September 26, 2019 - No. 076 In This Issue Leonardo says it will build new Florida aviation maintenance facility, hinges on TH-73 contract award Boeing announces new investment in Big Bend aviation programs, Boys and Girls Club. ATEC Represents the Aviation Maintenance Community on Capitol Hill Aircraft mechanics training programs are booming 3D Printing's Soaring Impact On Aviation And Aerospace 'Accident waiting to happen': After death, airport workers want safety improvements FAA chief seeks support for agency's review of Boeing jet JSSI Acquires MRO Tech Firm Tracware Axed Thomas Cook staff have been offered new jobs at BA, easyJet, Flybe, Tui and Virgin Grand Rapids airport to get new hangar, fixed-base operations facility SpaceX Starship now has three monster Raptor engines installed Leonardo says it will build new Florida aviation maintenance facility, hinges on TH-73 contract award Leonardo announced today it plans to build an aircraft maintenance facility near Naval Air Station Whiting Field in the Florida panhandle contingent on winning the service's training helicopter competition. The company "will construct an approximately 100,000 [square-foot] facility in Whiting Aviation Park . . . where all helicopter pilots for the Navy, Marine Corps and Coast Guard are trained," according to the statement. "The facility will provide 24/7 service including spare parts, warranty processing and renewal, technical and product engineering and component and airframe repair," the statement continues. The competition to provide the service's next training helicopter, dubbed TH-73, is expected to conclude with a contract award during the first quarter of fiscal year 2020. The Navy's latest budget books peg the program at $1.1 billion for 109 aircraft. Leonardo, Bell and Airbus have all publicly stated they will make offerings based off their commercially available aircraft. Inside Defense first reported in January Boeing and Lockheed Martin do not plan to compete. That award however could be delayed if Congress passes a short-term continuing resolution, according to a Sept. 20 Pentagon statement. https://insidedefense.com/insider/leonardo-says-it-will-build-new-florida-aviation-maintenance-facility-hinges-th-73-contract Back to Top Boeing announces new investment in Big Bend aviation programs, Boys and Girls Club MOSES LAKE - Boeing announced a new investment on Wednesday to both Big Bend Community College and Boys and Girls Clubs of the Columbia Basin. Boeing, the state's largest employer with a long history in Moses Lake, is donating $100,000 to Big Bend to support pilot and aircraft maintenance technician programs, and another $25,000 to the Boys and Girls Club to support education and career preparation programs. "Boeing offers our sincere appreciation to the Moses Lake community for its long-standing partnership and support," stated Kevin McAllister, president and CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes. "With our recent announcement to employ hundreds of people in the area, we are pleased to invest in two strong organizations in BBCC and Boys and Girls Clubs of the Columbia Basin to help them further their mission to serve the Moses Lake community." The new donation to the community college with support Big Bend's Commercial Pilot Program, a 2-year pilot training program that leads to FAA certification and prepares students for a career as a professional pilot, and Aviation Maintenance Technology, a 2-year program that prepares students for FAA airframe and power plant maintenance certification and for employment in aviation maintenance careers. "Boeing's generous gift to Big Bend will open access to students seeking high-demand, high-skill, high-wage careers in aviation maintenance technology and commercial flight," said Big Bend President Dr. Terry Leas. "We are grateful for Boeing's willingness to invest in our students' futures." Boeing's donation to the Boys and Girls Club will be directed toward the Education and Career Development program to support childhood academic success. "We greatly appreciate this generous contribution from Boeing," said Kim Pope, executive director of the Boys and Girls club. "This gift will enable us to reach our goal of all young people, especially those who need us most, reaching their full potential and providing positive opportunities for our 1,300 members." Boeing is also preparing to hire hundreds of temporary employees in Moses Lake to support the growing fleet of 737 Max jetliners currently stored at the Grant County International Airport. Close to 100 aircraft are currently being stored at the airport as the company works on a solution to its software issue. http://www.ifiberone.com/columbia_basin/boeing-announces-new-investment-in-big-bend-aviation-programs-boys/article_a74e54dc-dfd1-11e9-b3ab-db5b9666284d.html