Overall demand for regional airliners with up to 110 seats will rise 11 percent over the next 10 years to just under 5,000 aircraft, and regional jets will account for 77 percent of the market, compared to just 25 percent over the past 10 years, according to a study by Stanford Transportation Group and AvStat Associates. The biggest growth in the jet segment will be in 60- to 80-seaters, where demand will surge from 52 aircraft to 820.
CAE's Commercial Simulation Division in Toronto, Canada, announced it has inked a contract with Pan Am International Flight Academy for a full flight simulator equipped with a MAXVUE Plus visual system to reflect the BAe RJ-85 regional aircraft.
Flight Services Group (Stratford, Conn.) -- This Ogden Aviation Co. announced the appointment of John F. Ellard as a charter sales representative in its full-service charter department.
A voluntary test program designed to enhance safety while troubleshooting new air traffic control concepts is moving forward in Alaska. Called ``Capstone,'' the initiative will see the creation of non-precision GPS approaches at 10 remote village airports, with co-located automated weather observation system (AWOS) equipment.
An underlying issue in airline travel is stress. How bad can it get? Last summer I went to Oslo, Norway on business. That trip turned into a stress laboratory. My schedule included an evening departure on a major domestic carrier with a next morning connection in Brussels. Scheduled arrival in Oslo was for late morning.
Teterboro Airport plans to unveil its third-generation Web site on October 1. Improvements to the site are to include a redesigned events page, simplified navigation bars, a new archive that will contain copies of previously published materials about the airport, an improved link to The Weather Channel Web site and a link to the Aviation Hall of Fame of New Jersey Museum, which is located on the field.
Under pressure from the federal government, United Express regional Great Lakes Aviation has agreed to resume flights to five destinations served under Essential Air Service (EAS) contracts. The DOT ordered the Spencer, Iowa-based airline to resume the flights just a day after they were suspended, saying it failed to provide the 90 days' notice stipulated by its EAS contracts.
ARINC has received an STC for its communications upgrade kits for B747 classic aircraft. Further, the company announced that America West Airlines has signed a contract for its air/ground GLOBALink/VHF data-link service.
BAA, plc (United Kingdom) -- The company's group airports director, Mike Hodgkinson, is slated to succeed Sir John Egan as chief executive upon the latter's retirement this month.
South Dakota State University has started a flight-instructor degree program that enables pilots to earn a bachelor of science degree in career and technical education with a specialization in aviation education. Courses are offered at two locations -- Brookings and Sioux Falls.
Airlines will pay all ``extraordinary'' expenses for crash victim recovery, identification and emergency response under a new agreement between the Air Transport Association (ATA) and the NTSB. ATA member airlines also have agreed to transport victims' families to accident sites, and pay for DNA analysis of remains, if necessary. The NTSB says the arrangement will not affect its traditional jurisdiction over crash investigations, which will remain separated from family assistance activities.
Bell Helicopter Textron is building a training and delivery center for the Bell/Agusta BA609 civil tiltrotor at Alliance Airport in Fort Worth. Bell claims 75 orders for the BA609 -- a six- to nine-passenger aircraft that combines a helicopter's takeoff, hover and landing capabilities with the speed and range of a conventional turboprop. The company plans to hire between 175 and 200 employees by year-end and begin deliveries of the BA609 in 2002.
The Global Express' six, eight-by-seven-inch EFIS tubes are the most visible parts of its Primus 2000XP avionics system, especially because of the display configuration flexibility built into the system. The left- and right-side MFDs, for example, can be configured to show system synoptics, thereby making more information available to the crew than the EICAS alone can present. Bombardier's choice of colors, symbols and graphics is consistent and conventional, thus helping to accelerate the pilots' learning curve.
Keystone Helicopter completed an IFR-equipped Bell 412EP helicopter for the U.S. Park Police. The aircraft is equipped with the FLIR Ultra 6000, UNS-1D FMS and a search and rescue package that includes a Lucas external rescue hoist and video camera system to aid in hoist operations.
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has awarded a PCA Repair Station authorization to ElectroSonics, a wholly owned subsidiary of GE Engine Services-Corporate Aviation.
Aging Citation 500s could receive new life if an engine upgrade planned by a Texas company reaches fruition. Sierra Industries of Uvalde is offering its ``Eagle II'' package, which includes retrofitting two new Williams-Rolls FJ44-2A turbofans. Sierra says the conversion will provide 35 percent more thrust, 50 knots faster cruise speed and other performance benefits. FAA certification is planned for second quarter 2000. For more information, call (830) 278-4381 or visit www.sijet.com.
Boeing's 717-200 has received joint certification from the FAA and JAA, two significant development milestones. According to Jim Phillips, general manager of Boeing's Long Beach Division, the certification was conducted under an ``unprecedented'' FAA/JAA program called Concurrent and Cooperative Certification, which provides a single basis for certification. Boeing claims 115 firm orders and 110 options for the 100-seat jet.
Air-1, a new FBO at St. Petersburg-Clearwater International Airport, celebrated the grand opening of its 36,000-square-foot hangar complex in late summer. The facility includes 24,000 square feet of aircraft storage and maintenance space, 1,800 square feet of offices for lease, 8,000 square feet of Air-1 operations offices and a pilot lounge.
Aerospace Products International (API) is opening a new parts warehouse near Montreal, Canada, which, according to the company, with its Calgary warehouse and Memphis headquarters provides customers with 24-hours-a-day/seven-days-a-week service.
