Aviation Update

Airbus Helicopters Responsible for the Crash of a German Tiger Helicopter

2018-12-12T01:06:00.003-08:00

Berlin - Faulty settings for the rotor controls have been named as the main cause of the crash of a German Bundeswehr Tiger gunship helicopter that killed both crew members. The helicopter crashed on July 27th 2017 during a combat sortie 50 miles north of the German base in Gao, Mali.

A German Bundeswehr Tiger in flight. Pic: Archive

The investigation by the flight safety bureau of the armed forces (General der Flugsicherheit der Bundeswehr) concludes that settings made by technicians of Airbus Helicopters prior the deployment of the machine are to blame for the loss of the Tiger. As a spokesman for the Ministry of Defense told AviationUpdate on Wednesday on the phone, the pilots had no chance in regaining control over the machine. The helicopter that flew in a two-ship-formation suddenly dived towards the ground without any obvious reason. After the crash the wreckage caught fire. Neither of the two officers aboard had a chance to escape.

The confidential report, which was apperently leaked to Reuters news agency on Tuesday also concludes that other causes like mechanical failure, lack of fuel, bird strike, pilot error or enemy fire could be ruled out. Airbus Helicopters did not respond to a press request from AviationUpdate on the matter.

After the accident the entire Tiger fleet remained grounded. Some commentators say, the crash contributed a great deal to Germany ending rotary wing deployments to the western African country.
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UPDATE 11.00

In a writen press statement Airbus Helicopters spokesman Gregor von Krusell regrets that "faulty settings to the rotor controls have been named as a contributing factor" for the crash of the gunship helicopter. He ensures that "measures have been taken to ensure something like this can not happen again." Due to the ongoing investigation, the statement did neither name any of the measures in particular, nor other consequences.
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pvk/AviationUpdate

Lufthansa Emergency Landing in Geneva

2018-10-13T02:37:00.000-07:00

Berlin - A Lufthansa regional jet has performed an emergency landing at Geneva (GVA) on Saturday morning after smoke and smell emerged in the cockpit. Canadair CRJ-900 under the flight number LH2382 was travelling from Munich (MUC) when the flight deck crew noticed a smell that was "electrical and burning", as a spokeswomen for the airline described to AviationUpdate in an Email.

D-ACNM is the aircraft involved in the incident. Pic: Airfleets.com

The flight got priority landing rights at Geneva, halting several other flights including a scheduled Trans-Atlantic service from Newark. One EasyJet flight from the Corsican capital Ajaccio needed to be diverted to Lyon, France as the runway needed to be closed down at GVA. Fire and Rescue teams were scrambled to the runway. After rolling out, the airliner was evacuated standing on the active. However, none of the 38 passengers or crew were reported injured. Some media reports suggest that individual passengers seeked out medical advise at the airport.

Sources identify the jet involved as Lufthansa Cityine's (Lufthansa Regional) D-ACNM. It is a Canadair Regional Jet CRJ-900 MSN 15253 and was previously owned by Eurowings until Feb 2017 when it came to Lufthansa. Coming into service in 2010 the aircraft has seen eight years of short-haul service and is based in Munich. The cause of the incident is yet unknown, while aircraft remains in Geneva. A return flight to Munich LH2383 was cancelled and passengers rebooked to the midday flight LH2385 leaving Geneva at 13:05.
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AviationUpdate/pvk

SUN Air expands in German Regional Market

2018-10-11T14:04:00.000-07:00

Berlin - The Danish regional Airline SUN Air expands further into the German regional market. Commending in January 2019 the British Airways affiliate will connect Germany's second largest city Hamburg (HAM) with Friedrichshafen (FDH), as a Hamburg Airport press release revealed on Wednesday. Maiden flight is announced for January 14th 2019. One round trip flight will be offered in the morning and in the evening respectively on weekdays. Sundays a single evening round trip will be flown.

The Dornier Do-328 JET regional airliners transport up to 32 passengers and need around 80 minutes to connect Northern Europes biggest harbour with the region around Lake Constance. Besides a flourishing industry on the German side the connection is also interesting for travellers to Austria, Switzerland and tiny Liechtenstein - all situated around or near the large body of water. The connection had somewhat unlucky history. Several carriers, including Cirrus Air, Air Berlin, Intersky and Vienna's People Line were trying to establish and maintain the service between the cities.

If the Danish jets in British Airways livery will finally make it profitable remains to be seen.
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AviationUpdate/pvk

Airbus H225M Super Cougar clocks 100.000 Hours

2018-10-04T07:18:00.001-07:00

Berlin - The heavy multipurpose helicopterAirbus H225M Super Cougar (Caracal) has passed the 100.000 flight hours mark in active service. As Airbus revealed in a press release Thursday, 88 machines in active service throughout the world had contributed to the achievement. Since the first H225M had been delivered to the French Air Force in 2006, the choppers saw deployment in Libanon, Afghanistan and throughout Africa.

