Japan's Defense Agency has down-selected the Boeing 767 and Airbus A310 as candidates for the aerial tanker program in its fiscal 2001-05 five-year defense plan. The air force's requirements are for a tanker that can refuel up to eight aircraft from a flying boom-type system. The range is to be 4,000 mi. with a payload of 30 metric tons (66,000 lb.). Selection of a winner is expected by year-end. Four aircraft are to be included in the initial procurement.
Record business jet orders and prospects for improved fighter sales are generating cautious optimism at Dassault Aviation, despite an economic downturn that is affecting many of its rivals.
Delta Air Lines wants to modernize its supply chain, giving it more of a strategic and structured focus. To do Internet-based industry analysis and commodity strategy, standardize sourcing techniques and negotiate online for some commodities, the carrier has bought B2eSourcing software from B2eMarkets Inc.
John Hill has become account director and Lonnie Muir sales director for Airshow, Tustin, Calif. Hill was director of new business development for the former AlliedSignal, while Muir was senior director for airline sales for inflightonline.
The Navy is seeking proposals for a family of ships with new technology ``across the full spectrum of naval warfare.'' Technologists within the service say the DD(X) ship family, which supersedes the DD21 effort, would have electric drives, which could also power directed-energy weapons for defense against aircraft and missiles. This spring, the Navy will select a single industry team to design the ships and develop the technology.
It was a busy week in Chicago. United Airlines parent UAL Corp. said goodbye to a departing chief executive officer, welcomed a new one, reported net losses of $542 million in the third quarter and predicted worse to come. Special charges, mostly aircraft writedowns, pushed third-quarter total losses over $1.1 billion, but the company said its cash position is good.
Air France has awarded a $100-million manufacturing order to GE Aircraft Engines for 106 hot-section upgrade kits for CF6-50 turbofans. The engines power the French flag carrier's Boeing 747-200/300s.
Bombardier Aerospace and Dassault Falcon Jet--perhaps business aviation's two most prolific airframe manufacturers--are each pressing ahead with new product-development programs, confident the current lull in aircraft sales will give way to a resurgence in demand.
Invoking force majeure clauses in its pilot contract, US Airways is accelerating its retreat to hubs and ``focus cities'' in an attempt to shrink its way past huge third-quarter losses. The company reported a $750-million operating loss and a $766-million net loss for the quarter, even after counting $331 million in federal grants--double what it has received so far--as an offset against costs. It reported $712 million in unusual costs, mostly impairment charges for retiring its remaining 737-200, MD-80 and Fokker 100 aircraft.
Carl Fischer, former president of Aerojet-General, has been appointed vice president/general manager of the new Space Systems Div. of the Northrop Grumman Corp., following its acquisition of the Aerojet Electronics and Information Systems Group. Gary Ervin has become vice president/deputy of the Air Combat Systems unit and Matthew W. Ganz vice president-strategy and technology of Northrop Grumman's Integrated Systems Sector. Ervin was vice president-Advanced Development Programs at Lockheed Martin Skunk Works, Palmdale, Calif.
Boeing and El Al Israel Airlines plan to study the feasibility of creating a joint venture to establish a security and safety business for airlines, airports and governments. Such an arrangement could include developing technology, manufacturing products, training personnel and staffing operations. The memorandum of understanding between the organizations will remain in effect for 60 days.
Keith Phillips has been named vice president-sales and marketing for Garrett Aviation Services, Tempe, Ariz. He was vice president-aftermarket services for Curtiss-Wright Flight Systems, Gastonia, N.C.
Robert J. McReavy, vice president-tax of Alliant Techsystems of Minneapolis, has been appointed treasurer of the corporation. He succeeds Richard N. Jowett, who is retiring.
Stuart Anderson (see photo, p. 11), managing director of the Evans and Sutherland Computer Corp. of Salt Lake City, has been selected to receive the third annual Edwin A. Link Award. The award is presented by Arinc and the Flight Simulator Engineering and Maintenance Conference. Among Anderson's achievements are obtaining for General Precision Systems the first FAA certification for a visual system designed to train airline pilots, and developing for Rediffusion the wide-screen displays that are the standard for advanced full-flight simulators.
Mark Lovin has been named deputy manager of aviation for operationsat Denver International Airport. He was acting in that position and had been chief aviation operations manager.
The U.K. is giving its airlines another breather for third-party liability insurance against terrorism and war risks, acknowledging that commercial coverage has not bounced back as fully as expected since Sept. 11. Effective immediately, British carriers have two alternatives. They can buy commercial coverage for liabilities up to $100 million, with the government providing protection above that amount. The premiums are waived until Nov. 24. Or carriers can choose to retain government coverage for all liabilities above $50 million.
EchoStar and Hughes will portray their proposed $25.8-billion merger, in part, as a way to help close the ``digital divide'' that deprives rural Americans of high-speed Internet access by making it easier to use satellites to beam interactive broadband service to homes without terrestrial broadband capability.
Sabena Belgian World Airlines could, in the next few days, become Europe's first flag carrier to file for bankruptcy and cease operations. In preparation for this unprecedented failure, the Belgian government, company executives and would-be investors are devising a ``new Sabena'' tentatively scheduled to succeed the ailing airline. The ``new, improved'' flag carrier would retain small segments of the existing route system and a fraction of the current workforce.
A slowdown in the U.S. economy and the worsening slump in shipments of electronics helped push a 35.9% drop to S$485 million ($265 million) for Singapore Airlines Group's operating profit for the first six months of fiscal 2001. The group's profit before tax was S$288 million, a massive decline of 79.2%. A drop in operating profits of 58.2% to S$284 million by Singapore Airlines (SIA) led the group's decline. An already weak year was exacerbated by the abrupt falloff in traffic due to the Sept. 11 attacks.
Robert A. Giroux has become director of operations for Fansteel California Drop Forge of Los Angeles. He was manufacturing manager for Rolls-Royce North America.
A high-powered independent panel has found that NASA's International Space Station program ``is not credible'' as it stands, and can only be fixed by deep staff cuts, longer ``expeditions'' to the orbiting lab with fewer space shuttle flights to support them, and austere Russian-style ground control.
Michael S. Ledford has become senior vice president-engineering for Sirius Satellite Radio of New York. He was head of automotive strategy for Wingcast.
