January 15, 2018 - No. 004 In This Issue Delta Eyes Cost Savings, Fleet Shifts While Awaiting C Series Aircraft maintenance: Nigeria, W'Africa airlines to save $1bn yearly Air Transport MRO Market to Witness Exponential Growth by 2020 Boeing unveils conceptual hypersonic jet design to replace the SR-71 Blackbird Newly Patented Technology Can Prevent Another Malaysian Airlines MH370 Mystery NASA and DLR investigate the impact of aviation on the climate - joint flight tests on alternative fuels Government launches £3million contest for inventors to find ways to detect bombs at airports Airbus built a lot of planes for China last year - but can't deliver them FAA drone registry tops 1 million Push to privatize air traffic control, backed by American and Southwest, may be permanently grounded SpaceX and Boeing Slated for Manned Space Missions By Year's End Delta Eyes Cost Savings, Fleet Shifts While Awaiting C Series Delta Air Lines reiterated its intent to take delivery of its Bombardier C Series aircraft without paying tariffs, and has begun taking steps to account for the delays caused by the international trade battle that the carrier's order triggered. "We're waiting to hear the results of the International Trade [Commission report] that is scheduled to roll before the end of January," Delta CEO Ed Bastian said on a January 11 earnings call. "Once we know what that is, then we will set our plans accordingly," he continued, underscoring that Delta harbors "no intent to pay any tariffs on the C Series." Schedules called for the first of the 75 CS100s, ordered last year, to enter Delta's fleet starting in the first half of this year. With that timeline now unrealistic, Delta is modifying its fleet plan accordingly. "We do know that we will not be taking the C Series according to the current schedule, which would be taking delivery this spring," Bastian said. "We have to invest in maintaining some aircraft, particularly MD-88s, to keep them around a little bit longer than we were otherwise anticipating." Delta last year said Delta would base the initial C Series aircraft in New York, from where they would serve high-demand routes that currently feature larger regional jets. The plan supports the carrier's fleet-wide upgauging strategy, which includes retiring smaller RJs. "With 60 new aircraft to be delivered this year, our upgauging strategy is set to produce some of the greatest efficiency gains in Delta's history and will play a key role in returning our cost to a better level," said Bastian. Delta's 2017 cost-per-available-seat-mile (CASM) excluding profit sharing rose 4.7 percent year- over-year. The company's target stands at 2 percent or less. Meanwhile, the airline has moved forward with other cost-savings initiatives as part of a large plan outlined at its December investor day. As of January, it cut the number of markets with four or more equipment types by 60 percent, simplifying the equipment and training needed to support its stations. It also plans to base its entire 140-aircraft MD-88 fleet in Atlanta by this summer-a move that executives believe will save $25 million in staffing and maintenance efficiencies. The company expects its overall efforts to save $200 million this year. "We've identified other opportunities in network scheduling, hotel spend, and transportation," CFO Paul Jacobsen said. "These are just some examples of the opportunities we have ahead of us, and we feel good about where we are at this stage in the process." Delta's adjusted fourth-quarter pre-tax income totaled $1.0 billion, up 8.3 percent year over year, despite incurring $40 million in costs from last month's power outage at its Atlanta Hartsfield- Jackson International Airport hub and $20 million from disruptions tied to Winter Storm Benji. For the full year, adjusted pre-tax income increased 11 percent from 2016, to $5.5 billion. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/air-transport/2018-01-12/delta-eyes-cost-savings-fleet- shifts-while-awaiting-c-series Back to Top Aircraft maintenance: Nigeria, W'Africa airlines to save $1bn yearly Stakeholders in the aviation industry have said that Nigerian and West African airlines could save billions of dollars annually on aircraft maintenance with the establishment of Aero Contractors' Maintenance, Repair and Overhaul facility at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos. The stakeholders made this known at the roll-out of the first successfully conducted Boeing 737- 500 C-check at the facility, on Friday. A former President of the National Association of Aircraft Pilots and Engineers, Isaac Balami, said airlines in the West African sub-region were spending at least $1bn yearly on the maintenance of aircraft in Europe and America. He said Aero's MRO facility would help to curb capital flight in that area of operation of the airlines. The Minister of State for Aviation, Senator Hadi Sirika, noted that airlines were spending at least $1.8m on each C-check on their B737 classic, the most commonly used aircraft for domestic flight operations in the country. Sirika, who was represented at the unveiling of the aircraft by the Commissioner, Accident Investigation Bureau, Akin Olateru, said Aero's accomplishment was commendable, adding that the takeover of the airline by the Asset Management Corporation of Nigeria