Bombardier Aerospace opened a CRJ regional jet and Q-series turboprop spare parts depot near Japan's Narita International Airport. The depot should house about 2,300 regional aircraft line items.
The European Commission Nov. 28 adopted the sixth update of its list of international carriers banned within the EU. It has lifted the ban on Blue Wing Airlines (Surinam) and the operating restrictions imposed on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), since both carriers have successfully implemented a "corrective action plan" after being placed on its blacklist.
The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress in November of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Kuwait of technical/logistics support for Boeing F/A-18 Hornet combat aircraft, associated equipment and services. With all options exercised, the total value could reach up to $90 million. These also would include avionics software, engine component improvement and spare parts, technical ground support equipment, spare and repair parts, supply support, publications and technical data, and engineering change proposals. U.S.
SKF and GE Aviation established a new company to manufacture and repair bearings for GE engines for large aircraft. SKF holds 51 percent and GE Aviation 49 percent in the new company, which represents an investment of $28 million excluding the building that will be leased in Charleston, S.C., to house it. It is expected to start deliveries in 2008, and should employ around 100 people when in full production.
Nationwide Airlines and its maintenance unit Nationwide AMO Dec. 5 concluded a Framework of Compliance with South Africa's Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA), to "ensure adherence to the applicable regulatory framework," according to a press release issued jointly by SACAA and Nationwide Airlines.
LAN Airlines opted for a TotalCare service agreement as part of its Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 order to outfit 26 firm and 15 option Boeing 787 Dreamliners, the first of which Boeing should deliver in 2012. This is the first Trent family engine order for LAN. Along with the service package, it is valued at $2.4 billion at catalogue prices, according to Rolls-Royce.
SR Technics and Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies formed a strategic alliance to expand their offerings in areas such as engines and APUs in the Middle East, Europe and India. An SR Technics statement added that it plans to subcontract component repair work in the Middle East to Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies and to support Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies' technical fleet management operations.
Goodrich completed the sale of its airframe heavy maintenance business, Goodrich Aviation Technical Services (ATS), to a subsidiary of Macquarie Group Ltd.
Pratt & Whitney Global Service Partners and China Eastern Airlines named Chan Kwai Wan general manager of the Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Engine Maintenance Co. Chan will oversee the construction and start-up of the JV's new CFM56 engine overhaul facility, which should induct its first engine in late 2008.
Pegasus Airlines picked KLM Engineering & Maintenance to overhaul five of its CFM56-7B engines, with options for two more. KLM E&M also is to provide two lease engines to the private Turkish carrier under the agreement.
Landmark Aviation was named a Worthington Aviation Westwind product support authorized facility and now can perform work on all Westwind aircraft at its centers in Augusta, Ga., Houston and Los Angeles. The facilities also will maintain full inventories of parts for the aircraft.
Sabreliner won a four-year contract from Sikorsky Support Services to perform aircraft condition inspections for the U.S Navy fleet of T-34 aircraft. It inducted the first T-34 in October.
Feb. 12-13, 2008 Defense Technology & Requirements, Washington, DC March 4, 2008 Laureate Awards, Washington, DC April 15-17, 2008 MRO 2008, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Contacts Registration Info: Anita Joyce Wright, registration producer, 800-240-7645 in the U.S. or 212-904-6344; fax 212-904-3334.
Armite Laboratories of Costa Mesa, Calif., signed a definitive agreement with Asia Standard Ltd. Hong Kong to distribute its entire catalogue of aerospace anti-seize compound and specialty lubricant products throughout China.
Midcoast Aviation brought Brian Reid onboard as vice president, engineering. Reid joins Midcoast from Associated Air Center, where he most recently served as vice president, engineering, certification and interior design.
Delta Air Lines named Stephen Gorman its new executive vice president-operations. Gorman most recently served as CEO of Greyhound Lines, and he replaced Joe Kolshak, who retired after 20 years with Delta. As of Dec. 1, Gorman assumed responsibility for flight operations, technical operations, airport customer services, security and safety.
AERO Vodochody in late November formally delivered to the Czech government four L-159T1 two-seat advanced training and light ground-attack aircraft, following factory conversion from their original single-seat configuration. With a design airframe life of 32,000 flight hours, the four L-159T1s incorporate MIL-STD-1553B Advanced Human Machine Interface, with head-up and color multi-function displays; hands-on-throttle-and-stick (HOTAS) controls; and an autonomous navigation system, with ring laser-gyro based inertial navigation system (INS) and GPS.
Saudi Arabian Airlines Technical Services division signed an MoU with Air France Industries and KLM Engineering & Maintenance to "jointly survey potential opportunities and [a] partnership agreement." The signing is "in line with Saudi Arabian Airlines' strategic plan to privatize its technical services division," according to a joint AFI/KLM E&M press release.
H.I.G. Capital finished acquiring Flight Options from Raytheon, and at that same time, Flight Options ordered 100 Embraer Phenom 300 light jets, with options for 50 more. The deal is worth $746 million but could climb to $1.12 if the operator exercises all options. Flight Options has service and maintenance operations in Cleveland, Ohio; Las Vegas; Sacramento, Calif.; Teterboro, N.J.; and West Palm Beach, Fla.
Aircraft powered by multiple reciprocating engines fill a small but important niche of Australia's public transport system, providing low-capacity (eight to 10 passengers) regional connection flights, according to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB). However, it took note of the frequency of safety incidents among this fleet over the past several years and commissioned a study to examine the issues that arise from the inflight failure of propeller propulsion systems powered by reciprocating engines.
Texas Aviation Solutions delivered the second of three Bell 412EP helicopter completions to Helicol, which uses the aircraft to transport British Petroleum personnel to remote locations in Colombia. Modifications included wirestrike protection, flight director, HUMS (health and usage monitoring systems), radar altimeter and Bendix King radar RDR 2000, in addition to custom paint, a custom corporate leather interior and aft audio.
Bell Helicopter and the U.S. Army Aviation Applied Technology Directorate (AATD) have signed an agreement to develop condition-based maintenance (CBM) technology. The 50/50 cost sharing agreement calls for developing and putting into action an integrated set of diagnostic, prognostic and system health technologies to help the U.S. Army transition from condition-based maintenance to a CBM-centered philosophy.
Lufthansa Technik Shenzhen and Shenzhen Airlines inked a 10-year Total Component Support contract to cover the carrier's A320 fleet, currently numbering 13 aircraft. Under the agreement, Lufthansa Technik Shenzhen is to supply components locally, including more than 500 line replaceable units, for up to 70 of Shenzhen Airlines' aircraft.
Composite materials now are ubiquitous in aircraft repair and production (see "Carefree Structures," p. 46), and the need for new technology to monitor repairs and material conditions has grown right along with them.
