Northwest and Delta airlines are promoting voluntary leave programs to scale down workforces to levels that will match reduced flying schedules this year and in 2003. Delta is expected to present leave packages to as many as 1,500 employees in coming months. Internal communications regarding the workforce reduction were leaked prior to completion of the leave program, according to a Delta spokesman. Northwest notified flight attendants Oct. 2 that a voluntary leave program could affect a total of 1,600 people. After the terrorist attacks on Sept.
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. is developing strategies designed to expand its role in supporting new aircraft as well as 6,000 of its legacy aircraft in service with 60 countries. ``We don't believe there will be a clamor for integrated solutions across the board, but Lockheed Martin will be poised to provide more support'' while ensuring respect for our customers' needs, said William B. Anderson, vice president of customer support for the Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co.
Air New Zealand last week contracted with Airbus for five A320-family aircraft, the first of which is to be delivered in October 2003. The powerplant choice has not yet been announced. The five aircraft, along with the carrier's 10 leased A320s, are to be operated on New Zealand-Australia and Pacific Island services. The carrier holds options for 20 aircraft of the same type.
Air Canada, wrenching itself from the grasp of dismal airline economics to report two consecutive quarters of profitability, may be emerging as the healthiest carrier in North America. Robert Milton, CEO of the only international carrier on this continent to report a net profit, US$39 million, in the second quarter, recently told a group of institutional investors his carrier expects ``a good, profitable third quarter'' and is looking at ``a more normalized state, barring the unforeseen.'' Third-quarter details will be announced on Oct. 25.
Belgium's BarcoView has been awarded a contract from Lockheed Martin to supply flat panel displays and graphics controller boards for air traffic control centers in the Northern California and Potomac regions.
A Cirrus SR-20 light airplane made a successful emergency descent Oct. 3 after the pilot deployed the built-in parachute system to lower the aircraft to the ground. The pilot, who was the sole occupant and walked away from the crash uninjured, elected to deploy the parachute after the left aileron separated from the airplane during a ferry flight near Lewisville, Tex., according to an official of Ballistic Recovery System, which manufactures the parachute system. The airplane had recently undergone maintenance.
The Transportation Security Administration is implementing a pilot program at four major airport hubs to test the use of sniffing dogs to clear U.S. mail for flight on commercial passenger aircraft. Current directives prohibit the shipping of certain mail on passenger aircraft, but there is $10 million in the Fiscal 2003 budget for mail screening efforts. In addition, the TSA is working on risk assessment for perimeter security (including airside and landside) and plans 20 airport access control pilot programs as required by the Aviation and Transportation Security Act.
Randy Buschling has been appointed chief operating officer and Rue Lynn Pugh corporate controller of LaBarge Inc. of St. Louis. Buschling was senior vice president and has been vice president-aerospace and defense. Pugh was a director of accounting and financial analysis.
Honored with President's Achievement Awards were David W. Warren and Margot L. Wasz. Warren was cited for developing ``optical designs for the corporation's hyperspectral remote sensing family of systems'' and Wasz ``for the investigation and timely resolution of multiple battery issues critical to space launch programs.'' Receiving team awards were: Oscar Esquivel, Eric C. Johnson and James P. Nokes ``for developing a method for applying flash thermography to inspecting satellite solar panels''; and James D. Barrie, Bernard W. Chau, Steven L. Johns, Lance D.
Britain could procure at least 60 conventional variants of the U.S. Defense Dept.'s F-35 to meet future deep strike requirements as part of its proposed purchase of up to 150 of the type. While the Defense Ministry announced Sept. 30 it had selected the F-35B short takeoff and vertical landing (Stovl) variant as the Joint Combat Aircraft (JCA) (Joint Strike Fighter--JSF--in the U.S.) for its new class of aircraft carrier, this requirement alone does not justify the purchase of 150 aircraft, admit ministry sources.
U.S. Space Command was ``transitioned'' last week into Strategic Command, creating what is being billed as a ``new'' StratCom capable of taking on a broader menu of missions. Shortly after the ``stand-up'' of StratCom on Oct. 1, Adm. James O. Ellis, Jr., was confirmed by the Senate as StratCom commander. Over the next few weeks and months, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld is expected to give the merged command a number of previously unassigned missions.
The Bush administration's priorities for allocating science and technology funds in the Fiscal 2003 budget raise questions about supporting the physical sciences, combating terrorism and pursuing long-term U.S. global leadership in science, according to an analysis by the National Academies of Science and Engineering and their Institute of Medicine.