Back to Top ATEC Represents the Aviation Maintenance Community on Capitol Hill Earlier this month an ATEC contingent descended upon Washington, D.C. for its annual Fly-in. This pilgrimage happens each fall to push legislative and regulatory action, meet with key leaders, and conduct critical business for the organization. The event kicked off with a roundtable discussion with FAA officials. Flight Standards Service Deputy Executive Director Larry Fields and Deputy Director Office of Safety Standards Van Kerns were joined by 12 of their colleagues to discuss a laundry list of regulatory issues impacting certificated part 147 schools. Coming off the recent publication of the part 147 supplemental notice of proposed rulemaking, attendees discussed the impact proposed mandates would have on schools, and the role of accrediting bodies vs. the FAA in overseeing educational quality elements in their technical programs. ATEC strongly suggested-as it did in its comments to the SNPRM-that the FAA defer to Department of Education accreditation requirements on all matters concerning educational oversight, and took the opportunity to educate officials on the role of accreditors. The council then discussed a formal letter it sent the week prior, asking the FAA to provide for part 147 "additional fixed locations," and better facilitate maintenance program expansion into high schools. FAA representatives also gave updates on airman testing system improvements and the anticipated expansion of the Organization Designee Authorization program, an effort that would greatly expand access to testing for mechanic certificate applicants. A lunch briefing by Aeronautical Repair Station Association Executive Vice President Christian Klein gave attendees an update on the grant programs authorized under the recent FAA reauthorization bill. Klein encouraged attendees to educate congressional leaders on the need to include funding in 2020 appropriations legislation so that the Department of Transportation can implement the program as directed. Klein was joined by Policy Advisory for Senator James Inhofe (OK) Dan Hillenbrand who briefed attendees on a new legislative effort to push part 147 rulemaking. The Senator has championed several legislative initiatives.The latest legislative effort would direct the agency to issue an ATEC-drafted part 147 within 90 days. Attendees were presented with a discussion draft of the legislation in order to solicit review and comment from the community and legislative leaders. Hillenbrand asked that the community identify potential Senate co-sponsors, as well as House leaders willing to introduce companion legislation on the House side. A final bill is expected to be introduced soon The day concluded with briefings on federal initiatives impacting career technical education from representatives of the STEM Education Coalition and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. STEM's James Brown and the White House's Cindy Hasselbring informed attendees on how the council might better align their regulatory and legislative priorities with the Administration, and what resources are available to help the industry communicate their issues and proposed mandates. https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft/maintenance-providers/press-release/21107249/aviation-technician-education-council-atec-represents-the-aviation-maintenance-community-on-capitol-hill Back to Top Aircraft mechanics training programs are booming DULUTH, Minn. - Kieran Cummings has a year of school left, but he's already making a living repairing commercial jets. After a day of classes at one hangar at the airport here, he heads to another where he works late into the night - some caffeine required. "We're tearing these things apart, and we're doing everything," said the Lake Superior College student. "The experience, you can't beat it." It takes a lot of people on the ground to keep airplanes in the sky, and a shortage of aircraft mechanics around the country is causing employers to get creative and some school programs to swell. As aviation booms in the Duluth area, led by plane maker Cirrus Aircraft and aviation services company AAR Corp., Lake Superior College (LSC) is doubling down on the industry thanks in part to cash and material donations that have stretched into six figures in recent years. Enrollment in the aircraft maintenance technology program hit another record this year. "We're seeing these workforce shortages across the board in manufacturing, health care, but aviation is stepping up and putting some skin in the game," said Daniel Fanning, the school's director of institutional advancement. Minneapolis Community and Technical College has likewise