Christopher Fotos and Frances Fiorino (Washington), Michael Mecham (San Francisco)
With network carriers facing bankruptcy and others struggling to keep aloft, it's hard to think of the U.S. airline industry optimistically. But the FAA does: Its current forecast predicts passenger demand reaching pre-Sept. 11, 2001, levels by next year and growing 4.3% annually through 2015.
Pilots at Northwest Airlines are offering the carrier more than a half-billion dollars in cost reductions, largely through a 15% pay reduction, under a ratified, two-year bridge contract. The agreement provides significant relief to management in its effort to restructure the airline's costs and yet holds management to account as negotiations get underway with the other six union groups.
Aeroflot, Russia's largest and best-known carrier, expects to join SkyTeam by the end of next year, but how well it will be able to exploit the alliance's global passenger connections depends on how successful its home base at Moscow's Sheremetyevo airport remains. To meet SkyTeam's expectations, Aeroflot is renovating its fleet, improving service quality, optimizing its route structure and reinforcing its information technologies.
Northrop Grumman's Electronic Systems sector has signed a five-year agreement with Penn State University for R&D of advanced defensive electronic systems. The university has been working with the business unit for more than a decade. Areas of special interest are micro-electromechanical systems, electro-optics and sonar. The research will benefit Northrop Grumman's efforts in radar, command-and-control systems, navigation, defensive electro-optics and network-centric warfare.
Inadequate testing of an update to Japan's Type 88 missile defense system is coming back to haunt Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, but it is uncertain what long-term damage may have been caused. The case stems from a whistleblower's revelations that MHI did not use sufficient structural loads in tests of the missile (SSM01), which is being developed for Japan's army. MHI had informed a few individuals within the Japanese Defense Agency's Technical Research and Development Institute, but never informed the JDA officially. TRDI officials also never reported it.
Aerospace stocks have far outpaced the S&P 500 in the past year, and the winners are not only the powerhouse companies that regularly make financial news. Lower-tier suppliers also are reaping the benefits of robust U.S. government spending on defense and counterterrorism, and from a reviving commercial aviation market.
Although they are trying to adapt to the rapidly evolving--and divergent--needs of full-service network carriers and low-fare operators, Europe's airports are underfunded, face serious opposition from environmentalists and must contend with bottlenecks of passengers wending their way through security checkpoints in crowded terminals.
Raymond and David Mueller, the father and son team that founded Comair Airlines, are among the Kentucky residents or former residents who have been selected for induction into the Kentucky Aviation Hall of Fame. The others are: Shelba Proffitt, first female member of the U.S. Army Space and Missile Defense Command and now an executive at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.; USAF Gen.
Hellas-Sat in Greece has taken control of the Hellas-Sat 2 communications satellite, propelling the subsidiary of telecom company OTE into the ranks of independent satcom operators. The Hellas-Sat 2 was launched in May 2003 to help handle the surge in telecom capacity generated by the summer Olympics in Athens. The spacecraft was operated initially by SES Astra using an OTE Earth station. SES' Global unit also installed Hellas-Sat's control center in Athens, and trained the company's operators under a separate contract.
The egregious error on the Genesis engineering drawings, which apparently caused the gravity-switch devices to be installed backward, is more than just the fourth strike (AW&ST Oct. 25, p. 25).
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A recent spate of accidents involving freighters highlights the need for improved air cargo safety. The NTSB has been focusing on that goal. In March, the board gathered industry groups to discuss concerns at its first Air Cargo Safety Forum. At the Air Line Pilots Assn.'s Air Safety Forum in late summer, NTSB Chairman Ellen Engleman-Conners noted the board had investigated 40 cargo accidents since 1984 and that, compared with air transport, cargo has 2-5 times the fatal accident rate and an older fleet (28 years compared with 7 years).
With U.S. aerospace employment hitting a 50-year low earlier this year, a shortage of workers might not seem to be a paramount concern of industry leaders. Think again. Thirty-nine percent of respondents to a new survey of North American aerospace executives said they cannot find enough qualified help today, and 64% said they expect a worker shortage within five years as the commercial side of the industry emerges from its post-Sept. 11 slump.
British Airways' second-quarter re-sults saw pretax profits more than double those for the same period in 2003 to 220 million pounds ($405 million). Yields, however, continue to fall, while the fuel bill for 2004 is likely to be 245 million pounds more than in 2003.
Measurement Systems International next-generation of CellScale, RF remote indicators, the MSI-9750A is a hand-held remote that features an enhanced transmissive LCD display and electronics for improved processing and ease of use, according to the company. All CellScale features are supported, allowing the instrument to function as a full-featured portable terminal. The unit can log on to 32 different networks allowing it to serve multiple cellscales with one-button channel and/or network (scale/sensor) changes.
Leonard Singer has been named to the board of directors of Timco Aviation Services Inc., Greensboro, N.C. He is a principal owner of Choir Capital Ltd.
John Casko (see photo) has become vice president-engineering, logistics and technology for the Northrop Grumman Corp.'s Airborne Ground Surveillance and Battle Management Systems, Melbourne, Fla. He was director of the advanced surveillance and airborne nine countermeasures integrated product teams. Barbara A. Niland (see photo) has been appointed chief financial officer/vice president of business management for the Newport News (Va.) Sector. She was vice president-finance/controller for the Electronic Systems Sector in Baltimore. Niland succeeds Linda M.
DHL is facing major changes in its European operation, after the company decided to move its hub from Brussels-Zaventem airport in Belgium to Leipzig/ Halle airport in Germany. The express package carrier plans to operate about 34,000 flights annually at the airport and will invest 300 million euros ($387 million) in facilities. The move is being supported with 70 million euros in regional funds that have been approved by the European Commission in April. The Leipzig hub will become operational in 2008, when Brussels will be downgraded to secondary status.
The American Airlines Flight 587 accident was a manifestation of a communication failure among the aircraft manufacturer, operator and end users of the information--the pilots (AW&ST Nov. 1, p. 50).
Chromalloy Gas Turbine Corp. of San Antonio will maintain and overhaul 187 General Electric CF34-series turbofan engines for low-cost carrier Independence Air. The 10-year contract is based on a power-by-the-hour program. The airline operates 87 Bombardier CRJ200 transports.
Gina Marie Lindsey has become a member of McBee Strategic Consulting of Washington. She was director of aviation for the Port of Seattle and former chair of Airports Council International-North America. Two other new members are: Rob Chamberlin, former chief counsel to the Senate Commerce Committee; and Menda Fife, former professional staff member of the Senate defense appropriations subcommittee.
BILL CLAYBAUGH'S VIEWPOINT ON THE COSTS OF GOING TO MARS HAS LOGICAL FLAWS (AW&ST Oct. 4, p. 66). He is using the productivity gains of the private sector to predict those of NASA, which does not face the same competitive pressures as the private sector. The bloated bureaucracy of NASA and company is growing less efficient.
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The Slide Sledge heavy equipment hammer reduces time-consuming hammer and chisel jobs to a one-person, one-tool operation. The linear motion tool focuses power for precision impact to drive pins and make other tough maintenance jobs faster and safer, according to the company. It can deliver more than 15,000 psi. of impact force, and a 5-lb. handle weight can be used for extra impact. It has interchangeable tips for a variety of jobs, including maintenance on tanks, reinforced autos and other military vehicles. Slide Sledge LLC., 2500 W.
