August 2, 2022 - No. 33 In This Issue : Saudi Arabian Airlines and Saudia Aerospace join IAMA : How Transportation Departments Are Using Advanced Drone Technology for Infrastructure Inspections : Apollo-led investors consider acquisition of Atlas Air: WSJ : Construction of Airbus services center starts in Chengdu : Ball Aerospace Wins Two More NASA GeoXO Study Contracts : University of Nottingham’s aerospace programme commits £3.8m to SMEs : Airbus Partners With GMR To Power Aircraft Maintenance Engineering In India And The Region : Connecticut Manufacturers Expanding as Aviation Recovers From COVID-19 and Pentagon Spending Soars Saudi Arabian Airlines and Saudia Aerospace join IAMA Press Release hub banner blue with title in red white and blueIAMA, the Independent Aircraft Modifier Alliance, is delighted to welcome new subscriber, Saudi Arabian Airlines (SAUDIA) and new basic member, Saudia Aerospace Engineering Industries (SAEI), to the alliance. These notable organizations bring additional high-profile Middle East and North Africa (MENA) voices to the diverse group of stakeholders advocating for modifications completed via Supplemental Type Certifications (STC). “We are extremely pleased to welcome SAUDIA and SAEI to our growing community,” said Nina Schulz, IAMA’s managing director. “With each new member, the alliance grows stronger as we take on board their distinctive operational challenges and utilise them to help perfect the IAMA Rulebook. Our sincere ambition is to represent the needs and strengths of the global aviation modification market, so we are striving to attract stakeholders from every corner of the world.” As a subscriber, SAUDIA gains access to the alliance’s burgeoning resource library and the IAMA Rulebook, which cover an extensive range of topics, including asset preservation, de-modification, right to use and the complexities around STCs. The long-serving airline, an enduring champion of high-quality modifications, is growing its fleet to serve more routes. It anticipates that membership will add valuable support to this substantial undertaking. Rotation Syed Masroor Hasan, SAUDIA’s assistant vice president, aircraft engineering, explained, “To build our service capacity, we are growing our fleet of aircraft and are focused on offering an enjoyable passenger experience—which includes operating seamless schedules. Our decision to become an IAMA subscriber is motivated by this expansion. We are delighted to join a growing number of airlines recognizing IAMA’s valuable contributions to the aviation modification market.” The technical arm of SAUDIA, the Kingdom of Saudia Arabia’s flagship airline, SAEI serves regional and global clients from a network of more than 50 locations worldwide and is expanding into its state-of-the-art MRO operation at King Abdul-Aziz Airport. The move to join the alliance is another step in the company’s continued pursuit of “meticulous safety.” SAEI is the prime consultancy and fulfillment organization for SAUDIA’s modification campaigns. “As part of our airworthiness transformation initiative, we are expanding our capabilities by implementing a design office,” said Ahmed S. Aseeri, SAEI’s owner of airworthiness engineering programs initiatives. As a Basic Member, SAEI gains access to critical educational resources, guidance and expertise. They also commit to complying with the IAMA rulebook—the alliance’s Standard. Abdulhamid N. Aldosary, director, APC & engineering support at SAEI, said, “IAMA’s founding members are highly-regarded in the aviation modification market. Our vision is to be the partner of choice and a catalyst for aviation’s success in Saudi Arabia and globally. We are thrilled to join the alliance, and contribute lessons learned from our experience and strengthen our operations through IAMA’s collective expertise and the high standards they advocate and defend.” About IAMA We at IAMA, the Independent Aircraft Modifier Alliance, are advocates and supporters of member companies in the aircraft retrofit modification market. We are educators, identifying and highlighting value of Supplemental Type Certificates (STCs) within the aircraft lifecycle. We collaborate to develop standards that streamline communications and documentation within approved STC modification projects. To ensure that effective modernizations meet aircraft operator and owner requirements, we endorse STC-approved solutions. Founded by retrofit market leaders, we believe an independent, transparent market is a strong market that will benefit everyone. To learn more and join, visit: iamalliance.aero. https://runwaygirlnetwork.com/2022/08/iama-saudi-arabian-airlines-saudia-aerospace-engineering-industries/ How Transportation Departments Are Using Advanced Drone Technology for Infrastructure Inspections Autonomous drones like those developed by Skydio can be useful for inspecting critical infrastructure such as bridges. Departments of Transportation are increasingly using autonomous drones for monitoring and performing inspections of critical infrastructure such as bridges and highways. An autonomous drone can eliminate the need for a manual inspection which can be difficult and dangerous. Autonomous drone inspections are also less expensive to perform. Departments of Transportation (DOTs) in Alaska, North Carolina, New York, and other states have found that using autonomous drone technology to monitor and inspect infrastructure