DayJet "per-seat, on-demand jet service" is preparing to taxi out to U.S. runways in the second quarter. President and CEO Ed Iacobucci says the $50 million in capital received last week in a third round of private equity funding was the "keystone" for launching service. The air taxi service targets the business traveler and plans to operate Eclipse 500s--it has ordered 239 of the very light jets and holds options for 70 more--to U.S. airports with limited or no scheduled airline service. Ticket prices will be comparable to regional, full-fare coach rates.
The next stop for Comair, now that pilots have accepted an amended contract, will be emerging from Chapter 11 reorganization with its parent Delta Air Lines. Comair management expects to be operating 130 aircraft when it emerges, probably in late April or early May. That is down from a 174-aircraft fleet when it filed for bankruptcy protection in 2005. The Master Executive Council of the Air Line Pilots Assn. unit supported the new agreement, but the union and pilots were "not happy about this," says union President J.C. Lawson, 3rd.
Future growth prospects in the global commercial helicopter industry look bright as rising demand for new aircraft and support services is forecast to fuel expansion beyond 2010. Sponsored by the Helicopter Assn. International (HAI)--comprising more than 1,450 member organizations in 68 nations--Heli-Expo 2007 drew nearly 15,000 people and 500 exhibitors and saw record sales of new aircraft. Airframe and engine manufacturers and service/support suppliers said this year was one of the strongest, with some operators overwhelmed by contractual demands.
The next-generation radar for the U.S. Navy's F/A-18F Super Hornets is not yet ready for combat, says a newly completed operational evaluation. But a key Navy official says it will be fine-tuned for war in time for the first operational deployment in 2008.
As a crewmember for a now defunct DC-8 night freight hauler and a former Air Line Pilots Assn. Air Safety Committee chairman, the letter "FAA, Disaster Is in the Making" brought back many bad memories. Having been subjected to this insanity, it is past time for the truth to come out.
Hainan Airlines has received government approval for a long-standing plan to establish a new carrier by merging with subsidiaries under the name Grand China Airlines.
The structure of Brazil's commercial aviation may be in for substantial change. Chile's Lan Airlines, has loaned Varig $17 million for an exclusive option for shares. Profitable Lan this month reported a fourth-quarter 2006 net income of $93.6 million compared to $49.9 million in the same quarter of 2005, and a net income of $241.3 million for the full year, compared with $146.6 million for 2005. The investment could be Lan's foothold into Brazil's airline passenger business, says Raymond E. Neidl, analyst with Calyon Securities.
Robin Salem has been named Itasca, Ill.-based senior vice president-strategy and business development for AirCell, Louisville, Colo. He was senior vice president-business development of Nomadix Inc.
PREMIER AIRCRAFT LLC, EAST ALTON, ILL., has been awarded an FAA Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for the company's Falcon 50-4 Performance Upgrade that increases the Dassault Falcon 50's range, payload, cruise speed and time-to-climb. The STC converts Honeywell TFE731-3/3Ds to a TFE731-4-1C configuration that includes new exhaust nozzles and minor alterations to the nacelles and engine instrumentation. Downtime is about 14 working days. According to the company, range is increased by 300 naut. mi. at a cruise speed of Mach 0.80.
Reflecting changes within Britain's procurement and logistics organizations, Paul Drayson has been appointed minister of state for defense equipment and support. He was minister for defense procurement.
Selex Sistemi Integrati is emerging as a fulcrum for joint European active electronically scanned array radar development programs. Along with efforts on the Tornado, Typhoon and Future Lynx, the group is also looking at airborne early warning (AEW), naval and ground-based applications that are part of a collaborative program between Italy and Sweden. The aim of the joint program is to develop a family of active electronically scanned array (AESA) radars suitable for air, land and marine uses.
Telesat Canada reported a 15% rise in net earnings for 2006, to $102.5 million, on operating revenues of $479 million (up 1%). However, operating cash flow dropped 6% to $217 million because of one-time charges related to executive compensation and a canceled initial public offering.
ASSOCIATED AIR CENTER IN DALLAS HAS DELIVERED a Boeing 757-200 to a commercial customer after installing a new interior. Associated Air Center is a Designated Completion Center for the Boeing Business Jet series.
The airline industry should rapidly devise a wide-ranging information strategy targeted at halting an exaggerated campaign against commercial transport nuisances, including the alleged climate change impact and waste of natural resources. A crucial deadline is approaching: In September, international organizations could determine new air transportation objectives during the general assembly of the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO).
Federal agencies reportedly have impounded four ex-U.S. Navy F-14 Tomcats--three of them sold to aviation museums and a fourth given to the producer of the TV show JAG. The government has been arresting people involved in buying and exporting F-14 parts to Iran. U.S. officials say the fighters weren't properly stripped of military equipment when they were sold after retirement in the mid-1990s. Defense officials say the fighters should have been destroyed.
Intelligence collected and Hellfire missile attacks by U.S. Predator unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are prompting insurgents in Iraq to change their tactics by trying--unsuccessfully thus far--to rely on movement for protection, according to intelligence analysts here.
Barbara M. Barrett, Martin C. Faga and Elon Musk have been elected to the board of directors of the Colorado Springs-based Space Foundation. Lon Levin, who is chief strategic officer of the Transformational Space Corp. and co-founder of XM Satellite Radio, was elected treasurer. Robert S. Walker continues as chairman. USAF Gen. (ret.) Thomas S. Moorman, Jr., who is vice president of Booz Allen Hamilton, is vice chairman; and William F. Ballhaus, Jr., president/CEO of The Aerospace Corp., is secretary.
China, Japan and many other Asia-Pacific nations have this in common: they must achieve greater internal civil and military ATC cooperation if civil aviation is to continue to grow at current rates.
Boeing officials are considering the U.S. Air Force secretary's proposal to reduce production rate and extend manufacturing of C-17 transports. But, this option is not likely to balance the mismatch between constrained budgets and the potential for additional airlift requirements.
I respectfully disagree with your editorial position (AW&ST Feb. 26, p. 74) that Congress should not enact a passenger bill of rights because "treatment of passengers . . . is a customer-service question." In the same issue (p. 50), you report that Southwest Airlines "allows its people to evaluate each situation." Other airlines, of course, do likewise. Passengers have no firm knowledge of what to expect in an adverse situation and have to rely on the mercy, or goodwill, of airline staff.
Australia will maintain its full requirement for F-35 Lightning II fighters even as it confirms a plan to buy Boeing F/A-18F Super Hornets that previously looked likely to rob the Lockheed Martin aircraft of funding. The government has unexpectedly--and unusually--stepped in with A$6 billion ($4.6 billion) of supplementary funding for the 24 Super Hornets, which will be bought as temporary replacements for F-111 strike bombers now scheduled for retirement in 2010.
Consolidation at the aerospace supplier level continues at a brisk clip, as evidenced by last week's agreement by U.K.-based Meggitt plc to pay $1.8 billion for K&F Industries Holdings, a New York-based manufacturer of aircraft brakes and wheels. The combination of K&F with the Dunlop operation acquired by Meggitt in 2005 would position the company as the No. 2 aircraft brake supplier behind Goodrich Corp. If the deal receives shareholder and regulatory approvals, it will expand Meggitt's position in the U.S.
Inmarsat reported a 5% hike in earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization in 2006, to $332 million, driven by a 4% surge in mobile satellite service revenues. The company's new Broadband Global Area Network (BGAN), which started last year, contributed $9.5 million of revenue as the number of active terminals increased by 28% to 7,119 units in the fourth quarter.
