+++ CAT-Bird to test F-35 avionics +++ EU proposes airport regulations +++ A320 passes 5000 order mark +++ ISS Heads of Agencies meet at ESA +++ Frankfurt airport to expand Terminal A +++ News in brief +++
CAT-Bird to test F-35 avionics
Testträger für F-35-Avionik fliegt
The Joint Strike Fighter Cooperative Avionics Test Bed (CATB), a 737-300 aircraft extensively modified by BAE Systems, successfully completed its maiden flight Jan. 23 at Mojave, California. The flight capped a nearly three-year effort to transform a commercial airliner into a flying laboratory for Lockheed Martin's F-35 Lightning II stealth fighter. The 737 aircraft, also known as the “CAT-Bird,” is a flying test bed that replicates the F-35 avionics suite. The CATB will develop and verify the F-35's capability to collect data from multiple sensors and fuse it into a coherent situational awareness display in a dynamic airborne environment. “Today's flight caps what has been a significant technical challenge,” said John Wall, BAE Systems CATB program director in Mojave, where the work was performed. “The CAT-Bird is helping the Lightning II take its place as the premier fighter aircraft serving the U.S. and multi-nation partners for decades to come.”
The CAT-Bird now begins a one-month test flight phase to prove the aerodynamics of the converted airliner — an important validation because of modifications to the craft made to accommodate the avionics test requirements. These include the addition of a nose extension to simulate that of the F-35, a 42-foot-long spine on the top, a 10-foot “canoe” on the bottom to accommodate electronic equipment, and twin 12-foot sensor wings that replicate the leading edge of the F-35's wings. The inside of the plane also was transformed. An F-35 cockpit will allow the sensor inputs to be displayed as they would be in the fighter itself. The rest of the interior houses equipment racks for the avionics equipment, and 20 workstations for technicians to assess the performance of the avionics.
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EU proposes airport regulations
Neue Vorschriften für Flughäfen in Arbeit
The European Commission has adopted an "airport package" consisting of three key initiatives: a proposal for a directive on airport charges, a communication on airport capacity, efficiency and safety in Europe and a report on the implementation of the groundhandling directive. The package focuses on the role of airports in the further development and competitiveness of the European internal aviation market and will mark the future of airport regulation in Europe by ensuring regulatory convergence between Member States. Commission Vice-President Jacques Barrot, in charge of transport said: "In compliance with the Lisbon agenda objectives, Europe's airports have a vital role to play as a key driver for ensuring the economic and social competitiveness of Europe. Until now European airports have been faced with diverse regulatory, commercial and external challenges regarding issues such as capacity, financing and the environment. The aim of these new measures is to offer a common set of rules to be applied and enforced uniformly throughout Europe." "Much deliberation, thought and consultation has gone into preparing this package and I truly believe that it represents a milestone in the formation of a pan-European regulatory framework for European airports", he added.
The ambitious proposal for a directive on airport charges will re-define the relationship between airport operators and airport users by requiring total transparency, user-consultation and the application of the principle of non-discrimination when calculating charges levied on users. Moreover, it will create a strong, independent national authority to arbitrate and settle disputes in order to achieve a speedy resolution. The communication on airport capacity, efficiency and safety in Europe provides a comprehensive action plan detailing a coherent strategy for responsibly tackling congestion at European airports. The five principal measures highlighted that aim to accommodate traffic growth in an environmentally sustainable manner are: to optimise the use of existing capacity; to provide a coherent approach to air safety operations at aerodromes; to promote "co-modality"; to improve the environmental capacity of airports and the planning framework of new airport infrastructure; and to develop and implement cost efficient technological solutions. The first report on the implementation of the groundhandling directive demonstrates the positive effects that the initial phase of liberalisation has had on opening up access to groundhandling markets at European airports to competition and opens the door for a debate as to the next steps that need to be taken.
