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SEATTLE — As part of an ongoing effort to use technology to enhance flight safety, improve efficiency and protect the environment, Alaska Airlines is issuing iPad tablet computers to its pilots. The 1½-pound iPads replace up to 25 pounds of paper flight manuals that pilots are required to carry when they fly.

The iPads are being distributed to all Alaska Airlines pilots, a process that will be complete by mid-June. This follows a successful trial by 100 line and instructor pilots and Air Line Pilots Association representatives, who evaluated the feasibility of using iPads as electronic flight bags this past winter and spring.

Alaska Airlines is the first major domestic airline to use the iPad to replace paper manuals.

“We’ve been exploring the idea of an electronic flight bag for several years, but never found a device we really liked,” said Gary Beck, Alaska Airlines’ vice president of flight operations. “When the iPad hit the market, we took one look at it and said this is the perfect fit.”

The iPads contain an app called GoodReader that is loaded with PDF versions of 41 flight, systems and performance manuals, reference cards, and other materials. The electronic manuals include hyperlinks and color graphics, enabling pilots to find information faster and easier. Updating these reference materials can now be accomplished with one tap on the iPad screen instead of the former, labor-intensive process of replacing individual pages with new ones. The iPad is considered a Class 1 electronic device, meaning it is stowed during takeoff and landing under Federal Aviation Administration regulations.

In conjunction with replacing paper manuals, Alaska Airlines is exploring the replacement of paper aeronautical navigation charts with electronic versions on the iPad, eliminating the need for every pilot to carry their own copy. The two initiatives, dubbed “Bye, Bye, Flight Bag,” will save about 2.4 million pieces of paper.

The cost of the project is expected to be offset by lower paper, printing and distribution expenses and reduced fuel consumption as some weight is removed from the aircraft. Further savings are expected from fewer back and muscle injuries caused by pilots carrying flight bags that can tip the scales at 50 pounds or more fully loaded.

Note to news media: A high-resolution photograph of an Alaska pilot with the iPad on the flight deck of a Boeing 737 is available in the airline’s online newsroom image gallery at www.alaskaair.com/newsroom.

Alaska Airlines and Horizon Air, subsidiaries of Alaska Air Group (NYSE: ALK), together serve 90 cities throughout Alaska, the Lower 48, Hawaii, Canada and Mexico. For reservations, visit www.alaskaair.com. For more news and information, visit the Alaska Airlines/Horizon Air Newsroom at www.alaskaair.com/newsroom.

Shannon Ireland. May, 2011 // As their mission statement indicates Air Seychelles aims “to be the best service on the Indian Ocean.” In order to meet that target they set out to ensure they had the best maintenance management system in place to meet their needs.

This was an extensive selection process and today Volartec are delighted to announce that Air Seychelles have selected Alkym® Management and Control System for Aircraft Maintenance as their preferred system.

Robert Chong-Seng, Head of Technical Support for Air Seychelles was the project leader and summed up the reasons for selecting the Volartec / Alkym solution by saying “it is intuitive, uncluttered and a very well designed and implemented software with outstanding features. It has functions comparable to more expensive software systems but at affordable and fair prices.”

Air Seychelles will begin the implementation project in late June for the 10 concurrent user licence when the following modules will GO LIVE within a 5 week project: Planning; Engineering; Maintenance Control; Purchasing & Repairs, Reliability; Inventory; Receiving & Shipping; Production Kiosk; Technical Library and M-transfer. This project will see Volartec send a team of three Alkym experts on site to Victoria on the island of Mahe.

Robert went on to comment that “Volartec is dedicated to continuous improvement which is always a good sign of a good supplier. We are especially impressed with the reporting features such as the analysis services, pivot tables etc., which will bring lots of value to the department’s processes and the company as a whole. It is a very easily customizable system which can be tailored to meet almost every requirement. The project implementation time is much shorter than the competitors.¨

On this latest addition to the Volartec growing customer base John Barry, VP Business Development was proud to say “It is now just 12 months since we opened the office In Ireland to serve the EMEA region and build on the already established market in Latin America. With this announcement Air Seychelles becomes the seventh airline to select Alkym in this region alone. When you bring a product as strong as Alkym at the price point that airlines consider to be fair then this list will continue to grow.””

ABOUT AIR SEYCHELLES

In operation since 1978, Air Seychelles has evolved from a purely domestic operation into a professional and highly respected National Carrier. With its HQ at the International Airport on the island of Mahe they have a current fleet of 9 aircraft. The domestic fleet consists of 3 Twin Otter and 1 Shorts 360 while the international fleet has 5 Boeing 767 aircraft. Next year will see the arrival of two new Boeing 787 Dreamliner’s.

