The House/Senate breakthrough to spend $40 billion on federal aviation programs during the next three years comes just as the airport and runway construction season is about to begin. Only hours before congressional negotiators last week broke a five-month deadlock on an FAA reauthorization budget, state and local officials had warned that further delay would jeopardize $1.2 billion in aviation projects all across the U.S. this construction year.
Hurel Dubois has agreed to assume 2% of the risk (an estimated $240 million) of developing Airbus' A3XX very large transport that is due for launch late this year or early in 2001. The Meudon, France-based manufacturer will contribute aerostructure and nacelle systems for the four-engine, double-decker aircraft, which is expected to cost about $12 billion to develop. Hurel Dubois also will produce nacelle systems for the Airbus A318, Fairchild Dornier 728JET, Embraer ERJ-170 and Bombardier's Continental Business Jet.
The World War II battle site of Midway Island, now an eco-tourism destination, has begun receiving weekly scheduled air services. Honolulu's Aloha Airlines will operate the flights on Saturdays. Trip planning is a bit unusual in that Aloha suggests visitors contact the Midway marketing office to secure hotel reservations at the former naval bachelor officers' quarters before booking their flights. Protected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the atoll has unspoiled natural assets and has become a destination for divers, fishermen and bird-watchers.
The Berlin Airport Authority hopes to come to an agreement this year with a consortium led by Berlin-based developer IVG and the Vienna Airport for construction and operation of a new international airport to replace Berlin's three installations. A rival group headed by Hochtief and the Frankfurt Airport, selected in 1998, was removed from the project last month, because of bidding irregularities (AW&ST Oct. 5, 1998, p. 96; Oct. 6, 1997, p. 44).
U.S. analysts are trying to determine just how accurate the NATO bombing of Yugoslavia was. But they are being stymied by NATO allies who won't turn over mission and bomb damage assessment data. Air forces from France, the U.K., Germany, Italy and the Netherlands flew 45% of the strike missions. While no one believes any country's air force caused more than a predictable share of collateral or unintended damage, the countries involved, with the exception of Britain, simply don't want to expose themselves to criticism.
British aircraft manufacturer Britten-Norman has signed a deal with HSDP, an engineering management company in the United Arab Emirates, to establish a joint venture in the Middle East. At the same time, HSDP will become an equity investor in Britten-Norman, acquiring a minority shareholding. The new joint venture, to be called Britten-Norman Middle East, is to be launched later this month with headquarters in Dubai.
COM DEV International Ltd. has received a $10.61-million supply contract from Lockheed Martin Commercial Space Systems to provide microwave equipment for the NDD-7 telecommunications service geosychronous satellite.
With the stealthy Joint Strike Fighter scheduled to dominate the Pentagon's tactical fighter budget within a decade, Northrop Grumman executives were infuriated when the announcement of a study aimed at preserving companies that can build manned combat aircraft mentioned only Boeing and Lockheed Martin, say U.S. Air Force and aerospace industry officials.
Peter Niemy has become London-based vice president-marketing and business development for Europe, Asia and the Middle East for GE Capital Aviation Training, Stamford, Conn. He was a sales director for Thomson Training and Simulation in England.
U.S. special operations equipment used to spot downed airmen in wartime is being sent to southern Africa to find people stranded by massive flooding in South Africa, Bostswana, Zimbabwe, Zambia and Mozambique. Keen Sage, a pallet-mounted package of infrared sensors and electro-optical cameras, is being carried by an OC-130. The system also has a spotter scope and laser rangefinder. The sensors can spot the heat of people marooned in trees and housetops to speed their rescue or relief with supplies.
The Sea Launch platform and command ship are en route to the mid-Pacific to boost the first ICO Global Communications satellite into orbit as operational plans for the system are being reevaluated. Officials of the restructured ICO organization are laying out an aggressive strategy to expand the capabilities of the mobile satellite system.
My Jan. 31 editorial on NASA moving its aircraft-icing flight operations to Canada's National Research Council really hit a nerve among readers. Most pleaded for NASA to retain the de Havilland Twin Otter and continue its research on icing and aircraft upsets at the John H. Glenn Research Center. There were many who indicated this shift of assets and research was only the latest example of NASA retreating from aeronautics research.
