It may be September, but summer training for winter is snow joke!

As temperatures hit the mid-20 oC this week, it may seem odd to hear London Stansted has been preparing for the winter by kicking-off its snow training programme to ensure the airport is ready for any adverse weather in the months ahead.

The snow team, which is responsible for clearing runways, taxiways and aircraft stands during wintry weather conditions, has been diligently working over the last few weeks to fine-tune its winter operations plan.

To familiarise themselves with the airport's fleet of specialist equipment and snow clearing techniques, the team has been conducting regular training sessions, while emergency response plans have been revised and updated to ensure they are able to respond efficiently to any snow-related incidents.

Nick Millar, the airport’s Operations Director, said: “With more than 29 million passengers travelling through London Stansted in all weather conditions each year, it’s a big job to ensure the airfield and runway are always safe and operational. Winter brings additional complexities, and a large team of colleagues work together to prepare for snow and ice, no matter how rare it is in this part of the UK. We have a robust Winter Operations Plan in place which is reviewed and tested every year to make sure that everyone involved in responding to a snow event is fully prepared if and when the time comes.

One of the key aspects of preparation is ensuring that the airport has the necessary equipment and resources to handle snow and ice effectively. The snow team has been conducting inspections and maintenance of its snowploughs, blowers, and other snow removal equipment to ensure they are in good working condition. They also check we have sufficient supplies of salt and de-icer to ensure the runway and taxiways are adequately treated during icy conditions.”

The airport's proactive approach to winter planning extends beyond the runway and airfield to ensure that other airport facilities, including the car parks, airport roads, and passenger walkways, are also well prepared to deal with the challenges posed by cold weather.

“Our commitment to winter preparedness is to provide a safe and smooth travel experience for passengers, and by proactively preparing early for the season's challenges, the airport is ensuring it has done all it to can to continue flight operations even during the harshest of weather conditions,” added Nick.

 

Emirates adds fourth daily flight to Johannesburg

Emirates is adding a fourth daily flight between Dubai and Johannesburg due to a massive increase in demand. The news follows hot on the heels of the carrier's recent decision to upgage to operate a second daily A380 on the route.  

The fourth daily service will begin on 1st March 2025, and will be operated on a three-class Boeing 777-300ER, offering an additional 708 seats in and out of South Africa’s largest and busiest international airport every day. EK767 will depart Dubai at 00:10hrs, arriving in Johannesburg at 06:20hrs; the return flight, EK768, will depart Johannesburg at 10:15hrs arriving in Dubai at 20:15hrs, expanding the airline’s schedule to introduce a morning departure from Johannesburg. 

Adnan Kazim, Emirates Deputy President and Chief Commercial Officer said, “South Africa has long been a highly popular destination for both leisure and business travellers connecting to and through Dubai, and the fourth daily flight enables us to better serve the growing demand for travel to and from the market. We’d like to extend our thanks to the South African authorities for their partnership and support in securing this new service, which reinstates the capacity we offered South Africa pre-pandemic, with 49 weekly flights, across three gateways. As we reflect on nearly three decades of operations to the market, we remain committed to driving inbound travel to South Africa, supporting the government as they aim make tourism the leading economic contributor and vehicle for transformation, as well as encouraging more inwards investment to the country.” 

Boeing offer striking workers 30% pay rise by bypass union

U.S. planemaker Boeing has offered its striking workforce a pay rise of 30% over four years and offers to reinstate some perks including a performance bonus and better retirement benefits.

The deal is time-critical and has to be accepted by the workers before the midnight Pacific time deadline on Friday 27 September. If the 30,000 workers accept the offer the manufacturer will give them a one-time signing bonus of $6000.

However, Boeing hopes that a divide and conquer approach will win the day as the company has bypassed the union representing thousands of the striking workers.  The International Association of Machinists and Aerospace Workers (IAM) confirmed the offer was not negotiated with them and that "it was thrown at us without any discussion". The company sent the offer directly to union members and not the union itself.  Boeing also informed the media of the offer before the union.

According to some at the firm, Boeing has been trying to deunionize its plants for several years, often with underhand methods such as trying to besmirch union representatives' characters. 

The union says Boeings self-proclaimed "best and final offer" will not be put to its members before the company's deadline. 

East Midlands Airport up for two national awards.......

East Midlands Airport (EMA) is in line to be declared the UK’s best airport in two national awards, as well as being recognised for being a good neighbour to surrounding communities.