SkyTeam could become the world's biggest airline alliance if Continental Airlines, Northwest Airlines and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines join in the next few months. According to executives of SkyTeam member carriers, they would be a highly valuable addition. Delta Air Lines Chief Executive Leo Mullin stressed that the members' common goal is to ``aggressively strengthen the alliance.'' Creating SkyTeam two years ago was ``one of the great accomplishments'' he achieved since taking over Delta, he added. Delta and Air France are SkyTeam's founding members.
Fred P. Moosally has become president of Lockheed Martin's Naval Electronics and Surveillance Systems (NESS). He will remain president of the segment's Surface Systems unit, Moorestown, N.J. As NESS president, Moosally succeeds Joseph D. Antinucci, who is retiring.
Chinese Prime Minister Zhu Rongji's visit to Airbus and Alcatel Space signals that closer business links are being established between China and the European aerospace industry. Similarly, new European initiatives are expected to significantly strengthen the cooperation between the Europeans and the Commonwealth of Independent States. China and the CIS are considered by leading companies such as Airbus to be primary growth targets as well as strong partners in long-term joint ventures.
Primagraphics (www.primagraphics.net) has a new radar capture card for use in display consoles and radar video servers. The Osprey card supports a number of radar signal types and is made in the PCI mezzanine card format. It can digitize up to three analog video signals at a 50-MHz. rate with 10-bit internal precision, producing 8- or 4-bit samples for the console and providing up to 16,384 samples per radar return. The card includes a PowerPC processor for high-level control of functions and implementing custom processing algorithms.
Leo F. Mullin, chairman and CEO of Delta Air Lines, was back on Capitol Hill last week, making the case for federal financial relief for U.S. carriers. Excerpts from his testimony before the Senate Commerce Committee follow. Much has been done to make the whole aviation system more secure--to the benefit of many. But one year later, a review of the financial impact of government policy-based, post-Sept. 11 changes in aviation security shows that U.S.
The state of Virginia and city of Newport News have withdrawn all financial support for the Aviation World's Fair 2003 that is scheduled to be held Apr. 7-27, 2003, at the Newport News/Williamsburg International Airport, according to the Associated Press. State officials cited a lack of sponsors, exhibitors and military participation as reasons for backing out of the project being organized by Kallman Worldwide Inc.
Smiths Group plans to purchase Rheinmetall Group's Heimann Systems GmbH. X-ray security systems business for approximately $146 million. Products manufactured by Heimann Systems are used primarily for inspecting luggage and freight for explosives.
The first meeting of the decade-old Aviation Security Advisory Committee held under auspices of the TSA has some members wondering whether the agency really wants their advice. In a 3.5-hr. meeting, the 30-member panel mostly received presentations on TSA goals and the status of its programs. But the TSA gave the panel no tasks, and the only formal action was to set the date for its next public meeting, in January. Acting TSA chief James M. Loy says the agency does want the committee's counsel.
Pressure from the U.S. apparently has prompted China Airlines to consider buying 10 747-400s valued at $2 billion for long-haul services as a tradeoff to an earlier decision to acquire 12 Airbus A330-300s worth a similar amount for regional operations. It was not long after the carrier indicated its choice of the A330 over the competing Boeing 777 that Taiwan President Chen Shui-Bian learned how such a decision might affect future U.S.-Taiwan relations. The pressure, reportedly from Congress, was especially high in a weak market for aircraft sales.
The Army's Land Information Warfare Activity (LIWA) supports Army troops worldwide in acquiring, protecting and exploiting information for combat. It was aided by six different contractors, but this activity has been condensed into a single contract with a consolidated team led by Northrop Grumman's Information Technology group in Northern Virginia. The recently awarded contract is worth more than $300 million over a five-year period.
Its recovery bolstered by conditional approval of a $148.5-million federal loan guarantee, American Trans Air (ATA) last week revamped its fares, fees and travel awards program and set a maximum one-way domestic ticket price of $299. The promotions are part of the carrier's observance of the 30th anniversary of its founding by pilot George Mikelsons, who is chairman and two months ago resumed operating control of the Indianapolis-based scheduled and charter operator (AW&ST Aug. 12, p. 36). An anniversary sale, effective through Oct.
NASA Langley Research Center is teaming with the National Institute of Aerospace Associates to form the National Institute of Aerospace (NIA) to conduct advanced research aimed at inspiring future generations of scientists and engineers.
