Shanghai-based Spring Airlines has given Singapore Technologies Aerospace a $105-million contract for component maintenance. This will expand the support the Singaporean company provides to the carrier’s fleet to as many as 78 Airbus A320s from 15.
Boeing Commercial Airplanes reports delivering 108 aircraft in the first quarter of 2010, down 13 from the same period in 2009. Last year, the company was still delivering 747-400s, which accounts for four airplanes. But output in each of its main programs—the 737 and 777—was off this year. From January to March 2010, Boeing delivered 86 737s (91 in 2009) and 19 777s (23 in 2009). It also delivered three 767s in each year. Assuming about 460 deliveries this year, the first-quarter pace is slightly behind.
The total number of U.S. civil aviation accidents and fatalities in 2009 decreased compared to 2008, according to the NTSB preliminary statistics for 2009 released last week. The safety board recorded a total of 1,551 accidents and 534 fatalities in 2009 compared to 1,658 accidents and 566 deaths in 2008. Only one fatal accident involving a scheduled Part 121 operator occurred last year: the Feb. 12, 2009, crash of Colgan Air Flight 3407 near Buffalo, N.Y. that killed 50 people.
NASA’s plan for divvying up the work under its Fiscal 2011 budget request appears to have been drafted with at least an eye to the politics of getting it through Congress, and perhaps even to the congressional elections this fall. Alabama—home of Republican Sen. Richard Shelby, one of the most vocal opponents of the Obama administration space policy—does pretty well, as do potential battleground states Florida and Ohio (see p. 35). Administrator Charles Bolden says consultation with Congress on work-package details will come later.
The U.S. Navy’s first Boeing 737-based P-8 Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft will begin operational test and evaluation at NAS Patuxent River, Md., following a ferry flight from Boeing Field in Seattle. T1, the first P-8, will be flown by the Poseidon integrated test team (ITT) comprising Navy Air Test and Evaluation Sqdns. VX-1 and VX-20 as well as Boeing. The aircraft is assigned to airworthiness testing while T2, which is expected to arrive from Seattle in the next month, will be used for mission systems tests.
Italian workshare demands are adding to the Pentagon’s list of headaches regarding the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, just as the U.S. is trying to come to terms with a major program restructuring aimed at dealing with development delays and cost overruns.
Justin Firestone (see photo) has been appointed Hong Kong-based president of Asia-Pacific sales and Richard W. Emery, 2nd, president of Americas jet sales for the Hawker Beechcraft Corp. , Wichita, Kan. Firestone was founder/CEO of Asia Jet, while Emery was Central U.S. vice president-sales. Keith Nadolski has become president for turboprop and piston sales in the Americas. He was vice president for aircraft sales for Eastern North America.
Andy Nativi (Genoa), Douglas Barrie (London), Michael A. Taverna (Paris)
India and the United Arab Emirates are emerging as potential launch partners on the MBDA Marte extended-range (ER) version of the antiship missile, as the European missile manufacturer looks to refine its business model in the export arena. India is interested in the Marte ER to meet a requirement for a helicopter-launched antiship missile. In the Marte ER development, the missile’s solid-propellant sustainer motor would be replaced with a small turbojet, taking its range beyond 100 km. (62.5 mi.).
The Solar Impulse venture on April 7 completed the formal first flight of the solar-powered HB-SIA in preparation for a 36-hr. through-the-night flight this summer. The 87-min. flight took place at the Payerne air base in Switzerland, with the aircraft reaching close to 4,000 ft. in altitude.
London could yet order at least a handful of Tranche 3B Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft, if a deal to sell the aircraft to Oman is in place by early 2011. Oman and the U.K. have been discussing Typhoon purchases for more than two years. Industry officials suggest that if the timescale for Oman’s delivery aspirations are to be met, the fighters will likely be drawn from Tranche 2 aircraft now in production for the Royal Air Force.
Luis Planas (see photo) has become vice president-quality at Dassault Falcon ’s Little Rock, Ark., facility. Mike Marcum has been appointed Midwest U.S. field technical representative and Falcon 900 specialist.
