EmbraerX, Embraer’s disruptive business subsidiary, announces its expansion into the commercial air cargo market, via a collaboration agreement with Elroy Air, at CES 2020. This collaboration will allow the companies to accelerate the unmanned air cargo market worldwide, leveraging Embraer’s 50 years of industry experience with Elroy Air’s bold new developments in autonomous aircraft systems.
“In order to stay the course of creating solutions that benefit humanity at large, we believe the cargo market is prime for an autonomous aircraft,” said Antonio Campello, President & CEO, EmbraerX. “Booming eCommerce is forcing the cargo market to grow and seek new solutions, creating a distinct need for more flexibility. Our holistic approach to accelerating this market will include working with Elroy Air and its Chaparral system, capable of delivering cargo (250-500 lbs) over distances up to 300 miles, as well as our work in associated services and air traffic management solutions.”
“Elroy Air aims to open a new chapter for the logistics market with point-to-point autonomous aerial cargo systems” said Dave Merrill, CEO of Elroy Air. “Elroy Air’s Vertical Takeoff and Landing (VTOL) cargo delivery aircraft, the Chaparral, will operate without airports or charging stations, and is optimized for freight with automated cargo loading and unloading. Our collaboration with EmbraerX will accelerate our path to deployment in commercial freight markets.”
This collaboration is part of EmbraerX’s multi-project approach to further develop the air mobility ecosystem and create the conditions for people and goods to move from A to B in a seamless and affordable way. Beyond cargo, EmbraerX is engaged in several projects, including the development of an Urban Air Mobility focused eVTOL, a tailored Urban Air Traffic Management (UATM) system and a fleet-agnostic business platform, designated Beacon, to streamline services.
(Reuters) – American Airlines Group Inc <AAL> said on Monday it had reached a confidential agreement with Boeing Co <BA> to address damages the airline incurred in 2019 due to the ongoing grounding of its fleet of Boeing 737 MAX aircraft.
American, the largest U.S. airline, said the compensation will be received over several years. The airline will use more than $30 million of the compensation for the airline’s 2019 employee profit-sharing program.
American said it does not expect any material financial impact of the agreement to be realized in its fourth-quarter 2019 earnings and it will continue talks regarding compensation for damages related to the MAX grounding beyond 2019.
The Association of Professional Flight Attendants, which represents American Airlines’ 28,000 flight attendants, said it welcomed the news about compensation, and was evaluating the details.
Boeing said it does not comment on discussions with airlines.
Boeing’s best-selling 737 MAX has been grounded since two fatal crashes in five months killed 346 people. The company is halting production this month. A number of airlines have struck confidential settlements with Boeing in recent weeks.
(Reporting by David Shepardson, Editing by Rosalba O’Brien)
An American Airlines Boeing 737 Max 8, on a flight from Miami to New York City, comes in for landing at LaGuardia Airport in New York
U.S.-based Spirit Airlines has finalised a purchase agreement with Airbus for 100 A320neo Family aircraft. In October, the two parties had signed and announced a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the purchase of up to 100 of the aircraft – a mix of A319neo, A320neo, and A321neo – to meet the airline’s future fleet requirements.
Spirit is based in South Florida and is the fastest-growing airline in the United States, with flights throughout the U.S., Latin America and the Caribbean. The airline will announce an engine selection at a later date.
Featuring the widest single-aisle cabin in the sky, the best-selling A320neo Family, comprising the A319neo, A320neo, and A321neo, will deliver a fuel-burn reduction of approximately 20% as well as 50% less noise compared to previous-generation aircraft, thanks to incorporating the very latest technologies including new-generation engines and Sharklets.
Firm orders worldwide for the A320neo Family now have surpassed 7,300 from more than 110 global customers.
Renewed agreement continues long-term partnership with one of the ten busiest airports in the United States
Latest contract highlights Bombardier’s comprehensive mobility solutions for transit systems worldwide
Mobility solution provider Bombardier Transportation announced today that it renewed a contract with the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey to provide operations and maintenance services for the Authority’s automated transit system (AirTrain JFK) at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York. The contract is valued at approximately $309 million US (277 million euro) and covers a period of five years.
