Tag: facility (Page 4 of 11)

Sky High Aviation Receives First of Two Embraer E190 Jets

June 1, 2022 / WIL BALDWIN

São José dos Campos, Brazil, June 1, 2022 – Sky High Aviation, an airline based in the Dominican Republic, has taken delivery of its first Embraer (NYSE: ERJ) E190 passenger jet. This makes the air carrier the only E-Jet operator based in the Caribbean. The first of two E190s being provided by regional aircraft lessor, TrueNoord, arrived last week at Las Americas José Francisco Peña Gómez airport after transition works were completed at Embraer’s MRO facility in Macon, Georgia, USA. The second E190 is to be delivered to Sky High later this month.

The addition of the E190s will bring a new level of comfort for passengers and open new international routes from the region. Sky High currently operates a fleet of two 50 seater Embraer ERJ 145s flying to 10 island destinations in the Caribbean. The E190s have been configured in a comfortable dual-class layout with 98 seats and will serve Sky High’s existing destinations as well as opening new international routes to the United States, Central and South America.

Juan Chamizo Alonso, President of Sky High Aviation, said, “It’s a huge differentiator for us to be the only operator in the region with E-Jet capability, and a great way to celebrate our first 10 years of operations. The addition of the larger, more modern and capable E190 is the next step in our development and our offering to our customers. The E190 is the perfect aircraft to help manage demand in peak times, as well as to open and maintain the international routes essential for our continued development as a leading Caribbean operator.”

United’s Aviate Academy First Class Start Today at New Training Facility in Phoenix

December 6, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

United Airlines (Nasdaq: UAL) today announced the inaugural class of 30 United Aviate Academy students will begin their studies on Dec. 6 at the new flight training academy at Phoenix Goodyear Airport. The first class, 80% of whom are women or people of color, will complete a rigorous, year-long training program that sets them up for a career that reflects United’s high standard of professionalism and deep commitment to delivering a safe, caring, dependable and efficient travel experience. United Aviate Academy received more than 7,500 applications from aspiring pilots around the country in less than six months, with nearly 75% of those applicants being women or people of color.

After completing their training at the academy, students will build flight and leadership experience while working within the Aviate pilot development ecosystem at partner universities, professional flight training organizations and United Express carriers on their way to becoming United pilots.

The state-of-the-art, 340,000 square-foot facility at Phoenix Goodyear Airport, which United Aviate Academy will lease from the city of Phoenix, will provide aspiring pilots with industry-leading resources, equipment, and accommodations. The facility was previously home to Lufthansa Aviation Training (LAT), and United Aviate Academy will sublease part of its facility to LAT, a wholly owned subsidiary of Lufthansa, a United Star Alliance partner.

Southwest Airlines Announces 15 Year Agreement for Sustainable Aviation Fuel

November 10, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Dallas, Texas — Southwest Airlines Company (NYSE: LUV) today announced a 15-year agreement with Velocys Renewables LLC for 219 million gallons of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Once blended with conventional jet fuel, the SAF could produce the equivalent of 575 million gallons of net zero fuel and avoid 6.5 million metric tons of CO2 over the term of the agreement. Southwest plans to begin purchasing SAF from the Velocys Bayou Fuels facility in Natchez, Mississippi, as early as 2026.

Additionally, as part of the offtake agreement, Southwest and Velocys have established a long-term strategic relationship, offering Southwest the opportunity to purchase significant volumes of SAF from future Velocys facilities.

Southwest recognizes the critical role that commercially viable SAF will play in the carrier’s strategy to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. Southwest is one of the most honored airlines in the world and strives to maintain a steadfast focus on a triple bottom line.

Embraer Presents Energia Family, Four New Aircraft Concepts Using Renewable Energy

November 9, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Embraer (NYSE: ERJ) has announced a family of concept aircraft that it is exploring to help the industry achieve its goal of net zero carbon emissions by 2050. The details of the Energia family, the latest in the company’s Sustainability in Action initiative, were broadcast live via YouTube from Embraer’s manufacturing facility in São José dos Campos.

The company has partnered with an international consortium of engineering universities, aeronautical research institutes, and small and medium-sized enterprises to better understand energy harvesting, storage, thermal management and their applications for sustainable aircraft propulsionThe Energia Family is comprised of four concept aircraft of varying sizes that incorporate different propulsion technologies – electric, hydrogen fuel cell, dual fuel gas turbine, and hybrid-electric.

