miércoles, 12 de octubre de 2011

Eurocopter strengthens its Colombian market presence with Helistar’s order for three more EC145 helicopters


Mexico City, October 12, 2011
Colombian operator Helistar has signed a contract with Eurocopter de México, subsidiary of Eurocopter Group, to purchase three EC145s.

With these three new helicopters, the fleet of Colombia's largest helicopter company will expand to include seven EC145s. The first two additional aircraft will be delivered in 2012, followed by the third in 2013. Helistar currently has a fleet of 18 aircraft, providing services for the country's leading energy companies.

Among the broad spectrum of missions offered by the company, Helistar specializes in passenger transport for the oil and gas sector – which currently is experiencing strong growth within Colombia. This new purchase follows the finalization of a five-year services contract between Helistar and the Colombian oil company Ecopetrol.

The EC145 is at the top of its class in the medium-sized, twin-engine helicopter category, and is perfectly adapted to the needs of the oil and gas industry. This compact and modern helicopter is ideal for medium-range flights with 8 to 10 passengers. Its high safety standards, availability, comfort and rapid configuration for different missions have earned the business of many oil and gas companies opting to acquire this aircraft in various countries in the Americas, including Argentina, Mexico and Colombia.

More than 400 EC145s have been sold around the globe for a full range of operations, and is the only helicopter of its type that can seat up to eight passengers.

EADS North America readies its Armed Aerial Scout 72X helicopter for competitive fly off demonstration

Armed Aerial Scout 72X (AAS-72X) arrives at AUSA Convention

WASHINGTON, Oct. 10, 2011 — In anticipation of a competitive flight demonstration, EADS North America's Armed Aerial Scout 72X (AAS-72X) is on display at the Association of the U.S. Army (AUSA) convention this week in Washington, DC.

The AAS-72X, an armed derivative of the Army's UH-72A Lakota Light Utility Helicopter manufactured by the company's American Eurocopter business unit, has completed the majority of its militarization requirements in a company-funded development effort that began in 2009.

EADS North America also announced at AUSA that Rockwell Collins (NYSE: COL) has joined the AAS-72X team and will be responsible for the design, engineering and production of simulation and training devices in support of U.S. Army operator and maintainer requirements.

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"We're pleased to welcome Rockwell Collins to the EADS North America Armed Scout team, the team that is offering the most capable of any armed scout helicopter solution," said Sean O'Keefe, CEO of EADS North America. "We're ready to prove that fact through a competitive flight demonstration to validate that we can meet the Army's demanding armed scout mission."

A highly capable helicopter for the Armed Aerial Scout mission, the AAS-72X combines the safety of a twin-engine aircraft and the high/hot operating performance necessary to meet the Army's demanding Armed Scout mission. Derived from the same family of aircraft as the UH-72A Lakota Light Utility Helicopter, the AAS-72X is a low-risk evolution of the U.S. Army's newest rotary-wing aircraft, which is widely considered one of the most successful acquisition programs in the service's history.

The EADS North America-led industry team of American Eurocopter and Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) has made a significant investment in the development of three AAS- 72X Technical Demonstrator Aircraft (TDA), which have been used to conduct parallel development and risk reduction activities, and to demonstrate the armed scout's level of capability and technical maturity. The first TDA Aircraft made its maiden flight in December 2010.

Prior to the start of the TDA program, the company conducted high/hot hover-out-ofground- effect, endurance and payload testing in 2009 at Alamosa, Colo. utilizing a helicopter derived from the UH-72A Lakota/EC145 platform family. In that test the helicopter successfully operated at 6,000 feet and 95-degree density altitude. The team also conducted a key transportability test when five aircraft were successfully loaded in a C-17 transport aircraft. Additionally, EADS North America and Lockheed Martin established a System Integration Laboratory (SIL) and hangar in April 2010 at Lockheed Martin's Orlando, Fla. facility.

The AAS-72X demonstration aircraft is equipped with a Mission Equipment Package (MEP) that includes a chin-mounted turret with integrated targeting sensor, mannedunmanned teaming capability, communications suite and weapons. All MEP items already are in the Army inventory.

