Monthly Archives: August 2009

Boeing Wichita executive aircraft general manager takes new position

Aug. 24, 20092:22 p.m.

chinookWICHITA — Boeing Wichita’s Leanne Caret has a big change ahead of her. Caret is leaving Wichita, where she’s served as general manager of the global transport and executive systems operations. She and her husband are moving to Philadelphia, where Caret will become vice president of Boeing’s Chinook helicopter program.

Caret joined Boeing Wichita two weeks after graduating from Kansas State University. She’s been there 21 years.

In her current role, she’s responsible for the VC-25 (commonly known as Air Force One),the  E-4, the C40 models, the C-32 and the E-6.   Caret leads an organization, however, that employs about 1,000 people at nine sites, including about 450 in Wichita.

Caret has been with Boeing Wichita 21 years. She will remain here for the next couple of months as she transitions to the new job. Boeing, meanwhile, has launched a search to fill her position. The company announced the change today.

Moving to Philadelphia will be a big change, Caret said. Her husband, a huge Nascar fan, has already searched out all the Nascar tracks within 100 miles of the city, Caret said with a laugh.

She’s looking forward to the new challenge. The Chinook H-47 helicopter “is really the backbone of the Army and so many of the services (and) for the actual soldier in the fight,” Caret said.

By Molly McMillin | Filed under Boeing | Comments Off

Talks between Bombardier Learjet and Machinists start Monday

Aug. 21, 200911:58 a.m.

WICHITA – Labor negotiations between Bombardier Learjet and its Machinists union open on Monday.

The union represents about 900 hourly workers at the Learjet facility in Wichita. The current contract expires October 5.

In the last round of talks three years ago, workers struck for three weeks. It was the first work stoppage in the Learjet plant’s history.

Bombardier spokeswoman Danielle Boudreau declined to comment on the upcoming negotiations. Machinists union president Steve Rooney did not return calls for comment.

By Molly McMillin | Filed under Bombardier Learjet, unions | Comments Off

Loss of Jet Republic’s Learjet 60XR order not good for Wichita

Aug. 20, 20092:23 p.m.

P2-LEARJET_60_XR_AIR-00-20080307-01-IGK7The news out of Bombardier isn’t good for the Wichita Learjet plant. The company lost an order for 25 Learjet 60XRs from Jet Republic, which ceased operations. The company also had an option for 85 more.

Bombardier isn’t saying how many remaining orders they have for the Learjet 60XR or how many of its 2,500 employees work on the program.

But of the three Learjet models produced, the 60 is the most labor intensive. The Wichita facility produces more of the content — the parts and subassemblies — of the mid-sized jet than it does the other two Learjet models.

By Molly McMillin | Filed under aircraft manufacturers, Bombardier Learjet | Comments Off

Spirit AeroSystems’ engineers to vote on new contract

Aug. 20, 200912:22 p.m.

Spirit AeroSystems‘ engineers will vote Aug. 27 on whether to accept the company’s offer of a new labor agreement.

The negotiating team and council for the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace‘s Wichita engineering unit recommend rejection of the offer. Last month, 91 percent of those voting rejected  Spirit’s first offer.

Polls will be open from 1-3:30 p.m. at Century II’s Mary Jane Teall Theatre at 225 W. Douglas.

By Molly McMillin | Filed under Spirit AeroSystems, unions | Comments Off

Park Electrochemical to expand Newton plant

Aug. 19, 200910:44 a.m.

It’s been less than a year since Park Electrochemical opened its doors at the Newton airport, but already it’s planning a major expansion.

Park Aircraft Technologies Corp., as the business there is called, plans to add 42,000 square feet of manufacturing, office and storage space in a $5 million project. It’s expected to open by September 2010.

Employees at the facility develop and produce advanced composite materials for the aircraft and space vehicle industries. The expansion is needed so the company can offer a wider array of composite materials, parts manufacturing and development technology and capability to the two industries, the company said.

