Emirates to resume second daily flight to London Stansted

Emirates is ramping up its London Stansted operation by resuming its second daily service to Dubai from May 1, 2023, in response to strong demand.

The additional flight will operate using the airline's wide-body Boeing 777-300ER aircraft with its acclaimed 'Game Changer' First Class product.

The world's largest international airline began serving the airport in June 2018, initially with a daily flight, then a twice-daily service in March 2019. 

The route was suspended during the COVID pandemic but was reinstated in August 2022.

Gareth Powell, London Stansted’s Managing Director, said: “The return of Emirates' second daily flight to Dubai is exciting news for passengers and a huge boost for London Stansted Airport, London and the East of England. The decision to have 14 weekly flights from Stansted is a demonstration of the airline's confidence in the demand for long-haul travel from the airport. Since the airline returned to the airport in the summer following the COVID pandemic, the route has been extremely popular, providing onward connections to locations all around the world."

A second daily flight to Stansted is also expected to boost trade and economic growth in the region. 

Popular inbound markets include Australia, UAE, India, South Africa, China, Malaysia and Hong Kong.

Emirates passengers travelling from London Stansted will also have access to more destinations across the airline’s global network with convenient connection times. 

Several popular destinations for UK travellers are Brisbane, Melbourne, Male, Seychelles, Bali, Singapore, Colombo, Bangalore and Bangkok.

Richard Jewsbury, Divisional Vice President, Emirates UK, said: “Since we recommenced services to and from Stansted in August 2022, bookings have continued to surge from the London hub. It is fantastic to be scaling up operations even further this year offering passengers increased connectivity ahead of the popular summer holiday period. Stansted is a key hub for Emirates in the East and Southeast of the UK, and we look forward to welcoming even more passengers onboard.”

The airport recently announced the opening of a new double airbridge enhancing its capability to handle wide-body aircraft such as the Boeing 777 and the Airbus A380. 

Emirates became the first airline to use the new bridge, which enables passengers to board and disembark wide-bodied aircraft more quickly and comfortably.

VistaJet has partnered with its gastronomy partners, including Shangri-La Singapore and The Ritz Carlton, Hong Kong to provide unique Lunar New Year Experiences,

To celebrate Lunar New Year, the world’s first and only global business aviation company VistaJet has partnered with its gastronomy partners, including Shangri-La Singapore and The Ritz Carlton, Hong Kong to provide unique Lunar New Year Experiences, including tossing of the auspicious Lo Hei on board a private jet while cruising at 45,000 feet.

Lo Hei, which in Cantonese means ‘prosperity toss’, is a popular custom during Lunar New Year in Southeast Asia involving the festive Chinese dish Yu Sheng. Shangri-La’s Michelin-star Shang Palace has created special Lunar New Year menus for VistaJet flights from Singapore, selecting the freshest and finest ingredients used in Chinese cuisine, such as abalone, scallops, lobster, coral trout, and suckling pig.

Shang Palace’s executive chef Daniel Cheung says: “A reunion feast during the Lunar New Year is never complete without Yu Sheng, which signifies good luck, prosperity and hope for the coming year.” He says: “It is a symbolic dish, we have incorporated into the VistaJet menu, adding to the festive celebration for the ‘Year of the Rabbit’. It is interesting to inject an interactive dimension to VistaJet’s in-flight dining experience with a Lo Hei,” says Cheung, adding that “it is our pleasure to be collaborating with VistaJet this festive season!”

While VistaJet has partnered with Shangri-La Hotel for flights out of Singapore, it has partnered with The Ritz-Carlton Hong Kong’s Michelin-star restaurant Tin Lung Heen for flights out of the territory.

For flights from Hong Kong, enjoy a traditional ‘Yum Cha’ (tea and dim sum), on the world’s highest dining table served by restaurant partner Tin Lung Heen, at The Ritz Carlton, Hong Kong. ‘Yum Cha’ on board a VistaJet flight from Hong Kong includes options such as the Steamed Pork and Shrimp Dumplings with Scallops and Jinhua Ham; and Steamed Alaskan Crab Meat Dumplings Topped with Salmon Roe. Give the ‘Yum Cha’ a sweet ending with a Double-Boiled Superior Bird Nest Served with Coconut Milk, Almond Cream and Syrup.

VistaJet’s unique Lunar New Year gastronomy experiences are further enhanced by unparalleled onboard service. Its international Cabin Hosts are trained by the British Butler Institute and the Wine & Spirit Education Trust.

