Lockheed Martin Aircraft and Logistics Centers have formed the TriStar Alliance, an association of companies with a vested interest in supporting customers of the Lockheed L-1011 TriStar. Member companies of the alliance held their second stakeholders meeting in Greenville July 12-14, 1999 to formalize plans for providing across-the-board, world class affordable support. This new consortium formed for the support of the TriStar is being driven by Daniel W. Patterson, President of Aircraft & Logistics Centers. In addition to leading members Lockheed Martin and Rolls-Royce plc, six other companies have joined the alliance, including Delta Air Lines, the largest operator of the Lockheed widebody trijet.

The alliance's objective is to reaffirm each member company's long-term commitment to the TriStar, improve all aspects of product support, from responsiveness to affordability, and to educate the commercial aviation industry as to the aircraft's versatility and possible future roles, Patterson said. There have recently been many interests in a TriStar freighter conversion program.

"We are Lockheed Martin's after-market enterprise, and we are the product support organization for out-of-production Lockheed Martin aircraft," Patterson told the conference attendees at the first stakeholders meeting in May. "We are absolutely committed to ensuring that our customers receive world class support for the entire life of the TriStar. Our overarching objective is to keep the L-1011 flying by offering total support services second to none, and by creating a market for freighters and other applications."

Delta Air Lines is currently under negotiations with London-based leasing specialist Intercapital Aviation to sell an initial batch of 13 L-1011s. These would be converted to freighters by Aircraft and Logistics Centers at Greenville, South Carolina. This deal could be extended to include up to 40 ex-Delta TriStars. Another company interested in this program is Custom Air Support Holdings, which is boasting plans to purchase 16 ex-Saudi Arabian TriStars early this year. They intend to convert half of the fleet into freighters. Lockheed's planned revival of the TriStar conversion would also use the UK-based Marshall Aerospace's facility at Cambridge. Marshall has had the rich experience of completing 10 civil L-1011 freighter conversions, plus 9 military conversions.

Lockheed Martin Aircraft & Logistics Centers, headquartered in Greenville, South Carolina, is an operating unit of Lockheed Martin Corporation and one of the leading providers of aircraft maintenance and modification services, and contractor logistics support for the Department of Defense and commercial customers. The company has approximately 8,000 employees at more than 90 locations throughout the United States and overseas.

For more information, please visit the official website of the Lockheed Martin Aircraft and Logistics Centers.