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+++ Air Berlin takes dba +++ Boeing EA-18G flies +++ Lufthansa CityLine introduces CRJ900 +++ Boeing to discontinue Connexion by Boeing service +++ Gulfstream G150 enters service +++ News in brief +++
Air Berlin takes dba
dba/LTU wird von Air Berlin übernommen
Air Berlin PLC has acquired 100 per cent of the shares in dba Luftfahrtgesellschaft Munich. "Acquiring our dream partner was an opportunity not to be missed," commented Joachim Hunold, the company's chief executive office, in Frankfurt on Thursday. At the same time he presented the financial figures for the second quarter of 2006, according to which Air Berlin had made a net profit of 30 million euros between April and June. The profit before interest and taxes amounted to 44.8 million euros. The acquisition of dba will not have an adverse effect on Air Berlin's results. Hunold is anticipating a "handsome profit" in 2006.The contract for the purchase of dba shares, which is still subject to the approval of the German cartel office, was signed in Munich on Wednesday evening. Joachim Hunold remarked that the takeover was designed to secure Air Berlin's growth. Hunold cited the following individual reasons for the acquisition: "the route networks of Air Berlin and dba complement each other superbly because there are no overlaps. We can integrate dba's domestic routes in our European network without any problem, thereby achieving a clear increase in the number of business travellers using our airline. Not least because we will be gaining 62 new corporate contracts at a stroke. The dba slots, especially those at the airports of Munich and Düsseldorf, can not be rated too highly either. Air Berlin would have been unable to achieve any growth at these airports in its own right. We will now be improving our strategic position, particularly in Munich." Hunold emphasised that the management team of dba had increased the company's profitability since its acquisition from British Airways. By signing an attractive contract for the purchase of 25 Boeing 737s with delivery from 2008 to replace the aircraft that are currently being leased, the company had also taken the right decision in terms of its future development.
dba is to continue to operate as an independent company under the umbrella of Air Berlin PLC. Martin Gauss and Peter Wojahn will remain as managing directors. However, in future the company will be marketed as Air Berlin ("powered by dba"). The flight schedules for the coming winter months will be harmonised where possible. A joint summer schedule will be in operation from 1st April 2007. Optimised operational planning could achieve a considerable increase in aircraft utilisation. Hunold stated: "In summer, when there are fewer business travellers, we can make excellent use of the dba aircraft on our tourist routes. And then we would also have the option of using the larger Air Berlin jets on dba's busy domestic German routes when required. Air Berlin's boss also believes that synergies will be derived from joint purchasing, yield management and logistics. Air Berlin's marketing organisation will also make 13,000 tourist travel agencies in Germany accessible to dba. Joachim Hunold spoke of the net purchase price as "an amount in the mid-two-figure millions". This will be paid from Air Berlin PLC's liquid funds; consequently no capital increase will be required.
On the occasion of the dba acquisition, Air Berlin PLC published its report for the second quarter of 2006 on Thursday, ahead of time. According to the figures, the company's turnover increased to 401 million euros from April to June. The figures for the comparable period in 2005 was 330 million euros. The report for the half-year also reflected the dynamic growth in turnover, with an increase of almost 15 per cent from 545.8 million euros (2005) to 625 million euros (2006). In terms of operations the measures instigated last year with the aim of increasing the company's efficiency have begun to bear fruit. In the second quarter the EBIT rose by over 400 per cent to 44.8 million euros (Q2 2005: 8.8 m euros) – despite the costs of flotation amounting to 13.7 million euros. After interest and taxes, Air Berlin achieved a profit of 30.1 (-4.2) million euros in the 2nd quarter of this year. A comparison of the half-year figures reveals that the operating loss traditionally incurred by airlines in the 1st quar-ter, has therefore been more than halved to 12.9 (28.2) million euros. This means that Air Berlin has practically reached the break-even point in its net earnings with a loss of one million euros (2005: -43.1 m euros). Since the acquisition of dba will not adversely affect Air Berlin's results, Hunold is expecting a "definite profit" in 2006.
Hunold described the current net indebtedness of 170 million euros as "remarkably low for a fleet of 58 aircraft". With a balance sheet total of 1.4 billion euros, equity as at 30th June 2006 amounted to 410 million euros. The equity ratio is 29 per cent. The figure Hunold gave for liquid reserves at the end of the first half-year was 383.3 million euros.
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Boeing EA-18G flies
Erstflug des neuen Störflugzeugs in St. Louis
Boeing Tuesday flew the EA-18G Growler airborne electronic attack (AEA) aircraft for the first time, approximately one month ahead of schedule. The first EA-18G, known as aircraft EA-1, successfully completed its maiden flight from Lambert International Airport in St. Louis. Boeing F/A-18 chief test pilot Ricardo Traven and chief weapons system operator Rick Junkin conducted the first flight of the U.S. Navy's newest AEA aircraft. EA-1 is the first of two test aircraft built under a System Development and Demonstration (SDD) contract Boeing signed with the Navy on Dec. 29, 2003.