ABOUT VOLARTEC

Volartec is one of the fastest growing IT companies in the aviation industry. Specialized in the development and implementation of world class software systems, Volartec provides the most profitable products and services of the market.

With more than 10 years of experience in the aviation industry and constituted by a highly qualified IT and aviation experts team, Volartec assures a successful combination of professionalism and experience.

For more information please visit www.volartec.aero or contact info@volartec.aero

Shannon Ireland. May, 2011 // Volartec proudly announce yet another successful conclusion with the awarding of the contract by Ceiba Intercontinental Airlines for maintenance tracking software services. The selection of Alkym^® Control and Management System for Aircraft Maintenance by the flag carrier of Equatorial Guinea to manage their growing fleet brings Alkym to a new region in Africa.  

Due to the high season about to start in the region Ceiba have opted to begin the implementation project in September. Volartec are happy to assist the customer in their requirements and will send a team of 3 people on site for 5 weeks to ensure all the modules are live within this short project timescale.In this case they have opted to start with 8 modules and 10 concurrent users. The potential to grow with the system is one of the benefits. 

John Barry, VP Business Development with Volartec commented “We strive at all times to meet the demands outlined by our existing and potential customers. Ceiba were very exact in their requirements for when they wished this project to happen and the timescales they envisaged. Volartec were happy to show our normal flexibility to meet those demands. We put the customer at the very centre of everything we do. ”
  
The extensive search project that examined many of the options on the market was led by Pablo Alves, the Maintenance Production Manager at Ceiba Intercontinental Airlines. Pablo has many years of experience in the aviation sector and put together a strong team to ensure the correct solution was found. 

Pablo points to “the many years of aviation expertise from all over the world combined with the most up to date software system were the key reasons we choose Alkym. We did not wish to have a system without being assured the supplier understood our business and could assist us in the implementation project. Their commitment to our timescales and the support being offered to us moving forward in these exciting times of growth was why we opted for the Volartec / Alkym solution.”

ABOUT CEIBA INTERCONTINENTAL AIRLINES

Founded in 2007 Ceiba Intercontinental Airlines is the flag carrier of Equatorial Guinea. Its main base is Malabo International Airport. The route network extends to Guinea, West Africa and Central America and soon in the Middle East with the addition of wide body aircraft to the fleet.

ABOUT VOLARTEC

Volartec is one of the fastest growing IT companies in the aviation industry. Specialized in the development and implementation of world class software systems, Volartec provides the most profitable products and services of the market.
With more than 10 years of experience in the aviation industry and constituted by a highly qualified IT and aviation experts team, Volartec assures a successful combination of professionalism and experience.

For more information please visit www.volartec.aero or contact info@volartec.aero

Calgary, Alberta – May 17, 2011 — AeroMechanical Services Ltd. (TSX-V: AMA) (the “Company” or “AMA”) is pleased to announce that its next generation Automated Flight Information Reporting System (“AFIRS”), the AFIRS^TM 228B,  has been successfully installed and demonstrated on a Hawker Beechcraft 750 aircraft in Chester, United Kingdom.

The AFIRS 228 test equipment used for the demonstration flight was purchased by a  potential customer of AMA and installed on their Hawker Beechcraft aircraft.  The session was observed by representatives from the aircraft operator, the aircraft manufacturer’s staff and FLYHT employees.

AFIRS is the only technology with the capability to deliver data from an aircraft’s black box in real-time. AFIRS functions include the transmission of regular flight follow messages and real-time warnings on any unusual occurrences. In addition, AFIRS sends airframe and engine data that allow customers to save fuel and improve aircraft performance and operations with access to information wherever and whenever required. AFIRS uses the Iridium satellite network, for which AMA is a Value Added Reseller.

The hardware and software performed without incident and successfully transmitted all data on the flight and met all specifications as required by the potential client for the system. The flight also displayed the full emergency data-streaming capabilities from the  FLYHTStream^TM program of the 228.

“This demonstration is a significant milestone in the development of the 228,” said Bill Tempany, CEO of AMA. “Its success validates our team’s efforts and highlights the 228’s capabilities to our prospective and existing customers. This flight is the first step in completing the commercial roll-out of this product, planned for the third quarter of 2011.”

The flight test involved a set of maneuvers intended to trigger key messages well within the safe test envelope of the aircraft. During the test flight, the 228 unit met expected performance criteria and delivered the required messages to all recipients.

