Russia bans UK flights from its airspace after UK bans Russian carrier Aeroflot.

Flights from British airlines are now banned from flying into Russian airspace in retaliation of the UK ban on Aeroflot from landing in the UK.

Rosaviatsiya Russia's Federal Agency for Air Transport confirmed in a statement today that it was banning UK registered flights, aircraft owned, leased or operated by a person associated with the United Kingdom, from even crossing over its airspace as a direct response to the decision by the UK government yesterday to ban Aeroflot and other Russian airlines from British airspace. 

Ben Wallace, the UK's Defence Secretary said: "I think that's their retaliation for us yesterday banning Aeroflot from using and landing in the United Kingdom. That's their tit for tat response." 

British Airways has already axed its Moscow route, a spokesperson for the airline said "We have suspended our flights to Moscow and also the use of Russian airspace, following the confirmation of Russian government restrictions. We apologise for the inconvenience but this is clearly a matter beyond our control." IAG CEO Luis Gallego said "Following the UK government decision to ban Aeroflot from landing in the UK, we have taken the decision not use Russian airspace for overflights."

Other airlines have also taken action to avoid Russian airspace, a Virgin Atlantic spokesperson "On Thursday evening, we took the decision to start avoiding Russian airspace and our flight paths will continue to be adjusted for some Virgin Atlantic passenger services between the UK, Pakistan and India,"  

Turkish Airlines has cancelled its flights to Russia until Monday and are said to be considering a longer suspension depending on the situation.  

The ongoing crisis is also affecting other modes of transport, Viking Cruises announced today that it was cancelling all of its Kiev, Black Sea & Bucharest cruises this year. Other cruise firms are altering routes of some cruises and say they are monitoring the situation carefully. 

More top stories you might be interested in.....

Follow this site here.

Sierra Space Hiring 1,000 New Employees

The 1,000 new positions will support the development of Dream Chaser, the world’s first commercial spaceplane

Sierra Space, a leading commercial space company has outlined plans for an extensive recruitment drive that will see the company significantly increase its headcount by nearly doubling its labour force and creating 1,000 net new jobs this year.

The majority of the positions will be in Colorado, with new roles distributed across the Sierra Space facilities in Louisville, Colo. and South Metro Denver. Sierra Space will also be increasing its workforce across the company’s other locations, including in Madison, Wis., Brevard County, Fla. and Durham, N.C., as work accelerates towards the launch of the Dream Chaser spaceplane.

At present, more than 700 new positions, including more than 400 in engineering, are listed on the company’s Careers webpage, with additional new job opportunities expected to be posted between now and mid-2022.

Álex Cruz joins WestJet's Board of Directors

The Canadian airline WestJet has confirmed the recent appointment of Alex Cruz to its Board of Directors.  Álex Cruz's extensive experience includes his appointment in April of 2016 as the CEO and Chairman of British Airways. Prior to that role, Mr Cruz founded and served as the CEO of Clickair, a low-cost airline which he quickly grew before merging into Vueling in July of 2009; creating Spain's second-largest airline with 163 destinations. Under Cruz's leadership, Vueling became one of Europe's most successful low-cost carriers. 

"It is my pleasure to officially welcome Álex to the WestJet Group's Board at this moment in our history," said Chris Burley, Chairman of the WestJet Group's Board of Directors. "Álex's impressive experience leading both full service and low-cost airlines make him an invaluable addition to our Board as the airline continues to improve its cost position to compete more vigorously with carriers of all sizes."

"This appointment will help strategically position the WestJet Group as it emerges from the pandemic serving an even greater number of guests looking forward to travelling once again," continued Burley.

Cruz said: "I am delighted to join the WestJet Group Board of Directors. Few carriers navigated the pandemic without issuing equity or debt, or accepting sector-specific government support. It speaks to WestJet's cost position and I look forward to helping deliver even more value for guests."

More top stories you might be interested in.....

Follow this site here.

Airbus and OCCAR sign Eurodrone contract

Airbus and the Organisation for Joint Armament Co-operation (OCCAR) have signed the Eurodrone global contract, which includes the development and manufacturing of 20 systems and 5 years of initial in-service support. Industry prime Airbus Defence and Space GmbH signed in representation of the three Major Sub-Contractors (MSC) Airbus Defence and Space S.A.U in Spain, Dassault Aviation in France and Leonardo S.p.A. in Italy, while OCCAR has signed on behalf of the four launch nations Germany, France, Italy and Spain.