The aircraft will fly to Naval Air Station Patuxent River, Md., later this year. In addition to flight testing, it will undergo extensive ground testing in the Patuxent River anechoic chamber to assess on-board radar, receiver and jammer compatibility and performance. A derivative of the two-seat F/A-18F Super Hornet, the EA-18G's highly flexible design enables warfighters to perform an array of AEA missions, operating from either the deck of an aircraft carrier or land-based airfields. The EA-18G will replace the Navy's current aircraft carrier based AEA platform, the EA-6B Prowler, that has been in service since 1971. The first production Growler will join the Navy's aircraft fleet in 2008. "In 2003, the Navy made a very bold but necessary investment in a brand-new electronic attack airplane," said Capt. Donald "BD" Gaddis, F/A-18 program manager for the U.S. Navy. "Today, we're seeing the very first return on that investment. The thing that I like about it, the thing my resource sponsors should like about it, is that the cost, schedule and performance parameters we set for ourselves in 2003, we've met every single one of those metrics."
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Lufthansa CityLine introduces CRJ900
Neuer Regionaljet im Dienst
Lufthansa CityLine has officially inaugurated Bombardier CRJ900 regional jet service with a ceremonial flight from Bonn-Cologne to Westerland on the Frisian island of Sylt. On board the flight were Dr. Thomas Drager and Klaus Froese, co-Managing Directors of Lufthansa CityLine, James Dailly, Senior Vice President, Sales, Bombardier Regional Aircraft, members of the media and other invited guests. Lufthansa CityLine has ordered all four variants of the Bombardier CRJ family, the 50-seat CRJ100 and CRJ200, 70-seat CRJ700 and 90-seat CRJ900, totalling 77 aircraft. The CRJ900 feeds hub airports and has opened up new long-range markets for Mesa, Air Nostrum, MAT, Lufthansa CityLine and Air Canada Jazz; it has enabled Air One and Atlasjet to offer new low fare services; and it has ushered in state-of-the-art regional air travel in Nigeria with Arik Air. "High fuel costs are eroding airlines' ability to earn a profit, so an aircraft that combines excellent performance, low operating costs and exceptional passenger comfort is an absolute necessity," said James Dailly. "The Bombardier CRJ900 fits that profile perfectly."
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Boeing to discontinue Connexion by Boeing service
Internet an Bord wird eingestellt
Boeing announced that a detailed business and market analysis of Connexion by Boeing is complete, and the company has decided to exit the high-speed broadband communications connectivity markets. Boeing will work with its customers to facilitate an orderly phase out of the Connexion by Boeing service. "Over the last six years, we have invested substantial time, resources and technology in Connexion by Boeing," said Boeing Chairman, President and CEO Jim McNerney. "Regrettably, the market for this service has not materialized as had been expected. We believe this decision best balances the long-term interests of all parties with a stake in Connexion by Boeing."
As initially disclosed in the company's second-quarter 2006 financial results on July 26, Boeing now expects to recognize a pre-tax charge of up to $320 million, or $0.26 per share, in the second half of 2006, of which approximately $290 million will be taken in the third quarter and the balance in the fourth quarter. The company also expects a benefit to earnings of approximately $0.15 per share starting in 2007 without further investment in Connexion. The company will update its financial guidance when it releases third quarter results on October 25. The charge relates to writing down certain assets, payments of early termination fees and other costs related to shutting down the service. Boeing expects the majority of Connexion employees will find other jobs within the company. Boeing acknowledged it was reviewing the Connexion business on June 26. This effort included an assessment of the market and discussions with existing customers and potential new business partners.
Meanwhile, Telecom, Media and Finance Associates, Inc. (TMF Associates), the specialist Mobile Satellite Services consulting firm, forecast that the market opportunity for in-flight communications will be much smaller than many analysts and consultants have been projecting. TMF Associates forecast in a research note published in June 2006 that the Connexion service would ultimately be shut down and that backers of other systems would need to re-evaluate whether their business projections are simply too optimistic. However, other consulting firms have continued to project that a multi-billion dollar market will be realized for in-flight passenger communications over the next five years.
Tim Farrar, author of the note, commented, "It is all too easy to blame the failure of Connexion-by-Boeing on its high costs and large terminal equipment. However, set in the context of the expenditure by business travelers on other communications services, projections that in-flight communications can become a multi-billion dollar market over the next few years are completely unrealistic. For example, in July 2006 Booz Allen forecast a EUR 2 billion market for in-flight cellphone use in Europe alone by 2010. This compares to a total pan-European cellular roaming market of EUR 8 billion in 2005, when by our estimate business travelers are on an airplane for at most 3% of their trip. While the in-flight communications market opportunity within the US remains significant, and may grow to around $300M in annual revenues over the next ten years, the opportunity on both long-haul and intra-European flights is far smaller. Inmarsat-based services will provide an appropriate solution for cellphone-based connectivity, but given the modest size of the overall market it is hard to see affordable in-flight Internet services for laptop users being widely deployed outside North America."
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Gulfstream G150 enters service
Neuer Geschäftsreisejet im Dienst
Gulfstream Aerospace held an entry-into-service ceremony at its Dallas facility in celebration of the newest addition to its fleet – the wide-cabin, high-speed G150 business jet. As Gulfstream's first true mid-size business jet, the G150 has tangible advantages when compared to competitors in this market segment. “We've increased both the jet's comfort and performance,” said Bryan Moss, president, Gulfstream Aerospace. “The G150 also has a more spacious cabin than that of any other aircraft in its class.” Gulfstream introduced the G150 in September 2002. On May 3, 2005 , the G150 completed its first flight, which lasted 4 hours, 13 minutes. The G150 received its certification from both the Civil Aviation Administration of Israel (CAAI) and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) on Nov. 7, 2005 , 10 weeks ahead of schedule. This marked the first time that two civil aviation agencies certified the same aircraft on the same day. Following extensive flight testing, Gulfstream determined the G150's maximum range had proven better than originally projected. Drag reduction efforts resulted in an additional 250 nautical miles and a new maximum range of 2,950 nautical miles with two flight crew members and four passengers onboard.
