Airbus rolls out test A320 with sharklets installed

Airbus has rolled out its A320 test aircraft following the fitting of 'sharklet' wing-tips, which will be an option on new-build aircraft and standard on the re-engined A320neo.

The test aircraft, MSN1, will undergo flight-testing "in the coming weeks", said the airframer.
Sharklets, which replace the A320's wing fences, will reduce fuel-burn on the type by up to 3.5% on longer sectors of around 3,000nm (5,560km), Airbus claims.

The airframer also expects the sharklets - each of which is 2.5m (8.2ft) tall - to improve take-off performance by up to 3t.

This would provide the A320 with a higher available take-off weight from runways subject to obstacle limitations.

© Airbus

MSN1 will be used to assess the performance of the modification, while Airbus will begin building wings next year which are capable of supporting the new tip.

Installation of the sharklet requires inboard and outboard reinforcement to handle different loading, as well as changes to outer wing ribs to accommodate the structure.

Several carriers have already signed to take the sharklets, including Air New Zealand, Air Arabia, Finnair and LAN.

ANALYSIS: Boeing and Airbus maintain the narrowbody status quo

When Boeing bowed to the inevitable in July and abandoned plans for its New Single Aisle aircraft and instead opted to offer a re-engined version of its 737, there was always some doubt as to how the market would shape up.

Thanks in part to a successful Paris air show, by the time Boeing officially launched its 737 Max in August, Airbus had racked up 918 firm orders for its re-engined A320neo family.

And although Boeing's first identified customer for the CFM International Leap-1B-powered narrowbody was American Airlines with a substantial order for 100 of the type in July, at the same time the carrier ordered 130 A321neos, marking the defection of a previously loyal Boeing customer.

But since then Boeing's numbers have steadily risen, with the Seattle airframer noting at the Dubai air show earlier this month that it was now around the 700-orders mark. Two more customers - albeit that all orders for the 737 Max are conditional on validation of its performance - have since come to light in the shape of Indonesian carrier Lion Air, with a commitment for 201 of the type, and US lessor Aviation Capital Group which provisionally agreed to take 35 aircraft.

Meanwhile, Airbus has continued to pile on orders for the Neo, taking its firm total to 1,268 aircraft from 21 customers since its launch in December 2010. Notwithstanding the artificial boost caused by the spending frenzy at Le Bourget, the two rivals' orders are tracking at a broadly similar rate.

© Airbus © Airbus - Airbus A320NEO Garuda Indonesia Citilink

There is a sense, then, that it is very much business as usual in the narrowbody segment. "With Boeing deciding to re-engine, you could almost argue it maintains the status quo with the big two - both will have airframes which are known quantities, combined with the latest generation of engines," said Chris Seymour, head of market analysis at Flightglobal's Ascend consultancy division. "Yes, each will argue that their design is better than the other's, but neither has a 'step-change' difference that you would have seen if one had pursued an all-new design."

It's a view shared by Teal Group vice-president, analysis, Richard Aboulafia. He said: "I don't believe there are any obstacles to the continued 50/50 split of the market. It's a story about engines, not airframes anyway. The only thing that could change the situation is if the [Pratt & Whitney] GTF is significantly better than the [CFM] Leap-X."

Thanks to offering a choice of engines on the Neo - CFM's Leap-1A and the Pratt & Whitney PW1100G - Airbus is arguably better hedged in the event that one engine manufacturer achieves significantly better performance than the other.

"These are two very different approaches to engine design," said Aboulafia. "Either you have two very different designs that lead to the same result or someone has got a winner and the other guy may have to rethink - we just don't know. Pratt has a pretty compelling argument but you wouldn't bet against GE either."
But Seymour notes that the lack of an engine choice has not harmed sales of the 737NG. He said: "If the PW1100G turns out to be significantly better than the Leap-X, then that may be a positive for the Neo; however given the general short-haul nature of narrowbody operations, it is debatable how much advantage lower fuel burn really is in the overall cost equation."

Having no engine choice, he noted, is, however, positive from a values or remarketing perspective.

© Boeing

The other unanswered question is whether either airframer can make inroads into the other's customer base. Aside from the order from American, Airbus has had minor success so far with orders from Boeing operators SAS and Garuda - albeit that the aircraft are destined for parts of the carriers whose allegiance to Boeing has never been unswerving - but there is yet to be a major defection. There would need to be an utterly compelling financial reason for a stalwart 737 operator to switch to a GTF-powered A320neo because the costs to change fleets are so high. With the 737 Max yet to be fully defined, existing 737 customers are clearly waiting to see just how much commonality there is with the current airframe.

And while the focus is very much on orders for the re-engined models, Boeing and Airbus continue to increase the backlogs for their current generation narrowbodies, standing at 2,157 and 2,153 aircraft respectively, according to Flightglobal ACAS data.

ANALYSIS: American fleet plan unlikely to suffer in bankruptcy filing

Today's American Airlines bankruptcy protection filing comes just four months after its record-breaking $38.5 billion deal for 460 Airbus A320 family and Boeing 737 aircraft, an order which analysts do not expect to be affected by the restructuring.

These aircraft form the bulk of the Oneworld carrier's backlog, which according to Flightglobal's ACAS database comprises 284 firm orders. On top of this, the airline has commitments for orders, options and leases for more than 800 additional aircraft.

