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+++ Green light for new Berlin airport +++ First Ariane launch of 2006 +++ MRO enters Mars orbit +++ Airports report “firm rebound” for 2005 +++ Poland F-16 flies +++ ICAO reports safety statistic +++ News in brief +++
Green light for new Berlin airport
Großflughafen genehmigt
The time has come: In its ruling, the Federal Administrative Court gave the green light for the expansion of Schönefeld Airport to become the new capital city Airport Berlin Brandenburg International BBI. It is not possible to appeal this ruling. After ten years of intensive planning the course is now clear for restructuring air traffic in the German capital city region; by 2011 the entire air traffic will be concentrated at BBI. In 2007, Tempelhof Airport will be closed; in 2011, directly after the opening of BBI, the second inner-city airport, Tegel Airport, will close. The Court imposed conditions on night flights and for compensation of the outer residential areas. These conditions do not, however, endanger the profitability of the project.
Dieter Johannsen-Roth, Managing Director, Speaker for the Berlin Airports, assessed the court ruling as an important signal for the entire region, “The ruling is good news for Berlin, Brandenburg, the airport, the neighbors and potential investors. We now have planning security; BBI is on the way. This will give Berlin and Brandenburg the long-awaited stimulus. As a result of BBI there will be about 40,000 new jobs in the region by 2012.”
The expansion of Schönefeld Airport to Airport Berlin Brandenburg International BBI is the largest transportation and infrastructure project in eastern Germany. The construction schedule is as follows: 2006: Set up of the construction site: building of the construction roads, the central concrete mixing plant, the construction site areas, beginning of the relocation of lines, request for tenders for the initial construction work, building of the runway connections to the northern BBI runway. 2007: Beginning of the rail tunnel and the subterranean railway station, beginning of construction for the utility supply lines and waste disposal, beginning of construction of the southern runway and aprons, demolition of the current northern runway and closure of the gap in A 113, beginning of construction of road connections. 2008: Beginning of terminal construction and operational roads. 2010: Start of operations for fire department, building for special equipment, winter services, ground traffic services. As of May 2011: Trial operation of the new terminal and master technical system. 30 October 2011: Opening of BBI.
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First Ariane launch of 2006
Spainsat in orbit
On 11 March 2006 an Ariane 5 ECA launcher lifted off from Europe's Spaceport in French Guiana on its mission to place two telecommunications satellites into geostationary transfer orbits. Lift-off took place at 19:32 local time, 22:32 GMT/UTC. Both satellites were accurately delivered into the required orbits. The payload satellites were SPAINSAT, the first Spanish satellite dedicated to secure government telecommunications, and HOT BIRD 7A, a radio and television broadcasting satellite serving Europe, the Middle East and North Africa. The Ariane 5's cryogenic, liquid fuelled, main engine was ignited first. Seven seconds later, the solid fuel rocket boosters were also fired, and a fraction of a second after that, the launch vehicle lifted off. The solid boosters were jettisoned 2min:19sec after ignition and the fairing protecting the payload during the climb through the Earth's atmosphere was discarded at 3min:14sec. The launcher's main engine was shut down at 8min:53sec and the main cryogenic stage separated from the upper stage and its payload just over nine minutes into the flight. A few seconds after main stage separation, the engine of the launcher's cryogenic upper stage was ignited to continue the journey. The upper stage engine was shut down at 24min:45sec into the flight, at which point the launch vehicle was travelling at around 9400 metres per second (about 33850 km/h) and the conditions for geostationary transfer orbit injection had been achieved. At 27min:04 sec, SPAINSAT separated from the launcher, followed by the Sylda 5 payload carrier at 30min:44sec. HOT BIRD 7A separated at 32min:05sec.
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MRO enters Mars orbit
Neue Sonde erreicht roten Planeten
The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter spacecraft, designed and built by Lockheed Martin for the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), was successfully placed in orbit around Mars on March 10. The spacecraft's flight and operations in space are controlled by teams at JPL in Pasadena, Calif., and Lockheed Martin Space Systems Company operations near Denver, Colo. The Mars Reconnaissance Orbiter joins the 2001 Mars Odyssey and the Mars Global Surveyor - both designed and built for NASA by Lockheed Martin - in orbit around the red planet. On March 7, final commands were sent to the spacecraft to ready it for orbit insertion. Just before 1:25 p.m. PT today, those commands fired the six main engines for a 27-minute burn that slowed the spacecraft, allowed it to be captured by Mars' gravity, and placed it into an elliptical polar orbit around Mars that is initial 35.5 hours long.
During the next six months, the flight team will put MRO through a series of aerobraking maneuvers - dipping the spacecraft into the upper Martian atmosphere - to slow it even further and tighten its highly elliptical orbit to a final circular orbit. MRO is scheduled to begin its primary mission in November 2006. Using its suite of six instruments, it will perform scientific reconnaissance of the planet's surface, delivering data five times greater than all previous Mars missions, providing global maps of the planet and its climate, looking for future landing sites, and enabling communications support and data relay for missions planned for 2007 and beyond.
