October 2012 News in Brief

Oct. 31, 2012

Oct. 31-Nov. 1

NBAA 2012 65th Annual Meeting & Convention

Orlando, FL

http://www.nbaa.org

Nov. 12-16

SGHA & SLA IATA Workshop

Geneva, Switzerland

http://www.iata.org/training/courses/Pages/tapp32.aspx

Business Buzz

NTSB Urges Safety Gear For Taxiing Jetliners

Jetliners should be equipped with anti-collision equipment such as cameras to help pilots avoid clipping wingtips while taxiing, the National Transportation Safety Board recommended.

The recommendation from the safety board to the Federal Aviation Administration follows at least three runway collisions in the past 18 months. The problem in larger planes, the NTSB said, is that the pilot can't see the wingtips from the cockpit without opening a window, which the NTSB says is often impractical.

The board suggests that a camera could be mounted with a display in the cockpit so that pilots could see other aircraft and obstacles. The NTSB said that new warning equipment should be installed on older planes as well as new ones and that Boeing's 747, 757, 767 and 777 models, along with the Airbus A380 and McDonnell Douglas' MD-10 and MD-11, should be covered.

Hactl Honored: Hong Kong Air Cargo Terminals Limited (Hactl), was voted “Ground Handler of the Year” by air cargo industry publication, Payload Asia. Companies were voted for online by magazine readers on the basis of operational excellence, customer service, product innovations, competitive services and scope of service offerings.

Handling Spin Off: Air India created two subsidiaries, one for engineering and the other for ground handling, as part of a turnaround plan. For ground handling, the airline will provide equity to Air India Transport Services Limited over the next 12 years. About 12,000 employees will join the subsidiary.

American Shutters MRO: American Airlines will close its Fort Worth, TX, maintenance base by the end of the year, lay off 839 Tulsa mechanics and consolidate major aircraft maintenance operations in Tulsa, OK, and at Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport. More than 1,700 mechanics and related workers at American's three aircraft overhaul bases will be laid off by next February.

Forecast Expects U.S. Enplanements To Drop

The Boyd Group International is expecting changes in U.S. carrier operating strategies will lead to slower U.S. passenger growth than previously expected.

The organization predicts there will be approximately 740 million to 745 million U.S. enplanements, at or slightly below 2011’s figures. Because U.S. airlines are restructuring to accommodate higher fuel costs, capacity will be adjusted to capture maximum revenue per seat, Boyd says. In the second half of this year, for example, airlines will offer 7 million fewer seats, and nearly 3 percent fewer departures than in 2011.

On the plus side, Atlanta will experience the most passenger growth between 2012 and 2017, with an additional 5.5 million enplanements, followed by New York/JFK at 2.6 million. Third place is a virtual tie between Dallas/Fort Worth and Charlotte, N.C., which will experience an additional 2.5 million.

SLC To Build Deicing Pad: Salt Lake City International Airport received a $9 million FAA grant to construct a new deicing pad at the end of Runway 34R. This will enable aircraft to deice closer to the runway instead of near the gates. Construction is expected to begin in April 2013 and be completed by October 2014.

Partnerships/Acquisitions/Contracts

Daifuku Webb Group Acquires ELS

(PIC) Daifuku Webb Holding Company, reached an agreement with G&T Conveyor Company, Inc., to purchase all of the equity of Elite Line Services, LLC. ELS will operate as a wholly-owned subsidiary of Daifuku Webb within the Daifuku Group.

ELS, headquartered in Carrolton, TX, operates in more than 20 of the busiest U.S. airports and employs more than 800 who provide operations and maintenance support for baggage handling systems, passenger boarding bridges and ground support equipment.

Another Daifuku Webb subsidiary, Jervis B. Webb Company provides airport baggage handling systems primarily in North America. Last year, the group bought Logan Teleflex, another leading baggage handling company with locations in the United Kingdom, France and the United States.

Flightcare Acquisition: Swissport International has completed its acquisition of Flightcare Spain and Flightcare Belgium. The deal significantly boosts Swissport’s network in Spain and allows it to become a full-service provider at Brussels Airport by adding ground handling services to its portfolio.

New Menzies Deals: Menzies Aviation has signed a three-year contract with China Airlines to handle passenger and ramp services at Sydney Airport beginning this month. Menzies has been working with China Airlines in Brisbane Airport since October 2011. In other news from Australia, United Airlines extended its contract with Menzies at SYD and Melbourne Airport for three more years.

Cavotec Buys Combibox

Cavotec bought Combibox Systems Scandinavia AB.

(PIC) The acquistion made on Sept. 3 is set to further strengthen the Cavotec’s product offering and customer base in the global airports sector. Financial details of the transaction were not disclosed. Combibox had annual sales in 2011 of $2.5 million.

Combibox’s product range – in-ground systems that supply aircraft with air, fuel, electrical power, and fresh and blue water – complements Cavotec’s offering.

Crucially, Combibox’s excellent customer base provides Cavotec with a large number of new opportunities that will help support the future growth of the group. The acquisition will add new and reinforce existing markets for Cavotec across Asia, the Baltics, Scandinavia, Eastern Europe and India. Combibox is extremely active on the market, and until now has been one of Cavotec’s main competitors in the sector.

