- Big times ahead for eVTOL air taxis—or not?
- What ever happened to ADS-B/In?
- Research on contrails yields some results
- DCA slots battle highlights dysfunctional status quo
- Ultra low-cost carriers keep growing
- News Notes
- Quotable Quotes
Big Times Ahead for eVTOL Air Taxis—Or Not?
Recent weeks have seen some major announcements about Urban Air Mobility (UAM)—otherwise known as electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) or flying cars. This month, Southwest Airlines signed a memorandum of understanding with Archer Aviation to develop plans for eVTOL air taxi routes in California, linked to the 14 airports Southwest serves in the Golden State. Archer Aviation is one of the furthest-along eVTOL startups, though it has not yet received FAA type-certification, let alone eVTOL flight certification. But that didn’t stop the public relations campaign. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s advisor, Dee Dee Myers, said the plan “would revolutionize clean transportation” and offer “affordable options” for travelers.
Archer said, “Southwest customers could someday complete door-to-door (air-taxi/Southwest) trips like Santa Monica to Napa (533miles) in less than three hours.”
The previous month saw proposed airline UrbanLink Air Mobility announce a partnership with Ferrovial Vertiports to develop sites for eVTOL vertiports in South Florida and other “key U.S markets.” UrbanLink has already committed to buy 20 Lilium Jet eVTOLs. Lilium itself announced a joint venture in France with UrbanV and Aeroports de la Cote d’Azur for an eVTOL network in the South of France. Lilium has yet to test-fly a prototype, let alone obtain EASA certification. It and Volocopter are still struggling to obtain grants or loans from the French and/or German governments before they run out of money.
Back in March, Wisk announced the start of construction of its Generation 6 eVTOL, the aircraft it will submit to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for certification once it is built and has accumulated a considerable amount of flight time. Boeing-owned Wisk’s plan to carry paying passengers in a non-piloted vehicle “is far more complex and difficult than those of its rivals, including [front-runners] Joby Aviation and Archer Aviation,” noted Garrett Reim in Aviation Week (Feb. 26-March 10, 2024)
In the background of these announcements, there is increasing skepticism among aviation and financial experts about the economic viability of eVTOL air taxis and the ease or difficulty of getting FAA certification for aircraft employing completely new configurations. In an Aviation Daily story June 24, Ben Goldstein noted that as leading eVTOL startups enter the certification process, “skepticism is growing about the near-term usefulness of the new vehicle class.” In an interview with Goldstein, Volt Aero chief technical officer Jean Botti said, “When you start to do something commercial, there’s no way you can do it with electric [propulsion] only, because the range will be too low. Are people really going to spend five or six million euros for an airplane that is going to carry [passengers] for 50 kilometers? I think this is a very bad business proposition.”
In a follow-up piece in Aviation Week (July 1-14), Goldstein, along with co-authors Garret Reim, Angus Batey, and Graham Warwick, discussed the FAA certification challenges facing eVTOL startups. Noting that Archer and Joby have begun the process (with both having already received Part 135 air carrier certificates—to operate only conventional aircraft), obtaining type-certification for their new eVTOLs and a Level C-approved flight simulator for pilot training pose significant costs and uncertain schedules. There are no eVTOL flight simulators currently on the market, but CAE is developing one.
Goldstein noted what he termed a “credibility crisis” for the eVTOL industry, citing drastic reductions in the share prices of those eVTOL startups that went public several years ago. Kevin Noertker, CEO of hybrid propulsion developer Ampaire told him, “It’s disappointing. I’ve talked to many people who were excited about eVTOL, and now they won’t touch aviation. My fear is that this heyday of funding and innovation, which the industry has seen over the last half-decade or so, could dry up if the industry plays its hand poorly.”
I continue to admire the creativity and daring of eVTOL developers, but I’m still waiting to see a business plan with plausible numbers of passengers and fares that would recover the capital and operating costs of the eVTOLs and provide some kind of return to the investors.
What Ever Happened to ADS-B/In?
