Category: Avionics (Page 3 of 43)

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

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.

Malaysia Aviation Group to add 12 Aircraft in 2024

January 28, 2024 / WIL BALDWIN

Sepang, Selanger, Malasia, January 29, 2024 – As part of its ongoing fleet modernisation plan, Malaysia Aviation Group (MAG) is set to induct 12 new aircraft in 2024, including its first Airbus 330-900 (A330neo) which is scheduled to arrive in the third quarter of 2024. The Group is looking to receive four of the new aircraft type this year, alongside eight Boeing 737-8 aircraft to support its network growth requirements.

In August 2022, MAG signed Memorandum of Understandings (MOU) with Airbus, Rolls-Royce and Avolon for the acquisition of 20 A330neo aircraft which are scheduled to be delivered through 2028. 10 of the aircraft are directly purchased from Airbus with a back-to-back sale and leaseback arrangement with Avolon, while the remaining 10 are leased directly from Avolon. The acquisition underscores the Group’s steadfast commitment as it seeks to provide modernity and elevate the standards of its service offerings, while ensuring that it can support the post-pandemic growth of the aviation industry.

With the introduction of these new seats, Malaysia Airlines is poised to become the flagship carrier in the world to feature the Elevation seats on the A330 airframe. The A330neo will comprise of 297 seats (28 in Business Class and 269 in Economy Class, of which 24 seats come with extra legroom).

Airbus and Tata to set up first helicopter Final Assembly Line in India

January 26, 2024 / WIL BALDWIN

New Delhi, India, January 26, 2024 – In a major boost to ‘Make in India’, Airbus Group SE (Paris: AIR) Helicopters has announced that it is partnering with the Tata Group to establish a Final Assembly Line (FAL) for helicopters in the country. The FAL will produce Airbus’ best-selling H125 helicopter from its civil range for India and export to some of the neighbouring countries.

The FAL will be the first instance of the private sector setting up a helicopter manufacturing facility in India, providing a major boost to the Government of India’s ‘AatmaNirbhar Bharat’ (self-reliant India) programme. Under this partnership, Tata Advanced Systems Limited (TASL), a subsidiary of Tata Group, will set up the facility along with Airbus Helicopters.

The announcement was made during the two-day visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to India as Chief Guest at the Republic Day celebrations on January 26.

The FAL in India will undertake the integration of the major component assemblies, avionics and mission systems, installation of electrical harnesses, hydraulic circuits, flight controls, dynamic components, fuel system and the engine. It will also do testing, qualification, and delivery of the H125 to customers in India and the region. The FAL will take 24 months to set up and deliveries of the first ‘Made in India’ H125s are expected to commence in 2026. The location of the FAL will be jointly decided by Airbus and the Tata Group.

Forward-Looking Statements

Archer Aviation and NASA sign Space Act Agreement on EVTOL Technology

January 24, 2024 / WIL BALDWIN

New York City, January, 2024 – Archer Aviation Inc. (NYSE: ACHR), a leader in electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, today announced it has signed a Space Act Agreement with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). The collaboration will kick off with an initial project focused on studying high-performance battery cells and safety testing targeted for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) and space applications.

Archer believes that while the supply chain for electric vehicles in the U.S. is maturing, the supply chain for electric aircraft remains nascent not just here in the U.S., but globally, so this testing will help push progress forward. NASA’s goal is to test Archer’s battery cell and system design and share the results to push the entire AAM industry forward. Maturing battery technology is anticipated to be a key enabling factor for the mass production and adoption of electric aviation.

Archer plans to deliver a high-performing battery pack with leading levels of safety to its Midnight electric air taxi, validating that these cells are tailor made for aerospace applications, including electric vertical take off and landing (eVTOL), electric conventional take off and landing (eCTOL) aircraft and potential usage in space.

Forward-Looking Statements

Lufthansa equips more short and medium haul aircraft with broadband Internet

January 24, 2024 / WIL BALDWIN

Chat with your loved ones at an altitude of 10,000 meters, shop online while travelling or use the company VPN above the clouds without limits: In future, all passengers travelling on European routes will have the reliable option of using Wi-Fi on board. Deutsche Lufthansa AG (Xetra: LHAG) will therefore continue to equip its short and medium-haul aircraft with broadband Internet on three of its airlines this year. The plan is to fully equip all aircraft in the Airbus A220/320 family (A220, A319, A320ceo, A320neo, A321ceo, A321neo) operated by Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines and now also SWISS, in total more than 150 aircraft.

The installation of the system will begin at all airlines from the fourth quarter of 2024 and will be completed after around two years. After Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines and Eurowings, SWISS will thus be the next airline in the Lufthansa Group to introduce in-flight internet for its passengers on short- and medium-haul aircraft. Lufthansa, Austrian Airlines and Eurowings have been offering their passengers broadband internet on many short- and medium-haul flights since 2017.

