Large aerospace companies are on a solid financial footing, generating robust profits from the U.S. defense spending boom and poised to capitalize on a rebounding commercial aircraft market. But buying into such success isn't cheap.
Hubert Curien, a noted French scientist and former research minister, died on Feb. 6. He was 80. In the 1970s, as the highly respected president of CNES French space agency, Curien played a key role in establishing the European Ariane heavy-lift booster program in the midst of lengthy negotiations with European partners. He also was instrumental in launching Spot Image. Curien was a past president of France's science academy and ANAE air and space academy.
Although 2004 was another banner year for Russian air traffic growth, soaring fuel charges and terrorist threats are eating into airline profits, threatening to brake traffic growth and accelerating the move toward more fuel-efficient Western aircraft. In 2004, Russian airlines carried 33.8 million passengers, a 14.8% increase over the previous 12-month period. This was the fourth consecutive year of double-digit traffic growth after a decade-long decline. Six major airlines passed the one-million passenger mark, accounting for half of all traffic.
Myriam Meyer Stutz has been named CEO of RUAG Aerospace, Berne, Swit- zerland, effective Aug. 1. She succeeds Peter Scherrer, who has been interim CEO following the death of Peter Schneuwly and will return to being business area manager for systems and astronautics. Stutz has been vice president-human resources for Roche Consumer Health Ltd. and was vice president-operations control and resource planning at Swissair Flight Operations.
Dallas Airmotive is adding two regional engine managers to meet increasing demand for maintenance services by operators of the Rolls-Royce C250 and Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6T series turboshaft engines. Dennis J. DiMarco, vice president of sales for North America, says the Dallas-based overhaul and repair facility is adding the managers in response to a surge in business for both types of engines that began in 2004 and is carrying over into 2005. One new manager will be based in Arizona and the other in Northern Florida.
About 20 hubs around Europe, North America and the Pacific Rim will be ready to handle Airbus A380s by mid-2006, or no later than 2007. And another 40 are expected to follow by the end of the decade.
The White House's plans to scale back funding for aircraft, missile defense and shipbuilding programs will cause pain for some contractors, but the cuts will be mitigated by a continued uptick in U.S. defense spending.
The U.S. Navy's office for strike weapons and unmanned aviation announced plans to hold its 2005 demonstration of unmanned aircraft at the Webster Field Annex near NAS Patuxent River, Md., on June 27. The theme of this year's demonstration is "Focusing Unmanned Technology on the Global War on Terror."
SANDEL AVIONICS OF VISTA, CALIF., HAS SOLD 1,000 of its ST3400 Terrain Awareness and Warning Systems since introducing the compact, self-contained TAWS unit 18 months ago. Most other such units rely on larger, remote-mounted avionics boxes, according to Bill Woods, Sandel's vice president of sales. In contrast, the ST3400 TAWS/RMI fits into the space of a radio magnetic indicator. The panel-mounted unit measures 3 X 3 X 9 in. and weighs just under 3 lb. This hardware incorporates a TAWS database, processor and a 9-sq.-in. display for TAWS/RMI data.
France has accepted its first EC725 combat search-and-rescue helicopter, intended for the French air force. The air force will operate six of the CSARs, and special forces, another eight, to be delivered in 2005-06. The first unit of the EC225 civil version was handed over in December (AW&ST Jan. 3, p. 16).
Boeing Rocketdyne has tested a new high-performance 1,100-lbf. rocket engine the company believes is suitable for a wide range of applications. The Multi-Use Thruster (MUT) can burn a special storable oxidizer with a freezing point lower than that of standard nitrogen tetroxide, simplifying storage on Earth and reducing the need for tank heaters on long space flights.
Funding may be boosted both for training pilots to carry guns in the cockpit and for training flight attendants in self-defense under the President's request for the Homeland Security Dept.'s Fiscal 2006 budget. The proposal adds $11 million to bring the total for the two efforts to $36.3 million. While pilots receive one week of initial firearms training at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Artesia, N.M., the Transportation Security Administration wants to contract with private companies to conduct semiannual requalification.
