October 09, 2017 - No. 079 In This Issue SpaceX Rocket to Launch 10 Satellites Early Monday Bombardier Launches New Maintenance, Training Programs Meggitt's Breakthrough Long Range Wireless Technology Speeds up Aircraft Tyre Pressure Checks Comply365 Unveils Industry-Leading Solutions SIA Engineering and Air India Engineering sign agreement for India MRO services ICAO and ENAC to collaborate on new Aviation Safety Management Degree Air Canada Partners with Amadeus to Support International Network and Improvements to Customer Experience Cash-Strapped Sri Lanka Looks to Offload World's Emptiest Airport Boeing wins seven more contracts for its growing data analytics business Tetra Tech Inc. Wins $356M Contract to Modernize FAA. SpaceX Rocket to Launch 10 Satellites Early Monday The private spaceflight company SpaceX is scheduled to launch 10 communications satellites into low-Earth orbit early Monday (Oct. 9), and you can watch it live online. A SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to blast off from Vandenberg Air Force Base in California at 8:37 a.m. EDT (5:37 a.m. PDT/1237 GMT), carrying 10 satellites for Iridium Communications. A live webcast is expected to begin shortly before the opening of the launch window, and you can watch it on SpaceX's website, or here at Space.com. The satellites are part of the Iridium Next constellation, which will eventually consist of 66 primary satellites and nine on-orbit backup satellites (as well as six backups that will remain on the ground). This is the third of eight scheduled SpaceX launches for the Iridium Next constellation, and will bring the total number of satellites in orbit to 30. The reusable Falcon 9 booster that will be used in tomorrow's launch is making its first flight, a company representative told Space.com. It completed a static-fire test on Thursday (Oct. 5). SpaceX will attempt to land the booster upright on a drone ship in the Pacific Ocean following the launch so it can be used on a future mission. SpaceX has successfully landed a Falcon 9 first stage rocket 16 times and reflown two boostersthis year. Iridium Communications announced earlier this week it had begun testing and validating its Iridium Certus service, which will use the Iridium Next satellites to provide a "truly global broadband service" to its users, according to a statement from the company. The 66 satellites will spread out around the planet to provide service to remote regions of the globe, the company has said. "Iridium Certus is going to fundamentally change the status quo in satellite connectivity for aviation, maritime, land-mobile, Internet of Things (IoT) and government users," said Matt Desch, Iridium's CEO, in the statement. "Achieving this major milestone continues our momentum for our mission to introduce world-changing broadband services and applications designed to help our partners provide critical connectivity solutions, both standalone and in support of other broadband technologies." The commercial service is expected to be available in the "early second quarter" of 2018, according to the statement. On Wednesday (Oct. 11), another SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket is scheduled to launch from NASA's Launch Complex 39A at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, carrying another communications satellite called SES 11/EchoStar 105. The Falcon 9 booster for that launch, which was delayed from Oct. 7, has already made one spaceflight. On Feb. 19, the booster helped launch a Dragon cargo ship to deliver NASA supplies to the International Space Station and made a pinpoint landing on a SpaceX drone ship. Elon Musk wrote on Instagram this week that the company would also try to land that booster again. https://www.space.com/38395-spacex-rocket-iridium-3-launch- webcast.html?utm_source=notification Back to Top Bombardier Launches New Maintenance, Training Programs The world debut of its ultra-long-range Global 7000 is grabbing most of the headlines, but Canada's Bombardier Aerospace (Booth N600; SD20) is also highlighting at NBAA 2017 several new developments: its new "Smart" programs for maintenance and training support; the Pro Line Fusion touchscreen cockpit upgrade for the Nextant Challenger 604 remanufacturing program; and the inauguration of its expanded maintenance and interiors facility in Tucson, largest of Bombardier's global network of service centers. The Smart Services maintenance offering significantly expands coverage previously provided under Bombardier's pioneering cost-per-flight-hour Smart Parts program, and is immediately available for operators of new and-in a first-in-service Bombardiers less than 20 years old. Developed in response to customer feedback, Smart Service offers flat rate enrollment and an a la carte menu approach enabling operators to tailor coverage to their specific needs, said John-Christophe Gallagher, v-p and general manager, customer experience. Building on the Smart Parts foundation, Smart Service plans can include labor as