Two H225M of the Royal Thai Navy. Pic: Airbus Helicopters

Others users of the heavy multi purpose aircraft include the Brazilian and Thai Navies. Airbus Helicopters emphasised that the machine is working land- and ship-based. Besides transporting up to 28 troops the helicopters is used for a variety of missions, including Electronic Warfare, SAR and Anti-Submarine-Warfare. Meanwhile the Cougar community still grows. With Kazakhstan (20 orders), Singapore (16 orders) and Thailand (6 orders) the H225M will break the magic 100-machines-mark within the next 18 months.
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Ryanair axes German Bases after Strike

2018-10-02T02:33:00.003-07:00

Berlin - The Irish Low Cost Carrier Ryanair has announced the axing of its base at Bremen (BRE) and a partial withdrawal from Weeze (NRN) on Monday. The move of Europe's biggest budget airline comes after a series of strikes by pilots and cabin crews that hampered Ryanair operations throughout the summer, as the German daily Frankfurter Allgemeine (FAZ) reported Tuesday.

Ryanair leaves Bremen und partly Weeze. Pic: Ryanair PAO.

Bremen will be closed in November. With up to five jets and its own terminal in a former hangar building, BRE previously had been Ryanair's most important base in Northern Germany. The management of the Dublin-based company disclosed its plans to slim down its fleet at Weeze on Monday. In a letter to employees the airline said it intended to relocate at least two of five Boeing 737-800 airliners from the former airbase at the Dutch-German border that serves both the greater Dusseldorf area as well as the western Netherlands.

A pessspokesperson for Ryanair did not want to comment on the decision. Speaking to AviationUpdate on Tuesday on the phone the official did not even confirm the plans to relocate the aircraft. Meanwhile the trade union ver.di argues that the step would be an illegal consequence of industrial action taken by Ryanair employees at both bases earlier this year. Several times the cabin workers and flight deck crews went on strike this summer. They were citing poor payment, harsh work conditions and tightly written working contracts under Irish labour law as reasons for the stand-out.

German unions earlier have been trying to organise among Ryanair employees for years. Ver.di, Germany's service worker union, sees the axing of the bases a an illegal act of retaliation against strikes, a spokesman told AFP news agency. Ryanair on the other hand calls the industrial actions itself illegal.

AU/pvk

Dusseldorf (DUS) can Build Six new Ramp Positions

2018-06-08T06:38:00.000-07:00

Berlin - Dusseldorf International (DUS) is legally allowed to build six new parking positions on the western rim of the airfield, as the airport revealed in a press release on Friday. In a conclusive ruling the higher administration court (Oberverwaltungsgericht) declined the complaint of three neighbouring municipalities (Karst, Ratingen, Meerbusch) and a number of individuals. "We are glad to have the certainty of such a clear ruling backing our plans to expand our fast growing airport," the press release quoted DUS-spokesman Thomas Schnalke.

DUS Apron view. Pic: Archive pvk

Plans to extend the ramp positions to the west of the airfield were revealed by the state of Northrhein-Westfalia in a comprehensive land administration plan (Flächennutzungsplan) back in 2015. It was controversial ever since. Schnalke argued that the impact to nature and population had been carefully examined beforehand and were minimal. Dusseldorf airport had lost fourteen of its outer ramp positions on its eastern edge in recent years. Building works for the new western ramp are to commence throughout this summer and shall take four years to complete. No details about the costs were revealed at this time.

Airport officials argue that the missing capacities hinder growth and complicate operations on the already confined airfield space. DUS is currently Germany's third largest airport and handles annually 23.5 million passengers.

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Direct Flights between Bremen and Sylt

2018-05-23T03:48:00.000-07:00

Berlin - A new scheduled service will be taken up July 1st 2018, bridging the German North Sea waters of the Heligoland Bight between Bremen (BRE) and Westerland/Sylt (GWT). As a Bremen airport corporate press release revealed Wednesday, the flights of the start-up airline "yourways" will run on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. The small company is particularly targeting holidaymakers and upper class weekend guests. Sylt is a known resort island. Many well situated people own apartments or weekend houses on Germany's northernmost North Sea island.

Approaching Sylt Island. Pic: yourways Press Release

"In the current traffic situation Sylt is more than five hours away from Bremen", the press release quoted Tim Haferl, the airline's CEO. A flight time of just over an hour makes the trip attractive for weekends. Yourways uses a single engine turboprop Quest Kodiak with nine passenger seats on the route. The carrier is already flying to Sylt from Hamburg (HAM) and Wilhelmshaven (WVN). They revive flights over the Helgoland bay that have been abandoned after the regional carrier OLT went into decline and bankruptcy in 2011. Yourways is said to consider more services from Bremen, offering as well weekday connections later this year or in the coming season. Due to the small contingent of seats, tickets were announced for EUR 229.-
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AviationUpdate/pvk

Ukraine and Russia Quarrel over Antonov

2018-05-06T21:42:00.000-07:00

Berlin - Ukraine has filed a case against Russia at the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO). As several media outlets reported Saturday, the claim against the Russian air safety administration 'Rosaviazija' concerns C-Check and B-Check certificates issued for several passenger and especially cargo planes of various Antonov types, including the heavy lifter An-124 'Ruslan' [Condor] and the An-26 [Coke]. ICAO was unavailable for a comment on Monday. Howver a spokesperson for the United Nations body confirmed that the media reports were genuine, when speaking to Aviation Update over the phone from Montreal (Canada).