Production of the AAS-72X will take place at American Eurocopter's Columbus, Miss. helicopter center of excellence where the UH-72A Lakota is currently manufactured for the U.S. Army. EADS North America has delivered more than 190 UH-72A Lakotas to the Army, all on time and within budget, along with five H-72A versions to the U.S. Navy for test pilot training.

About EADS North America (www.eadsnorthamerica.com)
EADS North America is the North American operation of EADS, a global leader in aerospace, defense and related services. As a leader in all sectors of defense and homeland security, EADS North America and its parent company, EADS, contribute over billion to the U.S. economy annually and support more than 200,000 American jobs through its network of suppliers and services. Operating in 17 states, EADS North America offers a broad array of advanced solutions to its customers in the commercial, homeland security, aerospace and defense markets.

CASSIDIAN and Northrop Grumman present first EURO HAWK® for German Armed Forces

12 October 2011

        * EURO HAWK® now fitted with Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) mission system.
        * Delivery to German Armed Forces scheduled for 2012.
        * Excellent example of transatlantic cooperation in the defence area.

EURO HAWK®, the premier Signals Intelligence (SIGINT) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) for the German Armed Forces, was presented today to government officials and media during a rollout ceremony held in Manching, Germany. The UAS arrived on 21 July 2011 following a nonstop ferry flight from Edwards Air Force Base in California to Manching. After its landing, it was successfully fitted with the Integrated Signal Intelligence System (ISIS) developed by Cassidian and will undergo flight testing in 2012. EURO HAWK® is the first international configuration of the RQ-4 Global Hawk High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE) UAS. Delivery of the first EURO HAWK® system to the German Air Force and Strategic Intelligence Command (KSA) is scheduled for 2012, with delivery of the following four systems foreseen between 2015 and 2016.

Dr. Stefan Zoller, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Cassidian, said: "Today’s rollout ceremony of the EURO HAWK® marks a significant step for the German customer in its acquisition of a leading-edge SIGINT capability." Zoller added: “EURO HAWK® is an excellent example for the transatlantic cooperation in the defence area, and for the close relationship with our customer. We are very pleased to provide the German Armed Forces with the first HALE UAS which was fitted with a fully Integrated SIGINT System for the detection and identification of ELINT and COMINT (electronic and communications intelligence) emitters. This also proves our significant UAS system integration capabilities. The mission system has been developed by Cassidian for the specific requirements of the German customer and is based on the most advanced technologies."

Gary Ervin, Corporate Vice President and President of Northrop Grumman’s Aerospace Systems, stressed: “Today, we are a step closer to delivering the first EURO HAWK® to the German Armed Forces. In times of tight budgets, multinational joint developments like this offer great value to nations and provide effective support for troops in the field. We are proud to be part of the EURO HAWK® team."

Neset Tükenmez, Chief Executive Officer of the Joint Venture EuroHawk GmbH, commented: “EURO HAWK® marks a new era of strategic reconnaissance in Europe. The German Armed Forces will soon be able to independently cover their own national needs for SIGINT data collection and analysis. This will be a high-value contribution to NATO, EU and UN operations in the future. The EURO HAWK® success story will continue with the ISIS flight trials and the hand-over to the German customer in 2012."

The German Ministry of Defence (MoD) awarded a contract in January 2007 to EuroHawk GmbH for the development, test and support of the Full-Scale Demonstrator EURO HAWK® system. Under this contract, EuroHawk GmbH will provide the SIGINT air vehicles, the complete aircraft and ISIS Mission Ground Segments as well as the aircraft modifications requested for the German needs, flight test and logistics support.

With a wingspan larger than a commercial airliner, endurance of 30 hours and a maximum altitude of more than 60,000 feet, EURO HAWK® is an interoperable, modular and cost-effective replacement to the aging fleet of manned Breguet Atlantic aircraft which was in service since 1972 and officially retired in 2010. EuroHawk GmbH, a 50-50 joint venture of Northrop Grumman and Cassidian, is responsible for the development and manufacturing of EURO HAWK® systems and acts as the national prime contractor for the German MoD through the system’s entire lifecycle.

