Emirates will resume passenger flights to Warsaw from 4 September starting with twice-a-week services, and increasing to three-a-week from 7 October.
The resumption of flights to Warsaw will expand Emirates’ current network to 75 cities in September, offering travellers in the Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific convenient connections via Dubai to the Polish capital.
The airline has been gradually restoring its network connectivity, working closely with international and local authorities to responsibly resume passenger operations to meet travel demand, while always prioritising the health and safety of its customers, crew and communities.
On the Dubai-Warsaw route, Emirates will deploy its spacious, wide-body Boeing 777-300ER aircraft offering seats in First, Business and Economy class. Flight EK179 to Warsaw will depart Dubai at 08:10hrs on Fridays and Sundays, and the return flight EK180 will depart Warsaw at 15:00hrs. An additional flight service on Wednesdays, will be added to the route from 7 October.
Customers can book flights on emirates.com or via travel agents.
Customers can stop over or travel to Dubai as the city has re-opened for international business and leisure visitors. Ensuring the safety of travellers, visitors, and the community, COVID-19 PCR tests are mandatory for all inbound and transit passengers arriving to Dubai (and the UAE), including UAE citizens, residents and tourists, irrespective of the country they are coming from.
Alstom-led consortium delivers extension of Dubai Metro Red Line
A full turnkey integrated system
15km-long
50 Metropolis trainsets
Total value of the project is €2.6 billion
Alstom congratulates Dubai’s Roads and Transport Authority (RTA), on the inauguration of the Dubai Route 2020 Metro. This iconic project was ceremonially inaugurated by H. H. Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, and Ruler of the Emirate of Dubai on 7 July 2020, and was also attended by Henri Poupart-Lafarge, Alstom’s CEO and Chairman of the Board as well as the top management of the ExpoLink Consortium via video conference technology.
The new line project, commenced in July 2016 and carried out by the Alstom-led ExpoLink consortium, also composed of ACCIONA and Gülermak, consists of a 15km-long line, of which 11.8km is above ground and 3.2km underground, and an interchange on the Red Line. The extension of the metro has seven stations including Jabel Ali Station and the flagship metro station at the Expo exhibition site. The project is worth a total of €2.6 billion.
As part of the Consortium, Alstom was responsible for the integration of the entire metro system including 50 Metropolis trainsets produced in Alstom’s site in Katowice, Poland, power supply, communication, signalling, automatic ticket control, track works, platform screen doors and a three-year warranty on the whole system, as well as the enhancement of the existing metro line by upgrading power supply, signalling systems, miscellaneous communication and track works. The trainsets are 85.5 meters long and composed of five cars per trainset, and they will be able to carry up to 696 passengers each.
The train offers an excellent level of passenger experience, thanks to wide gangways, large doors and windows, three specific areas for Silver, Family and Gold Classes. Eco-friendly, the train is equipped with a full electrical braking system, LED lighting and other innovations to reduce energy consumption.
Alstom is a dedicated and long-standing partner of Dubai’s transportation and mobility development. Alstom delivered the Dubai tramway, the first fully integrated tramway system in the Middle East and the world’s first 100% catenary-free line, which was opened in November 2014. Alstom is also in charge of the maintenance of the Dubai Tram for a period of 13 years.
Aircraft sold to U.S.-based Fargo Jet Center, which will convert spacious interior into cutting-edge medevac suite
Bombardier’s newest Learjet aircraft, the Learjet 75 Liberty, delivers best-in-class speed and range and the smoothest ride at an exceptional value
Learjet aircraft have a proud history of service in medevac configuration, with room for up to three stretchers and adherence to more stringent safety standards than other light jets
U.S.-based Spectrum Aeromed will supply air medical equipment
Bombardier is proud to announce the sale of two Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft to North Dakota-based Fargo Jet Center (FJC). The aircraft are to be converted to dedicated medevac configuration and delivered to air ambulance service provider Lotnicze Pogotowie Ratunkowe (LPR), based in Warsaw, Poland.
Following an extensive international competitive tender, LPR selected the Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft, with FJC’s proposed medevac interior, to serve its expanding operations.
