Jet Aviation Basel has signed completions contracts and letters of intent for two A340s, four Boeing Business Jets and three Boeing 787s to be completed through 2014. It also has begun construction of a new 9,600 square meter widebody hangar, scheduled for completion in the first half of 2008.
Boeing Aerospace was awarded an $8.9 million modification to a previously awarded time and materials, indefinite-delivery/ indefinite-quantity contract to exercise an option for contractor engineering technical services in support of F/A-18, AV-8B, F-22, F-15, C-17, C-32, C-40 and KC-135 aircraft and associated systems from The Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, China Lake, Calif. It provides for and combines purchases for the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force, as well as the governments of Kuwait and Malaysia.
Fleet Readiness Center Southeast won the Shingo Bronze Medallion for Excellence in Manufacturing for its EA-6B aircraft depot level maintenance program.
Turkish Technik and Goodrich signed a memorandum of understanding to form a joint venture, Goodrich HABOM, in Istanbul to perform nacelle work for Turkish Airlines and carriers in neighboring regions. The companies anticipate opening the 43,000-square-foot facility at Sabiha Gokcen International Airport in 2009.
CAE and Hawker Pacific signed a five-year agreement under which CAE will provide training to Hawker Pacific's maintenance technicians and its clients in the Southeast Asia region. Training began at Hawker Pacific's Singapore facility in August, and is expected to be offered at other CAE facilities in Asia later this year.
GE Aviation received a $9.2 million extension to a previously awarded performance based logistics contract for repair, replacement, consumables and program support for F414 engine components. Work is expected to be complete by January.
Innotech Aviation began construction of a new aircraft paint facility at Montreal's Dorval Airport. The 41,000-square-foot, two-bay hangar will be large enough to accommodate Bombardier Global XRS aircraft. Innotech is booking in-dates at the new facility, which is scheduled to begin operations next summer.
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Earlier this month, Indonesian aviation authorities upgraded the safety rankings of three domestic airlines to its top category, the Aviation Safety Network (ASN), a service of the Flight Safety Foundation, reported. Three carriers -- Mandala Airlines, Premi Air and Airfast Indonesia -- joined Garuda Indonesia in Indonesia's top-ranking safety category, said air transport director-general Muliawan Suyitno, according to the ASN article.
The Royal Saudi Air Force selected GE F110 engines to re-engine its twin engine Boeing F-15S aircraft. Under the agreement worth more than $300 million, the Royal Saudi Air Force will purchase 65 GE F110-GE-129C engines and a logistics support package, with deliveries scheduled to begin in 2008. The Saudi re-engining program represents the third F-15 customer for the GE F110 engine. The Air Force of the Republic of Korea and the government of Singapore selected it for their F-15 aircraft in 2002 and 2006, respectively.
SAN FRANCISCO -- Applying Lean industrial practices to the aviation MRO business is a practical yet challenging proposition, according to the industry consultants and front line staff who participated in the AVIATION WEEK Management Forum "Lean and Six Sigma for MRO" held here in early October.
Sikorsky Support Services was awarded a $121 million modification to a previously awarded Navy contract to exercise an option for contractor logistics support services for T-34, T-44 and T-6 aircraft.
British Airways selected Rolls-Royce Trent engines to power up to 61 of its new long-haul aircraft, including 12 firm and seven option Airbus A380s and 24 firm and 18 option Boeing 787s scheduled for delivery from 2010. The deal includes a TotalCare contract tailored to BA's requirements and could be worth in excess of $5 billion.
Trends in military maintenance training parallel those on the civil side. Hands-on training devices are giving way to virtual trainers, which often are desktop versions, said Bob Wuestner, senior director, Rockwell Collins Simulation and Training Systems, Military Systems. Desktop trainers not only are less expensive than traditional hands-on trainers and enable distance-learning capabilities, but they "also offer a safe training environment where students can freely make errors without any potential damage to a vehicle, trainer or themselves," he said.
GE Aviation and U.S. Navy won a PBL award for logistics excellence in the component category. The team developed and executed a supply chain management strategy and PBL contract designed to improve the mission capability and maximize the material availability for the T700 engines that power the Navy's H-60 Seahawk and AH-1 Cobra helicopters.
US Airways chose Lufthansa Technik Tulsa to support the thrust reversers of its Airbus fleet. Under the new, five-year contract, Lufthansa Technik Tulsa will maintain the thrust reversers of US Airways' 102 CFM56-5B-powered Airbus aircraft.
The philosophy of aviation maintenance training is changing -- radically. As Jeff Roberts, CAE group president of innovation and civil training and services said, "First and foremost, it has to be line oriented. It has to be operationally and practically grounded. Two: it has to have a tremendous amount of troubleshooting capability to facilitate the return to service," which should increase aircraft reliability numbers and reduce aircraft downtime.
Preaching the benefits of safety management systems (SMS) is easy. Convincing skeptics that the programs -- done right -- are worth their effort in time and money is another matter. Nothing speaks to fence-sitters and naysayers like real-world examples. Thanks to a new report out of the airport world, we have a fresh batch.
Maritime Helicopter Support was awarded a $7.3 million firm-fixed-price requirements contract from the Naval Inventory Control Point for performance-based logistics support for phase 2(A) Navy H-60 items for SH-60B, SH-60F, HH-60H, MH-60S and MH60R aircraft. Work should be complete in Dec. 2008.
Jet Craft plans to incorporate a solar power system into its second facility in Henderson, Nev. Scheduled to open in 2009, the facility is designed to have an executive terminal and two 35,000 square foot hangars, one dedicated to its aircraft management and charter operation large enough for eight to 10 business aircraft and another for Jet Source's avionics and aircraft maintenance operation.
The Boeing Co. was awarded a $49.2 million foreign military sales contract, including options, by the U.S. Air Force Electronic Systems Center, Hanscom Air Force Base, Mass., to upgrade Link 16 secure jam-resistant digital data link systems aboard Saudi Arabia's fleet of five E-3 Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) aircraft.