More than 1,000 aircraft will be needed within the next 20 years in Russia

Russia ranks sixth among the top 10 countries for passenger aircraft demand
Blagnac,  11 October 2011

Russian carriers will need more than 1,000 passenger aircraft over the next 20 years in response to the strong traffic growth, according to the latest Airbus Global Market Forecast (GMF). The forecast ranks Russia sixth in the top ten countries for passenger aircraft demand after US, China, India, Germany and UK.

The Russian passenger aircraft fleet of 100 seats or more is expected to grow strongly from 519 aircraft in service in 2010 to 1,058 by 2030. This means that over the next 20 years Russian airlines will need 1,006 aircraft, valued at US$ 95 billion to meet fleet growth as well as aircraft replacement. These additional aircraft will include some 839 single-aisle aircraft which are currently prominent in the region’s fleet, 145 wide-bodies and some 22 Very Large Aircraft (VLA) to satisfy strong international travel growth.

The growing demand for aircraft is the consequence of the impressive increase of passenger traffic in Russia driven by consistent economic growth and the ongoing airline consolidation. According to Airbus forecast, passenger traffic in Russia is expected to increase at a rate of 5.6 per cent per year on average over the next 20 years, which is much faster than the world average of 4.8 per cent. The biggest traffic growth is expected to be on international destinations from Russia to Asia-Pacific (+7%) and CIS regions (6.7%).

“We see very strong demand for new, fuel-efficient aircraft in Russia and forecast the need for over 1000 aircraft in the forthcoming 20 years. We intend to get at least half of the deliveries in the region”, said Christopher Buckley, Executive Vice President Europe, Asia and the Pacific. “Russia remains a strategic market for Airbus. This year we have significantly extended our Airbus operators’ base in Russia by three new airlines and we expect to have another two to three by the end of the year”.

For nearly 20 years Airbus has been developing co-operation with the Russian aviation industry, with both sides demonstrating the will to build a long-term mutually beneficial partnership. This includes the implementation of a wide range of research and technology projects, the establishment of an Airbus Engineering Centre in Moscow (ECAR), material purchase and components manufacturing. Such a comprehensive and unique program allows Russia to participate as an equal partner in all major stages of Airbus aircraft development.

Today, nine Russian airlines operate over 170 Airbus aircraft. Over 80 jets are scheduled for delivery in the forthcoming years.

Boeing Unveils Newest Business Jet for Chinese Charter Market

LAS VEGAS, Oct. 10, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing (NYSE: BA) Business Jets unveiled the latest BBJ to enter the Chinese charter market at the National Business Aviation Association (NBAA) conference in Las Vegas this week.

The new BBJ, owned and operated by Deer Jet of Beijing, is the second of four BBJs for the airline making it the largest BBJ charter operator in China.

"It's no surprise BBJ is dominating the airplane charter business in Asia," said Steve Taylor, BBJ president. 

"BBJ can carry more people than traditional business jets, as well as having cabins that are around twice as wide with unequalled comfort, space and freedom of movement, which makes them ideal for carrying business teams," said Taylor.

BBJ customers work with designers and interior completion centers to develop personalized interiors. The interior of Deer Jet's new BBJ was completed by Associated Air Center of Dallas, Texas and features 28 seats, a bedroom suite and full sized bathroom with a shower. 

Korean Airlines, Beijing Airlines and Metrojet also charter BBJs in Asia.   

Sales of BBJs to private individuals in Asia are extremely strong as well. One reason is that the BBJ can fly further than its competitor's airplanes.  Range is very important to buyers in the region, due to the great distances from Asia to Europe and North America.

Boeing Opens China Service Center in Beijing

Focuses on enhanced product support for commercial airlines

BEIJING, Oct. 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing (NYSE: BA) opened a new service center in Beijing today to provide enhanced product support to China's growing commercial aviation industry.

