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UPDATE
Week ending 28 November 2004
+++ Paradigm signs for UK satcom +++ A380 deliveries from Hamburg deferred +++ Swift satellite launched +++ First ever 'Space Council' paves the way for a European space programme +++ NetJets places big order for Europe ops +++ News in brief +++
Paradigm signs for UK satcom
Vertrag für Paradigm-Satcomdienste unterschrieben
Following the signature of the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between NATO, the UK, Italy and France for the provision of NATO's satellite communications services from 2005 until 2019, Paradigm Secure Communications has (on 22 November) signed a contract to provide the UK share of NATO's Space Segment requirements. The contract is valued at around £100m over the concession. This is the culmination of the competitive procurement and negotiation process following NATO's announcement in May 2004 of the selection of the UK, Italian and French consortium as the preferred bidder. The proposal was submitted in August 2002.
The signature of this contract is another landmark in the development of Paradigm's military satellite communications business. After signing the £2.5Bn UK MOD Private Finance Initiative (PFI) contract in October 2003, Paradigm has supplied specialist military communications services to a number of countries and now also looks forward to a long-term partnership with NATO. The NATO contract is a further demonstration of the flexibility and opportunity that can be provided within the PFI business model. From the beginning of 2005 Paradigm will be providing the UK share of the military satellite space segment communications capability to NATO and its member states for use when on NATO operations. Paradigm will initially use its existing Skynet 4 constellation and then migrate to new Skynet 5 satellites from 2007. Paradigm is procuring the entire Skynet 5 system including satellites, ground stations, land mobile terminals, shipborne terminals, satellite and network control and management systems from EADS Astrium Ltd.
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A380 deliveries from Hamburg deferred
Airbus liefert vorerst alle A380 ab Toulouse
Airbus has said that it would deliver all of its new A380 from its Toulouse delivery center until mid-2007, dealing a blow to the Hamburg factory. Airbus wants to extend its runway in Hamburg by 589 metres to a total 3.2 kilometres and set up a delivery centre, where part of the new super-jumbo jets would be prepared for final delivery to customers. But the plans have run into fierce opposition by environmentalists and residents, and a local church is refusing to sell land needed for the extension of the runway.
After unsuccessful court battles and failed talks to persuade owners to sell, the Hamburg state's senate has decided to stepp up pressure mayor Ole von Beust said Thursday that new court filings are in the works that would make it possible to expropriate the land. German Airbus boss Puttfarken welcomed the progress made by von Beust and said that it was "keeping open the time window for the construction of the delivery centre until 2006", so that a completion was still possible in mid-2007.
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Swift satellite launched
Neue NASA-Satellit gestartet
NASA's Swift satellite was successfully launched on 20 November from the Cape Canaveral Air Force Station, Fla. The satellite will pinpoint the location of distant yet fleeting explosions that appear to signal the births of black holes. Each gamma-ray burst is a short-lived event, lasting only a few milliseconds to a few minutes, never to appear again. They occur several times daily somewhere in the universe, and Swift should detect several weekly. Swift, a mission with international participation, was designed to solve the 35-year-old mystery of the origin of gamma-ray bursts. Scientists believe the bursts are related to the formation of black holes throughout the universe - the birth cries of black holes.
To track these mysterious bursts, Swift carries a suite of three main instruments. The Burst Alert Telescope (BAT) instrument, built by Goddard, will detect and locate about two gamma-ray bursts weekly, relaying a rough position to the ground within 20 seconds. The satellite will swiftly re-point itself to bring the burst area into the narrower fields of view of the on-board X-ray Telescope (XRT) and the UltraViolet/Optical Telescope (UVOT). These telescopes study the afterglow of the burst produced by the cooling ashes that remain from the original explosion. The XRT and UVOT instruments will determine a precise arc-second position of the burst and measure the spectrum of its afterglow from visible to X-ray wavelengths. For most of the bursts detected, Swift data, combined with complementary observations conducted with ground-based telescopes, will enable measurements of the distances to the burst sources.