The July deal was American's first major single-aisle re-fleeting campaign for almost 15 years. At the time of the order Flightglobal's ACAS database put American's current average fleet age at 15 years, which is one of the oldest among the US major airlines.

American's current fleet comprises 610 jets. The bulk of these - 325 aircraft - are the ageing and fuel-thirsty Boeing MD-80s (203 units) and 757s (122 units) which are earmarked for rapid phase-out. Hence the airline's urgency to bring in fresh new metal.

American's firm orders include 141 737NGs and 13 777s, as well as 130 A321neos (engines yet to be selected) for delivery from 2017 (plus 280 options). It has also agreed to order up to 160 737 Max aircraft.

American Airlines backlog
Orders Commitments/leases Total Grand total   Firm Options*   Firm Options Firm Options   Airbus   A319/A321 CG** 0 0 130 85 130 85 215 A321neo 130 280 0 0 130 280 410 Airbus Total 130 280 130 85 260 365 625 Boeing   737NG 141 40 0 0 141 40 181 737 Max 0 0 100 60 100 60 160 777 13 29 0 0 13 29 42 787 0 0 42 58 42 58 100 Boeing total 154 69 142 118 296 187 483 GRAND TOTAL 284 349 272 203 556 552 1108
*Breakdown of options between A320neo variants n/a; Exact status of 737NG/777 options not confirmed        **A319/A321 current generation aircraft to be acquired indirectly via lease       Source: Flightglobal, ACAS and American Airlines

In the nearer term, American will take 130 A319/A321 current generation aircraft (or "classics") from 2013. The airline has said that these aircraft will be "fully financed through lease transactions" and as they are not coming directly from Airbus are therefore not included on the airframer's order book assigned to American.


"There is no doubt that American will go with the modernisation of its narrowbody fleet," said Massachusetts Institute of Technology airline analyst William Swelbar. "The question is, what size will American be when it emerges from bankruptcy protection? A lot of the aircraft earmarked for potential growth - those will have a question mark over them."

But he feels the plans to bring in replacement narrowbodies will not be affected.

"The restructuring will definitely speed up the shedding of the MD-80s," said Swelbar. "American desperately needs to get rid of the MD-80s. Anything that can be done will have a bottom line effect."

Although the split between the A320 classic types has not been revealed, American recently announced that it had chosen CFM International to power the A319s and International Aero Engines to power the A321s. It previously announced options for 85 additional A320 Classics.

The airline's commitment for 100 737 Max aircraft plus 60 options, for delivery from around 2017, is not due to be finalised until Boeing has completed the definition of the re-engined 737 variant and is ready to sign firm contracts.

"Given that both sides, but particularly Airbus, will be eager to work with [American's parent] AMR on financing, there's a very good chance that the orders survive," said Richard Aboulafia, vice-president analysis at Teal Group.

"Also, this move will probably be good in the long run for AMR, and it does need to re-fleet in the second half of the decade. The pace of this re-fleeting will depend on the finance environment at the time, but the money people will likely view restructured AMR as a pretty good bet."

A deal originally agreed with Boeing three years ago for up to 100 787s (42 orders and 58 purchase rights) for delivery from 2014 has remained in limbo awaiting the negotiation of a new labour agreement with pilots. The Chapter 11 filing should clear the way for new pay rates to be negotiated and enable the 787 deal to be firmed up.

"If you look at the history of pilot agreements over jet types, the results are pretty mixed, but the odds are good that an agreement will be reached," said Aboulafia. "It's clearly in both sides' interest to get those 787s."
Boeing said it will work with the airline following bankruptcy filing and expects the fleet roll-over will be central to American's re-organisation.

"So we expect these Boeing airplanes to be a part of it," it said. "When we entered into our recent agreements with American, we were confident that these assets at issue will be core to their operation in almost any scenario. We have no reason to doubt that today."

Boeing, union leaders strike deal on 737 Max assembly

Boeing and the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers have reached a landmark provisional deal 10 months ahead of the union's contract expiration to build the re-engined 737 Max in Renton, Washington, pending the adoption of a new four-year contract.

The sweeping deal comes after weeks of secret negotiations. The company's largest union, which went on a 58-day strike in September and October 2008, has started talks well ahead of the contract's September 2012 expiration.

The union leadership has recommended its members approve the new four-year contract, which includes a $5,000 ratification bonus, a 2% cost of living wage increase each of the four years on the contract, pensions for new hires, new health care plans and preservation of medical benefits for retirees.

"Boeing has assessed the business case for locating production of the 737 MAX in Renton in light of the economics of a proposed new labor agreement and the company is prepared to locate 737 MAX production in Renton provided the economics contained in that proposal are achieved," said Boeing.

The contract must be ratified by a vote of IAM union members on 7 December.

Boeing has conducted 737 final assembly operations in Renton, Washington, since the 1960s and the 737 Max is slated to enter service with a new CFM International Leap-1B engine starting in 2017.

The deal secures the current parts manufacturing and unionised shops in nearby Everett for wiring and interiors as well, as Boeing is accelerating its narrowbody production from 31.5 737s per month to 42 in the first half of 2014.