“We greatly appreciate the confidence the Port Authority has placed in us and look forward to continuing our 16-year partnership in providing safe, reliable, customer-friendly, 24/7, 365-day service to AirTrain JFK’s growing ridership,” said Elliot G. (Lee) Sander, President, Americas Region, Bombardier Transportation. “We’re proud to offer a convenient and efficient mobility solution for JFK’s passengers and employees, not only within the airport, but between the airport and the city’s transit systems,” he continued.
Bombardier’s scope of work under the contract includes: 24-hour train operations and passenger assistance; maintenance of the vehicle fleet; maintenance of the tracks and power supply and signalling systems; and maintenance of all facilities on the system such as stations and platforms.
Bombardier was a member of the consortium responsible for designing and supplying the AirTrain JFK system, including the fleet of 32 metro vehicles, today branded as BOMBARDIER MOVIA, and has been operating and maintaining the system since its opening in December 2003. The system currently serves a total ridership of over 20 million passengers annually.
Bombardier has been designing, building, operating and maintaining automated transit systems for airports and cities around the world for nearly 50 years. In the United States, the ten busiest airports have chosen Bombardier for their transportation systems.
MOVIA metro vehicles on AirTrain at JFK International Airport
FILE PHOTO: Boeing 737 Max aircraft at Boeing’s 737 Max production facility in Renton
ISTANBUL (Reuters) – Turkish Airlines and Boeing have come to an agreement concerning compensation for certain losses caused by grounded and undelivered Boeing 737 Max aircraft, the Turkish airline said on Tuesday.
The statement to the Istanbul stock exchange did not specify the value of the deal. The airline has 24 Boeing 737 MAX planes in its fleet. The 737 MAX has been grounded since March after two crashes in Indonesia and Ethiopia killed 346 people within five months.
(Reporting by Ceyda Caglayan; Editing by Daren Butler)
Alstom has delivered in Morocco the first Prima M4 locomotive in the frame of the contract signed in 2018 with ONCF to supply 30 electrical Prima locomotives. While the 30 locomotives will be manufactured in Alstom’s Belfort plant, the Alstom team in Morocco will ensure the testing, the warranty service and maintenance.
The 30 Prima M4 locomotives have a nominal power of 5.5 MW, a maximum operating speed of 160 km/h and operate under 3 KV DC voltage. They are equipped with ETCS level 1, require minimum maintenance and provide a high reliability level with low lifecycle cost thanks to the modular design.
“Over the past 10 years, 20 Alstom electrical locomotives have been put into commercial service by ONCF. We are proud, today, to contribute to grow up the fleet and to support ONCF in this major project to develop the railway infrastructure solutions throughout the country,” said Nourddine Rhalmi, Managing Director of Alstom Morocco.
Alstom has been manufacturing locomotives for more than 100 years with the first electric locomotive produced in 1926. To date, the company has sold more than 3,000 locomotives from its Prima range.
Six French sites are participating in the production of the locomotives: Belfort (assembling), Le Creusot (bogies), Ornans (motors), Petit-Quevilly (transformers), Tarbes (traction chain components) and Villeurbanne (on board electronics). The ETCS components are produced in Madrid.
Present in Morocco with 580 employees, Alstom has contributed to several major railway projects, such as the delivery of first Citadis trams to the cities of Rabat and Casablanca, and 12 Euroduplex VSHT for the High Speed Line which is linking Tangier to Casablanca. In its plant in Fez, Alstom produces cable bundles for rail applications and electrical switchboxes that are supplied to its European plants and mounted on trains exported around the world.
São José dos Campos, Brazil, December 30th, 2019 – Air Kiribati, the flag carrier of the Republic of Kiribati, received today its first E190-E2 jet. Embraer announced the contract with the Government of Kiribati, in partnership with its national airline, Air Kiribati, in December 2018. The airline ordered two E190-E2s and has purchase rights for two more.
“Aviation is critical for any island nation and Kiribati is no exception. Our Government has made the conscious decision to take into our hands the opportunity to unlock economic prosperity for our people and our nation through the purchase of these two aircraft,” said Hon. Willie Tokataake, Minister for Information, Communication, Transport and Tourism Development of the Kiribati Government. “The arrival of our first jet today is the culmination of three years of vision, strategic thought, government focus, research, evaluation, hard work, commitment, partnership and a good measure of problem solving.”