seen enrollment grow for its aircraft maintenance program, located inside the Delta Air Lines hangar at Minneapolis-St. Paul International Airport. The airline has also partnered with LSC and dozens of other schools around the country to "mentor and source the next generation of aircraft maintenance technicians" as it faces more than 2,000 retirements in the next decade, said Delta spokesperson Morgan Durrant. Across North America, Boeing estimates there will be demand for 193,000 aircraft mechanics over the next 20 years. Still hard to recruit But aviation programs are costly to maintain and still hard to recruit for. The University of Minnesota Crookston recently suspended its program - which had been around since the school was founded in 1967 - citing increasing expenses and only modest enrollment. Northland Community and Technical College in Thief River Falls has seen its aviation enrollment shrink as a strong economy deters those who might want to go back to school to change careers. Industry support - which in Duluth includes donated parts from Cirrus and tuition reimbursement for students who sign on for two years at AAR - has been crucial to building the workforce pipeline. The rest is up to students. "If you don't get a job in aviation right now, it's because you're not trying," said LSC instructor William Beecroft. In just five years, LSC's program has grown from a handful of students to more than 80 this year. Beecroft chalks that up to a growing awareness and a steady increase in the school's resources, like a recently donated retired corporate jet. It also reflects the industry in Duluth, which has grown by 40% over the past decade to 3,200 jobs, according to state figures. One recent morning, students were in a hangar-based classroom trying to wrap their heads around whether an aircraft on a conveyor belt could ever take off. "Technically, yes," Beecroft said. But it's not all math, he said: "For me it's just letting people know that it's really not a hard career if you're motivated, and you think planes are for you." Brayden Wellman had that thought when he moved from the metro area to enroll at LSC. The 18-year-old, who loves working on cars, also is working some hours at Sky Harbor Airport on Duluth's Park Point. "We get really immersed," he said, pointing to Cirrus right next door to the college's aviation campus, or F-16s taking off from the Minnesota Air National Guard's 148th Fighter Wing. Cummings, meanwhile, starts his days at 8 a.m. and often ends them as late as 2 a.m., between classes and his job at AAR on the other side of the runway. "It's challenging, without a doubt," said the 24-year-old Minneapolis native. "There has not been a job where I just continuously learn so much." Rewarding partnerships When prospective students tour the Minneapolis Community and Technical College's aviation campus, they get excited, an administrator said. "They will be studying in the same building where these mechanics maintain and repair Delta airplanes," said Vincent Thomas, dean of the School of Business and Economics and School of Trade Technologies. Its aircraft maintenance program has grown nearly to capacity - 70 students this year - with a boost from the Delta partnership that first started in 2013 and includes help with marketing as well as donations. Northland Community and Technical College also boasts an airport campus and a 100% job-placement rate for its aircraft maintenance program, though enrollment has sagged. "Everybody is begging for mechanics," said Lynn McGlynn, aerospace case manager and academic adviser at Northland, whose phone rings often with companies looking for recruits. "These companies are going to have to start giving incentives because there's so much competition out there." Attract and retain AAR, which in Duluth performs routine maintenance on commercial jets, is looking at offering free mountain bike and kayak rentals on top of tuition assistance and other perks to lure hires. With steady work from United Airlines and a 20-year lease recently signed at the hangar that was once home to Northwest Airlines, the proactive approach is a necessary one. "We're doing a lot of different things to try to attract people to Duluth, and also getting people to change careers," said Pete DeSutter, AAR's director of business development. The publicly traded company, based in Illinois with operations around the world, employs about 350 people in Duluth today. DeSutter wants that number closer to 400, especially with a fourth maintenance line opening this month. Luckily for DeSutter, a lot of new hires are staying: "I would say they're coming in faster than they're leaving." https://www.heraldnet.com/nation-world/aircraft-mechanics-training-programs-are-booming/ Back to Top 3D