Flight International — 22 August — 4 September 2017

THIS WEEK

fiightglobal.com 22 August-4 September 2017 | Flight International | 7

US special forces

are snared by

LASSO concept

This Week P

B

oeing should continue to
adapt the 737 Max product
range to help recover parity with
Airbus in the single-aisle market,
Irish lessor and major customer
Avolon says in a newly published
report.
A reactive product strategy
forced Boeing to launch an incom-
plete 737 Max narrowbody family
in 2011 in response to the market
success of the re-engined A320n-
eo, according to a 10 August
“product assessment” of Boeing’s
single-aisle line by Avolon.
After later launching a 200-seat
version of the 737 Max 8 – the
Max 200 – redesigning the Max 7
and launching the Max 10 to com-
plement the slow-selling Max 9,
the family may still not be com-
plete, the lessor argues.
Avolon released the assessment
as a “thought leadership” initia-
tive, but has a clear financial inter-
est in the future of the programme:
it lists commitments for 145 737
Max aircraft, although Boeing’s or-
ders and deliveries data shows
that only 22 are firm orders.

As a general rule, lessors seek to

dissuade aircraft manufacturers

from launching too many variants

within an aircraft family, despite

the needs of some airlines for spe-

cific performance criteria.

Despite that preference, Avolon

applauds the unveiling in June of

the 737 Max 10, saying the 1.67m

(5.5ft)-stretched derivative of the

Max 9 “strengthens” the family as

a “seat-cost machine”. The lessor

is similarly appreciative of the

baseline Max 8 in the heart of the

market for keeping a cash operat-

ing cost advantage over the

A320neo.

However, Avolon voices its dis-

appointment with the perfor-

mance and design of the other

three variants, and believes Boe-

ing should review its strategies on

these. The Max 200, it says, has

gained only three customers, in-

cluding launch operator Ryanair;

the redesigned Max 7 has failed to

compete on a parity basis with the

A319neo; while the Max 10 “se-

verely” impacts the value proposi-

tion of the smaller Max 9. ■

T

he Royal Australian Air Force
(RAAF) has taken the latest
step towards introducing its new
fleet of Pilatus PC-21 basic train-
ers, with its first six of the Swiss-
built turboprops having been
fielded at its East Sale air base
in Victoria.
A total of 49 PC-21s will even-
tually be handed over to the
RAAF, with Flight Fleets Analyzer
showing it as having accepted 10
of these to date. The first student
pilots are scheduled to begin fly-
ing the type – which will replace a
30-year-old fleet of PC-9/As – in
early 2019.

“The new pilot training system

is a significant leap forward, and

will train more of our people fast-

er, and to a higher standard,” says

defence minister Marise Payne.

Up to 165 trainee pilots will

use the updated facilities at East

Sale each year, with 42 of the PC-

21s to be based there. To be ready

by September 2018, the training

school will have seven simula-

tors and related equipment.

Lockheed Martin Australia is

prime contractor for the Depart-

ment of Defence’s Project Air

5428 acquisition, supported by

Hawker Pacific and Pilatus. ■

T

our operator TUI Group has

confirmed its involvement in

talks relating to Air Berlin’s insol-

vency proceedings.

Referencing discussions be-

tween Air Berlin, Lufthansa

Group and the German govern-

ment to find “an overall solution

for the future of Air Berlin”, TUI

says it “will continue to play a

constructive role in this process”.

The government said on 15 Au-

gust that “negotiations between

Air Berlin and Lufthansa and an-

other airline about the acquisition

of business units are far advanced,

so that over the next weeks a deci-

sion can be finalised”.

Earlier this year, TUI was in-

volved in separate discussions

with Air Berlin and its shareholder

Etihad Airways about starting a

leisure joint venture based on the

German carrier’s Austrian subsidi-

ary Niki and TUIfly. But the par-

ties confirmed in June that the pro-

ject had been abandoned.

However, TUI noted that the

idea of establishing “a strong Euro-

pean leisure airline continues to

make great strategic sense”. ■

See News Focus P

Report highlights “very limited future” for next variant of single-aisle

BillyPix

Swiss-built turboprop will be used to teach up to 165 pilots annually

Commonwealth of Australia

INSOLVENCY

MICHAEL GUBISCH LONDON

TUI confirms its

involvement in

Air Berlin sell-off

PROGRAMME STEPHEN TRIMBLE WASHINGTON DC

Avolon argues Boeing should

keep tweaking Max models

Irish lessor believes narrowbody line needs further adaption to better compete with Neo

DELIVERIES CRAIG HOYLE LONDON

First PC-21s arrive at Australian training facility