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NEWS IN BRIEF / KURZMELDUNGEN
Max-Viz announced FAA STC approval for installation of Max-Viz Enhanced Vision System, model EVS-1000, on Bell 206/407 helicopters. The STC (SR00603DE), developed under contract with Max-Viz by Paravion Technology, Inc. of Ft. Collins, CO, covers the Bell 206A, 206B, 206L, 206L1, 206L3,206L4 and 407 models. “This is a milestone event for us for two reasons,” said Tuttle, “first, Max-Viz is the only EVS system certified on the Bell 206/407 airframe and second, this STC raises the total number of STCs for installation of Max-Viz EVS systems to over 50 fixed and rotor wing airframes. Air-Evac Lifeteam, West Plains, MO recently announced their purchase of 10 EVS-1000 Infrared Enhanced Vision Systems with options for 30 more for installation on the firm's fleet of Bell 206 EMS helicopters.
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The US Department of Homeland Security has ordered five more EC120s from American Eurocopter, increasing to 15 the total number of these single-engine helicopters being acquired for front-line operations by the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency. The EC120s will support Customs and Border Protection missions in low-altitude surveillance and security patrol of America's borders. As the quietest helicopter in its class, the EC120 is well suited for duty with the agency, and its environmentally-friendly operation enables missions to be flown in wildlife zones contained within the Customs and Border Protection's area of responsibility.
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The first of four AgustaWestland AW139 helicopters for the Irish Air Corps was handed over by Mr. Bruno Spagnolini, AgustaWestland's Managing Director to Brigadier General James, General Officer Commanding, Irish Air Corps, in the presence of Major General Pat Nash, Deputy Chief of Staff (Operations), Irish Defence Forces, at Vergiate in Italy. This handover also marks the first delivery of an AW139 to a military customer. Flying training of Air Corps pilots will now start and will continue until late October, when the second helicopter will be handed over.The AW139 helicopters for the Irish Air Corps are equipped with a range of role equipment including AM/FM tactical radios, a Forward Looking Infra-Red (FLIR) camera with a fifth cockpit LCD mission display. In the cabin the aircraft can be quickly reconfigured from the troop transport role with ten crashworthy troop seats to the medical evacuation role with air ambulance equipment plus seats for attendants. Additional role equipment includes abseiling and fast rope systems as well as a dual machine gun installation.
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Frankfurt Airport (FRA) recorded a new record passenger count in July. A total of 5,085,258 passengers used the international hub, 1.7 percent more than in July 2005. The previous record dates August 2005 and was now surpassed by 33,400 passengers. Another record was set regarding the number of aircraft movements. 43,601 takeoff and landings surpass the previous record dated July 2005 by 141 (plus 0.3 percent). European traffic once again generated strong growth. Specific connections, for example to and from Paris and Rome, still profited from the Football World Cup games. The Canary Islands were the primary leisure destination. International traffic picked up significantly due to the Asian market with Chinese (plus 24.4 percent) and Indian destinations (plus 7.9 percent).
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QinetiQ´s Zephyr High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) solar powered Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) has achieved its longest flight to date during a set of flight trials at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico at the end of July. One of the three aircraft flown in the trials flew for 18 hours, including 7 hours of flying in the dark, the first time Zephyr has flown at night. The aircraft flew using solar power for the ascent, reverting to battery power as dusk fell. Zephyr is an ultra-lightweight electrically powered aircraft, with a wingspan of up to 16 metres but weighing less than 30 kg. The aircraft uses a combination of solar array and rechargeable batteries and, when fully developed, is expected to operate for months at a time at an altitude above 50,000 feet providing a sustained and persistent earth observation platform. In addition to confirming the anticipated flight performance, the trials demonstrated a suite of payloads flown onboard two of the aircraft. The UAV platform was successfully used for the first time as a communications relay, demonstrating capability beyond line of sight between handsets on the ground at significant distances in mountainous terrain. A number of different electro-optical and infra-red payloads were also successfully operated, providing a mix of images and video transmitted from the aircraft in real time.
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ARINC Incorporated announced a Supplemental Type Certificate (STC) for the installation of Iridium-based telephony service on Boeing 747-200 cargo aircraft, among the world's most popular long-distance freighters. ARINC's solution uses advanced Iridium avionics developed by ICG, the International Communications Group of Newport News, VA. The compact, cost-efficient design marks a breakthrough in price/performance especially suited to the communications needs of global cargo operators. “Installation of ARINC's Iridium solution will enable flight crews to communicate clearly with ground and flight ops regardless of their aircraft location,” stated Wayne Turnquist, ARINC's Director of Aircraft Services. “This is a great benefit for operators using remote oceanic and polar routes where HF is currently the only voice option.”
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Boeing has selected Honeywell T55-GA-714A turbo shaft engines to power the HH-47 helicopter proposed for the U.S. Air Force Combat Search and Rescue (CSAR-X) program. "The Combat Search and Rescue program is an important initiative to flight crews and service people around the world," said Mike Tkach, vice president of Boeing Rotorcraft Systems. "Honeywell engines on the HH-47 will provide the best possible performance for our aircraft to meet critical mission requirements." The engines for the HH-47 are identical to the engines currently used on the Chinook helicopter with the rating points matched to the Air Force mission. The battle-tested engines, which are built at Honeywell's facility in Phoenix, Ariz., have been proven in the sand, heat and high altitude of Iraq and Afghanistan. Additional system features include inlet particle separators for longer life and an infrared suppressor for reduced aircraft signature.
