ISRAEL STICKS TO GUNS WITH CODE POSITIVE
Israel has rejected an appeal by the International Air Transport Association and International Federation of Airline Pilots' Associations to abandon moves to mandatory use of its "Code Positive" pilot identification system. Under Code Positive, active since 1 March for carriers that took part in a pilot phase and available to others pending further evaluation, pilots flying regularly to Israel are issued with a smart identification card enabling Israeli air traffic control to verify they are not hostile. IATA and the pilots fear use of the system will cause "disorder and operational problems".
EUROFIGHTER CONTRACT GEARED TO CUT REPAIRS
BAE Systems has won a roughly £150 million ($221 million), five-year contract to provide avionics support for Eurofighter operators Germany, Spain and the UK. The contract will incentivise BAE to improve the reliability reduce the volume of repairs needed.
BRAZILIAN FIRMS TO FORM BIOFUELS ALLIANCE
Embraer and nine other Brazilian organisations, including airlines Azul, Gol, TAM and Trip, have formed the Brazilian Alliance for Aviation Biofuels to promote development of sustainable aviation fuels. TAM later this year plans to test a biofuels mixture derived from the Jatropha plant on a CFM56-powered Airbus A320.
CONTINENTAL-UNITED MERGER SPARKS OPPOSITION
A warning that the proposed Continental-United merger may compromise US airline industry competition and raise fares has been issued to the US justice deparment by congressman James Oberstar, who opposed the 2008 Delta-Northwest merger.
BOEING STARTS GENX ENGINE TESTING ON 787
Boeing has completed initial engine starts on the first General Electric GEnx-1Bs installed on a 787, moving the flight test programme one step closer to inducting the fifth out of six aircraft. Test aircraft ZA005 now enters a series of ground tests ahead of first flight scheduled before 1 July, Boeing says.
ASTRIUM SHIPS ATV 'JOHANES KEPLER'
Johannes Kepler, Astrium's second automated transfer vehicle unmanned supply craft, has been shipped to the European spaceport in French Guiana for launch to the International Space Station late this year. ATV 1 - Jules Verne - flew to the ISS in 2008. Astrium may develop a similar craft able to return cargo to Earth.
BOEING STRIKERS SHUT C-17 LINE
A strike involving 2,000 Boeing workers shut down the C-17 production line in Long Beach, California last week. Negotiations over a Boeing proposal to raise average health care and insurance costs by $1,100 broke down on 11 May. Boeing had already reduced annual output at the factory from 15 to 10 C-17s, with the last set for delivery in 2013 barring further orders.
KIDDE GETS HOT JOB ON C919
China's Comac has chosen Hamilton Sundstrand subsidiary Kidde Aerospace to supply fire and overheat protection systems its Comac C919 narrowbody airliner. Kidde estimates the work will be worth $250 million over the life of the programme. Hamilton Sundstrand is also supplying electric power generation and distribution systems.
Source: Flight International
