Kansas.com: Aviation

Boeing Machinists start strike

MOLLY MCMILLIN — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 01:40 CDT

A strike by Boeing Machinists began at 12:01 this morning after a last-ditch effort Friday by Boeing and its largest union to avoid a work stoppage failed.

The union represents about 750 of Boeing Wichita's 3,000 employees. Another 26,000 Machinists in the Seattle area and Portland, Ore. also are on strike.

Machinists on Wednesday overwhelmingly rejected Boeing's contract offer and voted for a work stoppage. But the parties agreed to negotiate for another 48 hours at the request of a federal mediator and the governor of Washington.

"This company... disrespected the finest aerospace workers anywhere on the planet by failing to meet your expectations," union leaders said in a statement posted on their Web site.

Negotiators met Thursday night and throughout the day on Friday. But "continued contract talks with the Boeing company did not address our issues," the statement said.

Machinists say contract is Boeing's 'last chance'

MOLLY MCMILLIN — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 11:29 CDT

Boeing has "one last chance" to bring its biggest union an acceptable labor contract and ward off a strike, Machinist union leaders said Thursday in a memo to workers.

"We will not sell you out," the memo said. "If Boeing does not produce the offer you expect, the strike is still on."

Boeing and the Machinists resumed bargaining Thursday and will continue today in an effort to avert a strike after 80 percent of union members voted Wednesday to reject Boeing's contract offer. The union represents about 27,000 workers in the Seattle area and about 700 in Wichita.

Eighty-seven percent approved a strike, saying the proposal had too many "takeaways" and fell short in the key areas of job security, medical insurance, wages and pensions.

But work stoppage did not begin when the contract expired at 12:01 a.m. Thursday.

Bombardier beats 2nd-quarter estimates

HUGO MILLER — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 01:39 CDT

Bombardier Inc., the world's third-largest maker of commercial aircraft, reported second-quarter net income that beat analysts' estimates as it sold more of its most profitable jets and won train orders.

Profit for the three months through July was $246 million, or 14 cents a share, compared with a loss of $71 million, or 5 cents a share, a year earlier, Montreal-based Bombardier said Thursday. Revenue rose 22 percent to $4.9 billion.

Bombardier, which makes Learjets in Wichita, said a 35 percent increase in business aircraft deliveries made up for slow shipments of regional jets as U.S. carriers grounded planes and pared flying. Bombardier, which also makes high-speed trains and trams, also gained contracts from governments across Europe to overhaul their rail networks.

"The numbers overall were very strong," said Cameron Doerksen, an analyst at Versant Partners in Montreal.

Rising oil prices during the quarter spurred deliveries of Bombardier's Q400 turboprops that are about 30 percent more fuel efficient than regional jets.

Western firms are helping China build regional aircraft

BRUCE STANLEY AND J. LYNN LUNSFORD — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 01:41 CDT

Western companies are playing a prominent role helping China become a serious new competitor in the global aerospace industry.

About half of the equipment on the ARJ21, the first regional jet made by government-run AVIC I Commercial Aircraft Co., is made by U.S. companies. The 90-seat aircraft represents China's latest bid to eventually challenge Boeing Co. and European Aeronautic Defence & Space Co.'s Airbus in the market for bigger planes. A twice-delayed maiden flight is now scheduled for Sept. 21.

Even the U.S. government is involved. The Federal Aviation Administration, citing safety and the participation of so many U.S. firms, opened a bureau in Shanghai last year to help the Chinese win certification for the ARJ21 to fly in the U.S.

Canada's Bombardier Inc., which makes competing regional jets, is angling for a role in ACAC's development of a larger version of the aircraft. It has said it expects to invest $100 million in the larger jet, citing parts-sharing and cost-saving potential for its own jets.

The world's aerospace companies are eager to gain a foothold in a market where air traffic is expected to grow 8.9 percent annually by Boeing's forecast. Their participation could help China do in aerospace what it has done in industries ranging from toys to cars: move from a basic fabricator to a global competitor.