Printing's Soaring Impact On Aviation And Aerospace When a moving assembly line first appeared in Henry Ford's Highland Park factory in 1913, car making was instantly transformed. Today, 3D printing is proving to be a game-changer for manufacturing. Just as a photocopier can reproduce exact copy after exact copy of 2D pages quickly, cheaply and reliably, 3D printers can do the same for machine components. And nowhere is this evolving technology more relevant than in aviation and aerospace, where weight and cost are key considerations. In fact, according to a report from Research and Markets, the 3D printing market for global aerospace and defense is forecast to grow from $1.56 billion today to $5.9 billion by 2026. Laser treatment NASA was an early adopter of the technology, using it to make plastic models as far back as the late 1980s, before the term "3D printing" had even been coined. The U.S. space agency was quick to recognize the benefits of additive manufacturing, using a process called laser engineered net shaping (LENS) that fed metallic powder into a laser beam to create a product layer by layer. The technology was extremely precise but very slow, taking an hour to produce just one cubic centimeter. The solution was the forerunner of today's 3D printers, which can produce complex parts more easily than conventional methods. In some cases, parts can be produced that surpass conventional means of production. Components can be printed more quickly and cheaply, and with less material, which makes an attractive proposition for aerospace and aviation manufacturers. From a simple passenger socket in aircraft cabins to complex components for space rockets, the opportunities are seemingly endless. As printed components are generally lighter and stronger than those made using existing manufacturing methods, they improve fuel efficiency. Less fuel means lower costs and fewer emissions, which reduces the impact on the environment. Print run For existing planes in need of a refit, updated or upgraded parts can be printed with less time, expense and material , extending the life of aircraft. Maintenance, repair and overhaul is big business that's likely to grow in an airline market predicted to reach 8.2 billion passengers by 2037. A market forecast by Airbus estimates that commercial aircraft upgrade services will be worth $180 billion over the next 20 years. Printing replacement components on demand means inventory levels can be kept to a minimum, and provides a cost-effective, reliable and safe way to minimize downtime and keep planes in the air. The speed at which strong, lightweight components can be printed is attracting a lot of attention from major aviation industry manufacturers, such as Lockheed Martin, which is working with Arconic to develop new manufacturing processes, including metal 3D printing. Switching from traditional casting and welding processes to engines crafted with the help of additive manufacturing represents a step change. But emerging technologies are not without their challenges. Before printed components can take to the skies, they will need to meet stringent aviation standards, such as gaining Federal Aviation Administration approval in the United States - the world's largest aviation market. Innovating for quality Although this approval process is putting the brakes on the 3D printing industry's forward momentum, safety is a vital consideration for both aviation and aerospace. In order to comply with strict regulations, manufacturers must be able to guarantee the quality of their finished printed component. In most machines, measuring the size and shape of a printed part is easy. But the only way to check the manufacturing integrity is to break it open, which is self-defeating. Innovation provides the solution. Haruhiko Niitani, senior vice president and chief business officer of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Machine Tool (MAT), a part of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) Group says the company uses a groundbreaking monitoring system that observes the 3D printing process in real time to ensure quality. "The unique system analyzes feedback and makes automatic adjustments to guarantee structural consistency," Niitani says. "Clients can access a complete record of the printing process, giving full product traceability down the line." Advances such as these are driving the sector forward. In July, NASA selected Carnegie Mellon University to research ways to use 3D printing that reduce the cost and duration of manufacturing aircraft, without sacrificing quality, reliability or safety. And today, companies such as Emirates airlines are developing 3D video monitoring projectors and ventilator grills for their aircraft. The technology is being applied