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+1.800.691.4000 AVIATIONWEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY 2019Winner Winner 2016 January 13-26, 2020 . Volume 182 . Number 1

FEATURES Environmental campaigners have singled out 32 | Climate of Fear 32 as a major contributor to . The avation industry’s sustainability focus is sharpening, but will it be enough? 48 | Blackout Period Embraer ended 2019 with a promising E175-E2 first , but 2020 holds uncertainties 50 | Phoenix Rising NATO ups its game in and surveillance with new RQ-4D Phoenix UAVs 54 | 2020 Laureates The A321LR, Aireon, Donecle, Kratos XQ-58 Valkyrie, Chang’e 4, RemoveDEBRIS mission and Robotic Skies are among this year’s winners

DEPARTMENTS 6 | Feedback 13 | Intel 8 | First Take 64 | Classified 10 | Up Front 65 | Contact Us 11 | Going Concerns 65 | 12 | Inside Business Calendar Aviation UNMANNED AVIATION AIR TRAFFIC MANGEMENT 26 | The FAA issues ‘Remote ID’ 30 | Air Traffic management bets on proposal for drones SPACE 14 | NASA Commercial Crew program URBAN AIR MOBILITY LETTER FROM THE EDITOR falls further behind schedule 28 | Maturing technology and market 66 | The aviation industry needs a lead to all-electric Bell eVTOL robust, responsible 16 | What happens to space tourism if there is a fatal accident? BEHIND THE SCENES DEFENSE 17 | Israel enters the airborne-laser As part of Aviation weapon market Week’s sustainable aviation coverage, 18 | As fields Avangard, U.S. scrambles to develop counter Senior Editor Guy Norris (left) 19 | European states plan for recently flew on hypersonic defense Boeing’s 777-200ER 20 | sets fiscal 2021 target for ecoDemonstrator. partner to join NGF His report begins on 53 | Demonstrations prove Reaper’s page 38. maritime merit in

COMMERCIAL AVIATION ON THE COVER 22 | New Boeing CEO’s to-do list Boeing’s latest ecoDemonstrator, a company-owned 777-200ER, cruised over the Oregon coast during a includes finding replacement recent flight trial, testing technologies targeting at improved efficiency. Senior Editor Guy Norris’ report 24 | retrofits support FAA on his flight on the ecoDemonstrator begins on page 38; our broader coverage of a growing industry Data Comm deployment focus on sustainability begins on page 32. Boeing photo by John D. Parker. Aviation Week publishes a digital edition every week. Read it at AviationWeek.com/AWST 25 | A380 program moves to operational support, aftermarket phase DIGITAL EXTRAS Access exclusive online features from articles accompanied by this icon.

AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 3 Editor-In-Chief Joseph C. Anselmo [email protected] Executive Editors Jen DiMascio (Defense and Space) [email protected] Jens Flottau (Commercial Aviation) [email protected] Graham Warwick (Technology) [email protected] Editors Lindsay Bjerregaard, Sean Broderick, Michael Bruno, Bill Carey, Thierry Dubois, William Garvey, Ben Goldstein, Lee Hudson, Irene Klotz, Helen Massy- Beresford, Jefferson Morris, Guy Norris, Tony Osborne, Bradley Perrett, James Pozzi, Adrian Schofield, Lee Ann Shay, Steve Trimble Chief Evaluation Editor Fred George Director, Editorial and Online Production Michael O. Lavitt Associate Managing Editor Andrea Hollowell Art Director Lisa Caputo Go beyond the news of the day Artists Thomas De Pierro, Colin Throm Copy Editors Jack Freifelder, Arturo Mora, with Aviation Week Intelligence Natalia Pelayo, Andy Savoie Network’s Market Briefi ngs. Production Editor Bridget Horan Contributing Photographer Joseph Pries These sector-specifi c intelligence Director, Digital Content Strategy Rupa Haria Content Marketing Manager Rija Tariq briefi ngs empower busy executives Data & Analytics to stay-ahead of the market, identify Director, Forecasts and Aerospace Insights Brian Kough opportunities and drive revenue. Senior Manager, Data Operations/Production Terra Deskins Manager, Military Data Operations Michael Tint Editorial Offices LEARN MORE: 2121 K Street, NW, Suite 210, Washington, D.C. 20037 aviationweek.com/marketbriefi ngs Phone: +1 (202) 517-1100 605 Third Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10158 Phone: +1 (212) 204-4200 Bureau Chiefs Auckland Adrian [email protected] Beijing Bradley Perrett [email protected] Cape Canaveral Irene Klotz [email protected] FLY ABOVE EXPECTATIONS Chicago Lee Ann Shay [email protected] AT AIRSHOW 2020 Jens Flottau [email protected] As ’s largest aerospace and defence event, Singapore Houston Airshow 2020 will play a crucial role in creating opportunities, Mark Carreau [email protected] Kuala Lumpur driving innovations and shaping the future of flight. Marhalim Abas [email protected] London 5 reasons to visit aviation’s finest Tony Osborne [email protected] • View exhibits from over 1,000 of the world’s leading aerospace companies Los Angeles Guy Norris [email protected] • Explore disruption solutions devised by entrepreneurial minds at What’s Next startup showcase Lyon Thierry Dubois [email protected] • Gain insights from world-class though leaders at high-level conferences and Moscow business forums including Maxim Pyadushkin [email protected] - Singapore Airshow Aviation Leadership Summit (SAALS) New Delhi - Next Generation MRO in a Digital World Jay Menon [email protected] - Changing the Game for - How New OEM Business Models are Rewriting Paris the Rule Book for Suppliers Helen Massy-Beresford [email protected] - Lindbergh Innovation Forum Washington • Network with leaders in government, defence and commercial sectors Jen DiMascio [email protected] Wichita • Witness breathtaking aerobatics and static aircraft display Molly McMillin [email protected] Register now at www.singaporeairshow.com to visit the show! President, Aviation Week Network To start building your show To book your space, contact: For the U.S. Pavilion, contact: Gregory Hamilton marketing plans, contact: Danny Soong / Cathryn Lee Michael Petrassi Managing Director, Intelligence & Data Services Iain Blackhall [email protected] [email protected] Anne McMahon [email protected]

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4 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/awst Editor-In-Chief Joseph C. Anselmo [email protected] Executive Editors Jen DiMascio (Defense and Space) [email protected] Jens Flottau (Commercial Aviation) [email protected] Graham Warwick (Technology) [email protected] Editors Lindsay Bjerregaard, Sean Broderick, Michael Bruno, Bill Carey, Thierry Dubois, William Garvey, Ben Goldstein, Lee Hudson, Irene Klotz, Helen Massy- Beresford, Jefferson Morris, Guy Norris, Tony Osborne, Bradley Perrett, James Pozzi, Adrian Schofield, Lee Ann Shay, Steve Trimble Chief Aircraft Evaluation Editor Fred George Director, Editorial and Online Production Michael O. Lavitt Associate Managing Editor Andrea Hollowell Art Director Lisa Caputo Go beyond the news of the day Artists Thomas De Pierro, Colin Throm Copy Editors Jack Freifelder, Arturo Mora, with Aviation Week Intelligence Natalia Pelayo, Andy Savoie Network’s Market Briefi ngs. Production Editor Bridget Horan Contributing Photographer Joseph Pries These sector-specifi c intelligence Director, Digital Content Strategy Rupa Haria Content Marketing Manager Rija Tariq briefi ngs empower busy executives Data & Analytics to stay-ahead of the market, identify Director, Forecasts and Aerospace Insights Brian Kough opportunities and drive revenue. Senior Manager, Data Operations/Production Terra Deskins Manager, Military Data Operations Michael Tint Editorial Offices LEARN MORE: 2121 K Street, NW, Suite 210, Washington, D.C. 20037 aviationweek.com/marketbriefi ngs Phone: +1 (202) 517-1100 605 Third Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10158 Phone: +1 (212) 204-4200 Bureau Chiefs Auckland Adrian [email protected] Beijing Bradley Perrett [email protected] Cape Canaveral Irene Klotz [email protected] FLY ABOVE EXPECTATIONS Chicago Lee Ann Shay [email protected] AT SINGAPORE AIRSHOW 2020 Frankfurt Jens Flottau [email protected] As Asia’s largest aerospace and defence event, Singapore Houston Airshow 2020 will play a crucial role in creating opportunities, Mark Carreau [email protected] Kuala Lumpur driving innovations and shaping the future of flight. Marhalim Abas [email protected] London 5 reasons to visit aviation’s finest Tony Osborne [email protected] • View exhibits from over 1,000 of the world’s leading aerospace companies Los Angeles Guy Norris [email protected] • Explore disruption solutions devised by entrepreneurial minds at What’s Next startup showcase Lyon Thierry Dubois [email protected] • Gain insights from world-class though leaders at high-level conferences and Moscow business forums including Maxim Pyadushkin [email protected] - Singapore Airshow Aviation Leadership Summit (SAALS) New Delhi - Next Generation MRO in a Digital World Jay Menon [email protected] - Changing the Game for Manufacturing - How New OEM Business Models are Rewriting Paris the Rule Book for Suppliers Helen Massy-Beresford [email protected] - Lindbergh Innovation Forum Washington • Network with leaders in government, defence and commercial sectors Jen DiMascio [email protected] Wichita • Witness breathtaking aerobatics and static aircraft display Molly McMillin [email protected] Register now at www.singaporeairshow.com to visit the show! President, Aviation Week Network To start building your show To book your space, contact: For the U.S. Pavilion, contact: Gregory Hamilton marketing plans, contact: Danny Soong / Cathryn Lee Michael Petrassi Managing Director, Intelligence & Data Services Iain Blackhall [email protected] [email protected] Anne McMahon [email protected]

@OfficialSingaporeAirshow @SGAirshow OFFICIAL MEDIA PARTNER OF THE SINGAPORE AIR SHOW @SingaporeAirshow #SGAirshow2020

4 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/awst FEEDBACK

HILOSGEN

SMALL MODULE REACTORS people to seek careers in the peaceful 10 in. wider than the . May- I read with interest “Nuclear Air application of nuclear energy. be it could be the new new midmar- Force” (Nov. 25-Dec. 8, 2019, p. 52). ket or 797. During the 1960s and early ’70s, I Andrew R. Marchese, Las Vegas I wish Aviation Week would go to worked on the use of small and com- Russia and fly the MC-21 and tell us pact nuclear reactors for applications A GOOD DEAL readers what you think of it. in space and at remote military and The editorial “A Risky Business” commercial locations. This was part (Dec. 9-22, 2019, p. 74) argues that Philip Nackard, Flagstaff, Arizona of the SNAP (Space Nuclear Auxiliary President ’s success in Power) program. Over the past decade, getting our NATO and Asian allies to LATIN LETTERS IN CHINA there has been considerable work done spend more on their own defense and Why do Chinese rockets display on developing Small Modular Reactors increase their payments for U.S. troops Western numbers, such as the (SMR) for supplying power to the com- stationed in their territory risks their DF-17 or DF-41? mercial electric power grid. alienation because of his disparaging While much analysis and design rhetoric. Lance Casady, Sterling, Virginia work has been performed on these The allies, you fear, might build up small reactors, there still exists a lack their own defense industries even Editor’s note: The most likely reason is of test and operational performance on though our weapons exports are up. that whoever is making the decision con- actual operating reactors, which is vital Trump, you say, is so transactional, siders that the outside world is watching. for ensuring a reliable, safe and licens- demanding that they do more or buy Anyway, the use of the Latin alphabet able design. As Adm. Rickover once more for the protection we provide. (“English,” as the Chinese think of it) has said, the difference between a paper But aren’t the allies transactional a certain prestige in China. Even a barber reactor and real reactor is “corrosion.” themselves? The threat to put on uni- shop might stick up a sign with its name To overcome this shortcoming in the forms and develop their own defenses in Latin letters, just to look cool. The des- lack of operational data on a real re- unless we are foolish enough to keep ignations with Latin letters sometimes actor, the Defense Department should doing most of it for them without appear in Chinese-language articles, but encourage and work with the Energy complaint rings hollow. I bet that they the original Chinese characters the letters Department to site and build the most buy a few more planes and put up with represent are more usual. promising SMR concepts at the Energy the rhetoric to get as much of a free Department’s complex of remote sites. ride as they can. It is a very good deal This would not only provide valuable for them, and they know it. CORRECTIONS: test and performance data (particu- The Defense Systems Data Center larly for advanced fuel types like the Harvey M. Sapolsky, Cambridge, (Dec. 23, 2019-Jan. 12, 2020, p. 62) TRISO Fuel Pebble for “Project Pele”) Massachusetts should have stated the date range for but also onsite electrical power needs Fighter/Attack Aircraft Costs and for the department’s site complexes, A NEW NEW MIDMARKET Military Transport Aircraft Costs including the Hanford Reservation, AIRPLANE? as 2020-24 and the Five-Year Unit Savannah River Site, Nevada National Richard Aboulafia’s “Adieu, NMA?” Production measured in billions of Security Site and the Idaho National (Nov. 11-24, 2019, p. 14) made me U.S. 2020 dollars. The Commercial Engineering Laboratory. wonder if Boeing would be interested Aviation Data Center (Dec. 23, 2019- Electrical power output of about in producing the Irkut MC-21 under Jan. 12, 2020, p. 98) should have stated 50 megawatts should be adequate to license in the U.S., saving it research the date range for Business Aircraft satisfy the onsite power needs of each and development costs. The MC- Costs as 2020-24 and the Five-Year location. This operating experience 21 is not your grandfather’s Soviet Unit Production measured in billions and performance data would also spur . It seems to be a very modern of U.S. 2020 dollars. the development of SMRs for com- clean-sheet aircraft. The flight deck These corrections were made to the data mercial applications as well, which, as is extremely modern, and the cabin is features online, in the digital magazine pointed out in the article, has failed to edition and in the Aviation Week archive. gain traction. I believe it’s extremely important Address letters to the Editor-in-Chief, Aviation Week & Space Technology, for our country to embark on such 2121 K Street, NW, Suite 210, Washington, DC, 20037 or send via email to: exciting projects as SMRs and Project [email protected] Letters may be edited for length and clarity; Pele, which will reinvigorate young a verifiable address and daytime telephone number are required.

6 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST FEEDBACK

HILOSGEN

SMALL MODULE REACTORS people to seek careers in the peaceful 10 in. wider than the Boeing 737. May- I read with interest “Nuclear Air application of nuclear energy. be it could be the new new midmar- Force” (Nov. 25-Dec. 8, 2019, p. 52). ket airplane or 797. During the 1960s and early ’70s, I Andrew R. Marchese, Las Vegas I wish Aviation Week would go to worked on the use of small and com- Russia and fly the MC-21 and tell us pact nuclear reactors for applications A GOOD DEAL readers what you think of it. in space and at remote military and The editorial “A Risky Business” commercial locations. This was part (Dec. 9-22, 2019, p. 74) argues that Philip Nackard, Flagstaff, Arizona of the SNAP (Space Nuclear Auxiliary President Donald Trump’s success in Power) program. Over the past decade, getting our NATO and Asian allies to LATIN LETTERS IN CHINA there has been considerable work done spend more on their own defense and Why do Chinese rockets display on developing Small Modular Reactors increase their payments for U.S. troops Western numbers, such as the (SMR) for supplying power to the com- stationed in their territory risks their DF-17 or DF-41? mercial electric power grid. alienation because of his disparaging While much analysis and design rhetoric. Lance Casady, Sterling, Virginia work has been performed on these The allies, you fear, might build up small reactors, there still exists a lack their own defense industries even Editor’s note: The most likely reason is of test and operational performance on though our weapons exports are up. that whoever is making the decision con- actual operating reactors, which is vital Trump, you say, is so transactional, siders that the outside world is watching. for ensuring a reliable, safe and licens- demanding that they do more or buy Anyway, the use of the Latin alphabet able design. As Adm. Rickover once more for the protection we provide. (“English,” as the Chinese think of it) has said, the difference between a paper But aren’t the allies transactional a certain prestige in China. Even a barber reactor and real reactor is “corrosion.” themselves? The threat to put on uni- shop might stick up a sign with its name To overcome this shortcoming in the forms and develop their own defenses in Latin letters, just to look cool. The des- lack of operational data on a real re- unless we are foolish enough to keep ignations with Latin letters sometimes actor, the Defense Department should doing most of it for them without appear in Chinese-language articles, but encourage and work with the Energy complaint rings hollow. I bet that they the original Chinese characters the letters Department to site and build the most buy a few more planes and put up with represent are more usual. promising SMR concepts at the Energy the rhetoric to get as much of a free Department’s complex of remote sites. ride as they can. It is a very good deal This would not only provide valuable for them, and they know it. CORRECTIONS: test and performance data (particu- The Defense Systems Data Center larly for advanced fuel types like the Harvey M. Sapolsky, Cambridge, (Dec. 23, 2019-Jan. 12, 2020, p. 62) TRISO Fuel Pebble for “Project Pele”) Massachusetts should have stated the date range for but also onsite electrical power needs Fighter/Attack Aircraft Costs and for the department’s site complexes, A NEW NEW MIDMARKET Military Transport Aircraft Costs including the Hanford Reservation, AIRPLANE? as 2020-24 and the Five-Year Unit Savannah River Site, Nevada National Richard Aboulafia’s “Adieu, NMA?” Production measured in billions of Security Site and the Idaho National (Nov. 11-24, 2019, p. 14) made me U.S. 2020 dollars. The Commercial Engineering Laboratory. wonder if Boeing would be interested Aviation Data Center (Dec. 23, 2019- Electrical power output of about in producing the Irkut MC-21 under Jan. 12, 2020, p. 98) should have stated 50 megawatts should be adequate to license in the U.S., saving it research the date range for Business Aircraft satisfy the onsite power needs of each and development costs. The MC- Costs as 2020-24 and the Five-Year location. This operating experience 21 is not your grandfather’s Soviet Unit Production measured in billions and performance data would also spur airliner. It seems to be a very modern of U.S. 2020 dollars. the development of SMRs for com- clean-sheet aircraft. The flight deck These corrections were made to the data mercial applications as well, which, as is extremely modern, and the cabin is features online, in the digital magazine pointed out in the article, has failed to edition and in the Aviation Week archive. gain traction. I believe it’s extremely important Address letters to the Editor-in-Chief, Aviation Week & Space Technology, for our country to embark on such 2121 K Street, NW, Suite 210, Washington, DC, 20037 or send via email to: exciting projects as SMRs and Project [email protected] Letters may be edited for length and clarity; Pele, which will reinvigorate young a verifiable address and daytime telephone number are required.

6 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST FIRST

tem assets in Queretaro, Mexico, for Russia on Dec. 27, says the defense min- TAKE $50 million in cash. istry (page 18). For the latest, go to AVIATIONWEEK.COM Safran has joined the Aerion AS2 super- Israel has begun development of a self-de- sonic program, providing fense system for aircraft. the gear and engine . The country’s defense ministry also COMMERCIAL AVIATION GE Aviation will develop the electrical plans to perform field trials of a ground- Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau power system, and GKN Aerospace is based laser system in 2020 (page 17). said initial intelligence points to an set to produce the empennage and part Iranian surface-to-air missile as the of the electrical system. Aerospace has signed a $221 mil- cause of a Ukraine International Air- lion contract with the Italian defense lines Boeing 737-800 crash on Jan. 8. The DEFENSE ministry for nine P.180 Avanti EVO flight, PS752, went down shortly after The U.S. Air Force has transferred the 14th turboprops, marking a turning point departing Imam Khomeini Internation- Air Force to the newly created U.S. for the financially struggling company. al in Tehran, Iran, killing all 176 Space Force. Headquartered at Vanden- people on board, including 63 Canadians. berg AFB, California, it is now known as VERTICAL FLIGHT U.S. Space Operations Command. South Korean carmaker Hyundai an- Beginning early in 2021, Airbus expects to nounced an urban air mobility part- increase A320-family output at its final The U.S. Army is to demonstrate an intel- nership with Uber and unveiled a

assembly plant in Mobile, Alabama. The ligence-collecting system, the High-Ac- HYUNDAI plan calls for seven aircraft a month, up curacy Detection Exploitation System, from the current production rate of five. in an attempt to field a new airborne surveillance fleet starting in five years. Boeing will urge operators to put 737 MAX crews through simulator train- First delivery of Russia’s Sukhoi Su-57 ing before they return to line flying—a fifth-generation fighter could be post- reversal triggered by trials that showed poned after an aircraft crashed Dec. pilots were not executing emergency 24 about 111 km (69 mi.) from Komso- procedures correctly. molsk-on-Amur during a production test flight. David Calhoun will take over as Boeing CEO on Jan. 13 as the company pre - The first Russian missile regimentarmed pares to pause 737 MAX production with the Avangard nuclear-armed hy- full-scale mockup of its S-A1 electric in mid-January after Aircraft Line No. personic glide vehicle became opera- vertical--and-landing aircraft 7896 rolls off the Renton, Washington, tional at Dombarovsky AB in southern (eVTOL). assembly line (page 22).

Fuel distributor Shell Aviation has part- VIEW FROM WASHINGTON nered with provider World En- ergy to supply Group with sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on select Raytheon’s 3DELRR Reign Ends from San Francisco (page 34). The U.S. Air Force intends to cancel Raytheon’s contract for a JetBlue Airways is to offset 100% of car- next-generation three-dimensional long-range radar after facing bon emissions from domestic flights be- technical difficulties, but the service will host an industry day ginning in July 2020 and will begin using Feb. 4 opening the program to other companies. SAF on all flights from San Francisco un- der an agreement with Neste (page 36). Raytheon won the contract in 2014 and was scheduled to deliv- er three production-representative radar systems by November China’s Comac flew the sixth and last 2020, two years past the Air Force’s desired date. The holdup C919 prototype on Dec. 27, achieving an unpublished target that had begun was the result of a lengthy contract protest by Raytheon’s com- to look doubtful. Comac is aiming at petitors, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. And now, achieving certification in 2021. technical difficulties with Raytheon’s replacement for a ground- The FAA has released its long-awaited based TPS-75 three-dimensional passive, electronically scanned proposed rule outlining requirements array have emerged. for drones to transmit identifying infor- mation to the ground (page 26). Market research shows that alternative technologies can deliver the capability faster. The program office intends to re- -based aerostructures specialist lease a solicitation following an industry day at Hanscom AFB, Latecoere is to acquire Bombardier’s electrical wiring interconnection sys- Massachusetts.

8 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST FIRST Falcon Dassault Aviation tem assets in Queretaro, Mexico, for Russia on Dec. 27, says the defense min- A new venture to develop a small, fast A Bicameral Aircraft Business TAKE $50 million in cash. istry (page 18). short-range eVTOL vehicle specifically 99 For the latest, go to for first responders has been unveiled 77 AVIATIONWEEK.COM Safran has joined the Aerion AS2 super- Israel has begun development of a self-de- by Carl Dietrich, cofounder of flying car 63 66 66 sonic business jet program, providing fense laser weapon system for aircraft. developer Terrafugia. 55 49 49 the landing gear and engine nacelles. The country’s defense ministry also 41 40 COMMERCIAL AVIATION GE Aviation will develop the electrical plans to perform field trials of a ground- BELL Rafale 26 Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau power system, and GKN Aerospace is based laser system in 2020 (page 17). said initial intelligence points to an set to produce the empennage and part 11 11 11 11 11 11 9 9 12 Iranian surface-to-air missile as the of the electrical system. Piaggio Aerospace has signed a $221 mil- cause of a Ukraine International Air- lion contract with the Italian defense 2011 2013 2015 2017 2019 lines Boeing 737-800 crash on Jan. 8. The DEFENSE ministry for nine P.180 Avanti EVO Source: Dassault Aviation flight, PS752, went down shortly after The U.S. Air Force has transferred the 14th turboprops, marking a turning point From a record high in 2010, Dassault saw deliveries of Falcon business jets decline in departing Imam Khomeini Internation- Air Force to the newly created U.S. for the financially struggling company. 2019 to their lowest level since 1996, while deliveries of Rafale fighters rose to a record al Airport in Tehran, Iran, killing all 176 Space Force. Headquartered at Vanden- high on export orders. people on board, including 63 Canadians. berg AFB, California, it is now known as VERTICAL FLIGHT U.S. Space Operations Command. South Korean carmaker Hyundai an- Beginning early in 2021, Airbus expects to nounced an urban air mobility part- Turkish Aerospace has rolled out the third EmbraerX, the innovation arm of the Bra- engine manufacturing flaw, removing a increase A320-family output at its final The U.S. Army is to demonstrate an intel- nership with Uber and unveiled a prototype of its T625 Gokbey twin-engine zilian manufacturer, is to collaborate barrier to beginning the third stage of

assembly plant in Mobile, Alabama. The ligence-collecting system, the High-Ac- HYUNDAI medium as it begins to accel- with U.S. startup Elroy Air to expedite China’s lunar exploration program. plan calls for seven aircraft a month, up curacy Detection Exploitation System, erate the aircraft’s flight-test program. the entry into service of Elroy’s Chap- from the current production rate of five. in an attempt to field a new airborne arral eVTOL unmanned aircraft. The shuttle-derived core booster for surveillance fleet starting in five years. Bell has unveiled a revised design for its NASA’s first Space Launch System Boeing will urge operators to put 737 Nexus eVTOL air taxi, with all-electric SPACE heavy-lift rocket rolled out from Michoud MAX crews through simulator train- First delivery of Russia’s Sukhoi Su-57 propulsion instead of hybrid-electric and SpaceX has opened what it hopes will be a Assembly Facility in New Orleans Jan. 8 ing before they return to line flying—a fifth-generation fighter could be post- four tilting ducted fans instead of six for busy 2020 launch manifest of 35-38 mis- for transport to Stennis Space Center in reversal triggered by trials that showed poned after an aircraft crashed Dec. increased cruise efficiency (page 28). sions with the Jan. 6 liftoff of a Falcon 9 Mississippi for a key test before launch. pilots were not executing emergency 24 about 111 km (69 mi.) from Komso- rocket carrying a third batch of Starlink procedures correctly. molsk-on-Amur during a production Leonardo has flown the fourth broadband communications satellites. Maxar Technologies has reached a deal to test flight. prototype AW609 commercial tiltrotor. sell its MDA Canadian space subsidiary David Calhoun will take over as Boeing The aircraft is fully representative of CALT’s Long March 5 heavy launcher to a group of private equity investors CEO on Jan. 13 as the company pre - The first Russian missile regimentarmed the final configuration and includes the returned to flight on Dec. 27, 2.5 years led by Northern Private Capital for C$1 pares to pause 737 MAX production with the Avangard nuclear-armed hy- full-scale mockup of its S-A1 electric Collins Pro Line Fusion avionics suite. after the second mission failed due to an billion ($766 million). c in mid-January after Aircraft Line No. personic glide vehicle became opera- vertical-takeoff-and-landing aircraft 7896 rolls off the Renton, Washington, tional at Dombarovsky AB in southern (eVTOL). assembly line (page 22). 100 YEARS AGO IN Fuel distributor Shell Aviation has part- VIEW FROM WASHINGTON AVIATION WEEK nered with biofuel provider World En- ergy to supply Lufthansa Group with Our Jan. 15, 1920, cover featured a sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) on select Raytheon’s 3DELRR Reign Ends view from inside the Paris Aeronautical flights from San Francisco (page 34). The U.S. Air Force intends to cancel Raytheon’s contract for a Exposition—now known as the —which had been held at the JetBlue Airways is to offset 100% of car- next-generation three-dimensional long-range radar after facing glass-domed Grand Palais since 1909. bon emissions from domestic flights be- technical difficulties, but the service will host an industry day Inside the issue, an advertisement ginning in July 2020 and will begin using Feb. 4 opening the program to other companies. from the Glenn L. Martin Co. of Cleve- SAF on all flights from San Francisco un- der an agreement with Neste (page 36). Raytheon won the contract in 2014 and was scheduled to deliv- land (now Lockheed Martin) celebrat- er three production-representative radar systems by November ed a new milestone achieved by one of China’s Comac flew the sixth and last 2020, two years past the Air Force’s desired date. The holdup its military aircraft. “When the Martin C919 prototype on Dec. 27, achieving commanded by Col. R.S. Hartz an unpublished target that had begun was the result of a lengthy contract protest by Raytheon’s com- and piloted by Lt. E.E. Harmon landed to look doubtful. Comac is aiming at petitors, Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman. And now, at Bolling Field, Washington, D.C., on achieving certification in 2021. technical difficulties with Raytheon’s replacement for a ground- Nov. 9, [1919], it set a new milestone in The FAA has released its long-awaited based TPS-75 three-dimensional passive, electronically scanned the aeronautical history of this coun- proposed rule outlining requirements array have emerged. try—having successfully completed a for drones to transmit identifying infor- Market research shows that alternative technologies can trip of 9,823 mi. around the rim of the Martin noted that the cross-country mation to the ground (page 26). U.S. [and setting] a record for sturdy bomber had also set a new U.S. non- Subscribers can access every deliver the capability faster. The program office intends to re- efficiency that is absolutely unparal- stop record, traveling 857 mi. in 7 hr. issue of Aviation Week back to Toulouse-based aerostructures specialist lease a solicitation following an industry day at Hanscom AFB, leled in the history of aviation,” it read. and 10 min. 1916 at: archive.aviationweek.com Latecoere is to acquire Bombardier’s electrical wiring interconnection sys- Massachusetts.

8 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 9 COMMENTARY UP FRONT KEN GAZZOLA

THERE IS A DISCOMFITING SENSE The tired 15-year-old saga of Airbus versus Boeing— of deja vu with the recent tariff on Airbus the international equivalent of the legendary quarrel in exports to the U.S. The subsidy issue has Appalachia between the Hatfields and the McCoys— been debated ad nauseum since Jean Pierson headed arguing who gets what form of government support Airbus, with questionable subsidies on both sides of the and whether that constitutes illegal aid has dragged Atlantic. In this latest round, the World Trade Organiza- on far too long. Is the leadership of both enterprises tion (WTO) decision is nothing more than a simplistic, so wrapped up in their own self-interest that they lack one-sided stab at addressing a complex, bilateral issue. any ability to see the bigger picture? Urgently needed is an equitable resolution to close An honest reality check at any point along the petty, this anachronistic tit for tat, preferably before the oth- tortuous path both companies have been following—“hon- er shoe drops, because est” being the operative you can bet the EU will word—would have led respond in kind. By now, Ceasefire them to acknowledge that both sides should have KUZMA/ISTOCK both rivals historically recognized that commer- have benefited enormously cial aviation is too critical from direct or indirect gov- to the global economy to ernment financial support. allow this dispute to drag That only makes sense, on and inflict real damage. since we’re being honest Healthy transatlantic here. Aviation is a strate- relations are essential gic industry, and no eco- to the success of Airbus nomically advanced nation and Boeing, and the huge would dare risk leaving number of suppliers in- a sector so critical to its ternationally that support economy exposed entirely both OEMs—not to men- to market forces. tion the overall economies The second point is of the U.S. and the EU. It that healthy competition is in the best interests of is one thing, but the on- all parties to resolve the going bludgeoning both dispute with a mutually the Boeing-Airbus dispute companies inflict on each beneficial compromise. Time to solve other has become almost Hundreds of thousands of like a blood sport. jobs are at stake. Except in special cases, tariffs im- Airbus and Boeing leadership need to wrap their pede free trade, which is key to the success of global minds around the fact that the world is very different aviation. Protectionism is lose-lose. today than it was when their disdainful approach to The U.S. and EU governments, working through their undercutting the other started. Aviation/aerospace is trade representatives, should grant an antitrust exemp- now a truly global industry, with complex networks of tion to Boeing and Airbus. Then they should send the supply chains on which both OEMs are highly depen- companies into a room and tell them not to come out un- dent. But you would never know it based on the way til they have devised an equitable resolution that can be these two industrial leviathans hammer away at each submitted to their respective governments for approv- other, with seemingly little regard to the collateral al. Such an approach would enable the governments to damage. Disrupt those, and the two of them could face enter into a bilateral treaty, of which they could then far bigger problems. notify the WTO. Another consideration is that Airbus and Boeing This would force the two OEMs to prove they want will find themselves sharing the reality of a competi- a solution. Without bold action, this sensitive issue will tive landscape that includes new rivals as fierce and continue indefinitely, and neither Airbus, Boeing nor determined to succeed as Airbus was when it chal- the industry as a whole can afford this. For that matter, lenged U.S. dominance of the commercial aircraft mar- neither can the overall trade relationship between the ket. They should be laser-focused on this. U.S. and EU. The two sides claim they want to resolve The way forward should be clear: One or both of the the long-running dispute, so let them prove it. dominant manufacturers need to take the first step, An added incentive is that an agreement between but that is going to take uncommon leadership. If there Airbus and Boeing might actually set a much-needed was ever a time for uncommon leadership, it is now. precedent for other trade disputes under WTO juris- Any takers? diction. Taking another look at the 1992 EC-U.S. Agree- Delays help no one and could hurt everyone. c ment on Trade in Large Civil Aircraft might help with the process, since it was an effective bilateral formula. Kenneth E. Gazzola was publisher of Aviation Week from 1987 to 2006.

10 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST COMMENTARY COMMENTARY UP FRONT GOING CONCERNS KEN GAZZOLA MICHAEL BRUNO

THERE IS A DISCOMFITING SENSE The tired 15-year-old saga of Airbus versus Boeing— THE 737 MAX-RELATED LAYOFFS While the MAX is down, it is not out, and there is still of deja vu with the recent tariff on Airbus the international equivalent of the legendary quarrel in had already begun before 2019 was blue sky in long-term forecasts. Yet analysts do not see exports to the U.S. The subsidy issue has Appalachia between the Hatfields and the McCoys— over. Aviation Week’s Wichita bureau the commercial aero sector normalizing until 2021 at been debated ad nauseum since Jean Pierson headed arguing who gets what form of government support chief says smaller suppliers near 737 the soonest. As for 2020, whatever happens, it will be Airbus, with questionable subsidies on both sides of the and whether that constitutes illegal aid has dragged aerostructures provider Spirit AeroSystems started darker than what many expected just a month ago. Atlantic. In this latest round, the World Trade Organiza- on far too long. Is the leadership of both enterprises cutting their workforces around the Air Capital of the A 2020 forecast issued Dec. 18 by Moody’s called for tion (WTO) decision is nothing more than a simplistic, so wrapped up in their own self-interest that they lack World before New Year’s Eve, and not because of usual 6% profit growth, including Boeing’s, but that assumes one-sided stab at addressing a complex, bilateral issue. any ability to see the bigger picture? holiday shutdowns. the MAX’s grounding does not last beyond mid-year. Urgently needed is an equitable resolution to close An honest reality check at any point along the petty, This was not how the commercial aerospace sector Rival Fitch Ratings also calls the MAX’s return this anachronistic tit for tat, preferably before the oth- tortuous path both companies have been following—“hon- expected to enter 2020. A year ago, suppliers were critical. “The impact of the MAX suspension should er shoe drops, because est” being the operative talking about not being able to hire enough workers to be temporary unless substantial orders are canceled,” you can bet the EU will word—would have led keep up with Boeing’s 737 monthly production rate in- the credit agency said Dec. 19. “Our rating case as- respond in kind. By now, Ceasefire them to acknowledge that creases, planned to be at least 57 new aircraft by now. sumes the MAX groundings will be lifted in phases by both sides should have KUZMA/ISTOCK both rivals historically Fast forward, and the specter of layoffs is likely to different regions through early second-quarter 2020 recognized that commer- have benefited enormously be a leading topic of conversation around boardrooms and that deliveries in various regions will resume cial aviation is too critical from direct or indirect gov- and dinner tables, from Wichita to Chicago to Seattle, shortly afterwards.” to the global economy to ernment financial support. let alone the countless smaller municipalities that are allow this dispute to drag That only makes sense, home to hundreds of suppliers on the halted narrow- Boeing 737 MAX Supplier Exposure on and inflict real damage. since we’re being honest body program. With Boeing and Spirit shutting down Healthy transatlantic here. Aviation is a strate- 737 MAX 2019E revenues Shipset* Revenues relations are essential gic industry, and no eco- Company Percent of total to the success of Airbus nomically advanced nation (U.S. $ millions) (U.S. $ millions) and Boeing, and the huge would dare risk leaving Slowing Down Astronics $0.1 $53 7% number of suppliers in- a sector so critical to its 737 MAX grounding hits the supply chain Crane Co. 0.2 112 3 ternationally that support economy exposed entirely Ducommun 0.2 106 15 both OEMs—not to men- to market forces. their respective 737 manufacturing lines indefinitely Hexcel 0.4 224 9 tion the overall economies The second point is this month, a nightmare scenario is turning into reality. Spirit AeroSystems 6.5 4,056 52 of the U.S. and the EU. It that healthy competition Through the holidays, companies have been prac- TransDigm Group 0.5 281 5 is in the best interests of is one thing, but the on- tically silent, ostensibly because the optics of negative Triumph Group 0.3 160 6 all parties to resolve the going bludgeoning both comments were bad, and also due to self-imposed quiet *The value of an individual bundle of Boeing 737 products delivered to the manufacturing customer. dispute with a mutually companies inflict on each periods before the release of 2019 financial results start- the Boeing-Airbus dispute Sources: Company reports, Canaccord Genuity estimates beneficial compromise. Time to solve other has become almost ing at the end of this month. But they are also struggling Hundreds of thousands of like a blood sport. to work out exactly what the production stoppage and However, the long-term impact of the MAX ground- jobs are at stake. Except in special cases, tariffs im- Airbus and Boeing leadership need to wrap their new leadership at Boeing all means and whether there ing on the aerospace sector is likely to be negative due pede free trade, which is key to the success of global minds around the fact that the world is very different will be financial aid from the OEM or governments. Nev- to growing regulatory scrutiny, the ratings agency aviation. Protectionism is lose-lose. today than it was when their disdainful approach to ertheless, industry observers are increasingly clear the adds. New aircraft certifications will take longer and The U.S. and EU governments, working through their undercutting the other started. Aviation/aerospace is impact will be widespread and bruising. became costlier for manufacturers, while regulatory trade representatives, should grant an antitrust exemp- now a truly global industry, with complex networks of “The suspension of production will have far-reach- actions in case of difficulties are likely to be faster and tion to Boeing and Airbus. Then they should send the supply chains on which both OEMs are highly depen- ing adverse consequences for the broad aerospace and more rigorous. companies into a room and tell them not to come out un- dent. But you would never know it based on the way defense supply chain,” a team of analysts at Moody’s Others agree that the MAX freeze augurs worse- til they have devised an equitable resolution that can be these two industrial leviathans hammer away at each Investors Service say in a report issued Dec. 23, the than-before results for A&D in 2020. “We can expect submitted to their respective governments for approv- other, with seemingly little regard to the collateral same day was fired. “Reduced ac- a negative ripple effect across the aerospace industry al. Such an approach would enable the governments to damage. Disrupt those, and the two of them could face tivity related to the 737 MAX—one of the biggest air- in 2020,” Accenture Global A&D Lead John Schmidt enter into a bilateral treaty, of which they could then far bigger problems. craft programs by volume globally—will precipitate tells Aviation Week. “This impact is likely to be more notify the WTO. Another consideration is that Airbus and Boeing lower revenues, earnings and cash flows, and slow the significant than prior rate reductions because of the This would force the two OEMs to prove they want will find themselves sharing the reality of a competi- growth in operating profits that we had previously an- complexities facing suppliers in restarting idled pro- a solution. Without bold action, this sensitive issue will tive landscape that includes new rivals as fierce and ticipated for 2020 under the former assumption that duction lines back up to full production rates.” continue indefinitely, and neither Airbus, Boeing nor determined to succeed as Airbus was when it chal- the MAX grounding would end in January.” In October—when Boeing still was promoting a the industry as a whole can afford this. For that matter, lenged U.S. dominance of the commercial aircraft mar- CNBC celebrity stock picker Jim Cramer was more MAX return to service by year-end—Schmidt’s group neither can the overall trade relationship between the ket. They should be laser-focused on this. blunt a few days earlier. He says production halts sup- had already halved its expected growth forecast for U.S. and EU. The two sides claim they want to resolve The way forward should be clear: One or both of the press the whole aerospace manufacturing sector and global A&D in 2019 to just 2.5%. Rival Deloitte proj- the long-running dispute, so let them prove it. dominant manufacturers need to take the first step, likely mean 2020 forecasts across industry will have to ects commercial aircraft order cancellations and low- An added incentive is that an agreement between but that is going to take uncommon leadership. If there be cut or, at the least, weighted to the back half of the er-than-expected new orders in 2019 likely meant to- Airbus and Boeing might actually set a much-needed was ever a time for uncommon leadership, it is now. new year. “? Yes. Spirit, TransDigm, those tal airliner production was cut to around 1,450 units. precedent for other trade disputes under WTO juris- Any takers? will be hurt,” Cramer opines. “But I think we have to Airbus and Boeing should issue their tallies imminent- diction. Taking another look at the 1992 EC-U.S. Agree- Delays help no one and could hurt everyone. c revisit the earnings per share for United Technologies ly. But while the coming weeks should bring a lot more ment on Trade in Large Civil Aircraft might help with and GE, and these are companies that have been great information for the sector, there likely will be even the process, since it was an effective bilateral formula. Kenneth E. Gazzola was publisher of Aviation Week from 1987 to 2006. suppliers to Boeing. I’m waiting for big revisions down.” more questions. c

10 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 11 COMMENTARY INSIDE BUSINESS AVIATION WILLIAM GARVEY

AS EVERYONE WHO HAS LIVED points and consider whether Avfuel might provide relief. the experience knows, getting assigned Over the years, those deliberations have resulted in roommates as a college freshman is the 31 acquisitions through which Avfuel provides insurance luck of the draw. If they turn out to be se- for pilots, , distributors and related facilities; rious students, but social, funny and good-natured, you designs and installs fuel storage ; manufactures win. Get some slovenly slugs who party hard while ab- and maintains tanker trucks and refueling equipment; staining from study, and, well, it’s a long semester. offers flight-planning and trip-support services; and For University of Michigan frosh Craig Sincock, leases aviation equipment. In so doing, Sincock says his the match brought a life-changing surprise, as things company in some way touches one of every three U.S. turned out. The strangers sharing his new Wolverine business flights and brands nearly a quarter of all FBOs. den were not just ordinary undergrads, but certified He was right long ago about its potential. flight instructors (CFI) who were keen to practice their The original four-person staff has expanded to rough- craft on him. And he readily agreed, becoming an avid ly 1,000 employees globally, and one notable addition member of the Michigan Fly- signed on in 2011. An invest- ers in the doing. ment analyst for a hedge By the time he graduat- Signs of the Times fund with an MBA and bach- ed from the Ross School Avfuel serves one in three elor’s in economics from Har- of Business, Sincock was a vard, C.R. Sincock II easily committed aviator. Unlike transitioned into his father’s his CFI roomies headed for company. After all, while at piloting careers, he put both Harvard he researched and his degree and pilot’s license wrote papers on the sup- to good use working in in- ply-and-demand economics vestment banking and cor- of , price fluctuations porate consulting. To meet in jet fuel during supply/de- with clients, he would often mand shocks and a compet- fly himself to their places of itive analysis of Avfuel’s posi- business. tion in the marketplace. One was a small, four-per- Now, as Avfuel’s executive son operation begun in Ann vice president, “CR” is in Arbor in 1973 to supply fixed AVFUEL charge of the company’s glob- base operators (FBO) in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana al business strategy, analyzing potential expansion moves with Jet A and avgas. Intrigued by the little outfit’s and possible acquisitions in the U.S. and internationally. potential and its all-aviation focus, Sincock bought the One of the company’s main focuses is on increasing company when it became available in 1983. It proved to production and distribution of sustainable aviation fuel be another good match. (SAF) throughout the aviation community. The fuel, At the time, fuel was delivered into aircraft under a which can be blended with fossil-based Jet A, is both ex- variety of brands including Phillips, Shell and Amoco. pensive and hard to find—there’s only one refiner in the However, Avfuel’s new owner questioned the business U.S.—but the senior Sincock notes that number is in- sensibility of deferring his company’s name to enhance creasing both in the U.S. and abroad, and as they come big oil brands. Not long thereafter, Avfuel, when possi- online SAF’s current high price should begin to fall. ble, began putting its name above the pumps. That sig- That progress cannot come too soon as far as he is nage proliferation expanded considerably in 1988 when concerned, because aviation in general, but business Avfuel acquired Pride Aviation, a West Texas refiner aviation in particular, is being branded as polluters (see with dealers in Western states, and replaced the Pride page 32), its byproduct being carbon dioxide. While SAF signs with its own. Five years later, it repeated that pro- will not eliminate that, when compared to traditional Jet cess when it acquired Triton Energy’s FBO businesses, A, its CO2 output is reduced by as much as 85% over its located mainly in Texas and the Southeast, and then life cycle. And Avfuel, along with its many competitors, again when it assimilated Texaco Aviation. Today, the is ready and eager to deliver. Avfuel sign stands at more than 650 branded FBOs Meanwhile, as when he first entered the business across and . world, Sincock, who holds an Air Transport Pilot li- Avfuel is not a refiner; rather, Sincock describes his cense, continues to fly to conduct face-to-face sessions company as a critical distribution provider that delivers with clients, suppliers and to support industry cam- fuel to 5,500 customers including flight departments, paigns, only now the former collegiate flying clubber airports, passenger and cargo carriers, the military and does so most often in his global ’s Citation rotary-wing operators in addition to FBOs, 21 of which Citation XLS+ or Dassault Falcon 2000LXS. c it owns. And it does so in 120 countries. In that daily far- flung process, company personnel note customers’ pain William Garvey is Editor-in-Chief of Business & Commercial Aviation

12 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST COMMENTARY COMMENTARY INSIDE BUSINESS AVIATION AIRLINE INTEL WILLIAM GARVEY JENS FLOTTAU

AS EVERYONE WHO HAS LIVED points and consider whether Avfuel might provide relief. TO GET AN IDEA OF WHAT TIM CLARK being weakened from the inside. Emirates instead has the experience knows, getting assigned Over the years, those deliberations have resulted in and colleagues have built over the past de- been using an existing hub concept, massive investment roommates as a college freshman is the 31 acquisitions through which Avfuel provides insurance cades, spend a few hours on the terrace of and much larger aircraft. The smallest jet in its current luck of the draw. If they turn out to be se- for pilots, airports, distributors and related facilities; Emirates’ headquarters building, adjacent to Dubai Inter- fl eet, the 777-300ER, is too large for most other . rious students, but social, funny and good-natured, you designs and installs fuel storage tanks; manufactures national Airport. If security were to allow such a special The concept was partly copied by and win. Get some slovenly slugs who party hard while ab- and maintains tanker trucks and refueling equipment; visit, the best time would be well past midnight. , but neither turned it into a fi nancial staining from study, and, well, it’s a long semester. offers flight-planning and trip-support services; and Observers would see an airport humming with activ- success, and Etihad has long dropped the idea of trying For University of Michigan frosh Craig Sincock, leases aviation equipment. In so doing, Sincock says his ity as the world’s largest fl eet of Airbus A380s makes to compete with its Dubai rival. the match brought a life-changing surprise, as things company in some way touches one of every three U.S. connections and leaves after a couple of hours, or the Clark can claim many achievements in 30 years of turned out. The strangers sharing his new Wolverine business flights and brands nearly a quarter of all FBOs. world’s largest fl eet of -300ERs returns from building the airline empire, including driving aircraft den were not just ordinary undergrads, but certified He was right long ago about its potential. “secondary” markets. With people from one end of the and engine manufacturers to optimize aircraft design. flight instructors (CFI) who were keen to practice their The original four-person staff has expanded to rough- globe connecting to places at the other end in the middle He also played an important role in the improvement of craft on him. And he readily agreed, becoming an avid ly 1,000 employees globally, and one notable addition of the night, the overcrowded terminals feel like a giant aircraft cabins and infl ight entertainment, an important member of the Michigan Fly- signed on in 2011. An invest- space station full of jet-lagged ers. prerequisite in ultra-long-haul fl ying. ers in the doing. ment analyst for a hedge Clark, the president of Emirates Airline who an- However, Emirates’ development appears to have By the time he graduat- Signs of the Times fund with an MBA and bach- nounced his retirement for mid-2020, has the privilege plateaued. International air transport has seen many ed from the Ross School Avfuel serves one in three elor’s in economics from Har- of Business, Sincock was a vard, C.R. Sincock II easily committed aviator. Unlike transitioned into his father’s After Tim Clark retires, the airline his CFI roomies headed for company. After all, while at Recalibrating must  nd a new strategy piloting careers, he put both Harvard he researched and his degree and pilot’s license wrote papers on the sup- Emirates to good use working in in- ply-and-demand economics vestment banking and cor- of jet fuel, price fluctuations porate consulting. To meet in jet fuel during supply/de- with clients, he would often mand shocks and a compet- fly himself to their places of itive analysis of Avfuel’s posi- business. tion in the marketplace. One was a small, four-per- Now, as Avfuel’s executive son operation begun in Ann vice president, “CR” is in UA A Arbor in 1973 to supply fixed AVFUEL charge of the company’s glob- of watching the scene from his oˆ ce on the top fl oor . trends and drivers over time: deregulation in the U.S. base operators (FBO) in Michigan, Ohio and Indiana al business strategy, analyzing potential expansion moves He is one of the primary architects of what has become and later in Europe, the rise of European and later with Jet A and avgas. Intrigued by the little outfit’s and possible acquisitions in the U.S. and internationally. the world’s biggest international hub. There were others Asian low-fare airlines and, the rise of Gulf carriers. potential and its all-aviation focus, Sincock bought the One of the company’s main focuses is on increasing who played key roles over the years, most importantly Nowadays, rather than trying to copy what Emirates company when it became available in 1983. It proved to production and distribution of sustainable aviation fuel Sheikh Ahmad Bin Sayed Al Mak toum, Emirates group has done, the industry is focusing on other concepts and be another good match. (SAF) throughout the aviation community. The fuel, chairman and CEO, and , who was seems to be successful doing so. Low-cost carriers con- At the time, fuel was delivered into aircraft under a which can be blended with fossil-based Jet A, is both ex- tasked with setting up the airline in 1985 and retired as tinue to thrive, although environmental pressures will variety of brands including Phillips, Shell and Amoco. pensive and hard to find—there’s only one refiner in the vice chairman in 2013, aged 85. be a growing threat. On the legacy side, However, Avfuel’s new owner questioned the business U.S.—but the senior Sincock notes that number is in- Although Clark has been at Emirates almost from the and International Airlines Group are the front-runners sensibility of deferring his company’s name to enhance creasing both in the U.S. and abroad, and as they come very beginning, he did not stant out as head of strate- in successfully building airline groups—an idea Emir- big oil brands. Not long thereafter, Avfuel, when possi- online SAF’s current high price should begin to fall. gy. Having just turned 70, Clark is more than 20 years ates has really never been interested in, apart from an ble, began putting its name above the pumps. That sig- That progress cannot come too soon as far as he is younger than Flanagan, the leading expat executive be- unsuccessful stint with SriLankan Airlines. nage proliferation expanded considerably in 1988 when concerned, because aviation in general, but business fore him. He became the airline’s president in 2003 and Probably more important, the concept of operating Avfuel acquired Pride Aviation, a West Texas refiner aviation in particular, is being branded as polluters (see was the mastermind behind its rise. The concept: take very large widebodies is fading. The last few A380s are with dealers in Western states, and replaced the Pride page 32), its byproduct being carbon dioxide. While SAF advantage of Dubai’s geographic location to create a hub being built this year, with the last to be delivered in 2021. signs with its own. Five years later, it repeated that pro- will not eliminate that, when compared to traditional Jet connecting mainly long-haul to long-haul. Consequent- The 777X program has seen sluggish demand, and even cess when it acquired Triton Energy’s FBO businesses, A, its CO2 output is reduced by as much as 85% over its ly, Emirates does not operate any narrowbody aircraft, Emirates has cut back its launch order. Instead, tech- located mainly in Texas and the Southeast, and then life cycle. And Avfuel, along with its many competitors, while sometimes deploying A380s on the short fl ight nological advances driving development of the Airbus again when it assimilated Texaco Aviation. Today, the is ready and eager to deliver. to Muscat, Oman, or similar destinations. Clark once A321XLR, capable of fl ying true long-haul routes, now Avfuel sign stands at more than 650 branded FBOs Meanwhile, as when he first entered the business called that “intelligent misuse of capacity.” favo r airlines with hubs nowhere near the size of Dubai. across North America and Europe. world, Sincock, who holds an Air Transport Pilot li- It’s important to note that Emirates did not invent Emirates already has begun to reinvent itself. It is Avfuel is not a refiner; rather, Sincock describes his cense, continues to fly to conduct face-to-face sessions the hub concept. FedEx introduced the idea fi rst in the driving integration with sister airline and narrowbody company as a critical distribution provider that delivers with clients, suppliers and to support industry cam- cargo industry, and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines later operator , as demanded by Dubai’s government, fuel to 5,500 customers including flight departments, paigns, only now the former collegiate flying clubber adopted it for its Amsterdam passenger hub . But Emir- ordered smaller widebodies and is slowly beginning to airports, passenger and cargo carriers, the military and does so most often in his global conglomerate’s Citation ates managed to break into an existing order of estab- reduce its A380 fl eet, creating a big opportunity to drive rotary-wing operators in addition to FBOs, 21 of which Citation XLS+ or Dassault Falcon 2000LXS. c lished —and often ineˆ cient—legacy airlines in Europe, higher yields. The challenge for the next Emirates leader- it owns. And it does so in 120 countries. In that daily far- the Asia-Pacifi c region and Africa. It showed success is ship will be to recalibrate the airline. Thanks to Clark and flung process, company personnel note customers’ pain William Garvey is Editor-in-Chief of Business & Commercial Aviation possible outside of the global alliances, which are now others, they can do so from a position of strength. c

12 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 1 SPACE > Space tourism dangers p. 16

about two months. In parallel, NASA said it will evaluate the data collected during Starliner’s abbreviated flight to determine if another uncrewed demon- STARLINER stration will be required prior to a flight test with astronauts. That assessment is expected to take several weeks. “NASA’s approach will be to deter- mine if NASA and Boeing received STUMBLE enough data to validate the system’s overall performance, including launch, on-orbit operations, guidance, naviga- tion and control, docking/undocking to > BOEING CREW FLIGHT TEST ON HOLD the space station, reentry and landing. Although data from the uncrewed test > SPACEX TO DEMO DRAGON INFLIGHT ABORT is important for certification, it may not be the only way that Boeing is able to demonstrate its system’s full capabili- Irene Klotz Cape Canaveral ties,” Bridenstine noted in a program NASA had hoped 2019 would be the year the

COMMERCIAL U.S. restored its capability to fly astronauts into CREW orbit aboard U.S. rockets. But both Boeing and COUNTDOWN SpaceX, the companies selected in 2014 to devel- op commercial space taxis in partnership with NASA, faltered, pushing crewed flight tests into 2020. The latest problem occurred with every way that we would have hoped, Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner, which re- but it is also true that we got a lot of turned from its December uncrewed really good information so we can keep orbital debut just two days after launch making meaningful progress,” NASA aboard a Atlas Administrator Jim Bridenstine told re- V, having never reached the Interna- porters after the landing. “That’s very tional Space Station (ISS). Rather good from my perspective.” than unpacking science experiments Even though the docking at the ISS and other equipment coming back did not occur, Boeing said it expects to from the station, Boeing and NASA glean 85-90% of the expected flight-test are unraveling a software glitch that data. In addition to the inflight oper- left Starliner’s mission elapsed timer ations and landing systems, the OFT 11 hr. ahead of the correct time. also demonstrated a new configuration That error cost Boeing the ISS and flight profile of the Atlas V, which is docking, though Starliner’s fruitless needed to certify the vehicle for human attempts to correct its orientation gave spaceflight. the propulsion system an unexpected- “We have a going design here,” says ly robust workout. Boeing salvaged Jim Chilton, senior vice president of as much of Starliner’s abbreviated Boeing’s space and launch division. Dec. 20-22 Orbital Flight Test (OFT) as “We didn’t do everything we wanted possible, extending and retracting the to do, but we don’t see anything wrong docking system, establishing commu- with this spaceship right now.” nications with the ISS and navigating Starliner’s Jan. 8 return to its pro- in orbit. cessing hangar at the Kennedy Space Most important, Starliner successful- Center in set the stage for a ly deorbited, reentered the atmosphere joint Boeing-NASA investigation into and made a pinpoint parachute landing the misconfigured mission elapsed on the ground—a first by a U.S. hu- timer and other potential software man-class capsule. Starliner returned issues. The probe is expected to take after 33 orbits with a 7:58 a.m. EST touchdown at the White Sands Missile Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner space- Range in New Mexico on the craft returned from an abbreviated once used by the space shuttle program. orbital flight test on Dec. 22 at White “This did not go according to plan in Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.