Bombardier will enter its newest Learjet aircraft, the Learjet 75 Liberty, into service this year. This spacious and powerful light jet features a next-generation flight deck and optimized operating costs, with enough range to reach any European destination nonstop out of Warsaw.*
“The Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft, with its best-in-class spaciousness, speed and range, is an excellent choice for medevac missions,” said Stéphane Leroy, Vice President, Sales, Bombardier Specialized Aircraft. “Learjet aircraft have long been a trusted platform for all types of special missions, and the Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft gives operators even more reasons to choose the world’s best light jet.”
The Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft adheres to more stringent safety standards than most light jets, meeting the same rigorous certification requirements as commercial aircraft, for the ultimate peace of mind on emergency medical service (EMS) missions.
Fargo Jet Center has extensive experience converting aircraft interiors for medevac use. FJC is expected to take delivery of the Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft from Bombardier in late-2020, then deliver the converted EMS aircraft to LPR in Poland in 2021. Spectrum Aeromed, also based in Fargo, has been selected as the air medical equipment provider on the project. The Spectrum Aeromed team will contribute to a highly customized, state-of-the-art dedicated air ambulance interior for the two Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft.
“It is a pleasure to be working with Bombardier, LPR and Spectrum Aeromed to develop one of the most capable light jet EMS aircraft in the world today,” said Patrick Sweeney, CEO, Fargo Jet Center. “Our team brings a unique skill set to this project through our extensive history in modifying aircraft for special missions. From initial conception to design, fabrication and installation, our experts will transform the interior of the Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft to meet LPR’s specifications.”
In operation since 2000, Lotnicze Pogotowie Ratunkowe provides 24/7 air ambulance services throughout Poland via a fleet of 27 rotary wing and two turboprop aircraft. The addition of the Learjet platform will mark the expansion of LPR’s operations to include jet aircraft.
“The acquisition of the new Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft fits perfectly into our strategic plans for growth in Poland and will provide the necessary combination of speed and range to drive the expansion of our operational capabilities and EMS transport availability into international operations,” said Wojciech Wozniczka, LPR Director of key project management.
With a flat floor and the longest cabin in its class, the Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft is ideal for EMS conversion. It has room to accommodate up to three stretchers and sophisticated medical equipment, as well as seating for medical staff. The Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft also has the smoothest ride among light jets, which on EMS missions adds to the comfort of patients receiving care.
The Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft delivers superior performance at an exceptional value proposition, for the same operating costs as those of competitor aircraft that offer less. The Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft is the fastest aircraft in the light jet segment with longer range than the competition. With its range of 2,080 nautical miles, out of Warsaw this aircraft can reach all of Europe, including Iceland, and beyond into Northern Africa, Russia and the Middle East.
In civilian configuration, the Learjet 75 Liberty aircraft features a six-seat layout that gives light jet passengers unprecedented freedom to stretch out. A standard pocket door delivers a quiet flight, while retractable side tables and stowable ottomans ensure productivity and comfort.
FORT WORTH, Texas — American Airlines customers will have a lot to be thankful for as the airline plans to launch an additional eight new domestic routes this summer, offering customers a total of 20 new seasonal routes in summer 2020. The new routes include service to Martha’s Vineyard (MVY) and Nantucket (ACK) in Massachusetts and new service from Jackson, Mississippi (JAN) and Des Moines, Iowa (DSM), to Miami (MIA), the airline’s gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean.
“Every year, we evaluate our network and look to create more routes and serve unique destinations whether we’re entering new markets like Casablanca or adding more service to places like Traverse City, Michigan,” said Vasu Raja, American’s Senior Vice President of Network Strategy. “We continue to deliver the best network with the most options for our customers domestically and internationally during the most popular vacation time of the year.”
Domestic additions
Beginning in June, American will add two new ways to get to the lighthouses and sandy beaches of Martha’s Vineyard from two connecting hubs on the East Coast — Philadelphia (PHL) and Charlotte (CLT). The airline will also introduce a new route to the cobblestone streets of Nantucket with Saturday service from PHL. All three flights will be operated on an Embraer 175, featuring 12 First Class seats and 64 Main Cabin seats. Next summer, Traverse City (TVC) will see direct service from PHL and Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport (DCA), giving customers access to the shores of Lake Michigan’s Grand Traverse Bay every Saturday. The airline will also introduce new Saturday service from Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to Portland, Maine (PWM) operated on an Airbus A319 aircraft.
