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…
GE Commercial Aviation Services opened new offices in Accra, Ghana; and Cape Town, to serve customers in west and central Africa and southeastern Africa, respectively. Gecas’ Dubai office will continue to serve North Africa customers.
TNT Airways received the first of 11 converted Boeing 737F freighters from GE Capital Aviation Services in November to replace its existing 737 fleet. The 11 aircraft include nine 737-400s and two 737-300s; these will supplement 10 converted freighters TNT now leases from Gecas to expand its services to Europe. Engines
Fokker Services Asia (FSA) broke ground Dec. 1 on its new MRO facility in Singapore. FSA already has a hangar and facility at Singapore Seletar Airport’s east side but must relocate to the airport’s west side because the Singapore authorities are redeveloping the airport into an aerospace park. It plans to complete construction of a hangar, adjacent office and other facilities in December. The new hangar will be able to accommodate three regional aircraft, FSA says.
Archeion Holdings amended STC to install a mini quick access recorder on various 328 Support Services, Airbus, ATR, BAE Systems, Boeing, Bombardier, Embraer, Fokker, McDonnell Douglas, Saab and Viking aircraft, among others, STC ST02472AT
BAE Systems aims to develop a more regionalized African strategy to support the growing numbers of its commercial aircraft in the region. South Africa has proven to be an attractive market for the BAe 146/Avro RJ in particular, with four operators of the type in the country. Two of these carriers provide aircraft and crew for operators in other African countries, such as Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Kenya and Republic of the Congo.
Airbus announced Dec. 1 that it will offer the Pratt & Whitney PurePower PW1100G geared turbofan engine as a new engine option for A320 family aircraft. The A320neo family is scheduled to enter service from spring 2016.
International Aircraft Associates added Mike Molli as COO. Molli previously led SAS Technitrade’s U.S. office; he also serves on the board of directors of both the Aviation Suppliers Association and AeroXchange.
Bangladesh-based GMG Airlines signed on to Pratt & Whitney’s engine management program for the next five years to monitor its current PW4060 and JT8D-200 and future engines’ performance. Pratt & Whitney’s Global Service Partners business unit leverages Web-based Advanced Diagnostics and Engine Management, or ADEM, tools to monitor the engines for health and maintenance trends. In October, Jordan Aviation inked a three-year, ADEM-based engine performance monitoring program. Other recent customers include Egypt’s Air Memphis.
DAO Aviation at Copenhagen Airport acquired Danish avionics company Dansk Fly Elektronik. It plans to retain current staff as part of its strategy to become a one-stop shop for commercial aircraft and engines.
Lufthansa Technik’s Guideline ColourFit floor-path marking system already is in use with more than 400 airlines, but the glow-in-the-dark lights now are available in thinner versions for use in galleys with non-textile flooring. The floor-path markers retain light from cabin lighting to guide passengers to emergency exits in the case of smoke or electrical failure. Available in 15 colors, Guideline ColourFit comes in shades that match most aircraft interiors and have an unlimited lifespan. www.lufthansa-technik.com/guideline/welcome/welcome.html
TeamSAI M&E Solutions amended STC to install an advertisement container on the bottom of a seat-back tray table on Boeing 737-700, 737-800 and 737-900 series aircraft, STC ST02746NY
Disciplined fleet growth and healthy load factors contributed to economic recovery for many airlines in 2010. As carriers crank the operational tempo, pressure builds for smooth quick-turn maintenance procedures.
CFM International celebrated the delivery of its 7,000th CFM56-7B engine to Boeing Commercial Airplanes to power the 3,500th Boeing 737NG aircraft, which is slated for delivery to Copa Airlines later this year. China Eastern Airlines also ordered CFM56-5B engines worth $600 million to power 30 new Airbus A320 family aircraft, plus a long-term, rate-per-flight-hour agreement for maintenance, and it signed its current fleet up for a 15-year material services agreement with CFM.
Rolls-Royce concluded new engine services agreements worth $1.2 billion for 50 of Emirates’ existing fleet of 152 widebody aircraft. These cover TotalCare long-term support for Trent 700 engines powering 29 Airbus A330s and Trent 800 engines powering 21 Boeing 777s. Rolls-Royce reports it has long-term service agreements on 90% of its Trent engine family. Rolls-Royce also won an order from Air China for engines to power 10 Airbus A350XWBs (Trent XWB) and 10 A330s (Trent 700).
Certified Aviation Services has created a Web-based maintenance application for clients to track real-time drywashing services for each aircraft in their fleets, complete with before-and-after photos. Customers can see the time since an aircraft’s last wash and specific cleaning services provided by accessing a unique URL. www.certifiedaviation.com/cas.nsf/html/Appearance+Services
Honeywell provides LED wingtip lights that can be retrofitted without modification on the Airbus A320 family. The lights are designed to last about 40 times longer than incandescent filament tubes, cut operational costs between 40-80%, and last 5-8 years. An indicator shows when the LEDs are approaching the end of their 20,000-hr. operating life. www51.honeywell.com/aero/common/documents/myaerospacecatalog-documents/ATR_Brochures-documents/Air_Transport_LED_Lighting_Brochure.pdf
Few paint the near horizon in shades of untempered optimism. But, there is sufficient faith in the future that MROs are ferreting out places to put new facilities. The present expansionary push doesn’t take in vast swaths of canvas. Instead, it pinpoints targets of optimum opportunity—“plug-and-play” sites, loaded with potential and precisely located. Expansion “definitely takes a geographic tone,” says Rich Bergmann, Accenture’s global lead for manufacturing.
Aging aircraft management comes to the forefront again as a new rule aimed at preventing widespread fatigue damage (WFD) takes effect this month. FAA published the final rule in November, several months after the Office of Management and Budget signed off on the rulemaking and nearly four years after FAA issued the notice of proposed rulemaking (NPRM) in April 2006. The rulemaking is the latest in a series of actions designed to address aging aircraft structural fatigue, FAA acknowledges, because other programs cannot predict WFD reliably.
Demand for landing gear maintenance falls in line with very specific schedule requirements. On average, these components require overhaul every 10 years, events that typically take 25-40 days to accomplish. “That’s why spares are so critical,” says Chris Doan, chairman and CEO of consulting firm TeamSAI. While one set is in the shop for intensive work, airlines equip aircraft with an exchange set to keep them flying in revenue service.
Austrian Airlines retrofitted its Fokker fleet’s cabins with LED lighting. The work was done at Austrian Technik Bratislava with the help of Fokker Services engineers working onsite. The Fokker Services LED package also is available for retrofit on other aircraft types.