Stephen Gibson has become commercial director of Surrey Satellite Technology Ltd. , Guildford, England. He was head of commercial management of contracts for European Satellite Navigation Industries GmbH.
The civil aircraft projects of China and Japan will be heavily supported by Western first-tier suppliers who can offer much of the integration expertise that the upstart manufacturers lack. While this lack of experience in bringing together a whole aircraft is often seen as a key obstacle for companies such as Mitsubishi Aircraft, Comac and the ambitious subsidiaries of the Avic group, to a large extent they can simply contract such Western manufacturers as Goodrich and Honeywell to take on some of the integration load.
TAP has delivered a €57-million net profit in 2009, recovering from a €209-million loss the year before. Reduced fuel costs and other measures helped TAP offset the €283-million drop in revenue last year from 2008 levels. Fuel savings alone were enough to offset the revenue decline, the airline says, but capacity cuts and other steps helped generate a further €201 million in savings.
Problems contributing to the failure of a U.S. Missile Defense Agency (MDA) Ground-Based Midcourse Defense (GMD) flight trial are raising questions about testing conditions as well as quality control of components of the system.
April 22-23—FltOps.com Global Pilot Career Conference & Job Fair. Marriott Renaissance Las Vegas Hotel. See www.fltops.com/jobs April 25-27—Reed Exhibitions’ Middle East Airport Expo 2010. Dubai World Trade Center. Call +97 (12) 409-0403 or see www.theairportshow.com April 26-29—Institute for Defense and Government Advancement’s UAV Summit “Achieving Maximum Unmanned Capabilities.” Sheraton Premiere at Tysons Corner Hotel. Vienna, Va. Call +1 (800) 882-8684, fax +1 (646) 378-6025 or see www.uavevent.com
Airline a-la-carte pricing experts say carriers will closely follow consumer reaction to the new carry-on baggage fee being implemented by U.S. low-cost carrier Spirit Airlines, and one of them says some Latin American carriers are among the likeliest candidates to follow suit.
The Air Combat Command is beginning to define what might follow the so-called fifth-generation fighters, such as the F-22. “We’ve stood up a sixth-gen fighter office here, and we’re starting to figure out what the attributes should be,” says USAF Maj. Gen Tom Andersen, the command’s director of requirements. “Survivability will be huge, so how do you do that— with speed, stealth or some combination?
William F. Ballhaus, Jr., retired president/CEO of The Aerospace Corp., has been elected chairman of the Colorado Springs-based Space Foundation ’s board of directors for a two-year term. He succeeds USAF Gen. (ret.) Thomas S. Moorman, former commander of Air Force Space Command and retired partner in Booz Allen Hamilton, who was named a director emeritus. Elected vice chairman was Martin C. Faga, former president/CEO of the Mitre Corp. and former director of the National Reconnaissance Office. Secretary is Barbara Barrett, former U.S. ambassador to Finland.
Michael Gallagher’s letter suggests canceling the F-35 and starting on the sixth-generation aircraft program, which will somehow come in under budget. What makes him think the next large aircraft program will come in on budget? (Now-retired Lockheed Martin CEO Norman) Augustine’s Laws highlighted that problem 30 years ago.
Michael Mecham’s article “Slicker SLC-6” (AW&ST March 22, p. 54) provides a good overview of the recent modifications to Vandenberg AFB’s Space Launch Complex-6 that are required for Delta IV Heavy launch support. However, his descriptive material on the launch vehicle needs clarification because of confusion caused by his use of “engine” instead of “stage” or “booster.” Here is the correct terminology:
Michael Bruno (Washington), Bettina H. Chavanne (Washington), Bill Sweetman (Washington)
The Obama administration’s Nuclear Posture Review (NPR) represents a significant shift toward nuclear nonproliferation, counterterrorism and even a stronger emphasis on conventional deterrence. And it raises the threshold for consideration of the use and role of nuclear weapons.
I am pleased that the Sierra Nevada Corp. has won a major Space Act contract for its Dream Chaser commercial crew vehicle concept (AW&ST Feb. 22, p. 53) under the Commercial Crew Development program. In fact, it was the largest of five awards, at $20 million.
