Last week, an Icelandair (Iceland: ICEAIR.IC) Boeing 767 (TF-ISN), landed at Troll airfield (QAT) at the Troll research station operated by the Norwegian Polar Institute in Dronning Maud Land, Antarctica. The flight was operated by Loftleiðir (Icelandair’s charter-flight subsidiary) to offload provisions for the research station’s staff who will remain at Troll this winter, and to pick up scientists returning to Norway after their summer service. Some of the scientists had been at Troll for 16 months and were happy to be heading home.
The flight
The journey involved a lot of planning due to the unique conditions, and involved 6 pilots, 13 crew and 1 flight engineer.
From Keflavík airport in Iceland, the plane flew nonstop to Cape Town, South Africa, where it paused for a rest and refueling stop. Some of the team stayed in Cape Town and the remainder flew 4,332km south to Troll in 5 hours and 43 minutes.
After a 2-hour layover at Troll, the aircraft returned with the Norwegian passengers to Cape Town, picked up the fresh crew, and continued on to Oslo, then home to Iceland.
According to flight commander August Hakansson, landing conditions at Troll were far better than forecast. And the worst weather of the entire trip was upon the return to Keflavík!
The flight route was so unusual that it attracted worldwide attention from aviation fans and media, including over 30,000 followers on Flightradar. And although it might seem crazy, this isn’t Icelandair’s first time in the Deep South – back in 2015, Icelandair became the first commercial airline to land a plane on a blue-ice runway in Antarctica.
Dubai, UAE, 22 February 2021 –Emirates has announced it will resume daily services to Newark via Athens from 1stJune 2021. The resumed flight will provide global travellers with another access point to the popular New York Metropolitan area, serving the large Greek-American community in the United States while offering a convenient connection to travellers headed towards the Middle East, West Asia, and Africa via Dubai.
The addition of Newark via Athens will take Emirates’ US network to 10 destinations following the resumption of services to Seattle, Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York JFK, Washington DC, Dallas and San Francisco (to resume on 2nd March).
The Dubai-Athens-Newark flight will operate daily with a three-class Boeing 777-300ER, complementing Emirates’ double daily flights to New York (JFK) as the airline continues to expand across North America. The resumed link between Greece and the US will open up year round connectivity, facilitate trade, boost tourism and benefit consumers by providing them with choice and convenience. Emirates will also increase its flights to the Greek capital, Athens, flying daily to support the newly resumed service.
Emirates flight EK209 will depart Dubai at 1050hrs, arriving in Athens at 1500hrs before departing again at 1735hrs and arriving into Newark Liberty International Airport at 2120hrs on the same day. The return flight EK210 will depart Newark at 2355 hrs, arriving in Athens at 1605hrs the next day. EK210 will depart once again from Athens the next day at 1805hrs bound for Dubai where it will arrive at 2335 hrs (all times are local).
Emirates has safely and gradually restarted operations across its network. Since it safely resumed tourism activity in July, Dubai remains one of the world’s most popular holiday destinations, especially during the winter season. The city is open for international business and leisure visitors. From sun-soaked beaches and heritage activities to world class hospitality and leisure facilities, Dubai offers a variety of world-class experiences. It was one of the world’s first cities to obtain Safe Travels stamp from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) – which endorses Dubai’s comprehensive and effective measures to ensure guest health and safety.
Rolls-Royce has signed an agreement to sell the Bergen Engines medium speed gas and diesel engines business to TMH International, the international branch of TMH Group, for net proceeds of approximately EUR 150m.
TMH Group, based in Russia, is a leading engineering company in rail transport technologies and the world’s fourth largest supplier of rail rolling stock. It offers a full range of products and services including medium-speed engines for rail applications with current production of more than 850 engines a year. Established in 2002, TMH is privately-owned and employs 100,000 people across 25 sites worldwide. The acquisition of Bergen Engines, based in Bergen, Norway, is part of TMH’s strategy to diversify its business activities, expand its product portfolio and international footprint.
Bergen Engines will be operated as a stand-alone business by TMH International, which is headquartered in Switzerland. TMH International already operates in Argentina, Cuba, Egypt, Germany, Hungary, Israel and South Africa.
The agreement follows a strategic review by Rolls-Royce of Bergen Engines announced in February 2020. The sale includes the medium speed engine factory, service workshop and foundry in Norway; engine and power plant design capability; and a global service network spanning more than seven countries. Since 1946, Bergen Engines has supplied over 7,000 engines to marine and power generation customers worldwide, of which around 4,000 are still in operation. Bergen Engines’ long-term relationship with Kongsberg Maritime, distributor of Bergen medium speed engines to the maritime market, is planned to continue as is.