can improve workflow efficiency and lower costs. Autonomous drones, such as those developed by the company Skydio, can easily be operated by less experienced pilots. “They are a lot easier to fly than a traditional manual drone,” according to David Buhrman, Senior Solutions Engineer. Skydio closed $100 million in Series C funding in the summer of 2020. Shortly after that, the Defense Innovation Unit approved a version of the X2 model, along with four other drones, as trusted purchases for government customers. In the summer of 2021, the FAA granted BNSF Railway approval to remotely operate dock-based Skydio drones for BVLOS operations, including infrastructure inspection. The unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) program within Alaska’s DOT frequently employs drones to perform routine inspections of infrastructure. Ryan Marlow, UAS Program Coordinator, Statewide Aviation for the Alaska Department of Transportation (AKDOT), remarked that they perform an average of 8–12 bridge inspections each day. AKDOT’s UAS program team currently uses Skydio’s autonomous drones for infrastructure inspections. They have had particular success using the Skydio 3D Scan software that automates the data capture process for generating 3D models of infrastructure. “This has been a fantastic breakthrough for us—to take all of that data and visualize it, and do change detection,” Marlow shared during a webinar hosted by AUVSI (Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International) last week. He commented that the interface of the 3D Scan software is easy to use. “We’re seeing a lot of success with the 3D Scan with our engineers in the field.” They first used the technology to perform an autonomous 3D scan on a pedestrian bridge over a creek in Juneau. Although the bridge had undergone numerous manual inspections, the drone captured visuals of a previously undetected structural issue that needed repair. “We were able to see something leaking out of the timbers,” Marlow said. “It allowed us to capture this environment in a way that we’d never been able to visualize.” The data collected via autonomous drones is also useful for measuring changes in critical infrastructure over time, which helps the AKDOT to prioritize the most urgent repairs. Skydio’s UAS uses six 4K cameras working in tandem to visualize its surroundings, explained David Buhrman of Skydio. Navigation is supported by deep learning algorithms and advanced predictive artificial intelligence to make decisions. The Skydio Autonomy Enterprise enables close proximity obstacle avoidance which is particularly useful for safely capturing data during infrastructure inspections. In 2020, North Carolina’s DOT was granted approval from the Federal Aviation Administration to operate Skydio drones beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) for bridge inspections. This followed extensive collaboration between NCDOT, Skydio, and the FAA. A key advantage of Skydio’s technology is that its drones do not require GPS, making them ideal for inspections of the more than 13,500 bridges in the state of North Carolina. The Skydio 2 model was the company’s entry into the consumer market. They quickly realized that it would be useful for enterprise solutions. The Skydio 2+ model, an updated version, was introduced at the end of 2021. It offers “360 degrees of obstacle avoidance based on nine onboard deep neural networks,” stated Buhrman. “We use these networks to identify things like, for motion tracking, people and vehicles.” He described the enterprise edition, Skydio X2, as an “enterprise workhorse, a ‘ruggedized’ alternative to the 2+.” The X2 model was released last year along with the Skydio Enterprise Controller. The airframe construction of the X2 is based on magnesium and carbon fiber composites, and the controller is built with high-impact plastics as well as a protective cover and built-in antenna. Skydio partnered with DroneDeploy a few months ago to automate the data analysis process. Imagery from the Skydio Cloud is imported to the DroneDeploy platform for immediate processing, Buhrman explained. “Under Part 107, the FAA does require a remote pilot in command to be present with the aircraft that can see attitude, altitude, and position of the aircraft at all times,” he remarked. “There is no directive about flying in an automated fashion, as long as the pilot can take over for manual flight in an emergency situation.” Sean Nordstrom, Product Marketing Manager for Skydio, described some of the limitations of manual drone inspections. It is challenging to operate around low bridges, for example, and it is also difficult to operate in a GPS-denied environment. “Prohibitively high pilot skill is required, and manual drones are expensive,” he said. Enabling BVLOS drone flight is also expensive, and it is notoriously difficult to receive a waiver from the FAA for BVLOS operations. Ground-based surveillance radar, another option, is expensive as well. Transportation and other individual state agencies throughout the U.S. have been increasingly adopting the use of drones for infrastructure and asset inspections as well. In partnership with the nonprofit NUAIR, the New York State Thruway Authority launched a pilot program to use drones to perform highway bridge inspections. UAS have the potential to examine components of bridges and other infrastructure that would be difficult to inspect