In the early days of FAA’s NextGen modernization program, ADS-B was seen as a critically important tool to improve air traffic management. Two important modes would each bring significant benefits. ADS-B/Out would give controllers far more accurate nearly-real-time information on aircraft location, speed, altitude, etc., compared with radar, which led to the 2020 equipage mandate for all aircraft in the large majority of U.S. airspace to be equipped with new transponders that broadcast the aircraft’s ADS-B information every few seconds (hence, “ADS-B Out”). The other was supposed to be ADS-B/In, which would bring ADS-B data from other aircraft into the cockpit to enable more precise flying. But ADS-B/In was never implemented by FAA.
Way back in 2013, ACSS (a joint venture of L-3 and Thales) introduced an ADS-B/In product called SafeRoute, which offered four new cockpit features: interval management, in-trail procedures, cockpit display of traffic information, and surface area movement management. In May 2013, U.S. Airways was the first airline to receive FAA certification to use SafeRoute on its A-330s in trans-Atlantic service. ACSS and U.S. Airways worked closely with Eurocontrol and FAA to bring about this trial.
Alas, despite this promising program, the Department of Transportation (DOT) Inspector General office announced in 2014 that FAA would not be ready to include ADS-B/In as part of the 2020 ADS-B equipage mandate, as originally planned in NextGen. Nonetheless, Boeing announced that it would begin offering ADS-B/In capability on 787s produced starting in 2015. But that same year UPS, which had pioneered ADS-B/In on 757 and 767 flight decks, removed them because the Garmin equipment was obsolete, and FAA was not offering procedures that would rely on ADS-B/In.
Interestingly, in 2015, Aviation Week’s John Croft wrote “The business case for NextGen is largely dependent on airlines voluntarily equipping with ADS-B/In to take advantage of safety and fuel- and time-saving processes that include in-trail procedures, interval management, merging and spacing, and surface management.” (Aviation Week, April 13-26, 2015)
Three years later, American (having merged with U.S. Airways) announced that it would begin equipping all its A320 and A321 aircraft with the latest version of the ACSS SafeRoute system to enable ADS-B/In for those aircraft over a five-year period (representing one-third of the airline’s total fleet). The Aviation Week headline read, “American All-in on ADS-B/In.”
So I was not surprised to read an article in the March 11-24, 2024, issue of Aviation Week headlined, “FAA and American Demo Potential of ADS-B/In to Increase Safety.” The trials are already under way. One is demonstrating Interval Management (IM) for flights from Albuquerque to Phoenix Sky Harbor. The en-route controller at Albuquerque Center gives each participating aircraft’s cockpit crew an assigned spacing goal relative to a lead aircraft. The idea is to tighten up spacing in the approach queue to save fuel and maximize runway throughput. This trial is in its second year and will continue to near year-end.
The second AA trial is testing Cockpit-Display Assisted Separation (CAS-A) to enable visual-type separation on approaches to DFW Airport even when actual visibility is below that standard. The TRACON designates a lead aircraft and the in-trail crew use their SafeRoute system to maintain visual separation standards. This system also makes it easier for following aircraft to avoid wake turbulence from the aircraft ahead of them, since wake vortices generally descend and the following aircraft crew can be sure the plane they are following is still at a lower altitude. Both IM and CAS-A are voluntary, but American’s David Surridge says that IM request acceptance rates are at about 90%.
Although these trials still have months to go, and FAA will spend time analyzing the results, Aviation Week’s Sean Broderick reports that “American has seen enough to be convinced. Surridge says the carrier is considering equipping more of its narrowbodies with ADS-B/In and would embrace broader systemwide adoption.” So after many years of delays, ADS-B/In may finally be reaching broader airline and FAA acceptance.
Research on Contrails Yields Some Results
As I’ve reported previously, the research community is still not sure how much of aviation’s climate impact is due to contrails, as opposed to the emission of CO2 from conventional jet engine exhausts. A 2021 report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimated that clouds formed from aviation contrails account for about 35% of aviation’s climate impact—but that remains only an estimate. Fortunately, empirical research on the formation and impact of contrails is expanding.
One ongoing research effort is being led by Breakthrough Energy, launched by Microsoft founder Bill Gates. It has developed a tool aimed at helping airlines and others detect contrail-prone regions enabling the aircraft to deviate around them. That tool (called Reviate) is one to two years away from being deployable at even a limited scale, according to the company’s Marc Shapiro. Startup Satavia has several years of evaluating its flight plan analysis tool with more than dozen aircraft operators. Those trials have found that about 5% of flights account for 80% of contrails’ warming impact. They have also found, so far, that deviating around contrail-prone airspace used only 0.8% more fuel, a very encouraging result if sustained by a lot more trials. Another organization running trials is DLR, the German aerospace research center. One of its research projects estimated that the climate impact of contrails is about 17% of aviation’s climate impact, about half the IPCC estimate.