The National Transport Awards and the Travel Industry Awards by TTG have both shortlisted EMA in their Airport of the Year categories. EMA is also a finalist in the Positive Impact category of the Travel Industry Awards.

The Airport of the Year shortlisting recognises EMA’s focus on providing effortless travel for its passengers and seamless trade through its unrivalled cargo operation. Internationally-recognised Airport Service Quality rankings earlier this year placed EMA second in the UK for overall experience and 13th among 119 participating European airports for how people feel about their experience.

Over the past year, the airport has launched a £120m investment programme including improvements to customer facilities and security arrangements, as well as upgrading its Air Traffic Control equipment, runway and taxiways.

Construction of new departures terminal at Vilnius Airport completed as Lithuanian Airports Present Operational Strategy Through 2028

Lithuanian Airports present operational strategy through 2028

On 23 September, the updated operational strategy of Lithuanian Airports (LTOU) up to 2028 was officially presented, along with which the airports' representatives also announced the completion of the construction of the new departure terminal at Vilnius Airport, with the remaining works to be carried out on the installation and testing of the equipment inside the terminal before its opening in February 2025.

"The coming years will be crucial for the development of the infrastructure of Lithuanian airports to increase passenger handling capacity and to reach a whole new level of service quality. Vilnius Airport will be the first to demonstrate this qualitative leap, with its new departure terminal soon to not only handle double the number of passengers but also provide a completely new level of travel experience thanks to state-of-the-art technology. We are therefore consistently pursuing our goal of raising the standard of Lithuanian airports to the next level so that travelling through the new gateway will be as comfortable as possible," said Minister of Transport and Communications Marius Skuodis.

Strategy focuses on partnerships and contribution to the country's economic growth

The new LTOU operational strategy is based on two key objectives - promoting the development of sustainable partnerships and the contribution of the airport ecosystem to the Lithuanian economy.

"For our aviation, commercial and institutional partners, we aim to create an environment that enables consistent, sustainable growth. Much of the change we seek over the four-year period will be related to the planned expansion of airport infrastructure. We want these investments to have a direct impact both on improving the passenger experience and the overall ability to serve more passengers, and to provide a platform for businesses to expand their operations at our three international airports. In the coming years, we will see that the airport space is changing dramatically, and in this process our focus will be on the highest quality bar, which we want to achieve together with our partners," commented Simonas Bartkus, Head of the LIA, on the strategy's ambitions. 

Among the strategically important areas of LTOU's activities are not only infrastructure development, but also improving the quality of air transport, refining a balanced business model, improving passenger experience, managing potential business risks and ensuring sustainability in operations.

According to the CEO of LTOU, the next few years will be focused on digital transformation, which will encompass the passenger experience, more efficient management of the organization, and many other processes that almost all passengers at the airport come into contact with. 

"A significant proportion of processes at airports are already increasingly digitalized and automated, and this proportion will only increase in the coming period. From the automation of baggage systems, self-service options, flow management to aviation security screening or the ordering and management of ancillary services, we are planning major changes in many areas that will allow us to accumulate new competencies, which is why we see this ambition as one of the important connecting denominators," says Bartkus. 

LTOU representatives emphasize that in order to achieve the goals set out in the new strategy, it will be necessary to create and maintain a modern system of staff competency development, invest in maintaining the values and culture of the organization. 

Construction work on the departure terminal completed 

NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson, crewmates return from Space Station

NASA astronaut Tracy C. Dyson completed a six-month research mission aboard the International Space Station on Monday, returning to Earth with Roscosmos cosmonauts Oleg Kononenko and Nikolai Chub.

The trio departed the space station aboard the Soyuz MS-25 spacecraft at 4:36 a.m. EDT Monday, Sept. 23, making a safe, parachute-assisted landing at 7:59 a.m. (4:59 p.m. Kazakhstan time), southeast of the remote town of Dzhezkazgan, Kazakhstan.

While aboard the orbiting laboratory, Dyson conducted multiple scientific and technology activities including the operation of a 3D bioprinter to print cardiac tissue samples, which could advance technology for creating replacement organs and tissues for transplants on Earth. Dyson also participated in the crystallization of model proteins to evaluate the performance of hardware that could be used for pharmaceutical production and ran a program that used student-designed software to control the station’s free-flying robots, inspiring the next generation of innovators.

