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.
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.
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
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
American Airlines amended STCs to install passenger seats, supporting structure, personal task lighting and Primex Empower system on Boeing 767-200, 767-300 and 757-200 series, STC ST9420SC-D, SA3998SW-D and SA3992SW-D
FL Technics Training has introduced a new Part 147 Bombardier CRJ maintenance training program in accordance with EASA and the Lithuanian Civil Aviation Administration.
AFI KLM E&M inked a contract with SriLankan Airlines for Airbus A340 and A330 component support. The agreement involves closed-loop repairs for six A330s and six A340s. It also extended a component support contract with Yemenia Airways signed in 2005. The extended contract covers the services in the original agreement, including component support, pool access and repairs for two A330s.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Sabena Technics' maintenance facility in Bordeaux, France, is performing heavy check and repair work on two Afriqiyah Airways Airbus A330s. Several aircraft in the Libyan operator's fleet suffered damage during recent conflicts. Philippe Rochet, Sabena Technics' executive VP of airframe services, says the MRO sent a maintenance task force of 10 engineers to Libya to prepare the aircraft for ferry flights to Bordeaux.
Distributor: Satair Applications: Approved supplier for Pall filtration products. Warehouses in Europe, Asia and the United States. In addition to providing more than 50,000 different aircraft parts, Satair provides logistics services to MROs and airlines. Specifications: Satair conforms to the ISO 9001:2000 quality assurance system for parts traceability. www.satair.com
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.
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.
Marana Aerospace Solutions appointed Colin Buxton to VP sales and marketing. Prior to joining Marana, Buxton served as VP of customer business for Rolls-Royce.
ST Aerospace appointed Ron Soret to general manager of completions to lead a team of industry experts for its new VIP interior brand, Aeria Luxury Interiors. Soret is a 30 year veteran of the aerospace industry. Airframes
For Mexico's airline MRO industry, this is a time of change, especially given recent developments with Aeromexico and Mexicana MRO Services, the two in-country heavyweights in airframe third-party maintenance. At Aeromexico, there is the joint venture with Delta TechOps. Mexicana MRO Services continues to operate, despite the August 2010 bankruptcy and service suspension of its sister airline, which once accounted for 60% of its business.
Avtrade signed a five-year contract with Thomson Airways, Arkefly and TUIFly Nordic for power by the hour component support for the airlines' fleet of Boeing 757 and 767 aircraft based in the U.K., the Netherlands and Sweden. The contract includes pool access, consignment stock, AOG services, component management and repair and maintenance. It also inked a three-year deal with Titan Airways for component power by the hour support on its fleet of Boeing 737, 757 and 767 aircraft. This contract includes logistics, repair and management services.
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.
