 November 6, 2009 | News for the aerospace industry |
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- South African cancellation casts doubt on export future for A400M
Long delays and mounting costs have led South Africa to cancel an order for eight A400M troop transports, dealing a $5 billion blow to Airbus, the plane's manufacturer. Airbus said it was caught off-guard by the cancellation, which came just weeks before the plane was scheduled to make its first flight. Malaysia now remains as the only export customer for the A400M, and some analysts believe that makes the model untenable. "Without export potential, the development costs will never be distributed enough to make money," says Howard Wheeldon of BGC Partners in London. The New York Times
(11/5)
     
- India eyes $1.7B Globemaster purchase
India hopes to buy 10 Boeing C-17 transport aircraft in a deal valued at some $1.7 billion, according to the country's Defense Ministry. U.S. and Indian air forces recently flew joint exercises with the Globemaster, and sources say the contract could be finalized in early 2010. Defense News
(11/5)
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- S.C. leaders debate secrecy period on Boeing incentive package
Some state leaders in South Carolina are criticizing a policy that allows officials to hide for up to a year the details of a $450 million incentive package used to help lure a Boeing Co. assembly line to the city of North Charleston. To encourage the Boeing move, with its estimated $10 billion economic effect on the area over 15 years, lawmakers offered the biggest financial incentive package in state history, but some skeptics question the validity of the economic assumptions. The Post and Courier (Charleston, S.C.) (free registration)
(11/5)
- Mid-sized Airbus freighter completes first test flight
The first Airbus A330 freighter took its maiden test flight on Thursday, moving the European plane maker closer to a full-scale competition with rival Boeing Co. in the market for mid-sized cargo aircraft. Airbus currently has 87 orders for the new plane on its books, with first deliveries slated for the middle of next year. The Journal of Commerce
(11/5)
- AirTran CFO: Price sensitivity wanes during travel
Amid rising fuel prices and weak demand, AirTran Airways says ancillary fees continue to be a bright spot on the balance sheet. The discount carrier says fee revenue should hit $340 million this year, up 45% compared to 2008. Arne Haak, the company's chief financial officer, told investors on Thursday that consumers search out the lowest price when initially buying a ticket, but don't mind paying for extras to enhance the trip as they go along. Chicago Tribune/The Associated Press
(11/5)
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- Space tourists could launch as early as 2012, experts predict
The rush toward space tourism is picking up, with some high-profile projects approaching liftoff in two to three years. New technologies and cooperation between the public and private sectors are helping to fuel the race, according to experts. "These technology entrepreneurs are on the verge of creating a new economy, just like Bill Gates did with the PC in the 1980s," says Patricia Hynes, director of the NASA New Mexico Space Grant Consortium. In addition to high-profile contenders like Virgin Galactic and SpaceX, other companies are quietly developing plans of their own. FoxNews.com
(11/5)
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| The Buzz(CORPORATE ANNOUNCEMENTS)
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| Homeland Security | | |
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- Cargo screeners ramp up as federal deadline approaches
National Cargo Screeners Inc. of Orlando, Fla., is one of the companies certified by the TSA to screen the tons of freight loaded onto passenger flights every day. The company says its powerful X-ray machine "looks for any device that looks like an explosive. Really any device that could be construed as a threat to an aircraft." As a federal deadline looms for screening 100% of airline cargo, NCSI is planning to expand. WOFL-TV (Orlando, Fla.)
(11/6)
- Opinion: Congress already addressing TSA oversight issues
The House Committee on Homeland Security has "taken the first step" in addressing concerns over poor use of screening technologies, writes Chairman Bennie Thompson, D-Miss., in a letter to the Washington Times. Thompson says H.R. 2200, passed by the House in June, will help to "ensure transparency, effectiveness and proper vetting of technologies that will mitigate risks at checkpoints across our airports." The Washington Times
(11/6)
| AIA News | | |
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Textron, Raytheon, DRS recognized with industry safety awards
Textron Inc. won two categories of the 2009 AIA Worker Safety Award, and DRS Technologies and Raytheon Co. also took honors in the fourth annual installment of the awards, which were announced Thursday. Read more.
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