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Airports report “firm rebound” for 2005
Passagierzuwachs von 6 Prozent
"The world's airports served over 4 billion passengers last year,” reports ACI Director General Robert J Aaronson. “This represents an annual growth of 6% for passenger traffic and 3% for cargo, which is good news for local and regional economies. It indicates that air transport is once again in a position to stimulate business development and expansion of the travel and tourism sector. With an estimated 4.5 million persons employed in airport-related jobs, it is clear that airports contribute meaningfully to local economic prosperity." Preliminary results include:total Passengers: 4 billion, +6%. Total International Passengers: 1.6 billion, +8%. Total Cargo (includes mail): 78.7 million metric tonnes, +3%. Total International Freight: 42.7 million metric tonnes, +3%. Total Aircraft Movements: 66.8 million, +2%. Passenger traffic in 2005 was highest in Latin America/Caribbean and Middle East (+10 percent each), followed closely by Africa (+9 percent), Asia/Pacific and Europe (+7 percent each). Growth was more modest in North America (+4 percent). Cargo volume handled in 2005 rose in the Middle East (+8 percent), Africa (+ percent), Asia/Pacific (+5 percent) and Europe (+3 percent). Volume increased slightly in Latin America/Caribbean (+1 percent) but was flat in North America. Aircraft movements grew in Asia/Pacific (+7 percent), the Middle East (+5 percent), Europe (+4 percent), Latin America/Caribbean (+3 percent) and Africa (+2 percent). Movements remained unchanged in North America.
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Polish F-16 flies
Erstflug für polnische F-16
Lockheed Martin announced the successful completion of the maiden flight of the first Polish F-16 aircraft. The flight took place in Ft. Worth, Texas, USA and marks a key milestone in the success of the Peace Sky program. The F-16 flown yesterday is part of a 48-aircraft order by the Government of Poland and is planned for delivery to the Polish Air Force later this year.The pilot for the first flight was Paul Hattendorf, a company test pilot for Lockheed Martin. He performed numerous system checks, including engine throttle transients at various altitudes and radar checks using a photo chase F-16 as a simulated target. Hattendorf also took the aircraft to supersonic speeds and performed high-g maneuvers during the flight, which lasted just over an hour. After several additional check flights by both company and U.S. Air Force test pilots, this first Polish F-16 is scheduled to be ferried to Edwards AFB, Calif., in April for more system-specific testing.
"The Poland Peace Sky program continues to progress right on schedule," said Irma Sippel, director of the Poland F-16 program. "First flight is a significant milestone and the first of several leading to the planned arrival of the aircraft in Poland later this year. We continue to be excited about our progress and about meeting our customer's expectations." When delivered, Polish F-16s will be the most advanced in NATO. Features of the Block 52+ include an AN/APG-68(V) 9 radar fire control system and a Sniper Extended Range pod, which is an advanced targeting pod designed with an infrared pointer, laser, day TV, forward looking infrared, laser spot tracker and advanced algorithms. The pod delivers superior tracking performance and reliability. Additionally, the multi-role fighter developed for Poland is equipped with a helmet-mounted cueing system used for directing precision guided munitions and off-boresight missiles as well as for increasing pilot situational awareness. The aircraft is designed to be fully interoperable with NATO and European Union missions.
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ICAO reports safety statistic
Sicherheitstatistiken 2005
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) has completed its analysis of the preliminary information available on aviation safety and aviation security for 2005. Regarding safety in 2005, there were 18 aircraft accidents involving passenger fatalities on scheduled air services worldwide for aircraft with a maximum take-off mass of more than 2250 kg, usually seven passengers or more. This does not include aircraft accidents caused by acts of unlawful interference. The total number of passenger fatalities was 713. In 2004, there were 203 passenger fatalities from nine accidents. The increase in passenger fatalities led to an increase in the accident rate as measured in fatalities per 100 million passenger-kilometres. In 2004, 203 fatalities resulted in an accident rate of 0.01, while in 2005, 713 fatalities produced a rate of 0.02. For non-scheduled operations, there were 18 accidents involving passenger fatalities for aircraft with a maximum take-off mass of more than 2250 kg in 2005, the same as in 2004. These accidents accounted for 278 passenger fatalities in 2005 compared with 207 in 2004. Comprehensive traffic figures for these operations are not available for the purpose of estimating accident rates.
Regarding security in 2005, six acts of unlawful interference were recorded in which three persons were killed and 60 were injured. Among them were two unlawful seizures, two facility attacks, and two other acts of unlawful interference.
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NEWS IN BRIEF / KURZMELDUNGEN
The Spanish Government has announced the launch of the acquisition programme for the modernisation of the security forces. The Spanish Ministry of Interior will acquire 48 EC 135 helicopters in order to modernize the existing helicopter fleets of the Guardia Civil and Cuerpo Nacional de Policía within the next eight years. In all, 51 helicopters - the 48 helicopters plus the 3 already in service - will be used for the fleet upgrade. Part of the agreement is to set up an assembly line for the EC135 in Albacete at the local Eurocopter España site. Next to final assembly activities, Eurocopter España will also develop and install the highly innovative mission-specific equipments and execute the concluding ground and flight tests. "Spain now possesses persistent capabilities to produce helicopters within the Eurocopter family", Fabrice Brégier points out. This announcement follows the signature of the Tiger HAD contract and the selection for the Spanish Ministry of Defence of the NH90 as its common medium helicopter for the Armed Forces.
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Airbus has signed a contract with Lufthansa Technik (LHT) in Hamburg for the cabin-outfitting of A318 Elites, the newest and most affordable member of its corporate jet family. It simultaneously concluded a contract with A318 Elite launch customer Comlux of Switzerland, for the outfitting of its first three aircraft. The agreements cover outfitting of initial A318 Elites, which are only offered in one of two cabin-layouts, seating 14 and 18 passengers. This arrangement, which still offers clients a lot of flexibility in the choice of furnishing details, such as fabrics and colours, allows Airbus to deliver an attractively priced package. Sharing the same wide cabin as the rest of the A320 Family, the A318 Elite takes large-jet comfort and the advantages of modern Airbus design into a wider market.