An Antonov An-124 loads a German helicopter at Leipzig (LEJ). Pic: pvk

After the Russian annexation of Crimea and the Donbass conflict Ukraine and Russia cut nearly all ties between one another. The two large neighboring countries were once both part of the soviet union. Hence the Antonov aircraft plant is located on the outskirts of Kiev, while Antonov airplanes are widely used in Russia as well. Russia has an estimated fleet of over 250 Antonov aircraft in service, including 36 An-124 heavy lifters that serve as well as strategic transport plane for NATO.

Moskow claimes that Antonov would have raised the prices for C-Checks and safety certificates enourmesly. Moreover, works on Russian machines would have had been delayed deliberately and considerably. These facts would have forced the civil aviation administration to act accordingly.No official was available to comment on the issue. The authority has given the right to perform the checks and issue the certificates to an affiliate company of the state-owned cargo airline Volga-Denypr. Amtes GmbH, which is based at Frankfurt, Germany is now controlling the heavy lifters and is allowed to issue the certificates without the manufactor having control over the process.

Ukraine claims this practice dangerous, while Russia assures the accuracy of the works carried out. This may have been another reason why to award the certification to a subsidary company in Germany, where technical standards are internationally deemed relatively high. Ukraine, on the other hand, is struggeling to keep its industry alive. While the connection to Russia is missing, it is yet on the other side far from becoming a full member of the European market.

Antonov needs the maintenance contracts to survive, since orders, developments and sales are limited to say the least. After Russia puled out of the An-70 heavy lifter and the An-148 passenger jet did not sell, the company is in a deep crisis.
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FEATURE: Boeing and Sikorsky Compete over German Heli-Tender

2018-05-01T06:45:00.001-07:00

Berlin - During ILA Berlin Air Show the two US-firms Boeing and Sikorsky have contended fiercely to present their respective solution for the German tender to procure a heavy utility helicopter for Luftwaffe (German Air Force). Both candidates - Boeing's CH-47F Chinook and the Sikorsky's CH-53K King Stallion had the opportunity to impress the public and military experts with extensive flying displays. In fact, both rotorcraft were part of the flying display on every of the five trade show days.

A current CH-53GS in life fire training at Oberlausitz.

The German Ministry of Defence (BMVg) plans to procure a heavy lift, multipurpose helicopter to replace the ageing fleet of Sikorsky CH-53G/GS/GE/GA helicopters that entered service with the Army Air Corps (Heeresfliegertruppe) in 1971. Today 66 airframes are retained by the Luftwaffe flying from Holzdorf and Laupheim AB respectively. Although two major mid-life-upgrades in the past two decades extended the service life of the air frames to 12.000 hours and brought an update to avionics, the old birds are to phasing out by 2030.

CH-53K by Sikorsky in flight at ILA.

Boeing's Chinook relies on a large number of users and has been in the market for years. German officers can see the performance of the aircraft with many allies around and as well with the US Army Air Corps Units based in southern Germany. Boeing emphasised in their public affairs effort that parts of the fuselage and even the avionics will be manufactured in Germany, to guarantee a regional footprint of the helicopter. Moreover the CH-47 is understood to be cheaper per unit.

Frank St. John of Lockheed Martin during an interview
with Aviation Update at ILA Berlin Air Show

Sikorsky's CH-53K is a completely new aircraft. The manufacturer advertises it as the "strongest helicopter in the world". It excels in extreme flight situations and in heavy lifting, including sling lift operations. Moreover, the CH-53K seems to fit better into the German requirements and counts on the fact that 45 years of operations with the predecessor has build a positive reputation for the model within the German armed forces. At the same time it is cheaper in life-cycle cost and more fuel efficient than the Chinook. Sikorsky, which is a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, has teamed up with the German Arms multi Rheinmetall to support assembly and after market affairs for the program.

Boeing CH-47F Chinook on static display at ILA.

Both companies took part in a fact finding day in late February. After the meeting with the German procurement office (BAAIN) it was clear that besides the two competitors there will not be any other firms in the bidding process. While Sikorsky tried to gain ground with an elaborate public affairs approach during ILA Berlin Air Show, Boeing landed a different scoop.