14 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST SPACE > Space tourism dangers p. 16 about two months. In parallel, NASA update posted on the agency’s website. The seats will be expensive—the last ful orbital flight test and ISS docking of said it will evaluate the data collected The clock is ticking. NASA’s current price was $82 million apiece—and lim- an unmanned Crew Dragon in March during Starliner’s abbreviated flight to contract for rides on Russian Soyuz ited. NASA had hoped either or both 2019, is preparing for a Jan. 18 demon- determine if another uncrewed demon- —the sole system to fly Boeing and SpaceX would be flying stration of Dragon’s inflight abort STARLINER stration will be required prior to a flight crews to the ISS since the space shut- astronauts by now. Instead, the agen- system. It had hoped to conduct the test with astronauts. That assessment tles’ retirement in 2011—expires with cy is training Russian cosmonauts to test last spring, but the capsule was is expected to take several weeks. the return of the Expedition 63 crew perform spacewalks in U.S. spacesuits destroyed during preparations for a “NASA’s approach will be to deter- in October. and operate the robot arm in case of ground-based static test firing. mine if NASA and Boeing received Before adjourning for the holidays, U.S. station staffing cuts. The ISS cur- The vexing and time-consuming STUMBLE enough data to validate the system’s Congress extended a waiver of the rently is staffed by four astronauts and challenges have not shaken NASA’s overall performance, including launch, Iran, North Korea, and Syria Nonpro- two cosmonauts. confidence in the Commercial Crew on-orbit operations, guidance, naviga- liferation Act (Inksna) which allows NASA awarded Boeing and SpaceX program, nor the public-private part- tion and control, docking/undocking to NASA to negotiate with Russia for ad- flight-test and service contracts in 2014 nering approach it intends to expand for > BOEING CREW FLIGHT TEST ON HOLD the space station, reentry and landing. ditional Soyuz seats. President Donald in hopes of restarting human space- the Artemis lunar exploration initiative. Although data from the uncrewed test Trump on Dec. 20 signed ominibus flights from the U.S. by December 2017. “We will launch American astro- > SPACEX TO DEMO DRAGON INFLIGHT ABORT is important for certification, it may not appropriations bills that included the Now it is looking at ways to mitigate nauts on American rockets from be the only way that Boeing is able to Inksna exemption, which was set to an increasingly likely gap or cutback American soil in the very near future,” demonstrate its system’s full capabili- expire at the end of 2020. The waiver in U.S. station staffing. Bridenstine said. “That is an objective c Irene Klotz Cape Canaveral ties,” Bridenstine noted in a program now extends to Dec. 31, 2025. SpaceX, which conducted a success- we intend to meet.” NASA had hoped 2019 would be the year the

COMMERCIAL U.S. restored its capability to fly astronauts into CREW orbit aboard U.S. rockets. But both Boeing and COUNTDOWN SpaceX, the companies selected in 2014 to devel- op commercial space taxis in partnership with NASA, faltered, pushing crewed flight tests into 2020. The latest problem occurred with every way that we would have hoped, Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner, which re- but it is also true that we got a lot of turned from its December uncrewed really good information so we can keep orbital debut just two days after launch making meaningful progress,” NASA aboard a United Launch Alliance Atlas Administrator Jim Bridenstine told re- V, having never reached the Interna- porters after the landing. “That’s very tional Space Station (ISS). Rather good from my perspective.” than unpacking science experiments Even though the docking at the ISS and other equipment coming back did not occur, Boeing said it expects to from the station, Boeing and NASA glean 85-90% of the expected flight-test are unraveling a software glitch that data. In addition to the inflight oper- left Starliner’s mission elapsed timer ations and landing systems, the OFT 11 hr. ahead of the correct time. also demonstrated a new configuration That error cost Boeing the ISS and flight profile of the Atlas V, which is docking, though Starliner’s fruitless needed to certify the vehicle for human attempts to correct its orientation gave spaceflight. the propulsion system an unexpected- “We have a going design here,” says ly robust workout. Boeing salvaged Jim Chilton, senior vice president of as much of Starliner’s abbreviated Boeing’s space and launch division. Dec. 20-22 Orbital Flight Test (OFT) as “We didn’t do everything we wanted possible, extending and retracting the to do, but we don’t see anything wrong docking system, establishing commu- with this spaceship right now.” nications with the ISS and navigating Starliner’s Jan. 8 return to its pro- in orbit. cessing hangar at the Kennedy Space Most important, Starliner successful- Center in Florida set the stage for a ly deorbited, reentered the atmosphere joint Boeing-NASA investigation into and made a pinpoint parachute landing the misconfigured mission elapsed on the ground—a first by a U.S. hu- timer and other potential software man-class capsule. Starliner returned issues. The probe is expected to take after 33 orbits with a 7:58 a.m. EST touchdown at the White Sands Missile Boeing’s CST-100 Starliner space- Range in New Mexico on the runway craft returned from an abbreviated once used by the space shuttle program. orbital flight test on Dec. 22 at White “This did not go according to plan in Sands Missile Range in New Mexico. BILL INGALLS/NASA

14 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 15 SPACE

What Happens to Space Tourism and early 1960s flying the same mis- sion (one fatal crash over 199 flights), if There Is a Fatal Accident? then the probability of Virgin Galactic crashing once over its next 131 com- > VIRGIN GALACTIC’S OPERATIONAL DEBUT SPARKS ACCIDENT ANALYSES mercial flights over the next two years is [about] 48%,” the Vertical team says. > CUSTOMER DEMAND LIKELY TO EXCEED FEAR By the end of 2020, the company will have completed 16 of the 131 flights. Michael Bruno Washington Keeping with a 0.5% per flight likeli- hood, the probability of Virgin Galactic ext year is likely to herald the a testing phase, and investors want to crashing during 2021 would then drop dawn of routine space tourism, know about business prospects now as to around 44%. “We don’t estimate a Nwith Virgin Galactic anticipat- Virgin Galactic prepares for launching probability of it crashing in a subse- ing its first commercial launch in 2020. commercial service. In turn, financial quent flight (beyond 131), but we do as- One goal of billionaire-backed upstarts analysts are weighing in. sume a crash out there doesn’t result in such as Virgin, Blue Origin and others Opinions are divergent, with prac- a program pause or meaningful loss of is to make orbital experiences as com- tically all analysts acknowledging revenue subsequently,” they say. mon for paying passengers as flying on that a bad accident with a death toll Another way to look at the potential an airliner. has the potential to shut down Virgin effect of a fatal crash on a space tour- But as the Dec. 20 timer glitch that Galactic. “A major accident could slow ism business is whether customer de- mand would evaporate. Here, Genovesi examines space shuttle history for in- A NAA A C dications. “The shuttle program didn’t end 20,000 after its two catastrophes—and nei- ther did the X-15 program after its fatal crash, and neither did the Virgin 15,000 Galactic program after its fatal crash,” Challenger Columia says Genovesi’s report. Instead, after isaster isaster the Challenger disaster, NASA built another shuttle. 10,000 That was possible due to widespread public support for the space program. In fact, applications to become a NASA 5,000 astronaut rose after both fatal acci- dents (see graph). Analysts believe public support is 0 even more pervasive now. They cite a 2019 Pew Research study that found Source: NASA and Vertical Research Partners 58% of Americans polled think human astronauts are essential, while half kept Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft from or close the business, or cause demand think human space travel will become reaching its intended rendezvous with to decline significantly,” Credit Suisse routine in the next half-century. More the International Space Station proves, analyst Rob Spingarn and his team say. than 40% indicated interest in traveling even an unmanned space mission that But not everyone agrees that out- to space themselves. goes wrong can generate big headlines. come is likely. Vertical Research Part- Finally, the analysts point to extreme So, what happens to a business that ners analyst Darryl Genovesi and his mountain climbers, a niche group of provides space tourism if a tragic, fatal team look back on the NASA space usually highly ambitious and wealthy mishap occurs, especially in the begin- shuttle and NASA-Defense Depart- individuals. They note that around 5% ning of operations? Investors want to ment X-15 programs for guidance, as of the roughly 2,000 people who attempt know and, to a degree, publicly traded well as niche extreme-adventure mar- to climb mountains 8,000 m (26,000 ft.) and regulated companies such as Vir- ketplaces such as mountain climbing, high or more die every year trying. gin Galactic need to have a response which serve the same level of wealthy “Said differently, [about] 5% of the ready, because it is a key business risk. clientele that space tourism companies die-hards do literally die,” Genovesi Virgin Galactic has responded, say- seek initially. wrote. “Everyone who tries knows ing balancing risk with shareholder The Genovesi team believes the what he’s getting into and chooses to reward is part of the business and 1960s-era X-15 program, the world’s devote significant time and resourc- investors and customers are being first spaceplane, is the best comparison es to the adventure anyway. Virgin made aware of all the risks (AW&ST to Virgin Galactic’s situation. Galactic is counting on a similar com- Nov. 11-24, 2019, p. 47). Of course, Virgin “If we assume that the probabili- mitment from its customers wherein Galactic’s supplier Scaled Composites ty of a fatal crash is [about] 0.5% per there is some meaningful risk of [a] already had had a fatal crash in 2014 in commercial flight, which is what X-15 fatal accident even if they can’t exactly which one pilot died. But that was in actually realized during the late 1950s quantify it.” c

16 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST SPACE DEFENSE > Russia’s Avangard p. 18 European hypersonics p. 19 Japan’s next-gen fighter p. 20 NATO radar p. 50 NATO surveillance p. 52 Reaper maritime demos p. 53

What Happens to Space Tourism and early 1960s flying the same mis- sion (one fatal crash over 199 flights), Israel Enters Airborne from a ground-based surrogate for Shield. The AFRL had if There Is a Fatal Accident? then the probability of Virgin Galactic borrowed the Army’s 150-kW High-Energy Laser Weapon crashing once over its next 131 com- Laser Weapon Market System (HELWS) for the ground-based demonstration. > VIRGIN GALACTIC’S OPERATIONAL DEBUT SPARKS ACCIDENT ANALYSES mercial flights over the next two years The challenge for Shield is to miniaturize the compo - is [about] 48%,” the Vertical team says. > ISRAELI EFFORT APPEARS SIMILAR TO THE U.S. AIR nents for the HELWS so that they can be installed and op- > CUSTOMER DEMAND LIKELY TO EXCEED FEAR By the end of 2020, the company will FORCE RESEARCH LABORATORY SHIELD PROGRAM erate in the smaller and harsher environment of an aircraft. have completed 16 of the 131 flights. As HELWS served as a building block for Shield, Israel’s Michael Bruno Washington Keeping with a 0.5% per flight likeli- > AIRBORNE APPLICATION IMPLIES PROGRESS ON investments in ground-based high-energy lasers for air de- hood, the probability of Virgin Galactic GROUND-BASED LASERS fense likely served as a steppingstone to the Elbit demon- ext year is likely to herald the a testing phase, and investors want to crashing during 2021 would then drop strator. Rafael, Israel Aerospace Industries and Elbit have dawn of routine space tourism, know about business prospects now as to around 44%. “We don’t estimate a Steve Trimble Tel Aviv acknowledged interest in such programs for several years. Nwith Virgin Galactic anticipat- Virgin Galactic prepares for launching probability of it crashing in a subse- Rafael has been the most public. The Haifa-based, state- ing its first commercial launch in 2020. commercial service. In turn, financial quent flight (beyond 131), but we do as- srael has started development of a self-defense laser owned company unveiled the “Iron Beam” concept at the One goal of billionaire-backed upstarts analysts are weighing in. sume a crash out there doesn’t result in weapon system for aircraft, sources in the Israeli de - Singapore Airshow in 2014, presenting a system that could such as Virgin, Blue Origin and others Opinions are divergent, with prac- a program pause or meaningful loss of Ifense sector say. intercept rockets, unmanned aircraft systems and ballistic is to make orbital experiences as com- tically all analysts acknowledging revenue subsequently,” they say. The country’s defense ministry also plans to perform field missiles with lasers instead of the ’s rocket-pow- mon for paying passengers as flying on that a bad accident with a death toll Another way to look at the potential trials of a ground-based laser system in 2020 using technol- ered, hard-kill interceptors. an airliner. has the potential to shut down Virgin effect of a fatal crash on a space tour- ogy developed by Rafael and Elbit Systems, according to Although Israeli companies decline to provide updates on

But as the Dec. 20 timer glitch that Galactic. “A major accident could slow ism business is whether customer de- Israeli media reports. ISRAEL DEFENSE MINISTRY ground-based systems mand would evaporate. Here, Genovesi Elbit Systems, which to outsiders, there is examines space shuttle history for in- produces laser counter- evidence that such con- A NAA A C dications. measures, rangefinders cepts have advanced in “The shuttle program didn’t end and pointers, is devel- maturity over the last 20,000 after its two catastrophes—and nei- oping the airborne tech- five years. Israel’s lead- ther did the X-15 program after its nology demonstrator for ing financial newspa- fatal crash, and neither did the Virgin manned and unmanned per, Globes, reported in 15,000 Galactic program after its fatal crash,” aircraft under a de - 2018 that the Israel De- Challenger Columia says Genovesi’s report. Instead, after fense ministry contract, fense Forces launched isaster isaster the Challenger disaster, NASA built sources say. The aim of development of a laser another shuttle. the project is to provide interceptor system 10,000 That was possible due to widespread air superiority and air in 2016 and was then public support for the space program. defense, they say. “on the verge of being In fact, applications to become a NASA A self-defense la- ready” for operations. 5,000 astronaut rose after both fatal acci- ser system includes a An anonymous source dents (see graph). beam-tracking system quoted in the article Analysts believe public support is to illuminate the target said a system could be 0 even more pervasive now. They cite a and a high-power laser ready to enter service 2019 Pew Research study that found to intercept the incom- by 2021 or possibly ear- Source: NASA and Vertical Research Partners 58% of Americans polled think human ing missile with a blast lier, depending on fund- astronauts are essential, while half of thermal energy. A An image released by the Israeli military depicts a concept for ing levels. kept Boeing’s Starliner spacecraft from or close the business, or cause demand think human space travel will become podded system includes a laser interceptor pod for rockets mounted on the nose The Rafael-designed reaching its intended rendezvous with to decline significantly,” Credit Suisse routine in the next half-century. More separate subsystems for of a generic UAV design. Iron Dome now pro - the International Space Station proves, analyst Rob Spingarn and his team say. than 40% indicated interest in traveling power generation and tects Israel from rocket even an unmanned space mission that But not everyone agrees that out- to space themselves. thermal management within the pod. A more advanced sys- attacks, with a reported successful intercept rate of about goes wrong can generate big headlines. come is likely. Vertical Research Part- Finally, the analysts point to extreme tem integrated inside an aircraft would require a significant 85%. Although Iron Dome has been highly effective, Israel So, what happens to a business that ners analyst Darryl Genovesi and his mountain climbers, a niche group of internal capacity for onboard power generation and cooling. remains concerned about certain scenarios, such as a third provides space tourism if a tragic, fatal team look back on the NASA space usually highly ambitious and wealthy Self-defense lasers for aircraft tend to fall into a power Lebanon war. The second Lebanon war in 2006 spurred mishap occurs, especially in the begin- shuttle and NASA-Defense Depart- individuals. They note that around 5% class of 50-100 kW. Elbit Systems’ laser technology has development of the Iron Dome system, as the Iran-backed ning of operations? Investors want to ment X-15 programs for guidance, as of the roughly 2,000 people who attempt transitioned from highly inefficient flashlamp-pumped to Hezbollah group launched thousands of Qassam rockets into know and, to a degree, publicly traded well as niche extreme-adventure mar- to climb mountains 8,000 m (26,000 ft.) solid state, diode-pumped lasers. The change improves Northern Israel. and regulated companies such as Vir- ketplaces such as mountain climbing, high or more die every year trying. overall efficiency from about 1% to about 35%. But a di - In the years since, Israel and U.S. government officials gin Galactic need to have a response which serve the same level of wealthy “Said differently, [about] 5% of the ode-pump laser still requires a power-generation capacity have accused Iran of smuggling thousands of unguided and ready, because it is a key business risk. clientele that space tourism companies die-hards do literally die,” Genovesi of 150-300 kW to produce a 50-100-kW laser beam, with guided rockets to Hezbollah cells in Lebanon and Syria. A Virgin Galactic has responded, say- seek initially. wrote. “Everyone who tries knows about 100-200 kW of waste energy, or heat, that must be 2018 report by the Center for Strategic and International ing balancing risk with shareholder The Genovesi team believes the what he’s getting into and chooses to cooled or vented overboard. Studies estimated that Hezbollah then possessed a stockpile reward is part of the business and 1960s-era X-15 program, the world’s devote significant time and resourc- The outlines of the Israeli program appear similar to of 130,000 rockets. investors and customers are being first spaceplane, is the best comparison es to the adventure anyway. Virgin the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory’s (AFRL) Self-pro- Using the Israeli government’s touted 85% success rate made aware of all the risks (AW&ST to Virgin Galactic’s situation. Galactic is counting on a similar com- tect High-Energy Laser Demonstrator (Shield) program. for Iron Dome, Israel would have to stockpile at least 155,000 Nov. 11-24, 2019, p. 47). Of course, Virgin “If we assume that the probabili- mitment from its customers wherein In fiscal 2021, the Air Force plans to test in flight a Shield interceptors at a daunting estimated cost of $50,000 each. Galactic’s supplier Scaled Composites ty of a fatal crash is [about] 0.5% per there is some meaningful risk of [a] pod, which includes a Lockheed Martin laser, Northrop An interception system based on high-energy lasers, by con- already had had a fatal crash in 2014 in commercial flight, which is what X-15 fatal accident even if they can’t exactly Grumman beam tracker and Boeing pod system. Last May, trast, would be expensive to develop and field, but the cost which one pilot died. But that was in actually realized during the late 1950s quantify it.” c the AFRL demonstrated the ability to intercept missiles per interception would be almost negligible. c

16 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 17 DEFENSE

As Russia Fields Avangard, U.S. sonic Weapon is scheduled to arrive by 2023, followed by the Navy’s sea- Scrambles to Develop Counter launched Intermediate-Range Conven- tional Prompt Strike HGV a year later. > INTERCONTINENTAL AVANGARD DECLARED OPERATIONAL China, meanwhile, described the HGV-armed DF-17 missile displayed > U.S. SETS LATE-2020S GOAL TO FIELD GLIDE-PHASE DEFENSE during the National Day parade on Oct. 1 as an “operational” system, but Steve Trimble Washington it is not expected to be deployed until later this year. The dimensions of the s Russia fields an interconti- 2018, speech that identified the HGV DF-17 indicate a regional capability, nental-range missile with a nu- as one of several so-called “super weap- likely aimed at neutralizing U.S. and Aclear-armed Avangard hyper- ons” in development by Russia. allied bases in the Pacific at the begin- sonic glide vehicle (HGV), new details Leaked U.S. intelligence reports ning of any regional conflict. show the U.S. Agency obtained by CNBC cast doubt on Rus- The MDA has spent more than $160 (MDA) is focused in the near term on sia’s ability to mass-produce Avangard billion to develop the Ballistic Missile developing a capability to intercept HGVs, suggesting it is no more than Defense System since 2002, but U.S. shorter-range threats. a silver-bullet capability. But the op- officials acknowledge its sensors and interceptors have little inherent abil- ity to shoot down HGVs maneuvering within the atmosphere. So the agency plans to spend more than $600 million over the next five years to develop a counter-hypersonic

RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTRY capability. In the near-term, the agen- cy’s Hypersonic Defense Weapon Sys- tem (HDWS) program is evaluating adaptations of terminal-phase weap- ons, including the Lockheed Martin Valkyrie and the Raytheon SM-3 Hawk concepts. Two more glide-phase mis- siles—Lockheed’s DART and Boeing’s Hypervelocity Interceptor—also are being studied. Finally, the MDA is considering Raytheon’s proposal for a directed-energy intercept system. The five concept-refinement studies are due to be completed by May. In parallel, Aviation Week revealed A new era of maneuvering, hypersonic weapons began when Defense Minister in early December the MDA’s plans Sergei Shoigu (left) notified President Vladimir Putin on Dec. 27 that the first to perform a demonstration called the Regional Glide-Phase Weapon Avangard regiment was ready to stand on nuclear alert from southern Russia. System (RGPWS). An industry day Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu erational declaration by Shoigu also was held in Huntsville, Alabama, with informed President Vladimir Putin means Russia has taken the early lead the HDWS candidates and others, on Dec. 27 that UR-100N interconti- in a global race to field maneuvering, including Northrop Grumman, in at- nental ballistic missiles tipped with hypersonic weapons. tendance. The RGPWS is open to tra- nuclear warheads inside Avangard Unlike Russia, the U.S. and China ditional, kinetic interceptors, along HGVs are ready for combat duty appear to be focusing on shorter-range with options using directed-energy at the Dombarovsky launch site in HGVs with conventional, rather than or high-power , the MDA southern Russia. nuclear, warheads. By the end of 2020, says. A technology will be selected for The fielding of Avangard closes a the U.S. Air Force plans to conduct a risk-reduction phase, likely using ex- chapter in Russia’s decades-long pur- the first air launch of the Hypersonic isting test ranges and facilities. suit of an operational HGV, a weapon Conventional Strike Weapon (HCSW), The flight experiment results will designed to evade U.S. missile defens- which if successful may demonstrate be used as background for the MDA’s es by maneuvering below and around a limited operational capability with plans to field a follow-on operational the MDA’s space-based and terrestrial a prototype design. The HCSW could interceptor. “Depending upon con- tracking systems. Russia’s investment be followed into service by two more gressional support and funding, the evolved from the 1990s-era Project air-launched weapons, the AGM-183A RGPWS demonstration program will 4202 to a series of launch demonstra- Air-Launched Rapid Response Weap- inform system design for a future tions of the Yu-71 HGV starting from on and the Hypersonic Air-Breathing glide-phase weapon system to be the middle of the 2000s. Putin renamed Weapon Concept, by 2022. The Army’s fielded in the mid-to-late 2020s,” the the project Avangard in a March 1, ground-launched Long-Range Hyper- MDA says. c

18 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST DEFENSE

As Russia Fields Avangard, U.S. sonic Weapon is scheduled to arrive European States Plan speed, but also more energy in the final stages of an en- by 2023, followed by the Navy’s sea- gagement to maneuver against hypersonic gliders and other Scrambles to Develop Counter launched Intermediate-Range Conven- for Hypersonic Defense maneuverable reentry vehicles. tional Prompt Strike HGV a year later. “We know what kind of accuracy and range we need from > INTERCONTINENTAL AVANGARD DECLARED OPERATIONAL China, meanwhile, described the > TWISTER HAS BEEN GIVEN BACKING BY the sensing part,” says Stockhammer. “Now we will look at a HGV-armed DF-17 missile displayed AN EU PESCO INITIATIVE way to manage the unpredictability and look at engagement > U.S. SETS LATE-2020S GOAL TO FIELD GLIDE-PHASE DEFENSE during the National Day parade on planning. . . . This is where we are investing.” Oct. 1 as an “operational” system, but > MBDA IS INVESTING IN ENGAGEMENT PLANNING MBDA has also been looking at the command-and-control Steve Trimble Washington it is not expected to be deployed until FOR UNPREDICTABLE TARGETS mechanisms required for such a system and how it would later this year. The dimensions of the interface with existing and future sensors. s Russia fields an interconti- 2018, speech that identified the HGV DF-17 indicate a regional capability, Tony Osborne London Individual governments will ultimately decide how they nental-range missile with a nu- as one of several so-called “super weap- likely aimed at neutralizing U.S. and will equip with the future interceptor, but MBDA expects Aclear-armed Avangard hyper- ons” in development by Russia. allied bases in the Pacific at the begin- uropean countries have linked arms to develop a counter it to arm ships and a ground-based air defense system, sonic glide vehicle (HGV), new details Leaked U.S. intelligence reports ning of any regional conflict. to the emerging threat of hypersonic weapons and en- with the expectation the system may have to squeeze into show the U.S. Missile Defense Agency obtained by CNBC cast doubt on Rus- The MDA has spent more than $160 Ehance their ballistic missile defense (BMD) capabilities. existing launch boxes and vertical launch tubes on surface (MDA) is focused in the near term on sia’s ability to mass-produce Avangard billion to develop the Ballistic Missile The Timely Warning and Interception with Space-based ships. developing a capability to intercept HGVs, suggesting it is no more than Defense System since 2002, but U.S. TheatER surveillance (Twister) project, led by and Securing the nod from PESCO is a major step forward for shorter-range threats. a silver-bullet capability. But the op- officials acknowledge its sensors and supported by Finland, , the and Spain, is one the program. The next step will be for the five nations to be- interceptors have little inherent abil- of 13 new multinational programs that were given the back- gin hammering out a concept and a high-level requirement. ity to shoot down HGVs maneuvering ing of the EU’s Permanent Structured within the atmosphere. Cooperation (PESCO) initiative in So the agency plans to spend more November. It says it aims to develop than $600 million over the next five a European system that can “detect, years to develop a counter-hypersonic track and counter” more complex mis-

RUSSIAN DEFENSE MINISTRY capability. In the near-term, the agen- sile threats and give member nations cy’s Hypersonic Defense Weapon Sys- a “self-standing ability to contribute to tem (HDWS) program is evaluating NATO’s ballistic missile defense.” adaptations of terminal-phase weap- Currently, only a handful of Eu- ons, including the Lockheed Martin ropean nations can counter ballistic Valkyrie and the Raytheon SM-3 Hawk missiles, including European users concepts. Two more glide-phase mis- of the Raytheon Patriot (, siles—Lockheed’s DART and Boeing’s Greece, the Netherlands and Spain), Hypervelocity Interceptor—also are as well as France and Italy with the being studied. Finally, the MDA is Eurosam SAMP/T. But none of those considering Raytheon’s proposal for systems is ready to deal with the new a directed-energy intercept system. generation of threats emerging from MBDA The five concept-refinement studies Russia and China, including hypersonic gliders, hyperson- The complex nature of intercepting hypersonic weapons are due to be completed by May. ic and high-supersonic cruise missiles, and maneuverable may predicate air-breathing propulsion technologies to In parallel, Aviation Week revealed next-generation combat aircraft. provide additional range, speed and energy. A new era of maneuvering, hypersonic weapons began when Defense Minister in early December the MDA’s plans The U.S. has also begun examining technologies through Sergei Shoigu (left) notified President Vladimir Putin on Dec. 27 that the first to perform a demonstration called its Regional Glide-Phase Weapon System (RGPWS), dis- MBDA officials say they are working toward a timeline of the Regional Glide-Phase Weapon closed by Aviation Week in December, and the Hypersonic the 2030s to produce an operational system. Avangard regiment was ready to stand on nuclear alert from southern Russia. System (RGPWS). An industry day Defense Weapon System. By working through PESCO, the five nations are hoping Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu erational declaration by Shoigu also was held in Huntsville, Alabama, with “We have seen the hypersonic threat coming,” says Rainer this will enable them to secure development funding from informed President Vladimir Putin means Russia has taken the early lead the HDWS candidates and others, Stockhammer, team leader for Twister at European mis- the European Defense Fund (EDF), which is expected to on Dec. 27 that UR-100N interconti- in a global race to field maneuvering, including Northrop Grumman, in at- sile manufacturer MBDA. “Over the last five years we have provide €13 billion ($15 billion) to support collaborative de- nental ballistic missiles tipped with hypersonic weapons. tendance. The RGPWS is open to tra- performed studies into these new threats, which are new in fense projects in 2021-27. It is unclear how much a program nuclear warheads inside Avangard Unlike Russia, the U.S. and China ditional, kinetic interceptors, along terms of both novelty and maneuverability, and now we are such as Twister could receive from the fund. HGVs are ready for combat duty appear to be focusing on shorter-range with options using directed-energy in a position to answer this PESCO call.” Money will also be provided by national governments in- at the Dombarovsky launch site in HGVs with conventional, rather than or high-power microwaves, the MDA MBDA is now positioning itself for a role in developing the volved in the Twister program. southern Russia. nuclear, warheads. By the end of 2020, says. A technology will be selected for endoatmospheric interceptor that could be the backbone of Although MBDA lobbied in France for European nations The fielding of Avangard closes a the U.S. Air Force plans to conduct a risk-reduction phase, likely using ex- the wider Twister system in the 2030s, describing the future to pursue an evolution of European BMD capabilities, chapter in Russia’s decades-long pur- the first air launch of the Hypersonic isting test ranges and facilities. system as “disruptive” and “technologically demanding.” prompting Paris to take a lead in what became Twister, the suit of an operational HGV, a weapon Conventional Strike Weapon (HCSW), The flight experiment results will The company will not discuss what architecture it is company is unlikely to be the only player in the program. designed to evade U.S. missile defens- which if successful may demonstrate be used as background for the MDA’s studying for the future interceptor, but Stockhammer The interceptor will be just one component of Twister. es by maneuvering below and around a limited operational capability with plans to field a follow-on operational says MBDA’s experience with the Aster family of vertically The PESCO initiative also calls for space-based early warn- the MDA’s space-based and terrestrial a prototype design. The HCSW could interceptor. “Depending upon con- launched surface-to-air missiles and the Meteor air-breath- ing, but no details have emerged about the European in- tracking systems. Russia’s investment be followed into service by two more gressional support and funding, the ing, beyond-visual-range air-to-air missile has given it a dustry approach to this yet. PESCO and EDF rules call for evolved from the 1990s-era Project air-launched weapons, the AGM-183A RGPWS demonstration program will “good position . . . to be able to develop a solution.” cooperation between industry, particularly small and me- 4202 to a series of launch demonstra- Air-Launched Rapid Response Weap- inform system design for a future The company’s artist’s impression depicts a missile clear- dium-size enterprises, as well as between member states. tions of the Yu-71 HGV starting from on and the Hypersonic Air-Breathing glide-phase weapon system to be ly equipped with air intakes, which would suggest the use “We would need to build an industry consortium that is the middle of the 2000s. Putin renamed Weapon Concept, by 2022. The Army’s fielded in the mid-to-late 2020s,” the of a ramjet like on the Meteor. clear, but it is too early to talk about how this might look,” the project Avangard in a March 1, ground-launched Long-Range Hyper- MDA says. c Use of a ramjet would provide not only more range and notes Stockhammer. c

18 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 19 DEFENSE

Japan Sets Fiscal 2021 Target for Partner To Join NGF

> FULL-SCALE DEVELOPMENT COULD BEGIN AS EARLY AS FISCAL 2023 > MINISTRY PUBLISHES RADICALLY CHANGED LAMBDA-WING CONCEPT

Bradley Perrett Beijing

hings are moving with Japan’s plan to develop a fighter for Tthe 2030s: Seven days after the government for the fi rst time allocated fi scal 2035—that is, after as long as 13 The latest o cial depiction specifi c funding for the program, the years. The exact timetable will not be of the NGF reveals major changes. defense ministry set a target to begin determined until the end of fi scal 2020. working with a foreign partner in the This statement and timeline were fi scal year beginning in April 2021. part of a program evaluation review, a replace the MHI F-2 strike fi ghter, 94 AA D M The ministry also published a new standard ministry document prepared units of which were built in 2000-11. F-2 design for the fighter, suggesting an to explain a program before it begins. retirements are likely to begin around even greater emphasis on range and The ministry published it on Dec. 24, 2035, the ministry says. payload . The design, not confi rmed as a week after the cabinet agreed to put Japan will use a U.S. data link for preferred, appeared as the ministry de- ¥11.1 billion in the fi scal 2020 budget the NGF, the Mainichi newspaper re- tailed total funding of ¥28 billion ($260 specifically for the NGF, as distinct ported on Dec. 15. This will presum- million) for the fi ghter and related tech- from its preparatory technology pro- ably be the omnidirectional or nologies in fi scal 2020. grams. As the budget was allocated, a successor, unless the U.S. is willing A program name change from the Kono confi rmed Japan was talking to to share the Multifunction Advanced Future Fighter to the Next-Generation possible British or U.S. partners. Data Link (MADL) directional system Fighter (NGF), mentioned by Defense Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) in the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning. Minister Kono Taro on Dec. 17, is con- is the likely Japanese prime contractor, Directional data links are much less fi rmed in the ministry’s Japanese-lan- though it and other Japanese compa- susceptible to detection and jamming. guage budget report for fi scal 2020. nies could jointly take on the role as A Japanese directional data link Meanwhile, a U.S. think has a consortium. IHI Corp. is the only is part of a networking system the urged Japan to choose an adaptation of Japanese company capable of provid- defense ministry’s Acquisition, Tech- the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor with ing propulsion for the big, twin-engine nology and Logistics Agency has been avionics from the F-35 Lightning and fi ghter. The specifi c NGF funding may working on for the NGF. Called Inte- a larger wing. Japan’s alternatives in- be intended to pay for industry to start grated for Fighters, it is clude developing an entirely indigenous the concept design work; this will clear- intended to support cooperative en- design with help from BAE Systems, ly be more intensive than the concept gagement, cooperative passive location Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin work the ministry has undertaken of targets and cooperative building of a or Boeing, the latter an undeclared but over the past decade. The Eurofi ghter situation picture. presumed candidate. Japan could also Typhoon project went through such a In fi scal 2013, ministry concept de- participate in the British Tempest pro- concept-tightening stage in 1986-87, fol- signs began to emphasize range and gram with BAE, picking and choosing lowing a decade of looser studies. endurance over maneuverability and from available design elements. In its program evaluation review, speed to keep more fighters on sta- Full-scale development of the NGF the ministry says it will develop suc- tion. A large internal load of long-range could evidently begin as early as fi scal cessive versions of the NGF. Electronic air-to-air missiles was part of the for- 2023, since the ministry plans three systems will use open architecture for mula, too. The latest published design years to nail down what it wants to easy upgrades. And “model-based de- suggests an even greater emphasis on create. “From fi scal 2020 to 2022, the sign” will expand opportunities for val- range and endurance. Although the concept of the Next-Generation Fight- idation by analysis rather than testing. ministry did not indicate this as a pre- er will be examined,” the ministry says. The report quotes an anonymous ferred design, previous o¥ cial draw- “By end of fi scal 2020, the contents of expert reviewer saying that develop- ings have accurately refl ected progress international cooperation will be clari- ment will cost several trillion yen . Since in refi ning an ideal confi guration. fi ed, and the overall plan of the develop- a production run of about 100 aircraft The new NGF design di¦ ers mark- ment project will be formulated.” is apparently planned, such spending edly in planform from the previous one, The “contents” will presumably works out at hundreds of millions of 26DMU, prepared in fi scal 2014. The include the foreign partner’s identity dollars per aircraft—just on develop- 2019 artwork shows a fi ghter reminis- and role, factors that must infl uence ment. Another reviewer emphasized cent of concepts for the Tempest and the schedule. A somewhat ambiguous that Japan must decide whether the Franco-German Future Combat Air timeline published “for reference” (and NGF will be available for export and System . Whereas 26DMU had four tail therefore subject to change) showed therefore produced in larger numbers. surfaces, somewhat slanted, the new development finishing at the end of The twin-engine NGF is intended to NGF drawing shows only two; they are

AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST DEFENSE

Japan Sets Fiscal 2021 Target mounted at perhaps 45 deg. to the ver- work, the budget includes ¥7.6 billion upgrades partly addresses an obvious tical. Eliminating two tail surfaces and for fi ghter mission system integration, objection to using systems from that for Partner To Join NGF especially their edges should reduce reduced from the ¥17.7 billion the min- type: They were conceived for service radar signature. The DMU23 concept istry asked for, and just ¥100 million entry in 2008, fully 27 years before > FULL-SCALE DEVELOPMENT COULD BEGIN AS EARLY AS FISCAL 2023 of fi scal 2011 had such an arrangement; for work on a drone that would accom- Japan’s target. later designs did not, perhaps because pany the NGF, down from ¥1.9 billion The institute’s arguments are like- > MINISTRY PUBLISHES RADICALLY CHANGED LAMBDA-WING CONCEPT of fl ight-control challenges. requested. This leaves ¥9.2 billion of ly to appeal to the Japanese fi nance The mainplane also is dramatically unidentifi ed NGF work in fi scal 2020. ministry but not at all to the aero- Bradley Perrett Beijing different from 26DMU’s, with seem- The recommendation for a fi ghter us- space industry, which would have ingly higher aspect ratio (slimness). It ing F-22 and F-35 elements comes from a larger program if it began from hings are moving with Japan’s has a lambda form: The leading edge the U.S.-based Mitchell Institute. With scratch. In the 1980s, Japan aimed at plan to develop a fighter for is unkinked, as before, but the trail- this choice, Japan could fi eld a stealthy developing an all-new fi ghter. It end- Tthe 2030s: Seven days after the ing edges are swept forward inboard long-range fi ghter with advanced sen- ed up working with Lockheed Martin government for the fi rst time allocated fi scal 2035—that is, after as long as 13 The latest o cial depiction and aft outboard. The same choice sor and information-handling systems to create the F-2, an enlarged deriva- specifi c funding for the program, the years. The exact timetable will not be of the NGF reveals major changes. has appeared in Tempest and FCAS while avoiding the cost and risk of de- tive of the F-16. defense ministry set a target to begin determined until the end of fi scal 2020. concepts, the unsuccessful McDonnell veloping an all-new type, according to The Tempest o• er would also limit working with a foreign partner in the This statement and timeline were Douglas submission for the Joint Strike a report from the think tank attached both costs and indigenous engineering fi scal year beginning in April 2021. part of a program evaluation review, a replace the MHI F-2 strike fi ghter, 94 AA D M Fighter program in the 1990s and the to the Air Force Association. opportunities. The ministry also published a new standard ministry document prepared units of which were built in 2000-11. F-2 McDonnell F-101 Voodoo of the 1950s. design for the fighter, suggesting an to explain a program before it begins. retirements are likely to begin around Stealth would be improved if the out- even greater emphasis on range and The ministry published it on Dec. 24, 2035, the ministry says. board trailing edges were parallel with payload . The design, not confi rmed as a week after the cabinet agreed to put Japan will use a U.S. data link for the leading edges. Instead the outboard preferred, appeared as the ministry de- ¥11.1 billion in the fi scal 2020 budget the NGF, the Mainichi newspaper re- sections of the wing are tapered, as jet tailed total funding of ¥28 billion ($260 specifically for the NGF, as distinct ported on Dec. 15. This will presum- wings usually are, for lightness. The in- million) for the fi ghter and related tech- from its preparatory technology pro- ably be the omnidirectional Link 16 or board trailing edges meet the nologies in fi scal 2020. grams. As the budget was allocated, a successor, unless the U.S. is willing at about the same point as the leading BAD A A program name change from the Kono confi rmed Japan was talking to to share the Multifunction Advanced edges of the tail surfaces, as in a FCAS Future Fighter to the Next-Generation possible British or U.S. partners. Data Link (MADL) directional system concept published by Dassault. In the Fighter (NGF), mentioned by Defense Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) in the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning. Tempest concept the UK has revealed, Minister Kono Taro on Dec. 17, is con- is the likely Japanese prime contractor, Directional data links are much less the mainplane, with a much lower as- fi rmed in the ministry’s Japanese-lan- though it and other Japanese compa- susceptible to detection and jamming. pect ratio than that of the Japanese guage budget report for fi scal 2020. nies could jointly take on the role as A Japanese directional data link design, is extended as far back as the Meanwhile, a U.S. think tank has a consortium. IHI Corp. is the only is part of a networking system the trailing edges of the tail surfaces. urged Japan to choose an adaptation of Japanese company capable of provid- defense ministry’s Acquisition, Tech- The Japanese defense ministry has the Lockheed Martin F-22 Raptor with ing propulsion for the big, twin-engine nology and Logistics Agency has been previously associated high endurance avionics from the F-35 Lightning and fi ghter. The specifi c NGF funding may working on for the NGF. Called Inte- and weapon load with a lambda wing, a larger wing. Japan’s alternatives in- be intended to pay for industry to start grated Fire Control for Fighters, it is though past designs it has shown had BAE Systems Tempest (top) clude developing an entirely indigenous the concept design work; this will clear- intended to support cooperative en- longer outboard sections, perhaps and Dassault FCAS (bottom) design with help from BAE Systems, ly be more intensive than the concept gagement, cooperative passive location higher aspect ratio and four tail surfac- designs feature variations of Northrop Grumman, Lockheed Martin work the ministry has undertaken of targets and cooperative building of a es. A high aspect ratio improves range DAA the lambda wing. or Boeing, the latter an undeclared but over the past decade. The Eurofi ghter situation picture. and endurance at subsonic speeds, presumed candidate. Japan could also Typhoon project went through such a In fi scal 2013, ministry concept de- although fighter drag is also heavily participate in the British Tempest pro- concept-tightening stage in 1986-87, fol- signs began to emphasize range and infl uenced by fuselage shape. A higher gram with BAE, picking and choosing lowing a decade of looser studies. endurance over maneuverability and aspect ratio may also permit greater The proposal is in line with what The report’s authors cite the FB-22, from available design elements. In its program evaluation review, speed to keep more fighters on sta- takeo• and landing weights and hense Japanese media have said Lockheed a strike-bomber F-22 derivative Full-scale development of the NGF the ministry says it will develop suc- tion. A large internal load of long-range larger fuel and weapon loads. Martin has proposed. Lockheed Martin Lockheed Martin designed around could evidently begin as early as fi scal cessive versions of the NGF. Electronic air-to-air missiles was part of the for- The 26DMU’s wing had an unkinked said in 2018 it was o• ering a fi fth-gen- 2002, as an example of what could 2023, since the ministry plans three systems will use open architecture for mula, too. The latest published design trailing edge, swept forward, and ap- eration derivative for Japan, wording be done with the F-22 for years to nail down what it wants to easy upgrades. And “model-based de- suggests an even greater emphasis on parently a lower aspect ratio than in that could only mean something based Japan, they write. As with the FB-22, create. “From fi scal 2020 to 2022, the sign” will expand opportunities for val- range and endurance. Although the the preceding design, 25DMU of fi scal on the F-22, the F-35 or both. a large wing could be used, eliminat- concept of the Next-Generation Fight- idation by analysis rather than testing. ministry did not indicate this as a pre- 2013. In 25DMU, the trailing edge was Industry o¥ cials outside of Lockheed ing tail planes, accommodating much er will be examined,” the ministry says. The report quotes an anonymous ferred design, previous o¥ cial draw- unkinked and swept backward. Martin are casually calling the merged more fuel and perhaps reducing the “By end of fi scal 2020, the contents of expert reviewer saying that develop- ings have accurately refl ected progress These concepts have been extraordi- design the F-57, because 22 + 35 = 57. radar signature. The fuselage could international cooperation will be clari- ment will cost several trillion yen . Since in refi ning an ideal confi guration. narily large, bigger than the Lockheed Among the cost and risk advantages, be modifi ed to accept more than the fi ed, and the overall plan of the develop- a production run of about 100 aircraft The new NGF design di¦ ers mark- Martin F-22 Raptor—suggesting that F-22 manufacturing equipment could F-22’s six medium-range air-to-air ment project will be formulated.” is apparently planned, such spending edly in planform from the previous one, Godzilla may be a better project name be used, say the report’s authors, David missiles; anti-ship missiles could also The “contents” will presumably works out at hundreds of millions of 26DMU, prepared in fi scal 2014. The than Next Generation Fighter. IHI Deptula, Douglas Birkey and Heather be accommodated internally. include the foreign partner’s identity dollars per aircraft—just on develop- 2019 artwork shows a fi ghter reminis- Corp. and the ministry have developed Penney, noting too that the F-35’s avi- The authors said a big-wing fifth- and role, factors that must infl uence ment. Another reviewer emphasized cent of concepts for the Tempest and an engine of at least 33,000 lb. thrust, onics have already been developed generation fighter could double the the schedule. A somewhat ambiguous that Japan must decide whether the Franco-German Future Combat Air the XF9-1, for the fi ghter. and are in high volume production. F-22’s combat radius of 400-600 nm timeline published “for reference” (and NGF will be available for export and System . Whereas 26DMU had four tail The total of ¥28 billion for the NGF Moreover, Japan could rely on system (700-1,100 km). That is “just under therefore subject to change) showed therefore produced in larger numbers. surfaces, somewhat slanted, the new in fiscal 2020 is not fully explained. upgrades for the huge global fleet of the distance from the Chinese coast to development finishing at the end of The twin-engine NGF is intended to NGF drawing shows only two; they are Apart from the ¥11.1 billion for concept F-35s. The potential for following F-35 Japan,” they noted. c

AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 1 COMMERCIAL AVIATION > FAA Data Comm p. 24 A380 program p. 25 BOEING CEO Shuffle > INDUSTRY WONDERS WHO WILL FOLLOW CALHOUN AS BOEING CEO > NEW LEADER FACES GROWING LIST OF BIG TASKS

Michael Bruno Washington

avid Calhoun, the incoming cover, including open-ended 737 pro- CEO of Boeing, takes the helm duction halts at Boeing and aerostruc- DJan. 13, but the question al- tures provider Spirit AeroSystems that ready on the minds of many industry started this month, as well as charges movers and shakers is: Who will be on Boeing’s earnings due to airline cus- the next chief executive of the world’s tomer compensation and other MAX largest publicly traded aerospace and costs. However, several Wall Street ana- defense company? lysts and investors may also be listening Calhoun, 62, will take over the cor- for clues to Calhoun’s longevity as the David Calhoun, Boeing CEO ner office in Chicago after he informed new top executive—in addition to any former President and CEO Dennis other management or board changes. outside Boeing and in the financial com- Muilenburg that the Boeing board of Several sources tell Aviation Week munity—all speaking on the condition directors had lost confidence in its they believe Calhoun is a relative of anonymity—there is a cadre of aero- one-time leader. Muilenburg, who was short-timer, perhaps in office for a cou- space and defense veterans who are stripped of his role as chairman of the ple of years at most while Boeing tries seemingly capable of taking over Boe- board in October, resigned as CEO and to get back to normal on the MAX— ing. However, none of them are perfect: For instance, some potential candidates BOEING CEOs Average Tenure of 6.6 Years lack diversified commercial and defense backgrounds, while others do not have Start of End of as much manufacturing or engineering CEO Name Years as CEO Tenure Tenure experience. But if Boeing is looking for a younger, Calhoun-like leader—i.e., 1986 1996 10 someone experienced and familiar to Philip Condit 1996 2003 7 industry, regulators and customers, but who comes from outside Boeing—these 2003 2005 2 executives fit the short list. James McNerney 2005 2015 10 Part of the challenge for Boeing in finding a leader after Calhoun will be Dennis Muilenburg 2015 2019 4 that there was no succession process Average 6.6 in place as of Muilenburg’s departure. Sources: Jefferies and Boeing Data Muilenburg, born in 1964, became CEO in July 2015 and was seen before president on Dec. 23, 2019. The reason which now may not happen until 2022, the MAX crisis as having many more in one word: MAX. if a monthly production rate of 57 or years in office. Among the last five -Boe Calhoun has been on Boeing’s board more new 737s is a benchmark. ing CEOs dating to 1986, the average for a decade and served as lead indepen- Regardless, Boeing will need a new, length of tenure in office was 6.6 years. dent director starting in May 2018—fill- younger CEO to achieve a company A couple of them held the office for as ing that role until he became nonexec- turnaround, especially when it comes long as a decade. utive chairman when Muilenburg lost to reestablishing an engineering-led Industry sources tell Aviation Week that title. In assuming the chairman- culture that many observers lament has that former Boeing Commercial Air- ship, Calhoun initially expressed confi- faded. The company has a mandatory craft head Kevin McAlister was the dence in Muilenburg. But that changed retirement trigger when executives hit leading candidate internally for succes- by mid-December when Muilenburg 65 years old. Boeing also faces a major sion, but when he was let go last year in was called before FAA Administrator decision in the next five years on its the wake of the MAX crisis that option Stephen Dickson and told that the reg- next-generation narrowbody family. closed. Boeing may still promote from ulator would determine the Boeing 737 The engine technology for a 737 re- within, but for now outside observers MAX’s return-to-service timeline on its placement may not be mature enough do not see an obvious candidate. own, not to mention that Boeing could yet, and it would be good to have a new In the meantime, Calhoun strikes do a better job of supporting it. long-term CEO in place to lead that many industry observers as a good Calhoun is expected to say more on program launch instead of a caretaker. replacement for Muilenburg on an Jan. 29 when Boeing hosts its telecon- Industry insiders are already nam- immediate basis. “I have confidence ference about 2019’s fourth-quarter ing names (see list on facing page). in , I’ve known Dave for financial results. There will be a lot to According to several senior executives a long time,” Delta Air Lines CEO Ed

22 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST COMMERCIAL AVIATION > FAA Data Comm p. 24 A380 program p. 25 BOEING

Bastian says. “I think he’s the right man that it would recommend MAX pilots Midterm tasks likely to face Calhoun CEO Shuffle for the job,” go through simulator training before include closing the acquisition of 80% “We viewed Calhoun as the one log- they return to duty once the model is of Embraer’s commercial aircraft divi- ical choice to succeed Dennis Muilen- cleared to fly. The decision came three sion. While numerous industry insiders > INDUSTRY WONDERS WHO WILL FOLLOW CALHOUN AS BOEING CEO burg after fallout from the 737 MAX, weeks after a round of simulator trials now quietly question whether Boeing based on past exposure to his manage- by pilots from several MAX operators. ever should have done the deal, most > NEW LEADER FACES GROWING LIST OF BIG TASKS ment skills and his strong knowledge of The sessions presented crews with who talk with Aviation Week say they Boeing,” Sanford C. Bernstein analysts emergency scenarios that called for believe Calhoun will close on it, in part Michael Bruno Washington Doug Harned, Caius Slater and George following checklists. In some cases, because he approved it as a leading Zhao write in a recent research note. the procedures were not followed cor- director. avid Calhoun, the incoming cover, including open-ended 737 pro- Jefferies analysts Sheila Kahyaog- rectly, a source with knowledge of the Opinions also differ—as they have CEO of Boeing, takes the helm duction halts at Boeing and aerostruc- lu and Greg Konrad agree: “The man- tests confirmed. While no crew failed to all along—on whether Boeing should DJan. 13, but the question al- tures provider Spirit AeroSystems that agement change was necessary to pursue the new midmarket airplane ready on the minds of many industry started this month, as well as charges strengthen credibility with regulators (NMA) or jump right to a 737 succes- movers and shakers is: Who will be on Boeing’s earnings due to airline cus- and customers.” Calhoun is a General Potential Boeing sor, referred to as the future small air- the next chief executive of the world’s tomer compensation and other MAX Electric veteran, counting 26 years at craft (FSA). Some insiders maintain largest publicly traded aerospace and costs. However, several Wall Street ana- the multi-industrial giant, including CEO Shortlist that Boeing needs another “moonshot” defense company? lysts and investors may also be listening time as vice chairman, president and project, and the NMA is a waste of time Calhoun, 62, will take over the cor- for clues to Calhoun’s longevity as the David Calhoun, Boeing CEO CEO of GE Infrastructure. He had David Joyce and money. “NMA does not matter ner office in Chicago after he informed new top executive—in addition to any stints in the same positions at GE GE Aviation CEO and GE vice chair right now; the next program has to be former President and CEO Dennis other management or board changes. outside Boeing and in the financial com- Aircraft Engines (2000-03) and GE Scott Donnelly the FSA,” says an outside executive. Muilenburg that the Boeing board of Several sources tell Aviation Week munity—all speaking on the condition Transportation (2003-05), which in- Boeing should start talking in 2021 Textron Chairman, CEO and president directors had lost confidence in its they believe Calhoun is a relative of anonymity—there is a cadre of aero- cluded air and rail markets. Following about FSA as the MAX replacement, one-time leader. Muilenburg, who was short-timer, perhaps in office for a cou- space and defense veterans who are GE, Calhoun became CEO of Nielsen Kelly Ortberg the executive adds. stripped of his role as chairman of the ple of years at most while Boeing tries seemingly capable of taking over Boe- and is largely credited with turning Collins Aerospace CEO Others believe Boeing cannot afford board in October, resigned as CEO and to get back to normal on the MAX— ing. However, none of them are perfect: the company around, the Jefferies to cede the midmarket airline sector to For instance, some potential candidates analysts add. Bill Brown Airbus dominance, but with Embraer BOEING CEOs Average Tenure of 6.6 Years lack diversified commercial and defense Indeed, Calhoun has been on a L3Harris Technologies chairman, engineering skills on board, Boeing backgrounds, while others do not have short list of outsiders to lead Boeing CEO and president will be able to meet current mid-2020s Start of End of as much manufacturing or engineering as far back as Harry Stonecipher’s de- plans for delivering the NMA. CEO Name Years as CEO Wes Bush Tenure Tenure experience. But if Boeing is looking for mise and has been seen as interested Whether it is the NMA, FSA or both, a younger, Calhoun-like leader—i.e., (AW&ST March 14, 2005, p. 22). former Northrop Grumman observers increasingly foresee a need Frank Shrontz 1986 1996 10 someone experienced and familiar to Cowen analysts Cai von Rumohr, Chairman and CEO for greater research and development Philip Condit 1996 2003 7 industry, regulators and customers, but Jeff Molinari and Dan Flick understand Tom Gentile spending at Boeing—something Cal- who comes from outside Boeing—these why critics contend that since Calhoun Spirit AeroSystems CEO and president houn and any successor will have to Harry Stonecipher 2003 2005 2 executives fit the short list. was lead independent director during explain in light of years that seemingly James McNerney 2005 2015 10 Part of the challenge for Boeing in all of the MAX crisis, he may not be favored returns to shareholders amid finding a leader after Calhoun will be the optimal choice for CEO. “Howev- cost-cutting efforts. Dennis Muilenburg 2015 2019 4 that there was no succession process er, he knows Boeing’s customers and recover the airplane, the inconsistent “We believe one of the more signif- Average 6.6 in place as of Muilenburg’s departure. suppliers well from six years at GE checklist performances have prompted icant ramifications of the MAX trag- Sources: Jefferies and Boeing Data Muilenburg, born in 1964, became Aviation and time on Boeing’s board, concern at Boeing and helped provide edy could be a material reinvestment CEO in July 2015 and was seen before has a strong record in turnarounds of the impetus for the recommendation. by Boeing in its commercial product president on Dec. 23, 2019. The reason which now may not happen until 2022, the MAX crisis as having many more Caterpillar and Nielsen, and has far Yet bringing people into the loop ap- portfolio,” says Canaccord Genuity an- in one word: MAX. if a monthly production rate of 57 or years in office. Among the last five -Boe greater knowledge of the complexities pears to be just one major immediate alyst Ken Herbert. “We estimate that Calhoun has been on Boeing’s board more new 737s is a benchmark. ing CEOs dating to 1986, the average of Boeing’s issues than an outsider task for Calhoun as he takes office. The Boeing has invested [about] $35 billion for a decade and served as lead indepen- Regardless, Boeing will need a new, length of tenure in office was 6.6 years. would,” they write. Bernstein team sees seven priorities in R&D since 2010. While it now ap- dent director starting in May 2018—fill- younger CEO to achieve a company A couple of them held the office for as “Furthermore, as lead director and facing him on Day One. In order of im- pears that Boeing will end up spending ing that role until he became nonexec- turnaround, especially when it comes long as a decade. more recently as board chairman, he portance: 1) stabilize the management [about] $20 billion on the 737 MAX, we utive chairman when Muilenburg lost to reestablishing an engineering-led Industry sources tell Aviation Week has worked closely with [Chief Finan- team, 2) ensure safe return of the MAX believe R&D will increase to potential- that title. In assuming the chairman- culture that many observers lament has that former Boeing Commercial Air- cial Officer] and interim CEO Greg in conjunction with key constituencies, ly [around] $45 billion in the 2020-30 ship, Calhoun initially expressed confi- faded. The company has a mandatory craft head Kevin McAlister was the Smith,” the Cowen team continues. 3) reestablish performance objectives, period, depending on the timing of the dence in Muilenburg. But that changed retirement trigger when executives hit leading candidate internally for succes- “In addition, his initial move to call the 4) address next airplane strategy, 5) potential NMA or FSA aircraft. by mid-December when Muilenburg 65 years old. Boeing also faces a major sion, but when he was let go last year in FAA and other entities to rebuild rela- fully establish new management pro- “While likely not popular with inves- was called before FAA Administrator decision in the next five years on its the wake of the MAX crisis that option tionships and his promises for greater cesses, 6) set Boeing’s supply chain tors, we believe there is growing pres- Stephen Dickson and told that the reg- next-generation narrowbody family. closed. Boeing may still promote from transparency look like the right move. and services role, and 7) clarify de- sure on Boeing to make a bold move ulator would determine the Boeing 737 The engine technology for a 737 re- within, but for now outside observers But the decision to suspend MAX fense strategy. (more moonshots!) with its commercial MAX’s return-to-service timeline on its placement may not be mature enough do not see an obvious candidate. production in January cuts the risk of “Among those priorities, the chal- portfolio to better address the MAX own, not to mention that Boeing could yet, and it would be good to have a new In the meantime, Calhoun strikes further inventory build at the price of lenge for Calhoun will be to ensure the issues and the A320neo family compet- do a better job of supporting it. long-term CEO in place to lead that many industry observers as a good likely additional recovery costs.” leadership team can bring the MAX itive threat,” Herbert says. c Calhoun is expected to say more on program launch instead of a caretaker. replacement for Muilenburg on an Other recent decisions also are add- back into service and restore confi- Jan. 29 when Boeing hosts its telecon- Industry insiders are already nam- immediate basis. “I have confidence ing up. Boeing’s most significant non- dence in the program, without drop- —With Joe Anselmo and ference about 2019’s fourth-quarter ing names (see list on facing page). in Dave Calhoun, I’ve known Dave for personnel move since Muilenburg’s de- ping the ball on other issues,” Harned Sean Broderick in Washington and financial results. There will be a lot to According to several senior executives a long time,” Delta Air Lines CEO Ed parture came Jan. 7, when it revealed and his associates say. Jens Flottau in Frankfurt

