Despite recent political uncertainties that threatened plans to ensure that Roissy/Charles de Gaulle airport remains continental Europe's No. 1 international hub, ADP Paris airports authority intends to invest $2.5 billion over the next 5 years to provide additional runway and passenger capacity at the facility.
NEW, UNNAMED PARTNERS have picked up design work dropped by Boeing on Teledesic's planned ``Internet in the Sky'' satellite-based telecommunications system. Boeing, which holds at least a 5% stake in the project, reduced its staffing contribution earlier this year from 300 to 110 engineers (AW&ST Mar. 23, p. 33). Teledesic management is waiting to finish contractual details before revealing the new industrial partners, according to Russ Daggatt, president.
BRITISH AEROSPACE IS PUTTING in place a new corporate management team as of May 1. Richard Evans will become chairman of British Aerospace, replacing Bob Bauman, who is stepping down after four years. John Weston, group managing director, succeeds Evans as chief executive. Richard Lapthorne will assume the new post of vice chairman, responsible for strategy and planning. George Rose has been promoted to take over Lapthorne's previous post of finance director.
John R. Ryan, vice president-air traffic management of the Washington-based Air Transport Assn., has been named acting head of the Aviation Safety and Operations Div. Other recent shifts at ATA are: John Meenan, executive director of the Aviation Safety Alliance, will be senior vice president-industry policy; Edward A. Merlis will be senior vice president-legislative and international affairs; and Robert P. Warren, senior vice president/general counsel/secretary, will be head of the Regulatory and Legal Affairs Div.
Thinking small--50 kg. (110 lb.) or less--is a strategy for a new class of satellites called Hypersat from Japan's National Space Development Agency. The agency sees these 110-lb.-class spacecraft as useful for both Earth and deep space missions, whether working alone or in groups. They are to incorporate a high degree of autonomy--a common goal for many of NASDA's programs--with high performance rates.
Some South American countries are turning to the venerable McDonnell Douglas A-4 Skyhawk to solve their immediate need for attack/fighter or trainer aircraft. The Skyhawk programs underway, or expected to be started soon, include A-4ARs for the Argentine air force, former Kuwaiti A4-5KUs for the Brazilian navy and U.S. Navy TA-4J trainers for the Bolivian air force.
ISRAEL AIRCRAFT INDUSTRIES ended five years of consecutive losses, posting a pre-tax profit of $30 million for 1997, compared with a $41.1-million loss in 1996. It marked the first full year of operations following the end of a four-year recovery operation that included layoffs, salary freezes and debt reallocation. The state-owned company generated new orders in 1997 worth $2.3 billion, and its backlog at year-end grew 23% to $3.2 billion from $2.6 billion in 1996.
The U.S. Army hopes to begin returning some of its grounded UH-1 Huey fleet to flight status next month after fielding maintenance software that will help identify which of the service's helicopters are prone to engine-related gear failures. The Army grounded its fleet of 907 Hueys on Mar. 27 after UH-1s suffered 22 inflight, spur gear-related failures during the 18-month period that ended in January. Last November, the army judged the gear problem to be so severe it slapped flight restrictions on the Huey.
GE Engines Services and LOT Polish Airlines plan to establish an engine maintenance repair and overhaul station in Warsaw, Poland. Negotiations surrounding the deal are expected to be concluded later this year. The joint venture would initially service LOT's CFM56 engine fleet, but would eventually be directed at other airline customers in eastern Europe. LOT currently operates 15 CFM56-powered Boeing 737s and has two Boeing 767-200ERs and three -300ERs. The 767s are powered by General Electric CF6 powerplants.
Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft crews elected to participate in the now biennial Top Scope competition that ended last week, even though AWACS is one of the U.S. Air Force's most heavily tasked weapon systems. AWACS crews sustain an exceptionally high operations tempo, regularly deploying around the world in support of exercises and national contingencies. However, the training value associated with honing their skills in a ``best-of-the-best'' competition warranted the extra workload, crewmembers decided.
During my tenure at NASA, I met brilliant technical and scientific people. The vast majority are dedicated public servants. But, alas, the cost overruns of the International Space Station do not comprise a technical problem. The station's problems are like those of a distressed company. The solution is a business turnaround--new management and procedures. If these issues are not resolved, the tragedy will be the denuding of a true national treasure. An incredible wealth of scientific and technological expertise will be wasted.
