KLM and ZeroAvia Plan Zero-Emission Demonstration Flight Using Liquid Hydrogen

KLM and ZeroAvia Plan Zero-Emission Demonstration Flight Using Liquid Hydrogen

ZeroAvia and KLM Royal Dutch Airlines today announced that they will work towards a demonstration flight using ZeroAvia’s ZA2000 zero-emission, hydrogen-electric engines for large regional turboprop.

Hydrogen-electric engines use hydrogen in fuel cells to generate electricity, which is then used to power electric motors to turn the aircraft’s propellers. The only emission is low-temperature water vapour, with studies therefore estimating an up to 90% reduction in climate impact when compared with typical kerosene-fueled flights.[1] 

As a first major target milestone, the companies aim to conduct an initial A-to-B flight demonstration between two airport locations in 2026. As well as identifying the optimal airport pair, immediate workstreams will be working towards regulatory permits to fly and ensuring supply of liquid hydrogen fuel and putting in place the supporting infrastructure for aircraft fueling. 

KLM Royal Dutch Airlines and BCG extend partnership for digital airline operations

Building Competitive Advantage Through Optimized Airline Operations

In an increasingly complex and volatile environment, reliable operational performance is a differentiator for airlines. KLM Royal Dutch Airlines, a pioneer in the airline industry, and Boston Consulting Group (BCG), one of the world’s leading management consulting firms, today announced a further extension of their partnership, aimed at improving airline operations worldwide. The partnership was first established in 2018 and was previously extended in 2021. 

 

Image KLM

Over the past six years, KLM and BCG have developed a comprehensive suite of AI-based tools to digitize and optimize airline operations. These AI-powered tools are tailored to the evolving needs of airlines, particularly post-pandemic as airlines must be resilient in the face of unprecedented volatility in the market and operations. Covering all planning horizons, from day-of-operations to long-term strategic planning, these products help airlines tackle complex decisions across all functional areas, including ground, fleet and maintenance, crew, and network departments. 

Airlines must continually make tradeoffs that affect flights, crew, ground staff, customer experience, and profitability. Unfortunately, these tradeoffs are often based on siloed information. KLM and BCG’s fully customized, in-house solutions constantly measure real-time performance and offer decision-support around a single source of truth in data. This approach enables front-line operations staff to see the full picture and make informed, consistent, and data-driven decisions with a clear sense of how they will play out across the network. 

Some notable products include: 

Pathfinder: A best-in-class schedule optimization tool, which empowers airlines to optimize their fleet and tail-assignment processes for robustness and cost in the days leading up to operations 

Sentry & Runway: Two disruption management tools for the day of operations, which resolve major and minor operational disruptions for flight and crew schedules, and help minimize delay costs and disruption for passengers 

CrewVision: A long-term cockpit and cabin crew resource management and planning tool, which calculates an optimal crew plan for the future, including hiring, training, and attrition 

Terra: A tool designed to improve the resource allocation process for ground resources on the day of operations (DoO)—taking into account available resources, equal distribution of workload for employees (employee satisfaction), delay probability, delay costs, and enhanced task times based on a number of factors, such as actual load 

Proven Results 

The implementation of these solutions has led to improvements in KLM’s operations across functions, from boosting airline operational efficiency to enhancing airline disruption management to data-driven integral resources planning. KLM has reduced non-performance costs and increased in value delivery within operations and delivered a strong ROI on the initiative. Staff at the Operations Control Center and other operational and network departments are performing with new levels of engagement, insights, confidence, and satisfaction. 

Since the partnership’s last extension in 2021, KLM and BCG have expanded their tailored solutions to other airlines. Today, the KLM-BCG partnership serves a prominent network of carriers of all sizes, business models, and geographies—such as point-to-point, single-hub, and multi-hub—and for both full-service and low-cost carriers.

Maarten Stienen, COO of KLM said: "Our Partnership with BCG continues to be one of the building blocks supporting KLM operations that bring value to our customers. Thanks to the continuous extension of our suite of tools and the KLM in-house capabilities that we have built up in recent years and our world-class people, KLM was able to derive a lot of value from its Operations Decision Support set of tools. KLM is excited to continue to innovate and improve through this unique cooperation with BCG."

