The Society of British Aerospace Companies’ senior adviser on environmental affairs, Mark Watson, says British industry and government need to work together to ensure U.K. manufacturers are able to capitalize on the potential business for the next-generation of single-aisle passenger aircraft. He adds that replacement types will be a key to helping meet ambitious environmental targets.
Indonesia proposes to tighten capital requirements on airlines, mandating that they own at least two of their aircraft. The others can be leased. The regulation will apply to companies that are already operating and is expected to go into force next month.
JetBlue Airways started up at New York John F. Kennedy International Airport for two primary reasons. It was able to use the vacant TWA terminal and operate most of its flights during morning and afternoon hours, which had plenty of capacity; most international operations at JFK occur in the late afternoon and evening. JFK is no longer the primary international gateway on the East Coast.
British air traffic service provider NATS has awarded Spanish information technology manufacturer Indra a £47-million ($92.6-million) contract to develop a next-generation flight data processing system.
The Transportation Security Administration has tapped seven airports to take part in a pilot program for employee screening. Boston Logan will offer 100% employee and vehicle screening at perimeter entrances, along with a test of biometric access control. Jacksonville (Fla.) International Airport and Craven (N.C.) Regional Airport will do 100% physical screening of employees going from public to secure areas.
The AFL-CIO’s aviation union leaders met Feb. 14 to develop a strategy in response to possible airline mergers. The group said it would use any and all options, “including deployment of legislative, political and capital strategies—to leverage the strength of working people to ensure this latest merger mania doesn’t harm this industry.” It also said it will engage “elected officials at the highest levels” to ensure employees’ voices are not drowned out by greed and Wall Street.
Emeric d’Arcimoles has been named executive vice president-international affairs for Paris-based Safran and Francois Courtot vice president-institutional affairs and major accounts (Airbus and Eurocopter), both effective Apr. 1. Olivier Andries will become executive vice president-strategy and Dominique Hedon special adviser to the CEO, both effective Mar. 1. Helene Seguinotte has been appointed national executive for Canada, effective July 1, in addition to being CEO of Turbomeca Canada.
Hawker Beechcraft Corp. has achieved FAA certification of the King Air C90GTi equipped with a fully integrated Collins Pro Line 21 avionics package. The company has delivered more than 10 of the twin-engine, turboprop-powered airplanes since December 2007. The C90GTi is aimed at buyers considering purchase of a Very Light Jet such as the Eclipse 500 and the Cessna Citation Mustang by offering a larger cabin for up to seven passengers. The Pro Line 21 suite includes three 8 X 10-in. liquid crystal displays and digital radio and audio systems.
NASA and the U.S. Air Force’s Arnold Engineering Development Center have tested the massive descent parachute for the U.S. civil space agency’s planned Mars Science Laboratory, which is set for launch next year. However, problems with development of the heat shield that will protect the advanced rover as it enters the Martian atmosphere—before chute deployment—could threaten that launch schedule.
Adm. Thad Allen, the U.S. Coast Guard commandant, says he and the chief of naval operations, Adm. Gary Roughead, are in “informal discussions” about testing the Navy’s MQ-8B Fire Scout unmanned aerial vehicle on a Coast Guard vessel. The Navy has been looking for an alternative ship platform to host a Fire Scout sea trial due to continued delays in the Littoral Combat Ship, which is set to house the unmanned rotorcraft.
Jeffrey Q. Palombo (see photo) has been appointed vice president/general manager of the Land Forces Div. of the Northrop Grumman Corp. , Rolling Meadows, Ill. He has been vice president-infrared countermeasures for the Defensive Systems Div.
Pratt & Whitney has begun configuring its Geared Turbofan (GTF) demonstrator for preflight ground tests following successful completion of Phase I sea-level performance and acoustic testing (see related story, p. 22). The flight nacelle system is being fitted for Phase II ground testing beginning in April, in preparation for flight testing on Pratt & Whitney’s 747SP flying testbed in mid-2008. “Performance has been outstanding,” says Bob Saia, vice president of the Pratt & Whitney Next-Generation Product Family. The GTF has amassed 130 hr.
