AERONAUTICS SET TO OPEN BAKU UAV PLANT
Aeronautics is set to inaugurate its manufacturing facility in Baku, Azerbaijan, which will manufacture parts of the Israeli company's Aerostar and Orbiter unmanned air vehicles and perform final assembly. Since the opening of the Baku-Ceyhan, Turkey oil pipeline in 2006, Azerbaijan has become one of the main crude suppliers to Israel, now a major arms supplier to Azerbaijan. Deals so far concluded cover artillery systems, communications equipment and UAVs of the types that will be now assembled at Baku. Close co-operation between Aeronautics and Israeli missiles and imaging systems maker Rafael may also see some of the latter's systems made in the new plant. Co-operation with Aeronautics has led Rafael to abandon its own UAV programmes.
JAL TO TAKE CONTROL OF IT SUBSIDIARY
Japan Airlines will by the end of June take over IBM's 51% share in an existing joint venture between the two companies that provides the airline's IT systems. JAL Information Technology will operate as a core subsidiary providing the IT needs of JAL and continue to pursue external business.
ELECTRONICS BODY WINS ICAO OBSERVER STATUS
The International Federation of Air Traffic Safety Electronics Associations now has observer status at the International Civil Aviation Organisation and may attend its meetings.
10% RISE FOR CONTINENTAL SERVICE WORKERS
Fleet service workers at Continental Airlines have ratified a 30-month contract which includes 10.5% wage increase retroactive to 1 July 2010. Continental merged last October with United Airlines, but the two will operate separately until they gain single operating status from the Federal Aviation Administration.
ICELANDAIR OFFER OVERSUBSCRIBED
Icelandair Group's new share offer has been more than twice oversubscribed. The offer is part of an extensive financial restructuring programme.
FL TECHNICS OPENS BRISTOL LINE STATION
Lithuanian maintenance specialist FL Technics has opened a line station at the UK's Bristol International airport. The move follows expansion over the past year into Russia, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Italy and Poland.
GARUDA PLANS $500M IPO AND FEBRUARY LISTING
State-owned airline Garuda Indonesia plans to raise $500 million from its initial public offering of 36.5% of the company and aims to list on the Jakarta stock exchange on 11 February.
S7 CLOSES IN ON DOMODEDOVO MRO OUTFIT
Russia's S7 Group is close to finalising a purchase agreement to take over maintenance company Domodedovo-Technik, the in-house maintenance arm of Moscow Domodedovo airport operator East Line.
END IN SIGHT FOR FORMER ATLANT-SOYUZ
Loss-making Russian carrier Moskva Airlines, formerly known as Atlant-Soyuz, may suspend operations as early as 17 January. The airline has not made aircraft lease payments, or paid for fuel or many services, since September.
Source: Flight International