had paid off. "Just yesterday, Aero Contractors was on the verge of being written off as another failed airline in Nigeria; but today, the story is different," he stated. A former Director-General of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, Dr. Harold Demuren, said maintenance was a major problem for airlines due to its cost. "Maintenance is done in dollars, while the airlines sell tickets in naira. This is killing the airlines. The success recorded by Aero with the establishment of this MRO and successful completion of a C- check must continue," he added. The Managing Director, AMCON, Ahmed Kuru, stated that aviation remained a critical sector for the country's economic prosperity. Kuru, who was represented by AMCON's Executive Director, Aminu Ismail, said if the country must compete globally, the only option was to have a sustainable, vibrant and dependable aviation industry. The Managing Director, Aero, Ado Sanusi, said conducting aircraft C-check in the country was a huge milestone for the aviation industry. While appealing to the Nigeria Customs Service to ensure easy passage and clearance of tools for the maintenance process, he stated that Aero had applied to be granted a free trade zone status by the Nigerian Export Processing Zones Authority to help the turnaround time for the MRO facility. https://punchng.com/aircraft-maintenance-nigeria-wafrica-airlines-to-save-1bn-yearly/ Back to Top Air Transport MRO Market to Witness Exponential Growth by 2020 Maintenance, repair and operation (MRO) plays a significant role in the enlargement of the air transport fleet. The Air Transport MRO evolved out of drift by airline companies to outsource the task of maintenance, repair and overhaul of engines, line, airframes and components to independent/third-party or airline operated/owned MRO set ups. A decade earlier, most MRO activities were domestic, with technical support from OEMs. Generally the third-parties are OEMs or supported by OEMs. The reason behind MRO outsourcing is that most of the aviation companies need to focus on their core business. The basic services provided by Air Transport MRO include - Maintenance and disassembly of heavy parts, periodic checking and repairing of engine, maintaining and enhancing efficiency of avionics, conversion of passenger aircraft into fighter aircraft and overall maintenance of the fleet. MRO is the major expenditure by any airline company other than purchasing of the aircraft. Huge investment associated with MRO which are made mandatory by international Aviation authorities can be substantially utilized through proper MRO plan. It also provide opportunity for serviceable and reliable value retention. The forces that drive global air transport MRO marketare - continuous focus on cost reduction through maintenance, endless concern from airframe OEM's, introduction of new generation maintenance less aircrafts, Globalization and outsourcing of MRO market. There are some other factors that affect Air Transport MRO - Demand & supply portfolio, Research & development, entry barriers posed by leading players, Technology absolution due to continuous launching of new products, undeveloped automated software vendor market and low margins. North America and Western Europe has matured market while India, China and Middle East are growing market with more future opportunities. Most of the Air Transport MRO's and OEM's are located in North America. The global Air Transport MRO Market is segmented on the basis of Type, Services and Geography. The Air Transport MRO by type include Engine, Line, Airframes and Components. On the basis of Service, market can be segmented into Heavy Maintenance inspection, Engine service check, and Component maintenance, Line Maintenance, Avionic Standardization and Retro Aircraft Conversions. The market can be segmented on the basis of Geographic target market includes- North America, Latin America, Asia Pacific, Western Europe, Eastern Europe and Middle East & Africa. The Air Traffic MRO market is grown and governed by continuous technological innovations and collaborations. Automated software based MRO, RFID based Airframe OEM's Inventory support, MRO Cost & Performance Benchmarking, MRO Information Technology (IT) Assessment, LEAN Continuous Process Improvement, MRO Strategic Sourcing Support and Integrated component support & replacement. Due to introduction of Low maintenance Aircrafts the concept of automated maintenance and reporting system by OEM's is on global trend. Some of the Top players of Air Transport MRO market are ST Aerospac (Singapore), Lufthansa Technik (Germany), Timco Aviation Services (U.S.), Delta TechOps (U.S.), Mubadala Aerospace (U.A.E), Prattand Whitney (Canada), Rockwell Collins (U.S.), GE Aviation (U.S.), HEICO (U.S.), IAI (Spain) and Iberia Maintenance(Israel).Most of the companies for Aviation MRO are located in U.S. and Europe. Asian market has seen tremendous growth due to Development of Air transport Infrastructure activities. To view TOC of this report is available upon request @ https://www.futuremarketinsights.com/toc/rep-gb-115 The MRO market in terms of Air Transport is growing with a pace of growth in Aviation sector. The Air Transport MRO market need to develop more sophisticated and automated mechanisms in order to gain sustainable economic advantages to