The European Commission Nov. 28 adopted the sixth update of its list of international carriers banned within the EU. It has lifted the ban on Blue Wing Airlines (Surinam) and the operating restrictions imposed on Pakistan International Airlines (PIA), since both carriers have successfully implemented a "corrective action plan" after being placed on its blacklist.
Nationwide Airlines and its maintenance unit Nationwide AMO Dec. 5 concluded a Framework of Compliance with South Africa's Civil Aviation Authority (SACAA), to "ensure adherence to the applicable regulatory framework," according to a press release issued jointly by SACAA and Nationwide Airlines.
LAN Airlines opted for a TotalCare service agreement as part of its Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 order to outfit 26 firm and 15 option Boeing 787 Dreamliners, the first of which Boeing should deliver in 2012. This is the first Trent family engine order for LAN. Along with the service package, it is valued at $2.4 billion at catalogue prices, according to Rolls-Royce.
Midcoast Aviation brought Brian Reid onboard as vice president, engineering. Reid joins Midcoast from Associated Air Center, where he most recently served as vice president, engineering, certification and interior design.
Pratt & Whitney Global Service Partners and China Eastern Airlines named Chan Kwai Wan general manager of the Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Engine Maintenance Co. Chan will oversee the construction and start-up of the JV's new CFM56 engine overhaul facility, which should induct its first engine in late 2008.
SKF and GE Aviation established a new company to manufacture and repair bearings for GE engines for large aircraft. SKF holds 51 percent and GE Aviation 49 percent in the new company, which represents an investment of $28 million excluding the building that will be leased in Charleston, S.C., to house it. It is expected to start deliveries in 2008, and should employ around 100 people when in full production.
Pegasus Airlines picked KLM Engineering & Maintenance to overhaul five of its CFM56-7B engines, with options for two more. KLM E&M also is to provide two lease engines to the private Turkish carrier under the agreement.
Feb. 12-13, 2008 Defense Technology & Requirements, Washington, DC March 4, 2008 Laureate Awards, Washington, DC April 15-17, 2008 MRO 2008, Fort Lauderdale, Fla. Contacts Registration Info: Anita Joyce Wright, registration producer, 800-240-7645 in the U.S. or 212-904-6344; fax 212-904-3334.
The U.S. Defense Security Cooperation Agency notified Congress in November of a possible Foreign Military Sale to Kuwait of technical/logistics support for Boeing F/A-18 Hornet combat aircraft, associated equipment and services. With all options exercised, the total value could reach up to $90 million. These also would include avionics software, engine component improvement and spare parts, technical ground support equipment, spare and repair parts, supply support, publications and technical data, and engineering change proposals. U.S.
Bombardier Aerospace opened a CRJ regional jet and Q-series turboprop spare parts depot near Japan's Narita International Airport. The depot should house about 2,300 regional aircraft line items.
Snecma Services received from TAAG an exclusive, 10-year engine services per hour contract covering the CFM56-7B engines on the Angolan flag carrier's Boeing 767NG fleet. Snecma will provide remote engineering monitoring and diagnostics, as well as engine shop visits at its facilities in Morocco and France.
GE signed with Saudi Arabian Airlines to support the national carrier's plan to launch GE90, CF6 and CF34 engine overhaul services at a new facility to be built at King Abdul Aziz Airport. In addition to the contract, worth around $1.4 billion, the two signed a MoU for GE to supply material to the airline for 14 years from when the overhaul center becomes operational.
Safety. The word permeates the aviation industry, from built-in procedures for job shift changes in maintenance to aircraft operations. No one disagrees that safety is a cornerstone of the entire aviation industry. Globally, the industry has eliminated the use of several hazardous chemicals, improved maintenance safety practices and embraced recycling and better disposal practices. Safety and "environmental issues are a never ending, always evolving process," said Ramsey Sarkis, Cascade Aerospace's director of maintenance.
The European parliament is supporting an €800 million funding request to finance the public share of the Clean Sky Joint Technology Initiative (JTI), a partnership effort with industry. Clean Sky aims at reducing airliner carbon dioxide output by around 40 percent, NOx emissions by 60 percent and noise by 50 percent. The program should be running next year.
Aircraft powered by multiple reciprocating engines fill a small but important niche of Australia's public transport system, providing low-capacity (eight to 10 passengers) regional connection flights, according to the Australian Transport Safety Bureau (ATSB). However, it took note of the frequency of safety incidents among this fleet over the past several years and commissioned a study to examine the issues that arise from the inflight failure of propeller propulsion systems powered by reciprocating engines.
Texas Aviation Solutions delivered the second of three Bell 412EP helicopter completions to Helicol, which uses the aircraft to transport British Petroleum personnel to remote locations in Colombia. Modifications included wirestrike protection, flight director, HUMS (health and usage monitoring systems), radar altimeter and Bendix King radar RDR 2000, in addition to custom paint, a custom corporate leather interior and aft audio.
Composite materials now are ubiquitous in aircraft repair and production (see "Carefree Structures," p. 46), and the need for new technology to monitor repairs and material conditions has grown right along with them.
Saudi Arabian Airlines Technical Services division signed an MoU with Air France Industries and KLM Engineering & Maintenance to "jointly survey potential opportunities and [a] partnership agreement." The signing is "in line with Saudi Arabian Airlines' strategic plan to privatize its technical services division," according to a joint AFI/KLM E&M press release.
AERO Vodochody in late November formally delivered to the Czech government four L-159T1 two-seat advanced training and light ground-attack aircraft, following factory conversion from their original single-seat configuration. With a design airframe life of 32,000 flight hours, the four L-159T1s incorporate MIL-STD-1553B Advanced Human Machine Interface, with head-up and color multi-function displays; hands-on-throttle-and-stick (HOTAS) controls; and an autonomous navigation system, with ring laser-gyro based inertial navigation system (INS) and GPS.
Lufthansa Technik Shenzhen and Shenzhen Airlines inked a 10-year Total Component Support contract to cover the carrier's A320 fleet, currently numbering 13 aircraft. Under the agreement, Lufthansa Technik Shenzhen is to supply components locally, including more than 500 line replaceable units, for up to 70 of Shenzhen Airlines' aircraft.
Bell Helicopter and the U.S. Army Aviation Applied Technology Directorate (AATD) have signed an agreement to develop condition-based maintenance (CBM) technology. The 50/50 cost sharing agreement calls for developing and putting into action an integrated set of diagnostic, prognostic and system health technologies to help the U.S. Army transition from condition-based maintenance to a CBM-centered philosophy.
The Aeronautical Repair Station Association elected Dave Latimer president to fill the post left open by Ian Cheyne. Latimer, current vice president of regulatory compliance for TIMCO Aviation Services and ARSA's former senior vice president, will serve in the position for a one-year term, effective Oct. 29, 2007.
H.I.G. Capital finished acquiring Flight Options from Raytheon, and at that same time, Flight Options ordered 100 Embraer Phenom 300 light jets, with options for 50 more. The deal is worth $746 million but could climb to $1.12 if the operator exercises all options. Flight Options has service and maintenance operations in Cleveland, Ohio; Las Vegas; Sacramento, Calif.; Teterboro, N.J.; and West Palm Beach, Fla.
Landmark Aviation was named a Worthington Aviation Westwind product support authorized facility and now can perform work on all Westwind aircraft at its centers in Augusta, Ga., Houston and Los Angeles. The facilities also will maintain full inventories of parts for the aircraft.
