Page 34 - World Airnews News July 2020 Edition

GENERAL
ACI
AVIATION

ACI WORLD DATA REVEALS A LONG-STANDING

THE TURNING POINT COLLABORATION

lobal passenger traffic declined extron Aviation has been awarded a

Gby -55.9% year-over-year by the Tcontract by the US civil air patrol for
end of March as a result of the unfolding the sale of 17 Cessna piston engine aircraft.

COVID-19 pandemic, the Airports Council Using fiscal year 2020 funds, the CAP

International World has reported. agreed to purchase 11 Skyhawk 172s, five

This followed a drop of -10.7% in February. Skylane 182T and one Turbo Stationair hd

“The second week of March was a turn- T206 hd aircraft. The aircraft will join a

ing point for the reaction to the COVID-19 fleet of nearly 550 Cessna aircraft currently

pandemic as national governments imple- owned and operated by the CAP.

mented strict confinement measures which “From search and rescue, to disaster
brought the industry to a virtual halt,” ACI the slight gain of +0.4% in February. relief and homeland security, the missions

World Director General Angela Gittens said. Among major regional markets, Asia-Pa- the CAP undertakes daily are as broad

“While the crisis’s impact on passenger cific continues to be the most impacted For the third consecutive month, domes- as their footprint across the US. We are

traffic was mostly in the Asia-Pacific in with declines of -77.6% in March for its tic freight continued its downward trend honoured that Cessna aircraft continue to

reaching -11.1% for the month down from

February, March figures showed its spread international market and -54.4% to its -2.4% in February and -4.4% in January. be the organization’s platform of choice for

across the world, affecting both domestic domestic market. The Middle East recorded these crucial operations,” said Bob Gibbs,

and international markets. Global freight a loss of -58.6%. As a result, total freight figures for March vice president, special missions’ sales.

volumes have not been affected to the North America and Europe were also as well as the 12-month rolling average “The Cessna piston aircraft fleet is renowned forms missions for government agencies, largest Cessna piston operator.

same extent as passenger traffic. The need badly affected by the ongoing crisis losing posted significant declines at -14.4% and in general aviation for its operating costs, per- and as a non-profit organization they also In addition to the just announced con-

to move time-sensitive shipments and vital more than half of their international traffic -3.8% respectively. formance and durability, all important factors serve states and communities. In fiscal tract, in 2019, the CAP ordered 19 aircraft

supplies, including urgent medical supplies, in March (-50.4% and 60.1% respective- The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic for an organisation supporting a variety of year 2019, the CAP saved 117 lives and and deliveries of those have begun, with

and goods to support the global economy, ly). Those significant losses brought the has started to appear in all major freight communities throughout the country.” flew nearly 96,000 hours in their Cessna two Turbo Stationair hd pistons already

helped the freight industry avoid the level 12-month rolling averages to -7.7% for markets. The global double-digit decline As the Air Force Auxiliary, the CAP per- piston fleet. Today, the CAP is the world’s delivered. Q

of declines in demand experienced by the Asia-Pacific, -1.1% for North America and posted in March was mostly driven by

passenger traffic segment.” -1.8% for Europe. Asia-Pacific (-17.2%) and Europe (-16.4%).

ACI collects and analyses data from a signif- Africa’s gains in the first two months of North America, on the other hand, record-

icant sample of airports that provide regular 2020 were erased by significant losses in ed a less significant drop of -6.6% in total

reports on monthly passenger and air freight March (-46.0%) bringing its total passen- freight volumes mitigated by a relatively

statistics, forming part of the world’s most gers’ figures for the first quarter to -11.1%. modest decrease in its domestic traffic

comprehensive source for airport data. Latin America-Caribbean’s good perfor- of -1.6%.

mance in the beginning of the year was off- North America’s international freight

PASSENGER TRAFFIC set by a loss of -41.1% in March compared market, however, showed signs of weak-

Global international and domestic markets to the prior year. ness in falling by -13.8% for the month

posted unprecedented declines falling of March.
by -62.4% and -50.6% respectively. The FREIGHT VOLUMES The Middle East (-17.9%), Africa (-20.8%)

12-month rolling average for the interna- The international freight market moved and Latin America-Caribbean (-23.4%)

tional segment was recorded at -2.6% and significantly into negative territory in posted declines in line with major markets
the domestic segment at -3.4%. March with a loss of -15.7% compared to for March 2020. Q

MANUFACTURER
LATEST MC-21 TEST AIRCRAFT
FLOWN TO ULYANOVSK FOR PAINTING

join the rest of the test fleet in March. airframer said.
Irkut said the twinjet, number 73056, “The predominant white colour allows
rkut has transferred its fourth MC-21- was flown from Ramenskoye airfield, the the high quality of fuselage manufactur-

I300 fl ight-test aircraft to Ulyanovsk centre of the certification campaign, to ing, achieved by implementing advanced

to undergo painting, six months after it Ulyanovsk’s Spektr-Avia paint facility on automated assembly technologies, to be

fi rst fl ew. 10 June. shown,” it added.

The aircraft, fitted with Pratt & Whit- It will be painted in the same colours Irkut said it is intensifying the certifica-

ney PW1400G engines, carried out its previously used for the second and third tion effort, adding that three flight-test

maiden flight in December last year and flight-test MC-21s. The 90min transfer aircraft were simultaneously airborne on

was moved to Moscow Ramenskoye to flight was carried out smoothly, the 4 June. Q
World Airnews | July 2020 World Airnews | July 2020
— 32 — — 33 —