Rolls-Royce has signed an agreement to sell the Bergen Engines medium speed gas and diesel engines business to TMH International, the international branch of TMH Group, for net proceeds of approximately EUR 150m.
Bergen Engines plant in Hordvikneset near Bergen, Norway
TMH Group, based in Russia, is a leading engineering company in rail transport technologies and the world’s fourth largest supplier of rail rolling stock. It offers a full range of products and services including medium-speed engines for rail applications with current production of more than 850 engines a year. Established in 2002, TMH is privately-owned and employs 100,000 people across 25 sites worldwide. The acquisition of Bergen Engines, based in Bergen, Norway, is part of TMH’s strategy to diversify its business activities, expand its product portfolio and international footprint.
Bergen Engines will be operated as a stand-alone business by TMH International, which is headquartered in Switzerland. TMH International already operates in Argentina, Cuba, Egypt, Germany, Hungary, Israel and South Africa.
The agreement follows a strategic review by Rolls-Royce of Bergen Engines announced in February 2020. The sale includes the medium speed engine factory, service workshop and foundry in Norway; engine and power plant design capability; and a global service network spanning more than seven countries. Since 1946, Bergen Engines has supplied over 7,000 engines to marine and power generation customers worldwide, of which around 4,000 are still in operation. Bergen Engines’ long-term relationship with Kongsberg Maritime, distributor of Bergen medium speed engines to the maritime market, is planned to continue as is.
Bergen Engines has been a part of Rolls-Royce since 1999 and has approximately 950 employees, with the majority based in Bergen, Norway. In 2019 the business generated revenues of £239m which were consolidated within the results of our Power Systems business.
The transaction has been approved by the boards of both Rolls-Royce and TMH and is expected to close in the second half of 2021.
Air Peace, Nigeria and West Africa’s largest airline, took delivery of their first E195-E2 aircraft today. The aircraft is now due to fly from Embraer’s facility in São José dos Campos to join the Air Peace fleet in Nigeria.
Air Peace, Nigeria and West Africa’s largest airline, took delivery of their first E195-E2 aircraft today. The aircraft is now due to fly from Embraer’s facility in São José dos Campos to join the Air Peace fleet in Nigeria.
The jet delivered today is the first of 13 firm E195-E2 orders, with 17 remaining purchase rights, as announced in March 2019, and updated with three further firm orders from purchase rights announced at the Dubai Air Show in November 2019. The total value of the deal, with all purchase rights exercised is US $2.2 billion. The aircraft are configured in a comfortable dual class arrangement with 124 seats.
Air Peace already operates eight ERJ-145s, and will use the E195-E2s to enhance domestic and regional connectivity. The E2 is able to achieve this both affordably for passengers and profitably for the airline, along with delivering a superior travel experience. This enhanced network will also help feed and sustain long haul operations at the Lagos Hub, such as the UAE route launched in 2019 and South Africa launched in December 2020.
There are currently 206 Embraer aircraft operating in Africa with 56 airlines in 29 countries.
On February 1, 2021, Lufthansa will be departing on the longest passenger flight in the history of its company, marking one of the most unique flights the airline has ever carried out. On behalf of the Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research (AWI) in Bremerhaven, the Lufthansa Group’s most sustainable aircraft, an Airbus A350-900, will be flying 13,700 kilometers nonstop from Hamburg to Mount Pleasant in the Falkland Islands. The flight time is calculated at around 15:00 hours. There are 92 passengers booked for this charter flight LH2574, half of which are scientists and the other half, being the ship crew for the upcoming expedition with the Polarstern research vessel.
“We are pleased to be able to support a polar research expedition during these difficult times. Commitment to climate research is very important to us. We have been active in this field for more than 25 years and have equipped selected aircraft with measuring instruments. Since then, scientists all around the world have been using the data collected during the voyage to make climate models more precise and improve weather forecasts,” says Thomas Jahn, fleet captain and project manager Falkland. Since the hygiene requirements for this flight are extremely high, Captain Rolf Uzat and his 17-member crew entered a 14-day quarantine last Saturday, the same time that the passengers did. “Despite the crew restrictions for this particular flight, 600 flight attendants applied for this trip,” says Rolf Uzat.
The preparations for this special flight are immense. They include additional training for the pilots via special electronic maps for flight and landing as well as managing the kerosene available at the Mount Pleasant military base for the return flight. The Airbus A350-900 is currently stationed in Munich, where it is being prepared for the flight. In Hamburg, the aircraft is loaded with additional cargo and baggage, which has been extensively disinfected and will remain sealed until departure. Besides the catering, there are additional containers for the residual waste on board, since this can only be disposed after the aircraft arrives back in Germany. The Lufthansa crew includes technicians and ground staff for on-site handling and maintenance who will quarantine after landing in the Falkland Islands due to government requirements. The return flight LH2575, is scheduled to depart for Munich on 03 February and will be carrying the Polarstern crew, which had set out from Bremerhaven on December 20 to resupply the Neumayer Station III in Antarctica, and must now be relieved.
