Labor has made a commitment to working with management while U.S. airlines tangle with myriad problems related to the downturn, war and terrorism, but unions are keeping a close watch on developing trends that could potentially alter cooperative working relationships.
After lengthy preparation, Europe is finally inaugurating an ambitious aeronautics research and development program that's expected to involve up to $100 billion over the next 20 years. The program--coordinated by the Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe (Acare) and under the umbrella of the European Commission (EC)--is expected to accelerate R&D initiatives implemented by the newly established European Research Area (ERA).
DRS Technologies Inc. has been awarded two contracts to produce high-speed digital imaging systems for installation on U.S. and Canadian combat aircraft. The systems will replace film cameras, to capture airborne weapons separation events. The combined awards are valued at up to $2.5 million, including options.
No sector vital to the U.S. economy is more in need of leadership--and reform--than the airline industry. Since deregulation of the U.S. commercial air transportation system in 1978, airlines have alternated between boom times and busts, depending largely on the state of the economy.
In response to D.S.Kohlberg's comments, here is a view different from that of someone who is looking at a radar scope with a dusty U.S. Justice Dept. badge. I am a Boeing 767 captain on international flights as well as an experienced F-16 pilot in the Alabama Air National Guard. I am qualified with a 9mm Berretta as well as AIM-120 Amraams, AIM-9 Sidewinders and a 20mm cannon.
L-3 Communications Corp. has taken a 20% equity stake in Millivision--a privately-held technology enterprise specializing in millimeter-wavelength imaging. The company, which holds 10 patents and has other patents pending, possesses a body of intellectual property that defines the field of millimeter-wave scanning and imaging, according to L-3 Chairman/CEO Frank Lanza. He said Millivision's technology will allow L-3 to accelerate the development of a new walk-through scanner for airports, federal buildings and commercial facilities.
Joe McGoldrick has been appointed chief technical officer of Dublin-based Aircraft Management Technologies. He was head of development of the Lawful Internet Interception System for Accuris.
The second flight test aircraft for the Korea Aerospace Industries/Lockheed Martin T-50 advanced trainer completed its first flight Nov. 8 at Sachon, South Korea. Flown by Lt. Col. Cho Gwang-Je, the airplane reached a calibrated airspeed of 250 kt. and an altitude of 15,000 ft. during the 47-min. mission. The second T-50 is identical to the prototype aircraft except for instrumentation and installation of a spin recovery parachute for emergency deployment during high angle of attack maneuvers. Since August the test program has accumulated more than 14 flight hours.
Dec. 3-5--Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul Asia Conference & Exhibition. Singapore. Mar. 10-11--European Transport Leaders Conference. Landmark Hotel, London. Mar. 12-13--Toulouse Symposium. Toulouse (France) Congress Center. Mar. 27-28--Defense Budget Conference. Holiday Inn, Rosslyn, Va. Apr. 15-17--MRO 2003 & MRO Latin America. Broward County Convention Center, Fort Lauderdale Fla. May 12-14--Aerospace Defense & Finance Conference. Grand Hyatt Hotel, New York.
The Transportation Security Administration isn't opposed to basing airlines' security infrastructure fees on their market share, but it doesn't have authority to do so, TSA chief James Loy wrote Sen. Fred Thompson (R-Tenn.). Last year's security legislation sets the fee for three years at a carrier's security costs in 2000. The TSA can change this only in Fiscal 2005, even though some airlines are operating at lower levels now and some at higher levels, and a few new entrants don't have to pay the fee at all.
With an eye on a potential 100-transport market, Alenia Aeronautica is engaged in a full-court press to penetrate the U.S. with its C-27J, targeting the Army and Coast Guard as potential customers. Company officials are touring U.S. facilities with one of their two C-27J prototypes to demonstrate the light twin-engine transport to Coast Guard and Army representatives, with stops at Andrews AFB, Md.; Ft. Belvoir, Va.; Ft. Eustis, Va.; Ft. Rucker, Ala.; and Ft. Bragg, N.C.
Vietnam Airlines has purchased five Airbus A321s aircraft as part of a fleet expansion program. They are scheduled for delivery between 2003-05. The aircraft will be deployed on domestic and intra-Asian routes and will be added to the airline's current leased A320-family fleet of 10 A320s and two A321s.
Stanley N. Siegel, who has been vice president-technical operations for the Washington-based Aerospace Industries Assn., is scheduled to retire on Dec. 31 and become president/chief operating officer of AIA's National Center for Advanced Technology and chairman of AIA International Standards Organization Technical Committee 20 (Aviation and Space Vehicles).
Joseph J. Mantineo, Sr., a retired airframe and powerplant mechanic and former officer for US Airways of the International Assn. of Machinists, has been appointed to represent the union on the airline's board of directors.
The U.S. Defense Dept.'s quarterly selected acquisition reports for September have been released with four programs reporting schedule delays, two programs making initial reports and one program being rebaselined. The Navy's Future Aircraft Carrier (CVNX) program is reporting a schedule delay of six months or more as is the Air Force's Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle (EELV), Navstar GPS, and Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (Jassm) programs.
Canada and Switzerland last week liberalized their air transport agreement. Under the expanded agreement, any number of airlines will be allowed to operate scheduled services to any city in the other country, either with its own or partner's aircraft. Previously, the agreement allowed only two airlines from each country to fly between specific city pairs. For Air Canada, this means unrestricted access to Switzerland on a code-share basis.
In February 1991, when the Persian Gulf war began, U.S. airlines' traffic plummeted more than 10% below year-earlier levels overall, and more than 25% on international routes. Within three months, traffic was back to 1990 levels, and by the end of the year international traffic was outpacing domestic, with year-over-year growth at or near 10%.
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.
