Saturday, May 25, 2019

Week in review (5/19 to 5/25)

Airbus during the week marked the delivery of its 12,000th aircraft in its 50-year history. The aircraft was an A220-100, assembled in Mirabel, Canada, and handed over to U.S.-based Delta Air Lines.

The aircraft is the 12th A220 delivered to date to Delta Air Lines since the first A220 in October 2018. Delta is the first U.S. airline to operate the A220 and is the largest A220 customer, with a firm order for 90 aircraft.

Ground was broken in January this year in Mobile, Ala. for the construction of a second A220 final assembly line, set to start deliveries to U.S. customers in 2020. (Post)

Meanwhile, Airbus has emerged as the newest potential buyer for Bombardier’s plant in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Bombardier announced in early May that it was seeking to divest its facilities in both Northern Ireland and Morocco.

According to a report from the UK’s Guardian newspaper, the Airbus CEO said that this would be an option for Airbus, effectively leading to the manufacturer taking control of the wing production for its A220 airliner, as well as engine covers for its A320 series.

Purchase of the Belfast operation would add to Airbus’s operations in the UK, which include wing manufacture for most of its commercial aircraft products at Broughton, North Wales, as well as production and design of wings at Filton, near Bristol. (Post)

Speaking of the A220, Airbus announced that beginning in the second half of 2020 the jetliner will be offered with a longer range. It will allow the A220 to reach markets that cannot be served by other small single-aisle aircraft types. (Post)


Blue Angels
The U.S. Navy Blue Angels flight demonstration team is retiring its existing C-130T Fat Albert cargo plane, but the Fat Albert program isn't going away. The Department of Defense is looking at replacement options. The team announced during the week that Fat Albert had reached the end of its flying life after 17 years with the team, accumulating more than 30,000 flight hours. The Blue Angels are based at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla. (Post)


Contracts
Vectrus Systems Corp., Colorado Springs, Colo., was awarded a $16.2 million modification to a previously awarded contract for Base Operations Support services. This modification provides for the exercise of the third option period. Work will be performed at Keesler Air Force Base, Miss., and is expected to be complete by May 31, 2020. The 81st Contracting Squadron, Keesler Air Force Base, is the contracting activity. … Lockheed Martin Aeronautics Co., Fort Worth, Texas, was awarded an $11.3 million modification to a previously awarded contract. This modification exercises an option for deployment and operation of test aircraft in support of the F-35 development, production, and sustainment for the Air Force, Navy, and non-U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) participants. Work will be performed in Lakehurst, N.J. (70 percent); and Eglin Air Force Base, Fla. (30 percent), and is expected to be completed in March 2020. The Naval Air Systems Command, Patuxent River, Md., is the contracting activity. … BAE Systems Technology Solutions & Services Inc., Rockville, Md., was awarded a $7.8 million delivery order against a previously awarded contract for serviceable components and subsystems for Instrumentation Tracking Systems (ITS). This delivery order provides for a 5.5 KVDC transmitter power upgrade for Phased Array Radar. Work will be performed at Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., and is expected to be complete by March 17, 2021. The 45th Contracting Squadron, Patrick Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity. … Alfab Inc., Enterprise, Ala., is awarded a $127.9 million contract to provide new and refurbished Airfield Matting 2 (AM2) packages in accordance with Naval Air Systems Command drawing packages. Work will be performed in Enterprise and is expected to be completed in May 2024. The Naval Air Warfare Center Aircraft Division, Lakehurst, N.J., is the contracting activity. … Raytheon Missile Systems, Tucson, Ariz., has been awarded a $24.5 million modification to a previously awarded contract for Advanced Medium Range Air-to-Air Missile System Improvement Program software architecture and design risk reduction efforts to counter evolving threats. Work will be performed in Tucson and is expected to be complete by Sept. 30, 2022. Air Force Life Cycle Management Center, Eglin Air Force Base, Fla., is the contracting activity.

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