Air Kiribati is the launch operator for the E190-E2 in Asia Pacific. The aircraft will be configured in a dual class layout seating 92 passengers in total, with 12 seats in business class and 80 seats in economy class. Located in the central Pacific, Air Kiribati can now fly longer domestic and international routes than it currently does with its turboprop fleet.
“This is first E190-E2 delivered in the Pacific region,” said Cesar Pereira, Asia Pacific Vice President, Embraer Commercial Aviation. “We’re are honored that Air Kiribati selected the E190-E2 as the best fit for the airline’s challenging flying environment. The E190-E2 has cutting-edge technology and is the most fuel efficient and environmentally-friendly single aisle jet in the world. These attributes are extremely important for Kiribati.”
With a maximum range of up to 2,850 nautical miles, the E190-E2 can serve destinations throughout the vast expanse of Kiribati, including nonstop from Tarawa to Kiritimati (Christmas) Island, one of the most challenging routes in the Pacific. The current domestic flight from Tarawa to Kiritimati requires an international stopover in Fiji.
Spanning four time zones and comprised of more than 30 islands, Kiribati is the only country in the world to be in all four hemispheres. Embraer has been present in the Pacific since the first Bandeirante was delivered to a customer in Australia in 1978. The company continues to support operators across Oceania more than 40 years later.
The E190-E2 is the first of three new aircraft types in the E-Jets E2 family, developed to succeed the first-generation E-Jets. Compared to the first-generation E190, the E190-E2 burns 17.3% less fuel and nearly 10% less than its direct competitor. This makes it the most efficient single-aisle aircraft on the market. The E190-E2 generates significant savings for airlines in terms of maintenance costs. It has the longest maintenance intervals – 10,000 flight hours for basic checks and no calendar limit in typical E-Jets utilization. This means an additional 15 days of aircraft utilization over a period of ten years.
The E2 cockpit features advanced Honeywell Primus Epic 2 integrated avionics. Combined with closed-loop fly-by-wire controls, the systems work together to improve aircraft performance, decrease pilot workload and enhance flight safety. From a passenger perspective, the E2 cabin features a comfortable two-by-two layout. The absence of a middle seat enables passengers to have an enjoyable flight experience with more legroom and additional luggage storage space.
Embraer is the world’s leading manufacturer of commercial aircraft up to 150 seats with more than 100 customers across the world. For the E-Jets program alone, Embraer has logged more than 1,800 orders and 1,500 aircraft have been delivered. Today, E-Jets are flying in the fleets of 80 customers from 50 countries. The versatile 70 to 150-seat family is flying with low-cost airlines as well as with regional and mainline network carriers.
Air Caraïbes (a member airline of Groupe Dubreuil) has taken delivery of its first A350-1000, the largest member of Airbus’ new-generation A350 XWB Family, making it the first French operator of the type. The airline plans to operate its A350-1000s alongside its three A350-900s and six A330s on routes from Paris to the French Caribbean. The new aircraft will seamlessly integrate into Air Caraïbes existing fleet thanks to Airbus’ unique fleet commonality and provide the airline with additional flexibility. In total, Groupe Dubreuil has three A350-1000s on order.
Air Caraïbes’ A350-1000 are configured in a three-class layout with 429 seats (24 “Madras” Business, 45 in “Caraïbes” Premium Economy and 360 in “Soleil” Economy). All A350 XWBs are equipped with a quiet and comfortable Airspace cabin with a new lighting system, which strengthens the sense of passenger wellbeing and relaxation on long-haul flights.
The A350 XWB features the latest aerodynamic design, a carbon fibre fuselage and wings, plus new fuel-efficient Rolls-Royce engines. Together, these features translate into unrivalled levels of operational efficiency with a 25% reduction in fuel burn and emissions. The A350 XWB’s Airspace cabin is the quietest of any twin-aisle and offers passengers and crews the most modern in-flight products for the most comfortable flying experience.
At the end of November 2019, the A350 XWB Family had received 959 firm orders from 51 customers worldwide, making it one of the most successful widebody aircraft ever.
A logo of low cost carrier Spirit Airlines is pictured on an Airbus plane in Colomiers near Toulouse
(Reuters) – U.S. budget carrier Spirit Airlines Inc <SAVE> said on Monday it will buy 100 Airbus <EADSY> A320neo-family jets to be delivered through 2027, with options to purchase up to 50 additional aircraft.
