American Airlines plans to lay off up to 900 flight attendants on Aug. 31, part of wider job cuts the carrier has already signaled. The carrier sent letters to its attendants advising them of its plans, although the final total may change. American said it hopes to achieve much of its job cut target through attrition and voluntary packages. American said in May it would have to furlough many employees to match the substantial capacity cuts it is planning this fall.
Fuel costs and environmental concerns are combining to increase the pressure to approve as wide a range of alternative jet fuels as feasible as quickly as possible. Standards setters will meet this month to advance a dual-track approach that should see 50% blends of Fischer-Tropsch (FT)-derived synthetic paraffinic kerosene (SPK) approved by year-end and 50% blends of hydrogenated fats and oils (HFO)-derived SPK by 2010.
The U.S. Transportation Dept. Inspector General is asking the FAA to reconsider adopting two recommendations that emerged June 30 from the IG’s ongoing audit of the agency’s safety oversight of airlines. The FAA agreed with all recommendations except two—which the IG called “fundamental” to improving oversight of airlines: to periodically rotate supervisory inspectors to ensure reliable and objective air carrier oversight, and establish an independent organization to investigate safety issues identified by the FAA.
Eumetsat has approved a €46-million contribution for the Jason-3 follow-on oceanography mission and funds to study a further follow-on based on the European Space Agency’s CryoSat‑2 Earth Explorer. The move will put pressure on the European Commission to come up with the €46 million that remain to be approved for Jason-3, to ensure the continuity of critical altimetry data after the retirement of Jason-2, which was launched on June 20.
Christophe Villemin (see photo) has been named president of the Global Aerospace, Transportation and Industry Div. of France-based Alcan Engineered Products . He was president of the Specialty Sheets Div.
General Electric has named a 28-year veteran, David Joyce, as president and chief executive of GE Aviation. He succeeds Scott C. Donnelly, who has become executive vice president and chief operating officer at Textron. Since 2003, Joyce has been vice president of the GE’s commercial engine unit, including its global support network. Before that, he headed small commercial engine operations, which included GE’s successful bid to power the ARJ21 regional jet with the GE34-10A engine and certification of the CF34-8 for the Bombardier CRJ900 and Embraer E170/175.
It’s hardly surprising that the aerospace and defense industry as a whole is sharpening its operating and financial performances. Seven years of soaring U.S. military expenditures and three concurrent years of record commercial aircraft orders have generated a bonanza for all—from Lockheed Martin and Boeing down to the smallest supplier.
Boeing and the U.S. Air Force have begun talks over development of a larger, piloted blended-wing body (BWB) demonstrator that would follow-on from the current subscale X-48B unmanned BWB now flying at Edwards AFB, Calif. Company officials say the single-pilot vehicle will have a “pressurized cockpit” and be multi-engined, but add that the final configuration will depend on definitive research objectives and funding.
The Pentagon is considering a delay until August 2009 for a contract award of the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) that will replace the Hellfire, TOW and Maverick series of weapons. Raytheon and Lockheed Martin are dueling for the program, which is jointly funded by the U.S. Army and Navy. Both services, however, lack money in their Fiscal 2010 budgets to pay for two development efforts.
Europe and the U.S. could make great strides in cooperating on aviation safety following the signing of a long-delayed bilateral aviation safety agreement, but there is also concern about several areas of conflict. The bilateral accord is “a crucial step in the cooperation between the two sides of the Atlantic,” asserts Patrick Goudou, executive director of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Europe wants to build on the success to strike a similar deal with Canada in October.
Jim Elwood, who is director of Aspen/Pitkin County (Colo.) Airport, has become chairman of the Alexandria, Va.-based American Assn. of Airport Execuctives for 2008-09. John Duval of Beverly, Mass., was elected first vice chairman; Jim Bennett of Washington, second vice chairman; and Kelly Johnson of Bentonville, Ark., secretary-treasurer. Elwood succeeds Krys Bart of Reno, Nev. New members of the board of directors are: Tom Rafter of Hammonton, N.J.; Lew Bleiweis of Fletcher, N.C.; and Michael Gobb of Lexington, Ky.
Michael J. Richter and William F. Farmer, effective July 9, have been appointed managing directors and co-heads of Lazard Ltd. ’s U.S. aerospace and defense investment banking group, based in Los Angeles and Washington, respectively. They have been co-presidents of Jeffries Quarterdeck.
The Phoenix lander’s search for Martian life evidence will begin in earnest this week as the spacecraft’s organic chemistry instrument is fed a sample of 100% water ice. The mission team also wants to do ice sampling as early as possible, in the event an electrical short in the device prematurely halts organic-oven operations. The ice sample is to be processed starting about July 9, with results due about July 15.
The European Commission and European Space Agency have issued a request for proposals for 28 full operating capability (FOC) satellites—26 operational units plus two spares—and related ground segment for the Galileo satellite navigation system. The estimated €2.15-billion ($3.38-billion) purchase will be conducted by ESA on the commission’s behalf but in accordance with EC rules, which require open competition without regard for geographic return. Six separate work packages will be competed.
SuperJet 100 managers say Finmeccanica’s entry into the regional jet program and progress in building a worldwide support network are sparking renewed interest in the 95-seat jet.
The results are in from Aviation Week & Space Technology’s annual Top-Performing Companies (TPC) Study, which uses a sophisticated set of metrics to measure how publicly traded companies are performing at the operational level. The in-depth report starts on p. 46 with articles that analyze this year’s rankings of 125 aerospace and defense companies and highlight the performance traits that separate the industry’s stellar performers from the laggards. A one-year snapshot of how each company ranks against its peers begins on p. 50.
Enrique Barrientos Blanco (see photo) has been named CEO of the EADS Defense and Security Div. in Spain. He succeeds Pablo de Bergia, who will be retiring. Barrientos was chief of staff of his division’s office in Munich.
Eric J. Shradar, a recent graduate of the Parks College of St. Louis University and commercial pilot and certified flight instructor, has won the Dr. Harold S. Wood Scholarship from the Washington-based General Aviation Manufacturers Assn. The scholarship is named for the founder and past executive director of the National Intercollegiate Flying Assn. and recognizes a student at a member school who demonstrates academic excellence, promotes aviation and participates in activities and community service outside of aviation.
ERA Training Center has begun operating its new facility at the Lake Charles (La.) Regional Airport, near the headquarters of ERA Helicopters. The building houses two FAA-approved Flight Training Devices for the Eurocopter AS350B2 and EC 135 as well as classrooms and pilot briefing areas. The 7,600-sq.-ft. facility will be dedicated to training personnel involved in emergency medical services, airborne law enforcement and business aviation rotorcraft operations.
Ian King, BAE Systems chief operating officer, will succeed Mike Turner as CEO on Sept. 1. King is a former Marconi executive and following the Marconi acquisition by British Aerospace, he became BAE Systems group strategy and planning director. King was also group managing director for customer solutions and support.
Working to keep its skies safe, Australia’s Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) is investigating pilot training and checking systems at Cairns-based Aero Tropics in the wake of the authority’s June 27 grounding of the 15-aircraft fleet. CASA cites “serious and imminent risks to the safety of passengers” in suspending operations. It had planned an appeal to federal court to extend the suspension for 40 days. Founded in 1995 with one aircraft in operation, Aero Tropics expanded from charter to scheduled flights in 2000.