well as parts, and unscheduled and well as scheduled maintenance events. Landing gear overhauls and cabin management and other electronic systems can also be covered. In developing the program, the company reviewed 1,500 recent consecutive maintenance transactions with Smart Parts customers worldwide. By comparing transactions with residual value data, Bombardier determined "those [aircraft] on an OEM per-hour program retain their value more than those that are not," Gallagher said. Moreover, covered aircraft spend less time on the market when they're sold. Bombardier has also launched here at the show its Smart Training Program, which offers technicians unlimited access for a fixed monthly fee to its wide range of technical training courses. Technicians, or their employers, can select from Bombardier's package of core and specialty technical courses, taught by experienced instructors who fly or maintain aircraft themselves, and can customize the courses to the exact needs of each technician, and technicians can attend the same course multiple times. Moreover, the monthly fee plan makes it possible "for technicians to spread out training costs over a period of time, eliminating up-front payment per course," said Andy Nureddin, v-p of customer support and training. "There really is no limit to what technicians can achieve with this program." The Canadian airframer is also touting the inauguration of the newly expanded interior facility at its Tucson Service Centre at Tucson International Airport in Arizona. The largest in the Bombardier service network with 999,967 sq ft of covered space, the facility is "dedicated to setting new standards in customer care," Gallagher said. Capable of handling 35 to 45 aircraft at one time, the facility includes a new purpose-designed interior atelier, gathering all interior design expertise and talent in one location. Within the atelier, the cabinet workshop space has more than quadrupled, to almost 5,000 sq ft, complementing the seat and divan upholstery fabrication area. The center can handle "the same kind of interiors work as in our completion center in Montreal," Gallagher said, including installation of hardware and stone floors, cabinetry and complete refurbishments. In addition to interiors, the Tucson service facility provides maintenance for all Bombardier business and commercial aircraft. Whether for interiors, maintenance or both, Gallagher noted Tucson's prime location offers "flexibility and expertise to Bombardier business aircraft operators, all to keep their aircraft flying with minimal downtime and interruptions while maximizing their bottom line." Bombardier, in conjunction with Rockwell Collins, is also showcasing the Pro Line Fusion integrated avionics upgrade for the Challenger 604, introduced at EBACE this year. Bombardier representatives are on hand at the Challenger 604 on static display to explain the all-in-one solution and how it complies with pending equipage mandates while modernizing the flight experience for pilots. The upgrade brings large-format display technology with touchscreen interface, synthetic vision and graphical flight planning to the Challenger's cockpit. Certification of the upgrade, available through Bombardier and Nextant Aerospace, is expected by fall 2018. Additionally, Bombardier is putting the spotlight on its new Premier cabin interiors, showcased in the Global 6000 at the company's static display. Introduced at EBACE this year for Global 5000s and 6000s, the Premier interior incorporates cabin elements from the Global 7000, including new seat design with hand-stitched leather and intelligent ergonomic features such as higher armrests and sculpted backrest. The streamlined galley, wood and stone flooring options, Ka-band high- speed satcom and the Venue advanced cabin management system have also been brought aboard from the 7000's planned cabin appointments. Two-tone veneers and sleek side ledges epitomize the modern aesthetics, accentuating the spaciousness of what is already the widest cabin in class. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2017-10-08/bombardier-launches- new-maintenance-training-programs Back to Top Meggitt's Breakthrough Long Range Wireless Technology Speeds up Aircraft Tyre Pressure Checks FRIBOURG, Switzerland--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Meggitt PLC, a leading international aerospace and defence engineering group, is working with Textron Aviation to develop a long range wireless system that can check all the tyre pressures on a business aircraft in just a few seconds. This latest piece of Ground Support Equipment (GSE) can transmit and collect data at distances of up to 50m. Tyre pressure monitoring is an essential part of aircraft maintenance - it helps to prevent failure events caused by improper tyre inflation. Using a wireless system can help to extend tyre life, reduce human error and reduce weight which results in significant savings in maintenance costs and increased flight safety for aircraft