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First ever 'Space Council' paves the way for a European space programme
Raumfahrttagung in Brüssel
The first ever European 'Space Council' was held in Brussels on 25 November. This is a major political milestone for Europe in Space, offering ministers representing the 27 European Union (EU) and/or European Space Agency (ESA) Member States the first opportunity to jointly discuss the development of a coherent overall European space programme. In the footprint of the Treaty establishing a Constitution for Europe, signed by the Heads of State or Government of the European Union on 29 October and defining for the first time "space" as a shared competence of the Union, the Space Council acknowledges the importance of space activities for a wide range of European policies.
In the meeting ministers recognised that it is essential to utilise the available resources in an efficient and effective way so that the supply of space-based services and infrastructures can meet the demand from users, such as the European Union's policies, Member States' policies and for the benefit of all European citizens. The ministers also agreed that the unique nature of the space sector requires the development of an appropriate industrial policy and public authorities close attention. German Minister for Education and Research Edelgard Bulmahn, current chair of the ESA council at ministerial level, said: "This meeting was a great step forward for Europe's ambitions in space. Europe must federate its space efforts in order to better exploit the potential of space technologies for the well-being of its citizens. The European Space Programme will significantly strengthen Europe's role in this area of great economic and political importance".
Commissioner for Enterprise and Industry Günter Verheugen said: "Today's first Space Council may not yet be a giant step for mankind. But the fact that we are drawing up a joint European Space Policy is a huge leap forward. Space is an area where the added value of a joint and coherent policy on the European level is very clear. The industrial dimension of space is key to increasing the competitiveness of European industry." ESA Director General Jean-Jacques Dordain said: "The European Space Agency has long-standing experience of providing Europe's citizens with space-based solutions meeting their requirements. We are prepared to take up the new challenges that the future European space programme will ask us to accomplish".
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NetJets places big order for Europe ops
Neue Geschäftsreisejet bestellt
NetJets, the world's leading operator of business jets, has announced the biggest single order ever placed for corporate jets in Europe. NetJets Europe said that it had placed an order for 25 Hawker 400XP light jets from Raytheon, in a contract valued at $160m at catalogue list prices before heavy discounts. The 7-seat jets will be delivered betwen 2005 and 2007 and will become the group's entry-level offering in its fractional ownership programme, in which users own a share of an aircraft in return for a number of flying hours a year. The NetJets Europe fleet is growing rapidly from 39 aircraft at the end of last year to 55 at present and to 60 by the end of the year. It is forecast to reach around 90 by the end of 2005, as NetJets Europe takes delivery next year of the first ten of the Hawker light jets as well as further aircraft from Raytheon, Cessna and Gulfstream and from France's Dassault.
NetJets made a slow start in Europe, but Mark Booth, chief executive of NetJets Europe, said that after nearly a decade of investment the European business was on track to make an operating profit in the final quarter of 2005 and would be profitable at the net level in 2006. The number of flights operated by NetJets Europe in the ten months to the end of October increased by 50 per cent to 27,633 from 18,384 in the same period a year ago.
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NEWS IN BRIEF / KURZMELDUNGEN
Embraer foresees a global demand for 7,800 jets in the 30-to 120-seat capacity segment over the next twenty years. The company estimates that 3,200 aircraft will be delivered between 2005 and 2014, with the remaining 4,600 aircraft to be delivered between 2015 and 2024. The total market value is estimated at US$ 170 billion. According to Embraer's latest forecasts, the 30-to 60-seat segment, which presented a strong demand in the North American and European markets during the 90s, will feature a more moderate delivery schedule, compatible with other mature segments in the commercial aviation market. As predicted in previous forecasts, a tendency of growth is expected for all other segments covered by Embraer, specifically in the untapped market of 70-to 110-seat jets. Embraer's 2005-2024 market outlook, a detailed report with projections for different market segments and geographical regions will be available in the first quarter of 2005. In the next 20 years, Embraer estimates that the U.S. market will continue to be the largest, with 4,165 planes, or about 53 percent, of the worldwide demand. Embraer estimates an overall demand for 7,560 business aircraft in the next ten years, which is the same average level reported in the industry. The super mid-size business jet segment is expected to reach 1,485 units over the next decade. Business jets in the large segment should reach 945 units in the same period. Embraer maintains its prediction to deliver 145 aircraft in 2004 and the same number in 2005. This estimate takes into consideration US Airways filing for bankrupcy protection and American Eagle's cancellation of 18 ERJ 145 aircraft, scheduled to be delivered between July 2005 and February 2006. In 2006, Embraer estimates to deliver 145 aircraft in the commercial, corporate and authorities transportation segment.