MIA is American’s gateway to Latin America and the Caribbean, and, next summer, customers flying from JAN and DSM will have nonstop service to MIA on Saturday and Sunday from June through August. Flight times will complement one-stop connections to vacation favorites like Bonaire, St. Vincent, and Montego Bay, Jamaica.
American previously announced seasonal service to National Parks in Kalispell (FCA) and Bozeman (BZN), Montana, and increased service to Alaska, including a new destination, Fairbanks (FAI), which will begin operating in May.
A summer overseas
In August, American announced an international expansion that includes entering Africa for the first time with service to Casablanca, Morocco (CMN), from PHL and seasonal service from Chicago (ORD) to Krakow, Poland (KRK); Prague, Czech Republic (PRG); and Budapest, Hungary (BUD). American will be the only US carrier providing service to KRK, BUD and PRG from ORD.
“Our future is bright, and we see summer 2020 as an opportunity for growth in the leisure destinations our customers truly value,” Raja continued. “We have 20 new seasonal routes to choose from — narrowing down where to go will be the hardest part.”
New flights will be available for purchase Nov. 25.
Wizz Air, one of Europe’s fastest growing airlines and the largest low-cost carrier in Central and Eastern Europe today announced that it will massively expand its Polish operations, basing 4 new aircraft in Poland. From summer 2020 WIZZ will launch 15 new attractive routes from Gdansk, Krakow and Warsaw as well as increase weekly frequencies on the most popular services, adding a total of 24 incremental weekly flights to its Polish schedule.
Expanding its operations, Wizz Air creates over 160 additional direct jobs and will have a team of over 1100 dedicated crew based in Poland
Wizz Air’s commitment to Polish customers is underlined by the strong growth at its other seven Polish airports as well. With a network of 193 services, WIZZ will have a total of 13 million seats on sale on its Polish routes in 2020, which represents 20% growth year over year. WIZZ’s Polish operations do not only provide affordable access at WIZZ’s lowest fares between Poland and the rest of Europe, but also stimulate the local job market in aviation and tourism sectors, supporting more than 8200 jobs this year in associated industries throughout the country.
With the latest expansion of its Polish fleet, Wizz Air will have 30 based aircraft in Poland employing more than nearly 1300 customer-oriented crew, who deliver excellent service on each WIZZ flight. Wizz Air now offers 194 routes to 28 countries from nine Polish airports.
Tickets for all new routes are already on sale and can be booked from only PLN 59 on wizzair.com.
Stephen Jones, Deputy CEO and Managing Director Wizz Air Hungary, said: “Following the recent deployment of the 3rd based aircraft at Krakow Airport and announcement of new routes in Gdanskk and Warsaw, we are thrilled to announce further expansion of our Polish operations. By adding 4 new aircraft followed by 13 new routes to our Polish fleet we create a number of local jobs with the airline and our business partners while bringing more opportunities to the country. We are sure that our loyal Polish customers will welcome the extended offer of attractive destinations and affordable travel options and we are also confident that our low fares will attract more visitors to Polish cities, which could stimulate tourism and hospitality industries. We stay committed to Poland and keep on offering the lowest possible fares and an excellent value service on each WIZZ flight.”
(Reuters) – The collapse of British travel operator Thomas Cook left hundreds of thousands of holidaymakers abroad and forced governments and insurers to coordinate a huge operation to get them home.
FILE PHOTO: Passengers are silhouetted in front of a closed service counter of travel agent Thomas Cook and airline Condor at the airport in Frankfurt, Germany, September 24, 2019. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach
The company ran hotels, resorts and airlines ferrying 19 million people a year to 16 different countries.
Here is a summary of the impact of the collapse in different countries and efforts to salvage parts of the group:
GERMANY
Thomas Cook’s German tour business filed for insolvency on Wednesday in a move aimed at separating its brands and operations from its failed parent, and it said it was in talks with potential new investors.
The German government said it was considering an application for a bridging loan from Thomas Cook Germany, a day after it said it would guarantee a 380 million euro ($418 million) bridging loan for Condor, the British group’s German airline.
The company is in contact with the German foreign ministry, insurers and other partners to get customers home. Zurich Insurance, which provided insolvency cover to Thomas Cook Germany, will cover the costs for those on holiday.
About 97,000 holidaymakers were still stranded on Thursday.
AUSTRIA
Thomas Cook Austria, which belongs to the German unit, also filed for insolvency on Wednesday, with the aim of continuing in business.
