PATS Aircraft Systems has added Chris Bott as certification manager. Bott, an FAA designated engineering representative, will oversee certification efforts for PATS Aircraft Systems and Hollingsead International products.

Nordam has named Jeff Chalupa general manager of domestic operations for its transparency division in Tulsa. Chalupa joined Nordam in 2007 and most recently served as senior director of global engineering and quality for Nordam's repair division.

Gulf Air is planning to significantly expand its MRO activities by launching a separate maintenance, repair and overhaul division, The new organization will be a subsidiary of Bahrain Mumtalakat Holding Co., the Bahraini government's investment company, Hashim told delegates at Aviation Week's MRO Middle East Conference in Dubai. Contracts have been signed for a hangar that Hashim expects to become operational within the next two years.

Biofuels will no doubt bring the next step-change in jet fuel reduction, and airlines have continued to push development forward since Virgin Atlantic operated the first commercial airline flight powered by a biofuel blend in February 2008. As Alaska Airlines CEO Bill Ayer has professed, “To the biofuels industry, we say: 'If you build it, we will buy it.' “

FL Technics Training has added widebody maintenance training to its list of training programs, made possible by acquiring Storm Aviation at the end of 2011. The EASA Part 147-certified MRO adds the capability to more than 150 practical and theoretical courses and narrowbody training.

Fokker Services has signed a multi-year MRO landing gear services agreement with OceanAir, which does business as Avianca in Brazil. The agreement covers the airline's Goodrich landing gear on its Fokker 100s.

Venerable engine maker Pratt & Whitney is looking forward to a resurgent decade, with new engines like the innovative PW1000G geared turbofan series racing out of the gate and a solid business emerging for its Engine Alliance turbofan program with GE. But there's still a lot of business opportunity out there for the tried-and-true stalwarts, especially when it comes to overhauls and on-wing support—and that's especially true for Pratt & Whitney's PW4000 series large turbofan.

AFI KLM E&M's subsidiary Epcor has signed an agreement with LAN Airlines for full APU overhaul services on Boeing 777 freighter aircraft, and AFI KLM E&M will provide pool access for the operator. LAN previously signed an eight-year contract for APU support with AFI KLM E&M. The MRO also signed a five year contract with Luxair to support its Boeing 737 APUs.