Good news for British Airways: A potential strike by employees failed to materialize. Bad news--the threat of a walkout cost the airline £80 million ($157.5 million) as worried passengers opted for other carriers. The airline lost another £40 million in December because of inclement weather that caused massive schedule disruptions. Chief Executive Willie Walsh says the airline's performance in third-quarter 2006 showed operating profit plummeted £47 million with a pre-tax profit of £113 million. Fuel costs increased 3% while revenue rose only 0.5%.
In the years ahead, we will look back on the launch of the anti-satellite (Asat) weapon by China as a watershed event (AW&ST Jan. 22, p. 24). Sadly, but in keeping with its tradition, the U.S government will recognize the threat only after the Chinese disable an American satellite. We are given "make it go away" explanations: The Chinese did it to get us to the table for an Asat ban, or the Chinese army did it without political approval. The story lines are in conflict and absurd. The U.S. managed to produce an associate Air Force general counsel to explain the law.
Chinese passengers are most satisfied with the service from Air China and Hainan Airlines, a survey has found. Air China is one of the country's Big Three airlines, along with China Southern and China Eastern, which didn't get a gong. Customers were more satisfied in 2006 than they were in 2005, the civil aviation industry association says.
CESSNA AIRCRAFT CO. HAS DELIVERED THE 1,000TH CitationJet, a CJ2+, to Xpressdocs in Fort Worth. Cessna offers three versions of the CitationJet--the CJ1+, CJ2+ and the larger CJ3, all powered by Williams International FJ44 series engines. A fourth version, the CJ4, is under development and is tentatively scheduled to make its first flight in 2008. Since the first CitationJet entered service in 1992, the CJ fleet has accumulated 1.5 million flight hours. In other news, Cessna is experiencing strong interest in its business jets within the Indian aviation market.
Thai Airways International says it will retain its order for six A380s, as expected. It still isn't happy with Airbus's cash compensation offer, but is taking up a proposal for eight discounted A330s.
United Airlines paid down nearly $1 billion of the debt it incurred to finance its exit from Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection early last year, reducing its interest rate, relaxing restrictive covenants and releasing about $2.5 billion in collateral. Using $972 million in cash from its unrestricted total of $4.1 billion as of Dec. 31, the carrier refinanced the $2 billion remaining from its original $3-billion exit facility. The new debt is a $1.8-billion term loan with a $255-million revolving credit line. Lower interest rates are estimated to save $70 million per year.
Delta has placed 30 firm orders and 30 options for Bombardier CRJ900 regional jets for Delta Connection. The order, valued at $2.3 billion with all options, was approved last week by U.S. Bankruptcy Court in New York. Delta has a fleet of 358 CRJs. Deliveries are to begin this year.
To propel international collaboration, India is attempting to use defense procurement leverage, including another round of competition for the engine on its light combat aircraft (LCA), as well as looming purchases of airborne early warning and combat aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles and tactical missiles.
Despite continued dollar exchange rate and growing material cost pressures, Rolls-Royce expects to increase its underlying profit this year after a strong financial result in 2006. Company officials say they also have high expectations from the defense sector, and so far aren't overly concerned by the Pentagon's renewed proposal to end funding for the General Electric-Rolls-Royce F136 alternative engine for the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
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Normally, blowing your fuse isn't the best strategy for solving an in-orbit failure, but that's the course the Japanese space agency JAXA says it's pursuing to overcome a series of switches that won't stay "on."
The U.S. Air Force's Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) is using conventional and advanced techniques to conduct aerothermal testing on a scale model of NASA's Orion crew exploration vehicle (CEV).
The FAA this week intends to send Congress a new blueprint for aviation funding that includes both user fees and higher fuel taxes, but the agency will face an uphill battle to convince Democratic leaders to approve the changes.
Austria's Austriamicrosystems, an analog integrated circuit manufacturer, will supply controllers for the Timed Triggered Protocol (TTP) technology that Hamilton Sundstrand will use in designing the distributed electric and environmental control systems for Boeing's 787. Austriamicrosystems' AS8202NF controller offers communications speeds up to 25 Mbps.
Top Northrop Grumman and EADS officials struggled until the last minute last week to create a competitive KC-30 tanker bid that trims airframe costs and highlights the design's greater cargo, passenger and fuel capacity. They now expect a strong showing against Boeing's smaller, less expensive KC-767 for the Air Force tanker contract. But experienced USAF acquisition officials say there is a deeper game afoot.
In its supply work for Boeing's 787, Spirit Aerosystems has delivered the first set of pylons for the Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 and General Electric GEnx engines, wing fixed leading edges, and has completed three Sec. 41 contoured fuselage test barrels for the nose. Its 787 supply work is on schedule for first assembly this year, President and CEO Jeff Turner told analysts last week.
Robert L. Del Boca (see photo), who is vice president/general manager of the Northrop Grumman Corp.'s Defensive Systems Div., Rolling Meadows, Ill., has won the 2006 Combat Survivability Award for Leadership from the National Defense Industrial Assn. He was recognized for the protection of aircraft from heat-seeking infrared missiles, and selected "for his focus on the development and transition of the Northrop Grumman Viper solid-state, multi-band, infrared countermeasures laser."
Prof. A.U. Krishnamurthy cites the different approach Airbus has versus Boeing when it comes to fly-by-wire philosophy (AW&ST Oct. 30, 2006, p. 6). He says: "It would be better for A380 to follow Boeing's ideology in this matter." This may be so but there is an error in what he says. It is Airbus that has adopted a fly-by-wire philosophy under which pilots are unable to override the computers. Boeing has stayed with a conventional control column, which places no limits on maneuvering. One could roll a 777 (theoretically).
The prospect of snagging a 100-plus fighter order was a powerful lure that drew numerous Western and Russian fighter manufacturers to Aero India 2007 in Bangalore last week. The sixth annual show also attracted 500 exhibitors, up from 380 last year, as India's rapid economic growth continues to fuel an aggressive program of purchasing new military and civil aircraft. AVIATION WEEK Editors Douglas Barrie and Neelam Mathews report.
China's Civil Aviation Flying University (Cafuc) will take delivery of 72 Cessna Skyhawks this year for use as primary trainers, in addition to 42 Skyhawks last year. Cafuc is China's largest flight training facility and accounts for about 90% of airline and general aviation pilots in that country. The new airplanes will be equipped with Garmin G1000 glass cockpits.
South Korea's Asiana Airlines in 2006 delivered a 121% higher operating profit of 127 billion won ($135 million), or 3.7% of revenue. Asiana is targeting an 11% rise in revenue for 2007, after 13% last year.
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Shelley Hedrick has been appointed director of charter sales and marketing for Million Air Dallas. She was director of operations for Perfect Jet Travel.
