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+++ Streiff resigns at Airbus +++ Emirates orders 10 747-8 Freighters +++ EU and US agree on Passenger Name Record Data +++ Harrier GR9 enters service +++ EFW and Irkut sign freighter conversion deal +++ CFM56 sets new sales record +++ News in brief +++
Streiff resigns at Airbus
Gallois jetzt zuständig
On 9 October, EADS announced the resignation of Christian Streiff as Airbus Chief Executive Officer and member of the EADS Executive Committee with immediate effect. The EADS Board of Directors has appointed EADS Co-CEO Louis Gallois as Airbus CEO with immediate effect. Louis Gallois will remain Co-CEO of EADS. The non-Airbus divisions will report to EADS Co-CEO Tom Enders in the future. The Board of Directors once more underlined its unanimous support for the Power8 programme as decided on 3 October, 2006 as well as for the immediate implementation of the A380 recovery plan. It will take its decision on the A350 XWB in the next weeks. The new management structure will allow, on the one hand, a leaner, more efficient corporate governance and, on the other hand, additional cost savings within the EADS group.
Against the background of the current discussion on EADS, a joint meeting of the European Works Council of EADS N.V. took place on 5 October 2006 with Mr. Gallois, co- EO of the Group. It was agreed that EADS is a European company whose great success is not called into question by its current challenges. Both sides agreed that securing the competitiveness of EADS is a task for both sides. This involves managing the industrial implementation of the A380, finding a response to the new development of the A350XWB which the market is calling for and avoiding negative developments of the dollar exchange rate. Mr. Gallois assured the European Works Council that no definitive decisions had been taken as yet. He assured the European Works Council that the management of EADS would not take any final decisions - including those on individual sites - without previously engaging in a dialogue with the employees' representatives. The European Works Council assured management that it was ready to engage in this dialogue. In so doing, it will be guided by the interests of the employees - in particular to secure jobs and sites - and will assess the necessity for the measures and the national balance in every case.
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Emirates orders 10 747-8 Freighters
Frachterauftrag von Emirates
Boeing and Emirates finalized an order for 10 747-8 Freighters during an official ceremony held at Dubai's Department of Civil Aviation. The ceremonial signing was made by HH Sheikh Ahmed bin Saeed Al-Maktoum, Emirates chairman and CEO, and Boeing's Dubai-based sales director, Ken Schulz. "Dubai has seen tremendous growth in the opportunities to provide our customers across the globe custom-tailored freight solutions," Sheikh Ahmed explained. "Moreover, developing this side of our business is elemental to Emirates maintaining a leading position amongst the world's airlines and we will take full advantage of the extended capacity these new Boeing freighters offer."
The 10 747-8 Freighters are valued at $2.8 billion at list prices and were previously attributed to an unidentified customer on Boeing's Orders & Deliveries website. Emirates SkyCargo will receive its first delivery of Boeing's latest heavy freighter in 2010. The 747-8F is an advanced design that offers even greater operational efficiency for global freight operations which are based largely on the industry-leading 747 freighter family.
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EU and US agree on Passenger Name Record Data
Passagierdaten für USA: Einigung erzielt
The EU and the United States completed negotiations on an interim Agreement on the processing and transfer of passenger name record (PNR) data by air carriers to the US Administration. The interim Agreement, which will be submitted for approval by the EU Council as soon as possible, provides legal certainty by replacing the Agreement of May 2004 between the European Community and the US, following the Court of Justice of the European Communities judgment of 30 May 2006. The EU welcomes the new Agreement which will help to prevent and combat terrorism and serious transnational crime, whilst ensuring an equivalent level of protection of passengers' personal data in line with European standards on fundamental rights and privacy.
The interim agreement enables PNR data in the reservation systems of air carriers to continue to be transferred to the US in the same way as under the previous Agreement. The US Administration may access electronically PNR data from air carriers' reservation/departure control systems located within the territory of the EU Member States, in accordance with specific undertakings. This system will be replaced in due course by one under which airlines in the EU will send the required data to the US. Under the interim Agreement, the EU will ensure that air carriers operating passenger flights in foreign air transportation to or from the US process PNR data contained in their automated reservation systems as required by the US Administration. The US Administration will continue to process PNR data received and treat data subjects concerned by such processing in accordance with undertakings given in 2004.
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Harrier GR9 enters service
Neue Version des Senkrechtstarters im Dienst
The upgraded Harrier GR9 aircraft has entered service with the Royal Navy and Royal Air Force after a half billion pound improvement package, Defence Minister Adam Ingram announced. The programme is upgrading the iconic Harrier aircraft, which is capable of vertical landing and take-off with state-of-the-art new technology - doubling its effectiveness as a precision ground attack aircraft. Sixty nine of the single-seater aircraft will be delivered under the incremental programme which is being carried out by BAE Systems in partnership with the MOD at RAF Cottesmore in Lincs. The upgrades will allow the aircraft to use advanced new precision weaponry, new communications and avionics systems Adam Ingram said: "The Harrier has proved itself time and time again as an excellent aircraft - from the Falkands conflict to current operations in Afghanistan but we are always improving our capabilities and the integration of this technology will allow the Royal Air Force and Royal Navy to hit a wider range of targets at longer range, with greater precision and at less risk to our aircrew than ever before.