third parties as well as owner Aviation Company. The better MRO facilities of Aviation Companywill result in better Service retention by the company. The future of MRO in Air transport is continuously justifiable with development of more end customer centric approach towards Air transport. http://www.military-technologies.net/2018/01/15/air-transport-mro-market-to-witness- exponential-growth-by-2020/ Back to Top Boeing unveils conceptual hypersonic jet design to replace the SR-71 Blackbird Boeing recently unveiled a conceptual model for a new hypersonic jet that would replace the SR-71 Blackbird, according to Aviation Week Aerospace Daily. The conceptual model was displayed at the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics SciTech forum in Orlando. The "airplane concept and associated technology are targeted for a hypersonic ISR (reconnaissance)/strike aircraft that would have the same type of mission as the SR-71," Boeing spokeswoman Sandra Angers told Business Insider in an emailed statement. "In that sense it could be a future replacement for the SR-71." "It's a conceptual model for an eventual demonstrator, but no one has committed to building a reusable hypersonic demonstrator yet," Angers added. "We're constantly looking to advance concept in technology areas that could someday be asked for by the customer." Boeing is one of the largest defense contractors and political donors in the US. Angers also told Business Insider over the phone that the future generation concept would be able to hit speeds of more than Mach 5. Boeing's chief scientist for hypersonics, Kevin Bowcutt, told Aviation Week that the twin-tailed, waverider configuration is an evolving yet feasible hypersonic design. Aviation Week also reported that Boeing "envisions a two-step process beginning with flight tests of an F-16-sized, single-engine proof-of-concept precursor vehicle leading to a twin-engine, full-scale operational vehicle with about the same dimensions as the 107-ft.-long SR-71." Boeing has already experimented with two unmanned hypersonic planes, the X-43 and X-51, according to Popular Mechanics. In 2013, Boeing tested the small X-51, which hit speeds of Mach 5.1 for more than three minutes before crashing into the ocean, Popular Mechanics reported. The X-51, however, was dropped from a B-52 and used a jettisoned booster to reach Mach 5.1. Boeing's conceptual design will have to take off and land on its own, which is much harder, Popular Mechanics reported. Lockheed Martin is also developing a successor to the SR-71 - the SR-72, which it expects to test in 2020. http://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-unveils-sr-71-conceptual-hypersonic-jet-design-2018-1 Back to Top Newly Patented Technology Can Prevent Another Malaysian Airlines MH370 Mystery DarkWater Acoustics announced today that it has been granted a US Patent on advanced technology for Under Water Locator Beacons (ULBs, or "pingers"). The new "adaptive pinger" was conceptualized in 2014 at the time the search for Malaysia Airlines MH370 revealed the limitations of existing pinger technology. Smithtown, New York (PRWEB) January 12, 2018 DarkWater Acoustics, CEO and Inventor, Thomas DiCicco said, "The shortcomings of the existing technology are addressed in the newly patented technology, which has applications in aviation and maritime sectors; virtually anywhere high value assets can be lost in the world's vast oceans". The new technology offers benefits such as: greatly extend battery life; adapting to depth for greater detection range and reporting depth to the surface search ships in a coded acoustic pulse sequence. DiCicco explains "we are very excited about the potential of this technology to help prevent lost aircraft and ships by greatly expanding the probability of detection with adaptive technology." The innovative features of adaptive pingers are encompassed by US Patent 9,789,939 B1 that was granted in October 2017. Thomas DiCicco further explains, "We, at DarkWater Acoustics, are seeking out any commercialization partners that would be interested in bringing the new "Adaptive Pinger" to market. DiCicco adds, "The Patent also addresses the many thousands of "legacy pingers" in use today with additional technology to greatly extend the usefulness of these devices, all without any physical changes to the actual "pinger" device itself. This is particularly exciting because it is possible this feature could be implemented in very short order and with low cost, in airline fleets worldwide." DarkWater Acoustics is newly organized for the sole purpose of bringing this valuable technology to market. The company recognizes there are several established manufacturers in this market and invites all inquiries. Appropriate partners can enjoy market exclusivity with innovative technology that is broadly applicable to undersea localization. For detailed information, please visit DarkWater's web site http://www.darkwateracoustics.com or contact info(at)darkwateracoustics(dot)com. https://www.benzinga.com/pressreleases/18/01/p11023466/newly-patented-technology-can- prevent-another-malaysian-airlines-mh370 Back to Top NASA and DLR investigate the impact of aviation on the climate - joint flight tests on alternative fuel emissions In January 2018, the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, DLR) and