“This signature kicks off the development of one of the most ambitious European defence programmes. Eurodrone is the result of collaborative work between the industry, OCCAR and the nations. It will deliver the most advance Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) in its segment, generate more than 7,000 high-tech jobs within the industry and will strengthen European industrial sovereignty, know-how and collaboration between nations”, said Mike Schoellhorn, CEO of Airbus Defence and Space.   

“This contract marks the determination of the European nations and industrial partners to achieve the political goals and to meet the technological challenges leading to European defence sovereignty. Innovative programmes with strong key technological foundations will guarantee the strategic autonomy of Europe by offering new alternatives to the on-the-shelf acquisition of non-European products. Thanks to a shared vision and a pragmatic approach, Eurodrone is carried by the choice of best in-house competencies and expertise of each company”, declared Eric Trappier, Chairman and CEO of Dassault Aviation.

2021 - a strong year for Cirrus Aircraft

2021 was another strong year Cirrus Aircraft with the SR Series maintaining its status as the best-selling, high-performance piston aircraft for the twentieth year in a row and the Vision Jet® as the best-selling jet in personal aviation for the third year in a row. In addition to delivering 442 SR Series aircraft and 86 Vision Jets in 2021, Cirrus Aircraft announced the G2+ Vision Jet, European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) and UK certification for Safe Return™ Emergency Autoland, expanded its Cirrus Services™ community and offerings, and delivered the first of five TRAC SR20s to Kansas State University Salina Aerospace and Technology Campus (K-State). Cirrus Aircraft also grew its national footprint for premium flight training, aircraft management, factory service and concierge customer experiences.

“Our team has accomplished incredible milestones this past year. Not only did we reach a 13-year high of new aircraft deliveries, but we also introduced new innovations within the SR Series and Vision Jet product lines and increased connectivity between pilot and aircraft by growing the Cirrus IQ ecosystem,” said Zean Nielsen, CEO of Cirrus Aircraft. "In 2022, we are continuing to invest in our people, products and services to constantly elevate the ownership experience.”

Cirrus Aircraft is dedicated to simplifying and innovating the personal aviation industry through its products and services. As the best-selling manufacturer within its respective categories, the company continues to introduce more people to aviation through its premium aircraft ownership and flight training experiences every year.

To date, Cirrus Aircraft has delivered over 8,500 SR Series aircraft. This last year marks the eight consecutive year the company delivered more than 300 SR Series aircraft. Additionally, the Vision Jet has surpassed 330 deliveries since 2016. Over 650 pilots have now earned their FAA type rating in the Vision Jet.

The SR Series Leads the Personal Aviation Market for Two Decades

In January 2022, the company announced the newest SR Series featuring enhanced conveniences, optimized aerodynamics for greater fuel efficiency and more aesthetics options. These aircraft refinements signify another milestone in creating world-class, personal aviation experiences.

Extending its growing university partner network, Cirrus Aircraft supplied K-State with a new fleet of five TRAC SR20s for advanced pilot training. K-State took its first delivery in December with plans to receive the four remaining aircraft this year. The TRAC Series offers a sophisticated flight deck, managed workload and extended training opportunities to prepare pilots for transport category aircraft.

IAG Cargo announces record-breaking fourth quarter and 2021 results

IAG Cargo reports full year record revenues of €1,673 million for the period from January 1 to December 31, 2021
 

Results represent an increase of 30 per cent compared with 2020 at constant currency

IAG Cargo reports fourth-quarter revenue of  €499 million an increase of 25.7 per cent on the same period in 2020 at constant currency

Today, IAG Cargo has confirmed its 2021 financial results showing annual revenues of €1,673 million for the period from January 1 to December 31 2021. The results reflect the surging demand for air cargo capacity as global trade rebounds. 

IAG Cargo is the single business created following the merger of British Airways World Cargo and Iberia Cargo in April 2011. Following the integration of additional airlines into the business, including Aer Lingus and Vueling, IAG Cargo now covers a global network.  

The 2021 revenues represent an increase of 30 per cent at constant currency versus the same period last year. Overall yield for 2021 was up 11.3 per cent at constant currency versus 2020. Sold tonnes were up 21.4 per cent.

Throughout 2021, IAG Cargo reshaped its business to take advantage of the strong cargo market and actively repurposed Group capacity where appropriate. Demand for air cargo exceeded 2019 levels throughout 2021. The business continued to align its network to customer demand, supporting customers with cargo-led flying, increasing frequencies on important trade routes and implementing an active charter programme of 745 rotations.

In the second half of the year IAG Cargo saw momentum build with capacity starting to return as the economic recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic gained ground. IAG Cargo closed the year very strongly, achieving a Q4 quarterly record revenue of €499 million up from €389 million in Q4 of 2020.

