AgustaWestland closes Egyptian deal
May 22, 2009
AgustaWestland has obtained an order from Egypt’s Petroleum Air Services for an AW139 helicopter plus an option for two more. The deal marks the entry of the AW139 in the Egyptian market, where it will be used by PAS for offshore oil and gas support operations. AgustaWestland has also clinched an order for one Grand light twin helicopter from Esperia Aviation Services. The aircraft, configured with six cabin seats, will be used for passenger transport from the Italian business aircraft operator’s base at Urbe airport in Rome, Italy. In April 2008 AgustaWestland and Esperia partnered to develop a helicopter hub at Urbe. Esperia is building new hangars, plus hospitality and office areas, and will provide passenger transport and corporate helicopter management services, while AgustaWestland is establishing a helicopter maintenance centre.
British Airways will ground 16 airliners for winter
May 22, 2009
British Airways is going to ground 16 aircraft for the upcoming winter season, to rein in capacity due to the decline in passenger demand.
It will ground eight Boeing 747-400s and eight 757-200s in order to cut capacity by 4% for winter 2009-10.
BA has already laid plans to sell the 757 fleet to another operator for cargo conversion and has already increased its capacity reduction for the summer season to 2.5% from the 2% it disclosed in March.
Over winter 2008-09 the airline cut capacity by 3.1%and says it has the flexibility to withdraw more of its long-haul aircraft, notably as the number of jets in its fleet older than 20 years – some of its Boeing 747-400s and 767s – is set to increase. Sixteen of its 121 long-haul aircraft will be above this 20-year threshold in 2010-11.
“We are taking action to mitigate the impact of the economic crisis on our business,” said BA chief Willie Walsh, after detailing a heavy full-year operating loss for the airline of £220 million ($349 million).
BA’s operating loss in the fourth quarter reached £309 million, as revenues dropped by 8.4% to £1.9 billion. Yields were down 2.5%, but 16% excluding exchange.
Randy Babbitt confirmado como chefe da Administração Federal de Aviação dos Estados Unidos (FAA)
May 22, 2009
O Senado americano confirmou a indicação de três cargos na noite da última quinta-feira.
Randy Babbitt foi confirmado para um mandato de 5 anos como administrador do FAA, John Porcari como secretário adjunto do Departamento de Transporte e Linda Puchala atuará como membro do conselho nacional de mediação até 1 de Julho de 2012.
Babbitt, um consultor que liderou a Associação dos Pilotos de Linha Aérea nos anos 90 será o mais lato regulador da segurança das companhias de transporte de passageiros e carga. Ele também será responsável pelo gerenciamento do controle do espaço aéreo americano. O FAA é responsável pela coordenação de mais de 30 vôos comerciais por dia.
Randy Babbitt Confirmed As FAA Chief
May 22, 2009
The US Senate confirmed the nominations of three positions late Thursday before adjourning until June 1.
Randy Babbitt was confirmed for a five-year term as Administrator of the FAA, John Porcari as Deputy Secretary of the Transportation Dept., and Linda Puchala will serve as a member of the National Mediation Board for term ending July 1, 2012.
Babbitt, a consultant who led the Air Line Pilots Association in the 1990s, would become the top safety regulator of passenger and cargo airlines. He would also be responsible for management of the U.S. air traffic control network. The FAA is responsible for coordinating air space for more than 30,000 commercial flights per day.
Comlux Completion USA successfully install the first Thrane and Thrane next generation swiftbroadband solution
May 20, 2009
The first installation of Thrane & Thrane’s Aero-SB Lite for a customer has been successfully completed aboard a Challenger 604. The cutting-edge system was integrated with the aircraft’s existing tail mounted high gain antenna to provide a SwiftBroadband solution capable of data speeds of up to 432 kbps.
Comlux Completion USA, a provider of completion and maintenance services for business aircraft, carried out the installation: “We are excited to report the first full installation of the Thrane & Thrane Aero-SB Lite SwiftBroadband system,” said John Sweet, Vice President of Avionics Sales, Comlux Completion USA.
Jim Huntoon, VP of Sales, Comlux Completion USA, added: “Aero-SB Lite is a revolutionary business tool that we are pleased to offer to our customers. Challenger 604 customers with an existing satcom system that uses a tail mounted high gain antenna or an Aero-M or Aero-I system with a fuselage mounted intermediate gain antenna, can upgrade easily to Aero-SB Lite to benefit from true office in the sky technology,”
The lightest and most compact SwiftBroadband system on the market, Aero-SB Lite enables cost effective broadband, suitable for the widest range of aircraft possible. Furthermore, Aero-SB Lite is compatible with a range of antennas including the Thrane & Thrane TT-5006A Intermediate Gain Antenna (IGA), the EMS AMT-50 High Gain Antenna (HGA) and the Chelton Satcom HGA-6000 HGA antenna. Users of these antennas can install Aero-SB Lite without the need for a new antenna, therefore reducing the overall cost and installation time.
Andy Beers, Director of Aeronautical Sales North America, adds, “The successful installation of Aero-SB Lite aboard a business aircraft represents a very important milestone for us. The system is now available for order, with shipping due to commence in June to correspond with receipt of FAA PMA.”