the US National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) are set to conduct joint research flights in Germany for the first time. The focus will be on alternative fuel emissions and the characterisation of ice crystals in condensation trails (contrails), using biofuel as an example. The first joint DLR/NASA flights, which were conducted from Palmdale, California in 2014, showed that adding 50 percent alternative fuel for cruising flight reduces the soot particle emissions of an aircraft engine by 50 to 70 percent, compared to the combustion of pure kerosene. The planned research flights are intended to determine particle emissions and how they affect cloud formation through contrails, thus investigating their impact on the climate. From 14 January 2018, NASA's DC-8 research aircraft will visit Germany for three weeks and fly together with the DLR A320 Advanced Technology Research Aircraft (ATRA). "We are delighted that NASA has chosen us as their partner for such an extensive joint mission in Germany," says Rolf Henke, DLR Executive Board member responsible for aeronautics research. The research flights will start from Ramstein Air Base. "NASA could not do this alone. We're bringing the two agencies together to combine resources and facilities to study alternative fuels in an unprecedented way," said Bruce Anderson, NASA's principal investigator for this latest phase of airborne research. The joint research flight campaign has been given the title ND-MAX/ECLIF 2 (NASA/DLR-Multidisciplinary Airborne eXperiments/Emission and CLimate Impact of alternative Fuel). For the international research mission, the DLR A320 ATRA will fly using various fuel blends, while NASA's fully instrumented DC-8 'flying laboratory' will follow at a safe distance, measuring soot particles, gas emissions and ice crystals in ATRA's exhaust gas stream. Numerous DLR measuring instruments have been installed on board the NASA aircraft for this purpose. "We have installed instruments on board the DC8 to simultaneously measure the size distribution of soot and ice particles and gas emissions as it follows in the wake of ATRA," reports Hans Schlager from the DLR Institute of Atmospheric Physics. "The focus of our measurements is to characterise the emissions produced using different fuel blends. We are particularly interested in finding out how the soot emissions of the different fuels affect the radiation properties and lifetime of the contrails." Preparations in California Several DLR scientists and engineers are currently installing the measuring equipment aboard the DC-8 at its home base - NASA's Armstrong Flight Research Center in California. At the same time, preparations are underway at the NATO Air Base in Ramstein, Rhineland-Palatinate (south-western Germany), from where the research flights will take off in the second half of January. "We are currently in the process of delivering the fuels that have been specially produced for these test flights," says André Krajewski from the DLR Flight Experiments Facility. "We have created fuel blends that contain 30 to 50 percent Hydroprocessed Esters and Fatty Acids (HEFA), which will be used in a total of eight planned joint research flights." The HEFA biofuel selected for these trials is largely derived from the oil of Camelina plants, representative of alternative fuels, which could also be synthetic. In addition to the emissions, the international research team is interested in how the different fuel blends affect the performance of the engines. "Biofuels such as HEFA differ in their composition from conventional kerosene in that they are pure paraffins and contain no cyclic hydrocarbons. When mixed with conventional jet A-1 kerosene, one obtains an approved fuel." explains Patrick Le Clercq of the DLR Institute of Combustion Technology. "The modified fuel composition has an impact on the formation of soot during combustion." Previous joint research flights In recent years, several research campaigns into alternative fuels have been conducted in the United States and Germany under different meteorological conditions. Earlier NASA-led research campaigns, called ACCESS I and II (Alternative Fuel Effects on Contrails and Cruise Emissions), were carried out in California in 2013 and 2014. During these campaigns, NASA's DC-8 flew with alternative fuels, while smaller research jets such as the NASA HU-25 Falcon and the DLR Falcon 20 conducted measurements in its exhaust stream. The ECLIF campaign followed in 2015 and was led by DLR in Germany, with the involvement of a number of NASA researchers. In this campaign, the DLR A320 ATRA flew with alternative fuels, while the DLR Falcon 20, equipped with instruments, followed behind, carrying out measurements of the emissions and contrails. In addition, extensive emissions readings were carried out from the ground. Previous results from research flights have shown a significant reduction in soot particles when alternative fuels are used and suggest that this also leads to a lower quantity of ice crystals in contrails. "Lower soot emissions from these alternative fuels are good news for the environment, and it would be even better if the flight tests confirm that using alternative fuels also reduces the number of ice crystals in contrails," says NASA's Bruce Anderson. DLR researcher