Altitude No. 5 - Summer 2014 English

n°5 - summer 2014

asl aviation group internal newsletter

Safety, reliability, quality, profitability and people A Message from the CEO When considering the various aspects of synergy and co-operation between all the various ASL Group companies, successes by virtue of well-established corporate values in the ASL Group are very evident by the PEOPLE of the Group companies.

As the ASL Group continues to grow through its ‘ASL family approach’ and adherence to the four values of SAFETY, RELIABILITY, QUALITY, PROFITABILITY it is very obvious that PEOPLE in fact should make up the fifth corporate value ‘slot’.

So it is with much enthusiasm and passion that we will add the ‘fifth amendment’ to ASL’s vitally important corporate values, which will now become SAFETY, PEOPLE, RELIABILITY, QUALITY, PROFITABILITY. In this regard an awareness programme will be put in place over the coming weeks covering all five of the ASL Corporate Values.

In support of the above it is most appropriate to specifically mention the notable outcomes ASL PEOPLE have achieved in the following areas so far in 2014: ree B757 aircraft introduced for Aer Lingus Th for service between Ireland and North America; Two additional B737-700 acquired by Europe

Airpost; ew passenger routes by Europe Airpost N

commenced within Europe and to Halifax with the B737-700 aircraft; friqiyah Airways A320 operations by Air A Contractors have commenced; n additional A300-600 freighter is being A

introduced on behalf of DHL in Hong Kong; Ryanair is to wet lease two B737-400 passenger

aircraft in the summer which will be provided

by Safair for Air Contractors to operate; lySafair having received its scheduled license F will be commencing services later in 2014; S afair’s Hercules activity is at a high with

strong market demand; Leasing developments currently in progress which, once completed, will require a comprehensive review of how we manage development.

France : 0,00€ , Ireland : 0,00€, United Kingdom : 0,00£, South Africa : 0,00 rand

he reestablishment of ACE in Edinburgh T

has proceeded exceptionally with a seamless transition from full MRO status to its new facility off airport; CLAS Global continued to expand its A

network with the opening of a new ATR spares support facility in Singapore; …and much more Turning to Indaba, it’s important to reflect on the effective processes and note that three meetings / conference calls have already taken place in 2014.

The meetings have been very focused and tuned in to the businesses with constructive outcomes and actions having been put in place. This year’s working groups are as follows: • Fleet/Leasing/Maintenance • Operations/Reliability • Marketing • Business Process Improvement Group • People Focus • Flight Safety Nevertheless, there are changes in the business dimension of ASL, that are drivers which commit ASL companies to being evermore innovative and competitive in the interests of growth and new business development. Three that can be mentioned, for example, are the end of the Airbus A300B4 leases and operation in ACL, La Poste reshaping its network which affects Europe Airpost and some aging aircraft fleet in our ASL leasing and airline portfolio.

From a financial performance perspective and already being half way through the year, it is pleasing to report that we are on target with budgeted performance. As mentioned above, we cannot sit back or take the rest of the year off as there are serious challenges which remain if we are to meet or exceed our budgeted business performance for 2014.

Thank you all for your enthusiasm, commitment and hard work in ensuring we achieve our exciting new goals into the future.

Sincerely, Hugh Flynn

La Ferté Alais An Exceptional Airshow !

E

very Pentecost weekend the swooshing sound of the wings and the roar of the engines of exceptional aircraft resonates around the skies of La Ferte Alais.

The first airshow of vintage aircraft took place in 1970 here at the Cerny airfield at La Ferte Alais, about 50km south of Paris. This year the show took place in June and it featured aircraft from many eras including World Wars 1 and 2, where aviation advances came about as the result of conf lict.

Over two days thousands of spectators were treated to a real aviation spectacle, with morning opportunites to view aircaft including 4 DC-3 Dakotas on the ground, followed by afternoon air displays, f lypasts and reconstructed dogfights and bombing runs ! The majority of the 150 participating aircraft were vintage but there were some modern jets including the French Air Force Rafale and the ASL Aviation Group was also well represented.Inf light displays from commercial airlines are very rare in France so it was a thrill for the huge crowd to get a close up view of a Europe Airpost B737-300 and an Air Contractors ATR-72 as they f lew low over the airfield.