Dirk-Maarten Molenaar, a BCG managing director and senior partner said: "We are thrilled to extend our partnership with KLM. Together, we have cemented our position as a leading player in digital airline operations over the past six years.  As the needs of airlines evolve, we are excited to continue engaging and innovating with the world’s leading carriers and supporting the digital transformation and optimization of their operations."

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UK Protector fleet grows as trials continue

The Royal Air Force recently imported a second Protector RG Mk1 Remotely Piloted Air System (RPAS) from General Atomics Aeronautical Systems, Inc. (GA-ASI).

Engineers from 31 Squadron have completed the build and initial testing of this second aircraft, prior to further test and evaluation, led by 56 Squadron over the coming months.

The RAF, working with Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) expect 5 more aircraft to be delivered by the end of this year as Protector prepares to establish Aircrew and Technician training in the UK this year and take over operations from Reaper (MQ-9A) in 2025.

The delivery of this aircraft completes a busy period for the Programme, with initial flight-testing using aircraft one conducted in November 2023. Initial training is taking place at GA-ASI’s facilities in the US, utilising three other RAF owned aircraft, where a Protector Technician Course began in February, and the first Protector crews graduated from Operational Conversion Unit (OCU) in April. Training will transition to the UK later this year utilising the first phase of infrastructure work recently completed at RAF Waddington, the home of Protector in the UK. An international MQ-9B symposium was hosted by the RAF at RAF Cranwell in April this year.

Simon Holford, Uncrewed Air Systems Delivery Team Leader at Defence Equipment & Support said:  “Seeing delivery and assembly of the second Protector aircraft in the UK is yet another measure of the significant progress on this project and testament to the hard work of everyone involved.  Together with the three aircraft we have already taken delivery of in the US (which remain in the US for use in trials and/or training), we have now taken delivery of five of the sixteen aircraft we have ordered.”

RAF Typhoon completes first public display on blend of sustainable fuel

Last weekend the RAF Typhoon made history when it completed its first public display on a blend of sustainable fuel and regular jet fuel at the Royal International Air Tattoo (RIAT).

The aircraft’s eight-minute display, flown by Flight Lieutenant David ‘Turbo’ Turnbull, flew on a 35% blend of sustainable fuel in collaboration with RIAT under the airshow’s theme of ‘Pushing the Boundaries in Air and Space’.

RAF Typhoons are highly capable and extremely agile multi-role combat aircraft and capable of speeds of nearly 1,400 mph.

The Royal International Air Tattoo, UK’s most prestigious airshow, welcomes 150,000 people to RAF Fairford every year with all proceeds from the event being donated to its parent charity, the Royal Air Force Charitable Trust.

Air Vice-Marshal Shaun Harris, Director Support said:  “The Royal Air Force was delighted to be able to perform a world first at RIAT, displaying a UK combat aircraft using a blend of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). 

Having cleared all of our aircraft to use blends of up to 50% in 2020, and conducting the world’s first military transport aircraft flight on 100% SAF in 2022, we remain at the forefront of this important work with industry partners.

RTX's Pratt & Whitney GTF Engines Surpass 950 Orders and Commitments in 2024

More than 11,000 GTF orders and commitments programme to date

Pratt & Whitney, announced more than 950 GTF engine orders and commitments since the beginning of 2024. Airlines and lessors that have announced orders include Avolon, Breeze Airways, Cebu Pacific, Icelandair, JetSMART, Mexicana, SKY Airline, SMBC, and Vietjet. In total, more than 11,000 GTF engine orders and commitments have been placed by more than 90 customers worldwide.

"These orders demonstrate continued customer confidence in Pratt & Whitney and the value the GTF engine offers with its world-class economic and environmental benefits," said Rick Deurloo, president of Commercial Engines at Pratt & Whitney. "The GTF Advantage engine will extend this lead while providing more thrust and higher durability. We remain focused on executing all elements of the GTF fleet management plan including industrial output and material flow, GTF maintenance, repair and overhaul network expansion and ongoing customer support."  

The GTF delivers up to 20% better fuel efficiency than previous generation engines, saving airlines more than 1.7 billion gallons of fuel and the planet over 17 million metric tons of carbon emissions. GTF engines will continue to drive reductions in operating costs, new routes and revenue, and progress towards meeting the industry's sustainability goals. The engine's revolutionary geared fan architecture is the foundation for even more efficient propulsion technologies in the decades ahead.

