Finnair heading back to Shanghai each week from 23 July

Weel respected European airline Finnair has confirmed it had now received permission from the Chinese authorities to begin operating a weekly flight between its home base of Helsinki and Shanghai, with effect of 23 July.  The airline will be deploying an Airbus A350 aircraft on the route.  

Finland has opened its borders for work-related travel from China but entry to Finland is still restricted for the time being pending an EU level decision on reciprocity. 

Finnair currently offers smooth connections to 24 European destinations from Helsinki. 

“The re-opening of our Shanghai route is great news for our customers and an important step for us, as China continues to play a key role in Finnair’s strategy”, says Ole Orvér, Chief Commercial Officer, Finnair. “We look forward to increasing our service to the Chinese market soonest.”  

Finnair flies to over 30 destinations in July, operating altogether 80-90 flights per day, and is increasing both routes and frequencies in August and September. Finnair updates its traffic plan on a weekly basis and has the capability to add flights at a rapid pace, as travel restrictions are removed and travel demand recovers. Long-haul flights to Asia are also supported by cargo demand. 

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Air Canada announced this week a new partnership with prestigious Montreal-based Chef Jérôme Ferrer

Air Canada announced this week a new partnership with prestigious Montreal-based Chef Jérôme Ferrer, who will design meals for the airline's Premium Economy and Economy Class customers on all flights departing Canada for Europe and Asia, as well as Australia and South America once these flights resume. Chef Ferrer will join celebrated Canadian Chefs David Hawksworth, Antonio Park and Vikram Vij, whose meals will be offered once more on Air Canada flights beginning later this month as the airline begins to restore its award-winning onboard service program.

UK aerospace sector to benefit from £400 million funding to go green

Business Secretary announces grants totalling £200 million, matched by industry, for new aerospace research and technology.

Aerospace jobs and supply chains across the UK will benefit from cutting-edge research and development projects announced on Monday by the government and aerospace industry leaders.

Government grants totalling £200 million, delivered through the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) programme, will be matched by industry to create the total investment of £400 million in new research and technology, enabling ambitious projects to lift off and support the sector’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic.

New projects set to receive funding will include developing high performance engines, new wing designs, ultra-lightweight materials, energy-efficient electric components, and other brand new concepts to enhance innovation within the sector. A project led by Williams Advanced Engineering in Oxford, for example, will develop ultra-lightweight seat structures that will reduce an aircraft’s fuel consumption.

The funding will also secure highly-skilled jobs in the UK’s aerospace sector and will benefit companies of all sizes from Caldicot in Wales to Bedlington in the North of England. Higher education institutions will also be a part of the projects, including the universities of Nottingham and Birmingham.

AirTanker is the latest airline to join Airlines UK

AirTanker joins Airlines UK

Photo AirTanker

You might not be familiar with the name AirTanker, but you've almost certainly seen at least one of their aircraft flying high in the skies over the UK in recent weeks.  This British airline is perhaps best known for operating the RAF Voyager aircraft.

Since signing a 27-year contract with the MoD in 2008, AirTanker’s primary role has been to ensure the safe and effective operation of the RAF’s fleet of A330 MRTT Voyager aircraft, with responsibilities ranging from aircraft delivery and fleet management to crew training and a full maintenance capability.

As well as supporting the Voyager military operation, AirTanker is a civil airline and operates the South Atlantic Air Bridge, which provides a vital scheduled connection between the UK and the Falkland Islands. AirTanker has also continued to expand its commercial leasing business, operating a number of Airbus A330-200 aircraft on ad-hoc, damp and wet lease contracts on behalf of other carriers in the UK and Europe.

Photo RAF /Crown Copyright

New industry leaders partner with Team Tempest to deliver next generation combat aircraft

Seven new companies will collaborate with Team Tempest, the pioneering alliance delivering cutting edge technology for a new generation of combat air power for the UK

Concept imagery of the Tempest aircraft. Crown copyright.

Launched in 2018, Team Tempest is a group of ambitious industry partners - representing the deep breadth of innovation and expertise across the nation - working in collaboration with the MoD on the UK’s Future Combat Air System (FCAS) project.

