June 25, 2018 - No. 050 In This Issue Airbus, Thai Airways in maintenance facility joint venture Less Experienced Maintainers Contribute to Rise in Naval Aviation Mishaps Airport begins project expected to create hundreds of jobs West Star Aviation Launches Maintenance Event Portal for Customers OBAP Launches Luke Weathers Flight Academy in Olive Branch Georgia's Myway Technics enters regional MRO market. Turkey Receives First F-35 Despite Political Row Airlines to Deploy N50bn VAT Waiver to Lower Air Fares, Maintenance, Employment Japan's NCA delays resumption of ops by several weeks How SpaceX's Falcon Heavy Just Muscled Its Way Into a $130 Million Military Contract Airbus, Thai Airways in maintenance facility joint venture BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thai Airways International Pcl and Airbus SE signed a joint venture agreement for a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility, the carrier said on Friday. The aviation maintenance hub will be set up at Thailand's U-Tapao Airport, a joint civil-military airport near the country's eastern seaboard, 150 kilometres east of Bangkok. Thai Airways previously said that facility would cost about 11 billion baht ($338 million) of which the joint venture would pay 4 billion baht and the remaining would come from the Thai Navy's budget. The partnership is the latest MRO project for Thai Airways, which announced earlier this month it would begin servicing Rolls-Royce Trent engines. https://www.reuters.com/article/uk-thai-airways-airbus/airbus-thai-airways-in-maintenance-facility-joint-venture-idUSKBN1JI2C0 [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001EYZpUVauqrnLnoVkT4np7cbkTS1MTufIZyvjm-O8fu7VRWO0XfQVzxaSCx6rmwLCtXX5eD8WbVoPscW8KRNnqz6P_VKKBNHiFrgaRiKG789qkuWU-28lFK2g3p4wtQ4ungJKLglFNIrvKlEWmVOsHr02XO3Ly052nVxU7g4ZGBcWi2XHAWlt82xwM1V2ta_4NOK2373IE73dkMl5fX2hc6tq5_wKAhdW3uaMSAbAdtIr8BsM9wJWXaPQL8RZwTteqsksAz8sGbQPcolyY6VSWlAk77F1dVL1bQLt5SUKFh1u0ebzsznwf1dPqECnMd5E&c=_bIqb3aAsWflfaed76uEULClgfw7qDHih7yn_hTmSqAldTgYQKUZtg==&ch=ZbSqxX2aJRIWIxuyp8UA7PYxnE6xn3gfCzai3MCP0oEsWzOZCwzuPw==] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Less Experienced Maintainers Contribute to Rise in Naval Aviation Mishaps The Navy and Marine Corps found that less experience in their aviation maintenance crews has contributed to a sharp rise in Class C mishaps - often taking place during aircraft towing or repair work - and are taking steps to reverse this trend. The Navy has settled on a plan to double the length of some enlisted maintainers' first shore tours, the Marine Corps has revamped its maintainer training and retention and aircraft towing policies, and both services are working together to make better use of near-miss data to find trends and avoid future mishaps before they happen. Rear Adm. Roy Kelley, commander of Naval Air Forces Atlantic, said Class C mishaps, which involve $50,000 to $500,000 in damages to aircraft or a nonfatal injury, have doubled in the Navy since 2012. "We have determined from the Naval Safety Center and the Center for Naval Analyses damage sustained during maintenance is the leading cause of these mishaps, with the analysis pointing towards maintainers that are less experienced," Kelley said late Thursday afternoon during his opening statement in a hearing of the House Armed Services readiness subcommittee. "The reduced experience is being addressed by doubling the length of orders for shore-based apprentice maintainers from two to four years, enabling them to gain additional experience and qualifications." Kelley told reporters after the hearing that two-thirds of the Class C mishaps were related to maintenance. According to written testimony from a previous House Armed Services Committee hearing on aviation safety, from Fiscal Year 2008 to FY 2017, the Navy's Class C mishap rate rose from about seven and a half per 100,000 flight hours to about 22 mishaps per 100,000 flight hours. For the Marine Corps in that same time period, Class C mishaps rose from about 10 to about 27 per 100,000 flight hours, according to the document. o stop the trend, Kelley said the Navy wants to get enlisted maintainers more experience at the very beginning of their careers, and then help ensure that their expertise is put to best use in their later assignments. "The difference in the enlisted experience that we have in E-5s, E-6s, is about a year and a half short of what it used to be 10 years ago. So to give you an example, if you had an E-6 that 10 years ago in the same timeframe in their career had 11-and-a-half years of experience, today they would have 10 years," the admiral said. "So that difference. Also the fact that we have people that are being assigned, they have helicopter backgrounds and they're going to F-18 squadrons or vice versa. We're now clarifying specific qualifications at the Bureau of Naval Personnel through this AMEX (Aviation Maintenance Experience Management) program ... It's not