ICAO Press Release

FUTURE DIRECTION OF INTERNATIONAL CIVIL AVIATION TO BE SHAPED AT UPCOMING ICAO ASSEMBLY

The future growth of the global economy depends upon a robust air transport sector. At the 37th triennial Session of its Assembly, the 190 Member States of ICAO will focus on policies and regulations that will deliver on systematic and consistent improvements to the level of safety, security and environmental sustainability of the sector in the years to come.

Ministers and high-level officials from a number of Member States and representatives from some 30 international organizations, representing all aspects of international civil aviation will participate.

SAFETY

The challenge for aviation is to develop more sophisticated tools and techniques to proactively improve safety in an operating environment that is increasingly complex, due to the growth in the number of flights worldwide, the wider range of technologies from older and latest generation aircraft flying in the same airspace, and the progressive introduction of remote-controlled airborne vehicles. The challenge is also to further improve the safety of the global system while focusing on those regions of the world with the highest levels of safety risks. Accordingly, the Assembly will review for adoption a proposed safety strategy based on transparency and the sharing of safety information, the greater involvement of regional safety organizations and increased cooperation between regulators and industry stakeholders.

SECURITY

The attempted bombing of a commercial airliner on 25 December 2009 intensified efforts to protect commercial aircraft and air transport facilities from terrorist attacks. The ICAO Assembly will evaluate a range of proposals to deal with new and emerging threats to the security of flights, as well as persons on the ground, while accelerating the flow of passengers at airports. It is also expected to adopt a comprehensive security policy to further tighten the global security net.

ENVIRONMENT

In what is expected to be a landmark decision, the ICAO Assembly will be asked to adopt a policy on climate change that includes even more ambitious goals than those contained in a Programme of Action adopted last year by a high-level meeting on aviation and climate change. This will constitute the first and to date only globally-harmonized agreement from a sector for addressing its CO2 emissions. Member States will look at a number of mitigating measures to further reduce civil aviation’s impact on the environment, including market-based approaches and alternative fuels for aviation, as well as other technological and operational initiatives to support the sustainable growth of international aviation.

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    International Boundary and Water Commission Casualties found near Tex/Mex Border.

    Update

    Senator John Cornyn–on the Judiciary Committee’s Immigration, Border Security and Refugees subcommittee and the Armed Services Committee’s Airland subcommittee, former Texas Attorney General, Texas Supreme Court Justice, and Bexar County District Judge– released a Statement regarding the International Boundary and Water Commission Plane Crash

    “Since the disappearance of this aircraft earlier in the week, all of us have been hoping and praying for a miracle. So it is with a profound sense of sadness to learn that the wreckage has been found, and that the lives of these four men have been lost. Commissioner Marin and Jake Brisbin Jr. were devoted public servants and proud Americans whose loss will be felt throughout the border region. Their hard work and commitment, along with that of Commissioner Herrera’s, reflected the spirit of goodwill and partnership that is shared by the United States and Mexico as we work together on our common goals. Their family and loved ones are in my prayers tonight as the entire border region remembers their lives and legacies, and mourns this tragic accident.”

    src=http://cornyn.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=ForPress.NewsReleases&ContentRecord_id=75aeea20-802a-23ad-4b54-496c3c561d42

    What: Chartered Cessna 421
    Where: Border Patrol located the wreckage in a remote rugged section of the Sierra Madre Mountains in Mexico, about 20 miles northwest of Presidio.
    When: The plane was reported missing after it did not land on time Monday in Presidio. It was found shortly after noon Wednesday
    Who: Found deceased: leaders of the U.S. and Mexican sections of the IBWC, Carlos Marin of El Paso and Arturo Herrera, of Ciudad Juarez, Mexicom, Jake Brisbin Jr., executive director of the Rio Grande Council of Government and pilot Matthew Peter Juneau
    Why: The group had traveled to inspect flooding conditions in Presidio and Ojinaga, an aerial view of the Luis Leon Reservoir. Cause of the crash is not known but the pilot had signalled a problem after taking off Monday from El Paso, Mexico.

    AP had inadvertently listed the passengers as deceased when the plane disappeared and optimistically attempted to retract the story, hoping the passengers would be found alive. Sadly, there were no survivors

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    IATA Checkpoint of the Future

    The International Air Transport Association (IATA) unveiled the first mock-up of a Checkpoint of the Future, designed to enhance security while reducing queues and intrusive searches at airports, using intelligence-driven risk-based measures.

    IATA’s Checkpoint of the Future is being shown to delegates attending the Association’s 67th Annual General Meeting (AGM) and World Air Transport Summit, in Singapore.

    “We spend $7.4 billion a year to keep aviation secure. But our passengers only see hassle. Passengers should be able to get from curb to boarding gate with dignity. That means without stopping, stripping or unpacking, and certainly not groping. That is the mission for the Checkpoint of the Future. We must make coordinated investments for civilized flying,” said Giovanni Bisignani, IATA’s Director General and CEO.