“Lunar New Year is a very important period in many parts of Asia,” says VistaJet Chief Commercial Officer, Ian Moore. “Many are taking the opportunity to travel abroad for holidays. With the Chinese border now open, families can go back to China for reunions and corporations can send executives for business again. We are optimistic about the growth prospects for the region in 2023.” 

VistaJet has already experienced a large year-on-year increase in passenger traffic in Asia Pacific — its flight traffic across Asia-Pacific grew 65% year-on-year for the first nine months of 2022, driven partly by growth in Southeast Asia. In 2022’s first three quarters, VistaJet posted a 376% year-on-year increase in Singapore flights, and compared to pre-pandemic 2019 figures this is up 40%. For the first three quarters of 2022, flight hours from Hong Kong have experienced 18% year-on-year growth and flight hours are up 20% compared to the first nine months in pre-pandemic 2019.

Vista, the parent company of VistaJet, is the world’s largest on demand provider for private flying with a Member’s fleet of more than 360 aircraft, including the largest fleet of Global 7500 aircraft, the world’s longest-range business jet. VistaJet flies to over 1,900 airports in 187 countries, covering 96% of the world.

Eurowings offers flexible mileage redemption with Cash & Miles

Eurowings is offering a new service for Miles & More participants for flights booked through eurowings.com and the Eurowings app: thanks to Cash & Miles, the total price of the next trip can easily be reduced using collected award miles and the remaining amount can be paid using the usual means of payment. This way, Eurowings passengers can benefit from their Miles & More credit more quickly instead of waiting until they have reached the required amount of miles for Eurowings award flights.

Cash & Miles now available as an option in the payment process at eurowings.com

Pay for flight bookings in full or in part with Miles & More award miles

Flexibly and easily reduce the total price of the flight with miles and pay the remaining amount

Cash & Miles option available with a Miles & More account balance of 3,000 award miles or more

Cash & Miles can already be used with a Miles & More account balance of 3,000 award miles. If Miles & More participants have already collected enough miles, they can also use them to settle the booking price in full. This applies to all flight bookings of regular Eurowings flights on the Eurowings website and in the Eurowings app.

How Cash & Miles works

After selecting the flights and entering passenger and contact details, Eurowings customers will see the Cash & Miles option in the last booking step Payment. In the next steps, the collected award miles can then be selected and finally redeemed:

Click on To Cash & Miles to be redirected to the Miles & More website.

Log in with Miles & More access details.

If the account balance is at least 3,000 award miles, you can use the slider to select how many miles you would like to redeem for your flight booking.

Confirm the selected number of miles by clicking on Redeem miles.

After being directed back to the Eurowings booking step Payment, choose a payment method to complete the booking if the selected miles do not fully cover the booking price.

For more information on Cash & Miles, please visit the Eurowings homepage.

Gregg Brown named as new vice president of technical operations at JetBlue

JetBlue has announced the appointment of Gregg Brown as the airline’s new vice president, technical operations. Brown, who joins JetBlue next month, will oversee the carrier’s maintenance, materials, engineering, quality and other operational functions. He will report to Warren Christie, head of safety, security, fleet operations, airports and JetBlue University.

Brown brings over three decades of experience, most recently serving as vice president, of technical operations at Spirit Airlines, where he leads the airline’s maintenance and supply chain functions.

Prior to Spirit, Brown worked at MRO Holdings, an aircraft maintenance and modification provider, and helped start its services division by growing a multinational team of experts. He also spent nearly 24 years with Southwest Airlines, serving in various positions, including senior director quality and FAA liaison. During his time with the carrier, he helped Southwest obtain a single operating certificate as part of its acquisition of AirTran Airways.

“Gregg’s extensive technical operations experience will be invaluable as we continue to grow our fleet and network,” said Christie. “He’ll play an important role in bringing our crewmembers and business partners together in this next chapter for JetBlue. At the same time, I’d also like to thank Bill for his dedication to JetBlue and our crewmembers over the past four years.”

Brown added: “I’m excited to be joining JetBlue to lead an incredible team of technical operations professionals during a period of growth and expansion for the airline, and as JetBlue transforms its fleet with next-generation aircraft from Airbus and the retirement of the Embraer 190.”

William Cade, who has led technical operations since 2018, is retiring from JetBlue after nearly 40 years in the airline industry.

Brown began his career in the U.S. Air Force, where he was a crew chief and earned his Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) license.

