Tag: Commercial (Page 2 of 27)

Maersk & Kodiak Robotics launch commercial autonomous trucking lane between Houston and Oklahoma City

October 6, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Florham Park, New Jersey/Mountain View, California — A.P. Moller – Maersk AS (OTC: AMKBY) and Kodiak Robotics, Inc., have launched the first commercial autonomous trucking lane between Houston and Oklahoma City. The freight lane marks an expansion of the collaboration between Kodiak and Maersk, which began with their first autonomous freight deliveries together in November 2022 as part of Maersk’s Global Innovation Center Program. Kodiak has been delivering eight loads per week, with a safety driver behind the wheel, for Maersk customers since August.

Kodiak and Maersk are completing four round trips per week on a 24-hour-a-day, four-day-a-week basis between a Houston facility, where consumer products are loaded onto 53-foot trailers, to a distribution center in Oklahoma City. Operational learnings gained from the activity are captured and documented as part of the Kodiak Partner Deployment Program, which is designed to help companies learn how Kodiak’s self-driving trucks can become an integral part of their overall logistics strategy and offerings.

Autonomous trucking solutions have the potential to address long-term challenges faced by the trucking industry. According to the American Trucking Association, the trucking industry faces a shortage of roughly 78,000 drivers. The ATA estimates that, based on current driver demographic trends, as well as projected growth in freight demand, the shortage could swell to more than 160,000 over the next decade.

Safety continues to be a perennial challenge for the trucking industry as well. U.S. National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) research also estimates that 94% of crashes occur due to human error. For Kodiak, safety and performance are foundational to its autonomous trucking solution. Each vehicle is equipped with 18 different sensors, including cameras, radar, and lidar, that provide the platform with a 360-degree view around the truck. Every tenth of a second, the truck evaluates the performance of more than 1,000 safety-critical processes and components in both the self-driving stack and the underlying truck platform. The trucks learn in parallel, with system upgrades shared to the entire fleet simultaneously, and are not subject to environmental distractions.

A.P. Moller – Maersk expands global air freight services with Los Angeles air cargo gateway

October 4, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Los Angeles, California, October 3, 2023 – A.P. Moller – Maersk A/S A (Copenhagen: MAERSKa) has inaugurated a new 130,000 square foot air freight import/export gateway near Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) that offers direct planeside recovery with immediate unit load device (ULD) transfers. The west coast facility complements Maersk’s growing north American network of air cargo gateways, including Atlanta and Chicago which have been stood up in the last 12 months.

The new facility is just 15 miles from LAX and less than nine miles from the Port of Long Beach. Site staffing will be in place for the conduct of customs brokerage, commercial sales, and freight operations such as LCL transload. This site is U.S. Customs bonded Container Freight Station (CFS) and a U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Certified Cargo Screening Facility (CCSF). This ensures timely and secure air freight handling. The facility is scheduled to attain Free Trade Zone status in 2024 to benefit from lower duties, reduced processing fees, and faster movement of goods.

The opening of the Los Angeles facility is the latest step in Maersk’s North American air freight capacity expansion program that extends across strategic cargo entry points and is aligned to customer demand. The new capacity allows for more supply chain integration opportunities and better scaling to care for seasonal peaks as well as market driven volume spikes for breakout product launches.

LAX is one of the busiest airports in the world for both passenger traffic and cargo handling and is a major gateway between the U.S. and the Asia-Pacific region. According to Los Angeles World Airports, LAX ranks among the top 5 airports in the U.S. by tonnage. Los Angeles is a leading high-technology center for the nation in the entertainment, electronics, biomedical, computers, and aerospace industries.

Air Tanzania receives its first Boeing 737 MAX aircraft

October 4, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Dar Es Salaam, Tanzania, October 3, 2023, PRNewswire – Boeing (NYSE: BA) and Air Tanzania celebrated the arrival today of the airline’s first fuel-efficient 737 MAX single-aisle jet. The East African airline is the first carrier in Africa to receive the larger 737-9 model as it aims to meet growing travel demand in West Africa, Southern Africa and India.

Air Tanzania currently operates commercial service across Africa and to destinations in Asia with a fleet that includes two 787-8 Dreamliners and one 767-300 Freighter. Since its delivery in June 2023, the 767-300 Freighter has solved critical cargo challenges across Africa while opening opportunities to move business globally. The airline has an additional 787-8 on order.