On Wednesday it was revealed that the digital SDAR radio by the German company Rhode&Schwartz will be integrated into the CH-47. Both corporations signed a memorandum of understanding on ILA. Rhode&Schwarz is the German national champion for encrypted communicati
ons and -as some argue - the most promising candidate for the coming comprehensive radio command system (MoTaKo). When being interviewed, Lockheed Martin's Vice President Frank St. John remained vague about communication solutions for the CH-53K: "You can be sure that Sikorsky and Lockheed Martin will accommodate all the costumer's needs for the King Stallion's communications system."

The final decision is expected later this year or in early 2019. Either way it will be not before 2023 that any of the new choppers is expected to be combat ready with the helicopter forces of Luftwaffe.
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Planes Damage Hamburg Houses on Approach

2018-04-27T06:41:00.002-07:00

Berlin - Passenger airliners have damaged local houses twice in just one week while approaching Hamburg airport (HAM). As local media outlets reported, the houses in the city district of Alsterdorf - southwest of the airport - suffered damage from vortices produced by passengers airliners.

The first such incident occurred on Monday evening, with a series of tiles falling off a family home shortly before nightfall. Residents reported hearing a loud engine noise before the tiles hit the sidewalk. No one was injured in the incident. Local police and an airport spokesperson confirmed the suspicion that an approaching aircraft was responsible for the damage.

Approaching Rwy 22 at Hamburg Airport. Pic: archive

On Thursday another house was affected by an approaching Boeing 777 of Emirates. The jet was inbound from Dubai when ripping a series of roof tiles from another home, just two streets away. A car was damaged but no people were harmed. An airpot spokesperson confirmed speaking to Aviation Update on the phone from Hamburg that the airport will compensate the house owners in question. She denied any irregularities in operations in connection with the incidents. Local media speculated that the more frequent traffic on runway 33 due to construction works on runway 05/22 could have been a contributing factor in the event.
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INTERVIEW: The German-French C-130J Program

2018-04-26T08:49:00.002-07:00

After considerable problems and delays with the Airbus A400M France and Germany decided to set up a joint transport squadron with Lockheed Martin C-130J Hercules planes, based in southern France. Some critics argue that the Hercules could have been procured instead of the A400M right away. On ILA 2018 Berlin Air Show Aviation Update spoke to Anthony (Toni) G. Frese. He is Vice President, Business Development Air Mobility & Maritime Missions. In the piece he shares his view on the C-130J, other programs and the Franco-German project.

The first French C-130J on Static Display at ILA18 in Berlin. Pic: AU/pvk

AviationUpdate: What are you doing better with the C-130J Hercules, that Airbus is unable to do with the A400M?

Anthony G. Frese: I am not to familiar with the A400M and the other programs. That is why I will stick a little with the C-130J. It has been in production for over 20 years now. We delivered more than 400 aircraft for 17 different costumers. During that period of time these logged over seven million flight hours. Hence it is a very proven platform. After all, it has evolved for over 60 years by now. We are quite confident that our plane is able to lead the way and live up to the its legacy for years to come.

Lame Bird? The Airbus A400M as well seen on ILA18.

AU: How is the J-model comparing to its C-130 predecessors?

Frese: The J-moel is a significant improvement. The whole avionics are digital. Two mission computers and the 5053 data bus that speaks to all components of the aircraft make it a powerful tool. It automates navigation and engineering. This is why we could move to a two person flight deck crew. We redesigned the propulsion system. With the Rolls-Royce AE 2100 D3 and the four six-blade propellers we gained 20% in fuel efficiency and 30% in operation support cost. This upgrade is about operation costs. It does as well a better job in any high and hot environment.

AU: What feedback do you have from deployment in combat?

Frese: We do not get all the feedback - depending on the costumer. But we know that it has an availability rate of roughly 90 per cent when deployed. This is outstanding.

AU: How is the joint German-French joint Air Transport program doing?

Frese: The French have already signed the contract to buy four C-130Js. We delivered the first one in December 2017 with the handover ceremony in January. This airplane is actually here on static display. The second aircraft is due for delivery in summer. Two more samples will be KC-130Js. That is the tactical air tanker version. Germany is as well very keen on buying both of these types. As we understand it, all of them will be based in France and jointly operated.

AU: About how many German aircraft are we talking here?

Frese: The German government is talking with their counterparts in the US in order to establish a foreign military sale case. They are busy with the paperwork since the official request has been established in November last year.

AU: What will be cost per unit, if the German side would go on a seize of four to six planes?

Frese: That has not been finalised yet. We are still in configuration details. Hence it is too early to tell. This is as well the case for avionics and radio configurations. Many things are still to be decided. However - the feedback we are getting from the French Armeé de l'Air is as well very positive, indeed. I talked to the crews yesterday. They are very happy with the C-130.

AU: When you look ahead - where the C-130J program will be 2025?

