Turkish Technik and Goodrich signed a memorandum of understanding to form a joint venture, Goodrich HABOM, in Istanbul to perform nacelle work for Turkish Airlines and carriers in neighboring regions. The companies anticipate opening the 43,000-square-foot facility at Sabiha Gokcen International Airport in 2009.
Lufthansa Technik has signed technical and component support contracts with Jazeera Airways, a growing Kuwaiti carrier, and Abu Dhabi-based Maximus Air Cargo. It will support the CFM56-5B thrust reversers on Jazeera's five A320 family aircraft as well as the 30 additional A320s it has scheduled for delivery through 2014. Maximus Air Cargo's two A300-600s will receive component support for over 500 different part numbers of LRUs, as well as engine and APU-related components, from Lufthansa Technik.
Fleet Readiness Center Southeast won the Shingo Bronze Medallion for Excellence in Manufacturing for its EA-6B aircraft depot level maintenance program.
Jet Aviation Basel has signed completions contracts and letters of intent for two A340s, four Boeing Business Jets and three Boeing 787s to be completed through 2014. It also has begun construction of a new 9,600 square meter widebody hangar, scheduled for completion in the first half of 2008.
Pratt & Whitney Global Service Partners signed a five-year, $20 million exclusive contract with Turkish carrier Sun-Express to maintain the PW2037 engines that power four Boeing 757-200 aircraft.
CAE and Hawker Pacific signed a five-year agreement under which CAE will provide training to Hawker Pacific's maintenance technicians and its clients in the Southeast Asia region. Training began at Hawker Pacific's Singapore facility in August, and is expected to be offered at other CAE facilities in Asia later this year.
Earlier this month, Indonesian aviation authorities upgraded the safety rankings of three domestic airlines to its top category, the Aviation Safety Network (ASN), a service of the Flight Safety Foundation, reported. Three carriers -- Mandala Airlines, Premi Air and Airfast Indonesia -- joined Garuda Indonesia in Indonesia's top-ranking safety category, said air transport director-general Muliawan Suyitno, according to the ASN article.
SAN FRANCISCO -- Applying Lean industrial practices to the aviation MRO business is a practical yet challenging proposition, according to the industry consultants and front line staff who participated in the AVIATION WEEK Management Forum "Lean and Six Sigma for MRO" held here in early October.
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IGG Component Technology recently launched ObsServe, a component monitoring service designed to identify components at risk of obsolescence and to recommend appropriate solutions. "It's far more of a service than just software," said Lloyd Francis, Aerospace & Defense manager, IGG. "It's taking the next step, basically."
Trends in military maintenance training parallel those on the civil side. Hands-on training devices are giving way to virtual trainers, which often are desktop versions, said Bob Wuestner, senior director, Rockwell Collins Simulation and Training Systems, Military Systems. Desktop trainers not only are less expensive than traditional hands-on trainers and enable distance-learning capabilities, but they "also offer a safe training environment where students can freely make errors without any potential damage to a vehicle, trainer or themselves," he said.
US Airways chose Lufthansa Technik Tulsa to support the thrust reversers of its Airbus fleet. Under the new, five-year contract, Lufthansa Technik Tulsa will maintain the thrust reversers of US Airways' 102 CFM56-5B-powered Airbus aircraft.
British Airways selected Rolls-Royce Trent engines to power up to 61 of its new long-haul aircraft, including 12 firm and seven option Airbus A380s and 24 firm and 18 option Boeing 787s scheduled for delivery from 2010. The deal includes a TotalCare contract tailored to BA's requirements and could be worth in excess of $5 billion.
Sikorsky Support Services was awarded a $121 million modification to a previously awarded Navy contract to exercise an option for contractor logistics support services for T-34, T-44 and T-6 aircraft.
Jet Craft plans to incorporate a solar power system into its second facility in Henderson, Nev. Scheduled to open in 2009, the facility is designed to have an executive terminal and two 35,000 square foot hangars, one dedicated to its aircraft management and charter operation large enough for eight to 10 business aircraft and another for Jet Source's avionics and aircraft maintenance operation.
Yingling Aviation has developed a maintenance plan to accomodate the new Continuous Inspection Program for Cessna Model 441 Conquest II aircraft. It recommends that both FAR Part 91 and Part 135 operators comply with a series of supplemental inspection documents now being incorporated into an expanded phase inspection program with a compliance deadline set for Sept. 1, 2008.
Maritime Helicopter Support was awarded a $7.3 million firm-fixed-price requirements contract from the Naval Inventory Control Point for performance-based logistics support for phase 2(A) Navy H-60 items for SH-60B, SH-60F, HH-60H, MH-60S and MH60R aircraft. Work should be complete in Dec. 2008.
Preaching the benefits of safety management systems (SMS) is easy. Convincing skeptics that the programs -- done right -- are worth their effort in time and money is another matter. Nothing speaks to fence-sitters and naysayers like real-world examples. Thanks to a new report out of the airport world, we have a fresh batch.
The philosophy of aviation maintenance training is changing -- radically. As Jeff Roberts, CAE group president of innovation and civil training and services said, "First and foremost, it has to be line oriented. It has to be operationally and practically grounded. Two: it has to have a tremendous amount of troubleshooting capability to facilitate the return to service," which should increase aircraft reliability numbers and reduce aircraft downtime.
GE Aviation and U.S. Navy won a PBL award for logistics excellence in the component category. The team developed and executed a supply chain management strategy and PBL contract designed to improve the mission capability and maximize the material availability for the T700 engines that power the Navy's H-60 Seahawk and AH-1 Cobra helicopters.
The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress in September of a proposed Foreign Military Sale to the Taipei Economic and Cultural Representative Office in the United States of 12 surplus Lockheed P-3C maritime surveillance and ASW aircraft, together with associated equipment and services. The total value, if all options are exercised, could reach up to $1.96 billion and also could include Allison T56 engines as well as three more complete TP-3As.
Piaggio Aero Industries selected the NORDAM Group to install executive interiors on Piaggio P.180 Avanti II aircraft, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2008.