On cost and to time the success of the programme has been intrinsically linked to the highly effective working partnership between the MOD, BAES and QinetiQ. The joint working between industry and the MOD reflects the government's overarching Defence Industrial Strategy and underlines the skills inherent in the UK air sector. (ends) A BAE Systems-led team has delivered the latest version of the Harrier to the UK front line on time, to cost and to the required capability. The Harrier GR9/T12 was formally accepted into service at the "Capability B2+" standard by the Assistant Chief of Air Staff, Air Vice Marshal Chris Moran at the end of September. As prime contractor for the GR9/ T12 contract, BAE Systems' Customer Solutions & Support (CS&S) manages a diverse and complex set of activities carried out by many international vendors and over 600 BAE Systems people across various company and customer sites including on-base activities at RAF Cottesmore.
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EFW and Irkut sign freighter conversion deal
A320 Frachter werden in Russland umgebaut
EADS, representing Airbus, the European aircraft manufacturer and EFW (Elbe Flugzeugwerke GmbH), EADS' freighter conversion centre based in Dresden (Germany), signed an agreement with the leading Russian aircraft manufacturer Irkut, preparing the foundation of a Joint Venture responsible for the conversion of Airbus A320 family aircraft into freighters. The Joint Venture will manage the conversion work in Germany and Russia. This agreement is the result of the successful completion of a feasibility study of the conversion of single aisle passenger aircraft into freighters. It was signed by EADS CEO Tom Enders, on behalf of Airbus and EFW, and Alexey Fedorov, Chairman of the Board of Directors of Irkut and General Director and Chief Designer of RAC “MiG on the sideline of the Russian-German forum “Petersburger Dialog”.
The planned Joint Venture and the individual partners will design the conversions, manufacture the conversion kits, perform the conversions and market, and sell the conversion services. Production is scheduled to start in 2010. The Joint Venture will be established based upon parity between the European partners Airbus and EFW and the initial Russian partner, Irkut. At a later stage the program shall be carried on at the Russian side under the aegis of the United Aircraft Corporation. The Parties are considering using a factory in the Russian city of Lukhovitsy (near Moscow) as a conversion facility. In Germany, EFW in Dresden will also perform conversions. The conversion kits will be manufactured in Russia. Initially, an average of 30 A320s and A321s are planned to be converted per year. The total market share to be captured by the Joint Venture is estimated at 400 aircraft from 2010 to 2025. Both Russian and international freight operators are considered to be potential customers. The signature in Dresden follows a Letter Of Intent signed at the ILA Airshow in Berlin in May 2006.
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CFM56 sets new sales record
Rekordverkäufe für CFM56
The CFM56 aircraft engine has set a new sales record, with 1,772 engines ordered at September 30, 2006. In other words, the CFM56 has already beat the previous annual record, of 1,640 engines ordered in 2005, with three months remaining in the year! This outstanding performance reflects both the competitiveness of the CFM56 and continued strong growth in the aviation sector. Major recent orders include those from Ryanair and from Asian carriers such as Hainan Airlines of China.
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NEWS IN BRIEF / KURZMELDUNGEN
The traffic figures for the third quarter show that there is no end in sight to the dynamic growth of Munich Airport. In the period from January until September 2006, Munich Airport handled nearly 23.2 million passengers – an increase of roughly 7 percent over the same period a year earlier. With this performance, the airport matched its annual figures for the entire year of 2002 after only three quarters of the current operating year. In addition, a “sound barrier” was broken in September 2006: For the first time more than 3 million passengers were handled in a single month. The number of commercial take-offs and landings increased 3 percent during the first nine months of the year to level just short of 300,000 flights.
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Bristow Group announced that it has received an award of an amendment and extension of its existing contract in the North Sea with Integrated Aviation Consortium (IAC) for the provision of helicopter transportation services to offshore facilities both East and West of the Shetland Islands. The final contract, which has been extended until June 2010, will call for the provision of five new Sikorsky S-92 helicopters to be delivered in the second half of calendar 2007 to replace the six AS332L Super Puma helicopters currently under contract. Bristow also announced that it had exercised options under its Helicopter Sales Agreement with Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation to purchase four additional S-92 helicopters. These four plus one of the two S-92's ordered in May 2006 will be used to fulfill the IAC contract requirements. The remaining S-92 ordered in May 2006 is being deployed to operations for a major operator offshore Norway. In addition, we reached an agreement with Sikorsky to extend the remaining September 30, 2006 option we have for an additional S-92 deliverable in calendar 2007 to December 31, 2006.
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Lockheed Martin's Sniper Advanced Targeting Pod (ATP) successfully demonstrated compatibility with the launch of a Maverick missile from an adjacent A-10C wing pylon. The ability to fire missiles so close to the Sniper ATP uniquely qualifies Sniper for this weapon configuration, doubling the previous A-10C Maverick loadout capabilities. "The addition of Sniper ATP greatly enhances the capabilities of the A-10," said Ken Fuhr, Sniper ATP program director at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control, prime contractor for the U.S. Air Force-led ATP program. "It provides the A-10 the ability to deliver both laser-guided and J-series weapons while enhancing existing close air support capabilities and providing greater capability to positively identify targets and growth capability for future weapons." The test was conducted last August by the U.S. Air Force's 46th Test Wing, 40th Flight Test Squadron at Eglin Air Force Base (AFB) in Ft. Walton Beach, FL. The Sniper ATP was mounted on an A-10C Precision Engagement aircraft adjacent to the Maverick missile mounted on the LAU-88 missile rail. In this configuration, Sniper ATP is approximately 15 inches from the missile body.