Frese: The C-130 keeps going. We see a giant international market for the airplane. Right now there are 450 aircraft placed on order. We have delivered over 400 already. There are over 700 legacy C-130 in service all over the world. Sone of them up to 40 years old. All of their operators are potential costumers for the C-130J. Most of them we see in the Middle East and Asia Pacific countries.
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SDAR Digital Radios for CH-47 Chinook

2018-04-25T08:31:00.000-07:00

Berlin - Rohde&Schwarz and Boeing announced a contract for the integration of the Software Defined Aviation Radio (SDAR) into the Boeing CH-47 Chinook heavy utility helicopter in Berlin on Wednesday. Both companies have confirmed at ILA 2018 - Berlin Air Show that they will integrate the latest solution of the German communications corporation into the chopper. The radios may be retrofitted into the 900 active CH-47 and will be available as an option for helicopters currently on order.

A Boeing CH-47 Chinook at ILA2018Berlin Air Show. Pic: pvk

No details were revealed; neither on the timeframe nor on the value of the contract. With the move, Boeing scores advantage over its competitor Sikorsky in the race for the lucrative contract with the Luftwaffe (German Air Force) to replace the ageing fleet of CH-53 Gs. Since Rhode&Schwarz is already the German national champion for encrypted communication, this decision could prove as a decisive advantage over the Sikorsky CH-53K King Stallion that is more expensive, flies in lower numbers and has not yet presented a comprehensive communications concept.
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Brimstone Missile for German Eurofighter Fleet

2018-04-25T06:06:00.001-07:00

Berlin - The German Eurofighter Typhoon is to get equipped with the MBDA Brimstone missile. As confirmed by MBDA Germany CEO Thomas Gottschild on the ILA18 Berlin Air Show, the Luftwaffe is the next Air Force to integrate the weapon into the portfolio of its Eurofighter EF200 Typhoon fleet.

Brimstone II Mock-Ups at Paris Air Show. Pic: MBDA Press Room.

Gottschalk did not give any details on how the contact will be developed. First trials are expected for 2019. Late 2017 Luftwaffe had introduces the GBU-48 laser guided ammunition as the first capable air to ground effector for its Typhoons. It is produced by MBDA's competitor Raytheon. While the EF2000 was originally designed as an air superiority fighter, it has taken over the front line bomber role in Luftwaffe and RAF. While the British are using the Brimstone for their Typhoons since 2012.
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EU Confirms Aviation Agreement over Western-Sahara

2018-04-20T07:51:00.000-07:00

Berlin / Brussels - The European Commission has confirmed that the aviation agreement with the kingdom of Morocco does apply for the disputed territory of Western - Sahara. In an answer to a parliamentary request the commission told MPs on Friday that the decision to include Western-Sahara in the aviation agreement would not be a judgement over the peace process, which is conducted by the United Nations in the region.

Low-Cost Carriers like Ryanair made it to Marrakesh thanks to the treaty. Pic: via airportspotters.com

The Euro-Mediterran Aviation Agreement is practically in use since 2006 and has never experienced any practical difficulties, the commission argues. After a long lasting ratification process in the member states and by the parliament, it was officially put in place on March 18th this year. The treaty makes it easier for airlines of EU member states and Morocco respectively to offer direct flights and market tickets to consumers and businesses. Although the impact of commercial aviation in Western Sahara is marginal, neither the EU nor Morocco wanted to exclude the disputed territory from the legislation.

After Spain decolonised Western Sahara in the late 1970s, a civil war broke out between the Maroccan administration and the movement "Polisario". Either one claims sovereignty over the former colony. While Morocco controls most of the coastline, the desert territories in the center and east of the country are held by the "Polisario" movement. A lengthy peace process and a UN peace keeping mission were yet unable to solve the issue to mutual satisfaction.
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New Trainers for Lufthansa Academy

2018-04-19T08:07:00.001-07:00

Berlin - Future pilots of Lufthansa airliners can look forward to train in new, light multi-engine aircraft at Rostock-Laage (RLG), northern Germany. As revealed in a press release on Monday the airline academy invests as much as ten million Euro in five Diamond DA-42 "Twin Star" trainers and two flight simulators. Future Lufthansa Group pilots spend their third training phase in Bremen (BRE) or Rostock-Laage after completing classroom lessons in Germany and basic flight training in the US. With the DA-42 the European Flight Academy (as Lufthansa's training division is officially named) make a stride forward from its ageing Piper PA-44 Seminole aircraft.

The new DA-42s on the ramp at RLG. Pic: EAT via Wilde&Partner

Every year roughly 500 pilot student complete the training to become an airliner pilot at Lufthansa or one of its subsidiaries, which include Austrian Airlines, Swiss, Brussels Airlines, Lufthansa City Line and Lufthansa Cargo. Rostock-Laage is a small commercial airport on the Baltic coast, which is co-operated with a fighter unit (Jagdgeschwader 74 'Steinhoff') of the Luftwaffe (German Air Force). With two 168 hp Diesel-engines, weather radar, anti-icing it offers a greatly approved performance compared to its predecessor. Moreover, the Diamond consumes 30 per cent less fuel than the old Piper, the press release revealed.
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Air Baltic grows to 3.5 Million Passengers

2018-04-16T03:36:00.002-07:00

Berlin - The Latvian flag carrier Air Baltic has published positive business numbers for 2017. As revealed in a corporate press release on Friday, the carrier transported last year plus 22per cent passengers - 3.5 million. Besides revenue (+22%) the rise in EBIT (+487%) and net income (+301%). is notable. The growth of the biggest Baltic carrier is as well visible in fleet seize and number of employees.