The UK’s Future Combat Air System is the £1.9bn project working to develop the next generation combat aircraft, known as Tempest, which will replace the Typhoon.

These pioneering companies will bring new innovations and designs, enabling Team Tempest to carry on developing ground-breaking concepts and technologies that will guarantee combat dominance in the air.

The alliance is quickly gaining recognition for its work and notched up a world first within two years of launching by designing a generator that delivers unprecedented levels of electrical power.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace confirmed seven new companies had signed agreements to collaborate on Team Tempest at the virtual 2020 Farnborough International Airshow (FIA Connect).

Welcoming the news Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:  "Just two years after Team Tempest was created they delivered a world first. It’s no surprise; when you attract the very best of British engineering and design, technological leaps like these are guaranteed.

That’s why I’m delighted seven more companies have joined this mission to work in collaboration with the MoD, under the Team Tempest banner. They will bring the ambition, invention and expertise that will deliver the breakthroughs we will depend on for decades to come.

These pioneers will strengthen our ability to develop a next generation aircraft and allow us to continue making vital contributions to UK, European and global security."

interCaribbean Airways launching more flights

                       

interCaribbean Airways has confirmed it will offer new connecting services in the Eastern Caribbean between Barbados, Grenada, St. Lucia, St Vincent and the Grenadines.   

With flights already available to St. Lucia, interCaribbean announces effective August 1, connecting services will commence from Barbados' Grantley Adams International Airport to Grenada, St. Lucia, St. Vincent and the Grenadines and Dominica.  The scheduled expansion in the Eastern Caribbean will give connective travel to the existing 22 cities served by interCaribbean across its Pan-Caribbean network as services are restored. 

For more than two decades, interCaribbean' operations have been focused to the western area of the Caribbean, with services in some of the region's major cities in Antigua, Bahamas, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Puerto Rico, Jamaica, the British Virgin Islands, St. Lucia, Turks and Caicos.

Sheremetyevo International Airport to launch COVID-19 testing for passengers

                                             The Russian Direct Investment Fund (RDIF), Russia's sovereign wealth fund, and Sheremetyevo International Airport announced the launch of express-testing for coronavirus, using EMG systems, for arriving and departing passengers.

Testing will be available for all passengers transiting through Sheremetyevo International Airport from July 20 2020 at the Terminal B health center (domestic flights), and July 27 2020 at Terminal D (domestic and international flights).

It is a pilot project for Russia's transport industry. The express service for COVID-19 diagnostics providing the most reliable result in 60 minutes is being introduced at Sheremetyevo airport ahead of the upcoming opening of international regular air services and meets the requests of passengers. Testing will be available for all passengers from July 20 2020 at the Terminal B health center (domestic flights), and July 27 2020 at Terminal D (domestic and international flights). The test results will be available in Russian and English.

The EMG diagnostic system, created with support from RDIF, is one of the fastest and most accurate in the world; adapted for both fixed and unique mobile mini-laboratories (the portable system fits in two small suitcases).

UK airline industry wants a year long break from air passenger duty tax.

The UK's airline industry wants a year-long break from the government imposed air passenger duty tax or the consequences could be dire, warns industry campaigning body, Airlines UK.

The trade body says without the emergency tax break,  UK airports will lose around 600 routes initially and in 12 months’ time, around 80% of the lost routes will be in the UK regions.  

Yet,  with a 12-month waiver, it could save 45% of the air routes out of the UK that would otherwise be lost due to the impacts of the Coronavirus COVID-19 pandemic, a new report has found. In addition, the support could potentially save 8,000 jobs and contribute an additional £7 billion in GVA.

The study carried out by York Aviation and commissioned by Airlines UK, the industry association for UK-registered airlines, shows:

With an emergency 12-month Air Passenger Duty waiver in place, the situation improves with the number of routes that would immediately return at around 35. This grows steadily as the market recovers, with an APD waiver supporting an additional 56 routes by July next year. In other words, by July 2021 it would have saved around 45% of routes that would otherwise be lost;
The APD waiver would boost passenger demand by around 12% over the next 12 months. This equates to around 21 million passengers over the 12 months against a baseline of 170 million passengers.
An APD waiver could potentially save 8,000 jobs over the next 12 months and enable the sector to support an additional £7 billion in GVA. This GVA saving is around 3.3 times greater than the expected revenue from APD over the next 12 months.

