The FAA is proposing to fine AAR Airframe&Accessories Inc. $1 million for allegedly offering an improperly prepared shipment of hazardous materials by air in 1997. The shipment included more than 800 chemical oxygen generators installed in passenger service units. The generators were transported by Air France on a scheduled passenger flight from Paris to Chicago, and on an Air France cargo flight. Three of the generators later were shipped by AAR on a cargo flight within the U.S. The FAA claims the shipment violated hazardous materials rules stipulated by the U.S.
A strike is the last thing US Airways needs in today's hypercompetitive air travel market, especially in the Eastern U.S. where lower cost Southwest Airlines, Delta Express and AirTran are challenging the carrier daily in many areas. Nonetheless, a strike looks increasingly probable, with the airline and its flight attendants' union far apart on a wide range of issues. Unless they can hammer out a new contract by Mar. 25, operations will be seriously disrupted--if not suspended--just as seasonal demand is starting to pick up.
Sabre Holdings Corp. and Ariba Inc. have joined forces to create Sabre e-Marketplace--a portal specifically designed to provide Internet-based, business-to-business capability to increase the buying power of companies within the transportation and travel industries.
Even before the dust had settled from a U.S. Air Force revelation that it was cutting production funding of three Boeing C-17s from the Fiscal 2001 budget, some planners have begun looking at slicing yet another three of the large-body airlifters in 2002 and again sliding payment into later years.
Eclipse Aviation Corp., in an ambitious undertaking, will attempt to bring to market during the next three years an entry-level business jet selling for about $775,000.
John Rhodes has been appointed senior vice president/chief financial officer of Pegasus Aviation of San Francisco. He was executive vice president/CFO of Textrainer Group Holdings Ltd.
Milwaukee-based Derco Aerospace Inc. has been awarded a contract valued at more than $10 million to upgrade avionics for three C-130Bs for the Botswana Defense Force.
A war of words has broken out over New Zealand's efforts to cancel a $131-million lease of 28 F-16 fighters. Carol Moseley-Braun, the new U.S. ambassador, told Prime Minister Helen Clark that the U.S. expects New Zealand's Labor government, which the newly elected Clark heads, to honor a commitment for the jets made by the previous conservative National government. ``Promises are made and promises are kept, I hope,'' Moseley-Braun said. ``We have acted in good faith here.'' A New Zealand government report on the 10-year lease, with an option to buy, is pending.
The board of directors of Malaysia Airlines is expected to decide this week to commit $3.5 billion for 60 aircraft as Asian travelers return to the air, bouncing the airline back into profit. The carrier has been mulling offers from both Airbus and Boeing. It is expected to buy 40, 144-seat Airbus A320s for domestic and regional routes to replace Boeing 737-300s/400s and 20 of Boeing's new longer range 777-200LRs and -300ERs.
If there were any doubts about the value of the Internet to an air carrier, Southwest Airlines has banished them. Online ticket sales in January at the Dallas-based discount airline reached 27% of total sales and raised prospects for online sales in 2000 to $1 billion.
Greg Canavan, a researcher at the Los Alamos (N.M.) National Laboratory, has been elected a fellow of the American Physical Society for contributions leading to the improvement of military science and technology and leadership in the transfer of remote sensing and communications technologies to the scientific, civilian and commercial sectors.
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.