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Rockwell Collins continues to collaborate with its Dealer Network and expand its Pro Line 21 Integrated Display System (IDS) offering with a new Supplemental Type Certification (STC) on a King Air 200 and King Air 300. This installation and STC will be performed by Superior Aircraft Maintenance in Medford, Ore. The completed STC will be owned by Rockwell Collins and will be available to Rockwell Collins dealers. Additionally, the company has introduced a new website that will allow operators to configure a retrofit solution to meet their operational requirements. he Pro Line 21 IDS King Air installation integrates with the aircraft's existing autopilot and sensors. The system includes three 8-inch by 10-inch liquid crystal displays, a digital weather radar and Integrated Flight Information System (IFIS) providing electronic charts, approaches, airport diagrams and NOTAMS. An option to the IFIS package, included as part of the original STC, is XM Datalink graphical weather, providing unmatched weather graphics.
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Boeing and New Delhi-based SpiceJet announced that the airline converted its 10 options into an order for five Next-Generation 737-800s and five 737-900ERs. SpiceJet first announced the preliminary agreement for this order in February at the 2006 Asian Aerospace Air Show in Singapore. The order is valued at more than $700 million at list prices and deliveries are scheduled to begin in late 2007. The options exercised today are part of an order SpiceJet originally placed in February 2005. That order included 10 737-800s, the first of which Boeing delivered to the airline in February 2006.
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General Atomics Aeronautical Systems announced that its MQ-1 Predator unmanned aircraft system (UAS) achieved a milestone of 200,000 flight hours last month, with more than three-quarters of that time spent in combat for a total of 10,961 combat missions. The milestone was achieved by P-107 on July 22 while it performed an armed reconnaissance mission in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, with 139 combat missions flown in the nearly two years it has been deployed. “Providing continuous and persistent armed reconnaissance and battlefield support to ground forces in the Balkans, Afghanistan, Iraq and other world trouble spots since 1995, Predator continues to be the most combat-proven UAS ever produced,” said Thomas J. Cassidy, Jr., president, Aircraft Systems Group, General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. “Predator aircraft have flown nearly 100,000 flight hours over the past two years and are currently flying more than 6,000 flight hours per month while maintaining the highest operational readiness rates in U.S. Air Force inventory.”
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Delta Air Lines this winter will add 16 new routes from its West Coast gateway at Los Angeles International Airport to accommodate soaring demand in one of the country's largest travel markets for Hispanic customers. The expansion will include new nonstop flights to nine Mexican destinations, two Central American destinations and corresponding connecting service to five destinations in the United States where many Hispanic customers prefer to travel.
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On August 8th, 2006, the first EC145, a four-ton-helicopter capable of supporting various mission requirements ranging from Law Enforcement to Corporate VIP, reached India via Delhi International Airport. The helicopter is planned to be operated throughout India from Delhi. Before shipment, it had been handed over to Captain Daman Seigell, Chief pilot of JIndal Steel and Power Ltd. at presence of Rainer Farid, regional Eurocopter Sales Director for India, in Eurocopter's EC145 production site in Donauwoerth, Germany.
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UPS ook delivery of its 53rd and last A300-600 freighter on 4 August. The A300 freighter, which UPS uses for short-haul journeys in both the United States and Europe, has proved itself as a highly successful member of the fleet since the company took delivery of its first aircraft in 2000. The A300 has proved itself to have excellent dispatch reliability, currently running at over 98 per cent. This is something that is a key consideration for the world's largest delivery company, as John Knight-Doe, UPS' representative at Airbus explained: "For us, reliability is key to our financial success and the A300 has proved to be very reliable." Not only does UPS lose financially if a package is delivered late as it refunds the delivery fee to the customer, but its reputation is also at stake.
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Lockheed Martin's extended-range JASSM system has successfully performed its second flight test at White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. The JASSM air-to-surface standoff missile system is the world's first stealthy conventional cruise missile. "This flight marks the beginning in a series of integrated U.S. Air Force and Lockheed Martin development and evaluation test flights to prove out the JASSM-ER missile configuration on the B-1B aircraft platform," said U.S. Air Force Col. John R. Griggs, 308th Armament Systems Group Commander at Eglin Air Force Base, FL. "The first two JASSM-ER integrated test missiles kick off a test program designed to advance JASSM-ER into Operational Test and Evaluation that will initiate in mid-2008." In this test, the JASSM-ER missile successfully separated from a B-1B, deployed its wings and tail and started its engine. The missile climbed to the preplanned cruise altitude, navigated via predetermined waypoints and descended to a selected altitude above ground level for target ingress. The missile performed a terminal maneuver allowing the missile to demonstrate the desired impact angle and accuracy.