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Company News air contractors

‘Slán’ Hercules

Air Contractors expanding rapidly

The 9th May 2014 was a somewhat sad day in the history of Air Contractors with the retirement of the last Hercules from the Irish register. Unfortunately the changes to the OSR platform and the economics of operating this aircraft type in Europe made it uneconomical to continue. This brings the curtain down on a European registered Hercules operation which lasted for more than twelve years between 2002 and 2014. The aircraft has been returned to Safair and will be reintroduced to their aid and relief operations.

In stark contrast to some areas of business in Ireland, Air Contractors continues to report incredible levels of growth in capability and activity. 2014 will see a significant summer peak that will include: No of additional aircraft 3

2

3

1-3

Estimated Hours 2014

Estimated Sectors 2014

110,000

1,700

796

Customer

B757

Aer Lingus*

A320

Afriqiyah**

100,000

Other Pax

70,000

B737

A300-600

Estimated 2014

Estimated Passengers 2014

Type

Ryanair* DHL***

Other Cargo

Variance

2013 Actual

301,000

-

-

581,000 +761% 67,443

13,752 3,230

2,050 928

500

500

21,580

12,008

2,100

42,862 +71%

25,014

600

16,882 +22%

13,858

*Assumes 75% load factor and 2 operational aircraft for 6 months **Assumes 2 aircraft for 3 months ***based on average customer load factors

The level of growth and activity is substantial and no doubt will require some extra blood, sweat and maybe a few tears. That said the experience is exceptional and will be rewarding to staff, creating opportunities for the future.

europe airpost

Direct Flights to Halifax and Porto for the Summer Holidays The crews have been working on them for the last several months, and now, at last, they’re off ! Europe Airpost’s first scheduled summer 2014 f lights took off during the first few days in July.

Europe Airpost has already been operating passenger f lights for more than ten years for other airlines. Now the company has decided to enhance its product offering, providing regular f lights under its own brand. The decision came about as a result of Europe Airpost’s ongoing diversification strategy which promotes growth through positioning in niche markets.

Over the years the Hercules was involved in many interesting and memorable missions including: • Yellowknife, a mission to transport mining equipment to the Arctic Circle • O il Spill call outs to Gulfport in USA in support of the clean-up following the BP spill in the Gulf of Mexico

setup for promotion and direct ticket sales in advance of the summer programme.

The sales team ran promotional campaigns and ticket sales on Europe Airpost’s website and through a sales network managed by a subcontractor specialising in air ticket distribution. The test results were very satisfactory and met all expectations as proven by the load factors and the enthusiastic response from passengers.

safair

During July and August, Europe Airpost will provide three regular services from France; a transatlantic route to Halifax, starting at Paris-CDG with a stop in Glasgow; and two f lights to Porto, from Brive and from Brest.

•O il spills in Angola, Libya, Egypt and Equatorial Guinea • Transporting armoured personnel carriers to Finland • S upport for the Red Arrows acrobatic team • H aving a starring role in World War Z film, Land Rover adverts and Strike Force television series • C ulminating in a low level f ly pass down the Liffey in Dublin.

Safair’s Hercs key to Sudan relief effort

in Juba, Republic of South Sudan for the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and another based in Assosa, Ethiopia on behalf of the World Food Programme (WFP).

The ICRC aircraft is operating both Airlift and Airdrop f lights, whilst the WFP aircraft is currently only Airlift. However with the advent of the rainy season, Airdrops will soon also be a requirement.

We also have one of the Hercules currently contracted by the United Nations in the DRC frequently operating in Juba and surrounding airfields.

Safair Operations have been involved in the Relief effort currently underway in the Republic of South Sudan.

In this case, it’s about offering regular f lights during high-traffic periods to destinations with little or no competition, for example summer and winter holidays and special cultural and sporting events.

Over the past winter, Europe Airpost started regular service between Brittany (Western France) and Grenoble, in the Alps, during the winter school holidays. This was the first initiative that allowed the sales force to implement and test their new

Valuing People

T

he latest round of communications roadshows began in June in Dublin and ASL Chief Executive Hugh Flynn used the opportunity to talk about the importance of our corporate values.

“The Group is growing and expanding its activities and this has been particularly evident this year” said Hugh. “With all of this change and development it is very important that we reinforce the culture of our Group in all of the companies and the best way to do that is for all of us to refresh our understanding of our corporate values and apply them to our everyday working lives,” he continued. >>>

The conf lict between forces of the current government and those allied to the former vice-president in the newly formed country of South Sudan has killed thousands and displaced more than 1 million people. Estimates are that the huge relief effort will require an amount in excess of US$ 1.2 billion.