Hans Schlager adds: "This is a significant issue because contrails and the cirrus clouds that are formed as a result are thought to have a greater warming effect on Earth's atmosphere than the total carbon dioxide emissions that have accumulated as a result of air travel over the last century or more." Contrails contain many small ice particles that form due to the condensation of water vapour on the soot particles in aircraft exhaust gases. Contrails can linger for several hours in humid, cold conditions at altitudes of between eight and 12 kilometres, forming high-level clouds called contrail cirrus. Depending on the position of the Sun and the ground, these clouds can have a local warming or cooling effect. Knowledge of this is essential for assessing the climate impact of aviation. The research conducted thus far suggests that a warming effect is predominant globally. Favourable meteorological conditions in Germany The winter meteorological conditions in Germany are favourable for the upcoming DLR/NASA flights and the planned measurement of ice crystals in contrails. The use of the DLR A320 ATRA as a 'source of emissions' and the NASA DC-8 as a measuring platform will allow the researchers to conduct their flight tests at the altitude and usual cruising speed of passenger jets, under which conditions contrails typically form. To this end, the researchers have installed the most extensive range of measuring equipment ever employed for such investigations in the DC-8, with half of the measuring devices provided by the DLR Institute of Atmospheric Physics. If everything runs smoothly with the final preparations for the joint research flight campaign, the first joint flight test will take place on 16 January 2018. A total of 80 flight hours for taking measurements are planned between then and 2 February. Proven collaboration DLR and NASA have been working together in the field of atmospheric research for 19 years. In aeronautics research, both partners are particularly involved in joint research projects relating to air traffic management and flying that generates low noise and emissions. http://www.dlr.de/dlr/en/desktopdefault.aspx/tabid-10081/151_read-25658/#/gallery/20878 Back to Top Government launches £3million contest for inventors to find ways to detect bombs at airports THE Government has put out a £3m SOS in a bid to develop a new way of detecting terror bombs hidden in laptops, smart phones and cameras at airports. The lucrative carrot is being dangled for scientists able to strike a huge blow in the UK's fight against terrorism. The 'Dragons Den'-style competition, which is open until February 15, is being run by the Home Office and Department for Transport. And with the threat from Jihadi-style terrorists currently severe, the race is on to find an invention that would make air passengers safer. The competition pitch on the Government's website says: "The competition is looking for proposals for technologies to improve our ability to prevent explosives hidden within electrical items in hand luggage from being taken on board an aircraft." It comes after No 10 imposed a ban on large electronic devices in the cabin of UK-bound planes from certain Middle East and African airports. The ban, introduced in March 2017, prohibits passengers from bringing electronic items to their seats. It was put in place after it was revealed that UK security services had foiled 13 potential attacks in less than four years. The government now hopes any new invention would rule out 'invasive and time-consuming' airport searches and reduce the need for extra security. A government spokesperson added: "We're confident in the ability of current processes used to detect threats, but are aware that we need to stay ahead of changes to the threat. "We're not just looking for solutions to detect concealed explosive devices/components. We'd also be interested in solutions to identify electrical items that may have been tampered with, or which appear to be out of the ordinary. "This could allow us to focus the more resource intensive detection techniques on a smaller number of items." The competition hopes to enhance detection of threats at airports' central search area and the final departure screening point. Following the ban, restrictions on large phones, laptops and tablets were lifted on flights from certain airports in Turkey, Egypt and Tunisia. But restrictions remain on flights from other airports in Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Lebanon as well as other airports in Turkey and Egypt. Philip Baum, an aviation safety expert and editor of Aviation Security International, says the huge variety of explosives means bomb-detecting technology is very difficult to get right. Mr Baum said: "Every bomb is different. Different component parts, different materials. "Not all explosives are the same. There are thousands of different types. Powder, gels, cord, liquid. "We have to think about how the broad range of explosives are going to be concealed." He added: "For me, the biggest problem, is could it ID all types of IED, is it going to id chemical or biological bombs. No, because that would be different. "Government is desperate to find a technological solution to resolve the problem and there is a huge reluctance to use the best technology of all - and that is the human