VOL 19, NO. 04 MAY-JUNE 2021 ATM-ATC SouthPAN could NARROWBODIES extend thoughout Asia Smaller planes, upgraded amenities TRAINING Bumps ahead as pilots return Women In Aviation INDUSTRY NEEDS TO 'GIVE IT THE BIG PUSH' WHAT’S YOUR EXCUSE FOR CHOOSING COMPLEX? WHEELS AND BRAKES. IT’S THAT SIMPLE. TPAEROSPACE.COM TP_Annonce_Asian Aviation_RGB_July.indd 1 17.05.2021 09.59 CONTENTS WHAT’S VOL 19, NO. 04 MAY-JUNE 2021 ATM-ATC SouthPAN could NARROWBODIES extend thoughout Asia Smaller planes, upgraded amenities TRAINING Bumps ahead 20 23 28 YOUR as pilots return FEATURES 25 SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE EXCUSE SET FOR SOUTHPAN Women In Aviation 16 WOMEN IN AVIATION Australia and New Zealand are about to procure INDUSTRY NEEDS TO 'GIVE IT THE BIG PUSH' Asian Aviation Editor Matt Driskill recently sat down a satellite-based augmentation system that will virtually with Marie-Louise Philippe, the newly benefit not just operators in their own countries, On the cover: Marie-Louise Philippe of Airbus installed president of the Singapore chapter of is the new president of Women in Aviation in but could be extended to Asia-Pacific neighbours Singapore. (Photo: Airbus) Women in Aviation International to discuss how to as well. get more women involved in the industry. 4 VIEWPOINT 28 AVIATION CAN DO MORE Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble 20 GETTING BACK IN THE AIR WITH SUSTAINABLE FUELS Among the tens of thousands of jobs lost in the Never let a crisis go to waste is the mantra of FOR past year and a half of the COVID-19 pandemic, politicians, but it seems like the aviation industry NEWS thousands of those were pilots who found has adopted it in the industry’s calls to improve its themselves grounded as borders closed. With environmental credentials. 6 BUSINESS AVIATION domestic traffic staging a comeback in some NEWS countries, pilot training or re-training is in focus. CHOOSING 7 ROTOR/UAV NEWS 23 NARROWBODY PLANE, 8 MRO NEWS EXPANDED SERVICE CABINS With international borders at risk of sudden closure INTERIORS NEWS 9 and most widebody aircraft parked, stored or COMPLEX? 10 PEOPLE ON THE MOVE retired, the age of the narrowbody has arrived, becoming the platform for airlines to optimise one 12 INDUSTRY NEWS aircraft for both short and long-haul routes. Contributors Subscriptions: Rose Jeffree Printer: Times Printers Pte Ltd @AsianAviation Australia: Michael Doran, Emma Kelly, [email protected] ISSN 0129-9972 Benn Marks Asian Aviation (AAV) Advertising Offices Europe: Ian Goold & Representation WHEELS AND BRAKES. India: Neelam Mathews, Shelley Vishwajeet MICA (P) 198/02/2007 Japan: Keishi Nukina Worldwide: Kay Rolland April 2021, readership 9747 Moscow: Vladimir Karnozov Phone/Mobile: +33 6 09 13 35 10 © ASIAN PRESS GROUP Pte Ltd IT’S THAT SIMPLE. Editor: Matt Driskill Taiwan: Ralph Jennings [email protected] [email protected] Graphic Design: Elinor McDonald Russia & CIS: Laguk Co. Managing Director/Publisher: [email protected] Yuri Laskin, Sergei Kirshin Marilyn Tangye Butler Phone: + 7 495 912 1346 [email protected] Head Office — Singapore Fax: + 7 495 912 1260 Asian Press Group Pte Ltd [email protected] TPAEROSPACE.COM Contributor’s opinions do not necessarily reflect those of the publisher or editor and while every precaution has been taken to ensure that the information contained in this publication is accurate and timely, no liability is accepted by the publisher or editor for errors and omissions, however caused. Articles and information contained in this publication are the copyright of Asian Press Group Pte Ltd (unless otherwise stated) and cannot be reproduced in any form without the written permission of the publisher. The publisher cannot accept responsibilityAsianAviation for loss or damage | June to 2016 uncommissioned 3 photographs, manuscripts or other media. TP_Annonce_Asian Aviation_RGB_July.indd 1 17.05.2021 09.59 VIEWPOINT Bubble, bubble, toil and trouble AS WE FIND OURSELVES in the middle of the second year of the age Other organisations have been working hard to restart the flying of COVID-19, the line spoken by Shakespeare’s witches in Macbeth world, but all these efforts will be for naught if people don’t come comes to mind, if you’ll pardon the slight liberty taken with it. Shake- up with one set of standards to cover things like testing protocols speare actually wrote “Double, double” in the play, but given all the accepted by all border agents around the world. The lack of a com- travel bubbles announced, then cancelled, then re-announced, bub- mon standard will be the one single thing that will kill the aviation ble, bubble seemed more appropriate. There’s also been Herculean industry. And that’s not just my opinion. “Two key components for an amounts of toil undertaken by the aviation