The 737 MAX family delivers enhanced efficiency, improved environmental performance and increased passenger comfort to the single-aisle market. Powered by CFM International LEAP-1B engines and advanced technology winglets, the 737 MAX reduces fuel use and emissions by 20% compared to airplanes it replaces.

Alstom to present Italy’s first hydrogen powered train at EXPO Ferroviaria 2023

October 1, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

28 September 2023 – Alstom SA (Paris: ALSO), global leader in smart and sustainable mobility, will be present at EXPO Ferroviaria 2023, the exclusive B2B exhibition in Italy dedicated to the railway industry, taking place from 3rd to 5th of October 2023 at Fiera Milano Rho. Throughout the event, Alstom will showcase a wide range of solutions and technologies to consolidate its position as a leader in smart and sustainable mobility.

At 12:45 p.m on October 3rd, during the event’s opening day, Alstom and FNM will hold an official ceremony attended by key institutions, customers and partners. During this event, both companies will together unveil the hydrogen-powered Coradia Stream, a hydrogen train with zero direct carbon emissions equipped with fuel cells. This train is set to enter commercial service in Valcamonica, running along the non-electrified Brescia-Iseo-Edolo line operated by Ferrovienord and Trenord. This marks the train’s debut appearance in Italy.

Additionally, on the event’s first day, at 3 p.m., visitors can join Alstom and Infra.to at the Alstom booth n°E48 located in the EXPO Ferroviaria venue, for the official presentation of the new Metropolis train for Line 1 of the Turin Metro. This presentation will also showcase the state-of-the-art Urbalis driverless radio signalling system.

Joby Aviation selects Dayton, Ohio for first scaled manufacturing facility

September 19, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Santa Cruz, California and Dayton, Ohio, September 18, 2023 — Joby Aviation, Inc. (NYSE: JOBY), a company developing electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft for commercial passenger service, today announced it plans to locate its first scaled aircraft production facility in Dayton, Ohio, the birthplace of aviation.

The Wright Brothers, who invented and flew the first powered aircraft, lived and worked in Dayton and opened the first airplane factory in the United States there in 1910. The city is also home to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, and the headquarters of the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratories which has played a key role in supporting Joby’s development.

Joby plans to build a facility capable of delivering up to 500 aircraft per year at the Dayton International Airport, supporting up to 2,000 jobs. The 140-acre site it has selected has the potential to support significant further growth over time, providing enough land to build up to two million square feet of manufacturing space. Construction of the scaled Ohio facility is expected to start in 2024 and it is expected to come online in 2025. Joby plans to use existing nearby buildings to begin near-term operations.

The State of Ohio, JobsOhio and local political subdivisions have offered incentives and benefits of up to $325 million to support the development of the facility, while Joby plans to invest up to $500 million as it scales operations at the site. Joby is also announcing today that it has been invited by the U.S. Department of Energy to submit a Part II Application for financing under the Title XVII Loan Guarantee Program, which provides access to low-interest loans for clean energy projects and would support the scaling of the facility.

Joby’s long-term investor, Toyota, who worked with Joby on the design and successful launch of the company’s Pilot Production Line in Marina, California, plans to continue to advise Joby as it prepares for scaled production of its commercial passenger air taxi in Ohio.

Click the link below to watch the Joby aircraft rollout!

Air Peace orders 5 new Embraer E175 aircraft for fleet expansion

September 14, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Abuja, Nigeria, 14 September 2023 – Nigeria based Air Peace, West Africa’s largest airline, has placed a firm order for five Embraer (NYSE: ERJ) E175 aircraft. This strategic decision marks a significant step forward and is in alignment with Air Peace’s ongoing strategy of modernising its fleet. This acquisition is in line with Air Peace’s determination to become the operator of the largest and youngest fleet of aircraft in Africa. It reinforces Air Peace’s commitment to enhancing its domestic and regional network connectivity and paves the way for further regional expansion. Deliveries of the 88 seat aircraft start in 2024. The value of the order, at list price, is US$288.3m.

Already an operator of Embraer’s newest and largest jet, the E195-E2, these smaller aircraft will complement the airlines’ existing fleet, allowing Air Peace to dynamically match capacity to demand, protecting yields and route viability.

About Embraer

A global aerospace company headquartered in Brazil, Embraer has businesses in Commercial and Executive aviation, Defense & Security and Agricultural Aviation. The company designs, develops, manufactures and markets aircraft and systems, providing Services & Support to customers after-sales.