In Q4, ecommerce and hi-tech flows from South East Asia into North America accounted for much of this success as did the movement of automotive parts from the UK and Europe. Hong Kong demand remained very buoyant and from mid-December the business directed volumes to flow via Bangkok as crew quarantine restrictions limited direct Hong Kong Flights. IAG Cargo also moved large volumes of what are typically seen as non-airfreight commodities as shippers favoured shorter delivery times and volumes shifted from sea to air against a background of supply chain disruption, port congestion and low inventories.

At the same time, cargo has been vital in supporting the return to widescale passenger flying, providing additional revenue to key passenger routes.

Serbian Air Force and Air Defence becomes new C295 operator

The Serbian Ministry of Defence has ordered two Airbus C295s and therefore the Serbian Air Force and Air Defence joins the family of C295 becoming the 36th operator worldwide.

The contract was signed in Madrid in the presence of senior government members of the Republic of Serbia and Spain. This contract will be accompanied by a Government-to-Government supervision agreement between the Ministries of Defence of Spain and the Republic of Serbia, which aims to study the development of future defence programmes between both nations. Airbus is committed to maintaining and fostering its close collaboration with the Republic of Serbia, which already operates Airbus military solutions.

The two aircraft, in transport configuration, will be equipped with the modern avionics suite Collins Aerospace Pro-Line Fusion® and will contribute to enhancing the air transport capabilities of the Republic of Serbia. 

Deliveries are expected to commence in late 2023.

With this order, 33 countries have already relied on the Airbus C295. With a total of 281 orders worldwide and more than half a million flight hours in operation, this aircraft is the undisputed leader in its segment.

More top stories you might be interested in.....

Follow this site here.

Fancy a salmon poke or maybe galician octopus......you can soon on an Iberia flight.

           The Spanish airline continues to restore services, and, with its catering provider DO & CO, has completely redesigned food service on short- and medium-haul flights to improve customer experience. In Business Class, Iberia is accentuating prime fresh and seasonal ingredients, the flavours of high Spanish cuisine and the rich and healthful Mediterranean diet.

Iberia is continuing to restore services and improve the passenger experience onboard, making it both safer and more enjoyable.

Its catering service provider, DO & CO, has completely redesigned food services on short- and medium-haul flights, in keeping with the company’s sustainability and digitalisation policies.

 

In Economy Class, the airline’s innovative Deliverfly service enables customers to choose their meals on line before flying via iberia.com

The Deliverfly service meshes with the company’s sustainability plan by reducing food waste and take-off weight

Iberia is reinstating its In-Flight Shopping service and expanding it to include drinks and sweet and savoury snacks served on board, by means of a digital menu

Customers can pay through their mobile devices without physical contact thanks to software developed by DO & CO’s technological partner Immfly

 

In Business Class, fresh seasonal ingredients for the Mediterranean diet

Business Class passengers can continue to enjoy the rich Mediterranean diet and the flavours of high Spanish cuisine, centred on prime fresh and seasonal ingredients.

Depending on the time of day, passengers can be served breakfasts, snacks, lunches, or dinners carefully prepared and served with all-new dishware and table linen.

Fresh Galician octopus, exquisite potato salad, vegetable paella, and Spanish “cocido” pork stew are amongst the items with which the airline is tempting its customers’ palates.

In the Dali Premium Lounge at Madrid airport Business passengers can sample an extensive offering of hot and cold starters and desserts, including vegetarian and vegan options.

Breakfasts include sausages and scrambled eggs, as well as tasty Spanish ratatouille. The range of salads now includes zucchini noodles with pesto and feta cheese, plus Jeréz lentils with garlic and cured mountain ham. Tapas range from wedges of the traditional Spanish potato omelet to croquettes made with boletus mushrooms, Madrid pork stew, chorizo cooked in cider, or fried potatoes with spicy “brava” sauce. For main dishes, try the chicken in mushroom sauce with roast baby potatoes, the spinach lasagna, or the wok of green vegetables with rice. Desserts include one of DO & CO’s star attractions –chocolate mousse– along with several delicious alternatives.

Jonathan Weiner named as Vice President, Sales and Revenue Management at JetBlue

JetBlue's

New Vice President, Sales and Revenue Management 

JetBlue,  New York’s Hometown Airline, announced the appointment of Jonathan Weiner as the carrier’s new vice president, sales and revenue management. He will be responsible for revenue optimization, ancillary strategy, distribution, and corporate sales. Weiner had previously served as JetBlue’s director, revenue management since 2020. He will report to Dave Clark, JetBlue’s head of revenue and planning.