Mahoko Hara, executive chair of Aviation Capital Group, honoured with the 2023 AWAR Trailblazer Award

Aviation Capital Group Executive Chair, Mahoko Hara, has received the 2023 Trailblazer Award from Advancing Women in Aviation Roundtable. 

AWAR is a non-profit corporation on a mission to engage with CEOs and other senior executives to build awareness and develop actionable strategies to promote the development and advancement of women leaders in the aviation industry. The award recognizes individuals who have made extraordinary contributions to the advancement of women in aviation, their work in and around ESG, or who have personally broken the “glass ceilings” within their respective organizations.

“We are delighted to present Mahoko Hara with the 2023 AWAR Trailblazer Award,” said Emily Wicker, president of AWAR. “Her career long commitment to DE&I and her work to advance women in aviation are exemplary and provide a roadmap for others to follow. She is truly deserving of this award and an inspiration to others.”

Mahoko is the Executive Chairperson of ACG and is also a Senior Managing Executive Officer and a member of the Board of Directors of Tokyo Century Corporation (“TC”). Mahoko assumed the Executive Chair role in December 2019 following TC’s acquisition of ACG.

Mahoko joined TC in 2011 and has been responsible for strategic planning and cross-border M&A for TC’s specialty finance businesses with particular focus on the aviation sector. Prior to joining TC, Mahoko worked for Shinsei Bank and Citibank specializing in structured credit and asset finance. Prior to these roles, Mahoko was with Dai-Ichi Kangyo Bank (now Mizuho Bank) fulfilling a variety of roles in corporate and investment banking, including several years in the London and New York offices.

Wisk Aero has selected Dr. Brian Yutko as the new Chief Executive Officer, effective February 1, 2023 when Gary Gysin retires

Wisk Aero has selected Dr Brian Yutko as the new Chief Executive Officer, effective February 1, 2023, when Gary Gysin retires.

“On behalf of Wisk’s board, employees, and the broader advanced air mobility industry, I want to thank Gary for his dedication, commitment, and leadership since Wisk’s founding in 2019,” said Brian Schettler, Chairman of Wisk’s Board. “Gary’s authenticity, execution, and vision have established Wisk as a leader in advanced air mobility, built trust among the broader public, and advanced the industry as a whole.”

Schettler added, “We are excited to welcome Brian Yutko as Wisk’s new CEO. To date, Brian has already been instrumental to Wisk’s success - from helping to secure additional resources for Wisk from within Boeing, to championing the Concept of Operations, developed by the two companies. Brian’s deep expertise in aviation and passion for autonomy, as well as his existing familiarity with Wisk, will enable a smooth transition and allow Wisk to maintain its development timelines and trajectory within the industry with minimal disruption.”

Following an executive search process, Yutko was selected to join Wisk as the new CEO based on his experience with eVTOL aircraft and autonomous technology and his passion for Wisk’s vision. As a Board member, Yutko has developed a deep familiarity with Wisk, the company’s strategy, the Generation 6 program, and the company’s long-term goals. Yutko’s relationships, respect, and trust within the industry will help Wisk fulfil its commitment to bringing the first self-flying, eVTOL air taxi to the US. Yutko was selected by a unanimous Board vote

Turkey expects to get F16's from U.S.

Turkish Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu said ahead of a meeting with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington on Wednesday that he expects the United States to approve the sale of F-16 aircraft to Turkey "in line with our joint strategic interests."

Some top members of the U.S. Congress oppose the sale of the jets to Turkey despite support from the Biden administration for the sale. 

The U.S. lawmakers objecting to the sale cite Turkey's deteriorating human rights track record and Syria policy. But recently, Ankara's refusal to ratify NATO membership of Sweden and Finland is emerging as a more central reason in their opposition.

"(Turkish President Tayyip) Erdogan's ... repeated attacks on our Syrian Kurdish allies, and continued cozying up to Russia — including delaying Sweden and Finland's NATO membership — remain serious causes for concern," Democratic Senator Chris Van Hollen said in a statement.

"As I’ve said before, for Turkey to receive the F-16s, we need assurances that these concerns will be addressed," he said.

Reporting by Humeyra Pamuk and Simon Lewis, additional reporting by Huseyin Hayatsever in Ankara, Patricia Zengerle in Washington for Reuters.

