Kenneth Rattray, solicitor general of Jamaica, has received the Edward Warner Award for promoting civil aviation and developing legal instruments in the field of aviation security. The award was conferred by the Council of the International Civil Aviation Organization.
The Russian Defense Ministry, beset by financial problems, has canceled its order for 15 Kamov Ka-50 attack helicopters. Procurement of new helicopters has now been postponed to 2003 at the earliest. The helicopters, currently in final assembly at the Progress plant at Arsenyev, are 85% complete. Kamov is trying to interest South Korea in the Ka-50s. They are looking to acquire new attack helicopters and Kamov is seeking to continue discussions at the Seoul air show (Oct. 26-Nov. 1).
Continental Airlines has taken a big step toward 21st-century air navigation with the first differential-GPS instrument approach by a revenue-service aircraft in the U.S. Fred Abbott, Continental's vice president of operations, said the MD-80's flight on Sept. 21 marks the biggest advance in airport infrastructure in 50 years, when the instrument landing system (ILS) was introduced.
Fire safety drencher tests at Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Ltd.'s new $1-billion SuperTerminal 1 may have caused the shutdown that cost the freight industry an estimated $3 billion in lost revenue when the city's new airport opened last summer.
The Aerospatiale/Matra Hautes Technologies merger, which is poised to become a reality next year, could significantly advance the French/European aerospace industry's restructuring process, according to company officials. In addition, the new group is expected to aggressively pursue strategic alliances with additional European players.
Lufthansa German Airlines' supervisory board recently approved a plan to order 10 additional Airbus A340-300s and six A321s, scheduled to be delivered in 2000-01. In addition, Lufthansa Cargo will order six all-cargo Boeing MD-11F trijets, including three aircraft previously optioned. The MD-11Fs will replace 747-400 Combis that will be converted into all-passenger cabin configuration. The orders are valued at about $2 billion.
The U.S. State Dept. should upgrade the administrative efficiency of its export licensing system, now that Congress has decided to shift licensing authority for commercial satellites back to State from the Commerce Dept. beginning next March, the domestic aerospace industry's chief lobbyist said last week. John W. Douglass, the new president of the Aerospace Industries Assn. (AIA), called the existing State Dept. export licensing system ``dysfunctional'' in his inaugural speech to the National Aviation Club.
Lockheed Martin, lured by the potentially huge market for satellite-based services in the next 5-10 years, hopes to acquire Comsat Corp. for about $2.7 billion. Comsat has revenues of about $600 million. It is an 18% owner of Intelsat, which operates the world's largest commercial satellite fleet of 19 birds, and it owns 22% of Inmarsat, the international mobile communications satellite operator.
President Boris Yeltsin and other top Russian officials may soon have to rely on scheduled commercial flights due to the precarious financial state of debt-laden Rossiya State Transport Air, the official carrier for government leaders. The Vnukovo refueling complex has said it will stop supplying fuel to Rossiya because of unpaid bills, a move which will ground many flights. Rossiya operates 67 aircraft, 32 of which are dedicated to transporting government officials. The remainder are employed on scheduled and charter flights.
The FAA is scheduled to commission a new Doppler VOR/DME on Oct. 8 at the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. Designated ``Maverick,'' the DVOR/DME will replace the DFW VORTAC located about 1/2-mi. east of the new site, according to an official at the airport's terminal radar approach control facility.
Redzone Robotics of Pittsburgh is developing a robot aimed at efficiently inspecting long stretches of thin-wall ducting, including the successful negotiation of bends, vertical ducting and changes in duct diameter. The robot uses fore-and-aft inflatable bladders, connected by a center-mounted slide-rod mechanism, to move in forward or reverse in an inchworm-like matter, according to David White, vice president of business development.