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Lufthansa is heading for new records after the third quarter 2006: Never have so many passengers booked flights with the airline in the first nine months of a year. Lufthansa Cargo is also still on track after posting a marked rise in transported tonnage and utilisation. From January through September, Lufthansa carried 40.2 million passengers, an increase of 3.6 per cent on the comparable period in the previous year. The passenger load factor fell fractionally to 75.4 per cent because capacity, up by 1.2 per cent, increased marginally more than revenue seat-kilometres (+0.7 per cent). Lufthansa Cargo raised transported tonnage of freight and mail year-on-year by 1.7 per cent to 1.3 million tonnes. Although capacity was down slightly, the cargo carrier increased sales by 3.4 per cent. This significantly improved the cargo load factor by 2.9 percentage points to 66.9 per cent. The Lufthansa Group raised overall utilisation of passenger and cargo aircraft in the nine-month term by 1.1 percentage points to 71.8 per cent.
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Boeing has flown its newly designed A/MH-6X light-turbine helicopter for the first time, marking a significant milestone in the continuing development of the versatile manned/unmanned military aircraft. The aircraft combines the proven performance of the A/MH-6M Mission Enhanced Little Bird (MELB) with the unmanned aerial vehicle technologies of the Unmanned Little Bird (ULB) Demonstrator, a modified MD 530F civil helicopter that has been in development since 2004. "The A/MH-6X is the first true hybrid manned/unmanned aircraft, adding another mission capability to the combat-proven, multi-mission MELB helicopter," said Dino Cerchie, Boeing Advanced Rotorcraft Systems Unmanned Little Bird program manager. "The A/MH-6X Little Bird offers exciting new possibilities for an already outstanding platform." The A/MH-6X lifted off Sept. 20 at the Boeing Rotorcraft Systems facility in Mesa, Ariz., and flew as a piloted aircraft for approximately 14 minutes before landing safely. Following the flight, Boeing test pilot Todd Brown reported, "The aircraft flew great. It is very responsive and delivers outstanding performance."
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Radar will remain a core part of aircraft avionics suites, battlefield command networks, missile defense shields, and air traffic control (ATC) systems over the next 10 years. To meet global demand, Forecast International's “The Market for Radar Systems” study is projecting a $40 billion radar market over the decade reviewed – 2005-2006. This total will encompass the development, procurement, and maintenance of nearly 100 different radar systems over the next 10 years. In terms of unit sales, 9,800 individual radar systems will be procured worldwide during the decade. Although infrared and electro-optical sensors have become increasing popular, radar remains a vital part of any modern sensor suite. Radar systems are now being tied to overall data-fusion networks on the battlefield and electronic suites in commercial aircraft. Modern technology will drive radar production, according to William Ostrove, the report's author. “Technology is making active electronically scanned array (AESA) a viable, affordable, attractive alternative to the old dish or more modern phased-array aperture,” he said. Ostrove added that many new radar systems over the next 10 years, especially military fire control and surveillance radars, will be dominated by AESA technology. The major trends affecting the radar industry are globalization and consolidation. Companies such as Northrop Grumman, Raytheon, and Thales continue to acquire and merge with competitors and will remain top radar manufacturers for years to come. Northrop Grumman's sales will be dominated by fire control radars such as the APG-68 and APG-81, and by surveillance radars for unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) aircraft such as the E-2 Hawkeye. Raytheon will also enjoy strong sales of fire control radars, in particular its APG-63. Also boosting market share will be sales of the company's SPY-3 naval radar and Volume Search Radar (VSR). Thales, meanwhile, will continue to produce a wide variety of radars for land, sea, and air warfare applications. According to the analysis, the radar market will peak in 2008 and then begin to decline. Many programs, such as the popular APG-68 that equips the F-16, will begin winding down around 2015 as orders for their primary platforms dry up. Other programs, such as development of the APG-81 for the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF), will take their place, but will not result in equivalent production numbers.
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Epicos and the Government of Portugal have announced the official approval of a of a four year Offset project for the integration of 40 Portuguese Aerospace, Defence, Dual-use and Advanced Technology companies into the two leading international e-business platforms for the Aerospace and Defence industry, Epicos and Exostar. With this new major success in Portugal, Epicos is continuing its substantial growth in the international Aerospace and Defence industry. Thirteen countries have now adopted these platforms, integrating their local industries into the Epicos and Exostar e-marketplaces. Until now, the following countries are participating in similar projects: Greece, Austria, Lithuania, Hungary, Switzerland, Chile, Slovenia, Israel, Holland, Brazil, Czech Republic and Malaysia. Epicos is currently in negotiations with several more countries and expects that six of them will adopt the program by the end of 2007. The implementation of this project will enable Aerospace, Defense and Dual-use large, Small and Medium-size Enterprises (SMEs) to actively participate and receive a comprehensive package of services, offered via the Epicos and Exostar e-business platforms, that will strengthen their competitive advantages within the global Aerospace and Defence industry.