THE NETHERLANDS
The Dutch unit of Thomas Cook canceled all travel booked through Thomas Cook Netherlands and subsidiary Neckermann.
A Dutch court on Wednesday granted Thomas Cook Nederland B.V., a Netherlands-based subsidiary, protection from creditors. It employed roughly 200 staff.
POLAND
Thomas Cook’s Polish unit, Neckermann Polska, said on Wednesday that it has filed for insolvency. Poland regional authorities says around 3,600 customers of Neckermann Polska are still abroad.
BELGIUM
Thomas Cook’s Belgian unit ceased carrying passengers on Tuesday and liquidated two businesses, seeking protection from creditors and ultimately a buyer for Thomas Cook Retail Belgium.
It still has some 13,400 customers on holidays abroad.
NORDICS
Several planes operated by Thomas Cook Scandinavian Airlines have not been able to take off because their leasing contracts remained with the British parent, Danish subsidiary Spies said.
It was not immediately clear how the situation would be resolved.
Thomas Cook’s Nordic business said on Monday it would continue to operate as it is a separate legal entity from its London-listed parent and added that it was looking for new owners.
The Nordic business consists of two legal entities, Thomas Cook Northern Europe and Thomas Cook Scandinavian Airlines, and is also known as Ving Group.
The business operates under several brands: Ving in Norway, Spies in Denmark, Tjäreborg in Finland, as well as Ving and Globetrotter in Sweden.
BRITAIN
Emergency flights had brought 14,700 people back to the United Kingdom on 64 flights on Monday, and around 135,300 more were expected to be returned over the next 13 days, Britain’s aviation regulator said.
More than 70 flights were scheduled to operate on Wednesday to bring back 16,500 people.
MEXICO
The collapse of British travel firm Thomas Cook will not have a “significant impact” on Mexico’s tourist industry as it only represents about 0.4% of the sector’s foreign income, the Mexican tourism ministry said on Tuesday.
BULGARIA
Thomas Cook’s collapse poses a serious challenge to Bulgarian tourism, with dozens of Black Sea hotels facing losses totaling tens of millions of dollars as negotiations for the next summer season take place, its tourism minister said on Tuesday.
TUNISIA
Tunisian tourism minister Rene Trabelsi told Reuters that 4,500 Thomas Cook customers are still on holiday in Tunisia.
The British government repatriated about 1,200 tourists via planes sent to Tunisa’s Enfidha airport, and another 4,000 still in Tunisia will return after their holidays.
FRANCE
The French arm of the business said on Tuesday it was asking the French commercial court of Nanterre for creditor protection
Thomas Cook France will hold a meeting of its works council on Thursday about a plan to declare insolvency and to start a recovery procedure.
French organization Entreprises de Voyage said that about 10,000 French tourists could be affected by the bankruptcy.
SPAIN
The collapse has affected 53,000 Britons in Spain, Spanish Acting Tourism Minister Reyes Maroto told reporters.
The ministry has been in touch with German and Swedish authorities to ensure Thomas Cook subsidiaries continue to operate at least for the winter season, she added.
GREECE
A Greek tourism ministry official told Reuters that about 50,000 tourists were affected.
CYPRUS
Cyprus says 15,000 Thomas Cook customers were stranded on the island.
HUNGARY
Thomas Cook’s Hungarian unit Neckermann Magyarorszag said it was continuing its operations and all passengers would be able to return from abroad as planned.
It said its financial situation was stable and its assets were sufficient guarantee that its passengers would not suffer any financial damage. It said passengers should contact its offices directly about upcoming flights.
RUSSIA
Thomas Cook’s Russian tour operator subsidiary, Intourist, said the bankruptcy of Thomas Cook will have no impact on clients, Executive Director Sergei Tolchin told Interfax.
TURKEY
The Turkish Ministry of Tourism said it will provide support for local companies affected by the Thomas Cook collapse.
The head of the country’s Hotelier Federation said about 45,000 tourists from the UK and elsewhere in Europe are in the country.
MOROCCO
Morocco’s tourism ministry said it had created a crisis unit to handle the fallout from Thomas Cook’s collapse. Thomas Cook operated two flights to Marrakesh a week. No official numbers were given.