The deal includes a mix of Airbus A319, A320, and A321 models, the company said.
The purchase agreement finalizes an October provisional deal for the aircraft, when Spirit picked European planes despite Washington imposing tariffs on them.
Depending on the number of each variant of the A320 single-aisle family chosen, the deal could be worth $11 billion to $12 billion at the most recent 2018 Airbus list prices, but industry sources say such deals typically involve discounts of at least 50%.
Washington has imposed 10% tariffs on some of the planes Airbus offers to U.S. carriers, as part of a long-running transatlantic trade dispute over aircraft subsidies.
Spirit currently operates an all-Airbus fleet of 140 jets.
Aircraft are typically ordered several years in advance, meaning any planes ordered now would only be covered by tariffs in the event of an extended transatlantic tariff war. Airbus jets assembled at a plant in Alabama are not currently included.
(Reporting by Rachit Vats in Bengaluru and Allison Lampert in Montreal; Editing by Shounak Dasgupta and Lisa Shumaker)
The Dreamliner will open direct flights between Ulaanbaatar, Berlin, Paris and the West Coast of the U.S.
MIAT Mongolian Airlines (Mongolyn Irgenii Agaaryn Teever) will soon welcome the first Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner to its fleet, as the airline looks to connect its home base in Ulaanbaatar with major European and North American cities beginning in 2021.
The 787-9 – the longest-range version of Boeing’s Dreamliner widebody airplane – will join MIAT’s fleet via lease from Air Lease Corporation.
“Our vision is to become a globally recognized Mongolian national flag carrier, and we are making a significant step forward by adding the first 787-9 Dreamliner to our fleet,” said Battur Davaakhuu, President and CEO, MIAT Mongolian Airlines. “The Mongolian Dreamliner will fly our passengers direct and in unmatched comfort to their dream destinations. Today is a proud day for MIAT and for all Mongolians.”
The Mongolian flag carrier joins other airlines in Asia – including Hainan Airlines, All Nippon Airways and Vietnam Airlines – that operate long-distance routes using the super-efficient, long-range 787-9. The airplane can fly up to 7,635 nautical miles (14,140 km).
Los Angeles-based ALC purchased the airplane and is providing a long-term leasing agreement for its delivery to MIAT.
“ALC is honored to announce this significant lease placement with MIAT Mongolian Airlines and be the first to introduce the airline to the Dreamliner,” said Steven F. Udvar-Házy, Executive Chairman of Air Lease Corporation. “We are proud to support the national carrier as it expands its fleet with the most technologically advanced aircraft to connect Mongolia with the rest of the world.”
Since the 787’s introduction in 2011, Boeing has booked over 1,400 orders from more than 80 customers. The company will now count MIAT as its newest Dreamliner operator.
“It will be wonderful to see the 787 Dreamliner in MIAT Mongolian Airlines’ livery flying in and out of Ulaanbaatar and connecting Mongolia with key destinations across Asia and Europe. The airline has continued to build on its proud aviation history by modernizing its fleet and operations. We are honored MIAT has selected the 787 and its superior fuel efficiency and range to profitably grow their international network,” said Ihssane Mounir, senior vice president of Commercial Sales and Marketing at Boeing. “We are delighted to partner with leading lessor ALC, which has a tremendous portfolio of 787 Dreamliners and other advanced jets, to open a new chapter in MIAT’s history.”
The 787 Dreamliner – the fastest-selling widebody jet in history – allows airlines to reduce fuel use and emissions by 20 to 25 percent and serve far-away destinations. The combination of unrivaled fuel efficiency and long range has helped airlines save more than 36 billion pounds of fuel and opened more than 235 nonstop routes.
MIAT is a leading national carrier dedicated to connecting Mongolia with the rest of the world by providing air transportation services of the highest quality, reliability and efficiency. Based in Ulaanbaatar, the airline currently operates a fleet of four Next-Generation 737s, one 737 MAX and two 767 airplanes.
Boeing is the world’s largest aerospace company and leading provider of commercial airplanes, defense, space and security systems, and global services. As the top U.S. exporter, the company supports commercial and government customers in more than 150 countries. Boeing employs more than 150,000 people worldwide and leverages the talents of a global supplier base. Building on a legacy of aerospace leadership, Boeing continues to lead in technology and innovation, deliver for its customers and invest in its people and future growth.