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Rolls-Royce and Turbomeca (SAFRAN Group) have extended Europe's longest-running aerospace joint venture by renewing their collaboration on the market-leading RTM322 helicopter engine. The RTM322 turboshaft engine powers the three-engine AgustaWestland EH 101Merlin military helicopter, and two twin-engine military helicopters, the NH Industries NH90 and the AgustaWestland WAH-64D Longbow Apache. The RTM322 has been selected for over 90 per cent of the NH90 fleet and approximately 60 per cent of the current EH101 fleet. It powers all the British Army's Apache helicopters. So far, around 1,600 RTM322 engines, including orders and options, have been announced for NH90, WAH-64 Apache and EH101 helicopters.
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Saab Avitronics has received an order from Ruag Aerospace of Emmen, Switzerland, for an Integrated Defensive Aids Suite (IDAS) for the Super Puma Helicopters (HKP10) of the Helicopter Wing of the Swedish Armed Forces. “This order consolidates our position on the market for airborne EW Self-Protection systems and affirms the confidence we have a product concept that meet our customers needs, says Björn Erman, President of Saab Avitronics. The supply of IDAS equipment and services is part of the upgrading of three (3) Super Puma Helicopters (HKP10) of the Helicopter Wing of the Swedish Armed Forces in the preparation for deployment as part of Sweden's contribution to the Nordic Battle Group. The system consists of a Missile Warning and Countermeasure Dispensing System. Deliveries start in January 2007. Ruag Aerospace has been sub-contracted by HeliOne of Norway for the installation and integration of the IDAS equipment supplied by Saab. Ruag Aerospace gained previous experience with Saab Avitronics equipment when the company was awarded a contract in year 2000 to install a comprehensive IDAS on Cougar Helicopters of the Swiss Air Force. Ruag's knowledge of the Super Puma/Cougar family of helicopters and the Saab Avitronics IDAS equipment formed the basis of their selection for the Swedish Programme.
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The Board of Directors of CHC Helicopter Corporation wishes to express its sympathies and condolences to the family and friends of Craig L. Dobbin, O.C. following his death Saturday October 7, 2006. The Board noted the many great contributions of Mr. Dobbin in building the Company. The Company announced that, following the death of Craig L. Dobbin, O.C., the Executive Chairman of the Company, on October 7, 2006, the Board of Directors has appointed Mark D. Dobbin as the Chairman of the Company. Mark Dobbin served as a director of the Company from 1994 to 1998 and from 2001 to 2003, and was re-elected to the Board and appointed Deputy Chairman September 28, 2006. He was employed with the Company for 17 years and held increasingly responsible positions with the Company culminating in serving as Senior Vice President, a position he held until 1998. As Chairman, Mark D. Dobbin will work closely with the continuing executive team, led by the President and Chief Executive Officer, Sylvain Allard.
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Forecast International is projecting that countries worldwide will spend more than $35 billion on 33 different Airborne and Space-Based EO programs over the next 10 years. According to its new study, "The Market for Airborne and Space-Based Electro-Optical Systems," the supply of potential EO platforms will be abundant over the next decade. This analysis consists of three major market segments: the Airborne Electro-Optical sector, which accounts for 38.4 percent; the Space-Based EO programs, which represent approximately 38.2 percent; and the Special Mission Aircraft program, which accounts for the remaining 23.4 percent of this study. The Airborne EO sector is an emerging market, supported by a number of major manufacturers. Two Airborne EO programs alone account for almost $5 billion in sales, with targeting pods providing for over $3 billion. Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, Rafael Armament Development Authority, and Raytheon each manufacture a targeting pod, which has found favor with the U.S. military. This market is expanding due to Operation Iraqi Freedom and the use of pods for non-traditional intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (NT-ISR) missions, as well as close-air support missions. Lockheed Martin is the prime on the approximately $2 billion Target Acquisition and Designation Sight/Pilot Night Vision Sensor (TADS/PNVS) and its modernized version, Arrowhead. These electro-optical fire control systems are designed for the AH-64 Apache and its international derivatives.
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Alcatel Alenia Space announced it has signed an initial agreement (Authorization To Proceed or ATP) with Globalstar, Inc., a provider of mobile satellite voice and data services, to commence work on Globalstar's second-generation satellite constellation. In addition to engaging Alcatel Alenia Space to conduct a program readiness review and to develop program milestones, the ATP provides that Globalstar and Alcatel Alenia Space will negotiate a definitive contract for Alcatel Alenia Space to construct 48 low-earth-orbit (LEO) satellites for Globalstar's second-generation satellite constellation. The ATP will terminate on the earlier of the signing of a definitive contract on November 15, 2006. Once signed, the definitive contract contemplates that Alcatel Alenia Space, as prime contractor, will design, manufacture and deliver the 48 LEO Globalstar satellites as well as related services such as launch support services and operations support services.
