Curtiss-Wright Controls is working to turn South Korea from a customer to a supplier, exploiting the progress local manufacturers have made in gaining technology. Perhaps the most prominent opportunity is in actuation, the equipment that, for example, moves flight control surfaces, says Curtiss-Wright Controls Vice President Christopher Thomson. “South Korea has been a good market, growing faster than our other segments,” says Curtiss-Wright’s Tom Quinly. “We want to take it to another level.”
Bombardier says it is poised to accelerate CSeries flight testing now that it has completed a test-flight to proof-check calibration accuracy. The 1.5-hr. flight from Mirabel, near Montreal, on Oct. 30 was only the fourth for the first CSeries test aircraft, FTV-1, since its first flight on Sept. 16. The aircraft reached 340 kt. and 12,000 ft., but remained in the backup “direct” mode of its fly-by-wire control system.
Nov. 13-14—Aerospace & Defense Programs, Arizona Biltmore, Phoenix, Ariz. Jan. 21-22, 2014—MRO Latin America, Rio de Janerio, Brazil Feb. 4-6—MRO Middle East, Dubai World Trade Center, Dubai, UAE March 4-5—Defense Technology & Affordability Requirements, Washington, D.C. March 6—57th Annual Laureates Awards, National Building Museum, Washington, D.C. April 8-10—MRO Americas 2014, Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix, Ariz. April 9—MRO Military 2014, Phoenix Convention Center, Phoenix, Ariz.
South Korea’s government and aerospace industry are persisting with low-level work on the proposed DRA 90-seat turboprop airliner, despite failing to come to an agreement with Bombardier to co-develop the aircraft, a government source tells Aviation Week.
Additive manufacture has the potential to improve the environmental sustainability of aircraft components in production and operation, concludes a study by EADS Innovation Works and EOS, a leader in direct metal laser-sintering (DMLS) technology. The study compared a current cast-steel nacelle hinge bracket for the Airbus A320 with an optimized titanium design additively manufactured on an EOS laser-sintering machine. DMLS builds up parts by using a laser to melt layers of powdered metal.
Click here to view the pdf Top Carriers: Rio De Janeiro, October 15-21, 2013, Ranked By Scheduled Outbound ASMs Top Carriers: Rio De Janeiro, October 15-21, 2013, Ranked By Scheduled Outbound ASMs
Air France-KLM Group’s Engineering & Maintenance (AFI-KLM E&M) unit saw third-party revenue jump 19.5% in the third quarter, continuing a trend that has the maintenance group’s outside revenues on pace to grow nearly 20% this year.
Introducing the Aero 100 Airfare Benchmark Index Designed for anyone with risk on the future level of airfares – for example Airlines, Banks/Credit Card Companies, Corporate Travel Managers, etc. The Aero 100 Airfare Benchmark Index tracks daily airfares within the domestic airline market. The Aero 100 delivers financial risk mitigation and protection against constant fluctuation of airline ticket prices by providing the price settling mechanism for Commodity Futures Contracts.
Triumph Group’s Airborne Structures business unit recently won a five-year deal to support KLM Royal Dutch Airlines MD-11 nacelle components, its first multi-year win supporting a major European carrier, the aerostructures specialist reports. The deal, revealed by Triumph President and CEO Jeff Frisby during the company’s second-quarter 2014 earnings call, is valued at “less than $5 million” annually, Frisby says.
Air France-KLM has decided to fully write off the value of its 25% shareholding in Alitalia, citing the uncertainty of the Italian carrier’s situation. “The group recorded its share of loss of Alitalia and a provision for impairment, for a total amount of €202 million ($273 million),” Air France-KLM revealed in the financial statements accompanying its results for the third quarter.
Japan Airlines (JAL) and Qantas are boosting their investment in Japanese low-cost carrier Jerstar Japan, a move that represents a vote of confidence in the performance of the fledgling carrier and its growth prospects. The two mainline carriers have announced a combined equity injection of 11 billion yen ($111.9 million), which will lift their ownership stakes to 45.7% each, up from 41.7%. The other two partners in the joint venture, Mitsubishi Corp. and Century Tokyo Leasing, will now each own 4.3%.
Fewer commercial aircraft deliveries and a shift in the mix toward smaller regional and business jets caused Embraer to miss its profit forecast for the third quarter. But the Brazilian manufacturer expects a strong fourth quarter, and is maintaining its full-year forecast for 2013. Rival Bombardier also missed its third-quarter revenue and earnings forecasts on lower aircraft deliveries and orders, but has not commented on whether it will meet its full-year targets.
In another potential blow to the Airbus A380 program, Air France-KLM yesterday indicated it may not take all of the aircraft it has on firm order for its Air France unit. According to Air France-KLM CEO Alexandre de Juniac, the airline may swap part of its remaining order for other aircraft types and plans to enter discussions with Airbus on the matter. Air France has taken delivery of nine of the 12 A380s it has on order, and is scheduled to receive another A380 in 2014.
The FAA says it has “streamlined” the approval process that airlines can use for approving on-board personal electronic devices (PEDs), opening the door for individual airlines by the end of the year to approve PEDs for use at all times during a flight.
Lufthansa CEO Christoph Franz says the company’s third-quarter financial performance indicates a “trend reversal” for the group’s passenger airlines. Lufthansa Passage, the unit comprising Lufthansa and Germanwings, posted a €300 million ($408 million) operating profit in the period, an improvement of 170% over the previous year. According to Franz, the unit’s short-haul segment also will post a full-year operating profit for the first time in five years.
Click here to view the pdf Fuel Watch: Global Jet Fuel Prices (midpoint) As of October 30, 2013, compared with previous week and previous year cts/gal prev. week prev.