operators. Meggitt's robust wireless network is unaffected by other aircraft systems. The proprietary system allows data to be rapidly downloaded to a standard, off the shelf hand-held device which can be connected to a server via wifi or 3G/4G. It eliminates the need for the maintenance engineers to crawl around the landing gear checking individual tyre pressures. The system will be demonstrated at the NBAA show on 10 to 12 October (booth #C6627). This new design builds on Meggitt's long experience in providing wireless systems for aircraft which started in 2000 with the introduction of the first flight-essential wireless system to monitor smoke detectors in aircraft cargo holds. Meggitt's wireless systems are now flying in over 1,500 aircraft, including the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and more applications are in development and undergoing certification. http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20171007005030/en/Meggitt%E2%80%99s- Breakthrough-Long-Range-Wireless-Technology-Speeds Back to Top Comply365 Unveils Industry-Leading Solutions Comply365 is proud to lead the aviation industry by driving innovation with the first complete web- based content management platform that eliminates the need for multiple solutions throughout the authoring process. This game-changing XML authoring solution provides a powerful platform that allows airlines - especially those with mixed fleet types - to simplify and streamline the entire process, from authoring and editing in XML to revision control, workflow and distribution. The end-to-end turn-key solution can be used for any content application including bulletins, must- reads and company manuals. ProXML delivers faster ingestion of OEM manuals, including the new A350 manuals. It is one solution that works for every department from flight ops, inflight, ground, maintenance and more, as well as multi-fleet types. Now all manuals can be mobile, siloed data is a thing of the past and documents are audit-ready. ProXML makes authoring and editing XML easy through a Word-style editor - users no longer will need to tackle the large XML learning curve. The easy-to-use XML functionality with built-in controls delivers a seamless, consistent experience for airlines while eliminating the multiple solutions they currently need for authoring, editing and distribution. Comply365 clients and Connections365 conference attendees were excited to see the A350 manual in an XML format. The flexibility designed in ProXML is unprecedented, and the solution will allow airlines to drive process efficiency, reduce duplicate work and complexity and help them maintain standards across all their manuals with embedded decision making and automated processes. Digital Briefing provides pilots instant, direct releases Comply365's new Digital Briefing solution brings crews an integrated mobile option that will allow them to receive dispatch releases and sign acceptance. Comply365 is providing airlines with a seamless solution that integrates with existing dispatch systems to deliver electronic flight plans and allow for electronic signatures for Fit for Duty and Release acceptance. Crews will no longer have to wait for paper copies to print or receive the information transmitted from other systems that don't communicate with each other. With digital access to flight plans, all in the Comply365 app they're already using, pilots, dispatch and operations are able to make smarter, time-critical decisions. A team from Sun Country Airlines led a session at Connections365 to describe how successfully deploying Comply365's Digital Briefing Solution is helping Sun Country dispatch flights faster. Mobile Maintenance Manuals boosts productivity, efficiency for technicians Comply365's ability to mobilize maintenance manuals is revolutionizing the daily life of a maintenance technician. No matter how many thousands of pages a maintenance manual contains or its complexity, Comply365 is helping airlines put the latest manual into the hands of the technicians who need it, wherever they are. Paperless technicians no longer need to walk several football fields across a maintenance facility to view or print manuals at a desktop workstation. With everything at their fingertips, technicians can instantly search electronic manuals for the content they need, creating a more efficient workflow that helps turn planes back into service faster. Connections365 attendees heard straight from an engineering support manager at Horizon Air, who shared how Horizon is using mobile to solve the content creation, management and distribution challenge around their maintenance manuals. Seamless integration, OEM content import, a real- time compare tool and content re-use are just some of the many features of Comply365's Mobile Maintenance Manual solution that are transforming the document creation and distribution process, as well as the life of the connected technician. http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12373017/comply365-unveils-industry-leading- solutions