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General Atomics Aeronautical Systems announced that it has received a $33.9 million contract from the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)/Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Office of Air and Marine, to provide two additional unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Scheduled to be delivered in fall 2007, each system will comprise a Predator B aircraft equipped with an EO/IR camera system, Lynx SAR/GMTI, ground control station, support equipment and logistics support. “This latest order from Customs and Border Protection is a testament to Predator B's ability to fulfill the nation's need for increased surveillance of its borders,” said Thomas J. Cassidy, Jr., president, Aircraft Systems Group, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. “The partnership between GA-ASI and DHS/CBP has served as a force multiplier to the existing southwest border domain awareness capability, providing a dramatic increase in the ability of CBP to monitor our borders.”
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Martin George, Commercial Director of British Airways, has resigned his position with the airline. He has been on leave of absence since June 2006 when the Office of Fair Trading and the US Department of Justice began an investigation focused on long-haul passenger fuel surcharges. Iain Burns, British Airways' Head of Communications, has also resigned with immediate effect. In a letter to Martin Broughton, Chairman of British Airways, Martin George said: "It is with regret that I notify you of my decision to step down as Commercial Director of British Airways with effect from the above date. This decision applies both to my position as an employee of British Airways Plc and as a director on the main and subsidiary company boards of the British Airways group. I now recognise that within my department, there may have been inappropriate conversations in violation of Company policy in relation to long haul fuel surcharges. I was not involved in such conversations. Although the Board of BA have not found that I have behaved in a dishonest way, I fully recognise my responsibilities as Head of Department and as a Board Director.”
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Raytheon has received a contract with five one-year options that has an initial value of $163.2 million to provide heavy anti-tank, precision assault missiles for the U.S. military. Under this contract, Raytheon will deliver the new wireless version of TOW missiles that receives commands from the gunner through a wireless data link, eliminating the wire connection that the system has used since it was introduced more than 30 years ago. Because the wireless system is built into the missile and the missile case, wireless TOW works with existing launch platforms -- including the Improved Target Acquisition System, Improved Bradley Acquisition Subsystem, TOW 2 Subsystem and M220 Ground TOW. The system performs exactly as the wire-guided version, enabling soldiers to continue using the proven weapon without changing tactics or incurring additional training.
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ARINC Incorporated released a white paper on Gatelink technology for the aviation industry, including results from extensive operational trials of commercial Gatelink avionics and ground infrastructure. The tests were conducted earlier this year by ARINC, Lufthansa, Fraport, and the Munich International Airport Authority. “We wanted a comprehensive trial, testing the industry specifications for Gatelink at multiple airports,” stated Andrew Kemmetmueller, Business Manager at ARINC. “Our testing not only answered questions about hardware performance and airport network integration, but highlighted the many areas in need of standardization.” The joint trials in Germany tested commercial Gatelink avionics connecting to an ARINC-supported ground network, under both laboratory and airport ramp operational conditions. Wireless infrastructure and local area network connectivity were provided by the airport authorities. Four avionics manufacturers provided Terminal Wireless LAN Units (TWLUs) designed to provide aircraft with 802.11g wireless connectivity. The tests included factors such as terminal coverage, authentication, host connectivity, effects of encryption, and handoffs between access points. Lufthansa provided a specially-equipped bus for ramp testing of the TWLU avionics. Driving on the ramps at Frankfurt and Munich, the bus simulated actual aircraft movements on the ground. “Our tests showed the avionics were successful in providing a very high bandwidth connection through an 802.11g connection to a host application,” continued Kemmetmueller. “We were pleased our efforts resulted in the successful migration of the avionics to the second airport without configuration changes. This reflects a goal that airlines will have when an aircraft flies to different airports.”
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Delta Air Lines invites international customers to stretch out and lie flat, as the first U.S. airline to announce fully-horizontal personal sleeper suites in BusinessElite. Delta will introduce seats by Contour Premium Aircraft Seating in early 2008, when the airline takes delivery of two new Boeing 777 Long Range (LR) aircraft. The sleeper suites will also feature Delta's industry-leading entertainment system offering on-demand, digital video and music at every suite. ”As we continue to grow to ultra long-haul destinations across Asia, Africa, and the Middle East, we want to give our valued business class customers the utmost in comfort and entertainment,” said Jim Whitehurst, Delta's chief operating officer. “The experience we're creating for premium international travelers will offer an unmatched combination of privacy and comfort with the option to lie completely flat, unlike some competitors who offer an angled lie flat product.”
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Volvo Aero is expanding facilities at its Aero-Craft subsidiary in Newington, Connecticut. The current 40,000-square-foot (3,700-square-meter) plant and office building will be supplemented by an additional 27,000 square feet (2,500 square meters). At the same time, the number of employees will almost double. The investment of USD 15.3 M is being partly financed through support from the State of Connecticut and town of Newington. Volvo Aero acquired Aero-Craft, a manufacturer of aircraft engine components, at the end of 2004. Through the acquisition, Volvo Aero was able to add fan cases, the largest component covering the engine, to its product portfolio. In 2004 there were some 30 employees at Aero-Craft, which has now increased to 52. With the current business plans, there will be a need to recruit another 40 persons within the next few years.
