Engine washing can help aircraft operators save on fuel and maintenance costs, so long as it is done by means compliant with state and federal regulations governed by the EPA, in the case of the U.S. The environmental impact of hosing down an engine without containing effluent can be extremely harmful; the fluid that drains from a jet turbine engine can contain cyanide, potassium and/or other hazardous materials.
Sabreliner was awarded a Boeing contract worth $15 million to build replacement rudders for the U.S. Air Force fleet of KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft. Sabreliner will perform most of the work at its three Southeast Missouri manufacturing, machining and assembly operations.
The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress in December of a possible foreign military sale to Switzerland of the Boeing F/A-18C/D Upgrade 25 Program, plus associated equipment and services. The upgrade will enhance survivability and communications connectivity, while extending the useful lives of 33 Swiss Air Force F/A-18s. It will include 20 AN/ASQ-228A(V) advanced tactical forward looking infra-red radar (ATFLIR) pods; and 44 AN/ALR-67(V)3 electronic warfare countermeasures receiving sets.
Standard Aero won a $94.9 million modification to a previously awarded indefinite-delivery, indefinite-quantity contract to exercise an option for T56 series III engine module repairs for P-3, C-130 and C-2 aircraft. It includes providing facilities, labor, spare parts, consumable material and test equipment to return the modules to ready-for-issue condition. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., was responsible for the contracting activity. Work should be completed by December.
The Gulfstream G150 aircraft simulator offered at FlightSafety learning centers in Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas, received Level D qualification from the European Joint Aviation Authorities. In addition, EASA approved FlightSafety's G150 maintenance training program.
SR Technics inked contracts with Vietnam Airlines and Air India. The contract with Vietnam covers MRO of the Pratt & Whitney PW4168 engines that power the airline's three A330s. Air India chose a seven-year Integrated Engine Solutions contract to cover the PW4168A engines that power its Airbus A330-200 aircraft. SR Technics will maintain, overhaul and repair both airlines' engines at its Zurich engine service center.
ACTS signed 10-year agreements with GE and CFM International, together worth $2.5 billion. The contract with ACTS is the largest materials agreement CFM has signed to date, said Eric Bachelet, president and CEO of CFM. The OnPoint solutions agreement with GE covers material to repair CF34 engines, while the contract with CFM provides for the repair and overhaul of CFM56-2, CFM56-3, CFM56-5A, CFM56-5B and CFM56-5C engines.
The boom in aircraft deliveries that started in the late 1990s is about to send a lot of thrust reversers into shops. The timing of specific repairs is uncertain because airlines have numerous options when it comes to reversers, but OEM and third-party repair shops are gearing up for the heavy work carefully, with an eye on their own and their customers' bottom line.
ARINC Engineering Services signed a deal with Cessna Aircraft to perform design, engineering and modification work for special mission operations on Cessna general aircraft at its new aircraft modifications operations center in Oklahoma City, Okla. As per the agreement, ARINC joins Cessna's network of preferred suppliers for special mission modifications.
TEAC Aerospace Technologies won a contract from United Airlines covering the installation of its solid state digital audio reproducer, the AE-1600SS, on over 300 Airbus A319/320 and Boeing 737,757, 767 and 777 aircraft beginning in early 2008. United also selected TEAC's digital video reproducers to upgrade the same aircraft.
LONDON -- With a population of 72 million people, a fast growing economy and potential EU membership, air transport in Turkey is beginning to boom. In 2006, the country's flag carrier, Turkish Airlines, carried 17 million passengers, a 20 percent increase from 2005, and added 23 new destinations to its network.
Evergreen Aviation Technologies (EGAT) signed a 10-year OnPoint agreement with GE, covering CF6-80C2 engines for EGAT third-party customers. EGAT is a joint venture between EVA Air and GE.
Effective Jan. 1, Italian airline AlpiEagle's Air Operator Certificate (AOC) was suspended by the Ente Nazionale per l'Aviation Civile (ENAC). In a Dec. 21 statement, ENAC cited an economic crisis within the company as the reason for suspending the airline's AOC, noting that its financial troubles would have a "consequent impact on the conduct and regularity of services."
Raytheon was awarded a $9 million contract modification for contractor logistics support for Predator A and B multi-spectral targeting systems. Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, was responsible for the contracting activity.
BAE Systems and the Malaysian Ministry of Defense signed a contract in December for the British company's continued support of the Royal Malaysian Air Force's (RMAF) Hawk advanced jet-trainer fleet. The Direct Purchase Agreement (DPA) dates back to early 1990s, with the RMAF procurement of 10 Hawk Mk.108 and 18 Mk.208 aircraft. It now extends to 2010, for the RMAF to continue acquiring systems and services from BAE Systems, plus technical and material support, within an identified budget, and agreed terms and conditions.
Air New Zealand Engineering Services (ANZES) signed a five-year, NZ$45 million contract renewal with Australian carrier Virgin Blue to perform heavy airframe work on its fleet of Boeing 737-700s and -800NGs.
AirTran Airways awarded Israel Aerospace Industries' Bedek Aviation Group (IAI Bedek) a long term contract to maintain the landing gear on its fleet of Boeing 737NG aircraft. AirTran has ordered 115 Boeing 737NGs and has taken delivery of 50 to date.
The new, six-slot 3U VPX Ruggedized Enhanced Design Implementation (REDI) backplane from Carlo Gavazzi Computing Solutions is designed to provide a commercial off-the-shelf solution for military and aerospace applications.
Messier Services began deliveries of line maintenance tooling sets, developed under Messier-Dowty and Messier-Bugatti manufacturing licenses, for a variety of next generation aircraft. The sets include general overhaul and repair tooling for the Boeing 787; tooling and GSE for repair stations on the Dassault Falcon 7X; A380 nose landing gear tooling and maintenance kits for field teams; line maintenance tooling for the Sukhoi Superjet 100; and a variety of tooling for the Airbus A400M.
Supply chain tensions benefit third-tier suppliers and distributors that are prepared for them. Hardware shortages, from nuts and bolts to specialty parts, have skyrocketed sales, and they've allowed smaller companies to focus their business on the aerospace sector.
Maintenance providers often develop their own methods to repair aircraft components when they do not have manufacturer instructions. But until recently, the Federal Aviation Administration did not have a single uniform policy for approving those repair methods. The agency addressed this lack of policy in December in a new order that lays the framework for approving such repair processes.
Russia's Aeroflot Cargo inked a deal with Finnair Technical Services to handle maintenance on its fleet of Boeing MD-11 cargo aircraft. The deal, which lasts until 2016, is valued at EUR200 million (US$294.6 million) and covers airframe, engine and component overhaul and maintenance.
Airbus delivered its 5,000th aircraft, an A330-200, to Qantas and with it introduced a new, two-coat aircraft painting process designed to use less paint and offer environmental benefits. A higher pigment content color coat and clear coat (varnish) applied atop a chormate-free primer reduced by 20 percent the amount of solvent based paint used, in addition to cleaning and repainting. The process also reduced the drying time between coats from 12 hours to two.
United Airlines named Tracy M. Elving vice president - base maintenance for United Services. Elving, who joined United Services from General Electric, will oversee engine, component and airframe maintenance for United's fleet, customer work at its San Francisco base and all outsourced maintenance.
