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DAVID McINTOSH
z Ameco Beijing to Expand in Bizjet Completions
For VVIP service, Emirates Executive offers this Airbus Corporate Jet (ACJ) version of the A319. Airbus’s corporate jet division also touts the ACJ318 operated by Constellation Aviation Services, featuring a private office/bedroom with its own private bath.
Airbus displaying a pair of specialty ACJs here by Gregory Polek Airbus is highlighting two corporate jets, an ACJ318 and an ACJ319, in this year’s Dubai Airshow static display. Constellation Aviation Services operates the Airbus ACJ318, which features lounge areas at the front, plus a private office/bedroom with en-suite bathroom at the rear. Emirates Executive began offering VVIP charters earlier this year with the Airbus ACJ319, featuring private suites, lounge areas and a bathroom with a shower. “Airbus corporate jets have the widest and tallest cabin of
any business jet, without needing more ramp space, allowing customers to take more of their lifestyle with them when they travel,” said John Leahy, Airbus COO for customers. Airbus corporate jets historically have projected a strong presence in the Middle East, where both ACJ320 family airplanes and the larger, VVIP widebody category jets predominate. The Middle East ranks as the largest market for VVIP widebodies, and Airbus produced its first corporate jet in
the mid-1980s for a customer from this region. Today, Airbus offers a “Gala” cabin concept for widebodies such as the ACJ330/ ACJ340, which combines a VIP section with airliner-style seating to simplify and shorten outfitting. According to Airbus, its business jets’ ability to carry larger groups, such as extended families and government delegations, stand as particularly attractive features. Airbus also promotes the robust reliability that it attributes to the design’s airliner heritage and the ready availability of spares, support and training resulting from the airplanes’ widespread global presence. Airbus corporate jets fly on every continent, including Antarctica, and have won more than 170 sales. o
Ameco Beijing wants to increase its third-party workload for commercial aircraft maintenance and modifications and simultaneously expand into VIP and business jet completions, it announced here at the Dubai Air Show. This month, Ameco Beijing (Stand 2233) completed a modification on an Airbus for a Middle East carrier. The Ameco Air China-Lufthansa joint venture is at the show promoting its MRO services, especially airframe and engine overhaul. Thirdparty airframe overhaul revenues increased by an average 20 percent during the past five years. Between 2008 and 2012, the company expanded buildings, hangars and other infrastructure. Ameco Beijing offers its services on the entire Airbus and Boeing in-production aircraft, except the Boeing 787. In engines, it is approved for the Rolls-Royce RB211-535 E4 and the Pratt & Whitney PW4000-94. It opened a line maintenance outstation in Chengdu–the seventh in China–in September. Ameco is now striving to add luxury jet completion to its portfolio of capabilities. “We have our own designers, engineers and interior manufacture shop; it is no problem for us to get the
CAAC modification design approval; in addition, we are developing capabilities for EASA supplemental type certificates,” said head of VIP and business jet services Feng Bin. Ameco Beijing will first explore the Chinese completion market, while paying attention to the Middle East. For the latter market, Feng said, “we can expand our maintenance services to VIP and business jets to understand the demand of customers in this area.”
z A380 Door Training Device Made Here in UAE
Gulf Helicopters orders 15 AW189s AgustaWestland (Chalet P22) received an order for 15 of its new AW189 helicopters from Gulf Helicopters of Qatar here at the Dubai Airshow yesterday. The first two aircraft are due to be delivered in 2014 and all aircraft should achieve operational readiness in 2017. Gulf Helicopters is already an operator of AW139s. Mohamed Al Mohannadi, CEO of Gulf Helicopters, said, “The experience of operating, maintaining and managing the AW139 in the Middle East, Africa, South Asia and Europe over six years with 15 units in our fleets has helped [us] in taking the decision to purchase the AW189 eight-ton class.” He emphasised the longer range and “perfect size” of the AW189. First deliveries of the new type are due to begin later this year. Mohannadi is pictured with AgustaWestland CEO Daniele Romiti. Meanwhile another AW139 operator, Dubai Airwing, has ordered one AW189 for VIP transport, and the Dubai Police is to operate five AW169s for law enforcement, emergency medical services and as VIP transports. Both contracts were announced here at the Dubai Airshow yesterday. –I.S.
Being displayed here at the Dubai airshow is the first A380 door training device to be manufactured outside Europe. Constructed from advanced composites with carbon fiber reinforcement, the door trainer was built by Spatial Composite Solutions (Stand 2612) at its factory in Ras Al Khaimah, UAE. It was manufactured under license from Airbus. “We believe the A380 door trainer to be one of the most sophisticated Airbus training devices in the world, which was built in its entirety at our manufacturing facility here in the Emirates,” said Spatial CEO Joseph McKeever. “Downloading the design data from Airbus was a seamless operation, very straightforward and simple to control.” Advanced features of the door include visual simulation of fire, smoke and water hazards. Trainers are provided with an instructor’s operating station (IOS) that allows them to operate the system via a touch-screen computer or a portable tablet device. Spatial Composite Solutions manufactures advanced crew training equipment for the civil aviation industry, including full-scale replicas of Airbus and Boeing interiors for realistic cabin crew inflight safety and service training. The company boasts advanced 3-D design and engineering capabilities, with a five-axis CNC manufacturing capability that allows parts to be manufactured to aerospace tolerances. Among the company’s customers are Air Arabia, CAE, Emirates, Etihad, FlyDubai and Virgin America.
www.ainonline.com • November 19, 2013 • Dubai Airshow News 21