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Adam Aircraft announced that Craig Johnson has joined the firm as Chief Operating Officer. Johnson comes to Adam Aircraft from the Northrop Grumman Electronics Sector, where he served as Vice President, Network-Centric Systems; Vice President, F-16 Sensor Systems; Vice President, Supply Chain Management; and Vice President, Aerospace Systems Program Operations. He also held executive positions with AlliedSignal Technical Services Corporation; McDonnell Douglas Corporation (including leading the F-15 Eagle fighter program); and General Dynamics Corporation.
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Boeing received a $240 million contract March 6 from the U.S. Air Force to produce 10,000 Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) tail kits for existing 500-, 1,000- and 2,000-pound bombs purchased by the U.S. Air Force and Navy. The new contract, known as Lot 10, is slated for completion in February 2008. Since 1998, Boeing has produced more than 140,000 JDAM tail kits.
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Raytheon successfully achieved a significant milestone for the P-8A MMA (Multi-mission Maritime Aircraft) program, having recently delivered the Software Design Lab (Radar) Protocol Emulator (SDL-PE) to Boeing. Raytheon's first P-8A hardware delivery, the SDL-PE will emulate the Raytheon radar interface and allow Boeing to begin early integration of the maritime surveillance radar into the aircraft mission systems backbone. This is the first of a series of iterative milestones that will culminate in delivery of the production radar in 2008 -- a deliberate approach aimed at ensuring a tightly coupled integration of the radar into the P-8A mission system with minimum risk. For the P-8A aircraft, Raytheon is providing a surveillance and tracking radar currently referred to as the APY-XXX. This new, next-generation maritime radar will be fully integrated with the Boeing mission system and contain numerous improvements, including a color weather mode, high speed data collection, and an enhanced tracker. It will also be smaller and weigh less than previous generation radars of its type.
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The member airlines of the oneworld alliance and BAA Heathrow have signed an historic agreement which will ensure a world-class passenger experience for their customers following the opening of the London airport's Terminal 5 in March 2008. Currently, oneworld carriers - who account for more than 50 per cent of Heathrow's traffic with 35 million passengers a year travelling on around 700 departures and arrivals a day - are split across all four of Heathrow's terminals. Under the memorandum of understanding (MoU) just signed between them and BAA Heathrow, their operations will be consolidated in the GBP4.2 billion (US$7.6 billion) Terminal 5 and in an up-graded Terminal 3, which is the closest of the existing terminals to the new facility. oneworld carriers will share adjacent check-in desks, piers and other facilities in Terminal 3. BAA Heathrow describes the MoU as a key part of its strategy to co-locate airline alliances. It is currently investing significantly in Terminal 3 and its agreement with oneworldwill ensure that the transformation of Terminal 3 continues. To provide a better overall customer experience at Terminal 3, the building will undergo a modernisation programme with GBP200 million to be spent on passenger and baggage-related projects during the next seven years.
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Baltia Air Lines, a New York based U.S. startup airline, is continuing its preparations for the start of service later this year with one Boeing 747 aircraft. The airline will operate out of Terminal Four at the JFK airport in New York. Baltia's objective is to operate in a niche market flying nonstop with a Boeing 747 from JFK to St. Petersburg, Russia and to other cities within the Baltic region. The B747 aircraft enables Baltia to provide spacious three class seating layout and it also provides the cargo capacity necessary for this market
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Keystone Helicopter, a leader in the rotorcraft industry for more than 50 years, is preparing to move into the newest addition to The Heliplex. Keystone recently received its certificate of occupancy from Sadsbury Township, for the second phase of the The Heliplex. "It is so exciting to finally open the doors of this beautiful facility to our employees and our customers," said Bob Ferrucci, Vice President of Quality and Project Manager for expansion of the Heliplex. Nearly 250 employees occupy the existing 55,000 square feet. The new building is adding more than 75,000 square feet of hangar, office and shop space. The remaining 250 employees who currently occupy the West Chester, Penn. facility will move to the newly expanded facility in Coatesville over the next year.
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Alaska Airlines announced that the Alaska Air Group Board of Directors has authorized a plan to transition the airline to a fleet of all-Boeing 737 aircraft by the end of 2008. The board's action will accelerate the retirement of the airline's MD-80 fleet. To accomplish the transition, Alaska now anticipates taking delivery of 39 737-800s between 2006 and 2008, including the two aircraft that have already been delivered in 2006. In addition to these airplanes, Alaska has firm commitments for 13 aircraft, options for 24 and purchase rights for 27 in 2009 and beyond. The plan to retire the airline's 26 MD-80 aircraft by the end of 2008 will require an investment of approximately $750 million. It is expected to save more than $115 million per year in operating expenses once the transition is complete, primarily by lowering costs for fuel, maintenance, training and crew scheduling.
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This month, the L-159B Full Mission Simulator arrived in AERO Vodochody a.s., representing a great step forward in the L-159B Advanced Training System. The Simulator development project was completed at the end of 2005 in cooperation with E-COM Company, granted by the Czech Ministry of Industry and Trade. Following the well-proven tradition of L-29/L-39/L-59 aircraft, turn of millenniums brought new generation NATO compatible advanced military jet training aircraft. The L-159 aircraft saw the light. Although similar to its forerunners, the L-159 Advanced Training and Light Combat Aircraft has much higher flight performance and its systems and engine are comparable to contemporary fighter aircraft.
