Aviation Week & Space Technology - January 15, 2015

Guy Norris Orlando, Florida

Close to the Finish

GE’s Passport business jet engine

due to enter service next year

Russian Federation and services to
Russia’s Far East from Moscow and
St. Petersburg.
In addition, Transaero says it is
implementing “proactive measures to
attract additional customers.” These
will include freezing the price of do-
mestic tickets at 2014 levels and elimi-
nating the fuel surcharge on interna-
tional tickets purchased through the
carrier’s website or at its of ces and
travel agents’ of ces abroad.
Its commitment not to increase
fares on domestic services until the
end of the year and to decrease fares
on monopoly domestic routes by 5-7%
appears to be part of the rescue deal
with the government.
On Dec. 25, Transaero received a
three-year, 9 billion ruble state guar-
antee for loans by government-backed
VTB Bank.
The airline asserts this government
guarantee will help the carrier to “suc-
cessfully overcome the dif culties of
this stage caused by external factors.
Transaero Airlines has been devel-
oping, operating and overcoming the
challenging times along with its coun-
try for 23 years.”
Although the airline was able to in-
crease its passenger numbers by about
4.8% last year, it is unlikely to return to
a double-digit growth rate soon. The
Russian economy is widely expected
to slide into its first recession since
the global fi nancial crisis of 2008-09.
The World Bank is forecasting that
real GDP will contract by 0.7% in 2015
based on an average oil price of $78 per
barrel, but the Russian central bank
fears that the economy may shrink
4.7% if oil averages $60 a barrel. Brent
crude, the international benchmark,
dropped below $50 in January. c

G

eneral Electric’s Passport en-

gine is entering the fi nal phases

of certifi cation for Bombardier’s

Global 7000/8000 long-range business

aircraft, the fi rst versions of which are

set to enter service next year.

The 16,500-lb.-thrust powerplant

is being readied for upcoming water-

ingestion testing and a fi nal fan-blade-

out evaluation. On Dec. 30, the engine

also began fl ight tests on GE Aviation’s

Boeing 747-100 fl ying testbed at Vic-

torville, California. GE adds that the

Passport also recently completed hail

and bird-ingestion certifi cation tests

and, earlier in 2014, underwent ice-

ingestion tests at GE’s icing facility in

Winnipeg, Manitoba.

As part of testing for high-alti-

tude operations in its business-jet

role, the engine has also undergone

ground testing in an altitude cham-

ber at Evendale, Ohio, which dem-

onstrated engine performance and

operability from sea level to 51,000 ft.

Although GE declines to comment,

the fi rst engines for fl ight testing on

Bombardier’s Global 7000 prototype

are expected to be delivered in the

coming months to support the air-

craft’s planned first flight later this

year. Production engines will also

likely begin shipping by year-end,

with initial Global 7000 deliveries

beginning in 2016 and Global 8000s

following in 2017.

Since fi rst running in 2013, the Pass-

port engine program has accumulated

more than 750 hr. and 300 cycles of

testing. GE adds that prior to service

entry, the engine will have accumu-

lated the equivalent of 10 years of fl y-

ing for an average Bombardier Global

7000 or Global 8000 aircraft operator,

with more than 4,000 hr. and 8,000 cy-

cles. Testing also includes evaluation

of the integrated propulsion system

from Nexcelle, a joint venture between

GE and Safran. This con-

fi guration includes a slim-

line nacelle with clam-shell

cowl opening to reduce

weight and drag. c

GE’s Passport engine

for the Bombardier

Global 7000/8000

is fl ying on a

747-100 testbed.

GE AVIATION PHOTOS

Transaero will reduce passenger
capacity early this year after
recognizing that it is “excessive for
a low season.”

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