Bombardier plans to open a U.S. nacelle component repair station for Airbus and Boeing narrowbodies in Dallas. The manufacturer expects the facility to be open in 2009, and said it will function as an expansion of third-party product repair work already conducted at a facility in Belfast, North Ireland.
International Communications Group (ICG) in July began producing its new NxtLink 120A and 220 Iridium communications systems. The 120A, a single-channel transceiver, combines two Iridium transceivers with an internal CTU that allows a regular telephone connection for voice and data. It’s a logical choice for flightdecks that demand MCDU dialing services and direct audio control panel connection, as well as require a dedicated voice channel, ICG says.
AerCap in late July became launch customer for a new Airbus freighter, after signing a contract to convert 30 of its Airbus A320/A321 passenger aircraft with Airbus Freighter Conversion GmbH. The aircraft will be known as A320/A321P2Fs, the first of which is expected to be ready in 2011. AFC will ramp up to 30 conversions a year after that, to convert about 400 between 2012 and 2026. The conversions will be done by Irkut Corp. A platform for the P2F conversion is being prepared in Zhukovskij, a Russian aerospace center.
Snecma Services began offering training courses for jet engine borescope inspection at its EASA Part 147 certified training center. The five-day course combines classroom and hands-on work.
GE Aviation signed a three-year contract extension with Ryanair , including all current firm and option aircraft on order by Ryanair under its current OnPoint Solutions agreement for its fleet of CFM56-7B engines. The original agreement was signed in 2004, and now extends through 2017. The extension also adds coverage of the Tech Insertion engines first introduced into the Ryanair fleet in 2007. Saudi Arabian Airlines reaffirmed the GEnx engine to power its 12 on-order Boeing 787-9s, which will be supported by a long-term overhaul material agreement with GE.
As the airlines continue to be roiled by high fuel prices and a slowing world economy, parts support has been cited, by an increasingly lean industry, as one of the few remaining places where there still may be fat to trim. Increasingly, that means off-loading more, if not all, of the parts management business onto OEMs, parts houses and third-party logistics services providers.
Bill Burchell, O&M’s European Editor (Commercial) raises some interesting questions about accountability in his Viewpoint on p.104. The French government is holding several individuals, including a mechanic, accountable for the July 2000 crash of a Concorde outside Paris by charging them with criminal offenses.
Rolls-Royce is to supply Asiana Airlines with Trent XWB engines for 30 firm and 10 option Airbus A350 XWB aircraft, covered by a long-term TotalCare deal. Asiana will be the first Korean customer for the Trent engine. Rolls also announced total care agreements with Qatar Airways and Jet Airways to support their Rolls-powered Airbus A340 and A330 aircraft (respectively.)
The warehouse often is the last link in the supply chain. But what goes on inside the four walls can determine the success of repair operations. Three years ago, helicopter engine manufacturer Turbomeca USA began implementing Lean processes in its maintenance, repair and overhaul operations in Grand Prairie, Texas. As the company improved the shop floor processes directly related to engine repair, it noticed that its warehousing and logistics processes weren’t keeping pace. That, in turn, was slowing progress in Turbomeca’s push for improvement.
The Aviation Suppliers Association appointed Robert V. Hogan to its board of directors. Hogan is director of commercial serviceable assets and customer solutions, part of Pratt & Whitney’s Global Service Partners network.
Gulfstream appointed Todd Strong director, engineering and quality, for its Long Beach, Calif., facility, where he will manage final phase engineering, service center engineering, designated alteration station, quality control and quality assurance functions and personnel.
Lufthansa Technik is to provide Aer Lingus with component support for its fleet of 34 Airbus A320 family aircraft and nine A330s under a 10-year agreement covering almost all aircraft components. The fleet is expected to grow to 54 aircraft by 2013. An LHT representative in Dublin will manage services, set to begin Nov. 1. The Hamburg-based MRO says the contract’s volume exceeds €90 million.
SkyBOOKS, a Bell Helicopter and Textron company, signed multi-year service contracts with Houston-based Gulf Coast Aviation, RVA Air Charter in Fort Worth, Texas, Atlanta-based Helicopter Express and the Jacksonville, Fla., sheriff’s office to provide its electronic-based system for maintenance programs, flight and pilot logs and other tracking systems, including warranty tracking capabilities.
United Airlines named Jim Keenan SVP of United Services . Keenan returns to United after six years at Pratt & Whitney, where he was VP and general manager of Pratt & Whitney Global Services Partners. Keenan, who previously spent 14 years at United, will report to SVP Operations Joe Kolshak. United also named Timothy Canavan VP of maintenance and aircraft appearance, responsible for its line maintenance and aircraft appearance teams.
Airbus created a three-phase approach to manage its end-of-life aircraft—develop a sustainable aircraft dismantling process, set up an aircraft decommissioning center that incorporates these environmentally friendly techniques, and establish a network of authorized end-of-life centers around the world.
AMT’s Flightman Fuel Performance Analysis module became available in mid-July. The module, which has been implemented by bmi, collects, records and analyzes fuel uplift and usage data and can be installed as an add-on to the Flightman suite or as a standalone application.
AeroTurbine Aviation Suppliers Association Boeing ELG Metals Europe Aviation GJD Services Honeywell Aerospace Trading Magellan Group Pratt & Whitney Rolls-Royce Snecma Southern California Aviation The Green Airliner Volvo Aero Services Washington Aviation Group *As of Aug. 19
Honeywell will provide repair and overhaul services for its avionics and mechanical products installed on Southwest Airlines’ fleet of more than 500 aircraft under a 10-year contract extension. Southwest previously had multiple, separate agreements with Honeywell for product maintenance; these existing agreements, with varied start and end dates, were consolidated into the 10-year deal to simplify matters and give Southwest a single point of contact, said Honeywell representative Karen Crabtree.
Northstar plans to add 70 machinists and support staff at three of its North American sites in support of its CH-47 Chinook helicopter and Rolls-Royce programs. The increase in numbers comes at a time when some of the industry is cutting back headcount. The additional staff will aid in ramping up production of gears, components and spare parts at its Anderson, Ind., Chicago, Ill., and Windsor, Ontario, sites.
A streamlined and restructured Alenia Aeronavali is looking for new ways to remain competitive in an MRO environment affected by U.S. dollar depreciation against the euro and by evolving market needs, while pursuing its hope to return to profitability by 2010.
FINLAND Maintenance of Finnish Air Force Fokker F.27 and EADS CASA CN-295 turboprop transport aircraft has begun at Patria’s facilities, including a new operations hangar at Jyväskylä Airport in Tikkakoski, due to open in the fall. Patria is a defense and aerospace group owned by the Finnish government and EADS. Patria also provides Finnish Air Force elementary flight training in Tikkakoski, plus support of its Vinka and Redigo aircraft.
Indonesia’s transport ministry in early June definitively suspended the air operator certificate (AOC) of Adam Sky Connection Airlines. It also suspended the AOCs of five other carriers due to failure to meet minimum safety standards, according to a statement issued by the Departemen Perhubungan.
IAI Bedek is to convert four Boeing 737-400s owned by an affiliate of leasing company Aircastle into special freighter aircraft under a new contract. Work on the first of these is slated to begin in the third quarter of this year. Bedek additionally is under contract to convert two 747-400s for Aircastle.