Further, once the contract is ratified, the IAM leadership will recommend to the Obama Administration that the US National Labor Relations Board complaint against Boeing's second 787 final assembly line in North Charleston, South Carolina be dropped citing a settlement of grievances between the company and the union.
The IAM and the NLRB had alleged Boeing selected Charleston for the second 787 line as a retaliatory move for the 2008 strike.

Aksara Jawa Segera Jadi "Font" Windows

Surabaya (ANTARA) - Pemerhati aksara dan bahasa Jawa, Ki Demang Sokowetan, menegaskan bahwa aksara Jawa akan segera menjadi "font" dalam program "windows" terbaru pada komputer buatan Microsoft.
"UNESCO telah membantu kami untuk mendaftarkan aksara Jawa masuk `font` komputer kepada Unicode," katanya kepada ANTARA di sela-sela Kongres Bahasa Jawa (KBJ) ke-5 di Surabaya, Kamis.

Di sela-sela KBJ-5 yang diikuti 600-an peserta di Surabaya (27-30/11) itu, ia bersyukur Unicode selaku lembaga resmi yang berwenang membuat standar kode pada sistem komputer di seluruh dunia, telah mengakui aksara Jawa masuk dalam "font" komputer.

"Sekarang, kami tinggal menunggu realisasinya dan Microsoft sudah berjanji akan memasukkan dalam windows versi terbaru. Kalau sekarang windows7, ya mungkin nanti windows8 atau versi terbaru sudah ada," ucapnya.

Menurut dia, UNESCO tertarik untuk membantu karena dunia menganggap aksara Jawa sudah perlu diselamatkan agar tidak punah, karena itu registrasi secara "font" diharapkan akan dapat menjamin hal itu.
"Saya belum tahu kapan dimulainya, karena hal itu tergantung Microsoft, tapi informasinya sekitar dua tahun lagi. Kalau Microsoft sudah, tentu Apple akan mengikuti," paparnya.

Sebagai pengembang piranti lunak, katanya, Microsoft dan Apple juga sangat berkepentingan dengan aksara Jawa, karena Indonesia merupakan pasar komputer yang dinamis.

"Bahkan, pengembang seluler juga sudah setahun lalu menghubungi saya, karena saya sudah menciptakan `software` Bahasa dan Aksara Jawa sebagai aplikasi Unicode yang sangat mudah dipelajari siapa saja," tukasnya.

Ia mengatakan siapapun yang menggunakan "software" miliknya akan dapat menulis Bahasa Jawa dengan tepat dan benar, asalkan dia bisa menggunakan program "Ms Word", karena tinggal aplikasi pada font "Ajisaka".
"Tapi, saya belum dapat memenuhi keinginan pengembang seluler itu secepatnya, karena saya masih menunggu aplikasi Microsoft dan juga peluncuran software itu," ujarnya, menjelaskan.

Hingga kini, katanya, banyak teman peneliti asing siap membantu peluncuran "software Jawa" itu di negaranya. "Saya masih berharap peluncuran software Jawa itu ya di Jawa, saya menunggu respons pihak berwenang dulu," katanya.

Airbus prepares first A350 for main structural tests

Airbus has detailed its A350 main structural test campaign as it prepares to assemble the initial static airframe at Toulouse, ahead of full-scale testing in 2012.

A350 chief engineer Gordon McConnell said the fatigue test aircraft will be divided between three stations. EF1 will handle the nose sections 11, 12 and 13, while EF2 will deal with central sections 15-21, and 22, including the belly fairing and wing box. EF3 will focus on empennage sections 16-19, with a stub vertical fin.
The fatigue structures will include dummy parts for the nose and main landing gear, horizontal stabiliser and tail cone.

Airbus's first A350 in final assembly will be a static aircraft. Static testing will comprise the ES structure - a full airframe, fuselage and wing box, to provide data for first flight clearance as well as limit and ultimate load tests. A separate structure, EW, focused on the left-hand wing box, will be used for wing damage tolerance testing not performed on the ES rig, using 42 loading jacks.

EF1 will undertake 3,000 simulated flights a week. The EF2 rig - located in Erding, Germany, with the EW rig - will demonstrate fatigue of metallic parts, with simulated flights covering three design service goals. The EF3 rig is in Hamburg.

McConnell said more than 50% of the structures tests are running or have been completed as the airframer bids to ensure components achieve a high level of maturity, to reduce the risk of a lengthy programme overrun - particularly given that entry into service has already slipped to 2014.

Two development simulators have logged 300h since May, while the major integration benches and "iron bird" system for hydraulics and electrics assessment are also running.

The "iron bird" will be coupled with the simulators to create "Aircraft Zero". Integration tests for the high-lift system and landing gear have also started.

Five test examples of the Honeywell auxiliary power unit have completed more than 1,160h of tests, including some 3,200 starts, and APU icing certification tests have been completed. There is "good confidence" in the APU, said McConnell.

McConnell said more than 140 flight and ground tests - about 100 with Airbus's development jets, such as the A380 and A340, and the rest with supplier test aircraft - have been, or will be, performed to gain "early exposure" of A350 systems to flight conditions, before the type's flight tests.
Aircraft MSN1 will be the first flying prototype, and MSN3 will be a similar aircraft, while MSN2 will have a cabin fitted.