to everything from helicopter engines and U.S. Army Perdix drones to reinforced metal fuselage panels. And tomorrow? Eventually, astronauts could be blasting into space in 3D-printed rockets, soaring to explore new frontiers thanks to this fast-evolving technology. About the author: Johnny Wood has been a journalist for over 15 years working in different parts of the world - Asia, Europe and Middle East. As well as an accomplished features writer he has edited several prestigious lifestyle magazines and corporate publications. https://www.forbes.com/sites/mitsubishiheavyindustries/2019/09/24/3d-printings-soaring-impact-on-aviation-and-aerospace/#225d386d269c Back to Top 'Accident waiting to happen': After death, airport workers want safety improvements Employees at Charlotte Douglas International Airport have asked the city for safety improvements in the same concourse where a worker was killed last month. Donielle Prophete, vice president for CWA Local 3645, which represents 1,700 Piedmont Airlines agents, asked City Council on Monday for airport lighting and other safety upgrades after the nighttime death of 24-year-old employee Kendrick Hudson last month. Prophete said visibility is especially poor near gates E30-38. "It's so bad around those gates that the agents call it 'Death Valley,'" she said. "We don't know if lighting contributed to Kendrick's death or not, but we want to be proactive in our own safety when working on E Concourse because we feel it's an accident waiting to happen." Hudson was transporting baggage on an airport vehicle called a tug near E Concourse, police have said, when he made a hard turn to avoid a piece of luggage and the vehicle rolled over and pinned him. State and federal officials are investigating the death. Officials in Charlotte are expanding an existing airport lighting analysis at the request of American Airlines, the city's aviation director said. Brent Cagle said the study, which already includes the C and D concourses, will also now include parts of E. Piedmont Airlines is a subsidiary of American. Prophete also said temperatures in that concourse's jet bridges and the airport's new $11 million baggage transfer area have been dangerously high, causing several employees to seek treatment for heat exhaustion and dehydration. There are not enough electrical outlets for more fans, she said, and using an extension cord would violate workplace safety laws. Mayor Vi Lyles said it is often difficult to determine what is the city's responsibility as the airport's owner, and what falls to airlines. "I certainly think this is something we ought to take up with the airlines," she said. Cagle, the aviation director, said the city was aware of and already working on some of Prophete's concerns and would look into the new issues. Only a small percentage of accidents on the ground at airports are reported, said David Williams, a professor at Emory-Riddle Aeronautical University specializing in occupational safety. Companies are required to report accidents involving amputation, loss of an eye, injury requiring hospitalization or death. Baggage tugs have a high center of gravity and can be prone to flipping on sharp turns, Williams told the Observer in an August interview. It worries Williams that the luggage Hudson turned to avoid wasn't more visible. "What I don't understand is how do you not see a bag until you're almost on it," Williams told the Observer in August. "... There's nothing on the ground out there." Williams said Tuesday that safety concerns should have been addressed before any injuries occurred. "The time to do the study was prior to the accident," William said. "... I think it was simply an issue that was overlooked. Ultimately, as in many cases in aviation, we have to spill blood before we start looking at things with a critical eye." Hudson was the first employee to die at the Charlotte airport in more than a decade. The last death was in 2006 at Wilson Air Center, the airport's fixed-based operator, airport spokeswoman Lee Davis said. Wilson Air Center provides fueling, catering and aircraft maintenance services for private and corporate planes and travelers. A woman's body was found under a car before 3 a.m. inside Wilson Air Center, WIS News and AP News reported in 2006. Baggage tug accidents have proven deadly at other airports. A baggage tug operator in Atlanta with Delta Air Lines was killed in 2010 after the employee was ejected from the vehicle. The U.S. Department of Labor's Occupational Safety and Health Administration cited Delta for violating a federal requirement for employers to protect employees, in this case, by providing seat belts, according to OSHA. American Airlines spokeswoman Crystal Byrd previously told the Observer all American Airlines