring
airline demand drove strong sales
Jon Hemmerdinger Tampa of 2022, with much of the sales
momentum coming at June’s Paris
air show – in particular from two
O
nce again, the world’s large Indian airlines.
airlines are clamouring to Although Airbus bettered Boeing
get their hands on new in the first half, the US giant held its
aircraft, with Airbus and own, securing notable new sales.
Boeing riding a wave of demand But the good news is not just
that accelerated swiftly in the first confined to orders: both airfram-
half of 2023. ers also managed to ramp-up pro-
The aerospace industry has duction, albeit a wobbly supply
been waiting for this moment of chain remains a limiting factor.
recovery since the Covid-19 pan- However, the real test lies in the
demic flattened demand for air months and years ahead, when Air-
travel early in 2020. bus and Boeing will demonstrate
During those dark days, there if they are able to make good on
was always confidence busi- their production promises.
ness would eventually bounce
back, although the timing of that Net effect
resurgence remained guesswork, Airbus closed the first half of
and for many months the recovery 2023 having received new orders
Anthony Guerra
appeared to be limping along. for 1,080 aircraft, and although

But order and delivery figures for 36 cancellations brought the net
the first half of 2023 released by figure to 1,044, it was still more
the big two aircraft manufacturers than four times the 259 net orders
reveal a definite change of mood. the airframer took in the same
Airbus and Boeing have both period last year.
landed far more orders in the first First-half net orders for Airbus Combined, those commitments
six months of this year than they included deals for a whopping pushed total orders for the A350
did in the corresponding period 936 narrowbody aircraft, among past the four-digit mark, to 1,026
them 33 A220s and 903 A320neo- – a milestone reflecting the com-
family jets. pany’s progress in competing its
Airbus first-half 2023 orders Notably, airlines and aircraft les- A350 against the Boeing 787.
sors are increasingly putting their However, the Dreamliner still
Type Orders Cancellations Net orders
deposits behind the A321neo, a holds the sales lead: the US air-
A220-300 33 0 33 type that has proved particular- framer has logged more than 1,600
A319neo 2 1 1 ly popular for its economics on total orders for the widebody twin.
A320neo 390 29 361 medium-haul and high-demand
A321neo 546 5 541 routes, including those across the
A330-800 1 0 1 Atlantic Ocean.
A330-900 7 1 6 In fact, 541 of the 903 Neo
A350F 4 0 4 orders were for A321neos, a bump
A350-900 21 0 21 that makes the variant Airbus’s
A350-1000 76 0 76 best-seller ever (see box-out,
Total 1,080 36 1,044 p12). The manufacturer has now
Source: Airbus
taken total orders for 5,163 of the
stretched model, edging out the
original A320 on 4,763 orders.
Airbus first-half deliveries And while much of the focus is
Type HY 2023 HY 2022 on narrowbody demand, Airbus’s
A220 25 25 first-half figures also signal that
A320neo family 256 230 demand for long-haul air travel is
A330 14 13 returning. The airframer closed the
A350 21 27 period having taken orders for 101
Total 316 295 A350s, including four freighters, 21
Airbus
Source: Airbus -900s and 76 of the larger -1000.

Data Analysis
“The real test lies in the

months and years ahead,
when Airbus and Boeing
will demonstrate if they are
able to make good on their
production promises”
Boeing has continued to build

backlog for developmental 777X
A large share of the Paris or- the order at Paris, which also
der activity for both firms was included 34 A350-1000s and six Boeing first-half 2023 orders
generated by Indian airlines. A350-900s. Type Orders Cancellations Net orders
In Airbus’s case, 78% of the Boeing also had Air India to 737 Max 366 83 283
A320neo-family jets it sold in the thank for a large chunk of its sales. 767 15 0 15
first half are accounted for by In addition to signing for the Airbus 777F 5 0 5
deals with IndiGo (500) and Air jets, the carrier confirmed its Feb- 777* 26 23 3
India (210). ruary order with the US airframer 787 115 6 109
Air India had revealed its fleet for 220 aircraft, including 190 737 Total 527 112 415
plans in February, and firmed Max, 10 777Xs and 20 787s. Source: Boeing Note: *includes 777 and 777X
In all, Boeing landed orders for
527 jets during the first half, al- Boeing first-half deliveries
though 112 cancellations reduced
the net figure to 415. Even so, in Type HY 2023 HY 2022
the same period last year it had 737* 216 189

taken in just 186 net orders. 747 1 3
767* 9 12
Significant progress 777 9 12
The improvement reflects signif- 787 31 0
icant progress made by the US Total 266 216
Source: Boeing
manufacturer in restoring positive Note: *includes aircraft for military conversion
momentum to both its 737 Max
and 787 programmes.
Boeing has of late seen the Max stood at 283 aircraft, against 152 in
programme moving in a distinctly the same period of 2022.
positive direction, having signed And Boeing’s recent 787 success
deals with several major carriers: extends well beyond the Air India
Both airframers benefitted from Air
across the first six months of the deal. In June, the manufacturer
India firming a huge order at Paris
year, net orders for the narrowbody finalised an order for 39 of the

“Both Airbus and Boeing g
ended the half-year markrk
sitting on significantly
larger backlogs than one
year earlier”
Airbus
Neo champion: re-engined A321 overtakes original A320 as Airbus’s best-seller

David Kaminski-Morrow London offer carriers around double the Airbus has already commenced
original's range. work on constructing the first
The A321neo has also been aircraft – which will be an
Thirty years after the Airbus reconfigured internally to raise A321neo – following fuselage
A321’s maiden flight, the its maximum occupancy to more section delivery last year.
A321neo has just taken over as than 240 passengers. Airbus expects to roll out this
the airframer’s most popular A321neos had taken 4,675 initial jet by the end of this year.
individual model across its orders by the end of May. Meanwhile, it is aiming to reach
aircraft range. Although the gap was closing it A320neo-family output of 75
Airbus’s half-year backlog still trailed the A320 by 88. aircraft per month in 2026. The
figures show the A321neo has But Airbus’s large agreement A321neo accounts for around 60%
accumulated orders for 5,163 with Indian operator IndiGo – of the backlog across this family.
aircraft – overtaking the 4,763 for among others – during the Paris Chief executive Guillaume Faury
the original A320. air show allowed the A321neo says inauguration of the line
The A321neo had already to surge ahead, passing 5,000 represents “another milestone” in
been outselling other variants in orders and becoming the most in- the company’s modernisation of
the A320neo family, as carriers demand individual model of the its industrial system.
migrated to the larger model. Airbus lines. Airbus is expanding to 10
Its sales have almost trebled Airbus’s latest backlog data assembly lines for A320neo-
those achieved by the A321, which states that 1,078 A321neos have family jets, all of which will be
first flew in March 1993. been delivered to customers. A321neo-capable. Alongside
But while the A321 originally To cope with the shifting the two in Toulouse and four
had a range of some 2,400nm dynamics of its narrowbody in Hamburg it will have two US
(4,450km), the aircraft has backlog, Airbus has been forced lines in Mobile, Alabama, and two
undergone considerable to alter its production set-up to Chinese lines at Tianjin.
aerodynamic refinement and ensure all final assembly lines are The new Toulouse line is located
performance improvement in the capable of building the A321neo. in the building formerly used for
past three decades. The latest A320neo-family final A380 assembly before Airbus
Its latest long-range successor, assembly line, in Toulouse, was ceased production of the double-
Airbus
the A321XLR, will be able to formally inaugurated on 10 July. deck type.

Data Analysis
widebody twins from Saudi 211 737 Max, against 216 jets, in-
Arabian start-up Riyadh Air. Other cluding 181 Max, in the first six
airlines committing to the type months of last year.
this year include Air Niugini, Eva Airbus has been doing better,
Air, Lufthansa and lessor Air Lease. passing the half-year with
In addition, Boeing has disclosed 316 deliveries, including 281
orders for 40 787s from unidenti- narrowbodies (both A220s and
fied buyers. A320neo-family aircraft), versus
The deals left Boeing with 109 295 aircraft, including 255 narrow-
net new 787 orders during the first bodies in the same period last year.
half, marking a rebound of sorts
following manufacturing quality Lifting production
troubles that led the airfamer to Boeing is aiming to hike 737
halt deliveries for about 22 months production from a current rate of
until August last year. roughly 31 monthly to 50 per month
Both Airbus and Boeing reached by 2025 or 2026. To accommodate
the half-year mark sitting on sig- that rise, it intends next year to
nificantly larger backlogs than open a fourth 737 production line,
one year earlier – Airbus with un- located not in the 737’s longtime
filled orders for 7,967 jets, up from Renton assembly base, but rath-
7,046 in June 2022, and Boeing er in Everett, Boeing’s traditional
with 4,879 aircraft in its backlog, widebody home.
up from 4,239. Airbus too is adding more
Both companies are also having production capacity: on 10
some success in ramping aircraft July it formally opened a new
deliveries despite the supply chain A320neo-family final assembly
troubles endured over the past line at its Toulouse facility (see
A321XLR will offer nearly double the two years. below), part of a strategy to ramp
original stretched model’s range Boeing’s first-half 2023 deliver- production to 75 of those narrow-
ies came to 266 aircraft, including bodies per month in 2026. ◗
The airframer says the new cancellations, conversions to

line introduces a “variety other variants, and a stagnation in
of innovations” including demand during the pandemic.
digital production control But Airbus’s reinstatement of a
via smartphones and tablets, 23-aircraft Qatar Airways backlog
automated logistics, and – previously scrapped during a
lightweight robots for section join. legal tussle between them – plus
Meanwhile, orders for A350s Air India and Philippine Airlines
have passed 1,000 for the first deals for a respective 34 and
time, after nearly 60 of the nine of the aircraft, both sealed
twinjets were added to the during the Paris air show, have
backlog during the Paris air show. lifted total firm A350-1000
Airbus unveiled the aircraft as commitments to 224.
the A350 XWB in July 2006, and Airbus recorded orders for 16
formally launched the programme A350-900s at Le Bourget, taking
that December, replacing an the half-year total for the -900 to
earlier concept which was based 21, while the A350 business has
on a re-engined A330. also benefited from the cargo
It subsequently started sector interest generated by the
migrating customers from the new freighter version, the backlog
earlier aircraft to the XWB family. for which stands at 39.
By the time of the A350’s first As a result, overall A350 orders
flight, in June 2013, the airframer edged into four figures over the
had secured around 600 firm first six months of this year, rising
orders. The figure rose to around to 1,026 aircraft by 30 June.
800 shortly after the maiden Airbus is producing A350s at a
flight, but the pace of sales has rate of around six aircraft monthly,
been slower over the past decade. with the aim of steadily increasing
This has been particularly the this to nine by the end of 2025.
Latest A320neo-family final assembly
case for the larger A350-1000, The airframer delivered 21 A350s
line was inaugurated on 10 July
which has laboured to reach in the first half, comprising 16
200 orders owing to a mix of -900s and five -1000s.

Programmes Milestones
China Eastern grows C919 fleet

Comac ships second example of indigenous narrowbody
as domestic launch customer begins to ramp up operations
Alfred Chua Singapore C919, touting it as a homegrown Synergy (Caymen), which in turn
alternative to the Boeing 737 and owns Naga Pacific Holdings, which
Airbus A320 family. holds 49% of the airline’s shares.
C
omac has delivered a Elsewhere, as Flight Internation- Meanwhile, Chinese manufactur-
second C919 to launch cus- al went to press, Indonesian carrier er Harbin Aircraft’s Y-12F commut-
tomer China Eastern Air- TransNusa was due to begin flights er transport has secured Europe-
lines, as the carrier looks to with the ARJ21 to Kuala Lumpur, an certification, seven years after
ramp up operations with the type. marking the type’s first internation- obtaining US approval.
Handed over at a ceremony held al route since it entered commer- The Y-12F is a 19-seat, high-wing
on 14 July at the airframer’s Shang- cial service seven years ago. twin-turboprop, a development of
hai facility, the aircraft (B-919C) The low-cost carrier planned to the Y-12 that first flew four decades
follows its sister twinjet, the first of operate the regional jet on all flights ago – although the latest variant dif-
of five C919s on order, which was between Jakarta and the Malaysian fers substantially from the original.
received in December 2022 and capital from 24 July, according to It is powered by Pratt & Whitney
entered commercial service in May. flight schedules on its website. Canada PT6A engines – driving
Comac says the latest C919 – for- five-blade aluminium propellers –
merly test aircraft B-001K – was Changed frequency and has a maximum range at full
assembled in February this year, TransNusa operates twice-daily payload of 193nm (357km).
and completed flight trials in June. flights between the two cities with The aircraft has left and right fuel
China Eastern plans to operate A320s. From 24 July, it will double tanks each with capacity for 1,580
the type on flights between Shang- frequencies on the route. While its litres (418USgal). Maximum oper-
hai and Chengdu, in common with A320s seat between 168 and 174 ating speed is 209kt (390km/h),
its first example; more routes are passengers, TransNusa’s ARJ21s and it has a maximum take-off
expected to be announced soon. are configured with 95 seats in an weight of 8.4t.
The delivery came one day af- all-economy layout. Harbin says the aircraft has
ter fellow Chinese operator Su- TransNusa is the sole export improved performance, reliabili-
parna Airlines, a Hainan Airlines customer for the ARJ21, which it ty, maintainability and comfort. It
Group carrier, firmed up a lease has operated since April between can be configured to carry 3t of
commitment for 30 C919s. The Jakarta and Denpasar in Bali. It has freight or serve as a VIP transport
co-operation framework agree- two examples in its fleet, PK-TJA or special-mission platform.
ment also involves SPDB Financial and -TJB – both delivered in 2022 The European Union Aviation
Leasing and Comac. on lease from China Aircraft Leasing Safety Agency granted type certi-
Suparna and sister carrier Urumqi Group (CALC), according to Cirium fication on 13 July.
Air disclosed commitments for 60 fleets data. In January 2021, CALC China’s civil aviation administra-
C919s in April, in a 100-aircraft deal placed an order for 30 ARJ21s to be tion certified the Y-12F in Decem-
including 40 ARJ21 regional jets. operated by TransNusa. ber 2015, and US Federal Aviation
The order was an important boost However, the transaction is com- Administration validation followed
for the C919 programme amid a plicated by the relationship be- in February 2016. ◗
slower than planned service entry. tween the airline and lessor: CALC
China has high hopes for the CFM holds an interest in TransNusa Additional reporting by
International Leap-1C-powered via its 72.28% stake in Aviation David Kaminski-Morrow in London
AirTeamImages
First example of Leap-1C-powered jet

entered commercial service in May

Airline Launch
DHC-6 Twin Otters are

candidates for operation
Ecojet bets big on green appeal

UK start-up plans to launch services with turboprops that
will later be converted to hydrogen-electric propulsion
David Kaminski-Morrow London [to sustainable air travel],” claims Ecojet emerged from a previous
industrialist Dale Vince, who is Edinburgh-based company known
spearheading the airline’s creation. as Fresh Airlines, incorporated in
E
ntrepreneurs behind envi- “Flights free of [CO2] emissions, August 2021.
ronmental ventures in the powered by renewable energy, will Vince was appointed as a director
UK are aiming to set up allow us to explore our incredible in March this year. He is a found-
a Scotland-based carrier world without harming it.” er of the renewable energy com-
operating turboprops powered by Several companies are developing pany Ecotricity, which is part of a
hydrogen-electric engines. retrofitable hydrogen fuel cell pow- broader environmentally-focused
The would-be carrier, Ecojet, aims ertrains for small commuter-class firm known as Green Britain Group,
to use 70-seat and 19-seat aircraft aircraft. ZeroAvia aims for its ZA600 with interests in carbon-capture
types, ultimately retrofitted with the system to be in service by 2025 diamonds, vegan food, and the UK
necessary powertrains. aboard a Cessna Grand Caravan, football team Forest Green Rovers.
Images supplied by Ecojet show while Cranfield Aerospace Solutions Ecojet’s other directors are Brent
that De Havilland Canada Dash is targeting 2026 service-entry for Smith and former Air Malta chief
8-400s and DHC-6 Twin Otters are its design, based around a nine-seat executive Peter Davies.
candidates for the operation. Britten-Norman BN2 Islander. Smith is a former Dash 8 cap-
Ecojet intends to commence do- However, range or payload pen- tain for defunct UK regional carri-
mestic services early next year, ini- alties appear to be unavoidable by- er Flybe, who in 2020 co-founded
tially from Edinburgh to Southamp- products of the conversion activity. consultancy Altsel Aviation.
ton, and subsequently expand to Dale adds that the on-board ser- Davies is a founder of
European destinations “with long- vice would similarly follow environ- London-based “airline and aviation
haul flights planned for the future”. mentally-friendly concepts, includ- transformation specialist” Airline
But the retrofit process will not ing offering plant-based catering Management Group and the chair-
start until 2025, about a year af- and eliminating single-use plastic. man of South African carrier Airlink.
ter the carrier embarks on its first “Electric motors are almost silent UK companies filings also show him
flights. Until then Ecojet will use and, of course, emit no pollution,” as a director of Air Mauritius. ◗
conventional fuel. the company states. “This means
“Ecojet is by far the most sig- that passengers will experience a far Additional reporting by
nificant step towards a solution more peaceful and relaxing flight.” Dominic Perry
Ecojet
Introduction to Competency-Based Training and

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deliver by practising Senior Flight Operations and Training Inspectors.
Designed and delivered
Competency-Based Training
T and Assessment Meet one of the instructors
Explore the principles of CBTA and gain the Captain Tim Ramsdale is a flight operations and training
required to understand the
knowledge and skills re specialist with over 30 years’ experience in the aviation
process of developing and approving competency- industry, consisting of commercial, military, helicopter,
based training and che
checking programmes. aeroplane operations and training. He is also the current
London Gatwick | 20-21
20-2 February 2024 Training Standards Lead for the UK CAA.
To book or view the ccomplete schedule of our training courses, please visit
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www.caainternational.com/training or contact us at training@caainternational.com.

UK funds Excalibur
testbed conversion
Work to transform ex-airline 757 into flying
laboratory for combat air technology will
enable initial two-year test campaign from 2026
Craig Hoyle RAF Fairford the FTA effort, which intends to “This was required so that the UK
deliver a “flying laboratory for team would be able to provide the
combat air technology”, Leonardo appropriate regulatory evidence
T
he UK Ministry of Defence UK says. and design information to the CAA
has advanced plans to pre- “The new contract will cover the and enable a second, modified
pare a dedicated flight-test physical modification of the 757, aircraft to be certified for flight.”
aircraft (FTA) to support the as well as flight tests, certification 2Excel already has the ex-Titan
sixth-generation Global Combat and the work required to secure Airways 757 at its Lasham airfield
Air Programme (GCAP) from 2026. approval from the UK Civil Aviation site in Hampshire, awaiting modifi-
Leonardo UK on 14 July an- Authority [CAA].” cation, with the testbed having the
nounced that it had been award- registration G-FTAI.
ed a £115 million ($150 million) Regulatory evidence Key installations will include
contract for the modification and During an already completed Leonardo UK’s integrated sensors,
use of a Boeing 757 testbed, with phase one engineering study, non-kinetic effects and integrated
the platform to be prepared by 2Excel dismantled one ex-airline communications systems technol-
2Excel Aviation. 757-200 “piece-by-piece”, in order ogy, plus a prototype multi-func-
The new funding commitment to “understand its construction tion RF system active electronically
Leonardo
represents the second phase of in-depth”. scanned array radar.
SkyCourier set for military duty

New Cessna utility type ready to receive modifications
enabling it to perform a range of special mission tasks,
with a first order expected before end of this year
Dominic Perry RAF Fairford medical evacuation and maritime also upgrade the starter genera-
patrol. It brought a test aircraft, tors on the Pratt & Whitney Canada
serial number 3, to make its Euro- PT6 engines to better power the
T
extron Aviation is advancing pean debut at the show. planned mission equipment.
Ewan Hoyle Photography
the development of several Several mission kits are in devel- “We are very far along in the
modifications to the Cessna opment and will be installed on a engineering and maturation [of
SkyCourier twin-turboprop demonstrator aircraft next year, these features] and they will be
for special mission applications, and says Andrew Pall, regional sales incorporated in a demonstrator
expects to announce its first order director special missions – Europe. aircraft,” Pall says.
for the new variant by year-end. These include four under-wing
Initially developed for the cargo hardpoints: two inboard stations Medical evacuation
and commuter airline markets, the designed for auxiliary fuel tanks and For the medevac role, the Sky-
8.6t maximum take-off weight Sky- a pair of external sensor stations, Courier has already been fitted
Courier entered service with global capable of carrying 280kg (620lb) with a trio of three-tier LifePort
logistics firm FedEx last year. and 180kg-plus loads, respectively. SLS stacking stretchers, plus two
However, the US airframer sees A retractable electro-optical/ critical care berths.
the platform as ideal for military infrared sensor pod will also be in- “What really excites us about this
special missions, with potential stalled in place of the nose baggage aircraft is that without the seats
applications including surveillance, compartment. Textron Aviation will inside it is a really malleable and

Show RIAT
Former Titan Airways jet will be

modified by 2Excel Aviation
Trio sign Wedgetail pact

The air force chiefs of Australia,
the UK and the USA used the
show to commit their services
to collaborating on further
development of the Boeing
E-7A airborne early warning
and control aircraft.
“The signing of this joint
vision statement will allow
us to work collaboratively to
develop our Wedgetail fleets to
G-FTAI will fly for the first time he adds, with equipment to be ensure that they remain ready
in modified form during 2026, added incrementally. as the threats and challenges
Andrew Howard, Leonardo’s An initiative involving the UK we face change,” says UK Royal
director future combat air/GCAP and joint partners Italy and Japan, Air Force (RAF) chief of the
UK, said during the Royal Interna- GCAP will deliver a next-gener- air staff Air Chief Marshal Sir
tional Air Tattoo at RAF Fairford ation combat air capability for Rich Knighton. He signed the
in Gloucestershire. operational use from 2035. pact with his Royal Australian
Plans for the Excalibur aircraft Air Force (RAAF) and US Air
were announced in September International shift Force (USAF) counterparts
2021. “What we have been doing The Excalibur FTA is currently a Air Marshal Robert Chipman
over the last 18 months is refin- UK-only activity, but Air Com- and General Charles Brown.
ing and maturing to design the modore Martin Lowe, FCAS Under the initiative, the trio
757 conversion, and working out programme director for the UK will co-operate in areas such
which of our technology demon- Ministry of Defence, notes: “We are as capability development,
strations will feature in the flight- in the middle of discussions with evaluation and testing,
test programme,” Howard says. our Italian and Japanese partners interoperability, sustainment,
“We anticipate an initial period of about whether over time this be- operations, training, and safety.
flight test of around two years,” comes an international venture.” ◗ Of the three, only the
RAAF currently operates the
737-700-derived E-7A, with its
six-strong fleet having achieved
full capability in 2015.
Turboprop made its European debut Three aircraft are in
at Royal International Air Tattoo conversion for the RAF with
STS Aviation Services in
Birmingham, the UK. Dan
Gillian, Boeing Defense, Space
& Security vice-president and
general manager mobility,
surveillance and bombers, tells
FlightGlobal that the first is on
track for delivery “towards the
end of next year”.
The USAF intends to field
26 E-7As by 2032, to replace
its increasingly obsolescent
Boeing E-3C Sentry airborne
warning and control system
(AWACS) fleet.
Last December, Australia and
the USA announced that USAF
personnel would be dispatched
to work with RAAF Wedgetail
crews. About 40 people are
understood to be deployed as
reconfigurable piece of equip- customers”. He expects the first part of this effort.
ment that could be deployed for order to be received in 2023. Canberra recently announced
multiple missions,” Pall says. US civil certification for the that a single E-7A will be flown
He describes interest in the SkyCourier was secured in 2022 to Germany in October for a six-
platform as “incredible”, and and the airframer hopes that month deployment monitoring
says the airframer is in “very European validation will follow by the flow of humanitarian and
mature discussions with several the end of 2024. ◗ military assistance to Ukraine.