Among the crucial components sent to the final assembly line is the Rolls-Royce Trent XWB powerplant, delivered on 16 September. The engine for the A350-900 is the first in the Trent family to pass endurance testing first time, said the manufacturer.

Rolls-Royce has eight prototype engines, which have logged 1,200h of ground tests, and is preparing to carry out the first Trent XWB flights using a single example attached to an A380.

During a 150h regime, the engine was subjected to 17h operating at maximum red-line speeds and 42h at maximum continuous rating.

Trent XWB programme director Chris Cholerton said that for the last third of the test the manufacturer increased the temperatures, running the engine - intended to deliver 84,000lb (370Kn) thrust for the twinjet - at 91,300lb.

During strip-down and inspection of the components, the company discovered barely any damage except for some impact on a rotating seal - an issue which was easy to resolve, said Cholerton.

Cholerton said Rolls-Royce had looked at "every disruptive event" in the Trent family to "check that none of the known existing service issues is present" in the XWB.

He added that the compressor had been "exceeding expectation" and the performance of the engine had allowed the manufacturer to simplify the design - such as replacing a set of rotating vanes with static ones.
Early performance results gave Rolls-Royce the leeway to raise the thrust capability of the engine to 97,000lb, an increase at the heart of the A350-1000 redesign, detailed earlier this year, which lifted the type's payload-range and maximum take-off weight.

McConnell revealed that other major changes to the -1000 had been considered, including a smaller vertical fin and a mini trailing-edge device for the flaps, but said these had been "dropped". However, other alterations have been adopted: the main landing-gear beam attachment had been "optimised" and the ram-air turbine moved slightly aft.

Redesign of the -1000 has not satisfied two of its four customers - Dubai-based Emirates and Doha-based Qatar Airways - but Airbus reiterated during the Dubai air show that it would not alter the design again.
"Our opinion on the -1000 remains the same. We are not happy," said Qatar chief Akbar Al Baker, who even suggested Airbus would rethink the configuration.

But Airbus chief operating officer for customers, John Leahy, dismissed the idea. "We clearly need to get a sales team to Doha to explain the aircraft," he said.

McConnell said: "We have a great aircraft that can fly anywhere in the world. We're not going to change it."

American Airlines files for bankruptcy protection

American Airlines has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection and announced that its president, Thomas Horton, has succeeded Gerard Arpey as chief executive.
The carrier today filed voluntary petitions for reorganisation with the Southern District of New York bankruptcy court, citing the move as being "in the best interest of the company and its stakeholders".
Horton said: "We have met our challenges head on, taking all possible action to secure our long-term position. In recent years, even as the airline industry faced unprecedented challenges, American strengthened our domestic and global network; fortified our alliances with the best partners around the world; launched a transformational fleet deal that will give American the youngest and most efficient fleet in the industry; and invested in our product, service and technology to build a world class customer experience.

Credit: Rex Features

"But as we have made clear with increasing urgency in recent weeks, we must address our cost structure, including labour costs, to enable us to capitalise on these foundational strengths and secure our future. Our very substantial cost disadvantage compared to our larger competitors, all of which restructured their costs and debt through Chapter 11, has become increasingly untenable given the accelerating impact of global economic uncertainty and resulting revenue instability, volatile and rising fuel prices, and intensifying competitive challenges."
Horton added that the carrier is committed to working "as quickly and efficiently as possible" to restructure the airline and emerge from bankruptcy protection.
American intends to carry out its operations as normal during its restructuring process, and will "maintain a strong presence in domestic and international markets, including our cornerstones in Dallas Fort Worth, Chicago, New York, Miami and Los Angeles", said Horton.

Credit: Rex Features

American will enter negotiations with its unions aimed at improving its cost structure.
The airline has $4.1 billion in unrestricted cash reserves and short-term investments, which it said will be "more than sufficient to assure that its vendors, suppliers and other business partners will be paid timely and in full for goods and services provided during the Chapter 11 process".

Mandala dan Pacific Royale diragukan bisa terbang tahun ini

JAKARTA. Dua maskapai penerbangan yang berencana mengudara pada pengujung akhir tahun ini yaitu Mandala Airlines dan Pacific Royale diragukan bisa melaksanakan targetnya. Pasalnya, hingga pertengahan November 2011 ini, mereka belum mengajukan izin terbang.

"Mereka belum mengajukan AOC (Air Operate Certificate / sertifikat operasi penerbangan). Mereka juga belum menyatakan sudah memiliki pesawat, untuk mengusulkan AOC harus memiliki pesawat dulu," kata Dirjen Perhubungan Udara Kemenhub, Herry Bakti S Gumay di Jakarta, pekan lalu.

Dia menjelaskan, kedua maskapai tersebut sebenarnya telah memiliki surat izin usaha penerbangan (SIUP). Mandala sebenarnya telah memiliki SIUP sejak bertahun-tahun silam, tetapi tidak terbang sejak 13 Januari lalu. Sedangkan Pacific Royale baru mendapatkan izin usaha pada awal bulan ini. Keduanya berencana terbang dalam waktu dekat ini.

"Kemungkinannya keduanya bisa terbang pada awal 2012 mendatang bila secepatnya mendatangkan pesawat dan mengusulkan AOC," jelasnya.