Ryanair issued with criminal warning over breach of court order to cease denigrating eDreams ODIGEO

eDreams ODIGEO - ‘eDO’, the world’s leading travel subscription business and one of Europe’s largest e-commerce companies has welcomed the landmark decision by Barcelona Commercial Court No. 12 to issue a formal criminal warning to Ryanair Holdings plc for its non-compliance with the Court’s order to cease denigrating eDreams ODIGEO and its Prime programme.

This court action follows the urgent interim measures imposed on Ryanair Holdings plc earlier this summer, which mandated the airline to immediately cease its denigrating statements against eDreams ODIGEO and its Prime programme.

Despite the Court’s clear and binding directive, Ryanair continued its denigrating misconduct on repeated occasions, prompting the Court to escalate the matter. In response to Ryanair's non-compliance, the Judge agreed with eDreams ODIGEO’s request to put the airline on formal notice that any further disobedience may result in criminal consequences under Article 556 of the Spanish Criminal Code (Código Penal), which contemplates potential criminal penalties.

AM Green acquires Chempolis Next-Gen 2G Bio-Fuel Technology

             AM Green Technology and Solutions B.V. (part of AM Green Group), one of the world's leading energy transition solutions providers has announced the signing of binding agreements to acquire Chempolis Oy and Fortum 3 B.V. entities.
This acquisition highlights AM Green's commitment to develop innovative technology-enabled solutions. AM Green will establish large-scale bio refineries that utilize multiple feedstocks & produce high-value green products enabling global decarbonization in aviation, fuels, chemicals and other industrial sectors.
Chempolis's technology will enable the processing of multiple 2G waste feedstocks and the production of high-value green chemicals and products such as ethanol, furfural, and pure lignin, accelerating AM Green's vision to become the world's leading industrial decarbonizations platform.
Chempolis Oy is a pioneer in lignocellulosic feedstock processing with research, technology capabilities and product development expertise spanning 15+ years with strong R&D teams.

United Airlines celebrates longest serving employee based in the UK

United Airlines is celebrating a remarkable milestone achieved by one of its most dedicated employees based in the UK, Alan Temple, who marks his 55th work anniversary at the airline this year. This extraordinary achievement makes Alan Temple, United's Plant and Equipment Manager, not only United’s longest-serving UK employee but also one of the longest-serving employees out of all companies based at Heathrow Airport, reflecting a population of approximately 90,000.

Today, Alan joined his colleagues, past and present, as well as family, at United’s EMEIA Regional headquarters at London Heathrow, for a special celebratory event, including speeches, a cake cutting, and the presentation of a framed Pan Am menu from 1970.

Alan began his journey at Pan Am in 1969 as a Ground Equipment Mechanic, troubleshooting and repairing Ground Service Equipment. During Alan's lengthy and successful career, he has witnessed many memorable moments in aviation history, from the arrival of the very first Boeing 747 at London Heathrow in 1970 and United's acquisition of Pan Am’s LHR routes in 1991, through to the first flight into Heathrow’s newly opened Terminal 2 in 2014 and the final farewell to the Queen of the Skies, with United's last Boeing 747 flight departing Heathrow in 2017.

More routes being axed by JetBlue.

JetBlue was incorporated in Delaware in August 1998, commenced service on February 11, 2000, the carrier is ranked as the sixth-largest airline in the U.S. and calls itself New York's hometown airline.  It is a leading carrier in Boston and has significant operations from Los Angeles, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando and San Juan.

Since its failed takeover of budget carrier, Spirit, JetBlue has had to make a number of changes has it strives to return to profitability.  The latest incantation of that is the new JetForward initiative.  The new strategy for the carrier is to "be loved, be profitable for crewmembers, customers and owners". The new culture says the airline is bringing back humanity to air travel, although it isn't really clear how that will do that as well as making the airline profitable for both customers and owners.

Part of the plan is to axe a number of routes in January, which are in addition to the 15 bases they already announced were being dropped.  The next round is dropping more than 50 routes in January 2025.  These include, New York LaGuardia to Charleston, LaGuardia to Nashville,  LaGuardia to Jacksonville, JFK to Burlington, LaGuardia to Denver and more.  

Boston will also see JetBlue exit at least four routes in January,  this include services to Charlotte, Minneapolis St Paul, San Antonio and Baltimore-Washington. It is expected another four routes will be axed in April 2025 from Boston which will be announced in December. 