A CS-300 with Air Baltic Livery. Pic: Air Baltic PR Agency

"In the last year Air Baltic was number one in the Baltic states," says CEO Martin Gauss in the release, "our goal will be to keep the momentum and offer more connections between the Baltic states and the rest of the world." Air Baltic is the launch costomer for the Bombardier C-Series passenger airliner. The fuel efficient twin jet is believed to have contributed to the favourable results. Air Baltic plans to expand its Bombardier fleet with another 12 jets on order to phase out the airline's ageing Boeing 737. With a fleet of 30 airliners the Riga-based airline remarkably withstands the market pressure put on them from budget carriers. Riga, Vilnius, Kaunas, Tallin and Palanga are all destinations for incoming budget carriers like WizzAir, Ryanair or EasyJet.
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German Military Helicopter Crashes into Tower

2018-04-12T05:29:00.000-07:00

Berlin - A Crash of a Luftwaffe (German Air Force) CH-53 G 'Stallion' medium utility helicopter with a building at Haßfurt-Schweinfurt airfield has left one airport worker (60) dead and caused heavy damage to the rotorcraft, other aircraft on the ramp and airport facilities. As media reported Wednesday, the incident occurred during a refilling stop. The machine was identified as 84+26.
The Inspector General of the German Armed Forces, General Volker Wieker, confirmed the incident in a letter to the defence committee of the German parliament (Bundestag) on Thursday.

The crash-site after the accident. Pic: via dpa.

The helicopter of Hubschraubergeschwader 64 (Helicopter Wing 64) flew in from the Weapons and Utility Depot (WTD 61) in Manchning near Munich. Nothing is known so far about the destination or the purpose of the flight. However, on its way it the chopper needed to stop for fuel on the civilian airfield.

"We do not yet know, why the collision happened," a spokesperson for the district attorney's office in Bamberg told AviationUpdate on the phone. During taxi to the filling station the helicopter got close to the control tower. Its rotor blades crashed into the building, resulting in debris and rubble flying through the air. Some of the rubble hit an airport ground worker to the head. The 60-year-old man sustained severe injuries and died later that day in a local hospital in Würzburg. Crew and pilots of the helicopter were not physically harmed but received psychological assistance, as a Luftwaffe spokeswomen told AviationUpdate on the phone.

A joint investigation of the military aviation safety authority and the local DA is underway. It is the second crash of a Sirkorski CH-53 Stallion in a week. On April 5th a US Marine Corps CH-53E 'Super Stallion' helicopter crashed near El Centro, California, killing all four crew members aboard.
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Frankfurt and Munich hit by Strikes

2018-04-10T02:45:00.002-07:00

Berlin - Major German Airports were massively disrupted by ground crew strikes on Tuesday. The service worker trade union ver.di called ground workers at the two biggest German hubs Frankfurt (FRA) and Munich (MUC) to take industrial action. The same applies to the regional hubs of Cologne (CGN) and Bremen (BRE). Media reports say that over 900 flights were cancelled and 90.000 passengers had to find alternative means of transport.

Protesters and Passengers at Frankfurt Airport. Pic: Dirk Havemann

While spokespersons of Bremen, Munich and Cologne airport confirmed mayor disruptions speaking to AviationUpdate on the phone, Frankfurt was reluctant to answer questions - citing heavy communication workload. A spokeswoman for the ver.di trade union confirmed on the phone that all personnel would be resuming their duties with the morning shift on Wednesday.

The strikes in the public sector have been going on for weeks now, with both parties yet unable to sit down for negotiations. Ver.di demands a pay rise of six per cent or at least 200.- EUR per month. Moreover the trade union demands the guarantee that young people who trained for a job as an apprentice will be taken over into a steady work contract. So far the employers did not even submit an offer for negotiation. Most affected by the strike are ground handling and security controls. While federal officers are by law not allowed to strike, only them have to keep open the remaining security checkpoints.

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SUN Air Expands on the German Market

2018-04-04T02:19:00.000-07:00

Berlin - The Danish BA-Subsidary SUN Air expands their German operations. By June 4th 2018 the carrier intends to commence flights between Dusseldorf (DUS) and Friedrichshafen (FRH) at Lake Constance. As both airports and the airline revealed in press releases Friday, there will be two around trip flights on weekdays. One in morning and one in the evening. Sundays a single evening service will be offered. Saturdays the airline does not schedule any flights on the route.

A SUN Air Do 328 JET. Pic: SUN Air via DUS Airport PAO.

