Transportation Industry

Aerospace & Defense News - Defense Europe

AirGuide Business, April 28, 2008

Apr 28, 2008

The European Union on Wednesday ratified a A2.4 billion public bailout of the European satellite project meant to rival the GPS system in the United States. The European Parliament endorsed new rules underlying a plan to tap the EU budget for the extra $3.8 billion to build the Galileo road, rail, ship and air-traffic control network. The approval removes the final hurdle after EU governments decided in November to use taxpayers' money to rescue the project, which is over budget and behind schedule. "We are giving the go-ahead to one of the most important projects in the EU," Angelika Niebler of Germany, head of the Parliament's Industry Committee, told the assembly here. "This is a technology that we need." The A4.5 billion satellite program, one of the biggest European projects since Airbus in the 1970s, had been on the verge of collapse after companies, led by European Aeronautic Defense & Space and Alcatel-Lucent, balked at sharing the costs. The businesses cited the risks tied to launching and operating the system. Apr 23, 2008

Airbus, EADS

Airbus parent EADS hopes military transport makes first test flight this summer. EADS officials said they still hope that the A400M military transport aircraft will make its first test flight this summer. However, they said they still must resolve issues with the plane's engines. CEO Carlos Suarez said he is confident the company will deliver the first plane to France by 2010. Apr 24, 2008

BAE Systems

BAE Systems lands contract to develop secure military network. BAE Systems has received a contract to develop a secure mobile military communications network, developed to prevent cyberattacks. The DARPA contract is worth $8.5 million. Apr 25, 2008

Boeing

European Union and the United States relations were further strained when the U.S. Air Force awarded a $35 billion contract earlier this year for aerial refueling tankers to Northrop Grumman and EADS rather than Boeing. Enders was speaking after signing an agreement with Scott Carson, CEO of Boeing Commercial Airplanes, to cooperate to improve global air traffic control systems. Both Enders and Carson told an earlier news conference the two companies would continue to compete aggressively in making and marketing planes. But just as they already cooperated on safety, the two now saw the potential to cooperate on the environment. The aviation industry is fast approaching a crisis because of congestion in the United States and Europe, Enders said. A state-of-the-art air traffic management system in Europe would allow the industry to save 10-12 percent of fuel consumption in a few years, he said. This work would not be restricted to planemakers but involve other sectors such as electronics, the two noted. Enders said this cooperation would involve both companies working with their suppliers -- whom they share in many cases -- so that they understand how they can improve their environmental performance. Apr 21, 2008

Editorial eMail: edit@AirGuideOnline.com

For Air Transport & Travel Business Experts contact our Director of Content Aram Gesar eMail: bizintel@AirGuideOnline.com

To Advertise: advert@AirGuideOnline.com