Category: Airplane News (Page 2 of 91)

Hinterland Aviation picks Cessna Skycourier for fleet expansion

February 19, 2024 / WIL BALDWIN

Wichita, Kansas, January 19, 2024, Business Wire – Textron Aviation (NYSE: TXT) today announced a purchase agreement for the first Cessna SkyCourier passenger variant in Australia to regional airline Hinterland Aviation. The aircraft, expected to deliver in 2026, will add to Hinterland’s expansive fleet of Cessna Grand Caravans to provide a greater payload capacity and increased passenger seating. This fleet expansion will greatly benefit remote communities, as well as the tourism and business sectors in Queensland.

The Cessna SkyCourier is meticulously designed to deliver unparalleled performance, unwavering reliability and cost-effective maintenance. With the ability to be operated by a single pilot and a generous payload capacity, the SkyCourier is the ultimate solution for air freight, passenger and special mission needs. The aircraft is highly adaptable and can effortlessly adjust configurations to effectively complete any mission, ensuring a significant return on investment.

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.

Southwest Airlines expand technical operations facility In Phoenix

February 19, 2024 / WIL BALDWIN

Dallas, Texas, February, 2024 – Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) is celebrating the completion of a multi-year, $100 million project, which nearly doubles the size of the airline’s maintenance hangar at Phoenix Sky Harbor. The 90,000-square foot expansion adds three new aircraft bays to the facility, allowing the airline to work on up to five aircraft simultaneously and brings more maintenance shops to support the nearly 500 Southwest® Technical Operations Employees based at Sky Harbor. The project also included a larger facility for members of the airline’s Provisioning and Ground Support Equipment Maintenance Teams that opened in 2020.

The expanded hangar has also achieved Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Silver certification. The expansion incorporated sustainable design features including the use of recycled content in over 30% of the building materials; the installation of high-reflectance roof and surrounding paving materials to reduce heat island effect; and the selection of building products from manufacturers with verified environmental performance.

Southwest Airlines® first opened a Technical Operations base at Sky Harbor in 1986. In 1993, the airline moved into a new maintenance hangar facility to support its growth throughout the western half of the United States. Today, the carrier’s Phoenix-based Technical Operations Teams accept new aircraft deliveries to prepare them to enter revenue service and maintain aircraft as part of daily and scheduled maintenance programs.

In addition to Phoenix, Southwest operates hangar facilities in Atlanta, Chicago (Midway), Dallas (Love Field), Denver, Houston (Hobby), and Orlando. Construction is underway on a new hangar facility at Baltimore/Washington International Airport, which is anticipated to open in 2025.

Forward-Looking Statements

Pratt & Whitney expands site at Eagle Services Asia facility in Singapore

February 19, 2024 / WIL BALDWIN

Singapore, February 19, 2024, PRNewswire – (Singapore Airshow) Pratt & Whitney, an RTX (NYSE: RTX) business, today announced the official opening of a 48,000 square-foot expansion of its Singapore based engine center, Eagle Services Asia (ESA). The facility will grow its GTF capacity by two-thirds this year.

The transformative technology insertion applied across both ESA sites integrates robotics, automation and machine learning to increase efficiency, lower stress on machine operators and increase safety for key MRO processes.

These innovations include fully automated high-pressure compressor (HPC) rotor stacking, a Receive-in-Check Cobot that augments the work done by human inspectors and a robotic arm to install and remove HPC bearing sleeves.

ESA, a joint venture between SIA Engineering Company and Pratt & Whitney, is a member of the Pratt & Whitney GTF™ MRO network. Since introducing GTF MRO capability in 2019, the facility has already completed over 500 GTF engine overhauls.

Forward-Looking Statements

AMSL Aero welcomes government support for vertiia aircraft to fight bushfires

February 19, 2024 / WIL BALDWIN

Sydney, Australia, February 19, 2024 – Australian zero emission aircraft designer and manufacturer AMSL Aero today welcomes the Australian Government’s move to back the development of its zero-emission aircraft Vertiia to fight bushfires autonomously in an effective, efficient way that keeps firefighters safer and enables nighttime firefighting.

