THIS WEEK
6 | Flight International | 30 June-6 July 2015 flightglobal.com
Read all the news and analysis from the
cutting edge of human space exploration:
flightglobal.com/spaceflightAIRBUS EYES HAMBURG FOR MORE A320 CAPACITY
PRODUCTION Hamburg’s Finkenwerder plant is the most likely site
for a new Airbus A320 final assembly line if the airframer opts to
raise monthly production rates beyond its commitment of 50. Airbus
chief executive Fabrice Brégier, speaking during the Paris air show,
said the company would take a decision on an increase this year, but
reiterated the need to ensure that its supply chain could cope. At
higher rates, the company “would need another [final assembly
line]”, he said, adding: “Probably we’d put it in Hamburg.”SLYUSAR TAKES ROLE ON AEROFLOT BOARD
APPOINTMENT United Aircraft Corporation (UAC) president Yuri
Slyusar has been appointed to the board of Russian flag-carrier
Aeroflot, and says he wants to “promote co-operation” between the
carrier and the manufacturer. Aeroflot has orders for UAC company
products including the Irkut MC-21 and Sukhoi Superjet 100.GHANA JOINS SUPER TUCANO CUSTOMER LIST
ORDER Ghana has signed a contract to acquire five Embraer A-
Super Tucano turboprops for “advanced training, border surveillance
and internal security missions”. Also including pilot training and lo-
gistics support, the sale was announced by Embraer on 19 June.KUWAIT WELCOMES 212-SEAT A330-
ARRIVAL Kuwait Airways has received its first Airbus A330-200,
with the aircraft configured with 17 first-class, 30 business-class and
165 economy seats. The airline will introduce another four of the
leased Rolls-Royce Trent 700-engined type as part of a fleet renewal.CROATIA GETS ACE OFFER FROM ISRAEL
FIGHTERS Israel is offering Croatia some of its Lockheed Martin
F-16A/Bs upgraded to the ACE configuration, as replacements for its
Mikoyan MiG-21 fighters. An Israel Aerospace Industries-led team
would provide Elta Systems EL/M-2032 fire control radars and new
cockpit equipment, and could also possibly add Rafael’s Python 5
air-to-air missile. The USA is offering Zagreb second-hand F-16s,
while Sweden is promoting refurbished Saab Gripen C/Ds.FIRST ARRIVAL FOR FLY BAGHDAD
DELIVERY Iraqi start-up operation Fly Baghdad has received its first
aircraft – a Bombardier CRJ200 bearing the registration YI-BAH. The
airline, which says it is “launching soon”, is also recruiting for cockpit
and maintenance crews for the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737-800.CANBERRA SEEKS MISSILES FOR GROWLER FLEET
REQUEST Australia has received approval from the US State
Department to purchase 14 Raytheon AGM-88B high-speed anti-
radiation missiles and 16 ATK AGM-88E advanced anti-radiation
guided missiles. Worth a potential $69 million, the request is likely
to be related to Canberra’s acquisition of 12 Boeing EA-18G Growler
electronic warfare aircraft, which have entered production.LAST A321 ARRIVES FOR THOMAS COOK
FLEET Thomas Cook has taken delivery of its last of nine Airbus
A321s from US operating lessor GE Capital Aviation Services. The
narrowbodies represent part of a fleet renewal and modernisation
programme that commenced with a first delivery in October 2014.
Flightglobal’s Ascend Fleets database shows the carrrier as having
54 aircraft, including 25 A321s.BRIEFING
F
light International won the
prestigious award for best in-
ternational publication at the an-
nual Aerospace Media Awards
event in Paris on the opening day
of the Le Bourget show.
Picking up the trophy from (left
to right) comedian and host Fred
MacAulay and Natalia Zelentsova
of sponsor Russian Helicopters
were publisher Stuart Burgess,
deputy editor Dominic Perry, aer-ospace reporter Michael Gubisch,
former editor and Flight Daily
News editor Murdo Morrison and
executive director content Max
Kingsley-Jones.
“Winning this award is a real
honour,” says editor Craig Hoyle,
“and a testament to the hard
work of the entire Flightglobal
team.” The Aerospace Media
Awards are held each year at
Paris and Farnborough. ■AWARDFlight scoops aviation accolade
V
irgin Galactic’s bid to enter
the rocket launching busi-
ness was boosted on 25 June with
its first contract for 39 flights of its
LauncherOne system, starting as
early as 2017.
The deal – including another
100 options – is with UK-based
OneWeb, which plans to orbit 900
Airbus Defence & Space-built mi-
crosatellites of less than 150kg
(331lb) each, to provide affordable
broadband internet to rural areas
around the world from 2019.
Most units will be launched by
Arianespace on 65 Soyuz flights
from Kourou, French Guiana and
Baikonur, Kazakhstan – with
each rocket capable of deploying
about 36 satellites.
The LauncherOne flights will
put one to three of the satellites
into low-Earth polar orbit, with a
focus on filling in any gaps in the
constellation.Soyuz flights will start in 2018,
and OneWeb also has taken op-
tions on flights on Ariane 6, the
European heavy-lifter being de-
veloped by Airbus and Safran to
replace Ariane 5 from 2020.
Virgin Galactic chief executive
George Whitesides tells Flight In-
ternational that rapid response is
the key to the OneWeb deal: “What
we’ll shine at is replenishment.”
OneWeb founder Greg Wyler, pre-
senting the venture in London,
said replacing a faulty satellite
within 24h could be crucial.
Whitesides says LauncherOne,
which is to be air-dropped from
the same WhiteKnightTwo
carrier aircraft that launches
Virgin Galactic’s suborbital
passenger craft, will test fly in 18
to 24 months.
Rockets will soon go into pro-
duction in a purpose-built factory
in Long Beach, California. ■SPACEFLIGHT DAN THISDELL LONDONVirgin Galactic is
boosted by deal
Launcher business nears lift-off with contract to loft Airbus
Defence & Space-built satellites for internet firm OneWebBillyPix