Faster Exterior Clearcoat/Basecoat Sherwin-Williams Aerospace’s new clearcoat/basecoat system for aircraft exteriors promises faster processing times, easier maintenance and more color.
Delta TechOps will overhaul and repair Nordwind Airline’s Pratt & Whitney 2000 series engines and GTCP 331-200 auxiliary power units, which equip the Russian airline's Boeing 757 fleet, under a long-term strategic contract with Global Avia Logistics. The partnership is designed to allow Global Avia to leverage Delta TechOps’ logistics network, while Delta TechOps gains reach in Eastern Europe and Asia.
Acme Aerospace picked STS Component Solutions to market and distribute its products. Parent company STS Aviation Group is celebrating its 25th year in the aircraft line maintenance, component inventory, staffing and engineering support business. Joint Ventures/Acquisitions
Bombardier launched repair and overhaul services for electrical harnessing, including engine, engine exhaust, airframe, undercarriage and door electrical harnessing on 21 aircraft types with FAA/EASA approval.
Abu Dhabi Aircraft Technologies gained Jeremy Chan as CEO. Chan takes the helm as John Byers moves back into business development for parent company Mubadala Aerospace. Chan joins ADAT from ST Aerospace, which also announced recent changes in upper management. Tay Kok Khiang, who had been president since July 2001, retired May 1. Tay's successor is Chang Cheow Teck, who most recently was president of Singapore Technologies Marine.
The project to introduce the Airbus A380 to the Lufthansa fleet began in 2003, prompting Airbus to invite Lufthansa Technical Training (LTT) to contribute to the aircraft’s maintenance training program. This has resulted in a multi-faceted type-training course to cover all the elements required by a very large, new-technology aircraft. Today’s qualification program for B1/B2 type licenses on the A380 is 65 days, but LTT identified further essential additions.
The Defense Ministry awarded Rolls-Royce a £690-million ($1.1-billion) service contract covering RB199 engines used in the Tornado aircraft fleet of the Royal Air Force. The RB199 engines were built by Turbo-Union, a joint venture of Rolls-Royce, MTU of Germany and FiatAvio of Italy. The agreement, called the RB199 Operational Contract for Engine Transformation (Rocet2), runs to 2025 and guarantees that a specified number of engines will always be operationally available to the RAF. Rocet2 also covers spare parts and ground and technical support.
Aero Instruments & Avionics received a Boeing Gold Performance Excellence Award and a Healthy Workplace Award from the Business First Buffalo news organization.
PAS Technologies named Angela Duesterhaus logistics manager, based at its Kansas City, Mo., headquarters and reporting to Global VP Dennis Burr. Duesterhaus most recently was modal manager for YRC.
Swiss AviationSoftware introduced Web-based basic training for its AMOS maintenance management system. It plans to add line and base maintenance sessions in the third quarter of this year, followed by stores training in the fourth quarter. IT
Presidential Airways reissued STC to install a single Class-A Sandel ST3400 terrain awareness warning system with remote magnetic indicator function on copilot upper left instrument panel on CASA CN-235-100, -200 and -300, STC ST03537AT
AmSafe Bridport acquired Hoffman Air Cargo Equipment in May, which builds its business developing lightweight textile product solutions for the ULD industry.
Chromalloy formed a 10-year agreement with AeroTurbine to sell and market $50-million worth of surplus gas turbine engine parts and materials inventory.
Airborne Maintenance & Engineering Services to install CMC Electronics’ PilotView Class 2 electronic flight bag on Boeing 757-200, 757-200CB, 757-200PF and 757-300 series, STC ST02811CH
As someone who has spent more decades in the aerospace and defense industry than I care to mention and has seen it from several angles, including military, airline, OEM and consulting, I am convinced that the common factor critical to success in the maintenance, repair and overhaul business is not revenue, workload, facilities, workforce or location: it is leadership. An organization cannot survive and prosper without strong, visible and committed leadership.
UPS amended STC to upgrade existing Mode S Transponders to ACSS Mode S transponders on McDonnell Douglas MD-11 and various Boeing 757 and 767 series aircraft, STC ST02877AT
SR Technics signed an integrated component solutions contract with Thomas Cook Group to provide components for 43 aircraft—18 Boeing 757s and three 767s for Thomas Cook UK & Ireland, and 13 757s and nine 767s for Condor airline—through 2015.
Standardization, from one regulatory agency to the next and from one airline’s maintenance program to another, is being debated alongside efforts to drive efficiency. IATA aims to develop a standard for MRO audits to reduce redundancies, while, for example, U.S. government legislation would increase FAA oversight outside the country. Meanwhile, airline executives weigh the incremental benefits of customized maintenance programs against a common approach.
RFID Tags Lufthansa Technik Logistik is certifying and qualifying a radio frequency identification tag to meet aircraft maintenance operation requirements. It began developing the technology in September 2008 and plans to begin series production at the end of July or in early August.
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
Southwest Airlines renewed its contract for CFM56-7B engine washing with Pratt & Whitney. The airline started EcoPower engine washes in 2007. Pratt & Whitney said performing 1,200 washes on those engines saved $12.5 million in fuel costs in 2009. It expects that figure to climb to $17.5 million this year. Pratt performs Southwest's engine washes in Orlando, Fla., and Oakland, Calif.
A dark, volcanic ash cloud overshadowed European air travel in April, grounding aircraft based in northern Europe and turning the region into a no-fly zone for around seven days. Now, many of the affected companies and individuals are asking if the closure was really necessary—and considering whether they have a case for financial compensation.
Elisra Electronic Systems, a subsidiary of Elbit Systems, has received two major upgrade contracts from Asian nations. One, which can be identified, is with the South Korean government. Elisra will supply $25 million worth of electronic warfare suites for use in air force C-130 transports. The systems include defenses against radar-guided and heat-seeking missiles. The other contract, for $147 million, is for the supply of airborne (and ground) electronic warfare systems to an undisclosed nation.
The air force’s fleet of 63 MiG-29 fighters will be upgraded with a new identification-friend-or-foe (IFF) system and cryptographic computer. Russian Aircraft Corp.'s MiG subcontracted the work to Thales, which is supplying its TSB 2500 IFF interrogator and transponder, as well as the computer.
