Electronic Cable Specialists to upgrade the internal core software of the ACARS datalink management unit on Boeing 767-300/300F and 757-200/200PF series aircraft, STCs ST02859CH and ST02862CH
International Aircraft Associates in Miramar, Fla., named Richard N. Sauro director, quality control, and Igor DeCamps director of information technology.
LONDON—Deicing and anti-icing services have been part of the airport scene in cold climates for decades, and despite the direct effect such services have on aircraft flight safety, no standard exists for them in Europe. But that could change very soon. [See related deicing article, pg. 28.] Concerns over the variability of deicing and anti-icing services across the EU were first raised in 2006 by EASA’s Safety Standards Consultative Committee (SSCC). Since then, pressure to mandate or regulate a consistent standard across the EU has grown.
Pattonair plans to open a 20,000-sq.-ft. center in Indianapolis on Dec. 1, to support aftermarket services for the former Allison engine lineup now owned by Rolls-Royce. The seven-year contract extends to North America the parts delivery services relationship that Pattonair already holds in support of Rolls-Royce’s commercial engines in Darby, U.K., and business and regional jets from Dahlewitz, Germany. Engines supported from Indianapolis will include the AE 2100, AE 3007, and Model 250 for business and regional jets.
AeroThrust in Miami auctioned off its assets in September after failing to find a buyer that met its expectations. Heritage Global Partners, which worked with Hilco Industrial and Counsel RB Capital to manage the auction, says potential buyers in the Middle East, U.S., and South America expressed “tremendous interest” in many big-ticket items, such as Pratt & Whitney JT8D and CFM International CFM56 engines, components and tooling.
Most airlines do it, but the MROs that maintain their flying machines don’t necessarily like it. The issue? Customized maintenance programs. More specifically, MROs must figure out how to keep turn times short and efficiency high while adhering to airlines’ differing directions. “In most cases, you’re going to work under [a specific carrier’s] maintenance program—work off their cards, their package. And that is a real problem for an MRO,” says Jim Ganopulos, Delta TechOps’ general manager of fleet management engineering for Boeing 757s, 767s and 777s.
SR Technics received EASA Part 145 base maintenance approval for Boeing 737NG aircraft in Switzerland, where it began offering C checks, modifications, landing hear and engine changes, and other support services in September. SR Technics’ Zurich Airport facility already offered line maintenance services for 737NG aircraft, in addition to cabin modifications and heavy airframe maintenance for Airbus aircraft.
Mxi Technologies will provide its Maintenix enterprise resource planning software to Ethiopian Airlines, which will be one of the first airlines to implement Maintenix for Boeing 787 operations following its introduction to its fleet.
M7 Aerospace named Gary Merrill VP of quality assurance, responsible for QA programs in aerostructures manufacturing, MRO, government logistics support contracting, supply chain management, and aircraft parts and engineering. Merrill most recently was managing director of quality assurance and technical programs for US Airways.
British Airways Engineering added 105 apprentices in London. BA offers three-year apprenticeships for 10-15 students at MRO bases in Cardiff, Wales, and Glasgow, Scotland, but the London Heathrow-based apprenticeships are the first offered there in 16 years.
Congress is pushing Safety Management Systems (SMS) to the forefront in the U.S., adopting new deadlines for the FAA to take action. The recently enacted Airline Safety and Federal Aviation Administration Extension Act of 2010 calls on FAA to begin a rulemaking proceeding to require Part 121 carriers to implement a safety system. The law requires the release of a notice of proposed rulemaking within 90 days and a final rule 24 months later.
BAE Systems Regional Aircraft delivered two BAe 146-200 regional aircraft to Aerolineas Star Peru, which now operates seven of the aircraft. Prior to delivery, BAE carried out a couple of engine changes on one of the aircraft.
Air Works India Engineering Pvt. Ltd. signed an agreement with Denmark’s Scandinavian Avionics to create a joint venture avionics MRO company, SA Air Works India. The new entity will provide turnkey avionics solutions for inflight entertainment systems and communications, safety applications, weather systems and other airborne electronics, the partners said. SA Air Works India will be base in Gurgaon, New Delhi, and has EASA Part 145 certification and Part 147 and 21 support from Scandinavian Avionics.
Pratt & Whitney Canada and TAP Maintenance & Engineering Brazil formed a five-year agreement to provide PT6A and PW100 engine overhauls tests at P&WC do Brasil in Sorocaba and engine testing at TAP M&E’s Porto Alegre facility, which houses the region’s only engine test cells.
One industrial building specialist’s first LEED project—and its largest-ever single project in terms of value—is in the works now for a site adjacent to Honolulu International Airport. Rubb, Inc. is working with the state of Hawaii and Hawaiian Airlines to build a new, LEED Silver certified campus for the carrier that is comprised of an aircraft maintenance hangar and an air cargo building, says Gordon Collins, sales manager for Rubb. Another green building also could take shape on the site in the future.
Management Systems International boosted its training curriculum by 60%, adding courses in internal audit training on AS9100C and in planning and rolling out a quality management system, among others for ISO/AS certification such as management overview, internal auditor, auditor/lead auditor, implementation and enterprise management system demos. IT
Turkish Technic signed a 10-year contract with SunExpress for component pool services at the carrier’s main base at Antalya, Turkey. The agreement covers component stocks, logistic and engineering support and shop visits for 25 Boeing 737-800 aircraft components. Joint Ventures/Acquisitions
OGMA promoted Pedro Costa Santos to marketing and sales director for engines and components services, effective July 1. Santos had been OGMA’s sales manager for commercial and executive aviation services for three years.
Sabena technics in early October will perform a C6 base maintenance check for Tor Air, a Swedish charter, wet-lease operator. The two-year-old charter company hired Sabena technics’ Brussels operations to complete the base maintenance check on its Boeing 737-400, as well as to overhaul its landing gear. Sabena technics did not disclose the contract’s value. Tor Air, based in Goteborg, Sweden, operates this one aircraft but hopes to add another to its fleet this year. Engines
Painting an aircraft is a huge undertaking that requires a lot of patience. Between long lead times for last-minute projects and waiting for the many layers of paint that make up a new livery to dry, aircraft can be out of service for days while undergoing makeovers. But in the past few months, many paintings and coatings OEMs have introduced bold paint and coatings systems that reduce material costs and drying times in a big way.
Boeing will provide Qantas with landing gear exchange, repair and overhaul services on its 747-400ERs, making the carrier launch customer for the 747-400ER Landing Gear Overhaul and Exchange Program, Boeing says. The service agreement takes effect in 2011.
Leki Aviation now exclusively markets and sells Thompson Group surplus materials for Boeing 767, 757, 737 and Airbus A320 aircraft, including components, consumables and interiors, per a July consignment agreement.
Chromalloy launched an online catalog for turbine engine parts and repairs that allows users to search by engine manufacturer, engine type, engine section, part number, part name or ATA number. The online catalog also notifies users if Chromalloy makes a PMA part for the part number they need.
