Category: Manufacturing & Assembly News (Page 4 of 51)

Saab receives Boeing order to produce T-7A fuselage systems

January 23, 2024 / WIL BALDWIN

Saab has received an award from Boeing to produce T-7A aft fuselage systems. The order value for Saab is USD 101.7 million (approximately SEK 1 billion) and the order was booked in the fourth quarter 2023.

The T-7A aft fuselage systems will be produced at Saab’s advanced manufacturing facility in West Lafayette, Indiana.

The order from Boeing comes after the first two T-7A Red Hawks successfully arrived at U.S. Air Force bases for developmental flight tests. The first T-7A went to Edwards Air Force Base and the second went to Eglin Air Force Base.

Airbus Helicopters sign services contract with Heligo for H145 fleet

January 22, 2024 / WIL BALDWIN

Hyderabad, India, January, 2024 – Airbus Group SE (Paris: AIR) has signed an HCare Initial contract, a comprehensive by-the-hour services contract with Heligo Charter Private Limited for six Airbus H145 helicopters deployed for offshore and onshore operations in India.

Under this five-year contract, Heligo will benefit from Airbus’ HCare Initial program, which will give the operator the freedom to replace scheduled and unscheduled components within 24 hours and pay a fixed rate per hour of helicopter flown. This will help Heligo to bring down their maintenance costs and the need to keep a regular inventory, thereby providing them with enhanced fleet availability for streamlined operations.

The H145 is the latest member of the company’s twin-engine rotorcraft product range – with designed-in mission capability and flexibility, especially in high and hot operating conditions. Compact in size, this helicopter’s small footprint and large, flexible cabin enables maneuvering in complex environments, such as oil and gas helidecks.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release may contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including expected delivery dates. Such statements are based on current expectations and projections about our future results, prospects and opportunities and are not guarantees of future performance. Such statements will not be updated unless required by law. Actual results and performance may differ materially from those expressed or forecasted in forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including those discussed in our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Lockheed Martin delivers first C-130J-30 Super Hercules to the Georgia Air National Guard

January 22, 2024 / WIL BALDWIN

Marietta, Georgia, January 22, 2024, PRNewswire – Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) delivered the first of eight C-130J-30 Super Hercules tactical airlifters to the Georgia Air National Guard during a ceremony today, commemorating a new era in Hercules operations for this longtime C-130 Hercules operator.

The 165th Airlift Wing, the first C-130 operator in the state of Georgia, received its initial Hercules in 1975 and has operated several variants over the years. The Savannah-based unit will now operate the C-130J-30 Super Hercules, which offers unprecedented power, space, integration and versatility.

This delivery marks the first U.S. Air Force C-130J-30 aircraft to receive the Block 8.1 configuration during its initial production. The Block 8.1 configuration improves interoperability across the fleet with features such as a new flight management system, enhanced navigation and inter-communication systems and updated friend-or-foe identification.

Forward-Looking Statements

Airbus and Air India to launch pilot training center

January 22, 2024 / WIL BALDWIN

Hyderabad, Telangana, India, January, 2024 – Delivering on its commitment to ‘Skill India’, Airbus Group SE (Paris: AIR) has entered into a 50:50 joint venture with the Tata-owned Air India to launch a world-class pilot training centre in Gurugram, Haryana. The Tata Airbus Training Center will offer A320 and A350 flight training to some 5,000 new pilots over 10 years. The sprawling 3,300 sq.mt. centre will be equipped with 10 Full Flight Simulators (FFS), flight training classrooms and briefing and debriefing rooms as part of the complete Airbus Flight Training Device setup.

The training centre is due to be operational starting early 2025 with the initial installation of four A320 FFS. The Tata Airbus Training Centre will offer courses approved by Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) and European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).

Airbus has also partnered with GMR Aero Technic to offer Aircraft Maintenance Engineering training courses at the latter’s facility in Hyderabad. Airbus will provide training material such as trainee handbooks, examination database, online access to Airbus customised training modules and Airbus Competence Training (ACT) for Academy media package. Airbus will also train GMR instructors and provide continual assessment of the training center.

Forward-Looking Statements

Pratt & Whitney Canada unveils mobile charging for hybrid-electric flight

January 22, 2024 / WIL BALDWIN

Longueuil, Quebec, Canada, January 22, 2024, PRNewswire – Pratt & Whitney Canada today announced the development of an advanced mobile charging unit (MCU) capable of charging high-power batteries at up to 1500 volts, making it compatible with Megawatt Charging System standards the industry is advancing for high voltage power applications. Pratt & Whitney is an RTX (NYSE: RTX) business.

The MCU was developed in collaboration with the National Research Council of Canada (NRC) and the Innovative Vehicle Institute (IVI) as part of the RTX hybrid-electric flight demonstrator project.

The MCU is assembled from commercially available components and can deliver up to 280 kW and 1500 volts. In collaboration with IVI, Pratt & Whitney Canada developed a distributed control and protection strategy. The NRC focused on the hardware design, assembly, testing and delivery of two charger units, which will be used on the hybrid-electric flight demonstrator project. The charger’s bidirectional capability enables it to both charge and discharge batteries, which creates opportunities to recycle unused energy back into the electrical grid.

Forward-Looking Statements

Akasa Air orders 150 more Boeing 737 MAX aircraft

January 19, 2024 / WIL BALDWIN

Hyderabad, India, January 18, 2024 – Boeing (NYSE: BA) and Akasa Air announced today the Indian carrier has placed a follow-on 737 MAX order, confirming 150 more fuel-efficient jets in its order book. The purchase of 737-10 airplanes and additional 737-8-200 jets by India’s all-737 operator was revealed at the Wings India 2024 airshow.