just a matter of what is their rate, as in an AD, an aviation mechanic on an engine - it goes through and talks about what qualifications that person has, and then we look at the squadron and say, what do they need? Well they need an AD-1 that has this particular qualification. So we can match them up and bring the experience levels they need in the squadrons." Kelley said a pilot program called AMEX 1 has already taken place, with AMEX 2 coming up to continue testing the experience management tool. The pilot program is taking place at Naval Air Station Lemoore because that is a primary place that aircraft maintainers would go if their first tour was a shore duty. "Usually we try to send them to sea first, but if it's a shore-based tour then we try to make it short. That's why it was two years. As a result, they were being assigned to locations like (Strike Fighter Squadron) VFA-122, the training squadron there in Lemoore, and to AIMD, our maintenance depot that's located there. They weren't getting experience (in just two years), and then we were sending them out to sea. So we said, if you really want to get use of those people, give them two more years so ... you've got a more experienced sailor now in the next unit they go to at sea," Kelley added, explaining the move from a two-year tour to a four-year tour for aviation maintenance apprentices in their first assignment. On the Marine Corps side, Deputy Commandant for Aviation Lt. Gen. Steven Rudder said FY 2017 was a tough year for the Marines when it came to Class A mishaps, or those that involve a fatality or loss of an aircraft. Each of the 12 Class A incidents was unique, he said - including one aircraft maintainer who was struck by lightning and died - and so drawing broad conclusions is tough. On the Class C mishaps, though, he also pointed to inexperience among the enlisted maintainers. Rudder said the bulk of the Class C mishaps occurred when "young Marines trying to do the right things" ended up "towing very expensive airplanes into things. So we've revamped our whole towing policy - most of these happen during night crew, which to most is when most of the work gets done for the next day's schedule - and we've increased the level of expertise and [non-commissioned officer] leadership to our night crews." Additionally, he told reporters after the hearing, "one of the ways that we've found has been helpful in retention is rewarding those that have achieved higher level qualifications on working on that airplane. So in the Marine Corps we promote if you can shoot well, you can run, you are in shape, and you're smart. In aviation maintenance, we would like to reward people that can do all those things as well as be a professional, qualified mechanic on an F-35 or V-22. And so we gave them recently, last year we gave them an additional [military occupational specialty] and when they went to reenlist, if they did re-enlist, we gave them a bonus kicker for reenlisting. And part of that reenlistment was, you get that $20,000 and we kept you in a squadron for another two years, you didn't go anywhere else." He clarified that those maintainers would either stay in their same squadron or move to another similar operational squadron, but the focus would be on keeping their skill set in the operational and deployable fleet to support Marine aviation. Regarding Class A mishaps, Rudder said during his opening statement that, "despite the fact that we are well within our normal rates for the 10-year average, [Fiscal Year 2017] was not good and it has our full attention." Of the 12 mishaps he spoke of, 20 percent occurred at sea, 40 percent occurred in an expeditionary environment, and 60 percent occurred during a deployment. Two of the Class A mishaps occurred on the ground: the fatal lightning strike, and a flash fire incident that injured two Marines. Though there were not common themes among the dozen Class A incidents, Rudder assured the subcommittee that each and every one was investigated and led to corrective actions. When a KC-130T crashed and killed 15 Marines and a Navy hospital corpsman, it was unclear what caused the crash, since a C-130 hadn't crashed in more than a decade, Rudder said. But the Marine Corps, out of an abundance of caution, grounded the remaining KC-130T squadron until the propellers on each of its 12 planes were replaced. When a MV-22 Osprey crashed into the back of a ship off the coast of Australia and killed three Marines aboard, the Navy and Marine Corps reduced the allowable maximum weight and increased the required wind envelop for Ospreys landing on ships to create a greater power margin during landings, as USNI News previously reported. When an Osprey crashed in a reduced visibility situation in an undisclosed location in U.S. Central Command, though the crew had been legally allowed to fly the aircraft in that situation, the Marine Corps decided to change its requirements to reflect those of the Air Force's