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On November 26, MTU Aero Engines presented its results for the first nine months of 2004 in accordance with HGB rules. In the first nine months of this year, the company significantly improved its liquidity: cash flow from operating activities rose to 225.9 million Euro, this being 90.8 % higher than in the corresponding period in 2003. In the same period, free cash flow without transaction cost rose by 90 % from 75.7 million Euro (as of 9/2003) to 144.2 million Euro (as of 9/2004). "The strong liquidity position, which reflects the steady progress being achieved by our cost-cutting initiatives, has made it possible for us to significantly reduce the company's bank liabilities," declared MTU chief financial officer Reiner Winkler. "Through the extraordinary repayment of 130 million Euro on October 20 and the premature repayment of a further 70 million Euro, which will take effect on November 30, we have cut our bank liabilities by more than 50 % and reduced our annual interest load by 12 million Euro. Available liquidity at MTU now stands at 300 million Euro." Sales dropped slightly by 2.0 % due to the development of the dollar exchange rate - from 1,390 million Euro in the first nine months of 2003 to 1,362 million Euro in the same period in 2004. The falling US dollar exchange rate had a negative impact on MTU's commercial engine manufacturing and commercial maintenance business. Adjusted for changes in the dollar exchange rate, sales as of September 2004 totaled 1,463 million Euro, 5.3 % more than as of September 2003. Winkler's outlook for the end of the year: ??For the year 2004 as a whole we are reckoning with sales of around 1.97 billion Euro. That is 2 % more than in 2003. Given the difficult situation of the dollar exchange rate, this moderate increase denotes a fine success for MTU. At 1,347 million Euro as of September 2004, the order entry was 42.2 % lower than the figure as of September 2003. This decline mainly results from the fact that major orders for the TP400-D6, GP7000 and PW2000 engines were received in the first nine months of 2003. There was also a slight drop in order backlog levels: 2.5 % down from 3,121 million Euro as of September 2003 to 3,044 million Euro as of September 2004. "With its order backlog, which corresponds to 1.7 times the prior year sales, MTU has a sound order base,” emphasized Dr. Klaus Steffens, MTU president and CEO. "So far, 103 aircraft to be powered by engines in which MTU has a workshare have been ordered in 2004. Engines in which MTU holds a stake are to be found in comparatively young fleets of aircraft. These factors form an ideal basis for growth of MTU in the upswing that is now emerging in our industry.” At the end of September 2004, MTU had a workforce of 7,639 employees, 373 less than at the end of 2003.
+++
FR Aviation, a subsidiary of Cobham's Flight Operations and Services Group, and Bristow Helicopters have expanded the scope of their existing helicopter joint venture, FB Heliservices (FBH), as anticipated in the announcement on 21 July 2004. FBH will now provide, operate and support helicopters worldwide for military and government applications, building on its successful operation of the tri-service Defence Helicopter Flying School (DHFS) and existing contracts with the UK MoD in Belize and Cyprus.
