London Calling: The View from Farnborough


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The Aug/Sept issue is now online and in print; see the Table of Contents below. Our lead feature is about the 2010 Farnborough Air Show. This year’s biennial air show in the United Kingdom was upbeat, with commercial sales driving activity and the once dominant defense sector taking a back seat. Our editor was there and filed this report.

by John Persinos, Editor-in-Chief and Online Publisher

Post Farnborough Stress Syndrome (PFSS) occurs in many guises. Sore feet, the anxious anticipation of deafening afterburners in the afternoon, and an uncharacteristic penchant for warm beer are among the manifestations. For me, it’s picking up my home phone and asking for the front desk — a sure sign that I’ve been on the road too long.

That said, this year’s biennial Farnborough was in many ways a triumph for the aviation industry in general and the MRO sector in particular. During its week-long run July 19-25, it generated more than $47 billion dollars of orders and 120,461 attendees. Indeed, exhibition space was sold out, with 1,450 exhibiting companies, compared to 1,393 for the 2008 show.

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After repeated and embarrassing delays, the Boeing 787 Dreamliner finally made its appearance at Farnborough — and in doing so, it stole the show. The composite-built aircraft’s touchdown marked the conclusion of its inaugural transatlantic flight, which started at Boeing field in Seattle.  The Dreamliner at the show was one of four of the aircraft powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 1000 engines. The splashy arrival was the revolutionary airplane’s much-anticipated international air show debut.

German airline group TUI announced that it has picked Boeing’s MRO “GoldCare” service for four of its air operations that have ordered the Dreamliner. Boeing’s GoldCare service allows airlines to select from a menu of three options. A full GoldCare package encompasses maintenance, engineering and materials. Airlines can select any two of those options when signing up for GoldCare, provided that engineering is one of them.

The TUI GoldCare deal entails the entire GoldCare package except for line maintenance and applies to 13 aircraft over a 12-year period. GoldCare integrates several Boeing MRO tools in conjunction with Maintenix, a maintenance planning and tracking software suite provided by Mxi Technologies. Boeing has set up a GoldCare operations center in Renton, Washington, to manage customers’ MRO and engineering on an around-the-clock basis.

During the Dreamliner’s flight displays at the show, the aircraft was almost eerily quiet and the excitement of the crowd was palpable. But of course, when it comes to air shows, a dose of healthy skepticism always is warranted.

“I’ve been going to these air shows for many years in various professional guises. Every show has its own personality and mood, and with Farnborough this year, there seems to be a real need to boast about ‘near orders, “said Nick Godwin, business development director, Commsoft, supplier to the Air Traffic Control (ATC) and Air Traffic Management (ATM) markets. “Everyone is so eager to be optimistic, especially after the downbeat Paris Air Show, that they want to show that the industry has new life.” MORE ONLINE….

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