In the wake of more than $100 million in losses by 114 of its 143 airports last year, China is to reconsider an ambitious plan to spend a whopping $37.2 billion on 65 new airports from 2005-10. The number of new airports is likely to be scaled back, but to what extent is unclear. Vice Minister Bao Peide of the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC) was only willing to confirm that the construction program is under review, and the expansion of small- and medium-sized airports may be reduced.
The four global airline alliances, which soon could shrink to three, are as important to member airlines during economic declines as they have been in periods of high growth. But while alliances appear solid now, the connections are tenuous and could easily change over time. In the post-Sept.-11 marketplace U.S. network carriers, when they reduced international services, turned to alliance partners as surrogates to continue network flying and maintain market presence.
Philippine Airlines made a dramatic turnaround, posting a profit of 946 million pesos (US$17.85 million) for the first six months of the year ended Sept. 30, compared with a loss of 182.85 million pesos for the same period last year. According to PAL President Avelino Zapanta, the airline hopes to achieve a profit exceeding 1 billion pesos for the second half of the financial year. Zapanta said the looming threat of war in Iraq could dash the carrier's hopes.
Ulf Liljenberg has become vice president-marketing and sales of CTT Systems, Nykoping, Sweden. He was chairman of Eurowind AB and had been vice president-marketing at Credit Lyonnais/PK Airfinance.
Russian guided-weapons manufacturer Vympel says it is developing three further variants of its R-77 (AA-12 Adder) medium-range air-to-air missile. Following a similar developmental path to that of the R-77's predecessor, the R-27 (AA-10 Alamo), Vympel officials told Aviation Week & Space Technology it is working on infrared and passive radio frequency homing variants of the basic R-77. For export purposes, Vympel refers to the basic active radar-guided version of the missile as the RVV-AE.
The Transportation Security Administration is hiring more than the congressionally mandated ceiling of 45,000 employees--offering temporary jobs to people who can serve either two years or five years, depending on the job category. It has already hired nearly 45,000 screeners and total employment at the agency already exceeds the cap when federal air marshals, human resources, research and development, contracting personnel and others are included.
The NTSB last week reported that Charles Bishop, a teenage pilot who flew a Cessna 172 into a building in downtown Tampa, Fla., last January, maneuvered the airplane "just a few feet" above the control tower at MacDill AFB and 75-100 ft. above two refueling tankers parked on the flight line. After buzzing three hangars, Bishop was intercepted by a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter and ordered to land, but proceeded northeast toward Tampa, according to the report.
KLM Royal Dutch Airlines late last week confirmed an earlier commitment in signing a contract covering the acquisition of six 250-seat Airbus A330-200 twinjets and purchase rights for an additional 18 aircraft.
The Enhanced Mini-ACE series of products has been expanded with what the company says is the first 3.3-volt fully integrated Mil-Std-1553 BC/RT/MT terminal. Called the Mini-ACE Mk. 3 series, the new design requires only a 3.3-volt power supply, and at the same time can be packaged in a ceramic quad flat package. The terminal eliminates the need for a 5-volt power supply, providing advantages for military and avionics systems such as reduced cost, weight and space. At 0.77 sq.
The TSA has slipped from Dec. 1 to Feb. 1 the deadline for compliance with security procedures it has mandated for operators of aircraft certified for maximum takeoff weight of 12,500 lb. or more, dubbed the "12-5 rule." The extra two months are intended to accommodate the hundreds of smaller operators, some in remote areas, that haven't been subject to security regulations until now and aren't familiar with fingerprint-based criminal history record checks or security training for their employees.
The Series 3200 mobile access router for mobile vehicular applications facilitates mobility of networks in motion--entire networks of communication devices in vehicles such as airplanes, ships and tanks. Lufthansa Systems and Lufthansa Technik are working with the company to deliver the first standards-based inflight networking components for airline cabin infrastructure. The router is designed for incorporation into customized communications systems that can be installed by systems integrators.
USCG Rear Adm. (ret.) Paul Busick has been named vice president-transportation security practice for the Transportation Market Sector of Battelle, Columbus, Ohio. He was associate FAA administrator for civil aviation security.
How can students in Grades K-12 be motivated to develop technical skills when sports are made most important in school? The local school here does not have a physics teacher, but it has many coaches and assistants for the many sports programs. The school has large pictures of teams mounted in the hallways. A large part of the local news coverage is about sports. Leadership? The sports programs are run by adults. The students don't have a chance to practice being leaders. James F. Jackson Carlisle, Ind.
Meanwhile, the European Court of Justice decision is raising concerns among Asia-Pacific carriers. By giving the EC greater status at the negotiating table, airlines may find it difficult to obtain slots at Europe's capacity-restricted airports, according to consultant Derek Sadubin of the Sydney-based Centre for Asia-Pacific Aviation. He said the decision "is a large step toward estab- lishing a European aviation trading bloc which, beside the negotiating power of the U.S., highlights the fragmented nature of the Asian marketplace.
Airlines--especially majors in the U.S. and Europe--are facing an unprecedented array of troubles. The crisis is detailed in a special report that bgeins on p. 52. AW&ST editors outline possible remedies in an editorial on p. 82. Background photo by Joseph Pries.
Lisa Malone, the Kennedy Space Center's associate director for external relations and business development, and USAF Lt. Col. Mike Rein, chief of public affairs for the 45th Space Wing at Cape Canaveral, have won the 2002 Harry Kolcum Memorial News and Communications Award for public affairs. Pat Duggins, space editor for National Public Radio and news director of WMFE-FM in Orlando, Fla., has received the Kolcum News Media Award for 2002. The awards were presented on Nov. 12 before about 150 aerospace managers, by the National Space Club's Florida Committee.
Richard Rivir, who heads the U.S. Air Force Office of Scientific Research's Turbine Aero Thermal Research effort for the Propulsion Directorate, has received the 2002 Air Breathing Propulsion Award from the Reston, Va.-based American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. Other recent AIAA award winners are: Jeffries Medical Research Award, the late Gautam D.
The letter "Monsters at the Gates" was on the money (AW&ST Oct. 14, p. 6). I see countless articles in business publications, and bits on TV news programs, about how the airlines and travel industry are hurting. But "Monsters at the Gates" was the first time I've seen the obvious noted. When I see a news item about security guards groping women, what am I supposed to think? I'm a husband and the father of two girls (10 and 14). Should I be anxious to pay to subject my wife and daughters to that treatment?
A perfect example of the Transportation Security Administration's abuse of general aviation (AW&ST Sept.16, p.78) was shown during President Bush's campaign swing through New England on an early October weekend. All GA flying was severely restricted within 30 naut. mi.--and banned within 10 naut. mi.--of the Bush compound in Kennebunkport, Maine, preventing local pilots from enjoying a glorious early autumn weekend.
A careful examination of the U.S. airline industry leads to the sober conclusion that its current plight is substantially worse than in the early 1990s, and that its condition is likely to get worse before it gets better.
CMC Electronics has won a contract from Britain's Marshall Aerospace to provide GPS-based flight management systems for three C-130 aircraft to be upgraded by Marshall for the Austrian air force.
Embedded systems and their development tools come in a wide range of flavors, and Wind River Systems is trying to standardize and simplify the development environment with its new Platform AD product. Embedded systems are dedicated computers typically performing real-time functions with near-instant startup. Wind River is the leading provider of real-time operating systems and development environments for embedded systems, and 20-25% of its business is from aerospace and defense (A&D) customers.
Britain's major airports face industrial action from late November through December, with firefighters threatening to strike. Should the series of one-day strikes proceed, the affected airports would likely be closed.
