BOMBARDIER AXES ANOTHER 3,000 JOBS
Slumping business aircraft demand has forced Bombardier to cut another 3,000 workers from its aerospace division in North America, Mexico and the UK by the end of this year, in addition to 1,360 job losses disclosed during February. Bombardier expects to deliver 25% fewer business aircraft this fiscal year. Aerospace division earnings before interest and tax were up nearly 60% to $896 million for the year to 31 January on revenues up 3% to $10 billion from $9.7 billion.
PINNACLE CRASH PROMPTS GE CF34 CHANGES
The US Federal Aviation Administration has concluded that "excessive" friction between the static and rotating portions of an air balance piston seal inside 2,450 General Electric CF34 turbofan engines in use in the USA is, under certain high-power, high-altitude conditions, unsafe and must be corrected. The issue gained prominence in the investigation of the Pinnacle Airlines Bombardier CRJ200 crash-landing in Missouri in 2004.
AIRLINES MUST HAVE 10 AIRCRAFT: INDONESIA
Indonesia has passed a law requiring scheduled airlines operating aircraft with more than 30 seats to have at least 10 aircraft by early 2012 and own at least five "to encourage [them] to be good in business and to be safe and become a big company".
THIELERT REORGANISED AS CENTURION
Insolvent German diesel aircraft engine manufacturer Thielert has been reorganised as Centurion Aircraft Engines. The new company is responsible for global sales of Centurion diesel engines and sparesand will offer customers an extended, two-year warranty. Former Thielert sales director Jasper Wolffson is chairman.
US SPACE PRIMES WARN OF 10,000 JOB LOSSES
Up to 10,000 jobs will be lost by the five major aerospace companies unless procurement contracts for NASA's Ares V cargo launch vehicle and Altair lunar lander are advanced from 2012 to 2010 owing to reduced work levels between the 2010 retirement of the Space Shuttle and the 2012 start for Ares and Altair development, warns Boeing space exploration chief Brewster Shaw.
USAF TO EXPLORE REUSABLE FLYBACK BOOSTER
Within the next few weeks the US Air Force Research Laboratory expects to publish a request for information for a reusable booster demonstration programme. The requirement is for a flyback capability and it will be the first stage in a two-stage launch vehicle. The second stage would be expendable.
TAILSTRIKE PILOTS 'HAVE LEFT EMIRATES'
Emirates confirms that the pilots flying an Airbus A340-500 that suffered a severe tailstrike at Melbourne on 20 March have left the airline, but declines to give any further explanation. The aircraft (A6-ERG) remains in Australia after being extensively damaged on take-off from the 3,660m (12,000ft) Runway 16, during which it suffered at least one tailstrike and is reported to have struck antennas just beyond the runway end, before returning to land at Melbourne. No further information on the cause has been released, although Flight International understands a problem with one of the four Rolls-Royce Trent 500 engines has been ruled out.
Source: Flight International
