Hong Kong Aircraft Engineering Co.'s landing gear overhaul facility Taikoo (Xiamen) Landing Gear Services Co. (Talsco) signed a contract with China Airlines for the overhaul of 17 ship sets of Boeing 747-400 landing gears. Talsco will provide China Airlines with technical support, including rotable assets supply, on-gear installation, AOG support, configuration analysis, fleet analysis and inspection.
Although passengers often worry about contracting illnesses from recirculated air on aircraft cabins, most aircraft are actually fitted with special filters that allow them to breathe air that is very clean. Our hot water tanks at home have HEPA filters, but those rated for aerospace are microbially tested at higher efficiencies and do a better job of removing small fibers and dust particles from the aircraft cabin and eliminating viruses and bacteria.
Pratt & Whitney signed a three-year memorandum of understanding with National Formosa University to allow students to participate in a curriculum for commercial engine maintenance and other professional training over a six-week period. The training will take place at Pratt & Whitney's customer training center in China.
Dublin Aerospace signed a contract with Europe Airpost for APU maintenance. The contract covers the operator's Boeing 737 Classic APUs for three years from Jan. 1, 2012.
A J Walter Aviation signed a deal with GMF AeroAsia to provide integrated consumables management services for the MRO's 737NG maintenance program. A J Walter will position a spares consignment with GMF in Jakarta for replenishment on demand with payment on consumption.
Southwest Airlines announced multiple executive changes. It named Matt Hafner to VP of its operations coordination center. Jack Smith, AirTran Airways' former senior VP of customer service, joined Southwest as VP of ground operations, Air Tran. Nan Barry, Southwest's previous senior director to the CEO, was promoted to managing director of the executive office. Jim Sturgis becomes managing director of quality, programs and maintenance safety on April 2.
Worthington Aviation issued STC to upgrade the existing Honeywell traffic alert and collision avoidance system (TCAS) with an aviation communication & surveillance systems (ACSS) TCAS 2000 system, dual ACSS Mode S transponders, and dual Honeywell AZ-810 digital air data computers on various Bombardier DHC-8-100, -200 and -300 series aircraft, STC ST03026CH
Intense pressure to increase component reliability, reduce life-cycle costs and improve operational efficiency is the driving force behind innovations in today's aftermarket. While MROs consistently have reduced maintenance unit costs in the past decade, airlines often operate under tight margins, and factors such as a jump fuel price can easily tip a profit to a loss.
By Ken Herbert, Senior VP Research, Wedbush Securities
Do the OEMs want to put the independent MROs out of business? The short answer is no, but OEMs want to increasingly capture the more profitable parts of the business. For economic reasons, OEMs will continue to push to increase their aftermarket business. This represents a continued and real threat to the independent commercial aerospace MRO business model, but not its end.
Archeion Holdings issued STC to install an Avionica satLINK System to provide voice and short burst data communications over the Iridium satellite communications network (satcom), with WiFi voice over IP (VoIP) cordless phone on various Boeing DC-10 and MD-11 aircraft, STC ST03944AT
In early January, a retired engineer named Roger Boisjoly passed away. The name is probably unfamiliar, but you might remember his role in the Space Shuttle Challenger disaster. The night before the Jan. 28, 1986 launch, Boisjoly argued late into the night against launching, insisting the unusually cold temperatures would cause the O-rings to fail. Unfortunately, he was up against the director of the Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC), a man who had made it clear that under no circumstance would MSFC be the cause of a launch delay.
Avionics Group amended STC to install Honeywell Mode S elementary and enhanced surveillance on Boeing DC-9-81 (MD-81), DC-9-82 (MD-82), DC-9-83 (MD-83), DC-9-87 (MD-87) and MD-88 aircraft, STC ST03417AT
Dean Baldwin Painting opened a facility at the Goodyear Airport in Phoenix, Ariz. It will hold regional aircraft as well as those as large as a Boeing 767. The new EPA-approved operation will offer full strip and painting services, and heavy maintenance.
The ASD SX0001 family of aerospace data standards promises many benefits to OEMs, airlines and MROs. But there are still big challenges and questions to be resolved. The family includes S2000M for materials, S3000L for logistics, S4000M for maintenance and S5000F for diagnostics and prognostics. Immediate interest focuses on S1000D for technical publications.
FRANKFURT—The International Air Transport Association (IATA) recently came up with some encouraging figures. It was never safer to fly than it was in 2011. There were 0.77 hull losses per one million departures in 2005; in 2011 that figures improved significantly to 0.37. And there were regions like Europe or North Asia that did not have any hull losses at all last year.
Cobham's HGA-7001s Satcom high gain antenna subsystem has been selected by Emirates for its Boeing 777 upgrade program to Swift Broadband, which will start in mid-2012. The airline plans to retrofit more than 50 of the Boeing 777s with the antenna subsystem, enabling Satcom connectivity in the cabin and in the cockpit.
Pratt & Whitney Canada signed an engine fleet enhancement program agreement with Air New Zealand. The program allows an airline to exchange a time-expired core engine for a new engine, and Air New Zealand will use the agreement to install more than 60 Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-67D and PW127M engines on Beech 1900D and ATR72-500 aircraft. The aircraft are part of the fleets operated by Air New Zealand's regional subsidiaries Eagle Airways and Mount Cook Airline.
Air Canada posted higher maintenance costs recently. What are the reasons? Butterfield: Costs are going up based on cyclical costs and a couple of contracts that were structured in a manner where you paid more on the back half than you did on the front half. So, it is true, but we have some mitigating plans that we are going to employ over the next year that can change that as we go forward.
Nordam promoted Basil Barimo to executive VP for all Nordam repair divisions. He previously served as VP and general manager for the firm's Tulsa-based repair division. Nordam also appointed John Clawson to VP and general manager of its thrust reverser division.
Sabena Technics inked a three-year contract with Flyme to perform full component support services on its ATR 42-500 fleet. The contract includes component repair and overhaul, pool access and logistics support.
The growth of the air transport market, has triggered massive fleet renewal by the Russian carriers with Western-built aircraft carrying 89% of the country's passengers in 2011.
