Dassault Falcon Increases Middle East Fleet by 60 per cent over the Past Three Years and Expects Growth to Continue
November 13, 2009
2,000th Falcon recently delivered to Middle East customer
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, November 12 /PRNewswire/ — Dassault Falcon has delivered a total of 21 large cabin aircraft in the last three years in the Middle East – growing the regional fleet by more than 60 per cent. The Middle East Falcon fleet has continued to grow significantly in 2009 in a year in which the company achieved the milestone of delivering its 2,000th business jet – a Falcon 2000LX to Koç Holding based in Istanbul, one of the largest and fastest growing companies in Turkey. Dassault has a significant backlog of orders from the region and expects its current regional fleet of 50 aircraft to grow by more than 50 per cent in the next three years.
Despite the severe impact of the economic crisis in the US and Europe, the overall market situation now appears to have stabilized. “The level of pre-owned Falcon aircraft inventories has started to decrease,” commented John Rosanvallon, President and CEO of Dassault Falcon. “While some areas of the world have yet to show signs of recovery, regions such as Asia, South America and the Middle East are becoming more active.”
The Koç Group is representative of the vibrant growth throughout the region where strong demand for Falcon aircraft continues, thanks to the suitability of the Falcon line in meeting the demands of regional owners/operators.
“All of our models have stand up headroom and unbeatable fuel economy,” said Rosanvallon. “And with oil hovering around $80 per barrel, the efficiency of the Falcons with their comfort and performance is a compelling feature.” In particular, the 5,950 nm range Falcon 7X represents about 40 per cent of Dassault’s recent sales in the region. Its unique digital flight control system sets it apart, providing smoother flights and unmatched manoeuvring control for the flight crew. It is the only long range business jet that can be operated into and out of London City Airport and thus links the heart of the world’s largest financial center with non-stop access to the Middle East. Notable city pairs include: New York to Dubai, Jeddah to Recife or Riyadh to Perth
Regional Expansions
Dassault’s growing presence in the Middle East led to the company’s decision to establish a dedicated spare parts distribution center and a sales office in Dubai last year. The regional inventory is worth more than US$1.5 million and includes most of the high replacement items. The worldwide spare parts distribution center network – including the Dubai center and nine other locations, contributes to the Falcon fleet outstanding 98% service level.
“Dubai is unique because of the expanding Falcon fleet based there but it is also a popular stopover point for transiting aircraft flying from the Asia-Pacific region to Europe” said Jacques Chauvet, Senior Vice President, Customer Service, Dassault Falcon. “We already have 50 aircraft based in the region and this number is expected to grow significantly in the next few years. We’re currently evaluating several Authorized Service Centers (ASC) based in the middle East to expand our ASC network which already comprises 29 Falcon ASCs and 5 Factory Owned Service Centers”.
During Dubai Airshow (November 15-19, 2009) Dassault Falcon will display a Falcon 7X and a Falcon 2000LX at the static display area. Booth W310 – Chalets 42-43-44.
GE’s GE38 Engine Initiates First Full Engine Testing
July 7, 2009
LYNN, Massachusetts — July 7, 2009 — GE ushered in a new era of
helicopter propulsion on June 24 when the GE38 engine began its first
full engine test at GE Aviation’s Lynn, Massachusetts, facility.
Selected to power Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation’s CH-53K helicopter for
the United States Marine Corps (USMC) in December 2006, the GE38
represents the cornerstone for a new turboshaft/turboprop engine family,
with a revenue potential of more than $4 billion including heavy-lift
applications.
“This important milestone marks the beginning of the design validation
phase of the program and provides confidence the engine will be ready on
time to deliver unprecedented capability to the Marine Corps,” said
Harry Nahatis, GE38 Program Manager.
Testing of the GE38 is expected to run through 2011, concurrent with a
full U.S. military qualification test program. This testing, conducted
under a System Development and Demonstration (SDD) program contract,
includes five ground-test engines that will accumulate more than 5,000
engine test hours, plus 20 flight-test engines for the CH-53K
development aircraft.
Capable of producing more than 7,500 shaft-horsepower at sea level, the
GE38 architecture is updated with new aerodynamics for more efficient
operation, plus improved cooling schemes and materials for added
durability.
The GE38 can provide up to 20% lower fuel consumption compared to other
engines in its class for longer range and/or heavier payload. Added
power provides mission flexibility and enhanced hot/high aircraft
performance, while its simplified design translates to improved
reliability and a 50-80% operating and support cost advantage.
Embraer reduzirá sua força de trabalho
February 28, 2009
A empresa brasileira Embraer anunciou que reduzirá em cerca de 20% a sua força de trabalho, composta por mais de 21 mil empregados, devido a crise sem precedentes que afeta a economia global. Os mais de 4 mil empregos a serem eliminados se concentram nas áreas de produção e administração, onde um completo nível hierárquico de sua estrutura foi excluído. Em contraste, quase todo o pessoal das áreas de engenharia e tecnologia permanecerão em seus postos de trabalho, garantindo à companhia a continuar desenvolver novos produtos. AEmbraer projeta uma arrecadação de $ 5.5 bilhões e espera entregar 212 aviões comerciais e executivos.