Weiner joined JetBlue in 2019 as director, revenue analysis and ancillary strategy. Prior to joining JetBlue, he served as vice president, revenue management – North America for British Airways. He spent 18 years in a variety of commercial leadership roles at BA including vice president, commercial strategy and planning for North America, and managing director, revenue management, for the carrier’s transatlantic joint business.

“I am thrilled to welcome Jonathan into his new role heading up the sales and revenue management team,” said Clark. “He has helped lead JetBlue through a period of industry-leading revenue generation. I have every confidence that Jonathan’s extensive commercial experience will help us build upon our successes of the past years growing our network and supporting the growth of JetBlue Travel Products offerings. This growth allows us to continue our work offering low fares to more markets and providing more choice to customers.”

Weiner added, “I’m excited to take on this role to strengthen and enhance our strong revenue performance. I look forward to working with our strong sales and revenue management team to further improve and maximize the potential of our successful and growing network for the benefit of our crewmembers, customers, and owners.”

Weiner is a graduate of Northwestern University.

More top stories you might be interested in.....

Follow this site here.

Virgin Galactic Announces Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2021 Financial Results

Virgin Galactic Holdings, has announced its financial results for the fourth quarter and full-year ended December 31, 2021, and provided a business update.

Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2021 Business Highlights:

• Opened sales at new price point of USD $450,000 for private astronauts in Q3 2022.
• Opened a new Engineering, Design and Corporate headquarters, which will serve as the primary hub for R&D and the development of both the Delta class spaceship and the next generation motherships.
• In July 2021, successfully completed first fully crewed spaceflight, Unity 22, which fulfilled test objectives including evaluating the cabin and customer experience.
• In June 2021, received approval from the Federal Aviation Administration for full commercial launch license, marking the first time that the agency licensed a company to fly customers to space.
• In May 2021, successfully completed first spaceflight from Spaceport America, New Mexico, Unity 21, which fulfilled various test objectives and carried revenue-generating scientific research experiments.
• Rolled out Spaceship III, VSS Imagine, the second spaceship in the current fleet.

Fourth Quarter 2021 Financial Highlights:

• Cash position remains strong, with cash, cash equivalents, and marketable securities of approximately $931 million as of December 31, 2021. This does not reflect our recent fundraise.
• GAAP selling, general, and administrative expenses of $40 million, compared to $33 million in the fourth quarter of 2020. Non‐GAAP selling, general and administrative expenses of $29 million in the fourth quarter of 2021, compared to $21 million in the fourth quarter of 2020.
• GAAP research and development expenses of $42 million, compared to $41 million in the fourth quarter of 2020. Non‐GAAP research and development expenses of $36 million in the fourth quarter of 2021, compared to $38 million in the fourth quarter of 2020.
• Adjusted EBITDA totalled $(65) million, compared to $(60) million in the fourth quarter of 2020.
• Net loss of $81 million, compared to a $104 million net loss in the fourth quarter of 2020.

FAA Approves Constant Aviation Corporatewide Safety Management System

Constant Becomes Only the Second Independent MRO Nationally to Be Recognized as Having a Single, Integrated SMS

Constant Clients to Benefit from Safety Priorities and Resources Aligned Across the Entire Organization

Constant Aviation announced that the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has recognized it as having a single, corporatewide Safety Management System (SMS), making it only the second maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) so designated. Achieving FAA-Accepted Corporate SMS status means that Constant is operating under a single safety system companywide, which generally reduces safety risk and ranks it as a leader in business aviation maintenance safety.

“The improvements throughout our organization because of SMS implementation are clear, as evidenced by this latest recognition by the FAA,” said Constant Aviation Chief Executive Officer David H. Davies. “This honour underscores that we are a leader in moving from a reactive safety culture to one that is highly proactive, continuously improving and dynamically driving safety organization-wide.”

SMS is the standard for safety programs in aviation worldwide. Although SMS processes are optional for MROs such as Constant, they are seen as highly beneficial and frequently are requested by both domestic customers and foreign certificate holders.

Although the FAA only recently recognized Constant’s Corporate SMS program, the company has been operating with SMS processes since August 2018.

The FAA approval of Constant’s Corporate SMS status follows the attainment of previous safety management system landmarks during the past year:

In April 2021, Constant’s aircraft maintenance operation at Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (ICAO: KCLE) became the first independent MRO to achieve Active Conformance through the FAA’s Voluntary SMS program, and only the fourth MRO overall out of the more than 4,500 maintenance organizations nationally to achieve that designation.

