Fake news keyword seeing thousands of searches a month

What is a deepfake, why is it gaining so much attention, and how many people are actually searching for deepfake content online? New research from digital identity security specialists, ID Crypt Global, answers all of these questions and more with an analysis that includes new information on the concerning trend of free-to-use fake news generators.

 

ID Crypt has analysed how many monthly Google searches UK internet users are carrying out with keyword terms related to deepfakes and fake news*, providing new insight into what sort of public interest there is in misinformation.

 

What is a deepfake?

A deepfake is a video or image in which a person’s face, body, or general likeness has been digitally altered and manipulated to make them appear to be doing or saying something that they never said or did.

 

While there have been a number of well-executed creative endeavours that have made good use of deepfake technology, such as Kendrick Lamar’s video for his song The Heart Part 5, the sad truth is that the technology is more often than not used maliciously or in effort to spread false information.

 

Interest in deepfakes is growing rapidly. In the UK, the average number of Google searches with keywords that include ‘deepfake(s)’ is estimated to be 11,100 per month.

 

This number gets even larger when you include data on ‘deepfake porn’ keywords which themselves account for an average of 4,950 monthly searches.

 

The numbers grow even more when you account for other x-rated keywords including ‘deepfakes porn’, which is searched for an average of 1,472 per month, ‘deepfakes xxx’ (800), and  ‘porn deepfakes’ (791).

 

Whatsmore, there appears to be a desire among some people to create their own deepfake content, as proven by 650 monthly searches for keywords surrounding ‘deepfake maker’.

 

Airbus reports its 2024 half-year results.............

Airbus SE has reported consolidated financial results for the Half-Year (H1) ended 30 June 2024 this week.

“The half-year financial performance mainly reflects significant charges in our space business. We are addressing the root causes of these issues,” said Guillaume Faury, Airbus Chief Executive Officer. “In commercial aircraft, we are focused on deliveries and preparing the next steps of the ramp-up, while addressing specific supply chain challenges and protecting the sourcing of key work packages.”

Gross commercial aircraft orders totalled 327 (H1 2023: 1,080 aircraft) with net orders of 310 aircraft after cancellations (H1 2023: 1,044 aircraft). The order backlog amounted to 8,585 commercial aircraft at the end of June 2024. Airbus Helicopters registered 233 net orders (H1 2023: 131 units), including 38 H225s for the German Federal Police in the second quarter.  Airbus Defence and Space’s order intake by value was € 6.1 billion (H1 2023: € 6.0 billion).

Consolidated revenues increased 4 percent year-on-year to € 28.8 billion (H1 2023: € 27.7 billion), mainly reflecting the number of commercial aircraft deliveries and a higher volume in the Air Power business of Airbus Defence and Space. A total of 323 commercial aircraft were delivered (H1 2023: 316 aircraft), comprising 28 A220s, 261 A320 Family, 13 A330s and 21 A350s. Revenues generated by Airbus’ commercial aircraft activities increased 4 percent, mainly reflecting the higher number of deliveries. Airbus Helicopters’ deliveries totalled 124 units (H1 2023: 145 units) with revenues broadly stable year-on-year, reflecting a solid performance, notably in services. Revenues at Airbus Defence and Space increased 7 percent, mainly driven by the Air Power business, partly offset by the recent update of Estimates at Completion assumptions in Space Systems. Four A400M military airlifters were delivered in H1 2024 (H1 2023: 3 aircraft).

Consolidated EBIT Adjusted – an alternative performance measure and key indicator capturing the underlying business margin by excluding material charges or profits caused by movements in provisions related to programmes, restructuring or foreign exchange impacts as well as capital gains/losses from the disposal and acquisition of businesses – was € 1,391 million (H1 2023: € 2,618 million). This decrease primarily reflects the charges recorded in the Space Systems business of € 989 million.

EBIT Adjusted related to Airbus’ commercial aircraft activities decreased to € 1,954 million (H1 2023: € 2,256 million), with the increase in deliveries reduced by investments for preparing the future.