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WestJet and TELUS form partnership to revolutionize guest experience, including free inflight Wi-Fi, delivered by Starlink

WestJet and TELUS will be Canada's first to leverage Starlink technology to bring Canadians best-in-class, high-speed internet onboard beginning December 2024

WestJet and TELUS unveiled the first step in a multi-year strategic partnership that will transform the inflight experience for WestJet guests by providing industry-leading, fast and free internet, presented by TELUS and delivered by Starlink onboard WestJet aircraft. This announcement marks the beginning of a fully integrated partnership between WestJet and TELUS, and a significant leap forward for the airline's inflight connectivity. 

"Through our strategic partnership with TELUS, we are setting a new standard in the Canadian airline industry by offering Starlink's revolutionary inflight connectivity, and thanks to TELUS we are able to bring this inflight experience to WestJet Rewards guests for free," said John Weatherill, WestJet Group Executive Vice-President and Chief Commercial Officer. 

In the coming months, WestJet and TELUS will announce additional, exclusive benefits and perks for WestJet Rewards members and TELUS customers.

Five Escapes with Unique Dining Options in Celebration of US National Couples Day

National Couples Day on August 18 celebrates love with opportunities for couples to rejuvenate and reconnect through travel. Booking.com reveals that 54% of global travellers plan leisure trips with their partners in 2024, with 35% focusing on food experiences. Offering over 29 million listings across 175,000 destinations, Booking.com suggests five stays with unique dining options, from dining in the African wilderness to enjoying a meal in a lush rainforest, catering to couples seeking memorable getaways.

La Bastide De Moustiers - Hôtel et Restaurant - Teritoria, Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, France

La Bastide De Moustiers, a restored 17th-century country house in Provence's Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, is close to the Verdon Gorges and Sainte-Croix Lake. Owned by a renowned French chef, its restaurant offers seasonal Provençal cuisine using produce from the hotel’s garden or local market. Guests can enjoy meals on the terrace surrounded by olive trees and lavender, or dine in themed lounges, including a romantic lounge with a single table. The picturesque village of Moustiers-Sainte-Marie, with its charming squares and winding streets, is perfect for romantic strolls.

Suryagarh Jaisalmer, Jaisalmer, India

Located in Jaisalmer, Rajasthan, Suryagarh Jaisalmer is a luxurious hotel designed like a fort, with intricate stone carvings and scenic courtyards overlooking the Thar Desert. The property offers unique dining experiences such as dinner on the dunes, oasis picnics, and intimate candlelit dinners using locally sourced ingredients. After dining, couples can explore Jaisalmer, renowned for its sandstone architecture and the UNESCO-listed Jaisalmer Fort. Visitors can enjoy camel safaris and overnight stays under the stars for an unforgettable experience.

Geiger's Camp in Timbavati Game Reserve by NEWMARK, Timbavati Game Reserve, South Africa

Delivering Excellence in On-Time Performance and Exceptional Services

Saudia, the national flag carrier of Saudi Arabia, has successfully concluded Hajj Season 1445H operations, marking the end of a 74-day journey. The final flight, SV5712, departed from Prince Mohammed bin Abdulaziz International Airport in Madina, carrying 320 pilgrims to Magelang, Indonesia. A farewell ceremony was held at the airport's departure hall in the presence of Mr. Mohammed Baakdah, the Vice President of Ground Operations at Saudia. 

Throughout the Hajj season, Saudia maintained a high level of operational efficiency, achieving exceptional on-time performance despite the challenges of coinciding the Hajj season with peak summer season 2024 operations. The airline offered a comprehensive array of quality services designed to enhance the pilgrims' spiritual journey. These services included digital platforms to streamline the travel process, facilitation at airports to expedite procedures, exceptional in-flight services and catering, and informative programs on the in-flight entertainment screens in multiple languages. 

Mohammed Baakdah, the Vice President of Ground Operations at Saudia, said: “The success of Hajj Season 1445H operations is a testament to the dedication and teamwork of our entire staff. We worked tirelessly throughout this busy period, including holidays and Eid, to ensure our guests had a safe and fulfilling experience. We are grateful for the cooperation of all Hajj-related authorities and look forward to building on this success as we begin planning for Hajj Season 1446H”.

