Timco Aerosystems certified a new life raft stowage system for the Boeing 737NG that lets operators store the rafts in the ceiling above the aisle rather than in overhead bins to increase carry-on baggage space (see pg. 56). Joint Ventures/Acquisitions
The EcoFlex system from Advance Industrial Cleaning Equipment is available on two rider-scrubber models, the Advance Condor and Advance Adgressor. These models allow operators to select the right amount of pad pressure, water and detergent for each cleaning job’s needs, which allows companies to save big on detergent and chemical usage. The Adgressor can clean up to 46,200 sq. ft. in one hour and has a scrub path of 38 in. www.advance-us.com/products/commercial/autoscrubbers/advengerandadvenge…
Orbital Sciences Corp. amended STC to install provisions for carriage and launch of the Pegasus SIV satellite insertion vehicle on Lockheed L-1011-385-1-15 aircraft, STC SA8011NM
Finnair Technical Services signed a maintenance service contract with Ural Airlines, based in Yekaterinburg, Russia, that covers APU maintenance services and design services for Ural Airlines’ Airbus A320 family fleet. The new contract is a continuation of earlier successful cooperation between Ural Airlines and Finnair Technical Services.
TransDigm Group completed the acquisition of the Telair International’s actuation group on Dec. 31, 2010, for approximately $94 million in cash. It expects calendar 2010 revenues of approximately $25 million, with significant aftermarket content. Facilities
Air Works India Engineering expanded its line maintenance services to Trichy International Airport—its second location after Bengaluru International Airport. It plans to add a third facility at a non-metro airport in South India.
ERP software maker Realization received a U.S. patent for its breakthrough in managing complex projects. The breakthrough allows organizations to cut multitasking and maintain synchronization in large and complex projects while allowing resources and tasks to be prioritized in detail. This is the second patent that Realization was awarded in 2010.
AJ Walter grew its commercial engine management business and now offers services for GE CF6-80, CFM International CFM56-3/-5/-7, IAE V2500 and Pratt & Whitney PW400 engines.
Goodrich signed a nacelle services agreement with Air Arabia to support nacelles and thrust reversers in the airline’s fleet of more than 50 Airbus A320 aircraft powered by CFM56-5B engines. The 10-year Prime Solutions nacelle services agreement will be managed through Goodrich’s Dubai campus in Jebel Ali, UAE. The low-cost carrier is based close by, in Sharjah, UAE.
NEW DELHI—As the Indian economy swings back post-recession with an 18% increase in passenger traffic over last year, the fleet of 421 aircraft will increase by 50 in 2011, paving the way for regenerated interest in MRO facilities. Despite exaggerated promises, the MRO industry in India has not been able to deliver. The country’s only third-party provider, Air Works India Engineering, has been on an expansion spree for want of competition to get the first-mover advantage.
ST Engineering subsidiary VT Systems will convert a Boeing 757-200 aircraft to combi configuration for Global Aviation Holdings subsidiary North American Airlines.
Russia’s aging fleet of Tupolev Tu-154B tri-jets have been grounded by Russian transport authorities following a fire on a Kolavia aircraft at Surgut on Jan. 1, that killed three people onboard. The aircraft carrying 116 passengers and eight crew was due to operate Flight 7K348 from Surgut to Moscow Domodedovo but caught fire after starting its engines. More than 40 people were treated for injuries. The 27-year-old aircraft was completely destroyed by the fire, but the cockpit-voice and flight-data recorders were recovered from the wreckage.
Tightening environmental regulations drive developments in cleaning products for the aerospace industry. Companies such as Kimberly-Clark Professional have introduced new products that use considerably fewer resources and less energy; for example, its new Wypall cleaning cloths can reduce waste by 35%. Advance Industrial Cleaning Equipment also has taken measures to save resources with its EcoFlex scrubbers, which reduce the amount of chemicals used to clean work areas by almost half.
Emirates had a great 2010. How does it plan to invest in maintenance and engineering moving forward? Lachlan: Emirates’ fleet growth is very exciting. It’s going to be very challenging for everyone, not only engineering. What we have done to try to cope with the fleet growth is: we run our five-year rolling maintenance planning needs and resource requirements based on the fleet growth, and that allows us to plan for success in supporting the needs of the business.
Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance and Zodiac Aerospace completed work under a contract with Royal Jordanian to upgrade inflight entertainment systems on four Airbus A340s. The Jordanian flag carrier is the world’s first airline to equip its aircraft with Zodiac’s SiT (Seat Integrated Technology) IFE system. The retrofit involved replacing 229 economy class seats and 24 business seats. Parts/Components
Dunlop Aircraft Tyres appointed former University of Nottingham research fellow Dr. Aditya Deshpande finite element analyst, a newly created research role to help accelerate the introduction of next-generation aircraft tires into the market. It also added Dave Smith as quality manager and Jeremy Braisier-Creagh as factory technical manager.
Petroferm’s CleanSafe 787C is an aqueous degreaser designed to clean aircraft landing gear, engine components and airframe exteriors as well as to prepare component surfaces for non-destructive testing. It has a “negligible” amount of VOCs and no alkylphenol ethoxylates or nonylphenol ethoxylates. CleanSafe 787C is certified by Boeing and Spirit AeroSystems for use on carbon fiber reinforced plastics and approved by SCAQMD as a Clean Air Solvent. It can be used at ambient temperatures. www.petroferm.com/datasheets/152_TDS.pdf
Wypall X90 cleaning cloths from Kimberly-Clark Professional provide 75% more oil absorption and 35% more water absorption than the previous WypAll X80 wipers. These cloths can work in a variety of applications, such as prepping surfaces with solvents and cleaning metal shavings or rough surfaces. Kimberly-Clark says that the Wypall X90 wipes, which are made from hydro-entangling polyester fiber and wood fiber, generate 35% less waste than other industrial wiping solutions. www.kcprofessional.com/us/KCP-Brands/Wypall/wypall-x80.asp
