Product improvement in lieu of new procurement is the watchword in the U.S. Army's $59.5 billion fiscal 1996 budget request, which relies on upgrades and force multipliers like battlefield digitization to meet requirements instead of new weapons like the RAH-66 Comanche. Army budget figures released this morning show funding for only two Comanche prototypes, plus monies for the T800 engine, air vehicle and Missile Equipment Package. The service will buy another 60 Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk utility helicopters in FY '96, but that's it.
NASA and the other federal agencies funded by the House Appropriations VA, HUD and independent agencies subcommittees will face "zero-based budgeting" this year, and should not assume the continued support of Congress for their programs, subcommittee chairman Rep. Jerry Lewis (R- Calif.) said.
Discovery on way to Mir rendezvous; leaking thruster monitored The Space Shuttle Discovery is scheduled to rendezvous with Russia's Mir space station today, but flight controllers Friday were working a thruster jet problem that could limit how close the Shuttle approaches the fragile orbiting laboratory.
The Navy is asking Congress for $21.8 billion in procurement and research and development funding in its fiscal 1996 budget request being sent to Capitol Hill today, a level it says is a low point after which "recapitalization" takes over in earnest. That means not only the long-awaited ramp-up of the F/A-18E/F, V-22 Osprey and T-45TS trainer programs, but new funding to tackle development and fielding of a Sidewinder follow-on and a quick procurement of replacements for aging CH-46 helicopters.
GENERAL ELECTRIC'S new GE90 turbofan for Boeing's 777 won its FAA certification Thursday, hours before a VIP flight of 777 No. 6-the first airplane for launch customer British Airways-took off on its first test flight while high-ranking BA officials and other dignitaries looked on. Certification of the basic 84,700 lbst. version, as well as the de-rated versions that will be used in initial service, had been held up while FAA officials re-checked data on GE's modified fan blade-out test. Rolls-Royce and U.K.
HOUSE SCIENCE COMMITTEE said Rep. Vernon Ehlers (R-Mich.) is vice chairman. Rep. Zach Wamp (R-Tenn) takes the No. 2 GOP slot on the basic research subcommittee; Rep. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) is vice chair of the energy and environment subcommittee; Rep. Dave Weldon (R-Fla.) backs up space and aeronautics subcommittee chairman F. James Sensenbrenner, and Rep. Ken Calvert (R-Calif.) is vice chairman of the technology subcommittee.
The U.S. Air Force plans to spend $130 million in fiscal year 1996 on its new Space Based Infrared (SBIR) early warning architecture demonstration/validation effort and another $152 million on an engineering, manufacturing and development (EMD) follow-on phase, according to numbers in President Clinton's FY '96 defense budget. The budget goes to Capitol Hill today.
American, pursuing its goal of weeding unprofitable markets from its operations, will increase flights at its Dallas/Fort Worth and Miami hubs this summer and make further shifts in transcontinental and international service. At DFW, the carrier will add 30 daily departures for a total of 532, increasing to 20 flights a day to New York LaGuardia by May 1, and to 15 flights to Miami by June 15. By mid-June, it will operate 20 daily flights to Los Angeles, 10 to San Diego, San Francisco and Orange County, nine to San Jose, six to Ontario and five to Sacramento.
Atlanta-based Delta Connection affiliate Atlantic Southeast Airlines received approval from its board of directors to acquire another six EMB- 120 aircraft, the company announced. ASA President John Beiser said the aircraft are intended to replace EMB-110 Bandeirante aircraft at the regional's Dallas/Fort Worth hub.
Rep. Norman Mineta (D-Calif.) is pushing for a change in the unfunded mandates reform bill (H.R.5) to prohibit economic regulation of transportation industries, including airlines. Mineta, ranking Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, will press for changes during the legislative conference to resolve differences between the House and Senate bills. House Government Reform Chairman William Clinger (R-Pa.) told Mineta he is not convinced that the Mineta amendment is necessary, but he agreed to revisit the issue in the conference.
International air cargo carried by U.S. airlines jumped 16.4% in December, compared with the same 1993 month, according to figures compiled by the Air Transport Association. Domestic shipments were up 6.5% and total cargo, including freight and mail, rose 10.4%. ATA President James Landry said, "The December growth of more than 16% in international air shipments is an indication of why U.S. carriers want more liberalized cargo agreements with our trading partners." For the year, international cargo rose 12%, domestic cargo 8.8% and total cargo 10.1%.
Compuflight Inc. said that it has repaid a $200,000 loan made to it by Global Weather Dynamics a year ago, and that Global released from pledge the 746,495 outstanding shares of Compuflight common stock it had held as security. Compuflight, which with its Navtech Systems Support subsidiary provides computerized flight planning services, weather and NOTAMS to airlines and corporate flight operations, also said it has suspended discussions with Global about a possible business combination.