special operators, who require more training time in reduced visibility situations before allowing their pilots to land in the dirt or sand during operations. "While there's still no direct link between low readiness rates and causation to Class A mishap rates, we continue to believe a true metric of health of naval aviation is aircrew flight hours. Well trained, practiced aviators react to malfunctions and difficult circumstances far better and are much less likely to make mistakes, which in turn allow them to react in a fluid situation or unforeseen event." To that end, the Marine Corps is working hard to increase pilots' monthly flight hours, especially for those not deployed or working up for an imminent deployment. The service considers 15 hours a month per pilot the safe level, and 16.9 hours the level for combat readiness. In 2016, Rudder said, pilots were averaging 13.5 hours a month; in 2017 that was up to 15.4 hours, and today the service sits at 17.2 hours. Though causation isn't proven, Rudder noted that last year's mishap rate was 3.99 mishaps per 100,000 flight hours, and today the Marine Corps sits at around 1.7, due to three Class A mishaps so far in FY 2018. Knock on wood, he said, the service is seeing not only more flight hours but safer operations this year. On the Navy side, Kelley said, it is clear that investments in readiness-builders like spare parts, maintenance and logistics are paying off. At NAS Lemoore, VFA-122, the fleet replacement squadron that teaches new fighter pilots how to fly tactical airplanes, only had six ready airplanes just five months ago. Last week, Kelley said, the squadron had 25 mission-capable planes for new pilots to fly. "While a ready fleet is a lethal fleet, it must also be a safe fleet. Our goal is to have zero preventable mishaps. But for those that do occur, we rigorously investigate and disseminate the lessons learned to help prevent the mishap from happening again," Kelley said. To that end, the Navy and Marine Corps are investing in a new Aviation Safety Awareness Program that the Air Force currently uses that allows anonymous reporting of safety concerns and near-miss incidents. Rudder said they amount to a hotline for aviators to report anything from an increase in birds near a runway to potentially hazardous civilian traffic in military flight paths to unsafe behavior by colleagues. Squadrons' safety officers can review the data, which is also passed up the chain and analyzed with data analytics tools to allow for trend analysis and more predictive analysis of safety issues. https://news.usni.org/2018/06/22/less-experienced-maintainers-contribute-rise-naval-aviation-mishaps [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001EYZpUVauqrnLnoVkT4np7cbkTS1MTufIZyvjm-O8fu7VRWO0XfQVzxaSCx6rmwLCxJvnH6vIZbnrru8WPF_DGx7fw5Rn4_mShPt808Nxq5DRq_5dgJ3dK1yWrLC0nLWcLh0MAJwnkMm1BE5VJTA7JcNxQV599hOtoQ56PyzHl26r5VImhtOUpwOL7AvwZjRghlIeVOcPCsj1zX8KxRRklWxTUzmYKal1Vgqb7CzMIpjgAqyQquW8nb573iUeobyDW-MVwd9cS-dRzFrYJtoEol1Asa-iS3OL&c=_bIqb3aAsWflfaed76uEULClgfw7qDHih7yn_hTmSqAldTgYQKUZtg==&ch=ZbSqxX2aJRIWIxuyp8UA7PYxnE6xn3gfCzai3MCP0oEsWzOZCwzuPw==] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Airport begins project expected to create hundreds of jobs LAKELAND - For years, there has been talk about why the city can't bring a commercial airline to Lakeland Linder. That discussion may be on the back burner for a bit as focus has shifted toward a $32 million construction project that includes a new international air cargo business and the potential for 400 jobs at a proposed aircraft maintenance facility. The opening of a U.S. Customs office at Lakeland Linder Regional Airport made it an international airport; by adding the maintenance facility and expanding the Customs services to include international freight, it will also be an industrial one. The maintenance facility has been discussed for years, but was temporarily delayed as the airport focused its time and resources on landing the federal contract with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration "Hurricane Hunters" unit. Now construction on the 42-acre maintenance and air cargo facility project is set to begin in July and last about a year. Once that first phase is completed, businesses could be lured to the airport to open a maintenance, repair and overhaul company for large jets, said Gene Conrad, airport director. "We have several opportunities we're working on now," Conrad said when asked which companies are interested in bringing their business to Lakeland. The initial $13 million construction west of the terminal involves building a ramp for hangar and cargo space, creating utilities, wetland mitigation and storm water management. Conrad and Sean Malott, head of the Central Florida Development Council, were at a Polk County commission meeting on Tuesday. The Commission approved a $500,000 infrastructure grant to the city of Lakeland. n addition, a state grant for $6.5 