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Rockwell Collins, Boeing and Honeywell have signed an agreement to jointly pursue the KC-10 Aircraft Modernization Program (AMP). The KC-10 AMP program calls for upgrading the fleet's avionics to meet Communications, Navigation, Surveillance/Air Traffic Management (CNS/ATM) requirements and will also include other airframe related upgrades. Under the terms of the teaming agreement, Rockwell Collins will serve as the prime contractor and will have Total Integration System Performance Responsibility (TISPR). Boeing will be responsible for non-avionics Non-Recurring Engineering (NRE) and installation of the systems, which will be completed at the Boeing facility at Kelly USA in San Antonio, Texas. Honeywell will support the evaluation of upgrade alternatives for the autopilot/autothrottle systems. On July 6, 2006, the United States Air Force's Aeronautical Systems Center awarded the Rockwell Collins team with a $3.5 million contract for a Concept Refinement Study for KC-10 AMP. Results of the study will provide industry's perspective on potential acquisition approaches, strategies and diverse technical options for execution of the program. The KC-10 AMP contract award is expected in March 2008.
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During a press briefing at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., Lockheed Martin showcased its latest developments in unmanned systems technology and its progress into the future net-enabled environment. Lockheed Martin is applying its technology, experience and operational knowledge to develop innovative autonomous, integrated unmanned systems to meet its customers' future operational requirements - from the recently introduced Polecat and other unmanned aerial systems, to subsurface prowlers, such as the Sea Talon. "The demand for unmanned systems is growing virtually every day. The reasons are numerous: unmanned systems are proving their worth on a daily basis, new technology is enabling new solutions, and traditional and new entities are seeing the utility of unmanned systems for their unique problems," said Richard O'Lear, Lockheed Martin's vice president of Unmanned Aerial Systems. "Our customers want unmanned systems that can operate autonomously while integrating and communicating with each other and with other operational systems, whether these systems are in space, in the air, on the ground, or in or under the water. We have been preparing for the future and have made great head-way to achieving this vision." "Our focus," continued O'Lear, "is to integrate these systems to enhance operational missions - from tasking to processing, exploitation, analysis, and information dissemination. We look at the way the entire unmanned system works with other manned and unmanned systems to produce a product or an effect that can be made available to the entire net-enabled community. This approach is an area where Lockheed Martin is extremely well suited and will allow us to meet the challenges of unmanned systems in the net-enabled world."
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EADS North America Defense has successfully completed demonstration flights of the DT-35 subsonic aerial target to the U.S. Army's Targets Management Office, which validated the system's capabilities during back-toback missions performed at McGregor Range in New Mexico. Two of the twin-engine EADS DT-35s were launched within a 90-minute period at the Army range on June 27, accurately performing flight profiles that were pre-determined by the Army. Both jet-powered targets met the full requirements of the demonstration, including their tracking by Army sensors. These flights were part of an Army evaluation of low-cost subsonic, subscale aerial targets that can be used for weapon system training purposes. One of the mission profiles was flown by the DT-35, which has a typical flight speed of 360 knots, while the other utilized the increased-performance DT-35-200 version – which operates at speeds in excess of 400 knots. “The Army has now seen the capabilities of our DT-35 family, which offers a truly capable and effective solution for its subsonic, subscale aerial target requirements,” said John H. Young, Jr., Chief Executive Officer of EADS North America Defense. “Our two flights successfully met all requirements for the demonstration of this low-cost solution and we look forward to an opportunity to support the Army in meeting their future training and program requirements.”
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Lufthansa is in future adding an audible note with a specially developed Corporate Sound so as to enhance recognition of the Lufthansa brand. In an intensive process, the company's brand values have been transformed into the musical sphere. Aside from the “Acoustic Logo“, the Corporate Sound is composed of ”Corporate Music“, the ”Corporate Song“ and the ”Corporate Soundscape“. The Corporate Sound will gradually widen audio perception of the Lufthansa brand in “hold-the-line” queues, dialing tones, radio and TV spots. The Corporate Music and in particular the Corporate Song will in future be played as passengers board their flight. “With our sound branding, we are addressing another of the senses, which together with our visual branding will clearly strength our brand message and emotional appeal,” said Lufthansa Executive Vice President Marketing and Sales Thierry Antinori, explaining the reasons for taking branding into the audible domain.
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Raytheon and Naval Sea Systems Command have finalized an $11 million modification to an existing contract for the company's AN/AQS-20A mine hunting sonar systems. The modification brings the total value of the contract, originally awarded in September 2005, to $104.9 million. Under the contract, Raytheon Integrated Defense Systems (IDS) will manufacture, test and deliver 11 AQS-20A sets and associated support equipment and engineering services. The contract also includes an option for 11 additional systems, services and support equipment for 2007. AN/AQS-20A, a component of the Organic Mine Countermeasures family of systems, is the primary mine hunting system integrated into the U.S. Navy's MH-60S airborne mine countermeasures helicopters. It provides critical capabilities in support of mine-clearing operations in both deep-ocean and littoral waters.
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NASA senior managers on Wednesday unanimously voted to launch the Space Shuttle Atlantis on Aug. 27. Commander Brent Jett and his five crewmates are scheduled to lift off at 4:30 p.m. EDT on the STS-115 mission, which restarts construction of the International Space Station. The launch date was announced after the Flight Readiness Review, a traditional meeting in which top NASA managers and engineers determine whether the shuttle's complex array of equipment, support systems and procedures are ready for flight and assess any risks associated with the mission. "It was an honor to work with this team, a thrill to see another FRR," said NASA Administrator Michael Griffin. "It was a great review, and I look forward to a great launch." "The teams have done a great job of getting us here. We still have some minor open work in front of us. We look forward to the return to assembly," said Associate Administrator for Space Operations Bill Gerstenmaier, who chaired the Flight Readiness Review.