22 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 23 COMMERCIAL AVIATION

Retrofits Support FAA an interoperability issue with the Honeywell Pegasus 1 flight manage- Data Comm Deployment ment system (FMS) installed on /767 , as well as an > SYSTEM IS OPERATING AT TWO EN ROUTE CENTERS issue with the Pegasus 2 FMS on the -8 and 787, says Chuck Stew- > GROUND AUTOMATION FIXES RESOLVE SOME ISSUES art, communications, navigation, and surveillance program Bill Carey Washington manager. FAA plans called for restricting irlines are installing updated ers from participating in the program. Pegasus 1-equipped aircraft from avionics to support the contin- An FAA and Leidos team responsible participating in en route Data Comm Aued rollout of the FAA’s Data for ERAM has developed fixes through after 2021—the NAC has recommend- Communications (Data Comm) sys- software builds to the ground infra- ed they continue participating beyond tem, which in 2020 will see operations structure that enabled ZKC and ZID that. It also advised that retrofitting expanded from 62 airport towers to en to begin Data Comm initial operations, the Pegasus 2 on 757/767s still would route centers. said Wijntjes, who also cited adjust- not make them Data Comm-compatible In November, the FAA reached ments by L3Harris and air/ground net- without ground automation fixes. initial operational capability (IOC) of work providers Collins Aerospace and Boeing has informed the committee Data Comm text messaging between SITA. “All those mitigations that we it is on track to deliver a Block P6 up- pilots and controllers at its Kansas City (ZKC) and Indianapolis (ZID) air route traffic control centers, the first two of 20 en route centers it plans to equip through June 2021. This map of the continental U.S. shows the order by date when en route centers will begin text-messaging of instructions between controllers and pilots. The program was awaiting an in-ser- vice decision from the FAA on the two “key” sites and remained on schedule to equip the other en route centers, Data Comm Program Manager Jesse Wijntjes told the Dec. 12 meeting of the NextGen Advisory Committee (NAC). The FAA and contractor L3Harris Source: FAA Technologies updated the Tower Data Link Service automation system at air- funded on the ground system allowed . . . date that resolves an interoperability ports to deliver departure clearances those two facilities to go IOC,” he said. issue with the communications man- and revised departure clearances But avionics fixes are required to pro- agement system on the 787. by text two years ahead of schedule. vide enough compatible aircraft to sup- A “Core 16” update to the Collins But the program’s second-phase de- port Data Comm’s deployment to other Aerospace CMU-900 communication ployment to en route centers to send centers, briefers told the committee. management unit (CMU) is expected transfer of communication, altitude A NAC ad hoc working group has met to be available for installation in March. and altimeter settings and other mes- biweekly since the summer to assess was testing a sages using the En Route Automation avionics update requirements and nail “version 523” update to the Honeywell Modernization (ERAM) system faces down operator commitments to install Mk. 2+ CMU on 60 Boeing 737s, also schedule risk because of incompatible updates, says Chris Collings, L3Harris expected by March. avionics on some aircraft. director of business development. “We’re excited about the prelimi- Aircraft must be equipped with “Data Comm has declared the first nary data we’re seeing in the ‘523’ up- Future System 1/A con- two sites as operational. However, in date from Honeywell on the Southwest troller-pilot data link communications order to have the required number of trial, and also the Core 16 development (CPDLC), transmitted by VHF Data ops that we need to see, there have been work with Collins is looking very good,” Link Mode 2 , to send and receive a number of that have been said Wijntjes. Data Comm messages. Avionics asso- removed from the operation that we , , ciated with the CPDLC application on really need back in to support the pro- Delta Air Lines, FedEx Express, Jet- some aircraft have experienced prob- gram’s objectives,” says Collings. “To do Blue Airways, Southwest Airlines, lems processing en route messages, that, we needed several avionics fixes.” United Airlines and UPS provided preventing a greater number of airlin- Ground automation fixes resolved avionics status reports. c

24 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST COMMERCIAL AVIATION A380 Is in Operational Support, Retrofits Support FAA an interoperability issue with the carrier has returned four. “We Honeywell Pegasus 1 flight manage- EOE Aftermarket Phase have talked to numerous air- Data Comm Deployment ment system (FMS) installed on lines about both a follow-on Boeing 757/767 airliners, as well as an lease and a sale. . . . The best > SYSTEM IS OPERATING AT TWO EN ROUTE CENTERS issue with the Pegasus 2 FMS on the economic solution turned out Boeing 747-8 and 787, says Chuck Stew- > GROUND AUTOMATION FIXES RESOLVE SOME ISSUES art, United Airlines communications, Demand for cheaper A380 navigation, and surveillance program spare parts makes a business Bill Carey Washington manager. case for aircraft dismantling. FAA plans called for restricting irlines are installing updated ers from participating in the program. Pegasus 1-equipped aircraft from to be the part-out route,” says avionics to support the contin- An FAA and Leidos team responsible participating in en route Data Comm Christian Mailly, Dr. Peters’ Aued rollout of the FAA’s Data for ERAM has developed fixes through after 2021—the NAC has recommend- head of aviation. That option Communications (Data Comm) sys- software builds to the ground infra- ed they continue participating beyond was used for two of the four tem, which in 2020 will see operations structure that enabled ZKC and ZID that. It also advised that retrofitting FACING CRITICS ON RELIABILITY, AIRBUS PRIORITIZES aircraft. expanded from 62 airport towers to en to begin Data Comm initial operations, the Pegasus 2 on 757/767s still would > For the other two A380s, route centers. said Wijntjes, who also cited adjust- not make them Data Comm-compatible “CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS” currently in storage, “we con- In November, the FAA reached ments by L3Harris and air/ground net- without ground automation fixes. > LESSOR, DISMANTLING COMPANY SEE DEMAND FOR USED SPARE PARTS tinue to seek a viable solution initial operational capability (IOC) of work providers Collins Aerospace and Boeing has informed the committee for our investors, which in- Data Comm text messaging between SITA. “All those mitigations that we it is on track to deliver a Block P6 up- Thierry Dubois Lyon, France cludes leasing out the engines pilots and controllers at its Kansas City in the interim,” he adds. (ZKC) and Indianapolis (ZID) air route arly in 2019, Airbus’ salespeople had to accept the harsh Another lessor, Doric, in 2018 placed an ex-Singapore Air- traffic control centers, the first two of reality that the market for new A380s was too slow lines A380 with Hi Fly, a wet-lease specialist based in Portugal. 20 en route centers it plans to equip Efor production to be sustained beyond 2021. They now The outlook for the A380 leasing market is gloomy, ac- through June 2021. seem to have concluded that the secondhand market also is cording to Mailly. “The A380 market has been challenging weaker than they thought. And so the program is moving to for some time and has been aggravated by Airbus announcing This map of the continental U.S. a phase where the keywords will be “dispatch reliability” and the production stop earlier this year; further A380s will be shows the order by date when en “spare parts,” rather than “new operator.” withdrawn from fl ight operations in the coming years and route air traffic control centers will Asked whether Airbus has a target number for placing pre- this will not make it any easier,” he says. Scope Analysis, a begin text-messaging of instructions owned A380s, Chief Commercial O€ cer Christian Scherer Germany-based consultancy, says investors cannot expect between controllers and pilots. answered in the negative. “We do not see a major role for the high single-digit percentage returns originally projected us in remarketing,” he told members of AJPAE, the French and will have to make do with lower single digits. The program was awaiting an in-ser- aerospace journalists association. The crystal ball is not as dark in everyone’s view. Sebastien vice decision from the FAA on the two In March, Sunny Guglani, then head of A380 product Maire, associate director at consultancy Kea & Partners, is “key” sites and remained on schedule marketing, had some ambitions for the secondhand mar- relatively optimistic about the market for secondhand A380s. to equip the other en route centers, ket. “We are convinced it will be an opportunity for more As returned aircraft have now paid for themselves, their cost Data Comm Program Manager Jesse carriers to aŒ ord A380s, and we are going to support and of ownership has decreased. Combined with the emerging Wijntjes told the Dec. 12 meeting of the promote this market,” he told French daily Les Echos at the availability of cheaper spare parts, this will make the A380’s NextGen Advisory Committee (NAC). time. Lufthansa had just announced it would return six of its economic performance competitive with that of newer air- The FAA and contractor L3Harris Source: FAA 14 A380s to Airbus in 2022 and 2023. The new priority is sup- craft, he says. Technologies updated the Tower Data porting current operators. Airbus is focusing on continuity of The dismantling of two of Dr. Peters’ A380s is supplying the Link Service automation system at air- funded on the ground system allowed . . . date that resolves an interoperability operations, says Scherer. At the least, Airbus executives may cheaper components. In Tarbes, in the southwest of France, ports to deliver departure clearances those two facilities to go IOC,” he said. issue with the communications man- want to shore up the aircraft’s reputation. Tarmac Aerosave has started the fi nal phase of disassembly. and revised departure clearances But avionics fixes are required to pro- agement system on the 787. has begun retiring its A380 fleet, and Air In November, it cut down the fuselage of the fi rst one and by text two years ahead of schedule. vide enough compatible aircraft to sup- A “Core 16” update to the Collins France-KLM group CEO Ben Smith was one of the compa- sorted metals. The second one will follow in January. But the program’s second-phase de- port Data Comm’s deployment to other Aerospace CMU-900 communication ny o€ cials who publicly criticized the aircraft’s performance. This imposing task—Tarmac uses a diamond wire-cutting ployment to en route centers to send centers, briefers told the committee. management unit (CMU) is expected “This is the poorest operating aircraft in the fl eet. We have gantry and sorts nuances of aluminum—came after the re- transfer of communication, altitude A NAC ad hoc working group has met to be available for installation in March. enormous amounts of delays on this aircraft and this fl eet moval of those parts that could be sold on the aftermarket. and altimeter settings and other mes- biweekly since the summer to assess Southwest Airlines was testing a has the highest rate of cancellations,” he said in November. Demand for spare parts was so strong that the number of sages using the En Route Automation avionics update requirements and nail “version 523” update to the Honeywell “Getting these aircraft out sooner rather than later is going components Tarmac removed stood close to 6,000 per A380, Modernization (ERAM) system faces down operator commitments to install Mk. 2+ CMU on 60 Boeing 737s, also to help the operations at Air France.” Though that fl eet is only up from 700-1,000 for an A330. schedule risk because of incompatible updates, says Chris Collings, L3Harris expected by March. 10 aircraft strong, said Smith, they “drive a lot of decisions.” “We even removed engine pylons for reuse, which is gen- avionics on some aircraft. director of business development. “We’re excited about the prelimi- Scherer emphasizes ongoing investments some are making erally not the case,” says Gregory Beyneix, Tarmac’s vice Aircraft must be equipped with “Data Comm has declared the first nary data we’re seeing in the ‘523’ up- in their A380s: Lufthansa and have planned signifi cant president for programs and operations. Parts as large as Future Air Navigation System 1/A con- two sites as operational. However, in date from Honeywell on the Southwest cabin upgrades, simultaneous with D checks, he says. Airbus the rudder and fl aps were removed, too. The savings from troller-pilot data link communications order to have the required number of trial, and also the Core 16 development is keeping a close eye on the schedule for the fi rst such 90-day- secondhand parts can be considerable, as a new A380 main (CPDLC), transmitted by VHF Data ops that we need to see, there have been work with Collins is looking very good,” long overhaul. They will begin soon, as they are done every landing gear is priced at around $25 million, according to Link Mode 2 radios, to send and receive a number of airplanes that have been said Wijntjes. 12 years. The airframer wants the A380 D checks—a major Scope Analysis. Data Comm messages. Avionics asso- removed from the operation that we Alaska Airlines, American Airlines, event in an aircraft’s life—to be as smooth as possible. As of Nov. 30, Airbus had delivered 240 A380s to 15 op- ciated with the CPDLC application on really need back in to support the pro- Delta Air Lines, FedEx Express, Jet- Perhaps the most worrying evidence about the viabili- erators. The backlog still contains 10, mainly earmarked for some aircraft have experienced prob- gram’s objectives,” says Collings. “To do Blue Airways, Southwest Airlines, ty of the A380’s secondhand market has been the di€ cul- Emirates. One will be handed over to . c lems processing en route messages, that, we needed several avionics fixes.” United Airlines and UPS provided ty Dr. Peters, a Germany-based lessor, has had in placing preventing a greater number of airlin- Ground automation fixes resolved avionics status reports. c ex- aircraft. Since November 2017, the —With Helen Massy-Beresford in Paris

24 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 2 UNMANNED AVIATION ‘Remote ID’ Proposal for Drones

> FAA PROPOSES INTERNET AND BROADCAST METHODS > SERVICE SUPPLIERS WOULD PROCESS INFORMATION

I Bill Carey Washington

hen the FAA in late December Uber and WarnerMedia—was less At the International released its long-awaited pro- pleased with the proposed compliance Organization’s Drone Enable confer- posed rule outlining require- date for drone operators of 36 months W ence in November, DJI demonstrated ments for drones to transmit identify- after the rule’s e¡ ective date. “Our main ing information, it attracted applause concern is the implementation period, a Wi-Fi-based “drone-to-phone” for fi nally taking a regulatory step but which is needlessly up to three years,” remote-identi cation system . also criticism over details of the rule’s the association stated. “Until Remote implementation. ID is implemented, the American pub- he has many issues with the NPRM. Published on Dec. 31 in the Fed- lic will be deprived of many of the vast “We as a UAS community, whether eral Register, the notice of proposed safety, humanitarian and e’ ciency ben- hobby or commercial, must come to- rulemaking (NPRM) for Remote Iden- efi ts of commercial drones.” gether and make sure this is drastically tification of Unmanned Aircraft Sys- Smaller companies and individu- changed before it ever makes it to any tems (UAS) provides a framework for als, while professing support for a re- rulemaking committee,” Moss writes in identifying drones and model aircraft mote-identifi cation requirement, dislike a blog. “This is draconian in depth and in fl ight that involves both commercial what the FAA has proposed. cost. It will obliterate the compliance and recreational operators, manufac- “I believe that recreational pilots, numbers necessary to be useful.” turers and Remote ID UAS Service both of drones and [remote-control] With 1.5 million small drones (includ- Suppliers (USS). The cost of the rule aircraft, are not even a consideration as ing 1.085 million registered recreational to all parties would be $582 million over the commercial drone industry moves fl iers and 420,340 registered commer- 10 years, the FAA estimates. forward,” says “Russ,” who narrates cial aircraft) counted as of Dec. 10, the The NPRM provides for a 60-day the YouTube channel 51 Drones. “The FAA has faced mounting pressure from comment period; responses are due by formulation of a data-collection entity federal law enforcement agencies, Con- March 2. that tracks every single move, literally gress, commercial industry and avia- Reacting to a 319-page unpublished every second that you are in the air, is tion interests—including airports—to version of the rule the FAA re- a deterrent to anyone wanting to fl y for enforce some means of detecting errant leased several days before the o’ cial fun. Many of us are going to continue to or unauthorized drones in flight and publication, the Commercial Drone Al- fl y as we always have, but by doing so trace them to their operators. liance said it was “thrilled” to see the we will voluntarily be surrendering any The FAA released the Remote ID proposal, “which appears to open the and all privacy.” proposed rule amid recent reports of door for expansion of the billion-dollar Vic Moss, a -based com- unexplained groups of drones flying commercial drone economy.” mercial photographer and policy di- patterns at night over northeast Colo- But the association—representing rector of training provider Drone U, rado and part of Nebraska. companies including Apple, AT&T, Al- says he is “pro UAS Remote ID” and Adoption of a separate rule that phabet Wing, CNN, Ford, GE AirXOS, had looked forward to the rule. But would allow drone fl ights over people

2 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST UNMANNED AVIATION

and at night, published as an NPRM that would transmit only as needed. flying site established by a communi- ‘Remote ID’ last February, depends on finalizing re- Message elements for Limited Re- ty-based organization. mote-identification requirements, and mote ID would be the same but would The FAA envisions establishing a Remote ID “is a critical element for provide positional data only for the network of Remote ID USS that would building unmanned traffic management control station. collect data from drones in flight under Proposal for Drones capabilities,” the FAA says. “The FAA anticipates that the mes- contract with the agency, based on the In the FAA Extension, Safety and sage elements related to any Standard model established by the Low-Altitude Security Act of 2016, Congress directed remote identification UAS or Limited Authorization and Notification Capabil- the agency to develop remote-identifi- remote identification UAS are publicly ity used near airports. cation standards within two years of available information and may be ac- Manufacturers would have to design the law’s enactment—or by July 2018. cessed by any person able to receive a models that comply with Standard or The FAA formed a UAS Identification broadcast or who has access to a Re- Limited remote-identification perfor- and Tracking Aviation Rulemaking mote ID USS,” the agency states. mance requirements, issue a serial Committee that met for three months The rule would prohibit small number for each unmanned aircraft and produced recommendations in drones from using automatic depen- based on the ANSI/CTA 2063-A stan- September 2017. dent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) dard, label the drone to indicate it is Pressed on the delay in publishing “Out” to send identify Remote ID-compliant and submit a an NPRM, the FAA explains it was and position data, out of concern for declaration of compliance to the FAA. prevented from regulating drones -frequency saturation and lack of Manufacturers would have two years flown for recreational purposes until infrastructure to receive ADS-B data at to comply after the rule’s effective date. Congress gave it that authority in re- lower altitudes. The vast majority of small drones FAA PROPOSES INTERNET > authorization legislation that became Persons operating drones that are operating in U.S. would be AND BROADCAST METHODS law in October 2018. > SERVICE SUPPLIERS WOULD After initiating the PROCESS INFORMATION rulemaking effort in early 2018, the FAA indicated it I would release the NPRM Bill Carey Washington by May 2019. It then post- poned the release to July hen the FAA in late December Uber and WarnerMedia—was less At the International Civil Aviation 2019, then to September, released its long-awaited pro- pleased with the proposed compliance Organization’s Drone Enable confer- then to Dec. 20, citing posed rule outlining require- date for drone operators of 36 months the rule’s complexity. It W ence in November, DJI demonstrated ments for drones to transmit identify- after the rule’s e¡ ective date. “Our main released the unpublished ing information, it attracted applause concern is the implementation period, a Wi-Fi-based “drone-to-phone” version on Dec. 26. for fi nally taking a regulatory step but which is needlessly up to three years,” remote-identi cation system . The NPRM describes also criticism over details of the rule’s the association stated. “Until Remote “Standard” and “Limited” implementation. ID is implemented, the American pub- he has many issues with the NPRM. categories of remote iden- Published on Dec. 31 in the Fed- lic will be deprived of many of the vast “We as a UAS community, whether tification, with a third cat- eral Register, the notice of proposed safety, humanitarian and e’ ciency ben- hobby or commercial, must come to- egory for non-equipped rulemaking (NPRM) for Remote Iden- efi ts of commercial drones.” gether and make sure this is drastically UAS. tification of Unmanned Aircraft Sys- Smaller companies and individu- changed before it ever makes it to any A drone operated as tems (UAS) provides a framework for als, while professing support for a re- rulemaking committee,” Moss writes in Standard would be capable identifying drones and model aircraft mote-identifi cation requirement, dislike a blog. “This is draconian in depth and of connecting to the inter- in fl ight that involves both commercial what the FAA has proposed. cost. It will obliterate the compliance net and transmitting data and recreational operators, manufac- “I believe that recreational pilots, numbers necessary to be useful.” to a Remote ID USS in ad- turers and Remote ID UAS Service both of drones and [remote-control] With 1.5 million small drones (includ- dition to broadcasting its Suppliers (USS). The cost of the rule aircraft, are not even a consideration as ing 1.085 million registered recreational identity directly from the to all parties would be $582 million over the commercial drone industry moves fl iers and 420,340 registered commer- aircraft. A Limited drone 10 years, the FAA estimates. forward,” says “Russ,” who narrates cial aircraft) counted as of Dec. 10, the would be capable of trans- Source: ASTM International The NPRM provides for a 60-day the YouTube channel 51 Drones. “The FAA has faced mounting pressure from mitting remote-identifi- comment period; responses are due by formulation of a data-collection entity federal law enforcement agencies, Con- cation message elements March 2. that tracks every single move, literally gress, commercial industry and avia- through an internet connection, while A new ASTM standard, designated subject to Remote ID requirements, the Reacting to a 319-page unpublished every second that you are in the air, is tion interests—including airports—to being restricted to operating no more F3411, outlines how drones can FAA says. Exceptions would be made version of the draft rule the FAA re- a deterrent to anyone wanting to fl y for enforce some means of detecting errant than 400 ft. from its control station. transmit identification and location for amateur-built drones, unmanned leased several days before the o’ cial fun. Many of us are going to continue to or unauthorized drones in flight and Standard Remote ID message el- aircraft operated by the U.S. govern- by broadcasting data over the air or publication, the Commercial Drone Al- fl y as we always have, but by doing so trace them to their operators. ements would include the drone’s ment and models weighing less than liance said it was “thrilled” to see the we will voluntarily be surrendering any The FAA released the Remote ID identification number—either a serial sending it over a wireless internet 0.55 lb. proposal, “which appears to open the and all privacy.” proposed rule amid recent reports of number or a single-use, randomly gen- connection. The agency proposes revising its door for expansion of the billion-dollar Vic Moss, a Colorado-based com- unexplained groups of drones flying erated alphanumeric code known as a current registration regime, which commercial drone economy.” mercial photographer and policy di- patterns at night over northeast Colo- session ID; the latitude, longitude and not equipped for remote identification allows hobbyists to register multiple But the association—representing rector of training provider Drone U, rado and part of Nebraska. barometric pressure altitude of the would have to do so within visual line of aircraft under a single registration companies including Apple, AT&T, Al- says he is “pro UAS Remote ID” and Adoption of a separate rule that aircraft and its control station; a time sight in an “FAA-recognized identifica- number, to require them to register phabet Wing, CNN, Ford, GE AirXOS, had looked forward to the rule. But would allow drone fl ights over people mark, and an emergency status code tion area,” the NPRM states, such as a each aircraft individually. c

2 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 27 URBAN AIR MOBILITY Bell eVTOL Goes All-Electric

> NEXUS 4EX IS FOCUSED ON SHORTRANGE INTRAURBAN FLIGHTS > BELL TAKES MOBILITYASASERVICE APPROACH TO UAM BE

Graham Warwick Fort Worth The Nexus 4EX will have a range of The battery-powered Nexus 4EX has about 60 mi. compared with 150 mi. four slimmer tilting fan ducts for hen it took the wraps off for the original design, now called the lower cruise drag. its electric vertical-take- Nexus 6HX (six fans, hybrid, exper- Wo -and-landing (eVTOL) air imental). “We started with six ducts in the batteries, fl ight control comput- taxi concept in January 2019, Bell re- and hybrid electric because we wanted ers and load paths.” vealed a di erent approach to urban range,” says Mitch Snyder, Bell presi- For Bell, accessibility equals af- air mobility (UAM). dent and CEO. fordability. “The mix of reliable parts Unveiled at the CES consumer Originally, the Nexus was designed and redundant systems creates the electronics show in Las Vegas, the to meet two distinct requirements, in- cost equation, for acquisition and Nexus had six tilting ducted fans and traurban and intercity, but the need for operation, and we need to drive that hybrid-electric propulsion providing more range was compromising the ve- down,” Drennan says. The company su‰ cient range for intercity fl ights as hicle, he says. The redesigned eVTOL is aiming to meet commercial-airline well as intraurban trips. is “propulsion agnostic,” Snyder says. safety levels—a 10-9 per fl ight-hour In a year, technology and the mar- “It will fl y all-electric, but we can make probability of catastrophic failure— ket have moved on, and Bell has re- hybrid work as well.” and still be a ordable. turned to Las Vegas for CES 2020 “If customers need more range they Redundant battery packs and com- with a revised design for the Nexus— can go hybrid. If they need more hover ponent reliability will prevent a total with four ducted fans and all-electric they can go with the 6HX,” says Scott power failure he says, but the Nexus propulsion. Drennan, vice president of innovation. will be capable of landing in transition And beyond unveiling a new full- The main design changes were driv- mode, with the ducts partially tilted, scale mockup of the fi ve-seat eVTOL, en by the need to increase cruise e‰ - or fully tilted in airplane mode on less the company is detailing its plans for ciency to enable all-electric fl ight. The power than in rotorborne fl ight. mobility as a service (MaaS) and its vi- ducts produce lift in forward fl ight and, Safety is one of three key perfor- sion of a future smart city ecosystem. in addition to there being two fewer of mance indicators Bell has set for UAM. Evolution of the air taxi design them, they are less deep so as to re- The others are accessibility and sus- into the Nexus 4EX (for four fans, duce drag in the cruise. tainability. In addition to a ordability, all-electric and experimental) refl ects “The more hover fl ight you have in and convenience in terms of vertiport Bell’s belief, solidifi ed over the past 12 a mission, the more and deeper ducts location, accessibility includes the pas- months, that the short-range intraur- you want,” says Drennan. “For UAM, senger experience, as many customers ban market will emerge fi rst and that to the focus is on cruise efficiency be- will be new to urban air transport. succeed the service must be a ordable cause you only have about a minute Bell defi nes sustainability as “qui- and accessible to everyone. of hover.” et, clean and relevant.” By relevance, The new design has two tilting ducts Although there are now fewer duct- the company means being able to on the forward fuselage and two at the ed fans, there is no reduction in safety, offer the same customer experience tips of an aft wing—a configuration Bell maintains. “Redundancy is only a in di erent markets—such as longer closely resembling that of the Bell means to reliability, and reliability is regional flights—by using different X-22 experimental aircraft fi rst fl own in what we design into the vehicle,” says technologies in terms of payload and 1966. The change from six to four ducts Drennan. “We understand where to range capabilities. improves cruise e‰ ciency to maximize put critical parts—in the ducts—and Unveiling of the Nexus 4EX moves range using batteries only. where to put redundancy—upstream Bell a step closer to building a demon-

2 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST URBAN AIR MOBILITY

strator. The company is not putting physical infrastructure, and mainte- safely, AerOS is to be an autonomous Bell eVTOL Goes All-Electric a timetable on flying this aircraft but nance, repair and overhaul (MRO). system with human oversight. For is targeting the mid-to-late 2020s for “I removed the bounds from the team example, the system will track which production vehicles and commercial and told them to look at every aspect aircraft are seeing deeper battery services, Drennan says. where Bell can be a player,” says Sny- discharges on longer flights. These re- Bell has ground-tested a full-scale der. “Can we operate them more safely? duce cycle life, and AeroOS will adjust duct and rotor, produced an 8-ft.-dia. Instead of just providing training for op- scheduling to level out battery utiliza- circular composite duct spar and test- erations and MRO, as we do today, can tion across the fleet. ed a one-eighth-scale model in the we do it and raise the bar for safety?” Bell has begun development of wind tunnel. The company is working In Bell’s approach to MaaS, the ser- AerOS with master scheduling. This on a system integration laboratory vice is powered by AerOS, an aerospace models expected traffic demand for (SIL)—“Aircraft 0”—to test avionics, operating system the company is devel- each day and prepositions aircraft. electrics and flight controls. oping as a digital backbone for UAM, “We are using artificial intelligence to Flight control computer developer managing fleet information, monitor- predict where people are,” says Holvey. NEXUS 4EX IS FOCUSED ON SHORTRANGE Thales also has a SIL in Canada, and ing aircraft health and controlling the As the schedule is executed, and devi- > battery supplier EPS is doing some of throughput of people, goods and data. ations inevitably occur, the master INTRAURBAN FLIGHTS the integration work, says Drennan. AeroOS will comprise modular mi- schedule is rerun and the traffic-de- Safran, which would have provided croservices in the cloud such as pas- mand forecast updated to provide a > BELL TAKES MOBILITYASASERVICE APPROACH TO UAM the hybrid-electric propulsion system, senger booking, flight scheduling, route better predictive model.

BE is no longer involved. A supplier for optimization, airspace management For Bell, starting development of the all-electric propulsion system will and fleet visibility. While Uber will AerOS now, years before UAM services be announced soon. provide these services for its Elevate are expected to begin, is a way to en- Graham Warwick Fort Worth The Nexus 4EX will have a range of The battery-powered Nexus 4EX has Also at CES, Bell is outlining its aerial ridesharing networks, “there will able the market by offering prospective about 60 mi. compared with 150 mi. four slimmer tilting fan ducts for thinking on urban air mobility as a be other customers that do not have MaaS providers—whether commercial hen it took the wraps off for the original design, now called the lower cruise drag. service. This encompasses not only them,” says Matthew Holvey, opera- operators or cities themselves—with its electric vertical-take- Nexus 6HX (six fans, hybrid, exper- the vehicles—air taxis and unmanned tions manager for innovation. “It needs an option for the digital infrastructure. Wo -and-landing (eVTOL) air imental). “We started with six ducts in the batteries, fl ight control comput- aircraft for logistics and data-gather- to be a service Bell provides.” “If we don’t think about this now, we taxi concept in January 2019, Bell re- and hybrid electric because we wanted ers and load paths.” ing—but also operations, digital and To manage high-tempo operations won’t be ready,” says Drennan. c vealed a di erent approach to urban range,” says Mitch Snyder, Bell presi- For Bell, accessibility equals af- air mobility (UAM). dent and CEO. fordability. “The mix of reliable parts Unveiled at the CES consumer Originally, the Nexus was designed and redundant systems creates the electronics show in Las Vegas, the to meet two distinct requirements, in- cost equation, for acquisition and Nexus had six tilting ducted fans and traurban and intercity, but the need for operation, and we need to drive that hybrid-electric propulsion providing more range was compromising the ve- down,” Drennan says. The company su‰ cient range for intercity fl ights as hicle, he says. The redesigned eVTOL is aiming to meet commercial-airline well as intraurban trips. is “propulsion agnostic,” Snyder says. safety levels—a 10-9 per fl ight-hour In a year, technology and the mar- “It will fl y all-electric, but we can make probability of catastrophic failure— ket have moved on, and Bell has re- hybrid work as well.” and still be a ordable. turned to Las Vegas for CES 2020 “If customers need more range they Redundant battery packs and com- with a revised design for the Nexus— can go hybrid. If they need more hover ponent reliability will prevent a total with four ducted fans and all-electric they can go with the 6HX,” says Scott power failure he says, but the Nexus propulsion. Drennan, vice president of innovation. will be capable of landing in transition And beyond unveiling a new full- The main design changes were driv- mode, with the ducts partially tilted, scale mockup of the fi ve-seat eVTOL, en by the need to increase cruise e‰ - or fully tilted in airplane mode on less the company is detailing its plans for ciency to enable all-electric fl ight. The power than in rotorborne fl ight. mobility as a service (MaaS) and its vi- ducts produce lift in forward fl ight and, Safety is one of three key perfor- sion of a future smart city ecosystem. in addition to there being two fewer of mance indicators Bell has set for UAM. Feb 24, 2020: Summit Evolution of the air taxi design them, they are less deep so as to re- The others are accessibility and sus- into the Nexus 4EX (for four fans, duce drag in the cruise. tainability. In addition to a ordability, Conrad Dubai all-electric and experimental) refl ects “The more hover fl ight you have in and convenience in terms of vertiport Bell’s belief, solidifi ed over the past 12 a mission, the more and deeper ducts location, accessibility includes the pas- Feb 25-26, 2020: Exhibition months, that the short-range intraur- you want,” says Drennan. “For UAM, senger experience, as many customers Dubai World Trade Center DESTINATION DUBAI ban market will emerge fi rst and that to the focus is on cruise efficiency be- will be new to urban air transport. (Za’abeel Halls 2&3) succeed the service must be a ordable cause you only have about a minute Bell defi nes sustainability as “qui- and accessible to everyone. of hover.” et, clean and relevant.” By relevance, Attend the region’s leading conference and exhibition The new design has two tilting ducts Although there are now fewer duct- the company means being able to Co-located with for commercial aviation maintenance. on the forward fuselage and two at the ed fans, there is no reduction in safety, offer the same customer experience • 5,000+ attendees from airlines, manufacturers and the supply chain tips of an aft wing—a configuration Bell maintains. “Redundancy is only a in di erent markets—such as longer closely resembling that of the Bell means to reliability, and reliability is regional flights—by using different • 3 days of networking and learning with a 1 day summit and 2 day exhibition X-22 experimental aircraft fi rst fl own in what we design into the vehicle,” says technologies in terms of payload and • 330+ exhibitors showcasing the latest technology 1966. The change from six to four ducts Drennan. “We understand where to range capabilities. improves cruise e‰ ciency to maximize put critical parts—in the ducts—and Unveiling of the Nexus 4EX moves Register at mromiddleeast.aviationweek.com range using batteries only. where to put redundancy—upstream Bell a step closer to building a demon-

2 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 29 AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

ATM Bets On Artificial change similar to the one Airbus has encouraged with its Skywise digital platform. Intelligence Forecasting zone-pair flows is a promising application of AI. To determine exactly how many more flights could > ORIENTS RESEARCH TOWARD be possible between two zones, Eurocontrol’s statistics and forecast department contracted with a company to use new machine-learning techniques. “They have brought > FRENCH ANSP TESTING AI-BASED SUPPORT TOOL more input into the calculations than just the GDP data we were using, and the results have been very positive,” says Forecasting Manager Claire Leleu. Thierry Dubois Lyon, France Eurocontrol tested the AI approach on seven traffic flows across the North Atlantic and found it reduced the median hile commercial air transport as an industry is absolute error significantly. Not every idea works on the still hesitant about employing artificial intelli- first attempt, however. An AI-based analytical tool pro - Wgence (AI), major players in air traffic manage - duced disappointing results in an overflight trend forecast. ment (ATM) are proceeding to operational use from ex- At its Bordeaux en route control center, DSNA—a periments and prototype tools. French air navigation service provider (ANSP)—has en- Especially in Europe, where insufficient airspace ca- joyed success with a new AI-based tool developed with pacity has been a vexing issue, air traffic controllers are French aerospace research center Onera, in the framework likely to see their jobs evolving. The power of AI may of Europe’s Sesar ATM research project. be harnessed to reduce the controllers’ Dubbed Sinaps for system-wide informa- workload and allow more time for de- tion management within integrated cision-making. AI also may make network ATM planning services, ATM more effective by freeing the tool has been employed since up time for controllers to fine- July under an experimental tune aircraft trajectories. status. Controller team su- Moreover, traffic and delay pervisors are so satisfied, predictions may become they have asked to continue more accurate. the experiment, according “The ongoing capaci- to Isabelle Luxembourg ty crunch is causing air of DSNA’s European pro- traffic flow management grams team. delays that are 53% above Sinaps uses two kinds of those of 2017,” says Eamonn AI to serve two different pur- Brennan, director general of poses. In tactical mode, sym- Eurocontrol, which is in charge DSNA bolic (i.e. logic-based) AI helps of ATM on the , extend- a supervisor plan airspace con- ing to . figuration. In exploratory mode, a Eurocontrol recently launched machine-learning process imagines the European Aviation AI The job of a supervisor in an en route control new ways to organize sectors of air- High-Level Group, which brings center may evolve with the use of AI. space. together representatives from The exploratory mode is at the public and private sectors. The group is committed to “de- core of the AI revolution. Also referred to as “connectionist velop[ing] a road map and practical recommendations to AI” or a “neural network,” it can be described as an algo- accelerate the uptake of AI,” Brennan says. rithm that infers relations of cause and effect with existing Eurocontrol has launched a recruitment drive for skilled data. AI operators. A key issue for the agency is to bridge the gap In this mode, some of the proposed configurations may between the people who know their domain and the people become solutions, but others may be impractical or incom- who know AI, points out Pierre Andribet, Eurocontrol’s patible with safety standards. head of research and development. “But we need to act The tactical mode is used to optimize the airspace’s con- now; we can’t wait for five years,” he stresses. figuration. Supervisors in Bordeaux have to best distribute In , flow management, safety assessment the 38 elementary blocks of airspace for which the center and conflict prediction, Eurocontrol’s early trials of AI have is responsible (see illustration on facing page). The range revealed gains of 20-30% in predictability and efficiency. of combinations is vast. More accurate traffic load predictions will mean Eurocon- Depending on factors such as a traffic forecast, the con- trol’s Network Manager (NM) operators could start to re- trollers’ roster, a weather forecast and military needs, an duce some of the buffers placed into the system as a result expert creates suitable subgroups of airspace blocks and of uncertain predictions. then allocates them to the control positions that will be Nevertheless, everything starts with sharing data. Talks staffed in the target period. The work typically is per - with air transport players are underway for NM to share formed between 4 hr. and a day in advance and regularly data collected on aircraft and at airports. “What we must updated, says Luxembourg. demonstrate is that by sharing, all individual actors will The Sinaps tool was not designed to do the job in lieu benefit more,” says Andribet. This would be a cultural of a human, but it will support decision-making and save

30 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT

ATM Bets On Artificial change similar to the one Airbus has encouraged with its time, Luxembourg explains, adding: tegrate it into the portfolio of valid Skywise digital platform. “Sinaps provides instantaneous help solutions. Intelligence Forecasting zone-pair flows is a promising application and offers optimized solutions.” The request from the Bordeaux en of AI. To determine exactly how many more flights could Such assistance may be appreciated route control center to extend the ex- > EUROCONTROL ORIENTS RESEARCH TOWARD be possible between two zones, Eurocontrol’s statistics every time the situation has to be reas- periment was welcome. “We made an MACHINE LEARNING and forecast department contracted with a company to sessed—particularly on short notice or assessment in October; the prototype use new machine-learning techniques. “They have brought in highly constrained situations. was working well . . . . We wanted to

> FRENCH ANSP TESTING AI-BASED SUPPORT TOOL more input into the calculations than just the GDP data we To make the choices manageable, DSNA/ONERA demonstrate that the tool cannot cre- were using, and the results have been very positive,” says the number of proposed solutions ate problems and provides appropri- Forecasting Manager Claire Leleu. was limited to six (a number that ate support,” says Luxembourg. The Thierry Dubois Lyon, France Eurocontrol tested the AI approach on seven traffic flows may evolve, says Luxembourg). The long-duration trial therefore was across the North Atlantic and found it reduced the median use of symbolic AI ensures the solu- Using AI to assemble airspace blocks deemed useful. hile commercial air transport as an industry is absolute error significantly. Not every idea works on the tions are valid, meaning technical ATM equipment manufacturer may save time. still hesitant about employing artificial intelli- first attempt, however. An AI-based analytical tool pro - and operational prerequisites are Thales has a web platform in service Wgence (AI), major players in air traffic manage - duced disappointing results in an overflight trend forecast. met. “Controllers will not be surprised,” says Luxembourg. that also uses machine-learning. Called ECOsystem, it is ment (ATM) are proceeding to operational use from ex- At its Bordeaux en route control center, DSNA—a Once a solution is chosen, the controller can look at the aimed at finding the best use of airspace and airport re - periments and prototype tools. French air navigation service provider (ANSP)—has en- remaining workload, which is likely to be complex. Some sources for ANSPs, airports, airlines and pilots. Especially in Europe, where insufficient airspace ca- joyed success with a new AI-based tool developed with flight plans may require special attention, and specific ac- “ECOsystem anticipates aircraft delays and offers solu- pacity has been a vexing issue, air traffic controllers are French aerospace research center Onera, in the framework tion may be decided for a couple of flights. This may avoid tions. . . . It analyzes months of traffic [data] and spots likely to see their jobs evolving. The power of AI may of Europe’s Sesar ATM research project. a traffic regulation that could cause widespread delay, says those factors that influence estimated times of arrival and be harnessed to reduce the controllers’ Dubbed Sinaps for system-wide informa- Luxembourg. can suggest shorter flightpaths,” notes Beatrice Pesquet- workload and allow more time for de- tion management within integrated Conversely, the exploratory mode should be used when Popescu, Thales’ director of ATM research and innovation. cision-making. AI also may make network ATM planning services, considering a longer-term objective. “Connectionist AI will Despite the use of the machine-learning variety of AI, ATM more effective by freeing the tool has been employed since make the most of the available data,” says Luxembourg. ECOsystem provides explainable solutions, according to up time for controllers to fine- July under an experimental For this application, Sinaps could be likened to a machine Pesquet-Popescu. “In traffic prediction, you can explain tune aircraft trajectories. status. Controller team su- being told “try every possibility; let it go!” she exclaims. what parameters influenced the choice,” she adds. The Moreover, traffic and delay pervisors are so satisfied, If a proposed solution makes sense and enables an in- controllers can be provided with the explanation, possibly predictions may become they have asked to continue crease in capacity, the center will study it and maybe in- in graphic form, in fly-out windows on their displays. c more accurate. the experiment, according “The ongoing capaci- to Isabelle Luxembourg ty crunch is causing air of DSNA’s European pro- traffic flow management grams team. delays that are 53% above Sinaps uses two kinds of those of 2017,” says Eamonn AI to serve two different pur- Brennan, director general of poses. In tactical mode, sym- Eurocontrol, which is in charge DSNA bolic (i.e. logic-based) AI helps of ATM on the continent, extend- a supervisor plan airspace con- ing to Turkey. figuration. In exploratory mode, a Eurocontrol recently launched machine-learning process imagines the European Aviation AI The job of a supervisor in an en route control new ways to organize sectors of air- Fleet Discovery Military High-Level Group, which brings center may evolve with the use of AI. space. together representatives from The exploratory mode is at the public and private sectors. The group is committed to “de- core of the AI revolution. Also referred to as “connectionist velop[ing] a road map and practical recommendations to AI” or a “neural network,” it can be described as an algo- Discover Opportunity with Unparalleled accelerate the uptake of AI,” Brennan says. rithm that infers relations of cause and effect with existing Eurocontrol has launched a recruitment drive for skilled data. Tracking of Global Military Fleets AI operators. A key issue for the agency is to bridge the gap In this mode, some of the proposed configurations may between the people who know their domain and the people become solutions, but others may be impractical or incom- Aviation Week Network’s Fleet Discovery Military Edition simplifi es who know AI, points out Pierre Andribet, Eurocontrol’s patible with safety standards. tracking global military aircraft and engines — piloted and unpiloted, fi xed wing head of research and development. “But we need to act The tactical mode is used to optimize the airspace’s con- and rotary — so you can discover new opportunities to grow your business. now; we can’t wait for five years,” he stresses. figuration. Supervisors in Bordeaux have to best distribute ● Featuring over 70,000 aircraft and 110,000 engines in service with In flight planning, flow management, safety assessment the 38 elementary blocks of airspace for which the center more than 400 military operators. and conflict prediction, Eurocontrol’s early trials of AI have is responsible (see illustration on facing page). The range ● revealed gains of 20-30% in predictability and efficiency. of combinations is vast. Searchable and fi lterable by aircraft, engine, category, mission, lift type, More accurate traffic load predictions will mean Eurocon- Depending on factors such as a traffic forecast, the con- weight class and more. trol’s Network Manager (NM) operators could start to re- trollers’ roster, a weather forecast and military needs, an See for yourself how Fleet Discovery Military can help you track aircraft and duce some of the buffers placed into the system as a result expert creates suitable subgroups of airspace blocks and engines so you never miss a business opportunity. of uncertain predictions. then allocates them to the control positions that will be Nevertheless, everything starts with sharing data. Talks staffed in the target period. The work typically is per - with air transport players are underway for NM to share formed between 4 hr. and a day in advance and regularly To learn more, go to pgs.aviationweek.com/FDMilitary data collected on aircraft and at airports. “What we must updated, says Luxembourg. Or call: Anne McMahon +1 646 291 6353 | Thom Clayton +44 (0) 20 7017 6106 demonstrate is that by sharing, all individual actors will The Sinaps tool was not designed to do the job in lieu benefit more,” says Andribet. This would be a cultural of a human, but it will support decision-making and save

30 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 31 SUSTAINABILITY > Airlines on defensive p. 34 Alternative fuels p. 36 Boeing 777 ecoDemonstrator pp. 38, 40 Electric propulsion p. 42 Earth observation p. 45 U.S. military efforts p. 46

this assumes changes to the regulato- ry environment and much greater use of sustainable aviation fuels—which CLIMATE remain in short supply. As Johnson points out, the total volume of sustain- able jet fuel produced in 2018 was only su“ cient “to power the global aviation industry for 10 min .” Johnson agrees that the environmen- OF FEAR tal goals set by the International Air Transport Association (IATA) in 2009 > THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY IS UNDER FIRE FROM have become outdated. The targets to ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS achieve carbon-neutral growth starting in 2020 and cut CO2 emissions by 50% by 2050 “belonged to another era,” be- > RISING DEMAND FOR IS OUTPACING fore today’s “net-zero language.” EFFICIENCY GAINS “We fi nd ourselves in a very di„ erent world now,” says Johnson. “The [UN Kerry Reals London Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change] advice is that we need to get Pressure is mounting on the aviation industry to dras- to net zero by the second half of this century. This makes [IATA’s 50% re- tically step up e„ orts to reduce its impact on climate duction target] look dated. Now is the change. Experts warn that in a business-as-usual sce- time to re evaluate that. nario, carbon-dioxide emissions from global aviation “I’d be very surprised if the industry doesn’t have something to say on this [in could rise by more than 80% by 2050. 2020]. Once airlines start to lead indi- vidually with answers, it’s not long until As a growing list of countries adopt “modest improvements in efficiency the industry bodies catch up,” he adds. net-zero emissions targets for mid cen- and greater uptake of sustainable avi- John Broderick, a lecturer in energy tury, some are questioning whether ation fuel” before the middle of the cen- and climate change at the University the airline sector’s decade-old pledge tury but says this “is not really going of Manchester’s Tyndall Centre for to halve emissions by 2050, compared to make much of a dent in the demand Climate Change Research, warns of to 2005, should be revised upward. trajectory and growing emissions.” the consequences of failing to achieve There is a growing sense of outrage Unlike many other industries, avi- net-zero carbon emissions. among environmental campaigners ation currently has no viable, wide- “We need to get to a position of net over what they perceive as the air- spread alternative to burning fossil zero to stop continued global warm- line industry getting a free ride while fuels. This makes it a di“ cult sector to other sectors are forced by regulators decarbonize. At the same time, global to decarbonize. Calls are becoming demand for air travel is rising rapidly louder, particularly in Europe, for a and outstripping many of the e“ ciency more uniform approach to taxing air gains achieved by the industry. ticket sales and for an end to airlines’ “Once people get to a middle income, exemption from paying tax on jet fuel. one of the things they want to do is fl y as “The evidence is already there. The much as they do in America and Europe. very fact that the industry needs Cor- This could increase aviation emissions sia [the International Civil Aviation by 83% by 2050 in a business-as-usual Organization’s Carbon O„ setting and scenario,” Adair Turner, former chair- Reduction Scheme for International man of the UK Climate Change Com- Aviation] to deliver on its short-term mission and current head of the Energy goal [to achieve carbon-neutral growth Transitions Commission, told the Royal from 2020] tells us that, in real terms, Aeronautical Society’s Greener by De- emissions are going to be much higher sign conference in London in November. after 2020—even with technological Turner believes the aviation in- advances,” says Tim Johnson, director dustry’s target to halve emissions by of UK-based campaign group Aviation 2050 should be doubled to a 100% re- Environment Federation (AEF). duction—a goal he says is achievable “All the forecasts suggest that while without carbon-offsetting. However, there will be continuous [efficien- Environmental campaigners have cy] improvements, the big, radical step-changes in technology are un- singled out aviation as being a major likely to happen before 2050,” he says. contributor to climate change, and Johnson acknowledges we will see the pressure is mounting.

