STS Component Solutions formed a business partnership with Aero-Instruments to distribute and sell Aero-Instruments’ air data sensors. Joint Ventures/Acquisitions
The low-cost carrier sector in Southeast Asia is “positively dynamic,” as one MRO executive puts it, and its strategies are shaping those of the organizations that maintain its aircraft. Mostly young Airbus A320s, Boeing 737NGs and ATR turboprop fleets bring new opportunities and challenges to the region’s MRO providers, which have been busy adding narrowbody capability to historically widebody-centric work profiles.
Aeronautical Engineers, Inc. is converting a Boeing 737-400 built in 1989 into an 11-pallet freighter for an undisclosed customer. The aircraft was at AEI conversion center Commercial Jet, Inc. in Miami, as of early October for heavy maintenance and freighter modification work.
LONDON—Incorrect cleaning of angle-of-attack sensors and pilot error led to the loss of an Airbus A320 off the coast of France in November 2008, according to French air accident investigation organization the Bureau d’Enquetes et d’Analyses (BEA). XL Airways was operating the Airbus A320 on a pre-handover acceptance flight for Air New Zealand following its return-from-lease from XL Airways when it crashed off Canet-en-Roussillon, killing two XL pilots, four Air New Zealand personnel and a New Zealand CAA inspector.
Crane Aerospace & Electronics named David Perret general manager of its Lyon, France, site. Prior to this appointment, Perret served Crane as operations and customer support manager.
One of the most notable changes Qantas has made in recent years was the reintegration of the MRO after it was set up as a stand-alone business. What was the thinking behind that?
Every good maintenance organization collects error data. Ideally, that data includes both reportable and non-reportable events. And ideally, it is being analyzed regularly to spot systemic problems and proactively address them. However, if your error reporting system stops there—as many companies’ systems do—you’re missing an opportunity to improve safety, data quality and employee trust. That often-missing piece? Feedback.
The November elections are expected to bring a major shake-up in both the U.S. House of Representatives and the Senate. While pollsters were uncertain in October whether control of either chamber would flip to Republican control, they could say for certain that Republicans were expected to make significant gains in Congress.
GE Aviation held its second M601 line maintenance training course at its Cincinnati-area Customer Technical Education Center on Oct. 25 and 26. It plans to offer the course, which it launched in March, twice per year.
ST Aerospace secured two 10-year contracts with South Korean low-cost carrier T’Way Air together worth $63 million. The first is a maintenance-by-the-hour component support contract for T’Way’s Boeing 737-800s that includes repair management and access to rotables on an exchange basis; the second is an exclusive, time-and-materials based engine maintenance program for CFM56-7Bs. The deal covers engine condition monitoring and removal planning.
New Systems to install dual Universal Avionics flight management systems with global positioning system on Bombardier DHC-8-100, -200, -300 and -400 series aircraft, STC ST10977SC
Problem: Delta Air Lines and Toshiba GE Turbine Components in Japan were having a hard time accurately measuring the dimensions of turbine blades with hand tools. Solution: ScanTek’s Maxos non-contact measuring system, distributed by NVision
Air Works India Engineering set up a $10-million stocking location at Bengaluru International Airport. The inventory will enable Honeywell to ship parts within 24 hrs. of the order and enable Air Works to supply the company with products including, fuel pumps, navigation and guidance unit modules for integrated avionics systems.
BAE Systems signed a five-year, total support deal with Air France-KLM Group company CityJet for JetSpares, continued airworthiness and technical support services and technical publications. CityJet also committed to a five-year extension of BAE Systems’ Tech 21 service for technical and engineering support and a five-year extension of technical publications support via BAE Systems Regional Aircraft’s online iSapphire service. Separately, Pelita Air Service in Indonesia extended its JetSpares agreement for its RJ85 fleet.
Delta TechOps extended its power-by-the-hour component support contract for Ryan International Airlines’ Boeing fleet through 2014. The new agreement expands coverage to all Boeing 767s for component support in North America and Europe, as well as one Boeing 757 for component support in North America.
The first of four new-generation regional jets should make its airline debut by the end of the year, heralding a new era of super-efficient aircraft that promise to cut fuel consumption and maintenance costs significantly compared to current types. Assuming Sukhoi receives type certification for its SSJ100 Superjet from Russian aviation authorities this month, the first of these should be delivered to Aeroflot and Armavia before the end of the year. Eighteen aircraft are now in production, with six in final assembly.
ARC Avionics amended STC to install dual Universal Avionics UNS-1F flight management system or UNS-1Fw WAAS-capable FMS on Boeing 737-200 series aircraft, STC ST03362AT
STG Aerospace amended STCs to install the Saftglo photoluminescent floor proximity emergency escape path marking system on Boeing 747-300 and -400 and 777-200 series aircraft, STCs ST02993AT and ST03684AT
Pratt & Whitney Global Service Partners signed an exclusive, five-year engine management program agreement with Air Memphis for its IAE V2500 engines. The contract includes Pratt & Whitney analysis of engine health via its Web-based Advanced Diagnostics & Engine Management tools.
Aviation maintenance professionals are not an overly superstitious lot. But they do believe in ghosts. The “ghosts” in question here are phantom components, whose very existence is shadowy, ethereal. They manifest themselves when MROs and airlines go looking for parts. Sellers say they have the part on hand, but in reality, “they do not have the quantity they represent, or they don’t even have the part,” says Brian Tolley, president of PartsBase.
