Category: Commercial

Boeing and Turkish Technic have announced a renewed tailored parts package agreement, extending the maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) provider’s current contract by three years. The contract will enable Turkish Technic to reinforce its efficiency, reliability and access to a global network of parts and component services.

“Our renewed parts agreement with Boeing is a testament to our commitment to providing the best final product to our customers,” said Mikail Akbulut, president and CEO, Turkish Technic.   “Without a doubt, the cooperation between Turkish Technic and Boeing is another milestone in meeting the demands of the market.”

Through this agreement, Turkish Technic will continue to streamline maintenance operations with price and availability benefits from the renewal agreement. This Tailored Parts Package three year renewal expands the companies’ previous agreement with 9,000 part numbers. The parts include a range of Boeing and supplier parts sourced through both Boeing and partner entities.

“As our industry continues to manage challenges caused by the pandemic and subsequent recovery, our partners are committed to finding unique solutions that will provide the value to their organization and final product for their customer,” said Ted Colbert, president and chief executive officer, Boeing Global Services. “We greatly appreciate that Turkish Technic has continued to place their trust in Boeing’s large and cost competitive supply network, gaining predictability and flexibility with the custom agreement.”

Taco Stouten has joined the OEM-independent, component support company for the Airbus A380 and the Embraer E-Jet family, Spairliners, after 12-years with Airbus. At Airbus he held roles in the Sales and Marketing department as manager for cabin market Insights and Airline Marketing manager amongst others. At Airbus, he developed a solid track record in aircraft sales, including A380, and helped generate substantial revenue for the company.

“With his extensive product knowledge, exceptional sales acumen and passion for new technologies, Taco is best equipped to lead Spairliners’ sales organization to further broaden our customer base and drive revenue growth. We are delighted to have him join our team” says Thies Möller, CEO and managing director of Spairliners. “Taco has proven to be highly skilled in identifying customer needs and providing airlines with customized and cost-saving solutions for their fleet requirements. We are confident that he will build on these skills to further elevate our highly flexible component support solutions, especially as we diversify our products to better address the changing needs of A380 operators and increase our focus on innovative offerings for Embraer E-Jet family operators.”

As the new head of Engineering, Asset & AOG-Desk, René Popp is bringing a wealth of industry knowledge and experience to Spairliners, the company says. Popp worked at Airbus and SAFRAN, where he was overseeing business units in commercial, technical and contractual negotiations as director of Customer Relations. “We are excited to welcome René to the Spairliners family. He has led a wide variety of corporate and customer projects to success and will be,” states Benoît Rollier, CFO and managing director of Spairliners.

Popp will be taking over from Francois de Larambergue, who will take on a new role within Spairliners’ shareholder, Air France Industries KLM Engineering & Maintenance.

The new appointments will support an internal reorganization aimed at increasing the focus on market demands and efficiency in a rapidly changing business context. As part of these efforts, Jens Rehder has been appointed head of Finance & Account Management, adding the leadership of the account management team to his existing responsibilities. Benjamin Gabrielle takes on the responsibility of procurement and supplier contract management, as he is appointed head of Procurement & Supply Chain Solutions.

Jamco Aero Design and Engineering (JADE), a subsidiary of JAMCO Corporation (JAMCO) and Singapore Airlines Engineering Company (SIAEC), has completed its first passenger to cargo cabin (P2C) conversion program on a Boeing B777-300ER for launch customer Singapore Airlines (SIA). This achievement adds to JADE’s growing list of aircraft retrofitting capabilities and further reaffirms its position as the leading turnkey aircraft cabin interior specialist in Asia.

Global travel restrictions in relation to COVID-19 have caused air travel demand to plunge. In response, many passenger airlines pivoted by launching cargo-only flights using passenger aircraft with cargo secured on passenger seats. Although this approach allows the solution to be deployed immediately, the cargo allowed to be carried in the cabin is limited by the size of the seats. Airlines also have to bear the risk of damage caused to the seats during cargo loading.

