British Airways and its cabin crew union are talking to resolve their disagreements over contract terms and avoid a potential strike. A court last month invalidated the union’s strike ballot just before a 12-day walkout was planned over the Christmas holiday period. The union had threatened to seek another strike mandate, but has now entered negotiations under the auspices of the Trade Union Congress.
Israel’s Iron Dome counter-rocket system has taken a small step toward fielding by successfully intercepting salvos of 122-mm. Grad-type rockets in a series of tests on Jan. 5-6.
Prompted by Western and other competitive air-to-air developments and renewed domestic funding, Russia is now offering upgraded versions of its own weaponry in the export arena.
Mexicana is reshaping its fleet as it takes delivery of new aircraft types, but the carrier is also planning ahead for the orders it will need to fulfill its long-term strategy. CEO Manuel Borja hopes to place an order next year for either Airbus A350s or Boeing 787s as long-haul fleet replacements. Meanwhile, the carrier is already looking at options to replace its new Boeing 717 fleet once the leases expire.
In the Jan. 4 issue, (p. 35), the value of the Orbital Sciences’ Corp. contract for Phase 2 of the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency’s System F6 program was incorrect. The contract is worth $74.6 million.
Obituary: USAF Gen. (ret.) Lew Allen, Jr., died Jan. 4 of complications from rheumatoid arthritis. He was 84, and lived in Potomac Falls, Va. A West Point graduate, who was commissioned in 1946 and also held a Ph.D. in physics from the University of Illinois, Allen was the 10th Air Force chief of staff and director of both the National Security Agency and the Jet Propulsion Laboratory during his 44-year career.
When Bombardier launched development of the CSeries passenger jet 18 months ago, a company leader brushed off speculation that the aircraft would bump up into the 150-seat category long dominated by Airbus and Boeing. “We have no plans for a 150-seater,” maintained Bombardier Commercial Aircraft President Gary Scott. “That is pure speculation from people that want to drum up some controversy.”
Indonesia’s Lion Air says it plans to buy 10 new wide-body aircraft, either Boeing 777-200ERs or Airbus A330-300s, and introduce them this year. Two 747-400s will be retired upon arrival of the new aircraft, which will serve Japan, South Korea, China and Australia.
A fifth U.S. Army unit has fielded the CH-47F Chinook. The 6th Battalion, 101st Combat Aviation Brigade, based at Ft. Campbell, Ky., completed the required training and officially assumed operation of 12 CH-47Fs early last month. The aircraft, with a modernized airframe, is built at Boeing’s Rotorcraft Systems facility in Ridley Township, Pa., and is outfitted with a Rockwell Collins common avionics architecture system cockpit and BAE’s digital advanced flight control system.
Saab believes modifying the Gripen NG to meet an Indian requirement for a carrier-borne fighter would add only 400 kg. (880 lb.), giving the aircraft—dubbed Sea Gripen—an empty weight of 7,500-8,000 kg.
Although little of substance emerged from last month’s climate-monitoring summit in Copenhagen, scientists hope the buzz it created will spotlight the need for more space-based sensors, in particular ocean altimeters, to help aid decision-making.
MTU and Avic Commercial Aircraft Engine Co. will jointly develop a powerplant for the Comac C919, competing with the CFM International LEAP-X turbofan that is scheduled to become the narrow-body airliner’s first engine. Avic also says it will build an assembly line for C919 engines at Shanghai.
Lockheed Martin says it will expand its Systems Integration-Owego (N.Y.) unit under the name of Mission Systems & Sensors. Abbreviated MS2, the unit is one of three operating companies within its Electronic Systems Business Area for naval operations, including a Ship & Aviation Systems Div. as a new unit.
USAF has selected a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV to boost the fourth Wideband Global Satcom (WGS) into orbit. Launch of the Boeing-built satellite is expected between December 2011 and February 2012, according to ULA. Three WGS have been launched into orbit so far. The most recent was lofted Dec. 5, 2009, also on a Delta IV.
Boeing is examining business plans to reduce the C-17 production rate to a sustainable and viable number through 2012 and possibly beyond, following confirmation of the United Arab Emirates’ (UAE) long-anticipated order for six aircraft, rather than four as previously disclosed. Coming on top of a recently authorized procurement for 10 additional C-17s for the U.S. Air Force and a seventh aircraft for the U.K, the UAE deal takes the firm orderbook to 249, not including two options held by Qatar.
Many thanks for the very sensible Viewpoint “Rethinking Crew Fatigue” (AW&ST Dec. 7, 2009, p. 78). As a military aviator during the Cold War, many times I walked out to a jet completely fatigued for a flight through crowded airspace. We were taught, even then, that the first casualty of fatigue was judgment, which is exactly what we pay for in an airline pilot.
Pakistan has fielded the first of four Russian-built Ilyushin Il-76 aerial-refueling tanker aircraft. The other modified Il-76s, designated Il-78MPs, are to be delivered by Ukraine by mid-year. Pakistan’s air force also accepted the first of four Saab 2000 airborne early warning and control aircraft at Kamra AB on Dec. 29. The remaining three will be delivered this year.
Michael Rudolphi (see photos) has been appointed deputy vice president/general manager of Space Launch Systems for ATK in Utah. He was head of the company’s operations at Huntsville, Ala. Rudolphi has been succeeded by Jim Halsell, who was a vice president-exploration systems and headed the ATK team that supported development of the Ares I and Ares V launch vehicles at the NASA Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville. Robert Herman has become a vice president-exploration systems and head of Kennedy Space Center operations.
American Airlines and British Airways won’t know until late January at the earliest whether U.S. regulators will bless a joint venture to combine their transatlantic operations. The Transportation Dept. has opened yet another comment period for this case, with submissions due Jan. 11. This latest round was prompted mainly by the Justice Dept., which last month outlined a list of objections to the airline partnership. Transportation ultimately has the authority to grant the antitrust immunity needed for the joint venture, but must first consider input from Justice.
Owing to a fight with Italy’s civil aviation authority, ENAC, over passenger identification requirements, Ryanair says it will suspend its domestic Italian operations starting Jan. 23. The suspension will remain in place until ENAC rescinds its directive, which requires Ryanair to accept other forms of passenger identification than a passport or national ID card, including fishing licenses. Ryanair says the ENAC directive issued in November could lead to the airline’s handling agents being detained if they do not accept other forms of identification.
Eight months after the U.S. Missile Defense Agency announced a renewed interest in technologies for “early intercept” of ballistic missiles, plans are beginning to take shape with a focus on the use of unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for ballistic missile target tracking. Requirements are not yet firm for this capability, but several architecture studies will provide data on how the agency will proceed and where it plans to put its funding in the forthcoming budgets.
Emirates plans to launch daily nonstop Airbus A330 service to Prague from Dubai starting July 1. The aircraft has a two-class configuration—27 seats in business class and 251 in economy. The airline now provides service to the popular tourist destination through European connections. The new service will reduce travel time to about 6 hr., according to Emirates.
The second F-35B short-takeoff-and-vertical-landing test aircraft, BF-2, arrived at NAS Patuxent River, Md., on Dec. 29 to join aircraft BF-1, which returned to flight on Dec. 23. BF-1 had been grounded for maintenance since it arrived at the U.S. Navy’s flight-test center on Nov. 19. BF-2 completed a 3.4-hr. non-stop ferry flight from Lockheed Martin’s Fort Worth plant with an aerial refueling en route from a U.S. Marine Corps KC-130 tanker.