Boeing strike put on hold

MOLLY MCMILLIN — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 08:07 CDT

Boeing's largest union rejected the company's contract offer Wednesday and approved a strike.

But a federal mediator and the governor of Washington asked the two parties to return to the bargaining table and avoid a work stoppage.

The two sides will have 48 hours to try to reach a deal acceptable to the bargaining unit, said Machinists union leader Steve Rooney.

Members will vote again on a new offer, Rooney said.

On Wednesday, 80 percent of the membership voted to reject the contract; 87 percent voted to strike.

Air Force general: Hurry up with tanker

DONNA BORAK — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 01:41 CDT

A high-ranking Air Force official on Wednesday pressed the Pentagon to expedite the award of a disputed $35 billion contract for new aerial refueling tankers so the service can retire Eisenhower-era aircraft.

Gen. Arthur Lichte, who runs Air Mobility Command, told reporters that either aircraft offered by Boeing Co. or Northrop Grumman Corp. were capable of the mission, but urged a quick decision to avoid placing further strain on the service's already aging aircraft.

"I don't care which tanker wins," said Lichte. "I just need a new tanker."

The four-star general said if the program is delayed by another year or more, the Air Force will be forced to fly some of its current fleet past 2040, which would make those planes at least 80 years old.

A Pentagon spokesman could not immediately be reached for comment Wednesday afternoon.

Boeing Machinists vote today

MOLLY MCMILLIN — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 06:45 CDT

Today is decision day for Boeing's largest union.

Machinists union members will decide whether to accept the company's contract offer or to follow the union leadership's recommendation to reject the offer and strike.

About 27,000 Boeing workers, including more than 700 in Wichita, are represented by the union.

Machinists union members at Boeing Wichita will vote at the Cotillion, 11120 W. Kellogg, beginning at 11 a.m. Polls close at 4 p.m.

A simple majority is needed to accept or reject a contract. Two-thirds must vote in favor of a strike, which would begin at 12:01 a.m. Thursday.

Planemakers look for less pollution, more efficiency

MOLLY MCMILLIN — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 01:42 CDT

Wichita's general aviation industry is thinking greener. The industry -- including Bombardier Aerospace, Cessna Aircraft and Hawker Beechcraft in Wichita -- is taking an active role in reducing aviation's carbon footprint. Experts say aviation's contribution to greenhouse gas emissions worldwide is a small one -- 3 percent of all emissions. Business jets contribute less than 1 percent.

Despite the figures, "climate change in general is a challenge for everybody," said Lorraine Rouisse, Bombardier's senior director of the environment. "Our commitment to the environment is strong."

Wichita manufacturers are studying the issues and taking a multifaceted approach. They're boosting recycling efforts, upgrading buildings and maintenance, designing lighter, more fuel-efficient airplanes and working with enginemakers to develop more efficient systems.

Planemakers must be sensitive to regulatory rules in place around the world "and what could be coming here into the U.S.," said Cessna chairman and chief executive Jack Pelton.

"Congress and everyone are moving into an environment that's going to be tougher on emissions and other environmental issues."

Delta, Russian airliners in 'near miss' over ocean

JOAN LOWY — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 01:41 CDT

Two airliners were one minute from colliding when at least one of the planes turned away from the other over the Atlantic Ocean this week, federal authorities said Friday.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it was investigating an incident in which a Delta Air Lines flight and a Russian-registered passenger jet were heading toward each other Thursday north of Puerto Rico when cockpit alarms went off.

The NTSB said the pilot of the Russian plane -- a Transaero Boeing 747 -- descended between 200 and 300 feet to avoid Delta Flight 485.

The planes were at the same altitude -- 33,000 feet over open ocean -- and were "60 seconds apart from occupying the same airspace," said NTSB spokesman Peter Knudson.

Knudson said the agency doesn't have enough information yet to know if the planes would have collided had evasive maneuvers not been taken, or if they would have narrowly missed each other.

Boeing Machinists call for a strike

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 01:42 CDT

Leaders of Boeing Co.' s Machinists union called for a strike Friday after deciding a contract proposal the aerospace company called its "best and final" offer wasn't good enough.