Mandala dan Pacific Royale akan mengusulkan AOC 121 atau penerbangan berjadwal dengan penumpang lebih dari 30 orang. Bila Mandala menyatakan bakal mengoperasikan sebanyak 10 unit pesawat Airbus A320, Pacific Royale akan mengoperasikan 10 pesawat yang terdiri dari lima unit Fokker 50 dan sisanya adalah Airbus A320.

Belanda, Denmark, Jerman dan Portugal Kumpul di Grup Neraka - Piala Euro 2012

Dari hasil pengundian (drawing) Piala Eropa 2012, Grup B disebut-sebut sebagai sebagai grup neraka. Di sana tergabung Belanda, Denmark, Jerman serta Portugal.  Grup A lepas dari kehadiran tim besar dan akan terjadi persaingan antara tuan rumah Polandia, Yunani, Rusia dan Republik Ceko. Sedangkan di Grup D Inggris akan bergabung bersama tuan rumah Ukraina, Swedia, dan Prancis.

Pelatih Inggris Fabio Capello berpendapat, Grup B menjadi tempat yang menyajikan persaingan keras. Mengingat banyak tim kuat Eropa tergabung di dalamnya. Bagi dia, grup A merupakan yang terbaik meski ia pun cukup puas skuatnya tergabung dalam grup D. “Ini grup yang tangguh, tapi lebih baik dari Grup B,” katanya seperti dikutip BBC Sport.

Inggris, menurut Capello,  tergabung di grup yang tidak mudah. Wayne Rooney dan kawan-kawan akan mengawali laga dengan bertemu Prancis. Les Blues, julukan Prancis, ia katakan, akan menjadi lawan yang  tangguh.

Apalagi skuat asuhan Laurent Blanc tak pernah takluk dari Inggris dalam lima pertemuan terakhir. Pertemuan kedua tim ini sekaligus mengulangi laga di Piala Eropa 2004 saat Prancis berhasil menaklukan Inggris 2-1 di Lisbon, Portugal.

Tantangan bukan hanya datang dari Prancis, Capello juga menganggap pertandingan melawan Ukraina akan menjadi ujian berat. Ukraina menjadi tim yang mencatatkan kekalahan pertama bagi Capello sejak menduduki pelatih tim Tiga Singa.

Selain itu, Ukraina juga mempunyai dukungan suporter lebih sebagai tim tuan rumah. Begitu juga laga terakhir saat melawan Swedia. “Pertandingan terakhir selalu menjadi yang terberat,” kata pelatih asal Italia itu.

Wings Air, Mandala, dan Royal Pacific Incar Terminal Tiga Bandara Soetta

TANGERANG -- Terminal 3 Bandara Internasional Soekarno Hatta akan melayani penerbangan internasional pada Kamis, (17/11) mulai pukul 00.00. Sebelumnya Terminal 3 hanya melayani penerbangan domestik.

Pemberlakuan tersebut berdasarkan surat persetujuan dari Direktorat Jendral Perhubungan Udara Nomor AU/12632/DBU2361/XI/2010 tertanggal 10 November 2011.

Corporate Secretary PT Angkasa Pura II (Persero) RP Hari Cahyono mengatakan, "Berbagai fasilitas telah kami siapkan," saat ditemui Kamis (17/11).

Fasilitas yang tersedia, antara lain area parkir umum, check in area, meeting point, area komersial, ruang tunggu, area kedatangan, tempat pengambilan bagasi dan peralatan keselamatan dan keamanan. Tak lupa sarana bagi pelayanan kepabeanan, keimigrasian dan kekarantinaan (fasilitas kesehatan penumpang dan karantina hewan dan tumbuhan.

Hari menambahkan, saat ini hanya Maskapai Penerbangan Air Asia yang siap melayani penumpangnya di Terminal 3. Air Asia akan melayani 18 penerbangan internasional dan delapan penerbangan domestik perhari.

Katanya, sudah tiga perusahaan penerbangan yang telah menyatakan keinginan untuk beroperasi di Terminal 3. Ketiga perusahaan tersebut adalah Wings Air, Mandala Airlines dan Royal Pacific.

Dengan berpindahnya penerbangan internasional Air Asia dari Terminal 2D ke Terminal 3, maka beban Terminal 2 berkurang. Hal itu diharapkan dapat lebih memberikan kenyaman kepada penumpang di terminal tersebut.

Terminal 3 mempunyai kapasitas empat juta penumpang dan tingkat okupansi sekitar 820 ribu penumpang pertahun. Sedangkan, rata-rata penerbangan internasional Air Asia sekitar 4.215 orang perhari. Para penumpang juga disediakan shuttle bus antarterminal yang beroperasi mulai pukul 04.00.

Pernyataan Presiden Obama Mengenai Perjanjian Komersial Antara Boeing dan Lion Air

PRESIDEN OBAMA:  Well, saya hanya ingin membuat sebuah pernyataan singkat. Ini adalah contoh luar biasa dari investasi perdagangan dan peluang komersial yang ada di kawasan Asia Pasifik.

