TRJet Positioned for a win-win Scenario in a Niche Market
On July 12, 2016, the new Ankara-based aviation company TRJet made its debut by holding a media event at the Sierra Nevada Corporation chalet at the Farnborough Airshow. A number of international supply partners were announced: Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. (P&WC), Rockwell Collins, Liebherr-Aerospace and Heggemann AG. In attendance were the Deputy Minister of Defense - Mr.Şuay Alpay, Undersecretary for Defense Industries - Prof. İsmail Demir, TAI CEO & General Manager – Mr. Muharrem Dörtkaşlı, Mr. Fatih Ozmen - Sierra Nevada Corporation CEO, Mr. Dave Jackson - Managing Director of 328 Support Services GmbH; Mr. Edward Hoskin -Vice President, Engine Development Programs at Pratt & Whitney Canada, Mr. Colin Mahoney - Senior Vice President, International and Service Solutions for Rockwell Collins, Mr. Robert Heggemann - CEO of Heggemann AG, Mr. Nicolas Bonleux - Managing Director & Chief Sales Officer of Liebherr-Aerospace & Transportation SAS among other distinguished guests and members of the media.
TRJet and Undersecretariat for Defense Industries (SSM) reached agreement on certain principal terms of the contract for the Turkish Regional Aircraft Project. SSM is the project’s lead procurement agency. TRJet also announced the most recent orders for the modernized 328 Series aircraft. Signing a Letter of Intent at Farnborough International Airshow, the Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO) committed to the purchase of 10 TRJ328 aircraft and Sentinel Aerospace Group of Singapore has confirmed five TRP328 turboprop aircraft for special mission use. Dave Jackson, managing director of 328 Support Services GmbH, regarding the Sentinel Aerospace Group of Singapore, noted “we are working closely with them on that definition.” The announcement builds upon the growing interest since the May 2015 MoU, which featured an initial requirement of up to 50 aircraft, signed between the Turkish Ministry of Transport, Maritime Affairs & Communications and Sierra Nevada Corporation for the Turkish Regional Aircraft Project.
At the Farnborough Airshow media event, Undersecretary for Defense Industries – Prof. Ismail Demir spoke at the SNC ceremony on behalf of the Turkish government, and said, “I would like to congratulate everyone who made this project a reality. From this point, it’s a promising future step and it will also open new doors for these projects in Turkey; it is going to be a driver for Turkish aviation.”
The newly launched Turkish Regional Aircraft Project, based in Ankara, utilizes the TRJ328 aircraft, a modernized version of the Dornier 328 (D328), as a first step toward production of Turkey’s first domestically-built passenger aircraft. TRJet will ultimately produce and sell the TRJ328, as well as other variants, and will play an essential role in producing Turkey’s first indigenous passenger aircraft. Because of its multiple interior configuration options, the TRJ328 is also a highly desirable aircraft for corporate and VIP travel. It has a typical flight range of approximately 1,120 nautical miles (2,080 km) proving to be an efficient and cost-effective option for direct travel between small cities. Mr. Jackson pointed out to participants that 2 airplanes, a jet and a turboprop were on display at the Farnborough Airshow – “to remind everyone of the versatility of the Dornier328 platform, the rugged capabilities and the multi-mission capability. You will see a very interesting and special paint scheme that we’ve applied on the turboprop which illustrates the capabilities of the airplane.”
A win-win-win Scenario all Around
Mr. Fatih Özmen, Sierra Nevanda Corporation CEO opened his speech by thanking distinguished guest for attending the press conference. He stated that the “TRJet program is a very important program for Sierra Nevada Corporation, TRJet and 328, as all 3 companies across 3 countries are working together to make this important program for Turkey a reality. This is Turkey’s attempt to have an indigenous commercial aircraft platform. We are starting with a business model that leverages an existing platform, to establish a capability for the in-country resources and know-how and certification processes, that are very critical as everything is designed and produced by Turkish engineers.” He continued “Turkish partners, TAI, Aselsan, and Alp Aviation, are key in making this program local. At the same time, our German partners are here supporting us. All companies and partners involved are benefiting from this; it’s really a win-win-win scenario all around. Market potential is tremendous. We are excited about addressing a niche in the market, a regional passenger capacity category where there is no on-going production right now in the area that we are targeting. Turkish Prime Minister just only a few weeks ago re-affirmed the commitment to make this program a reality.”
Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. (P&WC) to Upgrade and Supply PW306B Engines for TRJet aircraft
Pratt & Whitney Canada Corp. (P&WC) will use a new version of the world-renowned PW127 turboprop engine to power TRJet’s new TRP328™ turboprop aircraft. The PW127 is part of the PW100 family of engines. Mr. Edward Hoskins Pratt-Whitney Canada – VP of Engineering Development shared “We are pleased to be providing the 306b engine for this new platform the 328 series, which in itself is an innovative platform for the regional market. We are also proud to be part of the Turkish regional aircraft project (TRJet) as it is not only bringing innovation to the market space but it is also helping to develop manufacturing and the whole talent base in Turkey to develop the skills there support the aviation industry. For 30 years we have been a leader in the regional airline market place and it’s through continuous innovation that we’ve brought to that market place that we’ve been able to maintain that position, so we are happy to be part of a project like this which is also bringing innovation to this particular market space. We are happy to sign the memorandum of understanding for this program, as a sign of commitment to the program going forward.”
Rockwell Collins’ Integrated Avionics System Selected by TRJet for its new TRJ328 Aircraft and TRP328 Turboprop
Rockwell Collins will collaborate with Turkish companies for production, support and training opportunities as a part of the TRJet project. Colin Mahoney senior vice president, International and Service Solutions for Rockwell Collins, illustrated the company’s success by saying “Our Rockwell proline fusion product line has been creating history as we’ve now become the benchmark for integrated and scalable avionics solutions as we take that product line to the air transport market, the business aviation market, the tanker transport market and the helicopter market. Currently we have filled approximately 200,000 hours of operations, with 45 aircraft. Today we unveil the next chapter of fusion to the press and guests at the ceremony” emphasizing that “the focus is on extensive situational awareness.”
Liebherr-Aerospace to Supply the Complete Air Management system for TRJet’s 328 Series Aircraft
Liebherr-Aerospace will supply the complete air management system for TRJet’s 328 Series aircraft. The scope includes design and service of the bleed air system, precooling, cabin and cockpit environmental conditioning, as well as the pressurization system.
Nicolas Bonleux, Managing Director & Chief Sales Officer of Liebherr-Aerospace & Transportation SAS addressed the audience, underscoring that Passenger Experience is Key to the TRJet Program success. He said “On the 328 series we have been awarded the air management system and the flight control system. I’d like to thank SNC, on behalf of the complete Liebherr-Aerospace team, for their confidence in our capabilities. These aircraft need innovative solutions. We know that passenger experience will be key to make this program a success, and we will be working together with SNC’s team to make sure that we provide the best passenger experience system together with the best cost effective solutions and high reliability solutions for the flight controls and air management system.”
Heggemann AG to Supply the Main Landing Gear (MLG) and Nose Landing Gear (NLG) for the Company’s TRJ328 Aircraft and TRP328 Turboprop.
TRJet signed a contract with Paderborn, Germany-based Heggemann AG to supply the Main Landing Gear (MLG) and Nose Landing Gear (NLG) for the company’s TRJ328 aircraft and TRP328 turboprop. Mr. Robert Heggemann, CEO of Heggemann AG addressed the audience and said “We are very delighted to be selected to be the supplier for the developing and manufacturing of the first prototypes of the 328. This project has fantastic future prospects. We would like to work together with TRJet, supporting the growth of the Turkish aviation industry.”
The Role of the Turkish Aviation Industry
In closing, Chairman, CEO of TAI – Mr. Muharrem Dörtkaşlı shared final statements about TAI and the promising TRJet program – “We are established in Ankara, 5000 employees, with over $ 1 million in revenue with half of that coming from the civilian aerospace business. We work with Boeing, Airbus, Bombardier, Lockheed Martin, Northrup Grumman and several others and we are very pleased and proud to represent Turkish Industry as part of this dream team. I hope that it will be a success story both on the local market and the international market.” TRJet will leverage the expertise that Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) brings to the table and have begun to develop initial agreements to support the highly anticipated Turkish Regional Aircraft Project. TRJet will leverage TAI’s experience and success as a supplier to top-tier commercial aviation Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEM) to support the TRJ328 aircraft. Additionally, TRJet and TAI are actively discussing how to best utilize TAI’s design capabilities to support the development of the new, larger, indigenously designed aircraft. Local subcontractors and vendors will be utilized, resulting in a significant contribution to the local economy while continuing to develop Turkey’s flourishing civil aviation industry. Domestic aviation companies including Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI), Aselsan, TEI, Havelsan, Alp Aviation, Kale Aviation, Turkish Cabin Interior Inc. (TCI), and others are expected to participate in the project in coordination with SNC and SSM in manufacturing of the subsystems of the aircraft, which will be produced in Turkey. The companies are set to leverage existing capabilities with technology and knowledge sharing with Germany and the U.S.