"We are bringing Boeing's world-class airplane services and support closer to our China customers, providing them a competitive edge in their markets," said Lou Mancini, senior vice president of Commercial Aviation Services.

The new Boeing China Service Center comprises highly qualified pilots and experts in flight operations, spare parts and maintenance engineering who are dedicated full-time to serving airlines in China. With Beijing-based experts who are fluent in Chinese and knowledgeable about customers' concerns and issues, the team will enhance Boeing's day-to-day support of more than 800 Boeing airplanes currently in service in China.

The Boeing China Service Center also will work closely with the Boeing engineering teams in Seattle, Wash., and Long Beach, Calif., on unique customer requirements and to develop products and services to further the reliability, efficiency and safety of the Chinese commercial airline fleet.

"The center is another important step in the overall partnership of Boeing with China," said Boeing China President Marc Allen. "Having a support center in China will help us bridge language and time-of-day barriers."

Boeing projects that China's demand for air travel will grow at an annual rate of 7.6 percent during the next 20 years, creating the need for more than 5,000 new airplanes by 2030.

Boeing offers the industry's broadest range of aviation services. The Boeing China Service Center is part of Boeing Fleet Services, which aligns with customers' engineering and maintenance functions. Fleet Services supports airplanes by providing product support engineering and maintenance, aircraft-on-ground services, passenger-to-freighter conversions, modifications and performance upgrades, and airline fleet management.

Boeing Delivers First 747-8 Freighter to Cargolux

Newest Boeing freighter brings increased efficiency to market

EVERETT, Wash., Oct. 12, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Boeing (NYSE: BA) and Cargolux Airlines shared another milestone in the history of the iconic 747, as the airline took delivery of the first Boeing 747-8 Freighter today. Following delivery at the Boeing Delivery Center at the company's Everett site, the airplane departed for Seattle-Tacoma International Airport, where the new freighter will receive its first cargo load, destined for Cargolux headquarters in Luxembourg.

Boeing, Cargolux and Nippon Cargo Airlines announced the initial orders for the 747-8 Freighter in November 2005. Today's delivery comes nearly 18 years after Cargolux was the recipient of the first Boeing 747-400 Freighter, which went on to become the workhorse and standard of the air cargo industry.

"This is a great day for The Boeing Company and for Cargolux," said Jim Albaugh, president and CEO, Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "The 747-8 Freighter is truly the Queen of the Skies for the 21st Century, and will continue the promise of the 747 for decades to come."

The airplane will be a perfect addition to the Cargolux fleet, said Frank Reimen, Cargolux president and CEO. "The new Boeing 747-8 Freighter will help Cargolux maintain its position as an industry leader that we built upon our 747-400 Freighter operation. We look forward to the efficiency and environmental benefits that come with this great airplane," he added.

Cargolux has ordered a total of 13 747-8 Freighters – its 10-airplane launch order in 2005 and a follow-on order for three additional airplanes placed in 2007.

"The new 747-8 Freighter stands as a monument to the incredible team that designed and built this airplane," said Elizabeth Lund, vice president and general manager of the 747 program. "And it's a pleasure to deliver this airplane to Cargolux, an airline that has long been dedicated to Boeing and the 747 program."

The 747-8 Freighter offers double-digit improvements in fuel burn, operating cost and lower emissions over the airplane it replaces. It also provides 16 percent more revenue-generating cargo volume, which allows it to hold seven additional pallets. The new model carries a maximum structural payload capacity of 147.6 tons (133.9 metric tonnes) while providing the same nose-door loading capability, industry-standard 10-foot (3-m) -high pallets and real-world cargo density capability at 9.9 pounds per cubic foot (159 kg/m3) as the industry standard 747-400 Freighter and maintaining interlining capability with the Boeing 777 Freighter.

The new GEnx-2B67 engines incorporate the latest technologies – such as a composite fan case and blades and a revolutionary turbine – to create double-digit efficiency gains over the engines it replaces.

Eight customers have ordered a total of 75 747-8 Freighters