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A320 passes 5000 order mark
Mehr als 5000 Bestellungen für A320
With the 5,000th order for A320 Family aircraft, Airbus has reached a significant landmark, highlighting the Family's position as the benchmark for single-aisle airliners. In the last two years alone, the A320 Family has received orders for around 1,600 aircraft, making it not only the best-selling but also the fastest-selling jet airliner of all time. The 5,000th order was reached with the sale of 30 A319 aircraft to U.S.–based customer Spirit Airlines. This new order confirms the A320 Family aircraft as the undoubted reference for the low-cost carrier market. “The 5,000th order of our A320 aircraft family marks an historic milestone for Airbus and the aviation industry”, commented Airbus Chief Executive Officer, Louis Gallois. “The A320 is without a doubt the world's most popular passenger aircraft, having outsold any other single-generation aircraft programme. In addition, the programme goes from strength to strength, with the continuing high level of orders giving Airbus an unprecedented backlog of more than 2,000 single-aisle aircraft. It will fill our production lines for many years to come.”
To match the strong demand for its A320 Family, Airbus has decided to implement a steady production ramp-up. The monthly production rate was increased from 30 aircraft per month at the end of 2006, to its current rate of 32 per month and is scheduled to rise to 36 by the end of 2008. This will represent the highest production rate ever for any commercial airliner. Firm orders for Airbus single-aisle aircraft now stand at 5,016 aircraft. The Airbus A320 Family has been ordered by, or is in service with, more than 200 customers and operators worldwide and has completed 30 million flight cycles and 50 million flight hours.
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ISS Heads of Agencies meet at ESA
Raumfahrtagenturen beraten über ISS
The heads of the International Space Station partners, space agencies from Canada, Europe, Japan, Russia and the United States, met at European Space Agency Headquarters in Paris, France, on January 23, 2007, to review ISS cooperation. In their discussions, the Heads of Agency noted the significant accomplishments of the partnership in implementing the space station configuration and assembly sequence endorsed at their last meeting in March 2006. Among the milestones acknowledged by the Heads of Agency were reestablishment of three-person ISS crew and re-initiation of station assembly activities; three extremely challenging Space Shuttle missions with outstanding extravehicular accomplishments by American, Russian, Canadian and European astronauts; continued exceptional performance of the Canadarm2 including on-orbit operation by a Canadian astronaut; and the uninterrupted flow of Russian Soyuz and Progress vehicles that provided essential crew and cargo delivery and return. Successful completion of these assembly activities has paved the way for the planned arrival of Node 2 followed by two new laboratories, the European Space Agency Columbus module and the Japanese Experiment Module Kibo, as well as the Canadian two-armed Special Purpose Dexterous Manipulator Dextre within a year.
The Heads of Agency reviewed the status of current ISS development, configuration and operations activities across the partnership. Transportation capability, including the European Space Agency Automated Transfer Vehicle, the Japanese H-2 Transfer Vehicle, the Russian Soyuz and Progress vehicles, the U.S. Space Shuttle, Commercial Orbital Transportation, and Crew Exploration Vehicle were discussed. Also the timely achievement of a six person crew and completion of space station assembly were reviewed. The Heads of Agency expressed their continued appreciation for the outstanding work by on-orbit crews and ground support personnel to bring the space station to its full productive capacity. They acknowledged the strength of the partnership that characterizes the ISS and the importance of international cooperation in achieving mutual objectives in the exploration and utilization of space.
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Frankfurt airport to expand Terminal A
Erweiterung in Frankfurt geplant
Frankfurt Airport is planning to build a new passenger pier that will extend Terminal 1 farther westward by 2012. The pier - with the working title "A0" - will expand the terminal areas used by Lufthansa and is required independently of FRA's Airport Expansion Program to accomodate the new Airbus A380 and Boeing 747-8 aircraft ordered by Lufthansa. Following a Europe-wide competitive tender, Hamburg-based architects and planners Gerkan, Marg & Partner (gmp) were selected as prime planners for Frankfurt Airport's A-West area. Fraport AG, the airport's owner and manager, will invest about half a billion euros for building construction alone. In the final construction phase, the approximately 790-meter-long pier will comprise about 160,000 square meters and will have capacity for up to six million passengers per year. Some 25 architectural firms participated in bidding for this Fraport project. Construction of Pier A0 is scheduled to start in third quarter 2008; but first, several buildings at the Lufthansa base will have to be demolished, as well as the parking garage west of Terminal 1.