EGYPT
Thomas Cook operator Blue Sky Group said that 25,000 reservations in Egypt booked up to April 2020 had been cancelled. Blue Sky currently has 1,600 tourists in Egypt’s Hugharda resort.
INDIA
Thomas Cook India said it had been unaffected as it has been a separate entity since August 2012.
Wizz Air, one of Europe’s fastest growing airlines and the largest low-cost carrier in Central and Eastern Europe today announced that it will massively expand its Polish operations, basing 4 new aircraft in Poland. From summer 2020 WIZZ will launch 15 new attractive routes from Gdansk, Krakow and Warsaw as well as increase weekly frequencies on the most popular services, adding a total of 24 incremental weekly flights to its Polish schedule.
Expanding its operations, Wizz Air creates over 160 additional direct jobs and will have a team of over 1100 dedicated crew based in Poland.
Wizz Air’s commitment to Polish customers is underlined by the strong growth at its other seven Polish airports as well. With a network of 193 services, WIZZ will have a total of 13 million seats on sale on its Polish routes in 2020, which represents 20% growth year over year. WIZZ’s Polish operations do not only provide affordable access at WIZZ’s lowest fares between Poland and the rest of Europe, but also stimulate the local job market in aviation and tourism sectors, supporting more than 8200 jobs this year in associated industries throughout the country.
With the latest expansion of its Polish fleet, Wizz Air will have 30 based aircraft in Poland employing more than nearly 1300 customer-oriented crew, who deliver excellent service on each WIZZ flight. Wizz Air now offers 193 routes to 28 countries from nine Polish airports.
Tickets for all new routes are already on sale and can be booked from only PLN 59 on wizzair.com.
Saab has signed a supply contract with the Belgian MoD for the deliveries of training systems to the Belgian Army. The order value is approximately SEK 160 million and deliveries will take place in 2021.
The contract includes providing a complete training centre with infantry simulators, anti-tank simulators, vehicle systems and communication systems for controlling, monitoring and collecting training data to enable detailed analysis of exercises. The support contract will be negotiated separately later on.
One of the requirements was interoperability with NATO, and with Saab’s training system Belgium will be capable of participating in multinational exercises.
“This means Belgium will share the same standards as members in the Interoperability User Community (IUC). They can therefore take part in multinational exercises together with, among others, the Netherlands, Poland, Germany, Austria, Sweden, Norway, Finland, the UK and the US 7thArmy,” says Åsa Thegström, head of the business unit Training & Simulation within Saab’s business area Dynamics.
“The Belgian Army has used our training systems for the last four years and have clearly seen the benefits of realistic training. This order strengthens our position as one of the world’s leading suppliers of solutions for combat training,” says Henrik Vassallo, head of the country unit France & Benelux within Saab’s market area Europe.
The business unit Training & Simulation develops, manufactures and markets advanced military training equipment, such as laser simulator systems, instrumented training systems and target equipment. It also provides service and maintenance for delivered systems.
Airline expands global network with flights to Casablanca, Tel Aviv and Krakow beginning next summer
FORT WORTH, Texas — American Airlines has the cure for the end-of-summer blues: new routes for next summer. Today, American unveiled its summer 2020 international schedule, which includes the following new service:
Philadelphia (PHL) to Casablanca, Morocco (CMN) begins June 4
Dallas-Fort Worth (DFW) to Tel Aviv, Israel (TLV) begins Sept. 9
Chicago (ORD) to Krakow, Poland (KRK) begins May 7
ORD to Budapest, Hungary (BUD) begins May 7
ORD to Prague, Czech Republic (PRG) begins May 8
Furthering frontiers: Africa
When American begins service to Morocco next year, it will be the airline’s first entrance into the African continent. American will be the only U.S. carrier with nonstop service to Casablanca, which will be operated three times per week on a Boeing 757.
“Our customers and team members have been asking when we’re going to start service to Africa, and I couldn’t be more pleased to make this announcement for service beginning in 2020,” said Vasu Raja, American’s Vice President of Network and Schedule Planning. “We look forward to working with Royal Air Maroc when they join oneworld® in 2020, which will allow for even more connections further into Africa to places like Marrakech, Lagos and Accra. This is only the beginning.”