In order to make research as climate-friendly as possible, the Alfred Wegener Institute will offset CO2 emissions from business flights via the non-profit climate protection organization atmosfair – which is also the case for this particular flight. The institute donates funds for biogas plants in Nepal for every mile flown, thereby reducing the same amount of CO2 emissions. This helps maintain the overall CO2 balance regardless of where in the world the CO2 emissions can be reduced. In addition to pure CO2 emissions, other pollutants such as nitrogen oxides and soot particles are also taken into account.
Preparations for the special flight began together with the Alfred Wegener Institute in the summer of 2020. The usual route via Cape Town was not feasible due to the infection situation in South Africa, leaving only the route via the Falkland Islands. After landing on the Falkland Islands, scientific staff and crew members will continue their journey to Antarctica on the research vessel Polarstern.
Agreement comprises a rail system with a network of around 1000km – first being a 460km project valued around 3bn$
Turnkey Engineering, Procurement and Construction project including 15 years of services
Siemens Mobility to provide high-speed and regional trains, locomotives, rail infrastructure, system integration and other services
The National Authority for Tunnels, a governmental authority under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Transport of Egypt, and Siemens Mobility have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) – together with the local companies Orascom Construction S.A.E. and The Arab Contractors (Osman Ahmed Osman & Co.) – to design, install and commission Egypt’s first ever high-speed rail transportation system. Additionally, Siemens Mobility will be providing maintenance services. The agreement comprises a rail system with a network of 1000km, with the first being a 460km high-speed line. The order value of this initial high-speed line is around 3bn$.
The MoU was signed by Essam Waly, Chairman of Egypt’s National Authority for Tunnels, and Michael Peter, CEO Siemens Mobility, in a meeting on January 14, 2021 in Cairo. This was witnessed by His excellency, Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly, His excellency, Minister of Transport Egypt Kamel Al Wazir, as well as Siemens CEO Joe Kaeser and Siemens Deputy CEO Roland Busch.
The first 460 km long high-speed line will connect the vastly developing cities of El-Alamein on the Mediterranean Sea to Ain Sokhna on the Red Sea, while also passing through the New Administrative Capital. The line will also be operable for freight transport purposes which will further foster economic growth in the region.
Siemens Mobility is the global leader in high-speed rail operations and is one of the leading companies in the Egyptian mobility market since the 1960s. The company has also extensive experience in delivering high-speed rail projects in the Middle East and Africa region.
As a leading global rail turnkey project provider with a proven track record of delivering projects on time, Siemens Mobility integrates its portfolio elements and delivers complete rail systems reliably and from one single source. So far, the company has successfully completed around 50 turnkey projects all over the world – delivering many ahead of schedule. Latest projects include the Extension of the Blue Line metro in Bangkok finished last year and the Copenhagen Light Rail project.
Emirates has announced it will resume non-stop services to Seattle (from 1st February), Dallas and San Francisco (from 2nd March), offering its customers seamless connectivity via Dubai to and from popular destinations in the Middle East, Africa, and Asia.
The addition of these three destinations will take Emirates’ North American network to 10 destinations following the resumption of services to Boston, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York JFK, Toronto and Washington DC.
Flights to/from San Francisco will operate four times weekly on Emirates’ Boeing 777-300ER while flights to/from Seattle (operating four times weekly) and Dallas (three times weekly) will be operated with the two-class Boeing 777-200LR, offering 38 lie-flat seats in Business and 264 ergonomically designed seats in Economy class.
The airline will also be providing its customers more options and choice with additional flights to New York , Los Angeles and São Paulo. Effective 1st February, Emirates will be operating double daily flights to John F. Kennedy International Airport (JFK) and a daily flight to Los Angeles (LAX). Emirates customers also have seamless access to other US cities via the airline’s codeshare agreements with Jetblue and Alaskan Airlines.
In South America, Emirates will be introducing a fifth weekly flight to São Paulo (from February 5th), offering customers in Brazil even more travel options with greater access to its expanding network. Beyond São Paulo, Emirates customers can enjoy seamless connectivity and access to 24 other cities in Brazil via the airline’s codeshare partnership with GOL and its interline agreements with Azul and LATAM.
Emirates has safely and gradually restarted operations across its network and currently serves 114 destinations on six continents.
