Aerospace

Joining former NASA astronaut Michael Lopez-Alegria and Israeli entrepreneur Eytan Stibbe on the first privately financed U.S. mission to the International Space Station (ISS) will be real estate and technology investor Larry Connor of Ohio and Canadian entrepreneur and philanthropist Mark Pathy, Axiom Space said on Jan. 26.

HEXCEL had $31.7m net income on $1.5b sales in 2020 vs $306.6m on $2.4b in 2019; commercial aerospace sales fell 48.5%.

CRANE AEROSPACE & ELECTRONICS earned $100.7m on $651m sales in 2020 vs $189.4m on $799m in 2019.

Maximilian Fahr to Director-Supply Chain of Deutsche Aircraft, Germany.

ROLLS-ROYCE says its 2020 free cash outflow was in line with guidance and it ended year with £9b in liquidity; it is forecasting 2021 free cash

VSMPO-AVISMA, Russia has long-term Boeing contract for the supply of titanium die forgings for 737s, 767s, 777s and 787s; their joint venture URAL

JETTAINER (subsidiary of Lufthansa Cargo) has developed/launched plug&fly ULD management solution for small and mid-sized airlines to optimize costs.

AIRBUS HELICOPTERS booked 289 orders and delivered 300 rotorcraft in 2020 vs 369 orders and 332 deliveries in 2019.

COLLINS AEROSPACE earned $11m on $4.4b sales in 4Q20 vs $1b on $6.4b in 4Q19, and $1.5b on $19.3b sales in 2020 vs $4.5b on $26b in 2019.

PRATT & WHITNEY earned $33m on $4.5b sales in 4Q20 vs $354m on $5.6b in 4Q19; and $564m loss on $17b sales in 2020 vs $1.8b profit on $21b in 2019. It

GE AVIATION earned $564m on $6.3b revenues in 4Q20 vs $2.1b on $10.7b in 4Q19, and $1.2b on $21.6b revenues in 2020 vs $6.8b on $36.7b in 2019. It

LOCKHEED MARTIN had $6.8b net income on $65.4b sales in 2020 vs $6.2b on $59.8b in 2019, and has $147b backlog. It delivered 237 aircraft/rotorcraft

Mark Sullivan to President of Magnetic Inspection Laboratory, Elk Grove Village, IL.

While it has a large potential domestic market for advanced air mobility, the U.S. needs a clear national strategy if it is to lead this new market globally, a report by consultants Deloitte and the Aerospace Industries Association says.

Consensus is that spending will be flat in the first term of the Biden administration, but analysts are not clear on what this means.

Advanced air mobility in the news: SESAR’s UAM demo; Paris test partners; UK airport link; Orkney test site; Volocopter cert plans.

Satellite operator Inmarsat announced on Jan. 25 that it will provide satellite communications for a UK government initiative to create a zero-carbon emissions regional air transportation network.

PANASONIC AVIONICS was selected by Vistara, India to provide Arc 3D IFE map application for 787s and A321s.

AMPLIFIRE, CO was selected by WestJet to develop 737 MAX Return to Service training course with two modules: Ground Operations and Flight Operations.

As the UK launches a series of projects under its Future Flight Challenge, a new study highlights the potential socio-economic benefits of an integrated aviation system built on freight-carrying drones, urban air taxis and hybrid-electric regional aircraft.

SWANSEA UNIVERSITY was selected by Faradair Aerospace to provide interns/graduates to develop technologies for use on its clean-sheet Bio Electric

CARBON THREESIXTY is leading new project co-funded by Innovate UK to develop all-composite (CFRP) helicopter wheel. LEONARDO is collaborating.

As Virgin Orbit gears up for the start of operational missions following its successful Jan. 17 demonstration flight, the California-based space company has revealed it has been selected to launch the first military satellite for the Netherlands.

NASA and Boeing are now targeting March 25 for the launch of an uncrewed CST-100 Starliner on the Orbital Flight Test-2 (OFT-2) to the International Space Station—four days earlier than previously planned.

AIRBALTIC has established new maintenance training organization.