Read the full report here.

Aeroflot has launched direct flights from Moscow to Orsk

Aeroflot has launched direct flights from Moscow to Orsk. Starting from 18 July 2020, daily flights will operate on the following schedule: 

Route	Flight	Departure time*	Arrival time*
Sheremetyevo – Orsk	SU 1060	02:10	06:40
Orsk - Sheremetyevo	SU 1061	08:00	08:40

*All times local

Orsk is situated in the south of Orenburg Oblast, not far from the border with Kazakhstan. 

The city occupies a unique geographic position – it is located on the banks of the Ural River, which divides the continent into Europe and Asia. Orsk is famous for its deposits of colourful jasper, which was used to decorate the interiors of the Winter Palace, the Hermitage, and the Moscow Metro. Notable monuments include Orthodox, Muslim, and Catholic temple complexes, as well as the Local History Museum.

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New Moscow to Penza service for Aeroflot

 Aeroflot has launched direct flights from Moscow to Penza. Starting from 18 July 2020, daily flights will operate on the following schedule:

Route	Flight	Departure time*	Arrival time*
Sheremetyevo - Penza	SU 1544	09:50	11:10
Penza - Sheremetyevo	SU 1545	11:55	13:40

*All times local

Penza is a major city in the central Volga region. Among its main sights are the unique Museum of One Painting, and the museum-theatre of actor-director Vsevolod Meyerhold. Penza was home to Russia’s first circus and has one of Russia’s oldest botanical gardens. The city is also often associated with Mikhail Lermontov, Vissarion Belinsky and Vasily Klyuchevsky.

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Boeing and Etihad widen their sustainability alliance on the ecoDemonstrator 787

US planemaker Boeing and Etihad Airways will use a 787-10 Dreamliner to test ways to reduce emissions and noise as part of the aerospace company's ecoDemonstrator program before the airline accepts delivery of the airplane this fall. The collaboration, which includes extensive sound measurement testing with industry partners, builds on a strategic sustainability alliance Boeing and Etihad formed in November 2019.

UK defence teams up with world leading UK space company to secure next generation of military communications

A new military communications satellite is set to keep troops safe across the globe for decades to come, thanks to a £500 million contract confirmed on Sunday by Defence Secretary Ben Wallace.

Built by Airbus Defence and Space, SKYNET 6A will soar among the stars, guaranteeing our Armed Forces fast, secure and reliable communications from thousands of miles above, wherever they are deployed.

SKYNET 6A will use some of the most advanced technology available, including a higher radio frequency spectrum and the latest in digital processing to provide more capacity, speed and greater versatility than its predecessor system the SKYNET 5 constellation.

The £500 million boost is the latest investment in the technological safeguards that help our Armed Forces deter threats from anywhere in the world, including Russia and China. This will secure UK leadership in defensive space and cyber operations for generations to come.

Defence Secretary Ben Wallace said:  "To safeguard our military on operations around the world we need to ensure that we protect their communications on land, sea or in air. The newest contested frontier is space and so we need to provide resilience and better communications for our forces. SKYNET 6A is one of many solutions we shall be investing in over the next decade. This Government recognises the urgent need to defend and promote space capabilities."

Saab signs support agreement for GlobalEye and reports Jan - June 2020 results

Saab has signed a support agreement with the United Arab Emirates regarding the advanced airborne early warning and control (AEW&C) solution GlobalEye. The agreement is valid between 2020 and 2022, with an order value of 144.9 MUSD.

The agreement covers support and maintenance for the airborne surveillance system GlobalEye.

The support and maintenance will be executed locally in the United Arab Emirates.

Saab’s Results January-June 2020

Boost to passengers as UK government bolsters the ATOL scheme

More protection for passengers following the government's move to protect refund credit notes.

ATOL-protected holidaymakers will be able to book with confidence following a government move to protect refund credit notes offered if packages are cancelled as a result of COVID-19.

The change, which will apply to package holidays including a flight, will mean passengers who accept refund credit notes for cancelled holidays as a result of COVID-19 will be protected by the ATOL scheme if necessary, even if the company they have booked with later collapses.

