ADVERTISING SALES OFFICES: NORTH AMERICA -- SALES DIRECTOR Matt Holdreith, Phone: 212-904-2628; Fax: 212-904-3993 NATIONAL ACCOUNT MANAGER, EAST Katie Taplett, Phone: 202-383-2335; Fax: 202-383-2323 NATIONAL ACCOUNT MANAGER, WEST Bill Hux, Phone: 213-480-5202; Fax: 213-480-5249 REGIONAL ACCOUNT MANAGER, NORTHEAST Gerry Lawrence, Phone: 781-860-6452; Fax: 781-860-6426 NORTHEAST, MID-ATLANTIC AND EASTERN CANADA
FAA published the final rule on Extended Operations (ETOPS) on Jan. 16. The rule was originally scheduled for release in April 2005. The agency also has begun to slip the schedule for its aging aircraft/widespread fatigue rule. The target release date has been pushed back from the end of September to the end of October. FAA hopes to have the rule ready for DOT review in June. FAA expects to send a rule covering fuel tanking flammability/inerting requirements to DOT in May. The rule will outline requirements for flammability reduction on new and existing aircraft.
Stork SP Aerospace signed a contract with Goodrich's landing gear division for the manufacture of Bombardier's DHC-8 series 400 landing gear. Goodrich will continue to be responsible for overall system integration and product engineering, as well as the interface with Bombardier and Dash 8-400 operators.
L-3 Communications' Link Simulation and Training won a not-to-exceed $43.7 million contract for logistics support for the Navy, Marine Corp, Air Force and NASA for DC-9/C-9 aircraft. Support will include aircraft depot repairs and aircraft engine depot repairs, consumables and line replaceable unit supply support. Work is expected to be completed in November.
MTU named Dr. Uwe Blöcker president and CEO effective March 1. He succeeds Ferdinand Exler, who led the company since 2002. Blöcker's 17 years of aviation experience include managerial positions at Deutsche Lufthansa in Hamburg, Lufthansa Airmotive Ireland in Dublin, and AMECO Beijing in China.
Sabena technics and Taneja Aerospace and Aviation Ltd. plan to establish a joint venture MRO facility at TAAL's private airfield in the Krishnagiri district in Tamil Nadu. TAAL has manufacturing and aircraft maintenance facilities there already. The JV initially will focus on regional turboprop aircraft, such as ATR 42/72, but will subsequently plan to move to narrowbody services, such as for the Airbus A320 and Boeing 737 series.
Duncan Aviation named Jerry Cable as accessory technical representative, a position that calls for providing customer technical support and troubleshooting, as well as for training Duncan employees' accessory teams.
Pratt & Whitney plans to purchase the spare parts inventory and engine overhaul tooling and machinery for JT8Ds, JT9D and PW4000s from Volvo Aero Engine Services, which is closing its doors after years of losing money. Pratt did not disclose the financial terms of its agreement to buy the majority of VAES' assets, but did say that the tools and machinery will be moved to Pratt & Whitney Global Services Partners locations and that the spares will be distributed among the six GSP engine overhaul centers and the company's spare parts hub in Dallas.
Bedek Aviation Group and Mitsui & Co. announced a joint venture to convert Boeing 767-300s. Bedek spokeswoman Hadassah Paz said, "The 767-300 conversions will be performed at IAI facilities in Israel and at IAI approved conversion sites. The location of M&B Conversions in Ireland has not been determined." She also said, "We plan to induct the prototype aircraft for conversion at IAI in late 2007 or early 2008." The joint venture does not yet have a launch customer.
Adobe Sytems plans to release the full Portable Document Format 1.7 specification to AIIM, the Enterprise Content Management Association for the purpose of publication by the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).
Raytheon Aircraft now offers electronic dimmable window shades for all of its King Air models. The window shades let passengers and crew easily control the darkness of the each cabin window by varying the tint through the electronic variable-light-transmission shades.
NAVAIR named Steffanie Easter its new assistant commander for acquisition. She serves as the acquisition executive for Naval Air Systems Command and executes acquisition responsibilities and management accountability for eight program management offices. She also has responsibilities as the leader of the command-wide NAVAIR Acquisition/Program Management Competency, managing about 720 civilian and military personnel.