Already last year, the top management of Fraport and Lufhansa had reached agreement on the main outlines of this project at Terminal 1, which opened in 1972. "Together, we are opening a new chapter in Terminal 1 utilization," said Fraport executive board chairman Dr. Wilhem Bender. "This will strengthen FRA's competitive position." As early as summer 2011, the new pier will offer LH passengers more convenience on four levels. Shorter distances to the flight gates, direct boarding facilities and clearer layout will ensure optimum passenger flow and minimum connecting times. Shopping facilities, grouped together as central "marketplaces," will offer plenty of opportunty for travelers to enjoy their stay at the airport. Lufthansa's premium guests and status customers will also be able to relax at one of six lounges before departure. "Pier A0 will open up a new dimension in travel for our customers at Frankfurt, also on the ground," said Karl Ulrich Garnadt, member of the executive management of Lufthansa Passage Airlines. Furthermore, he said, "with top notch products throughout the entire service chain, we are enhancing and strengthening our future competitiveness here at FRA." The new Pier A0 will accommodate up to seven long-haul jets (including four Airbus A380s) or eleven short-haul aircraft. About 800 Lufthansa employees, among others, will be working in the new passenger complex - that is equivalent to the average staff level of at least four medium-sized companies in Germany.
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NEWS IN BRIEF / KURZMELDUNGEN
On January 23, a Boeing KC-767 Tanker logged another major milestone when its aircrew used the fifth generation, fly-by-wire boom (a telescoping tube used to deliver fuel to military aircraft) to make a series of "dry contacts" with a B-52 bomber assigned to the Air Force Flight Test Center, Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. "Making contact with a receiver is a huge step for our first KC-767," said Lt. Col. Roberto Poni, Italian Air Force Tanker program liaison. "We're pleased about the important milestone just completed and look forward to further testing of both the boom and wing aerial refueling pod systems."The advanced boom builds on the aerodynamic shape and size of previous systems and can transfer 900 gallons (3,400 liters) of fuel per minute. Providing more precise and responsive controls to the operator, the boom automatically corrects its position to reduce potential damage to the receiver aircraft. With 2,600 fewer parts than previous booms, it also is easier to maintain.
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Crackling radio stations, signal loss in tunnels and difficulties tuning to the correct frequency – the conventional car radio has had its day. ESA and its partners are developing the multimedia car radio of the future. The prototype was demonstrated at the Noordwijk Space Expo on Thursday 25 January. The car radio of the future works in a similar manner to a satellite receiver for television channels. However, the car has no large dish antenna on the roof, but a specially designed mobile antenna, flattened so that it can be built almost invisibly into the bodywork. The antenna receives signals in the Ku frequency band used by communications satellites. The idea of an in-car satellite receiver is not new. In America, more than 13 million people use the services of XM-radio and Sirius radio, two broadcasters that transmit to mobile satellite receivers. They do that via communication satellites, but also with the help of a rural network of transmitter masts. In two important areas, the new European multimedia system advances beyond existing solutions. Instead of new satellites and a network of ground-based transmitters – which might easily requites an investment of more than a billion Euro – the ESA system uses only existing communication satellites.
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The Defence Cooperation between India and Russia got a further boost when four different documents were signed between the two countries at the conclusion of the Sixth Meeting of the India - Russia Inter Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation (IRIGC-MTC). The Meeting was co-chaired by the Defence Minister Shri AK Antony and the visiting Deputy Prime Minister and Defence Minister of Russia Mr. Sergey Borisovich Ivanov. The first agreement is on License Production and Technical Documents for the RD 33 series 3 Aero Engines; the second one is the general contract for RD 33 series 3 Aero engines and associated products. The two sides also signed a Protocol of intent for the joint development and production of multi-role Transport Aircraft and the Protocol of the Sixth India-Russia Inter Governmental Commission on Military Technical Cooperation. The Sixth Inter-Governmental Commission meeting witnessed the strategic depth of India -Russia defence relations widening to encompass non-defence strategic areas such as information technology and space research.
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Spirit Airlines has placed a firm order for 30 A319s, bringing its total Airbus order to 44 (37 A319s and seven A321s). The deal was finalized in late 2006. Each of the single-aisle aircraft will be powered by International Aero Engines' V2500s. Deliveries of the newly ordered aircraft are slated to begin in October 2009 and run through mid-2013. Spirit, based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, currently operates a fleet of 31 purchased and leased A320 Family aircraft - 25 A319s and six A321s. Each of its new A319s will seat 144 passengers, eight in "Spirit Plus" and 136 in coach.