and affiliate airlines baggage tugs have seat belts. Cagle, the aviation director, also confirmed Monday that airport employees will no longer be able to use tobacco on site beginning in November. The announcement came after another airport employee spoke at Monday's council meeting to complain about smoking near the baggage claim area. Passengers will still be able to smoke in designated areas, Cagle said, because the airport was exempt in the county's ordinance banning tobacco use on public property. County health officials will provide tobacco cessation resources to employees, Cagle said. https://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/local/article235417587.html Back to Top FAA chief seeks support for agency's review of Boeing jet The head of the Federal Aviation Administration is defending his agency's approval of a troubled Boeing plane while leaving open the possibility of changing how the agency certifies aircraft. Stephen Dickson made the comments Monday in Montreal, where he and other top FAA officials briefed aviation regulators from around the world on the agency's review of changes that Boeing is making to the 737 Max. The FAA said a senior Boeing official also gave a technical briefing. Dickson, who was sworn in last month, said again that the FAA has no timetable for considering Boeing's changes to the Max. The grounding of the plane has increased scrutiny around the FAA's oversight of companies it regulates, Dickson said. He said FAA took the same thorough approach that has consistently produced safe planes. But, he added, the process and regulations that FAA uses "are continuously evolving." He invited other regulators to make suggestions on FAA's review of the Max and its certification system. The plane has been grounded since March after the second of two accidents that killed 346 people in Indonesia and Ethiopia. Chicago-based Boeing is nearing completion of its changes to the plane, including an update to an automated flight-control system implicated in both crashes. The FAA was the last regulator to ground the plane and is likely to be the first to let it fly again. However, the likelihood of a long gap between FAA action and approval by other regulators seems to be easing, which would be a victory for Dickson and the FAA. Patrick Ky, head of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, told a French aviation publication that a European decision could follow within a few days of an FAA approval and under the same conditions. Just a few weeks ago, the European agency was suggesting that it might make demands on Boeing beyond what the company is planning, including requiring additional sensors, which could delay the plane's return in Europe. The Wall Street Journal reported that in a draft report, Indonesian authorities investigating the Oct. 29 crash of a Lion Air Max off the coast of Java have homed in on design and oversight failures. The newspaper, citing anonymous sources, said investigators are also pointing out pilot errors and faulty maintenance as factors. Boeing declined to comment. In Montreal, Dickson said, "Accidents in complex systems rarely are the result of a single cause. Rather, they often happen due to a complex chain of events and interaction between man and machine." Safety improvements should cover aircraft design, production, maintenance and operation, he said. Some of Dickson's comments were strikingly similar to language used by Boeing CEO Dennis Muilenburg in the weeks after the March 10 crash of an Ethiopian Airlines Max soon after takeoff from Addis Ababa. "As in most accidents, there are a chain of events that occurred," Muilenburg said in late April. "It's not correct to attribute that to any single item." Some critics viewed that as blaming pilots in two developing countries. "Boeing's strategy may be, 'This wouldn't have happened in the United States or the Western world because the pilots are so well-trained,' and, 'Yeah, it may have been a problem with the aircraft, but it was also bad pilots,'" said Brian Kabateck, a Los Angeles lawyer suing Boeing on behalf of families who lost relatives in the Lion Air crash. Separately, a $50 million fund for compensating families of people killed in crashes of Boeing 737 Max planes began taking claims Monday, with a deadline of Dec. 31 for families to submit applications. Boeing is providing money for the fund, which works out to nearly $145,000 for each person who died in the crashes. Dozens of families are suing the Chicago-based company, which said relatives won't have to drop their lawsuits to get compensation from the fund. https://www.chicagotribune.com/business/sns-bc-us--boeing-plane-crashes-20190923-story.html Back to Top JSSI Acquires MRO Tech Firm Tracware In a bid to bolster its