Two U.S. airlines that are active participants in contrail trials are American (AA) and Delta. American is working with Google Research and Breakthrough Energy. They ran 70 test flights using satellite imagery and artificial intelligence to identify contrail-forming airspace. Each flight went one way gathering data and recording (via a chase plane) contrail formation, followed by reversing the route using contrail avoidance deviations. While the results were considered effective, AA points out that the technology would need to be part of airlines’ overall flight management systems. Delta is working with MIT’s Aero & Astro Department, which is developing an algorithm to detect contrails in order to route around them.
Alternative fuels are also being tested in contrail-avoidance research projects. A European project called Emission and Climate Impact of Alternative Fuels (ECLIF3) conducted test flights using conventional jet fuel in both engines followed by the same route with 100% Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). The SAF test yielded 56% fewer ice crystals and 35% less soot emissions. DLR, part of the collaboration, estimated that 100% SAF would reduce the climate-warming impact of contrails by 26%.
Another alternative is hydrogen, either in fuel cells driving electric motors or as a combustion fuel. Airbus is assessing both via flight trials called Blue Condor. In parallel tests, Airbus is assessing the exhausts of a hydrogen combustion engine and the water emissions leaving a fuel cell at altitude. This relatively new research effort is expected to release its first results in 2025.
The conclusion I get from this overview is that flight testing on contrail formation and avoidance is still in early stages. The results thus far are promising, but it’s too soon to tell how much each of the potential solutions will reduce aviation’s carbon footprint—and at what magnitude of cost increases. To make sound policy decisions, we’ll need both rigorous findings on what is feasible, and what each feasible approach would cost.
Continuing DCA Slot Battle Highlights Dysfunctional Status Quo
By Marc Scribner
One of the most controversial provisions of the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 was increasing the number of takeoff and landing slots at Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA). DCA is one of the three Level 3 slot-controlled airports in the United States (the other two being New York’s JFK and LaGuardia), where FAA administers slot allocations. Known as Congress’s favorite airport due to its proximity to Capitol Hill, it is unsurprising that DCA slot allocations are highly politicized.
Supporters of additional DCA slots ultimately won out, against the wishes of the Maryland and Virginia congressional delegations. These opposing members were motivated more by a desire to protect nearby Dulles International Airport from competition than concern for air traffic efficiency. While the FAA reauthorization was enacted in May, the political fight over which airlines will receive the new slots continues. In the future, Congress should consider market-based alternative slot allocation mechanisms to better manage the most capacity-constrained airports and finally put an end to these provincial political disputes.
After months of acrimonious debate that pitted Dulles-centric United Airlines against Delta Air Lines and other carriers hoping for additional DCA slots, Congress approved the FAA Reauthorization Act of 2024 (Public Law 118-63) on May 16. The law included Section 502, which authorized 10 additional slot exemptions (five slot pairs or round trips), with eight being made available to “non-limited incumbent” airlines and two for “limited incumbent” carriers.
The term “limited incumbent carrier” is defined as an airline that already held fewer than 40 slots, excluding slot exemptions (49 U.S.C. § 41714(h)(5), 14 C.F.R. § 93.213(a)(5)). “Non-limited incumbent” airlines are those that already held more than 40 slots. Section 502 further specified that each eligible carrier is limited to two of the 10 additional slot exemptions. Note that in specifying that all additional slot exemptions should be allocated to limited or non-limited incumbent airlines, Congress excluded new carrier entrants from eligibility. This is despite ordering the Department of Transportation (DOT) to preference slot exemption applications that would “have a positive impact on the overall level of competition.”
DCA is peculiar because Congress has imposed a “perimeter rule” that generally prohibits flights to airports more than 1,250 miles away (49 U.S.C. § 49109). This restriction was meant to ease congestion while promoting the more distant D.C.-area Dulles airport. However, preferring direct flights to their home districts from their favorite airport, Congress has also enacted beyond-perimeter exemptions (49 U.S.C. § 41718(a)). Prior to the latest FAA reauthorization, these had numbered 24—or 12 daily beyond-perimeter roundtrips.