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Groen Brothers Aviation announced that the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) has passed GBA's submission for the third Milestone of its contract to design a proof of concept high speed, long range, vertical takeoff and landing (VTOL) aircraft. Phase One is a fifteen month $6.4 million award to perform trade studies, develop appropriate risk mitigation, perform extensive advanced computer modeling of the entire vehicle, develop the preliminary design for the Heliplane and complete the rotor system design. As previously announced, this modern rotorcraft, named by DARPA as the "Heliplane," is designed to exploit GBA's gyrodyne technology. A "gyrodyne" can be considered as an airplane that does not need a runway. It offers the VTOL capability of a helicopter, the fast forward flight of an airplane, and the safety, simplicity and reliability of a GBA gyroplane. The goal of this proof-of-concept demonstrator is a greater than two-fold improvement in speed and range performance over a conventional helicopter. The Heliplane will have a cruise speed of 400 mph and an unrefueled range of 1,000 nm (1,152 miles). The proof-of-concept aircraft will also carry a 1,000 lb payload. The objective expressed by DARPA is to obtain performance out of a rotary-wing aircraft that is comparable with fixed-wing airplanes in speed and efficiency. This aircraft type could be the next generation rotor wing aircraft, meeting economy and performance goals not considered achievable by any other type of VTOL aircraft.
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NASA's Hubble Space Telescope has uncovered what astronomers are reporting as the dimmest stars ever seen in any globular star cluster. Globular clusters are spherical concentrations of hundreds of thousands of stars. These clusters formed early in the 13.7-billion-year-old universe. The cluster NGC 6397 is one of the closest globular star clusters to Earth. Seeing the whole range of stars in this area will yield insights into the age, origin and evolution of the cluster. Although astronomers have conducted similar observations since Hubble was launched, a team led by Harvey Richer of the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, is reporting they have at last unequivocally reached the faintest stars. Richer's team announced their findings Thursday at the 2006 International Astronomical Union General Assembly in Prague, Czech Republic and in the August 18 edition of Science. "We have run out of hydrogen-burning stars in this cluster. There are no fainter such stars waiting to be discovered. We have discovered the lowest-mass stars capable of supporting stable nuclear reactions in this cluster. Any less massive ones faded early in the cluster's history and by now are too faint to be observed," Richer said.
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Boeing has rolled the first 747-400 Large Cargo Freighter (LCF) out of the hangar at Taipei's Chiang Kai-Shek International Airport. The enormous airplane is the first of three specially modified jets that will be used to transport major assemblies for the all-new Boeing 787 Dreamliner. "This is one of the most unusual modifications Boeing has ever done," said Scott Strode, 787 vice president of Airplane Development and Production. "We've relied on the world's best talent to design and build the LCF and we can all be proud today to see it standing on the tarmac."Ground testing is under way to prepare the LCF for its first flight. After initial flight testing in Taipei, the LCF will fly to Seattle to complete the flight test program. First flight and the ferry flight to Seattle are expected to occur by the end of August.
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The A-10 Prime Team led by Lockheed Martin has received a $48 million award from the U.S. Air Force to produce 107 Precision Engagement (PE) modification kits for the A-10 close air support fighter. Comprising hardware and software upgrades, each installed kit will transform the legacy A-10A aircraft from an analog aircraft to its new digital A-10C designation with precision weapons capability. The award represents the second production lot of PE kits following an initial award for 72 kits in March 2005. The 309th Aircraft Maintenance Group at Hill AFB, UT began installing the first award production kits in March 2006. Lockheed Martin is expected to deliver a total of 356 kits over five years for an estimated $168 million.
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Raytheon will manufacture, assemble and test the guidance electronics system for the Non Line-of-Sight-Launch System (NLOS-LS) Precision Attack Missile at its Louisville, Ky. facility. Work at the site is expected to begin by October under a $2 million contract with the U.S. Army for the current phase of the program. NetFires, LLC, a partnership between Raytheon Missile Systems and Lockheed Missiles and Fire Control, is the joint venture that develops and manufactures the system. The NLOS-LS system consists of the Raytheon-built Precision Attack Missile, Lockheed Martin's Loitering Attack Missile and a joint Container Launch Unit (CLU). The system's innovative design focuses on a compact, networked, precision attack missile vertically launched from the CLU. The critical design element for the CLU is a light-weight, concentric canister that serves as the launch structure for the missile as well as the system's shipping and storage container.
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Boeing has reached an agreement with the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) to provide logistics support services for Australia's C-17 fleet. Australia is buying four Globemaster III aircraft with the first delivery planned for December 2006. Under the $80.7 million contract, Boeing will manage spare parts for the Australian fleet. The RAAF will be responsible for flight line maintenance with Boeing performing heavier, depot-level maintenance. Boeing has similar responsibilities for the U.S. Air Force and the United Kingdom's Royal Air Force C-17 fleets through the Globemaster III Sustainment Partnership (GSP). "By joining the partnership, Australia is significantly reducing its costs," said Bud Matlock, Boeing director of International Product Support for the C-17. "The advantage comes not only in the synergies gained by joining the virtual C-17 fleet, but also in Boeing's experience and infrastructure in sustaining the C-17 around the world for all our customers. We are excited about the RAAF joining the C-17 GSP and encouraged about our international growth opportunities."
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Boeing and Monarch Airlines of the United Kingdom announced that the airline has ordered six Boeing 787-8s with purchase rights for another four. The order is worth $916 million at list prices.