United Airlines releases fourth-quarter and full-year financial results

U.S. mega-carrier United Airlines has today reported fourth-quarter and full-year 2022 financial results this week  The company exceeded adjusted operating margin¹ guidance in the fourth quarter reporting a 11.1% operating margin; 11.2% operating margin on an adjusted basis¹. Additionally the company reported a 9.1% pre-tax margin on a GAAP basis and 9.0% on an adjusted basis¹, achieving its 2023 target ahead of schedule. The company grew operating revenue by 14% and TRASM (total revenue per available seat mile) by 26%, both versus fourth quarter 2019. The company remains confident in the 2023 United Next adjusted pre-tax margin¹ target of about 9%.

United was able to recover quickly from significant irregular operations in December as a result of winter storm Elliott. During the key holiday travel days between December 21 and 26, nearly 36% of all United flights were exposed to severe weather. Despite that impact, 90% of United customers made it to their destination within 4 hours of their scheduled arrival time. The company credits significant investment in its people, resources, technology and infrastructure over the past few years with its ability to recover from significant weather events. 

"Thank you to the United team that, last month, managed through one of the worst weather events in my career to deliver for so many of our customers and get them home for the holidays," said United Airlines CEO Scott Kirby. "Our dedicated team used our state-of-the-art tools to prepare for the bad weather, take care of our customers and quickly recover once the worst of the weather had passed. Over the last three years, United has made critical investments in tools, infrastructure and our people – all of which are essential investments in our future. That's why we've got a big head start, and we're now poised to accelerate in 2023 as our United Next strategy becomes a reality."

Fourth-Quarter Financial Results

• Net income of $843 million, adjusted net income¹ of $811 million.
• Capacity down 9% compared to fourth-quarter 2019.
• Total operating revenue of $12.4 billion, up 14% compared to fourth-quarter 2019.
• TRASM of up 26% compared to fourth-quarter 2019.
• CASM of up 21%, and CASM-ex¹ of up 11%, compared to fourth-quarter 2019.
• Operating margin of 11.1%, adjusted operating margin¹ of 11.2%, both up over 2 pts. compared to fourth-quarter 2019.
• Pre-tax margin of 9.1%, adjusted pre-tax margin¹ of 9.0%, both up and around 1 pt. compared to fourth-quarter 2019.
• Average fuel price per gallon of $3.54.

Full-Year Financial Results

• Net income of $737 million, adjusted net income¹ of $831 million.
• Operating margin of 5.2%, adjusted operating margin¹ of 5.5%.
• Pre-tax margin of 2.2%, adjusted pre-tax margin¹ of 2.5%.
• Ending available liquidity² of $18.2 billion.

Key Highlights

• Announced the largest widebody order by a U.S. carrier in commercial aviation history: 100 Boeing 787 Dreamliners with options to purchase 100 more. Also added 100 additional Boeing 737 MAX aircraft by exercising 44 options and adding 56 new firm orders. This historic purchase is the next chapter in the ambitious United Next plan and will bolster the airline's leadership role in global travel for years to come.
• Officially opened the United Aviate Academy, the only major U.S. airline to own a flight training school, with a historic inaugural pilot class of 80% women or people of color.
• Launched Calibrate, an in-house apprenticeship program that will help grow and diversify its pipeline of Aircraft Maintenance Technicians.
• Launched a new, national advertising campaign – "Good Leads The Way" – that tells the story of United's leadership in areas like customer service, diversity and sustainability, and captures the optimism fueling the airline's large ambitions at a time of unprecedented demand in air travel.
• Announced and began the expansion of its Flight Training Center in Denver, already the largest facility of its kind in the world.
• Announced a historic commercial agreement with Emirates that will enhance each airline's network and give customers easier access to hundreds of destinations around the world. Also announced a new direct flight between Newark/New York and Dubai beginning in March 2023, subject to government approval.
• Appointed by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, United Chief Executive Officer Scott Kirby served as the Co-Chair of the Homeland Security Advisory Council and also served on the Board of Directors of the Business Roundtable as the Chairman of the Education and Workforce Committee.
• Hosted the first Eco-Skies Alliance Summit, bringing together leaders, corporate customers, and senior U.S. government officials for important discussions on sustainable aviation fuel, best practices of how to reduce carbon emissions from flying and how to collaborate on future sustainability solutions.

JetBlue names Gregg Brown as Vice President, Technical Operations

JetBlue has announced the appointment of Gregg Brown as the airline’s new vice president, technical operations. Brown, who joins JetBlue next month, will oversee the carrier’s maintenance, materials, engineering, quality and other operational functions. He will report to Warren Christie, head of safety, security, fleet operations, airports and JetBlue University.