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Ryanair adds Jeppesen FliteDeck Pro 5.0 electronic flight bag from Boeing.

Boeing and Ryanair, Europe's largest airline group, are elevating efficiency across Ryanair's fleet of primarily 737s with the addition of Boeing's Jeppesen FliteDeck Pro 5.0 electronic flight bag (EFB) solution.

This strategic multi-year agreement, providing support for the carrier's Next-Generation 737 and 737 MAX fleet, underscores Ryanair's dedication to continuous improvement and innovation in airline operations.

"We are excited to integrate Boeing's newest electronic flight bag into our operations. This advanced tool will optimize our flight operations, minimize disruptions, and enhance efficiency across our expanding fleet," said Neal McMahon, chief operations officer of Ryanair. 

FliteDeck Pro will provide Ryanair with tailored route information and the latest technology, including Smart Airport Maps to optimize taxi routes, reduce fuel consumption and improve ground safety.

RTX's Pratt & Whitney GTF engines to power 11 Airbus A220 aircraft for Air Niugini

Pratt & Whitney and Air Niugini have finalized engine and aftermarket agreements for the GTF engines that will power the airline's fleet of 11 Airbus A220 aircraft. Pratt & Whitney will provide a full suite of support services with a 12-year EngineWise® Comprehensive agreement. With this order, Air Niugini becomes a first-time GTF customer.

"GTF engines offer unmatched payload and range, enabling Air Niugini to open new routes internationally, while benefitting from industry-leading fuel efficiency, and we look forward to supporting the airline's fleet in the years ahead," said Rick Deurloo, president of Commercial Engines at Pratt & Whitney.

"This is an exciting time for Air Niugini as we modernize our fleet," said Gary Seddon, chief executive officer of Air Niugini. "By upgrading next-generation aircraft with the most efficient engines, this will revolutionize travel for our passengers, ensuring significant reduction in fuel consumption and emissions, while expanding our route offerings and enhancing passenger experience."

Air Niugini is the national carrier of Papua New Guinea based in the capital Port Moresby. It operates an extensive domestic network as well as internationally to Australia, Asia and the Pacific. The airline's new fleet will deliver more capacity and greater reliability throughout its network.

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Alaska Airlines unveils stunning lounge in San Francisco

Alaska Airlines is proud to announce the grand opening of its newest Alaska Lounge at San Francisco International Airport’s Harvey Milk Terminal 1. The modern and spacious 11,000-square-foot space delivers on our promise to enhance our network of lounges and offers an unparalleled pre-flight experience with a welcoming West Coast vibe, open spaces bathed in natural light and warm finishes.

“Today’s unveiling of our elegantly designed Lounge at SFO represents the culmination of over two years of dedicated commitment to enhance the way we care for our guests,” said Sangita Woerner, senior vice president of Marketing and Guest Experience at Alaska Airlines. “Our Lounges redefine the premium travel experience, providing top-tier amenities and ample space to escape the hustle and bustle of the airport, whether you’re travelling with Alaska or our oneworld and global airline partners.”

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Airbus partners with Avolon to explore future of hydrogen aviation

Airbus has announced a new partnership with aircraft lessor, Avolon, to study the potential of hydrogen-powered aircraft, marking the very first collaboration of the ZEROe Project with an operating lessor.

Announced at the Farnborough Airshow, Airbus and Avolon will investigate how future hydrogen-powered aircraft could be financed and commercialised, and how they might be supported by the leasing business model.

Airbus is putting significant resources into exploring how the industry can introduce hydrogen-powered aircraft and how it works on the ground with airports and airlines. The development of a viable hydrogen ecosystem is a key enabler of the industry’s goal to reach near zero emissions.

Paul Geaney, President and Chief Commercial Officer, Avolon, commented, “Joining the ZEROe Project is another step in Avolon’s sustainability journey and we look forward to building on our long-standing partnership with Airbus to consider how the next generation of aircraft will be financed and commercialised. It will take a wide ecosystem of contributors to overcome the challenges of hydrogen powered commercial flight, and Airbus is playing a crucial role in bringing partners together. While we continue to focus on supporting our customers in modernising their fleets with lower emissions aircraft, it is also vital we look beyond that at what can further drive our industry’s decarbonisation.”