With first delivery starting in 2010, the airline will use the new advanced, fuel-efficient 787s as the basis of its future long-haul operations. Monarch's current long-haul fleet comprises Boeing 767s, A300s and A330-200s. The Dreamliner's size, extended range and superior fuel efficiency make it ideally suited for Monarch Airlines' business model, which includes both scheduled and charter operations. Since its launch in April 2004, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner has attracted the attention of customers operating a variety of business models.
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During the multi-national Rim of the Pacific (RIMPAC) exercise, the RQ-4 Global Hawk Maritime Demonstration system produced by Northrop Grumman Corporation flew four successful maritime surveillance missions to demonstrate the system's capabilities from identifying targets in a coastal, or littoral, environment to wide area maritime search, tracking and identification. The RIMPAC exercise was conducted in late July in the Pacific Ocean around Hawaii. The U.S. Navy operated one of its two Global Hawk Maritime Demonstration (GHMD) air vehicles from Edwards Air Force Base, Calif., to Hawaii for each mission flown. Equipped with sensors carrying new maritime software modes, GHMD captured images of various RIMPAC activities, including a ship-sinking exercise, expanded maritime interdiction operations, and wide-area search and surveillance to locate target vessels at sea. GHMD flew more than 2,500 miles each way for a total of more than 100 flight hours and provided more than 8 hours on-station time during each mission.
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This fall, United Airlines brings more travel options to customers by increasing international and U.S. domestic service for business and leisure travelers from Washington Dulles -- its key East Coast hub -- by 22 new flights. This represents an approximate 13 percent increase in departures compared to fall of last year. With this increase, United will provide 321 daily departures from Dulles by November 2006. The service boost will strengthen Washington Dulles as United's international gateway on the East Coast. New international flights from the hub include United's previously announced service to the Middle East through service to Kuwait (which received government approval in July) and its first-ever service from Washington, D.C., to Japan via Tokyo Narita -- both to begin in late October 2006. United also recently applied to offer the first-ever nonstop service between Washington, D.C., and China, via Beijing.
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An official source of the Saudi Ministry of Defense and Aviation and Inspectorate General said in a statement that a document of understanding has been signed between the government of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia and the government of the United Kingdom aiming at developing the Saudi armed forces within the close defense relations binding the two countries. The source said that agreement has been reached on the basis of purchasing 72 Typhoon planes and of launching the commitments pertaining to the industrial plan to transfer and finally settle technology and invest in the defensive industries in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
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With no breakthroughs likely in space propulsion or rocket design in the near future, a new family of space-launch vehicles developed for military payloads should satisfy all projected national security needs through 2020, according to a panel convened to examine the program. However, the federal government likely will be the sole user of these launch vehicles and will therefore need to pay remaining life-cycle costs, according to the final report of the National Security Space Launch Requirements Panel. In 1994, the U.S. National Space Transportation Policy laid the framework for government agencies to maintain strong launch systems and infrastructure while modernizing space transportation capabilities and encouraging cost reductions. More than a decade later, through combined investment from the Department of Defense and industry, the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle family of space-launch vehicles (Atlas V and Delta IV) are maturing into reliable, state-of-the-art space transportation systems, according to the panel's report. In January 2004, Congress directed the Secretary of Defense to establish a panel of experts with extensive space launch and operations backgrounds to address the future national security space launch requirements and the means of meeting those requirements. The Department of Defense selected the RAND Corporation's National Defense Research Institute to provide analytical support to the panel in its deliberations between May 2005 and May 2006. The eight-member panel found that while the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle families remain early in their life cycles, both appear able to become “workhorse launch vehicles for the future.” However, the panel found the systems are not likely to attract the commercial payloads that were expected to help support the systems. Originally, both the program's contractors and the Department of Defense expected that the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program would be used by a large and emerging commercial satellite market. But that market collapsed six years ago. The panel found it unlikely that the Lockheed and Boeing space-launch vehicles will be able to attract other types of commercial payloads because they face stiff competition from lower-cost and state-supported space launch programs in other nations. This lack of commercial payloads means that the federal government has become the primary user of these space-launch vehicles and must be prepared to pay for and manage the full cost of maintaining the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program, according to the panel's report. Consistent with the objectives of the U.S. National Space Transportation Policy, the panel says that NASA should continue to be encouraged to use the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program to launch its space science and post-Space Shuttle resupply missions to the International Space Station. The panel also supports allowing new commercial launch providers to compete to be an alternative to the Evolved Expendable Launch Vehicle program. However, no clear public policies currently are in place to facilitate such competition.
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The B-2 Spirit exceeded Air Combat Command's fully mission capable rate standard of 51 percent in June, a feat not achieved since September 2004. Keeping the B-2 ready for war is an effort that requires the hard work and support of everyone who works on base, said Col. Bob Dulong, 509th Maintenance Group commander. For a B-2 to be fully mission capable, or FMC, it must be capable of successfully completing its intended mission of striking an enemy without being detected by radar. The criteria used to determine the FMC rate of an aircraft is known as the minimum essential subsystem listing, or MESL. The MESL is a detailed list of every subsystem that must be operational in order to determine the FMC rate of the aircraft.
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US Aerospace industry orders, shipments, and backlog showed significant gains in the first half of 2006, which would put the sector ahead of last year's record-setting numbers if the trend continues. Manufacturers of civil aviation and defense products booked $116 billion in orders during the first two quarters of this year, which, projected to an annual figure of $233 billion, would exceed last year's record of $219 billion. Similarly, industry shipments totaled $88 billion in the first six months of the year, which is on pace to total $177 billion, which would beat 2005's record of $162 billion, according to statistics compiled by AIA's Aerospace Research Center.