Brown brings over three decades of experience, most recently serving as vice president, of technical operations at Spirit Airlines, where he leads the airline’s maintenance and supply chain functions.

Prior to Spirit, Brown worked at MRO Holdings, an aircraft maintenance and modification provider, and helped start its services division by growing a multinational team of experts. He also spent nearly 24 years with Southwest Airlines, serving in various positions, including senior director quality and FAA liaison. During his time with the carrier, he helped Southwest obtain a single operating certificate as part of its acquisition of AirTran Airways.

“Gregg’s extensive technical operations experience will be invaluable as we continue to grow our fleet and network,” said Christie. “He’ll play an important role in bringing our crewmembers and business partners together in this next chapter for JetBlue. At the same time, I’d also like to thank Bill for his dedication to JetBlue and our crewmembers over the past four years.”

Brown added: “I’m excited to be joining JetBlue to lead an incredible team of technical operations professionals during a period of growth and expansion for the airline, and as JetBlue transforms its fleet with next-generation aircraft from Airbus and the retirement of the Embraer 190.”

William Cade, who has led technical operations since 2018, is retiring from JetBlue after nearly 40 years in the airline industry.

Brown began his career in the U.S. Air Force, where he was a crew chief and earned his Airframe and Powerplant (A&P) license.

12 more Airbus A220 aircraft for Delta Air Lines...

Delta Air Lines has firmed up an order for a dozen more A220-300 

Delta Air Lines has firmed up an order for a dozen more A220-300 aircraft, bringing the airline’s total firm order for A220s to 119 aircraft - 45 A220-100s and 74 A220-300s. Throughout the years, Delta has reordered the A220 four times and is today the largest A220 customer and operator.

"These 12 additional A220 aircraft will help power our increasingly streamlined fleet while also providing our customers with the elevated in-flight experience they’ve come to expect from Delta,” said Kristen Bojko, Vice President of Fleet, Delta Air Lines.

“Delta Air Lines was the U.S. launch customer for the A220 and this fourth reorder in just four years by a leading carrier as Delta is a most gratifying endorsement,” said Christian Scherer, Airbus Chief Commercial Officer and Head of International. “The aircraft is currently connecting Delta passengers on more than 100 routes at 25 percent* less fuel and CO2  emissions. If you want to connect today and tomorrow, you can’t do any better!”

Delta took delivery of its first Airbus A220 in October 2018, and was the first U.S. carrier to operate the aircraft type. Delta currently owns a fleet of 415 Airbus aircraft, including 59 A220 aircraft, 266 A320 Family aircraft, 62 A330s and 28 A350-900 aircraft. 

The A220 is the only aircraft purpose-built for the 100-150 seat market, bringing together state-of-the-art aerodynamics, advanced materials and Pratt & Whitney’s latest-generation GTF™ engines. The A220 brings customers a 50 percent reduced noise footprint as well as around 50 percent lower NOx emissions than industry standards.

With 246 A220s delivered to 16 airlines operating on four continents, the A220 is the optimal aircraft to offer operational flexibility for both regional as well as long-distance routes. To date, more than 70 million passengers have enjoyed the A220. The fleet is currently flying on over 825 routes and 325 destinations worldwide. As of the end of December 2022, some 30 customers have ordered close to 800 A220 aircraft - confirming its leading position in the small single-aisle market.

A4E Welcomes New Members Collins Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney

A4E Welcomes New Members

Collins Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney

 

A4E, Europe’s largest airline trade association, continues to grow with the addition of leading aerospace technology companies, Collins Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney, as premium associate members. Both part of Raytheon Technologies, Collins Aerospace and Pratt & Whitney are respectively amongst the world’s leading producers of aerospace systems and aircraft engines. The two companies employ over 20,000 high-skilled personnel across fourteen European countries, providing engineering design, R&D, and manufacturing capabilities as well as life cycle support services for most of Europe’s airlines.

 

“Joining A4E will further allow Collins Aerospace to collaborate with our customers and partners in Europe to achieve our ambition of net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 for aviation”, said LeAnn Ridgeway, Chief Sustainability Officer, Collins Aerospace. “Collins Aerospace is in the unique position to jointly develop systems and technology solutions that will minimise the environmental footprint over the life cycle of the aircraft by reducing weight, optimising fuel, energy and operational efficiency as well as reducing noise.”