No início deste mês a rival Bombardier Aerospace informou que reduzirá o número de empregados temporários e contratados, e cortar 350 empregados permanentes, somando um total de aproximadamente 4,5% do total da força de trabalho.
Production cuts for the A320
February 28, 2009
Airbus has announced that it is about to take the “precautionary” measure of reducing the production of the A320 from 36 to 34 aircraft monthly beginning in October, and that it will keep the A330 / A340 production at the current level of 8.5 monthly instead of increasing it to 10 as was previously planned.
Airbus CEO, Tom Enders, has said the reduction is not going to force any employment cuts. Also, he insisted in that the delivery target for 2009 remains at 480 aircraft. Based on the given numbers, the company will produce 426 A320 and 102 A330 / 340 this year, plus an uncertain amount of the huge A380.
This production cut is a continuation of similar measures taken during the last quarter of 2008, when Airbus decided not to increase the production of the A320 while increasing the production of the A330 / 340 to 10 a month.
Enders said that the company monitors constantly the market and has detected a drop of air traffic in most regions, thus it is not discarding further production cuts if necessary.
Reducciones en la producción de Airbus A320
February 28, 2009
Airbus ha anunciado que está por tomar la medida “precautoria” de reducir la producción de A320 de 36 a 34 aviones mensuales a partir de Octubre, y mantendrá la producción de A330 / A340 al mismo nivel de 8.5 aviones por mes y no la aumentará a 10 como se había venido planeando.
El CEO de Airbus, Tom Enders, declaró que la reducción no provocará la desaparición de puestos de trabajo. Así mismo, insistió en que el objetivo de entregas para el 2009 se mantiene en 480 aeronaves. Basado en los números publicados, la empresa producirá 426 aviones A320 y 102 A330 / A340 éste año, además de una cantidad incierta de los gigantescos A380.
La reducción anunciada es la continuación de medidas similares tomadas a finales del año pasado, en las que Airbus decidió no aumentar la producción de los A320 pero sí de llevar la producción a de los A330 / A340 a 10 mensuales.
Enders ha dicho que la empresa monitorea constantemente el mercado y que han detectado una caída en el tráfico aéreo en todas las regiones, por lo que no descarta más reducciones en la producción si se hacen necesarias.
Cortes de produção para o A320
February 28, 2009
Airbus anunciou que está prestes a tomar uma medida “preventiva” reduzindo a produção do A320 de 36 para 34 aeronaves mensais a partir de outubro, e manterá a produção de A330 / A340 no nível atual de 8,5 ao mês, ao invés de aumentar para 10, conforme havia planejado.
Tom Enders, CEO da Airbus, declarou que a redução não causará quaisquer demissões. Mesmo assim, insistiu que o objetivo para 2009 de entrega de 480 aeronaves será mantido. Com base em dados publicados, a empresa produzirá 426 A320 e 102 A320 / A340, acrescida de uma quantidade incerta dos gigantescos A380.
Esta redução é uma continuação de medidas similares tomadas durante o último trimestre de 2008, quando a Airbus decidiu não aumentar a produção dos A320, mas sim tos dos A330 / A340 para 10 ao mês.
Enders declarou que a companhia monitora constantemente o mercado, e detectou uma redução do tráfego aéreo na maioria das regiões, portanto não descarta mais cortes de produção se necessários.
IATA confirms more accidents but fewer fatalities in 2008
February 28, 2009
Airlines suffered 109 accidents during 2008, compared to 100 in 2007, while the number of fatal accidents increased from 20 to 23 during the last two years, reports IATA.
However, fatalities dropped from 692 in 2007 to 502 in 2008. This translates into a 56% improvement in the fatality rate from 0.23 fatalities per million passengers in 2007 to 0.13 per million last year.
According to IATA, the global accident rate, measured in hull losses per million flights, stood at 0.81 or one accident for every 1.2 million flights, slightly worse than in 2007 when the rate was 0.75 or one accident for every 1.3 million flights.
Runway excursions accounted for 25% of all accidents in 2008. IATA is launching this year a Runway Safety Toolkit, which it has developed with Flight Safety Foundation. The toolkit will also be incorporated with IATA’s Global Safety Information Centre to be launched later this year. The organization said that ground damage accounted for 17% of all accidents.
IATA confirma más accidentes pero menos fatalidades en 2008
February 28, 2009
Las aerolíneas sufrieron 109 accidentes en el año 2008, a diferencia de 100 en el 2007, mientras que el número de accidentes fatales aumentó de 20 a 23 en los últimos dos años, reporta la IATA.