Saudi Hawks were colourful performers

RIAT’s stars
Heavy rain dampened proceedings at
the annual Royal International Air Tattoo,
staged at RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire
from 14-16 July, but the wealth of visiting
aircraft made up for the disappointing
weather. Notable attractions included

SkyTanker-theme in-flight refuelling assets Luftwaffe A400M led Tornado
and a reproduction Me 262 fighter pair during tanker demonstration

Metrea displayed striking KC-135 Sweden’s veteran Saab 105 trainer recently turned 60
Italy marked its air force’s centenary, with multiple types on show Flugmuseum Messerschmitt’s replica Me 262 displayed on final day

Show RIAT
C-101s of Spain’s Patrulla Aguila team

Crown Copyright
STOVL siblings: UK F-35B and Spanish navy AV-8B ‘Matador II’

Airlines Legal
American and JetBlue begin

unwinding Northeast Alliance
Partners agree to go their separate ways following court ruling
that found co-operation agreement was anti-competititve
Howard Hardee Sacramento September 2021 over the now al- at New York and Boston by sharing
Pilar Wolfsteller Las Vegas most four-year old collaboration, revenue, co-ordinating schedules,
setting up a trial in Boston that codesharing and offering reciprocal
started last year. In a 19 May ruling, benefits to frequent flyers.
A
merican Airlines and a federal judge said the airlines’ New York-based JetBlue now
JetBlue Airways have co-operation in the northeast USA – plans to instead focus on its
begun to unwind their which they framed as an attempt to proposed $3.8 billion acquisition
Northeast Alliance (NEA), better compete with heavyweight of Spirit Airlines – the subject of a
two months after a court ruled it Delta Air Lines – is unlawful and separate DoJ lawsuit that is set for
was anti-competitive. violates the Sherman Anti-Trust Act. another court hearing in Boston
Fort Worth-based American starting on 16 October. Pending
said on 14 July that as an initial Mandated dissolution approval, JetBlue hopes to close
move it would axe codeshares and Rather than continuing to fight the the deal in 2024.
eliminate reciprocal frequent flyer case, JetBlue said it would unravel In order to get that tie-up over
benefits and award bookings from the NEA following the court order the line, JetBlue has, subject to
the middle of the month. mandating its dissolution, which US completion, agreed to transfer
“This is just the first step in the attorneys said was harmful to com- Spirit’s assets at New York’s
wind-down process that will take petition in the northeast region. LaGuardia airport to rival ultra-
place over the coming months,” “JetBlue has made the difficult low-cost carrier Frontier Airlines –
American wrote in a note to cus- decision not to appeal the court’s a former Spirit suitor.
tomers. “We will continue to work determination that the NEA cannot Spirit would grant to Frontier six
with the JetBlue team to ensure continue as currently crafted, and gates and 22 take-off and land-
customers who have existing has instead initiated the termina- ing slots at LaGuardia as part of
codeshare bookings can travel tion of the NEA, beginning a wind- JetBlue’s “upfront commitments
seamlessly without disruption to down process that will take place included in the merger agreement”
their travel plans.” over the coming months.” – a major concession.
The airline maintains the alliance American, however, vows to JetBlue now argues that, given
is “pro-competitive, pro-consum- continue fighting the court ruling, the NEA’s collapse, the US gov-
er”, even though a US judge in May maintaining that the DoJ made “an ernment should “reconsider and
ruled otherwise. erroneous judicial decision” and support our plan to bring a nation-
American and JetBlue on 12 July that the alliance has been “highly al low-fare competitor to the Big
told the US District Court for the pro-competitive”. Four” – American, Delta, Southwest
District of Massachusetts the alli- “American will therefore move Airlines and United Airlines.
ance would be terminated at the forward with an appeal,” it says. ”We are open to working with
end of the month. “JetBlue has been a great partner.” the DoJ to address any remain-
The US Department of Justice The agreement allowed American ing concerns they may have,” the
(DoJ) had sued the two carriers in and JetBlue to intertwine operations airline adds. ◗
NYC Russ/Shutterstock
US Department of Justice opened a case

against the two carriers in September 2021

Safety Report
The two aircraft converged

to within 665ft vertically
Citation’s unresolved air-data

fault preceded airprox with E170
Conflict with Hop regional jet occurred after pilots of business
aircraft could not verify altitude following departure from Paris
David Kaminski-Morrow London the controller was actually just The BEA says a fault on the
reading back the inaccurate altitude captain’s air-data system had
data received from the aircraft. shown up in November 2017, after
F
rench investigators have The crew therefore continued the which maintenance work found
revealed that a Cessna climb to 27,000ft, as indicated on pollution in the left-hand airspeed
CitationJet crew’s uncer- the captain’s system, but the dis- indicator system.
tainty over the aircraft’s crepancy meant jet was actually Another occurrence in February
altitude, owing to an air data prob- flying some 1,500ft higher. 2019 led to maintenance action
lem, preceded a serious airprox About 4min after supposed- which focused on a barometric
incident involving a Hop Embraer ly reaching 27,000ft the captain fault. No air safety report was
170 early last year. informed the controller of an ap- written. The system was the subject
The inquiry found that a fault parent problem with the altimeters, of a third incident in December
in the captain’s air-data system and said the aircraft might be high- 2021 but no air safety report was
had occurred three times over the er than its transponder was trans- written and no fault was recorded
course of about four years – in- mitting. The BEA says the crew “did in the technical log – only “informal
cluding a month before the airprox not envisage” switching to the oth- verbal exchanges” took place, says
incident – but it had not been er transponder, which would have the BEA.
properly addressed. used the first officer’s indications. Investigators carried out a de-
After the Valljet business aircraft tailed examination of the aircraft
departed Paris Le Bourget on 12 False information (F-HGPG) and discovered that,
January 2022 it climbed towards The controller advised the crew of just above the captain’s pedals, the
27,000ft. But the captain, who was traffic – the Hop E170 (F-HBXG) left pitot hose formed an “elbow”
flying, and the first officer found – directly ahead at 2nm (3.7km) which created a low point in the
that their altimeter readings disa- distance, which was theoretically system – in which liquid water could
greed – the first officer believed the 1,000ft above. The E170 was actu- potentially accumulate – whereas
aircraft had overshot its assigned ally some 660ft below. the hose should have followed a
altitude while the captain thought No collision-avoidance warning continuous slope from the air-data
the aircraft was still beneath it. The was issued because the systems instruments to the pitot tube.
standby altimeter was closer to the were analysing the potential con- The inquiry says the examination
first officer’s display. flict based on erroneous data from “did not identify with certitude” the
The crew levelled the jet and the Cessna. cause of the air-data system fault.
asked the air traffic controller to Investigators estimate the aircraft But it points out that the symp-
provide an altitude reading, to converged, a few seconds later, to toms of the three incidents sug-
which the controller responded a minimum horizontal and vertical gest the fault was probably an
with 26,300ft. separation of 1.5nm and 665ft. obstruction – likely to be water or
This was consistent with the But the business jet, bound for ice – located in the hose on the
figure on the captain’s altimeter, Geneva, continued its flight after captain’s side.
while the first officer’s was show- the controller asked the pilots to The BEA says the hose was
ing 28,000ft. de-activate the Mode-C transpond- reinstalled after the incident, elim-
French investigation authority er and co-ordinated with mili- inating the low point, and the air-
BEA says this led to “confirmation tary and Swiss control services to craft was returned to service in
AirTeamImages
bias” because the captain took the support its progress. March 2022. Up to mid-April this
controller’s response as evidence No-one on board either aircraft year, it states, no fault with the
that his altimeter was correct, when was injured. air-data system has recurred. ◗

F135 update powers

through industry spat
US Department of Defense funds
initial work on upgraded core for
F-35’s current powerplant, quelling
dispute fuelled by Lockheed Martin
official advocating for replacement
engine integration effort
Ryan Finnerty Tampa powerplant over-
taxed and function-
ing outside its de-
P
ratt & Whitney (P&W) is sign specifications.
moving forward with a Although P&W
programme to upgrade maintains that
powerplants on the USA’s this is not an
fleet of Lockheed Martin F-35 issue for short-term and pow-
stealth fighters. performance, both the er-generation
The Raytheon Technologies sub- engine maker and gov- capacity.
sidiary on 30 June received a $66 ernment auditors acknowl- “The F135 ECU is
million contract from the US De- edge the issue has substantial- the fastest, most cost-
partment of Defense (DoD) to sup- ly increased maintenance and effective and lowest-risk path to
port initial activities for the Engine sustainment costs. Block 4 capability for all global
Core Upgrade (ECU) programme. In May, a US Government F-35 operators,” Raytheon coun-
Covering work until February Accountability Office (GAO) report ters. “It is optimised for all three
2024, the funds will pay for design found that overtaxing F135 engines F-35 variants and will yield $40
engineering efforts, technology has already cost the DoD $38 bil- billion in life-cycle cost savings
maturation and long-lead materi- lion in additional expenses. by avoiding disruptive and costly
al and hardware purchases air vehicle changes and lev-
for the ECU initiative, which eraging the current global
aims to address a deficit of sustainment infrastructure.”
electrical power and cooling GE also argued its adap-
capacity with the F-35’s P&W tive engine would generate
F135 engine. life-cycle cost savings.
“We will use this funding to
make quick progress on our Compatibility concerns
Engine Core Upgrade’s pre- While the ECU is compat-
liminary design efforts, and ible with all conventional,
Pratt & Whitney
that will keep us on track to carrier-launched and short

deliver this important capabil- take-off and vertical land-
ity starting in 2028,” says Jen- ing (STOVL) F-35s, new
P&W is launching Engine Core Upgrade work
nifer Latka, P&W vice-presi- adaptive engine designs are
dent of F135 engines. incompatible with the F-35B
The ECU programme will STOVL variant and questions
cover the entirety of the USA’s F-35 The USAF led the effort to exist regarding its suitability for the
fleet, which includes all three var- address the F-35’s power and F-35C carrier variant.
iants of the fifth-generation fight- cooling challenge, exploring both Those concerns, along with cost,
er serving across the US Air Force an F135 core upgrade and an en- led the USMC and USN to rule out
(USAF), US Marine Corps (USMC) tirely new engine. funding an all-new engine. The
and US Navy (USN). GE Aerospace had urged the 2024 presidential military budget
While the current F135 is capable US government to instead field request indicates support for the
of supporting contemporary F-35 its XA100 three-stream adaptive ECU across the services.
operations, improvements to the engine, citing substantial improve- The Pentagon’s F-35 Joint Pro-
US Air Force
onboard sensor suite since the ments in flight performance and gram Office (JPO), which oversees
jet was designed have left the increased thermal-management acquisition of the jet for the US

Propulsion Contract
The issue is likely to become a

point of contention, with some
“This un- lawmakers expressing a pref-
dermines the erence for the thrust and fuel
Department of De- consumption improvements of an
fense decision to move adaptive engine.
forward with the F135 Engine However, members of Congress
mili- Core Upgrade, a decision that was from Connecticut – home to P&W
tary and studied, validated, submitted and and several other major defence
overseas allies, fully funded in the administration’s manufacturers – are throwing their
reiterated the DoD’s budget,” says Jill Albertelli, pres- support behind the ECU.
support for the core ident of military engines at P&W. “Upgrading the F135 is the right
upgrade in recent com- More than 500 engineers are now decision to support our national
ments to FlightGlobal. working on the effort, she adds. defence priorities and defence in-
“The F-35 JPO stands Lockheed subsequently stepped dustrial base, and I’ll continue to
behind our in-depth busi- back from Ulmer’s remarks, ex- ensure this programme gets the
ness case analysis, conducted support and funding it needs,”
in partnership with industry, that says Representative Rosa DeLauro,
helped inform DoD’s decision to
move forward with the F135 Engine
Core Upgrade,” the office says.
Controversy erupted over the
matter at the Paris air show in June,
$38bn
Cost to the Department of Defense of
ranking member of the powerful
appropriations committee in the
House of Representatives.
P&W says the ECU improvements
will provide adequate power and
when Lockheed vice-president of overtaxing F135 engines, according to cooling improvements to address
aeronautics Greg Ulmer voiced Government Accountability Office both current F-35 needs and the
his support for an adaptive engine planned series of sensor and weap-
solution over the ECU option. ons upgrades to be delivered via a
“I think some of the approach- pressing support for the ECU and future Block 4 effort.
es today are very short-sighted saying that it is “fully committed” However, analysis by GAO
and not considering a longer-term to the engine modernisation effort. auditors found that the F-35’s
view,” he told Breaking Defense. “We will continue our partnership Honeywell power and thermal
“I’m going to advocate, and I do with government and industry to management system (PTMS) will
advocate, for AETP,” he added, implement the US government’s also need an upgrade to support
referring to technology explored decision to pursue the F135 Engine any improvements beyond Block 4.
via the USAF’s Adaptive Engine Core Upgrade and any future deci-
Transition Program. sions to stay ahead of the evolving Power upgrade
The comments triggered stern threat,” Lockheed says. The DoD also acknowledges that
response from Raytheon and P&W, While the DoD and industry the system will need an upgrade,
which accused Ulmer of improprie- appear to be aligning behind the regardless of how the current en-
ty by contradicting the Pentagon’s ECU option, lawmakers in Con- gine issue is addressed. “A PTMS
stated preference. Lockheed had gress will have the final say when solution is required by any engine
previously voiced a neutral stance they approve the fiscal year 2024 option,” the JPO says.
on the matter. defence budget. P&W sister company Collins
Aerospace recently announced a
still-under-development potential
“The F135 ECU is the fastest, most alternative to the current PTMS.
Speaking at the Paris air show,
cost-effective and lowest-risk path Henry Brooks, Collins’ president
of power and controls, said that
to Block 4 capability for all global initial results indicate the compa-
ny’s Enhanced Power and Cooling
F-35 operators” System will be able to provide more
than double the cooling capacity of
Raytheon Technologies the current technology. ◗

Airlines Strategy
Fernandes promises ‘five more

years’ amid fresh focus on growth
AirAsia founder and chief of parent company Capital A insists
he has no immediate plans to step down from leadership role
Alfred Chua Singapore Fernandes has been instrumental huge orders announced by Indian
in diversifying AirAsia’s business carriers at the recent Paris air show
from being a pure-airline group, via – Fernandes is cautious about
T
ony Fernandes, chief execu- initiatives such as a “super-app’” re-entering the fray.
tive of AirAsia parent Capi- and logistics and digital payment “We’ll focus on Southeast Asia –
tal A, has played down talk services. The rebranding of its 100%,” he says.
of his impending retirement parent company as Capital A was AirAsia expects to have all of its
and insists he will remain with the part of that effort. 200 or so aircraft back in service
group in the near-term, but stress- Additionally, Fernandes has by the end of August, as its various
es that a succession plan is in place. reaffirmed that the group’s strate- airline units continue to recover
Fernandes says his priority is gy is to focus its airline interests on from the Covid-19 crisis.
to return the business to growth, the Southeast Asian market: AirAsia While it placed no orders at the
pointing to a strong travel recovery has units in Indonesia, Malaysia, the recent Le Bourget event, AirAsia
and the group’s diversified portfo- Philippines and Thailand. A new will be back in the market for new
lio, led mainly by the AirAsia group Cambodian entity is being stood up, jets over the coming years, he says,
of low-cost carriers. and Fernandes confirms that plans which may include more widebod-
In April, Bloomberg published an to launch two more operations in ies for the AirAsia X long-haul unit.
interview with Fernandes, where it the region are still on track. Meanwhile, Fernandes has sold
noted he was “preparing to step his interest in English football club
back from the front lines”, quoting Divested units Queens Park Rangers (QPR) in or-
him as saying: “Aviation as my jour- AirAsia formerly had operations in der to focus his efforts on AirAsia
ney might be coming to an end. I’ve Japan and India, but closed the Jap- and its associated operations.
got to talk about succession plan- anese unit during the pandemic and The decision will enable
ning. Exactly when I press the but- divested its stake in AirAsia India to Fernandes to “shift attention to
ton, I don’t know, but I want to talk joint-venture partner Tata Group. rebuilding the airline and growing
about it because I want to attract Fernandes says the Indian and digital businesses”, Capital A said
the right leaders.” Japanese units were “interesting” on 10 July.
Fernandes tells FlightGlobal that lessons for the group, but that it “While stepping away from QPR
he was highlighting that he was will not look beyond Southeast was a difficult decision, it has been
“building a succession plan”. While Asia – at least for now. made with the clear determina-
he acknowledges the speculation Japan, he says, was “a step too tion that my time and expertise are
that arose following that inter- far” for AirAsia, while India was “an needed elsewhere,” Fernandes says.
view, he says: “I think I have got interesting experiment… because Fernandes became owner of QPR
many more years left… I have to fix it still helped us in developing our in August 2011, but began to reduce
everything, get us back on growth. brand”, given that its Southeast his involvement in 2018 when he
“I‘m here for at least five more Asian units fly regularly to several stepped down as co-chairman. ◗
years,” adds Fernandes, who points in the country.
founded AirAsia more than two And even though the Indian air Additional reporting by
decades ago. travel market is on the up – with Lewis Harper in London
Nokuro/Shutterstock
Interest in English football club

Queens Park Rangers has been sold

Innovation Investment
Experimental design was

recently delivered to site
Airbus seeks
lift from new wing
technology centre
Airbus
Airframer says Filton facility will help to ‘ground research in

practicality’, as it eyes destructive test of latest prototype
David Kaminski-Morrow Filton An initial wing, completed last While folding tips have been de-
year, is located at the Airbus plant veloped for the Boeing 777X, and
in Broughton and used for modu- military aircraft use folding wings
A
irbus is preparing to con- lar assembly and integration work, to preserve space on aircraft car-
duct a destructive test of and a third is set to be assembled rier decks, Partridge says research
an experimental wing as by 2025 to test the rate capability needs to explore other aspects.
part of a technologies in- of the selected technologies. ICAO Code C aircraft, such as the
itiative, as it opens a new facility Filton’s wing, the only one of the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737, have
at its UK site in Filton dedicated to three to be sent to the facility, will spans less than 36m (118ft). But
future wing research. be used for structural analysis of Partridge says the Wing of Tomor-
The facility – known as the Wing its composite components, includ- row programme is looking at 45m
Technology Development Centre ing its primary sections and fas- spans – requiring a 4.5m folding tip.
– will be focused on construct- teners, and ultimately validation of “The challenge for a single-aisle
ing and testing demonstrators strength and failure calculations. sized wing is there’s much less
for various aerospace projects Partridge states that the experi- space to get your system in,” she
including the airframer’s Wing of mental wing is not a fixed design says, adding that reliability is
Tomorrow programme. for a next-generation Airbus air- arguably more crucial for commer-
Wing of Tomorrow is examin- craft, but rather an “out-of-cycle” cial aircraft than military. Broad
ing a variety of new technologies platform enabling various prospec- spans could also push flight-control
that could be incorporated into tive technologies to be examined. systems into the folding section,
lightweight low-drag wings, with “I can take some risks on this,” adding such complexity as pow-
broader spans and higher aspect she says. er-supply bridging.
ratios, to improve performance and The folding-tip demonstrator is
fuel efficiency. It also seeks to de- Combined structure due to be completed in autumn this
termine whether such technologies As part of the test regime it will year and installed in the AIRTeC fa-
can be introduced at sufficiently be mated with a bespoke partial cility for reliability and loading tests.
low cost and applied to high rates centre wing box – the first such Complementing the Wing of To-
of aircraft manufacture. wing-body join at Filton since the morrow programme is the eXtra Per-
Airbus Wing of Tomorrow head site manufactured supersonic BAC- formance Wing project undertaken
Sue Partridge, speaking in Fil- Aerospatiale Concorde aircraft. through Airbus’s UpNext innovation
ton during a 3 July briefing ahead This combined structure will even- arm. The composite wing – to be
of the facility’s formal opening, tually be transferred to the plant’s assembled on the Filton site – will
said the centre would focus on Aerospace Integrated Research morph in flight, offloading stresses
next-generation wing technology, and Test Centre (AIRTeC), attached with active control features, and will
and “leverage” the site’s broad en- to a ‘strong wall’ and physically be tested by replacing the wings
gineering and test work. loaded to destruction. of a Cessna Citation VII executive
“[It’s a] coming together of the Broader spans conflict with the jet and flying it, uncrewed, over a
end-to-end capabilities,” she says, limited manoeuvring space at air- French air force base.
adding that the centre will “help us ports, and the Wing Technology Partridge says the wing is a
ground our research in practicality”. Development Centre will support scaled-down version of one which
Partridge says the experimental analysis of folding wing-tip designs. could be adapted to larger com-
wing newly delivered to the facili- Wing-tip boxes have been manu- mercial aircraft, and offers “more
ty is the second created under the factured, and a partner will supply ingredients” on top of those exam-
Wing of Tomorrow programme. a folding mechanism for integration. ined under Wing of Tomorrow. ◗

ALPA calls on federal regulators

to close US Part 135 ‘loophole’
Pilot union singles out on-demand operator JSX and opposes
granting of licence for new Skywest charter subsidiary
Howard Hardee Sacramento collected by the union shows that Cirium fleets data shows JSX has
in 2022, CommuteAir (as United 42 Embraer ERJ-135s and -145s in
Express) and Piedmont Airlines (as service, all configured with 30 seats.
F
lightcrew union the Air Line American Eagle) operated 77,683 JSX declines to comment
Pilots Association, Interna- and 89,093 departures, respective- on ALPA’s filing. However, in a
tional (ALPA) has doubled ly, using 50- and 47-strong fleets. response to comments from the
down on claims that some US “JSX simply is wrong. If it walks, union and American Airlines in
carriers are exploiting a regulatory talks, and quacks like a duck, it is June – which complained of “un-
AirTeamImages
loophole to operate what are effec- a duck. Since JSX does in fact pro- fair competition” from the start-up
tively scheduled services not cov- vide scheduled service, it should be – JSX argued that “no such ‘loop-
ered by the usual safety regulations. deemed to do so, regardless of the hole’ exists” and that it is fully com-
In a 6 July filing with the US De- fictitious regulatory disguise that it pliant with all safety regulations.
partment of Transportation (DoT), dons,” adds ALPA in its filing. ALPA has for months argued that
the union calls on federal reg- “To the consumer, unaware of SkyWest Charter, a new unit of re-
ulators to close the “loophole… fine-line regulatory distinctions… gional US carrier Skywest Airlines,
being exploited” by semi-private JSX’s flights are scheduled, just like is attempting to bypass safety laws
jet operator JSX and recently its Part 121 competitors.” that apply to Part 121 carriers.
launched SkyWest Charter, and to Targeted at affluent markets, In May, 10 aviation unions called
reject the latter’s request for com- JSX operates point-to-point routes on the US government to prevent
muter air carrier status. mostly in the South and South- the charter service from being
ALPA argues that “a complicated western USA, with its main base given DoT approval, arguing that
regulatory loophole allows charter at Hollywood-Burbank airport and Skywest Charter plans to “link
flights to run so frequently that en- headquarters in Dallas. small communities to the national
terprising carriers can market them
as scheduled service, but be free
from the Part 121 safety regime that
governs most scheduled flights”.
Part 121 of the Federal Aviation
Regulations sets out the rules gov-
erning the vast majority of com-
mercial flights in the USA.
Operational restrictions
However, the carriers in question
are licenced for Part 135 services.
Regulations governing their opera-
tion restrict airlines in this category
to flying either on-demand services
with aircraft of up to 30 seats, or
commuter flights in non-jet aircraft
with a maximum of nine seats.
The union cites JSX as an ex-
ample of the loophole being ex-
ploited. The “hop-on jet service” –
which bills itself as a “unique public
charter operator” – has achieved
an operational scale that is “unten-
able”, ALPA says.
“JSX applied to operate 110,305
scheduled departures in 2022 with
AirTeamImages
its 37-aircraft operating fleet –

more scheduled departures than
Part 121 carrier CommuteAir flies
comparably-sized regional Part
regional services as United Express
121 operators,” ALPA says. Data