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Citing 2005 as the best year for PC-12 single engine business turboprop sales since the inception of the program in 1994, Pilatus Aircraft Ltd announced that the company delivered 80 PC-12 business turboprop aircraft to retail customers around the world. The 80 deliveries were comprised of 61 aircraft in North America, 10 in Europe, 4 in South Africa, 2 in Australia, 2 in South America, and 1 in Russia. “In 2005 we were fortunate to see extremely strong demand for the PC-12”, said Oscar J. Schwenk, President & CEO of Pilatus Aircraft Ltd. “The strong economies in nearly all regions of the world helped set a new production and sales record for Pilatus. Companies and individuals are discovering that the PC-12 is one of the best business aircraft available to operate in nearly any economic condition.”
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Boeing achieved a major milestone for Turkey's Peace Eagle program by delivering a 737-700 to TUSAS Aerospace Industries, Inc. (TAI) of Ankara, Turkey, for modification to an airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) platform. "The arrival marks the start of the program's production phase in Turkey where TAI will transform this commercial aircraft into a state-of-the-art AEW&C system," said Mike Brewer, Boeing Peace Eagle program manager. "A TAI team has worked with Boeing for more than two years in preparation for this work, and I am confident in its ability to execute this phase of the program."
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Bombardier Aerospace handed over the 250th 70-seat Bombardier CRJ700 regional jetliner to roll off the assembly line to SkyWest, Inc. of St. George, Utah. SkyWest Airlines will operate the aircraft on behalf of Delta Connection. The occasion was marked by a special ceremony at the Bombardier CRJ700 and CRJ900 manufacturing facility at Mirabel, Québec. “It's fitting that this aircraft is going to SkyWest Airlines, one of the first airlines to sign a Letter of Intent for CRJ Series aircraft in March 1989, before the CRJ aircraft program was officially launched,” said Steven Ridolfi, President, Bombardier Regional Aircraft. “SkyWest has been a loyal customer ever since, having re-ordered Bombardier CRJ aircraft several times since it put its first CRJ aircraft into service in March 1994. We are pleased with their continuing confidence in Bombardier and its products. SkyWest Airlines currently operates 123 Bombardier CRJ200 and 57 Bombardier CRJ700 70-seat aircraft, while ASA operates 106 Bombardier CRJ200 and 35 70-seat Bombardier CRJ700 jets. The fleet operates on behalf of Delta Connection and United Express. The combined Bombardier fleet totals 321 aircraft. As of January 31, 2006, Bombardier CRJ aircraft orders stood at 1,436 aircraft, with 1,345 delivered to operators worldwide.
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SCOTTY Group plc announced that it has won a substantial order from Eurocopter Deutschland GmbH. for its satellite communication equipment for helicopters. SCOTTY has developed together with Eurocopter a communication solution for the CH53 fleet which Eurocopter is currently upgrading for the German military. The Group's rack solution offers satellite based video and data communication during flight in the helicopter. Derham ONeill, Chairman of SCOTTY, commented: "This order proves the Company's strategy, with its two major segments of Government and Telecare, is well founded. With this order, our strategy in the Government sector in the aero market is now fulfilling our expectations." In addition to this order, SCOTTY has announced about GBP3 million orders so far in 2006, mostly for the Telecare market sector.
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NASA announced July 1 to 19, 2006, is the new launch planning window for Space Shuttle Discovery's mission (STS-121). The window gives the agency time to do additional engineering work and analysis to ensure a safe flight for Discovery and its crew. Space Shuttle Program Manager Wayne Hale made the announcement during a news conference from NASA's Johnson Space Center in Houston. The decision to target July followed a two-day meeting on the external fuel tank's engine cutoff (ECO) sensors. The sensors indicate whether the tank still has fuel during liftoff. During testing, one of the four ECO sensors had a slightly different reading than is expected. Shuttle officials have decided they will remove and replace all four liquid hydrogen sensors. "We've been saying for months that our engineering work would determine when we fly our next mission. Targeting July is the right choice in order to make smart decisions," said Bill Gerstenmaier, NASA associate administrator for Space Operations. Other issues factored into the decision to adjust the STS-121 planning window: Testing and analysis are required on the shuttle's modified external tank. The testing will help verify the tank is safe to fly without the protuberance air load (PAL) foam ramp. The PAL ramp was removed after a large piece of foam fell from that area during Discovery's July 2005 launch. More analysis is needed to decide whether changes are needed on the tank's ice frost foam ramps. Repair work on the shuttle's robotic arm must be completed. Technicians on a work platform accidentally bumped the arm last week, causing a tiny crack. The arm will be removed for repair.
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John R. Reimers has been named CEO of Aviation Partners Boeing. Reimers most recently was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Compass Aerospace Corporation, a primary supplier to Boeing, Airbus, Lockheed, Sikorsky and the U.S. Department of Defense.
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SkyTrac Systems Ltd., an Iridium value-added reseller (VAR), has won a contract to supply Iridium satcom systems for one of Europe's largest medical evacuation helicopter fleets. Under the contract, SkyTrac will equip up to 50 helicopters, belonging to the DRF (Deutsche Rettungsflugwacht e.V./German Air Rescue) emergency medical service (EMS), with ISAT-100 Iridium terminals, which will be used for air-to-ground voice, data and flight following. The Iridium terminals will be integrated with the helicopters' Eurovav Flight Management Systems (FMS). Don Thoma, executive vice president for Iridium said, “Iridium is being used by air ambulance and rescue services all over the world. It provides robust, reliable low-latency solutions for this application.” “We employ satellite communications technology because it enhances our ability to deliver life-saving medical care in a timely fashion,” said Juergen Zoller, planning and control, DRF. “We chose SkyTrac because of its ability to efficiently integrate its hardware with our existing onboard FMS. SkyTrac developed custom applications to meet our requirements and they did so quickly and effectively. TEAM DRF is very pleased.”