Expansion At EWR: Worldwide Flight Services has signed a two-year contract to provide loading and unloading services for Jet Airways’ daily Airbus A330-200 services from Newark Liberty International Airport, which operates to Brussels, Belgium and onto Mumbai, India. WFS will also provide baggage services, cabin cleaning and water services for the airline at EWR.

ASIG Roundup: ASIG announced a number of deals, including the following:

  • Spirit Airlines chose ASIG as its new refueling agent at the airliner’s home base at Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport. ASIG will also provide ground handling, passenger services, cabin cleaning, deicing and aircraft refueling for Spirit at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall.
  • United Continental renewed ASIG’s contract to provide refueling services at Los Angeles International Airport, one of the airliner’s busiest hubs with 195 daily flights. The contract was first awarded to ASIG in 2007. In a separate agreement, ASIG was awarded refueling services for United Continental at Detroit Metropolitan Airport. Both contracts cover mainline and express flights.
  • ASIG completed its acquisition of PLH Aviation Services and Dryden Air Services. PLH provides commercial aircraft refueling and fuel facility maintenance and operations at 13 Canadian airports and one at LAX. Dryden operates at five Canadian airports providing full ground support services, such as ramp handling, cabin cleaning, passenger services, aircraft deicing and aircraft refueling. The deal adds 16 new locations in Canada and enhances its market share at LAX for ASIG.

Flybe Signs With Servisair: Servisair and Flybe have signed a new multiyear contract at 10 UK airports, including bases at George Best Belfast City Airport, Jersey Airport and Southampton Airport. Servisair will handle more than 40,000 departures annually.

JBT Wins $14 Million Orders: JBT Corporation announced that its JBT AeroTech business has been awarded an order in excess of $4 million to supply passenger boarding bridges to the Gran Canaria Airport, the largest airport of the Canary Islands. JBT also announced orders in excess of $10 million by a large air freight carrier for the supply of new aircraft cargo loaders, deicing vehicles and pushbacks, as well as for the refurbishment and upgrade of existing cargo loaders.

Menzies Acquires Competitor At PRG

Menzies Aviation bought PRG GHU, one of three former ground handlers at Prague Ruzyne International Airport. Prior to the sale, PRG had three ground handlers – Czech Airlines, PRG GHU and Menzies.

Following the merger of Czech Airlines and Prague Airport earlier this year, however, Czech authorities decided to put PRG GHU up for sale.

The acquisition adds Wizz Air, Vueling, TAP, Rossiya Airlines, Belavia, Ural Airlines, S7 Airlines, Tatarstan Airlines, Volotea and other charter airlines to the Menzies’ portfolio in Prague. This increases the company’s Prague business by 30 percent to 24,000 turns per annually.

ITW’s Converters To Marines: ITW Military GSE, a division of Hobart Ground Systems, has been selected to provide its Dual Output Facility Converters for the construction of a new aircraft hangar at Iwakuni Marine Corp Air Station in Iwakuni, Japan. The converters can supply power to legacy aircraft with 400Hz AC electrical system and newer aircraft with 270V DC. The contract, worth $2.9 million, calls for delivery by January.

IDS Signs $100 Million Deal With EasyJet

(PIC) In a deal worth an estimated $100 million over the next 10 years, Integrated Deicing Services will deice jets at airports in several European cities for EasyJet.

IDS has made Inc. magazine's list of the fastest-growing companies in country for the past three years in a row. With revenue of about $14 million in 2007, the company reported sales of $38 million in 2011 and is on track to make $85 million in 2012, thanks in part to the European expansion, according to the company.

According to the company's Web site, IDS specializes in forced-air deicing and operates on a flat-rate basis based on the size of the aircraft.  IDS' "Check-n-GO" method consists of pulsing the application of deicing fluid. According to the company, this allows better visibility when steam and mist settle, ensures accurate delivery of deicing fluid, and reduces fluid use while still ensuring a safe, successful and timely deicing.

People in the News

Paul Sundby was promoted to vice president of sales and marketing for Garsite. Sundby has been in the aviation industry for more than 15 years and with Garsite for more than five years as senior sales manager of above ground storage tanks.

Trine Berntsen will join Aviator Norge as managing director, taking responsibility for all business and operations. Previously, Berntsen worked at the Compass Group where she occupied a number of senior roles including Nordic development director and operations director, Norway. She also has 15 years of experience in service provision at a number of Norwegian airports.

Jay B. Shelat was appointed senior vice president of cargo terminal service in North America by WFS North America. Previously, Shelat was vice president of cargo for Jet Airways in Mumbai, India, where he helped lead the expansion of the airline’s network in India and internationally, significantly increasing its cargo revenues.

Vincent R. Davis was promoted to director, U.S. sales and service by Malabar International. Davis was promoted from his prior positions as senior inspector and field and technical support representative at Malabar’s headquarters in Simi Valley. He has been with Malabar eight years.

David D. Cawthon was promoted to general manager of HBD/Thermoid Inc.’s Chanute, KS, manufacturing plant. Cawthon has been an employee at the plant for 38 years. Most recently, Cawthon was responsible for and managed the company’s compliance with AS 9100C, other quality management systems, customer audits and recertification audits. He is a Certified Lean Six Sigma Green Belt with formal training in quality control, process improvement, root cause analysis and maintenance.