Piloting growth

In 2008, David Pettet started his career flying for a small airline when he was just 19 years old. He knew he had a passion for aviation. David soon discovered and joined the National Gay Pilots Association (NGPA), a group of pilots and allies who did advocacy work to build support within and acceptance of the LGBTQ aviation community across the world. There he found the support to build on that passion.

“The organization was a foundation and support network, both personally and professionally, helping me navigate my own coming out and helping me build the confidence to be my genuine self while at work,” he said. “It really provided the support, resources, contacts and networking opportunities I needed to land my dream job as a pilot for American Airlines.”

Now living his dream as a soon-to-be captain for the world’s largest airline, David is active in the pilot hiring and recruiting space, volunteering at NGPA events each year. He initially joined its board of directors as their youngest-ever board member and served as NGPA President from 2014 to 2020. During that time, he’s witnessed the industry, as well as the community, evolve. The NGPA has helped shepherd the way.

“NGPA was much smaller when it first started in the ’90s,” David said. “The NGPA’s first events consisted of just a few dozen members only using first names and identifying themselves by wearing an aviation-related shirt for fear of losing their airline jobs or military careers. The work the founding members did then was critical to the future of the organization and pilot career field. We’ve come a long way.”

During his stint as president, he helped lead the organization from a few hundred members with a $100,000 annual budget to several thousand members worldwide with $1.3 million in funding. In addition to the tremendous growth of the organization membership and finances, the NGPA has developed strong relationships with industry leaders, which gives its members the ability to provide scholarship awards throughout the year, in addition to hosting one of the largest industry expo events — the NGPA Winter Warm-Up.

“There’s no better way to give back to the aviation community than providing youth, students and professionals with the financial resources to fuel their dreams,” David added.

The NGPA also awards an annual scholarship in memory of American Airlines First Officer David Charlebois, an NGPA member whose life was taken during the Sept. 11 attacks.

At this year’s Winter Warm-up, American’s Pilot Recruiting team joined David and other American Airlines pilots, where they met with more than 400 quality pilot candidates and through the interview process, handed out various job offers on the spot.   

easyJet adds 90k seats across 26 routes from the UK for this summer

• 90,000 additional seats are now on sale from the UK to some of Europe’s most popular ski and beach destinations
• Brits looking for a last chance Easter ski break can take advantage of more seats now available to Geneva, Innsbruck, and Salzburg
• Flights are now available to book at easyJet.com and via the mobile app from just £20.99

Europe’s leading airline easyJet has put around 90,000 extra seats on sale to some of Europe’s most popular ski and beach destinations, delivering good news for Brits planning their Easter and summer getaways this year.  UK customers now have more flights from London Gatwick, London Luton, Bristol, Manchester, and Liverpool to choose from with low fares starting from just £22.99 to Geneva, £26.99 to Salzburg, £20.99 to Faro, and £25.99 to Alicante.

For families and friends looking to hit the slopes before the end of the season, 50,000 of the additional seats are on flights departing to a selection of popular ski destinations including Geneva, Grenoble, Lyon, Salzburg, and Sofia, from across a selection of UK airports, including over the Easter break.

Wizz Air recruiting cabin crew......dozens of open days......

Fancy the opportunity to build a career with one of the fastest-growing European low-cost airlines? 

WIZZ Air is currently expanding and looking for motivated candidates to become part of the WIZZ cabin crew team.

What does a WIZZ Flight attendant do?

✔️ Provides excellent customer service and creates a friendly atmosphere on board.

✔️ Properly executes the duties related to the safety of the aircraft and the passengers, while maintaining consistency with the highest ethical standards

✔️ Welcomes passengers with a smile and helps them during the flight

✔️ Manages in-flight sales and cash handling

✔️ Arrives at work on time, adequately rested, and properly presented in order to provide these services at the highest level

What can you expect?

✔️ A competitive salary

✔️ A colourful and stable job at a continuously developing company

✔️ Not just Colleagues, but Friends

✔️ Becoming fully pink-hearted to pursue further career possibilities at the company

✔️ Opportunities to explore the WIZZ destinations by yourself or with your friends/family in “out-of-office hours”, due to special discounts on flights & bonus airline tickets

✔️ A complete and free Cabin Crew training

✔️ Working according to a monthly published schedule

Latest open days:

Iberia to start Dallas, Washington DC, and San Francisco flights from the start of June

On the first day of June, the Spanish airline Iberia will make its debut flying to Washington DC and to Dallas Fort Worth, Texas from Madrid, while resuming its Madrid-San Francisco service, indicating the airline’s renewed focus on a market strong in both business and leisure travel.