manually, according to the Federal Highway Administration. According to the NYS Thruway Authority's announcement about the pilot program, drones may improve safety for inspectors and lower overall inspection costs. Another benefit of using UAS is the digital images and video that the aircraft can capture. The West Virginia Department of Transportation (WVDOT) has also used drones to improve safety and efficiency in performing aggregate stockpile inspections. The department stores numerous large piles of crushed rock, gravel, and other materials for use in road building and maintenance. Having a crew physically survey and inventory the stockpiles was inefficient and dangerous. Following an initial $25,000 investment into drone equipment and pilots, the WVDOT calculated that the savings from just one month of using drones to survey stockpiles totaled more than $343,000. Manual surveying required 15 days of work by 42 employees, whereas the same workload was completed by 7 drone pilots over 9 days. The WVDOT may expand its drone programs to perform road safety assessments and to assist in designing new road routes by providing topographical maps. https://www.aviationtoday.com/2022/08/02/transportation-departments-using-advanced-drone-technology-infrastructure-inspections/ Apollo-led investors consider acquisition of Atlas Air: WSJ A group of investors led by US-based investment management firm Apollo Global Management is considering the purchase of airfreight company Atlas Air Worldwide Holdings, sources familiar with that matter confirmed to the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) on August 1, 2022, While details have not been made public, the sources said that both parties are currently undergoing advanced talks. Since news of a possible deal was announced, shares in Atlas Air increased by 13%. Founded in 1992, Atlas Air currently holds the title of the world’s fourth largest air carrier in terms of fleet size. Operating a monogamous fleet, consisting of a total of 81 Boeing family jets with an average age of 22.9 years, Atlas Air is also the world’s largest operator of Boeing 747 aircraft available for lease. The airline currently flies 46 planes of the type. Its remaining fleet is composed of eight Boeing 737-800s, 26 767-300s, and a single Boeing 777F cargo plane, according to Planespotters.com data. Atlas Air has taken delivery of another Boeing 747-8 freighter, leaving just three 747s to be delivered to the carrier. The airline, whose headquarters are based at New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK), provides both long-term and short-term ACMI (aircraft, crew, maintenance, insurance) freight and passenger operations depending on specific destinations, customer needs and seasonal trends. However, it typically provides ACMI services throughout regions such as North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania. According to NasdaqGS, Atlas Air currently has a market capitalization of more than $2 billion. https://www.aerotime.aero/articles/31792-apollo-led-investors-may-buy-atlas-air-wsj Construction of Airbus services center starts in Chengdu The Airbus Lifecycle Services Center project broke ground in Chengdu, Southwest China’s Sichuan Province on Tuesday, another milestone for the project since Airbus signed the investment agreement with its partners in April this year. The project is Airbus' first aircraft lifecycle service project outside Europe. The company said the project has moved from the planning stage to construction and the aim is for it to enter into service by the end of 2023. The Lifecycle Services Center project is the first one-stop service center for aged aircraft established by Airbus in China, with the concept of sustainable development. It provides a wide range of second-life services, including aircraft parking and storage, return-to-service checks or upgrading, airframe maintenance, disassembling and recycling. Airbus cooperation projects in China will cover the whole aircraft lifecycle, from parts manufacturing, aircraft assembly, delivery and fleet operation to end-of-life services such as disassembly and recycling of high-value parts, according to George Xu, Airbus China CEO. Airbus has always paid great attention to new trends in the aviation market in China and has been seeking Chinese partners to cooperate on business projects for mutual development. As an example of cooperation between Airbus and China, the service center will expand Airbus’ business scope in China. It will also benefit from the industrial setup and expertise in Chengdu to build a sound ecosystem for China’s aviation industry, the company said. With investment of no less than 6 billion yuan ($950 million), the project is expected to store a total of 685 aircraft, 98 dismantled aircraft, and 21 passenger-to-cargo aircraft by 2030. Market watchers said the project will help to strengthen weak links within China's aviation maintenance industry, and establish a more mature aviation maintenance sector, bringing the country more into line with mature aviation markets. Chengdu is the third city in the Chinese mainland to have dual international hub airports. The total scale of its aerospace industry has exceeded 80 billion yuan, according to a report by Chengdu Daily in January. Airbus recently revealed that it has been in close contact with Chinese airlines, especially small and medium-sized carriers, for the