On June 24, the Department of Transportation opened the proceeding to allocate the 10 new slot exemptions. Based on its interpretation of the law, DOT determined seven airlines were qualified to apply for slot exemptions as either limited incumbent carriers (Alaska, Air Canada) or non-limited incumbent carriers (American, Delta, JetBlue, Southwest, United).
Despite not being deemed eligible by DOT, Frontier Airlines, which operates a daily beyond-perimeter round trip between DCA and Denver under slot exemptions, applied on July 8. Frontier argues that although it technically possessed zero slots owing to slot exemptions not counting toward that total, it still qualified as a limited incumbent carrier because neither the statute nor regulation defining the term set a minimum number of qualifying slots.
Frontier further argues that it is in fact the only limited incumbent carrier eligible to apply. Alaska Airlines is ineligible, according to Frontier, because of Alaska’s ongoing code sharing relationship with American Airlines. With respect to Air Canada, Frontier argues that Air Canada’s inability to provide domestic service under the longstanding federal cabotage prohibition renders it ineligible to provide the service between DCA and “domestic airports” as specified in Section 502 of the reauthorization act.
Spirit Airlines also applied for slot exemptions on June 26 despite DOT determining it is ineligible. Spirit argues that although it currently possesses zero slots, its past award qualifies it as a limited incumbent carrier. In 2003, Spirit won four slots in an FAA-administered lottery. In 2012, Spirit sold those slots to Southwest. But, Spirit argues, under federal regulations, Spirit should still be considered to be holding those slots on paper because they were held by Spirit after Dec. 16, 1985, and were subsequently “transferred to another party other than by trade for one or more slots at the same airport.”
Eight airlines ultimately applied for the 10 slot exemptions. In addition to their well-lawyered applications, carriers have launched third-party lobbying efforts. As of this writing, more than 22,000 public comments have been submitted to DOT’s docket. As this dog and pony show plays out, lawmakers should consider replacing the command-and-control slot allocation process with something less politicized.
Economists have long proposed more-efficient ways to allocate scarce airport capacity at the most congested U.S. airports. These alternatives vary but would generally require carriers to pay for access, in contrast to the status quo of unpriced historic slots that are allocated by agency fiat. Some have suggested slot auctions as a superior method of allocation. An even more market-oriented mechanism to mitigate congestion and promote airline competition would be to replace slots with runway congestion pricing, which was proposed in a 2007 Reason Foundation study by Robert Poole and Benjamin Dachis. Regardless, one need not wade through tens of thousands of public comments to recognize that something is seriously wrong with airport capacity management in the United States.
Ultra-Low-Cost-Carriers Keep Growing
When the Justice Department vetoed the merger between JetBlue and ultra-low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines, its rationale was that the merger would reduce no-frills, low-cost airline service. That was a very narrow view of what is, in fact, a rapidly growing competitive market.
As I’ve pointed out previously, several years before the proposed JetBlue/Spirit merger, two brand-new low-cost carriers entered the market, Avelo and Breeze. As of this summer, both have continually expanded. The smaller of the two, Avelo, now serves 49 airports with nonstop flights from its two hubs—New Haven (HVN) and Burbank (BUR). Incidentally, it has led to a rebirth of aging HVN, which had dwindled to no airline service before Avelo arrived. Avelo’s larger competitor is Breeze, which in its third year serves 56 airports in 29 states, with 170 nonstop routes. Breeze achieved its first monthly operating profit in March, followed by another in April. Thanks to its growth, Breeze is phasing out its smaller Embraer E-jets in favor of the Airbus A220-300, of which it already owns 23 but will have 32 in its fleet by year-end and plans 90 by the end of 2028. Breeze is also urging Airbus to develop a larger, longer-range version of that aircraft.
