This week
8 | Flight International | 11-17 June 2019 flightglobal.com
dItchIng duty Free helps sas save weIght
strategy Scandinavian operator SAS is to scrap duty-free
sales on board its aircraft, in a bid to trim weight and save fuel.
The measure will be implemented this autumn as part of the
airline’s overall plan to cut emissions by 25% by 2030 compared
with a 2005 baseline. Its targets also include 17% use of biofuel;
the equivalent of its total domestic consumption.klm revIews a350 order
Fleet KLM is reviewing whether to retain or cancel its order for
seven Airbus A350s. Speaking to FlightGlobal, chief executive
Pieter Elbers says the Dutch carrier is examining whether to
keep the seven jets it has committed to taking, or remove them
in favour of additional Boeing 787s to maintain a simpler fleet.
“For today they [the A350s] are still on the books,” he says.amman seeks mIlItary aIrcraFt buyers
sales The Jordanian defence ministry has announced plans
to sell more than two dozen of its aircraft. Amman says bids are
being sought by 1 July for 12 BAE Systems Hawk 63 advanced
jet trainers, six MD Helicopters MD530s, four Airbus Defence &
Space C295/CN235s and a retired Lockheed Martin C-130B,
plus six China Aerospace Science and Technology Corporation
Caihong CH-4B unmanned air vehicles.Facc pIcks croatIa For new Factory
FacIlIt y Austrian composites manufacturer FACC has chosen
Croatia as the site for a new production facility. Chinese-owned
FACC says it will invest around €30 million ($33.7 million) in the
site, dedicated to manufacturing lightweight cabin components
for commercial and business aircraft. Production is set to start
by March 2021, with the move to create up to 600 jobs.superjets requIre one-tIme InspectIon
check Russian regulator Rosavitsia has ordered carriers to make
a one-time inspection of the Sukhoi Superjet 100 fleet in the wake
of May’s fatal accident at Moscow Sheremetyevo airport. Work
must be conducted “within the shortest possible time”, and
findings submitted to the authority’s airworthiness manage-
ment department. The activity covers such items as a general
check of the twinjet’s condition, as well as examination of air-
craft and engine logs, plus emergency equipment.avIc spIns up ma700 constructIon
development China’s AVIC has finished construction of
large fuselage sections and wings for its MA700 twin-turboprop
programme, paving the way for static trials to begin. Work to
assemble a test asset, designated aircraft 10001, should be
complete by the end of this year. The MA700 will be powered
by twin Pratt & Whitney Canada PW150C engines.japan receIves FIrst advanced hawkeye
delIvery The Japan Air Self-Defence Force has taken delivery
of its first of four Northrop Grumman E-2D Advanced Hawkeye
airborne early warning and control aircraft. First flown for Tokyo
in November 2017, its variant has a “wet wing” modification
that increases flight endurance to 8h. Japan, which Cirium’s
Fleets Analyzer records as already operating 13 E-2Cs, could
eventually acquire a further nine examples of the new model.brIeFIng
A
ir Austral has grounded one
of its two Rolls-Royce Trent
1000-powered Boeing 787-8s
after a 3 June inspection revealed
“unexpected and premature” de-
terioration of engine blades.
The French carrier says the in-
spection was part of the regular
monthly checks undertaken to
comply with a European Union
Aviation Safety Agency directive.
The aircraft (F-OLRC) will be
grounded for at least two months,
Air Austral estimates. It last year
pulled its two Dreamliners from
service between March and
November over engine issues.
Affecting the carrier during
the busy summer season, the
latest grounding will have an
impact on flights to and from
Mayotte in particular, says AirAustral, which is based in anoth-
er French overseas department,
La Reunion.
“Safety is of utmost impor-
tance for the company,” says the
airline. “Faced with this situation
again, and on the eve of the high
season, Air Austral is speeding
up its already advanced efforts to
find a solution that will be the
least disruptive to our customers
flying to or from Mayotte.”
Air Austral lists its fleet as com-
prising three 777-300s, two 737-
800s and one ATR 72-500, plus
the two Dreamliners.
R-R recently pledged that it
was “working intensely with cus-
tomers to support the recovery of
their fleets” from the issues with
the Trent 1000 powerplant. ■
See Air Transport Pcontract
L3 avionics upgrade to lift C-130H
L3 Technologies has been awarded $500 million for a major
avionics upgrade to 176 Lockheed Martin C-130H tactical
transports flown by the US Air Force Reserve Command and US
Air National Guard. The contract is for engineering and manu-
facturing development work through to production, as well as
training and logistics. An initial $37 million allocation covers
research and development, plus testing and evaluation. The
upgrade will be performed mainly in Waco, Texas, and is due for
completion by September 2029. The activity is part of a broader
modernisation programme that will also deliver a “Series 3.5”
upgrade for the type’s Rolls-Royce T56 engines and incorpo-
rates Collins Aerospace NP2000 eight-bladed propellers.US Air ForcesaFety ViCToriA BryAn LoNDoNTrent woes ground
Austral Dreamliner
Carrier removes one of its two R-R powered 787-8s from
service after check reveals premature blade deterioration