AgustaWestland Test Pilot Selected For Astronaut Training
May 20, 2009
AgustaWestland, a Finmeccanica company, congratulates Tim Peake, AgustaWestland Senior Test Pilot, on his selection by the European Space Agency as the first British astronaut to join the European Astronaut Corps. The Corps currently consists of eight members from Germany, France, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Sweden.
The European Space Agency commenced a search for four new astronauts in May 2008 to conduct future missions to the International Space Station, and one day to the moon and beyond. The selection process involved several stages over a 12 month period to select four people from the 8413 valid applications.
Following the announcement Tim said “I am delighted to have been selected as a member of the European Astronaut Corps. I think that the space industry is going to play an increasingly important role in overcoming many of the challenges that humankind faces and to be a part of ESA’s team working towards that goal is a great privilege.”
Tim Peake was commissioned into the Army Air Corps (AAC) in August 1992 and gained his wings in June 1994 and was subsequently posted to Germany as a Gazelle pilot. In January 1998, he became a Qualified Helicopter Instructors (QHI) and in September 1999 was selected for an Exchange posting to the USA where he flew Apache helicopters with the US Army. On his return to the UK Tim was posted to Middle Wallop as one of the first British Army QHI’s instructing on the AgustaWestland Apache AH Mk.1. He was awarded a 4* Commendation for his efforts in introducing the Apache AH Mk.1 into service.
In January 2005 he was selected for Empire Test Pilot School course and on graduating was posted to Rotary Wing Test Squadron (RWTS), Boscombe Down. He was employed as the senior Apache test pilot and Squadron Training Officer, in addition to conducting Special Forces projects. On completion of his tour at RWTS, Major Peake retired from the Army Air Corps aged 37, having served for 17_ years. Tim was then employed by AgustaWestland in February 2009 as a Senior Test Pilot, primarily flight testing Apache and Lynx helicopters. He is married to Rebecca and has a four month old son, Thomas.
Bombardier Aerospace Employee Receives Prestigious Aviation Award
May 20, 2009
(CASI) awarded Larry Dufraimont, Director of Flight Test and Flight Operations at Bombardier’s
Flight Test Centre in Wichita, Kansas, the prestigious Trans-Canada Trophy, the oldest aviation
award in Canada. Mr. Dufraimont received this award for his outstanding achievements in the
field of air operations.
At Bombardier Aerospace, Mr. Dufraimont leads a multi-discipline team in the modification and
instrumentation of test aircraft and in the planning and execution of flight testing for all
Bombardier Aerospace business jets and regional aircraft. He worked at the company from
1993 (then de Havilland) to 1997, returning in 2000.
Mr. Dufraimont began his career with the Canadian Air Force, where he had the opportunity to
fly 36 aircraft types as a T-33 and CF-5 Instructor Pilot, VIP Transport Pilot and Qualified Test
Pilot. Highlights from his 23-year career in the military were his graduation from the UK Empire
Test Pilot School and the ten years he spent as a Qualified Test Pilot with the Canadian Military
Aerospace Engineering Test Establishment (AETE) flying numerous fighter and transport
aircraft including the de Havilland Augmentor Wing Powered Lift Research aircraft which he flew
for NASA. He retired from the Air Force as a Lt. Colonel having served in several leadership
positions over his career.
Mr. Dufraimont moved on to civil aviation, where he has spent 19 years in the Canadian and
U.S. aerospace industry. He has held many leadership positions in Flight Test, Ground Test,
Program Management and Engineering for Bombardier Aerospace, Rockwell Collins and
Boeing.
The TransCanada
Trophy, also known as the McKee Trophy, was established in 1927 by
Captain J. Dalzell McKee. In 1926, Mr. McKee, of Pittsburgh, Penn., accompanied by Squadron
Leader Earl Godfrey of the RCAF, flew from Montreal to Vancouver in a Douglas MO2B
seaplane. McKee was so impressed by the services provided by the RCAF and the Ontario
Provincial Air Service, that he set up an endowment by means of which the greatly coveted
McKee Trophy is awarded to the Canadian whose achievements were most outstanding in
promoting aviation in Canada
Virgin America First Airline to Offer Fleetwide WiFi
May 20, 2009
Airline First to Offer In-Flight Internet on Every Flight; Hosts First Air-to-Ground Skype Broadcast on The Oprah Winfrey Show
SAN FRANCISCO, May 20 /PRNewswire/ — Virgin America, the California-based carrier, announced that as of today it is the first and only airline to offer Gogo(R) In-flight Internet service on every flight. As of today, guests on any of Virgin America’s 100 daily flights have the option to surf the Web, check e-mail, or log on to their corporate VPN – all from the comfort of their seats at 37,000 feet. Virgin America marks this in-flight WiFi milestone with another first for an airline: an air-to-ground Skype video call with Oprah Winfrey which will air this Thursday, May 21 on The Oprah Winfrey Show (check local listings).
