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.
Bob Gunter (see photo), senior vice president-aircraft carrier programs at the Northrop Grumman Corp.'s Newport News (Va.) Sector, has been named the Virginia Peninsula Engineer of the Year by the Peninsula Engineers Council. Gunter is responsible for the design, construction and refueling of Nimitz-class aircraft carriers.
You can now register ONLINE for Aviation Week Events. Go to www.AviationNow.com/conferences or call Lydia Janow at +1 (212) 904-3225/+1 (800) 240-7645 ext. 5 (U.S. and Canada Only) Apr. 19-20--MRO Military Conference. Also, Apr. 20-21--MRO USA Conference & Exhibition. Gaylord Texan Resort & Convention Center, Dallas. May 10-11--Net-Centric Operations Conference 2005. Ronald Reagan Building and International Trade Center, Washington. May 24-25--Homeland Security Summit & Exposition, Washington.
The French defense ministry has called for an avionics modernization program for its aging ATL2 Altantique maritime patrol aircraft. The enhancement is needed to ensure the aircraft, for which no replacement is in sight, complies with ICAO regulations and can fly in optimum airspace shared with civil aircraft. Prime contractor Dassault Aviation is running the contest for the French procurement arm, the DGA. The company expects to begin negotiations with three (or four) potential industrial partners this year.
When the U.S.-U.K. Tracer/Future Scout Cavalry System program collapsed acrimoniously in 2000, many thought it was the end of significant land systems collaboration between Washington and London. But BAE Systems wasn't among them. Its deal to purchase United Defense (UDI), clinched on Mar. 6, rekindles the potential for land systems collaborations between the Pentagon and the British Defense Ministry on the two programs succeeding Tracer/FSCS. This time, however, industry rather than government is taking the lead.
Thomas A. Gendron is scheduled to be promoted to CEO from chief operating officer of the Woodward Governor Co. on June 1. He will remain president and succeed John A. Halbrook, who will stay as chairman.
Glen S. Fukushima has become president/chief executive, Norio Yamanouchi senior adviser and Hiroshi Jojima vice president-airline marketing, all for Airbus Japan.
Hapag-Lloyd plans to deploy Lufthansa Systems' Lido Route Manual on a fleet of 40 aircraft over five years. The Lido system includes a global navigation database developed by Lufthansa Systems from which charts can be printed. The application will support Hapag-Lloyd's migration to electronic flight bag systems so Lido software can provide electronic charts on the flight deck.
The planned merger between engine and onboard systems-maker Snecma and electronics contractor Sagem cleared a major hurdle last week with completion of a public share offering. The offering represented more than 83% of the capital and 94.4% of available shares, discounting government golden share and employee investment fund commitments. The Sagem board subsequently issued 187.8 million new shares in payment for Snecma stock. The merger is due to be concluded in May.
Delta Air Lines continues to keep investors guessing about whether it is positioning itself to be a survivor among U.S. legacy carriers or is sliding back toward dangerous waters.
The Coalition of Airline Pilots Assns.' "Aviation Security Report Card" gives airline security failing grades in a dozen areas. CAPA gave an "F" to screening of airline employees and cargo, biometric credentialing for crewmembers, self-defense training and countering man-portable air defense systems (Manpads). CAPA President Capt. John Safley said filling the gaps "requires major changes in the way airlines and airports do business and the way the government manages airline security. Safley says neither the airlines, airports nor the U.S.
Just one month ago, Harry C. Stonecipher waved off a question about who might succeed him as president and CEO of Boeing Co. "I'm not slowing down," the blunt-talking 68-year-old told a group of high-end investors. "This is a pretty good job. A lot of guys out there would like to have this job."
