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This page contains recent news items related to the BAe 146, Avro RJ, and Avro RJX regional jetliners built by BAE Systems (formerly British Aerospace), in reverse chronological order. Items older than a month are moved to the archives.
Last updated: 1 May 2010
Aviation Capital Solutions buys five BAe 146
BAE Systems has sold five BAe 146-300s to UK-based Aviation Capital Solutions (ACS). ACS intends to use the 146s in the European air charter market and in Africa. The first 146, former Eurowings G-UKRC (msn E3158) was handed over on April 30. The other four will follow quickly, with the last arriving in June, including two more former Eurowings aircraft (G-UKAG msn E3162 and G-BSNR msn E3165) and two former Air Dolomiti examples (G-BTXN msn E3129 and G-BTZN msn E3149). The 146s will be maintained at Manston Airport, in Kent, by a related company, Avman Engineering.
[2010-04-30]
Cello Aviation took delivery of BAe 146-200 G-RAJJ (msn E2108 ex G-CFDH) and flew her to her new base at Birmingham International on April 28, following two days of check flights at Southend. Cello was established by UK-based Gill Group, initially under the name Altivo Jet Services. It acquired the 146 from BAE Systems last fall, and had her converted to a 46-seat executive shuttle configuration by Inflite at Southend. Cello hopes to fill a gap in the European air transport charter market by offering a luxury product rather than the ''commuter airline'' interiors arrangements that are typical in this size range. The 146 will now be used for route proving flights before departing for the EBACE show in Genève on May 2. [2010-04-30] |
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Damaged CityJet Avro RJ85 returns to service CityJet Avro RJ85 EI-RJF (msn E2337), who was damaged in a collision with a ground tug at Dublin in March 2009, has been repaired and returned to service. With CityJet reducing its flights because of the economic crisis, there was little need to rush her back to service, and so she languished in storage at Norwich for many months, occasionally donating parts to help keep her sisters aloft. She was ferried from Norwich to Paris Charles de Gaulle on April 28. [2010-04-28] |
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Cobham begins Avro RJ100 services Australia's Cobham Aviation Services placed its first Avro RJ100 into service on April 24. Configured with 99 seats, RJ100 VH-NJP (msn E3354 ex G-BZAW) will be used to carry oil exploration workers between Perth and Barrow Island, the base for Chevron Australia's offshore Gorgon project. Because of the sensitivity of the environment on Barrow Island, both the RJ100 and its passengers will be subjected to strict quarantine procedures. Particular attention is being devoted to ensuring that no invasive species reach the island. All passengers are brought in through sterile facilities where they are carefully inspected. The RJ100 will undergo about four hours of cleaning every day, and will be checked before every flight. It is interesting to note that this is the second time the registration VH-NJP has been used, and that the previous user was another British-built four-engined airliner, a de Havilland DH-104 Heron of Heron Airways. [2010-04-27] |
Extraordinarily unfortunate timing had the FAAM's BAe 146 in the hangar when Iceland's Eyjafjallajoekull volcano erupted on April 14, sending a plume of ash over Europe. BAe 146-301ARA G-LUXE (msn E3001) is one of only two aircraft with instrumentation that could have helped assess the concentration of ash in the air, and thus the danger it posed to aircraft. The other, a Dornier 228, was unable to reach the altitudes of most interest, where the bulk of air traffic is concentrated. However, G-LUXE had been undergoing blister bay modifications since April 1, work which was not scheduled to be completed before April 29. As a result, the Meteorological Office had to rely on theoretical models of ash spread in making the decision to close UK airspace -- a decision that was then followed by other European countries. FAAM scrambled to get G-LUXE back in the air, and was able to fly a first mission on April 20. The flight first took G-LUXE along a track up the western coast of the UK, over the Irish Sea and the west coast of Scotland. Multiple runs were made along this track, above and below the level of ash layer, using G-LUXE's LIDAR to measure ash density. After refuelling at Prestwick, a second series of measurements was made along a track down the eastern coast of the UK, over the North Sea. Additional missions were flown on April 21 and 22. Data from these missions demonstrated that the concentration of the ash plume was low, allowing flights to resume. [2010-04-25] |
Abu Dhabi's Amiri Flight has taken delivery of Avro RJ100 A6-AAB (msn E3387) in a VVIP configuration. The RJ100 was fitted out by Inflite Engineering Limited at London Stansted. She joins the Amiri Flight's RJ70, A6-LIW (msn E1267). [2010-04-19] |
NextJet to fly Avro RJ85
Swedish regional airline NextJet will launch services from Stockholm Bromma to London City in August, using an Avro RJ85. Hitherto the airline has concentrated on serving domestic destinations, mostly in northern Sweden, although it also flies to two international destinations. Although the source of the RJ85 was not disclosed, it could be one of the former Transwede examples which is currently being used by Malmö Aviation. The airline did indicate that it would fly the RJ85 itself, rather than wet-leasing. Services to London City should begin on August 16.
[2010-04-10]
East-West flight attendant wins toxic air lawsuit
A former flight attendant for East-West Airlines won compensation for illness which she alleges was caused by a toxic fumes incident on one of the airline's BAe 146s. East-West Airlines operated eight BAe 146-300s between 1990 and 1993, when it was merged into Ansett. On March 4, 1992, thick smoke filled the cabin of the BAe 146 during a flight from Sydney to Brisbane. Flight attendant Joanne Turner claims she developed breathing problems and a persistent cough as a result. In 2009, the New South Wales Dust Diseases Tribunal ruled that the airline could have foreseen the problem, caused by a cracked compressor carbon seal, and awarded Ms Turner A$139,000. On April 1, the New South Wales Court of Appeal upheld the judgement. As both East-West Airlines and Ansett have long been defunct, the award will be paid by their insurers. This is the first award ever for illnesses resulting from toxic fumes on an airliner. Unlike previous such cases, it focused on a single incident rather than on a pattern of repeated exposure over time. BAE Systems declined to comment on the specifics of the case, but noted that "a number of investigations into the BAe 146 cabin air supply have been carried out by independent scientists and government bodies including the UK Aircraft Accidents Investigation Board" and that "none of these investigations has produced evidence of any contaminant exceeding or even approaching currently recognised safety limits."
[2010-04-10]
Cobham Aviation Services operated its last service to Christmas Island and the Cocos (Keeling) Islands on March 31, passing the torch to Virgin Blue, who will use an Embraer 190. Cobham had been due to fly its last service on the route a year ago, on March 28, 2009, after which it was to have been taken over by SkyAirWorld. When SkyAirWorld suspended operations, however, the government asked Cobham to continue operating the route until a new tender could be made. Cobham did not bid on the contract in either tender, prefering to focus its efforts elsewhere. Cobham had usually used Avro RJ70 VH-NJT on the route, but as she had gone in for handback maintenance in early March, BAe 146-100 VH-NJR (msn E1152) flew the last service. [2010-04-02] |
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