The Chinese commercial aviation industry is in the midst of a major crackdown on corruption that has seen the arrest of government and airline officials and the suicide of another. The target of the campaign is bribery for favorable route rights granted by the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC), with China Southern Airlines most deeply embroiled. The national audit office has found that the three major carriers—China Southern, Air China and China Eastern Airlines—have booked fees for “coordination of route rights.” Those “fees” appear to have been bribes.
Japanese industry will seek a bigger role in Boeing’s 737 successor program than the already large share it holds in the 787, according to policy goals set out by the ministry that guides the country’s economic development.
Boeing has completed firm configuration of the 787-9, the first stretched variant of the baseline 787-8. The -9 will be 206 ft. in length, or 20 ft. longer than the -8. The -9 will seat 16% more passengers, or 250-290 depending on seat configuration. Despite having the same wingspan as the -8 and heavier overall weight, the -9 is expected to have a range of up to 8,500 nm.—or around 300 nm. farther than the -8. First 787-9 delivery is scheduled to Air New Zealand in late 2013.
Japan Airlines, reporting it is more insolvent than estimated, has formally asked its creditor banks to waive more of its debt. With debt exceeding assets by about ¥950 billion ($10.8 billion), ¥100 billion more than estimated in January, the carrier is asking the banks to forgive about an additional ¥40 billion. The government agency acting as JAL’s administrator is expected to add a further ¥50 billion. In that event, JAL’s net assets will remain unchanged after reorganization is complete.
Carl Esposito has become vice president-marketing and product management for Honeywell Aerospace , Morris Plains, N.J. He was vice president-avionics marketing and product management for the Avionics and Flight Control Systems Div.
Neil R. Planzer, vice president of Boeing Air Traffic Management, has been named to receive the 2010 Glen A. Gilbert Memorial Award from the Alexandria, Va.-based Air Traffic Control Association . The award honors the long-term achievement of an individual in the field of aviation and is named after Gilbert (1913-82), a pilot and administrator who led the development of U.S. and international air traffic control, and is considered to have played a key role in the formation of the International Civil Aviation Organization.
Airbus is gearing up to build the A350 wing, the company’s first commercial composite wing structure, with the dispatch of large precision tools from California-based Coast Composites.
Hybrid Air Vehicles is flying a one-sixth linear-scale demonstrator to gather data for Northrop Grumman’s long-endurance multi-intelligence vehicle, a 300-ft.-long unmanned surveillance airship designed to stay aloft at 20,000 ft. for at least 21 days (see p. 42). The hybrid airship is to be deployed by the U.S. Army to Afghanistan, where the need for continuous surveillance is fueling interest in persistent platforms like LEMV as well as solar- and hydrogen-powered long-endurance UAVs. Hybrid Air Vehicles photo via Northrop Grumman
Doug Brooks, who is chairman/president/CEO of restaurant company Brinker International, has been named to the board of directors of Southwest Airlines .
The article “Jamming Secrets” (AW&ST May 24, p. 57) left me musing about the defense industry. My experience dates to when the enemy was viewed through optical or iron sights and a kill was initiated by finger pressure on a trigger, not via a button on a TV screen 5,000 mi. away. Also, today the preponderance of combat deaths and wounds are being inflicted by crude booby trap devices set off by fanatics touching two wires together. I do not see where the “. . .
Last week’s World Trade Organization ruling in the Boeing-Airbus fight over subsidies might have little immediate effect (see p. 26), but it is certainly fueling the political fire roaring over the Air Force KC-X tanker program. Competing bids are due within weeks and a contract award is expected by November—a timeline that perfectly includes this and another expected WTO decision. After the initial ruling became known, Boeing proponents like Kansas Republicans Sen. Sam Brownback and Rep.
Although European transport ministers have given support to the European Commission to devise a policy of body scanners, it will likely be another year before that directive emerges. The commission has been looking at the issue since the attempted bombing of Northwest Airlines Flight 253 on Dec. 25, 2009, and spelled out an initial set of recommendations in mid-June.
EADS Innovation Works is designing a hybrid helicopter able to fly on fuel-saving diesels, emission-free batteries or both. Power for electric motors on the main and tail rotors comes from four sources: two lithium-ion battery packs, and generators driven by two “opposed-piston, opposed-cylinder” two-stroke diesels 30% more fuel-efficient than today’s turbine engines.
At the Eisenhower Presidential Library in May, Defense Secretary Robert Gates paid a glowing tribute to Ike as “a low-maintenance leader” of simple tastes, small entourages and modest demands. This was no folksy homage to the former president whose portrait hangs behind Gates’s desk at the Pentagon. Like the rest of his remarks that day, the comment was meant to focus on efficiency in defense spending not seen in Washington for at least a couple of generations.
Justin Erbacci has rejoined Frankfurt-based Star Alliance as vice president-information technology. He was an IT director at Credit Suisse and had been Star’s director of strategic sourcing.
The U.S. Missile Defense Agency is preparing for a flight test of the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) system by year-end on the heels of a successful flight demonstration of the Terminal High-Altitude Area Defense (Thaad) program.
USAF Brig. Gen. Craig S. Olson has been apppointed program executive officer of Enterprise Electronic Systems in the Electronic Systems Center of Air Force Material Command, Maxwell-Gunter AFB, Ala. He was chief of the Office of Security Cooperation of Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq of U.S. Central Command. Brig. Gen. Thomas J. Masiello has been named deputy assistant secretary for plans, programs and operations in the State Department Bureau of Political-Military Affairs.
The National Reconnaissance Office (NRO) is developing design concepts and requirements for a multi-mission “Geoint radar satellite system,” according to a redacted version of the NRO’s Fiscal 2010 budget obtained by Steven Aftergood, who publishes Secrecy News, for the Project on Government Security at the Federation of American Scientists. The document also notes the NRO is expecting launch delays due to the pace of Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV) operations, which are managed by the United Launch Alliance. “In part due to affordability, the . . .
Lockheed Martin is prepared to ship the first Mobile User Objective System (MUOS) satellite to the U.S. Navy in the second quarter of 2011, says Mark Pasquale, a company vice president. Space Vehicle No. 1 will now enter acoustic testing followed by thermal vacuum trials. After challenges involving passive intermodulation (PIM) on the satellite, Pasquale says the company recently successfully completed PIM testing, addressing this “major risk item.” The diplexers on the satellite performed as needed, he said, clearing a major hurdle.
With demand for premium travel perking up as the global economy rebounds, aircraft seat manufacturers are deciding where to invest their time and effort. At the recent Aircraft Interiors Expo in Hamburg, manufacturers and airlines alike pointed to significant growth opportunities in the economy-, premium economy- and business-class markets. First-class demand is expected to decline in many city pairs.
Tig H. Krekel has been named a member of the board of directors of Minneapolis-based Alliant Techsystems . He is vice chairman/partner of J.F. Lehman & Co. of New York and was president/CEO of Hughes Space and Communications and president of Boeing Satellite Systems.
Klaus Goersch has become executive vice president-operations and customer service, Jack Smith senior vice president-customer service, Rocky Wiggins senior vice president-information service/chief information officer and Stephen Kolski executive vice president-corporate affairs, all for AirTran Airways .
USN Rear Adm. John W. Miller has been appointed commander of the Naval Strike and Air Warfare Center, Fallon, Nev. He has been commander of San Diego-based Carrier Strike Group 11.
Vince Restivo (see photo) has been appointed vice president-aircraft completions and interior design for the Hawker Beechcraft Corp. , Wichita, Kan. He was director of completion sales for the Gulfstream Aerospace Corp., Savannah, Ga.