Regulations Complaint
“If it walks, talks, and quacks like a

duck, it is a duck. Since JSX does
in fact provide scheduled service,
it should be deemed to do so”
ALPA
airline network under a lesser “[The] statements simply reflect special interest groups, Sky-
standard of safety”. ALPA’s incorrect assumptions re- West Charter has completed all
For example, pilots operating garding the experience level or regulatory requirements neces-
under Part 135 rules do not need safety of the pilots SkyWest Char- sary to provide what is already
the standard 1,500h of aviation ex- ter will use in its proposed opera- available to numerous operators
perience, and can continue flying tion,” the letter states. within the existing regulations
beyond the mandatory retirement “ALPA’s assertions are thinly and well-established precedent,”
age of 65. They are also subject to veiled attempts, under the cloak of Childs said on the company’s
different rest requirements. ‘safety’, to bar market entry by a quarterly earnings call on 27 April.
“Under current Part 135 safety well-capitalised, exceptionally well- He also stressed that ”the first and
regulations, first officers do not equipped, non-ALPA operator in foremost priority for SkyWest is
have to meet the safety-critical SkyWest Charter.” always safety”.
first officer qualification rules as SkyWest flies on behalf of several
Congress authorised in the Airline Revenue flights major US carriers – Alaska Airlines,
Safety and FAA [Federal Aviation The new charter service com- American Airlines, Delta Air Lines
Administration] Extension Act of pleted proving flights and re- and United Airlines – with a fleet
2010, which regional airlines conceived FAA approval to operate of more than 500 regional jets. It
tinue to try to weaken,” ALPA adds. in March, launching its first reve- connects secondary cities to major
JSX responds by noting that it nue flights the following month. hubs, including many Essential Air
“and similar Part 135 operators Cirium records SkyWest Charter as Service routes.
provide one of the most effec- currently operating eight Bombar- ALPA argues that Part 135 op-
tive and relevant means for first dier CRJ200s. erators “have an appropriate, lim-
officers to achieve their 1,500h However, SkyWest has yet to ited role in the national aviation
flight time requirement to join Part receive its “commuter authority” network. But JSX and SkyWest
121 airlines”. from the DoT, which is not required Charter share or propose to share
In a 27 April letter to US transpor- for Part 135 charter operations, but common use of a loophole that
tation secretary Pete Buttigieg, Sky- would allow the carrier to “better abuses the intent of charter rules
West’s chief executive Chip Childs serve small communities”, the air- and Part 135’s safety regulations.
said that ALPA’s assertions regard- line told FlightGlobal in April. “The department should close
ing SkyWest Charter are “baseless, “While there have been some the loophole and deny the applica-
inaccurate and misleading”. unfounded claims made by tion,” the union says. ◗
Download the 2022 Commercial Engines Report

now with updated enhanced data and in-depth market analysis
FlightGlobal.com/commengines

H130-based FlghtLab previously

evaluated Engine Back-up System
Testing time
By year-end, Airbus Helicopters will be flying
Airbus Helicopters
three different demonstrators, as airframer looks

to mature swathe of new technologies
Dominic Perry Paris Tomasz Krysinski, vice-president sense on a demonstrator to be in a

of research and innovation at hurry,” he says.
Airbus Helicopters, said the Dis- Feedback from Airbus Helicop-
A
irbus Helicopters is gear- ruptiveLab’s first test phase was ters’ test pilots – four have now
ing up for a busy second designed to open up the flight en- flown it – has been positive, says
half of 2023 as it pushes velope and tune the “flight quali- Krysinski: they describe it as being
ahead with an ambitious ties” of the rotorcraft and the per- “easy to handle” with very low
programme that by year-end will formance of its sensors. levels of vibration.
see it flight testing a trio of tech- Crucially, performance has been
nology demonstrators. Fast progress in line with predictions, with the
To date, those technology dem- But Krysinski has been impressed helicopter’s aerodynamic improve-
onstrators comprise the H130- with the rate of progress: “In terms ments, such as the low-profile rotor
based FlightLab and clean-sheet of the tuning it is the first time we hub, allowing the DisruptiveLab to
DisruptiveLab – both single-en- have been able to go so quickly.” already achieve a speed of 163kt
gined conventional rotorcraft – but He says the DisruptiveLab has (301km/h) in a slight dive.
they should be joined in the autumn achieved a steady flight cadence, Flight testing will continue
by the Racer high-speed helicopter. allowing the airframer to analyse throughout the remainder of 2023
Although the FlightLab and data and implement resulting and “during the second part of
DisruptiveLab are already flying – configuration changes before the testing we will start taking real
for several years in the case of the flying again. performance measurements”.
former – both are set to embark on “Our target is not to perform Although the low-drag pro-
new phases of their test campaigns. flights too often – it makes no file of the DisruptiveLab should
Revealed last December, the
DisruptiveLab first flew in early
2023, testing a suite of technol- “Our target is not to perform
ogies designed to deliver a 50%
reduction in fuel burn for future [DisruptiveLab] flights too
helicopter designs.
Airbus Helicopters said in early often – it makes no sense on a
Airbus Helicopters
June that the rotorcraft had com-

pleted its initial round of trials. demonstrator to be in a hurry”
Speaking to FlightGlobal at
the Paris air show on 21 June, Tomasz Krysinski Vice-president research and innovation, Airbus Helicopters

Rotorcraft Innovation
contribute a 15% reduction in First flight of high-speed Racer

fuel burn, hybridisation of the is planned for November
powertrain should enable a further
10% cut.
So far, the helicopter has been
powered solely by its thermal en-
gine; hybridisation of the power-
train with a 250kW electric motor
and batteries – able to be charged
in flight – will take place next year.
This will enable 2min of powered
flight in the event of an engine
failure and improve fuel consump-
tion through the optimisation of
the thermal engine for high-power
flight phases.
Batteries included
Batteries for the hybrid-electric
Airbus Helicopters
system will be provided by Airbus

Defence & Space, while a decision
will be taken shortly on the suppli-
er of the electric motor.
But details of the turboshaft
engine remain scarce, save for
the fact that it is supplied by is designed to provide short-dura- take-off and landing applications,
Safran Helicopter Engines. Kry- tion emergency power should the the Vertex system combines data
sinski declines to be drawn on the main engine fail. from several LIDAR and electro-
output of the likely clean-sheet Testing of the system is complete optical/infrared sensors to build
powerplant, although the same but development work continues, up a picture of the helicopter’s sur-
manufacturer’s Arrius 2R for the paving the way for a future com- roundings, enabling autonomous
light-single Bell 505 is rated at mercial product, says Krysinski: “It take-offs, landings and taxing.
around 500shp (372kW). is something we continue to devel-
Installation of the battery- op. We are working on [reducing] Sidestick controller
electric system on the Disruptive- the cost of the overall system.” Additionally, the FlightLab will be
Lab is the airframer’s most ambi- But the FlightLab is not sitting fitted with a ‘fly-by-wire’ system,
tious hybridisation project to date. idle: Airbus Helicopters in July replacing the collective, cyclic and
However, it has already evaluated kicked off a new test programme pedals on one side of the helicopter
a more modest capability – the with the demonstrator, trialling a with a sidestick controller, linked
Engine Back-up System (EBS) – new autonomous flight-control to the mechanical controls with a
aboard the FlightLab. system called Vertex. clutch-type arrangement.
The EBS does not improve the Developed by the group’s Up- Destined for the airframer’s
efficiency of the gas turbine but Next unit and designed for vertical CityAirbus NextGen advanced air
mobility programme, the system,
which includes an active-trim func-
Clean-sheet DisruptiveLab has tion, is a controller for a “millenni-
completed initial round of trials al-generation pilot”, says Krysinski.
Initially testing will focus on the
sidestick and fly-by-wire system,
with the complete Vertex package
following later in the year.
Meanwhile, the Racer – a high-
speed compound rotorcraft – is
edging closer to first flight.
“We are very well advanced now.
We want to take off in November,”
says Krysinski.
Progress had been held up by
the delayed delivery of the helicop-
ter’s main gearbox from Avio Aero
in Italy, but Airbus Helicopters has
now received the component, which
is undergoing rig endurance testing.
A flight-ready gearbox is expect-
ed to be delivered in July, enabling
ground tests of the completed Rac-
er to start after the summer break. ◗

Technology will equip type

for electronic attack duties
UK advances
Typhoon radar project
BAE Systems
Latest contract will cover continued development of ECRS

Mk2 array and production of 12 test sets, but in-service target
for new system is pushed back until end of the decade
Craig Hoyle Warton now installed in an integrated test taking place for the production
facility building at BAE’s Warton system,” Hoyle said of the new deal
site in Lancashire, from where it is during a media facility at Warton.
T
he UK Royal Air Force’s gathering data by tracking com- “Around 2028 we expect to have
(RAF’s) Tranche 3 mercial aircraft operating from a production radar on an aircraft
Eurofighter Typhoons will Liverpool and Manchester airports, doing flight-test, and then will start
begin operating with an plus military traffic. getting on with integrating it and
advanced active electronical- “Next year we are aiming to take turning it into a capability” for the
ly scanned array (AESA) radar this [prototype] radar and inte- operational fleet, he says.
by 2030, with the long-running grate it into a test platform and “Having staffed the full business
project having made its latest con- case… I can confirm that the IOC [in-
tractual advance on 4 July. itial operating capability] approved
Worth £870 million ($1.1 billion)
and placed with project lead BAE
Systems, the five-year award “will
see further development of tech-
nology and integration work on the
£870m
Value of five-year contract with BAE
is the end of the decade,” he tells
FlightGlobal. While the Ministry of
Defence (MoD) had last year cited
an objective of 2028 for this mile-
stone, he notes: “What we are aim-
[Leonardo UK] ECRS Mk2 radar”, Systems and Leonardo UK to develop ing to do is deliver this as soon as
the airframer says. and integrate sensor for RAF use we practicably can,” adding: “this is
The new programme phase also a technology-complex programme.
will involve the production of 12 ra- “There have been no pauses, no
dar sets to support test activities fly it,” Hoyle says. That activity will deliberate decisions to slow any-
to be conducted later this decade, involve single-seat aircraft BS116 thing down – quite the opposite,”
says Lyndon Hoyle, head of Ty- (ZK355), which James Glazebrook, Hoyle says. “We are getting on with
phoon delivery team at the UK’s BAE’s deputy director – Europe, this contract.”
Defence Equipment & Support says is being prepared to have the The UK’s plans call for 40 Tranche
(DE&S) organisation. array installed later this year. 3 jets to be equipped with the ECRS
The ECRS Mk2 programme’s “In parallel, there is software and Mk2 radar, and it will have the op-
current lone prototype sensor is hardware design and development tion to potentially also modify some

Development Sensors
Tranche 2 examples with the same

technology. A contract for the pro-
duction-standard radars is likely to
be approved during 2025, following
flight-testing of the prototype.
“This is the first of a number of
contracts that will continue our
journey to equip the RAF with
the edge to protect our nation,”
says Vice Admiral Rick Thomp-
son, DE&S director general air.
“Developing ECRS Mk2 not only
provides cutting-edge capability,
but crucially also ensures that ad-
vanced technical skills and exper-
tise in delivering complex sensors
are available to support the Future
Combat Air System.”
Typhoon successor
Partnered with Italy and Japan, the
UK is involved in the Global Com-
bat Air Programme, which seeks to
field a sixth-generation successor
to the Typhoon from 2035.
Several of the development
BAE Systems
and test-phase sensors that will

Prototype sensor is installed
be produced under the current
at BAE’s Warton test facility
contract will be converted to the
final production standard for
frontline use on the Typhoon fleet,
Hoyle confirms. “We have set a demanding set acquire Mk1 sensors, while a Mk0
He notes that the UK has already of requirements, based on what version of the European Common
spent £800 million over a 10-year we assess the Royal Air Force’s Radar System is operational with
period in support of its future radar capability mix in combat air, includ- Typhoons flown by Kuwait and
technology, which will also provide ing the [Lockheed Martin] F-35 Qatar, with more than 1,000 in-ser-
the Typhoon fleet with a valuable and Typhoon will be out to at least vice hours logged.
electronic warfare (EW) and elec- 2040, [versus] the likely threat en- The UK MoD in July 2022
tronic attack capability. vironment,” says Wing Commander confirmed plans to invest a to-
Leonardo UK has for the last sev- David Boulton, the service’s ECRS tal of £2.35 billion on technol-
eral years performed development Mk2 capability delivery director. ogy advances for the Typhoon,
work on the ECRS Mk2 at its Edin- “The testing that has been done including as part of the four-nation
burgh and Luton sites, which have before we put this system in an Eurofighter programme’s P4E pack-
respectively focused on the design’s aircraft is reaping benefits into age of enhancements.
AESA radar and EW elements. the programme,” Boulton says.
“There has been a lot of work Referring to the new electronic at- Task-based management
over the last couple of years to tack functionality, he adds: “From In addition to the radar integration
get the two parts of the sen- what we have seen so far, we have task, the P4E update also will for
sor integrated coherently,” says high confidence that this system is the UK include elements “such as
Tim Bungey, Leonardo UK’s chief going to be able to deliver.” upgrades to the DASS [defensive
engineer for the system. In addition to meeting the RAF’s aids subsystem], and task-based
“The introduction of the EW requirements, the ECRS Mk2 is management”, Hoyle says.
capability is the real game-chang- also of interest to fellow Typhoon To be finalised between Germany,
er,” he adds, while noting: “already operator Saudi Arabia, while Ita- Italy, Spain and the UK, the P4E pro-
the prototype system has proved ly also has yet to select an AESA gramme is likely to be the subject
its worth in terms of teasing out solution for part of its Eurofight- of a contract award in late 2025 or
some of the wrinkles.” er fleet. Germany and Spain will early 2026, he indicates. ◗
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IN ASSOCIATION WITH
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Delta Air Lines operates a fleet of

60 examples across both variants
Five years an Airbus

Since its acquisition of the CSeries programme from
Bombardier, new owner has optimised the two-model family
and roughly doubled sales of the small single-aisle
David Kaminski-Morrow London chief John Leahy had argued as Airbus acquired [the CSeries] it
would be rendered superfluous brought to the programme, and the
by re-engined models, particu- aircraft, what was really missing.
O
riginally dismissed by Air- larly the A319neo. The updated “Airbus came with the capability
bus as having no business single-aisles, he said, made “much to invest further in the programme
case, the A220 has de- harder” the Canadians’ task of sell- and develop it, and leverage all the
fied sceptics not only by ing their “nice little airplane”. technology, engineering might,
settling into the airframer’s line-up If Leahy’s opinion was caustic, and the rest of the power of
but also by emerging as a potential any hostility from Airbus evap- Airbus to continue to develop the
successor to the ubiquitous A320. orated when it negotiated the programme – and support it – to
Such has been the ascent of the programme’s acquisition and took make it the success it is today.”
former Bombardier CSeries in the over the CSeries in July 2018, Dewar says there was a “lot of
five years since Airbus swept in rebranding the two-member family debate” about the A220’s fit in
to rescue the new Canadian pro- as the A220-100 and -300. the single-aisle line, notably the
gramme and put its marketing “[Airbus] already knew the overlap between the -300 and
power behind the twinjet. product extremely well before,” the A319neo, and states: “We said,
This was the same aircraft, of says Rob Dewar, colloquially known in the end, let the market decide
course, that Airbus’s then-sales as the ‘father’ of the aircraft. “They their choice.”
knew exactly what they were get-
ting. The feedback we had before Winning orders
Airbus A220-family the acquisition was, ‘If we had to That preference has proven
orders and deliveries develop an airplane, we’d have unambiguous. By the end of May
done exactly the same’.” this year the A220 had landed 785
Year Orders Deliveries
Dewar led the CSeries pro- orders – approaching double the
2023 33* 25* gramme at Bombardier and, since total prior to the takeover – while
2022 127 53 the acquisition, has become Airbus the A319neo has yet to break into
Markus Mainka/Shutterstock
2021 64 50 Canada’s senior vice-president for treble figures.

2020 56 38 A220 customer satisfaction, cus- Dewar says the A220 is proving
2019 103 48 tomer services and product policy. a “natural fit” and “logical evolu-
2018 135 20 “We were very challenged [at tion” as the A320neo family’s cen-
Total 497 228 Bombardier] on financial and hu- tre of interest shifts upwards to the
Source: Airbus *to 30 June 2023
man resources,” he says. “As soon A321neo and its long-range variants.

Anniversary A220
“During the pandemic,

the A220 was the most-flown
A b - active fleet compared with any
sorption
of the A220 other type. That’s a great test”
brought
not only Rob Dewar Senior vice-president for A220 customer satisfaction, Airbus Canada
a new air-
craft but a
review of the 52.6t) and landing weights (61t and
organisation. 54.7t) of each variant.
A220 in-service fleet
“We’re kind of a Dewar says the changes have Carrier Variant Active
pilot project – guinea pigs, if you aligned the A220 with the range Air Austral -300 3
like – on new ways of working,” of the larger Airbus single-aisle Air Baltic -300 31
says Dewar. “The A220 was a leaner jets. “That’s been tremendously Air Canada -300 30
organisation. We came from a com- popular with customers,” he says. Air France -300 23
pany that was very entrepreneurial. “The testament to that was during Air Tanzania -300 1
We kind of had that culture. the pandemic, where the A220 Breeze Airways -300 14
“Airbus comes with much more was the most-flown active fleet Bulgaria Air -300 1
capability, with much more rigor- compared with any other type. Delta Air Lines -100 45
ous processes and, of course, infra- That’s a great test. -300 15
structure in place. So we’re working “The market was reduced signif- Egyptair -300 6
really to keep the flexibility, lean icantly, so [airlines] were able to Five ACJ TwoTwenty 1
and more reactive, but leveraging put the A220 onto… longer routes ITA Airways -300 4
the resources and infrastructure that would normally be done by JetBlue Airways -300 17
and processes of Airbus.” A320s or A321s or other competing Korean Air -300 10
aircraft. We could do it with lower SAS -300 1
Early enhancements capacity and much lower cost.” Swiss -100 7
But the acquisition has also Airbus also secured Canadian ex- -300 20
enabled Airbus to scrutinise the tended operations (ETOPS) approv- Total 229
aircraft, and determine the extent al for the A220 giving the option for Source: Cirium fleets data Note: as of 30 June 2023
to which it might benefit from 180min diversion time and allowing

early enhancements. Speaking carriers to take greater advantage areas we found Airbus had done
during an investor forum on 21 of the range capability. better. So we were able to harvest
June, chief commercial officer Dewar insists Airbus has not ob- both of those.”
Christian Scherer said the airfram- jected to any specific architecture Airbus has complemented the
er had “Airbusified” the jet. – “They haven’t come and said ‘we refined aircraft performance with
Dewar says the aerodynamics, don’t like this’,” he says – and the interior updates, newly applying its
software and cabin have all been aircraft has not been reshaped. Airspace cabin philosophy to the
subject to analysis and brought into Airbus modelling, he adds, has A220 with the planned introduc-
line with Airbus’s standards. “We enabled the airframer to “take tion of lightweight, high-capacity
took the first two years to remodel advantage of the current product, luggage bins from 2025. A retrofit
the aircraft in Airbus tools,” he says. with no changes, and have better option will also be available.
“And of course, the results came out performance”, using the hidden
to be very similar [to Bombardier’s]. capability that Bombardier had yet Cabin structure
But really that was necessary for to extract from the CSeries. The change will trim about 135kg
any future development.” “If you demonstrate, through (297lb) from the cabin structure,
Probably the most significant modelling and testing, a certain while offering space for 19 more
improvement under Airbus’s watch capability of the aircraft, you can standard bags. Dewar says the
has been the performance from take the benefit of it,” he says. update will give the “look and feel”
take-off and landing weight chang- “The [CSeries] at the time – basi- of an Airbus cabin.
es. The A220-300 underwent an cally, we’d just certified it, and it “On the A220 we did have
initial 2.3t hike in maximum take- was only in service for a couple very large bins already but we
off weight (MTOW), and a further 1t of years. Certification is a very weren’t able to turn all of the bags
has since been achieved, bringing rigorous process and takes quite a sideways,” he says. “Typically there
the current MTOW to 70.9t. The bit of effort and time. were four bags in a bin, and you
-100 has similarly had its MTOW “So when Airbus came along, we could turn three sideways and one
raised to 63.7t. looked at their capabilities, their flat. But now we can put all the
This has taken the range of the experience, and what they’d cer- bags in sideways.”
-300 and -100 respectively to tified on other products. And we Airbus is redesigning the pas-
3,400nm (6,290km) and 3,450nm. found some areas that we’d actual- senger service unit, as part of the
Airbus has also tweaked the max- ly done a little better, based on our update, and installing ceiling chang-
imum zero-fuel weights (58t and previous experience, and in other es and new lighting options.