Since it safely resumed tourism activity in July, Dubai remains one of the world’s most popular holiday destinations, especially during the winter season. The city is open for international business and leisure visitors. From sun-soaked beaches and heritage activities to world class hospitality and leisure facilities, Dubai offers a variety of world-class experiences. It was one of the world’s first cities to obtain Safe Travels stamp from the World Travel and Tourism Council (WTTC) – which endorses Dubai’s comprehensive and effective measures to ensure guest health and safety.
Just six months after their first E2 order, Congo Airways has placed a firm order for two E195-E2 jets. This is in addition to their existing two aircraft order for the smaller E190-E2. The four aircraft deal has a total value of USD 272 million at current list prices. This new firm order will be included in Embraer’s 2020 fourth quarter backlog.
Desire Bantu, CEO of Congo Airways said, “We see an opportunity in our market and the crisis we are all facing for Congo Airways to emerge stronger – which is why we are not waiting to place this further order. These new jets will allow us to extend our passenger and cargo operations regionally to high demand destinations such as Cape Town, Johannesburg, and Abidjan. As we prepare for future success, we will have the flexibility, and the right sized, most efficient aircraft, to serve our customers as the market returns.”
“Africa has for too long been thought of as a market of mostly low frequencies and long thin routes. As airlines start ramp up their operations, the E2 family of aircraft is perfectly positioned to right size routes previously operated by narrowbodies, while keeping frequencies and adjusting capacity to new levels,” said Cesar Pereira, vice president of Europe, Middle East and Africa, Embraer Commercial Aviation. “Congo Airways will benefit from the flexibility provided by the common cockpit on the E2 jet family meaning their flight crews can transition seamlessly between variants.”
The E195-E2 will be configured in a dual class 120 seat layout, 12 in business, 108 in economy. An additional 25% capacity when compared to the 96-seat configuration chosen by Congo Airways for their E190-E2s. The E2 deliveries are expected to begin in 2022 with Embraer and Congo Airways continuing to review the potential to anticipate the beginning of the deliveries. There are currently 206 Embraer aircraft operating in Africa with 56 airlines in 29 countries.
Saab has today received a follow on contract with the United Arab Emirates regarding the sale of two GlobalEye systems, Saab’s advanced airborne surveillance system. The order value is USD 1.018 billion and the contract period is 2020-2025.
The original contract with the United Arab Emirates for GlobalEye was signed in 2015. This contract is an amendment to that signed in 2015.
“We are proud that the United Arab Emirates continues to show great trust in Saab and our solutions. It shows that Saab remains on the cutting edge regarding advanced technology. The GlobalEye program is running according to plan and we have an efficient cooperation with the customer”, says Micael Johansson, President and CEO Saab.
The work will be carried out in Gothenburg, Linköping, Arboga, Järfälla and Luleå in Sweden and in Centurion, South Africa.
The contract was signed by the customer on the 30th of December 2020, hence the order was booked during the fourth quarter 2020.
GlobalEye provides simultaneous air, maritime and ground surveillance. It combines sophisticated radar technology with the ultra-long range Global 6000 aircraft from Bombardier.
Emirates has announced that it will deploy its latest flagship A380 aircraft featuring new premium economy seats and luxurious enhancements across all cabins to London Heathrow.
Starting from 4 January, passengers flying between Dubai and London Heathrow can experience Emirates’ latest A380. Operating as EK003/004, the aircraft is scheduled to depart Dubai daily at 14:30hrs, arriving at 18:20hrs in London Heathrow. The return flight departs London at 20:20hrs and arrives in Dubai the next day at 07:20hrs. All timings local.
Emirates last week unveiled its latest A380 with brand new premium economy seats that offer a generous seat pitch of up to 40 inches, in addition to new economy class seats similar to those installed on its latest Boeing 777-300ER gamechanger aircraft, enhancements to its popular A380 First and Business Class including its signature Shower Spa and Onboard Lounge, and refreshed colours and fittings across all cabins.
Until more Premium Economy seats enter its inventory, the airline intends to offer these as spot upgrades for its valued customers on a discretionary basis. All other signature Emirates A380 First, Business and Economy cabins are available for reservation on emirates.com or via travel agents.
The airline has safely and gradually restored its network over the past months, bringing back signature experiences onboard and on the ground with comprehensive measures in place for the health and safety of its customers and employees.
Emirates currently serves London Heathrow with 5 daily flights of which 4 are operated with an A380. The airline also operates 10 flights a week to Manchester, and daily flights to both Birmingham and Glasgow.
Emirates serves 99 cities across the world, offering travellers convenient access to Dubai and onwards to popular destinations in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East.