Energia Hybrid (E9-HE) – hybrid-electric propulsion • up to 90% CO2 emissions reduction • 9 seats • rear-mounted engines • technology readiness –2030

Energia Electric (E9-FE) – full electric propulsion • zero CO2 emissions • 9 seats • aft contra-rotating propeller • technology readiness – 2035

Energia H2 Fuel Cell (E19-H2FC) – hydrogen electric propulsion • zero CO2 emissions • 19 seats • rear-mounted electric engines • technology readiness – 2035

Energia H2 Gas Turbine (E50-H2GT) • hydrogen or SAF/JetA urbine propulsion • up to 100% CO2 emissions reduction • 35 to 50 seats • rear-mounted engines • technology readiness – 2040

Although the Energia airplanes are still on the drawing board, Embraer has already made advances in reducing emissions from its aircraft. It has tested drop-in sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), mixes of sugarcane and camelina plant-derived fuel and fossil fuel, on its family of E-Jets. The company is targeting to have all Embraer aircraft SAF-compatible by 2030. Last August, Embraer flew its Electric Demonstrator, a single-engine EMB-203 Ipanema, 100% powered by electricity. A hydrogen fuel cell demonstrator is planned for 2025 and the company’s eVTOL, a fully electric, zero-emissions vertical takeoff and landing vehicle, is being developed to enter service in 2026.

Watch the video presentation below!

British Airways Selects Collins Aerospace to Upgrade 777 Fleet with Enhanced Club World Experience

October 30, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

WINSTON-SALEM, NC – British Airways (LSE: IAG) has selected Collins Aerospace to upgrade its fleet of Boeing 777 aircraft to the Club World experience for business class passengers.

The agreement includes installation of the popular Club Suite business class seat, the Club Kitchen and a new cabin configuration. Collins will also perform full-cabin integration work – including engineering design, test and approval – along with program management and third-party supplier approvals. Some of the modified aircraft are already flying with the upgrades expected to be complete by the end of 2022. The retrofitted Boeing 777 aircraft will be operating from London Heathrow.

The Club Suite is a customized version of Collins Aerospace’s industry-leading Super Diamond business class seat, providing British Airways international passengers with privacy doors, a spacious seat that converts to a fully flat bed and an upgraded inflight entertainment system. Similar to the upgraded cabin on British Airways’ new Airbus A350 fleet, the suites are laid out in a 1-2-1 pattern, allowing all-aisle access for every passenger. This proven design can be tailored to fit different airframes, helping maintain a consistent passenger experience.

The Club Kitchen is an area consisting of galley inserts, chillers and built-in storage for snacks, drinks and other refreshments, allowing passengers the ability to collect self-service snacks and refreshments at their leisure.

Through its Integration and Engineering group, Collins Aerospace has an Organization Designation Authority from the FAA to oversee the certification and Supplemental Type Certificate for the upgrade. Manufacturing of the new suite seats is being completed at the company’s facility in Kilkeel, Northern Ireland, while the new Club Kitchen was designed at the company’s facility in Everett, Washington.

Boeing Breaks Ground on New Maintenance, Repair & Overhaul Facility in Jacksonville

October 28, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Oct. 28, 2021 — Boeing [NYSE: BA] today broke ground to begin construction of a new 370,000 square-foot maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) facility located at Cecil Airport that, once complete, will support Boeing’s ability to deliver readiness outcomes for U.S. government customers.

The facility will include eight new hangars, additional work space and offices where Boeing maintainers, engineers and data analysts will support U.S. Navy and Air Force aircraft. The facility’s close proximity to Naval Air Station Jacksonville, Boeing’s Training Systems Center of Excellence in west Jacksonville, and local academic institutions make it a leading location for the development and delivery of innovative product support, underpinned by collaborative research and engineering.

The groundbreaking ceremony celebrates a 25-year lease agreement between Boeing and the Jacksonville Aviation Authority (JAA). Under the agreement, the JAA will construct and lease to Boeing new facilities on approximately 30 acres located on the northeast side of Cecil Airport, near Boeing’s existing MRO site. Construction is anticipated to be completed in 2023.

Since opening its existing MRO facilities at Cecil Airport in 1999, Boeing teammates have maintained, modified and upgraded 1,030 aircraft for the U.S. Navy and Marine Corps, including the F/A-18 A-D Hornet, F/A-18 E/F Super Hornet and EA-18G Growler. The Boeing team at the site also converts F/A-18 Super Hornets into flight demonstration aircraft for the U.S. Navy’s Blue Angel squadron as well as modifies retired F-16s into the next generation of autonomous aerial targets for the U.S. Air Force. The facility is also home to a Flight Control Repair Center that provides structural repairs to F/A-18 A-F and EA-18G flight control surfaces.

Boeing to Build New Factory in Illinois to Produce MQ-25 Stingray

September 20, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

ST. LOUIS, Missouri, September 17, 2021 – Boeing [NYSE: BA] will build the Navy’s newest carrier-based aircraft at a new high-tech facility in Illinois, bringing the benefits of digital aircraft design and production to the Navy and up to 300 advanced manufacturing jobs to the greater St. Louis region.

The new 300,000 square-foot facility at MidAmerica St. Louis Airport, scheduled for completion in 2024, initially will employ approximately 150 mechanics, engineers and support staff who will build the MQ-25^TM Stingray^TM, the Navy’s first operational, carrier-based unmanned aircraft. Employment could reach up to 300 with additional orders.