Anniversary A220
Airframer is aiming to achieve break-

Airbus
even on the programme by mid-decade
The airframer aims to offer its Dewar suggests another hike in Airbus’s Canadian and US A220
new flexible satellite-connectivity MTOW is unlikely. “Honestly, I don’t assembly lines are intended for
scheme, Airspace Link HBCplus, see a need for that in the short monthly production rates of 10
for the A220, permitting airlines to term,” he says, given the A220’s aircraft at Mirabel, Quebec and
select service providers through a current range capability in compar- four at Mobile, Alabama. But the
new terminal and radome. ison with other Airbus jets. total output is currently six, and
This follows previous introduction But longer range appeals to the airframer is still striving to
of in-flight entertainment and con- business jet operators, and Airbus achieve break-even on the pro-
nectivity systems from Intelsat and has developed a corporate ver- gramme by mid-decade – an
Panasonic. As part of the A220 cab- sion of the A220-100 – branded ambition hardly helped by the in-
in enhancement, seat options were the ACJ TwoTwenty – which can service issues affecting the type’s
also broadened to cover products fly 5,650nm. The initial VIP-fitted PW1500G engine.
from Safran, Collins and Recaro. aircraft, completed by Comlux in But Dewar is optimistic about
Maximum certified passenger Indianapolis, was delivered to Dubai the cost trajectory. Airbus has
accommodation for the A220-100 hotel and resort firm Five this year. strong purchasing power, he says,
is 127 passengers, and 145 for the and brings “a lot of credibility”
standard A220-300. But replacing Growing family to the A220 programme. “Sales
the single-lane off-wing escape Dewar says the A220 is still a new have really taken off. That builds
slide with a dual-lane slide clears platform, and “it definitely has confidence for suppliers,” he
the -300 to carry up to 149 seats. room to grow”. The -300 is the states. “So they’ll also invest and
Air France has a 148-seat interior, baseline model, and while the -100 ramp-up for us, and they can lower
while Air Baltic has been reconfig- is a shrink, Dewar stresses that it is their costs as well.”
uring its fleet with both 148- and an optimised shrink, with structur- Scherer says the A220 is follow-
149-seat layouts. ally-lighter wings and other weight ing a “solid climb trajectory” and
Dewar says a proposed 160- reductions in the central section. that there will “probably” be a
seat high-density cabin remains “From the centre fuselage forward “third member” of the family. But
an option, achieved with a second and aft, it’s all common to the -100 he insists Airbus must first con-
overwing exit as well as larger slides. and -300 because the loading is centrate on addressing the “very
“It would be available depending on quite similar for the two products,” steep” ramp-up for the current
customer demand,” he says. he says, which means that any pro- A220 variants.
Refinements to the aircraft since posed longer version of the A220 “There is no pressing need, per
it became part of the Airbus port- would be a “first stretch”. se, to stretch it,” he says. “We’re
folio have been based on modelling Dewar is reluctant to echo continuing to sell A320s very well,
and validation, without structur- Airbus’s tentative reference to the and therefore it’s not an acute, it’s
al reinforcement. The A220 has potential stretch as the ‘A220- not a pressing matter.
evolved with avionics software 500’. “We just call it an evolution,” “It’s a natural evolution that will
updates, such as those for ICAO’s he says. While there is “large in- come at one point, but today we
Global Aeronautical Distress and terest” in such a development, he don’t need it because our demand
Safety System standard, as well adds, Airbus is currently “going for the existing product exceeds
as upgrades to the Pratt & Whit- back to basics” by concentrating our ability to supply it. So there
ney PW1500G full-authority digital on ramp-up, programme maturity shouldn’t be a pressing need to
engine control. and cost reduction. throw money at a stretch.” ◗

Engine misidentified
before 737 ditching
Pilots of Transair freighter did not
verify which powerplant had failed after
take-off from Honolulu, NTSB suggests
NTSB
David Kaminski-Morrow London panel – making the failed engine But this eliminated the distinctive
more difficult to distinguish. adverse yaw to the right, initially
Although the first officer correct- felt by the crew, and also left the
U
S investigators believe ly determined that the right-hand cockpit engine indications “ambig-
the pilots of a Transair engine had suffered a problem just uous” because both were generat-
Boeing 737-200 freighter after take-off, his subsequent working low thrust, says the inquiry.
that ditched in the ocean load “left few opportunities for him The 737-200, built in 1975, had
off Honolulu on 2 July 2021 did to commit that information to mem- old analogue cockpit displays.
not verify which engine had failed ory”, says the US National Transpor-
shortly after take-off, despite tation Safety Board (NTSB). Pressure ratio
initially correctly identifying the The first officer levelled the Thrust was low on both engines, but
damaged powerplant. aircraft at 2,000ft and reduced the first officer might have thought
When the first officer, who was thrust on both engines to near the left-hand engine was affected
flying the twinjet, reduced thrust to flight-idle, slowing to 210kt because its pressure ratio was low-
decelerate, this obscured obvious (388km/h) – consistent with the er than the right-hand powerplant.
differences between the two en- carrier’s simulator procedures for There was “no longer a clear
gines’ indications on the instrument single-engine failure. sign” which engine had lost power,
Moscow Superjet crash pilot jailed

Aeroflot captain will serve six years in open prison and also
receives three-year flight ban after being held accountable
for 2019 crash that killed 41 people at Sheremetyevo airport
David Kaminski-Morrow London occupants, including a crew actions,” it points out. “This informa-
member, did not survive. tion refutes the defendant’s version
Russia’s federal Investigative of a possible aircraft malfunction.”
R
ussian authorities have Committee disclosed in Octo- Air traffic control (ATC) and
sentenced the captain of ber 2019 that the captain, Den- Sheremetyevo’s rescue services
an Aeroflot Sukhoi Superjet is Evdokimov, had been charged could not prevent the accident, the
100 to six years in an open with violations of procedures, Investigative Committee adds.
penitentiary over a fatal landing leading to the fatalities and the re- In addition to the six-year term,
accident at Moscow Sheremetyevo gional jet’s destruction. it also issued a fine of Rb2.5 million
four years ago. ($28,400), and imposed a ban on
The aircraft departed Moscow Guilty verdict Evdokimov holding the position of
for Murmansk on 5 May 2019, and The Investigative Committee says pilot for three years.
had just been cleared to climb to a court found Evdokimov guilty Russia’s air accident investigation
11,000ft when it suffered a light- of the charges. Flight and foren- agency, the Interstate Aviation Com-
ning strike, prompting the crew’s sic data gathered during the in- mittee, has yet to publish its final
decision to return to the airport. quiry made restoration of the report into the event. The inquiry
But it landed hard, damaging its circumstances possible, it states. has been held up by the pandemic,
fuel tanks. Leaking fuel ignited and “Investigators and specialists which restricted personnel move-
the twinjet slid to a halt with its aft studied the flight-recorder data ments, as well as difficulties in
fuselage consumed by fire. of the crashed aircraft, according obtaining certain system data.
Although an evacuation was to which the aircraft adequate- However, investigators have
initiated, 41 of the aircraft’s 78 ly responded to the pilot’s control completed a draft report and, in

Safety Reports
Crucially the captain accepted of indications including the yaw

the first officer’s conclusion with- or obvious differences in cockpit
out taking any action to verify it, engine parameters.
such as advancing the thrust levers “The checklist did not consider the
to see which engine spooled up. possibility that a flightcrew would
“If the captain had thought to need to delay checklist execution
test the thrust on the left engine until after completing steps in an
by advancing the left thrust lever, operator’s single-engine departure
the flightcrew would likely have procedure – such as levelling off at
noticed an increase in left engine a low altitude and reducing thrust
Twinjet broke up and sank into the
thrust, a yaw to the right, and en- on both engines,” it states.
Pacific Ocean, but both pilots survived
gine sounds indicating that the left Misidentification of the failed en-
engine was capable of producing gine meant the crew attempted to
normal power,” says the inquiry. fly using the damaged powerplant
and the pilots had “forgotten” their “The captain could also have si- – a situation which led them to be-
initial determination that it was the multaneously advanced both thrust lieve that both engines had prob-
right-hand engine, the NTSB says. levers and observed the left engine lems. With insufficient thrust, the
“Critical thinking was required producing more thrust.” 737 lost height and ditched in the
for the crew to devise diagnos- Pacific Ocean. The aircraft broke up
tic steps to confirm the affected High workload and sank, but both pilots survived.
engine,” it adds. “However, each None of these potential diagnostic Examination of the right-hand
pilot’s thinking was degraded by steps were included in the carrier’s Pratt & Whitney JT8D engine re-
high workload and stress.” engine-failure checklist, which – due vealed that two high-pressure
Some 3min 20s after the first to the substantial workload – the pi- turbine blades had suffered stress
sign of a problem the captain took lots did not begin reading until more fracture, owing to corrosion of
control from the first officer and than 4min into the emergency. blade-lightening holes. The blades’
asked which engine had failed. The Starting the checklist earlier, fracturing caused secondary
first officer remarked – in contrast the inquiry says, might have en- damage to the low-pressure tur-
to his original assessment – that abled the crew either to recall bine, causing the loss of thrust
the left engine was “gone” and that their correct determination of the in the powerplant as the aircraft
the right engine was available. failed engine, or take advantage climbed out of Honolulu. ◗
– despite a windshear alarm – but

as the jet neared touchdown, its
pitch fluctuated with the captain’s
strong inputs on the sidestick.
The aircraft landed hard in a flat
attitude, with all three landing-gear
assemblies contacting the runway
almost simultaneously. There was
no automatic spoiler deployment,
as the jet was operating in direct
Maxim Shipenkov/EPA-EFE/Shutterstock
law, and the crew did not extend

them manually.
Heavy touchdown
After the heavy touchdown the
aircraft bounced. The captain at-
tempted to engage reverse-thrust,
but this had no effect because the
Fire consumed aft fuselage after
jet was no longer on the ground.
hard landing ruptured fuel tanks
Manual input pitched the aircraft
downwards, and it contacted the
runway nose-gear first. This impact
May, stated that it would be sub- operating the jet manually, but was harder than the first, and the jet
mitted to authorised representa- initially had difficulty establishing bounced a second time. The crew
tives for comment. radio contact with ATC. then pushed the thrust levers for-
Their previous preliminary Flight-data recorder analysis ward, possibly for a go-around at-
analysis had found that the aircraft showed the captain’s control inputs tempt, but this failed owing to the
was hit by lighting 6min into the were abrupt and heavy-handed, prior activation of reverse-thrust.
flight. The autopilot disengaged and an initial attempt to line up As a result, the aircraft descend-
and the aircraft reverted to direct with the runway was abandoned. ed to the runway, landing hard
flight-control law. When the aircraft was cleared for again and causing substantial
Its crew decided to return to a second approach to runway 24L, structural damage including the
Sheremetyevo, with the captain the crew continued the descent fracture of the fuel tanks. ◗

Predecessor Clean Sky 2 programme used

a modified C295 for testing and evaluation
Why Airbus Defence & Space is

designing a new wing concept
Airbus Defence & Space
for future regional aircraft

Clean Aviation-backed HERWINGT project sees airframer’s
military unit working with a consortium to develop and mature
technologies for next-generation hybrid-electric designs
Dominic Perry London matured sufficiently all the re- integration of systems and new
quired components to allow a full- materials will lower weight by
scale demonstration to take place 20%; and lastly, the wing fuel sys-
M
aturation of an all-new in a possible second phase. tems will also be compatible with
wing designed to deliver Antonio Hernandez Martin de sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
a 50% fuel-burn reduc- Arriva, Clean Aviation chief engi- In addition, by 2025, the project
tion as part of a future neer at Airbus Defence & Space, will have produced digital twins
hybrid-electric regional aircraft and lifecycle assessments of the
could take place in the second half components, subsystems and full
of the decade if a project led by
Airbus Defence & Space proceeds
as planned.
Working as part of a consorti-
um called HERWINGT – hybrid
€21.8m
Clean Aviation project grant, to be
wing, compatible with the project’s
reference aircraft, plus a roadmap
towards readiness for flight of the
new structure, targeting possible
service entry in 2035.
electrical regional wing integration shared between 25 members of Certification requirements will
novel green technologies – the HERWINGT consortium also be considered “from the
Spain-based arm of Airbus’s de- beginning of the project”, Hernan-
fence unit will test novel materials, dez adds.
configurations and manufacturing says the overall fuel-burn reduc- Activities under HERWINGT
techniques that should enable the tion goal from the new wing is kicked off in February this year,
creation of a lighter, aerodynami- 50% at aircraft level. and the consortium partners are
cally improved wing. That will be achieved in three now “working on the requirements
Backed by the EU’s Clean ways, he explains: state-of-the-art and configurations of the wing” – a
Aviation body with a €21.8 million wing configurations with improved process that includes liaising with
($23.8 million) grant as part of aerodynamics will yield a fuel-burn other Clean Aviation programmes,
its first funding round, the HER- reduction of 15% at wing-compo- notably a Leonardo-led effort
WINGT project will by 2025 have nent level; novel structures, better called HERA (hybrid-electric

Technology Research
Drag will be reduced through the

use of a high-aspect-ratio design
regional architecture): “We need

to harmonise the wing configu- “The aerodynamics of
rations and wing requirements
with the HERA project, where we the distributed propulsion
are defining the requirements at
aircraft level,” he says. configuration is playing a key
Around 15 different component
demonstrator projects will inform role in the optimisation of the
the final wing design, which will
undergo the preliminary design wing performance and wing
review phase before the middle of
2024, followed by a critical design structure weight penalties”
review in early 2025.
“It is a very tight schedule,” Antonio Hernandez Martin de Arriva
notes Hernandez. Clean Aviation chief engineer, Airbus Defence & Space
That seems an understatement
given the number of new technol-
ogies, materials and manufactur- flight-control laws, and improved “Moreover, the aerodynam-
ing processes to be implemented. laminarity of the wing”. ics of the distributed propulsion
Lastly, new sensors, sealants and configuration is playing a key role
Material changes materials related to the fuel sys- in the optimisation of the wing
Planned “enabling technologies” tem will be employed, designed performance and wing structure
include new materials such as to make them compatible with a weight penalties oriented to the
thermoset, thermoplastic and broad SAF specification. reduction of fuel burn,” he adds.
resin-infused composite driving Also adding to the complexity If selected in Clean Aviation’s
weight reduction and the pro- is the impact that the wing’s de- second phase, running from 2026,
duction of “highly integrated sign will have on other parts of the HERWINGT would look to advance
structures” using out-of-autoclave aircraft, such as the fuselage and the wing as a feasible solution for
processes. Traditionally, compos- propulsion system. a twin-motor configuration with
ite wings have been restricted to In the latter case, even if a ‘typ- expected service entry in 2035.
being used on widebody aircraft, ical’ twin-engined configuration is As yet, any flight testing phase
with the slow – and expensive – selected there will still be integra- is undefined and will be discussed
autoclave curing process ill-suited tion challenges from the additional as part of the phase 2 planning.
to the high manufacturing rates re- weight and installation constraints During the EU’s predecessor
quired for single-aisle or regional such a system imposes. Clean Sky 2 programme, Airbus
aircraft applications. “Therefore, one of our main Defence & Space used a modified
Those new materials or process- goals is to develop new struc- C295 tactical transport to perform
es will facilitate the development ture concepts and materials for similar evaluations.
of new wing architectures and the wing where we can install
more integrated structures which such new systems minimising the Scale model
should, says Hernandez, help to weight penalties within the aero- Additionally, Hernandez sees the
“minimise, or even eliminate, the dynamics of the external geome- need to evaluate the wing and
need for joints and bondings” try,” says Hernandez. distributed propulsion system
within the wing. Safety considerations are also aboard a scale model prior to any
HERWINGT will additional- paramount, he adds, alongside full-size flight-test campaign.
ly implement health monitoring the demands placed on the struc- Airbus is conducting other wing-
systems in the wing, allowing “us ture by the high-voltage electrical based research projects – Wing of
to design with less thickness and network, thermal management sys- Tomorrow and Extra Performance
then less mass”, he says. tem and the energy source – wheth- Wing, for example – which Hernan-
Auxiliary systems – for example, er batteries, fuel cells or hydrogen. dez says are complementary to the
induction-based ice protection But with a “more disruptive HERWINGT effort through the use
– will also be integrated into the wing configuration”, for instance of common materials and systems.
structure, further reducing weight involving distributed propulsion, However, with those pro-
and drag penalties. “the impact on the structure con- grammes aimed more at the
Hernandez says aerodynam- cept is much higher” and will re- narrowbody, rather than regional,
ic drag will be reduced through quire “very creative design solu- aircraft segment, there is only so
the use of a high-aspect-ratio tions” to achieve the desired much overlap as the respective
design, which uses “morphing combination of rigidity and light wings are optimised for different
control surfaces with optimised weight, says Hernandez. flight conditions. ◗

Deutsche Aircraft is aiming

for service entry in late 2026
D328eco gathers pace

First metal cut for flight-test prototypes of revamped
turboprop with majority of suppliers now in place
Dominic Perry Paris Nordam’s selection to design and Although it will use previous-
build the D328eco’s nacelles, an- ly built structures – wings, noses
nounced at the Paris air show, was and empennages – retained since
D
eutsche Aircraft has be- the last of the major work packages the demise of the original Dornier
gun cutting metal for the to be allocated, with just lower-tier 328 programme to equip the two
first parts to equip its initial suppliers still to be finalised, he says. prototypes, new centre fuselages
D328eco prototype as it will also be made.
works towards a maiden flight of Certification campaign These are 2.2m (7ft 2in) longer
the turboprop in mid-2025. Deutsche Aircraft – which at the than on the previous model, raising
In addition, Dave Jackson, show displayed for the first time its passenger capacity to 40 seats.
managing director of the German cockpit and cabin mock-ups to the The first stringers for the centre
airframer, says 90% of the air- public – will build two prototypes, fuselage have now been delivered
Deutsche Aircraft
craft’s supply chain has now been plus a production-conforming air- to the company’s Oberpfaffen-
“locked down”. craft for the certification campaign. hofen headquarters near Munich:
H2FLY eyes next stage in hydrogen journey and unveils new high-power fuel cells
Germany’s H2FLY will within the Flight activities will take place in
coming weeks commence flight Maribor, Slovenia and Air Liquide
tests of its HY4 aircraft for the is now building up the required
first time using liquid hydrogen to ground infrastructure to supply
run its fuel cell powertrain. the liquid hydrogen on site.
At the heart of the update is a Kallo says the latest iteration
new cryogenic hydrogen storage of the system has “performed
system developed by Air Liquide. well” during the ground-test
Ground tests of the system phase, which included running
began in April at Air Liquide’s site the aircraft’s electric motor and
in Sassenage near Grenoble in propeller. “As an engineer, I am
France and included successfully more confident when I see the
coupling the tank with the system works,” he adds.
Dominic Perry/FlightGlobal
aircraft’s fuel cells. Previously the HY4 has run on

Now the company is eyeing gaseous hydrogen, which, while
flight tests “within four to six presenting fewer engineering
weeks”, said chief executive Dr challenges around its storage, has Do 328 will gain a pair of 1MW
Josef Kallo, speaking at June’s worse volumetric energy density fuel-cell powered electric motors
Paris air show. than its liquid equivalent.

Programme Development
“We have started cutting metal,” Passengers will be accomodat- platform. DLR points out that the
confirms Jackson. ed in Acro-supplied seats, arrayed 328 is a robust, high-performance
He sees no problem in hitting a in a 1-2 layout with a 30in (76cm) aircraft and has a large, tall cabin
service entry goal of late 2026, de- pitch. Early studies had suggested offering room to install different
spite the relatively short flight-test capacity could be raised to 43 seats technical equipment.
period, noting it will be achieved in a high-denisty configuration, but
through an amendment to the Do Visnakova says that concept has Research fleet
328’s existing type certificate, which now been dropped. According to DLR chief Anke
is already held by Deutsche Aircraft. Meanwhile, Deutsche Aircraft is Kaysser-Pyzalla, the 328 will “per-
Having recently logged its first to supply a Do 328 to German aer- fectly complement” the organisa-
sale for the D328eco, Jackson is ospace research laboratory DLR tion’s research fleet.
confident the airframer can “[It will] pave the way for a
accumulate 150-200 orders new, climate-friendly aircraft
– or three to four years of generation in the regional
production – “between now aircraft class,” she adds.
and service entry”. The aircraft will be able
A new factory is being to test various propulsion
constructed at Leipzig/Halle concepts including hybrid
airport in northern Germany systems and innovative fuels.
for the D328eco, which will “It will be available for as
be capable of assembling up many partners as possible
BillyPix
to 48 aircraft per year. due to its modular design –

Equipped with the Garmin especially SMEs and start-ups
Cockpit will be equipped with
G5000 avionics suite, the without their own facilities for
Garmin G5000 avionics suite
D328eco will also gain the flight testing,” says DLR.
supplier’s Autoland capabili- Germany’s government is
ty, says Anastasija Visnakova, funding an aeronautics re-
vice-president of sales and market- for conversion into a hydrogen fuel search programme, LuFo Klima,
ing at Deutsche Aircraft. However, and propulsion testbed. and, as part of it, the flying testbed
the manufacturer has yet to decide The aircraft will be stationed initiative was launched in May.
if this will be available at service at the research centre in Braun- “What seems far away today can
entry or introduced later. schweig. DLR says it will be used only come closer if we actually
to explore “disruptive” hydrogen test new technologies,” says fed-
Single lever technologies under a decarbonisa- eral German aerospace policy co-
Other flightdeck updates include the tion programme known as UpLift. ordinator Anna Christmann.
use of a single lever to control both Deutsche Aircraft successfully “With the flying testbed, we
the power and RPM of the aircraft’s competed for the aircraft contract are once again making good pro-
Pratt & Whitney Canada PW127XT-S during a public tender process, and gress in the practical testing of
engines, the brainchild of chief test a purchase agreement was signed disruptive hydrogen technologies,
pilot Marc Frattini. “I’m really proud on 20 June. and are one step closer to the
of this,” he says, “it makes engine The contract covers conversion common goal of climate neutrality
handling really intuitive.” of the turboprop into a flight-test in air transport.” ◗
Development of the liquid A larger version of the H175 out of the design phase into the
hydrogen powertrain has been system will later equip a Dornier testing phase.”
part funded by the EU-backed 328 flight-test aircraft being However, Myburgh stresses that
HEAVEN project under its Horizon converted alongside partners GE the project – called 328 H2-FC –
2020 initiative. Aerospace and Deutsche Aircraft. is not a successor to the current
Separately, H2FLY has unveiled Dubbed the ‘Alpha’, the Do D328eco programme.
a new high-power version of its 328 will retain its existing Pratt & “It’s a technology demonstrator
H175 fuel cell system. Designed Whitney Canada PW119 engines, aircraft. Our job is to learn [about]
to be operated at altitudes of but gain a pair of 1MW fuel and integrate future technology.
up to 27,000ft, it is targeted at cell-powered electric motors on Some of that might find its way
commercial aircraft applications. outboard wing stations. on to a future programme. We are
Initially sized at 175kW, Kallo Riaan Myburgh, chief engineer busy learning and experimenting
says the design is scalable to research and technology at which will inform decisions on
provide megawatt-class power Deutsche Aircraft, says the project future products,” he says.
output suitable for aircraft with is “progressing very well” as it “There is no follow-on
20-80 seats. moves towards ground testing in programme planned at this
Upgrades include an improved early 2024. stage,” confirms Deutsche Aircraft
hydrogen delivery control system, The first hardware for the chief executive Dave Jackson.
optimised for high-altitude flights project has been ordered and GE “Successful implementation of the
and validated through flight tests has begun building the motors, D328eco is our absolute focus at
aboard the HY4. Myburgh adds. “We have moved the moment.”

