I’m not going to try to tell you whether Boeing or the Machinists union is right in this strike that has now lasted more than five weeks.
The company is fighting for what it believes in, and so are the employees. Both sides are paying the price for their principles, with lost profits and wages.
To me, the shame of it all is the hardship the strike is causing on all of those people who don’t have anything to gain and so much to lose. I’m talking about all those people at Spirit AeroSystems who are working three-day weeks, the people getting laid off at smaller shops, the suppliers who are having to scale back because Boeing doesn’t need what they make right now.
There are only about 750 Boeing employees on strike in Wichita. But the impact reaches so many more people here, directly and indirectly. And when Boeing and the Machinists come to an agreement, the collateral damage will extend to the suppliers long after the strike is over.
The new Wichita Aero Club now under formation may be a revival of an organization by the same name, said Dave Franson of Franson Consulting and an organizer of the club. According to documents filed with the State, a group of that name was chartered in 1915. The former group sponsored a ballooning event nearly a century ago, but Franson said no other references to the club could be found.
Today’s Wichita Aero Club is a way for people interested or involved in the aviation industry to network and discuss major industry issues and promote education. The group will host monthly luncheons, sponsor fund-raising events and recognize prominent aviators with an annual trophy at an awards gala.
Aerial refueling bids from Northrop Grumman and Boeing were both “technically outstanding” but Boeing’s bid came in almost $3 billion more, the Pentagon’s top weapons buyer told the Washington Post.
John Young, the undersecretary for acquisition, said the tanker proposal from Northrop Grumman and partner European Aeronautic Defence & Space, the first 68 tankers would have cost $12.5 billion, compared to $15.4 billion under Boeing’s bid.
Northrop also promised earlier delivery and that its aircraft “provided more tanker capability and offload rate,” Young told the Washington Post.
With flooding in west Wichita, Bombardier Learjet closed one of its production buildings this morning as a precaution. But the company is open for business, a Bombardier official said. It’s allowing employees to leave if they need to check on their homes, cars or personal property because of the high waters.
Maybe, they’ll begin production of an Ark out there today.
As Houston braces for Hurricane Ike’s arrival, Continental Airlines has canceled flights from Wichita to Houston after 8 a.m. Friday until Sunday morning. At the same time, Wichita is expecting rain and potential flooding from Ike.
If you’re a Continental ticket holder needing to rebook a flight, be sure to call the airline’s reservations line at (800) 523-3273. You also can go to the counter at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport.
Hurricanes and floods? What’s next, locusts?
An interesting thing happened on the picket line at Boeing Wichita this week.
One of the strikers I interviewed about the work stoppage talked for a while on his views and gave me his name. Nothing unusual there. But it turns out, he didn’t give me his name at all. He gave me the name of a Boeing supervisor. Imagine the supervisor’s surprise to see his name in the paper with comments that didn’t come from him. The Eagle ran a correction today.
It seems, though, that I’m not alone. The same thing happened to one of the TV stations over the weekend, a Boeing spokesman told me. Like me, the striker gave the TV reporter the name of his supervisor instead of his own. Come on. A little honesty, folks. It’s important for the public to hear from the union why they’re out there walking the picket lines. Strikers complain that the public sees them only as greedy Boeing workers. They can’t counter that if they don’t say why they’re walking the line. As in most things, the actions of a few give everyone a black eye.
It’s been 40 years since Cessna Aircraft began producing the Cessna 177 Cardinal. Cardinal owners and operators from around the country will be in Wichita later this month to tour Cessna’s plants in Wichita and Independence and take part in a 40th birthday party.
Cessna built nearly 4,300 of the light, high-wing aircraft before stopping production in 1978.
The event, sponsored by the Cardinal Flyers organization, will be held at the Wichita Hilton at Wichita Mid-Continent Airport Sept. 24 to Sept. 28
The inventory of Safewing Aviation in Kansas City, Mo., will be on the auction block next week.
Don Doroty, who is owner of the air cargo and charter service, plans to liquidate his business, including 10 aircraft, equipment and parts at the auction, which begins at 10 a.m. Wednesday.
The aircraft for sale include seven Piper Lances, two Piper Aztecs and one 25C Learjet.
The auction will be held at the Downtown Kansas City Airport.
If you’re in the market for an airline, the Austrian government wants to sell its share of Austrian Airlines, according to a report by Aviation International News. The government is advertising in the financial press offering its 42.75 percent share of the carrier.
There’s some conditions to the sale, AIN said. A buyer must agree to keep Vienna as a hub, to keep the name Austrian Airlines and to leave 25 percent of the total stock capital in Austrian hands, the report said.
The airline lost nearly $74 million in the first half of the year and expects another loss of $103 million to $133 million in the second half.
The majority of board members reportedly prefer a partnership with German airline Lufthansa. Other potential partners include Air France-KLM, Aeroflot and Turkish Airlines, the report said.
Today is National Aviation Day.
I didn’t realize that until a bit ago when a sharp aviation-supplier executive brought it to my attention. Here in the Air Capital, we should take note.
National Aviation Day was established by a presidential proclamation in 1939 to celebrate the development of human flight. Aug. 19, Orville Wright’s birthday, was designated as the anniversary.
Now, if we could only get the day off.
Is it a signal of more to come?
Azerbaijan Airlines has canceled one of three 787-8 aircraft the airline has on order with Boeing. It’s the first 787 order cancellation Boeing has received. The program is about two years behind schedule from supply chain delays and parts shortages. First flight is now slated for late 2008.
Azerbaijan Airlines still has two 787s on order. Boeing and Azerbaijan Airlines announced Thursday that the airline is buying two 737-900ER aircraft and two 767-300ER aircraft valued at $449 million. In the announcement, it said that one of the 767s is a substitute for the canceled 787.
Airbus has outpaced Boeing in orders announced this week at the Farnborough Air Show outside London. Airbus announced a $7.2 billion order Wednesday from South Korea’s Asiana Airlines.
Together Airbus and Boeing have amassed more than $50 billion in orders at the show, which opened Monday. Middle Eastern and Asian carriers and leasing companies make up for slackening demand from U.S. and European airlines, who’ve been hurt by rising fuel prices.
FTN Midwest Research Securities Corp. analyst Michael Derchin told Bloomberg, that getting any orders is good in this environment.
“Thank God for the Asians and the Middle Easterners,” Derchin told Bloomberg.