AMSL Aero will use the A$3 million in funding from the Cooperative Research Centres’ Projects program to develop a remotely piloted version of Vertiia, the world’s most efficient long range zero emissions electric Vertical Take Off and Landing (VTOL) aircraft, that is capable of effectively spraying preventative fire retardant and dropping hundreds of litres of water.

AMSL Aero will work with its partners to develop a method of operating autonomous remotely piloted VTOLs for aerial firefighting, modify a prototype Vertiia for use as zero emissions low-cost firefighting aircraft, meet regulatory requirements, and test the aircraft in regional Australia. Its partners on the project are The University of Sydney, leading robotics company Mission Systems and Australian firefighting aviation operator Pay’s Air Service, which conducts firefighting operations in Australia and Europe every year, including in Greece, where it recently fought fires for NATO.

RTX Pratt & Whitney receives $355 million F100 engine sustainment contract

February 13, 2024 / WIL BALDWIN

East Hartford, Connecticut, February 13, 2024, PRNewswire – Pratt & Whitney, an RTX (NYSE: RTX) business, was awarded an F100 engine performance-based logistics (PBL) sustainment contract by South Korea’s Defense Acquisition Program Administration (DAPA). This contract, with a base value of $355 million, is the third consecutive PBL contract Pratt & Whitney and DAPA have signed since 2012, offering on-going maintenance support for the Republic of Korea Air Force’s (ROKAF) F-15 Eagles and F-16 Fighting Falcons.

This contract is the latest initiative in an enduring partnership between Pratt & Whitney, DAPA and ROKAF, and it will support more efficient depot planning and improve overall fleet readiness through long-term material forecasting. Sustainment work began in December of 2023 and will run through the second half of 2027.

Forward-Looking Statements

BAE Systems acquires Malloy Aeronautics

February 3, 2024 / WIL BALDWIN

BAE Systems has acquired Malloy Aeronautics – a leading company in innovative heavy lift drone and aeronautical technologies. Malloy Aeronautics designs and supplies all-electric uncrewed aerial systems (UAS) to both civil and military customers. Their range of uncrewed, heavy lift quadcopters are capable of lifting payloads from 68kg to 300kg over short to medium range missions.

These platforms offer interchangeable capabilities and greater flexibility at a fraction of the cost and time of more traditional methods, whilst minimising risk to more expensive assets and human life. Malloy’s approximately 80 strong workforce will continue to operate from its site in Berkshire, supporting its existing customers. BAE Systems and Malloy, who have been working together in advancing cutting-edge UAS solutions since 2021, will further develop Malloy’s existing portfolio and accelerate new and novel technologies to customers worldwide.

BAE Systems and Malloy Aeronautics engineers have been collaborating to develop the 300kg T-650 all-electric ‘heavy lift’ UAS as a potential new solution to deliver cost-effective, sustainable rapid response capability to military, security and civilian customers.

Maersk and Air Cargo News highlight global trends in 2024 air cargo market

February 2, 2024 / WIL BALDWIN

The air cargo sector is undergoing a demand slowdown due to global macroeconomic conditions. Post-Covid normalisation as well as global geopolitical crises, most notably in the form of military conflicts, have been the root cause.

Looking ahead, there is little confidence that this situation will improve drastically in the near term. This is partly due to rising interest rates and the termination of key government support programmes.

With customer demands getting more nuanced, a high level of flexibility seems to be the need of the hour. Air freight operators need to be nimble and provide solutions that lower operating costs and save time.

Here’s a quick fly-by of air cargo trends in 2024…

Click here to read the full story!

Ryanair agrees on new partnership deal with OTA kiwi.com

January 29, 2024 / WIL BALDWIN

KIWI GUARANTEE NO OVERCHARGING FOR RYANAIR FLIGHTS/ANCILLARIES

Following the recent approved partnership between Ryanair Holdings PLC (Ireland: RYA) and OTA, loveholidays.com. Ryanair today (Monday, January 29) announced a new partnership agreement with approved OTA, Kiwi.com, which guarantees that Kiwi will now have direct access to the Ryanair.com website without screenscraping, and Kiwi agree to provide their customers with low Ryanair prices for flights and ancillaries, and will see Kiwi provide the direct accurate customer contact and payment details to Ryanair.