Battery-powered commuter made a maiden

sortie of just 8min in September 2022
Eviation still progressing even

as Alice remains earthbound
Developer of clean-sheet electric aircraft insists project
continues to move forward despite lack of further flights
Dominic Perry Paris Although the Alice remains in an “We are four and a half years
airworthy condition and could be before service entry – it gives us
flown, Davis says Eviation is mak- one more opportunity to look at
E
lectric aircraft developing sure it is only “expending re- everything,” he adds.
er Eviation is unlikely to sources where we need to”. “We are making sure we have the
be flying its current Alice “Flying the airplane right now most modern parts on the planes
prototype again before the would have absolutely no impact we will be delivering to customers.”
arrival of a certification test article on the certification process or the A certification-conforming air-
in 2025 – almost three years after timeline for getting it into service.” craft will make its debut in late
the battery-powered aircraft made Davis has previously stressed 2025, leading to approval and ser-
its first flight. that battery technology needs to vice entry around two years later.
Eviation conducted the Alice’s evolve in order to give the Alice its Eviation is also currently in the
maiden sortie in September 2022 – promised range and payload. process of finalising the supply
a flight that lasted just 8min – and Over recent months, Evia- chain for the Alice and has issued
since then the aircraft has remained tion has been honing the aircraft requests for information covering
resolutely earthbound. configuration: analysing which all its major components.
But, insists chief executive parts it can take to a certifica- Davis says the only confirmed
Gregory Davis, the Washington tion-suitable model and which supplier for the production phase
state-based firm is unconcerned need replacing or updating, is Parker Hannifin, which has
with this situation. for reasons of obsolescence or provided six work packages on
That first flight generated producibility, for example. the prototype, including cockpit
terrabytes of data, he points out,
and another sortie would only be
considered if additional testing “Flying the airplane right now
was necessary.
“What we have been doing is would have absolutely no impact
focusing on what we need to get
the airplane to the next stage. We on the certification process or the
don’t need to fly the aircraft again
and again [at this point] – let’s timeline for getting it into service”
focus on advancing the design,”
Eviation
says Davis. Gregory Davis Chief executive, Eviation

Emirates introduced a regional charter service
Emirates
from Dubai, operating Embraer Phenom 100
light business jets for “discerning travellers”
General Atomics AeroTec Systems

Airbus Helicopters
Airbus Helicopters secured US Federal Aviation Administration General Atomics AeroTec Systems will perform a communication
certification for its H160, on order for customers including PHI and navigation upgrade on two Finnish Border Guard Dornier 228s
Luxair will operate four Boeing 737 Max 7s

Boeing
as European launch customer. It also recently

fielded its first of a quartet of Max 8s

Highlights

The Irish Air Corps received its first of two C295 maritime
surveillance aircraft from Airbus Defence & Space
Best of the rest

We showcase some of the other
notable events covered by the
FlightGlobal team between issues
Joby Aviation
Leonardo revealed a new armament option

Leonardo
for its M-346FA light-attack aircraft: a Air taxi developer Joby Aviation unveiled its first production
pod-housed Nexter 20mm cannon prototype, to be delivered next year for US Air Force trials

September’s issue
Next month Find

out which
companies
climbed above
the rest to lead
our aerospace
Top 100
On sale
24 August
New breed On the up

How Global As eVTOL
Combat Air operations
Anthony Guerra/SIAE
Programme draw near,

partners are who will
BAE Systems
staying in instruct air

US Air Force
formation taxi pilots?

Only one fatal accident made the first six months
of this year exceptional for airline safety – but will a
lack of progress on broader improvements cause it
to appear as an anomaly in the longer term?
Hopeful
signs
David Learmount London events contains a rather mundane litany of familiar
mishaps: mishandled approaches and landings,
runway excursions/overruns, and routine (but
T
he sheer lack of airline accident data in the consequential) technical problems.
first six months of 2023 makes this year – to its Is this mundanity something to celebrate in its own
mid-point at least – exceptional, in that there right? Only in the sense that there were few serious
were so few fatal or serious incidents globally. injuries – but on the other hand, if the industry is
The number of commercial airline fatal accidents succeeding in stamping out major accidents, perhaps
– worldwide – was only one, and the number of it could work on eliminating the carelessness or
deaths 72, and this single fatal crash did not involve complacency probably involved in many of these
a mainline carrier or a jet; rather a regional turbo- “routine” incidents.
prop aircraft. The Yeti Airlines crash on 15 January took place in
To compare like with like in safety terms, the last good weather and with two experienced pilots at the
decade’s best pre-pandemic half-year had been 2015, controls. The more senior pilot was in the right-hand
when there were five fatal accidents and 65 fatalities seat, operating as pilot monitoring (PM) and checking
(see graph p50). In the first six months of 2022, which
witnessed the beginnings of air travel’s commercial
recovery, the respective figures were six and 186. ATR crew may have moved wrong levers before Nepal accident
Cautious welcome
This year’s performance to 30 June ought, therefore,
be a reason to celebrate. Celebrating good safety
statistics, however, goes against the instincts of
safety analysts, especially when considering results
from such a short period.
The rationale for that scepticism is that these
good results may prove to be a brief anomaly.
So FlightGlobal will retain its sang froid for the
time being, and will look again at the industry’s
performance at the end of this year.
Among all the accidents in this year’s first half –
including non-fatal mishaps – only the Yeti Airlines
ATR 72-500 crash in upcountry Nepal merits serious
ATR
discussion. This loss aside, our listing of non-fatal

Safety Half-year
Skanda Gautam/SOPA Images/Shutterstock

Yeti Airlines crash took place in good weather and with experienced pilots
out the pilot flying (PF) in the left-hand seat to clear a rectangular feel, and all these are coloured black –
him to fly approaches at Pokhara airport. Like many except the flap lever, which is white. The flap lever also
upcountry airports in Nepal, the surrounding terrain features a distinctive top that is supposed to represent
and changeable weather can make approaches and a cross-section of the aerodynamic shape of the flaps.
departures challenging. The controls that can order the propellers to
On this fair-weather day, however, the technical feather are the two condition levers: just to the left
challenges of the visual approach the pilots chose of the flap lever. When fully retarded, the condition
to fly do not look as if they were the cause of the levers shut off the fuel supply to the engines. When
accident, which killed all 72 people on board. the pilots want the engines to run normally, they set
According to the Nepalese investigators’ preliminary the condition levers to AUTO: the forward position.
factual report, the twin-turboprop was established on There is an intermediate setting position marked FTR
the visual downwind leg of a circling approach which (feather) between shut-off and AUTO.
72
was intended to lead to a landing on runway 12. The
flaps were set to 15° and the gear was down.
Control confusion
When the PF called for flaps to be lowered to 30°,
the PM responded “flaps 30 and descending”. But
according to the flight-data recorder (FDR) the flaps
were not descending. This raises the question which
lever did the PM actually move, because at that Number of people killed in fatal airline accidents in the first
moment the propeller speed reduced to 25% and the half of 2023 – the result of one crash of a regional aircraft
engine torque to zero.
There are six levers across the throttle quadrant
on the ATR 72’s centre pedestal. From left to right Propellers on an ATR can auto-feather in the event
these are: the parking brake; the left engine power of a power failure, but the system is designed to
lever; the right engine power lever; the left engine prevent this from happening on both sides at once.
condition lever; the right engine condition lever; and Nepalese investigators are still working on the
finally, the flap lever (pictured left). inquiry and have not spelled out exactly what they
The levers are each designed to look and feel believe happened. However, when – according to the
different according to their purpose. For example, FDR – the propellers stopped delivering thrust, the
the parking brake is a simple lever angled toward crew did not remark on the power loss, but carried
the captain’s seat by about 30°, the power levers’ out the before-landing checklist and began the left
tops are rounded, the condition lever handles have turn toward final approach.

After a few seconds the PM suggested that the PF Separately, China, whose good safety record for
apply a little more power, and just after that, the flaps nearly two decades was broken by a China Eastern
were set to 30°, without any request from the PF or Airlines Boeing 737-800 crash on 21 March 2022
status report from the PM. that killed all 132 on board, has still not published its
Pokhara air traffic control cleared the ATR 72 to report on that disaster.
land, and in response the PF stated twice that there On the first anniversary of the accident, however, the
was no power from the engines. A few seconds Civil Aviation Authority of China issued a statement –
later the stick-shaker – which indicates the risk of in Mandarin only – saying simply that it is continuing a
imminent stalling – activated twice, with the second “meticulous and rigorous technical investigation”.
coinciding with the dramatic left wing-drop that The aircraft – registered B-1791 – plunged from its
sealed the aircraft’s fate. By this time the PM had cruising altitude of 29,000ft to the ground without
taken control, but to no avail. an emergency call. ICAO standards call for a complet-
Global safety performance to the mid-point of this ed report within one year, or alternatively a release of
year was definitely exceptional, but one thing seems available facts at about the time of the anniversary.
still to be true: years of global airline accident data IATA has highlighted the importance of timely acci-
shows that almost all serious crashes over the last dent data and called for ICAO signatory states to meet
decade or more involved small or medium-sized their obligations to investigate thoroughly and report
propeller-driven aircraft operated by commuter, in a timely manner. IATA director general Willie Walsh
regional or freight operators. said in June that fewer than half of all accident reports
It is not the propellers that are the problem. Other meet the standards for thoroughness and timeliness.
indicators provide clues as to what that might be. Year In March this year the US Federal Aviation Adminis-
after year, most such accidents take place in nations tration (FAA) called a Safety Summit in Washington
– like Nepal – that have, statistically, a below-average DC mainly because of concerns about a series of near
safety score in terms of global standards. collisions at US airports caused by some form of pilot
or controller mistake or omission.
Safety culture
60+
So, there is an industry cultural problem here. Not
AirTeamImages
national culture, but safety culture within the national
industry. That culture relates to how seriously safety
– and human life – is taken within the government’s
transport department, the national aviation authority,
and the individual airlines, right down to the training
of individual pilots and engineers, the quality of
which influences their attitudes to their job. Airlines participating in Boeing’s Global Aerospace Safety
Among countries with below-average aviation Initiative, intended to improve awareness of local concerns
safety performance, Nepal and its aviators face
particularly serious challenges, given the country’s
extraordinary terrain and the fickle weather that goes US National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
with it. Having such challenges to face, however, chairman Jennifer Homendy said that six of these
should not degrade safety. Nepal has a duty to its air events – none of which led to an actual collision – had
travellers to become the world’s expert in navigating one thing in common: there was no cockpit-voice
its own local terrain, and flying safely – or deciding recorder (CVR) material of the events, because the
when not to fly – in its extreme conditions. information had been overwritten.
All countries whose aviators routinely face extreme The NTSB has made a formal recommendation that
or unusual conditions have a duty to become experts the present mandated recording capacity of CVRs –
in the challenges unique to their environment, and to which is 2h – should be increased to 25h – a require-
be proud of that expertise. ment already implemented in Europe. The FAA has
responded that it is “committed to addressing the
NTSB recommendations” and is initiating rulemaking
on the subject.
World airline fatal accidents and The FAA has also promised to set up an Aviation
Rulemaking Advisory Committee to investigate how to
fatalities, Jan-Jun 2014-2023 make the best use of recorded information, including
increased use of airline flight data monitoring (FDM).
Fatal accidents Fatalities
The FAA proposal to capture more FDR/CVR data
25 450 – and to take advantage of FDM where appropriate –
20 360 harmonises perfectly with Boeing’s continuing efforts
15 270
to improve safety feedback at all levels, both within
the company and from its customer airlines. This
10 180 stems from the manufacturer’s commitment in 2020
5 90 to overhaul its corporate safety management system
0 0 (SMS), which had been shown by the two infamous
2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 fatal 737 Max crashes to be seriously inadequate – a
verdict in which the FAA’s poor oversight of Boeing
Fatal accidents Fatalities was also implicated.
Source: FlightGlobal On 23 May, Boeing’s chief aerospace safety
officer Michael Delaney released the company’s

Safety Half-year
Report on crash of China Eastern Airlines

737 in 2022 has still not been published
second annual report on SMS progress. A February training to four airlines with the 737NG, 737 Max, and
safety conference in California saw participation 787, and this will expand. If a system like this had
by 90 airlines, 200 delegates, the FAA, and four been in place with Lion Air and Ethiopian Airlines
pilot associations. If the first year’s conference back in 2018, the two Max 8 disasters would probably
had seen a concentration on internal transparency not have happened.
and improved employee feedback, 2023’s version Delaney says Boeing is “not there yet”, referring
focused on setting up a much-improved system to the SMS upgrading process as a journey that
of feedback from customer airlines and national continues. And he says he is still “on the fence” about
aviation authorities (NAAs). the part that artificial intelligence (AI) will play in
Boeing now embeds its own pilots (operations future safety strategies.
experts, not engineering test pilots) with airlines Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, the 2023-2025
– more than 60 so far – to improve its operations European Plan for Aviation Safety notes that “the
interface with the carriers. It calls this the Global European Union aviation system is emerging from
Aerospace Safety Initiative, and it is intended to the pandemic without having lowered its high safety
improve its own awareness of local concerns and standard”, and its emphasis for the future is on
generate better feedback on training and technical maintaining a safety structure that acts on data, and
issues from the line-pilot level. which is flexible and resilient rather than formulaic
and compliance-based.
New initiative Europe anticipates that AI – particularly machine
Delaney says the airlines so far have been learning (ML) – will advance further automation, and
enthusiastic about this initiative, but adds that if any warns this “will be likely to modify the paradigm
reject the approach Boeing will have to consider of interaction between the human and AI-based
whether delivery of its aircraft to a non-participating systems”. In straightforward language, that means
carrier should go ahead. Europe is predicting ML will open the path to reduced
Boeing says it is similarly improving its crew operations and, in some sectors, autonomous
participation with NAAs, and has replaced operations, but it does not attempt to forecast when
its task-based approach to pilot training with such things could happen.
competency-based training and assessment (CBTA). Time will tell whether 2023 remains an exception-
The company admits it has been way behind the ally safe year in practice. Meanwhile, technical and
airlines and training industry in doing this. operational change, as always, is in the pipeline, and
As an essential part of the process of tailoring change always presents safety challenges of its own. ◗
training according to demonstrable needs, Boeing is
cooperating with customer airlines to use pilot per- ● Data comes from FlightGlobal’s research,
formance data from FDM. So far it is delivering CBTA in association with Ascend by Cirium

All on board Yeti Airlines ATR 72-500
were killed when it crashed in January
Nicolas Economou/NurPhoto/Shutterstock
Fatal accidents:
Regional and commuter flights

Date: 15 JanO Carrier: Yeti AirlinesO Aircraft type/registration: ATR 72-500 (9N-ANC)O Location: Near Pokhara International airport, Nepal
Fatalities (crew/pax): 4/68O Total occupants (crew/pax): 4/68O Phase: Runway approach
Inbound from Kathmandu, the aircraft descended to join a visual The PF reacted to the decreasing airspeed by advancing the power
downwind leg for runway 12, positioned to turn left onto base leg and levers, but there was no reaction. Then the flaps were extended to 30°
final approach. The pilot flying (PF), in the left-hand seat, was being with no announcement. The aircraft was passing 500ft AGL, and shortly
checked out on the Pokhara approach by the pilot monitoring (PM). after that the air traffic control tower cleared the aircraft to land. The PF
According to the Nepalese investigator’s preliminary report, the crew exclaimed that there was no power, and he advanced the power levers
selected flaps to 15° and gear down, and the PF disengaged the auto- to the maximum setting. There was a click sound, and the high-pressure
pilot at about 700ft above ground level (AGL). The PF called for flaps turbine speed on both engines increased, but the PF repeated that
30, and the PM responded “flaps 30 and descending”. According to the there was no power from the engines, and the PM took control. The
flight-data recorder, however, the flaps remained at 15°, but at the same stick-shaker activated twice, the left wing dropped dramatically, and
time the propeller RPM and engine torque on both sides decreased the aircraft plunged to earth more or less on the runway extended
dramatically, and the Master Caution alert chimed. The crew began the centreline, hitting a river ravine 1nm (2km) short of the threshold. All on
“Before Landing” checklist just before turning left onto the base leg. board were killed.
Significant non-fatal accidents/incidents:
All commercial airline categories

Date: 1 JanO Carrier: Flair AirlinesO Aircraft type/registration: Boeing 737 Max 8 (C-FLRS)O Location: Kitchener, Ontario, Canada
Injuries (crew/pax): 0/0O Total occupants (crew/pax): 6/148O Phase: On ground
Preparing to depart from Region of Waterloo International airport, a belt Driverless, it continued under the aircraft, damaging the aft belly skins
loader driver inadvertently selected a forward gear instead of reverse and proceeding across the ramp until it struck a parked Sunwing Airlines
while attempting to move his vehicle away from the aft cargo hold. The Boeing 737-800 (C-GFEH). The incident happened in darkness (07:00
belt loader ran forward into the aircraft, knocking the driver off his seat. local time). The Flair aircraft was operating a flight to Cancun, Mexico.
Date: 12 JanO Carrier: Delta Air LinesO Aircraft type/registration: Airbus A330 (N802NW)O Location: Amsterdam Schiphol airport, the
NetherlandsO Injuries (crew/pax): 0/0O Total occupants (crew/pax): ?/?O Phase: Landing
The aircraft, inbound from Detroit, USA, touched down short of the safely and the aircraft taxied to the gate for normal passenger
runway threshold on approach to runway 22 at Schiphol and struck the disembarkation. The incident happened in daylight (07:53 local time), but
approach lights, causing minor damage. The landing was completed with a gusting wind and poor visibility.
Date: 16 JanO Carrier: Kamaka AirO Aircraft type/registration: Cessna Caravan (N236KA)O Location: Kaunakakai airport, Molokai, Hawaii, USA
Injuries (crew/pax): 0/0O Total occupants (crew/pax): 2/0O Phase: Final appproach
The cargo aircraft impacted the ground well short of the runway at Kaunakakai airport and was substantially damaged.
Date: 26 JanO Carrier: SAM AirO Aircraft type/registration: De Havilland Canada Twin Otter (PK-SMS)O Location: Beoga, Papua, Indonesia
Injuries (crew/pax): 0/0O Total occupants (crew/pax): ?/?O Phase: Landing
Inbound from Timika, the crew lost directional control during the landing side of the runway sustaining substantial damage. The accident hap-
roll at Beoga, Puncak Regency, Papua, and the aircraft ran off the right pened in daylight (07:30 local time).

Safety Half-year

Date: 27 JanO Carrier: Fly Air AfricaO Aircraft type/registration: Aircraft Industries L410 (EY-473)O Location: Juba airport, South Sudan
Injuries (crew/pax): 0/0O Total occupants (crew/pax): 2/3O Phase: Early climb
Despite officially being a cargo flight to Langkien, the aircraft was port, but no-one on board was injured. The aircraft, however, was
carrying three passengers. Soon after take-off from runway 31 the substantially damaged. The accident happened in daylight, visual
aircraft force-landed in scrub about 2nm (3.7km) west of the air- meteorological conditions.
Date: 9 FebO Carrier: Allied Air CargoO Aircraft type/registration: Boeing 737-400SF (5N-OTT)O Location: Brazzaville, Congo
Injuries (crew/pax): 0/0O Total occupants (crew/pax): 3/0O Phase: Landing
Inbound from Libreville, Gabon at night, a tyre on the aircraft’s left main al airport, Brazzaville. Both wheels and the axle on the left main gear leg
undercarriage reportedly failed during landing at Maya-Maya Internation- separated. The aircraft was brought to a safe stop on the runway.
Date: 16 FebO Carrier: AeromasO Aircraft type/registration: Cessna Caravan (CX-MAX)O Location: Near Berisso, Argentina
Injuries (crew/pax): 0/0O Total occupants (crew/pax): 2/0O Phase: En route
En route at night across the River Plate estuary from Montevideo, but they could not see it in the dark and instead attempted a forced
Uruguay to Buenos Aires airport, the Cessna Caravan’s engine lost landing on a well-lit road. During the landing the wings struck trees
power. The crew attempted to locate La Plata airport, which was close and telegraph poles. The crew escaped the aircraft, which was then
to the Argentinian coast not far to the left of their planned track, destroyed by fire.
Date: 19 FebO Carrier: Eurowings Discover O Aircraft type/registration: Airbus A330 (D-AXGB)O Location: Windhoek, Namibia
Inbound from Frankfurt, Germany, the aircraft sustained substantial the landing flare was initiated late and the aircraft touched down hard.
damage in a hard landing on runway 26 at Windhoek International There were no injuries among the occupants of the aircraft. The landing
airport. The accident happened in daylight and good visibility. The was performed by the co-pilot on his first flight on the A330 following
preliminary investigation reported that, following a stabilised approach, initial type rating. Airfield elevation is 5,640ft.
Date: 20 FebO Carrier: American AirlinesO Aircraft type/registration: Boeing 787-9 (N839AA)O Location: Dallas/Fort Worth airport, Texas, USA
Injuries (crew/pax): 0/0O Total occupants (crew/pax): ?/?O Phase: En route
The aircraft, inbound from Tokyo Narita, Japan, suffered a lightning strike heat damage covering an area about 0.5m x 0.2m. The 787 landed safely
to the top of its fuselage at some point on the journey. There was visible and the passengers disembarked normally at the gate.
Date: 20 FebO Carrier: Skylink Express O Aircraft type/registration: Beech 1900 (C-FJXO)O Location: Winnipeg airport, Manitoba, Canada
Injuries (crew/pax): 0/0O Total occupants (crew/pax): ?/?O Phase: Final approach
The aircraft was inbound from Regina, but when the undercarriage was propeller. The accident happened in darkness (20:33 local time). During
selected down on approach to runway 36 at Winnipeg the nose-gear subsequent gear retraction tests it was noted that the nose-gear nitro-
did not extend. The crew put the aircraft into a hold while they gen charge had decreased such that the oleo piston collapsed once the
attempted to troubleshoot the problem. Without success, they declared gear was retracted into the nose-wheel well. In the collapsed position,
an emergency. The aircraft returned and landed with its nose-gear the nose-gear will not extend to the down-locked position because of
retracted. There was damage to the nose of the aircraft and its left interference with the nose-gear compartment structure.
Date: 22 FebO Carrier: Thai SmileO Aircraft type/registration: Airbus A320 (HS-TXG)O Location: Phuket airport, Thailand
The Airbus A320 reportedly suffered an engine failure and 09 at Phuket in daylight and good weather. It was operating a flight
subsequently made a hard, bounced landing and tail-strike on runway from Bangkok.
Date: 3 MarO Carrier: SLJ Aeronautica CongoO Aircraft type/registration: Embraer ERJ-135 (D2-FIA)O Location: Lubumbashi, Democratic
Republic of CongoO Injuries (crew/pax): 0/0O Total occupants (crew/pax): 3/30O Phase: Landing
The aircraft overran the landing on runway 07 at Lubumbashi and came of the runway, some 50m left of the extended centreline. The accident
to rest, bogged down, in a field about 300m (984ft) beyond the end happened in daylight, visual meteorological conditions.
Date: 22 MarO Carrier: United AirlinesO Aircraft type/registration: Airbus A320 (N1902U)O Location: Houston, Texas, USA
The aircraft suffered a tail-strike when landing on runway 27 at George a flight from Mexico City, and there was a gusting crosswind from the left.
Bush airport. The landing was completed safely and the aircraft taxied to The tail-strike damage was only discovered after seven more sectors, and
the gate for normal passenger disembarkation. The aircraft was operating it was grounded at Dallas/Fort Worth airport on 25 March.
Date: 4 AprO Carrier: ScootO Aircraft type/registration: Airbus A320 (9V-TRH)O Location: Hat Yai airport, Amphe, Thailand
Injuries (crew/pax): 0/0O Total occupants (crew/pax): ?/? O Phase: Landing
The aircraft, inbound from Singapore, suffered skin abrasion on the Hat Yai airport in good visibility and light wind, and taxied safely to the
underside of its rear fuselage after a tail-strike landing on runway 26 at gate for normal passenger disembarkation.
Date: 11 AprO Carrier: Air KasaiO Aircraft type/registration: Antonov An-26 (9S-AFP)O Location: Lisala, Democratic Republic of Congo
The Antonov An-26, which was operating a daytime flight from nets as part of an anti-malaria programme. The landing took place in
Kinshasa, overran runway 05 at Lisala by about 200m (656ft) and came poor weather with heavy rain and strong winds. Runway 05 at Lisala is
to rest in tall grass, suffering significant damage, including to its nose 7,200m long and has an asphalt surface, although this is said to be in
cone. The freighter was carrying insecticide-impregnated mosquito poor condition.
Date: 14 AprO Carrier: IndiGoO Aircraft type/registration: Airbus A321neo (VT-IML)O Location: Nagpur, India
The aircraft, which was inbound from Mumbai, bounced while landing in a tail-strike during a second touchdown. The damage to the aircraft was
daylight and good visibility on runway 32 at Nagpur, and then suffered repaired and it resumed regular service in June.