The Air Force will have to decide in the next two years whether it wants to buy 60-75 additional C-17s offered by Boeing at prices that eventually fall to $149 million per aircraft. If they do not, production numbers --without substantial commercial or foreign sales--shrink to the point that Boeing would have to shut down the production line. Restarting would then cause the cost of C-17s to skyrocket, according to USAF budget planners.
Robert Khoury has been appointed president/CEO of B/E Aerospace, Wellington, Fla., succeeding Paul Fulchino, who is now chairman/president/CEO of Aviall Inc. of Dallas. Khoury was vice chairman.
Twenty-eight former and current women employees of Boeing have filed a class action suit against the Seattle-based company for gender discrimination. Filed last week in federal court, it seeks class action status for as many as 30,000 current and former female Boeing employees. Last year Boeing paid $15 million to settle two class-action lawsuits that claimed the company discriminated against black employees.
Sagem's revenues in 1999 increased a healthy 19.2% to $3.43 billion, including $761 million in the defense market. Net profit increased by 20.8% to $148 million.
Nick Tomassetti, who had announced his retirement as president/chief operating officer of Airbus Industrie of North America (AINA), Herndon, Va., will stay on as president/CEO of AINA Holdings Inc. Henri Courpron will succeed Tomassetti at AINA. Courpron was senior vice president-sales and marketing. Paul O. Mason has been named vice president-sales and marketing. He was vice president-commercial operations at Airbus headquarters in Toulouse, France.
Boeing last week won two key competitions for its next-generation 737 line, regaining momentum in the critical single-aisle market but raising questions about a renewed price war with Airbus.
Boeing has delivered two additional 737-400s--the last Classic models to be produced at the company's Renton, Wash., assembly line--to CSA Czech Airlines. The Prague-based carrier already operates five 737-400s and 10 other 737 aircraft.
Michael G. Fitzpatrick has been appointed director of material management for Frontier Airlines. He was materials manager for COBE B.C.T., Lakewood, Colo. Fitzpatrick succeeds Roland Mease, who has been named director of material planning for aircraft acquisition.
A unified regulatory framework and more flexible market-access rules will be essential prerequisites for any strategic alliance between U.S. and European defense contractors, according to French Defense Minister Alain Richard. In the longer term, the European aerospace industry's restructuring will set the stage for closer transatlantic partnerships, he added. Similarly, ongoing talks are expected to revive the continent's longtime quest for a genuine two-way street in defense markets.
Boeing launched new, longer range 777-200 and -300 models last week, after obtaining board of directors' approval for the new programs. Go-ahead for only one version was expected, with the other following 4-6 months later. The aircraft, which have not been assigned an official designation yet by Boeing, will heat up competition in the emerging 300-380-seat long-range market (AW&ST Feb. 28, p. 31; Jan. 1, p. 29). New four-engine Airbus A340-500 and -600 models are scheduled to enter service in 2002.
The Periscope Military Database is an encyclopedia containing more than 5,000 weapons systems and the military forces of 170 nations, and is accessible at www.periscope1.com. The U.S. Navy recently made the Internet-based data available at eight service libraries, in addition to the three service academies. . . . India's Hindustan Aeronautics Ltd. has bought more than 100 seats of Unigraphics 3D CAD/CAM software for its Aircraft Research&Design Centre. The system will be used for design and development of Hindustan's intermediate jet trainer (HJT-36).
While the new MEDS glass cockpit is the most visible of major upgrades coming into the shuttle program, managers believe smaller incremental improvements have reduced the risk of vehicle and crew loss during ascent by 82% since about 1992. Ron Dittemore, shuttle program manager at Johnson Space Center, also believes the orbiter wiring problems that arose in mid-1999 have been beneficial because they resulted in much broader communication between program levels. The shuttle is now safer because of ``our overall awareness'' throughout.
Space systems, unmanned aircraft and information operations rather than traditional weapons are being seen as major growth areas for air forces worldwide, several air force leaders told a gathering of military officers and industry leaders.