SUN Air is a franchise partner of British Airways. Hence all flights between FDH and DUS will be operated with a BA - flight number. Bookings will as well be facilitated by British Airways and the Dornier Do-328 JET commuter aircraft will be painted in BA livery. With the new connection SUN Air expands further into the German market after already offering flights from Bremen (BRE) in northern Germany. It tries to establish itself in the niche of domestic German business travel in which (partly on the same route) already Cirrus Air, Air Berlin, Intersky and People's Viennaline failed to sustain profitable operations.

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Swiss A330 Circles five hours over Zurich

2018-03-31T23:19:00.000-07:00

Berlin - A Swiss A330-300 on its way from Zurich to Newark had to fly holding patterns for nearly five- hours over Swizerland and southern Germany, before performing a safety landing at ZRH in the middle of the night (2.18 am local time) on Saturday. Flight Swiss LX18 took off with considerable delay already, as Swiss media reported on Saturday. Shortly after take-off at 09.02 pm local time Friday, the flight deck crew noticed a malfunction in the starboard engine of the airliner - a Rolle-Royce Trent 772B-60. It remained unclear if the crew had to shut down the engine or of what nature the problems had been. The plane has no record of prior air emergencies and is in service sind 2002.

HB-JHH during take-off. Pic: Peter Leu via PlaneFinder

"There has been an irregularity with the left engine. Neither passengers, nor crew or the public were in danger at any given time", said a spokesman of the Swiss ATC provider Skyguide, speaking to AviationUpdate on the phone from Zurich. The Swiss airplane was directed into a holding pattern over Swizerland to burn fuel. Later patterns over the southern German states of Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria were assigned to the jet. There were no reports of panic or unruly passengers aboard the plane, despite of the extensive sightseeing flight.

Holding patterns of Flight LX18 on March 30th and 31st. Pic: via PlaneFinder

The Airbus A330-300 has no valve which would enable the machine to release fuel to the environment. Hence, the plane had to burn over 50 tons of kerosine before reaching a save landing wight of approx. 187 metric tons; compared to approx. 242 metric tons of maximum take-off weight. The aircraft in question was identified as HB-JHH (MSN 1145). A spokesperson of Swiss confirmed to a Swiss aviation blog that passengers were offered hotel rooms in Zurich to continue their journey the following day.

AU/pvk

Niki Lauda back in the Airline Business

2018-03-30T09:02:00.000-07:00

Wien / Düsseldorf - Former Austrian Formula One Champion Niki Lauder has returned to the aviation business. As a press releases by his new company and several airports reveal, his latest project "LaudaMotion" successfully commenced scheduled charter services from several Central European airports to holiday destinations around the Mediterran Sea. "Just in time for the travelling season Laudamotion begins flights from Dusseldorf to Palme de Mallorca, Ibiza and Malaga", writes spokeswomen Milden Platter in a press release, which was distributed by Dusseldorf airport (DUS).

A Laudamotion A320 takes off. Pic: via DUS PAO.

The press paper revealed that the small airline relies on a partnership with the Lufthansa subsidiary Condor. What services or personell Lufthansa's holiday flyer does provide for Laudamotion remains undisclosed. It is believed that technical support, ground handling and booking software could be fields of collaboration.

Niki Lauda (center) celebrating the first flight from DUS. Pic: Laudamotion PAO via DUS PAO.

Niki Lauda had build his own airline in the 1980s. He sold it to the back then growing Air Berlin. When the second biggest German carrier went into bankruptcy 2017, Lauda tried to get parts of his old company back and negotiated with the bankruptcy board of the failed corporation. This seemed not unlikely at this time, since "NIKI" was just an Air Berlin subsidiary and carried on scheduled and charter services, when the main airline was already grounded. It was not until early 2018 that small bits and pieces including a few aircraft could be taken over by Lauda.

Current inventory include five Airbus A320 and a single Airbus A321. If there will be more aircraft joining the fleet remains at this time unclear, as is the final structure of operation bases for 900-strong company. Interestingly the livery, logo and colours remind many commentators of the former Air Berlin design.

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AGEAN Orders 42 new Airbus 320neo

2018-03-29T11:00:00.002-07:00

Berlin - The Greek airline AGEAN has announced an order fo 42 Airbus A320neo jetliners. As published in a press release on Thursday, the investment will be worth some five billion Euro. This would be the biggest private investment in Greece, AGEAN's communication consulting firm claimed in the release. In the signed memorandum AGEAN orders 30 jets comprised of the smaller A320neo and the slightly larger A321neo variants. Additionally the contract has twelve more jets included as options.

An Artist's Impression of the future AGEAN A320neo. Pic: Airbus via. Wile&Partner

Already now the biggest Greek airline is relying solely on airbus jetliners in its fleet. Currently AGEAN flies 46 A320-family jets (38 A320, 8 A321, 1 A319). In addition 14 Dash 8-100, 10 Dash8-Q400 and 2 ATR 42 are operated in "Olympic" livery. The release said that the management looks for opportunities to reduce fuel consumption of the fleet and offer better services to passengers in the future. It remains still to be decided for which engine option the airline will opt. The decision wether Pratt & Whitney or CFM will get the contract is to be announced in June or July this year.

