Michael Mecham (Montreal), Anthony L. Velocci, Jr. (Montreal)
Montreal and the surrounding province of Quebec are using a top-to-bottom approach of government and industry support to help their small and medium-size aerospace manufacturers be more competitive by innovating within the supply chain.
With the final F-22 rolling off Lockheed Martin's assembly line last week, the Marietta, Ga., facility is now focusing its efforts on making its C-130J and C-5M operations more efficient. The Raptor business is not dead, though. A massive program, once estimated to cost as much as $8 billion to modify the twin-engine stealthy fighters, is under way and delivering through the next several years.
“Congress doesn't kill programs, the Pentagon does.” The adage that defense contractors live by may hold true even in an atypical year. In 2011, more than 80 freshmen lawmakers came to Washington to scale back government spending and pledged not to care about their reelection prospects. Individual defense committees did zero out several programs and one committee handed down steep reductions to the Pentagon's largest weapons system, the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF).
Japan's airline industry is set for a major transformation in 2012 with the debut of three low-cost carriers, as airline executives bet that there is enough demand to match the sudden emergence of a competitive LCC market. Japan is a late arrival on the low-cost scene compared to other mature airline markets. It has had only a few locally based carriers—most notably Skymark Airlines—offering low-cost service, but now both Japan Airlines (JAL) and All Nippon Airways (ANA) are setting up joint-venture LCCs.
Riding a wave of record-breaking airliner orders that are continuing well into the tail end of 2011, engine makers are looking for a sustained period of solid production into 2013 and beyond. Although the boom year has been dominated by the surge in midsize engine orders tied to the newly launched Airbus A320NEO and Boeing 737 MAX families, a large proportion of the order value is still tied to the healthy demand for larger-thrust engines.
In theory, 2012 will be a critical year to define noise and emissions standards for the global aviation industry. In practice, the continued battle between Europe and countries in other regions over including airlines in the EU emissions trading system (ETS) threatens to overshadow any constructive dialog.
In choosing Mark Schwab to be its new CEO, the Star Alliance is counting on the industry veteran's experience and connections to help it through the crucial junctures it is facing. Schwab was appointed CEO of Star Alliance Services GmbH by the chief executive board at its meeting here last week. He retired last summer from United Airlines, where he ran the carrier's alliance department. Schwab replaces Jaan Albrecht, who becomes CEO of Austrian Airlines Jan. 1.
Star Alliance is quietly preparing to further strengthen its presence in Latin America. But this move may come at the cost of losing its most important member in the region.
Jan. 24-25—SMI Conferences' Joint Forces Simulation & Training. Grange City Hotel, London. Call +44 (207) 827-6000, fax +44 (207) 827 6001 or see www.jointforcestraining.com Jan. 28—American Heroes Air Show. Lee County Sports Complex, Fort Myers, Fla. See www.heroes-airshow.com/fortmyers/ Jan. 31-Feb. 2—Aerial Refueling Systems Advisory Group's Winter Planning Meeting. Hilton Palacio del Rio, San Antonio. Call +1 (937) 431-8106 or see www.arsaginc.com
