After aerostructures manufacturers, aero engine makers and satellite operators, it's the turn of computer reservation systems to feel the heat of private equity firms. Leading airline investors in Europe's Amadeus--Air France (23%), Iberia (18%) and Lufthansa (5%)--are expected to receive offers from Carlyle, KKR, Permira, Eurazeo and other leading funds early next month. Iberia and Lufthansa, which sold 13% of its holding earlier this year, are said to be interested.
The Italian defense budget may be subject to severe cuts for 2005, under proposals from the government now being deliberated in parliament. A sluggish economy, together with a political desire to cut taxes, is forcing the government's hand on defense expenditures. The defense ministry will lose 1.36 billion euros ($1.67 billion) from the plan for 2005 that it drafted in mid-2004. This is on top of cuts of almost 1 billion euros for the latter half of this year.
UNIVERSAL AVIONICS WILL USE THALES' SkyNav GG12W GPS receiver integrated circuit boards in the company's new flight management systems for business jets. Developed specifically for aviation use, the boards receive GPS and the Russian Glonass satnav signals, as well as the GPS' Wide Area Augmentation System signals. The receiver operates in both autonomous and differential modes, which is valuable for precision approaches, and has extensive antijamming capabilities, according to Tucson, Ariz.-based Universal Avionics.
David A. Fulghum (Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, and Washington)
This is the second report on new technology being introduced with the 3rd Wing's F-15Cs at Elmendorf AFB, Alaska. Earlier articles appeared in the Oct. 4 issue, pp. 49-51. In addition to the APG-63(V)2 AESA radar, built to detect small cruise missiles, the wing is introducing the AIM-9X and helmet-mounted cueing system. Such testing occasionally provides surprises, such as the beyond-visual-range capability of the helmet device.
The Israeli government is buying 18 Beechcraft Bonanza A36 single-engine airplanes for transportation and utility missions, and holds options for another six. Deliveries are scheduled to begin in November and end in April 2005. The contract is worth $11 million.
Noel Gauthier has become executive vice president-finance and Alain Marcheteau general counsel of France-based Snecma. Marcheteau succeeds Alain Bosser, who has been named adviser to the chairman.
Fighter units in Alaska offer a glimpse of what USAF squadrons may look like once shrinking acquisition budgets have forced test-and-evaluation activities, and even some development work, out of the test community and into the operational force.
Lufthansa Cargo and the German post office, Deutsche Post, have agreed to closer cooperation on the delivery of international air mail. Lufthansa capacity will be used by the post office in its Globalmatch service, which consolidates air mail shipments from other postal services for bulk transportation. Frankfurt will be strengthened as a logistics base, a focal point for Deutsche Post and Lufthansa. Jean-Peter Jansen, chairman of Lufthansa Cargo, said he expects increased shipments and improved capacity utilization.
Airlines in many parts of the world began increasing fuel surcharges last week as the cost of oil per barrel surged past $50 with no short-term relief in sight. In the U.S., where intense competition has squelched previous attempts to raise fares, increases seemed to be taking hold.
The Homeland Security IG Office has issued a report stating that the TSA spent $461,000 to host its first awards program in Washington last Nov. 19, including lodging, transportation and per-diem allowances for about 650 recipients and 600 guests. "In our view TSA's choices proved to be excessive," the IG said. In addition, TSA distributed $1.45 million in cash awards to 88 agency executives for their Fiscal 2003 performance appraisals or 76% of those eligible versus an average of 49% in all government agencies.
Business jet manufacturers are $247-million winners in Congress' corporate tax overhaul (see p. 32), but their perk is hardly unique. Analyzing the "Jobs Creation Act," Taxpayers for Common Sense, a nonpartisan watchdog group that tracks government spending, found hundreds of goodies in the 650-page measure. There's a $44-million break for ceiling fans imported from China and other nations, a benefit that's not likely to create many American jobs.
