Author: Metropolitan Airport News

Boeing has brought together the major fuselage sections to form the first 777X airplane that will take to the skies in 2019. In a major production milestone called ‘final body join,’ Boeing teams connected the airplane’s nose, mid and aft sections in the company’s factory in Everett, Wash. The jet now measures 252 feet long (77 meters) from nose to tail, making it the longest passenger jet the manufacturer has ever produced. “The 777X is a new airplane and a new production system,” said Josh Binder, vice president, and general manager of the 777X. “With the 777X, the production system was integrated into…

dnata, one of the world’s largest air services providers, continues to expand in the United States. The company has launched operations at Los Angeles International Airport and now provides quality and reliable ground handling and cargo services at 20 airports in the country. To establish operations in Los Angeles, dnata has invested $8 million in infrastructure and resources, creating more than 350 local jobs. Serving six airlines, including Austrian Airlines, Iberia, Japan Airlines, Lufthansa, Swiss International Air Lines, and Qantas, dnata will initially handle 4,600 flights a year. David Barker, Chief Executive Officer of dnata USA, said: “We are thrilled…

Chris Moore, president of The Aviation Mechanics Coalition, discussed how safety can be affected by the airline labor shortage and how this shortage presents career opportunities for Vaughn College students. With more than 30 years of airline experience as an airframe and powerplant mechanic, Moore’s mission has been to promote the intrinsic value of aviation maintenance to undergraduate students. A formal introduction was given by President Dr. Sharon B. DeVivo and Maria Stanco, deputy regional manager for Eastern Region Federal Aviation Administration before Moore began his presentation. Moore addressed solution-oriented approaches to the current pilot and mechanic shortages as well…

CLEAR, the company using biometrics to build a connected, secure and frictionless world, announced a new partnership with Terminal 4 at John F. Kennedy International Airport – one of the world’s most modern and efficient air terminals – that will enable the more than 21 million travelers passing through the terminal each year to verify their identity and get to their flights with the tap of a finger or blink of an eye. This is the latest introduction of CLEAR technology at New York area airports. CLEAR has been integrated into facilities at JFK’s Terminal 2, LaGuardia Airport’s (LGA) Terminals…

Southwest has promoted Wally Devereaux to Managing Director Cargo and Charters. This role will report to Senior Vice President of Operations Jack Smith and is a backfill for the position previously held by Matt Buckley, who has retired. Wally leads the industry’s finest Cargo and Charters team with Employees dedicated to providing exceptional service and Hospitality to these unique and important Customers of Southwest Airlines. Wally started his career with Southwest Airlines as a Customer Service Agent at Dallas Love Field and held various positions in the Ground Operations, Public Relations, and Marketing Departments before joining the Cargo and Charters team in 1999.

On the second of Vaughn College’s fall open house, more than 230 prospective students and their families came to campus to hear about Vaughn’s futureproof offerings and guarantee. The day began in the William R. DeCota hangar where Celso Alvarez, assistant vice president of enrollment welcomed the crowd and gave a preview of what the day would hold. Next in line was Vaughn’s President Dr. Sharon B. DeVivo who highlighted the College’s vision of providing a transformational education that creates a lifetime of opportunity for every student and explained Vaughn’s guarantee. “Vaughn is so confident that we prepare our students…

The no. 1 aircraft in Airbus’ new-generation airlifter fleet brought a big smile (“lächeln” in German) to the company’s Bremen industrial facility Touching down in Germany for the first time on 14 November, the BelugaXL will remain at this major Airbus site while performing loading and unloading tests as part of the airlifter’s validation and certification process. Aboard the aircraft for its milestone landing at Bremen Airport-City were Airbus pilots Karl-Heinz Mai and Bernardo Saenz-Benito, joined by flight test engineers Jean-Michel Pin and Philippe Foucault, as well as loadmaster Jean-Paul Tarantola. As the first of five upsized transporters to carry…

Lockheed Martin Skunk Works began manufacturing the first part for the X-59 Quiet Supersonic Technology aircraft, marking a milestone to bring supersonic commercial travel over land one step closer to reality. “The start of manufacturing on the project marks a great leap forward for the X-59 and the future of quiet supersonic commercial travel,” said Peter Iosifidis, Low Boom Flight Demonstrator program manager Lockheed Martin Skunk Works. “The long, slender design of the aircraft is the key to achieving a low sonic boom. As we enter into the manufacturing phase, the aircraft structure begins to take shape, bringing us one step closer…

Vaughn welcomed new and returning recruiters for the annual fall internship fair on Thursday, November 15. More than 20 companies sent representatives to speak to students and extend the opportunity to learn about and explore pre-career opportunities. “Internships often provide our students with their first hands-n professional experience,” said Jessica Caron, associate director of Career Services. “Internship experience illustrates to employer that our students are prepared for their next steps after graduation.” Textron Aviation, one of the world’s largest aircraft manufacturers, attended the internship fair with openings for engineering and airframe and powerplant majors. Brandon Kear, maintenance manager and Jan…

Lockheed Martin launched a science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) scholarship program for high school and college undergraduate students planning to pursue a major in engineering and computer science. Beginning in 2019, the Lockheed Martin STEM Scholarship program will award a $10,000 annual scholarship to 200 recipients who demonstrate financial need and come from underrepresented or underserved communities. Recipients may renew the scholarship up to three times for a total potential value of $40,000 per student. “We are looking for students who are creative and innovative – skills that are necessary for success in today’s high-tech economy,” said Patricia L. Lewis, Lockheed Martin senior vice…