The A220 ramp-up continues towards a monthly production rate of 14 aircraft in 2026, with a focus on the programme's industrial maturity and financial performance. In addition, on 24 June 2024, in line with agreements in place and as planned, the Company and Investissement Québec agreed to provide shareholder financing for the Airbus Canada Limited Partnership. As announced in June 2024, the A320 Family ramp-up trajectory has been adjusted to reflect specific supply chain challenges. The production rate of 75 A320 Family aircraft per month is now expected in 2027. The A321XLR powered by CFM engines received its Type Certification from the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) earlier in July. Entry-into-service is expected at the end of the summer 2024. On widebody aircraft, the Company continues to target a monthly production rate of 4 A330s in 2024 and rate 12 for the A350 in 2028.

Airbus Helicopters’ EBIT Adjusted decreased to € 230 million (H1 2023: € 274 million), reflecting the lower deliveries and programme mix.

EBIT Adjusted at Airbus Defence and Space totalled € -807 million (H1 2023: € 78 million), reflecting the € 989 million of charges mainly linked to the updated Estimates at Completion in Space Systems.

On the A400M programme, development activities continue towards achieving the revised capability roadmap. Retrofit activities are progressing in close alignment with the customer. No net material impact was recognised in the first half of 2024. Risks remain on the qualification of technical capabilities and associated costs, on aircraft operational reliability, on cost reductions and on securing overall volume as per the revised baseline.

Consolidated self-financed R&D expenses totalled € 1,593 million (H1 2023: € 1,431 million).

Consolidated EBIT (reported) amounted to € 1,456 million (H1 2023: € 1,887 million), including net Adjustments of € +65 million.

These Adjustments comprised:

€ +19 million related to the dollar working capital mismatch and balance sheet revaluation, of which € +32 million were in Q2. This mainly reflects the phasing impact arising from the difference between transaction date and delivery date;

€ +51 million related to the gain on Airbus OneWeb Satellites, linked to the acquisition of the remaining 50% of the joint venture in Q1;

€ -5 million of other costs including compliance costs, of which € +1 million were in Q2. 

The financial result was € -108 million (H1 2023: € 102 million), mainly reflecting the negative impact from the revaluation of certain equity investments. Consolidated net income(1) was € 825 million (H1 2023: € 1,526 million) with consolidated reported earnings per share of € 1.04 (H1 2023: € 1.94).

Consolidated free cash flow before customer financing was € -529 million (H1 2023: € 1,635 million), mainly driven by the change in working capital which includes the planned inventory build-up to support the ramp-up plan. Consolidated free cash flow was € -559 million (H1 2023: € 1,593 million). The gross cash position stood at € 21.9 billion at the end of June 2024 (year-end 2023: € 25.3 billion), with a consolidated net cash position of € 7.9 billion (year-end 2023: € 10.7 billion) after the payments of the 2023 dividend and special dividend.

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Consolidated Airbus – Half-Year (H1) 2024 Results 

(Amounts in Euro)

Consolidated Airbus	H1 2024	H1 2023	Change
Revenues, in millions thereof defence, in millions	28,825 5,155	27,663 4,772	+4%  +8%
EBIT Adjusted, in millions	1,391	2,618	-47%
EBIT (reported), in millions	1,456	1,887	-23%
Research & Development expenses, in millions	1,593	1,431	+11%
Net Income(1), in millions	825	1,526	-46%
Earnings Per Share	1.04	1.94	-46%
Free Cash Flow (FCF), in millions	-559	1,593	-
Free Cash Flow before Customer Financing, in millions	-529	1,635	-

 

Consolidated Airbus	30 June 2024	31 Dec. 2023	Change
Net Cash position, in millions of Euro	7,934	10,726	-26%
Number of employees	154,581	147,893	+5%

 

By Business Segment	Revenues			EBIT (reported)
(Amounts in millions of Euro)	H1 2024	H1 2023	Change	H1 2024	H1 2023	Change
Airbus	21,215	20,349	+4%	1,972	1,523	+29%
Airbus Helicopters	3,191	3,194	0%	230	267	-14%
Airbus Defence and Space	4,985	4,653	+7%	-760	87	-
Eliminations	-566	-533	-	14	10	+40%
Total	28,825	27,663	+4%	1,456	1,887	-23%

 