Back to Top SIA Engineering and Air India Engineering sign agreement for India MRO services October 6, 2017: The Singapore exchange-listed SIA Engineering Company Limited(SIAEC) and Air India Engineering Services Limited (AIESL), has entered into a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to offer MRO services in India. AIESL is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Air India Limited providing maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services. Under the MoU, SIAEC and AIESL will collaborate to offer line maintenance and ancillary services at various airports in India as well as engineering training. Both companies will be able to provide a broader spectrum of services and customised packages to domestic and foreign airlines operating in and out of India. AIESL's extensive infrastructure, resources within India and their local knowledge clubbed with expertise in the Indian market will be an added advantage for the collaboration. While on the other hand, SIAEC will bring their comprehensive MRO service offerings, maintenance capabilities for new-generation aircraft on the table. Png Kim Chiang, chief executive officer of SIAEC, said, "SIAEC is delighted to enter into this collaboration with AIESL to expand into the India market. This collaboration will allow SIAEC to offer our integrated MRO and Technical Support solutions to airline customers." "We are pleased to enter into this collaboration with SIAEC which will contribute to enhancing our services to existing airline customers and expanding our market exposure to domestic and foreign airlines operating in and out of India. This collaboration will complement AIESL's efforts to become a leading one-stop MRO service provider in India," said HR Jagannath, chief executive officer, AIESL. http://www.stattimes.com/sia-engineering-and-air-india-engineering-sign-agreement-for-india- mro-services-aviation Back to Top ICAO and ENAC to collaborate on new Aviation Safety Management Degree ICAO secretary general, Dr. Fang Liu, and the director of France's École Nationale de l'Aviation Civile (ENAC), Marc Houalla, signed a memorandum of understanding on Oct. 5, 2017, covering the development and delivery of new educational programs and training activities within the framework of the ICAO Trainair Plus program. The first outcome of the new partnership will be a master's program in Aviation Safety Management, which is expected to launch in 2018. Its objective will be to provide future safety management system (SMS) managers with the fundamentals needed to systematically monitor and improve aviation safety, based primarily on ICAO Annex 19 and related SMS provisions. "This new master's program will be an important addition to ICAO's expanding portfolio of training offerings," Liu highlighted. "We are very committed to strengthening our collaboration with members of our Trainair Plus program, and to raising awareness on the latest safety provisions for both current and next generation aviation professionals." ENAC director, Houalla, reinforced this sentiment, adding that "ENAC being an aviation University, working under the auspices of the French Civil Aviation Directorate, one of our missions is to improve air transport safety worldwide. That is why we are very proud, through this training agreement, to work hand-in-hand with ICAO to fulfil this task. This partnership will definitely help to develop safety dedicated aviation professionals worldwide as part of the NGAP program, in which ENAC is deeply involved." The new SMS master's degree, composed of 12 modules as well as an internship, covers all aspects of SMS concepts, processes, methods and operational management. It is specifically designed to address both executive as well as technical levels. The course modules will support a wide range of aviation stakeholders, including aircraft and airport operators, manufacturers, maintenance organizations, air navigation service providers, and training organizations. The master's program will be delivered both at ENAC's Toulouse location in France and globally via other Trainair Plus members. https://www.skiesmag.com/press-releases/icao-enac-collaborate-new-aviation-safety- management-degree/ Back to Top Air Canada Partners with Amadeus to Support International Network and Improvements to Customer Experience Forward-thinking airlines understand that the critical combination of next-generation airline IT systems, along with the best global distribution capabilities and air travel content, are necessary to serve their customers and operate their business successfully. Under a new agreement announced OCt. 5, between Amadeus and Air Canada, Canada's largest airline is poised to harness the best of both in support of its business strategy to enhance customer experience, improve profitability and operational performance in support of its growing international network. Air Canada has signed for the full Amadeus Altéa Suite passenger service system (PSS) including reservations, inventory, and departure control solutions. The Amadeus Altéa Suite, once fully implemented, will enable Air Canada to enhance customer experience by delivering more consistent and personalized customer service based on individual customer preferences and attributes, pursue additional revenue generating opportunities, and improve operational efficiency. To support Air Canada's international network, the Altéa Suite will help Air Canada achieve closer integration with its codeshare partners and within the Star Alliance - more than two thirds of which are also Altéa carriers. In addition to these solutions, the carrier will implement a range of other Amadeus IT solutions such as Anytime Merchandising, Customer Experience Management, Payments, Revenue Integrity, Group Management and Passenger Recovery. With the implementation of Amadeus Anytime Merchandising, Air Canada will be able to propose personalized offers according to individual preferences. The combination of the Altéa Suite and Amadeus Anytime Merchandising will, in particular, ensure that Air Canada is well equipped to address evolving industry initiatives such as IATA's New Distribution Capability (NDC). At the same time, the renewed multi-year distribution agreement, signed in parallel to the Altéa Suite agreement, supports Air Canada's focus on delivering a consistent brand and customer experience across channels, a key aspect of its international growth. Amadeus users worldwide will be able to access Air Canada's industry-leading customizable fare products and availability via the Amadeus global distribution system, as well as the carrier's ancillary offerings. Today, Amadeus travel agencies can seamlessly book Air Canada's full range of branded fares and select ancillary services, such as Preferred and Advance seat options. Future end-to-end connectivity will also enable integration of the airline's Corporate Rewards, Flight Pass and dynamic pricing offers. "This new agreement with Amadeus marks the evolution of what has been a long, successful and strategic partnership. We see the benefits of having a fully integrated IT and distribution strategy which brings the strongest distribution capabilities as well as next-generation airline IT services to our customers worldwide," said Lucie Guillemette, Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer, Air Canada. "This agreement supports Air Canada's business strategy for delivering a more personalized travel experience to improve customer service across all touchpoints to support and improve the profitability of our international expansion and improving how we sell, distribute and deliver our products and services. It will enable us to better integrate our systems with our codeshare and Star Alliance partners." "With Amadeus as its partner, Air Canada will ultimately have in place a modern, flexible community-based IT platform, other business-critical technology solutions, and unsurpassed distribution of its fares and content around the world," said Julia Sattel, Senior Vice President, Airlines, Amadeus. "The benefits of using the Altéa platform extend well beyond just the airline's operations. Amadeus-connected travel agents have the unique advantage of instant visibility to any changes affecting an Altéa airline booking, meaning they can better service their customers. Importantly, for Amadeus, this agreement also marks an important milestone for us in terms of our continued growth and expansion in North America in particular, a region which continues to be strategically crucial for the whole company." Air Canada is targeting full Altéa Suite implementation in 2019. The renewed distribution agreement between Amadeus and Air Canada is effective immediately. As of the first half 2017, 199 customers had contracted either of the Amadeus Passenger Service Systems (Altéa or New Skies) and 189 had implemented either of Altéa or New Skies. http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12372633/air-canada-partners-with-amadeus-to- support-international-network-and-improvements-to-customer-experience Back to Top Cash-Strapped Sri Lanka Looks to Offload World's Emptiest Airport COLOMBO - A visitor arriving at Sri Lanka's massive Mahinda Rajapaksa airfield airport on Sunday would find a whole lot of emptiness and visible decay, after mounting debt and lack of cash have put a brake on the country's once-grand aviation ambitions. Unable to cope with the losses and cost of maintenance, Sri Lanka is now trying to form joint ventures to run its second international airport and cancel an agreement signed by former President Mahinda Rajapaksa to acquire more aircrafts for its national airline. "The MRIA is a huge cost to the government," said G. S. Withanage, secretary of the Sri Lankan Ministry of Civil Aviation. Considered the world's most empty international airport, MRIA was built in southern Mattala, the hometown of the controversial man who ruled the island between 2005-2015. The airport, with a capacity