Sin embargo, las fatalidades cayeron de 692 en el 2007 a 502 en el 2008. Esto se traduce a una mejora del 56% en la taza de fatalidades, la cual fue de 0.23 por cada millón de pasajeros en 2007, a 0.13 por millón el año pasado.
De acuerdo a la IATA, la taza global de accidentes, medida por perdida de aeronaves por millones de vuelos, se mantuvo en 0.81 o un accidente por cada 1.2 millones de vuelos, un poco peor que en el 2007 cuando la taza fue de 0.75, es decir, un accidente por cada 1.3 millones de vuelos.
Los accidentes en los que las aeronaves se salieron de las pista, totalizó un 25% de todos los accidentes en el 2008. Por lo anterior, IATA estará lanzando este año un “tool kit” de seguridad en las pistas, el cual ha sido desarrollado en conjunto con la Fundación Flight Safety. El tool kit será incorporado también en las herramientas que se distribuirán por medio del Centro Global de Información de Seguridad, el cual entrará a funcionar a finales de año. La organización dejó claro que los accidentes ocurridos en tierra totalizaron un 17%.
IATA confirma mais acidentes, porém menos fatalidades em 2008
February 28, 2009
As companhias aéreas sofreram 109 acidentes durante o ano de 2008, contra 100 em 2007, enquanto que o número de acidentes fatais aumentou de 20 para 23 nos últimos dois anos, informa a IATA.
Entretanto, o número de fatalidades reduziu-se de 692 em 2007 para 502 em 2008. Isto significa uma melhoria de 56% da taxa de fatalidade, de 0,23 fatalidades por milhão de passageiros em 2007, para 0,13 por milhão no último ano.
De acordo com a IATA, a taxa global de acidentes, medida em número aeronaves perdidas por milhões de vôos, permaneceu à taxa de 0,81, ou um acidente para 1,2 milhões de vôos, ligeiramente pior que em 2007, quando a taxa foi de 0,75, ou um acidente para cada 1,3 milhões de vôos.
Os acidentes envolvendo saída de pista correspondem a cerca de 25% do total de acidentes em 2008. A IATA lançará este ano o Runaway Safety Toolkit, ou kit de ferramentas de segurança para pistas, o qual foi desenvolvido em conjunto com a Flight Safety Foundation. O kit será também incorporado também nas ferramentas distribuídas pelo Global Safety Information Centre (Centro Global de Informações sobre Segurança) da IATA, a serem lançadas até o fim deste ano. A organização declarou que acidentes em terra somam 17% do total de acidentes.
USAF Hopes To Firm Up Plans for Central American Cargo Aircraft Deal
February 28, 2009
U.S. officials at the 12th Air Force are hoping to move forward with plans this week with four Central American nations seeking to jointly collaborate on an aircraft modernization effort, according to Lt. Gen. Norman Seip, who leads the command. 12th Air Force interfaces with air forces in Central and South America. Seip is meeting with the regional air chiefs of Central America here during a Regional Air Chiefs Conference. Nicaragua, El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras have been in discussions in recent years with U.S. officials to proceed with a multipronged aircraft modernization effort that involves the purchase of a light cargo aircraft, a small helicopter, and eventually an interdiction platform. Seip says he hopes this week to secure an agreement from the four nations in the form of a letter of intent.
Though nonbinding, the letter would allow officials to move forward with platform selection of the first phase of the program, which involves the purchase of 16 light cargo aircraft.
The likely choice is the Cessna Caravan, a single-engine turboprop aircraft. However, the nations must approve a formal platform decision after signing the letter, says Dana Willis, the program’s project officer for 12th Air Force.
The goal is to assign four aircraft to each country and get each nation to sign onto a sharing agreement in the event of certain mission needs such as a national disaster requiring humanitarian aid. Willis says he expects the aircraft to cost about $2.5 million per unit. The United States is likely to pick up the full cost of the aircraft purchases and an initial, contractor-logistics-support contract for maintenance. But Seip says each nation will be responsible for training crews to sustain and operate the systems beyond that initial agreement.
Previously, Seip was hoping to move forward with the purchase of the cargo aircraft, a helicopter (likely the Huey II) and a light interdiction platform in one program. However, funding is scarce and command officials now say they are focused first on deploying the cargo system. Work on the remaining two platforms should follow.
Purchases for 16 of each type of replacement aircraft – four per nation in each mission area – is anticipated to cost about $487 million, Willis says.
Yet, with the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan demanding much of the Pentagon’s attention, officials are looking for other funding sources for the aircraft modernization program. One potential source could be the Merida Initiative, a fund started by President George W. Bush in fiscal 2008 to support counternarcotics activities in Central America and Mexico. Initially, the fund outlined about $500 million in aid for Mexico and another $50 million for Central America.
The initial $197 million of $400 million in FY ’08 funds approved by Congress for the initiative were released in early December 2008 after an agreement was reached between the Mexican and U.S. governments
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