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Together with numerous figures from the aeronautical and defense world, Eurocopter Executive Vice-President Bert Stegkemper was at the La Courneuve Plant on 11 October 2006 to inaugurate the new Blade Finishing Workshop (AFP), which will perform finishing operations on helicopter main rotor blades. The Blade Finishing Workshop boasts high-performance facilities, including booths for painting, sealing and sanding, and ovens. Designed with built-in growth potential for new workloads, the Workshop can quickly build up its production rate to meet the challenges posed by the NH90 and Super Puma programs. In the last few years, the strong upswing in our sales, coupled with the industrialization of new helicopters, has spawned a series of far-reaching industrial developments on the La Courneuve site. For better adaptability, these developments first concentrated on the upstream phases of the process, notably with the inauguration on 11 May 2005 of the Large Blade Workshop (AGP) for molding operations. The developments are now logically focusing on the finishing activities, such as blade painting and blade balancing. Following several pre-project and profitability studies, Eurocopter top management decided in November 2004 to move forward with this strategic 3.1 MEuroinvestment.
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Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) will continue to be the most dynamic growth sector of the world aerospace industry, report Teal analysts during this week's Association of the U.S. Army's Annual Meeting & Exposition at the Washington Convention Center. Teal Group's 2007 market study estimates that UAV spending will more than triple over the next decade from current worldwide UAV expenditures of $2.7 billion annually to $8.3 billion within a decade, totaling close to $55 billion in the next ten years. "The most significant catalyst to this market has been the enormous growth of interest in UAVs by the US military, tied to the general trend toward information warfare and net-centric systems," said Teal senior analyst Steve Zaloga, one of the authors of the new study. "UAVs are a key element in the intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) portion of this revolution, and they are expanding into other missions as well with the advent of hunter-killer UAVs." The study suggests that the US will account for 77% of the worldwide RDT&E spending on UAV technology over the next decade, and about 64% of the procurement. These US expenditures represent higher shares of the aerospace market than for worldwide defense spending in general, with the US accounting for about 67% of total worldwide defense RDT&E spending and 37% of procurement spending, according to forecasts in International Defense Briefing, another Teal Group competitive intelligence service.
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Cologne Bonn Airport is again on target for another record year – its fourth in a row. There's every indication that at the end of 2006 the passenger figures and cargo volume will again be new all-time bests. Also the profit will hit the 5 million Euro mark, a more than 2 million-lead on the previous year's result. “We've proven that our strategy change in 2002 was exactly the right thing to do. We're well established among the major German airports and with our innovative ideas we want to make the most of our opportunities and improve our position in the market,” said Michael Garvens, Airport CEO. The passenger volume has increased by five percent in the first three quarters of 2006. Up until the end of September, 7.5 million flight passengers passed through Cologne Bonn Airport. The low-cost carriers have played a decisive part in this development, extending their capacities and improving their efficiency. The FIFA World Cup accounted for some 50,000 passengers, making another two new records: July was the new top month with 972,388 passengers and June 21 the top day with 40,463 passengers. It is well worthwhile taking a look at the passenger development over the last four years, when the low-cost airlines started out in Cologne/Bonn. “The 92-percent growth in this period is an impressive confirmation of just how right Cologne's way is“, added Garvens. If we consider the annual volume that can be expected, it would seem that the 10 million mark can be easily reached. The question whether we will be able to welcome the 10 millionth passenger will likely keep us on tenterhooks until the very end. However, one thing is sure: a five percent growth compared to the previous year. Here the largest customers, Germanwings and Hapag-Lloyd Express have played the major role. Germanwings has increased its passengers in Cologne/Bonn by seven percent to approx. 3.5 million, Hlx by 12 percent to approx. 1.8 million. Another reason for celebration was the successful start of Continental Airlines, whose New York connection immediately became the American airline's most popular flight to a decentralised German airport. Another long-haul connection will soon be starting. On October 4 the Brazilian airline BRA will be taking off with a flight to Rio de Janeiro twice a week. It is the only nonstop connection from Germany to the Brazilian metropolis. Another new airline will also be taking to the air in October: the Romanian air company Blue Air will be offering flights to Bucharest four times a week. The winter timetable 2006/2007 shows a total of 14 new destinations compared to last year with destinations in Eastern Europe such St. Petersburg, Gdansk, Wroclaw and Belgrade, Innsbruck as a winter sports favourite or Mediterranean destinations, such as Genoa, Cagliari, Catania and Porto.
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The Expedition 14 crew members boarded their Soyuz spacecraft Tuesday for a short move. With Soyuz Commander Tyurin at the controls, they undocked from the Zvezda port at 3:14 p.m. EDT and redocked to the Earth-facing Zarya module port at 3:34 p.m. This relocation frees the Zvezda's docking port for the arrival of a new Russian Progress cargo spacecraft later this month. One of the station's four Control Moment Gyroscopes (CMGs) used to maintain the station's orientation in space was shut down early Tuesday after exceeding the allowed vibration limit. Only three CMGs are needed to properly maintain the station's orientation. Ground controllers will monitor the CMG and perform additional diagnostic testing.
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The first Boeing C-17 Globemaster III for the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) has rolled out of the company's paint hangar in Long Beach, Calif., and has begun preparations for its first flight, scheduled for later this month. Other than the aircraft's unique Australian markings, the new C-17 is identical to the U.S. Air Force C-17s that Boeing is now manufacturing. The black stallion on the C-17's tail identifies the airplane as part of the RAAF's No. 36 Squadron, an airlift unit that will be based in Amberley, west of Brisbane. The kangaroo on the aircraft's fuselage is part of the RAAF roundel, a distinctive emblem painted on military aircraft to indicate its nation of origin.