    The main concepts of the Checkpoint are (1) strengthened security by focusing resources where risk is greatest, (2) supporting this risk-based approach by integrating passenger information into the checkpoint process, and (3) maximizing throughput for the vast majority of travelers who are deemed to be low risk with no compromise on security levels.

    “Today’s checkpoint was designed four decades ago to stop hijackers carrying metal weapons. Since then, we have grafted on more complex procedures to meet emerging threats. We are more secure, but it is time to rethink everything. We need a process that responds to today’s threat. It must amalgamate intelligence based on passenger information and new technology. That means moving from a system that looks for bad objects, to one that can find bad people,” said Bisignani.

    How does it work?
    The Checkpoint of the Future ends the one-size-fits-all concept for security. Passengers approaching the checkpoint will be directed to one of three lanes: ‘known traveler’, ‘normal’, and ‘enhanced security’. The determination will be based on a biometric identifier in the passport or other travel document that triggers the results of a risk assessment conducted by government before the passenger arrives at the airport.

    The three security lanes will have technology to check passengers according to risk. “Known travelers” who have registered and completed background checks with government authorities will have expedited access. “Normal screening” would be for the majority of travelers. And those passengers for whom less information is available, who are randomly selected or who are deemed to be an “Elevated risk” would have an additional level of screening.

    Screening technology is being developed that will allow passengers to walk through the checkpoint without having to remove clothes or unpack their belongings. Moreover, it is envisioned that the security process could be combined with outbound customs and immigration procedures, further streamlining the passenger experience.

    Next Steps
    Through the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), 19 governments, including the United States, are working to define standards for a Checkpoint of the Future. IATA is also coordinating closely with the US Department of Homeland Security’s Checkpoint of Tomorrow program which has similar goals.

    “We have the ability to move to the biometric scanning and three-lane concept right now. And while some of the technology still needs to be developed, even by just re-purposing what we have today, we could see major changes in two or three years time,” said Bisignani.

    For more information, please contact:
    Director Corporate Communications
    AGM Media Centre Tel: +65 6688 2734
    Email: corpcomms@iata.org

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    Symposium Announced: Airline Code-Sharing Arrangements and Their Role in Aviation Safety


    Date and Location:
    October 26 – 27, 2010
    NTSB Conference Center

    Short Description:
    The goals of the symposium are to (1) elicit information on the structures, practices, and oversight of domestic and international code-sharing arrangements; (2) gain insight into best practices regarding the sharing of safety information between airlines and their code-sharing partners; and (3) to explore the role that a major airline would have in the family disaster assistance response for an accident involving a code-sharing partner. These areas will be explored through presentations from major and regional airlines, industry organizations, and representatives of the traveling public.

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    Lufthansa first airline to use biofuel on commercial flights

    Bio-synthetic kerosene to be used from April 2011

    At a joint press conference today, Lufthansa Chairman and CEO Wolfgang Mayrhuber, with Peter Hinze, Parliamentary State Secretary and Government Aerospace Coordinator, and Professor Dr. Johann-Dietrich Wörner, Chairman of the Executive Board of the German Aerospace Center (DLR), presented a biofuel project planned by Lufthansa. The project is backed by the government within the framework of its aviation research programme aimed at underpinning the sustainability of air traffic.

    In April 2011, Lufthansa is to begin a six-month trial with an Airbus A321 on scheduled com-mercial flights on the Hamburg-Frankfurt-Hamburg route. Pending certification, one of the aircraft’s engines will use a 50-50 mix of biofuel and traditional kerosene. The primary pur-pose of the project is to conduct a long-term trial to study the effect of biofuel on engine maintenance and engine life. During the six months trial, Lufthansa will save around 1,500 tonnes of CO2 emissions, said Lufthansa Chief Wolfgang Mayrhuber in Berlin today. “Luft-hansa will be the world’s first airline to utilise biofuel in flight operations within the framework of a long-term trial. This is a further consistent step in a proven sustainability strategy, which Lufthansa has for many years successfully pursued and implemented,” said Mayrhuber.

    Peter Hintze, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology, said: “With its aviation research programme (LUFO), the Federal Government is supporting the German aviation industry in its efforts to master the technological challenges of establishing a safe and sustainable air traffic system. That backing is afforded within internationally comparable framework conditions.

    About 77 per cent of LUFO funding is directly or indirectly related to the environment and sustainability. Only an integrated research approach of the like practised in research net-works, above and beyond the classical discrete disciplines, offers the chance of achieving the ambitious climate protection objectives by 2020 and, simultaneously, safeguarding the technological competitiveness of the German aviation industry.”