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Evaluation of data from the Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines which powered the A380's recent hot weather trials in Abu Dhabi has confirmed excellent levels of performance, validating pre-test predictions. The trials were conducted in average daily temperatures of between 43 and 47 celsius. A380 development aircraft MSN004 was airborne every day throughout the week-long test period, accumulating 120 engine hours over a total of 12 flights. The plane carried the livery of Abu Dhabi's flag carrier Etihad Airways, which has selected the Trent 900 for its fleet of four A380s. Chris Cholerton, Programme Director – Trent 900 at Rolls-Royce, said: “The engines produced excellent results, including running at maximum power in these most arduous conditions, and were closely in line with computer predictions. The Trent 900 has continued to produce the high performance levels we expected as we prepare the engine for delivery to Singapore Airlines later this year.”
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Gulfstream Aerospace will build a new Savannah Service and Support Center that is more than double the size of its current facility. The new center will meet the ongoing demand for business-jet aircraft support, maintenance and refurbishment. Gulfstream broke ground at the construction site today, the first step of a building project that will be entirely completed by the end of 2009. The construction project will be completed in two phases. The first phase of construction, which will be completed by July 2007, includes the north hangar building, connector building, repair shops, a fuel farm, an engine run-up area, an employee parking lot and a cafeteria. Phase One comprises some 318,660 square feet. The second phase of construction will be completed by the end of 2009. It includes the south hangar building, a second engine run-up area, additional repair shops and parking spaces. Phase Two comprises some 311,220 square feet.
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BAE Systems has entered Phase III of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) program to protect commercial airliners against infrared guided-missile threats. BAE Systems' JETEYE system is based on the U.S. Army's Advanced Threat Infrared Countermeasures system to protect military aircraft. The system was flown and tested against simulated man-portable air defense systems, or MANPADS, on an American Airlines Boeing 767 in late 2005. During the 18-month Phase III program, JETEYE will continue flying on the same American Airlines 767 and will also fly on an ABX Air cargo aircraft to continue the reduction of the potential cost to the airline industry by streamlining system installation, reducing aerodynamic drag, and improving reliability and maintainability.
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Northrop Grumman Corporation has completed a successful initial installation of its Interim Capability for Airborne Networking (ICAN) onboard the Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (Joint STARS) aircraft to support communications among U.S. Air Force and Army personnel deployed in the Middle East. ICAN enables a mobile airborne data network communication system that can be used for real-time collaboration via 'chat rooms' and e-mail, within a secure, classified environment.
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Embraer announced the sale of one Phenom 100 and one Phenom 300 jet to ABC Taxi Aereo, a subsidiary of the Algar Group in Brazil. This will be the launch charter customer for the Phenom jets in Latin America. ABC Taxi Aereo has been an Embraer customer since 1978, as well as an authorized service center for Embraer turboprop aircraft. The Brazilian charter currently operates three Xingu airplanes, a pressurized cabin, twin-engine turboprop manufactured by Embraer. The acquisition of the Phenom jets will expand the company's fleet, with deliveries expected to occur in the first semester of 2009 and 2010, respectively.
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Aviall announced that the European Commission has not raised any antitrust issues related to the proposed acquisition by The Boeing Company of Aviall, and therefore cleared the transaction to proceed in the areas represented by this authority. Antitrust clearance in the U.S. was received in June and all other regulatory approvals that are needed as a condition of closing have now been obtained. A special meeting of Aviall's stockholders has been scheduled for September 19, 2006 to vote on the transaction, with closing expected to occur shortly thereafter.
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Aircastle Limited announced that one of its subsidiaries agreed to acquire six Boeing B737-700 aircraft leased to Sterling Airlines A/S in Denmark from affiliates of A.P. Moeller - Maersk Group for a total purchase price of approximately $165 million. Four of the aircraft acquisitions were completed on August 17, and Aircastle expects to complete the balance by the end of this month. This transaction was included in the Company's prospectus dated August 7, 2006, as part of the $1.7 billion of aviation assets which the Company had acquired or committed to acquire as of August 3, 2006.
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NASA selected SpaceX, El Segundo, Calif. and Rocketplane-Kistler, Oklahoma City, to develop and demonstrate commercial orbital transportation services that could open new markets and pave the way for contracts to launch and deliver crew and cargo to the International Space Station. NASA and the two companies signed Space Act Agreements that establish milestones and objective criteria to assess their progress throughout Phase 1 of the competition. Once a capability is demonstrated, NASA plans to purchase crew and cargo delivery services competitively in Phase 2. "NASA is proud to work with SpaceX and Rocketplane-Kistler as they endeavor to take American entrepreneurial spirit to new heights," said NASA's Exploration Systems Mission Directorate Associate Administrator Scott Horowitz. "When commercial enterprises turn the journey to low-Earth orbit into a profit-making business model, NASA will be free to focus on goals that are more appropriate for government, such as exploration of the moon and Mars." In Phase 1, the companies will demonstrate a combination of four capabilities: external (unpressurized) cargo delivery and disposal; internal (pressurized) cargo delivery and disposal; internal cargo delivery and return; and an option for crew transportation. "These companies were selected from a total of 20 applicants, based on solid engineering of innovative concepts and sound business plans," said Alan Lindenmoyer, manager of the Commercial Crew and Cargo Program Office at the Johnson Space Center, Houston.
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