Boeing hoped the proposal, which provides added pay and incentives to workers over three years, would help it avert a labor standoff. The talks come as Boeing tries to keep up with a backlog of plane orders and avoid more penalties caused by production delays of its 787 next-generation passenger jet.

A Boeing spokesman said the company was "extremely disappointed" by the union's response.

The sides have been negotiating over a new 3-year contract since May 9. In 2005, about 18,400 machinists in the Pacific Northwest and Wichita struck for four weeks, forcing the company to halt commercial airplane production. The Machinists assemble Boeing's commercial planes and some key components.

The proposal, Boeing's third offer, was delivered to the union Thursday. It would increase pay by 11 percent on average for more than 27,000 union workers in Washington state, Wichita and Oregon, the company said. The Machinists represent about 700 workers at Boeing Wichita.

Machinists approve Hawker Beechcraft contract, end strike

MOLLY MCMILLIN — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 06:42 CDT

The strike at Hawker Beechcraft is over.

Machinists union members accepted the company's contract offer Thursday, ending the 25-day work stoppage. Strikers will return to work after the Labor Day holiday.

"It may not be everything they want, but at least they can live with it for three more years," said Rita Rogers, Machinists union District 70 assistant business representative.

The strike was "very, very strong," she said. "Our membership had the last word."

Hawker Beechcraft said in a statement that it "looks forward to all employees returning to work after Labor Day under the new contract."

Boeing: Final contract offer one of best

MOLLY MCMILLIN — Fri, 29 Aug 2008 01:37 CDT

Boeing presented its final contract offer to the Machinists union on Thursday, calling it one of the best in the aerospace industry.

Boeing's offer would boost pay by an average of $34,000 in wages, bonuses and incentive payments, it said.

In doing so, Boeing is trying to avoid a strike analysts say could cost the company millions of dollars a day.

"We've done a lot of hard work with the union in this negotiating process," said Scott Strode, vice president and general manager of Boeing Wichita.

He said the offer recognizes and rewards the contributions employees make to the company and allows them to share in its success.

Boeing to send Machinists union final contract offer today

Thu, 28 Aug 2008 01:43 CDT

Boeing Co. plans to present its Machinists with a final contract offer today, after receiving a counterproposal Wednesday from the union, company spokesman Tim Healy said.

The union's latest counterproposal asked for more money and stronger job security language, according to Connie Kelliher, a spokeswoman for the International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers District Lodge 751.

The union represents 25,000 Boeing employees in the Seattle area, around 700 in Wichita and 800 in Portland, Ore.

The current contract expires Sept. 3.

In its Tuesday offer, Boeing bumped a wage increase to 9 percent over three years and raised the basic pension benefit. It also included a yearly 3 percent cost-of-living adjustment.

Spirit to build jet fuselage here

MOLLY MCMILLIN — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 01:42 CDT

Despite being recruited by other communities, Spirit AeroSystems said Wednesday it will build the fuselage for Cessna Aircraft's new Citation Columbus jet in Wichita.

Spirit chose to do the work here because of Wichita's skilled workforce, the proximity to Cessna's facilities and a good partnership with the city, county and state, said Spirit spokeswoman Debbie Gann.

"It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood," said Vicki Pratt Gerbino, president of the Greater Wichita Economic Development Coalition, which worked with Spirit to keep the plant here.

Other communities and states have aggressive economic development initiatives, and Spirit is being courted regularly, Pratt Gerbino said.

"I'm just so grateful that the company gave us this opportunity to do this," she said.

Hawker union to vote today

MOLLY MCMILLIN — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 01:42 CDT

Machinists union members at Hawker Beechcraft will vote today on whether to accept the company's contract offer and return to work.

Members walked off the job Aug. 4 after 90 percent of those voting rejected Hawker Beechcraft's offer and 89 percent voted to strike.

Today is the 25th day of the strike.

Both sides met with a federal mediator over the weekend to carve out the new agreement, which the union has recommended members accept.

The Machinists union represents 4,700 hourly workers at Hawker Beechcraft in Wichita and about 500 in Salina.