32 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST SUSTAINABILITY > Airlines on defensive p. 34 Alternative fuels p. 36 Boeing 777 ecoDemonstrator pp. 38, 40 Electric propulsion p. 42 Earth observation p. 45 U.S. military efforts p. 46 this assumes changes to the regulato- ing,” he says, noting that “approximate- the scientifi c understanding of these op an EU-wide aviation tax. In Novem- ry environment and much greater use ly one-third of the CO2 emitted today non-CO2 e‰ ects as “very low.” Howev- ber, nine finance ministers called on of sustainable aviation fuels—which will still be in the atmosphere in 1,000 er, more clarity could be forthcoming the incoming European Commission CLIMATE remain in short supply. As Johnson years’ time.” early in 2020. According to Johnson, to look at ways of making this a reality. points out, the total volume of sustain- Broderick says it is time “to stop the European Commission has been “Aviation transport is exempted from able jet fuel produced in 2018 was only exempting aviation emissions” from “pulling together scientifi c brains on excise duties, no [value-added tax] is su“ cient “to power the global aviation countries’ net-zero action plans, a point non-CO2 e‰ ects” and is due to publish levied on international fl ights, there is industry for 10 min .” backed by the UK Climate Change its fi ndings in the fi rst quarter . no coordinated ticket tax and econom- Johnson agrees that the environmen- Commission (CCC) in a recent letter to Gummer also acknowledges in the ic instruments to curb OF FEAR tal goals set by the International Air UK Transport Secretary Grant S happs. letter that zero-carbon aviation is emissions can be strengthened in the Transport Association (IATA) in 2009 The commission’s chairman, John “highly unlikely to be feasible by 2050.” aviation sector,” the ministers said in > THE AIRLINE INDUSTRY IS UNDER FIRE FROM have become outdated. The targets to Gummer, is calling on the UK to for- Therefore, reducing actual emissions a Nov. 7 statement. “We believe that more coordination on pricing of neg- ENVIRONMENTAL GROUPS achieve carbon-neutral growth starting mally include international aviation from the sector is “likely to require in 2020 and cut CO2 emissions by 50% and shipping in its plans to achieve some use of greenhouse gas removals ative externalities of aviation could by 2050 “belonged to another era,” be- net-zero emissions by 2050. (GGR ) to o‰ set remaining emissions.” ensure that the polluter pays a fairer > RISING DEMAND FOR AIR TRAVEL IS OUTPACING fore today’s “net-zero language.” “Aviation is likely to be the larg- The UK should “establish a new price for the use of aviation transport. EFFICIENCY GAINS “We fi nd ourselves in a very di„ erent est-emitting sector in the UK by 2050, market” for GGR technology, says the To be e‰ ective and create a level play- world now,” says Johnson. “The [UN even with strong progress on tech- letter, which Johnson interprets as lay- ing fi eld, we are convinced that EU co- Kerry Reals London Intergovernmental Panel on Climate nology and limiting demand. Aviation ing down a challenge for the aviation ordination on this matter is the most Change] advice is that we need to get also has climate-warming e‰ ects be- industry to “lead investment in [GGR].” e‰ ective for all member states.” Pressure is mounting on the aviation industry to dras- to net zero by the second half of this yond CO2, which it will be important In addition to GGR investment, the As countries work toward meeting century. This makes [IATA’s 50% re- to monitor and consider within future CCC says UK aviation emissions “could their Paris Agreement commitments, it tically step up e„ orts to reduce its impact on climate duction target] look dated. Now is the policies,” writes Gummer . be reduced by around 20% from today is widely expected regulation will play change. Experts warn that in a business-as-usual sce- time to re evaluate that. Studies are being carried out to gain to 2050 through improvements to fuel an increasing role in forcing the airline nario, carbon-dioxide emissions from global aviation “I’d be very surprised if the industry a deeper understanding of the non-CO2 e™ ciency, some use of sustainable bio- industry to reduce its emissions. doesn’t have something to say on this [in e‰ ects of aviation on climate change. fuels and by limiting demand growth “Airlines need to be honest with could rise by more than 80% by 2050. 2020]. Once airlines start to lead indi- These include nitrogen oxide (NOx) to, at most, 25% above current levels.” their shareholders about the regu- vidually with answers, it’s not long until emissions, soot and sulphur particles This is “very much at odds” with the lations that will be introduced,” says As a growing list of countries adopt “modest improvements in efficiency the industry bodies catch up,” he adds. and contrail-cirrus clouds. The latter 60% growth in passenger numbeæærs Andrew Murphy, aviation manager at net-zero emissions targets for mid cen- and greater uptake of sustainable avi- John Broderick, a lecturer in energy form when linear contrails—the assumed under UK proposals for ex- Brussels-based sustainable transport tury, some are questioning whether ation fuel” before the middle of the cen- and climate change at the University trails left behind by cruising aircraft— panding the country’s airport capacity, lobby group Transport & Environment. the airline sector’s decade-old pledge tury but says this “is not really going of Manchester’s Tyndall Centre for converge. It is thought that these clouds says Johnson. “The more capacity we Pointing to carmaker Volkswagen’s to halve emissions by 2050, compared to make much of a dent in the demand Climate Change Research, warns of could result in an additional warming start to allow, the harder it looks that November announcement that it to 2005, should be revised upward. trajectory and growing emissions.” the consequences of failing to achieve effect, potentially making aviation’s we will be able to constrain demand.” will invest €60 billion ($67 billion) by There is a growing sense of outrage Unlike many other industries, avi- net-zero carbon emissions. contribution even more serious. Another possible method of limiting 2024 in developing electric and hybrid among environmental campaigners ation currently has no viable, wide- “We need to get to a position of net The EU’s European Aviation En- demand for air travel is new taxes. In cars—a decision Murphy says was over what they perceive as the air- spread alternative to burning fossil zero to stop continued global warm- vironmental Report 2019 describes Europe, e‰ orts are underway to devel- made “because European laws require line industry getting a free ride while fuels. This makes it a di“ cult sector to other sectors are forced by regulators decarbonize. At the same time, global to decarbonize. Calls are becoming demand for air travel is rising rapidly louder, particularly in Europe, for a and outstripping many of the e“ ciency more uniform approach to taxing air gains achieved by the industry. ticket sales and for an end to airlines’ “Once people get to a middle income, exemption from paying tax on jet fuel. one of the things they want to do is fl y as “The evidence is already there. The much as they do in America and Europe. very fact that the industry needs Cor- This could increase aviation emissions sia [the International Civil Aviation by 83% by 2050 in a business-as-usual Organization’s Carbon O„ setting and scenario,” Adair Turner, former chair- Reduction Scheme for International man of the UK Climate Change Com- Aviation] to deliver on its short-term mission and current head of the Energy goal [to achieve carbon-neutral growth Transitions Commission, told the Royal from 2020] tells us that, in real terms, Aeronautical Society’s Greener by De- emissions are going to be much higher sign conference in London in November. after 2020—even with technological Turner believes the aviation in- advances,” says Tim Johnson, director dustry’s target to halve emissions by of UK-based campaign group Aviation 2050 should be doubled to a 100% re- Environment Federation (AEF). duction—a goal he says is achievable “All the forecasts suggest that while without carbon-offsetting. However, there will be continuous [efficien- Environmental campaigners have cy] improvements, the big, radical step-changes in technology are un- singled out aviation as being a major likely to happen before 2050,” he says. contributor to climate change, and Johnson acknowledges we will see the pressure is mounting. ISTOCK/GETTY IMAGE PLUS

32 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 33 SUSTAINABILITY

it”—he warns airlines will likely face Airlines Are on the Defensive, With similar legislative pressure. “[The aviation industry’s] usual Industry Targets Seen as Outdated tactics don’t seem to be working— they’re up against climate science,” > EUROPE PREPARES MORE TAXES TO CURB AVIATION GROWTH says Murphy. “The electricity sector in Europe is going greener and there is a > FLEET RENEWAL PRESENTS THE BIGGEST SHORT-TERM OPPORTUNITY huge uptake of electric [road] vehicles, TO CUT EMISSIONS but we will see nothing from the avia- tion sector. This paints a pretty nega- Jens Flottau Frankfurt tive picture for aviation.” But IATA insists the actions it has iovanni Bisignani’s communi- ernments alike to do more about its taken and the emissions-reduction tar- cations style did not meet with environmental impact. The Interna- gets it has set are effective. In a Dec. Geveryone’s approval: “Basta,” tional Council on Clean Transporta- 12 statement, it said carbon emissions he would say to regulators at Inter- tion calculated that aviation emissions per passenger have declined by more national Air Transport Association rose 32% between 2013 and 2018. than 50% since 1990, and Corsia would (IATA) events in his native Italian “Even though the aviation sector’s “ensure carbon-neutral growth on in- when he wanted to convey “enough is emissions make up just 3.6% of global ternational flights from 2020 and raise enough.” While the former IATA di- emissions and continued fuel-efficien- around $40 billion in climate finance.” rector general and CEO described it cy gains have partially decoupled CO2 IATA says the industry will reduce JOEPREISAVIATION.NET emissions further in the longer term through clean technology, but this will require a “financially sound airline sector capable of funding the signifi- cant investments that will be needed to make flying sustainable.” It contin- ues to argue vociferously against the additional taxes. “Taxation aimed at stopping people from exercising their freedom to fly will make travel more expensive but do very little to reduce emissions,” says IATA Director Gener- al Alexandre de Juniac. “Governments must focus their efforts correctly. Flying drives pros- perity. It is not the enemy. Cutting carbon must be at the forefront. And government leadership is needed to incentivize the commercialization of sustainable aviation fuels, drive effi- ciencies in air traffic management and support research into next-generation Air travel has grown too fast for airlines to be able to cut total emissions. low-carbon energy sources.” But such rhetoric will do little to as “shouting politely,” views differ on emissions from expanding air transport convince critics that the aviation in- just how polite and how effective the services, it is nevertheless one of the dustry is not abdicating responsibility approach was. few sectors where emissions continue for its contribution to global warming. One of Bisignani’s achievement can- to grow,” said Henrik Hololei, the Euro- Indeed, airlines might find demand for not be overestimated, however. He pean Commission’s director general for air travel waning naturally if the “flyg- moved aviation into an active position mobility and transport, at the Interna- skam” movement, spearheaded by by defining clear environmental targets tional Aviation Club in Washington re- Swedish climate change activist Greta 10 years ago, when few others inside or cently. “This is not sustainable.” Thunberg, gathers pace and consum- outside the industry felt the need to do Like few other industries, and unlike ers shun air travel to reduce their own so. The goal was to improve fuel efficien- much bigger polluters, the sector must carbon footprints. cy by 1.5% per year, achieve carbon-neu- now play defense and highlight what it “Let’s see in 2020 what effect the tral growth starting in 2020 and reduce considers to be its many environmen- ‘Greta effect’ is having on demand,” emissions by 50% until 2050. tal achievements to fend off more tax- says Murphy. c Now that 2020 has arrived, and the es or even more draconian measures. age of self-proclaimed carbon-neutral The proposed measures include a ban Check 6 ’s Nancy growth is supposed to begin, the scene on domestic air travel, demanded by Young discusses the industry’s work to make is very different. Aviation, more than more than a few in Germany, or the aviation cleaner. Is it enough? Listen in and any other industry, is under pressure abolishment of frequent-flier pro- then decide: AviationWeek.com/podcast from environmental groups and gov- grams, as suggested in a recent study

34 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST JANUARY 2020

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MRO 4 NEWS BRIEFS & CONTRACTS MAINTENANCE CHECK SAFETY & REGULATORY MRO 6 Europe Advances ICA Changes Word of the Year MRO 6 Beyond the MAX appy 2020! Instead of MRO 9 ARSA Update creating new year’s INTERVIEW Hresolutions, a friend MRO 10 of mine selects a word of the If you were to select Vincenzo Quaranta on the year to serve as a guidepost. engineering and maintenance a word to guide you division’s new capabilities and Her word this year is grateful. technology projects If you were to select a word through the year, ENGINES to guide you through the year, what would it be? MRO 12 Full Shop what would it be? The engine aftermarket is A word for the robust commer - else, there’s always a tinge of nerves booming, but with demand cial aviation aftermarket—pegged at about what surprises it could bring outstripping supply, MRO $82.5 billion in 2020 by Aviation Week to the operation that we did not take shops are adjusting their Network forecasts—could be many into our calculations,” Ahmed Safa, strategies things: opportunistic, constrained, Emirates vice president of engineer- OPERATIONS innovative, challenging or optimized. ing and maintenance, tells Inside Take “opportunistic” and “con- MRO. “But so far, we have not had a MRO 15 Latin America strained”. The $82.5 billion market single question mark about whether MRO Investment Surges is projected to grow to $106.8 it was a good decision.” Possibilities and potential abound, but there are billion in 2029. Over the While data-driven de- questions as well decade, OEMs will de- cisions will make the liver 23,300 new air- industry more effi- MRO 16 Emirates’ Customized 777 MRO craft, and operators cient, Ray Valeika, Boeing’s Optimized Maintenance Program tailors will retire 10,765. an industry veter- services to the carrier’s Engine-makers an who has closely environment will deliver more followed advanc- than 46,640 en- ing technologies’ AVIONICS gines and spares. impact on aviation, MRO 17 Industry Focused on The engine mar- brings up several in- ‘In’ as ADS-B ‘Out’ Arrives ket, which represents teresting points in his American Airlines will start 42% of total spending, is guest editorial (see page IS S TO PLU installing ADS-B In systems higher this year, largely due CK-GETTY IMAGES MRO 25), including the this year on more than 300 to more expensive shop visits and question of data privacy, which Airbus A321s spare parts. With mature engines we all face in our personal lives. staying on wing longer and newer While technology advancements WORKFORCE engines coming into the shop earlier, bring many benefits, they also bring MRO 19 Tackling Workforce in Texas it’s creating a traffic jam. James Pozzi challenges. Just the data piece alone Port San Antonio pursues does an excellent job examining the poses many—including being in dif- STEM and innovation growth capacity constraints and how compa- ferent formats, with much trapped on nies are adapting (see page MRO 12). paper, not to mention security. PROGRAM FOCUS Optimizing is a key word for almost As Valeika says, “progress brings MRO 21 The E175’s Long Run everything that happens in this in - challenges.” Large-scale retirements of dustry, and tools such as data-driven So in addition to a word of the the E175 after the E175-E2 maintenance can help achieve that. year, I’d like to propose a quote of the enters service appear unlikely For instance, Emirates Airline has year, too: “You can’t stop the waves, been collaborating with Boeing, using but you can learn to surf,” says Jon MRO LINKS its Optimized Maintenance Program Kabat-Zinn. c MRO 24 Engine Essentials to streamline its 777 maintenance (see page MRO 16). By evaluating —Lee Ann Shay VIEWPOINT Emirates’ operational data and con- MRO 25 Ray Valeika sidering its unique operating envi- Keep up with Shay at Aircraft Data Rights ronment, the program has extended MRO-Network.com COVER: MTU AERO ENGINES both A and C checks. “Like everything and on Twitter @AvWeekLeeAnn

AviationWeek.com/MRO INSIDEMRO JANUARY 2020 MRO3 M News Briefs

Highlights Contracts AFI KLM E&M was selected by Defense Stocks Led Gains, Boeing Lags for component maintenance . Publicly traded shares of aerospace and defense companies in most of the Western world ended 2019 about 34% above where they began a year ago Aircraft Propeller Service won a five- and 6% above major stock market indices, Wakk Street analysts said in year Lion Air contract to provide propeller year-end reports. Looking at the two major components, defense and commercial aero- maintenance support initially for up to 100 space, defense stocks roared ahead in 2019 while aerospace stocks were held ATR 72s out of Lake Zurich, Illinois. It plans back by sector leader Boeing, which ended 2019 with its stock essentially in 2020 to launch a facility in the Asia-Paci c fl at. Rival Airbus saw its stock gain 55% for the year. region to handle the account. According to Vertical Research Partners, global defense shares were up 40% in 2019 (or 13% above the S&P 500 benchmark), while global aerospace was up 30% (about the same as the S&P). Global airlines rose more than 15%. C&L Aerospace signed an exclusive sup- In aerospace, Triumph Group led growth with a 120% gain, a notable plier agreement with Thai Aviation Indus- turnaround from 2018, when it fell nearly 60%. Next came Arconic, up about tries to support the Thai Air Force’s  eet of 80%, followed by TransDigm Group, 65%, and MTU Aero, 61%. Six major Saab 340s. companies declined in 2019: Rolls-Royce, down 17%, Embraer, 12%, Senior, 9%, Astronics, 8%, Bombardier, 5%, and Textron, 3%. Czech Airlines Technic won a Jet2.com Aviatic MRO and IAI in Discussions contract to provide Boeing 737NG heavy maintenance at Prague. Aviatic MRO is in discussions with Israel Aerospace Industries to either partner or establish AVIATIC MRO Gol Aerotech was established at Confi ns noncompeting busi- nesses at Siauliai In- Airport in Minas Gerais, Brazil, to provide ternational Airport, 737/767 maintenance for Gol and third par- which is a civilian ties out of a 145,000 m2 (1,561,000 ft.2) facility and military airport able to service 80 aircraft per year. Capital located near Lithu- ania’s fourth-largest Group and DAE are among its rst customers. city. Neither company would provide details KF Aerospace won an con- of the discussions. tract to provide and A330 and Aviatic is in the Aviatic MRO is a new company opening in 737NG heavy maintenance/mods at Hamil- process of building a Lithuania. hangar and plans to ton, Ontario. o› er “full-service operations” for Airbus A320s and Boeing 737s—includ- ing D checks and asset management—in 2021. As it ramps up, it is o› ering KLM UK Engineering won a long-term parking services and small-scale repairs that do not require a hangar. BA CityFlyer contract to provide casualty/ Aviatic is investing €20 million ($22 million) to create its new MRO ad-hoc E-Jet base maintenance at Norwich, services. England.

AAR in Settlement Talks With Justice Department Lufthansa Technik (LHT) won a Novair con- Major aircraft MRO and services provider AAR said late Dec. 19 that it is tract (as launch customer) to provide Leap 1A in settlement discussions with the U.S. Justice Department over potential maintenance for two A321neos. LHT also se- False Claims Act violations the company disclosed in 2018. cured an MOU from All Nippon Airways for “We have recently entered into settlement discussions with the [Justice technical collaboration on MRO. Department]; we are happy to take a step toward resolving this matter,” AAR Chief Financial Oª cer Sean Gillen said. “However, there is no assur- ance that any settlement will be achieved. We will keep you updated as these MTU Maintenance Zhuhai won an exclu- discussions progress.” sive 10-year Airlines contract to The potential violations stem from a whistleblower lawsuit over the AAR provide CFM56-7B maintenance/overhaul. Airlift unit’s work for the Defense Department. The Justice investigation was unveiled July 2018. AAR stressed it has been cooperating. Rolls-Royce won a $1.2 billion contract to Gillen gave the update to fi nancial analysts during a teleconference on the company’s second-quarter fi scal 2020 results. AAR reported sales of maintain AE 1107C engines on Boeing V-22s $560.9 million and income from continuing operations of $20.1 million, or for the U.S. Marine Corps, Navy and Air $0.57 per diluted share. A year ago, the company reported sales of $493.3 Force. million and $11.2 million, and earnings per share of $0.32. c Contract Source: SpeedNews

MRO INSIDEMRO JANUARY 2020 AviationWeek.com/MRO M News Briefs

Highlights Contracts AFI KLM E&M was selected by Fiji Airways Defense Stocks Led Gains, Boeing Lags for Airbus A350 component maintenance . Publicly traded shares of aerospace and defense companies in most of the Western world ended 2019 about 34% above where they began a year ago Aircraft Propeller Service won a five- and 6% above major stock market indices, Wakk Street analysts said in year Lion Air contract to provide propeller year-end reports. Looking at the two major components, defense and commercial aero- maintenance support initially for up to 100 space, defense stocks roared ahead in 2019 while aerospace stocks were held ATR 72s out of Lake Zurich, Illinois. It plans VENUE: ETHIOPIAN SKYLIGHT HOTEL, ADDIS ABABA, ETHIOPIA back by sector leader Boeing, which ended 2019 with its stock essentially in 2020 to launch a facility in the Asia-Paci c fl at. Rival Airbus saw its stock gain 55% for the year. region to handle the account. According to Vertical Research Partners, global defense shares were up DATE: TUESDAY, 4 — THURSDAY, 6 FEBRUARY, 2020 40% in 2019 (or 13% above the S&P 500 benchmark), while global aerospace was up 30% (about the same as the S&P). Global airlines rose more than 15%. C&L Aerospace signed an exclusive sup- In aerospace, Triumph Group led growth with a 120% gain, a notable plier agreement with Thai Aviation Indus- turnaround from 2018, when it fell nearly 60%. Next came Arconic, up about tries to support the Thai Air Force’s  eet of 80%, followed by TransDigm Group, 65%, and MTU Aero, 61%. Six major Saab 340s. HOSTED BY: companies declined in 2019: Rolls-Royce, down 17%, Embraer, 12%, Senior, 9%, Astronics, 8%, Bombardier, 5%, and Textron, 3%. Czech Airlines Technic won a Jet2.com Aviatic MRO and IAI in Discussions contract to provide Boeing 737NG heavy maintenance at Prague. Aviatic MRO is in discussions with Israel Aerospace Industries to either partner or establish AVIATIC MRO Gol Aerotech was established at Confi ns noncompeting busi- nesses at Siauliai In- Airport in Minas Gerais, Brazil, to provide ternational Airport, 737/767 maintenance for Gol and third par- which is a civilian ties out of a 145,000 m2 (1,561,000 ft.2) facility and military airport able to service 80 aircraft per year. Capital located near Lithu- ania’s fourth-largest Group and DAE are among its rst customers. city. Neither company would provide details KF Aerospace won an Air Transat con- of the discussions. tract to provide Airbus A321 and A330 and Aviatic is in the Aviatic MRO is a new company opening in 737NG heavy maintenance/mods at Hamil- Around 400 MRO, Training, airline and industry representatives from the world’s leading MRO, OEM & Training process of building a Lithuania. hangar and plans to ton, Ontario. Organisations and African airlines and aircraft operators will attend AFRICAN AVIATION 2020—30TH ANNIVERSARY o› er “full-service operations” for Airbus A320s and Boeing 737s—includ- Comprising the 29th MRO Africa and 8th African Aviation Training Conference & Exhibition to discuss critical KLM UK Engineering won a long-term ing D checks and asset management—in 2021. As it ramps up, it is o› ering industry issues, to spend valuable time networking with each other and to forge mutually-beneficial and lasting parking services and small-scale repairs that do not require a hangar. BA CityFlyer contract to provide casualty/ business relationships. This unique event will be held in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, from 4th-6th February, 2020, and will Aviatic is investing €20 million ($22 million) to create its new MRO ad-hoc E-Jet base maintenance at Norwich, services. be hosted by the Group. England. OFFICIAL MEDIA PARTNER: SPONSORS & SUPPORTERS INCLUDE: Lufthansa Technik (LHT) won a Novair con- AAR in Settlement Talks With Justice Department Major aircraft MRO and services provider AAR said late Dec. 19 that it is tract (as launch customer) to provide Leap 1A Lead Sponsors: in settlement discussions with the U.S. Justice Department over potential maintenance for two A321neos. LHT also se- False Claims Act violations the company disclosed in 2018. cured an MOU from All Nippon Airways for “We have recently entered into settlement discussions with the [Justice technical collaboration on Boeing 777X MRO. Department]; we are happy to take a step toward resolving this matter,” AAR Chief Financial Oª cer Sean Gillen said. “However, there is no assur- ance that any settlement will be achieved. We will keep you updated as these MTU Maintenance Zhuhai won an exclu- discussions progress.” sive 10-year contract to The potential violations stem from a whistleblower lawsuit over the AAR provide CFM56-7B maintenance/overhaul. Airlift unit’s work for the Defense Department. The Justice investigation was unveiled July 2018. AAR stressed it has been cooperating. Rolls-Royce won a $1.2 billion contract to Gillen gave the update to fi nancial analysts during a teleconference on For more info please contact: NICK FADUGBA, CEO the company’s second-quarter fi scal 2020 results. AAR reported sales of maintain AE 1107C engines on Boeing V-22s $560.9 million and income from continuing operations of $20.1 million, or for the U.S. Marine Corps, Navy and Air AFRICAN AVIATION SERVICES LIMITED $0.57 per diluted share. A year ago, the company reported sales of $493.3 Force. Tel: +44 1206 844288 ♦ Email: [email protected] ♦ Website: www.africanaviation.com million and $11.2 million, and earnings per share of $0.32. c Contract Source: SpeedNews

MRO INSIDEMRO JANUARY 2020 AviationWeek.com/MRO M Safety & Regulatory

side the scope of the ICA—a point that Europe Advances many in the maintenance industry have lamented for years. The Aeronautical ICA Changes Repair Station Association’s (ARSA) comments on the proposal elaborated The European Union repaired product, part or appliance on the issue, arguing that EASA’s pro- Agency (EASA) has taken the next may be released into service before posal continues to leave a gap between step in its revisions to instructions the related instructions for continued DAH requirements and those MRO for continued airworthiness (ICA) and airworthiness have been completed, providers must follow. “The Part M and related parts-marking rules, updating but this shall be for a limited service Part 145 requirements are not limited a draft proposal following industry period, and in agreement with the to components referenced in airwor- input and presenting it to the Euro - agency,” EASA explains. thiness limitations or those having a pean Commission for consideration. The regulation will define an ICA as recommended scheduled maintenance The revamped opinion includes a few any maintenance information that ref- interval in the product’s ICA,” ARSA changes based on industry feedback, erences airworthiness limitations, the argued. “They apply to all components.” but it is likely to leave maintenance accomplishment of scheduled mainte- EASA’s response to such comments providers wanting more. nance—such as the periodic removal was that its goal is to improve safety, The rulemaking’s most significant of a component for an inspection or not address commercial consider- proposed change—incorporating the test—referenced in the product ICA or ations. The rulemaking’s next steps ICA into the applicable EASA type when a design approval holder (DAH) are adoption by the EC and final pub- certificates (TC)—remains in place. specifies information as an ICA. lication, including guidance material. One change from the draft: The ICA EASA’s definition means some com- EASA expects the new regulations to for repair design approvals do not have ponent maintenance manuals (CMM) be in place by the end of 2021. c to be made available right away. “The will continue to be categorized as out- —Sean Broderick

Beyond NIGEL HOWARTH/AW&ST the MAX The FAA has been under intense scrutiny by U.S. lawmakers in view of the Boeing 737 MAX crisis and its link to product certification. But a recent report ordered by Congress on an unrelated matter has prompted Allegiant’s engine reliability issues persisted until it retired its MD-80 fleet. the agency to make changes in how it oversees airlines. spotlighting issues at the Las Vegas- “During our review of FAA’s records, The FAA plans to improve train- based carrier. The OIG focused on we could not find documentation or ing and guidance for its inspectors to two serious problems plaguing Alle- evidence that inspectors consistently address gaps found by a Transporta- giant: MD-80 engine shutdowns, and tracked the engine risk, which incorrect- tion Department Office of Inspector mistakes traced to work done at AAR ly suggested that the carrier had suc- General (OIG) audit conducted from Corp. on Allegiant’s aircraft. cessfully mitigated the risk,” the OIG’s August 2017 to October 2019. While Allegiant experienced 28 shutdowns final report says. The OIG also noted the agency and auditors agreed on in 2011-16, disclosing them to the FAA. that a certificate-holder evaluation pro- most findings, they remain divided on Despite signs of increased risk, FAA cess (CHEP) carrier-wide audit was not whether the outcome of an uninten- inspectors did not document the is- customized to address apparent risks. tional violation should be a factor in sues, “in part because they weren’t CHEPs are done every five years, but in enforcement decisions. adequately trained on the new safety Allegiant’s case, it was accelerated. Originally, lawmakers asked the assurance system and did not believe “According to the national review OIG to examine the agency’s Compli- the new process required the reports,” team lead, the local FAA inspection of- ance Program (CP), part of its Safety the OIG found. fice had already convened the SAT to Assurance System that emphasizes While Allegiant’s engine issues were address overheated engines, and the training and education, not punitive not tracked, the FAA in 2016 convened team believed the SAT was addressing penalties, for unintentional errors. three separate system-analysis teams the issue,” the report states. “However, The audit began as an industry-wide (SAT) to examine the shutdowns. Cor- it took more than two years before the look but became focused on Allegiant rective actions were agreed upon, but SAT could agree on a plan to mitigate Air when congressional concerns were the shutdowns persisted until the car- the engine risk, and ultimately the risk stoked by a CBS “60 Minutes” report rier retired its MD-80 fleet in late 2018. was not mitigated until

MRO6 INSIDEMRO JANUARY 2020 AviationWeek.com/MRO M Safety & Regulatory side the scope of the ICA—a point that Europe Advances many in the maintenance industry have lamented for years. The Aeronautical ICA Changes Repair Station Association’s (ARSA) comments on the proposal elaborated The European Union Aviation Safety repaired product, part or appliance on the issue, arguing that EASA’s pro- Agency (EASA) has taken the next may be released into service before posal continues to leave a gap between step in its revisions to instructions the related instructions for continued DAH requirements and those MRO for continued airworthiness (ICA) and airworthiness have been completed, providers must follow. “The Part M and related parts-marking rules, updating but this shall be for a limited service Part 145 requirements are not limited a draft proposal following industry period, and in agreement with the to components referenced in airwor- input and presenting it to the Euro - agency,” EASA explains. thiness limitations or those having a pean Commission for consideration. The regulation will define an ICA as recommended scheduled maintenance The revamped opinion includes a few any maintenance information that ref- interval in the product’s ICA,” ARSA changes based on industry feedback, erences airworthiness limitations, the argued. “They apply to all components.” but it is likely to leave maintenance accomplishment of scheduled mainte- EASA’s response to such comments providers wanting more. nance—such as the periodic removal was that its goal is to improve safety, The rulemaking’s most significant of a component for an inspection or not address commercial consider- proposed change—incorporating the test—referenced in the product ICA or ations. The rulemaking’s next steps ICA into the applicable EASA type when a design approval holder (DAH) are adoption by the EC and final pub- certificates (TC)—remains in place. specifies information as an ICA. lication, including guidance material. One change from the draft: The ICA EASA’s definition means some com- EASA expects the new regulations to for repair design approvals do not have ponent maintenance manuals (CMM) be in place by the end of 2021. c to be made available right away. “The will continue to be categorized as out- —Sean Broderick

Beyond NIGEL HOWARTH/AW&ST the MAX The FAA has been under intense scrutiny by U.S. lawmakers in view of the Boeing 737 MAX crisis and its link to product certification. But a recent report ordered by Congress on an unrelated matter has prompted Allegiant’s engine reliability issues persisted until it retired its MD-80 fleet. the agency to make changes in how it oversees airlines. spotlighting issues at the Las Vegas- “During our review of FAA’s records, The FAA plans to improve train- based carrier. The OIG focused on we could not find documentation or ing and guidance for its inspectors to two serious problems plaguing Alle- evidence that inspectors consistently address gaps found by a Transporta- giant: MD-80 engine shutdowns, and tracked the engine risk, which incorrect- tion Department Office of Inspector mistakes traced to work done at AAR ly suggested that the carrier had suc- General (OIG) audit conducted from Corp. on Allegiant’s aircraft. cessfully mitigated the risk,” the OIG’s August 2017 to October 2019. While Allegiant experienced 28 shutdowns final report says. The OIG also noted the agency and auditors agreed on in 2011-16, disclosing them to the FAA. that a certificate-holder evaluation pro- most findings, they remain divided on Despite signs of increased risk, FAA cess (CHEP) carrier-wide audit was not whether the outcome of an uninten- inspectors did not document the is- customized to address apparent risks. tional violation should be a factor in sues, “in part because they weren’t CHEPs are done every five years, but in enforcement decisions. adequately trained on the new safety Allegiant’s case, it was accelerated. Originally, lawmakers asked the assurance system and did not believe “According to the national review OIG to examine the agency’s Compli- the new process required the reports,” team lead, the local FAA inspection of- ance Program (CP), part of its Safety the OIG found. fice had already convened the SAT to Assurance System that emphasizes While Allegiant’s engine issues were address overheated engines, and the training and education, not punitive not tracked, the FAA in 2016 convened team believed the SAT was addressing penalties, for unintentional errors. three separate system-analysis teams the issue,” the report states. “However, The audit began as an industry-wide (SAT) to examine the shutdowns. Cor- it took more than two years before the look but became focused on Allegiant rective actions were agreed upon, but SAT could agree on a plan to mitigate Air when congressional concerns were the shutdowns persisted until the car- the engine risk, and ultimately the risk stoked by a CBS “60 Minutes” report rier retired its MD-80 fleet in late 2018. was not mitigated until Allegiant Air

MRO6 INSIDEMRO JANUARY 2020 AviationWeek.com/MRO M Safety & Regulatory retired the fleet.” compliance posture, willingness, and revise its inspector guidance so that The AAR incidents were more eye- ability to implement an effective cor- “severity of outcomes” is a factor in opening. The FAA discovered that an rective action plan.” whether to proceed with CP or enforce- overhaul on an elevator component The OIG also concluded that “the se- ment actions. done by AAR in 2016 did not follow riousness of this case raised questions “The FAA disagrees that severity mandated procedures. A cotter pin within FAA about the effectiveness of should be a key factor in this determi- was not reinstalled, and AAR did not the Compliance Program and whether nation,” the agency replies to the OIG. conduct a required secondary inspec- the decision to address the severity of “Certain behaviors, such as intention- tion designed to catch such issues. This the violation with nonpunitive action ally acting contrary to the regulations incident, combined with similar issues, was consistent with FAA’s safety policy.” or reckless behavior, represent the prompted local inspectors to recom- An independent FAA review found AAR highest risk to safety, regardless of the mend a 30-day suspension of the appli- “demonstrated patterns of behavior and severity of a particular violation.” cable AAR repair station certificate. A performance that represented an unac- The OIG counters that the agency’s review by regional FAA officials, done ceptable risk to safety,” the OIG said. 8900.1 CP guidance calls on inspectors under CP, overturned the suspension Despite these findings, the FAA did not to consider enforcement when they de- recommendation and ordered it closed. take enforcement action. The agency tect “conduct that creates or threatens “The disparate proposed actions in closed the cases in March 2017. to create a significant risk to safety” this case occurred because FAA did not The OIG’s report includes nine rec- and urges the FAA to reconsider. use a process to address disputes be- ommendations—most focusing on The FAA plans to update its guid- tween FAA offices,” the OIG says. “Ac- improving inspector training and en- ance but not its philosophy. “We do rec- cording to FAA’s independent team as- suring that information gleaned from ognize that clarification of this aspect signed to review this case, the regional certificate-holder oversight is shared of the compliance and enforcement office lacked sufficient interdependence across FAA offices and factors into pos- policy is necessary in light of the draft because it failed to consult inspectors sible enforcement actions. The FAA report findings, and intend to update responsible for oversight of Allegiant has pledged to address eight of them that guidance by Oct. 31, 2020,” the and its maintenance provider to gain by the end of October. The OIG’s ninth FAA says. c insight into the maintenance provider’s recommendation calls on the FAA to —Sean Broderick

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MRO8 INSIDEMRO JANUARY 2020 AviationWeek.com/MRO M Safety & Regulatory M Safety & Regulatory retired the fleet.” compliance posture, willingness, and revise its inspector guidance so that The AAR incidents were more eye- ability to implement an effective cor- “severity of outcomes” is a factor in opening. The FAA discovered that an rective action plan.” whether to proceed with CP or enforce- ARSA UPDATE overhaul on an elevator component The OIG also concluded that “the se- ment actions. done by AAR in 2016 did not follow riousness of this case raised questions “The FAA disagrees that severity sary restrictions and requirements on mandated procedures. A cotter pin within FAA about the effectiveness of should be a key factor in this determi- The Best and Worst of Times foreign repair stations and their em- was not reinstalled, and AAR did not the Compliance Program and whether nation,” the agency replies to the OIG. ployees, create burdensome reporting conduct a required secondary inspec- the decision to address the severity of “Certain behaviors, such as intention- IF YOU’RE LOOKING FOR EXAMPLES coalition meetings with congressional obligations for airlines and their main- tion designed to catch such issues. This the violation with nonpunitive action ally acting contrary to the regulations of policymaking at its best and worst, offices to educate lawmakers about tenance vendors, and prevent the FAA incident, combined with similar issues, was consistent with FAA’s safety policy.” or reckless behavior, represent the search no further than two of the big- the maintenance industry technician from certificating new repair stations prompted local inspectors to recom- An independent FAA review found AAR highest risk to safety, regardless of the gest issues the aviation maintenance in- shortage and pitch the grant program outside the U.S. All that would almost mend a 30-day suspension of the appli- “demonstrated patterns of behavior and severity of a particular violation.” dustry is grappling with on Capitol Hill. as a solution. certainly lead to retaliation against the cable AAR repair station certificate. A performance that represented an unac- The OIG counters that the agency’s review by regional FAA officials, done ceptable risk to safety,” the OIG said. 8900.1 CP guidance calls on inspectors ARSA’s signature achievement of the Slowly but surely, more members of more than 1,500 U.S. repair stations under CP, overturned the suspension Despite these findings, the FAA did not to consider enforcement when they de- past two years—creating a new grant Congress joined the bill as co-spon- with foreign approvals and make it recommendation and ordered it closed. take enforcement action. The agency tect “conduct that creates or threatens program to support aviation technical sors. Before long, a quarter of the Sen- more difficult, or impossible, to serve “The disparate proposed actions in closed the cases in March 2017. to create a significant risk to safety” workforce development as part of the ate and more than 20 representatives international customers. this case occurred because FAA did not The OIG’s report includes nine rec- and urges the FAA to reconsider. 2018 FAA bill and getting it fully fund- had signed on. Because of that bipar- The unions have a strong ally in use a process to address disputes be- ommendations—most focusing on The FAA plans to update its guid- ed through this year’s appropriations tisan support, the grant program was House Transportation & Infrastructure tween FAA offices,” the OIG says. “Ac- improving inspector training and en- ance but not its philosophy. “We do rec- process—is a great example of how included in the FAA bill and eventually Committee Chairman Peter DeFazio cording to FAA’s independent team as- suring that information gleaned from ognize that clarification of this aspect the legislative process is supposed to signed into law and legally authorized. (D-Ore.), a long-time contract mainte- signed to review this case, the regional certificate-holder oversight is shared of the compliance and enforcement work. In stark contrast, a union-driven Over the past year, ARSA has contin- nance critic, who introduced H.R. 5119 office lacked sufficient interdependence across FAA offices and factors into pos- policy is necessary in light of the draft legislative campaign to make it harder ued to lead the coalition and pressed on Nov. 15 and rammed it through his because it failed to consult inspectors sible enforcement actions. The FAA report findings, and intend to update for air carriers to use contract mainte- Congress to provide full funding. The committee five days later. There were responsible for oversight of Allegiant has pledged to address eight of them that guidance by Oct. 31, 2020,” the and its maintenance provider to gain by the end of October. The OIG’s ninth FAA says. c nance shows what happens when the hard work paid off: In December, Con- no hearings, no outreach to industry insight into the maintenance provider’s recommendation calls on the FAA to —Sean Broderick process is subverted. gress fully funded the program at $5 and no attempt to build consensus. million for fiscal 2020. In ARSA’s press statement when the POLICYMAKING AT ITS BEST . . . bill passed committee, I called it “poli- In recent years, ARSA has heard loud . . . AND AT ITS WORST cymaking at its worst.” I stand by that and clear from its members that the Contrast that story with recent events statement. No-huddle offense may win technician shortage is the biggest stra- surrounding the Safe Aircraft Mainte- football games, but it’s a loser when tegic threat to the maintenance indus- nance Standards Act (H.R. 5119), a bill making policy, particularly in a heavily try—so we set about solving the prob- making its way through Congress that regulated sector like aviation safety. lem. In early 2018, over the course of would hurt repair stations, commercial In response to the threat posed by many conversations about the skills and general aviation operators and H.R. 5119, ARSA is leading another co- gap, with staffers working for mem- aerospace manufacturers. alition to fight the bill, and as 2020 gets bers of Congress from both political Although unions representing air- underway, the association is preparing parties in both the House and Senate, line mechanics were essential allies in to expend considerable resources the idea of a grant program to recruit our grant program campaign and an defending industry (resources we’d and train technicians took shape. Even- important part of our coalition, they’ve rather devote to addressing the skills Banking expertise aviation tually, we put pen to paper and came been fighting contract maintenance for gap). We’re going to engage with both up with a concrete proposal. Then we decades. Repair stations are highly ef- sides of the aisle in both chambers of started reaching out to other aviation ficient and have helped airlines reduce Congress, explain the facts, dispel the industry leaders rely on. industry stakeholder groups—includ- maintenance costs while improving myths and build consensus that H.R. ing labor organizations—to build sup- their safety records. Today, there are six 5119 is bad idea. In other words, we’re As leaders in financing for the aviation and For additional information, please contact: port for the idea. times more technicians working at U.S. going to do it the right way. Hopefully transportation industries, Synovus has closed Once the concept had passed the repair stations than there are mechanics lawmakers will recognize that’s the nearly a billion dollars in commercial loans Anita Aedo laugh test with our industry peers at airlines. Contract maintenance is no best way to make policy. c over the past five years. This not only speaks SVP, Middle Market Banking and we had a coalition (which eventu- longer a trend; it’s the way business is to our experience, but to the trust of our 5900 Bird Road, Miami, FL 33155 ally grew to more than 40 groups), we done. Rather than embracing that new Christian A. Klein is the managing clients as well. So, whether you need a term 305.669.6361 worked with our partners to identify reality, labor organizations are still fight- member of Obadal, Filler, MacLeod & loan to finance a purchase or a revolving line [email protected] ing to force air carriers to bring the work Klein, overseeing the firm’s policy of credit for working capital, let Synovus fuel Synovus.com/Aviation four senators and four representatives your business’s growth today. (two Democrats and two Republicans back “in-house” and prevent them from advocacy practice. He is executive in each chamber) willing to introduce using repair stations outside the U.S. vice president of the Aeronautical All loans subject to credit approval. legislation. After the bills were intro- H.R. 5119 is a new front in that on- Repair Station Association. Synovus Bank, Member FDIC. duced, ARSA coordinated dozens of going war. It would impose unneces-

MRO8 INSIDEMRO JANUARY 2020 AviationWeek.com/MRO AviationWeek.com/MRO INSIDEMRO JANUARY 2020 MRO9 ALITALIA M Interview Alitalia Alitalia’s engineering and maintenance division is adding capabilities and hopes to fully implement new technology projects this year. Vincenzo Quaranta, head of marketing and sales for engineering and mainte- nance, discusses Alitalia’s MRO plans with Lee Ann Shay.

What is Alitalia’s maintenance have a long-term agreement, and for strategy for its own fleet, in terms of the Embraer regional fleet, for which insourcing and outsourcing? we have single-check agreements. We choose the same maintenance provid- Alitalia Fact Box The maintenance strategy for the next er for our Embraer aircraft for logisti- FLEET SIZE: year is to continue mixing insourc- cal reasons and because there aren’t The airline has 113 ing and outsourcing. We are target- many heavy maintenance providers aircraft: 22 A319s, 38 A320s, ing maximizing heavy maintenance for Embraers worldwide. seven A321s, 14 A330s, 12 savings while keeping a high level of For long-range aircraft, we use Boeing 777s, 15 E175s and five E190s flexibility. Next year we are going to Joramco, Singapore Airlines Engi- insource some Airbus A320 heavy neering Co., GMF AeroAsia, Etihad NUMBER OF AIRPORTS SERVED: maintenance because our long-term Airways Engineering and Haitec in 33 airports are directly served agreement with our provider allows Germany. by Alitalia maintenance us to process a certain number of personnel, and 60 are served heavy maintenance checks per year. Are you considering adding any new with supervision We’ve done that in previous years. in-house capabilities? Unlike our narrowbody contract, our MAINTENANCE AND ENGINEERING widebody contracts aren’t exclusive. We already have a huge in-house capa- STAFF SIZE: About 1,200 qualified engineers and certifying staff Each year we plan to outsource MRO bility, augmented by the certification for our long-range fleet, the A330s and recently gained for the IL check for MAINTENANCE BASE LOCATIONS: Boeing 777s. For some A330s, we have the 777-300s because we are going to Fiumicino Airport, Rome also recently insourced some C checks. do two heavy maintenance checks for a third-party customer at the begin- How far in advance do you have to ning of the year. We are also consider- we developed in the past few years and book slots? ing gaining approval for the A330 IL to gain some new acquisitions for base check and the 12-year check on A340. maintenance. For line maintenance we We prefer to book one year in advance Recently, we obtained the 6-year check are planning to increase the business but, at the latest, not less than six capability for the A330. at stations in Italy and Germany. For months before, because it’s very hard We now have full in-house capability the longer term, it depends on the new to find slot availability, especially in the for the A320 up to D checks and for the owner of Alitalia. Given that the com- Far East and Middle East. If you book A330 up to 6-year checks. We don’t op- pany is up for sale and the sale should longer than one year in advance, the erate the A340 but have in-house main- be finalized this year, future strategies costs, of course, increase. tenance capability for it because we will depend on the new shareholders. We do insource some long-range air- have third-party customers who oper- craft, particularly the A330, but not too ate the aircraft. Capabilities are added What is the latest news on the sale? many, in order to preserve slot availabil- based on our customers’ requests and ity for third-party customers. on our business development plans. The next milestone for the presenta- tion of a binding offer is the end of May. Are most of your heavy maintenance How much third-party maintenance contracts for only one year? Who are work does Alitalia perform? Alitalia started tearing down aircraft your providers? to balance heavy check costs and We do about 60% for third-party cus- spares prices. How many aircraft do We don’t have one-year contracts, but tomers and 40% for Alitalia. you plan to tear down this year, and single-check contracts or aggregate what type will they be? contracts for a few checks for the long- What are your third-party mainte- range fleet—the A330s and 777s—as nance near- and long-term plans? We don’t have any planned for 2020 be- well as the regional fleet. We use the Are you happy with that mix? cause our fleet will remain stable until same provider—Atitech in —for the sale. But if in the future we decide heavy maintenance on the A320, which We are happy with the mix for 2020. We to retire some older A320s, we could is our biggest fleet and for which we are planning to keep the portfolio that consider tearing them down.

MRO10 INSIDEMRO JANUARY 2020 AviationWeek.com/MRO ALITALIA M Interview

Is Alitalia tearing down third-party cus- with the e-logbook project, in which we Can you tell me more about the e-log- tomers’ aircraft, too? already invested during 2019. It will be book project? Alitalia finalized very soon. For drones, it’s Yes, we are tearing down an ATR 72 the same concept: We invested in it We are experimenting with e-logbooks Alitalia’s engineering and maintenance division is adding capabilities now, and this year we plan to tear down last year and recently awarded flight at our out stations because we perform and hopes to fully implement new technology projects this year. Vincenzo A320, ATR 72 and older Boeing 737 air- licenses to maintenance engineers so line maintenance at 33 stations world- Quaranta, head of marketing and sales for engineering and mainte- craft. We have several customers ask- they can fly them. We have also gained wide. We will start this year with wide- ing us to perform these services. Italian Aviation Authority certification body aircraft. There are some problems nance, discusses Alitalia’s MRO plans with Lee Ann Shay. as a drone operator and flight school. with the GSM connectivity on-site, but When Alitalia tears down aircraft, do you To certify the inspections in accor- we are continuing to do pilot tests to be What is Alitalia’s maintenance have a long-term agreement, and for also repair and certify the components? dance with the approved documen- ready early in the year. strategy for its own fleet, in terms of the Embraer regional fleet, for which tation (AMM, SRM, etc.), we need to At some stations, especially at New insourcing and outsourcing? we have single-check agreements. We Yes, we have a huge in-house capability, obtain an equivalence statement for the York's John F. Kennedy International choose the same maintenance provid- Alitalia Fact Box so we can remove and recertify compo- drone inspections and approval from Airport, we are having problems be- The maintenance strategy for the next er for our Embraer aircraft for logisti- nents for which we have in-house shop the local aviation authority. That pro- cause the GSM signal isn’t available in FLEET SIZE: year is to continue mixing insourc- cal reasons and because there aren’t The airline has 113 capability—especially for the A320. cess is ongoing. parking areas and aprons, where we ing and outsourcing. We are target- many heavy maintenance providers aircraft: 22 A319s, 38 A320s, Some components, however, we just sometimes have to perform mainte- seven A321s, 14 A330s, 12 ing maximizing heavy maintenance for Embraers worldwide. tear down and return to the customer When do you think you’ll receive the nance activities. We are solving such Boeing 777s, 15 E175s and savings while keeping a high level of For long-range aircraft, we use in as-removed condition. regulatory approval for that? problems with the line maintenance five E190s flexibility. Next year we are going to Joramco, Singapore Airlines Engi- duty managers of local stations be - insource some Airbus A320 heavy neering Co., GMF AeroAsia, Etihad NUMBER OF AIRPORTS SERVED: Alitalia has performed some drone We hope to get it in 2020. We are ready cause our target is to have the e-log- maintenance because our long-term Airways Engineering and Haitec in 33 airports are directly served tests. Do you have any technology to start—we just need the final approval book available wherever we need it. agreement with our provider allows Germany. by Alitalia maintenance investments planned for 2020, or is from the authority. Some stations don’t have GSM fields us to process a certain number of personnel, and 60 are served that on hold until the sale? at all airport areas. heavy maintenance checks per year. Are you considering adding any new with supervision Which drones are you using? Another challenge we are facing is We’ve done that in previous years. in-house capabilities? We aren’t planning any new invest- the cultural change associated with Unlike our narrowbody contract, our MAINTENANCE AND ENGINEERING ments for 2020, but we are going ahead The DJI Mavic. moving to paperless documentation. c widebody contracts aren’t exclusive. We already have a huge in-house capa- STAFF SIZE: About 1,200 qualified engineers and certifying staff Each year we plan to outsource MRO bility, augmented by the certification for our long-range fleet, the A330s and recently gained for the IL check for MAINTENANCE BASE LOCATIONS: Boeing 777s. For some A330s, we have the 777-300s because we are going to Fiumicino Airport, Rome also recently insourced some C checks. do two heavy maintenance checks for a third-party customer at the begin- How far in advance do you have to ning of the year. We are also consider- we developed in the past few years and book slots? ing gaining approval for the A330 IL to gain some new acquisitions for base check and the 12-year check on A340. maintenance. For line maintenance we A&P MECHANICS: We prefer to book one year in advance Recently, we obtained the 6-year check are planning to increase the business but, at the latest, not less than six capability for the A330. at stations in Italy and Germany. For UP TO $18,000 months before, because it’s very hard We now have full in-house capability the longer term, it depends on the new to find slot availability, especially in the for the A320 up to D checks and for the owner of Alitalia. Given that the com- SIGN-ON BONUS Far East and Middle East. If you book A330 up to 6-year checks. We don’t op- pany is up for sale and the sale should longer than one year in advance, the erate the A340 but have in-house main- be finalized this year, future strategies ExpressJet serves more than 110 airports across the , costs, of course, increase. tenance capability for it because we will depend on the new shareholders. Canada and Mexico, with over 3,300 weekly flights from bases in Chicago, Cleveland, Houston and Newark. We do insource some long-range air- have third-party customers who oper- craft, particularly the A330, but not too ate the aircraft. Capabilities are added What is the latest news on the sale? With the addition of 25 new Embraer E175 aircraft to our fleet this year, it has never been a more exciting time to join the ExpressJet many, in order to preserve slot availabil- based on our customers’ requests and maintenance team! ity for third-party customers. on our business development plans. The next milestone for the presenta- tion of a binding offer is the end of May. New Hire Bonuses being offered for a limited Are most of your heavy maintenance How much third-party maintenance time to A&P Mechanics! contracts for only one year? Who are work does Alitalia perform? Alitalia started tearing down aircraft A sign-on bonus of $4,000 for new hires in ORD, CLE and TYS; your providers? to balance heavy check costs and $2,500 for new hires in RIC and IAH. We do about 60% for third-party cus- spares prices. How many aircraft do PLUS: Experience sign-on bonus for new hires in ORD, CLE We don’t have one-year contracts, but tomers and 40% for Alitalia. you plan to tear down this year, and and TYS. $2,500 per year of experience, up to $12,500. single-check contracts or aggregate what type will they be? PLUS: A new hire relocation sign-on bonus of $1,500 for contracts for a few checks for the long- What are your third-party mainte- relocation to Chicago, Cleveland, Houston, Knoxville or range fleet—the A330s and 777s—as nance near- and long-term plans? We don’t have any planned for 2020 be- Richmond. well as the regional fleet. We use the cause our fleet will remain stable until Are you happy with that mix? For more information same provider—Atitech in Naples—for the sale. But if in the future we decide expressjet.com/careers [email protected] heavy maintenance on the A320, which We are happy with the mix for 2020. We to retire some older A320s, we could is our biggest fleet and for which we are planning to keep the portfolio that consider tearing them down.

MRO10 INSIDEMRO JANUARY 2020 AviationWeek.com/MRO AviationWeek.com/MRO INSIDEMRO JANUARY 2020 MRO11 M Engines Full Shop

The engine aftermarket is booming, but with demand outstripping supply, MRO shops are adjusting their strategies

James Pozzi London he end of 2019 saw a commercial aviation aftermarket buoyed by record MRO spending but one still skeptical that Tits well-documented capacity constraints will be alleviated in the near- to mid-term. The engine segment, which accounts for 42% of the market according to Aviation Week’s Fleet & MRO Forecast 2020 data, is evidence of this. While overall commercial MRO spending reached $24.3 billion for last year and is expected to jump to $34.7 billion in 2020, the surge in shop visits has left many providers running close to capacity for 12 months a year at shops worldwide.