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Instruments used on spacecraft, such as atmospheric sensors for improving weather forecasting and monitoring climate change, could become smaller and more lightweight following the award of a contract to QinetiQ. Scientists at QinetiQ's Optronics Centre will develop its patented hollow waveguide (HWG) optical integration technology for use in optical space instrumentation, with the aim of improving the performance and reliability of space sensors and reducing their costs. The European Space Agency (ESA) has awarded QinetiQ a 310,000 euro (£210,000) contract to develop two demonstrator systems in order to assess the potential of the technology for space missions. Optical systems for micro-satellites are an area of initial interest, but hollow waveguide optical integration technology could be used in a wide range of sensors for earth observation, planetary exploration, atmospheric sensing and optical communications. In QinetiQ's unique approach, hollow waveguides are used to guide light through a circuit of optical components located in a common substrate. Both the hollow waveguide channels and the alignment slots that the components are located in are formed in the surface of the substrate using either milling or etching techniques. In the same way that copper tracks carry electrons around an electronic printed circuit board (PCB), the hollow waveguides guide light between the optical components. The approach has the potential to simplify and speed manufacture, reduce mass and volume and to improve performance, particularly in harsh environmental conditions.
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Boeing announced that Singapore Airlines has ordered 20 Boeing 787-9 Dreamliners, with purchase rights for 20 additional airplanes. The airline originally announced the selection of and intent to purchase the 787-9 in June. Singapore Airlines' new 787-9s will be delivered from 2011 through 2013, providing growth as well as fleet renewal. The carrier intends to use the new airplanes on routes to North Asia, the Indian subcontinent and the Middle East. "The importance of Singapore Airlines as a member of the 787 Dreamliner family cannot be overstated," said Larry Dickenson, vice president, Sales -- Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "This is another great step in our long-standing relationship with one of the world's aviation leaders." Singapore Airlines' order for these 20 Dreamliners brings the total orders for the 787 family to 422 airplanes from 33 customers, with commitments for 23 additional airplanes announced by other customers.
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Willis Lease Finance Corporation, a leading lessor of commercial jet engines, today announced the signing of an agreement with CFM International to purchase up to $540 million of new spare aircraft engines. The agreement specifies that, subject to availability, Willis Lease may purchase up to a total of 45 CFM56-7B and CFM56-5B spare engines over the next five years, with options to acquire up to an additional 30 engines. "This is another ground-breaking achievement for Willis Lease," said Charles F. Willis, President and CEO. "We are the first independent engine lessor to have ever entered into an agreement like this with one of the major engine manufacturers. It enables us to add a significant quantity of new engines to our portfolio, on a planned basis, over the next five years. The agreement confirms Willis Lease's position as an industry leader and a major provider of spare engines. It also provides us with additional capacity and flexibility to meet our customers' needs and to support our global pooling programs. The purchase of these engines over the coming years is one of the ways we are investing the capital we have successfully raised over the last year from our innovative engine securitization and our preferred stock offering."
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AIA President and CEO John W. Douglass said that AIA appreciates the GAO's review of the status of the recommendations made in the Final Report of the Commission on the Future of the Aerospace Industry. The Final Report was a roadmap for the future of the defense, civil, and space sectors of the aerospace industry. In the nearly four years since the bipartisan commission issued its report some solid progress has been made, however, significant challenges remain. Former Secretary of Transportation Norm Mineta and FAA Administrator Marion Blakely deserve huge credit for their initiative to implement recommendations affecting the civil sector of the industry. Chief of these is the formation of the Joint Planning and Development Office to facilitate the development of the Next-Generation Air Transportation System. The GAO report recognized the progress NASA has made in the space sector of the industry with the establishment of a national vision to return humans to the moon with the eventual destination of Mars. However, as the GAO report points out, restructuring of NASA to support the space vision is threatening the vitality of the aerospace industry with drastic cuts in aeronautics funding, which has plummeted by 40 percent since 1994. Continued erosion of aeronautics funding will impact the ability of the nation to build the Next- Generation Air Transportation System thereby affecting the competitiveness of the U.S. aerospace industry. AIA believes NASA's budget should be more robust to allow the agency to accomplish all the activities in its portfolio: space exploration and science and aeronautics research. +++
Pratt & Whitney's F135 engine program has achieved more than 6,000 hours of System Development and Demonstration (SDD) ground testing and is on schedule to support the first flight of the F-35 Lightening II this fall. The 6,000 SDD hours are in addition to the more than 3,600 hours accumulated during the concept demonstration phase of the F-35 program, reflecting the F135's maturity and reliability. Pratt & Whitney is a United Technologies Corp. company. Most recently, the F-35 completed its first series of F135 engine runs culminating in a full after-burner test with 40,000 pounds of thrust. The F135 engine is on schedule to begin taxi testing this fall.