The traditional ultra-low-cost carriers (ULCCs) have had some ups and downs in recent years, but all continue to refine their business models in hopes of attracting more passengers and becoming more profitable. One evident trend (begun by Breeze) is to offer several classes of service, instead of solely no-frills cabins. For example, Frontier (which had also wanted to acquire Spirit) has figured out that with its proliferation of fees for amenities, some of its total prices were no longer low-cost. On May 17, it announced four fare categories: Business, Premium, Economy, and Basic. The change produced an immediate increase in booking volume and revenue per passenger. CEO Barry Biffle told investors in May that its cost advantage to the industry increased to 42%. And it has launched a number of new destinations that are starting out popular, such as San Juan, to be followed by other Caribbean destinations. JetBlue is responding to Frontier’s new San Juan service by adding six new routes from SJU.
Spirit is working on a turn-around effort, after the failure of its merger with JetBlue. Its post-merger recovery plan is now in phase 2, after a round of cost-cutting in phase 1. Ironically for the Justice Department worldview, Spirit’s recovery is being challenged by what Aviation Daily (May 7th) termed “a challenging competitive environment due to elevated capacity in many of its markets.” This is not a shrinking ULCC sector! And in the annual American Customer Satisfaction Index Travel Study, both Spirit and Frontier showed improvements, even though both remained in last place. ULCC Allegiant, finished in third place overall, ahead of Southwest and JetBlue.
One negative sign for Spirit is its having succumbed to what some call the Edifice Complex. It recently opened a huge four-building, 11-acre headquarters complex in the planned development Dania Pointe south of the Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. The $275 million campus includes a six-story central office building, an amenity building accessible from the central office building, a training facility including flight simulators, and corporate housing for up to 400 visiting workers. Spirit is the leading airline serving FLL, but this new headquarters campus must not sit well with investors in the money-losing airline ($184 million loss in 4th quarter 2023).
FAA Administrator Calls for Consensus on Funding
At a June 10 Politico event in Washington, D.C., FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker cited “a lack of certainty on funding,” and called for a consensus solution from the aviation industry. The global consensus that has emerged over the past 35 years is to pay for air traffic control via user fees based on ICAO charging principles. Since Airways New Zealand was separated from that country’s transport agency in 1987, more than 60 countries have adopted the model of self-supporting ANSPs outside the national government’s budget—essentially an ATC public utility model. Among developed countries, the United States is just about the last one that has not adopted that model. For details, see “Air Traffic Control as a Public Utility.”
Canada and Norway Pursuing Remote/Digital Towers
Kongsberg Geospatial last month announced an agreement with Nav Canada to provide “digital tower solutions” for the world’s second-largest (by traffic) ANSP. The initial facilities will be installed at Kingston Airport (in Ontario) and at a test facility in Ottawa, according to Nav Canada CEO Raymond Bohn. Separately, Kongsberg announced an agreement with Norwegian ANSP Avinor to add three more digital towers at small airports managed from Avinor’s digital tower center in Bodo, bringing its total to 14 airports managed from that location. The contract also calls for Kongsberg to expand and upgrade the Bodo center so that it can add seven additional small airports, planned to be in operation by 2027.
Perth to Become Second Qantas Hub in Australia
Perth Airport (PER) has reached an A$3 billion agreement with Qantas under which a new terminal and an additional runway will be added to the airport, as part of an A$5 billion investment program by the airport that includes car parking facilities, other transportation infrastructure, and an airport hotel. Qantas plans to revive popular nonstop routes from Perth to Auckland and Johannesburg, as well as launching ultra-long-haul routes to destinations such as Paris, Rome, and London.
Another Competitor for Space-Based Aircraft Surveillance
Thales, Spire Global, and joint venture ESSP representing seven European ANSPs last month announced plans for a global space-based aircraft surveillance service, in competition with pioneer provider Aireon. While making use of ADS-B, the planned system will also include a geolocation capability independent of GPS/GNSS satellites. The ANSPs comprising ESSP are Aena, DGAC/DSNA, DFS, ENAV, NATS, NAV-P, and Skyguide. The target date to begin operations is 2027.
Investors Submit Offer for 38% of London Heathrow Airport (LHR)
Aviation Daily reported (June 17) that infrastructure fund Ardian and the Saudi Public Investment Fund (PIF) have made an offer to largest shareholder Ferrovial, with Ardian to acquire 22.6% and PIF 15% of the company. Ferrovial would retain 5.25%. The transaction values LHR at around £9.5 billion. Ferrovial has been the largest shareholder since 2006. Other shareholders include Qatar Investment Authority, CDPQ, Singapore’s GIC, China Investment Corporation, and the UK Universities Superannuation Scheme.