Beberapa hari terakhir ini, saya telah berbicara tentang bagaimana memastikan kehadiran kami di wilayah ini, yang dapat langsung berkaitan dengan lapangan pekerjaan di negara kami. Dan apa yang kita lihat di sini - kesepakatan bernilai miliaran dolar antara Lion Air - salah satu yang maskapai penerbangan dengan pertumbuhan tercepat tidak hanya di wilayah ini, namun di dunia - dan Boeing akan menghasilkan lebih dari 100.000 pekerjaan di Amerika Serikat untuk jangka waktu panjang.

Ini merupakan kesepakatan bisnis terbesar, kalau saya tidak salah, yang pernah dibuat Boeing. Akan ada lebih dari 200 pesawat terbang yang akan dijual. Pemerintah AS dan Ex-Im Bank, pada khususnya, menjadi kunci dalam memfasilitasi kesepakatan ini. Saya juga ingin mengucapkan terima kasih kepada para pejabat pemerintah yang berupaya agar hal ini terwujud. Ini merupakan salah satu contoh bagaimana kami akan mencapai tujuan jangka panjang yang saya tetapkan, yaitu meningkatkan ekspor AS sebanyak dua kali lipat dalam beberapa tahun ke depan.

Pertama-pertama, saya mengucapkan selamat kepada Lion Air atas keberhasilan mereka yang luar biasa. Saya juga memberi selamat kepada Boeing yang telah membuat pesawat terbang hebat, termasuk yang saya tumpangi ini. (tertawa.) Ini merupakan contoh situasi menang-menang. Penumpang di kawasan ini akan memperoleh manfaat dari maskapai penerbangan yang baik. Selain itu, para pekerja kami di AS akan dapat memperoleh keamanan pekerjaan dan dapat menghasilkan produk yang bagus buatan Amerika.

Jadi selamat, saudara-saudara. Terima kasih banyak. (Tepuk tangan.)

Boeing Percepat Peningkatan Produksi Pesawat

CHICAGO - Boeing Co, produsen pesawat nomor dua dunia, akan mempercepat peningkatan produksi dua pesawat berbadan lebar miliknya. Langkah ini dilakukan agar Boeing bisa memenuhi pesanan yang telah masuk dalam dua tahun terakhir.

"Perbaikan pasar dan pendekatan manajemen konservatif atas produksi telah menempatkan kami pada posisi harus mempercepat meningkatkan produksi pesawat," kata chief executive officer (CEO) Boeing Jim Albaugh seperti dikutip dari Reuters, Sabtu (20/3/2010).

Boeing menjelaskan, produksi pesawat Boeing 777 akan ditingkatkan menjadi tujuh per bulan dari sebelumnya lima per bulan. Sebelumnya, Boeing berencana mempercepat produksi pesawat ini pada awal 2012 tapi dimajukan menjadi pertengahan 2010.

Produsen pesawat Amerika Serikat ini juga meningkatkan produksi Boeing 747 menjadi dua pesawat per bulan dari sebelumnya 1,5 pesawat per bulan. Pada perencanaan awal, percepatan produksi Boeing 747 akan dilakukan pada pertengahan 2013 tapi kemudian menjadi pertengahan 2012.

Percepatan peningkatan produksi akan berdampak pada laporan keuangan 2010. Boeing menyatakan tahun 2010 merupakan tahun pemulihan ekonomi global dan perseroan akan kembali mencatatkan laba pada 2011. Perbaikan kondisi industri penerbangan membuat rencana Boeing untuk memotong produksi Boeing 737 dibatalkan.

Industri penerbangan global terguncang akibat pelemahan ekonomi global yang dipicu oleh krisis. Permintaan perjalanan anjlok sehingga maskapai penerbangan membatalkan atau menunda pesanan pesawat.

Pekan lalu, Asosiasi Maskapai Penerbangan Internasional (IATA) mengestimasikan tahun 2009 industri penerbangan mengalami rugi hingga USD9,4 miliar. Namun, penerbangan telah pulih dari krisis seiring kembalinya penumpang dan kenaikan kemampuan belanja.

"Kita melihat outlook penerbangan komersial membaik. Permintaan sudah kembali. Kami melihat lalu-lintas meningkat,"  ujar Alex Hamilton, analis senior aerospace CK Cooper & Co.

Boeing, Ubah Haluan Antarbenua

PRANCIS - Perusahaan Boeing merancang pesawat penumpang versi terbaru Boeing 747-8 yang diperuntukkan antarbenua dari sebelumnya di Amerika.

Pendaratan yang mulus dari 747 di Paris Airshow yang dilakukan tiga bulan setelah penerbangan pertama menunjukkan keberhasilan pembuatan pesawat berbadan lebar tersebut di dalam industri pembuatan pesawat.

"Kami telah melihat banyak kepentingan dalam enam sampai delapan bulan lalu, pasar telah menjadi lebih baik," kata Wakil Presiden Pemasaran di Divisi Komersial Boeing, Tinseth, dikutip dari Reuters, Senin (20/6/2011).

Dijelaskannya, Boeing 747-8 tersebut nantinya akan memiliki 467 kursi, 51 kursi lebih banyak dari pendahulunya. Namun 525 kursi lebih sedikit daripada pesaing utamanya yaitu A380 dibuat oleh EADS Airbus Unit yang selanjutnya akan ditentukan oleh maskapai penerbangan.

