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As part of the move to reduce pressure on Ninoy Aquino International Airport (Naia), Paris based company Aeroports De Paris has arrived in the Philippines to begin the feasibility study for the new terminal at the Clark Aviation Complex. The Department of Transportation has commissioned the study and Communications (DOTC) which also proposes to fund the P7.2 billion project that will provide an annual capacity for 15 million passengers.

P600 million has now been approved by the DOTC to enable Clark International Airport Corp. to purchase equipment ahead of its planned improvements to the airport site later this year. These will include a new Dual Passenger Boarding Bridge to enable Emirates Airlines and Qatar Airways, who have recently begun using the airport, to also deploy their wide-bodied craft.

The 2,367-hectare site at the Aviation Complex is also due to benefit from a 26.75-kilometer fence, a 13.2-km Perimeter Lighting System, and modern Navigational Aids Equipment. A further investment into the Emergency Services at the airport will see the purchase of Major Tender and Rapid Intervention Vehicle Fire Trucks in a move that is expected to raise Clark Aviation’s current International Civil Authority Organisation rating from 9 to the required Category 10.

The Clark International Airport Corp. President and Chief Executive Officer Victor Jose I. Luciano said that the rehabilitation of the existing terminal would be completed this month. Meanwhile, a further feasibility study is planned for the North-South Commuter Railway, with the aim improving accessibility to the airport from Metro Manila. The medium-term plan, according to Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya, is to operate both Naia and Clark to serve Luzon.

Dassault Appoint New International Sales Manager

January 16, 2014

Growing demand for business flights both from and within Africa has led Dassault Aviation to announce the appointment of Olivier Zuber as its new International Sales Manager.

Working for Dassault since 2005, Zuber has filled a number of key roles at the company, most recently as the Dassault Falcon Jet Corp. Marketing and Business Development Manager for India.

Falcon, a wholly owned U.S. subsidiary of France’s Dassault Aviation, is responsible for marketing the entire line of Falcon jets throughout North America, South America and the Asian Pacific Rim, including China. Over 2,500 Falcon jets have been manufactured since production of the initial Falcon 20 in 1963, with the latest addition to the range being the Falcon 5X.

In that time Dassault Aviation has grown to employ some 11,000 workers both in France and the U.S. Demand for Falcons has doubled in Africa alone in the past five years and the company has also introduced a fighter jet, the Rafale, to its stable of aircraft.

With a Master’s Degree in Engineering, and experience in both Falcon’s flight centre and customer service sections, Zuber will now move from Dassault’s Indian liaison office, based in New Delhi, where he has spent the last three years.

Following his move to the French headquarters in Saint-Cloud, Zuber will report to Dassault’s Sales Directors for the African market, Alain Lemee and Gilles Apollis. Vice President of Falcon Sales, Gilles Gautier, welcomed Zuber to his new role saying, “Olivier’s extensive experience with the nuances of the business aviation industry in various regions make him the ideal choice to develop leads and spearhead new sales opportunities in the emerging economies of Africa.”

Siemens Provide Incheon with Baggage Handling System

January 16, 2014

Incheon, South Korea’s busiest airport, is to get a 42km, state-of-the-art baggage handling system courtesy of the contract recently awarded to electronics giant Siemens and Posco, the South Korean steel makers.

Capable of handling over 22,000 pieces of luggage per hour, the new system will comprise over 216 check-in counters in departures, 10 carousels in arrivals, 14 make-up carousels and 18 laterals, with an additional storage facility for up to as many as 2,000 pieces of luggage.

Completion is set for September 2017, readying the airport both for the influx of visitors to the 2018 Winter Olympics and the completion of Incheon’s new U.S. $2.5bn (£1.6bn) Terminal 2, which will increase airport’s annual passenger capacity to 62 million. The new infrastructure is planned to seamlessly integrate into the existing, and will be controllable by both IT and automated systems.

Siemans is already familiar with Incheon’s current baggage handling capability. In 2008 the company upgraded systems in the airport’s satellite terminal to handle up to 56,000 items of baggage every hour and has provided ongoing IT support ever since.

BHX Flight Planning to Trial Two New Flight Paths

January 16, 2014

Flight planning takes into account many factors, including fuel consumption, weight, air speed and weather considerations, to name but a few of the thousands of calculations needed.

Flight paths are fixed, but as the airways become congested, and the population on the ground grows, the possibilities for further expansion of flight paths need to be explored more fully. The modern airline operators are coming under pressure from authorities, regulators and indeed the public, to reduce noise and pollution levels, but greater service and more flights.

Birmingham airport has announced plans to trial two alternative flight paths in preparation for an Airspace Change Proposal, required due to a proposed extension of the runway.

