Flight Int'l - January 26, 2016 UK

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F

rance is hoping talks with the
three other operators of the
Airbus Helicopters Tiger attack
rotorcraft can reach consensus on
a common missile to form the
heart of an upgrade programme
to be fielded in around 2023,
even as it embarks on a nearer-
term package of modifications.
So far, the nation’s army avia-
tion branch has received 39 ex-
amples of the early HAP variant
and 14 newer models in the more
capable HAD standard, with 17
more to be delivered in 2017.
Paris will shortly begin on an
enhancement programme that
will from 2017 see 36 of the early-
production Tigers raised to the
HAD configuration, offering more
powerful engines and enhanced
offensive capability through the
integration of Lockheed Martin
AGM-114 Hellfire air-to-surface/
anti-tank missiles and 68mm or
70mm rockets. This will give the
service an eventual 67-strong
fleet in the enhanced standard.

G

ulf Air used the opening day

of the Bahrain International

Air Show to confirm its future

fleet mix, updating its widebody

and narrowbody plans with

Boeing and Airbus, respectively.

In back-to-back announce-

ments on 21 January, the Bah-

raini flag carrier converted an

order for 16 787-8 Dreamliners to

the -9 variant. The revised Boeing

contract comprises 10 firm orders

and options on another six.

“The 787-9 will replace Gulf

Air’s current widebody fleet and

provide future network expan-

sion opportunities,” the compa-

ny says. Six Airbus A330-200s

are currently used to operate this

segment, and the same number of

-300s had previously been ex-

pected to replace them.

Deliveries of the extended-

range 787-9 should begin in April

2018, with the aircraft to have a

280-seat configuration, says

acting chief executive Maher

Salman Al Musallam.

Noting that the carrier ordered

the 787-8 in 2007-2008 – long

before it set its current ambitious

network expansion plan, he told

Flight International: “Demand

now is different. Gulf Air is look-

ing for something different.”

Airbus, meanwhile, will deliv-

er 17 A321neos and 12 A320neos

between June 2018 and 2023,

including 10 of the latter previ-

ously ordered by the carrier.

These will replace its 22

A320/321s, and offset its can-

celled A330-300s. At the show,

Airbus chief executive Fabrice

Brégier confirmed a net gain of 13

aircraft with the customer.

Gulf Air values its 787-9 and

A320/321neo orders at a com-

bined $7.6 billion, and says

engine selections will be revealed

as soon as February. ■

See Show Report next week

A

TR’s turnover rose 11% to

$2  billion last year, and the

European turboprop manufactur-

er almost doubled its firm orders.

The Toulouse-based joint ven-

ture took in 76 firm gross orders

versus 40 in 2014, but eight can-

cellations took the net order fig-

ure down to 68. Total options

declined from 120 to 81. Deliver-

ies increased by five aircraft to 88,

says the manufacturer, although

this was short of its 95-unit target.

Among its customers in 2015

were 12 new clients, taking the

number of current or confirmed

future operators to 200.

ATR chief executive Patrick de

Castelbajac says he is “satisfied”

with the results. “The year 2015

was good, although some cam-

paigns in Brazil did not happen.”

ATR’s backlog is 260 aircraft –

$6.6 billion at list prices – nearly

three years of production. ■

Additional reporting by Olivier

Bonnassies in Paris

Gulf Air confirms future fleet mix with pair of orders

contracts cRAIG hOyle mAnAmA

results

MIchAel GuBISch london

orders double

as ATR turnover

hits $2bn mark

rotorcraft dOMInIc PeRRy london

Paris seeks tiger consensus

mk3 upgrade for Airbus Helicopters attack type rests on agreeing common missile standard

This will be followed by a fur-

ther upgrade, principally to avi-

onics and communications sys-

tems but also adding laser-guided

rockets, taking it to the “Tiger

Mk2” configuration.

Maj Gen Olivier de la Motte,

commander of French army avia-

tion, says the budget for the Mk

work is allocated and the service

hopes to field the enhancements

in the 2018-2019 timeframe.

However, France is working

with other Tiger partner nations

• Australia, Germany and Spain


• to define the specification for a
  Mk3 variant. Key to this, says de
  la Motte, will be a common anti-
  tank missile for the type.
  At the IQPC Military Helicop-
  ter conference in London, de la
  Motte said the Mk3 upgrade had
  been delayed to 2023, to allow
  more time to reach agreement. ■

France intends to operate a

67-strong fleet of hAd variant

Anthony Pecchi/Airbus Helicopters