+++
British airport operator TBI PLC reports it has agreed to a takeover by Spanish transport and communications company Abertis and Spain's national airport authority Aena. TBI, which owns Luton airport north of London, said the offer for the entire issued and to-be-issued share capital of TBI values the company at some 551.3 million pounds (US$1.03 billion; euro787 million), or 92.5 pence (US$1.73; euro1.32) per share. The offer is being made by Airport Concessions and Development Ltd., which is 90 percent owned by Abertis Infraestructuras SA. Aena Desarollo Internacional SAU owns the remaining 10 percent. TBI also owns Belfast and Cardiff airports, and Stockholm Skavsta in Sweden. It operates and manages three airports in Bolivia, and operates Orlando Sanford airport in Florida.
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Press reports from Greece have said that the countries new centre-right government has signalled its intent to scrap the Eurofighter order agreed in 2000. The government may launch a new tender, opening the way for rival bids from Dassault Aviation, Lockheed Martin, Sukhoi and Saab to lodge new bids. The Eurofighter consortium moved quickly to play down the reports, calling them “pure speculation”. “Our position is that there is no change... there's nothing to react to,” it was said..+++
On November 23, Sikorsky announced it has signed contracts worth C$5-billion with the Government of Canada to provide and maintain 28 Sikorsky H-92 maritime helicopters. The new H-92s will replace Sea King aircraft currently in service with the Canadian Forces and deliveries are scheduled to begin in late 2008. Canada's new H-92 Cyclones will be multi-mission capable and will perform surface surveillance and control, subsurface surveillance and control, and utility operations that include search and rescue, passenger and cargo transfer, medical evacuations and tactical transport in support of national, North American and international security. "Sikorsky has been a part of Canada's history for more than 50 years, and we are proud to continue this legacy," said Sikorsky President Steve Finger. "The specifications for Canada's new maritime helicopter were rightfully among the most demanding in the world. There is no better aircraft to fulfill these missions than the H-92."
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German low-cost carrier dba has moved into the black in September and October and sees good bookings for the rest of the year. Occupancy was over 70 per cent and average ticket price above 80 Euros. Dba has 15 Boeing 737s in service and conducts 125 flights a day, almost all between German destinations. 50 new jobs have been created recently.
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Momentum for realizing Frankfurt Airport's planned A380 maintenance base continues to grow, following today's decision from the Hesse administrative high court in Kassel and last Friday's "immediate enforcement" decision from the Darmstadt district board. The Hesse administrative high court has overruled a law suit filed by the Town of Morfelden-Walldorf (located directly south of FRA), which claimed Fraport was legally bound not to expand into the buffer forest between FRA and the town. Most of the 20-hectare site proposed for the A380 maintenance base lies within the existing airport boundary. Fraport AG, the owner and manager of Frankfurt Airport (FRA), is optimistic about the timely realization of this strategic project by the autumn of 2007. The facility is necessary for the stationing and operation of Lufthansa's future A380 fleet at FRA, the first of which are scheduled to go into service in 2007. The final zoning decision on the A380 project - which provides the necessary building permit for the project - is expected soon. "Today's court verdict also confirms the regional assembly of South Hesse's recent majority-vote decision that recognized the urgent need for building the A380 base on this proposed site," said Fraport AG executive board vice-chairman Prof. Manfred Scholch. "Once zoning approval has been granted, the A380 maintenance base project can be expeditiously implemented. Nevertheless, we will not proceed with irreversible construction before the Hesse administrative high court has had the opportunity adequately to examine urgent petitions expected to be filed against the Darmstadt district board's decision on immediate enforcement," Scholch explained. This, however, must not affect the right to conduct site inspection measures such as surveying, explosive ordinance disposal (EOD), and drilling bore samples to determine exact soil conditions.
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French aircraft maker Eurocopter has been picked to supply a squadron of Cougar transport helicopters for Bulgarian Air Forces, Defence Minister Nikolay Svinarov said. The minister signed a protocol to this effect after a 15-member commission preferred the French company to US Sikorsky and Italia's Augusta.