New is that Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines are now offering their guests unlimited free messaging on aircraft already equipped with internet access. Travellers can send and receive as many messages as they like on their own smartphone or tablet free of charge during the flight. The prerequisite for using this service is logging into FlyNet with a Miles & More service card number or with an e-mail address registered with the Lufthansa Group Travel ID. For all other onboard Internet packages, such as the faster Premium access, now available from just six euros, the price was reduced by almost 50 per cent at the beginning of the year.

The use of the Lufthansa Group Airlines apps and many services in the FlyNet portal of Lufthansa and Austrian Airlines, in the Wings Connect portal of Eurowings and in future also in the SWISS Connect portal are generally free of charge in all Airbus A220/A320 aircraft equipped with broadband Internet. Depending on the airline, guests can follow their flight live on the moving map, for example, receive information on connecting flights, use the chat assistant for service questions, download e-journals, browse the Worldshop or view the onboard menu.

Forward-Looking Statements

Sierra Space advances its Commercial Space Station Technology

January 23, 2024 / WIL BALDWIN

Louisville, Colorado, January 22, 2024 – Sierra Space, a leading commercial space company building the first end-to-end business and technology platform in space, has achieved a groundbreaking milestone by successfully designing, manufacturing, assembling and testing its first full-scale, expandable space station structure, alongside exclusive softgoods technology partner ILC Dover.

By the Numbers:

Company’s first stress test of a full-size, inflatable space station structure
Test unit stood over 20’ tall and was comparable in size to an average family home
The article was 300 m³ in volume, or 1/3^rd the volume of the Intl. Space Station
Test results exceeded NASA’s recommended x4 safety levels by 27%

The pressure shell for Sierra Space’s LIFE™ (Large Integrated Flexible Environment) habitat is made of expandable “softgoods,” or woven fabrics that perform like a rigid structure once inflated. During an Ultimate Burst Pressure (UBP) test, the teams inflate the test article until it fails, which helps determine how strong its softgoods materials would be under extreme stresses in the harsh environment of space. The full-scale unit in this test reached 77 psi before it burst, which well exceeds (+27%) NASA’s recommended level of 60.8 psi (maximum operating pressure of 15.2 psi multiplied by a safety factor of four).

Joby to install first electric air taxi charger in New York City region

January 23, 2024 / WIL BALDWIN

Santa Cruz, CA, Jan 23, 2024 — Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE: JOBY), a company developing electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for commercial passenger service, today announced it has signed a definitive agreement with Helo Holdings, Inc., (“HHI”), to install the first air taxi charger in the greater New York City region at the company’s heliport in Kearny, New Jersey, located just a two minute flight from Manhattan.

The agreement, which provides Joby with an operational base for its electric air taxi in the NYC region, builds on the partnership already established between Joby and HHI in November 2023, when Kearny served as a temporary home base for Joby’s aircraft. Joby completed several flights at Kearny in preparation for the Company’s exhibition flight in New York City at an event hosted by the New York City Economic Development Corporation and Mayor Eric Adams. The city has committed to electrify the Downtown Manhattan Heliport to enable electric air taxi operations.

First opened in 2011, the Kearny heliport is the largest vertical-lift facility on the east coast with 27 parking spots for helicopters and plans to expand to 32. The heliport provides ground services as well as hangar space for maintenance operations to helicopter operators in the NYC region, one of the busiest low-altitude corridors in the world.

As part of the agreement, HHI will upgrade its electrical infrastructure to support the installation of Joby’s Global Electric Aviation Charging System (“GEACS”), designed to support the safe and efficient operation of all electric aircraft under development today, including Joby’s quiet, emissions-free air taxi.

Forward-Looking Statements

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

Southwest Airlines pilots approve new contract

January 22, 2024 / WIL BALDWIN

Dallas, Texas, January 22, 2024 – Southwest Airlines Co. (NYSE: LUV) announced today its Pilots, represented by the Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA), overwhelmingly approved a new collective bargaining agreement.

The five-year agreement covers nearly 11,000 Southwest® Pilots, and provides them with industry-leading compensation, modified scheduling practices, and quality-of-life enhancements, including paid maternity and parental leave, with an opportunity for an additional extended bonding leave. In addition, the contract maintains Southwest’s operational advantages, including a new process for recovering our Pilot network, if needed.

Since October 2022, nine union-represented workgroups have ratified new agreements:

Appearance Technicians
Customer Service Agents, Customer Representatives, and Source of Support Representatives
Dispatchers
Facilities Maintenance Technicians
Flight Instructors
Material Specialists
Mechanics and Related Employees
Meteorologists
Pilots

Southwest remains in negotiations with two union-represented workgroups and is committed to reaching agreements that reward those Employees for their Southwest contributions.

Forward-Looking Statements

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