EUROPE FORGES NEW SPACE STATION PLAN, AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY REPORTS

Business Wire, Oct 20, 1995

political leaders for science and technology have forged a new long term European Space Agency plan for the international space station that required a $200 million ESA "loan" to Italy to salvage European participation, Aviation Week & Space Technology reports in Monday's edition.

In addition, some work on hardware for the station and for the Ariane 5 rocket that would earlier have been done in Germany and France will now be done in Italy. In a separate action, ESA's highly respected science program has been slowed to cut costs.

Ten years after conceiving the Columbus program as Europe's key contribution to the station, ESA ministers last week finally committed, at a ministerial conference here, to a binding legal framework for the program. But questions remain on whether the agency will be able to ultimately pay for what it proposes to buy. Key details remain to be worked out at an ESA Council meeting in another two months.

In spite of the bureaucratic turmoil, the gathering was one of the most important international space decision meetings ever held. This is because it began to change ESA for the future, solidify European space planning into the 21st century and formally tie Europe with the U. S., Russia and Japan in a truly international space station program--the globe's single largest international aerospace project.

Other stories detailed in the issue include:

-- China Moves To Punish Airlines With Poor Safety Records: China's aviation authorities have set rules that will penalize carriers with poor safety records and business management by not allowing them to buy new aircraft, Aviation Week reports.

The Civil Aviation Administration of China has approved the rules in anticipation of relaxing its two-year ban on virtually all aircraft purchases. The new program is part of a "down to earth effort" to improve civil aviation, which is regarded as one of China's "major windows to the outside world," according to CAAC Vice Minister Shen Yuankang.

In two deals pending, Air China is awaiting CAAC approval to buy its first 10 Boeing 777s and perhaps another five 747-400s. China Southern, Boeing's first 777 customer in China, is expected to add additional 747 capacity to its fleet as well, airline and industry officials say.

-- 1995 Likely To Be Best Year For U.S. General Aviation Since 1991: Increased deliveries of new, U.S.-manufactured general aviation aircraft during the third quarter bodes well for fourth quarter performance that could push commercial shipments above the 1,000 mark for the first time since 1991.

Deliveries during the third quarter increased to 257 units and billings rose to $648.9 million compared with 209 aircraft and $484 million in the same quarter last year, according to the General Aviation Manufacturers Association.

To date this year, billings have risen 31.8% to $1.9 billion as the number of new aircraft delivered increased to 712 compared with 615 in the first nine months of 1994, Edward W. Stimpson, the association's president told Aviation Week. "All indications point to a positive recovery for light aircraft manufacturers," Stimpson said. He warned that the recovery could be stopped or adversely affected, however, by a U.S. Senate bill that would levy "potentially devastating user taxes" on general aviation to help pay for FAA operations.

Aviation Week & Space Technology, published by The McGraw-Hill Companies, is the world's leading journal for technology, business and operations in the global aviation, aerospace and defense industries.

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