WorldMags.net WorldMags.net WorldMags.net WorldMags.net WorldMags.net WorldMags.net AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY Editor-In-Chief Joseph C. Anselmo Executive Editor James R. Asker Managing Editors Jen DiMascio, JensWorldMags.net Flottau, Graham Warwick Assistant Managing Editor Michael Stearns Associate Managing Editor Andrea Hollowell Art Director Lisa Caputo Director, Editorial and Online Production Michael O. Lavitt Director, Digital Content Strategy Rupa Haria DEFENSE, SPACE AND SECURITY Editors Jen DiMascio (Managing Editor), Jeferson Morris (Associate Managing Editor), Michael Bruno, Amy Butler, Michael Fabey, Sean Meade, Frank Morring, Jr., Bill Sweetman (Chief Editor, Defense Technology Edition) CIVIL AVIATION/MAINTENANCE, REPAIR AND OVERHAUL Editors Jens Flottau (Managing Editor), Madhu Unnikrishnan (Associate Managing Editor), Sean Broderick, Cathy Buyck, John Croft, William Garvey, Fred George, Rupa Haria, Molly McMillin, Guy Norris, Bradley Perrett, Jessica Salerno, Adrian Schofield, Brian Sumers, Lee Ann Shay (Chief Editor, MRO Edition) Chief Aircraft Evaluation Editor Fred George For individual e-mail addresses, telephone numbers and more, go to www.AviationWeek.com/editors EDITORIAL OFFICES 1166 Ave of Americas, New York, N.Y. 10036 Phone: +1 (212) 204-4200 BUREAUS AUCKLAND 53 Staincross St., Green Bay, Auckland 0604, New Zealand Phone: +64 (27) 578-7544 Bureau Chief Adrian Schofield BEIJING D-1601, A6 Jianguo Menwai Ave., Chaoyang, Beijing 100022, China Phone: +86 (186) 0002-4422 Bureau Chief Bradley Perrett BRUSSELS Rue de L’Aqueduc 134, 1050 Brussels, Belgium Phone: +32 (2) 648-7774 Bureau Chief Cathy Buyck CHICAGO 330 N. Wabash Ave., Suite 2300, Chicago, Ill. Phone: +1 (312) 840-8445 Bureau Chief Lee Ann Shay COLUMBIA, S.C. 1120 Bafn Road, Columbia, S.C. 29212 Phone: +1 (803) 727-0309 Managing Editor, AviationWeek.com Sean Meade FRANKFURT Am Muehlberg 39, 61348 Bad Homburg, Germany Phone: +69 (69) 2999-2718 Fax: +49 (6172) 671-9791 Bureau Chief Jens Flottau LONDON 50 Broadway London SW1H0RG, England Phone: +44 (207) 152-4521 Bureau Chief Tony Osborne LOS ANGELES 10 Whitewood Way, Irvine, Calif. 92612 Aviation Week’s Phone: +1 (949) 387-7253 Bureau Chief Guy Norris MOSCOW Fleet and MRO Box 127, Moscow, 119048, Russia Phone: +7 (495) 626-5356; Fax: +7 (495) 933-0297 Contributing Editor Maxim Pyadushkin Forecasts NEW DELHI Flat #223, Samachar Apartments, Mayur Vihar—Phase-1 (ext.), New Delhi 110091, India Phone: +91 (98) 1154-7145 Contributing Editor Jay Menon PARIS 40 rue Courcelles, 75008 Paris, France Phone: +33 (06) 72-27-05-49 Bureau Chief Amy Svitak Contributing Editor Pierre Sparaco [email protected] Accurately Plan & SAN FRANCISCO 271 Coleridge St. San Francisco, Calif. 94110 Strategize for the Future Phone: +1 (415) 314-9056 Bureau Chief Madhu Unnikrishnan WASHINGTON 1911 Fort Myer Drive, Suite 600 Find new business opportunities and get an in-depth Arlington, Va. 22209 Phone: +1 (703) 997-0333 understanding of what’s to come with these industry-leading Bureau Chief James R. Asker Administrator of Bureaus Kyla Clark strategic planning tools. WICHITA 1500 N. Willow Lane, Wichita, Kansas 67208 Stop Guessing What the Future Holds. Phone +1 (316) 993-3929 Bureau Chief Molly McMillin Art Department Scott Marshall, Colin Throm Find out How Today. Copy Editors Patricia Parmalee, Andy Savoie, Richard Leyshon, Diana Bell Call 866.857.0148 (within N. America) or Production Editors Elizabeth Campochiaro, Bridget Horan, Ellen Pugatch +1.515.237.3682 (outside N. America) or visit us at Contributing Photographer Joseph Pries PENTON awin.aviationweek.com/forms/MRO-Fleet for David Kieselstein Chief Executive Ofcer more information. Warren N. Bimblick Group President Nicola Allais Chief Financial Ofcer/Executive Vice President Gregory Hamilton President, Aviation Week WorldMags.net AviationWeek.com/awst AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/MARCH 16-29, 2015 3 March 16-29, 2015 Contents Volume 177 Number 5 WorldMags.netAVIATION WEEK Winner 2013 & SPACE TECHNOLOGY Digital Extras Tap this icon in articles in the digital edition of AW&ST for exclusive features. If you have not signed up to receive your digital subscription, go to ow.ly/AkXJo 6-7 Feedback 8 Who’s Where 10-11 First Take 12 Up Front 14 Going Concerns 16 Inside Business Aviation 17 Airline Intel 18 Reality Check 19 Leading Edge 20 Commander’s Intent Mysterious bright spots, captured in this main image and inset 22 In Orbit of the cratered surface of Ceres, have sparked wider interest in 24 Washington Outlook Dawn’s science mission, which begins in April. NASA’s exploratory 71 Classifi ed 29 gaze is extending to a series of icy worlds in the farther reaches of 72 Contact Us the Solar System . 