Rolls-Royce to complete initial F130 engine testing for B-52J by year end

September 7, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Rolls-Royce (OTC: RYCEY) today announced that it is on track to complete initial F130 engine testing for the United States Air Force B-52J Stratofortress by the end of the year. Continued Rapid Twin Pod Tests at NASA Stennis Space Center in Mississippi have accomplished all of Rolls-Royce’s initial goals and allowed for the gathering of unprecedented amounts of data early in the program, further de-risking the integration of the F130 engine onto the B-52J.

In September 2021, Rolls-Royce F130 engines were selected by the Air Force to replace the existing powerplants in the B-52 fleet, with over 600 new engine deliveries expected. The new engines will extend the life of the B-52 aircraft for 30 years and are so durable they are expected to remain on wing for the remainder of the aircraft life.

F130 engines will be manufactured, assembled and tested at Rolls-Royce facilities in Indianapolis, the company’s largest production facility in the U.S. The F130 is derived from the Rolls-Royce BR family of commercial engines, with over 30 million hours of operation and a high reliability rate. It’s a proven, dependable engine with a fuel-efficient design.

Saab and Boeing sign 787 Dreamliner agreement

September 6, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Saab (OTC: SAABF) has signed an extension agreement with Boeing (NYSE: BA) for the manufacturing of large cargo doors, bulk cargo doors and access doors for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

The framework agreement is an extension of an existing contract signed with Boeing in 2004 for the 787 Dreamliner program.

Since the programme started, Saab has delivered in excess of 1,100 shipsets for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner programme.

Saab has a long experience in supplying major aerostructures for military as well as commercial aircraft programmes. Like many other major 787 structures, the doors will be mainly made of composite materials. A range of systems are built into the doors’ composite structures, providing Boeing with lightweight doors that are easy to install.

Rolls-Royce pioneering electrification in aviation at scaleRolls-Royce

September 1, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

At Rolls-Royce (OTC: RYCEY), we aim to lead the Advanced Air Mobility market and achieve the world’s first certification of an electric engine for commercial aircraft by the mid-2020s. Light aircraft are already flying with electric propulsion, demonstrating the technological possibilities for the decarbonisation of large aviation in the future, if we can develop at scale.

In 2022, Rolls-Royce Electrical launched a dedicated programme that will enable us to achieve the levels of mass production needed to support the industry, embedding industrialisation within our electric propulsion product portfolio.

To do this, the programme is focussed on developing the right capabilities within the business’s core functions: supply chain, manufacturing, quality and services. As such, our core industrialisation team is working in close collaboration with a new product introduction projects team to ensure that any under-development electric drive technologies and systems can be sourced, manufactured and serviced at scale.

Rolls-Royce supply chain teams are responsible for sourcing partners to produce materials that will not only uphold the highest of aviation safety standards but that can be sourced and brought to the assembly line affordably and at pace, ready to support mass production.

Once chosen, the supply chain team also support our engineers by working hand-in-hand with suppliers throughout the product’s design to ensure that customer needs are met.

Virgin Galactic announces window for third commercial space flight

August 29, 2023 / WIL BALDWIN

Galactic 03’ to Fly Three Virgin Galactic “Founder” Customers

Flight Window Opens September 8, 2023

Company’s Fourth Spaceflight in Four Months

Orange County, California, August 28, 2023 – Virgin Galactic Holdings, Inc. (NYSE: SPCE) today announced the ‘Galactic 03’ flight window will open on September 8, 2023, continuing a monthly cadence of spaceflights. This would be the Company’s fourth spaceflight in four months.

The three ‘Galactic 03’ crew members are the first of Virgin Galactic’s group of ‘Founder’ astronauts – the first customers whose forward-thinking vision and early ticket purchases helped make the dream of regular commercial spaceflights a reality.

The ‘Galactic 03’ crew bought their tickets as early as 2005 and, since then, have been an active part of the Company’s vibrant Future Astronaut community. This community – comprised of approximately 800 individuals representing over 60 different countries – enjoys access to distinctive experiences designed to inspire and to enrich their spaceflight experience.

The pilots for ‘Galactic 03’ are VSS Unity Commander Nicola Pecile, VSS Unity Pilot Michael Masucci, and the Astronaut Instructor is Colin Bennett.

In the past twelve weeks, Virgin Galactic has introduced eleven new astronauts to the world. Following the ‘Galactic 03’ spaceflight, the customers on board would become Virgin Galactic astronauts 014, 015 and 016.

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