By Business Segment	EBIT Adjusted
(Amounts in millions of Euro)	H1 2024	H1 2023	Change
Airbus	1,954	2,256	-13%
Airbus Helicopters	230	274	-16%
Airbus Defence and Space	-807	78	-
Eliminations	14	10	+40%
Total	1,391	2,618	-47%

 

By Business Segment	Order Intake (net)			Order Book
	H1 2024	H1 2023	Change	30 June 2024	30 June 2023	Change
Airbus, in units	310	1,044	-70%	8,585	7,967	+8%
Airbus Helicopters, in  units	233	131	+78%	913	743	+23%
Airbus Defence and Space, in millions of Euro	6,059	6,038	0%	N/A	N/A	N/A

The end of Virgin Australia's Cairns-Tokyo service is in view

Virgin Australia has announced it will cease operating its once daily flight between Cairns and Tokyo, Haneda from 24 February 2025 becasue passenger numbers have not rebounded enough following the COVID pandemic. The route is flown using a Boeing 737 MAX 8 aircraft, which will be redeployed on domestice flights from 25 February.

The airline first launched its Cairns-Tokyo, Haneda services in June 2023. However, a below forecast recovery of visitors travelling from Japan to Australia due to sustained weakness in the Japanese Yen, has impacted demand for the services, rendering the route commercially unsustainable.   

There are approximately 2,000 impacted customers travelling with Virgin Australia to Tokyo, Haneda after 24 February 2025. Customers who booked for travel after 24 February via virginaustralia.com will be contacted by email within the next 24 hours to arrange a refund of their booking.  

Young aviators encouraged to Reach for the Sky in skills and outreach programme

Giving young people from under-represented groups the opportunity to pursue a career in aviation.

Young people from underrepresented groups will be able to pursue a career in aviation thanks to new government funding for an aviation skills and outreach programme.

Launched today (26 July 2024) by Aviation Minister, Mike Kane,this latest round of funding for the skills and outreach programme, Reach for the Sky, serves as a way for young people aged 4 to 18 from under-represented groups that may not otherwise have had the opportunity to pursue a career in aviation, to do so.

Now in its third year, organisations can from today apply for a share of £750,000 that will help them deliver outreach programmes which will provide events, taster days, mentorship schemes and educational initiatives with schools and universities – building on the government’s promise to secure the long-term future of aviation and give young people the opportunities they deserve.

Aviation Minister, Mike Kane, said:

"Our aviation industry is one of the best in the world and it’s the talented people within it that makes it so successful – the primary purpose of leadership is to create new leaders.

Having a diverse workforce that can effectively address future challenges – from growing passenger demand to decarbonisation – is crucial and our Reach for the Sky Challenge Fund is inspiring the next generation to be part of this ever-growing travel sector."

Several barriers hinder people from joining the aviation industry – including limited access to further education, financial constraints, and lack of exposure to career pathways.

With only 5% of pilots being women, fewer black young people being exposed to aviation opportunities than their white peers, and almost three quarters of airline staff based in London and the South East, both government and industry are working together to ensure the industry is open to everyone.

Reach for the Sky brings fresh perspectives and innovative solutions to the table, and this new pot of funding will add to the £1.5 million already provided. Outreach programmes supported by the Department for Transport (DfT) have already helped over 100,000 young people discover a career in aviation.

Previous recipients of DfT-funded schemes include 18-year-old aspiring pilot Joshua Merchan-Nicholls from Finchley, North London. Since 2021, he has been tirelessly working towards a career as a commercial pilot – a dream he’s had since he was 7 years old – and was recently awarded a gliding scholarship from the Air League as part of the DfT-funded Soaring to Success programme.  

The Air League, aimed at breaking down barriers into the aviation industry, offers a range of scholarships, volunteering programmes and events for people of all backgrounds, and has recently celebrated its 12,000th recipient.  Not only is Joshua hoping to start a pilot training course, but he has also set his heart on helping young people from similar backgrounds achieve rewarding careers in aviation.

Joshua Merchan-Nicholls said:

"I was 7 when I first imagined myself as a pilot and I’ve followed this dream ever since. Thanks to the Air League, I received a gliding scholarship in 2022, which gave me my first experience of solo flying and made me even more enthusiastic!

I’m grateful that these organisations exist because they open opportunities for people like me who always wanted to fly and they show the possibility of a career to people who hadn’t considered it before. It’s great that the government is supporting young people like this."

