BAe 146/AVRO RJ unpaved runway capability gives Cobham competitive edge

The proven ability of the BAE Systems BAe 146/Avro RJ regional jetliner to operate from unpaved runways has given Cobham Aviation Services in Australia an important competitive edge in the fiercely contested market to supply airline services to the mining resource industry. Cobham is a leading provider of high capacity air transport services supporting fly-in; fly-out (FIFO) operations for blue-chip mining resource clients throughout Australia, and the unpaved runway capability of the BAe 146/Avro RJ has allowed the company to win business from top tier mining companies that wish to access mines in remote areas where the nearest runways are normally unpaved gravel. Five unpaved runway destinations in Western Australia are now served by Cobham on a regular basis and this unrivalled capability of the aircraft has opened up other gravel airstrips in Australia to commercial passenger jet aircraft for the first time. A key boost to the economics of such operations was when European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) approval was given in January 2015 for a significant increase in payload/range for the BAe 146 operating, as a trial, from the Kambalda unpaved runway in Western Australia (WA). This followed a two-year project carried out by BAE Systems Regional Aircraft technical specialists in collaboration with Cobham. The increase could be as much as four tonnes in payload (or up to 40 passengers or extra freight), an additional 700 nautical miles range, or a mix of the two. As a result of the EASA approval Cobham has been carrying out further tests for other variants of the BAe 146/Avro RJ operating to more unpaved runways across Australia on a case by case basis and this has led to securing new business.