Douglas Barrie (London), Andy Nativi (Genoa), Robert Wall (Paris)
Britain and Italy plan to send Tornado strike aircraft to Afghanistan to support combat operations. The Royal Air Force will use the GR4 at Kandahar to provide a period of respite and recuperation for Harrier units, which have been in theater since September 2004. Italy is considering sending a Tornado detachment in response to a NATO request for additional air capability for its International Security Assistance Force (ISAF).
Safran has bought Netherlands-based Sdu-Identification, a manufacturer of passports and secure ID documents, and will fold the company into the Sagem Securite business unit. Safran officials say the ID document market is projected to grow more than 15% annually during the next five years, driven by international regulatory measures such as the U.S. Visa Waiver Program and similar European Union directives for biometric passports.
L-3 Communications Integrated Systems Group is planning to install its WIPPS (widebody integrated platform protection system) on two unidentified VIP Boeing 747-400s, having just completed a similar self-protection suite on a Boeing 737-800 BBJ2 aircraft owned by the same head-of-state customer. WIPPS includes Thales and EADS missile warning subsystems. It also combines BAE Systems’ ALE-47 threat-adaptive countermeasure dispensing system with infrared decoys produced by Armtec Defense and Alloy Surfaces.
Neither Sen. John McCain nor Sen. Barack Obama is saying much about commercial aviation during their battle for the White House, but it will certainly become a major topic of conversation after the election. Ready or not, the next President will quickly be confronted with policy decisions that could have a dramatic effect on the aviation industry.
Mark Booth, chairman/CEO of NetJets Europe, received the EBACE2008 European Business Aviation Award for his “key role in the recent rapid growth of European business aviation.”
Jet fuel prices are inflicting pain on all airlines, but low-cost carriers are facing a particular dilemma: They rely on significantly lower fares to stimulate enough new demand to create a bigger and viable market on many routes, particularly new ones.
As the Tejas Light Combat Aircraft passes the quarter-century mark, India is seeking international investment in its design and development, a process that’s already arousing interest from companies abroad that are looking for leverage in other Indian programs. The Aeronautical Development Agency (ADA) was started in 1984 to oversee and try to shorten the LCA’s development cycle. ADA’s focus has been on the flight-test program, flight-test envelope and engine development.
Southwest Airlines says it is bucking the industry trend and adding six routes Nov. 2 while eliminating service on only two, under a new “optimization model” it is using to adjust its markets and schedule. Under the model, Southwest is eliminating 31 flights, mostly by reducing frequencies rather than abandoning entire markets, but simultaenously adding 40 flights in “key growth cities” such as Denver and Fort Lauderdale/Hollywood, Fla.
The Sudan Civil Aviation Authority on June 25 reversed its no-fly order and will allow national carrier Sudan Airways to continue operations for at least one month. According to local press, the authority suspended the carrier’s operating certificate June 23 over administration issues and not the June 10 accident in which a Sudan Airways Airbus A310-300 crashed on landing at Khartoum in poor weather, killing an estimated 100 of the 217 people on board.
C. David Cush TITLE: President and CEO of Virgin America AGE: 48 BIRTHPLACE: Shreveport, La. EDUCATION: Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in broadcast/film, BS in psychology and MBA from Southern Methodist University.
British Chief of Defense Staff Air Marshal Jock Stirrup last week pointed out that as a result of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, U.K. forces are operating beyond their configuration. The BBC quoted Stirrup as saying: “We are not structured or resourced to do two of these things on this scale on an enduring basis but we have been doing it on an enduring basis for years.”
China’s Xi’an Aircraft planned to roll out the 50/60-seat MA600 regional turboprop on June 29. The MA600 is an improved version of the MA60 with lighter structure, Rockwell Collins Pro Line 21 integrated flight deck, upgraded interior, airstair door and other changes. First flight is expected in September, and first delivery next year.
Kay Sears has been appointed president of Bermuda-based Intelsat Ltd. ’s subsidiary Intelsat General. She succeeds William Shernit, who has retired. Sears was senior vice president-sales and business development. CEO David McGlade has been named acting chief financial officer of the parent company. He succeeds Jeffrey Freimark, who has resigned.
The Royal Air Force faces an airlift capability shortfall as a result of Airbus A400M delivery delays, coupled with far greater fatigue on the Lockheed Martin C-130J Mk. 4 than originally anticipated. The British Defense Ministry is now looking at eking out a further two years on some of its C-130Ks to partly bridge the gap around 2011-13, but it is also confronted with potentially having to begin to refurbish the center wing box of its C‑130Js possibly as early as 2012. Delivery of the aircraft only began in 1999.
The FAA has certified an Elbit enhanced vision system on a FedEx MD-10 aircraft as the airline moves to equip its entire fleet of 362 aircraft with the capability by 2015. Gulfstream Aerospace was the first manufacturer to equip its business jets with enhanced vision, forward-looking infrared (Flir) in 2001, but no Part 121 air carrier had installed the equipment until now, FedEx notes. Airline officials say the move is being made purely for safety reasons.
USAF Lt. Gen. William M. Fraser, 3rd, has been nominated for promotion to general with assignment as commander of United States Transportation Command, Scott AFB, Ill. He has been assistant to the chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Lt. Gen. Donald J. Hoffman has been nominated for promotion to general with assignment as commander of Air Force Materiel Command, Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio. He has been military deputy in the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Air Force for Acquisition. Fraser will be succeeded by Maj. Gen. Paul J.
High fuel prices and public clamor to reduce aviation’s environmental footprint may provide the catalyst for Europe to finally implement its Single European Sky initiative after years of much talk but little progress.
Boeing is poised to start tests of the 777 Freighter using a redesigned, centralized flight test approach in preparation for an unprecedented surge of new and derivative models including the 787, 747-8 and 767-200 Special Freighter.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy wants to beef up military space capabilities as part of France’s first major change in defense strategy since the end of the Cold War. Annual space spending would more than double, to nearly €800 million ($1.2 billion) per year, with the bulk of the upgrades conducted in cooperation with European partners to bring them online by 2015.
Engineers at NASA’s Langley Research Center are in the early stages of developing a robotic Lunar Surface Manipulation System (LSMS) that could be deployed to the Moon after 2020. John Dorsey, senior research engineer at Langley’s Structural Mechanics and Concepts Branch, says the multipurpose device would be used to unload cargo from lunar landers, lift and position loads, and help prepare base sites, roads and landing pads, as well as assembling large structures for human habitation.
Work by AgustaWestland and Turkish Aerospace Industries to build 51 AW129T attack helicopters for the Turkish army is underway. The first of the helicopters should be ready in 60 months. Options could add another 41 units to the deal. The two industrial partners hope the upgrade of the basic AW129 Mangusta will find appeal beyond Turkey, owing to its modern avionics and other subsystem improvements being introduced. AgustaWestland puts the value of the deal at €1 billion ($1.57 billion), not covering contractor logistics support that is still in negotiation.
