The U.K. suffers from the heaviest taxes on flying in the world, its airport infrastructure is decaying, and its planning process to revitalize air transport is appallingly difficult. As a result, the country’s leading airport, Heathrow, continues to head toward secondary hub status in Europe. Yet, the coalition government is failing to properly address strained capacity at Heathrow Airport and beyond. The question on many minds is: What will come first, a new government or a proper aviation policy?
Mark Busalacchi has joined the Lee County Port Authority , Fort Myers, Fla., as director of properties. He came from JetBlue Airways, where he handled properties, contracts and airport affairs at 15 airports in the Midwest and Western U.S.
As major manufacturers fight for their definition of what future 100-200-seat, single-aisle aircraft will look like, they at least have the advantage of talking to an industry that has access to low-interest loans and financiers impressed with the discipline airlines showed in bouncing back from the global recession.
I take exception with your editorial “The Broken Branch of Government” (AW&ST Feb. 14, p. 58). In this indictment of Congress, you speak of “Congress’s dereliction of duty” and refer to “the newly empowered tea party adherents” in a pejorative way. Excuse me, but this Congress was elected by citizens—and this includes tea party members—to be responsible and negate the recklessness of the executive branch and previous Congress.
The ongoing temporary extensions of the FAA’s budget and authorization are taking a toll on the agency, officials say. The FAA is halting most new certification activities until Congress passes a fiscal 2011 budget, now not expected until at least early April, if at all. Flight Standards Director John Allen says most travel and hiring also are on hold. “We’re waiting to find out what kind of budget we’ll have before we turn that spigot back on,” he says.
Adrian Friend has joined Esri UK of Aylesbury as strategic account manager for Ministry of Defense customer Intelligence Collection Group. Formerly a major in the Royal Engineers, Friend was the lead geospatial representative within the ministry’s Security Policy and Operations Div.
The Israeli navy has intercepted a Liberian-flag vessel, the Victoria, believed to be carrying C-704 anti-ship missiles from Iran to Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip. The vessel was heading to Egypt, but Israeli officials say they don’t believe Egyptian officials knew of the arms shipment, which also included 60- and 120-mm mortar shells. “These are strategic weapons. If Hamas gets its hands on them, they would seriously damage strategic infrastructure at sea and at shore,” argues Israel navy chief Brig. Gen. Rani Ben-Yehuda.
The FAA is about to take major steps in two long-running projects that will update its core air traffic control systems and form an essential base for the NextGen modernization program. The agency is set to begin replacing the main operating system at the largest terminal control facilities under a new agreement with Raytheon, with work under way at the first of these sites. Meanwhile, the FAA is preparing to give the final go-ahead for nationwide deployment of the new en route system that has been developed by Lockheed Martin.
Indeed, airlines are “Over A Barrel” again (AW&ST March 7/14, p. 24). With the many invisible factors that impact jet kerosene prices, the only hope for stable jet fuel prices will be if the U.S. Air Force succeeds in developing synthetic jet fuels and producing them in quantity at a reasonable price. Does anyone know the estimate for synthetic jet fuel per barrel?
Michael Kimman next month is scheduled to become vice president-information technology for the SkyTeam alliance in Amsterdam. He joins the airline partnership from KLM, where he is vice president/chief information officer.
Chinese leasing companies are close to venturing into speculative aircraft orders as the next stage in their development. Lessors are already making inquiries with manufacturers but, as mostly new companies still feeling their way, they are reluctant to commit to the distant delivery dates that are available. The global aviation industry is already getting used to names such as ICBC Leasing, CDB Leasing, Bank of Communications Leasing and Dragon Aviation Leasing.
One of the most valuable aspects of annual industry events, such as ATC Global or the Civil Air Navigation Services Organization’s (Canso) own CEO conference, is that they provide ideal opportunities to reflect upon industry developments of the past 12 months and assess the progress that has been made in that time.
The return in force of Boeing to the weakening communications satellite market has rival manufacturers scrambling for the right response. Boeing’s return, after a long absence related to poor program execution, lack of a suitable mid-range product and over-reliance on the military market, is all the more significant because it straddles all three of the industry’s major segments—fixed satellite service (FSS), mobile satellite service (MSS) and broadband.
Modernization may be the battle cry in air traffic management these days, but a program being tested by airlines and ATM organizations shows there are still plenty of ways to improve efficiency without investing in new technology.
Pakistan is in negotiations with the U.S. to get more Lockheed Martin F-16s beyond those it has on order, while at the same time it is developing its defense manufacturing capability to reduce its reliance on the U.S. Pakistan air force Air Chief Marshal Rao Qamar Suleman disclosed this, though no firm numbers were given. Qamar spoke to Aviation Week in Melbourne, Australia, where he was attending an air chiefs’ conference.
Brian Sheridan has joined the intelligence and security sector of BAE Systems as vice president and deputy manager of strategic initiatives. Honors & Elections
Leithen Francis (Singapore), Michael A. Taverna (Paris)
Buoyed by sustained economic growth, Asian governments are investing more in small satellite systems to gain autonomous access to remote-sensing data over their region and to develop indigenous engineering capabilities.
A shutdown of the federal government would not immediately affect national and domestic security efforts, but government contractors—including a historically large force supporting the Pentagon—could be irreparably impacted, trade groups are warning.
Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. is planning a major upgrade to its Disaster Monitoring Constellation that will provide submetric resolution and day/night all-weather operation without overly impacting affordability for the company’s core emerging-market users.
Reader Capt. Clyde Romero, Jr., lauds Alfred Kahn for being responsible for getting him, along with thousands of other workers, their jobs in the airline industry (AW&ST Feb. 7, p. 8). But Romero neglects to mention that those jobs came at the expense of thousands of other airline employees losing their employment. Romero should enjoy his position while he can, because as the business of aviation unfolds, threats to his career and/or retirement may be lurking.
Thales will redeploy space-related activities to Thales Alenia Space to enable the Franco-Italian space contractor to establish a significant presence in Germany. Chairman/CEO Luc Vigneron says the company will transfer undisclosed equipment activities to Thales so it can build up an industrial base in Germany that will allow it to bid more effectively for German and European institutional awards.
Aircraft equipage—or lack of it—is the focus of attention as the FAA rolls out the infrastructure and initial capabilities across the U.S. that underpin its NextGen airspace modernization effort. Aircraft operators will not equip for NextGen until there are economic benefits, but there will not be benefits until they equip, the argument goes. Both sides agree that the faster airspace users equip, the quicker the benefits will come (see pp. 60-74).
Europe hopes to validate this year the first technologies of its massive “Sesar” air traffic management modernization project. But the fate of the endeavor hinges as much on imminent funding decisions as on the outcome of those ATM trials.
I agree with reader Bill Valentino (AW&ST Feb. 14, p. 8) that “the highest priority of Marine Air is to support the infantry.” As a former Marine Boeing CH-46 pilot who served in Vietnam, I believe that any aircraft that doesn’t directly serve the “grunts on the ground” is unnecessary. However, eliminating a Lockheed Martin F-35 engine choice is not the way. The Marine Corps should eliminate its purchase of the F-35 altogether and update the A-10 to provide close air support; it can’t be that hard to put a tailhook on it.
Michael A. Taverna (Paris), Amy Butler (Washington), Frank Morring, Jr. (Washington)
Commercial satellite communications operators complain that a broad overhaul in satcom procurement initiated a year ago, under the new U.S. National Space Policy to help overcome a glaring shortfall in bandwidth, is not working as intended because of contracting inefficiencies.
