U.S.-based leisure carriers Allegiant Air and Spirit Airlines are exceptionally profitable but couldn't be more different in their aircraft acquisition policy and operating philosophy, including route selection, flight frequencies and aircraft utilization. Those factors affect their maintenance modus operandi, although both outsource heavy maintenance.
Singapore Airlines is launching a digital application of a pilot's logbook as an application to the Boeing 777's electronic flight bag, which the airline also helped Boeing develop. Called the Electronic Logbook (ELB), the application was developed with software from Ultramarine Systems and brings the 777 to parity with what Boeing is offering as a standard feature on the 787.
AMR Corp. is shedding 13,000 jobs under a restructuring plan that is seeking some $2 billion in annual cost savings and a further $1 billion in improved sales. The cost cutting includes more than $1.25 billion from labor, while the remaining $750 million or so will come from debt restructuring, grounding of older aircraft and revised supplier contracts, according to AMR CEO Tom Horton.
EADS is pulling out of a joint venture with Embraer formed in 2005 to take control of OGMA—Industria Aeronautica de Portugal S.A., an aerostructures, airframe and component MRO once owned by the Portuguese government. The venture, Airholdings, was created in 2005 by the two manufacturers to take a 65% holding in OGMA, with the Portuguese state retaining a 35% stake. Initially, Embraer owned a 99% share in the Airholdings joint venture, although EADS later exercised an option to increase its holding to 30%.
When an Air New Zealand Boeing 777-300ER completed a Los Angeles-Auckland flight in December, it was the first time an airline operated under 240-minute extended operations (ETOPS). But the new 240-minute limit is no longer the edge of the envelope, as a 330 minute time is now poised to become the new ETOPS gold standard. That's because in November Boeing received type design authority from the FAA to offer a 330-minute ETOPS “option” on the GE90-powered 777 family.
Jordanian Aircraft Maintenance Co. Ltd. (Joramco), the former Royal Jordanian Airlines maintenance division that was spun off as an independent company in 2000, is weighing the addition of Boeing 787 maintenance capability. Royal Jordanian plans to take delivery of its first 787 in about a year, according to Joramco CEO Simon Tate, and the maintenance company would like to support it, but needs to find other 787 operators needing maintenance support to justify the investment.
Lufthansa Technik Malta is installing its third new first-class cabin in a Lufthansa Airbus A340-600. The airline plans to convert to the luxury cabins in its 24 A340-600s by 2015. The turnaround time for installing the seats—which are the same as on Lufthansa's Airbus A380—is 15-20 days, says Lufthansa Technik spokesman Wolfgang Reinert. However, the MRO says that the airline has chosen to build the interior installation into planned maintenance layovers to avoid grounding the aircraft for longer than necessary.
PAS Technologies has selected Amy Hoage as VP business development. Hoage will develop business strategy and development for PAS' North American commercial aerospace business.
The University of Nottingham's Institute for Aerospace Technology has a portfolio of projects valued at more than £35 million. Main aerospace research themes include advanced materials; advanced manufacturing; applied optics; electromagnetics; polymer composites; power electronics, machines and control; satellite navigation technologies; structural integrity and dynamics, as well as thermodynamics and fluid mechanics. The University of Nottingham's research base includes more than 50 academic researchers who often work with leading aerospace companies.
Chromalloy's Windsor, Conn. engine component repair station received an approved organization exposition certification from the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau. The certificate allows the Chromalloy turbine repair station to provide component repairs, including FAA approved designated engineering representative repairs for All Nippon Airways and Japan Airlines.
Quantum Composites, the engineered structural composites business of The Composites Group, obtained AS 9100C:2009-01 quality certification, along with ISO 9001:2008 compliance. The certificates cover the design and manufacture of the trademarked engineered structural composites design of compression molded components and related tooling as well as the fabrication of molded composite prototypes.
When approving ETOPS extensions, the reliability of the propulsion system is the primary focus of the regulators. Central to that is the demonstrated engine inflight shut-down rate (IFSD), which must not exceed specific thresholds.
Era has received a type certificate from the Interstate Aviation Commission to use its equipment in wide area multilateration and height measurement applications within Russia and 12 former USSR states.
GKN is a global engineering business with operations in more than 30 countries, employing more than 42,000 people. Its aerospace operation is a major supplier of complex composite structures and focuses on the three major product areas of aerostructures, propulsion systems and transparencies in addition to specialty products. In November, GKN partnered with Airbus, AgustaWestland, Rolls-Royce, Umeco and Vestas to open the 8,500 sq. meter national composites center in the U.K. GKN is a founding member of the U.K.'s national composites network, launched in 2005.
Mxi Technologies has implemented its Maintenix aviation maintenance software for Airod. The Malaysian MRO has chosen a comprehensive footprint that covers maintenance planning, execution, engineering and materials functions.
TAP Maintenance & Engineering Brazil has been certified by Boeing as an approved repair station. The first contract under the certification is the inspection, repair and overhaul of the Boeing 777 landing gear axles, achieved through a Boeing service bulletin to be incorporated by airlines that fly the aircraft type. To obtain the distinction, the MRO participated in an international bidding contest and underwent an audit process. TAP M&E Brazil also completed heavy checks on an Air Transat Airbus A330-200 at its Porto Alegre Base.
Mubadala Aerospace's European MRO facilities are sold out for the next five years, says James Stewart, group CEO. “We do very little work on the spot market” at SR Technics' facilities in Switzerland and Malta. “In the Middle East, we're moving toward longer-range contracts because they're a better deal for us and for our customers,” he says. He also thinks there is definitely overcapacity in the airframe MRO market, which is why SR Technics did not expand its hangars in Malta as originally planned.
Universal Avionics has entered into an agreement with Air Creebec to fit its entire Bombardier Dash 8 fleet with its wide area augmentation system/satellite-based augmentation system flight management systems and terrain awareness and warning systems. Mid-Canada Mod Center, an authorized dealer for Universal Avionics, will undergo the conversion. Parts/Components
Component Control has been approved as the exclusive preferred provider of MRO and logistics software solutions by the Aeronautical Repair Station Association.
Lufthansa Technical Training has posted a selection of more than 250 open courses and seminars on its website. Now these offerings are available to individual participants in the online training finder at www.ltt.aero for viewing and booking requests.
Turkish Technic has joined Airbus' worldwide MRO network. Airbus established the network in March 2005 and has since worked with its members to establish performance benchmarks for maintenance efficiency. The MRO also signed an agreement with 328 Design to work on interior modification projects. Engines
Swiss-AS will provide its Amos MRO software to Transaero Airlines, the second Russian airline to choose the software. The implementation project is planned to last 14-16 months. Transaero will use Amos' interface landscape that links the software to Boeing toolbox functions, which allows for electronic transfer of taskcards between the programs. Swiss-AS added 11 new customers from Europe, Asia and the Americas in 2011. Training
