The German government anticipates further delays in fielding its Tiger reconnaissance and attack helicopter owing to a hiatus in deliveries as Eurocopter fixes a systems wiring problem. Because of quality shortfalls, the German defense ministry says it has not received any Tigers from Eurocopter since December. Of the 67 that should have been delivered to date, only 11 have been handed over, and none is in a production configuration, a defense ministry official laments.
At a time when airlines are furloughing flight and cabin crew staff, Emirates last week announced plans to hire 3,000 cabin crewmembers this year to meet demands of a growing fleet and route network. Vice President of Recruitment Rick Helliwell says the airline, which currently employs 11,000 flight attendants, receives more than 5,000 applications per month.
Libano Miranda Barroso has been named director-president of Brazil-based TAM Linhas Aereas . He was interim president, following David Barioni Neto, and had been vice president-finance, management and information technology.
DCNS has begun cutting metal on the first of four submarines intended for the Brazilian navy. Delivery is expected to begin in 2017. Although the vessels are conventional, they are being acquired under a technology transfer agreement. Part of a broad defense and space cooperation agreement between Paris and Brasilia, the submarine collaboration is thought to be the decisive argument pushing Brazil to acquire France’s Rafale fighter to meet an advanced combat aircraft requirement.
David D. McBride has become director of the NASA Dryden Flight Research Center , Edwards AFB, Calif. He had been acting director, succeeding Kevin L. Petersen, who has retired. McBride was deputy director.
Jeremiah Farmer’s suggestion to have left Atlantis docked to the International Space Station (ISS) for use as a space vehicle or for storage is not practical (AW&ST May 10, p. 8; April 26, p. 16). The problems include a substantial increase in drag to the ISS assembly, potential damage to the orbiter thermal tiles from debris and the need to maintain a ground staff and communication links to support flights from ISS.
Singapore Airlines is cautious about expanding capacity despite reversing a first-half loss and reporting a S$216-million ($153-million) net income for the year ending March 31. The airline, which slashed capacity by 11% in the last financial year amid a global business downturn, will add just 2% capacity to its network in the year ending March 31, 2011. Chief Executive Chew Choon Seng says that while there was recovery in all sectors, including business class, the market remains fragile and yields are not back to pre-crisis levels.
Carolyn Corvi has been named to the board of directors of Continental Airlines . She was vice president/general manager of aircraft programs at Boeing Commercial Airplanes.
This year, Iberia Maintenance expects to complete 190 engine shop visits, 111 of them from General Electric CFM56s, with 60% of those from the parent airline and 40% from third-party clients. Iberia is forecasting that third-party clients will account for the other 79 engines—45 Rolls-Royce RB211s, 19 GE CF34-3s and 15 Pratt & Whitney JT8s. Overall, Iberia engines contribute only 27% of the powerplant shop’s total production, which has grown an average of 15% each year since 2006.
Cathay Pacific Airways and major shareholder Swire Pacific will sell their combined 30% stake in Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Ltd. (Hactl) in anticipation of the airline establishing a competing freight operation. When Cathay won a franchise to set up its own air cargo terminal at Hong Kong International Airport, it agreed to sell its stake in Hactl. Other Hactl shareholders will buy the Cathay and Swire holdings.
Following the longest flight yet by an air-breathing scramjet engine, the X-51A Waverider team is waiting to see whether the largely successful first launch of the hypersonic demonstrator will unlock funding for further development of the technology.
The National Transportation Safety Board has had revising pilot flight-/duty-time rules on its most-wanted list for 10 years, and now it is going to have to wait a little longer. A notice of proposed rulemaking that first was expected at the end of 2009, and then pushed back to this summer, is now targeted for September, says NTSB Chairman Deborah Hersman. “This has turned into a slow process with no end in sight,” she tells regional airline CEOs.
Mike Harlan has become president/CEO of the Breeze-Eastern Corp. , Union, N.J. He succeeds Robert L.G. White, who has retired. Harlan was executive vice president/chief operating officer.
After two years of construction, the Bell Helicopter Training Academy in Fort Worth has placed the first simulator for Bell 429 flight training into operation. FAA certification to Level 6 is expected early next year.