technology-based services, Jet Support Services (JSSI) has acquired Tracware, a UK-based developer of process control software to manage workflows for third-party MRO providers, OEMs, and aircraft management firms. It is the latest strategic acquisition for JSSI; last year, it acquired Conklin & de Decker and S3 Aero Specialists. As a provider of maintenance programs to the aviation industry, JSSI is responsible for more than 2,000 business and regional jets and helicopters, managing nearly 10,000 maintenance events annually across a broad section of MRO providers. "Tracware's comprehensive understanding of the specific processes and requirements these businesses need to thrive operationally, combined with JSSI's capabilities, presents many opportunities to better serve our customers at every stage of aircraft ownership, and to deliver technology enhancements to industry partners," said JSSI president and CEO Neil Book. Tracware founder and managing director Andrew Maley explained the acquisition will enable the firm to build on its current products and services, "leveraging decades of JSSI maintenance data to better meet the requirements of MROs globally." Under the acquisition, Tracware will be recognized as a JSSI company, and its employees and operations will be integrated with JSSI. https://www.ainonline.com/aviation-news/business-aviation/2019-09-24/jssi-acquires-mro-tech-firm-tracware Back to Top Axed Thomas Cook staff have been offered new jobs at BA, easyJet, Flybe, Tui and Virgin JOBLESS Thomas Cook staff are being offered new roles at rival airlines after the collapse of the travel company. Some 21,000 jobs worldwide were left at risk, including 9,000 in the UK, when Thomas Cook ceased trading yesterday. The news devastated staff, who were seen leaving the company's HQ in Peterborough in floods of tears when the fate of the travel firm was revealed. Employees also tweeted their grief throughout the day as they mourned the loss of their jobs. But axed staff are now being offered a lifeline with British Airways, easyJet, Flybe, Tui and Virgin reaching out with potential job opportunities. Virgin has seven job advertisements especially for Thomas Cook staff, ranging from cabin crew to sales advisers. While easyJet is recruiting for cabin crew at its Bristol, Glasgow, Luton, Southend and Stansted bases, according to a tweet from an easyJet employee. The airline also said it's hiring in Tegel and Schonefeld airports in Berlin. The tweet goes on to say the airline will host drop in sessions for Thomas Cook employees but said it doesn't have any jobs going for captains. It does, however, have roles for co-pilots. easyJet is advising ex-Thomas Cook staff to keep an eye on careers.easyjet.com/thomascook. Tui confirmed it'll be holding a jobs fair at its Luton office, promising more details at tuijobsuk.co.uk. Meanwhile, Flybe said it will host a recruitment day specifically for Thomas Cook engineering staff at the Clayton Hotel in Manchester from 10am - 4pm on September 25. BA has posted on LinkedIn offering support to axed staff and directed them to their dedicated careers website. A number of Thomas Cook employees were made redundant soon after the firm closed yesterday. But a handful are being kept on for now to assist the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) in getting Thomas Cook holidaymakers home, as well as shutting up travel shops. Staff who have already been made redundant will not be paid their September paycheck because the company is in liquidation. To get any money, they'll need to apply for their wages owed from the Redundancy Payment Service (RPS). As well as unpaid wages, they can also apply for accrued holiday pay, redundancy payouts, and compensation for not being able to work their notice period, called statutory notice pay. Each application is treated separately and wage applications and redundancy applications are each capped at £525 a week. Tui and easyJet told The Sun more details about how many jobs are available will be announced in the coming days. A spokesperson for Tui said: "We would like to express our sadness to all those affected by the Thomas Cook collapse and welcome applications for any of our available jobs." An easyJet spokesperson added: "Everyone at easyJet is saddened by the news about Thomas Cook and appreciates the anxiety that those working for it will be facing." The Sun is awaiting a response from Virgin. We've also asked British Airways, Ryanair, Jet2 and Flybe if they are offering any jobs for Thomas Cook staff. The demise of Thomas Cook, which had been trading for 178 years, sparked the biggest repatriation since World War Two with 150,000 customers needing an alternative way home. Emotional passengers on the final Thomas Cook flight even held