+++
Bombardier Aerospace announced that Styrian Spirit, based in Graz, Austria has signed a contract to purchase one Bombardier CRJ700 regional jet, and has taken an option on a second Bombardier CRJ700. The firm order is valued at approximately $30.2 million US. Founded in 2002, Styrian Spirit operates three Bombardier CRJ200 50-passenger jets on routes from Graz to Dusseldorf, Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Krakow and Zurich. In July 2004, the airline placed a firm order for an additional new Bombardier CRJ200 aircraft.
+++
ATR celebrated the delivery of the 300th ATR 72 manufactured on November 23, 2004. This 66-seat aircraft was delivered to Air New Zealand and increases the New Zealand airline's total ATR fleet to 11 ATR 72-500s. Air New Zealand regional subsidiary Mount Cook Airlines based in Christchurch will operate the aircraft to increase its network flights to 600 per week from 550. "This new ATR will replace some services currently operated by the Saab 340A and will effectively double the seats available on those particular services. We are very satisfied with the operation of the ATR aircraft in terms of comfort, low fuel consumption and environmental qualities. The ATR aircraft is particularly well adapted to our needs." said Peter O'Regan, General Manager of Mount Cook Airlines.
+++
Bombardier Aerospace announced that Northwest Airlines has exercised options for 10 Bombardier CRJ200 series regional jets for its Northwest Airlink operation. This represents the conversion of 10 of the airline's 175 options on the Bombardier CRJ. Northwest has indicated that the aircraft will be operated by Pinnacle Airlines, Inc. The transaction increases the number of firm orders from Northwest Airlines to 139 Bombardier CRJ aircraft, of which 109 had been delivered as of September 30, 2004.
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Saab Bofors Dynamics has signed a contract with Latvia regarding the RBS 70 Air Defence Missile System. The order is worth MSEK 185 for Saab. The Latvian Air Force is the end customer and user of the system. Latvia is now the seventeenth country to acquire RBS 70. In recent years major orders for the system have also been received from Finland and Australia. Deliveries will take place in 2006 and 2007.
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An important milestone was achieved when technicians began stacking Space Shuttle Discovery's right Solid Rocket Booster in the Vehicle Assembly Building. This signifies the beginning of assembly for the flight, which is planned for launch next spring. Stacking the Shuttle's Boosters on the Mobile Launch Platform is a significant step to prepare Discovery for launch. The Mobile Launch Platform, a two-story tall, nine-million-pound steel structure, is the launch base for the Space Shuttle. Once the Shuttle vehicle is assembled, the platform is transported to the launch pad. The Shuttle vehicle consists of the obiter, Solid Rocket Boosters and the External Tank.
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CAE has announce the appointment of Marc Parent to Group President, Simulation Products. Mr. Parent, age 43, is currently Vice President and General Manager, Bombardier Aerospace. During his 20-year career with Bombardier Aerospace, Mr. Parent held a number of senior management positions of increasing responsibility in engineering, product development and management, and operations at Bombardier facilities in Montreal, Toronto, and Tucson, Arizona.
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In Turin a contract was signed between Alenia Spazio, a Finmeccanica company, and EADS Space Transportation of Bremen for the engineering support activities of the utilisation of the European elements of the International Space Station. The EUR 170 million contract, signed by the Managing Director and CEO of Alenia Spazio, Maurizio Tucci, and the President of EADS Space Transportation, Josef Kind, covers the production of six ATV vehicles, one per year starting in 2006. The ATV (Automated Transfer Vehicle) is an expendable logistics vehicle to supply the Space Station with fuel, air and water. Within the programme, the Italian company, which completed and delivered the first unit called Jules Verne last year, is responsible for the cargo module (Integrated Cargo Carrier), that is the forward part of the vehicle equipped with attachments for docking to the Station. The signing of this contract further strengthens the co-operation between EADS-ST and Alenia Spazio who are currently defining agreements for a Joint Venture that will be the direct interface with European Space Agency for the management of the industrial activities relative to the increased utilisation of the International Space Station.