Belgium's aerospace industry foresees a healthy growth for the next few years despite the country's record public deficit, tight budget constraints and weak military procurement spending. Belgian companies, in addition to a capability to produce complex airframe components and subassemblies, developed expertise in cutting-edge technology, including composite materials. Their combined workforce in the last two years increased to about 7,500 employees, up from 6,300. In 1997, the Belgian aerospace industry had $800 million in revenues.
Richard M. Lober (see photo) has become president of Cubic Communications of San Diego. He was director of wireless product sales and advanced development for the Watkins-Johnson Co., Gaithersburg, Md. Lober succeeds Arthur F. Wigand, who has retired.
Precision-castings maker Howmet Corp. foresees robust demand for jet engine spare parts after new commercial-aircraft deliveries reach their cyclical peak, probably in 1999. It's expected to grow 9% next year and 8% annually thereafter. Driving this demand will be the large number of new aircraft that have entered the commercial fleet since 1996, industry observers said.
Carmen L. Lloyd (see photo) has become Indianapolis-based president for corporate and regional airlines of Rolls-Royce North America. He was president/CEO of Canadian Marconi.
Japan's Defense Agency wants to buy 10 more aircraft in fiscal 1999 than were approved this year--including more trainers for the air force and more anti-submarine warfare helicopters for the navy. The biggest proposed expense is for eight Mitsubishi/Lockheed Martin F-2 close air support (CAS) fighters at $868.4 million. That figure is more than the combined requests for the army and navy. But in asking for funds for eight aircraft, the air force is seeking one less than last year's purchase.
The MathWorks of Natick, Mass., will begin shipping enhancements to its Simulink, Stateflow and Real-Time Workshop design automation software in October. All are designed to provide faster, more accurate simulation of complex designs, better support for large-scale control applications and enhanced code generation capabilities.
Air France has ordered a Thomson Training&Simulation Boeing 777 full-flight simulator. It will be equipped with an Evans&Sutherland Esic 3350GT visual system.
The French aerospace industry during the first half booked orders valued at $11.7 billion, a 16.8% increase over 1997. Military orders decreased a sharp 28.5% but commercial orders soared 41.2% to $9.2 billion, a trend tied to Airbus Industrie's healthy sales. Revenues increased 8.9% to $12.08 billion, including $7.9 billion in the export market, according to GIFAS French aerospace industries association.
Smiths Industries' selection of Planar Systems and dpiX to provide advanced, high-resolution flat panel displays for the Eurofighter Typhoon cockpit is the latest aerospace win for a team that grew out of a Darpa initiative to ensure the U.S. did not fall behind Japan in its ability to produce advanced liquid crystal displays.
Ansett says it is studying a five-year, billion-dollar fleet renewal plan that it cannot undertake until it can demonstrate sustained profits, so in the meantime it is slashing regional routes it is unequipped to run profitably. Its decision to hand over regional routes to Kendell Airlines, its low-cost subsidiary, pits Embraer and Canadair in competition for an order of a dozen 50-seat commuter jets, the first to serve rural Australia.
European airlines are accelerating large-scale outsourcing of their information technology systems to third-party providers. ``Such initiatives are CEO-level decisions. It is better to reposition business in a prosperous time, when investment money is available,'' according to Gregory A. Conley, general manager of IBM's Travel and Transportation Industry unit. He added that the airline IT market is growing at 20%-plus every quarter. According to SITA Director General John O. Watson, airlines spend just over 2% of their annual revenues on IT.
Singapore Airlines says it will spend $1.5 billion to pursue equity alliances in partnership with Lufthansa in Africa and Asia while it upgrades cabins in its long-haul 747 fleet.
As part of NATO exercises conducted earlier this summer off Newfoundland, a Kaman K-Max helicopter equipped with a Magic Lantern Adaptation system demonstrated shallow water mine detection. Data from the ML(A) system was downlinked to a ground control station and all sensor system control was performed from the ground with no airborne operator. The K-Max also was flown in a surrogate drone role to evaluate its capability as a long-duration, pilotless aircraft in the usually hostile, near-shore mine-hunting environment.