The narrowbody engine segment, and air transport demand, where de- mainly the CFM56 and V2500, which mand for aircraft and engines is fast- account for more than half of the mar- er than delivery rates,” says Martin ket combined, is particularly lucrative Friis-Petersen, senior vice president senior associate at consultancy Aero- at present. Demand for these engine for MRO programs at MTU Aero En- Dynamic Advisory. types is strong, with shop visits for their gines. “Also, new-generation engines “Fleet demographics certainly sug- newer engine variants—the V2500- are entering the shops earlier than gest that a wave of retirements is com- A5, CFM56-5B and CFM56-7—are all originally anticipated and will ramp up ing. However, if the teething problems expected to peak by the mid-2020s. in the next decades. All this has led to on the new-engine models continue, However, their successor engines, our shops and many others being fully then older aircraft may remain in ser- the CFM Leap and Pratt & Whitney’s loaded worldwide.” vice longer than expected. The return PW1000G, have seen technical issues On top of these issues, a more re - to service of the MAX will also influ- over the past few years, meaning the cent development has been the tech- ence retirement rates in the coming expected influx leading to the phase- nical woes that dogged the Boeing years to replace the last generation of out of older engines hasn’t materialized 737 MAX program last year. With narrowbodies,” he says. very quickly. As it stands, many in the the aircraft yet to return to service, Stengel believes that the current en- industry believe the CFM56 and V2500 the expectation is that this situation vironment has pushed MROs into add- will be operating well into the 2030s. will continue well into the year, likely ing capacity out of necessity. “MROs Other mature engine programs increasing demand for older aircraft are somewhat backed into a corner in have also shown longevity, which and their engines. While retirements this regard, and one of their most ef- has had some detrimental effects could provide relief for the used ser- fective options is to expand capacity,” on capacity. “Demand for services viceable material shortages that are he says, pointing to several suppliers for older legacy engines, such as the prevalent, any potential return to ser- announcing expansion plans, both for CF6-80C2, has continued longer than vice of the 737 MAX could be key to engine shop visits and component re- expected—thanks to low fuel prices driving that trend, says Mike Stengel, pairs. For airlines with in-house engine

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handling in-service issues with the 1000. This followed adjustments to its maintenance center (AMC) net- work of shops. U.S.-based MRO Stan- dard Aero joined as an AMC for RB211 repairs at the beginning of 2018, fol- Full Shop lowed by Delta Tech Ops becoming an AMC for the Trent 1000 and Trent XWB, which power the Boeing 787 and Airbus A350 respectively. The engine aftermarket is booming, MTU Maintenance has also in- vested heavily in ramping up capacity. but with demand outstripping Expansions have occurred at shops in Hannover, Germany, and in Zhuhai, supply, MRO shops are adjusting where it overhauls CFM56 and V2500 engines, along with its Berlin facility their strategies where demand for mature engines such as the CF6 remains high. Its Van- couver facility, which has specialized in James Pozzi London the V2500, is also due for relocation. The company factored in Leap and GTF engines into these expansions, he end of 2019 saw a commercial aviation aftermarket with scheduled shop visits expected buoyed by record MRO spending but one still skeptical that to begin between 2021 and 2022, to be its well-documented capacity constraints will be alleviated followed by restoration shop visits. A T new -based joint venture with in the near- to mid-term. The engine segment, which accounts Lufthansa Technik, operating as EME for 42% of the market according to Aviation Week’s Fleet & MRO Aero, was scheduled to induct its first Forecast 2020 data, is evidence of this. While overall commercial GTF engine in late 2019 and will even- MRO spending reached $24.3 billion for last year and is expected tually build up to a capacity of 450 engines per year. MTU also plans to to jump to $34.7 billion in 2020, the surge in shop visits has left open a site in Serbia focusing on parts- many providers running close to capacity for 12 months a year repair services. at shops worldwide. In the Middle East, the main capac- ity challenges have been workforce- The narrowbody engine segment, and air transport demand, where de- related. This has been a focus for mainly the CFM56 and V2500, which mand for aircraft and engines is fast- Sanad Aerotech, which was renamed account for more than half of the mar- er than delivery rates,” says Martin SANAD AEROTECH from Turbine Services & Solutions last ket combined, is particularly lucrative Friis-Petersen, senior vice president senior associate at consultancy Aero- Sanad Aerotech in will portunity to strengthen their position year, in a move combining its engine, at present. Demand for these engine for MRO programs at MTU Aero En- Dynamic Advisory. soon begin to overhaul the GEnx as for the coming years,” he says. finance and energy divisions. types is strong, with shop visits for their gines. “Also, new-generation engines “Fleet demographics certainly sug- well as several Leap models. A recent example of an OEM doing The year 2019 saw the Mubadala- newer engine variants—the V2500- are entering the shops earlier than gest that a wave of retirements is com- this is Rolls-Royce, which in Novem- owned company sign several large- A5, CFM56-5B and CFM56-7—are all originally anticipated and will ramp up ing. However, if the teething problems shops, he cites the decisions of Ameri- ber 2019 confirmed several changes scale engine repair deals with OEMs, expected to peak by the mid-2020s. in the next decades. All this has led to on the new-engine models continue, can Airlines and United Airlines to to its global aftermarket network as it in moves set to add capacity demands However, their successor engines, our shops and many others being fully then older aircraft may remain in ser- insource some engine work, with the looks to prepare for the growing num- at its Abu Dhabi-based facility. Start- the CFM Leap and Pratt & Whitney’s loaded worldwide.” vice longer than expected. The return former bringing CFM56-5B in-house ber of its engines undergoing shop ing in January, it will begin overhauls PW1000G, have seen technical issues On top of these issues, a more re - to service of the MAX will also influ- in late 2018 while the latter brought visits over the next decade. Its Rolls- on the GEnx, with more than 300 en- over the past few years, meaning the cent development has been the tech- ence retirement rates in the coming some V2500 engine services in-house. Royce Deutschland site in Dahlewitz, gines expected over a 15-year period. expected influx leading to the phase- nical woes that dogged the Boeing years to replace the last generation of “This allows them to control their own Germany, is to transition into a ser- It will also handle the Leap-1A and -1B, out of older engines hasn’t materialized 737 MAX program last year. With narrowbodies,” he says. destiny to a degree rather than relying vices hub with capability for widebody with the engines representing a new very quickly. As it stands, many in the the aircraft yet to return to service, Stengel believes that the current en- on third-party capacity,” Stengel says. engine overhauls from early this year. product platform in its portfolio. This industry believe the CFM56 and V2500 the expectation is that this situation vironment has pushed MROs into add- Holger Lipowsky, principal at con- Meanwhile, its Rolls-Royce Canada will start in 2021, as a 10-year agree- will be operating well into the 2030s. will continue well into the year, likely ing capacity out of necessity. “MROs sultancy Roland Berger, believes that facility in Montreal will also introduce ment, and will see more than 200 en- Other mature engine programs increasing demand for older aircraft are somewhat backed into a corner in while the current climate is challeng- widebody engine overhaul services gines inducted over that time frame. have also shown longevity, which and their engines. While retirements this regard, and one of their most ef- ing, it presents a good opportunity for later this year, with a start date pro- With these new agreements in place, has had some detrimental effects could provide relief for the used ser- fective options is to expand capacity,” well-resourced companies to grow ca- jected for the fourth quarter. As well building a workforce to add capacity on capacity. “Demand for services viceable material shortages that are he says, pointing to several suppliers pacity. “It’s the perfect time for invest- as acknowledging capacity as being a is one priority. for older legacy engines, such as the prevalent, any potential return to ser- announcing expansion plans, both for ments and especially for large OEMs driver behind the moves, Rolls-Royce “With these new agreements, we’ve CF6-80C2, has continued longer than vice of the 737 MAX could be key to engine shop visits and component re- with the financial power to build ca- says it also made the changes as a way had to look at increasing our manpow- expected—thanks to low fuel prices driving that trend, says Mike Stengel, pairs. For airlines with in-house engine pacity and are expected to use this op- of reducing the impact on customers er and capacity in terms of production

MRO12 INSIDEMRO JANUARY 2020 AviationWeek.com/MRO AviationWeek.com/MRO INSIDEMRO JANUARY 2020 MRO13 M Engines space,” says Sanad Aerotech’s CEO for airlines and lessors, this means the GEM changes the workspace to a dou- Mansoor Janahi. “In terms of numbers, shop is routinely full, while the alloca- ble-bay configuration to add capacity. we are looking to add around 400 em- tion of manpower and resources is At the facility, it sees a strong wave ployees across the aerospace business, a constant challenge, Macleod says. of inductions in the winter and spring taking us to between 550-600 employ- “This year we have just increased our months as aircraft operators gear ees over the next two years to deliver workshop space by a third,” he says. up for the summer travel season. “In this” additional production capability. “We also have a constant recruitment terms of engine repair volume, we are While larger companies boasting drive and a growing apprentice pro- repairing almost as many -7B as we greater resources have sought sev- gram.” Specifically, he identifies mate- are -3C engines,” says Jamie Devin, the eral solutions to address capacity rials for the Rolls-Royce RB211 engine company’s director of business devel- concerns, smaller MROs have had to as being tricky to acquire. opment says of the company’s output. “Components and life-limited parts (LLP) for the -3C en- gines are plentiful, with only a few exceptions. However, these parts and LLPs for -7Bs are slightly harder to procure generally because the opera- tors want performance res- torations built up to 10,000 cycles remaining.” Devin says it has looked at other methods of adding ca- pacity at its Miami, Florida, hangar and has identified one area where it can improve its output. “One way to increase capacity is to improve your throughput time—we’ve add- ed a number of in-house capa- bilities that would otherwise be sent to outside vendors, thus saving time,” he says. GEM, has also turned to technology to help its throughput time. “Our 3D scanner and high-speed grinder allow us to match ROLLS-ROYCE grind high-pressure com- Rolls-Royce is expanding its capacity Like many repair providers, pressor (HPC) and high-pressure tur- to handle overhauls of both new- Macleod foresees further alignment bine (HPT) rotors in days rather than in generation and legacy engines. with OEMs, as companies like GT En- weeks,” explains Devin. “The 3D scan- gine Services position themselves to ner also aids in detail inspection. What be more agile and creative to adjust. take on the overflow of maintenance would have taken hours to inspect using Nevertheless, the roles of these small- work from capacity-squeezed coun- traditional methods can now be done in er, boutique-style independent engine terparts. “There is a lot of scope to minutes,” he adds. repair providers could also expand in strengthen our relationships with the Another independent taking on ex- the next two to five years. GT Engine OEMs, which will benefit all involved,” tra capacity is Aero , a CFM56 Services, which offers specialist repair he says. “This is nothing new, we are specialist focusing on engine overhaul services from its facility close to Lon- filling a void where the OEMs and service. Its shop in Stavanger also rou- don Stansted Airport in the UK, is one overhaul shops struggle to fill.” tinely runs close to full capacity annu- company that sees itself as an alterna- Across the pond in the U.S., Global ally, says Rune Veenstra, its chief busi- tive option to operators sending their Engine Maintenance (GEM), another ness officer. It has increased capacity engine into an overhaul shop. independent MRO, provides repair by bringing in more resources, includ- Greg Macleod, the managing direc- services for CFM56-3, CFM56-7B and ing necessary tooling to grow volumes. tor, says the company was previously a starting this year, CFM56-5B engines. Once the CFM56 engine family hits seasonal business but changed strate- Like GT Engine Services, it is running its expected shop visit peak between gy a few years ago in order to spread its either close to or at full capacity all year 2023-24, the cargo market will look workload year-round while adding fur- round, mostly working from a single to move over to these engine types, ther repair capabilities. Given its work bay configuration. When necessary, Veenstra tells Inside MRO. c

MRO14 INSIDEMRO JANUARY 2020 AviationWeek.com/MRO M Engines M Operations space,” says Sanad Aerotech’s CEO for airlines and lessors, this means the GEM changes the workspace to a dou- support for Boeing 737s and 767s in two Mansoor Janahi. “In terms of numbers, shop is routinely full, while the alloca- ble-bay configuration to add capacity. Latin America MRO maintenance hangars and a paint han- we are looking to add around 400 em- tion of manpower and resources is At the facility, it sees a strong wave gar, plus six workshops. These facilities ployees across the aerospace business, a constant challenge, Macleod says. of inductions in the winter and spring could service up to 80 aircraft per year. taking us to between 550-600 employ- “This year we have just increased our months as aircraft operators gear Investment Surges The new competitor has solid ex- ees over the next two years to deliver workshop space by a third,” he says. up for the summer travel season. “In perience. Carlos Alberto Costa, Aero- this” additional production capability. “We also have a constant recruitment terms of engine repair volume, we are Possibilities and potential abound, but there are tech’s maintenance director, says Gol While larger companies boasting drive and a growing apprentice pro- repairing almost as many -7B as we started in 2006 doing maintenance greater resources have sought sev- gram.” Specifically, he identifies mate- are -3C engines,” says Jamie Devin, the questions as well for the airline itself. “After 13 years of eral solutions to address capacity rials for the Rolls-Royce RB211 engine company’s director of business devel- experience, Gol decided to create Gol concerns, smaller MROs have had to as being tricky to acquire. opment says of the company’s output. Aerotech to offer its services to all air- “Components and life-limited line companies,” he notes. parts (LLP) for the -3C en- The MRO plans to expand its port- gines are plentiful, with only folio. Aerotech already has FAA certi- a few exceptions. However, fication for Boeing 737-700s and -800s these parts and LLPs for -7Bs and soon will have it for the 737-8 MAX, are slightly harder to procure Costa says. “We are now working to cer- generally because the opera- tify Aerotech for the Airbus A320 fam- tors want performance res- ily in 2021, and Embraer 170s and 190s torations built up to 10,000 in the year after. Within 3-5 years, we cycles remaining.” will have Boeing and Airbus widebody Devin says it has looked at certification as well.” other methods of adding ca- Aerotech is seeking third-party rev- pacity at its Miami, Florida, enue of more than $30 million in 2020. hangar and has identified one Gol Aerotech initially will support Boeing 737s and 767s in two But Costa says it is too soon to esti- area where it can improve its maintenance hangars and a paint hangar, plus six workshops. mate future third-party revenue. “GOL output. “One way to increase GOL Aerotech has a structure prepared to capacity is to improve your Henry Canaday Washington expand or decrease according to mar- throughput time—we’ve add- ket demand, and that makes our projec- ed a number of in-house capa- razil and Mexico will be among Minas Gerais. Panama’s Copa recently tions variable.” bilities that would otherwise the top 10 emerging aviation finished a hangar in Panama and has At the moment, C checks are the ser- be sent to outside vendors, Bmarkets by 2038, according to begun performing more work in-house. vice most in demand by airlines. Beyond thus saving time,” he says. the International Air Transport As- Azul Airlines will open a hangar this C checks, Aerotech offers painting ser- GEM, has also turned sociation (IATA). In Mexico, trips per year, bringing maintenance in-house. vices, general parts repair, engine ser- to technology to help its person will grow 4% a year over the Other moves suggest future possibili- vices, wheels and brakes, electric/elec- throughput time. “Our 3D next two decades, with trip frequency ties. “With Delta’s recent investment in tronics and metallic structure repairs. scanner and high-speed in Brazil increasing even faster, at 5% LATAM, it will be interesting to see if To meet or beat the competition, grinder allow us to match annually, IATA estimates. they elect to pursue MRO collaboration Costa says Aerotech can offer the best ROLLS-ROYCE grind high-pressure com- Add population growth and other and integration efforts between Delta’s labor costs per hour in the current mar- Rolls-Royce is expanding its capacity Like many repair providers, pressor (HPC) and high-pressure tur- smaller—but growing—economies in maintenance division, Delta TechOps, ket, “with almost 99% on-time delivery.” to handle overhauls of both new- Macleod foresees further alignment bine (HPT) rotors in days rather than in Latin America, and there should be and LATAM,” Berger says. United Air- The MRO is strategically located near generation and legacy engines. with OEMs, as companies like GT En- weeks,” explains Devin. “The 3D scan- plenty of demand for aircraft mainte- lines is also investing in . airport hubs such as Guarulhos, Rio gine Services position themselves to ner also aids in detail inspection. What nance. Jonathan Berger, managing di- Possibilities and potential may be the Galeao and Brasilia. Aerotech will spe- be more agile and creative to adjust. take on the overflow of maintenance would have taken hours to inspect using rector of Alton Aviation Consultancy, key words, for there are questions as cialize in labor and material transaction Nevertheless, the roles of these small- work from capacity-squeezed coun- traditional methods can now be done in puts the current MRO market in Latin well. Berger notes that political unrest maintenance, not flight-hour support. er, boutique-style independent engine terparts. “There is a lot of scope to minutes,” he adds. America at about $4 billion a year, and and instability continue to challenge For engines, Pratt & Whitney and repair providers could also expand in strengthen our relationships with the Another independent taking on ex- expects it to double over the next 10 the ability of airlines to grow and thrive Brazil’s Industria de Aviacao e Servi- the next two to five years. GT Engine OEMs, which will benefit all involved,” tra capacity is Aero Norway, a CFM56 years, growing 6.3% annually. That in Latin America. Such conditions cos (IAS) have just opened an overhaul Services, which offers specialist repair he says. “This is nothing new, we are specialist focusing on engine overhaul number does not include outsourced remain problematic in Venezuela, center in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, for the services from its facility close to Lon- filling a void where the OEMs and service. Its shop in Stavanger also rou- work for North American carriers. Argentina, Colombia and Chile. This PT6A and PW200 engines for business don Stansted Airport in the UK, is one overhaul shops struggle to fill.” tinely runs close to full capacity annu- MROs in the region are responding uncertainty has hampered the ability and general aviation, smaller regional company that sees itself as an alterna- Across the pond in the U.S., Global ally, says Rune Veenstra, its chief busi- to growth opportunities. Aeroman in El and desire of investors to finance major aircraft and rotorcraft. This extension tive option to operators sending their Engine Maintenance (GEM), another ness officer. It has increased capacity Salvador is the largest airframe MRO in infrastructure investments in airports of IAS existing facility will add 1,800 m2 engine into an overhaul shop. independent MRO, provides repair by bringing in more resources, includ- Latin America, and Berger says it “con- to support traffic growth and in MRO (19,375 ft.2) of shop floor with 900 2m of Greg Macleod, the managing direc- services for CFM56-3, CFM56-7B and ing necessary tooling to grow volumes. tinues its impressive growth by build- facilities. Berger also asks, “Will coun- test cell area. Pratt & Whitney is creat- tor, says the company was previously a starting this year, CFM56-5B engines. Once the CFM56 engine family hits ing new hangars and adding widebody tries such as Brazil soften their airline ing 50 new jobs and growing to about seasonal business but changed strate- Like GT Engine Services, it is running its expected shop visit peak between capacity.” Brazil’s Gol Airlines recently foreign-ownership rules, which could 100 people in Brazil, a representative gy a few years ago in order to spread its either close to or at full capacity all year 2023-24, the cargo market will look announced it will enter the third-party spur new investments?” says, and “is looking at Belo Horizonte workload year-round while adding fur- round, mostly working from a single to move over to these engine types, MRO market and will begin insourcing But growth continues. Gol’s new to potentially overhaul PW127M en- ther repair capabilities. Given its work bay configuration. When necessary, Veenstra tells Inside MRO. c new customers at its facility in Confins, Aerotech venture will initially offer gines for ATR 72-600s.” c

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pany any in-service model. The 777’s mirates Customied A check intervals when the model entered service in 1995 were 1,000 FH or 75 days, for instance. While MRO Emirates is optimizing its Boeing 777 oeins ptiied aintenane Prora tailors maintenance based on trends identi- series to arriers enironent ed by its own  eet data. fleet-level interval changes benefit all operators, tailoring programs for individual airlines requires a more concentrated dataset. “Take a task that we do every 10 days, as the [Boeing maintenance pro- gram] prescribes,” Safa says. “Every time we do it, our fi ndings are nil, nil, nil, whereas other operators have some positive fi ndings. We need to be liber-

OEIESIIONNE ated from the shackles of the [portion Sean Broderic uai and Washington of] industry that’s driving this thresh- old to a specifi c time frame.” sk anyone in the MRO business In Emirates’ case, initial changes Longer maintenance intervals are for a list of the hottest industry have been made to both A check and only part of the story, Fleming says: A trends, and data-driven main- C check intervals. A checks are now “The number of scheduled mainte- tenance is sure to be near the top. done every 2,500 fl ight hours (FH) or nance delays is reduced, just by virtue Much of the emphasis is on aggregat- 500 fl ight cycles (FC), up from 2,000 of the fact that you’re not opening up ing large datasets on specifi c aircraft FH and 400 FC before OMP. (A sepa- the airplane as often. So you get air- or engines from multiple operators rate Emirates project eliminated a cal- craft availability increasing; you get and using it to glean insight on when endar-day limit.) The carrier’s C check scheduled reliability increasing, too.” disruptive events such as a failure of a intervals were adjusted 15,000 FH or Boeing and an operator can set an specifi c part may happen. But increas- 1,125 days to 18,000 FH or 1,200 days. OMP up in about six months, but fi ne- ingly airlines are reaping benefi ts from Emirates began transitioning its tuning it takes years. Boeing will moni- their own data, which can be used to 154-aircraft 777 fl eet to the new pro- tor customer maintenance data for fi ve customize their efforts based on gram in early 2019, and the process is years as part of an OMP package and unique operating environments. now about 40% complete, Safa says. provide input as needed. Among the most ambitious of such Bridging requirements to bring air- “We look at the e‚ ectiveness, wheth- projects is Emirates Airline’s collabo- craft from the old to the new program er there have been any findings and ration with Boeing on the OEM’s Op- means transitioning the entire fleet whether there are any adjustments timized Maintenance Program (OMP) will take about two years, but positive that need to be made to the program,” o‚ ering to streamline its 777 mainte- returns are already evident. Fleming says. “Our team will continue nance. Early returns suggest it will be The airline’s deep 777 experi- to work closely with the [operator] to one of the more successful as well. ence—it operates 10% of the global make sure the forecasted e‚ ectiveness “Like everything else, there’s always 777 fl eet and has fl own every variant that we targeted is actually achieved.” a tinge of nerves about what surprises produced—has helped keep it at the Intervals can also be further expand- it could bring to the operation that we top of dispatch reliability fi gures, at ed. Boeing and Emirates are evaluating did not take into our calculations,” about 99.5-99.6%, Safa says. Those whether to increase the C check time Ahmed Safa, Emirates vice president marks, slightly higher than the global interval to 1,375 days, for instance. of engineering and maintenance, tells fleet average, are being maintained Boeing has about 2,500 customer Inside MRO. “But so far, we have not under the OMP—a clear sign that the aircraft with 24 airlines under OMP had a single question mark about adjusted intervals are not compromis- programs, including several with mul- whether it was a good decision.” ing operational eŸ ciency. tiple fl eet types. Emirates committed to OMP in early “If it was not going to work, it would “No two customers are exactly alike 2018 following several years of evalua- immediately have [had] an impact on or operate in the same environments,” tion. The fi rst step was applying Boeing’s our on-time performance and dispatch Fleming says. “That combination of OMP modeling to Emirates’ fl eet data reliability,” Safa says. “But to continue data-sharing with our software ap- and fi nding initial opportunities to adjust to see the operation at 99.5%, 99.6%—it plications and algorithms can create task intervals—a process that typically confi rms that what we have put in place customized programs that continue to takes about six months, Boeing Global is delivering what we anticipated.” conform to regulatory requirements- Services Vice President for Commercial The OMP complements bigger-pic- but have the elasticity to be uniquely Services Mike Fleming says. ture optimization e‚ orts that accom- suitable for a customer’s needs.” c

MRO1 INSIDEMRO JANUARY 2020 AviationWeek.com/MRO M Operations M Avionics pany any in-service model. The 777’s Traffic Information, Assisted Visual mirates Customied A check intervals when the model Industry as Focused (CAVS), and In-Trail Pro- entered service in 1995 were 1,000 cedures and Surface Area Movement FH or 75 days, for instance. While Management. ACSS first installed SafeRoute on MRO Emirates is optimizing its Boeing 777 on ADS-B ‘In’ as ‘Out’ UPS Boeing 757/767s in 2007, then maintenance based on trends identi- oeins ptiied aintenane Prora tailors American Airlines will start installing ADS-B In provided applications for Delta Air ed by its own  eet data. series to arriers enironent systems on its A321 fleet this year Lines, JetBlue Airways, US Airways fleet-level interval changes benefit and American Airlines. Early versions all operators, tailoring programs for of the system made use of Class 3 elec- Bill Carey Washington individual airlines requires a more tronic flight bags (EFB) located to the concentrated dataset. side of the main instrument panel as the “Take a task that we do every 10 ith the arrival of the Jan. 1, “It’s pretty exciting,” ACSS President platform for display and control of the days, as the [Boeing maintenance pro- 2020, compliance deadline Terry Flaishans says of the system’s ADS-B In applications. gram] prescribes,” Safa says. “Every W for automatic dependent entry into service. “All of the installa- With the increasing adoption of tab- time we do it, our fi ndings are nil, nil, surveillance-broadcast “Out” (ADS-B tion has been checked out, we’ve done let computers as EFBs instead of costly nil, whereas other operators have some Out) functionality in the U.S., airlines our flight test, we’ve gotten the STC Class 2/3 mounted or installed units, positive fi ndings. We need to be liber- are shifting to the promise and require- [supplemental type certificate] for the ACSS moved to develop the SafeRoute

OEIESIIONNE ated from the shackles of the [portion ments of ADS-B In: the capability to system, and we will start to install these retrofit solution. Adoption of integrated Sean Broderic uai and Washington of] industry that’s driving this thresh- display and exploit aircraft targets on in 2020. It’s going to be a very exciting electronic indicators freed up old to a specifi c time frame.” the flight deck. time because immediately we will start panel space for the AGD. sk anyone in the MRO business In Emirates’ case, initial changes Longer maintenance intervals are After years of trials involving sev- looking for benefits [from] the ADS-B The forward navigation displays for a list of the hottest industry have been made to both A check and only part of the story, Fleming says: eral U.S. carriers, ADS-B In is no lon- In system.” present nearby ADS-B traffic for A trends, and data-driven main- C check intervals. A checks are now “The number of scheduled mainte- ger aspirational. In January, American SafeRoute+ is an upgrade to an air- situational awareness; the graphical tenance is sure to be near the top. done every 2,500 fl ight hours (FH) or nance delays is reduced, just by virtue Airlines plans to begin installing the craft’s ACSS TCAS 3000SP or T3CAS AGD supports more complex ADS-B Much of the emphasis is on aggregat- 500 fl ight cycles (FC), up from 2,000 of the fact that you’re not opening up In applications such as CAVS. A visu- ing large datasets on specifi c aircraft FH and 400 FC before OMP. (A sepa- the airplane as often. So you get air- al approach procedure, CAVS allows or engines from multiple operators rate Emirates project eliminated a cal- craft availability increasing; you get L3HARRIS pilots to maintain separation during and using it to glean insight on when endar-day limit.) The carrier’s C check scheduled reliability increasing, too.” challenging visual conditions by pre- disruptive events such as a failure of a intervals were adjusted 15,000 FH or Boeing and an operator can set an senting the differential ground speed specifi c part may happen. But increas- 1,125 days to 18,000 FH or 1,200 days. OMP up in about six months, but fi ne- between a lead and own-ship aircraft ingly airlines are reaping benefi ts from Emirates began transitioning its tuning it takes years. Boeing will moni- on the electronic display. their own data, which can be used to 154-aircraft 777 fl eet to the new pro- tor customer maintenance data for fi ve Expected benefits are reduced time customize their efforts based on gram in early 2019, and the process is years as part of an OMP package and on approach within 25 nm of the run- unique operating environments. now about 40% complete, Safa says. provide input as needed. way, reduced need for go-arounds and Among the most ambitious of such Bridging requirements to bring air- “We look at the e‚ ectiveness, wheth- more efficient use of terminal airspace. projects is Emirates Airline’s collabo- craft from the old to the new program er there have been any findings and Recent progress in ADS-B In devel- ration with Boeing on the OEM’s Op- means transitioning the entire fleet whether there are any adjustments opment has been reported on other timized Maintenance Program (OMP) will take about two years, but positive that need to be made to the program,” fronts. In February 2019, the FAA, o‚ ering to streamline its 777 mainte- returns are already evident. Fleming says. “Our team will continue Honeywell, Alaska Airlines and Unit- nance. Early returns suggest it will be The airline’s deep 777 experi- to work closely with the [operator] to ed Airlines demonstrated IM-based one of the more successful as well. ence—it operates 10% of the global make sure the forecasted e‚ ectiveness “paired approaches” with lead and “Like everything else, there’s always 777 fl eet and has fl own every variant that we targeted is actually achieved.” trailing aircraft at the San Francisco a tinge of nerves about what surprises produced—has helped keep it at the Intervals can also be further expand- Pilots and engineers with American Airlines and L3Harris conducted certifica- and Tucson airports using Honeywell it could bring to the operation that we top of dispatch reliability fi gures, at ed. Boeing and Emirates are evaluating tion flight tests of the SafeRoute+ ADS-B In system on the carrier’s Airbus A321 prototype avionics. did not take into our calculations,” about 99.5-99.6%, Safa says. Those whether to increase the C check time at Phoenix Sky Harbor . During a paired approach, the trail- Ahmed Safa, Emirates vice president marks, slightly higher than the global interval to 1,375 days, for instance. ing aircraft uses speed commands to of engineering and maintenance, tells fleet average, are being maintained Boeing has about 2,500 customer SafeRoute+ ADS-B In retrofit system surveillance processor that avoids maintain precise spacing from the lead Inside MRO. “But so far, we have not under the OMP—a clear sign that the aircraft with 24 airlines under OMP on its fleet of 319 Airbus A321s, an ex- panel modifications on the flight deck (target) aircraft. Pilots are presented had a single question mark about adjusted intervals are not compromis- programs, including several with mul- pected 4-5-year process. The airline by using the existing multifunction con- with a time-based spacing parameter, whether it was a good decision.” ing operational eŸ ciency. tiple fl eet types. completed certification flight tests on trol and display unit and primary flight called the assigned spacing goal, which Emirates committed to OMP in early “If it was not going to work, it would “No two customers are exactly alike the narrowbody at Phoenix Sky Harbor displays, with the addition of a small represents the desired spacing behind 2018 following several years of evalua- immediately have [had] an impact on or operate in the same environments,” International Airport (PHX) in Septem- ADS-B Guidance Display (AGD). ACSS the target aircraft. tion. The fi rst step was applying Boeing’s our on-time performance and dispatch Fleming says. “That combination of ber and October. estimates the upgrade takes three days Airspace design and engineering OMP modeling to Emirates’ fl eet data reliability,” Safa says. “But to continue data-sharing with our software ap- Originally as US Airways, with which to complete. company Mosaic ATM developed the and fi nding initial opportunities to adjust to see the operation at 99.5%, 99.6%—it plications and algorithms can create it merged in December 2013, American The system currently supports five experimental instrument-approach task intervals—a process that typically confi rms that what we have put in place customized programs that continue to has worked with SafeRoute developer ADS-B In software applications: En- procedure, intended to increase the takes about six months, Boeing Global is delivering what we anticipated.” conform to regulatory requirements- ACSS—the joint venture of L3Harris hanced Airborne Traffic Situational capacity of closely spaced parallel run- Services Vice President for Commercial The OMP complements bigger-pic- but have the elasticity to be uniquely and Thales—for nearly a decade to Awareness, Interval Management- ways during instrument meteorological Services Mike Fleming says. ture optimization e‚ orts that accom- suitable for a customer’s needs.” c achieve ADS-B In functionality. Spacing (IM-S), Cockpit Display of conditions.

MRO1 INSIDEMRO JANUARY 2020 AviationWeek.com/MRO AviationWeek.com/MRO INSIDEMRO JANUARY 2020 MRO17 M Avionics L3HARRIS Under the Air Traffic Management “What sets this Technology Demonstration-1 program project apart is that in early 2017, United Airlines and Hon- it is using commer- eywell tested the NASA-developed cially available avi- Airborne Spacing for Terminal Arrival onics permanently Routes algorithm using EFBs to display installed in aircraft the IM application with a chain of three on revenue-gener- aircraft—a United 737 and Honeywell’s ating flights, and Boeing 757 and Dassault Falcon 900 using a large num- testbeds—at Grant County Internation- ber of pilots and al Airport in Moses Lake, Washington. controllers.” Once its upgraded A321s enter Transponders The ADS-B In certification test crew with an Airbus service, American will participate also will be up - A321 at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. in the ADS-B In Retrofit Spacing dated to support ADS-B In. To comply uled release of DO-260C minimum project, a two-year FAA demonstra- with the ADS-B Out mandate, the FAA operational performance standards tion designed to collect operational requires that operators equip with Ver- (MOPS) for next August. data and support future ADS-B In sion 2 DO-260B Mode S transponders DO-260C will correct issues identi- development. Benefits of ADS-B In and approved GPS position sources. The fied since the publication of MOPS for applications will be measured within Version 2 standard has evolved since its DO-260, make revisions and imple- airspace managed by the Albuquer- original “Version 0” substantiation in ment additional information required que air route traffic control center for the early 2000s to meet the mandate’s for advanced Flight Deck Interval westbound flights approaching PHX. performance requirements. Management, according to the SC-186 “In the past, the FAA and airlines and An updated specification—DO- terms of reference. It will make other avionics manufacturers have worked on 260C—that will support ADS-B In improvements to support new ACAS X technical demonstration projects,” says applications is under development. collision-avoidance logic and to accom- Andrew Shutt, with the FAA’s Surveil- Standards organization RTCA’s Special modate unmanned aircraft and com- lance and Broadcast Services program. Committee-186 for ADS-B has sched- mercial space vehicles. c

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MRO18 INSIDEMRO JANUARY 2020 AviationWeek.com/MRO M Avionics M Workforce L3HARRIS Under the Air Traffic Management “What sets this Technology Demonstration-1 program project apart is that in early 2017, United Airlines and Hon- it is using commer- eywell tested the NASA-developed cially available avi- e heletia eue td ed Airborne Spacing for Terminal Arrival onics permanently use nede here Routes algorithm using EFBs to display installed in aircraft the IM application with a chain of three on revenue-gener- aircraft—a United 737 and Honeywell’s ating flights, and or Sn Anonio pursues SEM Boeing 757 and Dassault Falcon 900 using a large num- testbeds—at Grant County Internation- ber of pilots and n innoion gro al Airport in Moses Lake, Washington. controllers.” Once its upgraded A321s enter Transponders The ADS-B In certification test crew with an Airbus service, American will participate also will be up - A321 at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. in the ADS-B In Retrofit Spacing dated to support ADS-B In. To comply uled release of DO-260C minimum project, a two-year FAA demonstra- with the ADS-B Out mandate, the FAA operational performance standards tion designed to collect operational requires that operators equip with Ver- (MOPS) for next August. data and support future ADS-B In sion 2 DO-260B Mode S transponders DO-260C will correct issues identi- development. Benefits of ADS-B In and approved GPS position sources. The fied since the publication of MOPS for applications will be measured within Version 2 standard has evolved since its DO-260, make revisions and imple- airspace managed by the Albuquer- original “Version 0” substantiation in ment additional information required que air route traffic control center for the early 2000s to meet the mandate’s for advanced Flight Deck Interval westbound flights approaching PHX. performance requirements. Management, according to the SC-186 “In the past, the FAA and airlines and An updated specification—DO- terms of reference. It will make other avionics manufacturers have worked on 260C—that will support ADS-B In improvements to support new ACAS X technical demonstration projects,” says applications is under development. collision-avoidance logic and to accom- Andrew Shutt, with the FAA’s Surveil- Standards organization RTCA’s Special modate unmanned aircraft and com- Students participate in Boeing’s lance and Broadcast Services program. Committee-186 for ADS-B has sched- mercial space vehicles. c recent STEM signing ceremony.

EIN uietly housed in the meat locker ing goal of addressing challenges for “You have to work with places that are DISCOVER of a former U.S. Air Force base local companies, including the grow- developing talent such as trade schools, ANALYZE commissary is an assortment of ing need for MRO workers. colleges and universities.” PLAN industrial fabrication equipment and Companies on the Port campus add- Both StandardAero and Boeing FORECAST historic technology collectibles that ed approximately 3,000 new jobs this work with local schools such as Hall- will soon serve as part of San Antonio’s year, many of them at StandardAero mark University, University of Texas recipe for future innovation and MRO and Boeing. StandardAero has hired at San Antonio and St. Philips College, Predictive Intelligence to workforce growth. approximately 300 new employees which has a campus right down the The old commissary building is at this location in the last 2.5 years, a street from both companies. Galloway Drive Results For more information, visit serving as a temporary home for the trend it expects to continue. Boeing, says Boeing San Antonio’s eventual aviationweek.com/forecasts San Antonio Museum of Science and which employs around 1,200 people goal is to develop partnerships with or call 866.857.0148 or +1.847.763.9147 Technology (Samsat) before it moves at its Port San Antonio site, plans to these schools to create college cur- to a newly constructed innovation cen- double this number in the near future ricula benefi cial to both students and ter on the Port San Antonio campus. to accommodate growing MRO pro- Boeing’s workforce pipeline. Once there, S amsat’s vast collection of grams. For Mark Buongiorno, vice president technologies and youth programs will While Boeing receives plenty of ap- and general manager of StandardAero’s become an integral part of the innova- plicants for jobs on the site, thanks San Antonio site, developing relation- tion center’s STEM initiatives. to San Antonio’s large veteran work- ships with these schools has been Port San Antonio—a confl uence of force, hiring skilled technicians is still part of its success in recruiting. The MRO, defense and technology com- a challenge. Jay Galloway, Boeing’s company also has a robust internship With Aviation Week Network’s 2020 Fleet & MRO Forecast, panies developed on the former Kelly San Antonio site leader, says combing program, which received 250 applica- gain a 10-year outlook to minimize risk and maximize revenue. AFB—is hoping to start construction through applications to fi nd applicants tions last summer. Available for: • Fleets, trends, and projections on the innovation center by June 2020 with the right skill sets is easier said “The one thing we really pride our- COMMERCIAL • Predictive view of market share to bring together the campus’s stake- than done. selves on is [that] if you come here as an MILITARY holders while attracting future work- “In a certain skill that I hired for re- intern, you’re going to get real work to • MRO future demand BUSINESS force candidates. The facility is envi- cently, I went through 1,200 people to do. There’s no filing because we’re HELICOPTER Take your business to the next level. sioned as an intersection of technology hire 180. It’s hard to fi nd the right kind paperless. You’ll be working on an showcase, collaboration resources and of talent—sometimes you have to be pa- engineering project,” he says, add- innovation center with the overarch- tient because it takes a while,” he says. ing that engineering projects from

MRO18 INSIDEMRO JANUARY 2020 AviationWeek.com/MRO AviationWeek.com/MRO INSIDEMRO JANUARY 2020 MRO1 Webhed: Teaser: Channel: DCR: AWST- M Workforce Region: LINDSAY BJERREGAARD/AW&ST Special Topic: previous interns are currently in use at the site such as engine stands designed Section: by interns last summer. To encourage students to go into Bullet Points: STEM fields, Boeing San Antonio is heavily involved with local initiatives for K-12 students. The company re - cently participated in the Port’s Youth Aerospace Expo, in which it engaged with kids through technology such as virtual reality headsets and 3D print- ers. Boeing also recently held a STEM signing ceremony for students going into high school or college who were choosing either a STEM curriculum endorsement or career. The company brought 60 students on-site to partici- pate in a sports-draft-like signing cer- emony onstage next to a C-17 aircraft. Aerospace companies at the Port are also engaging with Samsat. Boeing Fabrication equipment in Samsat’s temporary maker space. recently provided a $100,000 grant to the nonprofit for mobile STEM pro- to work with tech startups on-site such tential future workers through STEM gramming in lower-income neighbor- as robotics specialists Reckon Point and initiatives and features such as a gam- hoods through its Geekbus program. Plus One Robotics. ing center and robotics arena. Poised to serve 240 students in 2020, “What we see is that as the world be- Perschbach says that the idea is the Geekbus is a mobile “maker space” comes more connected, and as we move for the innovation center to bring in that to different locations to into a systems-based world, you need 150,000 new people who could po - provide STEM educational experi- to start to bring all these capabilities tentially be recruited into the STEM ences on topics ranging from drones, together. Because if you try to solve it workforce. “If you get 1% of [them] ac- rocketry and robotics to cybersecurity in silos, it’s just not going to work,” says tually pursuing some of the education and structural engineering. Jim Perschbach, president and CEO of programs and actually working with Aside from the Geekbus, Samsat Port San Antonio. He adds that the Port the employers, that’s 1,500 people a provides a wide variety of STEM edu- hopes to establish “creative collisions of year going into that pathway [who] cational programs, many of them focus- the right people” at the innovation cen- aren’t there right now to increase that ing on aerospace or related fields. The ter, while attracting interest from po- recruitable market.” c

museum holds multiple space camps PORT SAN ANTONIO every year, typically for underserved youth, that include experiences such as building and launching model rock- ets with staff from NASA and JPL, as well as exposure to WEX Foundation projects focused on building 3D-printed habitats on the Moon and Mars. Samsat is in the process of adding 3D printers and laser cutters to its tempo- rary co-working and maker space in the former Air Force commissary, which al- ready features labs for electronics, op- tics, sheet metal and an assortment of CNC machines. Once Samsat is moved into the new innovation center, Port San Antonio’s vision is to make this technology available both for students interested in learning and for compa- nies on-site looking to collaborate and Kids gain exposure to tech address challenges. The hope is that devices such as VR headsets established companies such as Boeing and 3D printers at the Port’s and StandardAero will not only use the Youth Aerospace Expo. space to collaborate with each other but

MRO20 INSIDEMRO JANUARY 2020 AviationWeek.com/MRO Webhed: Teaser: Channel: DCR: AWST- M Workforce M Program Focus Region: LINDSAY BJERREGAARD/AW&ST Special Topic: previous interns are currently in use at ership composition of the E175 fleet is the site such as engine stands designed very interesting, with 41% leased,” he Section: by interns last summer. explains. “Of that number, the vast ma- To encourage students to go into The E175’s Long Run jority are owned by U.S.-based full-ser- Bullet Points: STEM fields, Boeing San Antonio is vice carriers, which lease them to their heavily involved with local initiatives seven partners. Only for K-12 students. The company re - 9% of the global E175 fleet is owned by cently participated in the Port’s Youth operating lessors—by far the lowest Aerospace Expo, in which it engaged percentage of regional jets.” with kids through technology such as virtual reality headsets and 3D print- With ongoing demand from U.S. ers. Boeing also recently held a STEM regionals and, potentially, Africa, the signing ceremony for students going E175 likely will remain in production. into high school or college who were choosing either a STEM curriculum Guthorn expects the E175 fleet to endorsement or career. The company continue growing, with production brought 60 students on-site to partici- and deliveries extending until at least pate in a sports-draft-like signing cer- the middle of the decade and minimal emony onstage next to a C-17 aircraft. Large-scale retirements of the E175 after the retirements over the same period. Aerospace companies at the Port E175-E2 enters service appear unlikely The fleet, he predicts, is expected to are also engaging with Samsat. Boeing Fabrication equipment in Samsat’s temporary maker space. peak around 2024-25. “Embraer is ex- recently provided a $100,000 grant to EMBRAER pected to continue E175 production the nonprofit for mobile STEM pro- to work with tech startups on-site such tential future workers through STEM Paul Seidenman and David J. Spanovich San Francisco since the U.S. airline scope clauses gramming in lower-income neighbor- as robotics specialists Reckon Point and initiatives and features such as a gam- will not permit the use of the E175- hoods through its Geekbus program. Plus One Robotics. ing center and robotics arena. ith the successful first flight tancy, puts the in-service numbers at E2 because it exceeds the current Poised to serve 240 students in 2020, “What we see is that as the world be- Perschbach says that the idea is of its new-generation E175- 625, with 249 on back order. Alton cites contractual weight limit,” he points the Geekbus is a mobile “maker space” comes more connected, and as we move for the innovation center to bring in WE2 on Dec. 12, some might the CAPA - Centre for Aviation fleet da- out. “There is no indication yet that that travels to different locations to into a systems-based world, you need 150,000 new people who could po - speculate that Embraer will spool down tabase as the source. scope clauses will be relaxed or that provide STEM educational experi- to start to bring all these capabilities tentially be recruited into the STEM production of its popular legacy E175 The U.S. is by far the largest market the E175-E2 will become compliant.” In ences on topics ranging from drones, together. Because if you try to solve it workforce. “If you get 1% of [them] ac- when the -E2 enters service in 2021. for the E175, with 521, or 83% of the fleet 2018, Embraer removed from its E175- rocketry and robotics to cybersecurity in silos, it’s just not going to work,” says tually pursuing some of the education But Embraer says that is not the plan. in service, and U.S. operators slated to E2 backlog an order from SkyWest for and structural engineering. Jim Perschbach, president and CEO of programs and actually working with In fact, the numbers suggest produc- receive 242, or 97% of the E175 backlog, 100, which was conditioned on scope Aside from the Geekbus, Samsat Port San Antonio. He adds that the Port the employers, that’s 1,500 people a tion of the E175 will not end anytime reports Adam Guthorn, an Alton Avia- clause change. provides a wide variety of STEM edu- hopes to establish “creative collisions of year going into that pathway [who] soon, especially if scope clauses in U.S. tion Consultancy director. “The own- Asked if any changing market dy- cational programs, many of them focus- the right people” at the innovation cen- aren’t there right now to increase that airline pilot contracts remain namics could affect lease rates c ing on aerospace or related fields. The ter, while attracting interest from po- recruitable market.” in place. Scope clauses restrict E Arraft and residual values, Guthorn

museum holds multiple space camps PORT SAN ANTONIO regional airline operations— says that based on scope claus- every year, typically for underserved on behalf of their major part- O emand es and demand from regional youth, that include experiences such ners—to aircraft with no more $. airlines, they will remain most- as building and launching model rock- than 76 seats and a maximum ly stable for 76-seat aircraft, ets with staff from NASA and JPL, as takeoff weight (MTOW) limit led by the E175 throughout the well as exposure to WEX Foundation of 86,000 lb. The E175, with . 2020s. “The [service entry] projects focused on building 3D-printed an MTOW of 85,517 lb. and a of the redesigned Mitsubishi habitats on the Moon and Mars. 76-seat dual-class cabin, now Modifications SpaceJet (M100), which is Samsat is in the process of adding 3D commands 80% of the 76-seat . Airframe Heavy scope-clause-compliant and printers and laser cutters to its tempo- jet category in the U.S., with Line Maintenance expected to gain more orders, rary co-working and maker space in the more than 600 orders since . Components is not expected prior to 2024. former Air Force commissary, which al- the last scope negotiation in Engine Maintenance This means that the E175, and ready features labs for electronics, op- 2012, says Embraer. slightly smaller E170, will be tics, sheet metal and an assortment of Since the E175’s 2003 first . the only available options in CNC machines. Once Samsat is moved flight and entry into service .S. Bon the 76-seat regional jet seg- into the new innovation center, Port with in July 2005, ment once Bombardier stops San Antonio’s vision is to make this 793 have been ordered world- . manufacturing the CRJ 700 technology available both for students wide, accounting for 612 deliv- and 900,” he says. “That would interested in learning and for compa- eries and 181 on backorder plus concentrate demand and sup- Kids gain exposure to tech nies on-site looking to collaborate and another 326 options, accord- Source: Aviation Week port lease rates and values of address challenges. The hope is that devices such as VR headsets ing to Embraer’s statistics as 2020 Fleet & MRO Forecast the E170 and E175 in the used established companies such as Boeing and 3D printers at the Port’s of Sept. 30, 2019. More recent market.” and StandardAero will not only use the Youth Aerospace Expo. data, provided by New York- The U.S. regional airline market accounts for Allan Bachan, vice presi- space to collaborate with each other but based Alton Aviation Consul- 83% of the global E175 fleet in service. dent and managing director

MRO20 INSIDEMRO JANUARY 2020 AviationWeek.com/MRO AviationWeek.com/MRO INSIDEMRO JANUARY 2020 MRO21 M Program Focus

Lufthansa Technik Aero Alzey ser- vices roughly 30-40 CF34-8E engines for both E170 and E175 operators annually. The MRO expects to see a surge in life-limited parts replace- ment events for the engine type

LUFTHANSA TECHNIK AERO ALZEY LUFTHANSA TECHNIK AERO within the next few years.

American carriers have an ongoing need to feed their hubs with regional aircraft, so demand for current-pro- duction E175s is unlikely to soften soon. Richard Brown, managing director of the Naveo Consultancy in London, says there is demand from U.S. airlines for another 400-500 regional jets. “And it is this replacement market that both the E175 and the Mitsubishi M100 are targeting,” he says. The M100 is aimed at the 75-seat for MRO operations at ICF, agrees. Agency]-certified aircraft listed as market, under an agreement to keep “The medium-term values and lease available for lease in March 2020,” the weight under 86,000 lb. for U.S. op- rate outlook for the Embraer 175 looks he says. “However, there will be more erators. “The M100, itself, is over the promising, with no imminent replace- volatility in values if and when the weight limit, but for the U.S. market ment by the E175-E2. Current public E175 ceases production at a still un- Mitsubishi proposes offering it with availability for the E175 is low, with only known future date.” a reduced fuel load, thereby reduc - two [European Union Aviation Safety Bachan stresses that major North ing the weight by limiting the perfor-

HONEYCOMB MACHINED HONEYCOMB SANDWICH PANELS DETAILED PANELS CARGO LINERS SPECIALTY LAMINATES

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MRO22 INSIDEMRO JANUARY 2020 AviationWeek.com/MRO M Program Focus GE

Lufthansa Technik Aero Alzey ser- mance of the aircraft,” he explains. vices roughly 30-40 CF34-8E engines Brown says the E175 will remain in for both E170 and E175 operators demand by North American opera- annually. The MRO expects to see a tors seeking an existing scope-com- surge in life-limited parts replace- pliant aircraft. “If scope clauses don’t ment events for the engine type change, the classic E175 remains a vi- LUFTHANSA TECHNIK AERO ALZEY LUFTHANSA TECHNIK AERO within the next few years. able model, and Embraer will continue to manufacture it, so long as airlines American carriers have an ongoing are ordering it.” need to feed their hubs with regional “Outside of the U.S. we will likely see aircraft, so demand for current-pro- some demand for the E175. However, duction E175s is unlikely to soften soon. the aircraft will likely be limited to Richard Brown, managing director niche route operations due to the in- of the Naveo Consultancy in London, creased availability of larger regional says there is demand from U.S. airlines jets such as the E190/E195, which have for another 400-500 regional jets. “And only marginally higher operating costs, it is this replacement market that both while also offering significantly larger the E175 and the Mitsubishi M100 are capacity,” suggests Michael Brain, targeting,” he says. regional sales manager for AerFin, a In early 2020, GE will issue a high-pressure turbine The M100 is aimed at the 75-seat Cardiff-based specialist in aircraft end- durability package for CF34-8s, under a service bulletin for MRO operations at ICF, agrees. Agency]-certified aircraft listed as market, under an agreement to keep of-life solutions. that will provide multiple redesigned HPT parts along “The medium-term values and lease available for lease in March 2020,” the weight under 86,000 lb. for U.S. op- Brain cites Africa as a potential with an incentive to adopt this new standard. rate outlook for the Embraer 175 looks he says. “However, there will be more erators. “The M100, itself, is over the growth market for the E175, as opera- promising, with no imminent replace- volatility in values if and when the weight limit, but for the U.S. market tors invest in larger aircraft to support ment by the E175-E2. Current public E175 ceases production at a still un- Mitsubishi proposes offering it with increasing travel demand. “We there- “However, airlines typically have the has been an intermittent problem due availability for the E175 is low, with only known future date.” a reduced fuel load, thereby reduc - fore expect to see an increased number ability to stagger these inspections to to high peak demand, and we expect two [European Union Aviation Safety Bachan stresses that major North ing the weight by limiting the perfor- of used and new E175 jets transition into minimize fleet downtime,” he remarks. this situation to continue for the next the region to either replace smaller 50- Jochen Mast, head of sales support few years.” seat jets or for operation on new, emerg- for Lufthansa Technik Aero Alzey in Mast predicts the peak in LLP ing routes. The main reason is that the Germany, reports that the MRO ex- events is “yet to come,” with a second HONEYCOMB MACHINED HONEYCOMB SANDWICH PANELS E175’s capacity and overall economics pects to see phase-outs of the E175 but smaller such peak expected when DETAILED PANELS CARGO LINERS SPECIALTY LAMINATES are perfectly suited to support growing fleets with the entry of the E2 genera- the large fleets of E175s—more recently demand within emerging markets.” tion—in the long run. Nonetheless, in sold in the U.S.—reach their first en- the near-to-mid-term, Aero Alzey, gine performance-restoration shop vis- MRO OUTLOOK which services the E175’s CF34-8E en- its. The exact timing of that, he says, is The bullish outlook for the E175 will gine, does not see a strong E2 impact hard to predict. translate into a strong MRO market for on its MRO business for that power- CF34 OEM GE Aviation sees a long Reliable News, that aircraft. Alton’s Guthorn says com- plant, he says. “In the U.S., the mar- time horizon for the E175 fleet. Paolo Concise Format bined E175 engine and airframe events ket is growing, hence, the demand for Bellini, CF34 regional engine market- are projected to hit $1.2 billion by 2025, CF34-8E MRO services is strong and ing manager, says. “The E175 fleet is up from $850 million today. expected to remain strong for the next relatively young, with more than 400 SpeedNews is the source for relevant MROs are girding for increasing few years,” he notes. less than five years old, and [is] expect- insights, news and information powering demand, based on the fact that within Aero Alzey services roughly 30-40 ed to fly for at least 20 more years,” commercial aviation. Sent electronically, the next 3-5 years a portion of the E175 CF34-8E engines annually for both he notes. top executives rely on its unique, quick- fleet in the will be coming E170 and E175 operators, says Mast. GE Aviation continues to invest in read format to: out of warranty, according to Marc “We do expect to see a surge in life-lim- the CF34-8, working in the past year Bajaj, sales director for the Americas ited parts (LLP) replacement events, to freeze engine configuration, focus- ➤ Monitor your competition. for Spairliners. That will create higher driven by large parts of the fleet hit- ing not only on reliability but also on INTEGRATED COMPOSITES demand for support from the aftermar- ting the LLP limits within the next few maintenance costs and fleet stability. ➤ TECHNOLOGY & SOLUTIONS Uncover new business opportunities. ket at the same time that many regional years,” he says. Early this year, reports Bellini, GE will ➤ Connect and network with industry airlines are still receiving deliveries of Asked about challenges in the CF34- issue a high-pressure turbine (HPT) leaders. the E175. The Hamburg-based compa- 8E MRO market, Mast points to parts durability package, via service bulletin, ny offers component repair programs, shortages—especially the hot-section that will provide multiple redesigned asset management and engineering airfoils—which he attributes to the HPT parts, along with an incentive to LearnLearn MoreMor at services for the E-Jet family in Europe OEM focus on newer and higher-vol- adopt this new standard. “This configu- The Gill Corporation International Headquarters aviationweek.com/speednewsaviationweek.com/speednews and more recently in the Americas. ume engine types such as the Leap. ration will provide clear advantages to 4056 Easy Street • El Monte, CA 91731 USA For the E175, says Bajaj, 10-year in- “This is further amplified by the cur- the customers with regard to time on Phone: 626-443-4022 • FAX: 626-350-5880 spections and landing gear overhauls rent high amount of shop events gen- wing, maintenance planning, higher en- www.thegillcorp.com • Email: [email protected] and exchanges are just a few of the ma- erating high demand for the parts,” he gine residual value and lower life-cycle jor events that will affect shop capacity. remarks. “Also, MRO shop capacity maintenance costs,” he explains. c

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1. Safer Engine Transport on engine stand trades or leases, as well as digi- 1 tized agreements and invoices. EngineStands24 Company: Marlin Steel recently added product offerings for Leap-1A/ Product: Circular Floats -1B engines and opened new hubs in Dubai and Specifications: Designed to safely transport China to capture market share in the Middle East aircraft engines around MRO facilities, Marlin and Asia-Pacific regions. Steel’s new Circular Floats can hold up to 600 marketplace.aviationweek.com/product/ lb. while protecting engines and their associated enginestands24 components from damage. The product features a perimeter wall with a neoprene rim, adjustable 4. Quicker Engine Changes ratchet straps to secure engines in place and a truck bed liner coating to prevent metal-on-metal Company: Hydro contact. The Circular Floats come in 36-in., Product: Cobra Engine Change System 48-in. and 60-in. sizes, and the company says Specifications: Hydro’s Cobra Engine Change they are ergonomic to move around as well as System has been designed to perform aircraft forklift- and pallet jack-friendly. engine removals and installations 70% faster than marketplace.aviationweek.com/product/ with traditional bootstrap systems. Operated via material-handling-racks-no-metal-metal- a mobile panel that controls the semi-automated contact lifting and lowering of the engine dolly and cradle 2 or transportation stand, users can select preset 2. Environmentally Friendly load sheets for various aircraft, engine and stand Engine Washing combinations to mechanically align the system’s 3 equipment. Cobra allows engine changes both Company: Rochem Aviation inside the hangar and on the apron, and Hydro Product: Ro-Jet-Wash System says the system reduces costs by minimizing Specifications: Rochem Aviation’s Ro-Jet-Wash aircraft downtime. System is designed to easily wash engines in marketplace.aviationweek.com/product/ minutes while improving engine gas temperature maximum-safety-cobra-engine-change- margins and fuel efficiency. The self-contained system system is rolled up to an and op- erated by a two-person crew, using a patented 5. All-Weather Engine Washes atomizing system to spray water efficiently in a 360-deg. pattern around the engine inlet. Water 4 Company: Lufthansa Technik and debris are expelled as a mist behind the Product: Cyclean Engine Wash aircraft and filtered through the system to be Specifications: Able to perform engine washes at reused in its wash tanks or disposed of safely. the in less than an hour, Lufthansa Technik’s The system has been sold to carriers including Cyclean Engine Wash injects vaporized hot water American Airlines, and . directly into the core engine to save time and re- marketplace.aviationweek.com/product/ duce emissions. The latest generation of Cyclean introducing-ro-jet-wash-system is equipped with an integrated glycol mixing system, which enables the addition of antifreeze 3. eStore for Engine Stands for washing engines in low temperatures. LHT also 5 now offers a waterless version of Cyclean that Company: Magnetic MRO uses small dry ice pellets for engine washing in Product: EngineStands24 any type of weather. According to LHT, the system Specifications: Launched in 2016 to make is now available for next-gen engines such as the the process of purchasing and leasing engine LEAP-1A/-1B and PW1100G/1500G. stands quicker and easier, Magnetic MRO’s marketplace.aviationweek.com/product/ EngineStands24 e-platform enables customers cyclean%c2%ae-engine-wash-clean- to receive immediate price quotes and lead times engine-pays

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MRO24 INSIDEMRO JANUARY 2020 AviationWeek.com/MRO M M Viewpoint By RAY VALEIKA Ray Valeika advises airlines, OEMs, private equity firms and lessors. He was Delta Air Lines’ senior vice Engine Essentials president for technical operations. Lindsay Bjerregaard Chicago nearly 50% of aircraft owners. Until recently, lessors have not committed Aircraft Data Rights fully to the benefits available from advanced IT. They have depended 1. Safer Engine Transport on engine stand trades or leases, as well as digi- With the advanced aircraft and IT evolution, what on operators for most of the main- 1 tized agreements and invoices. EngineStands24 are the effects on business models and privacy? tenance while under lease and have Company: Marlin Steel recently added product offerings for Leap-1A/ used maintenance reserves as a rev- Product: Circular Floats -1B engines and opened new hubs in Dubai and enue source. Today’s IT is sufficiently Specifications: Designed to safely transport China to capture market share in the Middle East oday’s aircraft and the power of advancing information and powerful to standardize aircraft aircraft engines around MRO facilities, Marlin and Asia-Pacific regions. Taircraft technologies are changing MRO and superseding maintenance and record-keeping so Steel’s new Circular Floats can hold up to 600 marketplace.aviationweek.com/product/ yesterday’s processes. that aircraft transitions can become lb. while protecting engines and their associated enginestands24 much more seamless. Maintenance components from damage. The product features As commercial aviation has data and real-time monitoring of records will become standardized and a perimeter wall with a neoprene rim, adjustable 4. Quicker Engine Changes evolved, many systems were adopted operational performance away from transparent. Return provisions will ratchet straps to secure engines in place and a and regulated to create stable, bal- airlines. This has given engine OEMs become much less of an issue. With truck bed liner coating to prevent metal-on-metal Company: Hydro anced and controllable processes. unprecedented insight into an airline’s such information more available, even contact. The Circular Floats come in 36-in., Product: Cobra Engine Change System Basic to this was the maintenance operations, providing more control lessors will provide all-inclusive one- 48-in. and 60-in. sizes, and the company says Specifications: Hydro’s Cobra Engine Change system, which is dependent on a bal- over pricing, engine maintenance and stop shops. they are ergonomic to move around as well as System has been designed to perform aircraft ance between the regulators, manu- inventory. Let’s look at where else In today’s digital world, airlines forklift- and pallet jack-friendly. engine removals and installations 70% faster than facturers and operators. This balance technology and business trends are are not the most efficient stewards of marketplace.aviationweek.com/product/ with traditional bootstrap systems. Operated via could be seen in further pushing this inventory. Billions of dollars of compo- material-handling-racks-no-metal-metal- a mobile panel that controls the semi-automated the way different transition. nent inventory sits idly in airline ware- contact lifting and lowering of the engine dolly and cradle streams of informa- This shift will Both Boeing houses, having turn times of less than 2 or transportation stand, users can select preset tion were con- disrupt today’s and Airbus have twice a year. Clearly, this area is an 2. Environmentally Friendly load sheets for various aircraft, engine and stand trolled. The airlines committed to major obvious opportunity for big benefits, Engine Washing combinations to mechanically align the system’s were responsible aftermarket, expansion in the but who should control it? It’s not in 3 equipment. Cobra allows engine changes both for their operating aftermarket, which the OEMs’ financial interest to sell Company: Rochem Aviation inside the hangar and on the apron, and Hydro data, the OEMs for seriously affecting will give them more fewer parts. An increase of turn times Product: Ro-Jet-Wash System says the system reduces costs by minimizing their technical and independent MROs, insight and control by one or so means billions less in Specifications: Rochem Aviation’s Ro-Jet-Wash aircraft downtime. certification data, over activities that parts sales. This area is ready for an System is designed to easily wash engines in marketplace.aviationweek.com/product/ and the regulators parts distributors airlines perform. infusion of technology and new owner- minutes while improving engine gas temperature maximum-safety-cobra-engine-change- for their oversight The “connected” ship such as that already changing the margins and fuel efficiency. The self-contained system data. It was often and airlines. aircraft opens up supply chain in other industries. system is rolled up to an aircraft engine and op- referred to as a huge benefits for These are just a few snippets of erated by a two-person crew, using a patented 5. All-Weather Engine Washes three-legged stool. For the most part rapid data transfer, easier record- how operational dependence is shift- atomizing system to spray water efficiently in a it is still that way today —but for how keeping, improved diagnostics, ing from operators primarily to OEMs 360-deg. pattern around the engine inlet. Water 4 Company: Lufthansa Technik long? Are we now at a tipping point off-aircraft analytics, training and and in the future possibly to inde- and debris are expelled as a mist behind the Product: Cyclean Engine Wash where operational performance and predictive opportunities. But to which pendent technical information and aircraft and filtered through the system to be Specifications: Able to perform engine washes at maintenance requirements are slowly entities will they be connected, who supply-chain ventures. This shift will reused in its wash tanks or disposed of safely. the gate in less than an hour, Lufthansa Technik’s migrating away from the operators? will do the analysis, who will maintain disrupt today’s aftermarket, seriously The system has been sold to carriers including Cyclean Engine Wash injects vaporized hot water The more advanced the aircraft, operational data, and who will recom- affecting independent MROs, parts American Airlines, Icelandair and Spirit Airlines. directly into the core engine to save time and re- the fewer the technical resources that mend corrective actions? Many of the distributors and airlines. marketplace.aviationweek.com/product/ duce emissions. The latest generation of Cyclean need to be provided by the operators. major Tier 1 OEMs are engaged in Perhaps the biggest challenges introducing-ro-jet-wash-system is equipped with an integrated glycol mixing What we are seeing is the ability of sensor installation, predictive services presented by this transition will be system, which enables the addition of antifreeze airlines to operate the latest-gen- and diagnostics. This will also allow for regulators. As the analysis and 3. eStore for Engine Stands for washing engines in low temperatures. LHT also eration aircraft safely and reliably them to provide PBH services across monitoring of data moves away from 5 now offers a waterless version of Cyclean that with much less internal technical the aircraft component world. More airlines, how will the responsibil- Company: Magnetic MRO uses small dry ice pellets for engine washing in capability than required for previous important, like the engine OEMs, they ity for airworthiness be regulated? Product: EngineStands24 any type of weather. According to LHT, the system generations of aircraft. This has led will have significant control over many My concern about this expansion of Specifications: Launched in 2016 to make is now available for next-gen engines such as the to a transition from dependence on aspects of the aftermarket, particu- operational information is the issue the process of purchasing and leasing engine LEAP-1A/-1B and PW1100G/1500G. internal capabilities to reliance on larly inventory. of privacy: How do we preserve it? In stands quicker and easier, Magnetic MRO’s marketplace.aviationweek.com/product/ external services. Business models and aircraft are our social media world and litigious EngineStands24 e-platform enables customers cyclean%c2%ae-engine-wash-clean- The most obvious examples are all changing, but the most dramatic society, will operational data become to receive immediate price quotes and lead times engine-pays power-by-the hour (PBH) engine change is in information technology a source for news items, an opportu- maintenance agreements, which (IT) itself. Concepts like blockchain nity to exploit incidents as a means to Go to MROLinks.com for more information. transfer engine maintenance as well and other capabilities will transform litigate or sensationalize? As always, as the record-keeping, operational aircraft lessors, which today make up progress brings challenges. c

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PEM-AIR TURBINE ENGINE SERVICES PERCIVAL AVIATION S INTERNATIONA OSEN AEROSACE S INC Pem-Air Turbine Engine Services (PATES) A320 family LAV FLOOR PANS Comprehensive MRO Solutions, nmatched uality A solution for every fastening challenge

Pem-Air Turbine Engine Percival Aviation manufacture As an FAA (S3R86) oysen GmbH & Co.KG Services and Pem-Air Aircraft/ an improved A320 family EASA (145.655) was founded in 16. Engine Accessory Overhaul lavatory floor pan. This has certifi ed repair station, In 01, we opened our are certified FAA and EASA been redesigned to stop the S3 offers component subsidiary in Dallas, Texas, to global repair providers of gas base cracking and prevent MRO services at support the Americas. turbine engines, airframes, fluid leaking onto the aircraft competitive prices. With accessories, and related structure. capabilities in hydraulic, platform components. Pem-Air has an integrated team of mechanical, electronic, pneumatic, & fuel components, S3 We specialize in the distribution of Aerospace Fasteners with highly experienced commercial and military personnel and has Repair can deliver customized solutions & legacy support for one of the worlds largest stock holdings of metric and imperial leveraged this collective experience and capabilities to minimize Military & Commercial markets. hardware. customer risk and cost. Pem-Air.com Pem-Airturbine.com www.percivalaviation.com Components • Electrical • https://marketplace.aviation- Manufacturing & Distributing https://marketplace.avia- Hydraulics/Pneumatics • Landing Manufacturing & Distributing • week.com/product/pem-air- • Cabin Interiors/InFlight tionweek.com/product/ Gear/Wheels/Brakes • Military Connectors/Fasteners • Electrical Aerospace Materials turbine-engine-services-pates Entertainment a320-family-lav-floor-pans Maintenance • Parts

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MRO28 INSIDEMRO JANUARY 2020 AviationWeek.com/mro AviationWeek.com/mro INSIDEMRO JANUARY 2020 MRO2 M ADVERTISING SECTION

SEPARATION DYNAMICS SETAERO Avoid Economic & Waste-Handling Risks Reliable Components Solutions

Separation Dynamics We provide maintenance, repair and make state-of-the-art overhaul of airframe structures. Our filtration systems that capabilities include Nacelles, Flight remove the contaminants Surfaces and Structural Components as of NDT/NDI/FPI so the water can be re-used or safely well as full In-House NDT capabilities. discharged. This unique closed-loop process is more efficient For our clients with sensitive time frames, than any other waste treatment methods and more cost effective we have a wide array of rotables as well than evaporation. as an AOG Rapid Response Team to ensure you are constantly in operation with the least down time possible.