a whip-round for stricken staff. https://www.thescottishsun.co.uk/money/4756108/axed-thomas-cook-staff-have-been-offered-new-jobs-at-easyjet-tui-and-virgin/ Back to Top Grand Rapids airport to get new hangar, fixed-base operations facility GRAND RAPIDS, MI -- The construction of a new building and hangar will increase operations and services for the Grand Rapids Gerald R. Ford International Airport. A groundbreaking ceremony was held Wednesday morning to kick off the construction of a fixed-based operation (FBO) run by AvFlight Corporation, which has invested $6 million into the five acres that will hold a 30,000-square-foot hanger and a 5,000-square-foot building on the airport's east side. It is AvFlight's 22nd FBO and its seventh location in the state. An FBO is a separate organization that operates within the airport, servicing flights of all kinds with fuel, storage, maintenance, deicing, security services and more.The FBO will have access to the terminal, taxiways and runways, as well as the local highway system. "We're a full-service gas station with concierge services," explained Joe Meszaros, vice president of operations for Ann Arbor-based AvFlight corporation. He said the FBO will serve any and all commercial and non-commercial flights, including corporate, military and private aviation. "Having Grand Rapids part of our network is very special to us," Meszaros said. It will bring "a lot of connectivity for customers throughout the rest of our locations." Alex Peric, chief operating officer at the Ford Airport, said AvFlight is going to fill the gaps with the increased demand for aircraft services at the Grand Rapids airport, "giving potential general aviation customers an additional option on the airport to service their plane, maintain their aircraft, to ground handle their aircraft." While the FBO could technically service any aircraft, it will have a focus on general aviation, which is all flights and activity outside of commercial passenger airlines. "General aviation at our airport is responsible for business traffic, mission trips and charitable flights, health-related services, and even educational opportunities," said Tory Richardson, Ford airport president & CEO. He said the airport generates over $3.1 billion in economic output in West Michigan each year. Peric said general aviation makes up 90 percent of all registered aircraft in the United States, and is a $20 billion annual industry. "That makes up a big part of the flying community," Peric said. About 30 jobs are expected to be added to the airport through the business venture. This is the second FBO to ground roots at the Ford Airport, which Peric said adds some "competition" to the existing FBO company, Signature Flight Services. Construction is set to be complete by spring 2020. https://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/2019/09/grand-rapids-airport-to-get-new-hangar-fixed-base-operations-facility.html Back to Top SpaceX Starship now has three monster Raptor engines installed Elon Musk's Mars rocket is really coming together. Construction of the interplanetary spaceship is taking place at SpaceX's Boca Chica facility in Texas and, after giving us a glimpse of the prototype's fins on Monday, the SpaceX CEO has pulled back the curtain on the Starship Mk.1 fitted with three Raptor engines. The Raptor engines are monstrous liquid-liquid rocket engines which use methane and oxygen to power SpaceX's upcoming launch vehicles. They will be used in SpaceX's next-generation rocket, which contains two stages: The Super Heavy first stage, which lifts it into orbit, and the Starship second stage, which takes it through the void of space. The Raptor engine ticked off a major milestone recently, launching the Starhopper protoype ship to an altitude of around 150 meters in a brief test flight. Musk tweeted on Sept. 26 that the current prototype is "quite a complex beast" but he expects it will launch within "a month or so." The SpaceX CEO has discussed the Raptor engine requirements in the past, explaining how the proposed interplanetary Starship requires an engine that can put out at least 170 tons of force. Previous testing showed a single engine reaching 172 tons of force, but it's now pushing 200. The Starship will be attached to the top of the Super Heavy rocket, which will likely have up to 31 Raptor engines strapped to its bottom. Crazy to think about. After sharing the rapid advances in Starship construction this week, Musk is expected to discuss progress on the prototype in greater detail on Saturday, Sept. 28, at a special event. The conference will mark the 11 year anniversary of SpaceX first reaching orbit. https://www.cnet.com/news/spacex-starship-now-has-three-monster-raptor-engines-installed-elon-musk/ Curt Lewis