Aircelle named Arnaud de Bussac external supply chain VP, in charge of purchasing, procurement and supplier quality. De Bussac most recently was production manager for Safran sister company Snecma.
Bombardier plans to acquire ExelTech Aerospace’s Saint-Laurent facilities and start completing business jets there this fall. Pemco World Air Services is buying most of bankrupt ExelTech Aerospace’s tooling, equipment and inventory.
SLCA added Pierre Gerard as president to replace Laurent Schneider-Maunoury, who is leaving the Safran group. Since mid-2009, Gerard was head of customer support for Sagem Defense & Security's avionics division. Airframes
LONDON—Rolls-Royce officially opened its €65-million, state-of-the-art Mechanical Test Operations Center in Dahlewitz, Germany, in May. It aims to create synergies by integrating existing mechanical, vibration and materials test capabilities, historically spread over different sites and businesses, into one facility.
PAS Technologies appointed Philip F. Milazzo CEO to succeed Robert B. Weiner, who died on May 11. Milazzo most recently was executive VP for sales and marketing.
Source One Aircraft Repair is under contract with Magnolia Investments to procure, provide bridging services and deliver aircraft to Magnolia customers. It has transitioned one Boeing 737-300 out of storage and expects to assist with additional aircraft.
Icelandair Fleet: 18 Boeing 757s, 1 767 Passengers: 76% of its airline customers originate from outside its home market Icelandair, the largest subsidiary with the Icelandair Group, accounts for about 53% of its income Group: Icelandair, Icelandair Cargo, Bluebird Cargo and Icelandair Ground Services comprise Icelandair Group’s route network
Turkish Airlines CEO Temel Kotil told Polish daily Rzeczpospolita that his company wants to buy LOT Polish Airlines, but the acquisition is being delayed due to LOT’s restructuring.
CHICAGO—If you could make your workplace temperature more comfortable for pennies per day and save $3,000 in monthly energy costs—at a return of investment of two years—would you do it? This is the business proposal that AirLiance, the inventory specialist near O’Hare International, examined for its headquarters. The decision to proceed with this proposition didn’t take long.
To salute all of you who creatively engineer better and safer ways to keep aviation assets in the air, we developed an MRO innovations cover story package that highlights some of your efforts. At the same time, we unearthed some new research and technologies being tested that may affect your future—from vibrothermography to a laser ablation system. We cover a lot of ground this month, but the depth of developments underway, especially for future generations of aircraft and engines, makes it impossible to do more than skim the surface. The innovation impetus is clear.
The UK’s new coalition government has indicated it aims to cancel plans for a third runway at London Heathrow and refuses additional runways at Gatwick and Stansted as part of its commitment to implement measures “to fulfill ambitions for a low carbon and eco-friendly economy.” It also said it will replace the current air passenger duty with a per-plane duty.
New Crimp Tool DMC just released a battery-powered crimp tool with a detachable battery pack that technicians can wear on their belts. The detachable pack means that the tool itself is less heavy and less bulky, helping technicians work longer without fatigue. DMC says the detachable battery lasts roughly twice as long as an internal battery before it needs recharging. The tool is about half the weight of an internally powered crimp tool.
LONDON—Carbon composite construction has often been described as a “black art,” but efforts to make it more controllable and predictable are increasing. Yet, despite its obvious structural promise, reliable, repeatable repairs are proving difficult to guarantee.
LONDON—The need for rigid processes is prompting the development of automated machines for composite repairs, from a non-destructive-evaluation device that can crawl over a surface to detect and measure damage to a laser ablation system for prepping repair surfaces and a repair device that uses pick-and-place technology, says John Cornforth, GKN Aerospace’s head of technology.
Galley Floorpath Lighting With a height of only 2.3 mm, Lufthansa Technik’s new version of its Guideline ColourFit emergency floor-path marking system is specially certified for uncarpeted galleys. It also fits in every non-textile door on board an aircraft. The photoluminescent strips absorb enough light in 20-30 minutes to charge the system for a 12-hour flight, according to Lufthansa Technik. The system can recharge itself infinitely. Because the system is non-electronic, it cannot fail and should require no maintenance aside from cleaning.
Aviation Technical Services brought Landon Nitschke on board as VP operations. Nitschke most recently was director of line maintenance for Minneapolis and the West region for Delta Air Lines.
AmSafe Bridport acquired Hoffman Air Cargo Equipment in May, which builds its business developing lightweight textile product solutions for the ULD industry.
Developers of an electrically powered nose-gear designed to cut fuel consumption during taxi say that they have resolved major engineering issues and will provide final specifications to interested airlines by late summer. One concern, that the launch aircraft would not generate enough power to drive the in-wheel motors, was put to rest with electrical load measurements on a Delta Boeing 737NG at Atlanta's Hartsfield-Jackson airport in January, says WheelTug.
Mxi Technologies extended its agreement with Lockheed Martin to implement Maintenix software to support additional F-35 Lightning II aircraft under the Joint Strike Fighter program. Contracts Military
The Air Force is taking bigger steps in mainstreaming the use of composites in aircraft. Composite structures—typically carbon fiber and a thermoset resin such as epoxy—have been integral to the performance and stealth of such aircraft as the B-2 Spirit bomber, F-22 Predator and the upcoming F-35 Lightning II. Composites engineering also is moving into more mainstream aircraft.
CAD Optimization Software ReverseEngineering.com introduced a new product specifically for maintenance, repair and overhaul providers that work with computer-assisted design (CAD) software and coordinate measuring machine (CMM) hardware to simplify reverse engineering processes. Within aerospace, potential applications include alignment, tooling and mold certification, and parts inspection.
Southwest Airlines 3,200 flights per day 34,637 employees 639 miles average aircraft trip length $184 million maintenance, materials and repairs expenses in the first quarter 537 Boeing 737s, average age 10.5 years 10 number of Boeing 737-700s to be delivered this year June 18, 1971 commenced passenger service with three Boeing 737s in Texas 68 cities served
TeamSAI launched a new business focused on technical support services called TeamSAI M&E Solutions, with launch customers World Airways, North American Airlines and United Airlines. David A. Marcontell, a partner in the firm and its former CFO, is president of the subsidiary.
Everyone understands the need for radar. When aircraft are up in the air, it’s important to keep track of a carrier’s most important assets. Keeping track of assets down on the ground is just as important. Knowing how much inventory you have and where it’s located, after all, is a key component of supply chain management.