Adapun 747-8 yang baru mempunyai warna merah dan oranye yang melambangkan pentingnya pemasaran yang tumbuh cepat di Asia. Pesawat ini terbang menuju Paris tanpa penumpang, melainkan diisi oleh komputer, peralatan uji serta tong air untuk mensimulasikan berat penumpang dan menguji keseimbangan.

Paris Air Show adalah tempat pilihan untuk kedirgantaraan dan perusahaan pertahanan, untuk menghibur penggemar penerbangan di seluruh dunia. Diketahui, Boeing 747-8 yang baru lebih dari 18 meter lebih panjang dari pendahulunya, dengan panjang ditambah terutama terlihat diperpanjang.

Sebagai informasi, jenis 747 pertama melakukan penerbangan perdananya 42 tahun yang lalu. Sejak itu, jumbo jet, dengan punuk yang khas, telah menjadi pesawat dunia yang paling dikenal.

Meskipun 747-8 dan A380 akan bersaing langsung untuk tahun-tahun mendatang, para analis mengatakan sebagian besar maskapai penerbangan tertarik dengan pesawat berbadan lebar di 200 - untuk 350 kursi jangkauan, seperti 787 dan Airbus A350 masa depan, yang dirancang untuk memotong hubungan ramai dan mengambil penumpang lebih dekat ke tujuan akhir mereka.

Beli Ratusan Boeing, Parkirnya di Mana?

Industri penerbangan harusnya satu kesatuan mulai infrastruktur, pesawat, hingga SDM.

Pengamat penerbangan Chappy Hakim menyesalkan pemborongan ratusan pesawat Boeing oleh Lion Air. Pasalnya Indonesia saat ini justru membutuhkan pesawat-pesawat kecil yang bisa dilalui antarpulau.

Dalam perbincangan dengan VIVAnews.com, Chappy mengatakan, sebagian besar bandara di Indonesia hanya bisa dilalui pesawat-pesawat perintis, bukan pesawat besar seperti Boeing 737 yang membutuhkan landasan 2.000 - 2.500 meter. "Bandara di Indonesia yang memiliki landasan sepanjang ini hanya 6-7 bandara saja," katanya.

Cappy mengatakan, pemborongan pesawat ini bukan salah Lion, melainkan pemerintah yang tak bisa berperan sebagai regulator penerbangan. Menurut dia, penerbangan seharusnya merupakan sistem terpadu, mulai dari infrastruktur seperti airport, jenis peswat, alat navigasi, Air Traffick Control (ATC), hingga pendidikan sumberdaya manusia.

"Karena itu, pemerintah tak bisa membiarkan swasta asal beli pesawat," katanya. "Kalau mereka beli terus, infrastrukturnya tidak ada, lalu pesawatnya mau diparkir di mana?"

Mengenai pengawasan ini, dia mengaku tak tahu lembaga apa yang yang seharusnya membuat cetak biru penerbangan nasional. Apakah Dewan Penerbangan dan Antariksa Nasional (Depanri), Lembaga Penerbangan dan Antariksa Nasional (Lapan), Badan Perencanaan Pembangunan Nasional (Bappenas), atau Kementerian Perhubungan. "Semua tak jelas," katanya. Sebelumnya, Lion Air secara mengejutkan membuat kesepakatan dengan Boeing untuk membeli 230 pesawat senilai Rp195 triliun. Pesawat itu terdiri atas 201 jenis 737 Max dan 29 next generation 737-900 ERs yang akan dikirim mulai 2017 hingga 2025.

Lion sendiri telah memesan pesawat Boeing sebanyak 178 pesawat sejak 2007-2017, sehingga total yang akan dimiliki Lion hingga 2025 sebanyak 408 pesawat Boeing.

 

Sosok di Balik Sukses Lion Air... Lion awalnya hanya memiliki satu unit Boeing 737-200.

Maskapai nasional Lion Air membuat lompatan besar dengan membeli 230 pesawat Boeing senilai Rp195 triliun. Pesawat-pesawat ini akan dikirim bertahap pada 2017-2025.

Transaksi ini merupakan terbesar setelah sebelumnya Lion memesan 178 Boeing 737-900ER yang diantar bertahap sejak 2007 hingga 2017.

Lion yang secara hukum berdiri pada Oktober 1999, dan beroperasi pada 30 Juni 2000, hanyalah maskapai penerbangan yang awalnya punya satu unit Boeing 737-200.

Namun, kini, Lion Air terus berkembang. Menurut Direktur Umum Lion Air Edward Sirait, Lion Air telah memiliki 92 armada pesawat, termasuk milik anak usahanya Wings Air. Jumlah pesawat ini akan terus bertambah seiring dengan datangnya pesawat pesanan dari Boieng. Pada 2005 mendatang, Lion akan memiliki 408 pesawat.

Sukses Lion Air ini tak bisa lepas dari sosok Rusdi Kirana, salah satu pemilik sekaligus presiden direktur Lion Air. Pria kelahiran 17 Agustus 1963 ini mampu menepis segala keraguan dengan menjadikan Lion Air sebagai salah satu armada besar saat ini.