As previously announced JetBlue is streamling operations by operating two aircraft types, the Airbus A220 and the A320 family of jets. That has meant the carrier is axing the Embraer Ejet fleet ahead of schedule. JetBlue says the E190s will exit the fleet completely by end of 2025.  

In July 2024, JetBlue deferred the delivery of 44 Airbus A321neo aircraft from 2025 –2029 to 2030+ totaling ~$3.0B of savings, to help restore balance sheet and improve cash flow.  

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Air Samarkand launches new route from Tashkent to Al Ain

                                      Air Samarkand has launched a new once-weekly service between the Uzbek capital of Tashkent and Al Ain, the ‘Garden City’ of Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates (UAE). 

 

The first flight, carrying a near capacity of 195 passengers and lasting three hours and 40 minutes, took place yesterday (Sunday), using an Airbus A321 aircraft. The aircraft offers 12 spacious business class seats and 182 comfortable economy class seats to ensure a pleasant travel experience. 

Al Ain is the fourth-largest city in the United Arab Emirates and the largest inland city in the UAE. It is a significant cultural centre, playing an important role in the country’s history. 

“We are excited to add another destination and a new country to our flight map, which we are confident will become popular among both tourists and business travellers,” said Zafar Butaev, CEO of Air Samarkand. 

This latest development follows the expansion of services to Istanbul earlier in September, to three return flights a week, and marks the continued and steady expansion of Air Samarkand’s route network. In late July the carrier began flying to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, to support religious pilgrims, increasing the frequency to five per week by September – with two services departing from Samarkand and one each week from the Uzbek cities of Termez, Fergana and Namangan. Air Samarkand also serves Sharm El Sheikh in Egypt and Nha Trang in Vietnam, using Airbus A321neo and A330-300 aircraft. 

Flights to Al Ain are operated in partnership with the tour operator EasyBooking, which is providing quick and convenient transfers from Al Ain Airport to selected hotels in Abu Dhabi or Dubai. At the initial stage, flights will operate once a week on Sundays:

 

Departure from Tashkent: 10:40, arrival in Al Ain: 13:20 (local time).

Departure from Al Ain: 15:00, arrival in Tashkent: 19:40 (local time).

 

British Airways announces new carbon removals partnerships to become the largest carbon removals purchaser in the UK and the largest airline purchaser of carbon removals

British Airways has signed a deal to purchase more than £9 million worth of innovative carbon removal credits in the United Kingdom and overseas as part of a six-year agreement. The deal is part of an ambitious drive to accelerate the airline’s climate change efforts between now and 2030.

One ground-breaking scheme in Scotland will see CO2 emissions captured from whisky distilleries and repurposed into building materials. Another, spread across multiple locations in the UK, uses an enhanced rock weathering technique to lock away carbon for thousands of years. The airline will also purchase carbon removals credits from two companies specialising in high-durability reforestation projects, increasing the amount of forested land in Scotland and Wales.

The airline’s portfolio also includes Canadian carbon capture projects, which focus on carbon removal from rivers and oceans using alkaline rock particles, while in India, the airline is backing a biochar project that empowers female farmers while enhancing soil biodiversity and farm yields.

British Airways joined forces with CUR8, a UK-based company that specialises in sourcing high-quality carbon removal credits. The airline has purchased 33,000 tonnes of carbon removal credits through its CUR8 portfolio, a small but important step to help scale-up and advance this critical sector. Carbon removals are recognised by scientists, governments and regulators as a vital tool in helping to address climate change, but the sector needs to be scaled up urgently.

Sitting pretty – the evolution of the passenger airline seat

A comfortable seat to sink into, when you board a plane, wasn’t always a given for air travel. Artemis Aerospace investigates – take a seat and find out more! 

You’ve made it to the airport, checked your luggage in, browsed the shops and finally got on the plane. You’ve bagged a window seat, stowed your bag in the overhead locker and perused your fellow passengers, hoping you won’t end up with a seat-kicker behind or seat recliner in front . . . what you’re probably not thinking about is the design of your seat. However, there’s an interesting history behind the evolution of airline seats. Here we delve into it … 

Today, the comfort of travellers during their journey is a top priority for airlines competing for business; designers battle it out to provide the most relaxing experience. This is quite a change from the very first seating arrangements for passengers in the 1920s, which were plain wicker chairs – and these weren’t even fastened to the floor, so any in-flight turbulence had the potential to cause an untidy heap of wicker and people. The wicker chairs lasted for around ten years and were subsequently fitted to the floor as well as having extra padding and being lined with leather. Leather was a practical option as it was easy to clean back in the day when air travel was a much dustier experience. By the end of the thirties, velour covers were making their way in. 