A massive humanitarian aid effort is underway and Safair has a Hercules based

More than 60% of South Sudan becomes inaccessible during the rainy season (mid May – end September) resulting in the requirement for Airdropping as roads become impassable, creating a major logistical challenge to aid agencies.

>>> Recognising the role of ASL’s people in the growth and prosperity of the Group, this year ‘PEOPLE’ was introduced as our 5th core value. >>>

3 asl aviation group internal newsletter

Company News During the airlift, we operate into mainly unpaved (dirt) runways. These airfields are located in extremely rural areas with no or limited ground support which makes the Hercules the ideal aircraft as it does not require ground support equipment other than “ plenty of hands “ to off-load.

Operations will start with two Boeing 737400 Aircraft with a Boeing 737-300 as a backup aircraft.

Whilst ACL AS is not a stockist of these aircraft type components our customers have requested that we supply these in the knowledge that we will supply them with the component within their required timescales and at a competitive price. This is one of the ways in which we provide our customers with the best possible solution.

On the Airdrops, our system has recently been developed to a “Boardless“ system whereby the skidboards which the Cargo is loaded upon, remain in the aircraft. This results in a huge cost saving as previously the skidboards were dropped along with the Cargo.

We load 18,000 Kgs in 50 Kgs bags which equates to 360 bags. There are 18 pallet positions of which we drop 2 x “sticks “ of 9 pallets per drop.

We are very fortunate to have contracts in place with the following operational suppliers: Swissport – Ground handling, LSG – On Board Catering, Sasol and Shell – Fuel suppliers, We also have commercial partnerships with First Car Rental and Ace Travel Insurance and we are busy concluding contracts with a hotel provider and an online travel agent. We are also looking at various distribution channels.

It is a free-fall system at a drop height of 700ft above ground. To avoid the bags bursting on impact, they are triple bagged which enables a recovery rate of 99%.

The Drop Zones ( DZ’s ) are approximately 1000m x 800m in size. An extremely small target, which requires special training & skills for the Hercules crews !! To view a “reallive Airdrop” visit our website w w w.safair. co.za and click on the appropriate link.

fly safair

For the love of Flying !

Hurray!!! After days, weeks and months

Safair finally got the much contested “Scheduled Domestic Licence” on the 31 March 2014. Now we can eventually start introducing our brand “FlySafair” into the South African skies and get our message out to our consumers “For the Love of Flying”.

We will start servicing the Johannesburg to Cape Town route, one of the world’s busiest.

including Boeing 737 and 757, Airbus A300 and A320, Embraer 190’s, Bombardier Dash 8’s, Cessna Caravans, Lockheed C-130, Beech 1900’s, and even a Sikorsky helicopter.

At ACL AS Global we have a never say no approach to support solutions.

For example, customers don’t always provide the correct part numbers so we work with the customer, providing advice based on our knowledge and experience until a solution has been found. Our customers really appreciate this level of customer support, which sets us apart from some component providers. They know that their problem is our problem and with our support they’ll get the best solution.

ACL AS Global continues to strive to offer superior support solutions in an increasing competitive market.

The dedicated FlySafair team is ready to start this exciting new phase in the long history of Safair.

ace

ACE move forward with confidence Air Contractors Engineering have brought the curtain down on operations at Edinburgh International Airport after a period of 10 years. Although a challenging time for everyone involved, the closure of the facility heralds an exciting opportunity for the team at ACE. ACE have recently transferred operations to a new 14,500sq/ft facility based at Livingston, approximately 15miles from the old Edinburgh location. The new EASA 145 facility including an enhanced capability list was approved with flying colours by the UK Civil Aviation Authority after an intense audit process.

This development has allowed ACE to move forward with a leaner and more robust business, based on specialist EASA 145 maintenance support provision. The enhanced capability includes extensive component repair, specialist engine and fuel tank inspections and line support for the B737, B757 and ATR42/72 aircraft.

ACE have increased the number of components supported within the maintenance organisation exposition by 300% in 12 months, with a programme of continual developm e n t being implemented.

aclas global

Never Say No Approach Offers Superior Customer Support ACLAS Global prides itself in being one of the world’s leading providers of ATR support solutions delivering excellent service levels to customers.

However we don’t just provide support for the ATR! in the past six months we have supplied solutions for other aircraft

ACLAS Global has marked the opening of their new ATR distribution hub

in Singapore with the launch of the

company’s new logo. This revision gives a more modern look and feel to the

brand logo and helps to position ACLAS as a global market player.