The airport has already submitted its preferred route, “Option 5”, to the Civil Aviation Authority, a flight path that it says covers mostly open country, avoiding Barston village. However, this option was greeted angrily by the residents of Balsall Common who were not placated by the airport’s claim that although aircraft would be closer to Balsall Street East, they would be flying higher at that point, due to the area’s distance from the airport.

Now, however, it seems that Option 6, proposed by Balsall Street East, Balsall Common residents and calling for the route to pass closer to Hampton and Barston, may become a reality. For seven months, starting April 2014, both options will undergo trials designed to test precise navigation procedures (RNAV). Although the trials do not constitute a further consultation process an airport spokesman said they would enable the impact to be objectively assessed to, “help make a more informed decision on the most appropriate option.”

Global Projections of Rise of Automated Baggage Handling

January 15, 2014

A new report by Global Industry Analysts, Inc (GIA) titled ”Airport Baggage Handling Systems” has focussed upon the rapid growth in the industry in the last few years.

The continuing rise in air traffic, and the emerging markets of developing countries is encouraging operators to build or upgrade terminals to increase capacity, and concomitant with this is the installation or upgrade of baggage handling facilities.

The trend report offers a useful, if brief, insight into the corporate initiatives and developments of key players in the baggage handling industry, looking at their products and analysing their prospects for growth.

The report covers a wide range of companies including: Rapiscan Systems, Aanestad AS, Daifuku Co. Ltd., JBT AeroTech, Portec, Logan Teleflex Ltd., Glidepath and Siemens AG. Key markets, such as Asia-Pacific, are also discussed, together with projections and estimates for global projections to 2017.

Mission Critical Messaging System Selected by JorAMCo

January 15, 2014

Jordan Aircraft Maintenance Ltd (JorAMCo) have selected AirVault to provide them with a web-based mission critical messaging service to assist with the management of aircraft maintenance records.

The Amman-based company have experienced steady growth and now need a more efficient messaging system to enhance their growth strategy.

Airline mission critical messaging requires not only efficiency, but reliability and security to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.

Aircraft maintenance requests and records must be delivered and received in a timely manner to reinforce the efficiency of the operator. Down-time spells financial losses and it is crucial that the entire process runs smoothly, quickly and reliably.

There are many providers of mission critical messaging solutions for aviation companies. Big organisations, such as ARINC, offer AviNet messaging solutions as a part of their integral and operational suite of products.

“We’re proud that JorAMCo chose AirVault as a mission-critical service to support the aircraft maintenance services it provides to its airline customers. The adoption of AirVault technology by JorAMCo reinforces the value for the MROs of managing aircraft fleet maintenance records across their entire ecosystem of airline customers, business partners, and regulatory authorities,” said CEO of Critical Technologies, John Oldham, “The AirVault cloud-computing service provides the MRO a global conduit to better manage the bi-directional process of aircraft maintenance records files, in synchronization with their airline customers.”

FBO’s Get Ready for Superbowl

January 14, 2014

As the New York Super Bowl fast approaches, the area’s Fixed Base Operators are offering a variety of incentives to potential customers, with many of the best deals being publicised at the NBAA’s Schedulers and Dispatchers Conference in New Orleans.

Sheltair, which has FBOs at five of the airports in the local area had representatives on hand to provide operational information, together with details of events planned for the big day from its bases at John F. Kennedy International, La Guardia, MacArthur, Republic and Francis S. Gabreski Airports. Waiving the usual special-event fees and doubling its AVTRIP rewards points, Sheltair warned potential customers that, due to the increased pressure on the already limited hangar space at MacArthur and Republic airports, allocations could only be made on a first-come, first-served basis.

An FBO at Long Island MacArthur Airport (ISP) in Islip, Hawthorne Global Aviation, was also at the show; taking advantage of its location slightly away from what will be the busiest airspace to offer what promises to be an exciting customer experience. A twin-engine helicopter can be hired for a 20 minute flight to either New York City prior to the Super Bowl games or Teterboro Airport for the games themselves, at a round-trip cost of $5,000.

Airbus A320 Unveiled by Air Berlin & Etihad

January 13, 2014

The Gulf carrier Etihad has continued its foray into the European aviation market with the unveiling of an Airbus A320 in joint livery with Air Berlin at an event hosted by both Wolfgang Prock-Schauer, CEO of Air Berlin and it’s Vice Chairman, James Hogan, also President of Etihad.

Last year Etihad notably purchased a 49% stake in Air Serbia, formerly known as Jat airlines, and has announced plans to further strengthen its European presence with the purchase of a one third stake in Darwin, which will become Etihad Regional. However, Hogan was circumspect regarding recent reports that Etihad would also soon be announcing an investment in the ailing Alitalia, stating the importance of due diligence and the formation of, “a clear plan to move to profitability.”

Clearing recent speculation regarding European carriers LOT Polish Airlines and the Latvian Air Baltic, Hogan stated there were no plans to invest in either.

NBAA Update Advanced Passenger Information System with ARINC

January 13, 2014