Aviation_News_2017-03

http://www.aviation-news.co.uk 7

CityJet

Completes

Cimber Deal

Dublin-based CityJet has completed the

acquisition of Danish regional carrier

Cimber from SAS (Scandinavian Airlines).

The deal came into effect on January 31

and sees the Irish carrier assume control

of Cimber 11-strong fleet of Bombardier

CRJ900s and its entire Copenhagen-

based network, which is flown on behalf

of SAS. It also includes the extension of

CityJet’s own wet-lease agreement with

the Scandinavian flag carrier from three

years to six.

Also on the above date CityJet was due

to confirm an order ten new CRJ900s to

replace the current Cimber aircraft during

2017 and 2018. Another four CRJ900s

ordered last year are due to arrive in

March. With the addition of the Cimber

aircraft, CityJet’s fleet of CRJ900 jets

will increase to 23 this summer. CityJet

Executive Chairman Pat Byrne said:

“This new SAS contract and the growth

delivered by the acquisition of Cimber

advances CityJet’s stated strategy of

building its role as a provider of regional

jet capacity to airlines across Europe and

follows our successful inauguration of

services on behalf of SAS in March 2016.”

PJSC Beriev delivered the first Taganrog-

produced Be-200ES amphibious aircraft

to the Russian Ministry of Emergency

Situations (also known as Emergency

Control Ministry or EMERCOM) on

January 12.

Previously the jet-powered water bomber

was produced at Irkut’s main manufacturing

site in Irkutsk, Siberia. The move to Taganrog

in Western Russia will enable the Irkut

Corporation to concentrate on other projects.

Speaking at the handover ceremony,

Yury Grudinin, PJSC Beriev Director

General, announced that four other

examples are currently in final assembly

and should be handed over to EMERCOM

by the end of 2017.

According to PJSC Beriev, the Be-

200ES has good export potential and

China bought four examples at the 2016

Zhuhai Airshow. The company also claims

to be in discussion “with several countries

of [the] Asia-Pacific and European Union

regions” about further orders.

The first Taganrog-produced Be-200ES will

be operated in EMERCOM’s southern region

and will be based at Rostov-on-Don. The

aircraft has been named after the renowned

naval pilot (and Hero of the Soviet Union)

Alexander Razgonin. PJSC Beriev

EMERCOM Be-200ES

Delivered

Affordable, ‘green’ research of the Earth’s

stratosphere took a major step forward at

Payerne in Switzerland on December 7

when Raphaël Domjan’s solar-powered

stratospheric research aircraft, SolarStratos,

was unveiled.

The tandem two-seat, low-wing

monoplane has a span of 81ft 3in (24.80m)

and weighs just 450kg (990lb). Power comes

from an electric engine driving a 7ft 2in

(2.20m) diameter four-bladed propeller.

The project was initiated in 2014 and

Raphaël Domjan says it will “be the first

manned solar-powered aeroplane to

penetrate the stratosphere.” Previous and

current research of the stratosphere uses

large quantities of energy and helium but

SolarStratos’ upper wing and tailplane are

covered with 237sq ft (22m²) of solar cells to

charge the 20kWh Lithium-ion batteries.

The aircraft is unpressurised so pilot

Domjan will wear a space suite enabling him to

fly at altitudes up to 82,000ft (25,000m). The

first medium-altitude flights are planned for

summer of 2017 with the initial stratospheric

flights following in 2018. Geoff Jones.

SolarStratos Unveiled

The SolarStratos research aircraft could make its first medium-altitude flight this summer, and

venture into the stratosphere as early as 2018. SolarStratos

Flybe Secures

Heathrow Slots

Regional carrier Flybe launches more

than 40 weekly connections from

Heathrow to Aberdeen and Edinburgh

on March 26. The new routes come

after the airline secured landing slots

at the London hub and are in addition

to its existing Scottish services from

London City on the other side of the

capital.

Flybe’s entry into the capacity-

constrained hub is via slots surrendered

by British Airways’ parent International

Airlines Group (IAG) following its

2012 acquisition of British Midland

International. Under the terms of

the deal, the European Commission

ordered IAG to release 14 daily slot

pairs, seven of which were to facilitate

new competition between Heathrow

and Edinburgh and/or Aberdeen. As a

result, Flybe was not required to pay for

these lucrative positions.

Heathrow CEO John Holland-Kaye

said: “More airlines flying routes to

Scottish airports means more flights,

more competition and choice for

families, and more visitors to Scotland.”

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