Patheo.com, Faremate's leisure-time travel database, is now available to Sabre Holdings Corp. under a new preferred partnership arrangement. The Faremate database is turn-key automation software that will give airline consolidators access to fares from Patheo's 25 consolidators to 105 airlines and 1,135 destinations worldwide. Patheo, of Torrance, Calif., also gives travel agents access to multiple global distribution systems, through its Patheo agency link (patheo.com).
Competing industry concepts are emerging to meet the Defense Dept.'s requirement for a future heavy-lift vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, although recent steps by the Pentagon have put such a program on a decidedly slow pace.
Matthew Smith has become GPS business development director for North America for Leica Geosystems Inc., Norcross, Ga. He was regional sales manager for Southeast Asia.
Eurocopter has successfully completed a second batch of test flights intended to demonstrate the ability of the Cougar helicopter to refuel inflight. The trials, which ended late last month, served to validate operational aspects of refueling maneuvers. An earlier series of tests that ended in June had focused on aerodynamic factors. Both sets of trials used a Cougar Mark 2 in search-and-rescue configuration and a KC-130 Hercules tanker supplied by the Saudi air force.
The U.S. Transportation Dept. has designated UPS as the fourth U.S. carrier to obtain operating rights between the U.S. and China. UPS won cargo air rights for direct service into Beijing and Shanghai. Six of the 10 available frequencies will go to UPS, with the incumbent carriers splitting the rest, two to United Airlines and one each to FedEx and Northwest Airlines. Four of the UPS flights are to originate from Ontario, Calif., and the other two from Newark, N.J.
Russia's TyumenAviaTrans (TAT) Aviation, in an effort to support its United Nations peacekeeping contract work and fulfill its goal of building strategic partnerships with major international helicopter operators, is opening a New York office. TAT Aviation has provided the U.N. peacekeeping services since 1991, and current contracts worth $27.8 million include Sierra Leone, with two Mil Mi-26 helicopters ($15.7 million); East Timor, with two Mi-8MTVs ($4.1 million); and Eritrea, with three Mi-8MTVs ($8 million).
Lamar Chesney has been named senior vice president-supply chain, Patrick H. Wildenburg, Jr., vice president-global sourcing and e-business, and Patrice Miles vice president-consumer marketing, all for Delta Air Lines. Wildenburg was interim director of purchasing and had been director of accounting. Chesney was chief financial officer of global concentrate supply operations for the Coca-Cola Co., and Miles was Delta's vice president for e-business.
The Transportation Dept. is eyeing a new, more detailed system for determining the on-time departures and arrivals of airlines that could take effect early next year. The Chicago Tribune reported that an interim report by an industry/government task force pushes for establishing more specific rules for determining on-time performance. They would require--for the first time --major airlines to give reasons for flight cancellations and delays.
The first round in what may be a protracted effort has drawn bidders across Asia, the U.S. and Europe for the chance to buy a 40% stake in government-owned Air India. At this stage, the bids are preliminary--``expression of interest''--but they include the Tata Group, one of India's largest multinationals and the promoters, in 1946, of Tata Airlines, which was taken over by the government in 1953 and became Air India. Tata is joined by Singapore Airlines (SIA).
Beidou-1, China's first navigation satellite, is now in a near geostationary orbit at 140 deg. E. Long., according to a British authority on navigation satellites. That longitude is well beyond China's eastern-most region.
Lufthansa Technik has equipped what its claims is the first airplane designed for global reception of live TV, e-mail and onboard Internet access. The privately owned Airbus A340 is fitted with an advanced conformal antenna, reception coder capable of receiving more than 400 TV channels, 42-in. plasma displays, user interfaces and a wireless LAN network, and it is capable of transmission rates in excess of 5 Mbps. The system was developed jointly by Lufthansa Technik, Rockwell Collins and Condor.
French space agency CNES has created an association to promote the use of space products and services in nontraditional applications such as the agricultural, construction, oil and utility industries. The Paris-based association, known as I-Space, will bring together service providers and manufacturers seeking to harness space know-how, as well as existing space firms, agencies and institutes. About 20 members have already signed up, and 50 or so more are expected to join shortly, I-Space officials said.
TI Group's Dowty unit has been selected to design and build primary flight control actuators for the Aermacchi M-346 advanced trainer, and will collaborate with BAE Systems and Teleavio of Italy. The M-346 is derived from the Aermacchi/Yakovlev 130 and is intended for training pilots of fourth-generation fighters such as the Eurofighter and Rafale (AW&ST July 31, p. 55).
Phillippe Choppin de Janvry has been appointed chairman and T. Grant John president of the Special Metals Corp., New Hartford, N.Y. De Janvry succeeds Robert D. Halverstadt, who has retired. De Janvry was CEO of Eramet International and counsellor to the chairman. John succeeds Donald R. Muzyka, who also has retired.
Is there a new mission for the National Reconnaissance Office? ``We are going to ask NRO to develop some new equipment for us,'' said Porter Goss, who chairs the House Intelligence Committee. ``We think some cutting-edge technology on hole punchers will be very useful,'' the Florida Republican quipped.
Sebastian Pinera has been named president of the board of directors of LanChile. He is a former senator in Chile and succeeds Jorge Awad, who will continue as a board member.
Air Force pilot shortages are not being ameliorated, so the Pentagon may offer increased bonuses and consider bumping up the current 10-year minimum service requirement. It was recently raised from eight years. Rostker, the Pentagon's personnel and readiness czar, says other ideas are being kicked around to help with the military's overall retention problem. Noncommissioned officer pay may be rejiggered, with an eye to rewarding achievement. Rostker argues that most NCOs now have college degrees, so they should not be paid as high school graduates.
Michael Chanatry has been appointed executive vice president/general manager of Middle River Aircraft Systems of Baltimore. He succeeds Ray Roquemore, who has retired. Chanatry was vice president-production operations.
The Franco-British team formed in August to devise modifications to Air France and British Airways Concordes is schedluded to meet in London on Dec. 15. The team is expected to review proposals to be jointly submitted by the European Aeronautic Defense and Space Co. and BAE Systems, such as reinforcement of wing fuel tanks. EADS and BAE Systems are the successors of the companies that jointly developed Concorde in the 1960s. Last week's meeting was inconclusive, and no plan was drafted to reinstate the certificates of airworthiness.
A lack of support from key U.S. Air Force generals is impeding development of a military spaceplane, according to USAF space command and industry officials.
Cary Deacon has become president/ chief operating officer of SkyMall Inc. of Phoenix. He was head of marketing and sales for ValueVision International Inc.
