A looming clash between Italy and neighboring nations over plans to restructure Europe's launcher program stands a chance of being averted, according to European leaders, but the jury is still out. In recent weeks, industry sources have suggested that Italian ambitions to expand its role in the launcher sector were threatening to put it at odds with other members of the European Space Agency and possibly derail a critical ESA council meeting on a package of launcher issues, scheduled for Feb. 4.
In July 1999, a breach of security at Tokyo Haneda airport left an All Nippon Airways 747 captain dead. A hijacker stabbed the pilot with a knife smuggled on board in carry-on baggage (AW&ST Aug. 2, 1999, p. 39). The Ministry of Public Management and Home Affairs reviewed airport security measures and issued anti-hijacking rules. But in a follow-up investigation, the ministry found that 55 of Japan's 93 domestic airports had not implemented them. Fifty-one of the 55 are locally administered airports.
A report in last week's issue, "Pacific Juggling" (p. 47), incorrectly stated the date of a midair collision between a Chinese F-8 fighter and a U.S. Navy EP-3E intelligence aircraft. The incident occurred in March 2001.
Alexey Komarov (Moscow), Michael A. Taverna (Paris)
A surprise decision by Russian investment firm Center Capital to acquire a fleet of aircraft from Germany's Thomas Cook will bring relief to the Lufthansa affiliate and welcome new capacity for Russian airlines--but could mean bad news for Russia's aircraft manufacturers.
Air France's newly inaugurated service, dubbed Dedicate, is operating to remote destinations in a niche market--professionals involved in major construction projects for the petroleum industry. Last week it began operating flights to Ponte-Noire, Congo, and Malabo, Equatorial Guinea. Weekly or biweekly nonstop service between Paris and Kish Island, Iran, and Tashkent, Uzbekistan, is set to start within the next several weeks. Air France expects to carry up to 60,000-70,000 Dedicate passengers in the first year, according to Bruno Matheu.
Duane Woerth, president of the Air Line Pilots Assn., told reporters what airlines need and don't need in the way of airline security improvements. There's no doubt there are "giant holes" in cargo security, and the first step government should consider is to not exempt the cargo industry from rule-making. "A FedEx or UPS plane would be just as dramatic in the Sears Tower," said Woerth.
David A. Fulghum (Baghdad and Ramstein AB, Germany)
A startling figure from the continuing conflict in Iraq is that combat casualties are just 11% of the total medical cases that have to be evacuated to Germany or the U.S. A single facility at Ramstein AB, for example, had processed more than 10,000 cases by mid-January.
David M. North has turned the reins of Aviation Week & Space Technology over to Anthony L. Velocci, Jr., who became editor-in-chief on Feb. 1. North, who joined the staff in 1976 following a career as a naval aviatior and pilot with Pan American World Airways, will be editor emeritus in a consulting role through July 2004. His responsibilties will include aircraft evaluations and other special assignments that capitalize on his extensive aviation experience. Velocci, who was senior business editor and Northeast U.S.
Egyptian authorities are slow in doling out information on the crash of Flash Airlines Flight 604, creating impatience in France. On Jan. 3, shortly after takeoff from Sharm el-Sheikh airport, the charter operator's Boeing 737-300 impacted the surface of the Red Sea after a 17-sec. uncontrolled descent from 5,000 ft. The crash killed all 148 people on board (AW&ST Jan. 26, p. 18; Jan. 19, p. 406).
Initial results from Europe's Mars Express orbiter are putting smiles back on the faces of the European scientific community, still smarting from the apparent failure of the accompanying Beagle 2 lander in December.
Daniel C. Schultz (see photo) has been named general manager of the Logistics and Training Systems unit of the Raytheon Technical Services Co., Reston, Va. David J. Dacquino has been appointed general manager of the System and Product Support Solutions unit. Schultz was manager for the Joint V-22 Osprey program within Naval Air Systems Command. Dacquino was deputy of Surface Navy Air Defense Systems for Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz.
U.S. Space and Missile Defense Command and Alaska National Guard have activated a joint battalion charged with operating the first element of a U.S. Ballistic Missile Defense System. Based at Ft. Greely, Alaska, the Missile Defense Space Battalion was formally "stood up" on Jan. 22 as part of the 100th Missile Defense Brigade (Ground-based Midcourse Defense) headquartered in Colorado Springs.
