“There are known knowns. These are things that we know that we know. There are known unknowns. That is to say, there are things that we know we don’t know. But there are also unknown unknowns. There are things that we don’t know we don’t know.” Former Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld disclosed this intelligence on Feb. 12, 2002. Rumsfeld’s focus was Iraq. But, as far as aviation maintenance managers are concerned, it might as well have been airplanes.
Jetstar Airways signed a $2 billion service agreement with International Aero Engines to accompany a separate $1.5 billion contract for IAE V2500 SelectOne engines that will power 50 Airbus A320 aircraft. The engine purchase agreement also includes options for up to 40 more aircraft.
SR Technics CFO James Stewart took over as CEO on Feb. 1, replacing Bernd Kessler, who joined SR Technics in January 2008. Stewart joined the MRO in August 2008.
Dublin Aerospace appointed Brian Hayden to its board of directors. Hayden previously was chairman of GECAS Ltd and EVP technical for the leasing company.
Ameco Beijing inducted an LOT Polish Airlines Boeing 767-300 for a C Check on Jan. 11. It also will overhaul United Airlines’ Boeing 747s, as well as the carrier’s 777s, for which it already does heavy maintenance. The 777 work, under a five-year contract signed in 2005, will be extended for a further five years. Heavy maintenance on the 747s will also last for five years. And, Ameco won a contract to provide C check services for Aeroflot’s four 767-300ERs.
Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering Co. Ltd. (GAMECO) named David Conrad director of international sales and marketing, Li Longxiang director of strategy and development, Li Xin chief inspector of its quality control department, and Bob Peng director of its marketing and sales department. Conrad comes to GAMECO from Rexnord Aerospace, where he served as VP sales, marketing and customer service. Li Longxiang most recently was manager of reliability control and a specialist in quality assurance for China Southern Airlines.
The state of supply chain management in the aftermarket has reached a critical juncture. Aerospace and defense maintenance and overhaul supply chain practices lag years behind other industries such as global electronics or consumer packaged goods. Why? Several factors delay and complicate supply chain processes: long product life-cycles; highly engineered, often sole-sourced components; complex regulatory environments; and program-centric management.
A J Walter Aviation will provide power-by-the-hour component support for three American Airlines A320s for five years under a new contract. It is expected to expand the support to six aircraft in total by 2011.
SR Technics will consolidate its component services in Zurich, shuttering its London-Stansted component operation in the process. UK line maintenance efforts will continue from its Heathrow logistics base. Joint Ventures/ Acquisitions
Malaysia Airlines and Pratt & Whitney have agreed to open a nacelle repair facility in Kuala Lumpur within the next two years. The 50-50 joint venture will be part of Pratt’s Global Services Partners maintenance network to support CFM56 and V2500 overhauls, as well as Pratt’s own line.
The terms “fuel cell” and “bladder” tanks are used interchangeably to describe a fuel tank that is completely removable from the airframe for servicing and not integral to the aircraft. While all but gone from commercial transports, they will likely see continued application in general aviation aircraft. Removable tank maintenance is frequently overlooked until a leak is spotted. Then, the only alternative may be a total replacement, according to Erich Hartwig, manager of Hartwig Aircraft Fuel Cell Repair in Hallock, Minn.
Pemco nabbed a contract to do six Boeing 737-300 passenger-to-freighter conversions for Hainan Airlines. The first two have been delivered, and the next four will be in service by mid-year, Pemco says.
The European Low Fares Airline Association (ELFAA) has urged new European Commissioner-designate for Transport Siim Kallas of Estonia to stop state aid to ailing national carriers. “In such cases the airlines in question must be permitted to simply exit the market for which they are no longer fit,” says ELFAA Secretary General John Hanlon.
BAE Systems Australia received a pair of contracts from the Australian government to maintain helicopters for the army and navy. The deal, valued at A$240 million ($221 million), covers work in Queensland on army Black Hawk helicopters and in New South Wales on the navy’s Seahawk fleet.
Goodrich began upgrading Eurofighter Typhoon aircraft with its Terprom ground proximity warning system. The upgrade is expected to be incorporated into the future batch enhancement upgrade to the aircraft.
Slide Alert System Curtiss-Wright Controls’ new audible alert system aims to prevent unintentional aircraft slide deployment and the engineering costs and delays the inadvertent action causes. The SmartHandle system emits a verbal warning that lets air crew or maintainers know that the passenger entry/exit door is armed. Designed for compatibility with any aircraft type, the Curtiss-Wright Controls unit fits flush to the aircraft door and should require little maintenance.
Guangzhou Aircraft Maintenance and Engineering Co. (GAMECO) is introducing engineering and technical services at Shanghai’s Pudong International Airport. Its maintenance staff there completed the first two Boeing 777F A checks in February for China Southern Airlines, which is the launch customer for GAMECO’s line maintenance services at the airport.
Collaboration was one of the highest-flying concepts during the Internet boom. The idea was simple: the best companies would seamlessly connect with their customers and suppliers so that information was shared and transparent. Companies that failed to collaborate were doomed. The hype was best illustrated by an ad from a then-famous supply chain software firm with the headline “Collaborate or Die.”
Armstrong Aerospace to install the Honeywell Runway Awareness & Advisory System on Boeing 747-400 and 737-300 and 737-500 series, STC ST02778CH and ST02776CH
CNS/ATM Kits for KC-135 Arinc Engineering Services is supplying to the Air Force 44 circuit breaker replacement kits that it designed and manufactured for use in a KC-135 tanker upgrade. The kits will be installed as part of the ongoing Global Air Transportation Management Block 40 upgrade, which will allow the aircraft to comply with CNS/ATM (communication navigation surveillance/air traffic management) requirements for unrestricted access to civil and international airspace.
Fleet Readiness Center Southwest became the first naval command to gain both AS9110 certification (issued Nov. 6) and AS9100 certification (issued Nov. 18).
SINGAPORE—An experiment in hands-on training for students specializing in aeronautical mechanics at Singapore Polytechnic has become a regular opportunity for lucky upper-class members under a three-year agreement with Pratt & Whitney.
The defense ministry has taken delivery of the second of seven P-3C Orion maritime surveillance aircraft whose aircraft and missions systems are being upgraded as part of a U.S. foreign military sales project (O&M, Feb. '09, p. 45). Lockheed Martin, which was contracted to do the upgrades, delivered the second aircraft on Jan. 7 to NAS Jacksonville, Fla., for transfer to Pakistan. The aircraft are being upgraded to support antiship and antisubmarine-warfare missions and improve surveillance of littoral and ocean waters.
Gulfstream Aerospace appointed Dan O’Malley director of operations for new product development, based in Savannah, Ga. O’Malley has been general manager of Gulfstream’s facility in Mexicali, Mexico, since July 2001; he will continue to lead the Mexicali site until Gulfstream names his replacement.