Returning to Tel Aviv
As demand continues to grow between the U.S. and TLV, American is adding three weekly flights from DFW, its largest hub. These flights will serve customers throughout the U.S. and allow many customers to make only one stop, rather than the previous two stops that were available, to TLV. And as the tech industry continues to grow in the market, American will provide the most efficient routing to U.S. tech cities like Austin, Texas, and San Jose, California, in addition to one-stop service to 33 new cities in the U.S.
Expansion in Eastern Europe
American’s Midwest hub, ORD, has seen significant growth and now offers more domestic and international seats today than it has in more than a decade. Next summer, the growth continues with three new destinations in Eastern Europe, including American’s first flight to KRK and new service to PRG and BUD, which American began flying to seasonally from PHL in 2018. American will offer the most premium seats to Eastern Europe of all U.S. carriers next summer, as all of the new flights will be operated by a Boeing 787-8, featuring 20 Flagship Business seats and 28 Premium Economy seats.
“There’s strong local demand to Eastern Europe in Chicago, and it’s important that we provide more service for our customers to visit family and friends or explore a new part of the world,” said Raja. “Chicago has been a great example of trying new things with our network, like seasonal service to Athens that launched earlier this year, and when customers take advantage, it allows us the opportunity to keep growing.”
American will be the only U.S. carrier providing service to KRK, BUD and PRG from ORD.
New flights will be available for purchase Aug. 12, with the exception of TLV, which will be available for purchase Oct. 10.
53rd International Paris Air Show at Le Bourget Airport
PARIS (Reuters) – U.S. arms makers say European demand for fighter jets, missile defenses and other weapons is growing fast amid heightened concerns about Russia and Iran.
The U.S. government sent a group of unusually high-ranking officials including Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross to the Paris Airshow this year, where nearly 400 U.S. companies were showcasing equipment as the United States and Iran neared open confrontation in the Persian Gulf.
Lockheed Martin, Boeing and other top weapons makers said they had seen accelerating demand for U.S. weapons at the biennial air show despite escalating trade tensions between the United States and Europe.
“Two Paris air shows ago, there weren’t a lot of orders,” said Rick Edwards, who heads Lockheed’s international division. “Now … our fastest growth market for Lockheed Martin in the world is Europe.”
Many European nations have increased military spending since Russia’s annexation of the Crimea region of Ukraine in 2014, bolstering missile defenses and upgrading or replacing ageing fighter jet fleets. NATO members agreed in 2014 to move toward spending 2% of gross domestic product on defence.
Eric Fanning, chief executive of the Aerospace Industries Association, said the NATO pledge and European concerns about Russia were fueling demand. “I do think it reflects the increasing provocations of Russia,” he said.
Industry executives and government officials say growing concern about Iran’s missile development program is another key factor. Tehran’s downing of a U.S. drone came late in the air show, but executives said it would support further demand.
“Iran is our best business development partner. Every time they do something like this, it heightens awareness of the threat,” said one senior defence industry executive, who asked not to be named.
Edwards said Lockheed’s F-35 stealth fighter, selected by Belgium, is poised to win another new order from Poland, while Bulgaria, Slovakia and Romania are also working to replace Soviet-era equipment.
Edwards and other executives say they see no impact from the ongoing trade disputes between U.S. President Donald Trump and the European Union.
U.S. Army Lieutenant General Charles Hooper, director of the Pentagon’s Defense Security Cooperation Agency (DSCA), said Europe accounted for nearly a quarter of the $55.7 billion in foreign arms sales his agency handled in fiscal 2018.
Hooper said the U.S. government was making concerted efforts to speed arms sales approvals and boost sales to help arm allies with U.S. weapons.
Ralph Acaba, president of Raytheon Co’s’s Integrated Defense Systems business, said the company was boosting automation and working to deliver the Patriot missile system and other weapons in half the five-year period previously typical.
“Europe is really big for us now, and that’s a big change in just the last few years and even the last 18 months,” he said.
In addition to wooing new Patriot customers, Raytheon is upgrading existing systems for customers like Germany, which is likely to finalize a contract worth potentially hundreds of millions of dollars to the company in coming months.
Thomas Breckenridge, head of international sales for Boeing’s strike, surveillance and mobility programs, is eyeing contracts wins for Boeing’s F/A-18 Super Hornet fighter jets in Germany, Switzerland and Finland.
“There’s a huge appetite in Europe for defence as a whole,” he said.
(Reporting by Andrea Shalal; Editing by Jan Harvey)
