Japan Airlines, which is in the midst of restructuring, suffered a 47.2-billion yen ($428-million) loss for fiscal 2005, which was widely expected. Rival All Nippon Airways saw its profits fall 1.9% due to a change in accounting methods, but posted 26.7-billion-yen net profit. JAL's entry into the Oneworld airline alliance this year is expected to help the carrier drop some low-yield international routes. A three-year business plan emphasizes strengthening its JALways low-cost tourist flights.
MiG is emerging as a likely lead for any Russian unmanned combat air vehicle effort, as the company looks to reinvigorate its aircraft business. Russian military officials recently identified MiG as acting as the industrial focus for unmanned aerial and combat air vehicle (UAV/UCAV) work. The manufacturer is also looking at a medium-weight "fifth-generation" fighter design. Commercial projects, however, particularly through the partnership with EADS, are also of growing importance to MiG Corp.
Delta Air Lines reported an operating loss of $485 million for the first quarter of 2006, nearly 50% less than in the year-ago quarter. Its net loss swelled to $2.1 billion due to $1.7 billion in noncash charges for reorganization and special items. CEO Gerald Grinstein says results were "in line with expectations, especially in light of fast-rising fuel prices." Revenues increased slightly over the 2005 quarter, even though the carrier reduced capacity by 8.6%.
Israel's new Eros B spacecraft is returning excellent high-resolution imagery, enabling the Israel Defense Forces to double its overhead monitoring of Iranian and Syrian facilities along with other potential threats.
Dassault Systemes' first-quarter results show that Airbus is expanding its use of Delmia software, adding Delmia Version 5 robotics to simulate, validate and program the robotics assembly lines in association with Dassault's partner Cenit AG Systemhaus of Stuttgart. Boeing is also using Delmia and other Dassault Systemes tools in the design of the 787.
L. Hugh Redd has been appointed senior vice president/chief financial officer of General Dynamics, Falls Church, Va., effective June 1. He will succeed Michael J. Mancuso, who is retiring. Redd has been vice president/controller of General Dynamics Land Systems, Sterling Heights, Mich.
Raytheon has won a $60.6-million contract to begin long-lead procurement of materiel for low-rate initial production of six RQ-4B Global Hawk unmanned reconnaissance aircraft, three mission control elements and three launch recovery elements. The company's missile systems branch also won a $21.8-million contract increase for lead time materials for 12 operational test missiles: the new AIM-120C-7 and the AIM-120D.
Adequate funding and departmental buy-in are deemed essential if the U.K. government's Defense Industrial Strategy (DIS) is to succeed, according to the Parliament's Defense Committee. Its report into DIS welcomes the initiative, but cautions that its success ultimately will be judged on implementation, and that much remains to be done. "The Ministry of Defense . . . needs to change to demonstrate that it is serious about DIS," the report states.
When the Army and the Navy both backed out of the Aerial Common Sensor intelligence-gathering aircraft program, it was a big blow to the signals and communications intercept community. However, there seems to be no end of ways to reconstitute the program. A scheme now making the rounds in the Pentagon is to divide the mission between manned and unmanned systems. The Air Force would control manned aircraft, supplemented by the high-flying Global Hawk UAV.
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The space shuttle Discovery is set for a planned May 19 rollout from the Kennedy Space Center Vehicle Assembly Building to Launch Complex 39B. This will place the vehicle in the home stretch toward launch as early as July 1. The 100-ton orbiter was to be lifted this week for stacking to its external tank and solid rocket boosters inside the VAB. The transport of the orbiter from Orbiter Processing Bay 3 into the VAB was moved up a day to May 11 as processing proceeded ahead of schedule.
Eight years ago, aerospace barely registered on Eaton Corp.'s balance sheet, accounting for just $195 million of sales. Today, the sector is playing a central role in the industrial giant's move to remake itself into a less cyclical, high-growth company.
The U.K. Defense Ministry has awarded an 8.45-million-pound ($15.75-million), two-year contract to a team comprising Qinetiq, Thales UK, Airborne Systems and management lead Selex Sensors to develop a high-performance thermal imaging (TI) technology for military applications. Known as Albion, the program will create next-generation thermal imaging technology capable of capturing a higher resolution, with greater sensitivity and lower cost than current second-generation technologies.
