STG Aerospace announced two big contracts with Asian carriers for its emergency lighting systems. Fiji-based Air Pacific installed STG’s Wireless Emergency Primary Power System on a Boeing 737 in April, and plans to install WEPPS on its remaining 737s, 747s and 767s. Thai Airways also ordered STG’s ColorMatch OC SafTGlo photoluminescent floorpath marking system for 55 Airbus A300-600, A330-300 and Boeing 747-400 aircraft—STG’s largest single order to date. Joint Ventures/Acquisitions
A 250 ml two-component aerosol container became available in May from AzkoNobel Aerospace Coatings, as an alternative to its 400 ml aerosol. The company offers the new-size aerosol as a convenient and easier-to-use package that works well as a touch-up tool. It is designed to produce a high-quality finish and nearly invisible repairs on special-effect mica colors.
Ameco Beijing’s board of directors named Hu Yuliang general manager to succeed Chai Weixi, whom Air China appointed general manager of Air China Technics.
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co. picked PartsBase’s search engine services to streamline procurement processes for post-production aircraft parts and repair services. PartsBase’s software features function sets designed to assist locating, pricing and bidding aircraft parts and services.
Tunisair Technics selected Messier Services to maintain and overhaul landing gear on 10 of its Airbus A319/A320 aircraft. Messier Services’ U.K. facility is completing the work that will last until 2014. Engines
Imperium signed an agreement with Air Dynamics that allows Air Dynamics to resell Imperium’s Acoustocam to its growing base of U.S., U.K. and Canadian customers for inspection and maintenance purposes.
Rocky Top Leasing, reissued STC to install an electrical low fuel warning device to indicate the last 25 gallons of useable fuel in main (center) tank on various Twin Commander aircraft, STC SA4-1234
Crane Aerospace added Michael Romito as president of its aerospace group, to lead sites in Burbank, Calif.; Elyria, Ohio; Lynnwood, Wash.; and Lyon, France. Romito previously served as a consultant to several divisions of Alliant Techsystems.
L3 Communications Aeromet, amended STC to install a Dual Universal UNS-1D flight management system on McDonnell Douglas DC-9-30 series aircraft, STC ST01513AT
Goodrich’s Alabama Service Center received Boeing approval to provide overheat service bulletin inspections and modifications for Boeing 737NG aircraft. The service bulletin, SB1079, mandates inspection of the aircraft’s GE CFM56-7 engine thrust reverser inner walls and insulation blankets as well as checking for signs of heat damaged and correcting possible heat-related issues.
Vietnam Airlines will receive engine MRO and management support from SR Technics and Pratt & Whitney under new contracts announced in April. SR Technics will provide MRO services for the Hanoi-based carrier in Zurich. The three-year contract covers 23 CFM56-5B engines and is an extension of an agreement signed in 2006. Engine monitoring services for Vietnam’s 58 PW4000 and IAE V2500 engines will be provided by Pratt & Whitney under a five-year engine management contract.
Qantas finished deploying Mxi’s Maintenix software for its first three A380 aircraft . Its A380 Fast Track implementation is phase one of Project Marlin, which will implement Mxi’s Maintenix software across the Qantas fleet. Qantas operates more than 130 Boeing and Airbus aircraft, and it has 17 more A380s on order.
AAR Corp. added Danny Martinez , former VP of line maintenance for American Airlines, as VP and general manager of its Indianapolis, Ind., aircraft services business. Martinez takes over the Indianapolis position for Stan Mayer, who now is general manager of AAR’s aircraft maintenance facility in Oklahoma City, Okla.
A quarter century since development began—four crashes and 30 lives later—the most-maligned aircraft ever to enter the inventory of the U.S. military is finding its sea legs. The V-22 Osprey finally is coming of age. Eighty-seven of an authorized fleet of 458 tilt-rotor, vertical take-off and landing aircraft are operational. Plans call for 360 MV-22Bs for the Marines, 50 CV-22Bs for the Air Force and 48 MV-22Bs for the Navy, although none of the Navy’s have yet been built.
Following negotiations in late 2008, Turkish Aerospace Industries (TAI) has been contracted to upgrade 42 Pakistan Air Force F-16 combat aircraft, to boost their capabilities towards matching newer Block 50 versions. Four of the original 46 Pakistani Block 15 F-16s are already in the U.S. to assess mid-life upgrade requirements planned for the entire PAF fleet. Work will be undertaken from 2009 at TAI facilities near Ankara, Turkey. Pakistan picked TAI for the F-16 upgrade contract following competition with SABCA in Belgium, and Fokker in the Netherlands.
Northrop Grumman redelivered the U.S. Air Force’s first B-2 Stealth bomber equipped with a new radar, following installation of radar hardware developed by Raytheon Space & Airborne Systems under contract to the OEM and prime contractor. The Air Force plans to equip several operational B-2 aircraft with the new radar as part of the system development and demonstration phase of its B-2 radar modernization program. It will carry out more field tests with these aircraft to gather data in support of future fielding decisions.
Singapore Technologies Aerospace again sits atop our charts with more than eight million man-hours amassed in 2008, but O&M's biennial survey of the airframe MRO market reveals burgeoning competition in the lower ranks and changes in the middle ground. Data points to a shift among top players and illustrates the impact of the down economy on business. Companies interviewed by O&M cited negative market conditions ranging from parked aircraft to loss of major customers and shut downs of major facilities.
CAE received FAA Inspection Authorization approval for six of its e-Learning maintenance training courses, which cover Boeing 737NG engine ground operations, advanced digital principles, human factors, maintenance diagnostic systems and reduced vertical separation minimums. It signed a technical training agreement with Canada’s Jazz Air, under which Jazz maintenance training programs will be licensed to CAE.
Chromalloy is investing $16.5 million to expand its Tampa engine component production facility for additional casting capabilities. It planned to begin operational improvements in late April, and aims to ramp up production early next year.
IAI’s Bedek Aviation Group picked AAR Corp. to provide the cargo system for its soon-to-launch 767-300 conversion program. AAR will manufacture the system, which will be installed in the aircraft IAI Bedek is converting from passenger configuration to its General Market Freighter configuration, at its Goldsboro, N.C. facility.