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The SAS Group has completed the previous agreement announced on December 15 2005, regarding the sale of 67% of SAS Component. The closing follows the receipt of regulatory approvals and fulfilment of other closing conditions. The SAS Group will release capital from its component inventories (rotable components and spares) so that the total value of the transaction is MEUR 260 or MSEK 2500. The positive effect on cash and net debt is approx 2000 MSEK. SAS has signed a multi-year material supply agreement with SAS Component to provide material support, component repair and overhaul and logistics support for the SAS Group fleet of aircraft.
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Fuji Heavy Industries (FHI) delivered the first AH-64D Apache Longbow multi-role combat helicopter to the Japanese government during a ceremony in Japan, signaling a new era in capabilities for the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force. FHI and The Boeing Company [NYSE: BA] teamed for the production of the aircraft. The ceremony was held at the FHI production facility in Utsunomiya, Japan, where FHI will produce future Apaches. The Japan Defense Agency (JDA) selected FHI to produce the AH-64D Apache Longbow with unique requirements for Japan. FHI is producing the aircraft under license from Boeing, which is supporting systems integration and aircraft production. Al Winn, vice president of Apache Programs at Boeing, said, "We are extremely pleased that the Apache will be one of the first weapons platforms with 21 st century joint and interoperable capabilities deployed with the Japanese Ground Self Defense Force."
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Northrop Grumman has demonstrated its KillerBee low-altitude, long-endurance unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) for the U.S. Air Force, highlighting its ability to provide real-time streaming video and precision targeting information to warfighters. KillerBee, under development as a multi-mission, joint-service family of scalable UAVs, was designed to provide surveillance and force protection for military bases, shipping lanes, borders or convoys. The version demonstrated for the Air Force has a 9-foot wingspan and carries electro-optical and infrared sensors. The demonstration took place at the Air Force's UAV Battlelab at Creech Air Force Base, Nevada, and was supported by the 98th Range Wing at the Nevada Test and Training Range. "The most impressive part of the demonstration was the flight of the UAV," said Lt. Col. Douglas Larson, chief of the Combat Applications Division at the UAV Battlelab. "It was amazing how quickly it climbed to altitude. It was very evident this bird could carry a lot more payload. Couple this with its inherent low-observable design, and I think we have a platform that could be used for several Air Force missions."
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Geneva Aerospace, a leader in the development of unmanned vehicle technologies, successfully completed six consecutive auto landings of a Dakota UAV (unmanned aerial vehicle) at the United States Army Yuma Proving Grounds in Yuma, Arizona. This flight test was the next phase under Geneva's current contract with the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) and the United States Air Force Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Battlelab (UAVB). The test served as the precursor to flying the Berkut UAV which will utilize Geneva's proven integrated avionics technologies, as well as the auto landing capability. The Berkut test flight is tentatively scheduled for early 2006. Geneva personnel, in conjunction with NAVAIR, conducted the test using a Dakota UAV that weighs approximately 200 pounds and has a wingspan of 16 feet. The vehicle was outfitted with Geneva's proven command, control and communication (C3) solutions which consists of missionTEK(TM) ground control station, flightTEK flight control computer, and linkTEK(TM) data link computer. Geneva's C3 product suite coupled with the auto land capability delivers affordable and reliable solutions for autonomous flights.
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Bahrain, an archipelago of 33 islands on the East coast of Saudi Arabia, rich as a result of its mineral resources, well-known thanks to its Formula 1 Grand Prix. As of 2nd May, Lufthansa will once again be offering flights to the capital of the Emirate, Manama. With the resumption of flights to Bahrain, which was already served during the nineties, Deutsche Lufthansa is continuing its strategy of providing links to the world's oil destinations. With the exception of Syria and Iraq, the company now offers flights to every country in the region.
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Raytheon has been awarded a $346 million contract increment to supply the U.S. and United Kingdom navies with the Block IV (Tactical) Tomahawk cruise missile. This is the third installment on a multi-year contract whose value could reach $1.6 billion. The fiscal year 2006 production contract calls for production of 473 missiles, 65 of which are the submarine torpedo tube-launched variant for the U.K. Manufacturing work will be done at Raytheon's Missile Systems businesses in Tucson, Ariz., and Camden, Ark., and is expected to be completed in 2009. Raytheon began delivering Block IV missiles to the U.S. Navy in mid-2004.
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AeroRepublica, a subsidiary of Copa Holdings announced a fleet modernization and expansion plan that includes firm orders for five Embraer 190 aircraft, representing an investment of US$ 175 million at list price. The order also includes options to buy 20 additional aircraft. AeroRepublica joins a select group of airlines that have acquired the Embraer 190 aircraft, equipped with state-of-the-art aviation navigation technology, directly from the manufacturer. Delivery of the first aircraft is planned for November 2006, making AeroRepublica the first airline in the domestic Colombian market to operate the new and efficient 108-seat aircraft. The modern Embraer 190 incorporates advanced technological features such as "winglets," efficient and powerful GE CF34 motors, and the latest Honeywell Corporation aeronautics equipment.
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On Thursday 15 March, at the headquarters of the European Space Agency, a co-operation agreement was signed between ESA and the Centre National d'Études Spatiales for the development of Alphabus, Europe's next generation of telecommunication satellites. The signature of this co-operation agreement follows the signature of a contract in June 2005 between the European Space Agency (ESA), the Centre National d'Études Spatiales (CNES), EADS Astrium and Alcatel Space (which has since become Alcatel Alenia Space) who jointly committed to the Alphabus development programme and to the production of the first flight model around 2009. The Alphabus programme is supported jointly by ESA and CNES. The agreement which has just been signed establishes the arrangements for cooperation between ESA and CNES in relation to the development and the qualification of a generic line of large platforms for geostationary telecommunication satellites, the provision of a flight model from this generic line and its validation in orbit.