Claire MacAleese, Chair of the Air League, said:

"For 115 years the Air League has been inspiring the aviators of tomorrow. The Department for Transport’s Reach for the Sky programme is an important part of keeping that momentum going. Reach for the Sky has been pivotal to our Soaring to Success programme over the past 2 years and more than 20,000 state school students have engaged in learning about a career in aviation and our flying days as a result."

As the industry undergoes a revolution driven by technology, decarbonisation and passenger experience, creating a more inclusive and accessible pathway into the exciting world of aviation is crucial to its continuing success.

Sophie Jones, Head of Organisational Capability and STEM Sponsor at UK Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) said:

"The aerospace sector will stall without young people with new ideas and innovations joining it.

The Reach for the Sky Challenge fund brings in people from diverse backgrounds to gain skills and pursue fantastic careers in aerospace.

As the regulator we are committed to inspiring the next generation to get their feet off the ground and Reach for the Sky helps fund our extensive STEM programme."

Applications for the fund are now open until September 2024 and decisions will be agreed upon by a joint panel of DfT and the CAA – which administers the fund on DfT’s behalf.

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KLM Group: disappointing results due to high costs

The KLM Group posted an operating loss of €31 million for the first half of 2024. While revenues were higher than in the same period last year, high costs caused results to lag. Without measures, this will not improve. KLM will therefore critically assess its investments, cost savings and opportunities to generate greater revenues. After the summer, KLM will present new measures.

Marjan Rintel, CEO KLM said:  “Our results fell short of expectations due to significantly higher costs. The operation was more stable, but capacity could not yet be fully utilised. The fleet could not be fully deployed. We have insufficient numbers of pilots and engineering staff and face long delivery times of spare parts. In the period ahead, the focus will be on cost control and improving our financial performance. We will soon announce additional measures for the entire company. This is a difficult message but essential for KLM's future.”

Bas Brouns, CFO KLM commented:  "We are flying more than last year, but costs are rising faster than revenues. That is downright disappointing. The margin has to improve. We are already working on initiatives to work more efficiently, generate more revenue and cut costs. We are going to accelerate and expand this. Among other things, this means postponing the plan for KLM's new headquarters. In addition, we are taking a critical look at other investments. We will also continue to reduce the growth in indirect staff."

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Results

Operational results for the first half of the year totalled minus €31 million, compared with plus €129 million for the same period in 2023. Revenues amounted to €6 billion, compared with €5.6 billion in the first six months of 2023. KLM welcomed close to 16 million passengers on board during the first half of the year.
During the second quarter, operations were more stable and customers therefore experienced fewer disruptions thanks to a package of operational measures, including spare fleet availability and hiring of sufficient numbers of colleagues company wide.
The KLM Group posted operational results of €260 million for the second quarter of 2024 on revenues of €3.2 billion. The result falls short of expectations due to high costs.

Activities

Engineering & Maintenance welcomed a lot of new technicians and its recruiting drive continues unabated. Revenues in the first half of the year were higher than for the same period in 2023.
At Cargo, greater demand for goods transport is supporting the recovery in revenues and earnings. However, recovery is still under pressure due to global supply chain issues. In order to stabilise our network further, more reserve capacity has been built in resulting in reduced fleet deployment.
Transavia also recorded higher revenues in the first half of the year. Transavia managed to enable holidaymakers to travel affordably under difficult conditions, generating positive results in the second quarter. In total, close to 4.5 million passengers travelled with Transavia in the first six months of 2024.

Schiphol and KLM test self-driving shuttle service for flight crew

The second phase of the trial of electric self-driving buses has started at Schiphol Airport. During this phase, the airport, together with KLM Cityhopper and KLM Ground services, is testing a fixed, pre-programmed route to and from the apron. The crew from KLM Cityhopper arriving at Schiphol can use the shuttle service. Earlier this year, Schiphol conducted a successful initial trial of these self-driving buses from supplier Ohmio.

During the first phase of the trial, the focus was on testing technical features and ease of use. The current phase will take place at the apron, an even more complex setting where there is always a lot of simultaneous activity: ranging from aircraft arriving and departing to flight handling operations and airline crew transport.

