Air France says that despite the U.S. economic slowdown, soaring fuel prices and red ink flowing from regional subsidiaries, it projects a continued healthy financial performance for the year. In a highly charged political context, the French flag carrier is trying to keep its distance from the dire fiscal straits of the Swissair Group's French affiliates, despite desperate pleas for help from labor unions.
Jeff Abraham has become executive vice president-business development, marketing initiatives and sales operations for the AirSphere Corp. of New York. He was executive vice president-business development at Convey Inc., also in New York.
Iran said it has conducted a test launch of an indigenous, solid-fuel, surface-to-surface missile designated the Fateh 110. Iranian state radio reported that the missile was ``planned and produced totally'' by Iranian army experts, but provided no further details. Some Western observers speculated that the Fateh 110 could be a technology demonstrator. Pentagon analysts say it is an Iranian copy of a Chinese-developed Scud missile. Iran also has built and tested several long-range missiles, including the 1,000-km.-range Shahab 3 (AW&ST Mar. 19, p. 116).
To get the most signal processing performance out of the PowerPC G4 microprocessor with Motorola's AltiVec vector capabilities, Thales Computers (www.thalescomputers.com) has come out with PowerLine4 real-time software development tools. PowerLine4 optimizes the vector math to increase the performance of PowerPC chips by up to a factor of 10, Thales officials claim. The company is also selling G4 PowerEngine boards that employ both the hardware and software technology. . . . For those who want to run a 500-MHz.
Effective June 1, Canada 3000 implemented a one-way C$15 ($9.70) fuel surcharge on domestic air travel ticketing. The surcharge, according to the Toronto-based carrier, was necessary due to surging jet fuel costs. It is to be withdrawn when prices decrease or the additional cost is absorbed into permanent fare increases.
Mike Luckey has been promoted to senior manager of instructor development from instructor development specialist for SimuFlite Training International Inc., Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport. Linda Falkenstine has been appointed process improvement team manager and Miyanda Wilson manager of account representatives.
Jeff Nerland has been promoted to senior vice president of DeCrane Aircraft Holdings Inc. and president of its Seating Div. from vice president-business development of DeCrane and vice president-Seating Div. Eric Steidl, who has been corporate controller of DeCrane, is now also a vice president.
The Allied Pilots Assn. and American Airlines have agreed to a plan whereby the APA will pay the remaining $26-million balance of a $45-million fine levied against the union for a pilot ``sick-out'' in 1998. An APA official said the money will be paid annually for 15 years. The first payment is due on Dec. 31. The APA already has transferred about $23 million, plus interest, to American from an escrow account.
Boeing executives are exploring two potential projects with Russian aerospace companies--a 55-85-passenger regional jetliner with a range of 2,000-3,000 km. (1,250-1,875 mi.) and a supersonic business jet. Both projects are at the feasibility study and business plan development stage, said Thomas Pickering, Boeing senior vice president for international relations, who discussed cooperation plans with Russian aerospace companies during a week-long visit.
Workers at Port Canaveral, Fla., unload the first Common Booster Core for Boeing's new Delta IV space launch vehicle from the Delta Mariner, a specially built oceangoing barge that transported it from Stennis Space Center, Miss., to Cape Canaveral AFS. Fresh from hot-fire tests with its Rocketdyne RS-68 engine, this vehicle will be used for fit checks and other pathfinder activities at the Horizontal Integration Facility and Delta IV pad at Space Launch Complex 37.
German aircraft engine manufacturer MTU has formally opened MTU Aero Engine Components (MTU-AEC), a Newington, Conn.-based manufacturing and engine component repair facility. The organization, which was formerly operated by Chromalloy as its Caval Tool Div., has three manufacturing shops in the Newington area with a workforce of about 180. Annual sales of the operation, which was purchased earlier this year, are about $30 million.
Jonathan M. (Jack) Schofield, former chairman/CEO of Airbus Industrie North America, has been appointed to the board of directors of FlightTime, Waltham, Mass.
The GE-P&W Engine Alliance has signed its first customer for the partnership's 68,000-81,500-lb.-thrust GP7200 powerplant. Air France has placed an order for 70,000-lb.-thrust GP7270s to power 10 firm Airbus A380s the carrier expects to begin receiving in the fourth quarter of 2006. Core and fan technology tests supporting GP7200 development were recently run and detailed design work on the engine should begin in 2003 after a third round of core tests are run next year (AW&ST May 7, p. 70).
Raytheon Co. shuffled top management at two of its operating units last week, with former Raytheon Aircraft Integration Systems President Jim Schuster replacing Hansel Tookes as head of Raytheon Aircraft Co. (RAC). Tookes, who was put in charge of RAC in September 1999, is now responsible for expanding Raytheon's business outside of the U.S. Replacing Schuster at Aircraft Integration Systems is Robert W. Drewes, who had been vice president of productivity.
In the article entitled ``Safety Agencies Release Facts on Gulf Air Crash'' (AW&ST Apr. 23, p. 57), the body of water into which the Airbus A320 plunged was misidentified. The aircraft crashed into the Persian Gulf. Also, the U.S. Defense Dept. is expected to display more than 20 aircraft at the Paris air show, but the F-22 will not be among them (AW&ST May 21, p. 86).
Michael J. Hiemstra has been named executive vice president-finance and administration/chief financial officer, effective July 1, of the Parker Hannifin Corp. of Cleveland. Don Washkewicz will succeed Duane Collins as CEO.
The 10-week-old pilots' strike that has shut down Delta Air Lines' affiliate Comair is raising questions about the advisability of mainline ownership of a feeder carrier and the potential impact of the walkout on the phenomenal rise of the regional jet.
David A. Banmiller has become president/chief operating officer of Sun Country Airlines. Bill La Macchia, Jr., will remain CEO. Banmiller was president/CEO of a recent iteration of Pan American World Airways.
Khrunichev is moving to market a winged flyback booster stage and a smallsat-based remote-sensing satellite system as it stretches out the service introduction of new launchers in response to lower than expected demand.
Edwin I. Colodny (see photo), former chairman/president/CEO of USAir and former chairman of the Comsat Corp., has been appointed interim president of the University of Vermont, effective July 1. He is counsel to the law firm of Paul, Hastings, Janofsky&Walker in Washington.
The European Commission's investigation into the proposed General Electric-Honeywell merger is now set to move into its final phase, following two days of closed-door hearings in Brussels last week. GE focused primarily on allaying concerns about product bundling, trying to show that it would lead to lower prices for end users. Bundling headed the list of objections issued earlier this month by the EC, after the U.S. Justice Dept. had conditionally okayed the merger (AW&ST May 14, p. 24; May 7, p. 32).
NASA has selected Orbital Sciences Corp. for two contracts as part of the Space Launch Initiative program. NASA awarded Orbital a $47-million contract for the Demonstration of Autonomous Rendezvous Technology program. The second contract, valued at $6 million, will cover continued study and development of the Space Taxi Crew Transfer Vehicle concept proposed last year under NASA's Space Transportation Architecture Study program.
Lt. Gen. (ret.) Ellis D. Parker has been appointed president of the Westport, Conn.-based Army Aviation Assn. of America (AAAA). He succeeds Maj. Gen. (ret.) Carl H. McNair, Jr. Parker's last active duty assignment was as commanding general of the U.S. Army Aviation Center, Ft. Rucker, Ala.