purchase of its 100- to 150-seat A220 aircraft, which has the highest proportion of Chinese components of all the Airbus aircraft models. https://www.globaltimes.cn/page/202207/1271493.shtml Ball Aerospace Wins Two More NASA GeoXO Study Contracts Ball Aerospace secured two contracts with NASA to support the NOAA’s next-generation geostationary weather satellite constellation under the Geostationary Extended Observations (GeoXO) program. The space systems manufacturer said on Monday that the contracts require the company to conduct two 20-month studies that will measure Atmospheric Composition (ACX) and Ocean Color (OCX) for GeoXO. This is Ball Aerospace’s third award of this kind, after it was selected in October 2021 for NOAA’s GeoXO Phase A Sounder (GXS) study. NOAA’s GeoXO program aims to support critical U.S. weather, ocean, and climate operations. Ball Aerospace’s studies will be based on its Ball Operational Weather Instrument Evolution (BOWIE), a series of environmental sensing systems that includes the BOWIE-Ocean Color (BOWIE-OCX) and BOWIE-Atmospheric Composition (BOWIE-ACX) hyperspectral passive imaging instruments, and the hyperspectral IR sounder, BOWIE-GXS. “These studies are just the first steps in NOAA’s efforts to improve the nation’s ability to monitor, forecast and understand the conditions impacting weather, climate and health; from air and water quality to coastline health,” said Dr. Makenzie Lystrup, vice president and general manager of Ball’s Civil Space division. “As weather events become increasingly unpredictable and extreme, we need to keep building better monitoring and forecasting tools. The instruments we are helping to define and design will be critical in NOAA’s commitment to building a weather-ready nation.” Last week, NASA awarded Lockheed Martin and Maxar Technologies contracts to develop the concepts for NOAA’s GeoXO program. https://www.satellitetoday.com/imagery-and-sensing/2022/08/01/ball-aerospace-wins-two-more-nasa-geoxo-study-contracts/ University of Nottingham’s aerospace programme commits £3.8m to SMEs The University of Nottingham has awarded more than £3.8 million in funding as part of its Aerospace Unlocking Potential (UP) programme, after announcing another round of funding for four Midlands-based businesses. Designed to help smaller companies develop new technologies and solutions to make aviation greener, Aerospace UP, a £20m programme, is being delivered by the University of Nottingham and the Midlands Aerospace Alliance (MAA), supported by the European Regional Development Fund and Midlands Engine. The programme not only provides funding for projects but also offers SMEs with unique access to industry experts, academic support, and facilities that might otherwise have been unattainable. Professor Pat Wheeler, head of Power Electronics in the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Nottingham, said: “We are very excited to open the university up to businesses at this critical time where the industry has been affected by three waves of disruption - Brexit, Covid and climate change. “With Aerospace UP, we have created a new and accessible way to offer innovation support to companies throughout the supply chain, who historically would not access the facilities and extensive range of expertise at the university. This is a pivotal time for the industry, and we hope that we can make a difference to the future prosperity of the sector, the region and the country through this initiative.” Skyfarer, Assemtron, KITAU Robotics and Holscot Fluoropolymers now join more than 200 other companies from across the region that have benefited from the scheme, which is due to run until summer 2023. Between them, the innovative companies represent the diversity of the broader aerospace industry, with the chosen projects working towards simplifying sensor data processing to make companies more efficient, saving lives by making drones accessible in remote communities, automating airport cleaning, and enabling satellites to be refilled in orbit. Andrew Mair, chief executive of the Midlands Aerospace Alliance, said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with the University of Nottingham to deliver Aerospace UP support to Midlands SMEs. The university undertakes world-class aerospace R&D, and for small companies to be able to access that knowledge within the programme is a major boost to our aerospace cluster.” The new round of grants was announced during a signing ceremony at this year’s Farnborough International Airshow, where the university celebrated its most successful show to date, with more than 60 members of the Faculty of Engineering and Faculty of Science in attendance. Professor Serhiy Bozhko, director of the Institute for Aerospace Technology (IAT) at the University of Nottingham, said: “This year’s Farnborough Airshow has been monumental for the university. We supported activities with the Midlands Aerospace Alliance and our industrial partners in addition to our own stand, where we displayed key research results across a portfolio of projects worth more than £75m. “We also held three receptions celebrating work under our international network focusing on electrification (SAEL), Clean Sky 2, where we are the fourth largest participant across Europe, and confirming our commitment towards Net Zero Aviation. Additionally, our work was recognised externally by Collins Aerospace and Hybrid Air