Safety Half-year
A330 was damaged in a hard landing 747 freighter’s left-hand engines

at Windhoek, Namibia in February struck ground in 15 April incident
Sockagphoto/Shutterstock
AirTeamImages

Date: 15 AprO Carrier: CargoluxO Aircraft type/registration: Boeing 747-400ERF (LX-ECV)O Location: Luxembourg airport, Luxembourg
The 747 freighter was inbound from Dubai landing on runway 06 at An inquiry determined that there was a significant shift in the wind
Luxembourg airport, when the No 1 and 2 engines struck the ground. speed and direction at the time of the flare for landing, and the engine
The crew flew a successful go-around and returned for a safe landing. strike was not the result of crew control inputs.
Date: 16 AprO Carrier: TAG AirlinesO Aircraft type/registration: Saab 340A (TG-TAI)O Location: Mundo Maya airport, Flores, Guatemala
Inbound from Cancun, Mexico, landing on runway 10 at Mundo Maya, right wing. The aircraft then veered off the runway onto rough ground.
the right main landing gear failed causing the aircraft to slide onto its No-one on board was injured.
Date: 21 AprO Carrier: FlytecO Aircraft type/registration: Beechcraft King Air 200 (LV-WPM)O Location: Martin Miguel de Guemes airport, Salta,
ArgentinaO Injuries (crew/pax): 0/0O Total occupants: 2/7 O Phase: Landing
The crew of the chartered aircraft was unable to lower the undercarriage and made a belly landing. There were no injuries.
Date: 23 AprO Carrier: Pel-Air AviationO Aircraft type/registration: Saab 340A (VH-KDK)O Location: Cobar, New South Wales, Australia
Injuries (crew/pax): 0/0O Total occupants (crew/pax): 2/0O Phase: En route
Smoke entered the aircraft’s cabin and cockpit in cruise flight at 22,000ft pressure. The pilot carried out an emergency descent and diverted to
about 54nm (100km) northeast of Cobar, New South Wales, on a cargo Cobar, where a safe landing was made. The airport fire service reported
flight from Wagga Wagga to Charleville, Queensland. The crew received smoke coming from the right side of the aircraft, under the wing area.
multiple warnings, including cargo smoke, avionics smoke and cabin The batteries were isolated and the fire extinguished.
Date: 5 MayO Carrier: American AirlinesO Aircraft type/registration: Airbus A321 (N921US)O Location: Charlotte, North Carolina, USA
Inbound from Fort Lauderdale, the Airbus A321 suffered a tail-strike as visual meteorological conditions, and taxied to the gate for normal
it was landing on runway 18L at Charlotte Douglas airport in daylight, passenger disembarkation.
Date: 6 MayO Carrier: UPSO Aircraft type/registration: Boeing 747-400F (N580UP)O Location: Tokyo Narita airport, Japan
The aircraft was operating a flight from Shanghai, China to Narita airport, causing some damage. The crew carried out a successful go-around, then
Tokyo. The freighter touched down hard on runway 16L and bounced, returned and landed safely.
Date: 10 MayO Carrier: AzulO Aircraft type/registration: Embraer 195 (PS-AED)O Location: Salvador, Brazil
Landing on runway 17 inbound from Sao Paulo, the Embraer 195-E2 ground about 50m (164ft) beyond the end. The accident happened in
suffered a runway excursion and became bogged down on flooded darkness (01:25 local time).
Date: 12 MayO Carrier: Bar AviationO Aircraft type/registration: Cessna Grand Caravan (5X-RBR)O Location: Kajjansi airfield, Uganda
The aircraft took off from Kajjansi on a ferry flight to Mweya where the On landing the aircraft left the runway and overturned, and the left-
crew was to pick up passengers and fly them to Entebbe. Soon after hand wing became separated from the fuselage. Both crew members
take-off the crew reported problems and returned to Kajjansi. were injured in the mishap.
Date: 14 MayO Carrier: CargoluxO Aircraft type/registration: Boeing 747-400F (LX-OCV)O Location: Luxembourg airport, Luxembourg
Soon after take-off from Luxembourg airport for Chicago O’Hare, USA, bourg after spending some time dumping fuel. The right inboard main
the crew of the Cargolux 747 freighter selected the gear up but the undercarriage bogey separated on landing and the crew halted the
landing gear failed to retract. The crew elected to return to Luxem- aircraft on the runway.
Date: 31 MayO Carrier: United NigeriaO Aircraft type/registration: Embraer ERJ-145 (5N-BWW)O Location: Murtala Muhammad airport, Lagos, Nigeria
Inbound on a domestic flight from Ebonyi State airport, Abakaliki, to right side of runway 18L and came to rest with its nose undercarriage
Lagos Murtala Muhammad airport, the Embraer ERJ-145 ran off the partially collapsed.

Close calls
With air travel in the USA bursting at the
seams, the nation’s ageing air traffic control
infrastructure is struggling to cope – resulting
in several high-profile near-disasters and
deep soul-searching within the industry
In February a Southwest Airlines 737-700 was cleared to depart from the

same runway a FedEx freighter was descending to land on at Austin, Texas

Safety Operations
Pilar Wolfsteller Las Vegas The incidents earlier this year, each of which
narrowly avoided disaster, led to a Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) “Safety Call to Action” in
O
n 13 January 2023, two commercial airliners February, in which then-acting administrator Billy
were on a collision course at New York’s Nolen tasked a team to examine the US aerospace
John F Kennedy International airport. A system’s structure, culture, processes, systems and
Delta Air Lines Boeing 737 with 159 people integration of safety efforts.
on board, destined for Santo Domingo in the Domin- According to the FAA, on any given day some
ican Republic, had just been cleared for departure on 45,000 flights criss-cross the USA – up to 5,400
runway 4L, and had begun its take-off roll. An Amer- aircraft are airborne at peak hours – with 2.9 million
ican Airlines 777, bound for London, had been given people travelling through the nation’s airports daily.
clearance to taxi to the same runway. Those figures are all set to rise.
But the American jet took a wrong turn, with the “Now is the time to stare into the data and ask
pilots unaware that they had made an error, and was hard questions,” Nolen said. “We must ensure that
crossing 4L just as the Delta aircraft was gaining speed. our structure is fit for purpose for the US aerospace
Air traffic controllers quickly noticed, and cancelled system of both today and the future.”
the Delta jet’s take-off clearance. Seconds later, an The following month, the FAA held a safety
audibly shaken Delta pilot confirmed on the radio summit in Washington DC attended by 200 leaders
that the crew had slammed on the brakes. He said the from across the industry. Its goal: “to examine what
aircraft would return to the terminal. additional actions the aviation community needs to
The American pilots, meanwhile, continued taxiing take to maintain our safety record”.
– in the wrong direction.
The incident was the first of sev-
eral high-profile runway incursions “There have been
early this year that revealed issues
faced by the US national airspace far too many close
system (NAS) in the post-Covid-19
business environment. calls and near-
Landing clearance collisions recently,
A few weeks after that event, on 4
February in Austin, Texas, a FedEx any of which could’ve
767-300ER Freighter was cleared
to land on the same runway had devastating
from which a Southwest Airlines
737-700 was cleared to depart. consequences with
The FedEx jet descended as low
as 150ft before breaking off its precious lives lost”
approach with a go-around.
Two more close calls – in Boston Jennifer Homendy Chair, US National
NTSB
and Burbank – similarly left the Transportation Safety Board

industry asking how the links in the
safety chain had been broken.
Experts soon zeroed in on the culprits: technology The uptick in incidents, Nolen said, were
breakdowns; the drain of institutional knowledge; “concerning” and leaders needed to “examine which
lack of experienced staff; and a choke on funding for mitigations are working and why others appear to be
critical infrastructure modernisation. not as effective as they once were”.
After the aviation industry hit the pause button in “As a safety community, we must pay attention to
2020 due to the pandemic-driven drop in demand – the events of recent months,” he added. “What is the
laying off many employees, encouraging others with system trying to tell us?”
decades of experience to retire early, and grounding
aircraft to reduce cash burn in response to travel Runway incursions
restrictions – many in the industry miscalculated the By late June, the FAA had logged over 800 runway
speed at which customers would return in the USA. incursions in 2023 – more than four events a day. That
That left a dearth of qualified workers across the rate is on a par with 2022’s full-year figure of 1,696.
industry to deal with the 2022 influx of passengers, Most of the incursions are low- or no-risk, says US
desperate to travel once again. Workforce experience National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) chair
and attrition, also known as “employee churn”, has been Jennifer Homendy.
identified as a major risk factor across all work groups. “But it only takes one,” she adds.
Airlines, vendors, airport infrastructure and air traffic “The absence of a fatality or an accident doesn’t
control (ATC) were not prepared to deal with the mean the presence of safety,” Homendy says. “There
Ceri Breeze/Shutterstock
effects of the pent-up demand for travel. The indus- have been far too many close calls and near-colli-
try then ramped up hiring, but those new employees sions recently, any of which could’ve had devastating
lacked the experience of the workers who were lost. consequences with precious lives lost.”
“It’s not just new pilots, it’s new everybody,” Air In addition to the serious runway incidents this year,
Line Pilots Association, International president Jason the NTSB is also investigating two wrong-runway
Ambrosi says. landings in June 2022.

“One was a cargo plane in Tulsa with two crew On 23 May, two months after the FAA safety event,
members on board. The other was a passenger flight the NTSB held its own safety roundtable, during
in Pittsburgh, where 174 people were at risk,” she which about 30 industry representatives discussed
says. “And we’re investigating two significant events ways in which collaboration between the most
that occurred in December on the same day, both in disparate of aviation industry stakeholders could be
Hawaii. One was a severe turbulence incident that left made possible.
25 people injured. In the other, the aircraft came within The conclusion: there are few quick wins. Partic-
several hundred feet of hitting the Pacific Ocean.” ipants repeatedly called for additional training and
What is frustrating, Homendy adds, is that the funding, both of which require a longer horizon.
NTSB has numerous open safety recommendations “Air traffic control is the mastery of an art,” control-
from previous accidents that have not been imple- ler and NATCA national runway safety representative
mented. One is 23 years old. Bridget Singratanakul says. “It takes time.”
“These recent incidents must serve as a wake-up While the projected workforce increase of more
call for every single one of us, before something more than 3,000 additional controllers in the next two
catastrophic occurs,” she says. years – as heralded by interim administrator Nolen
These incursions can be traced to a few causes, and – is welcome, “only 60% of [new controllers] will be
one focus is on air traffic controllers, the FAA’s police fully certified in three years”, Singratanakul says.
force on the ground and in the sky, whose job it is to
prevent metal from getting bent. Rich Santa, president Training time
of the controllers’ union, the National Air Traffic Con- Training time can vary widely, depending on candi-
trollers Association (NATCA), told the March safety dates’ experience and aptitude, ranging from two-
summit that ATC employment is at a 29-year low. and-a-half years to more than five.
“As controllers, vigilance is our big key,” she
MC Mediastudio/Shutterstock
says. “Every time I key up that mic, that con-
“We are 1,200 certified trol instruction at that point in time is the most
important decision of my life.”
professional controllers The Department of Transportation’s Office of the
Inspector General said in a June report that the FAA
less now than we were 10 “has made limited efforts to ensure adequate con-
troller staffing as critical air traffic control facilities
years ago. That demands continue to face staffing challenges”.
“Most FAA-critical facilities are facing controller
a reduction of efficiency staffing challenges, which have increased as opera-
tions return to pre-pandemic levels,” the report reads.
to contest the safety risks “[The] FAA also has yet to implement a standardised
scheduling tool to optimise controller scheduling
that are introduced” practices at air traffic control facilities,” it adds.
FAA officials also disagree on how to account for
Rich Santa President, National Air Traffic Controllers trainees when determining staffing numbers, “even as
Association critical facilities face a shortage of operational super-
visors and traffic management co-ordinators”.
In addition, Covid-19 led to training pauses, which
“There are pressure points. The industry has increased certification times, putting more strain on
recovered faster than we thought, and we must the system.
acknowledge that. We have staffing and funding de- “While the United States has one of the safest air
lays system-wide.” traffic systems in the world, the lack of fully-certi-
That creates a host of issues for the 16 million-plus fied controllers, operational supervisors and traffic
flights – of which 10 million are commercial passenger management co-ordinators pose a potential risk to
flights – that operate over the USA every year. air traffic operations,” the report says.
“We are 1,200 certified professional controllers
less now than we were 10 years ago. That demands a
reduction of efficiency to contest the safety risks that
are introduced,” he added.
Nolen said the FAA plans to hire 1,500 new control-
lers this year and 1,800 in 2024, and to push forward
the modernisation of the national airspace system.
According to the regulator’s Air Traffic Control
Workforce Plan, submitted to the US Congress in May,
at the end of fiscal year 2022 the FAA’s controller
staffing consisted of 10,578 certified professional
controllers, 943 certified professional controllers
in-training, 1,897 developmental controllers, and
275 ATC academy students, for a total controller
AirTeamImages
headcount of 13,693.
That is almost 1,000 controllers fewer than actu-
ally needed. The target headcount is 14,633, which
includes an additional 298 supervisors. A Delta 737 was involved in an incident at New York JFK in January

Safety Operations
Air traffic controllers need to maintain

absolute vigilance at busy airports
Pilots often complain about “distractions” that identifies airports with risk factors that might con-
increase their workload, and thus interfere with their tribute to dangerous incidents. These can include
ability to concentrate on the job at hand. taxiway complexity and airfield layout.
The introduction of 5G mobile telephony bands, Still, that is not nearly enough to solve all the issues.
which created industry-wide confusion in early 2022 About $3.3 billion would be needed annually to up-
as to whether aircraft radio altimeters could be grade airports across the USA to make a significant
relied on to be accurate, and the January outage of and sustainable positive impact on safety, says Justin
the “Notices to Air Missions” safety documentation Barkowski, vice-president of regulatory affairs at the
system, which the FAA uses to manage flights and American Association of Airport Executives.
send out critical information to airspace users, are “There are some pretty big funding gaps between
two recent examples. what we’re getting and what the needs are,” he adds.
“Safety is taken for granted until something
Lacking experience happens,” says the FAA’s executive director of
Airlines have also been bringing in new pilot can- accident investigation and prevention Kimberly Pyle.
didates by the hundreds to fill flightdeck seats that “We know how hard we struggle to get whatever
older, experienced crew vacated during the pandemic. resources we can to move safety forward, and we are
As airlines push those candidates through training, the all stressed because of that struggle.”
lack of experience creates a bottleneck, and insecurity. Later this year, Congress is expected to approve
Pilot unions also criticise the airlines for putting legislation to fund the US aviation regulator for the
profits ahead of safety. next five years. The $100 billion FAA re-authorisation
“Safety is first until economics come into play,” says act sets out the issues it must work on, with modern-
Casey Murray, president of the Southwest Airlines Pilot ising the NAS among the regulator’s top priorities.
Association. “At that point safety drifts a little bit.” Drafts of the legislation also include provisions to
But that is an impression industry officials are support industry staffing goals and test new aviation
eager to quash. Safety, they say, is at the centre of all technologies. The bill was introduced into the Con-
aviation operations. gress in June, and must be approved by the end of
All parties agree that insufficient funding is a September, before the current fiscal year ends.
major roadblock to any improvement. Earlier this “What keeps me up at night is the next family that
year, the FAA handed out more than $100 million I have to talk to when we go on-scene to investigate
in grants to help 12 airports upgrade their systems, an accident,” Homendy says. “It’s that next family, and
improve infrastructure, add lights and markings, and the investigators I talk with on-scene who say, ‘We’ve
redesign taxiway and runway intersections to prevent seen this before, we have issued recommendations
dangerous incursions. on this that haven’t been acted upon’.
The funds are part of the regulator’s runway incur- “It’s heartbreaking, especially for the investigators,
sion mitigation programme, initiated in 2015, which when they see that.” ◗

Fifty years after a fatal accident during an air
display that claimed 14 lives, the loss of a Tupolev
Tu-144 supersonic airliner at the 1973 Paris air show
remains one of aviation’s most puzzling disasters
Still a
mystery
David Kaminski-Morrow London its slender fuselage forward of the wing. Fuel vapour
ignited and the supersonic jet disintegrated.
The joint inquiry offered scant detail on the circum-
L
e Bourget was the scene of gladiatorial stances, either unable or unwilling to explain the fatal
supersonic spectacle 50 years ago, when a dive or ill-fated recovery, resorting to a hypothesis that
Soviet Tupolev Tu-144S sought to outperform the crew had unexpectedly encountered a Dassault
the rival BAC-Aerospatiale Concorde at the Mirage IIIR reconnaissance aircraft on the left as it
1973 Paris air show, only to splinter into fiery rain over climbed, and reacted instinctively with an evasive ma-
the suburb of Goussainville. noeuvre – even though there was no collision threat.
Cold War secrecy and reticence obscured the One unofficial theory for the Mirage’s presence
investigation. Eight months after the loss of the posited that it was tasked to photograph the canards,
aircraft, its six crew and eight people on the ground, although this seems curious, given that these had
a brief communique stated that French and Soviet been deployed in full view on the ground.
investigators had “unanimously concluded” that “no Similarly questionable was the inquiry’s suggestion
abnormality” had been found in the Tu-144’s design. that one of the crew, engineer Vladimir Benderov,
“Intervention of the human factor is therefore dropped a TV camera during the unexpected manoeu-
most likely,” it added, postulating possible scenarios vre, which then jammed pilot Mikhail Kozlov’s control
but ultimately remarking that the cause should be column – hindering his arrest of the dive until the aero-
“declared unidentified”. dynamic force required was too much for the airframe.
Allocated a display slot to fly after Concorde on 3
June, the Tu-144 was supposed to perform an 11min
sequence, taking off from runway 03 and accelerating Soviet model’s retractable canards were a focus of interest
for a return pass, before a slower second pass with
its nose and undercarriage lowered. It would extend
its characteristic canards, behind the cockpit, to aid
low-speed lift, then circle again to land.
But during the approach the Tu-144 crew – perhaps
emboldened to end the tame sequence with a flour-
ish, and steal some of Concorde’s spotlight – cleaned
the configuration, powered up the Kuznetsov NK-144
engines, and thrust the airliner into a full-afterburner
climb, levelling at about 4,000ft.
It then arched into a steep dive and, as the Tu-144
FlightGlobal
attempted to round out at 400ft, its entire left wing

outboard of the engines broke away. The aircraft snap-
rolled left and inverted, overload stresses fracturing

Safety Anniversary
Test aircraft 77102 takes off from Le Bourget

for what was to be its final, tragic flight
FlightGlobal
Benderov’s son, Valery, pursued his own probe into was switched on inadvertently, since the signal was
the accident, expressing doubt about the official unprocessed. It also points out, crucially, that this signal
explanation to Russian publication Kommersant in would have been inhibited while the Tu-144’s canards
2000, arguing that the negative-g physics of the dive were deployed – as they were when the lightly-laden
would have thrown any loose object in the cockpit aircraft entered its powerful end-of-display climb.
upwards and backwards. Just before levelling, the crew started retracting
The inquiry admitted its hypothetical scenario the canards. After a few seconds of horizontal flight
remained a theory, as it found no material evidence ei- these had been fully stowed, and the longitudinal
ther to support or refute it, and the absence of clarity channel – with unregulated sensors set for maximum
inevitably led to conjecture, including wild supposi- output – triggered instant deflection of the elevons a
tions of sabotage in more extreme media circles. full 10° downwards, pushing the jet into a descent.
This caught the crew by surprise and the pilots’
Accident sequence attempts to counter by pulling the control column
Perhaps the most convincing analysis of the accident were insufficient. As the aircraft neared the ground,
sequence appears in a Russian memoir, The Truth the crew redeployed the canards – instantly inhibiting
About Supersonic Passenger Aircraft, which features the stabilising system and causing the elevons
a collection of contributions from senior figures at- to respond immediately to their commands by
tached to the Tu-144 programme, including Valentin deflecting upwards.
Bliznyuk, Yuri Popov, Vladimir Vul and Alexei Tupolev. With the aircraft travelling at some 350kt
It refers to a flight-control stabilisation system (647km/h), this abrupt change in forces overloaded
that had previously been installed on a Tu-144S test the wing structure and the Tu-144 began to break up.
aircraft, 77101, and was also fitted to the Le Bour- According to the memoir, which backs up its
get aircraft, 77102. The system, in a panel behind account with flight data from the aircraft, the engines
the pilot’s seat, contained 20 toggle switches. One remained operational, contrasting with speculation
of them provided more lateral stability during roll that an evasive manoeuvre had interrupted the air or
through a signal to the rudder. An adjacent switch fuel flow to the powerplants. The stabilisation system
was intended for a future longitudinal stabilising was subsequently modified, it adds, reducing the elev-
signal but, on 77102, this channel was unprocessed. on deflection severity, while measures were taken to
The memoir indicates this system was not sup- improve the Tu-144’s overall structural strength.
posed to be used at Le Bourget, and had been If this analysis has a convincing aura, it is
covered and sealed. But in the cockpit wreckage the nevertheless unlikely to satisfy everyone who, half
panel was found unsealed and open – not the result a century on, still ponders the Tu-144’s destruction.
of impact – and both the lateral and the longitudinal The memorial stone which stands on a quiet corner
stabilisation toggles had been switched on. in Goussainville symbolises the persistence of an
While the lateral toggle activation might have been enigma as much as it commemorates one of Le
deliberate, the memoir suggests the longitudinal toggle Bourget’s darkest moments. ◗

Developers see latent demand for short-distance
flights using a new breed of low- or zero-emission
aircraft, but doubts remain over their ability to pull
the required technologies together
Regional
promise
Howard Hardee Sacramento
C
ompanies seeking to re-envision regional
flight could connect communities lacking air
service and tap into a potentially lucrative
market. But that outcome remains far from a
given, especially considering factors such as the need
for highly expensive new airport infrastructure and
far better batteries.
A recent report from management consultancy
McKinsey estimates the market for regional air mobil-
ity (RAM) could reach as high as $115 billion by 2035.
But the report, released on 31 May, also identifies chal-
lenges that the sector must overcome before realising
a renaissance of short-haul passenger flights.
Ampaire
“While there is excitement about the opportuni-

Ampaire has flown a hybrid-electric Cessna Grand Caravan
ty, there is also worry about ‘Can we actually get
there?’,” Robin Riedel, who co-leads the McKinsey
Center for Future Mobility and co-authored the study,
tells FlightGlobal. For example, Australian powertrain developer Dove-
Whereas many electric vertical take-off and landing tail Electric Aviation is working to electrify the existing
(eVTOL) start-ups are developing aircraft to trans- fleet of regional turboprops. And California start-up
port up to four passengers from city centres to major Xwing is developing technology it says will allow for
airports, the separate RAM segment is focused on autonomous aircraft – including types larger than
conventional short-haul routes between 150-800km turboprops – to safely integrate into national airspace.
(81-432nm), using existing airports and developing The sector has attracted more than $1 billion in
aircraft capable of flying five to 50 passengers. investment. Proponents say embracing low- or
zero-emissions propulsion technologies such as
Collective effort electric and hydrogen-fuelled systems could revitalise
More than 50 RAM companies worldwide are “develop- regional air service, which is contracting in the USA
ing battery-electric, hybrid and hydrogen powertrains; amid an ongoing pilot shortage and an environment
new and retrofitted aircraft designs; advanced avionics; of high operating costs.
operations and booking platforms; and other important “Technology is getting to the point where [oper-
enablers of the RAM ecosystem”, McKinsey says. ators] can actually reduce costs, whether that is by

Mobility Programmes
Eviation is developing Alice, a nine-
Eviation
seat all-electric commuter aircraft
novel propulsion, better designs of aircraft, autonomy RAM companies see a relatively untapped market
or augmentation of flight crews,” Riedel says. with thousands of small and mid-sized regional
But there are significant obstacles ahead, includ- airports sitting underused across the USA. They also
ing the cost of new airport infrastructure to support claim their aircraft have a clearer path to commer-
electric charging and hydrogen fuelling. “A typical cialisation than eVTOL products, which face more un-
regional airport serving 200,000 passengers annually certain certification standards, an unclear integration
could require $6 million in investment for charging or path into existing air traffic management systems and
fuelling,” the study notes. may require expensive new operating infrastructure.
RAM’s prospects also depend on “continuous
technological advances” such as increased battery Existing standards
energy density, according to McKinsey. US-based RAM developers including Eviation, which
“Battery energy density will need to at least double is developing the Alice all-electric nine-seat com-
today’s density for the RAM market to meet its full muter aircraft, say their designs do not require new
potential,” the report says. “Similarly, hydrogen fuel standards for certification and air traffic control, or
cells are at an early stage of maturity and further new airport infrastructure: eVTOL types, by contrast,
advances will be critical to RAM’s growth. Hybrid will require “vertiports” for take-off and landing.
powertrains are nearer to commercialisation and will In many ways, the Alice “is just an airplane that hap-
play an important role,” it notes. pens to be electric”, chief executive Greg Davis told
FlightGlobal during McKinsey’s Regional Air Mobility
Summit in San Francisco, California earlier this year. “I
“Technology is getting to think we found the sweet spot for electric aviation. It is
a commuter-category plane, which means we’re going
the point where operators to certify it using existing standards and regulations.”
Based in Washington state, Eviation has said it
can reduce costs, whether intends to start certification test flights in 2025 and
to deliver its first Alice in 2027. A prototype has so
that is by novel propulsion, far made just one flight – an 8min sortie performed in
September 2022.
better designs, autonomy Powered by twin Magnix 700kW Magni650
motors, the platform is designed to fly at speeds
or augmentation of flight up to 260kt (482km/h) and have about 250nm
(463km) of range in visual flight rules conditions,
crews” with a 30min reserve. Its suitability for commuter
services stems from a nine-seat capacity: the upper
Robin Riedel Co-lead, McKinsey Center for Future Mobility threshold for single-pilot operations.