Operators flying under FAR Part 135 have until Mar. 31 to be issued a new Letter of Deviation Authority (LODA) exempting business aircraft from complying with regulations under Part 125 and permitting operations under Part 91, Subpart F. Although the agency’s new rule prohibits issuance of “blanket” LODAs, it does allow partial deviation authority from Part 125, but operators would have to comply with all applicable safety and maintenance requirements specified in that regulation. Aircraft having a payload of 6,000 lb.
Since 1904, transportation stocks have outperformed the S&P 500 index an average 2.1% during election years, but the pickup usually occurs in the fourth quarter. So says William Green of Morgan Stanley Research, who did a study of the Dow Jones Transportation Index since 1904 because transportation stocks tend to be sensitive to political uncertainty. The historic trend isn’t favorable for transportation stocks if the Democrats win, he says. Stock performance is best when Republicans hold power (as they do now).
The U.S. Navy plans to fly some of its remaining 35 C-2A carrier onboard delivery (COD) aircraft until 2026, but, with phasing out scheduled to begin in 2017, the search is on for a suitable replacement. Although the contract for the future COD platform isn’t expected until at least 2011, the Navy is taking the opportunity to reach out to industry to gain a sense of what might be possible.
The French defense ministry is poised to unveil a major streamlining plan intended to reduce overhead and support costs and free up more money for hardware procurement and operations.
USAF Gen. (ret.) Thomas S. Moorman, Jr., vice president of Booz Allen Hamilton, has been elected to a two-year term as chairman of the board of the Colorado Springs-based Space Foundation . He succeeds Robert S. Walker, chairman of Wexler & Walker Public Policy Associates, who is now a director emeritus. William F. Ballhaus, Jr., recently retired president of The Aerospace Corp., was elected vice chairman of the board and chairman of the nominating committee. Barbara M. Barrett, president of Triple Creek Ranch, was elected secretary.
AStar Air Cargo pilots are expected to strongly favor a tentative contract that offers a 20% pay increase over four years, furlough protections and a management pledge to acquire new aircraft. They will be voting in the coming weeks following road-show visits to domiciles. Negotiations started in January 2005, and have been conducted with National Mediation Board assistance since April 2006. Discussions between management and the Air Line Pilots Assn. unit became more focused in late January. On Jan.
Planetary scientists are using data from this stellar occultation of Antares to gain new knowledge about the structure of Saturn’s rings. NASA’s Cassini probe has used multiple instruments to make such observations several times, comparing the known brightness of the unobscured star with the light coming through the rings. The results provide new details about opacity, density and bending waves introduced in the A ring by different moons. The spacecraft’s narrow-angle camera collected this image on Jan. 3 at a range of 336,000 mi., 34 deg.
Suzanne Boda has been appointed senior vice president-East Coast, international and cargo operations and Robert Ciminelli vice president-Philadelphia operation for US Airways . Boda was vice president-inflight services for Northwest Airlines, while Ciminelli was managing director at New York LaGuardia Airport for American Airlines. Alan Ferayorni has been named vice president-information technology infrastructure and Kevin Riccoboni vice president-technology delivery for airline operations.
Pierre Sparaco’s A European Perspective column “Reality Check” (AW&ST Jan. 21, p. 41) pointed out the need to end self-imposed fare caps, as fares no longer reflect “financial realities.” I applaud Sparaco’s common sense and suggest this situation is to a large degree the result of necessary deregulation unconstrained and “run amok,” an old problem but one that has never been solved.
James David Bryan has become president of the Fairfax, Va.-based ManTech International Corp.’s Defense Systems Group . He was sector vice president-executive customer relations for Global Defense C4I and Space for the Northrop Grumman Corp. Bryan succeeds Eugene C. Renzi, who now has other responsibilities at ManTech.
Runway incursions—and their inherent risk of catastrophe—are on the rise, and legislators are taking a hard look at what is, isn’t, and should be done to minimize this growing safety threat.