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On 23 November, Boeing delivered the first Malaysia Airlines System (MAS) 777-200ER (Extended Range) airplane incorporating the Class 3 Boeing Electronic Flight Bag (EFB), making the airline the first in the Asia/Pacific region to use the EFB. Malaysia Airlines is equipping two 777-200ERs with the EFB, which gives pilots a range of information that helps them fly more safely, securely and efficiently.
+++
Veteran NASA astronaut John Phillips and seasoned Russian Cosmonaut Sergei Krikalev are the next crew of the International Space Station. Their six-month mission is set for launch in April 2005. Phillips and Krikalev are the eleventh crew for the orbiting research complex. Krikalev will serve as Station Commander, and Phillips is Flight Engineer and NASA International Space Station Science Officer. Designated Expedition 11, they will be on board the Station when the Space Shuttle makes its first Return to Flight mission. The Shuttle is scheduled to dock with the Space Station in May 2005.
+++
NATO completed on 22 November the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding with the Governments of France, Italy and the United Kingdom for the provision of a satellite communications capability for fifteen years, commencing 1 January 2005. This new NATO satellite capability will primarily be used to provide the communications support of NATO's deployed forces. The capability will be provided through the use of the French SYRACUSE, the Italian SICRAL and the United Kingdom SKYNET Satellite constellations. They will provide SHF and UHF capacity and coverage to meet NATO's operational requirements. The programme will be coordinated through a Joint Programme Management Office located in Paris. Follow-on enhancement of the current NATO ground equipment will be acquired by NATO through the process of international competitive bidding.
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ESA's Huygens probe, now orbiting Saturn on board the NASA/ESA/ASI Cassini spacecraft, is in good health and successfully passed its sixteenth 'In-Flight Checkout' on 23 November 2004. This in-flight checkout procedure was the last one planned before separation of the Huygens probe from Cassini in December this year. The preliminary analysis of the real-time data received showed all events in the check-out procedure occurred as, and when, expected.
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Ralph Crosby, Chairman and CEO, EADS North America made the following statement in response to the recent correspondence stating that the Defense Department will "require competition" for the development of a new military tanker aircraft (Deputy Secretary of Defense Paul Wolfowitz to Senator John Warner published in the Congressional Record November 20, 2004): "As we have previously said, if there is a competition to meet the U.S. Air Force's next generation air tanker requirement, EADS North America will participate. "We will team with a major American partner, expand our industrial footprint in the United States, employ American workers and pledge to offer the finest military capability for the United States Air Force at the best value to our taxpayers."
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Lockheed Martin announced that Vance D. Coffman will retire from its board of directors effective April 2005. As a result of Coffman's retirement, the board of directors has expressed its intent to elect Robert J. Stevens as chairman of the board in April 2005. Coffman has served as chairman since 1998 and retired as Lockheed Martin's chief executive officer in August of this year when he announced that he would remain as the board's non-employee chairman until April 2005. Coffman began his career with Lockheed Martin 37 years ago as an aerospace engineer and subsequently served in a series of key corporate leadership positions.
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Garmin International announced that the company has received FAA approval for a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) on two aircraft models from Mooney Airplane Co. This approval paves the way for installation of Garmin's G1000 integrated avionics system on the Ovation2 GX and Bravo GX, which will both feature a dual-display G1000 system. "Mooney has built a loyal following with its Ovation and Bravo platforms, and this STC will only increase that devotion, now that the G1000 is being installed on the GX series," said Gary Kelley, Garmin's director of marketing. "For Mooney customers, the G1000 is the perfect complement to these high- performance airframes. The integrated design of the G1000 allows it to deliver outstanding reliability, increased situational awareness and overall ease of use."