to move one million travelers and 45,000 tons of annual cargo, and whose first phase was financed by a $209 million loan from China's EXIM Bank, had opened its doors with a lot of fanfare in 2013, and included plans for a second phase to rake up capacity to 12 million by 2016. However, the airport, part of a massive project to boost Sri Lanka's tourism potential, failed to take off right from the word go, and today is a study in wasted state resources. Only one airline, Fly Dubai, uses the facilities of a phantom aerodrome that has been turned into a tourist attraction for visitors who can buy a ticket for less than a dollar to see the installations inside. "It's a huge loss of money for the country," Withanage added. The Sri Lankan government had floated a tender at the beginning of the year, which failed to evince interest among investors, until recently when an unsolicited proposal from the Indian government landed on their desks. While EFE was unable to get a comment from the Indian embassy, experts say the proposal might be an effort to offset China's growing influence in the island nation. The Sri Lankan authorities are now planning to form a joint venture with India, which has been willing to acquire shares worth $205 million of the $293 million airport. "We have asked the Indian representatives to give us a full proposal, but we have not received the offer yet," said Withanage, adding that the negotiation will start at the end of an ongoing due diligence. Sri Lanka's aviation woes, however, do not end with offloading its failed international airport, for it is still struggling to cancel the acquisition of the last four aircraft it acquired from the European consortium Airbus as part of a $2.5 billion contract to renew the fleet of the state-owned Sri Lankan Airlines. The company has already canceled the acquisition of four other aircraft earlier this year worth $98 million, which impacted directly on the airline's accounts, which closed the fiscal year last March with a loss of $181.2 million as compared to $78 million the previous year. "There is an agreement for the purchase of four A350-900 for delivery in 2020, we do not need these aircraft and we would like to find a solution with Airbus," Sri Lankan Airlines President Suren Ratwatte told EFE. A committee headed by Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe currently oversees the airline's restructuring and restructuring, in which the Sri Lankan government would welcome private capital inflow, but as with the airport, attempts to find a bidder have failed so far. http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=2444398&CategoryId=12396 Back to Top Boeing wins seven more contracts for its growing data analytics business Seven more companies have joined the list of customers for data analytics services from Boeing AnalytX, bringing the total of contracts signed this year to 223. Boeing AnalytX is part of the aircraft manufacturer's drive to capitalize on the growing demand for after-market services ranging from maintenance to cost-saving efficiencies. When Boeing Global Services was reorganized as a separate business unit last year, Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg said he was aiming to triple the company's revenue from aviation services to $50 billion annually. Launched with its new name in June, Boeing AnalytX aims to contribute to that revenue by helping customers take data-driven steps to address potential maintenance problems even before the occur, optimize flight plans, maximize fuel efficiency and minimize operational disruptions. The analytics team draws upon the work of more than 800 experts across Boeing's commercial, defense and services divisions. "Analytics isn't a magic idea that will deliver results sometime in the future," David Longridge, Boeing Global Services vice president of sales and marketing, said today in a news release. "It's real and it's working, here and now. Boeing has been using analytics for years to improve our own operations. Today's announcements underscore the vast amount of prescriptive, predictive and descriptive solutions Boeing AnalytX is already providing to customers today." http://gearsofbiz.com/boeing-wins-seven-more-contracts-for-its-growing-data-analytics- business/105236 Back to Top Tetra Tech Inc. Wins $356M Contract to Modernize FAA Tetra Tech Inc. of Pasadena announced on Thursday that it had been awarded a $356 million contract to provide engineering and technical support services to the Federal Aviation Administration. Tetra Tech will support the FAA in the planning, research, development, implementation, maintenance and decommissioning of the FAA's navigation, landing and lighting systems under the five-year contract. The company said it would help the FAA transition to an integrated ground- and satellite-based navigation system, and would support the administrations' modernization efforts. http://labusinessjournal.com/news/2017/oct/06/tetra-tech-inc-wins-356m-contract-modernize-faa/ Curt Lewis