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ATR and Cape Verde, Praia-based TACV (Transportes Aereos de Cabo Verde) have today signed a contract for 3 new ATR aircraft (1 ATR 42-500 and 2 ATR 72-500s). The contract, of a total value of $ 50 million, has been inked in Toulouse by Filippo Bagnato, ATR CEO, and Joao Higino do Rosario Silva, TACV Chairman and CEO. The three new ATR aircraft will be delivered in 2007 and will be equipped with the new “Elegance Cabin” and with the newest technological innovations in the field of communications and navigation aid tools. These ATR aircraft will allow the airline to renew its current fleet of 3 ATR 42-300s as well as to increase passenger capacity in order to further develop the tourism in the country.
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The U.S. Fleet Forces Band caught the mood of the people attending the christening of the USS George H.W. Bush when it played Richard Rodger's music for the World War II documentary “Victory at Sea.” Many of the World War II veterans sprinkled among the crowd greeted the former president. All ignored the rain to watch Bush's daughter Dorothy Bush Koch smash a champagne-filled bottle to officially name the 90,000-ton aircraft carrier. The former president began his government career as the Navy's youngest pilot in 1942. He flew missions against the Japanese during World War II. Later he served as a congressman from Texas, U.S. ambassador to China, director of central intelligence and vice president before being elected president in 1988. Following the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, Bush served again and with former President Bill Clinton, led efforts to aid the people of the region. His son, President George W. Bush, said the USS George H.W. Bush “honors a generation that valued service above self.”
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Lockheed Martin has completed the sale of its interests in Lockheed Khrunichev Energia International, Inc. (LKEI) and ILS International Launch Services, Inc. (ILS) to Space Transport Inc. The two companies had provided sales, marketing and mission management support for launches of both the Lockheed Martin-built Atlas and Khrunichev-built Proton and Angara rockets to commercial customers. The sale was originally announced Sept. 7, 2006. Terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Lockheed Martin has retained all rights related to marketing the commercial Atlas vehicle and is continuing to offer Atlas launch services to the worldwide commercial market through its subsidiary, Lockheed Martin Commercial Launch Services, Inc. (LMCLS). ILS, which no longer is affiliated with Lockheed Martin, will continue to market the Russian-built Proton and Angara launch vehicles to commercial clients.
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The oneworld airline alliance marked the launch of its largest yet drive to win a bigger share of the air travel market from France and Germany. The offensive is being supported by a multi-million Euro marketing communications campaign and featuring the alliance's first external advertising for five years. The overall aim is to increase awareness of oneworld and its members and the services and benefits they offer air travelers from France and Germany - with that translating into more customers and more revenues for its airlines. oneworld currently comprises eight of the biggest and best names in the industry, all international airline benchmarks for quality and value - American Airlines, British Airways, Qantas, Cathay Pacific Airways, Iberia, Finnair, LAN and Aer Lingus, plus their dozen affiliates. Between them, they serve more than 600 destinations in some 135 countries, carrying more than 250 million passengers a year worldwide on more than 8,000 daily departures. Early next year, in the alliance's biggest expansion programme in its history, they will be joined by Japan Airlines and five of its affliates, plus Malév and Royal Jordanian, increasing the alliance's network by almost another hundred destinations and adding another thousand daily departures to its schedule. The existing eight oneworld members already account for around 12 per cent of the French international air travel market and 10 per cent of the German market.
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Lockheed Martin and ITT Corporation have formed an alliance in the competition to build the U.S. Air Force's next generation Global Positioning System Space Segment program, known as GPS Block III. Under the teaming agreement, the two companies will build on their existing partnership on the government's Block IIR and IIR-M series in which Lockheed Martin serves as the prime contractor and spacecraft integrator with ITT as the navigation payloads provider. GPS III will address the challenging military transformational and civil needs across the globe, including advanced anti-jam capabilities and improved system security, accuracy and reliability. GPS Block III will enhance space-based navigation and performance and set a new world standard for positioning and timing services.We are excited to continue our long, successful partnership with ITT in providing our customer with high performance positioning and timing capabilities for both military and civil users worldwide," said Don DeGryse, vice president, Lockheed Martin Navigation Systems. "With a focus on mission success, we look forward to offering an incremental, low risk solution for the government on this critical national initiative."
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SWISS achieved a sharp increase in the number of passengers carried in the first nine months of 2006. Compared to the same period a year ago, the number of passengers rose by 7.1% to more than 7.8 million. The average seat load factor (SLF) for the full route network was 79.8%, compared to 79.1% for the same period last year (+0.7 percentage points). On intercontinental routes, the SLF in the first nine months stabilised at a high level of 83.8% (previous year 85%). In Europe the SLF increased by 4.7 percentage points to 71.5%. In September 2006 SWISS achieved an SLF of 83.2% (previous year: 82.2%). The airline carried 941,632 passengers, which translates into a strong gain of 9 per cent over the same month a year ago. At 86%, the SLF on intercontinental routes in September 2006 was down by 1.4 percentage points from level of 87.4% for the same month a year earlier. While capacity (available seat kilometres /ASK) was increased by 7% on a year-ago comparison, sales volume (revenue passenger kilometres /RPK) increased by 5.4% for the same period. On European routes SWISS raised its SLF in September by 6 percentage points to 77.3% (previous year: 71.3%). A 4.6% increase in capacity (available seat kilometres /ASK) was more than matched by a 13.3% increase in revenue passenger kilometres (RPK).
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