 

“We look forward to working with A4E and its members to advocate for the economic benefits and sustainable growth of the aviation sector in Europe,” said Graham Webb, Chief Sustainability Officer, Pratt & Whitney. “We are focused on continually developing our aircraft propulsion technologies and supporting greater use of sustainable aviation fuels, including for our Pratt & Whitney GTF™ engine, which since 2016 has enabled airlines in Europe to save more than a billion litres of fuel and two million metric tons of CO2 emissions.”

 

Welcoming the new members, Thomas Reynaert, Managing Director of A4E said, “I’m delighted to welcome two of the world’s leading aerospace technology companies as members of A4E. This further strengthens the voice for aviation in Brussels and EU member states. Combined with our sixteen airline members, four existing manufacturing members and four associate members, it further enhances the knowledge and expertise A4E brings to the table as we continue our advocacy for a strong and sustainable European aviation industry.”

 

United opens expanded and newly renovated global inflight training centre in Houston

32 million expansion project doubles size of facility and features more classroom and training spaces, cabin and door trainers and a state-of-the-art aquatic center to practice safe evacuation of the plane in unlikely water landings

New facility reflects United's continued investments in infrastructure, technology and tools to support growth – airline on track to hire 15,000 people in 2023, including 4,000 flight attendants

According to a new study, United's IAH hub and spending by foreign visitors to Houston on United and Star Alliance member flights support an estimated $5.3 billion per year in gross domestic product in Texas and in 2022 United's direct employment in Houston contributed $1.2 billion to economic activity

The U.S. mega-carrier United has opened in Houston its largest Inflight Training Centre, a 56,000 sq. ft. facility that includes new classrooms, additional cabin and door trainers and a state-of-the-art aquatic centre that features a 125,000-gallon pool and mock fuselage to practice the safe evacuation of the plane in the unlikely event of a water landing. Congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee and Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner joined United CEO Scott Kirby at a ceremonial ribbon-cutting event in Houston to officially open the new training centre.

The $32 million expansion project more than doubles the available training space and supports the airline's plan to hire and train a total of 15,000 people in 2023, including 4,000 flight attendants.

United plans to train more than 600 flight attendants per month at the newly expanded Houston facility and the expansion project is another example of United's focus on long-term investments in infrastructure, tools and technology to support its United Next growth plan as well as the airline's continued commitment to Houston.

"The best flight attendants in the industry deserve the best, most modern training facility in the country," said United CEO Scott Kirby. "This expansion project is yet another example of an investment we made during the depths of the pandemic that will support our employees, further improve our ability to deliver great service and set United up for success in 2023 and beyond."

New United flight attendants will go through a six-week and a half training course at the Houston facility and then return every 18 months to stay current on their qualifications. The campus includes inflight service training spaces with mock seats, a 400+-seat auditorium and a public address room where trainees can practice their onboard announcements. The centrepiece of the building is a new Aquatic Center that includes a 125,000-gallon pool to practicing the safe evacuation of the plane in the unlikely event of a water landing.

As part of the construction of the facility, and in support of Mayor Turner's climate action plan to build local storm-resilient infrastructure, United included an underground prefabricated storm detention vault that can hold more than 268,000 gallons of water and store stormwater runoff in large underground pipes or vaults.

"United continues to be a great partner and business leader in the city of Houston, connecting Houstonians to the world and investing in vital infrastructure projects that help enhance the travel experience for millions of travellers," said Mayor Turner. "I congratulate United on opening its global Inflight Training Center, a testament to the region's workforce and pro-business environment."

Commitment to Houston

United has operated for more than 70 years from its hub at George Bush Intercontinental Airport (IAH).and is one of the largest employers with over 11,000 local employees and plans to hire 1,800 more in 2023. The airline maintains a corporate office presence downtown and is the leading carrier at George Bush Intercontinental/Houston Airport (IAH), with about 400 flights per day and more direct flights to Latin America and the Caribbean than any other airline.

According to a new study by Compass Lexecon, United's IAH hub and spending by foreign visitors to Houston on United and Star Alliance member flights support an estimated $5.3 billion per year in gross domestic product in Texas and in 2022 United's direct employment in Houston contributed $1.2 billion to economic activity. The study also showed that United's Houston hub indirectly supported an additional 56,000 local jobs through airport and supply chain activity.