Component repair business will be the core revenue stream but this will continue to be supplemented by group and 3rd party line maintenance activity, with a growing customer base being realised for specialist inspection tasks (Fuel tank and engine boroscopes).

The support of the ASL Group for the new venture has allowed the ACE team to develop and grow the business with confidence and belief in 2014.

>>> to cultivate companies that will be highly productive and that will engender success while also creating an enjoyable and gratifying working environment.”>>>

>>> “We are the architects of our own success” said Hugh, “and if we continue to buy-in to the spirit of the five corporate values in all we do, we will continue >>>

>>> As announced at the roadshows the core values will be promoted across all ASL Aviation Group companies in the weeks ahead, both on the ASL Intranet, in company offices and more.

4

Altitude Altitude

The first of the three major events will be the 20th Commonwealth Games, taking place over the period 23 July to 03 August. The games will be attended by over 6,500 athletes and officials from 71 countries, taking part in 17 sports. This is a considerable difference from the first games which were held in 1930 in Hamilton, Canada which were attended by 400 athletes from 11 countries.

South Africa

The second of the events will be the Ryder Cup 2014 which will see the USA and Europe battle it out at Gleneagles from 23-28 September.

President Zuma Sworn in for second term In February this year, after consulting the Independent Electoral Commission (IEC), President Jacob Zuma announced that the fifth national elections in the Republic of South Africa will take place on 7 May 2014.

France

Following a series of tense negotiations and years of liberation struggle, the first democratic election was held in South Africa on the 27th April, 1994. This election changed the history of South Africa. It paved the way towards a new democratic dispensation and a new constitution for the country. For the first time all races in the country were going to the polls to vote for a government of their choice.

Les Grandes Eaux Musicales in Versailles

The “Grandes Eaux Musicales” (Musical Fountains Show) is offering more than 70 special opportunities this year, day and night, to discover and enjoy the fountains, ornamental pools, and groves in the gardens of the Palace of Versailles.

• The “Jardins Musicaux”, or Musical Gardens, will allow visitors to enter special preserved areas of the park for musical promenades.

• On summer evenings, the “Royal Serenade in the Hall of Mirrors” will bring back to life the reign of King Louis XIV, through music and dance in the royal apartments.

• The Night Fountains Show («Grandes Eaux Nocturnes») will feature sound and light shows in the fountains of the ornamental pools and groves, as visitors stroll through the gardens.

The third and final event worthy of note, actually takes place between the two sports meetings already mentioned. It will be one of the biggest tugs-of-war that the United Kingdom has ever seen, commonly known to the rest of the world as the ‘Scottish Referendum on Independence’.

This event will take place on 18 September, when the people of Scotland will decide whether to remain part of the United Kingdom, or go it alone as an independent Scotland. I’m sure the world leaders will watch on with interest to see how this develops.

The African National Congress was voted in to Government and the late President Nelson Mandela was elected as the first Black President of the country.

In 1994 nineteen political parties participated and twenty-two million people voted which increased to 29 political parties and twenty-five million voters in 2014. The number of political parties remained the highest number to contest a democratic national election in South African history. On 24 May President Jacob Zuma was sworn in for his second term in office with Cyril Ramaphosa as his Deputy.

After 20 years of democracy there is one thing South Africans agree on, and that is that our country is a far better place than it was before 1994. The fruits of freedom are numerous and real for many of us: a country where we walk proudly, without fear; a full citizenship of the world; a democratic dispensation and constitution to be proud of. Our country still faces many challenges, but together, as the Rainbow Nation, we can work towards a shared and prosperous future.

A Run in the Park for Air Contractors and ASL Thirty of our colleagues from ASL and Air Contractors were among 5,000 runners who took part in ‘The Staff Relay’ in the Phoenix Park in late May. Drawn from companies all over Ireland the runners, including our 6 teams of 5, took on the 5 kilometre course through the largest urban park in Ireland.

Located right in the centre of Dublin City, the Phoenix Park is in fact one of the largest enclosed Parks within any European capital city.

Established in 1662 by James Butler, Duke of Ormond, on behalf of King Charles II, it was originally conceived as a Royal Deer Park and to this day a herd of Fallow Deer live there.

The Park which is surrounded by a stone wall and about 30% of its 1752 acres is covered by

The Tour starts here!

