Sales of U.S. military aircraft will fall by 2.4 percent this year to $58.2 billion, the lowest level since 2006, according to a preliminary estimate of the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA). Sales are expected to decline by another 10 percent in next year as budget cuts force the Pentagon to reduce procurement spending, the association said in its year-end review and forecast, released earlier this month.
Boeing
December 12, 2012 - 2:30pm
Cabin completions provider Lufthansa Technik is in the final stages of preparation for the arrival of a second Boeing 747-8 for outfitting at its facilities in Hamburg, Germany.
The airplane, destined for an undisclosed client, is expected to arrive before the end of the month. The first 747-8 is already in the cabin completion process following its arrival in August. Arrival of the second will bring to three the total number of twin-aisle bizliner projects being completed simultaneously.
December 12, 2012 - 4:15am
Boeing Business Jets president Steve Taylor chose a unique venue for yesterday’s BBJ press briefing: Comlux’s head-of-state-outfitted BBJ 767-200, which is here at the MEBA show static display on a break from its normally busy charter schedule. The Comlux BBJ 767, which is based in Bahrain, can fly up to 6,400 nm with a full load of 60 passengers and 10 tons of freight.
December 11, 2012 - 2:52pm
At MEBA 2012 (Stand 588), OnAir announced that it has selected PATS Aircraft Systems of Georgetown, Del., as an OnAir completion center. PATS specializes in Boeing BBJ completions and auxiliary fuel tank installations and is installing Mobile OnAir in a 737-900ER BBJ. “We are seeing a high demand from VIP jet operators for in-flight connectivity,” said John Eichten, PATS senior vice president of sales and marketing. “PATS prides itself on finding innovative and industry-leading ways to satisfy our customers’ requirements, and our partnership with OnAir is a good example of that.”
December 11, 2012 - 9:03am
Lufthansa Technik is preparing to receive a second Boeing 747-8 for VIP conversion by the company’s completions facility in Hamburg, Germany. Those preparations include an intensive engineering planning phase, qualification programs and modifications to the hangar space to accommodate the aircraft. The first 747-8 arrived at the end of August and is now into its completion program. The second aircraft is scheduled to arrive later this month, following contract signature at the Dubai Air Show last year. Both of these 747-8s are due to be delivered to their customers in 2014.
December 11, 2012 - 1:00am
The Middle East continues to be a key market for business aviation services group Comlux, with Bahrain being its main base in the region and home to three of its largest managed aircraft: a Boeing 767, an Airbus ACJ320 and an ACJ319. The Swiss-based company is seeing increased flying activity in Saudi Arabia, but group president and CEO Richard Gaona indicated to AIN ahead of this week’s MEBA show that increased competition, some of it from so-called “gray” (that is, probably illegal) charter operations, is inhibiting growth in the region.
December 10, 2012 - 10:20am
Here at MEBA 2012 (Stand 588), OnAir announced that it has selected PATS Aircraft Systems of Georgetown, Del., as an OnAir completion center. PATS specializes in Boeing BBJ completions and auxiliary fuel tank installations and is installing Mobile OnAir in a 737-900ER BBJ. “We are seeing a high demand from VIP jet operators for in-flight connectivity,” said John Eichten, PATS senior vice president of sales and marketing. “PATS prides itself on finding innovative and industry-leading ways to satisfy our customers’ requirements, and our partnership with OnAir is a good example of that.”
December 10, 2012 - 10:15am
While the realignment of Boeing Commercial Airplanes’ management structure last week might have marked something less than a revolution in its approach to program development, it certainly signaled a recognition that something fundamental needed to change. Over the next 18 months Boeing expects to increase output across its commercial product lines by 25 percent while it manages no fewer than five development programs.
December 10, 2012 - 10:10am
The U.S. aerospace industry’s sales tally grew by 3.4 percent this year, to $218 billion, led by a strong performance in the civil sector, according to preliminary estimates released by the Aerospace Industries Association (AIA) on December 5. The figure marks the industry’s ninth consecutive year of growth.
December 10, 2012 - 10:05am
Qatar Airways underscored its endorsement of the largest variant of Airbus’s new A350 XWB last week by raising its firm order count for the A350-1000 to 37 from 20. The contract amendment also added three A350-900s to its previous order for 17, but it effectively scrapped Qatar’s firm order for 20 A350-800s.
