U.S. passenger and cargo airlines will achieve an aggregate net profit of $4 billion this year, the Air Transport Assn. says in its annual projection for the industry. The association estimates industry net earnings in 2006 at $2-3 billion, setting the stage for aviation's first consecutive years in the black since 1999-2000.
A total of 52 Pakistani air force F-16s will receive Northrop Grumman APG-68(V)9 airborne fire-control radars. Of those, 18 will be newly manufactured radars for new Block 52-plus aircraft, while kits will retrofit 24 Block 15 aircraft as part of a $49.75-million contract. There also are options to equip an additional 44 aircraft, including another 18 Block 52 plus and 26 Block 15 fighters. The radar features a high-resolution synthetic aperture radar mode with extended air-to-air detection range.
Provided with the Assistance of Alexander Velovich (Russian Correspondent, Forecast Interational)
Two major missile design centers were lost to Russia with the dissolution of the USSR: the Yuzhmash complex in Dnepropetrovsk, Ukraine, which was the Soviet Union's principal ICBM manufacturer and developer; and AiP NPO/NII-885 (now called Kharton) in Kharkov, Ukraine, an ICBM inertial guidance development/production facility.
PO Box 686 Dubai, UNITED ARAB EMIRATES Code: EK Employees: 10,507 www.ekgroup.com Tel. (971-4) 295-1111 Fax (971-4) 295-5817 Ownership: 100% state Executive Management President Emirates Airline Tim Clark Executive VP Commercial Operations Worldwide Ghaith Al Ghaith
Thad Beier thinks Airbus would have a winner with a blended-wing-body aircraft. A BWB may work well for a freighter, but it will never catch on as a passenger aircraft.
A series of short-duration, hot-fire rocket engine tests on a hard stand in Mojave, Calif., last month could one day lead to human ascents from the surface of Mars using fuel produced from the planet's atmosphere. XCOR Aerospace ran a series of six tests of its 7,500-lb. thrust liquid oxygen/liquid methane rocket over a two-week period early in December, working under a $3.3-million subcontract with ATK Propulsion and Controls. ATK has a $10.4-million contract with NASA's Glenn Research Center for the advanced engine technology work.
19300 Pacific Highway South, Seattle, WA 98188, USA Code: AS Employees: 10,000 www.alaskaair.com Tel. (206) 392-5040 Fax (206) 433-3379 Ownership: 100% publicly traded Executive Management Chairman, President & CEO William S. Ayer Executive VP Operations George D. Bagley Executive VP Finance & CFO Bradley D. Tilden
The FAA is proposing to eliminate pilot, flight-engineer and mechanic paper certificates with upgraded, counterfeit-resistant plastic versions. Student pilots would be unaffected. The agency also would require notification within five days of a transfer of aircraft ownership, and applicants for aircraft registration would be required to provide their printed or typed names with their signatures. The proposed changes are in response to the FAA Drug Enforcement Assistance Act and are aimed at improving quality of data and documents supplied to help enforce drug laws.
Regarding the Industry Outlook item on 100-seat aircraft (AW&ST Nov. 20, 2006, p. 11), Fokker produced a successful 100-plus-seat transport, the F100, of which more than 240 are in active service today, as well as 47 of the long-range 79-seat F70 version. Ten years ago, the withdrawal of financial assistance by the Dutch government and parent company DaimlerBenz--assisted by Fokker management--killed the Fokker 70 and 100 production. The bankruptcy is still considered a national disgrace.
The Chinese government will inject at least 10 billion yuan ($1.28 billion) into its three main airlines, and maybe twice that much capital, says Air China. The others are China Eastern and China Southern, both of which have been losing money.
Air Force Beech C-12C (16) Beech C-12D (6) Beech C-12F (2) Beech C-12J (4) Beech T-1A (179) Bell Helicopter Textron TH-1H (1) Bell Helicopter Textron UH-1N (62) Bell Helicopter Textron UH-1V (2) Bell/Boeing CV-22 (4) Boeing B-52H (94) Boeing C-135 (2) Boeing C-17A (150) Boeing C-22B (3) Boeing C-32A (4) Boeing C-32B (2) Boeing C-40B (4) Boeing C-40C (3) Boeing C-9A (2)