Airbus Vice President ZEROe Project, Glenn Llewellyn, said, “There is real value in bringing together industry players to help solve the challenges facing aviation. We know we can’t solve decarbonisation alone and welcome Avolon’s expertise and worldwide leadership in the aircraft leasing business. Working together to consider how the transition can be commercialised and financed for airline customers is crucial to success.”

Further information about Airbus’ hydrogen journey can be found here.

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Living Lab for Innovation in Aerospace

MET – Montreal Metropolitan Airport is pleased to announce the creation of the LIA – Living Lab for Innovation in Aerospace. In line with its promise to reinvent the airport model, MET today unveils its innovation strategy. "The MET project is much more than the construction of a new passenger terminal; it is also the ambition to actively contribute to the development of aerospace technologies and the green transition of our industry. With the LIA, we aim to offer the airport as a research platform to the entire innovation ecosystem. This commitment to integrating research and experimentation into our daily airport operations is one of our core pillars of engagement," said Mr Yanic Roy, President and CEO of MET – Montreal Metropolitan Airport. From the first flights in 2025, MET will be propelled among the most important airports in Canada, making it a vast and promising interdisciplinary study ground for academic research and technological development. Living Lab is the internationally used term to describe a real-life environment available for research where actors go beyond being study subjects to becoming contributors. Although there is no literal translation in French for Living Lab, these are defined as open innovation research laboratories. The LIA will have three main missions:

Provide access to a unique study environment, including our infrastructures, facilities, and workforce, thus enabling the realization of projects in a real-world setting.

Facilitate the execution of projects by involving our experts and teams, fostering partnerships, and offering project support.

Create and animate a multidisciplinary community of practice composed of international experts to share knowledge and promote innovation in the airport environment.

To launch the LIA's activities, we can count on the leadership and expertise of Professor Mehran Ebrahimi, who has managed to gather support from the greatest experts in Canada and the world to form the advisory and scientific committees of the LIA. Notable collaborations include the Institut Polytechnique de Bordeaux (INP), the French Association for Artificial Intelligence (AFIA), Bombardier, the Aerospace Technology Center (CTA), the École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS), Aéro Montréal, the University of Sherbrooke (UdeS), the International Expertise Center of Montreal in Artificial Intelligence (CEIMIA), the Quebec Aerospace Research and Innovation Consortium (CRIAQ), the University of Montréal (UdeM) and Air France-KLM.

Airbus to boost sustainable aviation fuel production through investment in LanzaJet

Airbus is investing in LanzaJet, a leading sustainable fuels technology company and producer, in line with its ambition to act as a catalyst for the global development of sustainable aviation fuels (SAF). 

This investment will support the development of the Alcohol-to-Jet (ATJ) pathway, an important step required to produce SAF at scale by enabling LanzaJet to further expand its capability and capacity to scale its proprietary Ethanol to Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) process technology.

“Sustainable aviation fuels are one of the most important levers available to decarbonise aviation, but their production is still limited. Our partnership with LanzaJet demonstrates Airbus' commitment to work with leading energy technology suppliers to explore innovative production pathways and scale SAF," said Julie Kitcher, Chief Sustainability Officer at Airbus. "This important partnership with LanzaJet underlines the importance of new technologies and cross-sector collaboration to achieve net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050.”

EVA orders GEnx engines to power Boeing 787 fleet expansion

GE Aerospace announced that following EVA Air's recent deal to purchase four Boeing 787-10 Dreamliner aircraft, the airline has placed an order for GEnx engines to power their new aircraft.

"We're thrilled EVA has selected our high-performance GEnx engine to power its fleet expansion," said Russell Stokes, President and CEO, of Commercial Engines and Services, GE Aerospace. "We look forward to ensuring GEnx engines continue providing outstanding economic and operational performance."

Since its introduction in 2011, the GEnx engine family has accumulated over 56 million flight hours. It stands as GE Aerospace's fastest-selling, high-thrust engine to date, with nearly 3,000 engines currently in service or on backlog, including spare units.

"EVA currently operates 15 GEnx-powered Boeing 787s, and they have demonstrated outstanding fuel burn, performance and reliability," said Clay Sun, President of EVA. "The additional engines will help us further expand our fleet to manage our growing route schedule."