U.S. Transportation Secretary Norman Y. Mineta offered few details last week in an Aero Club of Washington speech outlining the multi-agency effort to triple capacity of the national airspace system by 2025. Planning for the next-generation air traffic management system is just starting, guided by a senior policy committee headed by Mineta. At the working level, John Kern, recently retired from Northwest Airlines, heads a joint planning and development office.
Directed energy has long been simmering as a growth field at the Pentagon, particularly because laser devices kill at the speed of light. But Arthur K. Cebrowski, Pentagon apostle for force transformation, believes the military hasn't gone far enough and should embrace a "redirected energy" concept, which involves using mirrors to relay laser emissions over greater distances. Air Force researchers have already embarked on such on effort, but Cebrowski appears interested in adding money and accelerating the work.
AvCraft Aviation plans to restart production of the 32-seat 328JET later this year and will seek to establish itself as a niche player in the regional jet market. Texas-based AvCraft acquired the 328JET program from bankrupt Fairchild Dornier's administrator in late 2002 along with 18 "white tail" aircraft. The U.S. company, which is owned by Ben Bartel, is singling out regional jet, corporate and special mission markets. AvCraft says it is investing $100 million into the relaunch of the German twinjet.
Thales Chairman/CEO Denis Ranque has confirmed that the European defense electronics contractor is studying the idea of borrowing hull design concepts from France's highly competitive cruise ship industry, in particular those from the recently launched Queen Mary 2, to reduce the cost of new aircraft carriers to be built for the U.K. and France. Thales provided the basic ship design for Britain's CVF, currently at the definition stage, and is struggling along with prime contractor BAE Systems to keep the project within an undisclosed budget.
President Bush's new space exploration policy, combined with the fallout from the Columbia accident, will force NASA to refocus the service life extension program (SLEP) it had mounted for the shuttle before the disaster. Originally set up to keep the shuttle fleet in operation until 2015-20 with upgrades and improved maintenance, the program will be altered to reflect Bush's 2010 target date for shuttle retirement and perhaps renamed as well, according to Michael Kostelnik, deputy associate administrator responsible for the space station and shuttle.
Rodger Doxsey (see photo), head of the Hubble Mission Office at the Space Telescope Science Institute in Baltimore, has been named to receive the 2004 George Van Biesbroeck Prize of the American Astronomical Society. The award is named for the late astronomer George Van Biesbroeck, who studied minor planets, comets, satellites and double stars.
United Airlines and Northwest Airlines improved their financial performance in 2003, but their labor costs leave them with dramatically different prospects for the coming year. Using the negotiating leverage of its year-long stay in Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, United attained major pay, benefit and work-rule concessions from its labor unions.
Even though the Pentagon is asking for a 7% hike in its Fiscal 2005 budget, modernization funding could be squeezed as lawmakers push for a larger military. The White House is requesting $401.7 billion in defense spending for the next fiscal year, earmarking about $9 billion for missile defense. Money is included to expand the Pentagon's emerging ballistic missile shield to Europe, with plans to install about 10 interceptors overseas to improve protection against missiles fired from the Middle East.
AirLiance Materials, an online spare parts provider founded by Lufthansa Technik, United Airlines and Air Canada, has realigned its shares with the Germans taking just over 50% equity and the Americans and the Canadians splitting the rest. Previously, Lufthansa Technik and United Airlines held 41% each and Air Canada the remaining 18%. As part of its corporate realignment to stave off bankruptcy, United has outsourced its airframe maintenance. The partners count AirLiance a success.
France has created a new research budget framework to promote closer integration of university research and development (R&D) with research efforts in space, defense, aeronautics and other government-sponsored activities. The move parallels initiatives already underway to enhance cross-fertilization of R&D activities among the French space agency CNES, the defense research organization Onera, the national scientific research agency CNRS and industry.
David M. Davis has been promoted to senior vice president-finance from vice president-financial planning and analysis for US Airways. Andrew P. Nocella, who has been vice president-pricing and revenue management, has become vice president-network and revenue management. Elizabeth K. Lanier, who has been executive vice president-corporate affairs/general counsel, also will be corporate secretary. In that role, she will succeed Jennifer C. McGarey, who has been named vice president/corporate secretary of MCI. Jeffery A.
