 December 4, 2008 | News for the aerospace industry |
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- NATO backs anti-missile system in Eastern Europe
Undeterred by promises of reprisal from Russia, all 26 NATO foreign ministers have ratified plans to deploy missile defense systems in Poland and the Czech Republic. A statement issued Wednesday said the missile shield is vital to protecting Europe against the threat of long-range ballistic missiles, though Russia views the deployment as a security threat. Voice of America
(12/3)      
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- Army air mishaps getting more expensive, more deadly
With Army aircraft becoming ever more expensive and complex, aviation mishaps are getting costlier and deadlier, according to an analysis by Aviation Daily. In 1992, the odds of death in an aviation mishap were 1 in 38, compared to about 1 in 2 this decade. From 2002 through 2007, the cost of aviation losses ranged from $282.2 million to $407.9 million per year. Aerospace Daily & Defense Report
(12/3)
- England set to depart as Pentagon deputy
Deputy Defense Secretary Gordon England said Tuesday he won't stay on with his boss, Robert Gates, when President-elect Barack Obama is sworn in next month. "After almost eight years, it's now time for me to turn over the reins to a successor," England said. While Gates will remain as Pentagon chief, analysts expect Obama to break with the Bush administration by filling other senior posts with his own appointees. Defense News
(12/2)
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| | NLOS-LS Team Completes First Guided Test Flight
NetFires LLC, a joint venture between Raytheon (NYSE: RTN) Missile Systems and Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) Missiles and Fire Control, successfully completed the first guided test flight of the Non Line-of-Sight-Launch System's Precision Attack Missile. News release. | |
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- Industry downturn raises specter of "white tails" for manufacturers
With an economic crisis hitting airlines around the globe, the world's biggest makers of passenger aircraft are carefully managing their order books to ensure they don't end up building planes that have no takers. In most cases, hefty backlogs mean that when one airline cancels an order, carriers further down the waiting list get their aircraft earlier than expected. But the manufacturers' worst-case scenario is a "white tail" -- a completed plane with no buyer lined up to take delivery. "When airlines disappear or walk away, then there's money tied up in airplanes, and that's not a good negotiating position," says analyst Sandy Morris at ABN Amro bank in London. Google/The Associated Press
(12/3)
- Big layoffs to begin next month, United says
United Airlines confirmed Wednesday it will begin laying off about 1,200 employees in January as part of an effort to cut 7,000 jobs and ground 20% of its fleet. "These are part of the difficult but necessary actions we are taking company-wide to enable United to compete in this challenging economic environment," a spokeswoman said. Among employee groups, mechanics will be hardest hit as the company closes maintenance facilities at LaGuardia, Newark and Philadelphia International Airport. Chicago Tribune
(12/4)
- Airlines report disappointing November traffic
Airline stocks held up well on Wednesday, despite a flurry of November traffic numbers that left many analysts disappointed. US Airways said revenue passenger miles fell 6.9% for the month, while revenue per available seat mile slipped 3% to 5%. Traffic at American Airlines was down 14.5%, and Continental Airlines saw traffic fall 10.5%. At Southwest Airlines, traffic dropped 8.3% while load factors fell to 63.2%, compared to 69.3% for the same month last year. MarketWatch
(12/3)
- Southwest cleared for 14 slots at LaGuardia
Southwest Airlines will be allowed to purchase 14 slots at New York LaGuardia, a judge ruled Tuesday in the bankruptcy case of ATA Airlines. The deal, valued at $7.5 million, will allow the discount carrier to operate seven daily flights, pending a decision by the Port Authority on Southwest's request for a single gate at the busy airport. CEO Gary Kelly hinted at further growth in the future. "If we decide to grow in the future beyond the 14 slots, I'm reasonably comfortable we can get more facilities," he said. Forbes/The Associated Press
(12/2), The Dallas Morning News (free registration)
(12/2), Bloomberg
(12/2)
| Space | | |
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- Lawmakers rallying to preserve NASA budget
NASA supporters worry that massive bailouts in the financial sector will make it hard for a new administration to maintain the current space budget -- much less make good on a campaign promise for quicker deployment of the Orion moonship. "Money for space is going to be extremely tight," says Scott Pace, the director of George Washington University's Space Policy Institute. "The trick will be to show what manned space flight can do for the nation, rather than what the nation can do for manned space flight." Houston Chronicle
(12/2)
- Engineers ready glass dome for space station
Astronauts aboard the International Space Station won't have to settle for porthole views much longer. Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture in northern Italy, is completing work on Cupola, a multi-paneled glass dome the size of a Volkswagen Beetle that will offer infinite views of space. "It will be like the difference between watching TV and seeing an IMAX," says astronaut Dan Tani, a former space station resident. The Wall Street Journal
(12/4)
| Suppliers' News | | |
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- United Technologies units announce payroll cuts
Two aviation-related divisions of United Technologies Corp. have announced layoffs resulting from falling demand and a weak economy. Hamilton Sundstrand, a maker of aerospace systems, plans to cut 50 jobs by month's end and offer early retirement to 370 workers. Meanwhile, jet engine maker Pratt & Whitney said Wednesday it was laying off 350 salaried employees nationwide, representing about 1% of its global workforce. The Hartford Courant (Conn.)
(12/4)
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| Homeland Security | | |
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- Despite criticisms, DHS says Americans are safer
In response to criticism by the Boston Globe, Elaine Duke, undersecretary for management at the Department of Homeland Security, says her agency has made great strides "to keep Americans safe since Sept. 11." Among the accomplishments cited: hundreds of miles of new barriers on the Mexican border, biometric records on foreign visitors, 100% screening of incoming cargo containers and "more than 20 layers of security [to] protect air travelers, from the curb to the cockpit." The Boston Globe (tiered subscription model)
(12/4)
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