Chromalloy is pursuing organization designation authorization (ODA) approval for repairs, which it currently does through its 13 designated engineering representatives (DER). Chromalloy hopes to achieve ODA in the next year or two, which would give it a single interface with the FAA and most likely expedite approval of the hundreds of repairs it develops each year, says Dr. Peter Howard, VP, technology and quality assurance. Chromalloy's technology center in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., is the hub of its parts, coatings and repairs development.

When Stephen Morse invented the twist drill bit in the 1860s, the aviation world was characterized at best by gliders, parachutes and birdlike machines that achieved flying for only a few minutes. Things have certainly changed immensely in the field of aeronautics since then, but the drill bit has more or less stayed the same. That is, until Perfect Point created a forceless drilling process that uses an electrode to remove a fastener in seconds.

FlightPath International appointed Rudy Toering to VP, business development. Toering joins the company for CAE.

Oxford Aviation Academy and Ulyanovsk Higher Civil Aviation School in Russia have signed a memorandum of understanding to develop flight training programs for modern aircraft in Russia. Correction: The March story "Exploiting the Data Explosion" contained an incorrect spelling of Peeter Kivestu's name.

Monarch Aircraft Engineering Technical Training Academy will start Boeing 787 training this year, investing $2.5 million on desktop training equipment at its Luton Airport facility in London. A refurbishment of the training building will add several new classrooms for composites and fiber optics training.

Thai Airways chose Bluebox Avionics to provide its Bluebox Ai IFE application for the iPad. The airline will deploy 650 iPad units to its Royal Silk class customers in June, which will have a custom user interface for the airline. Training

Finnair is launching labor talks to shed 280 positions as the airline moves to outsource engine and component services to SR Technics. The move is part of a wider Finnair group effort to realign the business and seek €140 million in cost savings to improve financial returns. In announcing the deal, airline COO Vile Iho says “this plan is based on a thorough analysis, where we first examined the costs and structures of our own operations, and then compared the results to tens of external service providers.”

Delta may benefit from financing from the Export-Import Bank of the U.S. (Ex-Im Bank), despite the carrier's being involved in a lawsuit objecting to the bank's financing foreign carriers purchase of Boeing aircraft. The Ex-Im Bank announced an $84.8 million loan guarantee for GOL Linhas Aereas Inteligentes for engine maintenance services in Atlanta by DeltaTechOps. The Ex-Im Bank's loan guarantee covers the first two years of a five-year contract. DeltaTechOps is to provide 253 engine removals and heavy maintenance on GOL's CFM56-7B engines at its Atlanta facility.