The new destinations bring Iberia’s US total to nine, including Puerto Rico, and it also plans to increase frequencies to New York, Boston, and Los Angeles.

Madrid-Washington DC --Connecting Capital Cities

Iberia will operate four direct flights from Madrid to Washington DC, where European tourists can get close-up views of the White House and the Capitol and visit major monuments and museums.

The flights operate on Mondays. Wednesdays, Thursdays, and Saturdays are scheduled from 1 June until 29 October and will use Airbus A330-family aircraft. They will depart from Madrid at 12:10 pm hours, facilitating connections from other points in Spain and elsewhere in Europe.

Flight no.	From	To	Departs	Arrives*
IB6131	Madrid	Washington	12:10	15:15
IB6132	Washington	Madrid	16:45	06:30

*Times may be altered slightly from month to month.

Madrid-Dallas Fort Worth, a New Route for Iberia

Airbus and CFM International to pioneer hydrogen combustion technology

Airbus has signed a partnership agreement with CFM International, a 50/50 joint company between GE and Safran Aircraft Engines, to collaborate on a hydrogen demonstration programme that will take flight around the middle of this decade.   

The programme’s objective is to ground and flight test a direct combustion engine  fueled by hydrogen, in preparation for entry-into-service of a zero-emission aircraft by 2035. The demonstration will use a A380 flying testbed equipped with liquid hydrogen tanks prepared at Airbus facilities in France and Germany. Airbus will also define the hydrogen propulsion system requirements, oversee flight testing, and provide the A380 platform to test the hydrogen combustion engine in cruise phase. 

CFM International (CFM) will modify the combustor, fuel system, and control system of a GE Passport turbofan to run on hydrogen. The engine, which is assembled in the US, was selected for this program because of its physical size, advanced turbo machinery, and fuel flow capability. It will be mounted along the rear fuselage of the flying testbed to allow engine emissions, including contrails, to be monitored separately from those of the engines powering the aircraft. CFM will execute an extensive ground test program ahead of the A380 flight test.

“This is the most significant step undertaken at Airbus to usher in a new era of hydrogen-powered flight since the unveiling of our ZEROe concepts back in September 2020,” said Sabine Klauke, Airbus Chief Technical Officer. “By leveraging the expertise of American and European engine manufacturers to make progress on hydrogen combustion technology, this international partnership sends a clear message that our industry is committed to making zero-emission flight a reality.”

“Hydrogen combustion capability is one of the foundational technologies we are developing and maturing as part of the CFM RISE Program,” said Gaël Méheust, president & CEO of CFM. “Bringing together the collective capabilities and experience of CFM, our parent companies, and Airbus, we really do have the dream team in place to successfully demonstrate a hydrogen propulsion system.” 

CFM shares Airbus’ ambition of fulfilling the promise they made in signing the Air Transport Action Group goal in October 2021 to achieve aviation industry net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 by developing and testing the technology necessary to make zero emissions aircraft a reality within the ambitious timeline defined.

Airbus has a long-standing relationship with CFM and its parent companies, GE Aviation and Safran Aircraft Engines and, together, the partners have established a great track record of delivering high-performance products that meet the needs of airline customers.

More top stories you might be interested in.....

Follow this site here.

Iberia Introduces its "Talento a bordo" (Talent Aboard) Sports Team

"Talento a bordo" 

At its Madrid HQ Iberia has presented its “Talent Aboard Team”, comprising six male and six female athletes who are now in training with their sights set on the summer Olympic and Paralympic Games to be held in Paris in 2024. 

Some of them emerging talents, and others already champions, they are Spain’s leaders in some of the lesser known sporting events such as Taekwondo, Sports Climbing, and Open Water Swimming.

Iberia has pledged to support them in their efforts to reach Paris in two years’ time.

This support comes within the frameworks of the airline’s long-running Talento a bordo (“Talent Aboard”) programme, aimed at promoting and publicising Spanish culture abroad, and encompassing sports as well as art, fashion, cinema, design, and music. To date Iberia has backed more than 100 projects under the scheme, and the latest is to support these Spanish Olympic and Paralympic aspirants.

Iberia Team Members :-

Ferrovial snaps up 60% of Dalaman International Airport

Dalaman International Airport in Turkey has two terminals, one for international flights and the other for domestic operations. It can handle more than 20 million passengers per year, and its apron is large enough to accommodate at least 40 planes. Plus along with all the normal infrastructure, the airport also has a water treatment plant and is planning a renewable power plant on the site.