    The “burnFAIR“ project dedicated to the testing of biofuel, unveiled by Lufthansa today, is a successful example of integrating research efforts for the purpose of realising climate care objectives. This project is part of an overall “FAIR” initiative (Future Aircraft Research), in which other issues – alongside biofuel compatibility – such as new engine and aircraft con-cepts or other fuels, e.g. liquified natural gas (LNG) are under study. The Federal Government is contributing a total of five million euros towards the “FAIR” initiative, of the total 2.5 million euros is earmarked for the Lufthansa “burnFAIR” project.

    Prof. Dr. Johann-Dietrich Wörner, Chairman of the Executive Board of the German Aerospace Center (DLR), dwelt on the project background at the Berlin press conference: “Our “burnFAIR” project is designed to research the long-term alternatives to conventional aviation jet fuel. The object is to gather data on pollutants from biofuel in com-parison with conventional kerosene over a longer period. The measured pollution pattern related to diverse stresses in flight and the composition of the exhaust gases will allow us not only to draw conclusions about the compatibility of biofuel but also about the maintenance needs of aircraft engines. Since, above all, we expect a significant reduction in soot particles.

    Lufthansa is currently making intensive preparations for the practical tests. Aside from the actual research project, the acquisition of biofuel in sufficient volume and the complex logis-tics it involves is proving a challenge in the run-up to the trial. The aircraft, for example, will be fuelled only in Hamburg. Furthermore, an array of internal processes must be modified, since Lufthansa does not normally deploy a plane exclusively on a single route, but always in a rotation chain on flights to different destinations.

    The project will cost Lufthansa an estimated 6.6 million euros. “We know that biofuel is an issue we must address carefully. We can see the opportunities this fuel offers and give seri-ous attention to the debate on the requisite raw materials. But we first want to acquire expe-rience in daily practice in the use of biofuels. We are doing pioneering work in that no other airline to date has operated an aircraft engine with biofuel over a longer term,” observed Wolfgang Mayrhuber. “Our fuel is sustainable. No rain forest will be deforested for Lufthansa biofuel. In the procurement of biofuel, we ensure it originates from a sustainable supply and production process. Our licensed suppliers must provide proof of the sustainability of their processes.“

    Production of the bio-synthetic kerosene utilised by Lufthansa rests on the basis of pure bio-mass (Biomass to Liquid- BTL). The producer is Neste Oil, a fuel refining and marketing company from Finland. The company has years of experience in biofuel production and has cooperated with Lufthansa for many years. Certification of its biofuel is expected in March 2011.

    The use of biofuel is one element in a four-pillar strategy aimed at reducing overall emissions in air traffic. Ambitious environmental goals can only be achieved in future with a combination of various measures, like ongoing fleet renewal, operational measures such as engine washing and infrastructural improvements. Projects dedicated to these themes are also underway under the aegis of the aviation research programme. Thanks to new technologies, Lufthansa has improved its fuel efficiency by 30 per cent since 1991. Average fuel consump-tion per passenger is now down to 4.3 litres of kerosene over 100 kilometres.

    Deutsche Lufthansa AG
    Media Relations, FRA CI/P

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    Elbit Systems’ Brazilian Subsidiary, Aeroeletronica, Awarded a Contract to Supply Hermes(R) 450 Unmanned Aircraft Systems to the Brazilian Air Force

    – Elbit Systems Ltd. (NASDAQ and TASE: ESLT) (“Elbit Systems”) announced today that its Brazilian subsidiary, Aeroeletronica Ltda. (“AEL”), was awarded a contract to supply Hermes(R) 450 Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) to the Brazilian Air Force. The contract is not in an amount that is material to Elbit Systems.

    This project is a part of the Brazilian Air Forces’ objective to establish independent UAS capabilities, allowing for self-reliant operation and development of UAS in Brazil. Located in Porto Alegre in southern Brazil, AEL performs a variety of projects for the Brazilian Air Force, as well as other branches of the Brazilian Armed Forces.

    Hermes(R) 450 is an experienced and mature UAS that has, to date, accumulated over 200,000 operational flight hours in various arenas worldwide. Its capabilities are suitable both for homeland security and anti-terror missions, and it can be equipped with a variety of advanced sensors, according to customers’ requirements. As part of the development of the Brazilian Air Forces’ future UAS, AEL will utilize technological capabilities of its parent company, Elbit Systems, and will also work with local Brazilian industries.