In 2008, the Melville, N.Y.-based company opened the 52,000 square-foot Newton plant, a $15 million project.

By Molly McMillin | Filed under aviation industry, Aviation industry suppliers | Comments Off

Belite Aircraft conducts stress tests on ultralight wing

Aug. 18, 20093:02 p.m.

belitestresstestBelite Aircraft officials have conducted a series of stress tests on the carbon-fiber wing of the company’s ultralight.

The tests demonstrated the structural integrity and durability of the wing under loads up to 4Gs, which exceeded the stated specifications of the ultralight, the company said.

The tests were conducted in Wichita.

The wing weighs less than 14 pounds.

Belite Aircraft is offering the Belite 254 Classic aircraft and a carbon fiber version of the plane, the Belite 254, in a kit or an assembled form.

By Molly McMillin | Filed under aircraft manufacturers | Comments Off

Wichita’s air service part of New York Times article

Aug. 18, 200911:31 a.m.

Wichita’s subsidies to AirTran Airways for service in Wichita was featured in an article in the New York Times about cities that pay for air service to their communities. Read about it here.

By Molly McMillin | Filed under airlines, airports | Comments Off

Hawker Beechcraft realigns executives; CEO to take a pay cut

Aug. 18, 200910:01 a.m.

WICHITA – Hawker Beechcraft has made a number of organizational changes, including the departure of three high-level executives and the realignment of other executives.

In addition, Hawker Beechcraft chairman and CEO Bill Boisture is taking a 10 percent salary cut.

The changes come a week after Hawker Beechcraft told employees that another round of layoffs are coming. The company has not said how many jobs will be cut, but Boisture told analysts last week that it would be “significant.”

In a memo to employees, Boisture said George Nguyen, senior vice president of operations; Gail Lehman, vice president, general counsel and secretary, and Charles Mayer, vice president of marketing, have resigned.

Chief financial officer Sid Anderson will assume the extra responsibility of the company’s legal department.

Bill Brown, president of customer service and support, is now responsible for the company’s manufacturing and assembly operations in Wichita, Little Rock, Salina and in Mexico.

Shawn Vick recently joined the company as an executive vice president, heading the sales and marketing efforts.

By Molly McMillin | Filed under aircraft manufacturers, Beechcraft Corp. | Comments

TSA now requires more information when making air travel reservations

Aug. 17, 200911:08 a.m.

Be prepared to give your date of birth and gender when making your next air travel arrangements.

The  Transportation Security Administration made the change  under its Secure Flight requirement as a way to help streamline the matching of names against a terrorist watch list and avoid misidentifications. That will especially help the travelers who’ve been misidentified in the past.

The airlines will be phasing in the changes over the next few months.

If the airline didn’t request the information when you reserved a flight, don’t worry. The TSA said it shouldn’t impact your travel.

By Molly McMillin | Filed under airlines, airports | Comments Off

ATA: Number of passengers flying over Labor Day expected to decline

Aug. 17, 200910:48 a.m.

If you’re flying over the Labor Day holiday, expect the airports to be a little less crowded. And because there are fewer domestic flights, the planes should be at or near capacity.

The number of people flying over the Labor Day holiday this year is expected to be lower than last year’s number.

The Air Transport Association of America, an airline industry trade group, forecasts that 16 million passengers will travel globally on U.S. airlines during the eight-day Labor Day holiday period, that spans Wednesday, Sept. 2 through Wednesday, Sept. 9.

That’s a 3.5 percent decline from the 17 million passengers who traveled on U.S. airlines a year ago.

Economic uncertainty is taking its toll, the ATA said. During October, In the past two years, all 67 airports defined by the Federal Aviation Administration as “large” or “medium” hubs show a reduction in the number of scheduled flights.

“Now is a great time to fly,” said ATA president and CEO James May. “Low fares are making travel to all corners of the world very affordable.”

By Molly McMillin | Filed under airlines | Comments Off