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American Airlines and Boeing announced that American will defer 54 of 56 aircraft originally scheduled for delivery between 2006 and 2010. The delivery of 47 Boeing 737-800 aircraft and seven Boeing 777 aircraft will be deferred by seven years and six years, respectively, beyond their originally scheduled delivery dates. The arrangement allows American to postpone $1.4 billion of capital spending previously planned for 2005 through 2007 and a total of $2.7 billion in capital spending through 2010. American will take delivery of two Boeing 777 aircraft in 2006, including one aircraft originally scheduled for delivery in 2007, to support its previously announced international growth. "Deferring the delivery of 54 aircraft and the related capital spending for up to seven years is a very important milestone in American's Turnaround Plan. It will substantially enhance our ability to restructure our finances," said James Beer, American's Senior Vice President-Finance and Chief Financial Officer. "We very much appreciate the support shown to us by our partners at Boeing and look forward to a continuing robust relationship between our two companies," Beer said.
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At a ceremony at Saab's factory in Linköping the first Czech Republic Gripen aircraft was unveiled to the public for the first time. The ceremony was held to celebrate the completion of the production phase of Czech Republic Gripen aircraft. The production program has been completed with the integration of Czech specific software and will continue with flight trials which will be conducted at Saab and at the test centre of FMV. The flight test program will continue until the aircraft is delivered to the Czech Republic. "The completion of the Czech Republic Gripen aircraft production phase and the commencement of the test flight program is yet another important milestone in the Gripen program for the Czech Republic", says Per Nilsson FMV's Program Manager for the Czech Republic Program. The first Czech Gripen aircraft made its maiden flight on 18 October 2004 and Czech pilots will start flying their Gripen's at the beginning of 2005.
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The Air-India Board, at its meeting held in Mumbai approved the floating of tenders for inviting offers for acquisition of 50 aircraft - of which two-third will be on firm basis and one-third on option. Air-India proposes to acquire three types of aircraft for its fleet, viz. Medium Capacity Ultra Long Range aircraft (A340-500/B777-200LR); Medium Capacity Long Range - 350 seater, in three-class configuration (A340-600/B777-300ER); and Medium Capacity Long Range -- 250 seater, in two-class configuration (A330-200/B7E7-8). The Plan provides for an increase in fleet size from the present 34 to 74 - a net addition of 40 aircraft. Air-India proposes to increase seat capacity by 12% annually over this period. Following today's decision by the Air-India Board, the airline will now invite offers from aircraft and engine manufacturers and subsequently undertake a techno-economic review of the offers received.
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EVA Air of Taiwan has signed a firm contract for an additional A330-200, adding to its existing commitment for ten A330-200s - eight leased from GE Capital Aviation Services (GECAS) and two purchased directly from Airbus. EVA Air's 252-seat A330-200s feature a two-class layout comprising 24 business class seats and 228 seats in economy class. The aircraft offer increased cabin comfort, cargo capacity and lower operating costs than the older generation aircraft that are being replaced on regional and medium-to-long range routes.
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Boeing has installed a Multi-role Electronically Scanned Array antenna on a second 737-700 for Australia 's Project Wedgetail, an airborne early warning and control program. The Northrop Grumman-built MESA antenna, at 35.5 feet long and weighing more than three tons, is the critical sensor aboard the aircraft. It's designed to provide optimal performance in range, tracking, and accuracy.
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Boeing announced the divestiture of Torrance, Calif.-based Boeing Electron Dynamic Devices, Inc. (EDD), a supplier of space and defense products, to L-3 Communications for an undisclosed amount. After the transaction, EDD will continue to provide Boeing with satellite components and other products and services. The divestiture includes the sale of five of the six major EDD product lines: Linearized Traveling Wave Tube Amplifiers, Space Traveling Wave Tubes, Military Traveling Wave Tubes, passive microwave devices, and electric propulsion. Boeing will retain the power electronics group of EDD as part of Boeing Satellite Systems. The group is a large component manufacturer of complete power systems for satellite payloads and buses.
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Kongsberg has signed a contract with the French company EADS Space Transportation for the delivery of attachment and separation mechanisms for the boosters on the European Ariane 5 booster rocket. The contract covers equipment for 30 booster rockets where the final delivery is in 2009. The contract is valued at approximately MNOK 80. Kongsberg has provided more than MNOK 300 worth of equipment and services for the Ariane 5 programme.
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