Mobility Programmes
“With the pilot shortage, the cost of pilots is high,”

Davis notes. “And, of course, electricity is so much
cheaper than jet fuel. You put those things together,
and you have an airplane that can fly from existing
airports, through existing airspace, using existing
regulations. It is just the clearest path for how we are
going to do this,” he says.
As eVTOL companies are rolling out Jetsons-type
visions of air taxis flying over major cities, other start-
Xwing
Xwing’s technology is designed to allow safe autonomous flight
ups seeking to modify existing aircraft believe they
have the edge in the race to reduce aviation emissions.
For example, propulsion system develop-
er Ampaire has flown a Cessna Grand Caravan “I’m worried that, whether it is the energy infrastruc-
modified to run on a new hybrid-electric powerplant. ture, investment for megawatt charging… that the
It consists of a Red Aircraft piston engine, an elec- economics are going to be very challenging along the
tric motor and batteries supplied by Electric Power way for some of these peer solutions,” he says.
Systems – all replacing the utility aircraft’s stock A resurgence of RAM services could benefit from
Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 turboprop. increasingly congested highways, particularly in the
USA but also globally, diminishing the convenience of
Regulatory approval driving as a regional transit option.
The company hopes to secure US Federal Aviation “In nearly 40% of US metro areas, traffic was
Administration approval for the modification via a worse in 2022 than pre-pandemic, and more
supplemental type certificate in 2024. than 200 major airports worldwide are capacity
Ampaire chief executive Kevin Noertker says his constrained, underscoring the unmet demand for
company’s hybrid-electric system serves as a half-step transportation that avoids congested roads and
to fully electric regional aviation. major airports,” McKinsey says.
“The issue I see is that a lot of people try to take a Ultra-low-cost carriers are increasingly playing the
full step with new technology – clean-sheet aircraft role of regional airlines, with narrowbody operators
that have vertical take-off and landing or can land in filling some routes between secondary cities. “Although
the space of a parking lot, or require wild upgrades to air travel for trips between 150km and 800km has
the entire infrastructure of the country,” he says. “It is increased in recent years, much of this was driven by
very difficult to achieve anything new in aviation. How low-cost carriers using larger aircraft,” McKinsey says.
many Nobel Prizes do you need to gain along the path But with larger aircraft come larger airports – and
to commercialisation?” more hassle. Convenience is a top consideration for
Ampaire is taking a more modest approach, RAM companies, whose executives are aware that
with Noertker hoping “to make a little dent on the many potential customers would rather drive than take
world” by focusing on “one really important, hard short-haul flights from major airports.
problem”. He views hybrid-electric propulsion as Some in the sector are looking to ride-sharing apps
low-hanging fruit to help the aviation industry reach for inspiration as they attempt to create “end-to-end”
its emissions-reduction targets without the risks journeys that smoothly link passengers’ first and last
associated with developing novel aircraft. miles, Riedel says. Regional air travel company Surf Air
“Upgrading existing airplane types is very efficient Mobility – another player seeking to electrify existing
relative to a new airplane type,” he says. Ampaire’s turboprops – is working to further develop its app-
Eco Caravan burns about half as much fuel as the based booking platform, which allows passengers to
model’s conventional equivalent, providing imme- book flights with third-party operators.
diate carbon dioxide emissions reductions and cost “The whole question of ‘How we make this easy to
savings, he says. use, intuitive, seamless – or minimise the seams as
The start-up’s longer-term goal is for Cessna parent much as we can?’ is the big challenge that is going to
Textron Aviation to offer Ampaire’s hybrid-electric make or break this industry,” Riedel says.
propulsion systems in aircraft right off the factory line.
But Ampaire must first prove the safety and reliability Keeping convenience
of its technology and establish a market before OEMs He envisions a “terminal in a box that provides both
will take notice, Noertker acknowledges. digital and physical infrastructure to handle passen-
“The up-front cost of our system is less than the gers” at regional airports. But matching the conveni-
PT6 we’re replacing, so this is an economically viable ence of roadside ride-sharing apps will be challenging,
purchase, [and has] better economics on operations,” he says, as those services need not account for airport
he says. security checks and infrastructure.
“Now you can start to do some meaningful things “If you have to show up 20 minutes early and
with the market – you can either improve profitability put your bags through something and go through
of existing routes, open up new routes that have atro- security and take your shoes off – I am pretty sure
phied, or even drive additional feeder routes into [San most people would prefer to drive, even if it is a little
Francisco] or [Los Angeles] or other major hubs.” bit longer,” he says.
Conventional aircraft retrofitted with hybrid- Accordingly, much rides on creating a product that
propulsion systems would use existing airports beats driving, Riedel says. “Can we as an industry
and not require new infrastructure, which Noert- figure out how to make this easy? There are thou-
ker views as potential pitfalls for all-electric and sands of airports available for this, but how do you
hydrogen-fuelled offerings. really unlock them?” ◗

Accelerated plans to develop and field a
next-generation tanker have raised questions
about the US Air Force’s need to plug a gap
as its venerable KC-135s head for retirement
Fuel
throttle?
Ryan Finnerty Tampa Craig Hoyle London Alabama at its Marietta site in Georgia. In early June,
it also confirmed that the LMXT will be powered
by GE Aerospace CF6-80E1 engines, with the
W
hen it comes to the future of aerial powerplant having been selected “due to its proven
refuelling in the US Air Force (USAF), durability, reliability and performance”.
the service has a definite goal. “We see the LMXT as an integral part of the future
In the short term, it will continue NGAS family of systems, and we see this aircraft be-
recapitalising part of its aged fleet of Boeing KC-135 ing able to enable NGAS and that family of systems
tankers, via an ongoing acquisition of 179 Boeing that will come in the future,” says Larry Gallogly,
KC-46A Pegasus refuellers. Beyond that, the service head of business development for the Lockheed
is seeking to develop a low observable tanker campaign. He argues that the next-generation
capable of operating in contested environments. stealth tanker will need a “mothership” to support it
Known as the Next Generation Air Refuelling with additional fuel, long range performance and a
System (NGAS), this clean-sheet design is the subject communications capability to direct missions from a
of an ambitious schedule, with its introduction safer distance.
targeted during the 2030s.
But what happens in the years between the
completion of currently-planned output of the Lockheed Martin has put forward A330-
767-based KC-46A and availability of the NGAS based LMXT to address imminent need
platform remains undetermined.
Capability gap
The USAF had originally planned to acquire a
so-called “bridge tanker”, also known as KC-Y, to fill
the gap until NGAS deliveries began in 2040.
Currently, Lockheed Martin is the leading – and
so far only – active contender for a KC-Y need. The
prime contractor has put forward its LMXT platform;
a further development of the Airbus Defence & Space
Lockheed Martin
A330 multi-role tanker/transport (MRTT) that is in

widespread use today.
Lockheed’s industrial plan for the USAF is to
convert A330-200s assembled by Airbus in Mobile,

Defence Tankers
US Air Force
The USAF is in process of acquiring
179 Boeing KC-46A Pegasus aircraft
However, it is now uncertain if a KC-Y acquisition As a result, he and other USAF leaders are now
will happen, with the service’s NGAS target date leaning toward the acquisition of additional KC-
having been shifted into the early 2030s. Revealed 46As to fulfill the bridge requirement, rather than
by air force secretary Frank Kendall, the accelerated committing to a KC-Y process. If confirmed, such a
goal calls into question whether the service needs an strategy could ultimately result in an additional 75
entirely new aircraft to bridge the tanker gap. KC-46A orders for Boeing.
“We’ve fundamentally changed our tanker Unsurprisingly, Lockheed and Airbus want to
acquisition strategy,” Kendall said during see a competitive process if the USAF keeps to its
congressional hearings. “We need to move to a recently-revised plan.
next-generation tanking capability that is resilient “I think the US Air Force has proven to itself over
enough to survive against a pacing challenge.” and over again that there’s nothing better than
In particular, Kendall stressed the service’s competition to drive the best value in all of their
desire to move away from acquiring commercial weapons systems,” Gallogly says. “Their aspirational
aircraft-derivative tankers and instead develop goal is that NGAS be operational by 2035 – we
purpose-built military assets. believe that’s a very, very aggressive target for a full
developmental programme.”
“The US Air Force has Rapid schedule

Speaking at the Paris air show in mid-June, Airbus’s
proven to itself over and head of military air systems, Jean-Brice Dumont,
also highlighted the challenge that the USAF faces in
over again that there’s driving such a rapid schedule.
“The current [KC-46A] order to Boeing ends in
nothing better than 2029 [and] NGAS wouldn’t enter service until the
middle of next decade at the earliest,” he says, noting
competition to drive the that the process also depends on the final contents of
the US defence budget for fiscal year 2024-2025.
best value in all of their “There is for the US Air Force the need to
recapitalise steadily,” he says. “There is quite a
weapons systems” bunch of aircraft that will have to be delivered
between 2030 and 2035-plus. The need is to start
Larry Gallogly Head of business development, LMXT, delivering by 2030, and Lockheed and us, we are
Lockheed Martin working to meet that need.”

Executives from the LMXT partners met with Boeing Defense, Space & Security (BDS) chief
USAF officials during the Paris show to discuss the executive Ted Colbert argues against cutting off
service’s KC-135 recapitalisation priorities. KC-46A production in order to acquire a different
“The concept of ‘bridge’ is no longer in the aircraft prior to NGAS, noting that the USAF has
[USAF’s] vocabulary,” Dumont notes. “We need invested heavily to develop the Pegasus.
a requirement, so that we know what we have to “Pivoting from that, to me would not be the best
deliver. We need to prepare the [LMXT] aircraft, to interest of the Department of Defense or Congress,”
know the configuration. he tells FlightGlobal. “It frankly would be a waste of
“Now it’s a lot about the requirements, which will time and money.”
be probably different to the requirement of the After numerous engineering challenges and billions
current aircraft,” he says. “They need to study their of dollars in penalties charged to Boeing for delays and
concept and then go and meet the development technical shortcomings, the USAF last year cleared its
need, which might lead to a family of tankers. KC-46A fleet for full operational duty worldwide.
“Whether you go for stealth or potentially stealth/
unmanned going into contested areas, it needs to be Production capacity
refuelled. There is a question of platform, there is a Colbert describes the Pegasus as a “product that
question of refuelling technology,” he says. works today”, and notes that Boeing is nearing
“What we at Airbus are after is to be at the completion of the jet’s re-designed RVS 2.0 remote
forefront of refuelling technology.” vision system – one of the major sources of its past
Dumont adds that the operational A330 MRTT penalty charges. Unlike its rival, the company also has
has “the best fuel-offload and range at the moment, already gone through the challenge of building US
and the most advanced refuelling system, which we production capacity for the tanker, he adds.
believe puts us in the best position”. “The platform’s doing amazingly well,” Dan Gillian,
As of early June, there were 56 A330 MRTTs in ser- BDS vice-president and general manager mobility,
vice around the world, with an additional 12 on order. surveillance and bombers, tells FlightGlobal. “It is
The model is currently operated by Australia, France, doing great things for the warfighter today. It’s a very
Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, the United Arab flexible platform, with a lot of capability – more gas
Emirates and the UK, and by a consortium of NATO from shorter runways than the KC-135.”
US Air Force
and Partnership for Peace nations, and is on order Boeing has to date delivered 69 KC-46As to the
for Canada. Brazil and Spain also will operate MRTTs USAF, and two examples to Japan, from a four-unit
converted from secondhand commercial A330s. acquisition for Tokyo.
Tanker would support operations from

TACTICAL DEPLOYMENT
dispersed and austere landing strips
Partners honing
Agile proposal
for USAF
A refuelling boom-equipped
version of the KC-390 could
deliver strategic effect in the
L3Harris/Embraer
Asia-Pacific region, backers

L3Harris and Embraer believe
Craig Hoyle London proposed development of Embraer’s in-service

KC-390 Millennium.
The result of an industrial partnership announced
W
ith the US Air Force (USAF) advancing its in September 2022, the so-called Agile Tanker would
agile combat employment (ACE) ambi- support operations from dispersed and potential-
tions with an eye to countering future ly austere landing strips – such as those found on
near-peer foes, its likely need to operate islands throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Under the
forward-deployed tankers has not gone unnoticed. ACE construct, combat assets and personnel will re-
In March, US prime contractor L3Harris responded main mobile and capable of rapid relocation, protect-
to a USAF request for information by offering a ing them against the threat of long-range missiles.

Defence Tankers
KC-46A fleet was cleared for full operational duty last year
“We believe we will add additional capabilities to While a boom development marks a new technolo-
the US Air Force, by having more tactical tankers in gy activity for L3Harris, Martin notes: “We look to be
a strategic position,” Embraer Defense & Security a trusted disrupter in the industry. We do a lot of very
chief executive Bosco da Costa Junior said ahead challenging projects. We have very strong aero and
of the Paris air show in June. The airframer has so structural engineering [skills].”
far delivered six KC-390s to the Brazilian air force Other enhancements are to include US-specific
from a 19-unit order, and has won deals to supply systems and “resilient communications supporting
two examples to Hungary and five each to the JADC2 [joint all domain command and control]
Netherlands and Portugal. requirements”, L3Harris says. It would conduct
aircraft modification and mission equipment
Development path installation work at its facility in Waco, Texas.
“We are going to do demonstrations with the US The USAF already operates Lockheed Martin
Air Force initially with the existing hose and drogue C-130J-variant tactical transports as combat tankers,
[under-wing pod] solution, but we are working but she notes that the KC-390 was developed from
on a boom capability [in order] for that aircraft to the outset to perform both airlift and in-flight refuel-
be compatible with US Air Force expectations,” ling duties, and will have a greater fuel offload than a
Tara Martin, L3Harris’s senior director, business Hercules in Agile Tanker guise.
development, told FlightGlobal at the Royal “It also from the start has been designed with
International Air Tattoo in the UK on 15 July. “It’s interconnectivity with other platforms and an open
important that the air force sees this aircraft and its architecture and connectivity,” Martin notes.
capability first,” she adds. “By combining L3Harris’ experience as an aircraft
“The KC-390 is able to operate on much shorter missionisation prime with Embraer’s state-of-the-
runways than current US tankers, and unimproved art KC-390 Millennium platform, both companies
runways,” Martin says. “It gives you a lot more basing are ready to provide the next generation of tanker
options, particularly as you look in the Indo-Pacific solutions for the Department of Defense and the US
theatre and the island chains out there.” This means Air Force,” the US prime said when their collaboration
the International Aero Engines V2500-powered type was announced.
can “be closer to the potential action, as well as less “Things are moving well, and we have the right
predictable”, she notes. partner,” Embraer chief executive Francisco Gomes
Images released by the companies depict the Agile Neto told FlightGlobal earlier this year. “If we succeed
Tanker as equipped with a lightweight refuelling to sell a reasonable volume to the USAF, we would
boom installed beneath its aft fuselage, just forward consider to do some assembly and production in the
of the rear cargo ramp. US, together with L3.”

DISPERSED ACTIVITY
“You’ll continue to see the KC-46 expand its

mission set,” Gillian says, noting that the company
is under contract to deliver a Block 1 communica-
tions enhancement to the USAF. “Aerial refuelling of
course, but the ability to participate in the network
for the air force, bringing value, is significant.
“It’s the only purpose-built, combat-hardened
tanker in the world today,” he adds.
With almost 40% of the KC-X programme’s 179
Pegasus tankers now delivered, he notes: “We’re
really excited about where we’re at with the
production system. We worked through our Daher
[centre fuel tank paint adhesion] issue from earlier
in the year, and we’re just about at the back end of
that,” he adds, referring to a supply chain flaw that
temporarily disrupted output of the 767 for the USAF
MC-130J trial
and commercial freighter customers.
“The US Air Force is talking about what happens
next. KC-46 is an amazing platform, and I think it is
hits the road
the right answer to help provide the air refuelling ca-
pacity and capability for the air force for a long time.”
Boeing also sees further sales potential for the
type, four examples of which also have already been Special operations exercise
ordered by Israel. “So long as there’s demand we’ll
produce those aircraft for KC-46,” Gillian says. “I think showed Commando II transport’s
we’re at the beginning of that demand.”
ability to refuel aircraft on the
Future potential
While the USAF has yet to formalise its NGAS
ground – while also delivering
strategy, Gillian notes that Boeing is working with the Little Bird scout helicopters
service to explore potential future options.
“What the NGAS platform needs to be is not yet
decided, and that’s what we’re excited to be working Ryan Finnerty Tampa
with the air force on,” he says. “But that answer will
shape over the coming years.
C
“Getting KC-46s out there in the quantities that ommandos and pilots with the US Air Force
we’re going to deliver will help inform what that next Special Operations Command (AFSOC) suc-
thing is,” he adds. cessfully landed a range of aircraft on a rural
Meanwhile, the USAF continues to weigh the poten- highway during a recent training exercise.
tial for NGAS to employ a transformational architecture. Conducted near Rawlins, Wyoming, the manoeu-
“We are spending some time looking at blended vres included a Lockheed Martin MC-130J Commando
wing-body [BWB] technologies, because we think II multi-role tactical transport/tanker, Fairchild Re-
this is the 21st Century air force for large aircraft,” public A-10 ground-attack aircraft, a General Atomics
Roberto Guerrero, deputy assistant secretary of the Aeronautical Systems MQ-9 Reaper remotely piloted
air force for operational energy, said during the Royal air system and two US Army Boeing MH-6M Little
Air Force/Air Power Association Global Air & Space Bird helicopters.
Chiefs conference in London on 12 July.
“We are looking at a couple of designs and we are

NASA’s X-48C demonstrated potential of
going to downselect from those to one,” he says.
blended wing-body designs a decade ago
“We see benefits in both air refuelling at range, as
well as cargo.”
Guerrero says modelling suggests that a BWB-
configuration tanker will deliver 30% better fuel
economy than the KC-46A when using the same
engines. This would equate to a 95% increase in fuel
offload capacity at an operating radius of 2,500nm
(4,620km), and a 97% increase in radius at a
22,600kg (50,000lb) fuel offload, he says.
In practice, this means a single tanker would be
able to support seven Lockheed F-35 stealth fighters
at a 4,000nm operating radius, instead of one. This
“would be a big capability increase for us”, he notes.
Dumont is not convinced about the potential for a
clean-sheet BWB design to be developed within the
NASA
USAF’s stated timeframe for NGAS.

