Bombardier

Field Aviation has been selected by the Swedish Coast Guard to obtain and modify three Bombardier [BBD] Q300s to serve as maritime surveillance aircraft. The deal has been valued at $80 million and all three plans are to be delivered in 2007. Bombardier will deliver the basic Q300 equipped with long-range fuel tanks while Field will install surveillance equipment from L-3 Communications. The planes will be used by the Swedish government from environmental and fisheries surveillance.

Pratt & Whitney

The Canadian federal government is providing a $172 million grant to Pratt & Whitney Canada to support the research and development of new small and medium gas turbine engines. Under the terms of the Technology Partnership Canada grant, the money is to be paid back from the profits of eventual engine sales. The future use of the engines was not disclosed.

SkyWay Communications

The state of Florida has selected SkyWay Communications to provide its airport security products for the new Florida Aviation Test Center, scheduled to open next month in Tallahassee. The first of its kind center will enable the Florida Department of Transportation to preview and test equipment for over 750 aviation-related installations in the state. The SkyWay platform uses ultrasound biometric technology to scan and validate fingerprints.

iJet

Annapolis, Md.-based iJet Travel Intelligence recently won a U.S. patent for its travel planning software. Part of its Worldcue Risk Management System, the software electronically matches intelligence reports with a traveler's profile to provide value-added services, including pre-trip briefs and real time alerts while traveling.

Oxina

Oxina has introduced a new Web-based service which allows customers to search and book airport parking at 26 airports in the United Kingdom and Europe. A variety of parking services have contracted with Oxina to be includes in the database. The British firm is also developing a Web site so worldwide car rentals and cruises can be booked online. This service is expected to be operational by the end of the month.

Smiths Detection

Smiths Detection recently introduced its next generation of portable desktop trace equipment, Ionscan 500DT. The equipment can simultaneously detect microscopic amounts of more than 40 types of narcotics and 40 types of explosives. The new equipment uses an advanced sampling wand which eliminates the need for an operator to handle a sample swab after every operation. Smiths Detection is marking the Ionscan 500DT to airports, ports, border crossing and police agencies.

Ross Aviation

Backed by an equity investment from Centre Partners, Ross Aviation has been formed to become an owner of fixed base operators. In its first deal, Ross Aviation purchased Denver Air, the fixed base operator of Jefferson County Airport in Broomfield, Colo. Centre Partners, a $3 billion equity fund that specializes in middle market private investments, has provided Ross Aviation with $780 million to fund future acquisitions. There are 3,800 fixed base operators in the U.S.

Parsons

Parsons was recently selected by Palm Springs to provide program and construction management services for the three-year capital improvement program at Palm Springs International Airport. The first project is to supervise the expansion of the airport's security checkpoints. Future work includes constructing a new regional concourse which will be able to handle up to 12 airplanes.

Deutsche Flugsicherung

Germany's soon to be privatized air traffic control company, Deutsche Flugsicherung, has slashed its fees that it will be charging air carriers. The fees will be cut by 28.3 percent for those carriers arriving or departing a German airport. Fees for airlines while en route between airports will be cut 20.2 percent. The fee set by Deutsche Flugsicherung is based upon an aircraft's weight and the distance travelled. Last year the number of flights in German airspace grew by 6.7 percent to 2.72 million.

TransID

TransID, based in Dallas, has introduced its Mobile RFID Reader Platform. The equipment permits mobile operations to capture equipment transactions provided the equipment had been tagged radio frequency identification devices.