Bell Helicopter Textron won an $18.3 million order under previously awarded contract from the Naval Inventory Control Point for V-22 spare components. Work should be completed by January 2009.
Australia's CASA introduced a program that allows approved maintenance organizations (AMOs) to operate under a licensing/ratings system that mirrors EASA. The program, detailed in Civil Aviation Order 100.66, gives AMOs and mechanics the option of undergoing additional training to receive licenses that equate to EASA's A, B1 and B2.
Embraer is enhancing its Maintenance Tracking and Planning Service for its executive jets through a deal with Flightdocs, which provides the technology and support for this service. The enhanced service is available to Legacy 600 customers now and will become available for Phenom and Lineage aircraft as they enter service. The Maintenance Tracking and Planning Service is designed to enable customers to securely access their aircraft maintenance plan through the Internet and update it by including operational information.
SR Technics opened a sales office in Mumbai on Feb. 1. It also started a line maintenance station at Madrid Barajas International Airport. Its first customer there is easyJet.
C-17 Globemaster III Sustainment Partnership program between Boeing and the U.S. Department of Defense reached a fleet-wide mission capable rate of 85.4 percent in 2006. This covered 150 aircraft at the beginning of 2006 and grew to include 165 C-17s by the end of the year. The 2006 rate is a 2.2 percent increase over the 83.2 percent mission capable rate in FY2005. The C-17 program's goal for 2007 is 87.5 percent. The Globmaster III Sustainment Partnership started in 2004 and extends for five years.
AAR hired Rono Dutta, former president of United Airlines and Air Sahara, as a strategic advisor to the company's activities in India. Ben Sandzer-Bell, AAR's vice president of strategic development, said Dutta is "helping shape AAR's thinking about what the end state" of its investment in India should be. AAR is talking with potential partners about setting up in-country MRO capability in India, said Sandzer-Bell, AAR's vice president of strategic development.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University is partnering with the Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona to jointly develop and deliver a master's degree in aeronautical management.
Positioning itself to be a major player in the next generation of turbine engines, Pratt & Whitney Canada will invest $1.5 billion CAD ($1.3 billion) over the next five years to fund an ambitious research and development (R&D) program. Announced in December, the program includes $350 million CAD ($301 million) in Canadian government funding, repayable on a royalty basis, and $75 million CAD ($64 million) in funding to 20 Canadian universities for collaborative projects.
Cortec's VpCI Corrosorber Paper is a tarnish inhibiting protective paper formulated for gold, silver, brass, copper and tin. It eliminates the need for coatings and tarnish removers and is designed to quickly reach and protect metal surfaces.
Alaska Airlines introduced two Boeing 737-400 combi aircraft to its fleet on Feb. 1, to improve passenger and cargo service in the state of Alaska. They replaced 737-200 combis. Pemco World Air Services converted both aircraft, which can accommodate four cargo pallets and 72 passengers. Pemco also completed an all-cargo freighter for the airline, which plans to add two more -400s combis to its fleet by the end of the year. The airline also has options with Pemco to convert a second freighter and a fifth combi aircraft.
KUALA LUMPUR -- After several years keeping a low profile, Malaysia Airlines' Engineering & Maintenance is undertaking an aggressive exercise to expand its product offering and tap the growing global MRO market. As part of the plan, it will expand its capability to include heavy maintenance for the Airbus A320 and A340 later this year. With experience in doing QCs (quick conversions) on the Boeing 737-300, MAS E&M also is evaluating the possibility of offering passenger-to-cargo conversion.
Sikorsky Aircraft won a $68.8 million time and material contract from the U.S. Navy for sustaining engineering and maintenance support for legacy MH-60 aircraft. Services to be provided include program management, engineering, test, logistics, training, repair, studies and aircraft technical and maintenance support for the MH-60R and the MH-60S aircrafts. Work should be completed in November. This contract was not competitively procured.
Brazilian Air Force awarded a contract to ST Aerospace Engines to overhaul 12 Rolls-Royce T56-A-15 engines powering C-130s. ST Aerospace expected its first engine input the first quarter and program completion to take 10 months. ST Aerospace secured a contact from the Brazilian Air Force in 2005 to overhaul and repair 12 T56-A-15 engines, and that contract was worth $5.2 million.
