After reviewing at least three options for attacks on Iraq, senior U.S. Defense Dept. officials appear to have accepted the military's recommendations for a large-scale air offensive that would include sustained attacks by both cruise missiles and manned aircraft.
The new Northwest Arkansas Regional Airport (NARA) in Highfill, Ark., is open for business. The facility includes an FAA control tower, 8,800-ft. runway, and a 77,000-sq.-ft. passenger terminal. American Eagle, the only airline now offering service at NARA, has begun operating 50-seat Embraer RJ-145 regional jets on three round-trip flights daily to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport. Plans call for all-jet service between Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport and NARA to begin in late February.
Pentagon officials are hopping mad that Raytheon corporate executives are continuing to prune the old E-Systems Greenville, Tex., division's workforce. The facility upgrades Navy P-3s and federal VIP aircraft. But perhaps most importantly, for decades it has modified intelligence aircraft such as Cobra Ball, Rivet Joint and Combat Sent. Those involved in the programs say that, despite having a large backlog of business, Raytheon honchos have mandated a new 10% personnel cut to look better to Wall Street.
Robert L. Crandall, retired chairman/ CEO of the AMR Corp., has received the 1998 Trophy for Aviation Excellence from the Aero Club of Washington. He was cited for ``leadership, vision, energy and commitment to excellence in safety, technology, customer service and marketing innovation'' during his more than 30 years in commercial aviation.
Finnair, as part of its fleet renewal plan, is purchasing three 66-seat ATR 72 turboprops from TransAsia Airways Corp. of Taiwan and selling two 34-seat Saab 340s to Flying Enterprise AB of Sweden. The ATR 72s are to enter service by early 1999. Lithuanian Airlines is acquiring two new Saab 2000s from Saab Aircraft Leasing to supplement its fleet of Saab 340Bs and Boeing 737s.
Finalizing the sale of 60 Lockheed Martin Block-60 F-16s to the United Arab Emirates is proving to be a knotty problem. Consummation of the deal will probably slip into 1999. Hang-ups have included demands for the AIM-120 Amraam missile and access to software code for the advanced electronic warfare suite. (The radar warning receiver on the UAE F-16s is reputed to be more accurate than the Harm Targeting System on the USAF's Block 50 F-16s.) Now the issue appears to be how much of the nonrecurring development costs of the Block 60 aircraft the UAE will pay.
Robert Geiselman (see photo) has been appointed general manager of Osmonics' Minnetonka, Minn., operations. He succeeds Kenton Toomey, who is now executive vice president-operations.
Bracing for a possible pilots' strike next month, Federal Express last week signed a contract with Atlas Air Inc. of Golden, Colo., to provide crews and three Boeing 747s to supplement its international air operations, Jess Bunn, a company spokesman said. Management hoped to cushion FedEx further from strike effects by shifting packages from air operations to ground delivery.
A growing number of aerospace/defense companies are pursuing six sigma quality initiatives in an all-out drive to increase productivity and sustain long-term profitability. Equally significant, many of the companies that have launched such efforts are now expanding them beyond the factory floor to encompass the whole enterprise--human resources, finance and the like.
British Airways is adjusting its growth plans for 1999 in light of souring economic forecasts, while other European airlines are already facing the consequences of declining demand, especially among high-paying first- and business-class passengers. Pre-tax profits for the third quarter were up 14.3%, although profits for the first 6 months of the year are still down 10.5%. BA officials attributed the improvement to cost-cutting and fleet rationalization efforts.
Georgina L. McAllister has become vice president-corporate communications of Fairchild Aerospace, San Antonio, Tex. She was director of communications for Sikorsky Aircraft, Stratford, Conn.
American Airlines has acquired a 10% stake in Argentine holding company Interinvest from Andes Holding. Andes is owned by Merrill Lynch and Bankers Trust, as well as SEPI, a Spanish holding company. The transaction gives American an 8.5% interest in Aerolineas Argentinas, and 9% in Austral, a regional affiliate. In accordance with a U.S. Justice Dept. ruling, American will have neither direct management control of Aerolineas nor representation on its board of directors. Interinvest owns 85% of Aerolineas Argentinas and 90% of Austral.
Air France and Air Mauritius last week concluded a 5-year marketing partnership. The carriers will jointly operate 12 flights per week between Paris and Mauritius under a code-share agreement and plan to increase capacity soon. Air Mauritius also seeks to conclude partnerships with African and Pacific Rim airlines, Chairman/CEO Nash Mallam-Hasham said.
ATR is hoping that a flurry of last-minute, new aircraft orders, coupled with a strong used aircraft lease market, can blunt a sharp decline in sales from 1997 levels.
Joanne Isham (see photo), associate deputy director for science and technology of the CIA, has won the Outstanding Leadership Award of Women in Aerospace.
To buttress its expansion into the airborne information field, Honeywell is building a new data center in Phoenix. The facility will be able to quickly transfer large uploads, such as business files or color weather imagery, possibly air traffic control information, to business and VIP aircraft inflight anywhere in the world. A number of data links will available for the service, according to Larry Bowe, director of aviation services. A basic fee structure is envisioned with higher costs for increased levels of capability.
Some aerospace/defense companies are choosing to pursue quality-improvement efforts they consider superior overall to the widely touted six sigma initiative. One of them is Rockwell Collins, with its ``Lean Electronics.''
A dramatic decline in the number of commercially licensed helicopter pilots and instructors could result in a U.S. helicopter pilot shortage in the next few years, restricting operations and driving up salaries. In response, Helicopter Assn. International of Arlington, Va., is interested in starting or promoting existing apprenticeship programs which provide the flight time and experience that low-time pilots need to acquire advanced ratings. The number of active U.S.
The launch of a modified Minuteman 2 inaugurated operations at Alaska's new spaceport on Kodiak Island. The Nov. 5 suborbital mission (shown) simulated an incoming missile attack for the U.S. Air Force's Atmospheric Interceptor Technology Program. A second test is scheduled for next August. The $28-million Kodiak complex recently became the fourth licensed U.S. spaceport. Alaska Aerospace Development Corp.
In the first nine months of this year, small-airplane builders delivered 1,495 new aircraft, and projected shipments by the end of the fourth quarter could exceed 2,000 for the first time since 1985, according to the General Aviation Manufacturers Assn.
Aid to Central America is being hindered in perversely unexpected ways as aviation efforts accelerate to meet the food, water and health care demands triggered by days of high winds and flooding during Hurricane Mitch.
David H. Napier has been appointed director of the Aerospace Industries Assn. Aerospace Research Center in Washington. He succeeds David Vadas. Napier was economic data service manager.
Lockheed Martin is set to hand over a second C-130J to the U.K. Ministry of Defense for testing at its Boscombe Down facility by the end of the month. But the scheduled delivery date for the first production model to the Royal Air Force has slipped a few months to the third quarter of next year. The two parties are negotiating details on items needed to meet RAF operational requirements. The RAF is still working out final concepts for operating the aircraft with a 2-person crew in a number of rigorous environments. Meanwhile, U.S.
Members of Osama bin Laden's terrorist organization, Al Qaeda, sought to obtain the components of nuclear and chemical weapons and conspired to murder U.S. nationals, military and civilian, a 238-count federal indictment alleges.