Window narrowing in Air Force tanker deal

DONNA BORAK — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 01:43 CDT

The Pentagon is in danger of missing a self-imposed deadline to award a politically charged $35 billion deal to Boeing or Northrop Grumman for Air Force refueling tankers ahead of the next administration. Boeing's recent request for more time leaves the Pentagon with even less room to breathe in replacing a fleet that dates to the Eisenhower era.

"The government has put this re-competition on a very tight schedule," said Loren Thompson, a defense consultant for the Virginia-based Lexington Institute. "What you see here is the improbability of conducting a major competition in record time."

The Defense Department was expected to release its final request for bids as early as Tuesday. But its deadline has continued to slip further past the Aug. 15 target originally provided by the agency -- and now could be delayed until September.

The upcoming request should make clear whether Boeing Co. gets its wish for additional time to assemble a bid, after it threatened to leave the competition last week.

Pentagon spokesman Chris Isleib said Tuesday that negotiations were continuing on the tanker program, and a release of the final request for bids has yet to be scheduled.

Union: Boeing offer falls short

MOLLY MCMILLIN — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 01:43 CDT

Boeing sweetened its offer to the Machinists union Tuesday, raising wages and pensions and improving health care costs over a previous proposal.

With the latest offer, the second in five days, Boeing has removed two of three proposals the union has said it was willing to strike over.

In a statement, Machinists union officials said the offer is "still far below the expectations of our members."

Boeing calls the offer a good one.

"I think it shows we're listening," Boeing Wichita spokesman Jarrod Bartlett said. "We're listening to their concerns and put forth an offer that we feel is very competitive."

Machinists: Contract offer much improved

JERRY SIEBENMARK AND RICK PLUMLEE — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 01:38 CDT

The impasse is over -- at least for now.

On Monday, Machinists union officials said that they "gained important and substantial improvements" to an earlier labor contract at Hawker Beechcraft and have recommended approval of the new contract to their membership.

If the contract is approved by Machinists on Thursday, it will end a strike that entered its fourth week on Monday.

"We didn't give anything up -- we gained," said Machinists spokesman Bob Wood.

But Machinists members walking the picket line Monday were divided about the new offer. Some said the new contract didn't offer enough, while others were satisfied.

View from the sky

TRAVIS HEYING — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 04:28 CDT

My bosses at the Eagle must have me figured out. Every time there is an opportunity for a newsroom employee to strap him or herself into an airplane and take a "media fight," the editors always come to me, and I'm always gullible enough to say yes.

Two years ago it was a 60-year-old Stearman biplane with the Red Baron Pizza Squadron. Last summer it was an FA-18 with the Blue Angels. On Friday I took a seat in an AT-6 Texan so that members of the AeroShell Aerobatic team -- in town to perform at the Wichita Flight Festival -- could show me and two other lucky individuals a few of their aerobatic tricks.

I'll say it again: Thank God for Dramamine.

The AT-6 Texan, compared to other military aircraft of that era, is small and slow. The famed P-51 Mustang has about twice the horsepower of the AT-6. This was of little comfort to me as pilot Gene McNeely pulled the plane into the first barrel roll of the day.

One might conclude that the AT-6 might be a letdown after having flown in modern Navy fighter jet last summer. Not so.

Eclipse Aviation to lay off 650 workers

HEATHER CLARK — Sat, 23 Aug 2008 01:40 CDT

Eclipse Aviation announced Friday it will lay off more than a third of its work force, less than a month after the ouster of the company's chief executive.

The 650 layoffs, or roughly 38 percent of the work force, come as the Federal Aviation Administration conducts an unusual 30-day review of the company's Eclipse 500 very light jet.

Last month, a management shake-up saw the ouster of founder and former chief executive Vern Raburn, who has since left the company.

Roel Pieper, the new chief executive of the Albuquerque-based manufacturer, said Friday that the layoffs were necessary.

"Financial stability is critical for this company and unfortunately, a reduction in work force was necessary to achieve it," Pieper said in a news release. "I am confident this action will set the company on the path to profitability so that we can continue to lead the very light jet category."