The demonstration required a provisions-only Supplemental Type Certificate (“STC”) from the European Aviation Safety Agency (“EASA”), which was granted in the first week of May. AMA first received a provisions-only STC for the 228 on the Hawker series of aircraft from Transport Canada in March 2011. The Company anticipates that the full STC will be completed in the fall of 2011 after receipt of the DO160 certification (a certification for the Environmental Conditions and Test Procedures for Airborne Equipment).

The Company will continue to apply for STCs throughout the year. It is anticipated that the final release of the AFIRS 228 will be completed in early 2012 in connection with the new aircraft traffic control regulations (Controller Pilot Data Link Communications (“CPDLC”)) and DO 178b level D certification (a software quality assurance standard for aviation).

When completed, the AFIRS 228 will be a fully certified avionics platform capable of meeting all air navigation requirements for CPDLC in Europe and Future Air Navigation System (“FANS”) in the United States and will provide all input and outputs necessary to continue to enhance the value of real-time data for AMA’s customers globally. The AFIRS 228 will be the first safety services certified platform to provide FLYHTStream, AMA’s patent pending emergency data streaming solution, which delivers all of the black box data in real-time from an aircraft to the ground, initiated by the aircraft, pilot or ground personnel.

About AeroMechanical Services
AeroMechanical Services Ltd., under the brand name FLYHT^TM, provides proprietary technological products and services designed to reduce costs and improve efficiencies in the airline industry. The company has patented and commercialized three products and associated services currently marketed to airlines, manufacturers and maintenance organizations around the world. Its premier technology, AFIRS™ UpTime™, allows airlines to monitor and manage aircraft operations anywhere, anytime, in real-time. If an aircraft encounters an emergency, AMA’s emergency data streaming mode, FLYHTStream™, automatically streams vital data, normally secured in the black box, to designated sites on the ground in real-time. The company has been publicly traded on the TSX Venture Exchange since 2003 under the trading symbol AMA.

AFIRS, UpTime, FLYHT, FLYHTStream and aeroQ are trademarks of AeroMechanical Services Ltd.

Contact Information
AeroMechanical Services Ltd.
Thomas R. French, CGA
VP Finance and CFO
403-291-7427
tfrench@flyht.com

Barnes Communications Inc.
Colin Languedoc
Senior Consultant
416-367-5000 ext. 225
clanguedoc@barnesir.com

www.flyht.com

Join us on social media!
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Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this press release.

May 17, 2011 Montreal, Canada — navAero announced today the introduction of a broad new  array of electronic flight bag  hardware and  peripheral products to fulfill the  ever expanding needs of the commercial airline and military aerospace industry.

The adaptability of the company’s innovative technology has enabled the commercialization of versatile and affordable EFB solutions that meet broad and varying requirements.

“navAero has embarked on a Sea Change…a broad transformation of our company into one that brings a wide variety of affordable technology solutions.” Stated Knut Aabo, navAero Senior  Vice President Sales and Marketing. “Our forward-focused industry leadership and advanced  engineering capabilities allow us to bring broadened product offerings to our current and future  customers that  allow the  implementation of their exact and specific program without  compromise.”

navAero’s focus has always been on the commercialization of upgradable and forwardcompatible EFB systems,  mounting solutions and connectivity products. navAero is bringing today a broad and versatile family of technology solutions purposefully built for commercial and military aviation aircrafts.

For technology programs that are based on flight deck  utilization of versatile tablet platforms, like the iOS-based Apple® iPad™  or the Android-based Samsung® Galaxy™,  navAero has introduced the t▪Tablet™ product line. By utilizing a modular design, the navAero tablet mounting structures are a means to secure the tablet device and meet all applicable industry standards. The structure can also be configured to provide enhanced capabilities through certified connection to aircraft power as well as certified connectivity to aircraft data buses.

The navAero t▪Pad™ Family of Displays has also broadened and now boasts both 10.4” and 12.1” LCD displays with LED illumination. And with the use of the Microsoft®  Widows™ 7 Operating system on the t▪Bag™C2² EFB CPU, the displays can be enabled with “multi-touch” functionality for enhanced utilization and user-interaction.

For fully certified  connectivity aircraft systems, navAero has commercialized an advanced Aircraft Interface Device. Now deployed on numerous airframes, this AID brings broad connectivity offerings in a compact and easily installable form factor.

And to meet the ever increasing demand for fully certified installations, navAero now brings a fully PMA’d EFB platform for hosting Type A and Type B applications.