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20090123/VIRGINAMERICALOGO)
“As a new airline, Virgin America is reinventing the typical domestic air travel experience with award-winning service and brand new, beautifully designed planes equipped with the latest technology and entertainment. With power outlets at every Virgin America seat, Gogo(R) has now turned our planes into WiFi hotspots and home offices in the air,” said Porter Gale, Vice President of Marketing for Virgin America. “Hosting a chat from a plane at 37,000 feet to Oprah Winfrey in her studio is a fun example of how Virgin America is embracing technology and meeting the needs of consumers who want to stay connected.”
Virgin America in-flight teammate Mandalay Roberts chats with Oprah Winfrey on this Thursday’s episode of The Oprah Winfrey Show, entitled “Where the Skype Are You?” via video chat from the First Class cabin of Virgin America Flight VX780 en route from Seattle to Los Angeles. Oprah Winfrey also surprised and met some of the 120 guests on board the regularly scheduled commercial flight and hosted the first ever Skype-enabled in-flight wine tasting, where Virgin America guests swirled, sniffed and sipped right along with her from the skies. For more on the segment, visit: www.oprah.com
Although Virgin America does not typically allow Voice-Over-IP (VoIP) products like Skype video call in-flight due to concerns about maintaining a quiet, restful cabin environment, guests can currently use Gogo(R) to Skype via the instant message feature, in addition to e-mailing, tweeting, updating their Facebook pages and any of the myriad other ways the web is keeping people connected. The early roll out of the Gogo(R) service across the airline’s network makes Virgin America the first and only airline to offer consumers in-flight WiFi on every flight – regardless of route, aircraft type, or flight time.
“We were thrilled to virtually host Oprah Winfrey and her audience on-board one of our flights. The excitement people have about in-flight WiFi has been reflected in the rave reviews we’ve received from our guests since we launched the service on our first plane back in November. Our tech-savvy fliers have already embraced the option, as we’re regularly seeing up to one-quarter of guests on any given flight logged on,” added Gale.
The Gogo(R) service is available for $12.95 for daytime flights of over three hours, $9.95 for daytime flights of less than three hours, $5.95 on red-eye flights and $7.95 for handheld devices. In November 2008, Virgin America launched Gogo(R) In-flight Internet on its first flight with a first ever “air-to-ground” video stream to YouTube Live – YouTube’s first official real-world user event. In February 2009, the airline became the first to host a live national television broadcast via WiFi stream while in-flight over the coast of Massachusetts with CBS News’ THE EARLY SHOW. This spring, Virgin America also became the first and only carrier to show guests which flights were WiFi enabled at the time of booking, as the airline continued to roll out its service fleetwide.
Virgin America flies to San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Washington D.C., Seattle, Las Vegas, San Diego, Boston and Orange County. The airline is one of the fastest growing of all time, with an all-new Airbus A320-family fleet and daily flights from: SFO to LAX, SFO to JFK, SFO to SAN, SFO to IAD, SFO to LAS, LAX to JFK, LAX to IAD, SFO to SEA, SEA to LAX, JFK to LAS, BOS to LAX, BOS to SFO and SFO to SNA.
Elbit Systems Reports Strong First Quarter 2009 Results
May 20, 2009
Elbit Systems Ltd. (the “Company”) (NASDAQ: ESLT, TASE: ESLT), the international defense company, today reported its consolidated financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2009.
(Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20080408/300441 )
Consolidated revenues increased by 6.6% to $656.9 million, as compared to $616.1 million in the first quarter of 2008. The Company’s revenues in the C4ISR area of operations increased significantly in the first quarter of 2009 compared to the first quarter of 2008, as a result of increased sales of communication equipment and unmanned air vehicle systems to a number of customers. Other than relatively minor fluctuations, the percentage mix of revenues derived from the various geographical regions remained steady, as compared to the first quarter of 2008.
Gross profit increased by 22% to $208.3 million (31.7% of revenues) for the first quarter of 2009, as compared with gross profit of $170.7 million (27.7% of revenues) in the first quarter of 2008. The strong gross profit margin was primarily the result of a mix of projects performed with higher gross profit, and in part due to the strength of the U.S. Dollar versus the Israeli Shekel during the first quarter of 2009, which affected the labor costs incurred in Shekels.
Elbit Systems Informa Sólidos Resultados para el Primer Trimestre de 2009
May 20, 2009
20/05/2009 /PR Newswire Latinoamerica/ —
Elbit Systems Ltd. (la “Empresa”) (NASDAQ: ESLT, TASE: ESLT), empresa internacional de defensa, informó hoy sus resultados económicos consolidados para el primer trimestre, finalizado el 31 de marzo de 2009.
Los ingresos consolidados aumentaron 6,6% a $656,9 millones, contra los $616,1 millones informados en el primer trimestre de 2008. Los ingresos de la empresa en el área de operaciones C4ISR crecieron significativamente en el primer trimestre de 2009 en relación con el primer trimestre de 2008, debido a la mayor cantidad de ventas a diversos clientes de equipos de comunicación y sistemas de vehículos aéreos no tripulados. Salvo por algunas fluctuaciones relativamente menores, la combinación de ingresos promedio obtenidos de las distintas regiones geográficas se mantuvo estable respecto del primer trimestre de 2008.
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