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Aviation History
2000
2000 - 0550.PDF
BUSINESS BFGoodrich lands alliance deals CHRIS JASPER/LONDON SUPPLY-sector heavyweights BFGoodrich Aerospace (BFG) and Rockwell Collins have agreed a strategic alliance to jointly market equipment, parts and maintenance I services worldwide, with the aim of , providing "single-stop" solutions. BFG has also tied up a major deal with Boeing for joint provision of overhaul activities on a glohal basis. The alliance with Rock-well is to be managed by Collins Aviation Services and BFGoodrich Aviation Services and will focus on avionics and instrumentation, while cover ing other aircraft components. Rockwell Collins will contribute its avionics and in-flight entertain ment (IFF.) expertise to the alliance, including its Collins and non-Collins avionics parts and maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) capabilities, plus its avion ics integration competency. BFG says it will contribute its avionics and airframe components MRO abilities and "knowledge" as a manufacturer of avionics prod ucts and adds that the alliance will be enhanced by its status as a lead ing third-part\: MRO service provider for airframes, landing sys tems, evacuation equipment and engine components. Rockwell Collins president Clay Jones says the tie-up aims to offer "nose-to-tail maintenance un matched in the marketplace", offering "a single-service solution for the aircraft including avionics, IFE, airframe, and aircraft compo nent repair and service". BFG's MRO deal with retrofit specialist Boeing Airplane Services (BAS) will include joint provision of services, including line and heavy maintenance, and general repairs. The accord develops a relationship established in June last year, when the Boeing unit formed an alliance of engineering and modification facilities, including BFG, to retrofit Boeing types. BFG president, MRO and Landing & Safety7 Systems, Dave Watson, says the deal, which should become "a formal agree ment", amounts to "an effort to leverage the resources of both companies". In a parallel deal, BAS and BFG have agreed to develop a landing gear overhaul alliance for Boeing aircraft equipped with BFG land ing gear. The latter says the move will offer "a wide range of landing gear overhaul solutions that are not available", and will be initially offered on the Boeing 777. The alliance, to be overseen by BFG, will offer customers a rotable programme around a pool of parts controlled by the two companies, plus related services, including lease deals. • BFG's third-party maintenance rival Aviation Sales has borrowed $15.5 million from Citicorp USA, and has announced plans to reduce its debts through die sale of assets includingits manufacturing opera tions, together with the sale or lease of its four Airbus A300 aircraft, three of which have been converted to cargo use. 3 Thai is happy to be Star member THAI AIRWAYS says it is happy in the Star Alliance, claiming that president Tham- noon Wanglee "never said that the airline wanted to leave". Tham- noon had reportedly stated that Thai had been advised to assess the pros and cons of Star membership in the run-up to privatisation, and that he was concerned at Singapore Airlines' impending entry. The Thai denial followed a statement from Northwest Airlines chairman John Dasburg suggesting that it and Dutch ally KLM were "in talks" with the South-East Asian airline over involvement in the planned Wings alliance. The US major says it is "interested in potential co-opera tive activities with Thai", but will not say if this means full Wings membership. Northwest is seeking anti-trust immunity for codeshares with Malaysia Airlines, another possible Wings recruit. 3 TAESA declared bankrupt 757 operator TAESA is unlikely to fly again MEXICAN CARRIER TAESA (Transportes Aereos Ejecutivos SA), once the country's third-largest airline, has been declared bankrupt. Privately owned TAESA provided the main competition to Mexicans and Aeromexico, which, although committed to rival global alliances, are both controlled by state hold ing company Cintra. TAl'SAs demise can be traced to the crash of a McDonnell Douglas DC-9 in Mexico last year. A subsequent probe revealed poor finances and a questionable maintenance record, causing TAESA to be grounded. Heavy debts meant that no cash was available for safety improve ments. TAESA has few assets, leas ing most of its aircraft, one of which, a Boeing 737-300, was already being repossessed by International Aircraft Investors. J Tushav lets go of remaining Piaggio interest ANDY NATIVI/GENOA TURKISH STATE holding company Tushav is to surren der its interest in Piaggio Aero Industries, the Italian general avia tion specialist has revealed. Tushav once held 51% of Piaggio, but this was reduced last year when a group of Italian investors bought 16% to take its share to 60%. The disposal of Tushav's remaining 35% holding follows a legal wrangle over 1999's disposal, which the Turkish company sought initially to reverse. Following talks that began late last year, however, it is close to a com plete withdrawal, with the investor group-which includes the Ferrari, Buitoni and Di Mase families - among potential buyers. The airframer is due to deliver 16 twin-turboprop P. 180s this year, mainly to the Italian armed forces, but is struggling to win more orders for its flagship product, with the Turkish move seemingly extin guishing all hope of orders from Ankara. Tushav took control of Piaggio only in November 1998, hauling it out of bankruptcy. Piaggio reported a turnover of around LI40 billion (S71 million) last year, against a forecast LI66 billion, and predicts sales of L230 billion this year. On 1 January, it had LI50 billion of firm orders, plus L40 billion in agreed con tracts, and was finalising deals worth a further Ll 30 billion. • Finmeccanica is expected to choose a partner for its Alenia Aerospazio subsidiary before the end of March, allowing Italian holding company IRI to proceed with the sale of more dian half of its 55% stake in the industrial con glomerate before the end of June. IRI has appointed Mediobanca merchant hank, Merrill Lynch and Schroders as joint co-ordinators for die sale, worth around L12,000. Rome is expected to retain a 30% stake, plus a golden share, with no investor allowed to own more than 3%. Alenia is being courted by BAE Systems and European Aeronautic, Defense and Space. Zl 36 FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 29 February - 6 March 2000
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