The airport's division of Ferrovial has agreed on a deal with the YDA Group, a Turkish infrastructure company to snap up 60% stake in the company that runs the holiday airport for €140million. 

“This is a unique opportunity to diversify our airport portfolio in an area that has become a fast-growing destination in Turkey for international tourism,” said Luke Bugeja, CEO of Ferrovial Airports. “YDA Group has extensive experience with building and operating infrastructures under the P3 formula in Turkey, making it the ideal partner for this project. Ferrovial continues to advance without losing sight of opportunities in our strategic markets.”

Passenger Terminal Today reported Hüseyin Arslan, chairman of YDA Group, as saying: “We are delighted to welcome Ferrovial as a partner. This strategic alliance represents a unique opportunity to bring together the combined expertise of both companies in the Turkish aviation sector.

More top stories you might be interested in.....

Follow this site here.

Airbus Asia Training Centre inaugurates fourth full flight A350 simulator

 The Airbus Asia Training Centre (AATC) has inaugurated its fourth A350 Full Flight Simulator (FFS). This sees AATC offer more A350 simulator capacity than any other training centre in the world. 

The addition also consolidates AATC’s position as the largest Airbus-operated flight crew training centre in the company’s global network, with two A320, two A330, one A380 and four A350 simulators. AATC also hosts one ATR 72-600 FFS.

The focus on the A330, A350 and A380 reflects the popularity of Airbus widebody aircraft in the Asia-Pacific region, with nearly 900 in service and around 220 currently on order for future delivery. 

AATC is a joint venture owned 55% by Airbus and 45% by Singapore Airlines (SIA). At almost 10,000 square meters in size, the facility at Seletar Aerospace Park is part of the Airbus Flight Training Network and serves the Asia-Pacific region and beyond. Since operations began in April 2016, AATC has successfully attracted 69 airline customers. AATC has the capacity to offer type rating and recurrent training courses for up to 10,000 trainees per year.

Heston Airlines chooses NAVBLUE for its aerodata and Flight Operations solutions

Heston Airlines, a newly established airline headquartered in Vilnius, Lithuania, has selected NAVBLUE for charting, Navigation+, Flysmart+, N-Ops & Crew and N-AODB to support its flight operations.

Thanks to these NAVBLUE state-of-the-art solutions, Heston Airlines’ pilots will now benefit from the most complete and accurate navigation information, enhancing the airline's efficiency and competitiveness.

Gediminas Smilgevicius – COO of Heston Airlines said: “We are impressed with the level of service and quality of support received from NAVBLUE during the implementation and day-to-day operations of NAVBLUE solutions. Being a new airline entering the global market, we came up with our specific needs and requests for the tailored solutions. Together with NAVBLUE we have found the answers to all of our questions and a solid package of various IT tools to satisfy our present and future needs.”

Briac Kerihuel, Chief Commercial Officer at NAVBLUE, said: “As a new airline, Heston has again enabled NAVBLUE to prove its extensive experience on understanding airlines unique needs, listening to the customer’s requirements and providing the most efficient and cost-saving solutions for their operations. We look forward to developing our partnership with Heston in the years to come.”

With Navigation+, Heston Airlines pilots will benefit from relevant aeronautical navigation information including enroute, airport and procedures, both for worldwide and regional coverage. Navigation+ holds the EASA and FAA certification and complies with all applicable industrial standards and regulations. This solution serves over 250 customers worldwide, from airlines and OEMs to any Aeronautical Services Providers.

Airbus signs ACT for Academy with King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang

Asst. Prof. Dr. Soemsak Yooyen, Dean of IAAT, KMITL and Valerie Manning, Senior Vice President, Airbus Training & Flight Operations Services

Airbus has signed its first agreement in Thailand for its maintenance training solution ‘Airbus Competence Training (ACT) for Academy’, with King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang.

The agreement demonstrates the role that Airbus, as a leading aircraft manufacturer, is playing in ensuring closer links between the academic world and the aviation industry.

‘ACT for Academy’ is a maintenance training software solution from Airbus Training Services that introduces students to the latest Airbus aircraft technology and maintenance procedures, in a classroom environment. The solution helps to prepare young aerospace students for a career in the aviation industry, equipping them with the necessary skills.

