1200 G STREET, N.W., SUITE 900, WASHINGTON, DC 20005 PH: 202-383-2431 FAX: 202-383-2440 O&[email protected] EDITORIAL DIRECTOR Frank Jackman, [email protected] MANAGING EDITOR Lee Ann Tegtmeier, [email protected] PRODUCTION MANAGER Ron Brown, [email protected] PRODUCTION DIRECTOR William F. Halfpap, [email protected] EUROPEAN EDITOR (COMMERCIAL) Bill Burchell EUROPEAN EDITOR (MILITARY) John Fricker
British Airways selected International Aero Engines V2500 powerplants for its eight new Airbus A320 aircraft and awarded IAE a long-term maintenance agreement. CFM and IAE both competed for the engine contract. British Airways is scheduled to receive the new A320s between 2008 and 2010. The carrier operates 67 short-haul Airbus aircraft -- V2500 engines power 58 of them and CFM engines power the other nine.
The National Transportation Safety Board's (NTSB) list of most wanted safety improvements is considered by many to be the gospel in terms of pinpointing the most prominent risks in aviation (and other transportation modes) that warrant industry attention. It's interesting to note, however, that aviation items on NTSB's list usually get there because they were central in the cause of a disaster, and they're most often removed based on what FAA (or industry) does about them.
Cryptography Research believes it can prevent questionable parts, informally called "counterfeit" or labeled Suspect Unapproved Parts (SUPs) by FAA, from getting into inventories or onto aircraft. The San Francisco-based firm has plenty of experience preventing fraud and theft in the financial, communication and medical sectors and has started discussions with aircraft manufacturers, according to Vice President Technology Benjamin Jun.
Airline mechanics who transition from the Boeing 767 to the 787 Dreamliner will find many of their old tasks significantly reduced, in part because of new materials, including composites, but also because of improvements in systems, which are more capable and less complex, smaller and lighter, and more reliable and more dispatchable, according to Justin Hale, Boeing 787 program deputy chief mechanic. In briefings in Seattle, Hale pointed to numerous changes in the 787, including:
At the recent Paris Air Show, a delegation from the Polish Defense Ministry signed an MoU with Avio S.p.A and Polish Military Aircraft Works No. 4 (WZL4), concerning cooperation in the field of MRO.
Lockheed Martin and the Abu Dhabi government's Mubadala Development Co. signed a memorandum of understanding on June 19 in Paris to expand their strategic relationship and jointly explore opportunities for military aircraft support in the United Arab Emirates. "The MoU signifies our mutual interests to explore ways in which we may both collaborate and address sustainment, maintenance, repair and overhaul, engineering, and technical support of military aircraft," said Mubadala Development's Waleed Al Mokarrab Al Muhairi.
Boeing Integrated Defense Systems announced the award on June 29 of a U.S. Air Force contract worth up to $2.015 billion between now and 2018 for engineering services and manufacture, via its McDonnell Douglas subsidiary, of 242 enhanced wing sets for the Air Force's A-10 Thunderbolt II ground-attack aircraft fleet upgrade program. This includes replacement wing sets to be delivered in parts and kits, for which Boeing has teamed with key suppliers to meet all the requirements presented by the A-10 contract.
Maintenance Boulevard at Maastricht Aachen Airport is the name that five Dutch MRO companies selected to call their MRO initiative that will be housed on a single location to bundle activities. Stella Aviation Technics, SAMCO Aircraft Maintenance, Quality Aircraft Painting Services, Aircraft Interior Services and Aircraft End of Life Solutions signed the MoU.
Pemco Aviation Group is trying to lease the former US Airways maintenance hangar at Tampa International Airport for its commercial aircraft maintenance and modification services division, Pemco World Air Services. "We've been trying to expand into Tampa for a few months" because "we're at capacity at Dothan (Ala.)," said Doris Sewell, Pemco Aviation Group spokeswoman. She said customers like the Tampa location and Sun Capital has been involved and supportive in leasing this second facility, which will complement the one in Dothan, Ala., and includes 150,000 square feet.
BAE Systems Regional Aircraft will update two BAe 146s to electronic flight instrumentation system flightdeck standards from analogue ones for the U.K. Ministry of Defense.
Naval Air Systems Command in Patuxent River, Md., awarded Sikorsky Aircraft a $9.6 million cost-plus-fixed-fee contract to install and train for the VH-60N executive helicopter cockpit upgrade program.
Boeing received two contracts from the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command for remanufacturing H-47 aircraft to the MH-47G configuration. One is a delivery order amount of $52.7 million as part of a $147.3 million firm-fixed-price contract for work that should be finished by Aug. 30, 2008. The other is for $6.5 million and is part of a $112. 5 million firm-fixed-price contract for remanufacture of H-47 Aircraft to the MH-47G configuration and an option for additional aircraft. That work should be finished by May 31, 2010.
LTE International Airways, part of MyAir Group in Italy, awarded a component support contract covering seven A320s to Sabena technics. The contract includes pool access, component repair and consignment stock at LTE's homebase and at European and Middle East outstations. The cooperation between LTE and Sabena technics started in 2006 with four ''C'' checks including two re-delivery checks on A320s performed at Sabena technics' site in Nîmes.
Malaysia Airlines Engineering secured a contract from Indonesian domestic carrier Loreana Air for the maintenance, repair and overhaul of six 737-300/400s from September through to 2010. Loreana Air starts operations in September.
Pemco Aviation Group agreed to sell its subsidiary Pemco World Air Services, which provides commercial aviation maintenance and modification services, to Sun Capital Partners for $43 million. After the sale is finished, Pemco Aviation Group will continue to provide aircraft maintenance and modification services to government and military customers, but it will operate under the name DefensePemco or another name that doesn't contain "Pemco."
After laying the groundwork behind the scenes to launch a third-party maintenance business, and reorganizing through Chapter 11, regional carrier Comair is ready to showcase its Bombardier CRJ maintenance offerings. Delta's wholly owned regional subsidiary won FAA certification in late 2006 to offer third-party maintenance at its 82,000 square foot facility in Cincinnati. Certification of its base in Orlando followed.
Rockwell Collins' Engineering Services Solution for the FCC-701/2 upgrades the flight control computer to the -703 version to increase memory throughput margins, spares reduction via common part numbers, and increased memory throughput margins. By upgrading to -703 technology, the reliability climbs 400 percent for -701 units and 67 percent for -702 versions. Other benefits include a seven-pound weight reduction, spare slots for future functionality growth and 43 percent reduced power consumption.
Goodrich won a $6.9 million firm-fixed-price contract from the U.S. Army Aviation and Missile Command for integrated vehicle health management system kits and associated hardware to support health monitoring for Iraq and Afghanistan deployed UH-60A/L. Work should be completed by Feb. 28, 2008.
Precision Conversions won a contract to convert an ex-Delta 757-200 passenger aircraft to a 15-pallet position freighter for Cargo Aircraft Management. Modification of the Pratt & Whitney PW2000-powered aircraft, built in 1986, is scheduled to begin Sept. 20 at the Flightstar facility in Jacksonville, Fla. Redelivery of the aircraft is expected in December. The deal is part of an agreement spanning five years to convert multiple 757-200PCFs for Cargo Aircraft Management.
PMA suppliers have lobbied airlines and their lessors to approve their products for years. With the entry of Pratt & Whitney into the PMA business, their efforts may have turned the corner.
Defense Supply Center Richmond awarded Sikorsky Aircraft a $235.7 million firm fixed-price contract on July 9 for spare parts. The parts are for various aircraft operated by the U.S. Air Force, Army, Navy and Marine Corps.