    Joseph Ackerman, President and CEO of Elbit Systems, commented: “We are extremely proud of the Brazilian Air Force’s selection of Elbit Systems UAS, a decision that marks yet another significant milestone in AEL’s long-time collaboration with the Air Force. The Brazilian Air Force is considered a global leader, and the selection attests to the quality and maturity of our UAS, currently operational with more than 20 customers worldwide.” Ackerman added: “We hope this new project will further strengthen the cooperation between AEL and the Brazilian Air Force, as well as other Brazilian customers, and will be an incentive for future collaborations.”
    About Aeroeletronica – Elbit Systems’ subsidiary in Porto Alegre
    Located in Porto Alegre (the largest state in South Brazil), Aeroeletronica’s workforce currently includes more than 180 employees – with plans for expanding the workforce in the near future. Based on technological investments, know-how transfer and extensive training of its employees at Elbit Systems’ headquarters, Aeroeletronica is a center of excellence for development, production and logistic support of advanced systems serving Brazilian as well as other South American customers.

    About Elbit Systems
    Elbit Systems Ltd. is an international defense electronics company engaged in a wide range of programs throughout the world. The Company, which includes Elbit Systems and its subsidiaries, operates in the areas of aerospace, land and naval systems, command, control, communications, computers, intelligence surveillance and reconnaissance (“C4ISR”), unmanned aircraft systems (“UAS”), advanced electro-optics, electro-optic space systems, EW suites, airborne warning systems, ELINT systems, data links and military communications systems and radios. The Company also focuses on the upgrading of existing military platforms, developing new technologies for defense, homeland security and commercial aviation applications and providing a range of support services.

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  • Chromalloy Announces New Thermal Barrier Coating to Enhance Aircraft Engine Efficiency

    ‘Low K’ Ceramic Coating Better Insulates Components, Allows Hotter Engine Operating Temperatures

    ORANGEBURG, N.Y., Feb. 1, 2011
    — Chromalloy announced today that its new thermal barrier coating enhances the performance of gas turbine engines.

    “Chromalloy’s new thermal barrier coating – the RT-35 Low K coating – provides lower thermal conductivity, which allows higher engine temperatures,” said Dr. Peter Howard, Vice President, Technology and Quality Assurance.

    The RT-35 Low K coating was patented by Chromalloy in 2006 and certified by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) in 2010 for use on the PW4000 second stage high pressure turbine blade after a series of tests confirming its low thermal conductivity, high thermal cycle durability and other attributes.

    The coating is currently in use by a commercial airline in Asia.

    The RT-35 Low K coating provides a layer of insulation to the base metal component and underlying bond coating surface of a turbine blade from the extreme heat of the combustion gases during engine during operation.

    “The coating provides 50-percent lower thermal conductivity, allowing engines to perform at higher temperatures,” Howard said. “Engines produce greater thrust when operating at higher temperature – and they can operate on the same amount of fuel as powerplants that operate at lower temperatures.

    “Chromalloy’s RT-35 Low K coating is a critical driver for the engine to deliver greater fuel efficiency to the operator,” he said.

    In addition, the RT-35 Low K coating increases the oxidation and corrosion resistance of the underlying bond coating as it is cooler and thus extends the life of the engine components – another cost saving for the operator.

    Chromalloy has been a pioneer in the development of innovative ceramic coatings for turbine engine “gas path” or hot section components for six decades, Chromalloy developed the industry’s first Electron Beam Physical Vapor Deposition (EBPVD) coatings with ceramic materials in the 1980s. Since that time the company has continued to develop innovative coatings for aerospace, aero-derivative, marine and industrial gas turbine components.
    Chromalloy produces a variety of vacuum plasma and diffused precious metal / aluminide coatings for all hot section engine components. The company is a supplier to aircraft operators for new and repair components, as well as to the leading engine original equipment manufacturers (OEMs).

    With 52 sales, repair and manufacturing locations in 17 countries, Chromalloy is the world’s largest independent supplier of technologically advanced repairs, coatings, and FAA-approved replacement parts for turbine airfoils and other critical engine components for commercial airlines, the military and industrial turbine engine applications.

    The company’s engineered components and blades are subject to the same FAA requirements and scrutiny as OEM-produced equipment.

    Chromalloy’s replacement parts for aircraft engines are FAA certified to meet or exceed the performance, reliability and durability specifications of original equipment manufacturer parts. In support of marine and land-based gas turbines, the company employs identical engineering disciplines used to produce its FAA-certified parts.

    The company’s continued investment in research and development of coatings and repair and manufacturing technology has led to the development of electron beam physical vapor deposition with ceramic materials, vacuum plasma, diffused precious metal / aluminide coatings, and vision-guided interactive laser welding and drilling for most advanced turbine engine components, as well as many other advanced technologies. More information is at www.chromalloy.com.

    Chromalloy has evolved from a gas turbine parts repair business into the leading independent supplier of advanced repairs, FAA approved replacement parts and maintenance, repair and overhaul for gas turbines used in aviation and land-based applications. Chromalloy serves the airline, military, marine and industrial gas turbine segments with a broad range of services at locations in 17 countries around the globe. Chromalloy is authorized by the FAA and EASA and many other NAAs, and is qualified under ISO and NADCAP. Chromalloy is a subsidiary of Sequa Corporation.

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