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Munich Reports Record Breaking 44,5 Million Passengers

2018-01-15T05:16:00.001-08:00

Oderberg (15.01.2018) - Munich Airport (MUC) has handled more than 44,5 million passengers in 2017. As the airport revealed in a press release on Monday, it retained its position as second biggest German airport to Frankfurt. The passenger numbers rose by 5.5 per cent compared to 2016. All other numbers including take-offs, landings and air cargo handling rose in a corridor from 2.1 to 8.6 per cent. The airpot's CEO Dr. Michael Kerkloh described the numbers in the release as "outstanding". "Regarding the current turbulence in the airline industry" the Franz-Josef-Strauss airport would have demonstrated its "importance".

Panorama View of MUC. Pic: Wikimedia Commons: Anaconda.

Since the smallest growth could be observed in flight movements, while passenger numbers grew considerably, it is safe to assume that there were as well more passengers per flight. Furthermore it seems remarkable that the numbers rose, while Frankfurt has seen a decline in passenger numbers and the bankruptcy of Air Berlin as well as the withdrawal of Transavia should have an effect on statistics. Despite of these effects the number of airlines rose by two and 102 destinations were on MUC's flight schedule.

Driving force behind the developments were intercontinental flights, the release claimed. Especially routes to the United States and the Gulf were growing at the airport which is at the same time the secondary hub for the German flag carrier Lufthansa. At the same time the airport management remained reluctant to open the field for budget airlines, pushing WizzAir, Ryanair oder EasyJet to Memmingen, Friedrichshafen oder Salzburg.

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FEATURE: Stress and Misunderstanding led to Iberia Collision

2018-01-13T08:00:00.000-08:00

Oderberg (Jan 12th 2018) - Failure to communicate appropriately and lack of concentration due to elevated stress of the flight deck crew led to the collision of an Iberia Airbus A320-216 with two de-icing vehicles at Munich Airport (MUC) on January 20th 2016.

Iberia A320 after the Collision at MUC. Pic: BFU Report.

The German Flight Safety Investigation Unit (BFU) published a comprehensive report that identifies shortcomings of the pilot and first officer of the airliner. In the crash, the plane (reg. EC-LVD) and the two de-icing vehicles were damaged respectively. Both de-icing operators were in imminent danger as their vehicles nearly fell. The men had to be rescued by emergency services from their cabins.

During taxi on that cold Wednesday (-14°C) the Iberia plane bound to Madrid (flight number IB3195) missed the correct taxiway to de-icing stand DA14. Low visibility and stress are named as contributing factors in the report. In preparation for de-icing the flight deck crew, instead of setting the parking brake and closing an outer valve, accidentally

The airliner moments before the incident. Pic: BFU report.

triggered the fire suppression system of their cargo hold. Consequently the de-icing crew was informed about the problem but did not understand that the aircraft will nee to go back to the terminal.

While the apron controller cleared the Iberia for taxi back to the gate, no one cared to inform the de-icing detail to stand down and move away. It seems that both pilots did not notice and have forgotten that both vehicles were still standing by at the wings of the Airbus. Consequently, when the crew tried two re-commence taxi, the plane crashed into the vehicles.

To avoid any future incidents the BFU recommends the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE International) to reform the document called: "Aircraft Ground De/Anti-Icing Communication Phraseology for Flight and Ground Crews (ARP6257TM)". It should include a clear procedure in case de-icing is being cancelled and the plane must return to the terminal. Moreover the report is convinced that neither the pilot nor the first officer had a look if their wings have been cleared before they re-commenced taxi.

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Links:

BFU:

Germany Plans to Procure Helicopter Drones

2018-01-12T03:39:00.000-08:00

Oderberg (Jan 12th 2018) - The German Government revealed plans to procure a yet unknown number of helicopter drones for the Federal Armed Forces (Bundeswehr). In answer 19/342 to a parliamentary inquest, the government confirmed Thursday in Berlin the plans to pursue two programmes. One for the Navy and one for the Army respectively. The leftist party (Die Linke) had inquired (inquiry nr 19/257)if and in what extend the government planned to procure such aerial vehicles.

S-100 is one candidate for the programme. Picture Credits:
By MilborneOne - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=4390358

The answer did not reveal how many systems shall be bought or when a formal RFP princess may be initiated. It did confirm, however, that in recent years (July 2015 - November 2017) the Elektroniksystem- und Logistik GmbH had produced a study which concerns itself with the military use of rotary wing UAVs in Bundeswehr. The study costed 1.52 million Euro the paper revealed. Helicopter drones could support regular helicopters by scouting landing zones or take over surveillance and light transport or liaison duties as the number of airworthy helicopters is a constant bother for German forces.

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