U.S. Airfares Are at Historic Lows
Data from the U.S. DOT show that domestic airfares in May were 9% lower than the previous year, and that inflation-adjusted airfares are 19% lower than pre-pandemic fares in May 2019. Since airline deregulation in 1978, inflation-adjusted airfares are nearly 50% lower than pre-1978 fares. Prior to deregulation, only a minority of the population traveled by air. Today, nearly 90% of Americans have flown, half before their 16th birthday.
Adani to Invest $21 Billion in Indian Airports
One of India’s largest firms, Adani Enterprises, plans to invest $21 billion in its airport business in the country over the next decade, according to The Economic Times. Adani Airport Holdings operates airports in Ahmedabad, Guwahati, Jaipur, Lucknow, Mumbai, and Thiruvananthapuram. This division of Adani Enterprises is likely to go public by 2028, according to CFO Jugeshinder Singh. Air travel in India is expanding rapidly.
Dutch Supreme Court Vetoes Schiphol Flight Curbs
On July 12, the Supreme Court of the Netherlands ruled that Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport cannot impose limits on flights unilaterally. Any such change must follow the European Union’s “balanced procedure,” which involves specific steps and trade-offs. The airport’s rationale for its flight limits was to reduce noise impacts near the airport.
CLEAR Progress at Airports
As of late June, CLEAR announced that it offers TSA PreCheck enrollment at 27 U.S. airports. All have been implemented since April, when TSA approved the company as an authorized enrollment provider. Among those airports are LAX, DEN, DTW, SJC, and SJU. A full list is on the CLEAR website. Also late in June, the California legislator who wanted to ban CLEAR’s airport-based identity validation service withdrew his bill prior to the scheduled debate on it.
New Hope for Third Heathrow Runway
Although London Heathrow Airport CEO Thomas Woldbye recently estimated that the airport’s long-planned third runway is more than a decade away, the UK’s incoming Treasury chief offered a more-positive view. Shortly after the Labour Party won a landslide victory, Rachel Reeves stated that, “I have nothing against expanding airport capacity. I want Heathrow to be that European hub for travel.” CEO Woldbye told Aviation Daily (July 8) that he wants to have a “holistic” discussion with the new government about the role of aviation.
Autonomous eVTOLs in Houston?
Startup company Wisk Aero has announced an agreement with Hobby Airport to locate a vertiport there to be served by its 6th-generation autonomous eVTOL. That announcement followed an earlier one with Houston suburb Sugar Land. Over the next year, Wisk and Houston Airports aim to develop plans for routes and vertiports in the Houston metro area. When the autonomous craft will receive its FAA certifications is unclear.
Guatemala Considering Public-Private Partnership (P3) for Largest Airport
Infralogic (June 24) reported that the government is planning to launch a bidding process for a P3 to manage and improve the La Aurora International Airport in Guatemala City. The airport is currently managed and operated by the government’s civil aviation authority. Airport P3s are widespread in Latin America, as documented in Reason Foundation’s 2024 Annual Privatization Report: Aviation.
Stake in Genoa Airport May Be Sold
Airporti di Roma (ADR) has received an offer to buy ADR’s 15% stake in Societa Aeroporti di Genova. As reported by Infralogic (June 27), the offer is from Mediterranean Shipping Company (MSC). The Genoa airport is 60% owned by the local port authority, 25% by the Genoa Chamber of Commerce, and 15% by ADR. MSC has several port operations in the Genoa area.
Porter/Air Transat Joint Venture Approved
Airline competition in Canada was boosted in May when the Canadian Competition Bureau approved the deal. The JV will enable short-haul Porter Airlines to feed traffic to long-distance/international Air Transat. The two have already coordinated such operations at Montreal International and Toronto Pearson airports. Air Transat’s international operations primarily serve Europe. To support the 10-year JV, Porter has exercised options for 25 more Embraer E195-E2s, with its fleet expected to grow to 74-75 aircraft by year-end, reported Aviation Daily (May 20).
