Industry News

Boeing — accelerates the 777 program’s rate increase to seven airplanes per month (from five per month) by approximately six months, from early 2012 to mid-2011. The 747 program’s planned production rate increase to two airplanes per month (from 1.5 per month) will move from mid-2013 to mid-2012.

brian foley associates — projects that the piston-powered fixed-wing segment is now well poised to outpace other categories for the next several years. Piston deliveries could possibly see a double-digit percentage jump, albeit from depressed 2009 levels.

burbank-glendale-pasa-dena airport authority — pursues an alternate approach to addressing the issue of nighttime noise relief, following the rejection by FAA last November of the Authority’s Part 161 Study and Application for a full nighttime curfew. The Part 161 Study took eight years and cost more than $7 million.

cbaa — Canadian Business Aviation Assn. reports it is disappointed over Transport Canada’s decision to take back the certification and oversight functions for business aviation. CBAA won the authority to handle certification and oversight functions for the industry ten years ago, in a move initiated by Transport Canada. TC will now have full responsibility for issuing operating certificates to new applicants, as well as for processing changes to existing certificate holders.

cessna aircraft co. — receives FAA type certification for its Citation CJ4 business jet; OEM expects to deliver 15 units this year and has orders for more than 150.

city of long beach (ca) — extends HNTB’s contract to provide as-needed airport planning, engineering, and architectural consulting services for the reconstruction of the entire air carrier ramp at Long Beach Airport. HNTB will provide design and construction support services for the four-phase project which consists of the reconstruction of ten existing aircraft parking positions; the addition of two new aircraft parking positions; and regrading of ramps.

city of san antonio aviation dept. — opens a 5,000-foot runway at Stinson Municipal Airport. Additional improvements include an extension of taxiways, replacement and upgrade of taxiway lighting, navigational aids for both runways, a new engine run-up area for Runway 32, and a helipad.

ComSec Int’l of Dallas — offers independent certified cargo screening capabilities to meet this August’s TSA screening deadline; www.comsecinternational.com.

Continental Airlines — launches nonstop service between George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH) and Tuxtla Gutierrez, Chiapas, Mexico beginning June 9.
• Continental also shifts all of its Detroit flight operations to the North Terminal at Detroit Metro Airport, allowing the carrier to co-locate with other Star Alliance members United Airlines, Lufthansa German Airlines, US Airways, and Air Canada, which have served the North Terminal since it opened in September 2008. Continental will primarily utilize gates D1, D2 and D8 on the south end of the terminal.

delta air lines — resumes daily nonstop service from Port Columbus (OH) to Los Angeles.
• Delta also announces a new business shuttle service with eleven daily round-trip flights between New York-LaGuardia and Chicago O’Hare Int’l airports.
• Delta and US Airways agree to give up 20 pairs of takeoff and landing rights at La Guardia Airport and Ronald Reagan National Airport in Washington to gain federal approval for a larger exchange of those rights between the two airlines.

duncan aviation — enters an agreement with Million Air-Provo to lease hangar space at the Provo Municipal Airport. Duncan will offer service center authorizations from Bombardier and Embraer.
• Duncan locations at Battle Creek, MI and Lincoln, NE complete the training and begin 12 dry bay modifications for Falcon 50, 900, and 2000 series aircraft, per a service bulletin by Dassault Aviation. SB calls for installation of an additional wing dry bay area located outboard of the existing dry bay. Operators have until the end of 2022 to have the modification completed.