The airline's ongoing investments and commitments to its Houston operation contribute to the positive, ripple-effect on the broader, local economy:

• As part of the City of Houston's $1.3 billion Terminal Redevelopment Program (ITRP), United redesigned ticketing counters as well as new pre-check and CLEAR lanes, and state-of-the-art TSA security checkpoint, which has become a model for the continued technological enhancements in the travel journey.
• United's new Baggage Handling System services Terminals C and E and features state-of-the-art technology, including seven baggage carousels with corresponding high-tech displays, a complete replacement of the old outbound baggage system with a four-loop sorting system, as well as a new Baggage Control Center to monitor and manage the entire baggage handling operation.
• The airline's Early Baggage System (EBS) facility is under construction, is expected to go online late this year and will be the first of its kind in North America – it temporarily stores bags that arrive early in a separate location until their specific departure. This new facility will allow United the flexibility to use all available gates and enable future growth at the airport.

H3 Dynamics and Hylium Industries join forces to progress liquid hydrogen-electric flight capabilities

H3 Dynamics and Hylium Industries have joined forces to boost the performance of zero-emission hydrogen-electric flight, by combining the strengths of Hylium’s liquid hydrogen storage and liquification solutions, and H3 Dynamics’ distributed hydrogen-electric propulsion nacelles, ultra-light fuel cells, and new hydrogen drone refuelling stations.

Moving to liquid hydrogen represents a significant capability leap for small electric-powered unmanned systems. Cryogenic (liquid) hydrogen stores 3 times more energy as compressed gas in the same given volume. This means delivery drones will be able to fly further, mapping and ISR missions could be done on a much bigger scale.

To illustrate the jump in performance, the same 25kg hydrogen-electric propulsion UAV demonstrated by H3 Dynamics last July in France, will be able to fly over 900km with a single fill. With pressurized hydrogen, that range reduces to 400km, which is still 3 times more than a battery-powered equivalent.

“When combined, our global best-in-class solutions achieve the global performance limit for low-altitude electric-powered flight” says Taras Wankewycz, CEO H3 Dynamics. “We are proud to be working with Hylium to move hydrogen-electric flight propulsion to the next level”

Now all the various forms of hydrogen drones and UAVs powered by H3 Dynamics including hydrogen airships, multi-rotors, vertical take-off and landing (VTOL), have a way to further boost flight durations by another factor of 3 over-pressurized hydrogen systems, or a factor of 10 compared to batteries.

H3 Dynamics also recently announced a first hydrogen production, and automated hydrogen refuelling mobile station for hydrogen UAV operations. Named H2FIELD the mobile station produces hydrogen from water and delivers compressed hydrogen gas tanks to the operator with little human intervention and no required hydrogen expertise. H3 Dynamics and Hylium’s partnership will upgrade the station so that it can fill liquid hydrogen tanks.

Developed in South Korea, Hylium’s breakthrough technology provides one of the most advanced solutions and has already been proven in a number of applications. South Korea is also leading the development for LH2 standardisation. One local proposal was accepted as a draft standard by a global ISO committee.

Hylium and H3 Dynamics technologies are currently being integrated to attempt a 3,300km crossing of the South Atlantic, in a program led by ISAE SUPAERO Toulouse, one of the world’s leading aerospace engineering schools. H3 Dynamics’ team developed a special fuselage design that can store a small LH2 tank and manage the thermal behaviour of all the propulsion sub-systems.

LH2 technology will also be a next step in H3 Dynamics’ hydrogen-electric propulsor nacelles roadmap. A first twin-engine cargo drone powered by these self-contained nacelles took off in the sky of Paris during the summer 2022, using 2 compressed hydrogen tanks – one in each nacelle. The goal now will be to switch them out for liquid hydrogen tanks with a lighter construction and a higher fuel capacity.

Etihad Airways announces new routes to Copenhagen and Düsseldorf

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, will be introducing two exciting routes this year, connecting Abu Dhabi to Copenhagen in Denmark and Düsseldorf in Germany.

Launching 1 October, the flights will provide business travellers and holidaymakers in the UAE and these key European cities with convenient travel options to and from Abu Dhabi, with four weekly flights to Copenhagen and three weekly flights to Düsseldorf.

The flights will be operated using state-of-the-art Boeing 787 Dreamliner aircraft, offering one of the most comfortable experiences in the sky with 28 seats in Business and 262 in Economy.