Azerbaijan ANSP Expands Aireon Services
AZANS, the ANSP of Azerbaijan, signed up for Aireon’s space-based ADS-B flight tracking service in 2022. Its coverage area is the entire Baku Flight Information Region, of which 86,600 sq km is over land and 78,800 is over the Caspian Sea. Last month AZANS implemented two additional Aireon services: Aireon Locate search & rescue tool and the Aireon Safety Dashboard. It also signed an agreement to study the use of the AireonFLOW data stream, a joint effort of Aireon and Metron Aviation.
Japan’s Toyama Airport Plans 2025 P3 Concession
After receiving inputs from 25 private entities, the Toyama prefecture is developing plans for a competitive bidding process. While no schedule has yet been released, the prefecture aims to have the new operator selected by the first half of 2025. According to Infralogic (June 3), the prefecture is planning a 10 to 15-year P3 concession for the airport.
Five Potential Bidders for Turks & Caicos Islands Airport
The new Hamilton International Airport project is attracting significant interest in the planned 30-year P3 concession being offered by the government. Announced bidders include major players Ferrovial, Bouygues, Vinci, Manchester Airports, and GAP. The 30-year project calls for building and operating a replacement of the existing airport, at an estimated construction cost of $400 million. The airport will be designed to handle 2.5 million annual passengers.
Bids Due This Month for Queensland Airports Ltd. (QAL)
The owners of QAL have offered a 74% stake in the company, and those in the running as of last month include Global Infrastructure Partners, fund manager Dexus, KKR with Skip Capital, and Vinci Airports. QAL operates four regional airports: Gold Coast, Townsville, Mt. Isa, and Longreach. QAL is owned by The Infrastructure Fund, two public employee pension funds, and Perron Group. QAL announced last month that indicative bids will be due in late July.
Tajikistan ANSP Joins CANSO
During the 28th annual meeting of the Civil Air Navigation Services Organization (CANSO) Tajikaeronavigatsiya, the ANSP of Tajikistan, was welcomed as a new (full) member. Full membership is available only to ANSPs, while related aviation companies can join as associate members. As of earlier this year, CANSO had 82 full members.
NAS to Develop New Model for FAA Controller Staffing Needs
To assist FAA Administrator Mike Whitaker in addressing the “big hole we have to dig out of” for adequate controller staffing, the National Academy of Sciences has formed an expert committee to compare and evaluate alternative staffing models, examine an array of factors that contribute to current (inadequate) staffing levels, and assess staffing needs of the future ATC system. The committee will make recommendations to the FAA and Congress.
“Starship is already the most revolutionary rocket ever built. Because of a relentless focus on costs and cheap building materials, such as stainless steel, SpaceX can likely build and launch a fully expendable version of Starship for about $100 million. Most of that is in the booster, with its 33 engines. So once Super Heavy becomes reusable, you can probably cut manufacturing costs down to about $30 million per launch. This means that, within a year or so, SpaceX will have a rocket that costs about $30 million and lifts 100 to 150 metric tons to low-Earth orbit. . . . NASA’s Space Launch System, for example, can lift up to 95 tons to low-Earth orbit. That’s nearly as much as Starship, But it costs $2.2 billion per launch, plus additional ground system fees. So it’s almost a factor of 100 times more expensive for less throw weight. Also, the SLS rocket can fly once per year at most.”
—Eric Berger, “After Thursday’s Flight, Starship Is Already the Most Revolutionary Rocket Ever Built,” Ars Technica. March 15, 2024
“At the AIAA ‘Aviation’ gathering in Las Vegas end of July we’ll be presenting our Certification Task Force conclusions with a report that goes into detail on eVTOL certification. Many of [the startups] think they can go to the FAA with their wondertoy, say ‘Looks good, flies great, lasts a long time’ and get their Type Certificate. The FAA just points to the regulations and says, ‘We can’t help you,’ (because that’s a very true statement). What they hear, however, is ‘Bring us another rock.’ I’ve actually been told of an FAA person getting frustrated and demanding that a startup go away and return when they’ve learned certification. Which I’d never seen in 40+ years of cert work. . . . There is a big shake-out coming, the costs and complexity of FAA type and production certification, will be a major driver . . . and just plain dumb designs or plain old stiff competition.”
—Mike Borfitz, Kilroy Aviation, email to Robert Poole, July 6, 2024 (used with permission)