Akasa Air will leverage the 737 MAX family to expand its domestic and international network in the coming years. Since launching operations in 2022, the airline has captured approximately 4% of India’s domestic market, serving 18 destinations with a fleet of 22 737 MAX jets. Both 737 MAX variants will provide Akasa Air with added capacity and range on new and existing routes, while reducing fuel use and carbon emissions by 20% compared to older-generation airplanes.

As Akasa Air looks to expand its network in India and South Asia, Boeing’s 2023 Commercial Market outlook forecasts delivery of 2,705 new commercial airplanes over the next 20 years for the region, of which nearly 90% will be single-aisle jets. This order finalized in December 2023 and was unidentified on the Boeing Orders & Deliveries website.

Forward-Looking Statements

Lufthansa launches direct flights from Hyderabad to Frankfurt

January 19, 2024 / WIL BALDWIN

Furthering its commitment to India and enhancing its presence on the subcontinent, Deutsche Lufthansa AG (Xetra: LHAG) German Airlines is pleased to announce direct services from Hyderabad, capital of the Indian state of Telangana and Frankfurt, Germany.

Once known as the City of Pearls due to its historical significance in the pearl and diamond trade, Hyderabad has long been a hub for merchants and traders from all over the world. Today, Hyderabad is India’s 4th largest city, an emerging technological, aerospace and Indian pharma hub, with a strong presence of major multinational companies including Google & Microsoft as well as Boeing & Airbus. As a growing capital city in a prosperous state, both Hyderabad and the State of Telangana have contributed to the economic success of India today. An investment hub as well as a centre for innovation, Hyderabad combines the old-world charm of its rich history with the dynamism of 21st century India.

As the leading European carrier in India, Lufthansa now operates direct connections from Germany to 5 destinations in the country with Hyderabad-Frankfurt being the latest addition to its global network. As the fastest growing major market for Lufthansa globally, capacity growth in India exceeds pre-pandemic levels.

Forward-Looking Statements

MD Helicopters announce record orders for 2023

January 18, 2024 / WIL BALDWIN

Mesa, Arizona, January, 2024 – MD Helicopters, LLC (MDH) proudly announces record orders for the fiscal year 2023. The company experienced an increase in demand, resulting in the highest number of annual orders since 2008. MD Helicopters credits this accomplishment to its renewed commitment to customer satisfaction, enhancing aftermarket services, and striving for excellence in both the military and commercial sectors. The company’s focus and unwavering dedication to providing top-tier products and services have resonated with customers worldwide and across various markets, resulting in the substantial growth observed in 2023.

Among the key contributing factors to this success are significantly improving customer support, increased investment in direct communications with customers, enhancing manufacturing efficiencies, ensuring in-stock spares availability, and maintaining healthy supplier relationships. This strategic approach has not only strengthened MDH’s market position but has solidified its reputation as a rotorcraft industry leader.

In addition to the Nigerian Federal Government (12 aircraft) announced earlier this year, recent commercial transactions involved MD 530Fs designated for multi-use missions. These additions include VIP aircraft sales, featuring an expansion to the Clemens Aviation fleet, procurement by the United States Department of Agriculture for agricultural missions, and fulfilling various utility needs, such as those of WCF Aerospace, representing Skydance Helicopters that specializes in power and utility services, amongst others. MDH is actively pursuing a well-rounded approach, emphasizing both military and commercial sales and showcasing the positive impacts of the company’s recent changes.

HEINEKEN picks Siemens for decarbonization program

January 16, 2024 / WIL BALDWIN

HEINEKEN, the world’s most international brewer, has selected Siemens as a partner for its global Net Zero Production roadmap, as part of HEINEKEN’s ambitions to reach net zero in Scopes 1 and 2 across all production sites by 2030.*

Siemens and HEINEKEN will work together on a long-term decarbonization program which will see Siemens implementing solutions and services from its Siemens Xcelerator portfolio, to reduce energy usage at more than 15 HEINEKEN beer and malt production sites, spanning facilities across Asia-Pacific, the Americas and Europe. Additional sites will be added in a second phase.

HEINEKEN and Siemens collaborated on an initial project of consulting, auditing, and advisory services, using an energy digital twin to simulate and analyze a typical HEINEKEN brewery in the virtual world, identifying where significant energy savings could be made. The simulation showed approximately 70 percent of energy use was linked to the generation of heating and cooling necessary for the brewing process. By optimizing and monitoring these cooling and heating systems through an end-to-end program, Siemens estimates energy savings of between 15-20 percent at each site, and an average CO2 reduction of 50 percent at each site.

Embraer delivers Ipanema agricultural airplane number 1,600

January 15, 2024 / WIL BALDWIN

Botucatu, Brazil, January 15, 2024 — Embraer SA (ADR-NYSE: ERJ) Agricultural Aviation Division delivered 65 Ipanema airplanes in 2023, an increase of 18% compared to the previous year. As a result, in December, the company reached the milestone of 1,600 units produced and delivered over the aircraft’s five decades of uninterrupted production.

Since the launch of the new version of the EMB-203 model in 2020, the company has seen continuous growth in sales and plans to increase production to 70 planes this year.

As the leader in the Brazilian aerial applications market, the Ipanema brings innovations and improvements that increase robustness with low operating costs and carbon emissions. The Ipanema is the only agricultural airplane certified and produced in series to fly on ethanol, a renewable energy source that provides increased power to the aircraft’s engine.

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