Antonoaldo Neves, Chief Executive Officer of Etihad Airways, said: "We are thrilled to start flying to Denmark for the first time and to expand our network in Germany to our third city, providing guests with more holiday options and easier access between Abu Dhabi and Europe.

“Our new flights will take off for the winter season — the perfect time for guests to escape the cold and enjoy Abu Dhabi's beautiful beaches, world-class entertainment and rich heritage — and also ideal for travellers choosing to experience the unique allure of Europe in the winter.

“With our network expanding to 66 cities, there are even more must-see destinations to plan your next great adventure with Etihad Airways."

Visitors flying to Europe can look forward to discovering Copenhagen, the capital of Denmark and one of the most popular tourist destinations in Scandinavia, famous for its colourful canals, café culture and attractions including Tivoli Gardens, the oldest amusement park in the world.

Previously served by Etihad, Düsseldorf is being relaunched and will be the airline's third city in Germany after Frankfurt and Munich, both currently served with daily flights. The city lies on the banks of the Rhine River and is renowned for its world-class shopping and thriving arts, fashion and music scene.

Sustainability makes good business sense despite the higher costs.

Captain Waleed Abdul Hameed Al Alawi, CEO, Gulf Air, believes that sustainability makes good business sense despite the higher costs.

How are you positioning the airline in the market?

Our strategy is not to compete on the ultra-long-haul flights that some of our neighbours are doing. Our strength is in the regional market. We have higher frequencies to the Gulf countries.

Of course, we do have the Boeing 787-9, which is capable of longer flights and Bahrain is positioned well to be a hub for east-west traffic, with a good airport. But we concentrate on connectivity and destinations that make sense for us and that serve Bahrain.

 

Are labour shortages affecting your airline?

Yes, they are having a significant effect, especially in Europe. They are affecting our on-time performance and they are creating issues in baggage handling. And it is not just a single flight to Europe affected. There are always connecting or return flights to consider, and this amplifies the problem.

Unfortunately, I don’t see the issue going away quickly. When you think of the time it takes to recruit and train people to have the skills and safety mindset that aviation requires, it is clear that the situation will remain for some time.

Going forward, there are a lot of factors involved in staffing requirements from new technologies to traffic growth, and it is impossible to predict what will happen.

 

Diversity is another aspect of this. What is the airline doing in this regard?

We support diversity and IATA’s 25by2025 initiative. But this is not about employing women just to make up the numbers.

If they want to be a pilot, they need to attain all the necessary skills and qualifications for the job. And throughout aviation, there is a need to reach the right levels of safety understanding. Very specific skill sets are required in most aviation jobs. But the point is that the jobs are open to everybody. There is inclusivity in the opportunity.

At Gulf Air, some 40% of our staff are female. At our headquarters, there are several departments headed by women. They are empowered.

But all we are really concerned about is safety, efficiency, and performance. Your gender, race, or religion are not relevant in that sense. Can you do the job? And if you are doing a good job, you will be promoted as a natural part of your career progression.

Again, though, that requires inclusivity in the opportunity. Women must have equal access to promotions. At Gulf Air, we provide that access.

 

Does investing in sustainability initiatives make business sense?

Sustainability and business sense go hand-in-hand. We all live in this world and the world is suffering. Carbon emissions are causing temperatures to rise. Ultimately, the extreme weather events this causes will be a problem for aviation and for all businesses. It is a problem that we have to solve.

Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) is effective when it is available. We have used SAF in Rolls-Royce engines on our Dreamliner 787-9 and when we have done SAF flybys for the Formula 1 Grand Prix events. But availability is the problem. I am not aware of any production facility in the Middle East so when we have bought SAF, we have bought it from Europe. That’s not logistically viable on a regular basis.

And, of course, it is also extremely expensive. SAF is 3–4 times the price of Jet A-1. Who is going to pay for that? As a business, it is not possible to absorb that cost in a competitive market. But it hard to pass on to the passenger for the same reason. But somebody has to pay. We have to solve that challenge quickly to create the demand that will improve SAF supply.

Still, we are supportive of the Fly Net Zero by 2050 goal, and we will do everything we can to reduce emissions because in the years to come it is emitting carbon that will make you uncompetitive. Emitting carbon will be expensive, hurt your brand, and reduce your customer base.

Governments and airports can help. Unnecessary taxation and charges add to an airline’s cost base and prevent an airline from fully exploring all sustainable initiatives. We are paying mega-bucks for policies and services that aren’t what they should be.

Investing in a greener future | Airlines. (iata.org)