Last year was "the safest year ever for air transport," says Giovanni Bisignani, director general and CEO of the International Air Transport Assn. Despite $35 billion in accumulated losses since 2001, industry continued to invest in its No. 1 priority "with fantastic results," he added. More than 1.8 billion people traveled safely in 2004; 428 people died in commercial aircraft accidents. Compared with 2003, the industry-wide hull loss rate decreased 10%, to 0.78 losses per million sectors flown.
Lockheed Martin intends to build a $1-million, 176,000-sq.-ft. facility to house administrative offices, systems integration laboratories and an aircraft integration hangar at Owego, N.Y., to support selection of the US101 version of the AgustaWestland EH 101 that will be the next Marine One presidential rotorcraft.
You'd think the departure of Harry Stonecipher from Boeing Co.'s senior management, combined with that of Phil Condit in December 2003, would end the jarring conflict of cultures that has sucked so much energy out of the company since the 1997 merger with McDonnell Douglas. And you might be right this time.
Robert B. (Ben) Darnell, who is managing director of Delta Air Logistics, has become chairman of the board of the U.S. Cargo Sales Joint Venture. He succeeds Tony Charaf, who has become senior vice president-technical operations at Delta Air Lines.
Now that U.S. Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) has stated (AW&ST Feb. 21, p. 66) that NASA should "focus on its core mission of space exploration," it's time to move the aeronautics directorate to another agency.
Michael McMillan (see photo) has been appointed president of Meggitt/S-TEC, Mineral Wells, Tex. He was vice president of Piaggio America and had been vice president-sales for the jet division of the Raytheon Aircraft Co.
Frances Fiorino (Washington), Douglas Barrie (London)
The FAA continues to investigate a British Airways 747 crew's decision to proceed on an 11-hr. flight with three engines, while its U.K. counterpart, the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), perceives the action as "perfectly acceptable." On Feb. 19, British Airways Flight 268, a Boeing 747-400 with 351 passengers on board, flew from Los Angeles to London on three of its four RB211-524GH engines. According to British Airways (BA), the aircraft was 100 ft. into the climb when the No. 2 engine surged.
Scientists are busy revising their assumptions about the red planet as a result of information gleaned from Europe's Mars Express orbiter. "Our perception of Mars is changing rapidly," notes Gerhard Neukum, principal investigator for the high-resolution stereo camera on Mars Express. But the inflow of data from the spacecraft's various sensors also is triggering calls for further flights to resolve ambiguities raised by current missions. Mars Express, which carried the Beagle 2 lander, was launched in June 2003 and reached Martian orbit six months later.
Defense Minister Teo Chee Hean has told the Singaporean parliament that a contract for its Fighter Replacement Program (FRP) will be awarded in the next few months. The order for 20 combat aircraft to begin replacing the air force's A/TA-4SU Super Skyhawks is expected to be valued at $1 billion and had been anticipated for mid-2004 (AW&ST Nov. 22, 2004, p. 28). The delay in ordering aroused speculation that the FRP was in trouble.
To submit Aerospace Calendar Listings, Call +1 (212) 904-2421 Fax +1 (212) 904-6068 e-mail: [email protected] Mar. 21-22--Conference on Quality in the Space & Defense Industries. Radisson at the Port Hotel & Conference Center. Cape Canaveral, Fla. Call +1 (254) 776-3550 or see www.asdnet.org/cqsdi Mar. 21-23--SpeedNews 19th Annual Aviation Industry Suppliers Conference. Regent Beverly Wilshire, Beverly Hills, Calif. Call +1 (310) 203-9603 or see www.speednews.com
Pi Tape brand precision measurement devices are low-tech, yet extremely accurate and cost-effective, according to the company. The gauges are available in inches or millimeters. Standard "inch" tapes read to 0.001 in. with an accuracy of ±0.001 in. up to 144 in. Standard "millimeter" tapes read to 0.01 mm. with an accuracy of ±0.03 mm. up to 3,600 mm. The gauge is wrapped around the inside or outside of a form to obtain an accurate reading. The 60-72-in.-dia. tape costs $88.