Dalam sebuah wawancara, Rusdi mengaku saat mendirikan perusahaan hanya berbekal kepercayaan. Rusdi dan kakaknya, Kusnan Kirana, yang sukses mendirikan perusahaan penjualan tiket Lion Tours, hanya memiliki pengalaman menjual tiket. "Dari mana saya punya uang? Ini karena kepercayaan," katanya.

Rusdi mengambil pasar yang saat itu belum tergarap: penerbangan rendah biaya. Pada 1990-an, harga tiket pesawat sangat mahal, sehingga hanya orang-orang kaya saja yang bisa terbang. Namun, setelah ada Lion Air, zaman berubah. Harga pesawat tiket pun menjadi semakin terjangkau.

Maraknya penerbangan murah di Indonesia ini tak lepas dari Lion Air. Dengan slogan "We make people fly", Lion mampu menyedot banyak penumpang kelas bawah. Dengan sendirinya, Lion telah mematahkan anggapan maskapai rendah biaya sulit hidup di Indonesia.

Indonesia orders five Bell 412s

Indonesia has ordered five Bell 412 helicopters and has the option to buy two more.
The five aircraft will be delivered to PT Dirgantara Indonesia (PTDI) in Bandung by the end of 2011, Bell said in a statement. PTDI will "add local content and customer-specific mission equipment" before the aircraft are delivered to Indonesian government agencies.

"Bell Helicopter has had a long partnership with PTDI in Indonesia," said Larry D Roberts, senior vice president of Bell's commercial business. "The sale of these helicopters is part of the framework of an ongoing industrial collaboration between our two companies. We believe our partnership will continue to grow and possibly expand in the future."

In 2012, a series of engine and flight deck upgrades to the Bell 412EP are expected to become available, said Bell. The upgrades will expand the range of missions the helicopter can perform. The engine upgrade will be undertaken in partnership with Pratt & Whitney and yield 10-12% improved engine shaft horsepower, improve hot/high capability, and increase range and payload.

The flight deck upgrade will see the installation of a glass cockpit and provide commonality with Bell's other light twin and medium twin aircraft. Bell said this will simplify pilot training and maintenance.

Airbus: Obama Tekan Lion Air untuk Beli Boeing

Washington - Pabrik pesawat asal Eropa, Airbus, menuduh Gedung Putih memanaskan persaingan terbuka dengan membantu Boeing Co, produsen pesawat Amerika Serikat, dalam memenangi kontrak pembelian pesawat bersejarah kepada Indonesia senilai hampir US$ 22 miliar atau Rp 195 triliun.

Direktur Operasional Airbus John Leahy mengatakan lobi terhadap kesepakatan atas nama Presiden Barack Obama itu menunjukkan adanya standar ganda pada persaingan pasar bebas di tengah perdebatan yang sedang terjadi antara Washington dan Eropa mengenai subsidi pesawat.

Leahy mengatakan penjualan itu tak terjadi tanpa keterlibatan Obama secara pribadi. "Hanya ada satu negara adi daya di dunia. Kami tahu ini tidak mungkin Prancis; kemungkinan diwakili oleh Presiden Obama," kata John Leahy di Washington, Kamis waktu setempat atau Jumat, 2 Desember 2011.

"Presiden Direktur Lion Air Rusdi Kirana mengatakan kepada saya, dia tidak punya pilihan. Saya tak yakin dengan makna ‘tak punya pilihan’ itu,” ujar John Leahy. “Tampaknya ada sebuah interferensi politik yang menakutkan di sana. Saya kira Gedung Putih bangga akan hal tersebut.”

Kepada wartawan dalam konferensi lewat telepon, Leahy mengaku bahwa Rusdi Kirana dua kali datang ke kantor utama Airbus di Toulouse, Prancis, untuk mendiskusikan pembelian pesawat A320neo berbadan ramping. Leahy mengatakan Airbus akan memenangikesepakatan dengan Lion Air jika tidak ada intervensi politik.

Sumber yang terlibat langsung dalam perundingan itu membeberkan, pembicaraan antara Airbus dan Lion Air berkembang hingga mencapai kesepakatan sementara, yang dikenal sebagai nota kesepahaman. Meski tidak mengikat, biasanya nota kesepahaman ini merupakan sinyal terakhir sebelum terjadi pembelian.

Lion Air menolak berkomentar, tapi membantah tunduk pada tekanan. "Saya tidak ingin mengomentari masalah itu, tapi yang bisa saya katakan adalah kami melakukan pembelian murni secara komersial dan kami memiliki kebebasan dalam melakukannya," kata juru bicara Edward Sirait.

Pada 18 November lalu, Obama memuji penjualan 230 pesawat Boeing 737 MAX kepada Lion Air senilai US$ 21,7 miliar itu sebagai kesepakatan komersial terbesar dalam sejarah Boeing. Kesepakatan ini jauh lebih besar ketimbang pembelian yang dilakukan oleh Emirates Airlines sebanyak 50 unit Boeing 777-300 Extended Range.

Saat menghadiri penandatanganan pembelian Lion Air pada pertengahan November, Obama menyebut kesepakatan tersebut sebagai sebuah "win-win" bagi para pekerja Amerika dan konsumen di Asia. Ia mengatakan pemerintahnya dan Ex-Im Bank memainkan peran penting dalam memfasilitasi penjualan itu.