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Aviation History
2004
2004-09 - 2634.PDF
AIR TRANSPORT SUPPLIERS GUY NORRIS / LOS ANGELES Boeing takes 7E7 contracts to 90% Cargo and de-icing systems are only major deals pending Boeing has awarded a further raft of contracts for the 7E7 on the heels of last week's milestone agreement with Alenia North America and Vought Aircraft Industries over the setting-up of a fuselage assembly site in South Carolina. The latest awards covering sup ply of tyres, aircraft exterior light ing and cabin services represent the completion of more than 90% of the contracts, says Boeing. The only significant contract decisions still to be made are for the cargo handling and de-icing systems. Japanese manufacturer Bridge- stone will supply nose and main landing gear radial tyres featuring a new belt structure that Boeing says is "based on a high-elasticity, high- strength cord that is weight efficient and wear resistant". Boeing adds that "while all 7E7s will be delivered with Bridgestone tyres, Boeing expects to certificate a second sup plier so airlines have a choice when replacing the tyres". Other recent contracts placed also include the award of the cabin services systems to Matsushita Avionics, and Goodrich Hella Aeropace Lighting Systems for run way turn-off and taxi lights as well as wing illumination, cargo han dling and logo lights. The light package represents the seventh work contract award to Goodrich on the 7E7 overall. Honeywell, which has now won four work packages, has been awarded a contract for navigation and anti- collision lights. Vought and Alenia join up to meld fuselage sections Vought, which has formed a joint venture with Alenia called Global Aeronautica to handle 7E7 fuselage assembly in Charleston, South Carolina, is optimistic of finalising a definitive contract by the end of December Vought will produce aft fuselage sections 47 and 48 in a new purpose-built 7E7 site to be co-located with the Global Aeronautic inte gration site at Charleston International Airport. Work on the two new sites is set to start in early 2005, with the first fuselage to be transported by the converted Boeing 747LCF (large cargo freighter) in early 2007. The Vought sections will be joined at the Charleston site to the . Alenia-built centre fuselage sections 44 and 46, with all major ship ments to and from the integration site made using the LCF SAFETY Cathay grounds four 777s Cathay Pacific Airways last week grounded four of its Boeing 777-300s, following an incident earlier this month in which part of an engine duct col lapsed in flight. The Oneworld carrier says it checked its entire 777-300 fleet following the 1 December incident and "none of the few suspected 777-300 aircraft will operate until we are entirely sure that it is safe". The other six 777- 300s and all five of Cathay's 777-200s continued in service. On 1 December, the inner surface of the number one engine left-hand D duct collapsed during a 777-300 flight from Bangkok to Mumbai. A metal sleeve around the exhaust sheared off and fell to the ground, hitting a vehicle but not injuring the driver. Cathay says it has concluded that "heat from the engine caused this partial delamination of the duct". Boeing manufactures the D duct, which houses the thrust reverser and wraps around the engine core. Cathay's 777-300 fleet is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 884 and Trent 892 engines. EXPANSION Spanair opens talks on regional operations Star Alliance member and SAS sub sidiary Spanair has approached Spanish regional governments to discuss launching regional opera tions from secondary airports in Spain, in competition with de- facto monopoly holder and Iberia franchise carrier Air Nostrum. Local government sources say Spanair officials have approached them saying that the airline will "expand next year into new regional markets". One source says Spanair mentioned the possibility of operating "55-seater aircraft". Another says that "Spanair sug gested it plans to operate more than 20 regional aircraft, to be introduced in two phases, starting around the second quarter 2005". Spanair denies the plans. "We are categorically saying that we have no plans to operate regional aircraft," it says. Despite this, in a recent agreement with pilots the company committed to "signifi cantly expanding its activity" on domestic and European routes, although it did not specify how this will be accomplished. One government source says any Spanair move to break into the regional flights arena would be welcomed by his and other region al governments, who feel "uncom fortable" with "Air Nostrum's 'take it or leave it' attitude" over signing marketing agreements with reg ional airports. "We have to pay them a lot of money through a marketing deal and on top of that they take advantage of their local monopoly charging passengers high fares," the source claims. "Sfto 15 and 16 February 2005 Brussels Royal Military Academy For airlines, civil air navigation authorities, avionics manufacturers, air traffic and communications services providers From pioneers to full implementation of Controller Pilot Datalink Communications in Europe Programme details, registration and logistical information on: www.eurocontrol.int/link2000/public/event/workshop.htm Contact: tel +32 2 729 3675 or emmanuelle.wepierre@eurocontrol.int www.fliqhtinternational.com FLIGHT INTERNATIONAL 14-20 DECEMBER 2004 11
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