Boeing digitally engineered the entire MQ-25 aircraft and its systems, resulting in high-fidelity models that are used to drive quality, efficiency and flexibility throughout the production and sustainment process. The new MQ-25 facility will include state-of-the-art manufacturing processes and tools, including robotic automation and advanced assembly techniques, to improve product quality and employee ergonomics.

For two years, Boeing and the Navy have been flight testing the Boeing-owned MQ-25 test asset from MidAmerica Airport, where in recent history-making missions T1 has refueled an F/A-18 Super Hornet, an E-2D Hawkeye and an F-35C Lightning II.

The U.S. Navy intends to procure more than 70 MQ-25 aircraft to help extend the range of the carrier air wing, and the majority of those will be built in the new facility. Boeing is currently producing the first seven MQ-25 aircraft, plus two ground test articles, at its St. Louis facilities, and they will be transported to MidAmerica for flight test. The MQ-25 program office, including its core engineering team, will remain based in St. Louis.

The new MQ-25 facility will be in addition to existing manufacturing operations at Boeing St. Clair, which produces components for the CH-47 Chinook, F/A-18 Super Hornet, F-15 and other defense products.

Phoenix Police Department to Upgrade Fleet with New Airbus H125 Helicopters

September 16, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Grand Prairie, Texas, 16 September 2021 – The Phoenix Police Department has signed a new order to upgrade its airborne law enforcement helicopter fleet with five new H125 helicopters. Deliveries are expected to begin next year.

Known for its power, versatility and excellent performance in hot and high conditions, the H125 features dual hydraulics, dual channel FADEC, a crash resistant fuel system, and advanced glass-panel cockpit displays. The H125 accounts for nearly half of all intermediate single engine helicopters delivered for airborne law enforcement missions in North America over the last decade. It is built at Airbus Helicopters, Inc.’s production and completion facility in Columbus, Mississippi, by a team made up of 40% U.S. veterans.

Airbus Helicopters Inc. is the leading supplier of helicopters in the United States, with a presence dating back more than 50 years. A team of more than 700 employees operates local production and completion facilities for the H125 and UH-72 Lakota aircraft in Columbus, Mississippi, and provides world-class training, aftermarket support, and technical assistance from Grand Prairie, Texas, for the North American regional in-service fleet of nearly 3,100 helicopters.

Airbus Delivers First UH-72B Lakota Helicopter to U.S. Army National Guard

September 7, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

Columbus, Mississippi, 07 September 2021 – Airbus Helicopters, Inc. has delivered the first UH-72B, the latest variant of its Lakota helicopter, to the U.S. Army National Guard from its production facility in Columbus, Mississippi. This delivery is the first of 18 UH-72B Lakota helicopters currently on order to support the National Guard’s critical missions.

The UH-72B is the latest iteration of the proven commercial, off-the-shelf aircraft that has been the Army’s Light Utility Helicopter since the first Lakota contract award in 2006. The Army is leveraging the benefits of a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) program by receiving product improvements and enhancements through the evolution of the aircraft, without investing any government money into the development of those capabilities.

Based on the widely successful H145, the UH-72B incorporates technologies that increase both safety and flight performance, including the five-bladed main rotor, the Fenestron shrouded tail rotor, Safran Arriel 2E engines, and the Airbus-designed Helionix avionics suite. The Helionix suite includes an advanced dual-duplex, four-axis autopilot to provide flight envelope and over-limit protection, automated takeoff, and fully-coupled approaches to hover.

With nearly 10 different configurations available, the Lakota delivers proven performance, outstanding operational reliability, and unmatched versatility for a broad spectrum of military missions. Airbus Helicopters, Inc. builds the Lakota at its production facility in Columbus, Mississippi, which employs a workforce of nearly 250 employees that is made up of 40% U.S. veterans.

Lockheed Martin Announces Johnstown Facility To Build Parts For New F-16’s

September 2, 2021 / WIL BALDWIN

JOHNSTOWN, Pennsylvania, Sept. 2, 2021 — Lockheed Martin (NYSE: LMT) announced today it would bring new F-16 manufacturing work to its facility in Johnstown, Pennsylvania. The work will generate 80 new jobs in the city and the company plans to lease a new building to accommodate it.

Wayne Davis, director at Lockheed Martin’s Johnstown site, says Lockheed Martin continues to see demand for new F-16s around the world, requiring development of additional parts manufacturing sites to ensure it can keep up with demand.

F-16 parts to be produced in Johnstown include the aft engine access covers, engine access doors, F-1 fuel tank, and inlet. Upon completion in Johnstown, the parts will be shipped to Greenville, South Carolina, for final assembly and integration into the F-16s on the production line. This is in addition to F-16 component and sub-assembly work already performed at the site today.

Early work in Johnstown will kick off this year, with the bulk of hiring and other significant efforts beginning in 2022. In addition to the F-16 work, the Johnstown facility also provides parts and services for the F-35 and F-22 fighter jets, and the C-130 military transport aircraft.

In addition to the nearly 400 jobs already in place at the site today, Lockheed Martin maintains a strong presence in the Johnstown community, giving more than $42,000 to local organizations and efforts last year.

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