Pier Francesco Guarguaglini has been elected president of the ADS AeroSpace and Defense Industries Assn. of Europe. He is chairman/CEO of Finmeccanica and succeeds Mike Turner, chief executive of BAE Systems. EADS co-CEO Rainer Hertrich was elected president-designate for 2005-06.
Gene M. Seibert has been elected national commodore of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. He is a retired director of international, government and domestic contract management for Lucent Technologies.
In a Sept. 27 review of inflight technology (p. 38), Connexion by Boeing was identified as conducting a pico cell demonstration on board its Connexion One aircraft. The call with a mobile telephone was actually made with a point-to-point application using WiFi technology, not cellular.
The U.K. Defense Ministry is ordering an additional batch of the Raytheon-Lockheed Martin Javelin lightweight antitank missile. The follow-on order is worth $170 million. The British Army first ordered the missile in 2003, with main deliveries to begin 2005. The latest order covers deliveries from 2007.
Meaningful U.S.-European Union talks on resolving a dispute over Airbus and Boeing subsidies are unlikely before the U.S. presidential election on Nov. 2, even though a 30-day clock to begin consultations is running.
Harold Kugleman has been named senior vice president of AAR Aircraft Sales and Leasing, Wood Dale, Ill. He was senior vice president of GE Capital Aviation Services.
U.S. Air Force space personnel will be wearing new wings sometime next year, assuming a proposed space badge receives final approval from the service's uniform board and the Institute of Heraldry. Unveiled by USAF Space Command chief Gen. Lance W. Lord during the Strategic Space 2004 conference, the badge is part of a concerted AFSPC effort to develop a national resource of space professionals. It partially addresses a 2001 Space Commission recommendation that the Defense Dept. better train and develop a unified, professional space cadre.
The nearly 20% higher use of sick leave by controllers versus other government employees is simple to explain. Other workers are not prohibited from working while taking any of a number of medications. If I am not allowed to work when I take a decongestant, I have little option but to use my sick leave. With an average of 11.2 days of leave used per year, controller usage is still below the 13 days per year earned by all federal employees.
THE FAA HAS IMPROVED ITS PROCESSES for acquiring ATC modernization software, according to a Government Accountability Office report. Since software has long been the Achilles' heel for large integrated systems, the congressional watchdog looked at four major projects: the En Route Automation Modernization (ERAM), Integrated Terminal Weather System (ITWS), Airport Surface Detection Equipment (ASDE-X) and Voice Switching and Control System (VSCS).
The U.S. Navy is about to field the first EA-6Bs with the Improved Capability electronic warfare enhancement. But first, developers must weather a not entirely flattering assessment from the service's test community as well as funding shortages that could limit fleet installations.
Michael A. Dornheim (Los Angeles and Mojave, Calif.)
Rocket motors that either wouldn't ignite or stop burning, sticky dampers that gummed up the controls and bleak choices after being dropped from the mother ship--these are some of the trials that faced designers and pilots of SpaceShipOne on its way to being the first private spaceship and claiming the $10-million Ansari X Prize on Oct. 4.
A forgotten cotter pin in a bolt in the tail rotor of a Sikorsky CH-53D is being blamed for the crash of the Marine Corps helicopter near Futema airfield in Okinawa on Aug. 16.
Carolyn Ezzell has been named vice president-airport customer service for the Eastern U.S. and Jerome Miller vice president-global diversity and community affairs for Delta Air Lines. Ezzell has been vice president for the Atlantic Region and Miller vice president/chief diversity officer for the Americas for the InterContinental Hotels Group. James Sarvis has been promoted to director of the Latin America and Caribbean business unit from field director for international services at Delta's Atlanta airport operation.
Linda M. Leukhardt (see photo) has been appointed chief financial officer/vice president-business management for the Northrop Grumman Corp.'s Electronic Systems Sector of Baltimore. She held the same posts at the company's Newport News (Va.) Sector. Leukhardt succeeds Wylie B. Smith, who is expected to retire at year-end.
