China has overtaken Japan to become the largest aviation market in Asia and the second largest in the world in 2004, according to the International Transport & Tourism Consultancy. The U.S. is the world's largest aviation market. China's 130 airports saw an average yearly growth of 13% in capacity from 1998-2004, compared to a 1.1% growth rate achieved by Japan's 71 airports for the same period. Airlines' operations developed primarily in Shanghai, Beijing and the province of Guangzhou, representing 46.5% of total departures in mainland China in 2004.
The U.S. and Europe are trying to head off air traffic gridlock in separate but similar programs aimed at tripling capacity in the U.S. by 2025 and doubling it in Europe by 2020 (see p. 76). The FAA and Eurocontrol are interested in cooperating on common standards, but both agencies face many challenges to just completing their own modernization efforts on time. Illustration by AW&ST Art Dept.
Robert Stangarone has been appointed vice president-sales and marketing for Liberty Aerospace Inc., Melbourne, Fla. He was vice president-marketing and public affairs for Safire Aircraft and has been vice president-corporate communications at Fairchild Dornier.
Meanwhile, the DGA said it would hold a week-long UAV conference and inflight demonstration at its flight test center in Istres, near Marseilles, to help promote and facilitate UAV technologies. The event is scheduled for May 30-June 3.
Air Canada is reporting its 11th consecutive month of system-wide record load factors with 77.9% for February. The mainline recorded 3 million revenue passenger miles (RPM), a 1.6% increase compared to the same month in 2004. The resulting load factor, 5.3 percentage points higher than February last year, is based on an overall 5.2% capacity decrease. The carrier also reported expansion of its online check-in/boarding pass service as of Mar. 4 to include all departing flights from Canada to any U.S. or overseas destination.
Air Force comptroller Michael Montelongo, who has been counting the service's beans since 2001, has announced his departure effective Mar. 28. Montelongo oversaw the books during the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and during the heated debate over the defunct lease-buy agreement for 100 Boeing 767 tankers. In the wake of Sen. John McCain's (R-Ariz.) assault on that deal, Air Force Secretary James Roche and procurement chief Marvin Sambur left the service in January. Acting Air Force Secretary Peter Teets is expected to depart later this month.
A. Paul Blanco has been named chief financial officer of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey. He has been chief of regional and economic development.
The Travel Industry Assn. of America (TIA) is forecasting strong travel volume in spring, with 281 million "person-trips" in March, April and May. The TIA defines a "person-trip" as one person, on one trip, traveling one-way from home a distance of 50 mi. or more. This represents a 1.2% increase compared with the 2004 spring season. The improved economy is a factor behind the activity, according to TIA Senior Vice President-Research Suzanne Cook.
Crane Aerospace & Electronics is developing a system that can measure the weight of C-130s or regional jets automatically, and perform weight and balance calculations to meet dispatch requirements. Overloading and poor balance have been key safety concerns for every class of aircraft for years (the 2002 crash of a U.S. Air Force MC-130H was attributed to inaccurate weight information) and engineers have sought solutions for decades. But the main problem has been reliably measuring weight.
Sumitomo Precision Products becomes the third Japanese supplier for the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000, providing the heat management system. Kawasaki Heavy Industries and Mitsubishi Heavy Industries also have been selected. Boeing 787 launch customer All Nippon Airways will use Trent 1000s.
The British Defense Ministry has launched an autonomous systems research effort, the fourth of its Defense Technology Centers. BAE Systems will lead the work.
The ultralong-range 777-200LR, which made its first flight last week, is starting a test program that will also evaluate enhancements for Boeing's larger 777-300ER.
All Nippon Airways has formally signed a $1-billion contract for 110 Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines to power the 50 787s in the order that launched Boeing's medium-range twinjet family.
Bruce Bailey has become vice president-engineering, Mike Bartley senior structural engineer and Mike Barrows supervisor of the composite flight vehicle production and model shop, all for Eagle Aviation Technologies Inc., Hampton, Va.
European Space Agency scientists took advantage of the first of three Rosetta Earth flybys to check out instruments on the comet rendezvous probe. Testing focused in particular on the asteroid flyby mode package. Launched on Mar. 2, 2004, Rosetta hurtled to within 1,955 km. (1,212 mi.) of Earth on Mar. 4 at a speed of 38,000 kph. (23,560 mph.), acquiring images of the Moon and Earth (see photo) and calibrating instruments using the Earth-Moon system.
In a world of constant budget reviews, a program based on existent infrastructure and proven systems has the greatest chance of survival. And in tests of new technology and systems, the program had better use as many existing systems as possible.
U.S. Army officials are expressing concerns about turning stewardship of the service's unmanned aircraft over to the Air Force, particularly if it disturbs plans to streamline combat ground forces and develop the next-generation Future Combat System (FCS).
In the coming months, Airbus will attempt to show it can "de-board" 873 persons in 90 sec. from its A380 in case of an emergency as part of the aircraft's certification process that is set to be completed in the first half of next year. To meet its goal, passengers will have to exit the mega-transport at a rate of one every 1.6 sec. because about 15 of the 90 sec. will be lost deploying slides and getting crew and passengers into position, say Airbus safety experts. Only half the doors will be available as part of the drill.
After enduring the longest suspension ever for a defense contractor, Boeing's launch back into the Air Force rocket business was hardly the glowing event some officials had expected. The company continues to face lingering ethics questions with ongoing procurement investigations by the Justice Dept., a civil suit from rival rocket-maker Lockheed Martin and the fallout from the stunning announcement last week that its CEO was engaged in an affair with an executive subordinate.
The operational potential for long-endurance, high-altitude unmanned aircraft is being expanded by Northrop Grumman researchers who began a new series of tests by dropping a 500-lb. bomb from a Proteus test aircraft.
Air traffic control system modernization in the U.S. has been handled in a way to ensure that 1950s technology is still in the driver's seat, just as if the telephone industry had decided to freeze itself in the switchboard era.
Italian air force officials are already interested in upgrades to the four Boeing KC-767A tankers they are buying, even before the aircraft enters flight testing. However, budget constraints are giving them little room to maneuver. The basic configuration Italy has ordered includes some extra communications features, and the air force wants further refinements. But in a sign of how tight the budget is, officials indicate Rome is unlikely to execute an option for two additional tankers.
While buoyed by a positive financial performance in 2004, British carrier BMI continues to be coy over the future of its strategic relationship with German flag-carrier Lufthansa. The airline group reported a 2.1-million-pound ($4-million) pretax profit for 2004, on an income of 830 million pounds. This compares with a pretax loss of 9.8 million for 2003. After interest adjustment the airline had an operating loss of 4 million pounds, down from 12.5 million for 2003.
