AEROKOMPOZIT TO MAKE MS-21 PARTS IN TATARSTAN
United Aircraft's AeroKompozit subsidiary has signed an investment agreement with Tatarstan authorities to manufacture composite structures for the Irkut MS-21 and Sukhoi Superjet 100 at the KAPO plant in Kazan. The proposed production facility is to come on stream by the beginning of 2013 as a 51-49 joint venture between AeroKompozit and its Austrian partner, Fischer Composite.
KAZAN EXPECTS 33% INCREASE IN SALES IN 2010
Mi-8/17 maker Kazan expects in 2010 to increase sales by one-third to Rb20 billion ($654 million) on the sale of 80 aircraft, while by 2015 sales should reach Rb25-30 billion for sales of up to 90 aircraft annually, according to general director Vadim Ligay. The 2011 orderbook is full. The plant produced 79 helicopters and sold 65 in 2009.
AIRBORNE SYSTEMS HOLD GROUND FOR ELBIT
Airborne systems were a bright sector for Elbit Systems, with first-half revenue rising 3% to $358.1 million. For the group, pre-tax profits for the six months to the end of June fell 18% to $107.2 million as revenue, dragged down by lower C4I sales in Israel and Europe, slipped 12% to $1.2 billion.
AIRCELL CLAIMS LEGAL VICTORY IN PATENT SUIT
Aircell, maker of the Gogo in-flight internet system, is claiming a partial legal victory after a jury found technology company Ambit did not prove patent infringement. In a 2009 suit against Aircell and its customer, Delta Air Lines, Ambit alleged that the Gogo system infringed on an Ambit patent, causing it to "suffer irreparable harm". Some Ambit claims against Aircell remain outstanding.
IAI CHALKS UP BROAD-BASED GROWTH
At Israel Aerospace Industries, first-half pre-tax profit soared nearly 40% to $71 million on a 12% rise in sales, to $1.6 billion. Chairman Yair Shamir says the increase "comes from both the military market and from the civilian market, which is beginning to recover from the global crisis".
VECTOR 'ON UPWARDS PATH'
Toronto-based repair and overhaul operator Vector Aerospace saw first-half revenue dip 7% to C$267 million ($259 million) on turns in the UK-Canada currency exchange rate and cyclicality of regional operators' engine maintenance work. Operating profit edged up slightly, to C$25.9 million. Chief executive Declan O'Shea says North American operations "are showing signs of improvement ... and we expect the second half of 2010 to benefit from this".
HAMPSON WARNS ON TOOLING ORDERS
Aerospace and precision engineering group Hampson warned that pre-tax profit in its year to 31 March 2011 will "fall materially below current market estimates" owing to a slow start to the year in its Odyssey aerospace tooling business, where order intake has "remained very low" while "delays in the receipt of engineering data from certain customers have further impacted activity levels".
ASH WIPES OUT SAS PROFITS
SAS Group posted a SKr236 million ($32 million) second quarter loss as operating revenue slumped 18% to less than SKr10 billion, but insists it would have made a SKr464 million profit had Icelandic volcanic activity not closed European airspace.
Source: Flight International