Hot on the heels of the Giro d’Italia passing just down the road from the offices of our friends in ASL and Air Contractors in Dublin, the biggest bike race of them all is to start this summer in England.

There is a Trivial Pursuit question which asks which is the annual sporting event that is attended by the most spectators and the answer is the Tour de France. Generally considered to be the most prestigious cycling road race in the world, the Tour has, in recent years, started outside of France and this year it is returning to England. Perhaps the success of Bradley Wiggins and Chris Froome in the past two years may have influenced this!

The palace of Versailles, listed as a World Heritage Site for 30 years, was originally one of King Louis XIII’s hunting lodges. After it was transformed and enlarged by Louis XIV, with renovations that lasted some 40 years, it became the royal court and the seat of government for France in 1682.

The 2014 Tour starts on Saturday July 5 in Leeds in Yorkshire with the flat first stage ending in Harrogate. The second stage is from York to Sheffield will be more of a physical challenge as the peloton wends its way through the

While construction work was being carried out on the palace, Louis XIV commissioned André Le Nôtre to create the palace gardens. Le Nôtre

worked with, among others, Jean-Baptiste Colbert, the Superintendent of the King’s Buildings, who directed construction from 1664 to 1683.

Charles Le Brun, appointed First Painter to the King in 1664, designed a great number of statues and fountains for the gardens.

The fountains, covering nearly 4 square miles (1000 hectares) of land, were built with the most refined methods available at the time, and are fed by some 19 miles (30 km) of

Country News

Scotland is gearing up to hold three huge events in 2014, with preparations well under way for all.

In 1921, 20 men got together at Gleneagles for an international golf challenge between GB and USA. The first meeting had no name and no trophy to win. It was six years later, in 1927 when the first official Ryder Cup took place, and was so-called as it was Samuel Ryder, an English businessman, who donated the trophy.

Ireland

Scotland gears up for a summer of sport and big decisions!

England

Scotland

asl aviation group internal newsletter

trees. It is a sanctuary for many mammals and birds, with a wide range of wildlife habitats and a managed conservation area.

Inside the walls of the Phoenix Park lies the homes of the President of Ireland, Áras an Uachtaráin, which dates from 1750 and the residence of the United States Ambassador to Ireland which was built in 1774. Many other historic buildings and monuments are located in the Park.

In addition, the Phoenix Park is the location of Dublin Zoo, which has over 900,000 visitors each year. For those not into running there are plenty of walking trails throughout the Park and deer watching is also a favourite pastime.

The Phoenix Park is recognised as a ‘green lung’ for the city of Dublin and is commonly known as the People’s Park of Ireland. It supports 50% of the mammal species found in Ireland and about 40% of bird species.

Organised sporting events are an important feature of the Park with over two thousand sporting and recreational events take place annually. Among them, ‘The Staff Relay’ and following our excellent showing this year we hope to send even more than 6 teams to next year’s event.

Peak District before the third stage from the university city of Cambridge via the Queen Elizabeth II Olympic Park to a finish outside Buckingham Palace in London. The Tour then returns to France with excursions into Belgium and Spain, before culminating as with tradition on the Champs Elysees in Paris on Sunday July 27.

The tour has visited the UK before and was hugely popular.

This year’s tour, fuelled by the London Olympics and British expectation, will no doubt see t h i s year’s epic event well supported also.

Will it be “C’mon Chris” or “Allez Wiggo”….. heading down the Champs Elysees wearing the maillot jaune and will “King Cav” win that final sprint again? Time will tell.

water pipes, unchanged since the 17th century, and maintained by 13 fountain specialists today.

The palace remained in the hands of the French royal family, with each succeeding King making his own improvements, until the French Revolution. It is now the third most visited tourist site in France, behind only Disneyland Paris and the Louvre Museum.

This summer, special aquatic effects, lasers, and fireworks will grace the Grand Canal to the tune of masterpieces from French Baroque period music. It’s a fairyland enchantment, to discover or enjoy once again.

Director of publication: Hugh Flynn / Contributors: Dave Andrew, Marlouise Booyse, Vivienne Burch, Delphine Bukva, Colin Grant, Ian Hilton, Andrew Kelly, Linda Little, Ian Reece, John Rooney, David Slipper, Wendy Velzian, Eric Vincent.

Coordination: JetCom / Design: Oxalis média / Photos Credits: ASL, Europe Airpost, Safair, ACLAS, Air Contractors, ATR/Barthe Pierre, ASO, EPV, Eric Mercier, Frantz Gaillard.