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Boeing has selected Goodrich Corporation to supply the flight deck lighting system and cabin attendant seating for the 787 Dreamliner. Very few work packages remain to be awarded on the 787 program.The flight deck lighting system consists of all task lighting, general illumination and emergency lighting on the flight deck. Goodrich's Lighting Systems team with locations in Lippstadt, Germany and Tampa, Fla. will be producing the all LED-based system.
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QinetiQ, the defence and security technology company, has been named as preferred bidder to provide a Combined Aerial Target Service (CATS) for air defence training and test and evaluation for the UK's armed forces over the next 20 years. QinetiQ was selected ahead of the Serco/EADS Firecats consortium. Under CATS, QinetiQ will provide all of the UK MOD's aerial target requirements. It will continue to deliver the aerial target service at Aberporth, South Wales, which it currently provides as part of the Long Term Partnering Agreement (LTPA) and which represents a significant part of the new CATS contract. In addition QinetiQ will provide a service for ground-based air defence training, aerial target services for the Royal Navy, and an air-to-air service for the RAF. The service will be capable of operating from any suitable range worldwide.
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BAE Systems has signed a partnership agreement with Hellenic Aerospace Industry SA (HAI) of Greece, under which the two companies will examine potential areas of co-operation in both the Greek domestic and export markets. The new agreement commits the two companies to establishing a joint working group to examine potential partnership opportunities in a number of business areas. This includes electronic warfare systems, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) and associated technologies plus aerostructures and composite structure manufacturing, among others. The agreement was signed at the HAI facility in Tenagra, Greece, by Mike Mendoza, BAE Systems' managing director for international partnerships and Tassos Philippakos, chief executive officer of HAI.
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Inmarsat is to become the first satellite operator to benefit from substantial cost savings made possible by Sciemus' new risk-based approach to satellite insurance. Sciemus, a UK-based company teamed with QinetiQ that is revolutionising the space insurance market, estimates that Inmarsat could save at least 30 per cent of the cost of insuring its new generation Inmarsat-4 communications satellites compared to traditional market alternatives. The substantial cost savings are the result of Inmarsat's demonstrated superior control over key processes such as satellite procurement, deployment and operation.
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“2005 proved to be an excellent year for the French aerospace industry, characterised by record order levels. Given that our industry has long development cycles, these positive results reflect the efforts made over the last 15 years.” said Charles Edelstenne, Chairman of the French aerospace industries association Gifas, during his presentation of the 2005 results and annual review. He added that the aerospace industry is affected by “an economic climate that remains uncertain, in terms of the euro/dollar exchange rate impacting the industry's competitive edge, rising oil prices and demand for raw materials, the need to build a European defence equipment market and the limited budgets available for space programmes.” According to Mr Edelstenne, the French aerospace industry needs to focus on two key areas to enhance its competitive edge: support for R&D funding through long-term technological and financial cooperation with the Frech government; and ensuring the integrity of its supply chain by increasing the ability of companies, in particular SMEs, to invest and innovate. Overall, 2005 was an outstanding year, characterised by significant growth in revenues and a sharp rise in orders. This was also the year that saw the Airbus A380 and Falcon 7X complete their first flights, as well as successful qualification for the Ariane 5 ECA and the first export orders for Airbus Military's A400M transport aircraft. Unconsolidated revenues were up 7.5% to EUR 28.1bn compared to 2004 on a like-for-like basis. This growth is due to increased revenues generated by the civil sector (+8.7%) and defence sector (+4.9%). Civil sector business represents some 68% of total revenues. Exports reached an all-time peak of EUR 16.5bn, accounting for 72% of consolidated revenues.
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Lord Drayson, in his first visit to Washington as Minister for Defence Procurement, will today set out the UK's perspective of the JSF programme to the influential Senate Armed Services Committee. Lord Drayson, who will be accompanied by Sir Jock Stirrup, Chief of the Air Staff, will outline to the committee (whose members include Senators Warner, McCain, Levin, Kennedy, Clinton and Dole), the importance of the programme to the UK's future military capability and ability to make a significant contribution to future joint operations with both the United States and other Allies. Lord Drayson said: "Our aim is to ensure that future generations of UK and US servicemen and women can continue to stand shoulder to shoulder in pursuit of common goals. Increasingly we recognise that this will depend upon access to common technology. With its increasing complexity, and the growing importance of expeditionary fighting power, the necessity to share information and technology between our two great nations both in relation to JSF and more generally is ever more vital. Whilst I appreciate the concerns of some in the US about the issue of Technology Transfer, the British public expect their Government to equip our Armed Forces with the very best and I am determined to best represent the interests of our national security and our British Service personnel. The next key milestone in the programme, the signing of the Production, Containment and Follow-On Development MOU will commit the United Kingdom to the whole life of the JSF program. We must therefore be sure to understand the nature and balance of the obligations between our nations consistent with the principles of the agreements on JSF we have signed to date. Operational sovereignty, the ability to integrate, upgrade, operate and sustain the aircraft as we see fit and without recourse to others is of paramount importance. Let me state our bottom line. These issues are important to us because they enable us to make the judgement that the aircraft are "fit to fight" and we can send our airmen and women into action in that knowledge. This decision has to be one for the UK, indeed the British Government's responsibility to our Armed Forces, and their families, means that this judgement can only be made by the UK. If we do not have the information and technology needed to make that decision, then I shall not be able to sign the MOU. I recognise the consequences that would have on the UK's continuing participation in the programme.