By providing confidence to holidaymakers that their refund credit notes are protected if they choose them over refunds, today’s move will mean customers are able to support the travel sector’s recovery from the pandemic by accepting a refund credit note.

• greater protection for passengers through government backing the ATOL protection scheme
• the step will ensure passengers who choose refund credit notes are covered for cancellations as a result of COVID-19, even if their travel provider collapses
• proposals designed to boost consumer trust in the aviation and travel sector

-

Transport Secretary Grant Shapps said: "We want to send a clear message to passengers that they can book their summer holidays with confidence, which is why we’re stepping in to protect refund credit notes issued as a result of COVID-19 cancellations.

This is not only good news for anyone looking to get away for a break in the sun, but also for the aviation and travel sector which has been hit hard by the pandemic."

Business Secretary Alok Sharma said: "This new protection will give consumers the confidence they need to book some time in the sun, safe in the knowledge that their hard-earned money is protected no matter what.

For those ATOL-protected holidaymakers whose trips have already been cancelled, today’s reforms will give them the freedom to choose between a refund, or a fully-protected refund credit note for use at a later date"

Martin Lewis, the founder of MoneySavingExpert.com, says: "This is a key travel intervention we’ve been calling for. It’s far from a cure-all, but ATOL is a statutory scheme and the fact the government will now effectively underwrite its credit refund notes gives a solid bedrock of security for customers willing to take them.

And I’d encourage those who it’s right for to do so. The pandemic has been devastating for the travel industry and travellers. Taking an ATOL credit refund note if you’re likely to rebook shows welcome forbearance and flexibility, and the fact that, if you don’t use it, it can be exchanged for cash gives peace of mind.

Of course, it’s not right for everyone, many desperately need a refund. My hope is this more solid halfway house for some will enable firms to more swiftly pay out full refunds for others."

ABTA Chief Executive Mark Tanzer said:  "ABTA welcomes the government’s action to back refund credit notes through the ATOL scheme. This gives reassurance to consumers and supports the travel industry at an especially difficult time.

This development verifies that the ATOL scheme provides protection for cancelled holidays when a refund remains outstanding in the event of a travel organiser’s failure. This is the same for non-flight based package travel with ABTA bonding under the Package Travel Regulations. This assurance enables consumers to hold and rely on refund credit notes with confidence, before rebooking a much needed holiday."

The ATOL fund is run by the UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA), and requires travel operators to pay a fee of £2.50 to protect each passenger booking in cases of insolvency. The money, which is held in a fund managed by the Air Travel Trust, is used to refund, repatriate or reimburse travellers for the cost of repaying for the affected parts of their trip.

Today’s action follows on from a separate series of measures introduced to support the aviation sector, including a comprehensive package of financial support incorporating loans and guarantees, tax deferrals and covering the cost of statutory sick pay.

Customers are still entitled to a refund and will be able to receive one if they request it, but today’s move will mean customers are able to support the travel sector by accepting a refund voucher in the knowledge that it will be protected, even if the travel operator goes insolvent.

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NEC-led team will provide Hawaii’s airports with new passenger screening technology

NEC Corporation of America and partner, Infrared Cameras Inc have been selected by the Hawaii Department of Transportation (HDOT) to provide thermal temperature screening and facial recognition technology at Hawaii’s public airports to help protect the community and identify passengers with a potentially elevated body temperature. The companies combined resources to submit a unified proposal for the project.

“Taking these steps to implement the technology at our airports shows our commitment to providing preventative measures against COVID-19 for the community,” said Hawaii’s Governor David Ige. “We recognize that temperature screening won’t catch every infected passenger, but it is an available tool that can be implemented and combined with the additional measures the State is providing to help prevent the spread of this virus, while helping rebuild the economy.”

“We are honored to become a part of this significant project for Hawaii towards the revival of tourism and business in the state,” said Toshifumi Yoshizaki, Senior Vice President, NEC Corporation. “We believe NEC’s technology will help to ensure the safety and health of visitors and residents of Hawaii against COVID-19, and our team will make every effort to ensure the success of this public and private joint project together with all of the partner companies.”