brain. Using some common sense. "Behavioural analysis is one thing. Non-racial profiling techniques. "We have been installing x-ray machines since the 1960s, but we are assuming people are going to go through the machine and not go round the side or an attack on the check-in, like in Brussels. "We must think and look at the behaviour pattern and assess people. Looking for people with criminal activity or mental problems. "That [a new bomb-detecting device] assumes nobody will have something in their body." https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/5341067/government-launches-3million-contest-for-inventors-to- find-ways-to-detect-bombs-at-airports/ Back to Top Airbus built a lot of planes for China last year - but can't deliver them SEATTLE (CNNMoney) - Airbus needs China's blessing on its newest jetliners. And without it, undelivered planes are piling up at its factories in France and Germany. The company wanted to sell nearly 200 more Airbus jets to China this week. But Chinese airlines have yet to take delivery of many airliners they've ordered from the company even though the planes are built. That's because China's aviation regulator has yet to allow deliveries of key Airbus models. Across Airbus's factories in Germany and France, more than a dozen A320neo and A321neos, some that were ready as far back as last spring, have been in storage awaiting final sign-offs from the Civil Aviation Administration of China. About a half-dozen A350s for Chinese carriers are waiting at its main headquarters in Toulouse in southern France. Winning regulatory approval in China, the world's largest airplane market over the next two decades, is crucial as Airbus and Boeing pin their future hopes on China. Precisely what has slowed Airbus' approvals in China isn't entirely clear. The delays have more to do with politics than technology, say several people familiar with the regulatory delays. The delays are wrapped up in an extended wish list from Beijing that ranges from new safety agreements with Europe to additional production in China. This is business diplomacy at work, said Richard Aboulafia, vice president of analysis at the Teal Group aerospace consultancy. "Jetliner purchases are a continuation of politics by any other means," Aboulafia said. China's ascendant role in aerospace as both competitor and customer gives them unique leverage over Boeing and Airbus. "Their actual buying clout greatly exceeds their market size." And Airbus is clearly making an effort to please the Chinese government. During a visit this week by French President Emmanuel Macron with Chinese President Xi Jinping, the European planemaker announced it would increase production at its final assembly line in the Chinese city of Tianjin from four A320 jets each month to six by 2020. Airbus has even floated the idea of a new industrial partnership with China on the world's biggest jetliner, the A380. Orders are badly needed on that program. Airbus Chief Operating Officer Fabrice Brégier met during a visit to Beijing in late October with CAAC director Feng Zhenglin to discuss Airbus's business operations in China, including aircraft airworthiness certification. An Airbus spokesman declined to say if the outstanding certification of Airbus's newest jets was discussed. Neither the CAAC nor the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs responded to a request for comment about certification delays. Airbus disputed the idea that political issues are affecting the pace of Chinese approvals. "This is a technical validation process ... not a political one," a spokesman for the company said. "The number of aircraft is small, and these will be delivered in the short term." China's aviation regulator is considered one of the most methodical and rigorous on the planet. But in the Chinese aerospace industry, much of what happens is linked to the country's long-term ambitions to compete against Boeing and Airbus. "The Chinese are pretty good in building pressure on certain desires they have," said one senior Airbus official. "The Chinese are playing it slow on granting [certification] on any aircraft program, be it Boeing or Airbus." Only in the closing days of last year was Airbus awarded Chinese certification for its new A321neo with Pratt & Whitney engines, the company said. That approval came nearly a year after many of the planes on order had already been made. Both A320neo and A321neo jets with CFM International engines have yet to win Chinese approval. It's common practice in the airplane business to add more orders even when previous commitments haven't been fulfilled. Chinese carriers took delivery of 424 airliners from Airbus and Boeing and other manufacturers in 2017, according to trade publication Air Transport World. Getting approval from the Chinese regulator has often come closely times around political visits that accompany other deals. Boeing won Chinese certification for its single-aisle 737 Max in mid- October, just before a visit to the country by President Trump in November. The U.S. and China also signed a new aviation safety agreement last fall after more than 10 years of negotiations. The Federal Aviation Administration denied there was any connection around the bilateral agreement and timing of aircraft certification. China is in the middle of finalizing a new bilateral