Cobham Aviation Services Australia Adds two Further Jets from BAE Systems

JOC Staff |
Hatfield, Hertfordshire - Cobham Aviation Services Australia is expanding its air service offering to the vital and fast-growing mining and resource sector in the country by leasing two more jets from BAE Systems.

The first of the new aircraft is a BAe 146-300QT (Quiet Trader) freighter, which has recently been converted from a passenger to freighter aircraft at Aerostar in Bacau, Romania.

Recently delivered, the newly acquired 11.5 tonne freighter is expected to be deployed on some Fly-in-Fly-out (FIFO) services that Cobham provides principally in Western and Southern Australia, as well as on scheduled overnight air freight services on the eastern seaboard.

Cobham has also signed a lease for a third Avro RJ100 passenger aircraft, which also is to be used to provide FIFO services on a variety of support contracts to carry mining staff to various exploration and extraction sites. This aircraft will be delivered in July for entry into service later this year.

In addition, Cobham has confirmed that the second RJ100 it has leased and which was originally scheduled for delivery in 2011 for deployment on to FIFO contracts, will now be brought forward to later this year in response to demand.

These new contracts continue to underscore the importance played by the BAe 146/Avro RJ in servicing Australia’s huge mining and resource sector. Day-in; day-out for the past 19 years BAe 146s operated by Cobham have been flown on demanding schedules in the searing heat of Western and Southern Australia to provide the reliable transport links into remote airfields to keep exploration and extraction activities running smoothly.

In addition to these aircraft, the company operates a further 13 BAe 146 Series 100, 200 and 300s on behalf of multinational mining companies on FIFO contracts.

Furthermore, Cobham Aviation Services Australia operates three BAe 146QTs on behalf of Australia air Express (AaE) which carry 20,000 tonnes of freight every year on high-capacity, high-priority overnight services linking Brisbane, Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide.

The BAe 146QTs operate at near 100 per cent on-time reliability – vital in the air freight industry. The two Series 300s, based in Adelaide and Brisbane, each carry up to 11.5 tonnes of freight, while the BAe 146-100QT, based in Cairns, carries 7.5 tonnes. As well as providing significant and cost-effective freight capacity, the BAe 146QTs have a low noise profile which allows AaE to operate scheduled services during curfew hours at noise sensitive Sydney Airport, ensuring that critical overnight mail and freight is delivered on time.

About BAE Systems
BAE Systems is a global defence, security and aerospace company with approximately 107,000 employees worldwide. The Company delivers a full range of products and services for air, land and naval forces, as well as advanced electronics, security, information technology solutions and customer support services. In 2009 BAE Systems reported sales of £22.4 billion (US$ 36.2 billion).

For further information contact:
David Dorman
BAE Systems
Tel: +44 (0) 1582 488336 Fax: +44 (0) 1582 488447 Email: david@dorwaypr.co.uk

Issued by:
BAE Systems, Farnborough, Hampshire GU14 6YU, UK Tel: +44 (0) 1252 384605
Fax: +44 (0) 1252 383947; 24hr media hotline: + 44 (0) 7801 717739