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SKF AEROSPACE SPIRIT AEROSYSTEMS Elevate Performance with SKF Engineered Solutions Spirit AeroSystems’ will come to you! Check out our Go Teams! SKF Aerospace provides component maintenance, Spirit AeroSystems Global bearing repair, and Customer Support & Services overhaul to the global now offers Go Teams! A team aviation community on the of expert technicians travel aerospace industry’s most to where you need them advanced applications. to provide on-wing repairs, With unique engineering/maintenance capabilities SKF can offer inspections, evaluations, service bulletin work or Airworthiness solutions that maximize reductions in the total cost of ownership. Directive incorporation. Let us help you maintain your fleet! Contact us today to learn more about our GO TEAMS! www.skf.com https://marketplace. www.spiritaero.com Components • aviationweek.com/product/ https://marketplace.aviationweek. Engines/Engine Systems • elevate-performance-skf- Maintenance, com/product/spirit-aerosystems-will- Landing Gear/Wheels/Brakes engineered-solutions-0 Repair & Overhaul come-you-check-out-our-go-teams

ST ENGINEERING STAHLWILLE TOOLS LLC ST Engineering - More Than Airframe MRO PREMIUM TOOL SOLUTIONS FOR AEROSPACE

Did you know ST Engineering Our specially developed tools made offers engineering and ODA from high tensile-strength High certification services? From Performance Quality (HPQ® ) modifications to one- materials are used extensively in jet stop solutions for a complete engine overhaul, the maintenance interior reconfiguration, no and overhaul of airframes and on the job is too small. We also avionics. The entirely cadmium-free provide engine and component repair and overhaul services to tools are suitable for application on customers around the world. titanium components without danger of corrosion.

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MRO30 INSIDEMRO JANUARY 2020 AviationWeek.com/mro M ADVERTISING SECTION M ADVERTISING SECTION

SEPARATION DYNAMICS SETAERO STEEGER SA STRCTRAL INTEGRITY ENGINEERING SIE Avoid Economic & Waste-Handling Risks Reliable Components Solutions High Technology Braiding Technology Aircraft Engineering Design That Works Every Time

Separation Dynamics We provide maintenance, repair and High Technology Fine SIE delivers unique aircraft make state-of-the-art overhaul of airframe structures. Our Metal and Fine Fiber projects--special mission, filtration systems that capabilities include Nacelles, Flight Braiding Technology fl ying test bed, medical, remove the contaminants Surfaces and Structural Components as cargo conversions, and of NDT/NDI/FPI so the water can be re-used or safely well as full In-House NDT capabilities. VVIP aircraft--for the most discharged. This unique closed-loop process is more efficient For our clients with sensitive time frames, demanding customers and than any other waste treatment methods and more cost effective we have a wide array of rotables as well operational environments. than evaporation. as an AOG Rapid Response Team to ensure you are constantly in operation with the least down time possible. www.SIEinc.com www.separationdynamics.com WWW.SETAERO.COM www.steegerusa.com https://marketplace.avia- https://marketplace.aviation- https://marketplace.avia- https://marketplace.aviation- tionweek.com/product/ week.com/product/avoid-eco- Aftermarket Services • tionweek.com/product/ Airframes • Connectors/Fasteners • week.com/product/high-tech- Aftermarket Services • Consulting aircraft-engineering-design- Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul nomic-waste-handling-risks Engineering and Design reliable-components-solutions Electrical • Hardware nology-braiding-technology Services • Engineering and Design works-every-time

SKF AEROSPACE SPIRIT AEROSYSTEMS SMITOMO PRECISION SA TAG AERO Elevate Performance with SKF Engineered Solutions Spirit AeroSystems’ will come to you! Check out our Go Heat Exchanger Specialist AP Is What We Do Teams! SKF Aerospace provides Sumitomo Precision USA Striving to provide the most dynamic component maintenance, Spirit AeroSystems Global provides maintenance/ APU solutions, TAG Aero is proud bearing repair, and Customer Support & Services repair and OEM warranty to announce our FAA/EASA 145 overhaul to the global now offers Go Teams! A team administration capabilities to repair station, TAG TechOps. Having aviation community on the of expert technicians travel SPU/SPP heat management secured full GTCP131-9 and 85 aerospace industry’s most to where you need them components inclusive of series capabilities, TAG TechOps advanced applications. to provide on-wing repairs, V2500, TRENT, and BR will continue to deliver excellent With unique engineering/maintenance capabilities SKF can offer inspections, evaluations, service bulletin work or Airworthiness platform Heat Exchangers. workmanship and quality service at solutions that maximize reductions in the total cost of ownership. Directive incorporation. Let us help you maintain your fleet! Benefting from close links with both Sumitomo OEM facilities we competitive pricing. Contact us today to learn more about our GO TEAMS! offer effcient OEM product support www.skf.com https://marketplace. www.spiritaero.com www.tag.aero Components • aviationweek.com/product/ https://marketplace.aviationweek. Manufacturing www.spu-usa.com https://marketplace.avia- Engines/Engine Systems • elevate-performance-skf- Maintenance, com/product/spirit-aerosystems-will- & Distributing • https://marketplace.aviationweek.com/ tionweek.com/product/ Landing Gear/Wheels/Brakes engineered-solutions-0 Repair & Overhaul come-you-check-out-our-go-teams Components product/heat-echanger-specialist Aftermarket Services apu-what-we-do

ST ENGINEERING STAHLWILLE TOOLS LLC TENSITRON TITAN TOOL SPPLY INC. ST Engineering - More Than Airframe MRO PREMIUM TOOL SOLUTIONS FOR AEROSPACE Aircraft Cable Tension Matters Modular Videoscope for Aviation Inspection and Maintenance Did you know ST Engineering Our specially developed tools made Tensitron ACX-1 Digital offers engineering and ODA from high tensile-strength High Aircraft Cable Tension Titan Tool Supply’s TVG-PRO Videoscope certification services? From Performance Quality (HPQ® ) Meters offer precise digital features a single video unit with fi ve galley modifications to one- materials are used extensively in jet tension measurement for different combinations of insertion tube stop solutions for a complete engine overhaul, the maintenance business, commercial, and lengths and diameters. Available in lengths interior reconfiguration, no and overhaul of airframes and on the private aviation. The meters of 1, 2 and 3 m; diameters of 2.8, 4.0 job is too small. We also avionics. The entirely cadmium-free provide direct readings with no risers or conversion charts and 6.0 mm. All feature 180° or full 360° provide engine and component repair and overhaul services to tools are suitable for application on and are designed to be durable and provide long life with low articulation. A 5” LCD monitor includes fi ve customers around the world. titanium components without danger maintenance costs. ACX-1 meters are the better way to measure levels of brightness via high intensity LED of corrosion. cable tension. illumination with 100,000 hours of life.

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MRO30 INSIDEMRO JANUARY 2020 AviationWeek.com/mro AviationWeek.com/mro INSIDEMRO JANUARY 2020 MRO3 M ADVERTISING SECTION

TRELLEBORG SEALING SOLUTIONS AEROSPACE TRONAIR, INC. Aftermarket Polymer Solutions GSE Solutions the Size of Texas

Aftermarket services are offered Tronair continues to be the in 5 different areas: Engineering premier supplier for ground (e.g. Reverse engineering, Material support equipment, offering analysis, Design & development) a diverse and unparalleled Handling (e.g. Packaging, Kitting, GSE product line. The Sub-assemblies), Logistics (e.g. Tronair family includes Inventory management, DLF, EDI, Kanban), Hands-on support Columbus Jack, Eagle (e.g. Testing & Qualification) and Enhanced Services Tugs, JetPorter Electric (e.g. Component reduction) Towbarless Tugs, and EBis maintenance software.

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TRUEAERO TSUNAMI TSOLUTIONS LLC APUs for Lease Data Solution Experts - Process Solutions Provider

TrueAero has Boeing, Airbus, and Embraer APUs for lease Consulting Services in: and for sale. Technology Solutions - Engineering Support - Aerospace Consulting - Business Process Outsourcing - Information Services - System Production Support - Short and Long Term Assistance - Enduring Solutions - Improve Efficiency - Improve Productivity - Improve Communication

www.tsunamitsolutions.com www.trueaero.com https://marketplace.avia- Manufacturing & Distributing • Consumables/Supplies • Engines/Engine https://marketplace. tionweek.com/product/ Systems • Landing Gear/Wheels/Brakes • aviationweek.com/ Hardware • Manuals/Repair data-solution-experts-process- Parts • Airframes product/apus-lease Documentation/Records • Software solutions-provider

TURBINEAERO UNITED INDUSTRIAL TEXTILE PRODUCTS, INC. 40+ Years of Global MRO Leadership Custom covers for all applications

TurbineAero provides MRO UITP covers are specifically repairs for: APUs, LRUs, piece manufactured to meet the parts, and advanced repairs for demands of the aerospace gas turbine engines. We also industry. Our F.O.D. protection provide build to print component and shipping covers are fabrication, specialized coatings, designed to survive the rigors repair development, APU of the road. We also produce leases, and specialty cleaning long term storage covers processes. We hold all major designed to create a stable, part 145 certifications. controlled environment for critical equipment. www.turbineaero.com www.uitprod.com https://marketplace.aviation- https://marketplace.aviation- week.com/product/40-years- Ground Support Equipment • week.com/company/united- Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul global-mro-leadership Safety/Emergency Equipment industrial-textile-products-inc

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TRELLEBORG SEALING SOLUTIONS AEROSPACE TRONAIR, INC. UNIVERSAL AVIONICS, AN ELBIT SYSTEMS COMPANY USA BORESCOPES Aftermarket Polymer Solutions GSE Solutions the Size of Texas Flight Deck Modernization USA2000J 6mm Portable Joystick Articulating Videoscope

Aftermarket services are offered Tronair continues to be the Universal Avionics’ ClearVision The USA2000J-6-2000 6mm portable in 5 different areas: Engineering premier supplier for ground ‘Head-up, Head-down’ avionics joystick articulating videoscope features: (e.g. Reverse engineering, Material support equipment, offering system provides superior analysis, Design & development) a diverse and unparalleled capability, available as a forward- Excellent Image Quality with Optimized Handling (e.g. Packaging, Kitting, GSE product line. The fit or retrofit flight deck solution. Optic System & HD CMOS Sensor Sub-assemblies), Logistics (e.g. Tronair family includes The InSight EFIS Flight Deck High Resolution Picture/Video LCM Inventory management, DLF, EDI, Kanban), Hands-on support Columbus Jack, Eagle with SkyLens head-wearable Output System (e.g. Testing & Qualification) and Enhanced Services Tugs, JetPorter Electric HUD provides a superior EFVS Smooth Joystick Control and Lock System (e.g. Component reduction) Towbarless Tugs, and EBis solution. Boeing 737 STC Tungsten Tube maintenance software. available soon. Temperature Warning 7” LCD Monitor www.tss.trelleborg.com www.tronair.com www.uasc.com www.usaborescopes.com https://marketplace.avia- https://marketplace. https://marketplace.avia- https://marketplace.aviationweek. Aerospace Materials * tionweek.com/product/ Manufacturing aviationweek.com/product/ tionweek.com/product/ Tools & Equipment • com/product/usa2000j-6mm-porta- Advanced Materials/Composites aftermarket-polymer-solutions & Distributing gse-solutions-size-texas Avionics/Instruments flight-deck-modernization-1 Test Equipment ble-joystick-articulating-videoscope

TRUEAERO TSUNAMI TSOLUTIONS LLC USATCO U.S. AIR TOOL COMPANY, INC. VISIT FORT WORTH

APUs for Lease Data Solution Experts - Process Solutions Provider Serving the It’s The Texas Meeting You Want! Aerospace TrueAero has Boeing, Airbus, and Embraer APUs for lease Consulting Services in: Manufacturing & Fort Worth offers diverse and for sale. Technology Solutions Aviation Maintenance amenities and venues for - Engineering Support Industries Worldwide meetings of any shape and - Aerospace Consulting Since 1951 size. Versatile facilities like - Business Process the Fort Worth Convention Outsourcing - Information Center, outstanding hotel Services - System Production Support - Short and Long Term accommodations, delicious Assistance - Enduring Solutions - Improve Efficiency - Improve dining, unique entertainment Productivity - Improve Communication offerings, cultural events, and attractions make it the perfect www.tsunamitsolutions.com place for any event. www.trueaero.com https://marketplace.avia- www.FortWorth.com Manufacturing & Distributing • Consumables/Supplies • Engines/Engine https://marketplace. tionweek.com/product/ www.USATCO.com https://marketplace.avia- Systems • Landing Gear/Wheels/Brakes • aviationweek.com/ Hardware • Manuals/Repair data-solution-experts-process- Calibration/Weighing Services • Test https://marketplace.aviation- MRO Americas • tionweek.com/product/ Parts • Airframes product/apus-lease Documentation/Records • Software solutions-provider Equipment • Tools week.com/company/usatco Aerospace Materials its-texas-meeting-you-want

TURBINEAERO UNITED INDUSTRIAL TEXTILE PRODUCTS, INC. WALL COLMONOY WHEELABRATOR GROUP 40+ Years of Global MRO Leadership Custom covers for all applications Making your aircraft & engine parts last longer Wheelabrator Aerospace Expertise

TurbineAero provides MRO UITP covers are specifically Wall Colmonoy MRO Wheelabrator automated repairs for: APUs, LRUs, piece manufactured to meet the specializes in the mfg & airblast shot peening parts, and advanced repairs for demands of the aerospace repair of turbines, diffusers, systems are for the gas turbine engines. We also industry. Our F.O.D. protection vanes, heat exchangers & aerospace industry’s provide build to print component and shipping covers are other engine components. exacting specifications. fabrication, specialized coatings, designed to survive the rigors We provide products & All systems comply with repair development, APU of the road. We also produce services of vacuum brazing, international specifications leases, and specialty cleaning long term storage covers heat treatment, welding, joining by braze powder, tape & foil, & audits AMS, Nadcap, processes. We hold all major designed to create a stable, metal coatings - Laser Cladding, PTA, HVOF and Spray & Fuse. MIL & various OEM part 145 certifications. controlled environment for specific requirements. critical equipment. www.turbineaero.com www.uitprod.com www.wallcolmonoy.com/mro Airframes • Components • www.wheelabratorgroup.com https://marketplace.aviation- https://marketplace.aviation- Components • Engines/Engine https://marketplace.aviationweek. Engines/Engine Systems • https://marketplace.avia- week.com/product/40-years- Ground Support Equipment • week.com/company/united- Systems • Heat Coating/Brazing • com/product/making-your- Landing Gear/Wheels/Brakes • tionweek.com/product/ Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul global-mro-leadership Safety/Emergency Equipment industrial-textile-products-inc Painting/Coatings • Parts aircraft-engine-parts-last-longer Military Maintenance wheelabrator-aerospace-expertise

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MRO32 INSIDEMRO JANUARY 2020 AviationWeek.com/mro AviationWeek.com/mro INSIDEMRO JANUARY 2020 MRO33 M CATEGORY INDEX

ADVANCED MATERIALS/COMPOSITIES ELECTRICAL MANUALS/REPAIR DOCUMENTATION/ PartBase, Inc ...... MRO28 Aero Engineering Support Group, Inc . . . MRO26 RECORDS Trellbrog Sealing Solutions Aerospace . . . MRO32 S3 International ...... MRO29 Tsunami Tsolutions LLC ...... MRO32 Boysen Aerospace U .S . Inc ...... MRO29 AEROSPACE MATERIALS Steeger USA ...... MRO31 MANUFACTURING & DISTRUBITING PartBase, Inc ...... MRO28 Blue Avionics ...... MRO27 Pem-Air Turbine Engines Services . . . . . MRO28 ENGINEERING AND DESIGN First Class Air Support ...... MRO27 PWI ...... MRO29 Burns & McDonnell Engineering Infinity Air Group ...... MRO27 Trellbrog Sealing Solutions Aerospace . . . MRO32 Company, Inc ...... MRO27 Pem-Air Turbine Engines Services . . . . . MRO28 Visit Fort Worth ...... MRO33 LB Engineering ...... MRO28 Phoenix Specialty MFG, Co ...... MRO29 SETAREO ...... MRO30 Boysen Aerospace U .S . Inc ...... MRO29 AFTERMARKET SERVICES Structural Integrity Engineering (SIE) . . . . MRO31 Sumitomo Precision USA ...... MRO31 Regional One, Inc ...... MRO29 Tronair, Inc ...... MRO32 SETAREO ...... MRO30 ENGINES/ENGINE SYSTEMS Trueaero ...... MRO32 Structural Integrity Engineering (SIE) . . . . MRO31 Aero Precision ...... MRO26 TAG Aero ...... MRO31 Infinity Air Group ...... MRO27 METALS Peening Technologies ...... MRO28 PartBase, Inc ...... MRO28 AIRFRAMES Phoenix Specialty MFG, Co ...... MRO29 ST Engineering ...... MRO30 SKF Aerospace ...... MRO30 MILITARY MAINTENANCE Steeger USA ...... MRO31 ST Engineering ...... MRO30 Aero Engineering Support Group, Inc . . . MRO26 Trueaero ...... MRO32 Trueaero ...... MRO32 Airbase Services, Inc ...... MRO27 Wheelabrator Group ...... MRO33 Wall Colmonoy ...... MRO33 S3 International ...... MRO29 Wheelabrator Group ...... MRO33 Wheelabrator Group ...... MRO33 ASSET MANAGEMENT Regional One, Inc ...... MRO29 ENVIRONMENTAL SERVICES/GREEN MRO AMERICAS Burns & McDonnell Engineering Blue Avionics ...... MRO27 AVIONICS/INSTRUMENTS Company, Inc ...... MRO27 Visit Fort Worth ...... MRO33 Aero Engineering Support Group, Inc . . . MRO26 Airbase Services, Inc ...... MRO27 FUEL/LUBRICANTS PAINTING/COATINGS Infinity Air Group ...... MRO27 PartBase, Inc ...... MRO28 Infinity Air Group ...... MRO27 ST Engineering ...... MRO30 Peening Technologies ...... MRO28 Universal Avionics, An Elbit GROUND SUPPORT EQUIPMENT Wall Colmonoy ...... MRO33 Systems Company ...... MRO33 Titan Tools Supply, Inc ...... MRO31 United Industrial Textile Products, Inc . . . . MRO32 PARTS CABIN INTERIORS/INFLIGHT Aero Precision ...... MRO26 ENTERTAINMENT HANGERS & EQUIPMENT Phoenix Specialty MFG, Co ...... MRO29 Airbase Services, Inc ...... MRO27 Titan Tools Supply, Inc ...... MRO31 Boysen Aerospace U .S . Inc ...... MRO29 Pem-Air Turbine Engines Services . . . . . MRO28 Trueaero ...... MRO32 ST Engineering ...... MRO30 HARDWARE Wall Colmonoy ...... MRO33 On Wing LLC ...... MRO28 CALIBRATION/WEIGHING SERVICES Steeger USA ...... MRO31 SAFETY/EMERGENCY EQUIPMENT Tensitron ...... MRO31 Tsunami Tsolutions LLC ...... MRO32 United Industrial Textile Products, Inc . . . . MRO32 USATCO U .S . Air Tool Company, Inc . . . . MRO33 HEAT COATING/BRAZING SOFTWARE CHEMICALS Wall Colmonoy ...... MRO33 Tsunami Tsolutions LLC ...... MRO32 PartBase, Inc ...... MRO28 HYDRAULICS/PNEUMATICS SUPPLY CHAIN/LOGISTICS COMPONENTS Aero Engineering Support Group, Inc . . . MRO26 Regional One, Inc ...... MRO29 Aero Accessories & Repair Inc ...... MRO26 Phoenix Specialty MFG, Co ...... MRO29 Aero Precision ...... MRO26 S3 International ...... MRO29 TECHNOLOGY Airbase Services, Inc ...... MRO27 On Wing LLC ...... MRO28 Infinity Air Group ...... MRO27 KITTING Phoenix Specialty MFG, Co ...... MRO29 LB Engineering ...... MRO28 TEST EQUIPMENT S3 International ...... MRO29 Tensitron ...... MRO31 SKF Aerospace ...... MRO30 LANDING GEAR/WHEELS/BRAKES USA Borescopes ...... MRO33 ST Engineering ...... MRO30 Aero Precision ...... MRO26 USATCO U .S . Air Tool Company, Inc . . . . MRO33 Sumitomo Precision USA ...... MRO31 Peening Technologies ...... MRO28 Wall Colmonoy ...... MRO33 S3 International ...... MRO29 TOOLS & EQUIPMENT Wheelabrator Group ...... MRO33 SKF Aerospace ...... MRO30 Stahlwille Tools LLC ...... MRO30 Trueaero ...... MRO32 Tensitron ...... MRO31 CONNECTORS/FASTENERS Wheelabrator Group ...... MRO33 Titan Tools Supply, Inc ...... MRO31 Aero Precision ...... MRO26 USA Borescopes ...... MRO33 Peening Technologies ...... MRO28 LEASING/FINANCIAL SERVICES USATCO U .S . Air Tool Company, Inc . . . . MRO33 Phoenix Specialty MFG, Co ...... MRO29 Regional One, Inc ...... MRO29 Boysen Aerospace U .S . Inc ...... MRO29 WINDOWS/TRANSPARENCIES Steeger USA ...... MRO31 LIGHTING Infinity Air Group ...... MRO27 Aero Precision ...... MRO26 CONSULTING SERVICES Burns & McDonnell Engineering MAINTENANCE, REPAIR & OVERHAUL Company, Inc ...... MRO27 630 Aerospace ...... MRO26 LB Engineering ...... MRO28 First Class Air Repair ...... MRO27 Regional One, Inc ...... MRO29 Peening Technologies ...... MRO28 Structural Integrity Engineering (SIE) . . . . MRO31 Phoenix Composite Solutions ...... MRO29 Separation Dynamics ...... MRO30 CONSUMABLES/SUPPLIES Spirit Aerosystems ...... MRO30 Trueaero ...... MRO32 Turbineaero ...... MRO32

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MRO34 INSIDEMRO JANUARY 2020 AviationWeek.com/mro M CATEGORY INDEX APRIL 28-30, 2020 • DALLAS, TX ADVANCED MATERIALS/COMPOSITIES ELECTRICAL MANUALS/REPAIR DOCUMENTATION/ PartBase, Inc ...... MRO28 Aero Engineering Support Group, Inc . . . MRO26 RECORDS Trellbrog Sealing Solutions Aerospace . . . MRO32 S3 International ...... MRO29 Tsunami Tsolutions LLC ...... MRO32 Boysen Aerospace U .S . Inc ...... MRO29 AEROSPACE MATERIALS Steeger USA ...... MRO31 MANUFACTURING & DISTRUBITING PartBase, Inc ...... MRO28 Blue Avionics ...... MRO27 Pem-Air Turbine Engines Services . . . . . MRO28 ENGINEERING AND DESIGN First Class Air Support ...... MRO27 PWI ...... MRO29 Burns & McDonnell Engineering Infinity Air Group ...... MRO27 Trellbrog Sealing Solutions Aerospace . . . MRO32 Company, Inc ...... MRO27 Pem-Air Turbine Engines Services . . . . . MRO28 Visit Fort Worth ...... MRO33 LB Engineering ...... MRO28 Phoenix Specialty MFG, Co ...... MRO29 THE MAIN SETAREO ...... 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Call 866.857.0148 (within N. America), +1.847.763.9147 or go to pgs.aviationweek.com/MROP that looked at unnecessary incentives could cut emissions 18%. But regulations at the regional or global for flying. And there is a growing move- there is a large block (39% of the need- level, or further increases in fuel pric- ment, originating in Scandinavia, that ed emissions cuts) airlines will need to es.” In other words, additional taxes the passengers should be ashamed of flying address through operating efficiencies airlines want to avoid at all costs could because of the environmental impact and changes in procedures. be a tool to incentivize faster invest- and instead travel by train. IAG is replacing its Boeing 747-400 ment, the IPCC says. Europe is at the forefront of that fleet with Airbus A350-1000s, and the The IPCC lists other means airlines drive, as other regions feel less urgen- results from the initial phase of operat- have to reduce their carbon footprints: cy, or none at all, to rein in aviation’s ing its first three A350-1000s are quite “Retrofit opportunities, such as engine growth and impact. stunning: The aircraft are using 40% replacement and adding winglets can It is clear that airlines have much to less fuel on the same routes. This may provide significant reductions. Improv- do before sustainable aviation fuels be- be an extreme case, but fleet replace- ing air traffic management can reduce come available in sufficient quantities ment nonetheless presents a major CO2 emissions through more direct to significantly reduce carbon emis- near-term opportunity to cut back on routings and flying at optimum alti- sions. Carriers have even more work emissions per flight, with aircraft such tudes and speeds. Efficiency improve- before new propulsion concepts, what- as the A321neo burning 20% less fuel ments of ground service equipment ever they may be, can deliver on their than predecessors. The problem is that and electric auxiliary power units can promise over the next several decades. replacing in-service fleets takes a long provide some additional greenhouse One major project is Corsia, the Car- time, and there often is no economic gas reductions.” bon Offsetting and Reduction Scheme incentive for airlines to do so. Bernstein Research analyst Daniel for International Aviation. If all goes Lufthansa recently calculated it Roeska warns that the pressure to well, it is to mitigate 2.5 billion tons of could well have held on to its fuel-guz- improve environmental performance CO2 emissions over 15 years and make zling Airbus A340s for much longer, could shift the balance of power in the available $40 billion in funds for offset as they will soon be fully depreciated, industry somewhat, as not all airlines projects. But there are questions as to without seeing any negative financial are in the same position. “Airlines that whether the many projects around the impact. It is a sign of greater environ- grow fast will likely increase their total world are really effective in compensat- mental and political sensitivity that the emissions faster than technological ad- ing for aviation emissions and can be airline nonetheless opted to order more vances can offset,” Roeska writes in a properly supervised. More important, A350s and Boeing 787s last year. Next note to clients. Corsia does not reduce aviation’s orig- on Lufthansa’s list is a major narrow- “Airlines with newer technology will inal emissions output. body acquisition this year. face greater challenges increasing their “Arguing that Corsia is a sufficient There have already been noticeable efficiency,” he continues. “Both effects tool is not enough anymore,” Hololei performance improvements in com- will work to the advantage of larger, says. “I think that the industry has mercial aviation’s environmental im- older and less efficient airlines in Eu- not been able to grasp or understand pact. According to Bernstein Research, rope. If more regulatory cost is added the changing societal trends and ex- airlines have improved fuel efficiency for all airlines, and fast-growing plus pectations.” by 3% annually in recent years. On av- efficient airlines have fewer opportuni- The industry as represented by erage, airlines the analysts cover have ties to reduce their emissions, the rel- IATA still cleaves to targets defined grown 6.5% annually since 2021, but ative cost difference between Europe’s 10 years ago, even as the events of emissions have increased only 3.2%. low-cost and full-service carriers will 2019 and the Paris Agreement calling The problem is that there still has narrow—with low-cost carriers being for net-zero emissions by 2050 show been an increase. Bernstein analysts disadvantaged and full-service carriers them to be outdated. Some individual calculated that around one-third of the gaining a relative advantage.” airlines have set their own targets—In- efficiency gain is due to higher load fac- The industry is not following a co- ternational Airlines Group (IAG) aims tors, and two-thirds is due to the use of herent approach. Even in Europe, at net-zero emissions in 2050 and is more modern aircraft. where political pressure is the most offsetting all of its domestic flight emis- “Aircraft designs have received sub- intense, tactics vary. Air France, like sions starting next year. EasyJet went stantial, ongoing technology efficiency , plans to offset all a step further and announced it will improvements over past decades, emissions on domestic flights starting offset all of its emissions. KLM Royal typically offering a 20-30% reduction in 2020. Lufthansa gives passengers Dutch Airlines is actively asking its in energy intensity compared to older the option to offset emissions during passengers to consider taking the train aircraft models,” the Intergovernmen- the booking process, but it is only an when it is a viable option. Of course, tal Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) option, not a requirement. Lufthansa the train is not a threat to the vast ma- writes. “Further fuel efficiency gains does offset all emissions caused by its jority of its routes, but the message is of 40-50% in the 2030-50 timeframe own staff travel, however. still significant. [compared to 2005] could come from plans to reduce emissions To reach their targets, airlines will weight reduction, aerodynamic and en- to 60 grams from 66 grams of CO 2 have to do much more beyond offsets gine performance improvements, and per revenue passenger kilometer until and sustainable aviation fuels. IAG aircraft systems design.” 2030. The airline aims to grow quick- calculates that with no change to to- But IPCC researchers warn that ly over the same period—up to 70%, day’s technology and processes, 43% “the rate of introduction of major air- according to Bernstein Research esti- of projected emissions will have to be craft design concepts could be slow mates—and so its footprint would still offset to achieve its net-zero target. without significant policy incentives, become much larger without offsets.c

AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 35 SUSTAINABILITY

blend ratio reaches 30%. Fueling Momentum Availability has been one issue hold- ing back growth in sustainable fuel use. Currently, there is only one commercial > AIRLINES PLACING CONTRACTS IN BID TO DEVELOP THE MARKET SAF plant in operation—World Ener- gy’s biorefinery in Paramount, Califor- > PRODUCTION CAPACITY WILL RAMP UP OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS nia—with Gevo, LanzaTech and Neste producing SAF in pilot plants while Graham Warwick they build production facilities. The FAA-led Commercial Aviation ince Jan. 1, fuel suppliers in Nor- lines and SAF suppliers, and others are Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI) way have been obligated to blend expected as more pro- calculates that just over 1.2 million gal. Slow-carbon sustainable aviation duction capacity comes online. Initial of SAF were purchased in 2018. Neste fuel (SAF) into jet fuel provided to air- deals have focused on fuel supply to air- estimates Norway’s 0.5%-blend ratio lines at the country’s airports. It is just ports in regions, principally California, mandate will require 1.7 million gal. of a 0.5% blend initially, but the goal is for which have low-carbon fuel standards SAF in 2020, while calculates it to become 30% by 2030. that allow SAFs to qualify for credits. its mandate will require 3.6 million gal. Norway is the first country to man- The ability to use SAF to reduce in 2021 and 112 million gal. in 2030. date the use of SAF, but others are ex- offsetting obligations under the Inter- Such figures are just drops in the

Source: Air Transport Action Group

pected to follow. Sweden could be next, national Civil Aviation Organization’s ocean compared with the 98 billion as a March 2019 government report (ICAO) Carbon Offsetting and Reduc- gal. of jet fuel consumed globally by proposed a mandate beginning with a tion Scheme for International Aviation airlines in 2019, but the quantities of blend ratio of 1% in 2021 and increas- (Corsia) is another potential impetus. SAF under contract are beginning to ing to 30% by 2030. National mandates such as Norway’s accumulate. In December, Delta Air In June 2019, the Finnish govern- also will begin to drive demand over Lines announced an agreement with ment announced plans to mandate the next few years. Gevo to buy 10 million gal. per year for a 30% blend of SAF by 2035, as part Norway already has taken an aggres- up to seven years. of plans to become a carbon-neutral sive stance on the sustainability of avi- In the first days of 2020, JetBlue country by that year. The Nether - ation, announcing plans for all short- Airways announced a deal to buy SAF lands government has stated publicly haul flights to use electric aircraft by from Neste for supply at San Francisco it wants to achieve a 14% SAF blend 2040. Sweden, meanwhile, was first to International Airport (SFO), while by 2030. feel the effects of the “flight-shame” Shell Aviation and World Energy be- Norway’s action and its neighbors’ environmental movement, with airport gan supplying SAF to Lufthansa and plans are among signs that the SAF traffic declining in 2018 and 2019. Swiss International Air Lines at SFO. industry finally may be gaining mo- Biofuels can reduce life-cycle carbon The Lufthansa Group has a one-year mentum after a decade that has seen emissions by up to 80%. The Swedish deal for 1 million gal. of SAF, the largest strong technical advances but slow government report calculated a 1% contracted volume to be delivered to commercial progress. blend of SAF would reduce greenhouse SFO, says Shell. World Energy already The past year has seen a steady flow gas (GHG) emissions by 0.8% in 2021, is supplying SAF to Finnair, KLM, SAS of fuel offtake agreements between air- increasing to 27% in 2030 when the and United Airlines at SFO, and at Los

36 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST SUSTAINABILITY blend ratio reaches 30%. Fueling Momentum Availability has been one issue hold- ing back growth in sustainable fuel use. Currently, there is only one commercial > AIRLINES PLACING CONTRACTS IN BID TO DEVELOP THE MARKET SAF plant in operation—World Ener- gy’s biorefinery in Paramount, Califor- > PRODUCTION CAPACITY WILL RAMP UP OVER THE NEXT FIVE YEARS nia—with Gevo, LanzaTech and Neste producing SAF in pilot plants while Graham Warwick they build production facilities. The FAA-led Commercial Aviation ince Jan. 1, fuel suppliers in Nor- lines and SAF suppliers, and others are Alternative Fuels Initiative (CAAFI) way have been obligated to blend expected as more aviation biofuel pro- calculates that just over 1.2 million gal. Slow-carbon sustainable aviation duction capacity comes online. Initial of SAF were purchased in 2018. Neste fuel (SAF) into jet fuel provided to air- deals have focused on fuel supply to air- estimates Norway’s 0.5%-blend ratio Source: Air Transport Action Group lines at the country’s airports. It is just ports in regions, principally California, mandate will require 1.7 million gal. of a 0.5% blend initially, but the goal is for which have low-carbon fuel standards SAF in 2020, while Sweden calculates Angeles International Airport to KLM, industrial waste gases. be prohibitive for fuel producers. it to become 30% by 2030. that allow SAFs to qualify for credits. its mandate will require 3.6 million gal. Qantas Airways, SAS and United. Red Rock Biofuels is building a re- SAFs are significantly more expen- Norway is the first country to man- The ability to use SAF to reduce in 2021 and 112 million gal. in 2030. Demand is inching up as substantial finery in Lakeview, Oregon, scheduled sive than petroleum-based jet fuel date the use of SAF, but others are ex- offsetting obligations under the Inter- Such figures are just drops in the SAF production capacity is scheduled to come online in 2020 and produce and are likely to remain more costly to come online. CAAFI estimates there 15 million gal. of liquid fuels annually because of the costs involved in the is potential for annual U.S. production from woody biomass. FedEx Express feedstocks. Pressure on operators to to exceed 250 million gal. within five and Southwest Airlines have agree- be seen taking action to improve their years. World Energy is expanding ments in place to buy SAF from Red sustainability is likely to play a part in its total sustainable fuels capacity at Rock. Also in 2020, Fulcrum Bioener- SAF adoption. Paramount, which includes renewable gy’s plant near Reno, Nevada, is sched- “I expect business aviation may re- diesel, to 306 million gal. per year from uled to come online producing 10.5 mil- spond to these pressures in advance of 40 million gal. Gevo plans to begin sup- lion gal. per year of fuels from MSW. commercial aviation and be a bit more plying Delta in 2022-23 from an expand- United, Airways, Japan aggressive with SAF acquisition,” ed plant in Luverne, Minnesota, which Air Lines (JAL) and Air BP have fuel says Csonka. Business aviation is less is expected to produce 12 million gal. of offtake agreements in place. price-sensitive and more image-con- liquid fuels a year. LanzaTech is scaling CAAFI Executive Director Steve scious, and several manufacturers up its demonstration plant in Soperton, Csonka says commissioning of the Red already have announced SAF supply Georgia, to 10 million gal. per year. Rock and Fulcrum facilities will vali- deals for their own use. Finland-based Neste produces date gasification technology as well as While ICAO’s Corsia will allow air- 3 million metric tons of renewable the viability of the supply chain for two lines to use SAF to reduce their offset- fuels today, 100,000 metric tons (33 major feedstocks—MSW and forestry ting obligations, it is not expected to million gal.) of which is SAF. Total ca- residues—enabling both pathways to be a major driver of airline purchases, pacity will increase to 4.5 million met- proliferate in the coming decade. says Nancy Young, vice president for ric tons in 2022 when a new plant in LanzaTech produces SAF from environmental affairs at industry asso- Singapore is scheduled to come online; industrial waste gases via an alcohol - ciation Airlines for America. Source: Air Transport Action Group 330 million gal. will be SAF. -to-jet pathway, and plans to have an “[Corsia] was not intended to incen- Fuel supplier SKyNRG is building annual liquid fuels capacity of 100 mil- tivize sustainable aviation fuel. There pected to follow. Sweden could be next, national Civil Aviation Organization’s ocean compared with the 98 billion Europe’s first dedicated SAF plant in lion gal. from four sites by 2023. Virgin are other things that have to be done to as a March 2019 government report (ICAO) Carbon Offsetting and Reduc- gal. of jet fuel consumed globally by the Netherlands, at Delfzijl, which is Atlantic Airways, All Nippon Airways do that,” she says, noting fuel producers proposed a mandate beginning with a tion Scheme for International Aviation airlines in 2019, but the quantities of planned to produce 100,000 metric and JAL have agreements in place to do not receive the federal government blend ratio of 1% in 2021 and increas- (Corsia) is another potential impetus. SAF under contract are beginning to tons of fuel a year when it comes on- use SAF produced by the company. incentives for SAF that are provided for ing to 30% by 2030. National mandates such as Norway’s accumulate. In December, Delta Air line in 2022. KLM has committed to SG Preston’s first facility is expected ground-based alternative fuels. In June 2019, the Finnish govern- also will begin to drive demand over Lines announced an agreement with buy 75,000 metric tons of SAF a year to come online in 2021, producing 33 “Airlines will continue to struggle ment announced plans to mandate the next few years. Gevo to buy 10 million gal. per year for for 10 years from this plant. Velocys million gal. per year of fuels from waste with the affordability of SAF versus a 30% blend of SAF by 2035, as part Norway already has taken an aggres- up to seven years. is collaborating with British Airways oils and fats. satisfying Corsia commitments via off- of plans to become a carbon-neutral sive stance on the sustainability of avi- In the first days of 2020, JetBlue and Shell Aviation to build a facility in Approval of a version of renewable setting, and will be deliberate in mak- country by that year. The Nether - ation, announcing plans for all short- Airways announced a deal to buy SAF Immingham, England, which is pro- diesel called HEFA+ (high freeze-point ing additional commitments to near- lands government has stated publicly haul flights to use electric aircraft by from Neste for supply at San Francisco jected to covert municipal solid waste hydro-treated esters and fatty acids) term SAF production,” says Csonka, it wants to achieve a 14% SAF blend 2040. Sweden, meanwhile, was first to International Airport (SFO), while (MSW) to 26 million gal. a year of jet is expected “in the near future,” says adding that airlines will continue to by 2030. feel the effects of the “flight-shame” Shell Aviation and World Energy be- fuel and naptha. Boeing. This only can be used in a experiment with ways to offset the in- Norway’s action and its neighbors’ environmental movement, with airport gan supplying SAF to Lufthansa and This expansion is bringing on new blend up to 15%, compared to 50% cremental cost of SAF. plans are among signs that the SAF traffic declining in 2018 and 2019. Swiss International Air Lines at SFO. players and feedstock options. Most for HEFA fuel, but has the potential “We are so far removed from the vi- industry finally may be gaining mo- Biofuels can reduce life-cycle carbon The Lufthansa Group has a one-year of the SAF used to date has been to unlock for aviation some of the mil- ability of other advanced technologies mentum after a decade that has seen emissions by up to 80%. The Swedish deal for 1 million gal. of SAF, the largest produced from used cooking oil and lions of gallons in production capacity that can mitigate GHG growth that the strong technical advances but slow government report calculated a 1% contracted volume to be delivered to inedible corn, but plants now under already in place for ground transpor- near-term focus must be on offsets . . . commercial progress. blend of SAF would reduce greenhouse SFO, says Shell. World Energy already construction or expansion will broad- tation fuels. But Csonka is concerned while awaiting policy development that The past year has seen a steady flow gas (GHG) emissions by 0.8% in 2021, is supplying SAF to Finnair, KLM, SAS en sustainable sources to include that the incremental cost of fraction- supports SAF and continues to make it of fuel offtake agreements between air- increasing to 27% in 2030 when the and United Airlines at SFO, and at Los municipal waste, forest residues and ating renewable diesel for SAF could more affordable,” he adds.c

36 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 37 SUSTAINABILITY JOHN D. PARKER / BOEING Green Gambit

> LATEST ECODEMONSTRATOR IS FIRST BOEING-OWNED, DEDICATED TESTBED > 50 TECHS ARE IN TESTING— HIGHEST NUMBER YET FOR A SINGLE PLATFORM

Guy Norris Los Angeles one of 50 new technologies being test- Boeing acquired an ex- 777- ruising in from the North At- ed on the company’s latest ecoDemon- 200ER as part of its plans for higher- lantic at 39,000 ft., the dawn strator aircraft—the sixth since the tempo ecoDemonstrator testing. Cgreets the Boeing 777-200ER first flight-test program began in ecoDemonstrator over Scotland, and 2012. However, unlike all the previous Before the latest flight tests, the eco- a group of engineers gather enthusi- rounds, the latest campaign is using Demonstrator program was used to astically to look out of the starboard a dedicated aircraft bought by Boeing evaluate 112 discrete technologies on windows. specially for the ecoDemonstrator five aircraft, beginning in 2012. Forty, or Far below, the snow-covered High- initiative. The move represents the 36%, have been implemented on Boeing lands are barely visible in the early increasing importance being placed aircraft or partner products; 51, or 45%, morning gloom, but it is not the land- by the company, and the industry in have progressed in technical develop- scape that enthralls the engineers. general, on efforts to improve sustain- ment, while the other 21 have been dis- Instead, they are looking to check ability and operational efficiency. continued. The latest program follows an experiment on the aircraft’s right Aviation Week was invited to join a tests using a 737-800, 757-200, 777F and wing. A few hours earlier, as the 777 test flight on the newest ecoDemon- 787-8 from Boeing, and an Embraer 170. climbed to cruise altitude over Cana- strator, an 18-year-old former Air China The 777-200ER is being used to evalu- da and darkness set in, the fins of three 777-200ER that has been extensively ate another 50 technologies covering vortex generators (VG) could be seen modified. As it will amass only a limit- aerodynamics, advanced materials and poking up from the wing surface. Now ed number of flight hours compared to environmental improvements, flight the morning light reveals they have re- its airline life, Boeing could operate this controls, flight decks and avionics, op- cessed completely into the skin. low-cost asset for two or more years. In erational efficiency and what Boeing Less than 1 hr. later, as the 777 de- addition to the 777, Boeing plans to fly describes as a “smart cabin.” scends into warmer air toward Frank- other ecoDemonstrators in 2020 and The intrusive nature of the wir - furt, the VGs mysteriously reappear 2021 with leased aircraft. ing and other changes made for the and, to the satisfaction of the engi- “In the past, because of how lean smart-cabin technology tests also part- neering team, once more interact with we wanted to be, we have always ly drove the decision to acquire rather the boundary layer. The flight has just found partners to help us acquire than lease an aircraft, says Jeanne Yu, proved the basic functionality of ther- or lease aircraft, but that’s when we director of technology integration and mally active, reconfigurable VGs made were doing one per year or one every the ecoDemonstrator program. The from shape-memory alloy. The devices, 18 months,” says Doug Christensen, modification includes an interconnect- developed with the NASA Glenn Re- Boeing ecoDemonstrator program ed intelligent-cabin system running search Center, deployed only when technical leader. “Now that we are on a specially installed network. “We needed for slow speed and stowed for at almost a yearly cadence, it makes had to have our own platform for that,” cruise, and they hold promise to reduce sense to provide our own aircraft and says Yu. “We will retain the 777 and cruise drag and improve fuel burn. that allows us to do more long-term we have plans next year that include The shape-memory alloy reconfig- demonstrations on the airplane. Plus, another airplane.” urable-technology vortex generators we do not have to refurbish it when we As with tests on previous ecoDem- (SMART-VG) experiment represents return it to the operator.” onstrators, those on the 777 are sup-

38 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST SUSTAINABILITY JOHN D. PARKER / BOEING

ported by a variety of government re- While the availability of a flight-test intelligent-cabin collaboration launched Green Gambit search agencies, aerospace companies asset helps galvanize new ideas, the in 2018 with sponsorship of Boeing and and academia such as NASA, the Ger- process of installing the experiments Etihad Airways Engineering, the sys- man aerospace research agency DLR, also helps transform the flying labora- tem consists of a dedicated network to Collins Aerospace, Diehl, Honeywell, tory from a concept into reality. monitor and control a series of “smart” Safran and others. Operators also have “People have ideas, but most of the interconnected “intelligent” commodi- been keen to back the ecoDemonstra- time they don’t know how to integrate ties such as advanced galleys, a lavato- tor, and some already are “seeking them on the aircraft,” says Yu. “The ry and business-class seats, all of which partnerships to be involved for next tests also involve a lot of collaboration provide digital updates on maintenance year and the year beyond,” explains Yu. so we bring up the state of knowledge status via wireless sensors. The choice of test platform is also for the whole industry. That’s vital be- The suite includes Boeing’s automat- partly driven by the key technolo - cause to get to sustainable aviation, we ically ultraviolet-light-sanitized Clean gy focus for each campaign. “We are need to work together.” Cabin Fresh lavatory, an advanced wa- ‘learning by doing’ and finding that the The ecoDemonstrator is helping to ter-disinfection system and new cabin asset you choose depends on what tests change attitudes, says Yu. “When peo- lighting and displays incorporating LATEST ECODEMONSTRATOR > you want to do and the strategic place- GUY NORRIS/AW&ST organic light-emitting IS FIRST BOEING-OWNED, ment of the technology. It all depends diodes and organic LED DEDICATED TESTBED on what asset makes sense for the ‘big displays. 50 TECHS ARE IN TESTING— rocks’ and the other ‘bigger rock’ tech- The intelligent cabin > nologies around that,” notes Yu. system is designed to HIGHEST NUMBER YET FOR Among the 14 technologies evaluat- gather real-time data A SINGLE PLATFORM ed on the 737-800 in 2012 were lami- on the interior features nar-flow winglets, which were then and make maintenance adopted for the 737 MAX. The ad- more efficient by flag- ging failures and even Guy Norris Los Angeles vanced engines of the follow-on 787-8, one of 50 new technologies being test- Boeing acquired an ex-Air China 777- on which 35 items were tested in 2014, predicting them in a ruising in from the North At- ed on the company’s latest ecoDemon- 200ER as part of its plans for higher- were suitable for evaluating a ceramic way similar to other aircraft systems. lantic at 39,000 ft., the dawn strator aircraft—the sixth since the tempo ecoDemonstrator testing. matrix composite nozzle. Other items Cgreets the Boeing 777-200ER first flight-test program began in observed on the 787-8 included touch- “The airplane should ecoDemonstrator over Scotland, and 2012. However, unlike all the previous Before the latest flight tests, the eco- screen flight-deck displays that will be take care of itself, and a group of engineers gather enthusi- rounds, the latest campaign is using Demonstrator program was used to featured on the 777X. that’s what we are mov- astically to look out of the starboard a dedicated aircraft bought by Boeing evaluate 112 discrete technologies on The 757, which was used to check 20 ing toward,” says Jeff windows. specially for the ecoDemonstrator five aircraft, beginning in 2012. Forty, or items in 2015, was a suitable testbed for Roberts, senior manag- Far below, the snow-covered High- initiative. The move represents the 36%, have been implemented on Boeing an active-flow-control vertical tail and Cameras were er for cabin and feature lands are barely visible in the early increasing importance being placed aircraft or partner products; 51, or 45%, wing sections, all treated with special positioned to monitor development for Boeing. morning gloom, but it is not the land- by the company, and the industry in have progressed in technical develop- insect-resistant coatings for improved the performance of “On the 787, we intro- scape that enthralls the engineers. general, on efforts to improve sustain- ment, while the other 21 have been dis- laminar flow. At the end of the flight the wing-mounted duced a lot of airplane Instead, they are looking to check ability and operational efficiency. continued. The latest program follows test, the 757 was dismantled to show shape memory alloy health management, but an experiment on the aircraft’s right Aviation Week was invited to join a tests using a 737-800, 757-200, 777F and how up to 90% of the structure could vortex generators. in the cabin not so much. wing. A few hours earlier, as the 777 test flight on the newest ecoDemon- 787-8 from Boeing, and an Embraer 170. be recycled. Biofuels and advanced A lot of customers say, ‘I climbed to cruise altitude over Cana- strator, an 18-year-old former Air China The 777-200ER is being used to evalu- sensors and coatings also were tested. make the money in the da and darkness set in, the fins of three 777-200ER that has been extensively ate another 50 technologies covering Among the six and 37 technologies test- cabin so help me make vortex generators (VG) could be seen modified. As it will amass only a limit- aerodynamics, advanced materials and ed, respectively, on the E170 and 777F, sure everything is al- poking up from the wing surface. Now ed number of flight hours compared to environmental improvements, flight the latter included trials of a compact ways working the way the morning light reveals they have re- its airline life, Boeing could operate this controls, flight decks and avionics, op- thrust reverser that could pave the way it’s supposed to’—and cessed completely into the skin. low-cost asset for two or more years. In erational efficiency and what Boeing for use of a similar design on the pro- ple first join the program, they’ll give that’s what this is all about.” Less than 1 hr. later, as the 777 de- addition to the 777, Boeing plans to fly describes as a “smart cabin.” posed new midmarket airplane. you 10 reasons why something can’t be The tests also play a role in helping scends into warmer air toward Frank- other ecoDemonstrators in 2020 and The intrusive nature of the wir - “We set up the ecoDemonstrator to done. But now if someone’s on the team to define a standard protocol that the furt, the VGs mysteriously reappear 2021 with leased aircraft. ing and other changes made for the learn by doing in a way that could start for six months, they’ll say, ‘Hmmm, let’s industry is developing to enable easier and, to the satisfaction of the engi- “In the past, because of how lean smart-cabin technology tests also part- to inspire action among our own team look at what the options are.’ We are interconnectivity between cabin sys- neering team, once more interact with we wanted to be, we have always ly drove the decision to acquire rather as well as throughout the industry. It changing mindsets, and that’s a huge tems. “A lot of companies use differ- the boundary layer. The flight has just found partners to help us acquire than lease an aircraft, says Jeanne Yu, started as a small ripple, and we are thing for the sustainability of aviation,” ent protocols but, just like how your proved the basic functionality of ther- or lease aircraft, but that’s when we director of technology integration and hoping it will continue to become a she stresses. “For some reason over the device can connect easily to different mally active, reconfigurable VGs made were doing one per year or one every the ecoDemonstrator program. The larger ripple as it passes through the past few decades, we’ve begun to think networks, we want cabin systems and from shape-memory alloy. The devices, 18 months,” says Doug Christensen, modification includes an interconnect- industry,” says Yu. of constraints as problems rather than devices to be able to talk seamlessly to developed with the NASA Glenn Re- Boeing ecoDemonstrator program ed intelligent-cabin system running The effort also continues to gath- as opportunities. We’re seeding a shift each other,” says John Craig, chief en- search Center, deployed only when technical leader. “Now that we are on a specially installed network. “We er a momentum of its own, notes in mindsets. That’s the biggest ripple gineer for cabin networks for Boeing needed for slow speed and stowed for at almost a yearly cadence, it makes had to have our own platform for that,” Christensen. “Now vendors are com- we are creating.” Commercial Airplanes. cruise, and they hold promise to reduce sense to provide our own aircraft and says Yu. “We will retain the 777 and ing to us and saying, ‘We think we have The 777 provides ample space for Additional testing includes evalu- cruise drag and improve fuel burn. that allows us to do more long-term we have plans next year that include this great idea.’ The ecoDemonstrator testing a set of connected cabin inno- ating a suite of advanced flight deck The shape-memory alloy reconfig- demonstrations on the airplane. Plus, another airplane.” allows us to work with them and un- vations that form the bulk of the tech- avionics and improved connectivity urable-technology vortex generators we do not have to refurbish it when we As with tests on previous ecoDem- derstand how these ideas might work,” nologies packaged for this ecoDemon- features to make operations safer and (SMART-VG) experiment represents return it to the operator.” onstrators, those on the 777 are sup- he says. strator program. Stemming from an more efficient. Using a handheld tab-