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Lockheed Martin and Boeing have formed a strategic alliance to promote advancement of the future U.S. air transportation system. Aviation forecasts predict a two- to three-fold increase in air traffic by 2025. The Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) next-generation air transportation system is critical to the continued growth of aviation and the U.S. economy. Boeing and Lockheed Martin officials said that, by working together, the companies can leverage their expertise in air traffic management and aircraft-centric solutions to implement bold changes and help the U.S. government overcome the challenges that lie ahead in transforming the current air traffic control system. "Boeing and Lockheed Martin have invested in air traffic management for decades and will bring together world-class capabilities to accelerate solutions for a growing air traffic capacity problem," said Kevin Brown, Boeing Phantom Works vice president and general manager of Advanced Air Traffic Management. "For efficient air traffic management, the industry has embraced the need for integrating airborne and ground systems seamlessly within a unified operational concept. We intend to work together with the FAA to make that happen."
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In the night between 17 and 18 January 2007, the protective cover of the COROT telescope has been successfully opened, and COROT has seen for the first time light coming from stars. Surveying vast stellar fields to learn about star interiors and to search for extra-solar planets is the goal of this unique mission, whose scientific observations will officially start at the beginning of February this year. The first light detected by COROT comes from the constellation of the Unicorn near Orion, the great 'hunter' whose imposing silhouette stands out in the winter nights. This nice image, taken during the in-orbit calibration exercise, shows that the quality of this preliminary data is basically as good as the computer simulations. "This is an excellent piece of news," commented Malcolm Fridlund, ESA Project Scientist for COROT. On 18 January, the telescope was carefully aligned with the region to be observed, facing away from the centre of our Galaxy. This setting that will be maintained until April, when the Sun's rays will start to interfere with the observations.
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In December 2006, experts from ESA and partner organisations met to review Columbus launch preparations. The successful review was a significant milestone for the launch of the Agency's science module, planned for later this year. The review meeting, known formally as the Flight Operations Readiness Review, included experts from ESA, NASA, the German Aerospace Agency (DLR), the Japanese space agency (JAXA) and industry, and concluded that ESA and its partners are on track for the launch of the Columbus scientific laboratory. Columbus is Europe's cornerstone contribution to the International Space Station (ISS), and is scheduled for launch on shuttle mission STS-122 in October/November 2007. The Flight Operations Readiness Review was held 4-5 December 2006 at the Columbus Control Centre at Oberpfaffenhofen, near Munich, to review the state of preparation of the mission teams and ground infrastructure; it is a formal step required by NASA to check the state of readiness of its international partners in joint missions. Ground facilities established for Columbus were recently used during the 171-day Astrolab mission, completed by ESA Astronaut Thomas Reiter, of Germany, in December.
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Norwegian Defence Minister Anne-Grete Strøm-Erichsen has decided to sign the production phase agreement for the Joint Strike Fighter Programme. Progress has also been made in the negotiations over development agreements with the two other candidates in the combat aircraft acquisition project, JAS Gripen and Eurofighter. The Norwegian signature of the JSF Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) has been held back in order to achieve more tangible (industrial participation) agreements for Norwegian industry in the JSF programme. What has now been achieved in this respect is substantial enough to continue our participation in the multinational JSF collaboration. The signature entails that Norway will continue the participation in the JSF programme while maintaining competition between the three contenders to the potential new combat aircraft acquisition. “We now believe that the industrial cooperation plans have become significantly more concrete, and based on an overall evaluation have therefore decided to move into the production phase. We have always been very explicit with regards to emphasizing the importance of industrial cooperation. I am also pleased that we have achieved our goal of maintaining competition between the three contenders and expect to have agreements on development cooperation with all three candidates before long,” says Strøm-Erichsen.
