EchoStar Communications Corp., in a bid to salvage its proposed merger with Hughes DirecTV, has offered to transfer to Cablevision an orbital slot that covers the West Coast of the U.S. If the Justice Dept. approves the plan, Cablevision would be able to offer direct broadcast services across the U.S. To sweeten the offer, EchoStar also has offered to share satellites with Cablevision for broadcasting local channels. Despite these efforts, some industry analysts still expect regulators to block the merger on grounds that it is anticompetitive.
The Pentagon, which eliminated the DOD 5000 series acquisition rules this year, is continuing its crusade to rewrite and simplify regulations. Next to go is the voluminous Joint Technical Architecture (JTA) that spells out "standards and guidelines for the acquisition of all DOD systems that produce, use, or exchange information." In its place, the Defense Dept. wants a 14-page document that sets a minimum number of standards, leaving most technical implementation issues for each program to resolve in its own way.
Nov. 11-14--Airports Council International-North America's 11th Annual Conference. Salt Palace Convention Center, Salt Lake City. Call +1 (202) 293-8500 or fax +1 (202) 466-5555. Nov. 14-15--First Global Aviation Information Network Asia-Pacific Regional Conference. Tokyo International Forum. Call +1 (301) 907-7670 fax +1 (301) 907-0036 or see www.gainweb.org. Nov. 17-19--Air Transport Assn. of Canada's Annual General Meeting & Trade Show. Marriott Hotel & Telus Convention Center, Calgary, Alberta. Call +1 (613) 233-7727, ext. 312.
Debt-laden Kansai Airport has found a financial savior. Japan's Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport will absorb about a third of the airport's debt of $9.75 billion by paying $106 million annually for the next 30 years. The bailout, however, comes with a catch--suspending work on a second runway for the island airport. Construction of the runway, coupled with the cost of additional land reclamation, are major reasons the airport has such a high debt load. Kansai serves the Osaka-Kobe region in Japan.
Cyber terrorism of the Internet is an ongoing concern for industry, especially since Sept. 11. A recent case in point: The FBI is trying to find out who was responsible for hacking into the 13 root servers on the Internet on Oct. 21. The servers are a starting point for Internet address translations, and the fact that they were vulnerable troubles Elliot Noss, president and CEO of Internet service provider Tucows Inc. in Toronto. He calls the attack a wake-up call for those responsible for key Internet infrastructure.
Alfred Adriaan van der Meer has been appointed CEO of Athens International Airport, which is operated as a partnership between the Greek government and Germany-based Hochtief AirPort. He succeeds Matthias Mitscherlich, who has resigned. Van der Meer was managing direc- tor of Schiphol International Airport in Amsterdam.
Inside North America call American List Counsel at: (609) 580-2775; Fax (609) 580-2803. Outside North America call The Prospect Shop at: 020 8481 8730; Fax: 020 8783 1940
The U.S. Air National Guard has begun modifying about 50 Block 42 F-16C/Ds with Pratt & Whitney F100-PW-229 Increased Performance Engines rated at 29,000-lb. thrust--20% more than the original F100-PW-220.
Michael Gutierrez, a senior systems engineer for Lockheed Martin Aeronautics in Fort Worth, has been named Most Promising Engineer in the undergraduate degree category of the 2002 Hispanic Engineer National Achievement Awards. He supports avionics development teams working on programs with USAF, European air forces and Taiwan, by maintaining and developing test procedures and conducting integration tests.
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. has established a new avionics laboratory for the F/A-22 at its facilities in Fort Worth. The lab is designed to integrate special monitoring equipment with software for testing under simulated operational conditions. The lab is a key step in ensuring the stability of the fighter's avionics package leading to completion of the Dedicated Initial Operational Test and Evaluation before F/A-22 production begins.
Steven F. Gaffney has been named vice president for value-based Six Sigma for ITT Industries Inc., White Plains, N.Y. He was president of ITT's Avionics Div., Clifton, N.J.
Paulette M. Schwerdt has become manager of investor relations for Garmin International, Olathe, Kan. She was a research analyst/vice president of Kornitzer Capital Management, Shawnee Mission, Kan. Schwerdt succeeds John Mills, who has left the company.
Hernan Galindo has been appointed senior associate for cargo projects and Tulia Badillo-Garay manager of marketing services for Miami-based AvGroup. Galindo was president of Latin Air Inc. Badillo-Garay was Miami-based director of sales for Mega Aviation Inc.
Textron Lycoming officials await preliminary FAA approval this week to start production of new crankshafts for IO-540-series piston engines following implementation of upgraded procedures in the forging process.
The Transportation Dept. has stripped Midway Airlines of 14 slot exemptions--two at Washington Reagan National Airport and the 12 at New York's LaGuardia Airport. The exemptions for Reagan National were awarded in 2000. Officials for Midway, which is in bankruptcy and not operating, told the department that losing the slots would prevent the carrier from becoming a regional affiliate of US Airways--a key part of the survival plan.
Michel Roche has been appointed communications director of the Airborne Systems Group of Paris-based Thales. He held the same position in the Communication Systems Group.
A new substantially upgraded version of the Soyuz spacecraft was launched to the International Space Station with a Russian/European Space Agency crew last week to exchange ISS rescue vehicles. The launch and docking of the new Soyuz TMA-1 spacecraft is critical to keeping the Endeavour mission on schedule for launch Nov. 11. The Soyuz was to dock early Nov. 1. Its crew was to depart the ISS Nov. 9 in the older Soyuz TM spacecraft sent aloft about six months ago.
Jay B. Stephens has been named senior vice president/general counsel and James Fetig vice president-media relations for the Raytheon Co., Lexington, Mass. Ste- phens was associate U.S. attorney general. Fetig succeeds David Polk, who has become head of communications for Ray- theon Integrated Defense Systems. Fetig was vice president-public relations for the Lockheed Martin Corp., Bethesda, Md.
Goodrich Corp. posted a 35% drop in diluted earnings per share last week, a 39% decline in income from continuing operations and 16.1% less sales for the third quarter. The company blamed its disappointing performance on the downturn in commercial aerospace, particularly jetliner production, as well as weakness in the industrial gas turbine and general aviation markets.
Switzerland and Canada have reached an open skies agreement. Benefits to Swiss include access to the market through code shares with American Airlines.
A U.S. Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin helicopter reengined with Turbomeca Arriel 2C1 turboshafts made its maiden flight at Elizabeth City, N.C. In the next several weeks, flight tests will enable the USCG to evaluate the upgraded Dolphin's performance.
Airborne Inc. posted a $3.38-million, third-quarter operating profit as revenues and expenses each climbed approximately 9% over the same period last year. Express shipments averaged more than 1.1 million a day, a 1% increase over third quarter last year. Wages, pension, healthcare and insurance costs increased $17 million over last year's third quarter, said Carl Donaway, chairman and CEO. Interest expenses rose 66% to $9.1 million, contributing to a net loss of $3 million.