million and a state loan of $4.6 million to be repaid from lease revenues will help fund the project. After the meeting, Malott said the airport's plans are the "next evolution of business" for an area with 9 million people within 100 miles. "We think this is a big opportunity," Malott said. Of the 400 potential jobs, about 250 would be well above the median household income in Polk. It means that perishables or cut flowers could be flown into Lakeland then transported to a destination in Central Florida. For example, Conrad said he's had conversations with a company that could bring avocados from another country into Lakeland. Currently, much of the perishable and cut flower business comes into Miami, Conrad said. It would take a shipping company, such as Old Dominion or Forward Air, to open a site at the airport for the service to begin. Currently, the airport does not have customs clearance for cargo, and can only clear passengers for entry into the U.S. But Conrad said the airport would work with federal officials in Tampa and the USDA to obtain additional personnel to clear aircraft carrying perishables. Conrad said the city could lease the space or possibly partner with the state to build hangars for potential businesses looking to come to Lakeland Linder. Lakeland Mayor Bill Mutz said the proposal brings big possibilities. "The airport for us is the epicenter of future opportunities," Mutz said. In the coming weeks, Mutz noted the city commission will vote on whether to strike "regional" from its name and set "international" in its place. The proposed maintenance facility could also be the end of a skill-building pipeline for students at Traviss Technical College and the Central Florida Aerospace Academy. After graduating from one of the schools, students can earn a certificate to work on airframes and aviation engines within six months. Boeing estimates nearly 120,000 new technicians will be needed in North America over the next two decades. Mutz said some of that shortage can be addressed in Polk County. "We can triple the number of students we are serving today," Mutz said. And Mutz and Conrad said they haven't given up on commercial air. The city wants to lure a large carrier to fly two or three flights a day from Lakeland to hub cities, such as to and from Atlanta on Delta Airlines or Charlotte on American Airlines. "The economy is in a good spot right now, airlines are making record profits and the population here is growing," Conrad said. "Our people here and businesses need to be able to move freely and get in and out." "If we fly to a large hub, we can get anywhere in the world and that's the goal," he said. http://www.newschief.com/news/20180623/airport-begins-project-expected-to-create-hundreds-of-jobs [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001EYZpUVauqrnLnoVkT4np7cbkTS1MTufIZyvjm-O8fu7VRWO0XfQVzxaSCx6rmwLCOtdgYJpu1KTPp0DBeytFn5E4bqLYRKIj4iypUtOl2bJuP0ZphBIdCYB6yF1aWMMMUPms1XG8boEJmz68MutRKhFBjRCOHj2U8Ne9GarDvdFXlGxjjcKM0c0uwvsFHZYnYuLV6IGj7hLUclaPfT6UK6avGBvXOibo9DOhi60cAXVi2y0_NB_5u8yKAQFUozqmRRjdJD0sxsDE6Lg5w1valA==&c=_bIqb3aAsWflfaed76uEULClgfw7qDHih7yn_hTmSqAldTgYQKUZtg==&ch=ZbSqxX2aJRIWIxuyp8UA7PYxnE6xn3gfCzai3MCP0oEsWzOZCwzuPw==] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ West Star Aviation Launches Maintenance Event Portal for Customers June 21, 2018 - West Star Aviation is pleased to announce that the company has launched a maintenance event portal for their customers as the latest tool to stay connected while their aircraft is in work. The new portal was driven by the input of West Star's customers and will make communication between customers and West Star quicker and more efficient. The user-friendly portal makes it easy for customers to approve squawks online, provides approval status, labor, parts, service and other squawk charges, connects customers and lead technicians, and allows technicians to supply specific detailed photos regarding squawks. "We are thrilled to be able to deliver yet another tool for our customers to stay connected with the world-class experience of the West Star Aviation team. Our objective was to use customer input in shaping the development to ensure it included all the features and capabilities they find useful and provide a quicker and more efficient way for our customers to connect with our team," said Matt Vogel, Manager of IT for West Star Aviation. West Star will be offering this service to customers who have their aircraft in-house at any of their full-service facilities. For more information or to access the portal, please connect with your program manager. http://www.aviationpros.com/press_release/12418035/west-star-aviation-launches-maintenance-event-portal-for-customers [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001EYZpUVauqrnLnoVkT4np7cbkTS1MTufIZyvjm-O8fu7VRWO0XfQVzxaSCx6rmwLCJxSqyx11slQm1qTDaCj1zFVNkUIxJjzpfZAZTHUFpLTKfThLeCTO_EhTCaP6ugFSBNDq46gfHG8W5YWdHGvbIkk7p4VeDukToH0hbHGl_9OBxrEyhjgZYGTsB5VRA_qVjeZx8UMzZAQ22Ds0QyPVlKv4znpT_Rxf43UiMEey3zeRxC7l4dtJ2QlqMMCmIUnOwdJD2qZU8928feYHpkF99xxGjXFlDJC-N-4Cd5nhVrI=&c=_bIqb3aAsWflfaed76uEULClgfw7qDHih7yn_hTmSqAldTgYQKUZtg==&ch=ZbSqxX2aJRIWIxuyp8UA7PYxnE6xn3gfCzai3MCP0oEsWzOZCwzuPw==] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ OBAP Launches Luke Weathers Flight Academy in Olive Branch With initial plans to increase diversity of the airline industry by 50 pilots per year within the next five years, the Organization of Black Aerospace Professionals has opened the Lt. Col. Luke Weathers Jr. Flight Academy at the Olive Branch Airport. The academy also hopes to train more than 225 Memphis-area high school students to become certified flight instructors or secure private and instrument ratings by the year 2025. Attendees at the Wednesday, June 20, opening at the airport's north hangar on Jack Cross Road included Olive Branch Mayor Scott Phillips, along with 50 Memphis-area students from the organization's Memphis Aviation Career Education (ACE) Academy and from the East High School T-Stem Academy. The students were able to take orientation flights, many of them flying for the first time. "The kids that we see walking around today who are part of the program may possibly be the ones who are flying us one day," said Phillips, who mentioned the fact that a good number of FedEx's 4,300 pilots are nearing retirement age. "This is a prime opportunity for all of the young people out there. There's going to be jobs [available] for the next 10 years." Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony, attendees toured the new facility, which features historical exhibits and various flight simulators. "I'm trying to get my grandson involved in aviation," said Mubaarik Sulaimaan, who brought his grandson, Jaheim, to the event. "I'm trying to introduce him to everything." Lt. Col. Luke Weathers Jr., a member of the Tuskegee Airmen who flew 112 combat missions, was the first African-American air-traffic controller for the Federal Aviation Administration at the Memphis International Airport. "My father had a vision of flight school and was always ahead of his time," said Trina Weathers-Boyce, Weathers' youngest daughter. "When he retired in 1985, he would go back across the country implementing and instilling his vision and passing his torch to the aviators so that they could carry on his legacy so that it would never die. Today is the result of that." "Aviation was his life," added his son, Luke Weathers III. The new flight academy will offer Far 141 and 161 Flight Training, JET Transition Training, a Maintenance and Air Traffic Control Academy, UAV Pilot Training, Air Force Candidate Flight Training and a Military Rotor Fixed Wing Transition program for helicopter pilots seeking to broaden their skillset. On June 25, 1945, Weathers Jr. became the first African-American to receive the key to the City of Memphis declaring the day "Luke Weathers, Jr. Day." The establishment of the LWFA offers training opportunities for students from Memphis-area schools who possess a desire to fly. "We're very excited to be a part of OBAP and the organizations to help train the future airline pilots and aviation professionals," said Capt. Ken Hammerton, who operates Air Venture Flight Center along with his wife. Representatives from the local aviation industry were also on hand to tout the growing need for airline maintenance technicians (AMTs). "You can't fly a broken airplane," joked Maurice Thomas, senior manager of FedEx Aircraft Maintenance. "Before all of that takes place, you have to have someone to maintain that aircraft. There's going to be a tremendous shortage over the next 10 years, not only for pilots but also for people to maintain those aircraft." He cites a 4.9 percent increase in AMTs expected over the next decade compared to a 9 percent increase in airline manufacturing expected during that same time. OBAP is a nonprofit organization founded in 1976 that focuses on the encouragement and advancement of minorities in all aviation and aerospace careers. "Through the establishment of the Luke Weathers Flight Academy, OBAP is poised to further its commitment to diversifying the industry - offering competitive training, localized support, need-based grants and scholarships," Capt. Albert Glenn, academy director and a FedEx 777 pilot, said in a prepared statement. "Through OBAP, and strategic community partners, exemplary cadets in the Academy can also benefit from access to a network of more than 3,000 aerospace professionals worldwide." Community partners on the new academy include Shelby County Schools, Air Venture Flight Center, CTI Professional Flight Training, Tuskegee Airmen, Inc., the National Black Coalition of Federal Aviation Employees (NBCFAE), Memphis Blackhawks, Tuskegee Next and Taste of Aviation. https://www.memphisdailynews.com/news/2018/jun/25/obap-launches-luke-weathers-flight-academy-in-olive-branch/ [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001EYZpUVauqrnLnoVkT4np7cbkTS1MTufIZyvjm-O8fu7VRWO0XfQVzxaSCx6rmwLCJIlGSYlLhTV1j3auUcBqzraoePS3iTjunDXF52aNpJrJ_PLo6ESPyeaHGo51sMx66bLFmgWexO6eKOQbtMCI9wzLKdcu282QEPjymfIMi18w7wC7MIQNKisg_FasJfc3VP8XdYG81Ua7OswBBH1JY1jSwD5LuwFmbf4AWKG2Xv4ajx33PATsz5EB5wOXC1jomfH9fkkQxIi_uqr7NetTKKj7N_iE9wZsqjy9IZ0WWrk=&c=_bIqb3aAsWflfaed76uEULClgfw7qDHih7yn_hTmSqAldTgYQKUZtg==&ch=ZbSqxX2aJRIWIxuyp8UA7PYxnE6xn3gfCzai3MCP0oEsWzOZCwzuPw==] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Georgia's Myway Technics enters regional MRO market Georgian start-up carrier Myway Airlines, backed by China's Hualing Group, has announced the launch of a maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services provider called Myway Technics, which will cater for the continued airworthiness of the airline's fleet of Boeing 737NGs. Although not formally connected, the two companies share more than a common name. Myway Technics was founded by George Zhang, a Chinese national and the airline's director, and will initially focus on maintaining the aircraft operated by Myway Airlines. However, its ambition is to eventually offer third-party maintenance services. Myway Technics won its approval from the Georgian aviation authorities in late March this year. Certification entitles the company to provide line maintenance up to 2A-Checks on Boeing 737NG aircraft, Georgy Berdzenishvili, head of Myway Technics and technical director of Myway Airlines has advised Russian Aviation Insider. The provider is already performing line maintenance servicing of Myway Airlines' Boeing 737-800 at Tbilisi International Airport, and plans to open another line station at Batumi, as the airline prepares for the launch of regular services from that airport too. The new provider is facing substantial competition though, as Georgia's aircraft MRO market is anything but underserved. National flagship carrier Georgian Airways, for example, runs its own maintenance facilities, and there is also the existing, locally-based Airplane Technics, and Lithuanian FL Technics. However, Myway Technics is ambitious to eventually start offering services to third-party carriers. To expand its capabilities, it plans to obtain approvals for Boeing 737CL and Airbus A320 family aircraft. "When this will happen depends on customers. In the meantime we are working on obtaining the EASA Part 145 certificate," Berdzenishvili reveals, adding that no component maintenance is considered at this moment. When faced with the question of what inspired the airline to launch its own in-house maintenance facility instead of relying on existing providers, he said the company believes that the MRO sector is "a long-term profitable and strategic business." He also claimed the company has already received interest from other airlines in the region. Myway Airline, which launched commercial operations on March 31, plans to grow its current fleet of two Boeing 737-800s with the financial backing of Hualing Group, a major investor in the Georgian economy. http://www.rusaviainsider.com/georgias-myway-technics-enters-regional-mro-market/ [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001EYZpUVauqrnLnoVkT4np7cbkTS1MTufIZyvjm-O8fu7VRWO0XfQVzxaSCx6rmwLCbwwNXY1wWX1ms28JJtvH9erjHm136gV-cMSQvoubT6JoHDSlpc3xwqzZqvNL42uO3_hoDY9rxm5oePyTh85WS3S5oXNcjlQLMLPo8Q1ZroGj8dxDfKbh6NLqECuhvjHVJZdoW38QRSAa34Ovlmu3YHA0MMmPgTkHyHowxAkuhSsUJNFANFjAjCHwFW67FDaw&c=_bIqb3aAsWflfaed76uEULClgfw7qDHih7yn_hTmSqAldTgYQKUZtg==&ch=ZbSqxX2aJRIWIxuyp8UA7PYxnE6xn3gfCzai3MCP0oEsWzOZCwzuPw==] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Turkey Receives First F-35 Despite Political Row A delivery ceremony for Turkey's first F-35A stealth fighter went ahead at Fort Worth yesterday, despite Congressional action that could prevent the aircraft leaving the U.S. The Senate version of the Fiscal Year 2019 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) refers to deteriorating relations with Turkey in general and the nation's planned acquisition of the Russian S-400 SAM system in particular. The F-35 that was unveiled is one of two that is scheduled to fly to Luke AFB later this month, where Turkish air force pilots and maintainers will train on them for the next 16 months. Although the Pentagon has made clear its opposition to Turkey's S-400 deal, CNN reported that Secretary of Defense James Mattis is opposed to the Senate action, and is trying to prevent the language from appearing in the final NDAA. But no U.S. government or military official spoke at the delivery ceremony, and Turkey was represented only by mid-level officials. In theory, a law already enacted by the U.S. Congress could also prevent Turkey from operating F-35s. It sanctions countries that buy Russian defense equipment. Turkey has been a level-two partner in the F-35 program since 2002, when it joined early in the System Design and Development (SDD) phase. It has stated a requirement for 100 aircraft, and the Turkish aerospace industry is providing parts and software for the entire program. In late 2014, the F-35 Joint Program Office (JPO) chose Turkey as the location for overhauls of the jet's F135 engine. Pratt & Whitney created a joint venture in Izmir with Kale Aero in 2010, to manufacture parts for the F135. Turkey's first F-35 was shown at the ceremony with a SOM-J cruise missile developed by Roketsan and Tubitak-SAGE, and a 500-pound bomb equipped with the HGK GPS/INS guidance kit developed by the latter company. Turkish air force Maj. Gen. Rehar Ufuker said that both these Turkish weapons would be integrated with the F-35 "in the near future." Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control has partnered with Roketsan to jointly develop and market the SOM-J. Lockheed Martin leadership made no reference to the Senate action at the ceremony. However, chairman, president and CEO Marillyn Hewson said that the F-35 is "a decisive strategic tool [in cementing] strong and effective alliances." Ufuker echoed the sentiment, saying that Turkey's F-35s would "contribute greatly to the NATO alliance and regional security." The country is offering to provide aircrew and maintenance training for other NATO allies that are buying F-35s, he added. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/defense/2018-06-22/turkey-receives-first-f-35-despite-political-row [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001EYZpUVauqrnLnoVkT4np7cbkTS1MTufIZyvjm-O8fu7VRWO0XfQVzxaSCx6rmwLCd7sYW1bNUjOIoY40yDygbhRQnf49yHNGGhzV-_DtNqNY7zJxphsuhotyCzn9rlMCY1RV-Qd-qTImKyfkFeo-r-wBjxgy90aqdDMuOMpE9213uVhEOuwBoGYXHJUZwTOCkMdyyYZw10EmZHN5f1aUVVsSyQQiwTNmrZ15OlkW4BUih7YRSOHsmSB84HZQOTwtx9_847IxY10y-K9ihbmEDP1JAh2CGOs_&c=_bIqb3aAsWflfaed76uEULClgfw7qDHih7yn_hTmSqAldTgYQKUZtg==&ch=ZbSqxX2aJRIWIxuyp8UA7PYxnE6xn3gfCzai3MCP0oEsWzOZCwzuPw==] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Airlines to Deploy N50bn VAT Waiver to Lower Air Fares, Maintenance, Employment Domestic airlines has said the recent Value Added Tax (VAT) waiver given to them by the federal government estimated to be about N50 billion annually would give them relief financially, provide them with fund for lower air fares, aircraft maintenance, and to create more employment in the sector. The airlines said increased passenger movement in the domestic routes would boost the financial contribution of the sector to the GDP, increase revenue for the aviation agencies and enhance aircraft acquisition. Recently, the federal government issued an Executive Order for the removal of VAT from all forms of transportation, but before now it is only domestic airlines among different modes of transportation that paid VAT. VAT is the deduction of 5 per cent from the passenger's airfare remitted to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), while the airlines also pay 5 per cent charge to the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (to be shared by four other agencies in the aviation industry). The CEO of Aero Contractors, Captain Ado Sanusi said the waiver would bring down air fares and make more people to travel by air and increase airlines' profit margin. Sanusi said one of the major reasons why airlines fail in Nigeria was lack of financial liquidity, noting that the charges and taxes squeeze airlines to the extent that they generate revenue without profits, so with the waiver, Nigerian airlines would save the 5 per cent fund, which is huge amount of money when put together. The Chief Operating Officer of Dana Air, Obi Mbanuzuo said the waiver would reduce the financial burden on the airlines, which would improve their operations, make more funds available for aircraft maintenance, leasing and also enhance spare parts acquisition, noting that these are inevitable expenses, which airlines squeeze out funds to attend to after the payment of taxes and charges. The Chairman and CEO of Air Peace, Allen Onyema said the money saved from the exemption of VAT would be used by airlines to maintain their fleet, acquire more aircraft and also create jobs, adding that payment of VAT eroded the revenue of airlines and might have contributed to the collapse of many of them in the past. "The exemption of VAT payment for airlines will save thousands of jobs. Aviation is capital intensive with very meagre return on investment but it creates jobs. Airlines will recoup money for proper maintenance of their fleet, and increase their capacity and acquisition of more aircraft. President Buhari loves indigenous companies. "Every year Nigerian airlines pay several billions of naira as VAT. Nobody listens to airlines all these years until now. But this is a listening President. My colleagues and I are highly encouraged by this decision," Onyema said. https://www.thisdaylive.com/index.php/2018/06/24/airlines-to-deploy-n50bn-vat-waiver-to-lower-air-fares-mainte [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001EYZpUVauqrnLnoVkT4np7cbkTS1MTufIZyvjm-O8fu7VRWO0XfQVzxaSCx6rmwLCXAjL8UCnTZ3t2DDfx2HdDhcVz866sWGkQvwXroBTyMoGfkbqrjWs42rR1ovS8lB36o7N4KxkVp-2kO_lG77T6ZwkZ8pbNqVfzKXPyKoWz_TxCdRgRZaDicm130Mh9m91pDaMAPrIwQp_re5i9Mcq-lIqbJ3jG_MAl6jxusrNZoCI1e94chYiEXxWFRGMKzX5Zvd9esuAMjPFil-qBavgqDquKJrDnHYhLl52fSx3UxLvW0-W5lSNwy9k0Mq3kNst&c=_bIqb3aAsWflfaed76uEULClgfw7qDHih7yn_hTmSqAldTgYQKUZtg==&ch=ZbSqxX2aJRIWIxuyp8UA7PYxnE6xn3gfCzai3MCP0oEsWzOZCwzuPw==]nance-employment/ [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001EYZpUVauqrnLnoVkT4np7cbkTS1MTufIZyvjm-O8fu7VRWO0XfQVzxaSCx6rmwLCXAjL8UCnTZ3t2DDfx2HdDhcVz866sWGkQvwXroBTyMoGfkbqrjWs42rR1ovS8lB36o7N4KxkVp-2kO_lG77T6ZwkZ8pbNqVfzKXPyKoWz_TxCdRgRZaDicm130Mh9m91pDaMAPrIwQp_re5i9Mcq-lIqbJ3jG_MAl6jxusrNZoCI1e94chYiEXxWFRGMKzX5Zvd9esuAMjPFil-qBavgqDquKJrDnHYhLl52fSx3UxLvW0-W5lSNwy9k0Mq3kNst&c=_bIqb3aAsWflfaed76uEULClgfw7qDHih7yn_hTmSqAldTgYQKUZtg==&ch=ZbSqxX2aJRIWIxuyp8UA7PYxnE6xn3gfCzai3MCP0oEsWzOZCwzuPw==] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Japan's NCA delays resumption of ops by several weeks NCA - Nippon Cargo Airlines (KZ, Tokyo Narita) has delayed its proposed resumption of flight operations beyond the originally anticipated date of June 24. The Japnese freight carrier suspended all flights last weekend to allow it to verify the maintenance logs for its entire fleet of eight B747-8(F)s and three B747-400(FSCD)s. The move came after discrepancies in the maintenance logs for B747-8(F) JA14KZ (msn 37394) were uncovered during a routine inspection. In an update issued June 22, NCA said the verification process was taking longer than anticipated and that the first aircraft may only return to service in several weeks' time. "With regard to our aircraft whose operations were temporarily suspended on June 17, 2018, we are currently checking their operational soundness," it said. "Regarding our work's compliance, it will take more time than initially expected to complete a detailed due diligence. We anticipate it will take at least several weeks to check the operational soundness of the first aircraft and return it to operation. As for the remaining planes, as soon as their soundness is confirmed, we plan to return them to service sequentially." https://www.ch-aviation.com/portal/news/68367-japans-nca-delays-resumption-of-ops-by-several-weeks [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001EYZpUVauqrnLnoVkT4np7cbkTS1MTufIZyvjm-O8fu7VRWO0XfQVzxaSCx6rmwLCFQPDerWqrLKs61GKHhk2nfI9dHvdRYPj5LOfK1g-AetofdWpnX6E1bYGAtHh59me-ZiojAjoS262TUVps45MIAmNN4omYLoLMNhQkTjP6cIG5qHb11gYq-M53dZQx9MTEqs9ZaUzwAx_ZcVEEWSC2IvE4FDtruUZ8Q1iQ3cbS6VdTBuKHwN2YIBvZzzEKHSNGzDbSYzZQlVYgpslkXPitA==&c=_bIqb3aAsWflfaed76uEULClgfw7qDHih7yn_hTmSqAldTgYQKUZtg==&ch=ZbSqxX2aJRIWIxuyp8UA7PYxnE6xn3gfCzai3MCP0oEsWzOZCwzuPw==] Back to Top ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ How SpaceX's Falcon Heavy Just Muscled Its Way Into a $130 Million Military Contract SpaceX beat out United Launch Alliance once again. Elon Musk's aerospace company won its first contract to launch a classified military satellite on its Falcon Heavy rocket, beating out ULA, a joint venture between heavy-hitters Boeing and Lockheed Martin. SpaceX first disrupted ULA's long-held monopoly on military launch contracts with a contract win in 2016. The Falcon Heavy rocket is due to launch with the government's AFSPC-52 satellite in 2020 from Kennedy Space Center in Florida. The contract, which cost the Air Force $130 million, is actually a much smaller sum than the average cost to launch ULA's Delta IV. The Falcon Heavy is not only cheaper to launch, but is also the world's largest and most powerful rocket, offering it a distinct advantage as SpaceX tries to disrupt launch contracting for both aerospace and national security projects. "On behalf of all of our employees, I want to thank the Air Force for certifying Falcon Heavy, awarding us this critically important mission, and for their trust and confidence in our company," said SpaceX president Gwynne Shotwell in a statement. "SpaceX is pleased to continue offering the American taxpayer the most cost-effective, reliable launch services for vital national security space missions." SpaceX successfully launched the Falcon Heavy rocket for the first time in Februaryafter seven years of development and testing. That the company was able to win an Air Force contract is an indication of the government's confidence in its rocket, and could pave the way for further contracts. http://fortune.com/2018/06/22/spacex-falcon-heavy-military-launch-contract/ [http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?f=001EYZpUVauqrnLnoVkT4np7cbkTS1MTufIZyvjm-O8fu7VRWO0XfQVzxaSCx6rmwLC6A2oL9ZR9PNF06PXtZR5aVlLoPMl6svl0zpEnmoSOMLXviOrpv95PRf7mAqXhO7_KyO6fho1V-yhgmPVNxCuzat7EAHOZldDL5LO_bc1qoNU8fpNytD3193hG-1-yV3Ko7Ddux9KaphDrYn8IJ8-BQjXzICew_jgPuPJF2S4XarqRB0MpjfAy6ktyymV82-C&c=_bIqb3aAsWflfaed76uEULClgfw7qDHih7yn_hTmSqAldTgYQKUZtg==&ch=ZbSqxX2aJRIWIxuyp8UA7PYxnE6xn3gfCzai3MCP0oEsWzOZCwzuPw==] Back to Top Curt Lewis