38 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 39 SUSTAINABILITY

let (electronic flight bag cally look for ways around [EFB]), Boeing crews are the weather and offer it to testing the Honeywell-de- the pilot. The new route veloped surface with alert- is sent down to the AOC ing (SURF-A) and with then over to ATC, and if indications and alerting ATC approves it, then it is (SURF-IA) safety system. passed back via FANS.” SURF-A/IA alerts crews GUY NORRIS/AW&ST Advanced materials and to potential traffic conflicts other technologies tested and collisions using auto- on the 777 to reduce envi- matic dependent surveil- ronmental impact include lance–broadcast data and additively manufactured is being considered for retrofit on older Advanced cabin and navigation nose landing-gear steering components, 777s and 737s, which do not have the systems made up the bulk of the 50 lavatory floor mats made from recycled installed display processing power to experiments tested on the 777. carbon fiber, a primer made a non-toxic show airport maps and surface traffic. non-chromated coating and recyclable Also under test are potential com- “A big piece of what we are doing is carpet tiles that last four times longer munications improvements to make data connectivity,” says Al Sipe, chief than existing types. All of these materi- trajectory-based operations easier, architect of operational efficiency at als are expected to divert around 8,000 thereby increasing efficiency. Work- Boeing. “The U.S. is implementing lb. of waste from landfills over the life of ing with Honeywell, Inmarsat and FANS domestically, and we are trying to a typical single-aisle airliner. The cargo SITA, Boeing is developing inter- set up using the EFB so pilots can work compartment also is being used for key net-protocol-suite (IPS) technology digitally with air traffic control (ATC) to tests of a “promising” fire-suppression as a next-generation data link for ad- find better routes. replacement for Halon, production of vanced air traffic management systems “We have a Boeing appli- which was banned in developed nations such as future air navigation services cation that allows the pilot to plan a as far back as 1994. c (FANS) and airline operations control flight, and now we have an experiment (AOC). The use of IPS is expected to application that pulls that data and we Digital Extra See more images of and provide wider bandwidth capacity and can inject weather along the route,” details about Boeing 777’s ecoDemonstrator: greater flexibility and to reduce costs. explains Sipe. “This app can automati- AviationWeek.com/777ecoDemo

Boeing Flies 777Fs in Formation Guy Norris Los Angeles ore than 20 years after researchers began studies Using precise positioning information and the wake-pre- into whether aircraft fuel consumption could be re- diction model, the autopilot flies the aircraft in a zone Mduced by emulating the of birds, where upwash inside the lead-aircraft’s vortex increases Boeing has validated new technology that could help make the angle of attack on the trail-aircraft’s wing. This rotates wake-surfing operationally practical. the lift vector and, because lift is an order of magnitude Formation-flight tests conducted with FedEx Express greater than drag, the autopilot produces a significant re- using two 777Fs freighters confirm the potential for reduc- duction in drag for a small increase in lift. ing fuel consumption by up to 10% by flying in the wingtip The work is expected to help lay the foundation for fu- vortex of the lead aircraft, says the aircraft maker. The ture studies of wake-surfing and potential methods for test, conducted during Boeing’s 2018 ecoDemonstrator proving its practical and safe applications in commercial program using an aircraft leased from the cargo carrier, operations. During the 2018 formation flight, which was follows similar flight trials by the U.S. Air Force, DARPA performed at standard cruise speed and altitude, the two and NASA. aircraft maintained a 4,000-ft. separation—outside of the In November, Airbus also announced plans to explore predicted vicinity of wake effects but still close enough the potential fuel-saving benefit under the Fello’fly tech- to gain benefit for wake-surfing. The position of the wake nology demonstrator project, which will involve formation was predicted by constant comparison of the locations of flying with a pair of A350s in 2020. The following year, the ecoDemonstrator and lead aircraft, using ADS-B and Airbus hopes to start operational trials on transatlantic the ship’s own data. flights in cooperation with airlines. “The autopilot was configured to track a position rela- The Boeing-FedEx tests focused on validating the tive to the wake,” says Boeing, which partnered with TCAS wake-prediction model used to assess the optimum cruise supplier ACSS on an updated system that provided ad- location for the in-trail aircraft. The evaluations also were ditional ADS-B “In” data to the ecoDemonstrator. “This targeted at the ability of the autopilot to maintain a correct allowed us to improve the wake prediction accuracy. Po - computed position based on input from modified automatic sition relative to the wake and the lead aircraft was also dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data link and presented to the pilots on a custom flight-test display,” traffic-alert-and-collision-avoidance (TCAS) systems. adds the manufacturer. c

40 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST SUSTAINABILITY let (electronic flight bag cally look for ways around [EFB]), Boeing crews are the weather and offer it to testing the Honeywell-de- the pilot. The new route veloped surface with alert- is sent down to the AOC ing (SURF-A) and with then over to ATC, and if indications and alerting ATC approves it, then it is (SURF-IA) safety system. passed back via FANS.” SURF-A/IA alerts crews GUY NORRIS/AW&ST Advanced materials and to potential traffic conflicts other technologies tested and collisions using auto- on the 777 to reduce envi- matic dependent surveil- ronmental impact include lance–broadcast data and additively manufactured is being considered for retrofit on older Advanced cabin and navigation nose landing-gear steering components, 777s and 737s, which do not have the systems made up the bulk of the 50 lavatory floor mats made from recycled installed display processing power to experiments tested on the 777. carbon fiber, a primer made a non-toxic show airport maps and surface traffic. non-chromated coating and recyclable Also under test are potential com- “A big piece of what we are doing is carpet tiles that last four times longer munications improvements to make data connectivity,” says Al Sipe, chief than existing types. All of these materi- trajectory-based operations easier, architect of operational efficiency at als are expected to divert around 8,000 thereby increasing efficiency. Work- Boeing. “The U.S. is implementing lb. of waste from landfills over the life of ing with Honeywell, Inmarsat and FANS domestically, and we are trying to a typical single-aisle airliner. The cargo SITA, Boeing is developing inter- set up using the EFB so pilots can work compartment also is being used for key net-protocol-suite (IPS) technology digitally with air traffic control (ATC) to tests of a “promising” fire-suppression as a next-generation data link for ad- find better routes. replacement for Halon, production of vanced air traffic management systems “We have a Boeing Jeppesen appli- which was banned in developed nations such as future air navigation services cation that allows the pilot to plan a as far back as 1994. c (FANS) and airline operations control flight, and now we have an experiment (AOC). The use of IPS is expected to application that pulls that data and we Ditial Extra See more images of and provide wider bandwidth capacity and can inject weather along the route,” details about Boeing 777’s ecoDemonstrator: greater flexibility and to reduce costs. explains Sipe. “This app can automati- AviationWeek.com/777ecoDemo

Boeing Flies 777Fs in Formation Guy Norris Los Angeles ore than 20 years after researchers began studies Using precise positioning information and the wake-pre- into whether aircraft fuel consumption could be re- diction model, the autopilot flies the aircraft in a zone Mduced by emulating the formation flying of birds, where upwash inside the lead-aircraft’s vortex increases Boeing has validated new technology that could help make the angle of attack on the trail-aircraft’s wing. This rotates wake-surfing operationally practical. the lift vector and, because lift is an order of magnitude Formation-flight tests conducted with FedEx Express greater than drag, the autopilot produces a significant re- using two 777Fs freighters confirm the potential for reduc- duction in drag for a small increase in lift. ing fuel consumption by up to 10% by flying in the wingtip The work is expected to help lay the foundation for fu- vortex of the lead aircraft, says the aircraft maker. The ture studies of wake-surfing and potential methods for test, conducted during Boeing’s 2018 ecoDemonstrator proving its practical and safe applications in commercial program using an aircraft leased from the cargo carrier, operations. During the 2018 formation flight, which was follows similar flight trials by the U.S. Air Force, DARPA performed at standard cruise speed and altitude, the two and NASA. aircraft maintained a 4,000-ft. separation—outside of the In November, Airbus also announced plans to explore predicted vicinity of wake effects but still close enough the potential fuel-saving benefit under the Fello’fly tech- to gain benefit for wake-surfing. The position of the wake nology demonstrator project, which will involve formation was predicted by constant comparison of the locations of flying with a pair of A350s in 2020. The following year, the ecoDemonstrator and lead aircraft, using ADS-B and Airbus hopes to start operational trials on transatlantic the ship’s own data. flights in cooperation with airlines. “The autopilot was configured to track a position rela- The Boeing-FedEx tests focused on validating the tive to the wake,” says Boeing, which partnered with TCAS wake-prediction model used to assess the optimum cruise supplier ACSS on an updated system that provided ad- location for the in-trail aircraft. The evaluations also were ditional ADS-B “In” data to the ecoDemonstrator. “This targeted at the ability of the autopilot to maintain a correct allowed us to improve the wake prediction accuracy. Po - computed position based on input from modified automatic sition relative to the wake and the lead aircraft was also dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) data link and presented to the pilots on a custom flight-test display,” traffic-alert-and-collision-avoidance (TCAS) systems. adds the manufacturer. c

40 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST SUSTAINABILITY

this will decrease fuel burn 30%—and overall energy consumption includ- The Power of Hybrid ing lower-cost electricity by 26%—on flights up to 250 nm. > MILD-HYBRID REGIONAL AIRCRAFT COULD BURN 30% LESS FUEL Key to this performance is the de- gree of hybridization. In terms of > ELECTRIC IS A BENEFIT OF HYBRIDIZED SINGLE-AISLES power, hybridization is 50%, with the thermal engine and electric motor each Graham Warwick and Guy Norris providing half of the peak power on takeoff. But in terms of energy, hybrid- arely a decade ago, most peo- Two key research programs are ization is mild. Batteries provide just ple in the aviation industry underway that could determine the 6% of mission energy. This minimizes Bdoubted electric aircraft ever future of electrified propulsion for re- the weight penalty from the much low- would fly fare-paying passengers. gional and single-aisle aircraft. Airbus er energy density of batteries. Sizing Now all-electric aircraft capable plans to fly the E-Fan X, a 2-megawatt the electric propulsion system to pro- of taking 2-4 people on urban trips serial hybrid regional jet demonstrator, vide half the power on takeoff and a de- are on the path to certification. Hy- in 2021. And in 2022, United Technol- brid-electric aircraft designed for ogies Corp. (UTC) plans to fly Project subregional flights with 6-9 passen- 804, a 2-megawatt-class parallel hybrid gers are entering testing. And short- regional turboprop testbed, although range regional aircraft with up to 19 changes at UTC might slow the project. seats and electric propulsion are on Airbus is working with Rolls-Royce, the drawing board. which is providing the turbine engine Does this unexpected rate of prog- and generator, electric motor and con- ress make electrified aircraft propul- troller, as well as the fan. Run by UTC’s sion a viable option to improve the Skunk Works-like United Technologies sustainability of aviation? Advanced Projects (UTAP), Project Large commercial aircraft account 804 brings together the power systems for about 93% of global annual jet fuel capability of Collins Aerospace with the consumption. Some 57% of the fuel propulsion engine experience of Pratt is burned by long-range twin-aisles, & Whitney Canada. which are widely considered to be out “We see parallel hybrid as having the of reach for electric propulsion—at best near-term potential for incorpo- least for several decades—because ration onto large aircraft. We are look- of the massive amount of energy re- ing at regional aircraft in the next 5-10 quired to fly hundreds of passengers years,” says Todd Spierling, director of thousands of miles. advanced technologies for UTAP. Single-aisle airliners account for Project 804 envisions modifying 37% of fuel consumed annually, and a 39-passenger Cana- regional aircraft 6%. For these classes da Dash 8-100 by replacing one of its of airliners, the results of several stud- 2,150-shp Pratt & Whitney PW121 tur- ies suggest hybridization could, by the boprops with a new thermal engine 2030s, provide a performance benefit flat-rated at 1 megawatt (1,300 hp) and above and beyond that expected from a 1-megawatt electric motor, both driv- anticipated advances in airframe tech- ing the propeller through a combining

nologies and turbine engines. gearbox. The motor will be powered UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORP. How big that benefit could be de- by a 200-kWh, 1-kv battery pack in the pends on the market, the mission, tech- underfloor cargo compartment. creasing amount during climb allows nology and the tradeoffs manufacturers The engine and motor will provide the electrical components to be smaller and operators are prepared to make. a combined 2 megawatts at takeoff. and means a relatively low amount of When it comes to hybrid-electric Electric motor output will reduce energy storage is required, in turn re- propulsion, there are two main choices: during the climb until, in cruise, all quiring smaller batteries. parallel and serial. In a parallel hybrid, the power is provided by the thermal “We are not just replacing fuel with both a thermal engine and an electric engine. This will operate at its opti- batteries, but doing it in a way that will motor drive the same shaft, turning a mum point, producing a constant 1 make both sides better,” says Spierling. fan or propeller. The engine runs on jet MW until the crew throttles back to “We improve the thermal engine while fuel and the motor on batteries. begin the descent. minimizing battery energy and, frank- In a serial hybrid, only the electric By using stored electrical energy ly, until batteries get better, one of our motor drives the shaft, powered by from batteries charged on the ground best approaches is not to use them electricity that comes from both the to boost takeoff power, the size of the more than we need to.” batteries and a generator driven by the thermal engine can be reduced and its A production conversion of the Dash thermal engine. In both cases, energy is cycle tailored for operation at a con- 8—replacing its turboprops with two stored in both fuel and batteries. stant, optimum point. UTAP calculates 1,000-hp thermal engines assisted by

42 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST SUSTAINABILITY this will decrease fuel burn 30%—and two 750-kW electric motors—would “We don’t need the traditional perfor- “It will have shorter range and overall energy consumption includ- require 500 kWh of energy storage. mance of a legacy turbine,” says Spi- cruise slightly slower, so this is not a The Power of Hybrid ing lower-cost electricity by 26%—on The batteries would weigh 3,099 kg erling. free lunch,” says Spierling. “But we be- flights up to 250 nm. (6,830 lb.) at the 363-Wh/kg pack-level The technologies expected to be lieve those trades are acceptable in the > MILD-HYBRID REGIONAL AIRCRAFT COULD BURN 30% LESS FUEL Key to this performance is the de- energy density that UTAP is assuming available within the next 5-10 years will market . . . [and that] for aircraft with gree of hybridization. In terms of will be available by the mid-2020s. force some tradeoffs. UTAP is assum- more than 30 seats, parallel hybrid has > ELECTRIC TAXIING IS A BENEFIT OF HYBRIDIZED SINGLE-AISLES power, hybridization is 50%, with the Other 30-50-seaters, including the ing a power-to-weight ratio of 13 kW/ the better midterm potential.” thermal engine and electric motor each ATR 42 and Dornier 328, have similar kg and efficiency of 97% for the electric Project 804 passed its design and Graham Warwick and Guy Norris providing half of the peak power on power requirements and storage vol- motor and 20 kW/kg and 98% for the business reviews in November 2019, takeoff. But in terms of energy, hybrid- umes. “We are not counting on new power electronics. These are the tar- and UTC already is talking to poten- arely a decade ago, most peo- Two key research programs are ization is mild. Batteries provide just airframes,” says Spierling. gets of NASA-supported R&D under- tial customers, says Mauro Atalla, ple in the aviation industry underway that could determine the 6% of mission energy. This minimizes One reason why regional aircraft way at Collins and elsewhere. engineering and technology leader at Bdoubted electric aircraft ever future of electrified propulsion for re- the weight penalty from the much low- are better candidates for electrified For the battery, UTAP is assuming Collins Aerospace. But regional air- would fly fare-paying passengers. gional and single-aisle aircraft. Airbus er energy density of batteries. Sizing propulsion than twin-aisles is the low- an energy density about twice that craft account for only 6% of fuel used. Now all-electric aircraft capable plans to fly the E-Fan X, a 2-megawatt the electric propulsion system to pro- er efficiency of smaller gas turbines. available now, based on the goals of the Can the same approach be applied to of taking 2-4 people on urban trips serial hybrid regional jet demonstrator, vide half the power on takeoff and a de- Where the latest high-power, high-by- Battery500 consortium. Launched in single-aisle airliners? are on the path to certification. Hy- in 2021. And in 2022, United Technol- Under a research agreement with brid-electric aircraft designed for ogies Corp. (UTC) plans to fly Project NASA, United Technologies Research subregional flights with 6-9 passen- 804, a 2-megawatt-class parallel hybrid Center (UTRC) has studied near- gers are entering testing. And short- regional turboprop testbed, although term parallel hybrid propulsion for range regional aircraft with up to 19 changes at UTC might slow the project. single-aisles in the 2030 time frame. seats and electric propulsion are on Airbus is working with Rolls-Royce, In this architecture, a battery-driven the drawing board. which is providing the turbine engine electric motor puts power into the Does this unexpected rate of prog- and generator, electric motor and con- low-pressure spool of the geared tur- ress make electrified aircraft propul- troller, as well as the fan. Run by UTC’s bofan engine, and both drive the fan. sion a viable option to improve the Skunk Works-like United Technologies Similar to the Project 804 system, sustainability of aviation? Advanced Projects (UTAP), Project the electric motor is used to boost pow- Large commercial aircraft account 804 brings together the power systems er for takeoff and climb, allowing the for about 93% of global annual jet fuel capability of Collins Aerospace with the engine to be resized for cruise. Today’s consumption. Some 57% of the fuel propulsion engine experience of Pratt are designed to run at max- is burned by long-range twin-aisles, & Whitney Canada. imum temperature for peak efficiency which are widely considered to be out “We see parallel hybrid as having the at the top of climb. This sizes the core of reach for electric propulsion—at best near-term potential for incorpo- but means the engine operates less ef- least for several decades—because ration onto large aircraft. We are look- ficiently in cruise. of the massive amount of energy re- ing at regional aircraft in the next 5-10 By adding external power to the low quired to fly hundreds of passengers years,” says Todd Spierling, director of spool for takeoff and climb, core size thousands of miles. advanced technologies for UTAP. can be reduced to increase tempera- Single-aisle airliners account for Project 804 envisions modifying ture and efficiency in cruise. In the 37% of fuel consumed annually, and a 39-passenger de Havilland Cana- 154-seat aircraft studied, this requires regional aircraft 6%. For these classes da Dash 8-100 by replacing one of its a 4.5-megawatt electric drivetrain com- of airliners, the results of several stud- 2,150-shp Pratt & Whitney PW121 tur- prising two 2.1-megawatt motors, one ies suggest hybridization could, by the boprops with a new thermal engine on the low spool of each underwing 2030s, provide a performance benefit flat-rated at 1 megawatt (1,300 hp) and engine, a 1-kv distribution system and above and beyond that expected from a 1-megawatt electric motor, both driv- a 1,500-kWh battery. anticipated advances in airframe tech- ing the propeller through a combining Two 900-nm missions were studied. nologies and turbine engines. gearbox. The motor will be powered UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORP. In one, the aircraft carries only the How big that benefit could be de- by a 200-kWh, 1-kv battery pack in the UTC sees the established trend of aircraft electrification continue battery pack mass required to boost pends on the market, the mission, tech- underfloor cargo compartment. creasing amount during climb allows into propulsion. takeoff and climb, with all the energy nology and the tradeoffs manufacturers The engine and motor will provide the electrical components to be smaller for cruise supplied by fuel. This results and operators are prepared to make. a combined 2 megawatts at takeoff. and means a relatively low amount of pass turbofans have a thermal efficien- 2016 and funded by the U.S. Energy in an energy hybridization of just 3.9%. When it comes to hybrid-electric Electric motor output will reduce energy storage is required, in turn re- cy exceeding 55%, the Dash 8’s turbo- Department, this is a five-year effort For this mission, reductions of 4.2% in propulsion, there are two main choices: during the climb until, in cruise, all quiring smaller batteries. props are just 30% efficient. to develop lithium-metal battery cells fuel burn and 0.3% in overall energy parallel and serial. In a parallel hybrid, the power is provided by the thermal “We are not just replacing fuel with In cruise, the combustion engine with a 500-Wh/kg energy density and consumption are predicted. both a thermal engine and an electric engine. This will operate at its opti- batteries, but doing it in a way that will developed for Project 804 will have a 1,000-cycle life. In the other mission, battery mass motor drive the same shaft, turning a mum point, producing a constant 1 make both sides better,” says Spierling. thermal efficiency of 40% and a 24% Using technologies expected to be is increased to take the aircraft to its fan or propeller. The engine runs on jet MW until the crew throttles back to “We improve the thermal engine while lower specific fuel consumption than at a readiness level of 6 by the mid- maximum takeoff weight and allow fuel and the motor on batteries. begin the descent. minimizing battery energy and, frank- the PW121. UTAP is not disclosing 2020s requires fuel load and mission electric energy to augment the en- In a serial hybrid, only the electric By using stored electrical energy ly, until batteries get better, one of our details of this engine but says the use range to be reduced to accommodate gines during cruise. This increases motor drives the shaft, powered by from batteries charged on the ground best approaches is not to use them of electric boost allows the cycle to be the weight of the electric drivetrain. energy hybridization to 9.9%, but the electricity that comes from both the to boost takeoff power, the size of the more than we need to.” changed and the engine redesigned This will cut the Dash 8’s range to 250 extra weight reduces the fuel-burn sav- batteries and a generator driven by the thermal engine can be reduced and its A production conversion of the Dash for efficiency at the cruise point. This nm from 1,000 nm, but UTAP argues ing to 2.8%, while energy consumption thermal engine. In both cases, energy is cycle tailored for operation at a con- 8—replacing its turboprops with two avoids the off-design conditions that this still covers more than half the increases 2.7%, so there is essentially stored in both fuel and batteries. stant, optimum point. UTAP calculates 1,000-hp thermal engines assisted by drove the design of today’s engines. missions flown by this type of aircraft. no benefit.

42 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 43 SUSTAINABILITY

The study does highlight an unex- studies. The biggest involves the power a professor at Georgia Tech. pected benefit. Adding a 2-megawatt densities of electric motors and power Electric drives are efficient, but motor to the low spool allows the fan to electronics as well as energy density of the fossil-fueled electrical grid used be driven without starting the engine batteries. NASA’s near-term goals are to charge batteries is not. About two- and makes electric taxiing an attractive at least 13 kW/kg for a 1-megawatt mo- thirds of the energy is lost during gen- option, says Chuck Lents, principal re- tor and 19 kW/kg for a converter. These eration and distribution. Most analyses search engineer at UTRC. With wheel figures seem achievable. focus on emission reductions from the drive, accelerating the aircraft across Progress in motors has been fast. vehicle or assume airports will use re- an active runway sizes the system. But Siemens’ eAircraft unit, now part newable power, which is cleaner and this is well within the capability of the of Rolls-Royce, flew a 260-kW mo - more efficient but could require signif- propulsion motors driving the fans. tor at 5.2 kW/kg in 2016. It is now icant investment. UTRC calculates that taxiing out re- bench-testing the 2-megawatt motor And customers must be willing to quires 62 kWh of battery energy, both for the E-Fan X at 10 kW/kg. Under operate aircraft with significantly less to drive the low-spool motors and to a five-year program with NASA, Ohio range than today’s airliners. Whether power aircraft subsystems while the State University is developing a mega- they accept the complexity of having engines are off. This is just over 4% watt-class drive system with densities a separate fleet of shorter-range, slow- of the total stored energy consumed better than 14 kW/kg for the electric er-speed electrified aircraft likely will depend on how much of their flying will benefit from the emission reductions. EasyJet, for example, says going all-elec- tric on the short but busy Lon- don-Paris route has strong appeal. But these caveats aside, UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORP. there appears to be some promise in the hybridization of commercial aircraft. The tech- nology builds on progress made by the automotive industry and looks to be within reach by the 2030s. Existing aircraft de- signs could be adapted—even retrofitted—with hybrid-elec- tric powertrains, avoiding the challenge of certifying uncon- ventional configurations with UTC envisions the parallel hybrid-electric conversion of a 30-50-seat aircraft. distributed propulsion. And electric propulsion during taxi, takeoff and climb. The motor and 25 kW/kg for the power should not be considered in isolation. batteries are recharged in cruise for electronics. Aircraft are already becoming more taxiing in. Batteries are less certain. The electric—the Boeing 787 has 1.5 mega- In this study, electric taxi provides 500-Wh/kg cell-level target of the watt of electrical generation onboard. most of the fuel-burn reduction from Battery500 consortium ”is not unre- “More electric aircraft are a reason to hybridization. “The benefit is mainly alistic, but difficult,” says Yet-Ming work on motor/generators up around coming from e-taxi,” says Lents. “There Chiang, a professor at the Massachu- 1 megawatt” says Alan Epstein, a pro- is a slight saving in climb, and specific setts Institute of Technology (MIT). fessor emeritus at MIT and former head fuel consumption goes up in the cruise, Lithium-sulfur and lithium-metal cells of technology and environmental strat- but there is a significant saving in taxi- at 300-400 Wh/kg are in test, but with egy at Pratt & Whitney. The batteries ing—about 3.5% out and 0.5% in.” no guarantee of when they could result required for mild hybridization “might There are other ways to use parallel in aerospace-grade batteries with ade- get paid for by other things,” he says. hybridization, says Lents. Putting mo- quate pack-level energy densities and The fuel-burn reduction from mild tor/generators on both spools of a tur- cycle lives. hybridization may only be a few percent bofan would allow electrical power to And will electrifying aircraft reduce but should not be discounted. The ben- be extracted or inserted rapidly to im- aviation’s emissions? Regional airliners efit would be above and beyond those prove control of the engine and reduce may be within reach for hybrid-electric anticipated from low-drag aerodynam- the margins that have to be designed propulsion, but they account for only a ics and lightweight structures, as well in to allow for stall and other off-design small percentage of fuel used. Urban as expected continued improvements in conditions. By operating closer to its air mobility and short-range regional gas-turbine performance. Each in itself limits, the engine can be smaller and flights could be all-electric, but could could account for only a few percentage more efficient. add significantly to the total passen- points of improvement. What will mat- There are several key assumptions ger-miles flown by taking people out ter for the sustainability of aviation is to be aware of in most hybridization of cars and buses, says Brian German, how they add up. c

44 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST SUSTAINABILITY

The study does highlight an unex- studies. The biggest involves the power a professor at Georgia Tech. Small Satellites, Big Picture purchased data and disseminate it for broader use. pected benefit. Adding a 2-megawatt densities of electric motors and power Electric drives are efficient, but “Sustained use is important because we have a very large motor to the low spool allows the fan to electronics as well as energy density of the fossil-fueled electrical grid used > NASA PILOT PROGRAM SHOWS PROMISE research community and we want to be able to support them. be driven without starting the engine batteries. NASA’s near-term goals are to charge batteries is not. About two- We need to have licenses that support that,” Murphy said. and makes electric taxiing an attractive at least 13 kW/kg for a 1-megawatt mo- thirds of the energy is lost during gen- > ROUND 2 COMMERCIAL SOLICITATION UNDERWAY The pilot study assessed the commercial data’s science option, says Chuck Lents, principal re- tor and 19 kW/kg for a converter. These eration and distribution. Most analyses value as well as licensing rights, cost, the vendors’ ability to search engineer at UTRC. With wheel figures seem achievable. focus on emission reductions from the Irene Klotz San Francisco provide frequent data and their plans for constellation main- drive, accelerating the aircraft across Progress in motors has been fast. vehicle or assume airports will use re- tenance and evolution. Maxar and Planet’s multispectral im- an active runway sizes the system. But Siemens’ eAircraft unit, now part newable power, which is cleaner and ith more than 60 companies worldwide planning to agery also were evaluated on their radiometric calibration this is well within the capability of the of Rolls-Royce, flew a 260-kW mo - more efficient but could require signif- deploy Earth-observation and other remote-sens- and geolocation accuracy. propulsion motors driving the fans. tor at 5.2 kW/kg in 2016. It is now icant investment. Wing satellite networks, NASA is stepping up efforts “The data was found to be useful for specific types of UTRC calculates that taxiing out re- bench-testing the 2-megawatt motor And customers must be willing to to evaluate how to use commercial data for ongoing obser- analysis,” Murphy said. “We need frequent coverage to quires 62 kWh of battery energy, both for the E-Fan X at 10 kW/kg. Under operate aircraft with significantly less vations of the changing planet. monitor environmental changes and be able to do that in to drive the low-spool motors and to a five-year program with NASA, Ohio range than today’s airliners. Whether In January 2019, NASA kicked off a 10-month program to repeat visits.” power aircraft subsystems while the State University is developing a mega- they accept the complexity of having assess the scientific value of data collected by small-satellite Tasking the constellation for data was “a little bit difficult,” engines are off. This is just over 4% watt-class drive system with densities a separate fleet of shorter-range, slow- constellations owned by Maxar Technologies’ DigitalGlobe he added, “but where those products exist, especially in the of the total stored energy consumed better than 14 kW/kg for the electric er-speed electrified aircraft likely will and privately owned Planet and Spire Global. The results, Arctic and Antarctic regions, it’s really useful.” depend on how much of their presented in December, are promising, though licensing NASA plans to continue to use Maxar and Planet data, flying will benefit from the agreements are presenting a chal- emission reductions. EasyJet, lenge, says Kevin Murphy, program for example, says going all-elec- executive for NASA’s Earth Science tric on the short but busy Lon- Data System. don-Paris route has strong appeal. Fires burning in New South Wales But these caveats aside, UNITED TECHNOLOGIES CORP. and Queensland, , were there appears to be some captured Dec. 22 by the Visible promise in the hybridization of Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite commercial aircraft. The tech- nology builds on progress made Instrument aboard the NASA/ by the automotive industry and National Oceanic and Atmospheric looks to be within reach by the Administration Suomi National 2030s. Existing aircraft de- Polar-orbiting Partnership satellite. signs could be adapted—even retrofitted—with hybrid-elec- “The data is of sufficient quali- tric powertrains, avoiding the ty for NASA to pursue continued challenge of certifying uncon- access to the information,” Murphy ventional configurations with said at the 2019 American Geophys- UTC envisions the parallel hybrid-electric conversion of a 30-50-seat aircraft. distributed propulsion. ical Union conference in San Fran- And electric propulsion cisco last month. during taxi, takeoff and climb. The motor and 25 kW/kg for the power should not be considered in isolation. “The issues we have were mostly batteries are recharged in cruise for electronics. Aircraft are already becoming more internal, in terms of access to the NASA taxiing in. Batteries are less certain. The electric—the Boeing 787 has 1.5 mega- data,” he added. “Standard scientific collaborations were in partnership with the U.S. National Geospatial-Intelligence In this study, electric taxi provides 500-Wh/kg cell-level target of the watt of electrical generation onboard. inhibited by the licensing agreements, which makes them Agency. Spire data analysis is ongoing. most of the fuel-burn reduction from Battery500 consortium ”is not unre- “More electric aircraft are a reason to very difficult to use. . . . There’s a whole lot of work that has Planet’s data is useful, but “there were limitations on what hybridization. “The benefit is mainly alistic, but difficult,” says Yet-Ming work on motor/generators up around to go into ensuring that people who access the information it can be used for,” Murphy said. “We found it incredibly coming from e-taxi,” says Lents. “There Chiang, a professor at the Massachu- 1 megawatt” says Alan Epstein, a pro- are vetted and don’t misuse [it].” helpful in many areas, such as point-in-time analysis and is a slight saving in climb, and specific setts Institute of Technology (MIT). fessor emeritus at MIT and former head Data from Maxar, Planet and Spire were used in 39 pilot verification, but monitoring long-term trends is difficult,” he fuel consumption goes up in the cruise, Lithium-sulfur and lithium-metal cells of technology and environmental strat- projects under the Commercial Smallsat Data Acquisition observes, because of inconsistent calibration, uneven radio- but there is a significant saving in taxi- at 300-400 Wh/kg are in test, but with egy at Pratt & Whitney. The batteries Program, with the goal of assessing commercial sources to metric performance and inconsistent geolocation. ing—about 3.5% out and 0.5% in.” no guarantee of when they could result required for mild hybridization “might support NASA’s Earth science research and applications. “Planet certainly did a lot in terms of user services,” There are other ways to use parallel in aerospace-grade batteries with ade- get paid for by other things,” he says. The agency is interested in essential climate variables fo- Murphy added. “They helped us out the entire time and were hybridization, says Lents. Putting mo- quate pack-level energy densities and The fuel-burn reduction from mild cused on the atmosphere, cryosphere, land and oceans as very responsive.” tor/generators on both spools of a tur- cycle lives. hybridization may only be a few percent identified by the Global Climate Observing System program, NASA is in the process of soliciting vendors for a fol- bofan would allow electrical power to And will electrifying aircraft reduce but should not be discounted. The ben- a collaboration of the United Nations, World Meteorological low-on Earth smallsat data program as it transitions to a be extracted or inserted rapidly to im- aviation’s emissions? Regional airliners efit would be above and beyond those Organization and International Science Council. sustained series of commercial data buys expected every prove control of the engine and reduce may be within reach for hybrid-electric anticipated from low-drag aerodynam- NASA wants to know if commercially acquired data can 12-18 months. the margins that have to be designed propulsion, but they account for only a ics and lightweight structures, as well provide an inexpensive option to augment Earth observa- It could be a popular offering: More than 60 companies in to allow for stall and other off-design small percentage of fuel used. Urban as expected continued improvements in tions currently acquired by NASA and other U.S. agencies, worldwide are planning optical, synthetic aperture radar, in- conditions. By operating closer to its air mobility and short-range regional gas-turbine performance. Each in itself as well as international partners. Specifically, the goals of frared, hyperspectral and emissions tracking spacecraft for limits, the engine can be smaller and flights could be all-electric, but could could account for only a few percentage the pilot program were to create a process to continually Earth observations. In addition to Maxar, Planet and Spire, more efficient. add significantly to the total passen- points of improvement. What will mat- add new commercial data vendors, assess if the data has 24 companies already have launched at least one satellite. There are several key assumptions ger-miles flown by taking people out ter for the sustainability of aviation is the potential to advance NASA’s Earth science research A website for the Commercial SmallSat Data Acquisition to be aware of in most hybridization of cars and buses, says Brian German, how they add up. c and applications, and establish the ability to continually use program is at earthdata.NASA.gov. c

44 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 45 SUSTAINABILITY

U.S Air Force F-15 fighters were among the combat aircraft damaged by Hurricane Michael in 2018. As the Arctic continues to warm, ex- treme weather has hit hard at existing bases in the continental U.S. In 2018, Hurricane Michael decimated Tyndall AFB in Florida. Tyndall was home to the Air Force’s fleet of Lockheed Mar- tin F-22 Raptors. The Air Force is still coping with the aftermath. While Tyndall is undergo- ing repairs, F-22s assigned to the 43rd and 95th Fighter Sqdns. have moved to other installations. The jets assigned to the 43rd relocated to Eglin AFB in U.S. AIR FORCE Florida, while the 95th’s aircraft are being spread out across F-22 units at U.S. Military Given Authority To Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Defend Against Climate Change Alaska, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hick- am in Hawaii, and Joint Base Lang- ley-Eustis in Virginia. > CONGRESS ADDRESSES CLIMATE CHANGE IN DEFENSE LEGISLATION The military is not just concerned CLIMATE CHANGE NEGATIVELY AFFECTS MILITARY TRAINING about its coastal bases. A few months > after Hurricane Michael floodwaters reached 7ft. (2.1 m), damaging Offutt Lee Hudson Washington AFB in Nebraska and causing person- he U.S. Congress is providing Chairman Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), who nel to move aircraft and munitions to the military with direct re - wrote a book in 2012 calling global higher ground. The flooding damaged Tsponses to the threat of climate warming The Greatest Hoax. one-third of the Midwestern base, change. The passage of defense policy The 2020 NDAA mandates creation home to the headquarters of the na- legislation provides the military with of a Climate Security Advisory Council tion’s nuclear arsenal, U.S. Strategic new tools to address the effects of the within the intelligence community to Command (Stratcom) and the 55th warming globe on strategic security ensure analysis is informed by the best Wing. The 55th Wing is Air Combat interests, installations and readiness. possible science. Intelligence experts Command’s largest wing, with an an- That climate change is a threat to must incorporate the foresight scien- nual budget of more than $477 million, national security has been acknowl- tists have in projecting stress on vari- 45 aircraft, 31 squadrons and 7,000 em- edged by the military for nearly ous regions to predict potential crises. ployees. In total, the damage at Tyndall 30 years. In 1990, the U.S. Naval War Establishing a Climate and Security and Offutt will cost the American tax- College issued a report on “Global Council is a positive step, John Conger, payer an estimated $5 billion to rebuild. Climate Change Implications for the director of the Center for Climate and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David United States.” But in recent years, the Security, tells Aviation Week. Goldfein and former Air Force Secre- issue has become politically charged, “If you know there is going to be a tary Heather Wilson had to beg Con- with the Republican-controlled House water shortage in some portion of the gress for $5 billion in emergency fund- of Representatives voting in 2016 on an world, that would inform, for example, ing to begin rebuilding the installations amendment to block Pentagon action the assessment of whether that region damaged by natural disasters. on climate change. is going to go unstable,” Conger says. Section 328 of the 2020 NDAA cre- Now legislative support for address- Another provision in the bill related ates a dedicated budget line item for ing the security effects of a warming to climate-security strategic interests adaptation to and mitigation of ex- planet is growing. The 2018 National for the U.S. revolves around the Arctic. treme weather on military networks, Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Section 1752 of the 2020 NDAA di- installations, facilities and other assets. characterized climate change as a rects the Pentagon to consider sites These include loss or obstructed ac- direct threat to national security. for a strategic port in the Arctic and cess to training ranges. The bill defines Two years later, lawmakers are unit- submit a report to Congress no later extreme weather as recurrent flooding, ing around potential solutions. Last than June 2020. The document should drought, , and month, President Donald Trump include a cost estimate for construction thawing permafrost. signed into law the 2020 NDAA, which and sustained operations at the site. In 2019, the Air Force submitted to includes 10 provisions related to cli- For years, experts have rallied for the Congress a “Top 10” list of installations mate security. U.S. to have a more permanent pres- at risk of extreme damage from cha- The bill made it through the Dem- ence in the Arctic as melting ice caps ging weather. Six of the bases are in ocrat-controlled House and the Sen- begin to open sea lanes to vessels from Florida—Eglin, Hurlburt Field, Patrick ate, past Armed Services Committee Russia and other nations. AFB, Homestead Air Reserve Base,

46 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST SUSTAINABILITY

U.S Air Force F-15 fighters were MacDill AFB and Tyndall. The base among the combat aircraft damaged taking the top spot is Vandenberg AFB in California, home to the Space Force’s by Hurricane Michael in 2018. Space Operations Command. The re- As the Arctic continues to warm, ex- maining installations at risk are Dover treme weather has hit hard at existing AFB in Delaware and Langley-Eustis bases in the continental U.S. In 2018, in Virginia. Hurricane Michael decimated Tyndall “As developed, the above list reflects AFB in Florida. Tyndall was home to installations susceptible to the conse- the Air Force’s fleet of Lockheed Mar- quences of severe weather events: tin F-22 Raptors. coastal and inland flooding, wildfires, The Air Force is still coping with the and/or drought; not necessarily 50-100- Flooding in Nebraska in March 2019 overwhelmed Offutt AFB, aftermath. While Tyndall is undergo- year climatic changes,” the submission home to U.S. Strategic Command, forcing the evacuation of nine aircraft. ing repairs, F-22s assigned to the 43rd states. “This list does not look at any and 95th Fighter Sqdns. have moved specific critical mission implications U.S. ARMY to other installations. The jets assigned (i.e., even if the base is subject to tion 2801a of the 2020 NDAA is more Shipyard in Virginia were not high to the 43rd relocated to Eglin AFB in flooding because a portion is within a preventative, directing the Pentagon to enough to deal with , Con- U.S. AIR FORCE Florida, while the 95th’s aircraft are 100-year flood plain, a mission-critical incorporate military installation resil- ger says. The 2020 NDAA authorizes being spread out across F-22 units at facility may not be impacted because of ience into master plans; it authorizes $49 million for a project at Portsmouth U.S. Military Given Authority To Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in its location on the base or it is on high funding for climate resilience projects. Naval Shipyard to increase the height Defend Against Climate Change Alaska, Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hick- ground; e.g. the Stratcom Headquar- These installation master plans will of the floodwalls around its dry docks. am in Hawaii, and Joint Base Lang- ters Building on Offutt AFB).” specifically assess vulnerabilities to the The shipyard’s primary mission is the ley-Eustis in Virginia. The Army assessed six climate vul- bases and surrounding communities, overhaul, repair and modernization of > CONGRESS ADDRESSES CLIMATE CHANGE IN DEFENSE LEGISLATION The military is not just concerned nerabilities on its military bases in the identify missions affected by those Los Angeles-class fast-attack nucle- CLIMATE CHANGE NEGATIVELY AFFECTS MILITARY TRAINING about its coastal bases. A few months U.S. The service is most concerned susceptibilities and propose projects ar-powered submarines. > after Hurricane Michael floodwaters about desertification, or land degrada- to address those weaknesses. Climate change is also affecting the reached 7ft. (2.1 m), damaging Offutt tion caused by dry conditions, affect- “Until you start incorporating these U.S. military’s readiness levels because Lee Hudson Washington AFB in Nebraska and causing person- ing its installations especially at Yuma risks into your master planning pro- of an increasing number of Black Flag he U.S. Congress is providing Chairman Jim Inhofe (R-Okla.), who nel to move aircraft and munitions to Proving Ground and Fort Huachuca in cess, you aren’t going to fully appreci- days, when the temperature rises the military with direct re - wrote a book in 2012 calling global higher ground. The flooding damaged Arizona, Fort Irwin and Camp Roberts ate what you have to do at a particular to 90F or higher, and training is sus- Tsponses to the threat of climate warming The Greatest Hoax. one-third of the Midwestern base, in California, Fort Bliss in Texas, White location,” Conger says. “You can’t just pended. This affects units being able change. The passage of defense policy The 2020 NDAA mandates creation home to the headquarters of the na- Sands Missile Range in New Mexico, throw money at a problem not knowing to complete a training syllabus on time, legislation provides the military with of a Climate Security Advisory Council tion’s nuclear arsenal, U.S. Strategic Hawthorne Army Depot in Nevada, what you’re supposed to do.” Conger says. new tools to address the effects of the within the intelligence community to Command (Stratcom) and the 55th Tooele Army Depot in Utah and Pueblo The Navy paid attention to climate “It’s not like we’ve never done work- warming globe on strategic security ensure analysis is informed by the best Wing. The 55th Wing is Air Combat Chemical Depot in Colorado. change early on because the service arounds in training, but these are interests, installations and readiness. possible science. Intelligence experts Command’s largest wing, with an an- “The analysis is based on climate has the most coastal bases and infra- things where the training experts in That climate change is a threat to must incorporate the foresight scien- nual budget of more than $477 million, science only and is not influenced by structures in its inventory. Separate all of the services will have to look at national security has been acknowl- tists have in projecting stress on vari- 45 aircraft, 31 squadrons and 7,000 em- strategic or mission considerations,” from climate change, a few years ago trends and figure out how to adjust edged by the military for nearly ous regions to predict potential crises. ployees. In total, the damage at Tyndall the Army report says. Congress directed the Navy to study what they have to do,” he says. “It is 30 years. In 1990, the U.S. Naval War Establishing a Climate and Security and Offutt will cost the American tax- The majority of the measures to the infrastructure requirements of not something they’re immune from; College issued a report on “Global Council is a positive step, John Conger, payer an estimated $5 billion to rebuild. defend the military against climate its shipyards. That assessment found it’s something they’re going to have to Climate Change Implications for the director of the Center for Climate and Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. David change to date are reactionary, but Sec- that the dry docks at Portsmouth Naval accommodate and deal with.” c United States.” But in recent years, the Security, tells Aviation Week. Goldfein and former Air Force Secre- issue has become politically charged, “If you know there is going to be a tary Heather Wilson had to beg Con- U.S. Military Installations Vulnerable to Climate-Related Emergencies with the Republican-controlled House water shortage in some portion of the gress for $5 billion in emergency fund- of Representatives voting in 2016 on an world, that would inform, for example, ing to begin rebuilding the installations Recurrent Flooding Drought Desertification Wildfires Thawing Permafrost amendment to block Pentagon action the assessment of whether that region damaged by natural disasters. on climate change. is going to go unstable,” Conger says. Section 328 of the 2020 NDAA cre- Service Number Current Potential Current Potential Current Potential Current Potential Current Potential Now legislative support for address- Another provision in the bill related ates a dedicated budget line item for ing the security effects of a warming to climate-security strategic interests adaptation to and mitigation of ex- Air Force 36 20 25 20 22 4 4 32 32 - - planet is growing. The 2018 National for the U.S. revolves around the Arctic. treme weather on military networks, Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) Section 1752 of the 2020 NDAA di- installations, facilities and other assets. Army 21 15 17 5 5 2 2 4 4 1 1 characterized climate change as a rects the Pentagon to consider sites These include loss or obstructed ac- direct threat to national security. for a strategic port in the Arctic and cess to training ranges. The bill defines Navy 18 16 16 18 18 - - - 7 - - Two years later, lawmakers are unit- submit a report to Congress no later extreme weather as recurrent flooding, ing around potential solutions. Last than June 2020. The document should drought, desertification, wildfires and DLA 2 2 2 - 2 ------month, President Donald Trump include a cost estimate for construction thawing permafrost. signed into law the 2020 NDAA, which and sustained operations at the site. In 2019, the Air Force submitted to DFAS 1 - - - 1 ------includes 10 provisions related to cli- For years, experts have rallied for the Congress a “Top 10” list of installations WHS 1 ------mate security. U.S. to have a more permanent pres- at risk of extreme damage from cha- - - The bill made it through the Dem- ence in the Arctic as melting ice caps ging weather. Six of the bases are in Totals 79 53 60 43 48 6 6 36 43 1 1 ocrat-controlled House and the Sen- begin to open sea lanes to vessels from Florida—Eglin, Hurlburt Field, Patrick ate, past Armed Services Committee Russia and other nations. AFB, Homestead Air Reserve Base, DLA = Defense Logistics Agency DFAS = Defense Finance and Accounting Service WHS = Washington Headquarters Services Source: Defense Department

46 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 47 COMMERCIAL AVIATION S AUAS Blackout Period

> EMBRAER’S BOEING DEAL HINGES ON EUROPEAN COMMISSION APPROVAL > 7 3 7MAX CRISIS ADDS TO UNCERTAINTY ABOUT TIE-UP Embraer’s 195-E2 is the most popular version of the E2 family.

Jens Flottau Frankfurt n a way, Boeing’s production fa- The information technology tran- It is a view Slattery, unsurprisingly, cility in Renton, Washington, and sition is “an enormously complicated does not share. “Our focus is building IEmbraer’s Sao Jose dos Campos transaction,” says Embraer Commer- aircraft up to 150 seats,” he says. “It site in Brazil now look very similar. A cial Aircraft President and CEO John was never our core priority to be part few people will be on special projects, Slattery . But it is necessary to prepare of NMA.” but both locations, usually buzzing with Embraer’s commercial aircraft busi- If that is the case, it is all the more activity, will be otherwise quiet. ness for what it hopes will be a more important for the E2 to become the As Boeing is forced to shut down promising future than it would have success Embraer hopes it will be. So fi nal assembly of the 737 MAX while had on its own. “We will be able to sell far, sales have been disappointing, with it awaits regulatory approval to return more aircraft by having access to Boe- 44 orders for the 190-E2, 127 for the 195- the aircraft to service, Embraer is also ing’s customer base, which is fi ve times E2 and none for the 175-E2 at the end of temporarily halting production of its bigger than Embraer’s,” Slattery says. November. Deliveries also were made commercial aircraft. Of course, the There has been much debate in the at a modest pace in 2019, though they reasons are very di† erent. industry about Embraer’s view that are to accelerate in 2020 in spite of the Embraer will send 14,000 people on sales of its new E2 family will bene- January line closure. Embraer plans forced vacations for three weeks to fa- fit from the Boeing deal. Some have to give an initial guidance on 2020 de- cilitate a very complex migration of in- argued it would have been better o† liveries early in the year, provided the formation technology systems. During on its own as a specialist focused on Boeing deal has not closed by then. In the three-week period scheduled to end its market. Following the leadership the now unlikely event that it has, the on Jan. 21, the company is closing down transition at Boeing from Dennis new company will take over communi- the legacy operating systems of the ex- Muilenburg to David Calhoun, there cating that. isting company and implementing its is renewed uncertainty as to the aero- E2 deliveries so far total 16 aircraft. so-called digital transformation plan. space giant’s priorities. Can Embraer has received fi ve 190-E2s, Essentially nothing will work during be a focus, or does Boeing need its Wideroe has three and Helvetic Air- this black out period. money and management attention ways two. Binter has taken two 195- In place of the old system, Embraer elsewhere? Would not an independent E2s, while Azul now has four in its fl eet. will restart with two new, separate manufacturer focused on the regional Azul, with 51 aircraft on fi rm order, is systems: one for the future Brazilian market be better o† , keeping in mind also the largest customer of the E2 fam- defense and business aviation compa- how Airbus is positioning its A220, the ily, followed by lessors Aer Cap (50) and ny, and the other for the future Boeing former Bombardier C Series? Aercastle (25). Brasil-Commercial joint venture. The The skeptics may conclude that if The timeline of the proposed Boeing latter will be a wholly owned but or- there is a growth opportunity in the deal is now almost entirely up to the ganizationally separate subsidiary of deal for Embraer, it will be in future European Commission. The EC has Embraer until the deal has received all programs such as the proposed new launched an in-depth investigation into the necessary regulatory approvals, a midmarket airplane (NMA) or a suc- the transaction, asserting there could process already dragging on for much cessor to the 737 MAX, rather than be anti-competitive ramifi cations at the longer than the two parties had hoped. with Embraer’s own legacy portfolio. lower end of the narrow body market if

4 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST COMMERCIAL AVIATION S AUAS

Boeing and Embraer Commercial are stantially, seemingly supporting those of [Embraer] commercial aviation.” Blackout Period allowed to join forces. who believe Embraer could have con- The aircraft took off at 11:07 a.m. for That would be the case in particu- tinued on its own, only partially com- a flight lasting 2 hr. 18 min. in the air- lar, the EC asserts, as the U.S. market peting with the A220. As it turns out, space around Sao Jose dos Campos. In becomes more difficult for Airbus to the A220 is moving more upmarket and the second quarter of 2020, two more access as a result of new tariffs and, as therefore away from Embraer’s scope. prototypes will join the flight-test cam- a consequence, the European market At the end of November, Airbus had paign, an exercise that is to last up to could become closed to Boeing in an 431 firm orders for the A220-300, which 24 months. While Slattery points out extreme case as the European Union is not only larger and heavier than the that the aircraft is substantially differ- imposes countertariffs on Boeing air- Embraer 195-E2 but also much more ent from the other two models of the craft. The EC has stopped the clock range-capable. The smaller A220-100, E2 family, with its dedicated wings and in its investigation as it awaits further which more directly competes with the landing gear, thus requiring an extend- documentation. It could be several 190-E2 and the 195-E2, has garnered ed flight-test program, two years is an more months before the joint venture only 99 sales. As airlines such as Air unusually long period even for a com- becomes a reality—if it does. France press Airbus to develop an even pletely new aircraft; 1,200 flight-test By contrast, Slattery hopes Brazil- larger variant dubbed the A220-500, hours are to be accommodated. ian competition watchdog CADE will the family is moving much more into The reality is that Embraer can- MAX and legacy A320 and A319neo not be in a rush to bring the aircraft EMBRAER’S BOEING DEAL HINGES ON approve the transaction “with no con- > ditions” in January, as “there is no over- territory and away from the E2 market. to market. The 175-E2 so far has no EUROPEAN COMMISSION APPROVAL lap with Boeing.” Assuming CADE does In terms of sales to operators seek- orders, and there are more than a

> 7 3 7MAX CRISIS ADDS TO clear the deal, Embraer and Boeing will EMBRAER UNCERTAINTY ABOUT TIE-UP Embraer’s 195-E2 is have nine of the 10 antitrust approvals it needs, none of which have come with the most popular version of the E2 family. any limitations. Jens Flottau Frankfurt Embraer’s future joint-venture partner is still struggling to first end n a way, Boeing’s production fa- The information technology tran- It is a view Slattery, unsurprisingly, the MAX grounding and then recover cility in Renton, Washington, and sition is “an enormously complicated does not share. “Our focus is building from its consequences, short- and long- IEmbraer’s Sao Jose dos Campos transaction,” says Embraer Commer- aircraft up to 150 seats,” he says. “It term. Many believe the MAX problems site in Brazil now look very similar. A cial Aircraft President and CEO John was never our core priority to be part will have a lasting impact on Boeing’s few people will be on special projects, Slattery . But it is necessary to prepare of NMA.” future product strategy, as the manu- The E175-E2 flew for the first time in but both locations, usually buzzing with Embraer’s commercial aircraft busi- If that is the case, it is all the more facturer may have to develop a MAX December. So far, there are no firm orders. activity, will be otherwise quiet. ness for what it hopes will be a more important for the E2 to become the replacement sooner, possibly in place As Boeing is forced to shut down promising future than it would have success Embraer hopes it will be. So of the current NMA proposal. In spite fi nal assembly of the 737 MAX while had on its own. “We will be able to sell far, sales have been disappointing, with of Slattery’s official claim that Embraer it awaits regulatory approval to return more aircraft by having access to Boe- 44 orders for the 190-E2, 127 for the 195- is not betting on NMA work, that pro- the aircraft to service, Embraer is also ing’s customer base, which is fi ve times E2 and none for the 175-E2 at the end of gram is providing a massive growth op- temporarily halting production of its bigger than Embraer’s,” Slattery says. November. Deliveries also were made portunity, and the Brazilian company’s commercial aircraft. Of course, the There has been much debate in the at a modest pace in 2019, though they stellar track record in engineering and ing regional and shorter-range main- few industry skeptics who expect the reasons are very di† erent. industry about Embraer’s view that are to accelerate in 2020 in spite of the design has been a major attraction for line missions, the A220 development smallest version of the E2 family will Embraer will send 14,000 people on sales of its new E2 family will bene- January line closure. Embraer plans Boeing, more than the E2, a program (which now also includes true long-haul be the first to be killed by Boeing once forced vacations for three weeks to fa- fit from the Boeing deal. Some have to give an initial guidance on 2020 de- marginal in size for the aerospace giant. versions) is good news for Embraer. Chicago is in charge. cilitate a very complex migration of in- argued it would have been better o† liveries early in the year, provided the In the short term, joint MAX/E2 But does it also indicate management Sales of the type have been ham- formation technology systems. During on its own as a specialist focused on Boeing deal has not closed by then. In sales were seen as a chance for Em- hastily pushed for a takeover that pered because it is not compliant with the three-week period scheduled to end its market. Following the leadership the now unlikely event that it has, the braer to escape having to compete with was ultimately unnecessary? “Boeing scope clauses in pilot deals at United on Jan. 21, the company is closing down transition at Boeing from Dennis new company will take over communi- the Airbus A220 on its own. The de- should abandon the Embraer acquisi- Airlines, American Airlines and Delta the legacy operating systems of the ex- Muilenburg to David Calhoun, there cating that. layed return of the MAX “has no effect tion,” says one senior industry source. Air Lines, effectively closing off the big- isting company and implementing its is renewed uncertainty as to the aero- E2 deliveries so far total 16 aircraft. on E2 sales because we are not compet- “It always seemed like a knee-jerk re- gest market for regional jets for now. so-called digital transformation plan. space giant’s priorities. Can Embraer Air Astana has received fi ve 190-E2s, ing,” says Slattery, nonetheless point- action to Airbus.” Slattery does not expect scope restric- Essentially nothing will work during be a focus, or does Boeing need its Wideroe has three and Helvetic Air- ing at campaigns where customers are Before it surrenders control of its tions to be lifted at the three carriers this black out period. money and management attention ways two. Binter has taken two 195- looking for a choice between the MAX commercial aircraft business to Boe- soon, “so the focus of my sales team In place of the old system, Embraer elsewhere? Would not an independent E2s, while Azul now has four in its fl eet. and a competing aircraft such as the ing, Embraer orchestrated a special is outside of the U.S.,” he says. In the will restart with two new, separate manufacturer focused on the regional Azul, with 51 aircraft on fi rm order, is Airbus A320neo. However, the ground- moment on Dec. 12. Management de- meantime, the 175-E1 has been selling systems: one for the future Brazilian market be better o† , keeping in mind also the largest customer of the E2 fam- ing and the wait for the EC’s joint-ven- cided that it would attempt to roll out exceptionally well over the past few defense and business aviation compa- how Airbus is positioning its A220, the ily, followed by lessors Aer Cap (50) and ture approval are back sales and fly the 175-E2 for the first time on years as North American regional air- ny, and the other for the future Boeing former Bombardier C Series? Aercastle (25). campaigns in which the MAX and the the same day, an unusual exercise. lines have been renewing and upgaug- Brasil-Commercial joint venture. The The skeptics may conclude that if The timeline of the proposed Boeing E2 could be offered together against Embraer did that once before, almost ing their fleets. latter will be a wholly owned but or- there is a growth opportunity in the deal is now almost entirely up to the the A320neo family and the A220. exactly 50 years ago, when the first For the 175-E2 there is “meaningful ganizationally separate subsidiary of deal for Embraer, it will be in future European Commission. The EC has The takeover of the former C Series prototype of the Bandeirante took off interest from flag carriers,” Slattery Embraer until the deal has received all programs such as the proposed new launched an in-depth investigation into from Bombardier ultimately triggered the same day it was first publicly pre- says, and therefore he would be “dis- the necessary regulatory approvals, a midmarket airplane (NMA) or a suc- the transaction, asserting there could the Boeing/Embraer deal when it was sented. Slattery says the plan enabled appointed” if Embraer has not secured process already dragging on for much cessor to the 737 MAX, rather than be anti-competitive ramifi cations at the announced in July 2018. More than a “employees to own that moment” and at least one firm order by the end of the longer than the two parties had hoped. with Embraer’s own legacy portfolio. lower end of the narrow body market if year later, the picture has changed sub- find “an elegant bookend for the story first quarter. c

4 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 49 DEFENSE

The NATO Alliance Ground Surveil- Phoenix Rising lance platforms are based on the Block 40 Global Hawk. The  rst is pic- tured on its delivery  ight to Sicily.