Defence Tankers
A-10 combat aircraft were among assets

refuelled on a Wyoming highway
“The MC-130J primarily flies missions at night to

reduce probability of visual acquisition and intercept
by airborne threats,” the USAF notes.
While austere landings are part of the MC-130J’s
mission set, the recent highway touchdowns were also
part of an effort by the service to better train its air
and ground crews to operate from small, geograph-
ically dispersed hubs with minimal infrastructure – a
concept it calls agile combat employment (ACE).
“ACE is designed to make [the] problem harder for
an adversary,” air force secretary Frank Kendall said
during a policy speech early last year. “We have to fig-
ure out the investments we need to make in the mix of
defences, hardening, deception and proliferation.”
US Air National Guard

Avoiding detection
By spreading out aircraft and support facilities across
a large area, the USAF hopes to better protect its
assets from detection and targeting by long-range
precision missile strikes.
“An adversary that may be able to deny use of a
military base or an airfield is going to have a nearly
“The flight aimed to test the aircraft and crew’s impossible time trying to defend every single linear
ability to land in austere environments with minimal mile of roads,” says USAF Lieutenant Colonel Dave
infrastructure requirements and maximum flexibility,” Meyer, deputy commander for the Wyoming exercise.
says Lieutenant Colonel Adam Schmidt, command- “It’s just too much territory for them to cover and that
er of the 15th Special Operations Squadron that gives us access in places and areas that they can’t
conducted the exercise. possibly defend.”
AFSOC notes that MC-130J crews “often find Service leaders are tailoring the ACE concept for
themselves landing in unusual places”, and says the a potential future conflict with China in the vast,
training activity was designed to prepare personnel island-dotted Western Pacific region. Having a
for such non-standard approaches. formidable presence there requires the US military to
“We land in unique places all the time,” says be capable of taking off and landing at austere run-
Captain Katheryn Richardson, one of the MC-130J ways, and also of refuelling, rearming and repairing
pilots involved. However, she says bringing the combat aircraft at such sites.
more than 72,500kg (160,000lb) aircraft down on Performed in early May, the drills in Wyoming
a roadway at nearly 120kt (225km/h) was anything tested crews’ ability to perform combat turnarounds
but normal procedure. – using the MC-130J to refuel two A-10s on the
“We all had a moment where we were looking at ground with the engines running. The exercise also
the highway and thought about how unnatural it felt marked the first time that an MQ-9 had landed on a
to be landing on a highway,” she says. US highway, AFSOC says.
According to the US Air Force (USAF), the MC-130J The Commando II also carried multiple MH-6Ms
is used for clandestine “low-visibility” missions, in- belonging to the 160th Special Operations Aviation
cluding those involving re-supply, aerial refuelling of Regiment: an elite US Army aviation force. Crews
helicopters and tiltrotors, and low-altitude infiltration unloaded and flew the light helicopters on a
and exfiltration of special operations troops. simulated search-and-rescue mission.
“You need the big ‘gas station in the air’,” he says. advanced defensive systems and countermeasures for
“We don’t see how you could have a blended wing- application on next-generation refuelling and mobility
body [aircraft] of that size in the near- to mid-term.” platforms, including the KC-46A Pegasus tanker.”
Airbus is exploring a BWB concept as part of its com- Activities to be conducted at Aurora’s Columbus site
mercial ZEROe research, but for today he describes in Mississippi will include “the research and conceptual
such a platform as “a high-technology ambition”. design of composite components to enhance opera-
Gillian, meanwhile, says a BWB configuration – tional survivability”, Boeing says.
the subject of previous technology demonstrations “We continue to evolve the KC-46A and other
involving Boeing, such as NASA’s sub-scale X-48C, last next-generation refuelling and mobility platforms to
flown a decade ago – offers some benefits. However, further enhance mission versatility and survivability,”
he cautions: “Sometimes you can start with an answer says Justin Hatcher, its advanced technology director
and work your way towards a solution. We want to for the Pegasus.
make sure we get the threat environment understood Cirium fleets data records the USAF as still having
to drive what that [solution] needs to be.” 378 active-duty KC-135s in its fleet, with the oldest
Boeing in early July announced plans to enhance examples having been delivered in 1957. Once the
the self-protection capability of large military aircraft. service settles on its strategy to fully replace the
Working with its Aurora Flight Sciences subsidi- veteran tanker, it is certain to fuel the rivalry between
ary, the airframer is “investing in further developing Boeing and its Lockheed/Airbus competitor. ◗

VS-300 confounded industry sceptics
after its successful first flights in 1939
FlightGlobal archive
Ryan Finnerty Tampa aircraft in Czarist Russia; a four-engined passenger

biplane called the S-21 Grand.
Sikorsky’s US aerospace venture began in 1923 on a
N
inety years on, Sergei Sikorsky still remem- small chicken farm east of New York City. From there,
bers his first flight. the fledgling enterprise moved to Queens and started
“I sat on my father’s lap,” the 98-year-old producing seaplanes in 1926.
recalls. “I watched the world suddenly come The flight Sergei Sikorsky remembers so vividly
below me. I will never forget that moment.” launched from the Long Island Sound in 1934 aboard
The father in question was Igor Sikorsky, the one of the company’s S-38 pontoon aircraft. He
Ukrainian engineer who emigrated to the USA recalls at the age six or seven watching ground
following the First World War, and forever changed mechanics work the hand-crank engine start on an
the nature of aviation with his radical machines S-40 Clipper flying boat.
capable of vertical take-off and landing. “You can never forget that sound and that sight,”
The company that bears his name – now a subsidiary he says. “The whine of an inertial starter engine, and
of Lockheed Martin – is marking its centenary this year. then the barking and the smoking and the belching,
Among the firm’s historic accomplishments over and the blue smoke coming out.”
the past 100 years are the development of the first The young Sergei turned to his father and asked if
practical helicopter, the first production helicopter, he could have a job “cranking up” engines when he
the first service helicopter for the US military and was older.
the first nonstop transatlantic helicopter flight – from While he would eventually become a pilot, Sergei
New York to the Paris air show in 1967. notes that he never got a job hand-starting en-
gines. The reason was the invention of the electric
Transatlantic flight starter, whose creator he jokingly describes with
Two HH-3E ‘Jolly Green Giants’ belonging to a US
Air Force (USAF) search and rescue (SAR) squadron
made that journey to Le Bourget, which spanned “Once [Igor Sikorsky]
more than 30h and included nine in-flight refuellings
behind a Lockheed HC-130P tanker. Both Igor and outlined a problem, he
Sergei Sikorsky met the aircraft in Paris when they
arrived on the first day of June. was going to solve that
Igor Sikorsky was already an accomplished aero-
space engineer when he arrived in America from Kyiv problem no matter what”
in 1919, fleeing the Russian Civil War. Six years earlier,
at the age of 24, he had built the first multi-engined Sergei Sikorsky

Helicopters Centenary
As one of the helicopter industry’s leading

players marks the centenary of its foundation, we
remember the extraordinary contribution to the
technology made by pioneer Igor Sikorsky
Rotary
genius
an expletive in the present day. “I lost my first job “When he would speak about the helicopter, it was
before I even had it,” he wryly laments. evident that there was a great deal of scepticism,”
By that time, the Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation Sergei recalls. That incredulity, he notes, even extend-
had settled in its present-day home of Stratford, ed to many of the engineers working at Sikorsky.
Connecticut and been purchased by United Aircraft “There is no doubt that [the VS-300] was built
and Transport – a holding compa- in spite of the prevailing opin-
ny that at the time controlled both ion at the time,” he says of the
Boeing and Pratt & Whitney. company’s early prototype.
By 1938, the Sikorsky enterprise Despite the prevailing attitude,
had achieved some commercial Sergei says Igor Sikorsky always
success, particularly with the S-38 remained adamant that the heli-
and S-40, which were operated by copter would be a transformative
Pan American Airways. and successful technology. He was
Igor, however, had a vision of particularly certain of the con-
the future elsewhere, and began cept’s potential for emergency
seriously pursuing his concept for medical response.
vertical flight. “The helicopter will prove to be
a unique instrument in the saving
Vertical lift of human lives,” Sergei recalls his
Reorganised as Vought-Sikorsky father saying during those early
FlightGlobal archive
after a corporate restructur- development efforts.

ing, the company soon began The younger Sikorsky, who went
work on fabricating its founder’s on to serve in a US Coast Guard
outlandish idea of a small aircraft experimental helicopter squadron
using a top-mounted rotor to during the Second World War, ad-
generate both vertical lift and Igor Sikorsky’s vision transformed aviation mits there were periods of frustra-
horizontal airspeed. tion when solving early engineering
By 1939, the first VS-300 problems, such as excess vibration.
prototype helicopter was ready and had lifted off But his father’s “glacier-like mind” always managed
from a field in Connecticut. to find a way to overcome any obstacles, whether
In contrast to the almost mundane nature of vertical technical or financial.
flight today, it was clear to even the young Sergei “Once he outlined a problem, he was going to solve
that the aerospace establishment of the time was not that problem no matter what,” Sergei says. “Even the
on board with his father’s vision. experts can be wrong,” he adds with a chuckle.

Helicopters Centenary
Sergei’s first look at a helicopter came in 1939, by Igor Sikorsky 100 years ago,” says its current
during testing of the VS-300 prototype at a field in president, Paul Lemmo.
Stratford. War had just erupted in Europe, he recalls. Other current military programmes include
After spending the afternoon watching a VS-300 producing the CH-53K King Stallion for the USMC.
conduct a series of take-off, hover and landing ma- Sikorsky also is pursuing the US Army’s Future
noeuvres, “I was frankly very much impressed,” he says. Armed Reconnaissance Aircraft requirement with its
In a move that would likely confound aviation safe- X2 compound coaxial technology-inspired Raider X
ty regulators and child welfare officers today, Sergei design, in competition with the Bell 360 Invictus.
soon took his first helicopter ride by hanging on the Elsewhere, the company is staying true to the
exterior landing strut of the VS-300. boundary-expanding dreams of its founder, pursuing
By that time, the younger Sikorsky was pursuing his two lines of research and development that Lemmo
own fixed-wing pilot’s licence. He remembers think- describes as revolutionary.
ing how his father’s invention was seemingly in direct Partnered with the US Defense Advanced Research
defiance of a flight instructor’s urging that horizontal Projects Agency, Sikorsky has developed prototype
airspeed was essential to maintaining lift. helicopters that are capable of flying autonomously,
“Here was my father once again confounding the without a pilot. Last year, the airframer completed
sceptics and literally hanging in the air,” Sergei says. multiple pilotless flights of a UH-60 using its Aircrew
During the war, the son of Igor Sikorsky made his Labor In-cockpit Automation System and Matrix flight
own milestone contribution to rotary-wing aviation.
Sergei’s New York-based Coast Guard squadron was
experimenting with how the new helicopter technol-
ogy could be applied for military uses. While there,
the unit’s commanding officer – Commander Frank
Erickson – conceived of and built the first helicop-
ter-mounted rescue hoist.
Erickson is credited by the US Naval Institute as the
first designated helicopter pilot in naval
aviation history. And at 18 years old,
Sergei Sikorsky played what he describes
as a “very minor role” in proving its utility.
“Frank Erickson thought that it would
be a good idea to generate confidence in
the rescue hoist by having Igor Sikorsky’s
son demonstrate by hanging underneath
the helicopter,” he says proudly.
Family legacy
It was a fitting way for Sergei to carry
on the family legacy. Of all Igor Sikorsky’s
FlightGlobal
engineering and entrepreneurial achievements, Sergei Our cutaway drawing got

notes his father was most proud of the role the heli- under what skin there was
copter assumed in performing medical rescues. on the innovative VS-300
Rotary aircraft took on a prominent role as medical
evacuation assets during the 1950-1953 Korean War, control software. Those flights included simulated
with the Sikorsky S-51 seeing combat service with the casualty evacuation, battlefield resupply and cargo
US Army and US Marine Corps (USMC). sling-load tasks.
After that conflict ended, Sergei says his father The autonomous technology will also be deployed
took great pride in the helicopter’s part. Whenever a on a hybrid-electric demonstrator that Sikorsky
former pilot visited the Sikorsky plant in Stratford, he is developing in collaboration with GE Aerospace.
notes that Igor would invite them to his office above Dubbed Hex, the platform will pair a GE CT7
the factory and “ask literally for every possible detail” turboshaft engine with a 1MW generator.
of their medevac missions in Korea. Lemmo says the goal is to produce an “S-76-class
“He was literally beaming with pride as he listened to aircraft” that will prove the utility of hybrid-electric
these pilots describe their medevac missions and the propulsion for conventional vertical-lift uses.
lifesaving [role] of the helicopter,” Sergei recalls. To fly as early as 2026, the Hex demonstrator
Igor Sikorsky would no doubt be pleased with should have a maximum gross weight of 3,170kg
the legacy of his namesake company, which today (7,000lb) and a range of 500nm (926km).
produces the UH-60 Black Hawk, many variants and Lemmo thinks the coming advances in autonomous
derivatives of which have provided SAR and medevac flight and electric propulsion will signal big chang-
duties for the US armed forces for the past 40 years. es across the industry, noting: “There is definitely a
In January, Sikorsky delivered its 5,000th Black revolution going on in vertical lift right now.”
Hawk-series aircraft, and is under contract to deliver The pioneering spirit of innovation instilled by Igor
the USAF’s new HH-60W ‘Jolly Green II’ combat Sikorsky into his company is alive and well, a full
rescue helicopter. century after its foundation.
“The Black Hawk and all of our other products “If there is such a thing as a legacy, the legacy of
represent an incredible culture of innovation that’s Igor Sikorsky is the ability of a human being to dream
been with us ever since the company was started up a new machine,” Sergei says. ◗

From yuckspeak to tales of yore, send your offcuts to murdo.morrison@flightglobal.com
Artificial lack of
intelligence
If you’re on the side of sceptics who view artificial
intelligence as a curse on humanity, a legal case against
Latin American carrier Avianca is probably not going
to win you over.
One of the airline’s passengers is suing for damages,
alleging that his knee was bashed by a serving trolley
on a San Salvador-New York JFK flight in August 2019.
But his case has suffered an awkward setback, the
result of an “unprecedented circumstance”, according
to judge Peter Kevin Castel of the US District Court for
the Southern District of New York.
Castel stated in a 4 May filing that the plaintiff’s
lawyer had submitted an affidavit of judicial opinions,
but several of them “appear to be bogus” with “bogus
quotes and bogus internal citations”.
Judicial decisions in cases involving United Airlines,
BillyPix
KLM, Delta, EgyptAir and Iran Air were believed to be

“fake”, and Castel demanded an explanation.
Cue a sheepish reply from one of the plaintiff’s
lawyers admitting that he “consulted the artificial
intelligence website ChatGPT” as part of his research.
ChatGPT duly went rogue and coughed up some
codswallop ex machina in the form of non-existent
cases. The lawyer contends he was “unaware of the
possibility” that ChatGPT’s content might not be the
truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth.
Anything you
can spray…
Strewth Imagine doing a spot of crop-dusting on a summer
morning and finding your kit-built ultralight aircraft
Journalists from Down Under can lack subtlety, but we’re is suddenly being escorted by a supersonic Sukhoi
not sure this headline from men’s magazine DMARGE Su-27 fighter.
(“bringing Australians content they can trust”) passes This is what happens, of course, when you’re a
the taste test: “China reveals ‘less crashy’ alternative to farmer doing your best for agriculture in eastern
the Boeing 737 Max: Meet the Comac C919”. Ukraine, where the air force is understandably
100 75
,
From the archive
1923 Luxurious fashion 1948 Seen on Stratovision

Sir Samuel Hoare, the Minister of State for Air, Stratovision is the name given to the scheme
accompanied by Lady Hoare, travelled to Gothenburg which owes its origin to Mr. C. E. Nobles, of the
in a special Daimler D.H.34, which had been Westinghouse Electric Corporation, and which has
equipped in a luxurious fashion for inspection at the since been developed jointly by that firm and the
Gothenburg exhibition. The ordinary seats had been Glenn L. Martin company. The scheme is to lift an
removed, and four specially large armchairs, with air aerial and a transmitter high into the air for the
cushions, had been installed, two facing forward and broadcast of television programmes. On the occasion
two at the forward end of the cabin facing towards of the recent Republican National Convention, reports
the rear of the machine. Between the two sets of from “televiewers” showed that reception had been
chairs two tables of polished mahogany had been good over an area of more than 500 miles in diameter.
installed, and two electric reading lamps were placed The aircraft, a modified B-29, was flying at 25,000ft
on these tables, while the wireless telephones had above Pittsburg, and the programmes were heard in
been extended into the cabin for the occasion. This nine States. They were picked up by the aircraft from
machine will no doubt further enhance British air two ground stations, one in Washington, D.C., and one
prestige at the exhibition. in Baltimore, and rebroadcast.

Straight & Level
Party bus
At the recent EBACE business
aviation convention, Lufthansa
Technik revealed its latest
conversion concept for the
Airbus ACJ TwoTwenty, as a
governmental transport.
On its stand, the MRO specialist
displayed another concept for the
former Bombardier CSeries, as a
luxury party jet (left).
Viewed through the model’s
transparent exterior, tiny revellers
can be seen mingling, quaffing
bubbly round a DJ deck and, by
the looks of it, having a rather
splendid time.
Until about a year ago, there
might have been a market for a
cabin combining the two designs.
Sadly, Boris Johnson is no longer
in power.
preoccupied and a little twitchy about unexpected

aviation activity.
According to the Ukrainian investigation authority
NBAAI, the Su-27 pilot was on a combat mission
last 23 July when he observed a Skyranger carrying
out pest-control work for cultivated plants near the
village of Petrivka.
The fighter escorted the ultralight’s hapless pilot to
Young fleet
a landing site and continued to circle the area until Overheard from row 2 during boarding of a TAP
Robert Buchel/Shutterstock
police arrived. The pilot’s papers did not appear to be Portugal flight to Lisbon: “What sort of aeroplane
in order, according to the authority, which suspects is this?” a senior lady traveller asks one of the
there are grounds for prosecution. cabin crew.
Investigators point out that there is a ban on flights “It’s an Embraer 190, madam,” she replies.
over Ukraine for aircraft other than those operated by “Embryo?”
the government or armed forces for essential duties, “No – M-bray-air – it’s Brazilian.”
and keeping bugs off the begonias doesn’t count.
1973 Lavatory accidents 50

US figures show that the 20 or so American accidents
1998 Technology transfer 25
National security issues fly in the face of international
a year seriously injuring 17 passengers and 13 flight co-operation. In using partnerships with Russia and
attendants result from storm turbulence and clear- China to cut its costs of launching satellites and to
air turbulence. Although the aft of an airliner’s cabin access critical technologies, the USA is advancing its
is often the safest in a survivable crash, it is not the own commercial and security interests, not harming
safest in turbulence. The statistically high proportion them. The USA knows this, which is why the latest
of injuries to cabin attendants results from their being concerns over information sharing smell of paranoia
“loose” rather than seated. The highest-risk area is and double standards and have little foundation.
the aft galley, where cabin attendants are exposed It may not be wedded bliss, but NASA and Russia
to jolts, sharp projections and flying utensils. The are co-operating on the ISS technology and details
second high-risk area is found to be in and around are being transferred to and fro daily. The Atlas III,
the aft lavatories. Most turbulence injuries occur to the USA’s latest commercial launcher, will fly with
passengers waiting in the lavatory area. The new a Russian engine. The same engine will power a US
large “lavatory-occupied” signs, visible from every Air Force version of the Evolved Expendable Launch
part of the cabin, are sensible as well as civilised. Vehicle. How about that for technology transfer?

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RwandAir’s chief executive Yvonne Makolo has
become the first female chair of IATA’s board of
governors – a timely step for an industry seeking to
improve gender diversity in its top management
Leading by
example
Lewis Harper Istanbul “Rwanda is very deliberate with female
BillyPix
representation, whether it’s parliament at 61% or
cabinet at more than 50%, or whether it’s in the
T
he IATA AGM in June marked a landmark corporate sector, where we have several women
moment for the airline association, as leading big organisations,” she says.
RwandAir chief executive Yvonne Makolo Makolo joined RwandAir as deputy chief executive in
became the 81st – and notably, the first female charge of corporate affairs in 2017, having previously
– chair of the board of governors. spent 11 years with telecommunications company MTN
The milestone step builds on an encouraging year Rwanda – where she rose to the positions of chief
during which a number of high-level appointments marketing officer and acting chief executive.
have helped to increase female representation at the
highest level of airline management, although Makolo Stepping up
is quick to flag that the industry still has lots of work She stepped up to the top role at RwandAir in 2018
to do on the issue. and had served on IATA’s board of governors since
“I remember my first [IATA] AGM was in Sydney in November 2020 before officially becoming chair for
2018, and walking into there and saying ‘whoa, what a 12-month term following the closing of this year’s
is going on’ – lots of grey suits and very few women,” gathering. She assumed the role succeeding Pegasus
Makolo told FlightGlobal at the most recent event, Airlines chairperson of the board Mehmet Nane.
staged in Istanbul, Turkey. Makolo describes becoming IATA’s first female chair
“It was mind-boggling for me to see what was as “an honour”. She adds: “It’s a bit overwhelming, but
happening in the aviation sector,” she says, citing the I think it’s great for female representation. I hope this is
contrast with the experience in her home country. the beginning of a new phase for the aviation sector.”
Thiago B Trevisan/Shutterstock
RwandAir is planning to double its fleet – which

currently includes six 737-800s – in coming years

Women in aviation
“We should not be

talking about the
need to have female
representation. It
should be the norm,
rather than the
exception”
Importantly, her appointment shows “a different percentage of female pilots will be much more than
face of aviation leadership”, Makolo says, “being not the current less than 10%”.
only a woman, but a woman of colour and, for the FlightGlobal’s latest survey of gender diversity at
first time, an African chairing the board”. the top 100 passenger airlines showed that some
And in that role, she will make gender diversity a 15% of C-suite executives were women at the end
key priority, describing IATA’s 25by2025 initiative as of 2022, including 12% of chief executives. The data
a “good step”. continued to show an improving trend year on year,
“It’s important to me,” she says. “And it’s also impor- albeit a very marginal one.
tant for me to bring to the forefront African aviation as
well, which has been neglected a lot, I believe.” Business plan
On addressing gender diversity, Makolo is clear Meanwhile, Makolo expects Qatar Airways to cement
that, like her home country, “the industry needs to be its 49% stake in RwandAir in the coming months,
very deliberate about the issue”. Today, she says, “it’s clearing the way for the Kigali-based carrier to launch
getting the attention that it deserves, but in terms of a new business plan. “We are on the tail end of
implementation, a lot more needs to be done”. finalising it,” she says of the tie-up.
Her ultimate ambition is that once the 25by2025 However, Makolo notes: “Even prior to that we
deadlines have passed, the topic of gender diversity are working on different initiatives, whether it’s the
at airlines becomes a “non-issue” as soon as possible. extended codeshare, whether it’s cargo.”
“We should not be talking about the need to have RwandAir has previously indicated that it intends
female representation,” she says. “It should be the to roughly double its fleet in the coming years, from
norm, rather than the exception. Neglecting 50% of the 13 aircraft it operates today. This will include
the population in an industry that is so important – examining options to replace its regional aircraft fleet
for me it doesn’t add up. I really hope by 2030 it will of one operational Bombardier CRJ900 and two De
be normal.” Havilland Canada Dash 8-400s. It also currently flies
By that year, her hope is that “we will have had three Airbus A330-200/300s and six Boeing 737-
three more female chairs of the [IATA] board and the 800s, including one freighter. ◗
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com August 2023

New radars for UK

Sales lift Safety ﬁrst

Worth waiting for

August 2023 Flight International 3

New radars for UK

Allies line up to support Ukraine’s F-16 advance p6

Sales lift Safety ﬁrst

4 Flight International August 2023

Belgian air force could supply

6 Flight International August 2023

“America can once again demon-

[Ukrainian personnel] training

August 2023 Flight International 7

UK could acquire “up to 44”

Airbus clear on export role for UK

8 Flight International August 2023

NH90 will need

equip future military rotorcraft, to enter service next decade

August 2023 Flight International 9

appeared to be limping along. for 1,080 aircraft, and although

Source: Airbus -900s and 76 of the larger -1000.

10 Flight International August 2023

“The real test lies in the

Boeing has continued to build

the same period last year it had 737* 216 189

August 2023 Flight International 11

Neo champion: re-engined A321 overtakes original A320 as Airbus’s best-seller

the A321XLR, will be able to formally inaugurated on 10 July. deck type.

12 Flight International August 2023

The airframer says the new cancellations, conversions to

August 2023 Flight International 13

China Eastern grows C919 ﬂeet

First example of Leap-1C-powered jet

14 Flight International August 2023

DHC-6 Twin Otters are

Ecojet bets big on green appeal

Introduction to Competency-Based Training and

August 2023 Flight International 15

represents the second phase of in-depth”. scanned array radar.

SkyCourier set for military duty

16 Flight International August 2023

Former Titan Airways jet will be

Trio sign Wedgetail pact

August 2023 Flight International 17

Saudi Hawks were colourful performers

Ewan Hoyle Photography

weather. Notable attractions included

and a reproduction Me 262 ﬁghter pair during tanker demonstration

Ewan Hoyle Photography

18 Flight International August 2023

Ewan Hoyle Photography

C-101s of Spain’s Patrulla Aguila team

STOVL siblings: UK F-35B and Spanish navy AV-8B ‘Matador II’

August 2023 Flight International 19

American and JetBlue begin

US Department of Justice opened a case

20 Flight International August 2023

The two aircraft converged

Citation’s unresolved air-data

August 2023 Flight International 21

F135 update powers

that will keep us on track to carrier-launched and short