Mike Donovan, chief executive of British Aerospace Regional Aircraft and president of Aero International Regional, will become managing director of British Aerospace Defense Systems, a new unit that includes recently acquired Siemens Plessey Systems.
Richard R. Sill has been appointed vice president/general manager of satellite communication and navigation products for the Magellan Systems Corp., San Dimas, Calif. He had been vice president-marketing and sales.
Scandinavian Airlines Systems reported pre-tax profits of SKr1.7 billion ($226 million) in the first three quarters of 1997, an increase of 21%. The rise was pegged to better use of capacity and a ``slight increase in unit costs.'' But SAS, which is facing increased competition from low-cost carriers, said it expects profits in the final quarter of 1997 to be at the same level as last year.
Computer reservation systems (CRS) could play an expanded role in the future for large airline partnerships such as the Star Alliance as organizations seek to reduce costs and exploit the strengths of individual alliance partners. Reservation systems to date have not been affected by the growing alliance trend, but Amadeus officials believe reservations systems, which they refer to as global distribution systems (GDS), could play a larger role in the future. Amadeus provides services for most Star Alliance members.
Boeing has delivered its first radar improvement kit for the E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft. NATO has ordered 18 of the AWACS System Radar Improvement (RSIP) kits, the U.K. eight and the USAF four. Germany's DASA will begin installing the kits on NATO aircraft this month. The USAF depot at Tinker AFB, Okla., is scheduled to begin receiving the kits for USAF E-3s in December. British Aerospace will retrofit the U.K. fleet beginning in June.
Pierre Sparaco, Paris-based senior European editor of Aviation Week&Space Technology, has been elected a lifetime member of France's National Air and Space Academy.
After focusing for several years on establishing ties with Western European carriers, the airlines of Eastern Europe are turning to strategic alliances with U.S.-based airlines and other cooperative stratagems to foster growth and development.
Thomas K. Norton has become director of business development for Crown Technical Systems of Cleveland. He was director of maintenance for the AMR Services Corp.
Ateam led by Raytheon Systems Ltd. plans to submit its best and final offer to the U.K.'s Ministry of Defense late this month for the Airborne Stand-Off Radar (Astor) system based on the Bombardier Global Express business jet. Raytheon Systems officials said the ministry is scheduled to award a contract in September 1998, with the initial Astor system entering service in 2003, according to J. Robert Collins. He is managing director of Raytheon Systems Ltd., based in Harlow, England.
Garry W. Barringer has been named technical director of the U.S. Air Force Air and Space Command and Control Agency, Langley AFB, Va. He was director of plans and programs at the USAF's Rome (N.Y.) Laboratory.
Japan Airlines topped world carriers for inflight duty-free sales for the 12 months ending in March. The total, almost $118 million, beat Korean Air and British Airways at $110 million and $104 million, respectively. The carrier's biggest sellers traditionally are designer makeup and scotch. The airline offers 120 duty-free items, some of which are unavailable in Japan.
Boeing has selected Western Data Systems' CompassEnterprise client/server enterprise resource planning (ERP) system to manage production for the T-45 Goshawk. Use of CompassEnterprise is in keeping with the former McDonnell Douglas Corp.'s push to standardize its infotech systems and to accelerate acceptance of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) software (AW&ST Oct. 28, 1996, p. 58).
The U.S. and the U.K. have signed an agreement allowing for reciprocal acceptance of simulator evaluations, a move which paves the way for similar accords with other European countries.
Parametric Technology Corp. of Waltham, Mass., has agreed to buy struggling Computervision Corp. of Bedford, Mass., for stock valued at $265.7 million. The move should strengthen Parametric's hand in the hotly contested industrial design software market, especially against Dassault Systemes' CATIA programs. Computervision has been selling assets and reported a $111-million loss on $217 million in sales for the first nine months of this year.
BOEING HAS COMMITTED to purchase at least 70% of its titanium from the Titanium Metals Corp. (TIMET) for the next 10 years under an agreement signed last week. Beginning next year, Denver-based TIMET will supply a minimum of 6.5 million lb. annually to Boeing's Commercial Airplane Group and suppliers.
The strong sense of national pride in Europe, the unique use of charter airlines and airport constraints will shape the direction of airline alliances having strong roots on the Continent. Europe serves as the epicenter of airline alliance activity. Its major carriers are partners in global alliances that already have tapped into the major traffic flows around the world. As in the U.S., most European carriers now have strong connections with domestic-regional subsidiaries, which provide local traffic feed in twin turboprop aircraft or small jets.
U.S. TRANSPORTATION SECRETARY Rodney Slater told the African Directors General of Civil Aviation in Montreal last week that expanded air service to Africa will have to come after air safety is improved there. He added the FAA is prepared to help upgrade air navigation.
A Boeing Delta 2 space launch vehicle carrying five Iridium satellites was launched successfully from Vandenberg AFB, Calif., on Nov. 8 at 5:34 p.m. PST from Space Launch Complex-2 (SLC-2). Twenty-five of the spacecraft have been launched to date from Vandenberg, bringing the total number of Iridium satellites in orbit to 39.
Boeing last week received almost $790 million in military contracts, including a major upgrade for NATO's AWACS fleet. The $450-million NATO contract calls for the development and testing of a mission system upgrade for 17 E-3 AWACS aircraft. Known as NATO's mid-term upgrade and administered by the U.S. Air Force, it includes flat-panel situational displays using Windows-like software and multi-sensor merging that integrates all information about a specific target into a single track.
National Institute of Standards and Technology has combined fire modeling software with advanced sensors and annunciator panels to quickly pinpoint and isolate building fires and other hazardous events. The ``in-wall'' smart sensing technology includes the ability to predict the growth and spread of flames, smoke and noxious fumes based on building plans and contents. In addition to helping direct a quicker, measured firefighting and ``hazmat'' team response, the system could end the need to empty whole buildings and interrupt business for minor alarms.
Philip L. Wolfe has been named vice president/general manager of Downtown Airpark Inc. of Oklahoma City. He was aviation department manager in Los Angeles for the Unocal Corp.
Marty Winkler (see photos) has been promoted to deputy executive of the Defense Group from president of Cubic Defense Systems, for the Cubic Corp. of San Diego. Bruce D. Roberts has been promoted to succeed Winkler from vice president/director of the Miles 2000 program.
Teams of employees from KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and Northwest Airlines are tackling the details of greater integration of corporate operations while executives are searching for additional full partners to join their global alliance.