U.S. AIR FORCE plans to release a request for proposal on about Feb. 14 for the new Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS)-High program. AF Space and Missile Systems Center said in a Feb. 3 Commerce Business Daily notice that it anticipates an 11-year program that will be considerably broader than previous SBIR programs that have been terminated, such as ALARM (Alert, Report and Locate Missiles) and FEWS (Follow-on Early Warning System). The announcement said the SBIRS-High program will follow objectives identified in a study completed last September.
DOT Secretary Federico Pena yesterday unveiled DOT reorganization proposals that would reduce its 10 operating agencies to three, the FAA, the Coast Guard and a new Intermodal Transportation Administration. Pena said the changes, subject to approval by Congress, are "the next bold step," building on recommendations from past administrations. DOT's current structure is "more like a holding company than a corporation," he said, and it is "not ready for the next century." The DOT streamlining will sharpen its safety emphasis and customer responsiveness, he said.
All Nippon Airways took options on eight A321 aircraft at the same time it placed a firm order for 10 of the aircraft, Airbus Industrie said. ANA also deferred five A340 deliveries, converted six 777 and 767 options into orders, and canceled four 747-400 orders (DAILY, Feb. 1).
Danish employee union LFF, which represents about 1,700 SAS staff in Denmark, had to withdraw a strike notice for Feb. 16 because its contract with the carrier still will be in effect at that time. The contract expires Feb. 28, and LFF has rescheduled the strike for March 2.
Citing a growing regional market, impressive 1994 results and the proposed joint venture with ATR, Michael Donovan, Avro International Aerospace chief executive, boosted the fortunes of Avro in the regional jet market. At a news conference in Washington Wednesday, Donovan said that 1994 was "a very, very good year for us." The company was able to put behind its failed joint venture with Taiwan, he said, and move ahead during the year, positioning itself with a mainline carrier, Lufthansa.
Hughes Aircraft Co. said yesterday that it has delivered to other contractors five software development stations for the F-22 fighter. The Data Processing Element (DPE) Development Stations (DDS) will be used by F-22 avionics team contractors to develop software to be hosted on the F-22 Common Integrated Processor (CIP). Receiving the stations on Nov. 23 were Boeing, Westinghouse, Lockheed Sanders, Motorola and TRW. They will use them for checkout of their own unique CIP module designs.
The European Regional Airlines Association (ERA) general assembly has been scheduled for October 12-13 on Lago Maggiore, Italy. The combined members' meeting, conference and exhibition has attracted seven committed sponsors - AlliedSignal Aerospace, BF Goodrich Aerospace, Bombardier Regional Aircraft, Collins Avionics, GE Aircraft Engines, Jetstream Aircraft and Saab Aircraft. The organization represents 50 regional carriers and 110 associate members, including principal airframe and engine manufacturers, suppliers and airports.
U.S. Major Carriers Advertising Expenses Third Quarter 1994 % Of Total Expenses Passenger By Region Revenue America West $ 5,358,668 1.61 Domestic 5,343,361 1.61 Latin 15,307 0.73 American 52,121,000 1.55
The U.S. inventory of nuclear weapons should be reduced to 100 or 200, former Secretary of Defense Robert McNamara and Gen. Andrew Goodpaster (USA-Ret.) said yesterday. They also told a group of defense writers in Washington that all five of the acknowledged nuclear nations-the U.S., Russia, China, the U.K. and France-should jointly move toward lower levels. The nuclear arsenals of the U.S. and Russia are both over 8,000.
MarkAir and Mountain Vacations are offering six ski packages to Colorado ski resorts. The packages, ranging from $302 for Vail to $380 for Steamboat Springs, include roundtrip air fare from Dallas to Denver, three nights' accommodations, two days of lift tickets, a three-day Hertz car rental and lodging taxes. The resorts include Aspen, Copper Mountain, Keystone/Breckenridge, Steamboat, Vail and Winter Park. The fares are based on roundtrip travel from Dallas.
Emery Worldwide said it will be the primary air freight carrier for Applied Automation/Hartsman&Braun, Bartlesville, Okla., for goods imported from Canada, Germany, the U.K. and Italy; export shipments to Germany weighing more than 150 pounds, and shipments of U.S. goods returned from locations throughout the world.
United is extending the deadline for reserving and purchasing tickets issued under the Mileage Plus frequent flyer program to Feb. 10 from Jan. 31 because of an overwhelming number of calls to its U.S. reservations offices on the last day to redeem miles. United announced more than a year ago that it would increase miles needed for a free trip. The carrier said airport ticket counters and other ticket offices were jammed with customers rushing to get in under the wire.
KLM yesterday posted a better-than-expected December quarter pretax profit of 130 million guilders (US$73.4 million) and net earnings of 83 million guilders (US$48.8 million) despite taking a 43 million guilder charge against earnings for deferred taxes. For the December 1993 quarter, KLM reported pretax income of 7 million guilders and net earnings of 15 million guilders. Operating revenues rose 7.3% to 2.26 billion guilders year-over- year.
