Industry News

gama — General Aviation Manufacturers Assn. establishes an Environment Committee to represent the GA manufacturing industry’s environmental policy and coordinate with other aerospace industry stakeholders and government entities. Committee will work to build support for more research and technology to reduce aviation’s carbon footprint.
• GAMA also participates in the signing ceremony in Brussels for the US-European Community Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement to enhance air safety while reducing regulatory burdens and costs for manufacturers, operators, and aviation authorities in the U.S. and Europe. This Bilateral Aviation Safety Agreement (BASA) provides for technical cooperation between FAA and the European Aviation Safety Agency in a variety of areas including aircraft certification, environmental approvals, and maintenance.

gerald r. ford int’l airport — at Grand Rapids, in a move hearing assistance advocates are calling “a world of difference,” becomes the first U.S. airport to install a hearing loop system that allows people with telecoil-equipped hearing aids to hear public address announcements more clearly, transmitted through their hearing aids. The user can flip a switch or use a remote-control device to activate the telecoil. The airport used $137,000 of general revenue to buy and install the system, and it is available on both airport concourses; Grand Rapids-based AsCom Inc. installed the system.

heritage flight — of Bur-lington, VT, adds a Canadair Challenger 604 to its fleet.

hondajet midwest — officially inks plans for its aircraft support facility at the Aurora (IL) Municipal Airport.

horizon air — will offer nonstop service between Prescott, AZ and Los Angeles Int’l Airport daily starting Sept. 8; flight from Prescott will originate in Flagstaff. Starting June 23, Horizon will offer two nonstop flights between Flagstaff and LAX.

hudson group — of East Rutherford, NJ enters a joint venture partnership that wins a competitive bid to provide all retail concessions (ten stores in total) at Cleveland Hopkins Int’l Airport. The contract, awarded by landlord BAA USA, Inc. on behalf of the airport, is for seven years. Joint venture includes United Concessions Group, Inc. and English Concessions, and will initially operate seven Hudson News newsstands, a Discover Cleveland gift store, a Hudson Booksellers bookstore, and the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame store.

ifboa — Independent Fixed Base Operators Assn., based in Bedford, MA, announces that the group has formed a relationship with The Harmonie Group, a network of 57 independent law firms located throughout the U.S.

iata — International Air Transport Assn., which represents 240 carriers, projects that soaring fuel prices would cause the industry to lose $2.3 billion in 2008.
• IATA also calls on the European Council, the European Commission, and the European Parliament to put aside their single-minded focus on emissions trading and deliver real progress in reducing aviation emissions with a Single European Sky.

l-3 security & detection systems — a division of L-3 Communications and based in Woburn, MA, reports that its VIS-HR™ high-resolution automated explosives detection system is approved by the Service Technique de l’Aviation Civile (STAC) for compliance with the European Union Commission Regulation (EC) No 1448/2006–Standard 2.

lee county (FL) port authority — is awarded an FAA grant totaling over $6.1 million for construction of a new aircraft parking apron that will serve as a new terminal building at Page Field General Aviation Airport; total project budget is $7.3 million.

los angeles int’l airport — opens an $83 million midfield taxiway, 10,000 x 75 feet, which is expected to help reduce runway incursions in recent years.

los angeles mayor — Anto-nio Villaraigosa calls a proposed curfew at Bob Hope Airport counterproductive and improper, despite support for the ban that heavily outweighed opposition to the proposal during a public comment period. If the ban is enacted, more than 30 flights reportedly will be rerouted to Van Nuys Airport and five flights to LAX; others will be directed to Ontario, Long Beach, Camarillo, and Pacoima.

mge architects — of Coral Gables, FL receives a 2008 Merit Award of Excellence from the Florida Assn. of the American Institute of Architects (AIA) for its design work on Concourse J at Miami Int’l Airport.

milwaukee mitchell int’l airport — starts a marketing campaign to attract Northern Illinois travelers; “Skymailme” campaign gives visitors to its new website the chance to send personalized skywritten e-greetings to friends and family. Once in the virtual cockpit, visitors can upload an image of themselves as the pilot of a plane that skywrites their message over a view of Lake Michigan flanked by city skylines; www.flyMKE.com.