“This is a platform that was never designed to be certifi ed. . . . Northrop Grumman had to generate a signifi cant amount of data. A lot of this didn’t ex- ist,” Linnell adds.

AA RAERR RMMA AA RAERR One result is that because the air- craft does not have lightning protec- > AGS WILL USE FIVE RQ-4D DERIVATIVES OF THE GLOBAL HAWK tion, AGS crews have to steer well THE NATO SYSTEM WILL BE BASED IN SIGONELLA, SICILY clear of thunderstorms. And with a > new Microsoft Windows-based inter- > FULL OPERATIONAL CAPABILITY IS EXPECTED IN THREE YEARS face to fl y the aircraft, the pilots have easy access to a backup laptop with which they can take control of the air- Tony Osborne Naval Air Station Sigonella, Sicily craft should the primary ground con- trol station computer crash or require lmost 25 years after the initia- NATO AGS Management Agency (Nag- a restart. tive was fi rst proposed to mem- sma) told journalists here in December. Although the term “limited” will Abers, NATO is fi nally seeing its “There were moments in the past never be lifted, Nagsma officials ar- Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) where I thought, ‘This is never going gue the platform is the safest Global system become a reality. to happen; the obstacles are too high, Hawk variant to fly. “That gives the With delivery of the fi rst two of fi ve political, programmatic, legal and assurance that it is safe to fl y and safe Northrop Grumman RQ-4D Phoenix technical challenges,’” he added. to operate,” said Samanns. high-altitude, long-endurance plat- “The main lesson out of the Euro Details of the type certifi cation have forms to Sigonella, Sicily, where the Hawk was that the regulatory frame- been handed to alliance nations to sup- NATO AGS Force (NAGSF) is based, work in place at the time was not port their own assessments for over- the long-running program is finally made to cope with military type cer- fl ights. Countries could deny permis- making the transition from acquisition tifi cation of such a complex system,” sion for the aircraft or pose additional to operations. says Paul Linnell, program manager limitations, although such issues are But the platform’s introduction at Nagsma. not envisaged. has been far from straightforward, Italy took a diž erent approach. Af- “We anticipate NATO members will plagued by additional spending as- ter assessing all the documentation allow overfl ight based on the limita- sociated with the challenge of fl ying made available, “they came up with a tions established by Italy in the certi- a complex unmanned aircraft system diž erent set of questions,” says Linnell. fi cation process,” says Linnell. in the civilian airspace of alliance na- The team was able to approach the Although it wears NATO markings, tions. Procurement documents also U.S. Air Force, which was also operat- the Phoenix will carry an Italian mili- mention disputes over sensor perfor- ing the Block 40, to provide addition- tary registration. mance requirements. al data on the Global Hawk software, Current AGS plans call for the RQ- The AGS had originally been envis- systems and airframe, producing some 4Ds to operate solely in the Euro-At- aged with a manned platform using an 2 million pages of evidence. lantic region, which means all fl ights Airbus A321. But during the 2000s, Rome’s Directorate of Air Arma- can be performed from Sigonella with NATO caught the UAV bug and, like ments and Airworthiness then pro- no need for additional forward operat- Germany with its Euro Hawk sig- ceeded to work on a certifi cation based ing bases, as with the NATO E-3 force. nals-intelligence program, both opted on the U.S. Air Force’s Military Hand- Nonetheless, NAGSF has an estab- for the Global Hawk platform, with book 516B. Citing 638 of 900 criteria lished set of diversion airfi elds across NATO selecting its Block 40 model contained in the manual, it awarded mainland Europe and is piggy backing as a baseline. While the challenge of a limited type certifi cate in October, on the experience gathered by the U.S. certifying the airworthiness of the paving the way for delivery flights Air Force, which regularly fl ies Global Euro Hawk proved insurmountable from Northrop Grumman’s factory in Hawk missions into Eastern Europe, for German authorities, for the AGS Palmdale, California, to Sigonella, the the Baltic and over Ukraine. the challenge had been handed to Italy fi rst of which took place on Nov. 20-21, The U.S. Navy is expected to fl y its in its role as host nation to militarily the second on Dec. 19. Triton system from Sigonella in the certify the system. The aircraft was not compliant coming years in the maritime recon- “I thought this would never happen. with all 638 criteria, “but that does naissance role. The base also plays I expected to have to tell everyone not mean they are not safe,” says Lin- host to Air Force MQ-9 Reapers. we had to shut the program because nell. Where the aircraft did not meet Once airborne, the - we couldn’t do it,” Brig. Gen. Volker the criteria, a risk-based assessment craft will spiral up to their operating Samanns, general manager for the was made. altitude to 50,000-60,000 ft. and then

AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST DEFENSE

The NATO Alliance Ground Surveil- transit to their operating areas well Stewart, NAGSF commander. “Our to any of the nations. Now it is avail- Phoenix Rising lance platforms are based on the above Europe’s commercial air traffic. short-term goal is to make IOC in six able to all 29.” Although the $1.5 billion cost of the months, and our long-term goal is to Unlike in the U.S. Air Force, the Block 40 Global Hawk. The  rst is pic- AGS program has been paid by 15 of be [at] FOC [full operational capabil- AGS Global Hawks will have a crew tured on its delivery  ight to Sicily. the 29 NATO members, the operation- ity] in three years.” of around 12 with a mission director, al phase will be funded by all 29. One of the criteria for IOC is to usually an intelligence officer, at the “This is a platform that was never The NAGSF force currently con- be able to perform at least one mis- helm. Also among the 12 are the pilot, designed to be certifi ed. . . . Northrop sists of around 300 personnel repre- sion a week, but by the time NAGSF sensor operator, intelligence analysts Grumman had to generate a signifi cant senting almost every NATO country. achieves FOC, the unit wants to be and a processing, exploitation and dis- amount of data. A lot of this didn’t ex- They are often from different ser - able to deliver two task-lines, perform- semination team that distributes the ist,” Linnell adds. vices in each nation, as the mission ing observations in two geographical gathered information to commanders

AA RAERR RMMA AA RAERR One result is that because the air- requires expertise from different do- areas for a sustained period should it across the 29 alliance member states. craft does not have lightning protec- mains, including land and sea. Once be required. Although the aircraft are not envis- > AGS WILL USE FIVE RQ-4D DERIVATIVES OF THE GLOBAL HAWK tion, AGS crews have to steer well at full strength, NAGSF will have To perform its mission, the AGS aged to forward-deploy, European in- THE NATO SYSTEM WILL BE BASED IN SIGONELLA, SICILY clear of thunderstorms. And with a 600 personnel. NAGSF is currently RQ-4Ds are fitted with a belly-mount- dustry has developed a Mobile General > new Microsoft Windows-based inter- operating out of temporary facilities, ed Multi-Platform Radar Technology Ground Station and a Transportable > FULL OPERATIONAL CAPABILITY IS EXPECTED IN THREE YEARS face to fl y the aircraft, the pilots have including hangars provided by the Insertion Program (MP-RTIP) sensor General Ground Station so that data easy access to a backup laptop with . capable of performing all-weather can be delivered into the hands of com- which they can take control of the air- The next step is construction of per- ground-moving-target indicator and manders on the front line should it be Tony Osborne Naval Air Station Sigonella, Sicily craft should the primary ground con- manent infrastructure at two sites on synthetic aperture radar (SAR) im- required. The facilities are self-sus- trol station computer crash or require Sigonella’s airfield. One is a headquar- aging modes out to 200 km (125 mi.), taining, with their own power and lmost 25 years after the initia- NATO AGS Management Agency (Nag- a restart. ters and operations facility with offic- allowing it to observe a long way into communications system including tive was fi rst proposed to mem- sma) told journalists here in December. Although the term “limited” will es and suites for training. The other unfriendly territory. high-bandwidth Ku-band satellite up- Abers, NATO is fi nally seeing its “There were moments in the past never be lifted, Nagsma officials ar- site on the airfield flight line entails The radar is mounted on a rotating link/downlink. Alliance Ground Surveillance (AGS) where I thought, ‘This is never going gue the platform is the safest Global construction of three hangars and a pylon so that the sensor can view to NAGSF also has established its own system become a reality. to happen; the obstacles are too high, Hawk variant to fly. “That gives the maintenance facility with two bays for the left or right of the aircraft. Until training center for pilots and intelli- With delivery of the fi rst two of fi ve political, programmatic, legal and assurance that it is safe to fl y and safe the RQ-4D aircraft. Work is underway now, such a capability was available gence personnel, with pilots requir- Northrop Grumman RQ-4D Phoenix technical challenges,’” he added. to operate,” said Samanns. and due for completion in 2021. only to a handful of NATO air services, ing 15 simulator sessions to make the high-altitude, long-endurance plat- “The main lesson out of the Euro Details of the type certifi cation have Despite the temporary facilities, including the U.S. Air Force with its transition to type. Many pilots already forms to Sigonella, Sicily, where the Hawk was that the regulatory frame- been handed to alliance nations to sup- Sigonella-based teams performed both Northrop Grumman E-8 Joint Surveil- have experience flying UAVs and larg- NATO AGS Force (NAGSF) is based, work in place at the time was not port their own assessments for over- the ferry flights and have also flown lance Target Attack Radar System and er types, but NAGSF also has fighter the long-running program is finally made to cope with military type cer- fl ights. Countries could deny permis- test sorties out of Palmdale. the UK with its Raytheon Sentinel air- and helicopter pilots in its ranks. making the transition from acquisition tifi cation of such a complex system,” sion for the aircraft or pose additional With the arrival of the second air- craft. Through software manipulation, “We are basically creating a small to operations. says Paul Linnell, program manager limitations, although such issues are craft, Nagsma hopes to complete two the analysts can establish patterns of air force,” said Samanns. But the platform’s introduction at Nagsma. not envisaged. verification flights in January before life and use change-detection algo- Looking ahead, there currently is has been far from straightforward, Italy took a diž erent approach. Af- “We anticipate NATO members will handing the aircraft and the AGS rithms in SAR imagery. no funding line for upgrades, but the plagued by additional spending as- ter assessing all the documentation allow overfl ight based on the limita- Core system over to NAGSF to begin “This is a quantum leap forward in NAGSF force is expecting additional sociated with the challenge of fl ying made available, “they came up with a tions established by Italy in the certi- training and workup toward initial op- the reconnaissance capabilities of the radar capability for maritime recon- a complex unmanned aircraft system diž erent set of questions,” says Linnell. fi cation process,” says Linnell. erational capability (IOC). 29 nations. That’s no hyperbole,” says naissance. “We have a platform here in the civilian airspace of alliance na- The team was able to approach the Although it wears NATO markings, “There are target goals [for IOC], Stewart. “What we are providing here tailor-made to suit NATO needs, and tions. Procurement documents also U.S. Air Force, which was also operat- the Phoenix will carry an Italian mili- but they are not set in stone,” says is near real-time, high-definition imag- we have everything we need for oper- mention disputes over sensor perfor- ing the Block 40, to provide addition- tary registration. U.S. Air Force Brig. Gen. Phillip ery that was previously not available ations,” says Stewart. c

mance requirements. al data on the Global Hawk software, Current AGS plans call for the RQ- CHRISTIAN TIMMIG/NATO ALLIED AIR COMMAND The AGS had originally been envis- systems and airframe, producing some 4Ds to operate solely in the Euro-At- aged with a manned platform using an 2 million pages of evidence. lantic region, which means all fl ights The AGS Phoenix fleet is using temporary Airbus A321. But during the 2000s, Rome’s Directorate of Air Arma- can be performed from Sigonella with facilities until new hangars and operations NATO caught the UAV bug and, like ments and Airworthiness then pro- no need for additional forward operat- buildings are ready in 2021. Germany with its Euro Hawk sig- ceeded to work on a certifi cation based ing bases, as with the NATO E-3 force. nals-intelligence program, both opted on the U.S. Air Force’s Military Hand- Nonetheless, NAGSF has an estab- for the Global Hawk platform, with book 516B. Citing 638 of 900 criteria lished set of diversion airfi elds across NATO selecting its Block 40 model contained in the manual, it awarded mainland Europe and is piggy backing as a baseline. While the challenge of a limited type certifi cate in October, on the experience gathered by the U.S. certifying the airworthiness of the paving the way for delivery flights Air Force, which regularly fl ies Global Euro Hawk proved insurmountable from Northrop Grumman’s factory in Hawk missions into Eastern Europe, for German authorities, for the AGS Palmdale, California, to Sigonella, the the Baltic and over Ukraine. the challenge had been handed to Italy fi rst of which took place on Nov. 20-21, The U.S. Navy is expected to fl y its in its role as host nation to militarily the second on Dec. 19. Triton system from Sigonella in the certify the system. The aircraft was not compliant coming years in the maritime recon- “I thought this would never happen. with all 638 criteria, “but that does naissance role. The base also plays I expected to have to tell everyone not mean they are not safe,” says Lin- host to Air Force MQ-9 Reapers. we had to shut the program because nell. Where the aircraft did not meet Once airborne, the Phoenix air- we couldn’t do it,” Brig. Gen. Volker the criteria, a risk-based assessment craft will spiral up to their operating Samanns, general manager for the was made. altitude to 50,000-60,000 ft. and then

AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 51 DEFENSE

NATO Takes First Steps for “We know we need something at this horizon, which is slightly earlier than the Air Force replacement for the E-3 and Future Surveillance System slightly before the replacement of E-3 capabilities for both the French and the Brits,” Grand said. “So in a way NATO is—and > FIRST CONTRACTS WERE AWARDED IN DECEMBER I put this gently—slightly ahead of the curve. And what we have to do here is think through allied air operations in this.” > AFSC PROGRAM IS IN EARLY-CONCEPT PHASE, Industry has been involved at an early stage compared to WITH EARLY INDUSTRY PARTICIPATION other NATO programs, notes Soyer. The NSPA wants indus- try to take an early look at the technologies needed for such a Tony Osborne London system, with a particular focus on automation: how much in which areas and what functions. Information sharing will also ATO has taken the first steps toward replacing its fleet be a significant technology consideration, as will deployablilty, of Boeing E-3 Sentry airborne early-warning platforms. sensor technologies and cyberdefense. “NATO has made some NWith the Germany-based fleet envisaged to exit service significant strides into interoperability and information shar- in 2035, a $1 billion contract agreed with Boeing in Novem- ing. . . . AFSC will harness this,” says Soyer. ber for what the alliance calls the Final Lifetime Extension In early December, the NSPA awarded the first con- Program is expected to keep the platform relevant until then. cept-phase contracts under a NATO Security Investment Beyond 2035, the E-3’s role will be one of several to be hand- Program based on what Soyer describes as a “very broad ed to Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (AFSC), likely requirement.” Tenders were issued to Airbus, the Boeing-led be a dedicated distributed, multidomain system of systems. Abiliti consortium, General Atomics, an L3Harris Technol- “The E-3 retirement was a driver in terms of timeline and ogies-led consortium, Lockheed Martin and MDA of Cana- the anticipated capability gap,” says Cagatay Soyer, AFSC da. Abiliti includes Indra, Inmarsat, Leonardo and Thales, program manager for the NATO Support and Procurement while the L3Harris team includes UK companies Musketeer Solutions, Videns, 3SDL and IBM UK. It also includes Ger- man firms Synergeticon and Hensoldt as well as Deloitte in . Contract amounts have not been disclosed, but looking ahead, AFSC could be lucrative. The E-3 alone has generated some $13 billion of contracts since the the 1970s. The Alliance

The NATO Final Life Extension Program will extend the E-3A Sentry fleet until 2035, by which time NATO hopes the AFSC will be in a position to take up its mission and more.

Ground Surveillance (AGS), based on the Northrop RQ-4D Global Hawk, has generated another $1.5 billion (see page 50). The concept stage will run until 2025, with the six high-lev- el concepts reporting back this year to be assessed by the NATO E-3A COMPONENT nations to select the most promising and potentially narrow Agency (NSPA). “Capability gaps are not just caused by a sys- them down for more detailed studies to address system spec- tem going out of service but also by a changing environment, ifications, performance and cost estimates. and 2035 definitely calls for this kind of analysis to take place.” “We are asking industry to develop this for us and to justify Soyer says it is hard to know what the AFSC will look like their analysis. . . . On the NATO side, we will independently but notes alliance members are not focused on individual plat- look at this and the realism of the proposed concept,” says forms but on capabilities. “This is not about simply replacing Soyer. “Toward the end of next year, we will have promising an old system with a new system,” he notes, but industry concepts which should be more tangible.” offering “different combinations of systems and solutions.” The concept phase work also will include what Soyer “We will not buy the entire suite of sensors,” Camille describes as a “capability gap analysis” to understand how Grand, NATO’s assistant secretary general for defense in- the alliance could fill gaps in AFSC, either through NATO vestment, told Aviation Week in December. “Our plan is to common-funded capabilities or contributions from either procure the core of the C3 [command, control and communi- individual or groups of nations. This could include the UK’s cations] system that will enable us to plug in all these things. new fleet of Boeing E-7 Wedgetail airborne early warning . . . That’s where we make sure we enable all these systems, aircraft, which the UK is purchasing to replace its own E-3 all these sensors in an architecture that enables the alliance fleet in the 2020s. The gap analysis “will identify what is going to work jointly.” offline and what is being introduced [by NATO countries],” Grand acknowledged similarities with acquisition for the says Soyer. “That will give us the way forward.” Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) in develop- The later phases of the concept work will also prepare and ment by the U.S. Air Force. In the near term, that program is establish programs and likely will see memorandums of un- focused on replacing the battle management role for ground derstanding with alliance members and groups of nations to strikes now played by the E-8C Joint Stars fleet. In the lon- provide capabilities. A development and procurement phase ger term, the Air Force plans to replace the E-3C Airborne will get underway after 2025. c Warning and Control System fleet using the same distributed communications architecture developed under ABMS. —With Steve Trimble in Washington

52 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST DEFENSE DEFENSE

General Atomics demonstrated the NATO Takes First Steps for “We know we need something at this horizon, which is Demos Prove Reaper’s Maritime maritime capabilities of the MQ-9 slightly earlier than the Air Force replacement for the E-3 and with  ights over nine days, and Future Surveillance System slightly before the replacement of E-3 capabilities for both the Merit in Greece proved the sense-and-avoid French and the Brits,” Grand said. “So in a way NATO is—and capabilities of onboard sensors > FIRST CONTRACTS WERE AWARDED IN DECEMBER I put this gently—slightly ahead of the curve. And what we against Hellenic F-16s. have to do here is think through allied air operations in this.” > AFSC PROGRAM IS IN EARLY-CONCEPT PHASE, Industry has been involved at an early stage compared to GA-ASI has sensed a new op- WITH EARLY INDUSTRY PARTICIPATION other NATO programs, notes Soyer. The NSPA wants indus- portunity, already having sold the try to take an early look at the technologies needed for such a MQ-9 to many of Europe’s major air Tony Osborne London system, with a particular focus on automation: how much in services for the intelligence surveil- which areas and what functions. Information sharing will also lance-and-reconnaissance (ISR) mis- ATO has taken the first steps toward replacing its fleet be a significant technology consideration, as will deployablilty, sion. The enhanced capabilities and of Boeing E-3 Sentry airborne early-warning platforms. sensor technologies and cyberdefense. “NATO has made some the certified nature of the MQ-9B— NWith the Germany-based fleet envisaged to exit service significant strides into interoperability and information shar- > GA-ASI PUSHES SEAGUARDIAN OVERWATER VERSION OF SKYGUARDIAN being developed as the Protector for in 2035, a $1 billion contract agreed with Boeing in Novem- ing. . . . AFSC will harness this,” says Soyer. the UK—paves the way for homeland ber for what the alliance calls the Final Lifetime Extension In early December, the NSPA awarded the first con- > BESIDES A MALE SYSTEM, GREECE WANTS TO DEVELOP LOCAL overland and, notably, maritime sur- Program is expected to keep the platform relevant until then. cept-phase contracts under a NATO Security Investment UAV CAPABILITIES LIKE THOSE OF TURKEY veillance missions in nonsegregated Beyond 2035, the E-3’s role will be one of several to be hand- Program based on what Soyer describes as a “very broad airspace. Securing civil certifi cation ed to Alliance Future Surveillance and Control (AFSC), likely requirement.” Tenders were issued to Airbus, the Boeing-led Tony Osborne Larissa Air Base, Greece TE CAONENEA ATOMC for the platform could smooth the path be a dedicated distributed, multidomain system of systems. Abiliti consortium, General Atomics, an L3Harris Technol- for civil agencies to use the platform “The E-3 retirement was a driver in terms of timeline and ogies-led consortium, Lockheed Martin and MDA of Cana- reece could be the next Euro- tential European customers, the com- for other missions such as forest fi re the anticipated capability gap,” says Cagatay Soyer, AFSC da. Abiliti includes Indra, Inmarsat, Leonardo and Thales, pean country to invest in Gen- pany fl ew its experimental civilian-reg- surveillance, search and rescue, fi sher- program manager for the NATO Support and Procurement while the L3Harris team includes UK companies Musketeer Geral Atomics’ (GA-ASI) MQ-9 istered Block 1 Reaper fi tted not only ies and environmental control. Several Solutions, Videns, 3SDL and IBM UK. It also includes Ger- Reaper family of medium-altitude with the search radar, but also with the of these missions were demonstrated man firms Synergeticon and Hensoldt as well as Deloitte in long-endurance (MALE) air systems. company’s sense-and-avoid, due-re- during the fl ight trials in Greece. Belgium. Recognizing the rapid advances gard radar over the Aegean Sea and Company o– cials say they are de- Contract amounts have not been disclosed, but looking made by neighboring Turkey in devel- along the Greek coastline. It even fl ew veloping new operating models includ- ahead, AFSC could be lucrative. The E-3 alone has generated oping unmanned aircraft systems, as to within a few miles of the Istanbul ing so-called co-co (contractor-owned/ some $13 billion of contracts since the the 1970s. The Alliance well as the challenges associated with fl ight information region, whose west- contractor-operated) and (govern- keeping an eye on the nation’s terri- ern border snakes between the Turk- ment-owned/contractor-operated) to The NATO Final Life Extension Program will extend the E-3A torial waters and network of islands, ish coastline and numerous Greek support future customers. The co-co Sentry fleet until 2035, by which time NATO hopes the AFSC the government in Athens soon may islands. Similar demonstration fl ights solution already has been used by the will be in a position to take up its mission and more. take the first steps toward a MALE were previously performed in Japan. U.S. Air Force’s MQ-9 operation in platform acquisition. On the back of Panagiotopoulos’ Poland. Ground Surveillance (AGS), based on the Northrop RQ-4D “We are in negotiations with the statements, Mark Kaniut, GA-ASI’s GA-ASI also has sensed growing frus- Global Hawk, has generated another $1.5 billion (see page 50). U.S. government for three UAVs director for current customers, told trations, notably from France, about the The concept stage will run until 2025, with the six high-lev- with strategic surveillance capa- journalists “there is [Greek] inter- multinational EuroDrone development el concepts reporting back this year to be assessed by the bilities,” Defense Minister Nikolaos est in a system,” defi ning a “system” program involving Airbus, Dassault NATO E-3A COMPONENT nations to select the most promising and potentially narrow Panagiotopoulos told the Greek Par- as three air vehicles and two ground Aviation and Leonardo for France, Ger- Agency (NSPA). “Capability gaps are not just caused by a sys- them down for more detailed studies to address system spec- liament on Dec. 13. control stations. many, Italy and Spain. French o– cials tem going out of service but also by a changing environment, ifications, performance and cost estimates. Panagiotopoulos said he wanted a Flights were performed from Larissa are unhappy with the apparent cost of and 2035 definitely calls for this kind of analysis to take place.” “We are asking industry to develop this for us and to justify system that could operate from the Air Base, a facility already familiar with the program, which according to media Soyer says it is hard to know what the AFSC will look like their analysis. . . . On the NATO side, we will independently “Black Sea to Libya,” partly refl ecting the MQ-9 as two U.S. Air Force exam- reports exceeds €7 billion ($7.8 billion), but notes alliance members are not focused on individual plat- look at this and the realism of the proposed concept,” says concerns about Turkey’s attempts to ples have been fl ying missions from the and its 11-ton maximum takeo” weight, forms but on capabilities. “This is not about simply replacing Soyer. “Toward the end of next year, we will have promising modify the international maritime airfi eld since May 2018. a compromise driven by German certi- an old system with a new system,” he notes, but industry concepts which should be more tangible.” boundaries between it and Libya and From the air, the aircraft produced fi cation requirements. offering “different combinations of systems and solutions.” The concept phase work also will include what Soyer also Ankara’s exploratory drilling in a picture of regional shipping using a Greece has limited experience in op- “We will not buy the entire suite of sensors,” Camille describes as a “capability gap analysis” to understand how the waters o” Cyprus. combination of the automatic identifi - erating UAVs, with the air force budget Grand, NATO’s assistant secretary general for defense in- the alliance could fill gaps in AFSC, either through NATO Closer to home, more persistent cation system used by commercial ves- largely focused on modernizing its F-16 vestment, told Aviation Week in December. “Our plan is to common-funded capabilities or contributions from either observation of the Greek islands could sels combined with radar information, fl eet. The service currently fl ies a fl eet procure the core of the C3 [command, control and communi- individual or groups of nations. This could include the UK’s help police the tra– cking that has seen and also proved the potential of the of locally produced Pegasus tactical cations] system that will enable us to plug in all these things. new fleet of Boeing E-7 Wedgetail airborne early warning thousands of refugees and migrants due-regard radar system as Hellenic UAVs made by Hellenic Aerospace In- . . . That’s where we make sure we enable all these systems, aircraft, which the UK is purchasing to replace its own E-3 land on the country’s beaches. Air Force F-16s intercepted the UAV dustry, which have a takeo” weight of all these sensors in an architecture that enables the alliance fleet in the 2020s. The gap analysis “will identify what is going Hellenic minds already may be made from behind and head-on, with the 130 kg (87 lb.) and a limited endurance to work jointly.” offline and what is being introduced [by NATO countries],” up. In December, GA-ASI conducted a detect-and-avoid system providing of around 3.5 hr. Panagiotopoulos said Grand acknowledged similarities with acquisition for the says Soyer. “That will give us the way forward.” series of fl ight demonstrations for its prompts to the pilots. he wanted Greece to be able to develop Advanced Battle Management System (ABMS) in develop- The later phases of the concept work will also prepare and proposed SeaGuardian, a derivative While the MQ-9 capabilities were more capable systems on its own. ment by the U.S. Air Force. In the near term, that program is establish programs and likely will see memorandums of un- of the company’s internally developed displayed to the Hellenic Armed Forces, “We have the talent, we have the focused on replacing the battle management role for ground derstanding with alliance members and groups of nations to MQ-9B SkyGuardian that would be fi t- they also were demonstrated to Bel- research product, prototype, funding strikes now played by the E-8C Joint Stars fleet. In the lon- provide capabilities. A development and procurement phase ted with a Raytheon-developed SeaVue gium, France, Italy, the Netherlands, opportunities, [and] defense industry. ger term, the Air Force plans to replace the E-3C Airborne will get underway after 2025. c surface search radar to perform the Spain and the UK. With a specific schedule and a road Warning and Control System fleet using the same distributed maritime surveillance mission. Spain began taking delivery of its map we will soon have the Hellenic communications architecture developed under ABMS. —With Steve Trimble in Washington Demonstrating the concept to po- Reapers in mid-December. UAV,” he said. c

52 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 5 EYEBROW AVIATION WEEK’S 63RD ANNUAL LAUREATE AWARDS

Since 1957, Aviation Week has annually bestowed its Laureate Awards upon people, programs and products that have had an outsize impact on the aviation, aerospace and defense industries. This year’s winners, showcased here, will be recognized March 12 at a black-tie gala at the National Building Museum in Washington. That evening, our editors will also announce which of these winners will receive a “Grand Laureate” for particular achievement in 2019—one each in defense, space, commercial aviation and business aviation. They will also present Aviation Week’s Lifetime Achievement awards.

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MARCH 9, 2020 Beverly Wilshire (A Four Seasons Hotel) Beverly Hills, CA

MARCH 9-11, 2020 Beverly Wilshire (A Four Seasons Hotel) Beverly Hills, CA Since 1957, Aviation Week has annually bestowed its Laureate Awards upon people, programs and products that have had an outsize impact on the aviation, aerospace and defense industries. This year’s winners, showcased here, will be recognized March 12 at Join Us at these Upcoming A&D Events Conference Delegate Profile: a black-tie gala at the National Building Museum in Washington. That evening, our Delegates at both the Aerospace Raw Materials & Manufacturers Supply Chain 2% 10% Conference Commercial Aviation Industry Suppliers Conference 26% Other editors will also announce which of these winners will receive a “Grand Laureate” for and will hear C-Level Executives from industry experts and manufacturers on the state of the industry, material and Managers particular achievement in 2019—one each in defense, space, commercial aviation and 14% technology advancements, and achievements. If you are interested in having a Presidents business aviation. They will also present Aviation Week’s Lifetime Achievement awards. better understanding of aircraft programs and their production cycles, market forecasts and delivery updates, these are the Conferences you won’t want to miss.

For more information, please visit: SpeedNews.com/conferences 20% 28% VPS Directors

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Commercial PLATFORMS Airbus A321LR Aviation The fi rst long-range version of the A321neo, Airbus’ A321LR, is developing a new market niche—narrowbodies fl ying in secondary long-haul markets. Building on the LR, the upcoming A321XLR variant has the potential to open even more destinations for long-haul travel.

A

LEADERSHIP David Neeleman Entrepreneur David Neeleman has set up multiple airlines including Morris Air, JetBlue Airways and Azul Linhas Aereas. Now he is preparing to get Moxy, his latest venture, oˆ the ground with a new business model built around the Airbus A220. AETO E OEETT MAE AETO E OEETT A AAA

AIRLINE STRATEGY Adel Ali, CEO, In Air Arabia, CEO Adel Ali has built a sustainably profi table low-cost carrier pioneering the business model in the Middle East. The carrier continues to add bases, grow its fl eet and has entered long-haul narrowbody fl ying.

AEON

AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT Aireon Aireon is the fi rst satellite-based air traŽ c surveillance system and provides continuous tracking of air- craft over oceans and remote regions, using automatic dependent surveil- lance-broadcast receivers on Iridium Next low-Earth-orbit satellites.

5 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST LAUREATES 2020 A

PROPULSION Rolls-Royce Rolls-Royce’s surprise acquisition of Commercial PLATFORMS Airbus A321LR Siemens’ eAircraft unit has catapulted The fi rst long-range version of the A321neo, Airbus’ Aviation the engine manufacturer into a leading A321LR, is developing a new market niche—narrowbodies position in the electrifi cation of aircraft fl ying in secondary long-haul markets. Building on the LR, propulsion. The acquisition cemented the upcoming A321XLR variant has the potential to open Rolls’ key position on Airbus’ E-Fan X even more destinations for long-haul travel. hybrid-electric regional aircraft demonstrator.

A

LEADERSHIP David Neeleman SUSTAINABILITY Entrepreneur David Neeleman has set up multiple Boeing ecoDemonstrator airlines including Morris Air, JetBlue Airways and Over six test campaigns Azul Linhas Aereas. Now he is preparing to get beginning in 2012, Boeing’s Moxy, his latest venture, oˆ the ground with a new ecoDemonstrator fl ight research business model built around the Airbus A220. program has served as a tool to accelerate the development

AETO E OEETT MAE AETO E OEETT and testing of multiple new A AAA technologies that could improve the e† ciency and environmental AIRLINE STRATEGY Adel Ali, CEO, Air Arabia performance of its airliners. In Air Arabia, CEO Adel Ali has built a sustainably profi table low-cost carrier pioneering the business model in the Middle East. The carrier continues to add bases, grow its fl eet and has entered long-haul narrowbody fl ying. OEN

ONECE

AEON

MRO Donecle AIR TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT Aireon French company Donecle has become Aireon is the fi rst satellite-based air a leader in o‡ ering aircraft visual traŽ c surveillance system and inspections by automated drone. provides continuous tracking of air- Inspection times are reduced by 90%. craft over oceans and remote regions, The drone can inspect a narrowbody using automatic dependent surveil- within 1 hr. while Donecle’s software lance-broadcast receivers on Iridium assists technicians in detecting defects. Next low-Earth-orbit satellites.

5 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 5 LAUREATES 2020

Defense

PLATFORMS Bell V-280 Valor From its low-speed agility to its maximum speed of more than 280 kt., Bell’s V-280 Valor advanced tiltrotor has met or exceeded its ambitious objectives in flight-testing since December 2017 under the U.S. Army’s Joint Multi-Role technology demonstration.

BELL

BEST NEW PRODUCT Embraer C-390 Embraer delivered the first C-390 to the Brazilian Air Force in 2019. The tanker/transport is the largest and most sophisticated aircraft yet developed by Embraer and the most ambitious defense development program in South American history. EMBRAER

MANUFACTURING Northrop Grumman F-35 Center Fuselage Production In 10 months, Northrop Grumman increased production of F-35 center from six a month to 15—parts deliveries increasing from 81,000 a year to 274,000—using a dis- ciplined structure of program reviews and metrics that were regularly updated to keep pace with the schedule.

UK DEFENSE MINISTRY NORTHROP GRUMMAN

MRO BAE Systems Typhoon Total Availability Enterprise Combining Eurofighter support packages into one program focused on management of the fleet, rather than individual aircraft, has lowered support costs for the Typhoon fighter by around 38%, allowing savings to be applied to fleet modernization.

58 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST LAUREATES 2020

PROPULSION Defense AFRL Medium-Scale Critical Components Scramjet Program PLATFORMS Bell V-280 Valor Ground tests by the U.S. Air Force Research From its low-speed agility to its Laboratory and Air Force Test Center in maximum speed of more than 280 kt., 2019 set a record for the highest thrust Bell’s V-280 Valor advanced tiltrotor has produced by a U.S. air-breathing hypersonic met or exceeded its ambitious objectives engine when a Northrop Grumman in flight-testing since December 2017 supersonic-combustion ramjet engine under the U.S. Army’s Joint Multi-Role produced more than 13,000 lb. of thrust. technology demonstration.

AFRL BELL

TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION BEST NEW PRODUCT Embraer C-390 Kratos XQ-58 Valkyrie Embraer delivered the first C-390 to the Brazilian Developed by Kratos for the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory, Air Force in 2019. The tanker/transport is the largest the XQ-58 Valkyrie blurs the traditional boundaries between a and most sophisticated aircraft yet developed disposable cruise missile and a reusable unmanned aircraft and by Embraer and the most ambitious defense could usher in a new approach to air warfare that relies heavily development program in South American history. on manned-unmanned collaboration. EMBRAER

MANUFACTURING Northrop Grumman AFRL F-35 Center Fuselage Production In 10 months, Northrop Grumman increased production of F-35 center fuselages from six a month to 15—parts deliveries increasing from 81,000 a year to 274,000—using a dis- MISSILE DEFENSE AGENY ciplined structure of program reviews and metrics that were regularly updated to keep pace with the schedule. WEAPONS Missile Defense Agency/Boeing Ground-based Midcourse Defense FTG-11 On March 25, 2019, the U.S. Missile Defense Agency UK DEFENSE MINISTRY NORTHROP GRUMMAN led a government/industry, multi-contractor team in launching two ground-based interceptors from Vandenberg AFB, California, to shoot down not BAE Systems Typhoon MRO one but two threat-representative ICBM targets Total Availability Enterprise launched from Kwajalein in the Pacifi c in the most Combining Eurofighter support packages into one challenging test yet of the Ground-based program focused on management of the Royal Midcourse Defense system. Air Force fleet, rather than individual aircraft, has lowered support costs for the Typhoon fighter by around 38%, allowing savings to be applied to fleet modernization.

58 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 5 LAUREATES 2020

Space

LAUNCH SERVICES Spaceflight Industries Originally a satellite operator itself, Spaceflight Industries has blossomed by creating a new way to deliver small satellites to space—by allowing government and commercial customers to share the ride. Following the launch of 64 satellites on a Falcon 9 in late 2018, Spaceflight expects to close out 2019 having launched spacecraft on 10 rockets. SPACEFLIGHT INDUSTRIES SPACEFLIGHT

SPACE SCIENCE Chang’e 4 Moon Landing With the Jan. 3, 2019, touchdown of the Chang’e 4 robotic lunar lander on the floor of the 115-mi.-wide Von Karman Crater, China became the first country to soft-land on the Moon’s far side. Since deploying from the lander, its Yutu-2 rover has driven more than 300 m (980 ft.) across the South Pole-Aitken Basin.

THE PLANETARY SOCIETY

NASA PLATFORMS Mars Cube One Mission In the first demonstration of cubesats in deep space, the two-spacecraft Mars Cube One mission relayed near-real-time telemetry of the entry, descent and landing of NASA’s Insight spacecraft, providing a backup communications link to Earth and demonstrating a new architecture to enhance .

OPERATIONS Hawkeye 360 U.S. startup Hawkeye 360 in February 2019 launched the first commercial service for geolocating radio- frequency signals from space when it commissioned its first three Pathfinder satellites. The satellites fly in a unique formation that can pinpoint a wide range of radio-frequency signals. HAWKEYE 360

60 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST LAUREATES 2020

Space PROPULSION Reaction Engines has demonstrated the technical viability of its pre-cooler concept at LAUNCH SERVICES Spaceflight Industries temperatures representative of hypersonic Originally a satellite operator itself, Spaceflight speeds. The test marks a critical milestone Industries has blossomed by creating a new way toward development of its Sabre air-breathing to deliver small satellites to space—by allowing rocket engine, which could power space-access government and commercial customers to share and atmospheric vehicles and transform the the ride. Following the launch of 64 satellites on a performance of high-speed . Falcon 9 in late 2018, Spaceflight expects to close out 2019 having launched spacecraft on 10 rockets. SPACEFLIGHT INDUSTRIES SPACEFLIGHT

REACTION ENGINES SPACE SCIENCE Chang’e 4 Moon Landing With the Jan. 3, 2019, touchdown of the Chang’e 4 robotic lunar lander on the floor ONEWEB SATELLITES of the 115-mi.-wide Von Karman Crater, China became the first country to soft-land on the Moon’s far side. Since deploying from the lander, its Yutu-2 rover has driven more than SUPPLIER INNOVATION 300 m (980 ft.) across the South Pole-Aitken Basin. OneWeb Satellites In a unique transatlantic joint venture between aerospace giant Airbus and mega-constellation operator OneWeb, Florida-based OneWeb Satellites is bringing aircraft mass production to THE PLANETARY SOCIETY satellite manufacturing. The factory will produce more than 640 satellites at a rate of two a day—an unheard-of output for the space industry.

NASA PLATFORMS Mars Cube One Mission In the first demonstration of cubesats in deep

UN I space, the two-spacecraft Mars Cube One VE R S IT Y mission relayed near-real-time telemetry of the TECHNOLOGY & INNOVATION O F S U entry, descent and landing of NASA’s Insight RemoveDEBRIS Mission R R E spacecraft, providing a backup communications In a groundbreaking series of on-orbit Y link to Earth and demonstrating a new tests, the European Commission-funded architecture to enhance space exploration. RemoveDEBRIS mission demonstrated a series of active debris-removal technologies designed to clean up low Earth orbit. Deployed from the International Space Station, the RemoveDEBRIS satellite tested OPERATIONS Hawkeye 360 vision-based navigation, net capture, harpoon U.S. startup Hawkeye 360 in February 2019 launched capture and drag-sail deorbiting. the first commercial service for geolocating radio- frequency signals from space when it commissioned its first three Pathfinder satellites. The satellites fly in a unique formation that can pinpoint a wide range of radio-frequency signals. HAWKEYE 360

60 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 61 LAUREATES 2020

Business Aviation

PLATFORMS Gulfstream G500/G600 The fi rst of a new generation of large-cabin, long-range Gulfstreams, the G500 and G600 feature the Symmetry fl ight deck including fl y-by- wire controls, active sidesticks, 10 touchscreen controllers and links to most aircraft systems through GE Aviation’s Data Concentration Network. Their ultra-quiet three- section cabins maintain a 4,850-ft. altitude at 51,000 ft.

GULFSTREA

GARIN

SAFETY Garmin The push of a red button by a pilot or untrained passenger activates Garmin’s Autoland, a virtual co-pilot that takes control of the aircraft. The system automatically evaluates winds, weather and fuel reserves, then selects a suitable divert airport, alerts air tra† c controllers of its intent, fl ies to the fi eld, descends, extends landing gear and fl aps, then lands and stops.

ILATUS AIRCRAFT

PROPULSION Pratt & Whitney PT6E Series The fi rst general aviation turboprop to feature a dual-channel, integrated electronic propeller and engine control system, Pratt & Whitney’s next-generation PT6E also delivers 10% more power than its predecessor and features an unprecedented time between overhauls of 5,000 hr.

6 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST LAUREATES 2020

OPERATIONS Rega Swiss Air-Rescue To operate during periods of reduced visibility in mountainous terrain, Rega helped develop Business Aviation a low-altitude, helicopter-specifi c instrument route and approach system using satellite navigation, along with its own weather station PLATFORMS Gulfstream G500/G600 network. Its aircraft are fi tted with multiple The fi rst of a new generation of large-cabin, optical systems to help pilots spot obstacles long-range Gulfstreams, the G500 and G600 and conduct searches. feature the Symmetry fl ight deck including fl y-by- wire controls, active sidesticks, 10 touchscreen controllers and links to most aircraft systems REGA through GE Aviation’s Data Concentration Network. Their ultra-quiet three- section cabins maintain a 4,850-ft. altitude at 51,000 ft. MRO Robotic Skies In anticipation of the widespread growth of

GULFSTREA commercial unmanned aircraft, Robotic Skies

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64 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST AviationWeek.com/AWST AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 65 FROM THE EDITOR After Muilenburg

hat would have happened if Boeing’s CEO into service. When that will happen is anyone’s guess. had rushed to Ethiopia last March to stand It also needs to figure out a next-generation airplane Wbeside his Ethiopian Airlines counterpart af- design to compete with Airbus, which has had phe- ter the crash of a 737 MAX that claimed 157 lives? If at nomenal sales success with the Neo, particularly the that early moment he had delivered in person a mes- A321 version. sage of contrition and deep sorrow for the victims and There are two broader issues at play: culture and their families? If his company decisively had asked op- governance. Numerous industry veterans believe erators to stop flying the MAX out of an abundance of Boeing’s culture has been infected with arrogance caution until investigators learned more about what and an emphasis on profits and shareholders over en- caused the second crash of the aircraft in less than gineering excellence and innovation. The company’s five months? website boasts that Boeing If Dennis Muilenburg had has returned nearly $50 bil- done all that, might he still have lion to shareholders in divi- his job—and might one of cor- dends and share repurchas- porate America’s greatest cri- es over the past five years. ses have been avoided? Would it not have been bet- Our industry desperately ter to reinvest some of that needs a strong Boeing, and just in cutting-edge products? a year ago it appeared to have Muilenburg, who spent his one. Muilenburg was Aviation entire career at Boeing, did Week’s Person of the Year for not create that culture. He 2018, and with good reason: A is a product of it. Remember push into the lucrative after- that his mentor, former CEO market business was acceler- Jim McNerney, promised “no ating and major Pentagon con- more moonshots” after the tract wins were rejuvenating bills for the 787’s delays start- its defense business. Profits ed mounting. were soaring, and the compa- It is hard to foresee mean- ny’s stock value had more than ingful reform if Boeing’s gov- tripled in three years as Boeing ernance is not fixed. Muilen- returned mountains of cash to burg may be gone, but the shareholders. board of directors that pre- Yes, investigators were prob- OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES sided over this mess is still ing the crash of a Lion Air MAX in Indonesia that had in place and sorely needs an overhaul. Can we really taken 189 lives, but operational issues, not fundamen- expect anything different if the same group keeps call- tal flaws in the airliner’s design, were seen as the most ing the shots in the boardroom? Former Continental critical links in the accident chain. The FAA had deter- Airlines CEO Lawrence Kellner, the board’s new chair- mined the aircraft was safe to fly while Boeing devised man, has work to do. a software fix for its Maneuvering Characteristics Aug- Calhoun, the new CEO, is capable and respected. He mentation System (MCAS). spent 26 years at GE and ran its aircraft engines busi- Then it all changed. Boeing’s public image was bat- ness. He has served on Boeing’s board since 2009 and tered as it came to light that most airline pilots did not was a finalist for the CEO position before McNerney even know of the existence of the MCAS, which trig- got the job. However, that was 15 years ago, and gered both crashes. Boeing’s timelines on the MAX’s Calhoun has not worked a day job in aerospace since he return to service proved overly optimistic again and left GE to run Neilsen in 2006. At 62, will he stay for the again, vexing customers. Hundreds of undelivered 737s long haul? Or will he stabilize the company and groom filled up the parking lots near Boeing Field. Relations a younger successor who can take over in 1-2 years and with the FAA grew testy. And a firestorm of media cov- guide Boeing toward making its next momentous de- erage—some fair, some overly sensational—painted a cision: when to launch a next-generation narrowbody picture of a company being run by sharp-elbowed and airliner? tone-deaf lawyers. The contrition came, but it was late The aviation industry needs a robust, responsi- and sometimes appeared calculated. ble Boeing. It needs a vibrant, reliable competitor to Muilenburg was fired on Dec. 23 and will be suc- Airbus, and safe and sustainable new aircraft. It is ceeded on Jan. 13 by longtime board member David time for some more moonshots. c Calhoun. But his departure hardly will cure what ails Boeing. The company still has to get the MAX back —Joe Anselmo, Editor-in-Chief

66 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST FROM THE EDITOR

MARCH 12, 2020 After Muilenburg Washington, DC

hat would have happened if Boeing’s CEO into service. When that will happen is anyone’s guess. had rushed to Ethiopia last March to stand It also needs to figure out a next-generation airplane Wbeside his Ethiopian Airlines counterpart af- design to compete with Airbus, which has had phe- Celebrate the year’s most outstanding ter the crash of a 737 MAX that claimed 157 lives? If at nomenal sales success with the Neo, particularly the that early moment he had delivered in person a mes- A321 version. contributors to aviation, aerospace and defense. sage of contrition and deep sorrow for the victims and There are two broader issues at play: culture and their families? If his company decisively had asked op- governance. Numerous industry veterans believe erators to stop flying the MAX out of an abundance of Boeing’s culture has been infected with arrogance Aviation Week Network’s Laureate Awards have recognized the extraordinary achievements of caution until investigators learned more about what and an emphasis on profits and shareholders over en- individuals and teams in aviation, aerospace, and defense for 60+ years. The tradition continues as we caused the second crash of the aircraft in less than gineering excellence and innovation. The company’s celebrate accomplishments that embody the spirit of exploration, innovation and vision. These are the five months? website boasts that Boeing people that inspire others to strive for progress, change and leadership in aviation and aerospace. If Dennis Muilenburg had has returned nearly $50 bil- done all that, might he still have lion to shareholders in divi- his job—and might one of cor- dends and share repurchas- Category Winners Announced! porate America’s greatest cri- es over the past five years. ses have been avoided? Would it not have been bet- COMMERCIAL AVIATION SPACE Our industry desperately ter to reinvest some of that Platforms – Airbus A321LR Launch Services – Spaceflight Industries needs a strong Boeing, and just in cutting-edge products? Leadership – David Neeleman, Airline Entrepreneur Space Science – Chang’e 4 Moon Landing Airline Strategy a year ago it appeared to have Muilenburg, who spent his – Adel Ali, CEO, Air Arabia Platforms – Mars Cube One Mission Propulsion – Rolls-Royce Operations – HawkEye 360 one. Muilenburg was Aviation entire career at Boeing, did Sustainability – Boeing ecoDemonstrator Propulsion – Reaction Engines Week’s Person of the Year for not create that culture. He Air Traffic Management – Aireon Supplier Innovation – OneWeb Satellites 2018, and with good reason: A is a product of it. Remember MRO – Donecle Technology & Innovation – RemoveDEBRIS Mission push into the lucrative after- that his mentor, former CEO market business was acceler- Jim McNerney, promised “no DEFENSE BUSINESS AVIATION ating and major Pentagon con- more moonshots” after the Platforms – Bell V-280 Valor Platform – Gulfstream G500/G600 tract wins were rejuvenating bills for the 787’s delays start- Best New Product – Embraer KC-390 Safety – Garmin Autoland its defense business. Profits ed mounting. Manufacturing – Northrop Grumman F-35 Center Propulsion – Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6E were soaring, and the compa- It is hard to foresee mean- Fuselage Production Operations – Rega Swiss Air-Rescue ny’s stock value had more than ingful reform if Boeing’s gov- MRO – BAE Systems Typhoon Total MRO – Robotic Skies tripled in three years as Boeing ernance is not fixed. Muilen- Availability Enterprise Technology & Innovation – Wing Aviation Propulsion – AFRL Medium Scale Critical returned mountains of cash to burg may be gone, but the Components Scramjet Program LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT shareholders. board of directors that pre- OLIVIER DOULIERY/AFP VIA GETTY IMAGES Technology & Innovation – Kratos XQ-58 Valkyrie Robert Leduc – President, Pratt & Whitney Yes, investigators were prob- sided over this mess is still Weapons – Missile Defense Agency Ground-based ing the crash of a Lion Air MAX in Indonesia that had in place and sorely needs an overhaul. Can we really Midcourse Defense FTG-11 taken 189 lives, but operational issues, not fundamen- expect anything different if the same group keeps call- tal flaws in the airliner’s design, were seen as the most ing the shots in the boardroom? Former Continental critical links in the accident chain. The FAA had deter- Airlines CEO Lawrence Kellner, the board’s new chair- The Grand Laureate for Commercial, Defense, Space and Business Aviation mined the aircraft was safe to fly while Boeing devised man, has work to do. will be announced live at the awards ceremony. The Laureate Awards will also feature a software fix for its Maneuvering Characteristics Aug- Calhoun, the new CEO, is capable and respected. He Tomorrow’s Leaders and the 20 Twenties. mentation System (MCAS). spent 26 years at GE and ran its aircraft engines busi- Then it all changed. Boeing’s public image was bat- ness. He has served on Boeing’s board since 2009 and tered as it came to light that most airline pilots did not was a finalist for the CEO position before McNerney Join the Celebration even know of the existence of the MCAS, which trig- got the job. However, that was 15 years ago, and laureates.aviationweek.com gered both crashes. Boeing’s timelines on the MAX’s Calhoun has not worked a day job in aerospace since he return to service proved overly optimistic again and left GE to run Neilsen in 2006. At 62, will he stay for the again, vexing customers. Hundreds of undelivered 737s long haul? Or will he stabilize the company and groom filled up the parking lots near Boeing Field. Relations a younger successor who can take over in 1-2 years and with the FAA grew testy. And a firestorm of media cov- guide Boeing toward making its next momentous de- erage—some fair, some overly sensational—painted a cision: when to launch a next-generation narrowbody picture of a company being run by sharp-elbowed and airliner? tone-deaf lawyers. The contrition came, but it was late The aviation industry needs a robust, responsi- and sometimes appeared calculated. ble Boeing. It needs a vibrant, reliable competitor to Muilenburg was fired on Dec. 23 and will be suc- Airbus, and safe and sustainable new aircraft. It is ceeded on Jan. 13 by longtime board member David time for some more moonshots. c Calhoun. But his departure hardly will cure what ails Boeing. The company still has to get the MAX back —Joe Anselmo, Editor-in-Chief

66 AVIATION WEEK & SPACE TECHNOLOGY/JANUARY 13-26, 2020 AviationWeek.com/AWST THERE IS NO COMPARISON. NO EQUAL. THERE IS ONLY ONE. THE COMMERCIAL IN A LEAGUE OF ITS OWN.

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