Vehicles, and we received a plaque in recognition of our work with the Aerospace Technology Institute. “It has now been 13 years since the IAT was founded and each Farnborough Airshow we have attended over this timeframe has demonstrated a significant leap in the depth and breadth of aerospace research at the university.” www.aerospaceup.com https://www.aero-mag.com/university-of-nottinghams-aerospace-programme-commits-38m-to-smes Airbus Partners With GMR To Power Aircraft Maintenance Engineering In India And The Region Hyderabad: Airbus has signed a contract with the GMR Group, a leading Indian aviation infrastructure developer, to provide aircraft maintenance training to young aviation engineers making a trending career choice. GMR will provide the fully integrated Aircraft Maintenance Engineer (AME) licensing program at the GMR School of Aviation in Hyderabad. The four-year course will include two years of classroom training and a two-year training in maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) at GMR Aero Technic in Hyderabad followed by Aircraft Type Training. According to the contract, Airbus will provide the necessary software and courseware in the form of trainee handbooks, examination database, online access of Airbus customised basic training modules and Airbus Competence Training (ACT) for Academy media package which is the technical training material required for the courses. In addition, Airbus will also provide training to GMR instructors along with assessment of the training centre. “The partnership with GMR represents a significant deepening of MRO capabilities in India that are required to match the tremendous future demand for such services from the domestic aviation industry. Airbus will continue to contribute to the development of India’s wider aerospace ecosystem, including enhancing its manufacturing and services capabilities through its industrial footprint,” said Mr. Rémi Maillard, President and Managing Director, Airbus India & South Asia. Speaking on the partnership Mr. Ashok Gopinath, CEO, GMR Aero Technic said, “The aviation eco-system is evolving rapidly. India is all set to become the largest aviation market by 2030. The increase in air traffic is leading to fast growth in commercial aviation fleet in the country. To cater to the emerging demand and support the industry, there is a need for skilled professionals. The GMR School of Aviation will help create a talent pool for engineering and maintenance solutions. We are glad to have Airbus as our knowledge partner in this venture, that will also further the cause of ‘Mission Skill India’ ”. GMR Aero Technic, is India’s largest integrated world-class third-party MRO (Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul) facility located at GMR Hyderabad International Airport. It has taken a giant leap in terms of aircraft maintenance and service in Asia. Commencing in this year, the programme will be open to aspirants who have cleared their Higher Secondary Certificate (Class 12) examination with Physics and Mathematics as their main subjects. According to the Airbus Global Market Forecast 2022, India will require some 45,000 new aircraft technicians over the next 20 years. https://english.sakshi.com/news/business/airbus-partners-gmr-power-aircraft-maintenance-engineering-india-and-region-158966 Connecticut Manufacturers Expanding as Aviation Recovers From COVID-19 and Pentagon Spending Soars Aviation is recovering from the pandemic and Pentagon spending is soaring to confront military threats in Europe and the Pacific, powering job growth and an expansion at several manufacturers in Connecticut. Aviation is recovering from the pandemic and Pentagon spending is soaring to confront military threats in Europe and the Pacific, powering job growth and an expansion at several manufacturers in Connecticut. Manufacturers are preparing to capitalize on expectations that airline travel will return next year to pre-COVID-19 levels and billions of dollars that are headed to Connecticut in record military spending moving through Congress. “It’s certainly going in the right direction,” said Mark Auletta, chief operating officer at Bauer Inc., a Bristol manufacturer of aircraft component test equipment. The 106-year-old manufacturer is building a 30,000-square-foot addition, more than doubling its manufacturing space. Bauer has been leasing space off-site for fabrication, sheet metal work and welding. When its new building is completed in September, fabrication will be under one roof, Auletta said. Bauer will move an expanded machine shop into the new building. In addition, Bauer has ordered $1 million of equipment, including a press brake and laser cutting. And it will hire 20 to 30 employees in the next couple of months, adding to its workforce of 100, which includes 40 engineers, Auletta said. Connecticut Spring and Stamping (CSS), a Farmington manufacturer of springs and machined components, broke ground in April for a 48,000-square-foot addition, a nearly one-third increase to accommodate a new power press. Steve Dicke, president of CSS, said its medical and defense businesses have been solid, but aerospace and automotive work are “coming back slowly.” “They’ve not really come back to the levels of what they were,” he said. Polamer Precision, a New Britain aerospace manufacturer, has closed on the purchase of a 22.5-acre site that will make it possible to increase its square footage to more than 600,000, up from 152,000 square feet now. Chris Galik, president, chief executive officer and owner, said the $1 million purchase of the city-owned property in New Britain is the first step toward expansion in the next few years. Currently employing 175 workers, Polamer Precision plans to have potentially 600,000 square feet with more than 500 workers, he said. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the manufacturer relied heavily on commercial aviation, he said. The industry was hit hard during the pandemic as air travel restrictions were imposed, forcing airlines to ground their fleets. Polamer Precision is now looking to diversify its portfolio to include manufacturing equipment for semiconductors. Expansion also will help the company add military aviation business, Galik said. And Barnes Aerospace, a part of the Barnes Group, is more than doubling its maintenance, repair and overhaul facility in East Granby, to 68,000 square feet from 30,000. The expansion will significantly increase Barnes’ capacity to support new engine programs and product lines and improve turnaround times, the company said. Construction related to manufacturing expansion is shadowed by supply chain bottlenecks and the highest rate of inflation in more than 40 years. As a result, building costs are rising and completion dates are delayed. “What used to be a two-month lead time is now 10 months,” Auletta said. Dicke said he’s not deterred by supply chain problems and inflation that are driving up costs. “It won’t prevent us from going ahead,” he said. Nationally, manufacturing has been “quite resilient” over the past year despite supply chain disruptions, workforce shortages, inflation, COVID-19 and Russia’s war against Ukraine that has rattled energy markets and increased global uncertainty, the National Association of Manufacturers said in its 2022 Outlook. Manufacturing production in the U.S. has rebounded from omicron and supply chain problems and has increased 4.6% since the start of the pandemic, according to the report. Factory orders, manufacturing construction activity and consumer spending also increased over the past year, “with pent-up demand and solid spending helping to prop up growth,” the outlook said. Workforce In Connecticut, manufacturers have hired every month but one since September 2021. With 159,800 jobs, Connecticut manufacturers have reached about 99% of the sector’s employment in January 2020 just before the pandemic shut much of the economy. Manufacturers remained open, but scaled back early in the pandemic to limit the spread of the virus and shed 11,100 jobs in April 2020, a 7% drop in just one month. The problem now is finding workers. Greg Hayes, chief executive officer of Raytheon Technologies Corp., the parent company of jet engine manufacturer Pratt & Whitney, told industry analysts recently that employers were “caught off guard a little bit by how much pressure there is in the supply chain.” “And I would tell you, it all goes back to labor availability,” he said. During the downturn immediately following the start of the pandemic in 2020, aerospace and defense manufacturers laid off workers. Typically, 75% to 80% of the workers return, but now it’s about 25% as workers find other jobs, Hayes said. Paul Lavoie, the state’s chief manufacturing officer, said workforce problems are the “single biggest thing preventing expansion of manufacturing in Connecticut.” Members of Aerospace Components Manufacturers, a network of Connecticut and southwestern Massachusetts aerospace companies, have 800 available jobs, he said. Child care and transportation are among the most significant barriers to working, Lavoie said. The state budget enacted in June includes $100 million for affordable child care, the result of a coalition of business and labor pushing to fund child care. Transportation problems also must be fixed if manufacturing is to expand, he said. Manufacturing has moved to the suburbs, putting it out of reach for young city dwellers, Lavoie said. “Kids in cities would love to have jobs in manufacturing, but can’t get to the suburbs,” he said. In an election year, job growth has become a political issue. Gov. Ned Lamont, seeking a second term, tweeted recently that manufacturing “continues to be a strong performer,” with 3,400 more jobs since December. Republican legislative leaders see job growth differently than the Democratic governor. “I think this governor has taken credit for everything,” said House Republican Leader Vincent Candelora. “I’m not surprised he’s taking credit for something his office had absolutely nothing to do with.” Sen. Kevin Kelly, the Senate Republican leader, said Lamont did not mention that Connecticut lost 1,800 jobs in construction from May to June. “And that’s a more important statistic because that’s more tied to what’s going on in Connecticut, inflation and what’s going on in the economy,” he said. In addition, Connecticut is still down nearly 70,000 jobs from March 2008, shortly before the Great Recession, Kelly said. Dicke, president of CSS, said manufacturing in Connecticut is reliable, if volatile at times. “There are always ups and downs in the business, but it’s been steady growth for the last 25 years,” he said. https://www.aviationpros.com/aircraft/defense/news/21275885/connecticut-manufacturers-expanding-as-aviation-recovers-from-covid19-and-pentagon-spending-soars Curt Lewis