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US Helicopter Corporation announced it will expand its scheduled, airport shuttle to service midtown businesses and hotels, operating between the East 34th Street Heliport and John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and Newark Liberty Intl. Airport. The additional routes will commence on February 5, 2007. US Helicopter is expanding service to accommodate the midtown area's high traffic, making business travel more convenient for all of Manhattan with an eight-minute airport commute. Service from the East 34th Street Heliport to JFK and Newark will initially serve the afternoon demand - with ten flights to/from JFK and ten flights to/from Newark. "Following the launch of our service from the Downtown Manhattan Heliport, we received an overwhelming response from the midtown business community inquiring when we would launch service from their area," commented Jerry Murphy, chief executive officer and president of US Helicopter. "We are thrilled to now be serving these businesses by providing their travelers the convenience of the proximity of the heliport to their offices, mirroring that convenience of the existing Downtown Manhattan Heliport scheduled airline shuttle service for Wall Street."
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The U.S. Navy has confirmed that Raytheon's advanced targeting pod achieved 100,000 operational flight hours on F/A-18 Hornet and Super Hornet aircraft. The Raytheon Advanced Targeting Forward Looking Infrared system officially logged its 100,000th flight hour last month over Iraq, according to Cmdr. Martin Beaulieu, who leads the electro-optical/infrared integrated product team within the U.S. Navy's F/A-18 program office. "When you consider that ATFLIR's initial operational capability occurred in September 2003, it has been a relatively short time for the pod to reach this significant milestone," said Mike Crisp, Raytheon program manager for ATFLIR. "It also speaks volumes about the system's use by naval aviation. Mission demand for ATFLIR has dramatically increased, and Raytheon continues to support an ATFLIR operational availability of well above 80 percent."
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Spanair expands its international network with the launch of two new routes between Munich and the cities of Barcelona and Bilbao In this way, the company increases its presence in the German market by offering a larger number of direct flights between Spain and Germany.
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In a new analysis, The Market for Electronic Warfare Systems, Forecast International is projecting that an estimated $24.6 billion will be spent on the development and production of leading EW systems over the next 10 years. “The rising need for the various jamming, self-protection, and electronic support measures (ESM) systems that make up the EW Systems market will result in steady production and long-term research and development well into the next decade,” said the report's author, Andrew Dardine. “The major systems in terms of production numbers and estimated value are the jamming systems and countermeasures systems that are being used to save lives and complete key missions in Iraq and Afghanistan,” said Dardine. Combined, the jamming and countermeasures segments have a projected 10-year value of $4.8 billion. As for the leading contractors in this market, the top two are not only producers of long-established EW systems, but are also in on the ground floor in the development of next-generation systems for the military platforms of tomorrow. Both Northrop Grumman and BAE Systems are poised to adapt their proven IR missile countermeasure technology to new applications in the next several years.
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Northwest Airlines (NWA) has awarded Pratt & Whitney two, 20-year Global Service Partners service agreements to maintain Northwest's fleet of PW2000 and PW4168A engines. The service agreements are the largest ever awarded to Pratt & Whitney. "During a review of our maintenance cost model, we found that having a single-source maintenance provider for our PW2000 and PW4000 engines would significantly reduce our engine maintenance costs," said Andrew Roberts, Northwest Airlines executive vice president of operations. "Pratt & Whitney Global Service Partners presented the most comprehensive solution for our engine maintenance needs while meeting our cost reduction targets. We look forward to continuing our long-standing partnership with Pratt & Whitney." The Pratt & Whitney Global Service Partners service agreements for Northwest's fleet of PW2000-powered 757s and PW4168-powered A330s, include: engine overhaul, part repair, materials management, on-wing engine diagnostics, lease engine support, environmentally-friendly EcoPower(R) on- wing water washes, as well as engine upgrades that add fuel efficiency and durability while lowering maintenance cost.
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Bell Helicopter delivered the first production AH-1Z attack to the U.S. Department of Defense. Earlier this month the first UH-1Y utility helicopter was delivered. These two helicopters comprise the H-1 program that will ultimately provide 280 upgraded attack and utility helicopters to the United States Marine Corps. Both updated helicopters had a joint roll-out ceremony in September of last year. Dick Millman, president and CEO of Bell, stated, "Bell Helicopter is pleased to be able to provide these much-needed assets to our warfighters. The modernization of the Corps' aging fleet will provide enhanced capabilities while reducing operational costs in the field."