aviation safety agreement with Europe that would recognize China's airworthiness standards. That would provide a major boost to Chinese plane makers and suppliers, who want to eventually sell Chinese-made airliners in Europe. China's first direct competitor to Boeing and Airbus's dominant single-aisle jets, the Comac C919, made its first test flight in May 2017. China over the years has asked Airbus to intervene with the European Aviation Safety Agency and the European Commission to help expedite the talks over the aviation safety agreement, say two people familiar with the requests. As the negotiations dragged on, so did the pace of certification. The talks between China and the European Commission were successfully completed in December, according to a European Commission spokesman. The agreement is expected to be signed in June, which the Commission says it expects will help advance certification for "European aviation products" in China. https://www.news8000.com/news/money/airbus-built-a-lot-of-planes-for-china-last-year-but-cant- deliver-them/685299195 Back to Top FAA drone registry tops 1 million U.S. Department of Transportation Secretary Elaine L. Chao has announced at the Consumer Electronics Show that the total number of drones now registered with the Federal Aviation Administration has eclipsed one million. The 1 million total registration figure includes 878,000 hobbyists, who receive one identification number for all the drones they own, and 122,000 commercial, public and other drones, which are individually registered. "The tremendous growth in drone registration reflects the fact that they are more than tools for commerce and trade, but can save lives, detect hazardous situations and assist with disaster recovery," said Chao. "The challenge is to remove unnecessary hurdles to enable the safe testing and integration of this technology into our country's airspace." In addition to being required by law, the registration process helps educate drone operators who are new to aviation by having them agree to the FAA's operating rules and increases airspace security by identifying drones with their owner. The agency also has used the registration database to push important safety messages to drone users. Registration was originally required under the FAA's small drone registration rule effective December 21, 2015. Under this rule, aircraft weighing more than 0.55 pounds (250 grams) and less than 55 pounds (approx. 25 kilograms), including payloads such as onboard cameras, must be registered. Overturned by a court decision in 2017, the rule was recently reinstated in the National Defense Authorization Act passed last December. Hobbyists and other users whose drones meet these requirements can register using the FAA's web-based registry system. Registration costs $5 and is valid for three years. Some unmanned aircraft must still be registered using the agency's paper-based traditional aircraft registration system. http://www.uasmagazine.com/articles/1803/faa-drone-registry-tops-1-million Back to Top Push to privatize air traffic control, backed by American and Southwest, may be permanently grounded WASHINGTON - A contentious proposal to privatize the nation's air traffic control system has circled in a legislative holding pattern for months, leaving major carriers like Dallas-based Southwest Airlines up in the air over one of their top priorities. Now one of Congress' biggest boosters of the idea is heading for the exits. Rep. Bill Shuster, GOP chairman of the House transportation committee, announced this month that he will retire at the end of this term. That further clouds the prospects for an overhaul that has struggled to take off even with the backing of President Donald Trump. And partisans on both sides are taking a fresh look at the state of play. Backers of the idea to shift the system to a private, nonprofit corporation argue that the shakeup could create renewed urgency. The White House remains on board. And though Shuster didn't mention the measure in his retirement announcement, his office said it remains a "high priority." But the proposal has always faced serious headwinds. General aviation interests, consumer advocacy groups and others have solidified opposition in Congress. And some policy adversaries, while remaining on guard, are signaling that the proposal has run out of fuel. "It's pretty well dead," said Oregon Rep. Peter DeFazio, a privatization critic who serves as the top Democrat on the House transportation committee. The nation's air traffic controls have long been under the policy spotlight. The system handles nearly 44,000 daily flights, keeping the most complex airspace in the world also one of the safest. And the Federal Aviation Administration has spent billions over the last several years to modernize the network with upgrades like satellite-based technology. Most everyone agrees there are improvements to be made. But Southwest, Fort Worth-based American Airlines and other heavyweights have gone further. They argue that the current system is inefficient, subjecting air travelers to delays. They say the ongoing modernization efforts are taking too long. And they offer up privatization as a way to unshackle air traffic control from Washington's political and bureaucratic morass. "For us, it's not some sort of ideological pursuit