Category: BizJet

AFI KLM E&M has been developing an aircraft teardown business for several years to improve supplies of component and engine spares. In 2018, the group finalized the purchase of two Boeing 777-200ERs. The engines on these aircraft, GE90-94Bs, were checked and returned to conformity, before being made available via their maintenance shops, as an exchange solution for airlines. Several hundred parts from these same aircraft will be re-certified before being sold on or used to supply their global network of spares pools and repair shops, which the company says will result in contributing to improving service levels and cutting maintenance costs for customers.

AFI KLM E&M says is structured to be able to take advantage of the potential of these components and engines that can be re-used after teardown. As an airline MRO, it says it can assist the fleet plans of its customer airlines, enabling it to source the investment opportunities that are opening up on the teardown market. The teardown activities will be carried out in-house by KLM UK Engineering, which has approval for single-aisle aircraft teardown, at Bonus Tech for engines and other partners.

The recovered assets are inspected, overhauled and re-certified for use before supplying maintenance shops and spares pools worldwide. Alternatively, the company says they may be sold on the used parts market via their AAF Spares joint-venture. The AFI KLM E&M Teardown Management entity centralizes management and coordination of all these activities.

Spirit AeroSystems has entered into an agreement to acquire select assets of Bombardier aerostructures and aftermarket services businesses in Belfast, Northern Ireland (known as Short Brothers); Casablanca, Morocco; and Dallas, United States, for $500 million. In addition, Spirit AeroSystems will assume approximately $300 million in net pension liabilities, and approximately $290 million of government grant repayment obligations.

“The Bombardier operations bring world-class engineering expertise to Spirit and add to a strong track record of innovation, especially in advanced composites,” says Tom Gentile, Spirit AeroSystems president and CEO. “Belfast has developed an impressive position in business jet fuselage production, in addition to the world-acclaimed fully integrated A220 composite wing. This acquisition is in line with our growth strategy of increasing Airbus content, developing low-cost country footprint, and growing our aftermarket business.”

Gentile added that the Spirit team is excited about the opportunity to expand its operations into Northern Ireland and Morocco. The addition of the entire work package for the A220 wing and its technology are critical for the future of next-generation aircraft.

The acquired Bombardier operations employ more than 4,000 people at three sites comprising approximately 3.4 million square feet. The backlog of work includes long-term contracts on the Airbus A220 and A320neo, along with Bombardier business and regional jets.

The expected revenues of the acquired Bombardier operations will be approximately $1 billion in 2019. The transaction, which is expected to close in the first half of 2020, is subject to regulatory approvals and customary closing conditions.

Kaman Aerospace has been awarded an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract by The Boeing Company. This new work package is for the manufacture of wing control surfaces and structural assemblies in support of the U.S Air Force (USAF) A-10 Thunderbolt Advanced Wing Continuation Kitting (ATTACK) program. Work for this program will be performed in its Jacksonville, Fla., facility. The USAF awarded Boeing a $999 million contract to provide up to 112 new wing assemblies and up to 15 wing kits through 2030.

Kaman delivered flight control surfaces to Boeing for 173 aircraft under the previous Wing Replacement Program (WRP) that ran from 2007 through to 2018. Kaman will deliver wing structural assemblies, which include the inboard and outboard flaps, slats, and deceleron/speed brake assemblies, including upper and lower speed brakes, trim tabs, and leading edge assemblies.

“Kaman Aerospace Jacksonville is honored to be selected by Boeing as a key supplier on the A-10 Thunderbolt Advanced Wing Continuation Kitting (ATTACK) program,” says William Zmyndak, vice president and general manager of Kaman Integrated Structures and Metallics. “Our established manufacturing ‘know-how’, experience with A-10 structures and knowledge of the Boeing requirements puts us in a ‘ready now’ position to execute this program. We have developed a great working relationship with Boeing to support our mutual Customer, the U.S. Air Force, in their efforts to extend the life of this iconic aircraft to 2030 and beyond.”

Epic Aircraft announced the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has granted Type Certification for its E1000 all carbon fiber aircraft design, concluding a rigorous seven-year program. “This is a remarkable accomplishment for our entire community,” says Doug King, Epic CEO. “I want to thank our employees, who have worked so diligently to deliver this exceptional design, as well as our partners, suppliers and customers, who have faithfully supported us each step of the way. It has been a true team effort, along with the fantastic support of the FAA.”

The Epic E1000 is based on the company’s experimental Epic LT model which was introduced to the market in 2005 through an owner-assist build program based at Epic headquarters. “Transitioning that design into a certified version was the chance to offer a truly compelling product to the industry, a ‘no compromises’ aircraft that customers would really want,” says King. Epic says it has more than 80 confirmed E1000 reservations from around the U. S., Canada, Mexico, Central/South America, Europe, Russia, South Africa and Australia.

“We had some opportunities to speed things up along the way, to get certification earlier,” said King. “But that would have required some tradeoffs that we weren’t willing to make. We consider performance to be our brand, so we decided to make it perform. And we did!”

The first seven E1000 customer aircraft are in various stages of fabrication, bonding and assembly, with initial deliveries slated to begin this year. Epic has doubled its composite fabrication capacity, invested in tooling, equipment, curing ovens and refined workflows to accelerate E1000 production ramp. The company is currently running two production shifts, with plans to further expand operations. Production Certification is targeted for the first quarter of 2020.

“The FAA has a difficult job, overseeing a very challenging process, ultimately aimed at keeping us all safe,” King says. “They have been a great partner, collaborating with us throughout the program, and certainly contributing to the structural integrity and safety of the E1000 We are very excited to begin this new chapter in the Epic Aircraft story.”

Unison Industries signed a long-term material purchase agreement with Alaska Airlines for the purchase of its new Hi-Performance Igniter Plug for use on Alaska Airlines’ CFM56-7 powered fleet. Alaska Airlines currently has more than 160 Boeing 737 aircraft in service.

Unison says the igniter enables Alaska Airlines to almost double the lifespan compared to standard or legacy igniters, extending time on wing. The all-new patented technology improves spark life under harsh conditions, Unison says. During bench and field testing, the Hi-Performance Igniter succeeded in extreme temperatures up to 2,000°F. Alaska Airlines is Unison’s launch partner for the Hi-Performance Igniter.

Unison will support Alaska Airlines with available material on-hand which will help reduce annual maintenance costs by decreasing the number of replacements as a result of increased intervals. Unison has the only CFM56 OEM-approved igniter plug by CFM, and it is currently being installed on all new CFM56 engines after receiving FAA approval in 2018.

“This product is a prime example of Unison’s focus on continuous improvement for in-service fleets,” says Tom Hoferer, Unison Industries president “We are proud to partner with Alaska Airlines and work hand-in-hand with them while leveraging our strong partnership across the engine OEMs.”

“Our teams worked closely together for many months to ensure the product would be safe and reliable for use on Alaska’s fleet,” says Todd Martin, manager of Powerplant Engineering for Alaska Airlines. “We look forward to the increased reliability and decreased cost that this igniter brings to the airline,”