The aerospace/defense industry has some world-class companies, but the picture that emerged from the 2001 Index of Competitiveness study should set off alarms. If the data are examined objectively, the overall business has little to show for its efforts in the last four years, despite all the rhetoric about rising to higher levels of performance (AW&ST July 10, 2000, p. 63). Among the more sobering findings:
Aeritas has introduced a ``nonstop'' curb-to-cabin wireless check-in and boarding service and has forged agreements with Sabre, Siemens and Lufthansa to market the technology. Designated Aeritas Express for Travel, the system combines voice and text interaction to allow passengers to complete check-in and receive a bar-coded boarding pass in one step on their mobile phones or PDA. The boarding pass is scanned at the gate using the airline's existing equipment. Sabre and Siemens will make the technology available to U.S.
Managers of NASA's space shuttle and International Space Station programs will meet in mid-June to decide whether to switch the next two shuttle missions to the ISS, after delaying them last week in the face of persistent problems with the station's new robotic arm.
The FAA has given the green light for major airports in San Francisco and Detroit to begin full-time operations of a high-tech runway safety system that warns controllers of impending collisions. The action completes a milestone that puts the agency on-schedule to roll out other individually tailored systems at 32 airports by November 2002.
Excel Airways has hired FLS Aerospace, under a six-year, $1.5-million contract, to provide line maintenance for five Boeing 737 aircraft at London Gatwick and Manchester airports in England.
James Van Schaick (see photos) has been appointed Teterboro, N.J.-based chief financial officer for Jet Aviation. He was controller of the Precision Valve Co. in New York. Van Schaick succeds Vernon Bieraugel, who is now vice president-Teterboro FBO services and U.S. facility services. Paul Engl has been named director of U.S. flight operations.
Some good news (for a change) from Comair. The company's wholly owned charter subsidiary, Comair Jet Express, earned a ``platinum rating'' from the Aviation Research Group/U.S. on May 29. Jet Express, whose 25 pilots are not part of the Comair pilots' union, continues to fly charters with a fleet of seven Bombardier Challengers, Learjets and Cessna Citations despite the Mar. 26 strike that has ravaged the Cincinnati-based carrier.
In a year that tested airline managers and ushered in trends that promise to challenge them further in the future, four diverse carriers exhibited an approach to their businesses that took them to--or kept them at--the top rankings in this year's Index of Competitiveness analyses. The approach: play to the strengths of your business model, try to neutralize its weaknesses and look for the marketplace to reward you.
Four officials from Pacific Command and one from Lockheed Martin have begun hammering out details of a deal with Beijing to ship the damaged Navy EP-3 eavesdropping aircraft out of Hainan Island. There were concerns that Lingshui air base runways may not be long or strong enough to handle the giant, Russian-built An-124 transport contracted to carry out the aircraft. The Chinese refused to let the aircraft be repaired and flown out, while the U.S. refused to chop the EP-3 into so many pieces it would never fly again.
The U.K.'s Defense Evaluation Research Agency (DERA) has succeeded in demonstrating the ability to automatically recover a Stovl aircraft on a moving platform, such as an aircraft carrier. The tests involved the agency's vectored thrust aircraft advanced flight control (VAAC) Harrier, which features a programmable digital flight control system. A trials vehicle, traveling at ship speeds along the runway at DERA's Boscombe Down facility, was used to simulate the recovery platform.
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.