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Aer Lingus has signed a contract with Airbus in Dublin for the purchase of two Airbus A330 aircraft, bringing the total number of the airline's long haul fleet to nine Airbus A330s. Both aircraft will be delivered in mid 2007. The two new A330 aircraft, an A330-200 and an A330-300, will be powered by General Electric CF6 engines and will be used to expand Aer Lingus' long-haul network. The aircraft will have a comfortable two-class configuration, the A330-200 with 24 passengers in premier and 245 passengers in economy class, the A330-300 with 24 and 303.
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The RAND Corp. released an executive summary March 7 detailing its findings from an analysis of alternatives study to replace the Air Force KC-135 Stratotanker fleet. The report states, "A fleet of medium to large (300,000 to 1,000,000 pounds maximum gross takeoff weight) commercial derivatives is the most cost-effective alternative for KC-135 recapitalization." The analysis indicates there are a number of competitive aircraft currently available in this size class. RAND also concluded that the present value of all lifecycle costs of the combination of the KC-135 fleet and its replacement is relatively insensitive to when recapitalization begins. Therefore, the timing of replacing the KC-135 fleet should be based instead on the Air Force's degree of confidence in the viability of the current fleet, annual budget constraints, and the operational risk associated with delaying improvements in the capability of the current fleet, the report said. “We are currently working with the Office of the Secretary of Defense staff to finalize our recapitalization strategy and timing, while taking into consideration the studies completed to date. We remain dedicated to ensuring that our warfighters, both present and future, continue to have this critical capability,” said Lt. Gen. Donald J. Hoffman, military deputy from the office of the assistant secretary of the Air Force for acquisition.
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The A380 has generated huge enthusiasm at the airports where it has touched down so far, with visits to Frankfurt, Singapore, Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne, Kuala Lumpur and Dubai providing excellent public relations opportunities while illustrating that there are no major issues concerning either the ground handling equipment or airport infrastructure. Any airport that can accommodate the 747 can accept the A380, so there is no formal requirement to carry out compatibility testing. However, Airbus believes that full maturity at entry into service is as important as achieving certification and is keen to work with airports, customers and suppliers looking to streamline supporting equipment and infrastructure to really maximise the benefits of operating the A380. Of all pieces of equipment needed for ground handling, only one new item is required - a heavier tow tractor. In addition, an upper deck catering vehicle and a direct upper deck passenger access are preferred by most carriers, rather than using lifts and stairs. Those equipments are either available from several equipment manufacturers or in service, and can also be used on all other widebody aircraft. The A380 has also visited a number of smaller airports around the world, including Medellín in Colombia, Tarbes, Chateauroux and Le Bourget in France, Pointe à Pitre and Fort de France in the French West Indies and Iqaluit in Canada, where very little preparatory work was necessary to welcome the aircraft.
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Two strike fighter squadrons arrived at Naval Air Station Oceana , ending a six-month deployment and closing the book on the Tomcat as an asset in the Navy's war fighting arsenal. The "Tomcatters" of Strike Fighter Squadron 31 and the "Black Lions" of Strike Fighter Squadron 213 were deployed with Carrier Air Wing 8 embarked on the aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt. The squadrons' "fly-off" marked the last operational flight of the F-14D Tomcat and the final stage of the squadrons' transition to the F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet. VF-213 pilots will begin F/A-18F training next month and VF-31 pilots, who are transitioning to the F/A-18E, will remain operational until September when they will fly the last Tomcat in the Navy's inventory from Oceana. The Navy decided to decommission the Tomcat and move to the Super Hornet to lighten the workload on its people after recognizing the excessive amount of maintenance needed to keep them operational. "It takes about three to four times more maintenance man-hours per flight hour to maintain than the newer Hornet," LaBranche said. "Retiring the extremely relevant but maintenance intensive Tomcat was a way to save the exhaustive efforts of our people and better spend their labors."
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Pratt & Whitney Canada delivered the first PW615F engine to Cessna Aircraft Company for the new Citation Mustang business jet. The engine will be installed on A/C No. 003, the first Citation Mustang to be built at Cessna's assembly facility in Independence, Kansas. “This is an exciting milestone for both Pratt & Whitney Canada and Cessna Aircraft," said Alain M. Bellemare, President, P&WC. "Delivery of the first PW615F engine comes just two months after we received Transport Canada type certification for the engine series." P&WC this week also officially inaugurated the new PW600 assembly and test facility at its main manufacturing plant in Longueuil, Quebec. This state-of-the-art facility, which includes a lean assembly line and test cell, is a dedicated assembly and test area to support the PW600 engine production.
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Boeing and a team of university scientists have completed a highly successful multi-year research program to develop and demonstrate cutting edge flight control technologies that dramatically enhance the autonomous operations of advanced unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). The autonomous flight control technologies were developed under the Software Enabled Control (SEC) program sponsored by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) with technical direction from the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL). During flight demonstrations, the last of which took place on Feb. 23 before U.S. Department of Defense and NASA observers at Victorville, Calif., the SEC software assumed control of a DARPA Renegade rotorcraft UAV and successfully executed a series of advanced maneuvers.