Sensors and cameras

Several times a day, until the end of July, the bus will fetch KLM Cityhopper crew from Apron A, where KLM Cityhopper aircraft park before departure and on arrival at Schiphol. The self-driving bus then drops off the flight crew at the terminal. The vehicle is equipped with sensors and special cameras and makes use of GPS to manoeuvre. The bus has a 360-degree view because it is equipped with LIDAR technology. This allows the vehicle to detect and move around objects located up to 30 meters away.

Jan Zekveld, Head of Innovation Schiphol said:  "It’s great that we’ve been able to follow up on the trial with the self-driving buses so soon. We’re curious about the insights we’ll gain at this location, particularly because punctuality and safety is crucial on this route. We’re also curious how airline crew members experience self-driving transport. This will help to build trust in the technology and potentially facilitates future integration of other self-driving vehicles."

Maarten Koopmans, Managing Director KLM Cityhopper said:  "I’m very enthusiastic about this trial and think it’s great that our crew can test this innovative, self-driving bus. KLC has always set the trend in implementing the latest technologies and this innovation also fits in perfectly with KLM’s aim to achieve emission-free ground handling by 2030."

Emission-free ground operations 

By 2050, Royal Schiphol Group aims to operate the most sustainable and high-quality airports in the world. Part of the plan involves achieving more sustainable and emission-free ground operations. Royal Schiphol Group expects that by 2050 all vehicles will have been replaced by a fleet of autonomous, zero-emission vehicles and that all associated processes will be automated. Even when ground operations are autonomous, staff will continue to play an important role, taking on a more supervisory role, involving varied tasks.

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Airbus to lead NATO NGRC concept study

The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) has awarded a contract to Airbus Helicopters to lead a concept study in the frame of  the Next Generation Rotorcraft Capability (NGRC) project under which the participants combine efforts to work on design, development and delivery of a medium multi-role helicopter. Airbus is partnering with RTX’s Collins Aerospace and Raytheon businesses and MBDA for the 13 month study which will analyse two integrated concepts of next generation military rotorcraft. 

“Taking part in this NATO study for the next generation of military rotorcraft offers a unique opportunity to leverage our experience working with the different European armed forces,” said Bruno Even, CEO of Airbus Helicopters. “Our goal, together with our highly skilled partners, is to develop a European solution, a concept that would fulfill both the needs of the NATO armed forces while also guaranteeing industrial sovereignty for our European nations and maintaining key engineering competencies,” he added. “This project will be fully interoperable with other NATO means. With our experience in both civil and military helicopter design, we are convinced that we have the right cost effective, high performance, and operationally efficient solutions at Airbus Helicopters for the next generation of military rotorcraft.”

NSPA General Manager, Ms Stacy A. Cummings, said: “The launch of Concept Study #5 is a significant milestone for the NGRC concept stage activities, and demonstrates NSPA’s dedication to meet the challenge of next generation medium lift for participating nations. The strategy to launch 3 parallel contracts awarded by competition delivers on our commitment to maximise industry expertise, opportunity and engagement in the programme, and will provide a broad range of potential concepts in the study results for our multinational customers.”

France, Germany, the United Kingdom, the United States, Ireland and Italy are involved in the project via the different partner companies. Each partner will contribute to the study in its area of expertise: helicopter design, systems integration, connectivity, weapons and effectors, avionics and sensors. The study will focus on high performance rotorcraft. The concepts will be modular and multi-mission, and fully interoperable with NATO standards. with a high degree of connectivity and resilient communication system.

More than 140 armed forces worldwide place their trust in Airbus’ helicopters, making Airbus one of the world's largest suppliers of advanced military rotorcraft. Its broad range of helicopters comprises dual platforms (like the combat proven H225M and the H145M) and specialised military helicopters like the Tiger and the NH90. Airbus also offers a broad range of unmanned systems and is developing the potential provided by manned-unmanned teaming. Airbus has a strong track record in federating European and global players to deliver ambitious projects such as the Next Generation Rotorcraft.  

The NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA) is NATO’s lead organisation for multinational acquisition, support and sustainment in all domains. NSPA is headquartered in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, with main operational centres in France, Hungary and Italy. The Agency employs over 1,500 staff and oversees more than 500 contractors worldwide.

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