In response to Robert Crandall’s Viewpoint, “Bring Back Airline Regulation” (AW&ST June 16, p. 62), have we forgotten that it was Alfred Kahn who proposed the deregulation of air travel? The introduction of new airlines and low-cost carriers has caused a roller coaster within the industry. However, the advent of competition is what made air travel tangible for the common person. Subjecting this industry to the free market economy and reducing its oligopolistic nature produced reasonable fares.
Thomas L. Fagan has become executive vice president for business development, government affairs and international marketing for New York-based Stellar Services Inc. He was principal business development executive of Robbins-Gioia.
Nobody wants to be thought of as incompetent, least of all a military organization. But this is the unhappy situation in which the U.S. Air Force finds itself following a series of blunders, some deeply rooted in its heritage. Sadly, much of the ridicule is deserved.
All companies have high expectations of how they will perform as a business—and predictably high opinions of how well they’re serving their customers and shareholders.
The title of Alan Stern’s Viewpoint, “Making NASA Relevant Again” (AW&ST June 23, p. 78), was interesting but the discussion was not clear. I think he was suggesting that because NASA conducted magnificent research one or two generations ago, he and his colleagues should get more research funds.
In “Bad Side of Engineering” (AW&ST June 9, p. 10), a correspondent cites the failure of system engineering, writing: “Systems engineers draw viewgraphs and write specifications in fields of which they have little or no knowledge, often freely acknowledging this lack.” Your correspondent is right.
American Airlines plans to lay off up to 900 flight attendants on Aug. 31, part of wider job cuts the carrier has already signaled. The carrier sent letters to its attendants advising them of its plans, although the final total may change. American said it hopes to achieve much of its job cut target through attrition and voluntary packages. American said in May it would have to furlough many employees to match the substantial capacity cuts it is planning this fall.
Fuel costs and environmental concerns are combining to increase the pressure to approve as wide a range of alternative jet fuels as feasible as quickly as possible. Standards setters will meet this month to advance a dual-track approach that should see 50% blends of Fischer-Tropsch (FT)-derived synthetic paraffinic kerosene (SPK) approved by year-end and 50% blends of hydrogenated fats and oils (HFO)-derived SPK by 2010.
The U.S. Transportation Dept. Inspector General is asking the FAA to reconsider adopting two recommendations that emerged June 30 from the IG’s ongoing audit of the agency’s safety oversight of airlines. The FAA agreed with all recommendations except two—which the IG called “fundamental” to improving oversight of airlines: to periodically rotate supervisory inspectors to ensure reliable and objective air carrier oversight, and establish an independent organization to investigate safety issues identified by the FAA.
Eumetsat has approved a €46-million contribution for the Jason-3 follow-on oceanography mission and funds to study a further follow-on based on the European Space Agency’s CryoSat‑2 Earth Explorer. The move will put pressure on the European Commission to come up with the €46 million that remain to be approved for Jason-3, to ensure the continuity of critical altimetry data after the retirement of Jason-2, which was launched on June 20.
Christophe Villemin (see photo) has been named president of the Global Aerospace, Transportation and Industry Div. of France-based Alcan Engineered Products . He was president of the Specialty Sheets Div.
General Electric has named a 28-year veteran, David Joyce, as president and chief executive of GE Aviation. He succeeds Scott C. Donnelly, who has become executive vice president and chief operating officer at Textron. Since 2003, Joyce has been vice president of the GE’s commercial engine unit, including its global support network. Before that, he headed small commercial engine operations, which included GE’s successful bid to power the ARJ21 regional jet with the GE34-10A engine and certification of the CF34-8 for the Bombardier CRJ900 and Embraer E170/175.
It’s hardly surprising that the aerospace and defense industry as a whole is sharpening its operating and financial performances. Seven years of soaring U.S. military expenditures and three concurrent years of record commercial aircraft orders have generated a bonanza for all—from Lockheed Martin and Boeing down to the smallest supplier.
Boeing and the U.S. Air Force have begun talks over development of a larger, piloted blended-wing body (BWB) demonstrator that would follow-on from the current subscale X-48B unmanned BWB now flying at Edwards AFB, Calif. Company officials say the single-pilot vehicle will have a “pressurized cockpit” and be multi-engined, but add that the final configuration will depend on definitive research objectives and funding.
The Pentagon is considering a delay until August 2009 for a contract award of the Joint Air-to-Ground Missile (JAGM) that will replace the Hellfire, TOW and Maverick series of weapons. Raytheon and Lockheed Martin are dueling for the program, which is jointly funded by the U.S. Army and Navy. Both services, however, lack money in their Fiscal 2010 budgets to pay for two development efforts.
Europe and the U.S. could make great strides in cooperating on aviation safety following the signing of a long-delayed bilateral aviation safety agreement, but there is also concern about several areas of conflict. The bilateral accord is “a crucial step in the cooperation between the two sides of the Atlantic,” asserts Patrick Goudou, executive director of the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA). Europe wants to build on the success to strike a similar deal with Canada in October.
Jim Elwood, who is director of Aspen/Pitkin County (Colo.) Airport, has become chairman of the Alexandria, Va.-based American Assn. of Airport Execuctives for 2008-09. John Duval of Beverly, Mass., was elected first vice chairman; Jim Bennett of Washington, second vice chairman; and Kelly Johnson of Bentonville, Ark., secretary-treasurer. Elwood succeeds Krys Bart of Reno, Nev. New members of the board of directors are: Tom Rafter of Hammonton, N.J.; Lew Bleiweis of Fletcher, N.C.; and Michael Gobb of Lexington, Ky.
Michael J. Richter and William F. Farmer, effective July 9, have been appointed managing directors and co-heads of Lazard Ltd. ’s U.S. aerospace and defense investment banking group, based in Los Angeles and Washington, respectively. They have been co-presidents of Jeffries Quarterdeck.
The Phoenix lander’s search for Martian life evidence will begin in earnest this week as the spacecraft’s organic chemistry instrument is fed a sample of 100% water ice. The mission team also wants to do ice sampling as early as possible, in the event an electrical short in the device prematurely halts organic-oven operations. The ice sample is to be processed starting about July 9, with results due about July 15.
The European Commission and European Space Agency have issued a request for proposals for 28 full operating capability (FOC) satellites—26 operational units plus two spares—and related ground segment for the Galileo satellite navigation system. The estimated €2.15-billion ($3.38-billion) purchase will be conducted by ESA on the commission’s behalf but in accordance with EC rules, which require open competition without regard for geographic return. Six separate work packages will be competed.
SuperJet 100 managers say Finmeccanica’s entry into the regional jet program and progress in building a worldwide support network are sparking renewed interest in the 95-seat jet.
