On the Record with AUGUST W. HENNINGSEN, CHAIRMAN OF
THE EXECUTIVE BOARD, LUFTHANSA TECHNIK
Competitors at NBAA may be rolling out their first all-digital
Ethernet-based cabin management systems, but Lufthansa Technik is
going one step further with the unveiling of its wireless LAN totally
digital cabin.
"Just imagine, you can work on your laptop in one of our
wireless-equipped terminals, carry your computer onto the plane
and carry on working on the Internet without even hooking up a wire,"
said August Henningsen, chairman of the executive board of Lufthansa
Technik.
Called NICE, the concept marks an important milestone for Lufthansa
Technik: for the first time it has become an OEM rather than a services
provider, as it will supply NICE systems to other completion centers
and airplane manufacturers under its own Lufthansa Technik name.
NICE will also be the first wireless LAN cabin management system
certified on a business jet. In June Lufthansa Technik was awarded
the first STC for a wireless LAN system on a commercial aircraft
in a joint effort with Boeing, Connexion by Boeing, British Airways
Engineering and Lufthansa Systems for installation on a Boeing 747-400.
That system is directly scaleable to VIP aircraft and business jets,
and subsequent certifications will be directed by customer demand.
That Lufthansa Technik has set its sights on the bizjet market
is evident from NICE being offered to run on the 28 volt DC power
systems in smaller business jets, as well as the 115 volt 400 Hz
found on top VVIP aircraft.
"Although NICE is Ethernet-based, it is fully wireless LAN
capable," Henningsen told Show News. "The difference with
this completely new system is that every single component in it
is digital, so there is no switching back and forth from analogue.
Data storage, data processing is all digital-there is no loss of
quality or reliability that would be caused by switching from one
format to another."
The wireless LAN makes it possible to walk through the cabin controlling
anything from anywhere, he pointed out. And a bonus for the future
is that upgrades will likely be software rather than hardware driven.
One clue to Lufthansa Technik's future strategy may be gleaned
from plans by its U.S. subsidiary, BizJet International of Tulsa,
to handle Rolls-Royce Spey and Tay engines from early 2004, making
it a fully capable service center for Gulfstream III and IV aircraft.
Customers often use maintenance downtime to refit their cabins-and
NICE will fit a Gulfstream well, nicely, Henningsen said.
--John Morris
Lufthansa Technik has won a contract from a
Middle East customer to complete its fifth Boeing BBJ2, which
will arrive at the Hamburg center shortly, according to August
Henningsen, chairman of the executive board.
"Our fourth BBJ2 is about ready
for delivery, and the fifth is coming in," he told Show
News.
The shop is also completing a VVIP Boeing 747-400,
and negotiations are well developed for another to follow
immediately after, he said.
But Lufthansa Technik is feeling the pinch
on its four production lines. It added capacity especially
for 11 firm and 20 optioned BBJs for NetJets, but the fractional
ownership program called a halt after the fourth aircraft
(it has just five BBJs in service). "Now we are targeting
individuals and private customers," said Henningsen.
A significant win earlier this year was the
first BBJ for an Asian customer, marking a milestone entry
into that market. The aircraft will be delivered by the end
of 2003.
Last year Lufthansa captured 50% of the world
market for VIP aircraft from BBJ-size upwards, delivering
seven and recording revenues from completions of $120 million.