to shrink the size of the federal government," said David Richardson, Southwest's senior director of governmental affairs. "But the current system and the fits and starts of the funding streams ... it's not made for a 24/7 service provider." Trump seemed to offer the idea's best shot at passage last year after lashing out at the existing setup as an "ancient, broken, antiquated, horrible system that doesn't work." The White House put a privatization plan at the center of its infrastructure goals. Shuster pressed ahead last year to propose a corporation funded by user fees and overseen by 13 directors who would be chosen with input by everyone from the big airlines on down. And thanks to GOP support - for a variety of reasons - a House vote as part of a broader FAA bill looked imminent at times. "This is a legitimate way to shrink the size of government," said Rep. Blake Farenthold, R-Corpus Christi, who serves on the House transportation committee. "If you're a conservative, that's something you should support." But critics, dinging a lack of specifics, noted that no other country with privatized operations has a system with the size or scope of America's. Consumer advocates pointed to high-profile customer service flaps in the industry to question the removal of government oversight. And groups representing private pilots and rural airports worried about being muscled out by the big airlines, even after Shuster sought to provide those groups some protections. "Members all understand that today we have the safest, largest and most complex system in the world," said Jim Coon of the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association. "And they don't believe that turning this over to a board of special interests is going to be the solution." Those arguments resonated with Democrats like Dallas Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, who serves on the House transportation committee. They produced a chilly response, at best, in the Senate. And they hit home with House Republicans like Bryan Rep. Bill Flores. "This is the nation's air space - it's a unique asset," said Flores, who said he still has oversight concerns even after working with Shuster's office to iron out some worries. "You just don't turn over something like that to a corporation." The privatization idea faded over the last few months, particularly as Congress turned to the tax debate. And then came Shuster's retirement announcement, in which the Pennsylvania GOP'er said this month that he planned to focus 100 percent on a "much-needed infrastructure bill." So is that a full ground stop or not? A Shuster spokesman said "nothing has changed" in the chairman's priorities. A broader infrastructure bill could include air traffic control privatization if it's left out of an FAA bill. And Republicans like Dallas Rep. Pete Sessions expect Shuster to double down on the effort. That means the policy debate will continue - for now. "We have the next three or four months to see where this goes," said Richardson, the Southwest lobbyist. "Any further delays and you have to start talking about a Plan B. ... But we're going to keep plugging away." https://www.dallasnews.com/business/airlines/2018/01/12/moment-passed-air-traffic-control- privatization-idea-backed-american-southwest Back to Top SpaceX and Boeing Slated for Manned Space Missions By Year's End On Saturday afternoon, SpaceX successfully recovered a Dragon capsule that had returned from a cargo delivery to the International Space Station. The Dragon has so far been used mostly for those cargo runs, but it was also designed to carry crew - and NASA announced last week that it expects SpaceX to conduct a crewed test flight by the end of the year. SpaceX's crewed test flight is slated for December, after an uncrewed flight in August. Boeing will also be demonstrating its CST-100 Starliner capsule, with a crewed flight in November following an uncrewed flight in August. NASA's goal is to launch crews to the ISS from U.S. soil, a task that has fallen to Russia's space program since the retirement of the U.S. Space Shuttle program in 2011. NASA began looking for private launch companies to take over starting in 2010, and contracted both SpaceX and Boeing in 2014 to pursue crewed launches. The push to restore America's crewed spaceflight capacity has been delayed in part, according to a detailed survey by Ars Technica, by Congress redirecting funds in subsequent years. The test flights could determine whether Boeing or SpaceX conducts the first U.S. commercial space launch to the ISS. Whichever company gets that honor may also claim a symbolic U.S. flag stuck to a hatch on the space station. Sources speaking to Ars describe the race between the two companies as too close to call, and say that a push to early 2019 is entirely possible. But in an apparent vote of confidence, NASA has already begun naming astronauts to helm the flights. SpaceX did experience an unfortunately timed failure just after NASA's timeline announcement. Despite a successful launch, the secretive Zuma mission appears to have failed at the deployment stage. Though causes of the failure are still unclear, one SpaceX customer has blamed it on contractor Northrup Grumman, rather than on SpaceX. http://fortune.com/2018/01/14/spacex-boeing-crewed-space-missions/ Curt Lewis