Over the next few weeks, WestJet will determine the fate of 18 Boeing 737-200s, which will have ramifications for its 2005 growth plan. The high costs of operating the -200s, a result of fuel prices and maintenance, prompted officials to review its fleet plan. Originally, WestJet was to retire the 18 aircraft by the first quarter of 2008, but the retirement may be accelerated. In this calendar year, the Calgary-based airline will take delivery of 15 new-generation 737s, but additions are possible through the exercise of options.
El Al's new chairman, Israel Borovich, named Haim Romano as the new president of Israel's national carrier. Romano's nomination has to be confirmed by the company's board of directors later this month. El Al's new controlling shareholder, Knafaim Arkia Holdings, plans to develop the airline's main airport at Tel Aviv into a hub for East-West traffic and wants to expand capacity to Asia. Knafaim Arkia currently holds 40% of the shares and wants to increase its stake to 52%, taking majority control. It initially owned only 22% of El Al.
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Northrop Grumman has begun demonstration flights of the Hunter II medium-altitude UAV as part of a six-week project to help select the Army's extended range/multipurpose UAV program. Unlike earlier systems, the aircraft uses a heavy fuel engine, an emerging Army requirement that would help reduce the number of fuel types the service must bring to the battlefield.
The Polar Air Cargo runway excursion that you detailed (AW&ST Jan. 31, p. 37) did not end with the Boeing 747 "stuck in mud" as indicated by the FAA spokesman. The 600,000-lb. freighter was, in fact, arrested by a crushable Engineered Material Arresting System (EMAS). The system is designed to do exactly what it did: stop an overrunning aircraft safely in a minimum amount of space in all-weather conditions. In 1996, JFK International was the first airport to install an EMAS.
After the novelty of flying on the world's largest commercial jet wears off, I doubt passengers will enjoy waiting in longer security check-in lines before boarding or even longer for their luggage to show up on arrival (assuming it was on the same flight). Handling 555 people from just one A380 will be a huge burden on airport facilities. Just imagine several arriving or departing simultaneously. Getting in and out of most large hub airports is terribly cumbersome now when flying on smaller aircraft.
The Transportation Security Administration is still trying to determine the best way to find explosives concealed on a passenger's body. While the President's Fiscal 2006 budget request calls for $43.7 million more to "improve checkpoint explosives screening," the TSA has not made a decision on deploying the equipment, according to TSA spokeswoman Deidre O'Sullivan.
A major budget battle for the Navy this year will be over the retirement of the conventional aircraft carrier USS John F. Kennedy, a move Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman (and former Navy secretary) John Warner (R-Va.) opposes. Removing the carrier from the fleet would save about $300 million, nearly the same amount it would take to upgrade the Mayport, Fla., harbor facility to house a nuclear carrier.
Dassault Systemes reported net earnings of 156 million euros ($197 million) on revenues of 797 million euros in 2004, up from 135 million euros and 755 million euros, respectively, 12 months earlier. However, the weak dollar prompted management to lower its sales forecast for 2005 slightly, to 865-875 million euros.
Wins in Africa and India capped a series of orders for Boeing's 737 and 787 families. India's SpiceJet, a New Delhi-based startup, says it will spend $630 million to buy 20 737-800s, with deliveries beginning in 2006. The carrier is starting services in May with three leased 737-800s.
A top executive at Airbus' parent company, EADS, says he, like Wall Street, was surprised at rival Boeing Co.'s bullish plans to deliver up to 385 airplanes in 2006--100 more than it delivered in 2004 (AW&ST Feb. 7, p. 26). EADS Chief Financial Officer Hans Peter Ring told an investors conference in New York that Airbus will maintain its lead over Boeing, noting that the company's backlog remains 30% higher.