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CAE has signed contracts to provide a total of five full-flight simulators to three airlines: Shanghai Eastern Flight Training Company (SEFT) has ordered an A320 full-flight simulator (FFS), another airline has ordered a Boeing 737-800 FFS and an Airbus A330/340 FFS and a third airline has ordered two Boeing 777 FFSs. All three airlines have also ordered additional suites of training devices. At list prices, including some buyer-furnished equipment, the contracts are valued at C$75 million and bring the total FFS sales that CAE has announced in fiscal 2007 to 29. Shanghai Eastern Flight Training, the training subsidiary for China Eastern Airlines, ordered an Airbus A320 Level D FFS and a suite of CAE Simfinity training devices. This represents the fourth A320 FFS that SEFT has ordered from CAE.
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Lufthansa Private Jet, the exclusive top-end service for individual and flexible air travel, has written another chapter in its success story. In 2006, the number of flights operated in this segment rose by 13 per cent. Up to ten private aircraft were booked daily during the year. The highest demand accounting for about 60 per cent of the total came from point-to-point connections to around 1,000 destinations in Europe and the Russian Federation. But the number of private jet flights offered in combination with long-haul services through the Frankfurt, Munich and Zurich hubs has also increased significantly since mid-2006. Customer satisfaction scoring over 90 per cent shows how positively customers are responding to the Lufthansa Private Jet service. "We are delighted that our innovative product has become so firmly established in the market so soon after its launch. Lufthansa Private Jet, offering customers à la carte mobility, has meantime become a firm fixture in our full-service strategy," observed Thierry Antinori, Executive Vice President Marketing and Sales at Lufthansa Passenger Airlines. "Our customers appreciate especially the opportunity of enjoying the exclusive Lufthansa First-Class amenities on the Private Jet service and making their journey even more comfortable." The accord with NetJets is consequently being extended for a further five-year term and cooperation intensified with the private jet provider. From now on, more jets will be on call, daily, in order to accommodate increased demand for the Lufthansa Private Jet service. In future, the Falcon 2000, which seats up to ten passengers in comfort, will also be available to customers daily.
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The European Commission has selected a project called MARIUS which enables the dissemination to the inhabitants of a stricken zone of SMS alerts thanks to a helicopter equipped with a mini-mobile network. Thanks to that technology, the rescue teams will be able to send SMS even on a zone where the mobile network is off and then will be able to send information which will facilitate rescues and save more lives. The “Mobile Autonomous Reactive Information System for Urgency Situations” or MARIUS is a project aiming at developing a pre-operational autonomous Command Post which can be deployed very quickly to manage every type of crisis. Coordinated by EADS, the project is mostly financed by the European Union. Major industrial and technological actors will provide their knowledge, among which: Thales, BAES, Selex, Eurocopter and Swapcom. The innovation in MARIUS lies in the integration of the following state-of-the-art elements, customised to fulfil the requirements of a generic crisis management system for Security: An airbone segment equipped with EO/IR sensor, GSM detection & location sensor, SMS broadcast capability, a data link to the ground station and a radio system; a mobile crisis management system; the ground sensors (cameras) and their specific data link; a micro-drone to demonstrate airbone surveillance functions in case of disaster; the deployable wireless communications network
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Pratt & Whitney's F135 engine exceeded 7,000 system design and development (SDD) ground test hours this week. This achievement, in addition to the 3,600 test hours accumulated during the F-35 concept demonstration program, puts the total engine test program hours logged at more than 10,000. Pratt & Whitney is a United Technologies Corp. company. Achieving 7,000 SDD ground test hours is one of a series of milestones for the F135 propulsion system. On December 15, the F135 powered the F-35 Lightning II's successful first flight. Flying at 15,000 feet, the first flight test verified F135's integrated flight control systems and its ability to power all of the aircraft's hydraulic and electrical components. In the first and two subsequent F-35 flight tests to date, the F135 engine returned to base with all systems operating normally.
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Following the industrial launch of the A330 Freighter on 17th January 2007, MNG Airlines, a Turkish cargo operator, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding for two A330-200F plus one option. The Istanbul-based carrier herewith becomes a launch customer for the new Airbus freighter. Established in February 1996, MNG Airlines initially began to provide scheduled cargo services in November 1997 to Hahn (Germany) and Stansted (England) with a middle range Airbus A300 freighter.