John Krasnakevich, principal engineering fellow and technical director for Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems (IDS) Missile Defense business area, is one of four current or retired Raytheon employees who have received the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) Pioneer Award for contributions to missile defense. The others are: Stephen B.
Randall Shealy has been appointed senior vice president/chief financial officer and Chris Warden director of internal audit for the Pemco Aviation Group Inc., Birmingham, Ala. Shealy was chief accounting officer and succeeds John Lee, who has retired. Warden was audit manager for Tempur-Pedic International.
The FAA has approved the Airbus A320 family of aircraft for 180-min., extended-range, twin-engine operations. It follows the European Aviation Safety Agency's (EASA) approval in March 2004. The aircraft family encompasses the A321, A320 and A319, including the corporate jet version. The first FAA-certified, 180-min. ETOPS aircraft, an A319 Corporate Jet, is to be delivered this month to an undisclosed U.S. customer, according to Airbus. Joint EASA and FAA approval for the A318 is targeted for the second half of this year.
Boeing has completed testing of modifications to underground silos and launch systems in preparation for summer trials of the burgeoning U.S. ballistic missile defense system. The tests validated mods to the three arms that stabilize interceptors inside the silo, mechanisms which caused a flight-test abort during a demonstration in February 2005. Boeing is the prime contractor for the Ground-Based Midcourse Defense System.
After 10 years of development, and a long delay following the Columbia shuttle accident, Europe's Columbus module is ready to be shipped to the Kennedy Space Center for launch to the International Space Station.
The Pacific Aviation Museum at Pearl Harbor has added another rare airplane to its exhibit collection, a U.S. Navy F4F3 fighter. The Grumman Wildcat saw the brunt of the early Pacific theater action of World War II, from opening volleys during the attack on Pearl Harbor on Dec. 7, 1941, up to and including the Battles of Wake, Midway, Coral Sea and Guadalcanal. The aircraft will be joined by the recently acquired A6M2-21 Zero, a B-model B-25 Mitchell bomber, the N2S-2 Stearman flown by former President George H.W.
From United, the surprise is positive initial results from its differentiated-product strategy. From US Airways comes a first-quarter profit, however small. And from ExpressJet the biggest surprise--a decision to find places and ways to operate 69 regional jets rather than turn them back to Continental Airlines.
FedEx is expanding at Indianapolis International Airport, its second-largest U.S. hub, with plans to build a 600,000-sq.-ft.-addition to its 1.9-million-sq.-ft. sort facility, adding a secondary sort facility of 175,000 sq. ft., and two maintenance buildings. The Indianapolis Airport Authority will spend $50 million to build 14 wide-body gates at the 38-gate facility and lease five new gates to FedEx. The express operator will have options for up to nine gates the airport is planning to construct by December 2008.
AgustaWestland's entry in the U.S. Army's Light Utility Helicopter competition--a variant of the AW139 dubbed US139--features high cruise speed, a large cargo area and ease of handling. As do the other entries, the 139 offers a modern glass cockpit and the additional confidence of twin-engine operation--all of which would be welcome upgrades for legacy Huey and Kiowa pilots.
EADS has flown its Barracuda unmanned aerial vehicle demonstrator for the first time. The vehicle was flown for 20 min. from San Javier air base in Spain, because there were flight clearance issues regarding its operation in German airspace. The Barracuda is 8 meters (26.2 ft.) long with a 7-meter wingspan. It is powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada engine providing 14kN. (3,147 lb.) thrust.
Boeing turns to a high-profile federal judge, J. Michael Luttig, to replace its general counsel, 57-year-old Douglas Bain, who will retire July 1. Luttig, 51, brings a considerable political pedigree to the world's largest aerospace company--service in the Reagan White House, a counselor's post at the Justice Dept. before appointment as a federal appeals court judge by President George H.W. Bush in 1991. On the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Richmond, Va., Luttig has a reputation as the most conservative judge on the most conservative appeals court in the U.S.