industry to restart interna- efficient restart of travel need to be urgently progressed. The first is tional flights, including the work done to develop testing regimes and the development of global standards for digital COVID-19 test and/ the infrastructure required to provide those tests. Unfortunately, we’ve or vaccination certificates. The second is government agreement to also run into trouble with various entities rising up in opposition to accept certificates digitally,” said IATA’s Walsh recently. countries requiring any kind of so-called “vaccine passport”, although the world had just such a passport years ago for Yellow Fever that Trouble was developed by the World Health Organisation (WHO). Walsh’s two points are key here. Standards need to be agreed upon — urgently — and in the 21st century any kind of testing or vaccine Bubble, bubble passport needs to be digital. The problem is many people, organisa- Travel bubbles, in which two locales agree to abide by certain rules tions and countries are coming out against such digital vaccine or in order to allow travellers between the two to testing passports. And a second problem is that forego quarantine measures, have been open- no one single entity like IATA, ICAO, or WHO is ing and closing in fits and starts since last year. The lack of a common leading the way to developing such standards. Hong Kong and Singapore announced plans to standard will be the one Privacy ‘Nervous Nellies’ also cry foul and say open one at the end of 2020, but were forced to personal data will be at risk. But the only data cancel plans for it when Hong Kong COVID-19 single thing that will kill available in things like IATA’s own Travel Pass cases started to spike. The two powerhouses the aviation industry. or similar apps, is a traveller’s name, passport SUSTAINABILITY of Asian commerce announced in April they number, the kind of test/vaccine one received, would try again starting on 26 May, but it was the clinic/doctor’s name, etc. The apps will not A CLEAR AMBITION cancelled in mid-May as cases rose in Singa- have access to a person’s bank account infor- pore. Australia and New Zealand also started, stopped and have now mation or a traveller’s Spotify favourites. restarted a travel bubble, although it remains in a fragile state of affairs The trouble as well is that for all the hue and cry against a testing Sustainability is at the heart of our business. and in early May was almost closed when three people in Perth test- or vaccine passport, we’ve used them before. When I got my first From the beginning, we have invested in ed positive for COVID-19. And in late May the bubble between New passport (a long time ago) and started travelling internationally, I technologies to make our engines cleaner, quieter Zealand and Victoria was paused after another COVID-19 outbreak. had to get vaccinated against Yellow Fever and other nasty bugs and carry the so-called “Carte Jaune” or “Yellow Card” with me whenever and more efficient. Our clear ambition is to push the Toil I crossed an international border. No one thought twice about it. It limits of innovation, demonstrating uncompromising When it comes to working to restart international travel, no one was a condition of travel and we can do the same thing now. technologies that will help pave the way for an organisation has done more than the International Air Transport But time and tide wait for no man and if the aviation industry is ever more sustainable future. A common mission, Association (IATA), first under the leadership of Alexandre de Juni- not bold and resolute — now — then international aviation at least, extraordinary together. ac and now with Willie Walsh at the helm. The International Civil will end up like Macbeth. Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has also worked hard, but as part of the United Nations (UN) it is often hobbled by the politics that afflict cfmaeroengines.com EDITOR that august organ of international statesmanship. The WHO has also Matt Driskill CFM International is a 50/50 joint company pitched in, but again, as part of the UN, it too is held back by politics. [email protected] between GE and Safran Aircraft Engines PASSENGER EXEPERIENCE AIRPORTS & ENVIRONMENT AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT Navigating the world's airports will The world's airports, large and small, Has the COVID-19 pandemic put a likely be changed for years to come. are leading the way in going green. stop to mega-airport development? 4 AsianAviation | May-June 2021 C42669-004-CFM-Wave-AsianAviation-May21-275x235-v1.indd 1 21/05/2021 09:18 SUSTAINABILITY A CLEAR AMBITION Sustainability is at the heart of our business. From the beginning, we have invested in technologies to make our engines cleaner, quieter and more efficient.