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The Brazilian airline TRIP Linhas Aereas (Transportes Regionais do Interior Paulista) and ATR unveiled a contract for 7 new ATR 72-500 aircraft plus 5 options for ATR 72-500 signed on the 22nd December 2006 in Campinas (Brazil). The firm aircraft order, of a total value of US $ 125 million, has been inked between José Mario Caprioli Dos Santos, TRIP CEO, and Filippo Bagnato, ATR CEO. These 7 new ATR 72-500 will be equipped with the new “Elegance Cabin” and with the newest technological innovations in the field of communications and navigation aid tools. TRIP has been an ATR operator for many years, but this is the first time the airline has signed for new ATR aircraft. This new order will allow the airline to increase its fleet size and capacity to meet growing passenger demand and to progressively renew its existing fleet, that currently includes 6 ATRs (5 ATR 42-320 and 1 ATR 72-200).
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Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), a subsidiary of Loral Space & Communications and the world's leading provider of high-power commercial satellites, announced that it has been awarded a contract to manufacture a new direct broadcast satellite (DBS) for EchoStar Orbital Corporation II, a subsidiary of EchoStar Communications Corporation. EchoStar XIV will provide expanded services and flexibility for DISH Network's more than 13 million direct-to-home (DTH) television subscribers. "Our long-term relationship with EchoStar is an endorsement of the performance, reliability and service that our company provides," said John Celli, president of Space Systems/Loral. "With an ever-increasing amount of programming options, it is an exciting time for the DTH industry and Space Systems/Loral is well positioned to help EchoStar meet its growing demand for advanced services."
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Boeing has been awarded a U.S. Air Force contract for a Ground Situational Awareness Toolkit (GSAT) that integrates a ScanEagle unmanned aircraft system (UAS) with a ShotSpotter gunfire detection and location technology system. The integrated solution is designed to provide additional force protection for military convoys and bases against sniper fire. The Air Force's 820th Security Forces Group (SFG) at Moody Air Force Base (AFB), Ga., will conduct a four-month military utility assessment to validate ground detection and aerial location of sniper fire. If successful, the system could join Operation Iraqi Freedom.
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Space Systems/Loral (SS/L), a subsidiary of Loral Space & Communications and the world's leading provider of high-power commercial satellites, today announced that Intelsat Corporation has awarded SS/L a contract to manufacture Intelsat 14, a new, high-power C- and Ku-band fixed satellite service (FSS) satellite. "This contract underscores our long-standing relationship with Intelsat," said John Celli, president of Space Systems/Loral. "This new project provides SS/L the opportunity to demonstrate our success in combining heritage, space-proven satellite technology with new innovation. We are pleased to be awarded the contract for this important new member of Intelsat's global fleet." Intelsat 14, to be located at 45 degrees West longitude, will be the 44th Space Systems/Loral satellite built over the past four decades for Intelsat, the world's largest fixed satellite services operator. The satellite will carry 40 C-band and 22 Ku-band transponders across four different beams, covering the Americas, Europe and Africa.
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Government ministers from the UK, France, Spain and Malaysia, were in Toulouse on 18 January for a special briefing on the A380 - during a one-hour flight over the Pyrénées. Accompanied by Airbus President and CEO Louis Gallois, Executive Vice President Programmes Tom Williams, Executive Vice President A400M, Juan Carlos Martinez-Saiz, and a group of international journalists and photographers, the group was able to tour the cabin and cockpit, as well as to discuss the aircraft with the crew. The visit provided the ideal opportunity to review the programme, coming just a few days after the first A380 for Singapore Airlines moved to "commercial installation", thereby meeting the first milestone of the recovery schedule. UK Minister of State for Industry & the Regions, Margaret Hodge, and Spanish Minister of Industry, Tourism and Trade, Joan Clos joined French Transport, Minister Dominique Perben, and Malaysian Transport Minister, Seri Chan Kong Choy, who had earlier attended the delivery of A320 MSN3000 to AirAsia. Peter Hintze, German Parliamentary State Secretary, Federal Ministry of Economy and Technology, had also been due to attend, but was forced to cancel because of the storms in Northern Germany.
