SR Technics and Garuda Indonesia Airways extended their component services contract through 2014. The agreement covers exchange, MRO, logistics and management of more than 700 components for Garuda Indonesias current fleet of 10 Airbus A330s as well as additional A330s it plans to add. Facilities
Duncan Aviation added Nate Darlington as a completions sales representative, Bill Gehman as customer service assistant manager, and Chad Ostertag as an avionics installations sales representative.
Capital Aviation received an FAA supplemental type certificate for its Reflections Program to upgrade Bombardier Challenger 600 series aircraft with an end-to-end interior and exterior refurbishment and the installation of Universal Avionics’ WAAS-capable flight management system, EFI-890R flat-panel displays and terrain awareness and warning system.
Fokker Services and Denim Air launched a bundled services program in October to support new Fokker 50, Fokker 100 and Bombardier Dash-8 operators. Their Take Off start-up solution is designed to provide new operators with aircraft, maintenance crew and insurance (ACMI) from Denim Air and logistic and technical support from Fokker Services. Fokker also recently expanded its capabilities with additional aircraft painting services through a partnership with Maastricht Aviation Aircraft Services, which will operate Fokker Services’ aircraft paint hangar at Woensdrecht.
FlightSafety International received approval from European and Brazilian aviation authorities for its Bell Helicopter simulators and training programs, introduced a new international procedures recurrent online course, and added training for the Hawker Beechcraft King Air 200 at its LaGuardia Airport learning center. It also says that more than 200 business aviation pilots and maintenance technicians have received free training through its Proficiency Protection Program, launched this summer. IT
The European Regions Airline Association named Marc Lamidey, president and CEO of Brit Air, VP to replace Padraig O’Ceidigh, chairman of Aer Arann, who stepped down earlier this year.
Ahlers Aerospace amended STC to install a night vision goggle-compatible interior lighting system on Eurocopter Deutschland MBB-BK 117 B-1 and MBB-BK 117 B-2 helicopters, STC SR09523RC
StandardAero added Pat Conroy as regional sales manager for its Southern California Region. Conroy, whose career in business aviation services sales includes managing regional sales for Garrett Aviation, will be based at StandardAero’s Los Angeles International Airport facility.
—Mass air travel can be seen as both a boon and a bane for humanity: a boon because it facilitates social, leisure and business opportunities, and a bane because the close confines of passenger aircraft cabins could potentially facilitate the international spread of human diseases. The outbreaks of SARS and bird flu this decade and the imminent potential of a swine flu pandemic have concentrated efforts to clean cabin air of every conceivable contaminant.
MTU Maintenance Canada will do engine depot work on U.S. Air Force KC-10 Extender tanker aircraft at its facility in Richmond, B.C. MTU is part of a team led by Northrop Grumman that is providing maintenance, engineering, field service support and condition monitoring for 204 CF6-50C2 engines. Other contractors working with MTU are Chromolloy and AAR Corp. MTU’s part of the nine-year deal is valued at $500 million. The work includes aerial refueling system support for two KDC-10s operated by the Netherlands.
—Expect to see high-level aftermarket responsibility shift to the U.S. government from industry as the government takes over some resource allocation. This move comes as the Defense Department faces major equipment maintenance because of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, but has less planned funding to provide for it. It also comes at a time when manufacturers rely on aftermarket revenue streams, which have been hit by the recession.
Saab will develop and upgrade the Swedish Armed Forces SK60 training aircraft to extend their use until 2017 under an order from the Swedish Defence Materiel Administration, worth SEK130 million ($19 million). The upgrade, which should be completed by the end of 2011, includes a new GPS, audible altitude and primary warning signals for the pilot, the replacement of certain instruments, and a new aircraft cabin layout.OM
A request for proof of return-on- investment (ROI) does not have to be a threat to human factors programs. Increasingly, senior managers ask for proof that a program generates financial payback. A program must either increase revenue or decrease cost. That is not too much to ask! While continuing safety is a given that must be delivered in a cost-competitive industry such as MRO, the worn-out defense that human factors programs prevent accidents and thus save large sums is not a sufficient justification.
As any MRO knows, controlling labor costs is one of the keys to remaining competitive, especially as the industry expands globally to low-wage countries in Eastern Europe, Asia, the Middle East and the Americas.Cost control was central to Roger Porter’s strategy when he took over the Aeroframe repair facility in Lake Charles, La., from EADS Aeroframe Services in July 2005. “EADS was focused on increasing Airbus maintenance support in the Americas,” says Porter.
Airline Services Components signed an agreement with low-fare Russian start-up Avianova to provide wheels and brakes support for the airlines Airbus A320s on a cost-per-landing basis.
The Defense Ministry has given AgustaWestland a £439 million ($715 million) integrated operation support contract for maintenance of its 67 Apache helicopters in the U.K. The deal frees up military personnel who work on the attack helicopter to deploy to Afghanistan and support operations 24/7 there. Work on the Apache in the U.K. is done at Wattisham Airfield, Suffolk. Eighteen months ago, the Apache Depth Support Unit there was run entirely by military technicians. Now, 180 personnel from AgustaWestland are replacing them.
A J Walter Aviation added Delta TechOps as the 20th customer to approve its spares supply services this year after passing required audits. With its CASE 3A quality audit successfully completed in October, AJW can work directly with Delta TechOps to provide aircraft spares support.
Lufthansa Technik inked a seven-year component services deal with Olympic Air for 26 aircraft, 16 Airbus A320s and 10 Bombardier Q400s, that includes writing specifications, initial provisioning studies, home base allocation, MRO, troubleshooting, documentation and engineering services.
Peerless Electronics added Robert M. Levine as CFO and VP Finance, reporting to President and CEO Al Shankman. It also added Tom Cunniff as an independent sales representative.