Innovative design and development, upgradable and forward compatible platforms…these are the hallmarks of navAero. We have embarked on our Sea Change and are transforming our core competencies into a broad array of product offerings that provide the right solutions to the ever evolving needs of our industry.

About navAero

navAero is the industry leader in developing and commercializing cost effective electronic flight bag products for the airline industry. navAero AB is headquartered in Sundsvall, Sweden. Sales, marketing, certification and technical support for the Western Hemisphere is based in Miami, Florida, USA. navAero encourages operators to contact us for complete information about our EFB product line, integration technology services and our available STCs. For further information, visit the navAero website at www.navaero.com or e-mail us at info@navaero.com.

• Commsoft supports aircraft maintenance organisations with high quality, affordable MRO IT systems
• Commsoft’s Open Aviation Strategic Engineering System (“OASES”) is one of the most successful aviation engineering and maintenance systems in the world
• Loganair has worked closely with Commsoft in developing new LMC functionality and has just ‘gone live’ in line operations

London, 13th May 2011

Leading MRO IT provider Communications Software (Airline Systems) Limited has announced today that Scottish airline Loganair www.loganair.co.uk has gone fully live with a new OASES Line Maintenance Control module.

The OASES LMC module is linked with the Sabre Rocade operations system at Loganair, which provides timely and accurate data, facilitating short term maintenance forecasting and complete line maintenance management across Loganair’s extensive network of line stations. Various facilities including MEL management, LMC diary observations and repetitive defect alerting allow improvements in diagnostic and rectification capabilities, giving enhanced line availability and improved dispatch reliability.

The LMC module can also be used manually where techlogs are entered quickly after a flight or with a variety of live operations feeds, including electronic flight bags, electronic techlogs, ACARS and various operations systems.

Commsoft also recently formed a partnership to collaborate OASES with Critical Technologies’ AirVault and Loganair is the first airline to utilise this enhanced service.

David Pusey, Projects Director at Commsoft, commented:

“Loganair has had a long standing close relationship with Commsoft for many years and with its very high intensity, short sector network and excellent technical skills Loganair offered the ideal proving ground for the new LMC functionality, which has been progressively developed in trial and live operations. Several other established and prospective customers are planning to deploy LMC.”

Craig Stewart, Head of Line Maintenance at Loganair added:

“The introduction of an LMC system poses several challenges in a high intensity operations environment such as Loganair’s. This touches many of our internal processes and workflows, requiring the involvement of many departments. Commsoft’s OASES LMC system has been progressively developed to meet our very demanding operational requirements with over 100 sectors per day and an average sector length of 42 minutes. We have transformed our processes while delivering new performance benefits through close supportive working with Commsoft enabling Loganair to now have a “Live”, integrated engineering control system.”

Commsoft’s OASES is a sophisticated and easy to use system that is utilised by national and regional carriers, third party maintainers, cargo specialists, charter operators and specialist rotable stockists around the world. Commsoft has four regional centres in the UK, an international office in Australia and a technical support office in India.

A Twin Otter aircraft gets airborne on another scheduled departure

EmpowerMX Announces Part 121 Air Carrier Consulting Agreement

Mendota Heights MN, May 10, 2011: The EmpowerMX Consulting Services division announces a consulting agreement with a large US Part 121 air carrier. Under the terms of this agreement, EmpowerMX will collaborate with the carrier’s Maintenance and Engineering (M&E) department to identify and close gaps in its Continuous Analysis and Surveillance System (CASS), ensure all elements of its maintenance program are interfacing with one another, and will implement procedures to ensure all applicable personnel receive CASS training equivalent to the training EmpowerMX provides to FAA inspectors.

About EmpowerMX

EmpowerMX, a recognized leader in the aviation maintenance industry, delivers a diverse array of business products and services aimed at improving aviation safety and designed to enhance our customers’ and clients’ financial bottom lines.

• Our FleetCycle® Suite of products equip airline operators, MROs, OEMs and military M&E departments with the real-time and globally available business intelligence leadership must possess to make accurate, timely and cost-effective decisions regarding maintenance activity, reliability and fleet status
• Our Consulting Services division empowers maintenance operations personnel with the knowledge they need to maximize efficiency by optimizing maintenance programs, training personnel, establishing best practices and improving processes
• Our IT division provides a full spectrum of customer services including consulting, system implementation, integration, training and 24/7/365 support

For more details, visit http://www.empowermx.com or contact:

Phil Bathurst Executive Vice President – Sales & Consulting 651.788.8888

info@empowermx.com