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Air Berlin, Europe's third-largest low-cost airline, continued its European expansion by announcing today it will start flying from Belfast City Airport to seven destinations in Europe via its hub in London-Stansted. There will be departures morning and evening each way during the week, and one flight each way on Saturday and Sunday. With fast trains from Stansted to Liverpool Street station in London's financial district, and Air Berlin's superfast transfer system including full baggage transfer at London Stansted, the airline is targeting both business customers going to the City and holidaymakers transferring onto Europe, as well as the typical low-cost customer who appreciates Air Berlin's superior customer service. The choice of Belfast City Airport will also enable short journey times into the city centre. This move will open up Air Berlin's onbound Europe-wide destinations from Stansted for the first time to passengers from Northern Ireland. These include Berlin, Dusseldorf, Hanover, Leipzig, Munster/Osnabruck, Nuremberg, Paderborn and Vienna. The service is also likely to make a positive contribution to the tourism industry in Northern Ireland.
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Alcatel Alenia Space announced that it will deliver the high-powered Ciel-2 telecommunication satellite to Ciel Satellite of Canada, the newest member of the SES family. The new spacecraft, expected to launch by late 2008, will be the largest Spacebus class satellite ever built by Alcatel Alenia Space. Based on Alcatel Alenia Space Spacebus 4000 C4, Ciel-2 will be fitted with 32 Ku-band frequencies, configured into regional and spot beams maximizing the frequency reuse up to nine times. At the beginning of its operational life, the spacecraft's payload power will be 10.8 kW and will be positioned at 129°W. Ciel-2 is due to start delivering services into North America in the later part of 2008, with a life time of 16 years. Kevin Smyth, CEO Ciel Satellite, said: "As a world-class satellite manufacturer, Alcatel Alenia Space, is a great choice for the construction of Ciel's first permanent spacecraft. In collaboration with our technical and investor partner, SES AMERICOM, we have every confidence that Ciel-2, our first purpose-built satellite, will be a high-performing, reliable spacecraft."
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Alcatel Alenia Space signed a contract with the Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI), the Republic of South Korea Space Agency, to provide a SAR (Synthetic Aperture Radar) payload system for KOMPSAT-5, the main Earth observation space program of the Republic of South Korea. The KOMPSAT-5 program's main objective is to develop, launch and operate an Earth observation SAR satellite system to provide images for geographic information applications and to monitor and prevent environmental disasters. The KOMPSAT-5 program started on July 1st, 2005. The launch of the satellite is scheduled for the end of 2008, with the objective to complete the in-orbit test during the first half of 2009.
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Lufthansa and SWISS will be further expanding their collaboration with the start of the 2006 summer schedules on March 26. The two quality airlines are to harmonise their schedules to and from South America and Southeast Asia to offer transfer connections between their services in São Paulo and Bangkok. SWISS and Lufthansa customers will soon be deriving further benefit from the partnership of these two quality airlines on services to and from São Paulo, Santiago de Chile and Buenos Aires. The two carriers are to coordinate their schedules to create a “mini-hub” at São Paulo that will permit transfers between SWISS and Lufthansa services. Under the new arrangements, which come into effect with the start of the 2006 summer schedules on March 26, SWISS will extend its present five-times-weekly Zurich-São Paulo service to Santiago de Chile, while Lufthansa will offer a daily service on the Frankfurt-São Paulo-Buenos Aires route. The two westbound flights will arrive in São Paulo from Europe at almost the same time, enabling customers to transfer from one to the other for their onward travel within South America. The same arrangements will be made for the SWISS and Lufthansa services from Santiago and Buenos Aires respectively, providing their passengers with excellent transfer connections to Frankfurt or Zurich via the new São Paulo mini-hub.
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Airfoil Services Sdn. Bhd. (ASSB), an MTU Aero En-gines and Lufthansa Technik affiliate, is celebrating the Ground Breaking of its new global integrated Centre of Excellence for aircraft airfoil services in Kota Damansara at Selangor Science Park today. The facility, which is expected to start operations by early 2007, is located on a 5.9 acre site and will contain up to 5,000 sqm workshop and 2,500 sqm office floor. It will be equipped with state of the art machinery and high-technology processes. ASSB will be repairing high-pressure compressor blades in addition to the low-pressure turbine blades it is doing now, and add the CF34 to its present CF6, V2500 and CFM56 engine portfolio. ASSB specializes in the repair of blades from major engines, including GE, CFMI and IAE, for mostly MTU's maintenance segment and Lufthansa Technik. The company has been operating since MTU and Malaysian Airlines agreed to build a com-mon airfoil repair facility 15 years ago. Advanced technology has been implemented over the time, a plan to set up a Centre of Excellence has been established and three years ago Lufthansa Technik became a Joint Venture partner.
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Gulfstream Aerospace announced that the Gulfstream IV (GIV), Gulfstream IV-SP (GIV-SP), Gulfstream G400 (G400) and Gulfstream G300 (G300) business jet models now can be retrofitted with Gulfstream's ultra-high-speed Broad Band Multi-Link (BBML) data system. “The Broad Band Multi-Link system, the fastest in-flight connectivity available today, is an essential option for customers' whose cabins are used as airborne offices,” said Pres Henne, senior vice president, programs, engineering and test, Gulfstream. “Ten times faster than the most widely used in-flight system, Gulfstream BBML is as fast as most ground-based services in U.S. corporations.” With the ultra-high-speed BBML data system, in-flight passengers can surf the Internet, send and receive e-mail, monitor the stock market or perform any other Web-based task, at the same speed found in most corporate offices.
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Gulfstream Aerospace has appointed Gerard Schkolnik as director of its supersonic technology programs. In addition to overseeing Gulfstream's ongoing research into sonic boom suppression, Schkolnik will direct the company's research of structural concepts and advanced materials, propulsion integration and supersonic aerodynamics as they apply to supersonic flight.
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