The solution JADE and SIAEC developed is part of a JAMCO “Project Blue Sky” Clean Cabin Initiative involving the removal of passenger seats from two zones in the cabin to allow cargo to be secured on the passenger cabin floor. This approach maximizes the cargo capacity in the passenger cabin and reduces the dead weight of the aircraft which in turn creates fuel savings for the airline. What’s more, the removed seats can be safely stored, eliminating the risk of damage during cargo loading. The retrofitted aircraft can now carry up to 193,000lbs of cargo, a 12% increase in cargo capacity from a standard B777-300ER.

JADE’s P2C conversion on the Boeing B777-300ER is the first solution to be awarded a Supplementary Type Certificate (STC) by the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS). This conversion also meets the set requirements for FAA and EASA STC approvals, making it a quick and compatible solution for any airline around the world, the company says.

In March, SR Technics added Olaf Christoph to its business development team. Christoph comes to SR Technics after nearly twenty years as sales director for new engines and engine services at GE Aviation, where he handled the accounts of several major airline customers in the European region. Prior to that, he spent a decade in various manufacturing roles, including quality management, production and industrial engineering. Christoph received his Mechanical Engineering MA degree in 1985 from the German University of the Federal Armed Forces, where he had served as an officer for twelve years before joining the private sector.

With the addition of Christoph, the Business Development team headed by Senior Vice President Caroline Vandedrinck will continue to accelerate growth in the company’s core areas such as engine services and line maintenance thus consolidating our strong position on the MRO market, leveraging opportunities based on the current industry outlook and emphasizing its longstanding commitment to an outstanding customer experience.

“The Business Development Team under Caroline Vandedrinck has brought together a talented group of individuals to spread the word on our flexible, fully customized MRO services,” commented Jean-Marc Lenz, CEO. “Despite the current economic challenges, we are confident that this team will help us expand our reach and ensure we prosper when the market rebounds.”

Boeing and Alaska Airlines announced they are partnering on the latest Boeing ecoDemonstrator program and will flight test about 20 technologies on a new 737-9 to enhance the safety and sustainability of air travel.

In flights beginning this summer, Boeing and Alaska will test a new halon-free fire-extinguishing agent that significantly reduces effects on the ozone layer, evaluate an engine nacelle designed to reduce noise and assess cabin sidewalls made from recycled material, among other projects.

“We have a long history of working with Boeing to advance aviation technology, safety and fuel efficiency,” said Diana Birkett Rakow, Alaska Airlines’ vice president, public affairs and sustainability. “Alaska Airlines flies to some of the most beautiful and geographically diverse regions in the world and we are committed to finding ways to reduce climate impacts across our network. This work with Boeing to accelerate innovation on the ecoDemonstrator program enables us to contribute to a more sustainable future for our global community.”

Since 2012, the ecoDemonstrator program has accelerated innovation by taking nearly 200 promising technologies out of the lab and testing them in the air to address challenges for the aviation industry and improve the passenger experience.

“Boeing is committed to continually improve air safety and the environmental performance of our products,” said Stan Deal, Boeing Commercial Airplanes president and CEO. “We’re proud to collaborate with our hometown customer and other partners around the world this year to make flying more sustainable.”

In five months of ecoDemonstrator flight tests, Boeing and Alaska will work with nine other partners to test new technologies. After tests are complete, the airplane will be configured for passenger service and delivered to Alaska. The program’s technologies include:

• Testing a new fire extinguishing agent for aircraft that significantly reduces effects on the ozone layer. This material is intended to replace Halon 1301, which is no longer being produced.
• Collaborating with the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to measure greenhouse-gas levels in the atmosphere to support the agency’s climate modeling and long-term forecasting.
• Evaluating acoustic lining concepts within the engine nacelle that may reduce noise on current engines and will inform designs for next-generation models.
• Recycling carbon composite material from Boeing 777X wing production into a cabin sidewall panel. This durable, light material would reduce fuel use and carbon emissions, and supports Boeing’s goals for sustainable manufacturing.

ecoDemonstrator test flights are flown on a blend of petroleum-based and sustainable aviation fuel. SAF is in regular use today, reduces life-cycle CO2 emissions by up to 80%, and offers the most immediate and greatest potential to reduce emissions over the next 20 to 30 years in all commercial aviation markets.