In 1930, the Aluminum Company of America designed an aluminium passenger seat which was light and adaptable. Fast forward to the present day and nearly all airline seats are still manufactured in aluminium. This first seat may have been a state-of-the-art invention, but there was still no means of adjusting it, although foam-filled rubber seats were introduced to prevent discomfort from sitting on a hard metal chair. 

Initially, seats were usually arranged in a 2+1, 2+2 or 3+3 formation as aircraft grew in size. As longer flights gradually became possible, the recliner chair was introduced in 1929, thus igniting the age-old issue of whether to recline and possibly annoy the person behind or remain upright. Some airlines introduced seats which converted to beds for an overnight flight, and the move towards the comfort of passengers began to grow in momentum, with improved shock absorbency in the seats and the introduction of head and footrests. 

Some of the first seating arrangements involved seats configured around a table, as they are in trains, and when food began to be served on aircraft, it was brought to the traveller on a real tray. One can imagine the mess if the plane hit a rough patch! The tray tables which fold down from the back of the seat weren’t introduced until 1973. 

In 1952 multi-fare flights were permitted by IATA (International Air Transport Association) and that was the beginning of the airline class system, with standard class seats being roomier than those in coach class (which became economy), but still with all the seats facing the front.

In the 21st century, with increased emphasis on customer experience, airlines are experimenting with different seating configurations, such as reverse or staggered herringbone set-ups, which give more privacy and enable people to access the aisle without clambering over their fellow passengers.

Cathay Cargo and NorthLink Aviation sign agreement for cargo terminal capacity at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport from 2025

Cathay Cargo will operate from new modern terminal with freighter parking bays that will add more resilience to winter weather operations.

Cathay Cargo has announced a long-term agreement with NorthLink Aviation (“NorthLink”) to use NorthLink’s “state-of-the-art” air-cargo terminal and aircraft stands at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport, scheduled to start from October 2025. This investment in the airport that serves as a vital technical stop for its transpacific Boeing 747 freighter and cargo operations will strengthen Hong Kong’s status as an international aviation hub.

The new deal will grant Cathay Cargo access to cargo terminal capacity with customs clearance for cargo entering the United States, 11 power-through hardstands for aircraft to park and depart without ground-tug assistance, and four additional push-back hardstands. Each of the parking stands will offer dual-hydrant fueling systems, lighting towers for enhanced ground safety and ground power systems that will use renewable energy. Importantly for winter operations there will be infrastructure in place to support the recovery and recycling of de-icing fluid. ​

The access to guaranteed stand parking will help minimise disruption and strengthen schedule resilience during periods of intense winter weather that are inevitable for operations at Ted Stevens Anchorage International Airport. Cathay Cargo currently uses stands provided by the airport authority that are shared with other carriers operating to/from Anchorage. During disruptions that are typically caused by inclement weather, these stands can become occupied and blocked leading to diversions and flight cancellations. ​ ​

UK, US and Canada to collaborate on cybersecurity and AI research

Military science and technology organisations agree to partner on critical research areas in support of defence and security.

The Ministry of Defence, the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Canadian Department of National Defence will collaboratively pursue research, development, test and evaluation technologies for artificial intelligence (AI), cyber, resilient systems and information domain-related technologies.

The methodologies, algorithms, capabilities and tools created will be exploited by developing new concepts of operations that focus on real-world challenges.

The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl) will be the lead agency for the UK. Defence Research and Development Canada (DRDC) will be the lead organisation on behalf of Canada.

The collaboration has been driven by the rapid pace of technology development and the future challenges in an ever-changing geopolitical environment. This effort will further leverage relevant research programmes among all nations and reduce duplication of efforts.

Dr Nick Joad, Director Science and Technology at UK Ministry of Defence, said:

Our international research collaborations with both the US and Canada are some of our most vital and enduring partnerships.

This agreement cements our collective commitments to advancing emerging cyber security technologies such as cyber security and artificial intelligence to enhance the defence and security of our nations.