73 Aerospace Calendar COMMERCIAL AVIATION 42 Virgin Australia broadens its DEFENSE 26 Boeing planning upgrades to ensure competitive scope by acquiring 33 Reports of China’s military the 777 remains competitive after low-cost and regional carriers budget are infl ated , but spend- the ‘X’ derivative enters service ing may become more ef cient 28 Airbus and Boeing wave of con- 43 Cross-shareholdings fail to meld cerns about an order bubble Air China and Cathay Pacifi c into 51 South Korean fi ghter program pro- as they ratchet up production anything like an integrated group gresses with Korean Air Lines/ Airbus teaming to bid for KF-X deal 35 Air Berlin attempting to regain pro- SPACE fi tability, but more support from 52 Despite recent failures, Israel shareholder Etihad may be needed 29 NASA to see three separate space- hopes to achieve initial opera- craft begin unprecedented explora- tional capability for Arrow in ’16 36 Aviation to help change life on British island outpost of St. Helena tion of dwarf planets and a moon when airport opens early next year ROTORCRAFT 60 Lockheed Martin wants to use 32 Bristow and AgustaWestland 37 Bombardier’s larger CSeries makes ISS as commercial springboard aim to transform of shore fl ying confi dent debut in a program that to the Moon and beyond operations with tiltrotor has accelerated after dif culties 62 Merlin 1D engine improvements 39 There has been signifi cant progress 44 H160 is Airbus Helicopters’ bet to in airline consolidation in some could turn back the clock try to retake fi rm hold on a market markets, but momentum is slowing on Falcon 9 recertifcation monopolized by AgustaWestland ON THE COVERS This week, Aviation Week publishes two print editions. On the cover far left is an artist’s concept of Eutelsat’s Quantum satellite. The Airbus/Surrey Satellite Tech- nology spacecraft will have a fully software-defined payload capability. That will allow its footprint and power to be changed from ground (see page 54). Elsewhere in both editions are reports on the new Airbus Helicopters H160 (page 44), Boeing 777 upgrades (page 26), counterstealth technology (page 49) and runway safety (page 64). On the cover of our MRO Edition, a Boeing 747-400 lands at Boston Logan International Airport. Photo by Kent Wien. Aviation Week publishes a digital edition every week. Read it at AviationWeek.com/awst and on our app. WorldMags.net 4 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/MARCH 16-29, 2015 AviationWeek.com/awst WorldMags.net 37 SAFETY 56 Established satellite service players Free to subscribers. Get new content 34 Merged United Airlines faces largely welcome Silicon Valley’s daily and read the weekly digital edition safety pressures in the midst of sudden interest in the space sector retirements, recalls and new hires of Aviation Week online or in our app. 59 Communications satellites living DESKTOP/LAPTOP ELECTRONIC WARFARE longer in orbit, an advance that is Go to AviationWeek.com/awst 46 Darpa’s ACT program leads deve- a mixed blessing for fl eet operators lopment of next-generation, all- APPLE APP digital active phased arrays RUNWAY SAFETY Go to the Apple App Store, search for “Aviation Week” and download the 46 USAF embarks on pricey upgrade to 64 U.S. runway incursions continue to Aviation Week & Space Technology keep F-15 relevant into 2040s, under increase despite a decline in the app to your iPad or iPhone. pressure from slow F-35 fi elding number of ops at towered airports NEW ANDROID APP 49 Counterstealth technologies prolif- 67 FAA quietly makes substantial pro- Go to Google Play, search for “Aviation erating to reduce ef ectiveness gress on long-standing, high-stakes Week” and download the Aviation Week of radar cross-section reduction ef ort to improve runway safety & Space Technology app for your Android phone or tablet. UNMANNED SYSTEMS 69 Runway safety evolves with tech- 53 Development of certifi able data link nological, procedural, educational LOGIN Tap on any locked article to get to the for C2 of civil unmanned aircraft and analytical interventions is entering the fi nal stages login screen OR on the menu icon in the upper right corner of the app screen SPACE TELECOM VIEWPOINT (image with three parallel lines) and tap 54 European, U.S. laser communica- 74 Deputy defense secretary: Seques- “Login.” Log in using the email address tion suppliers eye Silicon Valley’s tration is a blunder that allows fi scal associated with your subscription. satellite broadband plans problems to determine strategy Forgot Password? Tap the “forgot password” link on the login screen and follow the reset instructions emailed 32 to you (this password may not be the same as your Zinio digital edition password). Customer Service If you don’t have a registered email or password, or are having problems with the download or login, contact our customer care team for assistance: Toll-free (North America) 800-525-5003 Outside North America (+1) 847-763-9147 Email: [email protected] Web: AviationWeek.com/awstcustomers WorldMags.net AviationWeek.com/awst AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/MARCH 16-29, 2015 5 Feedback NO SHORTAGE OF SHORTAGESWorldMags.netNORWEGIAN REVISTED money, but the frequency of over-water Regarding the pilot shortage.