ERICSSON SAAB AVIONICS has been selected to develop an advanced electronic warfare suite for the export version of the Saab British Aerospace JAS 39 Gripen. Celsius will team on the effort. The EWS 39 will build on the existing JAS 39 EW suite and is to include radar warning, jamming and chaff and flare capabilities.
Northrop Grumman, far from having lost any momentum since agreeing to Lockheed Martin's buyout offer, appears to be well-positioned to compete as an independent electronics and systems integration company if the proposed merger falls through. Meanwhile, Lockheed Martin is mounting a vigorous defense in court against a suit filed Mar. 23 by the Justice Dept. to block the merger.
In an effort to avoid injuries caused by turbulence, beginning this summer American, United and Alaska airlines will require passengers to keep lap belts fastened whenever they are seated. The new policy essentially makes mandatory the cockpit crew's long-standing recommendation that passengers keep their lap belts fastened when seated, regardless of whether the seat belt sign is illuminated. If the sign is not illuminated, passengers will be free to move about the cabin.
The Earth's days have grown longer due to a slowing of the planet's rotation that is being blamed on--you guessed it--El Nino. The temporary slowdown was triggered by an El Nino-induced increase in the speed of the atmosphere, according to John Gipson of NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center, who studied extremely precise measurements made by a global array of radio telescopes. But don't reset your watch just yet. Gipson said the slowdown peaked on Feb. 5, when it extended the day by .6 milliseconds.
BOEING PLANS TO INSTALL AN UPGRADED Interference Blanker Unit (IBU) in the F/A-18 E/F and some C/D models. Strategic Technology Systems, formerly the Government Technology Div. of Base Ten Systems, makes the unit. The IBU protects communication, radar and EW receivers from transmissions in their frequency bands by other on-board systems.
The Transportation Dept. continues to draft guidelines to define anticompetitive practices in the airline industry. But some are suggesting the government already has what it needs to fight predatory practices. Opening a Senate antitrust subcommittee hearing about airline hubs, Chairman Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) suggested the Justice Dept. might be able to use existing law to address these issues. His view was echoed by Alfred E. Kahn, the former Civil Aeronautics Board chairman.
EMIRATES HAS ACQUIRED a 40% equity stake in the Sri Lankan national carrier Air Lanka for $70 million to be paid in two installments. Under the deal, Emirates also will manage the airline for 10 years. The United Arab Emirates carrier has set out a business plan for Air Lanka that includes modernizing its fleet and increasing capacity by 70%. Air Lanka has ordered six Airbus A330-200s, powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 700s, to replace its four aging L-1011s. The carrier also operates two A320s for short-haul routes and three A340-300s.
The U.S. Air Force plans to select either Boeing or Lockheed Martin this week to continue Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile development, work expected to lead to production of at least 2,400 missiles. But a protest is highly likely, industry types say. Then, JASSM could be on hold for three months while the General Accounting Office, which is charged with reviewing such protests, determines its ruling. That would dash the Air Force's hopes of beginning engineering and manufacturing development early.
Northrop Grumman plans to upgrade the electronic warfare suite on the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps EA-6B Prowlers to allow them to more effectively counter enemy radars well into the next century. The EA-6B's Improved Capability Program (ICAP-3) is designed to improve the support aircraft's nonlethal suppression of enemy air defense (SEAD) performance and its ability to assist in the destruction of radar systems. For the first time, the Prowlers will be able to deal with threat systems in near-real-time.
The world's scheduled airlines will generate ``sharply reduced'' profits this year due to a combination of the Asian currency crisis and a likely inability of carriers to reduce their capacity growth in the face of slowing demand, according to the International Air Transport Assn. Profits are expected to total $3.9 billion on $151.5 billion in revenues, compared with about $5 billion on $145.8 billion in revenues in 1997. Total traffic in 1998 probably will increase by 5%, while capacity is expected to rise by 6%.
THE TRADE ORGANIZATION REPRESENTING THE U.S.' LARGEST manufacturing sector has changed its name from The Electronic Industries Assn. to The Electronics Industries Alliance. The new name reflects the desire to broaden the scope of its sector organizations and encourage other trade groups to affiliate and gain the benefits of EIA membership without losing their identities. Among the organization's services are market research and, as a member of the American National Standards Institute, creation of more than 2,000 industry standards and specifications.