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Lufthansa Cargo is back on the growth path. The cargo carrier raised transported freight and mail in the 2006 business year by 1.3 per cent to 1.76 million tonnes. The cargo load factor climbed by 2.7 percentage points to 67,7 per cent. During the year, Lufthansa Cargo reduced capacity on the year-earlier level by 0.6 per cent to 11.97 billion available tonne-kilometres. Revenue freight-kilometres rose by 3.5 per cent to 8.10 billion. Carsten Spohr, the new CEO and Chairman of Lufthansa Cargo AG since January 2007, commenting on the results, said: “It is gratifying to note that our Company has even been growing faster than the market average since mid-2006.“ The new Chairman is anticipating further expansion in 2007: “We will continue posting high growth rates in 2007, especially in Asia traffic. Our stake in the Chinese carrier Jade Cargo International is meantime spawning excellent growth opportunities also in traffic within Asia. We are expecting the airfreight industry generally to continue growing in 2007 and Lufthansa Cargo to profit strongly again from that market growth.”
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CAE's new North East US Training Center, located near the Morristown, New Jersey airport is open for training. The six-bay CAE SimuFlite North East Training Center is the home of entitlement training for the new Dassault Falcon 7X aircraft, as well as training for Falcon 900EX EASy, Falcon 2000EX EASy, Gulfstream IV, and Sikorsky S-76 aircraft.
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SAFRAN laid the cornerstone for group subsidiary Turbomeca's new plant in Bordes (Pyrénées-Atlantiques region of southwest France). The ceremony was attended by Marc Cabane, prefect of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques region, Alain Rousset, chairman of the Aquitaine regional council, Jean-Jacques Lasserre, chairman of the Pyrénées-Atlantiques general council, Jean-Paul Béchat, chairman of the executive board of SAFRAN, and Emeric d'Arcimoles, chairman and CEO of Turbomeca. Construction will be completed in 2008, and machinery and equipment transferred from the former plant. The new building, a project dubbed “Eole”, spans 175 x 330 meters.
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The YAL-1A, a modified Boeing 747-400F known as the Airborne Laser, is undergoing a long-term test phase at the Air Force Flight Test Center here that includes the test firing of the aircraft's low-power lasers in flight for the first time. The Missile Defense Agency is testing and developing the Airborne Laser as part of the boost phase defense segment of the Ballistic Missile Defense System. The ABL, designed to identify, track and intercept enemy ballistic missiles shortly after missile launch, would operate at altitudes above the clouds to locate and track missiles in their boost flight phase, and then accurately point and fire the high-energy laser to intercept enemy missiles near their launch areas, MDA officials said.
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This week, the crew aboard the International Space Station prepared for an unprecedented series of spacewalks. NASA astronauts Mike Lopez-Alegria and Suni Williams are scheduled to begin a 6.5-hour spacewalk from the station around 9 a.m. CST on Wednesday, Jan. 31. It will be the first of a record four spacewalks planned during the next month. Lopez-Alegria and Williams will conduct other spacewalks on Feb. 4, 8 and 22. The first three spacewalks will originate from the station's Quest airlock and the astronauts will use U.S. spacesuits. Lopez-Alegria and cosmonaut Mikhail Tyurin will use Russian spacesuits for the last spacewalk and will exit the station from the Pirs airlock. The three U.S. spacewalks will rearrange the station's cooling system, bringing online new portions of the system that were activated during a shuttle mission in December 2006. The Russian spacewalk will free a stuck antenna on the ISS Progress 23 cargo craft docked to the aft end of the station, ensuring that craft can safely undock in April. The crew began the week unloading some of the more than 2.5 tons of food, fuel and supplies that were delivered to the station on Jan. 19 by the ISS Progress 24 cargo craft, which included fresh produce, gifts from home, new clothing, spare parts, oxygen and water.
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Turkey became the fifth country to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the United States government to participate in the F-35 Lightning II fighter aircraft program's Production, Sustainment and Follow-on Development. The agreement enables the Turkish aerospace and defense industry to compete for up to $10 billion in industrial participation opportunities over the next 30 years. "Turkish industry has been closely linked with Lockheed Martin and its heritage products for many decades, and the tradition continues with the F-35 Lightning II," said Tom Burbage, Lockheed Martin executive vice president and general manager of F-35 Program Integration. "In signing the memorandum, Turkey gains access to the world's most capable multi-role fighter, and Turkish industry continues to prove its world-class status." Turkish industry will have opportunities to compete in areas that include airframe components, electronics, cockpit displays and information systems software. As the F-35 program evolves, new opportunities will emerge.
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