Aerospace

South African Airways (SAA) has been selected by the readers of Global Traveler as the “Best Airline in Africa” for the 16th consecutive year in the magazine’s annual reader survey.

Tempting existing customers with new products remains the lifeblood of the business-aircraft industry.

Rocket Lab looks for up to a dozen payload launches a year, while the spaceport is in talks to bring in more launch providers.

Delivering on new programs and upgrading existing products take precedence for commercial rotorcraft OEMs as the market remains stagnant.

The House voted 280-138 on Dec. 17 to pass a four-bill fiscal 2020 national security appropriations package that includes funding for a Space Force.

Lockheed Martin has extended its long-running hypersonic links with Aerojet Rocketdyne.

A conference agreement by the House and Senate on Dec. 16 inserts at least three-quarters of a billion dollars in fiscal 2020 budget accounts linked to the U.S. military’s bulging hypersonic weapons portfolio.

U.S. House and Senate appropriations committees have agreed on a 2020 fiscal year budget package that includes $22.6 billion for NASA.

FDH, CA has acquired AEROSPHERES UK (aftermarket chemicals/consumables distributor) from Acorn Growth Companies, and also BTC ELECTRONIC COMPONENTS

TRANSPHORM, CA was selected by AES to supply gallium nitride (GaN) power semiconductors for switch mode power supplies for large commercial jets.

Yoav Zeif to Chief Executive Officer of Stratasys, Israel (effective February 18).

WHITCRAFT GROUP, CT acquired substantially all of the assets of EVOAERO, CT and CONDOR INDUSTRIES, FL (precision machining/design services) in deal

Tom Arseneault to President and Chief Executive Officer of BAE Systems, Inc., Arlington, VA (effective April 1, 2020).

AIRBUS booked orders for two C295s each from the CZECH AIR FORCE (for delivery in 1H21) and IRISH AIR CORPS (TBA). It has booked 214 C295 orders.

Jim Greiner to Chief Operating Officer of iAero Group, Miami.

Mark Ebanks to Chief Commercial Officer of iAero Thrust, Miami.

David Lancelot to Chief Financial Officer of iAero Group, Miami.

Alison Lynn to Vice President of Communications of the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA), Washington, DC.

HEICO FLIGHT SUPPORT GROUP earned $242m on $1.2b sales for year ended October 31 vs $207m on $1.1b a year ago.

A SpaceX Falcon 9 lifted off Dec. 16 to deliver a 15,000-lb., Boeing-built communications satellite into orbit.

NASA’s X-59 Quiet SuperSonic Technology research aircraft remains on track to make its first flight in 2021.

Selected U.S. Military Contracts For The Week Of Dec. 9 - 13, 2019

Norway and Sweden look set to receive shots in the arm to their defense capabilities in the 2020s, as neighboring governments react to the threat posed by Russia.

A blueprint that could define a dramatic shift in the U.S. approach to airpower after 2030 could emerge next year

EHang goes public; eVTOL megadeals coming in 2020; Microturbine hybrid range extender; autonomous cargo UAV demo; grappling OneWeb sats.