‘ACT for Academy’, which complements the basic aircraft maintenance training currently available in the curricula of King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang classes, is an operationally oriented, scenario-based tool focused on a ‘learning by doing’ approach. It includes: 

3D virtual Airbus aircraft, including virtual cockpit, virtual engines and a walk-around trainer;

Scenario-driven exercises to perform typical aircraft systems’ maintenance tasks; 

General familiarisation on Airbus aircraft courseware to present and explain the aircraft and its systems.

By working on real case scenarios, students not only gain first-hand knowledge and expertise, they also become more ‘operational ready’, hence more attractive for future employers.

“We are honoured to be the first institution of higher learning in Thailand to partner with Airbus to create industry-relevant and authentic learning experiences for our students. With the ACT for Academy training solution, our students will gain an edge, having first-hand knowledge and expertise of Airbus aircraft. This equips them with ‘work-ready’ skills to meet the changing demands of the aviation industry,” said Asst. Prof. Dr. Soemsak Yooyen, Dean of International Academy of Aviation Industry, King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang.

“The partnership with King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang in Thailand is a milestone as we expand our training solutions into the Southeast Asia region. With Asia-Pacific forecast to see the highest rate of growth in the aviation sector, ACT for Academy will no doubt be a key component in the training of new technicians and engineers to service new aircraft, said Valerie Manning, Senior Vice President, Airbus Training & Flight Operations Services.

More top stories you might be interested in.....

Follow this site here.

miDiagnostics ultra-fast COVID-19 PCR Test succeeds in Brussels Airport pilot study

miDiagnostics, a fast-growing POC diagnostics company backed by Belgian Family Offices, announces the success of the Brussels Airport pilot study for its ultra-fast COVID-19 PCR Test. This test is the first of many applications for miDiagnostics’ disruptive technology, licensed from imec (Leuven, Belgium) and developed in close collaboration with Johns Hopkins University. 

The study confirms that the test can perform rapid and high-quality diagnostics on the spot in a real-life setting, providing travellers with an accurate PCR test result within half an hour.

Brussels Airport Pilot Study Results

The study was conducted in close cooperation with Brussels Airport Company, Ecolog (a leading global provider of COVID-19 screening and diagnostics and related infrastructure), and Eurofins Labo Van Poucke (the clinical diagnostics partner performing the standard PCR test as a benchmark). Starting in October 2021, departing or arriving passengers at Brussels Airport requiring a PCR test were given the option of additionally completing the miDiagnostics rapid test, with results of the two then compared. Close to 600 passengers participated in the study over the course of 2 months. The study supported previous clinical studies demonstrating the accuracy of the miDiagnostics PCR test results.

The aim of the pilot study was also to assess the turnaround time in a real-life setting, and to optimize the workflow for a future rollout. In the laboratory, conventional PCR tests have a turnaround time of anywhere between 3 hours (for the fast procedure) and 12 to 48 hours, whereas the miDiagnostics’ ultra-fast PCR test requires less than 20 minutes for a result. This ultra-fast, nevertheless very accurate result is possible through miniaturization of the RT-qPCR process, with silicon technology at the heart of this innovation. The workflow from passenger registration and sampling (performed by Ecolog) all the way to reporting a test result was streamlined to provide a result within half an hour from passenger registration.

UK's Aviation Minister visits London City Airport for opening of electric car charging stations

Aviation Minister Welcomes London City’s Electric Car Charging Commitment

Three rapid and four fast chargers can now be used by passengers, black cabs and airport staff

New investment, installed by UK Power Networks Services and supported by BP Pulse, part of the airport’s drive to increase the number of sustainable journeys to and from London City

Builds on 2021’s partnership with Tusker to encourage staff to purchase electric vehicles

London City Airport has opened its first electric car charging stations.

London City Airport, which has the best record in the UK for sustainable journeys to and from an airport, is initially offering seven new charging stations for use by its passengers, staff and black cab community.

The airport wants to play its part in encouraging the uptake of electric car journeys across London and anticipates adding more stations as passenger figures rebound, as more people switch to electric cars.

The initial instalment will include three 50kW rapid and four 22kW fast charging points, of which one 50kW charger will be specially designated for use by the local black cab community. The remaining rapid and fast chargers will be located in the airport’s car parks and will be available to passengers, staff and minicabs.

The installation was undertaken by UK Power Networks Services, who manage the private electricity network of London City Airport.

The service will be provided by BP Pulse and a rapid charge for passengers will cost 30p per kWh, with payment possible either by credit card or via the BP Pulse app.

To promote sustainable journeys and make electric cars more affordable, a salary sacrifice finance scheme was offered to all London City Airport staff late last year, in partnership with Tusker. This will continue to be offered to new starters as the airport plans for a recruitment drive throughout 2022.