This new approved OTA deal means that Kiwi customers can now buy Ryanair flights/ancillaries at real prices (without mark-ups) via the Kiwi.com website, and Kiwi customers will have direct access to their myRyanair account and will receive all Ryanair flight info directly to their email from Ryanair. Kiwi customers will no longer need to complete Ryanair’s customer verification process which unauthorised OTA Pirates’ customers must continue to do.

In addition to these benefits, this deal also allows customers to enjoy Kiwi virtual interline service which allows customers to book connecting flights, but if they miss their connection flight, Kiwi will reaccommodate passengers free of charge on the next available flight.

Ryanair has long campaigned for all consumers to be protected from OTA Pirate overcharges and pricing scams, and an end to fake customer contact and payment info. This approved OTA partnership with Kiwi demonstrates how OTAs can work with Ryanair in a transparent way that eliminates the need for anti-consumer practices while giving Kiwi.com passengers direct access to Ryanair’s low prices with no overcharges or price scams.

Forward-Looking Statements

Lockheed Martin delivers 75th APY-9 radar for E-2D Advanced Hawkeye

January 29, 2024 / WIL BALDWIN

Syracuse, New York, January 29, 2024 – Lockheed Martin Corporation (NYSE: LMT), under contract to Northrop Grumman for the U.S. Navy’s E-2D Advanced Hawkeye, has delivered the 75^th APY-9 radar that provides the U.S. Navy with information dominance through revolutionary sensor capability. More Hawkeyes have been built and delivered than any other AEW platform in the world.

The newest Advanced Hawkeye variant is at the forefront of technological capability, due in large part to Lockheed Martin’s APY-9 radar. The Northrop Grumman-built E-2 has come to be known as the U.S. Navy’s “eyes of the fleet” because of its ability to simultaneously watch over air, land and sea. Any time a Navy carrier has aircraft airborne, there is an APY-9 radar at work, guarding the United States and its allies.

On Time and On Task

The U.S. Navy has funded 80 out of 86 aircraft in the current program of record. Japan has purchased 18 E-2D Hawkeyes and France has purchased three. With U.S. and international demand, the APY-9 is expected to be in production into the late 2020’s, and in modernization and sustainment well into the 2040’s.

Click the link below to read the full press release!

Lockheed Martin APY-9 Radar

Forward-Looking Statements

Eve announces list of eVTOL suppliers

January 29, 2024 / WIL BALDWIN

Melbourne, Florida, January 29, 2024 – Eve Air Mobility (NYSE: EVEX) has named four additional suppliers for its electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft. Thales will supply a proven air data solution, comprising sensors and a computer while Honeywell (NYSE: HON) will supply guidance, navigation and external lighting for the aircraft. RECARO Aircraft Seating will supply the eVTOL’s seats and FACC will supply the horizontal and vertical tail including the rudder and elevator.

Honeywell will supply guidance and navigation products including magnetometers, GPS-aided attitude & heading reference systems, and inertial reference systems built upon decades of engineering and manufacturing experience. These systems will relay and aid the pilots and other onboard systems to ensure safe and efficient flight. The company will also supply external lighting for the aircraft.

Thales will supply a proven air data solution, comprising sensors and computer, which gather critical data such as airspeed, altitude and environmental conditions. The solution then relays the information to pilots and onboard systems to ensure safe and efficient flight in all weather conditions.

RECARO Aircraft Seating, a global supplier of premium aircraft seats for airlines, OEMs and eVTOL aircraft, was selected to design, certify and produce the four passenger seats and one pilot seat for the aircraft. RECARO is widely recognized for product innovation, award-winning customer service and commitment to reliability, efficiency and sustainable practices.

FACC was selected to lead the development and production of the eVTOL’s horizontal and vertical tail including its rudder, elevator and the aircraft’s aileron. FACC is recognized for its production of lightweight components relying on innovative manufacturing techniques and technology.

These new suppliers are in addition to Garmin (NYSE: GRMN), Liebherr Aerospace and Intergalactic that were announced in October and Nidec Aerospace LLC, a joint venture between Japan’s Nidec Corporation and Brazil’s Embraer SA (B3: EMBR3), BAE Systems PLC (London: BAES) and DUC Hélices Propellers which were announced at the Paris Air Show this past summer.

Forward-Looking Statements

Here’s a quick fly-by of air cargo trends in 2024…

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