Jets Magazine Jets January 2012 Back Issue

As another year draws to a
close it is time to reflect
on what has been an
interesting and challenging
time for the aviation industry.
However it would be all too
easy for me to sit in my office and
bemoan defence cuts or complain
about ‘double-dip’ recessions. The
truth of the matter, as this issue
of Jets Monthly proves ably, is that
aviation is far from the doldrums and
our collective depression is perhaps
uncalled for.
Just looking at the news pages this
month and observing the numerous
stories about airliner sales – some
of which are record orders for
their respective airlines and even
the manufacturers – one is left
wondering if the airline bosses know
something the accountants do not.
With talk of a worsening financial
crisis around the world and escalating
fuel prices one would perhaps expect
the airlines to be tightening their
collective belts, so to see massive
orders for new machinery is an
unexpected and welcome surprise.
Yes there are tales of woe from
the airline market too with Astraeus
Airlines going into administration
in November due to “lower than
expected” summer business and
Thomas Cook shares losing about
three quarters of their value after
the company announced it was in
talks with its banks about increasing
borrowing by some £100 million.
But despite this Airbus, Boeing and
countless smaller manufacturers
confidently predict impressive levels
of demand for newer, bigger and
more efficient airliners. I guess only
time will tell?
It is not just the commercial
aviation world that has something to
celebrate. The RAF’s historic IV Sqn
has just reformed and the UK’s first
Joint Strike Fighter has rolled out of
the factory in the USA. This month
we welcome Dr Dave Sloggett to our
happy band of regular contributors
and his fascinating in-depth analysis of
Operation Ellamy in Libya shows that
the UK’s armed forces performed
admirably.